Night Visits(32)

"Your highness...."

"I did not give you leave to speak, either you're with us or you're not your choice." He looked around at everyone on the dais and around the hall.

"Mark me my people, anyone who offends her will suffer the consequences, you all know it is not a small thing to take the life of one of our own but I will personally slaughter every man, woman and child that means her harm. This council is dismissed I do not wish to answer your questions at this time."

And with that he led me out of the hall on my trembling legs.

An angry Donovan was something to be reckoned with; he practically pulled me all the way back to our rooms. Once there he pulled me tightly into his chest and held me there without saying a word.

When he'd calmed down some he pushed my head back gently and gazed into my eyes.

"I'm sorry that my people seem to have lost their minds, it seems like I'm forever promising you that things will get better only to be proven wrong time and again. Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here."

"What, no, Donovan?" I grabbed the back of his robe for dear life, please don't let this be happening.

"Don't mistake me love, the fault is not yours, it lies with them, I only meant that I wouldn't have subjected you to any of this for anything and believe me I'm going to get to the bottom of this new mess. Nothing like this has ever happened before believe it or not, no one has ever questioned my authority, it's just not done, I can only surmise that with the coming of the long awaited empress there's been a shift in the atmosphere that we have no control over, things are at work here that we don't know about as yet."

"We can't be separated, no matter what you can't leave me promise me Donovan, promise me."I was in full out panic mode.

"Ssh, ssh, hey, what's all this, I would never do such a thing don't you know me better than that by now, what would ever possess you think that that's even an option? Look at me, you have no reason to fear I've told you this before, I would not survive without you Tamara, you're my life, my world without you, without our children would be nothing. No one and nothing is going to take you away from me, did you not hear me back there; I would destroy everyone before I'd let that happen."

He kissed me long and hard until my toes curled and then with his hands on the mound of my stomach, he said the words that soothed my heart. "Do you get it now wife of my heart, where I go, you go."

Tears of relief filled my eyes; I've been so worried since the fighting, the uncertainty eating away at me, I thought that maybe Donovan would think his world was too much for me, that maybe he'd decide it was best I stayed on earth and knowing his position there's no way that he could leave forever and we'd have to be apart.

It was nice to have his promise spelt out so plainly once and for all.

"Now I'm going to leave you with my parents while I tend to some business that cannot wait. I know i’ve said this before but this time I mean it you have nothing to fear, the next one who opposes or offends you will feel my sword.”

"Donovan you can't, they'll just hate me more...."

"No love they'd be better served spending their time dreading my retaliation for today's slight than hating you, and besides, no one in their right mind could ever hate you." He kissed me again and all was right with the world.

"I'll send my mother to you, I'm leaving young Damien and Justin with you."

"And who'll be with you, you're going to fight those things aren't you?"

"Rudolph will accompany me but there will be no fighting, I'm going to annihilate them once and for all, something I should've done a thousand years ago,today has proven that their continued existence serves no purpose but as a thorn in my side, there's nothing to fear with my men and my father here, not to mention my blood thirsty daughter, you should be fine, I wouldn't leave you if I had any doubts."

He closed his eyes at that.

"This I'm absolutely sure of."

"I'm not worried about me, just, be careful okay and hurry back."

It was hard to let him go knowing what he would be facing but the promise of going home after made it worth it. I have to admit, as beautiful as Donovan's world was I think I preferred mine, faults and all. Poor Donovan, he'd been thrown so many curve balls in just the last few days alone, though none of it was his fault and though he didn't hold me responsible, I couldn't help but think that I was in some way responsible for the uncharacteristic actions of at least two of his people.

"Nonsense mother it is as it should be, I cannot enter a world with discord and chaos, this is nothing but a cleansing so to speak, the adversaries at heart have been ferreted out and will be dealt with against the day of my birth."