Junia's pov;
The door opened and two tall men walked in, they were in their half dragon form. I already knew where they were from.
Once again it felt like my life had been pulled away from me again.
I felt everything was ending for me.
"Your highness, The Kind requested your return to the Dragonhold." One of the men spoke, his voice was firm.
Anger surged through me.
"No!" I yelled, "Tell your king to stay away from me, I won't return to Dragonhold. Tell him to do his worst!" I hissed.
"Junia—" my father started, but I cut him off.
"No, don't try to convince me to go back there because I have a lot of questions and you will have to answer them." I turned to the Ashmaris' men, "Tell your king that I would rather die than to return there"
"Then we have no choice but to attack if you don't follow us, we will have to keep attacking until you give in and maybe take you forcefully back to the Dragonhold." The second man spoke.
My eyes widened, I hate Ashmaris for having such power over us. He wants to attack a vulnerable kingdom.
"Tell your king that he is a that i would fight back with all I have and make sure to destroy him." I shouted, screaming with the pain and anger because we can't stand a chance against them.
My father held, putting his arms around me. I broke down in tears.
"Can you give us a few minutes, I need to talk to my daughter," my father said to the men. I only heard the door open and close.
"Junia, I know you're angry. I am too, Ashmaris ruined everything and he would have told lies about me." My father said, I pulled away from him.
"He told me a lot of things, about how you betrayed—" I started talking but stopped halfway.
"Ashmaris lied, he is manipulative. Since he was a child always been hungry for something more, power." My father said, "Believe me, I wouldn't have done the things he might have said I have done."
"Is it true that you are half seelie and unseelie?" I asked him, still wanting to know if what I saw that day was true.
"It is," my father replied.
"You lied to me!"
"I lied because that's the only thing I could do to be accepted in a society that— When I saw your mother for the first time I fell in love with her" My father said, with a smile on his face. "She was beautiful, very beautiful and a seelie and it was love at first sight."
My father was silent for a few moments, "She was full seelie and I was half blood no seelie wants" He chuckled bitterly. "So I found a way, climbed the social ladder in the seelie kingdom, lied about my identity and everything and fast forward I married your mother. Even though your grandfather who was the king back then was against it.".
Tears streamed down his eyes, "I was just in love" He said softly.
I can't imagine I believed Ashmaris over my father because he is evil and greedy. He had lied to protect me and be with my mother.
"Father, I am so sorry…I"
"It is okay," my father said with a smile, "I know how unhappy and sad you are. So I wrote you this" he removed a small letter from his drawers. "I want you to read it"
I tried to open it but he stopped me.
"Not now, when you are on your way back to Dragonhold" my father said and my body stiffed.
"But can't we…I don't want to return there" I told him.
"But you must go for the sake of our people."
I still want to argue, fight, curse Ashmaris, I would make sure to avenge me, my father and Solric. I fisted my palms.
"I know you are angry, just read that letter and follow it"
I nodded and hugged him.
Early the next day, I and Ashmaris' men began the journey back to the Dragonhold, My father bids his goodbye.
I smiled back at him and climbed a dragon who will be my ride to Dragonhold.
"My lady." Rin, My maidservant was crying, we didn't even get to spend enough time together. "I hope you will be safe there."
"I will be," I answered, smiling down at her. I will miss her a lot, I hated the fact Ashmaris got to steal my life away from me.
Rin stepped back, when one of the male dragons from last night came closer. "Your highness, The journey will take a while but we will do our best to arrive early at the dragonhold, so you can rest."
I didn't reply to him. I just turned my head and straightened my shoulder, My teeth gritted.
He bowed slightly and signaled the dragon I was sitting on. While he went ahead to shift into his dragon form like the rest.
In the evening, we stopped for a rest . The dragon set up a tent and informed me that by the afternoon the next day we should arrive at the dragonhold.
"The Tent is ready, your highness."
I just nodded and went into the rent, I brought out my father's letter to read it. When I opened the letter it was written in fairy code.
A code that only fairies could decode, I read the letter, I learned that my father planned to save me soon and he drafted out a plan to take down Ashmaris.
And all I had to do was get Ashmaris distracted.
I destroy the letter by shredding it into pieces.
‡‡‡
Truth to calculations of the Ashmaris men, we arrived at the Dragonhold by afternoon, Ignara was waiting. She had a smile on her face and I had a frown on mine.
"Junia welcome back, I am glad you make it back safely." Ignara said, I glanced around and her brother was nowhere to be found.
Good.
"Well I am not happy to be back here, taking me away from my home because your brother had the power too" I spoke.
Her expression fell, "He just wanted you here, you shouldn't have run. He thought—"
I scoffed, "He thought what, that I am happy to be here that I will forget that he kill my husband and destroy my home"
"Junia….I think you should calm down and hear me out."
"Hear you out? Your brother forced me out of my home and I am not even wanted here, he just wants to use me. Maybe you should hear your brother out." I spatted
Ignara opens her mouth to speak but she doesn't say anything at first.
A few moments later, she speaks but I am still fuming with anger.
"Let go inside, You must have tried from the journey." Ignara said, she turns and leads the way.
We left Ashmaris's men outside as we made our way into the Female quarters. We met Ishkara at the entrance of the quarter, shock ran through her expression.
She wasn't expecting me to be alive and here I am after she thinks she has taken me out.
Ignara noticed Ishkara's expression and glanced between us.
"Lady Ishkara" I greeted with a warm smile, She was too stunned to speak.
"Are you feeling well, Ishkara?" Ignara asked Ishkara, she looked concerned. She stepped in front of Ishkara, who quickly snapped out of whatever that was going through her head.
She is definitely thinking about how I survived the Umbravele.
"Yes I am" she cleared her throat, stepping away from Ignara. "Greetings Lady Junia" Ishkara said, without waiting any longer she hurried off with her maids.
"Did something happen between you too?" Ignara questioned.
"Nothing happened, she must have just been stressed." I responded.
"Are you two close?"
"No, we are not"
And we will never be, she sent me to death when I trusted her.
We reached the chamber that I was using in the female quarters, my eyes fell on the bed and I realized how tired I am.
"I will get the maids to attend to you" Ignara spoke, her voice was neutral, it didn't have the happy tone she does have.
Guilty gawned me inside, I spoke to her rudely despite the fact she is nice to me.
But I couldn't help to take out the anger I have against Ashmaris in her.
She turned to leave when I stopped her, "Ignara." I called
She stopped and turned to me, "yes?"
"I am sorry for being rude, I was just angry. I can't control it and I took it out of you." I paused, "You are not your brother— you are good to me even though you know I hated him."
A smile appeared on her face, "I am not angry at you, Junia. Anger is new to you, I don't expect you to try and hide it" She replied.
"Thank you"
"No thank you for coming."
Ignara stepped closer to me. Her arms spread open. She is initiating a hug. "Come, I heard fairies like hugs"
I walked towards her reluctantly and wrapped my arms around her too and she did the same.
The door pushing open with force was what pulled us apart and it was Ashmaris.