Change Of Plans

Mona opened the doors to the Crowned Prince's private study and ushered Serenity in. She took in her surroundings in awe. A gasp escaped her lips as she stared up at the tall walls of books. The room seemed to go on forever. At the end of the room stood a wall made entirely of windows. The beaming sunset was glimmering into the room, basking it in a burning orange heat. Serenity was dumbfounded by the shape of the room. How could a room so long be in a circular building? She looked around the walls that were lined of books, from floor to ceiling. There was a mezzanine around the room which allowed access to the top half of the walls of books. Ladders on wheels were scattered along the walls; two servants were on ladders putting books away from a return cart.

Serenity bit her bottom lip as she followed Mona into the room. Mona paused at a table in the center of the room that was circular and surrounded by ten chairs. Another servant was at the table, bustling around picking up the papers that seemed to be scattered all over the table.

"I told you to have this cleaned up," Mona snapped at the small servant. Her tone drew Serenity's attention. She looked at the small servant who was nervous and rushing to collect the documents. The poor girl looked on edge. Her bright green eyes were darting between Mona and Serenity. She fumbled and knocked a candle over, causing a paper to catch on fire. Serenity lunged forward as the servant gasped, burned. Serenity grabbed the edge of the table cloth and threw it down on the burning paper, patting the fire out quickly.

"My goodness!" Mona snapped as she collected the papers quickly so Serenity couldn't see them.

"Thank you," the girl stammered as she held her hand gingerly. Serenity dropped the tablecloth down and went to the girl, taking her hand.

"It's okay," she said opening the girl's fingers. Her palm was burned mildly. Serenity touched it gently, causing the girl to squirm. "It's minor. My old master used to burn me with candles."

"The tiger?" the girl asked surprised.

"Talia," Mona scolded the girl. "Forgive her, she should not be asking such personal questions."

Serenity shook her head with a weak smile. "It's alright. Yes, not King Theron, his brother abused me before I came into his service."

"Is it really abuse if they own you?" Talia asked with a sad tone.

"Yes," Serenity stressed. "No creature should be mistreated."

"That is enough," Mona interrupted before another word could be said. "We should not be disrespectful of those that care for us."

"If they own you they don't care for you," Serenity responded quickly. She brushed Talia's hand with her fingertips as she spoke quickly.

"I'm sure it's not that simple, Lady," Mona retorted. "Especially as you claim to love King Theron and he did own you."

"You've healed my hand!" Talia yelled causing Serenity to jump.

She yanked her hand out of Serenity's grip and stared down at it in awe. Serenity leaned back in pure surprise. Mona came forward, grabbing Talia's hand and stared at it. Sure enough, the burn was gone. Her pale skin was untouched or harmed. Serenity frowned deeply and moved away from the two birds. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned while looking down at the floor. Before a word could be said, the doors to the library opened and Crowned Prince Fallon marched in. He paused at the sight of the three women at the center of the room by the table.

"What is going on?" he asked looking at the three women curiously. "Mona, my instructions were clear—"

"—forgive me, your Majesty," Mona said quickly as she and Talia bowed low in front of Fallon. Serenity stood upright, not moving as he glided by her. "I asked Talia to assist me, she is young and needs training—"

"I did not want us to be waiting for our dinner!"

Fallon lifted his arm to strike Mona. Serenity stepped forward immediately placing herself between Fallon and his servants. His hand continued down, but she threw her arms up crossing them in front of her body over her head. His arm collided with hers; she cringed at the force of his muscular arm, but stood her ground.

Fallon stood up straight and stepped back looking angrier than before. His eyes were on fire, but not the same fire that shined in Killian's eyes; Fallon's glare was of pure rage—a look that Serenity often saw in her previous master Terron's eyes when she defied him.

"Talia knocked a candle over while she was preparing the table for our meal," Serenity said sternly. "She and Mona were just leaving to get our dinner when I inspected Talia who appeared to be injured. No harm was done. Our food is not prepared because I delayed them, your Majesty. I ask your forgiveness."

The Crowned Prince rolled his shoulders back as his expression softened to Serenity. She held her breath, waiting for him to respond to her.

"You have it," he said roughly. He turned away from the women, moving past them to sit in a comfortable arm chair towards the back of the room.

"Go," Serenity said quickly to the women before following Fallon. Mona and Talia dashed out of the room without a sound. Serenity walked carefully towards the Crowned Prince. He lounged back in his oversized arm chair and stared out the massive window at the skyline of the mountains just beyond the territory of the Nest. Serenity stepped forward past him, to the window. She placed her hands delicately on the glass as she stared out it. She could see the fields from where she stood. She frowned slightly, feeling trapped, but knowing she must continue to appease the Crowned Prince.

"How were your meetings?"

The Crowned Prince looked at her roughly again.

"Fine," he said shortly.

Serenity rolled her eyes. "With all due respect, your Majesty, if you are going to be in a mood this evening I will return to my suite."

"Do you speak to all men who are trying to court you this directly?"

"I speak to everyone this directly."

Her eyes fell on a wet bar against the wall where there was a break in the bookshelves. She walked to it quickly. She opened the ice box, placed two ice cubes into a short cup, and then poured whiskey into it. She walked back over to the Crowned Prince and extended it to him.

Fallon stared at her for a few moments before he took the drink. "I apologize for my mood," he said slowly. Serenity bowed her head to him, accepting his apology. "You look lovely."

She folded her arms behind her. "Thank you," she replied.

She was wearing the liquid black dress he had given her. She had hoped that it would convince him that she was playing into his hand. The dress cut low between her breast in the front, and low down her back, but was floor length. She felt like she was wearing a dress made of oil. The dress flowed down her body as if the silky smooth liquid was being poured on her. The material was a sharp contrast against her pale white flesh and made her blue eyes all the more vibrant.

His compliment was forced. She studied him for a few moments, wondering what could possibly be bothering him. His meetings with the council did not go well? She bit her bottom lip as she looked out the window again, turning her back to Fallon. She heard him stand up from his chair and take three steps towards her. He stood next to her in the window.

"This is not easy for me."

"What isn't easy?" she whispered as she looked down at the fields of the Nest.

"Courting someone who…"

She frowned. He didn't have to say it and she wasn't going to make him…it was hard for him to court someone he wasn't attracted to. She wasn't sure if that was it either though. The Crowned Prince had a reputation for being belligerent, offensive, crude and selfish. She had no doubt in her mind he was all of those things. He probably never had to court anyone as he was royal and attracted to men. That was not probably something that he made public.

She turned to look up at him. He forced a smile, leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "You're a very strong woman, Serenity."

"Does that bother you?" she questioned.

"Hardly," he answered quickly and shook his head. He stepped back with a forced smile, but moved away as the doors to the library opened and Mona entered, leading two other servants with carts of food. The three worked quickly and silently to set the table for Fallon and Serenity. Mona ushered all of the servants out of the library so that the two were left alone.

She knew that it did bother him, despite what he said. He wanted her to be compliant. He believed her to be powerful, but he wanted to control her and her magic. If she did not succumb to his will he would kill her. Killian seemed to think he would kill her regardless.

"Will you tell me what your meeting was about?"

"I do not want to bore you," he said as he pulled out a chair for her. Serenity thanked him quietly and took her seat. She placed her napkin on her lap before serving herself some salad. When Fallon took his seat he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"But you're agitated."

"You don't let things go, do you?"

"No not usually," Serenity said with a smile. The Crowned Prince did not return her smile, which made her frown. Perhaps she was going to have to continue with her stern tone. He seemed to respond to that better.

A servant stepped forward, once Fallon was seated, and began to serve him food. Serenity bit her bottom lip as she had finished serving herself already. She looked up at the servant that was waiting to serve her and smiled.

"Thank you, I'm alright," she said easily. The servant bowed and stepped away to wait with Mona. Once Fallon was served, the third servant stepped back as well. The Crowned Prince glanced at Serenity for a moment.

"Leave us," he said to the servants. Serenity glanced over her shoulder and saw Mona hesitate for just a moment, then she walked out of the library with her fellow servants. Serenity took a few bites of her salad before Crowned Prince Fallon spoke. "The council wishes that I take a mate within the next seven days."

Serenity frowned. "That is sooner than you planned?"

"I'm assuming you will not give me seven days to convince you to be my mate," he said rather harshly. Serenity frowned more deeply. He was right. She was only planning to keep up the act as long as it kept her alive. Now she was sure that meant she had to leave sooner rather than later.

"I don't know if anything I say will convince you," Fallon continued. "You made it very clear yesterday that you would not marry for anything other than love."

"I will not apologize for holding my ground."

Fallon laughed and shook his head. "You are nothing like I expected. How is is that a woman who was a slave for most of her existence has such strong convictions? Your entitlement knows no bounds."

Serenity glared at Fallon sharply. She did not like where this conversation was going.

"My convictions are the same as any other free person," she said mildly with a controlled tone. "What you see is a desire to be treated the same as any other breathing-free thinking creature and mistake it for entitlement." She wanted to scream at him, but everything he was saying was nothing she hadn't heard before.

Before Fallon could retort, she added a question. "What did you tell the council when they said they want you to have a mate in seven days?"

Fallon glared at Serenity. "That I will have one within the time frame. I have no intention of breaking the laws that have governed our great land centuries. I just had to change my plans."

"You're not going to let me leave here, are you?" Serenity whispered. She put her napkin down on the table. She was no longer hungry. She didn't regret being forward with the Crowned Prince. There was no point of them trying to deceive each other any longer.

"No," Fallon shook his head. "I am not surprised that you turned down my proposal. I am surprised that you won't even give me the chance to court you—but that doesn't matter now that the council is giving me a firm deadline—you may refuse me, Serenity, but you won't refuse your King."

Serenity frowned. It was what Mason had theorized. Fallon had gone around Serenity to King Tvzi and made her part of the trade deal. The trade agreement was too valuable to the Pantherian court. The king would have turned over his own flesh and blood to ensure that the agreement went through. It didn't matter if Serenity was his cherished council, he'd hand her over in a moment if it keeps the routes open to Carna.

She shifted carefully in her chair. "I have no king."

There was a harsh knock on the library door. Before the Crowned Prince could permit whoever was knocking to enter, Killian appeared in the threshold. He entered quickly, closing the door tightly behind him. He walked across the library to his brother, all the while not looking at Serenity, as if she wasn't even there.

He had changed his clothing since she saw him earlier that day. He was wearing navy blue slacks and a grey button up. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms and the shirt was unbuttoned just enough to tease anyone looking at him. His long dark hair was loose hanging down to his shoulders.

Serenity bit her bottom lip as Killian reached the Crowned Prince. She wondered why he hadn't looked at her at all.

Killian leaned close to his brother and whispered something in his ear. Fallon did not look alarmed, rather he looked relieved. He smirked as he turned to face Serenity. Killian stood up straight with a deep frown. His green eyes met Serenity's and immediately turned to flaming red. She did cause an emotional response in him. Every time they made eye contact the phoenix seemed to emerge. As Serenity stared at Killian's burning eyes she felt a heat rise in her center. He triggered an emotional response in her too.

"My Harold has returned with King Tzvi's response," Fallon said. "He'll be here in two days time to sign the agreement. He agrees to all of the conditions."

Serenity frowned and sat back in her chair. Her mind began to race. What was she going to do? How was she going to get out of the Nest now?

"Very well," she whispered. "If you'll both excuse me, I'd like to retire for the night."

"Take her to the red room," Fallon said as he threw his own napkin down. "She'll stay there form now on."

Killian looked at his brother with surprise. "Is that really necessary?"

"Yes," Fallon shot back. "It is."

Killian rolled his shoulders back and nodded without a word. He motioned for Serenity to follow him. She stood up very carefully and turned away from the table. She said nothing else to the Crowned Prince. She knew now that she was a prisoner, she was no longer his guest. Killian placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her out of the library.

Once in the hall, Serenity moved away from him, turning a blazing glare onto him. He frowned slightly as he closed the door. His eyes met her glare but we're not fazed by it.

"What is the red room?"

"It's the chamber next to Fallon's," he replied softly. "They're connected."

Serenity frowned. She understood. It was the room that the Crowned Prince kept his lover in.

As they walked down the hall, Killian spoke in a low tone. "You need to follow my directions very carefully—"

"—I'm not in the mood—"

"Mason has been taken to the dungeons," Killian said as if she hadn't interrupted him. "We will have to move quickly, I'm sure they'll kill him when they're done interrogating him."

"Interrogating? Killian, what is going on?"

Now Serenity was confused. Why would the Falcons interrogate Mason? He was not a member of a pack or the court in Carna. What would he know that would prompt him being interrogated?

Killian ignored her again and continued with his directions. Serenity had no idea where they were going in the tower, she was following Killian as he ushered her up stair wells and down corridors.

"In the red room, there is a wardrobe with clothing in it. Change into the men's travel clothing. Then in the washroom, there is a servant's elevator for sending food from the kitchens to the room. It's small, but you'll fit in it. Take it down 5 floors, that will take you to the servant's floor, I'll meet you at the elevator there."

Killian stopped in front of a red chamber door. Serenity frowned deeply as she looked at the door with anxiety. She could only imagine what waited for her behind the doors. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she chewed on her bottom lip. It had been a long time since she had found herself in a dangerous situation like this. The last time a man locked her up in a bedchamber, she killed him. Killian's gentle touch on her bare shoulder brought her back to reality. She blinked as she looked up at him.

"He will come to you," he said very carefully. "We need as much time as possible. You must wait for him. Once he leaves you, then use the elevator. If you do it now he'll be alerted to your escape and we won't have enough time to get out."

"I thought he preferred—"

"He has no preference," Killian said quickly. "Anyone will do; his hunger is never satisfied."

Serenity cringed as she closed her eyes tightly and took a long deep breath.

"How will you know when to meet me at the elevator?"

"He always calls for brandy before bed," Killian responded. "When he does, I will go to the elevator."

Serenity bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. "Why are you helping me?"

"You are not meant to be locked up, Serenity," he responded as he stroked her cheek. She stared at him with fearful eyes. He took her hand and she felt him press something into it. She looked down and a small smile spread across her lips. It was a purple cornflower.

"I will stall the guards who have Mason. I will meet you at the elevator. You can do this because you are a survivor."

Serenity heaved a sigh and turned away from Killian. She pushed the door open to the red room and stepped in, closing the door behind her. Her gut clenched when she heard the door lock behind her.