Chapter 1
Adele
It was summer. A month passed since the birth of my young Prince and a year of marriage with Zayden. We were finally getting ready to get back home at the mountain palace where we could truly begin our time as a family. I had packed my last bag and tossed it into the pile by the door with a heavy breath. “There. Finished.”
“Happy we’re going home?” Zayden came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Mmm. Most definitely. We’ve been away too long. It’ll feel good to get back.”
“Well, sorry the trip will have to be slow this time.”
“It’s all right. I know why.”
I turned to kiss him and walked around the bed to the white bassinet. I stood still on the side and looked in silently. Zayden approach and put his arm around me, looking in at Seth sleeping peacefully. The golden blonde locks of his hair shone under the flickering lantern and I put my hand on Zayden’s that rested on my right shoulder.
Of course Rift was there too. He’s grown just as attached to Seth as I was and took up a new sleeping spot right under the bassinet. It was sweet but the more we kept looking down, the more we kept thinking.
“How do you think he’ll handle the trip?” Zayden asked in a quiet voice, leaning in towards my ear.
If this was some attempt to get us to stay here longer, forget it. I didn’t want to be.
“It’ll be all right.” I assured. “We’ll have to do it. I want to get home. I’ve spent too much time here.”
“I know.” He brought his lips towards me and kissed my head.
“I’ll have him with me. It’ll be a little bouncy but maybe he’ll sleep through that.”
“Well, we’ll have to see, won’t we? Come on. Let’s get ourselves to bed before he wakes up. Tomorrow’s the day we’ll be out of here and on our way back home.”
I smiled to the joyous thought and kissed him back. “I like the sounds of that and you’re right. I should at least try to sleep before he wakes up again. I’m going to be tired beyond all reason come morning.”
Zayden laughed as he looked back in the bassinet and gently touched Seth’s head while leaning down to him. “Goodnight, son.” He kissed him even more gently and stood up, putting a hand on my back.
“I know. It’s still hard to look away. I love him so much.”
“I know you do but you’ll need this. You said so yourself.”
“Okay.” I sighed lightly and kissed my son softly on the head. “Goodnight, Seth. See you in an hour or two.”
Zayden still had his hand on me and had to guide me towards the bed so I would actually get there. This was our last night of staying in Randal and I would need all the sleep I could get for the journey home.
I felt hopeful about it. I just wanted to get away from the palace life and back to a simple one. I want to actually do things for myself and not have maids around to make sure I stayed lazy. I never tolerated laziness. Getting home was the best thing for me; the best thing for my family. At least, it seemed so.
The day started off perfect with the summer sun rising in the east. While the three boys were being looked after by maids for the last time, everyone gathered in the dining hall to have our breakfast together. It went as quiet as usual with little or no talk.
It was only after when we were getting our stuff packed on the horses that the King and Queen chose to say their good-byes.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving and taking this little sweetheart away from me.” Kathryn said while holding Seth in her arms.
Zayden laughed quietly from her whining expression. “It’s not like you won’t ever see him again, mother.”
“I know but we’ll miss him. We’ll miss all of you.”
“We’ll still come visit.” I said.
“You better.” Izin replied. “Zayden, I’ll be sending someone for you if there’s need for it.”
“Of course, father. We’ll get here within hours after receiving it.”
“Good.”
“Excuse me, your majesties?” A guard stepped in the entrance of the stables with a golden hawk on his left forearm. “This message just came for the Princess.”
I stepped out of my stall and saw the bird more clearly. “Honey?” She let out a loud cry and I walked over. “Thank you.”
She was handed off to me and just as soon as I took out the message, Honey flew off with another cry and landed on a stall post to wait.
“Who’s it from, Adele?” Jaylyn asked curiously.
I was reading the message and smiled. “It’s from Sharlet.” I started to read a little more with that smile fading. “Jaylyn, you really need to work on your sensory skills.”
She gasped. “Why? Did Meg not have a girl?”
“She had twins.”
Kathryn gasped louder. “Twin girls?”
“No. A boy and a girl.”
“That’s a rarity, isn’t it?” Zayden asked.
“Yeah but it doesn’t make our work easier. We may convince Wyatt to have Meg raise the girl in Kalu but there’s no way he would allow is son to and she would have to be in his life for as long as he needs a mother’s care.”
“Can we not stress about it now, Love? Let’s focus on getting home first. Write Sharlet back with what to do and we’ll take it from there.”
He was at least right about that. We couldn’t deal with it now.
“Fine.” I used my gift to rearrange the ink on the page into my reply and rolled it back up. “Take this back to her.” I securely attached it back to Honey and she flew off with another cry, leaving the stables and flying west away from the sun.
“All right. Then are you ready?”
I nodded and got up on my horse, walking it over to Kathryn who was still holding Seth.
She looked up with a whimpering sigh. “Oh, all right. Time to go see your mother, little one.”
She carefully lifted him up to me and I took Seth securely in my arms. “Thank you. We’ll come back soon so you can see them again. Promise.”
“Take your time.” Izin smiled. “We know how eager you are to get back.”
“Thank you, father.” Zayden said while mounting his horse. “We’ll write at least if anything comes up.”
“Of course. Have a safe trip.”
“Come on, Rift. Keep up.” He was just as excited to leave, jumping all around. Lucky the horses were used to him because he wasn’t exactly little. He was how we first saw him with Seth; full grown.
“He will.” I said. “As long as I’m holding Seth, he’ll be where I am.”
Zayden smiled and turned on his horse and led us out of the stables; our journey home had finally started.
Chapter 2
Ruby
We took travel slow at first to see how the boys would handle it. When they seemed fine and not disrupted, we picked up the pace and headed faster west towards the mountains and home.
We took many more breaks than usual to make sure the boys were fed, changed and comfortable until finally we decided to stop for the first night and rest.
“That’s probably a good idea.” Adele said, looking down at Seth in her arm while we were at a walking pace. “It’ll give my arm a rest.”
“Then we stop.” Zayden stopped his horse first. Everyone did after him and he jumped right down, walking to Adele. “Let me take him.”
Adele carefully handed Seth down to him and Jaylyn and I did the same so we could get off our horses more safely but I felt it the instant my feet touched the ground.
“Oh, I just want to get home.” I groaned. “Dirk is getting heavy. I wish we were there now.”
“Yeah, about that.” Adele said. “I think we
have to talk.”
I sighed. “What now?”
“Inside.”
Adele created an underground shelter for us to stay in and everyone walked in. There were no chairs this time. Just a big open space. Adele used her gift again and created the beds we would sleep on then put up walls around them.
“Ruby. With me.”
Darius kept our growing boy in his arms and I followed Adele into one of the rooms with zero anticipation to the coming conversation. “What?”
“When we get home, Meg will be there waiting for us.” I let out a frustrated sigh just to hear that name again and I turned away but stayed in the small room. “I don’t even want to hear it and you are not to have any contact with her whatsoever. Is that clear?”
I turned back with a smile and red eyes, showing my anger. “Why? Think I might do something?”
“You’re thinking about it now. Just stay away from her. Depending on what time of day we get back, she won’t be staying very long. I’ll be taking her into Hintus myself. Just me. That means no you or Jaylyn but probably Zayden because I already know he won’t want me going alone since I have to take Seth.”
“Okay. Fine. I really don’t care because I really don’t want to see her either.”
“Well, I’m not guarantying that won’t happen. I just don’t want you in striking distance. She’ll have her newborn twins with her and the daughter is going to—”
I sighed loudly. “I know. It’s always going to be such a great reminder.”
“Look, it’s not like it’s actually going to be Meg. She gave birth to her. She’s done her part. She won’t be involved with anything that has to do with our futures.”
“Anything else?”
“Just behave.”
She walked passed me, leaving the room and Darius immediately came in with Dirk still in his arms. “Ruby? You all right?”
I was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked over, trying to put a smile on my face while the golden glow of my eyes shown again. I didn’t want him to know that they were ever red. He would surely have something to say that I didn’t care to hear. “Yeah. Fine. Is he awake?”
I got up and stepped to him just as Darius looked down to check. “Yeah, a little bit.”
“Then maybe I should feed him before we get to bed. He usually goes right to sleep after eating.”
“Okay.”
Darius handed Dirk over to me and I took him around the bed so I could sit on it more comfortably. Darius followed on the other side and it was quiet while I opened the front of my shirt and began with the feeding. He sat on the other side of me basically like he was waiting for something. I could tell.
“Why don’t you just come out and say it, Darius?”
“Say what?”
“I’m sure you know what Adele wanted to talk to me about. I’ve seen you avoiding my eyes since we found out.”
He sighed quietly. “I didn’t want to mention it.”
“Well, can’t hide from it either. You are going to see her again. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s exactly right. You’ll do nothing.”
“I assume that’s what Adele just talked to you about.”
I glanced over with a slight smile showing; it was hard to hide. “Maybe but I haven’t made my full decision quite yet.”
“Ruby—”
My head snapped over and my eyes started turning red beyond my control. “Don’t. If I even see you look at her with any kind of feeling whatsoever, she’s gone on the spot and no one will be able to change my feeling of it.”
“Well, that won’t happen because I don’t feel anything.”
“Good.” I regained a smile and my eyes faded back. “Then we won’t have a problem.”
“You should know that we wouldn’t. I was hoping it was behind us.”
“It can never really be as long as she’s around and when she is, I’m not leaving you alone for a second.”
“Whatever you want.” Darius said, leaning in and kissing my head. “I don’t want us to fight about something that won’t happen. I have no feelings for her. They’re all used up between you and my new love.”
His hand grazed over the top of Dirk’s head while he continued to feed and I smiled for real. “It still gets me every time you say something like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I guess it just reminds me of how much you have changed. I remember when you would always completely freak out.”
Darius laughed a little louder. “I didn’t freak out!”
“Okay. You slightly panicked to thought of a child and now you can’t get enough of him.”
“People can change. I know I never saw my life like this but I would have been missing out greatly if I didn’t get this chance. Meeting you changed all of that and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I smiled and leaned over as much as I could to kiss him. “I’ve been kind of the same way.”
Darius smiled back and we kissed again. It lasted for a few more seconds until I backed off and looked down at Dirk.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, almost a little worried.
“Oh, nothing. He’s just starting to fall asleep. The suckling feeling is slowing down.”
“Then perhaps it’s time to get him off to bed so we can. Let me see him. I’ll burp him.”
I tossed a blanket over to Darius and he put it up over his shoulder as I pulled Dirk away from me and handed him over.
Darius held him up and lightly patted his back. “He’s getting big, isn’t he?”
“Almost seven months old, if you want to believe that.”
“No. I don’t.”
Good. I didn’t either.
Dirk finally burped and we were able to lay him down for the night and get ourselves to do the same. We were days away from being home and would need the rest; I would need the rest if I ever wanted to defend the right to my family properly. That damn woman will regret the day she ever laid eyes on us.
Chapter 3
Zayden
We traveled slowly for three days and finally arrived in sight of home just as the sun was going down. The large palace built out of the side of the mountains and surrounded by beautiful waterfalls was a good sight for everyone. We finally got to see its five towers climbing to the high peaks and it was a relief to know we were finally home.
“At last.” Adele muttered. She looked down at Seth in her arm with a gentle smile. “We’re home.”
We crossed over the two bridges where we could get the horses settled in to the stables.
“Let’s get this over with.” Ruby said, getting right down off her horse while Darius took a turn at holding Dirk. “I just want to relax.”
“No kidding.” Troy replied, taking Bryce from Jaylyn. “We should wait awhile before we try traveling like that again.”
“Easy for you to say.” Adele muttered. “I’ll have to go on another in the morning.”
“You could wait an extra day or two.” I said.
I watched Adele’s eyes glance over at Ruby and she casually looked away. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I’d like to get it over with.”
“All right then. Let’s get you inside so you can rest.”
Adele nodded but then stopped me with a quiet hand on my chest. “Can you wait out here for them?”
I looked over and saw that she was looking at Darius and Ruby. “Why?”
“I just don’t want anything to happen when we get inside.”
I nodded and obeyed but Rift didn’t stay with me. He followed after Adele because she was the one holding Seth. I guess that meant he was his now.
I waited longer out here because we knew Meg would have been inside and Adele clearly didn’t want either of them to get close to her.
Ruby seemed to take her time for the same reasons and Darius waited outside her stall with Dirk. “You ready yet?”
Ruby hung up the last th
ing on the wall slowly and turned to him just as slow. “I guess so. You all right with watching him a little longer? I just want to lay down for a while.”
“It’s no problem. We’ll get him upstairs and show him where we’ll be staying.”
Ruby smiled back as she took his free arm and they turned to leave. “Zayden, what are you still doing out here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“Because of Adele?”
“Maybe.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m fine.”
I let them pass me and followed but I wasn’t quite sure if that were true. The attitude on her tone said she wasn’t fine and I was ready to get in the way once we were inside.
Meg was sitting in the lounge on the first floor with the others, holding two bundles of blankets, one in each arm and this is where I was getting nervous but I guess Ruby was right; I didn’t have to be.
She made it easy not to look over as they headed for the stairs but Darius looked while holding Dirk up by his shoulder with his free arm. Dirk’s rose red hair was visibly seen just under his chin and he only let the casual gaze with Meg last another second before he turned up the stairs with Ruby.
The short amount of tension was over and I joined them in the lounge, getting a turn at holding Seth.
“Wow.” Meg muttered. “Their son has Ruby’s hair?”
Jaylyn glanced around at us with a quick smile. “Yeah, very unique and he’s so adorable.”
“I would imagine.”
“Well—” Adele said as she stood up to change the subject. “I should see what I can throw together for dinner with the stuff we brought. I’ll make sure it’s quick since it’s already getting late.”
She walked into the kitchen and I followed with Rift now following me. “You sure you want to do this?”
“Of course. People have to eat.”
“Well, you said you needed rest.”
“I do but it can wait.”
“All right. I’m going to show Seth around so he can get used to home.”
“Okay. I’ll have someone find you when it’s ready. I don’t plan on making anything extravagant. Just something to get us through.”
Rising Sun (Fate's Intent Book 9) Page 1
