Chapter One

Seventeen Years Later

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." – Semisonic 'Closing Time'

Derek had received many letters before, but this one by far was one of the most surprising and unexpected he had ever received. And coming from him, that was saying something.

The ruby red and deep blue of the seal indicated that the letter was from King Charles of Inglin, a man Derek recalled only ever meeting once, and the meeting was far from pleasant. Although, to be fair, he could hardly blame that solely on Charles—that meeting, in general, was unpleasant. Having every leader from the western world learn that he was under a curse—not to mention a werewolf—was controversial, to say the least.

Nevertheless, Derek held nothing against Charles, who had remained neutral during the small, albeit damaging, war. He learned later that Charles had had a new wife and newborn son that he was concerned for and of course, Derek understood the need to protect those he loved.

The letter was short enough, which Derek appreciated, and to the point. It spoke of how Charles wanted to improve relations between the two countries, and had felt such a need for a while. Charles invited Derek and his family to come stay at the palace in Inglin in order to get to know each other and build a friendly alliance.

Derek re-read the letter several times. Though it was hard to judge one's character through letter writing, Derek prided himself on having a good sense of judgment and instinct, something he supposed he could accredit to the curse he was once under. Charles seemed sincere, and the straightforward nature of the letter was something Derek liked. There were no pretenses, games, flattery, or fancy language, just an honest desire to strengthen a relationship that was sorely lacking.

Nevertheless, Derek decided to show the letter to his wife, Cecilia. A smile crept onto Derek's face just thinking about his beloved wife. They had been married 21 years and the love between the two was just as strong as the day they were married.

Mid-life had been kind to the two monarchs, as their childhood and adolescence had not been. They were blessed with twins- one boy and one girl, Raoul Cesario and Caralina Marguerite, their respective middle names coming from their beloved and deceased grandparents. The two children were a perfect combination of Derek and Cecilia and were raised to be wonderful rulers for both Fraanc and Italle. Raoul and Caralina knew what country they would be ruler of since they were children, but their parents kept that secret from the public. The only reason Derek and Cecilia even made such a decision so early in their children's lives were because they needed to put it in their respective wills. However, although Raoul was to rule Italle and Caralina Fraanc, they wanted the people to accept both children as their rulers. Their parents only guessed which would be more suitable to rule but soon feared they chose incorrectly; Caralina was more outgoing and outspoken like the people of Italle while Raoul was quieter and proper, like the people of Fraanc. However, Derek and Cecilia had the utmost confidence that their children would be great rulers for whichever country they ruled in the future.

Because Cecilia was Queen of Italle and Derek was King of Fraanc, there were many difficulties in joint ruling. The two decided against formally merging the two countries into one, knowing the people would not approve. Although they considered the two countries one, they kept the finances and laws of each country in tact. However, to their delight, the people were welcoming of one another, and since the laws of trade between the two countries were so much easier than previously, there was a good deal of travel and mingling between the nations.

The idea of ruling in two separate castles, one in Pareis and one in Roame, was distasteful to Derek and Cecilia, to say the least, so they built a modest castle on the border of the two countries. Cecilia left her younger sister, Isobella, in Roame to take care of things there, and Derek appointed someone trustworthy in Pareis to run things there. The two often traveled to their respective capitals but hated to be away from each other and their children for long, usually only staying a few weeks or so.

Luckily for Derek, when Charles's letter arrived, both he and Cecilia were staying at their border castle, so when the two were climbing into bed for the night, he showed her Charles's letter.

She read the letter, the slight wrinkles in her face growing deeper as she frowned slightly. Cecilia was silent for a good while, clearly re-reading the letter like Derek did. He waited patiently for her to finish, patience something the ex-wolfman acquired in his adulthood.

"What do you think, my dear?" he asked her once she folded the letter back up and placed it on her bedside table.

"I think he is being sincere," Cecilia finally said. "I do not remember Charles much from that dreadful night, but I suppose we have no right not to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, I do not know when we shall have time to go to Inglin. After the floods in Italle and the drought in Fraanc, our farmers need our assistance more than ever. I do not wish to be rude and refuse his invitation—" here Cecilia slyly raised an eyebrow at her husband, "for we all know what happens when a man's invitation to stay at his castle is rebuffed."

Derek narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing.

Cecilia continued. "But we are needed here."

Thinking of something, Derek smiled, drawing his wife close with an arm around her shoulder. "You forget, my love, that we are not alone in this. We have two perfectly wonderful and able children who would do well to learn the art of diplomacy."

"You with your plots and plans," Cecilia laughed. "You sound like your mother."

"I'm serious," Derek told her. "They are both grown now and have been schooled well. We would not have to worry about them making fools of themselves for they have the intelligence and poise to keep their heads about them. Why not send them?"

Cecilia blinked, looking at him in surprise. "I do agree with you, my dear, that are children are wonderful and able enough, but you would think that at least once of us should go with them? This would be, after all, their first mission."

Derek chuckled at that. "Now you sound like your father," he teased her. "Come, come, Cecilia, what would you have said if your father had forbidden you to go to a foreign land? Oh wait, we all know how that story goes—"

Whack! A pillow came flying at Derek, hitting him at the side of the face. He grinned however, knowing that since his most gentle wife was resorting to violence, that she had no verbal rebuttal to give him.

Therefore, he was right.

And therefore, he won.

A smile, disturbingly like his mother's, spread across Derek's face.

0 0 0

"What a grand adventure it shall be!" Came an excited squeal from behind the screen. Raoul could see clothes flying everywhere, bombarding the poor maids trying to catch all of them. He was in his sister's room, right after their parents had informed them at dinner that the two were to go on their first diplomatic mission to Inglin, without their parents. Both siblings were beyond shocked, but Caralina, in typical fashion, recovered first, and immediately raced upstairs to prepare, although the trip was a week away. "It has been so long since we have been abroad, and we rarely go anywhere beyond Spainne and the main continent. Why, we've only been to visit Mother's friends in Scoughtlyn and Eyerlin once!"

Raoul was unsure which was going faster: the clothes flying about or his beloved sister's mouth. "You're overwhelming poor Genevieve," he drawled lowly, indicating one of the poor maid, who was trying desperately to catch all of the clothes before they reached the ground and not wrinkle them as well.

"Oh!" A dark, curly head popped out from the side of the screen. "I'm so sorry, dearest Genevieve. I suppose I got too excited again."

"it is quite all right, Your Highness," Genevieve gave a limp smile, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "I can understand your excitement."

"Nevertheless," Raoul said from where he was perched, lying lazily across a chaise, "you do not need your whole wardrobe in attendance with you. The Inglish will think we are naught by materialistic snobs."

Caralina turned up her nose, although her dark eyes, so much like her father's, twinkled. "I call it being well-prepared. You know how drastically different their weather is from here."

"Inglin has similar weather to Pareis," Raoul told her. "You know that. You just want to show off your new clothes."

"So what if I do?" Caralina said. "I mean, I am a girl first and foremost. Besides, I consider my clothing a way to show my personality!"

Raoul rolled his eyes. "You do have the strangest notions," he told her. "You know that society doesn't care a bit about a girl's personality as long as it consists of being dutiful and quiet."

Caralina scowled. "Well, I was not brought up to be such a girl."

"No," Raoul said gently, "you were brought up to be a queen. Though, to be fair, Mother is certainly the opposite of any conventional lady, monarch or no."

"It is what has helped Italle succeed in years of late," Caralina said, defending her mother out of habit.

"You do not have to tell me that," Raoul said, a small smile flickering on his solemn face. He stood and kissed his sister on the forehead. "Do not worry, Caralina, the Inglish shall adore you no matter what attire you are in. But do not forget that you are more than a pretty face and pretty clothes, no matter how much you may fool us into thinking otherwise."

Caralina smiled. Her brother, no matter how oblivious and serious he could be at times, always seemed to know her true intentions.

She turned away from her clothes and faced the door to her chambers, which her brother was now exiting out of. "Where are you going?" She called after him.

"To pack," he said over his shoulder, a wry grin coming across his face and an eyebrow raised. "I can't have you looking better than me, now can I?"

Caralina laughed as he left, knowing he was going to do no such thing. Her brother, although she loved him dearly, cared naught for what others thought about appearances: as long as he was doing right by the people, that was all that mattered.

Sometimes Caralina wished she could be as selfless as her brother. He had so much ambition to better himself and become the best ruler he could be. Raoul seemed to have no inadequacies or insecurities about become the future king; it was something he was born to do.

It made Caralina feel as though she could not measure up. And how could she? She loved lovely things, like clothes and planning balls, and other frivolous, useless things. She knew, realistically, that she was a good ruler. Unlike her brother, Caralina was good at talking with people, at putting them at ease and understanding them. Raoul was more like their father, rather blunt and forceful, although not unkind. But Caralina wondered if she would have what it took to rule a kingdom, although secretly she hoped that whomever she picked to be her king would have qualities she lacked, and together, they would be the perfect leaders.

That seemed like a far-off dream, however. She was nineteen and had no potential mate in sight. She had had suitors, to be sure, but her parents had approved of none of them and Caralina always found something lacking in them as well.

Of course, she was not as bad as Raoul. The man had no use for courting, and had said more than once that he would be fine with his parents just choosing someone for him. To his parents, however, the idea was horrifying, and Caralina understood why. They could not imagine life without the other and could not imagine why anyone else would want to marry someone who wasn't their soul mate, though Caralina secretly thought that her parents were being a little naïve. Not everyone was so fortunate as to have the requirements for their soul mate spelled out for them as easily as Derek and Cecilia did.

Caralina always felt guilty thinking that, however. Her parents had faced many hardships in order to get where they were today and knew that she would be forever grateful for their sacrifices; they were determined to give their children the childhood that they did not have.

Caralina sighed and turned back to her packing. Hopefully she would not have to worry about becoming queen for a very long time, and by then, she would have her king beside her.

0 0 0

Sometimes it was hard for Cecilia to believe that her children had grown up, and they were now the age she was when she met and married Derek. She remembered the day they were born, and Derek had been so scared, especially once they had learned there were twins and that Cecilia might not survive. She had laughed hysterically, drugged with herbs and pain, and told him that she was merely giving birth to a "litter" in order to make their "wolf pack" complete. Needless, to say, Derek was not amused.

She remembered how Ilario was frantic over them, protecting them like a third parent until the day he died a few years ago. He never let them out of his sight, abandoning sleeping in Derek and Cecilia's chambers to sleeping in the nursery. He loved to lick at their hair and cheeks. At first Cecilia was slightly alarmed, but Derek, recognizing the gesture, merely said that Ilario was trying to groom the children, despite their squeals of protest and laughter.

And Cecilia remembered their childhood, their adolescence as their personalities crystallized and they became the completely unique, wonderful adults they were of the present. So different, but their qualities complemented each other so well, and Cecilia was confident that they would become great rulers someday.

When Raoul had requested an audience with his parents, Cecilia was startled, to be sure, but took it in stride. As he stood before them, however, she was once again struck with how similar Raoul and Derek looked. They had the same coloring, same height and posture, and mannerisms. It was like looking at a copy, until, however, one looked at his eyes. Raoul had inherited his mother's light, honey eyes. Cecilia thought this was good because it softened Raoul's serious, staid face. She adored her son but sometimes, he needed to lighten up—the opposite problem Caralina had. Clearly the gods were laughing at her expense and did not give her children their characteristics in moderation; while Caralina loved to have fun, almost too much, Raoul avoided it at all costs.

"What is it you wished to discuss, son?" Derek said, smiling at Raoul. If there was one thing Cecilia was glad of, it was the bond between Derek and Raoul. The two were so similar, something that Cecilia was wary of initially. Both men tended to be very closed off and formal, but Cecilia's fears were for naught. As a young boy, Raoul adored his father, and Derek, of course, wanted to be the father to his son that his father could not be. Cecilia had to remember that men did not bond the same as women did, and instead of talking, gossiping, and shopping, like Cecilia and Caralina did to bond, Raoul and Derek would instead take long walks together, do activities like riding and hunting together, and merely enjoy each other's company. Raoul trusted Derek's opinion and in turn Derek always treated Raoul like his equal; the respect between the two was the foundation of their relationship.

"I wanted to discuss with both of you my upcoming trip to Inglin," Raoul said. "I have been doing some research on the country and its monarchs, and have discovered some interesting bits of information."

Both Derek and Cecilia leaned forward in their chairs, frowning slightly, as they watched Raoul, who stood before them, declining a seat. Raoul had decided to meet with them in their library, a place the two monarchs liked to escape to after dinner for some private time. As loath as Raoul was to interrupt such time, the library was an ideal place to meet because it was enclosed, private, and not as intimidating as the throne room. Raoul always thought such things out.

"Is it something we need to be concerned about?" Cecilia asked worriedly, glancing at her husband.

"No, no," Raoul blinked, cursing himself for worrying his parents. At this time he wished Caralina was here; she always knew exactly what to say and how to say it. He, on the other hand, had a knack for creating confusion and misinterpretation. "Nothing to be alarmed about. From what I have gathered, Charles is a good and fair king, and his children are exemplary as well. However, I did notice that both of Charles's daughters are, um, available and was wondering on your thoughts if I courted one of them?"

Derek and Cecilia blinked, their jaws slightly ajar. Of all the things they thought Raoul wanted to discuss with them, this was certainly not it. Raoul never spoke of courting or young women, ever. He carried on as though they did not exist, and although he did his duties at balls and other events, he never showed any particular interest in any young woman.

Derek cleared his throat. "What brought this on, Raoul?"

"I am getting older, you know," he said seriously, unknowingly revealing how young he truly was, to be saying such things. "I am the age when Mother married you, Father, and I know that I need to begin to think of such things. I think it would be advantageous to marry one of the Inglish princesses, particularly the eldest, and create a more formal alliance with them. Of course, I would not make my intentions known until I got to know the princesses better, but I feel that my plan is sound and has good merit." He finished, and, although he had maintained steady eye contact with his flabbergasted parents during the duration of his presentation, only now did he truly allow himself to gauge their reactions.

They seemed, just as he had predicted, stunned, and Raoul let out an inward sigh. He loved his parents, truly he did, but not everyone was as fortunate as them and would not find their "True Ones". Raoul was being practical about the situation, and he knew already that this would be a tough battle to fight.

"Raoul," Cecilia took a deep breath, having recovered first. "While we appreciate your pragmatic thinking, I feel that you need to spend more time considering this. Marriage is more than a political alliance, you know. Although you are perfectly capable of running a kingdom on your own, you and your queen need to provide a united front, and should complement each other in your personal attributes, morals, and child rearing techniques."

"That would be ideal," Raoul conceded. "However, Mother, we all know that many political marriages are not as fortunate as yours and Father's. I am willing to take the risk that my marriage may not be as successful. Also, if I do not feel that the Inglish princess would be a suitable queen for the throne, I will not pursue her. I just feel that this is a worthy venture that would be advantageous for everyone."

"Everyone except, perhaps you and she," Derek said quietly, eyeing his son seriously. "Although our first duty is to our people, Raoul, as parents we only want you to be happy. We are certainly not going to force you into a loveless match."

"I know you would not," Raoul said, trying to clamp down his frustration. "But as I said, I am getting older, and I am sure everyone in the land would feel more secure knowing that I have someone to help carry on the line with."

Both his parents winced at the formal language Raoul was using, but knew that they would not change his mind. Raoul was quite stubborn, and, much to their displeasure, his plan was quite sound. Cecilia thought briefly that he shared the same mindset about marriage that both she and Derek did prior to meeting each other. Perhaps her son was right in taking the more practical approach.

"We will not forbid it," Cecilia said, "but we want you to think long and hard about whether you want to court either of these princesses. Take time to get to know the princess before you announce your intentions. Do not make a hasty decision because you feel it is the most practical."

Raoul almost rolled his eyes. Once again, the women in his family liked to make rather idiotic comments about his character. Did they not realize to whom they were talking to? When had Raoul ever made a hasty, ill-planned decision in his life?

"Thank you for your time, Mother, Father," Raoul said, bowing to them both. They had all been given something to think about for the night. "I appreciate your advice and will most definitely take it into consideration. I shall see you both in the morning. Good night."

He turned to go but his mother's voice called him back. "Good night, darling," she told him, her wonderful, soft smile on her face. "We love you."

Raoul swung his gaze to his father, who gave a sure, firm nod in agreement.

"I love you both as well," he told him, his voice lowering, and a slight smile on his face as he exited. It was hard to be annoyed at his parents for long when he knew their intentions were only for his own best interest.

But he knew in his heart that marrying an Inglish princess was the right thing to do, and the more he thought about the idea, the more he liked it. Hopefully the princess would agree.

Raoul had decided to set his sights on the elder princess, Victoria. It seemed only logical, after all, and it would hardly do to court both girls in plain sight. From what he heard, Victoria was very beautiful and accomplished, whereas he heard virtually nothing about the younger daughter, Eliana. An irrelevant thought flittered through his head, however, that the name Eliana seemed much more intriguing and pretty than Victoria. Immediately, however, Raoul scoffed at himself. What was in a name, anyway?

Now, of all times, was not the time to become a sentimental fool.

Not when he had his own marriage to arrange.

0 0 0

Author's Note: I didn't know when I would be able to write another chapter, but luckily for everyone, I got my wisdom teeth out, and have been forced to be a couch potato for the next week. So it works out. Thanks to all readers, new and old, who have decided to check out this story! For those of you who haven't read "Of All the Girls in the World," the companion to this story, you don't have to, but some of the dialogue and inside jokes (especially from this chapter) would make more sense and seem that much more special, haha.

Please tell me what you think. I do not have a beta so I edit everything myself, something that I may have to change in the future, so this chapter may be riddled with errors and awkward sentences. I had an especially hard time writing "Raoul" instead of "Derek" and "Caralina" instead of "Cecilia"; I've gotten so used to those two being my protagonists it's hard to change them! Anyway, I take everyone's feedback very seriously and appreciate every single comment, positive, negative, or otherwise.

Thanks again!

M. Elena

2 August 2010

Edited: 14 June 2011

Review Responses: (I will try to reply to each and every review; if you have an account I will respond through that, but if not, your response will come at the end of the chapter!)

Let'sGoSquirrelLetsBeAwesome: I'm glad you like the story so far! I'm glad that everything came across well. I find it hard sometimes to make the emotions in the story just right; it's difficult to show the reader and not just tell them. And do not worry, you shall get to see more of his oldest and youngest children in the next chapter : ) Thanks for reading and reviewing! Enjoy