Her Dark King

Rebellion

***

"No, Mama. I won't be part of this set up. Goddess, this is so embarrassing." 

Allegra protested, pushing her plate of unfinished food away as she and her mother engaged in a heated stare down.

She had suspected her parents were up to something. She had seen this conversation coming from a mile away but never could she have imagined the topic of discussion or, rather, the insane plan they had concocted.

"Well, I have to say, Eva, of all the brilliant plans your tactical mind has come up with, this has to be the craziest and funniest one yet! We should have probably stayed at Iroway forest a little longer, huh, my little sparrow?" 

Merlin spoke up once his laugh died down and was replaced with a silent chuckle at the sight of his goddaughter's nod and grimace as well as her mother's scowl and roll of the eye.

"I don't think now is really the time, Merlin." 

Atalante muttered over to his old friend as the two recognized the shift in the room , the air abuzz with power unlike before. 

The two knew better than to interfere with the showdown that was about to be enacted, each of them having suffered the consequences of stepping in one too many times. The mother and daughter were alike in every sense of the word. Even now, as Merlin watched them both, he couldn't help but feel like he was looking into a mirror of memories of a young and rebellious Evanora who defied her own mother at every turn.

"Oh, come on, Allegra! You haven't even given me a chance to explain! This could be fun!" 

Evanora threw her hands up in frustration, her exasperated sigh blowing a strand of her hair off her face. She had known it wouldn't be easy to convince her stubborn daughter to play along but she didn't think she would face this much resistance.

"I don't need any explanations, mama! I am not going to let you enact some sort of real world dating simulation at my expense! Goddess, I can't even begin to imagine what everyone would think of a grown woman having her mother trying to set her up with the entire supernatural world!"

"Its not so much a set up as it is a push in the right direction! I mean, it's not like you have been actively looking for someone...right?!"

Evanora raised a brow at the sight of the slight flush on her daughter's own caramel skin that matched her own, her beautiful features beholding all the signs. 

She was hiding something.

"Well, s**t. Definitely didn't see that one coming." 

Merlin muttered as he sipped on his wine, earning a scowl from Allegra who turned back to face her speechless parents. 

The whole situation would be comical if she wasn't trying hard to hide the truth that her traitorous body had just openly displayed. In her defense, though, the question had caught her completely off guard and left no chance to keep her emotions hidden.

"You've been dating?! Who? When? And how did we not know this, Eva?!" 

Atalante was the first to break the silence, his protective dad side coming naturally to him as he stared down his silent daughter whose shrug response wasn't adequate enough to satisfy the fire burning in his gut at the thought of anyone hurting his little girl.

"Give me a moment, my love. I am trying to wrap my head around all this and the fact that you didn't come to me when you met your first love!" 

Evanora chastised, seemingly truly hurt by the revelation that her daughter had gone through one of the most important stages of adulthood without her present. She had been there for all her milestones. 

And yet, she'd missed the most important.

"Please calm down, both of you. None of those relationships were serious so I didn't see the need to mention them. But that doesn't mean I need a whole event to find a boyfriend! Besides, why can't I just go through coronation without a partner? I'm sure I am more than capable to handle the magic seals before someone comes along." 

Allegra protested, crossing her arms against her chest as she assumed a stance that the two monarchs and great wizard were quick to notice. 

She wasn't going to back down easily. 

Her determination was legendary, a trait she adopted from the King and Queen who grimaced at the sight of it.

"Allow me to interject and answer that...There is no doubt that you are incredibly powerful, Allegra and yes, you could probably handle the Magic seal ceremony at your coronation and subsequent magic seal control until you find your love. Marise Gremory, one of your ancestors, managed to hold both seals for ten whole years before she found her husband. There were some caveats, though, to this incredible feat that included intense magical training that she began as soon as she could walk. There was also the small part where the strain on her magical circuits was so intense, she became sick, bed ridden and died soon after she gave birth to twins who, thankfully, carried the bloodline on."

Merlin paused for effect, watching as the light that shone brightly in his goddaughter's eyes at the possibility of defying the odds was quickly extinguished. He hated the sight but had no choice. He knew it was the only way she would understand.

"Marise's death, though sad, was a clear message from the goddess to keep away from the practice. She created all magic and blessed us with her grace and power. She is the one who created the Royal Magic Seals and imprinted them on your ancestors, the first Queen and King of all Mages. I know finding love is hard, Allegra. Its not easy to find that person who makes the stars shine a little brighter and your heart beat a little faster. But I promise you, your other half is out there and if your mother's plan gives you even the slightest chance to meet that person and feel the incredible sensation that is love then what do you have to lose? Take this from someone who felt it all and was dumb enough to let it go....besides, your parents and I will be there the entire time to sift out the manipulative shitheads from the sincere ones." 

Evanora mouthed a 'thank you' to her best friend who chuckled with a shrug before finishing his wine. His mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts and old memories that never failed to make his heart ache and nostalgia engulf his entire being.

"Listen, sweetie, we aren't asking for you to give your answer immediately. Just take some time to think about it, okay? And we love you no matter what decision you make. Besides, we are Gremory's. We've faced greater challenges and will not be bested by this." 

Atalante chuckled at his wife's declaration, his heart warming at the sight of Allegra's little smile before she excused herself. 

She had learnt to control her mind and thoughts from an early age. Her godfather had taken his time to drill this lesson and with good reason. It was one of the main essentials of spell casting. Meditation became her way to calm her raging thoughts and establish solutions that cleared her mind once more.

Even now, as she sat in the middle of her dark room that was illuminated only by the gibbous moon shining down on Grevia, she struggled and failed to clear her flustered mind. The solution to the night's revelations did not come to her as easily as she thought it would.

Frustrated, she collapsed onto her back, her mind fixating on the one variable she couldn't change, no matter how hard she tried or how much she stalled for time.

"How could she tell me to take my time with the Mohen sleep rearing its head in the horizon...she's as crazy as always. They all are." 

Allegra muttered, her words carrying into the shadows before floating out to the beautiful realm that she called home. 

She couldn't remember a time when the pressure and fear hadn't been there, right in the pits of her mind and heart. Many would have crumbled at the incredible task before her; to become the Queen of a powerful realm and have Mages from Grevia and the world over rely on her to lead them into yet another golden age like her mother and ancestors had. 

Having someone beside her to balance it all out and keep her sane didn't sound like such a bad idea after all...

"That is your sleep-deprived brain talking, Allegra." 

Getting to her feet, she settled into the comfortable bed, six months worth of exhaustion lulling her to sleep immediately with her dreams centering around a grand ball and a dark, handsome man sweeping her off her feet...

**