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Fantasy Draconic Disagreements

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Fable Fable

“A—A reputation for…” Thane stared at her with wide eyes, body frozen in disbelief. If there was one positive that came from this revelation, it was that all feelings of awkwardness and uncertainty vanished in the face of his blank shock. A flush rose to his cheeks and tips of his ears as the implication of what she was saying began to sink in. “Then… you thought that I might… And that offer in the carriage…” he groaned and tented his fingers over his nose, cheeks reddening in a mixture of mortification and shock as various pieces began to click into place. “Why? Why would anyone think that?! I never…” he shook his head mutely, running over every conceivable situation in his life that might have given off that impression and coming up with nothing.

Dahlia attempted to smooth things over by saying she knew better now, and Thane could only groan more loudly, dropping his head fully into his hands and silently shaking his head. “I don’t think that makes me feel better, Dahlia,” he said in a muffled voice through his fingers. He had a mate now, so theoretically the rumours would stop… though, then again, perhaps they’d simply assume he kept her only for procreation purposes while he amused himself with other dalliances. It didn’t really matter that much, it wasn’t exactly an uncommon proclivity to have, but the fact that he had been completely unaware of such rumours was the truly abysmal part.

He straightened up and leaned back in the chair, face still somewhat flushed as he stared up at the ceiling. “Maybe I can find some way to put that false belief to use…” turning the situation to his advantage was really the only thing he could think of to make this more bearable, though for now his mind came up blank as he searched for an idea.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn’t even realize that Dahlia had come behind him until she spoke near his ear and her fingers brushed through his hair. The Warlord flinched, as though expecting a blow, before what she said registered and he forced himself to relax, releasing a harsh breath. “Can you tell I’m tense?” it was rhetorical, made obvious by the grumbling way he said it. Still, Dahlia’s nearness and her hands in his hair were both soothing to him, and some of the roiling in his gut eased as she worked. She finished quicker than he would have liked and began to move away, earning a soft, regretful, sigh from Thane.

They were saved from further awkward conversation by a knock on the door and their dinner being served. He followed Dahlia to the table they normally ate at, but his relief at the thought of a meal was visibly dampened when he saw what had been prepared for them; more rabbit food with just a bit of meat. Childishly, Thane grumbled at his plate and prodded the risotto unhappily with a fork. With his lip still curled peevishly at the food, he answered Dahlia distractedly. “Greta now and then. Mostly alone here if I was home. Ordinarily I’d spend most of my time among my vassals and army… which necessitates eating alone in my tent. My presence tends to make the soldiers nervous otherwise.” It was simply how it had to be. He had struggled at first, after his family had perished, with the silence of an empty table. Sitting in the dining hall that had once been full of lively banter was too unbearable—which was why he had begun eating in his room instead.

“And, for the record,” he lifted his gaze from the plate to look grimly into Dahlia’s eyes, “It took everything in me not to throttle Raskar at our mateship ceremony. If he were not such an important ally, I would have. Because you’re right, I don’t share.”
 

Dahlia had figured Thane didn't know of most of the things others mentioned about him based on their conversation in the carriage after they had been through the mateship ceremony. She had thought he wouldn't keep up pretenses of his sexual preferences when she had tried to cut her original deal with him. Instead he believed she had been suggesting he go for other females.

As much as it was bad, she found herself amused by Thane's reaction to the news of what was said of him. He actually blushed! Of course Dahlia kept her mouth shut though it was tempting to point it out to see if he would blush further. She decided to leave the subject alone as Thane actually seemed a bit distressed about the rumor and his lack of knowledge. Instead while they sat she let him reply to her question about if he ate alone before she came to his home.

As she suspected Thane did eat sometimes with Great but mostly ate alone. She couldn't go and eat with him while he was at work, but she had an idea that Greta could possibly help her with. Dahlia might not have enough time to execute it the first day Thane returned to his normal work schedule, but hopefully the second day it would be sorted out. If Thane didn't care for it he could just complain to her about it and she'd stop.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Thane regarded her grimly and stared directly into her eyes. He told her without any embarrassment that he had nearly 'throttled' Prince Raskar at the ceremony for his comments and it was only his role as Thane's alloy which kept him from doing so, ending the statement that she was right in her assumption; Thane didn't share. Dahlia felt a fluttering feeling at his words and ended up having to look away from him as she grew flustered.

"It's not fair," she muttered to herself, not intending for Thane to overhear such a comment. But it seemed unfair to Dahlia that she was the one who was always flustered by him; his words, his presence, his touch, his looks! Thane had blushed yes, but only because of the rumor she had mentioned! The only time she had gotten to him was when she let her chemise slip, but that hadn't been flustered, that was more of a lustful look which had been made clear when he said he found her physically attractive.

It wasn't like Dahlia could force herself to not be affected by these things either. She also wasn't going to go and try any tricks to fluster him either because she didn't want to risk another incident like that time. She began to eat her salad as she pouted somewhat at the unfairness. She forced herself to respond at least to what he had said though, since it would be even more strange to leave such a thing hanging in the air.

"Well, if he says anything again I might slap him," she commented between bites of food. "Not sure if I would get into more or less trouble than you for something like that though. He seems very fond of you."

Without knowing what else to say and still feeling discombobulated Dahlia decided she'd eat her dinner and then hurry to the relative safety of the bath and then hide for the rest of the evening in her room. Ilia would bring the tea set once again this evening so Dahlia could serve tea, but once that was done she's retreat from Thane's room.

When she was done eating she excused herself and went to bath. While she wasn't filthy she did spend a while scrubbing herself down from head to toe. She had laid in hay after all and been caught in the rain so she just felt a layer hay dust on her person. Once she was satisfied she was completely clean she went into Thane's room to find the hot water in a tea kettle waiting along with two tea cups. She had to go retrieve one of the experimental tea bags to pop into the kettle, letting it steep for the needed time before pouring them both a cup.

Instead of drinking her tea with Thane she bid him goodnight and went to her room to try and read while drinking her own eat. She ended up staying awake much later than she should have considering the visitation that was occurring tomorrow. She did go to sleep eventually, but it was much later than normal. It made her groan loudly the next morning when Ilia gently shook Dahlia trying to rouse her. Dahlia moaned unhappily and pulled the covers over her heard saying she was going to sleep in; at least until Ilia pointed out what day it was.

Ilia had selected a dress of Dahlia to wear today, something a bit fancier than her daily clothes but nothing that screamed the status and wealth of those higher in society. The dress had been tailored to fit her perfectly. It had bright red sleeves with golden embroidery which were long and draped down elegantly. The collar matches the red and gold of the sleeves but the rest of the dress was a simple black. Of course with the swooping neckline this meant her healed mateship mark was in plain sight for everyone to see which made Dahlia a bit anxious.

Most of her hair was left down with some of it braided to help keep her hair out of her face. Dahlia wouldn't be able to go roaming outdoors or riding any horses dressed like this. She entered Thane's room with a curious gaze, though she had decided to knock as she opened the door. This would allow Thane to call out if he wasn't exactly dressed. She didn't even know if Thane was in his room still, but asked anyway.

"When exactly are the arriving?"
 
Fable Fable

Dahlia broke eye contact first, her soft muttering of “It’s not fair,” making him tilt his head to the side ever so slightly in confusion. He wasn’t sure what exactly she found unfair, but the quiet way in which she said it did not seem as though it were directed at him, so Thane decided to leave it be for now. Perhaps he would ask her some other time. If he was doing something that she did not believe to be fair… he wanted to know.

The meal prepared for them dominated Dahlia’s attention now, and Thane watched with a crinkled nose as she chose to eat the salad first. She didn’t do it as though she were desperate to get it over with, either. “I’ve been mated to a rabbit,” he said to her dryly, though the thought made his lips twitch up slightly in spite of the exasperated way in which he had said it.

Her comment on slapping Raskar made Thane chuckle, the previous ghost of a smile blooming into the real thing. “By all means, slap him. Or use that that throat-grab… anything, provided it’s painful—assuming, of course, that I don’t get to him first.” He lifted his chin somewhat imperiously, the smile turning dangerous, “Let him try to punish you for it, I won’t stand for such a thing. No one touches my mate but me,” he realized immediately how that sounded and cleared his throat, looking away, “Well, you know what I mean.”

The rest of dinner passed by quickly. Eventually, Thane managed to coax himself into eating the risotto and some of the salad, saving the chicken for last as a reward. Greta would still be unhappy that he hadn’t cleaned his plate, but the Warlord didn’t feel particularly apologetic. If she wanted him to eat everything, she should feed him like the dragon he was… not like a rabbit. She could save those meals for Dahlia.

Part of him had hoped to still have Dahlia sit with him following her bath, at least to take their tea together, but instead she simply handed him his cup and disappeared into her own room. Thane watched her go silently and then sighed, leaning his head with a thump against the back of the armchair he had retreated to. Tomorrow would be a long day and he doubted he would get any sleep tonight.

Now that he was alone—granted the gift of some time to muddle through his own feelings—he could more accurately riddle things out. And the conclusion he came to was concerning; he really did like her. Not just physically. Dahlia’s presence had a soothing effect on him, and he relished the companionship she gave him. This was evidenced even more clearly by the fact that this simple decision of hers, to take tea alone in her own room, left the Warlord feeling bizarrely bereft. Everything she did, really, even if it was mildly annoying, had its own endearing quality that made it impossible for him to feel anything negative towards her. “Wrapped around her little finger,” he grumbled to himself with a sigh. The only fortunate thing was his long practice with appearing stoic despite any inner turmoil. Thane was fairly sure that he had not yet betrayed the effect she had on him. Yet being the key word.

Eventually, he turned to Beauty and the Beast, even if only to escape his own mind for a little while. At first, he struggled to become lost in the book, but a switch flipped in his brain somewhere around the fifth time he’d read the same line and he found himself sucked into the story. Hours passed and, at last, it was finished. He closed the cover gently with a sigh and stood from the armchair, stretching for a moment before padding as quietly as he could to her door where he left the book leaning against the wall.

From there, Thane tugged off his shirt and flopped into bed. There were only a few more hours until dawn anyway and considering the day they’d had he didn’t anticipate any sleep. He was correct in that assessment, spending the next three hours alternating between tossing restlessly and dozing off just long enough to have nightmares tug at him before waking. Shortly before dawn, Thane gave up and stood with a sigh, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes and padding to the bath. This woke him a little bit, but Thane had a feeling that he’d develop a migraine well before the royal visit was anywhere near over.

Roarke had laid out his clothes; a crisply pressed white shirt with a collar sporting a ruff, alongside a tailored overcoat and black pants to match. Thane tugged them on, fussing a little at the frilly bits. He much preferred his open-necked silk shirts with their deep V necklines. Much more comfortable, far less restrictive. There was no helping it though, he needed to look appropriate… particularly if they caused trouble. At least they would have no case for calling him disrespectful when he dragged them from his estate, considering how respectably he had greeted them to begin with.

Not having much else to do, Thane grabbed his copy of The Bonds of a Heart and settled in his armchair once more. His fingers knew where to flip without needing instruction, and he found himself reading over his favourite chapters. This time, though, his mind strayed from the words on the page to think about Dahlia far more often than he would have liked.

Eventually, as morning wore on and Ilia had come and gone after rousing her mistress, a knock came from Dahlia’s room and the female soon followed it, tiptoeing almost cautiously into the main space of their suite of rooms.

Thane grew very still, staring at her appreciatively. The dress was form-fitting and tailored beautifully to her body. With her hair mostly loose and the colour bringing out her own fiery auburn tresses, she was undeniably striking, “Beautiful,” he rumbled, “You look beautiful,” his heart flip-flopped with nerves at having said it out loud, but how could he not? It demanded to be said.

Clearing his throat, the male looked away from her to try and compose himself and shrugged slightly. “They’re a pair of inconsiderate, boorish, royals… they did not give a time, nor can I guess when it’ll be. We—we’re stuck in these outfits until they deign to appear,” he said, not adding that he wasn’t exactly put-off by having to increase the amount of time he’d have to admire Dahlia in that dress. It also didn't help that the mark he had left on her was tantalizingly visible on her neck, it made his fingers twitch with the desire to brush them over the scarred area... or just touch her in general. Absently, as his eyes shifted back to her once more, Thane lifted a hand to his own neck, slowly drawing his thumb over the roughened skin where she had marked him--doing to himself what he'd like to do to her, not that he was conscious of his own actions.
 

Thane's compliment was unexpected. A casual greeting of 'Good Morning' or even just a silent glance was what she had assumed he would have greeted her with. Her heart jumped and quickened in response. "Thank you," she managed to shyfully reply as she fully entered the room seeing he was dressed. She noted the book against the wall and leaned over to pick it up, her attention being brought back to Thane as she stood up and he cleared his throat.

It was preferable to know what time someone planned to arrive. It was only those who wanted to catch others off guard that they'd leave out an estimated time. She sighed at the news that they had no idea when their guests would be making their royal appearance. Dahlia went to place the book on the shelf in her room, grabbing another to bring for Thane to read. She handed the well-worn book to Thane before taking a seat in the armchair where she had last night attempted to read her book.

"This is one of my favorites," she informed him as she leaned back comfortably. The title was The Princess Bride. It was comedic which she found enjoyable and the romance - while unrealistic - was endearing for some reason. Dahlia wasn't sure if it was something that he'd like but letting he read her favorite wasn't detrimental unless he decided to mock her for it, which she doubted he would do.

As she sat there, her eyes wandered from the book to look over Thane and his attire. "Y-You look lovel- I mean! Handsome!" She openly groaned in embarrassment and sighed as she covered her face with her hands. She hadn't thought anything of his hand being near his own mateship mark, considering he perhaps had an itch or something of that nature. "Ahem, what I mean is that... dressing like this isn't too terrible."

Breakfast was brought in and served, this time Thane's was more protein focused, but perhaps not exactly to his taste. Greta had prepared omelets for them and there mixed into the egg were vegetables. Dahlia laughed as she recalled Thane being upset about the vegetables last night and referred to Dahlia as a rabbit. She moved to sit down to eat, waiting for Thane to join her before taking a sip of the juice that had been brought with the meal.

"I'm not a rabbit. I'm an omnivore. But if you view me as a rabbit what does that make you exactly? Hmm, not a fox. You were oblivious to that... rumor." Dahlia couldn't help the smirk as she remember his flushed face and expression at the news and as he connected the dots to understand what she had been offering him originally.

"Not a bear either. Not a lazy lion either though you do have that sort of prideful ego they represent. Perhaps a wolf then fits you best," she pondered out loud. "Hmm, not quite." There as a long paused as she looked Thane over seriously. She could have teased him and said he was like a goat but managed to keep herself from doing so. "A black leopard then," she finally decided. A black furred solitary animal that preferred to eat meat and was a lethal hunter. It seemed to fit him rather well.
 
Fable Fable

Her soft thank-you had a dangerous effect on his already erratic heartbeat and the Warlord had to let out a slow and careful breath through his nose, not wanting to have Dahlia catch on to how much she affected him. Fortunately, she caught sight of Beauty and the Beast and grabbed it, turning back to her room which gave Thane a few seconds to compose himself before she re-emerged with a different book in hand.

Carefully, he tucked The Bonds of a Heart onto the side-table beside his armchair and took the one that Dahlia brought him. This book, much like his own favourite novel, was well-worn, obviously loved and frequently read. He nodded silently as she said it was her favourite, studying the title and brushing his thumb over the golden letters stamped into the cover. “The Princess Bride,” he read aloud, flicking a curious glance her way, “Does this one also contrast me with the male lead? Then again, I suppose in the end the Beast did redeem himself so perhaps saying he reminded you of me was not really an insult,” his lips twitched at that thought, “Though, I fear, you are stuck with me as I am… no transformations into a handsome prince for me.”

Dahlia complimented him in turn and Thane glanced down at himself, surprised. He hadn’t thought he looked particularly lovely or handsome. “Really? I feel entirely ridiculous,” for emphasis he tugged on the frill on his collar and grimaced, but the lines of his face smoothed after a moment and he released his hold on it to glance at Dahlia instead. “But, if you like it, then I suppose I have nothing to complain about,” indeed, now that his initial shock over her liking the get-up was passing, he felt warmed through by her praise.

Breakfast arrived and Thane inhaled deeply through his nose, eyes brightening at the scent of omelettes. Ordinarily, Greta stuffed them with cheeses and an assortment of meats, a meal he very much looked forward to. He wasted no time in joining Dahlia at the table but as he looked closer at the omelette his excitement visibly dimmed. It had the usual amount of cheese but was cooked through with vegetables… and while his omelette did have some ham and sausage in it as well, it was still not the meaty smorgasbord that he was accustomed to.

Dahlia denied his assertion from the previous night that she was a rabbit and Thane only sighed in response, poking the omelette with a knife. His interest was piqued, though, when she began to go over what animal best represented him. The knife stilled in its poking and his hazel eyes lifted to meet her amber ones as she mulled it over out loud. At last, she settled on a black leopard and Thane’s eyes sparked with obvious pleasure. He rather liked that comparison. “Bit of a strange pairing then, isn’t it? A black leopard and a rabbit,” he rumbled, his gaze drifting once more to the mark on her neck and lingering there for a moment before it swept over her entirely again.

“Strange then, that I find a rabbit so tantalizingly dangerous,” he added dryly, “Though I suppose an appetite for you does make sense,” it dawned on him that what he was saying was more than a little inappropriate and he felt his ears heat, quickly turning his attention to the unappetizing omelette and stuffing a forkful in his mouth. Better to chew on the rabbit food than continue making a fool of himself. It seemed that the revelation of yesterday had caused him to take leave of his senses. That, or Dahlia’s impulsivity was rubbing off on him. Thane simply hoped this newfound idiocy of his was restricted to their relationship, otherwise he might find himself in trouble in his position as a Warlord.
 

Thane seemed please with the animal she attached to him, commenting on how a black leopard and a rabbit was a strange pairing. It was, but Dahlia didn't consider herself a rabbit at all. He was only basing that on her actually eating things other than just meat. It wasn't tied to her in any other way. She caught his gaze as it lingered on what seemed to be her neck on the side that he had marked. His gaze with his comment about finding her 'tantalizingly dangerous' and his 'appetite' for her caused her to flush terribly and sit there in stiff, stunned silence.

He seemed to have been affect by his very own words as he too flushed and then quickly shoveled food into his mouth. She needed her heart to calm down after those comments. They had made her heart skip a beat and to feel a twinge of something strange and unfamiliar. It wasn't a bad feeling, quite the opposite, but she didn't understand it which just added to her emotional confusing regarding Thane.

"I-I'm not a rabbit," she argued finally, even openly pouting slightly. "Comparing me to one just because I actually like to eat my vegetables shows little thought." She ate her own breakfast now, but then circled back over his attire. "Also, while you don't look bad in the formal wear, it's not exactly... you. B-Basically I do like you in your normal clothes more than these clothes."

Dahlia was trying to keep to her word and not run away from whatever was going on between them. That didn't mean she wouldn't take some tentative steps in this area though since this was all completely new to her. With them both focusing on eating soon enough breakfast was done and just in time as Roarke entered to announce that the princes were within sight of the estate now. It would still be a small chunk of time before they arrived so any last minute details likely had the servants scrambling to finish them.

"At least they waited till after breakfast," she sighed, really not looking forward to the visit. Dahlia worried she let something slip or say something wrong and cause problems not only for herself but Thane as well. She wasn't a fan of Raskar and due to her former 'engagement' to Liordan - which wasn't ever made wholly official but was assumed by nearly everyone to be the way things were headed - she wasn't sure what problems that could potentially cause. She already felt tense.

Dahlia would just have to do her best to follow Thane's lead regarding interactions with the princes. She was familiar enough with the expected societal greetings and such, but she doubted they'd be interested in her talking about flowers or the weather. She could only hope Thane somehow dragged them into the men's lounge where she wasn't exactly meant to linger with them so she could excuse herself.

"Time for the show then."
 
Fable Fable

When Dahlia broke the silence, it was to insist that she was not a rabbit. Thane was glad that she focused on this, rather than bringing up his comments. He didn’t really understand where they were coming from himself, and he did not feel up to explaining them at present. But her comment also circled back to his clothes and the Warlord smiled, pleased, as she admitted to a preference for his usual garb. “That’s good, it would become fairly aggravating to wear these all the time for the sake of impressing you,” he chuckled and then hesitated, feeling somewhat more awkward and focusing on his omelette with the next sentence, “And, ah, you always look beautiful, so it doesn’t much matter what you wear either.” He shoveled another mouthful of egg into his mouth—the omelette was coming dangerously close to being finished—so he quickly latched on to a different subject matter to distract them.

“If you’re so opposed to me thinking of you as a rabbit…” he tilted his head for a moment, thinking silently, “Well, between your fiery tresses and spirit, I suppose you work out to a tigress with a very odd diet,” he smiled. Thane liked the comparison more the more he reflected on it. Tigers were striking animals, but they could also hide in plain sight, light broken by tall trees and the swaying of grasses tricking their prey into failing to see danger in the striped pelt until it was far too late. She had managed to do something similar to him after all, seeming innocuous and non-threatening until all at once he found himself irrevocably attached to her. “Yes, a tiger suits you well,” he nodded, “And I suppose it makes for a better pair with a leopard too,” the thought amused him a fair bit.

Any sort of peace they might have had was then broken by the announcement that the royal pains were arriving. Thane noted the way Dahlia’s face seemed to fall at this and his eyes narrowed for a moment before he pushed away from the table and stood. His silent resolution was to try and make this as painless for her as possible.

“Don’t worry about them. Simply be yourself and if trouble arises, I’ll handle it,” he moved around the table to her side and offered her his arm. “It’ll be alright.”



They stood just inside the entrance to the castle, Dahlia’s arm tucked securely through his while Thane kept himself as straight and intimidating as he was capable of—which worked out to be quite frightening. The servants lined the hall on either side of them, respectfully waiting to greet the princes before dispersing to their usual jobs.

It had fallen to Roarke to do the initial greeting and usher them in, and Thane’s eyes cooled considerably when the door began to creak open and his manservant appeared with Raskar and Liordan in tow.

Raskar’s eyes seemed to brighten when he took them in and the muscles in the Warlord’s arm tensed at this. “My! Thane, my friend, it is lovely to see you!” the enthusiastic tone seemed to grate on both Thane and Liordan’s nerves, both males struggling with various degrees of success to keep the distaste off their faces.

“Indeed? I was rather surprised to receive your letter. We did not expect anyone to come calling so soon,” Thane said, the rebuke very clear in the words. “Though, at least you sent a letter,” he added as a muttered afterthought, tipping his head ever so slightly towards Liordan, knowing he had been the one to observe this small courtesy.

“Mmm,” was all the younger prince said, his eyes seemingly locked onto Dahlia, eventually coming to rest on their linked arms and the way the pair seemed somewhat at ease with each other. For the briefest moment, Thane thought he caught a look of fury flash in the other male’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly he couldn’t be sure, replaced by a mild smile. “Raskar insisted, so I thought I might as well come along to see how things are faring myself.” It was a surprisingly honest answer that immediately made Thane suspicious.

“I see. Well then, we’ll all be more comfortable in the sitting room I'm sure, come along,” reluctant as he was to turn his back on them, there was no alternative choice, so he made a beeline for the sitting room as quickly as he was able. There was just enough distance between them that he could lower his voice below what they could hear and lean over to speak to Dahlia.

“For the sake of courtesy, you need to sit with us awhile, but I’ll move them on to the men’s lounge as quickly as I am able. I don’t care for the way Liordan has been looking at you,” there wasn’t time for much more than that so he fell silent.
 

A tiger? His comment about her being a tigress with an odd diet made her smile, but it was still better than being considered a rabbit. This put her more on an equal level with him as well perhaps since he had also select a large cat. When he said a tigress made a better for a leopard she nearly joked "What would the offspring look like?" That was a dangerous question to ask and could have been misunderstood so she managed to keep that thought to herself.

He tried to offer some comfort in that she should be herself and if trouble arise he would handle it. She could only nod and take his offered arm and let him take the lead. It was one thing to have her mother grind social etiquette into her and another to actually practice it around royalty. She had managed to avoid those in the upper social class and nobility during her mateship ceremony, she wouldn't be able to avoid this though.

She nervously stood with Thane, still latched onto her arm tensely as the princes arrived. Dahlia chanced a glance up towards Thane and for him taking on an intimidating demeanor. Her eyes were dragged back forward as the door creaked open and Raskar very casually greeted Thane. Had she been some snooty noble she would have probably felt slighted at being ignored, but honestly she preferred to not be noticed right now.

Liordan's focused gaze unsettled her as well though it was hard to say why. She was probably just letting her nerves get to her over this whole situation and setting her on edge for no good reason. Dahlia didn't resist when Thane moved to guide the princes to the sitting room. He informed her in a low voice that she'd only have to spend a polite period of time in their presence before he'd convince them to go into the men's lounge and permitting her an escape.

Dahlia couldn't help but look at Thane with a furrowed brow at this comment of his dislike of how Liordan had been looking at her. It had seemed neutral enough, though guarded. She wasn't going to argue with him about it though. He was a Warlord. The Warlord. If Thane didn't like something she was going to trust his instincts.

When the group entered the sitting room it was the one with the piano. This made her swallow the lump in her throat nervously because there was the risk she would be asked to-

"Oh! I heard from one of your brothers that you played quite well," Raskar said along with a small excited clap of his hands. Of course Raskar had talked to her brothers, he probably talked to everyone there considering it was his place where the event had been hosted. She suspected where this was going and as predicted Raskar asked if she could play something to satisfy his curiosity. She managed to smile and nod before agreeing to. It was just playing the piano after all which meant she didn't have to struggle with awkward small talk.

She didn't want to play anything too fast or loud since she wanted to encourage them to talk amongst themselves and leave her to sort of fade into the background if they'd let her. She sat down on the piano bench and lifted the keylid. She hesitated as she tried to decide on what to play. She hadn't planned for this and so she'd have to stick to songs she was familiar and comfortable with. Perhaps something longer? The longer she played the less time she'd have to spend talking to them possibly. She didn't know any excessively long songs though by heart.

After a minute delay she inhaled and began to play a song. It was probably too somber but it was what popped into her mind and so she played it, putting as much focus into it as possible. She didn't want to look at Raskat or Liordan while she played if she could help it as well. Soon enough she finished playing and turned to look at Raskar as he clapped a few times. He really had no cares it seemed for someone in his position.

"Sorry if it was too gloomy," Dahlia apologized a bit sheepishly.
 
Fable Fable

Of course, Raskar had gabbed with her brothers during the mateship ceremony and now decided to ask for a song. Thane was halfway to wanting to strangle him for it. The last thing he wanted was for more of her talents to be on display. Liordan was already looking more and more sour by the moment, and there were also Raskar’s lewd comments to potentially contend with. Throw in Dahlia’s beautiful playing and trouble was even more likely to be at hand.

She walked to the piano and Thane watched her go, eyes lingering on her as he tried to see what others might… all he could see was an extremely lovely female. He released a soft sigh. Of course he did, what else? And, judging by the hungry expression in Liordan’s eyes, Thane was not the only one who found her lovely. He could feel his blood beginning to boil and it took everything in him to repress an urge to claw out the younger prince’s eyes. The only positive was that Raskar seemed distracted. One male eyeing her up was bad enough.

After a few silent moments, Dahlia began to play. As he had been the first time, Thane found himself swept away by the intricate melody. In a different circumstance it might have relaxed him to drowsiness, but there was no chance of that with the two princes lounging around him.

By the time she finished, Raskar applauded with child-like enthusiasm. Liordan did not, his expression a mask not even Thane could attempt to peer through. A sheepish expression clouded her face when she returned to his side, and the Warlord frowned at her apology. “It was beautiful, a little haunting but that only added to its charm,” he assured her shooting the other two a look so pointed that they nearly felt it.

“Indeed! It-it was lovely!” Raskar said, predictably being the first to buckle beneath Thane’s glare.

“You have skilled fingers,” Liordan said at last, “Though I believe they’d be put to better use on a finer instrument. I have several of my own… beautiful pianos, crafted by artisans so skilled they would make you weep.”

Thane’s gaze hardened at this. To an outsider it might seem a friendly observation, perhaps even an opening to invite themselves to his palace and estate, but Thane knew better. It was underhanded, but the message was clear. I could have given her more than you can. True in some respects, maybe, but Thane’s pride refused to allow him to believe that she could have been happy with such a male.

“I do hope those lovely fingers have been put to proper use… what, with a mate as handsome as Thane and all,” Raskar said with a cackle. Both the Warlord and Liordan jerked as though struck by this comment. Liordan immediately scowled but smoothed the expression away almost as quickly. Thane, for his part, turned with a snarl towards the older prince.

“What I do with my mate is my business, not yours, keep such comments to yourself.”

Raskar actually looked hurt. If he’d had dog ears and a tail, they would have been drooping. “I… only meant to pay you a compliment, but I apologize if I caused offense,” he mumbled in a small voice.

This only served to make Liordan look at him in disgust. “What sort of prince are you? To bow so easily to the whims of a mere Warlord?”

“Mere Warlord?” Thane snarled, “Need I remind you whose castle it is you have intruded upon?”

Liordan glared at him and for a tense moment the pair looked ready to come to blows. It was only when Raskar hurriedly held his hands up and laughed nervously that the moment was broken, both males united briefly in mutual disgust for the cowardly dragon. “Please, please! We wanted no trouble, merely wished to offer our congratulations and see the happy couple.” He turned quickly to Dahlia, his smile about as flimsy as his false cheerfulness. “My brother is right, you do have a talent for music. And I do hope I haven’t offended you too much.”

Thane’s eyes still rested on Liordan, fighting hard against an urge to show the young upstart exactly what it meant to insult the Warlord Thane on his own territory. It would not be a lesson the prince soon forgot. It would merely take one more poorly phrased comment to set him off entirely.
 

Dahlia hadn't been looking directly at Thane when he commented on her music, so she missed the look he gave towards his guests. She had been looking at Raskar since he had been the one to clap after she finished and now seemed anxious suddenly. Liordan had a neutral expression and she wondered if the song she had played had bothered him. He commented on her having 'skilled fingers' which caused her to furrow her brow slightly as he continued. He mentioned how they would be put to better use on finer instruments which he conveniently had at his disposal.

Her body stiffened as she caught on to what he was doing and she glanced up at Thane with concern. It was clear he had gotten under Thane's skin and to have that followed up by Raskar's lewd comment which set off both Thane and Liordan. Dahlia's face flushed in embarrassed annoyance that Raskar was so bold to openly still say such things without a thought. Thane's snarl made her jump somewhat because she hadn't expected the cool and level-headed Thane to show such open agitation.

The tension in the room only grew worse as Raskar apologized and Liordan called Thane a mere Warlord. The princes had barely spent any time here and thing were already going horribly! Raskar jumped in quickly trying to diffuse the situation. Dahlia honestly could only stand there and internally worry about what was going on around her. If these had been her brothers she would have pummeled them all into submission or shouted at them. She couldn't exactly do that here because she'd probably end up being arrested and charged for assaulting royalty.

Ilia had popped her head around the entrance of the sitting room when the voices had become raised and she looked at Dahlia with a questioning gaze. Dahlia quickly mouthed out the word 'tea' to her because having someone intrude could be distracting and making people eat and drink meant they were less likely to talk. The less talking the less... whatever this was.

Soon enough servants came bustling in with trays filled with a variety of snacks as well as tea which they served quickly before exiting. Dahlia hadn't had a hand in the planning for the visit, but she knew well enough that such hospitality were expected to be offered by the host. It wasn't a real solution but it offered a moment for everyone to compose themselves again. Dahlia took her own tea gratefully and took an appreciative sip because this was going to be a long visit if this was any indication of how the day was going to go.

"I'm glad you enjoyed my playing," she finally responded to the compliments. "Just to put the servants at ease, are you both staying through till lunch or dinner? It's so they know how much food needs to be prepared."

They hadn't put a time for their arrival so she doubted they said how long they planned to stay. Part of playing hostess was to include them into meals if they were staying, but her question also meant they had to give a time of departure. They would have to at least request to stay overnight and at that point she'd have to somehow signal to Thane that there was no way she was interested in letting the princes remain that long.

"Oh, we'll perhaps stay till after dinner before departing and letting you two..." Raskar began but quickly snapped his mouth shut before he made a comment that would set off Thane again. Upsetting Thane once so far had reigned him in just enough to behave; for now.

Dahlia just nodded. She wasn't going to falsely say how please she was with them staying, because she wasn't. She also didn't have a reason to insist they leave earlier and so they'd simply have to survive this visit. How much longer exactly did she need to make an appearance before it was socially acceptable for her to leave. There weren't exactly set guidelines for this in her etiquette book. There was no chapter on Excuses to Use When You Want Guests to Leave.

"This jump in social standing must be overwhelming," Raskar commented, trying to strike up a new conversation on a safe topic, or what he probably thought was a safe topic.

"It is different, but I wouldn't call it overwhelming. At least not yet. I've not exactly been invited to any social events, though that's understandable since it's still very early into our mateship," Dahlia responded honestly. She hadn't really thought about what it was going to be like when she started having the social calls of the curious.
 
Fable Fable

The tension was a near physical thing. Thane could practically feel it in the air between himself and Liordan; like invisible knives pressed threateningly against each of their throats. It would take only the smallest of things to make those blades draw blood, and when that happened everything would devolve into violent chaos. Thane waited for it, and so did Liordan, a pair of predators circling each other and waiting for an opening.

And then the servants entered with tea. It broke the concentration of both males, distracting them as old habit forced them to observe the usual polite niceties. With the spell broken, Thane cast Dahlia a look out of the side of his eyes, wondering if the fortuitous timing of this bit of hospitality had been her doing. There was no real way to know at this point, but he intended to ask her later.

Much as he was itching for a fight, much as he’d like for only one prince to leave his estate, killing the younger prince would cause more trouble than it was worth—to put it mildly. So, when Roarke handed him a cup of tea and shot him a quirked brow in question, Thane merely huffed and settled back into his seat. He was not exactly relaxed but at least it no longer seemed as though he were poised to rip out Liordan’s throat. It seemed the younger prince had come to a similar conclusion and sat now in a brooding silence as he sipped from his own cup.

Once more, if he was correct about the tea, Dahlia employed level-headed thinking as she subtly asked Raskar how long they intended to stay. His answer, however, did not please the Warlord at all. He didn’t particularly want them to stay until lunch, let alone all the way till dinner had passed. The more time they spent together, the higher the chance a fight would break out. It would necessitate luck and all of Thane’s willpower to keep this from turning into regicide. Fortunately, Liordan was not so foolish as his brother and at this answer his own expression grew grimmer. He was probably coming to the same conclusion as Thane.

The two males locked eye contact as Raskar and Dahlia struck up their own side conversation. Liordan’s eyes began to narrow fractionally and Thane set his jaw in turn, brows pinching inward at the same time. The warning in his eyes was clear: make a wrong move and I’ll kill you. He could see the calculation running in the younger prince’s eyes and knew what the result was when Liordan scowled and looked away. The prince knew full well that in a straight fight he stood no chance. With an army behind him? Maybe, but Thane was also an asset to dragonkind… killing him would solve nothing and might cause greater harm. So, the matter was settled… for now. It was an uneasy truce, but a truce nonetheless. He had missed the bulk of the conversation Dahlia was having with Raskar and therefore only heard the older prince’s response to whatever had been said.

“Ah! Well perhaps we can start you off easily. An invitation to my palace, perhaps? I’m sure my mate would adore you and I’m confident I could find some way to keep Thane entertained,” Raskar’s eyes sparkled merrily and then brightened further, his hands clapping together once with a thought, “Oh! Actually, my mate runs a sort of soiree every fortnight or two… quite a few of the higher ranking mates attend. You’d fit right in and it’s an excellent opportunity to make some connections, would that interest you at all?”

Thane grimaced. It might interest Dahlia, but it certainly didn’t interest him. Having to babysit Raskar all night while the male most likely drank and acted a fool was the furthest thing from appealing. Still, it hadn’t even occurred to him that Dahlia would not be accustomed to high society, so there was some value in what he was suggesting… unfortunately. Making a connection among the mated dragonesses would be valuable in the future, no doubt, and Dahlia having allies of her own had a plethora of benefits. “I’m not opposed if you’d like to attend,” he rumbled to her, arms crossed over his chest.

Raskar lit up, his grin so nearly blinding that Thane actually winced. “How delightful! Oh you must agree, Dahlia! How fun! It’s rare that I get enjoyable company, so you’d be doing me a favour as well.”

And there it was. Immediate regret. Little wonder the fool had no friends to pay him visits, Raskar was overexuberant as a sort of default it seemed. It was enough to coax a migraine from anyone, and Thane had just foolishly consented to an evening of it. Oh, no, it was worse. If Dahlia enjoyed herself it could be expected that he endure Raskar’s company every bloody fortnight. Thane had to stifle a groan, managing to subdue it in exchange for a glare at Liordan who looked far too gleeful at this mistake.

“Shall we retire to the men’s lounge after tea?” he asked, massaging a temple. If nothing else he hoped to spare Dahlia the torment of this visit. Better only one of them have to suffer—even if it was her who had shown the most level head thus far.

“I think not, it would be bad form to exclude your mate from our visit, no?” Liordan said, sipping innocently from his cup though his eyes were cunning and sharp as he studied his host. “Besides, she makes for rather lovely company, far prettier to look at than a brute like y—Ah, I mean, brutes like us.”

Thane’s jaw clenched, as did his fist, but he managed to keep himself under control. “True enough, I take great pleasure in having her presence brighten my estate,” that soured Liordan’s smirk right quick and Thane took a perverse pleasure in that if nothing else.

It was uncharacteristic for him to be so poorly in control of himself, but between the lack of sleep and the carefully constructed emotional walls that Dahlia was steadily breaching… well, to say he felt unbalanced was an understatement and it showed in his judgment. Or lack thereof.
 

Oh this was stressful. More stressful than Dahlia had anticipated. Raskar didn't seem like a bad person. He was cheerful and didn't seem to stay in a downed mood for long. That didn't excuse his lewd comments towards her, but actually speaking with him he didn't strike her as someone who was harmful to her person. It was just a gut feeling really. Besides, Thane said he was an ally so she wasn't going to cause a rift between them if she could help it. Maybe if she became more acquainted with Raskar he'd be less inclined to make such suggestive comments.

His invitation to his mate's 'soiree' brought forth conflicting emotions and thoughts. Thane didn't seem like he enjoyed those social engagements. He didn't even care for this visit. Attending such an event would probably be bothersome for Thane. At the same time she was curious and wanted to go. Dahlia was going to be stuck with too much time to herself and making friends with the other mates appealed to her.

Thane said he wasn't opposed to it, but his posture and expression clearly showed he wasn't exactly keen either. This answer excited Raskar and Dahlia did her best to not laugh at his energy, managing to only smile. "It couldn't hurt to socialize a bit. I look forward to an invitation then," she answered.

The subject changed to Thane trying to herd the men into the men's lounge after tea. Liordan was very quick in pointing out doing so would exclude Dahlia from their visit and her eyes darted for a moment to look up at Thane. Raskar seemed nervous as well as he sat there and took a sip of his tea nervously eyeing Thane and then Liordan. The tension was returning and Dahlia worried if she left trio if things would be better or worse.

Outwardly Dahlia was doing her best to appear unbothered, but there were subtle signs in her body's tension, clasped hands, and her struggle to maintain a casual smile. Thane's comment about her 'brightening his estate' was a clear jab at the fact that she was Thane's mate and not Liordan's. This was not going well at all. "I-It's fine. It would be rude for me to leave you to entertain them all on your own. I have an idea if you gentlemen will humor me. It's a nice enough day outside and I'm sure the horses would be eager to go out for a run. I'm sure you three wouldn't be against a friendly riding competition."

She was trying to lure them in with the challenge. Not to mention she worried if they stayed in the castle that a fight breaking out would result in destruction. Dahlia didn't think Thane would back down from her suggestion but she wasn't sure about Liordan. "It's better than a boring house tour or sitting around, wouldn't you agree?"
 
Fable Fable

All three male heads swiveled to look at Dahlia at the suggestion of a riding competition. Raskar fidgeted slightly but both Thane and Liordan found themselves locking gazes with each other again after a moment, their lips curling into mirroring smiles that were more terrifying than they were friendly.

“That’s an excellent idea, my dear!”

“She’s not your dear, but it is a brilliant thought.”

The smiles stretched further, though they were now beginning to look a little more like bare-toothed snarls than anything else. It was made somewhat more jarring by the polite and genial tone they had used to speak, at very obvious odds with the murder in their eyes.

Raskar visibly shuddered and then sprang up, clearly not interested in being between the two males any longer. “To the stables then?” he tried to inject enthusiasm into it, but it fell a little flat given the situation at large.

Thane did not answer directly, muttering something under his breath instead… or perhaps growling, it was unclear. Regardless, he stood and began to stride out of the room and make a beeline for the stables. Dahlia knew well enough where it was now, so if she wanted to hang back with Raskar than that was a viable option. For the part of the two other males, this had become more than a friendly competition from the instant the words had left Dahlia’s mouth.

Liordan refused to fall behind Thane’s long strides, matching him step for step in a way that set Thane’s teeth on edge. Thane had the mate that Liordan had been destined for, and now the prince wanted to pummel the Warlord in whatever way he could… even if only so he could point a finger at him and say he was not worthy of a mate in the first place. Thane knew this, it was written in every word and action the prince made. Most likely Liordan wasn’t fully in control of himself when it came to this either, all civility had flown out the window the instant the doors had swung open and he had been greeted by the sight of Dahlia and Thane—arm in arm.

They burst into the stable like twin booms of thunder, the horses tossing their heads and pinning their ears nervously at the startling sound. Only the war-trained horses like Laleia and Levent hardly reacted, turning their heads in apprehensive curiosity instead, overcoming their prey nature. Maddock had nearly shat himself at the sudden opening of the doors and was still off kilter when he stood to greet them. A half-eaten sandwich still hung from his hand, crumbs in his beard as he looked between his master and the prince.

“Er—ah, can I help you, M’lords?” It was the wrong thing to say, implicitly equating Liordan and Thane as having the same level of power. Liordan turned to snarl at the stablemaster but Thane’s hand caught him by the shoulder, fingers digging into his skin.

“Leave him be,” it was a warning and a reminder that they had a greater cause to pursue at present. Maddock, still bewildered, met Thane’s eyes and shrank away from what he saw there. “Have horses prepared for the princes… and Levent saddled as well.”

“Oh, yes, of course, I—"

“I can saddle my own horse, just tell me which one,” Liordan growled.

Thane shrugged and Maddock fell silent, “You can take Lorivan,” he nodded to a handsome chestnut destrier who had angled his head towards them at hearing his name.

The prince shrugged out of his grip and stormed over to the indicated horse, snatching the riding equipment Maddock silently handed him with a low growl. For his part, Thane walked back towards Laleia, grabbing her usual equipment and making quick work of tacking her up.

Before long, both men were on the backs of their horses, the animals pawing the ground and raring to go. They could sense the tension and nervous energy of their riders, the emotion spilling into them until the only thing they wanted to do was race.

“What are the rules of this competition?” Liordan asked, pinning Thane with a glare. The Warlord floundered a bit at this. It hadn’t been his idea after all.

“I suppose we leave that to Dahlia to decide,” he said at last, and both men felt that this was right.
 

There was a moment when Thane and Liordan smiled that she questioned if her suggestion had actually been a good one. She just wanted to give them a safe outlet and prevent any damage to the estate. They had eagerly agreed to her competition, well, Raskar hadn't. He seemed just as bewildered as she was right now though Dahlia was probably doing a better job at hiding it. It wasn't like either Thane or Liordan would take notice. They had their minds and sights set on this race.

So much so they both took off with long strides towards the stables leaving Raskar and Dahlia behind to catch up. Dahlia simply had Raskar 'escort' her to the stables, basically they casually made their way there and let Thane and Liordan have their headstart. Dahlia wasn't going to bet on Raskar winning, not unless Thane and Liordan were so caught up they caused each other such trouble they gave him an advantage.

They arrived just as Thane and Liordan had mounted their horses. Maddock had just finished saddling Levent and another horse for Raskar to ride. Raskar had been silent the entire walk to the barn though his aura reeked of anxiousness. Dahlia heard the question of what the rules of the competition should be which Thane left for her to decide. Raskar mounted the horse that had been selected for him but Dahlia looked at the saddled Levent and paused as she stroked his head.

"Hmm, let's see. Of course basic chivalry is expected. It's only a simple race so let's see. From the barn here, around the castle once, to the castle gate, and then back here. The first one back to the barn will be the decided winner. We can have Maddock set up the marker for the end of the race here."

She wanted to add a bit of an extra challenge since she was the one making the rules. If Dahlia had been a better rider and if she was blissfully unaware of why Thane and Liordan were on edge with each other she would have made this race a version of 'chase the fox' where they'd chase one rider and the first to catch them one. She was very aware and was still learning to ride Levent effectively and so she wasn't going to dare suggest such a thing. Of course she could always have Raskar be the fox but she wasn't sure of his riding skills.

"I must address first that Levent isn't equipped with a side saddle. I'm also not in the proper attire to ride otherwise so it will just be you three for this race," Dahlia excused herself from the race. Had she actually mounted Levent she would have to hike up the skirt of her dress up to her upper thighs and fully expose her legs. That was not just being lax in propriety but throwing it completely out the window. Thane had probably been too focused to remember she wasn't exactly dressed for riding nor was skilled enough yet to even consider riding Levent in such a race.

"It just means I'll have another fun thing planned for when everyone returns. Something that I can be included in. Now then, everyone to your marks," she announced as she walked a small distance away, pulling out a small handkerchief she kept on her person. She lifted the small square piece of fabric up and in a near universal symbol to 'go' she released it and let it fall.
 
Fable Fable

The horses stamped and worried their bits, both Liordan and Thane sitting poised and straight in their saddles. It made for an impressive, albeit intimidating, sight. Two males exuding a powerful aura of competition and rivalry to the point that everything else seemed to be blotted out.

Dahlia laid out the groundwork for the course and rules. Insisting on basic chivalry was wise, it would keep them reined in. Had she not made mention of that; the race might have turned bloody. Neither of them had any qualms about throwing a few punches if the opportunity arose, maybe even a swing of the sword or two. Chivalry would prevent that, which would likely be for the best. When the dust settled and the winner was decided, additional injuries would have soured the victory. And, if nothing else, created larger complications. This was already toeing the line between understandable rivalry and an actual feud. Spilling blood would tip the scales in a decidedly dangerous direction.

Thane hardly registered what Dahlia was saying about not being able to ride Levent. Even if this race had been her suggestion, it had ceased to be about socializing for him and Liordan so her participation (and Raskar’s) no longer mattered to them. He’d feel a touch guilty about being such a preoccupied and neglectful mate later, but for now his mind had room for only one thing: crushing Liordan so thoroughly that there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind who the better male was.

Raskar had reluctantly mounted his own horse, but his aim was very clearly to stay out of the way of the other two males. The trio lined up their animals along a mark set out by Maddock who had drawn it in the dirt just outside the barn floor with a pitchfork. Dahlia was a few steps away, handkerchief in hand.

Everything seemed to slow down, three sets of eyes trained on the small square of fabric that she held in her hand. And then she let it fall.

Laleia and Lorivan surged forward the instant Thane and Liordan gave them their heads, powerful legs pushing hard against the ground. Their two riders crouched low over their backs in the saddle, shifting their centres of gravity and instinctively making themselves more aerodynamic to give their animals the best chance for surging forward and bearing them away.

Raskar fell away almost immediately—though more out of choice than anything else. He had no intention of getting wrapped up in this fight. Besides, riding was not his forte as much as it was his younger brother’s and he knew he’d get nothing but a lecture if he tried stealing the ‘spotlight’ from Liordan now.

The horses wanted to win just as badly, and it showed. Nostrils flared and eyes widened, ears pinning against their skulls as the horses ran with everything they had in them. To Thane’s credit, he had given Liordan one of his best horses—wanting to win this race based on skill and not any kind of underhanded tactics—so the pair stayed neck and neck as they careened around the castle and then towards the gate.

Neither male had any words for each other, the time for conversing was passed, and instead they focused all their energy on encouraging their mounts to go faster. The gate seemed to speed towards them, the horses practically flying over the ground as they ran. All too soon they were in the final stretch, charging towards the barns where Maddock had tied the handkerchief that Dahlia had dropped around the handle of a pitchfork and then stuck that into the ground to indicate the finish line of the race.

Laleia and Lorivant still remained neck and neck, the riders gritting their teeth and shouting encouragement at the animals in this final stretch. Any thought of silent dignity was gone, the pair reduced to boyish energy, anger and excitement as they fought to win. But bonds go deep and Laleia would run her heart to bursting for Thane. Lorivant and Liordan had no such connection to one another. And while Lorivant might have stood a chance with a truly talented rider, Liordan was not one.

As the barn loomed larger and larger, Thane and Laleia began to pull ahead. At first it was by just a nose, but with this sudden lead, Thane’s excitement grew and seemed to spread to the mare—urging her forward all the faster. Soon he was ahead by a neck, and then half a length, until finally as they crossed the line a full length separated him from Liordan and Lorivant.

The Warlord’s face was split by a fierce grin, Laleia prancing beneath him though her body was slicked with sweat and Maddock would have his work cut out for him with cooling her down.

Adrenaline pumped through the male as he sprang from the saddle and practically pranced to Dahlia’s side in his own stead, hooking an arm around her waist and grinning fiercely at Liordan. “I suppose this is your loss, again, mighty prince? But don’t fret, I’m sure you’ll have your share of victories some day.”

An ugly look was contorting Liordan’s face, the loss coupled with Thane’s taunting and the arm slung around the female’s waist lending itself to a swiftly nearing boiling point. “Funny, and I was going to say that this seemed a familiar sight. I would have thought you’d learn from your brother’s failings.”

The grin on Thane’s face dropped immediately, the arm around Dahlia’s waist tightening reflexively.

“What was his name again? That foolish male who single-handedly brought about the destruction of his entire family line? Or… well, almost the entire line, time will tell whether it survives him. Let me think… Jor--?”

“Say it and I’ll kill you,” Thane said, true fury in his voice though it was now mixed with grief.

“Ooooh, have I hit a nerve? I do wonder, have you told your beloved mate about what happened?”

Raskar had arrived at this point, eyes widening in alarm as he recognized the subject matter at hand and knew exactly the consequences it would lead to. Pushing his horse between the two, he managed to strangle out a laugh and look from one to the other with a panicked grin. “Ah! Congratulations, Thane, the first victory goes to you!” he turned now to pin Dahlia with a somewhat desperate look, “I believe Lady Dahlia mentioned having other games she wished us to play? What do you males say to the best two out of three in this friendly competition?”
 

Dahlia wasn't sure how this race was going to go. She hoped it was an outlet for the two males to expend some energy but for all she knew when they went out of sight they could have tried to kill each other. Raskar predictably didn't even really bother to try and compete. It wasn't that he didn't participate, he simply didn't push his horse to win and get dragged into the mess between Thane and Liordan.

Amber eyes nervously watched for signs of when they would appear once again as they headed back to the barn for the final stretch. Maddock had made sure she was well of out the way before even setting up the marker for the finish line. Her hands tightly clasped each other and gripped the fabric of her dress. When both Thane and Liordan were finally visible once again they were neck and neck. It was only near the end that Thane began to gain distance ahead of Liordan and then won with considerable lead.

The win had a positive effect on Thane, so much so he leapt from his mount and without any hesitation wrapped his arm around her waist earning a flustered flush on Dahlia cheek and the sudden proximity. Thane unfortunately was being a bad sport and taunted Liordan which provoked the prince who was making a sour expression at Thane's words. Things soon were even worse than before when Liordan brought up something about Thane's deceased brother.

Dahlia's heart pounded in her chest and she felt Thane's arm tighten around her waist in reaction along with his grin completely vanishing. It was obvious the prince had hit a dangerous nerve. And the prince kept provoking Thane further which elicited a threat. That threat wasn't enough and Liordan jabbed further asking if Thane had even mentioned it to her.

Just as she was about to tell Liordan off Raskar had crossed the finish line, placing his horse between the two as a barrier and blocking their sight of each other. His strangled laugh and congratulations did little to improve the mood. He brought up that Dahlia had other games in mind for them to play. She was worried though, her next game she planned would allow her to participate, but also put weapons into their hands. She hadn't prepared a back-up for this though!

She needed to distract Thane and of course with her stupid impulsiveness she got onto the balls of her feet and gave Thane a small kiss on his cheek. "For winning," was all she said to him and then carefully extracted herself from his grip. Maddock was leading the horse away now so Liordan had missed the scene as well as Raskar who had been focused on his younger brother.

"Y-Yes, I did have another game for us to all compete in since I couldn't race with you. I'm certain the servants have set everything up," she tried to say calmly, though there was an obvious waver in her tone.

Servant had set up a small archery range for the group with four large hale bales set up with targets that she presumed Thane just casually kept around probably for training purposes. There were four bows and arrow-filled quivers. "This probably isn't as exciting as the horse race, but I hope you'll indulge me." Dahlia made sure that Thane and Liordan were on completely opposite stations from each other leaving Dahlia next to Thane and Raskar closer to Liordan. She worried if the two of them were closer they'd come to blows, or worse just start firing arrows at each other. There wasn't any guarantee they still wouldn't with the distance and bodies between them, but she hoped it would help deter the urge slightly.

"I'm sure you are all familiar with the basics of an archery contest, but to make sure there isn't any misunderstanding I'll have to go over the rules. You may only fire three arrows in total which will then be scored at the end. The one with the highest score wins."

Now, Dahlia hadn't revealed she wasn't untrained in archery. It was actually fairly normal as a sport for females to be involved in though it was treated fairly casually. Dahlia had actual skill with archery. It had been a way to pass time, release stress, and while she couldn't lift a sword she could fire an arrow with great accuracy. The hay bales were a fair distance away from where they had the archery equipment set up. It would take knowledge and skill to hit the target at this distance.

Roarke was the one to play 'referee' and he stood to the side with a neutral expression and stiff posture. He allowed them all time to get into position, lift the bow, and notch an arrow. "Archers ready. Draw. Release!"

Dahlia didn't have her own personal equipment, her arm guard, her own bow. This recurve bow was fine though, maybe she's ask Thane about getting these things later. As Roarke called out for them to get ready she corrected her posture, drawing by tightening her back muscles. She kept her breath steady, both eyes open as she waited for the final call to release. When it came she exhaled and loosed her arrow, releasing a steady exhale when it hit the target. It appeared near the center mark of the target, but she wouldn't know for sure till they were permitted closer.

This happened twice more with Roarka calling out for them to get ready, draw, and then the release the arrow. The two other arrows Dahlia had fired were also either close to the center target or near it. At the end of it she grinned to herself over her results. Roarke permitted them to go to their marks but made sure to insist no one touch the arrows until there were all scored. Dahlia had gotten one arrow dead center, the other two were just on the edge of it which meant she would still be given the higher score, a total of thirty points.
 
Fable Fable

Decades worth of pain lingered in the memories that Liordan was dredging up. It was enough that Thane forgot everything except his own anger. It didn’t matter that Raskar was trying to get between them and encourage peace, that he was blocking their vision of each other, he could still see that despicable sneering face in his mind as though Raskar wasn’t even there. And then, cutting through the entire miserable pit of his repressed grief and rage, Dahlia stretched up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Undoubtedly, she had done it to distract him and try defusing the situation. It worked. Startled, he blushed, looking extremely boyish with reddened ears and cheeks along with a bewildered expression as he turned to stare at her. It also dawned on him now that he had wrapped his arm around her waist unthinkingly earlier. Dahlia was already gently removing herself from his touch, but a quiver of guilt hit him, he hadn’t meant to violate her personal space so carelessly. Then again, he couldn’t really complain either. Elation, a different type from the earlier feeling of victory, was beginning to bloom in his chest.

Suddenly, the conflict with Liordan felt petty—as rightfully it should have. Why, exactly, did he even feel the need to compete with the other male when he had already won? Dahlia had kissed him not the prince, and it was his mark on her neck. Nothing that Liordan could do would change that. They were mates, the battle was over. Of course… letting himself lose now would also not be acceptable. So, Thane still intended to win, but the urge to prove himself to the other male was mostly gone now.

Still, bringing up the destruction of his family was no small thing and Thane would never forget it. Nor would he forgive Liordan for bringing it up. Rivals they would never be, Thane didn’t respect him enough to consider him one, but enemies were a distinct possibility.

Dahlia began to say that she did indeed have another game planned, speaking as the horses were led away and Liordan’s view of the pair was no longer obstructed. From the slowly fading colour on Thane’s cheeks and Dahlia’s initial stammer, it didn’t take a genius to understand that something had happened and the prince’s smirk once again transformed into something hard and angry. All the same, as they were brought to the archery setup, Liordan picked up his bow the same as any of them.

Thane only half listened to the instructions that were given. His mind and eyes were on his mate. Another surprising fact he was learning about her: she knew archery. He never would have guessed. Suddenly, he found his interest in her family beginning to grow. It seemed odd that she could have parents who would permit her to, in essence, be sold off and yet allow her a surprising amount of freedom in other areas. Thane wagered this was a product of her brothers and grandmother’s influence, but he wouldn’t know until he asked later.

Distracted, he almost missed the signal to prepare to shoot at the targets. As it was, he only barely managed to get his bow pulled back and ready when the order to release came.

Archery was not one of Thane’s strengths. Long-range battle was not something he took active part in (unless you counted strategizing) as he much preferred being in the thick of things with a blade in hand. He could still shoot well enough—as was expected from a Warlord—but he was not especially talented at it. Still, he was quite confident that he could at least beat Raskar, likely Liordan too. Dahlia was the questionable one, he had no idea how high her skill level actually was.

When the scores came in, Thane and Liordan stared dumbfounded at one another. Dahlia had scored a perfect thirty while Raskar had only been only one point behind her. Thane and Liordan, meanwhile, ended up in a tie with twenty-four points each.

“I didn’t know you could use a bow,” Liordan said somewhat accusatorily to Raskar. His older brother merely shrugged and shot Dahlia a grin.

“Oh, I dabble now and again. But goodness, Lady Dahlia, you are something else!”

Thane chuckled at that and shot her a warm, and more than a little amused, smile. “She certainly is… I didn’t intend to lose, but if I had to then I’m glad I lost to you,” he said as he walked to her, doing his best to put Liordan’s presence out of his mind while he looked at her. “Any other games in mind, little tigress? Or should we return indoors?” Thane hoped that she could see he was calmer now.

Raskar and Liordan certainly noticed, the former visibly relaxing while the latter seemed to grow angrier.
 

When the scoring was completed and Dahlia was proclaimed the winner she couldn't hold back the grin that appeared. It only widened as both Liordan and Thane looked at each other as they processed that she'd beaten them both with a perfect score. She even let out a small laugh at their expressions. Liordan looked at Raskar and commented how he didn't know he could use a bow. Dahlia hadn't either, but for some reason she was pleased that Raskar had been given a moment to outshine his brother.

"Bows are lighter than swords," she said with a smile in response Raskar. She couldn't wield a heavy metal sword with precise control, but a bow? She'd latched onto that. It had its own disadvantages of course and while she knew the bow itself could be used for close range defense if needed, she only trained to hit her intended target with as much precision as she could. Dahlia also couldn't shot as well as on horseback either, she had to be stationary for this kind of precision.

Thane's praise made her flush lightly at his approval. When he called her 'little tigress' the flush deepened and eagerly turned to Roarke who had come to gather the weaponry. "Lunch is awaiting m'lords and my lady," he informed them politely. Dahlia let out a small relieved exhale that she'd been able to entertain the trio long enough for lunch to be prepared and served. Having them sit around and conversing seemed much more dangerous than playing games with each other.

"The games will have to wait then, but they are indoor games," she finally replied, moving to shyly take Thane's arm so they they could return to the castle and sit down to eat lunch. The formal dining area was actually put into use with their guests. While the table was unnecessarily long and meant for entertaining a much larger crowd, one end had been set up with four spots with Thane's being at the 'head' of the table.

Dahlia sat to Thane's left where there was only one setting meaning that Raskar or Liordan would have to rudely sit down next to her. She wouldn't have cared much if Raskar sat next to her, but she didn't want to risk Liordan taking advantage and sitting next to her to agitate Thane.

Once everyone was seated the servants wasted no time in bringing them food and drinks. The scent of the food was enough to cause one to salivate. Greta hadn't held back in producing the most decadent of foods. While Thane would be displeased at the presence of vegetables and fruit there was still a large portion of meat offered as well. With wine poured into fine goblets and food served the servants stepped back but remained in the room, ready to refill drinks, clear away plates, and whatever was needed during this lunch hour.

"Raskar, do you have your own personal archery range set up then?" Dahlia asked, trying to initiate a polite conversation that was far from the topic of family.

"Hm? Oh yes! It's nothing too impressive mind you since I am the only one I had in mind to actually use it. Good place to hide when I get into an argument with my mate," he laughed as he joked. Raskar perhaps wasn't as bad as Dahlia first thought, though she still hadn't exactly forgiven his lewd comments.

"What's the name of your mate?"

"Beatrice," Raskar replied. "A homely name for a homely woman."

Dahlia's smile faltered somewhat at his comment about his own mate. While she understood not all mated pairs cared for each other and some barely tolerated each other, for Raskar to so openly say such things made her pity Beatrice a bit. Her amber eyes glanced over at Thane and she wondered what he would say to those who inquired after her? Would he be dismissive? Calloused? Silent? Her heard tilted slightly as she pondered this for a moment before she was pulled to look at Raskar once again.

"You're named after a flower, are you not?" Liordan mentioned. "It's very fitting."

"T-Thank you," Dahlia replied a bit uncomfortably. "I'm not sure if it really fits me, though there are so many meanings behind the flower."

She wasn't exactly a fan of making herself the topic of the table discussion but she wasn't sure how to easily swap the conversation to something else without it being noticeable awkward. So instead she drank a too large of a gulp of wine and decided to eat. One couldn't nor were they supposed to talk with food in their mouth and so she'd use this to buy some time and hopefully someone else would talk about something else. Perhaps she could go off on talking about the meaning of various flowers. Surely they'd find the topic boring enough that they'd be more than eager to swap the subject to something else.
 
Fable Fable

Whether Roarke’s appearance was welcome or unwelcome, Thane couldn’t say. His appetite had reappeared with a vengeance following his own win and subsequent elation at Dahlia’s victory, but the thought of sharing a meal with the two princes was nearly enough to make him lose it again. A large part of the Warlord rebelled at the idea of allowing anyone else into the mealtime ritual he had established with Dahlia. The only reason it was somewhat palatable was that he knew Roarke would have it served to them in the formal dining room. It was just enough of a difference from taking their meals in their shared rooms that he could reconcile himself to it.

Thane started a little as Dahlia slipped her arm through his, flicking a glance down at her, eyes softening slightly though it wouldn’t have been visible to her or the other males. They would manage their two unwelcome guests together, and he would not be sad to see them go.

After they entered the dining room, Thane did not hesitate to take his place at the head of the table. He exchanged a quick glance and slight nod with Roarke as he took stock of Dahlia’s place set to his left. Things might have gotten ugly if Liordan or Raskar had attempted to sit beside her instead of on the opposite side of the table where they were led. Fortunately, neither one seemed inclined to be that rude.

Raskar was seated directly to Thane’s right with Liordan on his brother’s other side. This suited Thane just fine and he allowed himself to be thoroughly distracted by the food that was brought before them. It had more vegetables and fruit than he would have liked but plenty of meat as well, so he decided to forgive Greta.

Roarke was in charge of Thane’s plate and made sure to load it with more meat than anything else. Still, with a slightly mischievous glance at Dahlia, he spooned on a far larger helping of both vegetables and fruit than he would have ever considered doing before their mateship had begun. The Warlord stared at the offensive food items with a put-out expression, but he knew, as did Roarke, that fussing over the food was bad form in front of guests, so he had no choice but to grin and bear it. Shoving down the world-weary sigh that wanted to come, he plucked up a fork and stabbed it into a carrot on his plate.

Dahlia was playing the role of hostess beautifully, asking Raskar about archery. The answer the prince gave made Thane nod, though he stilled as Dahlia asked about his mate and received such an uncharitable descriptor of her from Raskar. He knew that the pair were not fond of each other considering the conversation they had had at the ceremony, but strangely a part of him didn’t like the thought of Dahlia hearing about it… though he didn’t know why. There was nothing wrong with mates not getting along, it was more the norm than anything else.

Her eyes caught his for a moment and he hesitated, unsure of what to do or say in that moment. Rebuke Raskar for speaking so coldly of his mate? Ignore it? It didn’t feel right to rebuke the prince when he had every right to dislike his mate, but he didn’t want Dahlia to be upset at him if he ignored it. Before Thane could come to a decision himself the choice was made for him, Liordan capturing her attention by commenting on her name and how fitting it was.

Thane tightened his grip around the knife in his hand and shot Liordan a chilling glare. There was nothing wrong with paying her a compliment, it was a fitting name, but he knew full well that the prince was doing it simply to try and get a rise out of him. It was working. But, his earlier resolve to not let Liordan’s petty envy get to him was still fresh in his mind and the Warlord forced himself to swallow a mouthful of food before letting out a calming breath through his nose.

A quick glance in Dahlia’s direction showed her beginning to eat, her wine glass decidedly emptier than it had been a few moments ago. “It is fitting, isn’t it?” he said, tipping his glass towards Liordan in a silent toast that made the other male narrow his eyes. He turned to Dahlia, “I imagine some of the flower meanings suit you. Your grandma named you, if I remember correctly, and from what you’ve told me of her she seems the sort to choose with intentionality,” he took a sip of his own wine, deciding that a subject change was necessary.

“Any news on the advance of the humans on the northern border?” he asked, aiming the question towards both princes. Though neither one was usually directly involved with the armies they would certainly be appraised of all the latest news. It had only been a week that he had been on break from his Warlord duties, but in war things could change minute to minute.

“Never fear, had anything overly serious occurred they would have called you back—honeymoon or no,” Liordan muttered darkly. There was no point pretending that Thane wasn’t a force to be reckoned with… the one called upon when the fights seemed impossible.

“My understanding is that things are fairly quiet… gathering their forces perhaps, though I do hope not. Perhaps they’ve simply given up,” Raskar added, though his quiet sigh showed that even he did not believe it.

“Hmm… I’ll have to lead a patrol to the border tomorrow, get a feel for things myself,” Thane muttered, swirling the wine in his glass contemplatively.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Raskar asked, curiosity and concern mingling in his voice.

“I suppose,” Thane mused, a grim smile stretching his lips, “But so long as I’m more dangerous than the threats around me there won’t be a problem,” he couldn’t quite resist shooting Liordan a look as he said this.

“Poor Dahlia, left all alone while you’re occupied with your militia,” the younger prince said.

Hearing her name coming from his mouth was enough to make Thane want to rip out Liordan’s tongue but he managed to control himself. “I fully intend on returning home every night… and it’s already been decided that I’ll be relieved of duties during weekends provided nothing serious is happening,” he said in a tone as level as he could manage. “Besides, I imagine she’ll welcome a break from me.”

Naturally, this held a very different implication to the two males who had no clue that the pair were not intimate with each other… a fact that Thane had completely forgotten was abnormal. As a result, Raskar snorted and Liordan set his jaw angrily.

“Oh dear, are you that bad a lover?” Raskar asked, looking as though he were struggling not to burst into laughter.

It took Thane a few confused seconds to understand what they had understood his statement to mean, at which point he shot Dahlia a briefly horrified look, struggling now not to blush or look away and give a hint that things were not what they seemed to be.
 

The sigh of relief at Thane's change of topic was hard to keep from escaping, but she managed to withhold it and breathed it out as normally as she could. For a few tense moments she wondered if he was going to rise to Liordan's comment. Thane - while his expression showed he didn't care for Liordan's tactic - kept himself composed. The last thing she wanted to deal with was someone flipped over the table and a brawl breaking out.

As he mentioned he was going to patrol the northern border and Raskar's inquiry about the danger of the task she felt a flicker of worry. She hadn't really though much on Thane's occupation as a Warlord. It wasn't that she was ignorant of the fact that his position came with the risk of danger. It simply hadn't ever crossed her mind until Raskar had brought it up. Dahlia tried to put herself at ease, reminding herself that this was Thane. One of the more brutal and deadly efficient Warlords. Whether she worried about him or not he would also be expected to go back into the dangers of the ongoing conflict with the humans who threatened their kingdom's territory.

She was pulled from those thoughts when Liordan made a comment of her being left all alone while Thane was busy. Honestly. Thane's comment didn't help the situaiton and her cheeks only reddened as he informed them he'd be home frequently and that she'd probably want a break from him. Raskar didn't hesitate to latch onto that and quickly asked if Thane was a bad lover. Dahlia finished off the wine in her goblet and a servant quickly went to refill it.

Thane's horrified expression did nothing to ease her own horror at how the princes had perceived his comment. Her mind was a buzz of thoughts desperately wondering how exactly she was supposed to react or reply to this sort of comment. It was one thing for men to make lewd comments to each other when she wasn't present, but her actively being in the same area and able to hear these things unsettled her.

She needed something that didn't answer anything and would hopefully embarrass Raskar because right now she was feeling a bit petty over this whole visit. Liordan trying to provoke Thane. Thane being provoked. Raskar's lack of thought when he spoke and lewd comments at her expense.

"He doesn't really rest, too much stamina," she managed to say though her cheeks burned even worse. It wasn't a lie. Thane didn't sleep. He did seem to have high stamina too in order to function with such little rest. If Raskar was going to have his perverted little mind go into the gutters and think she was talking about Thane's sexual prowess then he could be the fool who assumed such things.

Liordan's body went rigid and his expression darkened though he did his best to school his features to try and appear unbothered by the topic. He must've done something under the table as suddenly Raskar let out a startled yelp and Liordan shot him a death glare with a clear message. The message was received and Raskar cleared his throat, "M-Muscle cramp! P-Pardon. I do hope your next game isn't physically strenuous."

"N-No, we'll be staying indoors. I'm sure if they want to do something physical we can perhaps let them arm wrestle," she tried to joke. She only had planned for them to play a card game together to kill some time until dinner. She didn't know if it would hold their interest or for how long, but if desire to play waned she'd just have to come up with something else for them to do. Perhaps this is why people held balls, let them be distracted by each other because this smaller visit was keeping her on edge.

The rest of the lunch had little conversation outside of small talk regarding military matters. Raskar was deep into the wine by the end but still sober enough to speak without slurring and able to walk on his own. However his tongue seemed looser and the filter of etiquette went out the window. "Y'know I think there are many men who will be burning or perhaps are already burning with jealousy over your mateship. Mother is beside herself trying to replace Dahlia for Liordan. Why is it he gets to be so picky and I got stuck with-"

"Enough you blabbering fool," Liordan growled when made Raskar's mouth snap shut.

"Oh, we were going to play a new game right?" Raskar changed the subject which Dahlia could only nod to and bring them into the other sitting room. She didn't want to have to play the piano again right now. There was a card table prepared with a deck of cards awaiting them. Another table had more snacks and wine for them to consume at their leisure. Dahlia took a seat and unfortunately as it was a small round table this permitted Thane to sit on one side of her and Liordan on the other.

"Thane, would be mind being the dealer? We can play a bit of poker, though I'm setting a firm rule of no actual gambling of assets. Raskar isn't exactly..." she didn't finish, but the implication was clear that Raskar would probably bet and also was at a higher risk of losing.
 
Fable Fable

Unsurprisingly, Dahlia’s cheeks flushed at his comment and Raskar’s quick quip. Little wonder, misread in the context that the princes were taking it, she was certain to be embarrassed. This was the last thing he had wanted. The trouble was, he had no idea what to do or say in order to distract from the topic of physical intimacy. Brushing it off would make it seem as though Raskar was right, addressing it directly would surely embarrass Dahlia further, and lovely as it would be to simply slug the older prince in the jaw… that was not politically wise.

His hand curled around the stem of the wine glass and he brought it to his lips for a steadying sip. Though Thane had turned to Dahlia in an unspoken bid for help, he hadn’t really expected her to take up the mantle and shut down their comments. He certainly hadn’t expected for her to pipe up, in a sweet albeit slightly flustered voice, to comment on the fact that he didn’t rest because he had too much stamina.

Immediately, Thane choked on his sip of wine, doing his best to not start coughing in an undignified manner. His lungs felt wheezy and a bit congested from repressing the urge, but he did his best to bear it. Liordan’s expression made it worthwhile, the dark scowl and stiffened body clearly showing his displeasure at Dahlia’s response.

He was fully prepared to strangle Raskar if he made another inappropriate comment, but Liordan seemed to beat him to the punch. Evidently, he had no interest in continuing to hear them discuss their love life—whether it was a lie or no. The yelp of pain from Raskar and quick attempt at a recovery made that plain. Raskar changed the subject over to what game they were set to play next and Thane quirked a curious eyebrow at Dahlia as well.

An indoor game suited him just fine, though the thought of an arm wrestle with Liordan had him surveying the younger male thoughtfully. It was instantly obvious to him, however, that the prince didn’t stand a chance. How could he? Between a Warlord regularly wielding a fearsome, and heavy, great sword and a prince who only had to play at fighting there was no contest when it came to brute strength. Thane could have crushed him beneath his thumb if he’d wished. He could have lorded it over him, challenged him knowing he would win, but Liordan’s pride would not allow him to refuse and Thane could see no benefit in taking such a shallow victory. So, he simply smiled indulgently, “I’m sure whatever game you’ve planned will be more than enough to entertain us.”

The meal nearly finished without incident, but Raskar continued to drink and Thane knew what he was like once he had been in his cups. The tension only seemed to heighten the more he drank, all three of them apprehensive about what he would do as his already limited inhibitions were severed. Sure enough, he began to speak about the jealousy of other males and let slip that the queen was distressed with finding a mate to replace Dahlia for Liordan. For once this was a useful bit of information and Thane’s eyes flashed briefly with interest before Liordan quickly snapped at him to shut up. Still, the words couldn’t be taken back and even if Raskar changed the subject… this was something to mull over later.

Dahlia led them to the other sitting room and a small round table where a deck of cards already sat waiting. As he settled his considerable mass into his seat a frown furrowed his brows. He didn’t like that Liordan was sitting close on Dahlia’s other side. He liked it even less when the other male leaned back in his seat and let his arm drape across the back of the chair until his fingers grazed against hers. It was done to upset him, obviously, and Thane struggled not to let it work.

Her request that he be the dealer dragged him out of his struggle with a feeling of possessiveness and Thane let out a slow hiss of air through his teeth. “Of course, and I have no objections when it comes to removing any real gambling,” he pushed back from the table and went to the table arrayed with snacks. A bowl of grapes had been laid out and he picked up a few bunches, pulling them off their stems until he had a bowlful of individual grapes. That completed he returned to the table and doled out ten grapes to each of them.

With practiced ease Thane shuffled the deck, cards burring against each other, a surprising deftness being displayed considering the size of his hands. When he was satisfied with the shuffle, he handed out two cards facedown to each player, placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the table.

“You ought to be less focused on my mateship and more on your own,” Thane muttered to Raskar as he glanced at his cards. “You’ve yet to produce any heirs of your own… and I imagine you’re not likely to if you go around calling your mate homely to anyone who will listen,” he added with a quick glance at the other male. Now that they were playing poker, a cool and difficult to read expression dominated his face, looking somewhere between annoyed and bored.

“Bah, what can I say, she isn’t my type! We don’t suit each other, but such is our lot in life, poor dragons saddled with whoever we can get,” he cackled, having somehow managed to grab another glass of wine while Thane had been distracted by shuffling, “Not like the pair of you anyway. Shocking isn’t it, Liordan? Thick as thieves already, these two, a rare pair!”

His brother’s lip curled involuntarily, and his fingers stretched in their position near the back of Dahlia’s chair… just enough to brush against a few loose tendrils of her hair. It was almost enough to make Thane abandon his seat to slug him. “Odd indeed, though I still think it’s a pity that you were saddled with a Warlord when you could have been a princess… perhaps even a queen someday,” he said it directly to Dahlia this time.

Thane felt something snap inside.

Before he was aware of it, he had risen from his seat, knuckles turning white with the force by which he grabbed Liordan by the collar. “I permitted you two into my home, despite the fact that this is still my honeymoon, but if you think I will continue to allow these disrespectful comments you are very wrong,” he tugged Liordan’s head closer to his, mouth twisted into a snarl that the younger prince matched. “It is MY mark on her neck, not yours. She’s mine. Remember your place, Liordan.”

“I am a prince, you had best remember YOUR place! How dare you put your hands on me! I will have you thrown into prison or executed for treason if you don’t release me right now!” he said it with a snarl, but a frightening cold look entered Thane’s eyes that made the other male’s fury falter for a moment.

“If you think your little threats frighten me, you are very wrong. Mateship is sacred, not even your title as prince protects you from the punishments for meddling in our relationship.”

Their eyes remained locked with furious intensity for a few long moments. The tension was nigh unbearable, and things might have turned bloody if not for Raskar.

“My, my, you two… so much tension! Are you sure the problem here isn’t that the two of you want to share a bed?” he laughed at his own crude joke.

Stupid as it was, his voice broke the broiling tensions and Thane released Liordan with a snort of disgust, stepping back to his own seat and insistently tugging Dahlia’s chair until it was pressed against his. It didn’t impose much distance between her and Liordan, but maybe it was just enough to get through the rest of the evening. He might have been a little childish in this, but Thane couldn’t quite help it. Liordan was testing him for weakness, for an opportunity to strike, and while Thane didn’t know what the male could possibly do to try and take Dahlia for himself… he did not doubt that Liordan would do exactly that if the opportunity somehow presented itself.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered low under his breath to her. He supposed it might have been better to clarify what exactly he was sorry for, but at this point the list of transgressions of the day were too long to rattle off.
 

Dahlia went rigid for a moment when she felt Liordan's fingers against her. Oh he was really pushing it! Her eyes went over to Thane and she swallowed nervously. Her request for him to be the dealer seemed to have offered a distraction from Liordan's provocation. She really hated feeling like a tool now to be used for Liordan to try and enrage Thane. Right now all she could do was grin and bear it with as much grace as possible. Treat this like a learning experience in how to better avoid being within too close in proximity of Liordan the next encounter she had with him.

Thane pulled the direction from their mateship to Raskar's own, mentioning how he hadn't any heirs and wasn't going to at the rate he was going. Of course Raskar dismissed this with ease thanks to the alcohol in his system, circling back to Thane and Dahlia seemingly getting along well. It's wasn't a lie, she hadn't been inclined to throw anything at him in furious anger, but there had of course been those bumps as they had to quickly adapt to the changes in their life with becoming mates.

She didn't feel Liordan's touch in her hair, but she didn't miss his expression out of the corner of her eye and she gripped the fabric of her dress under the table as she could feel the tension pressing against her from Thane and Liordan and she was caught in the middle. It was Prince Liordan's words that set everything into chaos as he directly regarded her and openly commented how she could have been a princess and perhaps even a queen, insulting Thane's position as a Warlord.

Thane was up and grabbing Liordan in an instant. Dahlia got up from her own seat because the last place she needed or wanted to be was between them if they decided to actually fight with more than jabbing words. Liordan cowardly threw his title and position at Thane to threaten to have him arrested. Thane didn't care about those threats and even reminded the prince that he had no right when it came to mateships and meddling.

Raskar's joke about the tension between the two males being sexual was enough to pry them apart. Thane resumed his seat and pulled Dahlia's own closer to him and further from Liordan which she silently sat back down in. Liordan stiffly sat back in his own chair glowering between Raskar and Thane. He was positively seething. Dahlia nodded when Thane apologized lowly. Raskar was drinking once again and she noted next time if there was a visit from him she'd have to develop some sort of signal to the servants to give him the weaker alcohol and pray he wouldn't notice.

The group of them played their card games then, the grapes shifting between players as best were made. Dahlia didn't do much to keep a poker face and Raskar just didn't even have one. He was out of the game early on which left him to drink as he watched them play. Thankfully he was only blathering on about various things, from the social events going on in the capitol, festivals he was eager to attend, inviting Thane to join him for quality male companionship away from what Raskar called 'frilly females and their nagging.'

Dahlia wondered if she could suggest Thane drag the princes off into the men's lounge. Raskar's comments were slowly getting more and more vulgar though he managed to keep any of those comments from making Dahlia the focus of them. "Well, I should perhaps go see about the dinner preparations," she said as she bet all-in and lost all her grapes. "Perhaps Thane can show you the men's lounge," she openly suggested as she glanced at Thane clearly giving him an opportunity to drag the princes away.

She politely excused herself and made her way to the kitchen before sinking into the chair at the worn wooden table. Greta and the other kitchen staff were busily working and she would stay out of the way. Greta brought over a glass of water though and gave her a small pat on the back. "If you find this exhausting dear you're lucky you aren't part of the Court, though you might still be unlucky and get dragged into that mess despite it," Greta commented.

Greta fussed when at one point Dahlia offered to help cook, being told she'd make a mess of her dress. This left Dahlia sitting at the table to only watch and converse with Greta, which was still a welcome change from the pressure of being a point of tension during the visit. She was eventually shooed out shortly before dinner would be served back in the formal dining area where Dahlia took her seat to Thane's left once again. Roarke would have informed the trio of males that dinner would be served shortly and led them back to join Dahlia.

They just had to get through dinner and then this visit would be over and she could melt into a hot bath. Raskar was well on the way to being smashed. He greeted her with some slurred words and struggled to sit in his chair. When they were all seated and food and wine was being served Dahlia downed the first goblet of wine faster than she should have, but the tension in her body needed to be released and the wine helped.

"Pleasure seeing you again Dahlia," Liordan commented as he sat down next to his drunk brother. She didn't even give him the courtesy of a nod, only a neutral glance.

"Liordan, you need to shtahp your smoosth talking or Thane ish gonna smack you," Raskar giggled out and Dahlia's shoulders sagged as she realized how torturous this dinner was going to be and took another long drink from her newly poured wine.

She wasn't sure exactly what was going on around her entirely a few more drinks in. Nor was she even paying attention. She had eaten which helped lessen the effect of the wine, but Dahlia was far from sober. Somehow she and Raskar ended up drunkenly chatting with each other like they were old friends. She lectured him on his behavior and he laughed and brushed it off without a care. They talked about archery techniques though it was more like mild arguing over small things they didn't agree but it never devolved into an actual argument.

By the end of dinner Dahlia's eyes were half-lidded and she looked like she was ready to go to bed. Raskar had come out on top as far as being still mostly functional even after drinking so much. A point he very loudly cackled and caused Dahlia's head to snap up as she sat unsteadily in her chair, "No one said anything about a drinking game." Roarke cleared his throat and whenever Thane would glance at him he'd almost imperceptibly move his head to suggest that it was time to end the visit.
 
Fable Fable

The dangerous moment between the pair of them had been broken, but the tension and undercurrent of anger still remained. It was only long familiarity with the game that kept Thane from making a mistake and losing. Raskar was out quickly, to no one’s surprise, and his inane chatter played the bassline to the rest of the time they silently gambled grapes and went through the rounds.

Both Thane and Liordan were stone faced, their expressions angry mirrored images of each other to the point that it worked terribly well as a poker face. Neither one could clearly get a read on the other and so they continued at an impasse until at last Dahlia mentioned leaving to check on dinner preparations, went all in, and promptly lost. This was enough to pull Thane from his anger and at her suggestion that he show them the men’s lounge he nodded.

There were more ways to show superiority and dominance than simply winning, so on the next hand he went all in and intentionally let himself lose to Liordan. As expected, the other male was disgusted and unhappy with his empty victory, scowling as he reluctantly tugged the grapes to himself. “Enjoy your winnings,” Thane said mildly with a glance at the purple fruit, turning then to Raskar and completely ignoring Liordan and his angry glare.

“Get up, Raskar, I’ll show the two of you to the men’s lounge as Dahlia suggested. You’ll find a finer selection of drink there,” he nodded to the bottle of wine that Raskar had steadily been draining. It was the magic phrase to get the prince to move and he all but bounced to his feet. His eyes would have been dancing had it not been for the unfocused quality they had accrued as the alcohol built in his system.

Liordan couldn’t very well refuse to go, especially when his older brother was complying, so though he muttered unintelligibly under his breath he also stood and followed Thane as they were led to the men’s lounge.

It wasn’t much different from any other room in the castle. Dominated by a large fireplace it sported several comfortable armchairs and a few tables with hardbacked oak chairs—presumably for entertaining larger parties and hosting card games. There were several liquor cabinets, all of them also made of oak and handsome carved, and it was to these that Raskar made a beeline.

Thane did not feel like playing any games nor did he care much for conversation and it was fairly clear that Liordan felt the same way. Instead, the trio sat in the armchairs with the two males glowering silently at each other while Raskar chattered enough for all three of them. Had he been less self-absorbed, Thane would have stopped the elder prince from drinking as much as he did, but by the time they were summoned for dinner the prince was good and thoroughly drunk.

Dahlia was already seated at the dining table when they entered, and Thane wasted no time in striding to the table to sit beside her. Liordan’s greeting had the Warlord staring at him narrow-eyed, but it was Raskar’s drunk comment and giggle that earned the brunt of his exasperated glare.

Still angry, Thane wasn’t even aware of what type of food he was shoveling in his mouth, the only thing that finally got his attention was the fact that Dahlia was now well and truly intoxicated, chattering away with Raskar in an incredibly friendly manner. This in itself wasn’t a problem, but Thane didn’t much like the thought of a drunk Dahlia interacting with Liordan who was still completely sharp. The younger prince would not hesitate to take advantage, Thane knew that full well, so as soon as everyone was finished eating and he caught Roarke’s slight nod, the Warlord pushed himself to his feet.

“Dinner is past, and I must retire early in preparation for my duties tomorrow,” a blatant lie but the only one who might know that was Liordan and Thane didn’t care about his opinion. “It was an honour to host the pair of you and I wish you a safe journey back to your palaces.” It was an abrupt way to end the visit but at this point retaining courtesy was pointless and they all knew it.

Liordan did not complain, evidently he had had enough of this visit too, though Thane did not miss the way his eyes lingered on rosy-cheeked Dahlia whenever he had a chance as they donned their coats by the front entrance. It made his blood boil further and when Liordan caught his own gaze, the Warlord pinned him with a stare so cold that it could have frozen the fiery lakes of hell.

“Sush a pity to end the night so shoon!” Raskar whined, stumbling against Thane and steadying himself with a hand against his obliques. A girlish giggle escaped then and he rubbed his hand against the tight muscles, “Sush nice mushles… Daaahlia is not fair you get to toush them whenever you want.”

Thane rolled his eyes and grabbed Raskar by the shoulders, pushing him forward and out the door where a servant took his arm and helped lead him the rest of the way to the carriage. Liordan watched him come closer with a look of disgust on his own face, but just as he was stepping in the older prince leaned his head back towards them and gave a wave. “We’ll hafta visit again! Y-you should come visit me next time,” he grinned at them and Thane managed a thin-lipped smile and a curt wave of his own.

“We’ll consider it. Goodnight.” More than that he wasn’t willing to give them, turning on his heel and stepping back inside. A weight of tension rolled off his shoulders when the doors clanged shut behind him and the sound of carriage wheels turning began. Finally, he turned to Dahlia, pushing his hand roughly through his hair as his body continued to thrum with jumpy energy.

She was very clearly drunk, whether because she was unused to drinking or because she really had imbibed more than enough to join Raskar in a drunken state, Thane wasn’t sure which. Admittedly, he’d been too distracted by Liordan to really notice. “We’d best get you to bed,” he murmured, offering her his arm in case she didn’t feel steady enough to walk back on her own. Mysteriously, the servants all seemed to have vanished, leaving the pair completely alone. That was well and good, Thane felt entirely sick of other dragons and the last thing he wanted was to have any of the servants bothering him. The only exception to this feeling was Dahlia, but he was still too distracted to even realize that himself.
 

Dahlia had to use Thane's arm to keep herself upright. She wasn't tipsy or buzzed. As her father called her brothers when they got into this state, she was 'shitfaced.' She only managed to grin at Raskar and wave farewell to him as a servant assisted him to his carriage. She swayed on her feet as she looked up to regard Thane as he said something. She stared at him blankly for probably an uncomfortable long time before grinning at him brightly, "What?"

Ilia nervously looked drunken Dahlia over with concern once the princes were out of view. "I can take her if you want," she offered. It didn't matter who was going to help Dahlia make her way to her bedroom. She'd be giggly as random thoughts crossed her mind in her drunken stupor, not exactly very aware or paying attention to much of anything or anyone around her. Even if a comment was made she'd just misunderstand or completely forget what was said within a few seconds. It was probably quite amusing though frustrating to herd her since at times she'd insist she wanted to go into certain rooms mistaking them for her own and having to be corrected.

When Dahlia finally made it to her room Ilia would struggle to change Dahlia's clothes out of the formal dress and into a loose chemise. It was another battle to get Dahlia to lay down in bed as well, but eventually it was managed and a very ruffled and tired Ilia finally exited Dahlia's room only when she was absolutely sure Dahlia was truly asleep. "I'll have something ready for her hangover in the morning," Ilia informed Thane before she left to go help clean up whatever messes were left from the visit.

It's hard to say how long Dahlia actually slept, but it was around the time Thane himself was trying to sleep. Her bladder screamed for relief and so a still not entirely sober Dahlia shuffled her way out of her room and to the bathroom to do just that. In this state when she went to return to her bedroom her foggy mind and tired eyes only registered that there was a bed in the room. It didn't click that she hadn't stepped back into her room, that the bed was not hers, nor that somebody already currently occupied part of the bed either.

Her only thought was to get into the bed and go back to sleep and she did just that, shuffling over to the side of the bed and getting under the covers and closing her eyes. It didn't take long for her to pass back out and Dahlia in the morning was sure to regret drunken Dahlia's mistake.

At some point in the night while she had used Thane's bed unknowingly, in a heat-seeking mission she had ended up curling up against Thane. One arm and one leg were sprawled over him and her face was literally nuzzled into his neck. This would be her position whenever the poor Warlord would realize he had company in his bed.
 
Fable Fable

It hadn’t seemed entirely fair to hand Dahlia over to Ilia entirely. Apart from the fact that she could hardly walk, there was the fact that within the first few steps towards their bedrooms she was already angling for incorrect rooms thinking they had reached their destination. Ilia would have to get Dahlia changed into her sleepwear, a task that Thane did not envy her, so he helped the handmaid herd her to the right place. It only seemed fair, especially since he likely should have been keeping a better eye on her to prevent this.

Weary from the entire visit, and knowing he’d need to be up early the next morning, Thane only managed a tired nod when Ilia finished preparing Dahlia for bed and said she’d have a hangover cure prepared come the morning. A large part of him wanted to fall into bed, but the larger part needed a bath. Anything to help scrub off any lingering reminders of Liordan’s presence here. Just thinking about the prince made his stomach tighten in anger.

As a result, it was already fairly late by the time he crawled into bed. Thankfully, perhaps due to the emotional exhaustion, he passed out surprisingly quickly… for a time. At some point in the night, however, Thane woke.

At first, his primary thought was one of confusion. He put off a lot of body heat in general, but today he was substantially warmer than he normally was. The scent that surrounded him was also unusual though not unfamiliar, and his sleepy mind matter-of-factly landed on Dahlia. Thane’s eyes fell shut for a moment as he placed the scent and then flew open a moment later, body stiffening. Dahlia? Why would he have scented her?

Awake and aware, Thane now realized that she was here. In his bed. With him. Her face was pressed into his neck, warm puffs of breath against his skin at regular intervals. In addition, a leg and an arm were thrown haphazardly over him, all of it resulting in her being pressed up against him close enough that he was well-aware of every curve of her body, close enough to feel her heartbeat and the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

His heart stuttered and thudded in his chest, leaving the Warlord at a complete loss as to what he should do. Wake her? Gently tell her of the mistake she had made in returning to her bed? Considering how drunk she had been, it wasn’t surprising that Dahlia had crawled into the wrong one. But… the truth was that he didn’t really want her to leave. She was soft and warm against him, she felt good and right, and after everything with Liordan today… He might live to regret it, but just for tonight Thane didn’t care about what was proper.

Impulsively he pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave in to what he wanted, wrapping his own strong arms around her in turn to hold her securely against him. One long exhale to settle his body more deeply into the mattress, chin resting on the top of her head, and the Warlord let his eyes close again. It took a while for his heart to settle and for him to become accustomed to the feeling of Dahlia in his arms, but once he did, Thane fell immediately into a deep and restful sleep. Deeper than he had experienced in a long time. Deep enough that he was not the first one to wake in the morning.
 
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