The Kingdom

Chapter Three

The cold air chills my breath as I follow Raven to the stables but giving her a couple feet to take a breather. Tonight's a full moon so I'm sure the wolves are out along with the witches no way in hell am I leaving her alone out here. The wet grass, stains my shoes but I keep up with her as she brushes her horse. I grab a brush and just stand besides her brushing him too. The insects keep the silence and I try to think of something to say.
"Why did you wake her up?" She doesn't look at me but she asks anyways.
"You and your sister are maturing in ways I'm not capable of understanding. You need your mother just as much as Mercy needs her, you just haven't realized that yet."
"I've went nine years without her, what's the rest of them Papa!" She leave the brush in the bucket and walks away. I follow after her once I lock the horse up and walk back into the castle.
"Raven."
She turns around and looks at me taking deep ragged breaths, but her eyes filled with pain. Waking Artemis up without them knowing was none of my business and now I have to pay the price.
"Just leave me alone okay?" She cries.
"I don't want any of this! I don't want the hair, the dress, the makeup, the heels! None of this is me, but I do it for you and Mercy Papa! I don't want princess lessons like Mercy, I'm not going to be Queen, I'm second best, the back up! I want to be alone, I want to think about me, I want you to think about me! I want friends who can relate to me but who can relate to being a vampire a human and a witch all while being a princess to two parents who I haven't seen since I was an infant! I want a normal life! I don't want this. I especially don't want this either!" She toss the necklace I had given her earlier this evening to my feet and runs into the hallway towards her room. I pick up the necklace and take my pain to my room.
"Caleb, please go to the ball and see to it that it continues, Princess Raven and I will be taking the rest of the evening to our chambers but please tell Mercy I will be there for her cake and presents." He nods his head and does as I ask. I shut my door once inside and grab the whisky and make way for my balcony. The stars are bright tonight. I take a long sip of the whisky and throw the bottle into the chair besides me.
"My eldest is happy and my youngest is miserable. How do I find balance?"
"I've been telling you to send your youngest my way but you fail to listen." Cadence comes next to me grabbing the whisky from the chair and throwing one back too.
"Send my child into the Wolves den is not the brightest idea. I'd like to keep them alive Caden." He laughs and hands me the whisky.
"I've seen when she can do, she's more than the title your kingdom have placed upon her, send her for a while, I have a daughter her age and two older sons but one left for college while the other stayed trained."
"You cannot ensure her protection."
"Demitri I take offense, I'm the King of Alphas, what do you take me as? Your typical 100 pack with a decent leader? Your daughter will be housed by the best, protected by the best, and taught by the best."
"Caden she's only 14."
"Perfect age to train and develop."
"She's not a wolf, she's a-"
"Yes she's hybrid we get it your kids cool. But honestly Demitri, I heard the fight both of you had, what she needs is space and time, give her that."
"Am I a bad father? I feel like that's letting her go and she's my child."

"Both my boys are 18 and 17 and my daughter is 14, my 17 year old went away to college this year, first in the family to ever do it. I felt like I gave up on him when he didn't want to stay and train like his brother, but he knew when I didn't that his brother was the one who had no choice in his life. his brother is next in line not him, he wants to explore and live a life away from the throne I felt like I failed as a father but seeing him halfway though this year in college I couldn't be more proud, he wants to be a doctor, my son, a wolf, a doctor. My wife helped him because I would have killed him if I found him. But honestly give her a chance. She wants to run, so let her run with the wolves." He walks away and leaves my room. Cadence has become a well developed friend since Artemis was asleep. If only the Coven liked me then the three most powerful would work together but some bloodstains don't go away and to them the stain was there leader. I put my jacket back on to head back to the party when I heard a window above me open. Vines started moving past my
Balcony covering it headed to the window, shoes poke through the holes of my balcony and I see a black clothe.
"Raven." And her body goes still.
"I love you." She keeps moving and before the vines disappear she had already left too. She won't go too far. I make my way back to the party and put on a brave face. One I'm only wearing for my daughter.
"Papa you made it! Where's Raven?" Mercy's face was the first I saw walking back inside.
"Raven doesn't feel too well so she's in bed resting." Mercy looks hurt but covers it with a hug and smile.
"Please dance with me? One song?" I ask her and watch her light up and bow after me. I hold my hand out waiting for her to take it and when she does the floor clears so it's just the two of us.
"I know she left because mom is here, you don't have to lie. Not to me. I can handle it." Mercy whispers. I look at her still smiling watching the crowds.
"I keep forgetting you aren't so little anymore, you will be Queen soon, it's time I started treating you like one." She hugs me tight and I guide her with the music.
"Since you can handle it how about as your first royal duty you answer this question for me."
"What is it Papa?"
"Do I send your sister home tonight with the King of Wolves to live there for a while."
"Why would you send her there, she's fine here, she's just acting like this because mom is here."
"I don't think she's pretending Mercy, she's different than you, she doesn't want what you are getting, she gets to live a life where she can be and do anything she wants and I think she wants to leave."
"If it will make her happy, I don't want to see my little sister not here with us but if she's not happy." The song ends and she hugs me one last time before the crowd comes back into the center. I find Artemis talking to a few from the staff and pull her away.
"You're touching me." She says and I let go of her arm.
"Raven is taking this worse than I thought."
"She hates me that much?" Artemis asked.
"I think I failed our daughter, I think-" she pulls me out of the room and into a dark hallway with no one around.
"Before you lose everything in a room with witches and wolves and vampires let's not have you go off in there."
"Raven is going with the King of Wolves tonight, if she says yes that is, but if she does she will be staying with them for a while, she can always come home, but she will most likely finish school with the wolves, I have spoken to there ruler and he has agreed."
"I'm back five minutes and you're trying to get rid of one of us, is three too much for you, can only handle two of us?"
"Artemis I'm serious, you didn't see her when she saw you, you didn't hear what she said when it was just us, it's not just you she hates, she hates me."