Page 102 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
“Yes, I have seen one or two I believe.”
Groaning, Bellamy pushed back his chair and stood up. “Adbeel, how about we spare me the embarrassment and take Asher down to the village? She did not get to see much of it…last time.”
“That sounds lovely. Asher, what do you say?” Adbeel asked softly.
Nodding, I shoved the last piece of toast into my mouth and jumped up. “Yes, definitely.”
Just as I went to push in my chair, I once more heard the call of my name. The deep voice was almost whimsical in its faintness, and when I looked up at both of the males before me, I was met with no sign that it had been either of them that said my name.
Shaking my head, I pushed back the thoughts, focusing on what was in front of me.
Adbeel stood, his sky-blue silk tunic shining in the morning light, the fabric clinging to his chestnut skin. He had trimmed his mahogany curls since the last time I saw him, cropping them short. Bellamy was off to his side, wearing a flowing silk blouse that was a matching shade, unbuttoned to expose his pale chest riddled with black veins. His black trousers were identical to Adbeel’s, just as his knee-high boots were. He had rings on every finger but the one that would one day hold his wedding band, and today he also wore a stack of thin black and red chains around his neck.
A quick look down at my dress left me smiling secretly. I wore a silk blue dress the color of Bellamy’s eyes. It dragged the slightest bit on the floor due to my heelless black slippers and was cut modestly just below my collarbones. The straps were thin pieces of twisted fabric and the back sunk halfway down my spine. I had on my necklace and a flick of kohl upon the corners of my eyes, a contrast to Bellamy, who wore a thin line above his lower lashes twin to Adbeel’s.
We looked like a family.
Bellamy reached out his hand, and together the three of us walked through the palace. Adbeel would occasionally stop, pointing at one of Bellamy’s paintings and telling me about how proud he was of it. When we left the castle doors and passed through the stunning courtyard, Adbeel explained the story of the trees—weeping willows, he called them. That they were planted by Queen Asta after the death of King Zohar.As we made our way down the large hill, waves splashing up the cliffside and making the late summer air damp, Adbeel continued to tell me of their rich history. He named off his—our—ancestors, adding in their contributions to the great demon empire.
I smiled and laughed in the correct places, though at times I felt as if I were floating outside of my body, watching myself find a place and a family andhope.Never had I felt quite this complete.
All of those emotions were only intensified as residents of The Royal City began flocking towards their king and prince. Males, females, and younglings crowded us, eagerly hoping to speak to the royalty among them. I did my best to stand back from them, wanting to let them bond with their subjects, though Bellamy’s tight grasp on my hand did not let me stray far.
That was, until an oddly familiar looking face appeared in my line of sight. The female had a loud mind, her eyes wide as she approached not Adbeel or Bellamy, butme.
“I saw you the last time you were here months ago. For a moment I thought I had seen a ghost. You look just like her,” the female said with wide eyes and splayed hands. I knew then who she had been. This was the woman who had stared at me and thought me dead back when Bellamy and I had first come to The Royal City. Only, she had not realized who I really was. Had she thought me Zaib Ayad? My…mother?“Can it be? Are you related to her?”
“I—well—I guess—”
“Yes,” Adbeel cut in, he and Bellamy placing me between them as Adbeel addressed the crowd. “Asher is the daughter of the late princess, Zaib.”
With that, the shouts grew loud, frantic. They all seemed to speak at once, as if it were a battle to be heard above all else.
“Where did she come from?”
“How did you find her?”
“Will she be heir after the prince?”
“Are the rumors true? Will she marry her uncle, Prince Bellamy?”
That last one made my stomach turn. They thought I was in love withmy uncle.Gods, how would we explain that? Bellamy’s hold tightened on me, his jaw clenching as he glared at the male who had shouted the question.
“Silence, please!” Adbeel shouted, raising his hands. When the crowd finally calmed down and quieted, the king spoke again. “For the last two centuries, I have allowed you all to believe that Bellamy is my son. In fact, I have encouraged those beliefs. Regretfully, I must admit to you all that I have lied.”
More shouts. The crowd began to pulse, moving towards us and into each other, the energy frantic with the news. My heart sunk into my stomach at Adbeel’s words, but before I could allow my mind to wander into the horrible possibility that Adbeel was casting off Bellamy, the king looked down at us with a warm smile.
“Bellamy has been my ward, and I wished to give him a safe and happy life after his true parents harmed him in the most heinous ways. I have loved and cherished him like a son, but he has no blood relation to me,” Adbeel’s voice dropped a tenor, a mesmerizing hum seeming to escape him as he spoke. There, at the very center of my mental gate, I felt magic prodding. The more Adbeel talked, the stronger the force of magic pushing against my mind’s barriers. The magic of a Honey Tongue. “And he has shown his own love and loyalty to me—to our entire realm, really—by finding my long-lost granddaughter. Not only that, but he has fallen in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage!”
The crowd’s gasps and questions were quickly silenced by cheers, demons all around us shouting their congratulations,their well wishes, and their gratitude. I gaped at them all, so surprised by such open love. Just like that, they accepted me. There was no anger to be felt for the deception, only great joy. Or maybe it was simply Adbeel’s magic that willed them to submit. Either way, there was something so wonderful about being welcomed without terror and suspicion.
Bellamy looked down at me in awe, not sparing anyone else so much as a fleeting glance. “They love you, but I fear I cannot share.”
I laughed, which he quickly silenced by leaning down and kissing me. Delight and happiness flooded the pathway where we stood, the residents of the city clapping and cheering. Adbeel touched many of the nearby demons with a single finger, his Sun magic setting it aglow. Some of them cried and thanked him, others shyly smiling. It was so inconceivable and disorienting, but I knew then that Betovere would one day have this. Even if it was the last thing I did, I would free and unite the fae. Whoever we found to rule over them would be this cherished. And they would all be safe to love and live.
“Time to go,” Adbeel whispered before engulfing us in his blinding light. We were tugged and shredded before being stitched back together and placed in one of the many halls of Adbeel’s castle. My mind swam with so many thoughts, but my heart seemed full of only love at that moment. “I must go spread this news from my own lips before the gossip wins out. I will make multiple stops in each territory, but I will be sure to come to Pike soon.”
Bellamy nodded, his eyes glassy. His mind of sunshine and warmth was radiant as Adbeel pulled him in for a quick hug. “Thank you.”
