Mendeve: Descendants

Chapter 19

Belle wiped away the tears streaming down her face, as she chuckled through them. Her father, doing the same.

And for a intimidating man dressed in armor, people would have to see it to believe it.

"I'm a blubbering mess, aren't I?" Her father laughed as he swiped away the tears.

"You and me both." Belle replied with a watery smile.

They had already reconciled. She finally let go of the anger, the hatred. And she felt herself become lighter and stronger because of it.

She could see the regret and pain through his eyes as he told her of what had happened, and what came to be.

She could see the love shining in them as he told her of her mother, even as he looked down at her. She could see the fatherly love he had for his only daughter.

"But as I said, there's a lot for you to catch up on. I'll be coming and going, being King and all. But I'll be checking in on you. Your uncle will be training you though, so I'm sure you'll be fine anyway."

Belle thought of her uncle. Of what she learned from her dad. She hadn't decided what to call him yet.

Rydien? Uncle Rydien? Uncle Rid? Sir?

He sounded like someone to be feared. Her father assured her that everything would be alright. That her uncle was not as bad as he was painted to be.

A soldier entered the tent and bowed in what Belle came to know as the Faerie, Casters, and Vampire sign of respect.

"Your Majesty. I've received news that there's a small army not too far from the summit grounds. They're sporting Red's flag."

Belle's father's face turned grim. He resumed his fierce look, no longer the smiling man she had seen seconds before.

"Have they made a move to attack?" His voice serious.

"No sir. But General Laesus suspects they might." The soldier answered.

"Has The Order of Orous seen anything amiss?"

Before the soldier could reply, a tall, dark haired man entered the tent. He bowed respectively to Belle's father before lifting up his light brown eyes.

"Good to see you Aran." The man said kindly, yet looked void of any emotion.

"Ah, of course you'd stay on top of this. The Order never fails to try to get ahead of everything before everyone else." Her father smiled at the man.

"It is what we are trained for." The man said still not smiling, but again with a kind voice.

The man reminded her of Sam. But then, Sam cracked a few small grins and chuckles on occasion. Belle wasn't sure if the words smile or laughter were even in the man's vocabulary.

"Blaze, this is my daughter Belle. Belle, this here is Blaze from The Order."

Belle bowed politely as Blaze did the same. And still no smile.

"Pleasure to meet the daughter of one of my few friends."

Belle mumbled her thanks, uncomfortable around strangers.

This man was human, but a skilled human. A warrior, hardened since a young age.

"So, was anything amiss?" Her father asked Blaze.

"Our spy confirmed that they will be attacking the day before the summit instead of attacking when it's being held. They were thinking to catch you off guard. As you know we won't be attending the summit ourselves, but only because the threat is within our Region. We've been observing Jared and the vampires under his grasp. Jared is not happy with Aeani being free."