I walked out into the garden and all but jumped out of my skin when Matthew jumped out at me. "Dear death Matthew!" I said as I let him go from when I had grabbed him about ready to punch him.
"Sorry I just wanted to give you this." He said as he gave me a charm for my bracelet.
"Matthew." I said with a small smile.
"Yeah well you are good from my Dad so it's not like I don't agree with you. Hell, I have been rooting for it to be you for years. But I will let you go." He said as I hooked the charm to my bracelet.
"I see Matthew got to you." Logan said as I was looking up at him.
"Yes." I agreed with a laugh. "The flowers look so different during the day." I said walking over to the roses.
"I know. It was always my favorite thing about the day. Besides how it turns your hair red."
"That it does." I agree with a smile. "It also makes your eyes look like crystals." I said as I started walking along the path. I wrapped my arm around him as he smiles at me.
"Thank you." I said softly.
"For what?" He asked me.
"You could have been angry with me for bringing them into the castle."
"Only a fool would be angry about you trying to keep a war from happening." He said to me.
"And a fool you are not. Also thank you for helping with my Mother and Brother." I said softly.
"How could I not?" He asked me, pulling me to a stop and making me look up at him. "Family is everything to us and you know that." He said brushing hair out of my face. "You have every right to have your family here like all the rest of us, My Lady." He said kissing my forehead. "Now I am sure you can and will kick the asses of everyone in that tournament but be safe please." He said kissing my head.
"Of course, My King." I said softly I kissed his cheek and jaw.
"Humm." He said as he rubbed his eyes.
"Starting to get too bright?" I asked him
"Sadly yes." He said.
"I am sure the sunglasses will be a mass import for us as it cuts the brightness of the sun." I said.
"I agree with that." He said with a laugh. I pull him to the great oak and sit next to the Irises and Daylilies.
"We will also have to find out about currency because I am sure Poloi is not what they use." I said softly.
"Indeed." He agreed.
"This is going to be a headache." I sighed and leaned against him.
"I agree with you but we cannot simply not allow this to not happen. Think about it, we need fresh blood and they want peace." He said.
"Yes, but at what cost?" I asked him. "Will we have to leave behind our culture?"
"I would not let that happen." He said softly.
"And what if they threaten war?" I asked him
"Your mother would never allow that." He said softly. "I understand your fear, my Lady, I do. I fear it too. But while change will happen we will not lose ourselves in the process. Your Father, Uncle, and I would have many things to say and do if they tried to force their culture on us. While I am sure that we will adapt some things that they use but we will not lose ourselves." He kisses the back of my hand.
"Thank you." I said with a smile.
"I help where I can my Lady." He said resting his head against my shoulder.
" My King, My Lady!" A guard yelled as he came running to us. I sighed as he gets up and helps me up.
"What Conner?" I asked him.
"We have a messenger from the Sanguinoso and Tantibus clans who wish to speak to you." He said. I looked to him then to Logan. The Tantibus clan never deals with anyone outside their own clan.
"We are coming." I said as we followed him as I worked on braiding my hair as we did so.
"You could leave it down." He said softly.
"Maybe." I said tying it off.
"King Logan, First Lady." The Tantibus warrior said bowing.
"King Logan." The Sanguinoso said bowing and giving an odd look at the Tantibus warrior.
"Days blessings to you both." Logan and I said.
"May we have your names please?" I asked them as they straightened.
"Of course, the first lady I am Alexander of the Tantibus clan."
"And I am Nicholas from the Sanguinoso clan."
"We greet you. I am as you know King Logan of the northern Clan." Logan said.
"And I am Diana Arcaria, First Lady of the northern Clan and Lady of the house Arcaria." I say to them.
"May I ask why you two have come?" Logan asked them.
The Sanguinoso Winced a little, grabbing his arm. "My king has sent a message that should only be heard by you and you alone King Logan."
The Tantibus Tilted his head. "My lady has an issue she wishes to speak on with the northern leaders but since you have a lady we would be more than willing to speak to her while you speak to the Sanguinoso clan messenger."
I looked at Logan and shrugged it made it easier for both of us to deal with it in separate Issues. "Very well." I said. "Sir Alexander come with me to my father's office this way we can steal it though I do ask that you control yourself because we do have guests from the outside."
This made them both stiffen. " humans have returned?" Alexander asked me.
"I think returned is the wrong word." I said and they all looked at me.
"Why do you say that my lady?" Logan asked me.
"Need I remind you there is only one actual human in the group delicates on their guards and cook." I asked looking at him. "I believe the proper term is Visiting. For the delegate human delicate will be leaving once the meeting with the leaders happen."
"True, true the only ones staying after that are witches and they may very well end up being turned since one of them is a mate to one of our vampires." Logan agreed.
"What is a witch?" Alexander asked me.
"Humans created more things than just us." I tell them. "Based on what we have seen witches are a non-vampire Elemental user. Much like vampires both witches and what are called werewolves beings who can turn into a giant wolf the size of a decaying bear live much longer than humans do."
They both looked shocked and nodded. "If I may I would like to meet these delegates." Alexander said. "For the issue and that I need to speak to you on deals with." He stopped and looked at Nicholas.
"If you are allowed to stay the day you're more than welcome to meet them tonight so I'm late I'm like us they do need sleep." I explained.
"Course Lady North." He said bowling to me.
"Very well please come with me." I said printing in the general direction of my father's office. He fell into step slightly behind me but enough where I could still see him out of the corner of my eye.
"Not to pry but may I ask how long you and the King have been courting?" He asked me.
"Not long. The bond unfortunately only just clicked into place."
" My apologies then if our arrival interrupted your first Outing." he said.
"If it wasn't important you wouldn't be here." I said if I open the door to the office. And please him inside before closing the door behind us. "Because everyone knows that your clan doesn't associate with any of the others and haven't since the war." I said pointing to a seat. "Have a seat please." I sent myself and then he sat down.
"That is actually part of the reason my lady has sent me here. We just had our newest Queen's coronation. And our Queen has determined that staying isolated the way we have has become a detriment to our clan. We have started seeing fewer and fewer children as well as birth defects in some of the children that have been born here lately. Due to the inbreeding that has occurred during the isolation."
"And what does your queen wish to do about this issue?"
"We all know that the gene pool of vampires is very limited. The northern vampire Clan is the one with probably the freshest blood simply because of being so close to the end and the guarding of the end and finding any humans who wander in. My queen wishes to not only speak to you and your King on diplomatic stances but as well as seeking to do a knight exchange." He said to me. I leaned back and tilted my head.
"I can see where that would help with the inbreeding hoping for Hotara's to show in the knights that are either here or there." I said leaning back and lacing my fingers together as I thought about this. "I see no problem in the knight exchange for it was the Northern clan that started such things, to begin with." I said. "Will your queen be attending the Tournament that the Cornver clan has set up?" I asked him.
"Indeed Lady Arcaria we were hoping to speak to the other clans then but the northern clan was always the second most neutral clan next to our own so my Lady wished to speak to you all first." He said.
"Would you care for some Blood Knight Alexander? And do you have a preference?" I asked him.
"I could use some yes no preference." He said as he almost seemed taken back.
I made a crow and spoke. "I do apologize for the hour Leo but I need two goblets on blood to my father's office. Also maybe we should look into getting you some help in the kitchen so we do not interrupt your outings with your lady." I said before sending it off.