The Delta's Daughter Chapter 295

CRIMSON

Tedious and unnecessary. That’s what this was. We were waiting on the council to grace us with their presence and the verdict of their vote on Gillian and the supposed crimes she had committed.

Each house’s representative cast their vote this morning to determine if Gillian should be held accountable for breaking the blood contract of our marriage. If they found her guilty the lowest punishment would be to have her imprisoned for ‘X’ amount of time. Whatever sentence they served her. The highest and most absurd conviction they could give her was the death penalty.

Over my dead body would that happen.

Even if she was sentenced to imprisonment, I had no intention of letting her spend one night in a cell. Tristan and I had already agreed that we would do whatever it took to keep her from seeing the inside of those cold walls.

Including getting her out of Cambiador.

The only reason we were entertaining this shit show of a circus was to placate the people and the current laws of Cambiador. We could not bend the rules just because of our statuses, that would be sending the wrong message.

If they were to find out Tawny and I were mates and had already completed the mating bond, there would be hell to raise. They could very easily hold me for breaching the contract, but a few council members and Tawny’s proposal have kept them from going down that road. Thankfully.

The council members file into the chambers, taking their seats. Councilman Leer, front and center.

The Lords sit quietly, some with smug looks like they already know how this will play out. Others look worried and you can see the look of trepidation in their eyes.

Maydor sits at the prosecution bench with two of his elders and Lord Lightfoot – A man as equally cunning and power-hungry, and just as much of an asshole as Maydor.

I think of Tawny and the child she may one day carry and for the life of me, I can not understand how a father can act this way to their offspring. Is Maydor willing to go as far as watching his own daughter be executed for finding her goddess-given mate and breaking a contract that should never be a law in the first place?

Gods, this man was more conceited and twisted than I ever gave him credit for, if he could sentence his daughter to imprisonment. Or worse, death.

*It will all work out. Let’s have a little faith and hope the majority still supports you.* My kitten's voice filters through my mind. I was liking this mind-linking I could do with her. I was gradually getting used to it and could separate my thoughts and mental connections with her better.

*Wyvern is standing by with the Alpha team to get her out of here if they find her guilty* I reply.

As a precaution, Wyvern and the Alpha team were not too far from the council’s chamber hall. Ready at a moment’s notice to extract Gillian and Tristan. I hope to the powers that be, it didn’t come to that.

*Mason is already at the border waiting on our guests.* Tawny informed me just before Councilman Leer spoke, not giving me a chance to reply back.

The council went through their spiel, recounting the charges, and then proceeded to hand out the verdict.

“In the case of Gillian Maydor, the vote was split seven to five and the accused was found not guilty under the charges of breaking a blood contract.” A huge sigh of relief, I had no idea I was holding, leaves me and I hear several other people let go of theirs as well. “Under the circumstances, the council has decided that the pull of a mate bond is powerful enough to cloud the accused’s judgment.

“For the charges brought against Gillian Maydor, for abusing her rank and bringing shame to her house, Gillian Maydor will be stripped of her title and cast out from the House of Maydor and its Clowder.”

I want to laugh because as far as Gillian was concerned, her father threw her out a long time ago. He couldn’t move fast enough to hand her off to me as soon as she became of age. It didn’t matter if she lost the status of Lady, her place was in the palace with us. Tawny and I would make sure she was giving a better ranking. Higher than that of a lady.

“This is unacceptable!” Maydor shouts, jumping up to his feet. His eyes swirled with hatred and his face twisted with disgust, turning a deep shade of purple, ready to explode any moment.

Lord Lightfoot stands, buttoning his suit jacket, and rests a hand on Maydor’s shoulders whispering something in his ear – too low for anyone else to hear.

Lord Maydor sits back down, readjusting his expression, but the dissatisfied look never leaves his face.

“The contract will be broken under the condition that Sir Crimson and Princess Tawny bind their intended joining immediately after the said contract has been destroyed.” Councilman Leer sits back down, and another councilman stands.

“The verdict has been passed with no room for appeal. This concludes our business today. If everyone would please leave the chambers peacefully and quietly except for Miss Gillian Maydor, the former Sir Crimson and Princess Tawny.” He calls out to the spectators.

“Former?” I hear Maydor spit. When I turn to look at him, he has an expression of confusion mixed with repulsion strewn across his face.

“Yes Lord Maydor. Once the contract between him and the princess has been formed, Kolby Crimson will be known as ‘his grace’ Duke Crimson.” Councilman Leer iterates to Maydor with an arched eyebrow as if saying he should have known this.

“She. Is. A. Hybrid!” He seethes through his teeth - spit flying from in between them, his fists clenching at his sides, “She cannot lead the kingdom of werecats.”

Councilman Leer offers Maydor a brilliant and triumphant smile. “Princess Tawny is the heir to the throne. Her seat has already been challenged by someone of your choosing. And in case it escapes your mind Lord Maydor, she defeated him fair and square, and might I add quite entertainingly as I recall.”

Maydor stomps from the room. His elders and Lord Lightfoot were hot on his heels. They each cast us a scathing glance as they passed by us to exit the chambers.

I knew this was not the last we would hear on the subject from Maydor.

Despite the council’s orders, Tristan remained by Gillian’s side.

“The contract please,” Councilman Leer asked one of the other council members. Who hands it to him. He then steps down from the bench followed by Councilman Talbot, the one who originally witnessed and performed the binding of the contract.

The four of us step up to the bench in front of where they now stand.

“They have arrived,” Tawny whispers, holding me back so only the four of us can hear. “Mason has taken them to the palace while everyone was distracted here.” She says of our guests.

I wink at my little kitten acknowledging her. Gillian and I move forward. In order to break the contract and unbind us from it, both of us will give a few drops of blood, that need to be spilled onto the paper. Then it gets burned in sage and the blood contract should be broken.

As our hands are sliced open with a ceremonial knife and our blood mixes together on the paper, saturating it, I can’t help the melancholy feeling that washes over me. This shouldn’t feel like an ending, but somehow it does.

In no way shape or form am I regretful for the turn of events that led us here. But it's almost like ending something that, at one point, was my future. It’s strange, how the turning of events can hurdle your life in a much different direction than you once thought they would end up in. It’s a freakishly surreal awakening.

The scent of sage filled the air as the paper burned and the singed ashes sparked and died as they fluttered to the ground.

“I never thought we would be here,” Gillian echoes my thoughts. “I thought it would always be you and I against the odds,” She lets out a halfhearted chuckle “How quickly things change.”

“For the better,” I add to her words.

“For the better,” She says, looking over at Tristan and smiling. “Definitely for the better.” And I couldn’t agree more.

“You are my family Gillian, and that will never change. Your home is in the palace with me – with us.” I reassure her that even though she has been cast from the house of Maydor - stripped of her status, she will always have a place with us.

Tristan pulls Gillian into his arms, securing her against him “Did I forget to tell you that in my Pride, I am the son of an Alpha, the ruler of the snow leopards that reign from the mountains of Acro? We don’t use titles as they do here, but if I were to have one it would be higher than your Lords.” He smiles planting a kiss on her forehead, “Once we are mated and married you will become more than your father.”

“I don’t need a title Tris,” Gillian says looking up lovingly at her mate, “You are enough. You are all I need.”

He captures her mouth in a hungry kiss and I clear my throat, “Save it for the bedroom, yeah,” I poke fun at them, knowing what they will be doing tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will have a freshly mated and marked pair.

“Awe,” Tawny swoons at their affection and I see a lone tear glisten in the corner of her eye, “I’m so happy for you both.” She gushes.

“Yes, well,” Councilman Leer coughs, “Shall we move on to the binding of your contract?” He looks between Tawny and I.

I must remember, they don’t know we are already mated, as I reach for her and then draw my hand back.

“Is a contract really necessary?” Tawny asks Leer.

“To ensure the future of Cambiador - yes.” He says “The terms will be as follows: Your contract of engagement will last the standard year. At the end of that period-“

“I’ll cut you off there, councilman.” I say, “My contract with Gillian would have ended at the end of December. I have no urge to enter another year-long contract.”

“But that is the standard…”

“No,” I interrupt again. “Re-write the contract to state that we will be fully mated and married by January when we will be crowned Queen and Prince Consort.”

“King and Queen,” Tawny interjects. “We will rule together as it was intended. Yes, I understand what that means. We will be equal Crimson, and we will rule together as one, as a team. Neither of us sits higher than the other.”

“Are you sure about this, is this what you want?” I peer into her eyes looking for any sign of hesitation and find none.

“Yes,” My kitten nods holding my gaze.

A sharp intake of air pulls our eyes from one another. We both face Leer at the same time whose eyes are wide with cognizance. He lets his breath out slowly. And I know he knows we are fated mates. He doesn’t say anything to us, instead, he turns to councilman Talbot. “Make the adjustments on the contract.”

Twenty minutes later a new contract is drawn up and sealed with our blood. The contract states, in short terms, that Tawny and I will be mated and married by the end of January when we will be officially crowned King and Queen of Cambiador.

*****

It was strange walking into the palace and scenting the foreign smells of a powerful bear and wolf shifter. My skin rippled with the feeling of being in the presence of beings more powerful than myself.

The first time I met Queen Lamia was around 9/10 months ago when I visited MacTire hoping to form an alliance. There I met Commander Hunji, Alpha Travis, and many other shifter leaders. Queen Lamia had a powerful aura back then, but now, it was so much stronger. Maybe even more so than her mate Mathias Artos, King of the bear shifters.

Mason stands with Mathias, a giant of a man whose size and personality are big and make any man feel small.

Tawny squeals like an excited child when she sees her longtime friend and pretty much bounces over to her and proceeds to jump on her.

“If this was me, Lamia would be calling me an idiot,” Mathias grumbles at the way the two women begin to horse around.

“You get used to it,” Mason laughs.

I forget Mason was part of MacTire’s elite warriors for over two years. He has known Queen Lamia longer than myself or her mate and has witnessed the women’s friendship before.

A few minutes later Gillian and Tristan join us and introductions are made.

Tawny gives Queen Lamia a playful punch on her arm, nothing serious at all, but Mathis lets out a warning growl aimed at my kitten.

Instantaneously, my skin prickles and shimmers to a shade of red, and I growl back at the King of bears.

I can feel the magic emanating from the king in waves. His strength, his spirit animal, they call to me. The energy that comes from his aura makes every nerve in my body vibrate.

This male is powerful beyond anything I have ever felt.

Still, no matter who they are, they don’t growl at my female. My protective instinct takes over. I take a step forward, bare my fangs to let him know – you might kick my ass but that’s my female.

Mathias quirks an eyebrow, head tilting and his eyes glimmer a bright silver when they meet mine. “Interesting.” He says looking me up and down. “I’ve met many… Creatures in my life, but never a Grimalkin.” Not intimidated by me at all.

His reaction, or lack of it, is a major blow to my ego.

Once the men have moved to the adjoining room, giving our females their time to talk and undoubtedly catch up on gossip. Mathias is quick to question me.

“On the battlefield, I saw you. Your feline was a Jaguar. You fight well Crimson.” He smirks and his eyes twinkle with mischief. “I wonder though, what can you do if you let loose?”

Let loose? I almost laugh out loud. I don’t think I have ever ‘let loose’. Toba was the closest I have ever come to losing it, but not letting loose. Papa Armand always insisted on me keeping control.

“Have you ever tested your limits of capability?” The King asks me.

He palms his chin in thought, and the beast inside him stirs, I see it with the flash of his eyes. “So… you don’t know your limits, what you can truly do? Do you have somewhere private that you train?”

I let out a laugh, tipping my head back and both Mason and Tristan shuffle uneasily.

What he was proposing was insane. A friendly challenge, that I was sure to lose but… The prospect of finding out and testing my limits was appealing.

“King, is this a good idea? Queen Lamia and Princess Tawny, they… well…” Mason stumbles for the right words.

“Oh, we’re going to want my little wolf there.” His deep baritone voice warns, turning into a gravelly growl, “just in case.”

“In case what?” Tristan asks with hesitation, his pale blue eyes blown wide open. “It would be a friendly sparing match, right? Right?” He repeats when King and I say nothing, just stare at each other with silly smirks and eyes full of trouble.

“In case shit gets out of hand,” Mason answers him for us. “Fuck” Mason brushes a hand through his hair and purses his lips. “They won’t be happy. But I’m not missing this for anything.”

“Should I be worried?” Says, Tristan.

“Yes,” The King deadpans.