{Keenan}

He offered Freyja a small smile when she joined him outside. He opened his mouth as if to say something before deciding against it. Now was not the time nor place, especially with so many of his father’s spies floating around. If they found out that she knew then that would be it for both of them, although she may be able to escape, she was fae, her people could protect her. Claude would protect her, despite their recent disagreement, he knew he could always count on her for that, especially as she seemed more than willing to act as a mentor for Freyja, “Are you ready?” he whispered into her ear. All eyes were on the as they left the hall. It was no secret what they were leaving to do.

He was surprised se said that they should meet in her room, it was tradition to go to the male’s quarters. However, he was willing to break tradition if it made her more comfortable, after all none of their marriage arrangements were traditional, what was one more change. He nodded in agreement, and he slipped into his room to bathe.

The hot water helped ease some of the soreness that lingered from being on his feet all day. He set to work carefully scrubbing off the makeup from his face and neck, the scar on his neck now obvious. It was a reminder of what was at stake tonight. If this interaction went badly, his father would not fail again, he would have a reason to convict him.

He slipped into a soft black silk shirt and trousers. He slipped a pair of soft boots on before crossing the hall to her rooms. He knocked once and waited before waiting. He found himself counting the breaths, one… two… three… The door was opened and he smiled, genuine this time as he saw the wine and sweets in her room. “Shall we get this over with so we can proceed with the far more enjoyable part of the evening?”

He sighed, trying to make sure that his hand wasn’t shaking as he picked up a glass and pulled a knife from the top of his boot. He sliced across his palm and squeezed it over the glass, silently watching his blood trickle into the glass. After a few moments, he wiped the blade and pressed the same black cloth against the wound on his hand. It wouldn’t take long to heal as the knife wasn’t silver and the wound was fairly shallow. In fact it was beginning to close over already.

He turned to face Freyja handing her the glass and pouring a separate glass of water. “It won’t harm you and you won’t need to drink much of my actual blood as we are not prolonging it. It stops it hurting, most enjoy it after the initial shock. After we finish, I do suggest having a drink of water to get rid of the taste before we start on the far more enjoyable things.”

He waited patiently, it was no easy thing to be handed blood and be told to drink it, especially if you weren’t a vampire and vampire blood was not the most pleasant blood to drink either, that went to the pure blooded fae. “This should not take long and I promise not to take more than is absolutely necessary. I will be able to give you some idea of the size of your well of power.”

Between three and five mouthfuls was all that was required for the scent shift. For Freyja, it would be more like five as she was not a vampire. “Are you ready?” he asked moving closer, waiting for her confirmation, he then brushed the hair off her neck and wrapped an arm around her as support, “try to relax.”

The he did it, biting into her neck, the sweet taste of fae blood filled his mouth. One mouthful…More his body screamed, fae blood was addictive, dangerously so. Two mouthfuls… he was finally able to begin searching for the depth of her power, the third mouthful was when he finally felt it, it was almost enough to force him into the shift then and there. Mouthful number five and he still wasn’t at the bottom of her well of power but he couldn’t keep going. Magic calls to magic and it was ripping his out of him.

He stepped away from Freyja and it almost looked as if his eyes were glowing, “You most certainly aren’t powerless,” he said between gritted teeth, “I could not find the bottom of the well of your power.”. His knees buckled NO. Not here, not in front of her. She did not need to be dragged into this. He had no choice, he let out a whimper as he collapsed forwards, fighting it only made it worse so he willed it onwards. His entire head felt like it might explode. He flexed his jaw once he was convinced the shift was complete, he was breathing heavily as he turned to face Freyja.

He didn’t believe he looked all that different as a fae, sure there was the pointed ears and perhaps he looked slightly more beautiful but the main difference was that he went from looking dead to undeniably alive. His entire body ached and he wished they were in his quarters so he could apply a salve. He stood and locked the door before sitting on the floor before Freyja. He tucked a few strands of blond hair behind his now pointed ears and said, “We need to talk,” the first few words sounded strange, they always did, adjusting to talking with shorter fangs was always a challenge, “I will answer any and all questions, however, you tell another vampire I am as good as dead. You must also give me a chance to explain myself,” he said with a deadly calm.

He stood, grimacing and poured himself a glass of wine. He took a long slow sip before looking at Freyja, "would you like me to pour you one?" he sighed softly, his heartrate finally slowing, although not as slow as it was when he was a vampire. That in itself made this whole thing weird. "How are you feeling after all that?" he asked taking a seat.

{Freyja}

She greeted Keenan with a wide grin, motioning to the Sweets with excitement. Her face faltered for a moment as he mentioned the one thing she was sure they both had been avoiding. She had secretly been hoping he would forget about it and they could just eat chocolate for hours. So if someone said her face showed any trace of excitement, they would be lying. Freyja nodded instead and sighed out of her nose. "I guess that would be smart. That way no one's drunk and accidentally takes too much."

.

That was her biggest fear about coming here. That someone would be displeased about her presence and drain her of her life liquid. It was possible. Although, she never expected the person she'd be allowed anywhere close to her neck to be Keenan. Crown Prince, then betrothed now husband. That was a slight, very slight, comfort. She only had to offer to him and now she was an asset. If she somehow got drained, she'd find a way to blame Montague from the afterlife.

.

The Princess watched as he poured his blood into the cup, just a bit, and she thought it was perhaps he was trying to hide his far heritage from her. She wouldn't really be able to taste the difference, at least she didn't think so. Blood wasn't exactly on list of tried beverages. But she offered a weak smile before wrinkling her nose at the iron scented liquid. Counting in her head, once she got to three, she knocked back the glass and swallowed. There was a moment she made a face and reached for the water, swishing it around her mouth before running to the bathroom to spit it out. "I really hope that's the only time I ever have to drink blood." It perhaps even ruined hot chocolate for her. The liquid had been warm but it didn't have the same consistency. She hated how easily it went down and how it left it's taste in her mouth.

.

And now it was Keenan's turn, only he had the equipment to go straight to the neck. She internally winced at the thought. He told her to be calm, how does one be calm when they're in this situation. She stood, trying to think of happier things (which at this moment was literally anything else) as he brushed her hair off of her neck. The bite was like a quick pinch and it was after that that she actually relaxed and found that she apparently needed that arm that he had wrapped around her for support. How could she just... lean into it like that? She was just glad that he was done soon enough. Reaching for a damp washcloth, she pressed it to the bite to help the blood clot and heal over. Fae's healing was quick, but not quick enough to stoop blood from trickling down.

.

She was about to mention about how it really wasn't as bad as she had thought when Keenan's knees buckled. She tilted her head slightly and moved to help him up, but he collapsed. Like anyone would do in the situation, she froze, scared to touch him. But before she knew it the transition was over and he got up to lock the door before coming back to sit in front of her.

.

Reluctantly, she sat down across from him. Slowly a grin spread across her face. She nodded, "Go ahead and pour as you please," the princess said, simply drinking the image of him in. "I must say, you make a fine fae. Daemon would hardly be able to resist you with these on," She said, pointing to his ears.

.

As he asked about her experience, she shrugged. He had just shifted into a fae and he was asking about the blood sharing. That coaxed a snort of laughter out of her. "Not as bad as I thought it would be. Although, I don't know if I would do it again." She tilted her head. "Do you need something for the pain? The halflings back home used to say it hurt worse than anything else. I can massage?" She was genuinely curious about this shifting process. Of course, she herself had never shifted but it wasn't stopping her from wanting to know how it worked. "If it's something in your room, I can run to get it. You should have told me sooner! Then I would've save the blood swap for the end so you could have just relaxed." Partial lie. Claude had told her, she had already known what to expect. Didn't change the fact she still wished she would have heard it from him.

{Keenan}

Freyja was handling this surprisingly well, especially considering how he reacted when he found out about her magic. He smiled at her laughter; it definitely made this whole thing easier. The comment about Daemon made him blush, he hadn’t realised how attracted to the male was until she mentioned it. He willed the heat out of his face, unfortunately it did not work. “Careful,” he said with a wink, “If I wouldn’t be executed for wandering around like this, I might be tempted,” truth be told he was tempted regardless but that was a separate issue.

Her comment about the pain made him think, he needed to visit Lady Elena for more supplies but there was still some left in his room, “In the drawer of the desk at the back of my quarters there should be a salve and a vial of a blue serum, make sure to bring the blue one, not the purple one as they have very different functions.” One would help end his insane headache and the other would strip his powers and leave him unable to shift back into a vampire for a few days, which would be very awkward considering that they were supposed to be travelling the day after tomorrow, “I do have to agree with the halflings from your home, there are very few things worse. Perhaps it is the fact that it is prolonged that makes it worse,” he said pondering the thought, was it worse when he was starving, half out of his mind? That was a tricky one, even being attacked hurt, but this was a different kind of pain, “That being said, the more you do it, the less you notice the pain. I was shifting several times a day during the war and I began to just get used to it. Until yesterday, I hadn’t shifted since the night Maksim tried to kill me, and I was the one who succeeded.”

He waited for her to return, worried sick about being discovered. If the wrong person burst through that door (especially Daemon), it would look very bad for all of them, if he wasn’t recognised, it would look like Freyja was spending her marriage night with another fae male, and if he was recognised then, he could kiss his sorry life goodbye.

Relief flood through him as she returned, “I owe you one… more than one at this point,” he took a swig from the vial and then carefully set to work applying the salve, mostly to his arms before he turned to her, slightly red, “Could you apply it to my back? Working from the brand and across?” The strangest thing about the shift was that many of his scars disappeared, even the one around his neck had faded. As the pain slowly faded he smiled at Freyja, “Thank you, I really do appreciate it.” He sighed softly as he refilled his glass and handed Freyja one, “For the record, I was going to tell you, especially after last night. I was just trying to work out the best way to do it. It’s not exactly an easy nor usual topic of conversation, besides, I have not used it to do good things.” In fact he had used it to destroy Fae camps from the inside out, but that was a guilt that would eat him from the inside out until he died.

He brought the tray of sweets over and sat down, removing his boots, he was well and truly settled for the evening. “I owe you the truth,” he sighed, “What do you want to know? How it works or anything else?” he popped a sweet in his mouth and closed his eyes, “I forgot how much better food tastes as a fae. I see why banquets are so popular. Anyway, I’m getting distracted. I’ll start at the beginning I guess, I was a bred as a weapon for the war. My father was hoping that I would just inherit my mother’s magic. Unfortunately for him, things do not just turnout nicely. Things happened, I trained with a combination of Fae and vampire techniques and was shipped off to the war. There is a lot that happened in between, that I will tell you eventually but long story short, I was returning home and had shifted my brother saw and attempted to kill me, believing me to be a traitor to my species, I shifted back to a vampire as he went in for the kill and finished him first. If they had found me bleeding out as a fae they would have executed me.”

He sighed, taking a very long drink from his glass, “If the vampires find out, I will lose the throne, lose everything. I would either be executed or locked away for the rest of my life. More than likely burned at the stake as no one survives being burned alive. I doubt the fae would be much more hospitable, considering the sheer amount of fae I killed in the war. And, as for how it works the first shift is natural and it can be forced. Like all this magic from the extra fae in the castle have been making it very hard to control, after that, it’s practice and it becomes a part of you, I don’t know if that makes sense,” he admitted.

He rested his head against the back of the chair, “sorry to ruin the mood,” he said sheepishly.

{Freyja}

She rolled her eyes at the bit about her brother, but she was grinning so it was clear she didn't really mind. Once he gave her instructions on where to find the salve and tonic, she stood and let him continue his speech as she looked for her slippers. She looked up at him with a perplexed look spread across her face as she put on her comfy shoes. "I don't understand sibling rivalries like that. Makism was already the favorite and you were still his little brother. You only shifted into a fae, not some blood thirsty monster," She sighed, rolling her eyes. "No puns intended. Now, I'll be right back. Don't move, someone else might try to kill you." She meant it as a joke, bad thing was it was most likely true. What would the inner circle think if they saw him in such a condition?

.

She crossed the room and quickly slipped across the hall, making sure to shut her door. In only a few steps she was inside Keenan's room and she made sure to shut that door too. The last thing she wanted anyone to see was Freyja rummaging through Keenan's drawers. She sighed as she finally found what she was asked to look for. Blue serum and the salve. With one last glance around, she turned on her heels and escaped the room, shutting the door soundly before scurrying across the hall into her room. Freyja handed off the blue serum to Keenan, not moving until he asked her to run the salve across his back.

.

She snorted, starting at the brand and working her way over. "Keenan, we all have secrets. Some are meant to be kept and others shared," the princess shrugged, trying to make sure she covered the whole area. Once her handiwork was finished, she put the cap back on the salve and went to wash her hands of the pain reliever. Waving a hand, she grinned, "Just remember that next time I call someone a mean name, okay?"

.

She had meant it as a joke, but at the same time she really hoped he actually listened to it. Freyja slowly sat across from him, listening to him tell the tale for himself instead of down the grapevine like she had been receiving information lately. The only thing that really made her eyebrow rise any was the fact he didn't want to speak of the war. It could be for several reasons. He'd been in the war that had nearly wiped out the fae as a whole. So while she was slightly disheartened he didn't feel like he could tell her yet, she understood. She really wouldn't want to hear about how her friend had slaughtered her kind on the fields of battle.

.

She bit off a piece of chocolate she had picked up in the midst of the story. She argued with her siblings, but as a female she wasn't exactly a threat to to them and she had never really wanted the Fae throne. But Keenan had mentioned once before that they had been close. It would be like killing Faust because of one of his mean jokes. All because Keenan was part fae and shifted? Freyja snorted, "I would have loved to meet Makism. Kill now talk later, sounds more like a secret agent than a prince." She rolled her eyes before her face twisted with confusion. "Keenan, I do have questions about the shifting and so on, but is it really that bad? To be considered fae in any form? If you'd be rejected as the King's only Heir than what could happen to the future? If I ever had children, with or without you involved, how do you think the people here would react to my children? And whether or not they share your blood, they would look up to you and if it ever slipped they would then begin to be ashamed of that part of themselves. Kee, no one is born perfect and we all have packages. For crying out loud, have a little bit of pride for that side of your heritage. However you view yourself causes a chain reaction and I'll be damned if my future king hates any part of himself. There's a difference between recognizing flaws and hating something about yourself." He sighed, reaching for her glass of wine, pleased that it was of the sweeter variant.

.

With that the princess shrugged and offered the prince a grin, "But of course. I do love it when a good mood is ruined. It either makes me feel more mature or really brings out the child in me. Heads up, do not take my Pastry privileges away. I can get quite grumpy without a healthy dosage of sugar." She winked, taking another small sip of the wine. Freyja looked up and grinned. "You know, the last sleepover I had we talked about anything but the war. If vampires were mentioned we'd lock the doors and pray for our safety. Now here I am.... having a sleepover with one. Well, half of one. Trust me, the fae is a good look on you."

{Keenan}

If the inner circle saw him right now they would freak, everyone other than Claude. She knew of course but that was because Claude knew his mother and as his advisor, it was in his best interests for her to know the truth. Montague would not cope well considering he had been raised to hate the fae but Keenan believed he would get over it, that or try and kill him. Aleks, Kee was unsure about, he had reacted positively to Faustin but would he blame Freyja’s influence? Especially as Keenan had been too good at hiding it over the years.

The salve had helped tremendously, and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, it was nice to be able to actually talk to someone about it, especially someone who understood. The inner circle understood what it was like to be a vampire but Freyja understood being fae and she handled the news with a grace that he knew none of the others would. He felt slightly freer and although it could lead to his death, Freyja was safe and would not hurt him, at least not right now. He gave her a smile when she made her request, “You are just asking for a free pass to have a go at Montague. Don’t try and twist it, I see how you two look at each other. But yes, I will refrain from getting involved as long as there is no risk of injury,” he said with a laugh.

He pulled a knee to his chest and rested his chin atop, “The thing with Maksim was more than a petty sibling rivalry. He was the son that was kept away from the war, taught how to strategise and navigate brokering treaties, I was the one sent to the front line, for obvious reasons. I had been away for at least 6 months, that battle had been bloody and I was lucky to comeback alive. We were outnumbered and many vampires were captured. I shifted and rode home as a fae, I don’t think anyone else escaped,” he said softly, he sighed before starting again, “It’s easier to travel in daylight so I did. I snuck back into the castle through the secret passages. I only exited one to enter my father’s study. I shifted in the hall way as it was during the day and my father does not keep staff around his rooms, only a handful of guards who already knew so it didn’t matter if I did it in front of them. I was not expecting Maksim to be there. He should’ve been asleep… You were raised to believe that we were blood thirsty monsters right? Most vampires are raised to believe that fae are cruel, merciless creatures that make deals with demons and enjoy torturing others. Obviously not the point but I digress. Maksim believed that wholeheartedly and believed that I had been captured and somehow corrupted so he slit my throat with a silver knife as I was recovering from the shift, I then killed him with the same knife.”

Keenen sipped at the wine, allowing it all to sink in, he sniffed slightly. He felt guilty for Maksim’s death but what were you supposed to do? He missed having an older brother, especially when they were close. He missed the small things like discussing suitors over a glass of blood in front of the fire in winter or gossiping in the corner at balls.

Keenan sighed, knocking back a second glass of wine, this next topic was going to suck. “The people would not accept a halfling as a king. There would be a revolt, and someone would replace me. You and any children would likely be allowed to flee to the fae lands as it is not your fault, especially if you played the innocent doting wife card, which I would suggest if we were ever caught. I would be arrested and held as a traitor, short of some amazing bargain, my execution would be imminent. If I was a pureblood and we had children, things would be different. They would know to expect a halfling for their next leader, things could be made better under my rule. I am a halfling that fought in a war that killed many of their friends and family, regardless of what side I fought on, they would not believe me. Trust me I have tried to think of a solution, hell I even considered killing the king to put me on the throne before he could out me as a halfling but it's the essence of what I am, there is no way it would remain undetected.”

He sighed and realising he was shirtless, he pulled it back on, now the burning nerves had been soothed slightly. “I am sure there are plenty of benefits to being a halfling, I am sure I could do things other than mindless killing but not here. The people will not change and it is no secret that the king has been trying to produce another heir. You, Faustin and even Daemon seem to be different to what we are all taught but so long as I reside in this castle, in these lands I cannot just embrace it. It will come out eventually, that I can guarantee so all I can do is prepare.”

Keenan wished things were simpler, but truth be told, he probably wasn’t supposed to survive the war. Now he was crown prince and things were way more complicated. He wished he could just disappear for a few weeks and see what it was like being fae, perhaps meet other halfings but life wasn’t neat and tidy nor ideal, so he had to just survive.

Keenan blushed again, “You really should stop complimenting me, I do not take it well,” he admitted, “but thank you.” This sleepover thing was strange, especially as his whole life he had been scolded for pursuing anything fae related but, yet here he was, shifted and sat with another fae, his wife,but he was grateful for her company. He bit his lip deep in thought, "You are right though. I need to come to terms with this whole being a halfing thing, its not going to change or go away if I ignore it. Since I have spent the whole week teaching you about the vampire way of doing thing and our culture, do you think you could maybe tell me about some fae things?" He asked going red again, gods it was much harder to control things like that as a fae.

{Freyja}

She snorted and made a face at his accusation, "Highness, I meant for all. Not just him. What do you mean the way we look at eachother? Like we'd rather kiss a hydra or drink fire?" Freyja huffed, reaching for some more chocolate. Maybe the prince had been having some hallucinations as of late.

.

The Princess hardly touched the wine, not wanting to be dysfunctional by the end of the night to where she would wake up with a hangover but her hands kept reaching for the chocolate more and more often. Soon, she was mimicking Keenan's seating, tucking herself in close and pulling her deep green nightgown over her knees as she watched Keenan recite his tale. Her face reacted with every part. People were really so blinded by the war that they were willing to attack their own family members? The worst outcomes of the war she had seen were when she'd been taken to the torture chambers herself to see the prisoners of war and then the time Faust refused an order from Daemon. He still won the battle, but Daemon never forgave him for it and the punishment in her opinion wasn't worth the crime. Freyja shivered at the thought. "I still can't believe how people could just do that due to who you were born as. It's really just ridiculous. Then again, I'd be lying if I said I was against marrying you because you were a vampire. There was more on the list, but it was definitely high."

.

Freyja sighed, finally taking a sip of her drink that was bigger than a spoonful. She looked at the glass and swished it around. "I think we should extend the tour then. We should make several stops and show people you'd make a good king. That not all fae are bad. It would have to be genuine though, I'm not as good of an actor as you, Keenan. But if we can convince them fae aren't as bad perhaps they'd be fine with it. After all, it's not your fault your father decided to breed a poor fae female like a prize mare. You could always play that card. It's not like it changes your personality or decisions," She sighed through her nose. "If that doesn't work than we can find away around it, but I think it would be best if the people closest to us knew. Or at least had hints. We can't be the only ones who know and how to help. I can play the doting wife in any situation, but I can't always be right with you. My goodness, I think your heritage just became the most dangerous part of you," She laughed, absent mindly touching her neck. They would heal into scars overnight and the scars would be gone within a week.

.

"The fae gene is recessive. There's a chance that they would be like you and only able to shift to their fae form," She shook her head, reaching for another piece of chocolate and she popped it in her mouth whole. "But that's more of a very future worry. Hopefully by then the people will be more open minded about such things. Especially if we happen to do a good job at ruling." She waved the topic off, glad that he'd asked about their traditions as she was more than happy to share and move on from the whole "her children may or may not be accepted" topic.

.

"Of course I can tell you about them! I'd love to really," She tilted her head. "It's kind of funny that you were raised to think we were cruel, merciless, Demon summoning, torturers because we really like celebrations. We have one throughout the kingdom at least once every three months and then the individual towns and cities have festival and such. Lots of celebration. That's probably our peak though. We can be a bit territorial. Very territorial, " She gave a breathy laugh. "It's mostly within households. Like a pair of mates and their children. It's crazy how much we change after reproducing or finding our mates, it's like a boost of confidence but a huge worry that your special person will be held over your head. And it's not like love, it's more." Freyja had to pause as she thought of the words to explain it to him. "When you find ... your mate, it's like you would rather die then cause any kind of harm to them. They're at the top of your protect list. And new mates? There have been fights over a male looking at someone's mate. That stage wears off eventually and is a hard period for everyone. But the thing is, sometimes the bond doesn't even kick in until they've had relations or they've been friends for years."

.

Freyja rolled her eyes. "We are pretty much based off of that. Protection and Parties. How very scary, the fae. Well, we also do try to make sure our females know how to protect themselves from... whoever they need to protect themselves from. But laws and such vary from location. And tales. We thrive off of them. No matter the age, we all love to sit and hear a story." There she took another sip of the glass. "There is a big feral side of all of us though, trust me. Your myths weren't based off of nothing. Most of us are very narcissistic. The only fae recorded in our history are those who brought extreme shame and those who brought glory. And then the shameful.ones barely get a mention." She sighed.

.

"There's always been an issue with those more in touch with their feral side. Humans are easy to pick on for fae and they've been pretty rough on them for ages. We've just started to put that behind us. But some still keep them as "pets", it's a practice I don't like," She said flatly, her mind immediately going to her own father. But that was their traditions, wining and dining and bedding and don't forget the parties. Or war. She couldn't recall the last time they weren't in a conflict. "So parties, war, and expensive pillows sums it up pretty well."

{Keenan}

A soft laugh escaped his lips, “You look at each other like fledglings who have had an argument and if I left you alone together, you would try and rip out each other’s throats. My money would be on you if you were wondering,” he popped another sweet into his mouth, “I haven’t seen you fight but you have a fire inside you. Montague is loyal and would fight until his last breath if I asked but independently, he is different. I think you would surprise him, and I bet you know how to use that to your advantage.”

He let out a mock gasp, “There was more than one reason you were opposed to marrying me? First you flatter me and then hit m with this,” he laughed, finally having relaxed more, “I guess we can’t let my ego get too big. Disappointing really as I was really enjoying the compliments,” he winked, “the war scared people, hell it scared me. There were many times I didn’t think I would be returning home alive and many more when I was worried, I would be captured. Could you imagine what would have happened if I the halfling prince was captured and given to your older brother? I doubt he would have been very forgiving. I disappeared for long stretches and if I was captured and the fae tried to sway me, who knows, I may have taken the bargain,” he sighed, “At the end of the day, people would be worried that I was a traitor. I mean technically I am, hence the brand. I should have been executed for that. The wrong people may believe that Maksim’s death was an elaborate fae plot… remember we know you as scheming untrustworthy monsters.”

He finished yet another glass of wine, this time he stood and poured himself a glass of water. He grimaced as he sat back down, “This stuff is disgusting, absolutely no taste at all. It’s early yet and I probably shouldn’t end up blackout drunk. I get a bit emotional,” he said going slightly red, “and I don’t think you need to deal with me crying over the smallest things on our wedding night.”

He bit his lip as she formulated a plan, something he hadn’t thought of, “It is better to be genuine than false, I admire you for remaining true. I am only a better actor as I have had more to hide, my father is slightly unhinged, not sure if you had noticed. However, I do like your plan. The people would be swayed, however there are several ladies at court who don’t like me and would gladly see me off the throne and executed. Many of whom have influential husbands that I may or may not have slept with in the past to anger my father and to make my place in court more concrete,” he avoided eye contact, “they will be the biggest problem, the husbands not so much as I am very charming,” he said with a wink, “there are also the older vampires who hate the fae, they will be the ones campaigning for my death the most. Some believe we should not have signed this treaty and we should have just eradicated your- our species.” Hell, he didn’t know what he would have done if it had gotten to that point. Would he have let his father wipe out an entire species? Now he wouldn’t and perhaps he would have defected at the time.

“As for who knows, so far just you, the mages, Claude, Lady Elena and my father. I had considered telling Aleksander and Monty but I just don’t know how you would bring that up in conversation. Monty may not like it but I doubt he would expose me, Aleks may not mean to but I can see him ranting to someone like your brother Faust, meaning no harm but accidentally letting it slip. I also don’t know how well they would take it. Monty’s sister was killed by fae in the war and he has struggled letting go of that guilt,” Keenan sighed, looking down and twisting his wedding band, “There is nothing I want more than to just tell people. I want to experience life as a halfling, not a vampire trying to hide a shameful secret but I just don’t know how well that would go. I wish I could just wander the halls like this, hell I would like to experience the gardens in daylight at some point.”

She touched the bite on her neck, Keenan frowned, “Did I hurt you? Does it bother you? If it does, we can get it looked at,” he said concerned. He had been so careful but that didn’t mean anything, accidents happened all the time and the last thing he wanted was for her to be in pain because of him.

Mates. He had so many questions, “Does everyone have a mate? How do you know if someone has a mate? What changes,” he took a breath pausing his word vomit to look at her, his eyes full of questions. He wanted to know more, after all he had lived his whole life as a vampire and knew their traditions but there was so much more he could experience.

Protection, parties and stories. Was it possible that the fae were not as bad as he was told, he had experienced their kindness in the past but he had assumed it was all a façade. The people seemed genuine enough and he trusted Freyja enough to believe her. “How to fae feel about halflings? Vampires are strongly opposed as you would have seen but I wonder what it is like for your people.”

He sighed when she mentioned pets, “we have something very similar. Remember that feeling you felt when I bit you? And how you actually relaxed into my grip without realising? The feeling is far more intense for humans, especially if the ingest large quantities of vampire blood. Of course it is the vampire blood that stops the bite from being painful but the more you have… It acts like a drug. That’s why blood sharing is so pleasurable o vampires, larger quantities are often exchanged. Humans can be kept drugged by vampire blood and some vampires have been known to keep them as walking blood supplies. Vampire blood does help speed up healing in humans but in exchange they lose free will and their entire lives.”

The bit about narcissism made him laugh, “Ah at least I know where I got it from,” he grinned, forcing himself to finish the glass of water. No way was he going to let himself get dehydrated. “I have never been so tempted to run away. I seriously considered it when our marriage was first announced but I decided against it, unfortunately my position at court has become compromised and the king threatens to bind me in another blood vow if I don’t control this shifting thing. People are always so afraid of what they don’t understand.”

{Freyja}

She laughed at that. "Nice to know you have your bet on me, and I wouldn't cheat either," She said, getting herself a glass of water. "And I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not. Daemon is the one with fire, I kill flowers because someone made me mad." Freyja said, rolling her eyes but there was a broad grin spread across her face. They needed this. Time without the others around them to sway what they said and how they acted. A moment of peace where they could just exist.

.

The female nodded as he continued on and her eyes popped open, "I think you doubt my brothers. Some of the fae are vicious, most are just drunks and partygoers that know how to aim and swordplay." She grinned. "I think they could have swayed you very easily, but I think Daemon's first go at torture would be to pose shirtless and wait for you to start drooling." Freyja rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished she had her brother's confidence. He walked in the room and people knew exactly where to turn and then they couldn't remove eyes from him. She had the same genes as him and yet she couldn't walk the walk. Perhaps that's why she followed him around like a lost puppy for so long.

.

As he moved to her idea she barked out a laugh. "Keenan! You sound like a poor little lady in Waiting! You slept with influential males to secure your place? My goodness, you have the looks, you probably could have snagged the whole court if you tried. Husband and wives, you wouldn't even need to actually sleep with them. Compliments and small gifts go a long way," She said, mind immediately going to the small case in her drawer that held the small sentimentals left from Cassian. But she couldn't stop grinning at this confession. "If it makes you feel any better, I slept with Daemon's wife because she hated him and was going to reveal he'd been sleeping around. She's pregnant now if you were wondering how that's going. He doesn't openly flirt back home anymore because he knows she'll start to sleep around again and then they'd risk illegitimate heirs and Daemon is very by the book in that area." She sighed, rolling her eyes. Her marriage situation may not have been ideal but it was better than whatever that was.

.

She tilted her head ever so slightly. It would be a concern if Keenan couldn't trust Aleks completely about the whole fae thing. She bit her lip and shook her head. That would be a minor detail she'd ignore for now. But trust is the foundation of every relationship and even if it was a little slip. It would be a dangerous one for Keenan and she couldn't have that. She'd grown rather found of blondie locks.

.

Her hand flung back around her knees and shook her head. "No, the bite doesn't hurt. Now right now at least. I just haven't been bitten in awhile. I was thinking about the healing process. Anyways, I think people who do that to humans are disgusting." Freyja wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I could never. I would die from the guilt." She was pleased to hear he'd like to experience life as a halfling. So she grinned, happy to move away from darker topics. Looking down, she notice him fiddling with the band that matched her own. That made her wrinkle her nose.

.

"I would love to take you to my homeland once. I have a countryside home where you'd be able to roam as a fae. We might have to get you a wig or something. But it could be for a little celebratory trip," She said with a shrug. As she reached for a chocolate covered strawberry she grinned. "Perhaps during a festival so you could see that too." It was so easy to rattle off future plans with Keenan because when he wasn't converting to the Darkside, he was amazing. Fun to be around and easy to talk to. A great friend.

.

"As for mates, technically yes as long as one partner is fae. Faustian's mate was human and Ronwyn had one who was a vampire. Halflings have a harder time figuring out if their mate is a mate or not as their instincts are as strong. Some fae are lucky and it's on sight that they know. Normally you know someone has found their mate based off of their body language and scent. Theirs will be intertwined on a deeper level and we get a lot more defensive. From what I've been told, the only changes are you're outlook on the world so basically everything," She shrugged. "I haven't found mine, so I guess I'll let you know when I know more." Thag caught a bark of laughter out of her.

.

Freyja blinked a few times. "You know. I've yet to have a real conversation with the King. I think he finds me not to his liking. But all these blood vows because he decided to procreate with someone who's biology he didn't understand? Sounds like he's just wonderful at admitting his faults and when he's wrong" She sighed, knocking back the rest of her water. When she sat down the glass she bit her lip, giving a snort of laughter. "I don't think I like this fellow. But we've mostly been talking about things we don't like, hmm? But I really do want to take you to Sylvia. I think you'd love the fae there," She said with a sigh, tilting her head as she closed her eyes in remembrance. Sunshine. He would love sunshine.

{Keenan}

“You wouldn’t need to cheat anyway,” he said with a grin, “also what kind of magic you have means absolutely nothing in a fight. The ability to wield it well is what matters. Daemon may have flames, but you literally killed a person just by touching them, I promise that there is more you could do than him in a fight,” he grinned at Freyja. This he liked, the easy conversation and banter. There would never be any romance between them but neither of them desired that, he wanted the friendship, a true ally and someone he could trust.

Drunks and partygoers? He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that not everyone was as brutal as the vampires. He blushed when she mentioned Daemon shirtless, now that was something he would have liked to see, he let out a helpless whimper, “Nooo, stop it,” he protested, “now I am picturing Daemon shirtless,” he laughed, “I think it would have worked in all honesty, I was practically drooling over him at dinner,” he buried his face, “it is so embarrassing. It probably would still work now. Ugh I don’t know what he does to me but I can’t think and just ugh,” he said feeling helpless, “If you catch me staring too much again, throw a glass of water on me or something to bring me back to reality.”

She thought he could have been swayed easily, perhaps she was right. He had a loyalty to his people but it wasn’t like how Maksim felt or his father, he would not have killed Maksim in the name of his people. He regretted killing Maksim at all but it was a kill or be killed situation, still, it didn’t make him feel any better about what he did. “I am struggling with the idea that the fae wouldn’t have had me tortured mercilessly until I broke,” he admitted lifting his head, “especially considering what the vampires are like. I’m just having a hard time understanding how you can be so different, not that it's a bad thing,” he added quickly, “just foreign. Vampires see kindness as a weakness but perhaps that is our weakness, we do not know how to be kind nor accept it when it is offered.”

He hid his face again, “I did try to get with majority of the court, especially with my father’s inner circle, one he doesn’t keep anymore thanks to me. Gifts and flirting may have won them over but this made my father far angrier and so was most certainly worth it. It did give me a bit of a reputation at court but that was better than being known as a blood traitor in all honesty.”

He raised an eyebrow when she mention sleeping with her brothers wife, well it seemed all immortals were the same. Now the female fae was pregnant, he was surprised Daemon was so willing to leave her behind as Freyja had said that the fae were territorial, “If they truly dislike each other so much, what made them get married? Surely someone like Daemon had many suitors, even I suggested putting my name forward. The king didn’t approve of course but then again, he is no fun,” he said dramatically rolling his eyes.

Their marriage may not have been ideal but at least it was not like Daemon and his wife. They at least like each other’s company and he really did like spending time with Freyja. Who she took to her bed was none of his business. He just like the companionship, she truly cared and understood. She knew what it was like to be royalty with all that pressure and she was easy to talk to. She made him feel safe, hell, she even knew he was a halfling, there wasn’t a more important secret she could know.

His eyes lit up when she suggested a trip to Sylvia, “I would like that very much,” he said grinning. He had never crossed the border for anything more than bloodshed. He would love to experience the good things and learn what life as a fae had to offer. The thought excited him, it would be a freedom he wasn’t afforded here. “A wig?” he snorted, “you would be surprised what a change of clothes and shifting into a different species does. Hell if I dressed like the fae and covered the scar at my throat, I doubt many, if anyone would recognise me, other than those who have seen me shift in the past. Even Maksim had seem me in my fae form before and not clicked, I was only when he saw me shift that he realised. The effects of an outfit do wonders. Did you see Daemon and Faustin wearing suits that were made here? If it wasn’t for the pointed ears, scents and the fact that fae are significantly more alive than vampires, you wouldn’t know.”

The whole mates thing intrigued him, but poor Faustin, having a human mate would be hell. Doomed to outlive them by many many centuries, hell fae didn’t even have the option of offering them immortality like a vampire could. Ronwyn would not have taken having a vampire mate well either. He grinned at Freyja, “Well do keep me updated on that front. I would love to meet whoever the lucky person is,” and he meant it. Freyja deserved a mate that would look after her.

Keenan snorted, “Trust me, the fact that you haven’t talked to him, means that he likes you. He picked you as a partner for me, he already likes you more than Aleks, you have the added bonus of being female and us possibly having children. But I meant what I said earlier, I would love to go to Sylvia. I genuinely think we should plan a trip, the king would allow it, he would have to. He couldn’t say that I could not cross the border after having so many fae in our walls recently and as we have no major conflicts at the moment, I haven’t sworn any vows of military service so I am freer than usual,” his father had added extra years every time he asked for a favour, the garden added an extra 50. “But I do think we should talk about things we like. Hmm, favourite colour? I like purple as it compliments my complexion,” he said with a laugh, “ I am only slightly vain.”

{Freyja}

Freyja giggled, waving him off, "You speak so highly of me, highness! Stop, you make me blush!" She grinned but the grinning soon turned to mock gagging noises as he moved onto the topic of her brother. Specifically Daemon. "Keenan, that's my brother. That's gross. Stop or I seriously will start spraying you everytime you so much as think of him," She said, giving a disgusted shiver. "I get that we're a stunning family and he's gorgeous, but I mean. Look at me, I'm beautiful so of course he is. But that is not something I want to think about in your point of view. Yuck!" The princess shuddered once more, refilling her wineglass.

.

She shrugged, "I mean, I've seen a few be tortured but magic runs deep and has a very wide variety. Why torture and get a half truth when you can dive into their minds and get the whole truth? That is why all fae are taught to guard their minds even better than their bodies," the princess stated as she took a sip. There were always a exception when it came to "perfect" societies. If you didn't fit the social norm, chances were you really were crazy or something. They'd been worried about Daemon and Rion for awhile there. When Rion converted and Daemon married it was like the whole kingdom finally breathed.

.

"And they got married because they were betrothed for almost seventy-five years. She's from a very powerful family in the kingdom. She's really sweet too. Total cinnamon roll, Daemon is just toxic. I suppose that's your type though," She grinned, shooting him a wink. "They've been married for almost.... fifteen years now? She's very quiet."

.

"Fae function differently in different areas. The fae up North are much more military based. I do believe he was suitor number three right after the orcs who are north west. I would have shriveled up there. No sunshine, cold, and only three celebrations in a year? And they are much more male oriented. Ugh," She sighed. "But yes, a trip through Sylvia. During the winter so you can spend Yule with my family in the palace and we can hit my favorite spots on the way up. It's far away enough that if your father has an issue with it, I might have a slip up and make a whole poster board of why that's a ridiculous decision, " Freyja scoffed.

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She took a few more pieces of chocolate and placed them on her knees for easier access. "I think he only approved of me due to my being a female." She rolled her eyes, popping a chocolate in her mouth. What would she do if she ended up with a narcissistic mate who dispised her? What would she do then? She pushed that thought aside. The chances of her finding them here were slim to none. Even then, she was married and the kingdom would expect her to keep herself for Keenan. Thank goodness he didn't think that way. Perhaps she was the luckiest female out there.

.

She grinned as the subject changed again. A much lighter topic than those that were as heavy as mates and war. "I like Teal. Or a seafoam green. It makes my skin look more golden and my hair really pop. I suppose we are both quite vain. Very vain. At least we know we're worth it. Rather think I was all that than a pile of rubish." She scoffed, popping another piece in her mouth before washing it down with water. Not wine this time. "Hmm, favorite.... animal? I'm fond of horses so don't be shocked when you finally see me in trousers and riding astride for our tour of a honeymoon." She said with a grin. She could already feel the wind in her hair. Oh, goodness. And the sun. She missed the sunshine. "My Gods, I can't wait to take you to Sylvia where you can just feel the sun on your face. It's by far my favorite feeling in the whole world."