Moonbloods Season 1
Princess Yara Halcro

Emris had agreed to teach me in all things Magic. However I found myself interested in one particular skill that I had yet to show an affinity for. Elemental manipulation. I already knew I was able to move things with my mind. However, today I was having a hard time getting my Magic flowing.

Emris had excused himself after helping me change.

It was odd. Emris almost seemed insistent when he had followed me to my room and undressed me, leaving me trembling in my thin chemise. After being summoned by his brother for a Hunt, Emris left me to my own devices. I couldn't stop thinking about him. His touch had lingered on my skin for days.

Three days ago, Emris and Knox had left the Venderaien grounds and went off to hunt down some game for the coming winter.

It was indeed getting colder and we would need the grain from the Main Lands and fresh fish to salt and freeze from the Black Sea if we wished to survive the winter.

Emris had told me that Vendera became impassable during the frozen months so many of the Lords and Ladies would reside at Vendera Hall for the winter. I was supposed to start hosting Court today. I hadn't thought of much to do, I hadn't come up with any activities for our guests. Emris however, had out my worries to rest. Even though we were hosting them, apparently it was the job of the Court to entertain the Royals whilst they resided here at Court.

So, three days ago Emris had vanished, reluctantly, into the wild of the Venderaien Woods with Knox for a brotherly hunt, leaving me here to host Court by myself.

The first day or so, I had been able to get away with it because I had planing to do for Emris' return to Court after his Hunt.

I was on my was to the Library where the rest of the Ladies were waiting for me when Lady Cienna stopped me in the hallway.

"Your Majesty?"

I turned to face her. Lady Cienna, her dark hair was down, flowing down her back.

"Lady Crane, I was just about to come replace you," I told her. As it turned out, Lady Crane was only fourteen, three years younger then myself. We had connected immediately and I had taken her under my wing. If she had not already been married to Knox, I would have insisted on having her as a Lady but the law was not in my favor. Knox would have to ask the King for an annulment but that proved harder to do each day.

Rumors were beginning to spread about the King, that he was ill and that a new King would soon sit the throne of Azga.

"Has Emris arrived?" I asked her in a low voice. Since he had left, I had been anxious and had a hard time sleeping. I missed him. It baffles me how much it pained me when we were apart. I watched Lady Cienna shake her head and I slumped back against the wall, looking out the window. "How long have you been married to Prince Knox?" I asked her. His ship, with big black and silver sails, was still docked in the harbor, most of his men having returned to it because they preferred the bunks then the soft, goose feather beds inside the Hall.

"About four months," she said she came to stand beside me. "My mother offered me as payment, thinking he would kill me. But he married me instantly."

I shook my head. "Forgive me, I don't understand," I told her honestly. "Why would the good Prince do such a thing?"

Cienna shrugged. "Compassion."

I raised an eyebrow. I had seen how Knox had treaded the Skavi around here and how he had treated other Manor staff and it didn't sit right with me.

"Not the word I would have used for his Majesty," I said in a teasing gone. Lady Cienna laughed.

"You don't know him-"

"Know who, Love?" Knox asked as he appeared in the doorway down the hall. I watched her face fill with giddiness and I had to wonder; was Knox using her emotions? Had be Spelled in any way?

"Where is Prince Emris?" I asked him. Knox laughed and glanced around. "Is that the greeting you give me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?" I asked him confused. I never saw him move, but I clearly felt his fingers strike my cheek.

"You dare demand things of me, you Mutt!" he hissed as he slowly circled me. I watched Lady Cienna out of the counter of my eye.

"I was in line to be King!" he told me. "I was in line and then suddenly my brother tells me he has had a bride waiting in the winds for the right moment when my father dies-"

I shook my head, holding my cheek. "I didn't know anything about-"

Knox' hand struck out, his fingers gripping my neck. "I don't care what you have to say! Just do what you must to get Emris to decline!"

"He will never go for it-"

Knox laughed. "You better," he threatened me. "Otherwise your first born child- male or female- will be my next sacrifice for the Goddess!"

I felt the blood leave my face and a soft gasp leave Cienna's lips.

"Come now, you wench!"

I fingers snaked around her wrist. "No," I insisted with a sniff.

"What is going on here?"

I turned to face Niko who was standing at the other end of the hallway, his arms filing behind his back.

"Princess, his Majesty Prince Emris is looking for you," he said without taking his eyes off of Knox. I felt a wave of relief wash through me. Knox offered me a mocking smile and then bowed his head.

"My apologies, Princess," he insisted. I lowered my hand from my face, knowing there would be no mark on my skin. Knox narrowed his eyes at me, noticing the small smirk on my lips.

"Good day, Your Majesty," I said and curtsied quickly. Niko waited for me to pass him. "Come, Lady Cienna," I said as I stopped at the door way, turning to look at her. She stood there, an arms length away from Knox.

"You do not command my wife-"

I scoffed at him. "Considering you put your hands on her-"

Knox scoffed. "She is my wife to do with as I see fit!" he reminded me.

I nodded. "Of course," I assured him. "However, I am not and that didn't stop you!"

Knox started toward me and I felt my heart sink. I wanted to stick up for Cienna but not at the cost of getting hurt myself. That would only anger Emris. "No, you are not," he agreed as he reached and gripped Cienna by the arm and yanked her back down the hall. I sighed, trying to remember the feeling I'd felt when the guards had me cornered in the hallway. I wanted to feel the force of power flow through me and push Knox off off Cienna.

I started forward. "Knox!"

He laughed and turned to face me. "Disrespectful too?" he mused as he jerked a leather strap from his belt. I watched him warp it around his knuckles as he turned to face me. Before I could draw my next breath, Knox moved, turning into a blur of movement. I blinked in surprise as something hit my jaw and blood flooded the inside of my mouth. A surprised cry left my lips as I fell face first into the stone floor, my hand sparkles out to catch my fall.

"When a Royal is punishing a Skavi, you should never interfere," he told me as he dragged Cienna back toward him.

My head throbbed as I rolled into my back, a small groan leaving my lips. "Have you lost your mind?" Niko demanded.

Knox laughed at him. "You want next, Bastard?" he demanded, jerking a dagger from his belt.

"Stop!" I pulled myself up and faced Niko. "Do not harm Prince Knox-"

Niko looked outraged. "Your Majesty-"

I held up my hand as I spat out a mouthful of blood. "I said no harm comes to him," I assured Niko as he offered me a handkerchief. I nodded my thanks.

Knox laughed at me. "You stupid Mortal," he hissed at me. "You stupidity will get you killed before you can birth my brother an heir."

I took Niko's hand had he helped me off of the floor. "I would apologize but you needed the lesion," he mused as he looked down at his gloved hand.

Wait for me over there."

Niko hesitated. "Niko, go!" I snapped at him. "What is going on here?" I turned to see a girl standing in the middle of the hallway.

Niko immediately dropped to his knees. "Lady Yara."

I shook my head. I didn't understand. Who was this woman?

"You must be my fathers wife?" she asked me. I raised an eyebrow. I'm

"You must mean Prince Knox," I said as I turned away, my fingers rubbing my jaw.

"No, I mean Prince Emris."

I dropped my hand from my face and turned to face her. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Surly I had misheard her.

Lady Yara smiled and suddenly I could see it. The glisten in her eye, the way her smooth skin stretched over her cheek bones as she smiled at me.

"Prince Emris is my father," she told me. I suddenly felt that my corset was to tight. Everything seemed to have slowed down as I turned away from her, my fingers brushing my sore cheek. "You didn't know?"

I shook my head. "No." My voice came out steady as I could make it.

Heavy footsteps walked toward us down the hall. Footsteps I now knew better then anyone else's. I forced an impassive look on my face, thinking that would be be best. That was before I turned to face him.

Emris, drenched from the icy rains outside, he stopped in the doorway, his cloak and boots dripping with cold frozen snow, his long black hair hanging in damp strings down his back back and in his eyes. And thoes silver eyes were locked on my face. His cheeks were flushed but his breathing was even.

"Leave us," he said in a low voice.

Everyone filed from the hallway. Everyone but Yara, Emris, Knox and myself. "Someone had better explain why my wife's face is marked up-"

Knox scoffed at him. "She came between me and Cienna-"

I frowned. "And for that I apologize but-"

Emris raised his hand and everyone fell silent. "Niko, tell me what you saw."

Niko fell to his knees as he turned to face Emris. "Your brother, The Prince Knox struck the Princess for interfering with his Majesties punishment of his wife."

The room remained silent as Emris stared at Niko, thinking. Then he turned face me abruptly, folding his hands behind his back.

"My Love, Prince Knox has broken the law in harming you-"

Knox laughed. "She is not yet you wife, Emris!" Knox said.

Emris didn't look at his brother. "Speak again and I will cut out your tongue, Knox," he said in a low voice as his hand came up to touch my sore cheek.

His leather bound fingers traced my jaw as we gazed at each other.

He will pay for this-

My fingers touched his. Please don't, I pleaded. I am the cause of enough problems- I don't want to cause any more because of a misunderstanding!

Emris let his fingers glide around the back of my neck as he pulled me forward and kissed me right there in the middle of the hallway.

My heart slammed into my chest and my breath caught through my lips as the feeling of excitement and longing washed through me.

"Niko, take my brother back to his ship," Emris said in a low voice as he leaned away from me slowly. "He is to remain there, under guard, until his business here is concluded."

His fingers trembled along my jaw as he leaned away. I could feel his need more stronger then my own right now and it was very distracting. I cleared my throat and glanced over his shoulder. Niko still sat on his ankles, his head bowed, Knox was leaning against the wall next to him and Cienna was sobbing quietly behind him. Every few seconds he looked like me may suddenly strike her again.

"You can not send me away," Knox reminded him. "I am-"

Emris turned to face him now. "I don't care who you are, Brother, you are not welcome in my Hall or any of my other holdings."

The two brothers stared at each other.

"You know what she is-"

Emris laughed aloud now. "Of course I do you fool," Emris replied. "Why do you think I am here and not in Negera or Star Hill? Vendera is as safe as they come."

My mouth had gone incredibly dry. If Emris was ignoring my emotions he was doing a good job. My heart beat erratically in my chest.

"Nalia is my Wife," he said. "Touch her again, and I will destroy you."

Knox laughed.

"You tried before, remember?"

I watched as Knox threw his hand out and smacked Emris playful on the thigh. No one spoke. No one moved. "Not joking, I see." Knox sighed and glanced at me.

"You wife is lovely and I wish you both the best!"

Emris rolled his eyes and turned back to face me. "Come with me." With a nod to Niko, Emris turned away and walked down the hall. Knox made a quick show of bowing deeply before me, a smirk on his face.

"My apologies, Princess," he told me. I didn't answer. I didn't look at him as I walked away and followed my Husband down the hallway.

Looking for and replaceing Emris in this place was close to impossible. As soon as I reached the end of the hallway and rounded the corner, Emris had vanished. So I followed the soft playing music around the hallways, trying to figure out where it came from. But most of the rooms here were either locked or occupied. None of them had music coming from with in. So I followed the echoing music through the deserted hallways, knowing full well of I was caught roaming the halls by Emris, he would not be happy. And I had already angered him once today.

The music was soft, dream like. As I rounded the corner a small indoor green house came into view. Cienna was seated on a soft foot rest, gliding her bow back and forth gently. She had changed out of her travel dress into a more revealing and relaxed dress. It was far to cool to be showing that much skin this time of year but she didn't seem to mind.

The garden itself was messy but beautiful. Sacks of grain and fertilizer sat by the door, broken pieces of pottery littered the floor by and the smell of fresh earth assaulted my nose.

I walked up behind her slowly, listing as the melody turned unbearably sweet. The crunching of gravel under my slippers made the tune cut off abruptly and Cienna turned to face me.

"Princess!" She was instantly beside herself, dropping her instrument to the soft soil floor. "I'm sorry, I found it in the music room and figured no one would mind if I-"

I smiled and shook my head.

"No, you are most welcome," I assured her. She bent to pick up the fiddle. "You play beautifully. Better then I ever could."

Cienna laughed and shook her head. "I doubt that, your Majesty."

I frowned. "If you are the Prince Knox' wife, why does he treat you so badly?"

She shrugged, her skinny shoulders and thin brown hair were covered in a thin lace wrap, making her look older then she was.

"The Prince married me in a rather drunken state. When he woke the next morning, he tried to return me to my Mother but she had fled and hasn't been seen since."

I shook my head. "And Knox won't grant you an annulment?" I asked her. Cienna smiled.

"I have no where to go, no money of my own- Knox takes care of me-"

I frowned. "He beats you-"

She shook her head, a shocked look on her face. "No, that was the first time he ever struck me," she said. I shook my head still not understanding. I wasn't convinced this was the first time.

"Cienna- I can help you," I assured her. "Emris will allow you to stay-"

She smiled. "Of course he will, because you asked it of him," she reminded me. "I am still Skavi-"

"Explain that to me please," I said, cutting her off yet again. I couldn't help it. I had questions. "You are married to a Prince of Azga. How can you be Skavi when your marriage sets you so far above that station?"

Cienna shrugged. "My parents used to wealthy. We used to be at every Court affair. We were of good standing. Then the war came and my parents chose the wrong side."

I sighed, knowing that Hali had found herself in a very similar situation. "I still don't understand," I admitted. "Not that I see you as Skavi, it's just that it seems against custom of the Royals to wed below station."

Cienna glanced up and over my shoulder. "Is she serious?"

I turned to face Yara.

I lowered my head. "Your Majesty."

Princess Yara laughed and waved a hand at me. "Please, no need for formalities. Yara will do just fine."

I nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't formally greet you," I told her. I couldn't think of a proper response as to why I was absent upon her arrival. It was disrespectful and shameful of me no to have been there. I couldn't tell her I had been with Hali. She was a Royal of the Demon's. A powerful monarch of Azga. She would look down on any kind of relationship with a lower life expectancy.

"Have you been to Vendera before?" I asked her.

Cienna and Yara glanced at each other. "I was born here," she told me. I nodded.

"Why didn't he tell you about me?" she asked in a curious tone. I shook my head.

"That is a fantastic question," I mused. I hadn't trusted Emris with the secret of my blood so I couldn't expect him to tell me about his child. Or was it different? I shook my head.

"How old are you?" I asked her, hoping to get the attention off of myself. It worked. Cienna wrinkled her nose a little.

"Fourteen, your Majesty," she answered. I felt my jaw pop pollen in surprise. I was sold to Prince Knox after my seventh birthday."

I shook my head and Cienna smiled.

"It's the Demonic way of life," she reminded me. "Once Knox has his children he will move on to someone else."

I felt my heart sink.

Perhaps that is what Emris was doing too. He was just waiting for me to fall pregnant so he could cast me aside. Perhaps it was better that way. Once I was dead, I would be a bother to him our child- if I lived long enough to give birth- or anyone else. Or, most importantly, a danger. I had never seen myself as a mother. I couldn't picture it.

The day Hiram announced that I was being married to the Prince of Azga, I had been sure my life was over. Now, I was happy with how thing had played out. I had more freedom and privacy the id ever had before and I genuinely cared for Emris. I had said I loved him but perhaps that was to strong a word? I couldn't be sure if it was love or not. I had nothing to compare it to.

"We replace comforts in life," she said and placed the fiddle on top a cushion. "They may be short lived but it's better then the alternative."

I shook my head. "I don't understand."

Cienna a higher. "I have been with Knox for seven years and for seven years I have watched him bed other Demons and Dark Fey. Men and woman alike. He has no standards."

I shook my head. "Emris hasn't-"

Cienna smirked at me.

"That you know of," she said.

I shook my head again. "No, I am positive!" I assured her. "I have only been parted from him twice. He left me at the Negera Temple. And then again in Summer Crest. Both times in service to his people."

Cienna smiled. "Must be nice," she mused. "Knox is second born to his Majesty the King. Responsibility is less known to Knox then to Prince Emris."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying he could have done better then you?" I asked her.

Cienna sighed. "Of course he could have. Why would a handsome, powerful Prince of Azga wed a Savi who's parents were killed because they conspired against the crown?"

Abruptly Cienna closed her lips and turned her face away, almost as if she had caught herself saying something she shouldn't have.

"Knox warned me not to speak of that to people," she said in a low voice.

"Your secret is safe with me."

Cienna smiled. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"Cienna, would you like to stay here and become my Lady?"

Cienna bowed her head. "I would love that, Princess but I must decline," she told me.

I felt my face turn into a pout. "Why not?" I asked her as I folded my hands in my lap. Cienna looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"Because, your Majesty, I am already wed," she reminded me. "Ladies in waiting are looking for a suitable match. You are supposed to help them with that."

I sighed. "I don't know any of the Lords or Ladies here. No one would listen to me."

Cienna smirked. "You are the wife of a great Prince. Make them listen."

I sighed. "I wish you could stay," I said. Cienna smiled again.

"Me too."

We smiled at each other for a moment before I turned and looked at Niko as he approached me from the hallway behind me.

"Princess, Prince Emris requests you in the East wing library."

I glanced at Cienna at his time. "Is everything alright?" I asked him.

Niko lowered his gaze, refusing to look at me. "Prince Emris just asked me to get you," he said.

I frowned. "That doesn't answer my question," I reminded him.

Niko sighed. "There is news from Star Hill," he said. I nodded.

"The King is dead, Princess," he said before I could ask.

I felt my heart sink as my face fall slack with shock. "Dead?" I demanded. "How?" Of course I understood how. The King had been sick. Severely sick.

I felt my knees wobble as I put out a hand to brace myself on the doorway. "The King is dead?"

If I had wanted my freedom I had just missed it by a breath.

I didn't want that anymore.

Emris would be King.

I leaned forward, my stomach churning as the realization of my new situations dawned on me.

"Princess?" Cienna gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

I hadn't fully understood what I had gotten myself into when I agreed to marry Emris. Perhaps I should have on been more persistent for answers. Now I was emotionally invested. I loved him. And I was positive he had planned it this way