Of Fangs And Fury

Chapter Twelve

Caderyn

C,

I gave you the benefit of the doubt for forty-eight hours. But when the backlash outlasted, I decided it was safe to send this…

Look at the mess you’ve created.

T.

Little brother,

The mess I have created? This is all you. If you hadn’t abandoned your post, I wouldn’t have had to step in.

Not that it matters in the end. I was the intended heir; I will prove our father right.

Your future King,

Caderyn

But is he wrong? Am I at fault? No, of course not. I am doing the right thing; I am doing the noble thing. Without doubt, without question, I am stepping in and taking this tremendous weight on my shoulders without complaint.

The backlash had been as anticipated, so that’s a silver lining – that it’s not any worse than expected. The Pure-blood Devotees are being extremely vocal about their dislike of me. But! On a high note, there are quite a few others voicing their agreement that Tahir is the perfect bridge between the persons of Onyx Foothills with the crown.

There’s also a positive that we have a sluggish timeline to really make the change. The ascension could be up to a few years after Lara’s and my wedding, depending on what Mother and I decided. With the fact that Lara and I are not even engaged yet, it’s really easy to break things down into manageable pieces.

Firstly, though the official announcement was well crafted and released several days ago, Mother thought it might be a good idea for me to write a personal letter to the persons. Being the first Queen Of Onyx in five generations, her father had suggested she do the same. To try and be more personable, to try and put a personality to the name.

Secondly, in response, Lara questioned if maybe we should open the palace to the persons – have a safe place for the public to come speak to me directly, voicing concerns or to ask questions. Apparently, The University holds this kind of public forum to any famiglia or friends, or generally curious persons. (Just the same that they had nay-sayers who pushed magik, we will have to weed out Pure-blood Devotees.)

I shouldn’t be so surprised to feel so exhilarated by it all. When I’d started caring about being Minister again, I’d felt accomplished and successful and therefore less depressed. Then with this kind of purpose, I feel like I’m back on track with everything I’d known to be true. The future I’d imagined for myself all those years growing up is coming to fruition and I realize I shouldn’t have hidden behind the mutation.

So, with the first draft of my letter to the public done, I push back from my desk triumphantly. I still have an hour before cena, and I think it might be nice to surprise Lara in her study. Speed walking the length of the palace, I come to her door at record time.

Opening it while knocking, I take a step in, “Lara?”

Finishing her thought, her pen moves quickly. A moment, another, then she turns, “Cade! Hi!”

“My amore, how are you?”

She glances at her watch, “Done early today, I see. Me too,” she beams.

I meet her in the middle and wrap her in a hug. Spontaneously, romantically, I pick her up and spin her. Feet back on the grown, I give her a deep, passionate kiss. Eyes searching her face, my fingers brush along her cheeks, “My amore,” I murmur.

She giggles then bites her lower lip. “Someone’s in a good mood.”

“Ti amo. Luce della mia vita, sangue del mio cuore, tu sei il mio unico e solo. Tu sei tutto per me. Un giorno sarò onorato di essere tuo marito, onorato di essere il padre di tuo figlio. Ora e per sempre.”

Chin resting on my knuckle, her gorgeous Spring eyes look up at me from under long, black lashes. Full lips parted ever so slight, I dip down to peck – soft as petals, sweet as strawberry. I can smell the instant change and I wonder if her old room is still a bedroom.

Just enough time to clean up and re-clothe before cena later, Lara is combing out her hair with her fingers. She looks over to me, head tilted slightly, “I didn’t realize you knew so much of the Language Of The Ancients.”

Smirking, I nod. “I had to learn a few things as a child, then practice a few things for the ascension, but I’ve found I really enjoy it. I study it in my spare time.”

She comes up to where I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, slipping one leg in between mine, her hands coming to my shoulders. Her eyes search my face as she murmurs, “I love you.”

Hands sliding over the thin cotton of her dress, from her hips to her waist, I reply, “I love you more.”

Delara

Laughing to myself, I know exactly what Alli’s inflection would have sounded like if she’d been telling me the story herself, (rather than me reading it). Another instance I’ve found that I don’t mind magic, the basin village’s post offices are able to teleport our letters. This gives us a surprisingly fast turnaround, us able to write back almost every day.

Though I don’t firmly believe in fate, it does make sense for clusters of persons to come from the same stardust. The more my relationship deepens with Cade, the more ineffable it becomes, the more I imagine us to have always meant to intertwine. Then, with Alli’s and my friendship, it’s another testament to how there are others you can have an instant connection with.

Taking a moment away from work, I start drafting a letter. Responding to her, joking, but also asking something important.

Allie,

I know it’s not exactly the same circumstance, but I could use advice. There has been a loud enough voice from the public about their dislike in me that it’s hard not to pay attention. They’re so caught up in the fact I’m half-Human, I’m not sure what to do. So… what did you do? With all that harsh backlash? You being a ‘commoner’ and all that. I don’t want to be bullied out of this Family; I’m just hoping for some sort of acceptance….

Your friend,

Delara.

Signed, sealed, delivered unto Jasper, it’s time to head back to my room to get ready for date night. The Ballet Extraordinaire has finally arrived during their tour across The Seven Kingdoms. Having never been to any sort of live production, I’m excited. But also, I found the most gorgeous of dresses to wear – which getting all dressed up and feminine has become a stress relief away from work, (where I am comparatively more minimally non-descript).

Caderyn

“Wait.”

Lara giggles, “What?”

When she stops, I step in front of her, holding our clasped hands out. Looking her over again, I have the extreme urge to take her straight home and get into bed.

In her floor-length black gown, I love the way the fabric clings to her perfectly, seamlessly. The scoop neck shows the hard line of her collar bones and the soft curve of her breasts. She’s done her hair herself, parting it on the left, and pulling the length into a perfect bun. She’s tucked an enchanted white rose just behind the ear.

Last but not least, she’d left her face practically untouched. “Gods, you are gorgeous.”

Tucking her close to me, now, our kiss is deep. Leaving her giggling, I know I’ve done well. When we start back on our way, she wraps around my arm and leans into me. “I am so ready to eat.”

“Three hours is a long time, huh?”

She nods, “I’m just glad I’d read the play before…. Else I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea of what was going on.”

“Midwinter Day’s Dream is a bit confusing….”

“All that Netherrealm stuff was hard to follow.”

From the tone of her voice I can guess, “Ballet not really your thing, hm?

She laughs, “I suppose not. Objectively, I understand the beauty of it, but without speech, I wasn’t that interested.” Then she pulls back to look up at me, “What about you? You seemed to like it.”

I shrug, “I’ve always enjoyed it. There’s such clear emotion in body movement, it’s a lot harder to lie.”

She squeezes my hand, “Well, I will happily go with you to any performance you’d like.”

“As long as there’s food after?” I smirk.

She smiles playful, “Oh, of course.”

The restaurant door closed behind us, my left arm is draped across Lara’s shoulders. She reaches up with her left hand and loosely curls our fingers together. This area of Obsidian is quiet, especially at this hour; so close to midnight, everything is closed.

I feel Lara’s hair against my arm and look over to see her looking at the sky. “It’s such a beautiful night.”

The village’s light pollution is not the worst. Plus, we’re finally in the third month of Summer, and the night air is giving us a hint of the Autumn to come. “It is, isn’t it?”

“Why don’t we walk home?”

Having had such a perfect date night already, why not? I’d love to prolong this another thirty minutes, perhaps, even more, when we get back to our room. “Sounds good to me, bellissima.”

I don’t know how long it actually took us to get home, and I don’t really care. There was an innocence to it, a purity. Like younglings and their first crush, or like elders with their life mate… to walk with someone you love turns a necessary task into moments of adoration.

Crossing the entrance courtyard, I can sense a tiredness from Lara. But soon enough we’ll be in bed, soon enough I can wrap my arms around her. A perfect ending to wrap our perfect night.

But just as we turn for the East wing, Jasper calls out, “Sir!”

We slow, we stop, I turn around, “Yes?”

He’s holding out a letter, “It’s from Prince Tahir. It arrived late, while you were out, and had a note of importance.”

I take it with a furrowed brow, “All right, thank you.”

When we continue on our way, Lara looks at me curiously, “Are you going to open it?”

I shrug, “Later.”

And later comes when Lara comments she’s going to take a hot bath before bed. After the bathroom door is closed, I make my way into our personal library and find a letter opener on the desk.

C,

Have a look around you… more and more kingdoms, the Minister is the leader and chief. I can still do everything as I intended, just with a different title.

Though, I should remark, that I would have happily been King. I hadn’t just accepted the position because you fled. Truthfully, if you weren’t so dead set on marrying Delara, I would take the role again in a heartbeat.

What did they say? ‘You’re no King of mine’?

T.

“Cade?”

At the sound of Lara’s voice, my attention is instantly obtained. I look to her, standing in the doorframe from the bedroom. Hair wet, silk nightgown on, her expression is one of concern. “Amore?”

I lift from the back of the couch, the letter still in hand. “Hi…. That was a quick bath.”

Her brows knot and she slowly comes in. “You’ve been in here for over an hour…. Is everything okay?”

Had it really been that long? I look to my watch, damn. I clear my throat, “It’s just Tahir… he’s being an arse again.”

But the worry doesn’t leave her face, “What now?”

I toss the letter onto the desk, then the opener on top of it. “Nothing. Just more petty horseshit.”

“Mmm.” She holds a handout, “Let’s go to bed then, yeah?”

Delara

Terzaday brings an overwhelming amount of hatred. Out of nowhere, the Pure-blood Devotees are back and louder than ever. Just when we all thought we’d passed the first hurdle, they have shoved us behind the starting line. However, new to this month, there’s an equal amount of backlash about both Cade and me.

Cade throws the Terzaday morning newspaper across the table. “Just when we thought they were okay with Tahir being Sovereign’s Minister, there going back to arguing that he should be King,”

Queen Lilith is shaking her head slowly, “From all our resources, we cannot figure out what sparked this reverse.”

“In addition, there’s all this upheaval about Lara…”

Not letting this take away my appetite, I slowly cut a sausage, “Mostly, if not exclusively, about my half-Human nature.”

Cade hasn’t even touched his daily dose of blood, he’s so frustrated. “I just don’t know what to do.”

Queen Lilith sighs, “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do as of right now. I think it would be best if we just follow the path we’d set out…. Just as they were simmering down before, they’ll simmer down again.”

Right as Cade opens his mouth, I take his hand. “I think she’s right. It hasn’t even been a week; this was bound to happen. We’ll have to ride the waves for a little while, then it’ll all smooth out.”

But he doesn’t seem convinced. “I’ll try and finish the letter…. Mother, do you think Lara should write one too?”

“Maybe…. I suggest we give ourselves a little more time before making any major decisions.”

Knowing only one person I can talk to about all this, when Cade goes to work out, I head into my office to write Alli. Her letter had arrived late the night before, part of her advice being to have a place of my own. A safe place to relax, separate from anything stressful, including work.

Dearest Alli,

Queen Lilith and Cade have already accepted me as famiglia, and you’re right that that’s enough. I just hate to imagine a future where there is so much discourse that Cade must step down and Tahir takes over by default. He’s become a real arsehole, by the way, I can’t believe I ever thought us to be friends.

As for your other advice, about having a calming place to detach from the outside world? The greenhouse is my go-to. There are plenty of nooks and crannies and I can spend hours in there just enjoying nature. During these Summer months, I often find myself in there at night, especially if I can’t sleep, (which is becoming more and more common).

Maybe I should pick up a new hobby or something, as well – maybe painting again?

Your friend,

Delara.

Caderyn

“It’s been a fortnight, and nothing has changed,” I comment with complete exhaustion.

Mother uncharacteristically crosses her arms over her chest, her thumbs pressing hard against her biceps. “I’ve spoken with The Seven Families; they are all in support of us.”

My eyebrows raise, “Really now?”

Relief flickers across her expression briefly, “Indeed. Some feel Tahir should be punished for going back on his word – his word not just within this famiglia, but his promise to the other Families.

“In addition, they know how many years you spent preparing for this. And even if there was a hesitance because of the Dragon Mutation, apparently, Delara overcasts that. They all adore her.”

“As happy as that makes me to hear…,” I sigh and rub my face, “they can’t really help us with the issues we’re facing with the persons within our kingdom’s boundaries.”

Her glance slides to the left, “I know. However, in our discussions, there was one idea that stuck out.”

I look across the Sovereign’s desk at her, “What’s that?”

There’s a sadness in her eyes, her arms loosening, “When I spoke about the fact that protesters have been by the outer gate and that we’ve had to actually post guards by the inner gate… well, they suggested we close them. Both of them.”

My head starts shaking, “Our Family hasn’t had to do that in six generations.”

After a long moment, she knows exactly what to say, “You said it yourself, you’re worried about Delara’s safety.”

Elbows hard on the wood, I clasp my hands in front of my chin. She’s not wrong, I don’t even like the idea of us going to our clearing in the woods anymore. “Let’s… let’s give it a few more days. If the situation doesn’t better, I will take the Families’ suggestions to heart and we’ll temporarily close the gates.”

Delara

Eyes staring wide, unseeing, my mind won’t stop. Flat against the mattress, there is no comfortable way to lay, not tonight. I’d finagled the covers to only cover my pelvis, with one leg propped with a bent knee. With my hands across my stomach, I slowly c***k one knuckle at a time.

The midnight air is finally cold, bringing relief to the seasonal heat. With the sundown for several hours by now, the world beyond our windows is quiet. In the middle of the third month of Summer, the blacked sky is moonless, leaving our bedroom that much darker.

Everything is that much darker…. Granted, things have not gotten worse, but they sure as The Underworld haven’t gotten better. I’d even written a letter to Tahir, against Cade’s wishes, and it proved futile. Not that he lashed out at me by any means, but he did profess his love and argue that I should be with him instead. That he would do anything to have me again, was the quote. Even though I’d never really been his.

I let out a groan and pull myself up against the pillows. Alli has assured me just as Calhoun assured Cade that everything was going to turn around…. That we just needed to give it a little more time. After his meeting with his mother this evening, Cade had lightly touched on the conversation, saying something his mother had talked to the other Families.

Crossing my legs, I pin my elbows to my knees and drop my face into my hands. Gods, this room is too quiet. The only noise is Cade softly breathing. It’s too much, my ears are ringing in the utter silence.

With a huff, I push my hands up and back through my hair. I squint to see that I’d forgotten to get new lavender for my side table. Without having anything better to do, two birds with one stone… get something to help me sleep while being in my own place as Alli has advised.

There’s a drag on the sheets as Cade turns over to my left. His groggy voice is rough, quiet, “Lara? Is everything all right?”

I lean down and kiss his forehead, “I’m just going to go get some lavender.”

“Mmm.” After a yawn, he asks, “Do you want me to come with you?”

I brush away his bangs, “I’ll be all right. Just sleep now, okay?”

Eyes closed; he nods against his pillow. “Okay. I love you.”

Stand at the edge of the bed, I wrap the thin Summer dressing grown around myself. “I love you, too.”