Fighting Darius

To say that I had a bad day is an understatement. It was awful! After the announcement, Lady Celeste had a meltdown. Big sobs tore through her and she ran dramatically out of the dining room in tears. It felt like I was watching telenovela for a bit there. I glanced up to see my pack mates already sharing a look.

Queen Sophia looked like she would’ve preferred to kill me on the spot….or have me dipped in cow dung and left out to die a slow death in one of those cages on top of a cliff….all shrivel up and gory-looking.

Queen Sophia told Caspian to go and apologize to Lady Celeste for making her wait for him for decades then he went and mark someone else. Caspian, of course, refused to do so. He said that none of it was his fault since he never asked Lady Celeste to wait for him in the first place. If it’s anyone’s fault, it would be Queen Sophia’s for giving Lady Celeste false hope by promising the girl something that wasn’t hers to give.

The quarrel ended with Queen Sophia leaving the table to pacify Lady Celeste herself, but not before shooting me a furious glare. Not many people scare me, but I almost slink underneath the table from her glare. She has that powerful aura of a lycan Queen. I was so proud of myself for not slinking underneath the table, turning all neon yellow. Yellow being a cowardy color in my mind.

I feel bad for Lady Celeste….well, sort of….okay, not really. Told you I’m no angel.

I do, however, feel bad about having to lie about being Caspian’s mate, especially to the King and the Queen. I’m very sure this is a punishable crime. A treason. How else are we going to explain the reason I became a lycan though? A werewolf and a human only become a lycan after being mated to one and we can’t let our enemies know that I’m Darius’s mate. Oh, the web of lies we weave!

I wonder if they would stick me to rot in the dungeon somewhere underneath the palace after they discover our lies. They will discover our lies. Of that, I’m sure. I swear, I’m not a slammer material. I don’t know how I’m going to survive the dungeon.

I finished breakfast very quickly and I was never so relieved to be out of that dining room before.

My relief was short lived. Queen Sophia’s messenger came to inform me that she’s expecting me for the dress fitting.

Serena and Genesis wanted to join me, but Queen Sophia already scheduled a painting workshop with a famous painter, Alexei Plutenko for Genesis and Serena was to give an introduction music lesson to werewolf children from a nearby village. I suspected that it was intentionally and calculatingly done.

Which explains why I’m standing here right now, staring out the window while half-heartedly listening to the fashion designer, Florian Gaultier, explaining his vision for my dress to Queen Sophia. One of his assistants, in the meantime, is busy taking my measurement while another one is typing it down and taking notes on her tablet.

Queen Sophia has been polite, yet cold and distant. Intimidating power radiating off her like tidal waves. Remembering what Darius told me to do, I hold my head high and keep my feelings closely and tightly hidden. I’m a fighter darn it!

I keep staring out the window longingly as Florian keeps talking to the queen, showing her swatches of fabrics of different colors and materials.

From this window, I can see out on the street where people are celebrating. Werewolves from nearby villages and also those from far and wide travel here just to attend the celebration. Street buskers are performing. People are dancing in the street. Colorful banners and flags are waving around the road and the palace ground. Tents are set up around the designated camping grounds.

The cold weather isn’t a deterrent to creatures like werewolves and lycans.

None of them are allowed to pass the Palace gate. A lot of them try to get as close as possible to the Palace’s ground. Many people are standing by the gate in the hope of getting a glimpse of the Royal family. Security is increased around and inside the Palace. If only they knew that I’m in the palace imagining myself running out of the place like a prison break at this moment.

“She is gorgeous, Your Majesty. Creating a dress for your son’s mate is a pleasure. It will be beautiful. The prince will be pleased,” says Florian, breaking through my daydream. Yeah, keep talking like I wasn’t here.

“Yes. Yes, of course,” says Queen Sophia and I almost wince. Not an ounce of warmth in her voice. Argghh…the lies! I just want to jump out the window and keep running.

It’s only been a few hours since Caspian announced our mating to the king and the queen, but it seems like quite a lot of people knows about it already.

“Well, that settles it then,” says Queen Sophia, finally. She turns to me and says, “We’re done here. I will see you this evening for dinner.” Just like that, I’m being dismissed. I don’t even have a clue what color my dress for tomorrow night is going to be.

Well, good! Being dismissed is good. I’m not going to argue with that. The longer I stand here, the antsier I get, and more pissed off….not to mention exhausted.

The main part of the palace is bustling with workers and servants getting the place ready for the big celebration tomorrow night. I walk back to our section in the left wing with two guards on either side of me through the flurries of activity.

As soon as I enter Caspian’s bedchamber, I make a beeline straight to his massive and comfortable bed on the second floor. I flop myself onto the bed and stay lying face down on it like a dead duck. I’m too tired to even walk through that tunnel to get to the other room. I’m going to have to explore the tunnel some other time.

“What are you doing, Beany?” I feel the bed dipped beside me.

“What do you think I’m doing?” I ask him back. My voice is muffled by the soft bedding. “I’m tired. Being with your mother sucked the energy out of me,” I add, turning my face to look at Caspian. “No offense, but your mother sucks.”

“No offense taken. She is sucky. My mother is a life force and energy sucking vampire. I’m sorry you have to deal with her alone this afternoon.”

I shrug my shoulders. My mind wanders to think about my mate. I miss him. Then my mind wanders to Quincy. She would have to deal with the queen for real one day.

“I feel sorry for her. Do you miss her?” By “her” I don’t mean Queen Sophia. I’m glad I’m not Quincy.

“Yeah. I do,” he admits.

“I miss Darius too.” I think we’re both feeling sorry for ourselves now.

“This sucks,” he says and I agree with him.

“You can say that again.”

“Well, this sucks!” he says louder.

“Again!” I’m jumping up on his bed.

“This suuucks!!!!!”

“This suucckksss!!!! I join him.

“THIS SUUUCKS!!!” we both yell at the top of our lungs.

The door to his bedchamber opens with a loud bang. Four puzzled, anxious faces are staring up at the two of us.

“Hey, what’s up?” asks Caspian smiling innocently as the four of them jump up to the second floor.

“We thought you two were killing each other,” says Constantine with a frown. He’s holding onto the railing now.

“I should’ve known better than to allow you two in the same room together even for a minute,”

adds Lazarus.

“Hey! We’re still alive,” I protest. That should count for something, right?

“We were just exercising our lungs,” explains Caspian.

“That’s actually very therapeutic,” I tell Caspian.

“You two are impossible,” says Genesis.

“I bet she wishes that she was doing it with us,” Caspian mock whispers in my ear and I nod in agreement. Knowing Genesis, I bet she does.

Genesis just rolls her eyes. “We were surprised the two of you made it out alive this morning,”

she announces before she starts pulling me to my feet. “You! Go get ready.”

“But the party is tomorrow night! We’re just having regular dinner tonight,” I protest.

“A lot of people are joining us for dinner tonight,” explains Serena as she and Genesis drag me out of Caspian’s bedchamber, and into another room right next to it.

“I’m not sure I like it that the two of them are working together now,” I hear Constantine talking to Lazarus. I think he’s referring to Caspian and me.

“Yeah, double trouble,” agrees Lazarus. Whatever!

Three women are waiting for us there. Apparently, these women will be assisting me to get dressed from now on. It seems that I can’t dress myself anymore even just for a simple dinner since I am now mated to the crown prince.

These people are too much. I’m glad they still let me chew my own food.

It seems that I have to get ready in this room since the prince won’t allow strangers into his room. The room is filled with racks upon racks of dresses and shoes my size. Makeup and beauty products are set up nicely on the big vanity in front of me.

“Now go take a bath,” instructs Genesis as she leads me to the ensuite bathroom. She’s so bossy.

“I have to go to go get ready. I’ll see you soon!” she sings as she leaves me in the hand of the three she-wolves. Serena stops to give some instructions to the three women before she leaves as well.

Three freaking hours, tons of swearing, and countless of threats of violence from me later, I’m ready. I step out proudly, feeling quite fabulous in my long burgundy sheath dress. It is floor length and has a scooped neckline. The silky material hugs my body like a second skin. When I take a step forward, the side slit opens all the way up to my upper thigh. I have nude high heels on and my shiny hair is in loose curls cascading down my back down to my waist.

Genesis, Serena, Caspian, Constantine, and Lazarus are waiting for me in the seating area just outside the door.

Caspian lets out a howl as soon as I step out of the room. “My mate is hot!” he says with a wink and a big wicked smile.

The rest of them agree but they all look stunning. The men are looking amazing in their suit.

Genesis and Serena are looking breathtaking in their long evening gown. To be honest, I feel rather drab next to their striking appearances.

They smile at me approvingly until their gazes land on the three women who step out just behind me. Their eyes widen and their jaws drop before they start to struggle to hold in their laughter.

“Oh, Penny…what are we going to do with you?” says Serena shaking her head.

Okay, so admittedly my three lady’s maids are looking rather haggard right now. They are lucky I didn’t punch any of them in the face. I don’t have much patience with people touching, scrubbing, and waxing me.

Genesis was right when she said that there are a lot of people joining us for dinner tonight.

Dinner is held at the state dining hall. The long formal dining table is full.

One of King Alexandros’s two brothers is here. His other brother, Constantine’s father, sent his apologies for not being able to be here for the celebration this year. There are a few other royal family members as well as the highest ranking ministers and Royal army officers present.

We arrive just on time, allowing the six of us no time to mingle at all before dinner. We take our seat after the royal couple sits.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Before we start, King Alexander stands up and addresses the whole room.

“I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate mine and my mate’s marking anniversary this year. However, I’m standing here this evening to make another announcement,” he says. “Get up, son,” he says to Caspian.

Caspian stands and pulls me up with him. My heartbeat spikes in my chest and my stomach flips.

My eyes I spot Darius sitting not far away immediately.

“I know this is sudden and unexpected, but we are happy to announce that our only son, the crown prince, Prince Caspian Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov has finally claimed his mate, Persephone Aspen Ruiz.”

I hear gasps, then people clapping. My eyes glued to Darius the whole time. His expression betrays no feeling. I feel Caspian squeezing my hand and I look up to him brushing the back of my hand against his lips.

I put up a tight barricade around my own emotions and smile up at him. I don’t remember much of what is being said after that. A few moments later I find myself sitting down again.

King Alexandros is sitting at the head of the table with Queen Sophia on his left. Caspian is seated on his right and I’m right next to him. Genesis is seated right next to me with Constantine beside her. Lazarus and Serena are seated on the other side of the table along with other officers.

My eyes seek Darius who is sitting next to Lazarus again. He’s looking gorgeous in his suit and tie. His lustrous light blond hair is swept back and his glacier blue eyes coldly sweep the room.

Our eyes meet once again but there is no expression on his face.

My gaze slides to his beautiful dinner companion. A stunning lycan woman with shoulder length light brown hair and amber eyes. Her strapless red evening dress follows the curves of her body perfectly. She is flawless. I see her hands intimately clutching his arm. I know he has to do this, and I try to contain my feelings but I can’t help feeling my chest burns with jealousy.

I feel Caspian tightening his hand on mine. A warning for me to control my feelings.

“Okay, darling?” he asks me loud enough that his uncle’s companion who is seated not far from us nods approvingly and whispers to his uncle how sweet we both are together.

“I’m okay, sweetheart,” I say through my gritted teeth.

My eyes suddenly catch the sight of a man further down the table and I breathe in a sharp intake of breath. He looks a lot like Darius. The similarity is unbelievable. Same light blond hair, same facial features, and almost the same tall build. They could be brothers or maybe twins, but then I remember Darius told me that he’s an only child.

I can’t keep my eyes off of him and he’s watching me with a slight mocking smile. Even that smile looks a lot like Darius’s. As I keep watching him, his smile grows into a smug cocky one.

It’s a smile of a man who knows how attractive he is.

No, I don’t feel the same pull towards him as I feel for Darius, but right now I can’t stop staring at him.

The lady beside him flashes me a hard cold look.

Caspian squeezes my hand and leans in. “Careful there, my love. I’m a jealous man. If you don’t watch yourself, I might start to think that you prefer some other man rather than me,” he whispers.

“Nonsense, my snookums. You know you’re the only one for me.”

“Ahhh..good to know, my cuddle bug,” he replies. In a lower whisper, he adds, “I thought you might want to know that the man you’re staring at is Æmelius, Darius’s cousin and the woman sitting next to him is his mother, Darius’s aunt, Katya.”

Now I remember Darius mentioned something about his cousin and aunt once. His aunt, Katya doesn’t look a day over 30. Her blond hair is shiny and perfectly done in a low twisted bun. Her sharp blue eyes are studying me.

“Thank you for telling me, my little monkey. I’ve been wondering about that,” I whisper back and I hear him snickers and huff the word “little monkey” under his breath.

“I have to admit, though, Pookie…I’m not a very big fan of the old broad,” he says. Pookie???

Katya is beautiful and looks nothing like an old broad. Just the way Caspian says it and the word

“Pookie” makes me burst out laughing and soon he’s laughing right along with me.

“Beside them is Lord Volkov and his companion, Lyuba. I swear, every year, for the past ten years or so he’s been bringing a different woman as his date to the palace but for some reason, their name is always Lyuba.”

“Kinda like a pet goldfish?” I ask him. “You flush a dead one down the toilet and keep buying a new one and keep naming them Goldie?” We burst into another fit of laughter. We try to keep our laughter quiet, but it still draws attention from people around us.

“That or he has a Lyuba fetish,” he says and that makes us laugh harder…I almost snort. I see Queen Sophia raises an eyebrow delicately our way. I am so not a princess material and Caspian just doesn’t give a damn about what people think of him.

Genesis nudges me discreetly underneath the table. “You’re going to make me lose my poise and decorum,” she whispers daintily.

Pffttt…Genesis losing her poise and decorum? I think she just had her etiquette lesson this afternoon after the painting workshop. I’m itching to tell her that she never has them to begin with. The event is so bland, I can see that she’s dying to join us gossiping.

Though Caspian and Genesis keep me occupied throughout dinner, I still can’t help from glancing at Darius and his date once in a while. Just the way she keeps touching his hand or the way she sometimes rubs her hand over his arm suggestively makes me growl lowly and feel like

ripping her arms off the sockets. The only thing that keeps me from doing so is the thought of the danger from the result of blowing our cover.

I can feel his attention on me, though. I can feel the heat of his eyes on me from time to time. I know he’s very aware of my presence even when some other woman is hanging onto his arm.

That doesn’t stop me from feeling hurt.

The torture doesn’t end even after the nine-course dinner is over. We are invited to an adjacent room where butlers and maids carry trays offering liqueurs and coffee. I use the term “invited”

rather loosely here because being invited suggests that you have a choice to turn it down. Well, if it’s up to me I would rather go back to our wing and punch and kick something right now.

It seems like everybody wants to talk to us. I think Lord Volkov’s date, Lyuba the 10th or something is flirting with Caspian. She raises her hands up to brush the lapels of his suit. She’s standing so close to him that her almost bare chest is nearly pressed up against his chest and I’m standing right here!

I can’t believe some of these lycan royalties and nobilities. I discovered tonight that they still flirt with mated men or women…and right in front of their supposed mates too! Why didn’t I notice this before?

The crown prince just watches her with amusement. One of his eyebrows is raised elegantly and that reminds me so much of Queen Sophia. I’m quite sure that before he met Quincy, the player prince would have taken her up on her offer. Lyuba is a very beautiful lycan woman.

I put my hand to my lips and cough, “Goldie”. Caspian’s lips twitch and suddenly he’s fighting to keep his composure. I know he will get me for this later.

“Your Highness,” says an unfamiliar voice. I look around to see Katya and her son Æmelius standing beside us.

“Congratulations,” says both, mother and son. Up close, I can see the difference between him and Darius. For one, his eyes are deep dark brown with gold specks in them instead of glacier blue like Darius.

True, both of them are gorgeous, like blond Nordic gods, but Æmelius is flaunting his good looks. He’s even cocky about it. That shows in the way he carries himself and that what makes them different.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, princess,” drawls Æmelius, interrupting my thoughts. He takes my hand and raises it to his lips. That is a very ballsy thing for him to do since you don’t take a

royalty’s hand unless it is offered to you. “You are very lucky, Your Highness, to have found such a beautiful mate.” He keeps his eyes locked on mine the whole time.

“Yes, aren’t I?” says Caspian haughtily, pulling me closer to his side. “Ahh…did I tell you, my darling, that Prince Constantine wishes to talk with us before we retire?”

Huh? I think my head is reeling. Sure enough, though, Constantine and Genesis are heading our way, so are Serena, Lazarus, my mate, Darius…and his date.