Chapter 16: Invited by the Royals

Christina watched as the person she, right now, hated and feared the most, walked towards them with a smile on his face. She shivered in disgust against Alexander's chest while watching Dylan from the corners of her eyes.

Memories of the night he attacked her washed over her and she felt like she was going to be sick. 

Alexander was on high alert; she could sense the tension in his body. He was ready to fight, to protect her. She had a short moment of admiration for his strength and how he was willing to do everything for her, but she shook that feeling of and concentrated on the nearing threat.

With long, yet slow, strides, the monster came towards them. He stood still about four feet away from their table. The tension rose and Christina waited nervously until someone would say something.

Minutes passed, and still no word had been said. Eventually, she found it had been enough and she nudged Alexander, signalling for him to say something.

'What do you want?', he asked gruffly. For a moment, only silence and the other people in the restaurant were heard.

'Can I please sit down, your highness?', Dylan politely asked. The sound of his voice was... off. Something inside Christina stirred and she had a grim feeling all of a sudden. She had to know what was wrong with Dylan, so she looked up at him.

The sight of him caused her to gasp, and she pitied him. His face was calm and reserved, yet his eyes were fuzzy and the look in them was just empty. His skin was a mottled white, with here and there darker mottles. It was as though something bad had happened to him, and he just wasn't there.

Her gaze trailed lower, to observe the rest of his body. He wore neat clothes, grey dress pants and a blue striped shirt. The last two buttons of the shirt were undone, allowing people to see his neck and a small part of his chest. 

What she saw there, however, was shocking. The part of his chest which she could see had long, vertical wounds all over it. It was as though some animal had mauled him with its claws. His neck told an entirely different story; bite wounds covered his neck on both sides and traces of left-over blood were just barely visible. 

Her gaze went back to his face to see a faint smile now present.

Alexander must have noticed all these things too, because when she looked at his face, she saw that his features had slightly softened and he nodded to indicate that Dylan was allowed to sit down. 

Dylan's movements were slow as he did what was indicated. When he sat down, the smile disappeared and the reserved, calm face returned. He then sighed softly, before he spoke again: 'Good... Day? I am not entirely sure what time it is. My apologies, your highness.'

Alexander looked at his watch. 'It's five past midday, so a 'good afternoon' would be about right.' He shook his arm and his sleeve went back down over his watch.

'Ah, thank you... The activities I participated in earlier must have taken a lot longer than I thought. But then again, I am always confused after such matters.' He slightly shook his head while his eyes became even more clouded, before clearing up again.

'I can imagine. What did happen to you, Dylan?', Alexander asked. Alec tilted his head and observed Dylan silently. His eyes went to the wounds on his neck and then lower, to the cuts on his chest.

'It is not my place to tell, nor is it the reason I am here. I was not ordered to sweet talk, actually, your highness,' Dylan answered, in a monotone way, just like he had spoken the entire time.

'Then state your business, boy. I don't have all night,' Alexander said, sounding irritated. 'And while you're at it, tell me who your master is.'

'Very well. I am here to invite you on behalf of my master, prince Caël and his sister, my mistress, princess Isobel.'

Alexander stiffened again, and his hold on Christina tightened. 'What business do they have now?',  he spat out. His eyes narrowed and a low growling rumbled in his chest.

Christina lay her head against his chest en kissed it gently, trying to calm him down.

'My master wants to discuss formal affairs with you, your highness. He also ordered me to point out in a polite way, that in the matter of royal affairs, an invitation of his part is to be accepted no matter the circumstances, as would be the situation if you were to invite him.'

Alexander sighed deeply. 'That is, unfortunately, true... Alright, when does that arrogant prick you call your master and I call my nephew, want to meet me?'

'I am afraid you misunderstood. I meant you and your mate, princess Christina. My apologies for making that unclear.' 

'No. She is under no circumstances coming with me to that arrogant, power-hungry wolf!'

'Your highness, section 335, paragraph 17 of our law, the law I already cited for you, doesn't only befall you, but also your mate, seeing she is also royalty now.'

Alexander growled, while Christina just stared at the both of them as the conversation turned from formal to angry. Well, Alexander became angry, Dylan still showed no emotion. 

'As for when... My master said next month, at full moon.'

'Seeing it's the law, we shall come. But only for a short while! I will not participate in the evil plans of Caël.'

Dylan faintly smiled. 'I will be sure to inform him. Now, I have to leave. My master desires for me to join him again.' He stood up and smoothed out his clothes. He went to leave.

'Wait, Dylan,' Christina exclaimed. Dylan stopped and turned towards her. 'Yes?'

'What happened to you? You're all... battered and...'

He smiled slightly. 'It is my master's right to do everything to me he wants to do.'

'So... Did you get punished for something?'

'No, Christina. My master rarely punishes me. But I appreciate your concern. You're a kind girl.'

She smiled meekly at him and turned back towards Alexander. She looked up at him, silently asking whether they should help Dylan or not. Alec slightly shook his head, in answer to her unspoken words.

Dylan disappeared, and Christina's head was filled with questions.

'Tell me about your nephew. Why do you hate him so much?', she asked, while sliding off Alexander's lap and sitting in her own seat again.

He sighed. 'It's complicated...'

'Maybe I like complicated. Try and tell me. Perhaps I'll understand.'

'Alright. My father has one older brother, my uncle, Pathin. To become King of our kingdom, you have to find your mate first. My grandparents' reign lasted for over three millennia, even though their firstborn son had been born after their first century together. My father, King Azkebel, or Azk, as my mother calls him, was born over a millennium later. By that time, the entire kingdom thought that my uncle's mate had already departed this world, making the chance of him becoming king... Well, they didn't exist anymore. 

Pathin, however, loved the power that came with being the future King, and when it was taken away from him and everyone was hoping his brother would find a mate and take the crown, he was outrageous. He tried to persuade my grandparents into just giving him the crown, even though he hadn't found his mate.

They, of course, declined that request. Half a millennium later, he tried again. He hadn't found his mate yet, so again, his request was declined. Another five-hundred years later, my father Azk, found his mate in my mother, Queen Leandra. My grandparents, wanting to stop their reign, crowned him King, resulting in Pathin being sat aside. 

The real misery started two centuries after my parents took over the throne. Pathin found his mate. She was a young human woman living in what is now the Netherlands. He mated her, and then tried to persuade his parents into giving him the crown, even though they weren't reigning anymore. After they told him it wasn't in their hands, he went to my father and demanded the crown, seeing it was 'his birth right as firstborn son'. My father declined, just like his parents before him.

Infuriated, Pathin went back to his mate. He blamed her for the fact that he didn't get the crown. He felt that it was her fault, because she wasn't born a millennium or so earlier. That is unreasonable, seeing you don't get to pick when your mate comes, but he didn't see it like that.

By that time, Pathin had two children: Caël and Isobel. He felt he didn't need his mate anymore, so he got rid of her in some way. No one is certain she is dead, she just disappeared after he returned home. 

She was, for as far as I know, a very kind hearted person. But I only know her from the stories of my parents. No one speaks her name anymore. Seeing there was no evidence of her disappearance being Pathin's work, he wasn't punished for it, but he does have a bad name now.

Now that he is mateless again, it is impossible for him to get the crown and he realizes that. So now he tries to get Caël on the throne. Caël is just as obsessed with power and becoming King as he is, but he can't become the King without mine or my father's permission.'

Christina shook her head at all that information. 'It's a long story, even though not that hard to understand. Pathin wanted the crown, he made his wife disappear, and now he wants Caël to take the crown, right?'

'Your version is a lot easier to understand than mine,' Alexander said, laughing. 

'Indeed. Maybe next time, you should first check with me if your story isn't long and weird, and then you won't make a confusing fool out of yourself,' Christina laughed.

'Right, I'll think of that next time. Well... Can we go home now? I'm getting sick of the smell of fat and chips.' He scrunched his nose and she laughed. She gave his nose a quick kiss. 

'What are you waiting for then? Pick me up and carry me home, you idiot!' 

'As you wish, milady.' He reached out for her and pulled her into his arms before standing up, successfully carrying her bridal style. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. 

'You're ridiculously modern gentlemanly,' she said, grinning like a child on Christmas day. 

'And you are ridiculously beautiful, my love.'