Chapter Twenty-One
A little while later, Vala stood next to Azalyn’s bed in another hated brown dress and took comfort in the steady beeping of the heart monitor.
Her friend hadn’t woken up, but at least she was stable.
However, surgery and a few hours of rest hadn’t erased the bruises on her face or healed her split lip.
She’d heard about how the Tallarian male had hit her repeatedly, and even now, Vala wished she had the skills to seek him out and make him pay. More and more she was starting to see the wisdom in giving females self-defense training. She’d need to make sure that Thorin gave her regular lessons once they finished dealing with the prince. She hoped things wouldn’t be as bad on Jasvar, but she’d rather be prepared than taken by surprise.
The door opened behind her and she turned. Thorin stood with Kelzal at his side.
The young male looked anywhere but inside the room. She had a feeling Thorin’s powerful presence was making Kelzal uncomfortable. For all that he was Azalyn’s son, he seemed to lack her vivacious personality and way of carrying herself. Maybe the male had inherited it from his father.
Not that Vala would know. Prince Keltor was shown to the public as the palace wished to portray him. No doubt his true personality was a lot different from his public persona of calm, collected, and wise. Not even a royal heir would be void of less desirable traits.
Thorin spoke up. “I’m going to entrust Kelzal to you. We’re nearly to Keldera and given the security of this room, it’s one of the safest parts of the ships. I want you both to stay here until we land.”
She bobbed her head. “I’ll watch over them both. How long until we’re on the planet’s surface again?”
“Less than ten minutes. Don’t hesitate to contact me if there are any problems.”
Some might take offense at Thorin’s distant behavior, but Vala understood that General Thorin had to be cool with everyone. Her smiling and loving version of Thorin would return when they were finally alone once more.
Thorin held her gaze for another moment before exiting the room. The second the door locked closed, she walked over to Kelzal. He finally met her eyes and Vala smiled. “I know this will be difficult, but you seem like a logical male. Know that Azalyn is stable and the doctor is confident she’ll pull through this.”
Although, the doctor wasn’t sure if Azalyn’s internal injuries would result in lasting damage or not.
But Kelzal didn’t need to know that yet, if ever at all.
Taking a deep breath, Kelzal finally looked at his birth mother’s body.
Vala watched as fear and then relief flooded Kelzal’s face. In the next beat, he clenched his fingers into fists and growled, “I wish I could’ve protected her against that bastard.”
While she didn’t have children herself, Vala had learned when tending to sick warriors that male egos needed to be handled carefully. “Physical action isn’t always the best kind. I don’t know exactly what type of technological research you do, but you might end up developing something to help Keldera in the future against enemies. Keep working toward that goal, and it will avenge your, er, Azalyn.”
If Kelzal noticed her near-mishap of using the term “mother,” then he didn’t act on it. “I hope so.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “Come. Despite the past, she still sees you as her son. Your presence might help her recover faster.”
For a minute, Kelzal didn’t move or say anything. Just as Vala tried to think of a different approach, the young male strode over to Azalyn’s bedside and stared at her face. After another minute, his voice filled the small space. “She must’ve been young when she had me.”
She cleared her throat. “Working out the math from the records, she was eighteen when you were born.”
Prince Keltor would’ve been twenty, but she wasn’t about to mention that part since Kelzal’s blood hadn’t been tested yet.
Kelzal replied, “What do you know about my mother and the prince?”
Public knowledge would be safe enough to share. “They met, fell in love, and tried to marry. However, your mother disappeared not long after the rumor of their intentions spread. I’m positive there’s more to the story, but I’m sure Azalyn or maybe even the prince will share it with you.”
Kelzal glanced at her. “I want to push aside the anger, but I can’t. There are too many unanswered questions for me to make my mind up one way or the other.”
She gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “I have a feeling you’ll be learning everything soon enough.”
He looked back to Azalyn. “That means Azalyn needs to wake up so she can answer all of my questions. If my father is who I think he is, then I don’t think he’ll be as forthcoming. If she was willing to die for me, then I think she’ll also try to keep my birth father honest.”
Vala bit back a smile. “But of course. And hearing that, I’m sure Azalyn will wake up sooner.”
Kelzal grunted his acknowledgement.
She wished she could leave him alone for a few minutes to say whatever he wanted to say to his birth mother in private, but as the ship’s lights flashed three times, signaling their preparation for landing, Vala merely took a seat at the edge of the room.
And not just to give Kelzal privacy. She had a feeling Prince Keltor would be boarding the ship soon after they landed. Even if it was only to see Kelzal and not Azalyn, he would still be coming into the room. For once in her life, Vala wanted to blend into the shadows. She had no idea what the prince’s reaction would be, and she needed to be in his good graces if she and Thorin were going to ask him a favor. After all, only the prince could grant permission for them to go to Jasvar.
~~~
Keltor barely paid attention to the royal guards walking in front and behind him. He was moments away from seeing Azalyn in person for the first time in over twenty years.
And after so many years of forcing the female he let get away out of his head, he wasn’t sure how he’d react. The way he’d allowed Azalyn to slip through his fingers was one of the biggest regrets of his life. She’d needed a strong male willing to search the world for her. But all he’d done was obey his father’s orders and distracted himself with duties.
True, he hadn’t known she’d been lied to, but he’d loved her more than anything back then. To date, she was the only person who could make him smile regardless of his mood.
If only he weren’t a prince, he would nurse her back to health and try to atone for his actions. Especially since Azalyn had been hurt because of her past connection with him.
But he was a prince. Moreover, Keldera needed his calmness more than ever before.
Even when it came to welcoming a son he’d never known he’d had.
To be honest, he was surprised no one had made the connection between Kelzal and himself. Once Azalyn was awake and deemed out of danger, Keltor would have words with her about the male’s name. Talking “Kel” from his name and “zal” from hers was all but pointing for others to figure out his parentage. True, it would require looking into the boy’s past and putting the pieces together, but it wasn’t impossible.
And yet, he was glad the boy had something from him. If he had known of Azalyn’s pregnancy, he would’ve done everything in his power to ensure the best upbringing for Kelzal, not to mention protect him from enemies and those who would use his son against him.
Although it was easy to make such assertions in the present. At the time, Keltor had barely been a grown male himself. Maybe that had been one of Azalyn’s reasons for keeping the boy’s existence a secret—to protect him from the easily persuaded young Keltor and his father’s councilors.
General Thorin, at the front of the entourage, stopped at a guarded door and keyed in a code. Packing away every piece of emotion and individuality, Keltor readied himself for what awaited inside the room. Until the boy’s blood had been tested and they were alone, Keltor would have to treat Kelzal as any other subject. Further answers would have to wait until Azalyn woke up.
He refused to accept that she wouldn’t. After all, he’d only just found her again.
The royal guards remained in the corridor as Keltor followed Thorin inside the room. The general went to the side of a Barren female, but Keltor barely noticed. His attention fixated on Azalyn and the male standing beside her bed.
Azalyn’s bruised face and split lip made him want to punch the person responsible, if not worse. To abuse an unarmed, innocent female was dishonorable.
However, what affected him more than the sight of her injuries was her still form. The lack of movement and vivacity was the opposite of the female he’d once loved. More than anything, he yearned to see her awake and acting without care as to what others thought of her. He’d merely seen a glimpse on the video feed earlier, but it hadn’t been nearly enough.
A deeply buried longing coursed through his body. Azalyn had been the last person he’d truly been himself with, completely unguarded without worry as to his words or actions.
Before emotion could slip through his carefully constructed facade, Keltor forced his gaze from Azalyn to Kelzal.
The male was the same height as Keltor. His golden skin tone was slightly lighter and would be the same hue as Keltor’s with more exposure to the sun, but his dark blue hair was exactly the same shade. However, the eyes were from his mother. To the present, Keltor had never forgotten the green-eyed gaze of Azalyn Rippak.
The boy kept his expression neutral, which spoke of his maturity since he was only twenty-two.
Closing the distance to Azalyn’s bed, Keltor kept his focus on Kelzal. “You must be Kelzal.”
“Yes, your highness.”
He disliked the formality from the boy, but it couldn’t be helped. “I wish to thank you for the role you played in helping the army to locate Azalyn, you, and the Barren.” A brief growl came from Thorin’s direction, but Keltor ignored it. “To formally recognize your heroics, you will be staying at the palace until such time I can award you your due.”
Kelzal didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “As much as I don’t wish to upset the crown prince, I have a research team to lead. I must decline.”
Keltor raised his brows. “My request is merely a formality. You will stay at the palace for your own safety.” When the male remained silent, Keltor took a chance. “Your blood must be tested, and if it confirms what I suspect, your life will change drastically, Kelzal.”
“I don’t wish to be acknowledged.”
Keltor’s opinion of the boy rose a few notches. “The truth will leak soon enough. We’ll devise a way for you to continue your research, but it must be conducted within the palace grounds. It is not a request.”
As soon as the words left his lips, Keltor recognized how much he sounded like his own father.
Kelzal looked away, to Azalyn’s face. “What about her? I just found her and I won’t allow you to take her away.”
“You won’t allow me?”
Kelzal’s voice was steely as he answered, “Throw me in prison if you like, but, no, I won’t allow it to happen.”
From his quiet nature, Keltor had assumed Kelzal was more like him in terms of personality. However, the daring to challenge a member of the royal family, uncaring about the consequences, was most definitely a trait inherited from Azalyn.
Keltor tilted his head. “I understand you are recovering from your imprisonment with the Tallarians and are dealing with your mother being injured, so I will overlook your transgression just this once. However, I won’t always be so lenient. Keep that in mind.”
Before Kelzal could do more than open his mouth, Keltor said to Thorin, “You have your instructions. Once you’ve delivered them safely to the palace on Keldera, you and the Barren will come see me.”
“Her name is Vala, your highness,” Thorin bit out.
“Vala then. Report to me as soon as possible.”
Without another word, Keltor turned and exited the room. As his guard escorted him out of the ship and to his own private shuttle, he warred with what he wished he could do and what he must do concerning both Kelzal and Azalyn. He couldn’t afford to allow his enemies to use them against him. For their own safety, they would have to remain at the palace under heavy guard.
And yet, he wished he could allow them to make their own choices. Requiring Azalyn to live somewhere that reminded her of how Keltor had let her down, not to mention broken her heart, wouldn’t be easy.
Maybe there was another way. Once Azalyn woke up, he would talk with her and look for a solution. She understood the world outside the palace better than he and might offer a suggestion he wouldn’t think of.
However, upon confirmation of royal heritage, Kelzal would have to be acknowledged and guarded. The radical arm of the antimonarchist faction wouldn’t think twice about assassinating Kelzal to make a statement. The radicals were a tiny fraction of the overall group, but Keltor wasn’t about to risk it. He’d only just discovered he had a child. He wasn’t going to allow anyone to take him away.