The castle had always been his home. The towers, the Atrium, the throne room, and all the many spiral staircases that led to ornate hallways decorated with golden and silver thread, served as his playground in his youth. He knew where all the best nook and crannies were, the best hiding places. Areas of the castle where he could find hidden passageways to other rooms.
Laurena on the other hand was new. He remembered the first time he saw her in the throne room, in her ruined wedding dress, her eyes vacant. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, and Victor his lord, his father had bequeathed her to him. She belonged to Raphael. He had done what was expected of him by marking her as his. All that was left was to claim her.
He didn't know why. Just that he couldn't do the final claiming. He felt protective of her, but so was Terry. He knew he wasn't in love with her. He wasn't even sure he could love anyone. If that was even possible for a demon like him. And yet he had seen the way Dorian had looked at her when he had first approached and took her from his arms at the witch's cottage.
Dorian loved her. Maybe he always had, Raphael knew that but still, he let Lauri learn magic with him and with the Mage Simeon. He still let her walk around the castle, he had hoped the more she got to know the kingdom and her powers the more she would feel like this was her home. That she would eventually want to be with him.
"Where the hell were you!" Terry screamed breaking into Raphael's thoughts. He felt Terry slam him against the wall. Raphael smirked. "Hello, little brother." He said shrugging off Terry's arms, brushing off his velvet coat.
Terry fumed. "Answer me."
"Unlike you, my responsibilities are to protect the whole kingdom from threats, not just one woman."
"That woman is meant to be yours. I would think you'd want to keep her safe." Terry bit off. Raphael smirked. "What I want from her is my concern. Not yours. You will do well to remember your place in all of this. You are after all still in training." He said smirking. Raphael moved away from Terry. He knew that his half-brother despised him. But there was nothing to be done about that.
When Terry first showed up here he was full of terror and horror at the Kingdom. Mostly because the area of earth he was taken from was slightly more modern, with urban cities, and things like democracy. He'd turned away from me almost immediately since he appeared, disgusted at how I reveled in the brutal nature of being a demon, how I enjoyed the bloodlust and mayhem that I saw as second nature.
I glanced upwards at the stairs and wondered how Lauri was doing. I hadn't really seen her since the healers took her away as soon as she came back. She had felt completely limp in his arms. He hoped she would be alright. Because, unlike Terry, he knew she had the potential to be the darkest and most revered royal in the Kingdom.
Lauri avoided the healers fussing, making a face at them. They'd already finished dressing her wounds after her bath. She felt warm and safe, her hair falling in wet curls around her. She'd forgone her royal clothes and had actually put on one of Raphael's longer shirts under her robe. Lauri was being fussy, she knew that. But after having the Witch's hands on her, not to mention her teeth. She really just wanted to be left alone.
The healer tutted at her and shuffled out the door as Simeon walked in. "I see you annoying the healers once again." He said his hands behind his back as he surveyed Lauri. Lauri scowled, sitting at the edge of her bed, closing her robe closed and crossing her arms. "they already cleaned all my so-called bruises, it is completely unnecessary for them to continue to hover."
"It is what they do, to feel needed." A new voice said. Lauri turned to the door in surprise and immediately rose and bowed. "My lord, I didn't hear you come in," she said. Victor waved off her bow, and sat on her bed, gesturing her to take a seat. "I wanted to check on you. Raphael seemed overly concerned, which is unnatural for him."
"I'll say," Simeon said his eyebrows raised. "Raphael said Zafira tried to drain you," Victor said as Lauri sat down beside him. "I'm a little tired, but I'll be fine."
"And yet you look troubled," Victor murmured. Lauri glanced at him and then looked uncertainly at Simeon. "It's okay. Victor just pretends to be all tough and scary in court." Simeon said ignoring the glare Victor shot at him. "The witch Zafira said something. About my mother." Lauri said, nervously. "But there is something else you should concern yourself with. She was asking me about Nathaniel. She seemed to think I would know where he's being kept."
"He's not here," Simeon said darkly. "No, he's not, but she doesn't know that," Victor said. "And neither would any of her followers." He rose from the bed glancing at Simeon.
"You are going to continue Laurena's training in the castle from now on." Victor turned to Lauri. "I want you to stay in the castle from now on. "The witch took her from the castle." Simeon reminded him. "It's still safer than your tower," Victor said. "We need to check and see if Nathaniel has any more followers. If there are, they might follow Zafira's lead and come after you as well." Victor said solemnly.
"I understand."
"I need to go find Raphael and Dorian. They are not going to be pleased."