The next few days were stressful, to put it mildly. Loveday felt like she was doing a balancing act whilst learning to juggle. Over a pit of knives, or… snakes?
Either way, it didn’t help that the King was being purposefully obtuse.
She had tried again and again to have a real conversation with him, but he was always either dismissive or drunk. Or some combination of the two. Loveday also had her hands full researching in her “free time” and volunteering any extra hours to help with the school’s activities.
Life goes on, apparently even when Dimitri Veil wishes it wouldn’t.
Loveday tries again though, as the date for the Noxier’s arrival draws closer. She thinks, no way Dimitri can avoid her in a public setting, right?!
Hah…
“This is… not what I expected.”
She isn’t sure what she expected when she’d shyly asked if she could attend one of the evening meals that the King and his attendants and advisors shared. She was hoping for a chance to get his attention, or even start a discussion amongst him and his people, but this?
“Hey! Who gnawed on this piece?! It’s got a chunk torn out of it!!”
The dining hall was a riot of sound and smells, most of them overpowering and unpleasant. It vaguely reminded Loveday of the raw meat section at a shop in the Held city. Except there they didn’t have whole antelopes laid out on the tables to be devoured…
At least, she didn’t think they did-
“What’s wrong my lady? Too much for your Held sensibilities?” One of the men grinned at her, fangs dripping blood.
Loveday maintained her composure, as always, and smiled pleasantly.
“Not at all, in fact I was just thinking how this reminds me of a… similar tradition back home.”
She heard some grumbling laughter and figured she’d take what she could get.
The dining hall was packed with muscular Calleigh bodies, most shoulder to shoulder, and with everyone squeezed so densely together at the few tables, it wasn’t hard to pick up people’s conversations, even over the din.
“-doing here? I thought they were gonna give her to the Noxier as a peace offering?”
“You heard wrong! That’s our new spokesperson, you know, like a diplomat?”
“Yeah right! That poor Held creature couldn’t even stand up to a gust of wind, what’s she gonna do to get the Noxier off our backs?!”
Loveday tuned all the chatter about herself out. She had to. This was work, and she needed to focus.
Dimitri was sitting as far away from her as possible, probably on purpose, but he was facing her, and she could still see glimpses of him as he hunched over the table and gnawed on one of their meal’s back legs like a puppy with a chew toy.
Loveday reminded herself about cultural appropriation and swallowed her bile…
Right. Work!
Not like she was getting paid or anything, but she definitely wanted the Noxier to never return. A bit for herself, but mostly because the Calleigh were decent people, kind people, and their children didn’t deserve to lose anything else.
Loveday met eyes with the King and stared him down for a moment while he pretended to ignore her.
He really tried, putting on a big show too, of being as disgusting as possible, but Loveday didn’t relent and eventually Dimitri was forced to concede.
He grinned at her, grabbing his half-full cup and rising as he proclaimed loudly-
“Might our honored guest dislike our choice? I see you haven’t touched your share of the meal.”
Loveday eyes the poor creature in front of her and shook her head, barely suppressing a shudder, resolute in her determination to be a vegetarian from this day forth.
“Thank you for your generous offer my lord, but I had caribou for lunch.”
That got a few startled chuckles and an infuriating eye-roll from the King. Loveday stood her ground and narrowed her eyes.
“If my Lord has finished and is in the mood for some idle chit-chat, perhaps we could discuss a few areas of interest pertaining to the upcoming conference? I have several ideas, but would hardly wish to proceed without insight from you and your advisors.”
Phew. She got her piece in! That was probably the most she’d spoken about such things and Dimitri hadn’t interrupted her! Was this what good luck felt like??
After a moment of waiting for his response, Loveday finally took another good look at the King, only to find him not looking at her at all. Something heavy and dangerous stirred in the air suddenly, and Loveday felt the back of her neck prickle with a slight chill.
What is-
Oh. That’s what felt so strange…
Everyone in the entire room had stopped talking, the space falling into an oppressive quiet humm, as every single Calligh stared at one spot. One person, and didn’t blink.
The person in fact was a young teenager, a boy, one of the grandsons of an elder. Loveday had hardly noticed him during the meal, but had caught his eye at the beginning and waved when he smiled kindly.
Now, all eyes were on the boy, and Loveday’s heart clenched when she realized the child was whimpering, sweating profusely and shaking as if he were about to have a full-on seizure.
The quiet hum of the room suddenly heightened, and Loveday realized as well that all of the Calleigh except the young boy were growling, a sound that Loveday could practically feel in her chest, and through the wood of the table in front of her.
It was so eerie and strange to see all of the wolves react so suddenly to something, and Loveday could barely contain her fear and shock as the collective growl intensified, swelling to fill the room and drown out the crying whines of the young boy.
The boy who was now writhing on the floor, clutching his ears in pain and screaming…
Loveday jumped up, completely ignoring the other Calleigh, and quickly moved toward the child. She had no idea what was happening but she knew he was hurting, and she wanted to get him out of here. Before she could reach him, several of the elders blocked her way, all of them snarling directly in her face with full-fangs and enough rage that Loveday almost tripped and fell from the pure shock of it.
She was caught by grasping hands and then more or less dragged out of the room while the growls continued in her absence, even after the door was closed.
Loveday breathed sharply, tears pricking at her eyes and her heart racing as she turned to face the person who’d dragged her out, except, when she looked, it was the King, and he was also breathing heavily, shaking slightly as if he’d just run up and down the nearby mountain twice.
“What-“ Loveday gasped, panic laced with fear still prevalent in her voice.
Dimitri just stared at the closed door, and when the growls were so loud Loveday felt they were almost shouts, the King took her by the arm again and began hurrying her down the hall.
As they walked, Loveday tripped a few times, but Dimitri just went on until they were nearing the library, several floors away.
Then he stopped and released her, but it was clear he was still affected by whatever had just happened, as was she.
“What was that?” She said timidly, afraid he’d growl or shout at her.
Dimitri only rested his back against the wall and sighed deeply, suddenly looking extremely tired.
“Kiernan has reached the age when one experiences their first season. He shouldn’t have been there tonight, but his grandfather promised me the boy was still a few months away… I should have taken extra precautions when you asked to join us, damn-“
Loveday blinked, understanding nearly none of what he’d said.
“What’s a season?”
Dimitri’s eyes flicked up to hers and his expression grew softer, maybe even timid.
Loveday was shocked to find that the King’s cheekbones were turning a fair shade of pink, and she held her breath as the man said, rather awkwardly-
“Mating season. When a Calleigh reaches sexual maturity they begin their reproductive cycle. It differs, but usually the heats come every six to eight months. Calleigh are incredibly dangerous but also incredibly vulnerable at this time. When we all smelled his heat being triggered by your pheromones, the Calleigh instinct is to soothe the distressed pack member and protect him. You sure know how to get in the way…”
Loveday was processing things a lot slower right now, so she had to take a few seconds before speaking.
“Sexual maturity? That boy looked maybe thirteen!”
Dimitri crossed his arms, but still explained patiently.
“Keirnan is twelve. Sexual maturity comes before physical maturity for Calleigh. The body needs time to adjust to the heat cycle as it continues to develop.”
Loveday furrowed her brow, suddenly remembering something else the King had said.
“P-Pheromones- you said… What the hell are you talking about?! Are you saying I did that to him?! I’m not even Calleigh! And he’s a child-“
“Calm down,” Dimitri huffed. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re Held, Calleigh, or even bloody Noxier. Females of any species carry certain pheromones that tell of a variety of things, including fertility. Kiernan was already close to his first season, which is risky enough, but being in such close quarters with you, he must have been pushed into his heat early from smelling you. It happens. I try not to let it, but sometimes it can’t be helped. Not to worry though, he’ll be well taken care of, and he’ll probably be extremely embarrassed later, so try not to give him too hard a time. It’s just biology, none of us can help it.”
Loveday stared blankly ahead for another moment or two, silently recognizing that this is the longest conversation she’s held with the Calleigh king to date. Then another though occurs to her…
Her gaze flicks up to Dimitri and her face heats in horror.
“Does that mean… all of you can…”
She doesn’t even know what to say! Smell her??
Dimitri seems to understand after a moment and smiles, raising a hand to stop her embarrassed floundering.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Calm down. The answer to that question is yes, but remember, for us, scenting pack mates is completely normal. It’s unlikely this should ever happen again, this was a special circumstance.” Then Dimitri’s eyes narrow and his head tilts as he gives her a cursory once over before delivering his next line with utmost seriousness.
“If he was pushed so quickly into his season then you must be, what?” He sniffed the air, “Two days away from your next period?”
The fact that he’s right only adds to Loveday’s horror.
Dimitri Veil snickers, crossing his arms wryly as Loveday gawks like a buffoon.
“That’s not-“ she starts, rather indignant, but then realizes there’s no point.
Loveday gathered what little dignity and sense she has left after that short conversation and begins to shuffle away into the library.
Before she can fully escape, Dimitri calls to her one last time. A parting gift? Or perhaps a peace offering?
“If you still want to have that chat later about the Noxier situation, I’ll have time tomorrow after the children’s school play.”
Loveday pauses. “Oh. I’m helping with that…”
Dimitri smirks and nods, turning to begin walking away.
“I heard. You get around, don’t you, Miss D’Aboville?”
Loveday shuts herself in the library for the rest of the night, but gets very little studying done.
The next morning there is plenty to be done in preparation for the little concert they’re going to have, so Loveday is rather rushed off her feet for most of the morning and afternoon, until the actual start of the show.
Practically the entire clan has gathered in the great hall, and Loveday knows the children are giddy with excitement and happy to see their guardians and pack mates together for them. She herself is entirely overwhelmed and awestruck at the amount of love and pride the Calleigh have for their children.
If she’s being completely honest, most of the kids can’t carry a tune at all, but that’s not why they’re here, and she also knows that every single one of these children knows they are adored, and they believe they have the voices of angels.
Loveday wouldn’t want it any other way.
She’s still backstage helping the little ones into costumes when the show starts with the elder performers, but before that, Loveday catches a glimpse of Dimitri hopping on stage jovially and making everyone laugh when he tests the microphone.
Loveday stops what she’s doing briefly to have a little private moment to just stare at the King and marvel at his apparent 180 from just a few days ago. This man had never been drunk a day in his life. He’d never been passed out in a pool of his own sick, nor had he whined and begged for Loveday to return to his death grip while in the throes of another terrible dream…
This man was all laughter and joy. And Loveday felt that despite Dimitri’s outward cold appearance, his softness and warmth in this moment shone through, making him the perfect leader and the exact person she would want on her side when they sat across the table from the Noxier in two days.
When the King finished his little introduction and praise of the performers and teachers’ hard work, the show finally began. Loveday watched with the other little kids from the wings as the older students performed a few skits and several songs, a few of them even playing some old Held music and dancing, which made everyone laugh.
When it was time for the younger children to go on, Loveday and the other teachers snuck down to the front of the stage but knelt on the floor, so the children were just able to see their heads and arms but the audience could watch their adorable kids sing.
Loveday went through the entire performance without the smile dropping from her face once…
Afterward, she was hugged by several of the pups she’d helped teach and approached by a lot of parents, all of them thanking her for her dedication and idea of bringing Held music to the Calleigh.
“We know our clan may seem a bit harsh to outsiders, but several years ago we had plenty of Held living here, and a few Calleigh living there! We don’t want our children to think the outside world is scary, so thank you for bringing a bit of that world to us. We hope you’ll stay and teach next year!”
Loveday was drowning in praise and well-wishes by the end of the event, but she still had to help take down the set.
Adrenaline and happiness welled up in her, to the point that she felt she could stay awake for a week. She was breezing through disassembling the backdrop curtains when someone cleared their voice from behind her.
Loveday awkwardly straddled the ladder she was on and turned to look.
“Oh,” she smiled. “How did you like the show?”
Dimitri Veil nodded, a hand on his hip as he surveyed the empty stage. Most of the teachers had gone already, now it was just Loveday and some janitorial staff and parents.
“Not bad…” the King said, “I’m surprised you got them to stand in such a straight line. Calleigh pups are not known for being good at staying still, you know.”
Loveday laughed, gathering the rest of the curtains over her shoulder and descending the ladder carefully.
“Yeah, I figured that out the hard way.”
As she stood in front of the King, he gestured to the door and that’s when Loveday remembered they had plans to have a real meeting tonight.
This was what she’d been working towards for nearly a week, and to suddenly have it happening, to suddenly have Dimitri acquiescing, Loveday couldn’t help but feel strangely nervous.
“Shall we?” He says.
Loveday nodded, burying her anxiety and forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.
The King and her traveled up the stairs to his office, which was located just on the other side of a door in the main reception room. The room where they’d be meeting the Noxier tomorrow night.
Loveday sat at the chair offered to her, and as Dimitri settled into the one behind his desk, Loveday couldn’t help herself from getting straight into it.
“From what little I understand about the Noxier, it seems like this might end up being a battle of personality clash between your people and theirs. I know you don’t want to give in to their demands, since they’ve been so aggressive in the past, but we might need to think about a compromise, just for now.”
Dimitri blinks at her, then clasps his hands on the desk. Loveday is still somewhat expecting him to deflect or change the subject, so she’s relieved and a bit flabbergasted when the King frowns solemnly and replies.
“I know. If we were better equipped to handle defending our land I would have pushed for that the first time the Noxier crossed our borders. I don’t want to let them have anything, because pretty soon they’re going to demand more than just our ancestral land, but I’m running out of time and it seems better to diffuse the current situation than make it worse. So… what do you have for me?”
Loveday sighed deeply, then began pitching her ideas.
Most of them involved going over maps and trying to decide what the King could possibly live with giving over to the Noxier and what was absolutely impossible.
“No, see this?” Dimitri pointed to a red line going from Held and into Calleigh territory.
“It’s all the shipments we receive from the Held. Anything we need that we can’t get out here by ourselves. In the past it wouldn’t have been so important but now we need all the extra food and medical supplies we possibly can. The last two winters have been… difficult. The Noxier absolutely cannot control this part of our territory. It would be devastating”
Loveday nodded. “Perhaps there is a way we can make an agreement with them. To set up a neutral area between the border where there is a truce? Your shipments will be uninterrupted and the Noxier will have a portion of the extra land they want.”
The King slumped back and ran a hand over his face in frustration.
“You do realize that these are all meaningless requests from them, right? They don’t just want more land, they’re trying to box us in and have a closer stance in case they ever decide to attack again. Why am I even considering this… it’s a waste of time.”
Loveday sat back down and pushed the maps to the side.
“I know this is difficult, but you should keep in mind that a lot of this is going to be them pushing and us holding just firmly enough that they still think we’re willing to negotiate. I don’t want them to have anything either, Dimitri, but if we can keep them talking isn’t that better than fighting or giving in?
The King stared at her, his expression tired.
“Talking for how long?”
That, she didn’t know the answer to.
With a heavy sigh, Dimitri suddenly pulled open a drawer under his desk and set out two glasses and a glass decanter filled with amber liquid. Scotch, probably. She’d noticed that was his drink of choice.
“Um, we probably shouldn’t while we-”
“Shhhh, shut up.” He grumbled, pouring two glasses and sliding one to her.
Loveday eyed it warily as Dimitri took his first sip and grimaced.
“Enough shop talk. Tell me about yourself. I haven’t been sober enough to be curious, so here’s your chance.”
Loveday gave Dimitri’s own drink a pointed look and he grinned sheepishly.
“This isn’t enough to get me drunk, just take the edge off.” He slipped back in his chair and closed his eyes peacefully, “Now. Talk.”
Loveday nervously took a sip, finding the taste not terrible.
“What do you want me to talk about?”
“Your life,” Dimitri grumbled again. “What the hell you’re doing here. We haven’t seen Held crossing the border in a couple years. You guys have everything over there and I know you didn’t come here for the food, so? What gives?”
Without getting into her deep-seated traumatic life story, Loveday thought of what she could tell him. It really wasn’t much. To be honest, she hadn’t really done anything very important or important to her since she’d come to the Calleigh.
“Well… I’d tried practically every job under the sun and didn’t have much to show for it. I was drowning in debt and had nowhere else to go, and I realized after being fired from the Held Liaison Office that there was more out there than just them. A lot more. I had no ties to the Held, no good memories. Here, I think I’m making both, and I’m doing work that I care about. That’s as good a reason as any, don’t you think?”
Dimitri nodded, grunting a little in affirmation. Loveday realized he’d finished his drink and poured himself another, so she quickly downed the rest of hers after her awkward little speech and he refilled her glass too.
“How come you don’t have friends or family?” Dimitri asked, “It’s my understanding that the Held usually don’t have packs as big as we do, but they still form family units.”
Loveday smiled, “Yeah. We have families. Sometimes we don’t. I guess there are certain circumstances you might find yourself in where you just end up alone.”
Dimitri paused, staring at her intently.
“And that’s what happened to you?”
Loveday finished another drink, feeling herself begin to relax even more.
“I guess.”
They were both on their third drinks when Loveday began to get curious about the man sitting in front of her.
“And you?”
The King blinked, “Me?”
Loveday smiled. “What about your pack?”
Dimitri nodded, waving a hand. “Ah, Calleigh are sort of all one pack. If you’ve got our blood, you’ve got a family. Nobody really bothers with particulars.”
Loveday couldn’t help but laugh.
“Now I know that’s not true! Even I’ve seen how protective and proud the Calleigh get over their children and spouses. That seems like a bond that goes a little further than just being part of the pack. So? Are you the same as me? Special circumstances?”
The atmosphere was relaxed and easy, so Loveday didn’t feel strange about asking Dimitri these things. He seemed willing to tell her, but not before refilling his glass.
He wasn’t drunk, that she could tell, but there was a looseness to his mannerisms and his expression was open and carefree.
Loveday wondered if she should try to steer them back to business soon, but honestly, she hadn’t taken the time to unwind in weeks, and truly, she did want to know more about the King. If he was willing to talk with her, she wasn’t going to stop him.
“Special circumstances.” He shrugs, “Yeah, I guess so…”
Then he closes his eyes, leans back, and starts to talk.
Loveday listens even though she isn’t sure she’s supposed to hear this.
“I grew up extremely spoiled, but I’m pretty sure you can tell, huh? Anyway, I was the only son of a King who had lost his wife when I was a few months old. Calleigh mate for life, and as the sole heir there was no effort spared to keep me safe. My father was always paranoid something terrible would happen like the battle that had stolen my mother, so he was relentless and basically turned into a nut case . He was a cold man, but he was trusted by everyone. Including me… I should have seen sooner, the ways he tried to protect me… there was obviously something wrong. Well, I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened two years ago. The Noxier attack. Another reason not to give those fuckers anything… My father was injured in the initial blast but before he died he made me swear to protect someone. A… servant, a friend of mine. My closest friend and personal attendant. As he lay dying my father told me that this boy was his true son, and had been all along. He told me that I am the son of a servant that died in the same battle as the Queen, and in his grief and concern for his son’s life, my father switched our identities when we were young, raising me in the place of the Prince and keeping his true heir closeby, but monumentally safer. You’d think it’s crazy, but with the amount of attempts on my life over the years I can see why he thought his son would be safer serving under me instead of the other way around. With this new information, I tried to get back to where the bombs had gone off to look for this person, but I was informed that another round of explosions had been set off and he had died along with a huge percentage of our young men. In those few seconds, I had failed at the only purpose I’d ever had, which was to be the true Prince’s shield. My friend died never knowing his true parentage, and my father died believing his son would be safe. There was no one else to take on the King’s responsibilities, so since I was raised to lead I figured I’d do it until they sent the bombs for me again. Or until someone figured out the truth. Neither have happened and I guess I should just quit waiting. It’s been a long couple of years though… so maybe the Noxier can just hurry up and put me out of my misery-”
Dimitri’s speech ended with the loud thunk of his head hitting the desk. Loveday blinked, realizing that during his monologue he had emptied the entire glass of alcohol and was now most certainly drunk.
Unable to believe or compartmentalize what she’d just been told, Loveday sat there for a long time until she realized Dimitri was probably going to be in a lot of pain in the morning if he slept like that…
Again, she took the drunk King under her arm and hauled him onto the couch in his office, laying him down and tucking a blanket around him. Dimitri shifted restlessly and reached out again as if to grab her. Loveday stuck a throw pillow in his arms and he practically crushed it to death as he settled and went back to sleep.
Not knowing what else to do, Loveday cleaned up the glasses, put away the maps, and left the King there for the night. She went to sleep and prayed that Dimitri Veil didn’t remember a single thing they’d talked about the night before.
Even if it meant he forgot their plans for the Noxier tomorrow night…