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Chapter 23 - All Over Again



The Vampyr Camp

Location Unknown

The Realm of Xathos



This has got to be the worst coronation ceremony of all time.

Dimitrios inhaled sharply and scanned his newly-awakened warriors. He fulfilled his end of the bargain and Queen Helena used her magic to wake them up so they can witness to the union of the two kingdoms.

At first, there was confusion in their gazes but Dimitrios used the pack link to broadcast a sense of calm. They didn't need anything more than that. His warriors were smart and they knew of this alliance a long time ago. It didn't take a lot of time and skill to figure out what was happening.

It also did not take a very intelligent being to know that this ceremony was severely lacking. It was done in haste and several things weren't taken into account.

First of all, he did not have a token for his new queen. He had no jewellery except the signet ring he wore. But this was his insignia as King and he could not give it to her easily.

The counterpart of the ring was back in his castle. Dimitrios made a mental note to find that and give it to Ailara. It will be the first thing he does when he returns to the castle.

"Dimitrios?" Helena prompted.

Dimitrios sighed and resisted the urge to wipe his face with his palm.

"Due to the circumstances, I am unprepared for this ceremony. I apologize, my queen but I have not come bearing gifts," he said through gritted teeth. It was tradition for any mating, be it Vampyr or Wolfen, to exchange gifts during the ceremony.

Ailara's eyes widened at his words but then she shook her head.

"No need for apologies. I understand," she whispered softly.

Shame unlike any he's experienced jolted through him. This was his mating ceremony. The only one he'll have his entire life!

At the same time, this was the time when two kingdoms were to be united as one. But he didn't have a token for his bride. He did not even have the torque that was supposed to be given to Wolfen mates on the night of their claiming ceremony.

That torque had the crest of his family and was made of the finest gold. It also symbolized his mate's rank as queen. And since it had the crest of his family, any Wolfen who'll take a look at it will know who she belonged to.

From the corner of his eye, Dimitrios saw Helena roll her eyes. "And from the Vampyr?" she said to Ailara.

Ailara nodded and then Gideon approached. His face was grim as he handed his queen a box. Ailara took it and opened the lid. Dimitrios' breath hitched in his throat as he beheld a jeweled dagger.

It was beautifully crafted and no doubt very special.

"This is one of the only remaining jewels that the Vampyr has. My people present it to you as a token of our allegiance."

Dimitrios accepted the box and faced the crowd.

"My thanks to your people for this gift. I shall treasure it always. My gift to your people shall be sanctuary within my castle. Once the details of the alliance is sealed, we can go back to my city where all of you will be afforded protection. We are now under one kingdom therefore you have no need to fear my warriors. Let us all aim to live peacefully and harmoniously with each other from now on," he replied.

There was a murmur of assent within the Vampyr crowd at his words.

He removed the plain dagger strapped to his belt and replaced it with the jeweled dagger. As he did this, he saw Ailara and all the Vampyr bow to him.

Once again, his throat tightened.

After the alliance was broken, he never thought the day would come that the Vampyr would bow to him and stand side-by-side with his wolves. At the same time, he wished he had something to give Ailara and her people aside from mere promises.

Suddenly, Argos stepped forward.

"As Beta of the Wolfen pack, I present my new queen this sword. Our newest blacksmith forged this for our King and this was supposed to be this sword's first battle. Now, we present this to you as a token of our allegiance."

Dimitrios nodded and Argos moved closer. Instead of handing the sword directly to Ailara, Argos handed it to him.

Thank the heavens for his Beta, Dimitrios mused.

His shame lessened a little now that his people had a gift for their new queen. Dimitrios removed the black cloth that hid the sword and presented it to Ailara.

She took it with a small smile and lifted it. With one glance, he could see that it was perfectly balanced for her.

Helena stepped forward.

"The Wiccans come bearing gifts as well!"

She nodded to one of her attendants and she approached bearing a small, wooden box. Another nod from Helena and it was opened. Nestled inside velvet cloths were a pair of rings.

"I know that the tradition for mated Wolfen is matching torques. For Vampyrs, it's tattoos. The Wiccan tradition for mated couples is a pair of rings. These rings are made using the finest gold and inlaid with several diamonds. A matching pair that is imbued with protection and luck is our gift to the new King and Queen of the Vampyr and the Wolfen."

The box was presented to them and Ailara and Dimitrios reached for it at the same time. Dimitrios made another mental note to ask Ailara what the tattoos meant. He saw several Vampyr warriors wearing tattoos with different patterns but he assumed it symbolized a warrior's rank and not a mating mark.

"You have to reach for the other and put it on your Queen's finger," Helena whispered to him.

He reached for the smaller one and lifted Ailara's hand. At the first contact, it was as if he was jolted with electricity. Ailara gasped as well and he knew it affected them both. He slid the ring onto her finger and it fit her perfectly.

She did the same for him and was about to move away but he held her hand and refused to let go.

Then, he raised their joined hands and cheers erupted from across the entire camp.



☾ - ☾ - ☾ - ☾ - ☾



Ailara sat stiffly as their wedding feast commenced all around her.

The same raised platform was used. And now, instead of a long table on the platform, there were two matching wooden thrones. This was exactly where she got drunk and then stumbled near Dimitrios' tent.

This was where it all began.

And now they were mated.

Ailara cringed as the word left a sour taste in her mouth. If this happened years ago, she'd be the happiest bride. But things were different now. This was a match purely for the sake of the alliance.

Her people would be safe but what about her? Her heart would wither and die. Same thing for Dimitrios. She knew he'd grow to hate her someday because he was with her and he cannot find his true mate. His heart will be restless and he won't ever be satisfied.

Ailara sighed and took another sip of her drink. This was how she ended up drunk the last time. Sitting here at this dais with her goblet being refilled by servants quickly and her drinking and drinking as she was consumed by her thoughts.

Hmm... Perhaps drunk is not a bad way to be tonight.

Beside one of the tents stood Gideon. His face was expressionless yet she could see his eyes observing the festivity with something like boredom. And then it was as if he could sense her gaze and he lifted his head; their eyes met.

A pang of a mixture of pain and regret shot through Ailara. She looked away and focused instead on her empty goblet which a servant quicky refilled.

She remembered the time earlier that she spent with Gideon. Her mind went further back at the moment when Helena announced that she was to be mated to Dimitrios officially and Gideon's reaction to that.

Ailara closed her eyes. She never had feelings for Gideon. But when she was told that she was to be Dimitrios' mate, her mind rebelled and it seemed like if she could do something to get out of the mating, she would.

That rebellion extended to Gideon and she started thinking of all the what ifs.

What if she was mated to Gideon? What if she had the freedom to choose? What if the alliance between the Vampyr and the Wolfen was never forged by her parents and she did marry Gideon when she was of age?

What if he was her true mate?

Ailara opened her eyes. That was not the case. She did not have any feelings for Gideon. And from what the others say, your true mate is like the other half of your soul. Once you see him, the souls reach out to each other and instantly connect. That connection cannot be severed no matter the time and distance.

She did not feel that way for Gideon.

Now she knew that all her previous thoughts was just her wanting to be free and to have a choice.

It was unfair for him that she led him on and maybe he thought they had a chance to be together.

Ailara sighed once more and reached for her goblet.

"What are you thinking?" Dimitrios asked. She almost jumped from her skin at the sudden question. Dimitrios leaned close to her now waiting for her answer as though he was really interested.

"Not much. I was just thinking about my people," she lied.

"What about them?"

"If we'll be much safer within the walls of your city. And how life would be like then." She didn't mean to but her tone took a rougher, darker edge.

"They will be fine. They are my people now and also under my protection."

Ailara turned to look at him. "Will they be fine, really? I was with you and your people and I have to be honest, Dimitrios. The hate runs deep."

Ailara saw his barely-disguised flinch. "If there's anything that happens, I will deal with it." He lifted his drink and finished it in one gulp. A servant came and refilled it quickly. Her glass was also refilled.

"What are your plans for your people?" Dimitrios asked Ailara.

"I was thinking of getting them settled at your place first. Then, once we have the numbers and the strength to do it... I want to retake the Vampyr castle from the Cerran. I wish to fortify our defenses so that my people would have a proper place to stay and so we won't always camp at your place."

Dimitrios tilted his head to the side. "Hmm." He drank some more. "The plan is good. But I asked what your plans were for your people. The Wolfen are your people now as well, Ailara."

This time, it was Ailara who flinched. She mulled over Dimitrios words and chose her reply carefully. "They will never accept me as queen, Dimitrios."

Dimitrios opened his mouth to reply but Ailara held up a hand. "I know this for a fact. They never accepted me before. They won't start now."

"Any insult to my queen is an insult to me. I will deal with it if it happens."

"You've already said that. The problem is that they won't see me as your queen. They would always pity you for not finding your mate and having someone else, someone not Wolfen, ruling them."

Dimitrios slammed his goblet on the table. The plates and the cutlery shook at the impact.

"Stop it, Ailara. This alliance has barely begun and you're already thinking the worse things! Let's take things one at a time and deal with problems if and when it comes!"

Ailara pursed her lips. She knew Dimitrios said they would have a clean slate from this point forward. But that might be something out of their reach.

"Would you resent me, Dimitrios?" she whispered.

He whirled. "What?!"

"Because you are now mated to me, you won't find your true mate."

Dimitrios sighed. "We've discussed this before. My people come before matters of the heart. My people... that is what is inside the heart of this king. There's no place for anything else."

Ailara heard the unspoken words contained in the message. Dimitrios will never love her. The best she can hope for is some sort of civil companionship with him.

She sighed and lifted her own goblet. She downed the rest of its contents in one gulp. It felt like fire down her throat but she welcomed the pain for it reminder her that she was still alive. And while she is still alive, there's still hope for her people.

Ailara focused on the dancers in front of the dais to distract her. However, what it did was to only further emphasize the great divide between the Vampyr and the Wolfen. The Wolfen warriors stood on one side of the camp. They ate but none of them danced. The Vampyr danced but only with their fellow Vampyr.

Maybe it was time to remedy the situation.

Ailara drank another cup of wine for courage and then headed down the dais. She stopped in front of the Wolfen warriors. "Anyone care to dance with their new queen?" she asked.

She saw the surprise and confusion in their gaze. No one moved. No one even stood up. There was nothing but silence from them. Ailara sighed once more.

"No one? Not even you, Argos?"

Argos stood but he looked at her as though he did not know what to say. "Surely, there's no harm in a dance, right?"

"Uh..." For the first time since she met him, Aegos looked at a loss for words.

Then, a shadow loomed over Ailara. She knew who it was before she even turned around.

Dimitrios.

"When a female is mated, no one can touch her but her mate. And during dances, she can dance with others only if her mate gave his consent," he whispered in her ear as he put his hands on her waist.

And just like the time they kissed during the ceremony, there was electricity. It was as if with just one touch, he brought her nerve-endings alive.

"You may have forgotten your previous lessons, my queen. But this is how it goes. And my warriors are loyal to me. They will not put their hands on you without my consent," he whispered again.

This time, Ailara shivered at the feel of his breath on her ear. She closed her eyes and leaned against his touch.

"If you wanted to dance, you should have asked me."

And then he was leading her to the middle of the dance floor.

"The first dance of the King and Queen!" Helena announced. Ailara heard the excitement in her tone.

Both Vampyr and Wolfen clapped and made way for them. The torches were dimmed with one wave of Helena's hand. The drums stopped and string instruments replaced them. A lovely, slow tune echoed around the quiet night.

And then Dimitrios wrapped her in his arms.

Just like that... the entire world melted away and there was only the two of them and this feeling. No troubles. No overthinking. No worries about what the future might hold.

Just this.

Ailara didn't know what this dance was but it was familiar. It was the Wolfen way of dancing and she saw this on the night of the full moon. There were no steps; only slow and sensuous movements.

But the music wasn't the beat of the drums. The music was familiar for it was a Vampyr tune.

Now, Ailara understood.

This was the perfect mix of Vampyr and Wolfen that she was looking for. She marveled at the discovery and smiled.

"What's my queen smiling about?"

"How the music is Vampyr and the dance is Wolfen."

Dimitrios smiled as well. "I didn't realize that."

"Hmm."

"I believe we can make this work, Ailara."

"Make what work?"

"Being mated. Ruling two kingdoms. Living peacefully with each other."

His words lodged deep inside Ailara's heart. And from those words rose a glimmer of hope.

"We will try our best," she replied.

And then they swayed in each other's arms and there was silence for a few minutes.

"Have I told you that you look exquisite tonight?" he whispered in her ear.

"No. I believe you haven't," Ailara teased.

Dimitrios threw back his head and laughed. Then, he leaned closer and bent his tall frame. "You're very beautiful, my bride. And I just can't wait for tonight."

At his words, Ailara's face reddened and her body felt warm all over. Now, she knew that it wasn't only Dimitrios' touch that could trigger her lust but his words spoken in the smooth, deep voice as well.

The slow burn escalated to a raging inferno.

"Damn it," Dimitrios muttered under his breath.

"What?" she asked.

"The wine. They must have laced it with herbs."

Realization dawned. This sudden intense lust must be from the wine! Yes, she wanted Dimitrios. Yes, she wanted to be with him again and to feel his kiss and his touch. But the initial feeling wasn't like this.

What she was feeling now was like the initial one but magnified a hundred times.

Dimitrios squeezed her waist and Ailara groaned as a bolt of lust shot down her spine. Once more, Dimitrios cursed. And after that, the music ended.

"Time for the bedding!" Argos shouted. The Wolfen cheered and hooted. A lot of the Vampyrs looked at them in confusion.

"It's a Wolfen tradition: the first night that the bride and groom spend together!" Dimitrios announced. At his words, the confusion was replaced with knowing smiles.

And before Ailara could even blink, the Wolfen warriors surrounded her and Dimitrios. Then, they were separated from each other and she was ushered to one of the tents by the same ladies who helped her prepare for the ceremony.

"We need to get you ready for the bedding, my queen. Queen Helena explained it already," one of the ladies told her.

And then it was a whirlwind of activity after that. Her hair was uncoiled and brushed until it shone. Her dress was removed and it was replaced by a nightgown so sheer that Ailara wanted to cover herself with the thickest cloak she could find. Her entire body was oiled and also sprayed with perfume.

All throughout the process, Ailara couldn't focus. The effects of the wine built on more and more to the point of being uncomfortable. She was wet and she desperately needed to relief. No amount of crossing or uncrossing her legs could give her that relief.

Then, the ladies stood back and admired their work.

"Enjoy the night, my queen!" they said and then left the tent.

Ailara laid back on the soft furs and tried to breathe slowly even though her heart was beating erratically. She tried to focus on the soft glow of the candles and the shadows dancing across the room.

But then the tent flaps opened.

And Dimitrios entered with a wild, predatory look in his eyes.



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