Fantasy Descendants of the Curse

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Bradford nodded. “That is a sweet sentiment, but I’m afraid it is exactly that material gain that we want.” He said looking back at Gaston knowingly. “For if you have something to gain then so would she, which is precisely why we betrothed her to Xander. He is the nephew of the Kornwhich coven and being married to the daughter of the Ryhnaen coven’s expeditioners would be a great benefit to someone of his status. Her marrying him would not only help her status but the family’s as well. So...” he paused in his walking to meet Gaston’s eyes. “Tell me what Phiona, and this family, have to gain if I were to terminate this long standing agreement with an ally coven only to turn it over to you?”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona’s three brothers Bartholomew, Benedict, and Beckham who had arrived with Lilly and Bradford stood watching Bradford and Gaston walking across the yard. “Follow them, make sure our guest doesn’t try anything. I’ll go help the others unpack and catalog father’s things.” Beckham told his brothers with a cautionary nod, they were a set of triplets though you wouldn't know it from looking at them. With that Benedict and Bartholomew began walking behind Bradford and Gaston keeping a safe distance but still within hearing range. Beckham on the other hand made his way back to his home as he walked he noticed a small pitch black shape zip past him with glowing yellow eyes. It slowed to a quick hop only as it got closer to Gaston and Bradford, allowing you to make out the animal.

“Phiona...” he muttered with a sigh as he recognized her rabbit familiar, but instead of stopping it he kept walking making his way into and through the house. Cutting through the front hall and exiting through the front doors where he froze immediately shocked at the sight before him. In the middle of the yard a young boy was completely engolfed in flames and screaming at his brothers in Arabic.

“What is the meaning of this?!” He demanded running to the boy but was stopped by one of his brothers.

“Relax, we have the Jinni enclosed, he escaped the scroll but it’s fine now. He’s a strong little buggar but we’re entrapping him back into the scroll right now. We’ll enforce it and store him with the others.” Sebastian the oldest of the 14 siblings said to Beckham as he watched three of his brothers work together to put the Jinni back into its scroll. As they did so Beckham noticed its blue-ish grey skin and erratic gestures like it was trying to curse the brothers. To that he laughed which only made the creature yell louder before being sucked into the scroll effectively silencing it. That finished the brothers started sorting out the other things their father had brought carefully handling each item as they sorted it.

“Keeping a fire Jinni in a paper entrapment...ridiculous.” Sebastian muttered as the others put the scroll in a small metal box with ruins carved all over it. “Beckham help Edmond with our fur shipment.” Sebastian ordered pointing to the youngest brother who was struggling to pull four bodies wrapped in silver blankets out of the wagon bed. Edmond was only 7 months older than Phiona but he was much worse at controlling his magic. In fact controlling multiple things at once was nearly impossible for him, though lucky for him he at least was useful in other ways.

“Relax, take a deep breath.” Beckham said jogging over to Edmond’s side, quickly using his magic to levitate the bodies out of the wagon bed knowing if the silver blankets that covered them came off the werewolves would wake up and everyone there would be in a heap of trouble. Lowering the bodies he looked closer at them. One woman and three young adults maybe teenagers, they all had the same flaming red hair, pale skin, and clearly malnourished which was probably why they could be captured and restrained so easily.

“Must have been a family.” Beckham muttered looking back to Edmond who nodded out of breath. Though if they were a family that made Beckham wonder just where the father was.

Eventually they took all of the new items their father collected out to the stables and down through a hidden cellar door into their father’s collection storage. Sebastian put the catalogues of all the new items information and handling on Bradford’s desk and they left making sure there wasn’t any trace of what they had done and returned to the house to get changed and ready for dinner.


[Clarification:

The four werewolves are Artemis and her last three surviving childern.

Bradford works with the magical world’s version of the black market called the Midnight Market as well as for the Ryhnaen coven. That’s yet another reason why he has and can afford the things he has.

Everyone in the house knows of Bradford’s dealings with the Midnight Market, except the servants and Phiona. Their servants are half human half witch, which makes them easier to control and wipe their memories. Phiona doesn’t know because they don’t want her exposed to such things and they fear she would tell the witches’s council of what her family is doing so they keep her out of it which is easy since she is almost never home.]

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Phiona was guided back into her home and upstairs by her mother, her good mood quickly fading as the two women walked in tense silence. You could tell how badly Lilly wanted to stay something and Phiona prayed she wouldn’t. Fortunately the silence reminded unbroken as Phiona opened the large wooden doors of one of the family’s many washrooms.

“Phiona-“ Lilly spoke out just before her daughter closed the door behind her. Phiona didn’t say anything but rather met her mother’s gaze waiting for her to speak. “Phiona I was watching you and that man in the green house...” she muttered her tone laced with disappointment but before Phiona could get out a word of defense Lilly held up a finger and shook her head. “Just...be careful.” She sighed closing her eyes before turning and walking back down the hall. Phiona frowned for a moment wondering if that was her mother’s acceptance or disapproval, but she didn’t question it instead going and readying herself a bath using her magic to spark the coals under the tub.

“Your things have all been stored away in your room, and I have a new garment waiting here for you when you’re ready Miss Phiona.” One of the servants had said before leaving. Once alone she spared no time in connecting to her familiar tracing a small sigil in the surface of the bath. Slowly it’s water turned from clear and bubbly to a low view of the yard. The rippling sounds of the water turning into the faint sound of voices. She had successfully connected with her familiar, a faint smile crossed her lips as she beckoned her familiar to rush forward closer to Gaston and her father so that she may better hear them, yet she did not want to be so close as to get caught. Though she frowned when she saw her brothers knowing full well they most likely would try to stop her if they caught her, so instead she kept her distance from them and trying to stay low as possible.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Donahue stood in the room they were given, wringing out his wet clothes as he looked down at Sabella. He didn’t say anything but there was clearly something on his mind. Flinging the water off his hands and onto the open fire he stared at the fire for a moment thinking over what they had done. Even he enjoyed their time in the river he now found himself wondering if it was the right thing or not.

 

[Valjean24601]

“I’m sure yourself and any advisor you have would agree that all allies of the Forticoven House are well taken care of and have been for hundreds upon hundreds of years.”
Gaston began carefully. He wanted Phiona more than anything but he also wondered what this man would want him to give up in order to obtain her hand.
“Name your price. If it’s wealth you want then it will be easily provided, protection, resources, healers, students— the Forticoven’s have all this and more and as the sole benefactor and leader of my house I can gauruntee you’ll be given a healthy sum of anything you desire.”

 

[Valjean24601]

Sabella sat on the stuffed mattress draped in roughly woven linens and furs, her fingers absent mindedly tracing circles around her knee caps and all the small scrapes and scars that littered her legs as she waited for her mate to say something, anything. She didn’t know how to behave with him now. It was startling to her as she usually didn’t care at all what people thought of her or felt for her. One reoccurring thought however did continue to plague her.
“Do you wish it had been her after all?”
Sabella asked him, reffering to her best friend and the mate he had left behind.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Bradford met Gaston's eyes not saying anything for a moment to gauge how serious this man was. It would take a lot more than Gaston's fluffy promises to get him to fully agree with this union. He would need to know more about Gaston and his family to be able to trust him at all. For at the moment all he knew was the rumors of the Forticoven leaders banishing one of their sons to America so many years ago. He didn't know why, nor did he care for the countless rumors surrounding their reason. With that in mind he decided to change the subject. Clearing his throat he looked back at Gaston. "Well then, if you're so keen on marrying my daughter, I'll need to know more about you. Have you been married before? How long have you been coven head?" He started, assuming Gaston would continue and give a brief summary of himself.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

"What?" He looked back at her confused then paused understanding her question. He was about to answer immediately with no but hesitated. "Once upon a time yes, but you already knew that." He said referring back to the feast their pack had held and all the drama that happened then. "But not any more." He muttered softly sitting beside her on the bed looking up at the dark dank ceiling. "I just wonder if we didn't do this too soon." His voice was husky and quite. "We are so young still... it feels like we are rushing into this."

 

[Valjean24601]

“I was married very young, and over the years there were many complications. She wasn’t right for the coven nor the leadership she would be in once I became the head of the coven. The marriage was annulled.”
Gaston said shortly, looking ahead of him as the two men continued their walk.
“As for being head of the coven— my aging parents had handed the responsibilities over to me years ago just without the title. My mother recently passed and my father chose to hand the role over to me.”
Gaston figured he might as well let Phiona’s father know the truth and he would willingly tell it to him in order to have Phiona by his side.

 

[Valjean24601]

Sabella scoffed and shook her head slightly, balling her hands into fists and resting them still on her knees. He was so sure with Thea. He was so quick to be with her. Why would she be any different?
“You weren’t too young to be with Thea. It didn’t happen to quickly with her. I was sure, I still am sure. Why can’t you be sure about this too?”
She was angry now. Anger— that was familiar to her not all this other emotional uncertainty that he was causing her. It felt debilitating, like her lungs would cave in.
She moved away from him and slid to the other side of the bed. Wrapping herself tightly in the furs she’d covered herself in.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Bradford muttered politely yet unapologetically as he kept strolling along. “And you think my Phiona is right for your coven?” He asked but then stopped himself not wanting to get into that now. Clearing his throat he tired again. “So do you have any siblings? Any children?” He could hear the sounds of his sons walking behind them. Annoyed he started looping their walk back around heading to the house. As he started walking back he noticed the glowing yellow eyes of Phiona’s familiar and he casually waved to it telling her to mind her own business.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“Sabella...” Donahue muttered looking to her with a frown. “Things were different with Thea, you know this. She was the only reason I joined the pack, it was an arrangement. She knew this, her father knew it, everyone did.” He said sitting back up. “You and I... You and I were spontaneous and unplanned, I don’t even think your father knows about us.” He said moving closer to her. “That’s why I’m unsure, because we moved so quickly into this.”

 

[Valjean24601]

“A son, J-“ he paused realizing he had disregarded Elizabeth and Jamison for a moment, something he didn’t often do but found it happening more and more.
“A son and a daughter, my third son has passed. As for siblings they have found their own way in the world, I’m the only son of Malcolm’s that stayed at the coven house.”

 

[Valjean24601]

“How couldn’t you have seen this coming though? How hadn’t you thought about it? We ran away together Don— nothing is certain and nothing is planned and I thought that’s what you had wanted when you left with me.”
Sabella sat up and turned to him, her chest rising and falling quickly under the furs and linens. She remained as calm as she could but inside she was panicking now. She would be cast away like her mother was and only mere hours into them being mated.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“And Phiona knows of your childern, and is understanding of that fact?” He asked his dark eyes looking back at Gaston with a hint of disbelieving. But again he stopped himself shaking his head he adjusted his glasses and looked back at his home. “Dinner should be getting started soon. Are you hungry?”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“Because-...” he started but his voice caught in his throat. “Because when I was planning on leaving I wasn’t planning on taking you with me. I was selfish and didn’t want to go alone, so when I saw you I convinced you to come with me. I didn’t plan on us becoming mates.....at least not this soon.”

 

[Valjean24601]

“She knows full and well about my children and has yet to to tell me she’s uncomfortable with it— she knows each of them personally.”
Gaston rung his hands and nodded his head slowly.
“I’d be very appreciative of a hot meal after today.”

 

[Valjean24601]

She stared at him unblinking, her stomach flipping and her palms getting increasingly clammy as he spoke.
“You used me.”
Then why did he come back for me? Why didn’t he just leave when the shewolves took me?
She tried so badly to convince herself that she wasn’t just a pawn, that he wasn’t acting selfishly. But he’d laid out the truth right in front her.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“Good, I’m sure the servants will be glad to hear what you think of their cooking.” Bradford gave a polite smile patting Gaston’s shoulder. “Though perhaps you’d like a bath first, I know I would.” He said looking Gaston’s tangled hair and dirty clothes, and looking down at his own faded and dusty out fit. “Did you bring any dinner clothes? If not I’m sure we can find you some.” Bradford offered leading the way back into his his sons jogged ahead and held the door open for their father and Gaston. “I’ll tell the servants to ready you a bath.” Bradford said to Gaston as he continued walking down the hall where he met with Lilly kissing his wife’s cheek. “Is it all sorted?” He asked his wife in a low voice before disappearing with her into another room.

One of the servants approached Gaston with a polite smile. “Would you follow me?” She asked motioning upstairs where the sound of draining water could be heard.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

Donahue frowned “I did...” He muttered looking down at his hands. “I used too, but not any longer. Please believe me....” he said reaching out for her hand.

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston extended his thanks to Phiona’s father and followed the servant upstairs, pushing back a stray strand of his raven hair.
“Could you have a fresh blouse, trousers coat and shoes brought in please? I’m afraid my current outfit is in tatters.”
He said shortly to the maid.

 

[Valjean24601]

“Believe you? How can I believe you after this? It’s my father all over again. If we see Thea ever again will she be what you want again?”
Sabella moved her hand away slowly becoming more withdrawn.

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

“Of course.” The maid nodded before taking a mental image of Gaston both to gauge his measurements and for her to enjoy later. As she left you could hear the sound of Bradford’s bath getting ready and sounds of Phiona upstairs moving about and humming as she got changed. Her humming being interrupted by gasps of air confirming that she was putting on her corset. Despite being on different levels you could still vaguely make out what she was saying thanks to the ventilation. Her irritated voice echoed “What do you mean Xander is on his way!?”

 

[EvelienLocalArtist]

The corners of his mouth sloping down into a disappointed frown. “I did not lie to you, about any of this. I did not take another mate. It is only you, that is what you wanted from the very beginning is it not? You had planned it all out and had everything settled in your mind. Excuse me for not being as ripe and ready for this as you are.” Now it was his turn to pull back. How could she be so naive to think he wouldn’t second guess this?

 

[Valjean24601]

Gaston stopped for a moment and stepped backwards out of the bathroom and walked slowly down the hall before calling out quietly—
“Phiona? Phiona are you alright?”