Chapter 14

I’ve never been one to just roll over and accept the hand life dealt me. Even before the massacre, I was always stubborn, determined to carve out my own path. My dad used to say he admired that about me.

He loved that I was independent and didn’t need to lean on others. But sometimes, you don’t have a choice. You have to rely on others.

That was the case when I decided to help Lord Jekia’s family. Maybe it wasn’t my place, but I felt like I owed it to them. They’d been there for me when I needed them, so it was only fair to return the favor.

That’s what brought me to the conservatory that morning. It was the day after my visit with Anika, and Navine had left the palace. Knowing he’d be gone for a while, I decided to seek out Nanash.

I thought he might have some advice on my next steps. The conservatory was the warmest part of the palace, filled with sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The scent of plants and the sound of trickling water filled the air as I stepped inside.

It was a bit overwhelming, but not unpleasant. It felt like stepping into a lush, spring oasis. The place was peaceful as I made my way inside. The sun had moved, so the light wasn’t as harsh, but the floor tiles still gleamed.

Water flowed through the room, creating a network of small ponds and fountains. Plants and even small trees grew from the ground where there were no tiles.

“Nanash?” I called out.

The soft sound of slithering came from a nearby tree. I looked up to see Nanash peering down from the branches.

“Good morning. Did you need something?” he greeted me.

“It’s not urgent. I just wanted to talk,” I said, then remembered my manners. “Oh, I’m sorry. Good morning to you, too.”

Nanash gave me a reassuring smile as he slithered down. “It’s okay. I didn’t think you were being rude. I’m actually flattered that you want to talk to me. It makes me feel trusted.”

“I thought you knew that already. You wouldn’t be here otherwise,” I pointed out.

“True, true,” Nanash agreed. He coiled part of his serpent body under him. “First, how was your visit yesterday? Was your mother well?”

“She was. And the visit was nice. It felt good to go back there. Even though I love it here with Navine, being with Anika is like going back to my childhood,” I replied.

“I can see why. You always speak so highly of her. But I’m guessing something else happened, or you wouldn’t want to talk to me. Am I wrong?” Nanash asked.

I shook my head. “No, you’re not wrong. Something unexpected did happen, and I was hoping you could help me figure out what to do.”

“I’ll do my best. What’s going on?”

“Well,” I began, deciding to see what he knew first, “you’ve been on this mountain for a while. Have you heard about the problems Lord Jekia’s family has been having?”

Nanash thought for a moment. “I’ve heard a few things over the years. I’ve gone down the mountain a few times and talked to some friends who’ve told me about them. I remember the incident with your sect and the attack on Lord Jekia’s original palace. And then there was the time when Lord Rin and his new beta were targeted by the Golden Queen, who tried to take power from Lord Jekia. And isn’t there something going on with Lord Rayne’s new beta too?”

I nodded. “Yes. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okay. I’m all ears.”

“Yesterday, we bumped into Rin. He shared some gossip about Rayne’s beta, Luna. Apparently, the rumors might have been started by someone under the influence of her Incubus father. Rin wanted Navine to discuss this with Lord Dominick, to see if the rumors were coming from the Matchmaking Houses. But Navine wasn’t up for it,” I shared.

Nanash cut in. “Let me guess, you want to ask Lord Dominick yourself?”

He had me figured out. I suppose that saved me some time. I didn’t want to be in the middle of this when Navine returned.

“I do,” I admitted, “but I’m not sure how to go about it. Navine won’t let me reach out to Lord Dominick directly. If I even tried to write him a letter about this, it could cause a rift between us.”

“True, but if you’re really set on this, there might be a workaround. Why not ask one of the other Dragons for help?” Nanash proposed.

His suggestion piqued my interest. “You think that could work? What if they just dismiss me and tell Navine?”

“That’s a risk, but listen to this. I think I have a good way to handle it that won’t raise too many eyebrows. Why not build a stronger friendship with at least one of them?”

I was surprised I hadn’t thought of that. It was a great cover to eventually talk to Lord Dominick. I even had an idea of who the best candidate might be.

“That could work. I’ve been wanting to get to know them better anyway, and they’re curious about me too. I bet Lorelei would be the best one to start with,” I said.

Navine agreed. “I think so too. She’s the only female Alpha Dragon, and she seemed quite taken with you. Being friends with her could be beneficial in many ways. Not only could you possibly find out what you want, but you’d also have her support if any issues come up here.”

I understood his point. If I managed to talk to Lord Dominick behind Navine’s back, I’d be taking a big risk. Plus, he was right. I needed to make friends now that I was in this position, and Lorelei could be a powerful ally.

“That would be better for me, especially now that I’m here. It’s not like I can just stroll down the mountain to Anika if anything happens. I don’t think I can even leave the palace grounds,” I confessed.

“It’s best if you don’t. No offense, but this mountain has many dangers that a pretty Fae like you wouldn’t be able to handle, especially without wings,” Nanash warned me.

“None taken,” I reassured him. “I learned a long time ago when to take risks and when not to.”

Maybe I should’ve pondered more on that statement, but I confess, I was too focused on helping my friends to think much about it.

After a longer chat with Nanash, I headed upstairs to the sitting room to call on Lorelei. Navine had shown me how to use the crystal ball in there, in case I needed help when I was alone or if I just felt lonely and wanted to chat with Anika.

He also mentioned that I could talk to the other Dragons if I wanted. All of them, except Lord Dominick. In his words, he’d be “damned if I had anything to do with him.”

Yes, that made me nervous about my plan, but I believed I could figure out a way to soften the blow as I went along.

The upstairs sitting room was a bright, spacious area, filled with natural light from the large windows. Despite the lounge furniture and plants scattered around, there was plenty of room. There was even a small stone fountain built into the wall.

I’d noticed several of these fountains throughout the palace, and I believed the water flowing through them came from the conservatory.

The crystal ball was on a small table on the far right side of the room. I walked over and sat on the cushioned stool, running my hand over the ball until it lit up.

“Palace of the Scarlet Dragon,” I requested.

The crystal burst into a brilliant white light, then flickered as if engulfed by flames before settling into a warm blend of orange and red. After a minute of anticipation, Lorelei’s image appeared, her expression one of surprise.

“Oh! Raelina, it’s you. Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

I had expected her to worry. After all, I hadn’t mentioned any plans to contact her when we last met.

“Everything’s fine, Lorelei. I just wanted to chat. I hope I’m not intruding on anything,” I replied, offering her a comforting smile.

She returned my smile. “Not at all. Your call was unexpected, but it’s a pleasant surprise. How are things going for you? Navine is treating you well, isn’t he?”

“He is. He’s been wonderful. He had to step out this morning, so it’s just me and Nanash here,” I answered.

“Nanash?” Lorelei seemed to ponder the name for a moment. “Ah, yes. The snake Navine keeps at the palace. He mentioned something about letting him stay within the palace grounds.”

I nodded in confirmation. “Yes, that’s right. Nanash now resides in the conservatory. In return, he keeps watch over the palace, especially when Navine is away.”

“That makes sense. Most of us keep at least one strong guard around. And Nanash, being a rare breed of snake, is a natural choice, especially if he’s proven his loyalty.”

“Really? I didn’t know Nanash was a rare breed. I guess I don’t know much about snakes,” I admitted.

“That’s okay. Not many people do. Snakes are nomadic creatures, despite their intelligence. They remind me a lot of spiders,” Lorelei explained.

“That does make sense. I’ve met a few over the years, including the one at Lord Jekia’s palace. Vishu is such a beautiful Spider,” I added.

Lorelei agreed. “She is. And she’s even more unique being an albino. It’s a rare sight. But then again, there are plenty of rarities in the world if you look closely. You, my dear, are one of them.”

“You might be right. I am the last of my Faerie kind, so I suppose that makes me unique,” I conceded.

“It certainly does.” Lorelei nodded. “And there’s a chance your children could inherit many of the Sun Fae traits, even though Navine’s traits will likely be dominant.”

Her comment caught me off guard. She didn’t know that Navine and I had no plans to have children.

“Well, that could be possible. But I don’t think I’ll ever have children. Navine has made it clear that he doesn’t want us to,” I confessed.

Lorelei looked genuinely surprised. “He doesn’t want children with you? Why not?”

“I think it’s just his personal preference. He said that having Lord Lyric is enough for his lineage,” I explained.

“But what about you? You’re still a young Fae woman. Are you okay with the idea of never having a family of your own?” Lorelei asked, her voice filled with concern.

Her question took me by surprise, and I needed a moment to think. I had always thought I didn’t want children, but being asked directly made me reconsider.

“Well,” I finally responded, “I think I am okay with it. And it’s not like Navine and I can’t discuss it in the future. I’d like to enjoy our time together, just the two of us.”

“That’s a sensible approach. There’s no need to rush things in a relationship. We all have long lives ahead of us,” Lorelei agreed.

She then changed the subject. “By the way, I wanted to invite you to visit me when we met the other day. I’d love for you to see my home and meet my family.”

Her invitation was exactly what I had been hoping for. It was the first step toward achieving my goal and building a friendship with her. I had always wanted to be friends with Lorelei. Meeting her felt like meeting an older sister, and I felt incredibly comfortable around her.

“I’d be thrilled to. If it’s okay with you, I could check with Navine when he gets back,” I suggested.

“No need to check with me. If you want to spend time with Lorelei, you’re free to do so,” Navine’s voice suddenly filled the air.

I turned to my right and saw him approaching. It was odd. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I hadn’t noticed his return. That might not have been the best thing. I’d need to be more vigilant.

Lorelei playfully scolded him as he joined us. “Navine, it’s not polite to listen in on conversations, even if Raelina is your wife.”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just happened to hear you talking about her visiting as I walked by, so I thought I’d chime in,” Navine defended himself.

“Well,” Lorelei conceded a bit, “if that’s the case, why don’t we plan for Raelina to come see me in two days? I should be free then, so I can give her my full attention.”

“I’m fine with that, as long as Raelina is,” Navine agreed.

“That works for me. I guess I’ll see you then,” I confirmed.

“Fantastic! I can’t wait for your visit!” Lorelei’s face lit up with excitement.

Once the crystal dimmed, I stood next to Navine, my hands clasped in front of me. “I hope you didn’t mind me talking to her. I really just wanted to chat more,” I confessed.

“I’m not worried about it. It’s nice to see you getting along with everyone, and being friends with Lorelei could definitely be a good thing for you,” Navine reassured me.

“You’re not worried about me spending time with her?” I double-checked.

“Not at all,” Navine replied. “I know her well, and I have no reason not to trust her with you.”

“I guess that makes sense. It seems like the Dragons generally trust each other, at least most of the time,” I observed.

“We do,” Navine confirmed. He then reached into his pocket. “Changing the subject, I have something for you.”

“Really? Another gift?” I asked, my voice filled with anticipation.

“Yes.” Navine slipped a beautiful bracelet onto my left wrist. It had a braided chain made of gold, sapphire, and ivory.

“It’s gorgeous!” I exclaimed, admiring it.

Navine seemed pleased with my reaction. “I enjoy giving you gifts as unique as you are, and it suits you perfectly. It was worth the effort to find these materials.”

I hugged him, grinning up at him. “I love it. Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad you do.” Navine returned my smile and kissed my forehead. “Would you like to go out with me this afternoon? There’s a place I’d like to show you.”

“Really? Well, how could I say no to that?”

“Then let’s get ready. It’s still early, so we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.”

I felt no apprehension as I excitedly prepared to leave with him, nor about anything else in my life.

What I was building with him felt real and enduring.

What I didn’t realize was that the decisions I was making were already propelling me toward a destiny I could never have imagined.