Moonbloods Season 1
Azga

As promised, Emris sent a Maid to wake me early in the morning. Daybreak was just minutes away. I dressed in a soft leather riding style pats and dress coate, soft leather, knee high bits, laced up the sides. My hair was in a simple braid, tied with a green strap of leather. I pulled in my cloak and gloves as I walked down the hall, Hali and Niko by my side.

"How long will we ride for?" I asked Niko. He glanced at Hali, a concerned look on face. "When we go through the Vandarien Gates our journey to the Capital begins. We will reach the Negera Forest by night fall where the Drodic's will be waiting for us."

I chewed my lip. "We will be spending the night there?" I asked. Niko nodded. I wasn't sure what that was supposed to look like. Was I supposed to share a room with him? I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Or traveling such a long way for a time on horse back. However it was definitely better then feeling sea sick.

"Nalia, there you are."

I turned to face Yesmina who had appeared behind me. Her bright eyes and white hair gleamed in the bright snow around us. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. "I think so."

She smiled. "Emris will be along shortly. He is speaking to my father of some political matters."

I shook my head. "What matters?" I asked her. Yesmina smiled again.

"Nothing important," she assured me. "Probably boring anyway."

I raised and eyebrow and turned to look at Niko, who was glaring at Yesmina. He offered me an unsure look. Right. He was Skavi. His voice didn't matter here.

"Where is the Prince now?" I asked her. Yesmina shrugged. "On his way," she assured me.

I nodded. Was purposely avoiding my questions? I turned to go back inside but Yesmina moved to follow me, causing me to turn and face her once more. She immediately stopped again.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

Lady Yesmina shook her head, a confused look in her face.

"There are no guards present," she pointed out. I glanced around and the shrugged. "Niko is protection enough," I assured her.

Lady Yesmina laughed. "A Skavi is not protection-"

"Stop calling him that!" I snapped.

Lady Yesmina sneered at me. "They are Skavi!" she insisted. "It is part of Dark Fey life. I understand you are Mortal but the sooner you learn our ways, the easier it will be for a you... "

I shook my head. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

Lady Yesmina sighed. "Emris doesn't want to marry you. He will put it off for as long as he can. He despises the fact that he is bound to you." I wasn't sure why but my chest filled with this odd, painful fullness. Then I realized.

Disappointment.

It didn't make sense. I had no reasons to feel that way. I hadn't had any expectations of Emris. Only I was disappointed. It bothered me that he despised me. Perhaps that's why he had said so little to me. But what about the whole wanting to make me smile thing? That was odd. And then killing Hiram? Making my brother Lord of Summer Crest? Emris was confusing enough at it was and now I had my stupid feelings to deal with? What's wrong with me?

"Well," I said as nonchalantly as I could. "The mighty Prince should take comfort that I feel the same way, then."

Lady Yesmina raised a surprised eyebrow at me and laughed. "Perhaps he won't keep you around," she mused. "That mouth of yours is surly to get you a beating or two."

I felt my heart sink. A beating? Would he do that, even after killing Hiram? I looked up at Yesmina who laughed. "What? You think just because he killed your rapist he cares for you?" she demanded.

I felt my face harden. "Stop it!"

"You think that you will get to live because you are a Moonblood? Emris will keep you until you give him a son and then burn you at the stake-"

I resisted the urge to slap her. "I said stop it!"

Lady Yesmina smirked. "Why?" she asked me. "Can't handle the truth?"

"Yesmina!"

I felt my heart, beating erratically, pound against my chest. I turned to face Emris. He was staring at us.

"What is going on here?" he wanted to know. I watched his eyes wander downward. I followed his gaze to my fisted hands at my sides, shaking uncontrollably. Lady Yesmina bowed her head. "Just telling our lovely new Princess what to expect at the capital, Your Majesty."

I kept my face as impassive as I could as Lord Melbourne and Lady Yesmina walked over to the Maids and stable boys who had their horses. I sighed.

"They are riding with us?" I asked Emris when stopped beside me. "Of course," he said. "Lord Melbourne is my advisor and his daughter, the Lady Yesmina is head of security."

I shook my head. "They are not royalty?" I asked him.

Emris shook his head. "Of course not." I had figured as much. "Was there a reason for your question other then the obvious?" he asked me.

I looked up at him. "The obvious?" I asked him, not sure what he was getting at. Emris laughed and pulled his riding gloves on. "You are jealous, Princess," he said as flexed his fingers into the thick glove. "You shouldn't be."

I sighed. "It's a little hard when I know my time is limited, your Majesty. And I'm not jealous."

Emris waved at the people around him. "Leave us!" he ordered.

I felt my heart sink as I turned to face my beautiful grey horse, touching her neck, gently leaning into her. "Nalia, you shouldn't say things like that. It looks and sounds bad."

I nodded reluctantly. "I'm sorry," I said. Emris shook his head. "You misunderstand. I am glad you are jealous. However, your need not be. Yesmina is here on orders of her King. Once we return to the capital, she won't be around as much."

I felt a little relief but it was short lived when I remembered about the supposed reception we were supposed to have. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Emris sighed and reached up to touch his hand to my chin, making me look up at me. I jerked my head back and stepped back, turning to face him now.

I watched him lower his hand to the hilt of his sword, his face calculating. "Do you have everything you need?" Emris asked me. I nodded, looking at the full saddle pack attached to my horse. Hali had packed my back and I trusted she provided me with everything I needed.

"Yes."

Emris stared at me for a moment his eyes frustrated. I didn't understand what his deal was. We were completely alone now, everyone having already gone through the gate, so it wasn't like he had to pretend.

"I'd like you to enjoy yourself," he told me. "If you want something, all you need to do is ask."

I gazed up at him until, unexpectedly, Emris leaned forward, his lips just nearly brushing the top of my head. "You smell nice," he said in a low voice. I could hear the smile as he spoke. Before I could think of what to say, Emris smirked at me and turned away, hitching himself up onto his horse.

"We should be going," he reminded me. "Everyone is waiting."

I nodded and pulled myself up into my grey cloud of a horse. I spread my cloak out around me, covering my legs and knees with the thick fur as a stable hand handed me my gloves. Once settled, I urged my horse to follow Emris though the castle gate.

"We will be back here before you know it," Emris assured me. "In a months time we will be back and it will be just you and me."

I didn't answer. I couldn't even picture my life a month from now. A month from now I could be married and pregnant. I shuddered. I did my best not to let my wild, circling thoughts drive me insane.

The snow covered countryside of Vandera was beautiful, something straight out of a story book. That's seemed to have become my life.

I was now a Princess, being treated as a born royal, my life seemed to have done a complete turn around. We had been in the road for about four hours now, and my hips were sore and beginning to cramp up my back. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. However, soon I would need to rest.

"How much of Azga have you seen, My Lady?" Niko wanted to know.

"Unfortunately my brother was the one able to travel. I stayed in Summer Crest."

Niko nodded. "That's a shame," he said. "Azga is beautiful and full of life in more ways then one."

"Negera Woods is my dream destination," I said. Niko smiled.

"Well you are in luck, Princess. House Drodic is based in Negera."

"Right, I remember."

"Is there a significance to Negera?" he asked me and I felt the carfully constructed wall grow taller around me. "No, just a placed I have always dreamed of seeing."

I felt my heart beat inside my chest, hammering away. House Drodic was the last people to have seen my parents alive. The circumstances surrounding their deaths were still unclear. I hoped to replace someone there who could offer up some answers. Hiram had always taunted me that I would never really know what had happened.

"I see." I turned to face Niko who had an asmused look on his face.

"What?" I demanded.

Niko shook his head. "I don't mean to offend you, Your Majesty," he reasoned. I waved a gloved hand at him and rolled my eyes. "Please," I teased him. "Speak freely."

I didn't miss that Emris was now listing to our conversation. "With all due respect, Princess, you need to learn to lie," he told me. I was shocked and a little offended, sarcastic laugh left my lips. "I beg your pardon?" I demanded. Niko placed a fist to his chest and bowed his head at me. "Again I mean no offense. To explain, your Majesty, I could tell you were lying. Being part of Court life is to know how to lie when you have to."

I shook my head. "I'd rather not lie," I said. "It's immoral. And weak."

I now had Emris' full attention.

"True," Niko reasoned. "However, to get what you want-"

I shook my head. "I want for nothing, Lord Niko," I assured him.

He didn't understand. What did it matter if I knew the 'inner workings of Court'? I wouldn't live king enough. A year or two tops. By Law, the Royal Family did not take Dark Fey in marriage because they wanted to keep the blood line pure. Mixing with another Dark Fey would ruin that. And it was a wast of Dark Fey blood. Once a child was born, the mortal would lose their life. That child would grow up as Prince or Princess from birth till death, sometimes showing skills in elemental magics. However they grew up motherless. Every single one of them. Woman normally lost their life in child birth. Something about a fever that burns from with in that proved almost always fatale. The Healers and Monks didn't know what to make of it. Many thought it was a punishment from the Gods. The few that did survive were in Temples being cared for by volunteers. No one was able to care for them really. The fever having fried their brains, rendering them no longer to care for themselves let alone a child. If I survived birth I didn't want to be crippled. I didn't want to watch my life pass me by and not be able to live it. "You will one day," Niko assured me. I sighed, getting annoyed. "You speak of it as if I will be around to see it happen, Niko and it's rather annoying. Please change the subject!" I hadn't meant to sound so rude. But Yesmina had her hand in Ezra's thigh as she walked beside him, looking up and laughing. It bothered me more then I knew it should, but I couldn't bring myself not to care.

"Princess?" I herd Niko say.

"Does the Lady Yesmina always go with his Majesty when he travels?" I asked him. Emris burst out laughing, slapping her hand away as he pushed his horse forward. I watched as an outraged look crazed her face for a moment. Then she turned to look at me. "What kind of Witch are you, huh?" she demanded. I felt my heart drop.

"Yesmina!"

I looked to my right, over my shoulder as Lord Melbourne trotted over on his horse, waving her away. "Forgive my daughter, Princess, she has been under some stress as of late. Rumors of continued war has her worried."

I shook my head. "Emris ended the war weeks ago. Wouldn't the King have sent word by now?" I asked.

"Niko, check the back of the caravan," Emris said loudly as he pulled his horse to a stop. "We will stop here and rest."

I watched him dismount his horse and turn to wait for me. I forced my sore back and hips to move, a soft grunt passing my lips as my feet slammed home. "You seem to be getting used to it," Emris noted.

I turned to face him, shrugging my cloak out around me as I pulled my hood up. "It's still painful," I admitted. I watched a smirk curve his lips as we walked our horses to the flat creek bed for a drink of water. "Life is always painful," Emris reminded me. "I herd you talking to Niko earlier. Negera Woods is a dream destination?"

I nodded reluctantly. "Yes, because of my parents. It was the place they died." Emris looked down at me now. His face was surprisingly soft, almost sympathetic.

"You miss them." It wasn't a question. I sighed, no longer wanting to talk about my parents. "I hardly remember them. I can't recall what they look like. I was only a few days old when they died."

Emris sighed, looking into the woods. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "Not just for your parents but about Yesmina. She had hops of having your position one day."

I forced a smile on my face. "Who, knows, your Majesty, someday she may."

Emris laughed. "Never," he said. "Yesmina is a friend and nothing more. I have never seen her as a romantic prospect-"

I shook my head. "I don't understand why!" I admitted . "She is beautiful." Emris laughed at me now. It was loud and carefree.

"Beauty has little to do with attraction," he assured me. I raised an eyebrow, not understanding his meaning. He smirked at me again.

"Determination. Devotion-"

I shook my head. He'd lost me again. "You like to speak in riddles," I pointed out and he smirked. Untying a water skin from his horse, Emris handed it to me.

"Not really."

I shook my head. He was infuriating. I didn't understand where his mind set was at. I reached and took the water skin form him. "Was there anyone else?"

I looked up at him, the water skin halfway to my lips.

"I don't understand what you mean," I told him.

Emris sighed and looked out over the frozen field before us. "I want to know... if there was anyone else...that hurt you-"

I shuddered and turned away. "No," I assured him. "Just Hiram."

"I will know if you lie to me, Nalia," he told me. "I can hear your heartbeat and see the change in your eyes so don't try it." I felt my eyes grow wide. He smirked. "Demon traits," he explained.

"If you already seem to know the answer to your question, My Lord, why insist I answer?" I asked him uncomfortably. I didn't want to talk about this anymore.

"So I know I am killing the right person, when the time comes,"he answered. I turned back to face him, actually fearing him for the first time. "If you are to be my wife, that demands a great deal of respect-"

"Once you have your son, you will be rid of me. Isn't that what you want?" I asked him. "You said so yourself that you didn't want this arrangement so let's not complicate things by involving feelings and opinions or our own, personal problems."

Emris stared at me. His face had gone cold and impassive. "Is that truly what you want, Princess?" he asked me stiffly.

I nodded. "I will die soon anyway," I reminded him. Emris didn't answer. His face didn't change. "What does it matter what I want?"

"Niko!" His voice came out in a sharp demanding tone. Niko walked over to us, glancing between us. I huddled my cloak around me. "See to it that the Princess is guarded. I'm taking Yesmina ahead to scout the roads ahead."

I felt my heart sink when he mentioned Yesmina. "Why must I stay here?" I asked him. "I know how to use a bow-"

Emris turned away, walking back to his horse. "No," he said flatly. "If you get hurt we have no where to patch you up until we reach Negera-"

I shrugged. "I won't get hurt," I assured him. Emris sighed and stepped closer to me, taking the water skin from my numb fingers.

"Of course you won't," he agreed. "I'd never let you get hurt. You are to be mine. It's only natural I protect you."

I nodded. "Right," I agreed, sarcasm dripping heavy. "Wouldn't want to risk my life before we are married and I able to give you a child." Emris stared at me, his face surprised. I handed him back the water skin and turned back to my horse. I didn't want to talk to him anymore. It was to depressing.

"Risk your life how?" he asked me.

I shook my head, unable to bring my self to answer. "Nalia."

I felt his hot breath at the side of my neck. Before I could shy away, his hands gripped my shoulders.

"If you are somehow under the impression that you life is in danger because of me-... don't be."

I didn't turn to face him. "Of course I'm scared... I haven't had a reason to feel safe in a long time."

His fingers tightened on my shoulders, his breath brushing my hair. The feeling of pressure from his hands on my shoulders, his fingers pressing into my cloak, radiated through my chest, catching my breath in my chest.

"You will know what it is to feel safe," he assured me in a low voice. Emris breathed in slowly, his hot breath tingling along my neck as he exhaled. I turned to face him, ready to tell him to keep his hands to himself but his face caught me off guard. His normally green eyes were white, sharp teeth punched his bottoms teeth. I sucked in a startled breath and I watched realization dawn in his face and he squeezed his eyes shut. Emris cleared his throat, stepping away to put space between us. Bowing his head down so I couldn't see his face, Emris muttered something under his breath I wasn't able to make out. "I'm sorry!" he insisted.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked him.

"Because," he said in a low voice as he looked down at me through hooded eyes. "Someone has to."

I watched his face turn soft as he raised his hands to cup my face. I leaned away, reluctant to let him touch me again, a breath sucking in through my gritted teeth. Emris dropped his hands quickly, a frustrated look on his face.

"My apologies," he said and turned away. "Make sure you eat before we get back on the road."

I watched him take a swig from the water skin and then hang it on my horse's saddle before he walked up the bank to stop by a group of guards. They all laughed and greeted him, looking back to at me and laughing some more.

I turned away, my heart beating erratically in my chest.

"Anything I can bring you, Princess?" Niko asked me as he stopped. I watch Yesmina approach Emris with a scroll, handing it to him, her face troubled. She said something to Emris causing him to turn back to face me. He was to far away for me to make out what he said next, but Yesmina didn't seem to like it much. She shot me a venomous glare before she saddled up her horse and took off back up the beaten path we had just gone from. Then Emris turned toward me and walked forward.

"Follow me."

I felt my heart sink. Emris didn't wait to see if I was following him.

I handed my horse off to Niko who gave me a bewildered look and followed Emris out into the field. We walked for a bit, further and further away from our small caravan. My heeled boots clipped on the frozen turned soil yet I couldn't seem to keep up with Emris. He was a few steps ahead of me.

"Your Uncle was very thorough."

I shook my head. "What do you mean?" I asked him.

Emris handed me the scroll. "He is accusing you of treason."

I jerked the scroll open. "Treason for what?" I demanded appalled and scanned over the handwritten scroll. It was definitely my uncles handwriting. He wasn't sure what happened. As my eyes read the words, seeping into my mind... my stomach heaved and I was suddenly bracing myself on my knees. Fear and anxiety washed through me.

He had ruined me.

He had told everyone.

Everyone knew.

How many of these scrolls left his possession before he left for Negera? He told everyone I had whored myself to him. To his lower Lord friends in Summer Crest.

I was no longer eligible to marry the prince. A curse and a blessing-

My stomach heaved again and I felt Emris push my hair away as I doubled over and vomited up what little I had eaten.

"Nalia."

For some reason his voice pierced through me and a sob hitched in my chest. "Nalia, look at me."

Tears stung my eyes as the foul taste of bile burned my throat. I forced myself to look at him, trying to lean away from him as he brushed a stray hair from my face. "Stand up straight," he instructed me. "People are watching you."

I shook my head. "They are just guards!" I said, refusing to look and see how many people were actually staring at me. Emris sighed and cupped my face with both hands, making me look at him.

"That doesn't matter, Love," he said as if to remind me. "Your image is now the most important thing you must protect. If you give life to these rumors, people will not give you the respect you deserve."

He had removed his gloves and his hands were like flames warning my skin. Warm and assuring. I stood up and Emris dropped his hands immediately. "Nothing will come of this," he assured me. "This changes nothing. We will still be married."

I shook my head, an uncontrolled sob leaving my lips. "The King will never allow it!" I reminded him.

"I will deal with my father," he assured me, reaching up to brush a stray hair from my face. Blood boiled my skin, causing me to shy away from his touch.

Somehow, that didn't reassure me at all. I remembered Yesmina's words. Emris despised the fact that he was bound to me. Only he wasn't. Not yet anyway. Perhaps the King would dissolve our engagement and I would be able to return to Summer Crest and stay with my brother. If I could get Emris to agree on that, perhaps I would live to see Summer Creat again. And Jon.

I couldn't help the feeling of impending doom as I walked beside Emris back over the small group of guards waiting for us.