Chapter 9: Progress

Months Later

Dominic

I was looking into finding Aremia's son, but I needed more information from her, she stays in her Palace and never steps outside her grounds to go anywhere. The kids had started their folklore about the Ice Queen and although most of it is not true, it is a good folktale on campsites. I reached the Palace after a long day dealing with town folk, I wanted to see Aremia before I headed home, I wished I could spend the night with her, but she shut me out. I heard yelling in the back of the Palace as the servants tried to get a glimpse of what was going on. I saw Ruby yelling at Aremia, and I was confused, Aremia just ignored her and I asked, "What is going on here?" Seria was behind Ruby crying, I picked her up, and she said, "I am sorry, Daddy, I wanted to see the Ice Queen, she is my friend," Ruby linked me, "She snuck out and flew over here by herself and Aremia never contacted me, I was scared, Dom."

Aremia got up from her garden and said, "Little one, you are always welcome here, but you need to notify your parents first," Seria smiled. I gave her to Ruby and whispered, "Take her home," Ruby changed and flew back home with our hatchling, I looked at Aremia, and she walked past me, heading inside. I said, "You could have notified me or her mother, Ruby loves our kids, she would panic," she stopped and said, "Your daughter was safe, I am not the monster that everyone paints me out to be." She was right, and I knew that was something I had to fix before it got out of hand, I walked next to her and asked her about her day. She smiled and said, "It would seem his majesty is trying to court me," I asked, "What if I am, will her majesty allow it?" She turned to face me and her cheeks flushed, I smiled, and she said, "Of course not, his majesty is a mated man."

I mind-linked everyone watching our interaction to leave us, pulled Aremia close to me, and asked, "Will you have dinner with me tonight?" She looked into my eyes and said, "Dom, where are you going with this? We can't be together, and you know it, your people would never have me rule at your side for what I did and that is okay. I knew we had been trying to be more civil around each other since I lost everything....," I cut her off and said, "You haven't lost me, Mia." She stared at me and I felt the tingles of our bond when I held her hand, she looked down at our fingers interlocked with each other knowing she couldn't deny our bond and what she was feeling. She swallowed and said, "Dom, you love Ruby, you have proven that time and time again, we don't even like each other, the mate bond was doomed from the start."

I said, "Agree to dinner, and we will have more time to chat," I felt snow and looked up and knew it was Mia, she smiled and said, "I want to build ice castles. I missed out on so much over the years," I heard her regret, but I also had my own, I should have fought harder for her instead of locking her away from the kingdom. I listened to those treasonous elders hurting my fated mate in the process, it will not be easy to get her to love and trust me, but I will spend a lifetime trying to prove she is worthy of my love, trust, and loyalty. I continued to hold her hand and walked back to the field so we could build ice castles together, she smiled as we rolled around together and laughed, I was bad at building ice castles, but she enjoyed it, I saw her happy for the first time in a long time and vowed to keep her in a happy place.

Aremia was beautiful, and I watched her move around with such grace, she was a Queen in her own right and I should have seen it a long time ago. Her sense of fashion and hair were beautiful, I looked at her soft skin hoping to touch it one day when she trusted me, I was brought out of my thoughts when she mind-linked me, "Stop staring, Your Majesty, you are beginning to freak me out." I grabbed her with my tail pulling her close to me and leaned in kissing her lips, she kissed me back and Theo got excited that our mate was coming around, I wanted so badly for her to accept us and our bond, but it would take more than a kiss for her to do so. She agreed to dinner and I went inside the Palace to take a nap instead of going home, I wanted to spend as much time with her as I possibly could, to prove my worth to her.

*****

Aremia

I decided to get fresh flowers to put in my kitchen when I saw this baby dragon landing in the garden, she landed by the water fountain and started jumping around. I knew who it was and smiled, I said, "Change back, honey," and ordered a servant to bring a small blanket to cover her. She changed and hugged me excitedly saying, "I flew a long distance, I did it, Mama, did you see, Mama?" I froze, I held back my tears because she had accepted me as her father's mate, but I wasn't ready and wouldn't ever tell her that, she called me something that I had wished to hear since losing my son. I hugged her, and she helped me pick the flowers, she told me about her toys and how her brothers are douches, I laughed because she didn't believe the stories she heard about me, she thinks I am special.

She loves her uncle Allan as he plays with her, giving her dragon rides, but she got her little dragon and couldn't wait to fly on her own, it was dangerous, and I told her that. I saw a shadow over us, and it was her mother Ruby with steam coming out of her ears, she yelled, "What are you doing with my daughter?" I looked at her as Aries perked up ready to rip her head off because our mate favored her more, but I wanted to hold the peace between us because of little Seria. I tried to calm her down, but she was scared of me but would protect her daughter, I saw fear in her eyes for her daughter and I could understand a mother's love so I backed off as I felt Dominic near, Seria was crying because Ruby scared her. Ruby took her daughter and left while Dominic stayed, I forgot to put my block up and felt him, Theo contacted Aries, but she wasn't falling for his charm.

Dom couldn't keep his eyes off me and I tried to stop looking at his d**k still in my face until someone handed him pants. He wanted to stay for dinner and I eventually agreed after our little frolicking in the snow I had caused, I needed to train my power, I had no one willing to be around me without fear. I went to my room thinking about that kiss, Aries said, "Don't fall for it, Mia, he lies to us, he will never give up his family, and he wants to hunt our son down," I was torn about what to do, I thought about Pax and my son, I smiled knowing I will always protect them. Later that evening, Dom cooked, and I was shocked, he made a table for two on the balcony, and I was impressed, I asked, "So, this is a date then?" He said, "Anything to win your heart, Mia," I said, "I thought I told you not to call me Miaaa..... hmm," he kissed me and I kissed him back.

I had to block our bond before we ended up in bed together, I wasn't ready until I was sure I wanted him, we stopped, and he whispered, "Let's eat." He pulled out the chair for me, and then we looked at each other, I didn't know what to say, dinner was next level, and he talked to me about everything including politics. He then asked me about my son and where Pax ran off to, I tensed up, and Aries said, "I told you he is playing us, don't fall for it." He saw my face and felt my aura, he said, "Mia, I only want to help you look for your son, I won't harm him, you have my word." I got up to walk away, and he grabbed my arm and said, "Mia, I am serious, I promise you your son will be safe," he got on his knees looking at me, and I asked, "What about Pax?" He hesitated, and I said, "You think after what you did to my family I would tell you where my son and love of my life is?"

He said, "I didn't kill your father, it was war, your uncle decided to invade us after breaking the treaty to merge with us," I yelled, "Lies." He said, "No, your father was killed because he was the one that broke into the vault with help and stole something that cost my father his life in the end. However, I think it was your uncle, not your father, there's something wrong about him, and they hid you from me, we were written in the stars to be together." I cut him off yelling, "And you still mated Ruby knowing I was out there, you didn't care, so f**k you, Dom." He said, "I know, I f****d up, and I am sorry, I didn't believe in the prophecy, I should have broken it off with Ruby, but it's too late now, we have kids together." I backed away and turned to run out, but he ran behind me and grabbed my hand spinning me around, and I said, "Go back to your wife."

He yelled, "You are my wife, even before Ruby," I saw the fire burning in his eyes, and he stared at me breathing heavily, he backed me to the railing of the balcony. I didn't know what to do when he said, "Let me in, Mia, please," Aries said, "Don't do it, he is playing us," he touched my shoulders, breathing down my neck. He pleaded again, "Let me in, let me love you, let me help you find your son and be the one to make things right between us." I was crying, and he wiped my tears away, kissed me again, and he was hot to the touch, his veins burned with desire for me, he nibbled my ear as I felt my p***y throb. I looked into his eyes, afraid he was telling the truth, but I said, "Okay, help me find him." He walked me back to my quarters, closed the door, took his shirt off, and then kissed my shoulder, he said, "Sleep with me, no s*x," he helped me out of my dress, and we cuddled up with each other until I fell asleep.