Chapter 3
“You're dead,” Ariel said, staring right at him. She didn't know what else to say, aside from the fact that it was clearly a lie. He was standing right in front of her, and she could feel her carapace effects sucking the magic out of him. He didn't seem to notice though as he looked around.
“Where are my brothers?” he asked, and she quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
“You used to live here. I'm sure you can find them,” she said.
“Find my brothers,” he repeated.
“Um, no, you don't give orders to me,” she answered. He glared at her, and she tensed. He may be a dragon lord, but she had control over his magic. Either one of them could do significant damage to the other if they wanted. Ariel didn't let people hurt her; she didn't let people take control of her. It was a wall she had built from a young age, and it wasn't about to fall just because someone had startled her. “Find them yourself.”
She was still trying to figure out how it was possible that he was standing there. Peter had disappeared into the Other–the black magic that dragon souls were absorbed into when they died. The key word there was died, as in didn't come back into their bodies. Their bodies were wrapped in magic as their souls fluttered onwards. Reforming was not something that she had heard of. Given the way Alexander talked about it, she was sure reforming was not something that he expected either.
They could have stood there forever, facing off. But she was saved by the fact that Nicholas marched back into the room. He was about to say something casual to her, his mind elsewhere. However, when he saw who she was with, his jaw dropped.
“Peter?” he asked, verifying that he was the man, who he said he was. “What…how…why–”
“Nicholas,” Peter’s face was only half an ounce softer as he regarded his middle brother. “You are well.”
“I am stunned,” Nicholas replied, turning to Ariel. “Get Alexander.”
“No problem,” she said, and Peter scoffed.
“You take orders from a prince, but not a king?”
“I take requests from a friend,” she said, “who did not abandon the world because it was too much to handle.”
And with that, she turned on her heel, moving quickly through the palace.
She was right to assume that Alexander was in the throne room. Even the night away had caused work to build up. The second she stepped in, she could see the change in his face. He could sense her better than the others, because he was always reaching out, always hoping for the feeling of numbness she could give him.
In this moment, though, the numbness came with the lingering hangover he had acquired the night before. He winced slightly as she burst in, and everyone turned to her.
She didn't care what he was in the middle of, though.
“Alexander, you have to come with me right now,” she said it in English so that the entire throne room wouldn't know she was barking orders at him. She didn't bow to him, something that always annoyed him. For as much as this girl was a wonderful addition to his life, she was also infuriating at times. She had no cares about ceremony, protocol, or respect. Ariel did as she wanted when she wanted it, and he could never get her to do otherwise.
Today, however, he recognized the urgency, and his brow furrowed.
“I'm sorry?” he asked.
“I said now,” there was no uncertainty in her voice, and he rose.
“What is it?”
“Just come,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it, leaving everyone whispering in shock.
“Ariel, the palace better actually be on fire–”
“What would you prefer?” she asked, as they hustled down the hall. “A fire, or your oldest brother suddenly reappearing in the ballroom?”
He almost tripped over his own feet.
“What?” he asked, his eyes widening. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I would say yes, but Nicholas verified that he was actually there, so,” she shrugged, “he's probably got a better explanation as to what happened.”
“Oh, God.” Alexander said, and picked up the pace.
Sure enough, standing in the ballroom, looking just as shocked as everyone else, was Peter.
Alexander dropped to his knees, grabbing Nicholas's wrist and pulling him down as well.
“My king,” he said.
Ariel's jaw fell open.
“No,” she said. “You are king, Alexander. Peter abandoned you.”
“Ariel,” Alexander turned and his tone was harsh. “Peter is king. He has always been king, and I have always been holding his place.”
His eyes were ablaze at her disrespect.
“Excuse me?” she said. “He abandoned you! He disappeared because the world hurt his feelings. He ran when things got hard. Because I'm totally sure he's the first generation to ever find things hard around here,” she glared at Peter. “You were the one who–”
“Ariel, you will bow or you will leave this room,” Alexander said.
The choice to her was easy. She spun on her heel and stalked out, heading to the rooms that were designated as hers.
Normally, they were a beautiful, happy place where she could relax. Today, she was seething in anger.
If Peter was king, then she was unseated as queen. Princesses here had no power. That was clear from her sister-in-law's life. Enya had luxury, but no one listened if she had something to say. A princess’ life would not suit her.
Unseated, unloved, and unhappy in her marriage. Ariel felt like her very world was falling apart before her eyes. And the worst part, there was nothing she could do about it. Alexander had made it clear whose side he was taking.
She threw herself on the large bed, tucking her knees up under her chin as she tried to think through the situation.
As far as she understood, it was impossible for dragons to return from the Other. When they went there, it was because they were dead. So, either he hadn't been truly dead, or he lied.
But going to the Other wasn't an option for the half-dead, or wanted-to-be-dead, was it?
Eventually, she dropped her knees, curiosity getting the better of her. Pouting like a child was not going to answer her questions. And in addition, Alexander relied on her, perhaps more often than he should, in order to be responsible and level headed around the palace. She didn't get caught up in emotion like this often. But then, it often didn't feel like her whole world was falling apart.
She slunk out of her room, only to run smack into Cole.
“Oh, my God,” she said. “If I run into one more of you boys, I'm going to lose it.”
“What are you going on about?” Cole asked, the mischievous grin on his face. “My big brother giving you trouble?”
“Technically true,” she replied. “Although not the brother you expect. If you haven't heard yet, you’d better come with me. Where's your wife?”
“She's lying down,” Cole replied. “If I haven't heard what?”
“If you've been diagnosed with a heart condition or something, you better let me know now.”
“What?” he asked, confused. Ariel shook her head, dragging him through the hallways. Cole was the troublemaker of the bunch, and a year ago, he had almost destroyed everything. He was actually half dragon, half witch–a fact his father had kept secret until he was of the age of majority. Cole had lashed out, nearly destroying Earth. It was only Enya's kindness that had saved him. Ariel knew he was dangerous; she knew all of them were, but she saw Cole more as a mischievous child than a dangerous, war criminal. And luckily for him, his brothers eventually saw the same thing. “Did you buy me a present?”
“Well,” she said, as she rounded the corner to the ballroom. They were still there, which didn't surprise her. It was a shock, after all. “That depends on whether you like Peter or not.”
“My king!”
“Not you too,” Ariel rolled her eyes as she leaned against the door. Alexander looked less annoyed at her presence and lack of bowing. As she assumed, it was because he needed her to do things.
“Ariel, this palace needs to be on lock down. No one in or out until we work through this. Can you shut down the throne room and alert the guards?”
“I guess,” she replied. She wasn't thrilled about it, but she didn't see any other options before abandoning them, which isn't what she was prepared to do. They were still the closest thing she had to family.
“I will see you tonight,” he said, and she shrugged, trying to pretend it didn't matter.
There wasn't anyone who questioned her authority as she shut down the various rooms and departments. They respected her word as second only to the king. She didn't reveal to them that the fact had possibly changed.
When Alexander came into the room, they shared, that night, he looked pale and drawn. Collapsing on the bed beside her where she was reading, he turned towards her.
“What a day,” he said.
“No kidding,” she rolled over to face him. “Are you going to fill me in? Or just leave me in the dark?”
“I did not mean to,” he sighed. “I did not mean to snap at you, nor did I mean to disrespect you. You have to understand, Ariel, I didn't know what to do.” He grasped her hand and she let him. He looked so disheartened and exhausted, she couldn't help but offer him comfort. “I spent my whole rule...most of my life, if I admit it, hoping for him to return. I convinced myself it was impossible, illogical, and yet I wanted it. I wanted it more than I wanted my own life.”
“How is it possible?” she asked. “You told me that the Other was a mystical place, where dragons go to die. So, wasn't he dead?”
“There is…” Alexander took a breath, looking up to the ceiling
“You can do it in the dragon lore if it's easier,” she said. “I can take it. I'm smart.”
It may have been easier for him to say the words, but the explanation itself did not come any easier.
“Dragons have such control of their life force, and the life force of others. It is possible in very rare circumstances to close your eyes and simply slip away. Most of the time, they do die. The subconscious is very powerful. But it appears there is a part of Peter–a small part of Peter–that did want to live. And so, he has returned. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what part of that it is, because he is still as depressed as he ever was. He hates what we are, and he can't see through that black haze. In addition, he's missed a lot of what's happened. Bringing him up to speed will be a task upon itself.”
“But is that the intention?” she asked. “To bring him up to speed and then have him take over the throne?”
“I don't know,” Alexander replied. “I don't know. But for the moment, it's business as normal.”
“It still makes me a princess, not a queen,” she said, and he sighed.
“Can we put all discussions on hold for a few weeks? Until I sort things out?”
She sat up, watching him. “No,” she said. “But I won't push so hard for the next few days, at least.”
He looked up at her, his eyes half lidded. “Are you so unhappy, my dear?”
“I'm just not being true to myself, she said. “And don't you know what that is like? Lying to yourself? Being something you're not?”
“Yes,” he said, at last. “Yes, I do know what that is like.”