Chapter 13 - ' Mistakes to be Made '

The burn on his cheek wasn't what occupied his mind. It was the softness of the lips that countered the rage which swelled within him. Cusping the supple behind in his hands, he lifted the smaller man. Starved of attention, Waide's tongue teased the one that mingled with his.

Deep breaths sucked through his nose helped calm the storm in his heart. Pulling away he stared into the navy blue eyes below him.

"You have some nerve showing up here! It's been more than two weeks!" said Waide.

His Eminence looked amused, raising a dark eyebrow, he said, "You have some nerve slapping a King!" Waide scoffed, his attention was drawn to the fluttering curtains above the window.

"So much has happened and you weren't here. I could have died!" said Waide. His voice tapered off into a whisper at the end.

"I heard about the fire. I must say the resistance to the throne is getting out of hand. You should be careful."

"With the amount of security father has roaming the halls, I'd say we're being more than careful. Even getting this moment alone was a task by itself," said Waide, as he leaned in for a consoling kiss.

Leaving the heavy conversation to be blown away, His Eminence indulged the young Prince. Muscled arms squeezed the item in hand. Another knock was heard in the room. This being the third time, His Eminence's interest was piqued.

There it is again!

His Eminence's thoughts strayed from the one he held in his hands. Dark tendrils left his body. They scattered along the floor of the room in search of the source of the sound. The noise changed and sounded more like something was rolling about.

The strange sound was out of place. He wanted to explore things further, but the displeased groans of his lover stopped him. Keeping up with the Crown Prince's movements, he allowed Waide to remove the band which bound his hair.

A loud knock was heard in the room. The aquatic creature pulled away upon hearing it. His green eyes wide in shock.

"Set me down over there," said Waide.

He pointed to the lounge chair against the wall. Following his instructions. His Eminence placed him on the edge of the chair. About to take a seat next to Waide he was surprised when he was vehemently pushed away.

"Don't sit on them!" Waide's fearful shouts confused His Eminence.

A flash of sea blue light lifted the veil that covered half the chair. Woven of dark energy, the wicker basket was shown to His Eminence. The incubator was the depth of Waide's forearm and the width of an arm's length.

Lying within three oval objects rolled around anxiously. Even at this premature stage they could sense the new source of dark energy. They needed more and they knew he could offer it.

Vying for His Eminence's attention, the three eggs rolled in unison at the edge of the basket. Waide frowned upon seeing their actions. Pulling the somewhat stunned man to the right, he watched as the eggs followed the direction His Eminence moved in.

"I was wondering why they were so active. They almost never move about," said Waide. "It's you that's caused this upheaval!" Waide's accusing tone snapped His Eminence out of his state of shock.

"Whose offspring have you kidnapped?" His Eminence reached past the veil of darkness and cradled the egg closest to him in his arms.

"I did not kidnap anything! They are under my... custody for a short time. That's all," said Waide.

His Eminence found Waide's story to be lacking in key details. The eggs responded to the presence of a dark practitioner and were too large to belong to a nymph. After giving it some thought, it dawned on him what hybrid the eggs were. A portion of his energy was poured unto the small life. It rotated in his arms, clearly at peace.

"Who are the parents?" said His Eminency.

"I can not say."

His Eminence did not appreciate that answer. He placed the egg with its siblings. Another one was removed and the process repeated.

Not looking at the small body next to him, His Eminence said, "What will become of them?"

"I can not say," said Waide. His heart was saddened, but he kept a straight face. Upon seeing His Eminence's lips part, Waide said, "Kindly refrain from inferring about them, as I really can't say anything!"

Of course 'you' wouldn't. You nymphs have tried to hide 'your' actions, but time has exposed what 'you' do. It is well-known by all, how 'you' enforce the segregation of the races that live within your borders.

His Eminence lacked the motivation needed to fight an unnecessary battle. He avoided the topic altogether. The second egg was replaced by the third and he continued to share his energy generously among them.

The versatile nature of the dark energy within skeletal practitioners led to many variations of the dark creatures. The egg he held in his hand, at one time, was the most common hybrid. Yet another topic to avoid. The history between the nymph and the skeletal practitioners that lived on this land was bloody.

Warm and full of energy, the eggs rolled into their respective grooves in the incubation basket. Waide redid the enchantment that hid them and with a flash of blue light they disappeared once more.

The longing that resided in the Dark King's eyes faded almost instantly. Sharp green eyes saw the look on His Eninence's face. Waide jumped on the opportunity to intertwine his needs with the Dark King's.

"Do you like them?" said Waide. His Eminence remained silent.

"Do you have offspring of your own?" A question Waide hesitated to ask was spoken.

"One," said His Eminence.

Waide mentally kicked himself for expecting a different answer. Of course the King would have offspring. Every throne needs at least one heir.

Waide couldn't stop the next words that left his lips. In a raised voice, Waide said, "Who is the whore?"

The pent up emotions felt were released. A shift with the speed that could only be managed by royalty of the purest bloodline was witnessed by the Crown Prince. The dark waves that pulsed from the Dark King's skeletal form destroyed everything in its part.

Where the dark energy had passed through Waide's body was left bruised. The black veins that extended from the area crawled along his chest and shoulders.

Constricted by the opposing force inside his body, the Crown Prince fell to the carpet. Calls of 'My Prince' were heard outside the door. The surge in dark energy gained the attention of the guards stationed outside his door. Yet try as they might the door would not open. Waide had unknowingly sealed his own faith by setting up the enchantment to stop intruders.

His Eminence's spine clicked in the quiet space. Eyeless sockets faced Waide's body.

"My Queen is not a whore!" The jaw of the skeleton rose and fell each word sending chills down Waide's spine.

The bones of his right hand reached to the heavens. Dark magic pooled into his palm. The shadows that were dormant in the room ran to the call of their master. Black wisps of energy pulsed with life. Growing in size they gave shape to the last thing Waide wanted to see. The thing that earned the Dark King his name.

"Sentient."

An onyx blade with a silver finish on its hilt, the sword reflected the reality of Waide's situation. The hand that held the sword came down.

The hidden pair of eyes that looked upon the scene lightened. The dust rose from where he stood on the balcony.

"Ambrose!" said Titan. The dark flame that resided in His Eminence's eyes was outed. The energy that held the weapon together dispersed.

"Titan. He said..."

"Titan heard what he said. It is ok," said Titan.

Not slow by any means the Crown Prince was able to put things in place. The fear that occupied his heart vanished. Jealousy soon followed by anger took root in Waide's chest.

How close could he have been to arrive here so soon?

The time that lapsed was enough for his body to rid itself of half of the poison. Waide rose up on shaking feet. He stared at the man with loose strawberry blonde curls, who attended to His Eminency.

How had he missed someone with such rare traits among his Eminence's entourage? Yet still, did it not occur to 'him', that I should know of his Queen?

"How do you live with the lies you tell?" Waide's laughter garnered the attention of the two men opposite him. "A Queen. You have a Queen!" Shaking his head he sauntered over to the door that led to the balcony. "Get out. Both of you."

The Crown Prince's tone did not sit well with His Eminence. His lips parted, but before the first syllable could leave his throat a soft tug on his wrist was felt. Reminded of the situation at hand. He held in his words. He was the one at fault. Titan led His Eminence away in the thickening silence. Standing before the open door, His Eminence paused.

Not sparing Waide a glance, His Eminence said, "I never claimed to be without a Queen."

A step was taken by His Eminence into the darkness and out of sight. Royal blue eyes looked at the Prince with pity. A blonde strand was adjusted, before he wordlessly stepped into the darkness.

Ambrose, what a terrible turn of events. Both sides are at fault, yet both sides refuse to back down. Things can't remain as is Ambrose! Ambrose must fix it ... for Titan's sake! Please?

Waide's neck was free of all obstructions, but he still felt it tightening. Never in his entire life had he desired the dry air around him to such an extent. Waide tried to calm himself. It was fine, he was fine. Pale fingers clutched his chest.

I'm fine! It's not like he's the only one that can love me!

Waide dismantled the enchantments on the bedroom door. Pushing past the small crowd that stood outside his door, he fled to the one that would never reject him, to the one that would never lie to him. At least that was what he hoped...

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