Diplomacy: a Princess's Guide

****

Disclaimer: All character that are involved in sexual activities are older than 21 years old!

****

In the morning I quickly took a shower and dressed in leather pants and a white blouse.

A knock sounded at my door.

"Come in!" I called, while I tried to wring the water out of my long hair as best I could. To my surprise it was the Prince at the door and he greeted me, as usual with a lopsided smirk. Oh goddess, I really hoped he couldn't smell what I did in here yesterday, or that I was extremely embarrassed by my orgasm fantasies of him and Asher. Oh gods! Stop, stupid thoughts and keep yourself in check!

"I want to see the villages that are affected by the dam," I blurted out, before he had a chance to talk.

Surprise flickered in his eyes, then he lifted his eyebrows and leaned with one shoulder against the doorframe.

"Good morning to you too, Enya," Aedan chuckled.

"Good morning," I mumbled and probably blushed deeper than before. "Will you show me, please?"

He frowned and sat down in the chair at the desk. "Are you sure that is what you want?"

"I am, I have to see for myself. How much destruction was caused?" I asked and stepped in my boots, tying the leather.

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy, raven black hair. "More than you could imagine."

"Please, I have to see," I looked him in the eyes, determined not to give up about this and he exhaled heavily.

"Alright," he said slowly and nodded to himself. Then he turned around, letting me walk beside him. It was early, the sun just rising in the sky and the castle was silent, only the guards were awake, patrolling the grounds.

"The village of Ester is the closest," he said and pointed in the direction, while we walked through the hallways. He didn't seem too enthusiastic about going there, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"How long will the journey be?" I asked, as we were about to enter the kitchen for a short breakfast before setting out.

"Half a day," he shrugged. "We should be there before noon."

"That's not so bad then," I replied and walked into the kitchen, seeing the cook from last night sitting at the table, a book in front of him.

"Good morning, Princess Enya, Prince Alexander."

"Good morning," we both said in unison, as we sat down, waiting for the food to be served.

"Do you enjoy reading?" I asked the man, who looked up and nodded, a frown on his face.

"Yes, I do."

"What do you read?" Aedan asked and Morkas smiled.

"Anything really."

"That's a good answer."

The door opened and a young boy, looking about six, ran into the kitchen, while the cook stood up and caught him, before he could fall.

"Whoa there, little man, where do you think you're going?"

"You have to come quick!" he said, his voice trembling. "They are fighting!"

"Who?" the man asked, while he set the boy down on the chair and looked at him with a worried expression.

"Carr and... I don't know the other one," he answered nervously.

"Delios?" Morkas asked and the boy nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

"You stay here and I'll go and see what is going on," Aedan said and patted the boy's head, before he rushed out and I followed him.

"I told you to stay!" he urged, when I tried to walk next to him, but I wasn't a Princess that stayed in the shadows, and I didn't plan to start today, so I just shook my head and ran after him.

"Stubborn Princess," he mumbled, while we approached the noise.

"Carr, Delios, what are you doing?" Aedan asked and they both turned towards him, before they turned to each other again, shoving each other back and forth.

"He started it!" Delios exclaimed and pointed at Carr, who rolled his eyes.

"Oh please! You've been looking for a fight for ages! I told you to fucking knock it off," Carr growled, shoving him in return.

"What is going on here?" Aedan asked again and they both halted for a moment, looking guilty at Aedan, while I looked between the men, obviously confused.

"We were just talking," Delios defended himself and crossed his arms over his chest.

"About what?" Aedan asked sternly.

"About Kassandra," Carr answered and looked at Aedan, "and how we both slept with her."

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand, before taking a step back. What? They both... Oh gods. My heart started pounding hard in my chest. Of all the people in here they talked about her, Aedans second-in-command. Of course, I knew there was some weird tension going on between her and Carr but damn... Aedan probably knew too, since he sighed and rubbed a hand down his face in an exasperated fashion.

"Is this true?" Aedan looked at him and I wondered how in the world he could stay calm. Was this a regular occurance?

I looked over at the two men, Carr had a split lip and Delios' brow was split open.

"Yes."

"She was mine, yesterday," Carr added and Delios growled, walking up to him, rolling his shoulder, ready to punch. Aedan immediately walked between them and pushed both away.

"That's enough!" he said sternly and they both stayed put. Their energy was so dark, I could literally taste it on the air.

"I can't believe you two, fighting like children, over a woman."

"But-"

"No, that's enough, this is unacceptable! She is free in her will and can do whatever she wants!" Aedan cut the sentence of Delios off, the frustration finally creeping into his tone. It seemed as if they'd discussed this issue many times before and with seemingly no resolution. Or at least Delios didn't like this 'free will'.

Then Delios' gaze swept to me and he grinned and let his eyes rove over my body. A grin slowly started to form on his lips. "I also could sleep with her."

I suddenly got uncomfortable. I looked at Aedan and his expression changed from frustration to sheer anger. His dark eyes narrowed and fixed on Delios. My stomach dropped with fear and at that exact moment, I was thankful that he didn't look at me like that. He stepped towards Delios.

I could see the anger in his eyes, the way his muscles bulged. A low growl escaped Aedan's throat, reminding me of a predator about to attack its prey. I could see Aedan's jaw lock, as he balled his hands to fists.

"If I hear one more inappropriate word directed at her, I swear, I'll rip off your throat, friend or not," he warned and Delios eyes grew bigger, before he nodded his head.

"Apologies, I had no idea," he lowered his gaze for a brief moment.

Carr only raised his eyebrows and moved closer to me.

What the hell was even happening? It felt odd, being defended by Aedan like that, after everything that had happened.

"Carr, you come with me," Aedan ordered calmly, keeping control, but it felt ice-cold, even if it was intended to be calming. I knew that Aedan felt more anger towards the situation than he led on in his demeanor. He really must have meant, what he'd said, the tone had made my hair stand on end.

We walked back to the kitchen, Carr behind us.

"You didn't have to do that, I could have...," I started to say to Aedan, but he cut in harshly.

"You were uncomfortable, rightfully so. And no offense, but no, you couldn't have managed like this." Excuse me? I put my hands on my hips. The nerve! How did he come up with shit like that? I started to breathe in to say something, but he moved closer to me, too close for the circumstances and looked into my eyes, and whispered, "Delios enjoys the hunt. He enjoys it so much that after a certain point, 'no' is no longer an option. And the fact that you felt uncomfortable only turns him on more. So whatever the fuck you wanted to say just now, drop it."

That shut me up instantly and a chill washed over me, down my spine. I gulped the lump down my throat and the realization settled on me, of what his words meant. Holy. Shit. He meant rape, and that terrified the hell out of me.

With all the nerve it took me to actually stand my ground, I looked back into his eyes.

"You have to trust me to protect you." he looked into my eyes. "Okay?"

"Okay." I whispered and he stepped back, before he turned around.

"What the hell, Carr!" he finally burst out. "Kass, really?"

"Oh please, Lex, you know how she is. She had a crush on you for the longest time and you ignored her. She likes the company of men, so why am I an exception?"

Aedan looked away, his eyes fixed on the wall, before he sighed and closed his eyes, as if he was praying for patience, before he turned back to Carr, a stony expression on his face.

"And what about Delios?" he asked and Carr's face changed, his expression going blank.

"Nothing, we just talked. That's all," he replied coldly.

"That's all? He split your lip while talking?" Aedan said, his voice cold and harsh, while his hands balled into fists. "He beat you up, you idiot."

"It will be healed in 10 minutes anyway," Carr shrugged and I looked over at him.

My hands tingled and I shook them, hoping to increase blood flow.

"Everything alright?" Aedan asked and I nodded. He was awfully protective today.

I crossed my arms across my chest to keep from touching things. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you ready?" I nodded again.

"Then lets go."

We left the kitchen and went back to the front of the castle, where Kassandra was waiting for us, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes blazing with anger.

"You stupid idiot!" she punched Carr in the shoulder, "why did you tell him?"

"Because he saw you running out of my chamber last night, Kassandra!"

She tried to punch him again and he raised his hand, before he caught her fist, their faces only inches apart, while they glared at each other. A low rumble vibrated from his chest and she tried to free her hand.

"Let me go, right this fucking moment," she growled under her breath.

Aedan looked back at me, rolling his eyes.

"Stop it!" Aedan yelled, while he tried to pry them apart, but they didn't move.

"Don't make me use my Alpha voice," he growled low and Carr released her fist, "whatever you do behind closed doors or out in the open is not my problem, as long as you can work together, for fucks sake!"

"You are right, Lex," Kassandra bowed and smiled, while she winked at Carr, who grinned back.

"And you, Carr, try not to be so stupid, next time," Aedan said and motioned me to follow him, while Kassandra and Carr walked beside us.

"Where are we going?" Kassandra asked, a cheeky grin on her lips, while her green eyes sparkled with amusement.

"We are leaving for Ester," he answered and looked over at her, while she chuckled.

"That was a nice punch," Carr said and she smirked.

"Thanks!" They both walked ahead and I rolled my eyes. But I couldn't help but smile, seeing how they could go from fighting, to praising each other so easily. It seemed odd. Maybe this was just something these three always did in their spare time.

Or they had done it on many occasions, since all of them were of age, judging by their facial expressions.

I shook my head and followed them to the stables.

***

Ester was a picturesque small village nestled amidst rolling hills and dense forests. The village consisted of modest dwellings constructed from locally sourced materials, blending harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Ester exuded a tranquil ambiance, with the soothing sounds of rustling leaves and distant howls of wolves echoing through the air.

I saw the river that once flowed freely through the village was only trickling sporadically, unable to provide the life-giving sustenance the wolfborn needed for their crops. As a result, the fields were barren and parched, devoid of any vegetation.

"This is horrible," I said and Aedan, who sat behind me on the same horse, because I apparently wasn't trustworthy enough for my own, stiffened.

"It really is," Kassandra agreed softly and I felt sorry for judging them. Maybe I was too naive in my perception of all of this after all. This was devastating! No crops meant no food for the population, no rain meant nothing to grow.

I swung my leg over the black horse's neck and landed with a soft thud, Aedan following shortly after. Slowly I bent down and took a handful of the soil, rubbing it between my fingers.

It was sandy, almost as if it had been dried out for ages, nothing like the dark and fertile soil that I had seen on the way here. My fingertips grazed a pebble in my hand. There was nothing growing here, no grass, no plants.

Without looking if anyone followed me, or not, I walked over to the nearly dried out riverbed.

I squatted in front of the river, the water was gray, without a single trace of clear blue or even green. I didn't even know a river could even be like that. With trembling hands I put the pebble from my hand into the water.

Behind me I heard boots scrunch in the dirt, coming closer.

"It used to be a beautiful river," Aedan said and pointed at the riverbed. "The water used to run clear and blue."

There was a wistful edge to his tone. As if he was speaking of happier times that would never come again.

I swallowed the sudden lump that had formed in my throat, as the enormity of what had happened began to sink in.

"How long has it been like this?" I asked without looking at him, staring at the flowing water which trickled through the shallow stream and continued on towards its final destination, the Endless Sea.

"2 years, I think," he said after thinking for a moment.

I got back up and looked at him. His expression was dark, his eyes were filled with sadness, while his brows were furrowed with worry lines. The wind ruffled his hair, causing loose strands to fall into his face.

This strong, broad shouldered Prince, who always seemed to carry an easy smirk on his lips and a lopsided grin was gone. This version of him was someone I hardly recognized. There was something new about him now. A look in his eye that hadn't been there before.

And it was harder to hate him now. I realized what his people suffered, the devastation it had on them.

"Can we ride up the river and look at the dam? We have to do something about it," I urged and his eyes locked with mine. The vulnerability of his emotions was palpable as the seconds ticked by, the two of us just watching one another.

But I couldn't give up now. I had to see what exactly was the reason behind this desolation, "Come, let's take a look?"

But he shook his head.

"It will take us a day to get there and it's not like we can just destroy the dam. It is too big for that," he huffed and rubbed the back of his neck.

I sighed in frustration.

"So what now?" I asked and his eyes softened.

"We go back to the castle and figure out what to do. Maybe the other villages have ideas, too. We'll figure something out." He gave me a half hearted smile.

From behind him I could see people approaching us.

"Your Highness," they said and bowed deeply. "Is there something we can do for you, Your Highness?"

"Princess Enya Althea Vasiliou wanted to check on your lands." He pointed at me and I smiled awkwardly.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience, thank you for letting me see how bad the situation is."

"Of course, Princess, it is an honor."

I looked at them again and my heart broke, they looked starved, their cheeks hollow, their eyes sunken into their skulls. They looked terrible. A lump built in my throat again.

My father would never do such a cruel thing. I was never more sure of anything in my entire life. I wanted to help them, but I wasn't sure what I could do. The village had already lost so much, and there was no guarantee that they would be able to survive.

"Althea," an older lady said softly and I turned to her. She was wearing a brown dress and had white hair, falling over her shoulders in waves.

She was leaning on a stick, age and weariness carved into her face.

"Yes?"

"Althea, the name means healing. I am sure, you will heal these lands," she said as she took my hands in hers. My palms tingled, as they touched the skin of the old lady, but the tingling slowly spread over my entire body, calming me, helping me relax and breathe, the weight of the world lifting off my shoulders.

I gasped and stared at her, before looking down at our hands, my eyes widening in surprise.

"What did you do?" I asked and she smiled.

"You will heal us, Princess," she repeated as she squeezed my hands, and my eyes welled up with unshed tears.

"What? How?" My voice broke on the last word. How could I even come close to fixing something that had been so damaged? My stomach twisted with uncertainty as she squeezed my hands once more.

"With the help of the goddess Selena, you will heal us," she whispered and I swallowed, before she took her hands away from mine.

"Thank you."

Shock was still running through my mind, trying to grasp the woman's words. She must be mad.

No person was capable of healing lands like this. Was she? There had been legends about it, some of my tutors spoke of the people and their capabilities, but those were... legends.

"What was that?" Kassandra asked and I looked at her, before turning back to Aedan.

"I have no idea, my whole body started... Tingling," I explained and they both looked at me with worry.

"It is said that she can heal, but this is the first time I have seen this happen," the old lady said and I turned to her.

"What?"

"You are a healer, Althea, you will be able to help us," the old woman noted and smiled, before she put away the stick and walked away, a small smile playing on her lips, while the people of the village bowed to me, thanking me for my presence, before following her.

"What just happened?" I asked and looked at Aedan, who had a smile on his lips.

"The Goddess Selena has noted you."

My heart skipped a beat. Noted me? And I should be able to... heal these lands? No way!

I stared at him, wide eyed. My mouth hung open slightly, my hands trembling.

"Why?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Nobody knows, we just know that you will be able to help us, that you will be able to heal the lands," he replied with a faint smile.

"But how?"

"We will have to wait and see."

***

We had left the food we took with us at the village and visited a few of the healthy villages on our way back.

The moon had started to rise and cast everything in a cool, pale glow, while the shadows moved slowly and languidly through the forest.

I was exhausted from the trip and the ride and my ass hurt. The past hour I had tried to shift my weight a few times, but Aedan sat directly behind me, making it hard for me to find a more comfortable position.

"Sit still, Enya," he bit out after I adjusted myself for the fifth time, "you are making this... kind of difficult for me."

Did he mean...? Oh gods! I blushed deeply and tried to lean slightly forward.

"Sorry," I whispered and hoped that we weren't more than a few miles away from his castle.

I looked up at the moon and felt its rays on my face. A faint whisper echoed through the forest, soft and gentle, barely audible, but there was no wind and no other sound.

"Althea," the faint whisper sounded, the words barely audible, but it was as if I could hear them, as if I could understand what they meant.

"Althea," the voice called out again, but the others didn't react.

They were too busy with their own things.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before I could see a flicker of light, before darkness surrounded me, a warm and peaceful feeling washing over me, while I let the darkness consume me.

***

I woke up in another place, a place I had never seen before. The moon was a lot closer than usually and the soft glow of moonlight illuminated vast meadows, where delicate flowers bloomed in hues of silvery-white. Crystal-clear lakes reflected the moon's gentle radiance, creating an otherworldly ambiance.

"Althea," the voice whispered again and I whirled around.