Bitten

Vasile watched Rhys and Sylvae leave, his heart yearning for more time. Even a few unsupervised minutes would have been fine. Instead, he put away his emotions and straightened his face before returning to his father. Vortigern was still sitting in the chair he had taken to speak with Rhys, looking at Vasile curiously. "How long have you two known you were bonded?" he asked frankly, startling Vasile.

"A few months," the presumptive heir answered, standing up straight and taking a deep breath in his father's presence for what felt like the first time in years.

Vortigern nodded somberly. "So the threats from these insurrectionists have teeth, then. We shall have to find a way to protect him, since he persists in finding new and fantastic ways to harm himself," he mused aloud.

Vasile couldn't even argue with that, because he knew of another time that the King didn't.

Rhys, meanwhile, took a few days of rest before getting back out into the scene. He had to modify the pendants he had made his brothers to look like him to add the new scar. Most of the time, clothes would cover it, but movement could make the top of it peak out and he needed no suspicion on him right then. He got his brothers to go back to being him, telling them to keep to the family and seem less intent on socializing. They could now get away with going out less, because Rhys would naturally want to stay safe after such an encounter.

Vasile, surprised to see "Rhys" out and about occasionally with very little acknowledgement of catching glimpses of him, suggested during one of their few rendezvous that Rhys could be "sent away" for his own safety. The look on Rhys' face suggested that he had not even considered such a thing.

He thought, initially, he'd be wary once he was playing Roland in their group again, but it was surprisingly easy to get into character once he was there. The only problem was whenever he saw Vasile at anything as Roland. Vasile knew only two things about who he was with the night he was attacked: He had gone with Roland, and that Roland had been hanging out with Lady Josephine earlier.

It wasn't hard to put two and two together there. So naturally, Vasile seemed to be watching Roland more than ever now when they crossed paths. It made Rhys shiver inside whenever Vasile's eyes raked over him, but of course he couldn't show that outwardly as Roland. It made for an interesting mixed feeling as he felt arousal and projected disgust.

Of course, Vasile was looking at him with distrust and wariness when he was Roland, and he hadn't given him the information as to who Roland

actually

was. At some point he would have to tell Vasile the truth, and he wasn't sure how that would go. Now was not the time, though.

"Those damn royals," Josephine huffed as she sat down next to Rhys.

"What, did they rule on something pompous again?" he asked with a smirk.

She lightly slapped his shoulder but then looked a bit like the cat who caught the canary. "No, but rumor has spread that the King sent Rhys Draven away for his own safety. It's amusing since it's because of us, but also annoying because it means he's beyond our reach until we find him again."

"After a little bite?" Rhys asked her, his expression that of a hunter. "Poor thing. I didn't realize the Celebrated Fae Ambassador was so fragile."

Josephine looked over at where Vasile was with Nik before she commented, "Something tells me it's the Prince who wanted to get him out of here. I don't think he'll tell us the truth though if we found a way to ask."

Rhys looked askance at the Prince and said, "No, probably not. We can deal with the Ambassador later, though. We should be focusing on the Royal Family."

"Yes," she agreed. "But the wards on the palace are strong, and the guards deadly. How do we get in?"

There were actually weaknesses in the palace security, but Rhys was currently trying to fix them. Plus, he would never tell them those weaknesses. Still, he hated to come across as inept as a co-conspirator, so he had to think of something plausible but also preventable without blowing his cover. It may even help to reinforce his position with the insurrectionists if he was caught and jailed along with them.

"We'll have to do some looking into their security then," Rhys said with a grin. "Some reconnaissance, so to speak."

They made their plans to do just that, and then Rhys went to give his update to Viktoria. She listened with the same detached expression that she always did before she dismissed him, and then he made his way to Vasile's room. He found him sitting on the bed with furrowed eyebrows, almost oblivious to his love being there. Rhys came over and ran his fingers along Vasile's brow, getting his attention while trying to soothe away the troubled expression.

"What vexes you so, my love?" Rhys murmured to him.

"I keep seeing that Roland scoundrel keeping company with that Josephine woman," Vasile answered, closing his eyes and leaning into Rhys' touch.

Rhys had to keep the smirk off his face. "He really gets under your skin, doesn't he?" he commented.

"He's been eye-fucking me all day and I'm sick of seeing his smart-assed face. I'm pretty sure he had something to do with your injury," Vasile grumbled.

Rhys put his arms around Vasile's shoulders and pulled him into a hug while he stayed standing, partly to comfort him and partly to hide the surprised grin that had come onto his face. He'd have to be more careful about how he looked at Vasile as Roland but it did kind of crack him up. He considered his words carefully, as he didn't want to give Vasile too much information.

"He was involved, but he isn't who did the damage," Rhys commented quietly. "I could always come back and eye fuck you from the other side of the room, if you'd like."

Vasile cracked open one eye and glared balefully at Rhys before running his hand up Rhys' inner thigh with a wicked smile. Rhys inhaled sharply as an involuntary shiver went through his body at the contact. Any touch from Vasile was good, but this was especially electric. Vasile left the tease there for now. He still couldn't guarantee their privacy, even with his father aware of their bond now.

"You know it's not safe for you to be you right now," Vasile growled quietly, the timbre of his voice giving Rhys chills. "Though, if you just let slip who would dare to attack an Ambassador in such a manner, I could see that they're eliminated quietly..."

"I know you could," Rhys replied with a smile. "But the person who attacked me seems to be the leader of everything here. I need a little more time. I'd rather them be taken in with hard evidence against what they have been doing. My attack only had two of our words against theirs."

The look on Vasile's face at that told Rhys that he had clearly missed something that Vasile had said. He searched back through his love's wording and realized that he was offering to put an end to his attacker without involving the courts. Rhys' face darkened a little as he really thought about that. "Besides, that kind of action won't help my cause right now. It might just radicalize others, my love. Be patient."

Vasile sighed unhappily, but he couldn't argue with Rhys' logic. "You're right, of course, I just don't like letting harm to you go unpunished, even if it is only temporarily," he grumbled.

Rhys looked sympathetically at his love, and moved so he could sit down next to him, pulling Vasile into his arms. "I know, but it

is

only temporary. Everyone will be punished eventually, in all sectors."

He pulled Vasile down into a kiss. It was a reminder that he was still here and safe, but he also just always wanted to be as close to Vasile as he could be. They had been taking more chances lately, like having Rhys stay overnight despite the risk that was involved. As long as he was healthy, though, he could easily teleport out if need be.

Vasile forgot all about his worries and got lost in the kiss. Before he knew it, they were both shirtless and Rhys was straddling his lap on the edge of the bed. Everyone in their class at school had assumed that Vasile was a typical royal playboy, but he was still relatively inexperienced. He just hadn't been able to muster the desire to take anyone up on their flirting, even on the rare occasion when he had caught on to what they were suggesting.

Rhys had just a little more experience than Vasile, but it wasn't much. He'd had a few hookups since school to try and forget how badly his heart yearned for Vasile, but it hadn't worked so he had given up on that. Rhys ran his fingers along the exposed skin of Vasile's chest, loving the way he would shiver underneath Rhys' touch. They both knew they needed to be careful not to get caught, but the pull to be with each other was so strong. Every time they were alone like this, it was hard not to give in to the desire for each other.

Vasile ran his hands over Rhys' muscled back while kissing and nibbling on the spot where his neck met his collarbone, delighting in the shivers that ran up Rhys' spine at the contact. Vasile was already fully erect, his thick member straining upward to tease Rhys' perineum every time he brushed against Vasile's lap. He never wanted this to end and cursed his family's inability to afford him even the barest modicum of privacy. Were it not for them, he would already have Rhys in his mouth.

It was almost as if his internal lamentations summoned his family, as both the King and Queen swept into his rooms, startling both Vasile and Rhys. Rhys vanished almost immediately, but nothing escaped the notice of the monarchs, particularly because Rhys had been forced to leave his shirt behind. Vasile immediately covered his lap with his own shirt, embarrassed that his parents could see evidence of his arousal.

"It would appear," Veronika intoned, "that we have much to discuss."

Rhys hadn't gone far, because he realized he left his bag on the desk and it had quite a few important things in it. He held back the grunt of frustration that had bubbled up in his throat, putting his head back against the wall of Vasile's bathroom. He silently cursed himself because the Monarchs would soon realize he was still nearby but he had no way to teleport his items without touching them.

Vasile sighed loudly as he put his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He could smell Rhys' unique scent and hear his heartbeat in the bathroom and had no doubt that his parents could as well. Still, maybe he could distract them. He looked up, saying, "What is it that we need to discuss so urgently that it required you to barge into my chambers at such an hour?" His tone was quite a bit more acidic than he would have dared prior to realizing that Rhys hadn't forgotten about him after all.

Rhys turned his head toward the door leading back into the bedroom, surprised by the tone of voice Vasile was using with his parents. He'd never heard Vasile speak like that, not even when he was sure that Rhys had possibly never written to him. The monarchs were equally taken aback, recoiling as if struck. "Vasile!" his mother admonished in a shocked tone while the King began, "You'll be more civil when addressing your parents!" in a commanding voice.

Rhys almost snickered at that, only because he could picture his own parents saying that. In fact, he had heard them say almost that exact same thing through the years to him and his siblings when they were acting up. It was good to see the royal family was the same as others.

Vasile interrupted them before they could go further into their tirade. "I have been an adult for over a century and I feel that I've tolerated invasions of my privacy for far too long. If it becomes necessary, I will gladly withdraw to our city-house within the capitol and require that you command me to audiences," he said. His tone was quite a bit more respectful now, but no less firm.

Rhys found himself feeling proud of his love for how well he handled himself. He waited to see how the monarchs would respond to their son's declaration. He was holding his breath, though not in an effort to hide himself. More because he wasn't sure what they were going to say. He briefly wondered if this would be the argument about why Vasile's letters had never made it to Rhys, or if that was a fight for a different day.

The monarchs looked at each other for a tense moment before looking back at their eldest progeny, creepily in sync. "Very well. We will see to it that your wishes for privacy are respected. Now, if the Ambassador would kindly rejoin us and the both of you could find it within yourselves to put your clothes back on, we should talk about this development and what it means for the Realm," Vortigern said soberly.

Rhys' face flushed red from that, though he knew they would realize soon enough he was still there. He took a moment to look up, as if lightning might strike him before he had to walk out there, but nothing came so he let out a breath and came out from the bathroom, grabbing his shirt from Vasile's bed and putting it back on without ever actually looking at Vasile's parents.

When he finally turned around to face them, he kept his eyes to the ground, mostly out of a show that he was beneath them like he was taught. That was the problem with all of this; he had to remember his place. "Are you sure this isn't a conversation you three should have without me?" he asked, his eyes still downcast. "Family only."

Even though he didn't mean it to be, the comment was inadvertently hurtful to Vasile, because it meant that despite their blood bond, they weren't considered family in any way. The bond itself should have meant they were as good as engaged, at the very least, but Rhys was right that this was more complicated than it normally would have been.

Vasile spoke up first, since his parents hesitated. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, standing and addressing Rhys while standing half in front of him as if to protect him from his parents. "You

are

family! The blood bond alone should be enough!"

Rhys finally brought his eyes up then, looking at Vasile in surprise. His expression softened down to a loving one as he really took in what he had said though, and then he turned his eyes back to the King and Queen. He let out a breath and then said, "I know you have gone to a lot of trouble to keep us away from each other, but it seems kind of futile now. I stayed away for 10 years thinking Vasile didn't even think about me once, and now I've learned not only did he think of me, he wrote constantly. Letters I surely never received."

The queen looked very guiltily outraged by Rhys' words, exaggeratedly recoiling as if struck. The king, on the other hand, simply stared at Vasile, the look in his eyes speaking volumes as Vasile remembered the conversation they had after Rhys' injury. Veronika looked like she was going to say something, but then something began blaring a sound from Rhys' bag he had left on the desk.

Rhys let out a swear and then said, "I have to get that. It might be important," before he went over to the desk to pull the communicator out. He brought it up to his ear, his eyes still on the King and Queen, almost like he wasn't sure if they would strike at him while he wasn't paying attention. "Draven here," Rhys said.

"Rhys," Virmarus answered him, his tone tense and strained.

Rhys looked away from the monarchs then, suddenly looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Before I tell you what is going on, I need you to promise me you're going to stay calm," Virmarus replied.

Rhys' expression was puzzled for a moment. "Vir, have you ever known me to lose my cool in the six years we've known each other?"

"No, not once," Virmarus agreed. "But then, nothing has ever involved your family like this before."

"My fam..." Rhys trailed off, his expression showing that he was running through a list of options and they only got more grim the longer he went on. He took a deep breath and then let it out. "Alright, consider me sufficiently calm, numb, whatever you need me to be for you to tell me what is going on."

"The insurgents are attacking all three palaces in Fyrie right now," Virmarus explained. It's still in the beginning stages so we have time to intervene, but we need to move fast."

At those words, Rhys' face paled considerably. "What? But none of them had advanced that far yet! I should know; I've read every single report that has been submitted."

"Do you ever sleep?" Virmarus asked him.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Rhys waved it off in annoyance, which gained a side-eyed look from Vasile.

Virmarus gave an agitated grunt at that, but decided he could handle that later. "Listen, I'm heading over to the High Elf Palace, while I've sent Eowyn over to the Drow Palace. That just leaves your family. You're the only one who can get into the heart of the palace fast. The wards will let you in because you're of their blood. So get in there and get your cousins and uncle out immediately."

"Where do I take them?" Rhys asked, briefly glancing over at the Vampyre King and Queen before looking away again. They were openly curious but could only hear Rhys' side of the conversation.

Drawing on that information, however, the King offered, "Whatever is going on, your family is welcome under our protection."

Virmarus didn't hesitate before he said, "No, not another Monarchy. Your house. Putting two royal families under one roof makes them sitting ducks for the vampyre insurgents. Almost no one knows you're connected to that royal family yet. And even if they did, they would likely have the intel that your uncle and your mom aren't exactly on the best of terms. No one would expect you to take them there. Do you think your parents will agree to it?"

"Yes, mom would be fine with it, as would the others," Rhys replied, also not hesitating. His dad and Iona had always made it clear that their home was open to their love's family, just as it was for their own families. The only one who might object in any way could be his uncle, but he couldn't exactly be a chooser in this situation. "Alright, I'll let you know when it's done. And Virmarus?"

"Yes?" Virmarus replied.

"If any of them are hurt or killed before I get there?" Rhys said, his voice low and dangerous. "Then you'll have to interrogate the dead."

Vasile was already changing his clothes, but he looked over at Rhys when he heard that, grim determination in his lavender eyes. Virmarus, for his part, simply told Rhys that he understood and disconnected the call. Rhys grabbed his bag and dumped the contents onto Vasile's bed. Inside was a whole array of tools meant for fighting and spying, such as charms to disguise people, blades, things to bug homes, and more. He grabbed his iron blades and set them up into their holders along his boots and waist.

Then he turned to the royals in the room. "I have to go," Rhys told them. "It would seem the insurgents in Fyrie played very close to the vest with our people. If I don't get my family out, they might not make it. Let's just call this a pause in our conversation for now."

The King and Queen nodded, realizing how serious this was. Then Rhys seemed to notice what Vasile was doing and asked, "What are you doing?"

Vasile looked at him as if it was obvious. "I'm coming with you," was his response.

"The hell you are!" Rhys cried, the alarm clear on his face. "You're a target of all of this too, don't forget. It may not be this exact group, but they're all connected."

"Absolutely not!" the Queen exclaimed at nearly the same time before looking at Rhys with a mix of emotions beginning with shock and ending with a conspiratorial nod. "Listen to the Ambassador, Vasile. We cannot offer these people two prime targets in the same location," she finished.

Vasile sighed loudly, eyeing his father as if looking for permission to ignore his mother's protest, but Vortigern sternly shook his head. Vasile had half expected him to back the Queen, but it had been worth a try. "Fine," he said, "but you make sure I get one of those communicator thingies and you check in with me as regularly as you can." It was not phrased as a request, but his voice turned the last few words into a question.