"Happy anniversary, darling. Have you thought about me these last decades?" I spoke the words bitterly, my arms folded as the white fox strode into the field before the three of us.
"Every day..." Elias folded his own arms as he spoke out to me gently, his blue fires already rolling from his tail and ears.
"Leave us, incapacitate any who interfere, but do not kill them." I barked out the orders and the twins slipped into the darkness.
"Sarnai... for the love of the gods... do not do this." The fox growled the words and I could see the pleading look in his eyes. I felt my gaze soften for a moment. I simply wanted to rush back into his arms and be held by him, told it would be alright and he would keep me safe.
The voices hungry for blood drowned out the thoughts and I shook my head before showing him a hateful glare. "You say you think of me daily... does that include when you make love with that rabbit and cat?" I spat the words out, clenching my fist as my flames burst forth, going straight to a bloody red.
"Regardless of whom I have laid with, I still love you... You still have my heart... so please come back to me!" The fox shouted the words, his own fires intensifying and turning white. I could feel his power had grown as the angel had warned me. I knew already he was beyond me and I couldn't beat him in a one on one fight.
"Then give me your heart, Elias! I will carve it out here and now before I pierce my own. Let us die together as husband and wife!" I barked the words out, showing him a wide hungry grin, my tail wagging eagerly.
His head shook and he gave me a deep frown. "Sarnai... my love... you truly have gone mad... please, shut out the demons and come back to me!"
"Master!" I lifted my ears, hearing the rabbit call out as she rushed to join us along with a small group of my husband's family members, some I recognized, others unfamiliar to me. Everything came to a head at that moment.
#
The resulting struggle was one you already know. I woke in the guest bed feeling weak and drained. She had beaten me, she used his power to do it, but she had bested me. I sat through the lecture and the scolding this fledgling gave me, knowing she was within her rights, then I was alone with my husband for the first time in half a century.
He clasped my hand in both of his, kissing my fingers gently. I could smell that rabbit upon him, as well as Katrina. At that moment I didn't care, he was with me and saying he loved me, saying he missed me. It was all I wanted, the voices of madness could wait, for now, I was content to enjoy the moment of respite with my husband.
"What will you do?" He asked me gently after a time.
I didn't have an answer for him, I didn't feel I had a choice in the matter. Alice had bested me and I had given myself to her under my word in exchange for my family. I shook my head, still feeling weak. "That's up to your rabbit now, isn't it?"
"Alice will not try to control you, Sarnai... that isn't the kind of rabbit she is. She simply seeks to keep us at peace," The fox spoke the words in a strong confident tone at me.
I met his eyes and could see he had changed greatly in this last half-century. He was so much stronger in a lot of ways. I gave him a weak grin and folded my arms. "Time will tell I suppose... for now... well, can you forgive me?"
"There is nothing to forgive... that was not my wife's doing. You were guided by your demons, not your own thoughts." He barked the words at me in a matter of fact tone.
"Ever the optimist, my... husband? Can I even call you that now?" I tilted my head curiously.
"You can... if you still wish to. You must understand my position though, Alice and Katrina have my heart now as well, I will not give either of them up." The fox set me with a strong look that said he meant what he said.
I could feel his resolve and will, I knew he would reluctantly cast our relationship away for them if I tried to argue the fact. Oddly enough it didn't bother me, on the contrary, I felt a sense of relief that he had managed to grow such a strong love in the shadow of my madness and torment I had forced upon him.
"For better or worse... isn't that how the mundane say it?" I spoke the words with a smile.
"Indeed... both in sickness and in health..." He took my hands and kissed my fingers once more.
I bit my lower lip, feeling his touch against me and thinking back to the sensations I felt as Alice pulled my energy forth. She flooded me with emotions she had siphoned from Elias when she did so, I recall feeling his longing and desperate love for me. I closed my eyes in focus before shifting to pull from his grip.
Elias looked at me curiously as I pulled from him, then moved my palm to his chest, gripping the silk shirt he wore and tugged upon him. "You've talked enough... just kiss me you dumb dog." I barked the words, gripping his shirt and jerking him forward.
The fox stood and without another word was over me, his arms wrapped around me before his mouth was against my own. I threw my arms around him, drawing him close to me as we kissed deeply for the first time in half a century. I felt his will wash over me in the comforting manner he used to do when I woke from nightmares.
Our tongues pushed out after a few moments, flicking and teasing against one another, then my eyes widened as I felt something else pushing into me. I shuddered and let out a soft gasp, feeling power flood into my smaller body, as if the fox were forcing his own lifeforce into mine. "W-what... are you-"
He pushed his lips to mine again to silence me before continuing to kiss me and force his energy into me. I dug my fingers hard into his back and broke the kiss after several more moments, panting heavily as I blinked up into his blue eyes, trying to process what had just happened.
"F-feel better?" He panted the words, giving me a grin, looking obviously winded.
"What in the nine hells did you just do, Elias? I... I feel invigorated like I just fed and woke from restful sleep!" I barked the words out, my emotions shifting to concern as I drew him to my chest, holding him as he panted weakly in my arms.
"Just a little trick I picked up while you were away, love... I wanted to share some of my lifeforce with you and make you feel better." He growled the words proudly and I felt him nuzzling at my breasts through my sleep gown.
I could see a lot had changed in my time from him. For the first time in centuries, my mind felt clear after receiving the rush of energy. I lowered my ears and frowned, holding my husband to my chest gently. He had expended a lot of his energy and before long he had drifted to slumber in my arms, laying against me in the small bed, his leg draped over mine.
We laid there for a time, hours with nothing but him in my arms. I held him and stroked his soft white hair and ears, thanking the gods to have him in my arms again and feel this moment of clarity, even as the energy dwindled and the darkness slowly crept back into place.
#
"You tried to kill my Master and broke my fucking arms. You think I'm going to so readily forgive you?" Katrina folded her arms, giving me a strong glare, her wiry black tail whipping about as we stood in the field of grass alone together. Alice had just finished having a heart to heart with me about things, when the cat came to speak with me, insisting she had time alone with me.
"I can make no excuses, my sister. I only hope you can forgive me in time." I growled the words and bowed my head. It was awkward trying to be so humble, but I had no rank or right to be haughty. The cat had seen me at my worst through the years and had more than enough reason to hate me.
She sighed and ran her fingertips through her red hair, the locks looking shorter than they had been when I saw her last. "Alice says... it's not your fault, and that I shouldn't resent you." She fixed me with a glare and shook her head. "But... what I can't forgive is how you hurt my lord... he, I and Alice are only about ten years old you know. I had to watch Elias suffer and be tormented by your actions for nearly fifty years before she came along. Even afterward I could still see the pain in his eyes."
I lowered my head and growled. It pissed me off to be scolded by her, she was still a fledgling compared to me and had no right to talk to me in such a manner. Then I dashed those thoughts, realizing that was not my thoughts and the thoughts of the demons in me. This ordeal had slapped me back to reality enough to distinguish my own thoughts from the madness.
"I have nothing I can say for myself, Katrina. I am a terrible wife and an awful Marquess. I could sit here and roost upon my nightmares and madness, but it is just an excuse for my own short-comings." I growled and gave her a deep bow. "I only pray I can earn your understanding and trust in time."
The cat clicked her tongue and moved a palm to my face, I blinked as I felt her lift my gaze to look upon her. She was a timid little thing when I left, but here she was radiating confidence and strength. Her copper and green eyes met mine and she gave me a nod. "Alice and Elias say they can trust you, so I will do the same."
"Thank you, sister. I will try my best to not disrupt your life." I spoke the words and stood once more, looking down upon the smaller female.
Katrina gave me a shrug and turned her back, her tail flicking about. "If you hurt him again... all bets are off... I can feel Alice gave you back most of your power, but that won't save you from me if you break his heart again, that's a promise." The cat showed her sharp teeth as she spat out the declaration and stomped away before I could answer her.
I frowned and stood there in silence in the field of burned grass and uprooted earth. The wind kicked up and whipped my hair about and I shook my head slowly. Everyone in this house had a right to hate me and would be on edge. I suddenly longed for my old home and the company of my family from Silverpaw.
Resigning myself I walked through the field and moved to the overlook that stood before the large city in the distance. I recalled when it was just a small boomtown of wooden shacks and storefronts when we first settled this land, a nostalgic smile crossing my face.
My ears lifted as I felt a presence and turned to look over my shoulder, seeing the large wolf and the only other male amongst them walking towards me. I could clearly smell Alice upon him as well as the fallen angel, it was obvious that the rabbit got around.
"Have you come to begrudgingly welcome me and threaten me as well?" I called out dryly while looking back over the city, folding my arms.
"Welcome you, yes. Threaten you, no." The wolf shrugged and stood next to me and I could see he was even taller than my husband, a large male to be sure and well built. I felt nostalgia staring upon him but couldn't quite put my finger upon it.
"Well thank you for the welcome, I will try my best to not be a pain or disrupt your life too much." I clicked my tongue and turned my focus back towards the city.
"I also came here to thank you." He growled the words out as he looked upon the cityscape.
I barked out a laugh. "Whatever for, wolf? Turning your life upside down?"
He set his amber eyes upon me and shook his head. "I never knew the details, but Elias told me last night it was you that gave him my information as well as how to find me and guide me."
I flicked my tail and cut my brown eyes to his, cocking a brow. "Vietnam... so you were that soldiers from then, eh?" I giggled and ran my fingertips through my hair giving the dog a coy grin. "It's a small world indeed... Well, I'm glad I was able to help at least one being in my delusion of madness."
