Kingdoms of Darkness and Light

[headlessSpleen]

As Nick finally drifted off to sleep, Thea allowed herself to relax more and begin falling into slumber herself. It wasn't as easy to get rest anymore. She had always been a light sleeper, but since the war, any little creak sent her eyes flying open. And if she didn't have Nick nearby, she rarely was able to rest. She should've been able to feel safe. The some of the most qualified guards in the world were protecting her and her family at all times. But, even so, the fact that Draco was capable of doing what he had done kept her up at night with worry.

And that's where Nick did have a point. She was already worrying enough, why would he want to make her worry more? But, was not knowing worse than knowing? Was him leaving her in the dark a way to protect her, or another facade to hide behind?

She decided that, in the morning, she would ask him again. She would worry about him no matter what, but she would like to know a good reason. And with that last thought, sleep finally took her.


Dominic followed Flower closely his footsteps falling awkwardly on the uneven ground as they entered the forest. Flower was at home in spaces like this, but Dominic was extremely inexperienced when it came to traversing wooded areas after dark, and every now and again his footing would falter on a branch or a rock.

When Flower began to open up to him, he was initially a little shocked. Normally she was the one who refused to bother others with her problems, and she definitely wasn't the kind of person to ask for help unless the situation was dire. His eyebrows furrowed together as he listened intently. "Of course... Draco can't seem to leave her alone, even after his death..." He thought to himself.

Advice was never his strong suit. Thea was always the one out of their siblings to handle peoples emotional needs and give sagely advice. He wanted to say something to Flower to make her feel better, but nothing quite felt right. He made a soft "mmhm" noise and nodded. He wanted to know that he was listening and he was there for her and to urge her to keep opening up if that's what felt right. Maybe in the morning he would ask Thea to talk to her. She was much better at this kind of thing, and if anyone could commiserate about being traumatized by Draco, it was her.


"Yessss!" Mia exclaimed, throwing a fist up into the air in a sign of victory. She bounded over to the bed, hopping onto it and stretching out on her stomach with her chin propped up in her hands and her feet behind her. She watched Deathwish's every move as he got ready, shamelessly admiring him remove his shirt. There were real doubts in her mind that he'd let her anywhere near him while he was in the tub, so she was going to soak up the view while she had the opportunity.

"I always keep my promises." Mia said proudly, a pleased smirk gracing her lips. "Unless it's to the law, someone wanting money, or my parents. Then it all goes out the window."

 

[The Writer]

Flower stopped seemingly out of no where and looked up through the trees. The smell of the forest danced in her nose and made her relax. She could hear Dominic’s stumbling and the word cute popped into her mind. Of course, he would have trouble. He was human, and it was dark. While her eyesight wasn’t as good as vampires or other nightly creatures, it still could pick up the roots and rocks along the path. With the moonlight being shrouded by the trees above, Flower didn’t glow as bright and her hair dulled slightly. The feeling of her weaker magic didn’t bother her though as she was used to it during her time as the knight.

Dominic’s presence was comforting enough as she enjoyed the sound of the night creatures. Draco’s laughter was far from her mind and his smile no longer stained her eyes. She was glad for it and soon the young elf was climbing a tree before mischief played on her lips and she hung by her legs as her nails racked up Dominic’s back gently. Her tickling touches was matched by her giggling as she quickly pulled herself back up.



Deathwish only hummed as he left his shirt over the back of a chair in the room. He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn’t let on that he knew. He’d rather ignore it and whatever sense of pride it seemed to bring up in him. He was not this physically fit to be attractive; he was this way because he had to be strong to survive.

He swiftly entered the bath before he closed the door. He glanced at the tub and raised an eyebrow as a more masculine scent filled the air. Magic tub, of course it could tailor it’s scent based who was using it. No wonder Mia’s scent had been strong enough to please her but light enough not to overpower him. He should have realized. Either way he observed it before he entered. For a half vampire there were faint scars that appeared on his chest and back. He had been young when he received them when the healing process was not as potent as it was now.

He took very little time before he walked out in his pants and rubbing his hair with a towel. He glanced at Mia, silently hoping she fell asleep already.

 

[headlessSpleen]

One minute Flower was walking beside him and the next Dominic felt a shiver down his spine. He squawked and jumped forward, his eyes wide as he whipped around to face Flower, but she had already pulled herself back up into the tree. He squinted up at he dark branches, just barely able to make out her silhouette.

"Are you trying to start something here?" Dominic teased, chuckling and raising an eyebrow at her. Without turning away, he took a few steps back from the tree she was perched in and promptly stumbled over a gnarled tree root and fell on his butt.


By the time Deathwish returned, Mia had, just as he had hoped, fallen asleep. Her head and one arm were dangling off the foot of the bed as she snored softly.

 

[The Writer]

Flower giggled from above as she watched him. “Maybe.” She chuckled as she sat safely in her tree and mentally prepared another attack. It was her way of dealing with the stress of the nightmares, the stress of the fear. The forest truly settled her. It briefly recalled the night that Dominic had followed her, and she told him the story of her family line in a forest very similar to this. He of course had no clue who she was, but it was fond to think about that time. She conveniently forgot during that time she had been poisoned, but details, right?

She watched him fall on his butt and saw her opportunity to attack him again. She smirked before she jumped and grabbed onto another branch. She squeaked as the branch broke and she fell. Like a cat she twisted in the air and landed on all fours.

She breathed a sigh of relief before she looked up and came face to face with Dominic. Well, oops. She had fallen right on top of him. Apparently jumping from branch to branch wasn’t the best idea when she can’t see how strong they are. The limb she had fallen from hung loosely above them.


Deathwish blinked as he watched her sleep. He raised an eyebrow at her sleeping position, but somehow her being a messy sleeper just fit her. He set down his towel and walked over as he gently moved her head so it rested securely on the bed. He moved her hair, so it wasn’t in her face before moving to the other side of the bed.

He used his hand to shake out some more water out of his hair before he glanced out the window. Dawn was leaking in. He supposed he could sleep for the first few hours of the morning. Mia would probably be out until late tonight. He wouldn’t be surprised. He laid down, making sure there was enough room between him and Mia, before he closed his eyes to sleep.

 

[headlessSpleen]

If Dominic wasn't already embarrassed, he sure was now. His cheeks flushed bright red and a flood of emotions filled his eyes - confusion, embarrassment, discomfort, concern. "I... Um.. Are you ok?" He stuttered, struggling to come up with appropriate words to say with her having landed on top of him. His body was as stiff as a board, as if one wrong move could make this scenario even more awkward than it already was. "You... Um... Kinda fell..."

Internally, he was smacking himself upside the head. "Just be an adult about it. This is a perfectly normal thing that happens to normal people!" he thought, purposefully disregarding the fact that he had technically been pursuing Flower as a suitor for months and that they'd had more than one moment of vulnerability with each other. Whether it was the protective spell given to him in a kiss, or a moment of candid honesty, they'd been in similar situations before. But... this time... he wasn't sure why but it felt a little different.


Even though Deathwish did a good job of keeping space between himself and Mia's sleeping form, she somehow managed to squirm her way around in the bed so she was snuggled up right next to him, her nose buried between the mattress and his ribcage as she continued to snore. Her normal sleeping patterns were a little bit different, but after a few drinks, there was nothing stopping her from being the most obnoxious bedmate she could be.

 

[The Writer]

Flower had a light blush that was thankfully hidden in the dark. Somehow, it had yet to occur to her that she should in fact get off him. She blinked when he asked if she was alright and pointed out the obvious fact that she fell. She nearly rolled her eyes. His flustered nature didn’t requester in the least as she slowly leaned back so she rested on her legs. She looked at her hands which were lightly bleeding thanks to a few cuts.

“I’m fine.” She finally stated after her brain finally came up with an answer for him. Flower’s ears suddenly shot up as she recognized she was now just sitting over his lap. The dress, which was ripped and torn thanks to both her lack of mastery of shifting and sleeping in a meadow, and or falling out of a tree. The only reason she could even climb in the dress was thanks to the short front which looked more like a skirt and currently was showing just how long her legs were. The state of her dress hadn’t occurred to her yet. Frankly, the fact her hair was still sleek and white was a miracle.

“Ah! Sorry!” She said as she scrambled to get off him which proved to be more difficult than it should have been because of her hurry. She sat on her knees beside him as she placed her hand over her thumping heart which was determined to make her feel as jumpy as possible.


Deathwish had awoken thanks to her movement. He wasn’t a heavy sleeper unless he was sure he was secure in his sleeping spot, which did not include an inn. He was always alert and ready to battle. Thankfully though, it was only Mia that had awoken him. Lazy eyes moved toward his sleeping partner as she managed to get herself snuggled securely to his side. Her breath ghosted over his bare stomach. He shifted slightly to wrap his arm around her as he let her to continue to sleep snuggled against him. He supposed there was no harm in it.

He closed his eyes once more and rather than going back to sleep, he pretended to sleep and kept his senses tuned on Mia encase she ended up moving more.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic forced himself to keep his gaze respectful, despite Flower's undeniably nice legs being right in front of him. When she finally got the clue and got off of his lap, he breathed a small sigh of relief and noticeably relaxed. Trying to balance being kind and being too forward was hard work, and when someone literally falls into your lap, it's hard to figure out where that boundary is.

He finally let out a light chuckle, shaking his head and looking down at his scuffed shoes. "I'm glad you're ok." He said, finally meeting her eyes with a genuine smile on his face. "If you had gotten hurt, I doubt I would've been able to carry you back to civilization without tripping and falling on my back again."

"That's it... make light of it... ease the tension... You have no reason to be nervous..." He thought, brushing some loose debris that fell from the tree off of his shoulders.

 

[The Writer]

Flower eyed the rising sun in the distance before she looked back at him. She lightly smiled back and shook her head. “And I’d end up in your lap again.” She stated as she stood up and started walking back toward the city. She tried her best to shake off the awkwardness much like Dominic was doing. She wanted to take Dominic back into the city so he could at least get some sleep. She probably wouldn’t, not after that nightmare, but there was no reason he shouldn’t get some sleep.

Later that morning

It just had to be her luck that as soon as the sun was up she would be summoned from her bed, forced to get dressed, and now she was pacing in a rather irritated manner in the council room as the council took their sweet time getting there. Why was she summoned when they weren’t even there yet?! If she could breath fire, she was sure smoke would be coming from her nostrils.

Once they did decide to show up, Flower’s lack of sleep and overall hatred of each and everyone currently in the room had her magic flickering violently off her skin like fire.

“Flower. Before we get to the official business for today, we would like to discuss with you your unruly actions you have taken so far in the midst of this time of courting.”

Flower’s glare could kill the whole room three times over. She really needed some sleep and not this crap.

“Since you appear to be incapable of behaving as one should while they are being courted…” Flower flushed slightly as she remembered that random man she has kissed in her anger. “And your disregard for correct conduct with one of said suiters…”

Flower crossed her arms. “Ezra deserved it.” She interrupted.

“That is not who we mean.”

Flower raised an eyebrow at that.

“You not so subtly stole Dominic with you during the night. No matter how drunk you might have been…”

“I was not drunk.” Flower growled dangerously.

“Ahem.” The elfin lady narrowed her eyes at Flower in distaste about being interrupted again. “…there is no excuse for such behavior. The scandal itself will caused us enough trouble. Blatantly sleeping with one suitor while another still remains in the running….”

Flower’s ear twitched before her face went. Sure, they slept beside one another in the meadow, but did they think she…he…what?! Her brain had to reset. “Wait…wait…what?”

“Do not think that you went unseen in the meadow or even in the forest! It is obvious you and this…Dominic have quite the…connection.”

Flower could not get anymore red. “Now you listen here!” She growled. “I did not and have not slept with him if that is what you are implying!” She was getting dangerously close to flipping over that table.

“The fairies were quite descriptive.”

“Fairies…seriously? You are going to take a fairy’s word. There is a reason there is the phrase fairy-tale.” Flower reminded them. She was starting to get a headache...and it wasn’t the lack of sleep this time. There was an urge to pay a visit to the forest and start a nice fire. Maybe that would teach these certain fairies to keep their mouths shut. Fairies did like to tell very certain kinds stories and if it had anything to do with her accidentally falling on Dominic…she paused her thought process right there.

Flower rubbed her temples. “Oh, for the love of magic, can you please get to the stupid point! I’m beginning to have a migraine!”

“Humph, our sentiments exactly.”

Flipping over that table seemed like a very logical thing to do right now. Flower still held her ground though.

“We do hope you will quiet down once you are married to who we have chosen.” The elf raised her chin and glared down at Flower. Flower’s stomach suddenly fell and she felt very nervous.

“We have summoned both suitors here to give our decision. They should be arriving any minute. Once we announce it to the kingdoms, a wedding will be planned accordingly, and we hope you will behave during the ceremony. After all, this is for the future of light elves and of your family line. A proper heir to the throne is of course a top priority as well.”

Flower’s magic sparked for a moment. “A proper heir?” She really hoped they weren’t going where she thought they were going.

“We do hope you don’t think we’d ever let that shadow welding bastard’s son be king.”

Flower swore she saw red. If both boys entered the room, they’d be greeted with a very irate Flower being held in the air by no less that three guards, a long rectangular table flipped to the other side of the room, and several council members yelling as Flower’s magic flared wildly at them.

…Lesson here is…don’t anger Flower if she hadn’t gotten any sleep for over three months.

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT VICENTE LIKE THAT!”

“FLOWER CEASE THIS NONESENCE AT ONCE!”

Flower stopped struggling only enough to glare at all of them. Her furry also came in the form of her beast’s forms fangs protruding from her mouth and very impressive glowing eyes. She really did look like she was going to kill someone.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic had actually planned on sleeping in before he was rudely interrupted by a summons from the council. Why they had to force him into a meeting so abruptly and so early in the morning was beyond his understanding. But, whatever it was, it had to be important, otherwise he wouldn't be involved at all.

All he was told was that it had something to do with his courtship to Flower, which had him a little concerned. Had scandal already spread through the Elvin kingdom about her running off with him in her jaws? What other kinds of rumors had probably made it to the council's ears? He hoped he would be able to work with Flower to dispel anything false that people had imagined up.

As he entered the council hall, he was suddenly struck by an unexpected scene. Flower, obviously furious, being restrained by guards. "Excuse me," he said, standing tall and as king-like as he could with bags under his eyes and a mild case of uncontrollable bedhead. "But what exactly is going on here?" His voice held authority, like any good king's should, but his eyes were calm, only showing his concern when he looked directly at Flower. He doubted they would hurt her. She was their Queen after all. But, judging by the scene before him, the council was much more interested in their own agendas than respecting Flower.

Ezra arrived shortly after Dominic. He had that disgustingly smug look on his face that never seemed to go away. Obviously the sight of Flower being restrained by guards was pleasing to him, because he held himself just a little taller as he also entered the room. He gave the council a respectful bow at the waist before silently standing before them and awaiting what they had to say.

He acted as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, possibly in order to gain some last minute brownie points with the council. He knew much more about the decision that was being made than Dominic did and had done everything in his power to sway the vote toward him being the more appropriate suitor. He may have even bribed some chatty fairies into exaggerating their stories of what they saw Dominic and Flower doing after they abandoned the party. He had his ways of knowing things and having a little bit of himself invested in everything around him.


Mia woke up to sunlight peeking through the curtains. It was at just the right angle to hit her directly in the eyes and send shooting pain from her head to her gut. Groaning, she rolled over in bed and cursed under her breath. The night before came back in bits and pieces and she genuinely regretted taking those last few drinks and refusing water for most of the night.

Rolling over again, she was a little shocked to see Deathwish beside her. It was a rare occurrence that the pair of them could be this close together for an entire night without somebody either throwing fists or abandoning the other one out of sheer irritation. Propping herself up on one arm, she gently prodded him with an open palm.

"Deathwish," she whined, her eyebrows knit together into a glower that showed exactly how terrible she was feeling. "Deathwish, go f**k up the sun. It woke me up."

 

[The Writer]

Dominic’s voice made Flower’s head snap to his direction. Her fangs and erratic magic suddenly disappeared. Her hair settled, and the guards felt relief from her strength. They all sighed before they released her. Flower stood calmed, but her fury still evident in her glare.

A male council member, who was still sitting in his chair and seemingly the only calm council member in the room greeted both men with a smile. “Ah, welcome both of you. I do apologize, but we’ve seemed to run into a disagreement with Flower.”

“Such childish behavior.” Another one stated as she grabbed a chair and set it back up to sit on.

Flower growled. “You are the one who deemed fit to bring my son into this. Do not talk to me about childish, you pompous power-hungry idiots!”

“Flower…while her comment was unnecessary, you must calm down.”

Flower snorted much like an angered bull.

“Now that you two are here, we can announce why we have summoned both of you.”

Flower didn’t look at Ezra. If she did, she probably would break his face…with the table she just flipped over.

The guards flipped the table back over before the council seated themselves once more while Flower fumed against a wall with her arms crossed.

“We have weighed everything in our decision to who Flower should marry. We did not come to this decision lightly and despite certain behavioral errors…” The council each looked over at Flower.

Flower resisted her violent impulses just barely.

“We have decided on Dominic.”

Flower’s head shot up. Oh no…they didn’t. Flower pushed herself off the wall and was prepared to tell them off, but the calm council member stopped her with a raised hand.

“But…should he decide not to follow through on his suit, we are willing to release him.” They were offering him a way out. A way out that Flower came to the realization he would not take. Flower growled and clenched her fists.



Deathwish heard Mia moving. When she urged him to attack the sun because it woke her up, he opened his eyes and looked over at her. “Hn.” He glanced at the sunlight peeking through the curtains. He quietly moved and walked over before securing the curtains closed. He looked back over at her before moving toward the door. He had heard someone at it earlier, but seeing as they did not mess with the door he had not foreseen the need to move and possibly wake Mia up.

As he opened the door, he saw a pitcher of water and what looked to be elfin medicine. The inn keeper probably had this at every door who might need it. He picked it up before shutting the door and walking over to Mia.

“Here, drink.” He stated as he offered her a glass of water and the medicine. He still wore his stoic mask and his eyes held no warmth, but his actions were careful and deliberate showing his concern for her.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic's eyes went wide and Ezra's smug expression fell as the council finally spoke their decision. It was like a punch to the gut for both of them. Dominic, because he was never expecting to have this as the final verdict, and Ezra because, despite all of his meddling and scheming, his plan had failed. Ezra took a step back, his jaw tense as he silently fumed. Dominic took a step forward to face the council, finally giving them a respectful bow.

Dominic eyed the group carefully before turning to look at Flower. They were giving him an option to escape. He wouldn't be forced to marry anybody. He knew that's what Flower wanted. But, that was just for his sake, not her own. He couldn't let her give herself up to marrying Ezra when he was there capable of protecting her just this once.

His gaze was apologetic, but quickly changed as he faced the council. He stood tall, his expression impossible to read. "Thank you for your consideration. I will gladly accept your decision. Although, I would still like to petition to allow Flower her own choice in this matter instead." He glanced back at her briefly, hoping that his statement wouldn't ruin his shot at keeping Ezra away from her. "I would much prefer it if Flower was choosing to marry me, or an appropriate suitor of her own choosing, of her own volition and when she feels ready. But, if you are already set in your decision, I will respect that."

He swallowed hard, his mouth feeling much dryer than when he first came into the room. Flower was going to strangle him as soon as they left.


Mia heaved a sigh and flopped back down onto a pillow as Deathwish graciously closed the curtains for her. Even though he was incredibly silent as he moved around the room, the noise of him opening and closing the door made her wince. Every light and sound caused her head to throb.

She snatched the pitcher out of his hands as soon as he was within arms reach. Immediately, she started guzzling down the water without even bothering with a glass. The medicine, though, she turned her nose up at. "I'm not a little b***h. I don't need pills." She said, setting the pitcher with its remaining water down on the end table beside the bed.

Even though Deathwish was being unusually helpful, she was acting like his mere presence was more of a nuisance. It was probably just the hangover, though. Deep down inside, she was thankful to have him there.

 

[The Writer]

Flower lowered her head so that her hair could cover her face. She knew that despite his plea, that they would go through with their decision. She only kept silent as the fight had been taken from her. She was tired, had a headache, and frankly was exhausted from her earlier outburst.

She closed her eyes as she waited for the council to respond. She looked up as one of them whispered to the other. It made her ear twitch. A council woman finally spoke up.

“While we appreciate your obvious care and concern for Flower, you must realize that while she is very young, she is also our royal line and a rare creature. Thanks to…humans and other magic seeking creatures we’ve had to take these measures. Hopefully, with Flower as their queen, humans might be more restrained with their murderous ways and these measures can stop. Now, you are dismissed.”

Flower quickly exited the room without looking at anyone. She had been deadly silent as well. This is not what she wanted. She didn’t want Dominic dragged into her problems and certainly not into the clutches of the council. She was furious, she was sad, she was…relieved. Flower paused as she thought on that. Why deep down did she feel…happy? She didn’t have to marry Ezra…she didn’t have to marry Ezra.

Yeah…that’s why she was happy…wasn’t it?


Deathwish raised an eyebrow at Mia. “I am glad you are still observant about your species and gender.” He stated before he sat beside her and carefully brushed his fingers over her forehead as he checked her temperature. She really did look quite unwell.

“Now, behave and take this medicine. You shall be glad you did.” His voice held smooth and quite as to not irritate her headache anymore than necessary. His violet eyes examined everything from her breathing to the paleness of her skin due to her current condition.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Ezra left the room just as quickly as Flower, shooting her a displeased glance as he strode past her. Failure just wasn't an option for him. No matter what the council had decided, he was determined to find a loophole. There was absolutely no way he would give up on having Flower as his own. He hoped that she knew that he wasn't giving up so easily.


Dominic said a last thanks to the council before slowly making his way outside. As soon as he wasn't under the scrutinizing gaze of the council, his hands began to shake. What just happened? He couldn't quite believe it. They had chosen him over Ezra. They even heard him out when it came to his plea for Flower's freedom. Sure, they were selfish in their reasons for wanting Flower to be married, but at least they understood that he wanted what was best for her, and through her he wanted to do right by her people.

Although, even though things hadn't gone exactly as planned, he wasn't upset. Dominic had only pursued her to buy them time during the war. And then to protect her from Ezra until they could find a way to give her freedom. But, even though they never found that true loophole to allow her to choose her own spouse, the idea of marrying her didn't feel like it was just out of necessity to him. There were some feelings present that, if he allowed them to continue, could easily develop into romance.

He wanted to talk to Flower, but he doubted she'd be too thrilled to see him after what just took place. But, he also needed to tell somebody... Thea. She would know exactly how to approach this.

He ran to the hotel that he knew she would be at and was directed to her and Nick's room by the elf behind the front desk. He decided to pretend like the two of them weren't obviously in a scandalous relationship. That was a problem for another time. He knocked lightly on their door and prayed to whatever god there may be that he wasn't interrupting something.

Thea jolted awake, her eyes wide and her heart pounding. The door. There had been a knock at the door. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, hoping that her moment of panic didn't worry Nick. She was incredibly open with him, but that didn't mean she enjoyed showing moments of weakness.

She slowly eased out of bed and went to the door, checking the peep hole before opening it up. "What's wrong?" She asked, a few wrinkles forming between her eyebrows. Dominic was rarely a functioning human being this early in the morning unless there was something important going on. And he knew not to interrupt her own sleep unless he absolutely needed to.

"The council decided." Dominic said, sighing. It was hard to tell if the sigh was to calm his nerves for what he was preparing to say or from relief that everyone in the room appeared to have clothes on. "Flower is marrying me."


"Don't you sass me, you little s**t." Mia grumbled, shooting him a glare. But more bits and pieces of the previous night continued to pop into her mind and she remembered her promise. Begrudgingly, she took the medicine from him and examined it suspiciously.

She wasn't familiar with whatever the elfin medicine was and wasn't entirely sure what to do with it, but by the look of the little brown capsules, they were some kind of pills. Gritting her teeth, she huffed a frustrated breath through her nose before looking at Deathwish. She hated asking for help, but she had promised to cooperate, and this was part of it. "What the f**k am I supposed to do with these?" She asked, pinching a pill between two fingers and holding it up between their gazes.

 

[The Writer]

Flower had decided to hide out in her room after the news. She might have gone to the forest if that incident with Dominic still wasn’t fresh in her mind. No, she didn’t think she would find solace in the forest without her mind being pulled to that. Instead, she decided to sulk in her room with a very annoyed Sky on the other side of the door and a concerned Hunter watching her from the other side of the room.

Flower was hidden under her covers before Hunter’s hand was placed on her back. Flower looked out from under the covers and her hair toward the shape of Hunter above.

“You promised I wouldn’t have to marry.” Flower whined

Hunter sighed. “I promised you wouldn’t marry Ezra, Mistress, not Dominic.”

“So you the one who changed their minds?”

“For quite a while Sky and I have been counter pulling strings.”

“You mean…”

“Ezra was quite the clever man, but Sky has age on him.” Hunter stated as she smirked, and Flower only tossed a pillow at her. Hunter caught it and set it down on the bed as Flower pulled the covers tighter over her head.

“I didn’t want him dragged into this.”

Hunter petted Flower’s head from under the covers. “He dragged himself into this. Do not be concerned, there is still time.” Hunter ignored Sky’s mumbling about how Flower should not be sulking. Hunter’s ear twitched before she sent a glare at the door where Sky was standing on the other side of.


Nick had been asleep before Thea startled awake. He squeezed her tighter to his side in response as his hazy senses tried to identify who was at the door. His body felt heavy and he groaned as Thea moved to open the door. He really should have gotten up to get the door, but Nick wasn’t a morning person. In fact, he was known to walk around in a haze in the morning and anyone that attempted to wake him up usually ended up on the receiving end of a beating. It was rumored that in his half-asleep state he attacked Deathwish…and won.

Sensing that there was no danger to Thea, he merely rolled over and attempted to ignore waking up for a few more minutes. However, the constant presence of a male finally got Nick out of bed. He walked over and yawned as one hand rubbed his eye and his other arm wrapped around Thea before he lazily leaned over her. His height allowed him to curl around her as his tired eyes looked rather annoyed at Dominic.

His half-asleep state was legendary, and his irritation at Dominic for stealing his source of warmth, aka Thea, was reaching dangerous levels before the phrase “Flower is marrying me” registered slowly in his mind.

“What?” Nick yawned out before he suddenly straightened up and he suddenly was awake. “They chose you?” Nick raised an eyebrow at that. He had heard of the situation Dominic and Flower were in, but he also heard that Ezra was another light elf. How…curious.


Deathwish stared blankly at Thea as she held up a pill for both to see. His blunt nature came in full force just then. “Swallow it.” If she was feeling even slightly better than she was, he might have added on that she was perfectly intelligent enough to have figured that out. He held his tongue though and stood up as he went into the bathroom.

He grabbed a cloth and dampened it in cold water before he walked back over to her and pressed the cloth to her head as he tried to recall ways to relieve a headache that worked for humans. There were many species and many of them had different ways to relieve pain.

 

[headlessSpleen]

"The council chose me..." Dominic said. He looked completely dumbfounded as he slouched against the doorframe. "I hadn't expected them to come to a decision so quickly... I thought we still had more time..." Looking up at Thea and Nick he said "I'm pretty sure Flower's going to beat me to a pulp for this."

Thea rolled her eyes, grabbing her brother by the arm and pulling him into the room. She closed the door behind him and ushered him in to sit on the edge of the bed. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed and eyed him closely. Thea was pretty good at delving into what people were thinking, and her brothers were the easiest to do that with. "You're worried about hurting her feelings by marrying her." She said, pursing her lips together.

Dominic ran a hand back through his hair. The small streak of grey that was left as a reminder of Flower's protective magic seemed like it had gotten bigger. Stress was aging Dominic quicker than normal. "You're right..." He said. His voice was filled with exhaustion. "I just don't know what to do. She doesn't want this, and no matter how much I want to protect her from the alternative, I don't want to hurt her."

"Flower's tough." Thea said. "And you've done all you can to protect her. But, this is her life. If she decides to refuse to marry you, then you have to let her do it." Those were big words coming from Thea, who knew all too well what it was like to be placed in Flower's situation. She had married Draco out of a sense of duty, and everyone could see how that turned out. Even if it was the worst idea in the world, if Flower continued to refuse to marry, Thea would support her and she hoped that Dominic would too. His motives were much different from Draco's, but Flower still had a right to choose.


Mia shot a glare at Deathwish. "I should shove this pill right up your a** for you attitude," she growled, but complied and swallowed the pill with another quick swig of water. She hated having to listen to him, but she had made a promise, and no matter how much she didn't like to admit it it, she cared too much for Deathwish to start being that terrible to him.

As he returned and pressed a cold washcloth to her forehead, she quickly tried to smack his hand away. It was a flurry of limbs, but she somehow managed to snatch the cloth from him and toss it at his head. "I'm fine for f**ks sake!" She exclaimed. "You don't have to treat me like a sick infant. I've dealt with this a million times on my own."

And then the realization hit her. It had been years since someone had bothered to take care of her like this. Before things turned sour with her family it was like this. When she forged a new family of fellow scoundrels and punks it was like this. After her friends either died, went missing, or were imprisoned only to later die or go missing, she had refused to allow anyone to take care of her. She was living for herself, even though, before Deathwish took her under his wing, she was barely scraping by. Maverick was one of the few people she had been close to pre-Deathwish, and he knew better than to try and help her unless she asked. The whole sensation of having someone actually bother to take care of her again felt foreign because it had been so long. She couldn't even really remember the last time this had happened before her life was flipped upside down.

 

[The Writer]

Nick watched the two and sat back in a chair as he placed his chin in his hand. He let the siblings talk for a bit before his own very serious voice spoke out. “The unfortunate alternative for Flower is to marry Ezra, and despite her displeasure on all accounts of this situation if Flower truly did not want you in this situation she would have chosen her suiter and counted you out at the beginning of this charade. Deep down, I think she had accepted the consequences just as much as you did. Flower is stubborn and wants only to protect you, but even she has more self preservation than marrying the spiritual successor of Draco.” Nick hadn’t met the guy personally, but from what he’s heard about this guy, it can’t be too far off.

“All of this is pointless anyways. The council will not go back on their word now. What is done is done and any consideration for Flower’s rights or lack there of are very much moot at this point.” Nick turned to Thea. He knew she probably more than anyone wanted people to have the power of choice, but there just wasn’t one in line for Flower as much as there wasn’t one for her either. Let’s just hope they can all escape this one unharmed. Nick turned his attention back to Dominic, his uncharacteristically serious mood telling just how serious Nick took all this.

“Tell me, Dominic, do you even know what it means to marry a light elf?” Nick asked as he remained rather lazily in his chair with holding his head while his other hand started to fix his hair from bedhead. He honestly didn’t want to deal with this straight out of bed, but apparently Elves were morning people. Curse them all for it.

Nick straightened up and rested both elbows on his legs. “I may not have met many light elves and Flower is certainly one of a kind, but you should know very well by now their magic has something to do with everything of themselves, at least most of them.” Nick thought on how Ezra didn’t really display any of the usual habits of Light Elves. He was reserved while Flower’s magic betrayed almost every emotion. Sure, Flower reigned it in when it counted, but all other times it expressed everything about it and surrounded her constantly.

“Their magic is extra important with their lifetime partners, and while you two are definitely more friends than lovers, despite what you may think, Flower will change once you are married, and her habits and your responses too them will be important.”


If Deathwish was surprised by her reaction, he did not show it. He only grabbed the cloth and laid it on the stand. He’s been quiet throughout this whole morning, but he suddenly was extremely quiet now. He only wished to care for her, and she literally was throwing it back in his face. That was the thing, he WISHED to care for her. There were very few things Deathwish wished to do and allowed himself to do it. There was a frustration rising in his chest before his impeccable control kicked in and sealed it away with most of his emotions.

He stood up, turned around, and walked to the other side of the room. He could not force her to accept his help, and it was not worth his time helping her if she was going to throw a fit and make herself feel worse. He wanted to do it, but that didn’t matter. He closed his eyes and laid his head back against the wall. For now, he would do nothing.

He had cared for Neshema when she was ill and cared for his brother when he was too injured to move despite his own injuries. It was in his nature, he realized. It was an odd nature, being that he was a killing machine, but it was. He wished to protect all that were important to him. Mia was important to him despite it all.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic heaved a heavy sigh and put his face in his hands. His voice was muffled as he said, "I can barely understand human women... And I had to take lessons on how to properly treat a human princess." Raising his head, he looked at Nick with obvious confusion in his eyes. "I didn't even realize elves existed until Flower came around. How am I supposed to go through with marrying one and not royally screw things up?"

"Well," Thea said, walking behind Nick's chair. She moved his hand away from his hair and started fixing it herself. His bedhead wasn't as bad as Dominic's, but he was still a bit of a mess. "The council is going to want to do this in a traditional Elvin way, I'm sure. It would be a good example for the rest of the human kingdom if you went along with whatever they want you to do. You marrying Flower isn't just an emotional thing like most weddings. It's political. And showing that you have deep respect for the traditions of others will hopefully help ease any tensions with other races that might still be present."

"How do I even start with that, though?" Dominic argued. "There isn't a textbook that explains how to marry the Queen of the Elves. And I'm sure if there is, it's in a language that I definitely can't read."

Thea looked to Nick to fill in the blanks for this one. Just like Dominic, there was an entire world of elves and vampires and other creatures that was almost completely new to her. Their family had done well with accepting things as they came since their father's passing and trying to rebuild bridges that the previous generations had burned, but, for the most part, they were clueless about the finer aspects of the other race's cultures.


Mia heaved a heavy sigh and swung her feet out of bed. Her entire body wasn't happy about it, but she was too stubborn to lay in bed all day. Especially after back-talking Deathwish for trying to care for her. She shambled her way into the bathroom and took a look in the mirror, only to wince at the sight of her own reflection. The makeup she had been wearing last night had obviously not been completely removed, leaving her with a bad case of raccoon eyes. Her lips were chapped and her complexion was pale and clammy. It was obvious she had put her liver through hell with her drinking. She did her best to wash her face and pull herself together, finally changing out of the sheet she had wrapped herself in the night before back into some real clothes. Looking in the mirror again, she still didn't look great, but at least she only appeared half dead instead of like an actual corpse.

Returning from the bathroom, she eyed Deathwish sitting in the chair. She could tell he was frustrated with her, and for good reason. He was just trying to take care of her and she threw it back at him like it was the worst thing he could possibly do. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized why she was so easily upset by him.

She was scared. Getting attached to someone again was dangerous. Mia had been through so much loss in her life. Letting herself be vulnerable and allowing them to show they cared meant that if she allowed herself to get used to that kind of treatment, she would eventually have to re-learn how to do things on her own again. No matter how much she cared for Deathwish, constantly fighting with him was easier for her than admitting how she really felt.

The few steps it took for her to get from the bathroom door to where he was seated felt like miles in Mia's head as her mind whirred with thoughts. She had done everything in her power to make Deathwish hate her. When she was irritable and irate and trying to punch his teeth out, he somehow stuck around. She took a seat on the floor in front of him and leaned her back against his knees with her eyes closed. It took her a few deep breaths in silence before she could speak.

"The last time someone took care of me when I was sick, I had food poisoning." She said, her fingers nervously tapping on the floor. "We'd been eating out of the trash because we didn't have money and I'd been stupid and had some bad dairy. I was living with these two guys who were complete degenerates. One was dumber than a rock and sold hard drugs, but was such a wreck that he consumed more product than he sold. The other one was a pickpocket unless he could get work being tall and scary, but he could never really hold down a job for how much moving around we did.

"When I was curled up on the floor of some inn, just trying to keep my insides in, one of them carried me into the bathroom and cleaned me up. He set me up with a couple pillows and a blanket in the bathtub, so if I got sick I wouldn't have to run back and forth from the bed to the bathroom. The other one wound up stealing some fresh bread and some crackers to try and ease my stomach.

"They took care of me when they could barely take care of themselves, and I would've given my life for them if I had the chance. But in a month's time they were gone. One went to prison, and the other disappeared. Presumed dead and all that."

She paused, her nervous fingers going still, and opened up her eyes to look up at Deathwish. He looked upside down from her point of view, but it made it a little easier to divulge her personal information to him when his features were all topsy turvy. "I was on my own after that and I took care of myself." Mia said, swallowing hard. "It's always been... just me..."

 

[The Writer]

Nick raised an eyebrow at out utterly defeated Dominic looked in that moment. Curious how he had not thought on this while he was courting Flower. He was equally surprised that the council had not informed him on anything. Had they truly changed their minds at the last second? Nick glanced at Thea as she began to fix his hair. He might have fallen back asleep with her ministrations had he not have Dominic’s plight to deal with.

“Dominic, calm down. These are elves we are dealing with. This will not be a public affair and only a select few high elves will actually be at the wedding and anyone you wish to be there.” Nick smiled lightly. “And the council will send you everything you need to know in a language you can read. The moment they decided on you they started preparing. I assure you translations shall be sent.” Nick chuckled at him.

“Thankfully you are not marrying a vampire and won’t need to know all our strange customs, habits, and mannerisms. Believe me, Elves are not as instinctual as most creatures, so they are fairly straight forward.” Nick glanced at Thea. She probably was very aware on how vampires worked, but elves would not be her forte.

“Thankfully Elves are not a fan of public affections, so you at least won’t have to kiss the bride, but you already have done that.” Nick snickered as he glanced at the discoloration in Dominic’s hair. Was it stressing that made that grey grow, or Flower’s magic? Nick wanted to see if Dominic would look more like an elf in a few short months married to Flower. What has she done to him? She did it to protect him, he was sure, but had she done something more as well? Magic was a funny thing, and hers was very much its own thing as it was her or from what he gathered by what Deathwish has told him. Her magic after all had influenced him even after she stopped using it to sooth his reaper.



Deathwish opened his eyes as she sat against him. He blinked having been lost in his own thoughts he had being tracking everything else BUT her. He looked down at her as she spoke and listened carefully. Finally, the pieces were coming together. How interesting that he was more willing to open than her, a human, and with a past that was much shorter than his. That did not diminish her pain in his eyes though. After all, Deathwish held very little pity for anyone especially himself.

Deathwish slowly moved his hand and started to rake his fingers through her hair. He stared down with a stoic face but warm eyes. He only “hned” and continued to stoke her head. He thought on what, or if he should say anything. He was never truly alone, though he may have felt it, Nick was always at his side. He finally decided on something to say.

“You have not been alone for a long time.” He stated as he remembered the first time they met. Since then, he supposed, she stopped be alone and cared for only by herself. How interesting it was to think on all that back then. He pushed it aside as he stared at her.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic took a deep breath. "Yes, you're right... I can handle this... It's just elves. Their traditions and mannerisms are closer to human's than most. And if the council is kind enough to clue me in on what I need to know, all I have to do is deal with Flower."

Thea paused her messing with Nick's hair to give her brother a deadly serious look. "If I hear about you doing anything stupid to Flower, I swear on my life I'll break your nose." She said. "The whole point of this courtship was to give her as much freedom as possible, and if you make this more uncomfortable than it has to be, she won't be the only one angry with you. Got it?"

Dominic rubbed the bridge of his nose and winced, remembering the last time Thea had fractured his nose when they were kids. Thankfully, it was minor, but that didn't make it hurt any less. "Ok, I've got the hint. The last thing I want to do is upset her, but I get where you're coming from." Thea seemed satisfied and resumed toying with Nick's hair.

"This is probably an awful question..." Dominic said, his lips forming a thin line. "But you've both been married at some point, and you've both been in relationships... And I'm actually clueless. Do you have any pointers?" He looked up at them with his big eyes, hoping that they would be able to give a bit of helpful advice. In the romance department, he truly was clueless. He'd never been the one to flirt with the female staff at the castle. He'd never had any secret love affairs like Thea. He'd barely even had a crush before. How was he supposed to suddenly be a husband?


"I know." Mia said, closing her eyes again and leaning more of her weight into his legs. His touch was soothing and she tilted her head to lean into his fingertips. It may have just been the medicine kicking in, but it almost felt like he was making her headache melt away. "You've put up with me for a while, but when you're not being an irritating s**t, I sometimes wonder when it will all be over. I can't let myself get used to you being nice and taking care of me, only to have to relearn how to be on my own again later."

 

[The Writer]

Nick stayed silent as Thea threatened to break his nose if he did anything stupid to Flower. He had a hard time imagining Dominic truly upsetting her. The guy was like a puppy for pete’s sake. Flower seemed already fairly endeared to him, and they seemed rather close if it was as friends or…something more. He would have to keep a good eye on the two of them and see just how far their relationship goes. After all, Dominic had to have spent the most time with her. In fact…Dominic was fairly covered in her scent.

Nick blinked as he just realized that. How could have he missed it? Or right…he had just woken up and Flower’s scent screams safety. It wouldn’t have alerted him, but this was ridiculous. It wasn’t just covered, it dominated. What on earth where those two doing last night? He almost smirked as the thoughts crossed his mind. Perhaps Thea shouldn’t worry too much. Maybe the two of them had plotted this all along. How curious of a thought, but it didn’t seem to be Dominic’s style. Again, the man was like a puppy, but Flower…well she might be a different story. It simply intrigued him. Flower was a very beautiful elf after all, he had a hard time thinking a man could spend so much time with her and have no appreciation for that.

Nick could feel the smile pull on his lips as Dominic asked Thea and him for relationship advice. OHHHHH he could give some advice. His brief marriage to a certain elf came to mind. He smirked as he pulled forward again and rested on arms on his legs. “Well if she gets mad at you, you could always pet her ears. Elfin ears are sensitive, but you might already know that. Just maybe…” Nick tilted his head slightly as he continued. “You might not be as clueless as claimed. Dominic…you are covered in her scent.” There was infinite amusement in his eyes. “You had to be really close…for a long period of time to get that much of it on you.” Nick’s nose flared as he took in where the scent was concentrated.

“Is there…something you’d like to tell us?” Nick’s voice had hit a low that purred his words. His meaning was clear as he stared with a look in his eye that claimed many women’s dreams. “Flower is a very beautiful woman and parties like last night can make a man notice things…do things.” Nick was not pulling any punches. His curiosity was peaked, and now that he was alert and aware, he couldn’t resist teasing Dominic. He was having too much fun with this.


Flower’s ear twitched before she sneezed. In the back of her mind there was an alarm going off, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She looked over as Hunter and Sky were playing a game of wits…chess. Flower really wanted to go back to sleep, but only a few minutes into it and she had a rather uncomfortable dream. Flower tried to her best on to blush. Her back straightened slightly as she sat cross-legged on her bed. Honestly, it was just an accident…why was it bothering her so much and why did the dream take a certain turn. Sure, she had kissed Dominic before, but that was only to imbue her magic into him, there was nothing romantic about it.

This whole situation had her very flustered. She swears stress and lack of sleep does strange things to her. Despite Sky’s orders to get some rest, here she was…awake…and not going to try and sleep.

“Child, if you are not going to sleep perhaps you should bathe.” Sky suggested as she knocked over one of Hunter’s pawns.

Hunter nodded. “Yes, before someone notices.”

“Huh?” Flower looked over at the two of them. Her tired mind not catching on.

“You are covered in Dominic’s scent, Light Child.”

Flower’s eyes widened. Of…of course she was! She had literally curled around him in beast form and then…then…Flower shut down her thoughts. “Um…uh…”

Hunter raised an eyebrow at her mistress. She had not thought anything of it. They had danced after all, and Flower did drag the poor boy off somewhere last night. Flower and Dominic hardly seemed like the type to do anything, but Flower seemed incredibly flustered. Sky, however, was smirking.

“Sky?” Hunter growled as she grabbed her rook and moved it. “You know something.”

“Oh me? You are fooling yourself, proud dog.”

Hunter narrowed her eyes as she looked at Flower. “What happened?”

“I may have fallen asleep in my beast form with him using me as a pillow?” Flower tried. Hunter knew that wasn’t what had Flower flustered and the look on her face finally made Flower say it.

“Fine! I fell out of a tree right on top of him!”

“You fell out of a tree? Mistress, you are almost more comfortable in the air than on the ground.” Hunter said in shock.

“I have no clue HOW it happened it just did and next thing I know I’m hovering over him!” Flower hid her face in her hands.

Hunter snapped her head to Sky. Sky had her poker face on with a bored expression, but Hunter wasn’t buying it. Flower quickly caught on.

“WAIT! IT WAS YOU!”

Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest a branch was hanging just barely onto the tree it belonged too, with a smooth cut into it.

Sky moved her queen and stomped it down next to Hunter’s king as she looked over at Hunter with predatory eyes. “Checkmate.” She swiftly dodged a pillow Flower threw at her head. Honestly, she had to have hobbies; Flower needed to get over them.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic flushed red from the top of his head, down to his chest. He had barely had time to sleep, let alone bathe since the night previous. It didn't even cross his mind how sensitive vampire noses are. "N-no! It's not like that!" He said, straightening his back and holding his hands up in defense. "I would... I would never!"

Thea rolled her eyes, not believing Dominic's stuttering in the slightest. She gave Nick a disciplining smack on the side of his head and said, "It's too early in the morning for this." She said, walking toward the door. "You two can be disgusting all you want, but I'm tracking down some breakfast." And, with that, she was gone. Never in her life did she think she'd get that much insight into her brother's... personal affairs.

Dominic let out a loud groan and flopped backward onto the bed with his face in his hands. "I swear on my life, I didn't do anything!" Sitting up again, he looked at Nick, who was still giving him that knowing look, and took a deep breath. "She wanted to make a scene at the party last night. Throw some salt in the wounds of the council and all that. She turned into her beast form and literally carried me in her teeth out to the middle of nowhere." The more he talked, the bigger and more exaggerated his hand gestures got. "We just sat and talked and I accidentally fell asleep. Then later... um..."

He paused, not feeling comfortable disclosing Flower's ongoing panic attacks to someone without her permission. It was something that he felt should be kept secret unless she made it clear she was comfortable sharing it. The memories of Draco were so painful to her, and she was trying so hard to be strong, he would hate to be the person she entrusted with her fears only to be a blabbermouth and tell the world her one sore spot.

"She... had a rough night, so we went for a walk in the woods. She was doing something up in the trees when I tripped and fell and then all of a sudden a branch broke and she was on top of me and...." If his face could have blushed a deeper red, it would have at this moment. "That was it. I took her to where she was staying, said goodnight, and went to bed. Then it was morning and we had that meeting with the council. But... that's it!"

 

[The Writer]

Nick didn’t even flinch at Thea’s smack. His eyes watched her as she left. He finally turned back to Dominic as the poor boy told his tale. Nick’s smirk only widened more as he went on. Dominic was quite telling when he was flustered. Nick only placed his head on his hand as he listened to the tale. Rough night? What curious wording.
“How rough?” Nick asked clearly thinking something else. His smirk was widening by the second.

Nick only grew more pleased as Dominic continued his tale. Nick’s eyes widened as he stated Flower fell on top of him. Oh, how much did Dominic enjoy that? Wait a second…was Flower the transgressor here? Now that’s interesting!

Well, Flower had some energy. Nick laughed as he placed a hand on his forehead. “Dominic do you hear yourself? You are damning yourself more than you think!” He stated as he stood up still chuckling. He hardly thought half the things he was thinking was true, but the boy only kept stumbling more into the web that is Nick’s perverse mind.

“What was she doing in the trees, by the way? Didn’t she have a dress on?” Nick asked. He had sparred with Flower before, and by his mistake he made it outside. He remembered how agile Flower was in the trees, but with a dress on? Could she have been teasing him? That dress did show of some legs.

“Well I suppose her legs were fairly exposed.” He added as he vividly remembered that. He swore he never saw so much skin on Flower. She always covered herself up, she was shy, but perhaps she wasn’t as shy as he thought. “Long, legs too.” He added as an afterthought.


Uryen was in what looked like a dinning area. He observed as cooks started setting the tables for breakfast. He could hear that most people were up and Dominic had come in looking rather disturbed. So, the news was out that Dominic was their chosen husband for Flower. It would be interesting to see how it played out, but right now he heard someone coming out of one of the rooms.

He walked out and noticed Thea. He smiled warmly at her. “Princess Thea, looking for something to eat? I may not have food fit for royalty, but it’s still good.” He teased lightly as he heard Nick laughing his head off from the room. With Nick’s personality, who knew what it was, but Uryen certainly was curious.


Deathwish listened to her tale before he paused his ministrations. He reached around her head and grabbed her chin as he tilted her head up so she would look at him. There was a heat in his normally cold eyes. He didn’t say anything, but he dared her, dared her to say he wouldn’t stick around. He dared her to doubt him. There was warmth and affection, but also anger that she thought he’d leave, not after all she had seen of him, all she knew of him. He had showed his devotion last night, but apparently it wasn’t enough to quell her fears. He would have to correct her swiftly. He took things very seriously, and relationships were no different.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic smacked himself in the forehead. Of course he was making things worse. "It's not like that!" He argued, the redness moving all the way to his ears now. Why did Thea have to leave him alone with a pervert? He would have to have a talk with her about her choice of men later.

"She was just goofing around, trying to scare me in the woods. It was dark and I couldn't even see a foot in front of me. But um..." He paused when he thought about her dress... and those legs... "I guess you're right about her legs" He said, his mouth getting dry. "I tried not to look, though. It's just not polite." Dominic shook his head, trying to flush the image from the previous night out of his mind.

He had been so keen on being Flower's friend for so long, it was hard to see her in a more... romantic sense. Automatically his reaction to really appreciating her attractiveness was to shut it down and suppress any feelings that might arise. And now he was marrying her and had to rewire his whole brain to think the other way around.

But, would Flower even want him to do that? Would she really want to treat this marriage as a marriage? She had her whole life ahead of her while his life was a blink in comparison. If she'd rather not start a real relationship with him, she could just wait for him to die and move on. Would he ever have children? Of course, with this arrangement he'd already resigned himself to never having a true heir or really having a romantic relationship in his lifetime, but that didn't mean these weren't important questions that he would have to find answers to.


"Thank you, Uryen." Thea said, giving him a polite nod. "And don't worry about the food, or about calling me 'princess'. I'm sure whatever you have is more than fit for me to eat." She smiled softly and patted her belly, "After all, the baby isn't picky." She eased herself into a seat in the dining area, feeling a bit like a beached whale with how big the baby was. It was a little cumbersome to sit forward at tables. Anymore she had to sit at an angle to keep her belly from bumping the edge.

"So, I'm sure you've already heard the news about my brother." She said, crossing her ankles casually. Nick had mentioned that he knew almost anything and everything that went on in these parts and was curious to see if he had any information that she didn't.


Mia blinked her eyes open when Deathwish moved her head, initially looking a little confused. But, when her eyes met his, she finally understood. Last night he had marked her as his own, but that wasn't one-sided. He wasn't going to claim her and abandon her. No, she had her own claim on him now. They shared a particular, special bond that was two-sided. Even though it wasn't visible, she had placed a mark on him as soon as he had marked her.

Suddenly, she popped up from her spot on the floor and flopped into Deathwish's lap. She threw hear arms around him and buried her face in his neck, taking a deep breath. She didn't say anything. It was a silent gesture of thanks, and also of apology.

 

[The Writer]

Nick chuckled at Dominic before he decided to put most of his teasing aside. Having Dominic admitting he tried his best NOT to notice Flower made him decided to help the boy out. Nick sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He pushed his fingers through his hair for a moment.

“Dominic, women are strong creatures, but they have gentle souls. They are wise when we are foolish, they are kindness when we are vicious, and they are scary beyond all reason when you tick them off. There are so many sides and so much to see past what they show. They are your strength when you cannot be strong.” Nick turned to look at Dominic. “And you are their strength when they cannot be. When a woman allows you to protect her, allows you to have a say in her life, allows you to make up for her weaknesses and vise versa, there is not greater partner.”

“You have seen all she is emotionally, I am sure. It’s time for you to see the obvious. There are people in this world who can marry politically, but Flower is not one of them. She is a light elf, and they are naturally very loving and open. It comes with the territory of pure magic. You need to see her now, because if you don’t, she will love you and it will hurt her.” Nick said seriously.

Nick suddenly smirked. “Now, enjoy it, Dominic. You will have a beautiful and powerful wife with a temper hotter than a thousand suns.” He leaned over him. “Seriously, try rubbing her ears when she gets mad because you are a poor fool and will need it.” Nick stated rather bluntly.


Uryen nodded at her and walked over as he sat at the table next to her. The servants set plates of food down and Uryen grabbed a fork as he was served his own plate. He didn’t make a habit of eating with people who came into his inn, but Thea looked like she wanted to talk; he would oblige her.

“Yes. How wonderful for the both.” He stated as he smiled at her. “From what I hear, the human kingdom could use the council Flower will provide, not that she hasn’t been doing that already.” He stated as he ate some fruit off his plate. “Is there anything particular you wish you know?” He asked with a glint in his eye. It was obvious he enjoyed his status as all knowing.


Deathwish watched as revelation hit her eyes. Ah, that is what he had been waiting for. He had not told her because she needed to figure it out on her own, lest there always be doubts. Deathwish was a man of action and very patient when he needed to be.

She suddenly was on him and his arms wrapped around her as she snuggled his neck. Deathwish tilted his head slightly completely exposing it to her and showing his trust in vampire terms. He doubted she would understand, but that could be filled in later. He was content to allow her all the time she wanted in his arms.

 

[headlessSpleen]

Dominic sat in silence, absorbing all that Nick had told him. Flower was already his partner and he did love her dearly. Now it was time to let everything out on the table. He would stop denying himself feelings for her, and he would make it clear to her how much he truly cared about her. "I vow I'll be the best husband to her." He thought, finally rising from his seat on the bed and straightening his hair.

"Thanks, Nick." He said, turning to the vampire and offering him a hand to shake. "And, here's a tip for you. Thea can read your mind. Sometimes it's uncanny how much she can figure out just by looking at you. And if you aren't straight with her, she can and will break every bone in your body." He let out a little chuckle and pulled up his pant leg, revealing a white scar a few inches above his ankle. "She broke my leg when she was ten because I borrowed her pillow to practice sword fighting and tried to hide it from her."

As he turned to head out the door, he finally gave Nick a genuine smile. "And if you ever want to know anything from her, all you have to do is ask. She trusts you enough. She'll be an open book. Now, I'm going to get my butt kicked by my soon-to-be wife!" And, with that, he was out the door and off to Flower's quarters.

As soon as he arrived, he could tell it was probably a terrible idea to talk to her, but he was going to anyway. If he got married to her with a black eye and a broken nose, then so be it. At least he could say he tried. He knocked on the door gently and held his breath as he waited.


"I'd like to know anything you think I should be aware of." Thea said, picking up her fork and stabbing a piece of sausage on her plate. "Particularly in the case of my brother, but any other situation as well if you deem it important enough." She said, taking a bite.

Her shoulders eased as the food hit her tongue. Uryen was full of garbage when he said the food wasn't fit for royalty. Whatever she was eating, it was delicious. It even reminded her a little of some of the bars at home. She used to sneak out of the castle so often just to get a late night snack. It was always after dark and she always wanted that special brand of greasy breakfast food that only particular taverns and inns could give.


Mia sat in Deathwish's arms, just enjoying their closeness before an idea popped into her head. A smirk spread across her lips. In a split second she went from peacefully enjoying his company to latching onto the side of his neck with her teeth and biting down. Hard. When she finally felt satisfied, she pulled back and flashed an impish grin at her handiwork. She'd left a very obvious bite mark and a light bruise on Deathwish's neck. She knew it would heal in minutes, knowing him, but she didn't care.

"That's my mark." She said with a snicker. "And you'll be getting a lot more of those now that you're all mine."