《Dare To Love A Dragon》


 Chapter 1 - New Desire

    Alexander rode his horse white lighting down the hills of his kingdom. He enjoyed the night breeze as it hits his skin as he rode like a cold kiss from the wind. He rode at a speed of lightning like the name of his horse. He felt a rush while riding which made him go even faster.


    It was during the night that he could get the chance to go out and explore different places of his kingdom and he loved it. Due to the curse that was put on him as a child where he turns into a dragon during the day. He can''t see his beautiful kingdom under the beauty of the sun. The King had built a castle for him with a big room that can hold his dragon self.


    He has grown used to being a dragon but he sure wished he could watch his kingdom under the sun. The last time he went out during the day he almost burnt down the whole kingdom and hence the king had forbidden him from leaving the castle. He was always free to do as he pleased during the night.


    To make life easier for his son the king made a rule that the people of Arimelari would do their work at night and sleep during the day. That way his son would not miss much of life. The people had no choice but to agree out of fear of the king and the dragon prince.


    The people feared the dragon prince and stayed away from him. They were afraid that he might burn them to ashes if they wronged him so it was of at most importance that his wishes were met at all times.


    Arimelari overtime was called the moonlight kingdom by outsiders who witnessed its change. The kingdom was more active at night than during the day. The market places were lively and full at night and sometimes empty during the day. It was difficult at first for the people to adjust to the changes but once they got used to it everything ran smoothly.


    The night in the kingdom was so bright than the day, you could see everything and that was due to the fire crystals in the kingdom. The fire crystals are made by the prince''s dragon fire. They not only provide light but also give warmth. They were mainly found in Arimelari and were sold to other kingdoms at very high prices.


    ******


    The prince raced down the hill and stopped at the edge of the river. He got off the horse and walked while it followed behind him. He came here to find a rare plant that grew in that area for his research. He has been looking for ways to cure himself of the curse and each day he tries a different portion. He walked quietly as to not spook the creatures that lived in the forest. For some reason they never attack him, it is as if they can sense the dragon in him and stay away.


    As a child, he once came face to face with a lion but instead of the lion attacking as he expected, it ran away from him. He left lightning behind knowing the horse will wait for him and went deep into the forest to find the plant. He looked around but could not seem to find it anywhere.


    He kept going deeper and deeper into the forest but with no luck. He got thirsty and went by the river to have a drink of water. He got to the river and took a sip of water, he saw some clothes at the river bank not far away from him and went to take a look. He picked the clothes up and took in the scent of clothes. It smelled mostly like herbs and nature, the smell was nice and calming to him.


    He kept the clothes back on top of the stone and went to find their owner. It was very rare that he met someone so deep in the forbidden forest. This place was full of magical creatures that would destroy a human in seconds and someone dared to take a bath in the forbidden river.


    The river was poisonous and the only reason he drinks from it was that he was immune to poison. He walked at the river bank looking for the owner of the clothes. His sharp eyes caught some movements in the water and stopped. The person was swimming under the water so he could not tell whether it was a boy or a girl.


    He watched the beautiful movements the person made. It was like a mermaid swimming in the water. He thought and sneered. The person emerged from the water and was visible to the prince. The boy stood in front of the prince and displayed his perfect features to him. He had no idea he was being watched and stood straight without any clothes. The prince couldn''t take his eyes off the boy, his eyes traced every inch of him as he walked out of the water.


    He got dressed and went away in the opposite direction. Alexander was left confused, he was married to seven women and enjoyed their company. But for the first time he found a new desire, he felt the need to possess that man and make him his.


    He got back to lightning and mounted him and rode him home. He thought of the man all the way home. He cursed his stupidity for not following the man and knowing where he came from. He entered the palace and was welcomed with a lot of servants. They attended to him and helped him change out of his clothes. And gave him grapes which he ate as he went to his room.


    "Your first wife wishes for an audience with the prince," informed one of the servants.


    "Inform her that I am not in the mood for her company," he replied and with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the servant.


    He lay on his bed and let his mind wander back to the man at the river. His beautiful slightly pink skin that looked soft with water dripping from him was so alluring. His blonde hair wet with water tempted him to rub his hand on them. The beautiful ocean blue eyes looked as though they could see through his soul. He thought of the man more than he had ever thought of anything in his life. He surprised himself at how he was able to ache the man''s built to his memory after seeing him only once.


    "I must have him," he repeated in his mind before drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 2 - New Desire (2)

    Alexander was haunted by the image of the man he saw at the lake the whole night. He had a dream and in his dream, he was with him. He smiled brightly in his sleep. It was almost morning and the queen visited her son to wish him good morning before she goes to bed and turns to a dragon.


    She went into his room and found him sleeping. "Aya, the prince is sleeping and the sun has not risen yet. Call the physician to see if something is wrong with him," she said to her servant. She was worried, the prince never slept during the day.


    "But my queen, everything seems to fine with him. He is even smiling," she said taking a quick look at Alexander.


    "Smiling?" the queen asked and moved closer to her son. "What is the reason for his happiness?" she asked and the servant remained quiet, she had no answer for the queen''s question.


    "Call Arnie for me. He must know why my son is so happy today."


    The servant walked out of the room and went in search of Alexander''s manservant. She asked around and found out that he was preparing dinner for the prince. She went to the kitchen and found him instructing the cook on how to serve the prince''s food.


    "The queen is asking for you in prince Alexander''s room," she said upon reaching him not wasting any time. The queen hated to be kept waiting so they both made their way to the room immediately. With hurried footsteps, they raced to the room with Arnie being careful not to drop the food in his hands.


    They reached the room and went inside and stood next to Alexander''s bed in line waiting for orders from the queen. "What happened to my son today that he can not contain his happiness even in his sleep?" she asked him.


    "I do not know my queen. He left early in the night and went to the forbidden forest and he has been in his room since he returns," he replied with his head bowed and looking at the ground.


    "Has he received any visitors today?"


    "No my queen, his first wife had to sort him out but he rejected her invitation," he said.


    "Rejected her? Did they fight, he never refuses anything to that witch," she muttered.


    "No my queen, they haven''t fought."


    "That is strange. My son didn''t fight with his wife but he still refused to see her. He is smiling like a crazy person in his sleep. Send Marcel out, he needs to find out who it is that my son had met that has made him so happy. Whatever he finds must be brought back to the palace immediately," she instructed.


    Aya bowed to the queen and left the room. "Wake him to have his food and give him my wishes," she said and walked out of the room in a rush to see the king.


    "Yes, Queen."


    Arnie set the food down and left the room. He didn''t dare wake the prince and have his head cut off. Alexander had made it clear that he should never be disturbed unless it was urgent. So he let the prince sleep because the food was not an urgent matter. He should know because that is the reason the king''s last servant was removed from his job.


    The queen rushed to the King''s chamber and the guards opened the door for her. She went inside and found her husband working. "We have a problem," she said drawing the king''s attention.


    Those four words uttered by the queen always got the king to stop all his work and attend to her. The King of Arimelari king Alexandria was a feared warrior and ruler but when it came to his family then he was nothing more than a softie. He loved and adored his son and feared his wife, she was the only that scared the life out of him. The world considers him lucky to have found such a beautiful and kind queen but only he knows how kind his wife is.


    "What is wrong?" he asked walking to her side.


    "Our son, he is acting very strangely..."


    "Did something happen to him? Is he in any danger or did a witch do anything to him," he asked her so many questions all at once. His heart was racing in his chest out of fear of anything happening to his son.


    "I am not going to bother answering those stupid questions. Like I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, he is acting strangely. He is sleeping right now..."


    "What? sleeping? Did you call the royal physician to check on him?" he asked her. The queen slapped the king on his cheek very hard and glared at him.


    "Will you please let me speak after that you can panic and ask whatever you want. He was smiling like crazy and even refuse to be his first wife despite her asking for him. I think that he has found someone he likes," she stated with a smile.


    "Well don''t you have something to say? You seem to have a lot on your mind a minute ago."


    "How do you plan to handle this matter?" he asked knowing the only reason he was being informed about this is that she has some plan cooking up in her mind.


    "Do you what this could mean, it means that I can finally get my son out of the clutches of that witch that calls herself his first wife. If I get this new interest of his on my side then I can get that girl out of his life."


    "But you have tried that with seven girls already and it didn''t work," he stated.


    "That''s true but those girls were forced upon him by me. But this one is his choice and of his liking, he won''t be to pay attention to that which once I get that girl here," she said and he nodded.


    This was his wife, she was more terrifying than the enemies he fights on the battlefield. She was cunning and had a way of getting what she wants. It might not happen immediately but it always went her way. She always had a scheme on her mind and someone''s doom is usually on the other end of her plotting.


    He went back to his work while she stood at the window watching in the distance as the sun was about to rise.. "A new dawn and a new ray of hope to answer my prayers," she whispered and got ready to go to bed.

 Chapter 3 - New Desire (3)

    Alexander woke up from his nap feeling jolly all over his body. He had his food, took a bath and went over to the his hall. The moment the sun ray hit his body he transformed into a very big dragon. He took a step to the right before he slumped down on the soft ground and closed his eyes to sleep.


    He felt very tired from all the things he has done during the day. He fell asleep the moment he closed his eyes, his massive wings covered him like a blanket as he slept. His beautiful silver scales shined under the sun''s rays making him look so beautiful and compelling.


    *******


    Francis had gone home straight from the forbidden forest. He had caught a big antelope and couldn''t wait to show it to his mother and sister. He rushed to the village and walked to there hut, he could see smoke coming from the small hit and smiled. He was very hungry and the thought of food made his heart feel warm.


    He went inside the hut and greeted his mother with a hug. He gave her the meat and went to his room, he had found some rare plants that he had to make into a portion and sell to the people. Hunting alone wasn''t enough to provide for everything they needed so he sometimes made herds and pills and sells them. He got to work in his room, giving his mother time to prepare the meal.


    "Francis the food is ready," his sister called to him and he stopped working. He kept his things aside and went out of his room and joined his family at the table. He sat next to his sister who served him his food. He mouthed a thank you to her and dug in. He ate his food and listened as his mother and sister talked about the things that went on around the kingdom. They talked about so many things and he found it difficult to keep up with them.


    "Mother did you hear about what happened at the palace?" asked Marla.


    "No dear, how am supposed to hear that I don''t work there," her mother replied.


    "Well, Aya told me that Alexander the prince has taken an interest in someone and the queen has sent people out to look for the girl," she said.


    "That is nice."


    "Are you sure that it is okay for Aya to telling you secrets of the palace. If the Queen finds out she might loose her head," said Francis worried about his sister and friend.


    They finished their dinner and the minute the sun rose in the sky they went to their rooms to sleep and called it a night.


    *****


    Marcel had taken a few royal guards with him and went down the same hill that Alexander had rode on. The place was clear with no sign of people around, this was normal in Arimelari since it was day and they were sleeping. He followed the tracks lightning left behind up to the river bank. He got off his horse at the same place that Alexander left his horse and went on on foot.


    He followed the foot tracks of the prince around the prince for an hour before that led him to the river. He found another set of prints at the river bank. "This is where the prince met that person," he said to the guards. "Be alert and let me know if you see any moving creatures," he added.


    He traced the footprint and followed the tracks for a while but the trail went cold. He found a rabbit not from where the tracks ended and caught it. He whispered to the rabbit and the rabbit replied to him before he let it go.


    "The rabbit said that it didn''t see the person who walked by here last night. All he can tell us is that the person frequents this area a lot. We should go back before we attract unwanted attention."


    They got back to their horses and rode back to the kingdom. He did wait for the horse to stop and jumped down before rushing to the palace. He went straight to the King''s chamber and requested for the queen. The queen came out of the room and they took a walk down the corridor.


    "What did you find?"


    "Her Majesty might not like what I have to tell her," he replied.


    "Out with it," she demanded.


    "The person the king met is a man your Highness," he said and the queen ached her eyebrows.


    "Not a problem as long as he can save my son from that girl. Did you find out where he comes from?" she inquired.


    "That is not the only problem, the animal I spoke told me that he was not an ordinary man. According to the animal, he is a eno nesohc"


    "What the hell is that?


    "I do not know my queen but the animals are afraid of him for some reason. The rabbit was trembling with fear when he told me about him," he replied feeling down.


    "Find him, the rest we will figure out later." she instructed.


    "Eno nesohc, who are you?" she asked but there was no reply. She went back to the room still pondering about the identity of the mystery man her son likes. She was debating whether it would be a good idea to bring someone like him to the palace. Marcel was an animal whisperer and if he says that the animals fear him then it must be true.


    She was feeling both happy and sad about the discovery, on one hand she was happy to get rid of her daughter in law and on the other hand she was sad that the man could bring bad luck to the palace.


    As long as her son was happy she was willing to take the risk of inviting an Eno nesohc into her home. She had no problems with the fact that he was a man because it was not unheard of for men to like each other and even marry in Arimelari.


    She simply wanted to fulfill all of her son''s wishes and make him happy.. She got into bed and went to sleep.

 Chapter 4 - New Desire (4)

    The sunset in the kingdom of Arimelari and the people woke from their sleep and started the night. The crystals were lit all over the kingdom by the guards making the moonlight kingdom very bright.


    The prince shifted back to his human form before getting up to go about his day just like everyone else. He had plans to go back to the forbidden forest to look for the man who had stolen his heart. He had about the man the whole and with the night here he could find him. He got back to his room in a hurry surprising Arnie who had brought his food.


    He was given a bath by his awaiting servants and dressed up nicely. He was eager to go out and meet that young, tonight he was not going to let him get away like last night. He left his room and walked out with elegance down the halls.


    "Alexander," he heard a sweet voice call to him from behind. He stopped in his tracks but did not bother to turn around. He waited for the person who called him to come to him. "Are you avoiding me?" she asked sweety wrapping her arms around his waist.


    "Not now Olivia, I have somewhere to be," he said removing her hands from him. "I will talk to you when I get back."


    He left her standing in place out of shock. This was new to her, the prince saying no to her was something she was not used to. She was confused about what happened and remained frozen on the spot.


    "You should get used to this, times are changing and your reign over my son is coming to an end," said the queen who had witnessed everything. She could not begin to describe in words how happy she was to see princess Olivia''s humiliation. Her downfall had begun.


    "What are you going on about now, don''t forget that I rule the prince''s mind. He will do anything for me and I will be the one to decide when my reign ends," she threatened.


    "That is true but there is a power that can break the shackles of the mind. That is the power of love that rules the heart. You rule my son''s mind but someone else has come into his life that rules his heart and did you see. For the first time my son didn''t have time for you," she pointed out to Olivia.


    "Nothing can take Alexander away from me," Olivia declared.


    "We will see," said the queen. Olivia stormed off in fury. She was not just angry at Alexander for leaving her but the queen''s words hurt her more than she would ever care to admit. She couldn''t imagine what would happen to her if she lost Alexander''s support, she was his first wife and the future Queen of Arimelari but without Alexander, she would be just a queen.


    She needed Alexander to back her up and remain powerful. His other wives would stop respecting her if she didn''t have Alexander''s favor. She walked to the balcony of the palace and sat down to have her tea. The moon was full this night and it lit the sky making everything seem bright.


    "Today is the day that all the ladies and men of Arimelari will set up their stall to impress their lovers and attract suitors. All the wives will surely participate in this to win over the prince. My stall will be the best tonight, I will give my all to get your attention back to me," she whispered and asked her servants to follow her.


    They walked out of the palace to get to the chariot to head to the open market. "Look, princess Olivia is going to participate in the stall festival this year," princess Silvia pointed out and the other princesses looked.


    They were filled with shock because Olivia was always too proud to do the festival. She always claimed that it was beneath her to do such useless things to impress someone who already belonged to her.


    "I heard that the prince refused to see her in the day yesterday and tonight he also didn''t pay her any attention at all," added princess Sofia.


    "She must be doing this to try and appease the prince," said Silvia and they all agreed. They got in their chariot and the horses pulled them away to the market.


    The market was full as people had set up their stalls quite early and sales had already begun. The princesses had their area reserved for them so they didn''t need to come early and book the best spot. They set up their stall z d decorated it so beautifully with the help of their servants. They got their work done in no time and opened their stall for sale. The best-looking stall in the whole market was Olivia''s stall and it had the prettiest and most expensive things.


    The stall to her right was princess Sofia''s and then Francis''s. He had gotten up so early that night and got the best spot next to the royal family. That way more people will buy from him and he would be able to raise money for his mother. His mother had fallen I''ll and with each passing day her condition gets worse. He has been working extra hard to earn and get her the medication she needs but it isn''t enough. He needed more money to get her checked by a more experienced and known physician.


    His stall wasn''t decorated much because he couldn''t afford to waste money on that and he was selling medicines and herbs. His sister helped him to set up the stall and left to go take care of their mother. People walked in different stalls to see what could catch their eyes and bought what they needed. The market became lively and business started.


    Alexander after searching for hours with no luck decided to attend the festival and find the man some other night. He came to the market and everyone tried to get him to buy things from their stall. They presented their best item to him but he didn''t pay them any attention. He went straight to Olivia''s stall.


    "What do you have for me, today princess. To have taken the trouble to open a stall, you must have brought the best for me," he said taking a seat next to her.


    "I have this for you, it is an infinity ring. They say that if you give this to the one you care about then they will love you forever. Their love will be never-ending," she said and handed the ring to him.


    "Interesting, I expected nothing less from you. How much for the ring?"


    "Ten thousand gold coins," she announced. Shocking everyone including the prince.


    "Isn''t that a bit too much?"


    "Anything that catches your eyes is priceless, this is just my reward money for finding you a priceless gift," she said and Alexander paid her the money and took the ring. His other wives burned with envy and jealousy but it couldn''t be helped.


    Alexander walked to Sofia''s stall and bought a scarf from her. While talking to Sofia he spotted the plant that he had gone in search of at the stall next to her. He excused himself and went into Francis''s stall. The people-watching was surprised that he even took an interest in such a place.


    "How much for the blue plant outside?" he asked making Francis turn around and look at him. He stopped in his tracks and stared into those beautiful blue eyes. He couldn''t help getting the feeling that the plant and the hot were connected. When he went in search of the plant he met the boy and now that he came for the plant he found the boy as well.


    "Sir," said Francis shaking Alexander to wake him from his thoughts. The place where he touched felt like he had a fire in his hands that sent shocks at the prince.


    "I said the plant costs ten silvers," he repeated knowing that Alexander didn''t hear him the first time.


    "What is your name," Alexander inquired.


    "I am here to sell herbs and medicines, not myself so there is no need for you to know my name," Francis replied.


    "And if you were to sell yourself how much would you cost," he asked getting close to Francis. Francis backed away from him until he hit the wall. "Answer my question," he said close to his ear.


    "I am not for sell," Francis repeated feeling trapped by the weird man.


    "Too bad, I would have paid a fortune for you. I will take the plant for today but next time I will come for you," he said and kissed Francis on the neck. He didn''t stop there but kept sucking on that spot until he was sure he left a mark on him.


    He had read in his research books how a dragon can mark someone as their mate in their human form. Once he marks the boy he would be able to find anywhere the boy went. Francis was about to hit Alexander for taking advantage of him but stopped himself from seeing his clothes. They were clothes simple people would not afford to wear and he would be in big trouble if he hit the man.


    He had his family to think about and couldn''t help them if he went to jail so he stopped himself from saying anything to the man. He wrapped the plant nicely and gave it to the man. Alexander held the bag together with Francis''s hand and just looked at the boy who has stolen his heart. Francis yanked his hand off and stepped away from Alexander before he was tempted to change his mind about hitting him.


    "Here, you can give this to any guard in the palace if you ever change your mind about my offer. They will bring you to me," he said and left the stall.


    Francis kept the ring in his pocket hoping he would never need to use it but his mother''s condition gets worse he was afraid he might consider selling himself to the man.


    After the prince left his stall more and more people came to his stall to buy things. He made enough money to buy the medicine the physician has prescribed for his mother. But it was only enough for one dose but at least it was something. He packed up his stall and went home after the long day. He bought a scarf and tied it around his neck to hide the bite mark on his neck.


    He didn''t want to worry his mother and sister. He picked the medicine and rushed home to give it to his mother.. He could just imagine how happy she would be to receive the medication.

 Chapter 5 - New Desire (5)

    Alexander went home feeling very good about his night, he was happy to have met him. Even if he refused to tell him his name it felt nice to be so close to him. He traced his lips with his hands and remembered the kiss that he gave him. His neck felt so soft under his lips and he wished he could suck on it forever.


    He could feel his presence even though they were miles apart. He wished he could possess the man and make him his. He yearned for him so much but refrained from going after him. He had to take it one step at a time and not scare the boy to go far away from him. It was already bad that he was cursed and became a monster during the day, he couldn''t have him think that he is completely a monster.


    *****


    Francis got home and gave his mother the medication. She felt so happy to receive it and gave him her blessing and prayed for him to always be happy. He spent a little time with his family before he went to his room to make more portions for an order that he had received.


    He removed the scarf from his neck and checked the mark in front of a mirror. It was a hickey like he had suspected but it looked like a tattoo drawing of a dragon. He traced it and it felt warm under his touch, he began to panic in his heart. He feared the mark on his neck and tried to scratch it out. The more he scratched the more the mark glowed. Nothing happened to the mark except for the glowing. He panicked and grabbed a knife he was using and cut the mark.


    He cut as hard as he could but the mark remained as it was, not even a scratch was on it. He concocted a potion and poured it on the mark to burn it but it didn''t work. Everything he did was useless against the mark that was on his neck. He thought of the event at the stall and the man who kissed him to try and figure out how he got the mark but he couldn''t put his hand on it.


    He went to bed feeling very tired and left the mark alone. He made a note to visit a physician tomorrow about it. He fell asleep and drifted off to dreamland. In his dream, he was walking down dark stairs that led to a dungeon. He walked slowly and carefully into the dungeon to see what was inside. The room was dark and quiet but he could hear breathing in the distance.


    "Hello, is anyone there?" he asked despite his better judgment telling her not to do so as it could be someone dangerous. He heard movements in the dark and big stomps and a shiver ran down his spine. He froze in place and his feet refused to move out of fear.


    "Who dares to disturb my sleep," asked a deep husky voice with a thick accent that drove nothing but fear into Francis. The fire was blown into the air and he could see clearly what was in front of him. Right in front of him stood a silver dragon in full glory. It was huge and he had to tilt his head up to get a good look at it. He wasn''t just afraid now he was frightened to death. He felt like dying.


    "Your name." demanded the dragon.


    "F...F...F.Francis," he replied in a trembling voice.


    "Nice name for a pretty boy. Come closer," he said but Francis didn''t move as his legs were still frozen in place. The dragon could smell the fear from Francis and took the liberty to get closer to Francis on his own. He took two gigantic steps and got close enough to pick him up with his claws. Francis was picked up by the dragon and held close to his face.


    "What are you doing here Francis?" asked the dragon, his hot breath hitting Francis felt like he was placed atop of a flame.


    "I don''t know," he replied still trembling.


    "Do I frighten you Francis?" he asked and Francis remained quiet. He dared not answer in fear of upsetting the dragon and suffering his wrath.


    The dragon carried him and placed him on his back and lifted him off from the dungeon and into the sky. He held on to the dragon in fear that he would fall. He was worried that the dragon was going to eat him for lunch and he would never get to see his mother again.


    The dragon stopped at the top of the mountain and set him down. He looked at him and said," Isn''t the land so beautiful."


    "I guess," Francis replied nervously.


    "Don''t be scared I am not going to hurt you Eno nose. I just want some company and it has been long since I had any," he said trying to calm Francis down and it worked.


    "My name is Francis and not that word you just said," he corrected


    "Yes, Francis is your name but Eno nesohc is your identity. You are the destined boy who will bring peace to the people of Arimelari," he said.


    "What destiny, I am just a hunter who struggles to make a living," Francis told him.


    "I am a dragon my boy, I know much know than your little head can begin to imagine. You and I both know that there is more to you than meets the eye," he said and Francis couldn''t refute. He knew about his identity and that destiny has written a prophecy for him but he no idea what it was. He had asked his father but he refused to tell him and died with the secret.


    "Then tell me all so knowing dragon, what is my destiny?"


    "That my boy is not for me to tell you but I can tell you that your destiny has already begun. There are two sides to your prophecy and the ending is something that only you can decide. You can either save a life or destroy it, both choices lie in your hands. Whatever choice you make will either destroy this great kingdom or save it," he said. Francis listened to every word the dragon said. He realized why his father insisted on telling him his destiny when he was older. Having so many lives depend on him was not an easy thing to handle.


    "And who are you?" Francis asked out of curiosity.


    "I am the soul of the one whom you are destined for. The Mark of the dragon on your neck allows you to communicate with me," he replied.


    "Do you know where the mark came from?"


    "It is from your destiny, my boy. You will understand it as time goes by," he said.


    "Is it my destiny to defend my people from a dragon? Is this kingdom under such a threat. If that is the case then shouldn''t the dragon prince be given the task to defeat this enemy dragon. Why me?" he asked scared of the responsibility he was given. If he made a mistake then many lives would be ruined.


    "The prince can not do it because he also has a role to play.. Whether the kingdom gets destroyed or saved also depends on him as much as it does you," the dragon said and disappeared before Francis woke up.

 Chapter 6 - Heartbreak

    Francis woke up from his sleep, his eyes were glowing and so was the mark behind his ear. The birthmark of the moon that stood in the middle of the sun glowed the color red. He got up from his bed and walked out of the house. A red sword that glowed the same color as his eyes appeared in the sky. He leaped to the sky and grabbed the sword bringing it down with him.


    "Time to slay a dragon," he said in a dangerous malicious voice. He flew to the palace and floated right above it. He pointed the sword to the sky and red lightning danced around the sword growing bigger and bigger and the glow of the sword increased. He pointed the sword at the palace and sent the lightning to attack the palace. Everyone in the palace was awakened by the sound of the front of the palace being blown apart.


    Alexander woke from his sleep and growled in a fury of being woken up from his sleep. He flapped his wings and flew out of his palace to see what was going on. He came face to face with Francis but he couldn''t recognize him from all the light that surrounded him. Francis got his sword and charged at him, Alexander got ready to attack him with fire but something seemed to block his throat. With Francis getting closer and his fire not working he flew away. Francis flew right after him with his sword in hand ready to kill the dragon.


    Alexander got time to think while he flew and decided to bite Francis. His teeth had very venomous poison that will kill his attacker in minutes. He used his tail to disarm Francis and went for his hand.


    "Stop," he heard a voice scream in his head and he stopped. "If you kill him you will die. He is not in his right senses and that is why he is attacking. His subconscious is fighting you not him, he is still sleeping," the voice said.


    "And that makes it okay to attack me?" he asked.


    "Stop and listen," said the voice before it went silent.


    "Listen to what?" he asked but the voice didn''t reply and while he was busy talking to that weird voice. Francis had gone for his sword and came back to attack him. "I don''t care what the voice says I am going to tear this man to piece and dine on him," he said.


    He used his tail to slap the sword away from the boy and wrapped the boy in his tail and brought his next to his claw. He clawed his back and was to tear him into pieces when Francis screamed out in pain. Alexander felt a pang in his heart when he heard him screaming. Francis''s birthmark stopped glowing and the mark on his neck glowed. It glowed to let Alexander know that his mate was in danger not knowing that Alexander was the one harming him.


    On seeing the mark he froze and dropped Francis out of shock. Without the previous powers that allowed him to float he was dropping from the sky very fast.


    "Don''t want to interrupt your moment but you dropped something," said the voice in his head bringing him back to his senses. He flew after Francis and caught him before he could hit the ground.


    "I don''t understand," Alexander muttered.


    "Isn''t it obvious, he is your bane. You are destined to be saved by his hands or die by them," explained the voice in his head.


    "Why him, I mean why does it have to be him of all people. When I...," he stopped. He couldn''t bring himself to say what the boy meant to him. Despite just meeting the boy he felt alive and the missing pieces of his heart had finally collided because of him.


    "That is destiny my boy, it is wicked and twisted and it does whatever it wants. It doesn''t feel satisfied until it gives a twist to everything good in life," the voice replied understanding Alexander''s unspoken words. Destiny had written two paths for them; one in which Francis kills him or saves him from his curse. The path they take depends on the choices they make.


    "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked confused. He was so excited upon meeting the boy but with destiny making his bane how could anything happen between them.


    "Don''t think like that my boy, remember he is also the only one who can save you from your curse," the voice said trying to console him. The dragon lay next to the human who had stolen his heart and seeks to kill him and sighed. According to the witch that cursed him the countdown to his death must have begun now that they had met.


    His heart bled but he knew that the best thing to do was to never see him again. But with him out to kill Alexander he didn''t that was going to be possible. Alexander lifted Francis upon his back and flew away with him. If he was going to die then at least the person who will kill him is the one who brought him peace in his troubled life. He chose not to take him back to Arimelari in case he is harmed for trying to kill and flew him to the forbidden forest.


    He set him down in a cave and lit a fire next to him to keep him warm. He waited in the cage for the sun to go down so he could return to his human form. He had to gather herbs in the forest and treat Francis''s wounds. The minute the sunset he turned into a human and without waiting for a second longer he ran to the forest to search for the herbs. He broke some leaves and weaved them together and used them to cover his naked body. He searched for the plants he needed and ground them together before mixing them. He placed the mixture on top of the fire for a few minutes and kept it on Francis''s back.


    He screeched in pain as Alexander kept the medicine on his back. "I am saving your life when I know that you will kill me if you live.. I must be the stupidest man alive," mocked Alexander but even his joke could not stop his heart from breaking as reality hit home.

 Chapter 7 - Messing With Destiny

    The day had come to a start and the exhausted dragon could not help but fall asleep. He had a long night and wanted to get some rest before he faced the harsh truth of his life. Inside the cave a secret door opened and there women dressed in long black robes with hoods came out. They stared at the two men sleeping in their home.


    "We should have mercy on them. Fate has been cruel to them," said the one in the middle. The other two nodded in agreement.


    "But messing with destiny is dangerous," said the cautious one to the right.


    "That is why we will not change there destiny just fast track it," replied the third woman.


    The woman in the middle walked up to Francis and placed her hand on his heart. Her other hand she kept on Alexander.


    "By the power of all the stars above,I cast a spell for Alexander to Francis''s love," she said and thunder hit the sky to indicate that her spell has worked.


    "You have done that but his soul will still be out to kill Alexander," said her sister.


    "Roses and Rainbows Oh dear, remove the soul which we all fear," she said and Francis''s body began to shake tremendously. His soul separated from his body in form of a butterfly and entered inside of Alexander.


    "Now he won''t be able to kill him unless he unlocks his powers as the Eno nesohc. Forgive me my Lord but I have done this to protect you. It is only for your well being, your destiny is cruel so I have done this to help you make a better life for yourself," she said with regret knowing death awaited her when her Lord awakened.


    Eno nesohc was the greatest wizard to ever live and the best dragon tamer to ever live. He has lived for many years and each time reincarnating in a time where a dragon is written to be born. He''s destiny being worse each time he is born, his disciples are cursed to follow him in each life time to protect him and guide him but for the first time they disobeyed destiny. They went against what was written and tried to make things easier for him.


    They teleported Francis back to bed in his home and healed his wounds with magic. The witch that placed a curse on Francis went into Mary, Francis''s mother''s room and hexed her to get sick. She made up a sickness that didn''t exist and gave her. She cursed to fall I''ll and only start getting better once Francis and Alexander we''re united. She left the room and she went back to her sisters. "Do you think that we have done the right thing?" she asked them and they shook their heads.


    "We can only know that when everything plays out," replied the second witch.


    "One of us has to stay with them at all times to help their love story become stronger. Alexander can only be saved if Francis''s love for him is true and pure. But if he doesn''t fall in love with Alexander then he will kill him and be doomed himself. Their lives depend on each other," she said and the other sisters agreed.


    "I will stay for the first watch," she volunteered. "I will inform you if something new comes up," she said and the other sisters disappeared.


    She went next to Francis''s bed and sat down on his bed. She brushed his hair to the back and gave him a peck on his cheek. "I have loved you for as long as I can remember and I am tired of seeing you go down the same path over and over again. This time I will protect you, if I am not destined to be with you then I will do my best to make sure you live happily with your destined love. Seeing you happy from the shadows will be good enough for me," she said and gave a kiss on his lips.


    She didn''t leave immediately, she stayed by her love and told him stories of their journeys together even though he could not hear a single word. She felt at peace being so close to him and being able to protect him brought him joy. She was going to make sure he knows what it is like to be loved in return this time.


    True loves kiss was the key to breaking both of their curses. Her Lord will be free from his curse and die and rest peacefully after being with the one he loved, he won''t have to live a lonely and cold life in her watch. The spell she put on him will not make him fall in love with him but it will create an attraction for Alexander in his heart. It will make him yearn for the prince, the rest will work out on his own.


    She was confident in her plan and was sure that she will not fail in bringing the two love birds together. She whistled the day away while holding Francis in her hands but the minute the sunset she did appeared and blended with the she blended with the night.


    Francis woke up feeling very tired and somehow wired. He felt his back and yawned. He wiped sleep from his eyes and got out of bed, he got ready and after taking a bath he got dressed and wore a shawl to cover the dragon mark on his neck. He had a weird feeling in his heart and he kept seeing images of the boy from his shop. He suddenly wanted to get to know him and do a lot more things with him.


    He shook his head to try and get such thoughts out of his head but it was no use. He still saw the images, he brushed the mark on his neck and recalled the kiss the man had given to her and felt hungry for more. His own thoughts surprised him and he went to say goodbye to his mother before leaving for the forest.


    He entered her room and found her sister crying next to their mother''s bed. "What happened Willow?" he asked her.


    "It''s mother, I woke and came to see her and found her like this," she said pointing to her mother''s condition.


    Francis looked at his mother with shock written all over his face.. He was rendered speechless and helpless on what to do and dropped to the ground.

 Chapter 8 - Your Name

    Francis got his mother checked by the physician but he could not tell him what the problem was. They told him that his mother was suffering from a disease that they didn''t know about and that they couldn''t help him. He worked extra hard in the following days to get enough money to get her checked by better physicians.


    He went to the forbidden forest and gathered herbs to make medicines for her but it didn''t help her. It felt like her situation kept getting worse every day and that he might lose her. His sister stayed home with her and did her best to take care care of their mother. Nayla used her magic in the shadows to worsen her situation so Francis would have no choice but to go into the arms of Alexander. She did her best to make sure that Francis didn''t stop thinking about Alexander.


    Francis made her way to the forest to hunt. He had a big order to fulfill to get his mother better treatment. He walked absentmindedly and wasn''t even looking where he was going. He tried to figure out how his mother got so sick out of the blue but no idea came to mind. He had a lot of worrying questions and wanted them answered but didn''t know who to turn to.


    He had these flashes that look like memories where he was being clawed at his back by a dragon. He has never met a dragon so it bothered him why he kept seeing that. He thought that perhaps he was seeing a vision of what might happens in the future. Then there were these weird dreams he had of that man that visited his shop. Very erotic dreams that he would never be able to describe out loud.


    He felt such a strong yearning for the boy that his body would turn scarlet just at the thought of him. Without him, he felt incomplete with this insatiable hunger that only he could fulfill. He got pulled by a hand behind a big mahogany tree and that brought him out of his thought. He reached for his knife in defense before he looked up to see his attacker. He froze when he saw the man who troubled his mind for the past few days.


    "We meet again," said Alexander holding him against the tree. "Tell me did you think about my offer?" he asked him but Francis was too surprised to answer him.


    They stood there and looked into the eyes of each other for a while. Francis was so surprised to see Alexander that it felt like a dream to him. A voice in his head was screaming," Kiss him," but he ignored it as best he could. His eyes wandered down to Alexander''s lips and he licked his lips as they felt dry.


    "Do you like what you see?" Alexander asked when he noticed his long stare at his lips.


    "No," replied Francis in a soft almost non-existent voice but Alexander still heard him.


    "So cute," he commented and Francis looked up and met his eyes. His eyes were wide with shock when he heard the compliment that Alexander gave him. "And what is your name cutie?" he asked.


    "Why should I tell you? I don''t even know you," he mumbled looking at his feet. He was blushing so much on being called cutie by the same man who had driven him out of his mind with erotic dreams. He didn''t dare to look him in the face after that, he felt ashamed of making the man the subject of such thoughts and dreams.


    "By telling me we will get to know each other won''t we and you can ask me whatever you want and I will try my best to answer you," he replied in a hoarse voice next to his ear.


    "Why are you being so nice to me? I could be a bad person, aren''t you scared that I might hurt you?" he asked looking into Alexander''s eyes. His words reminded Alexander about the night when Francis attacked him and how he almost killed Francis during the fight. The two of them were a danger to each other that he understood but he just couldn''t stay away.


    "My little rabbit should be more afraid of me, there is so much that I can think of doing to you right here," he replied and wrapped his hands around Francis''s waist. "So you should be more worried about yourself than you are about me. If you don''t mind I would like to know your name."


    "Francis."


    "The prettiest name I have heard so far," he said making Francis blush even more. "I want to make you mine Francis and in a grand way too. What would you say if I asked you to marry me?"


    "I would say no. How can I marry a man I barely know and I don''t think that it is right for two men to be with each other in that way," he explained looking anywhere but at Alexander. His proposal was appealing to him but he didn''t want to admit it. He was still not sure how he suddenly began to think of a man in such away. Or why he was feeling such a strong desire for a man she met for less than twenty minutes.


    His feelings were a mystery to him and he needed to figure them out before he could do anything about them. As much as two men being together was normal, he wasn''t a fan of it. He wasn''t a hater but he didn''t understand it and he had a habit of staying away from the things that he didn''t understand.


    "In what way don''t you think two men should be?" Alexander asked feigning curiosity.


    Francis tried to answer him but every time he opened his mouth the words would refuse to come out. He felt so small with Alexander questioning him but he couldn''t utter the words that he wanted to hear. Just thinking about the words sent a blush to his cheeks.


    "Like this?" Alexander asked and locked their lips in a kiss.

 Chapter 9 - I Accept Your Proposal

    Francis spent the whole day worrying about his mother and the feelings that he was developing for the stranger. And the kiss they shared didn''t help at all since it only made him think about the man even more. He went above and beyond to see to it that his mother got the best treatment but nothing worked.


    The sunset in the kingdom of Arimelari marking the beginning of a new day for the subjects of the moonlight kingdom. Francis got up from his bed and got dressed in the nicest outfit that he owned. He took his time walking to the palace since he didn''t have the money to rent a horse. He was very nervous about seeing that man again but he had to get his mother treated. He had this weird feeling in his heart that if he sorts out the man''s help then everything will be fine.


    He walked past fancy houses that are owned by the rich people of Arimelari. He knew that he was nearing the palace and that made him even more anxious. He kept his head down and walked forward, he felt so out of place in the palace and wanted nothing more than to return home but thinking of his mother gave him the courage to proceed forward and go to the palace. He arrived at the palace and stared in awe at the huge castle. It was looking very beautiful that he commended the architects who build it.


    He walked to the gate of the palace and met the palace guards guarding the entrance. He was stopped by one of them and asked what he came to do in the palace.


    "I came to see someone," he said in a soft nervous voice.


    "Who are you here to see?" asked the same guard.


    "A man, I don''t know his name but he told me that if I needed him that I can find him here," he replied feeling stupid about not even knowing the man''s name.


    "What is your name?"


    "Francis."


    "Okay wait here, I will send word into the walls of the palace for anyone who might know you. If there is someone inside who knows you they will come for you and if not then they won''t," he said and walked back to his post. He called over a young boy and whispered something in his ear before the boy ran into the gate of the palace.


    Francis waited patiently at the gate of the palace. The cart and chariots went in and out of the palace passing him by as he waited. He crossed his fingers and prayed that the man would come for him. He had no idea what he would do if the man doesn''t show up, his mother was getting worse.


    For two whole hours, he waited at the gate but didn''t feel down. He had hope that the night wouldn''t end without meeting the man. The guards looked at him with pity but they couldn''t let him in or the queen would punish them.


    *****


    Alexander had spent the first few hours of the night with his mother, she took her time to bamboozled him with a lot of questions concerning the man that he liked. How his mother had found out about the man surprised him but he didn''t tell her anything. He felt like Francis won''t be alone if he shared anything about him with other people. He didn''t even dare to utter his name when he was alone in the room.


    He walked to the training field and took his sword to practice fencing. Since he met Francis he had always been waiting for him to come to him and today was worse. He longed for Francis more than he has ever done before. He brought his hand to his lips and traced his lips recalling the kiss they shared in the forest.


    "What are you thinking about my prince?" asked his right-hand man Sir Malcolm.


    "Nothing much, I was just thinking about Olivia. That woman drives my mother crazy that my mother looks for new brides for me every day."


    "True, your palace is getting more and more princesses every day and it has turned into a harem. I don''t know how you handle so many women sire," he expressed.


    "That is because I don''t handle all of them, Olivia does. She is responsible for all of them.


    They started to train together with their swords and fought. Alexander defeated all of his opponents one by one and then instructed them to attack him together. All the soldiers in the field attacked him but he managed to defeat all of them in no time.


    "You have gotten better."


    "Practise makes perfect Malcolm. I just practice a lot," he said and kept his sword back.


    "But you seemed lost in your thoughts today. On normal days it takes you an hour to win but today you took two. What are you thinking about?" he asked and Alexander just smiled at him. He wanted to share his happiness with Malcolm his confidant but his heart would not allow him.


    "There is a Francis by the gate looking for a certain man," they heard a young boy sing repeatedly while running past them. Alexander''s heart skipped a beat when he heard the message. He got on his feet and ran out of the palace towards the gate. When he ran all the soldiers in the training court thought that there was a problem and followed him out.


    The people in the courtyard made way for the running warrior and let them pass. Alexander ran as fast as his legs could to reach the gate. The guards opened the gate immediately he arrived, his eyes wandered through the streets trying to find Francis. He saw him leaning on the gate with his eyes closed and smiled. He was so happy to see the boy that had driven him out of his mind standing right in front of his eyes.


    He strolled to him and stopped next to Francis. "Are you dreaming about me?" he whispered in his ear. Francis opened his eyes, he looked at Alexander with determination.


    "I accept your proposal."

 Chapter 10 - You Have To Kiss Me

    Alexander took Francis to a private room to have a chance to talk. He sat opposite to Francis and sipped his tea with elegance. Malcolm stood at the corner curious about Francis''s identity and why the prince reacted the way he did when he heard he was in the palace. He watched there interactions very keenly.


    "So what made you change your mind?"


    "I am in need of money and you looked like you can afford to spare a few gold coins," he replied feeling nervous. Francis had never been in the palace before and it made him uncomfortable and the man watching him like a hawk from the corner wasn''t helping his situation.


    "I see, you are only here for money. Then tell me how much do you cost?"


    "I don''t really know, I just want enough to get the royal physician to take a look at someone for me."


    "Is someone you know sick?" he asked and Francis nodded.


    "My mother," he said.


    "Okay. I will send the royal physician with you when you leave and now tell me how much do you want as dowry?"


    "Anything that you are willing to give me. I don''t want much," he stated in a shy voice. He found it hard to believe that he had accepted to get married to a man. It was even more unbelievable to him that they were discussing his dowry. It was unbelievable to him how calm the other man seemed to be about discussing everything.


    "Don''t be shy to tell me what you want. I can give you anything that your heart might desire. Even the whole of Arimelari if it is what you wish."


    Francis stared in shock at the man after the statement that he just made. His jaw dropped and he was unable to reply to the man. He looked over to the man at the corner worried they might get reported to the king for treason. He sat nervously on the chair worried that he might get in trouble.


    "Tell me Francis. What do you want? And if you have yet to decide then I can put forth my condition," he said and Francis swallowed hard. He had no idea that the man would ask for anything from him and he had nothing to offer.


    "Condition? What condition?"


    "I want you to prove to me that you are able to fulfill the responsibilities of a good partner once we are married. You have to take the initiative to kiss me right now."


    Francis froze upon hearing the condition that Alexander put forth. He felt speechless and helpless at the same time. He didn''t move at all from where he sat and continued to gaze at Alexander. He looked around nervously to ease himself and his eyes happen to meet with Malcolm''s. Malcolm looked at him unmoved by Alexander''s request. He was shocked at what was happening in front of him but he didn''t dare say a thing.


    "Do you have a problem with my request. If so then I don''t think that my proposal still stands."


    Francis got up from his seat and walked over to Alexander''s side, his body was sweating out of fear of what he was about to do. "Can you ask him to leave?" he asked looking at Malcolm.


    "He is my personal bodyguard and my right hand man. He will always be around me so you shouldn''t mind him. Just concentrate on me. Look at me and kiss me already," he said getting impatient of waiting for his kiss.


    Francis moved an inch closer to Alexander and looked into his green eyes that had a sense of familiarity in them. He looked at his honey coloured hair, his face flushed at thought of kissing Alexander but deep down he felt excited to have those soft lips in his.


    "How long will it take for you to give me a simple kiss?" asked Alexander. Alexander helped him by putting Francis''s hand on his neck. Francis felt his heart beat against his rib cage. "Just imagine that I am a girl if it helps. And kiss me as you would kiss your female lover. I assume you have had female lovers right?" he asked and Francis looked down in shame. He was so busy taking care of his family and working all the time that he didn''t have any time for love.


    He had never been with anyone before and the kiss he shared with Alexander was his very first kiss. Alexander pulled his face gently and made look at him. He ran his thumb over Francis''s cheek. "What is wrong?" he asked in a soft voice.


    "I.... I have never had a lover before," he confessed in a weak voice and looked away from Alexander.


    "Do you mean to say that you have never been in a relationship before?" he asked and Francis nodded. "With your beauty I expected a long list of ex lovers," he said and Francis blushed at being called beautiful. He kept his eyes on the ground to hide his face from Alexander. "I am happy about that but you still have to kiss me."


    Francis looked up and looked at him with pleading eyes. He didn''t feel comfortable kissing him especially in front of the man who was still watching them. "On one condition," he whispered.


    "You are giving me conditions,"


    "You said you could give me whatever I asked for. Can''t you fulfill a single wish of mine."


    "Tell me, what is this condition you speak of?" he asked intrigued by Francis.


    "Tell the man to leave the room."


    Alexander signaled Malcolm to leave the room and they were left alone. "He is gone."


    Francis gathered all the courage he could master and took a deep breath. He has to kiss Alexander for the sake of his mother. He would have to get used to the thought of being close to him or even intimate since they were going to be married soon. He looked up to Alexander and leaned in until there lips brushed and he blushed. He didn''t back down and kissed him, he nipped on Alexander''s lips and deepen the kiss exactly the way Alexander had done before.


    "You are a quick leaner," Alexander said in between breaths.

 Chapter 11 - Royal Wedding

    The rest of the night went on with Francis taking care of his mother after the royal physician took a look at her. He prescribed some portion to help her recover which Alexander provided. Alexander made preparations do them to get married at the earliest. The news of the prince taking in another spouse went around the kingdom.


    All the princesses were excited to hear that the prince had selected a new wife. Because ever since the news came out princess Olivia hasn''t had any peace. It was true that the shackles of the mind can be broken by the power of love. Alexander had paid no attention to Olivia and didn''t bother to inform her about him taking a liking to someone. Just like the rest of them she had to find out about it when the prince made a public announcement.


    Princess Silvia and Sofia helped in decorating the palace for a royal wedding. They were aided by the Queen''s servants. It was no rumor that the queen hated the prince''s first wife and would not spare such a great opportunity to insult her.


    The queen was all smiles as she strolled around the palace. She didn''t have to taunt Olivia today she was very happy to hear the news from her son. She had already expected this news to come, she just didn''t expect it to happen so fast. She went around the palace making sure that everything was ready for when his son''s love.


    Alexander and Malcolm were in the room opposite his. They were making it ready for Francis when he moved in at daybreak. Olivia watched from the door of that room. She was not happy with the changes that were happening. She was surprised that the prince himself was taking the time to make arrangements. The truth was shocking that he didn''t even pay attention to her the whole day.


    Since the beginning, she had been the only person to sleep with the prince in this part of the palace. It was only for her and the prince as she was his special wife. But today the prince was letting someone else in and they were yet to get married.


    She left the room and walked back to her room. All the princesses in the kingdom were acting as she had was not important anymore and she hated it. She was the true princess and one day she was going to be the true queen of Arimelari.


    Alexander was so excited to get his wife to come live in the palace that he left no stone unturned to make everything ready for him. As per their agreement, Francis would move into the palace tonight and all the ceremonies will take place after that. She planned to tell Francis that he was the prince of Arimelari tonight. His excitement could hardly make him patient as he watched the clock after every minute.


    The arrangements for Francis''s sleeping quarters were made to his liking he went to see how the preparations for the wedding were coming along. It has been so long since he was so excited and he loved the feeling. He was smiling just like his mother the whole night.


    ****


    Francis packed his belongings in his room. He was very nervous about moving in with Alexander. He informed his mother about his decision and why he made and they understood him. His sister had spent the first few hours of the night consoling him. She did her best to ease his mind.


    She knew how her brother felt about such relationships. He didn''t understand how two men could be together and hence stayed away from them. He had also never been in a relationship with anyone. She tried her best to give him relationship advice as much as she could but also worried that he might disappoint the kind man who sent them help.


    "Are you done yet?" she asked as she came to check on him.


    "Almost."


    "Hurry up then, the man must surely be waiting for you," she said and helped him to finish packing. "Remember to take care of us when he makes you rich. He is rich so make sure to benefit a lot from him before he gets tired of you and sends you back here."


    Once the packing was done, Francis bit goodbye to his family and made his way to the palace. Just like earlier he took his time to walk there while carrying his luggage. He debated a lot of things in his mind about what his life was going to be like once he was married. He tried to imagine how he will live with Alexander and what their relationship will be like. He worried about what the people might say about him and his decision to marry a man. Though his sister had taken the time to explain everything to him, he still felt very nervous.


    He arrived at the palace sometime later and when the guards saw him they hurried to his side. They didn''t know that he was the one to be married to the prince but judging by how the prince came running to welcome him they didn''t dare offend him. They helped him with his luggage despite his insistence on carrying it himself.


    The news of his arrival traveled fast and reached Alexander''s ears. He left his room immediately and went to welcome him. As he walked in the corridor his mother and the women of the court joined him. Behind the women of the court were his wives except for Olivia.


    "Mother, what is the meaning of this?"


    "We are going to welcome the future prince of Arimelari. A proper entourage is expected from the royal family. I invited everyone to welcome him home. Your father is at the door waiting for us."


    They walked to the main door of the palace. "Everyone in the court should bow in respect to the arrival of the royal family of Arimelari," a guard announced and everyone bowed their heads including Francis.


    Alexander walked up to him and made his lookup. He held Francis''s chin and smiled at him.. "Welcome to my home beloved, I prince Alexander of Arimelari is humbled to have your presence in my palace," he said shocking Francis senselessly.

 Chapter 12 - Royal Wedding (2)

    Alexander walked Francis into the family after introducing him to everyone. He helped him settle down in his room and had the servants move his things to their rightful place.


    "Privacy," he said and everyone left the room leaving him and Francis alone. "You made me wait for a long time," he said and Francis shivered.


    He moved closer to Francis and Francis moved away from him. He kept moving until his back hit the wall and he was stuck. He had no space to back away to and Alexander was getting close.


    Alexander stopped in his tracks and glanced at Francis. "I have to get going. The sun will be up soon," he said and exited the room with big steps. He entered his room and dropped his body on his bed.


    The look of fear in Francis''s eyes didn''t sit too well with him. It reminded him of the curse that the witches had placed on him and the fact that he was a monster. It was as though the way Francis looked at him changed completely the minute he introduced himself to him. He knew that Francis didn''t love him and he was only with him to help his sick mother but for him to be feared by the boy was something he couldn''t bear.


    His heart ached with so much pain that he could barely bear it. It was the first time in a long time he felt the effect of the curse in his life. He silently cried into the pillow to avoid being heard. As he cried he felt something flapping in his heart like wings. He stopped crying and sit up, he listens to the sound and the flapping just got worse. "What is this?" he asked in confusion.


    "Attention, the Princess of Arimelari is making her entrance," was announced outside his door. He wiped his tears and masked his pain with a smile. He got up to welcome Olivia into his room.


    "My, This that you have come to see me like this I hope there is no problem," he said trying his best to ignore the flapping in his heart.


    "No, I just wanted to talk to you about the new princess," she said sarcastically and Alexander frowned. He didn''t like the feeling of someone speaking about Francis like that. He kept his calm and didn''t show her his anger but only his disapproval.


    "He is a man and that makes him a prince Olivia," he corrected her despite knowing that she knew that and was only trying to provoke him.


    "And once you become king what will he be, you understand that there can''t be two kings in one of the kingdoms. He will have to be called Queen then so why give him false hopes now. Tradition and logic do not permit one kingdom to be ruled with two kings," she stated taking a seat. She clapped her hands twice and the servants outside came in with a pot of tea and two cups. They set the tea down and left.


    Olivia took it upon herself and served them the tea, handing the cup to the prince, "And I know that you have kept him here in Your special palace so he is not mistreated or abuse for being a man. Else he would live in your harem like the rest of your wives," she added as she took a sip of her tea.


    "For your information, the room next to mine will always belong to Francis no matter what come may. And yes thank you for pointing it out to me to make it clear that anyone who refers to Francis as a woman will be hanged immediately. When I become king then Francis will be called the king of Arimelari."


    "But what will people say and what will they think of you as King?"


    "I am happy that you are worried about me Oli but do bear in mind that we are not like most kingdoms around. Our lives start at night and we rest during the day which is different from the rest of our neighboring kingdoms. They live their lives opposite to ours. And about our people, they accepted this change so it will be no problem for them to accept this order of mine."


    "Why are you giving so much importance to this man? Why is he given the rights that a special wife has when you are yet to form any relationship with him. I don''t understand you, Alex," he said in anger and yelled at Alexander.


    "It is time for me to go take a nap. I am living you in charge of Francis if anything and I mean anything happens to him. I will hold you personally responsible for it and you will not like what I will do to you if that happens," he said and kissed her forehead. He went to Francis''s room and watched him from the door before heading to his dragon room.


    Francis was left frozen on the bed, his head was still processing the fact that he was going to marry the prince of Arimelari and become his husband. He couldn''t believe that he was going to be related to the dragon prince in such an intimate manner. He cursed himself for not recognizing the prince of his kingdom. Had he known of his identity he would not have been too bold as to kiss him before.


    He wouldn''t have even agreed to get anywhere close to the prince. He wondered why the prince wanted him and if he would have to dress like a woman from then on. His mind was thinking about so many things and confusing him even more than he already was.


    He froze when he felt Alexander''s eyes on him and his mind went blank. He didn''t hear him come in but felt him watching, the eyes left and he released a sigh of relief. He needed time to take in everything that he had learned today. He was in no way ready to face the prince or anyone else in the royal family.. He only knew one thing, his life was never going to be the same again.

 Chapter 13 - Royal Wedding (3)

    Olivia took it upon herself to explain her importance to Francis so that he knows his limits and doesn''t try to cross them. It was important to her that Francis understands that she was the only one who mattered in Arimelari and he will have to respect her.


    She left Alexander''s room and marched into Francis''s room. She despised Francis because he threatened her reign. He was the only person who has made her power around the prince reduce. Before the prince worshipped her every word but now he dares to threaten her for the sake of a boy he picked up in the streets.


    She didn''t bother to knock and just walked in and was about to start scolding Francis but stopped. Francis wasn''t alone in his room but had company, she stared at the queen of Arimelari with bitterness but the queen just smiled.


    "Like I was saying before we were rudely interrupted. Feel free to tell me if anyone troubles you in my palace," she said directing her glare at Olivia. "You mean a lot to my son so that means that you mean a lot to me too," she added.


    "Thank you," Francis replied nervously.


    "How sweet. But you are a royal now and being that you have to learn to be strong and brave. Life in a royal family is not easy but you need not worry as I am here for you," she said and excused herself. She pulled Olivia out of the room with her when she left.


    "Let go of my hand!" Olivia yelled.


    "Do you think by yelling loudly is when you will be heard. The truth is that it doesn''t matter how loud you yell. Alexander is not going to listen to you like he used to, Francis is going to make certain that he doesn''t whether the boy himself knows that or not," she stated happily.


    "I am going to enjoy wiping that smile off your face when he fails. How many women have you brought for him but each of them failed to snatch him away from me," Olivia said with a lot of confidence and pride.


    "In competition, it is never a good idea to be overconfident, and mind you, I was not the one who brought Francis here. And from what I gather Alexander was the one to beg him to accept to marry him. So I doubt that you will do anything."


    "Just you wait and watch how I make your darling Francis dance to my every tune."


    "Empty can are the ones that make the loudest noise. Your words are nothing but empty threats," the queen said and made her way to her room.


    Princess Olivia was left standing in the corridor gritting her teeth. She hated that the queen had the nerve to talk to her like that. She hated having to bow her head to anyone let alone a boy like Francis. She was boiling and trembling with anger. Her whole life she has never felt more insulted than this.


    She rushed to her room and banged the door behind her with a loud thud. She went to her bed and dropped her fuming body on the king-sized bed. She cursed the queen and Francis in her heart as she didn''t dare do it out loud. She was standing on thin ice and it was of at most importance that she doesn''t screw up. She needed to find a way to win over Alexander''s favor like before and be his favorite wife again.


    She was no loser and she didn''t accept defeat easily, she sat up on the bed and took deep breaths to calm down. She needed to have a clear mind if she were to come up with a good plan to win over the prince. She had an idea of what to do and smiled. With her surprise for the prince, she was certain that Alexander will never look in Francis''s way again.


    She called her servant Mira and whispered instructions into her ear. "Do whatever you want Francis but the prince is mine," she said. She retouched her makeup and left her room to go for a walk. She was no longer in the mood to see Francis.


    Francis who had heard the conversation between them couldn''t help but feel even more worried. He was yet to settle into the palace and already there were fights because of him. He sat down and prayed that the gods could show him the right path.


    He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to take a bath. The small pool was filled with hot water and petals from different flowers giving the water a sweet smell. He stepped into the water and dipped his body in the water. He felt warm and relaxed. He looked out the window and admired the beauty of the sun.


    Once there was a time that he used to play in the sun. He would run around the fields with his mother and even play with the animals in the woods but ever since the king put forth the decree that all the subjects of Arimelari will work at night and sleep during the day he didn''t have the chance to enjoy the sun anymore. He closed his eyes and relaxed as he enjoyed how the sun felt hitting his body.


    He found himself in the dungeon that he was in before, the mark on his neck glowed brightly in the room. He walked into the dungeon and found the dragon sleeping. He recalled their previous conversation as he moved closer to the dragon. He watched the dragon from his head to his tail and wondered if that was how the prince looked in his dragon form.


    "I see that you have return young Francis," said the dragon opened his eyes slowly. Francis was not as scared of the dragon as he was before but he didn''t dare to get too comfortable. "What question troubles your mind little one?"


    "I can''t decide whether or not I want to be with the prince. He is under a curse and is a dragon. What if he ever hurts me?"


    "The question should not be whether or not he is capable of hurting you or not but rather is he willing to.. And you tell me what fault is it of his that he is cursed as he had not wished for it. Don''t you think it will be wrong for you to reject him based on something he cannot control?"

 Chapter 14 - Royal Wedding (4)

    The kingdom of Arimelari was decorated with beautiful lights everywhere. The whole kingdom was shining brighter than ever and the festival began. Entertainers we''re expressing themselves in the streets and entertained the people. Music and dancing were done from sunset and the subjects cheered for the prince and his new bride.


    As part of the custom, Francis was dressed in pure white from head to toe and had a headdress on. He looked stunning that Alexander was not able to look away from him. He kept his eyes on Francis watching his every movement.


    All his wives wore blue dresses similar color to the one Alexander was wearing to show their identity. They all followed behind Alexander and Francis in a straight and organized manner. Olivia wore a blue gown with silver and gold embroidery. She took elegant strides alongside Alexander as his special wife and princess.


    The King and queen walked in the front and guided the entourage. They were to go to the square to meet with the people of Arimelari for the wedding to take place. Francis had sent a message to his family to invite them to the wedding. He was not sure whether they would come or not but he hoped they would.


    Taking nervous steps down the stairs he slipped, but luckily someone caught him before he could fall. "Thank you," he said making eye contact with the person.


    He stared into her eyes and had a feeling of familiarity. Looking into her eyes he felt at peace and safe. "Nayla," he whispered.


    Nayla let him go and went back to her place. She had come to the palace disguised as a maid to take better care of her Lord. Francis got his composure back and kept walking. His mind was constantly thinking about Nayla and why she looked so familiar to him. He found it difficult to pinpoint the exact place he had seen her but he was sure that he knew her.


    He kept her in his sight at all times and tried to see if he could remember her. Alexander who had his eyes on Francis the whole time noticed their interaction. He could not help but feel jealous of the fact that Francis was staring at Nayla for so long.


    "Attention to all the subjects of Arimerali. The royal family has arrived," announced one of the guards keeping watch at the square. The people of Arimelari got to their feet in respect to the royal family''s arrival.


    "All hail the king and queen."


    "All hail," the subjects replied in unison.


    The King led the members of the royal family to seat in the tent reserved for the royal family. They all took their seat and the wedding festival began.


    "As per the custom. The prince''s wives shall put up a task or a performance for the prince and his to-be husband. The play or task that shall interest the prince will receive a reward as high as the person demands it. Beware that the prince''s to-be bride will also participate in this custom," he announced drawing Francis''s attention. Francis felt very anxious, he hoped that no princess would involve him in their act to impress the prince.


    "The first wife to present to the prince is princess Silvia."


    Princess Silvia got up from her seat and her servants followed her. She stood in front of the prince with her head held high with pride. She raised her to the sky and clapped them together twice. Her servants came forth and brought with them trays that were covered with a gold cloth.


    "I do not have a task for you my husband but rather a riddle," she said and the prince lifted his hand to permit her to continue.


    "A seed with three letters in my name. Take away two letters and I still sound the same. What am I?" she asked him. The whole square went silent, some tried to find the answer to the riddle while others watched and waited for the prince to reply.


    "The prince doesn''t know anything about riddles. Princess Silvia has cheated and now the prince will have to pay her," complained her co-wives.


    Olivia smiled in amusement. For the first time, one of Alexander''s wives showed some potential of being worthy of the title they hold. She thought about the riddle but failed to find the answer herself. Alexander too could not figure out what the answer to the riddle was. He was stuck and knew that he was done for.


    "I will give his highness three chances to guess. If he is unable to answer correctly then I am to ask anything of him and he shall agree to my demands," she said proudly.


    "First chance, your answer my prince?" she asked but he remained silent. "One, two, and three. You have missed your first chance," she said with joy. "Second chance. One, two, and three," I am afraid that the prince has missed the second chance. Last and final chance. One, two and th...,"


    "I will answer," announced Francis before Silvia could finish her count down.


    "A seed with three letters in my name. Take away two letters and I still sound the same. What am I?" he repeated the riddle to the people. Then he paused and looked at the prince. "What will you offer me for answering this riddle for you?" he asked shocking the whole gathering.


    It was unheard of that the bride or husband in this case request anything in return for assisting the groom. It was considered his/her duty to it with honor and pride. Olivia smirked at Francis''s stupidity, she could not wait for him to be embarrassed in front of everyone by Alexander when he scolds him and reprimands him for his behavior.


    "Whatever your heart desires will be yours," he answered further shocking everyone including Olivia.


    "When it comes to Francis he won''t mind bending the rules. That is the power of love," whispered the Queen to Olivia. She for one was enjoying the wedding more than everyone else.


    "Then I want to be the head of the women''s quarters and in charge of all your wives. None excluded," he demanded and the whole crowd went dead silent. Olivia couldn''t believe her ears.


    Alexander stared at Francis for a while trying to figure out the reason for his request but he failed. He glanced at his first wife who seemed furious and looked back at Francis.


    "I Alexander of Arimelari would like to announce that from now on going forward Francis my would-be husband shall be in charge of my palace and all my wives."


    The people of Arimelari could not believe their eyes. According to the prince''s decree, princess Olivia has just been stripped of all her special rights by the prince. She was reduced to nothing but an ordinary wife of the prince.


    "The answer to your riddle is a pea. If you remove the first and last letter it sounds the same."


    "Did he get the answer right?" asked the king and Princess Silvia nodded her head.


    "Congratulations to you your highness," said a disappointed Silvia.

 Chapter 15 - Royal Wedding (5)

    The wedding continued with Alexander''s other wives put forth tasks, challenges, and performances to impress the prince but so far none of them succeeded. Francis helped when he was stuck and he did the rest.


    "Now let''s welcome one of the three favorite wives of the prince. Princess Sofia."


    The princess went to the stage. She ordered the royal orchestra to play a song for her. "Today I shall dance with the prince," she said and got her servants in line. She directed them on how to dance the way that they had practiced. It was not allowed for princesses or queens to dance in public hence she didn''t dance.


    Francis watched the dance but got bored fence he diverted his attention to the young servant girl from earlier. He still had yet to figure her out, his gut told him that they had met and were familiar with one another but how was what bothered him. His eyes accidentally met with the queen''s, the queen gave him silent applause and slightly bowed her head to him.


    He recalled the conversation that they had in his room the previous day before princess Olivia interrupted them. He smiled back at the queen and bowed his head too out of respect. The performance ended and everyone looked at the prince to see whether or not he liked the performance.


    "The dance was nice. I believe such a performance deserves a thousand gold coins from the royal treasury," announced Francis before Alexander could speak. His announcement sent the whole crowd into another shock. Even the prince''s wives could not understand what they had heard. What Francis had just done was something that even Olivia had never dared to do in all her years of being the special Queen. "And as part of your reward you will be promoted to the prince''s special wife," he added.


    "I am sorry but you do not have the right to make such a decision. You are yet to marry the prince hence you still don''t possess any authority here. Only the prince can give such a reward and no one else," said a furious Olivia who was fed up with Francis''s behavior. She has had enough of the boy''s demand and announcements. Francis glanced at the queen who nodded her head to him and smiled at Olivia.


    "That is where you are wrong. I do have the right to announce this as I am in charge of the palace and the treasury is part of the palace. Sofia is also one of Alexander''s wives who are under me, I can reward her if I see it fit," he said in a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for discussion.


    He turned around and faced the prince, looking directly into his eyes. "Do you disagree with my decision?" he asked him. Alexander found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place as both Olivia and Francis stared at him. He looked away from both of them and glanced at the crowd and found that everyone was watching him. Waiting to see which of the two he would side with.


    The flapping in his heart from before began again and Nayla got to her feet and moved close to the prince. She could feel Francis''s soul trying to return to Francis. She couldn''t let that happened as that would awaken the Eno nesohc in Francis and he will try to kill Alexander. She chanted a spell under her breath that put Francis''s soul in form of a butterfly to sleep. She knew that the solution wasn''t permanent and the stronger his soul grew the harder it will be to control it but it was all he could think of at the moment.


    Alexander calmed down when the flapping in his heart stopped, he peeped at Francis but his eyes were directed somewhere else. He followed Francis''s eyes to see what he was staring at to find him looking at that girl again. He frowned and cleared his throat to get the man''s attention. Francis looked at him curiously.


    "I think that as per my earlier announcement Francis has every right to make such decisions," he said. He couldn''t kill the feeling in him that Francis was attracted to that maid and jealousy drove him to agree with Francis. He wanted that Francis looks at him like that and not some other girl. He would do anything for that to happen.


    The queen smiled at what her son said and helped Olivia who was too shocked to react to be seated. She praised her victory, she was proud of her plan to save her son from the witch that sat next to her. Her heart was filled with warmth to see how it didn''t take much at all for Francis to achieve something that she couldn''t do for many years.


    Princess Sofia''s heart was filled with joy as her dream to become a special wife had come true. She was also to receive a thousand gold coins from the prince and she couldn''t be happier.


    "Next on stage is princess Olivia the special princess of Arimelar..."


    "Stop," Francis screamed interrupting the guard. "I have yet to give princess Olivia this title so I would appreciate it if you don''t call her a special princess. She is merely a princess and the prince''s wife," he added.


    "I had prepared a gift for the prince but I do not wish to participate anymore," she confessed.


    "I insist that you show us this surprise princess. I would consider it an insult not just to myself but the prince if you refuse. And anyone who insults the prince will be punished accordingly," he stated and forces Olivia to get up and head to the stage.


    "I prepared a game of archery for the prince. I don''t know if he will be willing to pay or not," she said in tears. She bites her lower lip as the tears flowed from her eyes. "But I would be happy if he did," the prince on seeing Olivia in tears got up from his seat to go to her. Francis held his hand and stopped him.


    "Stop," he said but Alexander didn''t listen. Had yanked Francis''s hand away and ran to Olivia''s side. He took Olivia into his hand and comforted her, he felt guilty about what he had done.


    "Have this written down that every right that I have given to Francis today shall be shared equally with Olivia.. Both shall bear the title of true prince and princess," he announced to the whole of Arimelari to make it up to Olivia.

 Chapter 16 - Nuptial Night

    The wedding went and they took their wedding vows. The people cheered for them and celebrated their happiness to the fullest. As the special wife, it has always been Olivia''s responsibility to explain the rules of the prince''s palace to new brides.


    She took a step to Francis with victory written all over her face. She wore a confident smile as she took a seat next to Francis on Alexander''s bed.


    "Today you achieved something that no one has ever been able to do for years. Even then you failed and I won. Alexander is mine and if I wanted to then Alexander would never even look in your direction but if you now to me then I might have mercy on you," she said staring directly into Francis''s eyes.


    "Can you control the prince like that?" he asked and she nodded her head. "Then I will bow to you but only if you promise that the prince will never look in my direction."


    Olivia was shocked at what she heard. For the first time, someone who was married to a prince did not want his favor or his attention. He even boldly made such a condition to her. She was very confused as to what was going on. According to everyone, it was believed that Francis was in love with the prince but how can someone in love blandly refuse the company of the one they love.


    "Are you..." she began to say but stopped when Alexander walked into the room. She saw him as she stood facing the door but Francis was yet to see him. "So what you are saying is that you don''t want Alexander to pay attention to you or come to you at all?" she asked looking at Alexander, waiting for him to hear how his new wife felt about him.


    "Yes, after what he did today I don''t want him anywhere near me."


    Alexander waved his hand to dismiss Olivia. He moved to the and sat down. He took his shirt off and looked at Francis, the image of how Francis''s eyes kept looking at that servant girl was stuck in his head. ''You do not wish to see me but your eyes won''t stop searching for her,'' he thought.


    "Clothes off," he instructed in an ice-cold voice. Francis got up in shock and stared at him. He was surprised to see Alexander in the room and it made him nervous. Even the order his order made him very scared.


    "Wh..what...what?" he asked to hope that he heard it wrong and that he was not just asked to undress.


    "Did you not hear what I said or are you just pretending. I will repeat myself this once but better not make it a habit. Remove your clothes," he said in with the same cold voice sending a shiver down Francis''s spine.


    "Why?"


    "What kind of question is that. Tonight is our wedding night and I am sure that I need not tell you what happens between a newly wedded couple right?" he asked and Francis''s breath became heavy.


    He had an idea of what took place between a couple. He was inexperienced but not stupid. Fear traveled through his body at the thought of what was about to happen. His mind was busy thinking of ways to avoid what was about to happen.


    "I do not wish t..." he tried to say but Alexander shut him up by lifting his hand to stop him from speaking.


    "You can tell me all of your complaints in bed. And I too will tell you mine, we have the rest of the night all to ourselves," he stated. "Now, will take your clothes off or should I help you?"


    Francis nervously reached for his jacket and took it off. Alexander watched him with made him more anxious. "The rest of it is also clothes," he said when Francis stopped.


    With trembling hands, Francis took his shirt off and stopped again. "I want to see you naked. The trouser has to go too," reminded Alexander.


    "I don..."


    "Don''t speak. What I want is for you to take your clothes off and not to speak to me. I will listen to you after you do as I have asked."


    Francis took the rest of his clothes with Alexander watching him keenly. He took in the very image that had made his heart skip a beat. The only difference is that the boy was not wet like the first day he saw him. Francis felt subconscious with Alexander watching him and covered his manhood with his hands. Alexander removed the rest of his clothes and walked close to Francis and just continued to stare at him.


    "What?" Francis asked and somehow his voice came out hoarse. Alexander leaned in close to Francis''s lips and stopped, he stared deep into Francis''s eyes making him feel weird. His skin was burning under the intense stare and the hot breath from his lips made Francis''s skin tremble.


    "Do you like me?" he asked Francis but the boy didn''t trust his voice to say anything. His lips were dry and he licked them to make them wet, this little move made Alexander even more aroused than he already was. He wanted to kiss those lips so hard that Francis would never forget.


    "No," Francis managed to let out.


    "I find that hard to believe. I have yet to touch you and already you are hard for me," he said bringing Francis back to his reality. The boy looked to see that indeed his manhood had risen to attention. He felt his face turning red out of embarrassment. He turned away from Alexander and kept his eyes to the ground.


    Alexander hugged Francis from the back and the boy''s body went stiff. He brought his hand to Francis''s cock and began to rub it. His hand moves up and down making Francis''s breath hitch. He took deep breaths as his hands grabbed hold of Alexander''s waist.


    He wanted to tell Alexander to stop but he also didn''t want him to stop what he was doing.. He laid his head back on Alex''s shoulders and enjoyed the treatment he received.

 Chapter 17 - The Attack

    Francis trembled and moaned in pleasure in Alexander''s arms. What he was experiencing was something new to him and it was something that he was yet to understand. He rested his head back and his grip on Alexander tightened.


    This act and his closeness to Alexander awakened his soul in Alexander''s heart. The butterfly struggled to escape and return to its body. It succeeded in getting out of Alexander''s heart but a spell that Nayla had placed on Alexander made it impossible for it to leave his body. It attached itself to Alexander''s chest where he could at least touch its body''s skin.


    Upon coming into contact with Francis his eyes glowed. All the feelings pleasure he was feeling was replaced with a thirst. He felt thirsty for Alexander''s blood. "Kill him," is all he could hear in his mind and without a second thought, he broke out of Alexander''s hold and reached for Alexander''s sword.


    The next moment his sword threatened to cut off Alexander''s neck. Shocked and caught off guard by the sudden change in Francis, Alexander was a little slow to react and got cut a little on the neck. He did a flip and landed on the bed. He glanced at Francis, his glowing eyes reminded him of that day that he had almost killed him. He couldn''t have a repetition of that day happen but he also couldn''t stay without defending himself from the boy trying to kill him.


    The dragon mark on Francis''s neck glowed as well and the spirit of the dragon within Alexander was awakened and he too came to aid Alexander in the fight. He decided to fight Francis''s soul while Alexander dealt with Francis. Francis attacked him again and this time he didn''t give Alexander time not space to breathe. His sword skills were one that Alexander has never seen before and despite having a sword himself he was finding it difficult to fight Francis.


    He defended all the attacks that were made at him as best he could but he was slowly being backed to a corner. Francis was navigating his sword with no much effort at all and moved with such agility that Alexander failed to keep up with him. He kept attacking and refused to leave any room for mistakes, all his attacks were aimed at vital points that any wrong move on Alexander''s part and he will become history.


    But Alexander refused to go down despite the odds being against him. He was hellbound on proving destiny wrong, he was in no way going to die by Francis''s hands. It was Francis who would fall by his hands when he succeeded in winning him over. He would fall madly in love with him that he would forget every thought of ever wanting to kill him.


    Alexander paid close attention to every attack the young man threw at him as he knew the blade would be his end if he didn''t mind his movements. He was getting exhausted without having the chance to breathe or relax his muscles but Francis seemed not to be tired at all. His strength seemed to be increasing with every minute and he overpowered Alexander. He kicked Alexander''s sword out of his hands and went for his final blow. He aimed his sword at Alexander''s neck.


    Alexander closed his eyes and waited for Francis''s sword to end his life. He felt defeated not because he would die but because Francis would have to live with the guilt of killing him for the rest of his life.


    He waited for a while but didn''t feel anything and opened his eyes. What he saw shocked him out of the skin. Francis was frozen in what looked like ice and that servant girl was busy doing goodness knows what to him. He got up from the floor and picked up his sword and attacked the maid. Nayla quickly reacted to the attack and leaped backward away from the blade.


    "What do you think you are doing?" asked Alexander in anger while throwing another attack at her. Nayla blocked all of Alexander''s attempts to hurt her with magic.


    "A witch! How dare you set foot in Arimelari. I will teach you a lesson," he said.


    Alexander got his strength by channeling all the hatred that he feels towards witches. Ever since he was cursed to become a monster he has had nothing but hatred for all who practice magic and he couldn''t stand them. He had made it his life goal to eradicate all the witches and wizards from the surface of the earth.


    As Nayla was busy fighting Alexander the spell that she had put on Francis slowly came undone letting him free. The young man once again took his sword and charged at Alexander. Stuck between Francis and the witch, Alexander was clueless on what to do. He has no idea who to fight and who not to. He was caught in between them with only one sword.


    He thought of calling for help but thought against it for many reasons. First Francis was in no condition to be seen by anyone as he was completely naked. Second Francis might be killed for trying to kill him and he won''t be able to save him. Then there was the witch whom he was sure Francis liked and if anything were to happen to her, Francis might grow to hate him.


    He chose to fight Francis and turned his back on the witch. He had no idea whether that was the right decision or not but he decided to follow his heart on the matter. And his heart told him that all will be well, that Nayla was no threat to him.


    Nayla seized the opportunity given to her when Alexander stopped attacking her and began her chants to get Francis under control. She froze him again and did the same to Alexander. She moved close to the prince and kept her hand on his chest.


    "I am not going to hurt you, I just want you to relax and calm down," she said but Alexander was just filled with fury as he couldn''t move. She cast a spell that put Francis''s soul to sleep which made Francis''s eyes stop glowing. She unfroze him and laid him on the bed after she put him to sleep.


    "I can explain everything if you give me a chance.. Come find me when you are ready to listen," she said before unfreezing him and disappearing.

 Chapter 18 - Honest Mistake

    The day was long for the members of the royal family. The queen for one had not slept the whole day as she kept on thinking about her plans and how to put them to action. She almost succeeded in her plans of reducing Olivia''s power but Olivia managed to pull one on her.


    She had become overconfident and it cost her the first round of the war. But if Olivia thought that the fight was over then she was mistaken. The queen was determined to win at all cost as the game was far from over. The queen at sunset and rushed out of the room to meet Francis. She needed to find out from the boy whether or not Alexander spent the day with him or not.


    She rushed down the corridors of the palace to the prince''s palace. She took a right turn and hurried on her feet. "Someone is in a hurry," the Queen heard as she made another turn and stopped in her tracks. She hated that she had to hear that horrible voice first thing in the night.


    She turned around and came face to face with the witch that troubles her so much she has to stay awake during the day to think of ways to get rid of her. "Good night princess," she said forcing a fake smile on her face.


    "It is indeed a good night queen. I woke up feeling happy but it seems that some of us did not sleep," she stated.


    "Yes, you are right about that. I had not slept a wink during the day."


    "Defeat must be a hard pill to swallow."


    "Shouldn''t I ask you that?"


    "How would I know my queen. The previous night was my victory and your loss," she answered confidently.


    "That was a loss for both of us if you look at it from my perspective. More of a loss for you than me if I were to give my opinion," she responded.


    "How so queen mother," Olivia mocked.


    "You lost twice the previous night. One according to your rules as the head princess, the prince is not allowed to spend the first night of the month with anyone but you. I don''t know why you failed to notice yesterday was the night of the month and it was spent with the new bride. Not just that, it is a rule from you that Alexander is not to touch any new wife in the palace without your permission on the night of their wedding and he did spend the night in Francis company on their wedding day and that too without asking you first," she stated.


    Olivia''s blood boiled in her body when she realized her mistake. Yesterday she had left the room and given Alexander the chance to be with Francis. She had not even realized that it was the first night of the month, not only that but for the first time Alexander had been with his wife on the night of their wedding and she allowed it.


    "I would like to stay here and watch you suffer while realizing that you are a fool. But I have to see the new prince before he wakes up," she said and turned away.


    "The game is not over yet my queen. I will have the final say," she announced with anger.


    "I agree that the game is not over but you should also not underestimate your opponent. It is this mistake that will cost you the game."


    The queen went to Francis''s chamber. Arnie the king''s servant was already at Francis''s door with his breakfast in hand. "Greetings to the royal queen," he greeted when the queen arrived at the door.


    "Has the prince woken up yet?" she asked.


    "Not yet my queen," he replied with his head bowed to show respect.


    The queen opened the door slowly as not to spook the prince in his sleep. The door came open and she stepped in, she was met with the scene that she had prayed for the whole day. Francis''s clothes were scattered in the room and along with them were Alexander''s clothes.


    "It seems the two of them had fun," she whispered with a bright smile on her face. She moved to the bed and brushed Francis''s hair from his face as he slept. "You''ve made me very happy."


    Arnie came in with the other servants. He ordered them to clean the room as he set the food down on the table. He went over to the bed to fold the blankets and wake the prince up. Without warning, he pulled the blankets off of Francis and exposed the young man to everyone in the room.


    Francis was without any clothes as Nayla had put him to sleep naked. The queen signaled the servants to leave the room and covered Francis up once again. She glanced out the window into the kingdom below, her eyes glowed with happiness.


    "I am sorry my queen. I had no idea that he was..." Arnie tried to apologize but the Queen raised her hand to stop him.


    "It was an honest mistake. Go attend to Alexander had should be up soon," she instructed.


    Arnie left the room with his head bowed feeling ashamed for what he had done. He could only pray that Prince Alexander will be as understanding as his mother. He hoped that the prince will not have him beheaded for uncovering the new prince in front of people.


    The news of the state in which Francis was found in his room spread like wildfire in the palace walls. The maids who were in the room made sure to gossip about it to their friends who further told their friends. In no seconds everyone in the palace, young and old had come to know of it.


    The news made many of Alexander''s wives happy but one particular princess hated the news. Olivia could not stand to hear the whispers in the palace but she couldn''t block her ears not to hear them.. She gritted her teeth in anger, her eyes burning with hatred for Francis.

 Chapter 19 - Body, Soul And Mind

    Alexander woke up from his sleep and the first thing he did was rush to Francis'' room. He had to make sure that his wife was alright. He walked in and found Francis getting dressed. The memory of last night troubled his mind so that he embraced him without a second thought.


    Unaware of how the rest of the night went Francis was hesitant to return the hug. The does remember how the night began but the rest is a blur. To top it all and add to his problems his body hurt everywhere from the fight. To him, all the signs were there that he and the prince had spent the night together.


    While Alexander was feeling relieved that Francis was okay he on the other hand was feeling uncomfortable. He didn''t like how close they were to each other but he couldn''t push him away because they were married and he had every right on him.


    "I have to go see the queen," he said trying to get rid of Alexander and get away from that awkward situation. He still has yet to accept that he was to be in a relationship with a man for the rest of his life and with everything going in it was only making things worse for him.


    He didn''t wait for Alexander to say anything after he broke the hug and rushed out of the room. Alexander watched him with longing in his eyes. He was yearning for Francis to embrace him back, for him to confess his feelings to him and tell him that he loves him. He longed for the day that Francis would stop trying to kill him and just wanted for Francis to love him forever.


    He too left Francis'' room and went away. He walked around the palace searching for Nayla. He needed answers as to why a witch was so bold as to appear in front of him. He also wanted to hear what she had to say. He was greeted by servants and soldiers that he passed on the way but he had no time to reply to them.


    He saw the one he was looking for watering the flowers in the garden and made his way to her. He stopped in front of her and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.


    Nayla looked up from what she was doing when she saw someone approach her. Her eyes met with that of the prince, she knew what the prince wanted and she was more than willing to give it to him.


    "Tell me what you wanted to say to me," he said in a serious tone.


    "Not here. We can talk in my room," she said and began to walk away. Alexander got hold of her hand and pulled her back, she lost her balance and landed on his chest. He remained unmoved even she fell on him, he trapped her with his hand on her back.


    "What do you have to say to me that you can''t say out here. Or do you perhaps plan on giving people the impression that the two of us are in some sort of relationship?" he asked suspicious of the reason that she asked him to talk in her room.


    "I neither want people to assume anything of us nor do I have any ill intentions behind my suggestion. And if anyone will make people think more of us it is you and not me," she said in reply to his question.


    "Meaning?"


    "What do you think will go through people''s minds when they see us in such a position. With you holding me so close to you?"


    Alexander didn''t let go of her even after she pointed this fact out to him. He wanted answers and he was not going to let the witch escape before she gives him what he seeks from her. "Tell me what I need to know," he demanded.


    "Let me go first," she said.


    " Are you ordering the prince of Arimelari? Do you know that I could have your head cut off for this?" he questioned.


    "If you kill me then it won''t be long before you follow me to the land of the dead. Without me there would be no one to stop your bane from killing you," she let out and glared at Alexander for refusing to let her go. Her blood was boiling and she wanted nothing more than to end the prince''s life right there and then. Had it not been for the fact that he was her lord''s destined love then she would have killed him for daring to touch her.


    She only loved her lord and belonged to him body, soul, and mind and no one had the right to touch what belonged to her lord. It took all her self-control to stop herself from putting an end to the heir to the throne of Arimelari.


    On hearing her statement Alexander''s hand on her waist relaxed a bit but he didn''t let her go."How do you know that Francis is my bane and what do you want?"


    "I am not saying anything else unless you let me go. Walls and trees have ears and what I know can cause you to lose your lover forever if it were to brace some powerful people''s ears."


    "Alright. Lead the way," he said surrendering his resolve. He needed to know what she had to say and he too agreed that the matter concerning Francis was one to be handled with at most care. If other people were to find out that Francis was his bane then he could lose Francis forever as Nayla had said. He followed Nayla away from the garden.


    Princess Olivia watched from the balcony of the palace everything that happened between Alexander and Nayla from when Alexander arrived at the garden. She did not for one second like what she saw, Alexander initiating contact with a servant was not something she wanted to see first thing in the night after hearing about his night with Francis and fighting with the queen.


    She walked away in anger and return to her room and number into someone causing her necklace to fall. She looked up at the idiot who dared to bump into her only to be met with the one person who had done nothing but ruins her peace since his arrival.


    "Francis."

 Chapter 20 - By His Hands

    "Speak," Alexander ordered when they arrived in Nayla''s room. He was impatient to learn what she had to say.


    "I don''t feel like it," Nayla replied.


    Alexander looked at her surprised, he didn''t think that he heard what she said. "What!" he groaned in his dragon voice. The whole room trembled as he spoke but Nayla was unfazed. She looked at Alexander and smiled.


    "Is that all you got. Oh! great dragon prince?" she mocked.


    Alexander got angry and upset by what she said and grabbed her by the neck and tightened his grip. He was checking her and she still looked at him like she was looking at the biggest fool in the word.


    "Insendia," she said and set the prince on fire. Alexander let her go and attempted to put out the fire on him. The fire burned at his skin, he screamed in pain. His dragon side awakened, before he could turn into a dragon Nayla tapped his shoulder and the fire disappeared.


    "I am going to have your head off that," he threatened.


    "How you felt when I burned you, that is how Francis feels everytime you get close to him. You felt the pain but more than anything the need to kill me for setting you on fire. You have set a fire inside Francis'' heart that he won''t stop until he kills you," she said. Alexander frowned not able to understand her.


    "But what have I done to Francis to lit this fire you speak of?"


    "Perhaps the fault lies not with you but the witch who cursed you. Francis is mostly known my his destiny as the Eno nesohc. If you reverse the words it spells chosen one. The chosen one''s destiny began a thousand years..."


    "Wait, what does all that have to do with me and Francis?" Alexander asked not sure he was being given a thousand year old history that he had no interest of knowing.


    "Patience is a virtue that all rulers should have your highness. But since you are not interested in hearing my story I won''t tell it, you can leave," she said and pointed the door for Alexander to get out.


    "You have yet to answer me," he pointed out.


    "I said that I would give you an answer when you are ready to listen. You can return when that happens and maybe I will talk depending on my mood," she said and laid on the bed and closed her eyes.


    "I think that you are lying to me. It is true that you somehow found out that Francis was my bane but I don''t that there is any truth to what you are saying. You know nothing about Francis and I," he told. Nayla ignored him and continued to sleep. She had no idea why destiny had paired her lord with such an idiot.


    Alexander stood there waiting for her to talk but she just continued to sleep and treated him like air. Getting infuriated for being disrespected by a servant for the first time in his life. Alexander walked to her bed and sat down with his hands on both her sides trapping her underneath him. This act got Nayla to open her eyes and stare at Alexander. Her eyes held a lot of questions for him.


    "What are you doing?" she asked him trying to break away from him.


    "I think you asked me to your room to get me to pay attention to you. I have to say that I am not impressed at all because it is in your nature as a witch to lure and deceive. But I will entertain you for a while," he said and leaned in to kiss her. He didn''t want to touch her or go anywhere near her as he only longed for Francis and wanted him but he needed a few answers and his instincts told him that she knew something.


    He knew that she didn''t desire him or wanted anything to do with him. Because earlier when he held her in his arms she reacted the exact same way that Francis did when he hugged him.


    "If you dare I will bury you alive dragon king," she screamed pushing him away with all her energy. Alexander didn''t move at all from his position because she was not that strong. He stopped his movements and stared at her stunned by the name she used to refer to him.


    "Dragon king?" he questioned. "What do you mean dragon king?"


    "What do I mean? Are you a fool? That us like asking me why people call you prince," she said in irritation. She was reaching her last nerve with this prince. She wished that she had never showed herself to him. Then she wouldn''t have to deal with this madness.


    When she wanted to tell him the history of the situation that he and Francis were caught in. He was acting arrogant and was calling her a liar and now he was resorting to cheap tricks to get her to talk. "Disgusting," she said subconsciously.


    "I didn''t mean to ask that. What I meant to ask is how can I be the dragon king when my being a dragon is due to a curse?"


    "The curse the witch performed transformed you into the dragon king. The dragon king''s soul was drawn to your body when the spell was cast. Every time you transform into your vampire side the curse grows stronger and you become more of the dragon as it merges with your human side. The chosen one was born to kill the dragon king so as long as you are a dragon he won''t ever stop until he kills you," she explained.


    "But the witch said that Francis is the answer to breaking my curse."


    "Yes, he can only break your curse with a true love kiss from him. His love can save you from the curse but his hatred will kill you."


    "Francis does not hate me, he is uncomfortable around me but he doesn''t hate me," Alexander said confused as to why Francis keeps trying to kill when he doesn''t hate him.


    "Like I said the story began a thousand years ago and the hatred is also that old. He himself doesn''t remember what happened or his haters for you but his soul does.. And so it is up to whether you die by his hands or get saved."

 Chapter 21 - No Smoke Without Fire

    The room was quiet, Francis and the queen sat in the queen''s room. She was staring at Francis trying to see through him. The news that she had just received from the boy was one that she neither expected nor wanted to hear.


    "What do you mean you don''t remember what happened between the two of you?"


    "It is as I said, my queen. I don''t remember anything that happened after the kiss," he replied repeating what he had earlier told her.


    "But how is that possible. The wedding night is the most memorable for both the couple. It is impossible to forget it and yours hasn''t even been that far long how could you have forgotten?" she questioned making Francis unsure of how to answer her. The questions she was raising were simple but impossible for him to answer.


    He was also worried and some questions about the night he spent with his husband. He too wanted to know why he can''t recall the memories of that night but the only person that he could ask was the person that he was trying to avoid. He was finding it hard to accept how fast things were happening between them and the feelings of yearning that were gradually growing in his heart for the prince were not helping.


    "Alright forget that, we still have to work on removing Olivia from Alexander''s favor. For that you have to pretend to be angry with Alex for the decision he made on your birthday," she instructed him.


    "But I don''t want to do anything to upset the prince and I have nothing against princess Olivia," he said and earned a glare from the queen.


    "Don''t you remember what you stand to gain if you please me?" she asked and Francis nodded his head. "Are you willing to lose that for Olivia or Alexander?" she asked and he shook his head.


    "Good. Then do what we agreed upon if you want the get the reward," she stated seriously.


    "What do you have to do?"


    "Feign anger towards Alexander and challenge Olivia''s reign in the palace. I want her to lose all her influence not just on the prince but in the palace too. I want you to take her power from her and only shall remain as the ruling power after my son."


    "Alright. I will do as you say," he said. The queen felt happy with his response. She felt glad that he was on her side. "Bear in mind the reward in your mind. Use it as a motivation to help you achieve your goals."


    Francis listened to the queen attentively. He had no idea why the queen hated princess Olivia or why she was doing everything to make Alexander and Olivia distant from one another. He only knew one thing and that was that he had to do what the Queen asked him even if it was selfish. He agreed to everything that the queen said.


    "Tell me how to execute this."


    "Listen very carefully," she said and whispered the instructions in her ear. Francis heard everything keenly, he didn''t let a single word get past him.


    "I understand," he said and got up to leave but the Queen held him back. He gazed at the queen and wondered what else the Queen had left unsaid.


    "First and the most important thing for you to do is handle Alexander. Olivia can come later, your priority should be the prince."


    Leaving the queen''s room Francis wondered the halls of the palace. He was thinking about his conversation with the queen. He had to do it for the reward, it was the only thing he needed the most in the world. "Francis, Are you okay?" he heard someone ask and looked up.


    He looked into Alexander''s eyes and felt some peace from looking at him. He wanted to hug him and get a shoulder to lean his troubled mind but then he remembered what the Queen had said to him. He pushed Alexander away from him and stared at him with as much fury as he could muster.


    "Why do you care if I am fine or not?" he asked angrily. "I mean nothing to you. For you, only Olivia matters isn''t that why you made that decision on our wedding ceremony. You showed me just how much Olivia means to you and not just me the whole Arimelari saw it," he said at the top of his voice attracting the attention of everyone in the palace.


    Olivia and the other wives came running to see what was going on. The onlookers also stopped in their tracks to watch the drama.


    "Francis it is not what you think what I.."


    "I am not thinking anything. I am only saying the truth that was seen by the entire world."


    "Come with me we will talk inside," Alexander offered but his offer was bluntly refused.


    "Why, when you didn''t feel bad about rejecting me in public and hailing your special queen then why should you explain anything to me in private," he said.


    Olivia ordered those who weren''t members of the royal family to leave immediately. She warned everyone against speaking a word about what they had seen. She did the best damage control that she could do to avoid outsiders from gossiping about that fight.


    "Francis, calm down and please speak softly," she requested trying to get everything under control.


    "And the special queen arrived at the party. She is ordering me around too and you are just standing there and doing nothing about it," he said pointing his finger at Alexander.


    The prince who had been watching everything silently and trying to solve the problem peacefully finally lost it. He couldn''t tolerate Francis'' bad behavior


    "You.." he began to say but heard Nayla''s voice in his ear and he stopped.


    "There can be no smoke without fire prince. Francis is not acting like that of his own accord, the tongue is his but the words belong to someone else," she said and he listened to her. He had to agree with her, Francis had been displaying an unusual behavior from the wedding ceremony. He seems to be after Olivia''s position the reason for that was one which he couldn''t understand.


    "Also bear in mind that his love is the cure while his hate is your poison so chose your next step wisely," she advised.

 Chapter 22 - Only You

    Alexander took Francis by the hand and pulled him away from the crowd. He took him to a secluded area and let go of his hand.


    "Do you think taking me away will silence m.." he began to say but froze when Alexander trapped him to the wall. He kept his hands at both of his sides and trapped him.


    "Tell me all your complaints," he said. Francis'' breath became heavy being so close to Alexander. He knew the words he wanted to say but when he opened his mouth nothing came out.


    "What happened? Don''t you have a lot of complaints about me? Then tell me I am listening."


    Francis stared at him and looked into his eyes. In those eyes he saw many things; the man who came to his aid when he needed help. The man who has shown him nothing but respect since they met. He felt guilty for causing trouble for him but he had no choice. The Queen had something that he needed.


    ''Once I get what I need then I will go away from your life and I will take with me the problems that I have brought into your life,'' he thought with guilty. ''Forgive me.''


    "Let me go right now," he demanded looking away from the prince. His guilt made him turn away in shame.


    "And when did I hold on to you?" Alexander asked. Francis looked at him, it was true that he wasn''t holding him but he was keeping him there.


    "Take your hand away then," he said.


    "It is a free kingdom Francis and I have the right to keep my hands wherever I want. You can''t stop me," Alexander replied.


    "I want to leave."


    "I am not stopping you," Alexander told him. "Go," he instructed his hands never moving away from their place.


    Francis stared at him, he couldn''t believe how shameless the prince was. He was holding him there and acting like he was innocent of it. He was asking him to leave when he knew well that he couldn''t.


    "Your hands."


    "What of them?" he asked.


    "Remove them."


    "Why I think that they are perfect where they are and if someone wants them gone they have to pay me," he stated gazing directly into his beloved''s eyes.


    "But I don''t have money," Francis said in a soft voice.


    "There are many ways to pay a person that doesn''t require the use of money at all. You are mine, surely you can find a way to please your husband if you want to be free," he said making Francis go wide with shock. He looked up at the man to see if what he had heard was a joke or not. But it was no joke, the male meant every word of his.


    He cursed at his luck. According to the queen he was only supposed to get the prince mad and drive a wedge between him and princess Olivia. But instead of the drama he created pushing the Prince and Princess together, it was bringing him and the prince closer.


    He needed time to process everything but he somehow brought his fears home by himself. His heartbeat faster in his chest as he thought of whether the prince was asking for a kiss like the last time or if he wanted something else.


    "Stop thinking so much. Tell me what will you give for me to set you free?" he inquired from Francis. Francis stared at his feet not daring to meet the prince''s eyes. "I don''t know what to give you," he said in a whisper but Alexander still heard him. His breath was heavy and slow. His chest lifted up and down in slow motion.


    "I am sure that you can think of something," Alexander said caressing his jaw. "You have been in a relationship before so surely you know a thing or two about pleasing a lover when they are upset," he said. His statement was more like a hidden question that had troubled his mind for a while. He wanted to know if his love had been with another before him or not. He was curious about the answer that Francis would give him but he hoped that there was no one.


    "Answer me," he pushed when he was hesitant to answer him.


    "I don''t know. I have never been with anyone before," he said feeling his cheeks getting warmer. He felt his body tingling as his face and skin turned scarlet.


    "Then should I teach you?" he asked leaning in.


    Francis kept his gaze down away from the prince, he felt nervous about Alexander seeing the blush on his face. He noticed that Alexander had removed his hand from his left side and saw an opportunity to ran away. He took the chance and broke free and ran away, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him and headed to his room. He ran past a lot of servants of the palace and the prince''s other wives but he didn''t bother to stop to greet them or acknowledge their presence.


    What he didn''t know was that the prince had run after him the minute he left and was right behind him. The people in the palace watched in awe of what was going on. They gossiped among themselves how much the prince cared for his new wife. They all wondered what spell Francis had cast on him to keep his gaze on him and him alone.


    Francis ran into his room and went to lock the door when Alexander''s hand stopped the door. He pushed the door opened and with it, Francis lost his balance and almost fell but he caught him just in time. He pulled Francis towards him, since Francis was shorter than him he landed on Alexander''s chest. He held on to him out of freight and laid his head on his chest.


    His ears listened to Alexander''s heartbeat that raced just like his had. "Do you hear that, only you can make my heartbeat race like this," he said earning Francis'' gaze.. He looked down to the eyes of his beloved with a wish in his heart that Francis would see how much he meant to him.

 Chapter 23 - Marry Me

    Alexander took Francis to the bed and in one swift movement, he pushed him onto the bed. Francis was conflicted at that moment, he felt the need to push him away and a part of him was anticipating what was about to happen. He laid on the bed waiting and watching Alexander''s movements very carefully.


    Alexander took his vest off and got onto the bed hovering over Francis. He didn''t say anything and just took in the male''s beauty as he stared back at him. He didn''t want to do anything that would upset Francis in fear of a repetition of what happened the other night. He needed the male to love him not kill him.


    He laid down next to Francis still gazing at him. Francis felt conscious under his intense glare and shifted on the bed turning his back to Alexander. Alexander kept his hand on Francis'' waist and pulled him close to him, he laid his head on Francis'' shoulder and closed his eyes to nap.


    Francis waited for him to make any movement at all but nothing happened. He realized that the prince was sleeping and using him as a pillow. He was a little disappointed that nothing happened but also relieved at the same. He closed his to relax and fell asleep soon.


    "He is asleep," Alexander said to the empty room. Nayla came out from the shadows and walked over to the bed.


    "You did well, I have to say I didn''t think you would handle the matter in such a calm manner," she said taking a seat next to him.


    "What do we do now?" he asked staring at Francis'' sleeping face.


    "The only way to calm his soul is to show it that you mean Francis no harm. You have to make Francis feel comfortable around you. He must not fear you," she explained. "Even though his soul is not inside his body anymore it is still very dangerous. You and Francis need to be the same for it to stop trying to kill you," she added.


    "Okay, that all is fine but what did you mean by what you said earlier. Whose words were Francis uttering earlier if not his?" he asked the question that had troubled him.


    "The words belonged to the queen, your mother," she said. Alexander stared at her confused at what she was going on about and shy she dared accuse his mother so easily with no fear. Even he who was a dragon dared no to point fingers at her for fear of the consequences of it.


    "Don''t think that being a witch is a reason to be bold and accuse my mother so easily. She is a dangerous woman and she won''t share you if she hears a word of what you just said," he warmed her.


    "It is the truth, she is the one instigating him to stand against Olivia. But don''t worry and don''t stop her," she said casting a protection spell on Francis to keep him from evil influence.


    "And why should I not stop it when she is causing chaos in my palace," he said hoping Nayla had a good reason to stop him from confronting his mother. Because doing that was suicidal and he didn''t want to die.


    "All that she is doing is beneficial to you. She is pushing Francis close to you to create distance between you and princess Olivia. Hence making it easier for you to win Francis'' heart in the process. Just play your cards right," she said sealing the barrier.


    She moved away from Francis and went over to Alexander and placed her hand on his chest and cast a spell to calm Francis'' soul to sleep.


    "You have a point," he said thinking over the matter and understanding what Nayla meant.


    He had to admit the witch was smart but she was close to a thousand years old so he figured her wisdom must come with her age.


    She finished with the spell and up to leave but the prince stopped her from leaving.


    "All those years you''ve lived must have been lonely, how do you survive all alone?" he asked her.


    "That is none of your business," she replied.


    "Surely there must have been someone or many you had taken a liking to and it must have hurt to part with them always," he said hitting her where it hurts the most with his words.


    Indeed there was one man that she has always loved and it hurt every time she had to watch him die and get reborn over and over again. She had to watch him grow and love another until he recalled his memories as the chosen one and he would go to her but it did not love him. Only she loved him, he only used her as a vessel to release his urges. She had longed for her Lord to love her but she never got lucky to receive love from him.


    It hurt her to be reminded of that by the prince and she tried not to let it show but she couldn''t hold her tears back. Her tears flowed down from her eyes as the realization hit her that once again she will be forced to watch her love in someone else''s arms. She will have to see him fall in love with the works but never with her.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to offend you with my words," the prince said apologetically. "Please don''t cry," he added wiping her tears away.


    "It''s okay. Wiping my tears away won''t change the fact that I will always be unfortunate when it comes to matters of the heart," she said to him and got up from the bed to return to the shadows.


    Alexander got hold of her hand and stopped her from leaving. "How long does a dragon have to live?" he asked her. She turned around to face him.


    "I am not sure but I do know that it is very long. Can''t tell how many centuries but they are long," she said in a hurt voice.


    "And how long do you have to live?"


    " Very long I''m afraid until my lord dies permanently I will always be here," she said.


    "Then marry me," he proposed shocking Nayla out of her wits. She looked at him as though she was staring at a mad man hoping she heard him wrong. "Look, like you said I probably have a long time to live just like you. Everyone in my life may die and leave me alone.. But if you and I are together then neither you nor I will be lonely in this long life of ours," he explained.

 Chapter 24 - Here For You

    "That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me. But I can''t marry you," she said removing Alexander''s hand that was holding hers."Concentrate on Francis, dont worry about me. I am not alone," added thinking of her sisters.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. I am sure that I will be just fine. You should think more on how to live long with your bane around and the rest will fall into place for both of us," she said and gave him a hug. "Fortunate are those who get the chance at love, don''t ever waste your chance. Your future is not looking too good try to change it by making the present better," she warned him.


    ''I wish I could tell you that you will succeed in winning Francis'' love and break the curse. But by breaking the curse Francis will go away from you forever,'' she thought as she broke the hug.


    "Should I ask what happens in the future?" he asked.


    "You can but I won''t tell you. Enjoy your night," she said and exited the room going back onto the shadows. Alexander''s dragon heard her thought and understood the future that awaited the two lovers. Had felt bad for the two young men but fate can''t be avoided and they would have to part ways in the future no matter what choices they make now. He also felt pity for the triplets for the fate that awaited them, their immortality would end and they will die to protect Alexander and Francis.


    "The future is indeed dark," he remarked, Alexander had him say this and went to Francis.


    ''No matter how dark the future is, I will always be here for you," he said determined to never leave Francis. He brushed his hair and watched him sleeping so peacefully. He wondered if a day will ever come that Francis would let him be so close to him without feeling uncomfortable of his presence.


    He sang Francisa song of a bird that used to be trapped in a cage until a good Samaritan cane and rescued him and set him free. The song was nice and sweet and Alexander''s voice was so melodious, his voice hit the halls of the special palace. The servants who heard it all moved close to the room to listen closer to him singing. The song was calming, they felt their souls being free from the burdens they carried while listening to him sing.


    Alexander continued to sing for his beloved not aware of the attention that he was attracting outside. News went around the palace that the prince was serenating his new wife. The other wife''s and the Queen mother too stopped everything that they were doing and rushed over to the prince''s palace to hear. They all pushed there way to the door and leaned there ears to listen to Alexander singing.


    ****


    "Enough," Olivia screamed throwing things around in her room.


    "Please relax my lady," her handmaiden requested of her but she could hear none of it.


    "Why should I relax when everything in the palace is going so wrong. The prince is doing things that he has never done before ever since that man came into the palace. He is snatching the prince away from me and I am helpless to do anything to stop him," she said throwing thing at the servant.


    "But you are still his favorite wife and princess. No one can compete with you," the servant said trying to comfort her.


    "Don''t you know that man also bears the same title as me?" she asked grabbing the servants hand and pushing her away. "That man is taking everything away and the old hag is encouraging him and supporting him."


    "My princess it is not nice to call the queen names," the servant warned.


    "And is it nice that she is plotting against me. Is it nice of her to try to throw me out of the prince''s life?" she asked ruining the decorations on her bed.


    "But she has always done that but despite her efforts you still remain the most powerful of the prince''s wives," she stated.


    "That is true but this man was not the old hag''s choice but the prince himself. He cares about him more than anything else. For instance it was always a law that I am the first person he sees the minute the sun sets and he transforms back to his human form. But he only ever runs to that man and that servant," she complained taking a seat.


    "Servant?" her handmaiden questioned.


    "I have noticed him getting closer to one of the new servant girls. I dont know what business he has with her but I dont like it. I think that I will have to show them all how powerful I am in this palace," she said and ordered the servant to clean up her room and get her some weed for her to smoke.


    She took out her best jewelry and put them on. She adorned herself in a beautiful pink dress and applied some makeup on her face. The makeup was light just a few touches."Alexander is mine and no one can take away from him," she said with a confident smile on her face.


    *****


    Alexander sang the song to the very end. He covered his beloved and got up to go look for his mother to find out the reason she is provoking Francis against his first wife.


    He opened the door, the queen and four of his wives and the servants behind them, they all fell into the room and landed on the ground.


    He stopped in alarm as he didn''t expect then to be behind the door like that. He waited for them to get up from the floor, he watched patiently as they dusted there dresses as the servants excused themselves and left the room. He eyed them suspiciously but they all avoided his eyes out of shame for ease dropping on him singing.


    "Now ladies," the queen began getting the attention of the prince''s wives. "It seems that Francis is asleep. The welcoming ceremony will have to be postponed to another time. Come on, let''s all leave him to rest," she said saving all of them from an embarrassing situation.


    And without waiting for the prince to say anything they all exited the room and ran away.

 Chapter 25 - Jealous

    Francis woke up from his sleep. He was feeling strange, he didn''t inderstand why recently he seemed to falling asleep like a mad man. And the worse part was that he doesn''t even remember how he fell asleep in the first place. He got up from the bed and got himself ready and exited the room and went towards the courtyard.


    He took a short walk around and took deep breaths to calm his worried heart. He watched the area and saw busy soldiers running left and right for reasons that he had no idea of.


    He thought of paying the Queen a visit before going to see his mother later on in the night. He turned around and bumped into someone.


    "So..sorry," he said glancing up to meet Olivia''s kind smile. He moved back a little from her and stared at her from a distance.


    "It''s alright Francis. The fault was mine as I was not looking where I was headed," she said surprising Francis.


    "It was my fault too, that is why I apologised," he said not sure what to do about the change in attitude of the princess.


    "Don''t you have anything else to say to me other than an apology?" she asked and his brows knitted wondering what more he should say. "It''s okay. You are new to the palace so it is expected that you don''t know. Today is my birthday and there is going to be a four day feast of activities in the palace to celebrate it," she explained.


    "Happy birthday to you princess," Francis said feeling happy for her.


    "Don''t think that I won''t expect a gift from you later on. For now just follow me," she said and walked away. Francis obediently followed behind her curious as to where he was being led to. They walked out of the courtyard towards a hallway Francis didn''t recognise. He had never been to this side of the palace before and was awed by the beauty of it.


    He was caught up in his thoughts that he didn''t notice that Alexander was walking in the opposite them and was soon meeting them.


    "Happy Birthday darling," Alexander said taking Olivia into his arms and giving her a hug. Francis cane out if his thoughts and watched the two of them hug each other. He felt bitter at the sight in front of him so he looked away.


    "Thank you so much. You know I wanted you to be the first one to wish me on my birthday like you do every year but today someone else had that honor," she said and Alexander glanced at her in surprise.


    "And who is it that dared to steal my right. Tell me who they are and see how I punish them," he asked her in a teasing manner.


    "It is none other than your darling Francis," she replied happily.


    Alexander looked up to gaze at Francis he smiled at the male but the male seemed not to be in good mood.


    "Is that so. Then I definitely have to punish him, " he said and made his way over to Francis.


    "I...," Francis began but stopped as Alexander kissed him on his cheek and walked back to Olivia.


    "Tell me, what do you want for your birthday dear?"


    "I have a lot of demands to make today and as it is my birthday. You will have no choice but to agree to every request of mine," she said confidently.


    "As you wish your highness," the prince joked.


    "My first request is for you to carry me all the way to my room," she requested. Alexander lifted her off the ground and carried her bridal style away from there. He took careful steps not to drop her as she held on to his neck.


    Francis who was watching all of this was burning with envy. As much as he was yet to accept everything about his new life as Alexander''s life partner, it was clear to him that he didn''t like to see him get close to someone else other than him.


    He was jealous of Olivia and wished that it was him being carried away instead of her.He followed the two with his eyes before walking slowly behind them looking everywhere but at them.


    Olivia was feeling very happy that her birthday happen to have come today. She had not a clue how she was going to get her power back but a way presented itself in front if her. She was not going to waste the golden four days of her birthday. She was going to make certain that she gets back everything that she had lost. She didn''t fail to notice the look on Francis'' face when the two of them were close.


    ''Get used to this feeling Francis. I am just getting started,'' she thought and held on to Alexander closer. She was happy that everything was starting to look good for her after so long. She had been on the losing end of everything but now she was getting back on her feet with a strong come back.She drew a bright smile on her face imagining how to put Francis in his place.


    "Here we are," Alexander said putting Olivia down on the couch in her room.


    "Thank you," Olivia said getting some grapes from the table. "Feed me," she requested handing the grapes to him.


    Alexander was loyal and agreed fro her request. He took the grapes from her and one by one he fed her the fruits. He made himself comfortable and took a seat next to her.


    The servants stood in the room with their backs turned to the prince and the princess. Francis wished that he could look away but his eyes kept going back to the couple. He watched with a pained expression.


    "Is something wrong Francis," Olivia asked him knowing very well that it was jealousy was eating him up.


    "Francis are you alright?" Alexander asked getting all his attention to his beloved.


    Francis felt trapped by all the questions and left the room in a hurry. Alexander got up to follow him but Olivia held him back.


    "Don''t leave," she pleaded with him but Alexander removed her hand and ran after his love.

 Chapter 26 - Princess Silvia

    "Today is my birthday, how dare he leave my side for that man," Olivia shouted in her room. She destroying anything that she could lay her hands on. She was not just angry but she was furious. She blamed Francis for all the pain in her life, if it wasn''t for him then she wouldn''t have shed a single tear on her birthday.


    "Before you came into my life everything was perfect. I had the perfect husband and everything that I could ever want in life. But now I dont even matter to the one who treated me like his whole world," she said bitterly. She fell to the ground and clutched the corners of her dress and broke down in tears.


    "I hate you Francis. I hate you with all of my breath," she shouted as her tears flowed down her eyes.


    "It isn''t his fault but mine," she heard from behind and stopped. She wiped her tears and got up from the floor. She walked away and went to stand by the window.


    "Leave," she instructed but Alexander didn''t leave. He came closer to her and stood next to her.


    "I understand that I have been unfair to you of late. And I also know that you have been hurting because of the distance between us. I can''t apologise for the pain but I can make it up to you. I will give you the best birthday. I promise," he spoke and let her know of his feelings.


    "How do you plan to do that when you can''t even see me. Your eyes only look for him," she inquired.


    "In the next four days I am all yours. Tell me what you need and I will get it done. Let''s begin with your birthday wish," he said in a cheerful mood knowing fully well that she won''t resist the chance to demand what her heart desired from him.


    "My birthday wish is," she said and paused turning to face Alexander. She made sure that she got her full attention before she continued. "I want Francis out of our lives for good," she stated, Alexander stared at her in shock. He had not expected her to make such a crazy demand.


    "You know the birthday rule right. You can''t deny me my wish, I want Francis out of our lives. So annul your marriage to him and send him away from this kingdom. Only then will the celebrations for my birthday continue," she explained and walked out of the room, her servants followed behind her.


    Alexander was left in the room with a lot to think about. He was being made to choose between the love of his life and his friend and companion. He couldn''t hurt her as it was her birthday and he also couldn''t hurt him as it would hurt him to see Francis in pain. And there was also the curse that he had to consider.


    He recalled what happens when he chased after Francis earlier and felt even more lost. Francis too had made a demand to him.


    "If you really love me and only me then why do I have to share your attention and anything of yours with someone else. Why should I share you with so many people. If your love is true then prove it and get rid of all those other women from your life. Why do you need so many of them anyway?" Francis asked in anger.


    Francis'' words ran through his mind. He felt helpless on what to do. He left Olivia''s room and went to his women''s quarters.


    "Your highness," princess Silvia greeted. "This that you have personally come to the women''s quarters yourself and not sent a servant. I hope all is well?"


    "Nothing is well," he replied feeling the last bit of energy drain from his body.


    "Come with me," she said and helped him to her room. She let him lie on the bed and gave him a head massage and sang him a song to calm him. "Tell me my dear. What is the matter?" he asked in a gentle voice and spoke as though addressing a child.


    "I am lost on what to do. I am forced to choose between two very important people in my life and I don''t want to hurt either of them," he explained.


    "Then don''t choose."


    "Me not making a choice would create an even bigger problem."


    "I have an idea. Why not choose both. There must be a way to convince Francis if Olivia''s importance in your life and vice-versa," she suggested. Alexander say up and looked at her.


    "How did you know that I was speaking about the two of them?" he asked.


    "I am your wife. I understand you more than you understand yourself and I know who is important to you and who isn''t. I also know of the war that has been going on between Olivia and Francis so to say I am not surprised that they asked you to pick," she replied.


    "If only the choice was an easy one to make."


    "You know your highness. Two kings can''t rule one kingdom and that is why the sun rules during the day and the moon during the night. But one should forget that once in a while they both come together as one in the same sky for a day. In the same way Olivia and Francis can coexist with each other," she said confusing the prince.


    "But how?"


    "Francis can''t bear to see you with someone else right? Then get rid of your other wives to satisfy him. Olivia wants Francis gone, then tell her the reason it is important yo have Francis around. The truth is all you need to fix this, Francis can never give you an heir as he is male so you''ll need Olivia for that and if you leave Francis then your life will be in danger as he is your bane. Give them these reasons and they are sure to give in and take back there demands," she advised. Alexander felt relieved and at ease after finding the answer to the problem.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, how did you know that Francis is my bane?"


    "The mark of the sun and moon behind his ear told me. And like I said I pay attention to my husband to understand him," she said and escorted him out.


    "I won''t forget what you have done for me today," he vowed to her and left the room.


    "And I will never forget how you saved my life," princess Silvia whispered and returned to her room.

 Chapter 27 - Drama Queen

    Alexander called both Francis and Olivia to his room to see him. Francis and Olivia were summoned by their servants and were sitting in the prince''s bedroom. The room was quiet as none of them said anything. The dragon prince stared at his wife and husband quietly.


    "Why have you called the both of us here?" Olivia asked tired of the suspense.


    "I wished to talk to the two of you urgently," he said sitting up straight. "The two of you both requested me that you wished to fulfill," he continued. Olivia was all smiles, she thought that the prince was going to throw Francis out in her presence.


    Francis kept his head down with shame. Had felt so bad for having made such an unreasonable request. He had no idea what had come over him to want that. He knew that he was jealous of his closeness with Olivia but not to the extent of demanding he leaves his wives for him.


    "I called you both here because I have decided on what to do about both your demands," he said.


    Olivia and Francis held their breaths in anticipation of the decision that the prince had made.


    "I have decided to..."


    "Alexander wait," Francis interrupted he got up from his seat. "I have to go. I just recalled something important that I had to do," he said and left the room without giving Alexander the chance to stop him. He ran away from the palace to head out. His eyes were clouded with tears so he couldn''t see where he was going.


    He bumped into someone on his way out. He stopped and helped stabilize the person so they don''t fall. He looked up and saw the queen looking back at him. "And where may I ask are you going?"


    "Home," he replied softly.


    "With whose permission are you living the palace grounds?" she inquired rendering Francis speechless.


    "Dear, it is against the rules of the palace for you or any other wives to leave the palace without permission. Even I the Queen is not spared from this rule, you must understand that you are royalty now and your safety is of priority," she explained and took him with her.


    They went to Francis'' bed-chamber, the queen helped him to settled down and dismissed the maids and manservants from the room. She sat with him and rubbed the male''s back to comfort him.


    "What happened dear?" she asked in a soft motherly voice.


    "I am scared," Francis replied and started sobbing. The queen hugged him and coarse him to relax.


    "Why do you say that when I am here with you?"


    "Th..the pri..prince wants to get rid. rid of me. He ha..hates me," he struggled to say in between his sobs.


    "Why would he do that?" she questioned not understanding why Alexander would ever push Francis away.


    "Why wouldn''t he? I asked him for such an unreasonable thing. I made such a stupid demand in the heat of the moment. I let myself get out of control and fought with him," he explained feeling suffocated in the room.


    "What demand did you make to him? What did you ask for?"


    "I asked him to leave his other wives for me. I got jealous seeing him in Olivia''s arms and got into a heated argument with him and asked him to leave them to prove that he loves me," he said and looked at the queen in despair.


    The queen gave him another hug tighter than the first one. He listened to everything that Francis'' said, she wanted to be happy that he had done the one thing that she had been trying to do for years but she was concerned about Francis for the moment. Her worry for him surpassed her happiness.


    "Don''t worry my dear, you won''t lose the prince. No one will throw you out of this palace. You are my son in law and that will never change," she said and hugged him. She wiped the tears in his eyes and held him.


    "But if the prince decides then h.."


    "Then nothing. Let him decide what he wants, it seems that the prince is very idle and needs work to do. He needs to use his head for useful things. But relax my dear, I am here and I am giving you my promise that nothing will happen. Trust me," she said in a comforting manner. She couldn''t stop the anger that was boiling inside her for what the prince had done.


    The queen kept comforting Francis and reassuring him not to worry. The door to the room opened and Alexander walked into the room. The queen and Francis stood surprised oathis arrival, the servants and guards outside the room didn''t announce his arrival so they did expect him to come in.


    Francis stood behind the queen as the queen shielded him from her son. "Mother, I would like to speak to Francis in private," he said to her.


    "Gone are the days when sons respected their parents. My son doesn''t even greet me and just orders me around like a servant," the queen stated.


    "That is not what I want..."


    "He orders me to leave like I am some kind of a nuisance. I am so unfortunate that despite having a son I suffer such disrespect. I am the queen but when my son doesn''t respect me then how can I expect the world to respect me," she continued and hid her face in Francis'' chest.


    "Mother, listen I didn''t mean to offend you. I just wanted to have a word with Francis and I was not starting a fight with you," he explained but the queen was not ready to listen. She increased her crying and used her hand to chase away her son.


    Alexander knew his mother well decided it best to leave the room than to fight with his mother. His mother was the biggest drama queen he knew and there was no winning against her drama. And fighting with her would only make things worse for him.


    The woman knew how to twist everything you said to her advantage, this is why he hates confronting his mother about things.

 Chapter 28 - Your Curse

    Alexander waited for Francis in his room but the whole night the male didn''t return. He was sure that it was his mother''s doing. For some reason, she seems not to want the two of them to talk.


    He went over to Olivia''s room to see her. In all the things that had happened and everything that he had to go through with his drama queen of a mother, he had completely forgotten that it was his wife''s birthday. He took with him a gift he thought that she might like.


    "Announcing the arrival of the prince," the guard announced.


    The prince walked into the room. "Where is she?" he asked not seeing her inside the room.


    "In the bath your highness," she replied with her head bowed.


    Alexander stepped into her bathroom, Olivia was soaking in the tub filled with blue petals. The maids were washing her. He moved close and signaled for all of them to leave. With the two of them left in the room he got his hand in the water and poured it on her shoulder.


    "Are you here to apologize or to rub salt on my wounds?" she asked furiously.


    "I''m sorry."


    "Today was supposed to be the best day of my life and it was ruined. You say that I should learn to accept your relationship with Francis but why can''t he accept my relationship with you. I am your wife and yet ever since Francis came here, he is always the only thing you think about. Even today you left my side for her," she complained. For the first time since he had met her, he saw her crying.


    "I am sorry Olivia, I didn''t mean t..."


    "Forget it, some of us were forced upon you. So don''t pretend to care," she said and got up from the tub.


    "There is still some time left for your birthday and we are going to celebrate it in the grandest way possible."


    "I don''t want a party or a celebration. I just want you," she said.


    "Okay, you can have me."


    "For as long as I want?" she questioned. "Can I have you for the rest of my life because I know that you are going to leave me for him? How can I compete with your one true love?"


    Olivia got dressed and went to bed. She was in no mood to talk to him or anyone else. She was hurt. Alexander got on the bed and pulled her up. He got her to follow him and led her to the courtyard, he clapped his hands twice and the lights in the courtyard came on. The servants in the courtyard came into view.


    All the other wives were also present there. "Begin," he shouted. A chair was brought for them.


    "Take a seat," he instructed and helped to seat down.


    The show started, the men were brought to the courtyard. All the men were from respectable families in the kingdom. They paraded themselves in front of the king and his wives upon the king''s request.


    "What is all this?" she asked not sure why he was making her watch those men.


    "Well, it''s clear to me that I am unable to keep all my wives happy. So I have decided to give them all permission to divorce me by choosing a partner in one of them," he said. She smiled at him and glanced back at the men.


    "Does that include Francis too?"


    "No, it doesn''t include me but I wouldn''t mind if you were to choose another groom and leave," Francis said making an entry with the queen by his side.


    The mood became tense with Francis and Olivia glaring at each other with animosity in their eyes. They went to take their seats, the other wives watched them silently. Francis sat next to princess Silvia with the queen by his side always.


    "You''ve become brave. I like that, it will make it much more fun to break you," Olivia fired back.


    "Only fragile things get broken and I am not fragile. You might scare people but you don''t scare me," Francis said.


    "Why is that? Because you are the Eno Nesohc. Alexander''s bane who is meant to kill him," Olivia screamed at the top of her voice. Everyone who was at the courtyard heard her. They gasped at the revelation.


    "How?"


    "Alexander told me. He told me everything, the reason why he is keeping you with him is that he needs you not because he loves you. He just needs you around to keep it under control it is to prolong his life and that is all. You are the one who cares for him and that is how he is protected. Your love is his cure and your hate his end," she explained.


    Francis stumbled back from hearing what she said. He looked up to the prince, his eyes asked him all the questions that his mouth was not able to utter. His silence told him that everything she was saying was the truth.


    He had only begun to accept the situation he was in. He was beginning to accept him in his life, he couldn''t believe what he had done to him. Francis'' anger grew in his heart, he felt betrayed and cheated by him. The butterfly in Alexander''s heart woke up from his sleep noticing the anger inside Francis.


    "What now, did the cat get your tongue?" Olivia asked. "You are just a means to Alexander''s long life. A kiss of true love from you is the only thing he needs from you," she added.


    Her words were hitting his heart and it was hitting it hard. He endured it all and channeled everything into his anger. He said nothing and let Olivia vent out her frustrations on him, he listened to her.


    When she stopped talking Francis took four steps forwards and hugged Alexander. He took him in his arms and kissed him passionately. He expressed all the feelings in his heart through that kiss.


    "Alexander break the kiss. Get away from him now," Nayla yelled to warn him but. Thunder and lightning struck the sky three times and his curse was broken.


    Francis''s soul left Alexander''s body and reentered his body. This time the Eno nesohc and Francis became one.


    "Your curse is broken with this kiss. You are no longer half a dragon and half-human. Just as I have merged with my soul so have you. You are now completely a dragon. But now I am your curse and I will destroy everything you hold dear dragon king," he said and turned around.. "Come, we have work to do," he said to Nayla and they both teleported out of the palace.

 Chapter 29 - Back To Normal

    Olivia felt happy that she had gotten Francis to leave. She had gotten her birthday wish and that too in the best possible way possible. She had attacked two birds with one stone, she turned around and faced Alexander.


    "Thank you. This was indeed the best birthday ever," she said so excitedly.


    She walked away from the prince and stopped in front of the queen. "Nice try old hag, but I won," she said and left the courtyard.


    The queen was left standing frozen, she was still shocked at how things had turned out. Her plan was starting to work, where it all went wrong was a mystery to him. All she knew was that the witch had somehow ruined everything that she had made. She went to her son and gave him a comforting hug. She pays him on the back repeatedly before leaving the courtyard.


    Princess Silvia took the prince away from the courtyard towards her room. She ignored all the other wives who tried to get the prince to go with them instead. She reached her room and helped the prince to seat down before she locked the door behind them. She went to her wardrobe and got some dark green leaves, she kept them in a pot and set the fire.


    She added water to the pot and waited for the pot to get ready. She stole glances at the prince, she couldn''t believe how far Olivia had gone this time. The remedy she made was ready, she poured it into a cup and took it to the prince. She helped him drink it and waited for it to take effect.


    The prince I inhaled loudly and jumped from the bed. He looked around the room confused as to what he was doing there." What happened?" he asked her realizing her presence in the room.


    "You lost him," she explained everything that had happened in the courtyard to him.


    "How could Olivia do this? How dare she put me under a spell," he screamed at the top of his voice.


    "Calm down Alex. Shouting is not going to help, we need to think of a different way to approach the situation."


    "What do you mean by that, how can you say that so easily when you know everything that has happened. This time I will rip her throat out, she has crossed the limit," he said sitting down.


    "She is just desperate, that is why she resorts to magic. You know that your mother has never accepted her for these years and she keeps getting you married to many more girls since she came to the palace. It hasn''t been easy for her, she tries everything to remain at the top because she was never given another option. Desperation is what makes her do crazy things."


    "But why magic, does she think that my mother will like her for always resorting to using magic. The queen might not say it directly but she does notice the little things.


    Her hatred for Olivia must have increased now. And so has mine, this time I won''t forgive her," he said feeling betrayed.


    "Listen, don''t hate her just yet. You know that she isn''t that bad. She is.."


    "Stop defending her. She is a monster and I do hate her."


    "The same way Francis hates you now?" she asked him. Alexander stared at her silently. He could only imagine how much he hated him for not saying anything and just watching by. He wasn''t even watching him as he was under the influence of magic.


    "I will just have to win him over. I won''t give up on my love," he told to her.


    "That is good and all but bear in mind that Olivia is not going to sit back and watch the two of you reunite. And what happened today hurt Francis and it might be harder than you think."


    *******


    "Everything is back to normal now," Olivia shouted with joy when she got to her room. "It was good that Alexander told me about his identity. It made it easier to get rid of him," she said and laughed her heart out.


    "It is good that you are happy, it will make it more fun to break you," the queen said getting into her room. She dismissed all the servants in the room to have a private conversation with her.


    "After losing you come here and throw empty threats. Old had accepted defeat," she advised and took a cup of tea and drink it.


    "Call them what you want but you shouldn''t underestimate me. I am a queen and that means that I am always prepared for everything. You might have gotten Francis to leave but you also sent Alexander far away from you," she said to her.


    "That is what you said the last time but I am still here and as for Alexander. I know how to calm him down so don''t need to worry about it."


    "What makes you think that I am worried. Everything will be back to normal. I will be the only special princess and all else will now down to me," she said proudly and confidently.


    "Good luck with that."


    "I don''t need luck. I have everything that I have always wanted. Their us nothing that luck will help me with," she fired back.


    "I hope for your sake that it is as you say. Otherwise, I do not want to be in your shoes when the prince loses it."


    The queen left the room and let her be. She walked the hallways with her hands held into a fist. "Find him. Francis must be brought back by all means and that witch that Olivia goes to meet for help. I want her to be burned to death," she said and went to her room.


    Marcel took her orders and left the palace to find Francis and the witch as the queen had asked him to.


    ******


    "Francis please stop. Listen to me and to what I have to say," Nayla pleaded.


    "Listen to you. After you stood by when the dragon king married me. You support him even now. No problem I will just have to do something about that," he said to her. His aura was different, he wasn''t sweet at all. He radiated dark energy that made her tremble.


    "That is not what I meant my lord. I would never support anyone but you," she said to him.


    "Then please me," he said to her. "That dragon touched me and I feel dirty from it. Your touch will wipe out his, will you do it?" he asked caressing her face.


    Nayla considered what he said, she couldn''t bring herself to agree to his request.


    Alexander was her friend and she wasn''t going to do that to him and he was also the one written in Francis''s destiny then how could she think of coming between them.


    "Things have changed. You''ve never taken this long to consider a request from me," he commented. "It''s okay. I have more reasons to hate the dragon king," he added and kept walking in the dark woods.


    "Forgive me, my lord," she apologized to him. He looked back at her his eyes glowing with mischief.


    They walked further into the woods. Nayla''s other sister appeared next to them after being summoned by the lord. They were quite reading the tense environment between the lord and Nayla. Miyale and Zorra followed behind the lord next to their seat and they spoke in their minds. Nayla kept them up to date with everything that happened at the palace and how angry Francis was.


    "Let''s go to my house. I don''t want to be far away from the dragon king. It should be easier for me to hurt him if I am close to him," Francis and changed direction to head to the village. "On second thought I don''t want to go there. Let''s go somewhere else. Like a trip," he suggested to them.


    "To where?" they asked in unison.


    "The island of the dead souls," he said and smiled. "I need to send Alexander a breakup present," he added.


    "But the dead aren''t to be messed with. It isn''t good to play go.."


    "Don''t advise me," Francis let out angrily. "And that was not a request but an order. I don''t want to debate about it so let''s go."


    "The hatred in Francis''s heart runs deep, with this spell make him go to sleep," Zorra chanted and Francis fell.


    The sisters carried him and took him to their hideout deep in the forest and laid him down on the bed.


    "He is going to kill us when he wakes up," Miyale noted.


    "Not if we don''t do something he will kill Alexander and we can''t have that. We have already interfered with their fate once, it won''t hurt to do it again."


    "What do you want to do Zorra. It''s already too late, the truth is out and his soul is stronger now?" Nayla asked.


    "I agree but there is one thing left to do," she said and looked at her sisters.. "Let''s change it."

 Chapter 30 - The Triplets Of Doom

    The triplets held hands together and chanted under the moon. Together they aligned the stars, the moon, and the sun to perform the task which they wanted. They set the heavenly bodies together and turned back the time.


    "Wait, you two continue. I have to go and get something," Nayla said and left her sisters and rushed back to Arimelari.


    She used a locater spell to track down Alexander. She located him in Princess Silvia''s room and went over to him. Without knocking she forced the door open and went inside.


    "Nayla," Alexander called out surprised. "What are you doing here?" he asked.


    Nayla went to him and embraced him, she pulled Silvia into the hug. She held the two of them and froze them using her magic. She held them close as the time started going back. It reminded back and the events ran back, she witnessed it all until they arrived back in Silvia''s room when she and the prince talked when he came to seek his help.


    "Stop," he held and the time stopped. "Let time ran normally from here," she said and her sisters stopped the spell.


    She let go of Alexander and Silvia and released them from the spell. "What are you doing?" Alexander asked her. "And where is Francis?"


    "Francis is fine. He is in his room," she replied.


    "He came back. This means that he doesn''t hate me. He still loves me?"


    "No and no. He is here because he doesn''t have a choice. Now let''s hurry up before something else goes wrong," she told and rushed out of the room on her feet. She ran to Francis''s room at full speed. Alexander and Silvia who were curious about what she was going on about followed her to Francis''s room.


    They found Francis leaving his room. He avoided making eye contact with the Prince and tried to leave without getting noticed.


    Nayla cast a sleeping spell on Francis and made Alexander carry him back into the room.


    "Is there a reason that you just attacked my wife with magic?" Alexander asked her.


    Nayla ignored him and froze him. He tapped Francis''s heart three times and his soul on the form of a butterfly out from him. "Lie down," she instructed Alexander.


    Alexander listened to her and did as she said. Nayla chanted a merging spell to merge Alexander and Francis''s soul. She used all her stretch drawing every from the elements inside the room from the fire, air, water, and the earth. Francis''s soul fought back and was refusing the merge but Nayla was able to drag it into the body of Alexander.


    "It''s done," she said before falling. Her nose and ears were bleeding from straining herself with the spell.


    "What was that? A witch, sh..she is a witch," Silvia said with disbelief.


    "I know."


    Alexander took Nayla into his arms and left the room after covering Francis up properly. He took her to the room next door which was his and the princess locked the door behind them.


    He laid the witch on his bed. And turned to Silvia who was still waiting for an answer from the weird things that she had just witnessed.


    "What do you want to know?"


    "Everything Alex, from how things got to this point that the dragon prince is taking advice and help from a witch," she said taking a seat by the window.


    "She is my friend, she has helped me a lot. I would go ahead and say that she is the reason that Francis hasn''t killed me yet. What you saw her do earlier was her way of helping me. The butterfly she placed inside me is Francis''s soul. Without it he is simply Francis and not my bane, that is why it is important to keep it out of Francis''s body since my heart is destined to his. It is the only place his soul can be kept," he said and explained everything that had happened since he met Nayla.


    "So she can help you ask Francis for permission?" she asked him with the hope that their love story still had hope of having a happy ending.


    "I hope she can. Now that she has returned and brought Francis back to me. I can''t let this opportunity pass me by. I will ask her to help me," he said.


    "But how sure are you that she is doing this to help you. She could just be a bad person. Aren''t all witches evil?"


    "I am sure she is on my side. I have earned her trust and made her my friend and she won''t ever leave me. She understood my situation and all I needed was to understand her and we became friends."


    "And what exactly did you do to earn her trust?" she asked worried that he might have sold his soul to the dark forces.


    " I offered to marry her," he said shocking the life out of the princess.


    "You proposed to a witch? Have you lost your mind, Alex?"


    "I haven''t, all I did was understand the loneliness and pain that she was in. Had she agreed then I would have married her. But she declined, she just wants Francis to be happy, and from what I saw in her eyes. I doubt anyone can love Francis more than she does. Not even me, I wanted to bring her close to the one she loves. As my wife I would have given her permission to get close to Francis," he said surprising Silvia.


    "I don''t understand. What does she have to do with Francis?"


    "When she first introduced herself to me and explained things to me, I was curious about her and wanted to find out if she was telling the truth. I went to the old library underneath the palace that has information about witches and magic. I was able to check the things she told me and when Francis called me today. It made sense to."


    "I am still confused. What did you find in the library and how does it prove anything and what made sense. Speak more clearly if you wish forms to understand," she said.


    "The prophecy of the Chosen One, it is written that the chosen one will bring to an end to the reign of the dragon kill. And for many years the chosen one has gone after the dragon king and the king evaded death. The chosen one would die and be reborn with the same purpose because as long as the dragon king still lives the chosen one will never fully die. And the chosen one doesn''t work alone. For centuries his witches, the triplets of doom always follow him in every birth to help him kill the dragon king. And I am the dragon king," he said. The princess listened attentively to what he said.


    She tried her best to understand him and what he was saying but her mind rang with a lot of questions. How and why''s filled her head and she couldn''t decide where to begin.


    Alexander went to his drawer and fetched a big brown book, he opened it to the page he wanted and gave it to her. She read the information in the book and her eyes went wide with shock.


    "Th...this says that Francis figured out a way to kill you before he died before. So now he is capable of killing you," she said referring to what she had just read.


    "Yes, but we can change destiny. He can''t kill me if he loves me. The witch that cursed me was Nayla''s sister Zorra. She has a thing for bending rules. She did it to protect me and not to hurt me, the curse made me transform into a dragon only at night which made it hard for Francis to recognize me as the one he was seeking. The fact that she turned me into a dragon was also a lie, I was a dragon way before she showed up. The curse was also to help me and Francis to realize that we were destined to each other from the beginning of time. Our love can set us both free from the road of destroying each other and get the happiness we deserve. They have been helping me from the beginning despite their job to destroy me because Nayla is in love with Francis and wants to see him happy," he said.


    Silvia took him into his arms and hugged him. She couldn''t believe what he was saying to her. For all this time, people had learned to hate witches when all they were doing was helping them. She felt grateful to Nayla for going out of his way to help Alexander other than supporting. She felt relieved that Alexander had many others on his side that was helping him get the happiness that he deserved.


    "Witches are the new awesome right. Now I wish I was a witch," she said and he smiled.


    "I love you just the way you are. Don''t change even if the witches ever recruit you," he told her.


    "I think that you should do something to thank the triplets for the trouble they are going to for you," she said and he nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 31 - Enough

    Alexander took care of Nayla for the rest of the night. He carefully watched the clock to not miss the morning. He needed an explanation of what was going on from the girl and he felt it was necessary to stay and wait for it.


    Nayla opened her eyes at 3 am in morning, she was well rested from the spell that she had cast. She sat up on the bed. "Did it work?" she asked her sisters.


    "Yes, but there is a problem. Zorra got lost, she was tired during the spell and fainted and accidentally got her soul trapped in time. We have to fix this," Miyale said angrily.


    "Okay. I will come and help immediately," she said getting up from the bed.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I have no time to explain, my sisters and I changed back the clock. No matter what you do, do not tell Olivia about Francis''s identity," she told and walked out of the room.


    She numbers into princess Olivia on the way out. She sighed and walked around her not interested in getting into a fight with her.


    "Didn''t they teach you any manners during your training? How dare you pass me without greeting me?" she scolded. Nayla stopped in her tracks, she folded her hands into a fist and turned around. She looked at the princess, in her head she thought how fun it would be to burn her alive. But she put a smile on her face and bowed her head.


    "Greetings my princess," she said.


    "I see, the fact the prince gets pleasure from you has given you the thought that you are on the same ground standing like me," she uttered into her. "Don''t get ideas into your head, whether it is cleaning the palace or warming my husband''s bed. The fact remains that you are just a servant," she said pushing Nayla to the ground.


    "Just a reminder for next time, shameless servants like you should kneel in my presence," she continued wiping her hand with a napkin. She threw the napkin to her and walked into Alexander''s bedroom.


    "How dare a mortal disrespect me like this," Nayla questioned getting herself off the floor. She walked away burning with Anger and left the palace.


    She rushed through the woods to reach her sister. She was scared of the outcome of their action, they had bent the balance of nature and consequences were in order.


    "Where have you been. I have been waiting for so long," Miyale complained as she arrived.


    " I ran into the princess, she ruined my mood so I ran here to burn some steam," she answered.


    "Our sister is missing and you have time to worry about humans. I think that it is time we stop meddling in their affairs," she suggested. "The prince for their happiness can''t be us," she added.


    "We are just trying to.."


    "To what Nayla, destroy ourselves for something that we are not even sure will ever happen. Despite our constant intervention, Francis and Alexander always find a way to fight and grow apart."


    "But.."


    "But nothing. The truth is that they were destined to kill each other and that''s it. The more we try to deny the inevitable the more pain we will cause to ourselves," she explained.


    "I am not going to give up on Francis. He deserves to be happy," she said remaining firm.


    "I am afraid you will have to choose between Francis and us, our sister''s soul is lost and I am not even sure if we can have her back and that is all thanks to your love for Francis. If you remain stubborn about what you want then what will happen next, what will become of us. Don''t we have a right to be happy too?" she asked her in a pained voice.


    "I...I.."


    "It is easy to answer if you have one or if you have thought of the question. But how could you think of us when Francis is all that you have been able to see for centuries. We are not worthy of your attention and the rest of us are forced to help you. It''s but enough we are forced to serve Francis but now you. It''s enough," she let out her tears constantly flowing down her cheeks.


    "We love Francis too and want him to be happy but we should have lives too and not just live in his shadow all our lives," she cried out to her.


    "I have often heard that love is blind but I had the unfortunate luck of witnessing it for myself. For your love, you will drag your sisters to the depths of despair," she stated. "For once choose us too," she begged.


    Nayla''s heart broke and shattered from the words of her sister. But most of all she felt guilty, everything that she was saying was true. She had been caught up in seeking happiness from the one who she loved that she had completely become oblivious to her sisters.


    "We should find Zorra," she said wiping her sister''s tears from her eyes. "And I promise that we won''t live in Francis''s shadow anymore. We will live close by but on our terms and wait for him to come to us as the chosen one. Until then we will take a vacation from work," she said to comfort her and to reassure her of who''s the side she was on.


    She helped her sister up from the ground and together they searched through the spell books to figure out a way to bring their sister back. They searched for the answer for the rest of the night but there was nothing on how to get back the soul that is trapped in time.


    "It''s hopeless."


    "No, it''s only hopeless when we give up and that is never going to happen," Nayla said thinking about what else to do in case they find no answers in books.


    *****


    Olivia walked into Alexander''s room fuming. She glared at the prince in danger. "How dare you bring that maid to your room," she scolded.


    "I don''t remember ever needing to ask your permission to allow anyone into my room," he replied casually.


    "What? Since when do you speak to me like that. Alexander, it''s my birthday and all I asked is for you to get rid of him but you are being mean to me. Why?" she cried out.


    "I don''t need a reason to do anything in my palace nor do I need to give in to all your demands."


    "Alexander," Olivia called out surprised at the attitude that Alexander was giving her. She cried a little louder. "What has changed? You never used to speak or treat me in that manner. I know that it was all Francis''s fault right, he is the reason for your change," she said angrily.


    "Yes, go ahead and do what you do best. Blame others for your mistakes. But could you please do it elsewhere, I don''t wish to see you or speak to you."


    "Are you kicking me out of your room? Alexander, it''s me, Olivia that you are speaking to. The special queen, how Can you ask me out of your room?" asked him.


    Alexander left the room tired of arguing with Princess Olivia. She was stubborn and not ready to listen to anything he has to say not to mention her being unreasonable. She was just finding faults and not even thinking if she was the problem. He walked around the palace deep in thought.


    "What is wrong with you today?" Malcolm inquired making his presence known.


    "I am married. When you get married, I too will be asking you the same question," he replied.


    "I see, why are you so angry with Olivia, and what is going on between you and that maidservant. You seem to be growing closer to her with each passing day and here I thought you were in love with Francis," he acknowledged.


    "I am in love with Francis, I love him with all of my heart. The love I feel for Olivia is that I consider her my best friend and that which is a close friend of mine. You know I have been under the curse since I was a child and very few people come near me with sincerity in their hearts or with fear of who I am. So anyone who does creates a space for themselves in my heart. I can never hate anyone who shows me love but the type of love I give them differs so don''t be confused, Francis is the only one I love in that way," he explained in detail so his friend would understand him.


    "I see but as good as such quality is good, it might be dangerous for a prince. People might take advantage of you if you are like that," he said.


    "I know and now I see that Olivia has been doing exactly that. It hurts that it took me this long to realize this.. And I have had enough," he said sadly and got his horse to go for a ride.

 Chapter 32 - The King Is Dead

    Francis paid a visit to his mother and sister. He was happy to see them again after so long, his mother''s health was improving quite nicely. He had brought with him a lot of gifts from the palace.


    "So what is it like to be married to the dragon prince?" his sister asked him curious about his life in the palace.


    "It''s nice."


    "What do you mean it''s nice, surely there is more information you can add to that," she said not satisfied with the answer he gave her.


    "It''s better than I expected it to be. Life is a little different in the palace," he told.


    "What of Princess Olivia is she as nice as the rumors?"


    "Yes, everyone in the palace is nice and kind," she said thinking back to the conversation he had with Alexander.


    He helped his mother with the household work while his sister questioned him. He did his best to answer her questions making sure not to spill anything irrelevant that might cause them to worry.


    Spending time with his mother and sister was nice and calming, he didn''t have to worry about how to eat and what to eat because here he had freedom. Unlike the palace where he had to be careful of everything that he did because he had eyes on him the whole time from morning to evening.


    He wore his leisure clothes and read a book peacefully in his room. He read the first few chapters and his mind wandered back to the dragon prince. He thought about the outrageous request that he made to the prince.


    He feared that the prince might push him away now that he had become selfish that too not even a month had passed since they got married and he was already trying to change so many things in the palace.


    He kept the book aside and left the room, he met his sister with a bucket at hand. "Are you going to fetch water?" he asked her.


    "Yes brother, there is a lot of clothes that need washing," she replied opening the front door.


    "I will join you," he said and grabbed his bucket.


    "No," his sister screamed in refusal. "You are the prince of this kingdom. How could you fetch water, it won''t look good and it might be a punishable offense," she stated.


    "This is my home and I am fetching water for my mother and sister, there is nothing wrong with caring for my family," he replied to her and walked out the door with his bucket.


    Together they walked down the streets to get to the spot where they fetch water. The well was full as there was a long line of people trying to get water. As the people saw Francis coming they moved out of the way and let him pass. All the people got out of the line and moved a distance to allow him and his sister to draw water first.


    Francis and Willow didn''t refuse the kind gesture and fetched the water. They filled all their buckets and decided to return home. As he walked Francis noticed an old man coughing in the distance, he set his buckets to the ground and went over to him. He took a cup of water to hand to him but a young girl beat him to it. The old man drank the water from the cup, he felt fine for a while but then started coughing again.


    This time he was coughing blood, Francis held him and helped his seat, and rubbed on his back to calm him down. Just then most of the people by the well started coughing blood, they dropped their buckets and fell to the ground and most of them died instantly.


    "Francis, what is happening?" Willow cried out scared. The bodies of dead people kept increasing. Francis watched the situation in front of his eyes, he tried to see what was going on. At that moment the old man he was holding dropped dead in his arms. He set the old man down and watched their surrounding.


    The others drank water to calm down from the situation around them but they started coughing blood and within no minutes dropped to the ground and passed away.


    "Stop drinking the water," he shouted to the people that were still alive. "Whatever is killing people is in the water," he said.


    A man in royal guard uniform appeared with an army behind them. They took Francis and his sister and left the village immediately.


    They boarded the carriage and they headed back to the palace with his mother also made to come along. A bird was sent to the palace with the message of the prince''s emergency return and the deaths of people in the village.


    Their carriage passed by many villages and dead bodies lay everywhere they passed. The thing that was killing people had spread all across the kingdom and the people were dying from drinking the water.


    Marcel and Alexander who were outside the kingdom at that time if the night robe back as fast as they could. They rode towards the direction of Francis''s carriage. Alexander''s heart was racing in his heart, he was restless at the thought of any harm coming to Francis. His dragon soul was also uneasy.


    He jumped off the horse and transformed into a dragon and flew to the skies, his wings propelled to go faster. He flew to the route that Francis would be arriving from. Francis felt some tingling on his dragon mark. The mark was getting warmer and warmer as the dragon got closer.


    "Francis," his sister called out. "Your neck is glowing," she informed.


    "I can see that," he said and tried to cover his neck with a scarf but the glow was still visible.


    Alexander followed the light from his mark to track him down. He calmed down a little when he saw the carriages that were transporting them back to the palace. He stopped about the carriage and slowed down.


    The carriages continued on their way without disruption. The people of Arimelari watched with awe the beautiful dragon that flew above the carriages. Some who feared the dragon went into hiding but secretly stole glances of it. Alexander kept his eyes on Francis to ensure his safety.


    The carriages reached the palace grounds safely and stopped to let Francis and his family down. It was then that the soldiers noticed the prince flying above them. Francis and his sister got down. They noticed everyone''s eyes looking up, gazing at the skies the two of them went wide-eyed in seeing the huge dragon hovering over them.


    ''So that we the mark was reacting today,'' Francis thought.


    The guard led them all inside the palace and escorted them straight to the special palace. Francis was sent to his room while his mother and sister were offered separate rooms in the palace.


    Alexander changed back into his human self and rushed into the palace."Summon the royal physician," he said making his way to Francis''s room.


    "Alexander waits," Olivia said holding him back. "Everyone is affected by this thing. Many in the palace have succumbed to death from drinking water and their others panicking about this matter. As the prince should you take care of them," she said to him.


    "I need to check on Francis first," he said yanking her hand away from him.


    "The king," she said and he stopped in his tracks. His heart fell and he knew that something was wrong. "Your father has fallen to this thing. He is dead Alex," she added.


    Alexander felt dizzy, his head was heavy and he held on to the wall to keep himself on the ground.


    "But if Francis is your main concern then go to him," she said and walked away.


    Alexander thought for a minute before changing direction and went towards the king''s chamber. He heard mourning sounds coming from inside the room, he reached the door and froze. His hand trembled as he tried to open the door, he could only imagine his mother''s state and how much she must hurt from losing his father.


    He thought of the man who had guided him all his life and had shielded him from the cruelty of the world. The love and care he showed in him made it so hard for him to believe that he was gone. He opened the door and took slow steps into the room.


    His mother was seated by the bed with her head on the bed right next to his father. He watched his father''s lifeless body lying there on the bed, his tears flowed down his eyes, his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. The council members in the room saw him and picked him up and helped him to a seat.


    Alexander looked at his father with disbelief, he couldn''t believe that he was gone.. He wanted to close his eyes and open them and see his father alive again but no matter how many times he closed and opened his eyes the king remained dead.

 Chapter 33 - The Dondoyle

    The king''s death shocked the whole kingdom of Arimelari. The whole kingdom was officially opened day and night as the law for the people to change their way of life was taken with the king''s word and after his death, it was lifted. The people of Arimelari moaned the death of their king.


    The prince stayed in his room and refused any visitors in. He kept to himself for days in his palace. He would be a human by day and turn into a dragon by night. He was still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened.


    "Francis," Olivia called out to him. "I need your help," she said to him.


    "What can I do for you princess?" he asked her.


    "Alexander, he needs to come out of seclusion. There are many things that he needs to take care of. He needs to be here to guide Arimelari in this trying time," she said.


    "Get him out of that room, he refuses to listen to anyone else," she added.


    Francis stared at her for a while and went back to gazing at the sun. "Did you not tell me to stay away from him. What were your exact words," he said and paused to think back to what she has said? "He is mine and only I know what he needs," he stated.


    "The kingdom is in danger and the people are dying but all you care about is your pride?"


    "My mother and sister are dying of thirst too. They haven''t had a sip of water to drink since the water was cursed. I am just as worried as you are," he said to her.


    "Prove it and get Alexander out of the room," she challenged.


    Francis got up from his seat and walked away, he headed to Alexander''s room. He felt nervous about meeting the prince, he had done everything that he could to avoid meeting him after their last talk. But he set aside all his fears and walked into the room.


    "Alex," he named getting inside the room. He looked around the room but the room was empty and the one he was seeking was nowhere to be seen. He rushed out of the room immediately.


    "I knew it, you wouldn''t do it," Olivia said appearing from behind the door. "What do you want to achieve by being stubborn. Think about the queen who happens to be your favorite. She won''t have the honor of watching her husband''s last rites being performed unless the prince does so," she said so in one breath not giving Francis to speak.


    "The prin..."


    "Yes, the prince. He is the only one who can help us all right now. Please, just set aside your ego and talk to him," she scolded angrily.


    "Shut up," Francis yelled. "If you just listen to me then..."


    "Then what? Do you think that you can frighten me from speaking the truth by shooting at me? That won''t happen, Francis, I will tell the truth whether you want to hear it or not," she said confidently.


    Francis walked away not seeing the point of trying to tell that the prince was missing. He ran around the whole palace asking about the prince. Everyone he asked gave him the same answer that they had not seen the prince. He searched the whole palace but the prince was nowhere to be seen.


    He went over to the queen to inform her that the prince is missing. He arrived at her chamber and entered the room. He found the queen with a glass of water ready to drink. His heart fell to the bottom of his stomach. He sprinted to her and slapped the glass of water away from her.


    He took into his arms and hugged her, he held her in his arms without saying anything. He couldn''t come up with anything to say that will make her feel better after everything that had happened.


    "Where is Alexander?" she asked after a while.


    "Resting, he was feeling down today so I asked him to rest," he said lying through his teeth.


    "Everything is falling apart. Help me, Francis," she begged to hold on to him.


    "Everything will be a fine mother. I will take care of it," he said and helped her to lay down. He stayed by her side until she fell asleep. She had bags under her eyes so Francis could tell that she hadn''t been well.


    He took off from her room and went to the royal physician. He requested him to make some sleeping syrup for the queen and have it sent to her.


    "Where are you Alexander?" he asked himself while trying to figure out what to do in the prince''s absence.


    ''Dondoyle,'' he had a whisper as he walked on. ''Kill the dondoyle,'' the voice came again. He ignored it and went in search of Malcolm, the prince''s right hand. If anyone would know where the prince was it had to be him.


    ''Kill the dondoyle,'' the voice kept getting louder and louder. He tried to ignore the voice but it was getting harder. It was getting harder for him to see where he was going. The mark behind his head started glowing, he held on to the wall to keep himself on the ground but fell to the ground.


    ''Kill the dondoyle,'' the voice screamed at him.


    Francis got up from the floor, reached out behind his back and his sword appeared. He took hold of both of his swords in his hands. The swords glowed for a minute before he flew away from the palace.


    He flew over Arimelari and headed towards the island of the dead souls. ''Kill the dondoyle,'' he heard again. The louder the voice became the faster he flew towards the island.


    He reached the island and landed on the ground. He walked on to the center of the island were six stones around it. He stood in the middle of the stones.


    "Come out," he shouted at the top of his voice.


    "And why has the chosen one decided to pay me a visit so suddenly?"


    "My visit is not sudden. You should have expected it when you decided to send a dondoyle after me," he said.


    "But you are still here are you not?" she questioned.


    "But you won''t be for long. Where is the dondoyle?" he asked her. She stopped him from talking by walking to him. She held him by the hand.


    "Why are you so offended Francis?" she asked him seductively.


    "Where is the dondoyle?" he inquired pushing her away.


    "I don''t know. I wasn''t the one who sent him," she said but Francis was not buying it. "I swear that I was not the one who sent him.


    Why would I, just look around? Because of his attack, my island is full of dead souls that I have to take care of. Do you think that I would give myself so much work only for one life?" she explained to him.


    "If not you then who?"


    "I don''t know that but a dondoyle needs trapped water where it doesn''t swim a long distance. That way it can keep releasing its poison," she said.


    "If it''s you that has poisoned the water that is killing people then I won''t hesitate to end your life, Marga," he threatened.


    Francis left the island and flew to the skies. ''Kill the dondoyle,'' he had the voice again. The voice was so loud that he lost his balance and fell back down to the ground.


    "Let me help you up," Marga said running to him. Francis took her hand and got up from the ground. ''Kill the dondoyle,'' the voice said again this time with confidence.


    Francis looked up at Marga and a wicked smirk appeared on his face. The grin disappeared as fast as it appeared on his face.


    "Appearances can be deceiving am I right?" he asked her. He clutched his sword and pushed it through her heart. The sword glowed in her and shattered her soul and body and reduced it to ashes.


    "A dondoyle taking the form of the high priestess. What in the world is going on?" he asked himself confused.


    He went over to the stones and tapped on all of them, the stones remained still. The balance was broken, he could feel the pillars that maintained the balance of nature were not stable. The dark forces were finding holes that they were using to crawl up into their world and they are causing harm to people.


    As the chosen one it was his responsibility to ensure that there was balance in the world. He sighed thinking about all the work that he would have to do and all the mess that he will have to clean up.


    ''Destroy the dragon king,'' the voice started again. ''Kill him now,'' it demanded from him.


    Francis held his head trying to fight the urge that was demanding for him to kill the prince.


    He let go of the swords and thought of happy things and came back to normal.. He fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

 Chapter 34 - Tired

    Alexander left the palace without letting anyone know and rode to the place where he first met Francis, he had a lot on his mind. His father''s death was something that he had not anticipated happening at all.


    The poisoned water couldn''t have been a coincidence after his fight with Olivia, as much as he didn''t want to believe it. He was very sure that she was responsible for everything that was happening. He had always had a soft spot for her that he overlooked the small things she did but her wings were growing a lot. She was getting more dangerous with every day.


    It hurt him that the girl he considered his best friend would go as far as this just to get even. She is so greedy for power that she sacrificed his father in the process of it all. He regretted never listening to his mother and leaving Olivia. She was a human but had a heart of a wicked witch.


    He thought about what to do with her now that she had succeeded in ruining everything for him. But what troubled him the most was how his father the king got to drink the poisoned water, the water was poisoned after he had left the palace and the king''s drinking water is usually drawn in the morning. Enough to last him the whole day, so if the kings water was safe to drink them how was it that he drank the poisoned water.


    He asked himself many questions and even came to a decision that someone had deliberately given the king the poisoned water. A conspiracy was being hatched for the throne and whoever it is knew too well how Olivia''s mind works and used her to his advantage. But who could it have been, was another question that bothered him.


    He sat on the stone by the bank and watched the water, on normal occasions he would have been calm after watching the water but today it only made worry. His head was so full of questions with no way to get the answers and worse of all he was in no condition to think about how to solve the poison water problem.


    He thought through his options, he couldn''t punish her but he couldn''t keep with him anymore. After everything she had done it was enough for him. He had enough of everyone taking advantage of his kindness and getting away with it.


    "People fear the dragon prince so much yet I don''t do anything bad. But from now on they will see a different prince. I will give them a reason to fear me," he said his eyes red from crying so much. His temperament changed from the normal cheerful nature to cold. The life that used to live in his eyes completely disappeared.


    He found no beauty in the trees and flowers around him as he had done in the past, everything was plain to him. The colour around him was becoming meaningless. He had always wanted to see the beauty of the sun in his land but today he had that the privilege to do that he couldn''t even cherish the moment. Not feel the warmth of the sun from how his body was cold. His heart too was freezing cold.


    ******


    "We have searched everywhere but their is nothing on here about how to save Zorra," Miyale said sadly.


    "There is a way for us to save her. But it will require a lot of work and sacrifice," Nayla informed her sister after being left with no other option.


    "How? I am willing to do anything it takes to save her."


    "We have to get a human who has the exact same qualities as Zorra and have her take Zorra''s place. Then we will transfer Zorra''s essence into her body. That is the only way to get her back," she said.


    "How do we find this girl you mention who''s body is like Zorra''s?" Miyale inquired.


    "We first have to gather Zorra''s essence then we have to find the black spider to make us a black thread that we can use to get the two to become one," she said .


    "That doesn''t sound hard," she commented.


    "Are you serious. Do you know where we can find a mythical black spider and without the power of three do you know how hard it will be for us to get it to make a thread for us. And merging two people together requires the power of three as well but we are only two. So why don''t you tell me how you plan to achieve this east task with just the two of us?" She questioned knocking some sense into her sister.


    Miyale swallowed hard at everything Nayla mentioned, indeed it wasn''t going to be easy to get their sister back but she was not going to give up just because the road got difficult.


    "We have seen worse over the years right? So we are sure to get through this and emerge victorious like always," she said confidently to cheer them on.


    "Enough chat, let''s go. We have a lot of work to do," she said and took her away. They travelled across the forest on their way to the isle of the lost to find a witch that would know the whereabouts of the black spider.


    As they walked passed the lake the two of them felt the dark energy radiating from the water. Out of curiosity they checked the water and noticed the poison flowing through the water.


    "A dondoyle," they said together in unison.


    "We should go to Arimelari and see if Francis is okay," Nayla said and got to her feet to run back to check on the love of her life.


    Miyale watched her run away, her heart breaking from seeing with her very eyes her sister chosing Francis over them again. She dropped to the ground In despair.


    "It was difficult to save you before with just the two of us. Now it is going to be close to impossible to do it alone," she cried out.


    Mayla rushed back to Arimelari to find Francis, she searched around for him, her heart feeling restless. She looked for the prince when she couldn''t find him but even he was no where to be found. She asked around if anyone had seen them but no one knew where they were.


    "What right does a servant have to ask around for the prince?" Olivia asked her.


    "I am in no mood to talk to you," she replied and tried to walk away but Olivia stopped her by grabbing her hand. She pulled her back and slapped her so hard that she fell to the ground.


    "A servant should know their place in front of a royal. I am a princess so show me some respect," she scolded.


    "How dare you hit me. How dare you raise your hand to me?" Nayla asked emitting a dark aura around her.


    "I am not afraid of you. You are nothing but a pathetic servant," she uttered bitterly.


    Nayla smiled at her. "Your future is not so bright little princess. From what I see in your destiny, your future is dark. You won''t be in the palace for much longer and this right that permits you to look down on people will soon be stripped away from you. You should cherish being a princess while you still can because you won''t have that right for much longer," she said to her.


    "It seems that you have quite a long tongue don''t you? I will have it cut off," Olivia threatened.


    "That is something that I would like to see happen," she said and vanished before Olivia''s eyes. "I''m sorry," she apologized to her sister. "Worrying about Francis is an old habit and it will take time to grow out of it. Let''s go before the sun sets or we might lose the witch."


    "Aren''t you going to find the dondoyle and save the kingdom?" She questioned not sure if she was speaking to her sister or a stranger.


    "Francis can handle it, I can''t keep solving all his problems for him. You were right I do need a life far away from Francis, maybe a boyfriend would be the best way to start," she said shocking the life out of her sister.


    "What happened in the palace and what have you done to my sister?"


    "I am still here, just tired of this one sided love. Enough talk about me and let''s go."


    "Wait until Zorra hears this she will go crazy. She tried so hard to get you to move on but failed miserably and now this," Miyale said and she pulledd her sister away and they got back on their journey to find the witch in the isle.


    ********


    "Just hold on a little, he is coming," Alexander heard the dragon voice say in his head. For some reason he felt a little peace hearing his voice, it gave a feeling that he was not alone and that there was someone there always watching over him and protecting him.. One who won''t take advantage of him or ever leave him.

 Chapter 35 - Permission

    Francis woke up to a field. He was perplexed by the sudden change of environment. He recalled being on the island carrying two swords while a voice kept screaming at him to kill the dragon king. For some reason, he had a feeling that Alexander was the one he was asked to kill.


    "You are an awake boy," he had and turned his head to the side. The dragon was laying down on the field.


    "You are here, did you save me from the island?" he asked.


    "No my boy, you are currently asleep. It was the only way I could talk to you," he informed.


    "Tell me, do you know where Alexander is?" he asked the dragon.


    "The place where he first met you. He is not doing well, you should help him," the dragon said and vanished. He opened his eyes at the island, he felt relieved that he at least knew where the prince was. The only problem was to find a way to leave the island.


    He took a walk through the island feeling giddy all over his body. The island was full of dead souls who tried to grab a hold of him as he walked past them. He avoided getting in touch with any soul as his father had taught him that new ghosts can possess a human and make him do their bidding.


    "Help me," he heard a small almost non-existent cry for help. He stopped in his tracks.


    He turned around and followed the voice back to the stones. He looked around while standing at the center of the stones. He couldn''t see anything or anyone but he could hear the voice.


    "Where are you?" he asked shouting for the person in need to hear him and tell him where he was.


    "Down here," the voice said and he looked down. He strained his eyes to see the source of the voice but there was nothing.


    "I can''t see anything," he said.


    "Keep your hand on the ground," he heard and did so. His instincts were telling him that whatever it was that was talking to him was good for him. He felt something climb onto his hand but he couldn''t see anything there.


    "What are you?"


    "A night whisperer," the small voice replied.


    "Now tell me where would you like to go. I can control the four powers of telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, and time. I work at a price and I name the price as we go," he said and Francis listened with surprise. He didn''t even ask for his services and yet he was being given the terms of service.


    "Why are you invincible and small. And why me ?" he asked it.


    " I am a night whisperer and the reason for choosing you is because of who you are. You have the power to get me what I want. And I am female," she said to him.


    "Good to know," Francis said. He told the whispered where he wanted to go and when he opened his eyes he was by the lake. He searched for the prince and found him sitting by the water. "You can do this Francis. Just go over and talk to him," he said to himself.


    "Did the two of you fight?" the whisperer asked.


    "Yes, the last time we talked I argued with him and now his father is dead and there is so much depending on him. I don''t know what to do, should I start with an apology or condolences," he said confused.


    "Is he your partner?" she asked and he nodded his head. "Then neither, try something different. How about raising his body temperature and his mood," she suggested.


    "How?" he asked her.


    "You could...." he whispered his suggestion in his ear. Francis''s face went red from the embarrassment of what he was being asked to do. "Go," the whisperer nudged him.


    "But I don''t know how to do that," he said to her.


    "Okay. I will guide you," she told him.


    "Does that mean that you will be watching everything?"


    "No, I will guide you with my eyes closed. I have the power to read your mind so I will be able to help you," she said in her small voice and pushed Francis to Alexander.


    Alexander looked up surprised to see Francis by his side. "You. Why are you here?" he questioned him. Francis stood by nervously and he looked down at his hands. They were shaking, his whole body was too. He tried to compose himself by holding his hand into a fist.


    "Do you have a fever?" Alexander asked noticing him shaking.


    ''Yeah Francis, you are kind of ruining the mood,'' the whisperer whispered in his ear.


    He took a seat next to Alexander, he turned and leaned close to him with his lips almost brushing Alexander''s lips. He kissed his cheek and ran away from there.


    ''You are hopeless, you were supposed to make out with him and eventually have the ultimate. But you couldn''t even kiss him. Hopeless," she said disappointed.


    "I tried to but I already told that I have zero experience with this. I can''t initiate that which you are asking me to do."


    "You can''t even say the word. A teenage girl is worse than you are," she said to him.


    "I tried but I''m too afraid to..."


    "Afraid to what?"Alexander asked him having witnessed him talk to himself.


    Francis closed his eyes and held his breath after being caught red-handed He didn''t dare turn around to meet Alexander''s eyes. Alex took a few steps and embraced Francis from the back.


    " Are you nervous?" he asked him and he nodded. "Then don''t push yourself, I am willing to wait until you are confident about it," he said to him.


    "Are you sure? I can..."


    "I am sure. We should go back home now, there is a lot of things we need to take care of," he said and together they rode back to the palace.


    Francis enjoyed the ride back home feeling happy that Alexander was no longer mad at him for the things that he had said before. He felt so happy that all the differences were gone even if it took him playing a fool of himself.


    "My condolences for your loss Alexander," he said and the Prince stopped the horse.


    "What did you call me?" he asked in an ice-cold voice seeming offended by him.


    "Alexander. That is your name right?" he asked wondering why he was reacting so strangely.


    "Is that what you are going to call your husband. I don''t like it, call me something else. Something more intimate," he requested.


    Francis thought about fit for a minute. "How about Dragon king?" he asked.


    "No," Alexander refused afraid that just by the mere mention of that name that Francis would try to kill him.


    "How about I call you prince," he suggested but Alexander just sighed.


    "How about you call me baby," he said sweetly next to his ear. "If you call me that then my heart will be contented."


    Francis felt goosebumps all over his body while listening to him, his hot breath hitting his skin made him tingle with desire.


    "Since I make you feel so good just by talking to you, you can do me this much. C you not?" he asked him. Francis nodded in agreement. "I am afraid I didn''t hear you," he said.


    "Yes, b..baby," he said and looked down out of embarrassment, his face was crimson red.


    Alexander and Francis arrived back in Arimelari in the evening, the sun was just about to set. Alexander felt very good to have had the chance to bond a little with Francis. He wished for many days like that one. He was too busy with everything that he didn''t notice that he hadn''t transformed into a dragon that day.


    Malcolm and other servants welcomed them back into the palace. All the princesses in the palace rushed to greet him when he returned.


    He ignored every single one of them and treated them indifferently. He walked straight to his room. He ordered for arrangements of his father''s funeral and his coronation to be made immediately.


    He ordered for the royal treasury to be opened and those who have lost a family member in Arimelari during the last few days to be compensated and taken care of.


    When he was done handing out work to his council he went to see his mother. He found her asleep from the sleeping syrup the doctor had given her.


    "Alex," he heard Olivia call out and then heard her footsteps as she stepped into the room." How are you?" she asked him.


    "I am fine Olivia, you need not worry about me," he replied in a chilling voice that made her tremble a bit.


    "I am your wife. I have the right to worry for you," she said sitting next to him.


    "If that is the case then from this day going forward, I prince Alexander of Arimelari hereby release you from your duties as my wife and permit you to divorce me," he announced to her and had it written down in paper and handed it to her.

 Chapter 36 - A Thorn

    Olivia stood in the king''s chamber frozen, her eyes were filled with disbelief for everything that had just happened. The idea of the prince leaving her has never once crossed her mind.


    She has always been confident that no matter what she did the prince will always care for her the same he always had. She had known the prince had a soft spot for anyone who was kind to him and as long as she kept being good to him he would stay with her forever.


    It shocked her when she received permission to leave him and end their marriage for good. All her dreams were just around the corner and she could see them all coming true if she took a few steps forward.


    She just needed a few days to achieve everything and become the true Queen of Arimelari.


    She looked at the queen sleeping peacefully and became angrier, she could only imagine her face when she bragged about winning and her loss, and that in itself set her off.


    "I am not a loser. I am a queen," she said to herself to comfort herself. She stood by the bedside and watched the queen. "If I kill you then all that will be left to take care of will be Francis and my life will be just as it was supposed to be before he came into my life," she said.


    She moved closer to the bed and kept her hand to the queen''s throat and pressed down on it hard. The queen woke up from the lack of air in her lungs, she fought back from Olivia but was too weak and couldn''t do much.


    "S..save me," she struggled to say and it came out softly that even Olivia couldn''t hear her. She kept pressing her hands on the queen''s neck to end her life.


    Francis came to check up on the queen and found her room open. He took a peek inside the room and saw Olivia in the act of trying to kill the Queen. He rushed into the room and pulled her away from the queen and roughly pushed her down on the ground. Olivia hit her back to the ground hard, she cried and moaned in pain on the ground but Francis ignored her and carried the queen in his arms, and left the room.


    He took her to his room and ordered some food and water to be brought to him. He helped her eat her food and gave her some water and covered her with a blanket so she was warm.


    "Rest now mother. I will watch over you," he said seeing how tired she looked.


    "Olivia," she uttered.


    "Don''t worry about her. I will make sure that she doesn''t get away with what she has tried to do to you," he assured and she smiled. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes to get some rest. He tucked her in and let her rest peacefully.


    Alexander walked into the room after a while, he was all smiles after seeing Francis but was surprised to find his mother lying in his bed.


    He embraced his beloved from the back and held him in his arms for a while. He was so happy and couldn''t wait to inform him that he had officially gotten rid of Olivia from their lives and not just her. He wanted to tell him that he had released all his other wives too. He gave them the freedom to go wherever they wanted and live their lives as they wished.


    He wanted so much to tell him that there was only space for him in his heart, life, and kingdom. He should never have to share him or anything that us his with anyone else ever again because all of him was his and his alone.


    "Olivia tried to kill the Queen," Francis said and his happy mood vanished as quickly as it came.


    "What?" he asked turning Francis around to face him.


    "I went to check on her and caught Olivia with her hands to her neck," he informed him.


    Alexander walked over to his mother and removed the cover from her neck and saw the fingerprints on her neck. He trembled at seeing that, he had just lost his father, and had Francis not saved his mother then he would have become an orphan.


    He felt guilty, he had known Olivia''s nature and he still walked away from her leaving her in his mother''s room alone. He cursed his stupidity for not realizing that the woman was a danger to his family especially after the news that he had given her. It was expected that they would retaliate but trying to kill his mother was crossing all limits.


    "I will be right back," he said to Francis and left the room in hurry. Francis called Arnie and Aya to the room and left them to look after the queen while had gone to check on Alex. He had to ensure that Alex doesn''t do anything that he would regret in the future. Because no matter what has happened between the two of them it is still true that they shared a relationship in the past. And that past was not that far behind them.


    The people he asked told him the prince had headed to the infirmary and that is where he went. He rushed into the room without waiting to be invited in expecting Alexander to have his hands on Olivia''s neck but he was seating down with his head held in between in hands.


    He walked over to the prince and held him. "What''s wrong?" he asked him in worry.


    "Everything is finally going right. That is all," Olivia replied from her bed.


    "Alex, what happened?" he asked him again to get the answer from him.


    "It is my birthday do you know that?" she asked him. "Alex gave me a gift that is impossible to forget and even more to accept but the universe had pity on me and gave me a different gift from his," she added booming with a big smile on her face.


    "Alexander speak to me," he begged him scared that Olivia had done something to him.


    "I will tell you, not because unlike you but because I am sure that the news will cause you nothing but pain," she said and paused to make sure that she had Francis''s attention. "I am pregnant Francis," she said. "I am carrying the heir to the throne of Arimelari in my womb and that means that Alexander and I won''t separate anytime soon," she said with joy.


    Francis''s hand that was holding on to Alexander dropped, the words that Olivia uttered kept repeating themselves in his head and it was getting hard for him to be in that room.


    He left the room in a hurry with Alexander helpless to do anything to stop him. He had imagined a new beginning for him and Francis but this complication had to appear in his life and ruin everything that he wanted for his life. And of all the people in his life to be pregnant, it just had to be the one who he despised the most.


    "Your love left," she said to Alexander. "But I am still here, just apologize for the things you said to me and we can live just as else did before," she told him.


    "I hate you," Alexander said from the bottom of his heart. "I hate with all of my heart and if you weren''t pregnant right now I would kill you myself and bury your dead body. And don''t think that anything will ever be as it was before because you will only stay here as the mother of my child and nothing more. I am not going to be yours ever again," he said harshly to her and got up to leave the room.


    "I will kill this child in my womb," she threatened to watch him leave the room.


    Alexander stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. He hated her every being and she was making him hate her even more with her actions. She was dragging an innocent life to her game.


    "What do you want?" he asked her and she felt satisfied with herself.


    "Everything, I want to be the queen of Arimelari and the queen mother. I want to be the only one in your life so Francis has to go and I want to be the only one crowned at the coronation beside you," she demanded.


    "I can make you queen and the queen mother but as for your other requests you can forget them and if you aren''t satisfied then do as you wish. I don''t care," he said. ''What a thorn,'' he thought and left the room.


    Olivia remained in bed furious, she had just fulfilled Alexander''s long-time dream of being a father and he wasn''t even happy about it. He was even denying her everything that she was asking of him because of it. She had expected him to obey her every demand for the child but still, she was happy that she got some things.


    "The rest will come later," she said.

 Chapter 37 - The Kings Farewell

    Alexander roamed around the palace grounds. He was cursing his life and the fact that he had to meet a terrible woman like Olivia and have her ruin everything that he held dear to him.


    "Sire, the arrangements are down for the King''s funeral," Malcolm informed him.


    He nodded his head and followed Malcolm to the palace. He got to his room and changed his clothes, he got dressed in all black for the funeral. He left his room and found Francis and the queen coming out of his room all dressed up for the funeral. Francis was holding his mother and helping her walk, he didn''t even turn around or spare a glance for Alexander.


    They headed to the entrance of the palace, Silvia was there waiting for them, she smiled at the prince and went to him when they arrived.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I came to help my friend mourn his father. I am not your wife anymore but I can still be your friend right," she said and held Alexander''s hand. "Just take one step, the other will follow after," she advised and walked with him.


    They walked side by side with Francis and the queen. They descended the stairs going down. Olivia arrived at the foot of the stairs and put her hand out while waiting for Alexander. She wanted him to hold her hand while they went to the funeral and to be by her side.


    Francis watched her with bitterness in his heart, the realization dawned on him that he could never compete with her no matter how much he tried because he lacked a lot compared to her. She was giving the kingdom an heir something that he could never do even if he wished for it since he was a man.


    "Why are you getting angry?" the Queen asked him noticing his mood.


    "Anyone would get angry on seeing a snake," he replied.


    "Olivia? Why do you bother yourself with her when you are the one my son loves. Consider yourself victorious as you have something that she could never get in this lifetime," she said to comfort him. "Not to mention the prince won''t spare her after what she had done this time," she added.


    "I doubt that is ever going to happen," he said.


    "You underestimate the love my son has for me and his father."


    "I don''t underestimate the love that he has for you and the late king but he won''t punish the mother of his child," he said.


    "What?" she asked surprised at what he just said.


    "Princess Olivia is pregnant."


    Silvia stopped a step closer to Olivia. She waited for the prince to take Olivia''s hand so she can walk behind them.


    "The procession is waiting. Let''s go," she said reaching her hand closer to Alexander.


    "Today is my father''s funeral. I want to be by my family at this time," he said and walked past her and joined the soldiers. Eight soldiers carried his father up. While the others walked in front and behind the king.


    The prince and Silvia walked behind them, followed by the rest of the royal family. The procession began and everyone carried a candle in their hands. They followed the king''s body as it took one last tour around the kingdom. To bid farewell to the people and his kingdom before he was put to rest.


    The sunset as they were making the last round on the last kingdom. The subjects and the royals lit their candles and let them burn in his memories. They sang songs as the body was heading to the lake.


    "Be strong mother," Francis said to the queen as she broke down in tears. It was so hard for her to watch her husband being carried away for the last time. She couldn''t contain the pain in her heart for losing her husband.


    "Olivia must pay for this," she said in a shaking voice. "I will have her life for this."


    "You can do all that later, now just think about the king and say your last goodbyes," he said to her.


    The king''s body made it to the lake and was laid in a boat. The queen left Francis''s side and went over to the boat. She held her husband''s hand for one last time and dropped it after whispering threats into his ear.


    She threatened him to wait for her before he went to the afterlife so that they can go together or she would kill him if they ever met again. She also asked him to haunt Olivia''s dreams until the day the witch took her last breath or she will make his life miserable for him after she dies.


    She waited for the prince to bid farewell to the king, Alexander held his mother and wiped her tears away, and gave her a nod. The Queen pushed the boat from the shores. The boat went away from the bank and further into the lake.


    The prince jumped into the lake after his father''s boat, he transformed into a dragon and emerged from the water. He flew over his father''s corpse and released his fire to burn the boat. He watched his father burning and returned to the shores. He returned to his human form upon stepping on land. He stood next to his mother.


    Francis took the queen and together they boarded the first chariot back to the palace. Alexander rode with Silvia and Olivia back to the palace.


    "Greetings princess Olivia," Silvia greeted.


    "Greetings to you as well, I would refer to you as a princess but you no longer hold that title so," Olivia said to provoke her but Silvia just smiled.


    "Relationships in life don''t change because of tags Olivia. The King might have divorced me but I still hold a special place in his life. I am his friend and I will always continue to be so until the day I die," she said.


    "You and I both know that you don''t care about being his friend. The only that concerns you is having his favor so that you can the world at your feet," she said.


    "It''s okay if you think that. After all, a liar will never believe that others can tell the truth. In the same way, how could you ever think that I am capable of having any good intention for being friends with the prince when you aren''t," she fired back.


    "You," Olivia said and raised her hand to hit her but Alexander caught her hand. "Let me go," she demanded of him.


    "Behave yourself and don''t even think of harming Silvia in any way or you will regret it," he said in the cold voice that he had used with her before. Olivia sat back quietly, Silvia watched her friend in worry.


    She was wondering how cold the prince''s voice was and why he had become like that. She thought that his avoiding Olivia earlier was because of a fight that they could have had but the problem seemed to be bigger than that. She wanted to ask but his aloof face told her that he wasn''t in the mood to talk.


    "I am happy. I got to achieve Alexander''s greatest dream," she said humming.


    "Are you pregnant?" Sofia asked putting two on two together.


    "Isn''t that good news?" she asked her.


    "Stop the chariot," Alexander ordered and all the chariots stopped. "Let''s go," he said pulling Silvia out of the chariot. Olivia tried to hold him back but he left. He got Silvia to board his mother''s chariot and went to sit alone in the last chariot.


    "Let''s move," he ordered and the guards started the journey again. He felt someone else''s presence in the chariot when he sat back. "I know that you are in here. Reveal yourself," he said.


    A little girl appeared seated right before his eyes. She looked no older than twelve years old. She was carrying luggage with her and sat quietly.


    "Who are you?" he asked her.


    "Annak, my name is Annak."


    "What are you doing here Annak?"


    "I am here to head to the palace," she replied in a sweet voice.


    "And why are you going to the palace?"


    "I am going to serve the dragon prince and the chosen one. I have been sent by Nayla one of the triplets of doom. She has asked me to stay by their side and help them in case they need it as she is not here anymore and won''t return for a long time. I am a witch and I can perform spells for them," she answered in detail as she was asked to.


    "I see. Do you happen to know why Nayla is not here and where she has gone?" he asked her but she shook her head.


    "She didn''t tell me and who may I ask are you?" she raised the question.


    "Alexander, the prince of Arimelari and the one you were sent to serve."


    "In that case, it is nice to meet you, your highness.. I am in your service as I owe the triplets a debt," she said and bowed her head.

 Chapter 38 - Bringing Him Closer

    The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The people of Arimelari we''re still asleep despite the law being lifted. They had gotten so used to sleeping for so long that it felt weird for them to be awake during the day. The coronation was arranged on this beautiful day as the throne couldn''t stay empty for too long.


    The prince laid in his bed thinking about Olivia, her unborn and Francis. The three of them definitely couldn''t stay together and if he didn''t do something about the situation then he risked losing his child and his love.


    He could only imagine how worse his life will become with Olivia in the palace. She was one to leave no stone I turned until she had her way and he feared for what she will do to achieve her goals. His mother was another case that he had to worry about, Olivia had already tried to kill her once. He wasn''t sure if she will try it again or if it was just a one-time thing.


    "Why?" he asked himself. He sat down by the window and looked out to the sky. "I always dreamed of seeing you and your beauty but why do I not feel your warmth? Why has seeing you brought so much darkness into my life," he asked the sun in the sky.


    The room was quiet with only his voice to be heard. That was until he heard the knock at the door, the guards posted outside the door didn''t inform announce the person who had come to see him, he was curious as to why.


    He watched as the doors opened only to see princess Olivia walk into his room.


    "Beloved prince, I wish to speak to you," she said politely and waited for the servants to leave and locked the door. She stepped over to the prince with a bright smile on his face. "Won''t you ask me why I am here?" she questioned.


    "I''m sure you will tell me. Whether I ask you or not so better get it over with, I am in no mood to talk to you right now," he responded coldly to her.


    "I love you, Alex. You mean the world to me and I am going to prove that to you. The two of us are going to be happily married and be the best parents to our unborn child. I believe that this child is going to bring us closer," she said softly.


    Alexander glanced at her not buying her act. He had fallen for her lies way too many times to trust that she can be nice without having an ulterior motive behind it. He wasn''t able to figure out what she was up to by looking at her so he looked away.


    "Why are you silent. I have just confessed my love for you, won''t you tell me how you feel about me," she asked him.


    "I already told you but if you would didn''t hear me well then listen," he said and turned to her giving all his attention to her. "I hate you with every fiber of my being," he added.


    "There is a very thin line between love and hate. I am sure that I will be able to melt your heart and get you to fall in love with me too," she said to him. Alexander tuned her out and listened to the sound of the birds outside his room.


    Olivia hugged him and held him close to her. He looked at her with disdain in his eyes and held her hands to push her away but she kissed him instead. The kiss was a short snap kiss on his lips.


    "I know, we can''t do more than this since I am pregnant but I am glad that you still seek comfort in my arms," she said and he frowned wondering why she was speaking such nonsense. He heard something drop to the floor and turned his gaze to the door. He froze when he saw Francis standing at the door.


    "Francis," he called out right before Francis ran off away from them. He let go of Olivia to run after him.


    "It is of no use, after seeing us so close to each other. And that kiss, he is not going to listen to anything you say."


    Alexander turned around. He took big steps to reach Olivia and held her by her throat. His eyes were so cold that they could freeze a person just by looking at him. Olivia struggled to free herself from him, she felt immense fear for Alexander, he was not the prince that she was used to.


    The prince she knew would never raise his hand to a woman let alone her. He would never get so angry at her no matter what mistake she did and he did not emit such a dangerous aura around him. The prince was sweet, loving, and caring for those who showed him compassion and accepted him.


    "Let me go, Alex," she said. "I am pregnant," she reminded.


    "Annak," Alexander yelled at the top of his voice. A little girl appeared next to him and looked at him innocently. Alexander let go of Olivia''s neck and got down to the child. He whispered few things in her ears and she nodded in understanding. She walked over to Olivia and held her wrist.


    "Let me go," Olivia shouted and yanked the girl''s handoff. She touched her wrist where the girl had held to check for any marks and noticed a bracelet that she had never seen before adorning her hand. She tried to remove the bracelet from her hand but it wouldn''t bulge.


    "That is a gift. I realized that since I found out that you are expecting, I had not gifted you with the wonderful news. The bracelet is magical and is imbued with a lot of magic that will electrify you if you think, do or say anything bad, evil, or rude to anyone in the palace," Alexander informed with an evil grin on his face.


    "What nonsense. Alexander get this thing off of me or I will kil.." she began to say and screamed from the electricity that went through her body. Alexander smiled at her misery. He went ahead to whisper again in Annak''s ears.


    The girl walked up to the princess and placed her hand over Olivia''s stomach while she was still distracted by the pain from the shock.


    "A protective shield has been made in your womb to ensure my child''s well-being at all times so you can''t harm it. Even if your life were to end my child will still be alive in your womb," he stated and Olivia went wide-eyed. She had not expected him to make such a move and surprise her. Had she been aware of it then she would have avoided that little girl?


    "Is that so," she said and took the knife on the table and stabbed herself in the stomach. She screamed in pain from the wound but only for a few minutes before she wound automatically healed and the pain was gone.


    "The shield is in your stomach, so no harm can come to your stomach and in case it does the shield will heal you. And the knife didn''t touch the child it only brushed past him," Annak informed her to clear her confusion.


    "Try again," Alexander dared. "I felt so happy watching you scream. If only you would scream in pain for the rest of your life. Oh, wait, you will because the bracelet will make certain of since you lack any nice genes in your body. And I will enjoy every moment of your suffering."


    Alexander left the room with Annak by his side. He walked down the corridors, his heart heavy from the misunderstanding that Olivia had created between him and Francis. It was just as he had expected to happen with via around. There was no way he was going to have peace in the palace as long as it was home to Olivia.


    "He will come around," Annak told. "He loves you and that gives him the right to feel bad about it. Instead of seeing this as a bad thing, think of it as a blessing," she said.


    "A blessing? How is this a blessing?"


    "If it had not been for Olivia trying to get Francis away from you. He wouldn''t be coming close to you. Her efforts to put a rift between you two is working to your advantage, it''s making Francis jealous and makes him want you to be only his. His jealousy is bringing him closer and closer to you," she said.


    "How do you know all this when you''ve only just got here?"


    "I can read your mind," the little girl said and jumped away from the prince. She went to the corner and blended with the wall until the prince walked past her. She turned around and went into Francis''s room. Turning invincible before he could be seen.


    "This is why you should have been with him when I asked you to. He wouldn''t look for pleasure elsewhere," Annak whispered in his ear.


    "Leave me, alone whisperer," Francis said laying his head on the bed.

 Chapter 39 - Heartbreak

    The coronation day had arrived in Arimelari, there were many arrangements made to make everything run smoothly. The palace was decorated lavishly. The palace was lively with music playing in every corner and the dancers and entertainers were also getting ready for the feast.


    The guest from various parts of the kingdom and the world were arriving at the palace to join the prince at his celebration. The palace was busy with people running up and down to do the last touches for the celebration. The caterers made arrangements for the food that would be eaten at the feast.


    The queen had Olivia and Francis sit with her in the family hall, they were selecting the clothes to wear at the coronation and rehearsing what was required of them to do at the coronation.


    Francis stood to her right while Olivia stood to her left. She was pretending to be the prince and showing them the things that they needed to do at the coronation.


    "I understand everything that is needed. And why are you teaching him anything, only I deserve to be beside the prince? Francis is a nobody here whereas I am the queen mother," Olivia said to the queen. The queen opened her mouth to reprimand her but Francis walked out of the garden. She called out to him but he didn''t look back and went away.


    "It is possible to take a dog from the streets, give it a bath and dress it up fancy but it will always remain a dog," she said to Olivia.


    "How dare you?" Olivia asked and raised her hand to the queen. The queen caught her hand midair and smiled at her.


    "The truth is bitter, isn''t it? The fact won''t change just because you lost your temper and raised your hand at me," she said and twisted Olivia''s twisting her around. She held her hand tightly and leaned next to her ear. "Your peaceful days are over little witch. You took my husband from me and left me alone, no day will pass in the palace without you feeling the same loneliness that you''ve caused me," she said and pushed Olivia to the ground.


    "I am going to be the queen mother. You can''t treat me like this," she complained.


    "I will treat you exactly the way you deserve to be treated and so will Alex. Get used to it as this is your new life," she told to her and walked away too.


    Olivia remained on the ground, she was boiling with so much anger but was helpless to do anything. She had finally got all her dreams to come true but she seemed to have lost despite winning. She was being crowned the ruler of Arimelari but her role was worse than that of a servant.


    Francis walked the hallways with tears clouding his eyes. He was sad from constantly being reminded that he was nothing compared to Olivia. That to Alexander, Olivia will always come first and he will just be a second choice for him.


    With their child on the way he could his heartbreaking into pieces and he couldn''t do anything to stop it. He had no way to ever give Alexander the gift of a child the way that Olivia did.


    He was lost in his thoughts he wasn''t even concentrated on his surroundings and ended up running into someone''s back. He stumbled back, wiped his tears, and looked up.


    "Sorry," he apologized to the man in a blue leather jacket. He has brown messy hair with ocean blue eyes. He was tall, well build, and was wearing a beautiful smile on his face.


    "It''s okay," the man said in return. "I''m Mordecai," he introduced himself and offered his hand to Francis.


    "Francis," he said and took the man''s hand. He let go and walked away from the man. He went towards his room, his heart heavy with the worry of the things that were going on in the palace. He turned around at the corner and stopped, he looked back and the man he had met was still there, he was staring right at him. He looked away and kept moving.


    He reached his room, locked the door behind him and fell to the ground, and let himself cry his heart out. Olivia''s words replayed in his mind over and over again registering a fact that he was desiring something that wasn''t his. He was weaving dreams that could never come true in his life.


    He sobbed loudly clutching his chest from the pain that he was suffering. No one in the palace could hear his cries from all the music being played. And the people were too busy with the celebrations to worry about him.


    He felt so alone in the empty room. The happy music being played felt a mockery of his feelings. The whole world was celebrating his defeat in love. He had fallen in love and didn''t even get the chance to be happy in love and already his heart was broken.


    He could say that he had fallen in love and got his heart broken without ever knowing the beauty of love. The pain in his heart was much more than he had read in books of how the lovers who were rejected felt.


    He recalled the last time he spoke with Alexander. The ride back to Arimelari from the forest and his request. The way he wanted Francis to call him and more tears flowed from his eyes. His heart ached at the fact that he never even had the chance to call him like that. He was never given the chance to spend proper time with Alexander as there was always something or the other that kept them apart.


    "Crying won''t solve your problem. You shouldn''t allow Olivia to speak down to you like that."


    "What do expect me to do about it whisperer? She is the one that he loves and it is evident for all to see," I said in anger.


    "You know that it is true. You are the one that he loves, it is just your anger and jealousy that is taking. I have an idea, why don''t you go and find Alex. I''m sure taking to him will help you," she suggested.


    Francis''s eyes glinted with a ray of hope. It felt nice being reassured that Alexander loved him. He got up from the ground unlocked the door and ran out of the palace. He stopped in his tracks when he realized he had no idea where Alexander was.


    "He is in the courtyard arranging the security of the palace for tonight''s function," the whisperer informed him reading his mind.


    Francis dashed away to the courtyard to see his beloved. He couldn''t wait to speak to him and express all of his feelings to him, he was sure it will make him feel better. He got to the courtyard, his eyes looked around for the one he was seeking. There was no one in the courtyard that he could see.


    *****


    Olivia walked into the courtyard to find Francis to complain about his mother''s treatment. She found him discussing and giving orders about the function to his trusted men. She walked to him and dismissed the soldiers around her.


    She made certain that it was only her and the prince left in the palace. "Won''t you ask me why I sort you out?" she asked him.


    "I don''t care to know," he replied to her.


    "I wanted to talk to you and I also have a request."


    "I am listening."


    "I wanted to ask you if you can spare tonight for me after the celebrations. I wish to spend time with you?" she asked seductively.


    "I don''t think I will have the energy to deal with you after the party. You have taken the habit of annoying me and I won''t allow ruining my mood after my coronation," he said denying her request.


    "But Alexander, I have heard that children pick things up from their mother''s womb. You can at least think of it as sparing time for your child. And speak to him," she said not giving up.


    "I will speak with my child after it''s born and out of your body. Your body disgusts me and I''m sure my child is suffocating in there," he said pointing at her belly.


    Olivia gritted her teeth at his words. She was so angry, she spun her head around to head out when she caught Francis''s shadow from a little far. She smiled and turned back to Alexander.


    "I understand that you would be too tired to spend time with me after the party. It''s okay. Just the fact that you were planning to spend time with me and me alone is enough for me," she said to him and hugged him. She leaned her head close to his and tilted her head a little to the left so it would like the two of them were kissing.


    "What are you doing?" Alexander asked her lost.


    "Just getting my vengeance from the rude way that you just spoke to me. If one was watching us right now it would look like we are kissing each other," she told him.


    "But we are alone so no one will have such thoughts."


    "I wouldn''t say that," she moved back and moved out of the way letting him see Francis running away from the courtyard.. "Looks like he saw us and I''m sure his heart must have broken from it," she said.

 Chapter 40 - Mordecai

    The coronation had begun in the palace. Everyone was present at the throne room where the prince and his wives would be crowned. The royal orchestra played music for the guest as they waited for the arrival of the prince and his wives.


    Alexander dressed in white from head to toe came to the throne room and stops in waiting for Olivia and Francis. Olivia was next to arrive and she too was wearing a beautiful ball gown.


    "Where is your so-called love. Is he upset about our kiss?" she poked at Alexander.


    "He will be here."


    "He should know better than to keep the prince and a pregnant woman waiting for him for no reason," she commented.


    "I am here," Francis said to take a place by Alexander''s side. He stared forward sparing no attention to either of them.


    "Announcing the arrival of prince Alexander, prince Francis, and princess Olivia," the guard announced and opened the door.


    The music played, the three of them made their way into the room with harmonious steps. They got to the front of the room and each knelt before the crown.


    The queen came down from her throne and stood in front of them. She waved her pointer the crowns were brought to her. She stared down at her son and Francis and couldn''t help but smile.


    "With the power vested in me as the queen of Arimelari, I hereby crown you king of Arimelari," she announced placing the crown on top of Francis and Alexander''s head.


    "All hail the kings," she said.


    "All hail the kings," the crowd chanted in unison.


    She moved to stand in front of Olivia, she took the crown and placed it on her head without saying anything.


    "All hail the queen."


    "All hail the queen," the people said.


    Alexander rose and went ahead to sit on his throne, Olivia and Francis followed his lead and took their respective seats by each side of Alexander.


    "Let the festival begin," Alexander announced and everyone present in the room who was standing took their seats. The food was served and the entertainers made their way into the room. A large table was brought to the king and their food was kept well in front of them.


    "Shall we eat?" Alex asked facing Francis.


    "Yes," he replied not feeling in the mood to talk much.


    The maids served their food and drinks. And the feast began after Alexander took his first bite of the food. They ate in silence with the dancers dancing to entertain them.


    Francis looked at the guest sitting in the hall, he smiled at his mother and sister and waved at them. His smile dropped when his eyes met with his eyes. He glanced down recalling the talk they had earlier that day.


    *Flashback*


    Francis ran away from the courtyard in a hurry he rushed back into the palace. He was feeling suffocated in the palace and wanted to anywhere else but there. A hand pulled him away from the corridors into one of the rooms.


    He wiped his tears and looked up. "What are you doing?" he asked the man holding him.


    "Helping you with a shoulder to lean on," he said with a bright smile.


    "What does that mean?"


    "I am here if you need help with anything. Just let me know what it is you need and I will help you get it," he offered.


    "And why would you do that?"


    "Consider it a favor. You can repay it later," he said and let him go. "If you want we can start with that woman from the courtyard," he added to him.


    "I d..don''t need your help," he said and walked to the door. He thought about Olivia''s words and Alexander. The way things were going, he was standing on the losing end of everything. He turned his head to face Mordecai. "How do you intend to help me?" he asked.


    "Just tell me what you want and I will help you get it done," he said confidently.


    "I want Olivia far away from my husband," he said and walked out. He went to his room and let the servants help him get ready for the coronation.


    *End of flashback*


    He glanced back at the man, Mordecai had his eyes on him too and didn''t look away. He wondered what the man wanted from him to have made such a deal with him. What he wondered most was how he was going to do what he had asked of him. And whether or not he was capable of that which he asked for.


    Mordecai stood up from his seat and took slow steps towards him. Francis''s breath hitched and he became nervous as to why the man was coming to him right before everyone. He swallowed nervously and looked down.


    "Greetings my king," Mordecai greeted causing Alexander to look up from his food. He smiled with surprise on seeing the one who greeted him.


    ''I am doomed,'' Francis screamed internally.


    "Brother," Alexander said to Mordecai. Francis looked up from the table shocked at what he had just heard.


    The queen got up from his seat and ran down to her son and hugged him. The hug lasted for a couple of minutes before she broke it. She took the prince by the ears and pulled him.


    "How dare you miss your father''s funeral?" she asked not minding their surrounding.


    "What do you mean. I was there," he said and whispered something to her.


    "Oh, that is nice. Now come here and eat with your mother," she said and ordered for a chair to be brought for him. His chair was kept next to the Queen''s chair. The queen personally served him his food and fed him. "You''ve grown so thin," she stated.


    "Brother, it is good that you have come. I have a lot to tell you," Alexander said to him and helped pass his mother more food to feed to him.


    "Sure, but please stop with that," Mordecai said warning him against giving more food to their mother. Alexander ignored him and gave more food to the queen.


    Francis watched the scene with awe, he had never seen the two acting like that before, they were always so serious at the dining table and spoke less with each other but with the prince, they were being so warm and friendly.


    "Alexander," Olivia called out. "Won''t you announce the good news to your subjects?" she asked referring to the news of her pregnancy. Alexander nodded and stood up to speak.


    "Brother, I have come home after so long. How dare you ignore me after only five minutes," the prince complained to him. Alexander closed his mouth and sat down, he asked for his chair to be moved next to the prince forcing Olivia to move next to Francis.


    "I am all your brother. Tell me how can I be of service to the prince?" he asked.


    "Start by telling me all that I missed while I was gone," he said. He looked over to Francis and winked at him before turning back to his brother.


    The party went on for the rest of the night with all of Alexander''s attention paid to his brother. The queen''s mother and the king babied the prince the whole night treating him with much care as though he was a fragile glass that would break if they let him be on his own.


    Olivia frowned the whole night, she cursed the return of the prince as he stole the spotlight from her making himself the center of attention. She had planned that after her pregnancy was announced then the guest would congratulate her and even she would become the Queen mother like her mother in law and hence have more power but thanks to the prince making an appearance her dream was shattered.


    "We should think of getting the prince married, don''t you think so my king," Olivia suggested getting Alexander''s attention.


    "If you think so then," he said and paused. Olivia smiled that she would get a way to keep the prince away from the king for a while. "Then it''s definitely what we shouldn''t do," Alexander added.


    "I have just returned my queen, why do you wish to get rid of me so quickly?" Mordecai asked frowning. His mood went from happy to sad hearing what she had to say. His words pricked Alexander and the queen''s mother''s heart. They both glared at Olivia.


    "Alexander, if you can''t control your wife then at least make sure she doesn''t talk around people at all," the Queen''s mother said.


    Alexander looked at Olivia, his icy gaze sending shivers down her spine. She bit her tongue and kept quiet, she scolded herself for saying anything. She had learned from past incidents that Alex can''t stand his brother being anything but happy and anyone who ruins his mood was punished. In the past, she dared speak because she had Alex''s favor but that protective shield was gone now and she had to watch her tongue around him.


    "I think that you have forgotten your limits.. As the king, I order you to stay far away from me for the next 100 days," he said to her.

 Chapter 41 - Why

    Mordecai had himself and the kings drinking late in the night to celebrate. He poured alcohol in each of their cups reputedly and made them drink. Bottles of wine lat down on the ground in each direction. Empty cups were also scattered around the room.


    Francis was drunk, he wants to be used to taking liquor so he easily got drunk. But still, the prince didn''t stop pouring alcohol into his cup. Alexander was feeling hazy and high, he had enough of the drinking.


    "Enjoy the night?" Mordecai whispered in Francis''s ear before he left the room.


    Francis removed his outer coat feeling hot and went to lay down on the bed. He dropped on the bed and relaxed.


    Alexander removed his coat, his sash came off, he then removed his boots. He got the robes off and threw them to the ground. He removed his undergarments and remained naked as the day he was born. He walked over to the bed and laid down.


    He couldn''t get any sleep, so he turned around to get comfortable on the bed. His hands and legs fell on top of Francis. Feeling someone next to him he raised his head. The candles in the room off so he could hardly see anything. The only source of light was the moonlight but the curtains were drawn and his vision was hazy. He traced the person''s face with his fingers and felt electricity ran through him.


    Francis felt a hand on himself, Despite being drunk his defense system was still active. He got hold of Alexander''s hand and spun around holding Alex underneath him. He kept his hands on each of his sides and trapped the king. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down.


    The wind blew through the window raising the curtains allowing him a clear view of the man underneath him. He was enchanted by the sight beneath him and placed his hand on the king''s chest. The king''s skin was smooth and flawless under his fingertips. He leaned in for more contact when he felt that just touching his chest wasn''t enough.


    The King watched his every movement feeling hotter than he already was. The heat was traveling through his body with every touch the male gave him. He reached out to Francis''s robes and pried them open. He helped him get off his clothes his breath becoming heavy.


    Francis stopped his movements by seizing his lips into a kiss. The kiss was light and short. He broke the kiss still keeping his eyes on Alexander''s body. He licked his lips wanting to bite down and mark Alexander''s body.


    He felt at peace holding the king in his arms and having him all to himself. He reached out to feel the lines of Alexander''s abdomen making Alexander shiver slightly, he admired the way the king inhaled deeply from his touch.


    His skin was hot from his touch and Francis wanted more. He wanted to see how expressive he could make the king. He leaned down and kissed the king''s neck, Alexander shivered with excitement, his eyes not leaving Francis''s.


    "You look so beautiful," Francis commented.


    "Not as beautiful as you," Alexander stated switching places with him. "And you are way too greedy," he said and leaned in to kiss Francis. His kiss was hot and demanding. He sucked and bit Francis''s lips full of lust as he couldn''t get enough. He ravaged the male''s lips and only felt satisfied when the male released a soft moan from his lips.


    He broke the kiss to catch his breath. They both panted for air. He was starving and the kiss he considered an appetizer. He traced Francis''s chest going down to his waist and his trousers. He could feel the male''s arousal.


    He reached his hand to Francis''s waist and pulled him up. Feeling Francis''s length against his own only served to increase his need.


    His mind was hazy and he couldn''t think anymore. All he wanted was to satiate his hunger with the beautiful male under him.


    Francis''s face turned bright red with embarrassment at how close the two of them were. He was blushing hard.


    "You look so gorgeous like that. Red is a good color on you," Alex commented making him hide his face in his hands. Alexander''s hands combed through Francis''s hair, he smiled enjoying how shy the male was.


    Francis''s world was floating around him. He was lost in the heat of the moment and couldn''t think straight. Alexander reached to his buttocks and gave them a gentle squeeze, Francis jolted at this and thrust up at him.


    "Getting restless are we?" Alexander asked with a smirk on his face. He let go of Francis and laid down on the bed. "This is where we stop for today," he said.


    "Why?" Francis asked almost immediately in a soft, desperate voice. He placed his hand on his mouth when he heard what he had just asked.


    "Why? Do you want me to continue?" Alexander asked him. "But I can''t even if you want to. We stop here so go to sleep," he said without waiting for a reply from him. He got the blanket and covered the two of them and closed his eyes to sleep.


    Francis stared at him feeling wronged. He was floating in cloud nine and he had to ruin it. His stare slowly turned into a glare.


    "Looking at me like that won''t make me change my mind. Go to sleep," Alexander said with his eyes closed. Francis was enraged by Alexander''sbehaviorr. He was acting like nothing had happened and just wanted to get to sleep.


    "I know that I am beautiful but stop staring at me so much," he said at him. Francis continued to glare at him in the hopes that the man would stop with the game that was not fun for him to play. Alexander opened his eyes and looked at him feigning ignorance of why Francis was glaring at him.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked with a frown. He pouted his lips at the male as though he was the one being wronged. "Why won''t you go to sleep? Please just close your eyes and sleep."


    "I am not sleepy," Francis said getting up to leave the room. Alexander held his hand and pulled him back. He fell onto Alexander''s bare chest and froze. Alexander wrapped his as around him and held him there.


    "Sleep," he ordered in a deep hoarse voice and Francis obeyed. Francis closed his eyes taking in alexander''s scent and fell asleep.


    ******


    Mordecai left the prince''s room and went to his mother''s room. He was happy to see his family again after so long but also sad that his father was no more. He rushed to his mother seeming stable as though he hadn''t sipped alcohol at all. He got to the queen''s chambers and walked right in.


    "Mother are you asleep?" he asked.


    "How can I sleep when you were yet to come. Tell me what chaos were you creating and what mess do o have to clean up?"


    "I was just helping out a friend. I haven''t done anything wrong but I will soon," he said seriously.


    "Olivia," the queen said understanding her son. "Don''t waste your time on her yet. She is with child and until she gives birth to that child stay clear of her," she told to him and placed the book she was reading down.


    "Okay but I will make her rue the day she decided to kill my father," he said his childish nature disappearing from his face. His face was cold and his eyes dark as he made this vow.


    "I too won''t spare her for what she has done. For now, we should get the seer to come and examine her child, I want to know if it will be affected by the curse of its father," the Queen''s mother said.


    "I agree with you. And with Francis and Alexander getting closer, her end in this palace is certain."


    "What do you mean by that. Do you know something that I don''t?" The queen''s mother asked curiously.


    Mordecai told to his mother what he had heard outside Alexander''s room a few minutes after he left. The queen mother couldn''t help but smile with happiness at the good news her son had given her.


    "Good job," she said and gave him thumbs up. "When are here all my problems disappear," she said and embraced him in a hug. "I missed you,u my love."


    "I missed you too mother. But not as much as I missed my dog. Where is Ludo," he inquired?


    The queen looked down with sadness in her eyes. She felt bad for having to ever say anything that would make him unhappy but she had no other choice.


    "That which had Ludo killed," she said to him. Mordecai''s blood boiled with anger and hatred towards Olivia. "I''m sorry my son," the queen mother said feeling bad about it.


    "It''s okay mother.. Let''s sleep," he said and they both retired for the night.

 Chapter 42 - The Prediction

    The day began with the king and queen of Arimelari holding a meeting with the subjects of the kingdom. During this, the king had announced the queen''s pregnancy to the people and they congratulated him.


    Alexander announced a four days feast to celebrate the good news. They returned to the palace and were now having lunch with the rest of the royal family.


    "The seer will come by later. I want him to tell us what future the heir has and whether or not he will be affected by the curse or not," the queen informed everyone at the dining table.


    "Yes mother, we will be sure to be present for it," Mordecai said.


    "I too will come," Alexander told.


    "What about you Francis?" Alex asked looking at him. "Hmm," Francis said looking up from his plate. He was lost in thought thinking about the events of the previous night that left him on a silent treatment to the king.


    "I asked if you will come with us to welcome the seer and hear what he has to say," he said and Francis just stared at him as though he couldn''t hear what he was saying.


    "Francis," The queen''s mother called to him. "Will you join us?"


    "Yes mother," Francis replied immediately and went back to his food.


    Alexander smiled and continued to have his food. The weird smile on his face and the weird behavior from Francis didn''t go unnoticed by the queen or the Queen''s mother.


    The queen mother felt happy to be victorious and that Olivia was losing. It pleased her that her son found love and was happy in his life and even if her time were to come she felt content that at least he would have someone by his side that did not use him for his status.


    Olivia was burning with rage from watching the two of them. She thought that after what she did yesterday Francis would distance himself from Alexander but the opposite happened. The two of them seemed to have gotten closer.


    "Why are you acting like a shy lovesick puppy?" Mordecai asked in a whisper in his ear.


    "Nothing," Francis replied almost immediately.


    "I see just don''t forget that you owe me a favor. I have kept Olivia away from the king as you had wanted," he said.


    They had their food and each went their separate ways after. Alexander went to the royal throne room. He looked around missing the presence of his father in the beautiful wall and wishing he could turn back time and take things to the way they used to be. He was still not over the loss of his father and being long-only made his situation worse.


    He felt like he was trying to replace his father and the last thing he wanted was for people to forget his father the king and the great things that he had done for Arimelari. He stood in the throne room for hours without moving.


    Memories of his life with his father flashed before his eyes and tears of sorrow ran down his cheeks. He felt empty without his biggest strength there by his side but he had to stop himself from falling. He had a kingdom to think about and despite feeling like he could suffocate from all the negative energy inside him. He remained intact for his people.


    "Father," he uttered in a soft voice brushing his hands on the throne he used to sit on. He took the crown in his hands and recalled how good it looked on his father''s head.


    "I miss you so much father," he whispered and placed the crown on his head. He looked down from the throne. His father''s figure stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at him.


    His day was filled with memories of the man who gave him the strength to live on despite the curse. The man who did everything he could to make him feel at home in his kingdom.


    "Are you okay?" he heard a very familiar voice ask him and looked up from the ground.


    "Silvia," he said as she climbed the stairs to reach him.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Why do always ask me that?" Alexander asked recalling the numerous times she had asked him if he was okay since they met.


    "Because everyone is always concerned about their problem. But you are selfless and hence you worry about others before yourself. That is why I ask if you are okay, carrying so many people''s problems must be tiresome," she said sitting on the queen''s seat.


    "I am fine," Alexander replied. "But why are you here?"


    "Well, the queen mother came to see me. She asked me if I could join your council and she refused to take no for an answer so here I am," she said cheerfully.


    "My mother can be persistent when she wants something," he said. "But I doubt that Olivia is going to happy to see you here. And she might create problems for you for being here" he added.


    "I have dealt with her for so long that I have gotten used to her. I am not scared of her but she should be scared of me because now nothing is stopping me from fighting back since I am not her co-wife anymore," She said imitating how Olivia normally spoke.


    "I am glad you are here," Alexander said.


    The two of them made small talk and spend the rest of the evening together. The talk was nice and relaxing to Alexander''s troubled soul and allowed him to stop thinking about his father and how much he missed him.


    "Sire," a voice came from the door. The two of them looked up to the door. Malcolm came into the room and bowed to the king. "My king, the queen mother wishes that I inform you that the seer is here," he said.


    "Thank you. Shall we," He said and offered his hand to her. Silvia placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her out of the throne room.


    "Why is the seer in the palace?"


    "To tell us more of Olivia''s child," he replied and they walked to the family room.


    "Then this is a family matter. I should stay away from it."


    "You are family," Alexander said opening the door to the family room and they walked inside hand by hand.


    The queen mother and the others were already in the room. Francis sat alone in the corner while the Queen mother sat by her younger son. Olivia sat at the special seat, there was space next to her reserved for the king.


    Silvia let go of the king''s hand and left him. She walked over to where Francis was sitting and gave him a sweet smile.


    "Is this seat taken?" she asked him. Francis moved and let her seat next to him.


    "It''s nice to see you, Silvi," he said to her. "I''m glad you came or I would have died of loneliness here," he said embracing her in a hug.


    "I am happy that I was missed. And no need to feel lonely. I am here now," she said. The seer walked into the room, they all stood up to show their respect for him. He walked directly to the king and queen and bowed his head in respect to the crown and sat by Olivia''s side.


    He took out his tools from his bag and laid them down to her feet. He arranged them nicely and started reading what the future hold for the heir of Arimelari. He took a couple of minutes looking at the bones, the people present in the room held their breaths hoping for a good prediction.


    "Your son will be a dragon," he began getting the attention of everyone in the room." He will be the epitome of pain and suffering for the one closest to your heart my king," he said. Alexander lifted his head and looked at Francis.


    "What do you mean by that?" he asked his heart getting restless from the prediction.


    "He will be born as the black moon dragon that is destined to destroy all supernatural creatures except his kind. He will the fear of all that is close to you and is bound to kill the one you love the most," the seer said.


    The King got up from his seat angrily. He couldn''t believe what the seer was saying. His head was vibrating and his thoughts were flying around confusing him. His love was the only thing he had that was keeping him from completely losing it and now that to had a deadline.


    Having been told that his son will be the one to end Francis''s life he couldn''t help feeling hatred for the mother and unborn child. Both of them were hellbound on taking Francis away from him.


    "Is there a way to evade this?" the queen''s mother asked.


    "There is a way. A kiss of true love can change the dragon prince''s fate," he said to them.. "Only with this kiss will he be able to spare the chosen one," he added causing the room to go silent.

 Chapter 43 - You Are Pregnant

    Alexander and Francis stood side by side with each other in the garden. Alexander held Francis''s hands in his with a pained expression on his face. He squeezed the male''s hand gently his heart feeling restless.


    "I am sorry about the priest said," he said to him. Francis looked at him with a smile on his face.


    "It''s okay Alex. I am not angry at the prediction, everyone dies at some point right? So what if I am destined to die by your son''s hands. The truth is that I am not dead yet so don''t worry," he said and hugged him.


    "Why are you so calm about this?"


    "Because I love you," he confessed to him.


    Alexander broke their hug and held him. He raised his eyebrows to him and his face lit up.


    "Did you say you love me?" he asked him. "Say it again," he requested.


    "If you heard me then why do I have to repeat myself. I won''t say it."


    "Please," he pleaded.


    "Yes please, Francis. Please tell him how much you love him," Olivia said walking towards them angrily. She stood in front of them glaring at the two of them with hatred.


    "What is it now?" Alexander asked him.


    "I know that you are responsible for the prediction. You must have asked the seer to say those things just to frame me and make me look more evil," she accused them.


    Francis felt infuriated by her, he walked next to her and slapped her. She raised her head and was about to speak when he slapped her again. Francis slapped her repeatedly not giving her any time to fight back. Even Alexander was shocked to see what was happening. He couldn''t react to it and just watched.


    "I am so tired of you. Your voice, your actions, and everything about you," he screamed at her. "Enough, I have had enough of you trying to ruin my life. So enough!" he screamed letting out all his pent-up frustrations.


    Olivia stared at him and smiled. "You are getting angry at me. You are hitting me and blaming me for everything. Tell me something, is it only you who is capable of playing the victim. You walking into my life ruined everything for me and now you are doing the same with my child," she said to him.


    "What do you mean by that, what have I done to your son?"


    "The prediction. Who in the world is going to love my child after what the seer said. You created a space in everyone''s heart and used it to make sure that my child has no future in Arimelari," she said pinning the blame on him.


    "I am not you Olivia and I know better than to stoop to your level. Don''t blame me for your life being ruined ever again," he said in a threatening voice.


    Olivia took reached her hand into her clothes and removed something from them. She threw it at Francis in a fit of rage. The white powder entered Francis''s eyes and he fell back and dropped to the ground. He wiped his eyes over and over again to wipe the powder off but his efforts were in vain.


    "You are right, I shouldn''t have to deal with you ever again," she said to him.


    Alexander unfroze and ran to Francis''s side. He held Francis in his arms and tried to help him wipe the powder from his eyes. He just hoped that the powder was nothing dangerous.


    The threat to his life triggered his powers, his birthmark glowed behind his ear. His whole body was engulfed in the glow, Alexander moved back from him.


    He stood with Olivia both of them watching Francis. Francis got up from the ground. He reached to his back and his swords appeared. He got hold of his swords and held them up to her. The glow on his body washed away the powder from his body.


    "How dare you use the death powder on me. Have you any idea how I despise those who try to harm me?" he asked her.


    "Wh..what are you?" Olivia asked nervously.


    "I go by the name the chosen one. And what a surprise, I not only get to kill you but the dragon king too," He said and jumped to the sky and charged for her.


    "Ahhh," Olivia screamed falling back and hitting the ground.


    Francis froze and stopped in his tracks. He stared at her with shock written all over his face. He looked at Olivia and then back at Alexander, the two looked back at him too.


    "It wasn''t bad enough that you are a headache for me to deal with. Now you went and got another you, one that is destined to kill me?" he asked Alexander.


    "Th..that is not.." he tried to say but Francis shushed him.


    "Alexander," Silvia screamed scared. She rushed over to where they all stood and stationed herself in front of Alexander. "Why are you trying to harm them Francis?" she questioned scared of the changes in Francis.


    "Funny, he is the one who wronged me and you are accusing me of being guilty," he said to Silvia. He reached over to her and placed his hand on her stomach. "Since Alexander has made his move it is my turn," he said and cast a spell with his body glowing from head to toe.


    "What are you doing?" she asked him fearful of what Francis was doing to her.


    "I am creating a life inside you that will destroy the one who is destined to kill me. I want to see how life turns out with a child in your womb who will kill Alexander''s son," he said and laughed evilly.


    "Congratulations, you are pregnant," he said and dropped to the ground. His eyes went back to normal and his swords disappeared. His birthmark stopped glowing.


    Olivia got up from the floor and glared at Alexander. She felt wronged by him for what had happened. He claimed to hate her because she resorted to magic to fix her problem when Francis did use magic and yet he loved him.


    "Do you mind explaining to me what just happened?" she asked the king. Alexander had no time to reply to her. He ran over to Francis and carried him in his arms. He looked over at Olivia and his rage and his anger increased in his heart for her.


    "You tried to kill Francis right before my eyes. Don''t blame me for what I do to you," he said to her in his icy voice. "Annak come to me," he said and the little girl appeared before him.


    "Yes, your highness," she said.


    "From now on the Queen is not allowed out of her room unless she is going out for some air for the baby. And even then you must be by her side and make sure she doesn''t do anything funny. She must remain locked up until she gives birth to the baby. She us to receive no visitors unless I approve of them."


    Olivia looked shocked on hearing the king''s orders. Her heart fell and she felt hurt.


    "You can''t do this to me, Alex," she screamed at him in disbelief.


    "Watch me," be said and had Annak teleport, Olivia, to her room. Following the king''s orders, Annak placed a spell in Olivia''s room that kept people from either coming in or going out. She made sure to remove anything magical from the room and left after making sure that Olivia had no of leaving the room.


    Alexander took Francis to their room and brought Silvia with him. He laid the make gently into the bed and covered him up and took Silvia out of the room. He led her by the hands until they reached the infirmary. The physician was asked to examine her and ensure that she was okay.


    "What is wrong with her. Is she alright?" the king asked.


    "Congratulations, she is with child," the physician said. Silvia''s heart broke into pieces. She was filled with disbelief at the situation she found herself in. She couldn''t bring herself to accept that the life growing inside her was there only for one purpose to destroy Alexander''s child.


    She felt cheated and used but couldn''t find anyone to blame. She just was lost.


    "Check again please," the king begged to hope that it wasn''t true and that it was a lie. He could only imagine how hard Silvia''s life is going to be if they were to be with the child. She was unmarried and society would never accept her or her child. And then there was the reason for the child''s existence that also troubled him.


    "It is positive. She is pregnant," he said confirming both their fears to be true.


    "What am I going to do Alex?" she asked him.


    "If you wish we can remove the child," Alex suggested.


    "No. Never. Even if the child is not of my wanting I can''t get rid of it. It is innocent and I can''t harm it," she said.


    "Then you and Francis will have my permission to marry and raise your child," he said in a pained voice.

 Chapter 44 - Separating

    I Silvia stayed in the palace for the night. Her room was made ready for her to use. She wasn''t sleepy and couldn''t stop thinking about the baby in her womb. All of her thoughts were on how to stop what Francis had predicted. To stop her unborn child from killing Alexander''s child.


    Alexander did promise her that she will get the complete family that she deserves. As king, he promised her justice and vowed to unite her and Francis. She understood that it will be hard for him to give up the love of his life but she had no choice but to separate them.


    She couldn''t give birth and raise a child all on her own. And Francis was responsible for her condition so he should take responsibility for his actions. She placed her hand on her stomach and a sad smile formed on her lips.


    "I have always wanted a child of my own. You are not exactly what I had in mind but I will give you all my love. And I know you will never become a bad person, you will value life and won''t take it so easily. You won''t ever kill anyone," she said to it.


    Her stomach glowed for a second and returned to normal. It was as though the baby could hear her and was agreeing to her.


    "I will take you and your father far away from Arimelari. That way you won''t ever cause any harm to Alexander''s heir and your father won''t harm Alex either," she spoke and said to her child.


    She heard her door being opened and turned her body to check who it was. She met very sad eyes looking back at her, she gave him a sad smile that complemented the look in his eyes.


    "Did you talk to Francis?" she asked him.


    "He is not awake yet," Alexander replied and rushed to her. He hugged her and cried on her shoulders. Silvia let him, she rubbed his back to comfort him and help him relax.


    "It''s going to be okay," she said to him and kept repeating it over and over again.


    "How will it be okay. My whole life is falling apart right before my eyes and there is nothing that I can do to stop. The pain and the guilt are killing me, Silvia. I feel responsible for all that is happening to me, maybe I am being punished for all the sins that I had committed in my past life," he said and cried even more.


    "Perhaps it is for the best that this happened. Now both you and your child will be safe," she said to him.


    Alexander broke the hug and wiped his tears, he looked at her and asked. "What do you mean by that?"


    "I plan to take Francis far away from Arimelari to keep you and the heir safe. I won''t let either of them ever come back here and they won''t ever harm you or your child," she explained to him.


    Alexander''s hands dropped and his body followed. He fell to the ground, his face drained of any life. His body was shaking from the thought of having to separate from Francis and never see him again.


    Silvia bent down and took him in his arms. She held him close, she wished that none of that would have to happen and that her best friend would have his happy ever after with the man he loved but the world was cruel and nothing ever turns out the way we want them to.


    She felt her heartbreak for having to see her friend in such a condition. She held a prayer in her heart that Alexander and Francis be reborn again and they should have a chance to be together in that life and be happy.


    "I love him," he cried out holding onto her as his life depended on it.


    "I know you.." she froze when she saw Francis at the door. She smiled at him, the smile was weak and full of sorrow. He came into the room and slowly walked towards them.


    "You shouldn''t cry like this. It''s unbefitting of a king," He said joining in on the hug. "And I already told you that I am not afraid of the prediction. So you should also stop worrying so much," he added.


    Alexander bit his lower lip to hold back a sob. He couldn''t have it in him to tell him that it wasn''t the reason he was crying. He couldn''t tell him that they would be separating forever and that he would have to move far away from him.


    "What is wrong with him?" he turned to ask Silvia when Alex remained unresponsive.


    "He is sad because he has lost the love of his life to someone else," she said to him going straight to the point. The sooner the truth gets out the sooner they all can deal with it, she thought.


    "I don''t understand," he said confused about what she meant by her statement.


    "The thing is that you and Alexander are separating," she said.


    "What?" he asked with disbelief. "If this is about the seer''s prediction then don''t worry. I will make sure that it won''t come true. We will fight this together, I promise," he said in a pleading voice his eyes tearing up.


    "No," was the only word that Alexander could say. His throat was dry and hoarse.


    "Look, I will tell you that I love you. Every day if you want me to. I will call you baby or whatever you wish but please just don''t do this to me," he pleaded with him.


    "No."


    "Francis, the two of you can''t be together. It isn''t about the prediction either. The reason you are separating is that you are going to father," she told.


    Francis froze with shock and stared at Silvia with disbelief." I am going to be a father? Why does he want me to adopt his child and raise him by myself?" he asked her.


    "No Francis," she said and let go of Alexander. She walked over to him, took his hand, and kept it on her stomach. "We are pregnant Francis," she added.


    "When the two of us were talking in the garden, Olivia attacked you and you turned into the chosen one. In anger, you wanted to fight back but then you saw the child in her womb. You got so angry that the child was destined to kill you that you create a life in Silvia''s womb that would kill my son," Alexander said getting up from the floor. He wiped his tears away and turned around to face Francis.


    "How can I live with someone who puts my son''s life in danger. You have created a weapon to end my child yet you claim that you love me. What is this love?" he asked him with bitterness in his words. The way he stood in front of Francis with no kindness in his eyes surprised Francis.


    "Alexander I.."


    "Save it. I am not willing to listen to any more of your lies. You have proven your love quite clearly now it''s time you leave."


    "Alex please hear me out," he begged.


    "What is left for you to say was said by your actions. You destroyed my trust in you when you took such a step. I am disgusted by you," he said. Francis stumbled back, tears flowing from his eyes.


    "A..a.Alex," he struggled to call out.


    "Don''t utter my name with your filthy tongue," he yelled sending shivers down Francis''s spine. He moved back in disbelief of the words that Alex was speaking to him.


    "I d..didn''t mean to," he said but Alex would hear none of it.


    "If that was the case then there wouldn''t be a killer child growing in Silvia''s wing as we speak. If you truly loved me then you would have thought twice before doing all of this."


    "Alex."


    "I permit myself as King to sever all my ties with you. From today you are no longer my husband nor the king of Arimelari and it is my royal order that you marry Silvia and make up for your mistake. You are both towed by this evening," he said. He didn''t give them a chance to say anything and walked out of the room.


    He ran to his room at full speed and locked the door behind him. He fell on his bed and screamed to bed. He felt really bad about the things he said to him but he did what was necessary to give justice to Silvia.


    It was also for the better that the two of them stayed far away from each other. Having him as a bane was something he could bear but having his son kill Francis was something that his heart could never handle.


    He gripped the bedsheets tightly his eyes filled with hatred for his unborn child.


    "You have taken me from the love of my life and I will forever hate you for this. Had you not have existed then Francis wouldn''t have to leave me.. I hate you," he said in anger.

 Chapter 45 - I Do

    Alexander had asked his servant to summon the queen to his room. Olivia was brought to the room by Annak. She exited the room to give the two some privacy and went out.


    "Why did you ask me here? Have you called for me to insult me as you had done before?" she asked him.


    "I have called you here to fulfill your dreams. I am granting you the gift of being my only wife and the only queen of Arimelari," he said to her with an indifferent face.


    "Why? Why would you do that?" she questioned suspecting it to be another one of his tricks to trap her somehow. He had been reacting lately in ways that she didn''t understand and was cold towards her.


    "Because I have realized that only you can understand me. No one else has ever been able to understand me more than you do," he said without even blinking an eye.


    "Are you joking with me, Alex?"


    "I am not joking. I now realize that my love for that man was the biggest joke of my life," he said making Olivia smile. She moved happily closer to the king and took him by the hands. She glanced at him.


    "And if I come close to you?"


    "Then I will not stop you, the whole of me exists only for you," he said in reply to her question.


    "And if I kiss you then?"


    "Then I will let you."


    Olivia hugged him, she closed her eyes and pinched herself to see if she was dreaming but she realized that it was real when she felt the pain. It was as if someone had set off fireworks in her heart, she was filled with joy.


    All that she had ever wanted was coming true without her having to do much. She didn''t even know why the king suddenly changed his mind but was happy that he did because it worked in her favor.


    ''I am doing this only to protect my loved ones. Francis, Silvia, and their unborn will start their new lives today. I won''t let you cast an evil eye on their lives,'' he said n his mind and embraced Olivia in return.


    "What about Francis?" she asked him.


    "I have already divorced him, he is getting married in the wedding hall as we speak," he said to her. Olivia broke the hug.


    "He is getting married?"


    "Yes."


    "But to whom? And why are we here instead f there with them? I want to go and watch," she said and turned around to head out but Alexander held her hand and pulled her back into his arms.


    "I have given you everything that you have ever asked of me, including the right to have me all to yourself. Then how can you leave me and go?" he asked her holding her by the waist close to him.


    "I am only going to see the wedding. It won''t take long I promise," she said but Alexander refused her to leave.


    "Stay with me. Let''s have some quality time with each other and try to fix our broken relationship," he suggested to her.


    "Okay," Olivia said half-heartedly, she was curious about the person Francis was marrying and whether or not he was getting married or the king was only playing with her. She sat down on the chair and let the prince have his way.


    ''I won''t let you out of my sight until Francis is far away from here,'' he thought. He got a board game for them to play.


    "Let''s see if you are still the best at playing this game," he challenged.


    "I will win and that is for sure," she said and got ready for the game.


    The game was tough with neither the king nor the queen willing to lose. They both kept a keen eye on each other to try and figure out the other''s next move to win the game but none of them gave out their tactics to the other so it was had to win.


    They played for hours with the first round not even done. They both were fierce competitors and worked hard to give each other a hard time during the game.


    "You are not going easy on me at all. I am pregnant my king and so much stress are not good for my baby. Won''t you lose for our child?" she asked him sweetly. The King looked up from the game and kept his gaze at her.


    His vein popped with anger from the things that came out of her mouth. ''I have already lost the most important thing in my life because of that thing. How much more will I have to lose to him," he thought gripping the end of his robe in anger. He forced a smile on his lips and spoke.


    "I would do anything for my son," he said sweetly on the outside when all he wanted was to barbecue the child and feed it to the mother for dinner.


    Olivia smiled with excitement on hearing what he said, she played her next move and lost the game.


    "You are allowed to lose to our son but your wife will never let you lose," she said and went to him. She gave him a snap kiss on the lips.


    "With you around how can I ever look for anything else. I need nothing nor want anything," he said flattering her.


    "Don''t flatter me so much or I might blush my king," she said.


    "You deserve all of me, my queen," he said. ''And I will give you all me that you will beg to go away from me but neither prayer nor medicine will help you when I am after you,'' he added in his thoughts.


    "You are the best, my king."


    "No, you are the best my queen," he complimented. ''But I will make your life so pathetic that you will rue the day you came into my life,'' he thought and let out an evil laugh in his mind. " You and your child will both suffer for the pain you both have caused me," he muttered.


    "What?" Olivia asked.


    "Nothing my queen. I was just saying that you and your son will both live a very good life in the palace," he said lying through his teeth.


    "But he is not just my son but our son my love," she reminded him.


    "Yes of course and that is why I love him so much that I granted all your wishes," he told. ''Had I insisted on keeping Francis here, you and your cursed child would have found a way to end him,'' he thought.


    ******


    "Do you Sir Francis of Arimelari accept Lady Silvia as you wife, to have and to hold. To love and to cherish, for better or worse. On sickness and in health till death do you both part," the priest asked him.


    "Yes, I do" he replied his mind and replaying the hateful words that Alexander had spoke to him. He was filled with anger and bitterness for the dragon king.


    ''My only mistake is that I dared to love a dragon,'' he thought as he recalled all those missing pieces of his life that he couldn''t remember. There was always something that happened when he was around the dragon that forced him to fall unconscious.


    He recalled how most of his meetings with the man ended with him walking up from asleep with no memory of when he fell asleep or what had happened. Just like what he was being accused of. He had no memory of making Silvia pregnant or how he did it. All he recalled was being attacked by Olivia and then waking up in his room.


    He was being accused and punished for a crime he doesn''t even recall doing. The fact that the king spoke to him like that made him just angrier.


    ''You are not the only one who knows how to hate Alex. I hate you too, I hare you for all the things that you had said to me and the strange things that happened in my life since the day I met you. I hope that I never see or hear your name ever again in my life,'' he thought.


    "Francis," Silvia called to him. "The priest is talking to you," she said.


    "You may each take your three I do''s holding hands," he said to them.


    Silvia reached her hand out to him, he took her hand into his, his heart was burning with hatred.


    "Do you promise to fulfill your duties to each other as husband and wife?"


    "I do," they replied in unison.


    "Do you promise to accept each other and respect one another?"


    "I do."


    "Do you promise to uphold the honor of your marriage?"


    "I do."


    "I now pronounce you husband and wife," he said to the two of them. "Congratulations."


    "Thank you," Silvia said to the priest as they both exited the palace.


    There were many horses outside the palace waiting for them. The horses were packed with so much wealth as gifts from the king. He gave them everything that he thought they would need to live a prosperous life.


    Francis looked back to the palace. ''You chose your son over me and threw me away so easily. Don''t blame me for what I will do next,'' he thought a glow flashed in his eyes.. He turned around and they both left.

 Chapter 46 - The Queen Mothers Wrath

    The palace was quiet, everyone in the palace felt the pain of Francis''s departure. The queen and the prince could not come to terms with all that Alexander was telling them.


    They couldn''t believe that he had removed Francis from his life forever and that too without consulting them. They sat together in the queen''s room quietly.


    "Mother we can''t let this happen. We have to find a way to get Francis back, that girl can''t win," Mordecai said.


    "But how my dear, Francis is already married to someone else and they have left not just the palace but Arimelari as a whole," she told feeling helpless of the situation.


    "There must be something that we can do. I am not going to give up and let that Olivia have her way," he stated. "I had a lot of plans for brother and Francis and I am sure that Olivia is the reason they separated," he added.


    "I won''t keep quiet anymore, it has gone on long enough," the queen said and got up from the chair. She went to her study table and took a piece of paper and a feather. She dipped the feather in ink and wrote on the paper.


    When she was done, she gave the paper to the prince. "Sign it and give everyone listed on there to sign it too," she instructed.


    "You will feel my wrath, Olivia," she whispered.


    Mordecai read the content of the letter and signed it. He left his mother''s room and went in search of the people the queen has listed on the list. He took his horse and rode out of the palace in a hurry.


    ******


    Olivia danced around in her room with joy, once again she was back where she belonged and she couldn''t be happier. She took her time to enjoy the feeling of being the only wife of the king and queen of Arimelari. Everything in the world seemed to fall to the right place.


    "Many greetings to you my queen," the servant greeted coming into the room. "Your mother is here to meet you," she informed.


    "Let her in at once," she said her smile broadening in her lips. The servant went out and returned with a woman in her early forties dressed in a red gown.


    "Hello mother," she greeted.


    "Hello."


    "I am glad that you came to see me. I have plenty of good news for you, your plan worked and I am now the only reigning queen in the palace."


    "I told you right? The only way to get what you want is to carry the heir to the throne. Now you have it all, the king all to yourself and the kingdom. It was sad to hear that the king left his precious husband and married him off but it benefits us a lot," she said.


    "Yes mother, you have no idea how happy I was when Alexander told me that he had sent Francis away. Good job on getting the seer to say all those things, they scared him so much that he gave everything I ever dreamt of," she said and kissed her mother on the cheek.


    "What seer are you talking about?" her mother asked confused.


    "Balizaar, the seer who predicted my son''s future," the told.


    "I didn''t send the seer and even if I wanted to, there is no way that I could convince Balizaar to lie on my behalf. He is a man who can see the future and has a reputation of being honest," she said to her daughter.


    "Wait, you didn''t send him?" she asked and her mother nodded. "Then everything he said about the child is true?"


    " I couldn''t know since I wasn''t there but for all I know, it''s that Balizaar''s prediction always comes true. But what did Balizaar predict of the child?"


    "He said that the boy will be a dragon and he is destined to kill Francis," she said.


    She sat down having a bad feeling in her heart. The prince''s attitude had changed ever since the king died, she had felt it herself. It couldn''t have been possible for him to have just forgotten everything and accepted her again in his life. That too when she had tried to kill Francis right before his eyes, and the child growing inside her is also destined to kill Francis.


    She was sure that Alexander would never tolerate something like that sitting down. He would never let any harm come to his loved ones and won''t spare those who were responsible for it.


    Her grip on the bedsheets tightened, she was so excited about getting back everything that she had lost that she failed to see that it was all fake. Alexander didn''t mean anything he said, he only reacted like that to keep her distracted while Francis and Silvia left the kingdom.


    Everything was beginning to make sense to her now, Alexander had given Francis away to protect him but his feelings towards her are still the same as always. She recalled their talk earlier paying close attention to Alexander''s reactions and she saw it.


    The thing that she was too blinded by happiness to see, his hatred. It was very clear in his eyes even though his face was saying something else. She saw it all, the evil intentions behind those eyes. She could never have been wrong about her victory, she didn''t win she lost. And something told her that it was only the beginning of her end.


    "How could I have been so stupid?" she asked.


    "What happened my dear?" his mother asked worried about the long face she was wearing.


    "Mother, Alexander played me. He didn''t give me back anything, all he has done is lie to my face. He is not mine, he belongs to Francis. Now and forever and he blames me and my child for separating them. Mother, I have a feeling that my life here in the palace is going to get worse," she cried to her mother.


    "No dear, you are carrying his son and the heir to his throne he wouldn''t dare hurt you," she said to comfort and assure her.


    "I am carrying the child he despises mom, he wouldn''t hesitate to hurt either of us now that Francis is gone from his life. I didn''t realize it before because of how angry I was but he was the only thing that was keeping him sane and stable after the king''s death. Now nothing will hold him back," she explained to her mother.


    Her mother''s eyes went wide when the realization hit her. She too saw sense in what her daughter was saying.


    "We have to do.." she started to say when they heard a knock on the door.


    "Come in," Olivia instructed. The servant came into the room and bowed her head to the queen.


    "My queen, the king has called for an emergency meeting in the throne room and you are summoned to join," she informed her and left the room.


    "What do you think this is about?" her mother asked her.


    "Nothing good," she said and bid her mother goodbye. She left the room, her servants followed behind her as she went over to the throne room. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she stepped into the room to find all the ministers standing in the room.


    She walked up to the king and sat on her throne beside the king, she glanced at him and offered him a smile but the king ignored her and didn''t spare her a glance.


    "Now that the queen has arrived, tell me the reason for this meeting," he said to the group of a hundred ministers standing before him.


    The minister closest to the throne walked to the kind and handed him a scroll. The King took the scroll and opened it, he read the content of the scroll with shock in his eyes.


    His eyes went down the scrolls to see that all the powers of Arimelari had signed in favor of the request.


    "According to this, you all are requesting for the queen to be dethroned," he said out loud.


    Olivia stared up at him and then at the scroll, she snatched the scroll from his hand and read from it. She read the request to dethrone her that had all the signatures from all the powerhouse of Arimelari starting with the queen and the prince.


    "Yes, your highness. We understand that she is pregnant and carrying the child of the throne but we have come together and decided it best for her not to sit on the throne. The King will remarry and his new bride will be queen and she can just be kept in the palace as a royal concubine until she gives birth then she must be sent away from Arimelari, banished never to return," the minister who handed him the scroll said.


    "What reasons do you have to request this?" the king asked.


    "We have reasons to believe that she is responsible for the poisoned water that took many lives of the subjects, our king included. How can we allow a woman like her to be our ruler," he said.


    The King stared at his queen, he could see the anger in her eyes. He turned back to the ministers.


    "Since you, all have come to this decision. As you king I have no choice but to agree to your request," he said.. He took the scroll from Olivia''s hand and placed his royal seal on it and approved of the request.

 Chapter 47 - Honey

    * 3 months later *


    "I won''t accept this," Olivia shouted as she followed behind Alexander.


    "Accept what?" Alexander asked feigning oblivious to what she was talking about.


    "It isn''t fair that I am made to leave my throne. I won''t allow it," she said sternly.


    "It has already happened. There is nothing you can do about it," Alexander said stopping in his tracks. He looked at her for a moment and smiled. "Now if you don''t mind my new bride arriving today and I have to go and welcome her," he added.


    "I won''t allow that woman to take what belongs to me. Just like Francis she bows to me in defeat and leaves the palace," she said in anger and froze after realizing what she had just said. She looked up at the king, he looked angry.


    Alexander took a step close to her and she took a step back. He kept walking until he had backed up to the wall. He hit his hand hard on the wall, she jumped and screamed in fear.


    "How many times have I warned you not to utter his name with your vile tongue," he said to her. His voice is so deep and threatening.


    "So..sorry," she apologized with her head down afraid to look him in the eyes. Alexander had changed for the worse after Francis left three months ago, he got angry easily and was always in bad moods. He had gotten cold that even his mother and brother found it hard to talk to him.


    He had forbidden anyone from mentioning his beloved''s name in the palace and also warned the people of Arimelari from naming their children Francis ever. He wanted only he to bear that name and for it to remain with the one he loved. All those who were named Francis were forced to change their names.


    "You already lost everything, you are no longer queen and I don''t find your presence pleasing at all so before you ruin my day. I will leave to meet my new bride," he said and walked away with his hand bleeding. He didn''t even feel the pain of his wound, the pain in his heart made it so that his brain could not even sense that his hand was hurt. Blood dripped on the floor as he walked but he didn''t care.


    "I thought by getting rid of Francis things could go back to normal but they just got ruined for the worse. I can''t even do anything anymore, neither the king listens to me nor he does as I say," Olivia complained to herself after Alex left.


    "Speaking of Francis I wonder what he is up to now. I hope he suffers more than I do," she stated and walked back to her room.


    ******


    "Francis, what will you have for lunch?" Silvia asked Francis as he was milking the cow.


    "Don''t worry about lunch, I will cook for you today. I am almost done with this anyway, you just need to relax," he told her looking up.


    "Okay," she replied and took a seat to watch him milk the cow.


    She felt very peaceful watching Francis, she loved how good he was to her. He took care of her very well in the past few months than she had ever been taken care of in her entire life.


    They didn''t live a grand life, her life was normal and she loved it very much. They had bought land in Arthea and built a little manor on the land. They kept a lot of animals on the farm and grew crops, it wasn''t exactly the life that she had dreamt of but it was better.


    She got to learn how to do many household chores that she never learned before and due to her pregnancy she wasn''t allowed to do much. She thanked the heavens for the perfect husband that she had. She had learned to fall in love with the man she had gotten to know in Francis and understood why Alexander was madly in love with him.


    She has always been jealous of Alexander for having Francis''s love. They might have parted ways and lived away from each other but she could see love in her husband''s eyes for the dragon king. Even though he would deny still being in love with Alex.


    His hatred for Alex was never enough to remove the love he felt for the man from his heart. But she didn''t mind because he never let her feel it. He took care of her and showered with compassion that she never felt lonely even though they don''t share an intimate relationship of husband and wife.


    "Why are you thinking about it?" Francis asked her bringing her out of her trance.


    "Nothing," she replied.


    "Well I am done, let''s go," he said and held her hand as they walked to the house. He set the milk down and removed his shoes at the door and bent down to remove Silvia''s shoes too.


    "I can do it by myself," she said feeling embarrassed.


    "You are pregnant, it isn''t good for you to bend a lot," he said and helped her take her shoes off before they walked into the house.


    Francis had her sit down in the living while he went into the kitchen to make the food. He set the milk on the kitchen counter and lit the fire. He kept firewood on the fire and set a pot on top of the fire.


    He chopped the vegetables and threw them not the pot and milk into the pot with some water. He let the food cook while he cut the herbs he has picked earlier that day and set them into a dish. He rinsed them with water and added them into the cooking pot and covered it with a lid. He got the utensils and set them ready for the food to get done.


    "Honey," he called from the kitchen.


    "Yes," Silvia answered.


    "Are the dirty clothes washed yet?" he asked.


    "Not yet, I had asked Maria to come and wash them for a fee but she is yet to arrive," Silvia answered.


    "Can you please get them for me? I will wash them after we eat," he told and she agreed and went upstairs to fetch the dirty laundry.


    Francis checked on the food and smiled at how great the vegetable soup looked. The milk also looked good in the dish, it would help reduce the bitterness of the herbs.


    "I will get some carrots and add them," he said and turned around to leave the kitchen. He felt dizzy and held the counter for support. He closed his eyes and clutched his head.


    "Is something wrong?" Silvia asked him worried. She helped him to a seat and got him a glass of water to drink.


    "Alexander," he whispered.


    Francis got up from his seat and faced away from her, he clutched his chest and bit his lip. The pain was increasing in his heart and it was affecting his health too.


    "I will check the food, you should rest," Silvia offered but Francis turned her down. He took her hand and held it.


    "I''m sorry I worried you," he said apologetically. "I promise it won''t happen again," he added and hugged her. ''I promise to forget him and learn to love you,'' he said in his mind.


    "The food will burn honey," she told him and broke the hug.


    Francis got the pot off the fire and served the food in the bowls and got the food to the dining table. He drew a chair for Silvia and sat down next to her, he served the food on each of their plates and they dug into the food.


    "The food is good and I can''t even taste the herbs you secretly added to the food," she stated.


    "The herbs are good for a pregnant woman. It keeps you and the baby safe and healthy."


    "I am only three months pregnant even my belly doesn''t show yet," she said.


    "I know but I don''t want to take any chances. Our child should be healthy when it is born. And it is to ensure you have no complications during your pregnancy."


    "You spoil me too much," she complained.


    "And I will do the same for the child too.


    He/she will never lack for anything as long as I am alive. I will look after both of you until my last breath," he said. He placed his hand on her hand. "I won''t give you a reason to complain," he assured her and continued eating.


    ''When you are this good to me how can I not fall for you Francis,'' she thought.


    She sighed and had more of her food. The rest of the lunch they had without talking to each other. It was a comfortable silence that they both enjoyed as they enjoyed the delicious meal.


    When lunch was done Francis cleared the table and did the dishes. He then washed all the dirty clothes in the house and hang them to dry.


    "Honey, let''s go shopping," he suggested when he was done with all of his work.


    "Okay."

 Chapter 48 - Getting Married To The King

    Silvia stood in her living room helpless on what to do. She tried pacing around the room but that too offered no solution to her predicament. She had a big problem with her hand and she was stressing out because of it.


    She watched the door constantly to see Francis return but he too was not arriving. Which gave her more time to think and made her even more stressed. She walked up the stairs and went to her room and packed her clothes in her bag and set out on the door. She then proceeded to Francis''s room and packed his belongings as well. She took both the bags with her and went down. She placed the bags on the table.


    Time was passing by but her husband was nowhere to be seen. Her palms were sweaty and sweat was trickling down her forehead from worry.


    "What are you doing?" Francis asked entering the room. He could see how stressed she was and got worried."What is the matter why are you so worried?" he asked her getting her to sit down.


    "W..we h..have to go on a trip," she said nervously looking everywhere but at him.


    "Trip? To where?"


    "Ar.Arim.Arimelari," she said and the room went completely silent. It was so quiet that you could hear a needle falling to the ground.


    "Wh..why do we have t..to go there?" Francis asked with his voice breaking.


    "Malia, her family had arranged for her to marry a man in Arimelari. You and I had promised her that we would support her and go with her since her mother is unwell and can''t travel and her father has to stay back and look after her," She said in one breath.


    She knew how sensitive the subject of Arimelari was with Francis and if possible she would never want to bring up that place ever in their life but she had no choice. They had given the girl their word and it would be wrong for them to go back on their word. Moreover, Francis can''t run away from his past forever, he would have to face everything once again so the sooner the better so that he doesn''t regret anything.


    "Why there?"


    "I don''t know Francis. I was surprised too when I found out where the groom''s family is from but there is nothing we can do about that. And also just because we are going back there does not mean that we have to go to the palace. We won''t even see anyone from the palace during our visit," she said to assure him.


    "I don..."


    "Don''t refuse please, the trip will be good for us and the baby," she said using her ultimate weapon to have him agree. Francis couldn''t disagree that getting out would be good for the child and he couldn''t say no to Silvia so he agreed.


    "But we won''t go anywhere near the palace, " he said sternly. They got their bags into the chariot and left the house. Francis had made sure to pack some food and herbs for her for the trip. They rode into town where they picked up Malia and her aunt Celeste and began their journey to Arimelari.


    Francis closed his eyes, he didn''t want to see the same road he was forced to walk on three months ago by the man that he had given his heart to. Just thinking of returning to Arimelari brought back the awful memories of the last time he saw and spoke to the dragon king.


    Tears couldn''t help but flow from his closed eyes from the hateful words he has to hear that day. The words that have long since haunted his mind and dreams for the past three months.


    Thinking about him makes it difficult for him to breathe and at times causes him massive headaches. The dragon mark doesn''t help him as it at times shows him glimpses of Alexander and what he is doing making his wound grow deeper and deeper.


    He wiped his tears away and folded his hand into a fist, he dug his nails into his palm. The pain from his hand kept him distracted from all the pain in his heart. It allowed his mind to stop thinking about Alexander.


    "How can I live with someone who puts my son''s life in danger. You created a child that is to kill my son yet you claim to love me. What is this love?" Alexander''s words rang in his with the same bitterness as he had uttered them. Francis took a deep breath to calm the tears that were about the flow from his eyes. His heart shattered again recalling those words.


    "Francis are you okay?" Silvia asked him with a worried expression on her face.


    "Yes, I am okay. I just had a bad dream that is all. Don''t worry," he said and laid his head facing away from her. ''I want to forget everything but the harder I try to forget the more I remember,'' he thought.


    He took a hand knife from his pocket and held it in his hand. He folded his hand tightly around the knife and it pierced through his skin. He bit his lip and held back a screech from the pain. He closed his eyes to sleep and tried to concentrate on the pain from his hand to occupy his mind.


    But the memories fought past his physical pain and replayed in his head over and over again. No matter how hard he pressed his hand on the knife he couldn''t stop himself from thinking about it. None of the good memories came to him but only the bad ones to haunt him. It kept him awake when all he wanted to do was sleep and forget even for just one second that he was going back to that land where he was rudely asked to leave.


    "Let''s have lunch."


    Everyone took a break and got down from the chariot to have lunch and midday. He was too occupied with his thoughts he hardly realized how fast time was flying.


    "We will be in Arimelari by sundown," Malia''s aunt informed them.


    Francis didn''t have much to eat, he wasn''t feeling hungry and his appetite was lost due to his troubled mind. He took only a bottle of water and returned to the chariot.


    The others ate their food and talked. Malia was very worried about meeting her new groom and having to start her life far away from home but Silvia was there with her and she assured her that all will be fine. When lunch was over they all got back to the chariot and the journey went on.


    "I wish my husband is just like Francis, he loves and cares for you so much," Malia commented.


    "I hope that every wife is blessed with a husband like him. I can''t wish for anything more as I have him," Silvia said proudly but her heart was breaking in her chest. She was going back to the land that owns her husband''s heart and risked losing him to not just the land but its ruler.


    It was evident in Francis''s behavior that he was thinking about Alexander all through the journey. She left him to his thoughts in the hope that he finds peace of mind after thinking about the matter after so long.


    "It''s true. If I find a man just like him then even I won''t ever yearn for anything in life. No amount of wealth can ever buy the happiness in one''s life," she said. Her words pleased Silvia very much but her aunt seems to disagree. She didn''t voice out her objection but she showed her disapproval in the frown she wore on her face.


    "I am sure that your husband will love you just as you deserve to be loved. I wish that you have the best married life," she said to her and hugged her.


    "I pray that it happens as you wished," she replied.


    "We are here," the driver of the chariot announced for them.


    The chariot pulled to a stop and the doors were opened. Malia and her aunt were the first to come out to meet the groom and his family waiting outside for them. Silvia and Francis got out next and looked up.


    Francis''s eyes met with Alexander''s eyes and he froze in his tracks. Silvia was shocked upon seeing the very familiar walls of the palace and the members of the royal family standing outside that palace. She took hold of Malia''s hand and pulled her close to her.


    "What are we doing in the palace of Arimelari?" she asked her in a hushed voice.


    "Didn''t I tell you? I am getting married to the king of Arimelari," she informed her. Silvia could hear lighting and thunder in her ears from what she said even though the cloud was clear.


    She looked away from the girl and looked over to Francis who seemed to have turned into a statue.. She took a step closer to Francis and held his hand squeezing it gently making him look away from Alexander.

 Chapter 49 - Stuck Between Two Ends

    The mood went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. No one made the effort to initiate the conversation. Awkwardness floated in the air around them making the situation tense.


    Alexander was shocked to even move, he still was unsure if he was hallucinating or if Francis was right there right in front of his eyes. He hadn''t seen the male in so long his heart skipped a beat at his presence.


    The queen''s mother was very happy to see Francis back into the palace. Her heart was filled with immense happiness from having to think of how good his visit could be. He was the one who could fix everything that went wrong after he left the palace.


    The King and changed so much for his liking after he left. She could barely recognize her son anymore from all that was happening. She and Mordecai both had the same ideas running through their mind. They just had to bring the two love birds together again at all costs.


    "Welcome to the palace of Arimelari," the queen said to them. "And welcome home my son," she added to Francis.


    Francis bowed his head to greet her but other than that he didn''t say anything to her. He held Silvia''s hand as she led him inside the palace. They walked past the king who was still frozen on his spot.


    As Francis walked past him his hand unconsciously reached out and held his hand. On feeling Alexander''s hand on his, he stopped in his tracks. He found himself stuck between the two people that were both holding him at different ends.


    Silvia stopped in her tracks when Francis stopped moving and glanced back. She was shocked to see Alexander holding him, it pained her heart to see Francis stop for him.


    On his right hand, there was his wife and to his left there was Alexander. Both were holding him, one pulling him to move forward while the other was holding him to stay. He couldn''t decide on which hand to follow. His mind was saying to move forward but his heart was asking him to stay.


    He looked down to the ground. The wind blowing in his direction whispering of promises that awaited him if he moved forward with his life and then there were the promises that were made in the past that awaited him if he stayed back. He was torn between two desires and two choices of which he couldn''t make.


    He took a deep breath and calmed his mind and heart. He closed his eyes and as usual, all he saw was Alexander''s hateful eyes staring at him and chasing him out of the palace. He let go of Silvia''s hand.


    She looked at her hand which he was holding and a tear fell from her eye. She averted her eyes from them as she didn''t want them to see her cry. She wouldn''t be able to explain the reason for her tears even if they asked her about it. Her fear had come true, she was always afraid that if Alex ever came back into her life then she will lose her family and that was just what she saw happen.


    The queen and prince Mordecai were happy about what they were seeing. It was nice to see that the bond the two of them shared was still intact and that they still had feelings for each other. It would be easier for them to help the lovers get back together with them still being in love with each other.


    Francis reached for his other hand and yanked Alexander''s hand away from him. He walked to his wife and took her hand.


    "Shall we go inside?" he asked her. She smiled and agreed. Together they walked past the queen mother and the prince and went into the palace hand in hand.


    "Do you know the royal family of Arimelari?" Celeste questioned how the queen had greeted Francis.


    "You could say that," Silvia replied nervously.


    "Then can you tell me what kind of person the king is Francis?" Malia asked Francis. He thought about the question. What could he say about the prince, he is selfish? He is rude and cruel and he doesn''t deserve to be loved by anyone. That is what he wanted to say but instead, he just remained quiet as he didn''t trust his lips not to betray his feelings.


    "The king is a nice man. He treats people in the same way that they treat him. If you show love to him then he will love you back," Silvia said describing Alex as she knew him.


    ''Did I ever show hatred, is that why you treated me so badly before and threw me out of your life?'' Francis asked himself in his thoughts.


    "What else can you say about him?" Malia inquired curiously.


    "He is gentle and sweet. He is too trusting to those he considers family and very protective of them too. He would do anything for his family," she replied.


    ''Then why did he not protect me from the pain of his words. Why did he not trust in my love? Was it that I wasn''t important enough for him?''


    "He sounds like a gem of a person," Malia commented.


    "Yes, I am wondering if I am a bad judge of character or if I just missed seeing these qualities in him," Francis uttered.


    The queen''s mother walked into the room with both of his sons by his side. They spoke to Malia and her aunt explaining the rules of the palace and what is expected of them before and after the wedding as per the traditions of Arimelari.


    The King could care less about what she was saying to them. His eyes only cared to look at a certain male that he had not seen for three months. He traced Francis''s body with his eyes and watched him carefully not wanting to miss even the slightest change in him since he was gone.


    Francis felt Alexander''s eyes in him but he did his best to ignore the king. His face was without any emotion and he just looked out the window and let the others do and talk about the wedding.


    It didn''t make a difference to him that Alexander was getting married again and he made a promise to himself not to let himself be affected by his past. He was there to attend the wedding and will stay for four to five days than return to his life far away from all the painful memories and people that never valued his love.


    He has a wife and a child on the way to think about so he couldn''t allow himself to be swayed by irrelevant feelings. He listed every reason that he could think of to convince himself of why he should stay far away from the dragon king.


    ''This is what happens when you fall in love with a dragon. You end up with broken pieces of yourself that you can''t fix,'' he thought and sighed.


    Alexander who was watching him very keenly didn''t miss the sad sigh. He felt bad for seeing Francis in that condition but he felt even worse about how he had let go of his hand.


    He thought that he has made the right choice by pushing him away but fate found a way to bring him back to the palace.


    Then why does doing the right thing hurt him so much? He couldn''t think of anything good that could have come from his decision because it was clear that even Francis was unhappy with his decision. And Silvia didn''t look any better, he not just ruined his life with his decision but he also destroyed Silvia and Francis''s life.


    The two most important people in his life had their lives ruined by him. "Enough," he said and it came out loud. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him except for Francis who was too busy in his thoughts to concentrate on what was going on in the room.


    "Stop what Alex?" The queen''s mother asked him.


    "Yes brother, what is wrong?" Mordecai asked knowing well that he was rattled up because of seeing his ex after a long time.


    "Francis," Silvia called to him but he didn''t hear her. "Honey," she called again and he looked over to her.


    "What happened. Are you okay," he said rushing to her side and taking her hands. "Did something happen?"


    "Relax, nothing has happened but the journey here was rather long and it is getting dark. I thought that you should get some rest, we can freshen up and rest for a while," she said.


    "Okay. Where do we sleep, did you ask for a room?" he asked her. She nodded and together they left the room with the servants carrying their bags for them bringing it to their room.


    "Honey?" Alexander whispered as his eyes followed behind the two. He was surprised at how intimately she was calling him and how Francis reacted to that. He was worried about her as though he was in love with her.


    His eyes opened at the possibility of Francis being in love with Silvia and forgetting him.

 Chapter 50 - Heartbroken

    Alexander was walking down the corridors of the palace when he saw Francis from afar. Time seemed to stop and everything around him was moving in slow motion. He watched him with longing in his eyes.


    Francis took a turn around the corner and went out of sight. Alexander up to his feet and ran after him. He ran as fast as his legs could take him to catch up to Francis.


    "Francis waits," he shouted as he got close to him.


    Francis stopped but didn''t turn around. He remained still until Alexander made it by his side. Alexander pulled Francis into a hug, he held on to him never wishing to let him go.


    "I missed you so much," he let out. His eyes were wet from how emotional he had become from seeing him. He let his tears flow from his eyes without bothering to wipe them.


    Francis stood still and let Alexander hug him. His hands moved to hug him back but the memory of the day they parted ways replayed in his mind and he brought his hands back down. He looked ahead with a blank face. He heard him say that he missed him and folded his hands into a fist.


    "Didn''t you miss me?" he inquired from Francis. He didn''t get a reply.


    "There isn''t a day that I didn''t miss you and think about you. You were always in my thoughts and my dreams," he stated in between tears.


    ******


    Olivia walked magnetically to pay a visit to Francis and Silvia. She was eager to meet them as it meant that she would have to witness how miserable their lives had been after they left the palace. She took her time with her steps. Though excited she didn''t want to show it, she had an image to protect.


    She arrived outside the room assigned to the two of them and knocked on the door. She knocked two more times before the door was opened.


    "Silvia, what a surprise to see you," she told while looking at her from head to toe. The clothes she was wearing weren''t that classy but it wasn''t bad either.


    "What is the reason that you have taken the trouble to come to my room?" she asked not in the mood to put up with her antics.


    "To check on you of course. You are pregnant and who better than me to understand what you are going through when I too am expectant," she explained and pushed her way into the room without waiting to be invited inside.


    Silvia sighed and smiled at her and spoke."I am fine, you can leave now."


    "It is rude to ask your guest to leave. You can''t even offer me a sear. What manners did you learn living your life as a commoner?" she asked her but Silvia knew that there was a hidden meaning to that question.


    She sighed again at how typical the woman was. Time might change but Olivia will remain the same. She had come there just to mock her and look down on her for being in a position lower than hers.


    "That is a question I will wait for you to answer by yourself in a while," she uttered tired of putting up with the mean woman.


    "Meaning?" Olivia questioned not understanding what Silvia meant by that statement.


    "A bluebird told me that after you give birth to your child you will leave the palace forever. That includes Arimelari too, so soon you will become nothing but a mare commoner and you too will learn commoner manners," she explained to her.


    "You," Olivia said in anger and raised her hand to slap her. Silvia caught her hand, she didn''t look pleased by Olivia''s attempt to hit her.


    "You will lower your voice and your hand when dealing with me. You hold no position nor power in this palace and there is no reason for me not to retaliate against you if you dare hit me. I am not one of your pushovers," she told and dropped Olivia''s hand.


    Olivia gritted her teeth in anger from not being able to teach Silvia a lesson for talking down to her. She also felt enraged for being so helpless that she isn''t feared around the palace anymore. She glared daggers at the girl and she just went about folding her clothes ignoring her.


    "Coming from a woman married to a man who doesn''t even like women speaks a lot about you," she spatted poking at her where she was most vulnerable.


    Silvia''s hands froze. She was used to the truth but it still hurt to have someone say it to her. It was true that Francis was in love with another and it wouldn''t even matter how much love she showered on him as he would never accept her. He already gave his heart, body, and soul to another and that was a fact she had to live with for the rest of her life.


    "You and I are not so different. We both are sailing on the same ship. We are both married to men who don''t want anything to do with us," she continued after seeing how affected Silvia was about the topic.


    "We are nothing alike, unlike you my husband doesn''t despise me, he respects me and honors his duties to me as his wife," she spoke calmly.


    "I highly doubt that but it''s alright with me if you want to live a lie. The truth is that Francis will never have a place in his heart for you or your child. Because when it comes to you, he loves Alex, and as for your child. He is not Francis''s child but a product of his magic so he won''t feel connected to the child no matter how hard he tries. You should stop we''veng any dreams that you have about having a perfect family," she spoke mercilessly with bitterness in her voice. Stabbing Silvia in the heart with every word that she spoke.


    Silvia got up from her seat and took hold of Olivia by the hand and dragged her out of the room. Olivia tried to pry away her hand from Silvia''s hold but she was too strong. Silvia pulled her along with her to the corridor that led away from their room.


    "My marital life is a matter between Francis and I. Don''t ever comment on my relationship with my husband ever again or else," she threatened.


    "So much for your big talks. It seems that you live in an illusion," Olivia commented. She held Silvia by the shoulders and turned her around. She was paralyzed by what she saw.


    "What was that about trust and respect you said Francis felt for you?" She asked her. "It seems to me that your husband couldn''t wait to get his lips on another man," she added pointing out to Francis and Alexander kissing each other down the corridor.


    Silvia was speechless. She couldn''t answer back nor defend her husband when he was acting right before their eyes. Her body froze, she wanted to look away to avoid her heart from breaking apart more than it already was but her body wouldn''t listen to her.


    Watching the man she loved in another man''s hands, broke her heart into tiny little pieces. She couldn''t stop the tears that threatened to flow down her cheeks.


    "My King," Olivia called out bringing the two lovers back to earth. They broke the kiss and stood away from each other. Francis and Alexander both looked in Olivia''s direction and both of them stood shocked to see Silvia there. Guilt washed over them like ice-cold water freezing them in place.


    "What is going on here?" Olivia asked them. "Back together kiss?"


    Alexander and Francis stood at their spot each with their eyes on Silvia. They were so clueless on what to do after what they had just done. Silvia wiped her tears and turned her body around with much difficulty and left.


    Francis unfroze and took a step forward but Alexander held him back. "Francis, I am sorry," he said apologetically.


    "Don''t ever come near me again," he asserted and pushed Alexander away before running away after his wife.


    Olivia stood by watching everything with a smile on her face. She went out to hurt one but got to witness the drama unfold right before her eyes. It made her particularly happy that she was able to hurt the man who ruined her perfect life.


    "You shouldn''t have a forbidden affair in public where everyone can see you," she said to the king but he ignored her and walked away.


    He felt ashamed for what he had done and wasn''t sure what he was going to do about it. He was feeling emotional on seeing Francis again that he couldn''t stop himself from kissing him. But he crossed his limits forgetting that Francis was married to a girl he considered his best friend.


    He wasn''t sure how he was ever going to be able to face her after what he did.. As a king, he should have controlled himself to avoid the mess that he had just created.

 Chapter 51 - What You All Want

    Francis ran after Silvia, he was feeling restless about what had happened. He was worried that something bad might happened to Silvia and the baby from stressing over what had happened.


    He looked everywhere for her but could not find her anywhere. He checked the room but she was no there. He ran to the garden and checked there too but she was not there. Everywhere he checked he couldn''t find her and that made him even angrier. He took deep breaths to calm down but his fear of losing both Silvia and his child.


    "Are you okay Francis?" Alexander asked him noticing his worried expression. He had come to find them and to apologize for the mistake and problem that he had caused earlier.


    "Didn''t I ask you to stay far away from me?" Francis asked him angrily.


    "I just.."


    "Just nothing Alex. There is nothing that you can say that I would want to hear. And let me tell you something that you had told me before. I don''t want to listen to you so leave," he said and left to look for his wife.


    "Where are you going? At least tell me what had happened that you look so worried?" he asked him.


    "Why do you care?"


    "I can help," he said to him but Francis just smirked. "Like you help me three months ago by throwing me out of your life or when you ordered me to marry someone else?" he asked him recalling the bitter memories.


    He left Alexander and went away, his tears were flowing from his eyes nonstop and however much he tried to wipe them they wouldn''t stop falling. He felt so broken after meeting Alexander again after these past few months.


    ******


    Silvia ran away from there, she went in the direction she felt suffocated in the palace and wanted to get some fresh air. She rushed to make a corner with tears blocking her visage making her ran into someone. She fell back to the floor.


    She wiped her tears and took the hand that offered to help her back up. She got up and thanked the person and started walking away.


    "Wait," she heard the queen''s mother say and stopped. She turned around and waited to hear what she had to say. The queen''s mother went to her side and took her hands and held them in hers. She gave Silvia a warm smile that acted as a comfort to the pain in her heart.


    "My dear, I''m glad that I ran into you. I was about to come to see you myself," she said.


    Silvia hugged her and took comfort in her arms. She wished that she could tell her about all her problems and lift the weight on her shoulders. She wrapped her hands around the queen''s mother.


    "It''s okay my love. I am always here for you," the queen''s mother said and rubbed her back gently to comfort her.


    "Thank you," she told to her.


    "I need a favor from you. Come let''s talk in my room," she said and helped her walk to the room. The servants walked behind them and followed them to the room. The queen''s mother helped her to a seat in her room. She gave her a glass of water and sat by her.


    "What did you want to ask me for? What is the favor that you want?" she inquired.


    "You know that I have always considered you my daughter. I love you very much and I want to see you happy," the Queen''s mother said bringing a smile to Silvia''s heart. She was an orphan and it felt nice to have her say that to her. She couldn''t help but feel happy.


    "I love you too and you are like a mother to me too," she confessed.


    "If that is the case then I was thinking about something. As you well know Alexander and Francis love each other so much. I know that differences might occur between lovers and it might push them far away from each other. But that doesn''t mean that they should stay like that forever," she told.


    Silvia''s mood went from better to worse once again. She didn''t understand why everyone won''t just leave her alone and why they sort to remind her that her husband was in love with someone else. Can''t they just pity her heart, she was only human and her heart could only take so much in a day.


    "That is why I think that you should help me unite Francis and Alexander," she said causing Silvia to look at her with disbelief in her eyes. "The two of them love each other so much. And this will be good for you too. We can find you a good man that will love and respect you a lot," she added.


    "I don''t think that I can do that," Silvia uttered and got up to leave. She had enough of listening to the queen mother talk of Francis''s and Alexander''s great love story that remains incomplete.


    "I understand that you think that you can''t but dear we can at least try. I can''t seem to see Alexander so sad and you are my daughter and I know that you care about Francis and Alexander and you would also like them to live happily ever after," she said to her. "Then help me. Or at least think about it."


    Silvia left the queens room. Her heart was in a much worse condition than seeing Francis kiss Alexander. The queen mother''s words kept ringing in her ears as she walked down the hall. More and more tears flowed from her eyes.


    "She says that I am like a daughter to her but my happiness doesn''t even matter to her. All she cares about is Alex. What kind of mother would ever ask their daughter to leave their husband for someone else? What kind of mother doesn''t even ask her daughter''s opinion before deciding what is she wants in life?" she asked herself filled with anger.


    She walked the distance filled with anger from everything that had happened since morning. First, she got lectures by a shameless woman like Olivia, and then she witnessed her husband who she loved so much in the arms of another man. To top it all up the Queen''s mother just spoke to her about her plans to bring her marriage to an end.


    She knew too well that it didn''t matter if she helped her or not. Now that she had put her mind to it that she wants to reunite Francis and Alexander then she will go ahead with the plans with or without her help.


    It broke her heart to see the people she once considered family tries to take the family, from her. Her hopes and dreams laid with her family, they meant the world to her. She couldn''t imagine what her life would be like if she lost Francis.


    She felt betrayed and cheated by Francis, the queen-mother, and Alexander. They all were responsible for everything that was happening and the pain she was feeling. She has always been good to them and faithful to all her relationships but the ones she treated so well were the same people stabbing her in the back and destroying her life.


    She dropped to the ground when her knees could no longer support her. She gripped her dress tightly and screamed at the top of her voice. Alexander and Francis heard her scream and ran in her direction.


    Olivia, Mordecai, and the queen''s mother also heard it and left what they were doing to go and check what was wrong. Malia and her aunt Celeste were not around as they were taking a tour of the kingdom.


    They all arrived at the same time to where Silvia sat. Francis rushed to her side to help her but she pushed him away.


    "Silvia, you should relax, please. It isn''t good for the baby if you are this worried," he said helping her stand up.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t take into consideration the fact that I was carrying a child before breaking down. After all, I am just the woman whose womb you have taken on rent to carry the symbol of your revenge at Alex," she let out angrily.


    "Silvia I.."


    "You what? Am I wrong? I bear no value in your life other than the fact that my womb is on rent to house your child. Why would you care for me otherwise?"


    "It isn''t his fault Silvi. I am to blame, I was the one.."


    "The one who decided to get the two of us married. The one who decided to separate with him and the one who said that you wanted to do justice by me. Well, is this your idea of justice?" She questioned angrily.


    "Silvia, what is this all about?" the Queen Mother asked confused.


    "What is this all about? How about the fact that you say that I am like a daughter to you and yet you aren''t even ashamed to ask me to give my husband to another man. Tell me is this what a mother does? Break one family just to see the other happy. You didn''t even consider that I am pregnant for him before you asked me that, tell me how am I supposed to live after you get what you want?"


    "I..I.."


    "Every single one of you has only thought about yourselves. No one has thought about me and how your decisions affect me and I am tired.. Let me give you all that you want" she said and jumped from through the window of the third floor of the palace.

 Chapter 52 - Reuniting Francis And Alexander (part One)

    Everyone remained frozen in their spot, they weren''t quick enough to react to Silvia jumping off the building like that. Francis blinked a few times to get back to his senses. He quickly jumped after her.


    On seeing this Alexander jumped after Francis and caught him before he could hit the ground. In his dragon form, he was able to save Francis before he fell to his end. Francis looked around but his wife was nowhere to be seen. He asked Alexander to set him down and he proceeded to search around for Silvia.


    "Where did she go?" he asked when he wasn''t able to catch a trace of her.


    Alexander transformed back into his human form and he too tried to look for Silvia. The girl was nowhere to be seen and they had no idea where she could have gone to.


    "Annak," Alexander called out and a young girl appeared next to him. "Where is Silvia?" he asked her.


    Annak got to work and used his magic to find Silvia, she could trace very powerful magic in the air that had the same signature as Francis''s magic. So since Francis was not the one who cast the spell it was evident that his unborn child did. She found that she was teleported safely back to her room.


    "She is in her room, the child in her womb used its magic to save her," she informed them and left.


    The queen''s mother heard this and immediately left to go see her. She had a few things to discuss with Silvia that required some privacy.


    She was sure that there was a way to convince her to agree and help him unite the two lovers who can''t stop yearning for each other''s love.


    She wore a bright smile on her face when she thought of the perfect way to convince Silvia to agree to her request. She rushed in her steps to reach faster, she didn''t waste time knocking and walked right into the room.


    Silvia was lying on the bed facing the ceiling, tears flowed down from the sides of her eyes. She was thinking about everything that was going on in her life and what she meant to those she considered her friends and family.


    "Silvi my dear," the queen''s mother called to her in a very sweet manner. I am glad that you are resting. You need all the rest you can get in your condition," she said taking a seat next to the girl. She placed her hands on Silvia''s hair and massaged her.


    "I have been thinking about your complaint on my way here and I think I have a solution," she continued but Silvia remained silent and didn''t say anything to her. Just then the door opened with Francis and Alexander walking into the room. They stood by the bed and watched the girl who didn''t even bother to look at them.


    The Queen mother looked happy that the two of them were there, she didn''t want to have to repeat all that she was about to say to Silvia to them later on so it was good that they had come and could hear it directly.


    "I think that you can become Francis''s surrogate. After all, the two of you share no intimate relationship and the child is just a symbol of his magic. There is no need to fret about the issue. Francis and Alexander can both just raise the child as their own once it is born and he can be the younger prince of Arimelari," The queen''s mother said.


    Alex and Francis stared at Silvia''s face to see her reaction to what the Queen''s mother was saying. She remained still and didn''t say anything. The words that were being said to her wounded her soul and tore her heart to pieces but she was helpless to do anything. After all, she was just a random girl whose womb they rented.


    "What do you say Alex? How do you find the idea?" the Queen''s mother asked him. The kind looked over at the love of his life and could not wish of accepting his mother''s proposal. What he wouldn''t give to be with Francis again.


    "If Francis and Silvia agree then I won''t refuse," he said honestly.


    "What about you Francis?" the queen''s mother inquired with a lot of hope in her eyes that he should say yes to her. Francis didn''t know what to say. On one hand, was his wife whom he had greatly wronged, and on the other a woman he respected as a mother.


    "My answer will be that which Silvia decides," he said in reply.


    "Dear, what do you think of my idea. This will guarantee the future of the baby and after birth, we can find you a man who will love and cherish you for the rest of his life," she told to her and tried to convince her to agree. Silvia remained quiet, she was screaming in her head at how unfair life was.


    "Say something Silvi," Alexander urged.


    "What is there to say when you all have already decided. The only thing that I can say is that I am tired of all of you bothering me. Since this is what you decide then fine. I will agree to it on one condition," she said sitting up on the bed.


    "Name it," the queen''s mother said not even wasting a second.


    "I want Olivia to be reinstated as queen and I want Alex to marry her and give her all the rights that she previously had," she said in a serious tone.


    The queen''s mother was speechless at the condition that Silvia made. Giving Olivia everything that she had worked so hard to take from her was something that she would never let happen. Olivia was the one person she wanted dead so having sit on the throne was a big no.


    "That is not possible Silvia. How could you even ask us of that when you know all that Olivia has done to us?" Alexander asked.


    "Francis, I ask you for permission to divorce me," she asked from Francis. "I don''t want you to give me anything at all. After the child is born I will hand him over to you and leave," she added and laid back down.


    "Their. She has decided to give the two of you a chance to be happy together so divorce her Francis," the queen mother said happily.


    "I will do no such thing," Francis said firmly. "I will never leave my wife for you. And I don''t care what you or anyone else says. I won''t let you anywhere near my child so you can forget or ever being a father to him because I won''t even let you see a shadow of him," he added bitterly.


    "But Fran.."


    "No queen-mother, my decision is final, and that cant change. You say that Silvia is like a daughter to you but you only show concern for Alex. A true mother will always be able to see the tears behind their child''s smile but you can''t even see Silvia''s pain when it is written all over her face. She hasn''t stopped crying since you brought up this topic of taking her family from her and yet you don''t even care to wipe her tears," Francis scolded while wiping Silvia''s tears away.


    "That is not true my dear. I am thinking about her happiness while doing this. Because it''s true and even you can''t deny that you can never give her the love she craves as a woman."


    "Maybe, but I will try my best to live a life that she deserves. And before you say anything further let me remind you that it was Alex who ended our relationship. It was him who got the two of us married, no one forced him to make such a move, and this proposal you are making, he could have considered it before but he didn''t. So why should our lives be ruined because he now regrets what he did?" he questioned.


    "I had no choice back then Francis," Alexander confessed. "I did what I thought was right at the moment, I didn''t know that I wouldn''t be able to live without you."


    "It''s too late for regret now. And before you cause any harm to my wife and child by stressing Silvia out I will beg you to leave this room right now. As for us, we will leave your palace and your kingdom first thing in the morning," he said and folded his hands to ask them to leave.


    The queen''s mother was rendered speechless. Saying that he never expected such treatment from Francis would be an understatement.


    She left the room disappointed that she was able to convince Silvia to let Francis and Alexander reunite but she was yet to accept defeat. She still had one trick up the sleeve that is sure to get her exactly what she wants.


    She had the rest of the evening and the night to achieve her goal before Francis left the palace in the morning.

 Chapter 53 - Reuniting Francis And Alexander (part Two)

    The queen had taken a trip with her handmaiden and went to the forest. She went to seek a great which that lived near the valley. She rode her horse at a very high speed in the darkness of the night. She missed the days that the whole kingdom would be very lively during the night.


    The streets and everywhere were full of life and had lights everywhere but ever since her husband died and her son stopped turning into a dragon by day everything went back to normal.


    She made her way through the dark forest and rode to the valley. She and her maiden tied the horses to the trees and proceeded to go inside the small hut that was hidden behind the many trees.


    "Are you sure about this my queen?" the handmaiden inquired fully aware of what the queen''s plan was. She was just not sure if it was okay for the queen to do this.


    "Do not question my decision," the queen''s mother said and knocked on the door. She knocked and knocked but nothing happened.


    "Maybe she isn''t home," the maiden said.


    The door opened revealing a beautiful girl with a hood on her shoulders. She smiled at them and made way for them to enter. She got two cups of tea for them and had them sit in her rusty hut.


    "Why are you here, Geldine?" She asked the queen''s mother.


    "I need your help," the Queen''s mother said getting to the point. She pushed the cup of tea from her maiden before it touched her lips and made her set it down. "There is no need to poison us, I didn''t come here to harm you," she added referring to the poisoned cup of tea that was offered to them.


    "What can I do you for?" the girl asked.


    "I need you to do something that can unite my son with the love of his life. I need you to activate the dragon mark on Francis''s neck so he will be attracted to his dragon and won''t resist the beautiful bond they share," she said to her.


    "That which you ask for is very dangerous. Only his dragon should do that for him, outside help might make things complicated," the girl started to her.


    "I can handle complicated. What I can''t handle is seeing the two of them apart," she told.


    "It could cause a catastrophe to happen. Are you sure?" she asked her, the maid too looked at the queen questioning her with her eyes.


    "I am."


    The girl fetched some chalk, candles, a bird, and a bowl of water. She drew the symbol of David on the floor and drew a circle around it. She placed a candle in each corner of the symbol. With a flip of her hand, the candles started burning. She placed the bowls of water outside the circle.


    "There is still time to change your mind. Once I start you won''t get a second chance," the girl warned but the Queen''s mother refused to change her mind. She had to see her son happy and that was it and since everyone refused her first plan, her second plan is sure to win.


    "I want this," she affirmed. The girl didn''t ask again and took the living bird and held it in her hands. She twisted the bird''s neck and broke it. She then cut the bird and let its blood drip down to the circle. The blood traveled in the lines drawn on the ground until all the lines were drawn with blood.


    The girl closed her eyes and began to murmur a spell under her breath. She soon started floating in the air with the flame in the candles increasing. The water in the bowls started boiling until it evaporated.


    The girl stopped floating and returned to the ground when the candles burned down to the ground. She looked up to the Queen''s mother and smirked.


    "It''s done," she said happily.


    "Good, your payment," the queen''s mother said and reached into his pocket and got a silver necklace and threw it to her.


    "This I..is t..the necklace of.."


    "Yes, and it is yours. I must leave now.


    Goodbye," the queen''s mother said and left the hut with her handmaiden. She was so excited to return home and see her favorites happily together again. It made her happy to know that she won and was able to reunite the two of them. She was sure that they would thank her when she returns to the palace.


    They raced back to Arimelari and the queen''s mother wastes no time to go into the palace. As it was still night she didn''t want to disturb the two lovers and went in search of her second son. Who she was sure would have noticed if something had happened between the two lovers and would be able to tell her.


    She knocked on the door and repeated to knock until the door was opened. She was surprised to see the girl who was brought to the palace to wed Alexander opening the door. But her surprise soon turned to happiness.


    Because if Mordecai had found a way to seduce Malia and convince her to marry him then Alexander will be free to get married to Francis again.


    "Qu..queen m..mother," she said nervously. She reached her hand out and touched the queen''s mother to confirm if she was real and screamed. Her scream woke the prince up and he came to check why she screamed.


    "M..mother," he said not believing that his mother was standing right in front of him.


    "Yes, it''s me. Why are you acting strangely and won''t you invite your mother inside," she asked and got into the room. The room was different from how it was arranged in the morning and even the decorations were different.


    She looked around the room. It looked like it had a female touch to it. ''Only a day and she has already claimed her place in your life,'' she said in her mind feeling proud at how fast her son worked to help her unite his brother with the love of his life.


    "Mother," Mordecai called still in disbelieve.


    "Yes. Why do you keep calling me like that? Anyway, forget all that I have amazing news for you. I think that I have found a way to get us what we want faster," she informed. "You have no idea what I have done and when you find out, you will be shocked to the core," she said happily.


    "Where have you been mother?" he asked her taking her hands to feel if she was real. After confirming that indeed his mother was there he couldn''t stop himself from hugging her.


    "I just went for a horse ride in the forest," she replied not knowing why his son was acting the way he was.


    "Wait until brother finds out that you are here. He will be so happy," Mordecai said and turned around to do inform Alexander of the fact that their mother was there.


    "Stop," Malia shouted from where she stood.


    "What are you doing Mordecai? What do you think would happen if you disturb the king in the middle of the night. He won''t spare you and you can''t promise that he will spare your mother either. You know he hates to be disturbed when he is with him," she said and got him to return.


    Mordecai sat down on the bed and thought carefully, he had to think of a good way to tell his brother that their mother was back in a way that won''t offend him and make him do something to their mother.


    "Wait, what are you talking about. Alexander my son could never harm me," the queen''s mother said to Malia. "Don''t go around spouting nonsense of my son. Do you understand me or I will be your worst nightmare," she said in a threatening voice.


    "That would be the case if he was still the son you speak of. The one right now would not hesitate to burn you with his dragon breath if you so much as coughed in his presence," Malia confessed to her.


    The queen mother felt enraged that a mare girl who knew nothing of his son or the royal family dared to talk about her son like that. She raised her hand and slapped her.


    "Don''t ever speak of my son like that in my presence or else," she threatened.


    Malia and Mordecai just stared at her like she was a crazy woman and didn''t say anything else. Just then the door opened and a woman covering her head with a veil walked in with a crying baby. She came to them and handed the child over to Malia before removing her veil.


    "I''m sorry that I disturbed you at night. He was crying nonstop and I didn''t know what to do. I saw that your lights were on and thought to come here. His milk will be ready soon but until then I have to keep him away from the king," she said in a worried voice.


    "It''s okay Queen Sofia. Ander is my favorite nephew, I don''t mind him being here. I just pity him, his father Alexander hates him so much that he can''t stand the sight of him," she said while shaking the baby gently to calm him.


    "That is why I had to sneak him out of the room. I couldn''t afford the other dragons seeing me," the Queen said.


    "Who would have thought the great prince of Arimelari. The blood moon dragon would have such a tragic life."


    The queen watched and listened to their conversation. Her head started spinning from trying to make sense of it all.. She finally fainted.

 Chapter 54 - Consequences Of Her Actions

    The queen opened her eyes slowly and took a moment to adjust to the light around the room. She sat up on the bed and looked around, she found that she was outside. It wasn''t the garden that she was used to but different.


    "Where am I?" she asked.


    "Keep it down. Don''t say a word," Malia told to her. She placed a finger on the Queen mother''s mouth to keep her from talking.


    "What in the world permitted you to act like this with me. I will ruin you," the queen''s mother shouted in anger. In all her life as queen, no one has ever treated her the way that this girl dared to do.


    "Queen-mother," queen Sofia called. "Hello," she greeted.


    "Hello Sofia, what are you doing here?" she asked.


    "I live here mother. I am married to the king so that makes me the queen and Alex gave me the custody of his son so that makes me the queen''s mother too," she informed.


    "But Olivia hasn''t given birth yet. She is only on her fourth month of pregnancy," the queen stated confused.


    "That was a year ago mother. A lot has changed from then and Arimelari is no longer the same. That is why you must keep your voice down at all costs. Alexander hates any kind of sounds being made in the palace. Be it talking, laughing, or any other sounds," she explained.


    The queen''s mother was shocked out of her wits by the information she was receiving. It was only yesterday that went into the forest then how did so much happened and what was it that caused Alexander to change so much.


    "Wait, you are Ander''s mother. Where is Olivia?"


    "The king burned her to ashes after what she did a year ago. I can''t tell you what it is as it is forbidden to speak of that day. Alexander will kill anyone who speaks of the events of that day," she notified her and picked up baby Ander from the baby crib and carried her in her arms.


    "Isn''t he just adorable," she said looking at the baby in her arms.


    The queen''s mother was petrified of the things she came to learn and somehow she couldn''t shake the feeling that she was responsible for everything that happened. Not that she felt guilty over Olivia''s death, the witch deserved it after what she did to her husband.


    But she ruined so many other lives too and missed out on one year of life. To her, only a day had passed but to the rest of the world, a whole year had gone by. The consequences of her actions were too much to bear.


    "What about Francis?" she asked curiously if she was successful in at least being him and Alexander together.


    The room began to tremble right after she uttered Francis''s name.


    "What have you done. You know that it is forbidden to mention his name," Malia said and grabbed the queen''s mother''s hand. Sofia took Ander''s baby bag from the ground and ran off following the two out.


    "Annak," Sofia called. "Get us out of here now," she ordered.


    Annak appeared in front of them. She used her magic to teleport all of them out of the building and once they were out a black dragon set the building on fire and burnt it to the ground.


    "What jus.." the queen''s mother began to say before Malia blocked her mouth with her hand.


    "Annak, haven," she whispered to Annak. Before the Queen''s mother realized it their surrounding had changed and they were now in the middle of the forest.


    "Where are we?" she asked.


    "The only place that is safe in Arimelari and thanks to you for trying to get us killed," Malia stated with hostility. "Didn''t we tell you not to talk but no the proud queen mother of Arimelari had to say something especially the one word that is punishable by death," she added venting out her frustration.


    The queen''s mother was getting on her nerves and her pride and ego were sure to get them killed.


    "I told you Alexander hates sounds mother, that is why it is encouraged not to speak in the palace if you must then whisper or get Annak to soundproof the room," Sofia informed her.


    "Francis''s name is also not allowed to be uttered in Arimelari or the king''s dragons will burn whoever does to ashes. The dragons are everywhere so you should never say his name," Malia warned calming herself down.


    "Alex has changed mother. He no longer values anything in his life and hates everything and to satisfy your curiosity the man you asked about is frozen in the royal dungeon. He is in a state between life and death and hence Alexander''s madness," Sofia said.


    "Frozen? How the hell did that happen?" she asked her heart racing in her chest with worry. Guilt was settling in her heart for all that has happened.


    "I can''t tell you that, it is related to that night and Alexander has the whole kingdom Enchanted if anyone mentions the events if that day. He will come to know and he will send his army of dragons to eliminate the person," she said feeling bad that she couldn''t be of help to her. She could feel for the queen mother, after all, it is sad to leave home and return to find it has become hell with no one to tell you why.


    "What is going on here?" they heard a loud voice. Malia blinked her eyes and they got out of her mind. She faced the dragon with anger in her eyes.


    "Nothing more than me trying to console Sofia''s mother who had come to visit her daughter only to have a dragon try to burn her down," she said.


    "Apologies my queen," the dragon said to Sofia and flew off.


    Malia and Sofia released a sigh of relief. They hurriedly took the queen mother and Ander away from them into the next villa. Away from peering eyes, especially the king who does not appreciate ever seeing his son at any time of day or night.


    They spent the rest of the evening each minding their businesses. Malia knitted clothes for the young prince while Sofia looked after the child. The queen mother was just lost in her thoughts thinking about how much her home had changed, she only intended to bring light back to her son''s life but ended up sending him further into the darkness.


    She regretted the decision that she had made, had she known that one small act could destroy so many lives. She would not have made that step. The part that hurt her the most was her son Francis, he was always there for her and supported her every time she was in need. He had her back for the times that he stayed in the palace and she repaid him by getting him frozen.


    She wished that she could go back and stop herself from trying to force their love. She should have just respected Francis''s decision and let him take care of his wife and child.


    "Wait," she said out loud and closed her mouth with her hand almost immediately. "What happened to Silvia and her child," she asked in a whisper.


    "She went back to the home she shared with her husband when Alexander refused to let her take her husband''s frozen body. She must have given birth by now, I can''t say much from there since I don''t know anything."


    "Why was her husband frozen?" the queen''s mother asked making sure not to speak too loud or mention Francis''s name.


    "Ander attacked him and wounded his soul. As you know he is destined to kill " him". He has marked him for dead so Alexander thought the best way to save him was to freeze him in a state between the dead and the living," Sofia took her time and explained to her.


    "Didn''t you just tell me about that day and nothing has happened," the Queen said before the doors to the room were knocked down.


    "Who is the brave soul that dares defy my orders and speak of my beloved and that fateful day that took him from me," Alexander asked walking into the room. His voice sent a shiver down all of them.


    "Alex," the queen mother called to her son. She was so surprised by how much he had changed.


    Alexander stared at her with no emotion on his face. He didn''t even feel happy that his missing mother was finally home and didn''t bother to ask her how she was. He just didn''t care.


    "My queen, leave that thing with the old woman and come with me," he said to the queen. Sofia hurriedly gave the baby to the Queen''s mother and went to his side. "And you, don''t let me hear any of you speaking of things your tongues shouldn''t be speaking about or I will schedule your deaths at the soonest," he said to both his mother and sister-in-law.


    He took his wife by the hand and left the villa with her.

 Chapter 55 - Bring Life Back

    Alexander took Sofia to the throne room and had the guards open the door. He held her hand and walked inside the room with her. The subjects of Arimelari felt happy to see her but none of them showed in their faces. It had become a crime to smile or celebrate in Arimelari.


    They wore blank faces in their seats. The King and queen took their seats at the throne and looked down on the subjects.


    "Here is the queen. Now you may go on," the King said. His voice is icy as usual.


    A man in his late forties with white hair in his head stood up. He took his place before the king and queen and bowed to the king and queen. He stood straight and faced the queen.


    "Your Highness, we have come to you to plead for your help," he said to her.


    Sofia turned her head and stole a glance at Alexander who couldn''t be bothered by what the people were saying. He had his eyes looking outside the window which was facing the palace in which Francis laid in. He couldn''t wait for the meeting to end is that he could return to Francis''s side.


    "What happens to be the problem?" She asked the man with a soft voice.


    "We can''t live like this anymore my queen. We implore you to help us get our freedom.


    Arimelari is now a dark kingdom. There is no joy or laughter in the kingdom and many and many people are deserting the kingdom and moving to other kingdoms. But others are hesitant because they fear the king. Please help us," the man said to her. The others just nodded their heads to show they agree with him.


    The men and women who had come to the palace were among the ones who were brave enough to face the king. They had gotten tired of the lives they were forced to live just because of the king''s mood swings.


    "The people are not responsible for what happened on that faithful day. We had nothing to do with Francis''s death," another man said. Queen Sofia''s face was crossed with fear when she heard what the man said. He not only mentioned that day but also dared to utter his name with his lips in the king''s presence.


    Flames of anger shot through Alexander. It was one thing that they were running their mouths freely and saying things against him but now they dared mention that day when he had strictly forbidden it. And how dare that low life utter his beloved''s name when he was not worthy of calling it.


    He stood up from his seat ready to shed the man''s blood and mopping the floors of the palace with it but he felt a handhold him back. The man who had spoken and the ones in the room trembled with fear as they could see their deaths coming. The man regretted opening his mouth, in a state of anger he had made the mistake of talking about Francis.


    Alexander looked back to find that his queen was holding him, she had her eyes closed and even the hand that was holding him was shaking. It reminded him of that day and how Francis had held his hand before he lost consciousness forever.


    He sat back down and went back to staring out the window and tuned out all the noises in the room.


    "I will listen to your complaints but please avoid breaking the law while you represent your complaints to me," the queen said to them. She relaxed a bit that she didn''t see Alexander murder people in the throne room again. It was something that has happened many times before since the people always seem to forget their place and say just as they feel forgetting that Alexander is no more the dragon prince they knew.


    He was the dragon king and had a whole army of dragons at his beck and call. They were not afraid to burn people or things to the ground as long as it was an order from their king and the king was more than happy to give the orders without any hesitation.


    "I apologize, my queen," the man said feeling grateful that the Queen was able to stop the king before he could kill them. "But until things change there are going to be more and more deaths in Arimelari. Our kingdom is dying because of things that are not even our fault my queen," he went on to say. He just couldn''t see the suffering of the people and just as he had lost his temper and spoke out of term. Many more will do the same when they lose their temper and reach their limits with the situation.


    "Yes my queen, if you don''t do something to change the way things have become then you can be sure that there won''t be a kingdom in Arimelari anymore. The people would either die or they would have migrated to live somewhere else," a woman said to her.


    "More than that, what future awaits our children in such a kingdom my queen. You are a mother and as I have heard, you love your son very much. What future do you expect him to have in this kingdom," she continued making the Queen cry.


    She wiped the tears in her eyes knowing that the woman had a point. She had worried about that for a while now and now things will only get worse if she doesn''t do something. She had to find a way to make the situation a little better for when Ander grew up so he won''t grow up and live like they do afraid to die at any moment.


    "I have heard what all you had to say. As your queen I will make it my priority to solve the problem," she said determined to make Arimelari a better place for her son.


    The people made their way out of the palace bidding goodbye to the queen and king. They did have any hope of things getting better but they didn''t want to give up hope and just wish that the queen would be able to fix everything.


    "I''m going back to my palace," the king informed the queen and made his way down the throne.


    "My king waits," she called out and got up. She rushed to him and stood next to him. , "I wish to talk to you about the problems the subjects raised," she said to him.


    "I don''t want to hear it and I don''t care what they want. I have more important things to do than worry about them," Alexander said and walked away.


    "What would Francis want?" she asked him. Her hands folded into a fist behind her back to give her the strength to face him. She digs her nails into her skin to prevent herself from bowing down to the fear that was crawling through her skin for saying Francis''s name.


    Alexander turned around to look at her. His eyes showed extreme displeasure and his annoyance flared up. He took slow steps walking towards her. She felt sweat trickle down her back from how scared she was at him coming close to her. But just thinking of the unfair life that Ander was being made to live for the mistakes of other people gave the courage not to back down.


    "If he were to wake up, what kind of kingdom world you want him to wake up to?" she asked him nervously.


    Alexander stopped in his tracks. He thought about her question, it was true that he was looking for ways to mend Francis''s broken soul and to revive him but he had not thought about the world he would want him to wake up to. Francis would not like a reality that he had created in Arimelari.


    "What do you want?" he asked not answering the question she asked him.


    "The right to bring life back to Arimelari and for Ander to get his rights as the crown prince of Arimelari," she said her fingers crossed that he would agree.


    "Fine but if you can''t make Arimelari better and more beautiful for Francis then I will kill that thing with my bare hands," he said and walked away.


    Sofia fell to the ground after he left and wiped the sweat on her forehead. She had never been so scared in her life as she was at that moment. More than just scared, she had seen death in the eyes for the few seconds that they talked. But she was happy that he had agreed to it. Now all she had to do was get rid of the stupid laws that made it impossible to live in Arimelari and make a few changes.


    She was just happy that the king''s heart still melted at the mention of Francis''s name. It was a shame that Francis had to get hurt, they would have been perfect for each other. If there were no misunderstandings between them and Olivia was not a part of his life.


    "Thank you, Francis," she said knowing that it wouldn''t have been possible to get Alexander to agree without him.

 Chapter 56 - Hope

    The dungeon was filled with light. In the middle of the room was a bed, Francis laid on the bed with his eyes closed. Francis''s body was wrapped in an enchanted blanket that was protecting him. Annak had spelled the blanket so that it keeps Francis alive and shields him from Ander. The blanket made him invincible from his bane and gave the illusion that Francis was no more.


    Alexander sat on the bed next to his beloved, he felt so helpless. He just wanted to hold his hand and comfort him but he couldn''t remove the blanket from him and risk alerting his son of Francis''s whereabouts. Not when his son was able to wound Francis from inside his mother''s womb.


    He was just too powerful that Alexander couldn''t take any chances. He had an inbuilt library inside the dungeon with books on how to restore broken souls. He had Annak try out all the methods that he had found on Francis but so far none of them worked.


    Under the blanket, Francis laid frozen in enchanted ice that kept his broken soul from slipping away.


    Watching him in that condition for a whole year had truly been a heartbreaking experience for Alexander. He blamed himself for the condition that Francis was in and that made him bitter not just with himself but the rest of the world.


    If only he had not insisted on getting back together with him. If only that night they spent together didn''t happen. Then Francis would still be alive and kicking with his wife and child. They wouldn''t be together but at least he would have peace knowing that Francis was alright.


    He couldn''t stand seeing his lifeless body lying there in the room like that. He was growing to miss all the moments that the two of them shared in the palace. They mostly fought and spent their times disagreeing about one thing or the other. They never got to behave like normal couples who love each other.


    He had to find a way to wake Francis up. There was still so much the two of them could do together that they never got the chance to do with all the drama in the palace. A sweet walk in the sunset or just a normal picnic where they get to talk about stupid things such as the weather. They still had not officially confessed their love for each other as normal couples do.


    He wanted a second chance to have a normal relationship with the make who stole his heart and made it skip a bear on several occasions.


    "You need to wake up soon. There is so much that is still left undone that you can''t leave," he said to him with tears flowing from his eyes. He just wanted a chance to spend time with him again. They don''t have to say anything to each other and sit in each other''s company while watching the beautiful stars in the night.


    "My life has become so dull without you. I need my bane back into my life, life is not fun when there is no one trying to kill you," he stated. "And the sole purpose of your existence is to kill me. For that you need to be alive, so wake up and fulfill your destiny," he added.


    He watched his beloved continue to sleep unmoved by his words. He wondered why people wrote books in the first place. He felt like struggling with all the authors in the world, he had happened to read in some books about how true love can move mountains and fight death but none of it seems to apply to his story.


    Nothing he did woke Francis up from his sleep. He tried the true love''s kiss and confessing his life to Francis in many different ways but his situation didn''t get better. All that happened was that his hope got crushed every time. But he refused to give up.


    "Look if you come back to me then I will give you all my love and attention. I won''t care for anyone or anything else but you," he said to him. He couldn''t count how many promises and offers he had made to his beloved in the past year to get him to come back to him. But nothing ever changes, he still goes to sleep and wakes up to his beloved''s ice sculpture greeting him.


    He picked a book from the shelves with the hope that it will turn out to be The Book that holds the solution to the problem he was facing. He went to sit on his bed that was opposite Francis''s bed and got to reading. He could hear the noises from the white palace which was the palace that belonged to his queen.


    Unlike every day where he would ask them to keep it down or send one of his Dragons to terrify the life out of them to keep quiet, he stayed put. He had to give her a chance to make Arimelari a better place so that when Francis wakes up he might choose to stay.


    "When you wake up, I promise that I will never fight with you again. I will give you the world if it means that I get to keep you by my side and if you want to leave then I won''t stop you," he said and released a long breath. His heart was heavy with each passing moment that he won''t be able to wake his beloved up.


    ******


    Queen Sofia gave everyone the good news that the king had allowed her to make decisions concerning the kingdom from then on. Malia and Mordecai were very happy to hear the news. They jumped with joy from the freedom that they had gotten after a year of being prisoners.


    Mordecai could finally breathe without worry, his brother had changed a lot after losing Francis that he too was afraid of him. He carried his wife up and swung her around in the air. This was the first time since they got married that he could express his happiness with her.


    He wasn''t even allowed to smile at his wedding because smiling was banned by then. Mostly everything was banned so he never got to show his wife any happiness at all in fear of getting her killed. He had wanted to propose to her and shout to the world how much he loved and now he could.


    "The first thing I will do is lift the stupid laws and then we can host a festival to celebrate Ander''s birthday," she said to them.


    "All that is fine by me Sofia but the first thing that I need to do is spend time with my wife properly," Mordecai said giving priority to his wife. Malia''s face turned red from blushing, she too was excited about the changes that would happen in Arimelari.


    "We can do that later. We have plenty of time but we should think of Ander first. The poor thing hasn''t had a single celebration since he was born and I feel bad for him," she stated thinking about her niece.


    "I was also thinking of building a school. A private boarding school where Ander can trend his studies. What do you think?" Sofia inquired of their opinions for her suggestion.


    "But why a boarding school?" Malia asked not sure why Sofia would want to make plans to send the prince away from home so soon when he hasn''t even learned to walk.


    "Because it is no secret that Alexander doesn''t like Ander. There are many reasons why he hates him and growing up in this environment might hurt his mental health. So I think that he should attend boarding school when he grows up. He will be allowed to visit us but he should live, learn and grow far from the king''s hatred," she explained thinking if how the king has never once called his son by his name.


    He always just refers to him as ''that thing '' and she didn''t want Alexander''s hatred for the boy to hinder his growth or stop him from being the greatest king that Arimelari has ever seen. She had faith that Ander would prove everyone wrong. He would never turn out to be like his birth mother and would grow to be a lively child with big dreams.


    "You have a point and Mordecai can be the principal of the school. That way the two of us will get to spend time with Ander and ensure he lacks for nothing while he is there. It''s not like he has any work here in the palace with all the dragons around," Malia said.


    "I think that my wife has a very good point. This way we can make certain that Ander grows up with all the love that he needs in life. And we can also shield him from Alexander''s hatred," Mordecai added supporting his wife.


    He also couldn''t stand to live in the palace anymore.. The place just didn''t feel like home after everything, it was more like a prison.

 Chapter 57 - Hope (part Two)

    Spending time with her grandchild had been fun but the guilt of ruining the lives of the people she cared about was still haunting her. She had to figure out a way to bring things back to the way they were. They might not have been perfect or the way she wanted it to be but it was better than how things turned out.


    The only good thing about her new reality was the fact that Olivia was no longer a part of their family. Her grandson was lucky enough to have such a caring woman raise him.


    The queen''s mother walked down the corridors of the palace. Her movements were quiet as she didn''t want to be heard by anyone. She snuck into the king''s palace to see Francis. They evaded the dragons patrolling the palace and managed to make it down to the dungeon and pushed the door open.


    Walking inside the room she made sure that her son was not in the room before locking the door behind her. She moved to Francis''s side as she didn''t have much time. Her heart trembled to see the condition that her dearest Francis was in.


    She removed the blanket from Francis''s body and hugged his frozen body. The ice was not cold and she felt as though if she hugged him long enough then Francis will be okay. The ice around his body will melt and he will return to her.


    She kept hugging his body with tears flowing from her eyes. Before she realized it the sculpture started moving. She looked up and let Francis go in the hope that he had woken up. Francis''s body floated to the air and kept rising higher.


    The queen''s mother looked around afraid that Francis might float away and that is when she saw him. Baby Ander was floating in the air with his little finger pointed at Francis and his eyes were completely black like the night. She froze and watched Ander and Francis both disappearing.


    The alarm in the room went off and alerted Alexander that something was wrong with Francis. He left the meeting in a hurry and rushed to the dungeon. Mordecai and the others ran after he scared that something might have done wrong for Alexander to dash out of the room in such a hurry.


    Alexander rushed into the dungeon and had his eyes on Francis''s bed. His heart stopped beating when he found that the bed was empty. He froze at the spot, he couldn''t move and his mind had gone blank so he couldn''t think.


    "What happened here?" Mordecai asked seeing his mother next to Francis''s empty bed. He walked to his mother''s side in worry. His heart was tightening with fear of what his brother will do to his mother, he had no idea where Francis was but his mother being in that room was reason enough for Alexander to kill her.


    "Where is Francis," Sofia questioned. Her mention of Francis''s name brought Alexander back to his senses.


    He looked around the room but couldn''t catch sight of Francis. He picked the protective blanket from the ground and held it tightly in his hands.


    "What happened here, mother?" Mordecai inquired from his mother keeping her away from Alexander.


    "I don''t know. I just came here to see him and then Ander appeared into the room and took Francis away," she said in tears.


    Her words caused everyone in the room to go into shock. Sofia''s heart picked up and started beating very fast in her chest. She couldn''t believe what she heard.


    "But that is not possible. Andre could never have come here and taken Francis. Alexander had put measures in place that Ander can''t feel Francis''s presence or find him," she said to defend Ander. She couldn''t afford to lose her son.


    "Yes, as long as Francis was covered with the protective blanket. Baby Ander can never find him," Malia added.


    Alexander listened to them speak his anger burning up. He turned around and pushed Mordecai out of the way.


    "But Francis wasn''t covered in the protective blanket was he?" he asked his mother.


    "I had no idea that the blank...," she started to say but Alexander stopped him by freezing her.


    "I will deal with you later first I have to find my beloved," he stated and threw everyone out of the room. "One day, I give everyone freedom for just one day and the first thing you do is this. Once I find Francis things go back the way they were and you better pray that he is not harmed because if that thing hurts Francis I will make the lives of everyone miserable," Alexander threatened Mordecai, Malia, and Sofia.


    "Ander is not responsible for what happened. Please don''t hurt him," Sofia pleaded to him.


    Alexander ignored her and gathered his army of dragons. He gave each order to fly around Arimelari and find Francis and the prince. And if he is not found by sunset then they should expand the search past Arimelari.


    The dragons took the orders and each flew to the skies and started looking around. The subjects of Arimelari felt immense fear watching the dragons floating above them. One dragon was enough to send terror and fear into their hearts but today more and more dragons were in the sky.


    They knew that something was wrong. They feared that the king had decided to burn them all to the ground for complaining against him.


    Alexander raced in the sky. His eyes watching everything on the ground not to miss anything. His dragon mark with Francis was broken so he couldn''t find him so easily. In the past, he could use this but he feared hurting him if he dared activate the mark.


    His heartfelt restless with each passing second. He was frightened that the longer it takes for him to find his beloved the more tine Ander has in his hands to hurt him.


    *****


    "What are you going to do, Mordecai? Alexander seems furious, it will be a miracle if he doesn''t burn the whole kingdom in anger like he tried to do a year ago," Malia said stressed about the situation they were in.


    Things were starting to look up after a long time and that queen mother had to go and ruin and shatter their hope.


    "I am only worried about Ander. The King won''t care about him, he will just punish him not caring that he is a child. It wasn''t even I''m his fault," Sofia cried.


    "True but why did your mother go there anyway. We explained to her that Alexander had strictly warned people against going there but she just doesn''t listen. She has only been back for a few days and already she is creating so many problems for us," Malia complained.


    "Let''s just pray that Alexander finds Francis unharmed. That way all our lives will be spared," Mordecai said not knowing what else to say. He too was worried, he was worried about what was in store for his mother. He knew that she should never have gone there but he understood that she was just worried about Francis and everything else that has happened since she went missing.


    He was also worried about where his mother had disappeared for an entire year and how come she just returned unaware of the changes in Arimelari.


    *****


    Alexander saw an explosion in the distance next to the volcanic mountain at the edge of Arimelari. He rushed to the scene and saw a fight. The triplets against Ander and from the way things were going. It looked like they were barely holding on against Ander.


    He looked around and spotted Francis''s body floating right above the fire. The lava was hot and he was dangling right above it. He smirked and landed on the ground. ''How stupid, he should have known that normal fire can''t melt the ice,'' he thought taking his human form.


    "Nayla," he called out joining them. "What..."


    "Get Francis," she screamed firing a spell at Ander which the baby easily avoided.


    "Don''t worry the fire can''t melt the Ice. He is safe," he said. Nayla dodged the rock that Ander had thrown at her and she landed on the ground next to Alexander.


    "That would have been the case. Had it not been for the fact that it isn''t a normal fire. The lava is burning with black moon dragon flame. That flame can burn through anything, it is the most powerful flame in the world," she explained and ran back to help Miyale to fight Ander. Zorra was busy holding Francis''s body with her telekinetic powers to prevent him from falling into the lava.


    Ander was keeping all of them at their feet. He was attacking all three of them with powerful spells making it hard for them to rescue Francis.


    Alexander transformed as fast as he could into his dragon form and flew to the volcano. He dove down to go and save Francis, he had almost reached him to grab him when a portal opened that sucked him and spit him at the witches.


    Alexander fell on top of the witches and Ander turned towards Zorra. He hit her with a death spell and sent her flying away from the volcano.. Without Zorra to hold him, Francis fell into the lava.

 Chapter 58 - Hope (part Three)

    "Francis," Nayla and Alexander yelled in unison and ran to the edge of the volcano. Francis''s body was already in the lava.


    Alexander''s felt the last piece of himself that remained intact after the incident in the past break into pieces. All of him was dependent on Francis coming back but now he would never have to see Francis again.


    Nayla had all her choices flash right before her eyes and she regretted all of it. She regretted not having been strong enough to save Francis from Ander. She regretted her decision to mess with destiny to try to bring Francis and Alexander together. There was no greater pain in the world than pushing the one you love to their end and she felt that pain.


    It felt like had she not sent Francis to Alexander and tried to fix their relationship. Had she not given up on her love for him then he wouldn''t be in this situation. He would be safe, it was her mistake for trying to unite two people who are not destined to have a happy ending together.


    They cried at the edge of the volcano while looking down to the volcanic. The love of their life was inside that volcanic, probably dead and they were helpless to help him.


    "It''s okay Nayla. He will be reborn again and we will keep safe then," Miyale said to her.


    "That is not possible. Francis passed on his duties to someone else, if he dies then he is not coming back. He will die forever," she said in a pained voice.


    "But he is the chosen one, surely there is something that we can do to help him. Francis can''t die," she stated staring at the boiling lava down below.


    She felt guilty, she had forced Nayla to leave Francis''s side back then to go with her to find and bring back their sister. If she had not to dive that then perhaps so much would not have happened in their absence. She would have stayed by Francis''s side and protected him from all the things that would mean him harm.


    She held her sister in her hands and let her cry on her shoulder. Alexander just sat there, his eyes too dry to shed any tears. He was in shock and unwilling to accept that his beloved was gone forever. He could accept that he would never have to live the life that he had dreamt of living with Francis.


    Ander fired a spell into the volcano again and again. Explosions happened but he just kept going.


    "He has already killed Francis so what is he doing?" Zorra asked and looked deeper into the lava. She couldn''t see what the child was attacking. She used a spell to allow her to see what can''t be seen, she tried again and looked into the volcano.


    "Francis," she named when she saw his body inside the lava wrapped in a protective shield. The shield was keeping him from burning but Ander''s constant attacks were making it weaker.


    "Miyale, Nayla help me," she shouted and started chanting a spell to keep the shield in place.


    "It''s over Zorra. We failed and Francis is dead so what is the point of fighting anymore?" she asked feeling like just throwing herself into the lava and joining her love.


    "He will die if you don''t help me," she said making both her and Alexander conscious again. "Francis is alive. He is covered in some kind of shield which won''t protect him much if Ander breaks it," she added.


    Miyale and Nayla joined her and together they used the power of three to shield Francis from their attacks. Their effort was strong and they put in their all but the shield was still getting weaker. Ander was just way too powerful for them to hold off his spells.


    Alexander jumped into action and attacked Ander to keep him distracted from attacking Francis. He released his dragon fire at him, Ander raised his little hand and the fire stopped midway. He redirected the fire back to the sender but Alexander dodged.


    Alexander flew up to the sky and tried to grab him but Ander disappeared when his claws were close to catching him. He reappeared above Alexander and aimed his next attack at Alexander''s wings. He sent a lightning bolt to Alexander''s wing and broke his wing.


    "Grrrrrr," Alexander growled in pain as his wing broke. He tried to flap it in the air but that just made it rip, even more, he dropped from the sky as he couldn''t keep himself in the air.


    Ander chanted something under his breath and a hole formed on the ground which he fell into. Before he could get up and jump out of the hole Ander closed in locking him inside. He turned his attention back to the witches I''m that we''re lifting Francis out of the volcano.


    He pointed his finger in their direction and sent them all flying in different directions. Nayla was the first to get up, she couldn''t watch Francis get hurt and hence she decided to use the most dangerous spell she knew to end Ander''s life.


    She gathered her sisters and together they were to use the power of three to vanquish Ander and end him for good. Together they chanted the spell and aimed at Ander. Baby under was just floating in the sky watching them like they were interesting artwork.


    When they cast the spell Nayla could have sworn she saw those baby lips smirk at her. A few minutes passed and Ander was still fine. Their spell didn''t work, they tried over and over again but nothing worked.


    "The best way to win a fight is to attack first. The spell I used to attack you has stripped the three most powerful witches of their powers. Now, what will you do," Ander asked then telepathically?


    Nayla was rendered speechless, they were without powers. Alexander was trapped under the ground without the capability to help them and Francis was left in the hands of Ander. She stared in disbelief at the child, it was true that some powerful creatures were born already aware of the magical powers and how to use them but Ander was just too good to even for her.


    She had a bad feeling about the child. She has only one question in her mind,'' what in the world did Olivia do ?''


    "What are you?" she asked the question that troubled her mind since the beginning of the fight.


    "A Delamare and a dragon," he replied to her.


    "A Delamare, that means that you are born to destroy all supernatural creatures. You are the boy," she stared in disbelief.


    "Yes my darling witch, I am the child born of the sun and the moon. The one with the blood of the lion and the wolf. And I am here to destroy everything that is magic," he said and let off an evil laugh in her head that she felt a shiver ran down her spine.


    "Why do want to kill Francis, he is helpless and can''t fight back?" she asked him.


    Baby Ander ignored her question and flew over to the frozen body and broke the shield. He threw the body back into the lava and waited to see it burn to ashes.


    "Francis," Nayla screamed helplessly and ran towards the volcano. Ander turned his head to her and she stopped, her feet got stuck to the ground and kept her from moving. "Let me go you, evil baby," she screamed at Ander.


    Just then when she gave up hope of saving Francis. A light shined from inside the volcano temporarily blinding everyone. They all covered their eyes from the light while Ander frown from having his plans foiled.


    The lighted dimmed down and Francis''s body came out floating. Nayla and her sisters waited to see what was happening when they came face to face with another baby carrying Francis up.


    "Is it just me or are powerful babies taking over the world?" Zorra asked.


    Ander threw lightning in Francis''s direction bit the other child easily blocked it. "Who are you?" he asked the boy.


    "The chosen one," the other child responded getting Ander to be surprised. He flew back a little, he had not anticipated meeting his bane here. He could feel the killing intent from the other but he refused to back down. No matter what he was going to kill Francis and the newly chosen one. He will rid the world of witches.


    The child took Francis and flew away from them. Ander flew after them and was right behind them. He threw all the elements that he could summon at them but the chosen one blocked them all. He seemed very at ease with blocking Ander''s attack.


    Ander stopped flying and remained in the air. He drew a rune on the air and sent it flying towards the chosen one. The rune stopped the time, everything became still expect for him. He flew to the chosen one with ease. He started the chosen one in the eye he dug his hand into the chosen one''s chest and got hold of his heart.


    ''Will just a spell you will be dead?''he thought


    He felt victorious. He would get to kill both his enemies in one day. He had the spell on his lips and knew what to do but he couldn''t bring himself to do it. He couldn''t kill him because he could feel the connection they shared. ''My better half.. Intresting,'' he thought as his lips drew into a small smirk.

 Chapter 59 - Hope (the End)

    Ander floated in the air confused about what he should do. He tried to kill the chosen one again but he couldn''t. He felt frustrated and averted his eyes from him and directed his gaze to Francis.


    He kept his hand on the ice that covered Francis''s body. He closed his eyes and muttered a spell under his breath. Francis''s body shattered into pieces and floated in the air, he picked up one of the ice pieces and gave it to the chosen one.


    "Until we meet again," he said and gathered all the other pieces of Francis and kept them safe with him. He disappeared from there and woke up in his baby crib. His eyes turned to normal and he fell asleep from the tiring day he had.


    ******


    The other dragons dug Alexander out of the ground and flew him back to the palace. The triplets were released when Ander returned to normal and they went in search of Silvia and her baby.


    Alexander was tended by the physician and all his wounds were looked after. He was burning with anger from what had happened, he felt guilty that he couldn''t save Francis. He could no longer feel Francis''s dragon mark so he was sure that Francis was dead.


    He laid in bed as he received treatment with only one thought in mind. He had to kill Ander at all cost, he had to end the life of the one who killed his beloved. He cursed his son in his mind.


    "What happened? Where is Francis?" the queen''s mother asked him taking a seat next to him.


    His mother sat on the bed looking after him, she was unfrozen by the king''s right-hand man on Mordecai command. She rubbed on Alexander''s hand gently to bring him warmth.


    The King had not said a word since his return, he silently watched the world around him. His eyes displaying the feeling in his heart.


    They would display sorrow, love, anger, and hatred depending on what he was thinking about. He took that chance to think back on the things that had happened in his life. He questioned destiny as to why he was given such a terrible life when he had never done anything wrong. All he had ever done was want to be happy but all he received was pain.


    "We don''t know but we suspect that he is dead," the king''s right-hand dragon informed them.


    "How did that happen. Surely the king would have protected him," Sofia said not believing that Francis was dead. They might not have been close while the male was alive but she didn''t hate him. She felt pity for all the bad things that had happened to him since she walked into the palace. It worried that the king would take his anger out on the prince and kill him for what has happened. She wanted to hope that Francis was still alive somehow so that his darling Ander would be spared from the king''s wrath.


    "We found the king trapped under the ground and Francis was nowhere to be seen. Ander was also missing," he added.


    Alexander laid in bed and cursed his fate. He thought about all the unfair things that took place in his life since his birth with regret in his eyes. He regretted ever being born to live such a terrible life.


    First, he got cursed to be a dragon and his childhood was filled with sad memories because of it. Then he met Olivia who he grew to love and trust and it turned out that she was a wolf in sheep''s clothing and he didn''t know her as much as he would like to admit that he did. Then Francis walked into his life and he began to weave dreams for the first time in his life that too was not to last as he soon lost him to his other dream.


    He had always wanted to have a child, a successor who would take after him. An heir that would bear his name and take his lineage forward. And when life gave him one dream it took the other dream. He got the heir that he had always wanted but Francis was the price of that dream. He tried his best to stop it all from happening but he lost in the end.


    Everything in his life lost meaning the minute he lost his beloved. The worst part was that he wasn''t lucky enough to bid him farewell and perform his last rites. He didn''t even get the chance to hold Francis in his arms one more time before he was taken away from him.


    Mordecai and the rest of the royal family were sad for him and tried their best to look after him. The doctor had informed them of how serious his condition was and the fact that Alexander himself had given up the will to live. He wasn''t even trying to get better, he wouldn''t eat or take his medication.


    He just laid in bed with his wounds and started in the room recalling the times that he had spent with his beloved in that very room. The room was just as Francis had left it. No changes were done to it as per Alexander''s orders.


    His brother pleaded with him to take care of his health but he ignored him, he tuned out all the sounds around him except for the voices in his memories of his time with Francis. It was the only way that he could hear his voice again and get to see him.


    Sofia, Malia, and the queen also tried to talk to him but just like Mordecai their words went from one ear and left through the other. His wife was the one to rule the kingdom with the help of her sister and brother-in-law. She took care of her husband, son, and the kingdom together. Making sure that she was strong enough for those who depended on her.


    Alexander avoided everyone in the palace like a plague. The only thing that he did was to stay in his palace lost in the thoughts of Francis. Not even his hatred for his son was not strong enough to get him out of his palace.


    He only gave orders from the comfort of his palace. He got his dragons to look for Francis''s body so that he could at least give him a befitting burial but they all returned with empty hands. No one was able to find his body even after he had put out a reward to anyone who found him. He eventually stopped looking for him.


    Annak tried her best to help him, she created an illusion in his palace that recreated Francis''s memories and made them real. He would walk around the palace to see him and listen to him talk. It felt like he was with Francis every single day.


    Sofia with the help of the queen''s mother removed most of the laws that suppressed the people of Arimelari. She got the school project going with Mordecai looking after it. She listened to her people and brought back the Arimelari that everyone knew and loved. Not just that but she made it better than it was before.


    Years and years passed by with the kingdom of Arimelari being ruled by a queen. As the king never sat back on his throne. He spent his days and nights in the palace thinking about Francis. The dragons stood side by side with the Queen and helped her enforce the laws that she wanted to be passed. They made sure that there were was no rebellion in the kingdom.


    The queen mother lived every day of her life with guilt in her heart, she was responsible for ruining her son''s life completely. The worst part was that she was responsible for Francis''s death, even if no one said anything to her she knew in her heart that it was her fault. Had she not been stubborn to see Francis despite all the warning that she received then he would still be alive and well right by her son''s side.


    She tried her best to be useful to her children, she took great care of her grandson and helped around where she was needed. She filled her family with love all the while asking around and searching for Silvia and her child to make it up to them for what she had done. But no matter how much she searched she never got a clue of where they were. They had disappeared never to be seen by those who knew them.


    Life in the kingdom became joyous and lively. With Mordecai and his wife taking care of Sage Academy; a school for both human, supernatural and mythical creatures. The school was a haven for all these children who were born different just like Ander.


    Ander had grown up to be a strong young man with a cold and indifferent personality. He had taken after his father when it came to looks and talent.. He was a very handsome young man that got the girls looking back every time he walked past.

 Chapter 60 - The Warning

    The queen mother spent her days trying to find a solution to her son''s problem. She visited many witches that she knew but none of them offered the solution to the problem at hand. Francis''s dragon mark was also broken so trying to undo the spell was impossible.


    After years of searching with no luck, she left the palace and dedicated her life to serving the people of Arimelari. She gave out clothes and food to the poor to make up for her deeds and get the guilt of her actions out of her chest.


    She would have preferred it had she died because at least she would be buried with the burden that weighed her down. Her heart was heavy with sorrow from missing her dear Francis very much. She would often see him smiling at her when she helped someone. It was either he was pleased with her or she would have lost her mind and was hallucinating.


    Today was like every other day, she woke up in the morning, got herself ready for the day, and went out. Today she was hosting a charity event for the poor. The royal cooks will cook for the poor people in Arimelari and she would help them serve the food. It gave her joy to put a smile on the less fortunate.


    She arrived at the marketplace where the cooks had already set up the place and started cooking. Beggars made a line right by the tables waiting to be served their meal.


    "This meal is a dedication. To Francis," she whispered and made a move to get close to the table. She picked up the serving spoon and started serving them. One by one the line reduced with satisfied customers.


    "The future is not set in stone. The one you mourn shall return," the old man she was dishing up food for said. She glanced at the old man and served him his food caring less about what he said.


    "Your good deeds won''t go to waste as long as you remember that wish magic can bring him back," the man spoke again.


    "Next," the queen''s mother said. Working in the streets, she got to hear everything and anything that the people had to say. So it stopped making a difference to her.


    The old man got tired of being ignored and took hold of the queen mother''s hands and pulled her aside from others.


    "What do you think you are doing?" She asked him.


    "I am here to help you. The only way to bring back the chosen one is through magic. Even if his body is gathered and put back together he won''t be able to return to life unless the one who broke him wishes for his return. Only he can bring him back," the old man said.


    "Wait, are you talking about Francis?" She inquired of him her body becoming lively again.


    "Yes, he is around in a place that no one can reach except for the black moon dragon. He will return and the time will come when the things I have told you will come into use so remember them well," he explained to her.


    "But how will Francis come back and when?" She asked not even bothering to know who the old man was. The information he provided was useful to her and that is all that mattered.


    "That will require the intervention of the new chosen one but without the moon dragon, his efforts will go to waste. So make sure that the dragon is willing to bring him back," he said.


    The queen mother''s face lit up, her happiness was evident for everyone to see. She would get Francis back and would get to unite him with Alexander. She could picture the image of seeing her son with the love of his life happy together.


    "But be warned if the chosen one doesn''t come for the dragon a war will take place in Arimelari that will cost you the dragon king''s life," he warned.


    "What?" the queen''s mother asked disturbed by the warning.


    "A heart is always the cause of all misunderstandings and it is the only organ in our body that we can''t control, it is impossible to choose who your heart beats for and once it starts beating for someone if the direction of the heartbeat is not changed it will destroy everything," he said.


    "Can you please speak in a way that I can understand you? I don''t understand what you are trying to say."


    "Life should always be balanced, if the balance isn''t maintained then disaster will be the result. If the dragon prince doesn''t fall in love with the chosen one then his heart will seek that which does not belong to him. And the desire to poses it will drive him to destroy everything in his path without mercy," he notified her.


    The queen mother''s body froze from head to toe, all the joy that had built up in her heart vanished and now fear took its place. She wasn''t sure what to say about the warning she was receiving.


    "But Francis will be able to fix everything when he comes back," she said.


    "Allow me," the old man said and placed his hands on both sides of her head. He closed his eyes and chanted a spell.


    The Queen mother''s eyes went wide from what the old man was sharing with her. The image made her tremble with fear. She saw Ander standing on the throne of Arimelari with Alexander bleeding out on the ground.


    "What was that?" She asked him.


    "Just a glimpse of the future," he said. "If the chosen one doesn''t create a place for himself in Ander''s heart. Francis will as you have seen and the prince will kill anyone and everyone just to have Francis for himself," he added.


    The queen''s mother stumbled back out of disbelief. Her mind was in chaos from all the information that she was processing. The truth was too much for her to bear. On one hand, there was the king who she loved so much and wanted to see happy and on the other hand, was her grandson who she doted on beyond words.


    She fell to the ground when the truth became too hard for her to bear. She cursed her destiny for giving another reason to feel guilty, her one choice made everyone''s lives miserable and changed things in the present, and now it is affecting the future too. Not just Francis but she will have her son''s blood in her hands too.


    "Don''t lose hope, as long as the chosen one comes all will be well. He just needs to make sure Ander does not fall in love with Francis," he said to assure her.


    "And what if he never comes then?" She asked of him.


    "The two of them are like magnets that will always attract no matter what happens. They will find a way to meet and get close, the problem will come if Ander''s love for Francis becomes stronger than his feelings for everyone else. His emotions must be balanced if the world is to be saved," he told and helped her stand up.


    " What are the chances the future I just saw won''t come to pass?" She inquired sadly.


    "The chances are low but nothing is certain until it has come to pass so I think that you should be hopeful and watch the prince keenly to ensure that he doesn''t fall for Francis."


    "I understand and I am sure that nothing of that sort will happen. Francis and Ander have never met and will never have the honor of meeting until we bring him back but by then the prince would have already found a love interest. For now, Francis is gone," she said having hope again.


    "The heart always finds a way when it wants something. You shouldn''t be too confident that Francis and Ander can''t meet because if it is written in their destiny then the possibility of it coming to pass is very high. I must leave now but I hope that you change the future and make up for your mistakes," the old man said and disappeared.


    The queen mother felt happy, even though things weren''t looking up and the odds were many. She could at least rejoice at the hope of seeing Francis once again soon.


    She made her way back to the house too tired to serve anyone and went straight for a bath. She closed her eyes and replayed the things the old man said so that she would memorize each word. She couldn''t afford to make any mistakes as the life of her son and the world as she knew it depended on those words.


    "I will fix our family," she whispered to herself. "I will mend all the broken hearts and bring joy back to our royal family. Guide me, my beloved," she added.


    She thought of her husband and all the times that they had spent together. In that, she found the courage to go on and fight for her the world.

 Chapter 61 - The Ghost That Taunts Me

    Ander''s p.o.v


    I looked out the window to the children playing in the garden. The feeling of jealousy of their freedom was familiar to me but at least I get the chance to watch them like this. It might not be much but it is something more than a prince can ever ask for.


    The day began just all my other days, waking up and getting ready for the day with the help of my butler and have my morning lessons and a one-hour break. The lessons were boring, as usual, my tutor keeps teaching me things that I have no interest in only because my mother wants me to be the greatest king Arimelari has ever seen.


    If anyone asked me I would say that my mother should just continue to rule the kingdom. Even though she is a woman, she is doing a great job at ruling the kingdom. The way she handles everything was praiseworthy and I would never let a chance pass by without telling her that.


    I averted my eyes from the children playing in the garden and looked to my left. My eyes happen to catch the king''s palace, the only place in the palace that I am not allowed to go to. The King, my father, the only man in that I have never met.


    He stays in his palace all the time and when he comes out mother always looks for a reason for me to be away from the palace. Not just her but even uncle and aunt won''t let me anywhere near the king. I don''t understand the reason they don''t want me to meet the king but the weirdest thing is that even the king has never asked to see me.


    "I am his son so why?" I asked out loud. The question that has bothered me since the very day I was old enough to understand the things that go on around me.


    "Maybe you should ask your father that?" I heard the same reply that I have heard each time. I turned my head from the window into my room, by the bed sat the nightmare that I can''t seem to get rid of. I don''t know why it''s here or why it won''t leave me alone. It just taunts me from morning to evening.


    "Why are you here again?" I asked him.


    "I was bored and watching your miserable life is a good hobby since it is the only thing I can do," he replied in a bored tone of voice.


    "Then why don''t you leave me alone and move on?"


    "Can''t do that, I can only do that if you release me," he said. The same stupid answer that he gives me each time that I ask him. He is just as annoying as everyone in this palace. Just like everyone else, he finds it interesting to be mysterious with me. He never tells me anything straight to my face, he always has to give me a piece of a puzzle and not the whole of it.


    ''Why would I hold on to a ghost?" I asked him irritated of asking him the same question every time.


    "That is a question you should ask yourself," he replied to me and I threw a vase at him but it just went through him and fell to the ground and broke. "I think you missed," he taunted with a smirk on his face.


    "Tell me why you won''t leave me alone Francis?" I asked him again but he just watched me enjoying how worked up I get whenever he was around. That is another strange thing in my life is the ghost that only I can see and talk to. Everyone else in the palace doesn''t see him and I am helpless to find out about his life because for no apparent reason his name is forbidden to be mentioned in the kingdom.


    If I asked around about him I will get in trouble and if I don''t then I will never get rid of this annoying ghost from my life. The weird part is that he says that I am holding him captive and that he is still not dead just shattered, I have no idea what that means but he won''t explain no matter how many times I ask.


    All I know is that his existence irritates me to the core. His name ignites this anger in my heart for reasons I don''t understand.


    I release a deep breath and calm down and go back to staring at things outside the window before I lose my mind talking to a dead man.


    "Alexander," I heard him whisper with my super hearing. It is said that he knows my father but he would never tell me anything about him. He just calls his name at random times of the day or night like my father was a distant memory he was trying to hold onto.


    "Why do you keep calling out to him like that? His palace is right there, why not go to him?" I asked him for the who knows how many times. And like each time I''m sure he will give me the same reply. First, he will sigh then he will say, ''I am stuck with you until you release me, I can''t leave your side.''


    I heard him sigh and then he spoke, "Cant until you release me I am stuck here by your side. Even if I go to him, he won''t be able to see me or hear me," he said and sighed again.


    It''s sad how much I share in common with the ghost, we both yearn to meet the king but can''t due to reasons the two of us can''t control. We both are trapped in a life that neither of us wants but are helpless to anything about it.


    "I got to know that you will be leaving the palace, shouldn''t you be happy about that?" the ghost asked me.


    "I don''t know why I should celebrate that. I am being sent to a school to live there for years only to return when I am old enough to take over the throne," I replied.


    The school in question was built for me by my mother and I love her for thinking about me like this but I don''t know about living at home for such a long time. I will be in the company of my aunt and uncle who are very great people but I only have one mission in life. That is to find out what happened in Arimelari sixteen years ago. According to the history of my kingdom, things in Arimelari became dark right after I was born and that is when the king changed.


    The only mystery that made my life the way it is today is what happened back then, I have gathered all the books from back then but the records of that time have been erased. It is as though someone doesn''t want me to find out what had taken place during that year.


    There are rumors in the palace that my father hates me and that he swore to kill me if I ever appeared in front of him. But, strangely, a father would say that about their child for no reason. So what is the reason that I have never met my father and what is it that happened during my year of birth that made him hide away from me?


    "Then refuse the offer if you don''t like it. Who knows that doting mother of yours might agree if you shed a few tears," Francis commented.


    "If that were the case then she would have agreed when I asked her to see my father," I said to him. The truth hurts but I can''t change it so might as well accept it for now until I have all the facts and I can understand why all this is happening.


    "Darling are you awake?" I heard as the door was being pushed open. Turning my head in that direction, a smile adorned my lips when I saw the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world.


    "Hello mother," I greeted her and stood up to welcome her into the room.


    "I came to see if you are all packed. There hThereeen some changes to the plan and you have to travel to the school today," she said to me.


    "What has happened mother?" I asked worried that something bad might have happened to her.


    "I am okay and so is everything but your uncle had to push the opening date of the school to tomorrow so you must leave today," she said and clapped her hands twice. The servants came into the room and she instructed me to pack my belongings as she and I had some tea.


    I watched them pack my things not missing the ghost unpacking what they had already packed.


    "Stop that," I said to him.


    "Stop what?" my mother asked.


    "Nothing mother," I told with a weak smile. "Stop that Francis," I scolded and realized that I had uttered his name out loud and turned around to meet my mother looking at me with her eyes wide open. ''I''m dead.''

 Chapter 62 - The Ghost That Taunts Me (part Two)

    "What was that?" she asked me.


    "I was just telling the servant to stop it. She is packing my clothes all wrong, isn''t her name Francine?" I asked.


    "Oh, alright," she said and moved to pack my belongings herself. I released a sigh of relief for escaping such a close death. My life would be easier without this annoying ghost, I thought.


    The tea was good but it is just a distraction to keep my mind away from the fact that I would be living home soon. Going to school is not a problem for me as I love studying, the only problem is the curse that forces me to turn into a dragon on a full moon. It is once a month and on other days transformation is completely by free will.


    "All done," my mother announced and made her way back to me. "I have packed all your belongings and some snacks for the trip," she said to me sweetly.


    "If only you weren''t sending me far away from you then I would praise you," I told in a pout.


    "You know that I am doing this only for you. I want you to become a great king and for that, you need proper education my darling," she said taking a seat next to me. "I love so much and everyone else loves you too," she added.


    "I love you too."


    The servants moved my belongings to the chariot, mother escorted me to out of the palace and bid me farewell. Entering the chariot I wave to my mother one more time before we leave.


    "Hello Annak," I greeted.


    "Greetings my prince," she greeted back. She is my governess, a great witch at that. She has been tasked to take care of me for as long as I can remember. She goes wherever I go especially when I leave the palace.


    "Are you excited about school?" she asks and I nod my head to her.


    "I am, it will be good for me to be away from the palace for a while," I say. ''It will allow me to explore the school library for information about the past.''


    "It will be nice to make friends too. In school you can just be you without worry," she said and I smiled.


    "I will rest for a while before we get there," I informed her and closed my eyes to sleep.


    Leaning back I closed my eyes to sleep, it is very difficult to sleep at night with a ghost beside my ear asking if I have fallen asleep every five seconds. This is a good time as any for me to sleep as I have a lot to do when I get to school. A school for magic sounds cool.


    "Hello Francis," I heard Annak say right before I fell into slumber. My mind became alert and I listened.


    "Hello whisperer," Francis greeted. "How are you?"


    "I am fine. I would ask you how you are but the answer would be the same as usual. But don''t worry things will get better," she said to comfort him.


    "How is he doing?"


    "Blaming himself for your death, the guilt of your death eats him up every day. He misses you so much," she replied.


    "How I wish that I could show myself in front of him. He doesn''t deserve to hold himself responsible for something that wasn''t his doing. And as long as Ander doesn''t release me, I am stuck here," he said in a pained voice.


    "You will reunite soon. Your love story is still incomplete and it will be completed when the two of you reunite."


    "I wish for that more than anything but sadly I have long lost hope that happening. There is a reason that the prince shattered me without killing me. I think that he is planning something but in all these years of being around him he has never once spoken about it," Francis said and sighed.


    "Everything will be fine, after we get you back everything else will fall into place," she assured him.


    "Or the opposite could happen. Many lives might be ruined by my return."


    I listened to hear who they were talking about but they stopped talking. The conversation was about me in the end but who was the man they spoke about at the beginning. Who is that man and why did Francis speak as though insinuating that I was the one who killed him.


    I slowly opened my eyes and looked out the window. Watching the trees was relaxing and it kept me from thinking too much into the weird conversation. Being proven wrong is not something I enjoy but I think I just met someone who can see and speak to the ghost. And she seems to know about his past but like others, she will surely not tell me what she knows even if I ask her.


    The ride to the school as long as the school was located in the outskirts of the kingdom. The royal chariot traveled the land with two dragons flying above us to ensure my safety. It is heartwarming to see how my mother takes care of me. She dotes on me as though I am a baby even though I am a fully grown man.


    The subjects of Arimelari bow their heads as we ride past them. The formality is not needed but since it is a custom that has been there for ages who am I to question it and say anything.


    "We are almost there," Annak informed me.


    "Sure."


    I had my hand outside the window, the wind felt so nice on my skin. I closed my eyes to enjoy this magical feeling of having my skin kissed by the breeze when I felt a brush against my hand. Opening my eyes I glanced at my hand and realized that my bracelet was missing.


    "Stop," I ordered with gritted teeth, the chariot stopped. ''How dare someone steal from,'' I thought as I jumped down from the chariot. Taking a quick sniff of the air I got the scent of the person who stole my bracelet.


    "What is wrong your Highness?" I heard Annak ask but I had already started running after the thief so I couldn''t answer him. Running through the marketplace and past the dusty streets, I chase the scent at full speed.


    ''I am so going to hurt this thief. How dare he make a prince run, doesn''t he/she know that a prince should never run,'' I thought as I continued to chase after the bracelet thief.


    One thing was for sure, the thief was so going to regret stealing from me. Because of him, I have apologized for who knows how many people that I have run into while chasing him and it is not good for a prince to apologize. Especially if that prince is me.


    I track the scent down to a dark alley, taking deeps breaths I make one step at a time into the dark alley. The place seemed deserted and abandoned but the thief came this way so that is where am going. The bracelet was a gift from my father, my grandmother told me that it belonged to him and he wished for me to have it. So no matter what come may, I will get that bracelet back and whoever took it should pray to their gods for mercy.


    I had some movements at a distance, it sounded like someone was being beaten up. I rushed to the scene to see what was going on to five a boy who seems to be my age beating up a couple of older men.


    "What are you doing?" I asked confused as to how such a small boy can beat up men as well built as Malcolm and Marcel. The boy turns around and faces me, he looks mad.


    "And who might you be?" he asked me. His voice deep and husky, he stood with his hand to his waist. And he is wearing my bracelet in his hand.


    "The one whose bracelet you stole. Give it back," I said reaching out my hand to collect my bracelet from him but the boy had the nerve to slap my hand away. I glared at him and glared back at me.


    "And if I don''t?" he asks with a sense of arrogance. It irritates me how much in just this few minutes he reminds me so much of that ghost. Speaking of which where is that ghost.


    I looked around for him and found him leaning on the wall watching us like this was some entertaining show. "Help me," I say to him.


    "Why should I?"


    "If you help me then I will free you," I tell to him.


    "I would but I don''t think you know how to free me so I won''t waste my energy on an empty promise. And it looks like you got this under control so I will just watch," he said.


    "I am so never freeing you from me," I said angrily and turn my attention back to the boy who stole my bracelet and found that he was gone.


    "You probably shouldn''t have turned your back to him," Francis remarked. I so wish he was human, I would have burned him to ashes by now.

 Chapter 63 - The Roommate

    The chariot arrived at the school grounds, Ander was still fuming over his father''s bracelet. He would have still gone after the thief but he didn''t have time on his side and hence he had to let go for now. The good thing was that he had that thief''s scent so he would be able to catch him when next their paths crossed.


    He got off the chariot and was greeted by his loving aunt and uncle who were very happy to see him. They exchanged greetings and went into the school.


    "I have arranged for you to have the best roommate ever. He is the perfect student and I think the two of you are going to be great together," Malia said as they walked past the students in the hallway.


    The students were moving up and down trying to settle in, some were socializing while others just took tours around the school to get to know their way around so as not to get lost.


    The prince stared at his surrounding indifferently. The place was no different than the palace in terms of decorations, the only difference was that there was the sound of chattering and laughter in the background as he walked. His aunt led him to his room and left Annak to help him settle in.


    "This place looks nice," he heard by the door. He turned away from the window and watched the person who spoke, his nose got a whiff of the familiar scent of the thief that stole his bracelet and his mood dropped. He stayed quiet and waited for Annak to arrange his things in his wardrobe.


    "You must be my new roommate, I heard that your background wasn''t ordinary. I''m Avan," the boy said introducing himself to Ander.


    Ander watched his hand that was adorned with his bracelet earlier to notice that it was empty. The bracelet that he wore before was gone. His blood boiled even more at the possibility that the boy could have sold his bracelet.


    "He is Ander. He is not too good with interacting with new people but the two of you can be friends," Annak said on his behalf and shook Avan''s hand.


    "He doesn''t have to be shy with me," Avan added and placed his bag down on the bed opposite Ander''s bed.


    "What are the odds that the thief would come right to you. It''s destiny, maybe the two of you are destined," Francis teased.


    "Shut up," he shouted, startling both Avan and Annak. "What are the two of you looking at?" he asked them.


    "All done. All your things are arranged in the wardrobe, your books on the study table and everything where should be. I am gonna go to the teacher''s quarters and get my things moved in. If you need anything come find me," she said to him and left the room.


    Ander picked up one of his books, one of the books that he wasn''t allowed to read in the palace, and began to read. It is one of the books of the year of his birth, he had gone through so much trouble to get the book and wanted to know the contents of the book.


    "Your mother is sweet, I can''t believe that I am going to share a room with a teacher''s pet. I hope you won''t snitch on the students to her," Avan said.


    Ander put down his book and turned his attention to the boy. "I can''t believe that I share my room with a thief. I hope you don''t steal my things when I''m out," he fired back. Avan glared at him from his bed. "What? The truth hurt?"


    "I am not a thief and I would watch my tongue if I were you. Bad things happen to liars," he told in a low threatening voice.


    "You are right bad things do happen to liars so I hope you get comfortable because you are going to pay for stealing my bracelet," he threatened.


    "Oh, it''s you. The weird kid who speaks to his imaginary friend. I hope you didn''t forget him back in the alley. School tends to be very lonely without a friend," he said mockingly and walked into the bathroom. He didn''t look back to see the golden glow in Ander''s eyes.


    Ander went back to reading his book but he couldn''t get himself to concentrate after talking to Avan. He felt the urge to ask him what he did to his bracelet. He set his book down angrily and decided to take a look around the school. He wanted to see what his mother had done for him, since she built the school for him it was only fair that he knew every inch of it.


    He walked down the hallways careful not to hit the students rushing in and out of the rooms. He saw no familiar faces in the rooms not as he could ever find someone he knew with the friendless life he lived in the palace with the ghost Francis as his friend and companion.


    He felt weird thinking of Francis in that way but he couldn''t help it. The truth was that when the ghost wasn''t teasing him or taunting him, he was a great company to keep.


    "Well, thank you for the compliment. I would say the same but you aren''t that good," Francis said appearing beside him.


    "You know I have never seen my father, I won''t what he is like or why we''ve never met but if I could choose a father for myself. You would be a perfect choice," he said to Francis from the bottom of his heart.


    "Why me?" he asked him confused.


    "You always look for reasons to taunt me or tease me and that makes my day interesting and less lonely. You congratulate me when I do something good and scold me when I make a mistake. You advise me when you think I could use it and you annoy me to the fullest. Which is what I assume a father should do to a child," he explained with teary eyes.


    ''If everything hadn''t happened the way they did, I would have been your dad,'' Francis thought with a sad smile on his face.


    "Who would have that you would fall in love with me," Francis teased him. Ander stopped in his tracks and looked back at Francis. His face was emotionless so Francis could not tell what was going on in his mind.


    "Why do you say that?" he asked him.


    "I don''t know, you praise just sound like someone in love," Francis said.


    "Well, mother did say that children always look for love in a person who resembles either one of the parents in character. So maybe that''s true, maybe I am in love with you," Ander said in a serious tone and continued walking.


    Francis was left frozen in place not sure if what Ander said was a joke or reality. He was only joking with the boy but he couldn''t tell if Ander was joking or not. The possibility of him being in love was very high, I mean the boy hadn''t had that many choices growing up since he was the only child in the palace and he wasn''t allowed to interact with the servant''s children.


    "Wait you are joking right?" he asked as he chased after the boy but Ander didn''t reply. He just kept walking. "Ander, I asked you a question. Are you joking?" he asked again and Ander stopped.


    He turned to the side and stared deep into Francis''s eyes and smiled. "I love you Francis and I intend to make you fall in love with me too," he confessed to him. Francis''s jaw dropped upon listening to Ander''s words and he froze.


    "W..what?" he asked in disbelief. How he wished Alexander was there to see his son confess love to him. He wondered what the outcome of that would have been and shook his head seeing them fighting for him.


    "I said, I.love. you," he said stressing the last three words.


    "Why thank you but I should probably warn you that I am straight," he heard behind him and looked up. His eyes met Avan''s causing his smile to drop and turn into a frown.


    "Why are you here and where is my bracelet?"


    "I was taking a walk and saw you here talking to yourself and I thought why not come and give you company and as for your bracelet. I lost it," he said innocently getting close to Ander.


    "Y..you l..lost it?"


    "Yes, but what''s the big deal. You seem rich so why not buy a new one, why to bother with that old thing?" he asked him.


    Ander turned away from his and walked away. He could already the long life that school was going to be. He had a feeling that his roommate was going to make life unbearable with his presence and there was nothing he could do about it. Francis followed him lost in thought, his mind couldn''t stop thinking about Ander''s confession.


    Avan watched him leave and retrieved the bracelet from his pocket and held it in his hand. ''Why did you have a splinter of my father in your bracelet Ander?'' he asked.

 Chapter 64 - Just A Prank

    Ander toured the school with Francis by his side constantly nagging him about the statement that he had made. He enjoyed making the ghost uneasy and restless and for the first time since he was young, he won against him.


    "It''s dinner time, let''s go eat," he said to Francis. "Oh, I forgot. Ghosts can''t eat," he taunted and walked ahead with a victorious smile on his face.


    He got to the dining hall and went straight to the line and served his food. He took his plate of food and looked to the crowd for a place to sit. All the tables seemed to be occupied and the students were all busy having their meal and conversing with each other.


    He saw a table far back and moved there to have his food peacefully. He sat at his table and dug into his food, the food was lacking compared to the food he was used to in the palace.


    "Hey, how can you eat in peace after saying something like that?" Francis inquired.


    "Like this, I take a spoon and dig into the rice and bring it to my mouth. Chew and swallow," Ander replied him.


    "That is not what I meant. How can you be calm after confessing something like that? Don''t you feel awkward about it?"


    "No, but I welcome any feelings that you gave for me. After all, since I love you so much, I should learn to accept all your feelings," he replied startling Francis. He sat opposite Ander and stared at him with a stunned look on his face.


    "If that is the case then I hate you," Francis said to him.


    "No problem, there is a very thin line between love and hate. And hate can always turn into love so I''m glad you hate me," Ander said in a low husky voice with a sweet smile on his face.


    "Shameless," he said and stopped talking out of fear that the boy will just use his words to flirt with him.


    Ander smiled in victory but then some liquid began to drip from his hair down his face. He frowned and reached his hand to his head and found that it was wet. He got up from his seat and turned around.


    A blonde-haired boy towered over him with a cup of milk in his hands. Behind the boy were other boys who stood there laughing and pointing at him.


    "Wha..." he was to ask but had a plate of pie dumped on his head.


    "Look, the boy who speaks to his imaginary friend also wears food on his head," the boy mocked and the students in the hall laughed.


    Ander looked around in the room and watched everyone''s face. He had been in a bad mood the whole day but the day just seem to keep getting worse. He wiped the food on his head and glared at the boy.


    "Oh, I''m scared. Look at how he is glaring at me. He will probably ju..jus..just report me to his imaginary friend," the boy said and the crowd continued to laugh.


    Ander folded his hands into fists, the ground began to shake underneath their feet. The floor started cracking at the corners that connected to the walls. The students stopped laughing and looked around when they realized what was going on they all began to panic.


    They made a run for the exit but before they could reach the door the floor lifted off the ground and started moving up with all of them. The laughter in the room turned into tears and wailing of fear. The bullies started at Ander whose eyes were golden now, his eyes were filled with pure anger.


    "Wh..what..what are you d..doing?" he asked Ander afraid.


    The floor lifted them, the roof busted open and they all floated off from the school grounds. The school principal and the other teachers all tried to bring the students back but they all floated away despite their efforts.


    "I thought you all would look good dropping from the sky, so let''s try it," he said to them. His statement sent shivers down everyone''s spine.


    "What are you going, Ander?" Francis asked getting worried for the students. He knew quite well how dangerous Ander could become and how strong his magic was, in all the years of being around the male he had seen him become even stronger with all the secret training that he does when no one is watching. To top it all, Olivia had somehow injected magic into the boy while he was still in her womb. Like it wasn''t bad enough that he was a powerful dragon, she had to make him a witch too.


    "Teaching this insect how to behave so in their next lives they won''t repeat the same mistake," he replied to Francis.


    "Wait, just hold on. You seriously can''t mean to kill all these students right?" he questioned and the look in Ander''s face told him that he could care less whether they died or lived.


    "Look if you kill all these people then the school will be closed and your mother''s dream will die, is that what you want?" he asked trying to emotionally blackmail him into not killing the students.


    "I am my mother''s dream, so she will be fine with or without the school," Ander said and smiled as they had reached the top. He could touch the clouds if he stretched his hand. "Say your last wishes," he announced.


    "If you kill them, your mother will be angry," Francis said but Ander didn''t care. "If you kill them then your aunt and uncle will never speak to you again," he tried again.


    Ander raised his hand getting ready to turn the floor upside down. "If you kill them then I will go away from you forever," he said drawing his last card. He was out of options and getting desperate, he couldn''t watch so many innocent children die and for some reason, he could a connection to that weird boy who shares a room with Ander and watching him in the distance with his friends waiting to die for such a silly reason made him restless.


    Ander halted, his anger vanished replaced with a feeling that he didn''t quite understand. His eyes returned to normal and his bitterness disappeared and in its place can''t fear, fear of Francis''s threat coming true.


    "Fine," he said giving in. He snapped his finger and they were back in school with everything back in place. He pushed the bully out of the way and rushed out of the hall.


    "Prince Ander of Arimelari," his uncle called to him angrily with all the students listening. They gasped in shock on hearing Ander''s identity while the prince ran away without looking back. He ran to his dorm room and spelled the room to keep Francis out of the room. He dropped on his bed and clutched the pillows strongly in his hands.


    He thought back to the moment in the sky, even the thought of his mother wasn''t able to calm him but when he thought he would never be able to see Francis again. His heart raced in his heart and he panicked.


    "No, this was just a prank. I was only joking with him when I said I was in love with him. So why did I react like that?" he asked himself panicking even more.


    "I don''t love him right?" he questioned. He received no answer to his question and just kept beating himself up not willing to believe that he could be in love with a ghost.


    "He is a ghost and annoying. I have just had a long day and that is why I reacted like that. So much has happened since I woke up so it''s nothing. No need to overreact, I can''t be in love with a ghost especially a man," he said to reassure himself but even he couldn''t believe his words.


    He turned in his bed confused about what to do or say to stop his mind and heart from thinking such nonsense.


    "Ander, what is the meaning of what you just did?" Mordecai asked budging into the room.


    "I don''t know," he said. ''I don''t know why I reacted like that to Francis''s words,'' he thought.


    "How could you react like that?"


    "I don''t know, even I can''t figure it out," he said.


    "What would have happened had you hurt someone?" Mordecai asked angrily. He felt very disappointed at the way Ander behaved. It was the first day of school and he almost killed half the school''s population in a fit of rage.


    "I would have lost him but I don''t know to understand why it would make a difference to me if he went away or stayed by my side. He is just an annoying person," he told subconsciously.


    "Yes, you would.." Mordecai started to say but his wife stopped him."Why are you interfering? He should.."


    "I know but what is the point of yelling at someone who isn''t listening. Look at him, he looked dazed and deep in thought. He seems to have some inner conflict or something because the Ander I know would never stand being dirty for even a second and he is laying there forgetting that he is covered in food," she said to him. "We should leave him for now, we can talk to him in the morning," she added and pulled him out of the room.

 Chapter 65 - Denial

    "Are you sure Avan?" Lacie asked seating down for the secret meeting that they were having in the library.


    "Yes, I''m sure," he confirmed.


    "But why would the prince have your father''s splinter with him?"


    "That is what I am wondering too. I thought that he was just some weird kid who might have stumbled on the splinter and made a wish with it but it is more than that," he said.


    "How so?"


    "I searched his things when he was out and found another splinter in his ring. There was no more splinter but I fail to believe that it is a coincidence that he has two splinters," he explained to her.


    "True but he seems very dangerous and powerful. From what he did earlier I would advise you stay far away from him for now," Lacie advised feeling worried for her friend.


    "Or I could just find a way to get close to him. If we become friends then he may tell me where the rest of the splinters are so that I can fix my father and bring him back," he muttered softly.


    Lacie looked at her friend with concern in her eyes. That idea was nice but the prince didn''t look like the forgiving type. If he found out that Avan was getting close to him just to use him for information then he might not spare him. Judging by how he reacted to the harmless bullying, he seemed like someone who got even for the smallest little thing.


    "That could be dangerous," she stared.


    "If I don''t face the dangers then I will never see my father again and I have promised my mother that I will be able to bring father back home. It might take a while but I will fulfill my promise by any means necessary."


    "Alright but be careful, he might speak to imaginary friends but his magic is strong and so is he. Always be alert around him," she warned.


    "We should go to bed before curfew time," he told to her and together they left the library and made their way to the dorm.


    Avan opened the door to their room and walked inside. The prince was already asleep so he tried his best not to wake. He took a shower and changed into his pajamas and went to bed. He kept thinking about Ander in the dining hall, his golden eyes were all that he could see when he closed his eyes. The pure anger in those eyes gave him goosebumps.


    He covered himself with a blanket from head to toe feeling hopeful for the first time since forever that he might accomplish his mission and get his father back. He had to complete his family and bring happiness back to her mother''s life.


    Ander opened his eyes, he couldn''t sleep from the thoughts that occupied his mind. He found his mind drifting to thoughts that he had never even thought possible and it scared him.


    Thinking of Francis as anything more than an annoying ghost that he can''t get rid of was a terrifying experience for him. Not that he would want to ever get rid of him now that he had lost his mind and wished to hold on to him forever.


    He shook his head and cleared his mind from the weird thoughts and allowed himself some peace of mind. He tried to fall asleep one more time but the image of the ghost appeared in his mind and he opened his eyes again.


    "I''m just a little lonely from never meeting my father that is why this is happening. I just miss a father figure in my life," he said to himself. "He is like a father to me," he added.


    His body organs refused to believe the illusion he was trying to create in his mind. His heart raced at the mare thought of Francis and that was sign enough of how he felt about the ghost but admitting it was the hardest part for him. He felt as though admitting it would make it real and if it became real then he wouldn''t be able to deny it anymore.


    He raised his hand and cast a spell in the room. Colorful lights, clouds, and birds appeared in the air and floated around while chirping. He added a little rainbow to complete it and watched to distract himself.


    Avan removed the blanket covering his eyes at the sound of the birds chirping and looked up. His mouth stretched into a smile from how beautiful it looked.


    "You can''t sleep?" he asked Ander.


    "No," he replied not willing to say more.


    "Me neither. I am just too happy because I found hope after fighting for so long that I might win. And that makes me want to fight harder. What about you, why can''t you sleep?" he inquired.


    "I can''t stop thinking about those mean boys," he said lying to Avan. It was better than to admit that he was thinking about a ghost. A man who has lived his life and died just waiting to move on to the other side or to find peace. A man who could never reciprocate his feelings in this lifetime because he had already lived his life to the end.


    "They were the school bullies, they normally pick on weak students but I guess they made a mistake this time since you are not weak. What you did was impressive," he commented.


    Ander glanced over at him and spoke," Where is my bracelet?" he asked him.


    "Weird, why couldn''t I enter the room before?" Francis asked entering the room.


    "Your bracel..."


    "I don''t know," Ander replied very quickly and nervously on.


    "Why are you acting weird. Did you spell the room to keep me out?" he questioned.


    "No, why would I do that?" Ander asked looking everywhere in the room but at Francis.


    "Are you lying?"


    "I am a prince and a prince never lies. I did not spell the room not to let you in, I have no reason to do that so don''t accuse me without any proof," he said confidently.


    "Then why are you defensive. People get defensive when they have something to hide so what are you hiding?"


    "Why do you insinuate that I a hiding something. Believe me when I say that I am not keeping anything from you at all. I am innocent," he stated anxiously, his palms sweating.


    "I think that you are hiding something. You do t even look me in the eye and not once have told me to shut up or that I am annoying which is weird," Francis noted.


    "Shut up and let me sleep," Ander said and stopped the illusion and closed his eyes.


    "I know that you are not telling me the whole truth and the fact that you are not sleepy so you can stop the drama and just tell me what going on," Francis said but Ander ignored him.


    He was getting on his last nerve with the prince and somehow was beginning to see the similarity between father and son. They were both irritating and knew how to get him angry.


    "Ander, I know you are not sleeping. Get up and talk to me," he said shaking the boy.


    "Why should I? You just want to waste my time and I don''t want to talk to you now or ever," he replied bringing the blanket to his head. Francis held the other end of the blanket and pulled on it.


    "If you don''t talk to me then I won''t let you sleep," Francis threatened.


    "Let go of my blanket or else," Ander warned him. Francis laughed at his threat. Time seems to stop as Ander stared at his beautiful face lit up with laughter. He had never realized how beautiful Francis looked when he laughed.


    "Or else what? Will you burn me, I am a ghost you can''t harm me so you don''t scare me," Francis stated but Ander was too dazed staring at him to hear what he had to say. Francis seized the opportunity and pulled the blanket with force causing Ander to fall off the bed.


    Avan watched from his bed the blanket pulling itself and throwing Ander off the bed and started to question if Ander does speak to an imaginary friend.


    "Are you okay?" he asked and was glared at.


    "Mind your own business," Ander said to him.


    "And you how dare you to throw me off the bed?" he asked switching his attention back to Francis, the ghost yawned and fell on the bed. He patted the bed right next to him and faced Ander.


    "Join me," he said and Ander froze. His heart thundering in his chest from that simple sentence. That small initiative made his heart skip a beat and he could feel his face turning red. He took a deep breath and quickly turned away from Francis.


    "So can I share your bed tonight?" he asked Avan. "I don''t snore," he added.

 Chapter 66 - Denial (part Two)

    Ander woke up early in the morning and rushed out to find his uncle. He had to get away from the room before Francis could corner him with more questions whose answers he couldn''t accept. He knocked on the door but there was no reply.


    He turned the doorknob and found that the door was locked. He turned and walked away, he checked his schedule to find that he had history class first. He races down the corridor to find the history class, he was already late from having gone to seek out his uncle.


    He arrived at the door at the same time as the history teacher. "Greetings your royal highness," the teacher greeted him as they walked into the class.


    Ander waved his hand to him and helped him stand up from his bowed position. "Here you are my teacher and k your student. Don''t bow to me," he said and found a seat at the back to seat on.


    "As you wish," he said and took his place in front of the class. "Good morning class," he greeted the class.


    "Good morning teacher," they replied in unison.


    "For those of you who were not here last year, My name is Saga and I am your history teacher," he said writing his name on the board. "Today we are going to talk about that history of Arimelari, so who can tell me the founders of Arimelari?" he asked the class.


    "Are you avoiding me?" Francis asked Ander.


    "No," Ander replied to him.


    "What is it, Ander? Would you like to answer the question?" the teacher asked him. He turned his head and glared at Francis who just smiled at him.


    "No sir," he replied with an apologetic smile.


    "Alright, anyone wants to answer the question?"


    The class continued with Ander doing his best to avoid replying to Francis''s provocative questions and inquiries. He also avoided looking the make in the eye afraid of what it did to his heart. Just knowing that he was there made his heart race more than normal and it scared him.


    "Why are you avoiding me?" Francis asked him.


    "I am afraid that avoiding you is impossible. You are a ghost, you go anywhere and do anything and no one can stop you," he replied.


    "And yet you find ways to ignore me. You know that you are the only one I can talk to so why would you run away from me?"


    "Class dismissed," the teacher said. Ander got his things and dashed out of the room and ran straight to his next class. He needed to pretend to be busy to avoid thinking about Francis and the newfound feelings that he was developing for the ghost.


    The next class was a practical class where all the students who know magic have to perform a certain task provided by the teachers to test them. He again found a seat at the back of the classroom and got his book to read. The students sneaked glances at him and whispered among themselves.


    One girl, in particular, got up from her seat and walked up to him. "Hi, I''m Victoria," she greeted. Ander looked up from his book and stared at her for a minute before going back to his book.


    "It is considered rude to ignore someone," she said to him.


    "That''s exactly what I have been trying to tell him but he won''t listen," Francis added appearing by his side.


    "I am not ignoring you. I am just a bit busy today," he said.


    "You could at least offer me a seat," Victoria pointed out.


    "Yes, the least you can do is offer me a seat. Have some manners," Francis said.


    "I would but I am busy and do you mind I am trying to read."


    "Alright, I will leave you to your book but I hope we can talk and catch up after classes," the girl said and excused herself.


    "Was she talking to me?" Ander asked Francis making the ghost shake his head. The prince was the king of indifference, he could tune a person out without even trying to.


    "No, she was singing a song," Francis replied.


    "But I do mind, if you just answer me then I wouldn''t bother you so much," he said to him.


    "I don''t know what you want to hear from me but whatever it has to wait until the day is over," he told to him.


    The teacher walked into the classroom and greeted the class. She introduced herself to the class and got the class started.


    "Today we are going to make a fire crystal using the ingredients on the table. The project will be done in groups of three so if I call your name then move to your partner''s desk so we can get started," she said and the students nodded in understanding.


    Most of the girls in the classroom wished to be paired with the prince. To get the chance to sin favor with and maybe win him over would be a dream come true for most of the girls.


    "Prince Ander will pair with Avan and Lacie," the teacher announced. The girls let out a disappointed groan. Avan and Lacie moved to Ander''s desk and set their chairs around his desk. Ander didn''t bother with them and continued to look at his book.


    "What are you reading?" Lacie asked trying to initiate a conversation.


    "A book," Ander replied uninterested.


    "Are you sure, you are holding the book upside down," she pointed out? The prince looked at the book and noticed that he was holding the book upside down, he turned the book around and tried to read it.


    "So I take it you are ignoring me. And here I thought that you would try to make me fall in love with you because if that is the plan then you are doing a very bad job," Francis commented.


    "Are you sure, you have been chasing me around since we last spoke? You won''t let me be for even a second, I would say my plan is working," he said feigning a strong front.


    Francis bit his tongue for falling for Ander''s trap. While Ander gave him a victorious smile, "I won,'' Ander muttered under his breath.


    " This was just a game, right? You meant nothing of what you said and you were pulling my leg right?"


    ''I wish I could say that this is a game. When I first said it, it was a game but now my prank has backfired in my face and I don''t know what to do about it. It scares me,'' he thought in his mind as a tear fell from his eyes.


    "Ander, why are you crying?" Francis asked in concern. "Are you okay?"


    "I want to be alone, please leave," he pleaded with him. Francis couldn''t understand Ander''s change of behavior and mood. Despite living with the boy for all this year and knowing him better than anyone, he was confused.


    He felt pained to see him shed a tear just as he felt sad watching him yearn for his father for sixteen years. He had grown fond of Ander and he treated him like his son, the only reason he sorts to annoy him often was to keep him from being too lonely and missing Alexander so much. But now he was neither missing Alex nor did he get hurt but still he had tears in his eyes and that made him sad.


    "Ander, tell me what is the matter. Not that I plan to help you or anything but a problem shared is a problem half solved right?" he said trying to persuade him to tell him what the problem was.


    ''How do I tell you my problem. You are the problem and the feelings that you are giving me,'' he said internally.


    "I want to be alone," he spoke. He couldn''t be in Francis''s company with the internal war going on inside him about his feelings. Left with no choice Francis left but he didn''t go too far, he stayed close in case Ander would need him.


    Ander released a sigh of relief when Francis left. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up at the two students who were staring at him without blinking.


    "Keep looking at me and you will lose your eyes," he threatened to bring them both out of their dazed states.


    "Sorry, but who is talking to?" Lacie asked.


    "My imaginary friend," he replied and checked on the crystal they were supposed to make. All the work was almost done except for the fact that the crustal they made was not producing any fire. "Are you done?" he asked directing his question to Avan.


    "Not yet, we can find the spell to make this crystal produce fire," he replied searching through his book.


    "Crystal inscendia," he said and the crystal glowed bright red. "Done," he said to them.


    They handed in their project to the teacher and were allowed to leave the class for their break earlier than other students.

 Chapter 67 - The Dare

    Avan rubbed his forehead from the awful dare that his friends had asked him to do. They expect him to kiss a total stranger on the lips, ridiculous. They all stood at the rooftop waiting for him to make up his mind about the dare.


    "Listen Avan, all you have to do is close your eyes. We will spin you around and have you point randomly at the ground and whoever your hand lands on, you have to approach them and kiss them," Javian said to him.


    Lacie gave him a weak smile and a pat on the back to comfort him. He sighed and closed his eyes. He stretched his right hand and pointed at the ground. Lacie spins him around six times before pulling him to a stop.


    "Now let''s see who the lucky girl or guy is," she said and followed the line of Avan''s hand and stopped. The other students too took a pick and froze, none of them could bring themselves to say who it was that his hand had landed on.


    "Well?" he inquired opening his eyes. He glanced at Lacie with questioning eyes to find out from her the person he would have the unfortunate luck of kissing.


    She looked at him with pity in her eyes and pointed her finger to the ground. Avan followed the train of her hand, his eyes widening with shock from seeing Ander. He seemed to be arguing with the invincible person whose company he preferred more than all else. It had been a week since school started and not once did he ever see him talk to anyone or try to make friends.


    Most of the time that they were in their dorm he was always busy lost in his thoughts. They never talked much except for days that he would refuse to sleep on his bed and ask to share his bed. He braced himself unable to back away from the dare and walked out of the roof.


    His friends watched carefully down from the roof not to miss a single moment of his dare.


    He made his way to the ground and walked towards Ander. He was nervous about having to kiss him for many reasons. One being that Ander was a boy. Two, he was a person with a very unpredictable personality and they didn''t get along well as the male was yet to forgive him for losing his bracelet. He was also afraid of what Ander would do to him if he dared to kiss him.


    "Greeting my prince," he greeted drawing Ander''s attention to himself.


    "Did you come to give me my bracelet?" Ander asked him.


    "No, I.."


    "Then leave. I am not in the mood for company," he stated and went back to pacing up and down underneath the tree. Avan looked back to his friends on the roof, they all had their eyes on him. He knew that he couldn''t back down, he had to kiss the prince of Arimelari.


    "Can we talk?" he asked.


    "I don''t believe there is anything that you and I can discuss with each other. So please jus..."


    Avan in one swift movement got close to the prince and pulled him by his hand into his embrace and licked his lips with his. He kissed him on the lips catching him off guard, the prince gasped in surprise giving him the chance he needed to deepen the kiss. He kissed the prince''s lips roughly making him release a soft moan.


    The prince found himself clutching Avan''s shoulders to keep himself from falling. This move brought their bodies closer, Avan lifted him by his waist. The prince''s mind became hazy, he was clouded with a flame that was new to him. The heat from Avan''s body made him feel warmth in his abdomen.


    Avan broke the kiss and they both panted for breath. The prince took deep breaths to get his breathing back to normal and to calm his racing heart.


    "As wood, I command you to break," Ander muttered. Before Avan to grasp his words he screamed in pain when the bone in his leg broke into two pieces.


    "An..ander, liste.." he tried to say but Ander was in no mood to listen to him.


    "Ashes of hell burn like fire," he said and a flame appeared in the ground and started burning the ground heading for him. Ander kept chanting making the fire grow stronger and bigger. Avan''s eyes widened with shock as fear hit him like ice-cold water. He tried to move to get away from hellfire which was known to burn everything in its path without mercy, it was also impossible to extinguish and could only be sent back to hell by the one who summons it. But he doubted Ander would be willing to do that by how angry he looked at him.


    Avan''s friends and other students saw the fire and ran into the school. His friends went to call the principal to go and rescue Avan from Ander. Avan''s efforts to get away from the fire were in vain as his leg was broken hence he couldn''t move. He fell to the ground each time he tried to stand up and the worse part was that the fire just kept getting bigger.


    "Ander, please," he pleaded but the fire in Ander''s eyes was out to kill him and not to spare him.


    "Ander, what are you doing? Let him go," Malia pleaded with him as Mordecai had gone to the palace leaving her in charge of the school. Her words fell on deaf ears as Ander refused to listen to her.


    "Ander, I''m sorry," Avan said to him but the make ignored him and just built the fire. The fire traveled fast and it soon reached Avan''s position. The boy felt his body go numb from staring his death right in the face.


    Francis who was in the dorm room felt strange. He felt as though someone very close to his heart was in danger, he got up from his bed and walked out of the room. He heard the whispers among the students about Ander and Avan and vanished into thin air before reappearing right next to Ander.


    He saw his angry state and wondered if their fight was the reason he was so angry. He felt bad for arguing with him and endangering someone''s life in the process. He glanced over at the fire and the boy who was about to be consumed by the fire, he saw a glowing mark behind his neck. The glow was small like it was being suppressed but he was still able to see it. If he didn''t know any better he would say he just met his child with Silvia.


    He went to Avan and possessed his body and stared at Ander in the eye. "Ander, stop," he said to him speaking in his voice, not Avan''s. Ander''s movements halted and he stopped chanting the spell for the hellfire. " Francis," he called out to him his heart best increasing. "Hel fire stop," he commanded and the fire stopped. He ordered it to return to hell and moved closer to Avan.


    "Why do you always do this when you are angry?" he asked him.


    "You have no idea what the boy has done to me Francis," he said in his defense.


    "Are you sure he did anything worth you killing hi?. No, he didn''t. You just have a problem valuing people''s lives so for every small mistake you think death is the solution," he said his tone sounding disappointed.


    "But he.."


    "But nothing. You can''t just go around trying to kill everyone in your path Ander. Look, I care for you and I really want to understand you but lately, you are starting to change in ways that scare me. Why?" he asked him.


    "I haven''t changed but maybe you don''t understand me. I am trying to tell you what happened but you aren''t listening. When you have the whole story figured out then why do you bother asking me anything," he said angrily.


    "What I understand is that you tried to kill this boy and there is no reason that can justify that," Francis said feeling protective of his son. His sudden show of concern for the boy didn''t escape Ander''s eyes. He saw everything and folded his hands into a fist in anger.


    He was the one who had been wronged when all he was doing was minding his business but he is the one being branded as the culprit for fighting back.


    "Why do you care if I kill this boy or not. He is not important to you at all but I.." he started to say but stopped when Francis spoke.


    "He is important to me. He means the world to me," Francis said thinking that the boy in question was his son who he never got to know because of what Ander did to him.


    He felt like it was his duty to shield him from Ander but he had no idea why Ander''s eyes were suddenly filled with tears. It pained him to see him stare at him with the hurt look as though he had wronged him.

 Chapter 68 - Confession

    Ander froze in place, it felt like someone had just poured ice water on him hearing those words coming out of Francis''s mouth. His heartfelt like tiny little needles were mercilessly piercing through it over and over again. Before he realized it tears were flowing down his face.


    "Why do you care about him?" he asked hoping the male would take his words back or laugh it off as some kind of joke. All he needed to hear at that moment was that he only said those things to save his life and not because he meant any of it.


    "I just do," Francis replied afraid that if he told Ander his connection to Avan. Then he might put Avan''s life in more danger.


    "But you don''t even know him," Ander tried to argue his voice shaking just kike his heart.


    "I know that I just met him but some bonds don''t require time. It can happen in an instant and you can say the same about my affections for this boy are exactly that. And I won''t let you or anyone else hurt him if I can help it," he said breaking the little hope Ander had of everything that was happening being a joke.


    Realization hit him that Francis, the ghost who he was falling in love with was threatening him for someone else.


    "Would you hurt me for him? Between the two of us who would you say means more to you" he asked crossing his fingers behind his back praying that he chooses him.


    Francis thought about it for a moment. He knew that he owed it to Avan to be there for him and protect him from harm. Even if that harm was Ander. "I would say Avan," he replied.


    Ander stumbled back not able to stand the revelation. He felt his energy drain away from his body and his knees weakening. He didn''t know what was worse of the situation he was in. Was it the fact that he was foolish enough to love a ghost or the fact that a ghost just rejected him for another human who could neither see him nor talk to him?


    All he knew was that he was hurting and couldn''t breathe. He looked away from Francis and wiped the tears in his eyes.


    "Ander, you need to stop. You can''t keep hurting people like this because someday you will get hurt too," Francis advised.


    ''Too late for that advise,'' Ander thought and clutched his chest from the pain that he was feeling in his heart.


    "This is a new year, in a new school. I would advise you to go out and make friends. That way you will learn to value people more," he said.


    ''The same way I valued you and you betrayed me,'' he thought bitterly.


    "You can even be friends with Avan if you tried," he commented.


    ''Why? So that he can take the rest of the things in my life. It is bad enough he took the bracelet, the only link that I had with my father but now he has snatched you away from me too,'' he said in his mind, the tears that he was holding back flowed down his cheeks.


    "School can be a fun experience."


    "I don''t know about your definition of fun but coming to this school is the worse thing that has ever happened to me. My life was perfectly fine in the palace and I wish that I never came here," he said angrily. "And most importantly I wish that you weren''t in my life," he added staring Francis in the eye.


    He ran away from that point not wanting to listen to anything more the ghost had to say. It hurt him to recall the things he was saying about him in defense of that boy who had done nothing but cause him problems since he left the palace but no matter how much he tried to tune his voice out he couldn''t because it echoed in his ear.


    It showed him what little faith Francis had in him and just how much he mattered to the ghost who had stolen his heart. He ran past his aunt but didn''t stop to talk to her and headed into the building. The students stared at him as he ran past him. They made a clear way for him to pass not wanting to upset him and have themselves set on fire.


    The fire prince, that is what people had started to call him because of his similarities to fire. He was good when in control bit if you cross him then he destroys everything. Similar to the saying; fire is a good servant but a bad master, he was better left alone than provoked.


    Ander ran to his room and flopped down on the bed. He buried his head in his pillow and cried his heart out. He could hear rushed footsteps heading to the room, he wasn''t interested in talking to Francis or anyone else so he spelled the room.


    He got his bags and began to arrange his things in them. He was in no mood to stay in that place for another minute, he wanted to return to the palace and never leave again.


    "Ander, open the door and let us talk," Francis said banging on the door. His heart was racing in his chest out of worry for the prince. He had no idea why he was reacting like that to what he said. He was only trying to help and never meant for his words to hurt his feelings but now he realized that he shouldn''t have said those things to him.


    "Ander, let me explain, please. I didn''t mean any of that, you are amazing please open the door," he said but Ander ignored him and continued to pack his bags. He used his hands to wipe the tears that clouded his vision while packing. Even hearing his voice by the door made his heart hurt more.


    He packed all his belongings and moved to the door, he took a deep breath before he opened the door letting Francis who was still in Avan''s body inside.


    "Ander, I.." he started to say but Ander raised his hand to stop him from talking.


    "I am not interested in anything you have to say. Do me a favor and tell me how to free you, it''s the least I can do to unite you with the boy you love so much," he said in a pained voice.


    "I don''t know, only you know how to do that," Francis said.


    "Okay, then can you stay away from me?" Ander asked in a pleading tone. Francis opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He looked around and noticed the packed bags and felt even more guilty.


    "Are you leaving," Francis asked taking hold of his hands. Having those hands hold him reminded him of the kiss that the boy had given him moments ago. He felt his blood boiling again, the audacity of Avan to kiss him without his consent enraged him.


    He wanted to push him away and throw him into the pits of hell but his heart stopped him. He would only hurt himself if he did that, Francis would not let him off if he did that. He would remind him how much Avan meant to him and who knows what other bad things Francis would say to him.


    "Yes, school is not what I expected and I don''t want to be here anymore," he said trying to remove Avan''s hands but Francis''s hold was tight.


    "But.."


    "I told you that I didn''t want to hear it and this topic is not up for discussion or for you to try and change my mind because that won''t happen," he said seriously.


    "You can''t leave, there are so many opportunities that you will miss out on if you do. And you will regret making this choice in the future."


    ''Is it me or you who will miss out on the opportunity of being close with your newfound friend? If I don''t stay here then you will leave too and you can''t stand to part with him, can you?'' he asked bitterly.


    "Please don''t go," Francis said hugging him. He thought of asking Annak for help to fix what he had done and left Avan''s body to go and find her. Ander''s trembling hands found their way to Avan''s back and he hugged him back.


    "What difference will it make if I stay here. I don''t think that I will be able to watch your newfound affections for Avan," he said breaking down and tightening his hold on Avan. "You asked me what has been troubling me for the past few days. I don''t know how to say this to you but I know that if I don''t th.." he cried on his back.


    "I..." Avan wanted to say something but he wasn''t sure what to say.


    "I have been..been ha..having problems accepting my feelings. The thing is that I lo..love you, Francis," he said getting off his chest. "So please understand that I won''t be able to bear seeing you like Avan. And it''s not a joke or a prank. I have fallen in love with you" he confessed. He laid his head on Avan''s shoulders and closed his eyes waiting for him to say something to his confession.


    Avan stood there frozen not knowing what to say to what all he had seen and heard. First, he had to kiss Ander for the dare. The kiss was only supposed to be a snap kiss as he had originally planned but for some reason after locking lips with Ander, he didn''t want to stop. He found that he did enjoy kissing him.


    Then Ander tried to kill him and he did think that he was going to die but then he felt something enter his body.


    The body was his and so was the tongue but he wasn''t the one speaking. Whoever it was said so many hurtful things to Ander, he couldn''t tell if it was because of his anger that the person couldn''t see that his words were hurting Ander but he felt a pang in his heart seeing him hurt. What''s more, the person claimed that he ''Avan'' was more important to him than Ander, he didn''t know who it was that spoke but he felt a connection to the energy he had.


    Lastly, the thing that shocked him the most was hearing Ander''s confession. He knew that it was meant for the man who told of his body but the man was no longer there to hear it. He felt like he had accidentally heard something that wasn''t for him to hear but most of all were the weird feeling in his heart from hearing that confession.

 Chapter 69 - Attack On The School

    Ander lifted his head from the hug and looked into Avan''s eyes. He nervously gazed at him itching to ask him what his reply was to his confession. His fingers dug into Avan''s back trying to chill his nerves.


    "Do..don''t you have something to say to me. How do you feel about me?" he asked.


    Avan had never seen someone so vulnerable before. Ander looked like he would break into pieces if he said any wrong word. But he wasn''t the one who the question was meant for so he couldn''t give a reply to it.


    "Why are you silent, on normal occasions, you talk my ears out even when I ask you to be quiet. So what is the meaning of your silence today?" he asked his body trembling slightly. Avan was helpless on what to do or say so he just remained silent.


    "Is it so difficult for you to say that you care for me?" he questioned his lips quivering. "I guess I should have not better that to ask when you told me that you like someone else," he added disappointed.


    "It''s not like that," Avan said finally getting his voice back.


    "No need to lie when it is evident. I can''t say that I like your choice of love but there is nothing that I can do about it," he said getting out of Avan''s hold. "I wish that Avan and I never crossed paths, in just a few days he has snatched everything dear to me. My father''s bracelet, my first kiss, and now my first love," he added picking up his bags and carrying them on his shoulders.


    Avan''s heart broke into pieces when he heard all the things that Ander said about him. The words that hit home were the fact that the kiss they shared was Ander''s first kiss. A handsome prince like him would be expected to have had many girls running after him and surely he would have a selection to pick from. But then it occurred to him that the male would rather spend his time with the imaginary male than talk to other people.


    He grabbed hold of Ander''s hand and placed the bracelet he took into his hand. Ander looked down at his hand, his eyes lit up when he saw the bracelet.


    "This," he said wearing it in his hand. "Do you see what I mean? He is such a bad person that despite having my bracelet he told me he lost it," he complained opening the star on the bracelet.


    "But where is the splinter?" he asked looking at Avan. "He must have taken it, tell me Francis do you know where it is. You can search in his mind to see where he took the splinter," Ander told.


    Avan wrecked his brain for an excuse that he could give to Ander as to why he can''t return the splinter, after all the splinter was a part of his dad and his lifelong mission has always been to bring his father back.


    "Never mind if you can''t find it," Ander said just glad that he got his bracelet. "If only he would give me back everything else that he took from me," he mumbled.


    Ander left the dorm with his luggage and walked out of the school. He got a bad feeling when he arrived at the gate and looked back at the school. Everything seemed fine but he couldn''t help but feel sad, he was sad that he was breaking his mother''s heart. Her dream was for him to study in the school she built for him but due to the complications that came his way he had to turn back on her dream.


    He took another step out of the school and froze when he felt a presence pass him by. It was negative energy that he didn''t understand or recognize. He wanted to leave and pretend he didn''t feel it but his conscience wouldn''t let him. He turned around heading back to the school when a force threw him back.


    He fell on his back far away from the school gate, screeching he got up from the ground and dusted the dirt from his clothes. He sat up and looked at the school, the school was still intact but something was off.


    Getting up, he ran into the school compound and back into the dorms. His heart was pounding in his heart as he worried for his beloved. As Francis was inside Avan''s body he was scared of what might have happened to him. As he ran he saw the students of the school all lying on the floor, chairs, and tables unconscious.


    He ran back to his room and found Avan lying on the ground. He dropped to the ground right next to him and held him close to his chest and tried to wake him up but he slept like a baby through all his methods of waking him. He carried him over to the bed.


    He walked out of the room and went in search of Annak, he had to find out what had happened to the school and why everyone was unconscious. Among the sleeping bodies, he found his aunt and Annak too was among them. His heart dropped when he saw them because they were the only people he knew that would be able to help him wake Avan up.


    "What is going on?" he asked no one in particular.


    "You are awake, thank the gods," Francis said relieved that he was fine. He had been looking for his body among the students but couldn''t find him.


    "What happened here?" Ander asked him.


    "Something or someone made a wish that trapped everyone in a deep sleep," Francis informed.


    "What do wishes have to do with the school and why to put everyone in a sleeping state?" he asked him.


    "Many reasons, the school has a secret prison that holds the most dangerous witches, wizards, and supernaturals that have caused some harm or chaos in the world. There is also the secret library that keeps the secrets of the existence of all the mythological and supernatural creatures. There is also a secret doorway to a mythological world in this school and most of all is the secret vault that stores all the powerful weapons known to man," he said to him.


    Ander''s jaw dropped as he stared at Francis as though he was an alien from another planet. "How in the world did mother build such things in the school?" he inquired of him.


    "Your mother didn''t build them. When she ordered for the school to be built the dragons were in charge of getting everything done and they built the school with everything that the dragons need to maintain peace and balance in the world," he informed.


    "And how do you know so much?" he questioned suspiciously.


    "Because your mother used to come here often with you as a baby and that gave me a chance to wander around and see what was going on," he said.


    "So the school is a sanctuary of knowledge and power. Two of the most important things that everyone desires," he spoke caressing his chin in thought.


    "Yes, I''m afraid so."


    Ander walked around the school looking for any clue of what could be the reason for the person coming there. He had processed all that Francis had told him and from that, the person could be after anything but for them to have figured out about the secrets that even his mother has no idea about then they would have to have been in contact with one of the dragons that build the school. Or they were the dragons that built the school.


    "Does my father the king know of the existence of these secrets?" he asked assuming as the king of dragons he must be running the whole operation.


    "No, ever since he lost the love of his life. The King has been obsessed with his memories that he hasn''t had the time nor the energy to care about all this," he said thinking about how hard life must be for Alex. He was beating himself up for his death and torturing himself day and night and there was nothing he could do to help him. His face has a sad expression to it as it reflected what was in his heart.


    Ander didn''t miss the look on his face. He had noticed how they make always get sad whenever he talked about his father but most of all he watched him with shock at the revelation that he just heard.


    ''His memories?'' he questioned in his mind. ''Does this mean my father was in love with a man and not my mom?''


    He didn''t dare raise this question as it would hurt him to learn the answer. It was best for him to just stay clear of that topic for now. He traced the air of the energy that he sensed earlier and found the path it followed and together with Francis they went after the person.


    "How can I gain access to these secret rooms?" he questioned.


    "Your the prince of all dragons, your blood can open all the doors as long as you know where they are," he informed.

 Chapter 70 - The Fire Maiden

    Francis led Ander to the principal''s office were one of the doors was. The only problem being that he had no idea what kind of door it was or where it was opened from. They searched everywhere in the room for anything out of the ordinary that could be used to open the door but nothing stood out.


    Ander sat at his uncle''s chair contemplating what to do next when suddenly he felt the same negative energy from before in the room. He got up from the chair and got ready with spells on his hands in case the person attacks him.


    "I know you are here," he said in a deep threatening voice imitating Malcolm as he had heard him use the same voice while training soldiers in the palace.


    "Good saves me the trouble of surprise attack. I prefer when my enemies know that I''m attacking them," he had a girlish voice say.


    "Then show yourself," he said listening to the sound of her voice to get the exact location where she was standing to attack her.


    "I''m right here," she said appearing behind him and pinning him to the principal''s desk. "Surprise," she yelled with glee.


    Ander did a black flip on the air, his movement so swift, precise, and fast that he caught her by surprise changing their position and holding her down. The girl tried to move but before she could do anything Ander spoke. "Don''t even think about it," he said waving his left hand that was glowing with golden energy in front of her eyes.


    "Any wrong move and I eliminate you," he warned and she stayed still.


    "Who are you?" the girl asked surprised.


    "Someone who doesn''t play around and who might you be?" he questioned to her.


    "Someone who hates you," she replied before opening her mouth and firing fire breath at him. Ander withdrew his hands and blocked his eyes from the fire. He cast a protective shield around his body protecting his skim from the fire. This temporarily gave the girl a chance to vanish and ran away.


    When the danger was averted the shield lowered, Ander cursed under his breath for letting his guard down. "She is so dead," he thought and turned around to go find her and found Francis staring at him with disappointment in his eyes.


    "Did we just not talk about this," he said to him. "Death is not the answer to everything," he added.


    "True, but the law of nature kills or be killed and I doubt fire-breathing girl over there is here for tea time," he said and walked out of the office. He went down on his knees and placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. He was able to see the girl''s footsteps and the direction that she went to.


    "You could consider the possibility that she is a lost soul that could use some guidance and save her from her path of destruction," Francis said to him.


    "No, she is my enemy and I am going to finish her, and just to be clear I won''t stop even if you intervene. So it will be good if you stay out of it," he said and walked away to find the girl.


    ''Your opinion and feelings of me won''t change whether I am good or bad,'' he thought bitterly.


    He had been frustrated for the past few days and it seemed to him that the universe wanted him to release some of his frustrations and that is why they sent this girl to attack the school.


    "You are the prince of all dragons. Your first and foremost duty is to serve the people and maintain balance in the world. This girl, whoever she may be needs your help. Just don''t let your anger blind you from seeing that," he advised understanding why the male was being stubborn. He was the one Ander was angry at and he wished that he won''t take his anger out on the poor girl.


    "Why do you assume that I do.." he tried to say but had to squat when a fireball was thrown at him. He hissed in irritation and fired back. Only his fire was hellfire, the most dangerous fire in existence besides the dragon flame and many other flames. He loved the hellfire as it got rid of his problem with a guarantee of it never coming back again. He kept throwing the fire at her repeatedly not giving her time to relax or fire at him.


    The girl ran, jumped, and ducked. Anything to avoid the flame that was being thrown at her, she was no fool on flames and knew exactly the kind of flame Ander was using. She understood that if that flame touched her, she was done for. She ran away heading higher and higher up the floors of the building doing her best to evade Ander''s fierce attacks.


    ''Who the hell is this, ''she thought as she ran. She was not told that there was someone so powerful when she was sent to the school.


    Her mission was simple, go in use the sleeping spell to make everyone unconscious and then find the secret vault and get the Zorak and get out of there. Nothing in the plan said anything about a boy who wasn''t affected by the sleeping spell or one that was very good with dangerous spells.


    "You are going to kill her," Francis shouted to him but Ander ignored him. He imagined the girl being Avan and thought of all the things that Ander had taken away from him and that fueled his anger and got him on the killing node. He shook his right hand while the left kept the girl on her feet. The left hand began creating walls in all the hallways trying to close all her existing exits so she had nowhere to run. Only one thought ran through his mind. "Kill."


    "Ander stop," Francis pleaded but his voice died with the explosions that were caused by his fire. The fire that the girl dodged caught the things in the building and soon the school started burning down. The oath that Ander had followed was only filled with fire one that neither he nor the girl had time to pay attention to.


    The girl got to the rooftop of the school and stared down. She had to jump before Ander caught up, she tapped the necklace on her neck and prepared to jump. With Ander at her back, his eyes had long changed color to golden. He had built up the biggest fire yet and was ready to fire.


    "Ander, stop it. You can''t harm her as she is.." Francis tried to say when the girl jumped off followed by the fire that Ander had released." She is an Erarke," he shouted.


    "What is that?" Ander asked him.


    "The fire maiden, right hand to the royal family of dragons. Their family has served your family for centuries," he informed her. "Save her," he yelled.


    Ander sighed before running off the building transforming into his dragon form while in the air and flying after the girl. He sped up following the heat of the fire that he had made to follow the girl until she is burned to ashes.


    When he got to her, she was panting trying to keep herself from the fire, he stretched his hand towards the fire and stopped it. He snapped his fingers and the fire disappeared.


    The girl turned around to look at him with her eyes wide open, she couldn''t believe that she was seeing a royal dragon, with the royal emblem on his forehead. She bowed her head to him to show respect.


    "I hate not being able to kill something," he said turning around. That is when he noticed the school was on fire, his heart almost stopped beating. His aunt was still in the school, he raced back to the school at the speed of lighting wrecking his brain for a fix-it spell that could return things to the way they were before the fire started.


    "I set the school on fire as I am a fool, so fix my mistake to its previous condition return the school," he said, the fire stopped with everything fixing itself to the way it was before. Even the things that had already burned to ashes restored themselves.


    He rushed into the school changing back to his human form and was relieved to see the students still alive just sleeping. He ran over to his Aunt and embraced her.


    "This is what I mean by death not bring the answer to every problem. Today you were able to save the innocent but what of tomorrow when you try to kill someone again," Francis said to him.


    "I get it now can you stop," Ander yelled feeling more irritated by his voice. Francis acted like he knew everything but yet he was overlooking just how he was hurting by his rejection.


    "Your highness," he heard the girl call out and turned his head to the door to see her head. "I can help," she informed.

 Chapter 71 - MEETING

    "How do I wake everyone up?" Ander asked her.


    "The sleeping spell lasts for twenty-four hours," she said to him.


    "Why?" he questioned trying to give her a chance to explain why she had come to the school and why she placed everyone in a sleeping spell. He stood up from the bed leaving his aunt sleeping peacefully on the bed. He stood before and awaited her reply.


    "To save my family," she said facing down to hide the tears that were brimming in her eyes. "They have been captured with the rest of my village. Onilen Leafspear has them and if I don''t bring him back the Zorak then I''m afraid that he will hurt the people that I care about," she added.


    "What is this Zorak and why does this man want it?" he inquired of her.


    "It is an orb that contains Dark Melchior''s powers," she said to him.


    "What?"


    "Dark Melchior is one of the greatest evil that has ever roamed the world. The dragon king had defeated him seven years ago and he trapped his powers in an orb. Along with other weapons that the dragon king and his army had seized over the years, his orb was moved to the vault her," she explained to him.


    "So this Onilen Leafspear wants this orb so that he can take possession of the power in it. Why would he need that much power?" he asked trying to understand the situation.


    "To take over the world I would assume. The power of the orb is such that it is capable of so much destruction that even the dragon king couldn''t fully eradicate them," she said.


    "Then how could you think of handing such power to him?" he asked her seeming disappointed that she could take such a big risk with everyone''s life at stake.


    The girl stood facing the ground, she had to admit that giving so much power to an evil man like Leafspear was wrong but she had no other choice. The dragon king was rumored to have become mentally challenged and she had no idea that a dragon prince existed not to mention she is not even sure he can be any help in saving her people or strong enough to defeat Leafspear.


    "I had no other choice, my family''s life is in danger and all I could think about was saving them no matter the cost. And it''s not like I gave it to him anyway. I couldn''t find the vault," she stated and sighed from her defeat.


    "Well," Francis said in the sidelines after listening to the girl.


    "What?" Ander asked confused as to what the ghost was going on about.


    "The least you could do after listening to her problems id offer to help her," he suggested causing the dragon prince to massage his templates from the headache that was his life.


    "I came to study not to go on adventures and save people," he said. The girl looked at him with surprise, she was surprised that after learning of her situation he would say something like that. "What? Don''t look at me like that. If you expect me to leave my life and follow you to save your village then you should give up on that thought because that is all that it is ever going to be. A thought," he said and walked out of the room.


    Francis face palmed himself from the display of selfishness from the prince, he expected him to say that but he was hoping that the male would surprise him by choosing to help the girl. "is he always this selfish?" the girl asked him making him startled.


    "Are you talking to me?" he asked her making sure that she could see him.


    "Yes," she replied giving him a warm smile. "Is the dragon prince always this selfish?"


    "He usually doesn''t stick around to even listen to other people so the fact that he listened to you is an improvement from his normal routine. I was hoping that he would also be opened to help you but I guess that it was asking too much of him," he said. "But how can you see me?" he asked her.


    "I used wish magic to put everyone to sleep with this," she said holding up a splinter. "Something tells me that it is yours," she added.


    "Yes, that is a piece of me but it''s useless," he said remembering that without Ander he can never be complete ever again.


    "Not exactly," she said drawing his attention to her. "With every splinter that you absorb in your body, you gain a foothold between the land of the dead and the living. You can touch, hold and feel things that is living and non-living. And if you absorb them all back then you can be visible to people, but you will still be stuck by the prince''s side until he frees you. You can fully be human again if he wishes for it but only once you are complete," she added enlightening Francis on things he didn''t know about.


    His heart felt excited at the thought of having his body back and being able to hold his beloved in his arms again. The only problem with the new found hope was the fact that there were only two splinters out in the world. The rest were kept hidden away by Ander somewhere he was unware of.


    "Here," she said placing the splinter in his hand. Francis felt a strong energy enter him, it was like a missing piece of him was finding its place back in his body. The mark on his neck flickered a little before returning to normal. "how do you feel?" she asked him.


    "Incomplete," he answered honesty.


    Back in the palace Alexander opened his eyes from his nap. "Francis," he muttered. His eyes glowed as he felt Francis''s dragon mark glow. He got up and left his palace in excitement, the mark was weak but he was able to feel it from where he was. He transformed into a dragon and flew off in the direction that the mark was glowing from and soon arrived at the school, just as he landed on the rooftop of the school. The mark stopped glowing and he was forced to use the old method to track him down, that is walking through every room calling out to him. He was glad that his darling beloved was alive and that made his heart skip a beat. "Francis," he called out as he searched through the room. He skipped over the sleeping children inspecting all of them to check if Francis was among them. He noticed some movements in the distance and rushed towards it in the hope of finding Francis.


    "Excuse me," he said causing the male to turn around and face him. Ander raised his eyebrow at the man who dare to touch his hand. "I''m looking for so¡­" he began to say but Ander yanked his hand off his shoulder and walked away.


    "Why is everyone under the impression that I am available to solve all their problems," he mumbled to himself as he walked.


    Alexander couldn''t believe that he was ignored and treated like air when he was the king of Arimelari. He gritted his teeth angrily and walked to catch up with Ander. "I need your help," he said to him but the boy didn''t even bother to stop and continued to walk away. "I guess you leave me no choice. I order you to stop and assist me," he ordered.


    Ander heard his order and stopped in his tracks. He felt enraged that there was in right minds that would dare to order him around him around. He was the prince and if that was not a good enough reason to command respect then his power was enough to scare anyone into submission. He turned around to look at the man who had the nerve to order. He eyed the man from head to toe, his clothes were expensive and made of pure silk so he probably had some wealth and power but that was no reason to order him around.


    "Who are you to order me around?" he asked him in a cold threatening voice.


    "Someone with the power to do so," Alexander replied. "But I shouldn''t have to order you to help me, the fact that I have to should make look back at your upbringing. I pity the lessons your parents have taught," he added picking on the sensitive subject for Ander. Ander felt vein pop in his head when he heard what the man had to say. He completely lost his cool and his mind when he talked about his parents. He folded his hand into a fist and swung it in the air. Alexander moved back as his dragon senses warned him of danger. The chairs in the room were slashed into pieces.


    "How dare you speak about my parents and what gives you the right to question my upbringing?" he questioned.


    "By order of the king of Arimelari, I Alexander command you to stop," Alexander said to him.

 Chapter 72 - Meeting (part Two)

    Ander looked shocked at the man who was using his father''s name to order him. His anger shot up again, he was the prince and not even he had the nerve to call out his father''s name.


    "Are you trying to be funny?" he asked the man. "The king hasn''t left his palace in sixteen years and even if he were to come out, he never does for too long. So who the hell are you," he yelled in fury.


    "I am the king of Arimelari," Alexander said to him confidently.


    "Impersonating a king is a crime punishable by death," Ander informed intrigued that there was someone brave enough to impersonate the king of dragons.


    "Talking back to the king is also a crime," Alexander said getting irritated that the boy was doubting his identity.


    "If you are the king surely you would know why the king doesn''t leave his palace?" Ander asked curious to hear what excuse the man would use. He might not be the king but he might be able to give him an idea as to why the real king was behaving the way he was. Because who better to know what goes on in one''s mind than someone who walks in the same shoes.


    "I would rather not say."


    "Then how can you call yourself the king. I don''t believe you so I am leaving," Ander said and turned around to walk away.


    "Wait," Alexander shouted desperately. "The reason I keep myself locked away from people is that I lost something important to me," he said thinking back to that day when he was helpless to save Francis when Ander attacked him.


    "What could that be?" he questions his curiosity rising.


    "Someone that I love much more than my life," he said in a soft sweet voice.


    "Awww," Francis said appearing beside Ander.


    Ander looked up at Alex and then at Francis and it hit him. The two of them had the same expression on their faces.


    "You know him?" Ander asked Francis.


    "N..no," Francis said nervously. "I don''t know who he is," he added and vanished.


    "Know who?" Alexander asked assuming Ander was talking to him.


    "Nothing. Now tell me, my king, how can I be of service to you," he said.


    "I''m looking for a man, he goes by the name Francis and has a dragon-shaped mark on his neck," Alexander said describing Francis. Ander smiled at him sweetly, he could tell that the man he was looking for was the ghost that just claimed not to know him.


    What are the chances that there would be another person named Francis with a dragon mark on his neck just like his ghost had?


    "Have you seen him?" the king asked.


    "I have seen him but I don''t know where he went so suddenly," he said. "But I can help you find him," he added.


    "Thank you," Alexander told feeling grateful.


    Ander led Alexander around the school as they searched around for Francis. He only agreed to help him because he was bored with Francis finding that fire maiden more interesting than him. Not that he would want to see Francis after he broke his heart a few hours ago.


    He also wanted to know what it was like to have a father, the man might not be his father but he was pretending to be his father so he decided to play along.


    "So, if you are the king then tell me how is the prince doing?" he asked him. Alexander halted in his tracks and turned around to face him, he wore an angry look and his eyes were full of hatred.


    "Don''t ever ask me about that person ever again," he said to Ander.


    "B..but why?" Ander asked nervously his heart thundering in his chest. He could feel the genuine hate in those eyes and for some reason, they were directed at him.


    "He is responsible for all the pain that I feel in my heart. There is no one I hate more than I hate that person and it would be better if I never meet him. Only the heavens know what I will do to him," he said making Ander shudder from the threatening sound of his voice as he spoke.


    "W..what did he ever do to you?" Ander questions feeling an uneasy feeling in his heart.


    "Can we just find Francis?" Alexander asked not wanting to jinx him finding his beloved by talking about the evil that separated the two of them.


    "Su..sure," Ander said and followed him around. Even though in his heart he knew that the man was not his father the king, he assumed that he could feel the same way about him and that is the reason that he had never met him.


    His mood got worse listening to how Alexander felt about him. He couldn''t help but wonder what it was that was wrong with him that everyone in his life hated him. It was then that the reality of the fact that Francis had rejected him sunk in. He cursed the fate that made him face so much hatred and rejection.


    "Be that as it may, you love your son right?"


    Alexander heard the question and turned around. He faced Ander, he didn''t understand why the boy kept asking him about the prince but he decided to answer him so he would stop bringing up the topic.


    "No, I could never love someone like him. He might be my flesh and blood but I have never met anyone who could evoke such bitter feelings in my heart as he does, just a year''s mention of his name makes my blood boil. So how can I possibly like someone like him," he replied.


    "But he is your son and what could he have done for you to hate him so much?" Ander asked with disbelief in his eyes that his real father could ever say such things about him. It confused him why the fake king felt like that about him.


    "He ruined my life when he killed the love of my life," he said truthfully. "He was innocent and didn''t deserve to die," he added.


    Ander stumbled back when he recalled what Francis had said earlier about the king losing ''his'' lover. He found it hard to believe that the king truly never loved his mother but was in love with a man. Maybe that is the reason that people are blaming him for the male''s death because he would never let a man who dared do that to his mother live.


    "Alex," they both heard behind them and turned their heads to look. "Alexander," Malia called out again making sure she wasn''t seeing her eyes.


    "Sister in law," Alexander responded happily to see her. The two moved towards each other and hugged each other. They held on to each other tightly having missed each other for so long.


    Ander is on the side watching his mind becoming chaotic. He couldn''t get out of his head how his aunt had called the man. The realization hit him that he was not a man pretending to be his father but he was his father, tears of despondency ran down his cheek as his words of hatred echoed in his ears.


    He staggered back unable to feel his whole body as it had gone numb. The man he had always wanted to meet, the father he had always wished to meet just told him to his face that he hated him so much.


    "I could never love someone like him," he heard over and over again in his ear. His heart shattered into pieces from hearing that. A man he never met who couldn''t even recognize him as his son felt so much hate for him.


    "Ander," Malia called to him after breaking the hug. She could see the tears in his eyes and it troubled her, she took a step to go to him.


    "Stop. Don''t come near me," Alexander said to her.


    "Ander baby, what is the matter?" she asked with a worried look on her face.


    "I don''t need your fake concern so don''t you dare come near me," he told and ran off.


    "What was that about?" she asked Alexander who was stunned to hear that the boy was his son. ''So that''s why he was asking so many questions,'' he thought.


    "How should I know," he replied and walked away to find Francis.


    Ander ran out of the school and into the school lake, he dropped to the ground with his on his knees. He felt as though he was suffocating in his breath, he was drowning in pain with no one around to help him swim through. Alexander''s and Francis''s words ringing in his ear repeatedly making him cry even more. He held his knees and folded his body.


    The tears in his eyes wouldn''t stop falling. The two people in his life that meant so much to him, didn''t feel the same way about him. It hurt knowing that his father hated him so much but it made sense why he had never met his father in his life.

 Chapter 73 - The Truth

    Ander spent the evening by the lake, his heart and mind were unsettled with troubling thoughts. His body was numb from all the crying that he had been doing and he couldn''t help it. It was difficult for him to wrap his head around being rejected twice by those he cared for.


    One thing was certain his body couldn''t handle any more heartbreaks. He laid on the ground with his eyes closed and his hands wrapped around his legs that were on his chest. He could hear footsteps approaching him but he couldn''t move to check who it was from the loss of energy and will to do so.


    He felt warm hands wrap themselves around him and lift him off the ground. The person who carried him took slow steps away from the lake being careful not to hurt him. The gentle way in which the person carried him made his cold heart warm. But the warm feeling only lasted for a minute until his mind told him that the care was fake just like the life of those around him.


    He let out a weak breath. The man laid him down on the bed and covered him with warm blankets. "Is he going to be fine?" Malia asked her husband.


    "I don''t know. I have never seen him this shaken before," Mordecai replied truthfully.


    He took Ander''s hands and rubbed them gently to make them warm as the boy was shivering. His heart was throbbing watching his nephew in that condition.


    "Sofia is on her way, what do we tell her once she arrives?" Malia asked not sure she had the words to explain to the woman how she couldn''t look after her son. That too after insisting on having him at the school.


    "The truth," he said.


    "But what exactly is the truth. I am not even sure I understand Ander anymore. The things that he has shown being capable of doing surprises me," she stated.


    "I too have never seen so much anger in his eyes. It seems as though he has been masking it with a smile and is only waiting for someone to cross him so he can vent out," Mordecai said.


    "Alexander was also not in the right for saying such things to him," She said recalling the conversation she had watched on the orb of truth that showed what occurred between Ander and Alex.


    "I have long given up on expecting anything of the man. It was not just Francis that died sixteen years ago but also my brother," he said.


    "W..water," Ander mumbled weakly. His throat was dry.


    "Here," Malia said handing over the glass of water to her husband. Mordecai helped Ander to seat up and gave him the water to drink.


    As he helped Ander to drink the water, Alex walked into the room. He had searched the whole school for Francis but he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Mordecai, brother I need your help," he said the minute he walked in. His voice made Ander shudder on the bed, he didn''t need to open his eyes to know who it was that spoke. Hearing his voice made his heartache in pain, all the years of yearning just to realize you aren''t wanted was painful for him to bear.


    "I am busy," Mordecai said without even sparing him a glance.


    "Doing what?" Alexander asked.


    "Taking care of your mess as usual. What other work would I have?" Mordecai questioned, his voice bitter.


    "I am your brother, how can you treat me like this?" Alexander questioned feeling unjustly treated.


    "And Ander is your son yet you find no problem in hurting him. You might not love him but we do," he said to him and placed the glass of water aside and said his nephew back down. Ander felt warm hearing his uncle defend him.


    "He is not my son, he is Olivia''s son. And that woman only had him so that she could manipulate me into doing her bidding?" he said angrily.


    Ander felt his heart constrict in pain from what he heard. Tears flowed from his eyes when he uncovered another truth that was hidden from him. Sofia wasn''t his mother.


    "Alex," Malia shouted. "What is wrong with you. How can you say something like that in front of the child?" She asked him.


    "What am I wrong? Just because you all act and pretend as though she is Sofia''s child won''t change the fact that in his body flows Olivia''s blood. And just like his mother, the boy is going to ruin the lives of everyone around him," he said confidently.


    "Alex," Malia called out and slapped him with all her might. She didn''t wait for him to recover from the shock before she took him by the hand and took him away from the room.


    She walked him to the entrance of the school and let go of his hand. "Get out," she ordered.


    "Malia, how dare you?" he asked with disbelief in his eyes. Never in his life did he ever expect anyone to treat him as she did.


    "When you can hurt someone I love without blinking then why should I hold back. You might hate Ander but I won''t spare anyone who causes him harm. Before I do something that I regret, I suggest you leave my school," she said.


    "How dare you treat a king in this way?" he asked her.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha," Malia laughed at his statement. "Which king are you talking about? Look around you and take a closer look at Arimelari and see if it is the same kingdom you used to run. This is the queen''s land and no one even speaks of you anymore, you are history to everyone in Arimelari," she said to him.


    "I will not have you disrespect me in this way," Alex said.


    "A king doesn''t leave his kingdom and secluded himself just because he lost a loved one. I would be ashamed to call myself a king if I were you, in the history of kings of this great kingdom. I think you are the worst king to every seat on the throne," she stated to him.


    "I could care less about what you think of me. I just want you to tell me where is Francis. I tracked his dragon mark earlier and it showed that he was here," he explained not interested in justifying anything to her.


    Malia looked at him and shook her head, to think that he came out for his kingdom was such a big illusion. He only cares for Francis, his love had long turned to obsession.


    "Follow me," she said to him and walked in the direction of Mordecai''s office. She opened the door to the room and let him inside. She went and got the orb of truth and set it in front of him. "Orb shows him where Francis is," she said.


    They both stared at the orb and saw Francis sitting on Ander''s bed taking care of him. He was brushing Ander''s hair with his fingers and whispering to him.


    "Orb activate the audio," she said and they started to hear what he was saying.


    "What were you thinking Ander? You could have gotten hurt staying out there for too long. I wasn''t able to be by your side because I was looking for the doors that we talked about, the good news is that I found them," he said to him hoping to get a positive reaction from the male but nothing.


    Ander''s hand only continued to get cold, his eyes tightly shut with all the things his father said replaying in his ears. He tried to shut it out but the more he tried the louder they got.


    "Did you see him? Francis is by Ander''s side, he is trapped with him and only Ander can bring him back," she said to him. "And after today, I doubt that he would ever want to so that," she added.


    "I will go talk to him. He will have to free my beloved."


    Alexander turned around, his heart racing in his chest at how close he was to find his beloved and reuniting with him. He had lost hope for a long time but now things were looking up.


    "What exactly do you wish to say to him. You want him to free Francis, the man to whom you said such horrible things. Or the man who is the reason that you have no love in your heart for him?" she asked making him stop in his tracks. "What, you expect him to listen and obey you?"


    "He will have to," Alexander said.


    "Who will make him, You?" Malia asked mockingly.


    "You couldn''t even fight him when he was but a toddler and yet you think you are a match for him now. As you were busy mopping in sympathy hurl, he was training to be stronger. You don''t stand a chance and by now am sure he hates you for the things you''ve said to him." She said to him.

 Chapter 74 - Tired

    Ander walked at the edge of the bridge with shaking legs. His life was a mess, it didn''t make any sense to him no matter how hard he tried to reason all the facts out.


    His mother wasn''t his mother, his father hates him, Francis rejected him for Avan. Avan is hell-bent on taking everything away from him. He has been living a lie his whole life while everyone fooled him. His real mother wasn''t a good person and the fact that his father was in love with a man who for some reason he thought was Francis.


    He looked down at the water flowing below at high pressure. His eyes were clouded with tears, all he could feel was how cold he was inside and outside. He climbed over the bridge looking down at the water, his legs were shaking threatening to give out.


    He stretched his right feet out and prepared to jump. "Ander," he heard the ghost''s familiar voice call out to him. "Relax and think about what you are trying to do. The water below is poisonous, it will burn your skin off the minute your body touches it," Francis added.


    He was sure that it was for this exact reason that the male chose this lake to jump in. He moved closer to Ander who didn''t seem at all bothered by his warning. All that he could see was freedom inside the lake. Freedom from all the loneliness and the pain of being unloved.


    "Ander, listen to me. If you jump you will hurt so many people, they are many who love you and will be sad to lose you," he said trying the change his mind.


    Ander blinked the tears in his eyes away and turned his head to face Francis. "And you? Would you be hurt if I died?" he asked him.


    "Yes, I would be hurt if you jumped so please step back," he pleaded.


    "Why would you care? Is it because me dying would mean that you never get your life back?" he questioned him.


    "No," Francis replied immediately. That was not the reason he wanted to save Ander, it was because he understood what it was like to walk in Ander''s shoes. Yes, his family loved him unlike Ander but he knew what it was like being born with a destiny you can''t control.


    Many times he too tried to kill Alexander and he couldn''t help it so he understood that all that happened was not the boy''s fault. He didn''t deserve the pain he was feeling or the hatred from his father.


    "I want you to live so that you can achieve all your dreams, find happiness and die in old age," he said.


    "Lies," Ander blurted out. "You are lying to me. You don''t care about me," he said and turned his eyes back to the water.


    "No Ander, believe me. I am not lying, I truly do want to see you happy," he stated.


    "Prove it," he said to him.


    "How?" Francis asked.


    "The truth," he said. Francis frowned at his reply. He had no idea what Ander meant by that, he opened his mouth to ask when Ander spoke. "Are you in love with my father?"


    The question made Francis freeze, the question in his mind was why Ander was asking him this particular question. The boy was unstable and considering suicide so he had to be careful of his words.


    "If that is hard for you to answer then tell me, are you the man that my father is in love with?"Ander asked seeing him take too long to reply.


    " Yes, I am bu..."


    "It was a yes or no question. I didn''t ask you to explain anything to me," Ander said interrupting him.


    He slowly turned around so that he could face Francis, he didn''t come off the edge of the bridge. Gazing into Francis''s eyes more tears flowed from his eyes.


    "What happened sixteen years ago?" he asked him.


    "That is not my story to tell Ander. You should ask your mother," Francis replied.


    "Where is she then?" he questioned.


    "She is in th..."


    "I am asking about my real mother and not that woman."


    Francis bit his lower lip unable to reply. How was he supposed to tell him that Alexander killed Olivia because of him? He couldn''t bring himself to say it, Olivia might have been a bad person but she didn''t deserve to die like that.


    "What? Cat got your tongue?" Ander asked him.


    "Ander, these questions you are asking are better answered by your mother and father. Please just come down from there," he pleaded to reach out his hand to hold Ander.


    "When I asked you to hold me you refused and let me go. Why do you insist on it now?"


    Francis halted in his movements and looked up to meet Ander''s gaze, the look on his face had changed to one that he was familiar with. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed them to make sure that he wasn''t hallucinating and looked again and it was.


    He stumbled back in disbelief, there was no way it could be true. ''Is Ander in love with me?'' he asked himself and shook his head at how absurd that idea sounded in his head.


    "Ander, I..."


    "Who do you love?" Ander inquired. "Between my father and Avan who do you love the most?"


    Francis thought about the question and if he were to choose between his son and his love then he would choose his son. His son was more important than anything else in the world.


    "Avan," he replied. Ander''s leg slipped hearing his answer and he fell off the bridge. Francis rushed and grabbed hold of his hand. With two splinters in his body, he was able to touch things and he thanked the heavens that he could or else Ander would be gone.


    "Hold on I will pull you up," he said but Ander did the opposite. Instead of holding his hand, he let it go. ''I don''t want to live in a world where no one loves me,'' he thought and smiled at Francis. ''I will treasure this moment forever. At least even for a second, you were concerned for me.''


    Francis struggled to lift him, he couldn''t bear the burden of having one more life on his shoulders. He felt guilty for everything that was happening to Ander as it was because of him that the people around him weren''t even open to loving him.


    Ander''s eyes glowed and Francis was pushed away making him let go of Ander''s hand. Ander fell from the high bridge, he closed his eyes to brace death. He could feel and hear the water and knew that it was time.


    Just as he was about to hit the water, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his waist. He smiled, it made him happy that Francis jumped after him to save him. He opened his eyes to see Avan flying away with him in his hands. His blood boiled seeing the face of the boy that Francis chooses over him every time.


    "You have two seconds to let me go if you care for your life," he threatened but was ignored.


    Ander rushed them to a nearby clearing before setting him gently in the ground. He walked a few steps back to create some distance between them.


    " What were you doing?" he asked him.


    "Nothing that concerns you," Ander replied bitterly.


    "Listen to me. I need to talk to you, you can do whatever you want later," Avan said. He wanted to apologize for what happened between them and to explain the reason he didn''t give him an answer.


    "And you thought that I would ever want to hear anything that you have to say?" Ander questioned amused.


    "It''s imp..."


    "Not interested," Ander said and lifted himself off the ground to fly away.


    Avan felt his heart race in his chest, the thought of Ander killing himself all because of him didn''t settle well in his heart. His mind couldn''t help but remind him of that time in the room when Ander opened up to him. The things he blamed him for were all he could think about since he woke up.


    Even in his sleep, it was all that he could see. He flew up to the sky and grabbed hold of Ander hand and turned him around. He reached his hands to his back and pulled him close.


    "Let me help you," he pleaded to place his other hand on Ander''s cheek. He caressed Ander''s cheek softly while gazing into his eyes.


    Ander was tired, he felt severe aches all over his body. His heart, his head, and his joints. He had no one to turn to anymore and was very cold. He was too tired to stop Avan or threaten him and let him have his way.


    Seeing no objection from the male, he wrapped both his hands around Ander''s body to keep warm. He held him close to his chest so gently as though he was a fragile glass that might break if he was rough with him.

 Chapter 75 - Last Nights Incident

    Ander woke up having a headache, holding his head he sat up. Looking around the area he was surprised by the change of environment. Pulling himself up to stand he felt pain in his waist and below.


    Gritting his teeth he got up from the ground. He picked up the leather cover that was spread on the ground which he assumed he slept on. He inspected it to find some clue of where he was or why his body ached. Finding nothing on the cover he dropped it down and took a step forward only to fault feeling pain in between his legs.


    He groaned in pain taking deep breaths. "Are you okay?" he heard and looked up.


    He stood aghast with his eyes popping out of the sockets as he stared at Avan''s bare chest."What are you doing here?" he asked trying to mask his blush and his red ears.


    "I went to get us something to eat," he said showing him the fruits in his hands.


    "Where are we?" he questioned in an indifferent voice.


    "Vertlea," he replied to him and handed him an apple. "You hungry, Ellandra?" he asked throwing a fruit up the tree.


    "Always," Ella said jumping down the tree.


    "You," Ander said to the fire maiden. "What are you doing here? Why are we here?" he asked.


    "We are in my home, we are here to save my people," she informed him.


    "You said you wanted to help, I trusted you and this is what you do. You sign me up for a quest without my consent," he angrily said to Avan."Trusting you was the biggest mistake of my life," he added.


    "I''ll go and fetch us more water," Avan said walking away from them. He gave no reply to Ander''s words.


    "What are you looking at?" Ander questioned Ella.


    "Not how I expected you to act after everything," she said and went after Avan. She traced his steps to the nearby lake and watched him draw water. "Pouring water on your face won''t conceal the tears in your eyes," she said to him and took a step closer to him.


    "I am not crying."


    "You can''t do this, it''s not far that he gets to say things like that to you. The prince is a heartless bastard," she said.


    "It''s nothing. Forget it and move on," he said getting out of the lake.


    "Are you going to be able to move on and forget?" she asked him, Avan halted but didn''t reply. "How can you ask of me what you can''t do yourself?"


    "It''s not what you think," Avan said and turned around, Ella was gone. She had left him and returned to their campsite. She packed their blankets and covers back into the bags preparing for their departure.


    She felt very bad for Avan and the way that Ander was treating him after everything that happened.


    "My body hurts all over. Were we attacked in some way that I don''t remember?" Ander asked his curiosity getting the better of him even though he didn''t want to speak to her.


    "You could say that," she replied to him." Just because you don''t remember what happened doesn''t give you the right to assume that everything is other people''s fault," she added.


    Processing her words Ander knew there was something she was trying to tell him. He could tell that something happened but his memory failed him of what it was. He couldn''t recall a single thing that happened after Avan hugged him to comfort him.


    "Care to explain?"


    "I don''t know. Which part should I explain to you, the part where you opened your heart out to him and blamed him for everyone in your life not loving you. Or the fact that you forced him to take you far away from Arimelari since you couldn''t stand to be surrounded by all the lies and pain. Maybe the point where you agreed to help me save my people and forced Avan to join us on the journey or perhaps you wish for me to explain the part you seduced him to make love to you?" she asked and paused as if weighing the impact of her words.


    Ander stood wide-eyed his body as pale as death after listening to the fire maiden. His heart throbbing exotically, threatening to break its cage and ran loose. He was at a loss of what to say.


    "Just because he walked away without saying a word doesn''t mean that he is guilty. It is just difficult to prove his innocence when you already think him a villain," she said and walked so close to him that she could hear his heartbeat. "I don''t think that only he should suffer for last night''s incident," she added and placed her hands on each side of his head. Closing her eyes she muttered a spell.


    "What are you doing?" he questioned.


    "Showing you my memories of last night. As much as I want to I can''t u see what happens," she said and slowly the scene around them started to change. They were in the school in his and Avan''s room with Avan carrying him in his hands. "Watch," she told to him.


    Ander watched Avan set him gently on the bed and cover him up with a warm blanket before getting up to leave when Ella walked into the room.


    "You called for me. Not that I know who you are but here I am," she said to Avan.


    "Ander wanted to speak to you," he replied.


    He helped Ander to sit upon the bed holding him for support. "I am going to help you save your people, we are going on a trip to your village," he said to her.


    "Thank you," she said feeling grateful that he changed his mind about helping her. "With the two of us there we can fight them," she added in glee.


    "The two of us?" he asked seeming confused. "We are going to be three, Avan is coming too. Aren''t you?" he asked him.


    "I would love to come along and held but I have something urgent to do here in the school," Avan said apologetically.


    "And here I was starting to think that you cared. Didn''t you say you wanted to help me, well this is how you help me and if you meant those words then I suggest you cancel your plans because we are going on this trip?"


    Cornered by Ander, Avan had no choice but to tag along with the two of them. Ella introduced herself to them, they got their bags and got to his father''s office. He opened the door and went straight to his desk, twisting the desk a little. The shelves started moving to create a door behind them. Ander kept his hand on the doorknob and opened it with a drop of his blood.


    The scene changed to the forest as they rode their horses in the forest, it was dark but the full moon provided light for them to see the way to where they were headed.


    "Do you know something," Ander started getting both their attention. "I hate you, Avan. Ever since I have met you, I have listed everything that used to mean so much to me. Every piece of my life came crumbling down and that is all because of you," he said.


    Avan remained silent and just watched him as he went on. He told him about his father, Francis, his mother, and the lies that he had uncovered. He also mentioned his real mother who he had never met but supposedly was a bad person according to his father.


    "Stop," Ander said to Ella, he couldn''t stand to hear himself talk about his problems to someone who wasn''t even his friend.


    "Why? We are just getting to the good parts. Right after that tree over there is when the love started. You should see it," she said.


    "Stop it now."


    "Okay, calm down. I don''t need drawing more attention to us than you already have," she said stopping the spell.


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "You are a dangerous person. Whether you are angry or happy, I should know you tried to kill me eight times last night. I only got to relax after you passed out."


    "Meaning?"


    "Meaning that I have never met anyone more dangerous like you. I mean who moans spells when they are being made love to?" she asked him. "Not just any spells but one''s that would decapitate a person and a creature within a forty-mile radius. I would know because if you haven''t noticed, there aren''t any animals in the forest. Some ran away for their lives while other''s died by your spells," she said angrily.


    "What?"


    "Next time you make love, I would suggest closing your eyes. Sealing your lips with a spell and numbing your fingers, that way you won''t anyone while being lost in the clouds of pleasure," she advised.


    Avan came back with the bottles of water finding Ander and Ella seated on different sides of the camp not talking to each other.


    "Did something happened?"

 Chapter 76 - Peaceful

    The journey towards the village was awkward. All three of them were at a loss of what to say to each other. Ander tried very hard to remember one of the things he was told happens last night but he couldn''t recall a single thing. He found it odd since he has a photographic memory that he didn''t remember anything from the time he hugged Avan.


    "We need to go over this," Ella said pulling her horse to a stop.


    "What is there to discuss, the plan is ready," Avan told to her.


    "We have a plan but we have yet to decide who will use dark Melchior''s powers. We have the orb so one of us has to take in his powers," she explained to them.


    "Ander can take them. He is strong and very good with spells, he would be able to handle it."


    "No way," Ella refuted. "I am not trusting him with so much power after last night. My life is not safe as it is with the powers he already has, let''s not make him more dangerous," she added.


    "I am not that dangerous," Ander said in his defense. "You don''t think I am dangerous, right?" he asked Avan.


    The male thought it best not to reply to him. He neither agreed with him nor disagreed as Ella had a point, Ander had caused such a mess that he too was a little scared of the man.


    "I am educated in powerful spells that''s all and I would never hurt anything that doesn''t hurt me," he said seeing that they weren''t believing him.


    Ella and Avan gazed at each other and shook their heads in disbelief. After what they had seen yesterday they didn''t dare believe him. He had destroyed the forest they had arrived in and goodness knows how many animals he slaughtered with his spells.


    "You can the power," Avan suggested but Ella shook her head in refusal.


    "It''s my family that is held captive, I might lose control and hurt people if I become emotional. The best option for the powers are you," she told to him.


    She took the orb with dark Melchior''s powers and handed it over to him. Avan opened that orb, the powers flowed right out of the orb and into him. The horses they were on felt the presence of the dark energy and started reacting aggressively. They threw the three of them off their back and ran away in the opposite direction.


    "Now what do we do?" Ander asked the thought of walking the rest of the way annoying him. If only it wasn''t his idea to come here then he would have a reason and a person to blame for everything that was happening. But since he couldn''t even trust himself he decided to stay calm least he does something regrettable again.


    "We can always create a portal to the village," Ella suggested." And by we I mean you, I have mastered space magic yet," she added.


    "No, I don''t think I should do any magic right now," Ander said sternly.


    "Then we walk," Avan said.


    They trailed down the road still far away from the village in silence. The sun was in the middle of the sky by now, with the horses having left with their bags. They found that all their supplies were gone. No food, no water, and no spare clothes to change to.


    "We should find food before we starve," Ander said. "I suggest we go hunting," he added.


    "What do you suggest we hunt. The animals that were in this forest either died last night or ran away for their dear lives," Ella commented still unable to get the incident from the previous night out of her head.


    "Did you kill all the animals?"


    "No, but someone I know did. You see when he was having a moment yesterday, he just happened to be casting random spells that did," she replied to him.


    "Can we stop talking about what happened? I am not interested in what happens one bit. It was a mistake that shouldn''t have happened," he said getting irritated of every topic ending up in yesterday''s incident.


    "What about we gather fruits. Let''s split up, it would be faster," Avan suggested and walked off.


    "I''ll go with you," Ella said to Ander. She noticed the pained expression on Avan''s face when Ander spoke. She thought it best for him to give him some space to think and at least get his emotions in order. She felt bad for the two boys she was traveling with.


    Both had sad destinies as far as she could tell and she could see how difficult everything was for them. One was in love with a ghost while his soul that over the years has gained a subconscious of its own was interested in Avan. While Avan liked Ander unknown to him that he was born to kill the male he was developing feelings for.


    She sighed and followed behind Ander silently. She had been meaning to talk to him about last night. She wanted to talk about his soul and how dangerously powerful it was growing, he needed to merge with it if he didn''t want for it to take over him one day.


    With it having its subconscious, it was like one body having two hosts which were dangerous as it may come a time when one has to get rid of the other to be the only host of the body.


    "About last night what of it do you remember?" she inquired of him.


    "Didn''t I say that I don''t want to talk about yesterday? If you don''t want me to get angry at you stop mentioning it," he replied.


    "How did you kill Francis?" she asked changing the subject.


    Ander froze in his steps on hearing Francis''s name. He hadn''t thought about the ghost since the bridge which was weird since they were linked. He couldn''t feel his presence and he too wasn''t around.


    "I do..don''t know?" he replied in a shaky voice.


    "You were just a baby and you were able to kill someone so powerful. Surely you must have some memory of it?" she asked him.


    "I don''t."


    "Just like you have no memory of what happens yesterday. It''s as though it wasn''t even you doing those things," she said.


    "Can we just find some fruits, I don''t wish to talk to you or anyone at the moment," he said.


    He silently walked, his eyes stared in the distance thinking of what Ella had just said.


    He had to admit that it was possible that she could be right. Many times in the past he would find himself in places with rare spell books and artifacts that he didn''t remember going to. He had always thought that it was Francis who took him to such places bug the ghost always denied it.


    He ruled out the possibility of a ghost possessing him as they had tried that with Francis and it never worked. His body''s defensive system is so strong that it can fight off any spirit or ghost if they tried to attack him.


    "What about these?" he heard her ask and got out of his thoughts. He could always figure it out later, he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and ran over to the tree that she was pointing to.


    "Are they safe?" he asked her. She shrugged her shoulders and plucked one of the red fruit and gave it to him.


    "You try first," he said being cautious. It was as his life as a prince that he should be careful of everything that he ate. He normally had servants taste his food before he placed it in his mouth.


    "Okay."


    Ella took a large bite of the fruit and chewed it slowly, Ander watched her carefully to check whether she was reacting to it in any way that would suggest that it was poison.


    "It''s good," she said and handed him one of the fruits. He happily ate it as he was sure that it wasn''t poisonous. They packed some of the fruits for their trip and some to take for Avan.


    "How much longer to your village?" he asked her. They were seated under the tree enjoying the tasty fruits.


    "It''s just beyond that hill," she said pointing at a hill in the distance.


    "Do we have a plan of how to fight this enemy of yours?" he asked curiously.


    "I don''t have one but with the three of us side by side surely we will be able to save them all," she said confidently.


    The two of them ate and chatted with each other for a while. They completely forgot about getting back on track or finding Avan. For the first time since the emotional rollercoaster, he felt peaceful.


    Avan went east in the direction of the river, he needed to drink water to quench his thirst. He ran into a tree full of ripe mangoes on the way and ate to his full. He took the time to clear his mind of the thoughts that troubled him. He couldn''t help but feel sad about Ander''s words but after eating he pushed his worries to the back of his head and soaked himself in the water by the river.

 Chapter 77 - First Encounter

    The fire maiden led Ander and Avan to her village, they sneaked in not wanting to draw attention to themselves. The plan was to get to Leafspear and attack him directly.


    The village was deserted as the villagers were held captive by Onilen. The only people they saw are Onilen''s men scouting the area. Avoiding their eyes they ran around the huts in the village to the main house of the village head.


    The house was huge with very tight security around it, the house had only two entrances. One to the back and the other on the front, both having four guards each. The windows of the house were sealed shut with no way to go in.


    "What now?" Ella asked Ander who had made himself the team leader.


    "We have to find a way to get in," he said and turned his attention away from the house to her. "Sorry," he added.


    "For what?" she asked getting a bad feeling about the prince''s apology.


    Before she could question him more her mouth got sealed with magic before Ander attacked her. He hit her repeatedly, on the face and in her stomach. Before Avan could stop him he went ahead and did the same thing to him. After beating them up he conjured a sword and used it to cut his arm and more other parts of his body.


    "We are not the enemy, they are," Ella said angrily to the dragon prince not appreciating.


    "And if you were feeling like self-inflicting harm on yourself. Why beat us up?" Avan questioned.


    "Here," Ander said handing a rope to Ella. "Tie the two of us up," he instructed.


    "What game are you playing Ander?"


    "You are going to walk us through that door. It''s simple, you went to the school stole the orb, and came here. That when you discovered we were following you and after a fierce fight between us you were able to emerge victoriously and brought us along as your prisoners, a gift for the almighty Onilen," he told putting his hand behind his back to be tied.


    "That isn''t a bad idea," the two of them said in unison.


    "I know, I came up with it. Now hurry up, I need to seal my wounds soon they are beginning to hurt," he said.


    Ella tied the two of them up as Ander instructed and took the empty orb and placed it in her pocket. She held the end of the rope and made them walk towards the door. The guards noticed her and approached her with their weapons being alert.


    "I am Ellandra, the fire maiden and I have returned with what your master wanted," she told to them.


    "And them?" the guards asked.


    "They followed me back from Arimelari and so I caught them. They would be a good collection for your master as one is the son of the dragon king," she explained.


    The guards searched them to make sure that weren''t carrying any weapons before he opened the door for her to enter, Ella pushed Ander and Avan to move inside. One of the guards led them to where Onilen and his closest confidants were.


    With every step Ella was getting nervous, her family was in danger and she was about to deceive the man who was holding them captive.


    "Ella, welcome back," Onilen said to her happily. "Tell me, my dear friend. Do you have that which I asked you for?" he questioned.


    "It''s right here," she said raising the orb for him to see it. Onilen waved his hand in the air and his servant went to fetch the orb for him. "We had a deal. Release me, family," she added.


    "Not so fast, let''s see if this is truly that which I had asked you to bring," he informed and took the orb in his hand. He inspected it before opening the orb. He closed his eyes to await the beautiful moment where Dark Melchior''s powers would enter his body.


    After waiting for a few seconds without anything happening he got up from his seat angrily. "What game do you think you are playing with me?" he asked her.


    "What is the matter?" she asked feigning ignorance.


    "The orb is empty," he said to her.


    "What?" she asked. She turned around and glared at the two kneeling on the ground.


    "What have you done?" she questioned summoning her fire.


    "We destroyed the chance for you to destroy the world by handing such dangerous power to an evil man like him," Avan said acting.


    "You will pay," She said and raised her hand to attack them.


    "Stop," Onilen said. Ella released a sigh of relief for not having to attack her friends." Stop this pretense, you knew from the beginning that the orb was empty," he declared.


    "What? I would never..."


    "Save it, you expect me to believe that you fought the chosen one and the black moon dragon by yourself and won. Ella, my dear, you give yourself way too much credit," he said and raised his hand to the sky.


    "I thought you loved your family but it seems that I will have to teach you the meaning of family. They say that you only realize how much something meant to you when you lose it," he said a trident appearing on his raised hand.


    Ella''s eyes widen with shock when she saw what he was holding. "Athea''s trident," she whispered in terror.


    "Do you like my new gift," he said and pointed the trident to the ground. "Say goodbye to your family forever," he added.


    "Nooo," Ella screamed when the trident released its power of lightning to the ground.


    She heard screams coming from the ground before it went quiet. "That should teach you how to follow instructions."


    "You will regret that," she said and let her fire out towards him. Onilen and his men easily dodged her fire. They moved away from her and teleported out of the house using his trident.


    "Cut," Ander said, his eyes glowed before the ropes in his hands came loose. He untied Avan and instructed him to keep Ella company and to help her free her family.


    "How can we, they are dead. They were struck by Athea''s lightning. It might have seemed weak and small but that alone was enough to kill everyone below the ground," she said regretting trying to be a hero.


    "Then it''s a good thing that the lighting hit me instead of them," Ander said showing her his burned hand. "I promised you your family would be safe. I never break my promises," he added.


    "But how?"


    "I redirected the lighting to hit me before it touched the ground. Go save your family and I will deal with this Onilen. He owes me a pretty hand," he said and jumped in the air and created a portal that led outside, he got his spells ready to fight. But before that, he healed his cuts and made sure he was a hundred percent before appearing before Leafspear.


    "Where do you think you are going?" he asked and threw a fireball on the chariot that they were loaded with things.


    "You shouldn''t have done that," Onilen said gripping his trident tightly. He summoned big lightning in the sky and directed it at Ander.


    "Zapus," Ander said and the lighting changed direction and traveled back to the sender. Onilen was not expecting it and got to dodge it when he was close to getting hit.


    Ander smirked as the lighting burned the soldiers to ashes. "Crystal spears," he said and conjured spears made of crystals and sent them to the sky. He named his enemy under his breath. The spears multiplied one by one and they flew towards Onilen and his men.


    The men took their swords and blocked as many spears as they could and tried to stop them from killing them. Some were able to avoid the spears while others got his and bled out that second and died.


    Onilen seeing that he was standing on a losing battle and the fact that he had only mastered how to throw lighting with the trident he chooses to retreat. The dragon prince was too strong for him at the moment.


    "Moka, the sand monster. Now," he ordered."See you soon dragon prince," he added.


    His right-hand man knelt to the ground and summoned the sand monster while he created a portal for them to leave the village. The sand around the village began to rise slowly forming the sand monster they spoke of.


    Ander massaged his templates at how tiring it was going to be to fight sand. He just hoped that him playing a hero and fighting someone else''s battle is worth it.


    He closed his eyes and let himself transform into his dragon form. Once he had transformed he moved his wings around to stretch them out for flying when the sand monster hit him with his fist sending him flying to the other side of the village.


    Getting back up from the ground he lifted off to the sky and reigned his fire down on the sand creature.

 Chapter 78 - No Regrets

    Ella led her people out of the house and took them to safety while Avan went over to help Ander battle the sand monster. Together they used their magic to fight their magic.


    Ander tried all types of magic on the sand creature but all his efforts just went through the creature not inflicting any harm on it. While the creature on the hand was landing very harmful punches on them. It was a losing fight.


    "We should try to use water to fight it?" Avan suggested.


    "Follow my lead," Ander said and taught him the spell. Together they channeled the water in the atmosphere and used it to hot the sand creature. He dissolved causing the two of them to realize a victorious sigh.


    "You could have come up with that idea earlier," Ander scolded checking the open wound on his chest and cursing at how painful it was.


    "I just thought..." he started to say before he was sent flying into one of the huts.


    "What was that?" Ander looked up to see the sand creature back again. This time he seemed bigger than he was before. "Damn it," he cursed and dodged the monster''s fist.


    He rolled to the ground and ran to Avan and helped him up. "What now, water doesn''t affect it?" Avan asked dusting his clothes.


    "I have an idea that just might work," he said to him making him attentive. "Run," he said sprinting away to save his skin. Avan followed behind him with the monster on their trail.


    "This is a temporary solution," Ella noted joining them.


    "Do you have a better idea?" he asked her.


    "I do," she said and ran ahead of them. She took her bracelet and opened it. "A battle arena," she said to the bracelet. Just then they got transported into a magical battle arena with the monster.


    "What is this place?"


    "A battle arena inside the mirror dimension. In here we can fight the monster keeping him from destroying anything and hurting innocent people," she explained to them.


    "Awesome," Avan said admiring the arena.


    "Not cool. All you''ve done is trap us in here with that thing," Ander said displeased. "If I die, I will haunt you for seven lifetimes," she warned.


    Ella didn''t have time to react to his threat with the monster attacking them. It took hold of Ander who was not prepared for his attack and began to crush him in his fist. Ander felt his ribs on fire, he took a deep breath to endure the pain and started coughing from inhaling dust.


    "Looks like you won''t get peaceful sleep from now on," Avan said picturing how bad it can be to be haunted by the dragon prince. They both attacked the monster, it defended itself and fought them without letting go of the prince. He was increasing the pressure of his hand the more they agitated him.


    "Hold on," Ella said and flipped to the air and grabbed hold of Ander''s shoulders to lift him off but jumped away when the monster tried to grab hold of her.


    Avan tapped into dark Melchior''s powers and tried the dark magic to see if it will affect the creature. Attacking him with the dark magic made the creature grow bigger and stronger which was the opposite of the intended purpose.


    "I can''t die like this," Ander whispered in anger. He had so much unfinished business that he couldn''t die. He closed his eyes, he thought of all the things that he was yet to experience.


    He had yet to know about his past that everyone was trying so hard to hide. He needed a proper explanation as to why he was being called a murderer when he had t killed anyone yet and most importantly he was yet to know a father''s love.


    He could think of a lot of things that he rightfully deserved that was taken away from him. He had to fight to get what rightfully belongs to him from those who have stolen his rights or refused to hand it over.


    Thinking of all the unfair things that have happened to him since he came to school made his blood boil. With that, his body began to release his frustrations in form of a heart. It was a spell that he had learned in the past but had never been able to master because he couldn''t summon expression fire.


    It was a flame that was expressed from one''s feelings and no matter how angry he seemed to get he could only ever control hellfire. He felt like burning everything to the ground to ease the pain in his heart. Along with expression fire, his hands summoned hellfire.


    The fire started forming around him like a bubble. The sand monster her he goes, he could feel the power of the flame and moved away from Ander. ''If I die, at least I will die with no regrets,'' Ander said in his thoughts as he pictured everyone in his life in his mind.


    He wanted to get them back for all the hurt that they had caused him without blinking. He first saw his father, the man whose love and affection he had yearned for all his life only to find out that the man hated him so much that he never even wanted to see his face. He raised his hand and directed the fire at him, unknown to him that he was firing at the monster.


    The flame bubble kept getting bigger and hotter, the battle arena felt like they were standing next to the sun. Ella and Avan wrapped themselves in a magical shield with water elements to prevent themselves from being cooked.


    Before Ander in his mind he saw Francis, the male his heart longed for, he loved him and wanted to be with him but the male found other people interesting instead of him. He chose other people instead of him.


    ''My love was never enough for you. It never made you choose me and now it doesn''t stop me either,'' he said and screamed out in pain.

 Chapter 79 - Light In His Darkness

    Ander was filled with rage, his heart was on fire. The hellfire and the expression flame had grown to the size of the sun. The flame channeled the energy from the stars in the mirror dimension creating a big ball of fire.


    The boy I''m the middle of the flame took was so caught up in his mind to realize what was going on outside his thoughts. After burning Francis, he saw his mother, his aunt, and his uncle. When he looked carefully Avan and the kids who bullied him on his first day of school were standing beside his family.


    "Why couldn''t you be my mother?" he asked Sofia with tears running down his cheeks. "You are so kind and have such a good heart. Had I been your son maybe I wouldn''t be the way I am and everyone would love me as they love you," he added feeling a pang in his heart.


    "Why did you never tell me that I am not your son?" he asked blasting her with a fireball.


    "Why did all you hurt me? What wrong have I ever done to any of you?" he asked to the rest of the people before him.


    "Ander I.."


    "Quite," he yelled when Avan opened his mouth to talk to him. "You don''t have the right to talk to me after the things that you''ve done to me," he said to him.


    "Why do you blame me for every problem in your life?" Avan questioned him. "It''s not my fault that you aren''t lovable," he added.


    "Arghhhhh," Ander screamed letting out all his feeling and hitting them all at once with all he had. The fire hit the sand monster in such high heat the monster turned to glass. Ander kept hitting him until the glass broke to pieces and scattered on the ground of the battle arena.


    When Ander was certain in his mind that all the people that caused him harm had turned to ashes he let go. The flame around his body evaporated and he dropped from the sky.


    Avan broke the shield and rushed to catch him before he hit the ground. He caught him in his hands and held him tightly. He had gotten quite a scare when the male was surrounded by the flame. He thought that the boy might burn along with the monster.


    "What was that?" he asked his heart still racing in his chest.


    "Expression is forbidden magic that hasn''t been practiced for centuries. It was banned for how dangerous it was. The question is how did Ander come to learn it?" she asked questioning her opinion of the dragon prince.


    One point she did note down was simple, never offend the dragon prince in any way to ensure her long life.


    "Why won''t he open his eyes?" he asked carrying him bridal style.


    "He is drained. You try being awake after combining two dangerous flames and building it to the size of the sun and firing it at a magical..."


    "I get it, he is tired. You could have just said that instead of giving such a long explanation," he said. "Can we leave this place?" he asked referring to the battle arena.


    "Sure," She said and retracted the battle arena into her bracelet. "We can bring him to my house," she suggested leading the way.


    She took them to her house and let them in before leaving to brings her people as the monster was already destroyed. And it was safe for them to return.


    "Wake up soon," Avan said laying Ander on the bed in the guest room Ella had given him. He took his hand and held it close to his heart.


    "Don''t ever scare me like that again. I might have a heart attack if you do," he said to him.


    Ander remained motionless on the bed, his mind was blank with only darkness that surrounded him. It was lonely just like his life, he wished for light. Even just a flashlight to eliminate the darkness that was his life but he was having no luck. That was until he heard an echo of someone taking inside the darkness.


    He couldn''t hear clearly what the person was saying but the voice sounded concerned which made him feel a little warm. He listened to the voice finding comfort in it. "Don''t stop talking," he pleaded.


    Avan covered him with a blanket and left the room to let him rest. Ander felt the warmth go away when the voice stopped and resigned to the darkness and loneliness in his life. Why would he accept a strange voice to keep him company when all his loved ones turned their backs to him?


    Avan heard voices of people outside the house and assumed Ella was back with her people. Ella walked into the house with her mother and father happily. She saw Avan in the corridor and excused herself to go talk to him.


    "What are you doing out here?" she asked him. "Aren''t you going to stay with Ander and take care of him?"


    "He is sleeping," he said.


    "So, that doesn''t mean you should leave him alone. I know, why not tell him a story," she suggested.


    "It''s pointless, he won''t hear it."


    "The boy has been through a lot, I doubt he is having a good dream right now. He might not hear the story but it might help to keep his nightmares away. And when he wakes up then maybe you can help him heal his wounds," she said and walked away to return to her parents.


    Avan thought about what she said and returned to Ander''s side. "I don''t a lot of stories, I don''t think that I know any story at all so how about I just talk to you," he said to him.


    Ander opened his eyes glad that the voice returned. It felt that everything he knew and cared for was a million miles away from him.


    His body was going numb until the voice returned. He sat holding his legs to his chest and listened to the voice. The voice was like a light in his darkness.


    ''Perhaps there is still someone who cares for me,'' he thought with a smile.

 Chapter 80 - Only I Should Matter

    Ander opened his eyes to find himself in a strange room. He looked around to check if he could recall how he ended up in that room but nothing rang a bell. He got up from the bed.


    He pointed his index finger at himself and cast a spell to change into cleaner clothes.


    After a few minutes he was surprised that he was still wearing the same clothes, his magic was completely drained.


    "That''s strange. When I haven''t even used half of my magic for anything, why would I be drained?" he questioned. "I guess I have to get dressed the hard way," he said.


    He looked around the room to find any changing clothes. He got disappointed when he didn''t find anything to change. He opened the door and felt hazy.


    "The best way to win is to attack first. The spell I have used to attack you has stripped three of the most powerful witches of their power. Now what will you do?" he heard in his head.


    The image was very blurry but he could make out three women standing beneath him. He held his head with both his hands and closed his eyes from the pain on his head.


    "Ander are you alright," he heard the very familiar voice say. He let go of his head and wrapped his hands around the person without even caring to check who it was.


    "Make it stop," he pleaded with him.


    "It''s alright," Avan said. He hugged him back and held him in his arms. "I''m here."


    "You can''t ever leave me. You have to promise me that you will always be here with me," He said in a shaking voice.


    "I promise, I won''t leave you," he said.


    "Until we meet again," he heard what sounded like his own voice say to someone. He looked up and saw a baby carrying an ice statue.


    "Noo," he screamed when he saw the ice statue shattering before his eyes. He had no idea why he was seeing images and why his heart was in so much pain. "Francis, I need you. Hold me and never let me go," he pleaded.


    Avan''s hand that held Ander shook. Once again Ander mistook him for the invincible man and he didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t let him go as he couldn''t stand to see him on such a vulnerable state. He had already had one scare when he had made such a big flame, he had to be there for him.


    "I love you, Francis. Tell me, you love me too. I am the only one in your heart and not that annoying thief," he pleaded with him.


    Avan remained quite, it''s times like this that he wished he could stop existing. He really didn''t understand why the boy had to fall in love with a ghost, their were many men in the world that he could have with his looks and power but he prefers to be with someone he can''t even touch.


    "Why won''t you say. Tell me you love me and only me. You can''t stand that boy or my father, only I matter to you," Ander demanded. When he didn''t reply Ander broke the hug and stared at him.


    His eyes were as black as the night. There was no other color and it was impossible to see his pupils. He glanced at Avan and gave an evil smirk.


    "We meet again chosen one," he said to him. "Missed me?" He asked him.


    Avan moved back frightened by the darkness in those eyes. He felt immense fear in his heart fear that he had never felt before. He backed up as Ander took steps closer to him, he moved until he was in the wall.


    "Why are you going away from me. Have you not promised me that you won''t ever leave me," he said and pulled Avan to him. "I enjoyed the night we spent together before. Can you grant me one more beautiful moment as that?"


    Avan felt a shiver travel down his spine. Ander locked their lips. The kiss was hot and strong, he didn''t hold back. His hand traveled up inside Avan''s robes and massaged his chest.


    "Do you need help getting in the mood?" Ander asked his face filled with desire and lust.


    "N..no," Avan refused nervously. "I don''t want it like this," he added.


    "Like what my love. Just tell me how you want it and I will comply to your wishes," Ander whispered in his ear and kissed his ear lobe. Avan shuddered.


    He felt hear rise inside him, he was getting aroused by him. "No," he screamed pushing him away. "I don''t want you like this. We can talk when you return to normal," he said and turned around to leave the room.


    "Of course. Join the long list of people that I have grown to despise by turning your back to me. You are not any different than the rest of them, you find me attractive one minute but then change your mind the next," he heard Ander said. His heart squeezed in pain listening to him, hearing how emotional he was he knew that Ander was back to normal.


    Ander hugged him from the back and kissed his neck. "Is this how you want me?" he asked.


    "Don''t think that, I won''t go," he said and twisted his body to get a better view of Ander.


    "I''m glad," Ander said to him and he froze. His eyes were still pure black. "If you are done staring I want you. Don''t keep me waiting."


    Before he could refute Ander pushed him to the bed. He kissed him once more, Avan tensed up. This was just like before. Every minute reminded him of the first time. The black eyes, the burning desire, the pleasure, and the destruction. Recalling how Ander destroyed an entire forest when he was lost in pleasure he started to resist.


    "Mmh," he let out through the kiss, it sounded like a sweet moan in Ander ear. He took hold of Avan''s hands and pinned them above his head.


    He trailed the kisses to his neck and sucked on his nape. Avan was breathless at how good Ander''s kisses were. He gripped Ander''s back and held him down.


    "Are you that eager?" Ander asked him. Ander''s gaze became intense gazing at Avan. Avan felt a blush rise on his face. "You look beautiful," he said causing the male to cover his face. "Super cute," he said and reached his hand onto the male manhood.


    "Avan, are you guys coming for breakfast?" he heard the Ella asking at the door and got his head out of the clouds. He sat up on the bed but Ander didn''t move.


    "Get off me," he demanded.


    "Why? All I need is you. I can live without food," Ander said insisting on continuing.


    "If we do this innocent people will get hurt," Avan said. "The last time you....me," he told recanting the forest and the mess that Ander created.


    "So?" Ander asked unconcernedly. He could be careless about the people. "I only want you. The rest don''t matter."


    "That is so selfish of you Ander. To you they might not matter but they do to me. Now get off me, "Avan said angrily.


    " This is why I won''t ever fall in love with you. Others matter more to you than I do. You have no idea how angry that makes me and not just that it makes me want to get rid of everyone else so that I can have you to myself. Instead of protecting them all you are doing is endangering them by choosing them over me," he told him before getting off.


    "Ander I..."


    "Don''t become like the others, you have no idea the crazy thoughts that run through my mind. To you only I should matter or else. I might not be able to stop myself from hurting you. I like you Avan and I would hate to loose you," he confessed and opened the door.


    "Ander," Ella said on seeing him before she halted. She glanced into his eyes and felt terrified, the aura surrounding Ander was very dangerous and after what she had seen she didn''t dare say any more. She moved out of the way and let him pass.


    "What happened to him?" she asked Avan who looked as though he had seen a ghost. She couldn''t blame him, anyone would react like that if they saw Ander in the state he was in.


    "He is a little mad at me," he replied thinking over Ander''s words. His heart was thundering in his chest, the words ''I like you'' that Ander had said to him. He was happy that the make called his name out when he said he liked him. It pleased him.


    "A little? He looked like he was going to reign hell down on earth," she pointed out to him. "I just hope he doesn''t hurt anyone while he is ''a little mad'' at you," she added.


    "He won''t," he said confidently. "Not yet anyway," he added recalling the warning the male gave him

 Chapter 81 - Nicer Side Of Ander

    Ander, Avan, and Ella went for a walk. They were tired of sitting around in the village. Ella was walking next to Avan while Ander walked in front of them. He didn''t bother to make talks with them.


    "How long is he going to be like that?" Ella asked Avan concerning Ander''s eyes.


    "I don''t know but I like him like this. He is nice," Avan said to her.


    "But he is better when he is normal. We need to get him to return to normal," she told I''m serious tone. She couldn''t stand the darkness she saw in those eyes and not the negative energy that she was giving out to him.


    "But when he is normal he is rude and can''t say anything nice about anyone?" Avan said tired of trying to change her mind about the male.


    "He is not nice either Avan. Have you seen the darkness in his eyes, you don''t get that kind of eyes when you are nice," Ella said.


    "I agree but he.."


    "He is sweet to you when he is like this and says the worse of things about you when he is awake," she said knowing well what his thoughts were.


    "Yeah."


    "But Avan, all that glitters is not gold. Just because he is nice to you doesn''t mean that he is a good person. You have no idea what Ander''s subconscious is capable of doing," she warned getting worried about her friend and the way that he is thinking.


    "We shouldn''t judge him when he has done nothing wrong," Avan defended. He felt annoyed the way that Ella was making Ander''s subconscious a villain when he had nothing to anyone.


    "I am not saying this because I don''t like him and for your information, he had hurt someone," Ella explained to him.


    "Who?"


    "I believe the man''s name was Francis," she said. ", I''m sure you''ve heard the name. Ander himself keeps singing it all the time."


    "The invincible man he is in love with?"


    "The reason he is invincible is that he is a ghost and he is just not the man that Ander is in love with. He also happens to be someone you would call. Father," She said making Avan halt on his steps. "Your so-called nice friend splintered your father. If he is as nice as you say he is then why don''t you ask him to bring Francis back," she said and pushed him forward.


    Avan landed on Ander''s back causing the male to stop. Ander held him preventing him from falling and gave a cheeky smile.


    "Couldn''t stay away from me for long," he said pulling him up.


    "I needed to talk to you," Avan said nervously.


    "Anything for you. What would you wish to discuss?" Ander asked him letting him down gently so that he could walk on his own. They strolled down the roadside by side with Avan thinking of how to start the conversation about his father. "I thought you wished to talk but you have barely said a word to me," Ander commented.


    "I wish to ask you about my father?" he asked him.


    "What of him?" Ander asked confused.


    "Why did you hurt him?" he questions gathering the strength to confront Ander.


    Ander raised his eyebrows to him in the question of what he was going on about. "Sweetheart, I have only just met you again recently. Where in the world would I have found your father and hurt him?" he matter-of-factly asked him.


    "Are you saying you are innocent? I knew it, you wouldn''t hurt anyone let alone my father," he said to him.


    Ander and Avan continued their walk with Avan glad that Ander was not the one responsible for harming his father, he couldn''t imagine the boy he had grown to like so much being the reason for his pain.


    "I have always had only one goal in my life. Get my father back and reunite my family," he said tired of the silence between them. Ander listened to him and smiled sadly.


    If only he could have a family and be happy. His father would never want that and he didn''t even know who his mother is to even think of having a complete family and the woman who raised him told him nothing but lies for so long he didn''t think that he could ever trust her.


    "That''s nice," he said in return.


    "Then the love story of Silvia and Francis would be complete," he said. Ander''s eyes went wide with the realization from what he heard the male say. From that he could make out the father he was asking him about, he faces palmed himself for being so stupid. The boy was the chosen one so he must have been born of the chosen one.


    "Is Francis your father?" he asked just to be sure even though his gut told him he was. He could already see how bad the situation was going to get when the male realized that he was indeed the one who shattered his father into pieces and planned to do the same to him but couldn''t.


    "Yes, all I want is to find his remains and put him back together. When he comes back he will fill my mother''s world with lots of love and I will be happy," he stated happily.


    "That isn''t possible. He was shattered with wish magic and unless the one who shattered him takes his wish back he will forever be a prisoner. He will return but can never leave the side of his wisher," Ander explained.


    "My father is stuck by your side so that means that you are the one who hurt him," Avan said realizing that Ella was right. All along the one who destroyed his family was right before his eyes and he could never see it. The man blames him for taking everything of his when he was the one who snatched his life away.


    He glared at Ander, Dark Melchior''s powers that were inside him getting out of control. The trees and branches around his started reacting to the magic that was oozing out of him. The wind was blowing widely to match his deadly mood that was shooting daggers at Ander.


    "Where is the rest of the splinters of my father?" she asked angrily. Ander just stared at him not reacting at all to the change in his mood and the environment. "Bring my father back or else."


    "You will what? kill me?" Ander asked him with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Many have tried and failed miserably. Don''t make the same mistake," Ander advised.


    "Get me, my father, back," he demanded of the dragon prince. Ander smirked at his scary appearance.


    "You shouldn''t let your emotions get out of hand. They can prove to be your weakness," he said observing the male with no change in his aura. He was in the least scared of the man, he was sure that he could take him no problem. He was curious to see how far his anger would get and if he can put up a fight like he did the first time they met.


    "Don''t tell me what to do and give me my father," he said and zapped Ander with his magic. Ander easily blocked the attack with his hand. "You missed," he mocked.


    Avan''s blood boiled to the fullest. He began to chant a forbidden spell that his aunt Zorra had taught him. He didn''t want to resort to anything dangerous but he felt like Ander left him no choice. He raised his hand and released his magic and just when the spell was about to hit him. Ander gathered all the splinters before him into a shield.


    Avan withdrew his spell when he saw the remains of his father on the way. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve Avan dear," he heard Ander''s mocking voice say. "Any wrong move and these splinters won''t exist anymore," he said his voice getting cold. He lifted the splinters separating them into pieces.


    "Say the word my love and I will gladly destroy them all. Let''s see how you get your father back then," he said in his threatening voice.


    The aura in his body got very thick weakening Avan''s strength. The male fell to his knees when he was overpowered. "I like you so I will forgive your small act of heroism but don''t you dare try that again with me," He added calming down.


    The splinters disappeared into thin air except for one. He took the splinter and went down on his knees to meet with Avan. "Consider this a gift for the previous night. Make me happy and each time I will return a piece of your father. Make me angry and I will break a splinter," he said handing the splinter to the boy.


    He pulled Avan up from the ground and gave him a peck on his cheeks before he walked away leaving Avan shocked at what just happened.


    "Still think that he is the nicer side of Ander?" Ella asked him.


    "No and I think we should find a way to get rid of him," Avan said his heart boiling with rage.

 Chapter 82 - Making Amends

    Francis stood at the balcony of the palace and stared down at the kingdom that he once called home. So much has changed since then, the kingdom looked better than it ever was before. He had to applaud the queen for the wonderful job that she had done, she had made life so much better for everyone in the kingdom. But he couldn''t help but feel sad, the people that he cared about had their lives change for the worst, he wished more than anything that he could be able to bring back the happiness that used to exist in the palace.


    His heart was heavy with guilt, he blamed himself for all the lives that were ruined. As he thought about everything from the start he found that he was the root cause of all the problems. It all started with him and his destiny that linked him to Alex, his destiny entangled many other lives and ruined them in the process.


    He understood the pain that Ander was feeling. After being a ghost for sixteen years and being distant with his loved once he came to understand how the boy must. Not getting the love that he deserved all his life he had grown bitter and hateful. He blamed himself for it, when he saw the desperation in Ander''s eyes and the will to live vanishing from his eyes. It made his heart ache in pain, at the end of the day the truth could not be changed that Ander was just a child. He didn''t deserve to have his life snatched away from him for mistakes that weren''t his.


    His destiny was to blame for the things that he did as a child and who better to understand than himself when he also went through the same thing with Alex. The way he turned out was caused by how people reacted to him after it all happened, for him it was different. Despite knowing that he was the chosen one they didn''t discriminate him but showered him with love and affection. Love that he could sense the young boy was yearning for.


    He raised his hand up to his face and wiped the tears that had formed in his eyes. He knew in his heart that he had to fix the problems and bring a smile to the royal family, in order to do that he had to start with the person who was at the center of everything. But Ander had shut him out, he couldn''t go to the male and he knew why. He must have put up a spell to keep him away.


    "Give me a chance to make amends for my mistakes," he said in a pleading voice. He closed his eyes in pain, the image of Ander right before he jumped off the bridge was very visible to him. He found it hard to get that image out of his head, it was so painful for him to see but was impossible not to.


    "Why do you care?" he heard Ander''s voice ask him. He opened his eyes in surprise and gazed in the direction that the voice came from.  He watched Ander stare at the distance with his back turned to him, he looked peaceful with the wind blowing at him slowly. He seemed undisturbed by the problems around him, he walked up to the boy and took his place beside him.


    "Would you believe me if I said that I understand?" he inquired of the male.


    "I know you understand, everyone does. They just don''t care enough," Ander replied still staring into the distance.


    "I care,"


    "I know you do but you care more for other things than you do me. Everyone has different priorities and I always end up as an option that no one chooses. They care but not enough," he stated making francis feel guiltier than he already felt. He expected Ander to be mad and to yell at him or scold him and blame him but what he found was the opposite. He didn''t seem like he cared to argue with him anymore. He didn''t seem angry anymore.


    "I admit that for a minute there I had disappointed you by making you feel like you are only an option for me but that all will change. I only need one chance to prove to you that you aren''t an option."


    "If you must prove it then it means that I am an option but relax, I have no intention of fighting for your love or affection. The truth is that I have waited sixteen years for love, I was always known as the boy who was without a father. In the palace I lived with the pity of the servants from the life that destiny had made for me. No friends, no father and no freedom; that is my life and I have no intentions to change it," he said and turned his head to look at Francis.


    Francis was filled with tears listening to Ander, seeing the darkness in his eyes and the aloof expression on his face he couldn''t help but feel pain in his heart. ''I hope that I am not too late,'' he thought.


    "You need not worry. I am here now and you don''t have to wait for someone to love you anymore. Not just me but your mother, aunt and uncle also love you so much. You need to stop concentrating on the negative and see the people who care for you," he said in between his tears and held Ander''s hand.


    "I can feel you," Ander stated surprised. "How can I feel you?" he asked him.


    "That is not important, the important thing right now is you. Tell me, how do you feel?"


    Ander''s eyes returned to normal, he gazed into Francis''s eyes to see the sincerity in his words. He found that he meant every word he said to him. "Don''t you think that you are sixteen years late?" he asked in a soft voice.


    "I am late but it is better than never coming at all. I''m here and I am never leaving ever again,"


    "I don''t value life," he said after a few minutes. "That''s what you said right? Why did you change your mind?" he questioned.


    "I have no excuse for my words, you have every right to be mad at me for them. You didn''t deserve to hear those things from me," he said apologetically.


    "Well then how are you going to make it up to me. How are you going to balance it?" Ander asked him.


    "Balance? Balance what?" he asked confused as to what the boy was talking about.


    "You love my father and Avan a lot right? So how are you going to balance your love with the three of us?" Ander asked him. "I have an idea, why don''t you love me just a little bit more and love the other''s a little less," he said.


    Francis bust out laughing at how ridiculous Ander sounded, the boy had surprised him a lot, he didn''t need a lot of convincing to change his mind. He just needed someone to take the first step in trying to fix their relationship. To show him that he can be loved and deserved to be loved.


    "Okay, I think that I can do that for you," he said and embraced Ander in a tight hug. He poured his heart out into the hug for the male, he wanted to shower him with so much love that he would forget all his anger and be happy.


    ''Now wait and see how I take back what is mine. You love Avan and my father more than me and I am certain that you would choose them over me but do not worry from now my only goal is to create hatred in your heart for those two. Only I belong in your heart,'' Ander thought with a sinister smirk on his face. His eyes glowed with an evil glint and became soft when Francis broke the hug.


    "I have a gift for you too," he said and gathered all the splinters, he returned all the splinters into Francis. He hugged Francis and wished that he would be free. He needed Francis back in order for him to stop being considered the villain of the story. Everyone else was going to take up that role as he needed to be the hero because the hero always gets the love.


    Francis was shocked beyond words when he was freed, he had never expected for Ander to give him his life back so easily. His heart was filled with happiness and warmth, his opinion of Ander improved greatly as he returned the hug.


    "I take it that you like your gift," Ander commented enjoying the warmth that Francis was giving him.


    "I loved it just as much as I love you. You are the best son a man can ever ask for," he said wholeheartedly. Ander frown when he heard Francis call him a son but didn''t say anything. He would go along with it for now but he was definitely going to change his feelings for him. ''Soon you will call me your lover,'' he thought with a smile.

 Chapter 83 - Franciss Return

    Alexander decided to throw a big party in the palace to celebrate the return of his beloved. There was music and dance in the whole kingdom of Arimelari. The royal family had decided to hold a royal ball in celebration of the fact that Francis had returned.


    Avan was excited to finally get the chance to see his father, he had heard a lot about him from his mother and aunts and it felt nice for him to meet him after sixteen years. Ella joined them at the palace and was excited to go to her first-ever royal ball. The palace was decorated top to bottom with lights.


    The stars shined bright in the sky in celebration of the whole family coming together and reuniting.


    "This is the best day ever, love and laughter have returned to our family," Malia said talking to her mother in law who seemed lost on thought.


    "It is truly a beautiful night to be having a celebration," she said again trying to get the attention of the queen mother." What is the matter mother?" she asked gently placing her hand on her mother''s shoulder.


    "No. Nothing is alright," she said in a worried tone. Her heartbeat was racing in her chest, she couldn''t relax or celebrate the happiness that was knocking on her doorstep.


    "Why? What''s wrong?" Malia asked. The night was beautiful and they had so many reasons to be truly happy after a long time and yet she was talking as though there was a problem.


    "This all doesn''t look great, something is wrong," she said looking up. "Think about it. You''ve known Ander since he was a baby, when have you ever seen him apologize?" she asked her.


    Malia considered her question and thought back to all the years with her nephew. She couldn''t pinpoint a day in the boy''s life when he said he was sorry for anything. Moreover, the male had a very short temper and had it in him of getting out of problems without saying sorry. He hated the word and the thought of it coming out of his mouth.


    "I don''t think that he likes to apologize," she said after careful consideration.


    "And yet he apologized to Alex and that Avan kid with no issues. He even promised not to trouble anyone ever again," The queen mother stated not understanding what was going on in her grandson''s head. One thing was for sure the boy had her mother''s blood flowing through his veins.


    He was cunning and smart, she could tell that he was playing a game with them but she couldn''t figure out what the purpose of the game was or the rules. The pawns of the game were also unknown to her. She couldn''t forget the warning that she had got about the future that would happen if Ander falls in love with Francis.


    "But mother no need to worry. Ander idolizes Francis and would do anything for him that was why he did all that. Francis was the one who asked him to apologize remember, so he would do it," Malia explained hoping to ease her worry but her statement only made her more worried. She had to find out if that was all that Ander felt for Francis or there was going to be a war that might destroy her family forever.


    "I must do something," she said and got up to leave, she halted when she got to the door. She recalled the times that she had intervened to fix things and how they turned out and turned back.


    She couldn''t take matters into her own hands lest they go wrong and backfire on her face. She couldn''t handle another bad outcome or guilt.


    "I need to talk to Francis," she said.


    Walking down the hallway she raced to Francis''s room. Though she has seen earlier, it was only brief so this would also give her a chance to see the male and have a word with him.


    She arrived at his door and thought to knock but then gain she wished to surprise him, she slowly pushed the door open. She peeked inside the room to check if he was inside. A smile blossomed on her lips when she saw him standing in front of his dressing table with Alex. She closed the door and left them alone.


    ******


    Alex kept his eyes on his beloved, he found that he hadn''t changed much from when they last saw each other. He took in every inch of him from head to toe but still couldn''t get enough.


    "Will you stare at me all night?" Francis questioned dropping the comb on the table and turning his head to face Alex.


    "And I still won''t be able to get enough of you," he replied making Francis turn beet red.


    "Well, I need to go see if Ander is ready for the party," he informed but did not move from where he stood.


    He had missed his dragon king. Even though he had lived in the palace for the sixteen years they were apart he could never meet him. If only time could stop, for them to have more moments to themselves with no interruption.


    "Come here," Alexander said gesturing for him to move closer to him. Francis took two steps to get close to him.


    "Now what?" he asked nervously. Alex reached his hand to his face, brushed his cheek and removed the hair from his cheek, and tucked them behind his ear.


    "I''ve missed you," he whispered in a husky voice.


    "I missed you too, much more than you can imagine," he replied.


    Alexander couldn''t hold back anymore. He took his beloved by the waist and pulled him in for a kiss. He expressed all his feelings into the kiss making Francis gasp in pleasure. Alex explored the inside of his mouth wanting to mark the taste of his mouth to memory.


    He had been yearning for him for many years he found his self-control jumping through the window, he pulled open Francis''s buttoned shirt breaking the kiss to catch his breath.


    "Francis," they both heard right before the door was swung open. "Oh, sorry. I didn''t mean to disturb you," Ander apologized.


    He stared at the intimate position that Francis and Alex stood in and felt a nerve pop in his head. He folded his hand into a fist behind his back digging his nails into his palms.


    "Are you going to leave?" Alex asked irritated by the interruption.


    "Alex, don''t is rude," Francis said getting out of Alex''s arms and walked to the door to greet Ander. "Tell me, what is the matter?" he asked in a soft voice.


    "You said you would help me get dressed. The party will start soon and I have no idea what to wear. Come help me," Ander said pulling him with his hand out of the room.


    "Can''t your servants do that, I am sure that your mother won''t like that you are taking her rights away from her," Francis tried to reason with Ander to let him go.


    "I don''t want the servants or my mother to pick out my clothes. I only want you," Ander stated.


    "At least let me go change. My shirt is.." Francis said staring down at Alex''s handy work. He felt ashamed that Ander had to see him like that.


    "It''s fine, you can change later for now get me dressed first," he said persistently.


    Francis sighed and gave up, he followed the prince back to his room. The prince took out all the formal clothes he had and threw them on the bed and looked at Francis.


    "You expect me to choose from all this?" Francis asked looking at the heap of clothes that were on the bed.


    "Yes, you should get started if I am to be ready for the party," he said and sat down. Francis moved to the bed and massaged his head. He looked at the clothes, he could barely tell what would suit the male or what wouldn''t. He was not used to getting someone else dressed and had no idea where to start.


    Ander picked up a cup of tea from the table and took a sip enjoying the helplessness of the make before him.''By the time you are done, the party would have started. I''m sorry Francis but I guess you won''t get to spend any quality time with Alex,'' he thought happily.


    "How about this?" Francis asked raising a blue formal suit for him.


    "Why do you want me to wear that?" he asked him.


    "I don''t know, it''s a good attire and it would bring out your eyes," Francis replied saying something he heard Alex''s dresser say to him once hoping the prince would like the attire and choose to wear it.


    "I don''t like blue," Ander replied indifferently.


    "What color do you like then. That way I can narrow my search to a few clothes?" Francis said getting an idea.


    "I don''t have preferences. So just keep looking," Ander told. He took another sip of his tea and had a snack.


    Just as Francis was about to continue picking out the attire the king walked in with a line of servants behind him. They each carried clothes and shoes in their hands, neatly folded and brand new.


    "Alex, this is?" Francis inquired.


    "They are here to help the prince get ready, you can come with me," he said and didn''t wait for permission and took Francis with him.


    "Shall we get started my prin.."


    "Get out," Ander screamed at the servants. The servants set the clothes down on the bed and dashed out of the room. Ander threw the cup of tea on the ground with his blood boiling in anger at what just happened.

 Chapter 84 - To The Moon And Back

    Getting dressed for the party, Francis and Alex walked hand in hand into the hall full of people. They looked perfect together and everyone could tell, the smile on Alex''s face brightened the entire room.


    Queen Sofia was announced to enter the hall, the guest all stood watching the door to see the beautiful queen that they adored so much. The door opened and the queen walked in with her son the prince of Arimelari. She had her hand wrapped around her, she smiled nervously as they walked.


    Mordecai and Malia followed behind them with Avan and Ella. The queen mother was the last to walk into the hall. They all made their way to the high table and took their respective seats.


    The King got up from his seat and announced for the party to start. The guests took their seats with the orchestra playing in the background, some guests decided to take to the dance flow and dance.


    "You look handsome today," Sofia said trying to initiate a conversation with his son. Ander acted as though he couldn''t hear her and continued to watch the dancers.


    "Ander, your mother is talking to you," the queen''s mother said to him. She nudged him to talk to the queen.


    "I am tired grandma," Ander responded.


    "Being tired is no excuse to be rude. Why won''t you speak to your mother?" Francis asked offended by Ander''s attitude towards Sofia. She of all people didn''t deserve his anger, she had loved him as though he was her child and cared for him.


    Unlike before when Ander would immediately take his advice, the boy ignored him and refused to respond.


    "Ander," Alex called out angrily. He didn''t understand how he could be so unfortunate to have such a nightmare for a son. He wasn''t just evil but stubborn and irritating. He could see a great similarity between him and Olivia." Cant you be respectful to your elders?" he questioned.


    "I never had a father to teach me that, so I wouldn''t expect that from me," he replied indifferently.


    His statement made Alexander''s blood boil. He had been tolerating the boy for a day and he already felt like killing him more than he could count. The boy was impossible to handle according to him but for some reason, Francis couldn''t see that. He keeps tending to the boy as though he was a child who needed his care and guidance.


    "Ander baby, I know th..."


    "I need some fresh air," Ander said getting up from his seat. He walked out of the hall and stroller to the corridor. "I know how to get what I want but why is it so difficult?" he asked himself.


    He kicked a pebble on the ground in anger. He walked around the palace to get the thought of Alex and Francis out of his head, the two were getting too close for his liking. It had only been a day and it was already unbearable for him. The image of them holding hands while walking into the hall was haunting his mind, making his mood sour.


    "It should be me," he said.


    He looked up to find that he had walked back to where he started, he found himself outside the ballroom once again. He sighed and pushed the door open and went inside, he could just tune out all the sounds and ignore everyone toll the party was over.


    What he saw immediately he entered the ballroom made him halt in his steps. Alex and Francis were having a slow dance in the middle of the room with the guests surrounding them in awe at how good they looked and danced together. They were in perfect coordination with each other.


    Ander got hold of the table next to him and accidentally landed his handed on top of a knife. He didn''t seem bothered when he folded his hand tightly around the knife. The knife cut opens his hand and blood started flowing from his hand.


    His eyes burned with jealousy and rage watching the two love birds smile at each other as they moved to the beat of the song. His heart ached to watch the person he loved embracing another man so lovingly. It was like the two were rubbing salt on his wounds.


    Alexander pulled Francis closer to him as they danced leaving no space between them. Being that close to his beloved he got a whiff of his scent, the scent of which he had missed in so many years. He gazed at Francis whose beauty was elevated with the lights in the room. He looked more beautiful than the first time he had seen the male.


    "Like what you see," Francis teased his face turning red under Alexander''s intense glare.


    "Quite a lot," Alex replied. Francis wrapped his hands around Alexander''s neck pulling him closer to him. He laid his head on Alexander''s chest and closed his eyes to listen to Alex''s heartbeat as they moved to the music.


    They found Alex''s heartbeat beating as fast and as loudly as his own. It was as though they were beating to the same rhythm. He tightened his hold on him not ever wishing to part from him again.


    "I missed you so much," he mumbled making Alex smile at his words.


    "How much?"


    "To the moon and back," he said sweetly, his sweet melodious voice sounding like music to Alex''s ears.


    "And I missed you just as much," Alexander said lifting him off the ground causing him to gasp in surprise. He held Francis by the waist to keep him up. "This gives me a better view of your face," he said shamelessly.


    Francis looked down embarrassed at how much he was blushing. He looked away from Alex to avoid his eyes, his eyes met the eyes of the guests watching them. He felt even more embarrassed at Alexander''s boldness of flirting with him in public. He bit his lower lip and begged Alex to set him down.


    The Queen grandmother watched his son and his son-in-law dancing together so beautifully and smiled. She felt the weight of the guilt that she carried around her heart get lifted. It made her happy that after all these years of being apart their love for each other had not refused one bit.


    Avan who stood beside her had mixed feelings about what he was looking at. On one hand, he had to think about and how she would react to what was going on. On the other hand, he was happy to see his father happy. Other than that he felt sad and sorry for Ander, being aware of how the male felt about his father he was only thankful that Ander was not in the ballroom to see the two of them.


    He could only imagine what the young prince would do in a fit of rage if he saw Francis with someone else. His eyes wandered around the room to see if his mother had come to the party. He had invited her to come and was not sure whether she was there yet or not. Instead of his mother, his eyes met very familiar angry eyes in the crowd.


    He gulped when he recognized the dragon prince''s eyes in the crowd. He followed the line of his sight and caught him watching the King and his father on the dance floor. His heart skipped a beat in his eyes as fear ran down his body. The thought of Ander harming his father in anger terrified him.


    "Excuse me," he said to Ella and walked down to the dancing floor, he moved across the crowd to get to the prince. Hopefully, he could get him out of the room before his anger and jealousy shoot to a level that couldn''t be contained.


    Ander didn''t even notice Avan arriving near him, all his eyes could see was Francis and the bright smile on his face. He hated that he smiled like that for someone who wasn''t him, only he was entitled to all of Francis. His eyes glowed and his lips parted slightly, he had a dangerous spell at the tip of his tongue that would destroy the two in front of him forever.


    ''If you can''t be with me then I won''t allow you to be with anyone else,'' he thought anger clouding his judgment.


    "black moon for...," he started the spell when his concentration was broken when someone pulled him away. Being caught off guard he couldn''t resist and got pulled out of the room. His vision cleared with his anger calming down a bit.


    Avan pulled him to the garden before letting him go. He expected Ander to snap at him and shout at him for what he did but nothing of that sort happened. For a second he thought that he had perhaps grabbed the wrong person and glanced back to check. He released a sigh of relief when he saw Ander standing behind him.


    "Aren''t you going to say anything to me?" he questioned unsure of why the prince was silent.


    "Why should I? You will hear my voice but won''t understand my words. No one ever does," Ander said and sat down on the ground.

 Chapter 85 - Avans Wish

    Avan''s p.o.v


    "Maybe the problem is with you and not them," I dared to say to Ander. It was getting tiring to hear him rant about his problem like he was the only one who felt pain.


    He holds on to every negative thing that is said and done to him that he is completely blinded to the good things in his life. He only ever wants to see the negative, he doesn''t want to believe that he is loved and it was getting on my nerves.


    "If you say so," Ander said causing me to glare at him. He was doing it again I could tell, replaying negative memories in his mind to fuel his anger and hatred towards everyone around him. It is so obvious with him staring at the distance with his hand folded into a fist.


    "Wait, what is that?" I asked when I saw him holding something in between his folded fist. I reached out and took hold of his hand and opened his fist to see a knife.


    His hand was bleeding so much and the wound was deep. "What did you do to yourself?" I asked.


    I let go of his hand and got u to go fetch the things I need to clean his wound. He has gone mad, hurting himself like that is just crazy. And how could he not feel pain or cry?


    I rushed into the palace and got some water and a clean cloth to clean his wound. I got some herbs from the physician and returned to the garden. Ander was still seated in the same position as I had left him. He hadn''t moved an inch.


    Taking a seat next to him I set the water down and held his hand, soaking the piece of cloth in the water I used it to wiped the blood around the would. When his hand was clean I poured some medicine into the wound.


    Ander screeched in pain and withdrew his hand from me, he looked like he was only now coming to his senses and feeling the pain from the wound.


    "Does it hurt?" I asked despite knowing the answer and waited for a mean remark from him. He didn''t even bother looking at me. "Let me take care of your wound."


    He gave me his hand without a word. It isn''t like him to just stay quiet, at least not around me. He always has a lot to say to me, most of which are allegations of things he blames me for. He laid down on the ground with his eyes opened gazing at the sky.


    "I have been thinking about Leafspear," I said trying to get him to talk to me. "Where do you think he went. I can''t seem to figure out what he is planning," I went on. I stopped talking when I realized that I wasn''t going to get an answer from him. I nursed his hand and wrapped a clean cloth around it to protect it from being infected.


    "What happens to you when your eyes become pure black?" he asked curiously recalling their last encounter when Ander overpowered him. Even with the additional powers of Dark Melchior, he still was no match for the dragon prince.


    "I stop feeling insignificant emotions," Ander replied. "I stop feeling everything altogether," he added.


    ''How can that be possible? You seem to feel quite a lot when you were like that, towards me,'' Avan thought.


    "But you seemed to be..."


    "It''s like being in a dark room. No light and no company, the whole world seems very far from me. Except for him," Ander said thinking of the voice that always finds him in his darkness. The warmth that always appears when he is all alone.


    He closed his eyes and listened to the words that the voice once said to him.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t know," Avan said also laying down next to him.


    Ander opened his eyes in surprise, the voice matched. Avan''s voice and the voice he heard in his head were a perfect match. He looked to his side and stared at Avan.


    "Why?" he asked not sure why Avan would do that for him. Be there for him when he had been done nothing but cause him pain. He knew he was wrong and a bad person in choosing to act on his selfish desires but he just couldn''t stop the way heartfelt felt.


    "Why what my prince?" Avan asked.


    "Why did you tend to my wounds? You could have fetched a servant to do, so shy go to the trouble?" Ander asked too embarrassed to ask him what he wished to know.


    "Knowing you, you would have sent the servant away before he could ever touch your hand. And if it remained like that, you would have gotten sick from an infection," Avan replied truthfully.


    "You speak as though you know me."


    Avan replied by giving him a weak smile.


    Ander moved closer to him and laid his head on Avan''s shoulders and closed his eyes. ''I''m sorry Avan. For your kindness, I won''t take your father from you,'' he thought and smiled before dozing off.


    Avan let him sleep, he gazed at the sky and saw a shooting star. He closed his eyes and made a wish upon the star.


    ''I wish that Ander''s hatred and anger would melt so that he can see the beauty of love in the world,'' he said in his heart.


    He averted his gaze to look at the gentle soul that rested on his shoulder. He saw how peaceful Ander was as he slept. He looked like he had not known anger or evil but was calm.


    He wished for a day when he would see the look on Ander''s face when he was awake. The only thing he saw on his face was the bitterness that was growing in his heart. If not controlled, he was certain that his anger would consume not just him but everyone around him.


    "There are so many fishes in the sea but if you keep holding on to one that won''t ever love you back. You will only harm yourself," he said to Ander who was too deep in his sleep to hear him.

 Chapter 86 - Good News

    Ander walked in the corridor of the palace to return to his bedroom. He felt exhausted and the thought of his soft bed and pillow were the only thing that kept him on his feet.


    He took a left turn at the corner and bumped into someone, he stumbled back and held the wall to prevent him from falling.


    "Watch where you are going," he said tiredly to even threaten or warn the being. He walked around and thought nothing of it again. He kept walking until he saw the door to his room, he smiled with joy but only for a second when his smile turned into a frown.


    He tried not to think of it but he was sure someone was following him. The scent in the air was none other than of the person he had run into.


    "What do you want?" he asked not bothering to turn around. "Why do you follow me?" he asked again when he received no answer.


    "Does the king know that his son coverts his beloved?" a female voice inquired of him. Ander froze when he heard what she said. His shock only lasted a second before he calmed his racing heart and relaxed.


    "Whatever do you mean?" he asked her and twisted his body to get a better view of whoever thought it best to confront him.


    "You naughty little prince. I''m sure you know too well what I mean, it is so obvious that you are in love with the king''s lover," the female came again. She stood leaning on the wall away from the light of the moon and the torches that lit the corridor. He couldn''t see who it was that was talking to him.


    "I have no time for you," Ander said knowing the female was playing with him. He was not interested in whatever games she had planned and walked to his room.


    Before he could lock the door the girl slid past him and entered his room. His anger flared up at the persistence of the girl, if only he had stayed longer in the garden. He wouldn''t have to deal with her.


    "You have one second to leave my room before I turn you to ashes," he said to her.


    "Your obsession with fire never ceases to amaze me," she said sweetly. She wrapped her hands around his neck and gave him a sweet smile. This only made him angrier, he hated being touched without his consent by anyone. And her hands disgusted the part of his skin she touched.


    Ander grabbed hold of her waist and forcefully threw her to the ground. The girl fell to the ground with a thud and screamed in pain.


    "What was that for?" she asked in a pained voice. She stared at him like a victim who has been unjustly treated.


    "Get out," the prince demanded and strolled over to the bed. He removed his jacket and dropped it on the ground. He went to unbutton his shirt when he felt her finger crawl up his chest.


    "Are you trying to tell me that my body doesn''t please your eyes, my prince? I have often been told that my beauty was out of this world," she whispered in his ear and kissed him on the neck.


    "Whoever told you that was blind and a fool," Ander said and placed his hand on top of hers.


    "Owch," she screeched in pain and removed her hands from him to see them burnt. He had burnt her hands.


    "I wonder what Francis will do or say to you when he realizes you have feelings for him," the girl said walking away from him.


    "It will be your word against mine. No one will believe you," Ander said confident that he was safe, he heard the door close right after. He turned on the candles in the room and went to the bathroom to take a bath.


    The water in the pool was warm, he added some herbs that he uses to help him relax into the water and got in. He sat down in the pool and let the warm water wash away all his worries and stress.


    "I love you Francis and I would wish to be with you more than anything but I have to let you go," he said sadly. "Avan has done so much for me, this is how I will repay his kindness," he added.


    He took a bowl and used it to pour the water on his body. He felt at peace with himself that he wouldn''t have to feel guilty for anything now. He would just try to pick up the pieces of his life and try to find the silver lining to his nights.


    Unaware of the commotion that was going on in the family room he enjoyed his bath. He could feel his heart being light when he let go of all his troubles, he got out of the bathroom and wrapped a towel around his waist.


    He used another towel to dry his hair when he heard the door to his room being forcefully opened. He was startled and got out of the bathroom to check what was going on.


    He found everyone in his room and they all had weird expressions on their faces. "What is going on here?" he asked getting the attention of all of them.


    "Nothing much," Sofia said taking a robe and covering him with it. "We were so happy and came to share some good news with you," she said nervously with her hands shaking.


    "Good news?" Ander asked having a bad feeling about what they all came to tell him.


    "Yes dear," his grandmother chipped in."We have a girl that would be a perfect bride for you," his grandmother said happily.


    "What?" Ander asked with disbelief. He was not sure why they were talking about his marriage so suddenly. He didn''t even know that they were looking for a girl for him. It enraged him how they could take such a big step for him without even talking to him about it.


    "Come on in," his aunt said. He turned his attention to the door and waited. A girl dressed in a blue ball gown walked into the room and took a stand next to the queen.


    "She is Natalia, the girl that we have chosen for you," she introduced the girl and Ander froze. He recognized her scent, she was the same girl that had troubled him before he went for his bath.


    "I refuse this alliance. I am not going to marry this girl," he said seriously.


    "But she is so nice and would be good company for you. Won''t you give her a chance?" Francis asked him.


    He averted his gaze from the girl to Francis. He looked into Francis''s eyes. "No, I won''t marry her and that is final," he said and stormed off back into the bathroom.

 Chapter 87 - Anders Rage

    Alex was enraged at the rude way that Ander had behaved. He couldn''t stand how he seemed to get worse every single day. He strolled to the bathroom and pushed open the door, he took hold of Ander''s wrist and pulled him out of the room.


    "You are going to sit down and listen to us. We are tired of your stubborn behavior," he told strictly and forced Ander to sit on the bed.


    "I have listened and I have told you how I feel about the matter," Ander said. He was doing his best to contain the anger and pain that was brewing in his heart at the unreasonable decision his family had made.


    "Listen, you are going to get ready and return to the party with us. You will get engaged tonight," the king ordered.


    Ander heart fell hearing the order from the king, no one was willing to listen to him. He didn''t want to marry that girl, he wasn''t even sure that he liked girls or whether he could ever try to be with one but no one seemed to care.


    He got up from the bed and ran over to Francis''s side. "Please, don''t let them do this to me," he pleaded to hold on to his hand.


    "Enough of your acting Ander. We only want what is best for you," his grandmother said getting irritated.


    "I don''t want to marry that girl," he cried out in a pained voice. "Francis, please stop this," he begged.


    "I''m sorry Ander, I can''t help you. You will have to listen to your elders. This will be good for you," he said sadly.


    Ander''s hands that held on to him dropped, he stared at Francis with shock. His heart shattered to pieces, he felt betrayed and abandoned. He backed away from Francis and looked at the king.


    "Okay," he said in a calm voice. His answer surprised everyone but they were happy that he agreed to marry Natalia.


    Natalia jumped up with glee when she heard his answer. She was elated that she would become the princess of Arimelari and would marry the prince. All her dreams were within her reach.


    "Great," Alex said relieved.


    "Now get out of my room," Ander said his voice ice cold and his aura becoming dangerous.


    "Ander dear," Sofia called out surprised by his sudden change. She walked over to him to hold him but he evaded her touch.


    Ander grabbed hold of Alexander''s hand and pulled him towards the door and threw him out of his room. Everyone went pale at the sight of the scene before their eyes.


    "You," Alexander said his anger flaring up.


    "Lower your voice," Ander said unmoved by his anger. "Raising it higher won''t make me want to listen to you. You have said what you came here to say, now get out," Ander added.


    He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around to check who dared to touch him and felt his cheeks burning and a ring in his ear. He looked up to realize that Francis had hit him.


    "Is this the way you talk to your elders? He is your father," Francis scolded.


    "I don''t have a father," Ander said. "My father died long before I was born," he added earning another slap from Francis.


    "Saying that won''t make it true. It is just an illusion that you can try to believe in but it won''t ever become a reality.."


    "Just like your love for me," Ander said interrupting him. "It was just an illusion that lasted only a day. Am I right?" he added.


    "Th..that. I meant every word I said to you but you. You lied to me, you only pretended to be a good person to fool me. You proved me wrong about you and everyone right, you are a bad person.."


    "Finally," Ander cut him off. "You have accepted the truth about me. You have come to understand me for who I am and I have now seen your true colors too," he stated.


    "Ander baby, please calm down," Sofia pleaded. She didn''t like how tense the whole situation was becoming. Her heart was fearful of how everyone was handling the matter. She feared that what they were trying to avoid is the future they were headed to with the way things were escalating out of control.


    "Don''t call me that," he said turning his attention to the queen. "When you call me your baby or your dear, it hurts because I know you don''t mean it. I am not your son."


    "Sweetheart.."


    "What did I just say?" Ander yelled startling the queen. "If I was your son, you would have talked to me before making such a big decision in life. If you treated me like a son then you would listen to me when I say that I don''t want to marry and you would have told me the truth about my father and mother but you didn''t do that. Instead, you lied to me all my life."


    "I was just trying..."


    "You are not a good person and you are the worst mother in the whole world. I am glad that you don''t have children or else they would have suffered all their lives with you as their mother," he said angrily.


    Before he realized he had received another slap. The slap was so hard that he felt dizzy for a moment. He raised his head to meet his father''s angry gaze.


    "What an ungrateful brat you are. After everything she had done for you is this how you talk to her?"


    "I have waited sixteen years for your love and affection and even after the long wait I still didn''t get that from you. I have watched shower, everyone, in this room with love the whole day, and not once did you even glance in my direction," Ander said. The tears that he had been suppressing found their way down his cheeks.


    "Love and respect go both ways. Don''t expect me to give you something that you never gave me," he stated.


    Alexander raised his hand to slap him but he caught it. His eyes became pure black as he watched him. "Have you forgotten so quickly how our last fight ended," he asked with a wicked smile on his face. "You are very lucky that you hadn''t slapped me again because what I am about to tell you will hurt far worse than a slap and that I can promise you," he said not letting go of his hand.

 Chapter 88 - Birthday Surprise

    "There you are," Avan said in a cheery voice interrupting the tense environment in the prince''s room. "Come on, we are going to be late," he said and took Ander''s hand that was holding the king and dragged him out of the room.


    He didn''t need to turn around to know that Ander was mad at him. He could feel it from the intense glare he felt in his back. He hurried with him to the royal lake before letting go of his hand.


    "Why am I here?" Ander asked his voice returning to normal. He had forgotten all that A Avan had done to him in the past so he was yet to have anything to hold against him. He just wished his family had given him a chance to change.


    "For your surprise," Avan said. He clapped his hands twice and the whole lake lit up with lights. There were beautiful decorations around the lake and the ground in which he stood was filled with flower petals.


    "What is the meaning of this?" he asked the boy.


    "Happy Birthday my prince," Avan said happily. "It''s midnight of the day you were born, congratulations on becoming a year older," he said to him.


    Ander''s eyes softened, he was that he had forgotten his own birthday. But in his defense, he had so much going on in his life that he didn''t have time for such things. He was shocked that a stranger remembered his birthday when his family didn''t.


    ''Even she forgot,'' he thought the image of the women he had called mother for many years appeared in his mind. ''Why wouldn''t she? She is not my mother.''


    "What happened?" Avan asked worried noticing the change in his mood. "Don''t you like it?"


    "It''s perfect. You are perfect," he said and ran down the path of lights. He was curious to see where the path led and what other surprises awaited him there.


    "Did he just compliment me?" Avan questioned confused by Ander''s reaction. He seemed to have misjudged him a lot. The whole night he hadn''t heard a single mean thing from the prince. He felt his wish coming true but he still felt a bit sad.


    He had been called by his father to hear the good news that they had made, he stood outside the room and heard everything that happened inside. He found Ander''s anger justified, it was unfair that they reacted like that just because they found out that he liked Francis.


    Love wasn''t a crime and you can''t force the heart to feel what it doesn''t want to feel neither can you make it forget so easily who it once beat for. He planned the surprise to cheer him up and prevent him from doing something he might regret in anger.


    He got out of his thoughts and went after the prince. He had his fingers crossed that he won''t dislike the surprise that he had prepared for him. He found the prince under the tree standing with no expression on his face. He couldn''t read whether he was disappointed or happy.


    The tree was covered with fireflies to provide light and they were different painting of him hanging on different branches of the tree. Underneath the tree was a table with two candles on each end. All his favorite food was set in the middle of the table with complimentary wine on the side.


    "Are you okay?"


    Ander averted his gaze from the sight before him and gazed at Avan. "What did I do to deserve this?" he asked him. There were tears in his eyes and his lips were trembling.


    "I thought you might like it. I''m sorry if..."


    "I don''t like it," Ander said interrupting him.


    Avan became sad when he heard that, he truly thought that he had at least tried to meet his standards as a prince. "I love it," he added.


    He gave Avan a warm hug with a genuine smile on his face. "This is the best gift I have received in forever," he whispered in Avan''s ears and broke the hug. He took a step to reach the tree and flowers petals and snow started falling on him.


    He stopped and looked up, he stretched his hands out and let the cold snow hit his skin, that is when he realized that he wasn''t wearing anything on the top part of his body because of what happens in his room but he didn''t mind it. He loved the feeling of the ice on his skin.


    Her smile widened in his face and warmth bloomed in his heart. He looked back at Avan with teary eyes. He was truly happy, every year he would have a ceremony in the palace. Many of the guests were strangers he never knew and couldn''t talk to and half of the time he was always yearning for his father that he never got to enjoy any of his birthdays.


    His mother showered him with love but it was on his birthdays that he truly felt the loneliness that was his life. Most of the gifts he received laid in the royal storeroom unopened since he never wanted them.


    For the first time in his seventeen years, he felt happy on his birthday. The party wasn''t grand but it was romantic, there weren''t any strangers around just someone who cared for him. He didn''t think about his father once, it was only him and Avan.


    "Are you going to stand there all night? I am hungry," he said and walked to the table. ''Happy Birthday Ander,'' he read the words that floated around the table.


    "Let''s eat," Aban said drawing his seat for him.


    "No cake," Ander said with a pout.


    "I didn''t have a lot of time on my hands. I didn''t get you cake."


    "This is not right. A birthday is incomplete without a cake, that is the whole point of a party. The cake is the reason people celebrate their birthdays," Ander complained.


    Avan felt speechless, he had prepared so much for him and he was being stubborn over cake. He looked at him but he didn''t notice any anger in his eyes only a childish pouty face.


    "You''ll get your cake tomorrow, I''m sure there will be a big party and a big cake for you," he said.


    "I won''t eat until I see a cake," Ander said stubbornly.

 Chapter 89 - Like Glass

    Alexander sat in his room too angry to talk to anyone. He was shocked by the encounter that he had with his so-called son. He hated the way that he was rendered helpless by his son.


    Tonight he was reminded of the day that he was unable to protect Francis from him. He had healed but the scar on his wings remained to remind him that he was no match to Ander.


    He hit the table hard with his hand, his anger flaring up. The anger in Ander''s eyes was so intense he could feel a chill ran down his spine when he held his hand. He was confused about what to do.


    The warning from his mother of the future in which Ander kill him and everyone and Francis''s advice of using love to change the future troubled his mind. Till now he only thought that Francis was a fool for trying to get along with Ander but he was beginning to understand what he was trying to achieve with it.


    He stood from the chair and paced around the room replaying everything in his mind. He was worried about what Ander wanted to tell that would hurt him right before Avan took him away.


    "What did he mean by it will hurt much worse than a slap? What could it have been?" he asked when he heard a knock on the door.


    He wondered who it was that bothered to trouble him when he had made it clear that he didn''t want to be disturbed.


    "Come in," he instructed and waited. The door was pushed open to reveal the queen by the door.


    "I know you are busy but can I come in?" the Queen asked him nicely. Alexander nodded and let her in. He offered her a seat.


    "What can I do for you?" he asked her. With his understanding of her, she probably came to him to complain about what happened to Ander. On normal occasions, he wouldn''t even listen. to her but the future of his kingdom was at stake and he owed it to his late father to prevent that from happening.


    "I wanted to talk to you concerning Ander," she said fearfully.


    "Tell me," he said taking hold of her hands to stop them from shaking. "Don''t be afraid to speak your mind," he added surprising the queen.


    "He was very unhappy about the marriage alliance and I understand why you all want the wedding to take place but I don''t think we should go through with it," she said in one breath afraid she might back down from speaking up for Ander.


    "Why do you say that," Alexander questioned. He knew she had a lot to say and he was ready to listen. She had raised the boy as her child and loved him all his life, so perhaps seeing things from her point of view might help him find a solution to the problem at hand.


    "You were married to Olivia at a very young age. The two of you weren''t a perfect match as both were different people at heart and look at how that turned out," she said. "That girl Natalia told us about Ander''s love for Francis only so that she could get him for herself. I don''t know why but she reminds me a lot of Olivia," she added.


    The point she made did make sense, it was definitely like Olivia to use people''s weaknesses to get what she wanted. She also knew exactly how to manipulate everything in her favor.


    "Ander is already so angry, selfish, and cunning as it is. Do you think marrying him to a girl who is just like Olivia would be good for him?" she asked Alex. Alex had no words to reply. He was only now realizing the mistake he was about to make. The girl marrying Ander would make him eviler.


    "Only light can eliminate darkness Alex, not darkness," she stated. "It would be a big mistake on our part to do this. Not just to Ander but the whole of Arimelari."


    "But we have given our word that the wedding will take place. As the queen and king we can''t go back on our word," he said to her.


    "I know but that doesn''t mean that we can''t try to fix our mistake somehow," she said to him.


    "But I want to ask a favor from you before we proceed," she said drawing Alexander''s attention. He was curious about the favor that she wanted from him.


    "Name it."


    "Can we handle Ander''s matter as the king and queen of Arimelari? Looking at it as his parents seem to complicate things with the tension between everyone," she said and Alexander smiled.


    This was the reason that she chose him as his queen when all went wrong. She was just like Silvia, she was smart, kind, and most importantly wise. She knew how to go about things in a way that solved the problem instead of creating more problems like he seems to be doing.


    "Okay," he replied not having any other solution of his own.


    "This means that when you are with him, you cant bring up the past or get angry at him for no reason. You have to stay calm and handle him like glass," she said making him grown at her last statement. "Like glass if not careful it might break and we will end up hurt if we try to pick up the pieces," she explained.


    Alex became more confused when she explained it. "What do you mean?"


    "He is already at the edge if we push him any more than that. He will be at a point of no return and we won''t be able to stop him from destroying everything."


    "Hasn''t he reached that stage. It seemed to me like he has lost all his humanity," he stated sternly.


    "Come with me," she said.


    Alexander followed to the hidden exit of the palace that was for emergency purposes only. He wondered why she was leading him out of the palace in the middle of the night instead of telling him how to save the kingdom from his son.


    "Where are we going?" he asked when they got to the woods.


    "Almost there," she said not answering his question.


    "Wh..."


    "Shhh," she shushed him before she completed his statement and pointed ahead.


    Alexander followed the train of her hand and was surprised by what he was seeing. He moved closer hiding behind the bush and watched closely.


    "Still think he has lost his humanity?" she asked him joining him behind them as they watched Ander and Avan play around the huge tree full of lights.


    Ander and Avan used their magic to create the night sky around the tree, they played pretend that they were in the sky moving around the numerous to get to the moon. The first one to reach the moon wins, with designed obstacles to hinder their path to the moon.


    Ander was all smiles, he laughed each time Avan fell from his unicorn which was all the time. If it wasn''t for the terrible way that Avan rode the unborn he would have thought that the male was faking the fall just to make him laugh.


    "You should give up. I haven''t won yet but competing against feels like I have already won," he said to the male.


    Avan got up from the ground and threw a snowball at him which he easily dodged before continuing to laugh at him. "You don''t just ride terribly but you also aim wrong."


    "He is just a child with anger issues Alex and it is only possible to see that if you look at him without your anger clouding your eyes," the queen commented. "While I was thinking about it earlier, it occurred to me that he might not even be in love with Francis," she said to him.


    Alexander looked away from Ander and stared at his queen waiting for her to explain what she is talking about.


    "He is yearning for love from his loved once and he feels that no one loves him. But Francis has always been by his side since he was a baby, he has gotten used to him that he is mistaking his affection as love," she explained. "He is afraid that he will leave him too and that is why he is being obsessive. He just doesn''t want the constant thing in his life to go away from him," she added.


    "So what does he feel for Francis?" Alex asked being relieved at the possibility of Ander not being in love with Francis.


    "He is fond of Francis and enjoys his company but not as a lover, he is young and is easily confused," she said pulling him away from there.


    "So how do we let him see that he doesn''t really like Francis as a lover?"


    "It won''t be easy but it isn''t impossible. We just have to let him truly fall in love and not with that snake Natalia, she will confuse him more," she said and stroked her chin to think.


    "Do you have anyone in mind?" he asked her.


    "Avan," she replied.

 Chapter 90 - Faceless God

    The party ended, everyone returned to their homes and called it a night. The dragon prince went to sleep with a smile on his face. It had been the best night he had in a while.


    In the dark forest of Arimelari, a shadow walked with his hood covering his head. He moved slowly in the darkness as the silence of the forest kept him company. There were no sounds in the forest, all the animals had gone into hiding feeling his presence in the forest.


    The person was in no hurry, he took his time to reach the village and slowly made his way to the palace. When he arrived he walked past the guards without being seen and went inside.


    He sped up his movements once inside the palace grounds until he arrived at the prince''s room. The door to the room opened without him touching it making way for him to enter.


    He walked inside the room and went over to the bedside and glanced down on Ander who was fast asleep.


    "Beautiful," he muttered in a whisper. He tapped Ander''s forehead lightly not to wake him but the mare touch made Ander come to his senses and become alert. "Can anyone be more beautiful than you," he said tracing a line down Ander''s cheek?


    Ander got hold of his hand and forcefully pulled him, caught by surprise, and pinned him below him on the bed. Reaching out to the spelled knife under his pillow that is coated with dragon breath he kept the knife at the person''s neck before lighting the candles in the room with magic.


    "Who are you?" he asked using his free hand to remove the hood from the person''s face to have a look at his face.


    "Who I am is not important but you are," the person said. Ander was shocked when the hood came off. Only a dark mist was under the hood.


    "What in the world are you?" he asked getting away from the creature on his bed that lacked a head and a face.


    "They call me the faceless god," he replied his question getting up in the bed. He floated over to Ander who was too shocked to move. "You need not fear me after all you are just like me," he told to him.


    "I a..am n..nothing like you," he said nervously backing away from the faceless monster. He had never been so nervous in his life nor had he ever found anything that would scare him until date. He was always the one causing people to tremble and now he was trembling.


    "You are just like me. I have been watching you for quite a while and I must say that I admire what I saw a lot," the faceless god stated.


    Ander sprinted out of the room and ran for his dear life. It had not even occurred to him once to use his magic to attack the faceless beast that was following him. He could only think of one thing. Getting help.


    He ran to his father''s room and knocked on the door repeatedly as it was locked, with his eyes watching out for the faceless monster. He saw the creature at the corner and panicked. His hand kept knocking on the door even after it was opened.


    When he realized that the door was opened he ran inside and hugged the king. "Help me," he said with his eyes closed. His hands wrapped tightly around his father not wishing to let go.


    "What is wrong Ander?" Francis asked him. He didn''t dare respond nor did he bulge when Alex was trying to remove him from himself.


    "What are you doing?" he asked angrily before he lowered his voice recalling his conversation with Sofia. He stopped trying to push him away and exhaled to rid himself of the anger he was feeling. "It''s alright. I am here nothing will happen," he said taking the boy to the bed not letting go of him.


    "What do you think scared him," Francis questioned Alex. They tucked Ander in bed and brushed his head repeatedly to calm him. Ander held his father''s hand not letting go and closed his eyes to sleep when he was asked to.


    "Hey," he had a whisper in the dark and opened his eyes. "It''s rude to run away from your guest like that," the faceless god said. Ander''s hand that held his father tightened.


    "Wh..what do you want from me?"


    "I should ask you that. You are the one that summoned me here," he said.


    "I did not," Ander said and shifted on the bed to hug the king''s hand for protection when he started falling into the darkness before he found himself in his room on the bed.


    "Now we can talk in private," the faceless god said with the hood back on. "You caught me off guard before. I didn''t mean to scare you," he said reaching his hand to remove the hood on his head.


    Ander wanted to look away but he was too scared to. The person before him had a cold aura, it was a feeling similar to what he expected death to feel like. He couldn''t tell why he felt so scared of the faceless god but his instincts told him that he wasn''t to be messed with.


    When the hood came off the faceless god had a beautiful face with fine features in his face. Beautiful blue eyes, a sharp straight nose. Pink thin lips that wore a sweet smile on it and black long hair that went down his back.


    "Is this better," the god asked in a sweet seductive voice.


    Ander was stunned at the beauty that stood before him. For a minute he forgot about his fear and watched him in awe.


    "I thought you said you have no face," Ander stated confused and thinking the god to be a liar.


    "I did and it is true. I have no face of my own, I get a face depending on the person I face. The face changes but the heart remain the same," he explained to him.


    The prince was still hesitant to speak to the god but his fear lessened a little bit the pretty face he wore. He put up a brave face and pushed his fear of the male to the back of his mind.


    "What can I do for you?" he asked the god.


    "You look beautiful when you are acting brave. I love it," he said and made Ander''s face turn red from his compliment. "But I should warn you that I feed off negative energy so I can still feel your fear oozing out of you," he added.


    "I''ll remember that but what did you mean when you say that I summoned you?"


    "Your fire beacon of massive negative energy drew me to you. It was a call that I couldn''t refuse," he said. "It is very late, you should get some sleep and we can catch up in the morning."


    "Ido not see." he began to say but laid back on the bed and fell asleep.


    "I will see you in the morning," The faceless god said and covered his head with a hood again. He walked out of the room, the palace was filled with darkness. All the candles going off with his presence. A cool breeze was passing through the halls announcing his arrival to everyone in the palace.


    The night was cold for everyone. It was freezing with every person in the palace being haunted by their worse fears. The fear they felt in their nightmares fed the faceless monster who enjoyed the meal while gazing at the stars.


    "I can''t wait for the beautiful time that I will spend with you my dear Delemare," he whispered to the stars that watched back at him. "Too bright," he said.


    The dark clouds darkened even more covering the moon in the sky and the stars. The night sky was completely dark with no light whatsoever.


    ''Much better," he said and smiled. He leaned back on his seat enjoying the cold of the night. Closing his eyes he watched all the dreams of the people in the palace get stronger and stronger.


    The one that interested him the most was that of the prince''s dream. It was so negative that it pleased him, the anger and hatred in the young prince''s heart were so much that it burned like the fire of hell. But unlike the fire of hell, something was extinguishing the fire slowly. He wasn''t able to see the face of the person who walked into the prince''s dream making his nightmares go away.


    "We can have you around, now can I?" he said furiously at the thing that disrupted his feast of food.


    He opened his eyes and they were as dark as the surrounding around him. He was engulfed in the darkness that it was difficult to make out that he was standing right there.

 Chapter 91 - Only You

    "Good morning and a happy birthday, my darling."


    Ander turned around to see his mother standing behind him with the servants carrying his breakfast.


    He ran to her and gave her a tight hug. He had missed the warmth of his mother, with all the anger he had been feeling. He was blinded by rage that he couldn''t see how much she loved him.


    "What is this for?" she asked.


    "For being the best mother in the world," he praised.


    "You are in a good mood. Tell me, what happened to you."


    "I''m sorry. For all the bad things that I said to you. You are the best mom ever," he said all smiles. "I love you mom, don''t ever stop being a good mother to me," he added.


    "Let''s have breakfast," she told and took him by the hand and led him to the balcony. They sat down with the sun beating down on them and enjoyed the tea.


    "He loves me," he began to say.


    "Who my child?"


    "Father, he cares for me. Deep down underneath all that anger that he feels for me. He loves me," he let out.


    He looked up to the sky, the sky was blue with few white clouds. The clouds made a lot of different shapes, one of them even looked like a castle.


    The way his father stood for him and cared for him made his heart swell with joy. It wasn''t a big thing what he did but the fact that he wasn''t pushed away meant the world to him.


    "I am glad to hear you say that," his mother said.


    "It made me think overnight and I have a surprise for dad. Today at my party I will announce it," he informed her. "I want father and Francis to be together. That way I can have them both for myself," he added.


    "Are you sure baby?"


    "Yes, I''m going to go and tell Avan right away. He should know that from today we will be brothers," he said. He set his cup of tea down on the table and ran off without saying goodbye to his mother.


    He rushed out of the room in a hurry and ran to find Avan. He looked around the palace for the boy.


    "Hey, have you seen Avan?" he questioned the maid.


    "He went out with Ella and your uncle. Your uncle said he wanted to hunt you a deer for your birthday," the maid replied.


    "I see."


    Ander walked away feeling down that he was able to tell Avan the good news but maybe he will be able to tell him with the rest of the family at his party.


    "You seem happy," he heard a sweet voice say at the corner in front of him. He rushed forward to find the source of the voice only to come face to face with the faceless person who calls himself god.


    "You."


    "Why are you so happy?" he asked.


    "Because of you. If you hadn''t shown up in my life when you did. My eyes would still be clouded with anger that I wouldn''t be able to see the truth," he told excitedly.


    "I''m glad I was so helpful," the male said repressing the frown on his face. He smiled not wanting Ander to see how angry he was.


    "Not just that I want my father and Francis to get married together. That way I will have immense love from both of them and Avan will love me too, I will his brother so he will have to shower me with love," Ander said happily unable to stop himself from stopping after she started talking.


    "It makes me happy to see that you are so happy. But I would celebrate just yet if I were you," he said causing Ander to frown with displeasure in his face.


    "Why do you say that. Look, I know why you would think that even I thought that but after yesterday. I know that my father cares for me and he deserves to be with the one he loves and I shouldn''t stand in his way," he explained.


    "True but for every action, there is a reaction. Think about it, he protected you for a second, and now you think that he is the best father in the wo...."


    "What are you trying to say?" Ander asked interrupting him. He didn''t like where he was going with the conversation and the way he spoke about his father.


    "Not much, it''s pretty obvious for someone with a brain to see what happened. Your father has hated you since the day you were born and all of a sudden he stands up for you. It seems like he is playing you," he said.


    "Why are you so negative?"


    "Let me show you," he said. He took Ander''s hands and together they went over to the throne room. They stood and watched the excitement of all the people in the room. It was as if they were invincible since the others couldn''t see them.


    "Are you sure of what you are saying?" Alex asked Sofia.


    "Yes, Ander wants the two of you to reunite," she informed them.


    The queen mother poured a glass of wine for everyone in the room to celebrate the good news. She was so happy that the future had changed and that she wouldn''t have to watch her grandson kill her son.


    "I''m so happy for the two of you," Malia said giving a kiss to both Alex and Francis.


    "Thank you," they both said in unison.


    "Congratulations brother," Mordecai said filling his cup with more wine.


    "I love you, baby," Francis said sweetly to Alex.


    "Baby?"


    "You once told me that you hated it when I call you with your name so now I have a pet name for you. I love you," Francis explained lovingly to him.


    Ander watched everything, he smiled at how beautiful and happy his family looked. Ge just wanted to jump out of the corner and embrace his family. He wished more than anything to be a part of their happiness. To smile with them and feel the love.


    "They look so happy, it means that I am making the right decision," Ander said.


    "True but that''s because you are looking at it the wrong way. There is more than one way to kill a rat, my dear," the faceless god said and took him away from the room.


    He took him to his father''s room and waved his hand in the air, the whole conversation the king had with the queen became visible to him.


    "Now do you see what happened? Your father did what he needed to do to get the one he loved and that is exactly what happened."


    Ander closed his eyes letting the tears fall from his eyes. "All of them said and did what they wanted you to hear and see so that you can give them what they want," he added.


    Ander felt the world going round, he was dizzy from all the things he was hearing from the male''s lips.


    "I wish they loved you, Ander, you are beautiful and you deserve all the love in the world," he said to him. "Let me give you the life that they can never give you," he said twisting Ander by the shoulders and pulling him for a long hug.


    ''My deepest apologies Ander but I can''t have you let go of the negative energy within you. You are my perfect match, I have never met anyone more beautiful than you. Body and heart and you can only be mine,'' he thought.


    "I will destroy them for this betrayal," Ander said angrily. He let go and cried in the male''s arms. "I hate them all for this," he added.


    "They are liars and you shouldn''t put your trust in them. I have an idea," the male whispered in his ear before taking him away from his father''s room. "Are you okay with that?" he questioned and Ander nodded.


    They returned to Ander''s room to get ready for Ander''s birthday party.


    "You can call me Amaru," he said while he helped Ander to take a bath. He poured water down Ander soft skin and washed his back. He massaged Ander''s shoulders to calm him down but nothing he did made the tears in Ander''s eyes stop flowing.


    He inhaled the negative energy in the air to his fill, it was energy so powerful that he felt satiated with just one sniff. He loved it and was glad that he got Ander in his control before he went ahead and let go of all the bitterness in his heart.


    It was that darkness that connected them. It called to him and brought him to Arimelari and he had no plans to leave ever again.


    "It will be fine darling. You have me now and I only love you. I love you a lot," he whispered in Ander''s ears in a seductive voice.


    "Do you love just me?" Ander asked turning his head to face Amaru. "There is no one else but me?" he asked and Amaru nodded.


    "I promise, it''s only you," he said and sealed the promise with a kiss.

 Chapter 92 - Complete Family

    The crowd stood by the garden waiting for the birthday boy to come for his party to begin. The queen had gone out of her way to make the party special for the prince.


    The people were curious about the announcement that the prince was about to make. They gossiped about him in groups.


    "You are to enjoy today. As much as you feel the need to include others in your happiness, don''t let it skip your mind that today is all about you," the queen said helping helping him walk to the garden.


    The queen mother took him from her and guided him to the stage that had been made for him. She helped him sit on the weighing scale.


    "Happy Birthday baby," she said to him putting a hundred gold coins on the scale. The scale lifted up.


    One by one the guests took turn to put gold on the scale.With everyone who came to the palace, the scale was cleaned every five minutes. The gold was packed into different sacks and kept aside for him to hand out to the poor in the kingdom when the ceremony was over.


    Ander sat on the scale quietly. He hadn''t spoken a word since he left his room. He went over everything in his mind, he was filled with thoughts. He looked up in the distance to see Francis and Alexander together. They stood with Avan by their side, the way they acted made a tear form in his eye.


    "It should be me," he whispered watching how happy the three if them looked. They seemed like a happy family and it pained him that he wasn''t included in their happiness.


    He averted his gaze away from them and had his eyes set on his mother. She was with Malcolm, certainly talking about the security of the palace with so many guests in the palace.


    They looked so close to each other, had it not been for the fact that she was married to the king. She would be perfect for him.He looked down to the ground, his eyes were teary but he suppressed it. He didn''t let it show.When the ceremony was over he stood up before everyone.


    "Hello," he greeted tr people in the room and had them reply to him in unison. "I would like to take this time to make a few announcements," he said grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.


    " What I would like to say is simple. I would like to announce to all the subjects that there will be three weddings in the palace very soon," he announced causing the whole party to become chaotic.


    The people and the royal family were surprised to hear him say three weddings. They were only aware about his decision to unite Alex and Francis. All the two other weddings came as a shock to them.


    "You must all be worried and shocked by my news but it''s true. My father the king and his beloved Francis will be the first couple to marry," he said.


    The crowd clapped for the two happy for them. Alexander and Francis moved up together to the stage and stood before the crowd.Ander hugged them and congratulated them on the good news.


    "Who is the second couple?" the king asked him.


    "Patience," the prince said calmly. "You will find out in a moment," he added.


    The prince reached his hand letting his servant give him a box. He took the box and opened it revealing two rings in it. He handed the rings to his father and Francis.


    "Finalise the alliance," he said to them.


    The people held their breaths for the beautiful moment for the couple. They were overjoyed by the king and Francis getting back together as it would mean getting their old queen.


    "May I?" Alexander asked Francis.


    "Yes, you may. Now and Forever," Francis replied.


    Alex and Francis exchanged the rings and embraced each other. Francis was happy and full of joy for the happiness that he had been granted.


    He looked up to Ander and noticed the sadness and sorrow in his eyes. He broke the hug and gave Alex a weak smile.


    Ander looked to the crowd. "The second couple to get married will be queen Sofia of Arimelari and General Malcolm of Arimelari," he announced throwing the whole crowd into shock.


    The queen was more shocked than everyone else, she had not expected him to say or suggest such a thing to her. Marrying someone else meant giving up the one thing that meant the world to her. Her son.


    "What are you doing?" the queen mother questioned.


    "I request the two couple to come to the stage," the prince said.


    The queen and the general walked to the stage unwillingly. The queen felt immense fear in her heart of the possibility of losing her child forever.Their was so many inresolved dofferences between her and Ander. Although he spoke to her and smiled at her, she could see that deep down he still had doubts of her love.


    "I will ask the king to officially divorce his wife before all of you and permit her to remarry," he ordered.


    Alexander was speeches of the request that was made. "May I ask to speak to all the royals in present here in private," the king asked.


    The queen mother asked everyone to the family room. She too had a few questions to ask her grandson on his decision to get the queen remarried.


    "What in the world are you thinking by doing all this?" the king questioned angrily.


    "Can you promise me that Sofia won''t have the same fate as my mother Queen Olivia if she continues to stay by your side?" Ander asked.


    "What are you talking about?" the queen mother asked confused. She was trying to make sense of everything that was happening and her grandson was not making it easy for her to understand what was happening.


    "My mother died all because of him," Ander said calmly.He didn''t want to get angry today, it was his birthday and the last thing he needed was his mood being ruined over such silly thing.


    "Your mother died because of her evil deeds," Alex said. He was so tired of being blamed for things he wasn''t responsible for and it enraged him.


    "She died because you let her down.I did a little look on the past and saw everything. She meant the world to you before Francis came along, you pushed into feeling so insecure that she felt that she had to get rid of Framcis to keep what was her''s," Ander explained.


    "Your mother chose to be bad Ander,"the queen mother.


    "Let me ask you something father. If Francis wouldn''t have walked into your life, would my mother be dead?" he asked him. "Can you say with certainty that you aren''t responsible for what she became?"


    His question not just silenced Francis and Alex but all of them. Alex couldn''t answer the question because it was true, Olivia only changed for the worsed after he made Francis a part of his life forever.


    "Can you promise to do things differently. Love and care for both Francis and Sofia equally. Not make her feel insecure and force her to act on her insecurities out of helplessness?"


    "That won''t happen between the two of them Ander," the queen mother reassured.


    "It hasn''t happened until now is only because Francis wasnt a part of the picture and she was too busy raising me to take care of herself. At the end of the day, she is a woman with needs. Emotional and physical needs, can you promise to fulfill both for her?"


    Every question he asked remained unanswered. Alex simply could not give him the answers that he needed. They were all negative and had to stay silent.


    "Can you promise that Francis won''t end up like my mother.He too has a heart and no one can stand seeing the one they love with another. Can you say that he won''t lose it and take it out on my mother, because everyone gets jealous?"


    Alex wanted to speam and say that Francis was not someone to act on impulse but Avan was proof that he too was emotionally driven at times.He found that he was left speechless with his son.He was not liking the feeling of being wrong and him being write.


    "Then do us all a favor and divorce my mother. Give a chance to be with a man who is loyal to a cause, kind and loving. A man who will give her the life you can never give her," he said.


    "But shouldn''t you leave the choice to Sofia?" Malia asked.


    "She will agree. She is my mother and she wants what''s best for me," he said and took his mother''s hands. He looked deep into her eyes.


    "You have always been my mother and father but I need more than just that. You can be happy with this decisions and I can be happy too," he added.


    "Why would you be happy with this?" Sofia asked hoping he would say that he didn''t want her in his life.


    "I will have the father that I have always wanted. I will have a complete family."

 Chapter 93 - Birthday Gift (R-18)

    Alex had no choice but to divorce Sofia as it was the right thing to do. Sofia was forced to get engaged to Malcolm to please Ander. The final couple was yet to be announced as the birthday boy was nowhere to be seen.


    "Did you bring me here to take a bath?" Ander questioned Avan when he was forcefully pooled into the bathroom.


    "Why are you doing all this. I know that you are not happy seeing my father and your father together," Avan found himself saying.


    "I am happy for the two of them and will be for you too," he said to him.


    Avan frowned and stared at him with eyes that pleaded with him to explain what he was going on about.


    "I plan to get you married to Ella. You like her a lot right?" He asked. "Consider it my apologies for the way that I have acted with you in the past," he added referring to the times that he supposedly forced the boy to be intimate with him.


    Avan stalked him until they were standing an arm''s length away from each other. He gazed deep into Ander''s eyes with a dangerous aura around his body.


    "What did you say," he questioned causing Ander to gulp and move back away from him."You want to get me married?"


    Avan felt a nerve in his body about to pop listening to the words that came out of Ander''s lips. It was one thing to reunite their parents but a completely different story for him to speak of marriage.


    "It is my gift to you for what.."


    "Allow me to give you a gift too. It is your birthday after all," Avan said cutting his statement shortly. He reached his hand to Ander''s chin and tilted it up and leaned to the side.


    Before Ander could process what was happening he felt Avan''s lips on his lips. The impact caused his heart to skip a beat and start beating very fast in his chest.


    He moved back to get away from Avan and to stop his racing heart but Avan took a step forward closing the gap without breaking the kiss. He kissed Ander intensely pouring out all his expressed emotions into the kiss.


    Ander was breathless, he felt his knees getting weak with the intensity of the kiss. He involuntarily hooked his hands around Avan''s neck to prevent him from falling with his legs getting weaker.


    Avan licked his lips causing a burning sensation to travel through Ander''s skin and he shuddered lightly. He felt the male''s tongue pushing for entry in his mouth, when he hesitated Avan bit his lower lip causing him to gasp.


    He deepened the kiss, his tongue brushed Ander''s tongue softly making him moan at the sudden contact. Their tongues fought for dominance with Avan emerging as the victor. Avan kissed every corner of his mouth causing him to feel a little dizzy with the lack of air in his lungs.


    He broke the kiss to catch his breath. They both panted to steady their breaths and racing hearts.


    "How do you like my gift?" he asked Ander who was too startled to reply.


    He would say that he didn''t expect Avan to be so bold and kiss him so passionately but the boy had already done that before at school and just like the first time he likes the kiss. What more he had to admit that Avan was a good kisser. He was floating in the clouds of pleasure when he kissed him.


    "Tell me when you want me to stop," Avan whispered in his ear sweetly. His hot breath hitting Ander''s skin made his skin tickle with heat. His body felt hot and he could sense his member getting hard in his pants.


    It was uncomfortable for him but he dared not move. Avan kissed his ear gently and he involuntarily moaned at the kiss. His moans were music to Avan''s ears. It was a sign that Ander was enjoying himself.


    He trailed the kisses down his neck, Ander leaned his head back to grant him more access. He stopped at his neck and watched the expression on Ander''s face. It was just like the first time except that Ander''s eyes were not dark.


    Ander bit his lower lip when Avan bit his adam apple, he suppressed a moan. The male didn''t stop at biting his neck he sucked and kissed his neck while his hand slipped into Ander''s shirt and rubbed on his chest before reaching his nipple.


    Ander whimpered when Avan pinched his nipple. He arched his back at how good it felt to be touched by his warm soft hands.


    Avan played with his nipple, pinching and pulling at it in a teasing manner. Ander could feel heat traveling down to his lower abdomen making his shaft grow in size and be become hard.


    He wanted to speak and tell him to touch his other nipple too but remained silent. He let Avan have his way with him at his pace. He couldn''t feel his legs at this point and his eyes were clouded with pleasure.


    Avan eventually moved to his other nipple and did the sand thing he did with another one. He reached his hand to Ander''s waist and pulled him up so that their chests met. He was able to feel Ander''s erect member through his pants. He smirked and gave out a cheeky grin.


    "Are you hard for me baby?" He asked Ander in a teasing voice his hand traveling down to Ander''s pants and brushing his member lightly. Ander felt a shiver ran down his spine and he trembled in Avan''s arms.


    Realizing that Avan was touching him down there he felt embarrassed and his face turned red with blush. He leaned his head in Avan''s chest to hide his blushing face from the boy.


    "Look up," Avan ordered in a deep husky voice. Ander didn''t dare to obey his order, his grip on Avan''s neck tightened.


    Avan grabbed hold of his member and squeezed it gently earning a sweet moan from the prince. He tiptoed while biting his tongue to prevent such more sound from escaping through his lips. It was so uncomfortable and arousing at the same time to have Avan hold his member in his warm hands.


    "Look up or I will tighten my grip," Avan advised his voice threateningly low.


    Ander lifted his head slowly with his eyes closed, he was so embarrassed to look Avan in the face. Even though he had done this before with him, it felt like the first time since the memories of that night were lost to him.


    He had no recollection of the things they could have done together that night.


    "Will you not look at me," Avan questioned before blowing hot air on his neck.


    Ander groaned with displeasure when Avan tightened his grip on his shaft. It was so painful but he didn''t seem to care. "Open your eyes and I can make your pain go away," he whispered seductively into Ander''s eyes.


    Ander opened his eyes hesitantly and gazed at Avan, he could see desire and lust written all over the boy''s face. For some reason it made him feel good in his heart that he was able to arouse such feeling in him.


    "Good boy," Avan praise releasing his member and moving his hands up his chest. Ander frowned, he wanted him to pay attention to his lower abdomen but he didn''t voice it out.


    Avan helped him to remove his shirt and gazed admiringly at the prince''s six-packs.


    With the tip of his finger, he brushed on Ander''s bare skin making him moan at the sudden contact. His warmth landed on Ander''s pink nipple that was turning slightly red from his earlier teasing and bit down on it.


    Ander felt a little strength he had left in his body leave his body and he stumbled back hitting the wall of the bathroom. He gasped at how good Avan''s warm lips felt on his chest.


    Avan sucked his nipple hungrily like a baby causing the prince to moan uncontrollably. The feeling was one that he had never felt before. His eyes were clouded with lust and held Avan''s head to his chest.


    Avan switched to his other nipple and gave it the same attention before moving back to observe his handy work. He was pleased with how sore and red his nipples were.


    He trailed his kisses down the prince''s chest and grabbed hold of the male''s belt. He pulled it open causing his pants to fall to the ground. The cool breeze inside the bathroom hit Ander''s skin bringing him back to his senses.


    He realized that he stood naked before Avan. He quickly placed his hands above his private area to stop Avan from gazing at his manhood.


    "Don''t you think it''s a little late for that?" Avan asked in a sweet voice and chuckled at his cute behavior. "I have seen you naked before, remember," he said.

 Chapter 94 - Birthday Gift (2)

    The queen mother sent servants in search of Ander to attend his party and conclude the ceremonies. The servants searched around for him in the palace but with no luck. They went over to his room in search of him and halted by the door. The prince was very specific about not entering his room without his permission and with his anger issues, they didn''t dare to go in.


    Ander heard the servants'' movement at the door, he pushed Avan away to get dressed so as not to get caught naked with a boy in his room.


    "Where do you think that you are going," he heard Avan''s husky voice whisper in his ear.


    "We have company, I need to get dressed before we get caught," he said trying get away from Avan who didn''t seem at all bothered by the fact that they were people outside his room who might walk in on them. "Let me go," he ordered getting his voice back.


    The thought of getting caught with Avan in such a state terrified him immensely. He rushed off to leave the bathroom when the door suddenly closed with a loud sound. He closed his eyes and ears in fear before staring back at the male who almost injured his hand that was on the door.


    "It is rude to leave when one is not done with you yet," Avan said.


    Ander could care less about him or what he wanted. He only had to get out of the room. "Sapius," he said and the door flung open. He walked out of the room got dressed and opened the door before the servants did.


    ''You will regret this,'' he heard in his head as Avan''s lips curled up into a smirk.


    He ignored the fear that was cropping up inside of him and went to the party, his mother was relieved on seeing him. She was worried sick that something bad might have happened to him and that was the reason that he was yet to return.


    "Where were you?" she asked him.


    "The queen mother requests your presence at the party," the servants said together in unison.


    "Lead the way," he instructed and followed behind them slowly. He stole a quick glance back and found Avan by the door looking at him with a look that he couldn''t interpret.


    "Fell asleep in my room," he replied with a straight face for her not to see that he was lying.


    "You must have been very tired to have fallen asleep at day time on your birthday while your party is ongoing," he heard a familiar sexy voice say before the seat next to him was occupied.


    He gulped but didn''t say anything. He averted his eyes from his mother and watched the performance down at the center of the garden. He was trying his level best to ignore the s*x oozing male sitting next to him.


    He felt a hand on his thigh underneath the table and froze. His mind went blank when the very hand started rubbing on his thigh moving up to a very sensitive region that was aching for attention since the events in the bathroom. He bit his lower lip and reached his hand underneath the table to stop Avan''s hand from touching him further.


    He grabbed Avan''s hand and halted its movements on his leg. ''Stop it,'' he said to him telepathically.


    ''I wouldn''t have to do this if you hadn''t run away from me,'' Avan replied forcefully removing Ander''s hand from his own. ''It is punishment time,'' he added.


    ''I am a prince and a dragon for that matter, show me some respect,'' he ordered still communicating through the mind.


    ''As you wish,'' Avan said in reply.


    Ander let out a sigh of relive when he felt the male retrieve his hand. He went back to watching the performance. He would not wish to admit it but he was a little disappointed that the male listened to him and removed his hand. The warmth of the pleasure his warm hands brought him were something he wanted more of.


    The feeling of Avan''s lips on his skin trailing kisses down his chest and his nipples were very fresh to him. He cursed the servants in his mind for coming in search of him and scaring him into putting their spasm of pleasure to a halt.


    His grip on the table cloth tightened and his breath hitched when he felt a gentle brush on his member. He jerked back a little surprised but didn''t dare to draw attention to himself. His little brother that had calmed down after the events in the bathroom reacted to his touch and twitched in his pants.


    ''Behave,'' Avan said in a deep commanding voice while sliding his hand into Ander''s pants. His hand brushed on Ander''s bare member causing chills to run down the prince body. He bit his lower lip to prevent any sound from leaving his mouth.


    Avan moved his hand up and down his shaft bringing him so much pleasure. He found himself spreading his legs apart to give his more access to grant him pleasure. He felt hot allover his body and his member continued to grow in Avan''s hand wanting more attention from.


    The feeling was uncomfortable and pleasing. It was painful to continue sitting down with his member fully erect inside his pants. "I need to use the restroom," he said to his mother removing Avan''s hand from his pants. He made sure to cast a spell to prevent anyone from seeing the bulge in his pants before walking out of the room.


    Little did he know that Avan had excused himself from the party and followed behind him. "I need a cold bath," he whispered to himself struggling to walk with his pants pulling on his member with each step.


    He went into the guestroom which was close. He prepared water for his bath and undressed himself. Staring down at hard erection he cursed Avan in his mind. He sighed at his condition.


    "I see that you are all hard and ready for me," Avan''s sweet and seductive voice hit his ear sending him into a panic mode. "I am pleased," he added stalking towards him.


    He unbuckled his belt and let his pants fall down. He removed his shirt and stopped behind Ander. He let the prince feel his naked body from the back.


    "What are you doing?" Ander asked him feeling Avan''s body behind him.


    "Finishing what I started. Completing your birthday gift," he added taking hold of the prince. Wasting no time, he pinned the prince to the bathroom wall. "Try to relax," he said.


    He kissed Ander''s neck to arouse the prince some more, his hand trailed down to the male''s abdomen and grabbed hold of his member, Ander arched his back and leaned his head on Avan''s shoulder. He felt a desirable sensation in his body with the attention he was receiving. He was pressed to the wall with Avan''s grip on his ass tightening a bit.


    He pressed his waist to Ander''s sliding his erection in between Ander''s legs. He moved his waist back and forth sending wave of heat through the prince''s body. The prince held on to the wall with eyes fogged with desire and lust. He enjoyed the tender touch from the warm hand that was caressing his chest.


    He succumbed to Avan''s dominance and relaxed to enjoy the ride. He was getting impatient with just the little touches and wanted more but he was a prince with his dignity to think of. Avan understood what he wanted he started moving his butt on his shaft.


    "This will hurt a little," he said parting Ander''s buttocks to have a clear view of his ass. He muttered a spell under his breath causing his palm to be coated with a liquid. "Ready?" he asked earning a nod from the dragon prince. He bit his lip in a seductive manner and how cute the prince looked when he was intoxicated with lust. The looked suited him best from the angry face he always seemed to wear all the time.


    He inserted his finger into the boy''s ass, Ander gasped at the sudden contact. Avan''s finger was so wet and cold inside him. He groaned in delight when Avan moved hiss hand in and out of his ass hole to get him ready.


    "Aahhhhh," he moaned aloud when he inserted another finger inside him. It was unpleasant at first but the pleasure from his fingers were nothing short of astounding.  "Are you alright?" he heard Avan ask him.


    "More¡­" was all he managed to say while trying to catch his breath. Avan complied and moved his fingers faster. The rhythm was similar to the attention that he was giving to Ander''s member.


    "I can''t wait anymore," he told and removed his fingers from his ass and positioned his shaft at the tip of his hole. Watching the arousal on the prince''s face broke his last control. He thrust his cock deep into his hole.


    "Aaahhh," he screamed with his eyes wide opened. His hands held on to the wall tightly, he could not help but cry feeling his insides being torn apart. Avan halted and caressed his nipples gently to get him to relax and ease up. He gritted his teeth at how tightly Ander''s inner walls were wrapped around his cock.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yes, keep going," Ander insisted.


    Avan moved in and out of him slowly to let him get used to the feeling. Ander cried out in pain when his huge cock moved around in his tight hole. The cries soon turned from that of pain to pleasure. As he began to enjoy the feeling of having Avan inside of him the chosen one picked up the pace and started thrusting him faster and harder.


    "oh..yes¡­right¡­there¡­" Ander cried out in pure bliss. His moan were like music to Avan;s ears which acted as a motivation for him to increase his speed.


    Avan was sliding his hand on his member with the same rhythm as he was fucking him. Ander felt his mind explode with pleasure. "Oh fuck¡­" he exclaimed as he reached his end. The feeling ignited a flame in his heart he didn''t know before that moment. He screamed in pleasure when he kept thrusting at his spot making him shiver with pleasure.


    His movements got faster as he continued to chase after his climax. An electrifying feeling engulfed their bodies, the prince''s body shook before he comed. His mind was filled with anew sensation when Avan comed inside of him. His release felt warm inside him. He never wanted the feeling to end.


    Avan slipped out of him and kissed the nape of his neck before letting him go. Ander''s legs finally gave out and he fell down to the ground. "Get yourself together. You still have a party to attend and happy birthday once again," Avan said. He picked up his clothes and walked out of the room.

 Chapter 95 - Kazar

    "Who are the last couple that will get married?" the king asked causing everyone to turn to Ander.


    "That..," the prince began nervously. His eyes landed on Avan. He gulped and averted his eyes immediately. "I was thinking.."


    ''Suggest my name and you will regret it,'' he heard in his mind. The voice sent chills to his body.


    "Cake," the prince let out. "Let''s have cake," he added.


    "It''s your day so let''s do that if that is what you want," the queen''s mother said.


    The cake was brought by the cooks. It was a seven-tier cake with a dragon on the top. The candle was kept inside the dragon''s mouth to make the fire from the candle look like a dragon''s breath.


    He released a breath he didn''t know he was holding from that close call. He stalked to the cake with the family. The guests got up from their seats ready to sing a birthday song.


    He got to stand next to the king and his mother, his mother lit the candle and asked him to make a wish, he looked around the room but Avan had moved from the place that he stood. He was nowhere for the find.


    ''I wish that love should always be with my family,'' he said. He drew a deep breath to now out the candle.


    ''I would have thought that you would wish for another passionate time with me.''


    He stopped with flashes of the time in the bathroom in his mind. His body was in so much pain after it happened. He was forced to use magic and thank goodness for the super healing that comes with being a dragon or he wouldn''t be able to stand there with everyone.


    ''Won''t you change your wish?'' Avan asked him. ''Change it now,'' he demanded.


    Ander felt an immense urge to obey the orders he received from the male. He found himself wishing for what Avan wanted before he blew out the candle.


    "Congratulations," the crowd cheered. He received hugs from everyone around him one by one. He embraced his father and for the first time, there was no negative energy between them. It was the best feeling in the world.


    He turned around to hug his grandmother but someone pulled him away from her and hugged him tightly.


    "How could you forget me on your birthday?" he heard next to his ear and his eyes glowed. His anger shot up immediately, his mother pulled him away from the boy and stood in front of Ander to shield him from looking at the male before them.


    "It''s time to cut the cake," his mother said nervously pushing Ander towards the cake.


    Francis got scared seeing who it was that had come. Growing up with Ander he came to know everything about him so he didn''t need an introduction to know who the boy was. He also knew how Ander felt about the boy.


    Noticing the rising anger in Ander''s eyes he left Alex''s side and went by Ander. He placed his hand on Ander''s shoulder and squeezed it lightly to prevent him from thinking too much.


    "Cut the cake," he told the boy. He handed the knife to Ander and held it with him. He didn''t trust the prince not to throw the knife at the boy.


    They cut the cake with the crowd singing for the birthday boy. He on the other hand was fuming with Anger, his mood was ruined. The only thing that he wanted was to go far away from the palace right at that moment or better yet kill the boy.


    The piece of cake he cut was divided into many small pieces which he was supposed to feed to the family before the guests can get to eat the cake.


    He picked up the first piece and fed it to his mother. He received a hug and her wishes for him in return. The second cake he fed to the king then to Francis. He fed everyone until he reached Avan.


    His heart skipped a beat seeing that familiar face. He picked a piece of cake from the plate, nervously he reached out his hand to feed him. Just as Avan was about to eat the cake, he was pushed out of the way and someone else ate the cake from his hand.


    The boy held his hand and licked it after eating the cake, all the while maintaining eye contact.


    "What?" he asked Ander feigning ignorance to what the problem was. Ander gritted his teeth in anger, he felt disgusted with his hand after the boy licked it. If he didn''t need his hand, he would have chopped it off.


    He turned away from the boy and returned the plate to his mother. "I am tired, can I be excused?" he asked trying his best to mask the flame of anger that was growing in his heart.


    "Sure," Francis and Sofia said in unison.


    Ander walked past them, the temperature around him getting hot complimenting his feelings.


    "Wait son," he heard his father call out to him. He halted in his steps and turned his head back to face him. He was too angry to be happy about the fact that he called him a son. He gazed at him with a blank face.


    "I would like to give you your gift," he said to him. Ander turned back. "I would like to announce that Ander and Natalia''s engagement to the world. Which will take place with the other two engagements in two days," the king announced happily.


    Ander''s self-control went out the window on hearing the announcement. The shock in his eyes froze him momentarily.


    "Since that is what you want.."


    "No," Francis interrupted him and replied to the king. "Ander won''t get married to Natalia," he said surprising everyone with his refusal.


    "What are you doing Francis, this is what we all decided," the king asked him disturbed with his interference.


    "Nothing, I''m just telling you that Ander won''t be marrying Natalia," he said sternly.


    "You.." Alex let out in anger. He was mad, Francis knew the reason they were doing what they were doing and why and yet he was still choosing to go against him.


    "I agree with the man. Ander should not be married off to this Natalia after all, he is not even attracted to girls," the boy from earlier said. "Am I right dragon prince?"


    Ander remained quiet, he refused to open his mouth in fear. Afraid of what he will do to everyone present in the room if he accidentally let out the spell that was at the tip of his tongue.


    "Ander here has a flare for people of the same gender as himself. He fancies men and can''t bear the sight of women," the boy added.


    "And what is wrong with that?" Francis asked standing in front of the boy to block him from Ander''s view. The look on the dragon prince''s face didn''t look too good and the link they shared was sending him dangerous signals of how dangerous his magic was becoming. He was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.


    "Not saying that it is wrong but how he..." the boy said and paused. He looked past Francis to see that the prince still had a calm appearance to himself. But he was no fool he understood how the prince functioned, he was calm when he was angry beyond words. He smirked in satisfaction.


    "Such feelings aren''t something new in Arimelari, I see no reason why this is such a big deal," Sofia spoke up.


    "But surely you want to let his future bride know of the things that he..." he paused once again. Sofia and Francis were worried that he might finish his statement in front of everyone. Only they knew what was going on and they wished to keep it that way.


    "Enough," the king screamed. He silenced the whole room. "Ander and Natalia will marry and that is final. The prince himself had accepted the alliance himself," he added in a matter-of-fact tone.


    The whole room went silent for a few minutes. "My king, I don''t mean to be the bearer of bad news but....you can get the prince married to the girl but you won''t be able to change his preferences," the boy said. "I mean he will still go out of his way to..."


    "Kazar," Sofia yelled stopping from finishing his sentence. "You have spoken enough now leave from here," she ordered.


    "That is a problem, you aren''t queen anymore since the king has divorced you. What right do you have to command me?" Kazar asked her.


    "But I have the right to throw you out of here," Francis said.


    "Fine, since you all insist then I will leave," he said sweetly and walked past them. He stopped before the prince and gave him a wink before going out.


    Francis ran to Ander and hugged him. Sofia joined the two of them and embraced him too.


    "It will be fine, I am here," they both said in unison.


    The whole of Arimelari was confused. Even the king and the rest of the royal family were not sure of what just happened or why Francis and Sofia were reacting the way he did.

 Chapter 96 - Not A Bad Dream

    "You did a great job," Amaru complimented.


    Kazar smirked at the compliment. He strode over to the window where Amari stood. "I just did what you asked of me," he stated. "It wasn''t that hard to rattle the prince up," he added victoriously.


    "I knew you would be the right person for the job," Amaru said.


    "What I don''t understand is simple. Why would you want to upset the prince on his birthday like this?" Kazar questioned.


    ''I need the prince to be mine. It is only possible if he gives up on other people, the love he has for them is changing the future which I can''t have. I will ensure that the predicted future comes true, no matter the cost,'' Amaru thought while gazing at the sky.


    He didn''t like to do this to Ander buthethe boy left him with no choice. He had a plan and it was all ruined when Ander decided to give his family a second chance. He chooses to let go of his anger and try to make everyone happy.


    Amaru was mad. Not only did he willingly give up his childhood infatuation to his father but he didn''t announce their engagement to the world and instead chose to get close to the chosen one.


    The thoughts of what he had witnessed in the prince''s bathroom made his blood boil with anger. It wasn''t supposed to go like, he was the only one who was allowed to touch the prince. Only he should be the one to fill him with all the pleasures of the world but Avan stole that from him.


    "What are you thinking about?" Kazar found himself asking the boy. He had been watching him for quite a while and read a lot of emotions from him. It was so captivating to see such a beautiful face up close.


    He couldn''t resist the urge to hold Amaru''s chin. Amaru came out of his thoughts when he felt a gentle touch on his face. He looked down at the hand that touched him and frowned.


    "What are doing?" he asked in the iciest voice possible. Kazar trembled at his voice and retreated his hand.


    "There was something on your face," he said sheepishly.


    "Oh," Amaru said unconvinced by his lame excuse. "Doesn''t matter, tonight the black moon dragon will be mine forever," he uttered.


    "What if your plan fails?" he asked the beauty next to him. He wished in his heart that the plan would fail so that he could have Amaru to himself. He hated how everyone always falls off the prince. They always seem to find him so special when he wasn''t.


    So the prince was good-looking, he was a dragon and a powerful witch. What if he had the prettiest smile and was damaged attractively. That is not a good enough reason for everyone to go for him.


    "I never fail," Amaru replied. He continued to stare at the sky not missing the stare he was receiving from the boy next to him. He took a deep breath, feeling the lust, desire, and intense attraction from the boy. He smirked.


    "But if you do, surely you must have other options of people to pick from if the prince doesn''t love you back," Kabar stated.


    "Why? Are you interested in being one of those options?" he asked him. Kazar looked away from him hiding the red color on his cheeks from being called out. "I only have eyes for the prince," Amaru added.


    Kabar frowned.


    *****


    Francis and Sofia helped Ander to his room and waited on him as he slept. They were terrified to leave him alone after what happened at the party. Francis laid beside him to the right while Sofia laid to his left.


    They held his trembling hands to comfort him and give him the feeling of being safe.


    "Why all of a sudden did that boy return to the palace?" Sofia asked her anger very evident in her face.


    "I don''t know. I mean everything was going well. The prince was letting go of his own accord but now," Francis said. His heart was heavy with guilt. Of all the harsh things that he had spoken to Ander.


    He just needed a reminder of the past for his fatherly instincts to kick in fully. He started seeing how wrong the choices he had been making were and how selfish he had been all this time.


    "Now I fear, he might return to distancing himself from the world again," Sofia completed his sentence.


    "I just want him to come out of this fine. Nothing should happen to him," Francis let out.


    The door to the prince''s room came open. The King came in with a plate of food. He walked over to the prince''s bed and watched them. The way they laid on the bed together, it looked like a family. The worry in his beloved''s eyes didn''t skip his notice.


    "Francis," he called setting the food down on the bedside table. "You and Sofia should have something to eat," he said.


    "I am not hungry," they replied in unison.


    His chest tightened. He could count the number of times the two of them said the same statements throughout the day. It''s like the two of them could read the mind of each other. They found a mutual interest in his son that he didn''t understand and we''re being so protective of him.


    "What is going on. The two of you are acting weird?" he dared to ask to at least be aware of what was wrong.


    "Why do you care. Ander doesn''t matter to you so don''t try to act concern," Francis replied him. His statement shocked both Sofia and Alex. He spoke the truth but it was unlike him to be so rude to Alex.


    "I will go outside and give you time to talk in private," Sofia said. "Take care of him."


    She excused herself and walked out of the room. Alex moved to the other side of the bed and laid down beside Ander, he reached out his hand to hold Francis''s hand.


    "Things have been tensed since we got reunited with each other. I understand that it will take time for us to find our way back to each other again like before. But Francis, all that can only be possible if we are on the same page," he explained slowly for Francis to understand him.


    "If we get married then Ander will be our child. How do you expect for us to live happily if you don''t accept him?" Francis asked. His eyes were filled with tears.


    "If it makes you happy then I won''t mind forgetting everything and accepting Ander," Alex said to him.


    "It would make me happy if you accepted him and gave him the love and respect he deserves from you. Don''t just treat him like a slave that has to do whatever you say," Francis stated.


    Alex happily agreed. "Now that we have made up. Mind telling me why you are acting this way?"


    "Stop..i...I didn''t..please...i...stop," Ander muttered in his sleep while turning.


    Francis let go of Alex and held Ander in his arms. The nightmares were back. "It''s fine. You are fine," he said rubbing Ander''s hair to calm him down.


    "He is just having a bad dream. No need to be so worried," the king said adoring how Francis was taking care of Ander.


    "It''s not a bad dream but a bad memory, which you would know about if you took the time to know him," Francis said harshly.


    His words pricked the king''s heart. The fact of things was really painful for him to digest especially with Francis pointing them out accusingly. It made him guilty of the hate and anger he has always had in his heart for Ander.


    "I will do better," he said.


    Francis tried all that he could but Ander was only getting worse. Things in the room started flying around, glasses broke, the lights in the room flickered and the temperature started rising.


    "He must be dreaming of the fire," Francis let out. The King joined him in trying to calm the prince down.


    Just then the door swung open. The Queen Mother along with Mordecai, Malia, Sofia, Malcolm, and Avan rushed into the room.


    "Alex, are you fine?" the queen''s mother asked.


    "I''m okay. Ander is the one who isn''t fine," he replied trying his best to wake the prince from his sleep.


    "I was just worried. The seer came to the party. He told me that before the sun rises tomorrow, the king of dragons will be no more," she informed everyone.


    Francis took Ander into his arms and held him tightly. His fears were getting worse with the information that the Queen Mother had just dropped on him. He was frightened with the thought of Alex''s death just as much he was afraid of Ander getting hurt.


    "Avan, I..." the prince struggled to say. He inhaled Francis''s sweet scent that smelled like lavender with a mix of mint. ''You should never leave me," he whispered before he bit Francis on the neck and sucked on the bite before falling unconscious.

 Chapter 97 - The Dragon King Is No More

    Francis felt his body was on fire after Ander passed out. He was burning from the inside, he set the prince down on the bed. He clutched his neck from the pain. It was an unbearable pain that was forming from his neck to down below. He gritted his teeth heaving for breath as his chest moved up and down.


    Alex left Ander''s hand and ran across the bed to hold his beloved, before he laid his hands on his beloved, his throat tightened and he fell to the ground. It felt as though someone was ripping his soul out of his body. His dragon came awake and he was losing control, it was as though something was fighting him.


    The family froze seeing the sight before their eyes. Confusion and fear ran down their bodies, unable to understand what was happening the only thing that they could do is to pick Francis and Alex and lay them on the bed. The royal physician was summoned into the room to examine the two of them.


    Alex, Francis and Ander moved around on the bed in an uncomfortable way. It was as though they were battling something, the queen mother felt her heart breaking to pieces thinking about what the seer had told them about the dragon king dying before the sun rose in the morning. She could only hope that the seer might have made a mistake and that nothing happens to her son.


    "What happened?" Ella asked Avan entering the room. She watched the three on the bed with worry in her face.


    "We are trying to figure it out," Avan replied to him.


    Ella closed her eyes when her head started hurting, the pain of the flash forced her to hold on to Avan for support. She drew a deep breath trying her best to stabilize herself. When the pain subsided she stared at Avan with a look that the boy didn''t quite understand.


    "What happened?" Avan questioned concerned.


    "The prince and the king are fighting for Francis," she informed him, her voice loud enough for the others to hear her.


    "What?" the queen mother asked. Her worst fear, the thing that she dreaded the most in her life was right before her eyes. The first warning she received from the seer of Ander killing the king for Francis.


    "Wh¡­what are you sa..saying?" Avan asked in a soft breaking voice.


    "Ander is fighting with the king, if he wins he will become the new dragon king," she said replying to the question. "A dragon''s mark on Francis''s neck is similar to the king''s throne among the dragons and Ander has also marked Francis. Now their dragons are fighting for dominance over the mate, only the strong dragon between them will win and if the dragon king loses it will prove that Ander is more powerful than him and if he can steal his mate from him then Alex would be unfit to be king anymore," she added.


    "This can''t be happening," Sofia said worried, she was scared of what will become of her son if he loses the battle. She wasn''t ready to be parted with her son yet. He was too young.


    "How do we stop the fight?" Mordecai asked Ella.


    "You can''t, the fight will end when one wins," she said making her way to the bed. She removed Francis''s burning hands from his neck for all to see. On his neck were two dragons, one as dark as night and the other one golden. The dragon pounced on each other, scratching and biting at each other on Francis''s neck. They fired dragon breath at each other with the intention of destroying the other dragon and from the looks of things, Ander''s black moon dragon seemed to have the upper hand on the fight.


    "It seems the king''s is weaker compared to Ander, he will surely lose and the dragoons will hail a new king," she stated to them. "Francis will belong to him forever," she added breaking the little strength that Avan had in his body.


    "Is there something that we can do to prevent that from happening?" Malia asked unable to accept that they were helpless to anything to stop Ander from committing such a big mistake.


    "There is one way but it is risky and dangerous," she said but the royal family could careless of the risky and dangerous part of her statement. All they cared about was the possibility of a solution to stop the fight.


    "What is it?" they asked together in unison. They looked at her in hope that she would solve their problem for them.


    "We have to interfere with the fight. One of us has to take Ander''s mark from Francis and take it upon themselves. But the person has to be recognized by Ander''s dragon or it will kill him/ her," she said.


    "I will do it," Sofia suggested and stepped forward.


    "The marks will make you his lover, are you sure you want to do that?" Ella asked her. "Moreover, his dragon will kill you the minute his mark touches your skin. You must understand that it will know if you are attracted to him like a lover or not and if Ander sees you in a similar way in the slightest," she added.


    "Then I will do it," Avan volunteered to them.


    "You are a good option but Ander hates you. He won''t accept you as his mate."


    "He will, he won''t refuse me," Avan said confidently. He strode forward and stood before Ella, he was ready to take the risk to save his lover. The thought of losing Ander before they explored the possibility of what could be between the two of them.


    Ella was yanked back with a flash of light; she was the servant of the royal family of dragons. She felt a link with the prince and the king and was aware of the things that was going on between the two in the fight.


    "Ander has won, you have to do this now or it will be too late. The new dragon king is now the prince Ander," she said in a hurry.


    Avan was shocked in hearing this. "Tell me, what do I have to do?" he asked to her. His heart was racing so fast in his chest in fear, his love was slipping away from him right before his eyes and it pained him.


    "Here," she said holding a book before him. In the book there was a spell to transfer the dragon mark from Francis to himself.  He drew the rune in the air and positioned his hand over Francis''s hand. He chanted the words of the spell over and over again to ensure that it works.


    The dragon mark started moving from Francis neck, the black moon dragon felt a pull on itself. It was one that he couldn''t resist. The golden dragon saw this and seized the moment to attack it, the black moon dragon was struggling with fighting between Alex and Avan.


    "Something is wrong," Ella said feeling a different force trying to pull Ander''s mark from Francis. "Someone else is trying to get Ander''s mark from him," she said to everyone.


    "Is that bad?"


    "This is the Ander''s mark we are talking about. It is similar to his soul, if everyone is pulling at it then it will be ripped apart," she said to them.


    Avan channeled the elements in the air, he was pushed with the power of love. He fought with all the forces that wanted to snatch his beloved away from me. He won the fight and got the mark on his body. He released the breath that he was holding when he completed the fight victorious. He backed away from the bed feeling drained, he went to sit down when his eyes suddenly glowed.


    He stood up and glared at the dragon prince on the bed. He raised hand up to his neck with a sinister smirk on his face. He hands released a red glow.


    "Avan nooo," Ella screamed at him in fear, he ignored her voice and released the death spell onto Ander''s dragon mark. The moment the spell took form and destroyed Ander''s dragon mark. The room went silent with the family unaware of what was going on. Before they could ask Ella what was wrong, they heard a loud horn in the kingdom.


    "The dragon king is no more," they heard an announcement from above the palace. It was one of the dragons in the kingdom that had made the announcement. Avan dropped to the ground and fainted. A faint light covered his body and the curse of his body was lifted, he was free of his destiny of killing the blood moon dragon as was the reason he was born.


    "Dragon king Ander is dead," Ella announced to the royal family. The minute Avan''s soul recognized Ander''s soul, his destiny was activated and he fulfilled his destiny and killed the black moon dragon as was his duty.


    Sofia was shocked with the news of her son''s death, she froze in place with tears flowing from her eyes.

 Chapter 98 - The Dragon King Is No More (part Two)

    "No!!," Amaru screamed in the opposite room.


    He froze feeling Ander''s soul-shattering to pieces. His heart stopped beating. Before long he started chanting a spell to assemble Ander''s soul and return it to his body.


    He refused to accept that his perfect plan was ruined and the black moon dragon was gone forever.


    "What happened?" Kazar asked him. He watched him work on the spell curiously. He didn''t know what the plan the boy had for Ander but he was sure, whatever it was had failed.


    Amaru got lost thinking about the prince that he couldn''t hear a single thing that he was saying. The plan was supposed to end with the prince dead, on the contrary, the whole world was supposed to die around them. He just wanted the prince to belong to him alone.


    It was Ander''s fault that he had to stoop to this to get his way. He had a plan, Ander was supposed to announce their marriage to the world and once he had become a part of his life he would get him to build the Arimelari that he was destined for.


    He had not anticipated that Ander would have a change of heart and wish to make his family happy, he also didn''t think that Avan would find a way to the prince''s mind and make have a different dream and desire.


    He didn''t think too far when he planned this, the plan was simple. When Kazar came back into his life, the prince would become emotionally unstable, he had known that Ander in his unsecured state might want to make the thing that he had with him at the moment a permanent factor in his life and when that happens. He would jump into the picture and steal the dragon mark from Avan and become his.


    He didn''t think that instead of Avan it would be Francis who he marks with his bite, and Avan being with the curse to kill Ander. He was unaware of this fact and all thanks to him Ander was gone.


    He was yanked back forcefully when the spell he was casting backfired. It ripped his skin apart with blood gushing out of the wounds.


    Kazar ran to his side worried. He picked him up, scared of him passing away. He rushed him to the infirmary. The royal physician wasn''t around which was odd since he was always on duty but that didn''t stop him.


    He snuck Amaru through the secret passage out of the palace to get him treated elsewhere. He saw a dragon fly above and halted, he thought that they had gotten caught but the dragon paid him no attention at all.


    "The dragon king is no more," he heard the dragon scream and looked down at the beautiful boy in his arms with blood on himself.


    "What have you done Amaru?" he asked him and continued on his path. He was in a hurry to get him help. The forest was dark and he had a bleeding person in his arms which was a perfect recipe for attracting wild animals in the forest. He was acting tough but his body was trembling with fear.


    "Where do you think you are going?" he heard a female voice ask behind him in a low threatening voice.


    "He is hurt, I found him attacked by wild animals," he said lying through his teeth but he couldn''t just open up and tell her the truth that Amaru had just killed the king of Arimelari.


    "Let me see," the woman said and walked over to him. She observed the boy in Kazar''s hand.


    Kazar was petrified. In case the woman knew Amaru and the fact that he might not be a good person terrified him. He couldn''t go down for killing the king. That was an offense punishable by death.


    Annak carefully examined the boy, it looked magic that had wounded him and not wild animals. She was curious why the boy was lying to her and why the two seemed like they were coming from the palace.


    She was no full, she could tell the two boys were up to no good and were fleeing probably from a mess that they had created back from where we''re from.


    She placed her hand on the boy''s head to check if he would make it. After all, he might have done something bad but he was still a child and didn''t deserve to die young.


    "Set him down," she ordered making Kazar afraid.


    "W..why?" he asked her.


    "He won''t make it if his internal wounds aren''t treated immediately. I can help but I need you to put him down," she explained reaching out for the water bottle by her waist. She bends down next to the boy and removed his torn shirt from his body. Kazar watched her movements in case she does something funny.


    She poured the water on top of Amaru''s chest. The water touched his skin causing him to groan. She moved her hands around in the air, the water followed her movements into his body through and cut. She closed her eyes and made her eyes magnify through Amaru''s skin to see the internal injuries in his body.


    She guided the water into the hurt parts of his body, it fixed the parts it touched. The process looked simple but it was extremely painful for Amaru. She went on for a while until he was patched up. She then proceeded to his outer wounds and healed them.


    "Done," she said. Kazar raised his eyebrows in awe. The way she healed him so quickly and smoothly was so awesome to watch from the sidelines. Too bad he was not a witch.


    Annak took one more check on him, she took his hand to feel his pulse. She needed to be sure that he was safe. With all being normal in his heart, she went to check his mind. She placed her hands on either side of his head to see into his mind.


    ''Ander,'' she thought before she was yanked out of his mind. She backed away from Amaru from the force but didn''t let him go.


    "I just need to do one more test to be sure that he is fine before I let you be on your way," she said to Kazar. The boy trusted her, he just nodded his head and waited.


    Annak took her bag out and removed five round stones. The stones were made of four elements each. One was made of fire, air, water, earth, and metal. They belonged to Ander and she had seized them from him out of fear, the dragon prince was always very angry and the stones heightened his powers making him more dangerous to have around.


    She set the stones down on the ground. They were made by his blood moon dragon powers so only he can activate them. Either by touch or just by his essence reaching the stones.


    After waiting for a few minutes with nothing happening she sighed in relief and dismissed the boy and his friend. She got on her way to head to the palace and see her prince. It was his birthday and she brought a gift for him.


    Just then her bag started moving. She opened it and the stones flew out of the bag, they floated in a straight line pointing back in the direction she just came from.


    "Ander," she called out. The stones were reacting very strongly, they glowed with a very bright light. "What sorcery is this?" she asked.


    She was stuck, she could go after the boy and find out why Ander''s essence was on that wounded boy or go to the palace and find out what was wrong. The stones proved that Ander was headed away from the palace but she was unsure why that would be.


    She retrieved the stones, the minute she touched them. They stopped working. She kept them in her bag and rushed to the palace. The palace was quiet, it was unusual when there was a function going on.


    Before long she heard wailing in the main hall, her feet rushed to the hall, her heart was fearful of why there would be sobbing in the palace on such a happy occasion.


    Getting to the hall she found candles on every corner of the room. In the middle of the room laid the dragon prince she came to see. He was pale and lifeless lying there in the middle of the room. He was covered in a white cloth with flowers set all around him.


    He was surrounded by people on each side of his body. His mother was crying in Malcolm''s embrace, it seemed impossible to stop the tears in her eyes. Her eyes landed on Francis and Alex. They sat close to each other but seemed very distant from each other.


    Francis and Avan looked dead inside, it was understandable. They cared for the boy. While regret was the only thing on Alex''s face, he never knew his son and now he was no more. ''This is a wake,'' she thought.

 Chapter 99 - Anders Dragon Mark

    Annak made her way into the hall, she was lost and confused and mostly sad for the loss of the prince. She took her seat next to Sofia and Malcolm not sure why the man boldly embraced the Queen in public like that but was just glad she had someone to comfort her.


    Only the sounds of the cries could be in the room apart from that all else was quiet. The wake was to last till morning before the prince would be put to his final resting place.


    Alexander stared at the lifeless body of his sons with no words to explain how he felt. He was a bad father, that he could attest to and his son died hating him. He couldn''t bring himself to accept that he was gone forever, he never got the chance to make it with him.


    He felt guilty for Ander''s death. He blamed himself for his death, he found that Ander''s death was more painful for him than when he had lost Francis. He had no idea why that is so when they weren''t even that close.


    "Forgive me," he whispered.


    He averted his gaze from the boy and looked around the room to find that most of the people were moaning about the death of his son. He was surprised by the number of people and dragons who showed up at very short notice to be with him before they sent him away.


    "Was I blind that I could not see the good in you?" he asked.


    He closed his eyes, there were no tears in his eyes. He wanted to cry to release the pain in his chest but his tears refused to comply. It felt like karma was punishing him for always putting tears in Ander''s eyes.


    He got up from the floor and walked out of the hall as quietly as he could not disturb the moaners. He took a walk to the garden and sat down under a big tree, leaning his back on the tree he looked up to the sky.


    "Thinking too much isn''t good for your health my king," Annak said joining him. "What is wrong, it isn''t like you to be so quiet," she added.


    "I was just thinking of my conversation with Francis. He blames me for what happened to Ander," Alexander said while playing with his fingers nervously.


    "Why? How did Ander die and how are responsible for his death?" she asked him. The truth was that she was itching to tell someone about the incident in the forest. There is a possibility that Ander is alive just not in his body.


    "I shouldn''t have fought back," Alex mumbled recalling what happened in the room. "Ander was right, my love for Francis makes me blind to the pain I cause other people. All in the name of love."


    "Love is painful Alex, for all who are involved. Be it for the lovers or the supporting characters that witness their love grow. Your story won''t be the first to do that," Annak said trying to comfort him. It is true, over the years she had witnessed many life stories that have destroyed kingdoms and led to millions of lives being ruined.


    "But how can I say that I am without fault. My love for Francis drove Olivia to the edge and instead of trying to bring her back, I distanced myself from her making her worse. And now it has killed my son," Alex stated in a pained voice.


    He hated that Ander was right about him. All that Ander ever wanted from him and the rest of the world was love. Something so simple that grows when you give to others and doesn''t decrease one''s value by giving and he couldn''t even do that. He thought of Ander as a monster but the boy didn''t kill Francis, he just trapped him between the land of the dead and the living. Whereas he who made himself the judge of his son''s life had blood on his hands.


    "Ander was stubborn, emotional, and a little spoilt. You shouldn''t blame yourself for the things he said and done, he was just short-tempered that''s all," Annak said when Alex had gone quiet. She wasn''t sure what had happened but surely he wasn''t the only one to blame.


    "He was only like that because he was denied what was rightfully his," he spoke recalling all the times Ander begged him to accept him. Or the times that he cried all because of what he did in anger.


    The smile on Ander''s face on the eve of his birthday flashed before his eyes increasing the guilt that he felt. He judged him without ever getting to know him and now he was gone forever.


    "It''s all my fault. If I didn''t get Olivia pregnant then Francis wouldn''t have felt the need to create a child that would end Ander''s life," he said giving Annak a little idea of how Ander must have passed away.


    "What would you do if I told you that there might be a chance that prince Ander is alive?" she asked him. Alex''s hands shook on hearing her words. He looked up at her, his gaze sharp and intense.


    "What do you know?" he asked. Knowing Annak, there was no way that she would bring up such a topic in such a moment without having anything to offer.


    "I''m not sure if I am right but on my way here I ran into two boys. One was injured and the other was carrying him. When I healed him and got into his mind, I felt Ander''s soul in the boy. And so I decided to test it, at first nothing happened but then Ander''s elemental stones glowed pointing at the direction the boys went to," she said to him narrating the incident in the forest.


    "What are you trying to say?" Alex asked a ray of hope lighting his face.


    "I am saying that maybe when Ander was dying he might have found a way to cover someone else''s body. It is possible and many witches do it when they are about to die," Annak explained.


    "So according to you, Ander might still be alive?" Alexander asked excitedly.


    "The point to note is might, there us a possibility but it is only a possibility. Until we have evidence that he is indeed alive, we can''t believe otherwise," she said to him before he got too excited. There was a chance that she could be wrong and she didn''t want to get his hopes up just to have them crushed when it turned out to be wrong.


    "Ander is alive," they heard behind them and jumped. Avan appeared before them another released the breath they were holding on to recognizing him.


    "We don''t know that for sure," Annak said to him.


    "But I do," Avan said holding up his shirt. Annak cast a spell to create fire to eliminate the darkness for them to see what he was trying to show them.


    "Ander''s dragon mark?" the king asked. "How is that possible. It was shattered."


    "I don''t know either. I was just inside when my chest started burning so I came out, when I removed my shirt the mark was there," Avan explained. "It must mean that Ander is still alive right?" he asked Annak in hopes that she would say yes.


    Annak nodded her head. This is the evidence we needed, now it''s official. The prince of Arimelari is still alive," Annak announced. A smile bloomed on Avan''s face. Not only was Ander alive but now he was the dragon prince''s mate. He felt overjoyed.


    "I didn''t know you liked Ander that much," Annak stated to him teasingly.


    "I do..don''t," Avan said his voice betraying him.


    "But if Ander is alive how do we find him?" the king asked interrupting the two of them.


    "I can try a locater spell," Annak suggested before they all went with her to her room. It was a separate room where she practices her spells and keeps most of her magic staff.


    She gathered black ask and used it to draw the map of Arimelari on the ground. She took hold of Avan''s hand. "I need a little blood from his mate to track him," she said.


    Avan was more than willing to help her, she cut his palm and his bleed into the map. While the blood stained the map, she began the spell to track down his location.


    Her closed eyes started following the trail that Kazar used to getaway. She was getting close to where they were, she could feel it. She just needed an exact location.


    "Boo," she heard and got startled, she broke her concentration stopping the spell from further tracking down Ander.


    "What happened?" Alexander asked worried that she may bear bad news.


    "Someone disrupted my spell and I think that it was Ander," she said getting her composer back by taking deep breaths. She was certain of the fact, the energy that stopped her belonged to the dragon prince.

 Chapter 100 - I Miss You

    The school was resuming, Avan who was now the crown prince of Arimelari had no choice but to pack his belongings to return to the place that he had avoided for months. With his best friend by his side, he chose to take it one step at a time.


    Ella had convinced him to go back to school and go on with his life. For months he and the king have been looking all over the kingdom for any sign of the boy who stole his heart. The family''s hope of Ander being alive was slowly fading.


    Alexander and Francis ruled the kingdom together, they dared not repeat the same mistake as they did with Ander so they made sure to shower Avan with all the love in the world. Silvia had moved into the palace and lived together with them.


    Sofia and Mordecai got married soon after Alex''s wedding. It was their way of honoring Ander''s last wishes. Malia and Mordecai were blessed with a bouncing baby girl.


    Happiness just never stopped knocking on their doors. They received good news every other day excluding the news that they wanted to hear. One of Ander''s returns.


    It was only Ella who understood how much he had been suffering for the whole eight months. Being a good son like he was, he did his best to keep his pain from his family. He acted tough and happy but in reality, he was sad and lonely.


    On some nights he would feel his dragon mark calling to him and in some, it would move around his chest. He felt Ander''s presence in every part of his skin, which further made his yearning for the boy to grow.


    "Snap out of your thoughts and concentrate," she said. Getting out of my thoughts my eyes and heart glanced up at the school right before us. "You might not have your powers as the chosen one but dark Melchior''s powers are with you. We will not just study but we will go on adventures and maintain the balance of nature," she said to cheer me up.


    Adventures might be exactly what I need, it is the perfect distraction from thinking of the dead/ undead prince of Arimelari.


    Eight months of him supposedly being alive and not even a letter has been seen from him. It was either they were holding on to false hope or the prince hated them to the extent that he didn''t want to return to them.


    He thought that he of all people would get to hear from him but sadly even he was left in the dark by the dragon prince.


    "Sorry," he apologized when he bumped into someone.


    "No problem," a soft voice spoke. He glanced up at the boy that he had walked into and found himself dazed by the beauty of the boy. "Let me help you up," he offered.


    "Avan," he said taking the boy''s hand.


    "Amaru," the boy replied gazing into Avan''s eyes. He held Avan''s gaze inhaling the negative energy around him.


    ''This is what you came back for,'' a voice spoke inside Amaru''s head. ''He is nothing but a waste of time an..''


    ''One more word from you and I will not hold back on you anymore,'' a deeper scarier voice threatened.


    Avan trembled at the sudden shoot in Amaru''s aura. He was feeling the chills in his body. He didn''t show it and pretended not to notice and what more, the dragon mark on his chest had a faint glow in his chest. He wasn''t able to notice with his eyes on Amaru.


    "Are you new to the school?" Avan asked him when it was too quiet for him to be comfortable.


    "Yes, I could use your help," Amaru said to him.


    "Need my help with what?" Avan inquired. He was happy to help. Codependency was what was keeping from going down the evil lane. He tried as much as possible to be there for others, he could see Ander in everyone who needed help and wanted for them to have a different ending.


    "I need to find my dorm room," he said handing the room number to Avan.


    "This is the same room as me. What a coincidence," Avan said excitedly.


    ''Yeah, a coincidence,'' the voice in Amaru''s head said sarcastically. ''Just like it''s a ''coincidence'' that you bumped into each other,'' it added.


    "By all means, lead the way," Amaru stated and followed behind Avan with his luggage. They walked down the corridors with Avan explaining which door leads to what and letting him know of the dos and the don''ts.


    Avan was unaware of the reason he was so comfortable with Amaru. It felt to him like some piece of his life was finally put back in the place where it belonged but what piece, confused him.


    But one thing he was sure of was that he might not be as lonely as he thought he would be. With Ella and Amaru they would have the best adventures in the world, he would then dedicate all of it to Ander.


    They reached the room after a few turns. He pushed open the door and halted. It was the same room he shared with Ander, though the time together was short. He had a few too many memories of the boy in the room.


    "Is there a problem?" Amaru asked him concerned.


    "N..none," he said his voice breaking. He took a step into the room seeing Ander running around the room. How angry he got when his things were touched or when he ''accidentally'' put on the latter''s sweater.


    He smiled watching the prince''s classic angry face that he liked to wear all the time. The only times he didn''t wear the face was when he slept. Either way, he looked handsome and he loved him all the way. He loved all of him, the angry mostly because it showed how much he cared.


    "You are crying," Amaru pointed out to him. Before he realized it, a warm hand was on his cheek wiping the tears away.


    "Someone I loved dearly used to live here with me," he said admitting his feelings out loud. He had not dared to about his heart for months in fear that he will love Ander less if he expressed his love to him or spoke of it.


    "She must have been lucky," Amaru stated.


    "It was a he," Avan corrected and walked over to Ander''s bed. He set his bag down on it, the image of Ander laying in bed with a book in his hand flashed before his eyes. More tears threatened to fall. "I miss you," he whispered.


    "Interesting. I''m sure wherever he is, he missed you too," Amaru said, with a soft facial expression. He gazed out the window to the trees down below. He brought his hand to his lips and traced his as though recalling a distant memory.


    The same room, same school, and same roommate. He didn''t know how to react to all of it, he thought he had everything sorted out but the pain in his heart was still there.


    Averting his gaze from the tree, he looked over to the lake. There were so many resentments in his heart attached not just to the school but the people in.


    "It''s beautiful right?" Avan asked him joining him and stood beside him by the window. "We have the best view from up here," he added.


    "It depends on how you look at it. What might be beautiful for you might not be so for others," Amaru said to him. The sight was pointing to his eyes. He turned away from the window and went to unpack.


    ''Walk away. It won''t hurt if you just walk away,'' the voice in his head advised.


    "You''ll get to it," Avan said. His eyes landed on the trees. The same place he shared his first kiss with Ander and also the first time he offended the male. He almost died too. The fire was Ander''s favorite element and now it was his too.


    The male knew all the fire spells in the world and he wasn''t scared to use them. "You were one feisty male," Avan whispered a smile blooming in his face. He was too dazed to notice the look on Amaru''s face.


    Amaru shook their head and unpacked his bag. He had a complicated look on his face like he was undecided about something. He tried not to think about it but memories were hard to let go of.


    "Do you know that there is a fire called hellfire," Avan told him excitedly. "It can''t be extinguished, only the one who starts it can put it out."


    "I had no idea," Amaru replied with a weak smile.


    "I did, good news" Ella spoke entering the room. She froze seeing Amaru, she was awed by how gorgeous he looked. She even forgot what she had come to tell Avan and started at Amaru like a lovesick puppy who has a stop button clicked in her mind.


    "What''s the good news?" Avan asked her. She was too distracted to hear him or reply to him.

 Chapter 101 - Marked For Death

    "I want to jump off the roof. I want to jump off the roof," Sofia chanted over and over again repeatedly. She was on top of the roof of the school, she stood at the edge of the roof determined to jump.


    With one quick movement she jumped, her screams were heard as she fell. Luckily for her, some witches went out for a walk and saw her falling. They stopped her from falling. She fainted out of shock when she finally came to her senses.


    They carried her and took her inside the school. Ella rushed to call Avan after she learned of the news and Amaru tagged along with them. They sat around Sofia worried and concerned for her. They were taking Ander''s death badly but she must have it worse with how much she loved the boy.


    Annak helped Sofia to regain her senses with the help of a little magic. The whole family had a word or two to say to the suicidal woman.


    "What we''re thinking trying to kill yourself?" Malia let out angrily.


    "We know that you must miss Ander but killing yourself is not going to help anyone," Mordecai said.


    "I wasn''t trying to kill myself. I would never think such thoughts," Sofia stated surprising everyone since she did the opposite of what she was saying.


    "Then why did you jump off the roof aunt?" Avan inquired.


    "I didn''t want to but there was a voice inside my head that pushed me to do it," she said catching everyone''s attention. "I was getting ready for bed when suddenly I started feeling guilty for Ander''s death. I felt this immense sense of being guilty of his death and a voice in my head kept telling me that jumping off the roof is the only way to redeem myself," she explained.


    "What did this voice sound like?" Annak questioned. Being a witch she didn''t take such things lightly. She very well knew how cunning witches and warlocks were. They use all sorts of tricks to get their goal.


    "It was male, definitely young but that wasn''t what was worrying about it. The feeling I got when I heard the voice was what I always imagined death to be like," Sofia said trembling at the thought of that whispering voice.


    Annak placed her hand on Sofia''s head and just as she had suspected the woman was under the influence of magic. She was controlled when she wished for death and she was lying about the dead feeling she had felt because Annak felt the same thing from her.


    She opened her eyes and gazed at the ex-queen with sadness in her eyes. "I''m afraid you have been marked for death," she informed causing panic in everyone''s heart.


    "That feeling and the voice won''t stop bothering you until you are dead. And from the looks of things whoever marked you is faceless, I can track them. All I see is darkness when I try," she explained not liking where things were headed to.


    There was only one person in the magical realm without a face to track or a shadow. The faceless god, she didn''t mention it as she wished not to frighten them but her heart was racing.


    The faceless god had been cursed to sleep for centuries and he is not supposed to be around at all. The fact that he marked someone for dead meant that he had broken out of his prison. The impossibility of that was so that she found it hard to believe that he was free.


    The only thing that could have broken his prison chains were the tears of a broken soul with nothing but pure anger expressed in three rarest fires in the world. The reason this was the key to his freedom was that no one was capable of doing that and hence he would never be able to be free and would rot in prison forever.


    ''Think not of irrelevant things my dear Annak,'' she heard in her mind. ''What should worry you sweet whisperer is how you will save the woman from me,'' the voice challenged.


    "It''s you," she spoke out loud. "I know you are close show yourself if you are brave."


    ''You will meet me very soon. Don''t be impatient but only when you prove worthy,'' the voice said. Annak felt a hand on her throat, the hand traced a circle around her neck. ''If you prove unworthy then I shall cut where I have marked,'' it added.


    "Whom are you talking about?" Avan asked the question that was on everyone''s mind.


    "I''m afraid the person who has marked you is close by. He is watching you," she said to Sofia. Sofia was so scared. She was so terrified of the thought of her death. "But I won''t let you down. All of us are to watch her, she must be left alone with her thoughts," she said with everyone nodding their heads accepting to help.


    "Kids, go rest. We will look after her first," Malia said kissing Avan and her friends Amaru included good night before sending them off to bed.


    "Who do you think it is that marked aunt Sofia and what is their motive?" Avan questioned Ella.


    "I don''t know. Let''s try and figure it out tomorrow, I''m worn out," she said retiring for the night.


    "You must be scared Amaru. What you''ve heard today must have frightened you," he said to the pretty boy beside him who hasn''t said a word.


    "I''m fine but are you fine?" Amaru asked.


    They made their way back to their rooms.


    Avan thought about Amaru''s question and if he were, to be honest with him, he was not fine. He just found out that his aunt, Ander''s mother has been marked for death by someone and he is helpless to help not to mention he was not sure if she was the only one the person was after and it terrified him.


    What if he was next.


    "I am scared," he said in reply to Amaru''s question.


    "Want me to sleep with you to keep you company in the night. I don''t mind," he offered.


    This caused Avan to have a flashback of the first time that he and Ander shared the bed. He missed the dragon prince sleeping beside him at night. He scratched the dragon mark as was his habit when he missed Ander too much.


    "No," he declined the offer. Only Ander had the right to share the bed with him and he didn''t plan to change that. No matter what happens what is Ander''s will remain his.


    "Suit yourself," Amaru said. He changed into his nightwear before jumping into bed. Avan observed his sleep. He too tried to get some sleep but he kept on thinking about what happened to Sofia and for some reason he felt a chilling aura in the air. It wasn''t cold but it did feel like the grim reaper was around looking for souls to rip.


    He got up from his bed and walked over to Amaru''s bed. He slid into the male''s bed with his wooden toy in hand. He slept facing away from Amaru and closed his eyes.


    ''That was sweet, getting his to stay by your side. Too gullible,'' the voice inside Amaru''s head spoke.


    Amaru opened her eyes and smirked. He might have forced Avan to join him in his bed but he didn''t feel guilty about it. He felt at peace with it, it calmed down his heart from the epic fail he suffered from not succeeding in killing Sofia. But he was not one to give up.


    The woman has death coming her way and so does everyone else in Arimelari and he was more than happy to deliver this to them.


    ''I will burn all of them to the ground,'' he thought and turned around. He stared at Avan sleeping so peacefully with the man for whom they were sharing a bed. The person he is afraid of is the one he is seeking comfort from, this thought put a smile on Amaru''s face.


    "As long you start close to me then you shall not he harm. I will be your protective shield from me and the worlds but if you go away from me, then I will personally send you to the depths of hell," he whispered his face going from sweet to evil in seconds.


    Avan was already asleep. He didn''t hear a word he said and also didn''t realize when Amaru wrapped his arms around him. He laid his head on Avan''s shoulder and started in the distance.


    "A life for a life," he said softly. "But I am willing to overlook one life for you my darling mate," he added with a glint of fire flashing through his eyes.


    he closed his eyes to get some sleep but not forgetting to eat his meal by inhaling the fear that Avan felt. The boy had so much negative energy to spare and he loved it.


    "Ander," Avan whispered in his sleep.

 Chapter 102 - Revenge Or Desire

    "I need to cut my wrist," Sofia said with a knife in her hand. She placed the knife on her wrist and bit her tongue before she slit her wrist.


    She sat on the floor and watched her hand bleeding out. Ander was the only thing in her mind. The guilt was too much for her.


    ******


    Amaru listened to the musical instruments play music in the room. He had cast a spell on them to play by themselves. He had his eyes closed on the bed but he could see the condition that Sofia was in.


    It pleased him to see her pushed off the edge of no return. The whole week he had driven her mad with guilt that she had tried to kill herself more than fifty times. All of which the meddling family managed to save her but not this time.


    This time they won''t be able to stop her or save her from death that awaited her with open arms. She had locked herself away in the storeroom away from everyone, she was all alone and even if she screamed for help their will be no one around to help her. Not that she would when she wished for it to end.


    What she didn''t know was the fact that death was just the beginning of her suffering. The King of hell had a few surprises for her after she dies.


    ''Are you happy?'' the voice asked him.


    "Very. One of many enemies of mine will die today. Happy is the emotion in my heart," he replied.


    ''There is still time to stop this. She doesn''t deserve this,'' the voice said.


    Amaru smirked and got up from the bed. He walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection daringly.


    "Did I hear it right, is the frameless god getting a heart?" he asked his smirk increasing.


    ''You have lost it,'' his reflection replied him.


    "So what you are trying to say is that I doing a good job being you?" he asked irritating his reflection in the mirror. "Look, I will do whatever I want and you will be quiet. You won''t like what I do you if you upset me, after all, I black blood dragon. The great prince of Arimelari," he said and let off an evil laugh.


    ''She is your mother, even you aren''t that heartless...''


    "Be quiet Amaru, you shouldn''t underestimate the lengths of my hatred and anger. You used to be the faceless god now that''s me," he spoke angrily. " Don''t you dare remind that it your selfish motive that drove me to my death bed or hell will get worse for you," he warned.


    ''And here I thought that the dragon prince was only a misunderstood little boy. You are a monster,'' Amaru said to Ander.


    "Whatever you say, darling. I could care less what you think of me, I stopped caring a long time ago," Ander said coldly.


    ''You will burn in hell,'' Amaru cursed.


    "I am the master of hell sweetheart, I decide who burns and who doesn''t," he said and raised his hand to the sky. "Patience, soon the whole world will burn. After I raise my demon army from hell," he added.


    ''This is the home you are talking of.''


    "What good has that ever done for me. All I did was beg for love from it but all it gave me a hatred now let''s see how it handles the same treatment. Which reminds me who should next after mother dies, the king, Francis or queen grandmother?" he asked him.


    ''How about Avan,'' Amaru suggested and Ander frowned.


    "You know I can''t kill him, he is still useful to me. At least his body is, the only is how to convince him to lay with me," he said with a pout on his face. "He is always running around playing hero to Sofia and when he is not doing that then he is thinking of the person I used to be. So frustrating," he said annoyed. He had never thought he would see the day that he hates when someone thinks of him and gives him so much attention.


    Avan loved him that he had established but he had no use for love in his life anymore, he much rather preferred to be feared and hated. It was so frustrating to feel such positive energy directed at him.


    ''His love will defeat you. Have you not heard the saying, love conquers all,'' Amaru said to him.


    "I will kill him if that ever happens. I wish for pleasure not emotions and if I can''t get what I want from him then he will lose his value and I will send him to you," he said with a wicked smile on his face. "That reminds me, how is Kazar doing?"


    Before Amaru could reply there was a knock at the door, the doorknob was being twisted but he had locked the room earlier so it wasn''t working.


    "Amaru, are you in there?" he heard Avan''s sweet little voice coming from the door.


    "My lover has returned and he looks worried. I wonder why?" he spoke to Amaru in the mirror with a satisfied smile on his face. He opened the door and Avan into the room. "Are you okay," was the first thing he asked the male.


    "Aunt Sofia is missing. We are going to go look for her, are you coming?"


    "Sure," he replied him."But what are you going to do if we don''t find her or if she is dead when we do?"


    "I will die," Avan replied with no hesitation. His answer made Amaru''s hand twitch.


    "Aren''t you exaggerating," he said to him letting out a desperate laugh.


    "No, I don''t think that I will be able to handle it if she died. I have already lost someone I love to death and I am not walking down that path again. I will save my family from the danger that looms above us and if I fail then I shall die with them," Avan said like a hero.


    Amaru''s massaged his forehead feeling a headache coming on. This playing the hero thing was getting on his nerves. He heard Sofia''s breath getting shorter and shorter.


    He stared at Avan and Sofia, the woman deserved to die in his eyes but he had this desire for Avan that made him hesitate.


    ''Revenge or desire? Choose one because you can''t have both,'' Amaru spoke quite interested in which choice the dragon prince would make. ''He will never touch a person who hurts the one dear to him,'' he added to tense him.


    "Shut up," the male shouted.


    ''One more breath and she will be history,'' he sang in his mind.


    "She is the old storeroom," Ander found himself yelling. "Hurry if you want to have her," he added.


    "How did y.."


    "Which part of hurry didn''t you hear?" he asked him. Avan dashed out of the room to go check on his aunt. Andre remained in hating himself for what he has just done.


    ''Nice pick and here I thought you had destroyed your humanity. Looks to me like you still care, you do have a heart after all,'' he said teasingly.


    Ander shook his head. He went to the window and jumped off turning into a big black fog and rushed off towards the forest. The students froze on seeing the fog, the chills the fog gave them made them tremble in freight.


    The fog moved in the forest scaring away all the animals in the forest, it crossed the lake and the river. Up the mountain, it went until it reached the top of mount Arimelari. The fog turned back into the boy, he walked over to the stones arranged together ins the circle and stood in the middle of the circle.


    The stones lit up sensing his presence and opened the door underneath his feet. He walked down the stairs on the underground fire palace that has been his home for eight months. Once inside he stood at the edge of the floor and stared down below.


    Numerous souls laid in their cages locked away while others were in the fire burning slowly by slowly. The screams from below were music to his ears that made his heart happy. He looked at the list of dead people, scrolling to the bottom he saw Sofia''s name being erased from the list.


    "You get a few more days or weeks depending on how things work out for me but soon I will have you here with the rest of the family," he said sadly.


    He let go and strode away. He climbed the stairs to the upper floor, there was a friend he wished to see. Sauntering to the end of the hallway, he unlocked the door that was locked with magical runes and went inside.


    He lit the torch to get a clear view inside. A black fog was in the room floating around the room.


    "Greetings Amaru," he greeted the owner of the body he had taken for himself. "I see that despite all the restrictions, you are still strong enough to torment me. Let''s fix that," he said to the fog.

 Chapter 103 - Did You Call?

    "Is it ready?" Ander questioned.


    "Your body is almost complete, it''s a little difficult to complete it with a little essence of you," the demons replied.


    "How can you gather the essence you need to bring back my body?"


    "Well.." the demon said hesitantly.


    "Spit it out," he said to him having no patience to wait for him to gather the courage to say to him what was in his mind.


    "Your mate has your dragon mark. We can channel your essence from it," he said. "But for that we need it to be active," he added.


    "How do can that be achieved?"


    "The mark glows in reaction to your closeness to him. The closer you are the stronger the reaction," he stated reaching out to the table and picking up a pendant. "You can use this to gather the essence," he added handing the pendant over to Ander.


    "Looks like I was right not to kill him after all," he whispered.


    Taking the pendant with him he paid one more visit to Amaru before flying back to the school. He arrived during dinner time and entered his room through the window.


    Hopefully, Avan was not around, it would have been a mess if the boy were to see in his true form. He changed out of his clothes and strode out of the room to go to find his friends and go for dinner.


    Avan and Ella were already in the dining hall in their usual seat. He got in line to get his food to join them.


    When he had his food in his hand he walked over to them. The pendant hidden in his pocket, he was yet to think of a way to give it to the male and make wear it.


    "Where have you been?" Ella questioned when he sat down. "I looked everywhere for you," she added.


    "Did you check the lake, I went for a walk," I said trying my luck.


    "Didn''t think that far," she said. "So, we are thinking of finding the person who is after the royal family. Whoever it is, he or she is getting bold. They got so close with Sofia," she said.


    "I have you to thank for that," Avan told to him.


    "It will be easier if you can find a way to negotiate with him or her. Everyone has wishes that might be greater than the one they are pursuing. Perhaps you can find something that the person wants more than killing the royal family," Ander said putting the idea in his head. With this in mind, it will be easy to get him to wear the pendant so he could start collecting the essence he needs to get his body back.


    He cursed the family for burning his body to ashes before he had the chance of retrieving it. Now he had so much work to do to get out of the annoying faceless body.


    "That could work but how do we get in touch with the person?"


    "You could ask Annak. The last time, she seemed to know more about the attacker than she lets on," Ander said. "From what I could tell, she knew the person attacking Sofia," he added.


    Avan and Ella listened to him attentively. They were very interested in what he had to say. It was true that Annak acted weird every time the talk of the attacker came on.


    "And if you know the name of the person contacting them would be easier," Ander claimed. "Magic can do the rest and I know just the spell," he added sternly.


    His words gave confidence and hope to Avan and Ella. They had their food and continued with some small talk.


    After dinner, they all went out to look for Annak to confront her about the identity of the attacker that wants them dead.


    "Since they are revenging Ander''s death, do you think that they knew Ander or maybe Ander asked them to do this if anything happens to him," Ella let out?


    "Ander himself may be responsible for all the attacks," Ander asserted into the conversation.


    Avan and Ella halted in their steps. They eyed each other and turned their gaze to Ander.


    "What? It is possible," Ander added and shrugged his shoulders. It felt ironic to him to speak of himself as a stranger but he did tell them the truth it was him who was trying to get them all killed. But it was more important to get his body back than to get his revenge. He can always proceed to kill them later in life.


    "True," Ella said having Avan glare at him. "Glare all you want but the truth won''t change, if it isn''t him then why has he not come back to us?" she asked him.


    Avan wanted to defend Ander and sheak up for him but he found himself short of words. He too had considered the possibility of the attacker being Ander. He just didn''t want to believe that it was true that he could be capable of hurting his mother who loved him so much.


    "I just do thinks it''s him. If it were him then he would have started with the king or Francis as revenge. But why Sofia?" he asked trying to convince himself that Ander was responsible for everything.


    "You have a point, the dragon did hate the king the most in the world," she stated confidently.


    Ander listened to them, he was not bothered by what they were saying about him. He had learned to stop caring a long time ago. Right now he had more things more important than being an emotional train wreck.


    They arrived at the garden where Annak was helping a few grade students with a light spell. She was teaching them how to create light in the night.


    "We should wait for her to finish," Avan suggested to them. They stood aside and waited for her, she noticed them and ended the class.


    She strode over to them with her lips curling up into a smile. She greeted them and asked them what they needed from her.


    "We need to ask you a few questions," Avan started.


    "And we would appreciate honest answers from you," Elsa added to her.


    "What questions do you have for me?" Annak asked sensing their tension.


    "Who is attacking us?" Avan asked getting straight to the point. He was tired of the guessing game and needed an honest answer from him. It was important for him to know as it would tell him if it was Ander or not. His heart needed to know that Ander was not that bad.


    "I don''t kno..."


    "The truth Annak," Ella said interrupting her from completing her sentence. "We are in danger and it is our right to know who it is that we are fighting."


    "How are we supposed to fight an enemy that we don''t know?" she asked her. Annak sighed hearing her, she found it hard to say no to them when they were being so persuasive.


    "The faceless god, he is the one after your lives," she said to them. "He is very dangerous and can''t be killed easily," she added.


    Avan and Ella were confused. They had never had of the man in question or what his motive might be. Why would such a man be after their life if he was a god, it''s not like they had done something that could offend that a god to want to kill them.


    "Why does he want is dead?"


    "The faceless god needs no reason to do anything. He acts of his own will does as he pleases," she said.


    "Thank you," Ella said gratefully that she had told them about the attacker. With the spell that Ander was talking about they could get in touch with him and ask him what he wanted. They could reason with him and get him to back off attacking them.


    "Let''s go," Avan said and led them away from the garden. They walked back to the room in silence, contemplating what to do about the god that sorts out to kill them.


    "Shall we start?" she asked them her eyes mainly on the silent spectator who never seems to talk when in front of others.


    "Here is the spell," Ander said handing them a phony spell. He was the one they wished to talk to so there was no need to go too far for it. He knew what his request would be and how to deliver home the news in a way that didn''t make him look suspicious. "We just have to call out his name during the spell and he will come," he added.


    They sat down on the ground and held hands creating a circle. They closed their eyes and each chanted the spell, nothing happened in the first minutes. But after a while, the lights in the room began to flicker before a shadow appeared before them in the middle of the circle.


    It was as black as night and its aura was so powerful that it forced them to move back.


    "Did you call?"

 Chapter 104 - Agreement

    "Did you call," a voice said from inside the black fog. His tone was so cold it made them shiver in freight.


    "A..are you the face..faceless god?" Ella asked holding on to Avan tightly. In all her years of being a fire maiden, she had never once come across something so scary like the thing she was looking at.


    "You are the one who summoned me. Shouldn''t you know who I am?" the voice questioned once again with a sense of anger and irritation. "Tell me why you have summoned me before I lose my patience," it demanded.


    "An..answer my question first," Ella demanded standing straight to appear brave.


    The fog neared her, she froze in fear. Her breath caught and her hand on Avan tightened. She felt death nearing her with nowhere to run, she didn''t think that it was possible to outrun a fog that had no feet and moved around by floating.


    She gulped when the fog stopped right before her, the one she was holding onto was terrified beyond words. No wonder the thing scared Annak, just its presence was giving him goosebumps.


    "I am," the voice replied to her. "And you were seventh on my list but now I think I should you to number one and kill you right now," it said in a threateningly low tone.


    Ella tried to move back but her foot was rooted to the ground. Fear ran down her spine making it difficult for her body to respond to the urgent need to flee from there and ran for its life.


    "W..we wanted to sp..speak to you," she said finding her voice. It didn''t come as a surprise that neither Avan nor Amaru dared to talk to the creature. They gave tall talks but were nothing but a bunch of cowards.


    "I''m all ears. A story would be nice before I need your life," the voice said.


    Ella ignored the threat and took a deep breath to calm down and think about the plan they had made. She needed to negotiate with him but she needed to get herself under control. He might not take her seriously if she was trembling with fear.


    "We want to discuss your recent killing spree," she said her voice sounding confident.


    "What of it?" the voice asked raising its tone. Ella jerked at the sound of its scary voice. She had a scoff from the fog, her body was quivering all over.


    "We were hoping that...that we could change your mind," she said not backing down from it.


    "You think that a lowly peasant such as yourself can change the mind of a god?" the voice asked with a hint of mockery in its tone. It gave off evil laughter that sent the poor girl to the pits of despair.


    "I..it isn''t bad to try," she said to him.


    "Tell me, how do you hope to achieve that?" the voice asked its interest is piqued. It was a miracle that the girl was still talking to him despite being terrified to death. It was worth his respect.


    "You want us dead but surely there must be something that we can offer you to change your mind," Ella said getting straight to the point. The sooner they got to an agreement the faster she can get rid of the annoying god that felt like death.


    "I see, what if there isn''t then?" the god asked challenging her.


    "Everyone wants something, gods included. Name your price and this lowly peasant will try to fulfill it," she said confidently.


    "True but there is a possibility that you can''t fulfill my desire. If that is the case then don''t you think you have only wasted my time. And for that shouldn''t I make your death slow and painful," it said stressing the last sentence to ensure it got the ensured effect on the girl.


    Ella gave off a weak smile when indeed her inside was turning in all the wrong ways. She was trying her best not to show how much his words affected her but she was failing.


    Having a tongue laced with death, even the smallest of threats from the god made her skin shiver.


    "There must be something. Give us a chance, please," she pleaded.


    The fog backed away from her giving her space to breathe and turned into a boy with his face black. No eyes, no nose, no lips, and no ears. He faced her direction, she wasn''t sure if he could see without eyes but she understood why he was the faceless god.


    The boy had no face at all.


    "Well, other than killing all of you. I will find pleasure in your misery," the god said. Ella looked closer to see where the god was talking through without a mouth. She couldn''t pinpoint where the sound was coming from.


    "Explain?" she asked not understanding what he meant by his words.


    "If I see you leading a miserable life, it might persuade me to forget about my vengeance," the god said raking a seat on the bed. He sat with his legs crossed and his arms folded on his chest.


    "Okay. That can be arranged," she said to him.


    "Fine but I get to decide how you live. The punishment will be mine to decide," the god said to her being stern on his statement. He wanted to make sure that she understood what he said.


    "That is also fine," she stated.


    "Since that is the case, I will start with the prince of Arimelari. I need him to do something for me," the god stated in a matter-of-fact tone that left no room for discussion.


    "He needs to start dating," he added.


    Ella''s jaw dropped. If she wasn''t mistaken, he was talking about Avan and the boy had yet to move on from Ander. He spent most of his time on the few memories that he had with the male while the male was still alive.


    He was no ready to date again and being in a relationship would be devastating for him. But it made sense because this was to be a punishment and not a vocation.


    "And he has to wear this pendant at all times," he added throwing the pendant to her. "If he dares to defy my order then I will show no mercy. As for the others, they should stay put. I will be in touch with their punishments," he added.


    "Sure," Ella said her tone was weak and low. She had just agreed to her best friend having the worst next days, weeks, or even months of his life only to stop him from dying. The worst part was the fact that he wasn''t the only one who had such a fate in store for them.


    "This boy seems interesting," the god said pointing at Amaru who looked like a statue.


    "He is perfect for Avan. He is the one that Avan has to date. I will be watching so don''t disappoint me," he added and vanished from the room.


    Ella released the breath she was holding when death left the room. It made it easier to breathe when her end wasn''t in the room with her, terrifying her with its presence.


    She turned around and snapped her finger in front of Avan''s eyes to get him out of his shocked state.


    "What happened?" he asked getting back his lost composure.


    "He left," she said and strode over to Amaru''s side to get him out of his dazed state. She dropped on the bed, her trembling legs giving out. "The next time we confront a remain remind me not to count on the two of you for help," she said disappointed at their lack of courage.


    "Did you talk to him? What did he say? Is he willing to negotiate with us? Is he going to kill us? Why is he doing this?" Avan asked questions after questions trying to know what happened.


    "One, you were right here. Two, stop asking me so many questions," Ella snapped at him.


    "So..sorry," Avan said apologetically.


    "He did listen to me and we did agree. He has decided not to kill us but for that, he will just punish us," she said to them. Avan frowned. He didn''t like the sound of that but it was better than dying.


    "Did he mention the punishment?"


    "Only yours. He gave this pendant," she told giving him the pendant. "He said that you have to wear it at all times and you have to date Amaru," she added.


    Avan halted. His eyes were wide open listening to the words coming out of her mouth. Wearing the pendant was fine but having a lover. That would be betraying Ander who was still alive, he couldn''t think of ever hurting the dragon prince like that.


    "What?" they asked in unison. Amaru neared the bed with a shocked expression on his face.


    "Why am I being dragged into this. I had no part in what happened in the palace. I have never even been to the palace," he complained.

 Chapter 105 - Just A Little Misunderstood

    "No," Ander said for the hundredth time. He was starting to think that Avan and Ella had gone deaf from meeting the faceless god because no matter how he refused them they still went after him asking the same thing over and over again.


    "Please help us with this Amaru," Ella chipped in, she stood to his left while Avan stood to his right giving him puppy dog eyes.


    "Have you can''t idea what you are asking of me?" he asked the both of them, they nodded their head like each time he had asked that question. "You are asking me to get into a relationship with a boy to save him from the wrath of a god who doesn''t have a face. Are you crazy?" he questioned walking away.


    "We know that it''s crazy but it was his condition so please accept," Avan said in a pleading.


    ''It''s what you wanted, why are you playing hard to get?'' the voice in his head asked him.


    "Look, I am not interested in doing anything as such so just stop wasting your time," he said ignoring the voice in his head.


    "Are we not friends?" Ella asked him. "Then why can''t you help us out?"


    "If you want me to help you cheat in class then it''s fine by me or if you want help sneaking out of school am cool too but you are asking to date a boy," he said and paused to let his words sink into the two of them.


    "And you want it to be real as this god will watching which means the two of us will have to do things together, things that lovers do. You might be okay with that but I am not," he stated and dashed off.


    He could hear footsteps following behind him. He took to the back of the school building and stood behind a tree to catch his breath. He looked next to him, Avan was clutching the tree for his dear life.


    "Yo...you are very fast," Avan said getting his breath under control.


    "Takes practice," he replied. "If you are here to convince me then don''t waste my time," he added.


    "I wanted to talk is it okay if you just listen?" Avan asked in a sweet helpless voice.


    "I can do that," Ander found himself saying. He wanted to refuse and give him a hard time but hearing his tone of voice his heart melted and he found himself accepting.


    "I don''t want to do this either, as you know my heart already belongs to someone else. It is not just my life on the line but his entire family too. I owe it to him to keep them safe in his absence even if it means that I have to do something that I hate. Ander is not here right now and if he were, he wouldn''t let his mother or any of his family come to any harm, and as he isn''t here. I will do that for him," Avan said speaking that which was in his heart.


    His words hit Ander''s heart-melting away all the anger and grievances in his heart. He expected him to say something selfish like the fact that he wasn''t ready to die and what not so when Avan named him as the reason he is ready to agree to his condition he was unsure what to do.


    The things that Avan said about him were all wrong in taking into account the fact that he was the one responsible for his mother''s condition. He was the attacker that was hurting his family.


    "Why do you say that Ander would not stand for it, from what I hear he was nothing but a selfish prince who only cared for himself," Ander asked curiously.


    "He was selfish but not a bad person. Just a little misunderstood by everyone and himself," Avan replied.


    Ander was left speechless, the things that Avan was saying were how he thought of him. No lies and no sugar coating to spare his feelings, plain truth. He was confused and sad by the fact that he held a grudge against someone who might have loved sincerely from the depths of his heart.


    "Aren''t you sweet to say that of him," Ander said his throat a little dry?


    "It''s the truth, you would say it too if you got to know him," Avan said staring in the distance as though he could see the subject of his discussion. "He was childish and stubborn in a cute way," he added.


    "Alright, I will do it," Ander replied him. He needed him to stop singing his praises, his heart was already skipping a beat each time he said something sweet about him. He didn''t need his heart racing like crazy.


    "What?" Avan asked getting out of his thoughts. He was unsure if he had heard him right.


    "I guess I can be your boyfriend," he repeated looking away from him. He could tell that his face had become red from blushing.


    "Thank you," Avan told to him and embraced him in a hug from the back. Ander''s heart picked up the pace and started thundering in his heart at the sudden contact. He froze.


    "You have n idea how much this means to me," Avan''s melodic voice sounded in his ear sending a shiver down his skin.


    The warmth of the hug felt nice after the eight months of being alone and in the cold body of a god who feeds off cold negative emotions or energy.


    He closed his eyes and automatically reached his hands and held Avan close to him. He had no idea that he had missed being embraced so much until Avan hugged him. His mind took him to all the times that his mother had held him in her arms and gave him comfort, the image was heartbreaking knowing that he pushed her to try and take her own life.


    "Now that we are a couple doesn''t you think we should seal it?" he asked turning around.


    Avan raised his eyebrow at him to elaborate on his suggestion.


    "I mean, wouldn''t it be more believable if we sealed it with a kiss," he said his cheeks turning scarlet under Avan''s intensive glance.


    "Are you sure?" Avan asked him.


    "I just thought that it might end your punishment sooner if we...but it''s okay," he said and strode past him.


    Avan grabbed hold of his hand before he went far from him. "If you think so then why not?" Avan stated and before he could register what he said. Ander was pulled back by Avan who made a U-turn to face him before their lips locked together in a kiss.


    It was a soft passionate kiss on the lips before Avan backed away from him. "I think that would do," he said.


    Ander''s brain was fried by the kiss, he lost his sense of reasoning and the ability to think. He couldn''t even bring himself to snap out of it when Avan backed away.


    The kiss was in no way close to the first kiss they shared but it was just as magical. A flicker of a flame that he had once thought was gone from him reignited penetration every inch of his body.


    "Amaru," Avan called out for the fifth time shaking him out of his dazed state. Ander blinked a few times to get back his composer.


    He frowned as he returned to his senses, the burning desire in his body was still in his body awakening the senses that he had long stopped feeling.


    The feeling was unquenchable, he wished the male had deepened the kiss. He had the urge to ask him to kiss him deeper but he held back his request. He had to appear uninterested to keep himself from suspicion and that meant suppressing his emotions and desires.


    "Are you alright?" Avan inquired with a worried look on his face.


    "Yes, I was just surprised," he answered.


    "Happens, it happened to me too when I first kissed Ander. It was only for a dare but I ended up liking it more than I should have," he said to the boy.


    Avan felt guilty, to him kissing Amaru was like betraying Ander but it had to be done. Ander will have to understand that he was left with no other choice to save the family. After all, he can''t love the dragon prince from the grave.


    "Why do you look sad? Was I that bad?" Ander asking noticing the change in Avan''s face.


    "No," Avan said looking up to meet his eyes. "I was just thinking. Do you think Ander will understand why I am doing this?" he asked him.


    "I th.."


    "He probably won''t knowing him, he wouldn''t even give me a chance to explain why I am doing this and just assume it''s because I love you," Avan added interrupting Ander. The dragon prince felt his heart squeeze in his chest. Mostly because the boy was right, he never gave people chances to explain themselves to him and just assumed things.


    "If he is so bad then why do you love him," Ander said angrily feeling offended. If Avan knew him so well, why was he wasting his time loving him?


    "Because he has a beautiful heart, he just needs help realizing it," Avan replied.

 Chapter 106 - She Devil

    "You have killed my son and I want justice," the cries of a helpless woman echoed in the palace.


    It was early in the morning the king and his beloved was just waking up when they received news of the woman who had budged into the palace, claiming they killed her son.


    Alexander and Francis got ready very quickly and rushed out to meet the woman. They had to get to the bottom of the matter before it went out of hand.


    Alexander opened the door to the room and pushed his way in past the crowd of soldiers who were preparing to attack the crying woman.


    He told them to move back as he approached the woman. "Excuse me," he said politely.


    The woman turned around and he froze. His entire body forgot to function. His eyes went wide with shock.


    "You have excused Alex but where is my son," she demanded in a commanding tone of voice.


    "Oli...Olivia?" he stammered unsure if he was seeing a ghost or if she was real.


    "Surprise," Olivia said in a cheerful voice. "I hope you didn''t think it will be that easy to get rid of me," she stated.


    Francis walked forward and stared at his long-term rival. The she-devil that complicated everyone''s life before her supposed death when she was alive all along.


    "Where is my son Alex?" she asked him.


    "Ander is dead," Francis replied to her. "He died a few months ago and if you cared about him then you would have come for him sooner," he added.


    "Says the man who was proclaimed dead for sixteen years. If you care so much then you would have stayed dead," Olivia started with bitterness in her voice.


    "I could say the same to you," Francis fired back. He was tired from the sleepless nights he had the past few days. The problems in his life just seem to keep adding up. He wasn''t getting proper time to process the things around him.


    It was frustrating. Ander was dead, Avan blamed him for his death and he couldn''t blame him. He had created Avan to kill Ander, that was on him. Ander loved him and did stupid things because of that love and he didn''t handle it well either.


    He had a lot weighing on his shoulder but life just keeps getting interesting for him. Now the witch was back too and he has to deal with her on top of dealing with the assassin trying to avenge Ander''s death.


    "Haven''t you grown a few plastic horns while I was away? Now you think that you can go up against me?" Olivia asked with mockery in her voice.


    Francis scoffed at her question and grabbed his of Alexander''s hand. "When you are done screaming like a madwoman you can find your way out," he said and strode out of the room without looking back.


    Seeing as pity wasn''t going to get her anywhere, Olivia decided to go big. She would just have to get what she came for the hard way.


    He pulled Alexander along with him to get him far away from the witch. Her cunning ways were not coming back into the palace.


    "Ander is alive," Olivia shouted running after them. This was a fact that they had held onto for so long but even they were starting to doubt it. "I can show you where he is if you want," Olivia added seeing that she had gotten both their attention.


    "Why should we believe you?" Alexander asked her regaining his composer. He was so tired of her but she never seems to stop coming back into his life. The man he was before she would never have pushed his son to his death bed. He wouldn''t have had so much hate in his heart for him.


    "Leap of faith," she replied.


    "I don''t have any faith left in me. If you have nothing else then please leave before I reduce you to ashes," Alex threatened coldly.


    "His magic, I can track it," she let out when she saw how serious Alex was. Truth was that Alex had changed and she could see it. She had come back to get what belonged to her, her son, her husband, and her crown.


    The only way to get all that was through his son. He was the key to her come back. He was the trump card of winning over Alex and getting Francis out of Alex''s life forever. Especially since she discovered that her son had a thing for Francis. It would be a win-win situation.


    She would get her love back and Ander will have his love.


    "How?" the king asked not getting any hopes that she is telling the truth. She had lied to him so many times that he couldn''t trust a word she spoke but for Ander, it didn''t hurt to try.


    "Using this," she stated raising her hand to show them a golden compass in her hands.


    *******


    Alexander, Francis, and Olivia sat in the family room as they waited for Annak to arrive. She was the royal witch, they needed her to confirm Olivia''s words.


    "I swear if you are lying to us. This time you will die for real," Alex warned.


    Just then the door swung open revealing Malia, Mordecai, and Annak. "I had to see for myself that she was back," Malia spoke entering the room.


    "Man is it hard to get rid of you," Mordecai said to Olivia. Olivia smiled at his words.


    "Where is it?" Annak asked getting straight to the point. She was excited to get to hold in her hands the legendary compass.


    Olivia held out her hand revealing the compass. Annak rushed to her side, she examined the compass with a glow in her eyes. She couldn''t believe her eyes when the compass proved legit.


    She took out one of Ander''s elemental stones and placed it above the compass to test it. Within no minute, the compass lit up and a yellow light scanned the stone top to bottom before the compass hands started moving.


    The hand pointed north of where she was. "It''s real," she said to the king and the others who were eagerly observing her waiting to hear what she discovered.


    "I told you," Olivia gloated. She wore a smirk on her face, it was only now a matter of time before she had what she came for. The throne of Arimelari seemed so close to reaching.


    "Prepare to set out. We will bring the prince of Arimelari home," the king ordered.


    "I will let Sofia know," Malia said but before she could rush off to do so Mordecai pulled her hand and stopped her.


    "Let''s find Ander first. If you tell her and this turns out to be another wild goose chase then she will be hurt. Let''s not give her hope until we know for certain that Ander is alive," he explained to her. Malia nodded and stayed put.


    The horses were prepared. Each one of them mounted on a different horse and rode down the path the compass was leafing them to. They rode at the speed of wind eager to reach the destination and discover the truth.


    After about an hour of ridding they found themselves ridding towards the school. The compass led them to the school ground.


    Getting off their horses by the gate they tracked the rest of the way on foot. Going around the school they walked down a small path that led to the forest behind the school. The compass was reacting weirdly proving to be close to the one they were seeking.


    On reaching the forest the compass pointing to the trees ahead. Following the route, they came to stand underneath the tree. There was no one around.


    "There is no one here," Alex spoke glaring at Olivia. One word was all he needed to rip her head off and feed her body to other dragons.


    "The compass brought us here so he must be here," Olivia said her insides beginning to panic. She couldn''t have been wrong and the compass had to have brought them there for a reason.


    Malia sighed tiredly from the to and fro trip she had done. She leaned on the tree and rested her head on the step. She looked up to the sky in dread of the morning she had.


    Her eyes landed on a white piece of cloth hanging from the leaves of the tree. The leaves were thick making it hard to get a clear view of who it was but she was sure someone was up there. Most probably the prince they sought.


    "Honey," she called out. Mordecai turned his head to face her. "There is someone up the tree," she said. Her statement brought everyone''s attention to the tree.


    They all saw the white piece of cloth. "I told you he was here," Olivia stated releasing a sigh of relief that the compass didn''t let her down.


    "Who is up there?" the king asked in his deep commanding voice.


    Amaru''s eyes opened hearing the familiar voice. He sat up from his sleeping position, gathering his clothes in the order he jumped down from the tree.

 Chapter 107 - We Found Ander

    Ander frowned.


    Everyone was staring at him in shock. It felt like in the few hours that he had taken a nap, he had missed something big. He waited for one of them to speak up and say something but no word came his way.


    ''Way to ruin my sleep for no reason,'' he complained in his mind.


    Seeing as they were staring at him without a word he decided it best to leave. He turned around and took a few steps before he felt warm hands wrap around his waist. The act of intimacy annoyed him beyond words.


    "What do you think you are doing?" he asked removing the hands from his body.


    "My son," the woman cried causing him to back away from her. "Don''t run away from me. I am your mother, Olivia," she added.


    Her statement caused him to halt. He gazed at her, the woman who gave birth to him with confusion in his eyes. How could it be possible that she was still alive?


    As he was dazed Olivia ceased the chance and hugged him. She held him tightly in her arms.


    "I have an offer for you," Olivia whispered in his ear. "And trust me you are going to like it," she continued.


    Ander was perplexed by her behavior. It was not normal that he gets to meet his birth mom and the first thing she does is to offer him a deal. Not even an I''ve missed you or I love you. And from the energy, she was getting out of her whatever the deal was. It was not an offer of a happy family reunion.


    "I''m listening," he said indulging her to see what she has to offer.


    "I propose an alliance in which both of us get what we want," she spoke. Her tongue was laced with honey to trap him with her sweet words.


    "We both get a happy ending," she added breaking the hug.


    She stepped back with her eyes gazing at the king. She had an innocent look on her face but her heart yearned for the man that used to belong to her.


    "You get Francis and I get Alex. What do you say?" she inquired of him. The make looked at the king and his beloved and back at his mother and smiled. This would be fun.


    Their love had stood so many tests and yet they refuse to part ways. An old lover entering the picture might just be what the two need to get a taste of their own medicine.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about. I am not interested in Francis," he said to her. There was a glint of darkness in his eyes that flashed before anyone could notice.


    "What do you mean Ander?" she asked him. It was confusing to her to hear him say that. After all, from the information that she had gathered of him, he is supposed to heads over heels for Francis and would jump at any opportunity to have him.


    "For your kind information, my name is not Ander. I am Amaru and I am already taken," he explained. Watching her face twitch, he strode away from her and walked over to the king.


    "I greet you, my king," he greeted.


    "Greetings," Alex replied softly.


    "Ander," Malia called out and hugged him. "I have missed you so much my darling nephew," she let out.


    Ander was stunned, he didn''t expect her to call him Ander. Now it was starting to sink to him that Olivia called with the same name.


    ''Impossible,'' he thought when the possibility of them knowing that it was him crossed his mind.


    "You were right before all this time and you never bothered to say anything to me," she complained.


    "Ander," Francis let out in an almost whisper. Ander heard him clearly, it was as though stuck between whether to believe that it was him or not.


    The rest of the family took turns embracing him and complaining about how unfair it was that he was alive and never bothered to look for them. They wanted so much to have him back that they didn''t seem to get tired of hugging him.


    There was so much positive energy in the air that Ander felt like vomiting. It was suffocating to stand in their midst but also difficult to getaway. They held on to him like glue.


    The King and Francis stayed back, they let everyone else have their turn while they waited. Guilt stopped them from getting closer to him, fear of being the reason he gets harmed again made them keep their distance from him.


    Seeing as he couldn''t stop them from calling Ander since they already knew it was him. He decided to go with his plan B.


    "Can you please leave me? This is becoming weird," he said.


    "There is nothing weird with us hugging you. You are our baby," Malia said cupping his cheeks.


    "It''s weird since I am not who you think I am. I am Amaru, not Ander," he said sternly.


    "You are Ander, we can prove it to you if you need proof," Annak stated.


    "No thank you. I will go now and forget thing weird moment never happened."


    "Wait," Annak called. He stopped in his steps and sighed. She was the most annoying person he had to deal with. He was sure it was her who discovered his identity. The woman was just too good and didn''t know when to give up.


    "Where are you from?" she questioned.


    Ander thought about lying about his origin but knowing Annak, she would it up until she had the truth. "I don''t know," he answered choosing to play it safe.


    "Who are your parents?" the next question came.


    "I don''t have parents," he answered. He turned around and glanced at the people behind him.


    "My grandfather adopted me eight months ago. When he found me I was unconscious, I was brought to him by a young boy my age.


    He introduced himself as Kazar," he explained faking a pitiful look on his face.


    He had become an expert in faking emotions after so many months of practice.


    "Wait, Kazar. I should have known. That boy is nothing but bad luck for Ander," Malia let out with bitterness in her voice. "I''m sure that he did this. He must have been the one to transfer your soul into this body and took away from us," she added. Her veins popping in anger.


    Ander was surprised by the conclusion she came to but it saved him the trouble of coming up with a story himself so it was all good.


    All he had to do was play his cards right to avoid them from asking too many questions. As it would be hard to ask a person suffering from memory loss too many things he choose that as his game plan.


    It also gave him an excuse as to why he had not come home even though he was so close to them.


    "This means that you don''t remember a single thing from your past," Olivia stated seeming disappointed. Her triumph card was proving useless even before the game began.


    How was she supposed to separate Alex and Francis alone? She needed the help of Ander to get the job done. He was the only one who could tear them apart as it was destined.


    "That''s a pity," she added drawing the attention of everyone to herself.


    "Anyway, it doesn''t matter if he has his memories or not. He is our Ander and we can always make new memories with him," Mordecai chipped in.


    Everyone nodded their heads bring him in for a group hug. "Come on in here," she called to Alex and Francis. Soon they all joined in the hug except the she-devil who in no way did they consider family.


    Malia pulled Ander by the hand dragging him into the school. The students who saw them pass by the thought that he was in trouble and was going to be punished. Avan and Ella included.


    They left their seats in a hurry and followed behind Malia to go and help him out. Malia was unaware of the wrong message she was sending the students by pulling him around the school. Her only concern was seeing her best friend happy again when she told him that her son was alive. And had been among them the whole time.


    She reached Sofia''s room. In her excited state, she didn''t bother to knock. She swung the door open and rushed in with Ander behind her.


    "What is going on?" Sofia asked startled by the sudden invasion of her privacy.


    "Guess what?"


    "I don''t play games, Malia, what is going on?" she questioned hoping she would get to the point.


    "Try to guess. It is something good and you''ve been yearning for it," she said giving her a hint of what it was.


    "At this point in life I don''t yearn for anything," Sofia said her heart weighing with worry.


    "We found Ander," she spat out shocking Sofia, Avan, and Ella.

 Chapter 108 - How Could You?

    "What?" Sofia exclaimed in shock.


    Avan and Ella walked into the room to hear more of the matter. Avan''s heart was beating loudly in his chest as the thought of Ander being back sunk in his mind. He stood next to Amaru.


    "It''s true, we found him," Malia informed the smile on her face widening.


    "Where is he?" Sofia asked dropping everything that she was doing and running out of the room. Out of excitement, she didn''t wait to hear more and ran to find her son. Her heart was filled with joy, this time she would ensure that nothing bad ever happens to him. She would take him far away from there and never return with him again.


    Realizing that she had no idea where he was, she turned around to return to the room.


    She felt so light, her feet moved with ease making her arrive back at the room sooner. She saw tears in Avan''s eyes, he was embracing Amaru and crying. The scene surprised her, she turned her gaze to Malia who stood to the side watching the two boys.


    As their eyes met, Malia motioned to her that it was him. Amaru was her dearest son Ander.


    She took slow steps into the room and waited for Avan to finish letting out his emotions. She gazed at Amaru from top to bottom. She was in disbelief, all this while her son was right there before her eyes and she did not know.


    They had exchanged a few words here and there and she never even knew that he was the one that she was searching for.


    "Why didn''t he ever come to us?" she questioned.


    "We believe that he has lost his memories. He couldn''t have come to us because he doesn''t even know who we are," Malia explained as best as she had understood the situation.


    "How did that happen?" she inquired.


    "Kazar," Malia replied.


    The mention of that one name made Sofia frown. She wished to never see that boy again, he was trouble, especially for her baby.


    "If he is the cause of everything that happened then I curse him. I curse him to live the most miserable life possible," she said.


    "He will, the gods won''t spare him for what he has done," Malia added.


    Avan finally let go of Amaru, he backed away from him giving Sofia a chance to gaze at her son. She took a few steps closer to him, the moment felt like a dream that she might wake up from. She didn''t want it to ever end.


    "Ander," her lips let out softly. She took her time to look at him before she raised her hand to him. Brushing his cheek gently she couldn''t stop the tears that freely flowed from her eyes. It was truly the most beautiful day of her life.


    She finally braced herself and hugged him. She closed her eyes and imagined the face of her baby boy. His appearance had changed but it was arched into her heart and memory. She could never bring herself to forget her son''s face.


    "I have missed you so much," she spoke between her tears. "How could you leave your mother and go away?" she asked him.


    Ander felt a pang in his heart seeing her like that. He almost felt guilty for the way that he had treated her. But he didn''t let himself feel for much longer, he numbed his body of any emotions.


    He had seen his face from having a heart and using it. Not wanting the same ending it was best he stayed far away from feelings of the heart.


    "I love you so much."


    Her last words pierced through his heart removing the shield that he had raised over his heart. His efforts to not feel went down the drain as his heart melted.


    He found himself hugging her back and holding her weak body in his arms. She was shaking in his embrace.


    "We should let them talk in private," Malia said ushering Avan and Ella out of the room. She locked the door behind her leaving the mother and son duo alone to talk.


    "Did you not miss your mother even once?" she asked him breaking the hug.


    "I had no idea that you were my..."


    "Don''t lie to me," Sofia uttered coldly. "You know I hate lies. Why?" she asked him.


    "I...I.."


    "I can see recognition in your eyes. You very well know who I am and what I am to you so stop pretending you don''t," she said interrupting him. "Tell me why despite having your memories you chose to stay away from your family. From me?"


    Ander was rendered speechless, she had seen through him in a matter of minutes. He couldn''t lie, she would know if he did and the truth was one that he knew she would never be able to forgive. Seeing the difference between the way she treated him and Olivia''s behavior towards him was starting to understand a mother''s love.


    "How long should I wait to get an answer from you?" she asked impatiently. She held his arm to get him out of his thoughts.


    Ander snapped out of it and glanced at her, she had her eyes on his hand. Her eyes were wide as though she was shocked. Her face was unreadable to him so he couldn''t understand what she was feeling or what was in her mind.


    "How could you?" she asked him in a pained voice. There was a hurt look on her face.


    "I should have co..."


    "How could you have tried to kill me?" she asked him taking steps back away from him. There was fear written all over her face. She was trembling in fright.


    The look she gave him made his heartache, he tried to reach out to her but she moved away from him. Her rejection felt like a thousand knives to his heart.


    "Yo..you are the voice in my head. The person who wa..wanted me dead," she said repeatedly while backing away from him.


    Ander''s breath hitched when he heard her words. She knew, realization dawn on him that she had figured it out. She must have felt the negative energy from him when he had his guard down. She must have recognized it as the one she felt when she heard the voice in her head.


    He felt his knees grow weak. In all his plans he had not anticipated this, he had never thought he would be found out, and more importantly. He had never thought that he would ever see the day that his mother would be terrified of him.


    "How could you of all people do that to me?" she asked him. The feeling of betrayal engulfing her. She felt immense pain in her heart knowing that the boy that she had raised and loved with all of her heart, would be capable of hurting her that way.


    "No...i..."


    Ander looked for a reason, an excuse to give her that could justify what he had done but couldn''t come up with anything.


    "You want to kill me?" Sofia asked him. Ander shook his head, he didn''t. He didn''t think that it would hurt him this much to be confronted with his action. He did want her dead for standing by on that faithful night. If he didn''t do the soul transfer spell when he did then he would have died and would be gone forever.


    But he never imagined that it would pain him as much as it did. If it hurt him just to see her like that then he could only imagine how heartbreaking it would be if she did leave the world forever.


    Hearing a thud sound, he got out of his thoughts and saw his mother on the ground. He rushed to her side and helped pick her up from the ground. He helped her to get on her feet, Sofia pushed him away from her.


    "Don''t touch me," she yelled in disgust. "Don''t you dare lay your filthy hands on me," she added stepping back.


    Ander froze, his whole body was cold. Her words and actions were like a sharp blade cutting a piece of his heart. His eyes turned pitch black. He could sense only negative energy in the air, the feeling in his heart was like none he had ever felt before.


    There was no anger or injustice in his heart. Only guilt, he had played the victim for so long that he had not realized when he became the culprit. What others had done to him, he did to someone who had shown him nothing but life and now she too wanted nothing to do with him.


    His body lifted off from the ground, dark smoke rotating around his body from his head to his leg. His eyes looked like an empty pit, a black hole.


    He wanted it to end. The feeling in his heart to stop. He didn''t want to live in a world where she looked at him like a monster. So he let go.

 Chapter 109 - Black Moon Curse

    Annak was with the whole family discussing what to be done about the situation they found themselves in. when suddenly her witch instincts kicked in warning her that her life was in danger. Not just her but the king, Ella and Avan too felt the warning.


    "What is going on?" Alex asked his dragon becoming uneasy. His first instinct was to get as far away from there as possible but he was the king and his duty to his people came first.


    "You felt that too?" Annak asked him. He nodded.


    "Whatever it is, I felt it too," Ella said getting up. Avan followed suit admitting to feeling the threat too. Upon question the others denied feeling anything of such. Francis too denied feeling so. Annak decided to consult the book of shadows to see if she can find anything that can explain what was going on. Taking the book out, she opened the first page.


    Before she could do anything with the book the book ran away from her. It was shaking terribly and seeking a place to hide.


    "The book of shadows is one of the strongest book of spells in existence. What could it be that is sending a lifeless book to hide?" Ella asked Annak.


    Annak was clueless, whatever the danger was it was posing a threat to both living and non-living supernatural creatures. Hearing her own thoughts an idea popped in her mind. "We need to go to Ander," she said and dashed out of the room not waiting for the others.


    She rushed down the corridors running into a few students on the way. The students tried to talk to her and ask her what was the cause of the feeling they got or whether they should be worried or not but she spared them no time and continued on her way. When she got to Sofia room, she pushed the door open and let herself inside.


    The minute she stepped into the room all the hairs of her skin stood up. Death stared her right in the face. Her heart pounded and tightened in fear. She gazed at Ander, he was floating in the air with his eyes and black as night, there was a black hole forming behind him that kept increasing in size with every passing moment.


    Sofia called to him, she was trying her best to get him out of that state but her efforts were proving futile. "What in the name of Arimelari is happening?" the king asked arriving at the scene with the rest of the family.


    Annak was still analyzing the situation. She stared at the moon through the window and noticed it turning black in broad daylight, the thing that she had since the day that Ander was born was upon them. The black moon dragon prince was unleashing the black moon curse upon the world, the curse that will wipe out all supernatural creatures from the surface of the earth. The worst part was that even the humans won''t be spared as everyone is originated from a supernatural origin that had long grown dormant.


    When the curse is done wiping out beings with active genes then it will move to those with dormant genes. The even more terrifying part of the curse was the fact that only the black moon dragon could stop it once it was activated.


    "Ander is going to wipe out all of humanity and supernatural creatures that walk the earth," she replied to the king''s question. The whole gathering at the door went into shock. It seemed that fate had written only bad things in their destiny. They never seem to get any peace in their lives and when they do it doesn''t last for very long.


    Avan was heartbroken, he had just gotten his love back and another problem cropped up. He was already stressed about how to convince him to accept his love but it seemed like he would have to convince not to wipe out the whole world first.


    "How much time do we have left?" Ella asked.


    "Only until the moon is completely black which is not very long with the speed at which the curse is moving," she replied. She needed to figure out how to get Ander out of his state for him to stop the curse, it was the only way that they would stand any chance of getting out of the situation alive.


    "In that case," she said and pulled Avan by the collar of his shirt and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was not long or passionate, it was just a kiss. "I don''t want to die without having my first kiss," she explained when everyone gave her weird looks.


    "Good call," Malia said with respect. "If we are all going to die then it doesn''t hurt to get things done," she added.


    "What can we do to stop this curse?" Sofia asked worried about Ander. She felt bad for the way she behaved with him, her behavior was justified with someone as emotional as Ander it only made the boy feel bad. As a mother she couldn''t watch anything bad happen to her son.


    Olivia stood to the side thinking, she had already escaped death once. She was in no mood to go through that again, she also never expected her son to be that dangerous, her mind could only think of ways to use him once the crisis was averted. She had started thinking that he was useless when he said that he wasn''t interested in Francis but she could definitely find some use of him now that he proved so strong and powerful.


    All she had to do was to find a way to make herself an important part of his life that he would be able to do anything for her. And then with the right opportunity she could get back everything that she wants to be hers.


    "Only by waking him up can he stop the curse," Annak said in a weak voice. Being in the presence of the curse was weakening her.


    "But I have been trying that and it isn''t working," Sofia pointed out.


    "I know but it is the only way to stop the curse," she said watching the moon. The black was half the moon, the world was also getting darker.


    "Annak," Avan screamed. Everyone turned their attention to him, his hand was intertwined with Francis and a blue light was revolving around their joined hands. "What is happening," he asked scared. He could sense something was not right with how their hands were just suddenly drawn together.


    Annak strode over to them and examined their hands, sorrow closed up her throat as pain gripped her chest.


    "I have good and bad news," she spoke with difficulty.


    "What is the good news?" Sofia asked hoping that it was something that could get Ander out of the state he was in. Ella rushed over to her best friend and hugged him with tears flowing from her eyes. Soon they could hear her sobbing, Avan felt his insides crumbling seeing the way Ella reacted, the girl rarely cried and the fact that she was crying for him told him that something was wrong.


    "The good news is that we can save Ander and get him to stop the curse," Annak said getting it out of chest. "But Avan will cease to exist afterwards," she added dropping the bad news on them.


    "What do you mean that he will cease to exist?" Francis asked confused. He looked at his son and felt his heart clench in pain.


    "You and all others have treated Avan like a person and have loved him but at the end of the day he is still just the essence of you. He was created from your magic and not born, his purpose for being created was already fulfilled and now he must return to you," Annak explained.


    Francis and all the others were saddened by the news; it was like saying a part of their family never existed. It hurt to hear that Avan will cease to exist. "It is only a matter of time before he is absorbed into you," Annak stated.


    "Is that why Alexander''s dragon mark is disappearing?" Malia asked pointing at the mark on Francis''s neck that was vanishing.


    "Yes, with Francis taking back his magic. It comes with the dragon mark on Avan''s chest and since the last time Ander had won over Alex in the battle for Francis it is only right that Ander''s dragon leaves without a fight," she explained.


    "What does that mean for the two of us?" Alexander asked.


    "You should say your goodbyes, after the merge ends. He won''t be your Francis anymore. He will belong to the dragon king which is Ander," she said feeling sorry for the lovers.


    "Arimelari will get a new king if we succeed in ending the curse, the dragon king will take over," she informed them. "When the merge ends Francis will be able to draw Ander out of his state, since Avan has romantic feelings for Ander the feelings will merge with Francis''s feelings. When this is all over, he won''t remember his love for you," she told to Alex.


    Alexander and Francis held each other''s hands, they gazed into each other''s eyes. There were no words that could express how the two of them felt at that moment so they didn''t even try. They leaned for one last kiss before they were separated. "I will save you, I will bring us back together someday," he told him through their link before his mark vanished from him completely.

 Chapter 110 - Demon Army

    The king hugged his beloved in his arms scared of letting go. Avan cried and begged for his life as he slowly disappeared. Everyone who watched the scene was in tears except for Olivia.


    Francis absorbed A van completely, the black moon dragon mark formed on his chest the same point it used to be in Avan''s body. His body took a few minutes to completely merge into one once again.


    When the merge completed Francis opened his eyes, they were golden in color. He raised his hand into the air and by his side appeared the triplets of doom with their magic restored ready to serve their master.


    He pushed Alex away from him and stared deep into Ander''s eyes. His stare was intense, his other hand was in his chest calming the dragon down. Once he was done, Ander calmed down and he got back to the ground. His eyes remained black.


    The moon stopped darkening and the threat was lifted. "Francis," Alexander called to him.


    Francis glanced in his direction with an aloof expression on his face. He remained unfazed by the painful look on the king''s face. He tried to think of the man before him but nothing popped up in his mind. He had forgotten all about him when his dragon mark vanished; it took their memories with it.


    The immense energy that came from the merge filled the pendant with the essrsnce the demons needed to complete Ander''s body.


    Francis, Ander and the three witches disappeared from the room leaving everyone else in tears. Olivia was very happy with the outcome of things, with Francis gone everything would belong to her once again.


    *****


    "Is it done?" Ander asked the demons.


    "It will take a few more hours," they replied frightened by him and his companions.


    "The witches can do it in less time," Francis stated. Ander stared back at the man. He didn''t say anything but Francis understood what he wanted. Francis ordered Miyale and her sisters to get on the work while he followed Ander out of the room.


    "What do you say the two of us get a little cozy?" he asked Ander in a flirtatious tone.


    "There is much to be done," Anderson replied removing his hand from him.


    "Please me and I might be able to help with the demon army," Francis said causing Anger to halt. His black eyes turned back and gazed at the chosen one.


    Francis smiled at successfully catching his attention. He took his time walking over to the younger male. It was irritating to Ander how he stopped without telling him how he could help him.


    "You have two options do it the hard way and maybe in a few years you change your army or you could help me and in a few hours you can have your army," he whispered to the dragon with desire in his eyes.


    "What if you are only saying this to get what you want. Get me my army and you can have all of me," Ander said to him wrapping his arms around Francis''s body. "Deal?" he asked.


    "As you wish my king."


    Francis lifted himself off the ground, he looked back at the dragon. "Do you think you can keep up?" he asked and flew away. Ander followed right behind him. They flew away from the mountain towards the neighboring kingdom.


    Artea was the kingdom next to Arimelari, it was a peaceful kingdom with a sticked king that preferred handling things with an iron fist. Literally the man had a fist made of iron.


    The great mountain of Artea was there destination.They wasted no time in getting there, once on top of the mountain Francis landed on the ground with the black moon dragon doing the same.


    "Why are we here?" Ander questioned.


    "This is the ground where I had buried the demons you seek and I am the only one capable of opening the cave in which they are trapped in. With your way, you would have probably figured that out in a few years after struggling with no success.


    "Then I should be lucky that you are by my side?" he spoke embracing Francis from the back.


    "Argggh," he screamed feeling his soul being torn apart.


    "What is wrong?" Ander asked worried about him. Francis felt his chest and shook his head, the pain had gone away and so did a piece of him. He was sure that socery was at hand but pleasing Ander was more important, he could always figure out what that pain was later.


    He took time and found the door, it had a few symbols drawn to it, the symbols were the key to opening the cave. He had written it in a language that only he understood in case he ever forgot the key or someone came looking for the door.


    "What does it say," Ander asked rubbing on the symbols on the wall.


    "That I would prefer you hands somewhere different from the wall," he replied in a seductive voice.


    "Were you horny when you wrote this?" Ander asked at his attempt at flirting.


    "No, but now I am," Francis answered shamelessly.


    "Just open the door," Ander said to him.


    Francis got to work and summoned his sword, it glowed coming into contact with his hand. He struck the wall with the sword causing it to break. When the wall broke they heard wails and screams coming from the cave. They sounded like they were rushing towards them.


    "You set your sword as the key?" Ander questioned, he had no idea that his sword was the key. The manuscripts that Amaru had said nothing about him or his sword.


    "Which only I can activate. Smart, I know," he complimented himself.


    Ander closed his eyes and muttered the incantation under his lips. The spell he chanted to gain control over the demons before they escaped into that world. He could feel them getting closer so he buried with the spell. He made sure that he had it right as he only had one chance to do it.


    His chants got louder and louder echoing in the cave, it was so loud Francis had to leave the cave to avoid getting hurt of hypnotized to obey the dragon.


    Ander raised himself off the ground as the demons were now infront of him. He kept chanting while they struggled to avoid being controlled by him. They fought him and they were many but he was determined, he wanted them by his side and he was not going to stop until did.


    He nose started bleeding from the pressure that he was under, he didn''t back down from the fight. It was draining him mentally and physically to keep fighting to control the demons but he kept going.


    Soon the demons lost their will to resist and he successfully got each and everyone of thenunder her control before they flew out of the cave.


    When he got the last demon, his body gave out and he fell to the ground and lost his consciousness.


    *******


    "We have only one shot. It might or might not work," Ella explained getting a spell from the forbidden book of leaves.He wasnt just about to let her friend be gone forever.


    "The spell makes things that aren''t real to be real.With it we can make Avan a real boy," she explained.


    Annak was more than willing to help her, Avan was their only hope. Only he could save the world from the disaster that Francis and Ander are going to cause of the kingdom and beyond.


    "Shall we start?" she asked all the witches nodded their heads. All the witches, wizards in the school came together to help out. They heard what had happened seeing as they were very fond of Avan they agreed to help.


    They chanted the spell that had been provided to them by Ella, the whole school was raidiating magic in the air as everyone was busy casting the same spell.


    "Argggh," Francis screamed as a piece of his soul was extracted from him by the spell and sent back to the school. In the middle of all the circles that the students had formed one after the other, his soul started creating a body of its own.


    It started forming from his feet going up. Seeing it working it motivated them to keep going, the forbidden spell was taking a toll on them. It was visible, the blood from their noses and ears.


    But they didn''t stop, their goal was almost done so they endured the pain until they saw his head completely formed. Most of the students dropped to the ground and lost their consciousness while others sat on the ground to get some rest.


    Avan dropped to the ground being whole again. Malia ran to him and picked him up and held him in her hands, she was so glad that he was alive again. Clearly opening a school full of supernatural creatures was a good idea, she thought.


    Avan opened his eyes to see her. "De..demon arm..army And..Ander," he said and fell back asleep.

 Chapter 111 - I Only Love You

    Ander sat up on the bed feeling a massive headache coming along. He held his head confused by the weird environment he was in.


    He looked around the room and froze seeing a man on the bed with him. The man laid on his stomach so it is a little difficult to make out his face.


    He held his breath and tried to get up without waking the man, he needed to get home. Stepping down from the bed, his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. The sound from his fall woke the man. He started moving around on the bed.


    Ander closed his eyes afraid to face the man. "Ander," a deep voice sounded from the bed. "What are you doing?"


    He slowly opened his eyes, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Francis on the bed with no shirt on. His muscular and perfectly shaped abs were visible for him to see.


    He averted his eyes and shook his head, there was no way that Francis would ever spend the night on his bed like that. Or even be by his side, the man had made it very clear that he was not interested in him.


    He looked to the bed again and sure enough, Francis was on the bed with a devilish grin on his face. He looked alluring to the eye and Ander found himself mesmerized.


    "Did you stay with me the whole night?" he asked.


    "Where else would I have been if not by your side silly," his words shocked Ander to the bones. The way he spoke was light and a little intimate. They weren''t that close and the last he checked Francis was angry with him.


    "Don''t you hate me?" he questioned not understanding a thing of what was going on.


    "No, why would I ever hate the person I love so much?" he answered with a question of his own.


    His reply made the boy even more unconvinced that the scene before him was real. He tried to jog his memory to see if he could find a clue of what led to that moment but nothing came to him.


    All he remembered was his birthday and Kazar showing up and ruining everything for him. He recalled Francis and his mother had gone after him to take care of him before his memory went blank.


    "Did my birthday end?" he asked out loud. "I didn''t even get any gifts," he added.


    Francis had moved from the bed and now was standing before him with a worried look on his face. "Miyale, Zorra, and Nayla," he called out.


    Before Ander could ask him who those people were, the witches appeared before him. They had their heads bowed to him, his eyebrows were furrowed and he looked, man.


    "What did you do wrong in the spell, he doesn''t seem to be fine?" he questioned them.


    Ander was not just confused by the scene before his eyes but he was also scared. The Francis in front of him was so different from the one he knew, from his aura to the way he handled himself everything was different.


    "We did nothing wrong," the sisters said in unison. "We only did as you asked, we placed him back in his original body with the powers of the faceless god as you had requested," they explained terrified.


    "Then why is he acting weird?"


    "That might be due to the transfer in the body. His soul will take some time to rest, he will return to normal soon," the sisters said.


    Francis dismissed them understanding what has happened, he bent down to Ander''s level and met his eyes. "Are you hungry?" he asked him softly.


    "A little. Who were those people and where is my mother?"


    "They are my helpers and as for your mother, we will see her soon," he told to him. He picked Ander up bridal style from the floor. Ander blushed, it was weird to be carried like that by him but he didn''t mind it. "Let''s eat," Francis offered and walked out of the room with him in his hand.


    They walked down the stairs to the dining room. The house they stayed in was cold and it made Ander be filled with worry especially when his eyes saw the numerous demons floating around the room. He held on to Francis tightly and swallowed the lump in his throat. His body was trembling from the negative aura the demons were emitting in the room.


    "Don''t be scared my dear," Francis spoke. "They won''t ever dare to harm you," he added.


    ''They are your slaves, they are more afraid of you than you are of them,'' he thought in his mind but didn''t voice it out.


    Seeing as Ander was not the evil dragon who wants to take over the world but an innocent boy who seemed lost. It was best he does not mention the demons, he placed the boy down on his seat and served him his food.


    "Why aren''t you with the king?" Ander asked playing with his food.


    "But I am with the king," Francis replied dishing his food.


    "Oh," Ander said with a frown. He felt foolish for assuming that it was just the two of them. Even if the man would never love himself would have been nice to think he did for just a while.


    Francis noticed the frown on Ander''s face. He didn''t understand why the boy was frowning, it made his heartache to see him so sad. He placed his hand on top of Ander''s hand.


    "Don''t you like the food or my company? he asked him.


    "Neither," Ander replied in a low almost unheard voice.


    "Then why are you sad? Don''t you want to eat?"


    "I want my mother," Ander said to him. Only his mother cared about him, her hug would make him feel better, he thought.


    "I see," Francis uttered coldly. "Here I thought we could spend some time alone," he muttered under his breath.


    The dragon king heard him. His words cheered Ander up in no time, it was having his wish granted.


    "Alone? But you said the king was here?" Ander asked to confirm.


    Francis raised his eyebrows at his behavior change. He realized the mistake that he had made, it wasn''t that that boy didn''t want to spend time with him but he was of the impression that Francis was with another. It was cute how his dragon king''s face lit up at his words.


    Being that Ander and his soul were like two different people it occurred to him that whatever his soul did, the boy was unaware of. Or else the boy would know that he was the king of the dragon clan and Arimelari.


    "When I said king I was referring to you. Or do you not want me to call you my king?" he asked.


    Ander was rendered speechless, he couldn''t control his beating heart. His lips curled up into a smile, it felt like a dream one which he never wanted to wake up from.


    He wished that they should stay like that forever just the two of them with Francis showering him with love.


    "What about Alex, isn''t he your king?" Ander asked faced down. He drew the ground with his feet anxiously awaiting to hear the answer that Francis would give him.


    Francis wrecked his brain for anyone named Alex but he couldn''t find anyone. Whoever it was he didn''t know him or know why Ander would ask him about the person. But one was clear this Alex made Ander feel insecure and he didn''t like that. He wanted the boy to know and understand that all of him belonged to the black moon dragon.


    He strode over to Ander''s seat, went down on one knee, and with his hand he lifted Ander''s face to look at him.


    "You are the only one who matters to me. Your happiness, your desires, and everything that comes with you is what I treasure the most in the world. Don''t ever feel that someone else might take your place because I only love you," he confessed.


    The sincerity in his eyes, the honesty in his words melted Ander''s heart. His eyes teared up, tears of joy threatened to flow from his eyes.


    "If you love me then why did you reject me so many times? Why did you go to Alex when you knew how much it hurt me to see you with him?"


    Ander''s questions puzzled him. He didn''t know any Alex in his life but apparently, he seems to share some history with him. He had no words to answer the boy.


    "Why did you say such hurtful things to me?" he asked but being that Francis had forgotten everything about Alex he didn''t remember anything of what Answer was saying since it was related to Alex. Francis doesn''t remember anything of Ander since Alex returned into their lives. He only had memories of the time Ander was growing up but with him except for missing Alex.


    "You can''t answer me because your love for me isn''t real. You are only saying this because it''s what I want from him..."


    Before he could finish his words Francis interrupted him by kissing his lips to stop him from talking of this he was unaware of.

 Chapter 112 - The Offer

    "Is that good enough for you or do you need more proof of my love?" Francis asked breaking the kiss.


    Ander was too dazed to reply to him. It wasn''t real, he thought. Francis was in love with his father and he would never kiss him. He just didn''t know how long the sweet dream would last until he woke up to the harsh reality. The reality where he and his dad both hated him.


    "Ander," he called out shaking him out of his trance.


    "A mare kiss doesn''t prove anything," Ander said to him. A kiss can be forced and love can be faked. He was not foolish to trust the man blindly when had proven to him that nothing romantic could ever happen between them.


    His reply made Francis frown. He didn''t know what else to do to convince the boy that his feelings for him were real.


    "Let''s have breakfast," he suggested.


    Just then his attention was drawn to a shadow by the door. His frown deepened.


    "Looks like we have unwanted guests in the house," he uttered coldly his caring eyes vanishing from his face. The look on his face sent a shiver down Ander''s spine. He looked evil and his aura was sending warning signals to him.


    He followed the man''s sight to spot Amaru leaning on the door. His face lit up with recognition. He was glad that Amaru was there, having someone he knew around could help him understand what was going on.


    The change in his facial expression didn''t skip Francis''s eyes. His face darkened with an evil glint in his eyes.


    "I send him away," he told and took a step towards the door.


    "Let him stay invite him to dine with us," Ander requested. The request made Francis boil with anger, it was supposed to be just the two of them but now a crowd was forming with a third party.


    "Sure," he replied.


    He walked up to Amaru and glared at him. "What are you still doing here?" he questioned in a deep scary voice.


    "I want something your lover has stolen from me. Tell him to give me my powers back and I will be on my way," he replied unfazed by the angry voice of Francis.


    "Well, that is not going to happen."


    "Then I will just kill him then," Amaru uttered.


    The minute those words left his mouth, Francis grabbed him and threw him across the room. He landed on his back before he could stand. Francis was hovering above him with a dangerous look on his face.


    "I don''t like you and the fact that Ander sees you only make me hate you more," he said angrily. "But I have an offer for you. Something that I guarantee will be important to you that the powers you''ve lost," he added.


    Amaru looked at him with a confused look on his face. He had never known the chosen one to be so evil and so dark. The newly chosen one took him by surprise.


    "What can you offer me that I don''t already own?" the faceless god asked.


    "Your face," Francis said and helped him stand. He didn''t say anymore and walked back to the dining room.


    Amaru followed behind in silence, he couldn''t say that the offer wasn''t intriguing. The question he had was what Francis was going to make him get his face back. A faceless god''s weakness was his face and the person who had his face had the power to kill him.


    "How sure am I that you have it?" he asked him.


    Francis smiled at him. He gazed into Amaru''s eyes giving him a glimpse of everything that was snatched from before in his fight with the chosen one. He didn''t just see his face, he saw his knife and his shadow inside there.


    Francis averted his eyes and took a seat opposite Ander. "As you requested, I have invited him to join us," he said to Ander his eyes becoming soft and warm again.


    Ander glanced at Amaru who he had just witnessed being thrown across the room. He looked busy in his thoughts thinking of something.


    "What did you say to him?"


    "When I asked, he said he wasn''t hungry so I persuaded him," Francis replied him.


    Amaru''s jaw dropped on hearing the male lie, there was no part of their talk that included an offer to have a meal. But he didn''t say anything.


    Francis had him on a leash you could say, the things the man had were so much precious than his powers. With them, he would go back to being invisible like before, but the problem was how to get them back.


    "I see," Ander stated unconvinced. He didn''t why he doubted Francis, he had a gut feeling that the man was different. Changed from the person he used to know but wasn''t sure. "Can I talk with Amaru in private after breakfast?" Ander asked.


    Francis looked up to him, his eyes flashed with a dark look for a second before he smiled. "Sure."


    "Can you help me up?" Ander requested of Amaru. He was still tired and couldn''t walk by himself so took his help to walk.


    Amaru helped him up, he wrapped his hands around Ander''s waist to keep him on his feet. He needed not to turn around to know that the daggers on his back were coming from the male opposite them.


    "We will be right back," Ander informed.


    Amaru helped him up the stairs with Ander pointing to him where to go. He directed him to the room he woke up in and had the boy set him down on the bed.


    Once he was settled on the bed, he turned his attention to the male.


    "What did you want to talk about?" Amaru inquired wishing to end the conversation soon. Francis didn''t seem too happy with him being alone with Ander and the man had things that he wanted. So it was important for him not to offend the man.


    "I need your help," she started nervously. "I know that this might sound weird but I seem to lack a few details of my life," he added.


    "What do you mean?"


    "One minute I was in my room with my mother and Francis on the night of my birthday and the next I wake up here. I am exhausted for some reason and Francis doesn''t seem like Francis," he mumbled. "You were there, maybe you can shed some light on what happened?"


    Amaru scratched his head nervously. He had not known where to start or from where to finish while describing the events of the last eight months. He also had to watch his tongue, there was an evil villain by the other side of the wall listening to their conversation.


    He looked around the room nervously trying to think of what to say. "Well, you have been in a comatose state for eight months," he said as it was the only lie he could think of.


    "What?!" Ander asked surprised.


    "Yes," he added stretching the words as his mind thought of a reason as to why the boy would have gone into a coma. "You see, on your birthday you bit Francis and marked him. The King was enraged and fought with you...in the process, you fainted and hasn''t woken up since," he explained.


    "What?!" Ander questioned disbelief filling his eyes with every word that came out of the god''s mouth.


    "Francis got so angry at the king that he took you away with him. He then realized how much he loved you and has waited for you since," he added to please Francis. He also needed to remove the doubts from Ander''s mind. From he had heard entering the house, Ander seemed unsure of whether to embrace him or not.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Ander asked with some doubt still in his eyes.


    "Yes, Francis loves you," he let out. ''And I would love to get my things back,'' he added in his mind.


    "Okay, thank you," Ander said gratefully that the gap in his mind was filled. Perhaps it was the waiting for too long that changed Francis from the way he used to be.


    "Can I go now?" Amaru asked. Ander nodded before he exited the room.


    He left the room and headed straight for Francis. The man was gone the spot he stood eavesdropping on them but his knife was there dangling in the air.


    He smiled and pocketed his knife. "One down, two to go," he said proudly.


    Francis appeared inside the room. He leaned on the wall with his eyes on the dragon king. He was pleased with what Amaru had said to Ander, he knew the man would come in handy as he knew about their past which seemed to be erased from his mind.


    "Are you okay now?"


    "I am good. I''m sorry for the way I behaved. I had no idea you went through so much for me," he said apologetically.


    "It''s okay," Francis replied glad his insecurities were all gone.

 Chapter 113 - Deal

    Annak nursed Avan back to health. She was worried and afraid. They had taken precautions to keep themselves safe from Ander and his demon army. She wasn''t sure it was enough to keep the dragon king from destroying Arimelari and everyone in it.


    She was waiting, waiting to hear from Avan what he knew of Ander''s plan. The boy had gotten better but was yet to wake up.


    She could only hope that the king would be thoughtful and rethink his decision of taking over. From the link she shared with the triplets, she was certain things weren''t well with them.


    Francis was not the same man he used to be and at the moment, his only concern was to please Ander. And the boy had a lot of anger issues and more, he held a lot of grudges towards his friends and family. That made him very dangerous under evil influence.


    "The future is dark," she whispered. "And it isn''t good that you are asleep. You are the only one who can shine a light on the darkness we are heading to. Only you can get Ander back," she added recalling the glimpse of the future that she had seen.


    It was hopeless, the future wasn''t looking great for anyone. It was a burden and a curse for her to have the gift of seeing the future when she was helpless to do anything about it. She had tried her best to get the key to avoiding the future to wake up but it seemed fate was mocking her efforts.


    Despite being normal and in perfect health Avan had refused to wake up. The boy himself was refusing to wake up and she could get an idea why. Seeing Ander and Francis together must have left a bruise in his heart. It must be a reality that he wouldn''t want to be a part of but sadly he had to.


    The whole world needed him to wake up. It was the only way they would survive the calamity that was to come.


    "You have to wake up," she pleaded in a soft voice. Her heart was shaken with fear, she had known a day like this would come for a long time but it never occurred to her that it would happen so soon.


    ''We need to talk,'' a chilling voice said in her head. ''We have a common goal. Rooftop,'' the voice added.


    She got up from the bed, she covered Avan up with a warm blanket before stepping out. She teleported herself to the rooftop to meet the sudden guest who visited her.


    "Is there a reason as to why you are here?" she asked the black fog before her.


    "How about a truce," the faceless God offered taking his form.


    "Am. Amaru?"


    "Surprise," he spoke with a little mischief in his tone. "I''m here to make a deal with you," he added.


    "A deal? What kind of deal?" she questioned eagerly to know what it was that had dragged the faceless god from where he was to her.


    "I keep you informed about Ander and Francis and in return you owe me," he stated to her.


    Annak listened and considered the offer, it was good but owing a debt to a God that cares only for himself was a dangerous path to trade. She wanted to be informed but not at the cost of her freedom.


    "What will I owe you?"


    "Anything I ask for when I do and don''t worry, I will only ask for one thing. Once I figure out what that thing is," he said.


    "How do I know that I can trust and most importantly why should I trust you?" she inquired.


    Amaru looked pleased. She was always smart and knew never to beat around the bush.


    Straight to the point was the way she worked and he liked it. He was just like the new Francis, only he had cards up his sleeves that he could use to control people.


    He was powerful and the secrets in his head only made him a lot more dangerous. The more allies he had the better chances he had of surviving when the battle ended.


    The chances of coming out alive were high if he played both sides.


    "Right now I can tell you that you have at least three weeks before Ander attacks. For now, he is a lot more interested in learning every inch of Francis''s body," he mumbled. "They are working on their relationship or at least that is what Ander thinks. Francis is just waiting for Ander''s soul to get stronger and take control before they come," he added.


    "How is Ander?"


    "Missing his mother but Francis has him busy to act on his feelings for his mother," he replied to her.


    "Sounds like there is the hope of stopping the war. We can separate the two and stop the war from happening," she suggested seeing a light at the end of her dark tunnel.


    "Impossible. Francis has him around his palm, he won''t take his eyes off Ander for a second let alone enough time for you to get in the boy''s head. He wants Ander to see the world on fire and he is more than willing to lend him a hand. And trust me, his hand is dangerous," he explained darkening the hope that Annak had gotten.


    "I have to return before the chosen one realizes I''m gone. See you soon whisperer."


    "I haven''t agreed to your deal yet," she announced before he left.


    "Seems to me like you don''t have an option of saying no," he spoke his lips curling up onto a devilish smile. "Wait for me."


    ******


    "Are you sure about this?" Ander questioned feeling unsure about Francis''s request.


    "Yes love, I am very sure," Francis replied. Francis got him to the aisle of the lost souls. According to him, Ander needed to call a soul of dark Melchior.


    "Why would you want such a dangerous man back?" he asked.


    "He is just a piece of the big picture we have planned," Francis said wrapping his hands around the dragon king''s neck. "You trust me don''t you?" he asked him.


    "I..umm.."


    "You love me right?" he inquired. Andre nodded his head obediently. "I want to prove it. How about you trust me and stop questioning me. I am on your side and I love you."


    "Okay," Ander replied.


    Ander crushed the flower of deception in his hands. The scent from the flower attracted souls of the dead towards him. He stood inside the circle with a shield around him to keep the souls away.


    Francis stood right behind her, he watched the souls start to gather all around them. The triplets floated above them ready to capture the soul of dark Melchior and bring it back to the underground house.


    "Call for the strongest lost souls. Leave the weak," Francis advised.


    Ander did his best to concentrate and follow everything that Francis was saying. He didn''t want to let the man down.


    The souls were drawn to him. They came rushing, the weak and the strong together rushing for a chance to live again. Ander closed his eyes and searched among them for the essence of dark Melchior from the energy he had gotten from Avan.


    The souls beat down on the shield wanting to possess their bodies and leave the aisle but the shield was strong.


    "I can''t find him," Ander informed him.


    "Is this how weak your love is. I have asked for one thing and you can''t do it," Francis complained. Won''t you even try to be worth my love?" Francis questioned.


    Ander felt hurt listening to his words. It was strange having to be on the receiving end of emotional blackmail. And though he knew he was being used by the male, he still felt the need to do as he said.


    He focused harder trying to find Dark Melchior, his eyes traveled the palace. It entered a room in the east wing he rarely visited and stopped on the bed where Avan laid unconscious.


    He froze, from his head to toe. His body stopped as he stared at the sleeping charming boy. The memories of the times they had spent together and the way Avan thought of him flashed before his eyes.


    His focus drifted from trying to find dark Melchior to getting Avan to wake up.


    Francis noticed his shift in attention and frowned deeply. He placed his hands on each side of the male''s head to see what it was that he was looking at that stopped him from doing what he asked.


    He saw the image of Avan sleeping on the bed in the room. Being in Ander''s head he saw a lot more than he intended. He saw his memories with the king being close replaying in the boy''s mind over and over again.


    He saw how happy he seemed to be with the man, he was confused. He got lost in that part of the memory feeling a deep attraction to the man in the memories. It was like his heart recognized the man and started beating in his chest as though yearning for him.

 Chapter 114 - No One Plays Me

    Francis snuck into the palace in the middle of the night. His curiosity got the better of him. He had to see the man he saw in Ander''s head.


    He made his way to the room trying to retrace the room he had seen. He needed to meet the man for himself to find out what it was that he was missing. His body and mind have been restless the whole time ever since they came back from the aisle of the lost souls.


    He got to the golden door, the door from the memories. He pushed the door open and slowly walked in. He tiptoed to make certain that he was not heard.


    He made his way to the bed, the person he sought slept on the bed. He was twisting and turning on the bed, he didn''t look like he was having a good night''s rest.


    "Who are you?" he mumbled sitting down next to the king.


    "Your lover and your husband," Alex opened his eyes and looked up to him. "Also a dragon which means I heard you the moment you opened the door."


    He sat up. "I knew toy could never stay away from me. Annak, she said that I had lost you forever but I'' knew that my love will lead you back to me," he mumbled.


    Francis didn''t respond to him. His silence surprised Alex but he didn''t mind it much. The distant look on Francis''s eyes also didn''t affect him. Despite the odds, he had full faith that Francis would one day remember him and return to him.


    They had been separated many times before and each time they managed to find their way back to each other. This time too he believed they would win.


    "I don''t know you," Francis said plainly. "But my body seems to know you so how about we have a little fun."


    "Fun? What do you mean?" the king questioned.


    "Help me remember who I am to you," he said with a devilish grin on his face. He reached down his clothes and removed them from his body.


    "Shouldn''t you be with Ander right now?" the kind inquired puzzled. According to Annak who is never wrong. Francis is supposed to be by Ander''s side. He is only to love and support the boy even if his loyalty to Ander was misguided.


    He was confused by his sudden presence and his request.


    "I should but what he doesn''t know won''t kill him. So are you give me what I want or should I leave?" he asked softly.


    "Your wish has always been my command. But I have a kingdom to think of so I won''t anger Ander by touching you," he told sternly. His words came out forced that even Francis could tell that her himself didn''t want that.


    "A minute ago, you mentioned something about love and now this. So tell me between me and the kingdom what is more important to you?" he questioned in a sweet sensual voice that made Alex swallow hard.


    "Right now I am not in a position to choose, the choice has already been made for me," Alex said creating some distance between the two of them.


    "You are my husband, so how can you deny me my rights?" Francis asked and locked their lips into a kiss. Since seeing the memory of the two of them he had been itching to be with the man.


    Electricity ran down his body the minute their lips touched. It wasn''t like kissing Ander, he had to admit he liked kissing Ander but the kiss right now was magical. It started like a snap kiss but slowly deepened into a more passionate kiss. He parted his lips letting Alex deepen the kiss.


    Alex slipped his tongue into his mouth and kissed him. His kiss was rough and demanding, he was kissing him with so much hunger in his eyes. It was only a little while that they had parted ways but he missed the male deeply and he expressed that in the kiss.


    He made taste every corner of Francis''s mouth. The two of them wrapped their hands around each other in need. They were so caught up with each other they failed to notice the shadow that entered the room.


    Francis moaned into the kiss enjoying the way he was being dominated by Alex. He might not recall the man but his body recognized his touch and his body reacted accordingly. He found himself growing hard, he wanted more.


    Alex broke the kiss to catch his breath, he watched Francis beneath heavily too. He smiled sweetly. He had missed that, especially the male''s neck. He leaned his head to Francis''s neck and trailed kisses all over it. He looked up from the kiss and jerked when he got startled.


    "What''s wrong?" Francis asked him. He looked at the pair of eyes seated at his tea table with uncertainty in his eyes.


    "Don''t stop on my account. Keep going," they both heard. Francis got off Alex and gazed up. He got his clothes and got dressed.


    "What are you doing here?" he questioned with no guilt or fear in his eyes. "I thought I put you to bed," he added.


    "Heard of the interesting show over here so I had to come and watch," Ander replied.


    "Did you enjoy it?"


    "Very much," he answered. "But not as much as you were enjoying his tongue on your mouth."


    "Shall we go home, I''m sure you have a lot of questions?" he offered to the boy.


    "No, I have no questions for you. From where I sit everything seems pretty clear," he said to him. "But the two of you have betrayed yet again and that won''t be tolerated," he added coldly.


    His tone of voice surprised Francis but he didn''t look bothered. He put on his shoes and got up from the bed. "Ander love, we should go home," he told to him.


    "I am home. We all are, get comfortable and enjoy the night. You have a long morning ahead of you," he said.


    "I am your mate and the one you love. I have nothing to fear, especially since I have something that you and I need," Francis went ahead to say.


    Ander gazed at him his lips curling up into a wicked smile. "No one plays me," he said standing up and walking over to the man. "Not you and not my soul," he said holding the man''s hand.


    His touch made his dragon mark on Francis''s chest react. It was drilling Francis''s insides, Francis gritted his teeth and endured the pain from the mark.


    "Let me tell you a little secret. The thing Is that I have always been more powerful than my soul, It feeds off me and I can control it at any given time," he whispered in Francis''s ear. "You are right when you say that you are my love but you have one misconception. You are not my mate, you are my slave," he added.


    "How dare..."


    He began to say when Ander interrupted him by putting his hand on his lips. His voice disappeared right after. "You shouldn''t raise your voice to your master. There might be consequences," he stated the innocence in his eyes vanishing.


    "A new era Is here and I am no longer an emotional fool that you can trick so easily. I can play games much worse than you, your mistake. You underestimate me," he let out.


    "But no worries, I will just have to show you what happens when I get angry," he said and left Francis. He went over to the window and opened it.


    Alex and Francis moved to the window to see, the sight before them shocked them out of their wits.


    "Witness my anger," Ander said. The houses in the village were on fire, the dragons above were burning everything in their path. A fog was engulfing the people and once inside the fog they were no longer seen.


    "What are you doing?" Alexander finally found his voice to ask.


    "I had a chat with Amaru earlier, it was as interesting to talk. He opened my eyes to see that I was living in an illusion. Francis can never love me in this life and tonight proved it. So since I can''t have him as a lover I will return him to you. That way I will be able to enjoy seeing the two of you suffer together," he said to them.


    "What do you mean?" the king asked him.


    "I mean that you can have him back. I don''t want him, I don''t want something that doesn''t completely belong to me. Take this as my gift to you father, it might be the only one," he spatted.


    "Thank you," the king said gratefully.


    "Don''t thank me, this is not a gift, it''s a curse," he stated before raising his hands, the fog picked him up and lifted him off the ground. "You will soon understand why I am the last person you should have messed with. I will remove the mark soon, enjoy your night," he finished speaking and left with the fog.

 Chapter 115 - A Life For A Life

    The dragon king was seated in his throne room. The palace was filled with a lot of cries from everywhere around.


    "Never pictured you for a cold heartless dragon."


    "Things we don''t picture have a way of reaching our realities Amaru," Ander replied coldly.


    Footsteps could be heard rushing into the room. The two of them silently waited, the door was pushed open.


    Francis rushed into the room, he was fuming mad at Ander. Standing before the male he glared at him, his eyes were sharp and piercing.


    "What do you think of yourself?" he asked angrily.


    "I think that I am handsome and have no idea what you see in my father," he told uncaringly.


    "You can''t attack Arimelari without talking to me about it and how could you say that I''m a slave?" he questioned. "And you Amaru, you are supposed to be on my side. Or is it that you''ve lost interest in your belongings?"


    Amaru''s lips curled up into a smile. It was a mockery smile that didn''t settle well with Francis. It was as though he was missing something, in the few time that he came to the palace everything changed.


    "What?"


    "You mean this face?" Amaru asked him presenting his real face to Francis. Francis was shocked, caught off guard he checked his store and realized that they were gone.


    "How?" he asked lost.


    "Ander, he returned them all to me," he explained to him.


    "Like I said there are dark times ahead. Instead of being here and asking irrelevant questions. I would suggest returning to your lover''s arms. It might be the last peaceful night you both share," he said to him.


    Amaru watched the frown on Francis''s face deepen. He felt happy to see the man who had destroyed him get a shock of his own. He was a man who lived by one rule, survive.


    No matter what side he played with, he didn''t stab them in the back if it meant his survival. He took his time to enjoy his victory, even though Ander was the one hurting Francis. It was still his victory watching his enemy feel defeated.


    "Shall I help you?" he asked.


    "This is not over, you have made your choice now it''s my turn," Francis warned leaving the room by himself.


    Ander''s eyes glowed hearing his threat. ''You have no idea what you are even fighting for or whom you are fighting Francis dear,'' he thought in his mind.


    "You are brilliant. You hit all the birds in the sky with one stone. Respect," Amaru said to him.


    In just two hours, he had made himself king and enslaved all others. He had his demons and dragons attacking villages and getting them under his control. Those who refused to bow to him as King were either killed or imprisoned.


    The lost souls from the aisle of the lost wandered the streets eating any soul that rebelled against him. He was only waiting for morning to greet his subjects.


    "I had no other stones to spare so I made use of the one that I had," he told to him.


    "What of your love, he doesn''t seem to be doe with you?"


    "You and I both know that my interests have changed, I needed Francis for the things he keeps hidden, especially the doors the secret chambers at the school. The only way to get that from him was play innocent," Ander informed. "Who doesn''t like a sad broken little boy to take of," he added.


    "How?"


    "You need to be more specific if you want an answer from me."


    "How did you know Francis was using me?"


    "The same way I know that you went to visit Avan right before you joined me," he said and stopped staring at the spot where Francis stood. "Don''t make the mistake of underestimating me. It will be your end faceless god."


    Ander whistled in his seat. His face was blank of any emotion. Amaru soon left seeing that the boy was done talking. Ander was left alone in the room, the room was quiet but he could feel another presence in the room with him.


    He waited for the person to come out and talk to him now that he was alone but they didn''t move. He too was too tired to go and check it out himself.


    Hours passed and the being remained in place, he was sleeping with one eye open observing the person watching him.


    The hours went by and soon the sun rose, he opened his eyes. The person was still around and their stare was getting intense.


    He sighed, he had to give the person credit. They were good at their but they were getting on his nerve. He was a person of many secrets and the last thing he needed was someone who was watching him and all his movements.


    "I know you are there so come out," he let out.


    The person didn''t make my movement not did they respond to him.


    He stood up from his throne and faced the direction in which the person was hiding. "You can see me and hear me. Here is the deal, follow me and die or leave me alone," he warned.


    He had lost a good night''s sleep because of the intruder, there were bags evident under his eyes.


    "Is death the only the only thing that runs through your mind?" he heard with one foot out of the room.


    Feeling some familiarity in the voice he stopped and looked back immediately. The sight before him made him want to vomit.


    "Do you never get tired of being rejected?" he asked her amused by her thick skin.


    "I would ask you the same question. How long will Francis have to reject you and your love before you let him go?" she asked him.


    Ander smirked at her question. "And who told you that I seek love?"


    "I don''t seek love either and since we are on the same why not join hands," Natalia offered him. "All I want is a promise that I will be your queen," she added.


    Ander looked amused, he didn''t reply and just walked away. The girl was just like his birth mother, both had the same way of thinking and similar desires.


    "Why do only bad people surround me?" he asked a pained look deep in his eyes. The look only lasted for a second before he pushed it behind his mind. "You are the only good thing in my life, that is why at the moment it is important to get you back," he told to himself.


    He took a knife from his pockets and cut his palm, the blood flowed out of his wound. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his blood, his blood attracted his elemental stones from where Annak had hidden them and brought them to his side. They revolved around him as he kept walking.


    Air, water, earth, fire, and metal revolved around him as he walked. They created doors around him. All he had to do was open the door and think of where he wanted to go and he would appear there. He thought of the one person who still cared for him. The only person who still loved him.


    Soon he appeared in Avan''s room. The male was sleeping peacefully on the bed with no worries at all.


    "You look good chosen one," he complimented. "You seem peaceful," he added sadly.


    He directed the stones around the boy, they were restoring his essence that was left in Francis. He was returning life to him, he might look like he had been sleeping but his soul was incomplete and hence he couldn''t wake up.


    "This time we will call the shots. Francis made me realize something, all I need is you and I will be complete. Get up soon," he said to him.


    He brushed Avan''s hair away from his face, took a clear look at the boy''s face, and managed a weak smile on his face.


    "He will never wake up. You will pay for your sins by losing him," he heard a whisper in the room.


    "What?!" he asked and listened.


    "A life for a life, he will never return to you," the voice came again. "His soul will forever be locked in Hoxgan," the voice added.


    Pinpointing where the voice was coming from he aimed his firestone and threw it in the direction.


    "Only beings with a soul or a body can be burnt. I am just a subconscious of the supreme chosen and am here to inform you that Avan has been taken as a price for the death of Alessa."


    Ander folded his hand into a fist, he felt a nerve in his head about to pop. The girl in question died years ago and they dare blame him for it. He didn''t kill her, Kazar did.


    "Bring him back," he demanded.


    "Accept that you have lost dragon king. He will never return to you," the voice informed him.

 Chapter 116 - Anders Plan

    "Whispers are traveling in the shadows," Amaru informed. "Every witch, wizard, and all the supernatural creatures are after your life," he added.


    He spoke up, he spent the whole morning explaining to the king of the enemies he has but the boy acted like it was nothing.


    "Onilen Leafspearf is the head of the group gathering against you. You need to take this seriously" he warned.


    "What you mean is that everyone who is feared in the world is afraid of me?" Ander asked him with an amused smile on his face. "Why should I be scared of them when they are afraid of me?"


    "They are dangerous..." Amaru began to say hesitantly and stopped.


    "They are coming together in Hoxgan to attack me, using Avan as bait to get me there but I am smart. I won''t go to then but I will draw them to me," Ander let out.


    The night was young, the stars in the sky twinkled with beauty.


    "I didn''t get to be introduced as King today but tomorrow the whole world will know who the king is. My enemies and friends."


    Amaru was confused by his confidence. The people he was up against were the entire supernatural society. Even a good couldn''t handle so many people easily and he was confidently saying that he could handle it.


    "Are you mad? I know you are strong and calculating but this is not a fight but a battle. You are fighting the world not just a few people like your family. You are fighting th..."


    "Do you think me a fool? That I can''t figure out what is going on?" Ander asked him losing his temper. "Are you crazy, just like you they will have this mindset and they will make the mistake of underestimating me? And I will use this to my advantage, I will destroy them before they think of destroying me," he added.


    Ander took deep breaths to calm his anger. He had worked on his anger issues for the last months but at times things just made him lose it. He was burning with rage with Amaru''s words echoing in his mind.


    He was young and inexperienced but that was no excuse for them to look down on him.


    "Relax, I am on your side. I was only trying to warn you but you have the last say," Amaru told to him.


    "I make this challenge to you. If I don''t make those silly witches pay for this then I will change my name," Ander challenged him.


    His heart was on fire burning with rage. He raised his hand to his chest, he dug his nails into his skin penetrating to his heart.


    His nails brushed against his heart as he grabbed hold of it. He closed his eyes and opened them. They had turned black, he cast a spell while removing his heart.


    He held his beating heart in his hand and stared at it. The heart soon disappeared into thin air, the scales on his neck appeared. Another layer of hard scales formed on top of the one that was on him.


    "To kill me, they need to strike at my heart and neck. With my heart gone and my neck being indestructible I can''t be killed," he stated.


    Amaru''s jaw dropped at what he witnessed. The spell and practice that Ander was using were ancient and forbidden. Such spells were disposed of years ago. Even he knew not of those spells.


    "They can''t kill me if I have no weakness. But they on the other hand have lots of things that weaken them. All I have to do is find them. What do you think of my plan?" he asked calmly turning his head to stare at Amaru.


    "You are crazy and brilliant at the same time. I have no idea whether to be proud or scared," he replied.


    "Both, I won''t mind," Ander said his anger calming down. His rage was his weakness, he always gets reckless when he is emotional and that was no good when the world was against him.


    "You have protected yourself from death but you still have so much to lose. You care for your mother and Avan and they can be used against you," he advised to him.


    "You need not worry about that, Avan is protected. I have put measures in place to keep my mother safe, far away from all of this," he replied casually. "The only thing you need to worry about is my wedding plans," he told to him.


    Amaru sat down to get a hold of himself. They were in the crossfire on the battlefield and he was thinking of getting married. Avan''s soul had been stolen so he wasn''t the groom, Francis had been given back to Ander and the mark removed from him.


    He was not an option since marrying the king wasn''t in his plans. He only needed to survive and with the dragon''s crazy mind and devilish determination, he was sure he stood on the winning end. So who was the person he planned to marry?


    As always the male was causing him a headache. Instead of thinking of the war, he is thinking of starting a family.


    "Who is the groom?" he asked certain that it wasn''t a girl he planned to marry.


    "Not one but two," Ander replied playing with the grapes as he ate them.


    "Two?" he stared shocked. "Namely?"


    "Natalia and..." Ander stretched out his words to create suspense.


    "And?"


    "And you. I plan to make you mine, you once said that you are the only one who loves me. I know that Avan loves me and so do you but since he isn''t here then you have to do it," the dragon explained. "I know you are with me not for love but your selfish agenda. I don''t mind but to stay by my side you have to marry me," he added.


    Amaru folded his hand into a fist. He gulped at the proposal, it made him speechless.


    "Are you mad?" he asked getting up. His anger shot up. "Do you know what will happen if I marry you.? It is good to support you from the shadows but you want to tell the whole world that I am supporting you. I refuse your proposal," he bluntly refused.


    Ander''s lips curled up into a smile. He was seventeen years old and very intrigued by the thought that ran in other''s minds concerning him. He was amazed by the fact that Amaru thought that he had an option to refuse him.


    "The only reason I am asking you to marry me is for that. I can''t have you go behind my back like you did Francis by making a deal with Annak," he told getting up with a couple of grapes in his hands.


    "How do you know about that?"


    "When I left your body I left a little back four that I can use to see where you go and what you say," he informed striding near the god.


    "Now you either accept my proposal or leave. Your choice but before you make it bear one thing in mind. If you leave my side I will treat you as my enemy," he added feeding a grape to him.


    "Is that a threat?" the faceless god asked his aura getting dark.


    "Stop," Ander uttered softly and he calmed down. His aura returned to normal, Amaru''s eyes widen. "I also left my imprint on your powers before I gave them back. They can''t ha me so don''t waste your time trying," he said to him.


    Ander backed away from him happy that he had shattered that thought from the god that he stood a chance of going against him. He cleared the misunderstanding in the boy''s mind and that brought him immense joy.


    "What is your answer, will you marry me or not?"


    "I will," Amaru replied. He wanted to be mad at being played from right under his nose but a part of him was impressed. He was a god that has been alive for years and this was the first time he met such a calculating mind. A mind that thinks of all and leaves nothing to chance.


    "Glad to have you onboard," Ander said. Now he only had to inform the family and have them prepare his wedding. It might cheer them up from how moody they had been the whole day. They were all scared of him and thought him a monster at what he had done to Arimelari.


    "I can''t believe that you are marrying that annoying girl. What do you see in her?" Amaru asked settling down again.


    "The same thing I see in you. A cunning mind with something to gain and nothing to lose. Such are the people I need around me right now," Ander answered passing him the grapes to.


    "That is a terrible quality to look for in a life partner," he said angrily.


    "The qualities I seek are in Avan. The two of you are just decorations," he let out to him.

 Chapter 117 - Anders Plan (part Two)

    The day began with the vows of the king to his new bride and husband. The festival didn''t follow Arimelari''s traditions as Ander was playing it safe.


    After the vows they returned to the palace immediately, a small dinner was set with only the royal family allowed to attend.


    Alexander and Francis attended the dinner together, their hearts were burdened with cries and please of the people. It was becoming impossible for them to have any piece of mind with all that was going on.


    Even though they were together again thanks to Ander taking back his dragon mark, they didn''t have any time to spend with each other. And they were together, they were too tired to think about love or anything of that sort.


    Their lives had become miserable with everything going on. Malia and her husband too we''re occupied with their own lives to help the couple. She had just found out that she is expecting a child and as such couldn''t afford to make mistakes that would anger the king. Their child was their priority.


    The Queen grandmother wasn''t in favor of what was going on but she was not stupid enough to interfere, the first time she played god she ended up paying a huge price for it.


    She just couldn''t make the same mistake again so she let things go by themselves. Annak sat by the queen grandmother. She had a lot to think of in her mind, the fact that Ander had moved Avan to a place that she knew not of made things complicated. She couldn''t tend to the boy and have him fix the damage that had become of Arimelari.


    Olivia sat opposite the king, she had no opinions for the wedding. She was only furious that Ander had given Francis back to Alex but the chaos the boy created worked in her favor. She didn''t have to watch the two of them being loving to each other, it was tiring and heartbreaking.


    With all the things they have been up to trying to help the people. It had taken a toll on their relationship and that fact made her happy.


    Ander stared at everyone at the table. He could read all that they had going on in their heads and frankly he didn''t care. He didn''t care about their problems or their troubles. All that he was concerned about was how to get Avan back and destroy all his enemies.


    The demon wails could be heard from his seat, the demons as always we''re spreading fear and panic into the subjects hearts and feeding off their negative emotions.


    He ate his meal slowly, the table was quite unlike before when they would talk and catch on the activities of the day during eating time.


    His life had changed quite a lot and he liked the changes. The only problem was the forces that were gathering against him. They were getting on his nerves, his spies had reported to him just how many they were and he was still trying to figure out how to hit all of them at the same time.


    He had a plan that needed to be set in motion. He waited to make certain that he gets to wound all of them with it.


    "My husband," a call came from his side causing him to glance in that direction. "I was just practising how I should call you from now on," Natalia added shyly.


    Her words got the attention of everyone at the table. Ella almost vomited hearing the words she uttered. Her face was drained of any joy since she lost her best friend and what worse was the betrayal that Ander had done on him by marrying Amaru and Natalia.


    She was sure that Avan would be heartbroken when he wakes up. His heart would never be able to bear the pain of watching the boy he loves in the arms of other people.


    That was one of the things she envied of the male. He wasn''t awake to witness the horror that was happening in his land and with his beloved. But sadly she was witnessing everything and it was killing pieces of her to do so.


    The look on Ander''s face didn''t change after seeing her blush. He continued to eat his food without replying to her.


    "I am full," Amaru announced. "I will retire to bed," he added.


    "I will join you," Ander told pushing his dish away. He got up from his seat and hooked his hand around Amaru''s. They walked out of the room in unison, their steps were matched as they strode away.


    "The whispers are getting dangerous. They''re getting ready to attack you," Amaru informed him as they walked towards their room.


    "I know, worry not as I have everything under control,"he said confidently.


    They entered their room. The room was decorated for their wedding night. Scented candles all over the room making it smell sweet, flowers were kept in vases all across the room.


    From the door to the bed, flower petals were aligned for them to walk on. Striding to the bed. Ander read the words on the bed with a frown.


    ''Ander & Natalia''


    They were written on the bed with rose petals with a heart in between their names. He swung his hand in the air creating wind to blow the petals off the bed.


    "You can have the bed," Ander said to him.


    He sat down on the ground with his feet folded. He closed his eyes to rest his mind.


    "Why don''t we share the bed? Are you scared we might do something more than just sleep?"


    Ander opened his eyes."That is a dream that wont ever come true. You should stop dreaming," he advised.


    "Without dreams all is lost, so how can you ask me not to dream?" Amaru asked. He slid down to the ground next to the male. "The future is untold and we do not know what will happened. We have to come up with a plan," he said calmly.


    His voice was steady but Ander could detect a little fear in it. He could sense the uneasiness in the god and he wouldn''t blame him. The enemies they were up against weren''t to be played around with. They were very strong and powerful but most importantly they took strength in their numbers.


    They were different people coming together to get rid of them. While they were alone with demons and dragons by their side.


    "What do have planned?" Amaru asked him seriously.


    "I don''t have a plan," Ander told him honestly.


    "What??"


    "Let''s sleep," Ander got up from the floor and went to the bed. He removed his shoes and jumped on the bed.


    He gazed at the ceiling with clear eyes, he did have a plan but the less people who knew the greater the chances of it succeeding and he couldnt risk his enemies finding out what was in his head before it was done.


    "You can''t just say something like that to me and then suggest we go to sleep. I am married to you now and that means that my life is at risk," Amaru whined while taking his place on the bed beside Ander.


    "What do you want to hear, tell me the words and I will say them to you."


    "No, you don''t get to do that with me. Tell me what are you planning," Amaru demanded.


    "Is it so hard to believe that I don''t have a plan?" he asked and Amaru nodded his head.


    "Well then my plan was simple. Marty you and have you come up with the plan," he replied stiffly turning his head to glance at Amaru.


    "You are mad," Amaru told to him.


    "So I have been told. But madness is a good thing to be when you are in the middle of a war," Ander said with a devilish smile on his face.


    "You are truly mad."


    "Who is mad?" they both heard a female voice say by the door.


    They glanced to the door at the same time to catch Natalia in her white wedding gown smiling at the two of them. She stood tall with pride.


    "What is she doing in this room?" Amaru whispered to Ander. The King shrugged his shoulders as an answer to him.


    "I am married to the king and I intend to spend the night with my husband on our first night," she said proudly.


    They watched her slowly make her way to them. "Will you just stare at me or will create room for me on the bed?" she asked them.


    Amaru scooted over creating room for her. She climbed up the bed between the two of the them and laid down.


    She had the two of them stare at her waiting for her to do something. "What?"


    "Tell me that she is not sleeping here with us,"


    "She is not sleeping here with us," Ander said to him. "She will sleep her own sleep and your yours on the bed," he added.


    "Yay."


    "Seriously, the two of you do realise the best seduction is between you right?" she asked.


    Amaru and Ander turned their backs to her and went to sleep.

 Chapter 118 - Preparing For Battle

    The news of the demons and lost souls of the aisle taking lives all around the four lands spread like wildfire. To the world, it was just a couple of innocent people killed but the truth was that all that died were supernaturals in the hiding in society.


    The killings provoked a war against Arimelari. Witches, wizards, nightwalkers aligned outside of the kingdom in troupes to attack.  Led by Onilen Leafspears and Dimitri Rosevech the head of Hoxgan. They continued to gather in large numbers at the borders of Arimelari.


    Led by the former king of Arimelari, Alexander and his right hand Malcolm led the soldiers of the kingdom to counter the attack.


    Mordecai was a task by the king to lead the women and children into safety in case they end up losing the war. The kingdom was in chaos. The people had not even gotten over Ander taking over and now they were at war.


    The people missed the old king. He might have set silly laws like changing their lifestyle to live at night at rest during the day but he looked out for his subjects.  Such dark times as they have seen in Alexander''s and Ander''s reign were not present during his rule.


    Everyone was happy and had a nice normal life but this day they were unsure of what to expect when they wake in the morning. The royals, fight among themselves and they are the ones who pay the price for it.


    It was tiring to live in the kingdom but they were too terrified to leave.


    "The great war is upon us," Ella let out starting at the darkening clouds above them.


    "It will end soon, I hope," Malia said worried about the baby in her womb. Her child had yet to see the world and already the world was burning to ashes.


    She had no idea whether to hope she lives to give birth to her child or to pray for a quick death for both of them. The way things were going, she couldn''t see the light to the dark times they have been facing and things just kept going from bad to worse each time.


    It was unbearable to have hope when it will be crushed over and over again. The peaceful times of Arimelari were over and she didn''t want her child to be born in such a world that was suffocating even for her to live in.


    "This is the battle from the prediction. Everyone is going to die with only Ander to survive," Ella spoke subconsciously. Her words touched everyone in the tunnels trying to leave.


    "The future has changed since Ander let go of Francis right?" the queen grandmother questioned.


    With Annak at the front lines with Alexander. The witch in charge was Ella, all other witches from the school came along in case they got attacked to help fight.


    "The future didn''t change, it took a shortcut to the destination," Ella said to her. "In the past, the war wasn''t supposed to happen for a few more months but thanks to him letting Francis go, it happening now," she explained.


    "But all will be well, we are going to safety," the queen''s grandmother said to everyone to keep them calm.


    Deep inside even she knew that she was selling fake news but she didn''t seem to have any other option. The fact couldn''t change that the war was happening and that they all were going to die, so even if she tells them the truth. It would bring them no good.


    "I need to go," Ella said and turned back. No one had the energy to stop her as they were all drained from worry and panic.


    She moved through the crowd of female and children subjects of the kingdom traveling back to the kingdom.


    "Annak," she called out using her necklace which was enchanted so they could stay in contact.


    "Yes, Ella tell me," Annak responded.


    "I have a crazy plan to save everyone," she informed. "But it is difficult to pull off," she added.


    "What is it?" Annak questioned her voice high pitched out of excitement. She was lost at what to do about the situation that she has found herself in. But Ella''s words brought hope to her heart.


    "Time," she responded. "I will need you to find out from Ander where Avan is, without him the plan is useless."


    She ended the connection and returned to the school to get her plan in order.


    Annak was stuck confused as to why she needed Avan when the boy wasn''t waking up. But as long as there was a plan there was hope and hope meant that they could win.


    She walked over to Ander who stood at the great wall of Arimelari watching his enemies gather before him. His face was unreadable, he didn''t look panicked or confident. He was just there.


    "Ander."


    Ander looked at her when she called to him waiting for her to tell him what she wanted.


    "I was doing a count and I noticed that Avan''s body is missing. We need to get him to safety so do you know where he is?" she asked him going straight to the point.


    "His body is safe and soon as I get his soul. You can take him to safety," he said and glanced at his enemies. His eyes were seeking the Supreme who has Avan captive but all he could see were future casualties of war roaming around his border.


    "What do you mean by getting back his soul?" Annak inquired a little scared of what he meant.


    "The stupid supreme has him and I intend to get him back," he replied and looked behind him to see Amaru nearing their location. "Excuse us," he said and took his leave to head over to Amaru.


    He greeted the male with a kiss on the cheek and held his hand as they walked away.


    "Your plan to counter the plot to kill you was to declare war?" Amaru asked infuriated.


    "Yes, I would have told you of my plan but I feared that you wouldn''t approve," he stated to him. "This way I get to face my enemies on the battlefield and not fight in the shadows. I prefer to fight what I can see," he went on.


    Amaru listened to him, his explanation made sense but that didn''t mean that he was okay with being dragged into war without warning.


    "We are never going to win this war," he said to him calmly.


    "I don''t plan to lose," Ander said thinking of Avan. "They will all die by my hands in this battle one way or another," he uttered his voice ice cold causing the god to tremble.


    "You are courting your death and digging your grave and sadly you are digging mine too," he complained to him.


    "You have my word that you will leave to witness the lifeless bodies and the blood of my enemies on the ground which I step on," Ander promised.


    The two of them walked down the wall and onto the streets filled with soldiers preparing for battle. The sound of sharpening the knives and swords could be heard all around the wall.


    It was a refreshing sound in Ander''s ear, he for one could say that he liked it. And he couldn''t wait for the battle to begin, the thought of the screams of his enemies got him excited. He felt so amazing at the thought of it.


    "It is war, not a birthday party so can you please not show how happy you are," Amaru berated. The joy from the dragon was so evident even the soldiers could see how happy he was.


    They were fearful for their lives and that of their lives ones and he was smiling happily. Death awaited them at the other side of the wall and he looked like he was dying of happiness.


    "I am just smiling, ain''t no harm in that," he retorted.


    They moved past the soldiers with silver shining armor and went into the tent that had been set for them. It was fun to witness all the preparations being made for war.


    Ander was restless, his dragon was screaming for blood, the blood of all supernatural. He had this urge to get out there and unleash his curse on the world. To kill and destroy everything.


    "Ander," Amaru called to him interrupting his thoughts. He cleared his mind and faced the god.  "What are you doing?"


    Hearing the question, Ander looked around to see that he was holding a sword in his hand. A sword that was glowing with dark energy oozing out of it.


    "What is this?" he questioned Amaru.


    "Why are you asking me? You summoned it so I should ask you what it is," Amaru answered him worried. The sword was sending chills down his spine. He didn''t like the feeling the sword gave him or the fact that he had a feeling the sword could kill him.


    "Have no idea," Ander said dropping it on the table.  The sword vanished coming into contact with the table.

 Chapter 119 - The World Will End Soon

    The night was chilly. The soldiers were on high alert, they were informed that they would attack at dawn by Alexander. He had all the men ready and well rested in the night.


    Standing on top of the wall he had his eyes on the enemies of his kingdom. In truth he was dreadful of the war to come, something told him that they weren''t going to be so lucky to make it out alive. With Francis and Ander in his mind he couldn''t help but clutch at his sword a little harder.


    He needed to find a way to protect his love and his son. The two were the most of his concerns. He averted his gaze to the great gate that led into the kingdom. His eyes caught a flash moving from inside the kingdom.


    He watched closely in the direction the flash moved to, with his dragon eyes he caught a glimpse of the being.


    "Ander," he frowned seeing his son charging for the enemies with a glowing sword.


    He took out his sword and ran down the wall, he ran to find Francis. He was in charge of setting up a camp for the soldiers that would be wounded in war. With his knowledge in herbs it was his duty to tend to the wounded and the soldiers that will get hurt at war.


    "Francis," he called out rushed. "The fight starts now, take care," he informed in a hurry and sounded the bells.


    Hearing the bells that sounded the start of the war the soldiers took to their weapons. The great wall was raised and the soldiers left the kingdom. In groups they made formations as they made their way out.


    Alexander leading the first group charged forward with his sword his heart shaking in fear of losing his son. The demons and dragons waited for no invitation to join the fight along side their king and master.


    Ander ran at the speed of lighting. He wore a cold face as he sliced his enemies into pieces with his sword, the blood from his victims splashed into him from his face to his chest. The blood on his body put a smile on his face.


    The pleasure he got getting from taking the man''s life was none like he had ever felt before. The thrill made him feel alive, it was an experience he longed for.


    Raising his sword up he watched his dragons burn all that was in their path, his demons devoured any life that they came across, his soldiers sliced and charged at the enemy in full force. They operated in a coordination with well planned moves catching the witches off guard.


    The surprise attack shocked them as they had expected Arimelari to play defence. But that didn''t last for long because soon they started fighting back with spells.


    Ander took a deep breath, smelling blood, fear, determination and restlessness on the battle field. The smell was breathtaking, he turned back and saw the black fog charging towards them fr Arimelari.


    Seeing his husband joining the fight he couldn''t feel any more proud. The black fog helped to blind the enemy giving Arimelari an upper hand.


    He got the golden compass from his pocket and watched the direction it pointed to. "Let''s get you back Avan," he whispered and run in the direction of the compass. He kicked the armour of the night walkers with his sandled feet and flipped to the sky and cut his head off with his sword. The blood splashed everywhere from his kills.


    He kept going leaving a trail of bodies and blood behind him. He had to find Avan at all cost and get him to his body and send him to safety.


    Dark magic spells flew left and right harming and killing soldiers in the field. He avoided them and kept at the chase of his beloved. Nearing the area the compass started reacting to the presence of darkness in the woods.


    He dropped the compass to the ground and held his sword a little tighter. He took a few steps forward.


    "We meet again boy," he heard from the shadows.


    "Then face me like a man and I will make this reunion festive," Ander answered to him.


    His hand reached out for his fore stone.His fore stone was near him ready to eliminate the darkness around him and make his enemy visible to him.


    "I wouldn''t do that, if you want to see your dear again then you will surrender," the voice came again.


    Ander sighed. He hated being told what to do especially by people who thought it nice to attack him. He massaged his forehead for a minute before sighing again.


    "And if I refuse? What will you do," he challenged? Without waiting for a response he took the fire stone and threw it in the air. When the fire lit the area he swung his sword in the air to the man who spoke to him.


    Onilen blocked his attack with his trident. His eyes full of anger stared at the dragon king with gritted teeth.


    "You will die tonight," Onilen let out and pushed him back.Sliding back Ander strengthen his feet on the ground to prevent him from falling. He smirked.


    "Are you god to decide my death?" he questioned. "Even he has no right to decide that for me so what gave you the right to do so. No, you will be the one to die today," He said and dropped his sword and ran off.


    Onilen seeing this followed behind him with quick steps, he dashed behind him making sure not to loose him, Ander jumped up to the air and triggered his tranformation.He transformerd into the black moon dragon.


    The moment he transformed the moon turned black fully. Triggering the curse of the black moon dragon, this sent every creature into panic both from the enemy side of the war and from his supporters.


    The fight continued but with everyone looking out for the black wormhole that was forming in the sky. Ander roared in the sky.Onilen and Dimitri joined hands together to take on Ander.


    "Why not fight like a man and stop hiding behind your beast.Or does the rule apply only for others?" Onilen challenged.


    Ander took his human form and landed on the ground. "That is the problem with you, you assume that I am here to fight you," he said with a mocking smile on his face.


    "What do you mean?" Dimitri questioned.


    "I am only here for Avan.If you both die in the process then well and good," he answered.


    "But that is where you are wrong dragon king. I have your beloved and I don''t intend to return him to you. But your soul can him when you die," Dimitri said and hit him with a spell.


    Ander''s body reduced to ashes in seconds. The minute his ashes touched the ground, the wormhole started expanding in the sky.


    "That was easy," the woman stated.


    "It''s not supposed to, this is a king we speak of and I have see him fight before. Something is wrong," Onilen said.


    He got to the skies with Dimitri by his side. They watched the battle field with everyone dying one after the other by each others hands. The fight was intense with neither side backing down from the fight.


    The previous king was taking on many witches at the same time and Annak was right beside him. The night sky was getting darker and darker with the curse getting worse and worse.


    "We are missing something," Onilen added his body getting a weird feeling like something was amiss.


    The fog in the battle field disappeared leaving noting but a pool of blood.


    "We are being pl..." he began to say turning around he stopped noticing that Dimitri was no longet there, the sound of the sword echoed in the back ground that it confused him.


    He lifted his trident high to attack the soldiers from Arimelari but nothing.He tried again and again but it refused to work. Gritting his teeth his heart thundered in hid chest with panic.


    He came to a realisation that he was powerless, he didn''t know how Ander had done it but he was sure the boy was responsible for his trident not working.


    He turned around and chocked when a sharp knife sliced his throat. Blood poured from his veins, losing control of the magic that kept him afloat. He started descending from the sky.


    Ander watched him fall, he smiled victorious and disappeared from there. He reappeared back at the palace in one of the rooms in the tower.


    "The mad man has returned," Amaru said.


    "Where is she?" he asked.


    Amaru turned around and made way for him to see the woman tied up with enchanted rope behind him.


    "Right here," he spoke. "And for you," he handed a lanten to him.


    The lanten has a white mist moving around inside. Ander broke the lanten and freed Avan''s soul from it. The soul rushed off from the room bringing a smile to the dragon.


    "We should leave, the whole world will end tonight," Ander informed.

 Chapter 120 - What Sorcery Is This?

    Avan opened his eyes gasping for breath, He sat up on the bed, looking around he tried to figure out where he was.


    "You are awake, good," Ander said pulling him off the bed. He held him by his waist and turned his head to Amaru.


    "Let''s get out of here," he told to him. Amaru brought a triangular metal before them.


    Avan frowned not understanding what was going on. Before he could ask what was happening Ander forced his hand to hold one corner of the triangle. The two of them grabbed his of the other ends of the triangle.


    The triangle started moving, a clock appeared drawn underneath their feet. Avan gazed at the drawing in wonder, his mind was black to tell him what on earth was going on.


    The hand of the clock started moving around, at first it was moving slowly but it started increasing the pace. Just then the door opened revealing the fire maiden by the door.


    She had her eyes wide open, Ella ran to them in haste and grabbed hold of Avan in hopes to get him away from Ander and save everyone with her plan. Just as she grabbed hold of Avan and stepped into the drawing of the clock. The world around them started changing.


    The hand of the clock was moving forward fast. Ella closed her eyes as tears flowed down her face. It seemed that she and Ander had the same plan with the only difference being that Ander is taking them to the future and not the past. The clock spell was in motion and there was nothing she could do.


    She could only hold on to Avan as hard as she could. Letting go would mean being stuck in a time limbo which was not an option with the world depending on her.


    In no time at all, they found themselves in the forest. The clock stopped and vanished, the triangle metal disappeared from their hands.


    "I have to ask," Avan started. "What is going on?" he asked looking at each one of them.


    Ella was lost for words. How is she supposed to tell her best friend that Arimelari as they knew it was gone and that they had traveled to the future to avoid the curse that Ander had sent into the world?


    Ander and Amaru held their hands together and stretched them and looked up. Avan and Ella looked up wondering what they were waiting for. It looked like they were getting ready to hold something.


    The sky opened up right above them and a scream of a woman was heard as they saw a body fall from the sky. The woman kept falling until she landed in Amaru and Ander''s hands.


    "Hello mother," Ander greeted setting her down.


    She stood at her feet trying to understand what was happening. She was about to ask him when Amaru pulled her to him and jumped out of the way in time for Malcolm to hit the ground where she stood.


    "How long until they are all here?" Ander questioned Amaru.


    Ella''s jaw dropped, she blinked her eyes in shock. What was happening before her eyes were not how she expected the whole thing to turn out.


    "About an hour to get them all," Amaru answered handing Sofia to her husband and asking them to stand back. The sky started raining one by one the family members.


    "Be alert to catch my aunt. She is pregnant and we can''t let anything happen to her child," he said to him.


    Ella joined their side, she went to hit Ander on the shoulder but the man dodged by bending his body backward.


    "Seriously?" Amaru questioned. He stood beside Ander and when he dodged the punch it landed on him. "Are you courting death, I haven''t eaten a human in a while but I might give it a..."


    "Aunt," Ander screamed getting the both of them to look up. They let their hands on the air and used a spell to hold her and stop her from falling to the ground.


    Mordecai, queen grandmother, Annak, Silvia, Olivia, Francis, and Alexander fell from the sky soon after. No one bothered to catch them except for grandmother, the woman''s bones were aged falling from such high ground would have killed her.


    Alexander landed on his feet and caught Francis while Annak stabilized herself from hitting the ground. Mordecai was unlucky and he hit the ground hard.


    "What is going on?" Alexander asked holding on to his injured stomach.


    "The last thing I remember was being consumed by the curse and then I am falling from the cloud," Francis let out confused.


    "I would explain but I don''t care," Ander said moving away and making his way towards the east of where they were.


    He had Avan in his arms as they walked. Amaru and Ella followed behind, the rest of the family was lost and confused but seeing as they were not dead and in the only people with answers walking away they had no choice but to follow behind.


    "Do you know where we are headed?" Amaru questioned him.


    "Anywhere is better than Arimelari. I can''t stand that place," Ander replied." Hopefully this place won''t be too bad. Magic and demons better be history," he added.


    They kept walking, soon they found a clear path. It looked like they were getting closer. Following the path they came to a road, they got out of the forest and entered the road.


    "This is nothing like the roads back in Arimelari," Malia stated. The others nodded in agreement with her.


    "This is not Arimelari. We are somewhere," Annak informed, she was reading her spellbook to find out where she was but the stupid book had no answer for her.


    As they walked they heard a screeching sound, it was loud and disturbing and from the sound of it. It was headed right for them, wondering what the sound was they stopped to listen.


    Looking ahead they saw a metallic-looking box heading for them at high speed.


    BEEP! BEEP!


    The horns sounded. "What in the world is that?" Alexander asked standing in front of his family to protect them.


    "It seems like it''s challenging us. Why else would he blow war horns repeatedly at us," Mordecai stated?


    "Yes, he might be calling us cowards. Why else will the horn be going on for so long? And it isn''t slowing down so it''s a challenge," the queen grandmother added.


    "Let''s show this thing what we are made of then," Alexander said.


    Malcolm took out his sword forged by dragon breath and held it high ready for battle. Annak, Ander, Amaru, Ella, and Francis raised their hands with a spell in hand, the king and his brother raised their swords.


    Sofia, Silvia, and Malia stood back with Silvia taking Avan from Ander and holding him in her hands.


    They waited, the speeding metallic box came for them. "Attack," Alex ordered.


    Just as they were about to attack the thing was ripped to pieces. It blew up right before their eyes and later turned to ashes.


    "Okay," Alex let out disappointed that he didn''t get a chance to teach the challenger a lesson before the witches and wizards took care of him. "You could have let us have a chance too," Malcolm complained.


    "We didn''t do that," Annak confessed.


    "If not you then who?"


    "We did," three voices said in unison and made themselves known. "Thank you for not forgetting us," they said sarcastically to Francis and hugged Ander. "We love you," they added.


    "Nayla, I never thought I would see you again," Alex said.


    A quick family reunion was had with everyone expressing their love for each other and hugging it out. Everyone except for Ander and Amaru joined the family moment.


    "Do you regret saving them?"


    "Yes, yes I do," Ander answered the make me irritated by all the love in the room.


    "Forgetting someone?" Natalia asked coming from the place where the triplets appeared from.


    "This is my daughter Natalia," Nayla announced to them.


    "Great, she is here too. Next, you''ll say Onilen is joining us too," Amaru and Ander said in unison.


    "Good, we all know each other and missed each but can we keep moving. It will night soon, we have no food or a roof above our head so if you don''t mind," Ander shook his head annoyed.


    "It is safe if we keep moving, being in the open might give our enemies a chance to attack us again," Malcolm advised.


    They continued to move. They arrived at a town, their jaws dropped seeing more of the metallic thing that attacked them on the road.


    The houses were build-up with a different architecture than the one they were used and there were poles with wires tied to them running around the town.


    "Where in the name of Arimelari are we?" Sofia questioned.


    They saw a few people walking around the town. The way they dressed shocked the life out of them.


    "A woman in pants, what sorcery is this?" The Queen grandmother inquired as they watched two women in pants and crop tops pass them by.


    "You see the pants but what the hell is that on top. That is nothing appropriate to wear," Malia added.

 Chapter 121 - What Is The Police?

    The royal family of Arimelari entered the town. They got to the nearest eatery to discuss their next plan. The set up of the restaurant was nothing like the one''s in Arimelari and the writing on the menu was unreadable to them.


    The food served was foreign in name and looks, they were lost for words. They also happened to witness a man with his tongue down a woman''s throat with his hands roaming places in her body they wouldn''t dare say. That too in public.


    They had no place to go and no money.


    "Can I see you outside for a moment," A girl offered to speak to them?


    "Who?" Ella Questioned.


    "The two of you," she said pointing at Ander and Amaru.


    "Oh, I know you are not pointing at me," Ander let out ready to burn the girl''s hand.


    "Please," the girl pleaded.


    "Let''s see what she wants," Amaru told. Ander didny bulge, he remained in his seat pretending he didn''t hear him. Amaru waited a few seconds before dragging him along behind the girl.


    She led them to the back of the eatery, there were other girls there already waiting for them. She took her place next to the blond-haired girl and looked down.


    "Wow, you got them to come," the blond stated surprised. "I''m Summer," she introduced herself to the two.


    Ander stared at the hand offered to him without reacting. He could only think of various ways he could detach that arm from the girl''s body for daring to attempt a handshake with him.


    "Why are we here?" Amaru asked cutting to the point.


    "You look so han..."


    "We are good looking get to the point," getting irritated he let out. But he didn''t need them telling him how he looked because he had a mirror back home.


    "We were hoping to hang," she said to him putting her hands on Ander''s shoulders. "I think you are cute. And with me being hot, I thought you plus me equals the best couple," she added in a flirtatious voice.


    Ander''s aura went from normal to cold in seconds. Having the woman be so close to him made him want to vomit. He glared daggers at the girl warming her of the dangers of what she was doing.


    "I am going to kill you," The dragon spoke with the iciest tone he could master in his annoyed state.


    The girl and her friends back off a little and involuntarily rattled their teeth in fear of him. His voice made them shiver and tremble in fright but their looks were so inviting they could overlook the scary.


    "So, you want to hang us?" Amaru questioned getting his knife out of his pocket. His knife was so sharp it could cut through anything. The girls dashed off seeing his knife, only the one who fetched them remained behind.


    She had her eyes wide open and clutched her hoodie in fear of the two men.


    "You have a guardian?" Ander questioned. She nodded her head in response. "Call them here or die. Your choice," he offered her.


    Amaru was lost, he found that with Ander he could never tell what the boy was thinking. The male wants to meet the girl''s parents for reasons he didn''t understand. It puzzled him why the dragon would waste his time for something so irrelevant.


    The girl was so terrified she fetched her phone and dialed her mother''s number. Her mother who worked at the eatery came rushing to her immediately.


    "What is going on here?" she asked them standing in front of her daughter to protect her. Ander and Amaru smirked at her attempt of heroism. A second is all they would need to end her child''s life without having to move from their spot and yet she thinks that she can keep her child safe from them.


    "Your daughter has upset us. We were having a family discussion peacefully when she interrupted us and brought us out here just to waste our time so you have two options, you join help us or we kill her," Ander said to her.


    "You better leave or I will call the police," she threatened.


    Ander and Amaru stared at each other for a moment before looking back at her. The word police " was foreign to them like most of everything that they had seen and heard in this weird place they found themselves in.


    "What is the police," Amaru dared to ask. He tried not to but he was curious who the person was that was being used to threaten him.


    Having stayed alive for centuries it wasn''t often he was threatened and forced into something he didn''t want to do.


    "Are you joking with me? You think I won''t do it?" she threatened and reached for her phone. Ander and Amaru watched her with interest. The thing that the young girl used to call her even she heard. It seemed to glow when tapped like magic and it made them connect.


    "I wonder what sorcery they are using?" he asked Amaru in a hushed voice.


    "We will find out but first. We can''t let her call the police or whatever here. We are in unfamiliar territories, it will be best if we proceed with caution," he advised.


    Ander swayed his fingers in the air and drew the phone to himself. "That won''t be needed," he said and used his other finger to draw the girl to himself.


    "Do as we say or she dies right here," Amaru warned putting his sharp knife to her throat.


    "Argggh," the girl screamed in fear. "Mommy helps me," she added her voice attracting a man walking past.


    He approached them to find out what was wrong when suddenly he forgot why he went there in the first place and left.


    "I hear another squeak out of you, I will kill you slowly to give you a reason to scream," Amaru whispered in her ear releasing a little of his aura to help her understand just how serious he was.


    "Please don''t hurt my babies," the woman pleaded to understand the seriousness of the situation. It was crazy and scary what the two can do. She had just witnessed them using powers, it was way beyond her and the police so she dared not act smart.


    "Now we are getting somewhere," Ander said.


    "What do you want from me. If it''s money you want I can get it right now just let my baby go," her hands and feet were shaking terribly from the fear that he had towards them.


    "What is money?" Ander asked her. "And why would you assume I want that?" he inquired when she didn''t answer him.


    The woman was shocked beyond words from the question. She never thought she would see the day when someone would ask her what money was. But judging from their clothes and looks, they didn''t seem to be from around. It was as though they were aliens with their powers.


    Thinking of the possibility her body went numb. She lost the will to talk and answer them.


    "She is gone," Amaru let out pushing the girl to the ground. It was no fun to threaten a woman who was shocked out of her wits.


    "We need a place to stay. Where can we find such a place?"


    The girl looked up hearing their question. She was scared of them and her mother was paralyzed by fear to help her. "Our house isn''t far from here," she answered in a soft almost non-existent voice.


    "Do you have food?" the girl nodded her head to his question immediately. Being alive was more important, she thought.


    "Good, lead the way," Ander said. He closed his eyes and liked with Annak. He instructed them to come to him with the family. Amaru helped the girl''s mother up from the ground and helped her walk.


    The family soon joined them and together they made their way to the house the girl offered to them. They got weird looks from the passersby, they looked out of place with their outdated clothes.


    The girl hurried home and let them into the house. They got into her house and settled down in the living room. They observed the foreign things in the room wondering what each of them did not come up with good guesses.


    The girl went to a corner and sat there praying for her father to come home soon.


    "This place is weird and it just gets weirder," Malcolm said. The others nodded, his words were exactly what they all were thinking.


    "But it is also interesting. I want to know so much of this place."


    "All that is nice," Alex let out. "But for now we need to learn what we can of this place to survive. If we are going to live here then it will be best if we familiarise ourselves with this place," he added seriously.


    "I agree, the people here seem to be using a different type of magic. I need to learn it to create a counterspell," Annak said fetching her spellbook.

 Chapter 122 - I Dont Want To Be With Him

    "Are you okay?"


    Ander asked peeping through the door of Avan''s room. He wanted to make sure that the boy was in the mood to talk before he went in.


    Avan nodded his head to him. He pushed the door open and walked, turning back he locked it. "You haven''t said a word to me since we came here," Ander stated. "Have I done something wrong?"


    "I was just tired," Avan responded with a weak smile.


    Ander strode over to him by the window and wrapped his hands around Avan''s waist. The boy panicked and moved away immediately. His reaction caused Ander to frown.


    "What is the matter?"


    "My body aches all over," Avan said stepping a distance from him. His behavior didn''t settle well with the dragon king, he didn''t want to admit anything even though his instincts were warning him.


    He took a step to close the distance between them, even then he moved away in the opposite direction.


    "Why are you avoiding me?" He braced himself to ask when he couldn''t stand the act anymore. "Is something wrong?"


    "I have told you my body hurts, if you touch me it will hurt more," he said to him nervously.


    "Fine, I won''t hold your body but can I at least hold your hand?"


    "I am tired Ander, I want to go to bed," Avan said sternly leaving no room for argument.


    Ander respected his request and exited the room. He had pictured their reunion and what just happened was not how he had imagined it. He thought that it would be magical and memorable but all he got was cold treatment.


    He caught a glance of Ella approaching the room and pressed his back to the wall. Muttering a spell under his breath he made himself invincible.


    Ella walked right past him and went into the room. She had got snacks to share with Avan as they talked.


    "Hope I''m not disturbing you?" she asked in a cheerful voice.


    "Not at all, join me," Avan said patting the space on the bed beside him.


    Ella happily jogged to the bed, took her seat, and waved the snacks before his eyes in a childish way. "Which one do you want?" she asked him.


    "Any would do," Avan told nervously playing with his fingers. He felt bad for how he had treated Ander but he couldn''t help how he felt. The last thing on his mind was to be in Ander''s arms not after everything that happened.


    He didn''t know how to say that to Ander. It''s not like he didn''t like the male anymore, the problem was an entirely different story.


    "What''s wrong?" Ella asked noticing the change in his facial expressions.


    "I don''t know," he replied.


    "Tell me and ill try to see if I can understand," she said encouragingly. She knew that answer from, he normally said that when he was confused as to what he was feeling and couldn''t pinpoint it if asked to.


    "It''s Ander," he started nervously. "I don''t know about how I feel for him anymore."


    "Explain it to me then. How do you feel?"


    "I...i...I like him but I don''t want to be with him," he let out.


    "You are not confused, you just need some time away from Ander. I for one think that would be good for you, just focus on yourself," she advised while munching on the chips. "Or these chips, they are amazing," she added wished they had chips back in Arimelari.


    She was discovering delicious foods she never even knew existed. "Or find someone knew, a new crush will even out the old," she added.


    "You think so?" Avan asked unsurely.


    "Yes."


    "If you say so," Avan said grabbing the bag of chips from her.


    Unknown to them Ander overheard the whole conversation from the door. Hearing what Avan had to say made tears fall from his eyes.


    He walked away from Avan''s room feeling like his heart had just been hammered to pieces. It was heartbreaking to hear the only person who never left his side say that he wanted nothing to do with him.


    He returned to his room. Switched on the lights and decided to retire to bed and worry about his problems later.


    "Didn''t think you would return tonight. I thought you and your lover would be celebrating your reunion," Amaru said sitting up on the bed.


    "What are you doing in my room?" Ander asked wiping the tears from his face so he doesn''t see.


    "First of all, this is my room, and secondly what made you cry?" he asked his voice getting dangerously low.


    "I am not crying," Ander said getting in the blankets too tired to go to his room. He was emotionally and physically exhausted.


    "So water magically falls off your eyes?" Amaru let out sarcastically.


    "Yes, and I hate love."


    "Want me to help you forget about love?" he offered. Ander nodded his head, he didn''t want to feel the pain in his heart. All his work and planning to get them away from Arimelari proved dangerous for their love and he just say without worry that he doesn''t want to be with him.


    The only reason he saved the whole family was for Avan and the male didn''t think before saying that he wasn''t wanted by him.


    Amaru laid hugging him from behind. His hands-on the dragon absorbed all the negative energy from him, all the pain and heartbreak he felt gone by the time Amaru was done.


    He felt nothing.


    "You good?"


    "For now, tomorrow things will go back to hurting again," he said in an indifferent tone of voice.


    "Then I will help you again. I don''t mind," Anaru whispered in his ear. "Want to go for a ride?" he asked him.


    Feeling nothing in his heart or body, he didn''t feel the need to go to sleep anymore and there was no harm in going for a little ride so he agreed.


    Amaru released his shadow which formed a pair of wings on his back. "Hold on tight," he advised and lifted off the ground. They left the house through the window.


    "This is not a ride, I thought horses when you suggested that," Ander said when they were on the air.


    "If that is what the king wishes for then I shall grant your wish," he told to him. He searched from the skies for anything that looked like a horse. After flying over the town for half an hour they came to a ranch filled with horses.


    "Wish granted," he said proudly. Gently the shadow set them down before going back into Amaru''s pocket.


    Amaru led the way to the stables for the horses. Ander''s face lit up seeing all the horses he could ride. Being a dragon he had always intimidated all other animals and they avoided him. Before he never cared to learn how to ride or to go for a ride but this was different.


    It felt like a fresh start one that he would regret if he let slip by him. He just couldn''t stop himself from taking this chance and the many more that awaited him in this new place.


    "If I knew that a horse ride would earn me a chance to see such a bright smile on your face. Then I would have done this a long time ago," Amaru said admiring the dragon''s smile.


    "You have a beautiful smile," he complimented.


    Ander felt his cheeks flush hearing the compliment but his smile didn''t fade.


    "So dear husband, which horse do you want to ride?" Amaru asked and he raised his eyebrows in question. "Did you forget that we are married?"


    "Sadly no, that reminds me. I should get annulled from Natalia before she starts calling me that."


    "But she is cute," Amaru teased.


    "Cute but a nuisance nonetheless," Ander said having his eyes on a black horse. Getting close to the horse, the horse backed away sensing a superior being near it.


    The horse was afraid, feeling Ander''s dragon aura he went down to the ground in surrender.


    "Here," Amaru offered. He cloaked Ander''s aura and his dragon side. He did the same to him and made the dragon try again. Feeling the previous domineering aura gone the horse got back on his feet and allowed Ander to pet him.


    "This feels nice," the boy let out happily. He couldn''t stop the smile on his face, he felt happy after a long time. The last time he was truly happy was on his birthday with Ander, thinking of that made his smile fall.


    His happiness was replaced with sadness thinking of the words the boy said not too long ago. He sighed and rushed to climb the horse, his leg slipped.


    THUD!


    He fell to the ground. Amaru started laughing seeing him on the ground. "First time on a horse?" he teased.


    "Yes and you would fall too if you had your heartbroken," Ander replied. His words halted Amaru''s laugh.


    "Did Avan say something to you when you went to him?"


    "He doesn''t want to be with me," Ander whispered.

 Chapter 123 - A Recipe For Disaster

    "He doesn''t want to be with you? That doesn''t make sense."


    "It''s how it is," Ander said not wishing to expand on the matter. He couldn''t change Avan''s decision and frankly, he was tired.


    Love was the only thing he has ever wished for in his life. He didn''t care about power or money because this thing didn''t make him happy. That is why came up with the idea yo being them here, no kingdom and no crown meant they could be just a boy and his lover.


    But sadly that was not what Avan himself wanted. They finally had the chance to be together without anything holding them back.


    "Did he say why?" Amaru asked to hope to understand the situation.


    "It wasn''t important for him too. It is how he feels and that can''t be changed," Ander let out.


    He stared at the horse losing his mood for riding. Even he wanted to confront Avan and ask him what the reason was that made him feel the way he did. Maybe it was something that he did that pushed the make to feel like that. He had no idea.


    "We should go back."


    "Not before we go for a ride," Amaru insisted. He reached out his hand to help Ander up. The dragon took his hand and got up from the ground.


    "I hate to say this but I have no idea how to ride a horse. I never learned how," he said with a sad smile. Saying that made him recall the reason why he never learned to ride. Other than the horse fearing him, he thought that it was an activity that he could do with his father.


    He wanted for Alexander to teach him how to ride but that too was a wish that never got fulfilled. All the things that he wanted were never his to take or have.


    "I will teach you," Amaru offered.


    In one swift move he got on to the horse, he offered his hand to Ander, "Come on up."


    "You want us to ride the same horse?" Ander exclaimed. "Isn''t that like a little intimate?"


    "We are husband and wife, with you being the wife. A little intimacy won''t harm our marriage," he said with a straight face causing Ander to start laughing.


    "What do you use to think. I doubt that there are any brains up there," Ander spoke in between his laughs. "You say a lot of crazy things," he added.


    "Crazy or not they put a smile on your face," Amaru stated.


    Ander took his hand and let him pull him on the horse, he sat on the horse nervously. Being a dragon he had never let anyone ride him and frankly if anyone tried, he would either drop them to their death or burn them alive. So he was not trustful of the horse not throwing them off his back.


    He was tense and a little scared to be on top of an animal but also excited at the thought of how much fun it could be.


    "Relax," Amaru whispered in his ear. "I got you."


    "That only makes me more nervous," he said to him honestly.


    "Have some faith in your husband will you?"


    "Wait, how come you are the husband. I think that I should be the dominant one in this relationship," he suggested childishly.


    Amaru gave a slight kick to the horse, as it started to move out of the stables Ander held his breath with his eyes closed. He leaned back to Amaru''s chest.


    "Why can''t anyone love me?" he asked subconsciously.


    Amaru was caught off guard by the sudden question. "They all love you in their way," he answered.


    "If they love me then why do they always find a way to leave me. Am I that scary that no one can love me enough to stay with me?"


    "I am still here," Amaru said. They went silent right after. They let the sounds of the night fill the area and drowned in their sorrows silently.


    Amaru didn''t increase the speed of the horse, it was more like a horse walk than a ride because the horse just walked around with them on it.


    Under the clear night sky, it was just the two of them on a horse with no destination in mind. Anything was good as long as they didn''t have to return home. Each with their problems weighing on their hearts, it was more comfortable in the silence.


    "What is going to happen to us now?" Amaru asked breaking the silence. "This trip wasn''t planned. We will have to adapt here and find our place to stay, we can''t leech off that family forever."


    "One step at a time, everything will fall into place eventually," Ander let out in a tired tone. He was almost falling asleep if Amaru didn''t speak to him and wake him.


    "But we should figure out a way to make that money thing. It is important if we are to survive here, and the elders have to find jobs to blend in."


    "I know."


    "Will you need my help?" Amaru asked calmly.


    "Right now, I don''t even know."


    Unknown to them they were being watched. In the shadows by the trees, a couple hid watching their every move and listening to their conversation.


    "Why are we doing this again?" Francis asked Annak. He was sleepy and wanted to go to bed but according to the witch, it was more important for them to watch Ander and his friend. The two weren''t even doing anything important.


    "I had to find out whether my intuition was wrong or right," she said.


    "And?"


    "I was right as always. Somehow Ander has done something that no one in history has been able to," she stated with concern in her voice. "And I have yet to know just how big a price he will pay for it," she added.


    "What has he done?" Francis asked concerned. He was not in the mood for any supernatural problems, he and Alexander had decided to live a normal life away from magic and its troubles.


    "He has somehow found a way and given the faceless god a heart. Only an act of true love can do that and in turn, it earns the love and affection of the god," Annak explained with sadness in her voice.


    "That is good right? Love is a beautiful thing," Francis said unsure what was there to panic for when he did something good.


    "You don''t understand, a god''s love is different from that of a human''s. His love when true is obsessive, possessive, and unlike humans. Gods can only love once and when they do, they will do whatever it takes to have their love," Annak said scared. "A god gets jealous easily and they get even over every little thing."


    "I don''t understand what the problem is," Francis told her honestly. According to him, life was a good thing that should be encouraged not feared the way she did.


    "Gods in love are known throughout history to destroy the world in the name of love, that is why gods are often born without a heart. To avoid the end of humanity in case such temptations present itself."


    Francis sighed seeing the peaceful life that he hoped for going out the window. Now he had three babies to babysit that could cause the end of humanity. They had discovered that Avan had gotten his hands on Melchior''s powers which are dangerous if not handled properly.


    Now there was a God who had fallen in love with a dragon who has a habit of burning things that didn''t go well with him. He felt a headache coming on from the problems piling up on his plate.


    "Hold on, do you feel that," Annak asked averting his eyes from the children.


    "What?" Francis asked not feeling anything. Annak grabbed hold of his hand and teleported them from the tree to the hill she had to envision. She could feel a very powerful force near that hill. Being that they were new to that place she thought it best to know their neighbors.


    They landed behind a few bushes. They parted the bushes to have a clear view of the area. They both froze in place at what they saw, there was a boy not older than Ander floating in the sky with no shirt.


    That wasn''t what frightened them, the thing that scared them was the pair of wings behind his back that were on fire.


    "A Phoenix," Francis let out shocked. He hadn''t seen one of those in a long time and having one up close was frightening.


    The boy held had his eyes watching the distance. He was completely unaware of the company he had.


    "That is something you don''t see every day," Annak said to him. "A dragon, a god, a phoenix, the triplets of doom, and the chosen one all in one place. That is a good recipe for disaster waiting to happen," she told.


    "We should leave," Francis advised.


    "What is that?" Annak asked him pointing at the mark on the boy''s chest.


    Francis squinted his eyes to take a look. His eyes went wide with shock at what he saw. "Nothing," he said not to worry Annak but the mark was reason to worry.

 Chapter 124 - Anders Destined Partner

    Francis and Annak made it back into the house. He was filled with dread over what he had witnessed on the young male''s chest.


    It was hurting to him to have been a witness to the events of tonight. The things he had learned we''re enough to drive a man to madness, he didn''t wait for Annak by the living room and rushed to the room he shared with Alexander.


    "Where have you been," Alexander questioned cupping his waist from behind. He hugged him and laid kisses on his neck. "I have been waiting for you," the man sighed in his ear. Their was need evident in his voice.


    It was clear what he was in the mood for. Alexander traced his chest with his hands, feeling the muscles that laid underneath all the fabric that he wore.


    "It''s been long since it was just the two of us. Can you tell me where you snuck off to?" Alexander inquired. Francis shivered when Alexander pinched his sensitive nipple over his clothes.


    "I went out with Annak," he replied with a heavy tone. He was burdened by the problems of the younglings in the family.


    Alexander tugged at his shirt, he raised his hands and let the dragon help him out of his shirt. With his shirt gone he looked down at his body. At his waist to be exact, he saw it. The Mark of destiny that bounds his and Alexander''s destiny.


    The mark was an ancient one that appeared at birth. Since childhood he had thought it to have something to do with his path as the chosen one but now with the memories of his past life he could read the mark, the ancient language was not unknown to him.


    ''Alexander,'' was the name written on the mark. It was one that bound him to Alex, they were destined. The dragon mark on his neck sealed the bond but with or without it the two of them were always meant to be and hence found ways back to each other.


    Alexander noticed no reaction from Francis from the kisses and knew for sure something was wrong. For the male to be so lost in thought that he wouldn''t react to his touch.


    "What is wrong my love?" he asked guiding him to seat down on the bed.


    "I discovered something today that makes me so guilty and afraid," he replied laying his head on the man''s shoulder.


    "What did you discover?"


    "What a bad person I am," Francis said feeling guilty. His heart was heavy with tonights discovery that he was unsure if he could ever forgive himself for the things that he had done.


    "Slow down now, you aren''t a bad person. What could have happened that you feel this way?" the man asked him softly and gently.


    "We saw a Phoenix tonight," he announced to Alex. Alexander tensed at the information, phoenix''s and dragons were known for their enmity, it was nothing new. "And I think he is the reason that Ander brought us here," he added.


    "How can that be? He did this for Avan, he might not have said something but we all know that he did it for the young boy. I hope those two can work out their issues," Alex said hopeful.


    If Avan and Ander manage to get along then his son will have the happiness he deserved in life and maybe with the new start even he could find a way to get along well with his son. He could be the father than Ander has always wanted him to be.


    "That is what we thought but destiny was in play all along," Francis let out feeling the energy in his body drain from him. Just thinking of it all was draining the life out of him. He felt tired.


    "I don''t understand beloved. What are you trying to say?" Alexander asked getting worried? His instincts warned him that he might not get the quality time with his beloved as he had wished for. It was clear that Francis was not in the mood for lovemaking either.


    "Every dragon is born with a destined partner, at birth the destined partner is born with a mark with the name of his male or female on it. To tell to them to whom they belong," Francis began to explain. "As you are mine, your name is written on my mark. The Phoenix we met had a similar mark, he is destined for a dragon," he added.


    "I know that but why are explaining this to me again, you already told me about this before when you explained the mark on your waist," Alexander said confused.


    "The name on his mark, I got a chance to read it and it was written ''Ander."


    The information was like ice cold water to him, it was impossible to believe because of Avan''s existence. It was true that destiny designed partners for dragons but a case of one dragon having two partners was unheard of even by him.


    "Avan? How can that be possible?" he questioned not getting how the Phoenix could posses the mark.


    "Avan is a being formed from my anger, he was born naturally and technically speaking, he is my magic."


    "Still not getting how this whole thing is possible," Alexander stated his head hurting fr trying to make sense of the things he learned.


    "I created Ander when I was mad at you and in my spell I tied his being to Ander. He was destined to be born or to stay by Ander''s side and the fact that he did was all my doing. I interfered with their lives and messed up destiny that is why we are here," Francis let out with tears flowing from his eyes.


    He had not just ruined one but many lives in his moment of weakness, if only he had remained calm on that day when the fate of Ander killing him was foretold then he wouldn''t be in the mess he found himself in.


    It was sad that he was responsible for Ander''s pain. It made sense to him why destiny made him the subject to deliver Ander to his destiny, it was because he was the sole reason the boy deterred from his destined path in the first place.


    "Creating Avan complicated his destiny and the fact that I used my magic to force into being Ander''s bane made it. Everything that has happened since both their births was destiny''s way of bringing him to originally destined bane, the Phoenix," Francis explained to him.


    Alexander was speechless.


    Hearing the words from his beloved''s lips made his heart beat very fast threatening to ran away from his chest. The news he received was quite shocking he couldn''t comment on the matter.


    "He was to be with the Phoenix from the start and I ruined it, now Ander and Avan will get hurt because of me again," he said sadly. "Do you remember when Ander died by Avan''s hands, he was right to blame me for it as I was responsible for it but now because of me the two of them aren''t meant to be," he cried in Alexander''s shoulder.


    Alexander''s arms shook, he had witnessed first hand his son''s rage and his anger. The things the black moon dragon was capable of doing when upset were not unfamiliar to him.


    He could only imagine what the boy would do when he found out that the two of them messed up his life way before he was born. He couldn''t release himself of guilt for what Francis did in the past, he was partially responsible for the choice that Francis made.


    "Me being Ander''s love interest was just to get him to come here, where his mate resided and that is not even the worse news," Francis informed sadly. "Because of my anger, we grew apart and Ander shattered me. The male grew up without the love of a father and his mother as she was dead," he started to say.


    "He became lonely and angry all thanks to me. Every pain in Ander''s life has always been connected to that faithful day and now more pain will come his way because of it. Because thanks to the loneliness he felt, he attracted the faceless god to himself and now things are complicated," he stated.


    Alexander silently listened to his explanation, he didn''t interrupt him and let him get his emotions out.


    "Now the god is in love with him and he is very possessive of him, Avan truly cares for him and then their is his destined partner, who as everyone knows Phoenix''s don''t like to share what is theirs," he sighed with great regret in his heart.


    "One can only imagine the great battle that is to come between the three and just how confused Ander will be in all this," he said. "Who will he end up with? or will he lose them all in the process to come?" Francis questioned to him.


    Alexander''s mind was barely keeping up with him let alone give him an answer. It was crazy what one decision they had made in their lives had affected so many lives and complicated so many destinies. He could only hope the future wasn''t too dark due to their mistake.

 Chapter 125 - A New Crush

    The dragon king had left home early to go for a walk. He was too tired and had a lot in his mind to think about. Having the boy he loves rejects him right before his face didn''t help the matter.


    Avan didn''t bother to explain what happened to him; he just ignored him like giving him an explanation for his actions wasn''t necessary. He left, not interested in forcing Avan to talk to him.


    He had enough problems as it was, and adding more stress to his plate wasn''t an option. Money, that was the main thing that worried him. They were too many to be leeching off someone else when they had their own family to think about.


    He had no idea why people valued paper with other people''s faces and used it for purchase. Giving paper a cool name doesn''t change the fact that it is still paper at the end of the day. Gold and silver, he understood, but the paper was new and worrisome.


    He trailed down the road to town, enjoying the cool breeze of the morning on his body. It was pretty and confusion-free; love was becoming a topic that he didn''t understand. He tended to love those who didn''t love him and the one''s that loved him, he either didn''t love them, or they didn''t want to be with him.


    He asked the universe a lot of questions, but each remained unanswered. Why was I born? Why can''t I be loved? What fault is there in my stars that my life is so complicated? Why can I not find someone to love me for all that I am?


    This and many more questions run through his mind. It was sad that he couldn''t find the answers to his questions. He had no friends to whom he could talk about all his sorrows, no lover to help him forget his sorrows. No father to guide him through life and all the troubles of the world.


    He was all alone.


    Surrounded by so many people he called his family, he couldn''t find anyone to help him out. "Ouch," he heard and came out of his thoughts. Before he could process what was happening, the person he bumped into bumped heads with him once more.


    "Bumping heads once is bad luck," the person said, justifying hitting him on the head again; he massaged his head with a frown on his face. He shot his gaze up to glare at the person who felt it right to hit on the head.


    His gaze halted at the being before him. "A new crush will even you out," he recalled Ella''s words as the man dazed him before him.


    "Are you okay? You seemed lost in your thoughts back there," the boy asked while nervously scratching the back of his head. "You seem lost even now," he added, noting that Ander wasn''t replying.


    "I¡­I..wa..was..just..uhm..wel..I," Ander tried to construct a sentence but failed. Everything that came out of his mouth was a complete mess. He cursed himself and scolded himself on the inside.


    "A cute stutter, I like that," the boy gave him an award-winning smile after what sounded like a compliment. Ander never stutters but seeing that smile and hearing the boy''s sweet voice say that to him; he couldn''t help but want to stutter again.


    ''Wait, did he call me cute?'' Ander asked himself in his mind while a blush crept up in his face. He felt the need to turn away to avoid being seen blushing.


    "A cutie with a pretty blush. What luck," Royan let out, increasing the blush on Ander''s face. "I''m Royan," he reached out his hand for a handshake which Ander gladly accepted. He couldn''t control his own body.


    "This is where you tell me your name," Royan said to Ander.


    "Ri¡­right," he said, stuttering again. "I am prince Ander of Arimelari," he announced as he had gotten used to doing it back home.


    "That is quite a name you have there; I should be honored to be in the presence of a prince. Not sure I have heard of Arimelari though," Royan said, wracking his brain for where the place could be, but nothing came to mind with regards to Arimelari.


    "It''s not anywhere around here," Ander clarified. They had travelled through time to get there, so Arimelari was probably a thing of the past. Long forgotten by the minds of the young generation.


    "I see," Royan let out. He had his lips curled up into a sweet smile that complimented his beautiful blue eyes perfectly. His long shoulder-length hair was neatly combed and arranged; the bang on his left side of the face hid one of his eyes, giving him a mysterious look.


    "Were you going somewhere? Since you are new in town maybe I could show you around," he offered kindly.


    "Do you know how to make money?" Ander asked him. That being his biggest concern at the moment, he had to find a permanent solution to their living arrangements and then worry about adapting to the new society later.


    "Money? Like how much are we talking?"


    "I need enough to buy a house. A big house that can host close to twenty people," he said, recalling how many they were, he didn''t count, but he thought twenty covered the whole thing.


    "That is a lot of money, you would need to find a job and earn money but I doubt you would make enough to buy that house in a year. How urgent is the need for this money?"


    "Ve¡­very urgent," Ander said as he felt down listening to the boy. He could imagine how hard it would be for him and his family to survive with his family here. He had not even put that into consideration back then when he made his plan, and now he regretted it.


    He had come there to have a peaceful life with Avan, and the boy wanted nothing to do with him. He brought his whole family along who were used to the life of royalty to noting but poverty. He could only imagine how disappointed everyone would be when he tells them that they can''t have the life that they had back.


    Royan noticed him frown and felt terrible; it was like his heart was being squeezed by an invisible force watching Ander frown. ''Who are you Ander? Why did your arrival affect me so much?'' he asked in his mind recalling the night before when he suddenly couldn''t sleep and felt the need to fly.


    He had to go; he didn''t know where but his heart did, and that was when he caught sight of Ander and Amaru. He had no idea why he felt such an attraction to a boy he had never met before, not to mention the urge to kill him.


    He was confused about his feelings; he didn''t know whether he should listen to the part of him that wanted Ander dead or the parts of him that wanted to give him all the happiness in the world. That is why he planned for the two of them to meet, and he needed them to meet to find out more about the boy that troubled his mind the whole night.


    One thing was crazy about the name Ander gave him, and he was literate in ancient as his grandfather took the time to teach him. He was confident that was the same name as the one on his birthmark, but he was still to figure out why that was so.


    But he knew that he wouldn''t be able to rest unless he either killed the boy or took him as a lover. Whichever one depended on what the boy was worthy of.


    "If it is that important then maybe I can help you out," he suggested. Ander''s face lit up as he shot a glance at Royan.


    "How?" Ander asked innocently. He bit his tongue when the words came out, he hated relying on others, but for some reason, he didn''t mind the boy''s help. It was weird how he behaved before the male, and he was making a fool of himself.


    He wanted to ask himself where he had gone because the boy right now wasn''t him in any way at all. "Our outhouse hasn''t been used in a long time, you and your family can move in if you like," Royan suggested.


    His voice was so sweet that Ander only heard you and like from his sentence. This caused his heart to skip a beat; he held his breath and listened as his heart thundered in his chest. It was a feeling he had never felt before, and if he said that he wasn''t scared of it, then he would be lying.


    "Well, do you like the offer or not?" Royan asked. You, and like being the only words that Ander''s mind could process, it gave him butterflies in his stomach and goosebumps on his skin. "Ander," Royan asked, shaking him to come out of his thoughts.


    Ander came back but was soon lost again, feeling Royan''s hands holding him. The warmth from the male made him lose his mind. He could only sigh.

 Chapter 126 - A New Crush (part Two)

    Ander held his breath in anticipation. He wasn''t sure what he was waiting for Royan to do. It was confusing to him.


    "What are you thinking about?" Royan sighed the question to him. No matter how much he shook him, it was impossible for him to get Ander''s attention from whatever he was thinking of that he was so lost.


    "Let''s talk at home then," he said and stopped a cab for them. He helped the dazed dragon into the cab and informed the driver of where to go.


    He glanced out the window, it was hard to ignore the urge to kill Ander when the boy was so close to him.


    "Staring at me like that without a word might make me think that you like me," he stated.


    Ander''s ears that were malfunctioning ignored the whole sentence only hearing the like and you in the sentence. It was what his heart wanted to her for some reason and all else was blocked out. His heart was racing in his heart, hearing those words from his lips.


    It was different from when Avan complimented him. It felt nice to hear Avan say nice things about him but just a word from Royan and his heart and mind went crazy.


    It was as though his heart knew something that he himself was unaware of and that made it difficult for him to control his heart. How do you tell your heart to get under control when you don''t understand what is controlling it.


    "Wont you say something?" Royan asked turning his head to look at Ander in the eyes.


    Ander forgot to breath, it was captivating to be lost in his beautiful blue eyes. It was only a glance but it felt like he was lost in the clear blue sky that promised nothing but peace and serenity.


    The peace and serenity that he yearned for at the moment in his life. For the first time in his life he was experiencing a lot of first in just this meeting. He had never been that calm or at peace in his life.


    Royan was like a breath of fresh air in his life, one that took all his worries away with just his presence. Deep in his heart he wished to always be by his side, need not a tag on their relationship. All he wanted was a chance to relax.


    "I will go mad if you have me speak to myself all the time. Say something Ander," he whined to the boy.


    His voice sounded a little irritated but to the dragon it was the most calming thing he had ever had. It set his racing heart to rest causing him to let go of all his troubles and just stare at him.


    "We are here," the driver informed.


    Royal took out the fare money from his pocket and paid the cab driver. He exited the car bring the dragon with him. He felt like a kidnapper bring Ander to his home since the boy was out of it.


    He was greeted by servants by the door, "Make me two cups of cold coffee and some pancakes," he ordered pulling Ander with him passed the servants.


    The servants of the house remained frozen in place shocked by the scene before them. The son of the house came home with a person which had never happened in years.


    He took the liberty to hold the boy''s hand when all knew that he hated any form of contact with other''s. Even his only family had to keep a distance from him or else they would face his rage.


    They were speechless of what they saw and couldn''t believe their eyes. It was a miracle that he had even spoken to them in words.


    All the servants in the house had to learn sign language as he found it tiring to use words to talk. And over time they learnt his routine that he needed not talk or use sign language to give orders.


    "This is my room," Royan announced letting him inside the room.


    Ander''s mind was not in the room at all. His eyes were on Royan''s hand that held his. It felt so warm and comforting, he wished to always be held by him.


    Suddenly the feeling disappeared when Royan let his hand go. "Why?" he let out.


    Royan raised his eyebrows to him, "Why what?" he asked curiously. It was cute to see the disappointed look on Ander''s face. He looked like a cute child that had been denied candy.


    "N..nothing," Ander said getting some of his senses back. Coming to his senses he noticed the change in scenery. He remembered being on the road, but now he was standing in a well furnished room.


    A huge king sized bed was in the room that was spread with white sheets. The pillows on the bed had a blue pillow cases on them. The bedside tables had a lamp that was part watch and part lamp that was blue in colour.


    There was a study table by the window with a screen that Molly the girl whose house they lived called laptop. He had no idea what a laptop was but for some reason everyone felt the need to have it.


    Opposite the bed was an even bigger screen with a complete table set where one can seat and watch things from the screen. Things like videos, a magic in this place that traps people actions in those screen things for others to watch. Not that he would ever want someone to trap him with those things.


    "Where am I?" he asked after taking in the room. He averted his eyes from the room and watched Royan take off his shoes. Feeling it as rude to enter someone''s room with his own shoes, he took off his shoes.


    His feet touched the soft fluff carpet on the floor, it felt like walking on clouds. Unlike the rough carpets back in Arimelari.


    He closed his eyes and let himself drown in the good feeling of having stepped in heaven. A smile bloomed in his face as he did so. ''I could get used to this,'' he thought in his mind.


    "Cute," Royan said watching him. Since he was a dragon with a very sensitive ear, he heard the compliment. His cheeks turned a dark shed of red having being called cute. "We are in my house, I thought you should the house I was offering before you decide," he said answering the previously asked question.


    "You are so kind, I don''t know how I will ever be able to repay your kindness," Ander let out walking towards him. He took a seat right next to Royan on the sofa.


    He laid his head back enjoying the softness of the seat, it was like like seating on feathers. ''Life here is so good. Why didn''t I come here sooner?'' he asked in his mind.


    He made himself more comfortable on the seat very aware of the gaze from the male by his side. He knew that his reactions made him look foolish but he couldn''t help himself. It was just too good to seat in the chair. His body could get used to such softness.


    "I see you like my chair very much," Royan attempted to start a conversation.


    "I..its s..so soft," he said in reply. Biting the inside of his mouth, he scolded himself for stuttering. It was annoying to do something that he wasn''t used to repeatedly. Having to stutter each time she attempted to say something to Royan was embarrassing not to mention degrading for a king.


    "Don''t be embarrassed, I like your stutter a lot," Royan said.


    Ander was lost; he had no idea whether he wanted for the man to stop saying the word like or for him to continue. Everytime the male uttered that word from his lips, Ander''s heart started racing in his chest. He liked it but he feared dying of a heart attack if it continued.


    He couldn''t count with his fingers the number of times his heart reacted like that for the stranger he had just met. The sorcery or the charm the male had cast on him was beyond him.


    He thought that he could stop reacting if he thought of Avan. But each time his mind tried to picture Avan, he would only see Royan''s face in his head.


    "If you don''t like me complimenting you then I will stop," Royan informed noticing the frown and disturbed look on Ander''s face.


    "N..no d..dont stop," Ander said immediately seating up from the sofa and shaking his hand in front of Royan.


    Royan smirked at his cute behaviour. It was sweet the way Ander reacted to his every words. He had no idea why a part of him wanted to kill such a cute and innocent boy. He was completely harmless and was easily dazed by little things.


    He felt the need to protect and care for Ander than to harm him. Which was weird to him since he hated being close to others. But for some reason, he body accepted Ander.


    Rotan thought, unknown to him the true nature of the boy he considered harmless.

 Chapter 127 - A New Crush (part Three)

    The servants brought the order that Royan had made. Ander dug into the food hungrily. The food just like everything else in this place tasted amazing.


    "Mmh," he moaned with his eyes closed as he munched on the pancakes. It was so delicious that he found himself licking his hands when he was done.


    Royan reached out to pick one of the pancakes from the plate and withdrew his hand when Ander slapped it. Having been raised as a prince all his life and being an only child, he never learned to share.


    He glared at Royan and went back to eating the rest of the pancakes. He drank his and Royan''s cold coffee without feeling bad for it.


    "Are you good now?" Royan asked pleased. He had never seen anyone eat so many pancakes so fast. He was a guest and yet he acted like he owned the place.


    "Ca..can I have so..some more..more please?"


    At this point, he was tired of scolding himself. Knowing what he knew about his voice, he didn''t think it would help. And Royan didn''t mind his stutter so he too stopped paying attention to it.


    "Later, right now let''s check out the house that I told you about," he suggested to him.


    Together they moved out of the house, the house was huge. Not close to the palace of Arimelari that they were used to. But it was as big as the summer castle they stayed in during vacations. They exited the house through the back door.


    Once outside he admired the beautiful garden that separated the two houses. The garden was neat and properly tended to. One could see from the way the garden was that it was taken good care of.


    "That is the house you will move into," he said pointing at the mansion behind the main house they used as an outhouse for guests or in case renovations were being done in the main house.


    "It looks beautiful and big," Ander strode forward to the mansion. He couldn''t help but feel grateful to Royan in his heart, the boy was kindhearted and took care of him.


    They were strangers to each other and yet he made sure to take care of him and his needs. It was nice of him to offer him such a big lace to live in. It lifted the weight off his shoulders to know that he wouldn''t disappoint his family.


    He was so happy that his lips curled up into a big smile complementing how he felt. "Do you like it," Royan whispered to him causing him to jump.


    He was startled by the boy sneaking upon him. As though the whisper was a call to his heart, his heart was beating very loudly in his chest.


    He could hear it without bending his head and he was sure that Royan can hear it too. Having turned his attention to the boy after being scared, he caught Royan laughing at him.


    Royan''s laugh sounded like a melody in his ears. His eyes glowed with a newfound interest that the pain inflicted in his heart by his love faded into the background.


    "You are so easy to scare," Royan told between his laughs. "I''m learning a lot about you, Ander. Tell me, do you wish to know me?" he asked.


    Ander was too distracted by his smile to answer him. There was just something about Royan that he could feel in his heart that made him happy and calm. Perhaps it was because Royan was a good man or it was something else.


    Either way, he didn''t care, he was happy that he could be relaxed.


    "I will have the house cleaned by tomorrow. You can move in anytime you want after that," Royan said getting serious. "You should give me your number so we can stay in touch," he added.


    Ander frowned, he was confused about what Royan wanted when he was asking for his number. Was he supposed to have a number?


    He scratched his head nervously trying to think of what answer to give the boy. He was worried that the boy may retract his offer if he didn''t have a number and seeing as he didn''t have one it made him worry.


    Royan smiled at how cute Ander looked when he was confused. " Do you have a phone?"


    When he heard Royan''s question he panicked. He knew nothing about the phone except what molly had told her which was close to nothing. Since everything she said went out his other ear the minute she finished explaining.


    "Do you know what a phone is?" Royan asked and he shook his head to refuse. He dropped his gaze embarrassed by his current predicament.


    "Is it just me or do you get cuter every moment," Royan commented causing an involuntary blush to appear in Ander''s cheeks. "Red is a very good color on your face," he added.


    Ander covered his face with his hands to prevent any more embarrassment from taking place. He was acting like a shy girl and he knew it and on normal occasions, he would hate it but today he found it interesting that the affected him so much.


    "We should go shopping and buy you a new phone. I will even teach you how to use it," Royan let out happily.


    He placed his hand on top of Ander''s shoulder and pulled him to follow him. He thought it only as a friendly act unknown to him how crazy his hand was driving the dragon.


    Ander swallowed the lump on his throat and licked his lips to stop them from being dry. He could feel the muscles on Royan''s hand on his shoulder and it drove him mad thinking of what it would feel like to have his hands around his body. Touching and feeling every inch of him with his firm hands.


    "Are you alright?" he heard a hoarse voice ask him. He could only nod scared that his mouth might betray his dirty thoughts.


    The ride to town took a few minutes, the driver dropped them off at the store. They got into the shop, a lot of electrical things hand in the walls of the shop.


    "Let''s find a phone that screams you," Royan said. Having Zero knowledge of phones he let Royan do the hunting while he just watched the male.


    His racing heart not slowing down took in the appearance of the male once more. And like the time they met at the road, he didn''t disappoint.


    "What a faggot," he heard some boy say. He didn''t bother to turn to look because did he know the meaning of the word nor did he even assume the boy was talking to him.


    "And he is not even ashamed to showcase his faggot ways in public," he heard again. He turned his head to face them when he felt their stares on him.


    "I don''t think I''ve seen him before," the white-haired boy said. "He must be new in town," he added.


    Now the dragon king was sure they were talking about him. He wasn''t sure what the topic was about though and why they gave him such dirty looks.


    He turned his head to watch Royan and ignore the group but the make had vanished from sight. He sighed disappointedly.


    "We should teach him a lesson before he corrupts our town with his faggot ways," the white-haired boy said.


    Before Ander could wrap his head around what he said they grabbed him and started dragging him out of the store. The calmness he felt a minute ago by staring at Royan was now gone.


    He was irritated by their touch, he had no idea where their hands had been but they dared lay them on him. He could explain in words the flame of anger that ignited in his heart.


    Before he could speak up they dropped him to the ground and started hitting him from all sides. All the six boys kicked him from every direction. For a king raised in the palace, he had never had anyone treat him the way the boys did.


    They yelled something as they hit. In each sentence, he only caught the words faggot which he didn''t understand but from the disgusting way, they said it. He was sure it was an insult.


    He wasn''t just angry now, he was fuming mad and he hated being someone''s punching bag. Only one thought ran in his mind. ''Kill them all.''


    He flipped his fingers sending all the six boys flying in all directions. He got up from the ground and cleaned his clothes, he healed his wounds with a spell and cleaned himself up before glaring at the boys.


    Raising his hand he drew all of them to himself and held them in the air. He slowly started closing his open palm trying to make a fist and as he did so the boys get choked.


    They couldn''t breathe. He watched them struggled to get down, kicking their legs in the air and struggling to breathe with no emotion in his eyes.


    "Ander," he heard Royan''s sweet voice from behind him and tensed.

 Chapter 128 - A New Crush (part Four)

    Ander''s p.o.v


    I wanted nothing more than to torture the six boys until they died. It was so pleasing to watch them struggle to free themselves from my clutches.


    This will teach them not to mess with the dragon king. I am a dangerous boy and the people of this place best understand that, though.


    "Ander," I heard his magical voice call my name. I tensed up. I dropped the boys and nervously turned around to meet his gaze. He must be confused and maybe disappointed at my behavior. But in my defense, I was defending myself.


    "It''s n..not what y..you think," I uttered nervously. Being around the male made me nervous in ways that were mysterious to me. I wish that he won''t be angry over this little thing.


    "It looked to me like you were going to kill them if I didn''t call you," he said straight up.


    "I..I..." I tried to come up with an excuse to refute his claims but I couldn''t. It was as though my body could never lie to him. Every once of blood in my body was fighting with me, especially when he had that look on his face as I had disappointed him.


    I couldn''t stand to see him look at me like that, it reminded me of all the time that my family has given me such a look. It was not okay with me to have my ray of hope also look at me like that.


    "I can explain," I said to him in a pleading voice. "The..they.."


    "They are a victim of whatever you just did to them. Here is your phone, I am out of here," he said putting the phone down and walking away.


    My heartfelt as though it had been set on fire. It was heartbreaking to see him walk away from me like that. It was the last thing that I wanted to happened. I sincerely just wanted one day of peace.


    I panicked. I picked up the gift bag from the ground and followed behind him. This place is unknown to me, I have no idea how I am going to make it home from here.


    Regret filled my heart as I wallowed at how unfortunate I am. Just when I think that I have found something nice. I end up losing it not far after. It was so tiring to fight destiny when all that is written for me is pain.


    Perhaps I should just give in and stop trying to be happy. In life, there are two people, those with happily ever afters and those like me, who no matter what they do. They never seem to get the happiness they deserve.


    "How did you do that?"


    I looked up when I heard Royan speak to me. I didn''t hear what exactly he said but it felt nice to hear his voice directed to me.


    "What did you say?" I asked.


    "Not stuttering I see, were you faking that?" I asked and I shook my head to refuse. I had not faked anything with him it was all real. I hated the stuttering so why would I go through the trouble to fake it.


    "N..no I wasn''t. Look, I didn''t want to hurt those boys but they suddenly came at me and we''re saying things I didn''t understand like faggot and before I knew it they forced me outside and started hitting me. So I fought back," I found myself explaining.


    "They called you what?" he asked seeming mad. Wasn''t sure though if the anger was directed at me or someone else.


    "A faggot I think. Not sure what the word means," I informed.


    Royan turned back walking towards the store. He looked really mad. Having no other choice I followed behind him to see where he was going. We got to the back of the store, the boys I beat up was picking themselves up from the ground.


    The minute they laid eyes on the two of us, me to be exact they started trembling in fear. The fear in their eyes for me pleased me greatly.


    "So you guys dared to call my boyfriend a faggot," he stated angrily.


    My heart was beating fast in my chest, the word boyfriend echoed in my ear like music on replay.


    "N...no," the boys said in unison. In a blink of an eye, I saw the white-haired boy who seemed like the leader of the group fall to the ground. He was lifeless.


    Before I could register what he was doing all the boys laid on the ground and from the looks of it they didn''t seem alive.


    "Wh..what...?" I went to ask but was stopped when he grabbed my hand and flew with me away from the store.


    My eyes widen with shock on seeing his fire-coated wings. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and the fire was so threatening and dangerous I couldn''t help but desire it.


    Hellfire was dangerous and hot but this one was magical. If possible I would like to learn how to make my dragon wings burn like his.


    "Don''t," he warned when I reached out to touch it. "It will burn through you like meat," he informed.


    I held on to him closer and let him fly me away. It was cute, he killed for me. It was just a simple matter and he didn''t have to get his hands dirty not that he used his hands to kill them. To be honest, he moved so fast I barely saw what he did to those boys.


    But it warmed my heart to know that he would do that for me, even if we just let this morning. It was weird how fast our relationship was developing, right here in his arms it felt like I had known him forever.


    I knew that I was safe in his arms and that he would never hurt me. He made me feel cared for more than anyone in my family ever did. Avan tried but when the time came he too learned to turn his back on me.


    I wonder if someone insulted me before him, would he have done what Royan did for me, or will he walk away like he didn''t see it.


    "We are here," he announced setting me down in his room. I had not even realized we were here but to be fair I haven''t realized a single thing since this morning. I seem to have developed the go with the flow mood.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that," he said apologetically. He cupped my face in his hands and gazed into my eyes. "You are not a fag, you are a cute and handsome young man. Don''t let anyone tell you otherwise," he added.


    His words sounded distant to me. With his hands on my face, all my other senses stopped working except for the sense of touch and sight.


    I could see him and feel him but not hear his words. The things he spoke went through one ear and left through the other without my brain registering what he said.


    "It''s okay if you are different. I am too, with the powers and choice in people," I heard him say. "Truth is I hate people who hurt others for fun. People who think they are entitled to judge others just because their preferences are different."


    I saw his lips moving but couldn''t get a word of what he was speaking. It did get me to wonder though, what those soft thin pink lips tasted like. Would it be electrifying like it felt when I locked lips with Avan?


    His lips were so close to me and his talking only made my desire increase. I swallowed hard to avoid my mind from wandering off track.


    "I like you," he said. My breath caught and my heart stopped for a few seconds before picking up the pace again. "And I will fight for you," his words sounded so good to me.


    Maybe it was because I have always wished for someone to say such words to me. I was so happy that I could no longer control myself. I moved forward a step and locked my lips with his.


    I moved back immediately getting a sense of what I had just done. He was being so nice to me and I kissed him, disgusting. I felt disgusted by my actions and my inability to control myself.


    "That was unexpected," he let out. I slowly waited for a but that can''t with the I hate you, Ander. "But sugarlips, that is not how people kiss," he said sending shivers down my spine with his nickname for me.


    "This is called a kiss," he said and grabbed me by the waist. He pulled me close to him and swiftly joined our two lips together. I gasped when he kissed me, he slid his tongue into my mouth and deepened the kiss.


    BOOM!


    I heard and flinched. Royan was gone from my eyes. I slowly opened my eyes to check the source of the loud noise. My eyes caught Amaru by the window, he had a killing intent in his aura.. My eyes wandered the room to find Royan on the floor lifeless.

 Chapter 129 - To Hell With Your Love

    Ander was left speechless after what he had just witnessed. He ran to Royan''s side and held him in his hands. He felt his heart boiling with rage. It was so heartbreaking to see the person who showed him such kindness.


    His eyes glowed goldenly. He set Royan on the bed and shot his gaze at Amaru. He was enraged. He got up from the bed and raced over to Amaru''s side. He took the god by the hand and disappeared from the room.


    They reappeared together in the forest. Ander threw Amaru to the ground. "What do you think of yourself. How dare you hurt him?" he questioned smoke coming out of his ears.


    "He was taking advantage of you Ander and I wasn''t going to let that happen," Amaru said calming down.


    "I am not your responsibility so what gave you the right to do that?" Ander inquired from him.


    "I am your husband," Amaru stated.


    "Husband," Ander scoffed. "And what gave you the idea that we are together huh? Our marriage was nothing more than a marriage of convenience," he said to him.


    Amaru took his hands and gazed gently into his eyes. "It was but I want it to be more than that," he confessed happily.


    "I don''t want you. I am not interested in you in that way and I never will. So I would shatter any dreams that you must have weaved based on our marriage if I were you," he informed pushing Amaru away from him.


    "I have watched people say they like you one second and change their minds the next minute. And I don''t want them to happen to you again," he said. "Trust me, the two of us can make this work. He will hurt you just like Avan."


    Hearing his words, Ander folded his hand into a fist. He gritted his teeth and glared at him. "You are one to talk. Have you forgotten what you did to me? Or did it skip your mind of the games you played with me?" he asked him amused.


    He was talking tall talks and acting like an angel when he was a monster just like the others.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ander smirked at his ignorance. "Do you recall the day we met? The games you played with me the day before my birthday. You used my insecurities to turn me against my family and made me hurt, all so that you could possess me," he declared angrily.


    "I..I.." Amaru couldn''t come up with an excuse to justify his actions back then.


    "Just like Avan you weaved dreams in my head and heart only to turn around and hurt me," Ander said tears flowing from his eyes from the pain of his reality.


    "You, Avan, and my whole family have always done this to me and each time I gave you all the power to do it because of my desperation to be loved and accepted. But not anymore," he said.


    The world felt like it was spinning with the two of them staring into each other''s eyes. The pain was evident in both their eyes as the truth was being spoken.


    "You and everyone else play victims and make me a villain. You all have done it for so long that you didn''t even realize when you became the villain of your own stories," he stated.


    "I love you, Ander," he confessed in between the heated conversation.


    "To hell with your love," Ander shouted at him. "I don''t care about your love. I am not interested in any of your love, either from you or from the rest of the family. I am done being a puppet to you all," he added.


    "You aren''t a pupp..."


    "My eyes are open now and I know quite well what is good for me and what is not. I am no longer the damaged little boy who you tricked as you wished and threw away when you no longer need me," he told to him.


    "And better get this straight into your head. This marriage was nothing more than a necessity," Ander announced.


    "You and I are married. That gives you no right to cheat on me," Amaru said with tears flowing from his eyes. The tears were real, he was learning what it was like to truly have a heart.


    "You can''t use that to control me and what marriage are you talking about. You married me for your selfish reasons and I had mine, the reasons are no longer valid so I think this marriage should also come to an end," he threatened.


    Amaru''s breath hitched, he had not anticipated for the conversation to go on this path. Ander was angry and looked like he could care less about what he had to say. But he had to try and stop him.


    "Ander, I..."


    "Save it," Ander said halting him in his sentence. "I don''t want care. Smart, from now on I free you from all responsibilities of this marriage," he said to him.


    "An..."


    "I free you from all our vows and ties," he let out. "And from now on, we are no longer married," Ander announced.


    Amaru felt heartbroken when Ander separated from him. He had been so excited about their wedding as it meant that he had the right to get close to him and show him his love but before he could do that someone else had trapped him in a web of lies.


    "What did he say to you that you changed so much," Amaru asked him.


    "That is the thing, he didn''t say a word to me. Unlike you and everyone else, he didn''t have to sway me with false lies," Amaru replied calming down.


    "You can learn a few things from him."


    Ander walked away from him before he realized that he didn''t know the way back home. He sighed and turned back to the god.


    "Can we go?" he asked.


    "You have no way of getting home, cute," Amaru let out wiping his tears away.


    The last word he said made Ander recall Royan and how the boy described everything he did as cute. It made him smile and forget his anger.


    "Let''s just go and if you mock me I will burn you to death," Ander warned him.


    "Yes my king, I would gladly oblige to your wishes," Amaru mocked while bowing.


    Ander picked up a rod from the ground and aimed to hit him with it. Amaru avoided the rod and ran away. Ander chased after him fiercely.


    "I swear not to tell the world that the dragon lacks a sense of direction," he told happily while running.


    "I dare you. The day you do that, I will destroy you and reduce you to being a human," Ander warned.


    Ander ducked between trees doing his best to avoid being hit by the fuming Ander.


    "Tell me, dear, what else is the dragon king incapable of?"


    "You..." Ander let out feeling disrespected. It was humiliating to see that the foolish god was mocking him. He couldn''t help but clutch the rod tightly and keep swinging at the god.


    It was sickening the nerve of the god to insult him who was a dragon king. He was a king from crying out loud so what gave the stupid god the right to mock him.


    "You will be sorry," he ran after the god once more. They ran around the forest mocking and threatening each other for many hours. Soon the sun hit the middle of the sky and was shining the brightest when they suddenly decided to stop.


    They were both tired and sweaty from the run. They dropped to the ground next to each other to catch their breath.


    "That was fun," Amaru wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    "Yeah, this is what I like. To smile and have fun," Ander informed.


    "I think l like it too. Maybe we can start by just being friends?" Amaru offered to him while reaching out his hand for a handshake.


    "That would be lovely," he said. "On that note, I should tell that I got us somewhere to stay for the whole family. Where we don''t have to threaten anyone for it."


    "Sounds good, we should go home and tell the others about it," he advised.


    "Yeah, but can we wait a while I''m exhausted."


    ''I can wait forever for you. You don''t even have to ask and I won''t let you go without a fight,'' he thought. ''I admit that I went about it the wrong way but all will change, I will win over your heart."


    Amaru sat up and used a spell to clean the two of them up. "We should go," he insisted and helped Ander up from the ground. "The sun is too high, laying here will make us sweaty again and give us sunburns," he added.


    He teleported the two of them back to their house in a second. "By the way, the dragon king is so dumb he forgot he can get home by teleporting," he mocked and ran away before Ander could register his words.

 Chapter 130 - The Meeting

    The family came together and discussed the situation with Royan. Due to being the royal family members and being used to people having bad intentions towards them. They all were suspicious of him.


    So it was decided that Alexander, Francis, Annak, and Ander would meet Royan to find out more about him.


    Avan volunteered to join and Ella also joined him. He had been stressed ever since he heard of Ander talking about this Royan guy. The way he spoke about him made him question the situation.


    The dragon''s eyes sparkled when he spikes of him and it made his heart hurt. He had said that he didn''t wasn''t sure that he wanted to be with the dragon but it was only because he was scared. He loved the male.


    He was terrified of losing, everything he tried to take a step forward in their relationship. Something or the other had to happen and push them several steps back. But the fear of losing Ander altogether terrified him more.


    He nervously played with his hands hoping that Royan was an old man with grey hair and walks with the help of a walking stick. And should be extremely ugly.


    "It''s going to be fine," Ella comforted understanding his problem. "It doesn''t matter who he is, he can''t be more good-looking than you and most importantly he can''t mean more to Ander than you," she added.


    Her words managed to put a smile on Avan''s face. He needed to hear that and to be reminded that he could do it.


    They arrived at the house. Ander knocked at the door and waited, he crossed his fingers hoping that Royan hadn''t died from the earlier attack from Amaru.


    He found himself glaring at Amaru all the same. The god was unbelievable and knew well how to make him unhappy.


    The door swung open, the head maid held the door for them. Seeing the familiar face of the boy that Royan had borough home, he let them in. Her face lit up seeing so many people behind him.


    Since the male was taking a shower in his room she would have to talk to them as a good host. Working for Royan''s father paid well but it was lonely. Other than the servants she didn''t get to talk to anyone else much.


    The boss and his family weren''t talkative people, they weren''t allowed to leave the house often so it was lonely.


    "Come in," she said happily and led them in. She forgot the protocol of asking whether they have a visitation card or not. Or whether the boss was expecting them or not.


    She asked another maid to get some snacks for them while they settled down in the living room.


    Ander smiled when they reacted just like him while setting down on the soft chairs.  If Royan was there he would have said they all were cute.


    "Where is Royan?" he asked the head maid. Deep in his heart, he was a bit scared that something bad had happened to his friend.


    "He is.."


    "Right here," a voice said from behind them. They all shot their gazes up to the stairs. Royan dressed in white from top to bottom descended the stairs one step after the other.


    He glanced at them as he did, Ander smiled seeing him alright. Avan gazed at him and Ander seeing how happy the dragon was from seeing him and gritted his teeth.


    Royan was not good-looking, he was better looking than he had expected. He wasn''t even sure if he could compare to him. Avan laid back on the chair and sulked.


    "To what do I owe the honor of this visit prince?" he asked recalling Ander''s introduction.


    "I...I..my f..family," Ander fumbled with his words.


    His stutter surprised all that had accompanied him to meet Royan.


    "Since when does Ander stutter?" Ella found herself asking out of shock. "He doesn''t," Avan replied bitterly.


    His stutter brought a smile to Royan''s face. He was enjoying how cute Ander was. "You brought your family to meet me?" he asked and Ander nodded. "How sweet," he complimented.


    "Greetings," Royan greeted turning to the rest of the family. Francis got a clear view of his face and his heart stopped beating for a few minutes before it thundered in his chest. His hand in Alexander''s handheld him so tightly.


    He was surprised at the same. Now he understood why Ander was acting the way he was and why he grew to trust the boy after meeting him for a few hours.


    "Francis, Are you okay?" Alexander asked getting worried about him.


    Annak too recognized the boy from the night of the arrival. The Phoenix that was gazing at Ander, there was no way that she would forget such a face and she had this feeling that he was connected to Ander somehow. But the part of the puzzle he fit in was unknown to her.


    She was glad that they would get to live with the boy. They said that it was good to keep one''s enemies closer than friends.


    "Greetings," she replied as the others had some of the other conflicts inside their hearts and mind.


    "Welcome to my humble abode," he said to them and took a seat next to Avan. "What can I do for you?"


    "Nothing," Avan said in a tired tone. Royan raised his eyebrows at his reply.


    "M..my family wanted to speak to you about the house," Ander said to him.


    "I see..."


    "We accept the offer," Annak jumped in cutting him mid-sentence. She didn''t want to give others the chance to refuse. It would give her peaceful nights if she knew exactly what the Phoenix was up today and night.


    "I don''t think we should make such important decisions so easily. We should think more on this," Francis let out scared of the outcome of Ander, Avan, Amaru, and Royan in the same compound.


    It would be a disaster when the bond between Royan and Ander grew stronger. They are fated for each other and everyone knew that anyone who tries to separate two fated souls always suffers a terrible fate.


    He had made the mistake but destiny chose to punish others for it. But maybe he could fix it if he could just have time.


    "I think that we should take the offer," Annak insisted.


    The snacks arrived and were set on the table. Amid the argument, Amaru and Ander whispered to each other. Ella remained a quiet spectator while Avan was feeling down.


    His hope of Royan being an old man was crushed and from the way, Ander reacted on seeing him it was clear that Ander like him. He glared at Royan and checked him out.


    He needed to find something about him that he could say made him lack but the longer he looked the more he was convinced that he was best for Ander. He''ll, he wouldn''t turn him down if he weren''t in love with Ander. Then how could he expect Ander to refuse him?


    Royan had his eyes on the boy checking him out without bothering to hide it. He could see and feel a lot of emotions from the male, mostly jealousy. It confused him what the boy was feeling jealous of or why there was some hostility from him.


    He was helping them out with their problem and they hadn''t met before so his bitterness was confusing.


    "Don''t you like me?" he leaned in and whispered in Avan''s ear. Avan came out of his thought when Royan''s hot breath hit his skin. He looked to meet the male''s gaze.


    He met with Royan''s beautiful smile right before his eyes. He froze hearing his heart beating loudly in his ear.


    "Answer me, have I done something that offended you?" he inquired in a soft voice.


    He didn''t want to come out push but it settle well with him to have the boy hate him without him knowing why. He waited for an answer but none came. Just like Ander he just stared at him dazed as though he had a rainbow on his face.


    He sighed. He wasn''t good with people but he was sure the dazed and no reply thing only ran in Ander''s family.


    "Will you please tell me," he pleaded.


    "I..I d..don''t hate you," Avan said subconsciously.


    "And the stuttering runs in the family too," he let out. He flipped his hand in front of Avan to snap him out of his trance and backed away.


    "Well, why don''t we have some snacks as we continue the discussion," he said raising his voice a little from the whispers he had with Avan.


    ''A new crush will even you out," Ella''s words ran inside Avan''s mind as he looked at Royan. His mind couldn''t help but wonder about things he never thought he would ever consider.


    "Thank you," Alexander said to him before they dug into the snacks. Royan dished some food onto the plate and nudged Avan out of his thoughts and handed him the plate.


    "Thinking too much is bad for your health," he advised.

 Chapter 131 - Tired Of Fading

    The head maid was tasked to show the Royal family around. Give them a tour of the outhouse they were being given. And see if they liked it or not and if they will accept it.


    Roy an remained behind watching the television with Avan who for some reason refused to see the house. He glared holes into Royan''s skin wondering what magic the man was using on people.


    "What is it pretty boy?" Royan asked to break the awkward silence in the room.


    "I a..am not p..pretty," he wanted to sound stern but stuttered.


    "Should I call you ugly then?" Royan teased.


    He was having much fun that he had in his life. Doing more than just studying the ancient scrolls and guiding the sire of deception was fun. Especially with two interesting boys who were too cute to ignore. He had smiled a lot in the last twenty four hours and he couldn''t wait for them to move in.


    The endless possibility that the idea held was intriguing. He could even entertain his mother''s suggestion of being a normal kid and having friends thing.


    "Listen here you," Avan began masking his nervousness. He raised his finger and pointed it to the boy and walked towards him imitating how And normally acted when provoked. He wanted to appear intimidating. "I don''t know what games you are playing but I will advise that you stop. Ander is mine and you can''t take him away from me," he said hearing Royan.


    He bent a little to meet Royan''s face so he was clear. Royan moved his leg that was between his and tripped him. Again fell forward landing perfectly on Royan''s chest.


    "Or what?" Royan questioned in a husky voice.


    Avan blinked his eyes trying to get his mind to think straight. All he could think of was how good Royan smelled and how muscular he felt under his fingers. It was hard for him to appear intimidating when he was captivated by the boy.


    "Or I w..will kill.."


    "Kill me, I would love to hear you try," Royan fired back.


    Hearing the boy say the word love and him I''m the same sentence made was the push he needed to lose his mind completely.


    "But I would much rather wear about violence. I can be very dangerous if pushed passed my limits," he warned.


    "Are you threatening me?" Avan asked with his hand to Royan''s throat. His hand was glowing red. "It is unwise to threaten someone who can murder you with just a blink of an eye," he added.


    "I don''t think I''ve mentioned this before but in all circumstances. I like to be on the top," he said grabbed hold of Avan hand and his body and flipped the two of them over so that he towered over Ander.


    His pupils were in the shape of flame. "Wanna try your suggestion. I bet I can kill by blinking my eyes," he said in an icy tone that caused the male under him to shudder. "But like I said, I hate violence," he added capturing Avan''s lips into a kiss.


    Avan''s heart was beating like thunder from the way things were playing out. He had not expected Royan to have powers let alone turn the tables on him. What he wanted was for him to be afraid and back off Ander but he was fool to poke at a sleeping lion.


    "Is this your first kiss?" Royan asked. He shook his head to refuse. "Then stop acting like an amateur and close your eyes," he instructed and kissed him once more.


    He kissed his lips one after the other, his warm lips made him feel so good but also guilty for cheating on Ander. But in his defense, he was a hormonal teenager that was in love with a dragon who has never known where his heart truly belonged.


    And as pathetic as it Was, be it that he ran away with Francis and obsessed over him or married Amaru. He waited for him. But the boy only ever seems to look back when everyone else turned away from him but not before or for love and it was tiring.


    He wasn''t sure that Answer would ever truly love him for him without his heart and eyes wondering around for a better option. He was always that last option.


    "Am i such a bad kisser?" Royan asked drawing him out of his thoughts. Avan looked up at him surprised by the question.


    "W..why would y..you ask that?" he inquired confused.


    "You seem lost in your thoughts," the phoenix pointed out. "Were you comparing?" he asked with a smirk on his face.


    "Comparing what?"


    "The way I kiss and the way whoever you kissed before me kissed you," the phoenix let out. "Don''t worry, I think it''s cute. Tell me, who is better?"


    "N..no i was n..not thinking about that. Just my tragic love story," Avan said.


    "Oh, you are in love with Ander. I thought it was just you crushing on him," the phoenix mumbled to himself. "I''m sorry about the kiss, I would understand if you thought me a jerk. I am.. should have remained within my limits," he added and backed away from him.


    Avan sat up feeling a little sad that the kiss ended so soon. He couldn''t help but wish he hadn''t mentioned his love for Anger and ruined everything.


    "Are you two together?" Royan asked straightening his shirt.


    "I don''t know," A van replied. That had always been the answer when it came to his relationship with the dragon. He never knew with the guy just where they stood. They kissed and had s*x together but it was all just pleasure.


    "Is it one sided?"


    Thinking on the question, he could help but remembr all the time that Ander left his hand for Francis. Its like if it came to him and his father, then his would win. The whole world came first before him, it was a surprise that the dragon remembered to save him during the war.


    "Yes," he replied as it was how their relationship felt. That was why he didn''t want to be with the dragon despite loving him. Because loving someone who didn''t love you back painful but not as painful as loving someone who wasn''t sure he felt about you.


    "I''m sorry. I can''t say I understand how you feel. To be honest, I have never been in love and you happened to be my third kiss so I''m not expert on that. I have been in a relationship and frankly I havent gone further than a kiss with anyone so I am the last person to give you relationship advise," Royan said honestly.


    "You and that body. I doubt it, you must have numerous lovers and all of them slaves to your charms," Avan teased.


    "I wouldn''t like that, you might not believe it but I am not a people person. People make me sick, they have this judgemental personality that I hate. They have no rights to play judge but they do, which is disgusting," he let out.


    "I don''t judge," Avan said getting closer to him. "I won''t hold anything against you," he whispered to him.


    He wasn''t sure where the sudden confident came from that helped him to speak to the gorgeous demon of temptation before his eyes without stuttering but he didn''t dislike it. Royan was nice, straight forward and honest. Which was exactly what he needed.


    He was a gentleman, he apologized when he realized he liked someone else and respected his feelings which was more than he can ask for.


    He had never met anyone other than Ella who actually cared and took the time to know him.Even Ander despite claiming to love him never took the trouble.They never just had a simple talk without things getting back to normal. With normal being its either about Ander or it fades in the background.


    "I''m tired of fading in the background," he said to him. "I''ve spent my days standing in the shadows believing that I could get live by doing so but no more. Teach me to climb over the walls that I have built for myself," he pleaded.


    "We just met. How can you trust me with that?" Roy an asked him.


    "They say that a stranger can help you better than a friend. Because he can''t judge you. I want to step into the light, i want everything to be about me,"he said biting his lower lip in a seductive way.


    "You don''t know what you are asking for," the phoenix said to him.


    "Then tell me what i am asking for, open my eye and et me see. Its high time I stopped being in this toxic one sided relationship. Will you help me?" he asked with a new glow in his face. He was tired of being selfless and putting others before him.


    It was his turn and he deserved it. He deserved to be happy just like everyone else and he also deserved a chance in the spotlight.


    "I was wrong, i am the one who doesn''t know what you are asking for," he said shaking his head.. "You seem to have a clue but im clueless," he added.

 Chapter 132 - Jealous

    Royan returned to his room to read for a while. He had not taken a look in his books for two days and if his grandfather were to learn of his laziness he was sure to get it.


    He opened his library and grabbed one of the scrolls. He brushed the dust from the old thing and rubbed his hand against the words of ancient wisdom.


    The scroll was about dragon. The black moon dragon to be precise, he had a lot about such dragons from his grandfather and he wanted to know more. He felt a presence stealthily enter his room. The being was trying not to grab his attention but he already heard them.


    He closed his eyes and used his ears to pinpoint where the person was. He found the person standing by his bed, they didn''t seem to want to cause him harm from the aura they had.


    He closed his library door and walked over to the bed and sat down pretending not to notice the invincible person right next to him.


    He sat their intentionally to see what the person would do but just in case, he had the sword forged by his ancestors blood to trap a person soul and torture them for eternity right under his pillow.


    The sword of misery, he didn''t pick the name and didn''t care what it was called as long it kept him safe. That and he could just trap the person in the sier of deception and let them wonder for eternity in nowhere.


    He read his scrolls getting fascinated by the knowledge of the black moon dragon. He wished that he could one day meet a dragon of that species they were amazing.


    He felt the bed beside him move down like weight had been added to it. Whoever was in his room had taken a seat beside him. So close that he could smell them.


    He ignored it, he wanted to find out what the person had in mind with him before he acts. He didn''t want to scare him/her off and miss a chance of a little fun.


    It was rare that anyone dared to sneak into his room. Even the servants of the house or his family dare not try to enter his room without his permission.


    "Why?" he heard a whisper from the person.


    The question sounded like it was directed to him but also not so he didn''t try to answer it. The question was vast, unless it was straight to the point he wouldn''t even know how to answer him. So he didn''t even try to think on it.


    Before he turned to the next scroll to read more he felt warm hands wrap around his waist. A head was laid on his shoulder, he dropped the scroll feeling his heart picking up the pace.


    He didn''t feel threatened by the person but wasn''t one to take chances. He reached his hand under the pillow and grabbed hold of the sword.


    "Why did you kiss Avan?" he heard this time a little more clearer. There was pain in the voice that spoke to him.


    He released the sword and moved his hand back. "Because I wanted to. Why, did it affect you?" he asked.


    "Why did you want to kiss him?" the person asked ignoring his question.


    "I dont know, i just wanted to so I did," he replied simply. He was a simple person and hated complications. If he liked something he would go for it and if it was out of reach then he would let it go. But with no regrets since he hated the ifs and buts in his life.


    "And if I tell you that I didn''t like it then?"


    "Then I would tell you to go to hell. I have never been one to wear people''s opinions as a cloth so why should I start now," he said holding the hands in his chest. "I do as I please and as long as I am pleased with it then all others can go to hell," he added.


    He removed the hands from himself and turned to face the invincible person. "But why do you care? Is it because I kissed Avan or because Avan let me?" he asked.


    The weight on the bed lifted indicating the person stood up. He could hear the person''s heart racing with uncertainty. He was headed for the window the way he came.


    Royan hated having his questions left unanswered so in one swift movement, he moved from the bed to the window pinning the person to the wall and trapping him between his hands.


    "I answered your questions. Don''t you think that it''s only fair of you answered mine?" he asked the person. "You need not show me who you are, just answer me," he added.


    "I...I do..don''t answer to you."


    His lips curled up into a smile. "Are you sure Ander?" he asked finding it cute how he recognised him from his stutter.


    "I..I am n..not Ander," he said nervously.


    "I love it when you stutter but I need an answer prince. Why did you not like the kiss I shared with Avan? Which of the two of us were jealous about?" he asked leaning in to the prince.


    Ander gulped being so close to Royan. His heart and mind were in chaos just from seeing him so close. He didn''t know what to say in reply. He knew the answer to the question but had no idea how to tell the male that he was jealous of both of them.


    Jealous of Royan because Avan doesn''t avoid his touch or him and embraced him. And sane for Avan because he bonded with Royan so quickly that the two of them actually kissed.


    He felt like keeping Avan from Royan to have him for himself but also wanted to do the same with Royan. He was torn between two ends and he didn''t know what to do about it.


    "I''m waiting," Royan said bringing him out of his thoughts. "Fine, you don''t want to talk. You can leave," Royan said and set him free and backed away from him.


    "It hurt to see the two of you together," Ander said in panic. "I hate being on the losing end and when I heard the two of you together I felt like I was losing once more," he added.


    Royan listened to him. From what he was saying he could understand that the boy was used to losing the things that he loved in his life. Judging by the way he came into his room and worked hard to hide his identity it was certain the boy had insecurities.


    "How often do you find yourself on the losing end?" he inquired just to be sure he was right.


    "Always," Ander replied feeling tears building up in his eyes. He had thought that he had gotten over his pain but the moment proved him wrong.


    "I see, wait here," Royan said and walked out of the room. Ander dropped on the ground angry at himself for doing that, he was sure that he had scared Royan away. Yet again he found himself where he always was.


    He had died everyday waiting for love and it seemed he will have to continue doing the same in the coming years. He saw no point in going on with no happy destination that held an ounce of love for him.


    "Perhaps I should leave the world for those who are fortunate enough to find love," he uttered feeling broken. He removed the invincibility spell on himself and wiped his tears decided to say goodbye to the world.


    He heard footsteps coming back to the room. He got up from the ground and strengthened his clothes and leaned back on the wall casually.


    "Where are you taking me?" he heard Avan''s voice ask.


    "You will know soon," Royan replied him.


    The two soon walked into the room, with Royan holding Avan''s right hand leading him into the room. Seeing this sight made the dragon grit his teeth and fold his hand into a fist. He dug into his skin with his nails not to react.


    "Here we are," Royan said making Avan seat down on his bed. He climbed the bed and tapped the space to his left for Ander to seat on.


    Ander took a seat without a word. He was curious with what the male was up to and why Avan was in the room. The same thing bothered Avan, his heart started racing the minute he landed his eyes on Ander.


    He knew the dragon inside out and if Ander found out that he and Royan shared a kiss he was sure not going to hear the end of it. The two of them might even end up dead by the dragon.


    He would probably choose to burn them with hell fire before sending them to hell to keep burning.


    "Why are we all here?" Ander asked to get it over with.


    "We are here to discuss the deal that k have in mind," Royan said to them.


    "Deal, what deal?" Avan asked.


    "One that benefits all of us," he said confusing them all.

 Chapter 133 - Deal

    Ander couldn''t understand what Royan meant by a deal that could benefit all the three of them. He was sure interested if it was something interesting.


    "What is the deal?" he asked not getting his hopes up. There was nothing more painful than having your hope broken and he sure as hell not going through that again.


    "Do you like Avan?" Royan asked him. He looked up to Avan before nodding his head as a response. "Do you like Ander?" he asked turning to Avan.


    The boy nodded his head confused as to what was going on, he asked the boy to help move on from the toxic love that he felt for Ander but instead it looked like he was ready to push right into it.


    "Do you both like me?" he inquired. The two of them hesitated before they could answer him. He had placed them both on the spotlight. "We have all just met so this is weird but I need an answer," he stated.


    "Not sure where this is going but I do like you," Ander said being honest.


    ''What about you?" he asked directing his look to Avan.


    "I guess I like you too but I don''t understand what that has to do with anything," he said nervously playing with his fingers. He had no idea if the boy had a death wish to ask him that infront of Ander but he was certain that Ander was going to hold on to his words and take it out on him later when it was just the two of them.


    "Truth is that I like the two of you too and if you must know, I hate beating around the bush and not going for something that like. I have never been in a relationship before but I do know a thing or two about it as for the rest perhaps the two of you can teach me," he said to the two of them.


    "What exactly do you mean?" Ander asked him to make sure that he was on the same page as the male.


    "What do you think I mean?" he asked slipping his hand into Ander''s shirt and rubbing his hand on his chest. "From what I understand of the two of you. You love each other but are having trouble finding a balance to your relationship. How about I volunteer to be the balance that keeps the two of you from falling apart. Win-win for all of us," he said pulling Avan with his right hand for a kiss.


    "Are you suggesting the three of us get into some kind of relationship together?" Avan asked breaking the kiss. He didn''t understand the concept as he had never had of anything so crazy before in his life. It was a crazy idea but he found that he didn''t quite detest it.


    "That is unheard of and crazy," Ander said trying to make sense of the situation. "What you even call such a relationship?" he asked him.


    ''That might be the reason your relationship always seems to fail. We have only just met, don''t complicate things by trying to put a label on it. For now let''s just call it Fwb," he said casually.


    "FWB?" Avan questioned getting lost in the ideas that Royan was suggesting. It was an addictive idea.


    "Friends with benefits," he replied. "If it becomes more with time then maybe we will change the title but for now lets take it one step at a time. That is if the two of you agree. You don''t have to give me an answer right away but think on it," he added stepping off the bed.


    He picked out the scroll he was reading and went by the sofa and continued to read. His appearance was filled with elegance it would be hard to believe that he was just the guy who suggested having a threesome with guys that he had just met.


    He sipped his tea slowly as he read ignoring the dragon and Avan who were still absorbing what he had just said. They thought on the matter occasionally throwing glances at each other like their minds were synched together as one.


    "What do think of his proposal?" Avan asked Ander. "He is right; we do have a problem finding a balance between us. I love you and I know you love me too but despite that we always just find a way to be apart," he explained.


    "Sounds like you want to accept the deal," Ander pointed out.


    "Like you don''t. you know you want me and I want you so why not fix the problem by letting Royan help us," Avan suggested. "No labels just friends with benefits," he added. Ander broke out into laughter hearing him say that.


    "Do you even know what that means?" he asked him. Avan shook his head. He had an idea in mind but wasn''t sure if it was what Royan wanted but all the same it was tempting especially if it meant having Ander without any worries of being let down.


    If worse came to worse and Ander left him at least he had someone else that could support him. It truly was a win-win. If he gets used to having more than just Ander, then perhaps he won''t be so heart broken when the dragon changed his mind.


    "This is crazy," Ander stated to him.


    "Then it is exactly your cup of tea. I don''t see what the problem is," Avan replied in a whisper to his ear.


    "Our family is right outside," Ander pointed out sensing the intentions of the boy kissing his ear lobe.


    "That makes it more fun," he said reaching his hand into the dragon clothes and playing with his nipple. "You should sound proof the room," he reminded the dragon.


    Ander opened his mouth to cast the spell on the room when Avan took the chance to capture his lips into a French kiss. He had missed the boy''s taste in his mouth since that day of his birthday. The thought of having him again drove him out of his mind.


    "Stop," Ander said pushing him off. "Since we are trying out new things, I want to do you. And it''s not a request but an order," he stated.


    "Aren''t you just full of yourself. You left your throne in Arimelari but you still act like you are the king."


    "Throne or not I am always a king," Ander said cockily. "Enough talk, let me rock your world," he added reaching his hands to Avan''s pant on top of his pubic region and grabbed hold of his shaft under the pants. Avan gasped feeling excited.


    Ander''s eyes glowed golden and with it went their clothes, he pushed Avan to lie back on the bed while he towered over him. He marveled at how beautiful Avan looked without clothes. The last time the two of them had been naked he hadn''t had the pleasure of seeing Avan the way Avan saw him.


    Avan was already hard, his shaft stood to attention waiting for Ander to touch him. It was throbbing with all the excitement in his lower abdomen and he couldn''t wait to feel good. A playful smirk adorned the dragon''s face. A smirk that made Avan a little scared.


    "What?" Avan sked a little nervous from the dragon''s intense gaze not to mention the other person in the room silently watching the two of them.


    "You look beautiful," he complimented taking Avan''s shaft into his hand and brought close to his mouth. With his other hand on the bed, he wrapped his mouth around Avan''s throbbing dick.


    "Oh my," Avan moved feeling good inside Ander''s warm mouth. Ander moved his face and down his rod taking all of him in. He sucked the cock that was filling his mouth, occasionally teasing the head.


    Avan arched his back and grabbed hold of the sheets feeling so good in Ander care. He moaned sweetly as the dragon skillfully played around with his cock.


    "Oh god Ander!!" he screamed when he felt himself nearing his climax. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he reached the peak of his ecstasy. "I am about to co¡­come ," he informed getting lost in the cloud of desire, his head spinning around when suddenly someone grabbed the head of his cock refusing him the pleasure he so much wanted.


    "Wha¡­?" he raised his head to ask feeling so uncomfortable.


    "I couldn''t let you do that on my bed. The sheets are quite clean," Royan said interrupting them.


    "Are you sure?" Ander asked with a mischievous smile on his face. "I''m sure you won''t mind it much if it was your come all over the sheets," he added and without any warning he jumped off the bed from Avan and right in front of Royan.


    Ander grabbed hold of his bent and tugged on it to remove his clothes.. Royan took hold of his hand stopping him, "I haven''t taken a shower yet and neither have you so no," he said to him sternly.

 Chapter 134 - The Amak

    "You talk tall but you are nothing but a coward," Ander said to him. Royan smiled to him.


    "You have no idea what you are talking about," Royan said. A strong wind blew into the room from his wardrobe. He frowned a lot from the wind. "The two of you stay here," he ordered coldly and moved from the bed.


    The wardrobe was shaking with strong wind pushing to get out of the wardrobe. Royan reached for his sword and pushed the door open. "Name," he yelled into the wardrobe.


    "Amak," a deep manly voice informed through the wind.


    "I hate such creatures," he mumbled and rushed out of the room. Ander and Avan cut short their excitement and followed him after getting dressed. They were scared by his weird reaction and wanted to find out the mysteries of the talking wardrobe.


    Royan exited the house and raised his sword in the sky. A blue light flew from the sword to the sky. It landed in the private property behind the compound.


    "What is going on?" Avan asked feeling something evil in the area. As he was in possession of dark Melchior''s powers the first thought that came into mind was to take control of the creature and use it as a weapon to build his army but he held back the urge to do so.


    "A monster has gotten lose from the sire. I need to find it and get rid of it before it causes permanent damaged to the human realm," Royan replied.


    "How dangerous are we talking?" Ander asked him.


    "Depends on the monster but every creature kept in the sire is there for a reason. So I wouldn''t underestimate it no matter how small it is. Stay here, I will be back when all is done," he instructed to them.


    "Wait," Ander said holding me back. "Since we have a deal now we are to have each other''s back. we will come with you and help you deal with the monster then maybe I could show you a good time," Ander said seductively.


    "You don''t have to do this. And if anyone will be showing anyone a good time it will be me," he replied cockily.


    BOOM!


    They heard an explosion far in the town. Royan turned his head in the direction. "Keep up then," he said and took to the skies. "Nayal a little help," he cried out as he flew.


    "Who is Nayal?" Avan asked but before Ander could give him a reply a cat came from inside the house passing them by as they stood watch. The cat increased in size the more it ran and soon it was as huge as the horse. The cat released its wings and turned around running back in their direction.


    "Why is it coming back?" Ander asked his heart racing from the creature that was running back in their direction.


    "I don''t know should we stick around?" Avan asked him scared of the cat that can change size and has wings. In the years that he has spending with supernatural creatures, he had never once seen something like it before. It was scary and terrifying if you take in his fear of cats.


    They both froze on the spot. They found their feet rooted to the ground and fear ran through them. They closed their eyes when the cat was near them not to look at it. They waited to be torn into pieces by the beast but nothing happened.


    "You can open your eyes now guys," they heard Royan''s sweet voice say. They slowly opened their eyes to find that they were now on the back of the cat riding towards the town where the monster was. Royan stood on the head of the cat majestically unaffected by the wind.


    The way the wind moved around him was so beautiful. It wasn''t him controlling the wind but the wind just listening and avoiding him intentionally.


    "Down Nayla," he instructed and waited. The cat set them down and let them off his back. He looked at the ground with a crack where the monster escaped from. He examined the essence in the air to try and determine the monster that got out. There were many types of Amak''s in the world each with different powers. But each dangerous none the less.


    From the essence it was a small shapeshifter that got out. They were particularly the worst, they were very difficult to deal with and only one weakness. He took out his phone and called his grandfather. The call went straight to voicemail.


    "Gramps, it''s me Roy. When you get this call me back, I need to know the weakness of a shapeshifter Amak," he said and hung up the call.


    He tracked the ground for the monster, Ander and Avan followed behind him patiently. The dragon got ready to attack if they come across a monster, the same applied to Avan. He was getting good at controlling his new powers. They were evil and most of the time they wanted to take over him but with training and the help of Ella, he learnt how to.


    They heard a twig break to their left. Ander didn''t wait to find out what it was and send a fire spell in that direction.


    "No," Royan screamed as he saw the fire headed for the monster. the creature was small, when the fire hit it. It fell to the ground.


    "That is how it is done," Ander gloated to them.


    "What have you done?" the phoenix asked him. The tone of his voice wasn''t the praise that Ander wanted to hear. Just then the Amak got up from the ground grew bigger. "Avan seeing this fired his own spell on the creature.


    Once again the creature fell for a minutes and got back up being bigger than before. It swung its arm throwing all of them away. Nayla took to the skies and rescued them one by one until he had all of them.


    "This is a shapeshifting Amak. That means that if you hit it with magic then it will grow in size and become more powerful. It absorbed both of your magic and now we can forget handling the matter discreetly as now even the people from the neighboring town can see him," the phoenix informed glaring at them.


    "Sorry," they said in unison apologetically.


    "We need to move with caution, we can''t let it reach the town and we are not allowed to use magic on it," he said to them. "Now you are more than welcomed to help me in this fight but only if you are going to help. Make things worse for me and I won''t like it," he added his tone getting lower as he went on to the last words.


    "We won''t give you a reason to complai¡­."


    "Watch out," Annak and Ella shouted at the same time when the monster was moving to grab them while they were going over their plan. They repeatedly hit the monster with a breaking spell hoping to break it to pieces.


    Francis too soon joined the fight with his chosen one powers. He followed the same lead as Annak and Ella and choose to break the beast. Alexander brought his support from the sky as the dragon, his scales shined more than ever and there was a new mark on his forehead that had never been there before.


    Seeing as the creature almost hurt Ander the faceless god also joined the fight and before any of them could even take a breather the monster had grown so big the entire forest seemed small in his eyes, the monster could no longer see those attacking him as they had become so small to him , much smaller than a fly.


    "What the hell is that," Annak asked in shock. The others understood where her shock came from. The creature had gone huge to mega huge. They stopped their attacks and moved back to access the situation.


    Royan could have sworn he could see smoke come out of his ears from the things that just happened. He didn''t know whether to marvel at the fact the entire family had magic and the fact that he had seen a dragon with his naked eyes or cry at the mess they had created. The whole town was in panic from seeing the monster and they were running helter skater screaming to the top of their voices.


    Another mess that he has to clean up and contain before the government comes asking questions that he didn''t need to answer but he knew that it was already too late. The fact of the matter was that he knew that they would come, a mess that big must have already been posted on social media. Which means that his grandfather must have seen it too.


    "Perhaps it would have been wise to ask that question before you went around attacking it aimlessly," he let out in a tired tone.

 Chapter 135 - The Purple Flame

    Royan received a message from his grandfather informing him of how to destroy the Amak. It was easily said than done. He needed to go into the forbidden and seek a plant with purple leaves that grow near the volcano.


    The purple flower had a legend to it, his grandfather told him that but the legend wasn''t in the message. The message only mentioned that it grew near the volcano. The type of volcano was not mentioned either.


    He was going to have to trust his luck that he finds the flower and returns safely.


    He had to go to the forbidden but he didn''t trust to leave such a bog monster in the hands of reckless people.


    "Nayal glass house," he instructed loudly. The cat got up from the ground and flew to the monster. It circled around the Amak and them until they all disappeared.


    "I need to go and find the weapon that can kill it. Until then don''t die," he instructed to them before jumping through the air and disappearing from where they were.


    "Wait, did he just leave us with that thing and ask us not to die?" Ella questioned to them.


    They shrugged their shoulder to her question and gazed at the monster. It was so huge that it couldn''t even see them enough to attack them but they couldn''t just stay still and wait in hopes that the creature would stay put.


    "Where are we?" Annak uttered feeling the wall behind her. It looked like glass but it wasn''t glass, it looked like a house and yet it wasn''t.


    "Space between light," Ella answered. She had read about the existence of such places. It was like her arena only better because here the space was infinite. One could move through the glass to another reality if they wished to and each reality had its own set of rules.


    She was unaware of what the rules were since the book was missing a few pages but was certain of one thing.A creature of dark origins existed and fed from all the realities. Yep more the space was used the more it gets strong and the more chances of it being set free.


    "No matter what we can''t leave this reality," she said to them right before the monster shrank back to it''s normal size.


    Now that it was small again it could see them quite clearly and they looked like his lunch.He was hungry from being locked away for a very long time and needed to feed. He growled at them and started to attacked them.


    "Don''t attack it with magic or it will grow again," Avan warned.


    Each found a tool that they could use to fight the creature.


    *****


    Royan entered the forbidden in his true form as a Phoenix. The forbidden was a fire isle that burnt with all kings of fire. The volcanoes in the forbidden produced flames that could burn thought anything and anyone.


    He traded carefully as his life was in danger in the isle. On the way he couldn''t help but curse at himself for him stupidity. He had been occupied with Ander and Avan for more than twenty four hours and that was why the Amak was able to get free.


    And by letting Ander, Avan and his family interfere with the control of the Amak he exposed the existence of supernatural creatures into the world.


    He was able to contain the Amak but goodness only knew the kinds of trouble he has invited into his front door by letting Ander in.


    The thought of what the exposure could do to his family made his mind stressful. He just couldn''t believe that he gave in to his desire of being a normal teenager who does normal stuff like kissing and all that.


    He even went as far as to give his desires of a threesome a chance. "I will miss the two of you," he uttered.


    With the mistake that he had done he would be lucky if his grandfather doesn''t kill him but one thing he was sure of was that he wouldn''t be able to see Ander and Avan again.


    "Arghh," he growled in pain when he was hit off from the sky and pinned to the ground. The claws of whatever grabbed him dug into his skin cutting him on the inside.


    His back burnt from the flames on the ground. From his leg to his head. No part of him was spared. The type of flame it was, was purple and very dull.


    It wasn''t shimmering like other flames in the aisle but it was much more dangerous. He bumped his head on the creature hard throwing it off his body before he went to stand.


    His shoes burnt to ashes in a few seconds leaving his bear feet on the ground. "Arghhh," he screamed at the top of his lungs as the flame burnt away at his flesh. He fell back to the ground unable to continue standing.


    The flame took his clothes and went ahead to his body burning away at him with the intention of reducing him to ash.


    He screamed repeatedly until he was nothing more than ash on the ground.


    The ash started forming into a sculpture of a boy on the ground. It merged with the purple flame to become complete. The flame engulfed the sculpture without burning it to ashes.


    A few minutes later the sculpture exploded revealing the Phoenix underneath. He took a deep breath awaking from his five minutes moments of being dead.


    He noticed that flame was not burning at him. The uncomfortable feeling he got earlier as he flew over the isle was gone. The sensitivity to the flames of the use also no longer there.


    His body had taken the new phone with the isle, he felt such a dangerous connection to the purple flame that gave him chills. What more was the intense voices that he could hear in the flames like someone was talking to him.


    He ignored the voices and walked barefoot on the ground of the isle without getting burnt. "I could get used to this," he said impressed. He couldn''t wait to show his grandfather what had happened and show him that he was truly one of a kind.


    He searched around the isle for hours for the plant that he needed but from the fire plants he found there was none of the one he was seeking.


    "Where is it," he questioned hoping to get done quickly so that he could go home and get dressed. The heat from the isle felt like he was in a sauna since he had somehow grown immune to the fire.


    He kept searching in the hopes that Ander and Avan would still be alive by the time he got back. He just couldn''t find the volcano with the flame that aloud the flower to grown near it.


    The hours went by and soon it was day another day. He could tell the day had changed from his connection to the isle. Seeing no hope in finding the plant, he left the isle and returned to the glass reality.


    When he arrived thing we''re not well in the glass house. They weren''t in the free space that he had provided them but in a city fighting on walls and balancing on trees. What more was the broken doors that kept opening and closing inside the glass house that led to different realities.


    He could see people from places he had never even been to walking inside the glass house and getting stuck not able to return to their realities.


    It was a catastrophe. He shook his head and laid it on his hand. "I should have know better than to trust them," he said. As he said that a purple glint passed through his eyes. He wasn''t about to notice it but a purple snake tattoo on his back moved up a little and rested on his neck.


    He didn''t realise the matching tattoos on purple snakes on each of his wrists sleeping soundly. He was too stressed to notice the changes on his body from his flame merging with the purple flame.


    On the head of the snake, the one on his back was flowers that we''re made into a crown. Flowers with purple leaves that he was seeking.


    "What to start with?" he questioned trying to locate the Amak and sadly as he located it, it jumped through one of the doors to another reality.


    "This is a mess," he said.


    "What are you?" A female trembling voice asked from being him. He turned around to face her and realised that he wasn''t wearing clothes. His wings were free and the flame had changed from orange to purple on them.


    "Sorry for the inconvenience ma''am," he said and jumped at the closest door to leave that place. He found himself back in his room.


    Putting on his clothes he patiently read through the scroll of the glass house to find a way to get things to normal.. As he was looking down he didn''t realise the colours of his pupils changed purple as he read.

 Chapter 136 - The Vow Of Anders Bane

    Discovering what he needed to close all the doors of the glass house and fix everything. He returned to the glass house.


    One by one he walked on closing the doors. He used enchanted crystal keys from the vault to close the doors. Each door took close to five minutes to close if you count the rescue of the people who didn''t belong in those realities and getting them back to their own.


    By the hour he had closed all the doors except one, the Amak stood in the center of the room with the royal family of Arimelari standing around him.


    He closed the last door leading them back to wear they were in the beginning. Without the flower than can destroy the Amak he was still undecided about what to do with it.


    He ordered Nayal to get Ander''s family out of the glass house to avoid any more disasters. Left with the Amak, Ander and Avan I''m the glass room he took out his sword to fight.


    It was the only option that he had left at the moment. It was a suicidal mission since he had no way of defeating his enemy in the fight. It was a losing battle but he chose to fight it.


    He felt guilty for the situation they were in and until Nayal cane back for Ander and Annak he would hold the Amak back.


    He and the Amak went head to head with each other. He made his strikes with precision and avoided most of the Amak''s attacks.


    "We have to do something," Avan said. He was getting tired of the creature that can''t be harmed or killed.They have been fighting it for goodness how long all the best that made up Arimelari was not able to so much as cripple it.


    He had never seem anything like.


    "What can we do?" Ander asked him thinking of using a different fire on the creature. One that can burn through anything. The type of fire to use confused him as he tried hell fire and the damned thing didn''t even flinch.


    "We can''t stand by and do nothing," Avan yawned at how toted he was. His whole body was aching from head to toe. It was begging him to get some rest from all the fighting he had gotten himself in.


    The cat returned before they could ask it to not take them out of the house, it had already started the process. Ander glanced up at Royan, he was feeling guilty for leaving him behind with the creature.


    "Goodbye dragon king ~sss~," he heard what sounded like a snake say to him. He watched Royan carefully and just then Royan turned around to look at him.


    His pupils were purple and a sinister smile was on his lips. In a blink of an eye the two plus the cat were gone from the room.


    A purple flame flowed from his hands to the Amak once it was only the two of them. The fire weakened the Amak burning through the monster.


    Black goo splashed around the room from the Amak''s open veins. The fire was not merciful yo the Amak neither was the one controlling the fire. From all the stress that he had gone through because of the monster, the Phoenix was irritated.


    The fight didn''t las long as soon the Amak was no more. Royan drew a circle in the air with the flame in a clock wise direction.


    The circle he drew acted like a a portal that opened up. He jumped through the portal closing the glass house to prevent Nayal and anyone else from entering inside.


    He found himself in the fire palace deep in the depths of the forbidden isle. The fire palace burnt with fire that had a thirst for revenge.


    The voices in the fire was very clear to him now. All he could hear was the wishes of the voices in the fire. ''Kill the dragon king,'' the voices screamed.


    He was pleased with their screams. He was more than willing to answer their wishes. It would be a great pleasure to kill the dragon kill and avenge the lives of the people of Arimelari.


    The people that he had killed to get free. The lives that were lost in the war that he had cost. The innocent lives that were lost in his treacherous plans.


    The dragons that died in the battle when he let loose the curse. All the supernaturals and humans that were the collateral damage of his plan to have a normal life with his family.


    They grief and the magic that existed in the land formed from the ground creating the forbidden. It was in the land where the old lands of Arimelari used to be.


    "I will shed the blood of the dragon king on this very grounds," he vowed to them.


    The fire in his burnt bonding well with the part of him that wanted Ander dead from the start. The curse that was written in his destiny that he will be the end of the dragon king was activated.


    "Only a matter of few days and you will rejoice in the dragon''s death," he promised as he danced around on the fire.


    Unknown to him was the invincible shadow watching him. Amaru had been suspicious of him from the start, he didn''t trust how nice the man was but it got worse when he felt his aura match the one of a person that he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    He wanted to make sure that it wasn''t want he suspected hence he followed behind him. When he saw the way that the man danced in the fire he was sure that he hadn''t been mistaken.


    But seeing the snakes around Royan, he was convinced that the person whom he knew back then had taken possession of the male''s body.


    After confirming his thoughts, he took his leave and left the fire palace. He had to warm Ander of the danger that was hovering over him.


    Due to the past relations and the debt that he owed to the one inside Royan''s body he was sure he could stand by Ander and support him. The only thing that he could do was to warm him.


    He arrived back at the outhouse where the rest of the family was working on moving into the house. With Mordecai and the other''s arrival it was a little hard for him to speak to the dragon alone.


    He helped around waiting for the perfect chance to tell the dragon king what he had seen


    and heard in the fire palace.


    "You look nervous," he jumped at being startled.


    He turned around and came face to face with the Phoenix. His eyes had returned to normal and the tattoos on his hands had vanished. He looked normal.


    "I was just a little troubled by a dream I had," he said sternly making certain their was no hesitation or nervousness in his voice to avoid suspicion.


    "A dream? What was it about?" Royan asked him. The way he spoke was with sweetness that had he not seen his truth back there then he would have easily believed that he was still the same boy from yesterday.


    "A purple flame consuming everything in it''s path," he said causing Royan to smile nervously. "It was weird but my gut tells me that their is danger around," he said truthfully.


    The one inside Royan was capable of seeing through people''s lie so he played safe by changing the truth a little bit.


    "What a weird dream, perhaps their is nothing to it and it''s just a dream," the Phoenix said nervously ribbing his wrist where the snakes laid.


    The snake on his back moved around to keep him calm. So that he doesn''t overreact and give himself away.


    "Perhaps but with what we just fought. I won''t be able to just ignore it as a dream. For safety purposes, I will have to do research on this matter and see what comes up," he said and walked away from the conversation.


    He exited the room leaving Royan in the room with worries of their conversation. The way that the god spoke, it was as though he knew more than he let on.


    It was a danger to his plans and his vow if someone knew of his plans. But it was also possible that he knew nothing and was only speaking the truth. Warning of danger did often come to people in the form of the dreams and that could be the same situation.


    Either way it was still the same for him. He couldn''t let him find out about his plans or save the dragon from his clutches. If worse came he decided that he would just have to kill the god along with the dragon if need be.


    "I will fulfill my promise and destroy the dragon king at all costs," he uttered coldly.

 Chapter 137 - You Killed Me?

    The Royal family had all settled into the outhouse provided for them by Royan. The servants were very happy with their arrival that they didn''t mind teaching them about the world.


    they taught them how to use a phone and that a car was used for transport and it was a weapon.


    Malia got to go to the hospital to receive the treatments that she required to successfully deliver the child. She found modern technology to be quite fascinating.


    Sofia and Silvia became close friends again with each of them taking care of their sons. Each wanted what was best for the boys and there was no denying the bond between them.


    A sad fact was that Royan rarely came to see them. His room was empty and he was no where to be seen since he helped them move in.


    The children got registered at school which was a tough call of Francis, Alex and Mordecai with the town being on lockdown and the barrier wall that separated them from the rest of the world.


    The government had tracked the irrelevant activities to the town and gotten scientists inside before shutting the town down. Until they found the magical creatures, no one was allowed to leave or come into town.


    They had all been warned that magic was off limits and that they should not so much as use it to avoid being experimented on.


    The agents went from house to house asking them what they knew but no could tell them where the creature came from or where it disappeared to.


    "What do you think happened to Royan?" Avan asked throwing the ball at Amaru.


    "How should i know?" the god asked him and passed the ball back to him.


    "Don''t you find it weird that one minute he was here and the next he just disappeared?" he inquired because he sure found it weird.


    "It isn''t because you have no idea what his schedule is. This could be what he is used to," Amaru said. His explanation made sense to Avan so he let the matter go and continued to play with Amaru.


    Inside the house, Ella was helping Ander with his breathing exercises. The make wanted to learn how to stay in control of his anger and avoid lashing out on people.


    He wanted to improve on himself not just for himself but for those around him too. He laid on the bed with his hands on his stomach and his eyes closed.


    Taking deep breaths and letting them out as Ella instructed. The exercise was going fine until he felt a pull on his soul. Something was pulling him out of his body.


    His body trembled on the bed as he soul was being forcefully removed from his body. On seeing this Ella ran to him and caught his palm to check his pulse. Sensing his death on the near way she used magic to call the others.


    The magic made her simple call heard by the whole family. They rushed into the house to see what the problem was.


    Ella was a responsible girl so for her to use magic when they had forbidden it was not of her unless it was an emergency.


    "What happened," Annak asked appearing beside her on the bed.


    "Ander is dying," she informed her. She moved over to let Annak take a look at Ander since she had practise in healing and could save Ander.


    Annak held Ander''s hand and checked his pulse. It was getting weaker by the minute and his soul was leaving his body to go to go to the spirit world.


    She tried to stop the process by sealing Ander''s body to prevent his soul from fully leaving his body. Her spell worked only for a few minute, a rip came from the seal and his soul slipped through leaving his body behind.


    She raised her gaze to Ella and shook her head. Ella''s heart dropped knowing how heartbroken Avan will be when he will receive the news.


    They had gotten really close of late, they were practically inseparable. She was happy for them but the curse that was their fate intervened again and took that happiness away from then. She was getting tired of being the bearer of bad news.


    She knew that she would have to tell them what happened but she didn''t know what happened. No one has ever died from breathing so how could she explain to everyone the cause of death.


    The rest of the family arrived in the room. "Ella what is wrong?" Sofia asked getting to her.


    She looked to Ella to give her answers of what was wrong. She saw the look on her face and started to worry. She averted her gaze to Annak who had her face on the bed.


    Her eyes trailed up to Ander, something was wrong. She couldn''t place her hand on what the problem was exactly until she looked carefully and saw her son''s chest laying flat in the room.


    There was no movement what so ever from Ander. Just then Olivia walked inside the room, she had gone out to look for the Phoenix but she couldn''t find him.


    She was wondering what the new drama was about that they all gathered in the room. "An..Ander," Sofia called out directing everyone''s attention to the dragon king on the bed.


    "Ander," a scream came from outside the room as the dragon mark on Avan''s chest was breaking apart. The process was painful for the man as it meant that Ander was no more.


    The feeling was not new to him. He dropped to the ground clutching his chest as the massive pain threatened to take his beloved away from him for good.


    Amaru was stuck on what to do, his heart wanted to run over to Ander''s side and look after him but he couldn''t leave Avan alone so he stayed with him. He placed his hand on the male and absorbed some of the pain that he was feeling.


    The feeling was similar to the time that Ander had done from them the first time. Just like then, it didn''t come with a warning not could they do anything to save him.


    Cries came from the room as the fact of Ander''s death was sinking in to them. It was a bitter pill to swallow that they were forced to take many a times but each time it hurt more than the last.


    "What happened?" Alexander questioned.


    No one in the room could answer him as they had no idea what was going on.


    ******


    Ander opened his eyes, he stood on top of a mountain with the clouds right at an arms reach. He raised his hands and played around d with the clouds.


    "Where am I?" he asked not able to feel anything. He was not in pain not was he fine, something felt amiss in the while situation.


    "The other side," he heard a familiar voice say behind him and turned around.


    "Royan?"


    "In the flesh," the male replied.


    "What are you doing on the other side and why am I here. Are we both dead? How did you die and how did I die?" he went on to ask a lot of questions try g to make sense if what was going on.


    "First of all we are both dead, secondly I brought you here and thirdly. I don''t remember what your third was or your fourth,"he explained.


    " You killed me?" Ander asked not liking the sound of it. He was only now learning to control his anger but he felt the need to get even. "Why would you do that?" he inquired bitterly.


    "To save you and secondly, I didn''t kill you to be exact. You are just stuck between life and the afterlife which is the spirit world," he said. "Can you stop asking too many questions at a time you are making it hard for me to keep up with you and me.


    " What do you mean by that. You killed me and brought me here and you are saying that you haven''t killed me, you claim it was to save my life and...."


    "Shhhh," the Phoenix shushed him as he watched the wall closely.


    Ander angrily matched to him. He didn''t like being shushed by the male who just killed him. All the nice feelings he felt for him were flying off the window at his behaviour.


    When he got to the wall he gazed at the wall to check what was so interesting that the male was so occupied with.


    "I am working on killing the black moon dragon and how to bring you back. Be patient," he saw Royan in the land of the living inside Royan''s room speaking to a snake in the mirror.


    He look back and forth from the two Royan''s seeing the difference being the snake The Royan on the other side of the wall had a snake tattoo on his hand while the one with him didn''t.


    "What is going on?" he questioned.


    "I am trying to save you because I want you dead."

 Chapter 138 - Easy To Kill You

    Royan and Ander wondered on the other side watching things from the sidelines. He could see how his family was mourning his death and hear what they were saying to his lifeless body.


    He was getting tired of dying and death knocking at his door every now and then.He just wanted to be normal, without having to worry about demons, witches and other magical things attacking him.


    He had found the love that he has always yearns for. Malcolm and Sofia loved and took care of him like their own son, he and Alex and found d a way passed all the past events and were now friends.


    He didn''t have much complications in his life and was quite looking forward for school without magic. He was curious of all there was to learn about modern civilisation.


    Things were falling into place in his life but the dead won''t let that happened. They still found a way to haunt him and ruin things for him.


    He walked away from the wall and sat down on the ground. He hated being a spirit. Though it was the first time that he went too long without a body, he found it irritating.


    He didn''t feel the urge to eat or sleep.He wasn''t tired or energetic. Things seemed to be balanced between him.


    "How long are we supposed to be here?" he asked him.


    Royan spoke im reply and expressed his opinion on the matter. "I don''t know. I am still trying to learn more about the threat but so far I have nothing."


    Ander groaned at his reply. If only he wasn''t the dragon then he wouldnt have to deal with all of the supernatural problems in his life.


    He would worry about normal problems, whatever those were since he had no idea. He was normal and everything about him wasn''t normal either.


    "That gives me an idea," Royan said to him. He looked to hear what the boy was going on about because he was close to losing his mind and his temper. He was 99 percent close to losing it.


    "You can give up being a dragon. If you do that then it will easy to get you back. The killer wants the black blood dragon and that is you only as a dragon," Royan said.


    Ander listened but inside he didn''t like the sound of that. Being a dragon had been a curse and blessings all his life. And curses werent easy to get rid as like a boomerang they found a way to come back.


    More was what he was suggesting, he was no idiot and knew the dangers of the process. Not mentioning how the past tends to be a b*tch about the things that we do bad and good.


    Dragon or not they would come for him.The dragon part provides him protection, he trusted Royan and would do as he asked but not this. This sounded bad to him, his instincts warned him agaist going through with it.


    " What do you think?" Royan inquired watching him and waiting for an answer.


    "You are right we should do it," he accepted.


    "Nice, I will get everything ready," the phoenix said to him.


    ''Same here,'' Ander thought.


    His heart was boiling woth anger at the point he was being dragged at. He hugged Royan to calm his heart. The hug lasted for a few minutes before he let the male make the arrangements for the spell.


    Not much was to be done, he just has to tether a connection between Ander''s soul and his body.


    "Don''t we need someone to take on the role as the dragon?" he asked curiously.


    "I can think of someone who is capable of sjpildeting the responsibility of the blackoom dragon," hr informed.


    "From today I will cease to be a dragon,"he muttered under his breath feeling a little scared of the thought.


    "Done," the phoenix announced.


    Ander got up from the ground and went to him. He took the sheets of paper ant read the spell, he mastered the spell by heart as his mind worked on adding a small part to the spell.


    When he was asked to begin he happily agreed. He summoned the power of the sun and the forces of the moon to hear his wish.


    The moon appeared in the sky moving to block the sun. An orb of light appeared in his hands under the blanket helping him channel the power of the eclipse to perform the spell.


    He did everything as I was instructed in the paper. He followed it word for word.


    The heart that he had removed from himself returned to his body and memorized with him one more. The extra layers of the protection that he had kept on his body and neck also disappeared.


    His identity was disappearing as a dragon and the footprints made by him also vanished.He was getting weaker as a dragon and as a person.


    He felt his magic leaving his body. He opened his eyes sensing something was wrong. His magic was connected to him and not his dragon. So even if he ceases to be a dragon his magic should work fine.


    But for some reason it felt like someone was hacking his spell and taking his magic from him.Thinking this he grew suspicious, only the two of them knew he was doing the spell.


    He accidentally glanced at the wall and was shocked to see his mother hovering about him with an amulet. The amulet was sucking the magic out of his body making his soul grow weaker.


    He turned around to tell Royan about it when he gasped as a knife was shoved in his neck. His eyes widen with disbelief wondering what was going on.


    Before he could question him for his actions, he felt his heart in pain.He turned his head to witness Olivia with a knife in her hand stabbing at his heart.


    It was heartbreaking to watch the womanwho gave birth to him do that to him with no second thought.


    "You made it so easy to kill you," Royan said. "But I can''t give all the credit. Most of it goes to your mother, she was the one who came up with the plan to kill you. In return she asked for your magic. A fair grade if you ask me," he added.


    Ander was enraged hearing his words. He couldbt stand the smirk on the phoenix''s face.


    "To be honest the plan was clever but not perfecr," Ander stated weekly.


    "What?" Royan asked confused. He had managed to outsmart him and now he was dying but he still dared to look down on his plan.


    "The thing is, a dragon never forgets a debt. A life for a life," he said to him.


    "But you are dying. Dead people can''t harm me."


    Ander smiled at him and said no more.His soul scattered to pieces right before the phoenix''s eyes. He smirked victorious at his victory. He had killed the king of dragons in such easy moves.


    He made his way out of the other side and into Ander''s room. He and Olivia smiled at Each for successfully getting what they wanted.


    "Now, Francis is next to pay for taking Alexander away from me," Olivia said with a cunning smile on her face.


    "My plans different from yours at this point. I need to bring back my family so i shall seek two fire hosts," the male uttered to her.


    "It doesn''t have to be. Help me and I shall return the favour," Olivia uttered. "For one Ella is a fire maiden so she will be perfect for you," she added.


    "Since this friendship benefits me too I shall help you."


    The two went on to plot their next move. They were happy that they had gotten rid of Ander and were free to do as they pleased.


    He was the biggest threat to them their plans so getting rid of him was a thing of importance.


    Away from them in the room on east side of the outhouse Natalia woke up from her sleep. She rushed from the bed and went before a mirror.


    She touched her hair and skin to make sure everything was fine. "Anyone that thinks that it is easy to kill the black moon dragon is a big fool," she uttered with a smirk on her face.


    "But seriously, of all the people whose bodies I have a back up door to why her?" Ander questioned irritated that he ended up in the body of a girl.


    But it was good as long he wasnt dead. His mother and Royan had made the mistake of underestimating hid intelligence in magic and people. He was a genius at this two things and mostly at playing mind games.


    The moment he has hugged Royan, he confirmed that it wasn''t him. He had suspected it with the way that talked and not once did he get nervous or stutter.


    He went along to find out what they wanted with him and now he found the snake in his life.. He was to get revenge.

 Chapter 139 - Being A Girl

    Ander could never have imagined how hard it was to be a girl. In order to avoid suspicion he tried to act normal but it was quite as easy as he had expected.


    Taking a bath was a major problem, it wasnt his body and he didn''t want to violate Natalia''s privacy so he went into the shower blindfolded. He tried to bath but sadly he could bring himself to touch her body.


    He simply stayed under the running water for a while and left. He dried his body with a towel and tried to get dressed.


    Getting into a dress with his eyes closed proved even more difficult. That whole morning he struggled to get dressed and even then he failed to get it right. At the end he settled for a buggy T-shirt and a pair of jeans.


    Going out for breakfast he took a seat next to aunt Zorra where Natalia normally seats and had his meal. Olivia was at the table having her meal while silently mourning Ander''s death..


    She took comfort in the king and Alex was glad to help her. He didn''t like her much but their child had died and it wasn''t the time to express his dislike but rather show support.


    Ander almost puked at her acting, it was disgusting how she took advantage of his death to get her way. The worst thing was that he was helpless to help.


    With the attacks he received, his dragon was weak and almost dying while his magic was with Olivia. He couldnt get out of Natalia''s body without magic and couldn''t fight off the two that tried to kill him.


    He tried to think of whom to ask for help without alerting his mother and whatever was possible as Royal but all were useless.


    Ella was being watched by them so she couldn''t help. Annak, the triplets, Amaru and Alex were the most dangerous and posed and interest to the two so that were useless too.


    Malia was pregnant so she couldn''t help, Mordecai, Sofia, Silvia and Malcolm were human and no match for magic. That left him with Francis. He was a great wizard and hated by Olivia so he happened to be the best option but in some cases not so much.


    He was close to Alex and Annak with whom he never kept any secrets. He would tell the whole family the moment he told him the truth.


    "I''m goimg for a walk,"he announced after having his food.


    "Are you okay sweety, you look like a mess?" Nayla asked her noticing he uncombed hair and no makeup. Tge choice of dress she chose was somthing that the girl thry knew would never put on if she had another option not.


    "Yeah, I am good. I need to clear my mind," he said and rushed out before they could press him with anymore questions.


    "What am i going to now?" he asked himself while taking slow steps. He wasnt in a hurry to reach anywhere and was good with a long walk.


    He cursed himself for letting his guard down and letting his mother and the imposter play him from right under his nose. If he hadn''t been keen to tell the difference between Royan and the imposter then he would have truly been dead.


    He couldn''t help but wonder where the real Royan was and what the imposter had done woth him. It was all his fault. He had brought nothing but trouble to someone who showed him kindness and love.


    He noticed a vehicle in the distance, according to the head maid. The property was private and outsiders weren''t allowed to come inside so he got cautious.


    He moved close to take a closer look at the people assembled behind the car. All he could see from behind the bush was their hair. Most of them looked old from the grey hair that he could spot and other than that, there was nothing more that he could see.


    He lifted his head higher to get a better look but they were too sheltered. Being curious of what they were doing he decided to climb up the tree to see.


    "This is the lowest point you can reach. How undignified for a lady," he scolded himself before he froze.


    He shook his head fiercely to get rid of the mentality that was getting to him. He had referred to himself as a lady when he wished to say that it was undignified for a prince.


    "You are male Ander, don''t you forget that," he said to himself as he continued to climb.


    With no magic and losing his dragon being weak he wasn''t sure how long he would be stuck in a female body and it worried him.


    He had no wish of being a woman for the rest of his life. That would be an even bigger punishment that being human. He had no idea how women survived in their bodies.


    His hands were so gently that he feared slipping and falling to his death. Another thing he wondered about. How did humans not die so easily when even the task of climbing a tree can endanger their lives.


    Having magic made him invincible and carefree at times. With magic he wouldn''t be scared of falling as he could break his fall with a spell or teleport to places.


    But in the human body he had to move his body to get things done. By the time he got up to the top of the tree, he was feeling very tired and all his joints hurt from the climbing. He was not used to using so much energy in doing one activity.


    "I need to find a solution to this soon. I will die in a day or two if I keep working," he said.


    From where he was, he could see the people clearly but was unable to hear what they discussed. He looked for a branch that he could sit on to hear them below him and froze.


    Without his protective shield and magic he found that he was scared of heights. He climbed so high that he could climb back down. Just the thought of getting down terrified his existence.


    "So this is what people call fear," he uttered in a trembling voice.His hands clutched the beach next to him tightly to prevent him from falling.


    "Help me," he let out in a soft almost non-existent voice. His palms were sweating from seeing death right in the face.


    He had never been so terrified in his life before. He realized that his identity lied in his magic. Without it he was nothing special, and without it he was a coward.


    He looked up to stop staring death in the eye. He soon regretted his mistake because as soon as his eyes looked up. He came face to face with a big caterpillar.


    His breath caught looking at the creature. It was the limit of what he could take. "Ahhh," he screamed and let go of the branches and dropped from the tree.


    Seeing the ground he was going to hit soon, had closed his eyes and blocked his face with Natalia''s hands. He kept screaming waiting for death to come his way.


    Due to his previous calculations of how far he was from the group, he found that he should have hit the ground already but nothing of such happened.


    He opened his eyes slowly to confirm if he was in the afterlife to meet the ground so close to his face.He was floating in the air.


    "Did my magic come back?" he asked himself softly. The thought put a smile on his face.


    His smile didn''t last long. As soon as he lifted his head he saw the old men he was spying on eyeing him with one of them holding him up woth his staff.


    His smile fell turning to a frown as he watched the old men. "Will you get down?" the old man holding him asked.


    He set his foot down and stood up. "She doesn''t seem surprised by your magic," one of the old men uttered.


    "Hey," Ander yelled pointing his finger at him. "I am male," he said to him.


    The old men all looked at him up and down and then at each other and back at him.


    "Are you sure?" they asked him in unison.


    Ander released his breath. It was pointless to argue with old men about his gender when he was stuck in a woman''s body.


    "What are you doing up here?" the old man who saved him asked him.


    "I should be the one asking you that. I live here, so what are you old men doing here?" he questioned to them.


    The old men eyed him once again and them each other and stared at him like he had lost his mind. The way they watched it was as though he had lost his mind.


    "She doesn''t seem to be in her senses. We should think of how to save Royan and ignore her," the old man who saved him said.


    "Wait," he called to them. "I want to help," he offered.

 Chapter 140 - The Answer

    "You want to help?" the old man scoffed at him. "Little girl go home and do what girls your age do," he advised.


    "I told you not to call me a girl," he said stomping his feet to the ground like a child. He hated the way that they addressed him and how they spoke to him.


    "Look you need a therapist to talk to. You need help accepting yourself," one of the other five oldies said to him.


    He was a dragon and they talk to him however they wanted and even went as far as to treat him as a child. He hated that he was powerless to do anything to stop them from talking.


    "I don''t care what you say but I want to help look for Royan," he said to them. "I will help you save him," he spoke and before he knew he was flung across the trees by the old man.


    He hit his head on a rock when he landed. He felt dizzy from the impact and felt the weight of his head increase. He tried to lift his head but dropped it again.


    He screeched in pain, his eyes forced shut as he felt the part that had hit the rock. His hand got wet from touching the blood from his head.


    "How do you think she knows Royan?" the old man with the staff asked his friends.


    "There is only one way to find out. We should torture her information," they suggested.


    They picked up the dragon and carried him and took him with them. They placed him in the trunk of the car and drove away from the property.


    Ander felt angry and infuriated at the old men, his mother and the imposter. They stripped him of his magic and made him vulnerable. He began plotting in his head the terrible ending that he was going to give them.


    It had to be something that they would regret for the rest of their lives and remember him with forever.


    As he was busy in his thoughts he recalled something that he had read way back when he was learning forbidden magic in the palace.


    He had come across an a cult book that he perused through just for the sake of it. It never thought that he would ever need such dangerous knowledge of magic but he also never anticipated a day would come when he would be stripped of his powers and reduced to nothing.


    He struggled to reach out for the pocket knife in his right pocket.  He had found the answer to his problem that ensured not just victory but the life that he had always dreamt off.


    He found the knife and held it in his arms, he closed his eyes to ready himself for what he was about to do next. Without his body which was protected with a spell that allowed him to feel half the pain of whatever was inflicted on him. He was vulnerable to even the smallest pains.


    He slit his wrist with the knife and let out a bog scream after. He screamed so loudly it caught the attention of the old men driving the car.


    Without waiting for the pain to subside he went ahead and cut open his other worst as well. He dropped the knife taking deep breaths to tolerate the pain. He struggled to concentrate on the chant that he was supposed to do with his hands and head hurting him.


    He concentrated less on the pain but on the chant. "Forces of the sun and those of the moon, unite as one and grant me a wish," he uttered repeatedly.


    The old men wanted to get out of the car and check if he was fine but the scream died down so they ignored it.


    He his words while in his heart he held the wish that he wanted to come true. He was not going to let his chance get taken away from him. He was determined.


    The blood from his hands flowed above him. The one from his right hand formed the shape of the sun and the from his left formed the shape of the moon.


    Soon the trunk blew open letting him float in the air. The old man driving the car stepped on the brakes when he saw this and excited the car.


    "A blood spell," he spoke watching Ander get engulfed by the blood that flowed from his body. The blood surrounded his body from head to toe like a cocoon.


    "How is she doing that. The blood spells gave long been sealed from the world," the old man questioned.


    "The knowledge of such practise was burnt with the rest of dangerous practices years ago,"  a companion of his uttered next to him.


    The old man observed the cocoon that floated right in the middle of the road. With the government snooping around for any supernatural creatures he couldn''t leave the girl there.


    But he had his doubt and questions about her identity and how she knows the blood practise. He raised his shaft and and set an invincible barrier around the dragon that made him invincible to naked eyes.


    Only supernatural creatures could see him in that state. They parked the car on the side of the road and waited for Ander to come out of the cocoon.


    "Why do you think the girl is here. Do you think that he has anything to do with the condition that Royan is in?"


    "That is unknown to me Maximus," the old man with a staff said.


    "But Daven if she is responsible for his condition then wouldn''t it be wise to get rid of her before she causes more harm?" Maximus asked her.


    The others nodded agreeing with him. Daven looked at them and back to the cocoon before him. He was worried about his grandson and the trouble that had come to his doorstep. Whatever it was had the audacity to harm his grandson and he was not going to tolerate that.


    But he had a feeling that the girl in the cocoon was not involved with the pain that his grandson was going through but he didn''t believe her innocence either.


    His grandson goes missing and his amulet says that he is dying slowly and then a crazy girl shows up that practises lost art of blood magic. She might not have been the one to hurt him but she knew who did and he wanted that information.


    Daven and his friends camped at the road in the night watching the cocoon closely to avoid losing her.


    The sun rose the next morning but the cocoon was yet to open. "Perhaps she is staying in there longer because she is afraid of us," Maximus said to them.


    "The blood is fixing the damage in his body and granting whatever blood wish he asked for," Daven informed. "She personally can''t control the blood," he added clearing their misunderstanding of the blood magic.


    "How long will he be inside there?"


    "Not sur..." he started to say but halted when the cocoon burst before them splashing the blood all over them.


    "I guess till now," he added.


    They wiped the blood off themselves and watched Ander float in Natalia''s body. He slowly opened his eyes feeling as good as new. He felt strong and more powerful, his eyes glowed with a thirst for blood.


    What he would give to have a second round with his imposter and teach him a thing or two about the consequences of going after a dragon king.


    "You are awake," Daven spoke catching his attention. "Took you long enough," he added.


    Ander brought himself to the ground and faced the old man. With the new found strength he could take them without even lifting a finger.


    "Now, want to tell me who you are and why you tried to kill me?" he asked the old man.


    "I don''t answer to you," Daven uttered coldly.


    "Everyone answers to me," Ander spoke to him. He bent the blood flowing inside of the old men behind Daven and watch the man drop to the ground. "Choose your words wisely or he does and I will move to the next old man until they are all dead," he informed with an evil glint flashing in his eyes.


    "I missed being evil," he added letting out an evil laugh that sent shivers down the old men''s faces.


    "My name is Daven, I am Royan''s grandfather and I am here to rescue him," the old man said. "I was trying to kill you because I thought that you are among those that caused him hatm?" he answered honestly.


    Ander''s eyes softened and he realised the old man in his hold. He had to quarrel with them. He had a bone to pick with the people that drove him to the point that he had to hurt himself just to be able to fight back.


    His hand had a little cut that allowed drops of blood to flow out. He used the blood to do magic and control the old man.


    "I will help you. The people you are after took something of importance to me too," he let out to them.

 Chapter 141 - Make You Pay

    Ander sneaked back to the house making sure not to alert the imposter and his mother. He had come up with a plan of stealing his pieces back from Olivia so as to have only the imposter to deal with.


    He had to wait until everyone was asleep in order to put his plans into action. He was certain that his plan would work since he had the element of surprise. The old men were to look for Royan in the meantime so that they don''t lose him during the war.


    When the time had come that everyone retired to their rooms to sleep, he walked out of his room. With a spell on his legs, he made no sound as he moved just as he wanted.


    He tracked to his mother''s room and walked through the door to enter the room. He wasn''t going to risk opening the door and alerting Olivia of his entry. He just couldn''t feel proud of his plan when he had gotten in successfully.


    Something felt amiss to him.. He got to the bed and found that it was empty. Olivia wasn''t in the bed or in the room.


    "Where did that backstabbing witch go to?" he asked himself.


    He cut his palm and let his blood drop to the ground. He perform a tracking spell for his magic, the blood on the floor rose up and started moving out the window.


    Ander followed the blood staying in the shadows not to be seen, he wasn''t sure what the evil woman was doing out so late at night. But it gave him chills to even think of what she and her accomplice could be up to and who they could be scheming against.


    He knew his mother''s motive, she wanted Alex but as for the imposter. Other than killing him he only knew that he wanted to raise goodness knows who using people whose bodies could contain fire.


    He followed the blood to the lake far away from the house. He remained in the shadows as his eyes searched the lake for his mother. He made contact with her in the distance, she seemed to be talking to someone.


    He created a mirror with his blood, he knew that he had done too much blood magic for the day. He could feel how tired he was but he still pushed himself to go on.


    The mirror showed him what was going on and what she was saying.


    "Are you surprised by my plan and what I have done?" Olivia questioned Francis with an evil grin on her face.


    "How could you be so heartless. You killed your son and call that your victory?" Francis asked her feeling disgusted by her mentality.


    "His death is your fault. You had forced my hand Francis, if you hadn''t come into our lives then none of this would have happened," she uttered with bitterness. "And don''t act as though you care, you wanted him dead just like me," she added.


    "He was a person, we had our differences but I would never have killed him," Francis said to her.


    "But you could never love him either. He yearned for your love and you never gave it to him," she asserted. "You killed a piece of him too, I just gave the final blow so we both go down for this," she added.


    Francis was speechless. Time had changed but Olivia still hadn''t changed, the woman''s ability to do something wrong and find a way to pin the blame on someone else were amazing. She knew just what words to say to manipulate things to look as though the fault was with others.


    She had to always appear innocent no matter what she had done. This trait of hers disgusted him.


    "I could never embrace him as a lover but I loved him none the less, I can''t expect you to understand love," he uttered. "Love is not always having your way. It''s letting go when it starts to hurt the one you love," he said to her.


    Francis couldn''t explain to her the things that he had done in the name of love. He was still himself from the mountains, the same man who embraced Ander so passionately.


    That part of him was still with him and at times only he knew how much he fought with himself to stay away from the boy. Even Alex couldn''t help him forget what he felt and what he desired.


    But he held himself back. Going after what his heart truly desired would hurt a lot of people and ruin a lot of lives hence he couldn''t.


    Only he could explain how he had not gone to the boy and taken him in his arms and tell him that it was all just a front. Turning his back to him and everything.


    "You are one to preach, tell me where was this love when you made him suffer his whole life without a father?" Olivia questioned to him.


    "You were still alive how could you have let him live without his mother?"


    "He was a tool to get me the king and when he failed on doing that he became nothing more than a burden so I let him go," she said.


    Ander held himself back from attacking her right there and then. How dare she open that stupid mouth of hers and call him a burden.


    "I will show you how a burden is treated mother," he spoke an evil glint passing in his eyes.


    "I will make you pay for killing him," Francis said to her. Every ounce of blood in his body was boiling with anger. The dark parts of him that he had held back for so long. The parts that were madly in love with Ander wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces.


    She had made a wrong decision by telling him that she killed him. What more was the things she said about the dragon, it provoked his evil to awaken.


    "You will do no such thing," Olivia said getting the hell fire out. As she was inexperienced in using it, she lost control of it and dropped it to the ground.


    Francis twisted his body in the air and grabbed the flame and manipulated it in his hands until he gained control of it.


    Olivia moved back seeing as she had not thought her plan through. She had learned that Ander''s magic could control any type of fire but she had not imagined that she would be unable to control it.


    She didn''t know magic and that of why she went after Ander''s magic. His magic expressed what he felt and that too without having to take the need to learn spells.


    Francis smirked at seeing the fear in her eyes. He was mesmerized by the lanes in his hands as they had traces of Ander in them.


    "What did you say? That I don''t love Ander, I will have you know that I love Ander with all of my heart," he announced to her.


    Ella woke up from the bed hearing Avan mutter things in his sleeps, she paid attention to his words to hear him confessing his love for Ander.


    She fell off the bed in fear when she noticed the fire of hell in his hand. "Since when did he learn to control this flame?" she aked hersekf as she had known him and they never keot anything from each other.


    She was sure that if he learned to control hell fire then she would have been told of it.


    "I love Ander is much that it hurts every second that I am away from him," Ander uttered. "That is why Olivia, I am not going to spare you for killing him," he added and let out an evil laughter.


    "What?" Ella asked confused. She had not known why Avan was blaming Olivia for Ander''s death. "He must be having a bad dream," she uttered as it was the only explanation that she could have for what was going on.


    "What do you think you are doing?" Olivia asked Francis as she moved back from his advances. "Stay away from me," she added her voice breaking at the end.


    "Stay away from you?" Avan and Francis uttered at the same time. "I would love to do that and I promise I will. After all I can''t come close to a dead person," he added his voice getting colder and lower.


    Ander and Ella were speechless at what they both were seeing before their eyes. Ander was left shocked at Francis''s confession while Ella was shocked at how real Avan sounded.


    She wasn''t to leave things to chances so she sat in the bed and placed her hand on each sides of Avan''s head and watched with her eyes closed what he was seeing.


    She saw Olivia falling to the ground after tripping over a stone. And the host who''s eyes she was seeing through was dancing the hell fire before her to scare her.


    She was frightened when the person starred back like they could see that she was in their head.


    "Get out," a voice demanded in her mind throwing her out of Avan''s head.

 Chapter 142 - Anders Wish

    Ella called to Annak and Alex quickly and they rushed to the lake to find out what was going on. While they made their way there Francis moved the fire close to Olivia to burn her.


    He set the fire of the ground and guided it to move towards the woman. He had an evil smirk on his face as he watched her move back away from the fire scared. She tried to think of something to protect her from the fire but nothing came to mind due to her lack of concentration.


    She watched her death in the eye when she wasn''t ready to die. The fire was moving very quickly.


    It moved to burn her when a new fire from her end ignited fighting the hell fire. Francis looked up to check the source of the fire that interfered with his revenge.


    He spotted the imposter floating not to far from them. He was glowing with a purple flame that reminded him of home..


    He just couldn''t believe his eyes, a prisoner that he had locked away many years ago was back for them. He smiled seeing him and rose up to the sky.


    Olivia seeing the attention taken away from her, she got up to run away. The moment she turned around she came face to face with Avan.


    "Where do you think that you going?" Avan and Francis asked together.


    "I wasn''t going anywhere," the imposter replied to him I''m sure why the man was speaking to him like that.


    "A price has to be paid for killing Ander. A life for a life," they added.


    Since Olivia and the imposter both had a hand in killing Ander they both had to die. Ander stopped watching through the mirror. He was dazed and confused at what just happened.


    His life was proving complicated with every passing second and he was losing his mind trying to understand things. It seemed that every time he turned his head there was a new mystery in his life for him to solve.


    And just when he though he knew what was going on, it proved him wrong by shoeing him that things weren''t the way that he thought them to be.


    He had heard with his very ears as Francis confessed that he loved him but he also witness Avan and Francis speak and act as one despite being two so he couldn''t really place which one of them was talking.


    He had even forgotten the reason why he had gone to the lake as he was busy trying to find out what it was that was happening to Francis and Avan.


    He heard screams and fights in the distance but he didn''t bother to look. His mind was too busy for him to even start to think straight.


    He just couldn''t understand his life. His destiny was so messed up that nothing normal can ever happen to him.He wished that he could turn back time and go back to when the only problems in his life was the ghost that haunted him and his learning for his father.


    When he was normal and had a mother that loved him to the moon and back. Before he learnt the identity of his real mother who treated him like a tool and even went as far as to put a dagger in his heart.


    He saw the king and the other witches in his life make an entrance at the lake. He watched them join the fight as they fought Olivia and the imposter. From the looks of things Olivia was getting a hold of her powers and learning how to use them.


    She was now expressing the things she wanted more fluently. They say that their is no better teacher than experience and with it she was becoming a master of Ander''s magic.


    Royan was gone, the old men were trying to find him. Avan and Francis were strangely becoming one. And the others found their purpose in life except for him.


    Standing in the sidelines while everyone was handling everything so well. The way that they worked together and complimented each other while fighting was so beautiful to watch.


    Each time something like this happened he was either fighting alone away from them or forced to watch from the sidelines and he hated it.


    He hated being left out by his family. Unknown to the dragon was that blood was still flowing from his hand. Blood magic brought to life the wishes that laid deep within a person''s heart as long the wish was strong and had a lot of enotions.


    Blood was forming in a big bubble behind him as he watched the show. He wanted to live in a world where magic didn''t exist, a place where all the monsters in the world would be held in their cages and away from him.


    Somewhere he wouldn''t have to see them. He wanted his family to be his and since that was not yo be he wished that they would be together in a place where he couldn''t see them. And if forced to see them then they should be forced to be a part.


    The feeling deep in his heart was coming to life behind him and he didn''t even notice. He felt the need to just be at peace not knowing them all.


    He could already see what was to come, he glanced up to the moon and saw the comet that was upon them. The comet was manifesting their feeling and magic and making them stronger.


    He felt his insecurities grow stronger and so did his blood magic. Francis looked at the king while he fought, every impurity in his body that was surrounding his heart disappeared.


    He was freed from the chains that blinded his heart and his eyes. From a spell that he had never known was placed on him. Feeling free he moved to the king and embraced him while Alex was fighting the imposter.


    Avan smiled at the sight before him feeling at peace with it. The reason for his existence was washed away by the comet.


    The spell that Olivia had placed on Francis without his knowledge, one that would always keep him from Alex was broken.


    The spell manifested in Avan when Francis gad cast the spell for birth in anger. He was the key to keep the lovers apart, his destiny and life was the bridge that kept them apart.


    His love for Ander and the stronger it grew the more that Francis''s heart strayed from his love to Ander and as long as he continued to exist Francis will never be free to love Alex.


    He knew that now as his eyes opened. He saw everything more clearly. He was never meant to be born or have a life and he was thankful that he did.


    He let go of the will to keep leaving, he was happy with the memories that he was given the chance to make and the live that he got. But he belonged to Alex and that me couldn''t deny.


    Accepting the truth his existence vanished and merged back with Francis. "I love you so much my dear dragon," he said to Alex with a full bloomed smile.


    Watching everything that happened Ander''s heart shattered to many pieces. He couldn''t believe his luck and how unfortunate his destiny was.


    He closed his eyes, the tears of his broken heart tricked down his eyes and fell. The tears didn''t hit the ground but the blood that was formed around. His tear acted as the key to putting his wish into action.


    A wall formed behind him with weird carving on them. The wall formed a crack on it and sucked him inside. He didn''t fight back as he saw no reason in doing so being on the losing end of his father''s love once again.


    Once he was sucked in the door started pulling everyone at the lake. By then Sofia, Mordecai, Malcolm, Malia and the triplets had come to the beach using a portal that the triplets opened.


    The door pulled all of them to it, unlike Ander they resisted and tried to fight back but all their efforts proved useless to help them. Before they knew it all of them were sucked into the door.


    The door closed after the imposter went in. Olivia too wasn''t spared by the door. They had been sucked into a prison of Ander''s creation.


    Ander was the master of the world that his magic had created but the sad part was that he had wished not to see the works as it was. He didn''t want to have the unfortunate luck of watching his father with Francis happy together.


    His hatred for his mother grew when he realised that the boy that he loved so much was her creation just to have her way.


    As per his wish the moment he entered the prison he laid in a room that mirrored the one he had in Arimelari unconscious. Unknown to him that he had trapped his entire family in a prison that only he could open or control.

 Chapter 143 - You Arent Real

    Alexander opened his eyes in a room that looked similar to the one that he had back in Arimelari. The last thing he could recall was the fight by the Lake and the next moment he was there.


    He went to sit up from the floor to find the other only to discover that someone''s hand was holding him. He turned his gaze to find Francis gazing at him with gentle eyes.


    He had a bright smile on his face as he stared at him. The love in his eyes was evident for him to see, it was something that he had lost a long time ago. Despite being with him by his side, he was not foolish not to notice that it wasn''t the same.


    He smiled at the male and raised his eyebrows to ask him what the matter was. Francis shook his head to him, he had no problem but after the lake. He felt like he was seeing Alex for the first, it felt like they had only met and he couldn''t help but be mesmerised by him.


    He had woken up a couple of minutes before Alex did and spent it staring at how beautiful the man was.. He could care less where they were or how they ended up there as long he had Alex by his side.


    Just having to stare at him made him feel complete.


    Alex''s lips curled up into a beautiful smile, Francis''s smile was contagious. He pushed his worry to the side and simply stared at the male.


    Memories of their first year as a married couple flashed before their eyes. So much had happened between them that drove them part but finally they had found each other.


    "You look beautiful," Alex complimented to him. Francis''s smile increased feeling pleased by the compliment offered to him.


    He could not describe in words he felt. The chains that tied him down had been removed and he was free now. Free to float in the clouds of love with his love.


    Alex reached out to hold him, he turned away and moved back. "Not so easily. You will have to earn it if you are to touch me," he uttered in a teasing manner.


    "Alright," Alex got up from the floor and accepted the challenge. He tried to catch Francis but the make dodged. Francis moved out of the way and ran to the bed.


    Alex chased after him on the bed trying to catch him each time. Francis laughed from his heart enjoying the little game that he was playing with Alex.


    It felt like a lifetime ago when the two of them were free to just embrace their love without so many worries.


    "The sky can''t have two suns in it and in the same way a kingdom can not have two kings," he uttered stopping in his tracks.


    Alex caught him and wrapped his hands around him. The smile on their faces were never fading but Francis couldn''t help the feeling that something was wrong.


    He tried to ignore the feeling and just enjoy the moment with Alex but it was getting harder and harder to. He looked up to the wall and saw a painting of him and the king holding each other.


    And right before them was Ander who was smiling. They looked like a happy family.


    "Love," he called out to him.


    "Mmh," Alex responded.


    "When did we have that painting done?"he asked forcing Alex to look up at the hot to see what was going on.


    Alex frowned, they had never had a painting done of the three of them. Alex let him go and moved to take the painting off the wall. He looked at the painting for a while trying to figure out who drew it.


    There was no artists name on the painting and what''s worse was fact that he seemed to recall the memory. Francis came close to him and tried to look at the painting from above his shoulder.


    The King tilted his head to look at him. "Your breath on my skin is tempting," he uttered to him. "Too bad our son Ander will be home soon and we can''t do anything together," he added biting his lower lip seductively.


    Francis pouted at his last sentence. He had no idea what Alex was talking about. Ander was not going to school and he most certainly hated to be called their son. They had moved passed all the anger but they were taking baby steps and had not gotten to the son part.


    "Alex baby, why did you say that?" he asked him.


    "This painting. We had it made for his seventeenth birthday, he loved it a lot remember," Alex uttered hanging the painting on the wall.


    "Ander has been on his best behaviour recently. I think we should gift him," Alex said.


    Francis was left speechless, he had no blue as to why Alex was speaking like that. He talked as though they all had lived together and were one big happy family.


    They were family yes, but the happy part was a working progress.


    "Francis dear, why won''t you say anything. Don''t you feel like Ander has earned us giving him a gift," Alex asked sweetly.


    "I don''t think he will like anything from us, he is still not on good terms with everything," Francis let out to him.


    "He is not in good terms with what darling? Did something happened to him, is he okay?" Alex inquired from him getting worried. "I must go to my son now," he added and rushed off.


    Francis looked at the photo of the wall and wiped his eyes to make sure that he was seeing it right. It was not an image of the three of them anymore. It was a photo of Ander and himself alone.


    There was a not written at the edge of the painting. He moved closer to read the words that were written on it.


    ''The best son a father could ask for,'' he read from the painting and saw his sign on it.


    It was strange but he remembered the memory in his mind like it had happened yesterday. He smiled at how proud he was of Ander.


    "The king is right, we should reward our son," he said and turned around. Upon reaching the door he shook his head to clear his mind.


    The memory of him giving the painting to Ander vanished from his mind. He turned around and looked back at the painting. It had changed again.


    Ander was on the painting alone and he was crying. He walked back to the painting and grabbed it from the wall.


    ''You aren''t real,'' he thought as he stared at it. The paint in the picture moved around.


    "You are the worst father in the world," he heard behind him and turned around. It looked like he was watching a memory that had come to pass. "You promised me that I could count on you always but you betrayed me," Ander said.


    "No dear, I love very much," he saw himself say trying to comfort Ander.


    "Then why did you refuse to allow me go camping. You told me that the king had refused but I just spoke to him and he said it was you who asked him too," Ander stated.


    "You are the crown prince my dear and I don''t think tha..."


    "That I can handle myself, lets just call this as it is. You betrayed me," Ander said and slammed the door shut.


    Francis found a tear trickling down his cheek feeling bad that he had hurt Ander. He was only concerned for his safety, he was a prince and that was why he said.


    The King wanted to give Ander a gift but he could tell the king that their son was upset with him.


    "I will apologize to him," he said putting the painting down. He walked out of the room to go and find Ander and apologise. He halted and pinched himself really hard.


    "Ouch," he let out in pain. The pain brought him back to his senses. Ander was dead that he was sure of. He looked around and saw another painting, this time it looked like him and the King were posing for the painting. There was no sign of Ander.


    He touched the painting and like the last time the paint danced around before a scene began playing before him.


    "How dare you tell Ander the truth about his mother?" the king asked him funding mad. "What do you think of yourself Francis. We had made a promise to shield him from the truth forever them hoe could you go and do this to him?" he questioned.


    "It came out in anger. I promise that I never meant to hurt him, I love him mor...."


    "Save it, I don''t want to hear your lies. The truth is that you can''t stand Ander because he is Olivia''s child," the king said and walked away from him.


    "What the hell is this place?" he asked his heart filled with worry. It looked like a haunted house that haunted them with memories that could have been and manifesting their fears.


    "I have to warn Alex," he said and rushed off.

 Chapter 144 - I Forbid You From Remembering

    Francis ran around the palace trying to find Alex to warn him of what he had discovered. What had happened to them was somehow related to Arimelari and was hurting. The truth was that the haunted house was messing with their heads.


    He moved around but Alex was no where to be found. He could find the rest of the family either but knew they were their with him. Since their were pictures on the wall with them on it.


    "There are so many fishes in the sea but if you keep holding on to one that will never love you back. You will only hurt yourself," he heard from the room that he had just passed.


    He had recognised the words, it was one''s that he as Avan had said to the prince. It was crazy how the words sounded familiar to his heart but foreign to his mind.


    He turned back and slightly pushed open the door to see the inside of the room.. "It''s easy for you to say. You are Francis, with the king on one hand and me on the other, it is easy to tell me that," Ander replied to him.


    He checked the room for a painting, because the day that he had said that to the king, he was asleep and didn''t respond to him. The room had no painting and there was no him in the room.


    The Ander in the room was speaking to him directly. "Why did you walk into my life if you were only going to leave me?" Ander questioned to him.


    "Why did you teach me the word love if you were just going to leave in the end?" he went on to ask.


    Francis was trying to find what was causing the illusion in the room but the room seemed fine like it was Ander speaking to him. With the knowledge of Ander''s death he was sure that Ander wasn''t in the house with him.


    "Loving someone isn''t always about getting loved back. Sometimes it''s just being satisfied with the fact that you loved someone," he let out.


    "Then can I ask for one last hug. I promise that I will stop loving if you give me a hug," Ander requested.


    Francis saw no harm in giving him a hug. He embraced him and held him close to his heart. It felt nice to embrace Ander like that, if only the real one was still alive then he would give him a million hugs.


    He opened his eyes and stared ahead only to freeze when the wall was filling up with paintings of real events. There was a painting if him and Ander at the lake. Him and Ander while he was still shattered, the fight they had when he found out how Ander felt of him.


    Memories that he had with Ander were forming on the wall. He broke the hug and moved back from shock.


    The last painting stopped midway like him hugging Ander was what was painting them.


    "Since you forbid me from loving you. I forbid you from remembering me," Ander said and snapped his fingers. The memories that had slipped out of him to the painting were erased from his mind.


    He still recalled who Ander was abd the memories from late in their lives but the memories since Ander was a baby to his birthday were erased from his mind.


    Ander vanished from the room leaving him alone wondering what was going on. He glanced at the wall and saw the paintings and thought nothing of it.


    "Help," he heard a scream from outside.


    He rushed out to see who it was that was calling for help. He ran to the stairs where Ander laid on the floor clutching his knee that was hurt.


    "Ander, how did you get?" he questioned not sure how Ander was standing before him.


    "It''s hurts Francis, make it stop," Ander cried out to him.


    Francis ripped his clothes and tied it around Ander''s knee to help him. Memories of every time that he had helped Ander formed as paintings on the wall as he continued to tend to Ander''s knee.


    Francis recalled that Ander was dead and moved away from Ander. "You can''t fight it, once you forget me. You will have to forget everyone else in your life," Ander said and snapped his finger before he vanished.


    "I have to protect my memories," Francis stated and turned around. "Ouch," he let out when he knocked heads with someone.


    "Hey love, where have you been?" Alex asked him.


    "Alex," Francis called out relieved. He embraced Alex into a tight hug, he was trying to figure out what the house was after and why it was after his memories. He opened his eyes, there was a mirror behind them.


    The weird part was that he could only see himself and not Alex. It was like Alex wasn''t there at all. Thinking this he pushed Alex away from him.


    Alex smirked and broke into an evil laugh that mocked him. "I told you can''t fight me. I will come in every form and I will take what belongs to me," Alex said.


    Francis glanced in the wall ahead and saw paintings of the how he and Alex met to the point of their wedding night. All of which were captured in the paintings.


    "Alex please, I can''t forget this," he pleaded tears forming in his eyes. "I would do anything you want but please not this memories," he begged.


    "I wish I could forget meeting and everyone else but sadly I have to live with my memories. Unlike yours mine are only bad so why should I spare you?" Alex asked him.


    His face had become sad, the evil look in his eyes was still there but sadness too.


    "You aren''t real," Francis heard before Alex vanished.


    His memories were still with him. "Are you okay?" Annak asked him.


    "Get away from me," he said pushing her away. He wasn''t a fool to fall for another illusion and forget his past.


    "It''s me Francis, the real and I''m not an illusion," she said to him.


    "That is exactly what an illusion would say," he let out angrily.


    "We need to find the other. I was with Zorra but she vanished after all her memories went up the wall. I can''t seem to find her," she explained to him. "We don''t need to touch if it makes you feel better," she added.


    "Do you know what is going on here?" Francis asked her choosing to give her the benefit of the doubt but just in case he would keep an eye on her.


    "The place creates illusions to trap us. If you fail to believe the illusion then it comes fit your memories. If you don''t recall what truly happened than you will believe the illusions," she said to him.


    Francis followed behind her, that much he had already figured out.


    "Touching the illusions allows it to steal your memories, that and if you give it something of yours. Whatever don''t touch or give anything to anyone you see," she advised him.


    "Where do you think Zorra went to?"


    "No idea but when she vanished I heard a monster scream. I don''t know how important that sound is but I have heard the sound three times I''m guessing three more people have already vanished," she stated to him.


    Together they went around the rooms looking for anyone who wasn''t an illusion. They cut the illusions with their swords and they vanished or just believed hard enough that they weren''t real until they vanished.


    "Loving you is all I had to live for Avan," they heard when they entered the throne room of the palace. "You have betrayed me and now I shall leave this life," they heard.


    Ander turned around and looked at them. He smiled them and raised the knife and cut his wrist. He gazed directly into Francis''s eyes as he did so.


    "This is an illusion but it feels so real," Francis uttered looking at Ander. The guilt of his actions that had ruined the boy''s destiny surfaced as he watched blood flow from his cut wrists.


    "That''s weird," Annak noted.


    "What is it?" Francis questioned looking away from Ander.


    "Ander, he is weird. The blood it feels real," Annak said.


    "It is supposed to, how else is it supposed to fool us if it isn''t?" Francis questioned.


    Annak had her suspicions and neared the boy. She raised her sword and used it to poke at Ander. ''You aren''t real,'' she thought.


    The boy still remained there standing staring at Francis like he wanted him to know that he eas responsible for everything.


    "If I disappear find a way to save us," Annak said. Before Francis could ask her what she meant, she dropped her sword and hugged Ander.


    She waited for her memories to be taken from her but nothing happened. Ander was unlike all the illusions that they had met. He was interested in her memories or making her suffer. He just stood there watching Francis.


    "Ander''s blood," Annak mentioned to him. "It''s fueling the place," she added in shock.

 Chapter 145 - Enough

    Francis and Annak examined the boy that resembled Ander from head to toe. He was not like the other illusions that they had met in the palace. He didn''t absorb their memories or try to fool them and as far as Annak could tell he was somehow connected to the maze of illusions they were stuck in.


    The blood from Ander was giving her chills, she couldn''t put her finger on what was causing the illusions and the prison but she was roughly guessing that whoever it was knew Ander and was using his memories to cause them harm.


    Her instincts were finding it hard to let go of the possibilities of Ander being behind everything. It wouldn''t surprise her too much if the boy did turn out to be alive after all no one knew the trick to cheating death than the dragon king.


    "We should find Alex and the others and figure a way out of this," Francis said unable to bear the sight before him for much longer. Seeing Ander hurt like that was making his heart hurt with guilt.


    "Does it hurt you to see me like this?" Ander asked him like he could read his thoughts. "It isn''t fair that you get to choose what parts of me you get to see. I want you to take a closer look at the outcome of your choices," he added lifting his hands up to give Francis and Annak a better view of his bleeding hands..


    "I don''t think we can leave," Annak stated.


    "I know that you think that he could be the key to getting out of here but he isn''t. We need to leave," Francis let out.


    "I meant I don''t think we can leave because is swallowing us up," Annak informed him. Francis looked down and indeed the ground was swallowing them. He reached his hands to grab the desk by his right only to have the desk move away from him.


    Annak tried to cast a spell to get out of there but her magic wasn''t working. Slowly and surely their bodies were getting deeper and deeper into the ground.


    They remained calm to avoid panicking but their hearts were pounding in their chests from seeing their end right before their eyes.


    "You will now understand what it means to be helpless. Unable to save yourself from drowning no matter how much you try. Today Fran¡­ sorry I''m still under the illusion that you are Francis my father''s lover but in truth you are Avan, the liar who played with me," the boy uttered.


    Francis looked up at Ander with surprise in his eyes. It was either the room was very good at reading their memories or it was taking guesses. The room only played with illusions of their fears and more times it had gotten things different from how they really happened.


    "I have never played games with Ander," he said trying to test his theory. He wanted to know if what he was thinking was the truth or just another illusion.


    "Lies," Ander screamed loudly in anger. The room shook from the sound of his voice. "You have lied to me since the very day we met. You stole from me and lied about it, true or false?" Ander asked to him unable to contain his anger.


    Francis smirked at his outburst. "So you want me to understand what it means to be Ander?" he questioned. "What makes you think that I don''t understand and how is killing going to make understand what it feels to realize that the one you love doesn''t belong to you?"


    "Its not," Ander replied. "But while you are stuck here your beloved is selling his soul to me. You will understand when you will lose him forever," he added.


    It was fun for Ander to watch how the smirk that was on Francis''s face drop. Francis struggled to get out and go save Alex from whatever that Ander planned to do with him. The more he struggled the faster he found that he was sinking.


    "What do you think will happened after all this Ander?" he asked his voice weak from the helpless condition that he was finding himself in. It was very sad and painful to know that the person he loved the most and was finally free to love was going away from him at that veery moment and not be able to save him.


    "It will end," Ander told to him.


    "This is not happening right now," Francis screamed. He couldn''t believe that it was the end of his love story and just like that the ground returned to normal and the illusion broken.


    "If you think that I am letting you out of this room then you are mistaken?" Ander said to them.


    "Enough," Francis let out irritated by him. He grabbed his sword and jumped towards Ander. Before Ander could move out of the way, the sword had pierced through his heart. "I have had enough of you," Francis said to him.


    He glanced into the creature that he was sure was posing as Ander and using the boy''s memories to try and ruin them.


    "I don''t value life, that was what you said right?" he saw the memory from when he had spoken with Ander by the balcony of the palace years ago.


    "How are going to make it up to me. How will you balance it?" he heard even though Ander didn''t open his mouth to talk to him.


    "Balance? Balance what?" he recalled asking the boy that day.


    "You love my father and Avan a lot don''t you. So how will you balance the love between the three of us?" he asked him. "I have an idea, why don''t you love me more," Ander suggested.


    "I think I can do that," he remembered saying to Ander once he stopped laughing at how ridiculous Ander sounded.


    Francis shook his head from taken back to the past by the boy. "Once you had said that I didn''t value life that is why it was always easy for me to think of death as the answer to all my problems," Ander finally spoke coughing blood from his mouth.


    "I¡­.I¡­" Francis couldn''t come up with a reply and then he realized that he didn''t need to. It wasn''t really Ander and he owed no stranger explanations for the choices that he made in his life.


    "Congratulations, today even you have learned how to think of death as the solution. Consider this my compensation for all the promises you broke," Ander spoke before closing his eyes shut. He dropped to the ground his knees unable to keep him up anymore.


    The illusion in the room vanished and found himself on top of Ander''s bed in the palace with his sword inside of Natalia''s chest. He gasped taking his sword back and moving away from the girl.


    Annak who stood not to far from him took the chance to examine Natalia, she sighed in relief when the girl proved to still be alive but what troubled her was the feeling she got of a soul departing from the room. From her familiarity with Ander soul as she had tried to save a while back. She was certain that it was Ander''s soul that Francis''s sword shattered.


    Since Francis''s sword was made with dragon breath there was no way that Ander could survive the attack no matter how powerful he was. For the first time in learning of Ander''s death he felt sad because this time the dragon king had no way of returning since he was scattered to pieces.


    "Natalia is alive," she told to him. Francis felt life returning to his face after hearing what she had to say.  For a moment there he had thought that he had killed her. "But," Annak started unsure of how to deliver the news of Ander''s death.


    "B¡­But what?" his heart was trembling from what he was hearing from her. The but meant that there was a problem and he couldn''t take that at the moment when he was also worried about Alex.


    "But now we are stuck together just the way our story began," he heard and saw the ghost of Ander say to him. Just then pieces of the shattered body of Ander flew to him and attached to his sword before disappearing. "Now that you have killed me using wish magic, im stuck to you forever. And that is a long time so buckle up because this is going to be the worst years of your life," Ander added and let out an evil laugh.


    "But I am afraid that Ander''s soul was inside her when you struck with your sword. You haven''t hurt Natalia but your sword has killed Ander," Annak said.


    Francis was so shocked by what he heard. Never in his life did he think that such a day would come but it did. Ander had tricked him into killing him.


    "By the way bear in mind that you have killed the black moon dragon. Thus when you get out of here, you will unleash the curse unto the world," Ander informed enjoying himself.

 Chapter 146 - Giving Up On Love

    Francis couldn''t think, his head was filled with thoughts that were driving him crazy. He couldn''t bring himself to concentrate on what Annak was saying to him.


    Ander''s words were what worried him the most. The boy was the craziest person he had ever met in all of his lives. He wasn''t just vengeful but was also unreasonable.


    He was a person who acted before thinking and did the craziest of things just to pass a message. Like dying just to show him how unhappy he was with him.


    No matter how he looked at it he couldn''t find it in him to justify what Ander had done. Yes, maybe he was hurt when he and Avan became one as they were always meant to be but that was no excuse for the drastic measures that he took.


    "How do we get out of this prison?" he questioned him once again.


    Ander ignored his question like the other times that he had asked him about it. He had no intention of letting anyone out, he was waiting for the time to come when they would all die in the prison of his creation.


    "I will have my happy ending, if not in this life then I will take it in the next," he uttered to him. "I am linked to you and if you do die here then you will be reborn with me by your side," Ander explained to him.


    "This is not a game Ander. People''s lives are at stake," he spoke in panic.


    "You think I care? If you think that I am in the least bit concerned for the people in the room then you are wrong," he said in a matter of fact tone. He seemed to enjoy Francis''s dilemma quite well.


    "Maybe this is why you are alone. Who can love a heartless beast like you?" Francis inquired bitter from the way that Ander was behaving with him and his friends and family.


    "Even if we get reborn together, you can rest assured that I will never love a cruel dragon like you," He added.


    "Since that is how you feel," Ander let out opening the space between the room they were in to the next. On the other side of the space Francis saw Alex talking to an illusion of himself. "How about we make the game a little more fun," he said and entered the space before it closed.


    Francis panicked cursing himself for provoking Ander. Year''s of experience had taught him better than to make the dragon angry but he didn''t seem to learn.


    He just could control his anger when they went from the good relationship they shared to the love and hated one from before. He could already see how it ended and the ending was not to his liking.


    He hated how history had a way of repeating itself every single time and it brought him a headache to even think of it.


    "Are you listening to me," the audible voice of the witch before him asked.


    He nodded his head. His eyes were still on the wall where Ander had disappeared to.


    "We have a problem," he informed her. "Ander used wish magic to attach himself to me. He had gone mad," he added.


    The boy had gone from pitiful boy who had been wronged to a vengeful lover who was not reasonable at all. He had become dangerous and needed to be stopped.


    "What do you mean by crazy?"


    "He wants us all dead and hopes that the two of us get reborn together. Tell me, would any normal person says that," Francis questioned unable to understand Ander.


    He could find an excuse for the no matter from which point of view he viewed it from. Not even from Avan''s point if view did he see the point in what the boy was saying.


    It was really sad to see the path that Ander had chosen, he was certain that it will lead him to nothing good.


    But he had lost hope in saving him. Ander east lost that he needed saving, the boy knew too well what he was doing and was going to stop at nothing until he got what he wanted.


    He and Annak left the throne room and went to find the others. With or without Ander''s help. He was going to save his family and get out of there alive.


    Ander moved to where Alex was, he had no intentions of harming him in any way. The things that he wanted were only going to be achieved if the Alex was alive. He only said those things to Francis to mislead him.


    He didn''t want his love, he was tired of the words. It made him a slave to people and that was the last thing on his mind.


    In the illusion, Alex was busy falling deeper and deeper into it. He could barely see anything past the illusion and he had sacrificed most of his real memories to the illusion.


    His memories were locked shut with Ander while his empty mind was being filled with new memories from the illusions.


    ''Soon, you will all be free from here and by then my revenge will be complete,'' he thought and smiled at his father.


    "Soon, we are going to be closer than ever like we should have been from the start. Everything will happened my way," he said recalling the words that Francis uttered to him.


    He could hardly wait to free everyone and return home. His plan was running course, his father was slowly and slowly growing to hate Francis with each passing second and he would have it no other way.


    "You can never love a cruel dragon like me, we will see who among us will yearn for love by the time that I am done with you," he stated bitterly.


    His rage was uncontrollable. Having Francis say that to him after all the games that the man had played with him hurt. He called him cruel when he was the one who lacked a heart.


    "For every broken promise and all the lies that you have told. You will be punished," Ander let out seeing the last memory that Alex and Francis shared leaving the king''s mind and being made into a painting on the wall.


    He exited the room seeing as everything was going according to plan. At first the place was born from his pain but after waking up and seeing such an opportunity before him.


    Ander decided to punish all that had wronged him in his life and make them pay dearly for it. He made his way to the dungeon of the palace where Olivia and the imposter were.


    He had thought of something special for the two of them. He had little tiny screaming demons torture them slowly.


    Each time the demons screamed they would feel their bodies were being torn apart. It was surprising how small creatures could cause so much harm but he was not one to complain.


    They were doing something very important work for him. Olivia and the imposters screams could be heard from far. He didn''t even need to be in front of them to enjoy their torture.


    No one''s powers worked their except for his. It was his world and he decided what was to become of everyone in it.


    It was so wonderful to play god but not as amazing as punishing his enemies.


    He raised his hand and a glass of tea appeared in it. It was a sweet smelling purple tea which was his favourite.


    The time in the world also gave him plenty of time to rest. Though he was a spirit. He was one with total control of his magic. The magic that he was using was one that was even more forbidden than blood magic.


    It was a magic of the soul. He was channelling Francis''s soul to perform magic. Not in a way that would have Francis but such magic was not grounded. It was impossible for such magic not to work in any environment in the world.


    "Learning forbidden magic really comes with it''s advantages. I am so powerful and unstoppable and my mission is to destroy all of you," he stated staring at the wall with the paintings of everyone in the royal family.


    They had taken him as an option for long enough and now it was his turn to choose just how they will pay for that. He was done being good and hoping to please people. He was to become the worst villain of all their lives.


    And the best part was that they will neither see him coming or be able to stop him. "I will break you in such a way that you will never be able to forget and not even god will be able to protect you from me," he brushed his hand over Francis''s photo as he did so.


    "I am going to be your nightmare just like you''ve been mine," he vowed.

 Chapter 147 - Revenge

    Francis and Annak had another monster sound which indicated that another person had fallen victim of the torture house and had been swallowed by it.


    They still had not lost hope of finding the others and getting out of that place safe and sound. Francis was determined to show Ander that evil cannot win when love is around.


    He believed that his love was strong enough to battle every obstacle that Ander threw his way. In the end, he will show Ander that no what evil does, love will emerge victorious in the end.


    He was going to prove the dragon king wrong by showing him the wrong he made by choosing the path of hate instead of love. Unknown to him was the plans that Ander had was never to separate them by death.


    He was clueless on what the young dragon king''s true intention were and while he was under the illusion that Ander wanted them dead. Ander was already getting ready to break his spell and free everyone.


    "I had promised you that you will understand what it is like to me," Ander spoke appearing right next to him..


    "And I have told you that it won''t happen. I am not you and that is the reason that I am going to win against you," Francis challenged confidently.


    "Being confident is good but overconfidence is a problem that might cost you the battle you are fighting," Ander stated calmly unaffected by the words Francis spoke.


    "I am not overconfident that is your field of expertise. I have faith in my love and my faith will win," he said.


    "Turn left," Ander advised not giving a come back remark to his claims. The love that Francis was so proud of. The same love for which the male betrayed him and broke him each was his weapon to shatter the man.


    "Why would I do that? You think I am foolish to listen to you?" Francis asked him.


    "The fool was me for trusting for all these years but not anymore. I have stopped trusting people so I will understand if you don''t listen to me but don''t blame later if your ego comes with a price," he said as relaxed as ever.


    Francis looked into Ander''s eyes to see if he was up to something. He was curious of what awaited him if he listened to Ander but also scared that he was being played by the dragon and that going inside was a bad idea.


    But since there was no more harm in checking it out. He walked through the door. He entered the room that was on his left and saw Alexander laying on the ground unconscious.


    "Is this an illusion?" he asked despite his better judgement that told him not to. Ander was his enemy and the boy was known to play dirty with his enemies that he could trust him.


    "He isn''t, consider this a gift for the love you made me feel even if it lasted only for a while," he said to him.


    Annak made his way to Alex, she examined him. "He is real," she informed Francis. Francis helped her carry the king on their shoulders and moved him from the room.


    "See, I told you he was real," Ander stated to him. He was really enjoying their reunion, with what he had planned their love was going to take a test of a lifetime and he could only imagine who would win.


    The stakes were high but he was hopeful that his hatred and revenge would win over their love. After all he had put his heart into the revenge plan and thought of all the outcomes to make certain that he doesn''t fail.


    "Now we just need the rest of the family for you to start walking in my shoes. Let''s see if you will make different choices as me," he said happily jumping around him.


    Francis felt his head hurt from everything. Ander was not giving him a break at all. He kept him bothered with the same things over and over again. He kept talking about how he was going to learn what it is like to walk in his shoes.


    Francis had no idea what he was talking about but he was getting a bad feeling about it. Especially when Ander gave Alexander back to him without any difficulty.


    They moved around the palace with Ander giving him directions. He had used the need for the house and wanted to get out. The real fun would start once they were out of the spell.


    Francis and Annak slowly gathered all the members of the family. They had been found in the rooms that Ander led them to. For those who had vanished, they had found them at the roof of the palace.


    They were locked in boxes that Francis easily opened with his sword which had Ander''s essence in it. He had everyone from the palace excluding Olivia and the imposter whom they couldn''t find.


    Ander was not foolish to release them. They could rot in the spell for all he cared, they wanted him dead and now it was his turn to punish them. It was time for all that had wronged him to pay for it.


    "What now?" Francis asked him. Since he was helpful in gathering everyone, he was hoping that the boy would extend his kindness yo helping him find a way out if there.


    "A way out is in the king''s dragon transition room," he informed to him.


    He looked ahead of them and a space created that led directly to the room. Inside their was an open portal that led to the outhouse that Royan had given to them.


    Seeing the path home Francis grabbed the others. Annak was the first to go through. Once on the other side, she caught the unconscious people that Francis threw to the other side of the portal and helped them to land safely.


    When everyone got out, Francis passed through the portal and watched it close behind him. It was good to have a breath of fresh air after a long time.


    He didn''t know how long they were stuck in the spell but he was happy that it was all over. He stood by the window and looked out to see the familiar garden. He sighed in relief.


    "Do you recall when I used to look out the window and sigh while I yearned for my father whom you took away from me?" Ander asked him taking his place right beside him. He looked out the window.


    The memory of him playing with Avan in the garden flashed before his eyes. A tear trickled down his eyes as he remembered what used to be. Something that could never happen again since Avan was more.


    "By the way, I learnt something from your memories that troubled me," he stated to the man. "It''s the guilt that you hold in your heart, the guilt of messing with my destiny," he said to him.


    Francis was surprised by the topic. It was true that thanks to him Royan and Ander had not met before, he thought that he could make up for it if Ander found happiness with Avan but that turned out to be another mistake.


    "You messed with my life, first you made fall for you. Then you proceeded to make me fall for Avan when you knew it wouldn''t last," Ander stated coldly . His demeanor had changed from how playful he was a few minutes ago to serious and cold.


    He looked withdrawn and lost. His eyes had lost the fire that once used to burn in them. Only emptiness was left in his eyes.


    Francis felt a pang in his heart as he witnessed his doing. He was happy about bring free from the shackles that held him back but he had not thought of what his happiness would cost someone else.


    "Ander, I..."


    "You''ve always been the cause of every problem in my life and yet every time you pretend to be the solution and when it fails, I turn out to be the villain," he told to him. "You''ve always claimed to understand but not once have you understood what it feels like to be hurt by the one you love," he added.


    "I can''t apologise for my mistake but I am sorry for everything," he said letting his ego go since he realised that the mistake was with him and the boy had every right to be mad.


    "I could have met the one made for me if it wasn''t for you. I would had a simple love life that troubled no one but you couldn''t have me get that," Ander said calmly.


    "Now you won''t get the one you love either. Get ready chosen one, the clock to your punishment has started ticking," Ander added.


    He averted his gaze from Francis and gazed at his father who slept soundly on the chair. "By the time he wakes up, your suffering will begin," he uttered.

 Chapter 148 - Apology

    The morning was bright with the rays of the sun striking through the window panes of the outhouse.


    The sun was already in the sky by the time Alexander opened his eyes. He asked to see Sofia in his room before all else.


    He had a grumpy look on his face while his eyes had a lost look in them. He sat by the window looking outside while Sofia was seated in the sofa rubbing her hands against each other.


    "How could he do that to us?" Sofia asked of him.


    "I don''t know how the hell he could have done this. I never want to see him again in my life," Alex let out.


    He was holding the window tightly that his hands started to hurt. But the pain was nothing in comparison what he was feeling in his heart..


    He felt cheated and betrayed by the one person that he had trusted the most in the world. The hatred that he felt made his love for that person vanish to the background. It didn''t matter to him.


    "He should pay for this. How could Francis kill our dear Ander?" Sofia asked unsure of what was going on. One minute things were fine and then out of the blue the man was driving his sword into her son.


    "I think it is because he is Olivia''s real child. That is why Francis killed him," Alexander pointed out.


    "Our poor son," Sofia shot up as tears of disbelief filled her eyes and buried her face into her moist hands.


    She was left shattered by what Francis had done. She didn''t expect that of him.


    "I loved him so much and he took my son away from me," Alex uttered coldly. His heart was frozen as cold as he sounded.


    The news of Ander''s death borough him so much grief and Francis was responsible for it. It was truly the saddest thing in the world when someone you love takes your life easy from you.


    Ander might have been born of Olivia but he was his son and he loved his son more than the world itself. He didn''t feel well with what Francis had done but what to do about it was unsure to him.


    Ander laid on the bed facing them. His heart felt immense joy listening to them. It was the perfect picture ever, the only that was missing was him with them.


    The perfect family that he had ever dreamt of. He felt sad thinking that it took his death and manipulation to get his father to love him the way that he had always yearned to be loved.


    "Your death made me lose my father''s love and now my death will cost you the same thing," he jabbered angrily.


    "I will divorce him. My son''s killer doesn''t deserve to be called mine," the king announced.


    Right outside the door Francis stood listening to their conversation. He wasn''t trying to be rude and ease drop on them but Ander''s warning left him worried and for a reason too.


    Alexander woke up with a misunderstanding of what truly took place between them. He was of the impression that he killed Ander intentionally and hated him for it.


    He had no idea what Ander had done to Alex that he believed this of him. The problem was that not just Ander but everyone felt the same way. They felt immense hatred for him for Ander''s death.


    "I think that you have made the right decision," Sofia acknowledged.


    She supported his decision but didn''t think that it was enough punishment for the things that the man had done.


    Francis made a move and left the house. Ander followed him hoping to taunt him a bit more now that he had seen for himself the plan that he had come up with.


    He watched Francis walk into Royan''s bedroom through the window. He had flown in using magic and disappeared from his sight.


    "What are you doing there?" he wondered and jumped after him. He reached the room finding Francis entering a secret door through Royan''s closet.


    He followed the male having a bad feeling about everything. Francis didn''t even try to fight back and explain himself to everyone and just came to Royan''s house.


    "Where are you going?"


    "What do you mean love?" Francis asked him feigning ignorance. He acted like nothing while the smile on his face told a different story.


    "Nothing can save you from me. Try as you might but I will destroy you," Ander threatened and turned around to leave. Francis prevented him from doing so by putting his hand before the young man.


    "Trust me, you are not to hurt me and you are going to fix what you''re done with everyone," Francis challenged and kept moving forward.


    "What gave you the idea that I would do that?" Ander questioned to him.


    Francis whistled as he kept walking down the dark path. Ander being curious had no choice but to follow him down the path.


    They walked side by side with each other down the trail to the end of the tunnel. Francis opened the metallic door at the of the tunnel and walked in. Ander strode inside after him.


    They came to an opening, there was a huge tree that had his branches as far as the eye could see. The leaves were a bit strange as they were in the colour of flames.


    As they neared the trees he could feel the temperature increasing as well. He didn''t like where things were headed but he went on. Francis walked to the tree. He had a protection spell around his body not to burn down from the heat from the tree.


    "Hello," he greeted.


    Ander looked around not seeing anyone around the tree. He had began to think that Francis had lost it, as he was now talking to trees.


    Just then the stem of the tree opened a door, out of the door walked the Phoenix. His body was surrounded by flames.


    As he stepped out of the tree, the tree cooled down and the leaves became green again. Ander was awed at the scene before him. He had never seen anything like it before in his life.


    "You?" Royan asked surprised to see him. The place was a secret that not many knew of. He had not even told Ander about so it was shocking to meet his father there.


    "I wanted to talk and when I fought your imposter I recalled the tree of leaves that the phoenix''s use to re-energize so I tracked tree and I was led here," he said.


    Royan offered him a seat on the green grass. There was no chair there so the ground was the only option available.


    "Why did you want to talk to me?" Royan inquired of him. "And why do I feel as Ander is here?" he questioned feeling Ander''s essence in the area.


    Ander sat a little far from them but not too far. He wanted to hear what they discussed but not look like he was one of them.


    "Because he is," Francis replied to him. "You can''t see him because he is a ghost," he added.


    "Should I ask what had happened?" he asked to him.


    "Let''s just say that he is angry with me," Francis stated. "That is why I am here," he added.


    Ander smiled at him with an amused look on his face. He was surprised that Francis thought that Royan was anything to save him. He had reached a point in his life where he could care less about him or Royan. All that he wanted was to watch Francis''s world burn.


    "How so?"


    "I want to apologise to you and to him for what I did in the past," Francis spoke.


    "Apology?" Ander and Royan said in unison. They both had not expected that he would mention that to them.


    "Yes, I had ruined both of your lives and because of that Ander is bent on ruining his life," he said to him.


    Royan gazed at him, there was no doubt that he was confused by everything. He had not known why the man was saying so.


    They had only recently met and had not interacted much with each other.


    "For what reason do you apologise. How had you ruined our lives?" Royan asked him.


    "Because of me, the two of you had been kept apart. You and Ander were meant to be together and because of me, the two of you never met," he said apologetically and folded her hands before her chest.


    The words that he wanted to say were a lot but he couldn''t put them in words. He was not going to fight Ander''s games, he was going to let all the hatred fall on him as he felt that he deserved it. He just wanted him to know that he was sorry.


    He will give Ander the pleasure that he was seeking from making his life miserable.

 Chapter 149 - The Bureau Of Supernatural Things

    Royan gave him his kind smile, he had already known that he and Ander were fated but he didn''t know that Francis was the reason they never met. He wasn''t mad at him.


    He had a policy that he lived by, as long as a person realized their mistake and apologised then they deserved to be forgiven.


    "You are forgiven," he said to him.


    His reply shocked both Ander and Francis. They didn''t expect him to be so forgiving, if it was either of them in his position. They would have gone for revenge than to forgive him.


    "Don''t be surprised, this is how I live my life. I forgive those who are sorry and get even with those who don''t repent," he said getting up from the ground.


    He walked a few feet from Francis and spoke, "I can''t see you but I know you are here Ander," he spoke up.. "Forgiving Francis is not easy for you and I know that you probably want to get even with him," he added.


    ''You got that right,'' Ander thought bitterly.


    Royan listened to the silence. He wasn''t sure if Ander will be able to respond to him now that he was a ghost but he hoped.


    "But I have a question for you. Where will revenge get you?" he asked to him?


    Ander shot his angry gaze at Royan. The boy had no idea what he had been through and the terrible life that he had lived because of Francis.It was easy for him to act like a saint because he has not been through half the things that he had seen in life.


    He wanted to say all this things to the boy but he held himself back. Royan had nothing to do with what happened to him.


    "I know what it won''t get you. It won''t get you the relief that you need, you will feel good for a while after getting revenge but it won''t last," he said to him.


    ''I dont care if it lasts. I will be happy no matter how long it takes,'' he thought.


    "I want to give you a choice, a chance to be free and happy," Royan stated earning a scoff from Ander.


    He had heard such promises before and each time it ended up with him being hurt and broken, while those who lied to him got their happy ending. He was not foolish enough to believe such promises.


    "You dont have to decide right now. Just see what I promise first before you decide," he let out.


    Royan asked Francis and Ander to follow him. He led them back to his room where he changed into proper clothes. The clothes he wore had a symbol of the Phoenix and a dragon on it''s badge.


    When he was dressed he reached for a key that laid back behind his study table. Hidden behind a photo of Royan and his grandfather.


    "Let''s go," he uttered. "Hold on to me, it is a terrifying trip," he said to them.


    Ander held his right hand while Francis held his left. "Is Ander here?" he asked Francis to be sure before he opened the door.


    "Yes, he is holding your right hand," Francis told him.


    He reached to the wall of his room and placed the tip of the key to the wall. A door formed in the wall with the symbol of the Phoenix and dragon on it just like the one on his cloth.


    Phoenix''s and dragons were known to be mortal enemies so the symbol surprised Ander and Francis. They held and waited to see the freedom that the boy spoke about.


    Royan twisted the key clockwise direction and the door swung open. They were sucked into the door by an invisible wind.


    The door opened in the clouds dropping them. Ander was a ghost and even he got scared of the fall. He and Francis screamed loud enough to awaken the dead.


    Francis tried to use magic to float but he found that his magic didn''t work there. Ander tried his soul magic. It was a magic that was grounded and could work anywhere except for where they were.


    They both panicked when they couldn''t use their magic to break their fall. The distance between the sky and the ground also seemed to increase with the more they fell.


    They increased their scream forcing Royan to hold his ears. He placed his hands on his ears to prevent his ear drums from being broken by their screams.


    "Is your freedom death?" Ander asked to him in a harsh harshly voice.


    "Relax, we are almost at the pick up point," Royan replied calmly. He seemed unfazed by the fact that they were falling from the sky. He was falling with no worries.


    "You are maa..." Francis started to scream when a dragon appeared in the skies and grabbed all of them including Ander.


    With all of them at it''s back it flew down. "See, I told we were close to being picked up," Royan stated.


    Ander felt like giving Royan''s neck a tight squeeze but he was too busy relaxing his nerves. He had a foothold on the human realm so he was startled just like a normal human.


    Francis panted for breath on the dragon. He was curious about where they were and why his magic didn''t work there.


    The dragon kept flying down and he could see what looked like a city down below.


    "Where are we?" he questioned.


    "The Bureau Of Supernatural Things," he informed them feeling so excited to be back here. The BOST had position him back home to protect the human world from supernatural things their. But finally he got a reason to come home.


    He couldn''t wait to meet his mother and father, everyone thought that they had gone on a world trip but that was just a cover story. The truth was that they lived in the BOST and had very important positions here.


    "The what?!" Ander and Francis asked in unison. They had never heard anything of that sort in all their lives.


    They were soon able to see the city clearly. At the heart of the city the symbol of the Phoenix of the dragon and Phoenix laid similar to the on Royan''s clothes and the door.


    The dragon landed on the symbol letting them down. Once he was certain that they were all down it transformer before their eyes into a person.


    She was dressed in the same clothes as Royan and had her brown hair braided at the back. She had a sword with a dragon emblem on it strapped to her waist. Her silver eyes made her look intimidating.


    "Roy, how are you?" she greeted embracing Royan into a hug.


    "I''m good Rochelle," Royan said to her.


    "Who is the man and the ghost dude?" she asked him.


    "Friends," Royan replied. They walked into the building. The girl left them at the door saying something about hurrying for a test.


    Ander was speechless. No one could see him as a ghost but the girl knew that he was there. That explained to him how the dragon managed to pick him too when he was not with them while they were falling.


    Royan opened the main door and walked inside. Inside the building their were being of all supernatural creatures that existed in the world. Dragons, Phoenix, gargoyle, necromancer, syromancer, ghosts, whispers, walkers, etc.


    Ander and Francis were awed at the creatures that were in the building. They all had their luggage like they were moving but unlike what people would expect.Despite being enemies and being in the same room together they didn''t hurt each other.


    They went about their business like the other was not around.


    "Hands," they heard and looked ahead. A young female dressed in the same uniform as Royan stood before them with some king of stamp.


    "Just to be safe, the Bureau can''t let you be violent in here. If you break any rule in here, the mark will let them know," Royan explained to them.


    Francis reached his hand forward. The woman stamped his hand with the symbol of the dragon and Phoenix.


    "The ghost too," the woman spoke.


    Ander reached his hand forward. The woman marked him and moved along to the next group that had arrived.


    "How can they see Ander?" Francis questioned unable to contain his curiosity.


    "Everyone who works in the bureau has the true eye. They can see anything and everything. That way they can''t be caught off guard by the supernatural creatures that come to seek help here," he explained calmly as they walked ahead.


    They got to the elevator, Royan pushed the door open and invited them in. He pressed the level they needed to go to and waited.


    "What happens here?"


    "A lot of things. Sups with no place to go, whose homes have either been destroyed, is in danger or unsuitable to live in come here to find a home. Others come here to find a job that doesn''t include hiding who you are. Others come here to find peace and be purified," he explained. "The place does a lot of thing for supernaturals," he added.


    "We are here for the peace and purification which happened on the twentieth floor," he said to them.

 Chapter 150 - Twins

    Royan, Ander and Francis arrived at the twentieth floor. They heard a dragon roar at the distance. The roar affected Ander in ways that he couldn''t comprehend.


    His splintered pieces that had attached to Francis''s sword formed together. His foothold on the human world became stronger by the minute until she finally became whole. The dragon that was ahead of them was much stronger than him.


    Chills ran down his spine. The dragon was making his dragon feel uneasy, he couldn''t help but ask, "What is that?"


    "The question is who and not a what?" Royan replied opening the big wooden door at the end of the hallway.


    When the door opened they entered what looked like an arena. Dragons or various types were their bowing to the giant dragon that towered them all.


    Dragons were big to start even a baby dragon but the dragon that was before the other dragon was not big. It was a high dragon.


    Ander not being a ghost anymore, he was double terrified of the dragon. Before he was a bit brace seeing it wasn''t possible to inflict much harm to a ghost but not anymore.


    He hated the fact that he had followed the Phoenix to the BOST. The place was not a safe haven but a terrifying hell. From where he stood it looked like the younger dragons were being offered as food to the gigantic dragon.


    "How did that make me whole again?" Ander asked pointing at the dragon. It was only then that Royan and Francis noticed that he was ko longer a ghost.


    "You don''t want to call her " That" in front of her. She had a name, Zazel," Royan said to him. "And she is the one that we are here to see."


    "Oh, why are we here to see her?" Ander questioned holding on to Francis and hiding behind him.


    Francis grinned finding it cute that the boy was turning into a coward from seeing another dragon.


    "Laugh all you want but if that thing decides to eat us. It is starting with you," Ander pointed out. Francis''s smile dropped.


    He turned his head to face Royan who seemed awed by the dragon. "That thing won''t eat us right?" he asked him just to be sure that he had nothing to worry about.


    "Zazel," Royan called to the dragon while waving his hand to signal her to come to them.


    "We asked if it will eat not for you to call it," Francis and Ander let out at the same time. There bodies were trembling with fear as the beasts moved towards them.


    The creature flapped its wings. They held on to each to prevent themselves from being carried away by the wind that the dragon was making with it''s wings.


    Francis and Ander closed their eyes as the dragon neared them. But curiosity got the better of them. They wanted to see how the dragon was going to land and where.


    The pure silver gigantic dragon turned into a gorgeous female before she landed right before them. She stood straight with her silver hair braided behind her back.


    Her blue eyes and cold appearance made them gulp. Her lips were icy cold from what they could see, it seemed like she had just come out of the ice.


    She took a step forward, the places she stepped on froze into ice . The ice would disappear when she took another step and like that until she was close enough to make out the sweat that had formed on Francis and Ander''s forehead.


    The woman marched up to them and grabbed Ander by ear. Ander screeched at how freezing her fingers felt. It was so cold that his while body was freezing.


    "Did I not tell you to train for six hours?" she asked him. "And what in the name of dragons are you wearing?" she questioned to him.


    Her voice was even icier than her hand. It made Ander shudder, every nerve of her body wanted to obey and go train. It wanted to do as she said to avoid getting her attention.


    Not just him but his dragon was shaking inside him. It was terrified of the being that was holding him. Her aura was enough to tell him not to try anything stupid with her.


    "Zazel, what are you doing. He is..."


    "Skipping practise," she interrupted him. "Come along," she instructed and pulled Ander along with him.


    Her steps were in the air, everywhere her feet went to step ice would form for her. It was like he had come face to face with the queen of ice.


    He was so fond of fire and warmth so feeling so much cold made him uneasy. He tried to get away from the woman but the more he tried he only exhausted himself.


    She smirked at his fruitless efforts to try and get away from him. She really did find it fun that the boy had yet to learn that nothing gets away from her when she holds it. If he wanted to escape practise then he should have not let her catch him.


    "Here we are," she let out. "Since you are so adamant to skip training I am going to keep you here for twenty hours," she added.


    She opened the door to the training court and pushed Ander inside. Ander stabilized himself in the room and looked up, he wanted to gather courage to look back and glare at the woman when his eyes met another silver dragon head of him.


    He glanced back to see if the crazy woman was still there and to his surprise she was. ''Was one of then not scary enough?'' he asked in his mind and gulped.


    Thinking of spending twenty hours in room with one of those beasts was not something he was in the mood for. If the cold in the room didn''t kill him then the panic in his heart would.


    He could hear how loud his heart was beating in his chest. It was so scary and disturbing at the same time.


    The other silver dragon transformed into a handsome young man with long black hair. Ander gazed at him and froze. Before him was an exact replica of himself from head to toe.


    If not for the uniform with the symbol of the Phoenix and the dragon then he would have assumed that he was looking at the mirror.


    It was no wonder the woman was speaking to him like they had met before. He blinked his eyes repeatedly hoping that when next he opened them then the boy would have a different appearance.


    "Mother," the boy called out. "I''m done with my training," he said trekking his way to them.


    He spoke to his mother but his eyes were on the boy that resembled his image. Francis, Zazel and Royan moved to start to the side between Ander and the silver dragon.


    Their eyes moved from Ander to the silver dragon trying to see if they were seeing their eyes. The truth was that no one had expected things to turn out the way they did.


    Zazel most of all had not thought that their was someone in the world that could look so much like her son.


    "Hello, prince Razaan Medrash Kerthylon of Azabia ready to make your acquaintance," the dragon introduced himself. He bowed when he was done introducing himself before he raised his head to look at Ander.


    Everyone turned their eyes to Ander to hear his introduction. The introduction made by the silver dragon was quite impressive from the big name to bow. They hoped he would top the introduction.


    "Prince Ander of Arimelari," Ander said nervously. He didn''t know what to do in the situation where you meet your mirror walking and talking.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you," Razaan said reaching his hand for Ander to shake. Ander took his hand and held it when both their hairs turned silver.


    Ander let out the breath he was holding to have it come out as cold mist.


    "Twins," Royan let out his jaw dropping at the discovery.


    Razaan and Zazel were just as shocked as he was. It was not always that when two people look alike then they have to be related but for them to be twins was shocking.


    "I need fresh air," Zazel let out her mind going crazy at what just happened. Since long she had thought the prince''s laziness was what was stopping him from embracing the ice but it turned out it was because his brother was missing.


    Often dragon born of the same egg tend to share so much together. They would be a pair that difficult to tell apart and when one is incapable of something then the other would also not be able to do it.


    "This might explain my love for fire when I am a water dragon," Razaan said leaving Ander''s hand.


    He followed his mother, leaving Ander and Francis who were the most confused of the bunch not sure what just happened.

 Chapter 151 - Being Purified

    Ander and Francis followed Royan who followed behind Zazel. They all ended up in a big hall freezing cold, the hall was made of ice.


    Ice sculptures of dragons were everywhere in the room. It didn''t come as a surprise to them, the woman and her son were both icy. Not to mention that his body was shivering from the cold that was generating from his body.


    He had to admit that it wouldn''t be a bad thing if he were to have his sculpture in the hall. He was amazed by the person who had made the sculptures. He/she had great talent.


    "Where is my apology," Razaan demanded to Zazel. The woman rolled her eyes to him and sat at the tea table by the window.


    "Royan, dont you feel that she should apologise to me?" Razaan asked to her..


    Royan nodded his head to him, "Zazi, just apologise to him. He won''t let this go so easily," Royan told to her.


    "Why should I? Is it my fault that he has a twin brother?" Zazel asked.


    "You gave birth to him so yes, it is your fault," Razzan let out.


    Zazel grabbed Ander''s hand and made him seat beside her. She held his hands and looked into his eyes.


    "He might be born from me but I had no idea that he even existed and you dont see him throwing a fit over it," she said uncaringly. "I am not apologising for all the emotion ride that you put me through," she fired back.


    Ander sat with her unsure of what was happening. Not the scene he had expected for people who had just discovered that they had a lost family member.


    Not that he had accepted being a part of their family. He was stunned when Royan said that he was related to Razaan but their reaction to it was more confusing.


    "That wasn''t me, I always told you that I had no idea why I was angry all the time. Why I loved fire so mad and why I was so bratty and I was right," Razaan spoke.


    He took Ander by the hand and pulled him up from the seat. He glared at his mother while his hold on Ander didn''t lessen.


    "Everything I felt was all because of him. He must the damaged version of the both us and his broken traits mirrored on me," He stated. "And each time you punished me when my only mistake was that I am his twin," he added furiously.


    "He doesn''t seem angry right now so why are fuming?"


    "Arghhh," Razzan groaned.


    "If you are throwing a tantrum. Go and fetch the seers. I want to know how it is that I, Zazeliana Sivan Kerthylon have a son that I have never met until today," she said to him.


    Razaan settled on the seat opposite his mother. He didn''t seem like he was going to do as he was told.


    "Why don''t you ask your lost son to do it. Until I get an apology from you, I am not going to do anything you ask," he said stubbornly.


    Zazel gleamed at his words, the situation was a scene that could only make her happy.


    "You can do as you wish. I wasn''t asking you, I was talking to my favorite son. My future son in law and your fiancee," she stated.


    Razaan''s rage flared up when she spoke. He furiously got up from the chair, the temperature in the room decreased quite a lot.


    He wasn''t glaring at his mother bit rather at Ander. His eyes pierced through Ander''s skin making him shudder.


    Ander hid behind Francis to hide from the ice dragon. He was very terrified of the boy, him and his mother had very strong aura''s that made his body feel cold.


    Of all the people he had faced, these two were the only one''s who had ever been able to actually terrify him.


    "Everything wrong that has happened in my life up until today is your fault," he uttered coldly.


    In a blink of an eye, he had moved from where he stood and got Francis out of the way by throwing him to the chair next to them. Ander gasped scared of facing his supposed brother.


    "You deserve to pay," he said.


    He raised his hand to Ander but Royan caught it. His hand was covered with a flame to prevent Razaan from freezing him to death. As a Phoenix he would come back from death even if he was killed by him. But he shared dying so he took precaution against it.


    "How dare you?" Razaan asked Royan in anger. "How dare you hold my hand to save him?"


    Royan didn''t back down from the ice dragon. He had a soft spot in his heart for Ander and wanted what was best for him. Not to mention the fact that they were fated, he wouldn''t dare to tell that to Razaan or Zazel.


    The two of them might always act like they don''t care and are unaffected by many things but they were very possessive.


    Ander might be his twin and the seers will help to prove how this happened but he had not grown up with the royal family of Azabia. It would take time for him to earn his place among them.


    Until then him being at odds with Razaan would be bad for him. If anyone ever found out that the two of them were made for each other them it would cost Ander his life.


    "I wasn''t saving him and challenging you," he spoke to him. "But think of what it would look like if you killed your own blood. The bureau will..." he didn''t finish his sentence.


    The consequences of his actions was well known to the ice dragon.


    "You shouldn''t let anger blind you and get the best of you," Royan said with a kind smile. "Let''s go and get the seer. You will get to release some of that anger on our way there," he advised.


    He pulled Razaan away from Ander and took him away to go and find the seer that Zazel had asked for.


    "Forgive his manners, he is normally well behaved when he is not reflecting your anger issues," Zazel informed Ander.


    "I d...dont understand what is happening. I only came here because Royan said that I could get purified," Ander stated nervously to the ice dragon queen.


    "Then lets get to it. The seers will take a while to come," she said to him.


    She motioned for the two of them to follow her, they walked to the next room. The room was a glass room that let in the rays of the sun into the room.


    There was a big pool of water in the room, the water was filled with blue petals on them. The water was the pure blue colours of the sky, it had the same sense of serenity as the clouds.


    "This is how the purification happens. You enter the pool and lay on your back, don''t swim and don''t fight it. The water is pure and it will eliminate all the impurities in your body. The process won''t take long but it might be painful," the Queen informed to them.


    "How will this water purify me?" Ander asked her not trusting that water to be as powerful as she said.


    He was not sure if he should trust the woman and do as she says. But there was no harm in trying the method, perhaps he could find the peace that lacked in his life.


    "It will and I can''t go into details. The history of this water is very long and very tiring. I don''t have all day and I feel sleepy," she let out with a yawn. "Now, which one of you is going first?"


    Ander volunteered, he made the first move. He removed his shoes and coat and set them aside. Afterwards he stepped into the water, the water was warm as compared to the other room.


    He could see flickers of lightning in the water, the places that he stepped turned black. The peaceful water was disturbed, it started moving around him in a circle as the water was completely turning black.


    "You need to lay on your back and remain calm at all times," the queen instructed to him.


    Ander released the breath that he was holding before he took a leap of faith and did as he was told. He laid on his back and floated on top of the pool. The water made his way to his face and whole body.


    He was forced to close his eyes. His body started sinking into the water, while this happened in his mind all the events in his life that had left a mark on his heart started playing in his mind.


    His body released all the locks that had held him down and made him bitter. Memories that made him angry.


    Strings formed in the water and attacked to his body from his hands to his legs. The strings had bells attacked to them and every time that Ander moved the bells rang and the strings attached to him tightly.

 Chapter 152 - Being Purified (part Two)

    "What is happening?" Francis asked to her. Worry gnawed at him as he saw the struggle that Ander was going through.


    The water was as black as a moonless night. The strings were only getting tighter holding him down into the water. Ander seemed to be fighting whatever was holding him. He was trying to get free and get away from the water.


    "The purification is taking place. The strings will lose as soon as he lets go of all the bitterness and darkness that he is holding onto," Zazel explained sipping her tea very calmly.


    Francis had only then realised that the woman had tea in her hands. From before her hands were empty, he dared not ask her where the tea came from. He didn''t have a suicide mission.


    "What happens if he doesn''t let go of the darkness?" he inquired in case it was bad then he would jump in the water and save Ander.


    "That is not possible," Zazel uttered.


    "Oh," he heaved a sigh of relief. He found that he was worrying for no reason and felt better with her assurance.


    "I meant you can''t enter the water to get him out at this point," she said and threw her cup of tea to the pool of water.


    The glass shattered before it could even touch the water and the pieces scattered in the room with not a single one dropping on the water.


    "If anything touches the water then it would interfere with the process and endanger his life. So the water makes certain that it isn''t interrupted," she said. "Anyone goes near the pool would be killed instantly," she added.


    Francis turned to look at her not sure if it was a good idea for Ander to enter the water before learning the dangers of the water.


    He found her drinking tea, his head moved from the broken cup to the one in her hand wondering what sorcery she was using to get the tea.


    He also had a bad feeling about the water, if it could kill people for going near, what of those in it. He panicked, fear clawed through his heart causing him immense worry.


    The bells kept ringing and the strings were starting to cut through Ander''s body. Ander was lost in the memory of the day that he met his father and the things that Alex had said about him.


    It was hard of him to let go of the hatred that his father had for him. He tried to look away from the memory but his feet were rooted to the ground as he watched that incident.


    Before he could ask his father to stop, his mind took him to when Avan kissed him for the first time, it was a memory that he could never forget. It had left such a big hole in his heart that he couldn''t bear it.


    Just one kiss had sentenced him to a life of heart breaks and loneliness. He hated Avan for it, he screamed at the top of his lungs for him to stop but the boy kept walking until he kissed him.


    Ander yelled to himself to burn him. To kill Avan before the boy cursed him down a path of pain but that too didn''t work.


    Francis appeared and the memory just got worse. Every word that Francis said to him pierced his heart like a million tiny needles. With the truth that he know knew he could Avan and Francis saying those words to him.


    The pain they inflicted on his heart on that day was one that he had not ever been able to forget. Every painful moment from then on just kept on replaying in his mind and he tried to give himself advise but failed.


    The bells made the strings so tight that soon Ander''s blood started flowing from his body. It wasn''t visible to Francis the water was too black to see through.


    Ander felt tired if fighting a losing battle and instead, he decided against fighting what had happened. He decided to just out it behind him and move on from it.


    When he saw Francis at his birthday, it hurt him but he let it go. With him stopping to fight the bad memories a golden light passed through the strings to his body and the strings started loosening.


    "He is letting go. Now we are passed the bad parts," the Queen said with a smile.


    She always found this part to be very satisfying. Seeing souls freed from all the bounds that held them back from truly pursuing their lives to the fullest always made her happy.


    When Ander saw the moments play in his head, he told himself that what happened had to happened and their was no need to hold a grudge over spilt milk.


    It mattered not how much one held on to something they had already lost, it wouldn''t come back and holding on was just futile.


    The black water began to clear up. All the bitter feelings that Ander felt was lifted off his chest. He had never felt more at ease with himself, he saw no need to hate as disappointment was to life and the sooner he accepted it the better.


    He felt the need to just let go and move on, find a new purpose in life that was only his. One that he would find joy in and would not hurt other people.


    "It is best to leave glass broken than to hurt yourself trying to fix it," the Queen let out.


    The golden light made Ander glow in the water as he was freed. It was a sign that he was now purified.The strings that held Ander released him and disappeared. Ander''s body raised to the surface of the pool before he opened his eyes.


    It was all gone, even when he looked back to his past the memories didn''t make him angry. It was experience that will guide him to a better future.


    "How do you feel?" Zazel asked him reaching her hand to help him out.


    "Brand new," he said to her. He took her hand and got out of the water to stand by her side. "It''s like nothing can hold me back now," he said.


    He took a step towards Francis, Zazel moved and lifted Francis from the ground before Ander could touch him.


    He noticed that the spot he stepped on had become ice and the ice had spread to the rest of the room. The water remained unfrozen but all else in the room was turned to ice.


    "Now that all the spells on your body are lifted, you are in your true form and that is an ice dragon. Which means that until you learn to control your ice, it would be good idea to start away from others," the queen said to him.


    She snapped his fingers and the ice beneath Ander''s feet lifted him off the ground. That was when he placed Francis on the ground.


    Normally a situation like this where he was told what to do would have made him mad but he didn''t feel any of that. He was calm enough to understand what the Queen meant and remained on the ice.


    "The seers are not here yet, so we do have time for you to go in," she said to Francis.


    Francis looked at the water that looked as same as before when they had arrived at the pool. Even the petals had returned and they looked more beautiful as before.


    Seeing as the purification was good for Ander he was tempted to go in.


    "I have a request before I do this," he spoke thinking of those that he left behind.


    "Sure, your family can come for the purification too," Zazel replied seeing on her glass that had a blue substance in it.


    Francis watched her cup wondering where it came from and where the tea she was drinking was. What more was the fact that it felt as though the woman could read his mind. She had done it before when he thought of jumping to save Ander and again now.


    "Yes, I can read your mind. And no, I am not a wizard or a god or that, stop thinking," Zazel advised when his thoughts began to wonder off.


    "I am sorry but how can you read my mind?" he questioned.


    "Are you getting purified or not?" she asked him taking a bite of a donut.


    "Before I do that, how are you getting your food?"


    "First of all, you are wasting my time and secondly, it is rude to ask a girl about her food. So mind your business and get in the water," Zazel let out to him feeling offended that he dared ask about her food.


    That was her secret that not even her son knew, if she shared the secret then the store that could be accessed by the secret invincible window would be empty the next time she sneaked her hand in.


    Francis entered the water and did as Ander had done. "The seer is here," Royan informed.

 Chapter 153 - The Answers

    Zazel with everyone took their places around the pool. They sat in raised seats that they had a clear view of the water


    Francis sat beside Ander, he had been purified, he felt free. Like a feather that was light and could float to wherever he wanted.


    He couldn''t describe in words how he felt. It was like he was wrapped in a warm soft blanket of love and peace. He had no stress at all and all the anger and frustrations that he was feeling was all gone.


    He wanted the same for the rest of the family. Having them be freed from that held them down would make him happy.


    The seers had arrived. They were three, their bodies was blue in colour like the colour of the petals in the water. They were patterns on their body from their heads to necks and hands..


    Other parts were covered with clothes so it wasn''t certain if the marks were underneath the clothes too. The marks were in shape of leaves and flower petals.


    "Begin," Zazel demanded.


    The seers walked into the water form all three sides on the pool. When their bodies touched the water, the blue flower petals turned red.


    The seers placed their hands in the water and waved them around in a dancing manner. While doing so the small waves made it to the center of the pool where images started forming.


    "I want to know how come I have another son," Zazel said.


    The seers nodded their heads and moved along with her request. The images of the day before the eggs hatched played in the middle of the pool.


    They watched how the guard kept watch on the royal dragon eggs. Among all the royal eggs, one stood out. A blue egg that was a little bigger than the normal eggs in the room. It was freezing and the other eggs shook each time a movement came from the egg.


    The guard walked out of the room and just then a portal appeared in the room.  Two women entered the room through the portal. One was very familiar to Ander and Francis while the other was a stranger to them.


    "Are you sure we should be doing this?" Olivia asked the woman in a black robe.


    "Do you want a child?" the woman asked and Olivia nodded her head. "A dragon child?"


    Olivia nodded her head and the woman went ahead to look at the eggs. "Then yes, we should do this. When we are done, Alexander won''t be able to say that he is not the father of your child," the woman said.


    She took a look at the eggs before her attention was drawn to the blue egg. She touched it, her eyes went round with realisation.


    "What is wrong?" Olivia questioned.


    "It''s twins. We can take one and the mother will never know," the woman said.


    Olivia smiled happily at the good news. She was so happy as it meant that she will be able to manipulate Alex into leaving Francis and being with her.


    She was going to be the queen mother and to a dragon child for that matter. She was so excited. She let the other woman work as she stayed out of her way and kept watch for the guard.


    The woman worked her magic and successfully transferred one of the dragons from the blue egg into Olivia''s womb.


    "I want him to be a powerful witch too. Francis has witches helping him and I want my very own witch," she told to the woman.


    The woman transferred some of her magic to Olivia before they left the room. The guard returned and examined the eggs. Seeing as everything was normal he went back to his place and continued to watch them.


    The seers stopped when the queen of Azabia had gotten the answers that she wanted. Zazel gritted her teeth in anger as she replayed the event she had seen in her mind.


    A witch had dared to enter her home and take her child from her. Her body went cold after watching that. Every day she had lived her life not knowing that her son was somewhere across the world because a woman wanted a dragon son.


    "Aaahh," they all heard and turned around.


    Razaan has pinned a woman to the ground. He grabbed hold of her hair and lifted her face for the Queen to have a look at her.


    Zazel, Royan, Francis and Ander we''re shocked as that was the witch they had just witnessed helping Olivia to steal Ander.


    "I will find the other one soon. For now have some peace as you punish this one," Razaan let out.


    He removed a lock of hair from his head and threw it at the woman on the ground. His hair turned into a silver rope and tied around the woman. It chained her to the ground.


    The prince of Azabia took his key and opened the door in the air and left the room.


    "He won''t come back until he has Olivia with him," Royan whispered to Ander. "He can never see anything that offends his mother. One way or another he is going to bring Olivia here. I hope that you aren''t too attach to her as Razaan is not going to go easy on her," he added squeezing Ander''s hand gently.


    It had to be too much for the boy to see how one selfish decision of someone else changed his life completely. He lived a life that wasn''t his because Olivia was willing to stoop to any level to get Alexander.


    "It''s okay. Normally I would boil with anger but I just feel sad for Olivia, she went to so much trouble and lost in the end," Ander said. "Like a fool I have walking down the same path," he said with regret.


    "At least now you know better and I am glad that you won''t end up like her," he said with his sweet smile on his face.


    He admired the change in the boy. It was natural of him to be more sensible and mature now, the water had purified him and anything that might cloud his sense of judgement was removed from his body.


    "Wont your fiancee feel bad that you are being so nice to me?" Ander teased him.


    "He won''t, only three things ever offend him. Seeing his mother upset, suffering for someone else''s mistake and not having the perfect king of wine with his meal," Royan replied to him.


    "And jealousy is not possible, we are engaged and not married and it is a political arrangement, alliances can change so nothing is certain until we get married," he informed to him.


    Ander nodded in understanding. He can''t sure why he wasn''t angry that Royan was engaged to someone else when both of them clearly shared a seductive attraction between them. But he liked it.


    Not boiling over everything was good for a change. It made life a lot easier. Unlike before when every little thing offended him.


    "Then congratulations on you engagement," he said.


    "It''s seventeen years late but thanks," He let out and Ander furrowed his eye brows. "We''ve been engaged since the day we were born," Royan replied to him.


    Ander''s jaw dropped at this news. It was no wonder the male had not dated anyone before meeting him. Having someone waiting for you since birth sounded exhausting.


    "My apologies for missing your engagement. I would have been there if I wasn''t stolen and taken away," he joked and the two of them laughed.


    Razaan returned to the room with a bleeding Olivia in his arms. "I found her in a blood prison. Looks like someone had already started punishing her for her sins," he informed the Queen and dropped her next to the other woman.


    He walked up to his mother, "Don''t be angry anymore," he said to her.


    Zazel gave him a smile and nodded her head. "Go freshen up, you smell like her," Zazel noted with a frown.


    "Take them away," she ordered.


    Ander moved to go and take them away as instructed when Royan held his hand and stopped him from going forward.


    Guards walked into the room with red uniforms with emblems of the Phoenix and the dragon in them. They too the two women from the room in three minutes and the next two, the blood from the floor was cleaned.


    The air was sprayed with air freshener to get the smell of the two women from the room. In five minutes the room was back to the way it was before Razaan brought the two women there.


    "I have a meeting with the board. I am leaving first," she let out and left the room.


    Razaan glanced at Royan, he noticed that he was holding on to Ander and shook his head. "Don''t tell me the two of you are "that" close," he asked more than said.


    "We won''t tell you then," Royan replied him.


    "Oh dear, this is going to be good news for father," Razaan stated laughing. At his words, Royan dropped Ander''s hand.

 Chapter 154 - The King

    Ander gazed at Royan with a lot of questions in his mind. He was curious about this father of his that made Royan so scared. The Phoenix paled like he had seen a ghost and moved away from Ander.


    "Nothing as such is going on. I was only joking with you Razaan," he uttered coldly. The warmth that Ander was used to seeing on the boy''s face was gone and all that was left was an indifferent face.


    "Relax Royan, I was only joking too. Do you really think that I would smile while saying that man''s name?" Razaan asked.


    Royan''s eyes went went wide with shock, Razaan had thought it was due to his words before he felt the change in temperature.


    The room was so cold that his icy hands shook. He turned around and froze when he spotted his father standing right behind him..


    "Whose name won''t you say with a smile?" the king''s sweet voice asked them.


    Royan took his place beside the prince and held his arm. "Greetings father in law," he greeted to the king.


    "Why are you being so formal. Come give me a hug," the king said to him and invited him for a hug.


    "That would be nice but my fiancee here hates it when I get close to other male, including you," Royan said to him. "But your other son can get a hug from you," he added.


    The King turned his head and looked over to the side, seeing a look alike that resembled his son. His lips stretched into a big smile. He made a move and grabbed Ander by the hand.


    "My son," he cried out and hugged him tightly in his arms. His eyes teared up as he hugged him. "You are my new favorite person in the world," he said to Ander.


    "I...umh.." Ander was left speechless. From the way the two reacted, he had expected him to be a grump with a cold personality but what was before him was the opposite of it all.


    He was confused why the two heated him when he was so cute. He returned the hug. It was nice to have a person call him son without expectations on him.


    They had just met and the man was so nice. It made him smile, it was the opposite of Alex and Francis.


    The King broke the hug and turned around in a rush. A servant that had brought them tea collided with him spilling the hot cup of tea on him. The cups of tea fell to the ground along with the snacks.


    The king''s white cloth was stained with tea. Royan held Razaan''s hand tightly and turned his head to look away but Razaan prevented him from looking away.


    "If you look away it will upset him," Razaan spoke to him silently.


    "I am s..sorry my k..king," the servant said nervously.


    "It''s okay," the king uttered to him. "Come lets shake on it," the king suggested to him.


    Ander felt happy seeing how nice his real father was. Any king wouldn''t be so nice to a servant who has hurt him with hot tea. It was so surprising that he was going to hold his hand with a servant.


    The servant raised her hand and held the king''s hand. The King gave him a bright smile, the servant smiled back. In the next minute the servant turned into an ice sculpture before everyone.


    He let go of the servant and turned to Razaan and Royan. "Put him up with the rest of them," the king ordered. "I will see your mother and return," the king added and walked towards the door.


    He halted by the door when he looked down and saw his favourite cloth was ruined. He just couldn''t accept the fact that the servant had done that.


    He turned around. Royan tensed on seeing him coming back. He walked back to the room and went straight for the ice sculpture. He placed his hand on the ice sculpture of the servant he flicked his finger at the sculpture and it shattered into pieces.


    "He would have looked ugly with my other collection," he said with a sweet smile on his lips.


    Ander felt a shiver ran down her spine, the man had just killed a person without even so much as breaking a sweat. And what was worse was the fact that the king dared to smile happily after killing someone.


    The King gave him another hug. "I can''t wait to train you. By the time that I am done. You will be the greatest dragon in the while wide world," the king told to him.


    Ander felt like running away. Just by being held by the man made his body ran cold. The fact was that the king''s fingers on his body made him very nervous as he had no idea of the man will turn him to ice and shatter him like the servant on the ground or not.


    The fear that he had felt for Zazel was nothing compared to the way he fekt for the man who was his father. He spike sweetly and had a smile on his face but that just made him more angry.


    "You love me right?" the king asked him. He had no idea what to reply since he had just met the man. And more was the fact that their first impression made him feel like crawling into the ground and disappearing from existence.


    "Too early to ask you that, but I will get my answer soon. I will see your mother or else she will complain that I only love my children and not her," he said and left.


    Ander let out a breath he had no idea that he was holding when the king left. He felt like breathing in front of the king might offend him and make him angry to the point that he would think to kill him.


    "You did good," Razaan said to him. "It was wise of you not to blink or look away when he shattered the servant or he would have punished you," the Prince added.


    "The only reason that I didn''t look away was the fact that I was shocked. He surprised me," Ander let out angrily.


    "Good, remember this for next time. Never look away and never blink, if you do you might just end up killing the one who has upset him," Royan said to him.


    Ander could only gulp, no-one was perfect in the world and he had his share of bad deeds. He had killed many people and was not in the position to judge the king but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t scared of the man.


    A person who spoke with a bright smile and said sweet things but would kill without blinking was a crazy man. And he still was not sure if he was going to stay with them and choose to be with them forever.


    His family was coming from the world to the BOST. The two families were going to be together and meet. He could only imagine what the mad king might do to his mother. He wanted for him to accept the king and tell him to that he loves him. He made it clear that he was going to get this from him.


    He tensed as he thought of his family meeting the mad king. The queen was nice but she too was unpredictable in the small time that they had met. The queen was cold but seemed nice too but he couldn''t put his hand on whether she was truly a nice person.


    But judging by the man that she had married, it could go to say that she too was scared. It takes a mad person to live with a mad person and understand them. Since his fathervwas mad that could only mean that she was mad too.


    She was beginning to feel that their family joining them was not a good idea after all. The


    They had only recently met and had not interacted much with each other but it terrified him.


    "Don''t worry about them. The King is very hospitable to visitors," Royan said to him. "Your family is fine from him," he added.


    Ander felt happy after gearing that but when his mind ran the question in his head a couple of times, it made him worry.


    "They are safe from him but in danger from..?"he asked not sure if he had lost his mind or their really was a danger.


    " That would be our mother. She is not going to be happy with anyone who is too nice to you know that she knows that you are her son," Razaan said to him.


    "That makes your mother and everyone else in big trouble. Pray they don''t shower you with affection in front of her," Royan advised. "Or they will become decorations of the BOST," he added.


    Ander froze, he now got why the two were so scared. His whole family was in danger and he was not sure he could save them.

 Chapter 155 - Insulting The Queen

    Ander rushed to find his family before the Queen harms them. Royan and Razaan followed after him to explain the rules to him. Running was not allowed, so even thought they were chasing the male they did so while walking.


    Breaking the rules was something similar to signing your death warrant especially with the king around.


    Ander rushed into the room finding Zazel with his hand on his mother''s neck. His heart drummed in his chest in panic.


    "No," he screamed as he dashed and pushed the queen out of the way to the ground. They both fell down to the ground with a loud noise.


    Everyone in the room gasped at the way that Ander had reacted with the queen. The queen of Azabia has never once fallen to the ground in her life. She was always on her feet holding her head high with her crown properly placed on her head..


    For the first time something more that her feet touched the crown and to top it all, her crown also fell down. There was no bigger insult to a queen than what Ander had done.


    Other members of the society that helped to run BOST turned around. They pretended not to have witnessed what had just happened. Their lives were important to them and they didn''t want the king to turn them into decorations.


    The Queen lifted her head and glared at Ander, her eyes pierced through his body and his soul. It felt like death was stating him right in the eye and there was nothing he could do about it.


    "What in the world did you do that for Ander?" Sofia asked and helped him up from the floor. She offered her hand to the queen to help her up to but the woman didn''t even bother to look at her.


    Her eyes followed Ander''s eyes. Her appearance was cold reducing the temperature of the room.


    "I know that we have only just met but I never want to see your face again. I disown you as my son," the Queen spoke and got herself up from the floor.


    She didn''t bother to pick up her crown from the floor and looked to the people who''s backs were turned to her.


    "When you are done sorting them out come find me," she said to them. "Make sure that Ander also leaves," she demanded and opened one of those magical doors and left.


    "What was that?" Malia asked confused.


    "That was the queen''s way of saying that you have overstayed your welcome," on of the staff replied to her.


    Royan and Razaan finally made it to the room. They walked over to the male relieved that nothing bad had happened and that the boy was fine. They were afraid that something might happen.


    "Ander you ar...." he started to say when he was signalled to stop talking with the man who replied to Malia''s question.


    "The queen has disowned him and has asked never to see him again. She wants him gone in the next hour," the man informed them.


    Royan and Razaan were shocked to hear that. The queen rarely took drastic measures to deal with situations. Hey couldn''t think of anything that the boy could have done that made the queen mad.


    That was when Razaan spotted his mother''s crown on the floor. "How did the queen''s crown get to the floor?" he asked terrified. His mother''s crown on the ground was very bad.


    The woman herself would never have keit it there and that meant that someone else was responsible for it. Making the queen drop her crown was a crime that didn''t have a punishment as no one ever dared to do it.


    But it was similar to insulting a queen, treason.


    "It was an accident. I thought that she was going to kill my mother so I pushed him out of the way and when we both fell to the ground her crown fell," Ander explained.


    Royan was blown out of his mind. He just couldn''t believe what Ander had done and how the male could say it so simple.


    "Royan, she was going to hurt my mother," he defended.


    "No she wasn''t, she was thanking me for raising you.She even asked if I would want to stay here and help look after you while you learn to be who you are," Sofia said clearing his misconception.


    "I think the mistake is ours, when we said she could kill your mother. We didn''t mean literally killing her, we meant suffocate her with love," Royan stated. "The queen can be too loving to those she holds close to her her heart," he added.


    Ander felt bad for how he had reacted. He had hurt he queen for no reason when she was just being friendly. But in his defense it was the two that made him do it. They had given him the impression that the queen was evil and that she was going to kill his family.


    Razaan picked up his mother''s crown. "We should go and see how she is. She must be so mad after what happened," Raz informed to Royan.


    The two of them left the room together. Feeling like it was his mistake and that he should apologise to the queen Ander followed behind them.


    They moved along the corridors looking for her. All the people they passed were talking about the incident.


    "Did you hear that the queen was pushed to the ground by her lost son?"


    This were that travelled around the room. Razaan felt a headache coming on. He was in a mood to kill everyone who dared to speak of that moment. It was his mother they talked about and he wasn''t pleased.


    He released his aura and once they felt it. Everyone shivered in terror. The ice dragon''s of Azabia were feared by most species in the world so it didn''t take him long to silence everyone.


    Their ice could only be removed by them. No fire in the world could melt it. And only they had the strengths to shatter ice made by them. They were a rare king of dragon that could control all other dragons.


    The King and queen and their families were the only ice dragons left in the world. Hence they were not just respected but also feared everywhere they went.


    Rumour had it that they were learning how to control other species too. And everyone knew that behind every rumour their was a little bot of truth.


    They walked into the garden of dragons, where dragons can fly freely in their true form without worry.


    Ander got a chance to see many dragons of many different kinds in the garden. Dragons he had never heard and others that he had only read on books all of them were in the garden flying around.


    "Do you swim," Razaan asked him.


    He furrowed his brows wondering why he was being asked that. The Phoenix and the ice prince were already stripping off their clothes when they reached the end of the garden.


    Ander stared down to cliff to see why they were getting undressed. His eyes didn''t see much, it was dark and it never seem to end.


    "I am not going down there," he told to them.


    "Okay," Royan replied.


    Ander released the breath he was holding. Had they insisted that he jump off the cliff to the darkness he just saw, he would have lost it.


    "Safe landing," Royan said to him before pushing him off the cliff and jumping right after him. Razaan followed soon after. The both of them were only in their inner garments as they fell.


    "Ahhh," Ander screamed as he kept falling down the darkness. It was all dark and he couldn''t see anything. He tried to summon fire with his hands but only ice came out.


    This is one the moments that he was regretting trading his corrupted powers for the ice he now had. He was losing his mind and their was nothing much he could do about it.


    "Will this help," Royan asked letting out his fire engulfed wings to light the way for them. Ander felt much more relieved until he saw the wall. On the wall there were sleeping creatures that resembled dragons but weren''t dragons. They had a tail like that of a snake but then it wasn''t so.


    They had black skin with blue marks from their head to there toe that made them visible to him. They looked scary in his eyes. Just then one of the creatures opened its mouth to yawn.


    There were like seven layers of teeth in the creatures mouth that he could spot and they were very sharp. He swallowed hard.


    He moved and grabbed hold of Royan''s hand. If any of those things were to grab him with their teeth he would be dead in a second.


    "What are those?" he asked to him.


    "Protectors of the BOST, they ensure that no intruders come in and that no one who causes trouble stays long," Royan stated to him.

 Chapter 156 - Wedding

    Ander, Royan and Razaan fell to the water down the cliff. Razaan created a bubble around them that helped them to breath under water. Ander was so nervous that he had held in to Royan the whole way.


    Outside the bubble he could see the creatures in the water. They were so terrifying that he held his breath hoping that the bubble doesn''t pop. He was still unaware of why they had to go for a swim in a dangerous waters such as these.


    "Where are we going?" Ander asked to him.


    The Phoenix turned around to face him, he was having fun seeing the dragon was so terrified. It was understandable. The new people that went into the queen''s house had the same reaction on their faces.


    The creatures did keep everyone away from the palace.. No one dared to go to into the water to find out what was underneath the water. The creatures in the water could senses one''s emotions from a distance and know their intention.


    If anyone dangerous came there to find trouble then the energy they created from their bad intentions would wake them up. And they would tear him/her into pieces in a second.


    He had gotten used to them, never bothered to learn their name. As it is in the dragon language and the language was very hard to master.


    As long as they didn''t hurt him, he was fine with them being around. As he gazed at Ander, he saw a glimpse of something behind him. There was a water dragon not to far back from them, it was looking for food.


    He could recognise that dragon anywhere in the world. It was the dragon that belonged to his family, his father used him when he needed to go and see the queen in the underwater castle.


    Seeing the dragon made him nervous, he moved away from Ander and made him hold on to his brother for support. Both the king of Azabia and his father in the same place at the same time smelled like a lot of trouble that he was going to have a weak''s headache from.


    They arrived at the underwater palace, Ander''s widen with shock at how good the place looked.


    "Seriously, how could you not tell me that such a place existed," she said to him.


    They landed into the the barrier of the palace and landed at the balcony of the palace. The palace was dry with the barrier keeping the water out of the palace.


    They went into the palace. All the servants were in the second floor of the palace. It was an indication that something important was going on in the first floor.


    "We will apologise to mother and get you back into the family," Razaan stated to him. Ander nodded his head to him. It was making him happy to make amends for his mistake.


    If it were before then he wouldn''t even bother to apologise when he is the one in the wrong but now he felt it was the right thing to do. He took a deep breath and released it as they walked down the stairs.


    Razaan and Royan held their hands together as they made their way to the first floor. Everyone was in the room, they were talking about about something very serious.


    "Good they are here," a girl sitting next to the queen said. "We can ask him if he wants this," the girl said to them.


    The King walked over to them. He grabbed Ander''s hand and led him to the muddle of the room.


    "Ander, this is Manuela and we were thinking of marrying the two of you. What do you have to say about that?" he asked to him while dragging the girl to stand by his side.


    "Yes, why don''t you tell us what you think and if you don''t like her. You can push her to the ground," the queen let out irritated by the fact that despite her clear decision to never see the boy again. She was forced to look at him not that far away from her moment of insult.


    "I...well.. I," He started to say unable to decide what answer to give. He couldn''t deny that the king''s smile did make him nervous.


    He looked back at Royan and signalled with his brows for him to help him choose the answer. Royan could only look at him in return.


    He didn''t want to make the decision for the male in case he grows to hate it in the future. Whatever happens to him should be his decision that way he can only have himself to blame for the rest of the future.


    Seeing as the Phoenix was not going to help him, he went ahead to look to the king. "I like someone else," he replied to him.


    "Who?" the king asked to him.


    "Royan," Ander asked to him. He went to speak the truth to him. He did like Royan and that was not a lie that he told. And the boy liked him too.


    "What are you saying that you are in love with your brother''s fiancee," the king asked him seriously.


    "Yes," he replied softly.


    "Alright then, since you are already in love with someone else, you need not consider this offer," the king said to him.


    Ander felt his heart become light that the king had listened to him. The fact that he didn''t react to all that he said was a plus for him. He made certain that he had spoke the truth and it freed him from guilt.


    The King let him go, he was asked to go to his room and rest for a while since he had just arrived home. He left the room and was escorted to the room that was meant for him.


    Unknown to him was the trouble that he had caused for the boy that he claimed to have feelings for.


    The moment that he stepped away, the king made Razaan and Royan to take their wedding vows with their families as the witness to it.


    The two had officially not planned to get married for a long time but now they were forces to cross boundaries they had not expected to cross.


    Their fate and destiny was marked in stone all thanks to Ander. Royan''s father was the one who was marrying them, the two tried to plead with their families not to take such a drastic step but no one listened to them.


    Getting married to someone he didn''t like wasn''t in his plans. Royan had a plan on how to get himself away from the marriage alliance before they were wed but the plan that he had been hatching since forever was foiled in just a moment.


    "I now pronounce you both as a married couple," Royan''s father said to them when the wedding ceremonies were complete. The two of them were now married to each other, and for dragons and phoenix''s divorce is never possible.


    Royan''s face became cold and indifferent as he dashed out of the room in a hurry. Razaan followed behind him feeling the same as he did.


    The marriage was something that brought him nightmares. The thought of having to spend the rest of his life married to the someone who he didn''t love was making his heart ache.


    He just couldn''t feel happy despite the fact that it was his wedding. The fact that Ander was responsible for their situation was also something that he couldn''t let go of. The fact won''t change that he was the root cause of all the problems he had ever had in his life.


    Since childhood he had been paying for the mistakes of his brother. It was the only thing that he had ever done, the only mistake was that he was unfortunate enough to have the male as his brother.


    He made his way to the room that Royan had stomped into. The Phoenix was burning with rage at what had happened. They had come here to fix Ander''s mistake but ended up paying a price for it.


    "Crying will not help. Both of our lives would have been better if that boy had not come into it," he had said to them.


    He walked to Royan and held him from the back. "Why are you crying in here? Will the facts change if you cry?" he questioned to him.


    "I don''t know what to do," Royan stated hating the ring that was on his finger. His body was frozen cold from how things had gone down. He was now married and there was nothing that he could do to change it.


    He didn''t want to blame Royan for it all but he did feel the need to point out that had the male not opened his mouth then he would not be in that situation.


    "Ander is the one responsible for it. And he will pay for it," Razaan said.


    "No, don''t let anything happened to him. It was an innocent mistake of his," Royan defended.


    "It will be my innocent mistake when I trick him into accepting to marry Manoela," Razaan said.

 Chapter 157 - Chasing Dreams

    Ander watched as the queen helped his family. Annak was reunited with other whispers in another faraway kingdom.


    The triplet witches and Natalia joined the order of witches to help keep a track of how magic is used in the world. It was what they wanted so the Queen made it happen.


    The queen of Azabia promised that she was going to rebuild Arimelari from scratch and make a refugee kingdom where creatures from around the world can find refuge when their homes are no longer an option.


    Francis and Alex were tasked with the responsibility of the new Arimelari but they have to report to BOST to ensure problems don''t affect the kingdom.


    And Ander couldn''t be more impressed by them. Dragons were fast builders. The palace of Arimelari was rebuilt bigger and better in less than a week.


    Ander said his goodbyes to the two of them and promised to visit them as soon as possible.. They might not be one blood but Alex and Francis will always be a part of his life and that was something he would never change.


    His mother was given the option of going with Alex and Francis but she refused. She and Malcolm decided to adopt a baby dragon and live in Azabia so they can be close to Ander and learn more about dragons.


    Seeing as there was an opening at the orphanage, the Queen offered them a job there which they happily accepted. They did not just get to take of young dragons but they get paid to do it. It was a win-win situation for both of them.


    Silvia chose to become a train in BOST to become a keeper of the freedom fighters. She wanted to play her part in making the world a better place for supernatural things.


    The Queen granted her wish and got her enrolled in the training center.


    Amaru after getting purified was no longer faceless, he had returned to being just a normal wizard. It turned out they it was his obsession with becoming the most powerful warlock that led him to become the faceless god.


    He wasn''t unhappy with the change, it made him feel good not having to deal with negative emotions from everyone around him.


    He decided that a grounded life wasn''t for him. He and Ella decided to go around the world to discover what was out there. The queen made part of the help and rescue team, as part of the team they get to travel the world and help save people who are in need.


    They accepted the offer. Amaru and Ella left immediately as the help and rescue team were going on a mission.


    His aunt Malia and his uncle Mordecai both decided that they wanted to live a normal life where their child doesn''t have to worry about magical things.


    On that note the queen had them trained on how to live in the modern world. The terms and the modern technology were the basics of the lesson they were to learn.


    Until they learned how to live in the modern world arrangements were made for them to live in the bureau.


    Ander watched all of his friends and family get a chance to live their dream lives. They all went their separate ways to live the lives of their dreams. As for him, he was left in the BOST where his training was to take place.


    He was happy for his family but sad for his luck. He was just not meant for happiness, this morning he had found out about Royan and Razaan being wedded and becoming one.


    It was not a shock as he was already aware that his real family was unreasonable. He hasn''t seen Royan since morning so he had not gotten the opportunity to apologize to him.


    "What would you like Ander," Zazel asked him.


    "Not to be related to you but can''t change that can I?" he let out.


    "I know we started on the wrong foot but there is room for improvement," she spoke.


    "For someone who has always struggled to find where I belong. I know that I am not that desperate to be a part of your family," Ander let out and left.


    Parents are supposed to listen to their children, why bother becoming a parent when you only care about forcing your opinion on your children.


    Children had the right to have their dreams and parents don''t have the right to dream for them. They are children to a younger version of yourself to shape into the dreams that you couldn''t fulfill.


    As he walked down the glass corridors he saw Royan giving a speech in one of the rooms. Apologizing was the most important thing that he had to do.


    His life was ruined thanks to the words that he dared to utter to a king with no heart or a concerned mind. He opened the door to the room and walked in.


    His eyes were only on the Phoenix so he didn''t bother to check who it was that the male was talking to.


    "Roy," he said to get the Phoenix''s attention. "I need to talk to you," he stated.


    Royan let out a nervous laugh. He was giving a speech to his father, the King, and other important people in their world. That was the worst time to talk.


    "Can it wait, I will be free in the next hour," he told to give Ander the hint that it was a bad time to talk.


    Just then the queen walked through the door and walked to her seat. Royan swallowed hard.


    "It can''t, I feel that if I don''t let it out then I will worry about it for the rest of my life," Ander spoke. "The thing is today I watched everyone I care about chase after their dreams. They knew what they wanted in life and it got me thinking about my future."


    "You don''t have to decide in one go, to know where you want to be tomorrow. You must first know where you are today," Royan said to him. "You should go everywhere and anywhere that life takes you to find yourself only then can you know what future you want for yourself," he advised.


    He etched closer to the dragon and placed his hand on Ander''s shoulder. He gave him a kind smile that made him relax.


    "You have spent a long time trying to find yourself in your many identities. A son, a friend, a lover, and a nephew but not once have you tried to find yourself as just Ander," Royan let out.


    "Ask yourself what will you be if all those relationships weren''t there. If you can answer that question then you can decide your future easily," he informed.


    Ander got emotional hearing his words. It was weird how a boy so young was so smart, kind, and wise. It was strange that the boy always knew what to say to make him feel better. He had thought that Royan hated him after the wedding and all.


    "Aren''t you angry because of me you had to marry Razaan against your will?" he asked wondering what was in the male''s chest.


    A normal heart got angry and hateful but no matter what he did the kind smile on the male''s lips was always directed at him.


    "To be honest I was a little angry but anger only ever makes things worse so I make it a goal of mine, to not let the sunrise with anger in my heart," he told to him. "And about the wedding, don''t blame yourself. Life happens."


    Ander embraced Royan in a tight hug. The truth was that he was the only one that the dragon had ever met that didn''t try to change him. He didn''t have to work hard to impress him, only being himself and the male accepted him.


    "I have spent my life asking for love and acceptance from everyone. I had to change myself to try and make them like me. I plotted and planned so many things to get the love I thought I deserved but now I realize that I was wrong," Ander let out.


    Tears were flowing down his eyes when he realized how stupid he had been all his life.


    "Love is given from the heart and you can''t force it," he let out breaking the hug to look at the male in the eyes. "You taught me what love is and you did without expecting anything in return and for that, I will never stop being grateful to you," he added.


    "Wow, that was corny," Royan said while letting out a small life.


    "I don''t want to be the prince Azabia. I won''t be able to live with a king who doesn''t listen to his son, I can imagine the kind of King he must be. The queen is a mother but she understands nothing about motherhood. I think that all I am trying to say is, I am not going to let myself beg from people who deserve my time," Ander said.


    He had never felt so free like at that moment. He was himself and speaking just for him and he was proud of him.

 Chapter 158 - The War

    Ander expressed his views of the king of Azadia not knowing that the man in question was listening to his every word.


    "A king like him should be dethroned," the male stated. "He cares only about himself and doesn''t deserve to be a king," he added.


    He was really regretful of the fact that he had gotten Royan in trouble with the king for speaking his mind.


    "Before you comment on that I will have you know that I already know what I want for my future," He told.


    Royan set down his coat on his seat to hear what the dragon had to say. "What would that be?"


    "I want to be a normal person. Not a dragon, not a prince just normal," Ander replied.


    He didn''t have to think much of it as it was how he felt.. Magic was always the cause of his problems and now he wanted to rid himself of magic. He is a dragon but that doesn''t mean that he had to be tied down because of it.


    He was free to choose what he wanted for his life and that was his choice. He wasn''t planning to leave right away, he needed to gain control of his ice dragon first before he left.


    The decision made him feel good about himself, it was a decision that he made for himself. Nothing more could be more important than him in his life anymore.


    With Royan he had learnt to be him and put himself first before all else. It might be selfish but it was his life and his story.


    He had even thought of one day putting everything that he had experienced into a book. The book would have a lot of drama and none stop craziness that he wasn''t sure anyone would ever read it.


    "I''m glad that you have decided this. Don''t know the reason for it but it''s your choice and I approve," Royan told him before escorting him to the door.


    He was keeping very important people waiting and they wouldn''t be too happy. Not to mention that life wasn''t as easy as the dragon thought, wanting a normal life was easy but achieving it was one other impossible thing.


    Their was no way that the king would ever let him go and the queen. She acted angry but she too was looking forward to being with Ander. Soon the dragon would learn that it is not so easy to leave behind your roots.


    He turned back to continue the speech when he met with an empty room. All of them had left.


    "This is not good," he uttered.


    He exited the room and went to find the dragon, it was not normal for the king and the others to leave the meeting room without getting the final report. And since they left right after Ander left made him worry.


    He found Razaan giving some tips to a young dragon on how to better his fire attacks. "Raz, have you seen your brother?" he asked him.


    "No, but if you find him tell him that I owe him a few broken ribs," he replied to him.


    Royan moved on from the training center and made his way to the library. His eyes searched around in the room as he walked slowly. The rule was not to talk or run in the library.


    He asked the librarian if Ander had been there by writing the question on a note and showing it to her. The librarian shook his head telling that he had no idea where Ander was.


    Royan left the library and walked into the indoor sanctuary for rare endangered animals. He walked around hoping that the dragon had come to see the wonder of creatures in the sanctuary.


    But alas he wasn''t their either. Royan wasn''t able to understand how after being a part for only a few minutes that Ander would vanish.


    He walked into the arena to check. At this point he had lost hope that he would meet the male there. But to his surprise he saw him in the middle of the room.


    Ander was on his knees with the king and the others standing in a circle around him. Royan''s heart pounded his heart as he felt worried of what could have happened that boy looked so miserable.


    He felt all his reserve leave his body as he ran to Ander''s side. He pushed one of the elders aside and entered into the circle and grabbed Ander to pull him up.


    Ander shot his glance at him, his eyes color was glintching. It was changing from silver to blue to red to golden and back to silver. Royan tried to figure out what was going when suddenly Ander threw him off his body.


    Royan turned in the air from the throw, he tried to get his balance back from the fall. Ander came a bit to his senses seeing him in that condition and went to create snow to break his fall.


    But his eyes started acting up again and instead of trying to break Royan''s fall, he ended up firing ice to his heart.


    Royan landed on the ground and rolled three times before his body laid motionless on the ground.


    The ice from his heart spread to the rest of his body in seconds before the king and the elders could grasp what he had done. The Phoenix was turned into ice that was covered in colours that were new to all of them.


    "Roy," Zazel shouted as she came around.


    The Phoenix king and his council walked into the arena. His eyes widen with shock when the first thing that he saw was the state that his son was in. His son was frozen on the ground like a ice sculpture.


    Without wasting any time to ask what had happened, he fired a ball of fire to the dragon king. The King missed his attack but the elder behind him was turned to ashes.


    "Listen, this is not what it looks like?" the dragon king tried to explain but the Phoenix king was not in the mood to listen.


    Royan''s grandfather and his friends came into the room to see the heated fight between the two kings. Fire and ice was colliding in perfect harmony.


    If it want for the angry looks in their faces one would think that they were performing some sort of dance. They moved with precision each keeping to the opponents move.


    The council and the elders of Azabia were going head to head with other. They were fighting fire with fire as none of the elders was an ice dragon.


    He looked around the room and caught sight of his grandson frozen on the ground. His blood boiled to the fullest St that sight. Only a member of the royal family could have attacked him.


    "Attack," he ordered his friends while he went for the queen. Blood was going to be shed as they had yo avenge their child.


    A fight broke in the arena and the warning bells rang informing everyone of the war. Those of the Azabia started attacking anyone from Aetha the Phoenix kingdom.


    In no time the BOST had turned into a war center. The place was built with both kingdoms. It was to ensure that peace reigned for both kingdoms. Royan and Razaan''s marriage was just an icing to the cake of peace that they had baked.


    The refugees were kept in the panic rooms all around the BOST as they had nothing to do with the fight. They didn''t want to harm them.


    Furnitures were either broken or burnt during the war that broke out. The whole place was going up in flames. The ice fired by the king, queen and Razaan helped to reduce the fire a little bit but it didn''t stop the fire from burning the building.


    While they fought, Ander made his way to Royan. He looked at the Phoenix below his with no expression on his face. His eyes were still acting up.


    He squatted to the ground and placed his hand to the body. He wanted to shatter the frozen male into pieces. He felt no intense feelings at the moment, he just didn''t like him.


    Before he could shatter the male to pieces, Ander shook his head fighting the thing in his head. He was fighting the power that the king had forcefully given him. He couldn''t have it destroy the one person in the world who accepted him and taught him to live.


    ''There is only one way,'' the male voice in his head stated. ''He is protected by the power of love,'' a female voice in his head said.


    His eyes turned back to normal, his heart broke at seeing the state in which Royan was in. His hands shook knowing that it was him who did that, he had not meant to hurt him.He didn''t even know what the king had done to him that changed him so much.


    "I''m sorry," he cried out in regret.

 Chapter 159 - Freedom

    Royan coughed uncontrollably as he tried to catch his breath. The attack at the arena had been a close call, it was lucky for him that he had switched himself with an ice sculpture of himself that Zazel had made for him.


    He places his hand in his chest unable to comprehend the fact that he was still alive. Had that ice really hit him then he would have been dead. He removed his flame pendant that had taken the hit.


    The pendant was ruined from the ice but at least he was fine. He heard noises from all around. It seemed like a fight had broke out from the fighting sounds.


    He was certainly not going back out there. Ander had been right about the people here not caring, he had lived his life obeying orders that even he himself don''t like. He had so much for the respect and honor of the royal families but it was enough.


    Selflessness never did anyone any good. He took out his watch from his pocket and wrote coordinates for Razaan and asked him to bring Ander along.


    While they were on their way he stealthily made his way to the palace and got his and Razaan''s clothes. He moved to the ice sculpture room and got Razaan''s ice stature and strategically placed on the floor next to the reflecta mirror.


    So that it would look like the prince had struck himself with his own ice when he was fighting. The reflecta had reflected his attack on himself. He jumped and crushed the sculpture to pieces.


    He returned to the storeroom to find Ander arguing with Razaan as to why to took him from his dead body and brought him there.


    "Sorry to interrupt whatever this is," he said cutting both of them in what they were saying. Both of their jaws fell as they saw a dead man standing in front of them. "Razaan, I need your hand," he added removing his knife from his pocket.


    He cut Razaan at the shoulder and dug for the tracking chip on him and crushed it under his shoes. He gave the knife to Razaan to help him remove his own tracking chip.


    "What is happening?" Ander asked not sure what reaction was best at the moment. On one hand he felt happy that the male was fine but on the other hand he felt played.


    "We are going to run away but our families are going to believe that we all died in the war that is going on upstairs," Royan explained. He screeched as the chip was being removed.


    He passed bags with changing clothes, food and other necessities he could gather on such short period. "Any idea where we should go. It is our chance for freedom, choose wisely," Royan asked Razaan.


    Razaan thought about it for a minute before his eyes lit up. "I have the perfect destination," he let out.


    "Are you okay with this. I won''t feel bad if you would rather stay for your mother," Royan told to him. Razaan thought of his mother, all that he could recall was how she left him to the mercy of his father on their wedding day.


    He had spent his entire life trying to make everything perfect for her. Being the obedient good son and she just allowed him to marry someone his heart didn''t want because of reasons that aren''t even that important.


    "I am not going for you, I seek my own freedom from all of them," he let out.


    With everyone ready, the prince reached out his key and opened the door. He looked back one more time at the place he has always called home. Satisfied with his final look he jumped into the door.


    Ander and Royan followed right behind him before the door closed behind them. The door opened on  the ground of the place that Razaan had selected.


    Royan looked around at the flower forest that they were in, he was not happy with the choice that the male had mad.


    "I left the last part of my freedom plan to a male dragon named Razaan," he spoke disappointed.


    "This is beautiful," Ander spoke as he reached out his hand to touch the roses by his left side. Royan held his hand to stop him from touching the flower. He picked up a twig from the ground and threw it at the roses.


    The rose flower morphed and ate the twig right before their eyes. Ander felt his heart race in his heart thinking that it could have been his hand or body that got swallowed by the flower.


    "We are monster in monster city in Arekma. Everything in this place eats people and other things," Royan informed causing the dragon to clung to his back. He was in no mood to be turned into food.


    He would much rather take on the king than to take the place on.


    "It''s not that bad. I have always wondered how the creatures that live here survive and now we have a chance of knowing," Razaan said excited.


    He took a step forward only for a mouth to form on the ground and grab on his feet. "Aaahh," he screamed scared.


    Royan threw fire at the ground careful not to hurt the man until the ground spit the dragon out.


    "You are right. Living in a place where everything sees us as food would be an amazing idea," Royan let out sarcastically.


    He opened a door to leave the monster forsaken place. Surprisingly Razaan was the first one to leave. He had thought the prom e might need some convincing.


    He had taken them in a far away land called Dontiu. It was a peaceful place where everyone was welcomed to stay. It had no master plants or grounds that would kill them.


    The place had a lot of rules that prevented fights from happening. The rules weren''t that bad and were easy to live with so the place was perfect.


    "Welcome to your new home," he announced happily.


    "You are the worst," Razaan spoke as his mind registered where they were. They had been here before for a rescue and he hated every minute of the place.


    The place was isolated from the outside world.  They didn''t have all the modern technology that everyone loved. Letters and face to face conversations were the only methods of conversation available.


    There was a rule against everything and anything. Their was only three eateries in the whole place.  They didn''t have anything interesting happening in the place and the folks in the place were totally boring.


    He would much rather be eaten alive than to live there. "This is the last place that anyone would seek to find us. And life is simple here so we would have to deal with too much complications."


    They walked down the road with their bags. The closer they got to the village, the more curious Ander was of the place. He couldn''t wait to have a normal life away from everything complicated in his life.


    A life that was his and not linked to someone, not because of someone. Just for him.


    "We can''t rewrite our memories but we can write our future," Royan told to them. "If we don''t like it here in a few months we pick another place and go there. Nothing will stop us now, the three of us will call the universe our home because by the time we are done, their is no place that we would have not visited," he added.


    Now that was an offer that Ander could get behind. A life of adventure all over the world while maintaining a normal life.


    He was a dragon and being normal for him was different, he didn''t despise being different, he found that being different was his identity and he was okay with that.


    He had found a brother who could teach him how to better himself and a best friend who would always be by his side to support him.


    "Freedom has never tasted so good," he let out.


    "You have not tasted the food here. Freedom is going like hell once you try their food," Razaan complained.


    "We are here to lay low. We can''t underestimate our parents for now.  Until we are sure that they aren''t coming after us, we have to stay here," Royan let out.


    He had been singing those words in his head to calm himself. The truth was that he too was not too happy when Ander mentioned food. The food in the place was terrible.


    "Alright, but the next place we do to must have good food," Razaan declared to them.


    "Last one to the town is a rotten egg," Royan shouted while leading the race. He moved at such high speed.


    Ander and Razaan ran after him, they hoped and jumped around on the road. Taxkling each other fighting to reach the town first.


    The way they acted was something that they could never do back at home.. They free and it felt good.

 Chapter 160 - To Dare To Love A Dragon (End)

    5 years Later


    Ander finally found himself after searching for so long. He didn''t rush into a relationship with Royan, he had learnt that in order to love and accept Royan as a part of his life them he would have to love himself first.


    For year''s he got to know more of his brother and the Phoenix. Every now and then he would secretly meet his family and spend some time with them.


    He and Alex had completely resolved their differences, the couple had adopted a young dragon baby to raise as their own in Arimelari. The kingdom couldn''t have found better rulers.


    Ella and Amaru had fallen in love with each other during their adventures. They officially announced their relationship to everyone two years back and had been going strong since.


    Razaan and Royan had ended their relationship and each went separate ways. Razaan was forced to return to Azabia to become king after his father''s terrible passing.


    His mother Zazel stood beside him to help him run things. The woman''s attitude had taken a three hundred degree turn, she had changed a lot and had earned Ander''s love and respect.


    Royan was now the head of the Bureau Of Supernatural Things. His act of playing dead had gotten his father''s heart to melt. He had opened himself to be able to listen to his children and hence his daughter Manuela was crown as the next ruler of Aetha.


    Things had fallen into place for everyone, as for Ander. He had decided to become a farmer. He owned massive hectares of land where he grew crops and reared animals. He and Royan were taking it slow, as love shouldn''t be rushed.


    The peaceful life of giving to his animals and plants brought him a lot of satisfaction and peace.


    *****


    Present day


    Francis held the hand of his five year old child and let her to the garden. The other children had arrived with their parents for play time.


    His daughter joined the other kids to play in the garden while he sat to have his tea as he watched her.


    Life had changed quite a lot for the male who had dared to love a dragon.All the adventures that he had gone through in his life had made him wiser.


    He had made a vow to himself that his daughter will not get to live the life that he had watched Ander live. His daughter will not lack as long as he was alive, whether it was materialistic things or love.


    "Your highness," a servant called to him.


    He looked away from his daughter for a moment and gave his attention to the female who had called him.


    "The king has asked me to hand you this," the female said handing a piece of paper to him.


    Francis picked the note, he read from it and smiled with joy. He set the note on the table and asked the female servant to call all the servants of the palace to the garden.


    As he requested in the next few minutes all the servants stood by his side and waited for his instructions.


    "Listen," he spoke softly. "The king has informed me that the whole family is going to meet for a meal by the lake. Make all the arrangements needed and after that, you all can have a feast here in the garden," he informed to them.


    The servants held back their happiness, they wanted to jump with joy from the news. Francis was very generous to them, everytime that he and the king had guests. He would allow them their own party as long as they weren''t too loud or fail in their work.


    He would let them take food and drinks from the store for their families and for the party. That is why the palace had many staff, not only was the pay good but they were treated like family.


    "Make certain that all of the families favourite food is prepared and let the queen grandmother know about this as soon as possible," he added.


    He gave the key to the store to the head butler and dismissed them. Although he had his back turned to them, he could hear their squeaks and jumps.


    "Andrea baby," he called out to his daughter. The red haired girl in the crowd turned her head and looked at him. She gave him a smile before continuing to play with her friends.


    Food was brought by the servants and taken to the shade where the parents of the other children sat. It was a feasts of the best dishes in the kingdom, it was a treat that they looked forward to everytime that they had to come to the palace with their children.


    Having to eat like royals is something that they couldn''t turn down. After all the children who played with the princess were commoners.


    "Why do you let such people into the palace, they will corrupt the princess of Arimelari," the duchess said talking a seat opposite from Francis.


    She had her son by her side, Francis smiled and gazed in her direction. "Years have passed but you won''t change your ways Willow," Francis said to his sister.


    Apparently, the BOST had rescued some of the subjects of Arimelari before the black moon curse had consumed them. They had come back after peace had return to their home. Among the people that were saved were his mother and sister.


    "Why should I change when I like the way i am," Willow told to him.


    "They are commoners but don''t you forget that once we used to be one of them," Francis said calmly to her. "Mother is inside if you wish to meet her, their will be a feast be the lake later too," he added.


    "Alright, I will go inside. Come Felix, lets go meet your grandmother," she spoke and left with her child.


    Francis couldn''t understand her but he loved her nonetheless. Everyone might forget their past and where they came from but he could never forget how he got to where he was today and the things that made him the man that he was today.


    An hour had passed and Andrea had gotten tired of playing. She ran back to Francis''s side looking so dirty everywhere. Her hair was a mess and she was covered in dirt.


    "Let us get you cleaned up," he uttered to her.


    "Yes daddy," Andrea replied to him.


    He reached out to her and carried her in his arms. He didn''t mind how dirty she was, he thanked the parents of rhe children that had come to keep Andrea company and made his way to the palace.


    The maids took the girl from him to get her ready for the feast that was set up by the lake. The King and his mother were the first ones at the lake.


    They made sure that everything was fine for the family. The gathering was one that made their hearts fill with joy.


    Francis joined them a while later with Andrea in his hands, his mother and sister followed behind him.


    "How is my princess?" Alex asked sweetly to Andrea.


    "Tired and sleepy," the girl replied in a soft almost non existence voice.


    Alex took her off of Francis, he landed a kiss to her cheek and helped to her chair. "Once you''ve had your meal then you can go ahead and sleep," he told to her.


    "Willow," he let out happy to see her. He greeted Francis, Willow and his mother in law in a hug.


    "It''s been a long time," he told to his sister.


    The guests had one by one made their way to the lake, filling the chairs as their numbers increased.


    Sofia had arrived with Malcolm and their two children, Marco and Margaux. The two were the same age as Andrea and were dragons like her too. So they loved and bonded easily over the years.


    Andrea and her cousins left the table and rushed to play near the water. Silvia arrived at the lake, she had remarried and she was three months long. Her husband couldn''t make it to the feast but promised to be their next time.


    Francis and Alex teased her about him every time that they met as a family. And now they had more reasons to tease her as she was expectant.


    Ella and Amaru arrived with a fruit basket, they had just come from their trip to belly of the beast, a place in the ocean that was feared for the beasts that reside there.


    Razaan, Zazel, Manuela and Royan came together. They had brought wine for the get together, their arrival made the family almost complete with Malcolm, Malia and Ander running late.


    They waited for the rest of the family while making small talks here and there. They talked and laughed with each other, they all were not connected by blood. But the things they had experienced together over the years made them a family.


    And they wouldn''t want it any other way. "Where is Ander, he is never late," Francis asked worried.


    "Right here," Ander let out embracing him into a hug from the back. "I was testing out this device that makes people invincible, it works," he let out.


    He went around the table greeting everyone before talking his seat.


    "Smells good, shall we?" he asked feeling hungry from the sweet aroma of the food.


    "Your uncle and aunt aren''t here yet," Sofia told to him.


    "Then they aren''t hungry ao let''s eat," he let out while licking his lips. The others only laughed, there wasn''t a bigger foodie in the family than him.


    Right on time Malcolm and Malia arrived with their son Arran, they apologised for being late and joined the table. The children were called back to the table.


    Opening with a prayer, they dug into their food feeling immense happiness from being all together for a meal.


    "Cheers to all that are here today and to the one''s who couldn''t make it," Alex let thinking of his father. Annak was busy so she sent her apologise, the triplets and Natalia were also busy to make it.


    "Cheers," the others let out in unison.


    "To be daring enough to love a dragon," Francis made a toast.


    "To dare to love a dragon," they replied in unison.


    Everyone raised their glasses once more and cheered to that.. The feast continued on a happy tone and the family celebrated their bond that was sure to last for a long time.