RISEN: THE AMETHYST PRINCESS

Chapter 5 - Memory

Adam POV

After the visit from the king, we talked a little, cuddled and finally fell asleep. It took me less than a minute to fall completely out of it. I guess I was still weak and needed more rest.

Darkness enveloped me, and soon I was back there in the place of my nightmares. The village, one that I am sure does not exist. The old stoned roads, and the tall brick buildings with colorful flores on the facades showed that I was there before tragedy struck.

I looked around and stopped in front of a mansion with a beautiful garden up front. I took the steps. This dream, this nightmare was different… I have always seen the devastation and destruction that happened in that place, but this, this is something more…

I took one step at a time. Trying to understand what the meaning of this dream is. I placed my hand on the door handle, and opened the wooden door with intricate patterns carved on it. My voice was not mine at all… and the reflection of the man staring back at me was completely different from mine.

“Oh, you are here…” A soft and spirited voice called out to me, and I slowly turned. Stunned, I saw a woman. She was gorgeous, and when I stared into her eyes they resembled the ones of my mate…

“I promised I would come…” I replied, and I didn't even know where that came from…

“Did anyone see you?” She asked and I sighed,

“No, I was careful, but I hate to hide our bond from the world…” I said… this dream was weird, it was like more of a memory, one that did not belong to my time and era…

“I know… we must need to keep hiding…” She said and I sighed,

“Your father will never allow our union, and my family, well, they have already turned their backs on me…” I said, and she rested her head on my heart…

"We will find a way, so far they haven't found us here... and if that remains, we might be able to have peace..." She said, and I hoped with all my heart her words became true.

“That's why I need a couple more days, we need to see if they have been following us... we need to be ready to flee... and hopefully find a place where we can live... You, me and our son,” I said with a determined and hopeful voice…

“And we can finally be happy, Emeril…” She finished,

“I know, Amethyst…” I placed a soft kiss on her temple…

Suddenly, the door burst open, and all hell broke loose…. The screams, the fire, the devastation… everything happened fast, real c*****e. After that blissful moment of holding my mate in my arms…

The pain, the fight, the fire… Amethyst was lying dead in my arms, while I tried to protect our son… They were too many, they wanted us apart. “Let it go… that kid is an abomination, one that should have never existed…” A man with familiar resemblance to the woman I held lifeless in my arms. A masculine version of her soft beauty.

“Why would you harm her? She is your daughter!” I yelled back, and he gave me a dark and sinister look.

“She is no daughter of mine… No daughter of mine would disobey me, no daughter of mine would mate with a bastard like you… She was dead to me the moment she stepped out of my castle…” The man paused, and I could see a small hint of pain cross his eyes and then fury came forward.

“The moment she decided to follow you… the moment she decided to bear a child with you, the moment you walked into her life… that was the moment she signed this path, this fate and this future… and now… I will end your entire lineage…” The man who now I knew was Amethyst's, said.

“You will not harm my son!” I stood up, placing Amethyst's limp body softly on the floor…

I looked around and saw my people fighting, then I saw our son's nurse, and looked at her with pleading eyes… She knew that if this moment was to come, she would find a small cottage well hidden in the woods, with enough money to provide her and our son for a while…

She was a plump old woman, and when I saw her running away in the opposite direction from our son's nursery, I became restless… NO! She can't betray us at this moment.

I stood in between the man trying to finish my family and my dead mate… The pain of losing her was crippling. He rushed towards me, and attacked… viciously, pouring all of his anger, while I defended the door that stood between this monster and my son…

I felt his fury, his hate and, above all, I felt the loss of the battle, when he plunged his clawed fist into my chest, and ripped my heart out. With the latest glimpse of life in my body, I heard him say, “You should never have set your eyes on a Princess…” and with that I gasped, opening my eyes abruptly and my breathing labored….

“Adam?” Talia quickly stood up from between my arms. The comfort of her embrace brought me back from that bizarre dream, or rather I say, memory. It was not a memory of mine, of that I was sure, but the entire thing felt so mine, so vivid, so real, that it was taking a toll out of me…

“Are you alright?” She said, and I softly nodded…

“Yeah, just a haunting dream…” I said, and she kissed my temple…

“Let me bring you some water…” She said, and stepped away for a minute to retrieve a bottle of water. She handed me the water while I sat on the hospital bed… I took several sips out of the water, making me feel a bit better.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” She asked and I shook my head. There was no point in reliving that nasty memory.

“I just need to hold you…” I said, placing her in my lap, and she rested her head on the crook of my neck…

“We will be alright…” I sighed, and my dragon finished in my head, ´This time around, we will finally be happy…´

That caught my attention, and despite wanting to ask him so many questions, holding her in my arms, and the content we felt at the moment, was enough for us to fall asleep again, this time in a dreamless slumber.

The next day, we woke up rather late, and then the doctor came in giving me my discharge paper. Finally, I was out of this place…

“So, I am out of here….” I wiggled my eyebrows, and she giggled. Dagda! The sound of that is music to my ears…

“What are the plans?” She asked playfully…

“First…” I began when a deep voice filled the rest,

“You will have to follow every single dragon tradition…” Former King Alexander said, and I squinted my eyebrows. Now, what the f**k did that mean?

“I am sorry? What are you talking about, Daddy?” Talia asked what had crossed my head.

“Well, the ancient dragon traditions… of course…” King Alexander chuckled and I squinted my eyebrows… Certainly he was just joking, right?

“What?” Talia almost growled… “We are in the middle of the 21st century, and you are telling me that I have to spend a whole year of chaperoning courting with my mate before the wedding?” She almost yelled at the king, and I could see a small hint of hesitation on his part.

“Well, you are a princess… you must honor our traditions…” Former King Alexander said, and I saw her eyes flash purple…

“And how does tradition ONLY apply to ME? I don't recall my brother being celibate before his wedding?” She grunted, and I almost chuckled… My mate is a firecracker... and I love it.

King Alexander's face flushed, and I was sure that this traditional nonsense was because he was struggling with the fact that his daughter would be mated and marked soon…

“How about we agree on disagreeing?” I said, and King Alexander looked at me with a huff… I was certainly not his favorite person at present.

“What do you mean?” He said and I chuckled,

“How about we take a month to plan our wedding. During that time I will stay in your castle with her…” I said, while King Alexander growled, “I mean, it is difficult to separate mates, once they have found each other, but I will stay in my own room…” I finished and he sighed…

Talia's mouth hung open, while I winked her way. I was not willing to start a family drama, or worse, a huge fight among the royals, just because we couldn't hold ourselves for a month… After all, how hard could it be?

“Alright… we will be seeing you at the castle…” King Alexander said, and then looked at Talia, “Your mother is going to love all that planning, and girl s**t!” he said amused, and I knew I signed up to some entirely different thing from what I had in mind.

“Are you coming with me?” I asked Talia, but King Alexander took control over the conversation… “ She has a ton of things to discuss with her mother… I am certain that Roger and Roy can help you pack your belongings… I already called them…” He said and I sighed… I wanted to have a moment alone with my mate, but now it seems impossible…

I wanted to do what is best for everyone, but somehow I am afraid King Alexander will do whatever is in his power to keep his little girl by his side... Dagda! Help us all...