A Price for a Princess

by R. E. Butler

  All the blood in my body rushed to my face in a hot blush as Ekho tried to stop from laughing. Ekho finally got his laughter under control enough to say, "Mates. Sweet like honey for her mates." Perseus murmured his agreement with a chuckle.

  I gave Ekho a shove on the shoulder and he started to laugh again. "So every time you say honey kitten, anyone that knows about Leonemen knows that I'm, uh, sweet for you?" Even talking about it in abstract made me blush harder. I felt faint.

  "Pretty much." He flashed me a wide grin. "Don't worry, it's a compliment.

  Oh sure. Only a man would think that telling the world a woman's pussy was sweet would be a compliment.

  The man from the hut stopped in front of a stream where the cat-men, Odin, and Finn were cleaning up further down. "This is where we bathe. The water is warm this time of year, fed by a hot spring. It's deep in the middle, but no dangerous creatures dwell there."

  Good to know. The man moved away quickly, stopping only to speak to Rysk and Tyrant who looked over at me unhappily. I left Ekho and Perseus at the bank of the stream for a moment and walked over to them. They dismissed the man and he scurried back to the hut.

  "Why are you guys so angry with me? I found my mates; you should be happy for me."

  Rysk shook his head, "We are happy that you found your mates, princess, but the prince was so certain you were meant for him. You were supposed to bring peace to our kingdom."

  "I thought I was just supposed to be kept safe while you guys figure out what to do about Urijah." Every time they opened their mouths, something I thought I knew was proven a lie and something new was added.

  Tryant sighed, "When the prince learned that you were in danger and he could protect you, he sent us out immediately to get you. He wants you for his own, princess, because he believes you're fated to be together."

  I reached for their hands, squeezing them. "I only ever dreamed about Perseus and Ekho, I never dreamed about a third husband. I won't accept losing Perseus and Ekho. They're mine and I'm theirs. You call me Madala, Destiny, and I found my destiny here in this realm with my mates."

  They pulled their hands from me, regret on their faces. "You must make your own path, princess," Tyrant said.

  I turned to walk away and then stopped, turning back. "Why do you call me princess?"

  "Because Aedan ordered it." Rysk said.

  I nodded, telling them that I was going to bathe with my husbands. They left the Dire Wolves to guard us and returned to the hut.

  By the time I got back to the small river, we were alone except for the wolves. Perseus had shifted into his fully human form and Ekho had stripped himself of his trousers and boots while they waited. It took only seconds for them to divest me of my clothes and tug me into the stream. As the man had said, the water was warm, and when we moved into the center of the stream, it was deep enough to reach the bottom of my breasts. Ekho removed the bandage over my shoulder where four ragged claw marks were still angry red, stretching from just over my right breast to my shoulder. After prodding it gently, he declared it was healing fine now and would eventually fade to a lighter shade than my skin tone and I didn't need to bandage it anymore. Ekho lathered a bar of soap as Perseus and I dunked under, and between the three of us, eventually we got clean.

  Ekho laid out a blanket on the soft grass on the side of the bank and we stretched out to air dry, the warm breeze like a caress across our skin as I laid between them and looked up at the cloud dotted sky. "You won't, if that's what you're wondering." Perseus said quietly, taking my hand in his.

  "Won't what?" I asked, wondering if he was psychic.

  "You won't be a princess in this realm when Aedan realizes you aren't his mate." Damn it, he really was psychic.

  "And I won't have his protection, either, I suppose," worry skating through me not for the first time.

  "You will. Urijah is after you, and if he were to succeed in his quest for power, this realm would be hit the worst. There would be loss on an epic scale. Whether you are his fated mate or not is irrelevant in some ways, because he would do anything to keep the kingdom safe." Perseus said.

  "What is a fated mate?"

  "Two that are born to be together. Fated mates are things of legend. There haven't been any for centuries." Perseus said.

  "And fated mates are only one for one, there is no sharing no matter the species." Ekho said.

  "Do they dream share?"

  "No idea." Ekho answered. I reached for their hands that were both resting on my stomach.

  Perseus tipped my chin so that I was looking at him. "The connection between the three of us is complete. None of us ever dreamed about four, just us three. It doesn't matter what he believes about you. You can't fake being a truemate; either you are or you aren't."

  Ekho kissed my shoulder. "And you can't be his fated one-and-only, because you already have two very possessive husbands."

  Sufficiently dry and wanting to escape the heavy conversation on something I had no control over, I suggested we head inside and get something to eat before heading out again. Perseus stayed in his human form so he could eat with us at the table, and the man and his family, who didn't introduce themselves to us, served us a meal of a thick, meaty stew and flat bread. Jandor told us that in a few hours we would approach the area where camps would line the dirt road like tiny tent cities. Some of the camps would be friendly, but we wouldn't be taking any chances.

  After the meal was ended, Perseus shifted to his horse form and Ekho added a thick folded blanket for me to sit on, which helped a great deal.

  As we approached the first of the tent cities, the Dire Wolves made a large circle around us, all of them in their large wolf shifted form. Tyrant walked in front and Rysk behind, and the cat-men tightened around us. Ekho rode on Finn's back to my left so we could stay tighter together, and Odin was to my right. My bear prowled in my mind, worry forming a tight ball in my gut.

  The first tent city had a dozen hide tents arranged like lean-tos. Campfires glowed brightly and there were women and children among the men, who were dark skinned with silver hair.

  "Those are night elves." Odin said. "They draw magic from the full moon."

  "Why are they out here instead of in a city like Netic Springs?" I asked, watching a young boy whose silver hair reached his knees play with a small furry white creature.

  "A lot of those that choose to live along this stretch of road don't trust outsiders. Even a place like Netic Springs requires a certain amount of interaction with other creatures." Finn answered. "Night Elves are like the gypsies of your realm. They only want to be with their own kind."

  The tent cities were miles apart from each other, each group choosing to stay with their own people. We stopped an hour before dusk, between tent cities, with a few more hours to go. I was heartened that we would soon be in Lorence and could stop for the night. My body ached in new and unpleasant ways and I wondered how cowboys could stand it.

  After cleaning up in a small stream and resting for only long enough to eat some fruit and cheese to tide us over, we returned to the road and began again. As Lorence came into view under the setting sun, the hissing sound of blades being unsheathed was like a thousand serpents in the grass and we were suddenly surrounded.

  Rysk and Tyrant barked orders to the Dire Wolves and the cat-men flexed their claws while Perseus, Odin and Finn drew swords. Around us came tall men that looked like pirates. Their shirts were open at the neck with billowing sleeves, their trousers were dark and their knee boots were folded over at the top. They were rough looking, with long, scraggly beards and unkempt hair. Our procession had stopped and drawn in closer, and the Raiders, dozens of them, had moved around us like a black tide. Some carried torches, lighting their faces in a menacing way.

  "We've come for the girl," one of them said, stepping forward towards Rysk who was at the head of our group. "Give her to us and you can all go about your business."

  My hands gripped Perseus tighter.

  "
We are on our way to see Prince Aedan, he is ruler of this land. If you have want of the girl, you must speak to him about it." Rysk said evenly. That was a very nice way of saying 'fuck off'.

  "Aedan isn't our king, we're on assignment from a higher power." The man said with a sneer.

  He lifted his hand and a red light glowed in his palm. In an instant, the Dire Wolves dropped like stones and the Raiders attacked. The man with the glowing palm stepped back from the fray, his palm lifted high.

  "Pers!" I yelled above the noise, holding on tight to the sword sheath on his back as he slashed at Raiders that got too close. "We have to take out the guy with the red hand!"

  "Hold on!" He yelled back and I gripped myself tight to him and he leapt over the heads of the Raiders and barreled down on the raider with the glowing palm. The man screeched in dismay and reached for his sword but was too slow. Perseus' sword cut through his arm at the elbow and the Dire Wolves came back to life, snarling and snapping and joining the battle.

  "Get her to safety!" Tyrant yelled as he broke the neck of one of the Raiders. "To the next town!"

  "Ekho!" I yelled behind us as Perseus raced forward. As the noise of the fight faded behind us, the sound of hoof beats filled the air and my tears of worry for my husband shifted to joy as Odin and Finn, with Ekho safely on his back, joined us. We raced on towards the city, leaving our guards to deal with the Raiders.

  When we reached the gates of Lorence, I slid off Perseus' back and into Ekho's arms with a sob of relief. "Will the others be okay?" I asked, worried about the cat-men and my guards.

  "They're trained warriors, sweetheart," Perseus said as he and the others shifted to their human forms and donned trousers and boots quickly. We ducked into the city and down a dark, empty alley to wait for our group.

  "I don't like leaving them behind." I fussed, sitting on Ekho's lap while he sat on the ground. He nuzzled under my ear, purring lightly and holding me close. Perseus rubbed my back and kissed my cheek.

  "Jandor is king. He knew what coming along meant and he accepted that. He's the one that told us to follow you to make sure you reached the city safely." Ekho said.

  "Besides, if we'd stayed close, there could have been more. We'd have been separated, in the dark, and vulnerable. Coming here, where they don't dare, was the best choice. You can't be taken by the wizard, sweet." Perseus said.

  "Why don't they come into Lorence?" I started to relax, even though I felt guilty for the others fighting on my behalf.

  "Because it's where the king's private army go to retire. The Raiders know to steer clear, period." Ekho said.

  Well, a town full of retired royal army was a pretty good place to relax. A thought struck me and I voiced it, "How will we get home safely?"

  "What?" Perseus asked.

  "When we can leave the palace, how will we get back to, well, wherever we're going to live without all these guards?"

  "The prince will surely see us back safely to Cholas." Perseus said.

  "Cholas?" I tipped my chin back and looked at Ekho.

  He raised a brow. "Of course honey kitten. The Centaurs are a close people and they'll accept me as your husband, too. And as far as being safe, Jandor has already said that we only need to send word to him and they'll meet us here and escort us back to Netic Springs. They haven't seen any action in a while. The Tigerana are proud people, well renown warriors even among the other cat-people. They're happy to help."

  With that bit of information, I settled down against him, holding Perseus' hand while they talked quietly around me. It seemed like hours, although it probably wasn't that long, before our group returned and we met them outside the alley. We had lost no one, and although some of the wolves and cats were injured, none seriously. The Raiders had lost many and eventually fled into the darkness to lick their wounds.

  Two retired guards opened their homes to us and we spent the night on a thick mattress with the cat-people curled up on blankets on the floor around us. I was tucked between my two husbands, all of us exhausted from the trip, and I fell into an easy sleep.

  After breakfast and a quick clean up, the cat-men left, saying that going back through the Raiders' area during daylight was perfectly safe since they were night creatures, and also they wouldn't be attacking anyone anytime soon. After saying thanks a hundred times, we left them at the south end of the city and found Rysk and Tyrant's horses, stabled on the north end. The horses took one look at Ekho and screeched and reared.

  "I hate to tell you this," Ekho said stifling a smile at the guards' annoyed faces, "but unless a horse has been trained to accept my people they won't want to be anywhere near me."

  "You could ride ahead of us, lead the way." Perseus suggested.

  Ekho agreed it was a good idea, as opposed to being behind us where the horses could see him. They appeared to want to argue, but it was either use the horses or continue the walk, which would take much, much longer.

  Odin offered to let Ekho ride him, but Perseus said he wanted him on his back with me. Although Perseus hadn't voiced it, I was sure that he had been just as worried about Ekho's safety as I was when we fled from the fight the night before. At this moment, he wanted the three of us as close as possible. Perseus offered his arm to Ekho who swung up easily onto his back and settled behind me. "Hello, honey kitten," he purred into my ear and kissed my cheek.

  "Be good, you alley cat," I laughed as the fur on his cheek tickled my neck as he kissed down towards my shoulder.

  "Hey, you two," Perseus chided as he kicked off, "I have a strict rule about fooling around on my back."

  Ekho and I both laughed and I leaned forward and hugged him. "Just how many times have you had to use that rule?" I asked.

  "It's new." He looked down at me with a grin, his blue eyes dancing.

  Because of Ekho's added weight, Perseus couldn't go as fast as before, but we still made good time to the next city, the last leg of our journey. He promised he didn't mind carrying both of us and it actually made me feel closer to the two of them, sharing this together. Instead of just me riding Perseus, Ekho was holding me tightly and joking with both of us.

  When we stopped at another rustic home for the evening meal, Perseus shifted right away, anxious to get out of his shifted form and stretch. After we ate and cleaned up in the bathroom, the owner offered us his bed, but since it was the only bed in the tiny house and they had two small children with them, I declined the offer. Instead, we made a camp outside behind their hut, stretching out a blanket and cuddling up together. Finn and Odin were nearby on their own bedrolls and Rysk and Tyrant settled some distance off, leaning against tall trees to sleep. I shifted back and forth on the ground. Although the grass was soft, the dirt underneath most certainly was not.

  "Come here, honey kitten," Ekho said with a yawn, stretching out onto his back. "Lay on me. I'm a lot more comfortable then the ground, and I'll keep you warmer, too."

  "You don't mind?" I sat up, looking down at him.

  "Of course not. Besides, if you can't sleep then we can't sleep either, and I'm pretty damn tired."

  I moved over him, stretching out on top of his tall length. My ear pressed to his chest as I lay stomach to stomach with him, my toes against his shins. I inhaled the heady scent of him and my bear rumbled in approval. His arms slid around me as Perseus scooted closer on the blanket and captured one of my hands with his, pressing a kiss to the top.

  After some adjustment, I thought I was comfortable enough to sleep when Ekho growled, "If you don't stop wiggling, a part of me is going to make a part of you very uncomfortable and then no one is going to get any sleep."

  I peeked up at him and he was trying to look stern, but the look wavered between amused and turned on. "Sorry, Ekho."

  Perseus chuckled, "I don't believe that for a second."

  I laughed quietly, sighed deeply, and settled in to rest. Ekho began to purr as he stroked my back with his hands, and within minutes I was fast asleep.

  Chapter 11


  The following morning, after a meal of eggs and bread, Rysk declared we would reach the palace just at sunset. I was thrilled.

  After a shower, I picked the prettiest of the dresses we'd packed, a multi-hued purple number that gathered at one shoulder and draped nicely around my curves. Since I wasn't walking, I put the sensible moccasins in the satchel and put on the decorative sandals that were studded on the laces with pretty stones.

  The pace of the journey was more leisurely this time, and we stopped along the way to eat lunch and dinner. The palace came into view, a huge sculpted masterpiece of stone and iron, towering over the land. A tall, gated wall surrounded the palace, with iron spikes jutting against the sky. Just outside of the wall was the royal city of Bowpoin. The palace looked like a castle out of a fairy tale, with spires and flags flapping in the breeze, and guards in royal colors standing watch in towers.

  The tall wooden gates swung open as we approached on foot, the Centaurs having shifted earlier so they could enter the palace in their human forms. I walked between my husbands, holding their hands tightly in mine. I was nervous for many reasons, the least of which was what the prince would say or do when he found me already married to two men. If he was a nasty sort of man, he could try to take me away from them, imprison or try to kill them so he could have me. I knew that my mind was creating a worst case scenario, but still, it was a possibility. He was the law of the land. If he wanted something done, it could conceivably be done.

  "You're trembling," Ekho said quietly as we walked up the white marble steps towards the open gilded doors of the palace.

  "Nerves." I said, as worry skated through me and fear lodged in my gut. I really wished I knew what lay ahead for us. My spine was tingling and I had the distinct feeling that danger was nearby.

  We walked through a large open area where people were standing on either side of a thick dark red carpet. They appeared to be mostly human looking, but they could be shifters. Rysk and Tyrant proceeded through another set of gilded doors into what was a throne room. At the end of the long red carpet was a stage bordered with thick drapes edged with gold. In the center of the stage was a large golden throne and next to it was a smaller one that sat empty. Odin and Finn stayed several feet behind us as we walked with Rysk and Tyrant towards the throne. Prince Aedan was youthful and beautiful, with clear blue eyes, sunshine blonde hair cropped short, and a thin mouth. He wore a white blouse with a red sash tied from shoulder to hip and his trousers were black as were his knee boots. He reclined on the throne like it was an easy chair, looking bored. I immediately didn't like him.