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Forsaken

Note: I decided to publish this before the court chapter, so to reward you guys, here is more insight into what is going on.

Thank you all for your support. Later this evening or late afternoon, I will also publish the divorce court chapter and the next episode of To Be Queen.

Oskars Pov

Winchester, England

13th century

"Helen, my love?" I called out to my mate, whom I saw talking to a tall man on horseback through the window.

I left our honeymoon cottage where we had been staying shortly after my nephew and Isodora were married, doubling it as her Luna ceremony.

"Helen?" I said again, walking to her as she stood in her nightgown and bonnet, not thrilled she was talking to some stranger.

"Are you able to make sure this is done, Archer?" I heard my mate ask.

"Yes, Helen, it's not like our first time hunting down a prodigal." The man named Archer revealed.

"Darling?" I said, getting her attention, which caused my wife to jump.

"Oskar, love, what are you doing up so early?" Helen asked me, waving away the rider who took off.

"It is 6 a.m., my pet; you know I am usually awake by now." I said, curious about the situation.

"Oh right, Honeymoon brain must have made me forget." Helen chuckled as she fidgeted with her pink bonnet, walking to me.

"Who was that man, Helen?" I asked her as she got close, putting her hand on my chest. The tingles of the mate bond, now relaxing me.

"A royal messenger I caught on the way back to Salisbury to give a note to Luis and Isodora to make sure they are settling in fine to their married life." Helen said.

I chuckled. "My bride, we have been gone barely four days, and you took in Isodora right after Luis found out they were mates. You have been there for her for the past three months, even pushing our honeymoon back till now." I said, hugging her close to me, enjoying the scent of her hazelnut blood.

"Yes, but just making sure everything is in place while we are gone for these two weeks." Helen said.

She seemed off, and I looked down at her.

"Well, yes, and the two days since you were insistent on stopping at some merchants and staying in Basingstoke." I teased

"Well, we barely get out of the Manor with your Brother and his family, my dear." Helen said.

"Yes, and you are also a Lady of the Starlyn Manor, right next to Lady Priscilla." I said, stroking her side.

"And now, Isodora..the cute thing," Helen said, seeing her eyes flicker amber.

"Helen, is there something you are not telling me about Isodora?" I asked, worried that the two might have fought.

"What? No, you know I adore the girl." Helen said, leaving my arms.

"I am going to change and start making tea and food." she said before returning to the cottage.

Looking back to the road, I saw Archer had vanished, though another parchment carrier was riding nearby. I looked at Helen, who was closing the door behind her, flinting toward the rider, running at such high speeds that I was a blur. Luckily, he had only gotten down the road, where I stopped him.

"Excuse me; I am carrying parchments." The rider said.

"Are you the only carrier in this area?" I asked.

"Why yes, my kind sir, and the only one of the crown en route to Winchester; why do you ask?" The rider said in a heavy Irish accent, like my wife.

"Someone stopped by my house to take a message for my wife. She said they were the royal messenger." I said.

"Well then, she must have sent for someone. I rode past your cottage a few minutes ago and did not recognize the man." The messenger said

"So you passed by?" I asked.

"Yes, we usually stop if we are sent for, notified, or waved down, but besides that chap, no messenger stops going until their destination." He said, tipping his hat and riding back off.

I flinted back to the door, returning in under four minutes, seeing that Helen had left the door cracked. As I walked in, Helen was changing into her daily attire.

"Are you Chasing messengers now, darling?" she asked, chuckling after putting on her apron and walking to the fireplace, passing the doorway.

"You knew?" I asked.

"Aye, I did, though. I figured you were sending a message to your brother." Helen said as she got out of the pot she used to make tea after she stacked firewood and lit the fire in our chimney, hanging the pot over it.

"Yes, though the other rider said no messengers of the crown were sent through here. Also, Archer seemed to have disappeared from the road." I said.

"Oh, well, that is odd. Maybe someone sent Archer to me. I just gave him the letter to send to Isodora," Helen said.

"Oh, what did you send her?" I asked.

"Just a note and a package from the market we got on the way here." Helen said as she removed the tea powders and sugar from the cupboards, turning toward me.

"Helen, you disappeared during your shopping when we stopped at the market in Basingstoke on the way in." I said, closing the door behind me.

"Oh, Oskar, I told you I got preoccupied and even returned to you holding the parcel." Helen said while getting out a huge cauldron to make her soup with.

"Helen, what are you up to?" I asked as I moved into the bedroom to change into my tunic and trousers. I came back to the kitchen, still not giving up on this.

"Oskar, what's going on? We've been together for three years and married for four, and now you're suddenly questioning me?" Helen asked as she grabbed a rag to get the pot boiling water from the fire pit. Smoke rose from the chimney as Helen placed the pot on the table and added tea powder, stirring it before taking her cauldron to cook.

"Yes, because you and I have been mated for seven years, and I know when you are up to something." I said.

"Oskar, you are acting crazy.' Helen said.

"Tell me what was in the parcel and when you sent it to the carrier." I said

"I just sent some perfume, nothing more, and during our shopping in Basingstoke." Helen said.

"What kind of Perfume?"

"Oskar Godfrey! I do not wish to be questioned like a criminal!" Helen shouted at me.

"Love, why did you send the parcel now instead of waiting until we return? Especially if it's fragile, like perfume. You're acting odd." I said.

"Oh, alright. I suppose I can trust you with a small secret." Helen said. "What is it, my love?" I asked.

"Hey, do you remember the meetings I attend every Thursday?" asked Helen.

"Yes, you mentioned they were related to textile guilds." I replied.

"Well, I may have misled you, but I had valid reasons for doing so." explained Helen.

"What was the reason?" I asked as watching Helen cook.

"You remember when we married, I mentioned my family obligations." Helen reminded me.

"Yes, and?" I asked.

"My family obligations surround the Dracones Cor cult or guild." Helen said, closing the cauldron.

"Cult darling, a cult!" I yelled.

"Calm down, Oskar. It is nothing sinister. In fact, you would love it. They all agree, like you, that there should be standards and equality in life." Helen said, leaving the pot in the fire under the chimney.

"What are you talking of? Also, that man disappeared so fast I could not even see him; what does he have to do with this cult?" I asked.

"Guild darling and Archer is the Guild messenger, and they gave him some charms to travel faster than you."

"Helen, why are you sending a cult messenger to our family!" I roared, standing up.

"Oskar, darling, it is for the betterment of the world. What is one child's sacrifice in the grand scheme of things?" Helen asked as she threw potatoes into the pot.

"Child? Helen, you are speaking gibberish." I said.

"Swear on your soul and your love to me before I explain, " Helen demanded, and tears ran from her eyes as she faced me from cooking.

"I-"

"Promise me, or I reject you now!" Helen screamed.

"I promise, please tell me," I begged.

"Dragones' cor was created to revive the Darkness sealed in this world. When this world was created, two dragons' eyes were to be used, one white and one black. The White one spread Darkness and destruction and sent out things to rid the world of vile people." Helen said.

"Helen..darling, that is just an old tale." I said, walking toward her.

"No, it is truth; I go to our meeting spot in Salisbury while we work on breaking the first seal found to free the Darkness." Helene said, looking at me with a wild look.

"What, why?" I asked.

"Because those humans are running over Oskar, this world, and more people are taking things too far. This world could be cleansed significantly since some people like Isodora can now rise as a Vampire Lady! The hands of Lilith did not make the girl feel she should not be in a position of power. " Helen spat.

"Helen, Isodora, is a lovely woman. Why are you saying these horrid things?" I asked, no longer recognizing my own mate.

"Because it is true, she cannot even be useful in bearing a child for this family." Helen said.

"What are you talking of? Isodora was a part witch before she was turned. I'm sure her mother's coven may find a way to reverse that." I said, putting my hands on my wife.

"I am not entirely sure how, but I noticed something strange last month before Isodora and her partner announced their wedding. I felt a heartbeat coming from Isodora that wasn't her own. And during the meeting last week, I saw the seal slowly breaking due to the work of our mages." explained Helen.

"So? Isodora is pregnant. Amazingly, if it were the witches, they could now help vampires have children under 1000." I said, somewhat delighted by this news.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Helen said.

"What did you do?" I said, looking at her.

"Isodora's pregnancy has disturbed the magic used to break the seal. When her baby's heartbeat was detected, the seal started breaking. Isodora's child may be one of the virtues that can help to restore the seal." explained Helen.

"Yes, or this is nonsense. Besides, there have to be eight virtues together in your silly story." I said.

"Exactly. I brought Isodora to a meeting just to be sure, and no doubt, the hidden mages felt the power of that child. The mere presence of it in her womb made the seal slowly reclose, assuring it was one of the virtues growing in her." Helen said.

"How did she not catch on?" I asked.

"The daft girl loves me. I told her to stand in the foyer waiting for me. The little wench never knew she was being watched. Now I ensured she and that baby will never see stop the Darkness and Dracones Cors' work again." Helen stated, smiling wickedly at me.

I let her go and shakily backed away.

"What did you do to her, Helen?" I asked.

"What I had to.." Helen said to me.

Present day

2524

Illinois, USA

Oskars Pov

I was crying as I was locked in my cell, under my nephew's packhouse where we detained prisoners, my hands over my eyes as I remembered that faithful night.

"I'm so sorry, Isodora. I am sorry I was too late." I sobbed, begging for forgiveness yet knowing that even Lilith had not forsaken me.