"I'll meet you guys there. I have something I have to do first," I announced.
The others paused on the stairs up toward the castle; they all looked confused, with the exception of Ryder. He started walking down the stairs, looking back over his shoulder at the others. Kai smirked and slipped his hands into his pockets.
"I'm hungry. Elyion, can you make something?" he asked.
"Not when you keep calling me that," she huffed, stomping up the remaining steps.
"Ugh. You did that on purpose, didn't you? She's already cranky," Marcus whined.
"I'm innocent. Now come help me persuade her," Kai encouraged.
"You always drag me into doing the convincing. I don't want to listen to her nag," Marcus continued to whine as he slowly made his way up the stairs.
Kai winked at me.
Ryder grinned, shaking his head.
I sighed. "I hope this doesn't count as a favor," I mumbled.
"I think we’re good this time," Ryder replied.
I sighed, running my hands through my messy hair. I was just now realizing how exhausted I was.
Ryder frowned, scanning me from head to toe. "You look like you should sleep for a week," he commented.
"Ya, maybe. After our meeting tomorrow,” I replied.
After Cassandra and Cecelia were removed from the arena, the King and Queen of Heila called for an emergency meeting. Matthew informed us we had the night off, but would have a meeting tomorrow evening. That gave us all day tomorrow to try to catch up on some much needed rest and figure things out.
Now that the competition was done, we had to start our expedition. I knew Mako wanted to start going around the realms in search for star knight number six, but we'd have to make sure Makoto rested enough and regained the majority of her magic before we set out.
"You're going to talk with your father?" Ryder inquired.
I gave him a nod, looking up at the sky which was already shifting to multiple colors as the sun began to descend. "I think I should."
"Okay. If you need anything, let me know. I'll make sure Eli leaves you some food," Ryder reassured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Thanks, Ryder," I whispered.
He shook his head. "No. Thank you. You handled the situation well back there and it's nice to see you out of your shell. I don't know about the others, but I could sense there was something more to you. You just had to remove your doubt and let it free."
"It's nice to have all of your support," I confessed, giving him a slight smile.
"Last time I checked we're best friends, Daniel. No matter what, I'll always support you. Even if that means knocking some sense into your stubborn head." He winked.
I rolled my eyes. "You're just as stubborn, but I'll let this one slide," I mumbled and we both laughed.
"I better go join the others. Knowing Kai, he's gonna tease Eli and she'll be nagging all night long," he predicted.
"Her nagging isn't that bad."
"Says the guy who won't be there to listen to it," Ryder grumbled.
"I don’t think I’ll be long," I reassured him.
He shook his head in disagreement. "Take all the time you need. It's been a long time coming."
He gave me a quick hug and patted my back. Then he turned and made his way up the stairs and into the castle, leaving me alone. I took a deep breath, deciding to check the place I suspected Father would be.
As I made my way toward the garden, I absentmindedly pressed my fingers to my lips.
I never thought I'd kiss Midnight. I doubted we'd ever even get along. I could still remember the look of shock when I told her the truth. I loved Makoto and Midnight was a part of that equation. I knew her other spirits mattered as well, but because of how close Mako and Midnight were and the original introduction of them being split personalities, rather than host and spirit, it affected how I thought of Midnight.
I didn't imagine for a moment that she'd kiss me, but I didn't hesitate, allowing my eyes to close while I kissed her back.
Her curiosity and occasional shyness were beyond cute, and I was glad we worked everything out. I didn't have issues with any of Mako's spirits now and the relief that it brought me was like a breath of fresh air.
Midnight's acceptance of my gift made it a lot easier so I was no longer afraid of offending her or her other spirits for using it on Mako, as long as it wasn't in a manipulative manner which I would of course never do.
I hadn’t expected to confront EliaseAnne, but the situation turned out better than I anticipated and was thankful it didn't turn into a conflict in itself. I think we were all tired of this emotional rollercoaster we'd been on and I couldn't wait for a break with Mako.
I strolled slowly to the garden behind the castle, taking my time to enjoy the view of the sun as it set. From red to orange, dark blue to pink, I couldn't help but smile on my walk.
My nerves fluttered in my stomach, leaving me unsure whether confronting Father was a good idea. But then I remembered Freila’s happy expression as she giggled and laughed. Seeing her running around, full of excitement and happiness motivated me to try.
If it wasn't successful, I could at least say I made the attempt. Mother would see from above that I gave it a shot and I prayed that would be enough for her.
I walked through the garden and down the path toward the cemetery. Something told me Father would be somewhere outside rather than in the castle, so I followed that instinct.
I noticed a figure standing at the top of the hill that overshadowed the city below. From the familiar gold cape with white trim bearing the symbol of Realm Nine, I knew it was Father.
I quietly approached and when I was few steps away he turned his head slightly to look at me. He looked tired from the black circles under his eyes and the way his shoulders sank in exhaustion.
I reached his side and didn't say a word while I stared at the city below. My nerves had calmed and I felt more confident to face him. I always imagined that when I had to confront him, I'd be angry. I'd be so upset about how broken our family was and the childhood Michael and I had to endure.
Yet here I was, calm as ever and didn't feel like I could even blame him. Was I really the victim? Or was he? Maybe our family was a victim of Cassandra and Cecelia or those awful experiences were needed to make us who we were today.
I didn't have an answer, but I was ready to tackle whatever this conversation would bring. Most importantly, I'd make this work. I'd fight to reunite our family.
"How is the Princess?" Father asked.
"She's asleep. Karen said she'll recover just fine with lots of rest, but her magic level is extremely low," I commented.
Father nodded. "Makes sense. Not to mention she had two spirits take control during the fight. I'm glad she wasn't seriously injured," he confessed.
I nodded in agreement and we both stood in silence once more, watching the final minutes of the sun descending below the horizon. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. Please Starlight gods, give me the courage to do this. I opened my mouth to speak, ready to apologize for the past but Father turned to face me.
"I'm sorry, Daniel."
I paused, my mouth half open and blinked in confusion, wondering if I had heard him correctly. Azriel popped into my mind, his curiosity overpowering his exhaustion as he waited patiently for Father to elaborate on those words.
"What?" I asked. I must have imagined things. I can't remember the last time Father apologized to anyone, especially Michael or I.
Father took a deep breath before he stepped back. I watched him go down on his knees and my jaw dropped and my eyes went wide in shock. There's no way Father is kneeling before me right now.
"Maybe our eyes aren't working," Azriel considered.
I used a tiny bit of magic to clear my vision, but Father was still kneeling down at my feet.
"Father?" My voice was barely a whisper and trembled due to my shock.
"I'm sorry for everything I've done. I… I should have learned from my mistakes the moment I saved you from falling that day. I should have realized the pain and suffering my ignorance had caused you and Michael, yet I ignored it, focusing instead on our people. I did whatever they wanted of me in order to be the perfect King. After Isabella, they said I couldn't raise two boys by myself. I chose Claire because she was deemed to be the perfect wife. Even after her death and the damage it did to you and Michael, I couldn't ignore their complaints. A King must always have a Queen. I thought Cassandra would be different, but instead, it brought disgrace to our family name and I pushed my two sons away."
I was speechless, unsure what to say. Of course a King needed to listen to his people's pleas and concerns, but he was the leader and should have put his foot down at some point. Who cares if a King didn’t have a Queen?
A King could lead his people just fine by himself. Having a Queen by his side only benefits him if the woman has good intentions for the kingdom, which neither Claire nor Cassandra had. They were greedy, selfish, and thought only of the title and the benefits that came with it.
"Since that morning when I found your note after you left… I felt horrible. I failed both of you, yet I pretended that it didn't bother me. I hid behind a mask for the sake of our people, thinking as long as I met their demands, I'd be making our realm better. But cycles passed and even though I drowned myself in work, the demands only grew."
He took a deep breath, shaking his head in dismay. "Once Freila was born and I started to realize her slow decline, I worried I'd lose her too. I decreased my work and tried to focus on her, but she always asked for you and Michael. She didn't care about other children. Even though she was lonely, all she wanted was to see her big brothers and know what it was like to be a true family."
I noticed a tear roll down his cheek and drop to the ground beneath us. "Isabella wouldn't be happy to see us broken like this. I realized that when I arrived here and was reminded of what a failure of a King I was. I should have instilled the rules and governed my kingdom, not let them govern me. I don't know how to solve this. As Marissa said, I owe you all a sincere apology, yet Michael won't even look my way. I don't know what else to do…so I need your help, but only if you can accept my apology," Father whispered the last sentence and bowed his head to the ground.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stared at Father. There was so much I wanted to say. To tell him how much I craved his love and attention. How much Michael and I wished he'd taken a second out of his days to simply check on us. All the cycles lost because he wanted to make our people satisfied instead of putting his family first.
Yet, without my past, I wouldn't be standing here as the person I had become. The sadness, nightmares, and desire to escape to a realm that wouldn't judge a book by its cover allowed me to reach Heila and become a star knight.
My past was what made me a part of this mesmerizing journey, filled with ups and downs. The childhood I once wished to rewind was what lead me to Makoto and gave me the chance to experience love. Now, here I was, receiving an apology I had longed for, for so many cycles.
I sighed, kneeling down in front of my father. I noticed that his shoulders trembled and more tears rolled down his cheeks. He never cried or showed weakness unless he was terrified, as he had been when I fell off the cliff and almost died. His tears proved to me that he regretted this to the point he couldn't take it anymore.
I wrapped my arms around him, patting his back as he cried. He apologized for everything, begging for me to give him another chance.
"I forgive you," I whispered, hoping the three words were enough. It was taking everything in me not to show weakness or cry in front of him. I wanted him to realize I'd grown too, but his acknowledgment of his wrongs was like music to my ears and my heart was filled with a weird sense of happiness, feeling that I finally had my father back.
We stayed hugging one another for a long time, but I didn't mind. This was a moment I knew would set us on the path to rebuilding what was lost.
Maybe we'd be able to mend our family after all.
~AZRIEL~
"Princess, what are you doing?"
Mako froze with a pillow in her hand as she stood on the bed. I raised an eyebrow at her cute expression, looking like a deer in headlights after I caught her jumping up and down on the bed.
"I'm testing out the new mattress Father and Mother got me today. They said the other one was old and they want me to be comfortable," she explained, returning to her jumping activity.
I grinned, staring at her expression of pure excitement, reminding me that she didn't get to experience such things in her childhood. Not like Daniel and I had the luxury to either, but there was a difference between being not allowed and living in an environment that forbade you from enjoying those childlike activities.
"By jumping on it?" I inquired, closing the door behind me and walking toward the bed that she continued to bounce on.
"Yes. This is what humans do," she declared.
"I think they sleep on it, Princess. Not jump," I informed her and she paused.
"Really? I swear that's what the commercial said,” she mumbled to herself, looking deep in thought. "No, Lexi. You don't test out a bed by having sex." She rolled her eyes and I chuckled.
Mako stared at me for a few seconds before her face grew red with embarrassment. "I didn't say that," she declared, glancing away.
"Alright, Princess," I replied, giving her a sweet smile.
She paused in her jumping activities to stare at me. "What's wrong, Azriel?" she asked, looking concerned.
I gave her a curious look. "What do you mean, Princess?"
"You look sad,” she pointed out.
I blinked, not realizing that I was giving off such an expression. "Do I? I guess I'm sad I never got to experience what jumping on the bed was like. Maybe?" I commented, unsure myself. I never really thought much about Daniel and my childhood, but after Father's apology, I was feeling a bunch of emotions I wasn’t used to.
After our confrontation with Father, we had a serious talk and Daniel told him everything, the good and bads of us leaving ArchAilennia. I didn't say much about Michael, wanting him to have his chance to tell Father on his own what bothered him and everything from his experience when we were young to his career path as an investigator on Earthala.
Even though I watched in the background, I shared Daniel's happiness and sadness as they talked. I sometimes wished we could have changed things in our past, but at the same time, we were grateful for the life we'd endured for leading us to this moment.
After escorting Father back to his room, I encouraged Daniel to rest because he could barely keep his eyes open. We'd been so caught up in training and other activities with Mako that we were barely sleeping and it was catching up to us.
Mako jumped down from the bed, coming to stand in front of me. "Do you want to try?" she whispered, her turquoise eye stared into mine.
I lifted my hand, brushing the strands of her curly brown hair out of her face. "Yes. Is it hard?" I questioned.
She grinned, shaking her head. "It's easy! I promise." She turned around, setting the pillow she was holding down on the bed. I raised an eyebrow when she lifted the thin pink shirt she was wearing.
My eyes roamed over her backside, staring at the band of her white bra and then lowered my gaze to her matching underwear. I licked my lips and felt my heart skip a beat. I hadn't been intimate with the Princess, only with Hope. I had been unsure if I was allowed to, but after our conversation and Stryker's acknowledgment that he'd been intimate with the Princess, I realized that it was accepted.
She looked over her shoulder and the moonlight chose that moment to illuminate the room, making her look even more perfect under the radiant glow.
"Azriel. C'mon,” she whispered, the soft tone sounding more seductive than anything.
"I can take off my shirt?" I asked; a small grin formed on my lips.
She blinked in surprise, then her smile widened while her cheeks turned a light red. "Sure."
I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, taking my time with each button. She watched every movement, those blue orbs showing a hint of lust. That was a little confidence boost, and I slid the fabric off and allowed it to fall to the floor.
Mako reached out her hand and I placed mine in hers. We climbed up to stand on the bed and she handed me a fluffy pillow. I eyed the white pillow curiously, unsure what I had to do.
"Princess? What do I do with—" I began and looked up right when a pillow hit my left side. I stared in shock and my eyes widened at the sight before me.
Pure white wings were outstretched from Mako's back and their majestic feathers rained down upon us. I slowly took in her entire appearance as she smiled at me.
"You hit each other with pillows and have a 'fight.’ In the Earthala movies, they always have feathers raining down. Since we can't destroy the pillows, I thought a little feather assistance would be necessary," she hummed.
It was the first time I'd seen Mako with her wings, having only seen Hope’s in the arena. Mako’s were a little smaller and less deadly, but they fit her perfectly, just like the rest of her.
I was silent, struggling to keep my attention on her words when my body wanted to do other things. Mako approached me, lifting the pillow over her head. "Do you want another demonstra—" she began, but I cut her short, sliding my arms around her waist and pulling her into a kiss.
She froze for a moment and I noticed the pillow drop behind her. She met my gaze as I continued to kiss her. Her eyes slowly closed as she relaxed. She slid her arms around my neck and pressed herself against me, kissing me back with high intensity.
I slipped my tongue into her mouth, wanting to taste her. She was the reason we had gotten stronger. She was the light that helped us get through the tunnel of darkness. Now, she'd be our guardian angel as we strove to fight this approaching darkness.
We both were so lost in the kiss, savoring each other as our tongues fought for dominance and our bodies enjoyed the combined warmth. I didn't break the kiss until my lungs begged for air and we were both breathless. She opened her eyes slowly and they grew wide when she looked down.
I followed her gaze, realizing we weren't standing on the bed anymore, but floating in the air. I looked back up to notice our heads were inches away from the ceiling. I hadn't noticed my wings that were out and helping us stay aloft.
"Oops," I whispered and Mako giggled.
"That was a pillow fight fail,” she hummed, but tightened her hold around my neck, pulling me closer to her. My lips brushed against hers and I enjoyed how those blue orbs darkened and I knew exactly what she wanted.
"You're supposed to be resting," I whispered.
"I'll have tons of resting time starting tomorrow,” she countered.
"I won't hold back,” I pointed out, my gift already making it hard to think straight. My mind was picturing Mako's naked body beneath me as I plunged myself inside her.
"I don't want you to,” she purred, gently tugging my lower lip. I groaned, giving her another fierce kiss before pulling away.
"But—" I began, but she silenced me with her lips once more and we continued kissing as we hovered in the air.
"Think of it as therapy,” she spoke, breaking the kiss.
I chuckled. "You're not acting very angel-like, Princess," I joked and she gave me a seductive grin that made my cock harden.
"Who said I was a good angel?" she inquired, lifting her eyebrow at me.
I grinned and slid my hands to her backside to squeeze her butt cheeks. She moaned and her breathing picked up, giving me the response I wanted.
"Then let's stop delaying," I whispered, looking at her lips as she bit them sexily.
"I'm not delaying,” she pointed out.
"Truth," I whispered and sealed our lips together.
Pillow fights were interesting, but enjoying a moment of playful pleasure was the true highlight of that night.
And I prayed for more of them.