Nathaniel

I could feel her in the house the minute she arrived, or maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, regardless I knew she was somewhere in these walls, my future wife. I sucked in a breath when I heard the Deveraux lady giving Margot and her father a tour of Tencrest. They had stopped outside of my office and behind the closed door, I heard Mr. Astor asking a question about the painting in the hallway. It was a provocative image of a woman offering her neck to a Blackwell ancestor. Perhaps he was looking at that painting and wondering about his own daughter’s future surrender to me.

He had been here before, but for Margot, this was all new. Every year during the Crimson Ball, the houses’ invitations were limited to five family members and Johnathan Astor was often included in that invitation, Margot was never though. She will have to figure it out as she goes, we both will, I thought to myself and continued to drown myself in my work. I was elbow deep in the paperwork for a new company merge, some failed attempt that I was going to scoop up and refine. This was my newer approach to growing our reach and so far it was working. In this aspect of my life, I had no doubts. I knew what I was doing. But starting tonight, I was entering unknown territory.

I had tried to relax into my work, but it wasn’t going according to plan. The air was heavier today at home. Staff were running around finishing the final preparation to have a large influx of guests. My family would be here any moment. Earlier this week, I asked them to come early to make sure I wasn’t missing anything prior to the crowd arriving. As if we shared a telepathic link, I could hear the commotion of their arrival coming down the hallway towards my office.

​The door swings open and Abigail immediately starts yapping about the atrocious heat outside. “Well the devil is real and he’s in town today making it 1000 degrees. This is just another reason to stay inside during the day and wreak havoc on the city at night. How’s my favorite brother, Natey?” Perching herself on my desk, I laugh at her outfit. She’s wearing a business casual suit, yet her shoes are black with a design of red blood dripping down the sides and her earrings are obviously a replica of cheap vampire costume teeth. She loved living up to the legend of our kind.

“Where are the others? You didn’t travel with them? We need to discuss the protocol for tonight.” I laugh at her term of endearment and silently pray she won’t use it in public.

“They were accosting Celia. She’s refused to give them a taste and they are not happy about it. They might start begging soon. So desperate for her to give herself willingly to them. I will reign them in, don't worry. What protocol are you talking about? You meet her officially tonight, casually mention that you have stalked her and at the end of the week you get married and make a little baby. Happily ever after.” Her smile is bright and she is obviously proud of herself for throwing a jab at me about my New York City excursion early this year.

“I did not stalk her, I went to check on her one time and it was almost a year ago. I hadn’t even seen a picture and we were all of the sudden getting married. I saw a glimpse of her in a busy club. Don’t spout off nonsense, especially so loud when she’s in this house.” Glancing around, I get up to shut the door. I purposefully ignore Abigail’s snickering. Sticking my head out into the hallway, I see Benjamin and Hamish sauntering past Celia. It was obvious the teasing was not done as they were still blowing her kisses and she was waving them off.

“Get in here. I am done joking around.” As they saunter in, I slam the door behind them. My voice must’ve been too harsh as my brothers’ heads pop up, their eyes meeting mine and then their laughter dies down. “Good, now let’s discuss how tonight will go. Everyone will behave themselves. This is a special Crimson Ball. I don't need to tell you that. For tonight, I need everyone to circulate per usual, but please make sure to spend time with the Astors. Everyone is tense seeing as how Margot was never supposed to be in the position. I also need someone, preferably Abigail to coordinate what families are going to what wing of the house. Someone needs to make sure the event calendars are up for the entirety of the month. And someone else needs to talk with the chef and his team. I cannot be bothered to do all these things by myself. It’s the most important week of my life.” I finished my makeshift speech with a deep sigh and nervous glance around, hoping to unify and motivate everyone.

The waiting was gnawing on my nerves. I spent the majority of the day pacing, arguing on the phone, and answering emails with language that was not considered professional in any shape. My siblings looked at me as if I had grown a second head. This was not the cool, calm, collected brother they knew. I was the King and I was acting like a school boy. But this marriage had more moving pieces than normal and I was trying my best not to fuck it up. Pleasing the accord was my duty and was boring most of the time, but I did feel bound by the blood written contract.

Without waiting for confirmation from them, I gave them a nod and left. I had two hours to myself and I needed a fucking break. I found myself walking past her wing of the house and noticed the quietness. It was as if she wasn’t even here. My future wife was mere yards from me and I wouldn’t have known. I wonder if she’s in there thinking of me. Is she scared? She hasn’t had any real experience with my kind up close. She was forbidden from getting on the Registry since Vivienne was first considered to be my wife. She didn’t know what my kind was like, let alone me as the king. She didn’t know me and soon she would be expected to spread her legs for me. My cock immediately grew at the thought of welcoming someone new into my bed. I just wasn’t sure about how to handle the next morning. I hadn’t entertained a lover let alone a permanent partner in a few decades.

​I need a drink.

Adjusting myself in my pants, I found the closest staircase and began the assent to my favorite secluded spot in the house. The roof wasn’t something advertised to most guests. In all honesty, it wasn’t so much as a secret hideout, but more so the tallest porch on the property. The last exit on the back stairwell, it was a small porch that gave a wide view of the land that surrounded us. Security was always nervous of having too many up here, but I found it peaceful to look over the gardens with a glass in my hand. Most nights, I spent an hour up here before dinner. Just me and some fresh air.

At some point the staff must have noticed where I was going because someone started to put a tiny table on the small porch and it always held a bottle of my favorite bourbon and a glass. Everytime I would come up here, there it was and magically the bottle was refilled and the glass cleaned by the next time I appeared. But today, I could see that the glass wasn’t where it usually was. In fact, the door was wide open, a rubber stopper pushed against the edge of the door allowed me to see the view from the stair’s last step.

My beautiful escape was being used by none other than my betrothed. She was sipping my bourbon from my glass and sitting on the porch’s wide railing with her feet dangling off the edge. Her red dress dancing in the breeze all around her made her the perfect muse for an artist.

I heard myself speaking before I gave it another thought, “Ms. Astor, you seem to be lost. Shall I fetch your father?”

​Her whole body froze as I spoke and I immediately regretted not leaving her alone. Slowly turning her head, we made eye contact for the first time. I had seen pictures and I had seen her in person once from afar, but nothing could prepare me for the way her red lips perked up into a smirk and her eyes crinkled as if disapproving of me already. Her black hair was in waves that fell down till her ass. It was an ass that even in this relaxed position looked delectable. Blue eyes the color of a glacier looked back at me with wonder.

​“I’d hate to further disappoint him. I’d prefer it if you didn’t. But I’ll share my drink with you if you can keep my secret.” Her voice was soft and relaxed, all tension from her body gone at realizing my playful tone.

​“You mean my drink? You seem to have stolen my view and my drink.” I tried to sound stern, but coming from the shock of seeing the woman who I would bed in a few days had obviously worn me down in these few seconds and I sounded too friendly. I swung my leg over the ledge and pulled myself up, sitting beside her.

​There was only a few inches between us and she took a big sip of the bourbon and passed it to me and went back to looking over the back of the property. It was a great view and I enjoyed looking at the life surrounding the home considering the undead lived here. Depending on what lore you believed, you might not consider me to be ‘alive’ but this piece of land had a growing population of wildlife. We stayed silent, enjoying the sounds of the birds and the deer past the gardens grazing on the vegetation.

​She broke the silence a few minutes later as if she was completing a conversation in her own head as she blurted out, “But what if we hate each other and can’t stand to be near each other? Aren’t you worried about that? And I’m not a virgin. So don’t think you’re getting this fresh girl in white. This won’t be some holy matrimony.” She threw her hands up in the air as if exasperated by a conversation I had just joined.

​I couldn’t help the laugh that erupted from me. “We’re together now. Do you feel hatred for me?” I give her a small smile in hopes of encouraging her to say no but she stays silent so I continue. “We both have a duty, yes, but I know several Accord marriages that are happy. I hope we find a balance of happiness, yes. But if not, some find separating after completion of their duty to work well for them.”

​“You want to fuck me, get me pregnant, and then move me out?” Her wide eyes told me that she didn’t know that was an option.

​Instantly the first image that comes to mind is Margot laying on her back ready to take me in her tight cunt. I can almost see it: her moaning my name with blood dripping down her neck. As if she could read my thoughts, her eyes drift down to my pants. Handing her back the bourbon, I put my hands in my lap to distract from the growing erection. “No ideally that is not what would happen, but once we produce an offspring, you are free to live your life. I will not hold you here against your will.” I needed for this marriage to be profitable in money and end with a birth to please the Eternal Court. I didn’t want her to feel trapped. “And as for not being a virgin, my kind doesn’t tend to place emphasis on the pure bride narrative for Accord marriages. Unless you’re into role playing, I don’t think we need to discuss that. Do we?”

​Blood fills her cheeks as she dips her head, avoiding eye contact. “No, I suppose we don’t,” is all she says. Obviously lost in the new information I have dumped on her. I sigh and stretch. The day has been long, but the night will be longer.

​“I should leave to get ready. As should you,” I say while getting off the ledge. I offer her my hand to help get her down. Warm fingers grasp mine and she spins her body to slide off. With still pink cheeks she looks up at me. Our fingers still laced, I reached out to touch her elongated neck. It was the palest part of her body, inviting me in. She doesn’t seem surprised that I am touching her. Good, she should get used to it.

​As my hand travels up her neck, my grip gets tighter and I pull her closer to me. Sucking in a quick breath, she parts her lips as if to say something to me and then she stops herself. I notice her eyes reflect the bright sun behind me. Leaning down to kiss the spot where her neck meets her collarbone, I wait to be told “no”. But it never comes. Is she attracted to me as I am to her?

​With a shallow kiss that lingers a bit too long, I resign myself to get back to business and leave her company. I stop before pulling away and murmur “I hope you’ll find this marriage worth your while.”

​It takes three seconds to realize she misunderstands me because her palm collides with my face. She doesn’t look to see the shock or damage of what she has done as she storms off the small porch and down the steps. It seems like my days are already becoming less monotonous with my little wife-to-be.