He blinked and arched an eyebrow at her as she cringed and put her hands up in defense.
"That wasn't me. It was the anger of the Universe," she sweetly declared, which made me smile from ear to ear.
"Carry on," Dad encouraged.
"As I was saying, they pushed him and then had the nerve to call him despicable things like dark orphan and a coward! Oh! That Prince of Ice was there, too!"
"Prince Xavier?" Dad concluded. I found it a little funny that Mother could use such terms and Dad understood it.
"Yes! That little rock of ice. How is he even the son of Alicia?!"
"You and I both know he was of the same circumstance as Rainer," Dad acknowledged.
I didn't know that.
"Yes! That's exactly my point!" Mother emphasized. "Blessed to be raised by our best friends when his own parents forsook him! Yet he dares to tease our son?! I should have a talk with Alicia. She should just tell him the truth instead of thinking it's unnecessary for him to know he was blessed with the privilege of life when discarded for death!"
Her other hand pushed forward in reflex and there was another wave of water that drenched Dad. She froze and then nervously looked around. "That...was Rainer."
"Mom," I groaned. "You can't blame me for your actions."
"Why not?" she whined. "You take on your scary father."
I sighed and looked at Dad, who shook his head. "At least you're not too angry. The weather has been gorgeous as of late."
"Yes!" Mother clapped her hands. "I've been in a happy mood. You take care of me, I'm blessed with life and beauty, and my son is doing so well at school even with pestering bullies." She sighed. "Rainer! See how you stood up and said what I did wrong?!"
"Y-Yes, Mom," I replied.
"You do that! Stop letting people walk all over you!" she snapped.
"Yes, Mom," I replied, though I knew she wasn't actually mad at me.
I've seen Mother mad, and that's something I don't want to experience often.
Dad dropped his finger down and Mom suddenly dropped right into the bath. I gawked as she swam back up and gasped for air.
"Emmanuel!" she shrieked. "What was that for?"
"For splashing me." He winked and actually smiled playfully. "Twice."
She pouted before she disappeared into the waters and I frowned.
"Uh oh," was all I could say as Dad seemed to catch onto what was about to happen. He didn't stand a chance as he tried to lift himself out of the bath.
Instead, his entire body got tossed from one end to the other as the waters lifted him like his 300-pound mass was nothing. He cannonballed into the waters, and Mother came out from her hidden spot and grinned in triumph.
"HAH! That's what you get for ruining my dress!"
It took a few seconds for Dad to reach the surface. His man bun was now gone and his long locks of blonde were all over his neck and shoulders. I wasn't sure if his pout was playful or damn right evil, but I wasn't going to stick around to find out.
"Mother, Father. I'm going to go shower," I voiced and twirled around, but I gasped when my body was lifted by the floating beads of water and I was thrown backward - right into the bath.
I quickly swam up and gasped for breath before hearing mother state, "SCORE!"
"Sera, you're far too competitive for your own good," Dad reasoned as he swam over to her. I shook my head and stared at my drenched clothes.
At least they're white again.
"True, but I figured we all deserved a moment of family playtime!" she declared. "I'm hungry."
Father chuckled as he reached her side, and he pulled her into his bulky arms and gave her a long kiss. I turned around to give them privacy, but it made me happy when they remained all lovey-dovey with their mix of antics that always seemed to tick one of them off.
Their love was playful and dangerous, but it seemed to be the perfect mix for a Purely Divine and a Deadly Divine.
"Do not worry about our Rainer. He's a strong man, just like his mother when it comes to childish antics from our kind who only belittle out of self-hate," he quietly declared but said it loud enough for me to hear.
I looked back to see Mother's softened smile as she nodded and hugged Father tightly. He stroked her hair in comfort as he looked at me with his red eyes that flooded with pride.
"You did well, my son. I'm proud of you, just like your mother is. Don't allow their words to be lingering stains on your wellbeing. Just like the water that has cleared away the mud, allow their hate to leave your flesh."
Father’s words drifted through my head, leaving me to nod in agreement as their wise lessons harbored within me.
I'm not just an orphan, but a prince who will one day walk alongside my fated queen as we help rule this kingdom until the real owner returns to claim its golden glory.
The Truth Of It All
~RAINER~
* * *
I continued to soak further into the rejuvenating waters, needing the little boost after completing our exams. I couldn't be happier for my Sweet Rose - the woman I'd been courting since the new year.
Rosadette Campbell.
The human from the fae lands, who was able to prove to this kingdom who she truly was: a true fae of purity and grace.
Since that very day in the arena, I knew I had feelings for her. The beauty in her human features wasn't close to her true beauty hidden in the lands only a few were blessed to witness themselves.
There was so much to reveal to her, but I held back for her own safety. She may not have known of Xavier's true capabilities, but I did. I knew of the cold heart that he carried and the truth of his birth.
We were the same and yet completely opposite.
I questioned if he had a humble strand in his body, especially when he’d seemed to be digging deeper into his purpose of being a damn right asshole.
Every session Rosadette had to experience with his constant douche behavior pushed me to the edge, and if it wasn't for the utmost respect I carried for this strong, brave woman I'd come to fall in love with, I'd show that man the true meaning of imperfection after a few rounds of my fists into that smug face of his.
To think Mother Universe blessed this man with a woman like Rosadette. A powerful, spectacular, gorgeous rose who only needed a hint of nurturing to see how royally gifted she was.
He had all the opportunities. So many chances to make Rosadette comfortable in this new land that she'd been deprived of for years. She was brought up in a world of poverty, a fact none of us could change until she reached the golden age of eighteen.
Alicia and even Chamomile had done their parts in aiding my poor Rosadette through the struggling consequences she had to endure as a child with no place to claim as her own. This was Xavier’s shining opportunity to be that knight in shining armor from any fairy tale and save the lost princess who deserved to return to her roots.
A princess who deserved to know the truth and claim the kingdom that we'd been fighting hard to protect during her absence.
There was so much she deserved to know, and it was killing me to keep it all away from her. She'd grown so much stronger than the woman who’d stood in shame on that platform in the arena.
That woman with hopeful eyes, ready to prove to all her peers that she deserved a chance at this prestigious school.
Only to be ridiculed, mocked, mistreated, and banished by her own.
That never would have happened in our kingdom. My mother wouldn't dare allow it, even if she or my father were headmaster of the vast academy.
I still took pride in myself for standing up that very day. For not standing there in silence and allowing her bright aura to dim into the darkness Xavier wanted.
How could he be of light and yet carry a heart of ice?
Since then, I watched her from afar, getting to know her little by little.
To Xavier, this was some sort of tactic. To try and get rid of his rose because mine had wilted away. He believed I was just like him, mistreat
ing Esmeralda and dashing her to the side like trash - just like he was attempting to do with Rosadette.
He didn't know how incompatible we were. The constant trust issues and her heart being somewhere else but in my grasp. I carried her rose simply because the Universe asked me to, but when one ignored every effort you made to bring happiness into their life, you'd get bored, and eventually give up trying.
That's when I allowed her rose to wilt. For the petals of the emerald rose that glistened with gold to begin to shrivel and fall from their stem. Until all of them fell.
She already had someone in mind, I'm sure the same as many of the individuals of this kingdom whose eyes were on Xavier. They didn't care about the cold side he projected on a daily basis.
It's his personality, they would say and squeal in delight while continuing their praising conversations about how outstandingly hot he was.
I was considered the "good guy." The calm, smiling man who couldn't possibly fulfill a fae's dark desires.
That's where it all lay at the end of the day.
Faes weren't just excited about the exterior perfections and attractions, but what one could do in the bedroom. What we could accomplish for our destined partners in forms of pleasure.
It was a topic that took me a long time to grasp. The 'good' side did not understand why sex was the only concern of fae. It mattered not if the person you were in love with was a psychopath behind the scenes or shackled and beat you until you were marked with wounds.
As long as the sex was promising, that's all they cared for - at least this kingdom seemed to focus on such priorities.
My kingdom was different. We still had our flaws, but sex wasn't our focus when it came to relationships. We built our bonds through experiences and courtship, or what humans like to refer to as dating. That was how you began your journey, with the end result focusing on the art of marriage.
It didn't stop us from the pleasurable activities that sex brought, but it mixed such desires with the future hope of commitment.
That was the one thing I felt fae struggled to do: commit.
Commitment to our kind wouldn't last a mere hundred years if you were lucky to survive that long, like humans. We lived for hundreds if not thousands of years, and commitment would always be tested as we grew older, wiser, stronger, and connections withered away.
A couple would have to constantly work with one another like it was their first day of the relationship while juggling their emotional connection and physical desires.
It was something so easy when you put it into words, but executing the action seemed too difficult for our kind. Marriages that lasted for more than five hundred years were a blessing in disguise.
No matter the obstacles such relationships would inspire, I knew it could be done from simply watching my parents as I grew older. From the days of me crawling on the royal red carpet to who I was now as a twenty-one-year-old man, their love for one another was still fresh and playful.
With a hint of darkness, of course.
I've been dying to introduce Rosadette to Mother and Father. For them to meet her with their loving embrace and show her the truth that we'd kept for many years.
Now that she'd passed her exam, all we were waiting for was that prime opportunity. For those petals to fall and for her to make the choice that would determine who her next lover would be.
The thought always sparked a trickle of anxiety. Our love was still new and I hadn't been able to show her truly how precious she was.
How much I adored the way she smiled. The way her eyes twinkled when the sun shone against those radiant lavender orbs, or the soft scent of her floral aroma that wrapped all around me and tugged me right in.
Those were only the first out of many key qualities I'd come to love about Rosadette, and the closer we became, the longer that very list became.
All I needed was that golden opportunity for her to be mine. For her rose to emerge in the depths of this castle’s hidden chambers and for its glistening petals to be freshly bloomed and waiting for my loving devotion.
Then I'll expose the truth of Xavier, the truth he surely wanted to hide from her with his authoritative virtues and diminishing actions.
Soaking further into the hot, steaming waters, I allowed my true form to enjoy the healing properties these baths had to offer. I was really spoiling myself with these, but it aided in my patience - and a hint of my sanity - when it came to my desire to spill the beans about everything.
Like Mother, Father, Alicia, and Camilla emphasized, we have to wait until the ball is in our court before we can play all our cards.
Looking to the ceiling, I closed my eyes and took a few deep inhales. There was a poof sound next to my left ear, followed with a yawn.
"I'M ALIVE!"
I allowed one of my eyes to open slightly to acknowledge my fae pixie guide, her large eyes full of excitement as she fist-pumped the air. Her transparent wings fluttered swiftly, keeping her afloat as she looked around before spearing me with her attention.
"Rain! You're naked, as usual!"
I rolled my eyes as a sigh left me.
"You always appear when I'm bathing."
"You bathe too much," she acknowledged and fluttered around my head. "You know your cock doesn't need that much water to keep it clean!"
I pressed my lips together and gave her a look that had her squealing and hiding behind the bottle of fae shampoo I'd hoped to use to clean my golden strands that shifted to purple.
"I said nothing!" she defended and peeked out to see if I was still upset. I merely sighed and dismissed it all. As similar as I was to Father, I couldn't keep up my 'dark' side.
That was the problem with suppressing that side of me. I was so used to acting like a Purely Divine that my Deadly side was suffering the consequences.
With Rosadette in the picture, it was best I tamed that side, or things would get dangerous.
There wouldn't be any restraint in me to ignore my urge to taste her. Hear that melodic voice of hers hum my name like a chanting hymn while I eat her up and have her quivering from my mere touch.
Those thoughts had me looking away from Sio to stare at the flowing waters from the female statue a few feet away. The curves of the golden sculpture of art reminded me of that moment when I got to feast my eyes on Rosadette.
The way the white silk dress hugged her body, her true fae body that I couldn't describe with just words. So curvy and pure with her radiant skin, and her long blonde strands shifting to a dazzling red.
Her rosy cheeks, red glossy lips, and the way her eyes looked into mine. The scent of her sudden desire was just as tempting as the way she said my name.
* * *
Rain?
Her hand reached for my cheek, pressing against my flesh that sizzled in craving while the tension around us grew.
Sexual burning tension blazed as her hand began to trail down my chest.
It lingered on my tattoo on my left peck, a magic incantation I requested to harness the rooted magic of darkness and light. Just her touch seemed to ignite its power, my magic wishing to wrap around her warmth and protect her from anyone who fought to steal her away.
I hissed quietly, not out of pain, but to quiet the spike of need I had for her. But it did nothing as I opened my eyes and met hers once more. They observed me carefully, taking in every fine detail of what must have been my lustful eyes.
We were gravitating closer to one another, and I knew from the way her eyes flickered that she was about to do something I was sure she'd regret.
Is she going to kiss me?
The idea of her lips pressing against mine in this form would be a dangerous gamble to play with. I'd lose all self-control if she tempted me here and now.
* * *
"INTRUDER!"
I blinked into the present, realizing something – or, rather, someone - just crashed into the deep waters of my oasis. If I didn't react fast, Sio would shift into her other form and that would be an invit
ation for complete chaos.
"Sio, wait!" I commanded with harshness. It wasn't out of anger or anything, but my body from head to toe burned with so much force that I knew without a doubt that a person had fallen into my territory.
A person I loved.
As if the thought had summoned the platinum blond to the surface, her head burst through the surface as she finally caught her bearings. Her eyes opened just as quickly, growing wide with shock as mine met hers.
Every nerve in my body tingled as her scent hit me hard. My cock twitched at the mere recognition and I fought hard to remain still as she took me in. She didn't need to tell me what she saw.
Her lavender jewels were now glowing with fae magic - revealing my true form as it had the day of her fever when she'd somehow located me in my very home.
Like right now...again.
"Prince Rainer," she whispered, and my heart dropped as I watched tears pool in her eyes. I couldn't grasp why she was on the verge of tears, and her name fell from my mouth.
"Rosadette," I whispered right back, but my eyes quickly scanned her body.
Slashes, cuts, wounds, bruises...blood. So much blood.
My blood boiled as the dark force inside me raced to my very fingertips in a frenzy to find out who dared hurt our woman.
Who fucking hurt her?!
I didn't think. I moved and was before her in a flash, but her tensed body forced me to still my desire to hold her, to comfort her trembling body that was flooded with fear and adrenaline.
Someone had pushed her to an edge I'd never seen crossed, one I'd only experienced during times that were close to the arms of death.
Someone tried to kill her.
"What happened? Why are you cut all over and how did you get here, Rosadette?" The words flew out of my mouth, while I continued to take her body in.
"Her sight has awakened!" Sio announced but I felt her alertness and worry - to the point that she kept her next train of thoughts between us. "Something is wrong, Rain. She fears closeness. Her magic is all rattled. Unstable. Dangerous. You must calm her. With her in this territory, the lands will begin to react out of her distress!"
Fae Rose Academy: Year Two (For The Purely Divine Book 2) Page 3
