The Rules of Blood

Volume Two ; Chapter 94 (310) - Velakia, The Smile of Belonging

“It seems you chose to watch a different kind of sight, Lord Blanc,” the Daughter said as they returned to the fire, “One with way too few clothes.”

“Something came up, I apologize,” Blanc muttered, slightly embarrassed.

“And Your Highness,” the Daughter turned to face Velakia, “Is it wise?”

“For my heart, yes,” Velakia smiled, “Go, my dear, wake your sister up, we have to start walking again.”

“Aye, aye,” Blanc nodded, walking towards Velakia’s small tent where Sera slept, leaving Velakia with the Daughter and her protectors.

“Please, Daughter, refrain from speaking more on the matter,” Velakia smiled towards her.

“As you wish,” the Daughter nodded slightly, “Although I have another matter to talk about with Your Highness.”

Velakia pointed with her head to the side for the Daughter to follow her.

A minute away from the camp, Velakia turned around, “What is it?”

“A letter,” the Daughter pulled a sealed letter from her sleeve, “From Lady Celine and Lady Miyanna sent in secret, hidden from their husband’s eyes.”

“Thank you,” Velakia nodded, accepting it. “How did you get it, though?”

“Words are not the only thing we can send each other. Just like I sent yours through a few days ago,” the Daughter replied, “I will not say more.”

“Forgive me, Daughter, for my earlier attitude,” Velakia smiled, looking at the sealed letter. “Since I found out I was pregnant, many questions swirled in my mind.”

“There is nothing to apologize for,” the Daughter shook her head lightly, before turning around, “Feel free to read the letter, I will go and keep Lord Blanc occupied until you return.”

Velakia nodded, ripping the seal from the letter.

“Ah, by the way,” the Daughter turned back towards her, “A suggestion from a healer, make sure to refrain from having intercourse too much, or too… intensely, so as not to affect the development of the fetus inside. If possible, I would recommend other manners of intercourse for the time being.”

“I will take it to heart,” Velakia nodded sharply, “Thank you, Daughter. I will read this quickly and return before Blanc even notices.”

With another nod from the emotionless woman, she slowly walked back towards the small fire Blanc had made.

Velakia looked past her, towards the camp.

No signs of Blanc as he seemed to be still trying to wake Sera up.

“Wonderful,” Velakia muttered as she pulled the large pieces of parchment from the inside of the letter.

She exhaled sharply and slowly turned the parchments to reveal the words written on them.

She focused her eyes, and slowly, the darkness around her vanished, the words written on the parchments now cleared as if revealing themselves to her.

She began reading.

[ From Celine of Noble Blood Denegis, First Wife of Blanc of Blood Denegis.

Good evening, Velakia Iskahul.

Forgive me for the lack of honorifics, but taking into consideration your developing relationship with our husband, I found them useless.

First and foremost, allow me to congratulate you wholeheartedly on your pregnancy.

I wish for your health to remain strong throughout its course, and for the child you will bear Blanc, to be born as strong and healthy as his father.

Now for an honest conversation.

Your sincerity in the letter you sent us weeks ago, as well as now, has been most delightful to see.

Because you did what many others, man or woman, could not.

You confessed your love for him. You showed honesty. Guilt. You told us the reason and the effects it had on you.

And I knew your attempts, as well as Blanc’s, at telling us that ‘It will not happen again’ were false.

‘How?’ you may wonder, and the answer is simple.

Because when both of us thought about it, we would’ve done the same thing.

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Perhaps even poorly than you did.

The truth is that we are fine with it.

With both your relationship and the pregnancy.

On that matter, we would like to formally invite you to join us as part of Blanc’s Blood if you do so wish, but I am well aware of the situation you are now in, and the choices you are most likely already afraid to make.

So, for now, keep it as an open invitation, one you can always accept at a later date.

We, as well as Blanc, would surely welcome you in.

You may wonder why. But just know that the Empire works differently, and that, regardless of what you may think, there is value in it for us, as well.

For you, for Blanc, for us as sister-wives, and for all our children.

But before I go further, there are truths you must know.

Before you departed with Blanc on his journey to retrieve Sera, Miyanna and I entered into an agreement with the Sanguinarch Order.

For three favors from the Order, and for a Daughter to be assigned to us at all times, we… in a way, sold Blanc with his agreement.

It might take me too many pieces of parchment to explain everything, but just know that all the Order did in Blood Seraph’s Domain was not by coincidence or the goodness of their heart.

But because they need Blanc alive and well.

If we meet in the future, I will tell you more about it.

However, be aware that the Order is a wonderful organization to have around, here or in your Kingdom, but one that always ensures its way.

So tread carefully around the Order and its Daughters, and, if Blanc is nearby, ask his help to talk in your stead for whatever you may need.

The Daughter will do his bidding to ensure he is pleased with them.

Take this as a truth, a way of ours returning sincerity for the one you’ve already shown us.

Please, do take care of yourself, your pregnancy, and our husband.

If you decide to leave, may the Vita give you safe travels.

And if you decide to stay, I wish to drink a cup of tea with you, this time not as strangers, but as sisters.

P.S. Please forgive Miyanna’s attempt at writing a letter.

Signed by Celine of Noble Blood Denegis.]

Velakia found herself smiling while reading the letter Celine sent her.

And although she had many questions, especially about the Order part, she felt a sense of welcome she never knew possible.

It was fascinating to see.

And even more fascinating for her to see herself so glad to hear they were fine with it.

Then, she turned to the last parchment in her hand, curious to see why Celine warned her.

[ From Miyanna of Noble Blood Denegis, Second Wife of Blanc of Blood Denegis.

Hello Velakia, Celine told you most of what we’ve wanted to say, so I will get straight to the point.

We are happy to receive you in our Blood if you decide to join.

I’m not sure how all of that will work with you being a princess and all that.

But.

If you do decide to join, regardless of what and who you are, I will beat both you and Blanc.

First, I will beat Blanc senseless.

Why?

Because I feel like it. Then, after you give birth and recover safely, it will be your turn.

If you refuse to join us, may you and your child be healthy and happy.

But make sure Blanc remains and returns safely, as you were hired to do.

Otherwise, I will come to Iskahul myself and kill everything that moves.

Okay, bye.

Signed by Miyanna of Noble Blood Denegis.]

Velakia burst out laughing at the contents of Miyanna’s letter.

For some reason, she saw the threats she wrote down as more cute than threatening.

Still, she was happy that both showed such overwhelming understanding, even if Miyanna did not specifically mention it.

She smiled from ear to ear as she looked upon the letters again, before remembering that she was needed elsewhere.

So she packed the letters tightly inside her pants, out of sight, and rushed back towards the fire.

“Velakia,” Blanc muttered, seeing her approach, “You were off for a bit. Everything all right?”

“Yes,” Velakia nodded, “I’ve thought I’ve seen something, but it must have been my imagination.”

“Thank the Vita, it was nothing,” Blanc chuckled, “Still, go get your stuff and let’s be on our way.”

“Is Sera awake?” Velakia asked, looking around but not seeing her.

“Mhm,” Blanc nodded, “Somewhere behind one of those boulders, doing her business. The Daughter accompanied her, so she is fine.”

“Lendros and Tahreni?” Velakia asked, not seeing them around either.

“The same, I guess, did not understand their words,” Blanc shrugged.

“In that case,” Velakia muttered, approaching him slowly, “I’ll go get ready.”

And she dashed toward the tent, but not before stealing a kiss from him.

It made Blanc chuckle to see her act so playful all of a sudden as he followed her with his eyes.

But in less than ten minutes, all were ready to depart once more.

So Blanc quickly put out the fire and started walking again.

“So?” the man on top of the black lizard asked, the rising sun blocked by the smoke that came out of the Manors.

“It’s still warm, My Lord,” a soldier muttered, holding his hand atop the ash and embers of a poorly doused fire, “Less than six hours away maybe.”

“Hmm,” the man was lost in thought, tapping on the leather harness he was riding on.

Another lizard rider approached the man, “Should we try to catch up? We could get to them by nightfall.”

“Not yet,” the man shook his head, “That red-eyed bitch must leave them first. For the next few days, we keep this distance.”

“Understood, My Lord,” the rider bowed lightly.

“We march!” the man ordered.

His lizard lurched forward, and behind him over five hundred riders fell into step, the unpaved road swallowed in three tight columns as dust rose in the air beneath their march.

He closed his eyes for a moment, lifting his horned head toward the gray sky, drawing in a long breath.

Then, as he opened them again, a cruel smile tugged at his lips.

“We’ll meet soon, Lord Blanc,” Aidan whispered into the wind, just as a small red dragon burst forth from the distant Manor, leaping into the ash-choked air.