Kya's heart beat hard as she looked down from the ledge she stood upon, the ground so very far below. Behind her, the North-facing window, now closed as the shadow master and his pet prepared to leave the king's castle behind. "I don't know if I can do this, Arcen." Her fingers tighten, the fistful of his silk coat not anchoring her enough as the thought of falling to her demise reverberates through her mind. It's not the fall, but the landing she dreaded.
His arm, wrapped around her waist, held her hard against his side. "It's just a little leap. If you cannot jump, then I must pull you and I doubt you'll enjoy that sensation." His voice gentle and coaxing. "I swear to you, there's nothing to fear. I won't let harm come to you."
"Is there no other way?" She tilted her head to look up at him, her wide eyes pleading. Despite not being the proper shade, the look of fear was certainly that of Kya's and not brazen Celeste.
He let out a sigh of resignation. "There is." Before she realized it, he swept her up and a shadowy bubble of black engulfed them both. Nestled safely inside, the two occupants slowly floated north to Cairn Baden. Arcen sat opposite of Kya, their legs touching in the close confines.
"Since we're traveling this way and it's a much slower journey, let us talk, Kya, and perhaps come to an understanding of sorts." Arcen said quietly. His emerald eyes glimmer in the dimmed interior of the shadow bubble.
"Very well. What shall we discuss?"
Her question brought a smirk to his face. "I want to know your thoughts about your situation, to know you better. And before you think it's only because you're a Singularity, then you're not understanding the whole picture."
She frowned. "Then please explain the whole picture to me."
That made Arcen chuckle. "There are some parts that defy words... but I will try. Let me ask you this, have you discerned the differences between my brother and I?"
Kya slowly nodded. "While you tease me, you do so without true malice. Luca doesn't tease. He assesses and comments. Among other things."
"Other things?"
A flush flooded her cheeks. "When we reached the tower, you called me by my true name. Lord Luca however... I was still Celeste to him."
"Ah, you noticed that, too. Well, that's a fair enough description. You heard him this morning... his interest in you is based on what you can do for him, and by extension, House Baden. My interest in you is more... personal."
His shy admission took her by surprise. "Personal? Now I'm curious my lord, as to how you personally perceive me."
Arcen didn't keep her waiting long. "I think you're strong. Of course, you're beautiful, but beneath that beauty, giving it structure, is your strength. You are not a tool to me... that's just a bonus when it comes to you."
His words made Kya feel like a fraud. Where is the strength in being sold? In playing along with the wants of masters? In being dressed like a doll and paraded before others? "I don't understand your admiration of my supposed strength."
"I don't suppose you would. I suppose, were I in your shoes, anything out of my mouth would sound contrived and only meant to appeal and earn your favor."
"That's not how I see it... I just don't understand the notion of strength you say I have. I do my best to mind my manners and not anger those who have sway over my life. Through circumstances, I am reminded daily that I am but prey in a castle full of vampires. That my life is lived by the whims of others. I fail to see the strength in that."
"Then I suppose the only way for you to fully understand your strength, is for us to show you we genuinely mean you no harm. That your tolerance of us is a form of strength. You have not wept inconsolably, nor starved yourself out of fear or spite. You are strong, Kya. Never doubt it. While some may treat pets as disposable toys, you are of a far different quality. Consider yourself royalty among pets, for your Singularity blood makes you so. We treat you, more often than not, as a well-bred lady, for that is what you are. While your father and I did not run in the same circles, we did have overlap and served on committees for Human-Vampire Relations. I cannot in good faith treat you as a lesser being, for the memory of your good father would haunt me to my dying day."
That brought a small, sad smile to her face. "I thank you for that."
Arcen reached out and clasped her hand. "You need not thank us. We are selfish and we are greedy, and you appeal to us with your multitude of charms, such as your strength and resilience." He paused for a moment before asking, "Tell me, what are your thoughts on romance?"
She shrugged. "I don't really have any. I am a pet shared between brothers. There is no romance in that."
"Would you be open to being romanced? Or would you prefer a strictly physical relationship?"
"I...I don't know. The thought of being wooed appeals, but the thought of having those kind of feelings, just to be set aside for an alliance or union doesn't sit well. I don't want to be someone's temporary diversion. If I am to love, I don't want it to be wasted upon someone who doesn't feel the same way. Life, I've found, is a series of insecurities testing one's character. I would hope that love could be something more stable and long lasting, rather than another set of insecurities making itself known. I don't want to be a job, I want to be... loved. That my faith and trust in that person is fully justified. That they are worthy of my affection." Lady Munro obviously was not worthy of her father's affection, not that he had much after her mother died. But still, if Kya's love is something special, then by all means, the person receiving it should be worthy... not an unworthy betrayer.
In the dim light of the shadowy bubble, Arcen's eyes glowed unnaturally green. "Understandable, completely understandable. If I gave you a blood oath, would that allay fears?"
Her brows knitted together. "Blood oath?"
"A promise sworn in the flesh. To violate it is to incur a slow and painful demise. To swear a blood oath is to make a life-long promise and mean it with every fiber of one's being."
She frowned. "You would swear such an oath to me?" Did he feel that strongly to offer such a thing?
He gave a shrug."I don't know of any other method to ensure that what is said to you, upheld. If you want to be romanced, I will do so. If you feel favorably toward me, I will give you my oath, my vow of loyalty. I will take no other, nor love another. If you chose to be mine, I swear to be yours. That is what I pledge."
It wasn't just his words, but the velvety tone he used when he spoke of his vow which sent a shiver through her body. "But why?"
"I already told you, Kya. You are worthy of it. My brother is the heir and I'm the spare. There's a reason Lady Ross and her ilk stalk him like a stag while I fade into the shadows. As long as he begets another generation, I have no such demands upon me to carry on the family line. If I want to dedicate myself to my pet, so be it." Arcen grins. "I am my father's son, after all."
"And if such demands for heirs are made upon you?" She asked, curious as to his answer.
"Then I will petition the king so I may wed you, as you are of good family. If you were of consenting mind, that is. I'm not sure I could pull it off unless something is wanted of me, such as a legitimate heir."
His declaration shocked her. "You're jesting, surely."
He raised her hand to his lips, and kissed the back of it. "I may jest about many things, but not this. Not now. And not to you. Regarding matters of the heart, I am very serious. For all the passion you've endured this day, you've never been made love to. I think that should change. Also, don't forget, it was Luca's bid that won you, but it was my bid that brought you into the sight of House Baden. There are many kinds of power, my dearest Kya." He gave a small smirk. "Celeste seems to know how to use hers to her advantage, while you, my dear, seem more the sit back and observe type."
"I wouldn't say I've endured your attentions... as I've very much enjoy most of what I've experienced. Your father's attentions being the exception. I was warned... but how else would I ever find out about all the magic in the necklace he gave me?"
"What did he say?"
"Well, the black amethyst will signal when my Maiden's Blood arrives, and it'll also indicate when I'm fertile, so as he put it, I can avoid 'unwanted mistakes'. That it will repel much like yours does, those of ill intent, and the smaller stones stores the energy that I let out when I climax." Kya chose to remain silent about the gift the King wanted her to give her her favorite of his sons.
"And then the glamour."
She nodded.
"Unwanted mistakes, eh? Well, that's good to know he has no desire to be a grandfather any time soon. Why do the stones store your energy?" His brow furrowed.
Since he asked directly, Kya answered him honestly. "I was told that which ever of you catches my fancy is to receive the power stored in the stones... to make that man so powerful none dare scheme against House Baden."
"Give the power to Luca. His attribute needs it more than mine. His is based on power while mine is stealth... tangible ice vs intangible shadow."
"Do you not wish to make use of my ability?"
That brought out a grin. "I'd be stupid and lying if I said no. But your well-being is more important to me than increasing my own power. As the spare, I'm also Luca's enforcer. His spy. The power I have now is more than sufficient for that task. That said, if I were to love you without you wearing that necklace...I would benefit. So tell me, Kya, can I offer you romance? Would you accept my heart?" His tone softened as he finished speaking, the first time she saw him vulnerable.
"Do you truly feel that way? About me?" She asked softly.
"I could, rather easily, I think, given how I felt these last two weeks when you shared my bed. But, like you, I'm hesitant to open myself up like that if it's unwanted. I, like you, do not want to commit myself to someone who doesn't share the same depth of affection. Affection for the wrong person is a vulnerability I cannot afford to have."
"If...if we were to explore that... would I lie only with you, or would I still be shared?"
Arcen pursed his lips before he frowned. "That, I think, we need to discuss with Luca. While he said he's fine with me being the sole recipient of your affection, I'm not sure he'd be willing to give up the ability to amplify his attribute through your passionate outbursts." His frown eased away, replaced by a small smile. "However... the power in that necklace may make a nice bartering chip. You and I charge the necklace and he benefits from the power. We all win."
There was an inkling of hope that Kya couldn't contain. "Would it really be that easy, Arcen?"
"As hopeful as I yearn to be, I'm going to err on the side of caution and say no, it's probably not that easy. Since we bought you to share, I'm not sure how much he'll let me monopolize your time without him wanting some attention too."
That brought a frown to Kya's face, prompting Arcen to ask her with a touch of hesitation, "What are your thoughts on it? On being shared?"
"For now I don't mind it. But if affection were to grow, I think I would find it hard to be intimate with the person I don't have tender feelings for. I would look upon it as a duty, not a pleasure."
"Again, understandable, and something worth discussing with Luca. He won't be unreasonable as long as he's getting something beneficial out of it. But I need to know... are you alright with me being affectionate toward you? If it's unwanted then I won't."
"I don't think I would mind it if it's genuine." Kya replied quietly after a moment of thought.
Arcen gave an unusually tender smile. "It would be genuine, my lady. To offer less under the guise of authenticity would only burn bridges, not build them."
Kya moved across the small space to sit next to Arcen as the bubble of shadow floats across the sky, toward Cairn Baden. "And you wish to build such bridges with me?"
"Only if you desire it. Otherwise, we can keep on with a physical relationship and and make no emotional demands of each other. I leave it to you to choose." Arcen said quietly. "While circumstances don't permit a more... natural evolution of feeling between us, this, my lady, is about as close as I can offer you to normalcy, if you want it. Don't answer now. Just think about it."
Kya nods. "I will. And I appreciate your patience, Arcen. Thank you."
Arcen covers Kya's hand with his, squeezing gently. "You need not thank me for common courtesy, Kya." He breathes deep, closing his eyes for a minute as if to sense their location. "We're still a ways away from Cairn Baden. Do you trust me enough to get us there faster and safely?"
Kya breathes deep and looks him in the eye. "You're used to your magic. I am not... and it makes me nervous. But I trust you to get us back safely."
A gentle smile tugs at Arcen's lips. "I appreciate your trust. May I kiss you, Kya?"
She nods and he kisses her. As he deepens the kiss, the shadow bubble disappears for a split second before Kya finds herself in the grasp of a flying black shadowy gyrfalcon, soaring across the night sky as fast as a lightning bolt. In a matter of minutes, they arrive at the obsidian castle, Arcen flying straight for the East tower, and through an always-open aperture. He shifts, his arms wrapped around Kya as he stands behind her, his lips precariously close to her ear. "How was that?"
Twisting in his arms, she turns to look up at him in his face with a smile and twinkle in her eye. "Better than I assumed it would be. That said, I'm still glad we had time to talk."
He grins down at her, his fangs flashing. "We aren't done. Let's find Luca and let him know you're safely arrived home and we can get the subject of you and I settled with him."
A sense of anticipation ricocheted inside Kya at the notion. "Will I be spending my nights with you, starting tonight?"
"Only if you wish it, Kya. You of course have your own room, but if you wish to spend your nights with me, I certainly shan't object." The heat in his voice gave Kya a thrill, which he sensed by how her eyes dilated in pleasurable anticipation.
Holding her hand, Arcen leads Kya to Luca's study, to see him staring out the window, his gem-encrusted coat laid to the side, his hand clasped behind his back. Lucarick turns at the sound of footsteps, a brief smile of relief flashing across his face as his gaze settles on Kya.
"You're back, finally."
"My apologies, Luca. Arcen wanted to travel faster but we floated in a bubble most of the way here because I was nervous." Kya reaches to unfasten the amethyst necklace, dispelling the glamour of Celeste. Laying the necklace upon the desk, she raises her chin and says, "I've come to a decision, Luca... if you'll agree."
Her words make him raise an eyebrow in question, his gaze flicking from her to Arcen and back again. "And what would that be, my dear?"
"Arcen and I came to an understanding... and I owe you an explanation. The amethysts on the necklace your father gave me... they don't just tell of my cycle. They absorb the energy I release when we intimate. The king told me to gift them to whichever of you who captures my heart, to make him so powerful that none dare defy the Baden. However... if I seek affection from Arcen, he has agreed to help charge the necklace for you to use the energy."
Luca raises his chin, studying Kya's face and vocal tone, sifting through the unsaid. "That is... generous." His shoulders slump a smidgen as relief pours from him, the tension of not knowing why their frolicking in the carriage to the ball yielded no increase in their power, now easing away with this information.
Kya asks him softly, "If I develop a deep affection for Arcen, what are the expectations you have of me?"
Luca looks at her, unsure of what she's asking. Arcen finally speaks up, clarifying. "She wants to know if she must share both our beds if she doesn't hold you in the same kind of affection, or if giving you the energy stored in the necklace is sufficient."
"Ah. It's my preference for now to indulge myself with you, Kya. But if you find my attentions unwanted or downright repugnant, I shall cease. While the energy you gift us is desired, I find that I enjoy your company more than anticipated." He looks thoughtful for a moment. "How about this: Arcen, your publicly acknowledged and preferred." He grins. "And Celeste shall be mine, when I must attend state affairs and need to keep the vultures from circling, throwing their daughters at me. How does that sound?"
Arcen asks, "Will Celeste be publicly your cousin or your companion?" If Celeste were just his cousin, then she could flirt and entertain the attentions of others. As a recognized companion... she would be his, totally. Vampire alliances typically fall into two categories: those to advance the family, and those of the heart and very rarely do they ever entwine. Those that advance the family... more temporary than when an immortal's heart is involved. A mate can be changed. A companion... they are the ones that linger.
Luca holds Arcen's concerned gaze. "Companion." While Kya didn't understand the significance of that simple word, she understood the possessive tone. However, Arcen heard the challenge in it. Luca continued. "That means we shall call the dressmaker and have a wardrobe made befitting Celeste and her station. We shall do that in a few days and let you recover from your Maiden's Blood first."
Kya nods, thoughtful. "That means more balls and such events?"
With a smile, Luca answers. "It does. And you may be as catty, rude, provocative, and demanding as you choose. As Kya, Arcen shall keep you company and tend to you. And when the occasion presents itself for Celeste to appear, you shall fulfill that role and then keep me company that night. Indulge me no more than let's say... two days per week. Does that sound agreeable?"
She answers with a question. "And if I have a strong attachment to Arcen and your attentions feel more like duty than pleasure?"
Luca looks down at her, pragmatic. "Then I hope you will do your duty once a week, as I set forth events that will give Celeste reason to seek her fortunes elsewhere, so her appearance can be retired. And as I said, if duty turns into repugnance, then I shall leave Arcen to tend you so I can use the energy stored in the necklace."
Kya nods, assured. "Thank you, Luca." She looks to Arcen. "Does this arrangement work for you too, Arcen?"
He looks down at her and sighs inwardly at the hope radiating from her gaze. If she knew Luca better, she'd be more wary of him and those two nights a week he desires. Arcen answers. "It does, for now." His eyes flash to Luca. "May the best man claim her heart."
A wry smirk twitches Luca's lips. "Indeed, Brother. And may she feel the warmth of that affection."
Kya looks from Luca, to Arcen, perceiving a current of tension between the brothers. With a grin, she tries dispelling the uncomfortable sensation. "So, with that settled, shall we retire for the night?"
Luca grins, asking, "Where do you plan on sleeping, pet?"
This time, Kya smirks. "My own bed, of course." Looking from Luca to Arcen, whose gaze she holds as she continues, "You're both welcome to join me."
And so they did.