Chapter Sixteen:

This ride was unbearable. I hated just sitting here and doing nothing. I could feel my leg being bouncing up and down from my nerves.

'Your boredom reaches all the way out here.' It was Astor's amused voice inside of my head. I roll my eyes and look back down at my mother's journal. I flip mindlessly through then. Stopping at a random page.

******JOURNAL ENTRY******

As I write this entry my heart is over come with grief. I am devastated. My mate was murdered before my eyes...By a man I thought was my friend. All over his lust for me and the power he gains if he marries me.

All to take his father's throne from him..What he has forced me to do..I will never recover from this. But what am I to do. I am a prisoner here. They keep me dosed with Snapdragon So that I can not reach Nigeria or use my flames.

Aryn did nothing wrong but love me. He was my mate and now all I feel is dead inside. I will never love Johnathan. I despise him. But regardless it is not in me to kill him. I pray that I only bare him sons so that if I have a daughter that he can not use her the way he plans to use me.

I feel numb. I feel nothing now. He's taken my mate and sealed my dragon. I have nothing now. If I do fall pregnant because of this mad man part of me hopes that I will die in child birth so that I will not risk having a daughter. And so that I will not have to go through this torment anymore.

*** **** *** **** ***

I let out a rather loud and hard sob. My stomache twisted up in tight knots and my whole body shook. My father...how could he? Was this why the war started?! Because he was a fool.

My breathing was coming out in pants. This wasn't happening. No. Just no!

Arms wrap around me tightly. But the tears didn't stop. My father was a sick monster. My poor mother. Shade's snarls ring through my head. Then I heard Astor growl. I stiffen slightly realizing that the carriage was still moving but somehow Astor was inside now holding me tightly against him.

"It's alright. I'm so sorry my love." I bury my face into his chest and cling to his shirt for as life. I didn't want to know any of this. And I didn't understand how my father could do this...had there been warning signs with my mother and him? How had I not seen them? Or was it possible that he had completely brainwashed her by then?

How did she not hate Niko and I? Why hadn't anyone stepped in and stopped my father. Were they all that power hungry at what a Dragon-borne could do? Did Niko know about any of this?

Astor stroked my hair gently and rocked me gently allowing me to cry and try to process everything that I had just read. Shade was silent. Deathly quiet...and that scared me too.

******ASTOR'S POINT OF VIEW*****

My mate lay in my arms sleeping. She had cried herself to sleep. We weren't far from the castle..But I was beyond furious. The rage that came off of me was unmatched. Her mother's journal entry was heart wrenching and it tore my Little Dragon up inside. I felt her heart break and her world shatter. The man that she loved and adored...was a cruel, sadistic monster! What he had done to get her mother...killing her rightful mate..raping her. Sealing away apart of herself...Aro snarls in my head drawing my attention.

'Shade is silent. I can't reach her. I think that Freya's pain is blocking her out again.' I inhale a deep breath as I look down at her tear stricken face. Her eyes were swollen from how hard she cried and stray strands of her hair stuck to her face. Looking at her broke my heart. Everything inside me wanted to avenge her mother. Avenge her fallen mate. To comfort my mate who had awhole new outlook on her father...

'I wonder who her Mother's mate was. Must have been Royalty to start a war over. The dates match. The war started not Long after the journal entry.' I sigh at Aro's words. He wasn't wrong. It was something that I would have to bring up to my mother. Not that I was looking forward to the conversation of my mate with her at all.

Grumbling I lift Freya all the way into my arms as the Carriage stops and step out. No one was outside the castle entry way except the guards who were in their wolf forms.

I nod to them and carry Freya inside. I didn't know if the twins would follow me or not. But I wasn't about to tell them what to do. They were Freya's soldiers and I doubt they would listen to me anyway.

I made it all the way up to my room without having to deal with anyone which I was grateful for. I lay Freya in the bed and cover her up. Then my bedroom door opens and a soft chuckle draws my attention to it. My mother stood there. Her own copper hair cascading down around her like a waterfall. She was always an athletically built woman.

Her ivory skin off set her sea green eyes as she stared at me proudly. I give her a strange look before pointing for her to follow me to my office. Which was right next door to my room. Thank the Goddess. I would be close enough to hear her wake up. Mom waiting for me just outside the door. The woman might as well have been an Amazon in her passed life. With her being five-eleven in height. I usher her infront of me practically pushing her into my office.

She chuckles as she stares at me. I frown slightly and move to sit behind my desk. She follows suit and sits down in a chair across from me.

"She Diana's daughter isn't she?" Both my eyebrows shoot up.

"How do you know that?" Mom smiles gently.

"Because I knew her mother. She was a stunning woman. She looks just like her." I smile despite myself.

"Who was Diana's mate?" Mom's expression saddens and she sighs.

"I see...He was your Father's older brother...Johnathan killed him...But your father did not start the war if this is where that is going." I openly stare at my mother. But she was speaking the truth.

"She left Freya her journal." Mom's eyebrows shoot up.

"She named her daughter Freya?!" I could feel my eyebrow raise up at my mother's surprised tone. What did my mates name have anything to do with it?

"Well I assume so. Since that is her name. Why?" I watch half stunned as a tear rolls down my mother's face and she sniffles.

"We were young. I found your father the same time Diana found your uncle. Your father and I miscarried a little girl. We were going to name her Freya...Diana said if she had a daughter she would honor the one we lost by naming her after her...I had no idea she remembered that.."

My mouth drops open in shock. Diana was still attached to her mates family..even after everything that happened to her. She knew that she couldn't be around my mother and father but she still held them in her heart.

"Luca has been allowing me to play with him and even hold him since he saw Freya on the video call." That got my attention. My mother was beaming now. And I couldn't help but mirror her smile. I was grateful that Luca was opening up more to his family. He was always quiet. But a small amount of time with Freya and he was opening up and talking. Acting like a normal baby.

There are no words to have lucky I am to have her as my mate.

"I'm sure he is ready to see his mama." I smile curiously at my mother and she chuckles.

"He loves her already. And if he wishes her to be his mother then I will make sure no one stops that from happening. He deserves a mother." I nod my head. I thought atleast my mother would be alittle reluctant about it. But it was as if a light switched on when she found out that my mate was Diana's daughter.

I wanted to ask what kind of relationship the two had. I wanted the details. But I knew my mother and if she didn't feel like sharing them she wouldn't. She would even go on the defensive about it.

I inhale a deep breath and listen closely. Freya's breathing was still slow and steady which meant that she was still sleeping. Goddess let her get through this it losing Shade again...