Chapter Twenty-Nine: Training and Way Too Many Meetings

Alice:

Sitting up in bed, Sy slumbered next to me. Rubbing my forehead, my stomach growled. Crossing out the date on the calendar on the way to the kitchen, the past couple of weeks had been hell for me. The endless sea of meetings tortured me, my fingers gripping my lilac silk robe. No one was awake yet, a single biscuit and steaming cup of tea haunting my mind. A tap on my shoulders, a sweat soaked Ivory clung to my arm. A fever burned her cheeks, mats covering her hair. A single dot of vomit stuck out to me, my thumb wiping it away. Putting my finger in the air, I ran in to grab my brush. Guiding her to the kitchen, I slammed the trashcan in front of her. Selecting several herbs and tea leaves on the counter, her eyes watched me measure out the perfect combination to quell her morning sickness. Dropping the herbs and tea leaves into the metal tea ball while turning on the water, the ball sinking to the bottom of the tea pot. Leaning on the counter, Ivory rested her head on the kitchen counter. Taking a cup from the cupboard, her eyes followed me as I poured her a cup of tea.

"Cream or sugar?" I asked politely, lifting up a cube of sugar. The door blew down, a masked figure charging at her. Leaping in front of her, my arms formed an x. A sleek onyx blade slid through my arms, my heel sending the masked assassin into the cabinets. Catching the cup before it hit the floor, Ivory accepted the tea awkwardly. Mouthing a healing spell, the wounds sealed shut. Snatching a chef's knife from the counter, sparks snowed aimlessly with every violent clash of our blades. Dodging the attack, a worn leather glove grabbed me by my arm. Throwing me to the floor, the heel of his shiny leather boots digging into my chest. Cocking my brow in response, my fingers curled around his ankle. Yanking him down to the ground, my feet pounded down the hall. Jumping off the walls, the assassin nipped at my heels. Sliding underneath him, a flash of silky scarlet hair caught my eyes. Flipping underneath him, I leapt out the window. Flipping down the flagpoles, the streets felt cold underneath my feet. Jumping off the top of the fountain, my blade slid into my eager palms. Swinging it over my head, chains whipped in my direction. Blocking them with my blade, sparks danced into the sky. Flipping into the air, he wasn't far behind me. The snap of my ankle upon landing alarmed my assassin, the mask flying off. Renkin fussed over my ankle, my blade fading away.

"I am sorry." I apologized profusely, knowing that I failed training. "I will never be as good as you." My chest tightened, every breath growing shorter. Hovering his hand over my ankle, the intense panic attack blocked any pain as my bone fused back together. Helping me to the fountain, he sat down next to me. Pulling me into a warm embrace, every ounce of frustration soaked his shoulder. Rubbing my back, it felt like a brother was comforting me.

"You just had twins so you need to get back into shape. I thought that was the best you ever did. I am still feeling that damn kick." He complimented me with a strained chuckle, holding me by my shoulders. "You have a natural instinct. Your body needs to catch up with the upstairs." Poking my forehead, his statement made perfect sense. Examining my ankle, a long sigh poured from his lips.

"You landed wrong. Let me show you." Popping to his feet, he flipped through the air, my eyes watching his feet. A realization dawned in my brain, the angle of my feet had been wrong. Landing gracefully, his hand hovered in front of mine. My fingers curled around his hand, the sudden toss in the air throwing me off. Thinking about my landing, I shifted the angle of my feet. A squeal of joy burst from my lips the moment I landed far better than I ever had, Renkin shooting me a thumbs up. Jumping up and down, my excitement couldn't be contained. Rushing up to him, I pressed my palms together.

"Please teach me your style of fighting. I am struggling to understand it." I begged with a twitching nervous grin, eager to learn more. "Become my personal trainer so I can be as impressive as you." A fit of laughter burst from his lips, confusion dawned on my face. Leaning forward, his hair slid off of his shoulders.

"I thought you'd never ask." He answered with a wicked grin, ruffling my hair. "I am not doing it because you are the queen. I want you to know that I am doing it because you are like my little sister. You will have to do something for me." Straightening my back, a strained yeah escaped my lips.

"Do pay attention in the meetings. I find it irritating when you are staring into space." He retorted curtly, my eyes narrowing in his direction. "You are excellent at doing paperwork but you have to look more present in it all." Tears welled up in my eyes, the spacing out habit stemmed from my traumatic childhood as a way to deal with the damn abuse.

"Sorry." I stuttered brokenly, a blank stare coming over my eyes. "I tend to do that out of habit. I promise to work on th-" Sy embraced me from behind, his chin resting on my head. Renkin waved goodbye as he walked back towards the castle. Tossing me onto his shoulder, his boots crunched back to the castle. Sitting me down on the bed, all my breath left me the moment he pinned me to the bed.

"The moon is beautiful today." He uttered simply, running his hands up my nightgown. "It will never be as gorgeous as you." Glancing up at the permanent moon, shivers ran up my spine with every gentle kiss along my skin. Pausing on my flat stomach, he flashed me a devious grin Laying his head on it, his next words broke me.

"Can I ask you something?" He queried lovingly, his fingers dancing across my skin. "How many more kids do you want?" Choking on my words, his loving gaze increased the pressure on me. Thinking about it for a quick second, his beard tickled my skin. Not letting me answer, he continued softly.

"I want at least five children." He chuckled excitedly, moving his head in between my legs. "You didn't answer me. Please don't let that scare you away." Shaking my head, he began to suck on my clit. Gripping the bedding underneath me, my eyes fell on the girls slumbering in their cribs.

"Five sounds great." I moaned sensually, wanting to move this session into the other room. As if he read my mind, his strong arms carried me into the bathroom. A steaming bathtub waited for me, his shaking hands peeling off my nightgown. Throwing his own clothes to the floor, he pinned me to the wall. Lifting up my leg, his lips smashed into mine roughly. Biting my lip as he kissed me, my body arched towards him. My breath hitched as he released me from his spell.

"Prepare for the ride of your life, your majesty." He teased sensually, tracing my cheek with his thumb. Flipping me over, the wall felt cold upon my flat stomach. Lining himself up, he slid into me. Claws extended from my fingernails, the wall groaning with every dig deeper into it. Grinding my hips with his, short gasps burst from my lips. Sliding his hands down to my hips, he held them still while he bucked his hips wildly. Seconds from losing my composure, his fangs brushed the nape of my neck. Sinking his teeth into my soft flesh, the sound of him drinking my blood caused my thighs to rub together. Licking his lips, his tongue danced along the bite mark. Whimpering in response, a feverish glow colored my cheeks. Why did this turn me on so much?

"Someone is enjoying themselves." He mused huskily, loving every second of him dominating me. "Let's take this to the tub." Carrying me to the tub, he lowered me into the water. Climbing in after me, my breasts floated. Squeezing them roughly, a devilish grin twitched on his lips. Pressing my body against his muscles, my fingers traced his scars. Sinking onto his thick girth, water splashed onto the floor with every spin of my hips. My name bounced off the walls, his claws scratching my back. Long moans poured from my lips, the pain felt so good.

"Stop it!" I pleaded as blood dyed the water, wanting him to scratch me more. Pinning me to the other side of the tub, his hand ran up and down my trembling body. Holding me by the small of my back, every sway of his hips caused me to scream. His thrusts grew rougher and faster, my screams growing loud enough to wake the capital. Seconds from climaxing, he paused for a moment. Kissing my lips passionately, time stopped for a moment. Refusing to let me go, his hot seed filled me up. Settling down next to me, his loving gaze met mine. Resting my head on his chest, my fingers traced his muscles.

"You never cease to amaze me." He chuckled softly, kissing the top of my head. "Sorry about your back." Glancing back at the surface scratches on my back, I shrugged my shoulders. Cupping his face, his hand held mine.

"Why do you want such a big family?" I asked serenely, basking in the post sex haze. "I was an only child so I don't understand." Smiling warmly to himself, he pulled me onto his lap. Clutching me close to my chest, tears soaked the top of my head. Playing with my hair, his wet eyes met mine.

"I loved growing up with Renkin. We would torture my old man. At the end of the day, your sibling is your best friend. I missed him for all of those years." He explained through a wall of tears, his lips locking with mine sweetly. "Don't you like having Renkin as your brother-in-law? I see how much fun you two have. Weren't you lonely as a kid?" Kissing him back, his hands slid down my arms.

"I see. You used to entertain each other." I realized happily, watching his face light up. "I can't help but to think that you want loads of children to entertain you." His lips parted to speak, a knock interrupting the tender moment. Sinking underneath the water, Renkin wandered in. Turning his back to the tub, Sy cleared his throat.

"I came to inform you of her progress. She needs to learn the basics. I came to ask permission to train her in my fighting style for a couple hours a day." He offered sincerely, a wicked grin curling to life on Sy's lips. "I am worried about her. She zones out and I can't help but think that is a product of her childhood. Can we find a way for her to work on that?" A fit of laughter burst from Sy's lips, Renkin rolled his eyes. Folding his arm across his chest, a long sigh escaped Renkin's lips.

"For someone who didn't like her originally, you certainly seem to like her." He teased lightly, stroking his beard. "I will permit it but only if you make her happy in the course of it all. Can you promise me that?" Popping up to the surface, scarlet colored Renkin's cheeks. Panicking audibly, my voice calmed him down.

"Hey, big brother. Can you calm down? Every training session with you is really fucking fun. I learn so much from you." I chirped cheerfully, grinning ear to ear. "A discreet whack to the back of my head ought to snap me back into reality. How is Ivory doing? Did the tea help?" Rolling his eyes for a second time, he laughed softly to himself.

"Honestly, I will just take the notes for you. That is my job after all. You do have bigger things to worry about. Five kids, little bro? You have twins already." He returned with a rich serenity in his tone. "I kind of pegged you for a big family guy. Father would die to have that many. I suppose I should step up too. Let's have big families together. Try not to get into trouble, little sis. I know how you are. Training begins tomorrow in the afternoon. Prepare to feel some pain." Winking as he sauntered out, a warmth washed over me. Renkin really knew how to handle me at my worst.

A restless night plagued me, Renkin and Ivory ushering us through the morning of meetings. Tugging at my scarlet blouse, a warm breeze fluttered my wide legged trousers. Ivory made sure to make me wear a midnight black military style long coat. Sitting at the head of the table to a well dressed Sy, his velvet scarlet suit matched my outfit perfectly. Focus, I yelled at myself. Renkin tapping my shoulder, a plain faced demon brought up a question that made me spit out my tea.

"I suggest we have a ball for all the nobles to celebrate your coronation." She suggested cautiously, a quiet rage simmering in my eyes. "We can invite the townsfolk as well. They did a considerable amount of work to get you to this dump to this p-" Sy gripped my hand tightly, shooting down my next words with a stern expression. Swallowing my pride for a moment, she didn't rise from the damn ashes. Harsh whispers passed along the lords and ladies, it was only fair for them to have a cursed ball.

"I will permit it." I sighed in defeat, a shocked expression passing between everyone. "I suppose you should all have your fucking fun. You will have to leave a recipe from your territories. Lord Draken, can you provide the alcohol? I heard your wine is the best in the realm." The stern looking fellow rose to his feet, his slicked back ash gray hair shimmered in the light. Inky eyes glowered in my direction, his inky lips spreading into a sly grin. Narrowing his eyes in my direction, his palms slammed onto the table.

"Why the hell you suggest that after giving us taxes to pay!" He demanded hotly, my body tensing up. "You are a filthy brat who stole her crown when it should be m-" Raising my hand in the air, the glasses clattered as I stepped onto the table. Marching over to him, his defiance swelled as I crouched down to his level. Grabbing him by his collar, horror mixed with the shock in everyone's eyes.

"Did you work as hard as I did to get here? I toiled and toiled away. I let myself get kidnapped to save every single demon running the carts in my capital." I growled through gritted teeth, kicking him into the air. Catching his fist mid-punch, a swift kick sent him into the wall. Jumping off the table, he charged at me. A silver dagger shimmered in his hand, his aim getting sloppy after each of my dodges. Slamming my foot into his jaw, the bones cracked in protest. Sending a fist into his chin, the bones shattered to pieces. Snatching the knife from him, it reeked of poison. Jamming it into his leg, his scream silenced the other nobles.

"You will only get the antidote if you swear your allegiance to me." I barked venomously, feeling a bit too much like a tyrant. "I don't bite. Didn't you hate my father? I cut your taxes in half. If I stand corrected, he was robbing you all to the point of starvation. We need to develop a system where trade is open." Shifting through my coat pocket, I had planned for this. Pulling out a needle filled with a milky liquid, I jammed it into his leg. Emptying the antidote into his leg, the venom fizzled away. The look of awe in his eyes indicated a new level of respect for me, my hand hovering in his face. Accepting my hand cautiously, a good tug had him on his feet. Bowing in my direction, a wave of relief crashed over me.

"To prove my services to you, I am going to give you a loan to get you guys back on your feet." I promised him earnestly, tears welling up in his eyes. "I took a look at your numbers and if you would take a private meeting with me to discuss a potential revival a goal surely could be reached. My old man destroyed the economy of all of your territories. Thus, I vow to fix the situation to alleviate any tensions. Providing the wine will get other nobles to buy it. Think of the ball as an exhibition of your products. Healthy trade can be developed in such an action. Please play along nicely. One fair warning, if you betray me in any shape or form you will be stripped of your titles and powers. The second time you try, I will promise to execute you as such. Have a nice afternoon, everyone!" Stepping out of the room, Ivory chased after me in her snow white gown. Grabbing my arm, she yanked me back.

"What the hell did you just fucking do? We don't beat up the nobles like that! You can start a war." She shouted impatiently, the fear showing on her face. Ignoring her, Renkin pinned me to the wall. About to reprimand me, Draken rushed out to say something. Pressing his palms together, he bowed in my direction. Releasing me, Renkin smoothed out his navy silk suit covered with golden flowers.

"I realize that I stepped out of line." He apologized sincerely, standing straight up. "You are a fine queen. I vow to serve you with all of my loyalty." Pressing my lips into a thin line, I took in the bruises covering his face. Bowing my head in shame, the image of going too far stood in front of me. Holding his shoulder, I mouthed a healing spell. A bright light bathed him, his jaw clicking into place as his bruises faded.

"I apologize for going too far." I returned warmly, hoping he would forgive me. "Let's start over. I am Alice, your queen." Holding out my hand, he shook my hand once firmly. Bowing in my direction, he kissed the top of my hand.

"I am Lord Draken, your faithful lord." He introduced himself politely, offering me his elbow. "Let us take the personal meeting now." Slipping my elbow in his, we began to walk towards the castle's garden. Clearing his throat, Ivory kept a close distance on our heels. Sy called out for me to stop, Draken marching forward. Sitting down on black iron bench in the shape of a pumpkin, our eyes fell on the sea of pumpkins.

"I wanted a private moment to thank you to show me that you can hold your own. Damn, you guys take this pumpkin shit seriously." He joked with a goofy grin, scarlet coloring my cheek. "If it makes you feel better, I hated your father. Tell me how you want to do things and I will follow you blindly." Smiling warmly to myself, this friendship was going to be fun.