A Destined Legacy Ch. 01

"Hello, Mom." Rhod smiled as she approached.

"I'm sorry I didn't pick up earlier."

"It's okay."

Rhod's mother smiled at him before turning to Angela. "And you must be Angela. I'm sorry that we didn't meet last night, but Beorthric has-had" She corrected herself before continuing, "A tradition whenever one of our children was married and granted land. Well, not that sorry, the tradition was so fun and pleasurable." Her voice trailed off towards the end.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Elise," Rhod's mother said, offering Angela her hand.

"Angela, as you already know." Angela laughed, as she shook Elise's hand.

"Oh, I see that Layla's leaving, I gotta go. I'll be staying at Layla's for a while, so call if you need anything kiddo." Elise hurriedly said before vanishing into an oncoming crowd.

Rhod and his wife barely managed to turn around when they face to face with another person, a Wechuge. She was tall, far taller than Rhod or Angela, closer to seven feet, with long black hair tied into a large bun. Antlers erupted from her scalp and jutted upwards; adding another exotic quality, in addition to her light brown skin, high cheekbones and contrasting blue eyes. She possessed a light green vein that ran down the side of her face and disappeared into the cleavage formed by her tight-fitting green dress.

"Karalinn? Is that you?" He asked with trepidation. He hadn't seen Karalinn in... twelve years, if not longer.

"Why yes, it is little brother! Good to meet you for real," Karalinn remarked before pivoting slightly and pulling Angela into a hug and lifting her off the ground. "And you as well darling, welcome to the family!"

"Did you want to talk about something, Karalinn?"

"Well," she started, "Dad usually took the new dukes to their holdings personally. Since he is no longer with us, God rest his soul, I figured that I may as well offer you and your wife a plane ride to the Sound. From there, you have options; everything is on me so consider it a wedding present and an apology for being late to your celebration. A hurricane veered off course and the plane had to go around it." Karalinn said.

"Umm... well I guess so." Rhod said, while trying to watch Angela for any form of negative reaction. Instead Angela seemed to be excited by the prospect. "Angela?"

"Oh, we should Rhod, it would be good for you to get to know your sister, and I would enjoy learning more about your family. It is notoriously secretive, you know." Angela playfully replied.

"Yes, we most certainly are." Karalinn chuckled. "But now that you're a part of the family, you might come to appreciate the secrecy. Some skeletons are better left undisturbed. Come on, I'll tell you all about them!" She wrapped one arm around each of them and began to escort them out. Escorting the pair to a new chapter in their lives as individuals, towards the beginning of the rest of their lives, as a duke and duchess, and as a married couple.

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