Dragon's Dismay with Absent Family

Chapter 6

Slowly and steadily Artemis's eyes opened and a cold sensation spread throughout her cheek. She woke up to half her face pressed to the floor. Pulling her eyebrows together she sat up with her vision all blurry. The brunette couldn't tell what time it was or how long they had been trapped in that cell. Looking over she found Peyton and Rio huddled up against each other in one of the corners of the cell. They were still both asleep and she didn't plan on waking them up. Somehow they must've crawled away from her when she fell asleep before them last night which was why she hadn't woke up with them in her arms right now. Artemis leaned her back against the wall and sighed, her knees being pulled up to her chest. She looked down at the ring on her finger and stared at the engraving of her and Sting's names. Her emotions cracked and tears brimmed her eyes looking down at it. The last events that Sting and her had acted a part of, their argument, ran through her head stabbing her heart over and over. She didn't expect this to happen, none of them did, obviously but she had wished that she wasn't separated from Sting on such bad terms. She wished she could take it back, tell him that she never meant it that she only wanted him. Her anger had gotten the better of her when she said that she would go and marry Rogue, Artemis hadn't been thinking very well then. She just wanted to take it all back and tell Sting that she loved him over and over.

"Aunt Artey?"

Artemis turned her head to find Rio sitting up and rubbing her eyes, her movements careful so that she wouldn't wake up her still sleeping cousin. The little raven haired girl crawled over to Artemis and curled up next to her. The queen wrapped her arms around her little niece and smiled running her fingers through her hair.

"Are we gonna be ok?" Rio sniffled grabbing onto Artemis's arm tighter.

"Yes Rio, we'll be just fine."

"Is it true about what the villagers of other villages say? Mine and big brother Riku have demon eyes?" Rio whispered.

"Demon eyes? Rio sweetie what are you talking about?" Artemis asked pushing Rio away slightly so that the little girl's face could be seen.

"I don't want this curse . . . mommy always said that our eyes were pretty but they said we had the demon curse. Did I put you and cousin Peyton in trouble because of my eyes . . . because I have eyes like daddy?" Rio choked back sobs as she said this and Artemis pulled her back into a warm embrace.

"I don't know what you're saying Rio but none of this is your fault. Don't blame yourself alright? You don't have a curse put on you ok and you're eyes are beautiful, just like rubies. Red eyes are common in Sabertooth so there's no need to worry." Artemis assured the little girl cradling her as if she were a baby once again.

Artemis pulled her eyebrows together as she looked up at the ceiling. She knew that Celestine would go visit other villages and occasionally she would take her twins with her but this was the first time that she was hearing about this demon eye curse. Just who would be cruel enough to put something, like that into a small child's head, let alone twins too? Artemis bit her lip with slight anger, anger that formed because someone would put her niece and nephew into thinking they were something dangerous when they were simply just innocent little children. She could only wonder if Rio or Riku had talked about this with Celestine or Rogue or if they had kept this to themselves until this point. Either way it wasn't right, Artemis was determined to get this idea out of Rio's head while they were trapped in there. Rio had no curse; there was just no way that something like that was true. Slowly she felt Rio settle down but her breathing was still pretty heavy for her to be going back to sleep.

"Aunt Artey Where did daddy's bracelet go?" her niece's voice resounded through her ears.

Looking down she could see that Rio was holding out her arm, her wrist bare and without a bracelet. Artemis realized now what she had been talking about now; the little girl had always been wearing some sort of bracelet, a ruby shaped as a diamond shining on her wrist. She remembered Celestine telling her that the bracelet had been a birthday present from Rogue, the jewel containing his own magic that only activated out of defensive purposes. Her cousin had said that it had happened when she used to wear it as a necklace a few years back. Maybe that also explained why Rio had shadows swirling around her last night but then again . . . It didn't seem like the shadows were as controlled as they were whenever she saw Rogue use them, it didn't seem like it would have been his own magic that had come from the jewel. Pushing that thought aside she squeezed Rio's shoulder out of reassurance and told her that she might have left it at home even though she was sure one of their captors might have taken it for themselves. Rio nodded and mumbled something about it being safe before she settled down once more against the brunette. It didn't take Peyton long to wake up either and she two crawled over to Artemis but simple sat there in front of her mother curling her own knees up to her chest to mimic her mother's position.

"Mommy . . ."

"What is it sweetie?"

" . . . . Is daddy ill?" The little blonde questioned.

"What do you mean Peyton? Why would you think daddy is sick?" Artemis questioned.

"I heard two of the guards talking in the garden the other day. They said that daddy wasn't sleeping enough . . . they said he was stressed and that you were trying to . . . make him feel better so I thought daddy had fallen ill. They said that he was going to get worse if he didn't get sleep or take a break from his work." Peyton whispered; worry flashing in her eyes for her father's well being.

"Oh Peyton . . . daddy is going to be just fine. You don't need to worry about your father alright? . . . Come here." Artemis said holding out the arm that wasn't wrapped around Rio so that Peyton could come curl up next to her as well.

Peyton snuggled into her mother's free side and began to shake suddenly while Artemis rubbed her daughter's back soothingly. "Daddy won't die will he mommy?" Peyton sobbed.

"What? No! Daddy won't die don't you ever think that again Peyton. Daddy is going to be just fine, I told you that. Daddy is just going through some troubles with his work ok? Mommy was just trying to help him." Artemis explained trying to sooth her little one and cleanse her plagued mind of terrible thoughts about her father.

Peyton nodded her head, the motion being felt in Artemis's ribcage. She hated this, everything that was happening. She didn't want her daughter thinking such terrible things . . . to think that Peyton believed Sting was that sick to where he would end up dying. This wasn't right, not right in the slightest and now Artemis had to make sure that both of the little girls had these terrible thoughts pulled from their minds. They didn't deserve to think such things, not while being stuck in this situation.

*Sting's P.O.V*

With his feet pounding on the ground in pure frustration Sting would have loved nothing more than to just hit something at full strength at the moment. The fact that Rogue was now struggling with more than before because Celestine suddenly collapsed earlier into the night and became ill in the midst of this while mumbling things that seemed quiet off about herself, almost as if she had forgotten things and were slowly regaining them now probably sent Rogue into a white rage like Sting had been in since this whole thing had started. It seemed so out of the blue too when the remaining queen fainted, something about Magic Deficiency or something getting to her. The white dragon slayer could only hope that nothing else went amiss as he walked down the streets of his kingdom hoping to find out if anyone knew anything about who kidnapped his wife, daughter, and niece. It seemed that nothing was coming up though and with each passing moment his irritation grew rapidly. He hoped that when Rogue returned to the castle steps where Sting was currently waiting he would at least have good news unlike himself. Kicking a pebble down the small flight of stairs he looked up when he noticed that it stopped right next to a pair of feet, Rogue's feet to be precise. The look on the shadow king's face though didn't please him or seem to be one that bared good news.

"Please tell me you found something?" Sting grumbled.

Rogue shook his head grimily and took a seat next to Sting, his cerise hued eyes glinting with such malice that Sting had barely ever seen. This was getting tougher on the both of them with every passing moment. Patting Rogue on the back, Sting's gesture seemed to calm his younger "brother" down somewhat while also assuring his self that it'd be best not to break something at the current moment in time. The shadows slightly squirming beneath Rogue's feet seemed to have settled down with the gesture as well which pleased Sting. The blonde had remembered at least one incident on which those shadows had destroyed almost everything when they were younger and then the time when he had accidently knocked Celestine out with them not meaning to because of his anger. Sting really didn't another incident that was similar to any of those happening now to make things worse.

"If only I would have been able to reach the carriage with that shadow . . ." Rogue muttered bowing his head.

"Don't take all of the blame Rogue . . . I was also at fault for not being able to stop it." Sting sighed kicking another pebble down the steps.

"Still . . . My shadows . . . . They were our best chance and I-"

"I said stop." Sting growled sternly looking at his brother from the corner of his eye.

Rogue shuddered and didn't speak another word knowing that what sting was going to do to him if he kept on going wouldn't be pleasant. The blonde sighed annoyed and stood up to stretch his limbs out, the morning wind whistling by once more rustling his hair. Sting stared blankly out at the rising sun that painted the sky with pinks, oranges, and purples. He frowned as suddenly a faint memory that seemed so unimportant came bubbling back up to the surface for him.

"Mommy it's so pretty!" His daughter giggled while hanging half way out the window of her room.

"Peyton that's dangerous get back inside." Artemis sighed pulling their daughter back into her room. "You should be going back to sleep anyway."

"Come on honey let her be. Staying up to watch the sun rise seems like a nice treat and if she happens to take advantage of it then I'll take the blame so you little missy better enjoy this because it won't happen again for some time ok?" Sting grinned crouching down beside his daughter to watch the sunrise with her.

"Okay daddy!" Peyton giggled clung to his arm.

"You're lucky I'm lenient." Artemis muttered sitting down with them and resting her head onto his shoulder as the three of them watched it together only to have a crabby daughter later in the day that Artemis made Sting put up with for letting her stay up.

The White Dragon Slayer snapped his eyes shut and suppressed a growl rising within his throat as he remembered such a peaceful memory, memories he wished he had more of but due to his stupidity and putting his work first he didn't have them. He pinched the bridge of his nose and jumped slightly feeling Rogue's hand placed upon his shoulder. Sting smiled and nodded amazed at how one moment he would be helping Rogue and consoling him to it flipping to be the other way around only moments later. That's what happens when you have them raised together all their life.

"Sting! Rogue!"

The brothers turned at the sound of Totomaru's voice ringing out behind him. Celestine's advisor came stumbling down the stairs and for a second Sting could see that Rogue automatically thought something had happened to Celestine again. The fire mage held up a small slip of paper and instantly told Rogue that Celestine was fine through pants and breaths of air after seeing the look on his face.

"We . . . found this in . . . the garden where . . . Artemis and the others were taken." Totomaru panted while leaning on his knees.

Sting snatched up the paper and read it over, a loud growl coming to his throat as he did so. He could tell Rogue wanted to desperately see it too but instead of handing it over since he refused to loosen his grip due to angry the blonde simply read the note aloud, each word of it sliding off of his tongue like poison.

"'Thanks for lending us your wife and daughter, the little raven haired one seemed to be our bonus. We would say sorry to say you won't see them again though, but the truth is we aren't sorry. – Phantom Lord Face Hunters'."