Dragon's Dismay with Absent Family

Chapter 3

The castle halls were quiet by now. Most of the servants were heading off to bed as well even if it was still somewhat early into the night. A lot of them had been working hard as of late anyway so it was understandable. Artemis wasn't concerned much with any of that though or what anyone else in the castle was doing at this moment in time. Her thoughts were more focused on her husband and trying to find where he was at this hour. He hadn't been in their room and certainly enough he was nowhere in that area of the castle either. The throne room seemed most likely from there but again he was not there. Shaking her head confused she couldn't think of any other place that he would be at this hour, unless . . . he needed a quiet place to work. Picking up her dress she quickly made her way to the other side of the castle where the library resided, Rogue's mother's library. Sure enough Sting was huddled away in one of the plush chairs that scattered about inside the library. The only thing that made it somewhat easy to see was the little melting candle on the stand next to his chair that glowed against his face. Artemis slowly walked up to him trying to buy as much time as she needed to plan out what she wanted to say.

"I can hear you, you know." Sting's voice shattered the silence of the somewhat empty library as Artemis quietly laughed to herself. "I assumed so." She whispered knowing he would hear her as he slowly looked up from the documents in his hands.

He smiled faintly at her and she took a seat in the chair next to him. Artemis leaned over and crossed her arms on the arm of Sting's chair so that her head could rest there. The blonde went back to looking over the documents not bothering to say another word. Artemis frowned slightly at this knowing that he was probably going to be transfixed on those documents all night. Of course, him looking them over again still gave her the time she needed to prepare herself for what could and would most likely blow over proportion. The brunette looked up slightly to catch a glimpse of Sting's face, the sight making her feel uncomfortable with the way he was treating himself. She didn't understand how she couldn't spot them this morning, those bags under his eyes that were beginning to form due to the lack of sleep he was having lately. She remembered the last time she saw him with those, that time when they had been fighting because she had felt as if he was using her as some trophy to flaunt in front Natsu. She didn't like when he looked that way so seeing them begin to form once more was worrying her. She slowly lifted her head and raised her hand to touch ever so slightly under his eye. Sting froze instantly and looked at her from the corner of his eye, moving his head only when she retracted her hand.

"You haven't been giving yourself enough sleep have you?" Artemis questioned.

"I'll be fine. I just need a little more time to finish these documents and I'll go up and get some sleep. Trust me Artemis I'll get sleep when I really need it." He sighed and looked away from her again.

". . . That doesn't make me feel much better. Please Sting, I'm sure the documents can wait until tomor-"

"Artemis I really don't want to start this right now. Please just let me finish this and I'll meet you up in our room in a little bit." The blonde interjected obviously frustrated since this wasn't the first time that Artemis has pushed this subject with him.

Artemis frowned and slowly stood from her chair. She held her arms close to her stomach as if the posture made her look like she was defending herself. Sting smiled and looked back down at the documents in his lap while Artemis turned and took a few steps towards the library door. Suddenly something sparked her anger which made her stop walking. What use was it of her to come here to confront Sting if she was just going to cave in and not fully try to get him to see her point? Thinking back to the conversation she had with Celestine not too long ago her arms and hands dropped down to her side and she spun around snatching the documents off of his lap quicker than he could even blink. Sting shot up from the chair and looked at his wife angrily. He attempted to snatch the papers back but Artemis moved quicker than he did and hid them behind her back.

"Artemis, give me the papers!" He demanded.

"No." She replied calmly and sternly, her own emerald eyes holding a harsh gleam in them. "I'm not giving them back until you promise to go up to our room and get some sleep now. You're pushing yourself to hard and you need to stop and slow down before your stress level gets any worse and you end up flipping out."

"I told you I'd get sleep when I was finished with the doc-"

"I'm pretty sure these can wait until tomorrow Sting they aren't going anywhere."

The king gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. Artemis tried her best to suppress her smirk since she new well enough that he knew she was right. Sting once again attempted to snatch the papers from behind her back but she spun quickly enough for him just to miss them. He growled loud enough for her to hear him. This is what she didn't want, his stress making his anger flare like it was. It was why she was trying her best to stay calm for if she snapped at him then there was no way of getting him to stay as calm as she could. She could see his sapphire eyes shift into vertical slits like a dragon's eyes themselves but she refused to change the emotion on her face. She knew those slits meant she was seriously pushing his anger limit but she didn't care. She was more worried about his own health then anything. She knew that people could get sick from overworking themselves.

"I don't get it, why am I more worried about your own health than you are. Sting you'll get sick if you over work yourself." She explained.

"If I get sick then I know you'll be there to heal me." He shrugged and held his hand out. "Give me the documents."

"That's a poor excuse and you shouldn't use your wife like that!" She snapped, his comment pushing her buttons.

"I'm not using you! Artemis give me my work! Give it now!" He shouted piercing the silence of the library greatly.

"No! Why can't you just listen to me!? Why is it that you think that all of this work is more important than your own health!? You think you can handle all of this on your own but you can't Sting, you just can't! Why can't you just ask for help instead of taking it all on yourself!?" Artemis shouted back.

"I already have help! Rogue is helping me just fine!" He defended.

"Oh ok then how come he can still find time to care about himself in-between all of the work!? Why can't you just take an example from Rogue and give yourself some breaks!?"

"Because I'm caring for my kingdom!"

"Well so is Rogue!"

"Well if you think he's so great at being able to do both then why don't you go become his second wife since you think he's so much better!?"

Artemis froze with her jaw hung open. Her eyes went wide out of shock before she let out a shaky breath and gritted her teeth. He had some nerve to say such a thing after everything they've been through, out off all the struggles they went through and having their own kid. Artemis was so glad Peyton was sound asleep right now. Never did she think Sting would go as far as to say something like that. Just goes to show how badly all of this stress and work was getting to him. Sting's expression hadn't changed from him yelling it either which made Artemis feel even worse asking her think he was being serious.

"You . . . bastard." She growled, tears pricking her eyes.

A small flash of guilt gleamed through Sting's eyes as she growled her words. A faint blue flashed on and off around her and Sting was cautious enough to take a few steps back knowing that the force of Artemis's shields was extremely powerful. She tried to calm herself down from the aching feeling that was getting to her. How could he though? Why would he even dare to say such a thing when he should know that she would only and always love him and only him? She never said anything like that to make it seem like Rogue was so much better, or at least she didn't mean it in such a way. She only wanted him to take an example so that he would take better care of himself. Couldn't he just see that she was worried?

"Why. . . Why would you say something like that!?" She screamed.

"Artemis please I wasn't thinking. . . I'm sorry Artemis . . . please."

She took a few steps back when he walked forward. Her shoulders were shaking and her head twitch side to side as she debated on shaking her head no violently. Sting obviously didn't catch the clue though and still continued to advance towards her. His hands were outstretched like he wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close for a hug but Artemis wasn't going to just let this slide with some silly little hug. She slowly held her hand up as if to tell him to stay back but he only took her wrist and used it to try and pull her closer.

"Let go of me!" She shouted struggling against him.

"Artemis stop! I'm trying to apologize!"

"You think some stupid hug will fix what you just said! If . . . If you really meant it then I will! At least Rogue might actually listen to me unlike you!"

Knowing she was out of place this time she wanted to apologize but it seemed rather stupid since she was refusing to accept his apology. A sudden glimpse of anger showed in his eyes and Artemis yanked against his grip beginning to feel frightened by her own husband . . . the man she loved. She gasped as Sting lifted his hand, the white glow of his magic shinning against it as he swung down. Her own fear was so great that her eyes even refused to shut as she watched his hand fly down . . . and then stop right near her face. She blinked a few times before realizing that someone had stopped Sting from finishing his swinging at her and her fear suddenly made her whole body feel limp, her hand uncurling allowing all of the documents to fall to the floor.

". . . Son."

Sting quickly let go of Artemis and backed away, his feet stumbling over each other as he did so. His eyes were wider than Artemis had ever seen them and she knew how badly he regretted swinging at her at this moment. Sting was probably at least grateful that his father had stopped him before he made any contact with her. Sting looked between his wife and his father before fleeing from the library. The sigh Weisslogia let out made Artemis flick her eyes in his direction. He didn't seem happy at all, probably not with what he just saw his son about to do.

"Artemis. . . You aren't hurt are you?" The retired king asked.

". . . No."

". . . Looking back on it now . . . Don't you think it would have been better to approach him in another way about it? You should know him by now and I'm just as worried as you are but still. . ."

Artemis closed her eyes and shook her head. Weisslogia was right . . . maybe she had gone about it the wrong way with Sting. Maybe she should have been calmer or maybe have chosen her words right or . . . or something but something needed to change about the way she approached him. If his father hadn't been there she was sure to of had a bright red mark a crossed her face right now, possible more with the way Sting's magic surged around his hand like that. She didn't bother to continue the conversation with Weisslogia and exited the library trudging her way back up to her and Sting's room.

"Great. . . I wanted to help him not make things worse." She whispered.

Artemis heaved a sigh as she found herself in front of the bedroom door. She opened it slowly in case Sting was on the other side but it seemed empty when she entered. Not bothering to shut the door at the very moment she walked up to her bed undid her hair from its braid that it had been sitting in since early this morning. Placing the band down on the table she heard her door slam shut behind her startling her. Slowly and cautiously Artemis turned around and there standing next to the door was a man, his brown eyes gleaming at her while his sadistic smile almost glowed inside the dark room. There in his hand rested a sliver dagger. 'No! . . . Why!? It was all so good, why is this happening!?' her mind screamed at her over and over. After all of this peace and now this happens! Caught off guard the man lunged at Artemis and luckily enough she was quick to react and hold out her hand for a shield, its force shoving the man back slightly.

"Who are you?" She demanded to know.

"Oh you don't remember me your majesty?" The man chuckled.

Artemis's brow furrowed in confusion when he asked her such a question. Still chuckling he tilted his head to the side just enough for Artemis to spot it . . . the mark behind his ear. Her eyes widened now remembering who he was. The man from her wedding, the one who had clumsily spilled the drinks when she bumped into him. It had been years since she had even seen him and not once had she taken a notice to it. If it weren't for that mark behind his ear though she was sure that she wouldn't have remembered him and getting a good look at that mark now made her shiver, pure cold fear shooting up her spine upon seeing the Phantom Lord Mark.

"Oh? Do you remember me now Queen Artemis?" He questioned with that disgusting smile on his face.

"You . . . were the man at my wedding. . ." She breathed out.

Realizing and thinking about that more made her lose concentration on her shield and it flickered away leaving an opening for the man to lunge with his dagger. She screamed as she quickly ducked, the man's dagger stabbing into the mirror on her vanity shattering it to pieces. She spun around to face him again as she watched him struggle to yank out his dagger. Once he pried it out though a loud 'bang' almost like a gunshot echoed through Artemis's door and from the distance that it had seemed to come from Artemis's eyes widened with fear worried over if it had really came from the room she thought it did. Before the man in front of her even had a chance to lunge at her again she put a shield and used its force to make him stumble back onto the floor before she escaped from the room and ran down the hall to where she feared the loud noise came from:

Peyton's room.