Chapter Seven

Mine and Merek's relationship got better after birth of our son, He was a great father, constantly doting on his son, even inviting the girls back to court, Cecily had come of age and the suitors were trying to out do one another in order to win her hand, I knew she had no intentions of marrying just yet, leading her suitors along, enjoying all the attention she received. He was everything a little prince should be, and very well natured. 

Shortly after Symon's birth, everything changed. We had a visitor, a traveler from a distant land, with a strange accent who requested an audience with Merek and I.

He was a very young man, not yet eighteen. I knew I had never met him, yet there was an air of familiarity about him, and when I looked into his eyes I knew why. It was Tristan, come back from the dead, I looked at Merek, he didn't recognize Tristan. I tried my best to keep my composure while they talked. I wanted nothing more to run to him and embrace him, I was full of questions, how was he alive? where had he been? Why was he back? As I locked eyes with Tristan, I caught glimpses of him as a child in my mind. Was he doing this? I saw him and Alice, her death, then him and the demon that wast most surely was his father. I didn't realize I was shaking until Merek asked if I was alright.

I excused myself, as soon as the coast was clear, I ran towards the nursery. I didn't know why, but I knew that I had to get my baby out of the castle as fast as possible. I bundled him up after giving him a sleeping draft, gave him one last kiss before handing him off to his nanny. Just at that moment I heard screaming coming from the throne room, I urged the nanny to go as fast as she could, out the servants entrance, and away from here. I trusted her and knew she would care for my baby boy.

 I rushed back to the throne room just in time to see Tristan pull a bloody sword from Merek, who was lying prone on the floor in a puddle of blood. Tristan then calmly walked over and sat on the throne, the guards came running intending to avenge their king, but with just a motion of his hand, Tristan sent the guards flying out of the throne room, slamming the door shut behind them.

 I was now alone with Tristan, in fear of my life. He had powers, the likes of which we'd never seen. We stayed locked in that room, for the better part of the day. He had many questions that needed to answered, as did I. I told him of his birth, how I begged for his life. He told me of his life, how Alice raised him, until her death, How his father had saved him, and taught him to embrace what he really was.

Chapter Six

Three years had passed since Emma came into this world. Merek had granted my request to spend the summer with the girls, taking Juliana, my third born daughter with me. Cecily was five now, and Merek was already trying to secure a betrothal for Cecily, which was another reason we had to keep up appearances. No one would pledge their son to the daughter of a disgraced Queen, for there sake I kept up appearances. I spent the next five summers with my girls, they were the best times of my life. 

As much as had grown to hate Merek, I still did my duty, praying that this time I would bare the son he so desperately wanted. I found that I was with child soon after, The child I was carrying truly was the last chance for Merek.  Part of me blamed him for not having a son yet, I gave him one, though it was true Merek was not the father, he still could have claimed him, no one would have needed to know other wise, yet he threw him away, and now asked for another.  I gave birth after a long and difficult labor, my trusted midwife brought my second son into this world. Merek was thrilled, for the first time in years, he looked at me with love in his eyes. Our son was given every comfort, and wanted for nothing. As I sat rocking my son, my thoughts drifted back to Tristan. He would have been Fifteen, just becoming a man.

Alice did what she could to raise Tristan, though the older her got the more apparent it was that he was different, he could no longer consume food, making himself sick if he tried. He has a craving that couldn't be explained, nor could it be satisfied. Cradling her crying ward, Alice soon found out what exactly he was, when he snuggled close and sunk his teeth into her neck, not stopping despite her screams, until he had drank his fill. When he realized what he'd done, he sat down next to Alice and cried until there was nothing left to cry. The smell of her blood had attracted something worse than all the animals of the forest that had gathered outside. The man entered the house, heading for the boy, seeing the features that were so like his own, Tristan went willingly and the two of them left the village.