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Healer Rhea's POV

It had been a rather hectic morning, and Rhea was starting to realize just how astronomically important this marriage was set to be in History. Upon the arrival of the other Kingdom's Monarchs, she had finally come to the realization that Tirean and Vrovaria never had a mixed relationship in such a high title.

Their union was thought to strip the balance between the lands, and Rhea couldn't have smiled any brighter when Wilhelm had told her the news.

While the other Kingdom's remained silent during the war, she could handle anything they said—Given they don't have any choice in the manor, so says the silence of their previous actions.

It was nearly evening, and Rhea was fussing alongside Irene to get her hair under control. Goddess, she never thought that things would turn into this, but part of her was still underwhelmed by the fact that everyone from the guest list had come.

Regardless of the journey, they had arrived without fail and promptly at that.

Though, Rhea was suspicious of their curiosity about herself, Romulus, and the state of the Kingdom.

Was it wrong that the Kingdom had been rather isolated among the rest?
It already acted as two separate entities thus far. From the Kingdom itself to the outside territories.

Some might even suggest that a war was on the horizon, given how the treatment and discrimination were starting to grow widely recognized. Leaving Rhea reckless to get this damned ceremony over with, as she knew that the Kingdom didn't care about love.

They didn't care for the relationship or if Rhea or Romulus liked one another. What they would be looking for was change, and the days were coming when the guards wouldn't be the only ones looking for orders.

But there was another lurking thought that still didn't sit well with Rhea—She had met some of the Monarchs in her earlier youth. All in passing, as her father didn't want his only child to be at the forefront of that sort of introduction.

It left Rhea remaining hopeful that these immortal beings were simply ignorant of it all. Though, hope could only do so much.

With Irene's hands still in her hair, a knock at the door caused them both to groan. "We need five more minutes!" She yelled, but the door cracked open to allow Clive to sneak a peek inside.

"You said that ages ago. Come on, what's the hold-up?"
"The hold up is that my hair isn't cooperating." Rhea sighed, trying to get a piercing in her ear and frowning at the fact that the boy was just standing there.

"Well, you have two hands. Help me." It had caused Clive to jump into gear and try to mimic Irene's movements, and for the most part, he had done alright. Given a few alterations from her side, things had sorted themselves out.

"Gods, Rhea! We're cutting it close to greet the—"
"I'm ready!" She hurried, though it did take a moment to get to her feet and aid from Clive to get used to the weight of the dress. It was specifically designed to keep her centered correctly, given that a cane in the presence of others would seem like a wrong sort of introduction.

Romulus had remained strictly at the doorway, not wanting to stall any longer. And by the Goddess herself, he was at the mercy of Queen Amory at her finest.

It wasn't that he didn't see her look presentable before, Rhea had always seemed to have a constant light and aura when she strolled the halls of the castle. But in terms of now, she was adoring a beautiful gold sequence that matched his own uniform.

He was, after all, the King going to present his Queen to the better half of the masses.

"You look breathtaking, love." He said, finally deviating from his position to meet her much closer. His smile continued to grow brighter by the second that he nearly forgot they were on a time crunch had Rhea not hooked her arm between his.

"I'm without my cane, please don't go too far."
"I wouldn't dream of it." He whispered, starting their journey down to the grand hall. Course, given that they are the main couple of this evening, it would be unwise to allow themselves to emerge from the open.

Thus, Romulus escorted Rhea in a different direction and found themselves just where they were meant to greet and thank everyone. Which was well supported by Enforcers, and regular guards lingering about every so often.

Hell, with how things have gone in the last few months, Rhea wouldn't be surprised if some partygoers were well disguised for other means.

"I regret waiting to claim you on our Honeymoons. Goddess, have mercy on me this night."
"Hm, it's been a while since Vympires have set foot as diplomats. Curious to see how they fair." She grinned, and it wasn't a moment before the couples had started the preceding onward to greet the King and soon-to-be Queen consort.

It felt rather odd, as a momentary loss of concentration had transcended over Rhea. The feeling was hard to describe, but with how tightly she held onto Romulus, he assumed that her nerves were getting the better of her—Especially considering the beast of a male was slowly making his way forward.

If one could even call him a male.

Rhea craned her head to meet the blood-red eyes of a guest she had not considered taking the opportunity to travel.

Even while he has the means.

"Sir Maldri Ryzor of House Oalri, it's an honor to meet you in person." A snarl erupted from his throat. One that rivaled even Romulus', but it soon formed a smile that strained with the movement of his fangs. One's that paired well with their leather wings and sharpened claws.

"Lady Rhea, future Queen Consort of Tirean, I was surprised by the invitation—given the recent state of things." Rhea tilted her head and still expressed her gratitude, one that any beast in the room could sense.

"Forgive me, what are you referring to?"
"It was clear that your Alpha King did not invite me, and it has me curious as to why you would."
"Your curiosity brought you here, and I am glad. I plan on restoring what was lost through the decades. We share the same land on this plane, I believe there should be some connection between Kingdoms." Another rumble emerged, but a chuckle followed—From a lofty voice that drew the attention of Rhea without issue.

She had tried to offer a sanctioned smile, but this was truly where her fears had lied.

Would the Vampyre decide to snitch?

"Perhaps we might share a drink later on, Lady Rhea. I see you have much more pressing matters on your hands." Once more, Sir Maldri had tilted his head and pressed forward through the crowd, flanked between what Rhea supposed was his date, in addition to a few of his armed guards.

All of which had their wings tightly resting at their backs. And in the midst of Rhea's curiosity of their anatomy, she had almost missed Romulus' question."Remind me again as to why we invited outsiders?"

"Because we have a strong forefront and we aren't afraid of the whims of others. Besides, my mate can handle himself, can't he?" The words had almost electrified Romulus if it weren't for the fact that his species' nemesis was now approaching.

Even worse, they had their sights on Rhea.

"Oh, you are a marvelous creature indeed." King Thaddeus had proclaimed, bending down to reach for her hand to kiss it—Gently.

"Father, please, humans think our customs are strange enough as is." The comment had come from just a step behind him, and Rhea still managed to smile to the both of them, hoping that her welcoming greetings hadn't sounded too worn out.

"There are plenty of customs and cultures for the festivities, it is no trouble. The honor is mine, King Thaddeus." Rhea grinned, dropping into a polite curtsy before eyeing the Prince. "The same for you, Prince Darius...I was hoping that I could extend the invitation to your brother, but it seems he's soon due for his Blood Tasting." Rhea proclaimed and the spark had come alive in the King's eyes that she couldn't believe that her intel was correct.

"Ah, he had his tasting just a while ago...I would apologize for the lack of invitation, Lady Rhea, but it does not seem like the best place to invite a human." In truth, Rhea hadn't been remotely near the castle or Romulus during that time, so it truly didn't cause much of a difference for her.

"I notified the staff about your diet, they will serve you shortly." The father and son duo had eyed one another, but it was enough for Romulus to wedge his way in and place another firm hand on Rhea's shoulder.

"With ease, Pup. It isn't every day a newly appointed female makes guests of all kinds feel welcome. Even Ryzor is intrigued. Careful, perhaps I shall snatch her for my sons." Thaddeus chuckled, and Darius followed suit by eyeing Rhea in what appeared to be nothing more than a glance.

But to Romulus, it was nearly an act of war.

A disappointed sigh escaped Rhea as she took the necessary step in front of the King to stop his lunge. To put it plainly, Rhea wasn't too sure that her male would stop or even hesitate, given the look he was signaling off to the high members of the Vampyre court.

"With ease, Rom."
"Ease? Ease? He looked at you as if you were something on a menu."
"His father made an ill-mannered joke. Besides, they are weary to be here regardless of the invitation. As is Ryzor, we just need to prove with them we are a united Kingdom." It would be difficult to play any part until Rhea revealed herself as Amory—But the time was surely set to arrive afterward.

Wilhelm, bless the man that he is, had settled all the affairs for the inner workings. This allowed Rhea and Romulus to settle the greetings and such, to pose as the unity they sought out to be.

"Besides...They aren't who I fear." She whispered, and it was then that Romulus could feel the cooling evil settle into place. Though he shouldn't be all that surprised, given that the two prior guests were well on his list to ignore.

"Rhea, what in goddess name are you plotting to invite—" Romulus growled, but Rhea had stepped out from her soon-to-be husband. "I gave you the list, it isn't my fault you were out doing gods knows what and didn't take the moment to look at it." She eyed, curiously giving away that she did indeed have a plan.

"I took a glance, and I never thought you'd invite the Prince of Darkness to—"
"King of Darkness. That is a title I will hold dear, until I have an heir, of course." The voice had been a lure of danger and deceit, and Rhea nearly felt her breath hitch.

And she hadn't been the only female to take a second glance at the Darkling.

"It is an honor to meet you in person, King Soras Volron." Rhea bowed, going down into a proper curtsy, given that she had not been crowned as Queen just yet. These were all males of a much higher rank.

"An honor indeed, young Lady Rhea. The pleasure is mine. It isn't every day that a creature of the night takes a feeble human at their side." The growl had earned a growing smirk from Soras, though with the number of rude introductions, Rhea couldn't be all that surprised.

There was only so much her Alpha husband could take before he felt inferior. But there was no reason to fear amongst the last few Kingdom's leaders.

King Thaddeus was years away from passing from a broken heart—As his mate was well dead. Leaving Prince Darius to succeed him, if there wasn't any issue in their own court to deal with.

And even now, as the guests continue to greet and rally compliments between the two of them. Rhea couldn't help but watch as King Soras shifted into the corner to take the edge seating amongst the crowd.

Nearly in the same manner as Sir Maldri, tucking his wings and keeping those he brought close. Which was the difference between them all.

King Soras hadn't brought any sort of extra guests, as the invitation clearly stated. No, there were plenty of rumors surrounding the Demon King, yet it only confirmed one that always tugged on Rhea's mind.

"I spoke of this before, love. Keep me involved with your plans."
"Oh, well, I suppose it's just answering a few questions I've had throughout my life. Haven't you noticed...None of those males are married or brought a candidate to become a significant other." This had caused the King beside her to do another take, trying to make sense of just what Rhea wished for him to see.

Though it was fairly difficult, given how quickly she was moving about.

"I am not seeing the importance, but it's good to know now."
"Yes, that's the point. King Soras is still holding out hope for his lost mate. Darius is in his Prince era and Sir Maldri hasn't thought of the future since he's dealing with his own Kingdom's struggles." Romulus frowned as he turned back down to gaze at his female.

"You gathered all that in mere minutes of speaking with the three of them?"

"...Yes?" She replied, perking her lips and sighing, males—When would they learn?

"We are at an advantage, Rom. We placed a friendly carpet down and invited them to walk across. We're looking for alliances, aren't we?"
"Shouldn't we be focusing on strengthening our Kingdom first?" Rhea's head teetered for a moment and then nodded.
"Yes, but if we act upon what the Rogue King was up to—We need to find out who he was dealing with in the Creasan Kingdom. It's best that we don't go after the King immediately, as not to oppose a pointed finger." It was clever, but Romulus had nearly missed the part where humans had been trafficked outside his jurisdiction.

As the guests continued to flood the entryway, Rhea smirked as she recalled her first introduction to Mariah—Who was still enjoying her cold cell room in the dungeons below.

And would be, for the unforeseeable future.

The she-wolf claimed an entryway was no place to loiter, but seeing it so full of life for such an event was a wonderful reminder of the parties Rhea's mother would throw.

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King Romulus' POV

The given handful of the traditions of their wedding was slipping through the cracks as Rhea was seemingly pried away from her husband to get ready—Given that the males had their own celebration to get through across the females.

It was new for the Tirean Kingdom to take into consideration the structure of a royal wedding. Since this would be the first generation, given that Romulus was born before his father's victory.

With Rhea away, safe behind the walls guarded by her Enforcer team and human males. Romulus had sought to entertain those around him. Even if he wasn't at all too excited.

Not when the Alpha energy was steadily rising. Though there were two beasts he wanted to keep in view at all times.

The Vampyres primarily, but there was still a glance every so often to the Demon King, who seemed well occupied with sitting alone and nursing his glass of wine.

Neither species was as social as a wolf, but Romulus was unsure if he truly wanted to converse with them at this time. So, he decided that the in-between had been his own people. While the faces weren't too familiar, the names were.
Some were pompous, and others were simply glad to have been invited.

Yet, if Romulus noticed well enough, he could smell that there were a fair bit of humans throughout the vicinity. And for every group of humans, there were a few Enforcers eyeing the Vampyres. As it has been quite a while since their presence has been so public.

Otherwise, Rhea had been correct, there was no telling what Romulus didn't know what was happening throughout his Kingdom. Even well before, when his father was seated on the thrown.

"Scowling, are we?" The voice had been much too velvety that when Romulus turned his eyes to the side, he wasn't all too shocked to see Prince Darius having approached him. Yet Romulus couldn't help but notice the glass that was meant to satisfy him and his kind.

"It's loud, and your presence hurts."

"Does it now?... I'm sure you'll survive it. Usually, in this sense, I would have made a tease that I knew your grandfather—And his before then, but you beasts took claim over the humans. I wouldn't call that an impressive feat, either."

"No, then perhaps it's time we discuss how the humans in my Kingdom have been trafficked through to yours." With the twist of his hand, his wine glass sloshed a bit. "We have different bylaws, different rights for those that are human and those that sell to blood banks. We're modernizing, you should try it."

That had caused Romulus to huff in damnation. "I will not be opening blood banks in my Kingdom."
"Then do not be surprised when others find out just how valuable blood can be. How it can turn into a brand, a delicacy. Myself, I enjoy a good dose of Vial 214. Personally, I think it comes from your Kingdom, as I haven't tasted something so sweet and forbidden." It was a taunt, but not a confirmation.

"Your barbaric trade isn't what the Rogues were after, you bastard. You hold your humans as citizens. That is what I wish to claim with my choice of mate."
"Mate? Interesting, is it a true pairing? Or are you lying to your courts?" Romulus smirked, keeping his lips sealed as he wasn't about to out himself to an unannounced enemy.
"Hmm, your future Queen is a snarky one. The rumors surrounding her are getting juicer with each passing minute."
"Indulge me, Prince Darius, what sort of rumors?"

"That she's a Healer from the outer territories of your Kingdom. That she was a part of your council for the time being?" Romulus' shoulders buckled as he nodded to both, and Darius grinned even wider. "It's also said that she was kidnapped and held captive, for a while."
"Yes, to all of them. She was kidnapped and held for days. My Queen is a strong female, regardless if she is human or not. You would do well to remember that." The way Darius had offered his smile caused his lip to snag onto one of his fangs.

Ones that were still slightly coated with the thick liquid from his cup. "Indeed she is, a reminder that I will be needing to search for one. I can only place my pity on the married and mated males for so long. But perhaps a human is the right approach—Their ignorance of our kind and customs seems...Refreshing." Romulus could see the contemplation in Darius' eyes, and he placed a hand on the Vampyre's shoulder and agreed outright.

Until his hold on the male tightened inharmoniously as he caught sight of the Demon King's spot was now completely and utterly empty.

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Date: 07/22/23

Time: 9:48

Words: 3254

Author's Note:

Where did the Demon King go?
Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

Also, I absolutely love Prince Darius, maybe I'm not done writing in this this universe just yet😉