Beloved

I sat on my polished throne listening as the council droned forever on in the background. After hours of talking, yet nothing was getting accomplished.

"We must take over." One said, his nasal-sounding voice echoing around the large room we discussed in. "If we enslave the humans, we will be ruler over all. Immortals and humans, we will be at the very top."

"Have you forgotten there are billions of humans? While we are a small race even with the other creatures out there." Another pointed out the flaw in the idea, a hiss spilling out from the council member at the accusation.

They had been arguing for weeks and to be honest, it had become annoying. There were many better things to do like looking for my Beloved- the one person who would be my match, my only love. I had been completely fascinated by mates since I was young. So throughout my life, I had searched high and low, far and wide for her. I had no such luck of any clue to her existence thus far. But there would be no way I would give up so soon. I knew she was out there somewhere even if I had to search all my life for her I would find her.

"People let us stay calm." My Mother expressed with a voice everyone always listened to. With grace and power, what she spoke was law, and no one would dare speak against her. It would be foolish to dare go against her and everyone there knew it.

My Mother was a tall woman with almost completely black hair, something I had inherited. She had piercing amber eyes, unlike my dark blue eyes, something I had passed down from my Father's side. My mother was, without a doubt, a beautiful woman. Yet, she had, over the years after my father's death, begun to look closer to death with the loss of her mate. Still, she could pass as someone in their mid to late twenties. That was the usual for the immortal soul.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Before the majority of the court could finish. Their words were only a faint ghost in their mouths, a loud crash echoed around the room. The large wooden doors swung on their hinges. Every head snapped to look at the loud intrusion.

"Claire!" My Mother's beautiful voice rang out as she stood up to greet her friend of countless years. "It is so good to see you again."

"It is nice to see you too," Claire answered shortly, causing my Mother's smile to falter, for a moment. Dark meaning hidden with those words and the feeling they brought with them.

"What is that which brings you here today?" I ask knowing that this woman, who was an important leader in the witch community, would not have come here if it was of no importance.

She turned to look at me, her eyes wide with significant news she was dying to share.

"I have seen another vision," Indeed that was important. These visions were powerful. To willingly choose not to listen to the advice would be very dangerous for all involved.

"Are we in trouble?" My Mother questioned, giving me worried glances. It had not been long since the last war and we did not have the resources or ability to stand another so soon after. Claire shook her head but kept her eyes planted on me. I leaned forward on my seat immediately interested.

"What is it, spit it out, woman!" the councilman snarled, annoyed at the interruption of whatever he called his pathetic attempt at a debate. Claire turned and gave the man a hard glare. Her piercing white-gray eyes tore him apart before she cleared her throat.

"It is for you, my King." She bowed, showing her respect before continuing, though I couldn't care less at this moment for any formalities.

"As everyone in the supernatural world knows you are looking for your Beloved. The one who will be our future Queen."

Her words caused my throat to close in surprise. A newfound desire to run out into the large world we lived in to look for my mate gripped me. I had to keep my hands on the armrest of my quartz throne. I gripped them to the point of breaking to keep me sitting there. I had to listen, I had to know what she had to say.

"Well, you will not find her in this century, nor the next." She told me causing a growl of anger released, not at her of course, but at the situation.

"In two hundred years from now, on the night of the Winter Solstice. A child will be born, she will be your Beloved Mate and our future Queen." Claire answered, making me sit straight up in my seat.

"How will I find her?" I asked with as much patience and kindness as I could muster in that single moment.

"I am not sanctioned to reveal that, but I can tell you this..." She paused as if thinking of what to say. The dark part of me wanted answers, he didn't care who or what stood in his way. But I held control over him and listened attentively.

"Make sure to be on the western side of the land of America, she will only be a child but you can still bind her soul to you. And then when she turns of age, you may bring her back to our world and make her our Queen." Claire said a soft smile gracing her lips as she spoke of a future Queen. Her smile grew when she saw a real smile of my own. Clair had been in my life and I knew she felt happiness at the thought of her friend's son and his future that awaited.

"Thank you," I told her, honesty dripping from my words, but my happiness turned to worry fast when she frowned.

"But I must warn you. Raynen there will be people who will try to hurt her. It is essential that you get to her in time before all is lost. You must protect her at all costs because if she falls, so does our kingdom. I have seen the damage and sorrow, our race depends on the complete survival of her. I am sorry, that is all that I can reveal at this moment in time. I bid you good luck at finding our future Queen." A black smoke started forming around Claire and I jumped up needing more. Panic crawled up my throat at the thoughts running through my mind.

"Wait! May I know her name?" My voice was desperate, if I had to wait 200 years I needed something to hold onto besides my dreams of meeting her. I needed to know.

She turned back to me pausing, and thought for a moment. "Her name is Athena..." And with that Claire disappeared into the dark cloak of the night.

"Athena," I whispered the sound of the name like a symphony. I engraved it into my mind, burning it into my soul. That would be the only thing to calm my demons, that name was their master, she was now their only reason for breathing... and yet, she didn't even exist. The smoke that had enveloped Claire disappeared from our view.

The whispers spread around the room like a wave of water, I could not care less. I made a vow to myself, my people, and my heart. I will find you, Athena. I would not stop looking for you. You will be mine, as you hold my heart and my crown. I felt the shift in my blood as those dark promises wrapped themselves around me. I could feel them every moment of every day and night. I obsessed over the years. Preparing for the day I would meet her. And those thoughts are the ones that kept me sane. Those alone are the thoughts that kept my demons at bay...