CHAPTER 28 HOME

PRESENT DAY IN THE MAGICAL REALM

Lord Lungu holds the door frame to support his balance. Not believing what he just heard. There is no way he heard what Bella said correctly. There is no way Princess Rose, his true mate, is still alive and he does not know about it. He has been mourning her for twenty-one years.

"Father, are you okay?" Sarah asks.

"Yes, my dear I am fine." He responds even though what he is feeling is far from okay.

Lord Lungu takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself. He looks at his daughter with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "What do you mean your mother is going to die, my dear? Is your mother alive?" Lord Lungu asks.

Bella looks at the man who called her name and realizes that he looks exactly like her adoptive father. It takes her a moment to realize who he is. When they all came in she was drawn to her uncle so much that she did not notice her father. She has never met her father before but seeing him right now brings a feeling in her heart. She has always wanted to meet her biological father and now she is glad that she has finally met him. Bella looks at the man who gave her life and feels tears coming from her eyes. She can not believe that her biological father is standing in front of her. Without a second thought, Bella hugs him tightly. His arms feel like home to her. There is something about him that makes her feel protected.

Lord Lungu's heart is heavy as he gazes upon his daughter, Bella, for the first time. The resemblance she bares to her mother is uncanny, and it brings tears to his eyes. He has spent years searching for his missing fated mate, never imagining that she had left behind a child.

"You look like your mother," Lord Lungu says softly, his voice filled with emotion. Bella chuckles at his words, a bittersweet smile on her face. She has heard the comparison before, but coming from her father, it holds a deeper meaning.

As he looks at her  Lord Lungu can not help but feel a sense of regret. If only he had been able to protect Bella's mother, she would have grown up surrounded by her kind. Instead, she had been raised in the human world, unaware of her true heritage.

"I am sorry that I could not protect your mother," Lord Lungu said, his voice filled with remorse. "If I had been able to, perhaps things would have been different for you."

Bella reaches out and places a comforting hand on her father's arm. "It is not your fault, father," she says gently. "I have had a good life, despite not knowing about my true origins. And now that I have found you, I feel like a piece of the puzzle has finally fallen into place."

Lord Lungu looks at his daughter with gratitude in his eyes. Despite the circumstances that had brought them together, he is grateful to have Bella in his life. She is a reminder of the love he had shared with her mother, a love that had endured even in her absence.

"You look like your mother," Lord Lungu says once more, a smile on his face. And as Bella smiles back at him, he knows that they have a lot of catching up to do. But he is determined to make up for lost time, to be a good father to Bella.

"Before I forget you said something about your mother dying. What does that mean?" Bella looks at her father and realizes that he does not know that her mother is alive.

"Kalima zhil shayar, kora?" (He does not know she is alive?) Bella asks her uncle in confusion, her voice barely above a whisper.

King James, a regal figure with a stern expression, met her gaze with a somber look, "Zhilakai, kora shayar" (Yes, my soul, he does not know.) King James responds.

"Shaykor, vedra sha Morphira, korva thiys" (But why have you not told him? He is my mother's mate and my father.) 

"Zhilakai vedra, Morphira shaye, kora rakhun" (I did it to protect your mother. I did not want a lot of people to know.) King James says.

"Enough!" Lord lungu shouts as he walks to where Bella and King James are standing. "Sorry for shouting at you, Your Majesty but can you please use the common tongue? So that all of us can understand what is happening."

"I am sorry about that lord lungu, it is just that my dragon was excited to see my niece and I talked to in Drakonik. I am sure it is the same for her. She has never met her kind before so her dragon is just excited." King James explains.

Lord Lungu's frustration Is evident as he shouts for King James and Bella to use the common tongue. The tension in the air is noticeable 

 "I understand that your dragon may be excited, Your Majesty, but we must all be able to understand what is happening. Please, speak in the common tongue so that we can all be on the same page."

King James nods in understanding, "I apologize, Lord Lungu. I was speaking to her in Drakonik, as her dragon was excited to see me. But I see now that it is confusing. I will speak in the common tongue from now on."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and I am sorry for shouting at you once again." Lord lungu says.

"It is alright, Lord Lungu."

"Thank you." Lord lungu says. "My dear you said that your mother could die. What did you mean by that, my dear?" He asks Bella.

Bella looks at King James and then at Lord Lungu not knowing what to do. How is she going to tell her father that her mother is alive? She looks at King James once more asking for permission to tell her father the bitter truth.

"Mother is alive," she blurts out.