Elemental Prince by Megan Fall
Chapter 25
Emmalyn
Emmalyn sat in the beautiful bedroom Queen Katerina had whisked them away to and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’ve just come home and I’m ruining everything,” Emmalyn sobbed. “It feels like I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. I wanted it to be perfect.”
“And it is,” Queen Katerina assured her. “It is definitely perfect.”
Her mother raised a hand and brushed away Emmalyn’s tears. Emmalyn couldn’t help leaning into the touch and closing her eyes.
“You have been here for only a couple hours and already you have things you want my help with. It makes my heart swell to sit here with you and help you work through this. My daughter needs me,” her mother gushed wiping at her own eyes.
Emmalyn grinned at the way the Queen easily twisted the situation around to her own benefit. She could feel the truth to her words though. It was clear how extremely happy her mother was right now.
“Why did you want Mathias to make me believe you both were dead?” Emmalyn asked, wanting to hear her mother’s side.
“Because people in other worlds are different from us. We knew they would label you as strange if you started sprouting things about Terrasen. No one would believe you. We just wanted you to fit in,” her mother admitted.
“But even when I thought I came from that world, I still never fit in,” Emmalyn explained. “My eyes were different, I acted oddly and I had a huge bald man as my guardian.”
Queen Katerina chuckled at the description of Mathias. “He would stand out,” she agreed. “But we trusted him and believed he could handle anyone that threatened you.”
Emmalyn nodded, understanding why Mathias was chosen. “Kell lied to me,” she whispered bringing the conversation back around to the reason for being in the room.
“No honey, he did not,” the Queen denied. “He omitted things that would have shocked you. Things that you might not have understood. He needed your trust, and you would have thought him crazy if he told you everything. People in your world thought you crazy because you were different, do you not think it would be the same here for Kell?”
Emmalyn frowned in surprise at how easily her mother justified Kell’s actions. And it made complete sense to her now that she saw it from his eyes.
“But what of Seraphine?” Emmalyn demanded. “It sounded like he was all ready to marry her.”
“That councilman twisted the truth to hurt you. Kell has Elemental power. You know that now,” her mother pressed. When Emmalyn nodded, she continued. “Our kingdoms do not get along. We argue, we battle for territory and we each consider our own kingdom the best.”
“But why?” Emmalyn questioned scooting up the bed and leaning against the headboard. Queen Katerina edged further on the bed as well and studied Emmalyn.
“Do you not have fighting and wars in your world?” her mother pushed. “Do people not argue and hurt each other?”
“They do,” Emmalyn agreed. “But we have officers to keep order in our cities and an organization called the United Nations to take care of international problems.”
“Right. Our guards act as our officers if I understand your definition correctly. The council takes care of our realm’s problems. Kell is above all. He has the final say in all matters and the final ruling is his alone.”
“What does this have to do with Seraphine?” Emmalyn asked confused why Queen Katerina was explaining all this.
“Kell’s Elemental powers keep the peace. He wields them so people stop fighting and take heed. But matters are escalating and Kell needs to marry to strengthen his powers. With you gone, Seraphine was the only remaining choice.” Queen Katerina looked Emmalyn in the eye and took her hands. “Kell refused. He told all the royals and council members he would never marry her. It was only then that we revealed you were still alive. And, it was Kell’s decision to go himself and retrieve you,” her mother declared. “He wanted to see for himself if your upbringing on a different world had any effect.”
“But it did,” Emmalyn replied. “I am nothing like you.”
“Which is why he loves you,” Queen Katerina interrupted before Emmalyn could protest any further. “He needs someone exactly like you by his side. He believes you were meant to be together, and I agree.”
“We have the same eyes, I fight by his side and we both felt a connection upon meeting,” Emmalyn admitted. “But he has Elemental powers and I understand that no one else has any powers.”
“No one but you,” her mother grinned causing Emmalyn to gasp.
“I don’t have powers,” she denied in confusion.
“Did you have pets of any kind growing up?” Queen Katerina questioned with a raised brow.
“No. We lived in an apartment that didn’t allow pets,” Emmalyn answered still not understanding.
“Because your father made it clear to Mathias that you were never to have any,” her mother grinned. “And how did you get around that?”
Emmalyn blushed at the thought of her chosen profession back home. “I worked in an animal shelter. Mathias didn’t like it, but I didn’t care.”
“Uh huh,” chuckled the Queen. “And how did it go with the animals? Did you work with the cute animals that were easy to handle?”
“No,” Emmalyn laughed. “I worked with the extremely difficult ones. The animals no one else could handle.”
“But you could?” her mother pushed. “How?”
“I don’t know,” Emmalyn shrugged. “I soothed them and talked softly to them.”
“Because you can communicate with animals,” Queen Katerina cheerfully announced. Emmalyn’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She had no words. “Think of a cat,” her mother encouraged. “Think of it in your mind and try to call it to you.”
Emmalyn thought this was ridiculous but she closed her eyes and thought of a small furry cat. She pictured it running up the marble steps in the grand entrance and padding down the hall to her room. As she eventually opened her eyes, a tawny kitten stood in the doorway watching her curiously. The kitten shook its head, darted across the room and leaped up on the bed to curl up in her lap.
“I can talk to animals and summon them to me,” Emmalyn whispered in awe as she stroked the soft fur on the animal’s head.
“You and Kell have more in common than even you realize honey,” the Queen laughed cheerfully. She sobered and rested her palm on Emmalyn’s cheek. “Think things through carefully and think with your heart. Your heart knows better than your head.” Her mom kissed her forehead and shuffled off the bed. “Get some sleep my beautiful girl. Things will be clearer in the morning.”
Emmalyn watched her leave and remained silent. She was being hard on Kell but everything was just so confusing. Just as her mother disappeared from sight, her father came bustling in. He grinned and walked to the balcony doors, throwing them open.
“It is a beautiful night,” he declared with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm. “You need to let the fresh air in. I always find I sleep better with the breeze drifting around me.”
Emmalyn eyed the open doors warily. “But someone is after me, isn’t it dangerous?”
Her father threw back his head and laughed. “You honestly think Kell would let anything happen to you?” he questioned.
“But he left,” Emmalyn reminded him. “I told him to go.”
“And you believe he did so?” her father asked with a smirk. “That man did not go anywhere. He is camped in the woods.” Before Emmalyn could argue he kissed her head, gave the kitten’s head a scratch and strode out.
Emmalyn stared at the doors that closed behind him and looked to the open balcony. She was mad at Kell but also secretly pleased he had stayed. A good night’s sleep would do her some good so she curled up in the soft sheets and smiled as the kitten snuggled into the crock of her bent legs.
Emmalyn lay there for hours, frustrated that sleep wouldn’t come. Her thoughts darted everywhere and she couldn’t slow them down enough to drift off. She was exhausted, and the lack of sleep made it worse. A loud snap sounded outside the balcony doors and interrupted the silence of the room. Sitting up in bed she peered into the darkness and noticed a large tree tipping over towards her. Just like in a cartoon, it was bending over and inching towards the balcony. She wanted to scream but it wouldn’t come. Emmalyn froze with terror. The tree finally reached the balcony and rested on the railing while she stared intently.
Kell effortlessly jumped from the tree limbs shocking her. He turned, thanked the tree and sauntered in closing the balcony doors behind. Emmalyn had no words. She stared as he crossed the room, slipped off his shirt and boots, and climbed into bed beside her.
“I cannot sleep in that tree,” he complained. “The damn thing is uncomfortable. And it is even worse without you by my side. We slept beside each other for over a week and I am spoiled now.” He pulled the covers up, grabbed her around the waist and hauled her across his chest.
“You were sleeping in a tree?” Emmalyn stupidly asked ignoring the much more important questions that had completely slipped her mind.
“How else am I going to keep you safe? I need to see you to do that,” Kell snickered.
“How did you know which room I’d be in?” Emmalyn pushed with a frown.
“A little birdie helped me,” Kell chuckled pushing on her head and forcing it against his shoulder.
“I think it was a big birdie wearing a crown,” she huffed remembering her father’s exaggerated enthusiasm.
Kell pretended he didn’t hear and closed his eyes. “Go to sleep my wee warrior,” he affectionately ordered. “You can go back to being mad at me again in the morning.”
Emmalyn fumed for about a minute before sighing. She was actually relieved to be with Kell. She felt safest with him and found it just as difficult to sleep without him. Giving in, she wrapped one arm around his waist and stuck the other one under the pillow. She wiggled even closer before finally closing her eyes. She didn’t want to let him off the hook so easily but agreed their fight could wait until morning. Kell tenderly kissed her head as she gave in.
“Missed you too my love,” he whispered before relaxing into a deep sleep.
Emmalyn smiled but refused to say it back. She was still mad at him after all.