Fulfilling Fate

The world shook and men fell to their knees. The major grunted as an unseen force pushed him off his horse. This wasn’t the first time they resorted to this kind of magic and he found it pathetic and cowardly.

He struggled to his feet and looked around.

“Don’t be cowards!” he shouted into the night air. “Show yourselves!”

There wasn’t a response but that didn’t surprise him. He nodded to his men.

“But sir,” one of them panted, wiping blood from his face. “We’re running out of men; they’ve taken half of us.”

He glared. “If we die, we die with honor. We cannot allow them to keep killing our people. For Felden!”

“For Felden!” the men echoed and they ran into the darkness.

~-~ Zion ~-~

I woke with a start, sweating profusely. I looked around me, not sitting up. I was in my bedroom, my wife sleeping peacefully beside me. I sat up slowly and looked at her, smiling softly. She was finally able to sleep through her pain and I was looking forward to getting to spend the rest of eternity with her. Aviel shifted in her sleep and I slipped out quietly. I dressed and closed the door.

I ran right into my sister, Heather, who looked as panicked as me.

“Did you dream it, too?” she asked and I nodded, running a hand through my hair.

I grimaced as it fell into my face but Aviel liked it that way so I left it. I led Heather to my study and sat at my desk. I dug through my things until I found the book that I wrote down all my dreams in.

“It felt real,” Heather said, pacing the room. “What if it’s from the war?”

“It probably is,” I said honestly. I kept writing while I spoke. “We need to let Mother and Father know.”

“They probably already do,” she said and finally plopped down in the other chair. She remained silent until I stopped writing. “How’s Aviel?”

“Finally better,” I answered with a nod. “She can sleep without hurting too much.”

She smirked. “From the turning or because you two can’t seem to take a break?”

I glared at her but she giggled. “I wonder when we can get a message to them.”

“There’s no need,” Kassandra said from the doorway.

She looked nervous and I stood up.

“What do you mean?” Heather asked.

“They’re here,” Kassandra said.

“What?” I asked.

“They’re here,” she repeated and pointed. “They’re getting out of their carriage now.”

My eyes widened.

~-~ Aviel ~-~

“Wake up, Avi,” a voice said but I groaned and turned. “Come on, baby. You need to get up. My parents are here.”

My eyes shot open as I stared at Zion.

“What?”

“My parents,” he repeated and I scrambled out of bed. He tossed me a dress that looked more extravagant than my usual ones. “I don’t know why they’re here, but they just arrived.”

I quickly got dressed and he brushed my blond hair for me. Unlike the legends said, nothing had changed about me aside from the two small marks on my neck. I usually covered it with makeup but he had me keep my neck makeup free. I was extremely nervous about meeting his parents but he promised me they were kind.

Before we went downstairs, he pulled me in for a deep kiss.

“What if they don’t like me?” I whispered and he smiled, caressing my cheek.

“They’re going to love you,” he said. “I promise.”

I just nodded and he led me downstairs, still holding my hand. When we got downstairs, two people stood there with Heather and Kassandra. Zion’s jaw dropped at the woman.

“Mother, are you pregnant?” he asked and she giggled, hugging and kissing him.

“Yes, I am,” she said.

I stayed behind, not sure what to say or do, as he greeted his father. His mother saw me first and her eyes, which were green, grew bright. Without even waiting to say hello, she threw her arms around my neck.

“You must be Aviel!” she said and I laughed breathlessly, hugging her back.

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m Eavana,” she said. “And this is my husband, Lebanon.”

He was very intimidating. He had short black hair and black eyes. Zion looked exactly like him and I held my breath. He was looking me up and down and I looked at Zion.

“Do I bow or-?”

But Lebanon embraced me and I laughed awkwardly. He stepped back and held me at arm’s length.

“Well, it looks like my son has struck gold,” he said and I blushed. “You are a very beautiful young woman.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice shaking from nerves. “And it’s a great honor to meet you.”

He clicked his tongue. “Zion told you who I am, didn’t he?” I just smiled. “Don’t be so nervous around me. I don’t bite.”

We all laughed at the pun and Zion put his arm around me.

“Why are you here?” he asked his parents.

“I felt your union,” Lebanon answered and I looked at him in shock.

“You did?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said. “I am his father by birth as well. The same happened with Heather and Kassandra’s union, as well. I’m pleased that you finally went through with it.”

“There were some… complications,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

“No need to explain,” he said and held up his hand. “All that matters is that we’re one step closer to our goal. Now, there’s been a development with the war you need to know about.”

Zion and Heather shared a look.

“What is it?” Eavana asked.

“We had a dream,” Zion said. “In it, a man was leading his army. I don’t know where they were; everything was just black. Another soldier said that they had lost half of their men already but they continued on. They were from our side.”

Lebanon sighed. “I was afraid of that,” he said. “We got a letter from Tomas saying that something had happened. He’ll be here soon.”

“Here?” I asked, my eyes wide. “As in, in our home?”

Zion smiled and kissed the side of my head.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “He’ll be respectful.”

I wasn’t so sure about that but I nodded. The clock struck twelve and the servants were going around, closing the curtains. It must be a sunny day out.

“Are you hungry?” I asked. “I can have them make something.”

“No, we’re just fine,” Lebanon said. “Let’s sit and await-.”

Before he could finish, someone pounded on the door. Before anyone could answer, it crashed open and I stepped closer to Zion. The man who strode in was large and intimidating. He looked like he would be a lumberman. The crown perched on his head told me that I was looking at Tomas. I remembered Zion telling me about him and I really didn’t want him in my house. He was family, though, and I promised to be kind.

“Zion,” he said, nodding curtly to him. “Heather.” He hesitated. “Kassandra.” His eyes slid to me. “So you’re the new girl.”

“New girl?” I repeated and Zion hissed at his brother.

“This is my wife,” he snapped, putting his hand on my back. “Aviel, this is my brother, Tomas.”

Tomas bowed to me and I curtsied. He was smirking as he looked me up and down and I moved even closer to Zion. He put his arm around me protectively.

“Well, I wish I could say that I come bearing good news,” he said. “I don’t, though.”

“Yes, Zion was telling us,” Lebanon said and Tomas glared at Zion.

“And how do you know?” he demanded.

“You know I get dreams,” Zion snapped back.

“Now everyone, just calm down,” Eavana said. “Do you have room for us, Zion?”

“Of course,” I said before he could speak. “The two of you can stay in our room. We can sleep in my study. Er, for Tomas, I’m afraid all we have is the couch here.”

His face went red with rage.

“What about Heather’s room?” Lebanon asked, trying to calm his son down.

“It’s not our room,” I said. “We have no control over-.”

“It’s your house,” Tomas snapped. “Make them sleep on the couch!”

I looked at him and Zion cleared his throat, inching away.

“As you said,” I said in a calm voice, “this is my house. You will sleep where we can fit you and be grateful for it.”

“I am a prince,” Tomas snapped. “You don’t talk to me like that!”

“I’ll talk to you however I’d like,” I said, doing my best not to yell at him. “If it bothers you that much, there’s an inn in the village you can sleep in.”

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. I knew he’d rather sleep on the couch.

“If that’s the best you can do,” he hissed and pushed past me.

When I looked at their parents, they looked a little nervous.

“You’re quite frightening, did you know that?” Lebanon said.