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❤️ My Hostage (Part 14) ❤️

The mysterious dark man knelt down beside Dean's sleeping body on the cold floor and then stretched forth one of his hands towards Dean's forehead and then with one of his fingers sliced through Dean's forehead with his sharp nails drawing the shape of X on it. Dean groaned out in pain but didn't open his eyes. The mysterious man mumbled out some words and then the X started fading away and soon Dean's forehead looked the same as if nothing was done, the blood coming out from the cut all dried up.

Getting up to his feet the mysterious man nodded his head in satisfaction. "Appearing in your dreams always makes me enervated and I don't like it Dean," he grumbled out the words and then out himself. "This is better now." he added and looked around the room and then with a slight shrug he disappeared.

*******

Ashland Kingdom: Palace:

Storm was about to leave his room when a knock was heard. He opened the door and stepped out before giving the guard his full attention.

"Where is Rumi?" he asked when he recognized the guard standing before him.

"My Lady said she will be here tomorrow morning, my Emperor."

"Tomorrow? Not today? Why?"

"She gave no reasons, Emperor," the guard replied.

"Alright," Storm said and slightly push the guard away from him.

He saw Empress Rose and her son, Fred and hurried up to block them. They were about to enter her room when he blocked their way.

"What is it again? Haven't we seen enough for today?" Empress Rose asked.

Rolling his eyes at her, "I don't want to even see your face but I have too, anyway, I came here to tell you that Juno's father is now awake and his position will be given to him when he has rested enough," he said and close the distance between them leaning forward so that his mouth was close to her ear. "So the way you had put Marcus as the Warlord of this kingdom, you will be removing him and putting Emera back in his former position. Marcus doesn't deserve the title." he added and shifted back a little to see her face.

"But Emera deserves the title, right?" Empress Rose sneered.

"Of course, I have seen what he can do," Storm said. His father trusted uncle Emera and the man had slapped Juno back then when she denied hurting him. "But what can Marcus do? When Juno and Kando attacked this palace, where was your precious Marcus? Oh I know where he was, he was hiding behind the guards as they helped him to fight the Intruders. Just do as I say." he added and turned to leave when Empress Rose's voice stopped him.

"And if I don't? You can't tell me what to do."

"Yes I can," he said, facing her once again. "And if you don't do as I say, I am going to invite all the whole people in all Ashland to watch as I am crown the Emperor and you and I know you don't want that, don't you Rose?" he asked and with his curled lips he waited for her response and when he got none he gave her his lopsided smile. He knows he had put fear into her when he brought up the throne. "I thought so. If you don't want me to carry out my threats, you better do as I say. You are going to fix Emera back in his former position when he becomes strong again, unless he uses his mouth to reject the offer and one more last thing, I will be releasing Juno and her colleague from the prison later today. Just wanted to give you head up in case you see them wandering around the palace." he left her presence.

"He is so proud and annoying," Fred said once Storm was out of their sight.

"If only you and your brother has your late father's gift, I and this ill-fated nincompoop wouldn't be having this conversation. He is threatening me because he knows that none of you is gifted." Empress Rose snicker at her son and entered her room slamming the door hard.

She couldn't do anything, she was helpless.

***********

Storm stopped close to the gate of the palace and whistled loudly, it wasn't a straight whistling though, soon his ten older brothers came out from their various resting places and went to meet him.

"Prepare the horses, we are going somewhere," he said to them and watched as they left to bring out their horses they had brought from the Garden of Edenis and also Storm's horse.

He stood patiently waiting for them.

*********

Morgan's Room:

Gwen who was laughing at some jokes Morgan was saying and eating an apple with a basket full of apples in front of her. They were both sitting side by side on the bed when she heard the whistle.

"That's Storm's signal of calling us out to meet him," Gwen said, pausing as the whistle stopped abruptly. She stood up.

"And where are you going?" Morgan asked.

"To go check on Storm, you heard the whistle right?"

"I did, but must you go?"

"Yes."

"Don't leave, I am enjoying your company besides he can take care of himself. I want to spend more time with you Gwen so please do not leave."

"I guess you are right," Gwen said, sitting back with a sigh. "He can take care of himself." she added. Now that Morgan wasn't insulting or calling her name's, she realized she wants to spend more time with him. Her love for him increases and speaking of insult. "So since you stop me from going to meet my friend can you be honest with me and answer this simple question that I am about to ask you?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"You insulted me in front of your mother, why is that?"

"I thought I had to apologize for that."

"I know, I am just asking why because I know if your mother walks right inside this room now you will start insulting me again."

"To be sincere, I am just scared of her," Morgan said finally with crestfallen face.

"Why? You are a grown up man and should have a say in your life."

"I don't want to offend her, she is scary when she gets offended and I am her son, her first son, it it was Fred she won't say too much about who he has his relationship with but with me, I am different so I try to avoid things, hope you understand me."

"No, I don't understand but I will let this slide," Gwen said. "So tell me more jokes."

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

They returned to Storm side and he quickly straddled his horse.

"Where is Gwen? Isn't she coming?" one of the men asked as they saw Storm getting ready to kick the side of his horse.

"I don't think she is coming, she is with Morgan right now, the love of her life," Storm said with a slight shrug. "And also I don't want to disturb her." he added and without any further questions, they rode out of the Palace heading towards Altamon, the kingdom where Storm grew up.

They soon arrived at the old house made of wood which hasn't been open for over 12 years. Ignoring the people passing and staring at them.

"Why are we here, Storm?" One of the men asked again. They had recognized the house when they had followed Emperor Ariadne back then.

"I don't know," Storm said, staring at the house in front of him. A lot of memories were in that house. This was where he had learned how to crawl, took his first steps in this house, his mother had taught him how to pronounce things and where he and his mother had always begged wasn't that far from him. "I just wanted to visit here again," he added. "Stay here while I go inside," he needs to be alone. He came down from his horse, touching his horse head before he headed straight to the door. Opening the door which surprisingly wasn't locked, he entered inside and started removing the cobwebs covering his way.

The room looked the same as it was years ago. Looking around him, he sighed in sadness.

"Where are you mother?" he whispered to himself. "You messed up my childhood big time, not that I am not grateful, but I just want to know why. Why did you do what you did to me." he said to the empty room. "Why? I still bear the pain in my heart watching you leave me and not coming back again. And now father is gone too, why do bad things happen to me? Why? Maybe one day I will get answers to my questions." He looked around the room once more and his eyes caught the dirty mantilla sitting in one corner of the room. He remembered the mantilla as he walked towards it, he had always wondered why his mother had always worn a mantilla whenever they went out to beg for alms. Why didn't he see this before? His mind wasn't there because he had been crying and disgruntled about his mother leaving. This is only what is left of his mother.

Somehow he is going to find her. Until he had seen her skeleton with his own naked eyes he refused to believe his mother was dead.

He bent down and picked up the mantilla, straightened himself and walked out of the room. He didn't get to see a small bag of coins the mantilla was covering. Nor a piece of paper hidden inside the bag.