Scars and Burns (No Light Without the Dark #1)

42. Aeron

42

Aeron

I ’m standing on the balcony of my chambers. Looking out towards the forest. Holding the journals Queen Freya gave me.

My Chambers are in the same wing as Dinalia’s. The temptation to go to her last night was unbearable. She’s right next door.

I lied there last night. Staring at the ceiling. Wondering if she was wearing the same loose tunic. Does she sleep with her mouth open? Would I be able to hear her shallow breathing? Is there a little snore when she reaches a deep sleep? Does she stir or move around? What would it feel like to lay beside her? Wrap my arms around her toned body and melt into her all night long.

I turn my attention to the journals. Still not having read the one from my Mother. I must have held it a million times. Just staring at it in my hands but not able to bring myself to open it past the first page.

The first page wrote.

To Aeron, my little light, life is not all that it seems. This life is not yours alone but shared with another. Life will be your peace.

Written in my Mother’s hand. Confirming the journal is from her. I didn’t know what to make of that opening phrase. This life not being my own implies so much. My Father has taken my life into his own hands. Making me into whatever he wants. Doing his bidding. Manipulating and torturing me to his will. And my life has been anything but peaceful. Since before I can remember, my life has been filled with death and chaos. These words puzzled me and they have ever since I first read them. I’m not sure if I am ready to know what else she had to say.

Maybe I’ll never be ready.

I brought the one meant for Dinalia as well. Her Mother asked me to give it to her when she was ready. But how am I supposed to know when that is? What does it mean for her to be ready?

There’s a knock at my door. Opening before I give a response.

It’s Aemond.

“So, how was breakfast?” he asks, voice filling the entire room.

I don’t reply. I’m still trying to figure out how it went for myself.

He joins me on the balcony. He doesn’t look at me. Just looks out at the view. Same as me.

A few moments of silence pass before he is ready to speak again.

“Did it not go well?”

“The morning was… eventful.” I say flatly.

He eyes me suspiciously, “Care to elaborate?”

I take a deep breath. Preparing myself for the conversation we are about to have. About how I am manipulating Princess Saphrina while still trying to hold onto the last sliver of whatever is between Dinalia and myself.

Moving over to the chair set that is sitting on the balcony. He joins me.

“I met Princess Saphrina in the garden this morning. I nourished the endearment that was planted last night. She is more open and willing than we thought.” He nods his head slowly, rubbing his hands together .

“Good, that’s good.” he pauses, looking over to me, “Isn’t it?”

I purse my lips together. Matching his slow nod. “Yes, it is. After swooning her into allowing me to escort her to breakfast. We went to find Dinalia.”

“And did you?”

“Yeah, we did. She was in the training hall with some fighting master of theirs. We sparred and she won.”

He doesn’t bother to hide his shock. Anyone would be. But the smile that forms on his face is not missed by me either.

“She then joined us in the dining hall with King Elio. I do not know how they ran into each other so do not ask.” He puts his hands up in surrender as if he isn’t even going to touch the subject. “Dinalia is Princess Saphrina’s magic master. And King Elio is intent on keeping their powers a secret.”

He ponders on this for a moment. “Whose powers? Lady Dinalia’s or Princess Saphrina’s”

“Both. I believe he is aware of the power Dinalia holds but to what extent I cannot be sure. I also do not know if he is aware that she possesses a complete Goddess mark. I am not sure if anyone else is aware.”

“And Princess Saphrina?”

“Hard to say. She no longer possesses a complete Goddess mark but that has not seemed to hinder the alliance between the two realms. He halted the conversation on magic rather quickly. And aggressively. Perhaps not wanting to expose how developed or underdeveloped Saphrina’s magic is. King Elio doesn’t appear to trust me with either of them. Regardless of whether he truly cares for them or not.”

Aemond snorts, “Can you blame him? One of them is his daughter, whom he has always been protective over, and is also betrothed to the prince of the Celestial Realm. An alliance that has been almost two decades in the making. And the other is someone with very powerful magic. Though he’s never cared for her or claimed her emotionally, title only, your magic with hers, if she were to come to our side, would decimate him. From what I’ve gathered Dinalia has more power than either of us thought. King Elio wanting to keep her hidden only confirms that. And with your reputation that is not overly embellished I am not surprised he is worried about you two together.”

“Joining powers only happens when a bond is confirmed between mates.” I correct him. Simply, feeling something for someone does nothing for combining powers. If one truly wanted to increase their own. Killing is the easiest way to do so.

“Right,” Aemond says, accusatively. “And you are still in denial about Lady Dinalia being your mate because… ?” his voice trails off.

“Because it interferes with the plan to infiltrate Princess Saphrina’s heart.”

“Her heart or your heart.”

I whip my head towards him. Giving him a warning look. My heart is not to be involved. My heart has nothing to do with this. It has no place in what is about to occur. Unless, it is me pouring my heart and soul into killing my Father.

“I will not deny there is something between Dinalia and myself. As you know there has always been something about her that has drawn me towards her. But she is harder to read. She is attracted to me but who isn’t. If she survives what is to come, perhaps then we can explore what is between us.”

“If she survives? Has the plan changed?” Aemond asks, concern and worry in his voice.

Sighing, I relent, “You know I was never going to be able to kill her. I knew it the day I saw her fleeing her home and I’ve just been denying it to myself everyday since.”

Aemond hums in agreement. I know he is also thinking I am denying the mating bond between us too.

“And you are forgetting. She and I just fought. She fights unlike anyone else I have ever encountered. No one in our regiment could best her. Because no one is trained to fight against her techniques. Not even me.”

Dinalia is exquisite. I’m sure she taught herself how to fight. As much as she might have trained with that man, Christopher, no one could have taught her to fight like that. Because those techniques are not known throughout the three realms. She’s developed a style of her very own.

I won’t deny myself to her any longer. Saphrina is already in my grasp. And Dinalia is consuming my every thought.

Her soul is unlike any other. Fiery and fierce. Solemn and mysterious. The truest and purest soul that would ever light the night sky. And no one could hold a candle to her.

A rare stars whose light cannot be matched is an understatement. She is a guiding light. I beacon for my own lost soul. I would follow her into the utter abyss for all eternity. She is mine.

My light.

My ember.

My estrella.

“So… how badly did she beat you?” Aemond asks mockingly, but it’s all in good fun. Knowing I do not take failure lightly. Nor have I lost a fight in years.

I smile, “Beyond words, my friend, beyond words.”