Arrival

Chapter 22: Mafrien- Inner Battle

May, 1103 A.D.

\tAngry pain radiated through my core as I watched Kysael from my magic portal. She was with a blonde man, an assassin and a rogue judging by his clothing, I presumed, and he was a man whom I didn't recognize. Dragon was pushing her toward him, and from his expression you would think that someone had lit his body on fire.

\tAnd I tried to listen to them through my heir's ears, but she blocked me out and refused to allow me to use her body. Indignant anger radiated through me at her audacity. She had learned to block my use of her, and I was very displeased.

\tI watched as Kysael went off into the forest with that boy, and I was prepared to feel the satisfaction of her suffering because of my mating mark once her and the boy went to kiss....

\tBut her misery never came.

\tI was shocked. What was going on? Why was she not writhing in pain on the ground, the mark burning and searing her whoring flesh?

\tAnd then, when they began to strip and mate, my blood boiled slowly with understanding. I had not expected this turn of events. I had thought that Dragon would have been her only husband, her only lover, since they consummated the marriage and she hadn't been executed. I had not anticipated that perhaps she'd already started a bond with someone else. She had quite a lot of secrets it seemed. And here I had figured that I knew most of everything about her.

\tThey had begun the Soul Bond prior to my casting the mark onto her. That was the only explanation. And Dragon had been the one to push her to him, despite his love for the girl. She was his wife and he had still done so, knowing their intentions. So....he had specifically known that this boy could break the mating mark. I barely knew that information, and I was vastly impressed that he was aware of it. I had once again underestimated my foes.

\tMy eyes and back burned as she mated with the boy, and I could feel my hands tingle from the curse on the mark returning to my hands, the hands that I had used to place the mark and curse over her.

\tYes, the mark had been broken. She had begun to complete the Soul Bond with the boy, and therefore, was no longer under my manipulation.

\tI was.... almost relieved, though. And I was furious at myself for it.

\tFurious at the girl for making me feel things for her.

\tFurious at the boy for taking what was supposed to belong to only me.

\tFurious that after all I had put her through, I had not pushed her to transform into a Darkelf, I had not been able to get her back to me.

\tI felt my skin tingle oddly. I didn't understand what was happening to me.

\tI went outside of the castle, and found my mother, Arenatha, out in the courtyard reading a thick text on sorcery. I recognized it; it was one of the many sorcery texts that she had taught me from.

\tShe looked up at me. "Mafrien, my son. I haven't seen you in days. What have you been doing?"

\t"I have just been plotting world domination, of course, dear mother."

\tShe scoffed. "Don't joke with me."

\t"You're right. Of course. I have been ruining lives, though."

\tShe nodded. "Yes, go on. Explain."

\t"I want someone.... this girl, a Wraithling."

\tShe raised one eyebrow, hesitating before she spoke. "A Wraithling...? The Wraiths haven't really interested you before. Now you are interested in one? Why?"

\t"I want her to be my mate. I already have an heir with her."

\tShe stood, and back handed me across the face. "How dare you!?" She said in a deathly cool, calm voice. "You should be ashamed."

\t"I thought that you would be proud, mother. I wanted to have someone to love me, as you love my father."

\t"Me? Love your father?" She laughed darkly. "I haven't loved your father since he made me watch him slaughter my Skyelf family and forced me into the transformation into the wretched, damned creature you see before you."

\tI startled. "You....you don't love my father...?"

\t"Of course not. Honestly, I hate that man. He is cruel, and aggressive, and uncaring. I was forced to be here, under his rule, after my transformation. But then.... he impregnated me, and you came along. I didn't have the heart to leave you here, alone with that foul man. I had to stay."

\tI looked away. "And here, I've been wrong about everything...."

\tShe held my busted cheek. "I love you, my son. And I hate that you were forced into this way of life. I would have been much happier had you been born a Skyelf."

\tI felt.... strangely happy. My mother wanted a better life for me. She didn't hate me.

\tMy skin tingled strangely again, and I grew concerned. These feelings were occurring more and more often.

\t"Why would this Wraithling grab your attention, my son?"

\tI looked away. "She is a Hybrid."

\t"Hybrid?" My mother asked, stunned. "The Wraiths have never bred outside of their own race to procreate."

\t"She is half Wraith, half Woodelf. Her sire is Prince Moserre, and he did not kill her mother after bedding her."

\tMy mother stood there, mouth agape. "You...you raped a half Wraith, half Woodelf girl?" She asked, her tone shocked. "That is not only a hybrid of races, that is a hybrid of Realms entirely. You know that your father would be a completely destructive disaster if he knew this, don't you?"

\tI nodded. "I am aware. But I watched this girl kill twelve of our soldiers, on her own, completely unassisted."

\tMy mother was intrigued by this information. "Perhaps she has the best qualities of both of their races then, hm?"

\t"That is why I was so taken with her."

\tMy mother shook her head, disappointed. "What a pity that you would do this to her."

\tI looked away, lost in thought for a moment before I decided what I wanted to do next.

\tI hugged my mother before I went to the dungeon.... the last place that I had seen Kysael.

\t"Manwen," I said as I entered into the hall.

\tI heard him stand, and I approached his cell. "What is it?"

\t"Why is my body tingling every time I feel.... good things...?"

\tHe looked at me strangely for a moment, before his eyes went white for a long pause.

\tI startled. He was having a vision.

\t"It....is almost time," he said softly. "The future is at hand."

\t"What does that mean?" I asked angrily.

\tHe grinned at me. "You are in an inner battle, young Mafrien. You are at war with yourself, internally. Your spirit is battling your flesh. You are having an inner turmoil."

\t"No shit, old man. But what does that mean?"

\tHe laughed. "It means that your body is on the brink of something that you had never thought possible, and that no one has ever considered before. It means that you are on the cusp of a great change."

\tThen, he went and sat back down in the corner, and shewed me away with his hands.

\t"You will have to go through this yourself, Mafrien. I cannot help you until your body and mind are finished warring with each other."

\tI looked at him in confusion.

\tI could somehow sense that he was right. Something was happening in my body. The chemical balances were off, I felt strange. I was having an inner turmoil.

\tI thought of Kysael.

\tAnd my skin tingled and burned.

\tWhat was that confounded, blasted girl doing to me now?