~Serana⚜️

When my mind slowly came around to consciousness, I couldn't help the odd feeling that came from having woken up on my own. After nearly two months of being awoken by something else, namely animals, it was almost surreal to open my eyes simply because my body told me it was time to wake up.

When I'm met with the sight of soft pale skin and onyx black hair and not the room, I pause and search through my memory to see why. Images from the day before start reeling through my mind. Finding Mira in her study and listening to Fyko tell us about what he believed the rebels had snuck into the city, sitting in Mira's lap for hours afterwards trying not to let my imagination get the better of me, being carried to the room, and... shit. Looking at the queen's sleeping features my mind begins to race with thoughts. I had no idea how she'd react. She kissed me back. I reason, but she could have just been caught in the moment. What if she's mad? The more I thought the worse I felt.

I tried to pull back and roll out from under her wing but the hand she had wrapped around me pulled me back against her. She grumbles for a moment before settling back down. I wait for her soft purring to resume before I tried to disentangle myself from her.

"Serana..." Mira grumbles tightening her grip. "Stop." She groans when I try to pull away again.

I pause and look back to study her face. Her eyes were closed and she looked to be still sleeping. I waited until her grip loosened once more before I tried to pull away once more.

"Serana, I swear by the Drace." Mira's voice was suddenly louder and more clear than the last time she had spoken.

Freezing I look up to see blue eyes narrowed into slits glaring at me. I open my mouth to try and cover up my actions, but before I can even get a sound out she huffs slipping her other arm underneath me and rolling onto her back, pulling me on top of her.

When she leans up and presses a soft lingering kiss to my lips the tension and worry from a moment ago melt and I lean into the kiss pressing her back into the mattress. After a long moment, that felt far too short, she broke the kiss and pushed me back far enough that I could clearly see her face. "Don't you dare start that." She whispers staring into my eyes. "I'm not fighting you on this."

A full blown grin takes over my features as I lean in to plant another soft kiss on her lips. I can feel the purr rumbling in her chest as her talons slide out and graze across my sides. Shivers run up and down my spine at the light touch.

A whine works its way out of my throat when she pushes me back. With a soft chuckle lacing her voice. "We have to get up." She pushes on my shoulders until I'm sitting back on her hips.

With a sigh I relent and roll off, back to my side of the bed. My side. It was the smallest thought, but it sent a wave of flutters rippling through my chest and abdomen. My attention is brought back to the woman beside me when she gets up and makes her way to the bathroom. I watch her as she goes, admiring the way her skin gleamed with the faint hints of silver that streaked in soft ribbons across her skin and feathers, marking her noble bloodline.

When she pauses at the door and glances at me over her wing I snap my eyes up to meet hers. A single black brow arches in silent amusement. "Are you getting up or will I need to bribe you out of the bed?" She teases disappearing into the other room.

Growling I roll out of the bed and follow her into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

~💠~

During the morning, while we were in the sanctity of the royal bedchamber, Mira had been oddly happy and a touch more gentle than her usual demeanor would normally allow.

When we exited into the rest of the castle however she became harder and started barking out orders getting things moved and reenforcing different sanctions about harboring information on the rebels. The penalty wasn't cruel but it was enough that people obeyed without question.

Despite protest from the delegates all but the ones with children or from Kenysiz were forced to travel back home. She didn't tell them why and many didn't question, the fear of knowing the truth was plain enough in their eyes.

I was sent to the barracks to train in hand to hand combat after nearly twenty minutes of bugging Mira until she practically ordered me out.

Now sweaty and bruised I roll onto my stomach and push myself off of the hard stone floor. Climbing to my feet, I cringe at the sharp pain in the base of my right wing where I'd landed on it.

Turning around I face my opponent once more. It was one of the younger guards and she was grinning from ear to ear at throwing me to the ground for the umpteenth time today. Glaring back I get down into the fighting position the instructor had advise I use.

My stance was just under shoulder-width and I stood on the balls of my feet so I could move from side to side quickly. My wings were pulled back and held tight to my body so my arms could move backwards more freely, and I wouldn't make as big a target or use as much energy trying to move my whole frame out of the way.

My opponent lowered herself into a wider stance, given that she was bigger than me. On the instructors mark she advanced and tried to circle me. Mirroring her movements I keep my front toward her waiting for her to make the first move. I wasn't big, strong, or skilled enough to make the first move, a lesson I learned quick.

My foot caught on the lip of an uneven stone making my next step a little faulty and redirecting some of my attention. My opponent zeroed in on the mistake like a phynx and dove in for the attack.

I practically throw myself in the opposite direction I was going. When her wing shoots out to clip me in the head, I dodge underneath it having learned the hard way how much it hurt when it hit. I was spun around and facing her again before she could fully turn around herself.

I backed up out of her reach knowing better than to attempt a strike when she was half facing me. An ache in my jaw where her elbow had hit me reminded me of that mistake. She quickly faced off with me again and didn't wait to advance on me.

She throws a right hook at my head and blocks my escape with her opposite wing. That left me no choice but to take the blow on my arm and dunk under the bone of her wing when she followed throw with her sweep.

Grabbing her left arm I force it out of the way before swinging an upwards blow to her exposed abdomen. It was the first blow I'd landed all day and I think it took her by surprise at how strong my left arm was.

The blow sent her stumbling back and she had her arms up in a block before I could advance. Her stance immediately shifted to the opposite way now that she knew I was left handed.

"What in the skies was that Cript?!" The instructor yelled. "Don't leave yourself open like that. And you damn well should have known she was a lefty with the way she holds herself. Pay attention 'fore you get plucked!" She shouts.

The other woman doesn't even blink at the insult and readjust herself again. The look in her eyes told me she was less than happy at having me land a hit and getting in trouble.

When she comes at me again I freeze for a moment before instinct kicks in and I dive into a roll right past her. The roll brought me back to my feet and when I turned back to her, she still hadn't managed to spin herself around so I shoot my wing out and slam the arch into the back of her knee.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the shooting pain that went up my wing all the way to my spine wasn't it. The sudden pain distracted me enough that my opponent managed to recover, spin around and grab me.

With a massive heave I found myself flipping and landing on my back with another hard thud. Hissing as my wings protest against the force of the impact. I groan and stay still for a moment unable to move.

A familiar chuckle has me sighing at my current situation. Peeling my eyes open I look up to see an upside down image of Mira walking toward me with a smirk on her face.

"I see your training is going well." She snipes coming to a stop right before my head.

Glaring back at her smirking face. "Shut it and help me up." I growl.

She laughs but steps to the side and reaches down to pull me to my feet. Once I'm up I turn back to my opponent, who was looking at the ground with a frightened expression and the instructor was glaring at her with a near murderous one.

"One more go?" I ask, ignoring the strange scene.

The woman I had been fighting looked relieved upon hearing the words and the instructor looked significantly calmer. Okay...

Brushing it off I make a move to get into a fighting stance when Mira pulls on my arm. "I think you've had enough for the day." She says, giving me a pointed look.

"What? I'm fine." I argue shaking her hand off my arm.

At that she arcs a brow and without warning jabs a finger into my ribcage. Doubling over with a sharp hiss, I clutch the spot she jabbed shooting her a deathly glare.

"Are you sure about that?" She teases. When I open my mouth to protest again she thumps the large bruise on my jaw where I'd been elbowed. Clenching my teeth I just barely suppress a yelp of pain. "I can do this all day." Mira comments crossing her arms and waiting for me to give her another reason.

Scowling I turn and head for the door, not waiting for her to follow.

"Do you even know where the infirmary is?" She calls after me.

Sighing in exasperation I spin back around to face her. "Why do I need to go to the infirmary?" I ask truly confused.

"To make sure you haven't fractured anything." She informs poking the base of my right wing as she passes, to prove her point. Wincing I grudgingly turn and follow.

We walked in silence back to the main castle and through the large archway in the side, that lead to the infirmary. Looking around the large room, I note the ramp for direct entry by a prel team and the three landing platforms in the center of the entryway.

Mira lead me to the back where a slightly large set of doors stood open.

"Selina." The queen calls upon crossing the threshold.

The room was long and lined on both sides by cots with only three occupants on the far end. I could see the singed feathers of one telling me how they had gotten in here.

"What have you gone and done now child." A woman's voice chides from somewhere out of sight.

Following the voice I spot a door to the left and see a slightly smaller woman with dark violet wings and faded white tips that blended along her primaries. The woman herself was stunning with hair as black as Mira's and a caramel skin tone that set off her light lavender eyes.

"It's not me this time." Mira responds, the hints of a smile touching her lips. "Selina this is Serana." She introduces motioning to me. "Serana this is Selina, Katal's mate."

"Hi." I smile a little awkwardly. It was apparent by the tone in Mira's voice and the way Selina had talked to her that this woman meant a something to the queen.

I reach out to take the woman's arm in greeting but she pushes it aside and wraps me in a hug. My whole body tenses in surprise making me wince at the sudden pain.

"Ah, of course." The woman chuckles pulling back to motion me over to a cot. "Looks like someone got a good beating on you, huh?" Her tone was simultaneously patronizing and playful all at once.

I had a grin spreading across my face despite myself. "You could say that." I mumble, looking down at my lap.

"Wait here, I'll get some ointment for those bruises." She instructs before hurrying off to the room she had been in when we arrived.

As soon as the woman stepped away Mira was right in front of me cupping my face to inspect the damage to my jaw. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were moving into the swings." She teases inspecting another bruise forming on the left side of my secondary pectoral where I'd caught a wing.

Leveling a blank glare at her. "Ha-ha-ha." I monotone.

She smiles and presses a light kiss to the bruise on my jaw. I would have purred my pleasure at the action if my ribs didn't hurt so damn much. Instead I settle for leaning into the press of her lips, nuzzling her jaw in return and eliciting a purr from her uninjured chest.

"You'll have to step away, your majesty." Selina's voice cuts in.

Pulling back we both look to see the older woman standing a foot away with a glint dancing around in her eyes. Blushing I sit up as straight as I can while Mira steps back to allow the doctor to examine my injuries.

The ointment she applies to my bruises smells sharp like mint and it burns hot and then cold on my skin. I make a face at the feeling but refrain from saying anything least she get upset and give me something to make me sick. The doctor back in Lockren knew how to hold a grudge, needless to say sleeping with his daughter was not my best move.

"Drink this." Selina orders holding up a large spoon with a thick semitransparent brown liquid. "It'll help the pain and keep any internal swelling down. Try not to taste it." She advises before manually opening my mouth and shoving the spoon along with the brown liquid inside.

As I'm sputtering at the taste assaulting my tongue, the woman quickly slips the spoon out of my mouth and clamps my jaw shut before I can spit any of the foul tasting liquid out. Forcing myself to swallow I try desperately to keep a remotely straight face as it slides over my tongue and down my throat, leaving a nasty film coating the inside of my mouth.

When my eyes refocus I spot Mira with a sympathetic grimace twisting her features and Selina was just moving about like she hadn't just nearly poisoned me. "You can't have anything to drink for about ten minutes. And no flying, your wing blades took quite a pounding, so try to avoid laying on them at all cost." Selina instructs giving me one final glance over. "Other than that, there's nothing more I can do. Go get some rest and come back in the morning so I can check your wings." She dismisses before turning to the medicine she had gotten out for me.

"Thank you." I say sliding off the cot.

"Bye Selina." Mira calls over her wing as she slips an arm under mine and leads me out of the infirmary. "Come on, it's late." She breaths walking towards the inner door that lead to the inside of the castle.

Glancing toward the archway I notice the rapidly darkening sky outside.

I followed Mira up to the room where dinner had already been brought. Sighing I strip before slumping down on the bed and tearing off a chunk of red meat. Mira laughs at me but stays silent otherwise.

We ate in a comfortable quiet listening to Etria and Ovah play around in the garden. It was funny how much the gryph seemed to like Etria now when he so blatantly hated her when we first brought her back.

When we finished eating Mira moved the tray to her bedside table to be taken care of later.

I move to lay down but end up wincing the moment the base' of my wings touches the mattress. Growling I flip onto my stomach and try to settle into a comfortable position.

The bed dips beside me for a moment, my only warning before a pair of thighs are straddling my lower back and a heavy wait settles against my exposed rear. I furrow my brow but wait before saying anything.

I suck in a sharp hiss through my teeth when Mira digs her hands into the knotted joints of my upper back. The initial pain gives way to relief as her hands massage the tense muscles around the base of my wings and up on my shoulders. Sighing I relax into the mattress and let her hands work out the knots in my back.

I tried to focus on her hands and not the fact she was sitting on me in nothing but her feathers and lavaliere. A moan escapes my throat when her fingers find a particularly sensitive spot at the nape of my neck. I could have sworn I heard her gasp, but the thought is quickly dismissed as she presses her fingers back into the sensitive area.

As her hands worked the spot on my neck, I had to bite my lip and bury my face into the pillow as a mixture of pain and pleasure resonated from her massaging. She put a little more force behind her fingers, seemingly on accident, and it elicits an embarrassing squeak making me jerk underneath her.

At my outburst I bury my face farther into the pillow. "Serana?" Mira calls gently, pausing in her ministrations.

I mumble something unintelligible into the pillow. The other woman seemed to understand as she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to the spot she had been massaging.

Her lips were still grazing my skin when she spoke again. "I can stop if you'd like." She suggest in a low voice.

If the squeak I had made earlier was embarrassing, the whimper I made then was mortifying.

Mira chuckles sending burst of warm air dancing across the back of my neck. Her lips connected with the side of my neck where she lets her fangs lightly nip at my skin. I have to pull my face back to gasp in enough air as she places another on top of my shoulder. There she lets her teeth actually rake across my skin in a show of possession.

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and fight to hold back another whimper building in my throat. Mira seemed determined to hear it though, as she racked her teeth harder across my shoulder ending with light nip before working her way up my neck in the same manner. When her teeth threaten to sink into my jugular I can't hold it back anymore.

I can feel her smile against my skin when the whimper finally breaks free. She kisses the same part of my jugular she had just run her fangs over before pulling back and moving to her side of the bed.

Lifting my head from the pillow I had buried it in I flip my hair out of the way and glare at her self-satisfied smirk. Huffing I drop my head back to the pillow and attempt to fall asleep.

Before even a minute passes I can feel Mira sliding up under my wing and wrapping her arm around me to cuddle. Without opening my eyes I roll them and let a small smile pull at my lips.

"Night." The queen whispers with a final kiss to my shoulder.

"Night." I mumble back already half asleep.