Chapter 7: Uneasy Truths

Four Months Later

Dominic

I flew over to Place Two where Aremia stays, she hadn't stepped foot in Palace One since Pax left or should I say betrayed me, the guards bowed as I landed and was given pants. I walked in as everyone bowed, I saw her lady in waiting and she said, "Her Majesty is in the garden." I walked over there, and it was cold, I was surprised the flowers were still in bloom, the people call her the Ice Queen because it's cold wherever she roams, but it doesn't affect me since I am her mate. I walked up behind her and she mind-linked me, "What do you want, Your Majesty?" She hadn't spoken since that day she was forced to become the true Queen, I held her hands and warmed them to bring her color back, she looked down at it as I felt slight mating sparks. I said, "You are expected in court today, she nodded and turned around, she never looked in my face and I couldn't feel anything in our bond.

Aremia had mastered the art of blocking and ignoring, we took to the skies and I flew next to her, Theo was happy just to be next to his mate, although she still hated us. We saw the courthouse and landed in the courtroom with our servant waiting with robes, Aremia, however, never took the robe and walked into the courthouse. The walls froze, and the people got cold, the men remembered my threat and kept their eyes off her until my mother said, "Please Aremia," her eyes froze solid, and she took the robe, she sat in the middle of the court, the elders felt uneasy in her presence. Questions were asked about her affair and where her child was, but she never answered, just stared at everyone, eventually she said, "They are safe," it was her dragon speaking, and I mind-linked everyone in the courtroom behind us to leave.

They asked for permission to investigate her parentage and she nodded, I guess she wanted to know the truth about her lineage as well. She turned around when she heard the judgment, finding Paxson guilty of treason, was banished from the kingdom and, if found in the kingdom, would be killed on sight. They also said, "We can't punish a Queen, only a king can do that," she side-eyed me waiting, I inhaled, knowing this wouldn't end well, I said, "Aremia will be bound to Palace Two for twenty years," she nodded leaving, everyone watched as she flew back to the Palace burning the forest in her anger. Her dragon was majestic and everyone loved to see it, I looked at my mother, and she said, "You had to do it or lose favor with the people," I said, "I know, now I lost Aremia forever."

I went back to Ruby who was busy talking with her ladies about making things easier for the hatchlings, also I had to appoint a new second in command. There were names on my desk, but I was worried about Aremia, my mother came into the room and said, "She is your destined mate, Dom, she can't hate you forever." I looked at her and said, "That would be true, but we are dealing with the first of her kind, she could hate me forever," pulling her for a hug before she left. Theo said, "Let's try, it won't be easy, and it could take a lifetime, but our destined mate is worth it, we also need to find out why her family hid her." I mind-linked Aremia, "We need to talk," she cut me off, I couldn't feel her anymore so I dived out the window and flew over there. The walls around the castle were frozen, ice everywhere, I saw Aries on a field looking at the cold mountain.

I walked up to her, and she looked down at me before focusing on the mountain again, I looked at the beauty of her dragon, she hadn't acknowledged me. I saw the magical chain around her ankle, and her sentence had started, I felt horrible because of our bond, she let her guard down, and I felt all of her pain, missing her son and Pax. Her heart was broken, and she stared at me before she said, "Leave, we have nothing to talk about, Ruby is waiting for you," she stepped over me and walked to the castle, changing into her human form, and we all heard her cries. I sat down, I didn't know I was crying until my vision blurred, I looked up at the window where her bedroom was, and she looked me dead in the eyes, linking, "You are dead to me." Everything around her started to turn to ice, I backed off as the guards and servants ran out, and we watched the castle turn to ice.

Aremia put up a magical barrier keeping herself in and everyone else out, she linked me, "See you in twenty," and then she went totally silent from the kingdom. No one felt her anymore, and we couldn't get through her barrier, I returned to the Palace, leaving guards outside the barrier. Weeks passed, and we tried to get in but nothing, we couldn't feel her, and then we dragged her uncle back here, Theo was restless because he couldn't feel his mate. He told us, "She won't come out, at least until she has healed her broken heart," I decided to mark her land as forbidden and always have guards around it until she awakes. I couldn't believe this was happening, maybe, I should have done things differently, I drove her into my former best friend's arms and then punished her for it. When she wakes, I hope she forgives me and vows to find her son and reunite them, I have to make amends for myself, and Theo.

*****

Twenty Years Later

Aremia

I woke up feeling the sun on my face, I felt renewed and knew that Pax and my son were safe living in human territory, I looked out the window and saw that the ice had melted. It was summer, and I was ready to live my life again, the magical chain binding me to this Palace was gone. I took my bath, the Palace was quiet, and I looked to get something to eat, I saw food on the kitchen table, it looked fresh, and I turned around when I heard a voice say, "I am glad you are awake, Aremia." I looked at Dom, he was our fated mate, but we didn't want him, too much had happened between us. However, I loved looking at his fine chest in just pants getting some wine, he smiled and said, "It's been a long time love, let's have lunch." I still had my block up as he slowly walked toward me, he held my hand and kissed the back of it saying, "Welcome back, my Queen."

I stared at him, I was feeling the true mate bond with him, so I blocked it again, it slowed its progression to near non-existent, he looked down at me and smiled. I backed away, his tail wrapped around me and I saw Theo's eyes, he said, "Please Aries, have lunch with us." I nodded because I was hungry, hadn't eaten in twenty years, had peace when I was in, brumation, and still knew what happened around me as time passed. We sat at the table and I ate everything, I saw Dom smile at me and ask, "Are you still hungry?" I said, "No, I just needed to occupy my mind with something," I got up, and Dom held my hand and said, "I am sorry about everything." I pulled my hand away and said, "It's water under the bridge, this is my destiny, you don't have to apologize to me ever again, I know who you are and what to expect from you now, I should offer up my apology," and I did apologize for adding the pain between us.

He stood up, and I said, "Our promise is still in effect, we will live separate lives, you will stay with Ruby and I will remain dormant keeping the treaty to save my people." He moved my hair out of my face and said, "We are destined mates, we can't stay away from each other." I held back my tears and said, "Yes we can, as long as you choose your Second Queen over me, nothing will ever be between us, goodbye, Dom," I walked out heading to my bedroom. The memories of my first love and son lingered, Theo mind-linked me and asked, "How do we fix what is broken between us?" I said, "Nothing can fix us and even if there was a way, you know what has to be done, but you won't, and I respect that, goodbye Theo," blocking them out. I watched him fly away, heading to Place One, and sat back on the bed staring at the fireplace for hours as I heard servants re-enter my home.

As time passed, I started my old garden again, it was my sanctuary, I learned Dom had four hatchlings with Ruby, three sons, and a daughter. He had his family and I had my prison, he would visit to make sure I was being treated well like he promised, but we hardly spoke. I missed home as I looked at the cold mountains, I missed my dad, I felt so helpless in this land, the people still hated me for falling in love with someone other than their precious king, but accepted Ruby. I stopped worrying about her a long time ago, nothing will ever change, and I won't change their customs, I heard Margaret behind me, and she said, "Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but this letter came for you," I nodded and took it, dismissing her. It was a ball to reintroduce me to the Kingdom, I didn't want to go, but it was something I couldn't refuse, and I got up to get ready to head to the ball tomorrow, I would face the people who labeled me 'The Ice Queen,' Queen of the whores.