Shadows Of Desire

“We’ll take him back to the palace.” Thaden announced. He drew Rowan to his feet carefully then turned to address his men. “Bind his wrists.”

Arlen stepped forward with a bit of rope that Nasir quickly snatched from his hands. He took the rope over to Rowan and glared at him. “Hold out your arms.” He hissed.

Rowan did as he was told and Nasir began to wrap the rope around his wrist, pulling the rope taunt so that it tightened painfully, causing Rowan to wince. Nasir flashed Rowan a wicked grin. “We have a cell in the dungeon with your name on it, your highness. And, for your evening meal, well, I’m sure there are plenty of rats and mice for you to feast on.” He chuckled at the look of disgust on Rowan’s face.

Once he had Rowan’s wrists secured, he jerked on the rope, making Rowan stumble a bit as he was pulled forward, towards the horses. Nasir brought Rowan to his own horse and began to tie the end of the rope to the reins, intending to drag Rowan behind as he rode, when Thaden stepped up and relieved Nasir of the rope with a slight sneer.

“He’ll be riding with me.” Thaden said, his tone making it clear that the matter was not up for debate.

“As you wish.” Nasir grumbled, climbing onto his own horse. He shot Rowan an ugly frown as Thaden walked Rowan past Nasir and to his own horse. Rowan kept his eyes focused on Thaden as to not anger Nasir further.

Once they reached Thaden’s horse, a beautiful white stallion with gold reins and a saddle the same color blue as Thaden’s tunic, Thaden abruptly picked Rowan up and placed him effortlessly on the horse, before climbing up to sit behind Rowan. Rowan was a little surprised at first, not expecting the elf to hoist him into the air so easily but once Thaden was seated behind him, Rowan relaxed some and settled back into the saddle.

They were so close that Rowan could feel the heave and fall of Thaden’s chest against his back as the man breathed, and when he spoke, Rowan felt a rumbling, like a slight tickling, going down his spine. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the feel of the other man behind him, especially when Thaden leaned into him to grasp the reins. The feel of his strong arms around Rowan, holding him securely against him, was exciting if not a tiny bit scary. Rowan had no idea why Thaden affected him so. It was an odd sensation to be sure.

His head was telling him he should be afraid. He had no idea what was going to happen t0 him once they reached the palace but his body and his head were of a different mind. While his head wanted him to run away, his body wanted to melt against this man, mold itself to him, and cover itself in his scent. Thaden’s scent was so intoxicating. Rowan felt almost drunk in his presence. He leaned back against Thaden, resting his head against the man’s chest and allowed himself to be lulled into a sense of calm while listening to the beat of his heart. He hoped the elven palace was a far ways off because he really didn’t want this moment to end.

***

When Rowan leaned back and rested his head on Thaden’s chest, Thaden’s heart skipped a beat. There was something that seemed almost natural in the way that Rowan seemed to fit perfectly into Thaden’s arms. More than once he caught himself leaning forward so he could press his nose into Rowan’s hair and inhale his scent. No man should have the right to smell so good. Thaden thought as he allowed Rowan’s scent to assault his senses. His sense of smell wasn’t as strong as a wolfs or even as strong as a vampires but when it came to Rowan, that no longer seemed to matter. It was as if his scent sought Thaden out and then overwhelmed him. He couldn’t have fought it, even if he’d wanted to.

Rowan’s scent was a tantalizing combination of wild rose, lilac, and fresh rain. All things, Thaden realized, that he loved. For Thaden, there was nothing more peaceful than walking through the palace garden in the early morning hours after a fresh rain, when the petals were still wet, and the scent of the storm still clung to the air. Rowan smelled just like that. Like the floral after scent of a gentle storm. When Thaden leaned forward and breathed that scent in, it was like all of his worries and fears had just suddenly been washed away. Just like the rain washes away the chaos of the day and leaves the world fresh and new.

As they rode along, Thaden and Nasir at the head of the group, he noticed Nasir giving him odd little looks of disapproval. Of course Nasir wasn’t happy with Thaden’s decision to bring Rowan back to the palace instead of killing him on sight but he couldn’t help it. He made a promise to Rowan to keep him safe and he planned to keep that promise. No matter what Nasir thought. The others followed behind silently. If they had any opinions of the vampire Prince, they kept them to themselves. Probably for the best as Thaden was almost certain that he would go off on anyone who dared to insult the Prince. The more time he spent around him, the more protective he felt.

“When we reach the palace, I’ll have the guard take the prisoner to the dungeons.” Nasir said as his horse trotted alongside Thaden’s. “We can interrogate him after dinner.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Thaden said, sternly.

“Oh?” Nasir raised an eyebrow. “You wish to escort him to the dungeons yourself?”

Thaden sighed. “He won’t be going to the dungeons.” He said.

“Ah, I see.” Nasir frowned. “I suppose you’ll be putting him in the most luxurious guest suites available. He’ll be resting on a bed of silk sheets, with a goose down quilt, while bare breasted nymphs feed him blood from their slashed wrists. Is this how we are to accommodate all monsters we capture in the future?”

“I don’t like your tone.” Thaden sneered. “And last I checked, it wasn’t your job to question my decisions.”

“Forgive me, your highness, but I only question your sanity. What do you suppose the Crown Prince will think when he hears of this?”

“Unlike you...” Thaden growled. “My brother trusts my judgment.”

“Your judgement has never been in question before now.” Nasir pointed out.

Thaden pulled on the reins suddenly, bringing the horse to an abrupt stop. The riders behind them stopped as well and Thaden turned to Nasir, brandishing a nasty scowl. “Is there something you wish to say?” Thaden snapped.

Nasir furrowed his brow as he glared back at his friend. “Yes.” He snapped, rudely. “I think that creature has bewitched you somehow and you are not in your right mind. Your actions are bewildering at best, at worst your judgements been compromised, and you can’t be trusted.”

Thaden slid his hand to the hilt of his sword. “Is that a challenge?” He growled, making Rowan tense in his arms.

Nasir stared back at him, showing no sign of fear. “No.” Nasir narrowed his eyes. “Not yet anyway. But I will be speaking to your brother about this. That creature belongs in the dungeon, or dead.”

“You listen to me and you listen well, Nasir.” Thaden glared at the other man and his eyes darkened. Rowan felt an energy begin to pulse around him, making him and the horses nervous. “No harm will come to this boy. I won’t allow it. Cross me, and you will die. I don’t care how long we’ve been friends or how well you’ve served me in the past. On this, I will not be swayed. Rowan is a Prince and he will be treated as such, and whatever judgment comes down on him will be by me and no other. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal clear.” Nasir snarled,

“Good, now lets return to the palace.” Thaden shot Nasir a look of warning then, with a gentle squeeze of his thighs, Thaden cued the horse to move forward. Nasir and the others followed behind in silence as they made their way back to the palace.

Thaden was furious at Nasir but he did his best to control his emotions. Getting into a physical altercation with his best friend and personal steward wasn’t going to solve anything. As a Prince, Thaden had to remain objective and pick his battles. Nasir had angered him, and disrespected him in front of his guards but, his heart was in the right place. Even if his head was up his arse. Rowan was a vampire, and the son of their enemy. How could Thaden expect Nasir to understand Thaden’s refusal to harm the boy when he himself didn’t totally understand it?

The journey to the palace hadn’t taken as long as Rowan had thought. While he enjoyed being so close to Thaden, who he now knew was the brother of the Crown Prince, he was also glad to be down from the horse. Years of sitting around the palace had caused his backside to be much too soft for horse back riding. If he were back home in Basmorte, he would have soaked his sore bottom in a hot bath. As it was, the achy pains he felt would just have to be endured, no matter how difficult he found that to be. He was certain that his backside was covered in bruises.

After Thaden had helped Rowan off the horse, a servant came and led the horse away, and Thaden took hold of the rope still tied around Rowan’s wrists and led him into the castle through a small door near the back gate.

“I’d rather not be spotted leading a prisoner in through the main gate.” Thaden explained to him as they walked. “That would raise too many questions that I just don’t have answers for at the moment.”

Rowan nodded in understanding.

As he was led through the massive halls of the elven palace, Rowan was in awe of not only the spaciousness but also at how open and bright everything was. The floors were a sparkling white marble and the walls were covered in tapestries of vibrant colors. Vases of fresh flowers decorated polished tables and all around them were servants in light colored uniforms cleaning, or carrying trays of food and drink. Everyone seemed busy and hard at work yet not one person was without a smile. Some maids even hummed to themselves while dusting or sweeping, and an older man with a rounded belly laughed heartily at something another man had said.

Everywhere Rowan looked people seemed happy which was a stark contrast to the dark and gloomy palace he had grown up in. Many of the servants smiled and greeted Thaden as he walked by them and he returned the greeting with a guanine smile on his handsome face. Most of the servants they encountered ignored Rowan completely though there were a few looks of confusion and only one young female maid gasped when she saw Rowan as though his appearance in the palace frightened her. The girls sudden gasp earned her a disapproving look from Thaden and she quickly bowed then scurried away.

Rowan looked down in shame. He didn’t want anyone to fear him but he supposed being dragged through the palace halls with his wrists bound like a criminal didn’t help any. He could only imagine what the servants must have thought of him. Then again, they probably weren’t used to prisoners being brought into the main areas of the palace as most would have been taken straight to the dungeons so, it came as no surprise to Rowan that the poor maid had been frightened of him. Rowan could have been a thief or a murderer for all the girl knew.

Thaden didn’t speak much to Rowan as they walked. Only instructing him at times where to turn or to slow down or hurry up. Rowan quickly learned to keep an even pace with the Prince and not lag behind as he often did when seeing something that peaked his interests such as a painting or statue. Such things of beauty were not common in the vampire palace and any paintings he’d seen were ones depicting gruesome and frighting scenes. The paintings in the elven palace however, were scenes depicting happy couples dancing, men on horseback, or young girls picking flowers. Rowan couldn’t help but stop and stare. He didn’t know if he’d ever see such things again.

Finally they had come to a long, winding staircase. The steps were white marble like the floors but with a light blue runner going up the center. The rail were the same polished stone as the floors but the ends of the rails had a lions head carved right into the stone. It was magnificent to behold and so regal. Rowan wanted so desperately to reach out and touch the carved stone but he dare not try for fear of angering the Prince. Prince Thaden led Rowan up the stairs, being careful not to pull on the rope too much for fear of Rowan tripping.

They climbed the stairs until they reached the second floor landing then from there began up another flight of stairs that were slightly more narrow than the first but no less extravagant. The top of the second landing opened up into a long corridor. Windows lining one side of the corridor allowed some light in but not as much as the main floor. Still, it was brighter than the near black corridors of the vampire palace. Rowan marveled at the ornate doors they passed on that floor. Large, oak doors painted white with blue frames greeted them with a welcoming feel. Against the wall between each door were smaller, polished tables, and flower arrangements similar to the ones Rowan had seen downstairs.

“Are these bedrooms?” Rowan asked in amazement.

“These are the guest suites.” Thaden told him.

“Your palace is mesmerizing.” Rowan told him.

“Thank you.” Thaden said. For a brief moment, Rowan thought he saw the hint of a smile on the Prince’s face.

Thaden began to slow towards the end of the hall and then stopped in front of one of the doors. Rowan noticed that Nasir, who had been behind them when they first began going up the flight of stairs, was no longer with them. Rowan figured he must have gone on up to his own rooms but he wasn’t sure. He was just glad that the man was no longer following them because Rowan didn’t like the way he kept glaring at him. It made Rowan feel uneasy, and a little frightened.

Thaden pushed down the door handle and opened the door. “This is where you will be staying until I can figure out what to do with you.” Thaden told him.

Rowan nodded. “Thank you.” He said softly.

Thaden raised an eyebrow in question.

“For not locking me in the dungeon.” Rowan clarified.

“Oh. Well...you’re welcome.” Thaden said, looking away from Rowan as he felt a pang of guilt when he saw the gratitude in the boys innocent eyes. “You’re still a prisoner.” Thaden told him. “Make no mistake about that. I just can’t, in good conscious, condone locking you away in some dirty cell. Vampire or not, you’re still royalty.”

“You’re very kind.” Rowan said, blushing.

“You’ve not even me a reason to not be kind.” The words hung between them as a sort of warning and Rowan understood the meaning. Thaden could be kind, but if Rowan gave him reason, he could also be cruel. Rowan wasn’t worried though. He did not intend to do anything that would earn him Thaden’s wrath.

Thaden held his arm out, indicating that Rowan was to enter the room. He did so and Thaden followed closely behind him. They walked through the ante chamber and into the receiving room.

“This is your outer chamber.” Thaden explained. “And through there is the bed chamber.” He pointed towards a set of double doors to the left of the room. “Your meals will be brought to you as you are not permitted to leave these rooms. Should you feel the need to go...exploring, let me warn you. These rooms are spelled and you will not be able to breach the thresh hold of the main door.” He said this with a tone a bit colder than he’d intended, treating Rowan like he was some dangerous criminal was not his intention but he wanted to make it clear that Rowan was not free to just roam around the castle.

“I understand.” Rowan sad, a little sadly. “I won’t try to escape. I promise.”

Thaden nodded. “Good.” Thaden looked around the room as he tried to think of anything else he needed to tell the boy. “I think everything is in order then.” He said, turning to look at Rowan. “If you need anything you can ask one of the servants.”

“Thank you.” Rowan said softly.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll take my leave.” Thaden rubbed his hands nervously against the outside of his thighs. He gave Rowan a quick nod then turned to leave.

“May I ask a question?” Rowan spoke up suddenly causing Thaden to stop and turn back around to face him.

“If you wish.”

“What’s going to happen to me?” Rowan asked. The look in his eyes was sincere and full of worry. This was made evident by the way he wrung his hands in front of him. He looked so small just then, so fragile, and scared. It broke Thaden’s heart to see the boy that way. He suddenly wanted to run up to him, scoop him up into his arms and promise him that everything was going to be fine, but he couldn’t.

Honestly, Thaden didn’t know what was going to happen. He hadn’t planned that far ahead yet. All he knew was that he had to get Rowan someplace safe. Someplace he could watch over him. Someplace he could be close to him. The next step obviously was to speak to Lierin. After that, he didn’t know. This was all so new to him. Ordinarily he would have no problem killing a rouge vamp that was caught on their land. Rowan was different though. He wasn’t a rouge and Thaden didn’t really think he was a danger either but, he had to be careful. Until he spoke to Lierin and explained the situation to him, it was best to keep Rowan under lock and key.

“I’ll have to speak with my brother, the Crown Prince.” Thaden told him. “But, after that, I don’t really know. I suppose, if my brother believes your story, he’ll agree to transport you to Millbarrow as was your original plan.” Thaden cringed at the very thought of that though. He didn’t want Rowan to leave but he couldn’t force the boy to stay if he really wanted to go.

“Oh, Alright.” Rowan said, sounding almost disappointed.

The look of defeat on Rowan’s face nearly broke Thaden. Again he wanted nothing more than to go to the boy, crush him against his body, and comfort him. He had to get out of that room before he did something completely stupid. “Was there anything else?” Thaden asked.

“Well...” Rowan looked up with a slight smirk on his face and then held his bound hands out.

Thaden’s eyes went wide and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. “Oh, right. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m normally not this scatterbrained.” He walked to Rowan and began to untie his wrists. Rowan glanced up at him and smiled. “Thank you.” He said again, his emerald eyes sparkling with something like adoration as he looked up at Thaden.

As Thaden removed the rope binding Rowan’s wrists, his fingers brushed over the soft skin of his hand. His skin was silken and smooth, flawless, and his eyes, Goddess those eyes. Thaden thought. I could get lost in those eyes. The rope dropped to the floor but Thaden didn’t move to pick it up or even step away from Rowan. He couldn’t. He was frozen in place, staring into those emerald pools, his hands cupped Rowan’s hands and again that pulse of energy passed between them.

Before Thaden even realized what he was doing, he had leaned forward, inhaling Rowan’s alluring scent. Rowan tilted his head back and closed his eyes and that was when Thaden noticed his lips. His full, red, and inviting lips. He drew closer, their lips nearly touching. Thaden could feel his heart pounding and he felt a sense of excitement rush through him as his lips lightly brushed against Rowan’s full lips then, he stopped, suddenly realizing what he was about to do, and pulled back.

Rowan opened his eyes and looked at Thaden, the disappointment clear on his young face. Goddess what’s wrong with me? Thaden thought. I almost kissed him.

“I-I have to go.” Thaden stammered as he backed away. “I’ll return when I have some news.” He didn’t wait for a reply. Thaden turned and hurriedly made his way out of the room, through the ante chamber, and back into the hall. He closed the main door and locked it then, when he was sure the door was secure, he leaned back against it and took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

“What the hell is going on?” He whispered into the empty hall. “This can’t be happening.”

He ran a hand through his thick hair and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. What he was feeling wasn’t right. The emotions he felt when he looked at Rowan, when he touched him, the energy between them..none of it was real. It couldn’t be. He knew what it meant, what he was feeling, but it had to be a mistake. It just had to be. The mother Goddess wouldn’t do something so cruel but, the facts were there, as clear as day. “How can this be?” He whispered as tears filled his eyes. “How can he, a vampire, be my mate?”