Prologue: A plan is created
Hanz Beilschmidt paced back and forth before the crystalline lake. He wasn't in his other form at the moment so he shouldn't have felt so restless and wary, but he was acutely aware that this meeting place was very near enemy territory. The human town was just outside of the forest and he had just been informed that a group of unsavory characters had entered the town. Bounty hunters. He was certain of it. But there was no helping it, this was the meeting place he had instructed the other leaders to come to tonight, he could not leave until the business of the night was through.
As if on cue to his thoughts a shape materialized out of the shadows and made him bristle despite the knowledge that he must act civilized.
"Genoveva" He nodded his head respectfully.
"Hanz" The woman returned his nod and settled gracefully onto a rock before him. Her vibrant green eyes studied him without blinking. He shivered in spite of himself and looked away pretending the intent of seeking the skies. Damn vampires and their gazes that made you feel like you were being examined for all your dark secrets hidden within.
"I'm not the last I guess" A different voice made both leaders turn towards it.
"Ah Arthur" He sighed in relief as the small blond man came striding across the ground. Now he had another person to converse with that wasn't a chilling Blutsauger.
The sorcerer stopped a reasonable distance from the other two and bowed with great respect,
"Lord Beilschmidt. Queen Carriedo."
"So glad you could make it master sorcerer" Genoveva Carriedo smiled, her sharp eye teeth glinting behind her deep crimson lips. Briefly her eyes flashed from green to red. And this was why Arthur was keeping his distance. Special or not, he was still a human and the other two...were not. Nor was the figure which now made the trees sway and bend with the powerful beats of his wings.
"And here is Romulus at last." Hanz sighed, "I'm glad that he chose to take his half human form."
Arthur nodded in agreement,
"He probably can't risk being spotted in full form so close to a human settlement."
Romulus Vargas alighted gently on the ground and folded his wings till they disappeared within the confines of his skin. He gave a slight shake and unwrapped the shirt from around his waist, slipping it over his bare upper body before turning to the other three.
"Hanz, stoic and vigilant as ever I see. Genoveva, could you possibly have gotten more beautiful than when I last saw you? Arthur, didn't grow an inch did we."
Arthur was about to shout furious curses at the arrogant man but Hanz spoke up with authority,
"So we are all here then. Let us proceed to the purpose of our meeting."
"Your letter spoke of the growing threat from the humans and the need for a strong alliance in preparation for possible attack." Romulus nodded, "I see now that you really did mean a strong one." He motioned at Arthur, "Having the sorcerer's guild in this alliance will certainly make it stronger and ensure that they cannot be used on the side of the enemies."
"Arthur's brotherhood is but one of many in the sorcerer's guild" Genoveva pursed her lips in dismissal.
"That may be" Hanz agreed, "But...it is the strongest."
Arthur beamed with pride and met the vampiresses eyes with a smug grin.
"Hanz" Romulus spoke up, "How do you plan on making a strong enough alliance that involves so many races?" Personally, he wasn't very fond of Vampires and had a strong mistrust of Sorcerers, because of their magic that often rivaled that of his own race. Hanz's people were a different story. The wolf folk were respected by his kind as the rightful rulers of the land; just as they respected his race as the rightful rulers of the sky.
Hanz looked at the other three knowing how his answer would be received by each.
"A cross diamond bond."
Genoveva's eyes flashed again as Arthur took a step back and Romulus literally hissed.
"Are you mad?!" Arthur shouted, "That destroyed the four ancient kingdoms! That is what led to Kenyur having as much power as it currently posses. That is what lead to the threat you now face."
"You face it too little magician" Romulus hissed, "King Tel detests any that he deems to have more power than himself. You have been spared so far because of the distance your settlement is from the capital, but how much longer do you think that can last?"
"As to your other worries Arthur" Hanz continued, "Those were human kingdoms that could not make the cross diamond bond work. We here are not human. We can make it work if we truly desire to."
"And just who do you offer up master perro callejero?" Genoveva asked icily.
"My grandsons" He replied, ignoring the foul name she had called him.
"Ah you are offering only the best then" she sighed and turned to the other two, "We are a strong race but I do not much like the idea of facing the full force of Kenyur on our own. I agree with Hanz for once. A cross diamond bond, if kept properly, will ensure the alliance of four strong races. Together we can stand against Tel and his wrath" She turned back to the werewolf lord, "I too offer only the best. My younger son Antonio and my two best Lords."
She turned once more to the remaining leaders.
"What is your decision masters brujo and dragón?"
Romulus sighed and looked up to the sky.
"We too are a strong race, but even my subjects would be faced with possible extinction at the hands of Kenyur if we stood alone. I wish it did not have to be so but...I too offer my grandsons along with my most trusted high general."
Arthur folded his arms and looked at all of them.
"Are none of you going to offer a single woman?"
Hanz sighed.
"This is going to make things rather awkward, but I believe none of us have female descendents."
Romulus and Genoveva shook their heads.
"I do have powerful women in high positions throughout all flocks; but, as I said, Yao is my most trusted." The dragon king stated firmly.
Arthur sighed,
"Then I'll at least offer one. Though I'm certain that Elizaveta will never agree to this without a good deal or curses and threats thrown my way first" he ran a hand through his slightly messy, light blond hair, "Then the next best candidate is probably Ivan. He's powerful, if a bit unsettling."
He dropped his hand back to his side and nodded,
"Yes...Ivan and Elizaveta will be perfect."
"You have left out a third" Genoveva raised a finger, "Do you not plan on making an alliance with one of us?" her eyes cold stare bore into him, as if daring him to say her.
"I thought the third sorcerer would be obvious" he shivered.
"Yourself" Hanz smiled slightly, "There is no sorcerer more powerful, after all."
"All offerings have been clearly stated then" Romulus broke in before Genoveva could make some snide comment about Arthur, "Now we must decide who shall be paired with whom."
"Leave that to me" Genoveva smiled, "A woman can tell who will go best together. Do you gentlemen have pictures of your offerings?"
The three men looked at each other.
"Why would I carry a picture of members of my brotherhood in my pocket?" Arthur glowered, "I'm not like a proud parent or anything."
"You can create pictures of them using your power though can't you?" Romulus asked.
"Naturally" Arthur smiled proudly and snapped his fingers so two pictures appeared in the air and fluttered into his hands, "Such a simple spell requires to only be thought as you can see."
Genoveva held out her hands with a sweet smile,
"Yes I think Alfred is just what you need little sorcerer"
"What?" Arthur blinked as he gingerly handed her the two pictures.
"Oh I've just claimed you for one of my offerings. Alfred F Jones. I think that you will be quite good for each other."
Arthur stammered and tried to protest but Genoveva turned to the other two leaders with a calculating pleasant stare.
"That is alright I hope? That I claim Arthur for my own race?"
"I certainly don't want him as part of my family" Romulus smirked.
"I respect your claim Genoveva, and I have discovered that I do have my grandsons photos on me after all" Hanz replied and handed her three photographs.
"Thank you both" the vampire queen smiled and Arthur had no choice but to fall silent...apart from grumbling to himself about manipulative paranormals.
Romulus stepped forward with his own two photographs,
"I'm afraid I don't have a picture of Yao for you though."
Genoveva nodded absentmindedly as she accepted the photographs and laid all 8 before her.
The men watched her for a few moments as she arranged and rearranged them several times.
After what seemed like ages, she nodded and beckoned them forward,
"I have the pairs" She indicated to two pictures that sat by themselves, "These are your offerings that will be sealed to mine. Romulus I think it would be in your grandson's best interest to be sealed to my son. It looks like he needs to lighten up a bit and Antonio should be able to help with that."
Romulus looked at the picture of the older twin and sighed, nodding.
"I can't deny that your right. Lovino is...complicated to understand."
"Hanz" she turned to the sturdy blond, "Your grandson will be sealed to Alfred's older brother, Matthew. I trust you to ensure that he takes care of him. Matthew is a personal favorite of mine."
The werewolf nodded,
"I will ensure that my heir takes great care of him, though I feel the need to warn you that Gilbert is rather eccentric, and full of himself."
"Duly noted" Genoveva nodded, "Now..."
"Hang on" Arthur interjected, "It appears that you are taking the very best for your race. Hanz's heir, Romulus's heir too I believe, and me." He glared at her, "That doesn't sound fair to the rest of us."
"I simply paired based on appearance and implied personality based on expression master brujo. As a matter of fact, in Hanz's case, I thought this blond man was his heir." She tapped her red manicured nail on the picture of a muscular built blond man with a set expression of intense concentration on his finely chiseled face.
"Yes Ludwig certainly does appear older than Gilbert" Hanz agreed, "But he is actually younger by several years." He looked at the picture touching his grandson's, "Is this your other grandson Romulus?"
"Yes that's my Feli" Romulus smiled proudly and fondly, "A chip off the old block...well mostly."
He looked intently at Hanz.
"Your grandson will treat him well I hope? I can't let my Feli go to anybody without that assurance."
"I can assure you that Ludwig will not intentionally mistreat him" Hanz replied firmly.
Romulus smiled sadly, trying to force the implication of Hanz's words out of his head. His grandson would not be intentionally mistreated but unintentionally...was a possibility it seemed.
He turned his attention back to the rest of the paired pictures, noticing that one was still separate,
"Who is still not paired Genoveva?"
"He's paired" she contradicted, "This is Arthur's sorcerer Ivan I believe, and I decided that none of the others seemed right for him...so I paired him with Yao."
He looked at the slightly chilling violet gaze of the man in the picture and shook his head,
"I hope Yao can handle him."
"He will have to" she replied, "The rest are paired up properly as I stated. Arthur the final pair is Elizaveta with Hanz's third grandson here."
She tapped the overlapping edges of the two pictures.
"She looks interesting" Hanz mused, "It appears that Roderich is in for an unknown future like his two cousins."
Genoveva nodded without smiling,
"None of their lives are going to be the same after the cross diamond bond is formed."
The four leaders looked at each other. What they were attempting was not going to be easy given the differences inherent in each race. But for their protection it must be done.
"I still have some concerns" Arthur spoke up at last. He turned to Genoveva and Hanz, "Do I have your promises that your choices for my offering and me will not try to turn us into one of you?"
Hanz looked back at Arthur without hesitation,
"It has always been personal choice for those not born to our race. My grandson will respect her decision."
Arthur nodded and waited for Genoveva to speak,
"Alfred may be more persistent with his asking, but we are the same as Hanz's; not without consent."
"I appreciate the warning that he may be difficult to dissuade" Arthur nodded at her a bit glumly.
"Then if all issues have been resolved, shall we consider this meeting closed?" Romulus asked looking at the sky nervously, "The night will wane in but a few hours. I desire to be safe in my lands before daylight."
"Yes. This nights meeting is concluded. Shall we plan on bringing our offerings to a meeting in two weeks time?"
"You are the one who instigated the cross pair bond, so your house shall see its fulfillment naturally" Genoveva smiled a bit too sweetly at him.
Hanz respectfully lowered his head,
"My castle stronghold will be honored to host all of you and this event."
Romulus nodded,
"That's that then. Boy am I gonna get hell when I tell Lovino that I've married him off." He stripped his shirt off and let his amber wings snap out once more.
"I know what you mean" Hanz sighed, "Gilbert will not like this one bit."
"I hope Ivan doesn't try to kill me," Arthur shivered, as he prepared to teleport back to his home.
"How about you Genoveva? Are any of your vampire offerings going to give you a hard time?" Romulus laughed.
But his question hung in midair for the vampire queen had already disappeared back into the trees as silently as she had arrived.
Arthur shivered again and looked to the other two men,
"I don't find myself looking forward to meeting this Alfred she picked out for me."
"We can only hope that none of them will be as unsettling as their queen is." Hanz spoke with a frown.
Romulus simply nodded his agreement before he collected his grandson's pictures and launched into the air.
(Author note: All right as promised in the hiatus's of my other stories, here is the trivia question. The first person to answer correctly can recommend that I either work on one of my other stories, or do a one shot songfic (any of my accepted pairings. Being (Stars are favorites) - AmerBel, FemAmerCan, AmerFemJap, *AusHun, Belapan, *Belaria, Belarussi, Belgain, *ChibiHRE, *DenNor, Franada, *Franchelles, FrUK, ***GerIta, GerLiech, *Giripan, *HongIce, Hongwan, Italieach, Korkong, *Latonia, *Nelgium, NethFemJap, *Prunada, PruHun, PruFemJap, *Romanikraine, *RoChu, RomaBel, Scottwan, **Spamano, Spelgium, *SuFin, *SwisLiech, Taikong, Taipan, Taigascar, Taizmania, *USUK.
Question: What does Genoveva's name mean?)
