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10 years after graduation
Vasile had come to sit in the throne meeting room, where his father would meet with people to talk about issues in the kingdom. Normally there might be some kind of audience, whether they be other people in court or the public, but today the room was completely empty of anyone but Vasile, King Vortigern, and Queen Veronika. The King had been briefed before this, but Vasile hadn't been. All he was told was that an important guest needed an audience with the King.
They were dressed well in order to see someone of status as well, which was a clue to Vasile. He was incredibly shocked when the double doors opened at the other end of the room and in walked Rhys. His long red hair looked to be about the same, and was pulled back into a masculine braided look. His pointed ears and markings were in full display, and he looked even better than he had at school. He had filled out more with muscle and he had a red five o'clock shadow which was thicker than it had been in school.
Vasile watched his approach with mixed emotions, but kept his face schooled to neutrality. Rhys' eyes were set on the King, mainly, but he did make the chance to glance over at where Vasile was seated. It felt for a moment like the breath had gotten knocked out of him, so he put his focus back on the King. When he got up to the front of the room, he knelt down and bowed before them all, waiting for the King to give him leave to get up.
The king bid him to rise and give the report he was here to give. Rhys stood again and pulled a bunch of paperwork out from a satchel he had around his body. "Your Majesty, I'm sure some of what I have here isn't a surprise to you. In my travels and work throughout Avanær, I've been seeing an alarming rate of attacks on half breeds, as well as talk of turning over the governing rule to leaders who would put harsher restrictions on their people. As of right now, this right here is all of the information I have gathered about that specific group in your own section of Avanær. Their plan is to take out the entire Royal family."
"That's troubling indeed," King Vortigern intoned as Queen Veronika held her hand out for Rhys to give her the paperwork he had gathered. "Do you have any information about how they intend to do this?"
Rhys handed the Queen the paperwork and then turned back to the King. "From what we can tell, they plan to infiltrate the palace. They want to place their people in key roles that will give them leverage, starting with things like ladies maids, servants, cooks. There are nobles in the group working against you though, as well, and the higher the position, the more leverage they have to harm you. I believe the maids and cooks would most likely gather intel, but being in charge of food is a terrifying place for them to be.
"You also aren't the only one being targeted. The High Elves are as well, the Wood Elves, the Drow, the human King, the main Council of the Werewolf clans as well, even the demon King. I believe the intent is to eventually split Avanær up so the races don't mingle much, and all of my people would be rounded up and killed before that is done," Rhys explained.
The Queen paused in her perusal of the paperwork, looking up at Rhys in alarm. She looked to her husband, wondering what he would say. Vasile was wondering the same thing. Vortigern stroked his clean-shaven chin. "What would you suggest we do with this information, Ambassador Draven?" he asked shrewdly.
"To start with, you should likely up your security, and put in a hiring freeze or at the very least heavily vet the people you begin to hire in," Rhys told him. "We should also be looking into who is leading it here. That's been the hardest part to figure out. We can easily follow their factions to where they are causing the most trouble, but getting any answers out of them as to who is in charge has been almost impossible. It might be necessary to put in spies to root them out, and I'm willing to volunteer to do so. My glamour abilities give me an advantage.
"We should also put a few dhampyrs in here to taste test for things that are lethal to vampyres but safe for us," Rhys added. "We can taste it and it's unpleasant but not deadly to dhampyrs. That will keep you safe from any food tampering."
The King nodded, his hand still thoughtfully on his chin. "We will see to the increased security. We haven't needed to replace anyone within close confidence in several years, but we will certainly pay attention to any sudden vacancies. You have our leave to conduct espionage on behalf of the Crown as well as to hire anyone you deem necessary to bring onboard for both the espionage part of your duties and the tasters. You will be checking in regularly with Viktoria, our youngest daughter. She has our highest regard in this matter. Will that be acceptable?" he said.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Rhys said and gave another deep bow. He told the King and Queen to keep the reports he brought, as he had copies back at home.
"Very well. Who would be taking up your duties as Ambassador?" the King asked curiously.
"A man that works under me, by the name of Michael Astor," Rhys told the King. "He's been working with me for about seven months now but he's definitely ready for the job. He comes from a middle class vampyric family and knows our side well, graduated top of his class, and has been melding with other races fairly well too. He has my full confidence."
"Then he has ours as well," the King responded, nodding to indicate that Rhys was free to leave.
Rhys gave another deep bow before he turned, taking one last glance at Vasile, and then walked out of the room. One of the guards followed him to talk about who would be good to bring in for food testing while they walked. The guard also took him to meet with Viktoria so he could reintroduce himself to her and explain what was going on.
The Queen turned to Vasile after Rhys' departure. "Well done, Vasile. We know how difficult it must have been to see him again. You remained professional and courteous. It seems your training in courtly manners is coming along well," she said by way of congratulations.
Vasile nodded in response, quietly seething on the inside. How could Rhys have so casually strode in here without even acknowledging the many letters that Vasile had sent? He knew how it would look to his parents to involve himself in Rhys' assignment without their leave so he decided to bide his time. The opportunity would come to ask about the letters. In the meantime, he busied himself with his training.
Rhys wondered if the King and Queen had purposely sent him to another child to keep him away from Vasile, or if Vasile was just that busy with getting ready to be crowned in the next forty years. He wasn't about to ask them that though.
"I look forward to working with you, Your Highness," Rhys said to Princess Viktoria once she was all caught up, bowing in front of her.
Unlike her eldest brother, Princess Viktoria stood on protocol with those she considered "commoners" at all times. She graciously accepted his bow and dismissed him to continue his business, admonishing him to report to her at least once a week as if the King hadn't already given him that guidance.
Rhys agreed to that and then went to leave the grounds to figure out his next move. Of course, the beginnings of his work brought him back to the palace often as he worked with the other leaders resisting this coup to figure out who to place where. Rhys brought in the dhampyrs who would help with food testing first, making sure they knew what to look out for and what the job was. They could not afford to let anything fall through the cracks.
They had already placed others into the palaces of the three elven palaces, humans, demons, and were-council too. They were also working with each set of guards to make sure they understood what threats to look out for. Rhys had some idea that this had been in planning for a long time, so they had to assume there were already some moles among the workers. They just needed to weed them out while trying to figure out who was in charge in each section.
When Rhys got done with all of that, he came back to his parents' home, which is where he was staying while he worked in Arcasias. He needed someone there to take care of Tierney while he was away working, and there was no one better than his moms to do that. She adored them too, so it worked out.
"You know, the annual vampyre ball is coming up," Iona commented at dinner that night. "You haven't been to one in ages, dear. Tierney is half vampyre, and it is important for her to know both heritages that she comes from. It might be time to introduce her to the King and Queen this year."
He knew she was right. Besides, if he was in Arcasias this year for it, then it was expected that he would have to go. He couldn't very well leave Tierney behind either. So he agreed with her assessment and asked her to take care of the preparations for Tierney's dress and his own suit for it. He wouldn't have the time to oversee it himself, and he knew his moms would enjoy getting her all dressed up.
Rhys spent the morning of the ball making sure his people were ready before he went back to the house to get dressed himself. He came out with his red hair braided back, wearing a decorative black, green, and gold vest over a suede black shirt and black dress pants. He left off any coat, but had decorated his ears in gold wrapped tips to accentuate the pointed form of them. He included a gold and black cane with him, which was also a sword just in case. He had already cleared it with the guards ahead of time.
Tierney came out with her red tinted golden curls half up and half down, wearing a gold and black gown that wasn't too restricting for her small form. The tips of her ears were still visible but mostly hidden by her curls. The dress was sleeveless, and she had gold filigree decorations around her arms and then black velvet gloves on.
She ran over to Rhys when she saw him and he picked her up and twirled her around. "You look like elven royalty, my tiny love!" Rhys exclaimed and kissed her on the cheek.
Tierney smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Dad. Look, look!"
She exclaimed at him while wiggling so he could put her back down on the ground, and once he did, she twirled around in one spot to show how her gown twirled around her. Rhys smiled at her, telling her how fancy that was as he took her hand.
"Now remember, Gramma can take you home at any time if you feel tired, alright?" Rhys reminded her.
"I know, Dad!" she cried. "Let's go, let's go!"
They met up with the rest of the family at the front, getting into the car to head to the palace for the ball. This was one of the few events where the palace was open to the public, and only happened once a year. Anyone who was anyone would be there, and it opened up a lot of chances to get information, but Rhys wanted to be careful too. He wouldn't put Tierney or the royal family at risk.
Vasile had done some discreet checking and discovered that his letters had never been sent to the Draven family to be relayed to Rhys. He was furious with his parents, but now was not the time to confront them. With the ball in motion and all of Avanær under threat of governmental overthrow and rampant racism, they needed to be united. So he dutifully dressed for the ball in his deepest royal purple suit and a brand new matching domino mask. He met the rest of his family at the staging room that they waited in for the guests to gather so they could make their grand entrance together.
Rhys had picked up Tierney so she could see the royal family enter the ball. They came out onto a balcony and were welcomed by the crowd, and Tierney looked up at them with fascination. Rhys hid half of his face behind his daughter's curls, chancing a glance up at Vasile. It didn't matter how much time had passed; the man still took Rhys' breath away. He had only gotten more stunning as time had gone on.
Rhys covered up his feelings by explaining who each member of the royal family was to Tierney. She repeated the names to him, to try and keep them in her head. The youngest of the Princes saw her looking at them and winked playfully at her with an easy, affable smile before waving to someone else in the crowd. She giggled at that and asked Rhys if they were all so nice.
"They're each their own person, so they will have different personalities," Rhys explained. "But to their people, I'd say they are kind enough."
"A very politic answer, my son," Duke Jasper said to him with a smirk before he looked at Tierney. "They'll adore you, I promise."
The look Rhys gave his father said he wasn't sure that should be promised, but he didn't say anything out loud. He didn't want to make Tierney nervous and he didn't want the royal family hearing him. The royal family made their way down to the crowd, and then it was time for the new members of society to be introduced to them. Usually, that was when the kids were old enough to start going to the balls.
Rhys went with Tierney to get in line. He was more nervous about this than he thought he would be. He wasn't sure that news had traveled about his adopting Tierney, as his family tended to be more private than other families. When it was his turn, he set Tierney back down on the ground and held her hand as they came up in front of the royal family. It was mostly meant to be about introducing the King and Queen to the kids, but their children usually stayed to meet the next generations as well.
"Your Majesties, may I introduce my daughter, Tierney Draven," Rhys said. After he had said her name, Tierney gave a curtsy to them. "She's almost five years old now."
Vasile looked stunned at that information, but the entire royal family was polite, if not sweet, in welcoming Tierney to the Court. Vortigern and Viktoria were cold and distant, as suited their personalities, but Veronika, Vasile, Nikodemus, Lukas, Aisling, and Gregor were all very sweet, squatting or kneeling to Tierney's level to politely greet her and treat her as an equal. Rhys could tell that Vasile was stunned. He was still acting like himself and being nice but there were signs that only someone who knew him well would pick up on.
"Dad said Mama used to work in the castle here with you," Tierney told the ones who were talking to her and asking her questions.
When they looked at Rhys in question, he cleared his throat. "She kept a diary of her time working as a tutor to you all. Her name was Moira Noctis."
Vasile and Nikodemus looked shocked, but then they nodded in understanding. "She was an amazing woman, Tierney. We were all very lucky to know her. We wondered what happened to her when she disappeared six years ago," Nikodemus said quietly.
"Dad says the more people who knew her and tell stories of her, the longer her memory stays alive," Tierney said and looked up at Rhys.
Rhys picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "That's right. I didn't know either of her birth parents well when they came into Haven injured. I want to make sure she has a connection to both sides of her family, though, and her two courts."
"Well, she's welcome at the Castle any time," Veronika said with a warm smile. Rhys could tell that he would have to explain where she was if he didn't bring her to his next visit but there was also a line behind them.
"Thank you, Your Majesties," he replied kindly, bowing again, which made Tierney do a sort of seated curtsey before they moved to let the next people go. He brought his daughter back over to his family, where Marius told her how well she had done in front of the royal family and took her from Rhys' arms.
Rhys stayed with his family and daughter for the first half of the ball, but when Tierney began to get tired and he went to ask for her cloak so he could take her home, his Ma, Iona, waved her hand at him and told him to stay and enjoy the festivities while she took the little darling home to bed.
"You never get to enjoy social events," she told him.
He could point out that it wasn't just a social event for him, but he decided not to. Besides, he probably should stay until the end of the ball, even if that did mean he wouldn't be home until closer to when Tierney woke up for the day. He needed to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, and he needed to talk to people. So he watched Tierney get her tiny cloak on and he gave her a long hug and a kiss on the forehead before he let his Ma take her home. Then he turned back to the crowd and started to work on joining into conversations.
He had considered posing as a co-conspirator to see what kind of information he could gather. He was going to do that soon, as they had an identity figured out for him. He couldn't do it as himself because his half-breed status meant they wouldn't trust him. He had already been seen here as Rhys though, so now he was just paying attention, listening for anything off, and getting a better handle on each of the families they were looking at.
Marius took Rhys around to introduce him to the major noble families. Rhys had heard tales of each family growing up but did not have any faces to place with the names. He would need that information going forward, especially once he changed his identity at court for a while and pretended that Rhys Draven was busy with other work around the city.
After he had spoken to everyone it would matter to know, Rhys grabbed a glass of blood and went out onto one of the side balconies, glad to see that it looked deserted so he could have a moment by himself to catch his breath. He leaned up against the stone ledge, looking up at the moon as he took a sip from his glass. Before long, Prince Nikodemus joined him, a glass of blood in hand and a smile plastered on his face.
"That daughter of yours is too adorable, Draven!" he exclaimed by way of a greeting.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Rhys replied and smiled genuinely. "She is definitely the main light in my life right now. I'm glad she made a good impression on you all."
Nikodemus eyed him critically. "It's Nik, please, when formality isn't necessary," he insisted. "The main light in your life, you say? Has a comely lass, lad, or laz not caught your eye?"
Rhys looked out at the night sky, his eyes unfocusing as his mind swam with memories of Vasile back in school and he shook his head. "No, no one has really gotten my attention since I left. I may just be destined for single fatherhood and work, which is fine."
Nik nodded sagely, leaning up against the ballister. "I'm afraid I'm eventually going to be farmed out for solidifying allegiances like my brother by my bicentennial. It's all part and parcel of the whole Princely gig, I suppose, but it makes it difficult to hope that my heart will win out eventually. Not many folks are as lucky as their Royal Highnesses; they pair-bonded after their wedding and they've been welded together ever since. Part of me thinks they assume the same will happen for us, but the reality isn't that simple," he rambled.
"Yes, the King and Queen are very lucky to have found each other like they did," Rhys commented. "It's sad that you don't have any real choice in the matter of who you might wed. It's one reason to be glad I'm a bastard. I can choose who I wed. It's just too bad I don't want the ones I can have."
Nik cocked an eyebrow questioningly, obviously wanting to break decorum and ask outright. Rhys looked around the area, making sure they were definitely alone, but he pitched his voice to a level that was so quiet that only nearby beings with amplified hearing could detect it and said, "You and your siblings aren't stupid. You've all been aware of how I feel about your brother since we were in school."
Nik nodded, keeping his voice just as low as he responded, "Ah, yes, well, it's also been clear to everyone in the family that he feels the same about you. Did you know he wrote you every week?"
That caught Rhys' attention, and he turned to look at Nikodemus in surprise. "He did? I never heard a thing from him. I wrote to him all the time too, but after so many years with them going unanswered, it seemed to me I should back off. Maybe he had found his twin flame or something and didn't want to hurt me."
Nik laughed quietly. "No, he's found his twin flame alright, and he only has eyes for you. I suspect their Royal Highnesses interfered in an attempt to get him to move on, but they both should know better," he said, still barely audibly.
Rhys thought about that for a moment before he nodded his head. He should have suspected they might interfere. He let out a sigh and took a long drink. "Even knowing that, it doesn't change our circumstances. He has expectations on him, and I can't become another source of pressure for him."
Nik eyed him askance. "I don't want to speak for my brother, but something tells me he would make you a priority if he knew that his feelings are reciprocated," he said.
Rhys couldn't help but laugh at that, one because it seemed absurd that Vasile didn't already know how he felt, but secondly because he wasn't sure he'd get much chance of it. "I didn't exactly hide my feelings in school."
Nik looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "That's fair. Just trying to look out for my brother's heart when he doesn't dare defy our parents without assurances."
"Not that your parents will let us near each other alone to talk," Rhys grumbled and downed the rest of his drink.
Nik's eyes took on a sad cast at that. "Well, I'm in your corner, for whatever that's worth. Your point of contact, however, is not as friendly," he said, before speaking again at a normal volume. "Thank you for sharing the night air with me, Ambassador! You make for very comfortable silences."
Rhys chuckled as the prince walked back into the ball. He'd almost forgotten how much he liked Nik, but he was glad to see the younger prince hadn't changed much since he'd been gone from Arcasias. He had left Rhys with a lot to think about though. Of course, Rhys had known that Vasile had been into him too in school, but it wasn't near as clear that he was in love with Rhys. Maybe that was on Rhys for missing it, and it made him wonder if Vasile had missed it with him too.
Any way he looked at the problem, he knew he'd have to find a way to talk to Vasile himself, alone. He couldn't do that right now though, so instead, he went back into the ball to focus on what he was here for. He had come back to Arcasias himself to make sure Vasile was safe from this coup, and he would make sure he did even if it was with his last breath.
Meanwhile, Aisling sidled up to Vasile, talking quietly. "You may be able to fool everyone else here, but you can't fool your family, brother."
"Hmm?" Vasile responded quietly. "What am I fooling everyone about?" His voice was just as low as hers.
"You have been watching our dear Ambassador all night," she murmured to him. "Careful, you might just stare a hole into the poor man!"
Vasile grunted. "If he had wanted to begin something he had ample opportunity. We both know that I will eventually have to put up with a State Marriage and I sincerely doubt he wants to be my consort and not be acknowledged publicly as a valid partner," he responded.
Aisling looked thoughtful at that. "You also had ample opportunity to start something with him but never did. As to being your consort, I don't know his feelings on that but I have heard the fae can be the jealous type. I don't know if it applies to all of them though. Would you want him as your consort and unacknowledged partner?"
Vasile looked at her in disbelief. "Obviously I would want him as a primary partner and be able to acknowledge him publicly, but that's not exactly in the cards for me, is it?" he asked incredulously.
"No, I suppose not," she agreed with a frown. "Not that father will be stepping down from the throne for a very long time. Unless you were to abdicate or stand up to Father and Mother, it's probably not in the cards. I wonder if they will try and get Ambassador Draven married off to someone before you two stop dancing around each other."
Vasile pondered that. The look on his face said he had never considered standing up to their parents or that they would find a way to marry Rhys off. "I truly hadn't thought of that. I don't really know what to do," he admitted.
Aisling looked sympathetic, patting him on the back. "Just because you're a Prince doesn't mean your whole life should be out of your control. At some point, you have to decide who you are living for. Our parents, or you." She was quiet for a moment as that sunk in for Vasile and then she added, "But then again, Mother and Father always called me their radical."
Vasile laughed at that, nodding to signify his agreement. "Perhaps I'll let the Ambassador know my feelings and let him decide if he is willing to be such an integral part of palace life," he allowed. "Thank you, sister. I always appreciate your advice."
She beamed up at him, glad that he had been open to listening rather than just sulking on all of the what ifs forever. She left him to his thoughts again, disappearing back into the crowd of people.
It was hard to tell which race loved parties more between the fae and the vampyres, but each of them tried to outdo the other every single time. Rhys was exhausted by the time the ball finally saw the last people out. He had spoken to most of the affluent families, though he would likely be able to do far more once he took on his assumed identity.
Rhys watched while the guards checked for any stragglers, making sure that only the staff and royal family were on the premises. Once the guards gave him the okay, he went to let his people know they could go home. Then he came into the ballroom and stopped in front of the royal family with the guards.
He gave a deep bow to them, staying that way for a moment until the King gave him leave to straighten back up. "My people saw no signs of any trickery or sabotaging. I've sent them home for the night and will be taking my leave as well. Is there anything else you need me to do before I leave?"
The King dismissed him with an appreciative nod while the Queen was more verbose. "Thank you, Ambassador Draven, for all of your efforts on our behalf. We look forward to seeing the reports of your efforts in the next months. Please, for the security of your operation, do not reveal your infiltration identity to anyone until the danger is past" she said with a smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will guard that secret until this is all over," Rhys replied. He gave another bow to them and then took his leave, though it was difficult to not try to stay behind to speak to Vasile. There would be time for that later, he hoped.
He had time to get home and go to sleep, then spend a little time with Tierney once he woke up before he had to start the real work. He needed to contact Virmarus to give him updates and then look at his identities. Rhys wasn't the leader of The Shell, but he was high up by now. Virmarus had sent Rhys what he needed to know about his identity. He would actually be taking on two, since he had the abilities to do so. The first identity would take him into the palace as a worker, so he could watch for anyone trying to recruit others or signs of interference.
The second identity would be a nobleman who was coming back after living near humans for a long time. On the plus side, they had people on their side who happened to be vampyres who lived around humans most of the time. They had agreed to give their identities for these types of missions. He looked over his paperwork, checking what his schedule was. As a noble, he'd have to go to parties, of which there were plenty. Vampyres loved having reasons to be social and look fancy. His work at the palace would be both more difficult and easier at the same time. He mostly had to watch and listen there, but he'd have to do actual manual labor, which he'd never been forced to do before. He took care of his home himself in Haven, but this was different. This was a palace.
He changed his appearance and got into the clothes he needed to wear. As a worker in the palace, he didn't want to draw much attention. His hair was long and dark brown, which he pulled back into a very neat ponytail at the base of his head. His skin was pale as porcelain, but he made sure his hands looked like he had worked hard over his life. His eyes were now a dark brown in color, and he was shorter than he normally stood in his real form, putting himself around five foot eight now. His face had changed looks and though he still had the ethereal beauty that vampyres pulled off, to other vampyres he looked more average.
His clothing was black and white, in a uniform meant for those who cleaned the palace and helped take care of the royal family. He teleported himself closer to the palace and then walked the rest of the way on foot, like many of their workers did. He had credentials all filled out, and Veronika had made sure the guards were expecting him. He was shown where cleaning supplies were and one of the maids explained the job to him.
He started with cleaning the main sitting areas and dining room, then he was shown what to do in the bedrooms to change the sheets, dust, and clean the bathrooms. While they worked, the workers liked to talk and gossip when the royals weren't around. It was interesting to hear how the lower classes thought about their world. It gave Rhys a new perspective on his own world.
"Do you think you can handle this room yourself?" Gertie, one of the head maids, asked Rhys as she pointed to one of the bedrooms. "It's a big set of rooms but it goes fast once you get going."
"Yeah, I think I can handle it," Rhys replied with a smile.
"Alright, off with ya, then," she said and went to the next room.
Rhys knocked on the door first, to see if anyone was inside of it. When he didn't get any sort of answer, he entered the room. It was big and spacious with a sitting room to start that then led into the bedroom where there was a huge four poster bed against one wall, and large cherry wood dressers and closets along one wall. The rooms were decorated in purples and blacks, and there were personal touches everywhere, but especially along the bookshelves and on the vanity where one of the princes could get ready for the day.
Rhys began by stripping down the bed, putting the sheets aside into a large basket for washing and then changing them into new ones. He cleaned out the bathroom and then came back to dust everything. He was almost done with everything he was doing when he noticed a flower sticking out of a quartz vase on the desk. It was one he knew, with its beautiful, velvety petals in deep purples, light purples, and pinks. He had grown that very flower around thirteen years ago for Vasile.
He had long since connected it to himself, so it would never wilt away for the prince. His thought was that so long as his heart beat for Vasile, the flower would bloom. He stared at it in awe, surprised that Vasile had put it in a place of honor like that. He ran his fingers along the petals, feeling how soft they were while he wondered about Vasile.
Vasile strode angrily down the corridors of the castle, his footfalls unusually heavy and his pace brutal. In fact, none of his guards had managed to keep up with him. Even Fae-crafted and spelled armor was heavy and he was considered fast even among vampyres. His entire aura exuded evidence of the rage burning within him as he approached his rooms. His father was, as always, immovable on the subject of the potential for a State Marriage following the Coronation and Vasile's investiture as the Heir Apparent.
Vasile's position was that there was no real need for an Heir to an immortal Vampyre King who was well-protected in the first place and that times had well past moved on from the need for arranged marriages. Finally, Vasile insisted, there was no need for kingship of the Vampyres to be handed down through any kind of patrilineal manner. They were far removed from the Human vanities of progeny "carrying on" the family traditions when the patriarch of the entire bloodline still roamed the country.
He was nearly calm but still agitated when he burst through the door to his chambers and saw the nondescript vampyre dressed in the palace livery set aside for footmen and room attendants touching the only thing in the country as precious to him as Rhys. The last of his rage left his tongue in an icy command: "Continue touching that at the peril of your hand."
Rhys sprang away from the flower, his eyes wide as he looked at Vasile in surprise. It took him a moment to remember what he had been doing here in the palace in the first place. "Sorry, Yer Highness," Rhys replied with an accent that denoted some of the poorer areas of Arcasias. "I thought it was just a flower. Ya know, pretty but pointless once it starts to die."
Vasile cocked his head at the newcomer's face, clearly not recognizing Rhys, much to Rhys' relief. He visibly calmed himself, the violet fire in his eyes receding as they took on their normal placid lavender. "My apologies, you're obviously new here and were no doubt unaware. The flower was a gift given in high regard from the one who holds my heart. Please just allow me to dust that particular desk in the future. What's your name, so that I can compliment you to Gertie?" he finished, somewhat apologetically.
Rhys stared at Vasile in wonder for a moment, his heart speeding up at what he had said. He hadn't been sure if he believed Nik at the ball or not, that Vasile truly only wanted him, but this was the proof with his own eyes. It took him just a little too long to find his voice, and Vasile was able to hear his heart rate increase, but he finally cleared his throat. "Brennan, yer Highness. Brennan Hugh."
Vasile looked at him a bit suspiciously, but seemed inclined to let whatever doubt he had pass for now. "Well met, Brennan Hugh," he said with a polite bow. "You seem to already know who I am. Further proof that Gertie has done an outstanding job of training you. Please don't let me keep you from your duties and, again, my apologies for the rudeness."
Rhys bowed in response, taking one last glance at the flower before he turned to grab the basket filled with the soiled sheets and left the room. He used the time it took to walk down to the laundry room and deposit the sheets into the hamper ready to get washed to calm down his heart and breathing. He so badly wanted to go back and tell Vasile everything about what he felt, but he couldn't. Not right now, anyway.
True to his word, Vasile immediately sought out Gertie and praised "Brennan Hugh" very highly for his professionalism and asked that he exclusively clean the Prince's chambers. He had a way of buttering Gertie up as well, so she seldom refused him any requests, though this time she did resist him somewhat. She promised that Brennan would clean his chambers when she could spare him, but he was new and needed to complete his training. Vasile nodded and bowed his acceptance of that compromise before enchantingly kissing the back of Gertie's weathered hand and heading back to his rooms, his mood considerably better for some reason.
When he arrived in his rooms, there was a sizable parcel carefully wrapped in ribbon waiting on his study desk. He picked it up and examined it carefully before removing the ribbon to reveal every letter he had written to Rhys since graduation. Nearly 530 letters in all. He set them back down and slumped exhaustedly into his chair, his head in his hands. He sobbed quietly for some time before he straightened up, cleaning his face with a handkerchief hidden in his sleeve.
It made Vasile wonder if Rhys had written to him as well. On Rhys' side, he didn't have anyone that likely would have been interfering, so if anyone had intercepted them, it would be someone in the palace. He'd have to see if he could find them like he did his own letters.
For the first few nights of working, Rhys was kept pretty busy and came home exhausted each night. He barely made it home to see Tierney to bed, which bothered him but he knew it was for a good reason. It was a few nights later that he managed to slip away when his shift at the palace ended. Now that he was inside of the wards here, he could go anywhere he wanted to.
He teleported himself into Vasile's rooms, looking around at what he had seen before when he was cleaning. He saw the letters all over the desk and he leaned against it before he picked one up and opened it. The letters were well-written in a clear but elegant hand with a fanciful script that fit Vasile's personality well. They primarily covered everyday activities, but they weren't written like journal entries; more like as if to a dear friend or lover.
Rhys continued reading through them as he waited, not sure how long it would take the eventual-crowned prince to come back to his room. At some point it became too difficult to keep reading though. He clasped one of the letters against his chest, closing his eyes as he cursed the whole situation. He didn't dare curse the King and Queen, even in his head, but he wanted to.
Rhys was so lost in his feelings that he didn't notice the door opening or closing. Vasile's gasp of surprise at seeing him startled him out of his thoughts as he spun around, still clutching the letter to his chest as if it were more precious than life. Rhys stared at him for a moment, really taking in the differences the last ten years had made and the maturing of his looks.
"So Nik wasn't pulling my leg," Rhys commented. "You did write."
Vasile was flooded with so many strong emotions in that moment that he was rendered speechless. He nodded in answer, gesturing sardonically at the pile of letters. Rhys finally put the letter he was holding down, though it did cost him some emotionally to do so.
"The years have been good to you," he said once he had taken a step closer to Vasile.
"Obviously," Vasile said, without even a hint of self-satisfaction. "They're yours, you know. You can feel free to have them. I already know what they all say."
"I'll take you up on that," Rhys replied quietly. "It seems I have a lot to catch up on. I only wish I could give you the ones I sent, which I'm guessing never made it to you."
Vasile shook his head, his mind finally beginning to come to grips with the reality that his wildest dreams seemed to be materializing, if not exactly like he had actually dreamed. "I've asked around - discreetly, of course - but no one seems to have any idea either where the letters I sent went or who intercepted yours," he responded.
Rhys looked a little sad at that. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised if they simply got tossed in the trash. "Well, I guess I'll just have to write new ones then," he said to Vasile. "If that would be alright, Your Highness."
Vasile nodded haughtily before breaking into his usual affable smile. "Of course. I've missed you, Your Ambassadorship." he said.
Rhys smiled back at him, chuckling a little at the title. "I've missed you too, more than you could possibly know. I know coming to your room was a little risky but... I didn't think I could stay away any longer."
Vasile grunted. "You certainly took your time there..." he teased.
Rhys grinned at that. "Well, I had to find the right room first. Whatever would have happened if I went to the wrong room? It'd be scandalous! I might be kicked out of the entire kingdom!"
Vasile seemed to consider that carefully, ticking the salient points off on his elegant fingertips. "I'll allow it," he joked. "What does bring you here, Rhys? And why now, after all this time?"
Rhys turned his head away at that question, not sure exactly how to answer it. There were a lot of ways he could go in response, from vague to incredibly specific. He eventually settled on the stark truth, though. "When I left, I knew that there was a lot that was left unsaid between us. I thought that was probably for the best. After all, you have a duty to the crown and I... am no one your family would ever want to choose for you. And I thought that when you never wrote me back that you were trying to tell me you had moved on from whatever school-boy crush you might've had on me."
Rhys sat down on the top of Vasile's desk and looked at him again. "It didn't exactly stop me from dreaming about you every night though, or missing you, or yearning just to hear your voice or catch a glimpse of you in the papers and magazines. When Tierney's parents were killed, I thought it was just some, I don't know, interbreeding hatred that had caused it. In a way, it was, but it went far deeper than that. And once I knew the royal family was in danger - that you were in danger - I knew I had to come back to stop it.
"I was planning to keep this all professional and distant to give you what I thought you wanted, and then Nik got into my ear at the ball. And," Rhys trailed off for a moment as he looked back at where the flower was he had grown. "You still have the flower. You've protected it and nurtured it, like it's rare and precious. I can't explain what knowing that did, but if I walked away knowing you were in love with me too and doing nothing about it, then I would always regret it. So here I am, putting it all out in front of you, bare and exposed."
Vasile had been listening intently, but when Rhys mentioned the flower, he looked over at it. He was lost in thought for a moment, and almost missed what Rhys had said after that. His head whipped around when it dawned on him and Rhys could tell he was shaken because he didn't take the opportunity to turn Rhys' statement about being exposed into a quip. "In love with you too?" he asked incredulously. "So I wasn't imagining things."
Vasile resisted the urge to go over to Rhys immediately, however. There were still things that needed to be clarified. "The real question is what we do with this information. You know I cannot offer you monogamy without encountering resistance of some sort from my parents. I assumed at first that this was why I never heard from you again. Then I assumed you had found someone and fathered a child when you appeared with Tierney," he began.
Rhys shook his head at that last part. "No, nothing like that. I had a few meaningless flings after I got no response from you, but they always left me feeling more empty and lonely than before. I don't necessarily need monogamy, but I don't like the idea of being some out of sight paramour for you either, especially when other than Tierney, you're easily the most important person in my life."
Vasile nodded at that. "Likely getting them to acknowledge you at all is going to be a fight, but it's one I'm willing to take on if you are. But how do we know that we are as compatible as we want to be? Being enchanted with your scent doesn't always translate to being good partners," he said with a smile.
"For you, I'd take on anything," Rhys replied. He couldn't help but smile at the questions Vasile asked. "Well, there are ways to test that out. You know as well as I do about bonds. Blood bonds we can find out easily enough by drinking from each other, but other ones can form when we're closer emotionally and physically, as you well know. Not that I'm being presumptuous. Bonds aren't common, but... I feel like we've been fighting something that we weren't meant to for a long time now."
Vasile dramatically (but gently) smacked the base of his open palm against his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that? My parents, of all people, can't possibly ignore a Blood Bond!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"I mean, they could try, but it would be kind of silly, wouldn't it?" Rhys teased him. "They might be angry we solidified it, but once it's done, it's done. There's no destroying it."
Vasile grinned wickedly. "Is that an offer, Dukey?" he asked lustily, his eyes darkening significantly and nearly sparkling in the lamplight.
Rhys pulled off the dark blue cravat he was wearing and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt before he tilted his head to the side enticingly. "For you, always, Your Highness."
Vasile crossed the remaining distance between them with shocking speed. Rhys was aware that full-blooded vampyres were much faster than dhampyrs, but it was still unnerving to see them do things at full speed. Rhys gasped at the movement in a mixture of surprise and desire. This close, Vasile could both hear Rhys' increased heart rate and the scent of him strongly blanketed the other smells in the room. It was intoxicating.
While drinking directly from other humanoids was taboo in modern-day Avanær, it had a rich history and tradition amongst vampyres and vampyre-kin. Most vampyres tended to leave a fair amount of distance between themselves and others because once they were this close, their primal instincts to bite and feed were powerful and difficult, if not painful, to deny. Fortunately for him, he had been invited. Vasile's fangs dropped into feeding position as he lowered his face to Rhys' waiting neck.
Arterial punctures were typically preferential when the intent was to feed; the prey's heart and fear response did most of the work for you, if you liked the taste of adrenalin. Vasile targeted Rhys' left jugular vein, however, for increased control and faster healing. He also had left his own neck exposed to Rhys, as this particular ritual was meant to be a mutual experience.
Dhampyr fangs were shorter than full-blooded vampyres, but easily just as sharp. Rhys' fangs came down into the feeding position, and he brought them over to bite down around the same spot on the neck Vasile was targeting on him. Rhys' hands had gripped onto Vasile's shoulders for support and to prepare himself.
Being bitten by a vampyre could be a different experience depending on who was biting you and what their intentions were. If the vampyre liked the thrill of the hunt and the fear of their prey, then it could be terrifying and painful. Rhys had been bitten like that before, because that was one of the ways vampyres would bully dhampyrs when they are younger.
It could also feel like nothing but a slight pinch, which Rhys had felt from his own siblings before on his wrist. And then there was this. Being in an embrace like this, with so much sexual tension between them and all of their unfulfilled desires, there was only one way this bite could feel. They would feel the first prick of pain but after that it would feel nothing but pleasurable.
The flavor that hit Rhys' tongue was rich and sweet, like it was perfectly suited to his taste in blood. He had never had blood so delicious and perfect. Vasile had hunted "in the wild" before but had never had any trouble stopping. His self control while feeding was remarkable and yet, he found himself getting drunk on Rhys' blood. It took a monumental effort to stop after a polite period.
Rhys also had to use a lot of effort to pull away, which was different for him. He'd never felt a strong pull to feed this way; it was easier for him to walk away from it when presented to him, and his instincts weren't as strong as a full-blooded vampyre's. With Vasile, though, it felt like he easily could be mistaken for one, as he could have savored this all day. He was actually shaking slightly as he pulled away, using his finger to clean up any blood on his chin. He brought his teal eyes back up to look in Vasile's, the depths of emotion in them bare and raw now.
Vasile met his eyes, Rhys' emotions mirrored there exactly. "Well, fuck," he said with a shy smile.
Rhys smiled back at him, feeling a little silly that they had waited this long to even look into this. His cheeks reddened at that thought but he didn't try to hide it from Vasile. "So, I guess that answers one of our questions..."
Vasile nodded. "And creates about a thousand more," he responded, sitting on a convenient couch.
Rhys nodded his head at that, and then after a moment, he started laughing. He couldn't help it; thirteen years of pain leading to this, which would lead to two very annoyed royals. It felt so ridiculous. "Your parents are going to be pissed," he managed to get out through his laughter.
Vasile joined him in laughter, enjoying the emotional release. He finished up with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he reeled in the final few giggles. "Thank you, I needed that," he said as he looked back up at Rhys. "I hate to be too pragmatic in the wake of this revelation, but how should we proceed? While I certainly want to throw caution to the wind and consummate this here and now, we really shouldn't move forward without a plan unless we want things to continue in much the same way they have for the past decade."
Rhys knew Vasile was right, and he was just as tired of how things had been going all this time to admit that. "Yes, and we don't want things to just stay the same. It doesn't help that this coup complicates everything." Rhys got up off the desk and came over to sit down next to Vasile on the couch as he considered what their options were. "You should work on your parents, but we want to keep this quiet for now. I don't want this rebel group to have something to use against you. It's no big deal if they find out about my feelings for you, but we can't let them find out how you feel about me."
Vasile nodded, absent-mindedly taking Rhys' hand as they sat there together. Rhys took comfort in the touch, and how close they were sitting together. Their bodies touched comfortably, fitting together like they were always meant to be like this. It felt right and natural. Vasile found that he completely agreed with what Rhys had said, much as his heart wished to rebel against it. His sense of responsibility to his family and nation was stronger than he had assumed thirteen years ago, making the thought of running away with Rhys and starting over somewhere nearly impossible for him to consider.
"I'll come and see you when I can," Rhys told him, bringing up his other hand to run across Vasile's jawline. "I'm currently working two identities, while also being myself around the area, so it's busy, and I have Tierney to care for as well, but I'll find time, like I did tonight. Maybe saving your family will warm your parents to me a little. Nik did say he was rooting for us already."
Vasile smiled sadly, understanding but also regretting the necessity of keeping their love a secret, particularly with it irrefutably confirmed after more than a decade of waiting. He said as much and while Rhys understood his feelings about it, they both had to be careful right now. Rhys did, at least, risk bringing his lips to Vasile's in a tender kiss. Vasile met his kiss with equal parts ardor and tenderness, his tongue playing with Rhys' as the kiss deepened.
They broke apart reluctantly, but they couldn't afford to be caught canoodling here. Vasile watched forlornly as Rhys gathered up the letters he had never received and departed the same way he had arrived, clutching the letters to his chest. One minute he was there, clutching the letters and looking at Vasile, and the next he was gone. All that was left behind was the vaguely sweet scent of him.
Vasile stared at the empty space where his love had been before turning and climbing into bed fully clothed. He didn't bother with the covers or even turning off the lights. He simply laid there clutching a pillow until he fell asleep. Despite the rumors about vampyres never dreaming, Vasile always had. His dreams that night were haunted by Rhys, often receding away from Vasile faster than he could pursue or getting lost in a crowd. He didn't manage to catch up to him that night, and woke up feeling restless and tired, as if he had been physically walking and running that entire time.
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