Ileus: The Dark Prince

Iona swatted her brother's arm as she giggled. "I have learnt how to control my emotions!" she said. "Mother is teaching me, helping me and so is Father." 

"Provided your father is not busy spending his time lazing around on his vacation," said Adrianna, coming after Iona. She walked to her children and watched them fondly, her golden eyes a color of warm honey. 

"Mother." Ileus left Iona and hugged her. "How are you?" he asked with a smile as Adrianna tucked his locks over his forehead. 

"Doing very fine," she replied. "I think coming to Galahar was one of the best decisions I had ever taken. Not only do I get to spend time with Iona, I get to have a cool holiday with absolutely no tensions." She laughed. "I am so happy and refreshed that you can't imagine!" Golden eyes gazed in the golden ones that were just like hers. "How are things back at Draoidh? I hope I haven't given a maverick instead of a ruler to its netizens."

Anastasia couldn't stop giggling. Adrianna turned her attention to her and the two embraced each other. "I heard that you all got rid of Aed Ruad." 

The fae princess stiffened but she nodded. "It's a good riddance." 

"It sure is," Adrianna said in a low voice. She held her hand and then turned to hold her daughter's hand and said, "Come. It seems the three of us are going to have a long chat session." 

"Oh, I can't even wait to start!" Anastasia said and the three women walked inside as the men stared after them. They felt… easily forgotten. 

An awkward silence later, Rolfe took a deep breath in and clasped his hands. "How about we go to my study?" he said to Haldir, Ileus and Brantley. "There's a secret bar out there and a secret library." 

"Ah-ha!" Ileus said, taking the lead. "Please guide us over there."

When Rolfe had come back to Galahar, Ileus' parting gift to him was a wagonful of porn books. Rolfe had come to the palace and the first thing he did was to stash those valuable books in his study. He wanted to feel guilty about it, but then… It was a kind of study. So, he didn't feel guilty. At present, he was only too proud of it." 

"What kind of library?" asked Brantley. 

A devious smile spread on Rolfe's lips. "You would be surprised. In fact, you would want one in your palace too. Those books are an essential part of our life." 

"Are they about the art of war and strategy?" he asked. "Because I have plenty of them?" 

"No, they are about the art of submission," Rolfe said as he placed his arm around Brantley's shoulders and guided him to his study. 

Haldir shook his head saying, "This wolf has corrupted all the innocent souls." 

They reached the library, sorry study, and Rolfe locked the doors from inside. The main purpose of the meeting was lost, as the four royals were shown a secret cupboard behind the one which had books on ancient history. 

Brantley gasped and his eyes widened. "This is real treasure!" 

Rolfe's chest swelled with pride. He walked to where the bar was and poured four glasses of whiskey. He gave one to each one of his friends and then sat back in his chaise with his hand curled behind him. As Ileus inspected the stock, smirking all the way down, Haldir quietly picked up the thickest of them and went to sit in a quiet corner near the fire hearth. As for Brantley, he was happy with whatever he got his hands on. The Aztec king didn't tell them that he often visited the human realm and had a library of, ahem, those videos in his house in Bainsburgh. That was the place he usually spent his time while watching Dawn, while waiting for his mate to be born. 

Ileus decided not to read anything and returned to sit on the sofa opposite Rolfe with his whiskey. "Have the Yardraks come?" he asked. 

"They have and I have put them in special guest rooms. Iona has ensured that they get everything even before they ask for it," said Rolfe. His wife was an excellent hostess and the Yardraks were simply too difficult. "I have to say that the dwarves like my wife a lot. They are amazed by her designs and if it were not for me, they would have abducted her a long time back!" 

Ileus chuckled and sipped more. "What about the treaty? Are they ready to sign?" he asked. 

"Well, Brantley did a great job at convincing them, but a problem has occurred," Rolfe said, pursing his lips. 

Brantley shot a glare at Rolfe. "What problem?" 

Haldir too leaned forward and lowered the book on his lap. 

Rolfe swirled the whiskey in his glass. "They want Iona to come for a small internship program to their kingdom." 

"What do you mean?" Ileus asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"They want me to add that clause in the treaty." 

"That's ridiculous!" Ileus snapped. "Iona is not going anywhere." He had just eliminated every threat possible around his wife and his sister. He was not going to agree to it! "No chance!" 

"You think I want her to go," Rolfe said. "She is pregnant with my baby and the heir of Galahar. There is no way I will allow her. However—" he gulped a large swig of the amber liquid. "That would mean that the treaty would fall." 

"Why the hell do they want Iona for an internship? And that too to the extent of putting it as a point in the treaty?" Ileus asked, frustration making his eyes twitch. 

"They believe that Iona is a genius as far as architecture is concerned. And her designs are unique. Their tutelage is going to hone her skills further," Rolfe replied. It was a reply he got from the Yardraks. 

"Bullshit!" Ileus retorted. "Yardraks were never the ones who were so good to offer their tutelage." 

"That's right," said Brantley, pretty unnerved. 

Haldir closed his book and said, "They want Iona to make designs for them for free under the pretense of an internship whereby they would pay her some paltry amount. They would make her work and work." He gritted his teeth and looked away. 

"For how long have they demanded the internship?" asked Ileus. 

"Three months!" 

"Bloody hell!" Ileus growled. "She is not going anywhere for three days, let alone three months. The treaty can go to hell. We don't want their help." 

"Ileus," Brantley said in a calm voice. "We have to think through this." 

"There is nothing to think about it, Brantley!" Ileus replied, giving him a pointed look. 

"You have to understand that Yardraks are connoisseurs of architectural talent. Now they have smelled Iona's skills and genius, they will be forever after her." Brantley explained. 

"They can go and fuck themselves. As if I am scared of them. If they harm my sister, I am going to blow up their kingdom." 

"Yes, I will go with you to blow it up," Rolfe added. 

"And what if we find a solution?" Brantley said with a raised eyebrow. 

Ileus narrowed his eyes skeptically. 

Many hours later, the men began to have slurred speech as their eyes were half open after several finished bottles of alcohol. Ileus must have stabbed his finger through his hair twenty times because his hair was standing everywhere. "How are things with Iona's pregnancy?" he asked in a low, slurry voice. "I mean she was supposed to rest. I hope she is resting." 

"She is resting a lot, man," Rolfe replied. His hands curled around the bottle. "I am very scared of how things are going to shape. Do you know the kind of mood swings I have to deal with? I am always at the edge, wondering which side the camel would sit on." He didn't mention that these days his horns weren't straightening in front of her. "It is easier to run a kingdom than deal with a pregnant mate!" he confessed. "What about you?" 

Ileus gave him a blank stare. "I feel the same, man, I feel the same." Though he hadn't really seen Anastasia's mood swings. But he was certainly very tight about her comfort. 

"Pregnancy is still fine, my friends," came Haldir's low voice. "You don't know what happens after the child is born. Wives… they hardly have time for you." He lifted the book in his hand. 

"Nonsense," Ileus replied. "We keep hearing your roars in your mansion every fucking time we visit." 

The elf pressed his lips and went back to reading, his face crimson, his secret exposed. 

--- 

Next day, the meeting room was packed with four Yardraks, Rolfe, Ileus, Brantley and Haldir. Dmitri chose to stay away on the pretext, "It's my vacation!" 

Cutting the chase, their leader, Kahn, said, "You must be knowing about the change in the treaty." 

"We do," Ileus replied. "And we have a counter offer."

Kahn narrowed his eyes.. The dark wizard was known for his cunning.