Queen of Ashes │ Season 1 │The Journey

11 │Leander

Finished with his meal, he raised the prey and dangled it on his shoulders. He drank the blood but the meat was still perfectly good and it could do for the delicious stew he was going to prepare for their evening meal. He still had his pouch of herbs because while traveling with Qadir they were practically useless, but now with a human on board, he could do some cooking.

Freya was to get a pleasant surprise when she woke. Vampire cooking? He smiled at the thought of what kind of comment he would hear from her witty mouth.

But, yes. He cooked from time to time. He ate what he cooked as well. It did nothing to sustain the thirst but once it was fulfilled the other food was a pleasant addition. And cooking was always his way of loosening up a bit.

When he arrived at their camp, Qadir was already waiting with a troubled kind of expression. He was pacing around the fire, agitated as fuck. Leander sighed, knowing well how this conversation would go. However, the sun was already starting to rise so he needed to hurry it up if he wanted to manage to set the stew and get some sleep before nightfall.

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

Qadir stopped his pacing for a moment just to simply back right to it as if unable to control his legs.

"Bloody terrible, as if you haven't noticed already."

Leander started to prepare the roe deer, cleaning the meat and rubbing it with herbs. He knew what Qadir was going through. He was once in the same position, being young and often consumed by thirst. Albeit his understanding, he had to make his point loud and clear. The sooner the better.

"Tonight you'll feed properly." His task demanded just slight attention, so he could avert a corner of his eye toward the younger vampire to notice him standing in place. "Don't get so cheerful though. You'll be under my supervision."

The man shot him a glance filled with so much hatred, that he could only imagine what would he do, if not for Leander being much older and stronger.

"Suggesting I cannot control myself?" Qadir sneered.

"Indeed."

"Fuck you."

"Tempting... I'll pass."

"I'm stronger than you think, you know. This whole 'not feeding on humans in Carda' rule is bullshit."

Leander shook his head signaling that he didn't believe it even for a second. "What I know is that if you were stronger than I suspect, you would watch your godforsaken mouth and keep your attitude at leash."

"She doesn't deserve my respect." Qadir looked disgusted by the mere thought of a Princess.

The Vampire Prince went to his feet, beating the distance between them in a blink of an eye. He pulled on Qadir's linen shirt, darkness overwhelming his thoughts.

"She doesn't need deserving or earning anything, you stupid fuck. She is your future queen and your respect is something she will demand soon."

Qadir faced him bravely. Unfortunately, at the same time—so very foolishly.

"As you said, a future queen. I do not must nothing at the moment and besides, who knows how long will she last."

Leander's hands were still on Qadir's shirt, venom almost spitting from his mouth. He didn't care what would happen to this douchebag if he didn't shut up.

"You can as well start practicing now. Not many days before her coronation." With the last reserves of self-control, he let go of Qadir's shirt. "Now, go to sleep before my patience runs out."

Without any word, Qadir directed toward the cave. Leander's reaction was immediate, "Not to the cave. Find yourself some other place. You're not going close to her."

The king's adviser didn't look pleased, but luckily for him, said nothing, changing his course and going in the opposite direction. After a moment he disappeared from the view, probably setting himself in some bushes nearby—thick enough to give him much-needed shadow. As far as he wasn't draining humans, Leander hadn't cared what happened with his companion. He traveled with him only because his brother demanded it and this decision was nothing Leander could persuade against. Not fully understanding it, the Vampire Prince saw how his brother got attached to this young fucker and sadly, there was nothing the Prince could do. It didn't mean he had to be nice and play fair though. He was still older, stronger, and had years of experience with other people to his benefit. Surely he wasn't going to resign from that kind of power over the younger vampire. He was Qadir's superior on this trip even if the king himself said nothing of the sort.

Finished with the animal, Leander made sure that the fire would last for the time while he was sleeping and once certain of it, he directed himself into the cave. There was little space there. He had to lay his fur so close to Freya's that they were touching. He thanked himself for the idea of not allowing Qadir entrance because now he couldn't be sure if the fucker wouldn't end up with a dagger in his heart. On the other hand, the thought was deliciously tempting...

Mildly tired, he laid down with a hand under his head, looking at the cave's top. The Prince thought about what was ahead and to say it agitated him, was like to say nothing. He was aware of his brother's plans toward the woman and maybe that was something he shouldn't know about... Because right now, Leander felt like an executioner leading a lamb for her last breath. He shouldn't feel this way. But there he was... feeling things and pitying the woman.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize at first that Freya moved in her sleep, turning toward him. What brought him to reality was a warm hand landing on his chest not soon after. He looked at the hand steadily lying on him, then at Freya's calmly sleeping silhouette. Only her lips were moving with whispers so quiet, he couldn't tell what was it she dreamed about. Against his will, he smiled, suddenly feeling at ease. Warm hand on his chest keeping him at bay. Acting on instinct, one of his hands freed from under the head and laid on his chest as well. Their small fingers were softly touching, and that simple, innocent closeness seemed to be so very seemly. Strange, unusual feeling. So strangely natural, though.

Still smiling, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Sleepwell, Frey," he whispered, drifting into oblivion.