"I understand but after the wars with Witches and Werewolves they have become very much open-minded to those different than them." She said with a sad smile.
"Is that how you lost your husband and daughter?" I asked before I thought and slapped my hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry."
"No Diana it's fine but yes that is how I lost Jazin and Elizabeth." She gave me a sad smile. "Now shall we keep moving? You keep saying this part of the forest is dangerous at night." She offered getting rid of the heavy air.
"Indeed." Both father and I spoke, and we started moving again with John laughing. We made it to the lake by sundown.
"Now how can we get them across?" Father asked me.
"I can make a bridge." Carniola said. Father looked at her oddly.
"If you make a bridge, we will have to bring it down once we are across." He tells her.
"Why?" She asked.
"Simple we use the Lake as a way to keep rats, bears and other beasts out of our part of the Northern Territory." Father said as she nods
"And a bridge would give them a way across." She said. "Very well I will bring it down once we are across." Nodding as she broke off a tree branch and knelt by the riverbed, she spoke in a language I could not understand as the stick turned into a bridge.
"That was impressive." Father said.
"Thank you." She panted as she pushed herself up and then started leaning heavily on her cane. "Wood magic is not my gift." She pants.
"I'm sorry but what do you mean?" I asked her.
"Each witch is born with an affinity for different types of magics while we can use all magics some drain us quicker than others." Jason said. "I have an affinity for decay magic so I will take down the bridge." He said as Father helped Lady Carniola across. Jason and I went last and I had my knives out walking backwards looking for any beasty to come near us.
"Okay Jason." I looked at him as we stepped off the bridge. "Do your thing." He smirks at me as he places a hand on the bridge again with the language that I do not understand. The bridge started falling apart until there was nothing left but old pieces of the wood floating in the river.
"Damn that was interesting don't let my brother find out he will want to dissect you." Father said as we started moving again.
"So how dangerous is this side of the river." Vicky asked me.
"If you guys somehow made it on your own then probably quite a bit but you are with Father and I no one will touch you." I tell her.
"Okay." She said softly.
"Oh, come on Sis lighten up I won't let anything hurt you without going through me first." John said, throwing his arm over his sister's shoulders.
I snort and smile at them. As we moved through the forest we came to the Northern Town. "Welcome to the Northern Town." I tell them. "Home to the king and his court."
"DIANA!" I get pounced on as I fall backwards. I look up at little Alec and Mary.
"Hello Alec and Mary." I chuckled as they were sitting on my chest. "Let me up."
"Umm Diana who are they and why do they have heartbeats?"
"ALEC AND MARY GET HOME NOW!" Lady Cardwell yelled from her house.
"BUT MOM." They yelled back.
"NOW!"
"YES MOM!" They looked at me "See you Diana!" they say as they took off. I snort and pick myself up as I keep walking.
"You brought humans home?" Kat asked me as she joined us up to the castle.
"Diplomatic mission." I tell her. "I could not just let them wander into the forest what if they were killed and they thought we did it?"
"Good point." She sighed. "We'll be careful Duke Gareth is still here." I groaned.
"Great." I hissed.
"As is my brother but come along we will take Lady Carniola and the diplomats to the king's study and Kat will show the guards and Chef to a set of guest rooms. I do ask you do not wonder just yet."
"Of course, Lord Arcaria I will keep them in line." Alexis tells him as we split up. As we got closer to the king's office the more yelling we heard.
"It sounds Like Duke Gareth may lose his head." I said as we came to the door and I knocked. A few seconds later it opened and King Logan smiled at me.
"Gareth shut up!" King Varance snaps.
"Diana, you have no need to knock on our study's door."
"Yes, well I come bearing company."
"I am aware of my Lady." He stepped back and let us in. "Though would you mind telling me why you brought humans into our home?"
I went in first as the others followed behind me. "I could not very well let a diplomatic mission fail because they were attacked by a beast and then we got attacked for something we did not do." I tell him.
"That makes sense." Varance said.
"Thank you King Varance. Now let me introduce you." I turned and pointed to each as I spoke. "This is Lady Carniola of the witch Dragon clan. Then we have the human diplomate Albert, the werewolf diplomate Tacal, and the Witch diplomate Norman. I had Kat take their guards and chef to a guest sweet." I now turn the other way. "Lady Carniala, Albert, Tacal, Norman let me introduce to you My King Logan." I said pointing each one out. "King of the Torant Clan Varance, and the duke of the Cornver clan Gareth."
"I greet you." King Logan said. "Let us all have a seat." He said glaring at Gareth.
"And please remember they are under the protection of the house of Arcaira until such time they mean harm." I glare at him as well as he looks like he swallowed something foul.
"Of course, Lady Arcaria." He said through his teeth.
Everyone took a seat. "Now might I ask why you are here?" King Logan asked.
"We are here for two reasons one to open a line of communication and hopefully some sort of treaty with the Vampire, and to find my missing daughter. Now are Lady Diana has told me it is very possible she is a vampire, but I could feel the spark of her magic in this area." She said placing a folder she pulled from her bag on the desk. "My daughter was taken from me when she was five that was nearly 250 yeas ago so she could have somehow stumbled into the Vampire lands at some point after that." King Logan opened the folder and looked at it.
"This is a map yes?" He asked.
"Yes." She nods as I get up and grab our land map to compare the two. I hand him the map.
"And how do you know she's here?"
"About a month ago I felt a strong pulse of magic from the maternal bond every female witch shares with her children. It had been silent for so long but still there, so I knew she was not dead. Thankfully there was enough magic in the bond for me to narrow down a location."
"Your daughter is here in the Northern Lands if this is correct." He said. "We have only had two turned vampires in the last 250 years." He looked at my Father then to me.
"Loran and me." I said thinking about it then lines fell into place. "The fucking dragon!" I said bringing my hand down on the table.
"What dragon?" Carniola asked me and I stood up and pulled my shirt up showing the dragon on my back. "By the Gods." Carniola gasped. As I dropped my shirt. And flopped down my head connecting with the table.
"You know I still want to know what the hell happened from the time I was five and Father found me." I groaned as I banged my head on the desk.
"Ela… Diana please do not bang your head on the desk it is unlady like." Carniola stopped herself from calling by my birth name.
"How does the dragon have to do with anything?" Father asked.
"The Dragon on her back is not a tattoo, it is her familiar connection with her magic." She said looking at me. "Have you been able to summon it?" She asked.
"No but my right arm will turn into a dragon claw and won't change back without being in sunlight." I groaned, rubbing my head.
"Great, just great." I groaned. "You know I thought the most complicated thing was that damn tournament."
"The tournament is not com..." Gareth started.
"Shut up Gareth!" Father snaps at him.
"May I ask what tournament?" Carniola asked.
"Some clans use tournaments and balls to find husbands and brides for the royal family." Logan says softly patting my head as chairs appear. "Please take a seat everyone." I smile at them as they all take a seat.
"So, what now?" I asked them.
"What do you mean?" Father asked.