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Castle of the House of WhiteRoyal Gardens15 years after King Wendell’s Coronation “Tag!” The young girl cried out, “You’re it!” With a squeal she set off across the gardens dodging hedgerows, her burgundy tunic flying out behind her, barely concealing the auburn tail the poked out from beneath. Her brother gave chase, but at a slower pace as he stalked and tried to outmaneuver her, his own brown tail twitching in anticipation of the pounce. “Oh Christy!” He called out, a mischievous grin on his face, “I’m gonna get you, just you wait!” “You’d have to catch me first!” The girl chuckled, rounding the aviary and running smack into the chest of her brother. “No fair, Ren!” “Very fair, Christy,” He chuckled, “Not my fault you seem to take the same three routes when it’s my turn to be ‘it,’ I had a one in three chance of being in the right place to catch you.” “Whatever,” Christy huffed, “I’m tired of this game, why don’t we play hide-and-seek… that is unless you are too old for such games.” “I’ll never be too old for hide-and-seek, but I think it would be more fun if it wasn’t just the two of us,” Warren smirked, “Why don’t you go see if Bianca is done with her schooling for the day, maybe she can join us.” “Not a bad idea,” Christy grinned and set off for the school room in the eastern wing. No more than a few minutes later, she returned, dragging their cousin with her. “Okay, you both know the game, I’ll start counting to one hundred and you two must hide. Whomever gets back to the aviary without being caught is safe. If I catch you, you’re ‘it.’” Both Bianca and Warren nodded their agreement to the terms of the game and took off the moment Christy turned her back to start counting. Warren immediately set off into the hedgerow maze that was on the south side of the garden, knowing the scent of the bushes would throw off his sister’s ability to sniff him out, thus making it harder for her to rely on the Wolven abilities they had both inherited from their father. Turning a blind corner, he ran straight into something, or rather, someone. Luckily, he had enough momentum to turn so that they landed on top of him rather than the other way around. “Oof!” A soft voice huffed as their body impacted his. They had landed on the ground surrounded by the three books the other person had been previously carrying. Slowly opening his eyes, Warren was met with a pair of the most beautiful aquamarine eyes he’d ever seen peering down at him from under a deep red hood. “Cripes! I’m sorry, I must not have been looking where I was going.” He helped the girl to her feet, “Are you okay?”“I think so,” The girl brushed off the skirts of her dress before setting about retrieving the books that had fallen in the collision. “Or at the very least, I am very certain I will live.”Warren heard his sister’s count come to an end as she called out that she was on the hunt, “Quickly, come with me.” He grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her through the maze and into an oft overlooked side passageway of the labyrinth that he was almost certain his sister wouldn’t check.“I’m not sure this is entirely proper,” She chuckled as she allowed herself to be pulled through alley after alley, slightly bemused at all that was happening until they came to a small alcove. With a quick look over his shoulder, he ducked in, pulling her with him as he pressed them both into the small space. “Now I know this isn’t entirely proper,” She joked.“Shh,” Warren pressed a finger to his lips to signal his request for silence. The pair stood stock-still and silent as the she-Wolf passed near the wall opposite them. As soon as he was sure that Christy was out of earshot, he spoke once more. “I figured the ivy would throw her off the scent,” He smirked, “I’m Warren by the way.”“Roselynn,” The young woman smiled softly up at him, playing with the edges of the books she held.“It’s nice to meet you Lynn,” Warren allowed his eyes to linger perhaps a few moments longer than he should, but Roselynn voiced no complaint to him.She was pretty, as many young girls throughout the kingdoms were, but there was something different about her that held him entranced as he took his time taking in all of her. Her hood, which clearly indicated who she was, or at least her station, had fallen back during the sprint through the hedgerows revealing blonde hair the color of freshly harvested wheat, some of which had fallen from the careful plating that ran down the back of her head.Beneath her cloak, she wore a simple, blue day dress with short sleeves and a scooped neckline with lace edging along the collar and cuffs. The bodice cut off just below her developing bosom before flowing gently to just above her ankles. On her feet she wore a pair of brown leather boots that laced up to just over the notch of her ankles. All in all, she looked like every other girl from her Kingdom, but there was something different about her, something softer than her mother or elder sister.Of course, Roselynn was, likewise, taking in the young man who had, literally, knocked her off her feet. The black boots on his feet were well-worn, but not scuffed, something that spoke of action, but still care. He wore tan trousers that were held up by a black leather belt which accented his trim waist. The ties of his green tunic were undone and hung loosely from the grommets through which they were threaded. He had a strong chin, and full lips which would look odd on some boys but on him it suited his face. His hair fell in dark waves that brushed the collar of his shirt. However, it was his eyes that held her attention. They were a warm hazel with hints of gold that seemed to glow in the shadowed corridor, or maybe just when he looked in her general direction, but she couldn’t be sure.“What are you reading?” Warren asked, pointing to the books she held in her arms.“Just a few books from the castle’s library,” She shrugged, “Mama prefers we not interrupt our studies when she makes these diplomatic trips. I’ve already finished the assignments our governess laid out for us so she instructed me to ‘Go find something to read,’ So I did, and I must say it is quite fascinating what I found.”“How so?” Warren cocked his head to the side, reminding Roselynn of a puppy with the way his hair flopped with the movement.“I’m from the Second Kingdom,” She explained, as if he hadn’t already figured that out, “So we never really studied the Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms because of the Wolf’s involvement.”“It’s just Wolf,” Warren chuckled before nodding to one of the books, “May I?”“Sure,” Roselynn handed over one of the books, “I am so glad I found this book too; I’ve read up on the history of the Kingdoms many times over, but they were just as important, and it seems Wolf was a huge part of that. Sadly, that’s something that would be downplayed at every turn if this was even allowed to be taught back home, which is doubtful.”“Second Kingdom policies being what they are, I can’t say I’m surprised,” Warren shrugged, thumbing through the tome.“It doesn’t mean that it’s right,” Roselynn huffed, “I mean a third of our citizens, perhaps less now that many of the other Kingdoms have opened their boarders since King Wendell’s decree, are Wolves. We ought to be able to learn their history, and how it integrates with ours, preferably from their perspective.”“Good luck getting that past the queen,” Warren rolled his eyes.“You know, I’m not completely convinced that Wolves are as inherently evil as my mother and her court believe,” Roselynn shrugged, “There has to be more to that story I mean, that’s why I found that book so interesting, it portrayed Wolf as a hero rather than some grandmother-eating, chaos causing, murdering, savage.”“Well there was the chicken massacre in Little Lamb Village,” Warren reminded her, “We can’t overlook that.”“True, but I don’t think that was completely his fault,” Roselynn countered, “I mean, if it were, wouldn’t we be hearing of other such instances every full moon?”“You do have a point,” Warren conceded, “There are even some theories that his lack of control that night was not of his own inability to control himself, but due to the influence the Evil Queen had over him.”“I would be interested to find out if the theory proved true,” She mused, her head cocking to the side in thought before she noticed the long shadows surrounding them, “Oh dear, it’s getting late, I really should head back before Mother gets worried.”“Why? Do you think she’ll worry you are stuck in the labyrinth with a Wolf?” Warren teased, a slight smirk on his lips as the setting sun shadowed his face in sharp angles. Even in the lower light, he could see the slight blush rise to her cheek.“N-no, but it wouldn’t help at all if Mother found out I was alone with a boy,” She stammered, “And she certainly wouldn’t like it if she knew that on top of that, that the boy I was consorting with was a Wolf.”“We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” Warren chuckled, “Do you need help finding your way out?”“I probably should accept your offer to guide me,” She consented, “I fear the game turned me about some.”“Then I pray you allow me to escort you through,” Warren took her books and tucked them under an arm while offering the other in faux chivalry, “Mademoiselle?”“Why thank you, kind sir,” Roselynn giggled, taking his arm as he wove through the passages of the great maze before finally arriving at the edge of the garden. “I enjoyed meeting you.”“As did I,” Warren smiled, his hazel eyes glowing gold in the twilight, “I hope we can meet again someday.”“I would very much like that,” She agreed, “Too bad we are leaving at first light. Thank you for your help in the maze.”“Glad to be of service, but you best run along, Little Red,” Warren grinned, “Wouldn’t want to be caught alone with the big bad Wolf.”“I don’t see any about,” She shrugged, “I just see a kind boy who protected a girl from getting lost.” With one last smile, she headed toward the main entrance to the castle.Warren stood staring, a bemused smile on his lips, as he watched her cross the lawn before turning and dashing toward the staff entrance to make his way to his family’s quarters. His uncle insisted they have their own space in the castle for times such as these when his parents were called to participate in matters of state.“Where were you?” Christy demanded the moment he came through the door.“I was hiding,” He shrugged innocently, “Apparently you weren’t a very good seeker.”“You cheated,” She accused him.“No, I didn’t,” Warren countered, “I just didn’t allow you to use your sense of smell to an unfair advantage.”“You have the exact same senses,” Christy pointed out.“What is going on here?” Their mother entered, hearing the two bickering, her hand resting on her swollen stomach. She and her husband had found out a few months ago that they were expecting twins, which would make their pack grow from 5 to 7, once the two were born.“Christy seems to think that me using the ivy in the labyrinth to hide my scent is cheating during hide and seek,” Warren explained.“I’m not even going to rule on that, I’ll leave that to your father,” She sighed, running her fingers through her dark brown hair which she was letting grow out again after having it short for over a decade. “All I want to hear is the sound of two kids cleaning up for dinner, your uncle is expecting us soon, Now, shoo.”“Yes, Mama,” The pair acquiesced before turning toward the washroom.“What was that about?” Her husband asked, coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his thumbs tracing circles over her distended stomach as he playfully nuzzled her neck.“Something about hiding in ivy during hide-and-seek,” She sighed, leaning into his chest, allowing him to hold her up, “Figured it was more a Wolf thing than a Mama thing.”“Probably better to let them work it out themselves.” Her husband shrugged.“You just don’t want to deal with it,” She chuckled.“Not in the slightest,” He agreed, “I am, however very hungry. Let me see if I can’t hurry those cubs of ours along.”She just nodded as she rebalanced onto her feet as he released his hold on her. Grabbing his hand as he passed, she got him to stop a moment, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”“I would say nearly as much as I love you,” He stepped toward her, dropping a tender kiss that held all the passion of the past 15 years they’d been together in it, “My Virginia.”“How did I ever get so lucky?” She sighed, “To have fallen in love with the Wolf by whom all wolves are now measured.”“You weren’t lucky,” Wolf smiled, “I am the lucky one here, I mean huff puff, I had to journey into another dimension just to find you. And you were not an easy woman to pursue, but so well worth it.”“I love you,” Virginia repeated.“I love you too,” Wolf smiled warmly at his bride, “My love for you is stronger than any enchanted moon.” With one last kiss, he turned on his heel and headed toward the washroom to hurry his children along. It wouldn’t have done to leave the ruler of the Fourth Kingdom waiting, even if the ruler was his brother-in-law.
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It had been years since Roselynn had been to King Wendell’s castle. Her mother had been called for a week-long summit of the leaders of the Nine Kingdoms so that they could come to a decision on how to respond to the latest threat from the Troll Kingdom. Everyone knew the trolls, who were yet to decide who would lead them since King Relish’s murder some nineteen years ago, were more of a nuisance than an actual threat to the kingdoms. Knowing that the most recent issue was a small border skirmish along the far south side of the Fourth Kingdom, she felt safe enough to leave the castle walls. It was such a beautiful spring day and the weather was just cool enough to be comfortable. As she entered the garden, she looked along the hedgerows that were still so vivid in her mind. He was the first, the only, Wolf she’d ever met, and the circumstances of their meeting years ago were still fresh in her memory. As she walked ever deeper towards the center of the maze, she let her mind drift to that meeting. She remembered how surprised she was that he seemed like just a normal boy, except for his eyes which were a hypnotizing shade of hazel that glimmered gold when he was being cheeky. As she rounded the last turn, lost in her reverie, she ran into something hard and strong as a brick-built pig house yet soft and warm at the same time. “Oof!” Came the exclamation from above her head causing her to look up into the mysterious hazel eyes that had captivated her upon their first meeting. “You really ought to look where you’re going, princess.” The young man laughed, grabbing her arms to steady her on her feet. “I’m sorry,” She responded, backing away from him a step. “I was lost in my thoughts.” “Clearly,” He laughed good-naturedly. Roselynn took a moment to take in the man who stood before her. He was tall and lean but, thanks to their collision, she knew he was sturdily built. He had dark brown, nearly black wavy hair that was haphazardly parted to the side, and lightly brushed his collar. His clothes were fairly typical for a family of inheritance in the Fourth Kingdom. He wore a burgundy shirt that was loosely tied at the top, allowing a glimpse of his throat and a very small portion of his chest. The tan vest was likewise left unbuttoned, and his brown pants were cut close enough to show that his legs were as muscular as his upper body, without revealing too much else. On his feet he wore boots of dark brown leather that shone slightly in the midday sun. The effect made him look roguish, but it was clear that he could make himself more presentable at a moment’s notice if he so chose. He looked so much like the drawings of his father in the history books that most children in the Nine Kingdoms used for their schooling. She was so busy taking in the sight of him, she didn’t hear what he had said. “I’m sorry, I went back into my head again.” She blushed, “What did you just say?” He just smiled, “I said you grew up well.” The complement caused her to blush more, if that was even possible. “Thank you,” She blushed, stepping around him and continuing down the path toward the garden before turning back toward him. “You didn’t grow up so bad yourself. You look just like the drawings of your father.” “So, you do remember me.” Warren fell into step beside her. “Of course, I remember you, Warren.” She laughed slightly, “It was in this garden that we first met while you were playing hide-and-seek with your sister and cousin. Not to mention that it’s a little hard to forget your first Wolf.” “Only your first?” He teased, “You’ve met others?” “Well, actually, no,” She admitted, “Mother would be furious if she knew I was consorting with Wolves, even here. Despite the fact she knows that there are Wolves in the royal family here, she chooses to ignore or denounce as the moment strikes her. Which means that you are the only Wolf I’ve ever met.” “I’m glad I could oblige,” He smiled, as he bowed just enough to make a smile appear on the young woman’s lips. “So, what brought you out here this fine day?” “The weather is so nice today that it seemed a waste to spend it indoors.” She shrugged, “So I thought it would be nice to come and read for a while in the garden.” “It seems you came well prepared,” Warren teased nodding to the thick leather tome in her hands. Roselynn just laughed quietly and sat down on the bench that sat beneath the large shade tree that stood in the center of the garden. It was now Warren’s turn to get a good look at her. She was attractive in a bookish kind of way, shy. She was prettiest when she smiled, especially when she blushed. Her glittering aquamarine eyes the perfect complement to her pale skin which glowed the most charming shade of pink when she blushed. Her long honey blonde hair hung in curls down her back ending just a few inches from her waist. Underneath the standard red cape and hood, she wore a pale purple linen day dress that had a slight train in the back as was the fashion, and based on the imprints on the path, the same type of booted heels his sister wore from time to time. Even with the heels, she barely was to his shoulder. She can’t be more than 15, he reminded himself. Not only was her appearance lovely, but in the few moments they’d spent together both as children and this very afternoon, he could tell she had a beautiful soul as well. Most any descendant of the house of Red would had brushed him off or turned their nose up at him once they knew of his true nature, but not her. She responded to him as if he were any other man, she was even able to see through the lies in the history of the Kingdoms concerning the Wolven people. She would make some man very happy someday and would make a fine and fair ruler one day if she ever had the opportunity. “Looks as if it is you lost in thought this time.” The young woman smiled at him. Knowing he had been caught, he shrugged slightly and sat next to her. “You got me,” He admitted, “I was just marveling at how much you’ve changed over the past five years, and how much you haven’t. You still have that kind soul you had as a child.” “How do you know I’m not leading you on, so you’ll draw close enough for me to kill you?” she asked attempting a straight face but failing. “Aside from your smirk giving you away?” He teased. “One thing you have to know about Wolves, we are excellent judges of character. You don’t have a violent or malicious bone in your body. You’re very innocent, in the best way possible. I can tell you have a good soul; you genuinely care for people. I think you’ll make a great queen someday.” “My mother says I’m a push-over.” She stated simply, “Even if I were first born, I doubt she’d ever name me her heir.” “That’s too bad,” Warren sighed, “The Second Kingdom could use a ruler like you; Wolves have been oppressed and persecuted for too long there.” “I know; I just wish there was something I could do to help.” Roselynn admitted, “Short of completely overthrowing the government and forcing my mother and sister to both abdicate the throne… which is never going to happen.” “I’m sure you’ll find a way to influence change some day.” He smiled back at her before changing the subject. “What are you reading today?” “I found this in the library,” She explained, tilting the book up so he could see the title, “It seems to be about the Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms, but told from your mother’s point of view.” “Really?” Warren’s ears would have perked up if they had that ability. She handed him the leather-bound tome with The 10th Kingdom emblazoned in golden letters on the front. “I’ve heard Mama and Papa talk briefly about their adventure, but only little bits and pieces here and there when we had questions about it for our history classes. Do you mind if I read along with you?” He asked, running his fingers over the gold lettering. “Not at all, but do you mind if we move a bit? This bench is a bit too hard.” “As you wish, Goldilocks. There’s a nice grassy bit where the roots rise up on the other side of the tree.” Warren suggested, rising and offering his hand to her. A few moments later they were settling in along the trunk of the tree, side by side with the book spread over their laps. “Ready?” Roselynn asked looking up at Warren who nodded enthusiastically, “Okay, here we go. ‘My name is Virginia and I live on the edge of a forest…’” The two sat there reading, switching off from time to time. Either by a stroke of luck, or perhaps a bit of magic extended to them by those who still held sway in the kingdoms, the story ended just as the sun began its descent. As they closed the book, they looked at each other, absorbing the story they’d just read. It was so much more than what they’d heard before, not even Warren knew the full story of his parents’ first meeting or his conception which were included in the tale. “I think we now know how you came to be.” Roselynn teased. “And why you enjoy hide-and-seek so much.” “I never realized how much of a struggle it was for them,” Warren mused, “Especially for my father. It seems like he struggled with the moon immensely, either that or whatever hold my grandmother had on him back then made it much more difficult for him. He seems to have an easier time with it now, and I’ve never been more than mildly cranky and ill.” Then noticing the time, “We should probably be getting back, the sun will be set soon.” “I suspect you are right.” Roselynn agreed as Warren stood and helped her up. They walked for a time in silence, Warren carrying the book under his arm as they went. After a while Roselynn looked up at him, “Do all Wolves fall that instantly?” “How do you mean?” Warren asked, lost in his own thoughts. “Your father knew your mother was to be his mate even before he met her in person.” Roselynn clarified, “Is it that way with all Wolves?” “Sometimes yes, sometimes no,” Warren shrugged, “I think it depends on the Wolf and who their mate is. If the object of the affection is another Wolf, or someone who has some kind of magical ability or connection I think it speeds up the process a bit. You see, my mother is the biological daughter of Queen Christine; not only that, but Snow White herself took my mother under her protection. So, magic was pretty much around them from day one, helping them along.” “When you consider that, and the fact your mother and grandfather came from a different realm all together, it’s almost as if fate brought them together.” Roselynn mused. “You’d be surprised how often it works that way,” Warren chuckled as they approached the main gate of the castle. “Here’s where you go your own way. I’ll go around to the side door, so you don’t get in trouble for being with me. It was nice seeing you again.” And with that he dashed off towards the kitchens. “Nice seeing you,” She called after him, watching as he disappeared around the large stone wall.
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“Where have you been?” Ruby demanded when Roselynn returned to the suite of rooms that the queen and princesses of the Second Kingdom were sharing. “And didn’t you have a book when you left?” “I was in the gardens.” Roselynn informed her, as she removed her cape and hung it on a nearby coat stand. “There was a lovely spot I found when we visited as children and I wanted to see it again. I spent all day there reading under the large oak tree that is there. I must have forgotten the book in my rush to get back before the sun set completely.” “You didn’t run into any Wolves, did you?” Ruby questioned haughtily, sneering as if she tasted something bad just by saying the word ‘Wolves,’ “Mother is livid, she just found out that the king’s step sister and her mutts are here. The audacity of that man to not tell us we were sleeping in the same building as those filthy vermin.” “This is such a large castle, I doubt you’d have to see them if you didn’t wish to.” Roselynn pointed out, “You and Mother could receive your meals here; they do have a dining area in these suites.” Ruby just huffed indignantly, “I am not going to allow lesser creatures banish me to these chambers, why should we suffer just because King Wendell doesn’t see what a threat these creatures are?” Roselynn was glad her sister’s back was to her, at least then Ruby didn’t see her roll her eyes. “I didn’t intend to imply that you should be kept captive during our visit here. I was simply pointing out an option if you didn’t wish to dine with that part of the King’s family. I didn’t even mention that I think you’re being completely unreasonable, which you are. There has been no real proof of Wolf-related violence thus far in our lifetime. There is no reason to think there will ever be.” Whatever snide remark her sister was about to make was cut off by a knock at the chamber doors; when Roselynn opened the large door, she saw a young woman about her age dressed in the uniform of a lady’s maid standing before her. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but King Wendell asked that all guests be informed that dinner will start in an hour. Do you need any assistance getting dressed?” “Please come in,” Roselynn smiled at the young woman before turning to her sister and speaking to her as she crossed to the room where she was sleeping during this visit. “I’m going to dinner; you and Mother may join me if you wish.” “You really must get your priorities straight, little sister!” Ruby shouted at her sister as the door shut behind the two young women. “You are frightfully naive if you think this topic is closed.” She muttered to herself.
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It was another beautiful morning in the Fourth Kingdom as Roselynn made her way, as she had every morning that week, toward the garden at the middle of the hedgerow maze. “Good morning, Princess,” The dulcet tone purred as she took the third turn which removed her from any prying eyes that may have tried to follow her. She merely smiled and glanced at the young man by her side. “Good morning,” She nodded. “Where are you off to this fine summer morning?” He asked, “Off to see Grandmama?” Roselynn rolled her eyes at the inquiry, “I don’t think it would be very prudent for me to tell you where I was going, Mr. Wolf,” She went along with his game. “You seem in an awful hurry wherever you are going,” He smirked as he stepped in front of her and began to walk backwards, “Surely there’s nothing so important that you couldn’t stop for a moment to enjoy the flowers.” “I have someone waiting for me,” She shook her head. “Hot date?” He quirked his head to the side. “My, what a big ego you have,” She teased. “All the better to impress you, my dear.” He grinned picking a flower from a nearby bush and holding it out to her, “Is it working?” “My, how charming you are.” She smirked, taking the offered flower. “All the better to stay in your good graces, my dear.” “My, how persistent you are.” “All the better to keep you in my company for just a bit longer.” He smiled warmly, watching his friend laugh as they made their way through the maze. “Warren, if my mother knew what I was up to today, or any other day this week, I would be in so much trouble.” She shook her head. “But I’m worth it, am I not?” He challenged. “Most definitely,” She agreed as they made their final turn into the inner garden, “You are the best friend I’ve ever had.” “Glad to be of service,” He bowed deeply before sprinting ahead of her and pulling out a basket and a blanket from behind the tree which he proceeded to spread out on the ground. “I figured it would be nice to sit in the sun for a bit and enjoy a little treat while we are here.” “A grand idea, if I ever heard one.” She smiled up at him as she removed her cape and settled on one corner of the blanket, opening the nearby basket to find some fruit, cheese, meat, and crackers along with something fizzy in a glass bottle. “What is this?” “It’s from the kingdom where my mother and grandfather were born,” Warren explained, sitting next to her. He reached into the basket and pulled out two glasses before pouring the bubbling, translucent, liquid into them, “They call it cream soda, give it a try.” Roselynn took the offered cup from his hand and clinked it against his in salute. She took a sip, enjoying the sweet taste of the beverage and how the bubbles tickled her nose, “Oh! That’s delightful!” “I thought you might like it,” Warren gave her a gentle smile over his own glass. They spent the next few hours talking about anything and everything while snacking on the treats from the basket. Before long, the food and drink were gone, and they were laying back on the blanket. At some point they had kicked off their shoes to enjoy the soft feel of the grass on their feet, something they never would have been allowed to get away with in polite society, not that their friendship would have been very well accepted either. They were laying perpendicular to each other; Roselynn’s head was resting on Warren’s stomach as he gently ran his fingers through her silken hair. They were enjoying the moment when Roselynn’s soft voice slipped through the silence, “Do you ever wonder if you will be a hero like your parents?” She felt his hand hesitate a moment before continuing its ministrations against her scalp, “No, not really.” He admitted, “I doubt that is my destiny, not everyone is cut out to make such an impact. That’s not to say I won’t have some influence; my uncle has been grooming me for years to become an adviser for him. I highly doubt that years from now when school children are taught about this time in our history, my name will be found in any books aside from perhaps a foot note stating that I was the cub conceived at the end of the grand adventure that saved the Nine Kingdoms from the Evil Queens coup. What about you?” “I suppose it wouldn’t be such a huge impact elsewhere,” She sighed, “But in a perfect world I would become a force for change in my Kingdom, the Hood that stood up against decades of injustice and bigotry. I know it can’t be done by enacting laws from the throne, it is so hard to sway the minds of adults. What I really would like to be is a teacher, influencing the next generation before they ever learn to hate Wolves, perhaps one day going as far as integrating Wolven children into our schools so they can have the same opportunities as non-Wolf children.” “That’s a very noble dream,” Warren conceded, “It would be hard to enact that level of change.” “I’m not denying that,” Roselynn shook her head. “But I think if anyone could do it, or at least set it in motion, it would be you, Lynn.” Warren smiled down at her as she turned her head until her eyes met his. “Don’t get me wrong, it would be difficult. Especially since you would be an outsider to the packs, and a Hood on top of that, but I have every confidence that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, even battling bigotry.” “What would my mother say?” She chuckled. “Oh, I think your mother would have a great deal to say about it,” Warren joined her laughter, “Whether that was before or after the coronary she’d be likely to have when she found out, still remains to be seen.” “True,” She adjusted herself, so she was laying against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, arm draped over his strong chest, playing with the strings hung loosely from the eyelets of his dark blue shirt. “If you could do anything you wanted, would you become an adviser to your uncle?” “I don’t know,” Warren admitted, “The opportunity to do such a great good is alluring, the status and all that comes with it, but at the same time, Wolven policy is in a good place here. I sometimes think that my life might be better spent working with the Wolven populations here and abroad to break their generational bonds and join the rest of society as unoppressed men and women.” “I think it’s great you care so much for your people,” Roselynn snuggled into his shoulder, eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of the warm sun on her face and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. “And I think it’s wonderful that we have such a great ally in the House of Red,” Warren caressed her shoulder, “Even if quiet support is all you can lend to the cause.” They laid like that for the rest of the afternoon until the sky started to be painted in golds and pinks indicating they should head back in. Together, they packed up the basket and folded the blanket before Warren helped Roselynn back on with her cape and the pair headed back toward the entrance of the maze. They knew this was the last day they would have together, at least until the next summit or inter-kingdom gathering, as she and her family were leaving at first light. “I’m going to miss our afternoon talks,” Roselynn sighed, adjusting the blanket in her arms. “Me too,” Warren nodded, “But it’s not like we won’t see each other again. With any luck it will be less than four years between this time around, but I suppose we’ll see.” “Goodbye, Mr. Wolf,” She smiled up at him as she handed him the blanket. “Good night Little Red,” He pulled her into his arms for a hug, “Don’t forget to enjoy the flowers.” With one more look over her shoulder, Roselynn pulled her hood up over her head and exited the hedgerow, heading toward the castle, aware of him watching to ensure her safe travel across the garden. She knew whenever he was around, he would always watch and protect her. Deep in her heart, in the recesses she dare not touch, she wished he was anything other than what he was, because she could see herself someday falling for a man such as Warren Wolfson.
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It was a spring day like any other in the Second Kingdom when Roselynn found herself summoned to her mother’s chambers. As she walked the corridors she found herself looking out into the dense woods that surrounded the castle her family had lived in for the past four generations. She knew the sun was out, but could barely make out any blue sky through the thick canopy. She wished she could be taking a walk in those woods, feel the slight chill of the breeze this early spring day, but she knew that her mother would not tolerate waiting. A few moments later she was standing in front of the entrance to her mother’s personal chambers where she knocked softly. The doors were opened and she was led into the lush parlor area of her mother’s rooms. “I’m glad you could finally join us.” Her mother looked up at her disapprovingly from her seat on the high-backed chair that dominated the room. Her sister looked on smugly from her own plush perch where she sat primly. “I’m sorry, Mother,” Roselynn made her apologies as she took a seat on a nearby sofa, “The herald summoned me only just a few moments ago.” “Now that we are all finally here, I suppose you are wondering why I summoned you?” Her mother continued, ignoring her comment. Roselynn shrugged not really interested in what her mother had to say, while Ruby sat in rapture hanging on the queen’s every word. “As you know I will not live forever and I must choose an heir. Now normally the eldest daughter would be named heir, however, since you are both of marriageable age, I’ve decided to do things a little differently. I recently have come into an agreement with King Olaf of the Seventh Kingdom where his son, Stephan, in exchange for some funds from our treasury, will marry the heir apparent to the Second Kingdom.” The queen was aware her daughter’s reactions to this news. Ruby sat up straighter and paid closer attention at the mention of the handsome prince’s name. Disappointing, as always, the queen thought noticing that Roselynn seemed even more disinterested, in fact she seemed almost disgusted at the prospect. “Prince Stephan will be coming next week and will stay with us over the next few months. Whomever he chooses as his bride will be designated as my successor.” Queen Riding Hood the Third stated looking between her daughters, “We are to make him feel welcome, am I clear?” “Yes Mother,” the chorus of Ruby’s excited and Roselynn’s annoyed voices responded. “You may go now.” The queen dismissed her daughters before stopping the youngest, placing a hand on the younger woman’s arm. “Roselynn, we will have none of your ‘equal rights for Wolves’ talk from here on out, especially once Prince Stephan gets here. Do you hear me? I don’t know where you got those fool ideas that Wolves are anything more than vulgar animals, but you will not be spreading such blatant propaganda around my court.” “Yes Mother.” Roselynn murmured before being released from her mother’s grasp and going straight to her rooms for her cape. She desperately needed fresh air to clear her head.
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Pulling on her favorite, comfortable, riding boots, changing into a dress with a loose-fitting skirt, and securing her cloak over her shoulders, Roselynn made her way down to the stable where Angel, her beautiful dappled mare, was housed. As soon as the stable hands saw her coming down the path, they started to saddle up the horse for Roselynn’s arrival. “We’ll have Angel ready for you in a minute,” One of the young men informed the princess. “No saddle today, just her bridle, I have the need to feel her every movement today.” Roselynn told the young groom who immediately relayed the information to one of the hands. The stable hand nodded his understanding and immediately took the saddle back to where it was kept while the groom brought the mare to the princess, handing her the reins.“Will you need any assistance mounting, milady?” “No thank you, Gareth,” Roselynn smiled at the young man, as she led the horse to a nearby fence before climbing the fence and mounting the horse that way. “I think I have it handled. I will be gone for a while, if my mother sends someone looking for me, you never saw me.” The young groom nodded as the princess rode off into the heavily wooded forest where she knew she could escape the pressures and strictures of the palace. She traveled eastward for a time enjoying the feel of the wind on her face and the cool of the shadows that overlapped the path. Every so often, a bird would offer its unique song to the world. She soon found herself traveling alongside a stream she knew ran for a bit along the border between the Fourth Kingdom and her own. She forded the stream astride her horse, the water at the deepest point teasing the hem of her dress. No sooner had she reached the other side then the horse was spooked by something within the woods and took off with the princess hanging on for dear life. Warren had been in the forest with his brother, helping their father as he did his duty in the forest as the new game warden and huntsman when they heard a young woman’s scream. Turning his steed in the direction of the shriek, he set off to find out what the problem might be. As he neared the source of the sound, he saw a flash of a wildly running horse and rider drive past him. He kicked his heels lightly into the sides of his steed and was soon hot on the heels of the runaway horse. As the forest gave way to a large meadow, he was able to reach the reigns of the frightened beast and slow it down to a slower trot before getting the mare to eventually come to a stop. “Are you okay, miss…” He started as he turned towards the young woman who was still bent holding on to the main of the dapple mare. “Lynn! I almost didn’t recognize you. What are you doing in the Fourth Kingdom?” “I wanted to go out for a ride to clear my head and thought it would be fun to cross the stream for a bit.” She explained, slowly sitting up, “Something startled her nearly the moment we were across, and she just took off. I had no choice but to hold on for the ride.” “Well, I’m glad you weren’t thrown in the process.” Warren smiled warmly at her as they both dismounted. He watched her as she gently comforted her mare, to his eyes, she made a rather attractive picture; just this side of 19, all disheveled blonde curls and flushed from the excitement. If I ever marry, I hope my mate is someone a bit like her. That wouldn’t be half bad. He thought to himself before shaking the thought from his head and gathering the reins of his stallion. “What has your mind so troubled that you needed a ride to clear it?” “My mother called Ruby and I to her private quarters today,” Roselynn sighed, stroking the cheek of her horse as they wandered, “She said she has struck a deal with the King of the Seventh Kingdom. Prince Stephan will be arriving within the next couple weeks to stay with us. Whomever he chooses to be his bride will inherit the kingdom.” “What a prize,” Warren replied flatly, raising his eyebrow at the young woman beside him, “I take it, you didn’t care for this news?” “Have you met Prince Stephan?” Roselynn challenged her friend. “Sadly yes, he gives Narcissus a run for his money,” Warren scoffed. “Who?” “Long story short, a mythical god from the Tenth Kingdom who fell in love with his own reflection,” Warren explained, grinning as he watched Roselynn stop, a smirk blooming on her lips as a chuckle turned into outright laughter. “That sounds about right,” She shook her head, “With any luck, he will set his sights on my sister. She’s loved him since the day she met him, but thus far he hasn’t noticed or cared.” “I wish you luck with that,” Warren gave her a sympathetic look, “I would hate to have to see you wed to him.” “Like my mother would allow you to attend the wedding anyhow,” Roselynn scoffed. “I doubt I would want to come anyway,” Warren admitted, “I don’t think I could stand to see you bind yourself to anyone who didn’t make you truly happy.” “You’re a good friend,” Roselynn stopped and placed her hand on his shoulder, “You know that?” “I’m alright,” He smirked and looked toward the western sky, “It’s going to be twilight soon, you should probably head back while you still have light.” “I wish I could stay longer,” She admitted with a sigh. “Me too,” Warren nodded, “Do you need a boost?” “You just want an excuse to touch my rear end,” She accused, a smirk on her lips belying the statement. “What kind of man do you take me for?” Warren challenged, mockingly indignant. “A Wolf,” She grinned up at him. “You have me there, so need a boost?” He smiled. “Please,” She swung the reins over the mare’s neck, got a good grip on the mane, and took a quick hop as Warren braced her shin and ankle, giving her the leverage she needed to mount the greying mare. She then watched as he rounded his own steed and quickly mounted by the stirrups which hung from his saddle. “Do you know what caused her to take off like that?” He looked her way as they led their horses across the field. “I haven’t a clue,” Roselynn shrugged looking over at him. “Probably something or another moved in a way to startle her. Which is odd as she’s normally fairly docile and doesn’t spook easily.” “All the same, I think I should escort you back just to make sure you’ll be okay.” Warren spoke simply, “I really ought to escort you all the way back to your palace since you are on your own.” “You and I both know how terrible of an idea that would be.” Roselynn protested, “My mother and sister would not take kindly to that at all. I think as far as the river is good enough, besides, it’s not too far of a ride from there to get me home.” “Okay, Lynn,” Warren sighed, “If that’s what you want.” “It’s not, but it’s what has to be for the sake of the sanity of everyone involved.” They rode for a time longer in companionable silence, the way so few can, before coming to the riverbank when Roselynn hesitantly broke the silence. “I suppose this is where we part ways for now.” “I’ll cross with you.” Warren said in a tone that allowed no room for argument once they reached the stream. “The river looks a little higher than usual and I would prefer to be close by if you need any assistance crossing.” Roselynn nodded in agreement before the two riders and their horses started across the river. This crossing wasn’t nearly as eventful as the last. As soon as they reached the other side, Warren and his horse stood, watching as Roselynn disappeared down the forest path that would lead to the northern palace of the Second Kingdom. Warren’s horse whinnied almost as if in protest. “I know boy, but she’s right, Wolves are not welcome in these woods.” As soon as the young woman and her mare had vanished from sight, Warren turned his horse around, crossing the river once more, and riding back along his side of the river to rejoin his father and brother.
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It had been nearly a year since her mother’s announcement that Prince Stephan would be coming to choose his bride and in so doing name the impending heir to the House of Red. Much to Roselynn’s dismay, the pompous prince had rarely let her be, no matter how many times she voiced her disinterest to him and tried to get him to turn his favor to her sister. As it so happened, about the time Prince Stephan was called to return to his Kingdom on business, another meeting of the counsel of the Nine Kingdoms was called. Once again bringing Roselynn to the Palace of White which would serve as her brief respite from the attentions of her family and Prince Stephan, or so she hoped.The Counsel of the Nine Kingdoms decided to take advantage of the gathering and use the rest of the week arguing international policies and politics. As this held little interest to her, which allowed her to enjoy her time at the castle, with one small exception. Her sister had been essentially ignoring her the whole trip. While she and Ruby didn’t see eye to eye on a great many things, Ruby had never gone so far as to give her the cold shoulder before. They had been there a week already and Ruby had been in a snit the entire visit, Roselynn could almost taste the anger dripping off her sister. What really concerned her was that much of Ruby’s anger seemed to be directed at her. She knew she had to get to the bottom of this problem her sister seemed to be having with her. With a nod to herself, Roselynn set off through the corridors in search of her sister. Before too long, she spotted her sister walking down an ornately decorated hall of blue doors with gold accents. “Ruby,” She called to her sister who only paused momentarily before continuing on, “Ruby wait for me.” Roselynn, with a determined manner in her step, followed and soon was close enough to grab hold of the pale red satin covered arm of her sister. “Would you please talk to me?” she pleaded with her sister, “We have nowhere to go until Mother concludes her business with King Wendell. Please tell me what has been bothering you as of late.” “Oh, like you don’t know,” The eldest daughter of the house of red snarled. “I honestly don’t.” Roselynn shook her pale curls, her voice pleading with her sister. “Unhand me.” Ruby demanded loudly, drawing a curious glance from a passing valet, as she yanked her arm from Roselynn’s grasp. “Ruby, please,” Roselynn blushed as she regained her grasp on her sister and guided her into a nearby room. Neither sister saw the plaque on the wall denoting it as the hall of mirrors. The moment the lock softly clicked; her sister rounded on her. “You can’t have him.” Her sister shouted. “Who?” Queried Roselynn, “Have who? What are you talking about?” “You know darn well who I’m talking about! You can’t have him.” Ruby repeated, “And I know you have designs on the throne too, I don’t care how many people you’ve charmed, you can’t have it. It’s my birthright.” “Ah, so now we’ve gotten to the heart of it.” Roselynn shook her head, “I have no desire to claim the throne or Prince Stephan, the self-involved, for myself. Trust me, two seconds of unwanted attention from him is too much, let alone the past year of his constant presence that I’ve had to endure!” Ruby’s only response was to huff loudly and mutter something under her breath. At that moment, a dim light from the corner of the room drew the attention of the princesses. “What’s that?” Ruby asked. “I don’t know,” Roselynn responded as they crossed the silent room. It was as if all sound but the brush of their skirts on the carpet and the slight hum of the magical mirrors that surrounded them had been sucked out of the space. As they drew closer to the mirror in question, the light brightened enough for them to see it was a traveling mirror. A turn of a knob on the upper left-hand side of the frame caused the glass to shift and wave as it showed an island city with large buildings, like rows and rows of castles lining the streets. It soon zoomed in on a park in the middle of all the buildings before settling at what seemed to be the edge of a wooded area. “This must be one of the mirrors the Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms used in their travels.” Roselynn mused leaning in to examine the scene projected before them. “Perhaps you should get a closer look.” Ruby insisted, a mischievous smile on her lips as she gave her younger sister a quick push, sending the girl toppling into the mirror. “Oops, my apologies, dear sister,” She laughed, turning the knob again to turn off the mirror. “You should have watched where you were going. Stephan is finally mine now that you’re no longer a distraction.” With one more glance in the disengaged mirror, she straightened her gown, checked her make-up and left the room.
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The tinkling of breaking glass sounded softly in her ears as Roselynn tumbled through gateway after gateway of mirrors before falling, face first, onto cool grass before looking back towards where she came. To her surprise, she saw the trees behind her waver and wink before returning to full, sharp focus again. The mirror had been turned off preventing her return to the kingdoms. Sighing, she rose to her feet and shook the dew and grass from her skirts, causing the few gold hoods in her pocket to sound their presence in her pocket. Shivering a bit as a cool breeze caressed her skin, she wrapped her thin, ornamental cape around herself and took in her surroundings. The juxtaposition of the large, forested, area against the towers which stood sentinel nearby, quite took her breath away. “Well, I suppose I should try to find shelter,” she shrugged, making her way through the park. “It doesn’t look like I will be getting back to Wendell’s castle any time soon.” As Roselynn aimlessly wandered the pathways that wove their way through the park, she found herself increasingly grateful that she had insisted on not wearing the heeled boots her lady’s maid had suggested. Luckily the shorter, ankle-high boots protected her feet from the damp grass upon which she had fallen on her arrival, not to mention they were far more comfortable than the alternative. She wandered a bit more, trying to ignore the strange looks she was receiving, and soon found herself in a rose garden. She smiled as fond memories of a young man telling her to take time to enjoy the flowers flited through her mind like fairies in the night as she leaned to sniff one of the early blooms. What she didn’t expect was who she would happen to run into, or rather who was about to run into her. Warren, on his way back from school, decided to take a detour through Central Park. Par for the course was the fact that he was lost in his own mind and not paying attention to where he was going. The last thing he expected was to literally run into a beautiful young woman, at least he had the foresight to turn at the last minute so that he would break her fall with his body when they both went crashing to the ground. Not as easy to do when his tail was tucked away, but he still managed. “Oof!” He exclaimed as the wind was partially knocked out of him by the path. “Are you okay?” Came the feminine voice above him as he felt her move off him. “I think that is supposed to be my line,” He chuckled, standing and reaching to assist her up. The first thing he noticed was that her clothing was unusual for New York in mid-spring, at least during the daytime or outside of a school dance or play. It looked more like something his aunt or cousin would wear back home. As his gaze slowly traveled up to meet the young woman’s eyes, taking in every detail of the strange creature, from the tan leather boots on her feet to the light purple dress with short, fluttery sleeves and a scooped neckline that closely followed her curves before flowing out from her waist to float about her legs. Thanks to the women in his family he could tell from the shape of the skirt that she was wearing at least one layer of underskirts beneath her dress. Over the dress she wore black brocaded vest bodice that laced up the back, hugging her body, accentuating her curves from her waist up to the slight swell of her bust which gently rose and fell as she tried to regulate her breathing. Lastly, she wore a red cape that flowed from her shoulders to about six inches below her waist. The hood of her cape had come up, shading her face from him. It was quite apparent that she was not from around here; there was something distinctly Kingdoms about her, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it until she turned, her pale eyes meeting his. “Lynn? What are you doing here?” “It’s a long story,” She admitted, blushing as she brushed dirt and leaves from her dress for a second time that day. “The quick version would be that Ruby has gone completely mad, pushed me through a traveling mirror, and trapped me here… where is here anyway?” “Central Park,” Warren offered, chuckling, “In New York City, also known by some as the Tenth Kingdom. It’s not really a kingdom, but a different dimension all together. At least that’s what I’ve been told.” Roselynn nodded thoughtfully as she slowly took him in. She had never seen him outside of the Kingdoms before, and the sight of him in this strange, new place was interesting. He looked the same as he always did; dark, somewhat messy, hair curled ever so slightly where it met his collar, warm hazel eyes deep and rich as warm honey, a strong jaw, and a smile equal parts charming and vaguely dangerous graced his full lips. He wore clothes similar, yet altogether different from how she’d seen him dressed before, he wore a deep burgundy shirt that was meant to be buttoned up but had left undone allowing for his black undershirt to be seen beneath. The long sleeves of the first shirt had been rolled up to his elbows in deference to the warming afternoon sun. The grey slacks he wore were casual enough for a day out in the park and while not overly tight, fit well enough to his form without giving away the tail that she assumed he must have tucked away. Instead of his usual boots, he wore a pair of black, canvas, shoes which bore a white circle and blue star on the heel that laced up and disappeared under his slacks. She had to say, out of all the outfits she’d seen him in, the way he looked right now was perfectly him. “You look good,” She smiled, blushing slightly. “You do, too,” The smile gracing his lips making her knees weak as he always seemed to do. “Although you do kind of stand out here, but you would do that no matter what you wore.” He added, a blush of his own tinting his cheeks before he indicated that she should walk with him. “What are you doing here?” She asked as she took the arm he offered. “I live here, at least for the time being.” He admitted, “Uncle Wendell found out about the universities here, specifically about the political science programs, during one of his visits and became convinced that I should enroll to be better prepared to take my place as an advisor.” “You are here for school?” She asked a little puzzled that a man of his age would still be in a classroom. “Yeah, I’ll be done soon,” He nodded, “I know it may seem strange, since there are no such institutions in the kingdoms that attend to higher education, although Wendell is working towards changing that as we speak. Believe it or not, there are students even older than I that attend the same university, some are in my program, and others are in longer programs like law or medicine.” He explained, going into a little more detail as they walked. Eventually they fell into a comfortable silence as they walked. She found herself rather enjoying their stroll through the park, the trees, the flowers, were all beautiful. The birds sang cheerfully in the trees to one another, and people walked by with their pets. There were a few mothers that had passed them with their children, Roselynn couldn’t help but smile when she overheard one child remarking on the princess they had just passed. “How did they know I’m a princess, I’m not wearing anything terribly princessy.” “’Princessy?’ Is there such a word?” Warren teased, a gentle laugh rising to his lips, “I suppose that while you and I know you are not really wearing anything alluding to your station, aside from your cape, but they wouldn’t know that, you are dressed in such a way that it resembles their vision of what Aurora wore before Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather informed her of her true identity as Briar Rose.” “They know of Briar Rose here?” Roselynn questioned looking up at her friend. Warren just nodded, “And your great grandmother, and Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and many others who live or have lived in the kingdoms. There was a man who must have found himself in the Kingdoms at one point by the name of Wilhelm Grimm, he came back and wrote their stories as fairy tales here, although when his stories were adapted by another great story teller, some of the more shocking elements such as iron slippers for the evil queen, birds blinding Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, and the like were left out.” “Hmm,” Came the response from the young woman who walked silently again for a time, thinking over what he’d just told her. A moment later, her eyes came back into sharp focus as she looked around them, “Where are you taking me?” She asked simply. “I’m taking you back to my condo,” Warren explained casually, “I figured it’s probably the best place for you right now. I doubt you have any currency that would afford you a hotel room, nor do you have clothing that won’t have you sticking out like a character lost from the renaissance fair.” “What’s a renaissance fair?” She asked innocently, which made Warren chuckle softly as he realized how far removed from her own world she must feel. He had grown up in both worlds, allowing him to move seamlessly between, but he could imagine how jarring this world could be for someone who had never seen it, like his father years ago and now her. Warren quickly told her about the fairs that were held, celebrating the renaissance era of Europe, another collection of countries, similar to the Kingdoms, which were located on the other side of the vast ocean to the East. “I’ve never been, aside from in my mind’s eye as I read the works of Shakespeare.” He explained before changing the topic back to their destination, “In any event, I figure my sister or mother may have left some Tenth Kingdom appropriate clothing back at the condo the last time they stayed, which you could possibly borrow. I also have a guest room you could stay in until the mirror opens again for you to be able to return home.” Roselynn nodded her understanding as they continued to walk. A few short moments later, she found herself standing alongside an area which she’d never experienced in her life. She’d seen roads before, but never had she seen carriages without horses that emitted such loud noises. Warren just smiled down at her wonder before leading her across the street and into the safety that was his condo.
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Warren opened the doors to his penthouse and indicated for Roselynn to precede him into the suite. The large condo was as finely decorated as any palace suite would be in the Nine Kingdoms. Roselynn took her time taking in every bit of it from the formal sofa, love seat, and high-backed chair, all replete with entirely too many throw pillows for a man aside from King Wendell’s foppish event planner; to the light-colored tables the completed the set. This did not look like the quarters of a man such as Warren Wolfson. “It’s a little pretentious for the standards of the normal American college student.” The man admitted, his warm voice tinged with slight embarrassment. “While the effects of the magic bean my grandfather swallowed have waned a bit, the family who owns this building still insist on my family having this condo. Mrs. Murray had her team of decorators do this. I guess I should be grateful they didn’t try to kiss my ass while doing it. Luckily for most of the family, my grandfather is the only one who has to endure it.” He chuckled, “Which is likely the reason he hasn’t been back to New York for the past 25 years.” “It is lovely,” Roselynn stated, taking in the first room, and trying not to make sense of the effect the magic bean had on her friend’s grandfather, “But I must admit, it doesn’t suit you.” “Oh, really?” Warren tilted his head towards her, “And how would you have imagined my home to look?” “I always imagined more leather and dark wood,” She admitted. “You’ve imagined what my home might look like?” Warren cocked his head toward her, “And often enough to have an assumption; awful presumptuous, don’t you think, Princess?” Roselynn blushed and shrugged at his teasing, “I wouldn’t say it was often…” “I suppose you have a point though,” He admitted, looking around, “I mean, I’m the one who lives here, not the Murrays, it really should reflect more me than them, don’t you think?” “I know you like to tease me about stopping to smell the flowers,” Roselynn smiled up at him, “But somehow this,” She gestured to the furniture, “Seems a bit much.” “Remind me to tell you someday where I got the flower bit,” Warren chuckled, “You might actually enjoy it more once you know.” “I will, someday, but right now, I’d like to see a bit more of your quarters.” Roselynn reminded him. “Well for starters, we call it an apartment or a condo,” Warren guided her through an archway to their right which lead to a state-of-the art kitchen with gleaming steel appliances and marble countertops. Immediately next to the archway to their right were two ovens that were stacked upon one another. The marble countertop started on the other side of the ovens and ran to the far corner before continuing along the adjacent walls and around to the opposite wall from where they stood. On top of the counter sat a few items including a knife block with nearly any knife a chef worth their mettle would need, a stainless-steel standing mixer, a toaster, and a coffee pot. Against the back splash a few cutting boards of various size were leaned long-ways, melding form and function.Above the counter hung cabinets with wood-framed glass doors showing various bowls, trays, and dishes. The scrolling design on the wood framing was matched on the drawers beneath the counterspace. Opening the drawers as she looked, she found the usual utensils; forks, knives, spoons, as well as various ladles and cooking spoons. She even found spatulas, whisks, and commonly used baking items as she continued her exploration of the space. Midway down the counter which ran along the shorter adjacent wall, was a break in the overhead cabinets where an exhaust hood was mounted. Beneath it stood a 6-burner gas range that gleamed under the lights of the kitchen. The third wall held more counter space, but here she found several sets of small potted plants.“What did you expect me to cook with?” Warren challenged when she gave him a questioning look, “Three-year-old dried herbs? The fresh stuff tastes much better and is better for you.”She nodded her understanding as she turned toward the large refrigerator which sat at the end of the counter; it held the expected items of milk, eggs, wine along with glass bottles of what looked to be ale and strange painted tin vessels with pull tabs. She made a mental note to inquire about those later. Turning to the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen space, she proceeded to open the cabinet doors, she found various baking vessels from cookie sheets to pie and cake tins to casserole dishes. Above the island on a hanging rack, various pots and pans of differing shapes and sizes hung like pieces of a chandelier. “Anything in here you may use. The pantry,” Warren gestured to a door on the other side of the fridge, “Should have most any dry items you may need. There is also a large chest freezer in there as I tend to shop for meat in bulk.”“Why am I not surprised at that?” Roselynn teased him.“I keep a shopping list on the fridge,” He pointed to the pad, “Anything you need or want, write it down and I’ll see what I can do to get it. Also, if you wind up being here when, ahem, you know, write down what you need. Being around my mom and sisters, I could probably find supplies faster than you could,” He blushed, “You know, if you needed them.”Roselynn chuckled a little at his awkwardness and embarrassment, “I’ll let you know.” She assured him before turning to the other side of the room to the left of the archway. This side held a large oak table that could easily seat ten or more. The runner that spanned the length of the table was feminine in a similar fashion to the sitting room furniture. Thankfully, Mrs. Murray hadn’t insisted on flowers for the table, opting instead for round platters upon which three stocky candles of varying height rested. There was a large picture window that looked out upon the park and the city. The window was framed with gauzy white curtains that were pulled to each side adding to the feminine look and feel of the space. “Is it that time already?” Warren asked, glancing at his pocket watch upon noticing the glow of sunset beginning, “Well, I suppose it is, the walk here must have taken longer than I’d expected. Are you hungry? I could make something, or we could dine out.”“I’m fine for right now.” Roselynn smiled warmly at him, “May I see some more?”“Follow me,” He instructed leading her across the living room, just before they reached the hallway on the other end of the room, he pointed to two sets of double doors, “That’s our den, or library, whatever you want to call it, it has several books from both here and the kingdoms. I figure those will tide you over until I can show you how to work the electronic forms of entertainment found here. The two doors on the far wall lead out to the balcony.”Roselynn nodded her understanding as he hit a switch which illuminated the narrow hall, he pulled open a set of folding doors revealing two metal boxes with hinged doors on the front, one had a glass window set into the door, the other did not. On top of the box with the window sat several colorful bottles and boxes. The other box had a basket, which held a few towels, resting on top of it, “This is the laundry area,” Warren explained, “I’ll show you how to work these machines, I know it seems a little daunting, but they are really quite simple to use.” Stepping back and closing the doors, he continued down the hall, opening a narrow door, “Linen closet, if you need a towel, new sheets, what have you, they are here.” He turned toward a door on the other side, “This will be your bathroom, I have my own in the master suite, so no danger in accidentally walking in on each other in the all-together.” Roselynn blushed at the image his comment painted in her mind. Warren pretended not to notice the reaction, or the fact that he was blushing just as much, as he crossed the hall once more to open a door that led into a finely furnished room. There was a large four-poster bed with fluffy pillows and a warm cream duvet. At the foot of the bed sat a padded chest, “Extra blankets and pillows are in there,” Warren explained as Roselynn ran her hand over the soft cushion as she walked toward the vanity which was white like the chest, upon the table sat a silver-plated comb and brush along with ribbons and other hair bobbles which could be used to tie up or secure her hair. “There’s another bedroom at the start of the hall, but no one is using it right now.” Warren ducked into a door on the wall opposite the bed, before coming back out again a moment later shaking his head, “Well it looks like the only things left behind by my mother or sister are a couple winter coats and a pair of sneakers.” He sighed, “I’ll have to take you shopping so that you have more than just your dress to wear until the mirror is activated again. Not to mention it will help you blend in, which is a good thing in this city.” “I promise I’ll pay you back for it.” Roselynn was stunned at his generosity.“Don’t worry about it,” He smiled. “Look around, get yourself acquainted to the room and I’ll be right back.” He was gone but a moment and returned to find her sitting on the chest, lost in thought. “It isn’t much, but it’s better than sleeping in that outfit.” He explained, setting the clothing on the dressing table.“Thank you, for everything.” Roselynn smiled gratefully up at him.“It was nothing,” Warren blushed humbly before clearing his throat and gesturing to the stack of clothes on the table, “There’s a robe, shirt, socks, and a pair of shorts there. The shorts have a drawstring so you should be able to cinch the waist tight enough for you.”“Okay,” She nodded, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the cushion beside her, suddenly feeling shy. “Do you mind if I bathe?”“No, bring the clothes with you, I’ll show you how to work the shower, it can be a little tricky.”Roselynn gathered the clothes, brush, and a ribbon to tie up her hair and followed him into the washroom across the hall. As soon as he felt her presence beside him, he showed her how to turn on the taps and adjusted them to proper temperature before activating the showerhead. “There you go, take all the time you need, there’s soap and hair stuff in there, towels on the rack. I’ll be in the kitchen making dinner.”“Okay, but could you do me a favor before you go?” Roselynn asked, blushing but knowing it was necessary. “The stays are in the back. Do you mind? I can’t reach them.”“Right, I didn’t think of that, I’ll do my best not to see too much.” Warren smiled scratching his temple as his people were want to do. “Honest.”Roselynn set down the clothing and items she had in her arms on the counter and pulling her hair to one side, turned her back to the young man. Warren quickly untied and loosened the cord that held the brocaded vest closed before quietly exiting, shutting the door behind him.Disrobing the rest of the way, Roselynn placed her clothes in the nearby hamper and stepped into the warm stream of water. After the journey she’d just taken, she let the water flow over her, soothing her muscles before picking up the plain bar of soap and washing herself. She was glad to see that someone, probably Warren’s mother or sisters, had left lavender scented shampoo and conditioner in the rack. She quickly washed and conditioned her hair before turning off the water and drying off with one of the fluffy towels that hung on what she discovered to be an electronic rack which left the towels blissfully warm. Once she was sufficiently dry, she brushed and tied her soft curls back and set about getting dressed. The shirt was quite large on her, nearly reaching her knees, luckily the shorts weren’t too big on her, and she was able to quickly cinch the drawstring until the shorts fit well enough. She had attempted the socks, but they were quite large, leaving her feeling like a clumsy jester, so she chose to go barefoot the rest of the night. Pulling on the robe, she took another look in the mirror, she was shocked by what she saw. Gone was the formal façade of a princess that she was used to seeing, this new woman looked so relaxed, and dare she say it, happy. Feeling more comfortable in her skin than she had since before she could remember, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, heading toward the kitchen.Warren had heard the shower turn off while he was setting the table with bowls of warm tomato soup. He had just returned with a plate of freshly grilled ham and cheese sandwiches when he saw her enter the dining room. The robe she wore hung open displaying his grey NYU t-shirt, barely visible under the hem he could see the dark blue shorts she wore beneath. He didn’t know if it was how relaxed she looked in the clothes or the fact that they were his clothes that she was wearing, but the sight of her stopped him dead in his tracks. There was something so intimate about seeing her like that in his condo that made him go all hard and soft at the same time.Despite having been friends for nearly a decade, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a revelation, one he’d been successful at ignoring or diminishing in his mind before that night. The power of it was so strong that he nearly dropped the plates that he held in his hand. The sight of the woman, and there was no denying that was what she was, despite her soft curves being hidden beneath the loose fabric that covered her, brought into sharp relief what he’d known for years but had been loath to admit. This woman, with all the complications that just their friendship could cause to the tenuous peace between their kingdoms, could very well be his life-mate. Shaking the thought from his head, he tried to carry on as if everything was normal, as if the sight of her dressed the way she was didn’t inspire a thousand thoughts to go speeding through his head, each demanding his attention to another part of her tasty...Get a hold of yourself, Warren! He silently scolded himself before quickly setting down the plates he was holding and ducking back into the kitchen for milk as she settled herself at the table. Thankfully, she sat in the chair that faced away from the kitchen, giving him time to adjust his tail which was twitching and straining to escape the confines of his trousers. It was a sharp reminder of who and what he was, and how close to the full moon it was. Trying to blame the sudden shift in his awareness on his cycle would only work for the next few days, he knew at some point he would have to confront this. Today doesn’t have to be that day, He reminded himself, grabbing the glasses and returning to the table, a shy smile on his face. Thankfully Roselynn hadn’t noticed or chose not to point out how awkward he was being, instead she quietly thanked him for her drink.It most definitely doesn’t have to be today, but it should be soon, His logical side argued, How would it work? After all, He allowed his thoughts to continue, She is a daughter of the House of Red and I am what I am, a Wolf. Hoods and Wolfies can’t be together, no matter how much I wish it weren’t true.“This smells absolutely delicious.” Roselynn smiled at him, trying to get him out of his head space, “Thank you.”“It’s really nothing much, but it’ll do the trick. Let’s dig in.” With that, they ate in companionable silence before retiring to their own bedrooms to sleep off the day they’d just had.Later that night, Roselynn settled in under the soft covers of her bed and turned out the light. Despite the dark, as she closed her eyes, she remembered the flash of gold in her friend’s intense eyes when she had first entered the dining room after her shower. She had completely forgotten whose son he was until that moment, and the glimpse of his true nature had made her heart skip a beat; it both intrigued and frightened her, sending shivers down her spine and warmth to her cheeks. She had known him for as long as she could remember, but tonight was the first time she realized that he could become something more if she let him, not that her mother would ever accept it. The idea of a Wolf being the son-in-law of Queen Riding hood would be rather ironic, She quietly admitted to herself, Oh, who am I kidding, it would never be allowed to happen. Mother would see to that. She shook the thoughts from her head and snuggled down deeper into the soft pillows and the downy duvet as she settled off to sleep, secretly hoping that at least in her dreams they could be together even though she knew full well that it would never be their reality. With a sigh she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift into what she desperately hoped would be a peaceful slumber for the night.
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Roselynn awoke the next morning to another stack of clothes on her dressing table and the brush returned as well. When she crossed to the table, she noticed the stack contained clothing that was clearly meant for a woman’s form and a note taped to the mirror.
Lynn,
I borrowed these clothes from Mrs. Grant across the hall. She has a couple daughters around your age and, I believe, size. I told them you were visiting from out of town and your luggage had gotten lost on the journey. They were kind enough to loan you some clothes until we can go shopping. If you don’t like what I’ve laid out, there are a few more options in the closet along with some boots and other shoes. I had to go to class, but I’ll be back for dinner. Make yourself at home, there’s coffee on the stove, and various breakfast foods in the fridge and pantry. I’ll see you later this afternoon.
-Warren
She smiled at his thoughtfulness and looked through the clothes on the dresser, finding a pair of women’s trousers, a blouse, and a pair of socks. She set to work pulling her hair back as a knock sounded at the front door. Roselynn pulled on and tied the old robe that laid on the foot of her bed and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found a woman a little older than her mother, with greying hair and warm brown eyes behind thin rimmed glasses, flanked by younger versions of the woman who must have been her daughters. “Roselynn?” The woman asked. “Yes, that’s me.” Roselynn looked at the woman quizzically, “May I help you?” “I think it’s more like how can we help you? I’m Ruth Grant and these are my daughters, Maureen and Evelyn. We live across the hall there,” The woman explained as her daughters waved and smiled kindly at the sound of their names. “May we come in?” “Oh, yes, of course. You must be the neighbors that Warren mentioned.” Roselynn stepped aside letting the women in and gesturing to the sofa in the living room. “Please take a seat, I was just about to get coffee, would you like some?” Choruses of acceptance rose from the ladies as they sat in the room, setting the pink bags in their hands on the ground next to them. Roselynn set to work in the kitchen gathering together cups, spoons, sugar, cream, and a carafe of coffee together on a tray from the china cabinet. “Here we go, ladies,” She smiled, carrying out the tray, “I didn’t know if you took cream or sugar.” She explained as she set the tray on the small table. “You don’t have to explain a thing to us, dear.” Ruth smiled, waving her away and taking over pouring the coffee for the women in the room before handing Roselynn a cup doctored with cream and sugar, “When Warren came over and explained your predicament, we were more than happy to help. After he left it occurred to me that if your luggage was lost, you may not have undergarments either. We figured we’d save you, and sweet Warren, the embarrassment of a trip to the lingerie store.” “We didn’t know what size you were, so we picked up a few different sized bras that might fit a girl of our size.” Maureen chimed in, “We also picked up some panties for you; I hope you don’t mind.” “Now, when you’re done with that cup, you go try on what’s in the bags; the underwear should fit you fine. Just bring out whatever doesn’t work.” Ruth added. “Thank you,” Roselynn smiled. As the women drank their coffee they talked amicably about this and that. As soon as her cup was gone, she was handed the pink striped bags and shooed into the bedroom to try on the undergarments the other women had brought. She found that what Ruth had said was accurate, the panties that were in the bag fit perfectly when she put them on. She quickly put on the socks and the pants that had been laid out for her, which also fit nearly perfect, if not a tad loose. She then set to work on trying on the rest of the undergarments. It took her a few minutes to figure out how to put them on, as she had never worn one before, most women in the Nine Kingdoms still used corsets. It took her a bit longer to find the right size. While she was still struggling with it, a knock sounded at her door followed by Ruth’s kind voice. “Is everything okay in there?” The older woman asked. “One minute,” Roselynn responded, pulling on her robe before opening the door. “I’m having a little trouble finding a good fit. To be completely honest, we don’t have these where I’m from so I’m not exactly sure how they’re supposed to fit.” “No worries, dear. We can figure this out together.” Ruth smiled warmly, before sizing the young woman up and, checking the tag on one of the bras that now laid on the bed, handed it to her before pushing her gently towards the closet. “Try this one on, let’s see how it fits.” Roselynn did as she was told and came out a minute later wearing the pants and bra. “It’s a little tight, I think.” She informed the other woman. “Okay, let’s see what we have here,” Ruth circled her taking in the fit before going to the bed and grabbing another bra, “Looks like you need a little bigger cup size and a bit more length around the body. Try this one.” Roselynn repeated the routine of going into the closet, putting on the bra and returning to be inspected. This process was repeated a few more times until she had a few bras that fit her well enough. A cream one that Mrs. Grant said would do well under t-shirts, whatever those were. The beige colored bra that she was now wearing would, as Mrs. Grant informed her, work well under blouses. Lastly there was a lacy black bra that Ruth insisted she take, “For a special night on the town.” The woman had said with a wink as she swept towards the door before tossing over her shoulder, “Now if you hurry up and get dressed, the girls and I are going to take you shopping.” After the older woman left, Roselynn quickly pulled on the blouse and buttoned it up. Grabbing the new garments, she slid them into one of the dresser’s drawers. Sitting at the vanity, she quickly brushed and braided her hair before rejoining the women in the living room. “Thank you all for your help, and for loaning me the clothes.” She smiled at each of the women. “I’ll make sure that Warren reimburses you for what I kept.” “You will do no such thing.” Ruth insisted. “Think of it as a gift from us to you.” “Thank you,” Roselynn blushed, “I am a bit nervous about going shopping. Unless Warren gave you something, I have no currency that is of any use here.” Pulling out a few of the gold hoods that she’d had in her pocket when she crossed the mirror, she showed them to Mrs. Grant, “All I have are these, but I fear they are no good here.” Picking up one of the pieces and looking it over before weighing it in her hand. “I’ve never seen such a coin in my life, but it looks to be made of gold.” “They are,” Roselynn confirmed, “22 karat, I believe.” “Well, you’re right they’ll not do you much good in the way of payment,” Mrs. Grant mused before handing the piece back to Roselynn, “But if you are not too attached to it, you could sell it for its market value. A piece that size could fetch you enough to buy some things to see you through for a bit.” “I think I could part with a piece or two, if that means not being a burden on Warren,” Roselynn nodded, “I don’t know how long I’ll be here and I don’t wish to take advantage of his generosity.” “Then it’s settled,” Mrs. Grant said matter-of-factly, “Ladies, grab your jackets we are headed to the pawn shop and then off to find new clothes for our new friend.” The women quickly pulled on their jackets and followed the older woman out the door. As they walked down the street they fell into an easy conversation; Roselynn found that Maureen was a year older and Evelyn was a few years younger than her. Maureen was going to school to become a doctor. Even in the Second Kingdom where women held high offices and other important positions, a female doctor was unheard of to Roselynn. She was pleasantly surprised to hear that women could do such work in the Tenth Kingdom.Evelyn said she was still in high school but would be graduating at the end of this year and was hoping to go to college to become a teacher. She said she wanted to work with little children who were just entering the school system. Roselynn thought this was fascinating as she’d always wanted to be a teacher herself and work with children but was unable to pursue her dream due to her station. “I wish I could become a teacher.” She mused“I don’t see why you couldn’t be.” Evelyn stated, “You said yourself you don’t know how long you’ll be here, you could apply to take some classes at the community college and see how you like it. You may love it so much you’ll stay through graduation. Even if you don’t, I’m sure some of the credits would transfer.”“I don’t know if that would be possible for me,” Roselynn shrugged, “But I’ll talk to Warren and see what he thinks of it. He’s a college student himself so I don’t see how he would have a problem with it. I’m not from here so it may be a little harder for me to be able to go to school here.”“Perhaps,” Maureen chimed in, “But it couldn’t hurt to try. They would probably just have you take the graduate equivalency exam like they do with home schooled students.”Roselynn nodded thoughtfully, “I shall have to talk to Warren about it tonight when he gets home.”“Here we are,” Chirped Mrs. Grant cheerfully, “I know the owner and I’ll make sure he gives you a fair price.” The older woman’s daughters giggled light heartedly, leaving Roselynn feeling as if she had missed out on the joke.Roselynn nodded at the older woman as they ducked inside the storefront. A gentleman, a little older than Mrs. Grant’s age stood behind one of the counters. “Ruthie, girls!” He greeted them jovially, kissing each one on the cheek before getting to Roselynn, “Forgive me my dear, but did we gain a third daughter and you not tell me?”Mrs. Grant just giggled a bit and playfully slapped the older man’s shoulder, “No, Maury, this is Roselynn, she is a friend of our neighbor Warren who is visiting for a while. Roselynn, this is my husband Maury.” She introduced the two.“It’s very nice to meet you,” Maury smiled at Roselynn warmly, “So what can I do for you? I take it you didn’t just come here so that Ruth could introduce us.”“No sir,” Roselynn smiled back, “I came to see if you would be interested in purchasing some coins I have in my possession. They are of little worth here as currency, I fear.”“Well now, let’s see what we have,” Maury smiled, pulling on glasses and stepping back behind the counter as Roselynn pulled out two of the Hoods that were in her pocket. The older man inspected the coins humming to himself as he did so. He then took out a bottle and dropped some liquid onto the coins, “To test the metal,” He’d explained. Once that experiment was done, he weighed the pieces, and punching a few numbers into his calculator, he looked Roselynn in the eye. “Well my dear, it seems, based simply on the fact that these coins are nearly pure gold, the weight, and the market value right now, these pieces are each worth about $2000 American right now, not a bad piece of money.”“Would you be willing to purchase them from me?” Roselynn asked hopefully.“Yes, my Dear, these coins are very interesting pieces, I’m willing to offer you full market value for both, so about $4000. Is that something you wish to do?”“Yes sir, I would,”“Okay then,” Mr. Grant said, grabbing a sheet of paper and starting to write, “Now I’m assuming since you are visiting, you don’t have a banking account here, do you?” Roselynn shook her head in response, “In that case then, I’m only going to buy one from you right now, don’t want you walking around with that kind of cash unless it goes straight into the bank. I just need some identification.”“Um…” Roselynn responded, taken a little aback. “I don’t have any identification.”“Her things were lost on her travels here,” Mrs. Grant explained, “She arrived with nothing. Is there any way we could do it if I vouched for her?”“I suppose that would be alright,” Mr. Grant nodded, “You seem like a decent and trustworthy sort.” He winked playfully at his wife before setting to work filling out the requisite forms for the sale and having both women sign before counting out the money for them, placing it in an envelope, and handing it to Roselynn, “Here you are my dear, this should help you to get on your feet.”Roselynn thanked him, and she and Mrs. Grant rejoined Maureen and Evelyn. Mrs. Grant excused herself from the group saying that shopping for clothes was a young woman’s activity and she was leaving Roselynn in the hands of the daughters. As the older woman went back inside the pawn shop, the younger women set out to find some clothes and needed items for Roselynn. Since she was going to need nearly a complete wardrobe of clothing and accessories, the ladies’ first stop was at a department store.Roselynn had never seen anything like it in her life, three floors with every item imaginable. Each of the higher floors looked down on the lower each with railings of chrome and glass that gleamed. Her new friends smiled a bit at her reaction before pulling her towards the display of accessories including various purses and wallets. After a little thought, Roselynn settled on a small wallet as well as two purses. Her friends insisted that she needed a larger one that was big enough to hold her wallet, keys, and an umbrella for day to day use and then a smaller purse to be used for special occasions. Once these items were purchased the ladies went up to the next floor which housed the women’s department where they would spend the bulk of their day.Four hours, a quick lunch in the store’s café, and several changes of clothing later, Roselynn was fairly well stocked with more than a few skirts of varying length and style from casual to dressy, some casual dresses, a couple sets of pajamas, several tops including blouses, sweaters, and a few casual t-shirts, now that she knew what they were, which Roselynn found quite comfortable. She thought the next step was to find boots and perhaps a pair of shoes, but her friends insisted there were a few more things for her to try on. Within moments several fancy dresses of various shapes, lengths, and fabric were handed to her.“You have to have something nice to wear just in case Warren wants to take you to dinner or a show.” Maureen informed her. “Let us know if you need any help zipping any of them up.”Roselynn modeled the stylish dresses before settling on a sleeveless vintage-inspired deep red dress with a sweetheart neckline and black lace overlay. She loved how the A-line skirt brushed her knees and swayed gently as she walked and turned. The other dress she got was a slinky midnight blue wrap dress made of chiffon that had a cap-sleeved bodice that tied at her waist, accentuating her figure from the V-neck that allowed for just a peak of her assets to the flowing fabric that skimmed over her hips before flirting just shy of her knees. She had never worn anything as short as these dresses but was amazed at how feminine they made her feel; not that the ball gowns she wore back home didn’t, but this was somehow a bit different.“You should definitely wear the blue one when Warren takes you to the theatre.” Maureen smiled at her approvingly as Roselynn turned in the dress. “He won’t be able to resist giving you a good night kiss.”Roselynn stopped mid-turn and looked back at the other woman. “Kiss?” She asked blushing.“Yeah, a lot of people kiss on their first date here.” Maureen explained; she had caught on some time ago that Warren seemed to be old fashioned and Roselynn seemed to hold similar tendencies to their stoic friend.Roselynn blushed as she stepped back into the changing room and changed back into the clothes she’d put on that morning. Gathering the clothes that she planned to purchase, the women went to the counter and paid for their finds before going back downstairs and finding shoes to go with the clothes she’d just bought. She found a couple pairs of boots, a few sets of casual and dressy flats in various styles, as well as a pair of silver heeled sandals that Evelyn and Maureen insisted would look fantastic with the blue dress. She also got a pair of peep-toe black pumps and a shawl to go with the red and black lace dress.Bags in hand, the three friends headed back toward the apartment. Quickly unloading the bags and boxes in Roselynn’s room, they bid each other goodbye as the sisters departed and left Roselynn to change and start dinner.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After the girls had returned her to the apartment, Roselynn realized how late it was getting; she quickly changed into a long denim skirt, brown boots, and a casual burgundy blouse before heading into the kitchen to see what she could put together for dinner. Finding some fresh chicken breast and checking to see that she had all the required ingredients, she pulled on an apron and set to work making chicken parmesan. Just as she was setting the table and had uncorked the wine, Warren arrived home. After quickly depositing the satchel bag that he used for school in the library, he strolled into the kitchen, grinning appreciatively at what he saw.“That smells amazing,” Warren sighed, taking a big whiff of the air as he walked into the kitchen, “A man could get used to coming home to smells like this.”“Yeah, well don’t get used to it,” Roselynn teased, setting the chicken and pasta on the table before playfully poking her friend in the chest and adding, “It’s your turn tomorrow” Before returning to the kitchen to bring out the salad she had also prepared.“I don’t know how I’m going to beat this.” Came the reply as Warren sat at the table, “You look nice, new clothes?”“Yes, Maureen, Evelyn and I made a day of it.” Roselynn smiled taking her own seat. “Mrs. Grant took me to her husband’s shop where I sold one of my gold Hoods for some of the currency used here. It was more than enough to pay for what I purchased; I didn’t want you to feel like I am taking advantage.”“I would never think that.” Warren smiled reassuringly at her.“I have a few more Hoods left that I can sell,” Roselynn continued, “I really would like to do my part in contributing to expenses while I’m here.”“I’ll let you know,” Warren said, taking a bite of the chicken, “One thing’s for sure, if you keep cooking like this, I’d call it even. This is fantastic!”“I’m glad you like it,” Roselynn blushed. The rest of the meal and the night was passed amicably, with the friends sharing about their day before Warren set about cleaning up the kitchen insisting that it was the least he could do after such a great meal. Roselynn took the chance to put up her new acquisitions before settling in the living room with a book she found in the library.“What do you have there?” Warren asked, entering the living room, wiping his hand on a dish towel. Although he would never say it aloud, she looked like she belonged there, curled up on his couch, legs tucked to the side with her toes peeking out from under her skirt.“Little Women,” Roselynn responded looking at the title of the novel and back to her friend.“My sister loves that book.” Warren smiled, “Are you enjoying it?”“Yes,” Roselynn nodded, “Is this Jo an important woman?”“No,” Warren chuckled, walking into the library and retrieving a book from his satchel bag before returning to the living room, “Little Women is just a story, it’s not based on any historical figures.”“Oh,” Roselynn shrugged going back to the book as Warren took a seat on the opposite side of the couch.“Hey before you fall head deep into the story,” Warren interjected, “The Grants invited us to join them for dinner next Friday. Would you be interested?”“I would love to,” Roselynn smiled at her friend, closing the book in her lap.“Great, I’ll let them know tomorrow.” He nodded before turning his attention to his textbook while she resumed her reading. “Just so you know, I’m glad you’re here.”“I’m glad I’m here too.” Roselynn gave him a half smile, “I haven’t had such a relaxing yet full day in many years. I rather enjoyed meeting Evelyn and Maureen; they are quite the pair. I think we’ll become good friends if I stay here long enough.”“I have no doubt about that.” Warren chuckled, “The three of you have similar personalities; Maureen isn’t that much older than you, perhaps a year or two, and Evelyn although she is younger, reminds me a lot of you.”“She told me today she wishes to become a teacher.” Roselynn commented.“I seem to remember another young lass with the same ambition, Lynn.” Warren teased.“You remembered?” She was surprised.“How could I forget?” He challenged, “You were so passionate about it. I only wish we had universities in the kingdoms so those like you could get an education.”“Even if we had, I doubt Mother would allow me to go.” Roselynn sighed, “Especially if she found out I wanted to use my teaching to change the minds of our kingdom about Wolves.”“A very noble cause,” Warren commended her, “But such a monumental task for one person.”“I doubt I would be alone for long,” Roselynn shrugged, “I’m sure there are other sympathizers out there who would continue and spread my work.”“I don’t doubt,” Warren chuckled, “Although you would have to be careful lest your mother remove your pretty little head from your delicate shoulders.”“You dare compare my mother to the Queen of Hearts?” She jokingly challenged.“I do,” He smirked, “Can you not see the similarities?”“I suppose I could,” She nodded thoughtfully, “Both have a fetish for the color red, both have very short tempers, and cannot stand little girls who don’t play by their specific set of rules.”The friends laughed at the observation for a few moments before Warren turned suddenly sober, it was like a switch was flipped. He sat quietly before turning his warm toffee eyes on her sea green ones, “I truly hope that if you were to pursue this course that your mother would not harm you, I would hate to think of something happening to mar that lovely neck of yours. I do not wish to lose you.”The warm honey smoothness of his voice washed over her, stealing her own. She was lost in the hypnotizing gaze of her friend for a few moments, wrapping herself in their depths. When he finally broke their gaze, she almost felt disappointed they hadn’t done more than look at each other. They both knew that if they had continued, there would have been more than just friendship between them. The thought wasn’t completely repellent to either, after all they were both intelligent, well read, and attractive people from prominent families. It was only the still present tension between their factions that prevented them from being more than just friends, although technically they shouldn’t even be that. “I think I’ll take this into my room and read for a bit before going to sleep myself.” Roselynn said, finally finding her voice before she was drawn in again, “Good night, sleep well.”“Good night.” Warren replied, hugging his friend before walking her to her door, and then continuing on toward his own room. Instead of settling in for bed, he found himself standing on the balcony outside his room, looking up at the night sky. It was very nearly that time of the month, tomorrow would be the full moon. While the pull of the moon wasn’t as strong in this realm, he still felt the effects. At least his family had learned how to better deal with their lunar cycles, he remembered his father saying the worst time he ever had with his cycle was the first lunar cycle after he met Warren’s mother and realized who she was to him, despite her continual spurning of his affections. His father had also mentioned that he was under the influence of the evil queen at that time as well, so that may have made things worse for him. Giving one more glance at the nearly full orb in the night sky, Warren ran his fingers through his hair and prayed that his father’s theory about magic being the real reason behind the bad cycle all those years ago. “Please let Roselynn be patient with me tomorrow, and don’t let any harm come to her.” He whispered softly to the night sky before turning around and, closing the doors behind him, settled in for the night.
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Roselynn was awoken by moans of pain emanating from the room at the end of the hall. Checking the bedside clock for the time, she rose and set about checking on her friend. The soft pad of her slippers on the carpeting was the only sound in the silence until another pained groan came from the other side of Warren’s door. Concerned, but not wanting to barge in, she raised her hand to gently knock on the wooden door. “Warren?” She called softly, “Are you alright in there?” “I’m fine!” His voice snapped from the other side of the door followed by a pained groan, surprising Roselynn by the harshness of the reaction. “You don’t sound fine,” she responded through the door. “It’s just cramps, nothing I can’t handle.” Warren growled, “Now go away.” “Very well,” She sighed before turning and padding back down the hall towards the kitchen. Roselynn got to work making breakfast for herself and knowing Warren was likely to be hungry himself, tripled the amount of eggs in the pan. Noticing the day on the calendar indicated that it was a full moon, she realized the reason for her friend’s harsh tones. While grabbing bread for toast, she found some tea and honey in the pantry and put the kettle on. She didn’t know much about the cycle of Wolves, but she knew that when her own time of the month caused her pain, a hot drink went a long way to ease the pain. As soon as the eggs and toast were ready, she placed a large portion of both along with about a half pound of bacon - Warren’s favorite breakfast food – on a service tray and waited for the kettle to whistle. Covering the eggs to keep them warm, she went back to her bathroom, she was sure that she had seen something labeled pain reliever in the medicine cabinet. It only took her a few moments to retrieve the small bottle; dismayed to find it nearly empty, only holding enough capsules for a couple doses. She made a mental note as she returned to the kitchen to ask Mrs. Grant where she could find an apothecary once she was dressed. The kettle had just started to whistle as she walked back into the kitchen, she prepared the tea; and setting the hot mug as well as the bottle of pills and a glass of water with rest of the items, she took the tray to her friend’s room. She softly knocked on her friend’s door again, “I know you don’t wish to be disturbed, but I made some breakfast if you care for some.” She whispered through the door, setting the tray on the ground and walking back to the dining room to eat her own breakfast there. Warren knew he had overreacted to his friend enquiring as to his health, he also knew he wasn’t the quietest or nicest when he didn’t feel well, especially so during the full moon. When he heard the shuffling of her slippers on the hall carpeting he groaned to himself, “She’s probably coming to put me in my place.” When he heard the soft knock on his door, he wasn’t expecting to hear her say she’d made breakfast. Her kindness took all words out of his head to the point that he couldn’t even bring himself to thank her before hearing her softly pad away. Warren slowly sat up, his body protesting the whole time, nearly making him double over in pain. He slowly made his way to the door, as soon as he was sure she was gone, he quietly opened the door and retrieved the tray. Settling back on his bed he looked over what she had brought him. He was thankful she’d included the tea and pain reliever, suddenly a scent from beneath the chrome lid on the center of the tray teased his nostrils. She had made him bacon, lifting the cover, he found she’d cooked it just the way he liked it as well. “She is too good to me,” he sighed to himself as another cramp wracked his body. He quickly took the medicine and ate his meal before returning the tray and dishes – minus the pain killers and water – to the hall. He couldn’t smell her, but he could hear the shower running, washing her natural scent away. He couldn’t help but wish he could see her at this exact moment. He stood in the door frame as he imagined how her body looked with nothing but soap and water to cover her nakedness. “Stop it,” he chastised himself, shaking the images from his head, “You are a man, not an animal.” Softly closing the door behind him, he laid back down on his soft bed, thankful it was Saturday, meaning he could laze in bed until the effects of the moon passed. Warren was almost painfully aware of every sound, or lack thereof in the apartment. He had heard and smelled Roselynn when she picked up the tray, attempting to be quiet so that he could rest. He had been lying in bed at that moment, not sure if he should be pleased or bothered that she was taking such care. He heard water running in the kitchen as she washed the dishes, the scent of lemon wafting down the hall indicating her doing it all by hand. Warren made a mental note to show her how to use the dishwasher when he was feeling better. A little later, he wasn’t sure how long as he’d been drifting in and out of sleep all morning, he heard the distinct sound of keys being picked up and the front door opening and closing. Around noon, he heard the same in reverse, the ding of the hall elevator, the soft click of the lock being turned, and the sound of someone entering and putting keys down as quietly as they could manage. The sounds and smells of Roselynn’s cooking drifted to him, making his mouth water. A short time later a soft knock came at his door followed by the sound of the tray being placed softly at the door. As soon as he heard her go, Warren slunk over to the door and retrieved his meal. He was surprised to find a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, cheese and potato soup to which had been added copious amounts of chunked ham, and a large mug of tea. He smiled at the obvious attempt at adding as much meat as she could to the meal. He didn’t know if someone had told her that Wolves tended to crave meat during their cycle or if it was just a lucky guess, either way he made quick work of the meal and placed the tray back in the hallway. Another set of cramps caused him to double over in pain, so he took a few more pills and lay down in hopes of sleeping away the affects. Sometime later, a soft knock sounded at the door, before he had a chance to wipe the sleep from his eyes he heard the door open softly. He heard the sound of a plastic bag as it was set on the floor and felt the bed shift slightly as it took on the weight of another body. Her hand was on his forehead, the coolness of it feeling heavenly against his burning skin. “You have a bit of a temperature.” Her soft voice spoke matter-of-factly. “Who are you, my nursemaid?” He snapped before he could stop himself then winced at the harshness of his tone. To his surprise, his sharp response didn’t faze her in the slightest. “No, but I know a fever when I feel one; sit up.” She instructed him in a tone that allowed for no argument. He slowly shifted, sitting up in the bed, the sheets falling and revealing his naked upper body. He had forgotten he had taken off his shirt earlier when he started to feel warm. Her sharp intake of breath and the faint blush on her cheeks made him smile slightly. She blinked slowly to regain her composure before reaching into the bag and pulling out a new bottle of medication for pain relief and fever. “Take these.” She instructed, handing him a few pills she’d just shook from the bottle along with a glass of water. He silently accepted the proffered items and popping the pills in his mouth, he swallowed them with several long draws of water. “That should help with the fever.” Roselynn smiled at him. “Are you still getting cramps?” When he nodded, she reached back into the bag pulling out a box with a picture of a heating pad on it. “Now I don’t know if this will help you or not, I just know having something warm helps to relieve my cramps when my time comes.” Her directness shocked him as he opened the box. “Now I normally use a bag of grain that has been warmed by the fire, but the apothecary said that this was just as good.” “It wouldn’t hurt to try,” He shrugged, handing her the plug and nodding to a rectangular piece on the wall near the bed. “There’s an outlet in the wall there, just line the prongs of the plug with the holes in the outlet.” Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t help looking and appreciating how her skirt flowed over her hips and bum as she kneeled and supported herself with one arm while reaching toward the outlet with her other hand. He could almost imagine how it would feel to run his hands over those curves, his desire causing him to growl low in his throat. Thankfully, Roselynn hadn’t heard the growl, or at least she pretended she hadn’t heard it. “Okay,” She remarked, brushing her hands on the fabric of her skirt, “I think you should be set, I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”“I know I haven’t been the easiest patient to deal with, but I do appreciate it.” He grabbed her wrist as she started to collect the bag and box that had been discarded on the floor.“You’re welcome,” Roselynn smiled down at him and patted his hand with her free one, “Now try to get some sleep, I’m sure you must be exhausted.”“How did you know where to go for all this?” Warren’s voice was starting to thicken with sleep as the heating pad soothed the worst of the pain from his body.“I asked Mrs. Grant,” She explained, sliding her arm so that it was her hand rather than her wrist resting in his hand, “Luckily there is an apothecary just down the street.”“Pharmacy,” Warren gently corrected, squeezing her hand, “We call them Pharmacies.”“Got it,” She smiled, “Now get some sleep.”“Yes, Lynn,” He laid back against the pillows, allowing sleep to claim him as she gently slid her fingers from his grasp and headed for the door, closing it silently behind her as she exited. Once he’d awoken again, Warren spent the rest of the afternoon curled up with a book and the heating pad. He was surprised at how quickly the pain was relieved once it had reached the correct temperature; he was a little upset with himself that he hadn’t thought of it before. At about a quarter to seven, and as the sun began its slow descent in the sky, he could feel the anticipation growing inside of him. His primal urges were stronger than he’d ever experienced before; he found himself wondering if it was his mother’s presence, more than the influence of his grandmother’s magic, that had really been the cause behind his father’s one bad cycle.The struggle between giving into his animalistic side and seducing her into his bed, and the civilized side knowing that doing so would be inappropriate on so many more levels than just taking advantage of her, battled into the night with him. Of course, there was a third option but that would mean acknowledging that there might be something more between himself and Roselynn than just friendship, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf together? Impossible, it would never happen… He thought, But then again, she’s not just any girl, she’s Roselynn. Roselynn who reads with me, who makes me laugh and go all hard and soft at the same time. The same Roselynn who is taking care of me despite me snapping and yelling at her all day. Knowing she was so close, but he couldn’t have her solely because of who they were was causing him nearly as much agony as the cramps that had wracked his body earlier. In a way it seemed almost Shakespearian, but instead of Montague and Capulet it was Riding Hood and the Wolf. He sighed, leaning back against his headboard. Almost as if she knew that she had been on his mind, he caught her scent outside his door, and if that wasn’t heavenly enough, it was mingled with the smell of the juiciest super-rare steak he’d ever smelled in his life; the combination making his mouth water.The soft knock came, quickly followed by Roselynn opening the door and bringing in a tray heaping with three thick juicy steaks. She had also prepared a small potato and some asparagus but had wisely only given him very little. Again, he wondered who had told her that meat was so important for a Wolf at full moon. Setting the tray beside him along with some warm milk, she felt his head again. “Feels as if your fever subsided some.” She smiled gently at him, the perspiration from cooking caused her skin to shine in the waning sunlight, giving her face a heavenly glow.“Thanks,” He smiled back, fighting the temptation to brush a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, knowing that if he touched her now, it could push him past his breaking point. “I have a question for you though.”“Is there something wrong?” She looked worried.“No, nothing’s wrong,” He gave her a reassuring smile, “I was just curious, how did you know to give me primarily meat today?”“Some years ago, on my way back from the gardens, I overheard your mother consulting the kitchen staff,” She attempted to shrug casually, “I remember her specifically telling the cook to just warm up the meat but not cook it even to the point of being rare. She also told him to make sure he had plenty of warm milk on hand for you and your father, that it was a soothing beverage for you two during the full moon.”Warren chuckled, thanking her before suggesting it was probably best that she see to her own dinner and not check on him for the rest of the night. “I don’t even want you coming any closer than the door to your bedroom,” He told her. The moon had already started to rise, and he could feel his blood starting to heat, he knew that if she was near him for much longer the temptation would be too much for him. “I’m serious.” He told her leaning towards her, his voice lowering to border the line between dangerous and sensuous, “Or I’m liable to eat you up.” He warned.Roselynn flushed at the warning, but she didn’t seem scared. She just quietly stood up, collected the used tea mugs, water glasses, and empty pill bottle before letting herself out of the room. Once the door shut behind her, she released the breath she didn’t know she was holding. When Warren had said those last words, his voice nearly melted her resolve to the point where she had to force herself to move lest he follow through with his threat. She wasn’t even entirely sure what he meant by his words, and she wasn’t entirely sure she didn’t want to find out.She quickly made her way to the kitchen and set the glasses next to the sink before turning on the tap and splashing some of the cool water on her face. She found herself thinking back on her friend’s last words. His voice had carried an undertone that indicated that there was truly something more to his words. What shocked her the most was that she wasn’t sure she would have minded staying to see if he would carry through on his threat, “Stop it,” She sighed to herself, “You know it would never work, your mother would have a fit if she even knew that you were on friendly terms with a Wolf.”Turning back to the stove, she cooked up the small steak she had reserved for herself and setting a potato and the rest of the asparagus on her plate, she tried to focus on her meal and not on the temptation to return to Warren’s bedroom. She blushed as her mind drifted, imagining what it would feel like to be held by him, his hands exploring her body, his lips gently caressing hers. The thought made her heart speed up and her breath quicken. “You really ought to stop this.” She chided herself again, taking her now empty plate to the kitchen and setting to work cleaning the dishes that had accumulated there, “It’s just the effects of the moon on him affecting you.” She finished in record time, and tried to distract herself with a book, but found that she was having a hard time getting into it. Knowing that it would be nearly impossible to focus on the text, she decided to go to bed. She hoped that sleep would relieve the flurry of thoughts coursing through her brain, tempting her to continue past her own door and enter her friend’s room. She resisted, if only barely, and settled in for a restless night of sleep and dreams that only proved to frustrate her further.
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Neither of the friends had slept well, both tossing and turning as their dreams were saturated with images of the other. Thankfully, the night had passed quickly, and with the setting of the moon and the rising of the sun, the effects of the moon started to wane on Warren’s demeanor. He was surprised to find Roselynn already in the dining room, hands around a steaming cup of coffee. “Rough night?” He smiled at her. She shrugged and nodded towards the stove, “I had a hard time getting comfortable. There’s coffee on.” She smiled back, “I take it you are feeling better.” Warren chuckled as he poured himself a cup and doctored it with a generous pour of milk from the fridge. “In no small part thanks to you.” He responded, settling on the chair across from her. “Normally I just lay in bed all day, I never would have thought of using a heating pad either, so thank you for that.” Roselynn nodded in response. They sat silently for a few moments, and then started talking about the week they had coming up. Roselynn was interested in seeing more of Central Park, and her new friends across the hall had offered to take her around. As it turned out, the short path that she and Warren had journeyed had been just a small section of the massive greenspace. She was excited to take in all that she could; her new friends had even offered to take her to lunch at some place called Grill on the Green. Warren nearly did a spit take at this and chuckled at her surprised reaction. “That was where my Mom was working when she first saw Papa,” He explained, “He didn’t meet her there, but she told me once that she had been nearby when he placed his order. She said that at first she thought he was rather eccentric, but now knows that he had just gotten out of prison and this was his first meal that didn’t consist exclusively of beanstalk in some time.” “Do they really serve that at Snow White Prison?” Roselynn asked. “Not anymore, or at least not exclusively.” Warren shrugged, “Papa was able to convince Uncle Wendell to add a little meat to the menu around the full moon. He wasn’t the only Wolf imprisoned there, and since the pardon and judicial reform, there aren’t many there anymore; those who were convicted of more serious crimes are still there. Papa basically said that felon or no, it was inhumane to deprive a Wolf of meat during the full moon, and that it was almost worse than starving them.” “Wow, I never thought of it like that.” Roselynn responded, “No wonder the prisoners in my mother’s kingdom are so bad off. While she doesn’t use beanstalk, the prisoners are restricted to vegetarian diets.” “That’s terrible,” Warren shook his head. “I knew that there was a reason why so many were falling ill after the full moon.” She sighed, “If only I was able to convince my mother, not that she would listen to anything that would give any assistance to a Wolf.” “Maybe someday you will take her place and make changes for the better.” Warren suggested looking at her somberly. “I don’t really want to,” She admitted, sheepishly. “Even if it wasn’t my sister’s birthright before Mother came up with her preposterous suggestion of whomever marries Prince Stephan will assume the throne. I can assure you that I will never marry that arrogant, pompous, blackguard; despite what he may think.” “So, no love lost there,” Warren snickered. “Most definitely not.” Roselynn shook her head, “Not to mention that I would make a terrible leader. I’m not political at all.” “Whoever said that you must be political to care and lead your people?” Warren challenged her. “Some of the best leaders in the kingdoms were not political, they simply cared for the wellbeing of their people and strived to do what was right. That’s all a good ruler needs; a fair mind and an open heart to the struggles of their people.” “You make it sound so simple.” “It really is that simple,” Warren smiled at her, “But some just think they need to make it more complicated than it truly is. I think that you would make a great ruler, if given the opportunity.” Roselynn voiced her opinion that she sincerely hoped that she would never have to be put in that position knowing that if she were, it would have meant that she had lost both her mother and sister since she had no intention of marrying Prince Stephan. The thought saddened her, despite their differences on how to deal with the Wolven population of the Second Kingdom, she still loved her mother and sister and didn’t wish ill on either of them. Warren countered that one did not need to be a queen to affect great change. Although he did admit that some Wolves may not take kindly to a non-Wolf, especially a descendant of the original Red Riding Hood acting as their champion. Seeing that they had reached a dead end in that conversation, they shifted the topic to more casual items. Talking amicably as they made and consumed breakfast. Before long, they went their separate ways to prepare for the day. Warren was showered and dressed long before Roselynn, when the doorbell chimed. Warren opened the door, hair still wet from the shower. “I was wondering if we could steal Roselynn for the day.” The young woman suggested as explanation for her presence. “She mentioned you ladies had plans,” He responded, stepping aside to let her in. “Please, make yourself at home; Roselynn just got out of the shower; she should be out here soon.” He informed the woman before turning down the hall and knocking on the bathroom door to inform Roselynn that her friend was there. “Maureen!” Roselynn greeted her friend as she entered the living room and gave the woman a hug, “I’m so excited to spend my first real day in New York.” “You’ve been here three days.” Maureen pointed out. “True,” Roselynn nodded, shrugging on a sweater to ward of the late spring chill. “However, Warren was ill yesterday, so I wound up spending the day taking care of him instead of exploring. I thought Evelyn was joining us.” “She still is,” her new friend smiled back, “She just takes forever to get ready. I was thinking that there is so much to see around the city that we should probably pace ourselves. I was thinking that we could spend the day shopping. I know you have clothes now, but I was thinking that the lavender stuff you are using isn’t really your scent. I’m thinking it’s left over from the last time Warren’s family was over. There’s a shop that sells bath products that I think you would like, what do you think?” “That sounds lovely,” She smiled, turning to the masculine figure leaning against the hallway wall, “Is there anything you need me to pick up while I’m out?” “Don’t worry about me,” Warren assured her, “I have a few things that I have to take care of today so if anything comes to mind while I’m out, I can pick it up myself.” “Okay, I’ll see you this evening.” She flashed him a smile before grabbing her purse and a sweater and following her friend out the door.
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Roselynn had only been in the Tenth Kingdom for a few days but was already getting used to the various forms of transportation that were used in the city where Warren lived. Although it still mystified her as to how they were propelled without horses, she found them to be most efficient in getting her and her friends from one point to the other. Maureen, Evelyn, and she stepped out of the building into the mild day as the doorman hailed a cab for them. The way he opened the door for them and tipped his hat reminded her of the footman back home. The ladies quickly settled in the cab as the doorman gave the driver an address. When the cab stopped, the women made their way up to the white pillared storefront. The moment they were through the door, a multitude of scents overwhelmed Roselynn who looked at her friends questioningly. They explained that this was a store that sold a variety of soaps, lotions, and candles used mostly by women, although there was a small section for men with more masculine scents.“I thought that you would have your best bet at finding something you like here.” Maureen smiled, “Or even better, something Warren would like.” The later comment caused Roselynn to blush as she took in the shop. One of the clerks came by to assist them and, upon finding that Roselynn had never been there before, took it upon herself to become the personal shopper for the group. The women spent the rest of the afternoon smelling and trying a variety of scents on themselves and each other. By the end of the day, Roselynn walked out with a bag stamped with the company’s name and logo on the front and back and carrying various items in the three scents that she favored. Her friends also held similar bags containing their favorite scents as well as a gift basket that they explained was for their mother’s birthday. “Do you think I should have gotten Warren something?” Roselynn asked innocently. “You know in thanks for letting me visit.” “I can think of something he would like,” Maureen teased giving her a wicked smile as she hailed a cab, “And it doesn’t cost much either.” The unspoken meaning made Roselynn blush, “I could never do that.” She laughed awkwardly, “We’re just friends.” “Oh, come on!” Evelyn chimed in as a cab pulled up and the girls slid in, “How could you not want to? Unless you don’t find men attractive or something, which is perfectly fine.” “It’s nothing like that!” Roselynn stammered as the cab pulled up to the curb, “Believe me I find him very attractive, but my mother would kill me if she even knew I was here.” “Why?” Maureen asked, paying the cabbie. “What is there not to like? He’s kind, compassionate, generous, not to mention undeniably sexy.” “That may all be true,” Roselynn sighed following her friends into the building. “Unfortunately, she’s not fond of his people.” “’His people?’” Evelyn asked looking confused, “What is that supposed to mean?” “It’s a long story that is many generations old.” Roselynn explained as she let the girls into the apartment, “I really don’t want to get into it right now other than to say that I’m the only one in my family, that I know of, that doesn’t take issue with Warren or his people.” “Sounds a lot like Romeo and Juliette.” Evelyn looked between her sister and her friend as the settled on the couch. “Who?” “Did you never read Romeo and Juliette going through school?” Maureen challenged. “No,” Roselynn shook her head, “We don’t have many of the books you have where I grew up.” Maureen and Evelyn gave Roselynn the CliffsNotes version of the story of the star-crossed lovers, filling in if the other had missed something. When they were done, Roselynn looked depressed, “That is so sad.” “Sorry to put a damper on the day for you,” Maureen apologized, “Okay change of subject to something happy and somewhat related. They have a Shakespeare festival here every year and it will be starting in June. I don’t know which plays they’ll be performing, but it’s always fun to watch. Considering it’ll start in just a few weeks, I’m willing to bet the cast is already starting to rehearse. Perhaps we should stop by the amphitheater as we explore Central Park tomorrow.” Roselynn nodded the affirmative, and the women started to make plans to meet up there. The topic of a picnic was brought up, but the New Yorkers suggested bringing snacks instead, explaining that there would likely be vendors out around that time. Once the plans were set, the ladies chatted about anything and nothing for a couple more hours before Maureen and Evelyn went back across the hall their own apartment. Warren was just finishing up research for one of his classes when he heard the sound of a key in the front door. Shutting down his laptop and closing the books next to him, he stepped from the library into the living room just as Roselynn came in carrying a colorful bag. “Have a good day?” “It was nice to spend time with Maureen and Evelyn,” Roselynn smiled, walking toward her bathroom and depositing several bottles into the medicine cabinet above the sink as she spoke, “They showed me this fantastic store with all this wonderful smelling stuff! I had to get some, I may have to sell off another one of my hoods soon, though, I may have over done it a bit the last few days.” “Well you are basically having to start from scratch with quite a few things, and New York isn’t really known for being inexpensive.” Warren chuckled from his position, leaning against the door frame and meeting Roselynn’s eyes in the mirror, “However, now that you’ve gotten the basics down you won’t need much aside from a few regular needs, you probably won’t be needing to spend too much more during your time here.” “Perhaps,” She shrugged, walking past him and into the kitchen, “Mr. Grant said that he would happily buy my Hoods, but didn’t want to buy more than one at a time unless I had a bank account. Do you think you could help me with that?” Warren chuckled a bit to himself as he watched her pull an apron over her head and move around the kitchen, preparing their supper. She seemed to have acclimated quite well to her new environment as she easily found what she was searching for; he didn’t know what she was making aside from the fact it involved pork, a lot of spices, and smelled absolutely delicious even before it hit the cast iron pan she had heating on the stove. “Sure, tomorrow is one of my short days at school, so I should be home by 2pm.” He shrugged, “Although, we may have to figure out something to do about ID while you are here.” “’ID?’” Roselynn looked up from the sizzling pan, “Mr. Grant had mentioned something like that before. What is it?” “It’s short for identification, which in this day and age in the Tenth Kingdom, is practically required for everything,” Warren provided, opening a bottle of wine to let it breathe while his friend cooked. “And in order for you to get an ID here, we may have to work a little magic; wait right here.” Roselynn watched him dash out of the kitchen, a quizzical look on her face before returning to the vegetables she was cutting to be steamed once the meat was closer to being done. Warren soon returned with an ornately decorated box that looked early Cinderellian or maybe even late Stepmother in age. “This box was given to me when I first came here, my parents had been gifted it by my uncle when they first returned.” Warren explained, “The idea is that with a few items, a lock of hair, a personal item, and a few other things, it will create whatever you need to get you started. For my parents, it created a marriage certificate with a stamp from another city in this country as well as a couple pieces of identification for my father. With any luck it will work for you.” Roselynn nodded as she distributed the vegetables into a metal basket and set it over a boiling pot of water. “So, it needs a lock of my hair, and a personal item…” “Like your signet ring,” Warren offered. “What is the third item that is needed?” She cocked her head to the side. “Funny thing, magic,” Warren shook his head bemusedly, “For as fantastical as it can be much of the time, it does on occasion require the most practical of things. The third item requested is a statement in your own hand of why you need the documentation you are requesting from the box, but it has to be something that it deems worth its effort to produce the documents.” “Just wanting to open a bank account isn’t going to cut it, I’m guessing,” Roselynn stated more than asked, already having an idea of what she would write on the slip. “Yes, but it doesn’t have to be anything over the top,” Warren shrugged, playing his fingers across the gold filigree inlaid in the lid of the box, “My father’s simply said that he wished to have the means to provide for his family and make a long-held dream of my mother’s into a reality.” “I think I already know what I’m going to write down,” She admitted, pulling the food from the stove and plating it.Warren took this as his que to pour the wine and get out the silverware. As she sat the plates down, Warren pulled Roselynn’s chair out for her and helped her get seated. “What are you thinking of?”“It’s not like a wishing well or birthday wish where it won’t come true if you tell someone, is it?” She inquired, cutting into the steamed broccoli on her plate.“No,” Warren chuckled, as he savored the bite of the seasoned pork he had just placed in his mouth, “You can tell me.”“I think I’m going to write that I want to attempt going to school,” Roselynn blushed, “Do you think that would be okay? I mean, it would mean me being here for a long time, and I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”Warren couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face, “I think that is the noblest thing you can do, teaching is a noble profession. I’ll even help you every step of the way to learn what you will need to be successful when it comes to Tenth Kingdom knowledge. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I have every confidence you can do it.”“Thank you,” Roselynn turned to her friend who was still beaming. “Shall we try the box after dinner?”“I think it’s worth a shot,” He shrugged.They ate quietly for a few minutes before Roselynn looked at him shyly, “Do you think it could really make a difference?”“Could what make a difference?”“Me becoming a teacher, and returning home to teach there,” Roselynn explained.“I think it would be a shame if you didn’t at least try.” Warren gave her a reassuring smile, “Who knows, your influence could change the minds of your whole kingdom.”“Do you think it would be too distracting for the pupils to have me as their teacher?” She mused, “I am a princess of the realm.”“Perhaps,” Warren shrugged, “Perhaps not. Who knows? Maybe they’ll forget what you look like in the next few years or will just think that you look like the princess. There’s a butcher who set up shop in Little Lamb Village who is the spitting image of my uncle, no one seems to care.”“Really?”“At first it was a novelty, but now no one really mentions it,” Warren shrugged, “And he sells the most succulent lamb chops I’ve ever tasted.”Roselynn rolled her eyes and shook her head as her friend licked his lips dreamily at the thought of the tender cuts. Soon dinner was over, Roselynn wrote out her statement for the box. Capping the pen, she folded the paper neatly and placed her signet ring next to it. “All that’s left is the lock of hair, right?”“Yes,” Warren nodded, retrieving the scissors, “Do you want to do it, or shall I?”“I’ll do it,” Roselynn held her hand out for the shears. She cut a small section from the end of her braid and added it to the stack. Opening the box, she placed the items in and closed the lid. “How long do we have to wait?”“I’m not sure,” Warren shrugged, “There’s not a lot of magic on this side of the mirror, so it may take a while. It might be wise to leave it be and check in the morning.”“You’re probably right,” Roselynn agreed, following her friend into the kitchen to clean up the dishes and cookware from their meal. “Do you think it will work?”“I don’t know,” Warren shrugged, “But I have hope that it will.”
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“Thank the Goddess, that’s over,” Queen Riding Hood III sighed to herself as she swept into her rooms. Pulling a cord near the door to her bedroom, she summoned her chief steward. “You called, Milady?” The man bowed deeply to the monarch. “Summon my daughter Roselynn to me.” She ordered, removing her gloves and setting them on her nearby writing desk. “I’m afraid that is not possible, Your Majesty,” He shook his head, “She is not here.” “What do you mean she’s not here?” The queen demanded of the trembling steward. “Princess Ruby said that she had returned to the castle a week ago. She didn’t take off on one of her fool rides that she thinks I don’t know about, did she?” “No Milady,” The portly, balding man’s voice quivered, “She never arrived. There were never even any whispers of anyone of importance crossing the border until Milady and the Princess Ruby returned this very day.” The queen’s cape billowed behind her as she paced in frustration. After a few moments of doing this she paused, realizing that her missing daughter could prove to be a valuable thing for the kingdom. Not only would the ridiculous pro-Wolf propaganda her youngest daughter promoted cease, but the fact that she was missing would change the views of the other kingdoms to being more sympathetic towards her. She knew her daughter would turn up eventually. There were only a few possibilities as to what happened. Either Roselynn had run away, had been kidnapped, or was trapped by some curse, whatever the reason for her daughter’s disappearance, she would use this to her advantage. “Joffrey!” She called to the steward, “Spread the word that Princess Roselynn is missing, maybe that will smoke her or her captors out so that she may return to us.” “Yes, Milady,” The old man bowed before scurrying out of the room. The queen, proud of herself, settled on her throne confident that her daughter would turn up eventually. Until then she would be content in the fact that, wherever her daughter was, she was nowhere near Wolves. Even with her daughter’s ill-advised support of the creatures, none would be so foolish as to kidnap her and cross the House of Red.
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The early morning sun rose over Manhattan, streaming through the break in the curtains that Roselynn had closed the night before, awakening the sleeping princess. With a groan, she rolled over and tried to get more sleep, but alas, it was not to be. With a sigh, she pushed herself into a sitting position as she pushed back the covers on her bed. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed to allow her slender feet to find their way into her comfortable slippers. She quickly made her bed and selected a simple outfit consisting of a knee-length floral skirt and a short-sleeved lilac blouse. Clutching the outfit, along with the unmentionables she had retrieved from her drawers, to her chest, she quickly made her way across the hall to get ready for the day. The warm water pouring over her head and flowing over her body along with the scent of her soap and hair products woke her up a bit more. Turning the taps until the water slowed and then stopped its flow from the showerhead, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. She quickly dried her hair with a second towel and set to fixing her hair. Knowing that her plans involved leaving the apartment at some point, she pulled her hair back in a ponytail and affixed a thin ribbon that matched her blouse around the gathered hair. She was soon dressed and had put on a light touch of makeup before heading into the kitchen to start breakfast. Walking past the island, she noticed the box still sitting on the countertop where it had been left the night before. She was both eager and scared to open the box and see if her request had been granted. Shaking the thought from her head, she quickly collected the items she would need to start breakfast. Warming up the stove, she set down a large, cast-iron skillet on the burner and added a large portion of bacon to the pan. Soon the tell-tale sound of sizzling and popping sounded, alerting her that it was nearly time to turn the rashers to finish cooking. Warren was fast asleep, a smile gracing his lips as dream images floated to him. It was almost as if his subconscious was showing him his life as it would eventually be. No image lasted more than a brief time, and nothing was in great detail, although there was an awareness, a knowing that washed over him. The dream started with him walking across campus, when a woman, her light hair glistening in the afternoon sun, turned to him and smiled. While he couldn’t make out her features, there was a definite pull towards her, as he walked toward her the image blurred, and he was standing in a garden. The woman was now walking toward him, her long dress caressing her legs as she came closer. Beside him stood an older man with stiff posture and stiffer vestments. The woman was now standing before him, her eyes drawing him in, he could see her lips moving, and knew that he spoke as well, the words never reached his ears, but the reverence of the moment did not escape him. He found himself leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to the woman’s lips as the image began to shift once more. Before the next image could pull him in, he scented one of his favorite things in the world, bacon. In many ways he was like his father, this was one of them. Pushing the covers back, he realized it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to walk out to the kitchen in nothing but his boxers as he used to before Roselynn came to stay. “No, better to get dressed first.” He nodded to himself as he gathered what he needed for the day and ducked into the ensuite bathroom. Roselynn was just finishing up the eggs when Warren came strolling into the kitchen and stole a rasher of bacon. “Good morning,” He smiled down at her as she felt a familiar twinge in her stomach. “’Morning,” She smiled back, plating the eggs and remaining bacon before adding some grilled potatoes and toast and carrying them to the table. “This looks delicious,” Warren’s eyes grew large as he took in the heaping pile of bacon on the plate she sat before him, “And I am famished.” Roselynn chuckled and rolled her eyes, “I swear you must have a hollow leg,” She shook her head as she sat down, “Where else do you put it all?” “Wolves have a very fast metabolism,” Warren explained, swallowing the large bite of egg and bacon covered toast he had just taken. “Believe it or not, my brother is worse.” “Oh, I believe it,” She laughed, “I remember how you were at his age.” “In his defense, he should be experiencing his first full moon soon,” He shrugged, excusing his brother’s behavior, “He’s at that age, it’ll take him a few cycles to learn to control his urges.” “And what about you?” She challenged, “Have you learned to control your urges?” Not as well as I might want to think, the thought came to him, but he shrugged it off as he took another bite of his breakfast. Not really wanting to follow that line of questioning, he changed the subject, “Have you looked in the box?” “Not yet,” She blushed, “To be quite honest, I’m a little scared to. I mean, what if I open it and nothing is in there but what we put in last night?” “We’ll never know if you don’t look,” He nodded toward the counter upon which the box sat. “Very well,” She sighed, wiping her mouth with her napkin and rising to retrieve the vessel. She returned to the table and reverently set down the box. “Here goes nothing,” She held her breath as she undid the latch and slowly lifted the lid. Inside sat a small, maroon booklet with gold lettering and a circular crest that bore a striking similarity to that of her own kingdom. There was wording in three different languages above the crest and below it the word “passport” was written thrice, with different spellings each time. Inside there was a portrait of her from the shoulders up. To the side listed her name and other identifying features including her eye and hair color. Beneath the booklet was a small card with a greyish blue graphic background. The top border of it was half blue bearing the word ‘Visa’ and the other half was a deep red bearing the words ‘United States of America.’ The main area of the card was similar to that of the passport with a picture of her and identifying information. At the bottom of the box lay a manila envelope with her name scrawled across it. Opening the top flap, she pulled out a small sheaf of paper. They looked to be records of some kind, “What is this?” She handed the documents to her friend who looked it over, smiling. “Your transcript,” He explained, “It looks like it took what you learned from your governess and the marks you received and translated them into comparable subjects and grades.” “This will allow me to go to school?” She took the paper back looking it over to see the ratings that her friend had explained to her. “You should probably learn to use a computer first,” Warren shrugged, “But theoretically, yes. This transcript along with your student visa,” He pointed to the card she had pulled from the box, “Will allow you to enroll in school.” “What about a bank account?” She asked, remembering their conversation from the night before. “The passport will do well enough to verify your identity,” He confirmed, “Are you still wanting to do that after I get home?” “Very much so,” She agreed, collecting their dishes and heading back to the kitchen to clean up. “I’ll see about going to Mr. Grant’s shop and selling another one of my gold Hoods.” “You may want to wait on that until after the account is opened.” Warren advised as he grabbed a travel mug from the cabinet above her head, filled it with coffee and doctored it, “I gotta get going to class, I’ll see you this afternoon.” “Okay,” Roselynn chirped. For a fleeting moment, it almost seemed to her that he was about to kiss her goodbye, but with a slight shake of his head, he rounded her and headed toward the study where his bookbag was stored. She didn’t know if she should be relieved or disappointed over her assumption, with a sigh she turned back to the dishes, quickly cleaning them and stacking them, neatly, in the drying rack. Warren had showed her how to properly work the machines in the laundry closet, so she busied herself with collecting the sheets from both their beds and remaking them as the washer worked its magic. Knowing she had a while before she would have to move the sheets over to the dryer, she returned to her room and grabbed the coin purse that was in her pocket when she crossed over to this strange land. Inside the velvet pouch sat her remaining five gold Hoods, caressing one of the coins that bore her mother’s image on one side and crossed axes on the other, she made her way to the entry. She carefully placed the coin in a side pocket of her purse and, grabbing her keys from where they lay in a bowl on the foyer table, she shouldered her bag and headed downstairs to the street level. It didn’t take long for her to arrive at the shop owned by Mr. Grant. “Good morning,” The jovial shop keeper greeted her, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” “I would like to sell another one of my coins,” She set her purse on the counter before the man and withdrew the golden disk. “I have identification this time too,” She added pulling her passport from her purse and laying it down with the coin. “I take it your baggage arrived?” The older man cocked his eyebrow. “Only some,” She shrugged, hoping that he wouldn’t see through the lie, “At the very least my passport was returned to me.” “Very fortunate, indeed,” Mr. Grant agreed, “Now, as we have discussed before, I will give you what the coin is worth, but I strongly recommend that you open an account somewhere to keep the cash.” “Not to fret, Mr. Grant,” Roselynn assured him, “I am going with Warren this afternoon to open an account, once that is done, I may eventually trade the rest of what I have, but we shall see.” Mr. Grant just smiled and nodded as he completed the transaction. He handed her a small white envelope and gave her instructions to head straight back to Warren’s apartment. Roselynn just nodded, tucking the envelope into her purse, shouldering it once more, and with a small wave, she was out the door and heading back to the apartment that was rapidly becoming ‘home’ for her.Knowing she had time to spare before Warren was due home, Roselynn dropped the envelope off in her room and departed once more, this time to the library. While most buildings in New York were formidable structures that rose higher than a giant's head, the New York Public Library, with its stone façade and turrets reminded her of the castles of her homeland. With a deep breath, she made her way up the stairs in into the entrance of the formidable building. She was surprised at how busy it was for mid-day. There were people going to and fro, many going to the boxy machines to hit a few buttons before scribbling something down on a scrap of paper and diving once more into the stacks."May I help you?" An older woman with kind hazel eyes, and a gentle smile approached her. Roselynn couldn’t help but return the smile. The woman's grey hair was pinned up in a loose bun on the top of her head and some stray wisps had come untucked from their pins. Around her neck she wore a pair of spectacles on a chain which rested on her ample, brown cardigan-clad bosom. The woman's simple forest green dress and brown shoes reminded Roselynn of a fairy godmother trying to remain hidden."Yes," Roselynn nodded, "I am going to be applying for school soon and need to brush up on my studies. Have you any suggestions on where to start?"The older woman allowed her eyes to wander over the young woman before her as she thought. The girl seemed fairly intelligent, but at the same time seemed otherworldly. It was funny, although she looked completely different, she reminded the old woman of another one who she assisted many years ago in seeking knowledge from the tomes she cared for. Of course, the other was a man who also carried an air of vague power, danger, and seduction about him. With a passing thought toward the patience of the now middle-aged man's soft-spoken wife, she turned her attention back to the visitor before her."Don't you worry your pretty little head one bit," She smiled gently at the young woman, "We'll get you up to speed before you know it. I've, been here for more years than I'd like to admit, I am confident the books here will guide you in your pursuit.""Thank you, Ma'am," Roselynn followed the older woman as she strode over to a podium which housed another of the boxy machines."Martha will do just fine," The older woman guided her toward the machine. Roselynn stood awkwardly in front of the machine, not sure, how to work it. She knew from watching Warren that the keys on the board before her did something, but she had no clue as to what. "Well what are you waiting for?""I'm embarrassed to admit, but I have never used one of these before," Roselynn blushed, "We didn't have them where I'm from."“Well, aren't you a rare breed," Martha chuckled good naturedly, "Perhaps we should start with history and mathematics for now." She nudged the younger woman aside and started typing requests into the search boxes, jotting down a few barcodes as she spoke with the young woman, "You know we have a computer class here on Wednesday mornings. Mostly full of elderly folk like myself who never had much use for a computer before everything became online. If you don't mind being the youngest one in the room, it might do you some good.""I appreciate the suggestion," Roselynn nodded, "I'll think about it."Martha nodded and with a quick flick of her hand indicated that Roselynn should follow. Twenty minutes later, Roselynn now had several books spanning multiple subjects balanced in her arms as she followed the older woman back to the front desk. Reaching the hard pine structure, Martha made her way toward one of the consoles, "Do you have a library card?""I’m sad to say, I do not," Roselynn shook her head, fearful that she wouldn't be able to take the literature home with her."Easily fixed," The older woman chirped, grabbing a small stiff item and scanning it below the wand. She then handed the card and a thick piece of paper to the surprised young woman, "Just fill this out."Picking up a nearby pen, Roselynn began jotting down the address that Warren made her memorize in case she ever got lost in the large, and occasionally confusing, city. She then handed the paperwork back to the older woman who was placing the books she was borrowing into a plastic bag with a receipt. "I'm sorry, I don't have a phone number for where I am staying.""Don't worry about it, Darling," The woman assured her, "Now these books will be due back in two weeks. If they are late you may have to pay a penalty; I also tucked in a pamphlet with the time of the computer class on it.""I understand, and thank you," Roselynn accepted the bag and made her way back down to the street to meet Warren at home.
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It was the opening night of the Shakespeare festival; Roselynn had spent many days with her friends, who were both now on summer break, watching the actors rehearse. She was excited to go to the first official show of the season. As luck would have it, the performance tonight was Romeo and Juliette. She had read through most of the Shakespearian comedies and a few of the dramas that were housed in the apartment’s small library and was now familiar with the story of the star-crossed lovers. Now she understood what her friends had referred to a month before about Warren and herself being a little like Romeo and Juliette. She just hoped that they wouldn’t meet the same end.Since they were going out as a group and the girls had offered to provide dinner, Roselynn decided that she was going to contribute cookies and iced tea for the group which was to include the whole Grant family as well as Warren and herself. Finding an apron, she set to work; she knew she knew nothing about the types of cookies that they ate here in the Tenth Kingdom, so she decided to bake some that she already knew how to make. She quickly collected the ingredients she needed and started mixing them together in a bowl. Soon enough she had the batter scooped out on trays ready to go into the oven. Not used to using ovens that weren’t fueled by wood, it took her a few tries to get the temperature just right so that they didn’t come out raw or overcooked. When the first perfect batch came out, she did a little happy dance in spite of herself and put another tray into the oven. As soon as the batch cooled enough, she decided to indulge in one herself. Biting into the soft cookie the flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and a little sugar danced across her tongue. She decided that they had come out splendidly and once the last couple batches of the cookies baked, she decided to start lunch. When Warren opened the door, returning from work at the diner his parents had opened upon their return to the City, his senses were assailed with delicious scents streaming from the kitchen. He caught the sweet scents of baked treats as well as the savory scent of the rosemary chicken and potatoes that Roselynn had made for lunch. Dropping his keys in the bowl next to the door, he rounded the corner and smiled at what he saw. Roselynn, hair tied up, apron tied around her neck, singing along with the radio and dancing and twirling on bare feet as she finished up the meal. If he didn’t know better, he would have mistaken her for any American born woman. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the way the skirt of her summer dress swayed seductively around her knees with each movement she made in time with the music.Suddenly a new scent reached him, it was a light fruity and floral scent that couldn’t be attributed to anything else; it had to be her. Was that what she had bought last month with the girls? He had noticed that she had continued using the toiletries in the guest bath, he guessed the supply was not depleted. Waste not want not, very practical, he thought to himself, chuckling. While he still enjoyed her natural scent, he couldn’t help but salivate at how delicious she smelled as the natural met the scent of flowers and citrus she now wore. It was intoxicating especially when combined with the flirty dress she wore.He was sure it had taken some convincing on their friends’ part to convince her to wear it without a blouse underneath. The dress was sleeveless with thick straps over the shoulders and a scooped neckline accentuating her natural features, the bodice skimmed along her curves before flowing out into a flirty skirt that floated around her knees when she moved. The pale floral pattern brought out her sea-green eyes, causing the jewel tones to shine more than normal. He stood in awe of the girl, no woman, in his kitchen for a few more moments before finally deciding to make his presence known. “Something smells good in here,” he spoke softly, leaning up against the doorframe. Roselynn jumped a little, making him chuckle. “If you would have made those cookies last week, it would have made my confinement so much better.” He smirked referring to their second round with the moon that they had just endured a few days prior. “When did you get home?” She smiled, looking back at him. Warren couldn’t believe how good that sounded coming from her, or how perfectly she fit in his kitchen; like she belonged there with him. However good as the fantasy felt, he knew it could never be. One day, much sooner than he would like, she would have to return to her own kingdom rather than reside in either of his. “What’s wrong?” She asked, noticing the small grimace on his face. “Hmm?” He asked, “Oh nothing, just work stuff. Looks like you’ve been busy.” He changed the subject, sweeping his hand to indicate the cookie laden counters. “I thought it would be nice to bring some cookies and iced tea with us to share with the Grants at the play tonight.” She explained. “I hope you don’t mind, I found the basket and the thermoses the other day and the idea struck me. I’ve already made the iced tea and it’s chilling right now so that it’ll be ready to go when the time comes.” “Sounds good,” He nodded, “Is lunch almost ready? I’m starved.” “I highly doubt that you are starved.” Roselynn chuckled, “But it’ll be done soon, about 5 minutes, maybe?” “Alright, I’ll go change and be right back.” Warren informed her, before bounding back to his room and changing in to a pair of dark chinos and the close fitting burgundy t-shirt that made his eyes glow even more amber than usual. When he returned to the dining room, Roselynn was just pouring some lemonade into the glasses on the table. “This smells delicious, you really don’t have to cook like this every day, you know; at least let me have a turn.” “I don’t mind.” She shrugged as he pulled out her chair for her, “I’ve found that I actually like doing this. It helps me to feel like I’m contributing rather than just living off your generosity.” “Well, you should still let me treat you to dinner.” Warren smiled at her, taking his own seat, “Not a date or anything, just a nice dinner between friends. And maybe we can catch a show that is not performed in a park?” “Sure.” She smiled back, taking a bite of the chicken. They spent the rest of lunch chatting amicably about their plans over the next few days. Warren then took to setting the kitchen back to rights as Roselynn transferred ice and tea into the thermoses and packed the cookies and the drinks away in a small wicker basket she’d found in the pantry. “Ready to go?” Warren asked, standing in the doorframe of the dining room, a blanket draped over his arm. “Yeah, I think I have everything I need.” She smiled as Warren opened the door so that she could pass, basket in hand. Locking the door, he placed his free hand on the small of her back and guided her to the elevator. Both tried, but failed, to ignore the thrill that passed through their bodies at the contact.
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The evening breeze caressed her cheek as she and Warren made their way, arm in arm, toward the amphitheater where the Grants were waiting for them. Roselynn was glad that Maureen and Evelyn had convinced her to buy the light weight sundress as well as the loose knit cardigan that she had stowed in the picnic basket Warren now carried. The dress was shorter than she was used to wearing, barely past her knees, but she loved the way the material seemed to float around her as she walked. As they approached the tiered seating area surrounding the stage, they heard their names being called to their right. She recognized Maureen and Evelyn’s voices as Warren changed directions and gently led her toward their friends. She was glad to have found them as the sun was starting to set, and a cool breeze had started. As soon as Warren set down the basket, she quickly removed the ivory sweater before sliding her arms in to the sleeves. The group exchanged hugs and handshakes like they were long lost family rather than simply a group of neighbors and friends who saw each other on a near daily basis. Roselynn knew that Warren was very close to the Grants. When he had returned to New York to attend University, the Grants had taken him under their wing. They knew of course that he had family in some foreign land, and had even met his parents on occasion, but they still thought of him as their son. Mrs. Grant had even insisted on him joining their family for dinner until he was more secure on his feet; she had even checked in on him to make sure he was keeping up with his studies. Now, it seemed the Grant matriarch had turned her sights on Roselynn, not that she minded. It was nice to have such a lovely and caring couple taking interest in her wellbeing, something she rarely, if ever, received back in the Second Kingdom. Shaking the thought from her head, Roselynn dove back into the basket to start passing out plastic cups and thermoses of iced tea, promising cookies for after they ate the dinner that Mrs. Grant had brought in her own basket. The group fell quiet as each enjoyed the taste of ham sandwiches and potato salad, the iced tea perfectly complementing their meal. As the disposable items were collected and tossed, they settled in to watch the opening act of Romeo and Juliet. By intermission, Roselynn was completely enraptured by the show that she hardly noticed the break. After being nudged back into the present by her old friend, she began passing out the cookies she had packed, and enjoyed another scene being played out as her friends all enjoyed their treats, going back for more until the basket was completely emptied of the delectable cookies. Mrs. Grant liked them so much that she insisted that Roselynn share the recipe or at least make them again in a couple weeks for Independence Day. Roselynn just looked at Warren who explained about the holiday and the usual festivities surrounding it. After securing his promise to remind her the following week, she agreed to contribute the cookies for the event. Further discussion was halted by the curtain rising to finish out the last acts of the play. She watched in fear as Romeo killed Thibault, and cried along with Juliet as her love was banished. Giving a thankful albeit watery smile to Warren in exchange for his handkerchief, she watched as the lovers took their lives rather than live without one another. “It’s so sad.” She sighed. “That’s part of why it’s a drama.” Warren smiled down at her. “Don’t worry, not all of Shakespeare’s plays are so depressing. Next weekend they are performing Taming of the Shrew, it’s a comedy and I think you would like that one.” “So we will be coming back?” She asked as the Grants collected the last of their items and headed home. “Yes, we’ll be back, if you’d like.” Warren assured her as he picked up the basket and dropped his free arm around her shoulders to head back to the apartment. “And Independence Day is in a couple weeks so we’ll come back for the fireworks as well.” “I’m looking forward to that.” She smiled up at him before leaning closer to his side, enjoying the feel of his arm around her. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to be more than just friends with the man beside her. Dismissing the thought as quickly as it came, she chose to enjoy the way the park took on a mysterious air at night. If one didn’t know any better, they would think that it held a magic and a power all its own that had nothing to do with the portal between realms that was hidden among the trees at the far end of the greenspace.
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“Thank you so much for inviting me.” Roselynn smiled at her friends as they approached their apartments after experiencing the 4th of July festivities, “I had so much fun!” “We’re glad you enjoyed it, Dear.” The Grant matron gave her an affectionate hug before turning to Warren, “Are we still on for Friday?” “Yes, Friday should be fine.” Warren nodded after doing a quick mental check of where in the lunar cycle they were. It had not escaped his, or Roselynn’s, notice that each cycle had been growing progressively worse with each passing month. He was almost tempted to send Roselynn away, or at the very least across the hall the following weekend, but he knew she would never go for it. “We will see you then,” Ruth nodded before following her husband and daughters into the apartment. “So you liked that?” Warren asked, slipping his key into the locks on the door. “You’re not just saying you did? I know the fireworks weren’t the kind you are used to.” “I loved it!” Roselynn danced passed him, folded blanket in her hands and basket swinging from her arm. “Magically enhanced fireworks are a sight to see, but the ones we saw tonight were equally spectacular, I love how they timed the whole thing to the music from the grandstand!” Warren couldn’t help the smile that split his face as he watched her moving through the apartment, dropping the blanket over the back of the newly upholstered leather chair before disappearing into the kitchen to drop the picnic basket on the counter. “What?” She asked, catching his grin before checking herself self-consciously. “I was just thinking if we added a red cape to you, you’d be the spitting image of your great grandmother.” He chuckled. “I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.” Roselynn responded warily, making her way to the new leather sofa they had bought the week before. “It’s a compliment,” Warren assured her, as he sat on the other end of the sofa, “There is no denying the women in your family are easy on the eyes.” “I think I may be the exception to that rule.” Roselynn sighed, laying her head back. “You most definitely are.” He agreed before smiling at her confused look, “The women in your family have always been pretty, but most are no deeper than their own agendas. Your beauty on the other hand radiates from deep within.” Roselynn said nothing, just blushed as her eyes met his for a moment before dropping to her lap. Knowing that he’d probably crossed a line, Warren quickly changed the subject, “So, back home it’s nearly time for the harvest.” “I forgot that our seasons don’t quite line up.” Roselynn chuckled, both in realization and relief of the change of topic. “It would be autumn back home, wouldn’t it?” “Yep,” Warren nodded, “And if my calculations are correct, that mean’s your birthday will be coming up soon.” “I think you’re right.” Roselynn mused, “In a little more than 17 days.” “That’s about what I thought too.” Warren agreed, “I know between your days out on the town with the girls and your time touring the city with me, you’ve hit some of the bigger attractions, but there is one special place you haven’t been.” “Oh really?” She asked, her curiosity piqued, “Where is that?” “Moonstruck Diner,” Warren announced proudly, “Or more specifically the Luna Club Lounge.” “Sounds interesting,” She tilted her head thoughtfully, “What makes it so special?” “Well, when my parents returned to New York after their first big adventure, Mom told Dad that her dream was to one day own a restaurant.” Warren explained, “My father jumped at the chance to make her dream a reality and by the time I was born, they were ready to open. Turns out my father is a rather talented cook.” “That must be where you get it from.” “Very likely, but Mom is no slouch in the kitchen either.” Warren nodded, “Moonstruck is their diner. When I was old enough, and they decided to send me back to school, they turned the reigns over to me and I handle the books and general ownership stuff while the rest of the staff maintains the diner. My addition to the business was the Luna Club Lounge. We had this big open space downstairs that we were just using for storage but had clearly been a speakeasy back in the day. I started renovating the space and last year opened it up as a public venue, we have bands come perform from time to time, host parties and what not, which brings me to why I brought up your birthday. I would like to throw you a party.” “A party?” She looked at him perplexed, “It would be pretty small, just us and the Grants. I don’t know anyone else here.” “I could invite some of my friends from school and have the girls invite some of their friends as well.” Warren suggested, “Of course that would only be if you felt comfortable with the idea.” Roselynn thought it over for a few moments before meeting his eyes again, “I think it would be fun to meet some new people. Can I make a request?” “It’s your party.” Warren shrugged. “Do you think it could be a masque?” She asked hopefully, “I’ve always wanted to go to one.” “I think we could do that,” He nodded, “How would you feel about a costume party?” “Even better,” She clapped excitedly, “I’ve never had a party that wasn’t extremely formal and full of courtiers before… or even been able to celebrate my birthday with just friends, however few they may be.” “Well I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Warren smiled at her warmly, “I’ll get started on the preparations.” “You do that,” She smiled up at him as he rose to head to the den, “Oh and Warren?” “Yeah?” “Thank you,” Her eyes shone with appreciation, “Not only for the party but for everything.” “That’s what friends are for, right?” He asked, a warm smile on his lips before disappearing into the den. “Yeah, friends.” She spoke softly, picking up a book and trying to distract herself from the strange pain that sat in her chest over the word. If only he knew the truth.
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Roselynn quietly opened the door to Warren’s room, much as she had during the last two full moons that had occurred since she had first arrived. Entering, she set the tray she carried on the desk near the door. It had not escaped her notice that each successive cycle had become more difficult for him and she found herself wondering as to why that was. She was surprised to see him standing silent at the window, the light of the full moon casting shadows on his face. His stance was rigid, his mouth set as if deep in thought. His arms were folded tensely before his bare chest, as if they were the only things holding him still, the action causing the coiled muscles in his back to ripple from the strain. His tail, which hung out of his striped pajama pants, was so still it didn’t even twitch a follicle. He growled softly as her cool hand met his forehead testing his temperature. “Who died and made you the little dwarf nursemaid?” He snarled at her, barely holding himself in check. “I know you don’t feel well,” She responded soft but firmly, “But that doesn’t mean you may be rude to me.” “What are you, my mother?” He snapped, looking down at her, his eyes had changed from their usual warm hazel to an intense, glowing ember that gave away the wild side of his nature. “Do you think we’re playing house here?” He demanded, turning towards her quickly, causing her to take an instinctive step back trapping her between his body and the wall. “No,” Roselynn gasped, her breath catching in her throat, a mix of fear and arousal rushed over her as he leaned in closer to her. Warren slowly, and deliberately placed his hands, one at a time, against the wall, bracketing her head before leaning in even closer until his face was mere inches from her own. “Do you know what happens to little girls who think they can play house with a Wolf?” He asked, sending shivers down Roselynn’s back, “They. Get. Eaten.” He growled softly in her ear, punctuating the last word with a click of his teeth. “Warren, please stop.” Roselynn pleaded with him not knowing what he would do. After the initial shock of Warren’s behavior wore off, Roselynn was able to get her bearings back. “Stop being such a bully.” She scolded him tersely. “My, what a courageous spirit you have,” Warren teased, a sinister air to his voice. “All the better to stand up to you with.” Came the retort. “My, what a quick wit you have.” “All the better to deal with your moods.” Roselynn cocked her head to the side, and smirked, raising an eyebrow in defiance. “My, my, what an impressive mouth you have,” Came the next comment. “All the better to…” Roselynn didn’t get a chance to finish her response before Warren’s mouth came crashing down on hers. Not knowing how else to respond, she pushed him back and slapped him. Warren, a little dazed by her reaction, turned to walk away from her; but before he could go too far, he felt Roselynn’s cool hand on his arm, pulling him back towards her. They stood face to face a moment before she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down towards her. When their lips met a second time, soft at first and gradually growing deeper, it was enough to break the moon’s influence on him. True, he still felt the pull to run and hunt, but not the overwhelming violent urges he had been increasingly experiencing since Roselynn first arrived. Instead the urges to chase and capture took on a more intimate nature although no less intense. “Cripes,” They both whispered as their grip on each other eased to a loose hug so as to not depart from the little world they had just created. “That was…” Warren started before running out of words to describe his emotions. “Are you really so surprised?” Roselynn lightly teased him, “If I didn’t love you so much, I could have left any of the times the mirror was activated over the past few months.” Warren gave her a funny look that made her laugh a little, “Did you really think I didn’t know that the portal has opened at least a dozen times since I first arrived?” “To be honest,” Warren smiled self-consciously, “I was enjoying having you here so much that I forgot to tell you that they open the mirror every couple weeks for a day so that my family or I can cross between here and the Fourth Kingdom. I usually go once a month or so, my parents are probably wondering what happened to me by now…” Warren paused, her prior words finally registering before he looked back down to meet Roselynn’s eyes. “Did you just say that you loved me?” “Do you have fairies in your ears?” She teased him, “Does it bear repeating? Yes, Warren Wendell Wolfson, I am madly in love with you. I have been since that day you read with me in the secret garden when I was 15.” “I love you too, Lynn.” He sighed, pulling her closer to brush his lips to hers. They stood, content in each other’s arms for a time longer, words were not needed in this moment to express what each was thinking. When words needed to be spoken, they were done softly and usually between breathlessly passionate kisses. Finally, Warren pulled back a little, still holding Roselynn’s hands between them and guided her to the living room and sat her on the leather sofa before putting a bit of space between them as he sat. He knew that if he’d allowed them to remain in his bedroom the temptation to fully claim her would be too great. He didn’t want her to be mated with him without fully understanding the importance of it, that once they were mated, that it was forever. “There’s something you should know, my love,” He started softly, looking earnestly in her eyes. He explained that love and relationships tended to work differently for Wolves than for her people. She listened intently as he explained that Wolves only ever take a mate once in their lives, and it was a decision that was not taken lightly by anyone. “I love you, and with that comes certain inclinations; however, I understand that you don’t come from a similar background as me. I accept and understand if you’ve had other suitors, but from here on out, if you’ll allow me I would like to be your only one. You should keep in mind that if we actually go through with this, I would be approaching it from the intention of eventually becoming your mate.” Roselynn smiled softly before giving her response. “I love you too, and you should know that I’ve never entertained any suitors, despite how Prince Stephan would prefer otherwise. I truly hope that you are the one and only suitor I ever have.” She blushed, “Although I do wonder how my mother would react to all this, not that it really matters.” “Oh, but it does matter,” Warren stated, “We need to be prepared that she will most definitely refuse to accept us and will attempt to push us away from each other; likely with the goal of pushing you into Prince Stephan’s arms.” “Or she may simply disown me, which may be better in the long run.” Roselynn added, “At least then I can be fully yours and have no pulls or ties back to the Second Kingdom.” Warren just shook his head, he knew that was something she really didn’t want to happen, and it saddened him to think that she would have to sacrifice her dream of educating her nation’s children just because she was with him. He decided that, no matter what, he would do everything in his power to ensure that all her dreams would come true. Not only for her but for the whole of the peoples within the Second Kingdom. She had the power and influence, no matter what she thought, to change the mindset of the Second Kingdom, to accept Wolves as equals and reduce, if not eliminate, the segregation between the peoples. “Oh Lynn, I sincerely hope that never happens. I know you don’t want to be completely divorced from your home, you will have your happily ever after if I have anything to do with it. Your dreams are important to me.” “What about you?” She challenged, “Aren’t you to be your uncle’s advisor?” “On Wolf-Kingdom relations, yes. Perhaps he’d ask my consult for other matters as well, but my primary role would be to serve similarly to how my father does to ensure good relations with the Wolf packs, and I can do that from anywhere… even the Second Kingdom.” He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. “Don’t you worry that lovely little head of yours, we’ll find a way for both of us to make all our dreams come true.” “I know we will,” She assured him, placing her delicate hand over his larger one. They sat in silence for a few more moments before the sound of his stomach protesting to be fed cut the tension. “You hungry?” She chuckled, looking up at him. “Maybe a little,” He shrugged only to be met by her knowing look, “Okay, okay maybe a lot.” He gave in, “I’m hungry enough to eat a horse!” Roselynn just chuckled, as she recognized a bit of his father’s flourish in him. “When are you not? Give me a minute and I’ll have dinner put together for you.” “No,” Warren said, grabbing her wrist as she started to go towards the kitchen. “This is a day to be celebrated, we are going out. I think a fancy dinner is in order, which means we ought to change; is an hour enough to prepare.” “I don’t think I’ll need that long, but I can be ready in one hour’s time. Where are we to go?” Warren gave her one of his trademark, mischievous, grins and bounded off towards his room. Roselynn shrugged before going to her own room to find something appropriate to wear. Opening her closet, she found the gorgeous red dress with the black lace overlay that her friends had helped her select a few months ago. Deciding that this was the night she was going to reveal this dress, she grabbed the open-toe pumps that Miriam had insisted she get to go with the dress and set to work getting herself ready. She quickly realized that she would need help in getting the dress on as she couldn’t reach enough to get the zipper all the way up. She sighed knowing that she would need Warren’s help with it, ruining the reveal she had hoped for, but quickly realized that it might be fun to give him just the briefest glimpses of her foundation wear. Shrugging off the top half of the dress so that she didn’t have to worry about make-up smudges, she set to work piling her long hair in twists and curls on top of her head and put on her makeup. Putting on a ruby pendant and a matching pair of earrings, along with a few dabs of perfume, she pulled the rest of her dress up and called out her door for Warren. “Yes, my love?” Came his silky voice from the other side of the door. “I need a little help with my dress, but you can’t look just yet.” She told him, smiling wryly. “Now I’m going to open up the door, and I need you to zip me the rest of the way up.” “Wolf’s honor, I will try not to look.” He responded as she opened the door, her back to him and guided his arms down her sides and to the small of her back where the zipper tab could be found. The combination of her soft curves and the texture of the dress assaulted his touch and he couldn’t help but peak, ever so slightly out of one eye, just enough to see the black lace overlay of the dress and the contrast of her pale skin with the delicate black lace of the foundation wear teasing him from beneath the dress. The effect made him growl longingly, what he didn’t notice was the pleased smirk that spread on Roselynn’s face. Once the zipper was all the way up, he trailed his hands from her delicate neck and down over her shoulders and arms. “May I look now?” “You may,” She smiled at the sharp gasp she heard escape Warren’s lips, indicating that dress had the effect that she hoped it would. "I've seen you dressed up before, but huff puff, you've never looked as great as you do right now." Warren spoke rapidly. "You don't look half bad yourself," She smiled giving him a once over. He wore a crisp black suit with faint silver pinstriping and a shirt the color of the forest at early dawn that lay open at his neck and made his eyes even more striking than usual. She wasn't completely sure, but she thought they'd gone pure gold for a moment when he first saw her. "Shall we be off?" He asked, offering his arm. She nodded as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. She got a whiff of his cologne when he drew her close, it smelled like a warm summer's evening and made her weak in the knees.
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“How are you with a needle and thread?” Warren asked, sitting down next to her on the couch. Roselynn looked up from the book she had been reading, confusion on her face from Warren’s question. “Fairly decent, I believe.” She answered, curious as to what he was up to. “Why?” “I just had a great idea for what our costumes could be for your birthday party.” Warren announced. “Oh really?” She asked interestedly, placing her book in her lap. “And what, pray tell, did you come up with?” “Well it was kind of inspired by the night we first discussed your birthday.” Warren admitted, pulling her close and nuzzling her neck, “I thought we could go as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.” “Do you really think that is such a great idea? Considering the history?” She asked. “Over here, no one really knows the depth of the history, just the little bit that was published in children’s stories.” He explained, sitting sideways on the couch to face her. “Not to mention that the story has been romanticized over the years. Would you at least consider it?” “I’m not going to have to slice you open, will I?” Roselynn teased, cocking her head to one side. “Huff puff, I hope not!” He laughed, “It’s just for fun.” Roselynn sat back and thought about it for a moment before turning back to Warren, “Okay, I’ll do it. I don’t have my hood with me though.” “That’s why I asked about your sewing skills.” Warren smiled, “I thought you could make your own; If you can’t, I might be able to sneak back to the rooms you used at Wendell’s castle and get it for you.” “No need, I think I can handle making a simple hood.” She smiled back, “I’ll go find some material tomorrow, I saw a craft and fabric store a few weeks ago, I think they’ll have what I need.” “Excellent.” He nodded, “Now I just have to figure out what I’m going to wear. I’ll leave what goes under the cape to you.” With that he got up and nearly bounded down the hall towards his room, leaving Roselynn to shake her head and chuckle at his antics. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Roselynn called towards the door behind her as she finished tying the stays on her bodice. Making her cape hadn’t been so bad, and she even had found a cute pattern that looked similar to the outfit that Warren’s mother had worn in Little Lamb Village all those years ago. It had a white blouse with a deep neckline and a red bodice, the combination of which accentuated her curves. The black skirt fell just above her knee and had a pattern with vines and deep red roses on it. She had pinned up the top skirt a bit on one side, to reveal the matching frothy red petticoat beneath, which ended just shy of her knee. Along with the blood red hood that she had trimmed with satin, she wore black, high healed knee-high boots. “Yes, it’s fine.” Warren insisted from the hall where he was waiting for her. “Can I please see your costume now?” She grabbed her cape and draped it over her shoulders, fastening it with the antique broach she had found in Mr. Grant’s pawn shop before making one last adjustment to her hair which had been partly pinned up, the rest hung in curls over her left shoulder. Knowing he was probably getting impatient, she turned and opened the door to him. She smiled a bit at Warren’s sharp intake of breath. “Cripes, if your great grandma looked that tasty, no wonder she got eaten.” “Well, let’s just try to keep me off the menu for tonight.” Roselynn teased, giving him a coy smile as she pulled the hood over the crown of her head and let the rest of the fabric drape elegantly over her shoulders as she walked towards the living room. She heard him growl faintly in his throat as he followed. “I make no promises.” Warren hadn’t been lying, she looked good enough to eat, not that he ever would, of course. As he joined her in the living room, Roselynn pointed out that he had forgotten to tuck in his tail, he quickly dismissed it, explaining that since he was going to be The Wolf, he preferred to use his own tail. “Dressing in a 'costume' is the only way I can get away with having it out in public. Besides no one would even think it was real, they’ll just assume it’s a really good fake.”He pulled on his navy suit jacket with the silver pin-striping as he mentally ran down his check list to make sure he had everything. Feeling the faint bulge in his front pocket he took a deep breath that was a mix of relief and anticipation. “Shall we go?” he asked, handing the basket with Roselynn’s items to her, he guided her out the door.Before they could head downstairs to meet their car, the door across the hall swung open revealing the older couple they’d come to love. “You two look absolutely fantastic!” Ruth enthused, “Somehow this is so fitting for you, especially once you see what we got you.”“No, you didn’t have to get me a gift.” Roselynn protested.“Nonsense,” The older woman countered, handing her a small rectangular box as her husband nodded his agreement, “We wanted to get you a little something, and that’s all there is to it.”“Thank you,” Roselynn smiled, hugging them both before gently removing the ribbon which held the box closed. Inside on a delicate silver chain sat a cameo pendant depicting the pale outline of a wolf baying at the moon set against a black background. “Oh, it’s lovely.” She sighed.“I saw that in Maury’s store and I immediately thought of you.” Ruth informed her, “Well what are you waiting for, Little Red? Put it on.”Roselynn lifted the necklace from the box and handed it to Warren with a silent plea to help her. He gently lowered her hood and draped the necklace over her head before fastening it at the nape of her neck. The pendant looked at home, nestled in the curve of her bosom, almost as if it had always been there. “Thank you,” Roselynn repeated, hugging the older couple “I love it.”“You’re very welcome.” Ruth smiled gently at her, “Now you two crazy kids have fun.”“You take care of our girl,” Maury added, giving a pointed look to Warren.“I will,” Warren assured him, “You have no idea how good,” he murmured softly enough for Roselynn to hear as they made their way down to their waiting town car. The party was in full swing when they arrived. Roselynn could hear the music streaming up the stairs that led to the lounge; taking Warren’s proffered arm, they descended. Roselynn wasn’t sure what to expect of the party but was impressed when she started to look around. There was low lighting, and a smattering of black lights throughout the space, giving some costumes a glowing effect as party-goers passed beneath them, there were black, and red streamers hanging from the ceiling and draping out towards the walls where the ends hung down. Each table had table cloths the same color as the streamers and each had a small bud vase with a single rose in each. “’A Rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.’” Warren quoted to her as she gently touched the dark red petals, smiling. “Would you like a drink?” He asked softly in her ear. “I would love one.” Roselynn smiled back at him as he guided her to the bar. James, the bartender for Luna, was dressed as a pirate and was suggesting rum to anybody, and everybody, asking for a drink. Warren and James exchanged pleasantries as James set to work making their drinks. A few moments later he presented them with Warren’s usual cola-based mixed drink, and a frothy liquid in a martini glass that had layers of pink and purple swirls in it. Roselynn laughed a bit and looked up appreciatively at Warren, “He knows how to make Some Enchanted Evening?” “Yes,” Warren smiled back, guiding her to a nearby high top table, “I spent a summer working in Kissingtown, I learned all the drinks they served there, since most of the liquors there are the same or at least very similar to ones found here, I was able to bring the mixes over here. The critics here think we’re ‘revolutionary mixologists,’ I just never set them straight. They never would have believed that these drinks are old favorites from a different dimension anyway.” Within moments of them sitting down, their friends started coming by and visiting. While she enjoyed being able to relax and enjoy time with her friends, she found it even more fascinating to people watch. The interactions at this party were so different from what she was used to. Back in the Kingdoms everything was so regimented and formal when it came to social interaction whereas here, there seemed to be no formal structure at all. People would bump into each other, hug or kiss, have brief conversations over the music and move on to do it again. The music was so different too, here it was loud, albeit entertaining, and had a mix of fast and slow tempoed songs that were often played by what Warren called a deejay from a computer, and back home the music for parties were pretty much the same 6 or 7 classical pieces played by a live orchestra. Dinner was served shortly after they were seated, and cake had been passed. Roselynn, Warren and the Grant Ladies sat back in the booth they had claimed for themselves. The girls had been asked to dance a few times and Warren had led Roselynn around the floor a couple times himself, but now they were comfortable to sit back, enjoy their drinks and each other’s company. “Present time!” Maureen sang as she pushed a square box across the table toward Roselynn, “I know Mom and Dad already got you something, but we thought you would like this too.” She explained as Roselynn opened the box to reveal a charm bracelet, with charms for New York, the Theatrical Faces to commemorate the Shakespeare Festival as well as the handful of Broadway shows they’d seen, Fireworks, and lastly a baying wolf because it just spoke to them. “Did you know about this?” Roselynn asked, looking up at Warren as he fastened the chain around her right wrist. “Yes, and I have another one to add.” He smiled down at her, pulling a small silver box from his breast pocket. Inside on a small satin pillow was a ring charm. “What’s this?” She asked puzzled as he pulled her toward the end of the booth and knelt before her. “What are you doing?” “Proposing.” He replied. “Roselynn, ever since the first time I met you, you have been my best friend. That friendship grew into love and admiration, that day we spent reading in my uncle’s garden all those years ago, I started to fall for you, whether I wanted to admit it or not.” The admission making the women chuckle appreciatively. “It wasn’t until your first night here, seeing you wear one of my old shirts as a nightgown, that I finally realized you were it for me, but I stupidly resisted a while longer. Well I say no more; I would love nothing more than to live happily ever after with you. Will you be my wife?” A chorus of “Awws” came from their friends as Roselynn looked in shock at Warren for a moment before smiling warmly at him and nodding. “Yes, I would love to be your wife and live happily ever after with you.” She smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger before standing and pulling her into an embrace. He howled excitedly drawing the attention of some of the party goers. His crow of “She said ‘Yes!’” drew the attention of the rest as he dipped her and planted a kiss on her, causing the crowd to explode with laughter and applause. The rest of the night was spent receiving congratulatory hugs and handshakes. Maureen and Evelyn were quickly at her side, “Can I see?” Evie asked. Roselynn quickly raised her hand to be seen by her friend, many women gathered to take in the beauty of the ring that shone brightly from her finger as they remarked on how beautiful it was. Roselynn gave Warren a private smile, knowing that the ring couldn’t have possibly come from this side of the mirror. He must have snuck over to a jeweler in the Kingdoms at some point to pick it out. “We’ll add the charm later.” Warren promised, “I didn’t want to seem too sure or else I would have had the girls add it on before they gave the bracelet to you. “You did perfect.” She assured him, kissing him softly. “I love you, my wild man.” “I love you too, my sweet Rose.” He smiled lovingly down at her before leading her onto the dance floor and pulling her into his arms for their first official dance as an engaged couple.
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Lynn stepped out onto the balcony to find her fiancé, lounging in the rope hammock he had strung up between the side of the building and the support pole to the left of the French doors that exited from the living room. She stood for a moment in the door frame taking in the sight of him. He was wearing a grey trilby pulled low over his closed eyes as he lightly dozed. His forest green shirt was slightly open, revealing his white under shirt, which was tucked into his khakis. His tail, which he’d taken to wearing out when it was just the two of them, had slipped through one of the openings in the ropes, was lightly grazing the patio and his bare feet were crossed at the ankles and propped on the wooden spacer at the far end of the hammock. She couldn’t help but smile at the picture he made, he looked innocent and relaxed; she could almost imagine him laying there, an infant on his chest, while they dozed in the light summer breeze. The very thought sent a flutter through her stomach.“Are you going to stand there, staring all day, or are you going to join me?” Warren murmured, not opening his eyes or making any other moves to indicate he was aware of her presence.“How did you know I was here?” She asked, stepping out into the shaded balcony.“I could smell you,” He smirked softly under the brim of his hat. “You have a very unique scent, with or without that scented stuff you have been favoring as of late.” He reached out his hand to her, drawing her to his side, “It’s very alluring.”“Is that so?” Lynn cooed.“Yes, I just want to curl up in it.” Warren’s eyes opening slightly, a wolfish gleam sparkling in them.“I think I can help you with that.” Lynn chuckled, “Scoot over.”“Nope, I’m settled here,” Warren shook his head, “There’s enough space on the other side, but the only way is over.”“Cad,” She laughed, lifting her skirt slightly to allow enough movement to lift her leg over until she was straddling his hips. Bracing her right knee to the side of his hip and her right hand on the wooden spacer above his head, she pushed off with her left foot. The hammock swayed a bit as she settled her body next to his, her head resting on his left shoulder, right arm curled between their bodies and across her abdomen, left hand resting lightly on his chest. Warren uncrossed his ankles, allowing her to drape her left leg over his thigh, her knee and lower leg nestling between his.“You love me.” He chuckled, pulling her closer, allowing his left hand to trail along her back as his right hand tipped her face up so that he could kiss her.“As if I had a choice in the matter,” She grinned against his lips. “So, what are we gonna do about it?”“I guess you’ll just have to marry me,” Warren teased her, “Speaking of, how do you want to go about that?”“I have been giving it some thought, it should be somewhere in the Nine Kingdoms, and in such a way that my mother and Prince Stephan cannot protest it.” She settled back against his shoulder, as the fingers of her left hand played with the hair that peaked out from under his shirt.“Which rules out a shaman performing the ceremony, at least exclusively,” He sighed, “Although even if that was a possibility, it might be hard to convince one, because, well, you know.”“Because I’m a Hood,” Roselynn supplied, “Do you think the Vicar at your uncle’s castle would do it? It would be lovely to be wed under our tree; do you think that would be possible?”“It could be doable,” Warren agreed, “You know that means my uncle will want to be there.”“I don’t see any reason King Wendell shouldn’t be.” She shrugged, “After all, his side of the family has no issues with me, your parents may take issue, though.”“Mama won’t care, Papa on the other hand may be slightly resistant,” He replied thoughtfully, “I think our biggest issue will be your mother.”“That’s a given,” Roselynn groaned, “But who says we have to tell her?”“Lynn, you know at some point we have to tell her,” Warren reminded her gently, “Can you imagine the fit she would throw if you suddenly reappeared on my arm at some official function?”“Although it would be amusing to watch her barely contained rage so as to not make a scene.” Lynn giggled softly, “Although I think it would be best if we were married before we tell her, that way she can’t do anything to put a stop to it.”“So, when do you want to do it?” Warren turned his head and lifted the brim of his hat to look her straight in the eyes.“Soon,” Roselynn smiled coyly, “Preferably before the next lunar cycle.”“I agree, I can duck over in a couple days and make the arrangements for say, two weeks?” Smiling at his betrothed’s excited nod, he settled back into the hammock, lowering the brim of his hat once more, “Now that that’s settled, why don’t we just enjoy this fine summer day?”“Yes, let’s,” Lynn snuggled back into him, allowing herself to drift off, images of him, finely dressed, and standing beneath their tree, looking at her with unrestrained love in his eyes merging into the same look as he held her in what she imagined would be the official moment they would be mated. She couldn’t wait for the day to come. “I don’t understand why we needed to come here,” Christy grumbled, following her cousin across the park.“You have been sullen since you got back from your quest,” Bianca reminded her, “I think a change of scenery will do you some good. Besides we have an open invitation to visit your brother whenever we wish to, and we haven’t seen him in months!”“I know but…”“You need to get your mind off of him,” Bianca turned on her sharply before softening her voice and features a bit as she took her cousin’s hands in hers, “Look, you’re my cousin and I love you dearly, but you can’t just drift through life barely living. I know it hurt to leave him behind, but that was your choice, you must learn to live without him. You didn’t want to be with someone who barely knew himself, mate or no. I know it hurts, but you have to find a way to put him behind you.”“I know,” Christy nodded, squeezing her cousin’s fingers, “I just love him so much, I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get over him.”“I know, Darling,” Bianca pulled Christy into her arms, “But if he is your destiny, he will come back to you somehow. You just have to be content with being apart from him until then.”“I suppose you’re right.” Christy nodded, wiping away a tear that had strayed from her eye. “I think a girls’ weekend away is just what I need to distract myself for a little while. Lead on.”“Here we go, I hope your brother still has the spare key where it used to be.” Bianca grabbed Christy’s hand and practically dragged her across the green space to the towering building where her family’s condo resided.Before either of them knew it, they were stepping off the elevator and into the hallway that was shared by the Grant and Wolfson families. Christy was just reaching behind the sconce where the spare key was hidden when the Grant’s door opened.“Christy, Bianca, you’re back!” Maureen squealed as she wrapped the two women in a tight hug before turning toward her open front door, “Evie, get out here! Christy and Bianca are here!”“Really?” The younger woman came out, “It’s been forever since we’ve seen you! Are you here to see Warren and Lynn?”“Lynn?” The two women shared a perplexed look.“Warren’s fiancée?” Maureen supplied, taking in the confused look on her friend’s faces, “Pretty, blonde, blue-green eyes… and you have no clue who I’m talking about.”“No, but I’m going to find out,” Christy quickly grabbed the key from its hiding place and opened the front door. “Warren, are you home?” She called out softly, making her way into the entry.The first thing she saw was a purse hanging on the coat rack next to a feminine-cut, short, beige trench coat. There were two sets of keys in the bowl on the side table, one of which bore a silver keychain with a silhouette of a wolf baying at the moon. Beneath the table sat two pairs of her brother’s shoes, one pair of all-stars and a dressy pair of black oxfords, beside them were a pair of nude flats and a pair of tall, heeled, brown boots, both much smaller and feminine in style.The condo felt more lived in, there was a thick warm smell coming from the kitchen. Lamb, if her nose was right, her brother’s favorite food. The living room had been changed, rather than the gaudy, floral-printed, rich lady furniture, sat a couch, love seat, and easy chair all in warm brown leather, with green throw pillows as accents and a cream afghan folded over the back of the couch. The thick brocade curtains were gone, replaced with lighter brown curtains which were tied back with a gauzy cream window dressing set on a secondary rack. The curtains fluttered with the light breeze that drifted through the open French doors.The four women slowly made their way through the living space toward the balcony. The first thing they saw were two pairs of bare feet, the toes of the smaller pair painted a soft pink, tangled together and wrapped in a pair of pants and a sky-blue skirt. The pair’s arms were likewise wrapped around each other, Christy took in how her brother’s left hand softly caressed the woman’s back, flirting with the patch of skin between her white peasant-style shirt and skirt at her hip while the thumb of his right hand caressed the woman’s wrist while her hand rested softly on his chest. It wasn’t hard to miss the glimmer from the woman’s left hand; it was clearly not a ring bought in New York. Christy bit back the slight twinge in her heart that her brother had clearly visited the Kingdoms but had not come to visit her.The feeling passed swiftly as she saw how content her brother looked wrapped up in this woman’s arms, causing her to smile softly, at least until she saw the face of the woman in her brother’s arms. “You have got to be kidding me!”Her exclamation caused the couple to jump slightly, stirring from their afternoon nap, “Christy?” Warren lifted the brim of his hat and peered up at his sister, his voice thick with sleep, “When’d you get here?”“We just arrived,” Christy crossed her arms over her chest.“’We?’” Warren repeated looking around, finding his neighbors, who were barely concealing their grins behind their hands, and his cousin all standing on the balcony, “Oh, good afternoon, Bianca, Maureen, Evelyn.”“Now that we have recognized almost everyone here, do you care to tell me why you are laying there with a Hood?” Christy demanded.“She has a name,” Warren grumbled at his sister as he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the netted swing, his intended silently mirroring his movements and shifting to sit beside him, “And I thought you liked Roselynn.”“I do,” Christy huffed defeatedly, “But do you have any idea what kind of trouble this is going to cause?”“I feel like we’re missing something here,” Evelyn whispered to her older sister who nodded.“I think I am too.” Maureen turned back to the other siblings’ discussion, “Can anyone lend some context here?”“I think that’s a good idea,” Bianca agreed.“It’s past time we tell them anyhow,” Lynn finally spoke up, “I think we owe them that much; besides I would like to have them there when it happens.Warren simply nodded and gestured toward the living room as he stood, his tail trailing slightly as it pulled itself from between the ropes of the bed, and assisted Lynn in standing. He deliberately ignored the surprised looks on his neighbor’s faces, knowing they had seen, and followed the women into the condo, closing the doors behind them. “Please sit,” he indicated the couch and chair where the women took their places. Christy in the chair and Bianca, Maureen, and Evelyn on the couch.“I suppose we should start from the very beginning,” He sighed.“A very good place to start,” Bianca agreed, ignoring the rolled eyes of her friends and cousin beside her.“Maureen and Evelyn, there is something that you don’t know about Christy and me. Something we never told you for fear you would think us mad.” Warren began speaking. “You know how when Roselynn got here, she had no baggage, no identification?”“You said her things were lost in transit from your home country.” Maureen added.“That wasn’t exactly true,” Warren shook his head, “Or well, wasn’t true at all. You see, wow this is harder to explain than I thought,” he looked at his fiancée for help.“Oh, huff puff!” Christy exclaimed, gaining everyone’s attention, “We come from another dimension, a place where what you know as fairy tales are our true history.”“Wait, so you mean, Snow White, Cinderella, all that is true where you come from?” Evelyn looked between her four friends.“Snow White was my great grandmother.” Bianca nodded.“You called her a ‘Hood,’” Maureen looked between Christy and Lynn, “And your last name is Wolfson…”“My great grandmother was Red Riding Hood the first,” Lynn supplied.“And we are Wolves,” Warren finished, “I know the two of you saw my tail when I got out of the hammock.”“So, it all really happened?” Evelyn, mused, “Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf…”“Not how you think,” Lynn shook her head, “The Wolf did murder my great-grandmother’s grandmother, but my great-grandmother was able to escape. She ran for help and found the woodsman who killed the Wolf. They fell in love and eventually married.”“Explaining why your last name is Hunter.” Maureen supplied.“Yes, however this incident caused my great-grandmother to become extremely prejudiced against Wolves in general.” Lynn explained, “You see, the Wolf who killed her grandmother was an escaped convict who was supposed to be put to death for several murders he’d already committed.”“Wolves, in general, are a peaceful people,” Warren continued, “But like all people, there are bound to be a few bad steaks, and this Wolf was one of them. When we are allowed to be, most would never know we are there, many of our people have lived for years unnoticed in most of the kingdoms. Of course, that is by hiding our tails, in the Kingdom where Roselynn is from, they have to register, can’t hold decent jobs, are restricted by their education, and are very poor by Kingdoms standards.”“We’re lucky, we live in our uncle’s kingdom so the only real hardship, is not much of a hardship at all, in that we must endure is the full moon,” Christy shrugged, “We get more aggressive, moody, not unlike PMS, and have an overabundance of energy. Those who are mated, tend to spend time with their mate, I think I can leave it to your imagination to figure out how they spend those nights. Those who are not will generally hunt or find other activities to expend the energy. At some point we will all usually wind up in the woods where we can freely worship the moon goddess.”“What do you do?” Evelyn leaned forward, intrigued. “I think we can imagine what Warren does.”Lynn blushed at the insinuation as Warren cleared his throat, “Actually, we aren’t mated, at least not yet.” He shrugged, “We’ve chosen to wait until after we are wed, according to the traditions of Roselynn’s people. We also are trying to avoid any situation that may give her mother a way to nullify our union. In her Kingdom, if a woman is not a maiden when she is wed, one or both of the families can annul the union.”“Wolves mate for life, once the mating occurs, we see the pair as wed, although we do have a binding ceremony that nearly all go through either right before or a short time after they are mated to acknowledge the commitment and bond between the mates.” Christy added, “It’s a beautiful ceremony, we’ve been to a few of the binding ceremonies for the Wolves in the Fourth Kingdom where our uncle lives.”“Does that mean that you are a Wolf as well?” Evelyn turned toward Bianca.“No, my parents are both full bloods,” Bianca shook her head, “Their mother, my father’s step-sister, married a Half-Wolf, which is why they are Half-Wolves themselves. We aren’t even biologically related, although my great-grandmother was my aunt’s fairy godmother for a while.”“Our mother is from here, she and our father met when he was sent to capture and return our uncle who had been turned into a dog by our biological grandmother and escaped through a traveling mirror which brought him here where our Mama, literally, ran into him.” Christy explained, “It’s kind of a long story.”“Your family tree has got to be really weird,” Maureen mused.“It’s only going to get weirder,” Christy agreed, “How do you think Mama and Papa are gonna take it?”“Mama will be happy that I’m happy,” Warren shrugged, “Papa may be slightly more resistant, but he’ll come around, I hope.”“Do you plan to tell him before or after?” Christy looked toward her brother.“Your parents? Before,” Lynn piped in, “I would like for them to be there, I admire them, but my mother will definitely not be told until we absolutely have to.”“Are we saying before the Lost Prince’s coronation?” Bianca looked between the couple.“I’m sorry, the what?” Lynn looked at her friends to expand on the revelation.“The Lost Prince, Queen Cinderella’s great-great-grandson who just reappeared,” Bianca explained, “He’s been missing for nearly a decade and a half! No one knows where he’s been, he just suddenly appeared in a royal carriage bearing the crest of the First Kingdom with no explanation of where he’d been. It’s a great mystery.”“As descendants of the Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms, we have to attend the coronation.” Christy added before turning back to her New York friends, “Long story short, Grandma was brainwashed and turned evil by the original Evil Queen and married my uncle’s father. She turned Bianca’s dad into a Dog, Papa was sent after him, they both met Mama and Grandpa, and the four of them went on a journey to restore Uncle Wendel to his original form and hopefully capture the new Evil Queen and put her back in the jail from which she’d escaped. Although in the end, in an act of self-defense, Mama killed her.”“Wow,” Maureen gasped, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”“To be honest, things like that happen more often than you think where we’re from,” Lynn shrugged. “Anyway, when is the coronation?”“A couple months,” Bianca informed them, “It’s a masquerade, so you don’t have to reveal yourselves if you don’t want to. Lynn, since you are still considered missing in the kingdoms, you don’t even have to go, but Warren will be expected to.”“True, but wouldn’t it be odd if I showed up, wearing a ring with no mate to show for it?” Warren pointed out.“’Ring?’” Christy repeated, “Are you planning to be married within the next month and a half?”“We wanted to be married at the next full moon,” Warren explained, “We just decided today.”“You do know that gives you less than two weeks to put everything in motion, including telling our parents.” Christy reminded him.“We know,” Warren smiled down at his betrothed who was likewise beaming back at him.“Well, you’re not going to tell them tonight, are you?” Maureen looked toward the excited couple.“No, we would have to send notice to my parents to meet us at my uncle’s palace.” Warren shook his head, a Wolfish grin on his face “Probably best to tell him a day or so before, let him get over the shock before having a Hood as a daughter-in-law before the vows are exchanged.”Christy just rolled her eyes, “You are just like Papa.”“Thanks,” Warren chuckled, “Sorry, Maureen, why were you asking?”“Well, if you are getting married in short order, I think Lynn needs a bachelorette party, don’t you think, ladies?” She looked between the women.“Oh yes, that has to happen,” Evelyn agreed emphatically.“Is that like a hen party?” Bianca asked.“Yes, exactly like a hen party,” Christy nodded, a grin splitting her face, “I know exactly where to go.”“I have a few ideas myself.” Maureen smirked. “Ladies, go get dressed, we’ll hit the town in an hour and a half!”The plans for the evening settled, Maureen and Evelyn disappeared back to their apartment and Christy, Bianca, and Lynn headed toward Lynn’s room. “Cripes, I can only imagine what trouble they will be getting themselves into.” Warren sighed. The night, while fun, was not nearly as wild as Warren was imagining. Since one of their number was just out of high school, that ruled out the local clubs. None of the women were all that interested in watching someone take their clothes off, so they wound up going to see a drag show and then had dinner at a posh restaurant before returning home late in the evening.The sound of the women returning pulled Warren from his sleep. Wandering into the living room, he arrived just in time to see his fiancée, sister, and cousin stumble in tiredly. Bianca and Christy bid him a quick good night and headed to the unused spare room which had two full beds to settle in for the night.“Have fun?” He smirked.“Yes,” Lynn giggled, “It was the perfect way to celebrate. I really enjoyed spending time with all the ladies.”“I’m glad.” Warren smiled, stepping towards her, pulling her to his bare chest.“I like spending time with you more,” Lynn kissed his left pec and the base of his throat, causing him to growl softly, before meeting his lips. “And to be honest, my plans for you eventually will involve much less clothes.” She ran her fingers teasingly along the waistband of his pajama pants.“Don’t tempt me,” Warren hummed against her neck, “I would hate for us to start something we can’t finish.”“Agreed,” Roselynn sighed, “Kiss me then, and I’ll be off to bed… without you, for now. The ladies are taking me dress shopping tomorrow, but you cannot see what I am to buy.”The couple shared one last tender kiss before she made her way to her room, swinging her hips and glancing over her shoulder at the dark look she received from her fiancé. “Tease,” He called after her.“You love me,” She grinned, ducking into her room.“More than the fullest moon.” He sighed, making his way to his room to try to sleep, knowing full well he would be dreaming of her in his arms by the light of the full moon.
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Christy and Bianca awoke to the most delicious smell emanating from the kitchen they’d had the pleasure to scent recently. Pulling robes over their pajamas, the pair slowly shuffled their way into the dining area where they were met by Warren holding out a cup of coffee for each of them. “Good morning,” He beamed, fully awake, “Sleep well?” “I will never understand how you can be so chipper first thing in the morning,” Christy grumbled, taking a seat at the dining room table with her cousin, who silently nodded her agreement, and began doctoring her coffee. The group was soon joined by Lynn, fully dressed in an off-the-shoulder pale violet blouse and white lace skirt. “Good morning,” She sang, stealing a piece of bacon off the plate where Warren had them degreasing. “Dear Goddess, there are two of them,” Christy groaned. “She has good reason to be so joyful,” Bianca smiled gently at her cousin, “She’s going to be a beautiful bride… that is if your brother doesn’t fatten her up to the point where she cannot fit her dress. Warren, do you think you made enough sausage and bacon?” “Why, should there be more?” He asked, heading toward the spare cooler in the pantry. “No!” Bianca chuckled, “If anything there may be too much.” “No such thing,” Christy grinned, “I don’t have to fit into any kind of dress, believe me, Warren and I can take care of whatever you lightweights cannot.” “I still don’t understand how the two of you can eat so much and not gain an ounce,” Roselynn chuckled. “It’s a Wolf thing,” Her fiancé shrugged, dishing up scrambled eggs, toast, and a couple rashers of bacon before setting the plate in front of her, “Now eat up, you need your energy for whatever these two have in store for you.” The small extended family were just finishing up when they heard a knock at the door. “Maureen and Evelyn must be here,” Roselynn rose to answer the door. “We should probably get dressed,” Christy suggested, taking one last sip from her cup before leading her cousin into their room to prepare for the day. The two emerged a little after, dressed in jeans and blouses, looking like any other Tenth Kingdomer on the street. Noticing their reappearance, the Grant sisters quickly finished up the breakfast left overs they’d been nibbling on and joined the rest of the women in heading out the door. The women had been to three dress shops already and still hadn’t found a suitable dress for Roselynn. They had just about lost hope when Evelyn spotted a boutique down the block, “Why don’t we try one last store?” “Alright, but this really must be the last one,” Roselynn sighed, she was nearly running out of hope that she would find anything that would appeal to her. “Good Afternoon, Ladies,” A foppish man greeted them, “Welcome to An Enchanted Affair, do you have an appointment?” “No, we don’t,” Christy shook her head, “We just stumbled upon your boutique and thought we would check it out, I hope that’s not a problem.” “No problem at all, as you can see, it’s a slow day,” The man flicked his wrist indicating the nearly empty store, “We would be more than happy to assist you. Now, what are you looking for?” “A wedding dress,” Maureen spoke up, “Our friend is getting married in a couple weeks, we’ve been to a few different boutiques and haven’t found the right look yet.” “Cutting it a bit close, but no matter,” The man clapped his hands twice and suddenly two women appeared, guiding the women to a couch and handing them each a glass of champagne. “Which one of you is the blushing bride?” “That would be me,” Roselynn smiled awkwardly. “Wonderful, and what is your name, Darling?” The man cooed. “Roselynn, but my friends call me Lynn,” She offered her hand to shake as she had learned to do when meeting new people here. “My name is Marius,” The man kissed her hand, “And I will do my best to find you the perfect dress.” He guided Roselynn up onto a small rounded platform, “I need you to turn for me, Darling, let me get a good look at you.” He slowly paced counterclockwise while Roselynn made a slow right turn on the platform. “Hmmm, trim, but not too thin, with a subtle figure. Fair skin and hair, so nothing too bright to avoid washing you out. Good posture, graceful and strong perhaps something with a bit of movement. You may quit spinning now.” Lynn turned to face her friends and stopped her slow rotation. Marius stepped up to her, eyes thoughtful, “Now, your wedding, will it be indoor or outdoor?” “We are hoping to be married in the garden at my husband’s uncle’s home,” Roselynn answered. “Will it be a fancy or simple affair?” “We are hoping to keep it simple, although some of his uncle’s staff may not allow it to be.” “I see,” Marius hummed, “I find brides tend to fall into two categories. The first want the big, heavily decorative, ‘princess dresses,’ with the fullest skirts and crinoline they can get. Others prefer something simpler, clean lines and a classic look, something that can become an heirloom one day to be passed down to future generations.” “I’ve worn enough fancy gowns to last a lifetime,” Lynn shrugged, “I think for this, I would like something simple and classic.” “A debutant, I figured as much,” Marius nodded, “One last question and I’ll start looking for something for you. You mentioned this would be a garden wedding, are you planning to wear heeled or flat shoes beneath your dress? Since your wedding is so close, we won’t have much time for alterations so, we need to make sure the hem is the right length. “I haven’t decided yet,” Roselynn shrugged, “Either flats or none at all.” “Very well, I am off,” Marius flitted away. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that man is part fairy,” Bianca chuckled. “Ironically, that word means something a little different here,” Maureen grinned, “But I’m fairly certain it applies to him as well.” The women sat, sipping their champagne and nibbling on finger sandwiches until Marius and his assistants returned, carrying a few dresses each, “May I have our bride follow me, please?” He turned toward the curtained dressing area, not pausing to see if Lynn was following him. With a shrug, Roselynn stood and followed her temporary dressers to try on the pieces they had selected for her. The first few dresses she tried, while beautiful, didn’t quite look right on her. Some of the next had parts that she liked, but other bits she didn’t, most of the points her friends agreed with her on. Finally, the seventh dress she tried on near took her breath away. “I think we may have a winner, personally this one is my favorite,” Marius whispered in her ear, placing his hands on her shoulder and meeting her eyes in the mirror. “Shall we see what your friends think?” Roselynn nodded, and started toward where her friends were seated, looping her hand through Marius’ bent elbow as he escorted her back toward the platform. “May I present the bride!” It was like a wave as her friends caught sight of her, going from amicable banter to quiet awe and captive reverence as they saw the joyful look on Roselynn’s face. “Oh, wow,” Evelyn whispered. “You look absolutely beautiful,” Grinned Bianca. “Warren is not going to be able to take his eyes off you,” Christy beamed, “He may just howl at the sight of you.” “I love it, it truly is the perfect dress for you,” Maureen smiled softly at her friend, “But I think it’s missing something.” “I agree,” Christy nodded, “But what?” “Nothing too fancy,” Bianca mused, “No tiaras or vails.” “What about this?” Evelyn lifted a garland from a nearby display rack. It had a variety of colorful flowers interwoven with pearls and a soft blue ribbon that trailed from the back. Marius accepted the wreath and reverently placed it on Roselynn’s head. “Perfect, alterations won’t even be needed,” Marius smiled, “You, my Dear, outshine Titania herself. That man of yours will not be able to resist you once he lays his eyes on your lovely countenance.” “That’s very kind of you,” Roselynn gave him a soft smile as he kissed her hand, “What do you ladies think? Yay or Nay?” “If you could see your face right now, you wouldn’t have to ask,” Bianca grinned as she pulled her friend into her arms, “Not that you need a fancy dress to live Happily Ever After, but if there was ever a dress to get you there, this would be it for you.” Roselynn looked to each of her friends who nodded their approval before she turned back to Marius, “I’ll take it, but just the dress, I’m thinking I should use fresh flowers.” “A wonderful idea,” Marius smiled up at her warmly and offered his hand, “Now, your highness, let’s get you out of this dress so we can put it into a bag to take home. Wouldn’t want that groom of yours seeing it before the wedding.” The bridal party all looked at the man in shock, “What?” He demanded with a puckish smirk, “Do you think I don’t know a daughter of the House of Red when I see one? Or one of the House of White, for that matter. Although why you are here with a Wolf, is beyond me.” “Her parents were two of the Four who Saved the Kingdoms,” Bianca informed him.“She’s marrying my brother,” Christy added, “And just who are you that you can recognize us so quickly?” “As I said before, my name is Marius,” The man bowed deeply, “I am descendant of the great Titania and Oberon who formerly ruled in the Seventh Kingdom. Some of my people immigrated here a few generations ago to what you now call England. One of my grandfather’s relatives settled in Stratford Upon Avon, the rest of us eventually came to North America.” “But if your family has been here so long, how do you even know who we are?” Christy gestured to her cousin and then her friend. “I still have some family in the Kingdoms,” Marius shrugged, “One of my distant cousins, twice or perhaps thrice removed, is a member of the Council of the Fourth Kingdom.” “Let me guess, Lord Rupert?” Bianca chuckled. “The same,” Marius nodded, “Now, we really must get this dress back into it’s bag, wouldn’t do to wear it home. Would you care for a hand down?” Roselynn nodded, taking Marius’ hand as she stepped down to the main floor and allowed him to guide her back to the dressing rooms where she quickly removed the gown and pulled her skirt and blouse back on. A short time later, Roselynn’s purse was a bit lighter, but her heart was nearly full to overflowing. She was just that much closer to the day she would pledge her life to the last man anyone would have expected her to fall in love with, and she couldn’t be more thrilled. As soon as the ladies left, Warren set to cleaning up the kitchen before grabbing his keys and heading into Central Park. As he predicted, the moment he crested the last small hill toward the thicket wherein lay the passage to the Kingdoms, he felt the familiar tingle of magic making his hair stand on end as he spotted the small piece of forest that didn’t quite fit. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he stepped through, hearing breaking glass with each frame he passed on the way to his Uncle’s home. Moments later, his foot hit solid ground as he cleared the frame of the traveling mirror. There was a guard standing by near the mirror, as there always was when the mirror was activated, to prevent people from stumbling from one realm to another. Warren gave the man a quick nod and made his way toward his uncle’s office, where he hoped the man would be at this hour of the day. “Good Morning, Lord Rupert,” He greeted the foppish advisor as he stepped into the wing of the castle which housed the King’s office as well as the offices of the advisors and the conference room. “Lord Warren!” The older man’s eyes widened in surprise, “Did we know you were coming? I don’t seem to remember you being on the calendar for today.” “I’m not, I just came to speak to my uncle about something,” Warren continued toward the door to his uncle’s office. “He’s a very busy man,” Rupert protested, “You can’t just drop in on him like this!” “Warren may visit whenever he likes.” The baritone voice of the king rang out in the hall as he strode towards the two men and pulled Warren into a firm embrace, “Family is always welcome. Warren it is wonderful to see you. We haven’t seen you in a dogs age!” “Your majesty, again you may want to avoid such phrases,” The advisor warned. “Nonsense, I am the king, I may use whichever verbiage I see fit.” Wendell gave the man a dismissive flick of the hand and, placing his arm around his nephew’s shoulders, guided him into his office. “Now what has brought you here to disturb Rupert’s strict scheduling of my day, which I must thank you for.” “You’re very welcome, Uncle Wendell,” Warren smiled warmly at the older man as they took their seats near a large fireplace to the side of the office. “I came to ask a favor of you. I wish to be wed in the garden that is at the center of the hedgerow maze.” “Don’t you think you should find a bride first?” The older man smirked. “I have, actually,” Warren grinned, “She is the most beautiful mate a Wolf could ever ask for, inside and out. We ran into each other, quite literally, in Central Park, and have been together ever since.” “And you wish to marry her here?” The king gave his nephew a puzzled look, “In another dimension, does she even know from where you hail?” “Yes, she knows who and what I am and from where I come,” Warren assured him, “We’re very close, as if we’ve known each other our whole lives. We knew pretty quickly that we were each other’s Happy Ever After; I just think the garden would be a lovely spot for the ceremony.” “I think something can be arranged,” Wendell replied thoughtfully, “When would you like this event to be? I know how quickly you Wolves like to be married.” “Two weeks,” Warren shrugged, “We wish to celebrate under the full moon.” “That’s awful quick, even for a Wolf,” Wendell shook his head, “She isn’t…” “No!” Warren shouted before quickly composing himself, “I mean, no. She most definitely isn’t, not that it wouldn’t be happy news, but we aren’t. What I mean to say is we have decided to follow her people’s traditions of a virginal bride.” “Very well,” Wendell nodded, “Are we to meet your intended before the happy day?” “Yes, she’s out with Bianca, Christy, and some friends from New York right now, shopping or some such thing, it was all very secretive,” Warren shrugged, “I want to introduce her to everyone at once, Bianca and Christy just happened to show up at my place yesterday, so they’ve already had the pleasure. I figure a day or two before the ceremony, that way we have time to send word to my parents to meet us here.” “You know we can get word to them faster than that.” Wendell pointed out. “I know, but trust me it’s for the best,” Warren assured his uncle before quietly adding “Less time for Papa to protest, that’s for sure.” “Very well,” Wendell nodded, “I will send a messenger to your family to join us in a week and a half.” “Thank you, Uncle Wendell,” Warren shook the older man’s hand. “You’re welcome,” The King smiled warmly at his nephew, “I can’t say I fully understand the ways of Wolves, but I can see you are happy and deeply in love, I wish you the best and look forward to meeting your bride.” “I’ll see you when I return,” Warren nodded and turned to leave the room as his uncle resumed his own post behind his large writing desk to attend to matters of the Kingdom.
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The week and a half following Warren’s visit to his uncle pass quickly in a flurry of activity and preparation. It had been decided that Maureen and Evelyn would be coming with them for the wedding, and they would be arriving soon to join them in their journey back to the Fourth Kingdom. The last day had been spent moving all of Roselynn’s possessions into the master suite. The only things that had not yet been moved were her traveling clothes, the nightgown she’d worn the night before, and her grooming supplies. Roselynn sat at her vanity pinning her hair up in the soft curls that Warren favored on her when she heard a soft knock on her door. “Just wanted you to know that Maureen and Evelyn just arrived,” Warren called through the door, “And they brought Ruth and Maury with them.” “Thanks, I’ll be out shortly,” Roselynn called over her shoulder as she secured the last pin, “I’m nearly ready to go.” “Alright, see you in a bit, Lamb Chop.” Warren nodded before returning to the living area to entertain the Grants and await his fiancée’s arrival. He noticed that Maureen was holding a large white garment bag, “What’s that?” “Never you mind,” Ruth chided him, “So tell us what we should expect when we arrive at your uncle’s home.” “I don’t think words could quite do it justice or prepare you for it,” Warren demurred, “It’s really something you have to see to believe.” “Okay, I’m ready,” Roselynn stepped into the living room, a small carpet bag over her shoulder. She wore a cream-colored blouse with a scooped neck that sat just on the edge of her shoulders with capped sleeves. Her skirt was made of light brown material that brushed the tops of her knees as she moved and the tall brown boots, with a slight heel, she wore completed the outfit, “Shall we go?” “Gladly,” Warren offered his arm as he smiled at her. “Do you wish for me to take your bag?” “No, I’ve got it.” Roselynn shook her head and motioned to the suitcases lined up near the door, “I think you may need to help our guests with their baggage, however.” “We didn’t know how much or what to pack.” Ruth explained, “I hope it can fit in the cab.” “I think you’ll be okay,” Warren shrugged, “But we aren’t taking a cab, we’re just walking to the park. It’s part of the ‘see it to believe it,’ theme of this whole trip.” “How odd,” Maury mused, intrigued, “Well lead on. Maureen, I have your bag.” “Thanks, Dad,” The eldest Grant daughter smiled at her father as the group headed out the door. Once the doors to both condos were locked and secured, they all boarded the elevator and descended to the lobby. Thankfully, with New York being a tourist city, no one noticed or paid attention to the collection of people hauling baggage with them as they made their way across Central Park. Before long, they were cresting the small hill that hid the thicket of trees where their portal awaited them. A quiet hiss followed by the familiar tingling of magic made the travelers aware of the portal opening, even if some of them didn’t quite understand what was going on. “Now comes the unbelievable part of this trip,” Warren turned towards their friends, “You must follow me, just do as I do.” With that he kissed Lynn’s cheek and stepped into the mirror. As soon as he set foot on solid ground he greeted the guard who stood next to the mirror and awaited the arrival of his guests. First came Ruth and Maury, who looked around the room in wonder as Warren guided them, and their baggage, to the side to make room for the three younger women to follow, which they did a few moments later, once Roselynn was through the portal, the group turned back toward the mirror in time to catch a glimpse of Central Park before the guard disengaged the mirror and left the room. “Where are we?” Maureen looked around the room. “We call this the Hall of Mirrors,” Warren explained, “We just came through a traveling mirror that once belonged to my grandmother. There are other magic mirrors here, but trust me, you don’t wish to mess with them. Let me show you to your suite, where you will be staying until after the wedding.” Upon exiting the room, the group was met by a collection of pageboys who took their baggage and scurried off down the corridor, leaving them to make their way through the halls to their suites. “You said that this is your uncle’s home?” Maureen looked around at the large portraits that decorated the walls. “Yes, it’s been in his family for generations,” Warren nodded, “You’ll meet him and the rest of my family later tonight, for now, it would be best if you got settled in your room. Roselynn and I have to meet with my parents for a short time, but we will meet you at dinner in the main dining hall. You are welcome to explore the palace and the grounds, if you wish, but make sure you return by 6pm.” The Grants nodded their understanding as Warren stopped by a large set of paneled double doors. “This is where you will be staying,” The doors opened easily at his touch as he guided his friends into the room. “Roselynn’s suite is a few doors down from here, and my family’s suite is on another level, please make yourself at home, we will see you at dinner.” “Can you believe this place?!” Evelyn crowed, “We are staying in a literal castle! And did you see the paintings on the walls? I mean I always imagined Snow White was beautiful, but that painting of her was so gorgeous!” “The king isn’t half bad, either, if his painting is to be believed,” Maureen added, both girls not seeing the bewildered looks on their parents’ faces. “Why do I get the feeling you two know exactly where we are?” Ruth looked between her daughters, “Have you been here before?” “No,” Evelyn shook her head, “But Warren and Lynn, as well as his sister and cousin have filled us in on the basics. We are in another dimension from New York. The people here call the City the Tenth Kingdom, on this side of the mirror, there are nine kingdoms, this being the Fourth. Lynn actually grew up in the Second Kingdom, but we won’t be going there. They said it wouldn’t be safe for us to go there right now.” “The stories you read to us growing up, Snow White, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, they all actually happened,” Maureen added, “Some of the heroines of those tales went on to rule some of the founding kingdoms here. Roselynn is the great-granddaughter of Red Riding Hood and the Hunter who saved her.” “So, Warren is what?” Maury inquired, “The descendant of Snow White?” “No, but his cousin is.” Maureen shook her head, “Well step-cousin, his grandmother was from New York and somehow found herself here. She eventually married the King and became the stepmother to Warren’s uncle. So, his mother is a princess or a duchess by her mother’s marriage, somehow, and the step-sister to the reigning king.” “His mom grew up in New York, too,” Evelynn added, “She and her father met the king there when he was still a prince and followed him here along with Warren’s father who also had traveled from here. His father is why they are meeting his family in private, and the reason why Roselynn’s family won’t be here.” “Does her family not approve?” Ruth asked, taking a seat on one of the sofas in the living room next to her husband as her daughters followed and sat across from her. “In a manner of speaking,” Maureen explained, “They don’t know, but if they did, they would not take kindly to the union. However once Warren and Roselynn are married, there will be nothing her mother can do about it, which is why they are getting married here rather than in New York.” Maury sat quietly for a few moments before speaking, “So I take it that Warren’s father is the problem?” “I guess you could say that,” Evelyn shrugged, “Warren and his siblings are Half-Wolves on their father’s side.” “’Half-Wolves?’” Maury repeated, struggling to comprehend the concept. “Tail and all,” Maureen chuckled, “His is actually the same shade of dark brown as his hair. I guess the closest thing we have to what he is, is a werewolf.” “Werewolves aren’t real,” Ruth pointed out. “Well, we are in a magical land where anything is possible,” Evelyn reminded them, “Here Wolves and Half-Wolves are real.” “Warren explained the whole history that led to him being a Half-Wolf, something about the original Wolves being shifters, some of whom eventually took full-human spouses and from those pairings a new race of humans was born, Half-Wolves, it’s actually quite interesting. I would love to study the genetics of it all, but certainly not on this trip.” “I very much feel like Alice down the rabbit hole,” Ruth chuckled, “I guess it’s just best to accept whatever we see at face value.” “Probably the best course of action, Dear,” Maury agreed. Warren and Roselynn made brief stops in their suites before continuing to the large sitting room that his family favored in the castle. It had a large fireplace, with a stone hearth similar to the one in his uncle’s office. There were several plush sofas, love seats, and chairs throughout the room along with a large table surrounded by wooden chairs used for table-top games, a suggestion of his grandfather’s when he’d moved to the palace permanently. “It seems we are the first to arrive,” Warren mused, as they crossed the room and settled on one of the love seats that, along with a few chairs and a sofa, surrounded a coffee table with various books displayed upon it. The couple sat quietly, hand-in-hand as Warren ran his thumb over his bride’s knuckles. “Nervous?” Roselynn inquired. “A bit, I mean my sister and cousin love you,” Warren shrugged, “I’m sure my aunt, uncle, and mother will too, but my father… I don’t know how he will react.” “I guess we will find out soon enough.” Roselynn laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her free hand around the front side of his bicep, squeezing it lightly. “Whatever the outcome of this meeting, I love you and always will. We are getting married in three days, no matter what anyone says.” “Thanks, Love,” Warren kissed her. “Well, what do we have here?” King Wendell called out as he entered the room, followed by his wife and daughter, as well as his step-sister and her family, including Lord Antony, “I believe a pair of love birds have come to roost in my castle.” “Good afternoon, Uncle Wendell,” Warren stood, Roselynn at his side as his family made their way into the room. “How are things in the Kingdom.” “No better or worse than usual, just the normal border skirmishes from the Troll Kingdom, nothing I can’t handle.” Wendell shook his nephew’s hand, giving a passing glance to the woman that stood next to the young man, not saying a word about her identity. “That’s good to hear.” Warren nodded before turning to his parents, “Mama, Papa, it’s good to see you. I’m glad you could come.” “Of course we came,” Virginia pulled her eldest child into her arms, “It’s not every day your son returns from another dimension and invites you to join him under rather secret circumstances. What is going on?” “In a moment, Mama.” Warren kissed his mother’s cheek before turning to his father, who was clearly growing agitated. “Hello, Papa,” Warren smiled at his father. “That’s all I get?” Wolf demanded, his voice on edge, “’Hello, Papa?’ Is that all you have to say for yourself?” “No,” Warren responded calmly, wrapping his arm around Roselynn’s waist and pulling her to his side, “I actually came to inform you that I am to be wed in three days’ time and to introduce you to my fiancée. Papa, Mama, Uncle Wendell, family, I would like to officially introduce you to the woman who is to be my mate, Roselynn.” An excited squeal went up among the women in the room as they enveloped the couple with hugs, while Wendell approached them and offered his congratulations in the form of a handshake with his nephew and placing a chaste peck on the bride’s cheek. The only people who looked less than thrilled were Warren’s father and younger brother who stood, scowling, barely containing their irritation. “She’s a Hood!” Wolf shouted over the din, “What are you thinking?! Did you really think this would go over well? Wolves and Hoods don’t mix! Her kind have been hunting us, oppressing us for generations! I forbid it!” “You forbid it?” Warren turned to his father, his hackles up, “Hate to break it to you, Father, but I am a grown man, you cannot dictate what I can and cannot do any more. Besides, Roselynn is nothing like the rest of her family. She wants to end the oppression of the Wolven people in her kingdom. Not only that, but I love her, and she loves me.” Wolf just scoffed, “A Hood cannot love a Wolf.” “Well this Hood does.” Roselynn approached the man who would be her father-in-law and kneeled at his feet, bowing her head in submission to the Alpha of her fiancé’s pack, “Alpha, I love your son desperately. What he says is true, I have no desire to carry on the hatred my family disseminates throughout the Second Kingdom. In fact, once we are wed, we will be returning to the Tenth Kingdom where I am enrolled in a university to become a teacher. I want to eventually return to the Second Kingdom as a teacher with the goal of breaking the cycle of hatred before the children are taught differently.” Sensing Wolf’s resolve beginning to wane, she slowly reached out and touched the toe of his boot, “I swear to you, I would rather die than betray or hurt your son, I love him with all my being, to hurt him is to hurt myself. There is nothing I want more than to marry him and bear his cubs.” “Papa, we are not seeking your permission,” Warren walked over to where his fiancée knelt and helped her back to her feet. “While we may wish to have your blessing, we don’t need it, we will be wed on the full moon whether you approve or not.” “Wolf,” Virginia placed a gentle hand on her husband’s shoulder, relieving the last of the tension in his body, “There is nothing you are going to gain by huffing and puffing about this. They are clearly in love; you cannot deny that fact. I don’t believe our son, or our family, is in any danger from her.” “But she’s a Hood,” Wolf protested weakly. “Yes, and I’m the daughter of the Second Evil Queen,” Virginia reminded him, “You and I both know you’ve already given in, just admit it and quit your pouting.” “I don’t pout.” “Yes, you do, Wolf,” Virginia smiled up at him, “And on you, it can be quite charming, but this is not the time for it.” “Cripes,” Wolf huffed, “When you are right, you are right, my creamy, dreamy, love. You have my blessing.” “Thank you, Papa.” Warren relaxed, wrapping his arm around his bride, “I know that accepting my mate is not easy for you. We know that you of all people have reason to be resistant to our marriage.” “I can’t say I’m completely comfortable with it,” Wolf admitted, “But if you are happy, I will do my best to be happy for you, Wolves’ Word.” He scratched his temple. “Thank you, Lord Wolf,” Roselynn gave her father-in-law-to-be a small smile. “Just Wolf,” He waived his hand, “I’m not particularly Lordly. I’m just your average Wolf.” “There are a great many people who would differ in that opinion, my old friend,” Wendell clapped his friend’s shoulder, “But enough of this, I believe it is time for dinner, and I understand we have some special guests joining us tonight.” “That’s right, a couple of our friends, Maureen and Evelyn as well as their parents have come with us for the wedding.” Warren nodded to his uncle, “I’m sure they are curious as to where we have brought them.”
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Wendell’s palace was a flurry of activity over the remaining three days as everyone focused on preparing the gardens for the small ceremony. Lord Rupert, while put out that he wasn’t throwing a large, inter-kingdom, bash – a waste of his talent in his very high opinion – had taken to ordering the staff about like a general preparing for battle. “Young man, I ordered the flowers in the shades lilac, cornflower, and cream,” He stopped a young man who was passing with an armload of flowers, “This hydrangea is Azure! Send it back.” “Yes, milord,” the young man bowed and scurried back to correct the mistake. “I ask for a little proficiency, and what do I get? Amateurs.” He groaned as he continued down the hall toward the suite of rooms currently occupied by the Grants where the women, including Lady Christine were being fitted for their dresses for the ceremony. Knocking on the door, he announced himself and let himself in. Christy, Bianca, Maureen, and Evelyn were all standing on platforms while a flurry of fairy seamstresses flitted about them pinning and tucking material here and there until the dresses fit their frames perfectly. “Just checking on the progress of the bridesmaid and maid of honor dresses.” “Nearly finished, Rupert,” Merriweather flicked her wrist dismissively at the man, “Just doing the final touches, should be ready by tonight, more than enough time before the ceremony.” “Very well,” He nodded and excused himself from the room and set about his rounds. Along the way, he met with the vicar who assured him he was in his final preparations for the ceremony and had things well-in-hand. “Not to worry, Lad,” The older man patted Rupert’s shoulder, “Not my first wedding, and far from my last, I could do these in my sleep. I assure you it will be legal enough that Queen Stuck-in-the-past III won’t be able to contest it. I’ve gone over everything and it all is legally binding according to the laws laid out by the Kingdoms’ High Council.” Rupert once again nodded his understanding and continued along his rounds. Soon enough he was crossing the palace lawn on his way to the hedgerow gardens. About halfway in he heard a squeal followed by a low growl, a gasp, and feminine giggling along with a masculine chuckle. Assuming it was some chambermaid and a footman playing about, he headed towards the sound to give them what-for. “Really, I haven’t the time to…” He stopped short. “Your grace, I’m sorry I thought you were someone else.” Warren and Roselynn were wedged into the alcove where they’d first met, if the flushed look on the princess’ face was any indication they had been engaged in some rather undignified behavior, she’d been chased through the hedgerows by her beau, or was embarrassed to be found in such a state as they were. Perhaps all three, Rupert thought to himself. “We were just enjoying the free afternoon,” Warren grinned easily, a trait he’d gotten from his father that he knew put Rupert’s teeth on edge, “My suit is done, Roselynn’s dress came with us from the Tenth Kingdom, and our meeting with the vicar isn’t for another hour. We’re sorry if we disturbed your peaceful stroll, we were just taking a stroll down memory lane, ourselves.” “And this stroll just happened to involve you chasing the young lady through the hedgerows and ending in a very compromising position in a hidden alcove?” The lord raised a skeptical eyebrow. “This is where we first met, playing hide-and-seek as children,” Roselynn explained, brushing her hair out of her face, removing a twig that had been lodged there in the process, “We should probably head inside and clean up before our meeting with the vicar anyhow.” “You are right, My Beautiful Beloved,” Warren nuzzled her neck, “We’ll get out of your way.” The duke took the hand of his fiancée as they made their way toward the exit of the maze, bantering flirtingly with each other and stopping every now and again as Warren pressed her up against one of the hedged walls and kissed her deeply. “Wolves and princesses,” Rupert huffed, rolling his eyes as he remembered the similar behavior Warren’s parents had displayed at that age, granted they were married by that point, with their second child on the way, but no matter. He quickly made his way on light feet the rest of the way through the maze to the center where several of the palace staff were working on a lattice archway into which they were weaving greenery and flowers. Eventually, flowering shrubberies would be planted and allowed to grow along and through the archway, but for now this would have to do. It would serve as the official entrance through which all guests and then the bridal party would enter the gardens.A small canvas awning supported by four poles stood below the majestic tree at the center of the garden, also being decorated by garlands of greenery interwoven with the flowers Rupert had meticulously selected. Some of the staff were setting up a small selection of chairs, enough to seat the groom’s family and the couple’s friends who were invited. The side of the rows closest to the aisle would be decorated with toole and flowers and a satin and lace runner would serve as the aisle when the job was done. Smiling with pride at the progress that was made, Rupert commended the man he’d placed in charge of the gardens and headed back into the castle to check on how the kitchen staff was coming along with the food for the event.When one was serving a family full of Wolves, it was best to have the largest quantity of the finest cuts of the freshest meat available on hand, especially during the full moon. To wit, he was pleased to see the small pen of the finest looking, freshly shorn, lambs he’d ever set eyes on. The morning of the ceremony they would be slaughtered and prepared to varying levels of cooking for all guests of the wedding and members of the bridal party. If this didn’t appease his King’s sister’s family and their friends, he didn’t know what would. The morning of Warren and Roselynn’s wedding was a rush of hairdressers, ladies’ maids, and makeup artists swirling around the Grant’s suite as it was the largest one that housed the most women involved in the ceremony. The men had been sequestered in the rooms belonging to Warren’s family. Virginia had spent part of the morning running between the two suites, a few times with curlers in her hair wearing barely more than a dressing gown, much to the shock and appall of Lord Rupert – not that anyone truly cared.When all was said and done, Virginia, now dressed or the wedding, once more entered what had turned into groom central to find all the men; her step-brother, father, husband, sons, and Mr. Grant all seated in the main area sharing a brandy for the adults, milk for her younger son, and sharing tales from their own wedding days.“I tell ya, I was so nervous the day your grandmother married me,” Tony was saying, “I mean, how could I not be, she was so out of my league. I remember barely being able to keep my breakfast down, no small thanks to my cousins who had abducted me the previous night for a bit of rabblerousing. But the moment the doors of the church opened, and your grandmother entered, I nearly forgot everything aside my own name. I was absolutely transfixed. She was the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful bride, I’d ever seen. At least until your mother married your father, which was the second proudest day of my life, next to the day she was born. Despite our problems later, I loved your grandmother until the day she took her last breath. Even when she was being influenced by that evil hag, she was always and forever my Christine.”“That was beautiful, Daddy,” Virginia wiped a tear from her cheek.“It is the truth,” Tony smiled sadly, “Your mother was one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and I was so lucky that I had her for even that short amount of time. I know we had our ups and downs, especially once her sickness took hold of her, but I couldn’t ever let her go. It’s the reason I never seriously considered any other woman while you were growing up. Even now, I can’t bring myself to do more than flirt. Even if I wanted to, I’m too old now, the ladies of the court are more likely to see me as the perverted uncle or some such if I were even to try. Better for me to just live out the rest of my life vicariously through the lives of my daughter and grandchildren.”“Antony, I believe that is the most eloquent I’ve ever heard you speak in all our years of knowing one another.” Wendell teased his old friend.“The most eloquent?” Tony challenged him, “Are you forgetting the toast I gave at your own wedding, your Royal Dogness?”“Oh, yes, I can see now I was overwhelmingly wrong.” The king rolled his eyes, “How could I ever forget what a master orator you are?”“Are you going to let him talk to me like this?” Tony implored his daughter, “He’s your step-king.”“I’m not getting in the middle of this,” Virginia held up her hands, “I only came to make sure you weren’t all falling over drunk and let you know it’s time to make our way to the ceremony. Let’s go,” She turned toward the door, “You all look very handsome, by the way.”The men chuckled as they set their glasses down on the table and followed Virginia toward the gardens. The hedgerow maze was beautifully decorated in twinkling lights that led the way toward the hidden garden which was beautifully appointed in flowers and gauzy garlands interspersed with the same magical twinkling lights that flickered even in the mid-day sun.“May I?” Warren offered his arm to his mother who smiled at him and looped her hand to settle in the crook of his elbow as her husband and younger son followed close behind.“You look happy,” She murmured as they walked toward their seats.“I am happy, Mama,” Warren assured her, “I have loved Roselynn for years, and she has always loved me, even if we didn’t want to admit it for the longest time.”“Then I’m happy for you.” Virginia slowed and stood by her seat as her husband and younger son stepped past her. She straightened her oldest child’s tie and smoothed down his lapels as she’d done many times for her husband. “Perfect, I’m so proud of the man you have become, and you couldn’t have picked a better woman to be your bride. Yes, I know you didn’t have much of a choice in the matter being a Wolf and your father’s son and all, but Roselynn is a remarkable woman. She would have had to be to keep her convictions growing up where she did. I really like her.”“Thanks, Mama,” Warren kissed her on the cheek and stepped to the side while she took her seat before he stepped up to the awning where the vicar, his friend Reilly, and a couple of his school-day pals stood waiting for him.Warren watched as his aunt and uncle took their seats followed by Ruth Grant and a smattering of their friends from the court, who were supportive of their union, made their way to their seats as the string quartet, who were seated to the side of the awning, played a soft, celebratory tune. Moments later, the piece changed to one he recognized, it was the piece his father had commissioned all those years ago when he’d first attempted to propose to his mother. Smiling at the memory of their telling of the story, he listened to ‘A Time for Commitment’ while Evelyn and Maureen made their way down the aisle.They both wore pale lilac gowns with flowing skirts that brushed their knees, a fitted bodice and fluttery short sleeves that rippled in the slight breeze. In their hands they both held small bouquets of purple chrysanthemums and blue morning glories with a few white daisies which were tied with a purple ribbon and secured with a purl pin.Next down the aisle were his sister and cousin, both dressed similarly to the Grant daughters, but in a pale blue, and carrying the same style of bouquet in their hands. “Turn around, and don’t look back until I tell you,” His sister instructed him as she took her place. With a roll of his eyes, he turned to face the vicar who was smiling beatifically. He heard the music swell and the sound of people rising to their feet.It seemed like an eternity passed before he heard Reilly whisper in his ear, “You might want to look back now.”Warren slowly turned back to face the aisle and it was like the rest of the world just fell away leaving only him and his bride. Roselynn’s hair was swept back from her face and secured behind her head. She wore a simple floral wreath of white, blue, and lilac blooms. Several lengths of gauzy ribbon matching the flowers in her wreath, flowed down from her headpiece to the small of her back. The absence of a veil allowed everyone to see her beauty and the smile that matched the look of pure, unadulterated, love in her eyes.The dress she wore was made of simple lines and soft lace. The wide, round, neckline flirted with her cleavage without being revealing, and the short, lace sleeves ended just a few inches from her shoulders. The bodice was a princess cut and had a pale blue satin ribbon that ran just below her bust line and around her back to where it was tied. The skirt, which flowed gracefully down over her hips like a lace waterfall, moved ever so gently with each step she took and had a slight train that followed behind her. Warren couldn’t help but smile when he realized that she was bare foot as she made her way down the aisle to him.Earlier in the day his own mother had given him grief when he’d mentioned that, at least for the ceremony, he would be barefoot. She had quickly come around when he’d told her of barefoot walks in the gardens he and Roselynn had shared as well as moonlit moments of barefoot dancing they’d indulged in back in New York while attending the sunset concerts. Pulling nervously at the grey jacket of his suit, he let his eyes drift once more to take in the full view of his bride as she slowly walked towards him, her right arm linked with Mr. Grant’s left, in her left hand she held a large bouquet of white carnations and hydrangeas amid which were placed purple periwinkles and blue forget-me-nots. A cream ribbon bound the stems and was finished with a bow that was secured with a silver and sapphire pin.When they reached the end of the aisle, Mr. Grant placed a soft kiss on Roselynn’s cheek. The soft smile on his lips and look on his face were more akin to that of a man giving away his own daughter rather than the father of the bride’s friends. He turned to Warren and shook the young man’s hand, “She’s too good for you, don’t you ever forget that.”“Believe me, I won’t,” Warren assured the older man.“Good boy,” Maury patted the younger man’s shoulder before placing the bride’s hand in that of her groom’s. “You let me know if he tries any funny business.”“I will,” Roselynn gave the man a gentle smile before walking the last few steps with her groom to stand before the vicar.“Who presents this couple to be wed?” The Vicar looked out at the gathering before him.“I present myself, of my own volition, and without any coercion or malicious intent,” Roselynn’s voice was strong and sure.“I likewise come, free of constraint or ill will, to be wed, and accept this woman as my mate and my bride,” Warren confirmed.“Are there any in attendance who know of any reason these two aught not be wed?” The vicar paused for a few moments before continuing, “Seeing as none present here protest this union, we may proceed. Marriage is the most sacred of bonds and is not to be entered into lightly. Happily Ever After is not a beginning nor is it an ending, but it is a goal for all married people, and like life before it, it will have its struggles, it’s joys, it’s interesting moments. However, unlike your lives up to this moment, you will now have a partner to share the burdens of life with. It is not weakness to share your burdens; it is believed that all of us are born with one half of the same heart and when we meet the one who carries the other piece is our other half, or as some would say, our life’s mate.“Love is magical and beautiful, containing an amalgam of qualities. It is strong enough to bond, yet malleable enough to adapt, and even grow and expand. It is constant throughout life, but ever changing with every twist and turn you encounter. It will make you fall and build you up. It can draw you close to one another and expand as your circle of family and friends expand. It is freely given but is the most precious gift we will ever receive. It can cure and soothe but can also be turned into the sharpest weapon in your arsenal, so wield it with care.“Most importantly, it is the source of magic that is within each and every one of us.” The vicar finished. “Now for the part we truly came here for. Please turn and join hands.”The old cleric waited wile Roselynn handed her bouquet to Bianca and turned back to Warren who took both of her hands in his. As the vicar led them through the next part of the ceremony, his thumbs danced lightly over his bride’s knuckles. Their connection allowing them to draw strength from, and give strength to, one another.“Do you, Warren, son of Wolf and Virginia, accept this woman, Roselynn, daughter of the House of Red, to be your wife and life’s mate? Knowing that you are bound forevermore to one another, through good and bad, blessing and curse, health and illness, struggle and prosperity until the day death parts you?” The vicar inquired.“With all that is within me, I do.” Warren smiled at his bride, love radiating out of his eyes, warming her to the soles of her feet.“Do you, Roselynn, daughter of the House of Red, take this man, Warren, son of Wolf and Virginia, as your husband and life’s mate? Knowing that you are bound forevermore to one another, through good and bad, blessing and curse, health and illness, struggle and prosperity until the day death parts you?”“With all my being, I do.” Roselynn returned her groom’s gaze.“May I please have the rings?” The vicar held out his hand to Reilly, who pulled a small wooden box from his pocket and, opening it, pulled the rings from within and placed them in the older man’s hand. “These rings will be a constant reminder of the promises you make today. May you remember the love, peace, and joy you feel this very day every time you gaze upon them. They are a continuous circle with no clear beginning or end, much like the magic that surrounds us and the love you share. Warren, take this ring and place it on your bride’s finger repeating after me; ‘I, Warren Wendell Antony Wolfson, pledge my love, fealty, and life to you and take you, Roselynn as my bride and Happy Ever After.’”Warren nodded, releasing his bride’s hand momentarily as he reached for the ring and slipped it over the knuckles of her ring finger on her left hand. “I, Warren Wendell Antony Wolfson, pledge my love, fealty, and life to you and take you, Roselynn as my bride and Happy Ever After.” He repeated dutifully before giving his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze.“Roselynn, now you,” The vicar instructed her as she took the ring and, repeating the words of the vicar, slid it on to the left hand of her husband, the ring got stuck as she tried to push it past the second knuckle of his ring finger which caused a ripple of laughter throughout the guests, “You’d be surprised how often that happens. It is my joy and my privilege to confirm you are now man and wife. May you live Happily Ever After. You may kiss your bride.”A cheer went up from the congregation as Warren gathered his bride in his arms and kissed her soundly. “I love you.” He whispered as they parted, his hands tracing down the back of her arms until they reached her hands which he, once again took gently in his own.“I love you too.” She smiled back at him, raising up on her tiptoes to kiss him once more.“I present to you for the first time, Mister and Missus Warren Wolfson, Duke and Duchess of the Fourth and Second Kingdoms.” The vicar announced before Roselynn reclaimed her bouquet from her friend and walked back up the aisle with her husband. They stopped below the archway and kissed once more before continuing onto the courtyard that lay between the castle and the gardens to await the start of their wedding banquet. The reception, much like the wedding, was an intimate affair. The garden was quickly converted, moving the chairs to the tables that surrounded the small dance floor. The string quartet was exchanged for a small band, and tuxedoed waiters made their way through the party serving food to family and guests alike. Before long, it was time for the toasts; King Wendell’s toast was short and sweet, imparting wisdom and wishing the couple a Happy Ever After. Wolf and Virginia likewise imparted the lessons they’d learned in their nearly three decades of marriage with a bit of levity and humor over the mistakes made by both in each other’s worlds.“We know that you still have a long road before you, and hard battles to be won.” Virginia looked between her son and daughter-in-law, “But sometimes the hardest won battles are the ones that make life worth it. Now that your paths have converged, you must be mindful to meet any obstacle you come up against together. I know I’ve told Warren the story of the beggar woman in the forest, and now I will share it with you. As we journeyed through the Disenchanted Forest, we came across and old beggar woman asking for something to eat. While those I traveled with,” She shot a look to her husband and father, “Refused, I gave her a couple sandwiches from my own bag. In exchange, she said she had a lesson for us. She proceeded to hand me three sticks one-by-one, telling me to break each of them as they were handed to me, which it did. She then handed me three more and told me to try to break them while holding them together, but I could not as the sticks, when together, were strong enough to resist. Life is like that, if we go it alone, we are often broken down, but if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to let another person take the journey with us, we are unbreakable. I wish you a long life together, love, laughter, and joy, and of course a Happy Ever After.”As everyone drank their toast, one last person stood and tapped his glass with a fork. “I would also like to make a toast to the happy couple.” The older man announced, “I know many of you do not know me, my name is Maurey Grant. I have known young Warren for many years and have come to think of him as the son I never had. I first met Warren when he was just a little thing newly home from the hospital, his parents were opening a restaurant but needed someone to watch him while they put things in motion. This young man spent many a morning or afternoon on my living room floor, and later at my dining room table eating and studying with my daughters with whom he and his younger sister soon became friends.Warren, I could not be prouder of the man you have become even if you were my own son. Who you are is, in no small part, due to the influence of the men in your life, a few of whom I’ve only just met, but can see the impact you have had on his young life. Warren, you have your father’s passion, your uncle’s steadfast honor, and your grandfather’s ambition among other wonderful traits that make up the man you are today. You will do great things in your life no matter where you choose to live it, and your life will only be made richer by the woman who is by your side. Trust me, if you look at any successful man, whether he be a King, a dignitary, a president, or a humble storekeeper, I assure you that you will find his wife or partner right there beside him, supporting him in all things. Lynn, the same goes the other way. Every successful woman has a partner or husband supporting her every desire and whim whether that is to lead, to teach, to nurture, or all three as you become the woman you are destined to be. We wish you luck in your ventures as well.“Now, I haven’t known Roselynn, or Lynn as we call her, that long, but in the short time she has been in our life, our world has become better for it. We got to watch as you not only bloomed but flourished from the shy young woman you were when you first arrived several months ago, into the bright, vibrant, loving woman you are today, and in my heart, I hold you in as high esteem as I do my own daughters. It was my honor to walk you down the aisle today. Know that you can always come home, and by home, I mean to our little slice of New York. On behalf of my wife, our daughters, and myself, I want to wish you many blessings in your life. Now what is it your people say? May you always live Happily Ever After.” Maury finished, lifting his glass in toast to the newlyweds.The guests cheered their agreement and finished their toasts as the band began to play. The conductor announced that it was time for the first dance and invited Warren and Roselynn to come out on the floor. Warren guided his bride to the center of the dance floor and took her into his arms as the music started and a singer stepped out front of the band, crooning out a bluesy tune. Roselynn couldn’t help but laugh at the song selection, “Was this your doing?”“No, for once, I was a good Wolfie,” He murmured into her ear as they continued to sway to the band playing ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ remembering the first time they’d danced to this song the night they’d gotten engaged. “Someone must have brought the sheet music over from the Tenth Kingdom.”“Yeah, and if it wasn’t you, I think I have two good guesses as to who might be responsible,” Roselynn fixed her eyes on the Grant sisters who were seated at their table, whispering and giggling with each other as well as Christy and Bianca as they watched the newlyweds dance.“You do have to admit that it is an apt song for us,” Warren dipped her low.“True,” She rose back up, kissing her husband on the cheek, “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the song.”“Agreed.”The rest of the reception passed by quickly, during what would have normally been a father-daughter dance, Roselynn was pleasantly surprised to be passed between her husband’s father, grandfather, and uncle, as well as Mr. Grant who she had started out with. By the end, she was grinning ear-to-ear at the care and acceptance she was receiving from her new family. She knew it wasn’t perfect, there were too many years of animosity from the House of Red toward wolves for it to be that way, but she was already seeing her father-in-law softening more and more every day toward her.Soon the cake was cut and fed to the bride and groom and passed out to the rest of the party. As the sun began to set, marking the first night of the full moon, Roselynn threw her bouquet to the waiting single women in attendance. Much to everyone’s surprise, Christy was the one who caught it, arousing whispers and speculation due to the fact the young woman did not have a beau that anyone was aware of. Her father, however, took it as a sign that the young man she’d met on her quest many months ago would be coming back into her life.The bride and groom made their rounds, thanking everyone for coming, and saying good night before making their way back to the castle. They were just heading to the suite of rooms that had been Warren’s and now housed both of their belongings, when they were stopped by a steward. “Your graces, I have been asked to show you to your accommodations for the night.”“I don’t understand, are we not staying in our suite?” Warren shared a curious look with his new wife.“Yes and no, Duke Wolfson,” The young man shook his head, “The king has arranged for a more private room, away from the rest of the family and your wedding guests to allow you some privacy for the night.”“Tell King Wendell, we appreciate the gesture,” Roselynn smiled, waiving her hand in silent permission for the steward to lead them on. He took them to a distant corner of the castle to a finely appointed room. The suite itself was on a lower floor with a private balcony and entrance, had a sitting room with a small couch and coffee table as well as a small table with two chairs upon which was a large basket of fruit and treats. Off to the side of the room was a set of two large doors that led to the bedroom. The bed was a large four-poster bed with a gauzy canopy, the material drifted down, and would have completely enclosed the bed were it not secured back to the posts. There was also a small vanity with pearl-backed brushes and combs. Next to it was the door that led to the ensuite bathroom which held a large two-person soaking tub complete with scented salts, oils, and bubble bath lined up along the far side.“Is the room to your liking?” The steward inquired as they looked around.“Very much so,” Warren smiled at him, “Please thank my uncle for me.”“I will do, sir,” The man bowed, “If you require anything further, please pull on this rope next to the door and someone will come to you. All the staff are under strict orders to not disturb you unless you call for them.” Without waiting for a response, the man turned on his heel and exited the room.“Come with me,” Warren held his hand out to her, as she took it, he led her back out of the room just outside of the main doors and scooped her up in his arms, one arm supporting her knees while the other held her back. Roselynn giggled as her husband carried her across the threshold to the suite. She thought he would put her down as soon as they entered, but he instead kicked the door shut behind him and carried her into the bedroom before setting her down. “Hello, Mrs. Wolfson,” Warren smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hello, Mr. Wolfson,” Roselynn smiled against her husband’s lips. They stayed in each other’s arms as kisses became deeper, more urgent and hands eagerly explored. Warren pulled back just enough for Roselynn to see the need glowing gold in his eyes, “You look as if you’re about to huff and puff and blow all my clothes off.” She teased. “Not a bad idea,” Warren husked, lightly running a finger down his wife’s arm, causing a thrill of goose flesh to spread from the tips of her fingers, up her arms, and down her back. “But maybe for later. For now, I’d rather take my time.” Warren stepped back for just a moment to shrug off his suit jacket as he allowed his eyes to roam over the figure of the woman before him. He smiled wolfishly as he released the cufflinks at his wrists before taking her into his arms again, allowing his fingers to trail down her sides as he placed soft kisses on her lips and jaw before tracing his way down her neck to where it met her shoulders. The soft sigh she released when he hit the sweet spot on her jaw, just below her left ear, made his lips curve up as his fingers gently released the buttons that ran along her spine. As each button was released, he kissed each new piece of flesh that was revealed, careful to get just close enough to tease her more sensitive areas before moving on. He chuckled at the frustrated, needy, sigh that his wife released as his lips and teeth nipped just above her foundation wear before he slowly kissed his way between her bosom and down to where the fabric of her gown sat at her hips, savoring every piece of flesh in between. Releasing the sash from around her waist and freeing the last button, he allowed the yards of flowing fabric to pool at her feet as he stood; gently kissing her, whispering platitudes and proclamations of love against his bride’s lips. Just as eager to explore her husband, Roselynn began releasing the buttons on Warren’s shirt, kissing down his neck and across his broad chest and shoulders as she untucked his shirt and pushed the fabric down over his shoulders before dropping it to the floor. Rising up on her toes, she kissed her husband, slowly drawing him deeper into their shared passion as she traced lazy circles down his back and over his hips with her fingers. Taking a steadying breath, she slowly released the belt and unfastened the buttons that bound Warren’s pants to his hips. Allowing the garment to drop around his ankles, she then knelt down before him to help rid him of the shoes he’d slipped on before leaving their reception, so he could free his legs from the binding fabric. Warren closed his eyes and released a soft growl as he felt Roselynn’s fingers trail up the outside of his legs to steady herself as she rose. He smiled at the soft intake of breath, knowing she had reached a new level of awareness when it came to him. As soon as she had reached full height, he pulled her into his arms, his need becoming more evident as he pressed her closer to his body. His fingers made quick work of the hooks that held the thin fabric of her bra to her torso, he smiled against her lips as she released a needy groan as he slowly removed the garment, the lace teasing the sensitive flesh of her breasts. Roselynn sighed as her husband swept her up into his arms and, pulling down the covers, laid her against the pillows on the satin sheets of the bed before climbing up next to her. She allowed herself to give into him as he renewed the exploration of her body, once again getting close enough to tease her more sensitive areas without ever touching them, even when she arched her back, silently begging for his touch. A near eternity later, he finally gave into her silent pleas, tracing his fingers over her hardening nipples. He soon replaced his fingers with his mouth, his tongue tracing around each sensitive nub before drawing her into his warm mouth. She gasped as the sensation shot down her body to her as of yet untouched core. Warren continued his ministrations, trailing soft kisses between the valley of her breasts and down her taught stomach before tracing his tongue along the strip of creamy pale flesh that ran above the white satin that sat as the final barrier preventing him from seeing all of his wife. He placed teasing kisses over her hips as he slowly slid the fabric down, revealing the last hidden treasure that he had yet to claim as his own. The thin piece of satin soon fluttered to the floor, soon after followed by the thin cotton of his boxers that proved the last barrier between either of them. The tempest in Roselynn’s eyes met the glowing embers in her husband’s as the mattress dipped beneath his weight. Warren drew his wife into his arms, flesh to flesh, need pulsing between them as he kissed her deeply. They both knew what was coming, Roselynn reveled in the feel of his fingers tracing agonizingly slow patterns over her curves. She moaned as his mouth once again followed the trail left by his hands, going lower, and lower still toward her center. She felt his lips just below her belly button while his deft fingers slowly traced her, warmth pooled I her belly as she felt herself opening to him. “Mmm, hold that thought,” Warren whispered against her lips before ducking into the bathroom and returning with a small packet, “While our cycles haven’t completely synched up, we’re still too close to the mark to not take precautions. It will be hard enough telling your mother about us without you being in a family way.” “What do you mean precautions?” Roselynn leaned back against the headboard of the bed. “Just a little something I brought with me from the Tenth Kingdom,” He explained, “This slides over my,” He gestured awkwardly as his wife blushed, “You get the idea, and it has a high instance of preventing my little guys from going too far thus preventing pregnancy and it is less of an impact than any other options.” “Okay,” Roselynn nodded. “Okay,” Warren smiled, ripping open the package and giving himself a few strokes before rolling the sheath over his arousal, “Now, where were we?” He climbed up into the bed with his bride, releasing the ropes that held the gauzy fabric back, allowing it to surround them. The soft light from the lamps shining through casting a romantic glow on the couple as he continued his memorization of his wife’s body, taking special notes to the areas that made her squirm in a good way, where she was ticklish, and what just plain took her breath, and his, away. He smiled as he felt her shutter as his fingers continued their exploration. He pressed a kiss to her lips, his tongue gently brushed across her lips in direct mirror of his fingertips. Warren was enjoying the sighs that escaped his wife’s mouth as his mouth and tongue continued their unified dance as she drew him in deeper into her depths. He felt her pulse thrumming against his palm, her rhythm matching his own. He chuckled slightly at the sigh she released as he brought his hands back up her body tracing her sides before he raised his body to hover over her. His eyes met Roselynn’s in silent request for entry, only to be answered with her own quiet acquiescence as they were slowly, beautifully, and finally mated. Warren couldn’t believe that this beautiful creature that had lived in his dreams all these years was fully entwined around him, body, mind, and soul. He didn’t think he could love her any more than he did but was quickly proven wrong as her aquamarine eyes locked onto his as she rolled him over drawing him in deeper. A moment later he felt her pulsing around him, their rhythm increasing until she sighed her release with him quickly following. Roselynn felt as if she had no solid bones in her body as she melted into her husband’s arms and rested her head on his shoulder. They rested in each other’s arms content until Warren shifted her to his side and drew the covers up over them. With one last soft kiss, Roselynn curled up against his strong chest as they drifted into blissful, sated, sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Roselynn awoke the next morning enveloped in a blanket of warmth as the first rays of the morning sun filtered in through the gauzy curtains of the patio doors. Trying not to disturb the sleeping form behind her, she slowly started to stretch her legs and rock her hips to relieve some of the tension that had been stored up overnight. She soon found herself being pulled closer to the warmth behind her. “If you keep doing that, your back won’t be the only thing in this bed that’s stiff.” He whispered huskily in her ear as his warm honeyed voice, tinged with a soft growl washed over her. Her husband wrapped his arm tighter around her middle until her back came flush with his front; her soft curves fitting perfectly against the firmness of his body. The only thing indicating that they were any different than any other young couple in love was his soft tail that was now wrapped around them both; tickling Roselynn’s thigh, causing her to giggle softly. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” She teased, wiggling her rear just enough to elicit another low, growl from her new husband. Smiling at the fact she could have such an effect on him, she slowly rolled over in his arms until they were face-to-face. “Well, I didn’t say that,” Her husband responded giving her a wolfish grin that would have sent her melting right into the floor had she not already been laying down. “Good morning, Mrs. Wolfson, I trust you slept well.” “Excellent well,” She smiled up at him, taking all of him in, hoping that this wasn’t some beautiful dream that she would soon awake from, “And you, Mr. Wolfson?” “Likewise well, how does it feel to be a married woman?” Came his reply. “It feels so right,” She sighed, pulling closer to him and pressing a kiss to his throat, feeling his pulse speed up as her soft lips met his warm flesh; his quick intake of breath causing her to take on the same wolfish smile that had crossed her husband’s face just moments earlier. “And perhaps just a bit naughty, at the same time.” “A little naughtiness can be fun,” He husked, running his fingers up and down her spine in a teasing fashion, a wicked smile broadening on his luscious lips, every time he hit a more sensitive or ticklish area, causing her to press into him even tighter than before. When it almost felt as if she couldn’t be any closer, he quickly rolled her onto her back, covering her body with his own as he balanced on both arms above her trying to decide where he would start. Her lips perhaps, or her throat right where it was most tender, and he could see her life’s blood pulsing, tempting. His wife’s soft sigh broke him of his thoughts. “My, what strong arms you have.” She remarked, her voice flowing over him like a gentle rain. “The better to hold you with, my dear.” He answered, his rough voice sending shivers down his young wife’s spine as he spoke. “And what soft lips you have,” She sighed, lifting her fingers to gently trace them. “The better to kiss you with, my love,” He growled softly, claiming her lips as proof. The soft purr she let out set his tail twitching and bristling in anticipation of her next question. The look she gave him, told him that she knew full well what she was doing to him. The smile she gave him was nearly his undoing, “My, my, there seems to be something else that is getting…” was all she got out before he let out an aroused growl, the last of his restraint snapping. The look on her face and the sigh she let loose as he opened another of the small packets and slid into her, was all he needed. If he hadn’t known before, he was sure of it now, she was his mate forever and for always. Later that afternoon they found themselves, once again, in the visitor’s suite inhabited by their friends. They all knew the Grants would have to be returning home soon, and plans were already being made for them all to continue visiting back and forth through the mirror. A few hours before dinner, their visit was interrupted. “Good day, Milord,” The footman bowed to Warren as he opened the door. “The king has sent me to inform you that dinner shall be served within the hour.” “Thank you,” Warren nodded at the man, “We shall be there shortly.” The footman gave one more bow and exited the room as Warren turned back to his friends, “Well I supposed that is our cue to get dressed for dinner.” He shrugged offering his arm to his wife, “Shall we be on our way, Love?” “Yes, we shall,” Roselynn slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and looked back over her shoulder, “We’ll see you down there, do you remember how to get to the dining hall?” “Yes, we know the way,” Mr. Grant assured her as he closed the door behind her and signaling to his family to head for their rooms to get dressed. “Would you zip me up?” Roselynn asked her husband as she entered from the bathroom wearing a pale lilac gown that skimmed over her body before flowing into a knee length skirt that she had brought over from New York. “You know that is entirely the wrong direction for a zipper to go.” Warren whispered, nuzzling her neck as he slowly pulled the zipper closed. “I know, Darling,” She smiled turning toward him and placing a soft kiss on his lips, “You can correct the direction after dinner.” “Promise?” He asked, a naughty gleam in his eye. “No,” She teased, giving him a smoldering kiss, “I guarantee you can huff and puff and be as naughty as you would like… after dinner.” “Cripes,” He muttered, barely veiled desire glowing in his eyes. “We’d better go.” “Wouldn’t do to keep your uncle waiting.” She agreed as they headed out the door. They had made it almost all the way to the dining hall when Warren pulled her into an alcove. “He can wait a few more minutes.” He smiled wolfishly as he pressed his wife against the wall, dropping kisses on her lips, neck, and shoulders. Roselynn sighed, giving into the passion of his kisses. The couple was so caught up in each other that they didn’t hear the approaching footsteps that preceded the voice that was a deeper version of Warren’s own. “Huff Puff, what do we have here?” Came the teasing tone. “Papa!” Warren responded surprised as he and his wife quickly put their clothes back to rights and turned toward the older Wolf and his mate. “Hello, Son.” Wolf grinned knowingly at the younger couple, “Just couldn’t wait until after dinner, could you? I remember when your mother and I were like that.” “Like it was so far back,” Virginia rolled her eyes, “I believe it was only a few days ago you had me in the same alcove with the very same intentions.” “I could have gone a while without knowing that,” Warren huffed as his bride giggled at his parent’s antics. Wolf looked between his son and daughter-in-law and couldn’t help but see himself and his own mate a quarter century before. A clock chiming down the hall reminded the couples of the hour, “Cripes, we should probably go in before your uncle wonders what became of us.” With that he turned and led his wife toward the dining hall. “Are you two coming? Oh, and you have a little something there,” The older man pointed to the side of his mouth. “Yes, Papa, we are right behind you,” Warren nodded, waiting for his wife to wipe the smudge of lipstick from the corner of his mouth before they followed his parents toward the dining hall to join their friends and family. Dinner and conversation passed smoothly as the group of family and friends dined together sharing stories and laughter as the meal progressed. Soon, the dinner plates were removed, Wendell turned to look at his nephew. He still could hardly believe that the young man beside him was grown up with a wife himself. He remembered the long afternoons spent in his study debating various policies and laws with a teenaged Warren, it was what inspired him to encourage his nephew to further his education in the Tenth Kingdom. He was even more amazed by the boy’s lovely bride. True she was from a family whose hatred of Wolves was more than well known, not only in her own kingdom but throughout all the realms, but she had such compassion toward the marginalized citizens of her kingdom. She answered questions from her new in-laws as well as Wendell’s wife intelligently and with a touch of humor that was rarely seen in members of the house of Red. When the younger of the two young women who had befriended her in New York had asked her if she was still interested in attending school in the Tenth Kingdom, she smiled between the girl and her family and her own husband, love for each person with whom her eyes met clear in her countenance. Talk of schooling led to her passionately explaining how she hoped to become an educator and help turn the tide of oppression that had endured too long in her homeland. Wendell couldn’t help but notice the look of love and pride on his nephew’s face as he listened to his bride passionately debate Wolven politics with her new father-in-law who clearly had realized how wrong his first impression of the girl was. It was clear that whatever reservations Wolf still held about his new daughter-in-law were quickly being quashed as they continued to speak. Antony, who had stayed quiet during most of the meal, even made his approval clear by the looks he was shooting his daughter, son-in-law, and nephew. Despite the man’s bumbling history both in the Kingdoms and his time before, there was intelligence behind his dimming eyes as he watched Wolf, Virginia, Warren, and Roselynn whose political debate had been put aside in favor of more mundane topics as the staff served rich desserts and coffee to the gathering. “I believe I was promised a telling of the tale of how you came to be a couple.” Wendell turned toward the newlywed couple, “Nothing goes better with dessert and warm drinks than a good story.” Choruses of “Tell us the tale!” echoed from around the table, Wendell couldn’t help but chuckle as the Grant daughters even joined in on the very Kingdoms phrase. “Do you want to start, or shall I?” Warren asked his bride. “I suppose I should start since you weren’t there for the very beginning of it.” She smiled warmly at him before turning to the rest of the table, “As some of you may have heard, about a year ago, Prince Stephan started coming around Riding Hood Castle. Apparently, my mother came to an agreement with his father so that the prince could claim either my sister or I as his bride and become the king of the Second Kingdom.” “Prince Stephan, the self-obsessed?” Bianca, who clearly never been informed of that particular tidbit, asked. “The same.” Roselynn rolled her eyes, “Almost immediately upon his arrival, he set his eyes, fairies know why, on me. I, of course, had no interest in the pompous troll.” “Now, now, that’s not very nice to our Third Kingdom neighbors.” Reilly teased, earning an eye roll from Bianca. “What? They’re too stupid to be pompous, it’s rude to attribute that particular flaw to them.” “My apologies, then,” Bianca chuckled at Reilly’s reasoning before indicating to Roselynn to continue. “Anyway, while Stephan set his sights on me, my sister had fixed her gaze on him.” “Very Twelfth Night,” Murmured Maureen, who quickly explained the comment to the half of the room not familiar with the Bard from some country called England that resided in the same dimension as New York. “I would say so,” Roselynn agreed, “Naturally, my heart was already spoken for, even if the man I loved was unaware of it at the time. So, for the better part of the past year I have been plagued with Prince Stephan’s visits and unwanted advances. Over this same time, my sister began to grow even more jealous of the favor, unwanted though it may have been, that Stephan bestowed on me. It reached a tipping point around the time of the last summit. She was refusing to speak to me and had left our rooms, I followed her and demanded she tell me what was troubling her. We eventually found ourselves in the Hall of Mirrors; suddenly the traveling mirror began to glow, almost as if calling us to it.” “Yeah, magic mirrors tend to do that from time to time,” Virginia nodded. After her mother’s death, she had spent many years learning what she could about magic mirrors from books and talking to the dwarves themselves. She even had the ability to control the mirrors if she ever saw fit as she had been gifted with some of her mother’s abilities as well as some of Snow White’s. “We don’t know how, but somehow it had been switched on even though there was no one there aside from us.” Roselynn continued, “I was mesmerized by the image in the mirror, so much so that I didn’t realize that my own sister was about to push me until it was too late. I went falling into the mirror only to have it close behind me once I landed in the Tenth Kingdom.” “This is where I come in.” Warren added, causing them to chuckle lightly, “I was on my way home from class, I admit I was more focused on the book I was reading than where I was going. I literally stumbled into Lynn, at least on the way down I had the foresight to turn so she landed on me rather than on the cemented path. Once we were both back on our feet, and realized who the other was, she quickly filled me in on what had occurred between her and Ruby. Since she had no way of getting back to the Kingdoms until the mirror opened again, I offered her the guest room in the condo. Over the next several months, we both knew the mirror had been activated and closed many times since but were enjoying each other’s company too much to care. We both knew that in New York, we didn’t have the same concerns to deal with as we did back here.” “When I first arrived in the Tenth Kingdom, all I had was the dress I was wearing that day. So, that night he lent me something to sleep in and allowed me to bathe. The next morning, I awoke to a small stack of clothes and a note saying that he had borrowed the items from his neighbors. Before I could get dressed, these lovely ladies,” She indicated Ruth, Maureen, and Evelyn, “Paid me a visit with a few more items they figured I might need. After allowing me time to dress, we set out and Maureen and Evelyn took me shopping for more items to last me until I returned to the Kingdoms. Over the course of that shopping trip, we became close friends.” “To say the relationship between us during this time was strictly platonic would be a lie,” Warren admitted, his cheeks flushing with a tinge of embarrassment, “Both of us had feelings for the other but were unsure as to how we would be received, over the course of the next few months, my cycles became increasingly worse. So, I guess it wasn’t just Grandma Christine’s influence that caused your reaction in Little Lamb Village all those years ago, Papa, apparently when we meet our mate but don’t act upon it or don’t think the feeling is reciprocated, it makes our cycle even worse.” Warren explained, “One night I must have snapped, I don’t remember much from that night aside from the fact I must have done something to warrant being slapped.” The group in unison turned their eyes to Roselynn whose face had just flushed at the remembrance of that night, “He tried to intimidate me, but I wouldn’t back down. I was a little scared at first, but eventually found my voice, apparently talking wasn’t what he had in mind because the next thing I know, he’s kissing me. I slapped him, which seemed to break whatever hold the moon had on him.” “She’s forgetting to add that she then grabbed me and kissed me back.” Warren grinned with pride at his new wife, “We calmed down enough to eventually talk things over only to realize we’d been in love with each other for nearly all our lives. I made it clear that I wanted to marry her eventually, and that my people don’t take courting lightly, that we don’t ever court, so to speak, that we wait for our mate and marry them. I knew that she came from a different background and wanted to go into it with eyes wide open knowing that eventually we would wed.” “I knew some of that already from everything I’ve gathered researching Wolven and Kingdom history.” Roselynn shrugged, “But I thought it was sweet that he took the time to explain it all to me. I was surprised that he didn’t want to get engaged right away, although I probably would have said yes if he had. He wanted me to have a ‘normal’ courtship experience, we would go on dates together, or outings with our new friends, all with the understanding that he wouldn’t take me as his mate until our wedding night, his suggestion. This continued for a couple months until my birthday a few weeks ago. He threw me this lovely party – the restaurant and party venue are amazing by the way – and we danced and had supper together. Eventually he proposed, of course I said yes.” “We decided that we wanted to get married as soon as possible,” Warren added, “We knew that most couples like us would have already been mated by that time and usually with a cub on the way and we didn’t see the point in waiting any longer, we knew the portal would be opening soon and decided that when it did, we would cross and marry here.” “We both knew that my mother would have a hard time accepting our relationship and would never accept me getting married unless it occurred somewhere in the Kingdoms. We didn’t want to go to Kissingtown as we didn’t need news of our marriage reaching her before we got a chance to tell her.” Roselynn explained, “We do still wish to go through the Wolven Blessing Ceremony, but agreed it was best to keep the legal ceremony and the blessing ceremony separate. At least then my mother would have less to use against us if she were to challenge our marriage, which she will.” “Cripes!” Wolf looked at his new daughter-in-law excitedly as his wife smiled at him, humored by his enthusiasm, “Yes! I would love that! Huff Puff, there’s so much to do, I must find a shaman, and get the family here, then there’s the Wolven Council… that might be a little tricky, so might the shaman, but no matter! We will find a way to get it sorted.” “Papa, we aren’t going to have the ceremony tomorrow.” Warren chuckled before his face turned serious and he scratched his temple in the Wolven salute, “Wolf’s word, it will eventually happen, but we should probably square things with Lynn’s mother first.” “Right, probably should make the in-laws aware before rumors spread throughout the realm.” Wolf nodded thoughtfully. “On that note, we plan to head out to the Second Kingdom next week after the First Kingdom’s Coronation of their returned Prince.” Warren explained. “I wish we could come,” Evelyn sighed, “I would love to experience something like that.” “Sadly, we have been away too long as it is,” Ruth reminded her, “Your father and I must return to work and you and your sister still need to move into the dorms for school.” “I forgot about that,” The younger woman frowned. “Will we be allowed to visit again?” Maureen turned to her new friends. “I certainly hope you will.” Roselynn assured her friend, “We plan to come back after we confront my mother. I want to be back in time for Fall semester.” “You’re enrolling?” Evelyn’s eyes widened excitedly. “I’ve already registered; we were able to magic together paperwork for that purpose.” Roselynn chuckled, “According to their records, Warren and I have been married for 6 months.” “I can’t wait to see you on campus.” Evelyn enthused. “Me too, maybe we’ll have some classes together.” Roselynn grinned. The topic of conversation turned to travel plans until the grandfather clock struck midnight and the families parted ways to their own chambers for the night. Early the next morning, so as to not arouse too much attention from anyone who might be in Central Park, the newly married Wolfsons met their friends in the Hall of Mirrors. “Do you have everything?” Roselynn inquired of the Grants. “Yes, I believe we were able to get it all,” Maury nodded, “I’m sure if we forgot something, the girls can pick it up on their next visit, or you can bring it with you upon your return.” “True enough,” Warren nodded, “Are you ready to go?” “As ready as we will ever be,” Ruth shrugged, “Now you two travel safe, don’t want you getting into trouble along the road.” “We will,” Roselynn assured the older woman as she hugged her, “And we will see you in a couple weeks.” “We will see you then,” Maury kissed the younger woman’s cheek and shook Warren’s hand, “You take care of our girl, here.” “I will, sir,” Warren smiled at the older man and activated the portal’s switch. “You should probably be going now, before your sudden arrival draws too much attention.” “I suppose that is our cue to leave,” Maury nodded, taking his wife’s hand in his, and stepped through the mirror. “We’ll miss you,” Maureen hugged her friends. “We will miss you as well,” Roselynn nodded, “We will return soon.” “Enjoy the coronation,” Evelyn smiled at her friends as they embraced, “Don’t let your mother give you too much trouble.” “We will,” Roselynn assured her friend. “Don’t worry, we won’t likely be there long enough for the queen to be too troublesome.” Warren echoed, “We’ll see you in a couple weeks.” “A couple weeks,” Maureen agreed and turned to her younger sister, “We should go before Mom and Dad start to worry that we got trapped in some kind of inter-dimensional something or other.” Evelyn rolled her eyes and followed her sister through the mirror to join their parents in Central Park. As soon as they were through, they saw the forest behind them wink and shift back into focus, indicating that the mirror had been deactivated. Joining their parents, they set off across the green space to return to their home and wait out the next few weeks until their friends returned, already planning for their next trip through the mirror.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The ball welcoming all the dignitaries to the First Kingdom was like all the ones Warren had attended back home. When they had arrived, his family was sequestered in a staging area awaiting their entrance announcement. He smiled on as his cousin lifted her mask to her face, the ring on her left-hand glimmering in the low candlelight as her fiancé, his best friend, Reilly, tied the ribbons securing it to her face before tying on his own. Warren was happy for them; they’d finally taken the next step toward their happily ever after. The feeling was bittersweet for him while he and Roselynn were enjoying their newlywed status and their cousin was now engaged to the captain of her father’s guard, his sister was mourning the potential loss of her mate. He had known something was wrong the moment she stepped through the mirror, but it wasn’t until a few days later she revealed everything, that her life mate had proposed, and she had rejected him due to his amnesia. Personally, he thought she was being stubborn, and like their father had later pointed out, the blacksmith’s situation was way different than that of their grandmother. He knew their father had suggested she return to the land she had just come from and see if she could mend things with her blacksmith, but he knew Christy was still undecided if she was going to take them up on the offer. He heard their party called as he secured his own mask and took his place next to his wife and behind his parents. “The representatives of the Fourth Kingdom,” He heard the herald announce as they entered the ballroom, “King Wendell and Queen Leonia, Princess Bianca and Lord Reilly, Lord Wolf and Lady Virginia, Lord Warren and Lady Lynn, and the Lady Christine and Lord Antony.” His foot found the firm marble floor of the ball room as he stepped from the last stair, his wife’s hand firmly in his own, as they crossed the floor to join the rest of their group. Very soon after Christy and Anthony made their way to join them, the representatives of the Seventh Kingdom entered, followed by the Second Kingdom. He watched as Queen Riding Hood III entered gracefully, the train of her red satin dress flowing behind her, her matching gauzy red hood pulled up over her blonde curls and secured to the crown atop her head. She was followed by her eldest daughter, as was protocol. Even with their masks on, Warren could see the differences between his wife and her sister. While her sister wore a blood red gown and matching hood, Roselynn wore a lilac gown that followed her frame and fell gracefully from her hips to brush against her matching boots and no hood. The elder princess held herself stiff as did her mother, the two seeming to look down their noses at the delegation from the Fourth Kingdom. His wife, on the other hand, was more relaxed, although still maintaining a good posture as she let her fingers trail along his forearm in gentle circles as the waited for the events of the evening to proceed. Lastly, the man of the hour was announced, and Crowned Prince Ashton Cole entered the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his sister’s posture stiffen a moment as the young ruler’s gaze passed her way. He knew it was completely involuntary, but he doubted even his sister understood the reason for her reaction. The music started up as the newly found prince made his way to the floor, a young woman that no one recognized was with him, entering with her hand linked in the crook of the prince’s left arm. Once the music started, Warren stepped out onto the floor, drawing his wife into his arms. He danced with the other women in his family as well, but always returned to Roselynn who joined him in chuckling at the gossips who openly discussed if, yet another unknown would eventually become queen as Cinderella once had all those years before. He also continued to keep an eye on his sister who still was acting as if the mystery woman who had entered with the crowned prince had stolen her favorite childhood toy. It wasn’t long until the clock tower chimed midnight and the Cinderella Waltz was announced. Prince Ashton was the first to choose a partner, to everyone’s surprise, he picked Warren’s own sister. Soon the rest of the guests joined the pair on the floor. “Well, Little Red,” Warren teased, a roguish, some would say wolfish, smile gracing his lips as he pulled his wife into his arms, “What would your mother say if she knew you were dancing with a Wolf?” “If she and Ruby even notice I am here, I would be surprised,” The Princess shrugged, “But as it stands, I noticed them leave along with Prince Stephan as soon as Prince Ashton chose your sister to be his partner. I’m sure they were scandalized that he chose a Wolf to dance his great grandma’s signature waltz with.” Warren chuckled softly at Roselynn’s cheekiness over her family’s reaction to the crowned prince of the First Kingdom asking a Wolf to dance. His chuckle grew into a laugh as he pulled his wife to himself as they twirled around the floor, causing a part of her hair to fall into her face. “What is so funny?” She demanded, eyes narrowing up at her husband and partner. “Your hair can never stay properly set, can it?” Warren asked. “Stupid thing,” Roselynn sighed reaching her left hand to brush back the errant curl, “They used so many pins to hold it up, that I likely sparkle more than Queen Leaf-Fall, but still it does not stay.” “No, leave it,” Warren instructed lowering her hand back to his shoulder, “I like it better this way, it suits you.” He spun her out, causing even more of her curls to come undone and fall around her face and down her back as they twirled across the floor. “Not to mention that it saves me some time later.” “If you say so,” She gave him a shy smile as he brought her in closer to navigate a tight area of the floor. “You know, I don’t think I told you how handsome you look tonight.” “Thank you,” Warren smiled against his wife’s lips as he kissed her, “I know I said it before, but you look very lovely tonight as well. I love the way your dress looks on you, and I am willing to bet I will love the look of it on our floor even better when we return to our rooms.” “Warren,” Roselynn playfully scolded her husband before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Me too, I can’t wait to see how much what I am wearing, or not wearing, underneath will make you huff and puff.” Roselynn couldn’t help but smile wickedly at the subtle pause in her husband’s movement and the subtle amber glow that flashed through his eyes, “Can’t I get a bit of a taste?” He pleaded. “Oh, I don’t know,” Roselynn looked up at him, a coy smile on her lips, “Can I trust you to be a gentleman?” “Honestly,” Warren grinned at her wolfishly, “No, I have to admit, I was already bordering, teetering on the ledge of dishonorable intentions toward you from the moment you came out with that dress on.” They danced a moment more, Warren’s right hand casually running up and down his wife’s spine, before he released a frustrated growl and took her hand, “Come with me.” Roselynn laughed as she followed her husband out one of the side doors and into a dimly lit corridor, it wasn’t long until she found herself pressed up against a wall as her husband ravished her lips and neck, his hands roaming up and down her sides as he leaned into her. They heard a noise, which caused Warren to pause momentarily before taking her hand once more and racing down the corridor in search of somewhere a little more private. Roselynn let out a squeal as he pulled her into a shadowy alcove that was hidden behind a bit of tapestry on the wall. “How did you know this place was here?” Roselynn looked up at his gold-rimmed eyes. “I saw the slight gap between the wall and the tapestry, and took a guess,” Warren shrugged, lowering his lips to his wife’s neck and suckling her pulse point as his hands continued to explore his wife’s frame. “Why, Mrs. Wolfson, I believe I have discovered the truth behind your teasing,” Her husband growled appreciatively in her ear as he lowered the straps of her gown over her shoulders, causing the bodice of her dress to slip down enough for him to free one of her breasts. She whimpered as he lowered his head to suckle as his hands continued their exploratory mission. Once he’d finished with his treat, he covered her once more and freed her other breast to compare the taste of her. She could feel his hands at her hips as his nimble fingers began to bunch up the sides of her skirt. Once his fingers met the flesh of her hip, he slid his hand underneath her skirts, pinching and pushing at her soft skin as it worked its way forward. She felt her husband hum appreciatively against her breast as his fingers met with her soft curls and began to work their way toward her apex, “Mrs. Wolfson, you are very naughty,” Warren whispered into her ear as he nipped at her throat his hand still exploring her, testing her, “What would your husband say?” “I wasn’t counting on there being much discussion,” Roselynn sighed as she let her hands drift to her husband’s waist, untucking his shirt and running her hands down the soft fur that extended from his stomach down. She made quick work of the fastenings of his trousers, letting them fall to his ankles, freeing him from the constraints of his suit. She kissed him deeply, murmuring appreciatively as she felt his finger withdraw from within her before he hitched her leg over his hip. She smiled as she felt his other arm wrap around her waist and lift her just enough to settle between her legs as he slowly lowered her onto him, the tips of her toes barely making contact with the floor as he moved within her. She knew that she probably should have made sure he had one of his packets with him before they left their room that evening, but as she felt him move within her, truly feeling all of him for the first time, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She knew that this interaction was not likely to result in a cub, but the idea that it could in the future sent a thrill through her body. “Huff Puff,” She heard her husband gasp at the sudden rush that enveloped him from within her, “You are, you just, what caused that?” “I was just thinking how one day this could result in me bearing your cub,” She whispered in his ear, she felt her husband shutter, his rhythm became erratic as he hitched her knee higher over his hip as he dove deeper than he ever had, causing her to moan. She heard him growl as he thrust deeply a few more times, pulsing within her. “You liked the idea of that, didn’t you?” “So much,” Warren nodded, kissing her as he slowly withdrew from her and lowered her to her feet as she went to smooth down her skirts, “Wait,” He grasped her wrist with one hand as the other reached into his pocket and withdrew a handkerchief, “We don’t want anyone to slip.” “Oh,” Roselynn sighed as her husband proceeded to clean her still sensitive thighs and flesh before lowering her skirts once more. He made quick work of cleaning himself up before tucking himself and his tail back into his trousers and the handkerchief back into his pocket. Kissing his wife deeply, he took her hand and led her back to the ballroom, hoping their absence hadn’t been noticed by too many of the coronation guests. He rather liked that what had just happened was their naughty little secret. The next morning greeted the young couple early, neither really wanting to move from the soft sheets of their bed. Roselynn was really coming to enjoy not having to worry about a night dress when she went to bed, because her husband usually had it off of her in rather short order if she even tried to wear one. Not that she minded, she loved the feel of his body close to hers, keeping her warm and safe at night, even if they weren’t indulging in each other, the feel of him pressed up against her as they slumbered was one of her favorite things. She smiled as her husband began to wake pulling her close once more until her back met his firm chest, the front of his hips pressed into her lower back as their legs tangled beneath the sheets. She could feel every movement of his body as it slowly awoke; his arm was draped over her waist as his fingers played with the soft skin beneath her navel. She could feel his lips pressing soft kisses to her back, shoulder and neck, “I cannot wait to awake one day to feel movement within you, My Love.” He murmured in her ear as he nuzzled her neck. “Soon,” She promised, “Let’s get through the coronation and telling my mother first.” “I know.” Warren grinned against her neck, “I was just saying, someday, maybe soon, it would be a good thing.” “I know, I am anxious for the day that I can tell you that I am bearing your cub,” She reminded him, pressing back into him as his hands began to work their way down. She could feel his own need rising along with her own as he continued to play with her soft curls. “You know, the full moon will occur as we are traveling to see your mother,” Warren rolled her over to face him, “We must be careful or that day will come sooner than you think. If my senses are correct, and they are never wrong, our cycles have, finally, lined up.” “Would it be so bad if we ‘forgot’ your little packets?” Roselynn looked up at her husband. “Are you sure?” Warren met her eyes as he reached a hand up to brush her hair out of her face, “There’s no turning back once it is done, and it could very well mean…” “I know,” Roselynn nodded, “And I don’t mind. I want it.” “Okay,” Warren nodded, pressing soft kisses to her lips as they slowly made love by the early morning light as had become their custom since the day after their wedding. “I love you.” “I love you too,” Roselynn sighed as she rolled on top of him and sat up, allowing his hands to roam her body freely as she stroked him from within. “Ever so much.” Warren simply smiled up at her, as he kept one hand on her stomach, imagining the day that he would be able to feel the movement of their cub beneath the palm of his hand as they celebrated their love. “Beautiful,” He sighed as he began to pulse inside of her, “So beautiful.” The coronation was beautiful, but it was most definitely not the talk of the day, or rather that night. As everyone gathered for breakfast, they were informed of a change of venue for the day’s activities. Instead of going into the ballroom as was the original plan, everyone was asked to gather in the large chapel that was a part of the castle grounds. What was even more surprising was that as they entered, the prince stood at the front of the chapel, shifting nervously from foot to foot as the young woman from the previous night kept whispering to him, causing him to smile at her gratefully and cease his fidgeting for at least a few moments. The only thing that caused the man to still, was when the doors at the back of the chapel opened to reveal Warren’s sister on their father’s arm, dressed in an antique white dress and veil that everyone recognized from the pictures of Queen Amber’s wedding to King Cole. Warren couldn’t help but smile as he watched his sister pledge her life and love to the prince. Roselynn was thankful that her mother and sister were seated at the very rear of the chapel and did not see her sitting in the front with the rest of her new family. This was made even easier when she heard her mother, sister, and Prince Stephan all huff as they exited the chapel once they realized that they were not attending a coronation, at least not exclusively. She smiled as she observed her sister-in-law participate in the handfasting that was custom in the First Kingdom. She felt her husband squeeze her hand as the Wolven Shaman spoke his blessing over the couple. She laughed as her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law let out loud, yipping howls when Christy and Prince Ashton cemented their vows with a kiss before turning back to the priestess and being crowned King Ashton and Queen Christine of the First Kingdom. No one was surprised that shortly after the ceremony, the young couple seemed to disappear without a trace, not to be seen again until the next morning. As the story was told throughout the court, the surprise at the seemingly sudden wedding waned as it was revealed that the pair had been in love since they had first met during Christy’s quest some months before. Roselynn and Warren hugged the newest newlyweds before climbing into the carriage that would take them back to the Fourth Kingdom where they would then pack to take off within a few days to the Second Kingdom where they knew their own happy news would not be met with as much joy as they’d felt up to this point in their newly married lives. She envied her sister-in-law slightly but was glad that they didn’t have to face this particular hardship. “Don’t worry, My Love,” Warren whispered to her, pulling her close to his side as he seemingly read her mind, “It doesn’t matter what your mother may think when we tell her, all that matters is that I love you, and you love me. That is all we need.” “How is it you always know just the right thing to say?” Roselynn sighed, leaning against her husband’s shoulder. “Partly a Wolf thing,” Warren teased, “But mostly it’s a knowing you thing, and a loving you thing.” “I love you too,” She kissed him and settled into his arms as they made the day-long journey back to the Fourth Kingdom.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A week later, it was time for Warren and Roselynn to be on their way to the Second Kingdom to break the news of their marriage to her mother. They were surrounded by her husband’s family as the footmen loaded up their wagon with their clothes trunk, along with items they would need to camp along the way to the Castle of Red so as to not arouse attention at any inns along the way. “I really wish we could just make this journey on horseback rather than in a wagon,” Roselynn sighed. You and I both, it would be much easier, however, as you pointed out earlier this week, we will need suitable clothing for when we appear in court.” Warren reminded her, pulling her to his side and kissing her head. “At least we aren’t going in a carriage branded with the seal of the Fourth Kingdom.” “True, that would definitely draw unwanted attention to us.” Roselynn agreed, “I suppose we should be on our way.” With a quiet nod from her husband, the pair pulled on their traveling cloaks and hugged her husband’s family, “Travel safe,” Virginia kissed them both on the cheek. “We will, Mama,” Warren assured the older woman. “May our ancestors be with you, Cubs,” Wolf hugged his son and daughter-in-law, “The forest is aware you are coming, you will have no trouble as you cross through. You will also be sheltered from suspicious eyes along your journey.” “Thank you, Papa,” Warren embraced his father once more before turning to assist his wife onto the wagon and climbed up to sit next to her. With a brief wave to his family, he took up the reins and flicked his wrist to set the cart in motion. They had been traveling in silence for a while before Roselynn spoke up, “Are you sure we should be doing this?” “Your mother has to know sometime, Love,” Warren spoke quietly, “I don’t like it much either, but the sooner we tell your mother, the sooner we can stop looking over our shoulder worried that you might be seen in public. Not to mention it’s better for her to know now than years down the road when word reaches her that you have been spotted, cub at the breast, teaching the Wolven population.” “I know you’re right,” She sighed, “’Cub at the breast?’ Why do I get the feeling you have every intention of keeping me barefoot and pregnant for a while?” “Only so far as you are willing to stay barefoot and pregnant,” Warren gave her a cheeky smile, “But seriously, we will discuss bringing a new cub into our family before each one. I will understand if you wish to focus on your schooling for a while.” Roselynn nodded thoughtfully before turning to her husband, “You said your academic years are roughly 8 or 9 consecutive months a year, correct?” “Yes.” “And the new term is set to start within a few weeks’ time?” “Yes, it is.” Warren nodded. “And the full moon begins tonight?” “Correct.” “So theoretically, if I were to conceive in the next month or two, the child would likely be born after the spring term has ended?” “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Warren slowed the horses to look at his wife hope radiating in his eyes. “If you are thinking I’m saying that I want you to not worry about your packets for a while,” Roselynn grinned, “You would be correct.” “Are you sure?” Warren checked, “I know we want cubs, but there is no rush, we are still young.” “I’m sure,” Roselynn nodded, sliding closer to her husband and setting her hand on his thigh, “Or at least I want to be open to the possibility of it happening. What do you think?” “I think we aren’t going to get a lot of sleep tonight,” Warren teased, lacing the fingers of his free hand through his wife’s hair and pulling her to his lips in a promising kiss, “I love you, and not just because you want to have my cubs.” “I love you too,” Roselynn smiled against his lips before slowly pulling back and letting him return his focus to driving their wagon. Not that she ever allowed his full focus to return to the roadway with the slow circles she was tracking ever higher on his leg, the tips of her fingers occasionally, and intentionally, brushing against him. “You keep that up, and I may have to pull this cart over earlier than we intended to.” Warren warned. “Would that be such a bad thing?” His wife challenged, a wolfish smile of her own spread across her face, “Mother is not expecting us, what is another day worth of travel if we stop early today?” “Temptress,” Warren chuckled warmly, “Are you sure you don’t have a little Wolf in you?” “No,” Roselynn shook her head, “But if things go well, I just might before this trip is finished.” “That was a terrible joke,” Warren chided her, but the golden spark in his eyes and the low growl that had emanated in the back of his throat told his wife that he was more than interested in her suggestion. Some hours had passed in their journey through the forest when Warren spotted a good place to stop for the night. “This looks like a good place to stop,” Warren nodded toward the small as he began to guide the horses off the road. “We should camp here for the night.” Roselynn nodded in agreement as her husband brought the wagon to a stop and assisted her down. She watched as Warren quickly set up their camp, a small tent with a bedroll large enough to fit them both for the night, was set up first. While he set about finding large rocks to make a fire ring and wood with which to cook by, Roselynn got the horses, who Warren had already released from their yokes, taken care of supplying them with oats, hay, and water for the night. Before long, Warren stood, brushing his hands on his trousers and looked over at his wife who was still brushing down the horses, making sure that their muscles were safely cooled down from the journey, so they would not be injured as they continued the next day. He couldn’t help but be in awe at the beauty of the picture this created, as Roselynn raised her arm to brush the horse’s neck, her tunic rose just enough to allow him a view of her back side in her tight traveling britches, since she had refused to wear a dress while they traveled. “Would you care to join me for a walk?” Warren inquired, stepping up behind his wife and chuckling at the surprised squeal that emanated from her lips from the start he gave her. “That is if you are finished tending to the horses.” “I am finished,” She put the brush back into a bag of supplies hanging from a nearby tree, “Although I don’t know if I should be traversing the woods with you, Mr. Wolf,” She gave him a coy smile. “You have nothing to worry about from me, Little Red,” Warren grinned in the Wolfish way he knew made his wife weak in the knees as he offered his arm to her. “I promise, my touch is very gentle.” With a smile, Roselynn linked her arm through his as they set off down a path. After a time, they heard the sound of rushing water. Rounding a bend in the trail, they came upon a grotto which held a large waterfall that fell into a deep, clear, pool. The pair sat on a nearby rock and took in the beauty of the scene the falls created. Roselynn looked contemplatively at the falls and then her husband before quietly standing and walking toward the pool. “What are you doing?” Warren’s eyes followed her as she bent down, releasing the ties on her boots and sliding them off of her feet, followed by her stockings and britches, leaving her standing in nothing but her tunic which barely covered her. She turned to her husband with a coy smile and began to release the buttons of her tunic one by one, as she slowly backed toward the pool, encouraged by the low growls emanating from her husband’s throat, “The road is dusty, and I’m dirty; I’m in need of a bath.” She replied simply, releasing the last button and pulling the tunic over her head, revealing that she wore nothing beneath before shooting him a come-hither grin, and quickly diving into the water. Warren watched her swim out toward the middle of the pool, the sun glistening on the water that cascaded off her back and arms as her strong strokes took her further and further from the shore. “You coming?” She called out to him as she tread water in the middle of the lake. Warren didn’t need any more invitation than that as he quickly pulled of his own boots, shedding clothing as he walked closer to the shore and trundled into the water before making his way to his wife’s open arms. “You’re a minx,” He teased her, pressing his lips against the tender flesh where her neck met her shoulders, causing her to moan. “And they call Wolves the seducers. I think they may have gotten something wrong in the telling of that tale.” “Oh, trust me, you have your moments, too,” She sighed as he pulled her closer to him, their legs tangling together as they kicked to stay afloat. Warren only murmured his agreement as he allowed his lips to continue marking their path along her neck and shoulders as he pulled his wife closer to him. He knew she felt his desire for her when she let out a low moan and ground her hips towards him, creating warm friction despite the cool waters. He knew if she kept that up, he would not last long. He turned onto his back and floated with her on his chest as he kicked them closer to the far edge of the pool until his feet could touch the soft sand that made up the floor of the pool. Kissing his wife deeply, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly until she was at just the right height. He grinned against his wife’s lips as she groaned at the sensation of him sliding into her. The buoyancy in the water made it easier for him to move within her, the cool water causing their nerve endings to come alive as he continued to penetrate her warm depths. He moved his hands to support her bottom as he continued to rock into her, entering deeper with each thrust. He could feel her starting to pulse around him, a sign that she was about to climax. He dipped his head, capturing one of her breasts in his mouth, nipping and suckling as he continued to drive into her, making her throw her head back in pleasure. Her sudden moan of pleasure set birds to flight from the surrounding trees. If the sound, alone, wasn’t enough to drive him mad, she brought her head back upright before fastening her lips to his neck and shoulders, leaving bite marks where her teeth scraped the damp flesh of his shoulder. The combination of pain and pleasure drove him over the edge as he poured into her with three strong thrusts. “That was unlike any bath I’ve ever had,” Warren huffed as his wife chuckled against his shoulder. “Not that I would turn down such baths in the future.” “Nor I,” Roselynn murmured, letting out a sigh as her husband slowly withdrew from within her, sparking her nerve endings anew. “But we really should rinse off the dust before heading back to the shore.” Unwinding herself from around her husband, she swam leisurely toward the falls. Stepping beneath the cascading water, she tipped her head back, allowing the water to run through her hair and down her body. Warren, once he’d shaken his head free of the trance the image created, soon joined her, allowing the falls to rinse the road’s dirt and grime from their bodies before swimming back toward the other shore where they began to gather their clothes together. Neither wanted to put their dirty travel clothes on, so they instead rinsed their items in the clear pool before returning back to camp, allowing the slight breeze that drifted through the trees to dry them. Once they’d returned to their camp, Warren handed his clothes over to his wife and grabbed a length of twine, which he strung up between two nearby trees to serve as a makeshift clothesline to dry their, now cleaner, clothing. After his wife handed him the last of the clothes, they ducked back into their tent to find some dry items in which to end their day. Warren quickly built up a fire to ward off the cool of the evening that was beginning to settle around them and set to work throwing bits of venison and some vegetables into one of the pots Roselynn had gone back to the pool and filled. Before long they were enjoying their warm meal with some biscuits that Virginia had made sure was part of their sundries for the trip. As the moon began to rise, the warm feelings that had coursed through Warren’s body all day intensified. Pulling his wife closer to him, he began to nuzzle her neck, nipping and suckling at the sensitive place where her neck met her shoulders which he knew gave her goosebumps at even the slightest graze of his hand. He heard her moan deep in her throat as she tilted her head to grant him access to do as he wished. He slowly kissed his way up her neck and across her jaw before his golden eyes met her own which had become the same color as a storm-tossed sea at his ministrations, making it clear the moon was beginning to affect her as well. With a quick flick of his eyes toward their tent and a nearly imperceptible nod from his wife, he stood and assisted her up to her feet. Kissing her deeply, he slowly guided her over the uneven ground to where their bedroll lay under the thin canvas of their tent. It took only a moment for them to duck inside and for him to secure the tent closed before they could return their focus to enjoying each other, the moon spurning their affections on, heightening each touch, each taste, and every sensation. Neither noticed the birds whispering in the trees above them. “Such a beautiful couple.” One chirped. “Oh, yes, they remind me ever so much of his parents,” Another agreed, “So very much in love.” “And did you notice who she was?” Yet another chimed in. “I never thought I’d live to see the day that a Wolf and a daughter of the House of Red would willingly fall in love.” The first bird nodded her head. “They will have a hard road before them,” The second ruffled her feathers as the sound of a moan mixed with an equally aroused growl drifted up to them, “But you have to admit, they have eyes only for each other.” “I agree,” The third bird nodded, “I’ve seen them many times over the years, there is no questioning the bond they’ve always shared. If anyone can make it through the ugliness they have to face, they can. Besides, she’s not the first princess to fall for the charming smile of a Wolf.” The three shared an amused look before a cry of pleasure sent them flitting way from their voyeuristic perch in the trees above the young couple’s tent.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a typical mid-morning in the Second Kingdom as the stable-hands went through their daily routines of tending the horses in their care. Gareth was just returning from disposing of the old hay from the stalls when he noticed a wagon carrying two people coming down the path toward them. “Look alive, men!” He cried out, getting the other men’s attention before pointing toward the approaching travelers. The travelers both had the hoods of their traveling cloaks up, shadowing their faces, making it hard to determine their identities at a distance. The larger of the two, pulled the wagon up to the stables and hopped down as Gareth stepped to the side of the wagon to assist the other, smaller, clearly female, traveler down from the conveyance. “Thank you, Gareth,” The woman’s voice caught his attention, had he not been holding onto her hips as her feet met the ground, he would have fallen on his ass from the shock. “Yo… Your Highness?” The older man stared, as the woman took a step back to where the taller traveler was as they lowered their hoods. “Good to see you again, Gareth,” She smiled warmly at him. “Miss Roselynn,” He grinned, “I am delighted to see you again. We were sorry to hear about your disappearance.” “It wasn’t as bad as I’m sure my mother made it seem,” She smiled up at the man beside her, “At least not once I knew where I was.” The rest of the stable hands had come out at the mention of the princess’ name were all looking in awe of the pair standing before them. There was something very familiar about the young man who stood beside their princess. “We do not wish it to be known that I have returned,” Roselynn informed them, “At least not yet. If you could take care of the wagon and have someone bring the trunk to my rooms, we would be most grateful.” “As you wish, your highness,” Gareth nodded, signaling to one of the younger hands to fetch two of the more discrete footman in the palace, “Are you going to introduce us to your traveling companion?” “Of course,” She smiled up, adoringly, at the man beside her, who affectionately pulled her close to his left side while her palm of her hand came to rest on his chest. It was hard to miss the glimmer of the matching bands which resided on their left hands. “I would like you to meet my husband, Warren Wolfson.” If the sound of the jaws of the stable’s staff could have been heard hitting the floor, it would have echoed through the forest surrounding them. “Warren Wolfson?” Gareth found his voice first, “As in Lord Warren Wolfson, the first born to Wolf and Virginia?” “That would be me,” Warren shrugged before looking back at his wife, admiration evident in his eyes. “Oh, your mother is not going to like this,” Gareth warned, “Not only did you marry without her knowledge or consent, but you married a Wolf.” “You’re a Wolf?!” Roselynn gasped in mock horror, “Darling, why didn’t you tell me?” “I thought the tail gave it away,” Warren shrugged casually, playing along while the stable hands watched in amazement as the pair joked. “Gareth,” Roselynn turned back toward the older man, “I’ve known who and what Warren is for years, now. I love him for who he is, and have for a long time, you of all people know I have nothing against his kind.” “Yes, your highness,” Gareth gave a small bow of concession, “What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of the court when you tell the Queen Mother.” “I think it’s best for all involved if we just keep it to family only,” Roselynn smirked, knowing exactly the kind of reaction they would get from her mother. “Speaking of, we should probably go change out of our traveling clothes before we officially meet your new in-laws.” She reminded her husband. “Yes, Love,” Warren nodded, following his wife into a side door that would carry them up the service stairs toward her chambers. “May the ancestors guide and protect you,” Murmured Gareth before turning to the rest of his team, demanding they return to their chores, “Because you both will certainly need it.”
The hall clock chimed the hour as Warren and Roselynn dressed to meet Roselynn’s family for tea. Not that her family had any idea she was coming. Despite a lady’s maid offering to assist the princess in dressing, now that word of her arrival had spread throughout the staff who were loyal to her, she insisted that she did not need any assistance with her dress. Truth be told, she rather liked having Warren assist her in dressing, and she knew he enjoyed it too. However, she did request for someone to come set her hair as she was out of practice in setting the more formal styles required for an audience with the queen, even if the queen was her own mother. Warren was just securing the last of the buttons on her dress, while kissing his bride’s neck causing a blush to spread throughout her body, when a soft knock sounded on the door to her suite of rooms. “Enter,” She called, stepping from her husband’s embrace as soon as he fastened the last button and shooting him a look that promised more later. “Your highness,” The footman bowed deeply, “Your mother is just about to go for tea.” “Thank you, Francis,” Roselynn nodded to the man who quickly removed himself from her rooms, “Well, shall we get this over with?” “Yes,” Warren pulled her into his arms once more, kissing her deeply, “For luck.” “Mmmm, I think I need just a bit more luck,” She murmured as she rose up on her toes to kiss him once more. “We keep this up, we will never do this,” Warren reminded her as his thumbs drew circles along her lower back, “As much as I would love to avoid your mother until the end of time, you and I both know we need to tell her.” “You’re right,” She sighed, lowering back to her feet as Warren stepped around her, offering his arm, “Once more unto the breech?” “I never should have introduced you to Shakespeare,” Warren chuckled warmly as they exited the suite and made their way to the private dining room where she knew her mother and sister would be. “You don’t mean that,” She smiled up at him, “Come Lord Montague, shall we go throw ourselves at the mercies of the Capulets?” Warren could only chuckle at his wife’s attempt at levity, knowing that this was one of the hardest things she would ever have to do. They were both well aware that this meeting could, and likely would, end badly for her. With a collective deep breath, they nodded to the footman who opened the door for them as another preceded to announce their arrival.
“Your Majesty,” The footman bowed deeply. “What do you want?” The queen huffed, setting her tea down and looking at the man. Unfazed, the man stood once more, “Lord Warren Wolfson and Lady Wolfson.” “’Wolfson?!’” The queen demanded, “Who allowed Wolves to enter my court?” “I did, Mother,” The voice of her youngest daughter spoke up as she entered on the arm of her husband, “He is with me.” “Roselynn,” The queen mother hissed, “Honestly, this is not the time for your foolishness about Wolves being equal.” “I’m not being foolish,” Roselynn informed her as she and Warren approached the table at which sat her mother, sister, and Prince Stephan, the latter two still silently staring daggers at the couple. “We came to speak with you together.” “What are you on about?” Her mother demanded, rising to stand before her. “Mother, Ruby,” She looked at her family and cast a disparaging glare toward the interloping prince, “Prince Stephan, I would like you to meet my husband, Lord Warren Wolfson of the Fourth Kingdom.” “Husband my grandmother’s crimson hood!” The queen cried out, “You are not married to this… Wolf.” She sneered. “Yes, I am, Mother,” Roselynn stood her ground, catching a proud grin from her husband out of the corner of her eye, “We were wed over a month ago.” “I will not allow it,” The Queen continued to rant, “The marriage can’t be legal, it shall be annulled, and you will wed Prince Stephan who has already chosen you for his bride.” “He cannot have her.” Warren stated simply, “She is my wife.” “You dare to speak in my presence?” The queen demanded, casting a scornful look at the young Wolf. “I do dare,” Warren wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist. “Unhand my daughter at once you filthy, mangy…” “Wolf?” Roselynn finished for her mother, tilting her head defiantly. “Quite,” The Queen huffed, “I should have known one of your kind would have kidnapped my daughter.” “He did no such thing, Mother,” Roselynn glared at her mother and her sister, “My dear sister pushed me through a traveling mirror and closed the portal behind me.” “Mother, you can’t honestly believe that!” Ruby protested, despite the guilty flush that was rising up her neck. “You know I don’t, Ruby,” The queen rolled her eyes. “You would never do such a thing.” “Except that she did,” Warren countered, “I found Roselynn wandering around the Tenth Kingdom where I have been residing as of late, after she had been pushed through the same mirror my family uses to travel from the Tenth Kingdom to the Fourth.” “Lies!” The Queen cried out, “Remove this thing from my sight and throw him in the dungeon!” She demanded of the Royal Guard. “You will do no such thing!” Roselynn shouted, causing the guard to pause, “This man is my husband. We were legally married by King Wendell’s own vicar in accordance to the law of the council of the Nine Kingdoms. Not only is he now a Duke of the Fourth Kingdom but as my husband, he is also a Prince of the Second, and therefore has diplomatic immunity throughout all Kingdoms represented by the Council of the Nine Kingdoms. Would you care for me to show you exactly where it is stated, or better yet where your signature is located within the accord?” “No, I do not,” The queen sniffed haughtily, “I can, however deem the union null.” “No, you cannot,” Roselynn shook her head, “In order for you to be able to nullify our union, you would have to show that it was illegal, which it is not, or that the marriage was never consummated. Which, I’m glad to say, it was; many times over.” “Must you be so vulgar?” Queen Riding Hood rolled her eyes, “Have you any proof of the consummation of your vows?” “Like what, Mother?” Roselynn crossed her arms, staring at her mother, “Witnesses, or would you prefer a blood-stained sheet? I think there were a few magic birds on the way…” “You mean to ask if she is pregnant.” Warren stated simply, causing everyone in the room, including his own wife to look at him in shock. He simply smiled at his wife before turning back to his mother- and sister-in-law, “If you must know, she is not, or at the very least it is too soon to tell. The moon was only a couple days ago, but it is possible.” “Well I never!” The Queen mother huffed, “Roselynn, I cannot and will not abide by this. If you insist on gallivanting around claiming… that thing… is your husband, I have no choice but to cut you off, completely. No title, no money, and you will renounce any claim to the throne. You will be disinherited and stricken from all records until the day that you come to your senses, at which point, if you are truly repentant, we just may allow you to return as a low ranking member of the royal court.” “That’s very generous of you,” Roselynn rolled her eyes, “But you can keep it.” “I beg your pardon?” The queen demanded. “You heard me, keep it,” The princess repeated, “Keep it all, I don’t care for the titles, the throne, or your money, I never have! I don’t want the throne, I could care less for my titles; I’ll sign a formal renunciation if you so wish. For the record I have never been interested in Prince Stephan. I could give less than a glimmer of a fairy’s wing about him.” She turned to her sister, “He’s all yours, I never wanted him to begin with, I wash my hands of him.” Ruby, who had been silent during the whole debate between her mother and younger sister continued to stare at the younger woman in shock, mouth agape. Although her eyes sparked ever so slightly when Roselynn renounced her claim on the prince. “We don’t need your money, either,” Warren pointed out, “You forget, I am a member of the royal family of the Fourth Kingdom, your daughter will want for nothing, not that she has ever asked for much and refuses to accept charity, even from me.” It was clear the queen had lost, nothing she could say would allow her to resume her hold on her youngest daughter, “I…. then… well… You are hereby banished! You will leave immediately and never return.” “Fine, Mother,” Roselynn stood her ground, “We will collect our things and go, you’ll be rid of us in no more than a half hours’ time.” “No, now.” The queen demanded. The newlyweds shared a look that spoke volumes before turning back to the court of the Second Kingdom to offer one last bow and curtsey before they turned on their heals and left the room, not stopping until they reached the stables where they found their horses were already saddled and the stable master stood, holding their traveling clothes. “We figured it might go this way,” Gareth shrugged, “I must say I am proud of you that you held your ground.” The newly weds stared at the older man, perplexed, “What? You think you are the only ones the magic birds speak to? Just be glad I am no gossip or your little excursions along your travel here would be well known around these parts.” Roselynn blushed before turning to view the sun which was starting its long descent in the sky, “I suppose we should change and be on our way.” Gareth simply smiled and pointed toward one of the many cabins that sat along the south border of the grounds, “Those are my quarters, take these, my wife will give you a place to change and food for your travel.” He handed them their clothes, “It will be faster to travel by horse without the cart, we’ve already made sure your saddle bags included your cooking items and bedroll, the next few nights should be clear, no need for a tent as you go. I will send the cart along after you once things settle down around here.” “Thank you, Gareth,” Roselynn kissed the older man’s leathery cheek, “I don’t know what I would have ever done without you.” “Just repay me the favor one day and return,” The old man gave her a cheeky smile, his eyes giving a quick, and familiar, amber glimmer, “Someone has to make this kingdom a safe place for my grandchildren someday.” “But didn’t you hear?” Roselynn challenged him, “My mother has banished me.” “Oh, come now, you and I both know there is more that goes on within the borders of the forests that your mother will never be privy to,” Gareth gave her a kind smile and nudged the former princess toward the waiting cabin. “Oh, and Warren, tell your father that Gareth Greyson sends his greetings.” With a grateful nod, Warren followed his wife to change and eat before starting their journey back home.
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Warren’s family were at the castle when they arrived back in the Fourth Kingdom a few days later. “Did you have a good trip?” Virginia was the first to speak as the couple exchanged embraces with their family. “The travel to and from was beautiful,” Roselynn smiled, “We found this amazing little grotto about a half a day’s journey from the border to the Second Kingdom that had a waterfall and the clearest, deepest, pool you’ve ever set eyes on.” “I’m sure it was quite lovely,” The older woman nodded, “Were you able to get an audience with your mother?” “What mother?” Roselynn’s smile faded, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m covered with road dust and wish to bathe before we return to the Tenth Kingdom.” “What was that about?” Virginia looked at her son for explanation, “I mean we knew her mother probably wouldn’t welcome the news, but…” “It wasn’t terribly bad,” Warren shrugged, “Or at least it wasn’t much worse than we’d expected. The queen stripped her of her titles and inheritance, not that it really surprised us, we were kind of expecting that. The queen took it a step further, however, disavowing and banishing Roselynn from the kingdom. I know she doesn’t see eye to eye with her mother and sister on a great many things, but Queen Riding Hood III is still her mother and she loves her. She’s been trying to make it seem as if it didn’t break her heart, but it did, very badly. It’s going to take some time for her to come to terms with it.” “Do you want me to speak to her?” Virginia offered, “I mean, I know what it’s like to have a mother who rejects and denies you.” “Thank you for the offer, but no,” Warren shook his head, “Your situation with Grandma and Roselynn’s situation are extremely different. I’m afraid at this time it may do more harm than good if we push her right now.” “Virginia,” Tony, who had been silently listening to the exchange, finally spoke up, “Your mother was mentally ill and that bitch witch twisted that to her advantage. Christine didn’t willingly reject you, she was sick. Roselynn’s mother has her full faculties and willingly rejected her.” “Your heart is in the right place, my succulent sausage,” Wolf chimed in, pulling his wife to his side, “But this is much worse than what you had to go through. I think we should trust our cub on this one, let them work it out, but be there for them both if they ever need it.” “Thank you, Papa, Mama,” Warren smiled warmly at his parents, “I think I’m going to go wash off some of this dust, myself, and check on my wife. We have to leave for New York early tomorrow morning if we are going to be able to get Roselynn prepared to start college in a few days.” “Okay then,” Virginia hugged her eldest child, “We love you both, go see to your wife.” “I will,” Warren shouldered his saddle bag and started for the hall before turning back to his father, “Oh, and Papa, Gareth Grayson sends his regards.” “He’s still alive?!” Wolf grinned as his son nodded, “That old silver snout was my best childhood friend, before my parents died and I had to flee here.” “He works as the stable master at the Second Kingdom’s palace,” Warren informed him, “Married with a pack of his own.” “It’s good to hear he’s still prowling around,” Wolf laughed as his son gave him one last smile and headed upstairs to join his wife. Warren entered his suite of rooms quietly as he could, setting down his saddle bag on a chair and shedding his jacket, draping it over the back of the same chair before heading towards the bedroom. The light was low in the room, but he could clearly see his wife was not within, however the door to the ensuite bathroom was slightly open, the warm glow of candlelight flickering from behind the door. Warren quietly made his way to the door, gently pushing it open to see his wife, head tilted back, soaking in the large tub as steam rose around her. It was clear to him that she had been crying; her eyes were puffy and red and there were tracks on her cheeks from where she had allowed her tears to fall unhindered. He quickly shed his clothes and approached the tub, laying a gentle hand on his wife’s shoulder, “Is there room for one more?” “Hi,” She gave him a small smile before scooting forward and allowing him to slip in behind her, his legs bracketing her hips as he settled in the water.He released the clip that had been holding her hair back, letting her long locks fall about her shoulders. Using a nearby shell, that was meant to serve as a soap dish, he began to pour water over her head which was tilted back. He quickly washed his mate’s hair, making sure to massage her scalp, which caused her to let out a pleasured sigh, and rinsed it again using the shell to pour the water over her head. Once he was done, he quickly ran his fingers through her hair and braided it, draping it over her right shoulder as he gently guided her back to rest against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her torso, hugging her from behind.“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked gently.“No, yes, I don’t know,” His wife let out a small whimper, “I mean I knew she wouldn’t like it, I knew there would be consequences, but I wasn’t… I mean, how could she…”“I know, my love,” Warren held her tighter as sobs wracked her body anew, “It was terrible, and I know you have been struggling with it since we left. You don’t have to deal with it today if you do not wish to, but know that I am here for you, I love you more than my own life.”“I love you too,” She sighed, turning her head until her bloodshot eyes met his, “But I thought my mother loved me too.”“Hey, hey,” Warren stroked his thumb against her arm, “I know your mother loves you, don’t ever doubt that. It is virtually impossible for a mother to not love her own child. She is just very angry and doesn’t know how else to deal with it. It was the way she was raised, to hate all of my kind, and I hate to say it, but it could have been much worse.”“Worse than completely rejecting and disowning me as her daughter?” Roselynn challenged, “Forbidding me from returning to my home?” “My father fled after her soldiers incited the farmers in their village to kill my grandparents.” Warren’s voice was low, remembering the look on his father’s face as he told of the death of his parents in vivid detail, “They were burned at the stake for no other reason than they were Wolves. Your mother banishing you was the only thing she thought she could do.” “What difference would it have made?” Roselynn spat, “I’m dead to her either way.” “The difference is she loves you too much to allow you to be put to death over her petty racism.” Warren pointed out. “In her mind, it was better to lose you to banishment, fully knowing that you are still a member of the Fourth Kingdom’s court by marriage and she could still at least see you in passing at a distance during formal events, than to kill you and lose you forever. To her, it was a mercy. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but if you consider the alternative…” “I get your point,” Roselynn sighed, relaxing once more in her husband’s embrace as the warm water soothed her tired muscles, “How is it possible to hate someone so much and love them at the same time?” “She will always be your mother,” Warren assured her, knowing that it was her own internal battle that she was referring to, “But it’s understandable to feel animosity toward her after what she said. She doesn’t deserve your hate, maybe your pity, but certainly not your hate. Who knows? Maybe someday she will come to her senses and reverse her decision. Even if she doesn’t, I hope one day you are able to forgive her. Not for her sake, but for your own.” Roselynn didn’t say anything in response, only nodding slightly as she allowed all her husband had said to penetrate the emotions warring within her. She knew it would be a long road, but she knew that she wasn’t alone on this path, she had her husband, and their friends, to traverse this road ahead of her. Finding peace with that thought, she allowed herself to doze as her husband traced lazy circles on her arms until the water was too cool to enjoy any more. Roselynn awoke to her husband nuzzling her neck as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Pushing the pain of her mother’s betrayal to the back of her mind, she allowed herself to succumb to her husband’s gentle touch. She reveled in the feel of his hand gently gliding along her skin from her waist to her rib cage under her night shirt. As her husband’s hand slowly migrated up, caressing and teasing her breasts, she arched her back, pressing into him. She smiled at the deep growl that emanated from the back of her husband’s throat as she felt him twitch from behind her as his tail flicked across her bare thigh where he had wrapped it around them. “You know this would be a lot easier if you did as I do and not wear anything to bed,” Her husband teased, nipping at the sensitive flesh of her neck. “True,” She grinned, rolling over until he was on his back with her straddling his hips, “But where’s the fun in that?” She bent down, taking his hands in hers as she pressed kisses and nipped along his collar bone, “Besides, I like watching your eyes as you undress me, or better yet, watch me undress myself.” Roselynn slowly pushed her self up to a seated position, making sure that he could feel her settling over him. Her coy smile turned in to a smirk as she watched the realization that there was nothing covering her lower half spread across his face. Her eyes never left his as she rocked back toward him, intensifying the friction as she slowly began to remove her nightshirt. Warren reached for her only to have her swat his hands away as she lifted the hem of the shirt higher and higher until it was gathered just below her breasts. Warren’s eyes were glowing a bright gold as she continued to rock against him, feeling him shake as he tried to control his reaction to her. Finally, she pulled the shirt over her head, revealing all of herself to him, leaning forward, she placed a deep kiss on his lips before reaching between them, positioning him against her entrance as she lowered herself down, moaning as she felt him penetrate her. If that wasn’t enough to make him lose control, she began to touch herself, shaking her head every time he tried to reach for her as she began caressing her own breasts before reaching one hand to settle where they were joined, stimulating them both further. Before long he could feel her pulsing around him, she threw her head back, eyes closed enjoying the sensation as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, intensifying as she felt her husband find his release within her. “Wow,” Warren huffed as his wife collapsed on him, “That was amazing!” Rolling to nestle into her husband’s side, Roselynn looked up at her husband shyly. “Really? You liked that?” “So much,” Warren pulled her close, kissing her deeply, “I never thought I’d like something like that, but you going Alpha on me like that. I could hardly contain myself. Alpha you is really sexy!” Roselynn blushed, “I don’t know what came over me,” She admitted. “I do,” Warren turned toward her, leaning his head on one hand as he used the other to lift her chin until she met his eyes, “It happens to a lot of female mates, both Wolven and human. Once we have cubs you will become the Alpha female of our pack. It varies from mated pair to mated pair, but basically, it’s when there is a temporary powershift from the Alpha of the pack, or husband, to the Alpha female. It may be for a night, a mating round, or some even will shift power back and forth during their mating. Usually it’s an indicator that she is in heat, for lack of a better term.” “I don’t understand,” Roselynn cocked her head at him, “Did you say that our cycles were lined up. Being in heat would indicate that I was fertile and able to conceive.” “In most cases yes,” Warren shrugged, “But I think you were too nervous about us meeting your mother that on some psychological level, you weren’t able to go full Alpha during the full moon. It happens sometimes when the female is unable to give herself fully to her mate for some reason. I know you said you wouldn’t have minded if we conceived on the road, but I think a part of you wanted to wait until after meeting with your mother to get pregnant. Not that going Alpha is the only way to get pregnant, we could have easily conceived on the road.” “I’m guessing that we didn’t then?” Roselynn checked, a slight look of disappointment flashed on her face. “I would have been able to sense it by now,” Warren assured her, “Just because we don’t prevent getting pregnant, it doesn’t mean we automatically will. This is the one thing in our worlds that magic has no sway over. If we are meant to be parents, it will happen in its own time, in its own way.” “Okay,” Roselynn nodded, “So, we keep trying?” “If that is what you want to do,” Warren nodded, “But I’d rather not put a lot of pressure on ourselves. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try at all, I just don’t wish to allow it to consume our lives. I had friends at school who went down that rabbit hole only to have it become the focus of their relationship. If it doesn’t happen right away, or you allow it to become an obsession, it can lead to a lot of hurt. I’d rather be open to allowing it to happen when it happens.” “I think I could be okay with that,” Roselynn agreed, “Although, it might be wise to utilize your little packets strategically during certain times when the timing wouldn’t work for us.” “Don’t want to go into labor in the middle of the semester, then?” Warren teased, “I think I can agree with that.” “So, we are in agreement; we are cautiously open to the possibility?” Roselynn suggested. “Yes,” Warren smiled, kissing his wife, “And if either of one of us notices getting pregnant is becoming a bigger deal than it needs to be, we will need to sit down and talk it out.” “Agreed,” She nodded, “Now that we’ve dealt with that, do you think we have time to get a little more practice in?” “I think we can squeeze something in,” Warren smirked, pulling his wife closer. The couple arrived in the mirror room to knowing glances from Warren’s family as to their late arrival. After around of good byes and hugs, they made their departure hand-in-hand, stepping through the mirror for the first time in nearly two months to return to their home. The sound of breaking glass rang in their ears as they passed each gateway along their way. Warren’s feet hit solid ground first as he caught is balance and steadied his wife who was a half step behind him. Looking around them to make sure the portal closed, and that no one had seen their arrival, they made their way across the park to their apartment. “It’s going to be so odd sleeping in a new room,” Roselynn murmured. “We’ve literally been sleeping in new rooms since the day we were wed,” Warren reminded her. “That may be true,” She nodded, “However that was as guests to your uncle and his cousin. This was our home before we were married. There was your room, and there was my room, never before have we shared a room, or a bed, here. It may take me a while to get used to sleeping in ‘your’ bed rather than ‘mine.’” “I can understand that,” He acquiesced, “However, once we settle in, maybe redo the room, it will feel more like ours.” “You would let me redecorate?” She smiled up at him. “Of course, it’s your home too,” Warren chuckled at her thrilled expression, “Besides, you were already making changes before we were even together that made it more our space than just mine. I rather liked what you did in the living room and I want you to be comfortable in our home; that includes making the bedroom our space rather than just mine.” “Thank you,” She kissed his cheek as they stopped at the crosswalk and waited for the traffic to clear enough to cross. “You don’t need to thank me,” Warren assured her, “In a perfect world, we would have found a new place that is completely our own, not something that was yours or mine from before we were wed. However, that’s not a possibility at this time. Maybe someday, but right now we will work with what we have.” “I actually kinda like our place,” Roselynn leaned into her husband’s shoulder as they made their way across the street, “I can’t imagine us living anywhere else in the Tenth Kingdom.” “I would point out that you haven’t really seen enough of the Tenth Kingdom to make that statement,” Warren teased as they approached their doorman, “But it would be no use as you have already made up your mind. Do you have any ideas on what you would like to do to the room? You’ve been in there enough that I’m sure you have some ideas.” “I have a few, but I think I’d rather sleep on it for now,” Roselynn tilted her head thoughtfully as the doors to the elevator opened to allow them entry before closing and beginning to rise up through the building, “I want to make sure I make the right choice since I don’t plan to change it again once it is done. Do it right the first time and all that. Besides, I’ll have other opportunities to redecorate the other two bedrooms eventually to suit whatever purpose we may have for them.” “So just one room at a time, eh?” Warren chuckled as they made their way from the elevator to the door of their apartment. He unlocked the door and stopped his wife from entering as he quickly deposited their bags. “Wait, I gotta do this right,” He grinned, scooping his giggling wife up in his arms and carrying her, bridal style, across the threshold of their home, nudging the door closed behind them. “Welcome home, Mr. Wolfson,” Roselynn kissed him as he set her feet back on the ground. “Welcome home, Mrs. Wolfson,” He murmured against her lips, “Are you happy to be home?” “Yes and no,” She admitted with a small shrug, “I’m excited that we are in our home now and I’m looking forward to attending University. However, I do miss the Kingdoms and look forward to the day we can return.” “I can understand that,” Warren nodded, embracing his wife, “This world is rife with opportunities that aren’t found in the Kingdoms. However, I likewise look forward to the day we can cross the mirror for good, or at least to live. That being said, wherever you are is home to me, if that means staying on this side of the mirror a few more years until you have accomplished your goals here, that’s what we will do.” “Have I told you yet today that I love you?” His wife purred in his ear, kissing along his jaw until their lips met. “A few times, but I never tire of hearing it,” He whispered against her lips, “I love you too.” They were still standing in the entry way, wrapped in each other’s arms when the sound of knocking on their door interrupted them. With a dry chuckle, Warren looked over his shoulder, “I’ll go put our things in the room, I have a feeling they’re more here for you than me.” Rolling her eyes, Roselynn watched as her husband picked up their bags and retreated to the bedroom at the end of the hall before answering the door. As soon as the door was opened, she found herself enveloped by the arms of two of her best friends who gushed over the fact she had returned and how much they’d missed her over the past month and a half. “I missed you too,” She assured them as she led them into the living room to sit. “Did I miss anything important while I was gone?” “Not much,” Evelyn shrugged, “I moved into the dorm a few days ago, just home for the weekend before classes officially start. I’m really excited about starting at the university.” “I am too,” Roselynn smiled, “I look forward to learning again and being trained as a teacher. I’ve always wanted to mold young minds, even when I was growing up and knew that it was not a possibility for me. ‘Princesses cannot be governesses.’” She quoted her mother. “Princesses can do just about anything here,” Maureen assured her, “If you research it, you’ll find a great many princesses here helped to shape the minds of the next generation. Princess Diana and then later the women who married her sons, Princess Katherine and Princess Megan, that’s not even mentioning how much of a badass the late queen mother, Queen Elizabeth, was before and after she was crowned Queen of England. She was a mechanic during one of the worst wars this world has ever seen. She was over 100 years old when she passed away, she never let her age or station stop her from doing what needed to be done.” “That’s just England,” Evelyn added, “Look around enough and you’ll find the remaining princesses of the world have not allowed their station to dictate or restrict who they are. Here you can be a princess and a soldier, a princess and an artist, or even a princess and a teacher, there are no limits aside from those you place on yourself.” “I look forward to adding my name to that list,” Roselynn smiled, “Even if the people here may never know about it.” “I know you just got back, but have you gotten your books and everything you need for the start of the semester?” Evelyn inquired. “No, not yet,” Roselynn shrugged, “I mean I have a few things, before we left, Warren and I went and picked out some items he said I would need. I’m using his old laptop, we got a satchel bag, some notebooks and a few pens. He said that it was best to not get my textbooks until after I get the syllabi for my classes so that I don’t waste money on books I don’t need.” “He has a point,” Maureen acquiesced, “I can’t tell you how many times I showed up only to find out I didn’t need all the books or had gotten the wrong edition of the text.” Looking at her watch, she nudged her sister, “We should get going, let you and Warren settle in here.” “It was good to see you,” Roselynn rose as she gave her friends hugs and walked them to the door. “We should try to get together for lunch on campus some time.” “We’ll see how our schedules match up, maybe we could try to make it a weekly thing, if not nearly daily,” Maureen agreed. “Hopefully we’ll be in some of the same classes,” Evelyn added as the sisters exited and made their way across the hall to their parents’ home. Roselynn had just closed the door as Warren returned, “Were you hiding back there the whole time?” “No,” Warren smiled, “Yes… maybe? I wasn’t really hiding, just moving things around between your old room and ours. Why don’t you come see?” He took her hand and led her down the hall. Roselynn followed her husband as he showed her where on one side of the walk-in closet they now shared, he’d meticulously hung up her things in the exact same order they’d been hung up in her old closet. He’d already transferred her things from her chest of drawers to one in the master bedroom. Her hair products and jewelry box sat atop the low, dresser with three rows of side-by-side drawers, there was even a mirror attached to the back of the piece. He’d changed out the linens on the bed, so they would be sleeping on fresh sheets and the duvet had been changed out for something with a grey and white chevron pattern. “Do you like it?” He looked at her like a puppy hoping for praise from its master. “I love it,” She smiled back at him as she slid her arms around his neck and kissed him, “Thank you.” “I just wanted you to be comfortable in our room,” He shrugged, “I didn’t want it to look too much like it was ‘my’ room that you just happened to be sleeping in. I know it’s not perfect but…” “This is good,” She assured him, “We can go pick out some stuff together once I’ve at least made it through my first week of classes. I’m tired from all our travels as of late, all I want to do right now is have dinner and go to bed.” “We really don’t have anything to make on hand, but I can call out for delivery,” Warren suggested, “What sounds better, Chinese or Pizza?” “Pizza, pepperoni and tomato,” She smiled up at him, “At least on my side.” “I’m on it,” He kissed her, grabbing his phone from where it had been stored in the bedside stand while they were in the Kingdoms. “But before I call, when you said go to bed, did you mean go to bed or go to bed?” “Sleep, Warren,” She chuckled, “I meant sleep. Not that I object to playtime with you, but I do need to be well rested to start my classes in a few days if I’m going to do well.” “Gotcha,” He kissed her lips before exiting the room to order their pizza, pepperoni and tomato for her and meat lovers with extra meat for him. They didn’t have to wait long for their pizza to be delivered, but by the time they finished their meal and the left overs from Roselynn’s side had been put away, they were both exhausted. They slowly made their way back to their room and prepared for bed before climbing under the covers and, after a kiss and bidding each other good night, curled up in each other’s arms and drifted off into a deep, and much needed, sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Two years had passed since their return to the Tenth Kingdom, Roselynn was still in school and doing well. In fact, she was one of the top-ranked students in her class, along with Evelyn. By some miracle, the two women had most of their core and general education classes together, which helped Roselynn immensely. Especially when it came to anything from the Tenth Kingdom that stumped her, even if they weren’t in the same session, they seemed to take the same classes around the same time which helped with setting up study groups. Anytime one of them was in a group, the other was invited to join, it was now accepted as a fact within their program. Warren had started commuting between the Tenth and Fourth Kingdoms quite often to advise on policy, now that his master’s program was completed. Usually, he would depart in the morning and return in the evening a day or two later. However, the counsel of the Nine Kingdoms was having its semi-annual summit, which required him to stay at the palace for the duration of the 10-day event. Roselynn would have joined him, but he knew there would be no time for them together during the trip, so he encouraged her to use the time to prep for her midterms and enjoy the time with her girlfriends from across the hall.He was looking forward to seeing his wife at the end of the week. It was the longest they’d been separated since they’d wed and to make matters worse, he’d had to depart a few days after the full moon to arrive at his uncle’s palace to greet the other dignitaries. This, of course, included his mother-in-law who fluctuated between pointedly ignoring him and rejecting any suggestion he made out of hand. It was frustrating to say the least. Roselynn had joined Evelyn and Maureen for breakfast before their classes in a diner a few blocks from campus. She was picking at her egg white omelet while nibbling on her toast and sipping water, ignoring the coffee that sat in front of her. She had felt fine that morning, but the moment their orders were brought to them, she could barely contain her nausea at the smell of the eggs on each of their plates. She had to satisfy her stomach with the dry toast that came with her meal, her friends also donated their toast to her after seeing how pale she’d gotten. “Are you feeling okay?” Evelyn gave her a concerned look, “You got awfully pale when our food was brought out to us.” “I’m okay,” Roselynn gave a half-shrug as she took another sip of her water, “Does my omelet smell funny to you?” “Smells just fine to me,” Evelyn patted her friend on the shoulder. “But if the smell is bothering you, we can ask the waitress to take it away and bring you some more dry toast and ginger ale to settle your stomach.” Roselynn looked at her friend, nodding gratefully as Maureen flagged down the waitress and asked her to exchange their orders for some English muffins and some jam. “Bacon too,” Roselynn added, “Not too greasy, and just crispy enough to have a little crunch while still being a bit chewy.” “So, let me get this straight,” Maureen cocked her head, “The smell of eggs is bothering you, but you are suddenly okay with bacon?” “I can’t explain it.” Roselynn shrugged, returning to nibbling on her toast while they waited for their orders to be replaced. “Hmmm,” Maureen nodded, the wheels in her head going into overdrive. Moments later the waitress returned with three plates stacked high with toast and English muffins along with a caddy of jams. “Here, these always helped me,” She placed a couple dinner mints on the table, giving Roselynn a gentle smile before returning to service her other tables. Maureen had more or less drawn the same conclusion but waited for the waitress to be out of earshot. “Lynn, when was your last cycle?” “Excuse me?” Roselynn choked on her water, a blush rising to her cheeks. “You heard me,” Maureen scooted over in the booth until she was across the table with Roselynn, “When was the last time you had your period?” “I, um,” Roselynn pulled out her planner and counted 14 days from the moon before last, finding the red dot she expected to be there, “September 29th.” “And the last time you and Warren were…” Maureen dropped her voice, “Intimate?” “About a week ago, the night before he went to the Fourth Kingdom.” Roselynn shrugged. “And you’re still not using anything?” Maureen prodded. “Well, no, we rarely do.” Roselynn shook her head. Evelyn looked up at her sister, understanding where she might be going with this line of questioning. “Lynn, finish up your toast, I think we need to run a quick errand before class.” Roselynn pushed the plate away from her, indicating that she was done, the trio paid for their meals and headed out the door. Instead of turning right to go to campus, they went left to the local drug store. Maureen quickly grabbed a few boxes and paid for them before the women ducked into a restroom. Evelyn locked the dead bolt behind them after checking to see that the stalls were all empty. “Take these,” Maureen instructed, pushing the bag into her friend’s hands, then indicating one of the stalls, “Do all three, follow the instructions on the boxes.” “I don’t understand,” Roselynn shook her head. “Trust me, just do it.” Maureen pushed her toward the large handicap stall, “Don’t leave us in suspense.” With a shrug, Roselynn complied with her friend’s instructions, they could hear the rustle of the plastic bag and the sound of cardboard boxes being torn open. Maureen turned on the taps of one of the sinks so that Roselynn wouldn’t feel as self-conscious about the women hearing what she was doing in the stall. A few minutes later, she emerged, holding three sticks wrapped in toilet paper. “Now what?” She asked, looking between her friends. “Now we wait,” Maureen advised setting her watch for three minutes, “Just set them on the counter. The women stood, communicating through looks and gestures as they silently waited for Maureen’s watch to indicate their time was up. “Okay, that’s time, let’s take a look, shall we?” The women cautiously stepped up to the counter, each lifting a test in their hand to read the result. “Okay, now we know,” Maureen nodded as they tossed the used tests in the trash, “Now we all have classes to get to. Let’s go.” With that the three women unlocked the restroom door and proceeded down the street to their classes, Maureen to the science building for her epidemiology lab and Evelyn and Roselynn to their childhood development class. It had been a long week and a half for him, mostly due to his wife’s family being deliberately stubborn and unwilling to consider the suggestions he’d made toward Wolven policies along the border villages. Not that he should have been surprised, they even refused to deal directly with the First Kingdom unless it was King Ashton putting forth the proposal, and even then, the Red Queen rarely heeded the young king’s words. Shaking his head at the events of the summit, he ran his fingers through his thick hair and activated the traveling mirror which would take him home. Saying a quick good bye to his relatives who had gathered for his departure, he ducked through the frame and let the portal take him home. Checking to make sure no one had noticed his arrival, he straightened his suit jacket and headed off across the park to the condo he and his wife shared. He was proud of all she had accomplished and knew that in another year and a half, she would be completed with her education and they would be able to return to the Kingdoms to find a place of their very own. Whenever he thought of a home for them in the kingdoms, he always thought of a two-story house in the Disenchanted Forest which would sit near the river that wove in and out of the shared boundary of the Second and Fourth Kingdoms. There were a few decent-sized Wolf packs which resided on both sides of the river. He also knew that most Second Kingdomers who were not members or perspective members of those packs, generally steered clear of those areas of the Disenchanted Forrest. These pocket communities would be the best place for Roselynn to do her work while cubs ran about her feet and clung to her skirts. He could just imagine them returning to their own home amid squeals and laughter of their own cubs. Every time he thought of the home he planned to build for his family, he always dreamed it to include at least two cubs running around. Shaking the images from his head, as such dreams were still a couple years off for them, he crossed the street toward their apartment building. Stepping off the elevator, he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. As soon as he stepped inside the smell of pot roast and vegetables assaulted his senses. He quickly toed off his shoes and tossed his keys in the bowl atop the entryway table. Next to the bowl sat a small, white box with a tag baring his name. Curious, he untied the ribbon that held the box closed and slowly removed the lid. Inside sat a small fortune cookie with a note saying, ‘Eat me.’ With a small smile he opened the cookie and munched on the sweet short bread as he read the note contained within. ‘Gee, aren’t you thirsty now?’ The note read. Warren chuckled and headed into the kitchen where he found a mug of tea with a tag hanging from the handle instructing him to, ‘Drink me.’ He quickly drank down the warm beverage and set the mug in the sink, but not before noticing there was writing on the bottom of the cup. ‘What is Wifey’s most favorite smell?’ The writing inquired. Warren closed his eyes and sniffed the air, he could smell the roast in the crock pot making his mouth water, but he knew that wasn’t it. The flowers on the kitchen table were some of her favorites, but not her most favorite smell. Then it hit him. The warm scent washing over him as he opened the oven to peer inside. In the center of the top rack sat a small round of bread, his wife loved making fresh bread for their meals claiming it could nourish anyone by its scent alone. Smiling, he grabbed the cutting board and the bread basket, slicing in to the bread and tossing pieces into the awaiting basket before he noticed a note sticking out from beneath the cut pieces. ‘Have you figured out my clues yet?’ It asked him, there was an arrow pointing to the other side of the card, ‘Come across the hall to find out if you are right.’ Perplexed at the meaning, Warren tossed the last few pieces of bread in the basket and put it back into the oven to stay warm until his wife could return. Slipping his feet into his boots once more, Warren crossed the hall, knocking on the Grant family’s door. Maureen smiled and handed him a rectangular box. Opening the box, he found a blindfold. “Put it on.” She instructed him when he gave her a confused look, “Trust me.” “Okay,” Warren sighed, slipping the mask over his eyes and allowing his friend to lead him back out of the apartment and into his own. He could hear their shoes clicking on the hardwood of the loft as she guided him into the kitchen. This time there was an extra smell intermixed with the smells of dinner, he scented his wife, but there was something different about her. “Lynn?” “I’m here, Darling.” He could hear the smile in her voice, and a little bit of nerves. What was she nervous about? He wondered, “You can take off your blindfold,” She instructed him. When he removed the blindfold, he found her, holding the bread basket in front of her stomach. “Did you figure it out?” She asked, cocking her head to the side. “I…” Warren shook his head, wracking his brain for the reason she sent him on this miniature quest before his eyes landed on a long, thin box sitting on the counter, tied with a ribbon as the other two boxes were. He watched Roselynn’s smile widen as he moved to pick up the box. The smile grew to a grin as he opened the box to peer inside. If the scent hadn’t wafted up to his sensitive nose, telling him the answer to her question, the digital window on the wand within the box would have clued him in straight away. Looking up at his wife whose grin was splitting her face as she bounced up and down on her toes, he felt his own smile begin to spread across his face. “Really!?” “Yes,” She nodded emphatically, setting down the bread basket to reveal the bottom of her shirt, “I think this is the only time I’m ever going to be able to surprise you with this.” She played with the hem of her shirt which read ‘Good things come in small packages.’ “You mean I’m… you’re… we’re….” he stammered, walking toward her and pulling her into his strong arms. “Congratulations, Papa,” Roselynn whispered into his ear. “I love you, Lynn,” Warren whispered against his wife’s lips as he felt her tangle her fingers in his hair before stepping back and running his thumbs over her flat belly, “And I love you too, Cubby.” The end of the term came and went, Roselynn, Evelyn, and Maureen all did well on their final exams and were relieved to be done for the summer. Roselynn more so than anyone, as it meant she had less than a month before her cub was due. She and Warren would be returning to the Fourth Kingdom later that day, along with Maureen who had agreed to assist with the birth, and Evelyn who was coming as moral support. They’d already arranged for a midwife who was familiar with Wolven births to stay at the palace until after the birth of their cub. “Warren are you sure you packed the sling?” Roselynn called over her shoulder, searching through the bags which sat on the bed before her. “Yes, my Love,” Warren assured her, kissing her cheek as he reached into the side pocket of one of the bags and pulled out the length of fabric which would allow them to carry their child home once she gave birth. They’d discussed taking a stroller but agreed it would look out of place to be pushing an empty stroller across the park, so they’d decided the sling would be the way to go. “Can you think of anything else you or the cub might need while we are in the Fourth Kingdom or for our journey back?” “No,” Roselynn shook her head. “Alright,” Warren picked up the duffel bag that held the items they were taking across the mirror with them and carried it into the living room. Since there would be clothing provided for them in his uncle’s home, all they were needing were items for the baby and a few comfort items for his wife that would make her life post-partum a little easier. “The ladies should be here soon, and we will head out.” “Good morning,” Maureen sang when Warren answered the door to her and her sister just as the sun was beginning to rise over the Eastern seaboard. “Morning,” Roselynn smiled at her friends, “Are you ready to go?” “Definitely,” Evelyn nodded, “I’ve been looking forward to this trip for months!” “Me too,” The mother-to-be agreed. “Sun’s starting to come up,” Warren reminded them, “We really should be on our way before too many people start heading into the park.” With a quick nod, everyone took up their bags, and headed out into the early dawn and across the park. As was the case for most of their travels to and from the Kingdoms, shortly after they entered the small alcove along the wooded edge of the park, a section started to warp and sway, releasing a feint tingle of magic as it did so, indicating the mirror’s activation in the Fourth Kingdom. “After you, ladies,” Warren gestured to the portal. Evelyn and Maureen quickly made their way through the mirror as they had done several times since their first journey to the Kingdoms. Warren smiled down at his wife as she slipped her hand into his. He stepped through a fraction of a moment before his wife did so that he could catch her if she stumbled upon arriving in the Fourth Kingdom. “Welcome!” King Wendell embraced his nephew, niece-in-law, and their friends, “I trust your journey was pleasant?” “As pleasant as inter-dimensional travel can be when one is eight months pregnant,” Roselynn shrugged. “Oh dear,” Warren looked remorseful, “I didn’t even consider that, Virginia was never this far along in her pregnancies when she and Wolf used to travel between here and the Tenth. I do hope the child is well.” “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Roselynn assured the greying monarch, “No harm done, just a little woozy, I promise, it’ll pass.” “If you are sure, my dear,” He tilted his head, resembling the golden retriever he once had been, as he considered her words. “We should probably let you at least rest so that you can recover. Your rooms have been prepared for you and your guests. Breakfast is to be served shortly in the small dining room. The midwife arrived last night and, Warren, your parents are expected within the day.” “Thanks, Uncle Wendell,” Warren smiled at the older man as he guided his wife out of the Hall of Mirrors and toward their private rooms in the family wing as their friends followed a footman to their suite of rooms in the guest wing. As soon as they were in their rooms, Warren made sure his wife was comfortable on the couch as he placed their bags in their bedroom. “Well, here we are.” “Yes, here we are,” Roselynn chuckled, “Now we just have to wait for this one to decide they wish to join us. We already settled on the names for our little one, the midwife is here to back up Maureen, your parents will be here soon according to your uncle, and the travel apparently didn’t induce labor, so all we have to do is wait.” “Sounds like everything is well in hand,” Warren nodded. “Except for one thing,” Roselynn looked up at him, “I would very much like if you would sit with me and hold me for a while.” “Whatever you need, Lamb Chop,” Warren grinned as he sat next to his wife, slinging one arm over her shoulder and stroking the knuckles of her fingers with his free hand. They sat in silence for a while before Roselynn spoke again, “Warren?” “Hmm?” “I’m scared,” She blushed. “I’m a little scared too,” Warren gave her shoulders a squeeze, “Becoming a parent, is a scary thing, but I think you’ll be a wonderful mother.” “And you’ll be a great father,” Roselynn nudged him, “But I was more talking about the whole baby arriving thing. I mean, labor is supposed to hurt, isn’t it?” “I believe I’ve heard that somewhere,” Warren gently chuckled, “I wish I could take that bit of it from you, I do so hate to see you in pain, but I can’t. What I can do, though is promise that I will be with you through it all. You can scream, curse, rail at me, even squeeze my hand to the point where I no longer have feeling in my fingertips; I will be by your side now and forever.” “I love you,” Roselynn tilted her head to meet his eyes. “I love you too,” Warren pressed a gentle kiss to his wife’s lips. “Ooh!” “What is it?” Warren’s eyes went wide, “It can’t possibly be time yet!” “No,” Roselynn laughed, taking his hand in hers and gently placing it on her distended abdomen. “Just Cubby saying hello.” Warren smiled as he felt his cub’s small kicks from within his wife. It was one of his favorite things about his wife being pregnant, aside from how delectable she looked full with his child. “Hello to you too, little one.”