The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 2

Marcus looked very puzzled as he made his way into the chamber.

Oh god, what did August tell him?

Luckily, he was at Abigail’s heels. “Prince Marcus, this is Princess Nienna of the Moon Elves,” he spoke awkwardly as he cleared his throat.

Marcus stared at me blankly. It was Abigail who spoke first.

“Nienna?” She murmured, glancing at her husband. “Like your sister…?”

“My dead sister,” he reminded her firmly. He didn’t believe August.

“I’ve only heard that one other time and I’m already sick of hearing it,” I sighed as I pulled my hair up, showing them my pointed ears. “See? Not dead.” I turned my head side to side, showing them my elvish ears.

“That’s not possible,” my brother said, shaking his head. “I’ve visited your tomb. I go there and I talk to you when I feel like no one else will listen,” he rambled. Abigail placed a hand on his back and stroked it.

He talks to me? Well, what he thinks is me? Poor kid. I felt horrible. After everything that happened, he felt the need to talk to his dead sister that he never even met for guidance? What the hell did they put this kid through?

I rushed across the room and pulled my brother into my arms. “You don’t have to talk to an empty tomb anymore,” I assured him, and I heard him sniffle in response.

“What the hell happened to you?” He asked as he pulled away from me.

“Dad banished me,” I answered. “I remember it like it was yesterday. He wouldn’t even look at me. My mother and I returned to the Elven Kingdom and my mother took her rightful place as Queen. She sends scouts at least once every year to reason with dad to stop the fighting,” I said, shaking my head. “To be my father again.”

“The King takes those scouts as threats,” August chimed in. I hadn’t thought about the hundreds of Elves he had probably helped s*******r. But I pushed those thoughts from my head.

“I know. We have to track down their bodies so that their families can send them off properly,” I acknowledged. My wolf added a bit of a snarl to my tone that I hadn’t intended. She was so awake here. Back in the Elven Kingdom, my wolf was practically nonexistent.

“I can sense your wolf, and she is huge for you being a hybrid,” Abigail noted in amazement. Now that I was closer to her I had a better sense of what she was. She was a hybrid, just as I was. But half wolf, half witch.

I smiled at her. “I’m the daughter of the Alpha King,” I said with a shrug. “I inherited his strength and a good bit of his size. Although my wolf has been practically hibernating in the Elf Kingdom. She hasn’t been this active in a very long time,” I said, crossing my arms. “I’ve never had to hold her back this much before.”

"You're around other wolves," Marcus suggested. "Your wolf is more alert. She's used to being the only one of her kind."

I felt like finding August also had something to do with it. But I said nothing. They didn't need to know that yet. I still had to see how my father reacts to my presence. I couldn't let him do anything to August for being my mate.

"I suppose," I nodded. "Makes sense. But what I really came here for was to talk to you. If father doesn't listen, we can stop this," I urged him as I took a step closer. "Father won't be King much longer. My coronation is in a few months on my twenty-fifth birthday, and I want you to be there. Both of you," I said, glancing over to Abigail. "I'd really like it if father were there as well, and we can end this now. But seeing as he's had a hand in this total mess, I don't know where he'll stand," I explained as I reached in the pocket of my cloak, and withdrew the invitation to my coronation. Marcus took the paper from my hands. "I'd like answers," I added, looking up at August. I swallowed hard and nodded to him.

"Are you sure?" I heard his voice say in my mind, and I felt my heart stop at his voice.

"I'm sure," I responded to him. I didn't know how either of us knew how to do that. It just came naturally. Even though we haven't officially bonded, our bond was still there. If we officially completed the mating bond, the bond between us would be stronger and unbreakable.

August nodded and vanished from the room.

Abigail smiled at me. "August is your mate, isn't he?" She asked. She must have watched our silent conversation. .

"He stopped me on my way in because of my scent. We had no idea until we saw each other," I explained as I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

Marcus smirked. "He was beginning to think he was mateless. Always calling himself the 'lone wolf'."

"You two are close?" I guessed by the way Marcus's face lit up when he talked about August.

"Funnily enough, he's been like a big brother to me," my brother nodded.

"I don't know how father is going to react to me, so I don't want him to know. I can't let him hurt August because of me," I said, and the door once again opened. My father froze in the doorway. His wide golden eyes were frozen on me.

No one said a word.

Finally, he crossed the floor. Merely inches from me, and he lifted a trembling hand to my face. "It's not possible," he muttered in disbelief. Tears brimming his eyes. I could not be more confused. But my emotions didn't care if it made sense. I was crying too.

"Daddy," I sobbed, reaching for him.

He stepped back.

"It's not possible," he muttered again, shaking his head. "You're not her," Kaiden continued to mumble. "My Nienna is dead!" He yelled.

"Daddy-" I muttered gently, taking a step toward him.

"GET OUT!" He roared, and I practically jumped backwards. I had never seen him yell like that. He wouldn't even let me explain.

My heart sank. I wiped a year from my cheek, and I made my way to the door. Nothing I did would show him I was who I said I was.

Unless….

I turned back to look at Abigail. "Princess make sure you take care of that crown," I told her. "Some say the jewels were made from the tears of the Moon Goddess herself," I said with a kind smile, and opened the door.

"Wait…" Kaiden began shakily.

I turned.

"Where did you hear that?" He stammered.

"My father told me a long time ago," I reminded him.

He sobbed and began to make his way back to me. But came to a stop as he quickly brought his hands to his head, groaning in agony.

"Dad?" Marcus said as he gently approached him. "What's happening?" He asked, looking around to all of us.

"I-I don't know," I stuttered.

Abigail pushed herself to Kaiden's side. Her eyes flashed a brighter shade of green as she moved her hands around his body.

"He's under a memory spell," the blonde hybrid said as she looked at us in shock. "The spell is breaking. His true memories are fusing with his false memories. His head is trying to grasp reality," Abigail explained.

A memory spell? Is that why he thought I was dead too? He had the witches alter his memories too?

Once again the door flew open. This time my stepmother, Queen Ida, stood in the doorway. Her brown eyes widened at me and then glanced to her husband crying in agony.

"No, you can't be here," she muttered. "Kaiden!" She cried and pushed passed me to my father.

My heart was pounding. What was going to happen to him?

"Abigail, can you help him?" I asked quickly.

"You did this to him!" Ida snapped at me.

My wolf wanted to rip her head off. “I did nothing!” I growled back at her.

"I can either break the spell completely or repair the spell’s binding," Abigail interjected.

"Repair it!" Ida insisted.

"Break it!" Marcus yelled.

Abigail's green eyes narrowed at them.

"Abigail," I muttered. "Please," I begged.

The half witch turned back to the King, and a green light came from her palms as she hovered them over his head. His cries stopped, and he slowly regained his stance.

"Kaiden?" Ida muttered as she placed a hand on his arm. He pushed her hand away, and his eyes met mine again.

I swallowed hard.

He crossed the room to me and pulled me into his arms. And I practically fell apart. I couldn't fight the tears that streamed down my face. This was the father I remembered. Not the bitter man who turned me away.

"I'm so sorry, Nienna," he sobbed as he gripped me tight. "I should have never turned you away, none of this was your fault… That's why I had my memories altered...I couldn't live with myself for pushing you away. It was easier thinking you were dead and not that I hurt and abandoned my little princess," the king said as he brushed my hair behind my ears.

In a way, that made sense. But that still didn't explain what happened with him and my mother.

"And what about mom?" I asked him as I brushed the tears from my eyes.

His eyes turned cold.

"We found some evidence against your mother that would not stand," Ida spoke up as she stood beside her husband.

"We?" I asked. "You mean you?" I accused her, and I wasn't ashamed of it. "My mother was nothing but a good wife and a perfect Queen," I fired back. "Dad, you know the Moon Elf customs. You know she's literally can't do anything to hurt you without hurting herself!" I insisted.

"Your mother never officially claimed me as her mate," He said flatly.

"Yes she did," I insisted. "She senses when you're in pain, she can feel when you two are together. It hurts her. It physically hurts her!" I argued.

"Nienna!" My father stopped me. "Your mother is a phenomenal actress. But I have her diary. She wrote several entries about how she couldn't claim me as her mate. She had someone else."

I shook my head. Someone else? That wasn't possible. The only man mother ever loved was my father. To this day.

"You're wrong," I said calmly. “The fact hat you believe words in a book more than the feelings in your own heart shows exactly how foolish you are," I said firmly. My wolf was clawing to get out. She was pissed. I really had to focus on my breathing to keep her contained. I couldn't blame her. I was ready to get out.

"My coronation as Queen is in a couple months on my twenty-fifth birthday," I began as I withdrew another invitation from my pocket. "I want to fix this. The war between our races. Not only are you my father and you should be there for me, but you're also the King, and I hope you come for your kingdom," I said clearing my throat and turning to leave.

"Wait," Marcus called back to me. I turned to see my little brother. "You're leaving already?"

I smiled at him.

"My mother is going to be going crazy with worry if I don't come home," I said sadly. "I do hope I'll get to see you all again," I nodded to him and Abigail. Then to August.

"It was lovely meeting you, Nienna," Abigail said with a smile.

"You as well, Princess," I smiled back at her. She truly was a sweetheart.

"Nienna, wait," my father called after me, and grabbed my arm. "I want you to come back," he said as he met my eyes. "Spend sometime here at the palace. See both sides."

I stared back at him for a moment. This seemed like he wanted me to see how they were the victims. But this would also give me an opportunity to see exactly what "inexcusable things" my mother did.

Finally, I nodded.

"I'll send a car to collect you tomorrow night. You'll spend two weeks in Wolf Kingdom," he smiled at me.

Ida looked like she was about to throw up.

"August, make sure my daughter arrives home safely," The King instructed.

August's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yes, your majesty." He nodded and made his way to my side, opening the door for me. "Princess," he said, gesturing to the door, inviting me to go first.

"Thank you, Captain." I said with a nod and made my way through the door, August closing it behind us.

"That was pretty insane," he said, shaking his head. "You okay?" He said, grabbing my hands, turning me to look at him.

"It still makes little sense," I said, shaking my head.

"Well, at least your father accepted you back into his life," he pointed out.

"It's a start," I agreed. "I can get to the bottom of the rest of this mess while I'm here."

"I'm glad he invited you to stay," he admitted, brushing his thumb across my nimble fingers. "I'll be able to actually get to know you…"

I smiled up at him, my heart fluttering like butterflies. "That is an additional plus," I laughed. "I want to thank you," I said, looking back up into his piercing blue eyes. "This would have been so much harder without you," I admitted.

"Yeah, what was your plan exactly?" August chuckled as he crossed his arms, waiting to hear my brilliant plan.

"I was just going to approach them at the party. It would have been harder and far less private, but I assumed my father would move us to a different room," I confessed with a shrug.

He shook his head at me. "C'mon let's get you home," he chuckled as he started for the exit. "The elves aren't going to kill me on sight, are they?"

"The Elves are banished from the Wolf Kingdom. Wolves aren't banished from the Elven Kingdom," I answered him. "We have a couple packs of loyalists to my mother who live in the forests of the Elven Kingdom."

"Really?" He asked, surprised. "I didn't know." We made our way down the steps of the palace, and towards the car father probably had pulled around. He walked me around to the passenger side of the car, and opened the door for me. “You don’t mind sitting next to me, do you?” He asked with a smirk on his lips and his eye twinkling with amusement.

I could feel my heart melting again. He was just so cute. Perfect in every way. Well, at least every way I’ve seen so far.

“Not at all, Captain,” I smiled and climbed in the car.