Chapter 39

Days turned into a blur as we nursed our wounds. To say we were battered and bruised would be an understatement. I was a mess of cuts and bruises, but Navine was in a far worse state.

Dominick’s blade had pierced Navine’s upper left chest, narrowly missing his heart. The knife had sliced through muscle and bone, leaving a gaping wound. Emelio had done his best to treat it, but now it was a waiting game for the wound to heal under the bandages, which needed frequent changing.

Anika was there to lend a hand, but I insisted on taking care of Navine. He was my husband, after all, and I was healing faster than he was.

As Navine’s strength slowly returned, a new problem arose. Lord Jekia was making good on his promise to address the issues left in the wake of Dominick’s death. He’d sent us a notice about a meeting with all the remaining Alpha Dragons, and he wasn’t planning on waiting.

Navine didn’t seem surprised.

“He’s worried about what might happen now that Dominick’s death is public knowledge. It’s only natural he wants to tie up loose ends,” he said.

I wondered why Lord Jekia had waited so long to address these issues with the Dragons. But I didn’t feel it was my place to question him. Besides, dwelling on it would only stir up old anger about what happened to my family.

Dominick was dead, and what was done was done. The only way forward was to not look back.

A week later, I found myself sitting at my vanity, adjusting my green dress and trying to calm my nerves. My wounds were healing, and I was moving around better, but the trauma of what happened with Dominick still haunted me. I was having trouble sleeping, afraid of sleepwalking, and I was too paranoid to leave the palace for fear of encountering Golems.

But I knew I had to face my fears. I had to stand by Navine’s side during this meeting.

~But I’m still so scared~, I thought. ~I’m stronger than this, but I can’t seem to shake it off.~

My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Navine walked in.

“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” he said as he came over to me.

“Have I been in here that long?” I glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed. “I’m sorry. I guess I was lost in thought.”

“It’s okay. I was actually hoping you’d fallen asleep. You need more rest,” Navine said.

“I’m not sure I can sleep yet. It might be a while before I can sleep peacefully.”

“I’ve told you before, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll wake up if you leave our bed, and Nanash is also keeping an eye on things to make sure you don’t wander off.”

“I know,” I said, standing up. “And I hope I can pull myself together soon. I hate worrying everyone.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. We worry because we love you. That’s what matters.” He went over to the vanity, took out the sun necklace he’d given me, and put it around my neck. “Besides, I did promise to never let anything happen to you again, didn’t I?”

I smiled at him. “Yes, you did.”

Ever since I’d returned home, these small moments of connection had been a balm. Our conversations had become more open, more honest. It felt like we were not only healing the wounds of past mistakes but also starting afresh.

I had faith in Navine. I believed he would keep his promise to be better, both in his role and toward me. Even though it hadn’t been long, I could feel the change in him. Like Dominick, he had stumbled, but unlike him, Navine was choosing to rise again—to confront the person he had become.

Navine glanced at the clock. “We should get going. We have a long flight ahead, and I doubt Jekia would appreciate us being late.”

“Probably not,” I agreed as we started down the hallway. “He’s been worried about all this, hasn’t he?”

Navine nodded. “He has every right to be. His job is to protect the Northern Lands. He relied on me and the other alphas to help him. The fact that some of his strongest allies have been shirking their duties has hit him hard.”

I nodded in understanding. “It makes sense. He can’t be everywhere at once, and neither can Emelio. The saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ rings true.”

Navine agreed. “It does, and we’ll have to answer for our actions—especially me.”

As we stepped into the courtyard, we found Nanash basking in the sunlight, engrossed in one of his favorite books. He slithered over to us as he saw us approach.

“I take it you’re leaving now.”

“We are,” Navine confirmed. “We should be back by evening. I’ll let you know if we’re running late.”

Nanash turned to me. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I can keep an eye on things here if you’d rather stay.”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “It’s important for me to be there. Besides, I trust Navine to keep me safe.”

Nanash gave Navine a pointed look. “Do you realize how fortunate we are that she still trusts us after everything?”

Navine nodded. “I do, and I don’t think either of us plans on betraying that trust again.”

“Absolutely not,” Nanash agreed. He hugged me tightly. “Safe travels, dear. I’ll be here when you return.”

“Thank you, Nanash. We’ll see you soon,” I promised.

After bidding Nanash farewell, Navine and I set off for Lord Jekia’s palace. I won’t lie, I was a bit nervous about leaving home. But the feeling of soaring high above the ground, taking in the breathtaking views, was exhilarating. I’d almost forgotten how much I loved flying with Navine.

The landscape below us transformed as we flew, and about an hour later, we arrived at Lord Jekia’s palace. Navine landed in the courtyard and helped me down. It felt good to be back, even if our visit wasn’t purely social.

Emelio appeared before us, bowing respectfully.

“Welcome. You’ve arrived in good time.”

“We didn’t want to risk upsetting Jekia by being late,” Navine replied, looking around. “But it seems the others haven’t arrived yet.”

“They’re on their way and should be here soon. In the meantime, let me show you inside. Lord Jekia is waiting for you in the conservatory,” Emelio informed us.

We followed Emelio into the palace, making our way to the conservatory. The room was reminiscent of Navine’s, filled with water channels and a variety of plants. A large round table had been set up near the glass wall, where Lord Jekia was waiting for us, flanked by Rin and Rayne.

Seeing Rayne again, after everything I’d learned, felt strange. There was a time when I thought I could never face him as a friend again. But now, it felt like we were back to our old dynamics.

It was a relief. I wanted to preserve my close friendship with him and Rin, not lose it over fleeting emotions.

“Ah, there you are, you two. I had a hunch you’d be the first to arrive,” Lord Jekia greeted us with a knowing smile.

“You know how these meetings usually go when we’re involved,” Navine replied. He pulled out a chair for me before taking his own.

He nodded at Rin and Rayne. “I see you two will be joining us as well. It’s been a while since I last saw you, Rayne.”

“It has,” Rayne agreed. He turned to me with a relieved expression. “It’s good to see you too, Raelina. I regret not seeing you sooner, especially with all that’s been happening lately.”

“You don’t need to feel bad. I know you’ve had your own share of problems with everything that happened to Luna. She’s okay, isn’t she?” I asked, concern lacing my voice.

“She’s doing well now, and I’m glad to see you seem to be doing the same,” Rayne reassured me.

“You worry too much. I told you Navine was taking good care of her,” Rin teased him.

“Why wouldn’t I worry? Raelina is like a sister to us, and it’s not like there wasn’t a whole lot more to this,” Rayne defended himself.

“I take it you’ve been filling them in on everything,” Navine turned to Lord Jekia.

“I have,” Lord Jekia confirmed. “I believe it’s better for them to know what’s happening, and I know they wouldn’t forgive me if I kept anything from them about Raelina. They’re as protective of her as they are of Selenia.”

Navine gave a resigned smile. “Yes, I’ve noticed that. I suppose they’ll be checking in on her more often now.”

“Glad you understand,” Rin told him.

“We wouldn’t mind that at all. It would be nice to spend some time with you two and Selenia again. It’s been a while, and I’d like to get to know Aurora and Luna,” I chimed in.

“Trust me, they’re eager to know you too. We’ll make sure that happens,” Rayne promised.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Emelio walked in, followed by Niles. To my surprise, he wasn’t alone. Umira was with him.

I couldn’t help but get up and approach her. She looked so much better than the last time I’d seen her. Dressed in a simple yet elegant white dress, her long hair cascading down her back, her eyes sparkled in a way I hadn’t seen before.

Her hair perfectly concealed her missing ear, and honestly, it wasn’t very noticeable.

“I didn’t know you were coming too. You look amazing!” I exclaimed.

“Thank you so much. I’ve been feeling much better since I accepted Lord Niles’s proposal,” Umira responded, her smile radiant.

“Proposal?” I echoed, turning to Niles.

I hadn’t heard anything about this, and it seemed Navine was just as surprised.

“I wasn’t aware you had such an interest in this Elf. You never mentioned anything to me or the others,” he said, looking at us.

“No, I didn’t,” Niles admitted. “I wanted to give Umira some time to adjust and recover. My proposal leaves the decision in her hands. I don’t want her to ever feel like a prisoner again.”

“Do you know how Sky and Ginger are doing?” I asked them.

“They’re doing well. Ginger decided to return to her family, who were thrilled to have her back, and Sky has gone to the Eastern Lands to work with a noble family,” Umira informed us.

“That’s a relief. I’ve been worried about all three of you. I know what happened was hard on you, regardless of how bad things had become,” I confessed.

Umira looked down. “It was, but this is also for the best, even for Lord Dominick.”

As she finished speaking, Mordecai and Lorelei joined us, both relieved to see me and Navine. Lorelei immediately enveloped me in a hug.

“Oh, I’ve been so worried about you! Are you sure you’re okay now?!” she asked, concern etched on her face.

“I’m fine now. Navine was hurt worse than I was, so you should be checking on him,” I protested.

“I can’t say I feel sorry for him, not after everything I’ve heard. He got what he deserved!” Lorelei declared, releasing me from her grip.

Mordecai chimed in. “Seems like you’ve got some more making up to do.”

Navine took it all in stride. “That’s just what I’d expect from the Scarlet Queen.”

Lord Jekia interjected. “Not to rain on your parade, but we can continue this later. We have important matters to discuss now that everyone’s here.” He didn’t seem annoyed. In fact, I thought I saw a glint of amusement in his eyes.

We all took our seats, ready for the meeting to begin. Emelio materialized just behind Lord Jekia.

Mordecai looked around the table, a smirk playing on his lips. He rested his elbow on the table, his chin propped on his fist.

“This is quite a sight. I can’t remember the last time we had a meeting with you, Jekia. And now your sons are old enough to join us,” he mused.

Lord Jekia nodded. “It’s been a while, but it’s also long overdue. Recent events have made that clear and opened my eyes to what I should’ve been focusing on from the start.”

Niles sighed heavily. “I wish I could say what happened with Dominick was an anomaly, but that wouldn’t be true. Discovering Raelina’s deep-rooted connection was a sobering revelation.”

Lorelei agreed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. “It’s also shed light on what really happened to Rosaline all those years ago. We always suspected Dominick, but we didn’t realize the extent of it.”

Emelio clarified. “The story was kept quiet, out of respect and to maintain peace among the alpha ranks after the ruler was chosen. There was a lot of unrest, and the Higher Ones felt we needed all the help we could get from the other alpha.”

Niles nodded, tapping his finger on the table. “I remember that. But I’ve always felt things weren’t handled properly back then. I find it hard to believe they didn’t know about the tension between Dominick and Navine, or what he did to Rosaline.”

Lord Jekia didn’t deny it. “Under the guise of needing the alpha’s help, those crimes were overlooked and forgotten. I share some of the blame. I knew Navine was in a dark place after Rosaline’s death, but I let him isolate himself and let Dominick do as he pleased. I tried to keep an eye on him, but I should’ve done more. I owe Raelina an apology too. Navine may not have reacted appropriately when warned about the Sun Fae attack, but I also let things slide that led to it.”

His words were a sobering reality check, but not unexpected. I knew Lord Jekia must’ve been aware of all this back then, and that he let it slide. There was no other explanation for how things played out, even before I was born.

But the sadness of it all seemed to outweigh the anger. I didn’t think they ever intended for innocents to be caught in the crossfire.

I decided to speak up, looking straight at Emelio. “You’re Lord Jekia’s Mage. You know a lot about what happens in these lands, and it’s your job to maintain peace. Why did you let Dominick do what he did? I can’t believe you didn’t know more.”

He didn’t deny it. “Yes, I knew a lot, but my hands were tied. There were things I wasn’t allowed to tell Lord Jekia, despite my protests.”

“Let’s put a stop to this,” Lord Jekia declared, his gaze hardening as he looked at the alphas around the table. “We can’t undo the past, but we can certainly avoid repeating it. I’ve made my stance clear to the Higher Ones, and now I’m doing the same with you. I’m weary of the losses and heartbreak, and I’m determined to do everything in my power to prevent them from happening again.”

“I share your sentiments, regardless of whether you want me to keep my position,” Navine retorted.

“With all due respect, Jekia, I don’t think removing Navine is the best course of action,” Niles chimed in. “Despite his serious errors, he was under immense stress that was never properly addressed.”

“I have to agree, based on what I’ve observed,” Mordecai added.

“I concur,” Lorelei echoed.

“I see.” Lord Jekia shifted his attention to me. “Raelina, what’s your take on this? You’ve been affected the most by these events, so your opinion should carry the most weight.”

I paused to gather my thoughts before responding. He was right. Not only had I died in Rosaline’s life due to these events, but I’d also suffered greatly in this life as the repercussions continued to unfold.

Could I really blame them? They might have been guilty of inaction that led to my family’s death, but that didn’t mean they intended for them to die.

Beyond that, I felt like this blame game was getting us nowhere. It was just perpetuating the cycle of pain, even with Dominick out of the picture. For that reason, I decided to stick to what I’d told Navine after everything had ended.

“I don’t think it would be beneficial to strip Navine of his status or titles, nor is it helpful to keep blaming him, you, Emelio, or anyone else for what’s already happened. Yes, I miss my family, but I’m also willing to forgive all of you for whatever part you played in those events, and I believe they would too,” I told them.

Rin seemed thoroughly entertained by all of this. “It seems to me like Raelina had her mind made up from the start,” he remarked.

“I simply choose not to dwell on the past, just as we discussed earlier,” I said, gently touching Navine’s arm. “I also don’t see how it would be beneficial to relieve Navine of his duties. I know firsthand that he is noble at heart and regrets what happened. He also promised me that he would spend his life making amends to me and all those who were harmed by Dominick’s unchecked actions.”

Navine let out a huff, a faint smile playing on his lips. “What kind of alpha would I be if I broke my most solemn promise to the woman I love?”

“He’s got a point, Father. We can’t exactly claim to be completely innocent when it comes to making serious mistakes, or that we haven’t wanted to make amends for them,” Rayne chimed in.

“Very well,” Lord Jekia concluded. “I’m willing to let Navine keep his position. I assume the Higher Ones would agree?”

“They would. After all, losing any alpha, especially another Dragon, would be a significant loss for these lands,” Emelio confirmed.

“So, what’s the plan regarding the Prism Dragon’s death? He was next in line after us, wasn’t he?” Rin inquired.

“He was,” Lord Jekia confirmed. He turned his gaze to Navine. “Currently, Navine and Niles are the backup candidates after you and Rayne, and Dominick was after them. The most logical choice would be to move the one ranked below him up, although it’s a toss-up between Lorelei and Mordecai.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer you give it to Mordecai. While I’m committed to fulfilling any duties you assign me, I’d like to focus most of my energy on my young daughter,” Lorelei suggested.

“I don’t mind that, and I agree that Lorelei’s priority should be her child. We don’t have many children now, so our lines might not last as long as we’d hoped,” Mordecai conceded.

“That’s an unfortunate reality,” Emelio sighed. “Perhaps the Dragons should prioritize this in the future. No one wants to see any more lines die out.”

Navine seemed to understand that he was the one being addressed. “No, we don’t, and Lyric is part of my line, so you can stop fretting over it.” Navine’s words were firm, but Emelio wasn’t easily swayed.

“You’ve been leaning on that fact a bit too much, Navine. Now that you’re settled with Raelina, maybe give it some thought.”

I decided to step in before things escalated. “We might consider it in the future, but for now, I think we’re good as we are.”

Lord Jekia’s chuckle filled the room, a clear sign he knew where this conversation could lead.

“All right, let’s drop it, especially considering recent events.” He straightened up in his chair, his tone serious.

“I’ll consider this matter closed as long as you all fulfill your duties as I’ve outlined. Mordecai will take Dominick’s place among you, and you will all serve under me as lords and protectors of your assigned territories. If you fail without a valid reason, you’ll lose your titles and be banished. Am I clear?”

Everyone agreed without a second’s hesitation, and the meeting was adjourned.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Everything had gone smoothly, just as I’d half-expected.

Lord Jekia, I knew, would never want to kick out any of these Dragons unless absolutely necessary. But he would also make sure they did what was required of them.

As everyone started to stand, Rin approached Navine and me.

“Do you mind if Rayne and I visit with Raelina while you’re here? We haven’t seen her in a while and wanted to catch up?” he asked.

Navine shrugged nonchalantly.

“I don’t see why not. I was hoping to have a private chat with your father anyway, so take your time.”