May Death Do Us Part

203 Chapter 203 : Meeting.

Carol was nervous as she watched Melissa strip out of her dress and into a pair of slacks and a shirt.

“The uniform please Carol..”

The maid hesitantly walked towards her queen and gave her the Merian uniform. What was the queen thinking joining the men in war, not only was it not right for a woman to involve herself in affairs of this manner, but she was pregnant as well. This was dangerous, what if something happened to her?! Forget the ongoing war, if anything happened to Melissa and that baby, Elric would lay ruin to the kingdom of Meria himself.

After putting on the uniform, Melissa picked up armor and tightly fastened it around her body. She thanks whatever gods were out there that she hadn’t slacked in training in this life as well, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to move in this heavy armor.

“Your highness, please reconsider.” Carol pleaded desperately with Melissa, “let the men settle this matter on their own.. your highness think of the baby.”

Melissa turned to Carol and gave her a warm smile, “Carol, the baby is why I’m doing this. Please don’t worry yourself too much. You will understand when all of this is over.”

Marceline who had been looking out the window tugged her lips up in a smile when she saw nosferatu soldiers landing in the palace courtyard with their breast plates baring her husband’s emblem, the emblem of Wintershold.

“They are here,” Marceline announced. “It’s about time we had a big family reunion.”

*

.....

Estel stumbled to her knees and started coughing, she had never had to teleport anywhere before. The experience was very disorienting and uncomfortable.

She rose to her feet and saw the grand gates of the Gavarian palace not too far from her. She pulled up her dress and ran towards the gates, praying and hoping that she was not late yet again and would find Aiden there.

As the elven princess approached the gates, the four guards crossed spears and glared at her dismissively.

“Come no further if you value your life!” One of the guards yelled.

Estel slowed her pace but continued approaching the gates still. “Please I mean no harm, I am here looking for someone. Can you please help me?!”

“Stop where you and state your business!” The gaurd responded, this time pointing his spear forward.

“I seek Aiden!” Estel responded. She was desperate, she had no time to waste negotiating with these men. Her son was in danger and possibly the whole continent. “He wears a full head of red hair, blue eyes.. ummh he’s a nosferatu possibily working with your king. Please I need to speak with him before...”

As if it were a jinx, The sky began to darken. Estel and the gaurds looked up in a panic. Oh no, this aura, Estel knew this aura.

“Oh Damien, what have they done to you?” The woman mumbled to herself. She turned back to the guards and walked towards them.

“You! Woman! Stay right there!” The gaurds warned, their voices laced with worry and fear. “Are you witch or demon?! What are you trying to do?!”

Estel stood a few inches away from the edge of one of gaurd’s spear. “Do you see that?! We are all in danger! If you don’t let me see Aiden right now, this kingdom and possibly this continent will be laid to ruin!”

A deafening screech filled the air making the guards drop their weapons and stumble backwards. “What they hell is that?!”

Estel grabbed one of the men, “tell me where Aiden is! Hurry we don’t have much time!”

The trembling gaurd was shaking as the sky darkened even more. “Aiden rides with the king for war in meria, they left a few hours ago.”

“Damn it all..” Estel cursed. “Give me your fastest horse, hurry!”

Estel followed one of the gaurds into the palace, Theo who had been informed of some ruckus walked out of the palace and met the strange woman at the entrance.

“Who are you?!” He turned to the gaurd and gave him an angry look, “how dare you let a stranger with palace-”

“Oh will you shut it lycan!” Estel yelled. She had had enough of people wasting time, “do you see that dark sky! Do you hear those screams?! Unless you want everyone to die, give me your fastest horse and let me reach Aiden!”

Theodora rushed out of the room and gasped. That long golden hair, those purple eyes, those elven features. Could it be truly her? “Estel?”

The elven Princess looked up at the woman who had called to her in surprise. “You know of me?”

“Estel it really is you...” Theodora walked down the stairs and stared at the woman. Gods, she was even more beautiful than Aiden described her to be. “I have heard of you many times from Aiden.”

Estel knitted her eyebrows, who was this beautiful woman who knew her Addie. Had he found a new woman in his life, the fact that she was beautiful stung Estel’s heart a little. “Who are you?”

“I’m Theodora, and I ma Aiden’s ally.” The beautiful woman spoke as she swayed her hips and walked forward.

“Ally?”

“I can help you find him.” Theodora turned to Theo and gave him a nod, “please help us with two of your fastest horses, we don’t have much time to waste. She is an ally.”

Before long, Theodora and Estel were racing through the Gavarian capital to catch up with the army.

“He will be so happy to see you!” Theodora called to the woman riding beside her. “He had spent many years looking for you!”

“If that is true then why is he with you?!”

Theodora chuckled, so Estel was the jealous type, he understood her of course, who wouldn’t be the jealous type with a man like Aiden. It’s a good thing Estel arrived when she did, it would have been a little awkward if she showed up when Theodora thought she was in love with Aiden.

“He helped me at one point in life,” Theodora responded, “I am merely indebted to him and nothing else. I assure you, no woman had been able to hold a candle to you in his heart!”

A small smile painted Estel’s beautiful face, she didn’t know she needed to hear that but she did.

*

Elric and his brothers halted at the top of a hill. “We will wait here!” He commanded the royal guard. He could sense the rest of his men strategy waiting in hidden parts of the bushes around the trail the Gavarian army was to take on their way here.

The silver haired king dismounted his steed and looked passed the horizon, the Gavarian palace was visible from where they stood stood, so if Elric’a calculations were right, Gareth and his men would arrive in a day or so.

“We rest and wait, but don’t drop your gaurd,” Elric commanded, “it’s time to put an end to this senseless rivalry between Gareth and I. It is long overdue.”

*

Melissa and Marceline walked out of the palace and spotted a tall man with dark hair, blue eyes and a beared being confronted by some of the guards of the palace. They had their spears

and swords pointed at him but he seemed very calm and unphased.

When the man glanced in the direction of the two women, his emotionless demeanor immediately melted away and in it’s place was a look of longing and sadness.

Melissa stood in place frozen as her mother made her way to the man and embraced him. Was that her father? Marceline whispered something to the man who turned to Melissa and started walking towards her.

For some reason her heart leapt to her throat and her eyes widened. Before the man could reach Melissa, the guards crossed swords in front of him.

“Take one more step towards the queen and it will be your head,” one of the guards warned.

The man turned to look at the guard, his look alone was enough to almost break the guard’s constitution. Melissa could see that this man, her father, didn’t demand authority, he just took it.

“Stop!” Melissa commanded the gaurd. “Let him step forward.” She knew that if she didn’t come in, there would have been trouble.

Hesitantly, the gaurds stepped aside and let the man pass. He walked slowly towards Melissa and halted a few inches from her. He reached towards Melissa with his clawed hand, guards gripped their weapons ready to attack him if he harmed the queen, but to their surprise, the man pulled Melissa in for a hug.

“My little princess,” Stefan whispered in a jittery voice, “look how you’ve grown.” He pulled back and rubbed her shoulders lovingly, both his and Melissa’s eyes were misty, “can you ever forgive me for putting you through this hell?”

A tear trickled down Melissa’s face before she buried herself into the man’s chest. “Father..” she whimpered, “there’s nothing to forgive. You’re here now, that’s all that matters.”