{Aleks}

A servant knocked the door and carried a tray that held a letter and blood he had not ordered. He knew the blood would be from Keenan, the prince would not let anyone travel with humans without feeding first. As annoying as it was, he appreciated not being pressured to try and stretch himself, sometimes it could be very tempting and he tried his best to remain civil and in control.

He thanked the servant and sipped at the blood as he examined the letter. Aleks didn't recognise the handwriting so it wasn't from the inner circle or the king. Faust, of course. The male had said he would leave him with an address. He carefully broke the seal and read the letter as he fed. Something in him warmed at the thought that Faust would be waiting to hear from him. There was someone out there beyond the few in this castle who wanted to listen to what he had to say. He copied down the address and tucked it in his trunk, just in time as servants arrived to take his trunk out to the carriages. He slipped the original in his desk draw and locked it.

{Keenan}

The vampire rubbed the back of his neck, "I am slightly less dead. I did not realise how out of practise I had become," he said with a laugh, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ears. His muscles were still sore from all the shifting, at lest he wouldn't have to shift while they were on tour. If he did, that meant something had gone very wrong.

"Only one between us and Montague's Estate. It's the longest leg of the journey and I don't wish to be caught in the sun. I would be fine as I could just shift but it's the other vampires I worry about." He sighed, "I know it's about explaining that not all fae are bad fae but also not every village is fond of us vampires. Some of the human villages are both completely terrified of vampires and wish to see us burned at the stake. In all honesty, it was easier revealing that I the only heir to the throne am very gay than it will be to have the people accept me as a halfling."

He offered her a smile when she expressed her concern about him feeding, "Yes. I have made sure that I and every vampire accompanying us has fed today. The humans of course have their normal first meal but vampires are guilty of skipping it. I am not taking any chances nor risking any accidents."

He nodded as she said they should be leaving. He was concerned when she said Taeya had already left to return to Sylvia and that Ronwyn was leaving too, did they not care about their princess? Didn't they grow up with Freyja? It seemed stranged that they would abandon her now and it did not sit well with him but Kee knew better than to push the issue, Freyja would deal with it.

Once in the hallway, he looked at Freyja, "I just have to grab a few things from my room." He was already wearing his signet ring and wedding band on his left hand so he didn't need any additional jewellery for this journey other than a black circlet he placed atop his brow. He still had an image to maintain. He also picked up the heavy black hooded cloak and leather gloves. He fastened the cloak around his shoulders and tucked the gloves in his pocket. He offered Freyja his arm and led her back outside where the succession of carriages and guards were waiting. Aleks, Monty and Claude were dressed in a similar manner to him, Claude having opted for trousers for travelling. They all wore the same cloak and carried the gloves just incase they got caught out at dawn, then they would have some limited protection. Monty and Aleks were already mounted and Claude walked over to collect Freyja. Keenan headed to his own carriage. The king had not even come to see them off.

Keenan knew it was not because the king trusted him, his father had made it very clear that he didn't. The king simply did not care what happened to him. He was only worth keeping as the king was unable to produce another heir and even then, there was no guarantee he would survive until he was crowned. The king not showing up was his way of telling Keenan that he did not care what happened to him and without their fae guests there was no reason to pretend they liked or even cared about eachother. Keenan couldn't help but wonder if the King's absense also had something to do with his weakened state as he got older, not that it would ever be mentioned aloud.

{Claude}

The prince and his wife were late. Of course they were. Keenan always arrived fashionably late. Something would have really been wrong if he had arrived on time or gods forbid, early for once in his life.

Claude had woven her black hair into a french braid that she secured with a red ribbon, opting for that instead of her signature lipstick. She offered Freyja an easy smile as she led her to their carriage. She didn't waste any time on small talk as there would be plenty of time for that once they were moving.

Once they were seated and all doors were sealed, the carriages, pulled by teams of black horses were off. Once they were away from the castle, her posture changed into something more relaxed. "How are things with the prince? I know you won't get anything romantic out of the relationship but how are you coping?" she asked.

{Claude}

Claude offered Freyja a gentle smile. She was glad that she was more comfortable here, even if she still seemed nervous when vampires were around. "I know we are night creatures but you should still make sure you go out in the sun sometimes. Even if you nag Keenan to shift and go with you. You still need the vitamin D it provides."

She let out a tense breath, "I have been... busy," she pursed her lips, trying to decide how much she could and should tell Freyja. She was Keenan's wife and he already knew this so there wouldn't be any problems with her finding out. "Okay," she said finally, "This can't go further than us or Keenan. Otherwise it will cause a panic," she said waiting for her to respond before continuing, "the King is bored and wants to try and deploy soldiers to try and take some of the werewolf territory to the west. I have been busy collecting information and squashing rumours where I can. It's my job as Keenan's spy Master. Some nobles are accusing him of being a fae sympathiser in war. Some saying his murdering of Maksim was because of that," Claude sighed rubbing the back of her neck, "now would not be an ideal time for him to reveal he is a halfling... but then there isn't an ideal time and people will know when he is sworn in as king. The ritual will show them what is in his blood and-" she stopped herself, "I shouldn't be bothering you with this."

Claude looked at Freyja and felt bad as she described how she felt to be the only one in colour. "The humans wear the dark red jackets. We are dressed like this as its a long journey, it's safer if we can cover as much skin as possible just in case we don't make it to Monty's estate before sunrise. Keenan can just shift but the rest of us are stuck with this, gloves and heavy cloaks and just praying that we don't get too badly burned." She explained.

She folded her hands in her lap, "now, I feel like there is something you aren't telling me. I saw the way you and Montague were staring at each other last night and then that dance...what is going on there?"

She smiled, adding something to help lighten the mood, "You should have seen Keenan and Daemon. It was beautiful at first until he almost fainted. Look yes he was ill and I dealt with that but it was still funny," she said with a laugh.

Claude's eyes lit up, "One more thing, I forgot to ask before we left, do you want a sword for our travels? We brought spares and sometimes it is comforting just in case you are seperated from the group."

{Monty}

He could not believe that Keenan made him ride with Aleks. Not only was he stuck babysitting but it was awkward as hell. They rode in silence for what felt like forever before he turned to Aleks, "So how are you feeling after breaking up with the prince?" He asked. They had never really been friends but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Honestly? Kinda free. People always saw me as his pet and now I get to be my own person. It's also terrifying and there's the whole our crown prince is technically more Fae than vampire," Aleks said.

Monty nodded. He too still didn't know how to feel about that. It was a danger to them all but he couldn't exactly fix the problem nor was it fair to expect Keenan to pretend he was solely fae. "That is dangerous but also explains a lot. I'm just worried how the people will react to finding out. Will many still be loyal or will we have a civil war?"

At that Aleks sighed, "I don't know. I do feel like it will be worse if it is hidden for too long. It will make people more suspicious."

"But the king," Monty said.

Aleks nodded, "I don't like him."

"None of us do."

{Keenan}

The vampire thought the journey would be peaceful. Supervising sleeping human guards wasn't exactly difficult. What Keenan wasn't prepared for was how bored he would be. Maybe he should have made Monty supervise and he could have ridden. But Aleks, that would have been awkward. They still hadn't spoken. Sure some things were better left unsaid but Aleks literally broke up with him because he was a halfling. If his ex lover couldn't handle it then why would his people?

Then there were the rumours. Claude had been busy crushing as many as she could but she was one person and there was only so much she could do. They believed him to be a fae sympathiser in the war, he wasn't sure if he could even deny it. Even Freyja said she believed he would have switched sides if he was captured. He couldn't deny that either. He killed too many fae in that war. Fed off as many, if not more, a wonder he didn't get addicted but then perhaps it was because he was both and neither at the same time. It was easier when he could pretend none of it was happening.

Resting his head on the window of the carriage, he let out a quiet sigh. What could he do? What would the nobles want him to do?

{Claude}

The vampire laughed when Freyja said Faust was being a typical protective fae male. "Could imagine the spats he would have had with Keenan if he actually expected you to be the timid queen consort," She paused, "But also I can believe it, even just observing him with you and young Aleksander, it's the strangest friendship, don't you think? But perhaps the youngest of us do not carry the same bias'."

Listening to Freyja talk about Keenan draining fae on the feild made her uncomfortable, she shifted in her seat, pulling one knee to her chest and resting her chin on it. They had all drained fae on the field, it was kill or be killed and they needed blood to surive. It wasn't exactly something that could be transported and bring humans along would be a liability. She let out a soft sigh, "he may have drained many, more than most because of his increased tolerance but he also spent large chunks of time missing on assignment from his father. The nobles did not know where he was as often he was posing as fae. We just fabricated a story each time he returned. That was until Maksim found out... then things changed but it all looks rather suspicious doesn't it? Keenan disappears for long periods of times, then one day he returns and murders his older brother and gets to take over as crown prince. He then flirted shameless with fae at the ball and broke up with his vampire boyfriend after marrying you." Claude pinched the bridge of her nose, this was a mess, a larger mess than the usual one she had to clean up.

Claude brushed Freyja off, "you cannot miss what you have never had. I was born not made so my only experiences with the sun have been very careful. I know fledglings miss it initially but after a hundred years they forget about it," she shrugged, "Actually, can you do me a favour? If you are sunbathing on the tour, make Keenan shift and drag him along with you, most of the places we will be staying are secluded so it should be safe enough. If he is going to reveal himself to the people then he needs to be more than comfortable in his own skin first... also he is far more likely to listen to you than me," she said with a laugh.

She watched Freyja blush when Monty was mentioned and she smirked. She was right, there was something there. Montague did have his charms so she wasn't exactly surprised. Then the fae dropped the bomb. Lord Montague was her mate. She hadn't expected that one. Claude's face fell when she mentioned her worries about the bond being rejected. "I don't think he would reject it. I've seen the way he looks at you. Montague tends to be a very private person so it may take you some time to get him to fully understnd and accept it but you should give him a chance. Or Keenan could just tell him not to be such an idiot. I heard their last argument from across the hall, outside of the trainining rooms which are usually pretty sound proof," she shrugged, "But seriously. Talk to him. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he is a good guy. He has of course done bad things, but haven't we all? He wouldn't deliberately hurt you even without Keenan's warnings. He has warmed up to you now... and well if he causes you any problems then I will just deal with him," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Claude was concerned about Keenan though. How would he handle his best friend being mated to his wife? Although they weren't involved, what would it mean for their marriage? How would Monty feel about being a side piece? And all the rumours that would follow. Especially if there were any children. Although no one truly expected Keenan to ever sire his own children, some still hoped that it was all a phase and now that he was married,he would settle down.

{Claude}

Claude laughed, "Freyja dearest, that is exactly how the vampire court works. We are allies, at least on paper. There will be no more war, provided that long term, Daemon and Keenan agree to continue the peace set in place by your parents," she shrugged. Claude could see that the nobles giving Freyja the cold shoulder was making the fae girl uncomfortable, "The noble thing isn't entirely because you are fae. It's just... no one expected Keenan to agree to this wedding so they are waiting and watching from a distance. I would try talking to some of the wives. They will be more friendly, especially as some of them know what it's like to be a side piece to Keenan," she said rubbing the back of her neck. Sometimes Keenan's behaviour caused more problems than it solved. However his fling with the nobles did help keep him alive as some were willing to support him. "Just be careful as some are in his father's inner circle."

Claude snorted when Freyja askedd how they would explain a sun kissed prince. It was hard to imagine Keenan tan, he was just so pale. "It shouldn't carry over between forms. As a vampire he is undead so it causes the colour to drain from his skin. It's also why he struggles with the shift so much, dead to living and then living to dead," she couldn't imagine the pain it caused him. Hell Keenan used to stay in each form longer as a child, it was all behind closed doors but it still counted. "I have a feeling that nothing we do will protect Keenan. As much as I wish I could fix everything, and believe me, I have tried, it is impossible. Besides we always run the risk of someone accessing the royal records and realising before he gets a chance to say himself, especially as he more closely resembles his mother than his father. I mean without that as proof, I would not be surprised if the king tried to claim that Keenan was adopted or something. My point is, Keenan will eventually just have to face it. As for your safety, being mated to Monty may work in your favour. If it goes pearshaped, you can both flee the castle and stay at his manor until it blows over. Relations with lord Montague would more than protect you. Other than being in Keenan's inner circle, he does hold a significant amount of sway as he controls the border territories." Claude shrugged, "At the end of the day, think of your self first the rest we will figure out."

Claude laughed, "Personally I would curse the males and leave them all to it, however you both seem to be attracted to each other," Freyja seemed nervous but also blushed as soon as the male vampire was mentioned. "I still think you should talk to him. Explain it to him and let him understand." If that didn't work, Claude would take a leaf out of Keenan's book and just rip him a new one.

How would Keenan handle it? The king would be a problem but Keenan and Monty would deal with it eventually. "I don't know how it works in your culture, how will your parents and family react? Would they let you and Monty be together? If so we can figure out the rest," she squeezed Freyja's hand. "As for Keenan's reputation, he's doing a good enough job of ruining that himself. Revealing himself as halfling will be enough and it could be your chance. Besides we all know Keenan is never siring any children of his own. That's why he doesn't have the full support of the nobles. The line ends with him."

{Claude}

The vampire let out a bitter laugh, "Welcome to the court of monsters," she paused, tucking a strad of hair that had come loose behind her ear, "We earned that name for a reason and not just because we bite people. Would it not be easier to be less afraid of vampires if we had transparency around our culture? Sure but vampires love breeding fear. This is no different." She snorted when Freyja asked if the common folk just saw the royals as tax collecting tyrants, "I mean the vampire royal family rules over both vampires and humans so our laws are incredibly strict. Unfortunately that doesn't stop some vampires slipping through the cracks like Aleks' sire so it breeds a lot of fear and hatred towards us. Those who donate blood enjoy the salary of course but not everyone agrees with that, both human and vampire. We cannot change what we are, however, I believe we can choose to be moral creatures."

Claude grinned when Freyja agreed to take Keenan outside. It would be nice for the prince to have a fae ally in all of this. She sighed, "I agree. He needs to reveal it before he accidentally does so or someone else discovers. We do not need anyone using it as blackmail." This whole thing was a mess. All of it the king's fault. "As for lineage, I can take you to the royal records room if you are interested? It's restricted to the royal family and select members of the staff. At the moment it is just me and Francesco the king's spy master who are allowed to view it other because of the Keenan situation. I have looked in the past, I do not recognise any faerie lineage so perhaps you may know more than I." She nodded when Freyja said his mother may not want to meet the prince, "I am not sure he would want to meet her either. It's a rather unfortunate situation."

Claude laughed when Freyja suggested that she become a recluse queen, "You never know, they may be begging you to let Keenan flirt his way around the castle rather than produce children that are 75% fae." Keenan never wanted children and Claude doubted that he could ever be convinced otherwise. She was much the same, she had absolutely no interest in being with child or raising one. Also the thought of giving birth disgusted her. She was more than content with her life as future spy master. She pursed her lips, "You wanted children though, didn't you? Keenan may still list them as his heirs, provided they are at least half vampire."

"As for who to tell first, that one is up to you. Although if the fae can smell it, Keenan may suspect something if you aren't careful." If it was up to her, she would just lock them in a room together and tell them at the same time.

Claude nodded as Freyja mentioned her family, it was a shame but the unfortunate reality of being a royal. She had been at Keenan's side long enough to watch him struggle with it. "I do think this arranged marriage worked out reasonably well. Unfortunate as you both have your hearts elsewhere, however neither of you have pressured the other into anything they don't want. Could you imagine Keenan if he married someone who wanted children straight away?" she snorted, "He barely copes with having a wife and being a crown prince."

"If Faust causes any trouble I'll just set Aleks on him. We can set Keenan on Daemon if he manages to recover from the embarassment of the dance. We can make them go talk princey things and then I can deal with your mother," Claude said with a wink, "She can't be worse than mine."

Claude pursed her lips when Freyja asked about their nobles, "It's complicated here. Aleks and myself are not nobles by birth. We do not have family riches nor lands, however have been given titles that allow us a very comfortable lifestyle for as long as we choose to reside at the castle and in the employment of the crown. I am of course Keenan's spy master and Alek's role has changed over the years, Keenan mostly assigns him things to stop him being pressured into the kings army. Montague has lands and a title that he inherited from his family as well as being a general, a title he earned himself. Other than that, the other nobles are a combination of extended family and a few others who have earnt their titles."

The carriage slowly came to a halt, Claude offered Freyja a smile, "We have reached our first destination. We have to stop to make sure the humans eat. It is also a good opportunity for you to visit one of the villages further from the castle."