"Okay guys, let's stop this, please," I said as I leaned forward Theo grabs my hand to help me stand "I'm exhausted I still need to eat dinner and talk with my parents."
"Javier, I'm marked. I am his and he is mine, and even if we weren't marked. He is my betrothed, so it still stands" I said looking him right in the eye. Looking over his face his cheek was split and bruised, his nose was most definitely broken. Oooff
he's gonna feel that tomorrow.
"Appreciate you standing up for me and I'm sorry I didn't stand up sooner" I said looking away as I fumble with my hands, "but you know I love me a good fight and I'm really disappointed with lack of one you gave…" and then I looked him dead in the face with pout, "I even beat him once yesterday."
Oleander and Arragon burst out into laughter. "Oh man Javier it's true you weren't there earlier you were out doing shit" Oleander said laughing hysterically.
"She pinned Erinn and then gave Alistar a good beating too and then beat this guy in their first round" Arragon followed.
"So, the rumors about you getting married were true" he said covering his nose as the pain set in. Blood was coming through his fingers. His face made a pained expression, you could tell he was humiliated.
"Well, I guess I'll never get my chance, will I?" Javier said with a fake chuckle.
"You never had a chance. I'm sorry but it's true. She was fated to be mine. The goddess herself tied us together. She was waiting for me. She was always the one, the one I was waiting for." Theo said as he tucked his arm around my waste moving a strand of my hair back in place. "Not just that, but you're to weak for her, you can't consider yourself her equal in anyway."
"Whatever. Just take care of her" he tried to perk up. "I'm going to the infirmary get my face fixed before my nose sets"
Javier leaves and it's just my brothers and Theo now.
"Sorry about him, his fathers close friends with ours, so he often forgets his place." Arragon said about Javiers poor manners.
"Alright sis we'll see you downstairs, dinner was served hours ago" Oleander started "but because we have guest and had some interesting events today, your little adventure is the talk of the table tonight" Arragon was saying when Oleander interrupted "by now the talk of the palace" the two brother laughed waving goodbye they shut the door behind them.
After they left it was just him and I. Alone. Again. He was touching me. Again. The realization made my heart run a marathon.
"Little bunny I will rip out the throat of anyone who touches you" turning me into him he picks my face by my chin, the hand on my waist resting just above my ass.
"No one will ever touch you again" leaning down he kisses me. Deep with passion, he is practically sucking the life from me. His lips warm and wet press into me. I rest my hands on chest. His heart was racing too. He presses my lower body to him, and I can feel his erection growing, the length of growing, I wanted him to pick me up by my thighs and take me over to the bed and have me right there, right now.
"Whatever your thinking I need you to stop," Theo growled "you need to eat" trying to pull away but I grab the front of shirt pulling him back in.
I groan with his mouth around mine. Pulling away he whispers out of breath "We can pick up where we left off later, I need to feed you. Im afraid my little bunny will start to chew the furniture"
Pulling back "I am not your little bunny" turning my head away.
"Oh no you most certainly are my little bunny.
"Now let's get you into something presentable" Theo finished before walking over to the bathroom. " I need to wash myself off, I've got the guys blood still on my hands."
I go to my closet and pick out a simple cotton dress, my mother would lose it if I came to dinner in pants while we have guests. But I know tonight I can get away with something comfier than a dinner dress. I strap a dagger to my thigh, "I'll be damned if I am ever without a weapon again" I said to myself quietly. My dagger was made of mithril, the strongest of metal, jewels and gold line the handle. It has an inscription on the blade that says "meet death" on the side. A gift from Oleander for my coming of age party. He said "if you ever have to use it make sure I take their life with it. Anyone whose close enough and want to do you harm. You kill them".
Now dressed I leave the closet. Theo and I go down the stairs through the main hall and into the dining hall.
The dining hall was stunning. The room was tall a good 70 ft. There were several tables, but my family always sat at the one in the center. We always sat facing each other and not away. My father\said it became a tradition because my great great grandmother said, "the best way to rule your people is by loving your family first." My grandmother was a low born high, but she was beautiful and kind, so that's why my grandfather picked her.
There was an assortment of food. Growing up Marcy always made sure the chef made vegetarian dishes for me. Our plates were porcelain of the highest quality trimmed with gold. All and all it's a sight to see. As high elves we have always had
the most elaborate homes. High elves are considered the closest to the gods and the favored ones. Most high elves have black hair, only those directly related to the royal family have white hair. If Theo and I have a child, they will have white hair.
Wait what?
Was I just thinking about my future with Theo. Like it's certain. Who am I kidding it is certain. I can't break the bond and I'm going to be married.
Shit. I'm going to be queen. Not just of the high elves, but all of Elysium.
I should have paid more attention in my studies… I never expected to be queen.
Queen.
Well that's another realization.
I need to eat.
And then I hear her. Death was knocking at my door. Ah shoot.
"Orion Anastasia Serrais Brimmed I am so mad at you!" and there she was in all her glory. My best friends Sera. She was slender and graceful, everything I'm
not. Her hair black as ebony. Her eyes a stormy gray. She had high cheek bones and plump pink cheeks. My best friend was beautiful.
And angry.
Very angry.
Stomping all the way to me, I stiffen, waiting for her punch. But instead, she just wraps her arms around me "I can't believe you haven't told me you're getting married!"
She cried hugging me "I had to hear it second hand from the kitchen staff" she yelled in my ear. "What am I to you? Clearly not important enough to inform of your pending nuptials."
"And then you go and get yourself marked." pulling herself away holding me at arms length looking me up and down, "Marcy let you wear that to dinner?" She asked with a disgruntled look.
Guess she hasn't heard about the monsters. They really are keeping a tight lid on things.
Rolling my eyes "actually I picked it out myself, it's been a long day and the cotton feels nice, okay so, thhhhhmmmmm" I say sticking out my tongue at the end.
And then her punch finally comes, "worst of all! I definitely wasn't told your betrothed match was this hot." Stepping back I watch her practically undress him in front me.
Sera…
"I'll cut out your eyes if you don't put them back." Growling at her to my own surprise.
"Ouch, that hurts my feelings. I'm sorry didn't mean to ogle your beau bestie" she apologized completely unfased by my aggressive response "come sit next to me I am dying to hear about everything!" Dragging me away I just look at Theo and shrug my shoulders leaving him to find his own seat with his companions.
"Rion oh my gods he is so hot you are so lucky!"
"Yeah, Sera having the freedom to choose my own future taken from me makes me really lucky" I put my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand and sigh.
"Elbows off the table Orion" my mother yelled
How does she do that? She's so invested in her conversation and didn't even look over to catch me.
"No, you're lucky your betrothed is hot, imagine how much worse it would be if he was ugly?"
"Okay, I see you." I responded. She had a point. He could have been a lot worse, I suppose that does make me a bit lucky.
I catch her up on all the events skipping the parts about the beasts in the woods.
"I can't believe they just sprung such a thing on to you like that." Sera said apologetically "I don't know how I'd feel, especially if my betrothed looked like yours."
"I feel like if I knew before and had time to process it, I would have probably handled it better, and maybe not have flipped out, shocking the whole room." I admitted "It's really upsetting they didn't let me know when the council agreed to it."
"Maybe they thought you would run away?" Sera tried to come up with a reason.
"I don't know, maybe?" I thought about it, " Maybe they also wanted to avoid the topics hoping it would go away."
Which didn't really seem like my parents, but maybe because things were so uncertain they didn't want to upset me?
"That's so unlike your parents." Sera was very sympathetic to me.
"So what's he like? How are things?" Sera was very curious of my future husband.
"Why?"
"Because he's got good looks and he's about to marry my best friend, what if he's a playboy? Or mean?" Sera said sounding jokingly offended. " What I can't be worried about my best friends future? Is that a crime now?"
"You're ridiculous, you know?" I said laughing at her.