by Macy Blake
But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of his elegant griffin mate throwing a temper tantrum.
“I will not allow this atrocity to continue,” Eduard snarled as he paced back and forth in the chamber Kavalan had provided for them. “I am not some courtier of some no-name clan that has zero importance. I am Eduard Eastaughffe of the Arimaspia clan. My father rules all of the griffins and our wealth is untold. This is… unacceptable!”
Luckily, he’d waited until Puteri popped out of the room before he began his rant, because Henry was pretty sure she’d take offense to his tirade. The rest of them were huddled together in the corner of the room, and no one was brave enough to step forward. Henry certainly wasn’t going to try. He wasn’t stupid.
“Henry!” Eduard barked his name, and he poked his head out from behind Draco’s back. “Trade with me!”
“Uh…”
Eduard’s gaze narrowed and his eagle eyes sharpened.
“Um…”
“Eduard,” Andvari said, “you need to calm down.”
“Calm down? Did you just tell me to calm down?”
Andvari gulped, and Henry slipped back into his hiding spot behind Draco’s wide back. If he just stayed hidden…
“Love,” Andvari began but Eduard wasn’t having any of it.
“I will not wear lavender. I have red hair, Andvari. Do you understand? Do you have any inkling of what this looks like?”
Henry certainly did. He looked kinda ridiculous, not that he would ever say it out loud. He’d never actually seen a color make someone look bad before, even though Jack told him he was never, ever, ever to wear yellow because it made him look like he needed to puke. He just didn’t wear it and went on about his life. But if Jack could see Eduard… yeah, it wasn’t a good look. Which was odd, because Henry had seen him rock a really awesome pink shirt, and he’d always thought redheads couldn’t wear pink. His sister, Natasha, was a redhead too, but she wore whatever she wanted so she didn’t count. He could swear he’d heard that somewhere before, but Eduard totally wore pink as a redhead. And he’d looked totally hot.
Just not in lavender.
And he knew it.
And whoa, was he pissed about it.
“Henry!”
Damn. He thought Eduard had gotten distracted by Andvari, but no such luck. He poked his head out again.
“Trade with me.”
Henry sighed and began unbuttoning the pale blue cloak Puteri had given him to wear. He really didn’t care, and honestly, if Eduard was so upset about it, it was the least he could do to make his mate more comfortable.
Eduard whipped the lavender one off and threw it aside before taking Henry’s from his hand and slipping it over his head. He found the small mirror and glanced in it. “Ugh! What is wrong with me?”
Henry picked up the lavender cloak, but before he could slip it on, Puteri popped back into the room. She took one look at Eduard and began to tsk. “The griffin must wear the other cloak, sir.”
Eduard really didn’t want to offend her. “Puteri, I wondered if you would be so kind as to provide me with a different colored cloak.”
Wow. He’d actually done that really nicely. Puteri gave him a look, and Goddess could she give a dirty one with ease, before taking the lavender one from Henry’s hand and giving it back to Eduard. “The griffin wears this one.”
Eduard sighed and pulled Henry’s blue cloak off and gave it back to him. He tugged the other one back over his head and sighed.
“The griffin is not happy with Puteri’s choice, but the griffin must trust Puteri. Puteri would never allow the guardians of her prince’s mate to not look their best.”
They were all dressed in pale colors except for Sawyer, who wore the greens and blues Kavalan usually wore. Come to think of it, most of his guards wore similar colors. Henry wondered what the significance was. He’d have to pay attention at the court party to see if he could figure it out.
Loch poked his head in the door and smiled at all of them before he tamped it down.
Henry rolled his eyes.
“You look good,” Loch grumbled.
“Gee, thanks,” Henry said.
Sawyer elbowed him in the side. “Is everything ready?”
“Yes. My prince is on his way.”
“And we’re safe?” Sawyer asked.
“Yes,” Loch said. “No one will dare attack during one of the queen’s events. It would mean not only their death, but the death of their entire clan.”
Sawyer pushed out a breath. Henry knew he was nervous to meet the queen. They all were. Her reputation preceded her, and from what Henry had heard, she was not someone you wanted to mess around with.
“You’re sure.”
Loch stepped closer to Sawyer. He slowly raised his hand and pressed it to Sawyer’s arm. “I swear to you, Sawyer. I will keep you from harm.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Loch lowered his hand and quickly stepped aside. Kavalan bustled into the room and immediately began looking them over. He nodded, adjusted Sawyer’s neckband, then moved to Draco and tweaked the sleeve of his cloak. He reached Eduard and beamed. “Perfection.”
Eduard smiled, and it was all teeth. Kavalan was lucky he didn’t get bitten.
He finished the rounds then turned to face them all. “All of the clans are present. Everyone is very excited for you all to be presented to the queen. Sawyer, you are to approach no one this evening. You are the guest of honor and all clans must approach you. Loch will be by your side at all times, as well as one of your guardians. I would recommend you rotate the duty and each of you spend some time mingling with the others. My mother knows you are all unaware of our rules, and agrees with me that anyone who declares trespass against you this night will be met with her displeasure. No one will be allowed to be petty, so you do not have to worry. But do try to be congenial, if at all possible. If you need assistance, simply claim that I or one of the others needs you, and retreat. Any questions?”
Henry had about a million, but none that he needed answered right this second.
“Excellent. Puteri!”
“Yes, my prince.”
“Work your magic.”
She turned to them and waved her hands in the air. At first, Henry didn’t think anything was happening. Then he realized that Draco’s suit was moving. Swirling, really. It had been a pale yellow color, but now it swirled with all the colors of a fire.
“Oh that is awesome,” Henry gasped.
Sawyer turned and his eyes widened. “Holy wow.”
“Right?” Henry said.
It took the others a moment to catch on, but finally they did. And Eduard let out a sigh of relief that made Henry laugh. His suit had become the most beautiful purples and blues, and he actually looked amazing in it.
“Perfect,” Kavalan said. “Now we go.”
“Henry, you stay with Sawyer,” Eduard said. “Tell him what the different types of fae are and what you know about them. It’ll give him an advantage when they come to meet him.” Eduard looked at the others, making sure they agreed with his plan. They all did. “I’ll come to you after I make my rounds,” Eduard added. “Then I can help you with any politics.”
“Thank you,” Sawyer said.
“The rest of you come and go as you can. Check in often and let Sawyer or myself know anything we might find useful.”
“You have experienced court life before,” Kavalan said. He shot an admiration-filled gaze Eduard’s way.
“I have.”
“Remember, you are the guardians of the Chosen One,” Kavalan said.
Henry lifted his chin at the reminder. They had everything to be proud of.
Kavalan and Sawyer led the way. Eduard stepped behind them with Loch at his side. Draco and Henry were next while Saeward and Andvari brought up the rear. The sounds of the party reached them, and Henry got a little nervous. He grabbed Draco’s arm and held it tightly as the big vine covered doors in front of them swung open.
The sound died down as sprites swirled around the room, dropping sparkling dust everywhere. All eyes turned to them. The sparkles settled, almost as though they were a mist that drifted away, revealing them to all of the fae who stood below. Kavalan and Sawyer started down the steps, and they all followed behind. Once in the center of the room, Kavalan stopped and turned to face Sawyer. He bowed deeply, his hand brushing the floor, before he rose and lifted one of Sawyer’s hands in his. He pressed a gentle kiss to it, before turning once more and holding up their joined hands. The fae began to cheer.
Kavalan escorted Sawyer to the side of the room, where an ornately flowered area had been set up. Henry had kept his attention on Sawyer for the first part of the display, but now, he couldn’t take his eyes off the amazing array of fae he could see. All sizes, shapes, colors. The creatures he’d read about and studied for the past several years. So many of them stood before him now.
And holy crap. That was a penis. A very, very large penis. Attached to a very, very large and naked… Henry rolled through his brain to come up with a name…satyr.
Kavalan left them and the others drifted away. Henry stepped close to Sawyer and tried not to stare at the largest erection he’d ever seen in his life. But it was a really big dick. And he was mated to a hippocamp. If there ever was a guy who embodied the term horse cock, it was his newest mate. But this guy made Saeward look small.
“Is that…”
“Yep,” Henry said.
“Dude, it wouldn’t fit.”
“Probably not.”
“You’d never be the same after that thing.”
“You’d never be able to sit down again, that’s for sure,” Henry added.
Sawyer began to snicker and had to turn to Henry. He hid his face as he cackled.
“Stop it. You’re going to make me laugh, too.”
He could already feel one bubbling up. But he had to be polite, and ohmygod there was another one and he was balancing a mug on the top of his dick like it was a handy table or something.
“Don’t look.”
But of course, Sawyer turned to look and he almost choked on his tongue.
“Told ya not to look,” Henry said with a nearly hysterical laugh.
Loch leaned in beside them. “The satyrs are known for their conquests. Not everyone survives the experience, but those who do are known to smile for the rest of their days.”
He leaned back again like he hadn’t just dropped a major bomb between them.
“What?” Sawyer asked.
“Tell me more,” Henry demanded.
Loch’s lips twitched, but he ignored them both, keeping his eyes moving around the room.
Henry wasn’t surprised when a wedge of sprites fluttered their way. One of them swarmed ahead of the others and hovered in front of Sawyer’s face. She was beautiful and reminded Henry a bit of Tinkerbell.
“Chosen One,” she said softly, “I am Ureba, Queen of the Sprites. It is my honor to make your acquaintance. My clan tells me you are a kind and gentle man who loves his mates with all his heart. We are pleased to continue to assist you during your stay in our realm.”
“Thank you, Ureba. Please call me Sawyer. And I cannot tell you how thankful I am to you and your clan for your assistance. You have made our stay so much more comfortable. It is my honor to make your acquaintance.”
Henry couldn’t help but grin. Damn, Sawyer was really good at this stuff. Queen Ureba blushed and fluttered around him happily while the rest of the sprites began shooting more of their sparkling dust in the air. She flew off a moment later with a beaming smile on her face.
“Excellent work, Chosen One,” Loch added from behind them.
“I was just being honest,” Sawyer said. “And would you stop hiding behind me. Stand on my other side like Henry is. You’re making me nervous hovering behind me like that.”
Oh, someone was in a mood. Henry bit back a smile and turned his attention back to the other fae in the room. There were several dozen elves, who all resembled Kavalan pretty heavily. There were dryads, the tree people who had helped save his brother and sister from the wolf. He’d have to make sure Sawyer gave them extra praise. And of course, there were a half-dozen faun, relatives of Cosmo, who were already well into their drinks for the night. They were by far the loudest of the group. There were others, too, ones that would take a moment for him to recall. But his attention was caught by the white-haired group of women huddled on the other side of the room, looking fearfully their way. The banshees.
“Sawyer, eleven o’clock,” Henry muttered softly.
Sawyer glanced that way, and then gave Henry a nod, letting him know he’d seen them. But Kavalan had said they had to wait and be approached, so they’d wait. Even if Henry wanted nothing more than to march over there and demand an explanation for why they’d attacked him.
Luckily— or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it— the leader of the satyrs approached and distracted him. Their leader was just as tall as Saeward, and he stopped in front of them with his hands on his waist and his… member… pointing proudly in the air. Sawyer tipped his chin up and didn’t so much as blink or look down. He’d lose it if he did. Henry was about to lose it for both of them.
“I am Diarmed, leader of all the satyrs. I have come to make your acquaintance, Chosen One.”
“Hello, Diarmed,” Sawyer said. He’d turned red, the blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks.
Diarmed’s smile turned into a leer. “I see you are impressed by my manroot!”
Sawyer’s blush deepened, and it took everything in Henry’s power not to laugh. He decided to intervene instead, because he knew Sawyer wouldn’t be able to get himself out of this one.
“I’m afraid your manroot is so impressive, it has driven the Chosen One speechless. Humans are not accustomed to such amazing endowments.”
Diarmed puffed up and his cock nearly brushed Sawyer’s chest.
“Yes,” Sawyer choked out. “Word of your many conquests has reached us. You are legendary.”
Diarmed grabbed Sawyer into a hug and pounded him on the back.
“You are an impressive specimen, for a human. If things don’t work out between you and the prince, let me know. The satyrs would love to assist the Chosen One and his mates in any way we can.”
The leer was back and coupled with a raunchy wink. It was awesome.
Sawyer managed to untangle himself from the hug and continued to keep his eyes above the satyr’s waist. Actually, he pretty much had to keep them above the neck. The dude’s dick was seriously huge.
“Thank you, Diarmed,” Sawyer said. “You honor me with such an offer.”
Diarmed wandered away and Sawyer turned to Henry with wide-eyes. “He poked me in the chest with it. He kinda humped me a little.”
“They are a randy bunch,” Loch added with a sigh. “I do miss their parties. I haven’t been able to attend in many years.”
Henry and Sawyer both turned to him with their mouths hanging open in shock. “Does that mean—” Henry began.
“Did you actually—” Sawyer added.
Loch turned to them with a smirk. “I guard my prince everywhere he goes.”
“No,” Henry gasped, the implications, and a few graphic mental images, flying into his mind.
“Kavalan?” Sawyer’s mouth fell open and he turned to look for the prince.
The timing was perfect because Diarmed was greeting Kavalan, and from the looks the two were giving each other, there was no doubt Loch hadn’t been teasing them.
“Holy shit,” Sawyer gasped.
Before they could question him further, a red mist began to fill the room. Henry grabbed Sawyer’s hand and prepared to harness his magic.
Everyone stilled and magic filled the air. Loch glanced at them and reached out to touch both of their shoulders. Henry wished he didn’t feel so safe with Loch nearby. He wanted to stay mad at him for walking out on them the night before and disappointing Sawyer. But what he really
wanted was to understand what was going on.
“Steady,” Loch whispered. “The queen arrives.”
Henry held Sawyer’s hand tight. His mate’s palm grew sweaty as his nerves built. When the mist faded and Queen Orfhlaith appeared at the top of the stairs, Henry couldn’t help his gasp. She was the most stunning woman he’d ever seen in his life. Long blond hair hung in perfect curls over her shoulders. Her blue eyes sparkled with light, much like her son’s did. She wore a long, flowing gown covered in sparkling flowers. The entire room sighed as she walked down the stairs, gifting a few with a smile before she moved on. She didn’t so much as glance their way.
Henry didn’t know whether to be worried, disappointed, or something else. Eduard returned after making his round of the room, leaving Henry free to wander. With all the talk of offending the fae, Henry didn’t really want to take the risk. He found Draco hiding in a corner, keeping his eye on Sawyer. Another set of eyes couldn’t hurt, and if Draco’s arms came around him, making him a little less worried about being a stranger in a strange land, well, that was just a bonus.
Sawyer
Sawyer sat on the edge of the bed in his chambers, stripped down to only the undershirt and trousers from his earlier immaculate outfit. His mates were also in a state of undress, all of them eager to get out of the overly embellished costumes they’d been wearing all evening. All in all, it had been a success. He hadn’t offended anyone, the queen hadn’t hated him, and he’d learned a lot about the fae creatures who’d been in attendance. He still couldn’t help blushing whenever he thought of the satyrs, and once they’d started drinking with the faun… well, Sawyer learned a thing or two, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d gotten really horny watching them go at it. As the night wore on, though, he’d lost his energy. Standing in one place, watching and observing, while trying to mind his manners wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. Eventually, every one of the clans had come to greet him. Even the banshees, although Queen Atarah hadn’t had much to say. She’d sent a worried glance toward the queen before giving him a regal nod and moving back to her corner with her sister banshees.
