Chapter 61

GABRIEL

~30 Years Ago~

“Did you find her?” Gabriel inquires, breezing past the throne room.

“Yes, but where are you off to?” the man questions.

“I’m going to see her. Can’t I?” Gabriel replies, his face lighting up with joy as he sprints toward the queen’s chamber.

He’s been waiting for two years to meet her. The woman who will become his queen.

Requesting the guards to open the chamber doors, Gabriel adjusts his cloak. He strides in with a smile, greeting everyone present. His father, brother, concubine, and a few servants form a circle.

He pays them no mind as he heads straight for the bed. The happiness he feels in that moment is indescribable. His heart, mind, and body have been longing for this moment.

He halts, looking at the group of four standing before him. His eyes dart around the room. “Where is she?” he wonders, just as he spots the woman standing behind two of the men.

“You’re Gabriel?” one of the men questions. He then clears his throat and bows.

“Yes, I’m Gabriel,” he responds, returning the bow. Both men stare at him, their faces creased with frowns. One of the men is King Casen, a dragon.

He’s not just the king of one of the most powerful hordes, but also one of the most respected ones. “I welcome you all. May I meet her?” Gabriel asks, his smile unwavering.

Everyone waits patiently for the men to step aside and reveal the woman. All Gabriel can see of her is her red hair. He swallows hard, but keeps his smile in place.

He can tell that King Casen is reluctant to move, but to his surprise, he sighs. As he steps aside, the woman with red hair looks up. She’s taken aback to see King Casen moving first.

“Casen?” she whispers, surprised.

“Don’t worry,” King Casen reassures her, smiling. He takes her hand and guides her to the front. Gabriel’s gaze immediately shifts to her face. Her curly red hair and pale skin captivate him.

But what truly intrigues him are her eyes. Each eye is a different color. One is blue like the morning sky, and the other is hazel with streaks of orange.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself?” King Casen suggests encouragingly. She sighs and turns to Gabriel. The moment their eyes meet, her fate is sealed.

“Hi, I’m Princess Kalliste,” she says nervously, looking away. Gabriel smiles at her, but as he steps toward her, King Casen blocks him. He raises his arm, shooting Gabriel a warning glare.

“Sorry,” Gabriel apologizes. Kalliste looks at Casen. He’s troubled by the fact that he’s giving his mate away. But they had no other choice, and they both knew it.

Concerned, Kalliste steps in and smiles at Gabriel. “Nice to meet you,” she says warmly. “If you don’t mind, I would like to speak with you, Casen, in private.”

Everyone exchanges glances. Gabriel is the first to nod and turn away. Then, after asking everyone else to leave, Casen and Kalliste close the chamber doors.

“Casen, please,” Kalliste pleads, trying to empathize with her mate. “You know this is the only way.”

“The only fucking way?” King Casen retorts, swearing. He’s clenching his teeth so hard that a small vein bulges on his forehead. Kalliste frowns and steps back.

“Yes, and you know it. If we don’t, our entire horde will be in danger,” Kalliste argues. “We agreed to this two years ago, and now it’s time.”

“But how can I let you go? Don’t you understand how I feel?” King Casen says, his voice filled with pain. “I love you too much to let you go. There has to be another way.”

“No,” Kalliste says, taking his hands. She smiles sadly, lifts her head, and looks into his eyes. “This is what we have to do.”

Swearing, King Casen releases her hands. He turns away from her, no longer able to hide his anger. “Fuck this!” King Casen growls. “I will go to war!”

“No, you won’t!” Kalliste says, stroking his face as tears well up in her eyes. She shakes her head. “Don’t do that for me, and don’t destroy the others.”

“But Kalliste!” King Casen protests, grabbing her hands.

“Enough,” Kalliste says. “I’m your mate and your equal. And it’s my decision. Please call Gabriel back,” she commands.

Excusing himself, a guard steps outside, closing the doors quietly behind him. “Please, just let it go,” Kalliste begs. “Once he dies, I’ll come back.”

Without another word, Casen walks away from her, leaving her in tears. As Gabriel walks in, Casen brushes past him, leaving him alone with Kalliste.

Months pass, and Gabriel makes Kalliste his queen. His concubine, who recently gave birth, greets him. Her envy is clear as she looks at the new, unfazed queen.

Kalliste seems unaffected by the interaction between Gabriel and his concubine. She doesn’t love Gabriel, after all. She agreed to marry him only for the protection and safety of her horde.

As a queen with a mate, she had to make sacrifices, even if it meant leaving the love of her life.

Four years pass, and Gabriel starts to change. His behavior and greed unsettle everyone in the castle.

His greed grows so immense that he murders his father and brother, leaving himself as the sole rightful ruler. Kalliste watches as his desires extend beyond mere riches.

One day, as she walks past his office, Kalliste overhears a conversation between Gabriel and one of his closest friends.

“You still haven’t gotten the queen pregnant?” the man asks him. Kalliste hides behind the wooden doors, listening to their conversation.

“Kalliste won’t have me,” Gabriel confesses, his voice heavy with disappointment.

Kalliste knows the stakes. If she doesn’t bear him an heir, all her sacrifices would be for nothing.

“Why not try your concubine?” the man suggests, but Gabriel’s sigh tells Kalliste he’s tired of this conversation.

She’s come to know Gabriel well over the years. His obsession with her only grows with time.

“She’s already given me two sons and a daughter. What more can I ask of her?” Gabriel retorts, irritation creeping into his voice. “And don’t even think about suggesting I make her queen. Kalliste is my queen, and no one else.”

“But my sister has been with you longer!” the man argues. Kalliste recognizes his voice. Deciding to intervene, she knocks and calls for Gabriel.

She strides into the room, her gaze sweeping over the men. “My queen, what brings you here?” Gabriel asks, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Is something wrong?” Kalliste turns to face him.

With a smile, she asks, “I was just wondering what your plans are for tonight, my king.” She has to play her part, even if it disgusts her.

One man rolls his eyes and leaves the room. Once the door closes behind him, Kalliste lets out a sigh.

“Is something bothering you?” Gabriel asks, his brow furrowing. She looks at him and forces a smile.

“No, why would anything be wrong? I was just a little disappointed that you didn’t answer,” Kalliste replies, lowering her gaze. Gabriel pulls her into a hug, but his touch makes her skin crawl.

Her revulsion for him is overwhelming. If she could, she would kill him. “So?” she prompts.

“Would you like to do something?” Gabriel asks. Kalliste nods, playing her part. If she doesn’t, everything could fall apart.

Having made her intentions clear, she kisses his cheek and leaves his office, heading back to her chambers. On her way, she runs into the concubine.

“Queen Kalliste,” the woman greets her, a smile on her face.

“Helen,” Kalliste replies, her tone serious. She knows Helen despises her. The way she looks at Kalliste makes it painfully obvious.

Kalliste’s gaze lands on the small princess in Helen’s arms. She knows the child’s fate. She will be killed by her own father.

Kalliste is more than just a dragon princess. She possesses powers that no one should know about, that no one should speak of.

Only her family knows about her abilities. Because of this, Kalliste knows the princess’s fate. She will be killed by her father’s greed.

With a smile, Kalliste walks away, leaving Helen puzzled. She feels sorry for her, but that doesn’t mean she’ll back down.

Night falls, and it’s time for Kalliste’s meeting with Gabriel. She changes into her nightgown and sighs. Her long red hair is a tangled mess. As she tries to tame it, she hears the door open.

She catches a glimpse of Gabriel in the mirror. He looks exhausted. As he approaches her, he manages a smile.

“Tired?” Kalliste asks.

“Yes, but for you, my queen, I could never be,” Gabriel replies, kissing her cheek. Kalliste suppresses her nausea.

“Do you need help?” he asks, eyeing her hair. Kalliste nods, forcing a smile.

From the moment Gabriel married her, he was always by her side. He wanted to be involved in every little detail of her life.

His obsession with her was so intense that he would even tie her wrist to his at night.

Gabriel begins to kiss her shoulder, and Kalliste tilts her head to give him better access. His kisses trail down her body, light as a feather.

Kalliste closes her eyes and pretends it’s her mate. Every time Gabriel kisses her, she imagines it’s Casen.

Gabriel takes her hand and helps her to her feet. Kalliste puts on her most seductive expression as Gabriel kisses her. Then, with shaking hands, she reaches for him.

She despises him with every fiber of her being.

“Kalliste?” Gabriel whispers. She hums in response. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She can hear the concern in his voice. Keeping her eyes closed, she continues to hold him. Finally, she nods.

Gabriel pulls her closer, studying her face. Kalliste just smiles at him, knowing that tonight is the night. The night she’s been trying to avoid.

She bites her lip and initiates a kiss, signaling to him that she’s all his.

The news hits her like a bucket of cold water. Kalliste is pregnant. Not with one baby, but two.

The news is overwhelming. She hates the fact that she’s carrying ~his~ children, the man who ruined her life. It took years for her to get pregnant, but she finally let it happen.

A knock at the door interrupts her thoughts. Kalliste turns, her body tense. She doesn’t know what to do. She just found out she’s pregnant. She quickly fixes her hair and dress before opening the door. Helen, the concubine, stands there, a scowl marring her beautiful face.

“Is something wrong, Concubine?” Kalliste asks, mirroring Helen’s frown.

“I heard you’re expecting. Congratulations,” Helen says, her voice dripping with anger. Kalliste just smiles at her.

“Yes, news travels fast, I see,” Kalliste replies, smirking. “I hope it’s a boy.”

Helen bites her lip and forces a smile, but her eyes are cold. Kalliste knows this is a setback for Helen.

“You should try to get pregnant again,” Kalliste suggests, knowing her words will cut Helen like a knife. After all, it wasn’t long ago that Gabriel sacrificed his daughter for dragon eggs.

The mistress is still grieving over her daughter's death. But that doesn't stop her from loving Gabriel. She's just as greedy as he is.

Kalliste is still in shock that Gabriel could kill his own daughter. His own flesh and blood. With a smile, she lets the mistress know she's off to see the king.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” the mistress warns, causing Kalliste to pause. She just gives her a puzzled look. ~What's she talking about?~ Kalliste wonders.

“The king’s in a bad mood.”

“Is he?” Kalliste snaps back. “Maybe for you, but for me? Never.”

“Oh yes,” the mistress says. “Didn’t you hear, Your Highness? The king just declared war on your beloved kingdom.” Helen leans in closer to Kalliste.

“And if you’re wondering, yes, most of the dragon horde was killed, but don’t worry, my queen. Your beloved is the only survivor,” she says, laughing.

Kalliste grabs her by the throat, slamming her against the wall. “Say that again,” Kalliste demands, smirking.

The mistress looks at the queen in surprise. She didn't expect her to react like this. She's never laid a hand on her before.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Kalliste presses. The mistress just laughs and tilts her head.

“Yes, my queen. Why didn’t your husband tell you? He attacked your kingdom of monsters. He ordered his general to do so a few weeks ago. I thought he informed you,” the mistress spits out with venom.

“Lies!” Kalliste shouts.

“Oh no. If you don’t believe me, then ask your king,” she says, laughing. Letting go, Kalliste runs down the stairs. Her body feels weak and her heart heavy as she rushes to Gabriel’s office.

Bursting through the doors, she orders everyone to leave. “NOW!” she yells as Gabriel looks at her sternly. Then, panting, she glances over her shoulder.

The last man shuts the doors as her gaze returns to her husband. “Is it true?” she asks, clenching her fists.

Gabriel just shrugs and takes a seat. “TELL ME!” she screams at him. Running his fingers through his hair, Gabriel looks at her. A wicked smile spreads across his face.

“Yes,” he says softly. “Is there a problem, my queen?”

“Don’t fucking call me that!” Kalliste snarls. “How could you?”

“How could I?” Gabriel says, standing up. His smile is gone. He walks over to her, leans in, and kisses her cheek. Furious, Kalliste slaps him.

“We had a deal! Why the hell did I marry you?” Kalliste says, on the verge of tears, “What was all this for? For nothing? For you to destroy my kingdom? My family?”

Gabriel lowers his head. Suddenly, he starts laughing loudly. “How naive are you?” Gabriel says, grabbing her arm.

She stumbles against his chest, looking up at him. His emerald-green eyes are devoid of life.

“You think a simple treaty would stop me? I’m a king, and no one will stop me. Not even you. You’re mine, and I would have taken you any way I could. Treaty or not.”

“You monster!” Kalliste screams as she pounds on Gabriel’s chest. Cursing, she raises her hand and slaps him again. Gabriel looks stunned as she reaches for his chest and uses her powers, burning his skin.

Caught off guard by her abilities, Gabriel cries out in pain and falls. Kicking him in the face, Kalliste runs out of the office.

Her hair flies from side to side as she races to her chambers. She needs to get her weapons before Gabriel recovers. She needs to escape, but not before she drags Gabriel to hell.

Digging through her chest, she finds her clothes and weapons. She fills a small bag, hides her weapons under her dress, and starts to leave.

There's a secret passage she discovered that leads out of the castle. As she makes her way to the hallway where the passage is, she runs into the mistress.

Standing in the middle of the hallway, the mistress stares at her, arms crossed and smirking.

“Going somewhere, my queen?” she sneers. Kalliste scoffs as she walks past her. But the mistress grabs her hair, causing Kalliste to cry out in pain.

Swinging her arm to the side, she hits the mistress in the face. The mistress curses and spits blood on the gray stone floor. “You will pay for this,” she says, wiping her mouth.

Frowning, Kalliste stares at the woman on the floor. But, distracted by her, she doesn’t see the two men behind her.

They grab her by surprise, and Kalliste tries to fight them off, but it’s futile as one of them hits her hard on the head, knocking her out.

Getting up, the mistress approaches her. Lifting her head, she looks at Kalliste.

“You know what to do, right?” she whispers to the men. They both nod. “Make sure to take her far away.” Nodding, they carry the queen away. The mistress laughs as she watches them leave.

***

As the days pass, Gabriel grows desperate. He has searched everywhere for his queen, but there's no trace of her.

Finally, with no other options and too much time having passed without any leads, he makes his mistress his queen.

A few months later, the queen visits a place in the neighboring kingdom. She lies about visiting an old friend. King Gabriel, oblivious to her true intentions, lets her go.

With her head held high, Helen enters the house. It’s a small house on the outskirts of the kingdom she's visiting.

“How is she?” the queen asks.

“She’s about to give birth,” the midwife explains. “We also have the buyer ready.”

“Good,” Helen responds. Kalliste is about to give birth, and Helen has a plan to take the baby. She’ll tell Gabriel that she found some clues leading to the old queen, and that the child is his.

She’s going to tell King Gabriel that Kalliste left a letter. A letter that said she despised him, that she never loved him. That he could keep the baby, she didn’t care.

Helen takes a seat, her gaze falling on the frail, emaciated woman before her. Her fiery red hair is a stark contrast against her bare skin.

“Damn you!” Kalliste’s voice echoes through the room, her face wet with tears. She screams, her body straining as she begins to give birth. Helen, the newly crowned queen, watches as the former queen brings a baby boy into the world.

“Bring him here,” Helen commands. The midwife hands her the newborn, but there’s a hesitation in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” Helen asks.

“The queen is having another baby,” the midwife murmurs, her gaze lowered. Helen scoffs, her eyes returning to the exhausted woman on the bed.

“Give her to the trader. She’ll be a slave; I only need the boy,” Helen says, a cruel laugh escaping her lips. “Let the man deal with her.”

“But, my queen!” the midwife protests, only to be silenced by Helen’s icy glare.

“You…you bitch. Your day will come. You will pay for this,” Kalliste manages to say, her voice barely a whisper. “I’ll see you in hell.”

With those final words, a man lifts Kalliste from the bed. She screams in agony as her second child begins to make its way into the world.

As she’s carried away, Kalliste curses Helen, tears streaming down her face as she watches her son being taken from her.

But there’s nothing she can do. She’s been starved and beaten for months. She barely has the strength to push. Sobbing, she’s loaded onto a wagon.

Chained, Kalliste clutches her belly. The woman chained next to her looks on, her face filled with worry. The other prisoners share the same expression as Kalliste screams in pain.

They move closer to her, arms wrapping around her waist. Gently, they help her lie down.

Kalliste glances at the person nearest to her. It’s a man. His long black hair obscures his face as he kneels before her.

“You’re giving birth,” he whispers. Kalliste nods, and with his help, she begins to push. Another woman joins him.

Fearful of what might happen, Kalliste pushes harder. She’s losing too much blood. Her mind starts to blur, but she uses all the strength she has left. She can’t give up now.

With one final push, a baby’s cry fills the air. Kalliste lets her body relax, asking the man to hand her the baby.

Tears fill her eyes as she realizes her time is near. She leans her forehead against the crying baby, whispering ancient words to transfer her powers to her child.

The baby quiets as a soft blue light radiates from her forehead. Kalliste slowly opens her eyes, pressing a kiss to the baby’s forehead.

“She’s dying,” she hears a woman say. Then, with a weak smile, she turns to the man.

“You’re a mage, aren’t you?” Kalliste asks. The man with the black hair looks at her, his eyes wide. “Please, seal her memories.”

The mage looks torn. After a moment of hesitation, he nods. He takes the baby from her, his gaze meeting Kalliste’s.

“Are you sure about this?” he asks.

“Yes,” Kalliste nods, her voice filled with sadness. “Please, please take care of her,” she pleads as her consciousness begins to fade.

The mage uses his magic to seal the baby’s memories, leaving the tearful baby asleep.

“Does she have a name?” the mage asks, trying to hand the baby back to Kalliste. She nods.

“Yes…,” Kalliste murmurs, her gaze fixed on the baby. Her eyelids are heavy. “She will bear the name of the chooser of the slain, Valkyrie,” she whispers, her eyes closing for the last time.

Kalliste’s life ends, leaving the child alone with a stranger.