“The Seer has seen a change. It is not necessarily you who will be the father of this child, it has been told he will be a King. Due to your…status,” he adds, “we always assumed Thrace would be King.”
“I beg your pardon?” he asks. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Kalen, I know you love her. I can see it. Do this for yourself as well as your people. If you don’t see to her today, I will have no choice but to let Thrace try. You know he is next in line with you gone.”
Sebastian stares at his father in shock. He intends to whore her out to his son just to get this child conceived? “I am next in line,” he says, making a snap decision that he may live to regret one day. “And we have already been together,” he adds quietly. He dislikes having to tell him that, as it is intensely private what they share, but over his dead body is he letting his younger brother anywhere near her. His brothers, he thinks morosely. He doesn’t even know most of them. There were only three of them before he was turned. He knows there are plenty more now.
“Good,” Aelfric says. “I don’t want to have my son tainted by her lack of innocence.”
Sebastian glares at him. How dare he talk about her like that. And what was that act of caring about him, and doing this for himself? What a load of bullshit. He doesn’t really expect anything from his father. They have been estranged for nearly three thousand years. Just because Liv has turned up as the Dark Fae Princess doesn’t mean they get to just pick up where they left off.
“And while I wouldn’t mind giving it a go myself, as being the current King it is a strong possibility, I am sure your mother would throw a fit at me if I conceived a bastard child,” Aelfric adds with a look that suggests he would give it a go regardless of his mother’s feelings if he doesn’t get back in there.
“Lay a finger on her and I will kill you, do you understand me? You stay away from her and keep your son out of her sight as well. She is mine,” Sebastian says forcefully, wanting to beat the shit out of him for daring to even think it, let alone suggest it out loud.
“Now, now,” Aelfric says with a wicked glint. “No need to be all testy. Go back in there and do your duty if you want everyone else to stay away.” He slaps Sebastian on the shoulder and walks off in the direction that Drake went. He has half a mind to tell Drake about what Aelfric just said. Surely, he would protect his only daughter from being ravaged by a horny Prince who, despite his father’s words about becoming tainted, would love nothing better than to get her in the sack. He grimaces as he thinks of his younger brother. Only five years younger than him, Thrace was thirteen when he was turned, and every bit as ruthless as their father. Don’t let the “Light” fool you. Doesn’t mean they are all sunshine and roses. He has no doubt in his mind that Thrace has grown to be an exa
ct replica of Aelfric. He would be next in line with Sebastian gone, and he would have been groomed accordingly. He changes his mind though. Drake wants this child as much as Aelfric does and it probably wouldn’t surprise him if he let everyone have a go just to get the job done. Well, it is up to him to protect her and he will. If he has to kill every last one of them to keep her safe, he will do it.
He heads back inside her room and watches her sleep. He could watch her for the rest of his life. It is strange that even though she looks different, he barely notices it. All he sees is her. He sighs and sits heavily on the chest at the end of the bed. He drops his head into his hands. This is such a disaster. He can’t win her. There are too many people in his way and if she does decide to forgive Constantine, then he will have no hope. He cannot compete with him. He never could.
Chapter 13
Ancient Rome, 751 BC - Vincentius
He picked himself up from his backside for the thousandth time that day. He couldn’t beat him. Not like that. He held his hand out and felt the spark go over his palm and then slammed his fist closed. His father threatened him with his life if he used magick out in the human world. At times like those, he felt it would be worth it. He wanted to beat him so badly, it was killing him, especially as Isebella was watching from the sidelines. She, along with all the other girls, were laughing behind their hands at him and it infuriated him. She saw him watching her and she stopped laughing and shifted her gaze away from him and to his sparring partner. He was standing there, hands on hips with an amused look on his face. All the girls wanted him. Constantinus Kaius Aquila, son of a senate member, his blood was of the purest breed. He was two years older than him, but already a seasoned warrior. Vincentius continued to stare at Isebella, wishing she was looking at him with those pretty, brown eyes. Constantinus didn’t notice her. He never noticed any of them. Even his own betrothed mattered less than nothing to him. He flicked his wrist and his sword came back in line with him.
“Again, Vincentius,” he commanded.
He held up his own sword and they clashed and parried. Constantinus was quicker, stronger, and more experienced than him and again he found himself on the ground.
“You would be dead a thousand times over by now, Vincentius,” he mocked, to more giggles from the crowd. “Perhaps you should rethink your choices.”
Vincentius knew he was only goading him. He was his friend, his best friend. They had been inseparable since his father had sent him here to Rome to live with a human family six years ago. He did resent him though, deep down.
“I would only be dead if I were fighting you, Constantinus,” he said back to him. “Unless you switch sides, I am fairly certain that there is no other warrior out there who can best me.”
Constantinus laughed and it was a beautiful sound. He came over and held his hand out to help him up. He accepted it and they were finished with practice for today. His eyes found Isebella again, he wanted to go and speak to her, but he was tongue-tied and shy.
Constantinus followed his eyes to where he was looking. “Like what you see there, amicus?” he asked.
He knew he was blushing, but replied using the same endearment, meaning “friend.” “Yes, amicus. I think I am in love with her.”
“Then go and speak with her. You won’t get her into your bed by standing around here talking to me.” He slapped him on the shoulder and sauntered off.
“That’s what you think,” he muttered with more than a bit of bitterness. “She only knows I exist because I am friends with you.”
A trail of people followed in his wake, as was usual custom and Vincentius steeled himself to go over and talk to her. She ignored him and swung her long chestnut brown hair over her shoulder and followed his best friend instead.
A few weeks later, he was summoned to the Aquila Villa on the outskirts of the city. It was not uncommon for him to meet his friend there, so he thought nothing of it. He waited in the atrium, but no one came for him. It was considered extremely rude to wander around someone else’s home unattended, but he was becoming impatient. He drifted into the peristylium and admired the gardens here. He heard a noise coming from one of the rooms situated off the peristylium and went to investigate. When he saw what was in front of him, he quickly hid behind a big plant. He was heartbroken as he watched his friend engaging in intercourse with Isebella. He wanted to leave, but he was rooted to the spot in his sorrow. She cried out as she finished and he pulled out of her, ejaculating over her so there was no chance of a child between them.
Constantinus looked over at him. He knew he was there. Constantinus had summoned him here for the purpose of him seeing them together, so that Vincentius would know he was better than him at everything. As she noticed his presence, she hastily got dressed and with flushed cheeks and downcast eyes, she ran from the room.
“Why?” Vincentius asked him, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. “You knew that I liked her.”
Constantinus shrugged, not really caring. “I thought I would give you a chance. No privileged man will have her now,” he said, almost in disgust. “Her father will be disgraced, and you can offer for her hand and be accepted.”
He stared at the callous attitude, struggling to believe that his friend could be so heartless.