by Kanu Crystal
“Don’t say those words, because, when you’re happy in some alpha’s arms and I’m standing behind you, I don’t think I can handle you speaking those words to another and still do my job. My duty is to protect you.” Isia swallowed hard when Himeko buried her face back in Isia’s neck, letting the tears she caused to dampen the skin. "I cannot let those words mean less."
“Then why not let me say them only to you.” Himeko's arms wrapped tighter around her. “I have thousands of years to do my duty. Why not just give me this one lifetime, this one lifetime?”
"Stop crying, my heart. Please. We have only a few hours left, and I do not want to spend them with you in such pain." Isia raised Himeko’s face to hers, kissing her gently before trying to give her a smile worthy of her Princess. "Let’s eat, then we will run, dance in the glens or catch a Will-of-the-Wisp. Anything you want."
Himeko shook her head, her tears slowly stopping. "A Wisp will kill us both. I’m fine here let’s just do this."
Chapter 13
“This is the place, right?” Isia placed a finger on Himeko’s lips and quickly peeked in the room. A thousand things to do today, and she wanted to run around inns and snoop. Sometime during their walk in the woods, Himeko had suggested this. And now they were in an inn, being nosey.
“The least you could do was be quiet.” When she turned behind her to see the princess pouting, she snorted a laugh and walked into the room. They went for the luggage first. Pulling it from under the bed, the ripped it open and started pulling everything out.
“I will check the bathroom, like the common thief I am.” Himeko stood and walked into the bathroom. Isia had no idea what made them want to ransack Tac’s room, but they were at the inn and he wasn’t, so they were snooping. The luggage was empty, so she lifted the bed and tossed it aside. The desk didn’t have any drawers, so she went to check on Himeko.
She stopped at the bathroom door, shell-shocked. It was a complete mess. The princess had somehow quietly ripped the shower curtains, broken a tile from the wall, water was everywhere, with the source not visible. The princess as calmly reading a book and holding some kind of pendant in her other hand.
“I want to ask how but, no, just no. Come on. We are leaving though the window.” Himeko held up the book and the necklace but Isia just held up her hand. “Ok, how did you break the tile?”
“Thought you didn’t want to know, my champion?” Himeko raised an eyebrow and Isia shook her head. She took the hand that held the necklace and released it grunting in pain. Himeko dropped the book and took Isia’s hand.
It was shaking on its own, purple lighting jumping around it. Himeko whispered something, and the water shot off the floor and into Isia’s palm. The lighting seemed to stop and the shaking soon after.
“That necklace has a protection spell on it. I used the water to cleanse it from you.”
“Why didn't it hurt you?” Isia looked up at the hand now holding the book and the necklace. “Why didn’t you tell me when you found it?”
“I was busy trying to keep the spell from binding me when I first walked in. We need to make a mind link if we plan to keep playing spies.”
“Yes, let’s just use that excuse. Why didn't I hear all of this?”
Himeko stuck out her tongue and pocketed the now stolen items. “Bathroom was spelled. I will do some digging on this necklace in the library later, but I think this book is barbarian text, so I can’t read it.” With over forty different tribes, the barbarians still only spoke and wrote in the one language. Yet they hated the beastkin, seeing them as wild beasts and not as humanoids. Yet neither saw much of each other with the dark elves to the southeast and Val Amara to the southwest. Closing off the barbarians that that lived south of them both with their kingdoms in the north.
Isia walked over to the bathroom window and looked down. They could fit. She opened it and motioned to Himeko to come to her. “Well let’s go now, I don’t want to be here smelling Tac all day.”
***
Himeko chanted the words as she held Isia's hands in hers. The words were older than even the Dragons could remember. No one knew what they meant or where anyone got them from, only that they knew them. Littermates had been caught saying them to one another before they could speak. They were magic from before Magic had a name and cost nothing so unlike magic.
As they both spoke the words, their bodies radiated a white light before it faded. "Can you hear me?"
"Aye, my princess." Himeko smiled at her, glad that the mind link took. It rarely failed but it happened, mostly between different types of beastkin. "Now, my tie, please?"
They were getting ready for the birthday party after their day out. They barely made it before dark and the maids had been dismissed as they both dressed. Isia looked amazing in a black and gray suit vest and slacks, with a gray shirt. Her tie was red and purple, the Drakus house colors, as always.
Himeko wore a simple black dress with a slit that ran up to her thigh and a red and purple shawl. Both of their hair were done simply, Himeko's in a tight bun and Isia's all flowing down the right side of her face and shoulder. They were all but ready, so Himeko did the mind link so tonight wouldn’t be so boring.
Once she had tied the tie loosely, Himeko unbuttoned the top button of Isia's shirt as a finishing touch to her look. Pleased with herself, she stepped back and grabbed her own heels. She sat on the bed and began lacing the heels up. Feeling Isia watching her, she looked up. Those blue eyes were looking at her such remorse and the resolve she had in the woods, so Himeko looked back to her task but spoke out loud. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, you’re just really beautiful." Isia cleared her throat. "That dress is nice on you."
"Is it the dress that looks nice or...."
Isia cut her off. "Himeko you know what I mean."
Himeko tossed the shoe she hadn’t put on at Isia. The demon wolf caught it, smiling with all her teeth and fangs. Isia tossed the shoe on the bed, and Himeko rolled her eyes as she reached for it. She put it on as fast as she could, standing to test the height. "You have horrid manners wolf.”
"I have amazing manners." Isia was there, her arm out in invitation.
Himeko took it and kissed Isia’s cheek. “My wolf, you only have manners when it comes to being a good champion, everyone else just gets just snarls and growls, not too hard to do. But you lack in the conversation area.” Isia just shrugged and started for the door.
“I’m an amazing conversationalist.” Isia opened the door. “You are the one always saying something I don’t feel like hearing.”
“I’m I not the princess here?”
“You are, but you are also the one that gave me permission to be myself around you”
“That was before I knew you were a little bit of a know-it-all brat.” Isia’s tailed flickered and slapped Himeko on the ass.
“I am not.”
“Then why cut me off.”
“I know what you’re going to say, why waste time.”
“Know it all and anal.”
“You’re a princess, your time is important.”
“Know it all, anal, half-assed liar.”
“You're so cruel.”
“Then stop cutting me off.”
“Stop saying things that are completely unnecessary to say.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I know everything you are going to say.”
“How?” Himeko stopped and crossed her arms in what she was sure made her look like an angry seven-year-old.
Isia turned to her, and the pained look on her face made Himeko’s heart soften. “I just know.” Those blue eyes never left Himeko’s face, even as Isia took both of her hands in her own. “I think I always will.”
The air seemed to still between them. Like a spell older than time, eyes locked and hand in hand, Himeko understood. This was how Isia acknowledged whatever this was between them. Isia could never have her body but they had this connection. “I
know.”
She saw it happen right before her. Those storming blue eyes turned to steel, and Isia’s whole body seemed to harden before her. She let go of Himeko’s hands and faced away, her arm out in an invite. “Princess.”
Confused, Himeko simply took Isia’s arm. “Champion.”
Chapter 14
"Princess Himeko Luna Drakus, Heir to the Skythone, Daughter of the Goddess, Flower of Skylight City, Earl of The Valley of Heroes and her Champion, Isia Wolf.” Isia rolled her eyes at the Herald and like yesterday, brought the princess to her throne. Unlike yesterday, there was a dragon in her head who was giving a very funny explanation about how she planned to add a new title every time she had to be formally introduced to a room.
“They will get so wild and ridiculous, so far I have a list of 30 titles. Some are true some are just bullshit from some list I found in the archives or just plain made up.” The Princess leaned over in her throne and kissed her half dozing father’s cheek and effectively woke up the emperor. He stood and began thanking people for coming and giving a very long-winded speech about the future.
“Yeah, but what is the point of making your title so long?” The emperor must have finished his speech since everyone bowed to the thrones and Himeko stood.
As Isia began to listen to Himeko thanking her subjects, she was surprised to also hear the young princess in her head. Not many people could talk out loud and through mind link. “To see if anyone is listening? These people hear the first name and after no one listens to the titles. I want to get rid of all that grandstanding. I mean how ridiculous or long can I make it before someone says anything?”
Himeko took her seat after she finished her speech to her people and music softly began to play. The emperor stood again, and two fox servants walked over with a white wiggling box. “I'm sure someone has already noticed.”
Himeko was looking at the box but turned to Isia, she blushed then looked away. “Only you, so far, my champion.”
“It's hard not to, you are just so ludicrous.”
The emperor took the box from the foxes and presented it, “For my lovely hatchling.” He opened the top of the box and a tiny six-inch blue human popped out. It was naked and female, with emerald green eyes too large for its face and tiny black wings that beat so fast they would be hard for a human to see. It looked at Himeko with contemplation before looking at Isia and back. She smiled and lifted her arms. “Your instructors tell me you are in need of a familiar. This is a Pixie from the Isle of Auburn. They bind themselves to the first person that gives them clothes. I hear they are the best familiars.”
“Oh Daddy, she is beautiful.” Himeko held out a hand, palm up, at the tiny pixie only for it to smile and drop back in the box and close the lid. Delighted, as only she could be, the princess took the box and sat it on her lap. As soon as she began to open the lid, the pixie popped out again and place something red on Himeko’s lips. Himeko licked it only to smile. “Strawberry?”
The pixie nodded then returned to her box and close the box lid. “She’s adorable! Thank you, father.”
Dorvo patted Himeko’s head before taking his seat. The guests that stood closest to the thrones were in awe of the small blue creature that was hiding in the white box. “I am sorry, Champion. I have completely forgotten about our conversation. Yet on the bright side, I'm so naming my new pixie Princess Oasis the Second.” Himeko grinned at the white box before looking up at her.
Isia could do nothing but shake her head and look away. She was most likely conspiring by naming the adorable creature that but staying out of it would keep Isia from getting into too much trouble.
“Though, Crorxi is pretty, too”
***
The rest of the birthday party was a mix of surprise and humor. Alphas presented Himeko with everything from food to raw gold and freshly mined silver. Isia spent her time speaking to Himeko about everything from stories of past birthday gifts that Himeko was mailed including a box full of dead snakes from the only honey badger alpha or live mice from a lynx. She told Himeko about her own birthdays, about how the triplets would play hooky in the woods or spend the day in a random bar, drinking.
By the time the cake was brought out, Emperor Dorvo had gone back to his cave and the party was in full swing. Guest danced and drank with each song. Oasis and Isia’s sisters kept popping in for one thing or another. Yet it was all welcome. For every time one of them popped in, it was just in time for Himeko to be introduced to one suitor or another. Even Aisi came to steal a dance once, apologizing for nothing as the big woman danced just as well as Isia.
Now she was hoping for one of those saves. She was listening to a huge bear female talk about her ten-year-old grandson. She was easily one of the most beautiful women there, at 7 feet 5 inches with long greying brown hair and sharp green eyes. She was also one of the most influential bear leaders on the ruling council. Alpha Jinni of Lite Valley gave off an almost motherly feel as she kindly introduced this six-foot-tall ten-year-old boy, Michael.
The huge skinny boy was blushing as his grandmother spoke about him in praise. In all her years, Himeko had never met such a tall boy, even for a shifter, this boy had the potential to be massive. She was nodding her head and accepting the information from the Alpha bear as she talked to Isia. The champion was close behind her with a completely blank face.
“We will need to bring him into the castle through the dragon entrance. He is like 6’5 and he has not even hit puberty yet.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry I stopped listening when she started talking.”
“Are you not going to call anyone to come and save me from my suitors like the last ten times?”
“He is ten. It will be another eight years before he is a threat to me.”
Isia must not have understood what she truly said, but Himeko did and the implications of her statement cracked Himeko’s resolve to honor Isia’s wishes of not pursuing her. “I'm sorry Alpha Jinni, I need to excuse myself. But I do hope, Michael, that you will save me a dance?”
The boy's pale skin flushed a deeper shade of red before he stuttered out, “y…y... yeah, yes, yes Princess.” Both bears bowed and Himeko walked away and straight for the doors.
“Himeko?”
Himeko ignored Isia and continued out the doors and into the hallway. She walked to the nearest room, knowing it would be empty since this floor consisted of nothing but ballrooms, all smaller than the grand ballroom they just vacated. She opened the nearest one and walked in. It was dark except for the lights coming from the slightly parted doors that lead to the conjoining balcony for each ballroom on this side of the castle.
She walked into the empty room and stared out at the light until Isia had closed the door and stood behind her. She turned to Isia and saw nothing but the concern in those slightly glowing blue eyes. And all she could think was that they looked like one of the twin moons shining on her. Like Luna had infused her light in them. No one was as perfect for her than this wolf staring at her like she would fight the demon hordes at the gates of oblivion just to make sure she smiled.
“None of them, Isia, not one of them is a threat to you. I will never love any of them as I love you.”
“Princess…” Isia took a step forward, the moonlight hitting her whole face. In the light, Himeko could see the pain there. “Please.”
“No, not one. And you will never hear me say that to anyone the way I say it to you.” Himeko took both of Isia’s hands in her own.
“Himeko we... The way I said that... I didn’t mean…”
“Do not lie to me, my Champion.”
Himeko didn’t know where she got the strength, but she pulled Isia closer and like so many times before their eyes locked and the rest of the world vanished. Isia freed one hand and gently wiped away a tear Himeko didn’t know she was crying. “Ok, just, no more crying.”
Himeko rested her head on Isia’s shoulder, breathing her in as th
e other girl wrapped her up in a hug. “I want you. Just until you leave again and then, we can just be champion and princess, until I find a way to fix this imprudent rule. We shouldn't have to hide how we feel.”
Isia’s fingers caressed her chin, lifting her face up so their eyes could meet again. “You would fight this for me? Risk honor, I cannot let you.”
“I would open the gate to Oblivion for you.”
Isia was kissing her. Himeko didn’t know when she closed her eyes or leaned in for the kiss, but she would always remember the worlds Isia spoke to her before they did kiss. “And I would hold those gates closed for you. ”
It was not such a sweet kiss. It was not the type they ended books with. The type a princess and prince would share with promises of love and innocents’ hearts knotting together. This was the kiss of two animals binding themselves. A kiss of passion and need. In Himeko’s mind, this was their true first kiss. One not out of lust, desperation, or the pain of something ending, but out truth and love and more mushy things.
But he had to fuck that up.
“See, she defiles our princess.” Isia jerked away and looked towards the balcony doors. Seven figures entered, three leading the charge into the dark room. She knew the voice that spoke was Tac, even if those glowing blue eyes didn’t give him away. Even when she faced them down, it was not the five sets of glowing blue eyes that upset her but the two yellow ones.
“Shit.” Isia grabbed Himeko and pushed her behind her body. She was shaking, but Himeko could not see the other girls face to know from what.
“Princess, what is the meaning of this?” Himeko took a small step to the left, she could barely see the face of the speaker’s voice in the moonlight. It was Alpha Emmanuel of the Shifting River. He was a council member like Alpha Jinni and well known for his sense of justice. She could have just screamed lies at anyone else, but the lynx was known for being truthful to the point of pain.