Chapter 55: Apologizing
[London]
Isabella's eyes slowly fluttered open. She found herself alone in the bedroom. The memory just before she fainted rushed back to her. She shut her eyes again. She wasn't thinking anything. She was regretting. Regretting her reaction.
"Dylan?" She muttered as she looked around found didn't find him. But she did find a glass of water on the beside table he kept for her.
She gulped down the water before going towards the room to see what Dylan was doing. She was about to open the door when Dylan's voice from outside stopped her.
"Isa wait... Don't come here.. The w-wings are still there" Dylan said from outside. The wings weren't exactly attached to his back, but were hanging just an inch away from his spine.
They were huge, but didn't disturb anything in the room. Rather, they just passed through the objects as if they were ghosts.
Isabella felt bad hearing this. But she pushed the door open anyway. There he was, sitting on the couch, with is shoulders slumped and little lonely.
"Dylan" Isabella rushed to him and engulfed him in a tight hug. Dylan instinctively moved back, not knowing how the wings might behave. But that only made Isabella hug him tighter.
"I am so sorry Dylan. I didn't mean to push you away." Isabella apologized and kissed his cheeks. She was feeling so bad that there were tears pooling in her eyes.
Dylan's heart melted looking at this. He felt relieved that he wasn't scaring Isabella. "I still have the wings baby." he said softly.
Isabella looked at his wings for a few seconds. They were pitch black, huge and metallic. But now that she had already seen them once, they didn't look intimidating anymore. It was strange, but true.
"It's okay. My husband is growing more and more charming and enigmatic day by day. How can I complain?" Isabella winked.
Not only the wings, but even Dylan's heart fluttered hearing her acceptance. "What if I grow two horns, a tail, and vampire teeth tomorrow?" Dylan asked as he took her onto his lap.
Isabella rest her head on his hard chest as she replied. "It's okay. As long as you don't grow hair all over like a chimp, I will accept. After all, your are mine."
Dylan cupped her face and kissed her forehead. His wings wrapped around the couple, covering them. But of them stilled inside the cocoon of the wings.
"Huh? I thought these were metal." Isabella said.
"And I thought they are pass through" Dylan exclaimed.
Previously when he tried to touch his wings his hands passed through them. But now they were cozily wrapping them. Their texture was soft like a cotton candy. Nothing like the metallic glint they showed. And the warmth of the feathers was so comfortable that Isabella sank into them.
"Wow Dylan. What kind of magic is this?" Isabella said as she enjoyed the softness of the wings. Whenever she caressed the wings, Dylan felt a sensual spark travel through his body.
The back of his hand grazed her cheek, his touch reverent. "I love you my wife."
Isabella's cheeks flushed even though this was probably her thousandth time hearing this from Dylan. The wings pushed her more close to Dylan.
"I love you too husband." Isabella said as they lovingly hugged each other enclosed by the wings, isolated from the world.
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[Mythiopia]
"Is Dylan fine now?" Aliza asked her husband as she helped him with his royal robes and crown.
"Hmm. He seems to have accepted the wings." The king answered. He recalled seeing Isabella playing with Dylan's wings as soon as they get home from their college. And the poor boy would sit there as if the entire world betrayed him.
"What exactly is the gatekeeper?" Aliza asked again. She had never seen anyone like Dylan.
Lawrence shrugged. He too had thought of this many times but gave up when he realized he would not get the answer just by thinking.
"I don't know Al. But whatever he is, he won't harm Isabella... Let's get going now."
The royal couple then proceeded towards the ceremonial hall. Today was the third day of the festival, and also the most important day. Stella joined them midway and the family together made their appearance in the hall.
The priest was ready to perform the rituals. The guests were already seated in the room. Even Adrian, the second beast prince was also present. But Lawrence didn't see the clone Calhoun has left behind.
"Your Majesty. The auspicious time has arrived. We should start the ritual." The priest announced.
Unlike all other times, this time Lawrence and Aliza didn't sit on their throne but sat on a elevated stage in front of a holy fire lit up. There were few other priests chanting some words.
Stella took her usual seat and looked at everyone present in the hall. She couldn't help but frown at Calhoun's absence.
Even though he was not favored, he was still the eldest prince of Vandrad. There is no way the king would have prohibited him from coming here. Did he chose not to come? Why? The princess was busy thinking about all these and the ritual was already half way.
The priests were chanting the names all their ancestors. There were some other light music and acts going on in the background for entertainment for the guests.
Usually even Lawrence doesn't pay much attention to that random flow of ancestral names. He didn't think it was of any use to remember each and every name. But this time something caught his attention.
"Stop" he ordered and the priest immediately stopped, wondering why the king interrupted the ritual.
"Repeat the last few names again." Lawrence ordered and the priest started sweating. Did he miss some name? Or did he spell something wrong? He had just mugged up those names all these years.
"Y-Yes your majesty." And the priest repeated the last few names again carefully.
"Amantha?" Lawrence stopped and asked when the priest said Amantha's name too. Realization struck Lawrence. No wonder he always felt like he had heard the name before. This is the place he heard that name every year after year. So she is their ancestor?
"Who is Amanth.."
"Not now Lawrence. Let's talk about this after the ritual is done" Aliza reminded calmly. They there weren't speaking loudly, the beast clan people has sharp hearing. She didn't want people to know about Isabella yet.
Lawrence understood too and signaled the priest to continue. He scolded himself inwardly for missing the clue which was laying right in front of him in open all the while.