“Princess, you speak of the wraith prince you have been concerned about the entire time we’ve traveled to this kingdom.” Hyun stated speaking up
Reyna nodded her head as she looked up at him. “That I do.”
Zeph looked at her curiously. “So you’re bound to not one-but two princes and a dragon...that’s rather interesting and something I had no idea could happen. I’ve only known that I have the mark and that it was a strong one. Nothing more beyond that.”
“I know nothing about the markings other than it’s on me and I share one with you princess.” Hyun stated
“I can understand why Hyun doesn’t know much since he has been in his dragon form till we met. But Zeph...does your family not have anything about markings in your family's library?” Reyna asked concerned
Zeph shook his head no. “My parents do not believe in such things, they believe it to be complete rubbish, so if you were to ever tell them about it-they would call you a complete liar.”
Reyna sighed out as she shut her eyes. “Well…” She started before she opened her eyes “They are going to be in for a rude awakening once I am to talk to them once more.”
As she finished talking they got to the middle of the town where the three of them were escorted to a table to eat and rest after their trial. Zeph and Hyun sat on either side of Reyna. As the three of them ate, Hyun and Zeph were used to the food that was placed in front of them unlike Reyna who had no idea what most of it was. Zeph saw that she was looking uncertain and he placed his left hand on her right shoulder.
“Princess, it’s alright. Everything here isn’t going to harm you internally. Even if you have demon blood in you.”
“I had no idea there were so many different foods out there. What is all of this?” She asked looking at him
He smiled at her as he moved himself closer to her and he had her grab her fork. With her fork he told her what everything is. “This is dark rice, it tastes just like normal rice but with a slight spice kick to it. Next to it are called plantains, they are part of the banana family but are slightly sweeter.” He started off saying
She tried one of the plantains, knowing just how banana’s taste due to where she originally lived and her eyes widened in shock due to the taste in her mouth. She had no idea that there were so many different foods she hadn’t tasted yet. Zeph smiled at her as he saw her expression go from confusion to happy as she ate.
“Good isn’t it princess?”
She nodded her head. “Mhm, and you can call me Rey or Reyna Zeph. We are both royals after all.” She said with a grin
“If that’s what you wish Rey, now beside those is fried chicken-looks like they had used one seriously large piece of chicken for the three of us.”
Reyna blinked her eyes a few times. “Just...just how large are the chickens here? Back in the angelic snob kingdom they had really small ones that didn’t even go up to my calf.”
Zeph laughed a bit and smiled at her. “Ours are rather larger...take Hyun in his dragon form and double that.”
Reyna looked at him in shock. “W-wait what?! That’s insane! How though?!”
Zeph laughed seeing her reaction and leaned his head against her shoulder, he didn’t think she’d have such a big reaction to what he said to her. It caught him off guard, he rarely ever laughed or showed any type of emotion before he met up with her. Now being around her it made him show emotions he never knew he had inside of him. Once he calmed down he looked her in the eyes.
“Magic food that we give them. It makes them grow twice as fast and larger as normal ones.”
Reyna tilted her head to the side. “Does it hurt them?”
Zeph shook his head no. “We make sure that it never does that.”
“Oh...okay. Well that’s good to hear.”
Zeph looked at her with a sincere smile. “You really care a lot about living things don’t you?”
“Mhm, I do. The blood inside of me may not be good blood, but me as a person...I really want to do good and make sure that this world is taken care of with good hands...since I never really was growing up.”
He frowned as he heard her speak. “You’ve never been nurtured as a child-have you?”
She shook her head no. “My father never wanted me, neither did my mother. I’ve never been wanted by anyone other than the male that ties me to the wraiths.” She said as she placed her hand on the mark for the wraiths.
Zeph went back to eating his food as he looked at her curiously. “That reminds me to ask you, how does one get that type of bond with you?”
“Honestly? I do believe it has to do with the emotions and words of whomever has the same mark….also I’ve been passionately kissed by him.” Reyna said between her eating her own food.
“I see, do you know if you can be bonded with all of those with the same mark or is it just one person who can be bonded with you?” Zeph asked
“I don’t know, that’s something I don’t have the answer for.” She said with a shrug as she finished her food.
He hummed out in thought before he pulled her closer to him and he tilted her head up to him, she was more than a flustered as she felt just how warm he was. “Z-Zeph is this really necessary right now? W-We just met each other not even a few hours ago.”
“If this doesn’t happen, I will just be made fun of by my brother and sister. I do not want that to happen. You’re a younger sibling yourself. You should already know how it feels to be mocked by those older than you for being who you are.”
She shut her eyes and sighed out before she opened them and held onto his jacket tightly. “A-Alright...I don’t know what will happen, though.”
“It’s okay, I’ll take full responsibility for what’ll happen Rey.” He said softly to her before his lips touched hers.
His lips were softer and colder than Avery’s lips, even though his lips were cold-reyna felt her body warming up as the mark on her hip began to heat up. She soon parted from his lips and held onto her side as it felt like she was in pain. Zeph looked at her concerned. “What’s wrong Rey?”
“S-Something is happening to Avery...the wraith prince I’m connected to. Someone is hurting him.” She said sadly
Hyun heard this and looked at her sadly. “Did you wish to see him Princess?”
“If I do, I must take the two of you with me. Without Ryse I am defenseless. I cannot do anything.”
Both males got up as Zeph pulled her up with him. “Then we will go as your protection, the wraith prince is dear to you so we will do what we can to help you out.”
She hugged him tightly. “Thank you!” She said happily before she bit her thumb and placed it against her marking for the wraiths. Once the portal opened the two males went in first then she did.
When she went in she knew the room they were in. “this is Avery’s room...but where is he?” She asked as she looked around
“All I feel is darkness around here.” Zeph stated
“That would be the darkness of the wraiths, they’re corrupted angelic beings that were cursed to be who they are. I need to find Avery, he may be in danger.”
“We’ll be right behind you.” Hyun said sincerely
Reyna nodded her head as she left the room with her demon wings out as she looked *ed as she was calling out for Lou. A male neither one of the males behind her knew, but it didn’t take long before she saw a male who was rather taller than her come out of a room.
“Father is gone with big brother and grandfather. Why do you look so angry for Reyna?” The male asked
“That * is going to *ing die I swear!” Reyna said, *ed as she had her hands balled on either side of her. “Riki you need to tell me just where the hell your father took your elder brother, otherwise you won’t have a father in the next half hour or so when I summon the *!”
Riki felt scared of the elder female and swallowed hard. “H-He took him to Goddess Tina’s temple! H-He said something about him wanting her to ‘purify’ him.”
Reyna’s eyes darken as she felt even more angered to know that the person she thought was her friend that she could trust was going against that trust that she had formed with them. She looked behind her to Zeph and Hyun. “We’re leaving the castle, when we do Hyun change into your dragon form and I will tell you where to go.”
“Yes Princess of course.”
Riki looked concerned. “Rey...what’s going on?”
Your father is going to kill your elder brother! That’s all you need to know.” Reyna said before she rushed off
Zeph and Hyun ran after Reyna, barely able to keep up with the red haired female until she got outside. Hyun turned to his dragon form before Reyna got on top of him and held her hand out to Zeph to help him up. Zeph wrapped his arms around Reyna as Hyun took off and went towards the direction that Reyna told him. It was a few minutes flight there and once they got into the temple they could hear two elder male speaking to one another.
Reyna stopped in the doorway and she placed her hands together. “Oh mighty goddess Tina, please protect my dearest Avery.” She muttered softly before she went inside and she instantly went for Lou.
She kicked him in the side before she placed a wall of flame around the male she had saved from the angelic realm. Zeph and Hyun went in shortly after her and saw her use her magic before she looked at them. “Hyun I need you to smoke the room out, Zeph if you can-get Avery out of here. He’s on the altar.”
Zeph and Hyun did what she asked of them, only for Lou to go straight for Reyna using his dark magic on her wings only for her to use fire magic to burn the dark magic away and for her to get her angelic wings out and use the smoke that came from Hyun to surround Lou before she ran out grabbing Hyun by the wrist to take him out of the temple as she did so.
Once they were out of the temple Reyna went up to Avery and she bent down to the wraith prince. She placed her forehead against his as she shut her eyes, she went into his mind to see that it went onto a loop of him trying to find a way out of a maze in his mind so he wouldn’t wake up. She dispelled the maze and showed herself in his mind, which shocked him. She held her hand out to him which he happily grabbed before his eyes opened and he was breathing again.
Reyna opened her eyes as she smiled at him. “Afternoon handsome.” She said happily
“Gods be Rey...you need to stop saving my ass. One of these days I need to be the one to save you otherwise I won’t be able to show myself as a strong prince.” Avery said shaking his head
She giggled and smiled at him. “You’ll have your chance, I don’t have Ryse with me right now...but I do have a lot of information to tell you. Can you move hun?”
He was able to move his body slowly until he was standing up, as he stood he was just as tall as Hyun-making Zeph the shortest of the males she was marked with. Avery noted the two males with her and raised an eyebrow at her. “Please tell me you’re going to explain them.”
“I am, first introductions. Prince Avery, I would like to introduce you to my angelic blood bond dragon Hyun. And Prince Zeph of the elementals. Like you dear, Zeph is bonded to me through a marking of the elementals.”
“Hm...I see. Nice to meet the two of you. She hasn’t been too much to handle has she?” Avery asked
Hyun and Zeph shook their heads. “The princess is rather amusing to be around.” Zeph said with a smile
“Her main focus since I’ve met up with her has been concern for your life Prince Avery. She seems to have a rather large emotional attachment to you.” Hyun stated
Avery smiled hearing that and looked at Reyna. “I knew I shouldn’t have been worried about you babe, so where shall we talk?”
“I want to first get Nala, I know I’m going to hear * from her if I don’t see her while I’m on this side of the world.”
“* you better *ing believe that you’d get * from me!” A rather energetic but sassy female voice said from above them
Reyna giggled a bit as she looked above her to see a pure black dragon with green eyes. The dragon went down to the ground and transformed into a raven haired female with green eyes wearing a red and black attire. “*! What the * is this * about you leaving without me!”
“You are an acid dragon, you wouldn’t survive the cold temperature of the angelic realms. Trust me as a smoke dragon I can barely keep up with the other dragons there.” Hyun stated
Nala instantly looked at him and sniffed him. “You’re a dragon too What the *?!”
Reyna rubbed between her eyes. “Hyun please don’t…”
Nala looked at Reyna. “You need to explain things to me right now!”
“Now isn’t a good time for that. Nala, would you know a safe place for all of us around here?” Zeph asked
“Sure *ing do.” She said before she changed to her dragon form. “Avery hop on.”
“Sure thing Nala” Avery said as he walked towards her
Hyun then changed into his dragon form and he had Reyna and Zeph go on him before Nala zoomed off, which wasn’t hard for Hyun to catch up with her. Nala took them to a place in the kingdom of Militia which made Hyun and Zeph be in awe seeing just how different things were. Reyna just looked depressed as she knew exactly where Nala was taking them. Nala stopped at the greenhouse where she changed as she got inside of the greenhouse. Hyun followed in suit after Reyna and Zeph got off of him.
“Why here Nala?” Reyna asked
“After you left-no one has been in here. So I take care of it. Speaking of which * talk!”
Reyna sat down in one of the chairs on the side before she placed her hands together. “I didn’t leave with you because I didn’t want to hurt you. Like Hyun stated-you would have been struggling in the coldness of the angelic kingdom. Hyun is the dragon that I came here with, he is tied to me not only because of my angelic blood just like you are to me because of my demonic blood but by the marking on my hip as well.”
Avery’s eyes widened. “Wait...I knew there were others. So...is it safe to say that Zeph is tied to you like that too?”
Reyna nodded her head with a sigh. “Yes.”
“So...what will happen now?” Nala sadly asked “I don’t want to be without you Rey-you’re my best friend, I don’t wanna seem useless as your dragon.”
Reyna sighed out before she looked at Nala. “I want to find the temples for goddess Tyche and God Toni-they are the ones that will be the ones that can help out with that. Cause I want to be able to do what I need with all of you.”
“Temples? I saw a rather old looking building not far from here one day...if you want we can see if it is one.” Nala stated in thought
“I’d rather do it alone at first. I don’t want you to get hurt if it’s something else.” Reyna said, shaking her head.
“Like hell you are, you’re not going alone. You said yourself that you are defenseless. Let us protect you.”Zeph said seriously
Avery was stunned to see that the elemental prince was protective of her. But at the same time relieved that it wasn’t just him that was concerned and protective of her. Reyna sighed out in defeat. “Alright...sure fine. As a group we can go.” She said before Nala quickly changed to her dragon form.
“Reyna is mine to carry!” Nala huffed out looking at Hyun
Hyun sighed out. “Very well, I won’t argue with you here.”
Nala then flew off with Reyna as Hyun soon followed after her with the two princes on his back. When they got close to the building Reyna could hear in her mind the sound of a soft voice.
‘Welcome home my child.’
Reyna flew off of Nala and went to the building herself, she went inside as she saw a figure glowing by the altar in the middle of the temple. The figure had short messy red hair and purple eyes wearing a short green dress, she had her arms crossed as she smiled at the young female. “Child, I’ve been waiting for you dear.”
“You have Goddess Tyche?”
She nodded her head, “I have, you’ve visited William and Toni. I know that- you at this moment don’t have Ryse...and honestly. I’m glad you don’t, if she was to hear what I’ve done she’d probably disapprove of my ways.”
Reyna looked confused. “What have you done that would make her be like that?”
“Your father and elder demonic sister are in crystals right now. The wraith that is so keen on you made a wish that I granted. He wished for your sister and father to feel what you’ve felt ten fold, so they are in tempered crystals that will make them see things through your eyes. They will understand what you’ve become and all the emotional, mental and physical pain that you’ve been placed through. I assure you that it will not literally harm them, just make their soul feel what they’ve done to you.”
Reyna blinked her eyes a few times hearing the words from the goddess as the others came into the temple. Avery smiled seeing that it was just Tyche talking to Reyna, he went up to Reyna and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid of her, she won’t harm you.”
Reyna looked up at Avery with a raised eyebrow. “Just what exactly happened that made the male who was to be my father and his hell spawn be in crystal?”
Avery sighed out and shut his eyes before he turned her to look at him. “I went to look for you, even though I was too late. I had a heated argument with your father, he didn’t see you as his daughter and as you already know-he favored Luma over you. Because of his words Goddess Tyche over heard what he said and wasn’t all that pleased to hear what had happened.”
“The wraith speaks the truth, I always overhear conversations in that large room-and I heard what happened. I was not pleased, so I took action. Those who do not do as they swore to do-do not belong on the throne. Your father doesn’t belong there, he has wronged you in more ways than one. And because of that-I do not believe that he or that bratty * Luma deserve to get out of those crystals until they break on their own.”
“Will you know when the crystals break?” Reyna asked
Tyche nodded her head. “Yes I will...Actually you're in time to see them break. All of you come close.”
They did without a word and she teleported them all to the throne room where Reyna’s cousins, uncles and aunt were all talking. They stopped when they saw Tyche with Reyna, Avery, Nala and two males they didn’t know. No one spoke as the crystals broke into dust, the two of them fell to the ground. Luma was in tears as Zavier said nothing as he got up, when he saw reyna in front of him, he balled his hands as he looked away ashamed of himself. “Daughter…”
“*.” Reyna said coldly “You’re not my father! You’ve never been a father to me!”
Zavier frowned hearing her cold words, Luma quickly got up as she went to hug Reyna only to get her to be pulled back by Zeph who glared at Luma. “Do not lay a hand on her.”
“S-She...She’s my sister! I...please let me hug her.”
Zeph looked down to Reyna. “Do you wish her to touch you princess?”
“No Zeph, I do not. Thank you for pulling me back to you.”Reyna said as she looked up at him
“With pleasure princess.”
Luma looked at her stunned. “B-But Reyna...Y-You’re a demon...Like father and I...you’re just like us!”
Zeph let her go as he smiled knowing she’d want to show off who she really was. Reyna’s demon wings showed proudly as he let her go, then her angelic wings showed before they disappeared back behind her.
“I am part demon, I am part angel. Father has made it clear that I am not his daughter but a nuisance to him-my own mother hates me for the angelic wings that I have gotten for my own route of not killing anyone and not harming anything that got in my way to earn such wings. I’m neither good nor evil, I am neither a demon like you and that sick * you call a father or an angel like the * that is in Mirfield who tossed me away because my wings are of a higher ranking than her own. To both-I am a disappointment and a chore neither wished to have. My mother tossed me to your father, he then tossed me to the king of the wraiths. I’m not wanted or needed by those who brought me into this world. But I am needed and wanted by those who stand with me.” Reyna said seriously and calmly
Tyche smiled as she saw how Reyna reacted. “Child you have matured much in such a small time. William was right to tell me that you can handle your own. I hope one day to see you with Ryse at your side. This is all you, dearest.” Tyche then disappeared leaving her to do as she pleased. Her father then looked at her. “I apologize, I never meant to make things so hard on you.”
“Oh save the bull * sad story! Years have gone by since the last time I ever saw you as my father figure! You’ve never done anything to make me think highly of you! To me you’ll always be nothing! The only thing you’ve ever been good for has been for the blood you’ve given me to help those that I have beside me! Anything else is *ing useless! You never taught me * or cared about me like you have Luma! She’s your true daughter so go on and be a ‘happy little family’ with her! Cause you’re not getting that with me!” Reyna hissed out coldly
“Reyna...please calm yourself, we haven’t seen you in over a month. What has happened to you dear?” Andrea asked concerned
Reyna took a deep breath before she looked at her aunt. “Auntie...I cannot explain everything in words, it’s best to look through my memory crystals for that answer.”
The silver haired female nodded her head and got up taking her daughter with her. Once they were gone, Lucian spoke up as he looked at Reyna seriously. “You helped Andrea and I out without even letting us thank you, you knew just where we were and didn’t even stop to take a break or anything like that for days.” He stated “Are you okay?”
Reyna didn’t know how to answer that question, she’s never been asked that before. So she had no idea how to answer it. Lucian saw the mixed emotions going through her mind and sighed out.
“That silence is all I need to know. My eldest brother may not see you as family-but the rest of us do.” Lucian said as he got up
The others got up as well before they went up to Reyna and hugged her tightly, Reyna stiffened feeling her uncles all hug her. She shut her eyes as she then sobbed out against them, she didn’t like that she had dealt with so much and had to place up such a strong front...and for what? She never asked to be born as she was. She never wanted to be as she was, but she had no choice in the matter. “Uncle….I hate myself. I hate being me, so much relies on me.” She said sadly
“We all know that-as does your father. But he disregards it due to believing Luma can do better.” Dex said sadly