Beyond The Veil

Chapter 2: A Much Awaited Party Pt 1

Greyson I

    Loud thumping outside my chambers jars me awake and on high alert as I feel the beast inside rise closer to the surface. There is no need for a looking glass to know that my eyes now blaze golden as I wrangle with the beast within to take back control; no use wolfing out while in bed. Especially not when one has a sleeping guest in said bed as well. Sitting up I look over at my bed partner as I carefully lean down and pepper feather light kisses down her bare back and a soft pleasurable sigh leaves her luscious lips. Ivy turns her head and looks up at me through half lidded eyes.

    “Good morrow my prince,” her Aldoni accented lilt caresses my ears her sultry cognac eyes trail the contour of my body down to where it is covered by the silk sheets. Her playful hand lazily reaches out to caress the muscles of my stomach as she pulls herself up and straddles my hips, much in the same way she did the night before. A playful growl passes through my lips as her hand moves up my chest, past my neck, and grabs a healthy grip of hair. Pulling me towards her our lips crash together and a fight for dominance begins between us as I hungrily devour her. My hands move of their own accord as they begin to trail up and down her sides with my thumbs just barely grazing the underside of her breasts, sending shivers up and down my spine.

    A rough knock on the doors to my bed chambers echoes through the room as Ivy begins to lazily kiss down my neck and begins to suck on the soft point where my should meets. The knocking continues as I helplessly lean my head back to give her better access, knowing full well that there will be a mark left for all to see but none to comment on. It is when I feel the sharp edge of extended fangs that my heart skips a beat and as if on instinct I push Ivy off and hurl myself from the bed.

    The noise seems to draw concern from the knocking party as my ever so faithful second comes charging in looking ready to do battle only to find the daughter of the Lord of Aldonia laid bare on my bed with hair one only gets after an intense round of lovemaking and myself on the floor, my desire standing tall and proud for all to see. Lucian clears his throat when he sees that no threat to my life is actually here as he tries to look anywhere but at the lady and myself.

    “Good morrow your highness,” a light blush crops up his neck and face as he finds a particularly interesting spot on the wall. “Her Grace, is looking for you and should be here momentarily. I offered my services to rouse you so that Her Grace needn’t concern herself with what she might find when she arrives.” A rather pointed tilt of the head indicates the direction of his thoughts. Taking this as her queue to leave, Ivy quickly searches for her dress and small clothes before heading to the secret passageway behind the tapestry of the Moon Goddress bestowing the gift of the wolf to my ancestor.

    As if she has some sort of sixth sense, once the passageway has closed my mother parades into the room with an army of maids all carrying silks and brocades and fabrics of other nature. Quickly I grab the sheet and wrap it around my waist before greeting my mother with a kiss on the hand and then on the cheek.

    “Good morrow Mother! You look stunning today, as always.” My words are rewarded with a pat on my cheek and a tender look as she kisses the other.

    “Oh my dear boy what kind words you have for your mother this morning,” the coyness in her speech gives way a knowing look as she surveys the room no doubt noting the extreme disarray it is in. “One would think you have done something wrong in order to be greeted by such sweet words so early on this lovely morning.” I smile as I take the clothes Lucian has grabbed for me and go behind the privacy screen knowing full well that the Game never ends, even when it is mother speaking to son.

    “I am hurt Mother, that you would think my words false and only meant as a way to assuage any wrong doing of my own from your wrath,” I call from behind the screen as I pull on my black leather breeches. “Surely my mother knows that I love no one in this world such as I love you?” She lets out a light huff at my words as she orders a few of the maids to begin tidying up the bed chamber. Having quickly pulled over a white shirt with long sleeves along with my black leather jerkin, I lace up the black boots and present myself to my mother for inspection. Hardly sparing a glance she simply nods as she starts having the maids lay out the assembled fabric.

    “The party for your name day is in a sennight and you have still not chosen the fabrics for your attire. So it must be taken upon me to bring the tailor to you so that I will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is done and you are not going to just ware some old ratty old thing.” Her fingers trail over the different fabrics as she scolds me for what she sees as a vast neglect. “Should you meet the woman that is to be your mate, what would she think if she were to see you in rags such as these?” A brief glance to my current attire. So maybe not totally up to my mother’s impossibly high standards.

    “Well hopefully she would think that the royal family is charitable enough to realize that the members of said family do not need a new outfit for every event that is thrown and that perhaps they decided to put the money towards something of substance like the project I put forth at the last council meeting.” I snark back as my arms cross my chest. This being a common argument between mother and I. With her valuing tradition and the status quo while I like to play the daring rebel that thwarts tradition at every turn.

    Mother scoffs and waves her hand dismissing my thoughts. “Her family will need to know that she will be well taken care of by us. Besides my son, girls of nobility are accustomed to a certain type of life and you will need to accommodate for that.” Clenching my fists at my mother’s dismissal I look over the fabrics with a hint of disgust at the opulence of it all, all while knowing that we have people living on the streets wondering when their next meal will be. That a child in the kingdom I shall one day reign over might go hungry makes my blood boil.

    “Who is to say that may mate will be from the nobility? Perhaps she will be one of the small folk…” my voice trails off as I feel the heat of my mother’s wrath. In her mind my mate absolutely must be of noble stock and the thought of someone not from a noble line marrying into the family irks her to the core. That she might have to call one she views as lesser “daughter-by-law” is akin to walking over hot coals repeatedly.

    Turning to look at her I see that her lovely lilac eyes have turned to gold and she is shaking. The feel of the room plummets as the servants all warily eye the normally calm queen. Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and look her in the eye. “Apologize Mother. My tongue got away with me as it does from time to time. I am sure that whoever she is, she will be a wonderful girl from only the most noble of families.” She begins to visibly calm down as she drops my hand to smooth out her skirts before giving me a curt nod and heading for the door.

    “I expect a selection from you by the time I have finished breaking my fast. Time is of the essence and much must be done if we are to be ready in time.” Lucian and I give the Queen a bow as in a flurry of skirts and still slightly simmering anger she leaves to the main hall to greet my father. Quickly following after mother, the maids give a swift curtsy before hurrying after.

    Lucian lets out a low whistle once they are out of earshot. “Well that was bracing, to say the least.” Elbowing him in the gut I move out of the bed chamber and into the solar attached. “So tell me your highness, what colour are you thinking of going with? Personally I think a nice rose red would look absolutely stunning with your eyes!” The jesting of my friend causes me to laugh as I toss a book that is sitting on the desk at him.

    “My friend, what colour matches my eyes are the least of my concerns,” I grouse back at him as he barely ducks out of the way of the makeshift missile coming towards him. “Greater matters disturb my mind, like how I am going to get the council to agree to this proposal, or what am I going to do about the shocking amount of homeless and hungry in my city?” A sign escapes unbidden as I look over the mounds of paperwork trying to make sense of it all.

    Being the ever supportive friend, and second, that he is, Lucian comes over to put a hand on my shoulder and gives it a tight squeeze. A simple reassurance that needs no words between the two of us. “Go with the red and black,”The moment now over I roll my eyes at him.

    “Very well, but you get to go inform my mother of the decision,” Lucian’s face pales at the thought before he recovers himself, nods and leaves for the main hall. A chuckle escapes me as I watch my friend in his dramatic walk one would imagine is to his death.