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Healer Rhea's POV

It was a rather stressful transition for Rhea to get not only out of her greetings gown, but also have a full-length bath and redress in the time span of less than an hour.

Though thankfully, her team did not settle for anything less than perfect. Meaning that her hair and body needed to be dried and ready to be prepped and primed.

Though, when the personal staff had started placing out the wedding night options, Rhea's males had found themselves far too close to earshot and decided to linger out in the hallway instead.

Perhaps it was the nervous jitters coursing through her veins, but Rhea truly couldn't fathom taking them out of their departure. Especially now when she herself was getting another dose of anxiety, a newfound one that she hadn't voiced before.

"Irene, have you...been with a male before?" Rhea asked, keeping her eyes pinned to the mirror and to her own eyes in an attempt to buffer the growing rush of red to her cheeks.
"N-no, ma'am...I-I haven't—" The rush of intrusion had caused Rhea to shake her hands, diminishing the question from the conversation. Though it still trickled into the next mention on the opposite end.

"There is nothing to worry about, Rhea...The King is a gentle beast."
"Gentle. I suppose I can speak to his wolf, appease him there first." A giggle had sounded and Rhea had simply called out to them, leaving her vanity to take a glance at the choice of nightgowns.

Or lack thereof.

"Are...Are they not to your liking, ma'am?"

"Oh, no, they're gorgeous. I'm just trying to think if I want anything of this to be ripped so soon." Her smile tipped upward, and the light bit of laughter had come in waves.
"It would be an honor for them to be ripped off by his majesty!" One seamstress offered, and the chuckles continued forward.

Until it was down to the last few minutes until her reveal at the alter, and perhaps it was the nervous tick her mother always chided for, but playing and perfecting her hair and makeup on her own had managed to ease her beating heart.

Or would have, had she not caught sight of a cloud of darkness just out of the peer of her mirror.

While her body stilled in fear, her mind inhaled another bundle of fresh herbs. Taking her heart to remain at ease, otherwise, he might be tempted.

"My King, it's rather promiscuous that you've arrived at my pre-bridal chamber this evening..." She beckoned, her eyes flickering directly to his. And as he stepped out of the shadows, a cunning smirk was already plastered onto his face.

"Oh? Your invitation begs another question...Anora." Rhea frowned as her arms fell, perhaps if she hadn't been well-versed in the history surrounding the Kingdoms, then she wouldn't have taken such pity on the King who lost his Queen.

"Anora...? I'm afraid you have gotten the wrong—"
"Do I? To entertain the idea of inviting me to a wedding to a beast such as Tirean? No. You were wrong to do such, as you were before." The way he had come forward hadn't caused Rhea to so much as flinch.

If Soras believed that she was Anora, she was likely to bet that he wouldn't do anything in the realm to harm her.

And that theory had been proven correct when the back of his hand fanned her cheek, his eyes burrowing deep into her gaze. Suspicion was still well in his grasp, but Rhea smiled.

"We have met before, long ago—When my father had sought out answers on your Queen. I don't recall you being this forthcoming." It had caused him to frown, and that facilitated Rhea had smirked once more.

"I am not Anora, but my name is not Lady Rhea, either." Perhaps it was just how overbearing the Demon had been overthinking he had found his beloved, but Rhea had taken a step back, out of loyalty to Romulus.

"It is an honor to see you again, King Soras. But in the coming hours, I will be reclaiming my throne. You will do well to keep that in mind for what you decide to do next." A laugh had stumbled out of his mouth before his mind had taken into account what she had said.

How her taunt had aligned with what she was getting at.

"You sly little female, how is it you've managed to go undiscovered for so long?"
"I am not without my scares, my King. But even I know the legend of your bride, she cannot be burned." To smother the rest of his suspicions, Rhea had tugged her wedding gown to the side and exposed her shoulder.

The jagged skin was the center of his attention now, but his eyes flickered between it and her eyes—Which held little to no emotion about her most self-conscious scarring.

"No, she cannot be. But you look so much like her that I..." A snarl rallied in the back of his throat, but it soon morphed into a scoff. "I get it now, your mother's blood, rich with divine Blackwell blood. Anora's blood."
"My mother wasn't—"
"Ah, but she is. A descendant far off in the distance to when my mate's flock had decided it was time to find their own mates. Humans, a decent pair of company some might say, but they started to die too quickly. At the hand of merciless men who sought them out, your mother was one of the last surviving members of the Blackwell family." It had taken a moment to really take into consideration what the man—Demon—Had said.

Rhea's mother's maiden name was Blackwell, no doubt a twist to hide their true ancestry. "Father always said mother had wonderful blood."

"Wonderful, but not meant for mortal wounds...It is why your mother couldn't recover properly from the birth of another heir. An immortal cannot survive or stay suited with a mortal." A sudden panic filled the room as Rhea lifted her hand to her chest in complete and utter dread.

"So the union between Romulus and I—"
"Supersedes that notion. Your mother needed something more, as my Anora needed someone higher skilled and versatile. And a beast who cannot be burned is always a plus...Given what she is..." His grin hadn't given way or faltered Rhea's worry for the situation at hand.

"But my wound—"

"Ah, magic is a tricky play when one cannot understand it properly. I assumed you already knew."

"Knew what?" Now was not to play any sort of games, and she truly underestimated King Soras in his attempt to woo what he believed in Anora and now aid her in her own discovery.

"Fires can fix many things. Had you resulted into ash during your claim to your father's throne, perhaps you would have been resurrected regardless."

"But that's—I'm a mortal!"
"Of course you are. Your body is mortal but your blood is half. Which makes you half. The danger you've faced time and time again hadn't sparked the rage. So let us try it again." The ball of fire that Soras had conjured looked like a sphere, its edges laced with flames that spun around in a sort of harmonic way.

Or had, until he threw it forward.

"Are you insane?!"

"Funny, my wife used to say the same. Are you sure I cannot convince you to—" With a bit of quick thinking and the King horribly out of focus, Rhea was able to chuck a nearby vase into his direction.

"Ah, is it your temper that has caught the Wolf's eye?"

"No. I was the one who cared for him when he was a pup in this realm. And you are making it painstakingly obvious that I shouldn't have invited you in the first place!" Something clicked. Unlocked deep inside her chest as she narrowed her gaze to the King, and he too had sighed in relief.

"I apologize, Lady Rhea...I don't mean to be brash or overstep, but magic, especially magic from my world is undoubtedly difficult to awaken It is why I take considerable care of those who have any sort of level of fire magic running through their veins. There is no telling what could happen if they lose control." Perhaps it was the way he said it, but even now, Rhea could feel a sort of coursing energy enact inside of her.

"I don't—I don't want this."

"No? Well, my dear, it's a bit too late to take back what is your birthright. Perhaps I have an ally in the future if all goes well." Rhea, still more focused on her hands than Sora's steps forward, had found it quite intriguing to see a female come into such a position and stand her ground.

Even when she had been knocked down to the end.

With a hand offered out, Rhea took a moment in hesitation to think of her options. Saros' hadn't proven himself trustworthy, but how many were offering her insight into something so delicate to her own family history?

So after the temptation and complication, she pushed herself just a bit forward to take his hand—Engulfing in the heat radiating off his skin in waves, and Rhea could have sworn she saw steam coming out his nose as he exhaled.

A deep rumble slowly filled the room, but Rhea remained completely still, not wanting to ruin whatever it was that the Demon King was attempting to do.

However, her impatience had gotten the best of her, and just as she was about to speak out—The burning sensation soon spread rapidly, almost like a wildfire as it took over. Not only her skin, but the blood in her veins boiled, and a gasp escaped her lips.

There was little she could do as his grip tightened and another hand overlapped hers—Almost doubling the stress he admitted into her body.

As a Healer, Rhea knew that heat had many uses in the grand scheme of things. But this was otherworldly. "Embrace it, Amory. Do not be afraid, it is your birthright—Right beside the crown and the throne. You are stronger than the wolves downstairs, even the bloodsuckers who attempt to distract your mate...Curious, what are they doing here?" The way her breath started to pick up as the waves intensified.

"There is no darkness in your soul to be found, only light. You've been blessed, not once, not twice—But the Gods and Goddess are watching, and are eager for you to return. Amory, why do you refuse?"

Refuse?
Refuse?!

"I—I don't—"

"You are not at fault for the damage of the Kingdom, you were unable to make changes. You did your job, you've returned. Now return with a bit of flare, hm? Accept it. Embrace it." The temptation was there, to say yes, to agree, but just as the words had started to come forward—She thought of the love she has for Romulus.

For her people, for the ones she knows, and the ones she plans to meet in the future. And the prosperity she couldn't wait to share following her return.

Without warning, the burning had relinquished into a shock of ice. But now it was Rhea's to grip him, and a pairing smile erupted onto Saros' face.

"You feel it? How bitterly sweet acceptance is to one's future. And now you're attempting to burn me?" With a sense of panic, Rhea dropped the hold and the icy texture withdrew, but not entirely.

As if it lingered throughout, waiting at the forefront to attack once more.

"My Anora would shine bright—Brighter, even. I have not been this close to a Phoenix's flame in centuries." Rhea managed to sense the dread coming from him, and a sad grin found suit on his own.

"Phoenixes cannot die, Saros. She is here, somewhere. You just have to find her, as Romulus found me once again." He nodded, perhaps that was the truth and he knew that he too had to change.

But change, to an immortal, was unbecoming.
Even after generations had continued to come and go, he was left with nothing but dim memories.

"Now, who is walking you down the aisle?" It had been a reminder that time was still ticking and that the guests downstairs weren't privy to what had been unleashed here in her royal apartments.

"Dane, he was on my father's guard...I thought that it would be the closest to my father walking me down the aisle." She spoke, so softly at the secret that came from her heart.

"Have I overstayed my welcome?"
"Yes, but you are staying. It's always good to get out of the castle, Saros." He tilted his head as he watched Lady Rhea approach her vanity once more, not an ounce of pain in her face or a hint of a limp shown as she went through such easy movements.

She hadn't even made a reach for her fallen cane that stood between himself and her.

But that hadn't been on her mind, no—Instead, she had been startled by the sudden appearance of not only her males, but Drex and a handful of his Enforcers.

"Good goddess, what on earth—You could at least knock!" She shouted in return, and with a small glance she had caught that King Saros had left without a flicker of warning.

The wolves had fallen to their knees in submission and embarrassment, but it was Drex who came forward with his neck tilted to the side. An earnest show of his mistake. "I apologize, Lady Rhea. The King sent us here as the Demon King was declared missing upon the guests downstairs." A makeshift frown had come forward on Rhea's face as she turned back to vanity once more and fluffed her hair.

"Well, perhaps the wedding bells will call him back. Are we ready?" Without a hint as to what had happened in the last few minutes before their arrival, Drex had given Rhea a proud grin before linking the better half of downstairs to make the move to the throne room.

As this was a speculation for the Kingdom to enjoy, as the vows between her and Romulus had already been spoken. All that was left was the public tying the knot and another painstakingly nerve-racking binding of a male wolf to their chosen partner.

With the next few steps, Rhea had felt more empowered than she ever had, as if the burning had jolted some sort of everlasting nerve in her chest. But with a kind smile offered to Dane, the male prepared to give her away had been dressed as clean as ever, she felt utterly relieved to finally be in a position of safety.

Yet that still didn't stop her from looking back to where the Demon King was no doubt lurking in the shadows to watch the scene unfold.

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Date: 07/23/23

Time: 10:17

Words: 2478

Author's Note:

The Demon King made an honest mistake and made up for it.
A Phoneix cannot die, so where is his Queen?
We might just have to revisit that at a later date!