Chapter 63

VALKYRIE

What on earth is going on?

I’m sitting in a chair, a maid fussing over my hair. I catch my reflection in the mirror. I’m wearing a long black dress, adorned with red jewels and long sleeves.

My face is painted with makeup, and I’m wearing red earrings that match my dress.

Ever since King Gabriel locked me in these chambers yesterday, the only company I’ve had is Devika and the maid who looks after me.

I’ve tried asking Devika what’s going on, but all she tells me is that King Gabriel has ordered my isolation and care.

I can’t help but feel a surge of anger as I continue to stare at my reflection. Is he planning to keep me here indefinitely?

“Enough,” I snap at the maid. She looks taken aback, but nods and leaves the room. I feel a wave of disgust wash over me.

I rise from the chair and move towards the window. The chain around my ankle clinks against the floor. I need to escape.

As I gaze out of the window, I hear the chamber doors open. Who could it be now?

A woman in a green dress stands in the doorway. Her long hair is neatly braided into a high bun.

She glares at me, and I remember who she is. I can’t help but smile.

“Can I help you?” I ask, turning away from her.

“You, you’re here,” she retorts. What’s her problem? I turn back to face her, frowning. She looks flustered.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” she says, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

“I think you’ve got the wrong person, queen,” I retort.

“No, no, no, it’s you,” she insists, moving closer to me. I stand up and look at her. She’s panting, which strikes me as odd.

“Why are you so worked up?” I ask, smiling. She looks at me, her eyes wide. “Tell me your name.”

“Who do you think you are?” she snaps. I walk over to her and look down. She’s slightly shorter than me.

“I’m Queen Valkyrie. Queen of the dragons,” I say, smirking. “Show some respect.”

“Why should I?” she retorts.

I laugh, cross my arms, and return to the window.

“Your dear king seems to have taken a liking to me,” I say, knowing it will annoy her. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my arm. She spins me around and slaps me.

“Gabriel isn’t fond of you! You’re just a fucking slave,” she yells.

I rub my cheek and glare at her. She seems taken aback by my glare. “If he wasn’t fond of me, don’t you think he would have killed me by now?” I say, moving closer to her.

She starts to back away, looking flustered. “If your king didn’t need me or want me, he would have let his son Eros do whatever he wanted with me. Don’t you think?”

“Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammers. I stop and watch her. Then, rubbing my chin, I cross my arms and think.

“Why were you so surprised when you saw me in the throne room?” I ask. There’s something about her that’s bothering me.

“I wasn’t surprised,” she lies.

“Tell me, queen, what are you hiding?” I ask, leaning in closer. She starts to back away but stops when she hits the table. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost. Do I remind you of someone?”

Suddenly, it clicks. King Gabriel called me by a name when he first saw me. And then he claimed to be my father, which would make me his daughter. That means my mother must have been with him.

I never knew my mother’s name, but if I’m going to use something against the queen, it might as well be the name King Gabriel mentioned.

“Did you do something to Kalliste?” I ask, watching as she turns pale. Her body starts to shake and she opens and closes her mouth. So, it was that. She did something.

“Tell me, queen,” I say, grabbing her arm. “What did you do to Kalliste?”

She scowls and kicks me. I stumble but manage to stay upright.

“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” she screams. “STOP SAYING HER FUCKING NAME; SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!”

“Dead?” I ask, frowning. Suddenly, it all makes sense. I look up at her. “You killed Kalliste?”

In a fit of rage, she grabs a book and throws it at me. I block it and move closer to her, grabbing her arm. “Tell me!” I demand. “You wouldn’t be acting like this if you weren’t guilty of something.”

“Let go!” she yells, trying to push me away. I tighten my grip on her arm, refusing to let go. “I said let me go!”

The door opens and she manages to push me away.

“HELEN!” King Gabriel yells, grabbing her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She looks flustered, and her eyes give her away.

“Oh, didn’t you know? She came to visit me and tell me how she killed Kalliste,” I say, crossing my arms and looking sternly at King Gabriel.

“Killed who?” King Gabriel asks, looking confused.

“Kalliste,” I say. “Isn’t that the name of the woman you called me? She seemed to think I was supposed to be dead.”

King Gabriel turns to look at the queen. She starts to struggle in his grasp. “Care to explain?” he asks her, causing her to tremble with fear.

“King Gabriel?” Devika asks, shocked by the scene unfolding before her.

“Let me go!” the queen yells, pushing King Gabriel and trying to run. But he grabs her by the hair and pulls her back. The queen screams in pain as I watch in silence.

“Do it, Devika!” King Gabriel orders. Devika looks confused but then nods. What is she going to do?

“W-what are you doing?” the queen cries, looking terrified.

“Ever since Valkyrie arrived, you’ve been acting off,” King Gabriel observes, pulling her closer. “What are you keeping from me?”

“I’m not keeping anything!” the queen protests, pushing King Gabriel away.

“Then why the fear?” King Gabriel growls. “Spill it, Helen!”

“I swear, my love, I’m not lying,” the queen insists, tears streaming down her face. She reaches up to touch the king’s face. “What could I possibly have done?”

He just looks at her, his face unreadable.

“Guards!” King Gabriel commands. Three guards march in. “Take the queen and restrain her.”

“No, Gabriel!” the queen cries out.

“Devika, she’s all yours,” King Gabriel says, stepping back. The queen’s screams fill the room. She fights against the men as Devika approaches. What is she planning to do to her?

I quietly start to retreat. Devika reaches for the queen’s head, her eyes beginning to glow. She whispers something I can’t make out. Pressing her hand firmly on the queen’s head, she closes her eyes.

I watch in shock as Devika’s hand lights up. Her forehead furrows as she suddenly gasps and steps back. The queen is sobbing and screaming.

“Witch?” King Gabriel questions. Devika spins around, her face pale. Her eyes are wide, and she’s sweating. “What did you see, Devika?”

“I…” Devika stammers, her gaze shifting from the queen to me. I frown in confusion. Why is she looking at me?

“You’re her daughter,” Devika whispers after a moment of silence. I frown. What is she talking about?

“Speak up, witch!” King Gabriel demands.

“Queen Valkyrie is her daughter,” Devika repeats, her voice distant.

“DEVIKA!” King Gabriel snaps, grabbing her arm. “What did you see?”

His voice is harsher this time. Devika just looks at him, her eyes wide.

“Queen Helen killed Kalliste. She…” Devika trails off, her eyes meeting mine. “She left Valkyrie all alone.”

“Left me alone?” I question, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You, Queen Valkyrie, are his daughter,” Devika says, shaking off King Gabriel’s hand and approaching me. “You and your brother are the offspring of him and your mother.”

Devika gently touches my face. Her eyes have a far-off look.

“She was heartbroken to leave you,” Devika murmurs, tears streaming down her face. I slap her hand away.

“Who is she?” I ask, my voice shaky. I feel nauseous.

“Your mother, my dear,” Devika murmurs, “was Queen Kalliste.” I cover my mouth, stepping back from her. I start to hyperventilate as my stomach churns.

“DEVIKA!” King Gabriel roars. “Did she murder Kalliste?” Devika just looks at him and gives a sad smile. King Gabriel slowly turns his gaze to the desperate queen.

“Why?” King Gabriel asks, his voice low. The queen crawls towards him.

“I didn’t, Gabriel!” she pleads, clutching his pants. “She just, you know, she ran away. Yes, ran away.”

“Stop lying!” King Gabriel snaps, grabbing her by the throat. “I made you my concubine. Wasn’t that enough?”

The queen just shrugs and, unexpectedly, starts laughing.

“Enough?” she retorts, looking at him. “That was never enough for me, Gabriel. Didn’t you know I always wanted to be your queen?”

“Queen?” King Gabriel spits. “You were never meant to be queen!”

“I was!” she yells back. “I became queen after killing her!” Gabriel looks shocked as he releases her. Then, laughing manically, she looks at me.

“I killed your fucking mother! All this time, I thought the only thing she left was Zar. That you died with her the day I sold her away.

“But no, you little bitch,” the queen says, standing up. “You had to reappear and ruin everything I have done after all these years!” I stare at her in shock. I can’t believe what she’s saying.

Approaching me with tears and a twisted smile on her face, she says, “Your mother never loved Gabriel. Did you know that? She only stayed because they forced her to.

“Gabriel,” the queen says, pointing at him, “Gabriel forced her. She suffered, so I did her a favor. I took her out of here and took her to one of the neighboring kingdoms.

“I made her suffer until the day she gave birth to you and your brother. But I only took your brother, lied to him, and then sold her! All this was a well-made plan.

“He believed she left, but what I did was fucking kidnap her and send her away against her will.”

“You bitch!” I scream at her.

Laughing, she raises her hand. Something glints, and I look at her in shock. She has a dagger, and it is aimed at me. I try to shield myself from her attack. I close my eyes.

Nothing happens. I hear the sound of something falling. Opening my eyes slowly, I see the queen’s eyes wide and her mouth full of blood.

I stumble back in shock as Devika grabs me. King Gabriel has run his sword through the queen’s chest, his face deadly serious.

He pulls the sword out. The queen falls to her knees, choking. She’s drowning in her own blood.

“S-she w-was never y-yours, Gabriel,” the queen manages, laughing. She coughs up blood. “I was the o-only one…who loved…you.”

She collapses on the ground, her eyes rolling back.

“MOTHER!” a voice cries from the doorway. Eros rushes in, kneels, and lifts her up. He looks around in confusion, his gaze stopping on King Gabriel with his sword in hand.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!”

“Quiet!” King Gabriel commands, brandishing his sword at the queen.

“Father, stop!” Eros pleads. “Leave her alone.”

“Leave her alone?” King Gabriel snarls. “Your damn mother murdered the woman I loved! Can’t you see that?”

“Love?” Eros echoes, his voice filled with anguish. “Mother loved you too!”

“NO! She never did,” King Gabriel retorts, laughing bitterly. “This mad woman. Now it all makes sense.” He turns to me, strides over, and seizes my arm.

“You’re coming with me,” King Gabriel declares, his sword still in hand. I nod in agreement and we depart.

“FATHER!” Eros shouts in fury, but King Gabriel doesn’t spare him a glance.

He leads me out into an open field, then roughly tosses me aside. I land on my knees, but manage to stand up and face him. He whistles, and I hear a roar in the distance.

I look up to see the same silver dragon from before approaching us. Why does it seem so familiar?

While I’m distracted by the creature, King Gabriel yanks my hair, forcing me to look at the beast.

“Pleased to meet your kin?” King Gabriel whispers in my ear.

“Kin?” I question, frowning.

“Yes,” King Gabriel confirms, laughing. “Don’t you recognize him? Prince Cian, isn’t it?”

I gasp, looking at the dragon. That’s why it seemed so familiar. “What have you done?” I demand, kicking him in response.

King Gabriel grunts in pain as he raises his sword and lunges at me. I dodge his attack and move closer to the dragon.

“Get back here!” King Gabriel growls, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

I glance at the dragon, who is simply staring at me. This is my chance to escape, but can I make it? I flash a smile at King Gabriel, then crack my knuckles.

“Make me!” I taunt. King Gabriel growls as I raise my hand and use my powers to create a ring of fire around me. I whistle to the dragon.

“Come on, Cian, recognize me!” I urge as I attempt to mount him. I pull on the reins, struggling. “Get down, Cian!” I command.

He obeys, lowering himself so I can climb on. Gabriel shouts something, but I ignore him. I tug on the reins, and Cian takes flight. I hear King Gabriel cursing.

“How the hell did she do that?” King Gabriel wonders aloud. I smirk. He still doesn’t know about my tamer status.

As we soar away, I hear another growl behind me. Seth is pursuing us on a brown dragon. My hair whips around in the wind as I focus on the path ahead. I need to put more distance between us.

“FASTER, CIAN!” I shout over the wind. We speed through the sky, and I guide the reins. There’s a cloud of mist around one mountain, and I decide it’s the best place to hide. I direct the dragon downward.

Once we’re hidden, I scan the surroundings. I don’t know when Seth will appear, but I need to buy some time.

We dart through the trees, with Cian turning and flying swiftly. I remember all my training on how to handle a flying dragon, but I don’t have a weapon to defend myself.

Seeing that it’s quiet, I direct us north.

“Take me home, Cian,” I instruct, looking ahead. Just as I think we’ve escaped, Cian roars. I look behind me and see Seth with a weapon in hand. What has he done?

I wrap the rein around my ankle, stand up, and try to see what happened.

It appears Seth hit one of Cian’s wings with an arrow. Cian begins to growl softly. Was the arrow poisoned?

Fear takes hold as Seth and his dragon close in on us.

“YOU’RE COMING BACK WITH ME!” Seth shouts as he nears. I kneel on one leg, stroking the dragon’s back.

“Help me, please,” I plead, glaring at Seth. I untie the rein from my ankle, run up, and leap as Seth gets close.

I grab onto one of the brown dragon’s scales and pull myself up, but Seth seizes my arm and hauls me onto the dragon.

“Crazy woman!” Seth smirks. I laugh, reach for one of his arrows, and pull it from the quiver. I punch him and Seth groans. I spin around and stab him in the back with the arrow.

Seth stumbles, groaning in pain. “YOU BITCH!” he curses, fuming. He reaches for the arrow and yanks it out. A small cry escapes his lips as I run and kick him.

I grab the arrows and leap back onto the silver dragon. I pull the reins, and we descend back into the mist.

But as I smirk, I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder blade. I scream as I realize I’ve been hit with an arrow. How did he manage that? I have all the arrows.

I realize he used the one I stabbed him with, and I bite my lip. I don’t know if it’s poisoned.

The silver dragon starts to falter as we reach a river.

“No, please,” I beg, in agony. Panting, I glance back, but there’s no sign of Seth and his dragon.

Cian suddenly descends, and I scream, clutching the reins. The dragon is losing strength.

Suddenly, he crashes into the forest. I scream, protecting my stomach as the dragon collides with several trees. I lose my grip on the reins and tumble several times before coming to a stop.

Dust and branches scatter everywhere. Groaning in pain, I open my eyes and look around in fear. A sharp pain shoots through my stomach and I scream.

Terrified that something might have happened to the babies, I look down at my knees.

Distracted by the pain, I hear a sudden thud. The dust obscures my view. I snap my head around and stand up. Is it Seth?

Hearing a groan, I turn just in time to dodge a punch. I roll on the ground and push myself up. My lower abdomen throbs with pain.

“You’re one lucky bitch,” Seth taunts, his laughter echoing in the air. My clothes are torn and tattered, my body marked with numerous cuts. “Did you know those arrows were poisoned?” he asks, his footsteps growing louder as he approaches.

“Good for me. It’ll be easier to drag you back,” he bellows, his anger palpable. He reaches for my hair, but I duck and deliver a swift kick to his stomach.

I seize his arm, flipping him over and slamming him onto the ground. Seth grunts, struggling to break free from my grip. Spotting a blade tucked into his trousers, I snatch it and plunge it into his shoulder blade.

“Not today, you fucking bastard. Today, you die!” I hiss. But he retaliates with a slap that sends me stumbling backward, struggling to stay upright.

He kicks my knee, sending me sprawling, but I seize the opportunity to slash him with the blade. Blood seeps from the wound on his chest, and he stares at it in shock. A sharp pain lances through my belly, making me wince.

I need to end this quickly, but to do that, I need to get closer.

Assuming a defensive stance, I wait for him to make the first move. Seth charges, aiming a kick at my face. I dodge and counter with a kick to his gut.

Seth doubles over, coughing, and I kick him in the face again. I raise my arm to stab him, but he catches my wrist and throws me to the ground. A scream tears from my throat as my back collides with something sharp.

I try to reach for his throat, but his grip is too strong. His other hand closes around my neck, choking me.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Seth snarls.

“Not today, asshole!” I retort, grinning. His face registers confusion as I whisper a word, and my hands burst into flames. Seth screams as the fire engulfs him.

I flip him over, using the last of my strength to choke him. “Goodbye, Seth,” I whisper, searing his neck with my flaming hands. He writhes beneath me, the smell of burning flesh filling the air. I pull back, collapsing onto my backside.

Gasping for breath, I watch as Seth is consumed by the flames. The stench is nauseating. I close my eyes, letting the tears fall freely. Exhaustion washes over me, and my belly throbs with pain. I open my eyes and look around.

An eerie silence blankets the forest. I struggle to my feet, my body trembling. Where is his dragon?

The forest is shrouded in dust and mist, obscuring my vision. The sound of flapping wings fills the air, and I cry out in fear. Is the dragon leaving?

I run toward the sound, looking up to see the brown dragon soaring away. I try to call out to it, but a wave of pain brings me to my knees. I can barely form words as the pain intensifies.

Tears streaming down my face, I look down to see my hands covered in blood. “No, no, please!” I sob, lifting my dress to reveal my blood-soaked thighs.

In a panic, I tear at my clothing. It’s in the way.

Determined to find help, I grab the dagger and a sturdy stick. Then, gritting my teeth against the pain, I force myself to stand. The silver dragon lies motionless, and I can’t help but worry. What am I going to do now?

“HELP!” I scream, my voice echoing in the silence. I don’t know where I am. “Dimitri,” I whisper through my tears, “where are you?”

I decide to leave the dragon and follow the river. The pain is unbearable, and I fear I may have lost the babies. With shaky steps, I begin the long trek down the riverbank.

But I refuse to give up. I lift my head, gazing at the towering mountains. “Please, let’s make it home,” I murmur, cradling my aching belly.