All Chapters of Cursed Bloodline: Book One, Bloodline Series: Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

The throne room was packed with bountiful gift items for Elira, from the entrance of the door to the dragon's painting, presented by the people of Arkenholt to honor her pregnancy. She was already two moons pregnant and as such, a quarter of the kingdom showered their gratitude in a grand gesture that Elira would need a bigger room to fit in everything. “Hurry, hurry, hurry.” The town’s leader ushered the women who carried in the gifts: silk maternity dresses, perfumes, baby clothes, garden flowers, hair brushes, and many more in woven baskets. Kaelric leaned back on his throne with a deep frown etched on his rigid countenance, glaring at them for over fifteen minutes as the next item came in bigger than the last. He wasn't angry because Elira was getting gifts, he was only irritated because he had also decided to gift her today but their presents seemed to overshadow his. “Nireya, please see through the items and pick a few you think she’d like,” Kaelric said to Nireya wh

A hot, piping chamomile tea brewed in a kettle, a fire crackling in the hearth, turning wood to ash as a gust of wintry breeze prickled at Elira’s skin. She shrouded a thick cloak over her shoulders, and sat at the table, pouring herself a cup of tea. Nireya had urged her to drink some to calm her nerves but she knew it wouldn't hold her down as Kaelric’s touch.Regardless, she raised it to her lips, inhaled its aroma, and took a little sip. “Hmm.” She pressed her lips together, allowing the heat to warm her insides.A strong knock sounded from the door. “Elira,” Kaelric called from outside.“You may come in.” She said and he strolled in with an unfamiliar man behind. The man had his beard twisted in a braid, his long black hair plaited in a single weave with a string of beads around his neck.Elira averted her gaze from the seemingly harmless stranger to Kaelric. Ever since her injury at the secret passageway he'd been strangely withdrawn.Moreover, her recent blank outs made matte

The kitchen was always the busiest part of the castle, the air buzzed with clattering pans and frantic chatter as the maidservants darted back and forth, preparing meals for every member of the king’s household.Elira snuck into the kitchen and curled herself on a low bench at the far end, leaning her back against a wall and pulling her knees to her chest.In her hands, she held one of Instructor Vael’s spell books, burying her nose into the words, as the whirr of the manual grinder drained out distractions.Back in her room she couldn't concentrate on reading as the silence allowed complicated thoughts about a certain Dragon King to invade her mind.“My dear, you’ve been staring at that old book for a while,” Nireya spoke to Elira over the sound of the grinder, her old hands handling the sharp knife diligently as she chopped some spinach.“I’m not staring, I’m….reading,” Elira stated, trying hard to articulate a particular phrase.Nireya hummed as though she didn’t believe her. “It l