I was met halfway by a very handsomely dressed Angel. He wore one of Father's older outfits. It was a black, Victorian fashioned suit which tailed at the back. His hair was combed out and he wore the black ruffled shirt underneath. Although he didn't have all the buttons done up, it suited him and gave off a relaxed aura. He had nicely polished, black dress shoes on and black dress pants. He looked very elegant and held himself up in a very dignified manner.
"I'm either dead or were going somewhere special." I teased as he took my hand into his own.
"Well, neither. I assumed this would be to your liking, my Princess." He replied and kissed the top of my hand.
"Yes, but I liked the way you looked before." I blushed and took his arm.
"Well, they will be washed today, so no worries. I'll be back to my normal self tomorrow, my Lady." He reassured me as we walked down the staircase.
"That's a relief."
"I'm glad you think so. I hope you don't mind. I can't stand having all the buttons done up. It really bothers me."
"I don't mind at all."
He smiled and seemed to relax a bit. What a strange man he was, always so tense but not always uncomfortable. He would be interesting to figure out, then I found myself wondering what he would be like as a mate. As my mind wandered I didn't pay attention to where I was walking, and I tripped over my own feet. Angel quickly acted and caught me before I fell. My mind came back to me as I realized the situation. In that moment, I became very flustered.
"My apologies, I'm a bit klutzy." I stated, my cheeks flamed red.
"It's fine. Do not worry your pretty head. So cute." He teased and helped me to my feet.
As I regained my composure I couldn't look directly at him without blushing. We continued to walk down the stairs in comfortable silence. With futile attempts to keep my mind focused, I kept thinking about his last statement. Having my mate actually here still had my mind reeling. I kept feeling waves of emotions. Things I had never felt before and I didn't quite know how to deal with them.
"You're thinking about what I said."
I nodded and looked at him. He smiled down at me and held out his arm for me to take. He was my mate and the reality was the fates decided this male would be a perfect match for me. So, eventually, we would work through my weird emotions. Together.
I smiled back and took his arm again. As we walked we made idle chatter about our mornings, exchanging simple pleasantries. Angel opened the door for us when we reached it and escorted me into the main room of the castle.
"Darling! Oh, thank the heavens you're alright." Mother cheered and ran towards us.
She was bubbly as always and Father took his time to join us. He walked right up to us and stood beside Mother. He had a slight smile on his features and a welcoming aura. Mother on the other hand always felt welcoming and gave both Angel and I a hug.
"Of course, I'm alright."
Mother didn't seem to share my humour, but she continued to exchange pleasantries with Angel.
"Good morning, Lightkiller." Father said and pat my shoulder.
"Good morning, Father."
"How are the hounds?"
"Alive, Kine went back to the den before I could examine him, the other though has a bruised torso and cut snout but besides that, he will be alright. He luckily only had the wind knocked out of him. They will heal alright. I'm sure. If you wish you may see them. But, only if you take Angel with you. I don't want to risk losing you again."
"Of course, as you wish. Then I presume you took Zinnake back to the den?"
Father simply nodded before excusing himself. My Mother quickly followed him and together they sat in front of the fireplace to have their morning meal. I took Angel's arm and gestured for him to follow. Angel took the lead and opened the large entrance door for me. After I walked through, Angel followed and closed the door behind him. Our arms interlocked once again.
With such gentlemanly qualities. My mind wondered what else he would be gentlemanly about. Or was he secretly a rough type of lover. It was natural to think of such things about your mate. But I still couldn't help but blush at where my thoughts had gone.
"All in time, M'Lady." Angel winked and kissed the top of my hand.
"So, you can read my thoughts. What a cunning trait, I can see this leading to folly in the future. My thoughts can be quite dark I'll have you know."
"Such a mischievous lady." He teased.
I poked his stomach and he laughed. Even with an aggressive nature, he was sweet and protective. Now being outside, if possible, I swear he was even more tense with all his senses on alert.
"You can relax, no one is going to try to hurt me now." I tried to assure him.
"How do you know?"
"Because you're with me." I replied and could once again feel my cheeks burning.
He took a deep breath and relaxed a little, "It's not in my nature though." He added.
I gave him a sweet smile and nodded, understanding what he meant. Being of tense nature myself, it was difficult to relax. But because I felt so safe around him, I found myself instinctively letting my guard down.
As we continued to walk towards the den of my hounds, our conversation died to minimal chatter about favourite foods and items. I learned of his passion for swords and other fascinating weaponry and listened to him go on about it in great detail. He had me intrigued and fascinated throughout his description of his favourite types of weapons. I was so focused on him, I hadn't noticed we had nearly reached the den.
"You have to show me your collection sometime." I chuckled as some hounds ran up to greet us.
"Definitely, maybe after the three moons when you move to earth."
I nodded and Morg came up to greet us. He was ablaze, on high alert like the rest of the hounds. His fur was spiked, and he seemed worried. A worried alpha would send the entire pack into chaos.
"Kine, he-."
"It's alright. Let me know what's happened. Where are they?"
"In the den. He's not healing. He won't eat, won't sleep." Morg stammered and laid down in front of me.
First, I had to calm Morg. The pack needed his strength, especially at a time like this. I knew how attached they were, being identical twins and the only ones left in their family. Morg was distressed about losing his brother. Even though they fought a lot, they would always be close. I knelt in front of Morg and moved his muzzle into my lap. He relaxed as I stroked his muzzle and unsharpened his fur.
"Everything will be alright. I'm here to make him better."
"How? How can you help Gorenora? M'Lady with the frozen heart."
"Frozen heart?" Angel questioned.
"It's why my powers are unstable. Please, just know your presence helps."
"Please. Take me to him, Morg."
Morg nodded and headed for the den. We followed closely behind him, and it only took us a few moments to get there. Once we reached the den, I bolted inside to Kine. He laid sprawled out inside, his breathing was slow and came out in wheezes.
"Oh, my poor boy."
"Hello, Pup."
Angel moved to the other side of Kine while trying not to hit his head on the roots hanging from the top of the den. The den was small, so we had to crouch to fit inside. But I could have cared less about such things at that moment.
"Don't move."
"I'm glad you're alright, Pup."
"Looks like his ribs are cracked, might have punctured his lungs." Angel helped hoist Kine into my arms.
I kept very still and tried not to cry, knowing it would upset Kine and Angel to see me so distressed. Kine gave my hand a kiss and closed his eyes, too weak to remain awake any longer. It happened so fast.
"No, Kine. You can't die on me!"
Angel held me as I held Kine in my arms. His body was slowly going limp and I couldn't bear the thought of losing my best friend. My heart began to flutter once again, and a sudden maddening idea came to mind. The blue flames that healed me might be able to heal Kine.
I gathered myself and focused on healing thoughts, calling out the blue flames from the depths of my being. Angel gasped as my flames took over the den, engulfing both Kine and I in blue flames. I could hear Kine's life force pulsing in my mind and worked the flames to steady it. Once he was stable, I could hear his ribs cracking back into place and his breathing slowly returned to normal. Angel held me closer and once Kine stood on his feet the flames died out and I collapsed into Angel's arms.
"You saved my life, Pup!" Kine howled and licked my face.
I laughed and scratched behind his ears. He was a bundle of energy now and I was exhausted.
"Rest Kine. You must rest."
"Let me get you home, Gorenora."
In my semi-conscious state, I found it difficult to move, especially with using so much energy so shortly after recovering. Once we were out of the den, Angel scooped me up into his arms with ease and began to walk towards the castle.
"Now it is you who should rest, Princess." He teased and smiled down at me.
I nodded, too exhausted to reply and closed my eyes. My mind was at ease with Angel and soon I drifted off into a deep slumber.
A little while I awoke once again, it was late at night and I was in my bed. Angel must have brought me home and I must have been asleep for a while. I decided to go back to bed and after a little while of tossing and turning, I once again submitted to darkness.
Much time past and we found we spent every day together. Either talking or exploring. I learned so much about him, he was a trained warrior and gifted with strength. He didn't know who his father was. But he did know his mother was a Spirit Goddess and in her last moments, she prayed for Zeus to save Angel.
So, he took pity on the woman and this was why Zeus was Angel's guardian. I was curious as to why I had not heard of this. But decided not to go into it too much for it made Angel upset. He told me stories about his time on earth and how he had a small home in the woods.
We talked about our passions and desires, which ranged from combat to gardening. Weeks passed like this and once Kine and Zinnake were fully healed they joined me on my rounds about the dimension with Angel. I learned Toris had been taken to the castle dungeon and was being treated by our healer Rovick.
Rovick was once a horned soldier like Toris but confronted my Father many, many moons ago about becoming a healer. My Father happily agreed and now Rovick spends his days tending to the wounded.
Rovick had dark skin and was much taller than Toris. When Angel was asleep, a few times I went down to visit Toris. Guilt gnawed at my mind for what I did to Toris. Rovick assured me he was healing fine, though he couldn't remember much. Toris was always unconscious when I went to visit. It was comforting to know his treatment and separation of his soul was working. Rovick and I grew to become close acquaintances, although I was skeptical of him at first.
He was very muscular and intimidating but once you got to know him, he was of sweet nature. He was truly a gentle giant, and once he met Angel they soon became best friends. Rovick had an old soul but once he got talking with Angel it was like his youth returned. I never met a pair quite like them, Angel brought Rovick out of his shell and how their conversations amused me.
They could go on for hours talking about their battles and hobbies. Of course, the topic of copulation came across quite a few times in fact. This made me laugh, and Angel seemed to enjoy making me laugh.
Weeks passed like this, and I found myself growing fonder of Angel. He was no longer a stranger and the burning sensation of my marking never died. This worried me at first until I noticed it was only ever around Angel did it flare. This was a sign from the fates, confirming he is my mate. But I didn't know if he felt the same way. Until it was the night before the third moon.
The meeting of the Gods was to take place in the morning. My parents organized a ball and invited many of the deceased to join us. I dressed in a long black gown, with sleeves that trailed out to cover my hands. Lace-trimmed the bottom of my dress and I had my handmaidens help me put on my formal waist cincher.
They praised my appearances and made smart remarks about how Angel was a lucky man. My hands felt hot and clammy as my face flushed with embarrassment.
Once I composed myself, I dashed down the stairs towards the main hall. Angel was waiting by the door, with a red rose in hand. He dressed in his formal wear again, the Victorian garb he had borrowed from my Father. He looked dashing and it took my breath away.
"You look beautiful, Princess." Angel smiled and held out the rose.
"Please, you do the honours." I blushed.
He smiled even more, if physically possible and pinned the rose to my dress right over my heart. As his cold hands brushed against my burning bosom, I thought for sure I was going to faint.
But alas, I composed myself and he opened the door for us. Loud classical music filled our ears and soothed my nerves. He held out his hand and my mind wondered what it would be like to take hold of it again. His rough, but gentle touch against my soft, delicate hand.
He looked at me with a loving smile, not even fazed by the dead dancing around us. There were ball gowns and suits twirling about with ghostly figures filling them. A gentle piano was playing in the background with violin accompaniment.
The ball going on around us was hosted by my Father. He loved to host parties to make Mother happy. I could spot them, off in a corner, dancing with each other. The room was alighted by the grand chandeliers above, which cast a warm golden hue.
"Will you do me the honour and dance with me?"
"I worried you would never ask." I teased and took his hand.
My face flushed as he twirled me about, with such grace one could swear he had been practicing. My long black dress, flowing around as we moved together in perfect rhythm.
As the music slowed, our dancing and everyone around us matched it. I stared down at the marble floor and concentrated on my movements, anything to distract my mind. A romantic atmosphere about us was making my heart flutter like bat wings.
"I waited a long time to meet you, my little mate." He leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"As have I, but you." I replied and looked up to meet his golden eyes.
He was completely concentrated on me and pulled me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he snaked an arm around my waist. We were closer than we had ever been before.
My heart was pounding in my chest, making me nervous and giddy at the same time. His free hand caressed the side of my face, brushing my hair out of the way. Similar to the first time I met him in my dream.
"Gorenora?" His voice soft, like a soothing melody to my ears.
"Yes, Angel?"
"Tomorrow, after the meeting. They will try to part us, but I can't. These past three months have been the best time of my life and I can't even fathom leaving you. It would kill me, not being able to see your beauty every day. Or that wide, dimpled smile I adore so much. You fill my heart with such passion that words cannot begin to describe. Please, come with me to Earth. I'll make you your own room, we don't have to be a couple if you're not ready or even interested in me. I just can't stand the thought of leaving you, never to see you again."
"I feel the same way about you. Do not worry, I will never leave your side as long as you want me to stay."
He smiled and pulled me into a tight embrace. Once he eased his grip, his lips met mine in one swift movement. Before he could pull away out of shock, I tugged him forward to continue. He happily inclined and continued to kiss me passionately. We were in the middle of the dance floor, but I couldn't have given a care in the world.
My heart felt like it would burst from my chest from the overwhelming contentment I felt. Angel held me as close as he could, even when our lips parted. He smiled at me and I laid my head against his chest as we danced. I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the night. As the night went on, we indulged ourselves in wine. The sweet nectar of the Gods. And continued to enjoy ourselves. Later, when the rise of the morn was upon us, Angel and I departed from the party.
"I had so much fun, how about you?" Angel asked as we walked up the stairs to my chambers.
"Of course." I laughed, "You know you don't have to walk me."
"I know, but I want to." He replied, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
His actions intrigued me, and I studied him as we walked. He seemed to have a slight skip in his step and a playful fire in his eyes. He wasn't tense nor on edge, in fact, he seemed more relaxed than ever before. I gently took hold of his hand and smiled at him. His aura had changed and there was a nagging feeling that he had the intention to claim me. This made me both nervous and excited, but once we reached the door to my chamber he stopped. I turned to face him, eyeing him curiously and he let out a quiet chuckle.
"Soon little mate, but not tonight." He whispered into my ear, making my legs quake and the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
Never had my form reacted in such a way to such a vague statement. Maybe it was his tone or the hint of such intimacy, but whatever may have been the case I did not ponder about it too much.
For he leaned in close once again and claimed my lips with such feverous passion I thought my legs would give out from under me. Unwillingly, he forced himself to part from my lips, leaving me craving more. I still had an arm wrapped around his neck and the other holding his hand.
My marking burned, and my heart fluttered, never wanting him to leave. But we untangled ourselves and quickly parted ways with one last goodnight kiss.
Once he had left, I departed into my room and closed the door behind me. I took a deep breath and flopped onto my bed, my entire body on fire both literally and metaphorically. My flames had sparked to life and eased my aching muscles from dancing for so long.
But I still felt anxious and craving more of those sweet kisses from Angel. Soon enough my body relaxed, and I felt how tired I was. My handmaidens appeared from thin air like usual and greeted me with smiles, they were always so kind. They released me from the bonds of my formal corset and gave me my nightgown to dress into before departing.
I quickly dressed in my sleepwear and crawledunder my comforters. They felt more frigid than usual that night. So, I keptmyself warm with my flames and fortunately for me, my bed was fireproof. Withthe warmth of my flames and comfort of my bed, it didn't take long for me tofall asleep.