The Prince's Mate

One After The Other

She hadn’t even turned around yet, but she felt shock and fear seize her like a vice around her heart, her outburst put Lucas in a brief state of panic and he stood there staring at her, but only a second later there was a loud terrifying roar behind them, and recognising the sound of his own beast the Prince turned around horrified when he saw Dylan holding on to the Tiger’s ear while its wings were spread wide open and its feet spaced apart as if it was ready to attack something. “Dylan!” Cecelia shouted again as she abandoned her shoes right on the spot and broke into a sprint toward the both of them, Lifa was out of it as well after she had shied away from the tiger in fear of her life and was unable to gain the courage to move in the face of such a terrifying roar.

“Look, sis!” Dylan laughed as the tiger shook its head and pulled him off the ground causing him to land squarely on its neck. “He’s harmless!” Dylan laughed as the tiger spread its wings even wider, she had no doubt that the creature was harmless as well, she had been the one petting it before, but this was different, this time the creature was skipping the socializing part and headed straight for a flight lesson, and she wasn’t about to let her son become a splat on a pavement, so she quickly closed the gap and caught the Tiger’s face and stared him in his eyes. “Wait, he didn’t do anything!” Dylan rose to the Tiger’s defence but Cecelia still held on and stared him down, once again she’d done something so bizarre and out of character that she left everyone speechless.

This time though the reason was much more simple, the tiger was under a spell that kept it calm, and any who approached the wandering beast out of intent to even touch it would be gifted a one-way slap to the afterlife within a few seconds, the only exemption being prince Lucas and the wizard Flock who cast the spell in the first place, but here her and Dylan had been able to interact with the wild and bad-tempered creature against all odds and actually get it to behave itself by simply looking at it, as was Cecelia’s case when the six-legged tiger began purring against her hands before pressing his large head onto her torso again, no roars, not even so much as a growl, just a calm purr that sounded and felt like the engine of a vehicle. “There’s a good boy,” Cecelia reached under his chin and scratched it, staring up at her son with a sigh of relief. “There’s a good kitty.” She chuckled as he nuzzled against her and then fell over onto his back exposing his soft underbelly, allowing Dylan to harmlessly slide off to his feet. “He’s precious,” Cecelia looked around at Lucas smiling, but stopped when she saw the horror on his face.

“Lady Cecelia, w-would you please not do that anymore?” Lifa aside from everyone else called to her from her position without getting any closer. “The Rein beast is not a pet, it is not even tamed and can only be here thanks to magical manipulation, and it might attack you the moment you let your eyes off it,” Lifa warned her, but Cecelia looked back at the tiger and chuckled before running her hand on his neck and underbelly. “Lady Cecelia!” Lifa gasped again, but nothing else came of the situation.

“He is harmless, if he hates you then there must be a reason, and I feel that could be the fact that he is being held against his will,” She smiled as the tiger rolled back to his feet and shook his wings. “I always believed that places which kept animals for game or protection against their will weren’t doing the environment any good, creatures were created for the wild by the wild and to domesticate them against their will is the same as s*****y, and I feel like I’m in the same boat with this guy, I understand and can sense his yearning for freedom.” She smiled sadly while the approach of footsteps alerted her of a fifth presence.

It was a woman, wearing a plain dress like one of the concubines, but with style and finesse outclassing anyone she had ever seen. “I feel like a caged bird,”

“What exactly does that mean to you?” The woman came and stood fearlessly right at the side of the tiger, even as it looked at her crossed and perplexed. “Who do you think you are, some noblewoman or princess?” The woman asked and Lucas quickly walked over ready to jump to Cecelia’s aid. “You are indeed a caged bird, there is nothing that can be done about it unless the king himself grants you your undeserved freedom, and I suspect that will never happen,”

“So, I am gonna be held here until some big shot says otherwise?” Cecelia asked back. “No way in hell, if I can’t earn my freedom I’m gonna take it by force, and whoever you are or whomever you serve ain’t gonna have a say in it.”

“Watch your tone prisoner.” The woman raised her chin and looked at Cecelia down her nose. “I am tempted to kill you already.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed by you to some scary degree?” Cecelia responded, and the woman narrowed her eyes while Lucas’s eyes went wide and Lifa slapped her forehead and whispered a quick prayer behind them, Dylan tugged at Cecelia’s dress though and pulled her down to his whispering lips.

“Big sis this woman is the Queen.” He whispered and then surprised her as he stepped back and gave her a small bow like a little gentleman, but Cecelia despite being told so and seeing the way Lifa had sweat trickling down her nose stood upright again and raised an eyebrow. “So?” She asked. And then looked at Lucas who also seemed on the edge of pins and nails. “I do deserve my freedom, I have always been and will remain a free spirit, the only reason I have not attempted to escape this place already is because Dylan is here and I can’t exactly run around with him, it was an accident getting here and I do not recognise or admit to any of you being any royalty whether or not that’s a fact,” Cecelia raised her nose and looked at the Queen the same way the Queen was looking at her. “I do not belong here and I have sworn nothing to anybody.”

“Impudence,” The Queen had a scary look on her face all of a sudden when she looked next to Cecelia at Lucas who had a pleasing stare in Cecelia’s defence. “Train her well son, this will be her first and only offence, whether she be some rare creature or some kind of witch or demon, if this woman ever speaks to me like this again, I will ensure she never breathes another word thereafter.” She turned and began walking away, when Cecelia opened her mouth to fire off a comeback, but was stopped by the tiger that bumped her in her back with his nose sending her to the ground.

“You fluffy i***t!” She spun around and grabbed his cheek, but then began petting him again.

“I cannot tell you how lucky you are right now.” Lifa looked at Cecelia like the alien she was. “If you must know, the queen has killed entire households for far less of an offence, please try at all costs to avoid her in the future.” She warned Cecelia and then reached out and took Dylan’s hand rapidly retreating from the tiger again when it looked at her perplexed.

“Cecelia Holland,” Lucas took her hand and slowly began putting her glove back on while Lifa approached her with her shoes. “As your maidservant has warned, please avoid the Queen henceforth, she will be seeking any and all opportunities to humiliate or kill you because of your humorous lack of respect, and as I am still within her domain my influence is limited, do not be so hasty to speak down to people in the future also, consult your elf first and know your place.” He finished talking as he finished putting on her glove.

“Know my place-“ Cecelia was about to turn up her angst when Lucas raised his palm and cupped her chin and cheek, something she’d missed having happened and it made her go speechless. “Know.. my...” She fell short of words because of the sudden act.

“Be mindful of what you say, there are plenty of people to offend and I cannot protect you from them all, I did find you standing up to my mother like that amusing, but please try not to kill yourself before we are better able to understand you and where you came from.” He gave her a courteous bow and then turned and began walking away. “I will make time to speak to you soon again, but for now the wizard has requested for you and the boy’s presence in his study, in regard to the strange text you came with and a number of unrelated matters.”

“Thank you, your highness.” Lifa bowed to his retreating form and then looked at Cecelia as if she was about to explode, though the woman didn’t know if it was because of anger, disbelief, or second-hand embarrassment.

“You amaze and horrify me.” Lifa gestured in another direction while still holding on to Dylan’s hand. “This way to Lord Flock, if you would please follow me without getting into a quarrel with another member of the royal family it would be a blessing.” She added causing even Dylan to chuckle as he looked back at his mother. “I would like to be alive to see my four hundredth birthday milady.” She added another piece and felt her neck as she thought about getting her head dismembered from her body. “Hope for both our sakes you prove to be an asset rather than a liability, for I do not believe you understand the thin glass you are treading on.”

“Cecelia Holland.” Another woman with tall brown hair and eyes elegantly dressed came out from behind another section of the garden stopping before the three of them, tailed by a white-haired elf identical in size and stature to Lifa, they both smiled politely and gave Cecelia and her son a dainty curtsey and then stood before them relaxed as Cecelia quickly did the same on Lifa’s gesture. “I would be pleased if you could find the time later tonight to visit me in my study for a cup of tea, I do wish we could have known each other a little sooner but I am afraid I am rushed on time so please come, Lifa will know the way.” She smiled brightly then curtseyed again and then quickly left with the elf behind her doing the same.

“What the flip just happened?” Cecelia looked at Lifa who had a soft smile on her face as she began walking again. “Who was that?”

“Probably the kindest person this castle has to offer.” Lifa walked before Cecelia and spoke. “That was Princess Naomi; Lucas’s twin sibling and best friend, the reason for her rush is because she is under preparation for departure within a day, she will be attending her engagement party in another county and it will take a week at least to get there so she is pressed against time, I will remind you after our session with lord Flock to attend, as this might be a chance you will never be blessed with again.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cecelia looked at Lifa confused as she still smiled and walked, but she shook her head in the negative and looked around them and then at Cecelia, making her aware that even if they weren’t seeing anything unusual they were still being monitored by someone, or in Lifa’s mind, everything that lived and breathed. “Alright.” She conceded and kept silent for the duration that they walked through the garden back toward the castle, though that silence never lasted as long as it should have when a man atop a three-eyed horse stopped in their path and dismounted slowly as if for dramatic effect. “Is this another of the royal family?” Cecelia looked at Lifa and then the man with a sigh and raised eyebrow, and Lifa slapped herself mentally before a small bow and curtsey. He must have been because he was dressed just as Lucas was, while he literally looked like a younger version of the same person.

“Your Highness.” Lifa greeted him, but Cecelia only gave him a small nod and a half curtsey, in her mind she was already over the entire day and simply wanted to go to sleep.

“I saw you yesterday woman.” He approached and extended his hand, and Cecelia gave her fakest smile yet as she reached out and let him take her hand in his own to greet her. “I also saw your horrible display of respect with my brother and mother earlier.” He chuckled. “Had you been one of mine I would have disciplined you thoroughly on the spot before all to see.”

“Then it’s a good thing I don’t know, belong to, or give a f**k who you are then,” Cecelia withdrew her hand first while still maintaining her smile. “Prince Lucas has proven that there are good men around, I suggest you learn how to speak to a lady from your older brother.” She smiled still as his own smile was replaced by a frown so deep his facial muscles twitched. “If you would please excuse me your highness I have an urgent appointment with a kind old man who is eagerly awaiting my company.” She gave him a flamboyant curtsey and then dipped to the side and walked past him.

“Apologies your highness!” Lifa bowed several times and then hurried after Cecelia. “Are you crazy?!” She snapped quietly and Dylan laughed out because of it. “Prince James is not the kind of person you ought to upset-“

“Lifa, I know what kind of person he is, it took me a single glance to know what kind of person he is, and I would rather be at odds with his kind of person than be in their favour, you need not tell me I have to avoid him because I am well aware of that fact already.” Cecelia responded with a disgusted face. “Any man who would parade around flamboyantly showing off their manhood beneath thin fabric like that is beyond my care, he should take a page from his brother’s book and learn to dress the part of princeliness.”

“So you have been paying attention,” Yet another man appeared, and this one looked like an older version of Lucas with tall curly hair but dressed more like the youngest, and immediately Cecelia felt the urge to punch him, or someone else, or something else, as long as she could punch it. “I am Prince-“

“Not interested.” Cecelia cut him off with her hand raised as a gesture to shut the hell up. “I don’t know or care what your deal is, I simply want to get to the old man, and then get out of everyone’s way so could you please spare me the pleasantries and leave me alone for a single minute, I’m sorry about your reception but I heard you’d already retired!” She snapped as she bowed and then quickly paced around him leaving him speechless as Lifa was once again left to apologise on her behalf.

“Why must they all be crazy bastards, what the hell is it with rich people?"