Frost Bite

Chapter Eight.

Zane.

I watched her leave, her feet carrying her in a similar fashion as how they would a born noble woman. My eyes turned to look at the people in front of me, first gazing at Aron who had his jaw set and was still starring at the door where Blythe had disappeared through. I could tell that something was wrong between then and judging from her odd request of the maid, she was attempting to push him away. Whatever he had done, it played in my favor so I did little to address the topic, instead striking a conversation with the old man on her armor and how to design small metal pieces that would fit over the fabric of my coat for comfort and movement. He was shocked that I took the time to discuss such a thing with him, sketching out various ideas late into the day until the sleeves of my shirt had been rolled up and my hair was slightly messy. The servant girl had long since disappeared and only Aron was left with his father, but Aron simply sat, sharpening his arrows and paying no mind to what was going on around him, or at least that was what I thought "Why are you doing this?" his voice broke the silence out of nowhere, causing me to turn and look back at him. He refused to look at me, his gaze locked onto an arrow head that he turned in his hand, inspecting every angle with narrowed eyes. His father was too busy studying my latest suggestion to notice "Pardon?" Aron abruptly stood, tossing his arrow into it's bag as he turned to face me, his chest still exposed, revealing raw muscle and tan skin that was littered in scars of various sizes, the latest would be the wound Blythe had inflicted that was covered in bandages "Why are you going out of your way for her?" his fists balled at his sides. Aron was a strong man, a warrior that had more muscle than me or any of my brothers. He had been born into a family of Blacksmiths but his mother worked in a brothel and when she gave birth to him, she abandoned him for his father to find. He had never known the woman since they moved North upon my father's demands. His up bringing was that of a commoners boy, getting into fights and being caught by the Knights until he met my brother and they became very close "It is my duty as the head of the Royal Armada to-." I was cut off by a fist striking the wall, Aron's fist that was already bruised from prior strikes. I stood straighter, my body turning more towards him in case he decided to attack "Bullshit!" Aron snapped, his eyes glaring at me with a mix of anger and hatred. It was clear that he had feelings towards Blythe other wise he wouldn't have reacted the way he did. His father was drawn out of his daze, the old man lowering the hand that was stroking his white beard as he looked to his son "Watch your tone boy!" Aronis' dark grey, almost black eyes darted from me to his father but other than that he barely paid any mind to the older male. He took a few steps in my direction, stopping a few feet away, his length slightly taller than mine by an inch of so "Cut the crap" I would be lying if I said that his straight to the point way of putting things was unexpected so instead of playing dumb, I allowed a grin to creep onto my lips as I met his gaze with a hard one of my own. I wasn't intimidated by him in the slightest which was why I could speak the next words that were starting to form in my throat "You want to know why?" something flickered in his eyes, a gleam of darkness that dared me to push his buttons, to say anything other than what he wanted to hear "She's a beautiful young woman, mysterious and wild and-." I leaned in closer so that we were barely a foot apart, my lips pulled back in a smirk "Just like you and my brother, I want her for myself" his breathing became ragged as I leaned back and turned to address the blacksmith, nodding my head in his direction "If you will excuse me, I have a ball to attend" Aron was trembling, shaking, his palms vibrating against his thighs as he watched me leave, his eyes cursing me in every way with his teeth clenched and gaze narrowed into slits, sending knives into my back. I paused to look back at him from over my shoulder, the grin on my lips my only greeting before I left, heading for my Chambers to get ready for the night's celebration.

Aron.

"I want her for myself" his words echoed in the back of my mind as I watched him leave and once he was gone, I was left trapped in the same memories that kept repeating in my mind when I had been seated in front of the hearth, listening to the Prince planning on how to design her new armor according to a fashion that would best suit her. The image of her being bent over with him pressed up against her, his hand gripping the back of her neck as he spread her legs wide was enough to drive me insane. Next came the sight of her sitting on top of him, wearing his coat, breathing ragged and face flushed as she leaned her head back. My arms began to shook at my sides from my hands tensing so tightly. Her bare back turned to me as she removed her armor with him looking at her like she belonged to him, like she was his and only his "Aron" my father's voice tried to reach out to me but I was too far gone to hear him or even respond. The sad look in her eyes when she had asked the servant girl to check on my wound, a look that made me think she was too afraid to touch me for fear of me pushing her away. My heart ached at the thought of what my reaction to Nixon's necklace had done to her "Aron!" his voice was louder this time, getting closer but I couldn't see, I was too blinded by rage, frustration and self loathing to notice, to care. Zane's hand brushing over her cheek, her skin flickered in my mind, tucking her hair behind her ear. A hand touched my shoulder but I pulled away as if burnt and found my father standing beside me. He looked worried but he also had a knowing look in his eyes "Let her go" he muttered, voice raspy and gaze turning to the floor with a painful tint to them. I felt like I could breathe for the first time in hours and took deep breaths, one after the other, in through my nose and out through my mouth. My chest was heaving and the veins on my arms stood protruding "There are two things a man should not get involved with-." he began, turning to head for the hidden bottle of wine that stood off to the side, stowed away behind a few panels of metal and firewood for the hearth. He returned, removing the cork and taking a large swing of the red liquid "Women and Royalty" he finished, holding the bottle out for me to take. He was an old man, one who had never fallen in love, one who had tried to refrain from being with a woman as best he could. It made sense that he would tell me such things and in that moment I knew what he was getting at. It would be best to stay away from Blythe because she is both a woman and involved with the Royal family of Myres. I took the bottle and downed the rest of the wine, some of it spilling from the corners of my lips and trailing down the length of my throat to my chest. I slammed the bottle down onto the table beside me then turned to head for my shirt, coat and arrows "I'm going hunting" I informed him as I got dressed, shrugged the arrows onto my back and took my bow in hand. I was halfway to the door when he called out after me "You better buy me another bottle!" I breathed a laugh at his words and shook my head, disappearing beyond the gates of the Courtyard and into the Capital where the forest could be found North of the city walls.

Nixon.

I was busy assessing some papers regarding the shipment of various items in and out of Vixten. My eyes scanned the hand written words as I sat behind my desk in my Chambers where I normally preferred to handle my paperwork. I sighed and set down the paper I had been holding in my hand to run it over my face. It was then that feet slapping against stone reached my ears and I looked up, in the direction of the double doors that lead to my quarters. They were shoved open and hurriedly closed by a woman, her silver hair moving like a halo around her as she turned to me, hands hurrying to untie the buttons of the Royal coat that she wore. My hand shot to grip the arm of my chair as I watched her strip down, the coat falling to the floor as her feet danced over to me, climbing onto the surface of the desk with little regard to the paperwork or books. She was sat on her knees, leaning forward so that her hand was braced on my right thigh with her face left only inches away from mine. Her deep blue eyes seemed desperate and hungry as the pendant of the necklace that hung from her neck caught my attention, the sapphires reflecting the early evening light of day. The shock was replaced by confusion as I took in her naked form, spread legs and breasts that dangled in front of me. I wanted to ask what she was doing but my words were cut off by her leaning forward and forcing her lips onto mine, shoving me back into my seat with her hand gripping my shoulder. Her touch, even through the fabric of my Royal clothing made my skin tingle with a need for more, a longing for physical contact that I had never experienced with another woman before. I kissed her back, my hand moving to grip the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair and forcing her closer to me so that I could deepen the kiss. She whimpered when I slipped my tongue past her lips, allowing it to taste every inch of her mouth as I stood from my seat and took a stand in front of her. The movement caused for her to sit up on her knees, reaching up for more of me with her head still slightly leaned back just to reach. Her hand that had been on my thigh moved to grab onto my arm when she began to move her tongue against mine, fighting back, demanding dominance. My hand free hand moved to grab onto her, cupping her rear tenderly then roughly squeezing it until a moan somewhere between pain and pleasure rumbled up from her chest. Her hands hurried to unbutton my coat, fumbling over every silver piece until she could push it from my shoulders. I let it fall to the floor and bent to hook my arms underneath her knees, pulling her from the desk and into me. She gasped and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling away to catch her breath, leaning into my neck as I moved us to my bed, stopping at the foot of it to set her down in between the pillows and fabrics, crawling onto her and forcing her knees up so that they were on either side of her head with my hands bracing myself on the feather mattress. She was gasping, panting, her eyes rapidly flickering from blue to black as her fangs extended and her claws dug into the material of my shirt. I leaned into her, burying my face into the side of her throat where I began placing a trail of kisses down along it toward her chest.

Blythe.

I wanted to get my mind off Aron and without thinking, I fell right into the trap my wolf had set for me. I was underneath him, my mind racing, too foggy to really think from the pleasure I felt, from the desire for him that my body emitted. He began to kiss the side of my neck, trailing lower until he took my n****e into his mouth, biting down onto it, hard enough for me to throw my head back, gasping with canines protruding. Aron. My eyes shot open at the image of him hovering over me on that platform and I began to struggle beneath him, my hands digging deeper than they should've to get him to move away from me. He leaned back, blood soaking the material of his shirt where my claws had dug into his skin. He let go of my legs and I quickly sat up, placing a firm hand on his chest, forcing him away from me despite the objections that my wolf had, despite the pain in my chest from rejecting my mate. I stared down at the surface of the bed, mind racing with thoughts. He was a King, I couldn't openly reject him. I leaned up, my hand moving to cup the side of his face and forcing a seductive smile onto my lips "Not yet" I placed a small kiss to his lips and ran my hands down his chest. He looked frustrated, his eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance and frustration. I let go of him to crawl up the bed and fall into the pillows, smiling down at him with my arms extended above my head and my chest heaving. I wanted to leave, to go to Aron, to be near him, to be with him but I couldn't, I had to be with this man, the man my wolf wanted, the man who held my life in his hands. I turned onto my side and patted the space beside me. He ran a hand through his hair, kicking off his shoes to lay down beside me. My wolf truly cared for the man, it was safe to say that she loved him to an extent which meant that half of me loved him but the other half wanted to be with Aron, to be close to him like I could've been before he had brought me to the Capital. I curled up beside Nixtoni, my head resting on his chest as my eyes gazed up at him, hand gripping his shirt "You seem tired" he was staring up at the painted ceiling, his arm slung over me with his head resting back against one of the silver pillows. He looked down at me when I slightly raised my head, meeting my eyes with his forest green ones. I couldn't help but wonder if the woodlands to the South were really that green "Being King is not all it's made out to be" he muttered in response. His hand moving to cup the side of my face, his thumb flicking over my bottom lip. I felt like crying, felt like screaming because I willingly leaned into his touch and for a moment I wanted him to kiss me again, to hold me close. I reached for him, my fingertips dancing across his clean shaven chin and to the curve of his strong jaw "You should get some rest" I whispered, tracing the circles underlining his eyes. He closed them at my touch and let his hand drop away from my face, to grip my hand that was resting on his stomach. I looked to our hands, my heart racing at the thought of being with him, of loving him the way my wolf did "We have a ball to attend soon" he reminded me, referring to the celebration that would be held for the new Commander of the Guard. I gripped his hand, our fingers intertwining as Aron's words echoed out in the back of my mind 'You're not mine, you're his!' I closed my eyes and willed the thoughts to go away. Aron didn't want me, he had rejected me so why should I reject Nixon when he was willing to accept me, to have me as his, when half of my heart had already fallen for him? "There's plenty of time before that" I uttered, my leg moving to drape over his. My bottom lip trembled when I looked from our hands to his face. His eyes were still closed, his hair a mess and his facial features relaxed. He was handsome beyond a doubts, he had riches beyond any other, he was a King, what more could I ask for? He hummed in response to my words, his breathing becoming even more shallow and his hand relaxing in mine. I leaned up to place a kiss to his lips, a small, delicate touch of lips that sent chills down the back of my spine. He was gone, fast asleep by the time I lowered my head back to his chest, my hand once again at my side 'Mate' my wolf said in the back of my mind, the single word holding so much power over me, over my kind, a word that could change the course of our entire life. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of his body against mine, the smell of his expensive clothing, of power radiating from him "Mate" I whispered sleepily in agreement, the last word to escape me before I too fell asleep on that king size bed, in that large chamber room, next to the King of Myres.

Blythe.

I woke up before him and decided to slip away before any servants could catch us. He was a King after all which meant that he had a certain way of doing things, of introducing his love interests to the people. I shrugged into Zane's coat, buttoning it up before I headed over to the desk, grabbing a piece of paper and his quilt, dipping it into the black ink to scribble down a single sentence 'I'll see you tonight' I signed it with a 'B' then turned to leave, sneaking out of his Chambers and back towards the West wing where I found Mila pacing back and forth anxiously in the center of my room. When the door clicked open she paused and looked at me with worried eyes "Where have you been, my lady?" she questioned. There was a dress laid out on the surface of my bed, shoes set at the foot of it, a bath already drawn and various bottled scents lining my vanity. She hurried over to me, grabbing hold of my hand and dragging me towards the tub where steam was still emitting from it "The ball is to start soon, we must hurry" she stripped me then stripped herself and helped me into the tub. I sat silently as she worked on my hair and scrubbed salt into my skin, being careful when it came to my nails to properly clean them. My eyes stared down at the water, Nixtoni's face dancing in front of me, sleepy, tired and relaxed like he had been before falling asleep. I felt my heart start to race and my face grow hot at the thought of him so I cupped some water into the palm of my hand and ran it across my features. Mila kept shooting me odd looks, wringing out the cloth to dip it in more oils that she'd run over my skin to sooth it from the rough texture of the salt. She helped me out of the tub, using fabrics to dry my body and hair to an extent then she tugged a light blue gown onto my form and sat me down in the vanity chair. She worked to expertly roll my hair with round pieces of bunched up fabric, pinning them to my skull with pins that sat off to the side. She instructed me to stay still as she got dressed and threw her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head, using an old, brown piece of ribbon I had seen her wear a few times prior. Instead of staying rooted in place like she had asked, I got up and made my way over to the foot of my bed, eyes scanning the dress that was made with a fine navy material that had blue gems sown into the fabric. The neckline was made of gold lace along with the sleeves and the tail of the dress, a gold that I recognized almost immediately "Who brought this here?" I asked, letting the fabric spill through my fingers like water as I turned to look at Mila. She was fastening her apron around her waist when I had spoken and only then seemed to notice that I was no longer sat at the vanity. She breathed out in frustration at my lack of cooperation but smiled while she made her way over to me, taking a stand at my side "One of the women serving under Prince Zane came to drop it off earlier" she replied, confirming my suspicions. I nodded, hand dropping back to my side as my eyes fixed themselves onto the dark blue sapphire that rested on the choker part of the dress that tied around the throat. The material then gave way to a neckline that dipped low in between the breasts and a corset that rested beneath it, covered in blue material but overlaid with gold detailing "Isn't is beautiful?" she uttered beside me. I tilted my head at the thought of him. The dress was like a materialistic representation of him, the gold representing his golden mane of hair while the blue was the color of his eyes, only a few shades darker than his, more closer in color to mine. I looked to the shoes that rested beside my feet, navy blue heels that were decorated in rose gold, not gold. My eyebrows furrowed up as I knelt and took them in hand, twisting them this way then that to take in their pinkish color of gold that was unlike anything I had yet to see either Zane or Nixon wear. Mila noticed my confusion and sat down on her knees next to me "Those are a gift from Prince Nazaiha" my body froze at the mention of the fourth son of the Triguard bloodline. I held the heel perfectly still, eyes glancing over the delicately woven pieces of rose gold that stood out against the darker, navy blue. Mila rose, hurrying across the marble floor and to the dresser where two small boxes that I hadn't previously noticed sat. She took them in hand then returned to me, once again falling to her knees beside where I sat on mine with a single shoe held in hand. I lowered the heel to look at her, her hand moving to open the first box, the bigger box to reveal a hair clip that was made from copper but the flowers on its had petals of sapphire. The brown metal was different from all the others, from the silver, rose gold and gold "This is from Prince Zachary" she explained, taking the hair piece and laying it in the palm of my hand once I had set the shoe aside. My fingers curled around it, a gift from the youngest of five brothers, the brother who was eighteen years of age, the brother closest to my current age. Mila set the empty box aside and took the smaller one in hand. She smiled faintly "Then this must be from Prince Navil" my back muscles stiffened at his name, the third of the sons, a man who was known for his strict ways and cold demeanor. He was the son most people were afraid of, the person the people of the Capital feared the most despite being a person who only saw to aid the city of Vextin and its people. His intentions were pure but that did not help the fact that he was in truth a dangerous man. She opened the box to show me the set of earrings that were placed inside. They were sapphire earrings in the shape of tears with black, obsidian chains and detailing "Each of the five Princes were given a rare metal at birth that represents them" Mila explained, her eyes lost as she thought back to a memory. I set the hair clip aside and took the box with the earrings, tracing them with my fingertips "Prince Nixtoni was given silver or white gold as the first born son" her words resonated with me, interesting me as she spoke them, explaining why Nixon always wore black, blue and silver instead of any other color clothing or armor. It was his color, his metal, it identified him according to his rank and title as the new King and first born son of the previous ruler "Prince Zaniel was given yellow gold, Prince Navil received onyx or obsidian-." she leaned across me, motioning from the dress on the bed to the small earrings that I held in my palm. She then turned her attention to the shoes "Prince Nazaiha is rose gold and lastly-." she picked the clip up off the ground to pin it in my hair, removing one of the rolls to set it in place "Prince Zachary was bestowed copper or bronze" it then struck me that I had all the gifts right there in front of me but one. My eyes scanned the room, head turning to look for a small box similar to the others but there was nothing. Mila looked on in amusement, her eyes softening as she watched me frantically searching. She grabbed hold of my wrist when I was about to rise and continue my search and pulled me back down to my knees "Right here, my lady" her fingers touched parts of my neck and I realized that I had been wearing his gift for some time. The necklace was always there, always dangling from my throat on a thin silver chain even when I would bathe. My hand shot up to grip the pendant, the simple piece meaning far more to me than even the dress or shoes that were of greater value "But, why?" I muttered, my hand lowering back to my side as I looked to the gifts, eyes scanning them, taking them in as if it was the first time I was truly seeing them. She knew what I was asking and pulled away to stand, brushing off the back of her skirts as she replied to my question "I guess they took a liking to you, my lady" the words were playful on her lips but to me they caused my stomach to churn at the thought of all five Triguard sons taking an interest in me. There was something unearthing about it, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. What exactly had I gotten myself into?