The Grand Duchess of the reds came next.
My attention now pined on her, a part of me in awe, while the other in fear, given all that I've read about this female in the ancient books. "Hello, child, I am Grand Duchess Melina Aurora Aussaresses, red winged-serpent, head of the reds. Lady of Mount Fawn, mated to Samuel Velraki, first mixed duchy in our history. Twenty-four thousand and eight hundred years old. Right hand of Queen Wilhelmina Cara Miralanthor."
"And my best friend," grandma added softly.
Melina beamed, "Yes. I'm her Majesty's best friend."
Her ruby eyes turned to me again, full of warmth.
"Our only daughter and heiress, if she survives the upcoming war, is the first mixed winged-serpent of our history, her name is Lilith Amadea Velraki-Aussaresses, she's easily recognized as her left eye is ruby red and her right eye is emerald green. She's only 16 now, but if she doesn't… if she doesn't make it, we want her to be remembered."
My heart clenched for her, as I saw the fear in her eyes.
Fear I've seen before in my mom's eyes in the worse moments of my entire life. And the consuming sadness of knowing that her precious 16-year-old child passed away in the war, took over me.
Her mate held her hand, "Remembered through you, Princess." He turned his emerald eyes to me, "I am Grand Duke Samuel Thane Velraki-Aussaresses, green winged-serpent, previous heir of the greens, mated to the Grand Duchess of the reds, making me the head of the reds with her. Lord of Mount Fawn, first non-red leader of the reds. Nineteen thousand and nine hundred and eighty-two years old."
I found my eyes turning to meet the pair with golden eyes, and they smiled softly to me. "Hello, child," the female spoke and they both bowed softly, like Melina and Samuel did. "I am Grand Duchess Circe Cassamilla Theophilus, yellow winged serpent, head of the yellows. Lady of Mount Elwen. Mated to Wulfric Attwel. Exactly twenty thousand years old."
"And I am Grand Duke Wulfric Flint Attwel-Theophilus. Yellow winged-serpent, mated to the Grand Duchess of the yellows, making me their head as well. Lord of Mount Elwen. Twenty-eight thousand and five hundred and twelve years old," he crossed his fingers with his mate's.
"It's hard to have children in our kind, they are all cherished, and as our kind happens to the strongest mating bond of all, that is set into motion the second both of us are born, we treasure our long life-spam together. We'll trust you, child of the prophecy, heiress of the future, savior of the new world, as the future Queen of our kind, and put the fate of our kids in your hands," Circe exclaimed and I felt the weight of her words.
"Our people can only thrive when a black winged-serpent is in the power above us and welding the Crown of Chaos," Wulfric continued. "Thus, as we cannot forsake the fate of the yellow winged-serpents, so, in the worse case of us losing this war, we'll be leaving to you, the frozen-in-time eggs that will be responsible for the survival of our kind."
"All of us will be doing this," the male with amethyst purple eyes said. "With the exception of Melina, who's stubborn as always and believes her daughter will be able to stay strong through all this," he poked her.
Melina side-glared him, "I know my child. She will make it. I trust that she will," ah, Melina… "My baby is stronger than you think."
"If you say so," he grinned mischievously at her, who scowled and clicked her serpentine tongue in annoyance. "I am Grand Duke Apollon Andrei Drusus, child. Purple winged-serpent, head of the purples. Plus, Lord of Mount Sonnet," then his eyes turned to the female on his side and he looked at her with all the love in the world, "and I'm mated to Harmony Topaz. Thirty-one thousand and three hundred and two years old."
Her pale cheeks turned bright red, and after giggling to him, she turned to me, "Hello, sweet child, I hope your life hasn't been as hard as I fear it will if we don't win the war," and there was sadness in her eyes. "I am Grand Duchess Harmony Karolinna Topaz-Drusus. Both a purple winged-serpent, and the head of the purples after I married my mate here. Which also makes me the Lady of Mount Sonnet. Twenty thousand and one hundred and seventy-seven years old. I love blueberry pies and orchids."
Melina chuckled, "Why are you saying that now, Harmony?"
The Grand Duchess of the purples blushed again. "I want to also be remembered by something I love, Mel. Like you love blood ice cream and roses, or Mia loves strawberries and painting," she rolled her shoulders, then turned to me again. "When you go to Mount Sonnet, you should go see the fields of all kinds of orchids, sweet heiress."
"And my field of strawberries in Mount Raya," the female with silver eyes and hair exclaimed with a contagious beautiful smile, different from the others, both her and her mate's skin is dark chocolate like Kalisha and Noah's. "I am Mia, kid. I mean, Grand Duchess Euphemia Clarimona Demosthenes, white winged serpent, head of the whites. Lady of Mount Raya, mated to Antoine Ferdinand. And like Harmony said, I love painting and strawberries!" She beamed. "Oh, yes, and I'm eighteen thousand and nine hundred and ninety-four years old."
Her mate laughed, looking at her as if she's his world, as if he can't ever get tired of her and her contagious happiness even in times of war. "I am Grand Duke Antoine Galenus Ferdinand-Demosthenes, head of the white winged serpents, which I also happen to be part of. Lord of Mount Raya, I also love our strawberries fields. I'm the exact same age as Mia, my mate."
The crystalline blue-eyed male giggled, "Ah, these kids," then he turned to me. "Hello, child, I am Grand Duke Lazarus Leoline Wolfgang, blue winged-serpent, head of the blues, Lord of Mount Miel, and mated to my beloved Morgana Mowenna." He also looked at his mate with heart-eyes. "I am the second oldest in here, after His Majesty, and my current age is forty-four thousand four hundred and forty-four years old. I enjoy swimming and the wine made of the belladonna flowers in my land."
Shite. How old was my grandfather? Am I to live long like this?
His mate winked at him naughtily, "I hope you aren't in a tough situation right now, child, and that you manage to overcome whatever is happening in the new world with your companions. I'm Grand Duchess Morgana Melissa Mowenna-Wolfgang, blue winged-serpent, head of the blues, Lady of Mount Miel, and mated to this dumbarse here," he grinned to that. "I also love swimming, kiwi pies, passion fruit, and our belladonna wine. We'll try to keep some frozen for you, for the day you come to our land, then you can have a taste of the best drink in your life."
"It's good indeed," said the male with emerald green eyes, and with a mischievous grin. "I am Grand Duke Cornelius Dryden Velraki, green winged-serpent, head of the greens, Lord of Mount Alma, mated to Isidora Celestia," he winked at his mate and she rolled her eyes amused. "And also Samuel's father and Melina's father-in-law. Third oldest," he side-glared Lazarus who was grinning condescendingly at him, "by four years. I am forty-four thousand four hundred and forty years old."
"I'm still older than you," Lazarus provoked grinning.
"And I am still older than you!" Grandpa scoffed.
Lazarus pouted, "What's cool is being that old?"
"I bet you would love to know," grandpa mocked mischievously.
Yes. I definitely took my attitude from him. I can totally see it.
"So old, and so childish," Cornelius clicked his tongue. "You will never get over yourself, will you, Lazarus? Tsk, tsk, tsk," then he turned his joyful grin at me. "I love music and staying in nature, as well as reading with my mate."
She blushed, "I also love it, my love." Adorable. "Grand Duchess Isidora Anna Celestia," she winked at me. "Green winged-serpent, head of the greens, Lady of Mount Alma, mated to Cornelius, Samuel's mother, Melina's mother-in-law, Lilith's grandmother," at the mention of the girl, Melina beamed with a smile that made her even more gorgeous, and that showcased all her love for her child. "I am forty-four and one hundred and fifteen years old. Besides reading, I love our alcoholic hot choco with cinnamon and cardamom, which is only found in our Mount, and it's our secret recipe. Lilith loves it."
Melina blushed, "She does. It's her favorite drink together with O- blood type. She didn't find her mate yet, but I have a feeling his blood with be O-. I mean, my favorite is A+ and Sam is an A+ type. That's how it goes for us." Well, Oliver said his favorite blood was always AB+ and I am an AB+, so that might be true for reds and vampires.
"There she goes," Lazarus poked again, because he's Rio winged-serpent version, blue and all, how ironic is that? "Blood talk again. You stubborn serpent, you should be taking care of your kind survival instead, like we are doing."
She glared viciously at him, "My daughter will survive."