Standard Disclaimers Applied

Chapter 14: An Alliance

Onyx eyes glittered dangerously as the meaning behind the perfectly printed words settled into his mind. The sides of the reading material were crumpled beyond recognition as Lord Darien of Witchire clenched it, a futile attempt to reign in his anger. His eyes scanned the news again to be certain that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Not a moment sooner, a resounding slap bounced off the well furnished room, pages of The Morning Daily scattered on the polished floor while a large portion of it laid brokenly in a hapless pile beside a wall. Darien clenched and unclenched his hand while his throat convulsed repeatedly.

Serena Crescent Wexton is engaged. Engaged to someone else than him!

A brown haired man watched in slight amusement as his friend took in the news. It seems that his friend is not taking the news of his pursuit quarry being stolen right underneath his nose especially by the same person that had sent him bedridden for weeks. Leaning forward, Clayton braced his elbows onto his knees.

Being friends with Darien for ten years, he knew that Darien would not sit back and let Fate play her cards peacefully. His blood pumped excitedly with adrenaline at the notion of creating another scandal and he could almost taste the challenge it is going to give.

"It seems that your dearest lady has just shunned you Darien. How very archetypal of women to pick the cream of the corn," Clayton smiled when he saw Darien stiffened. "And to think you were once the top of the list."

"What are you implying, Clay? Spit it out. I'm not in the mood for your sarcastic flowery remarks."

His friend is simply too easy to bait. "Are you just going to let that asshole win? What about the incident at Pirate's Arsenal? Are you going to let that slide also?" Clayton let those questions hung.

Darien thought over the questions. After that incident at Pirate's Arsenal, he had gotten nothing but comical remarks from his friends. The usual invitations to parties and clubs were no longer coming in with flurry. Instead, it was slowly trickling in, almost as if the ton had ceased to acknowledge his existence.

"No, I'm not letting that bastard go and so does Serena," Darien vowed as he took a deep calming breath. Turning around, he met Clayton's stare. "I'm going to make them regret ever crossing fire with me, the bastard for humiliating me and Serena for thinking she could escape me."

Clayton couldn't have been more pleased at that ferverence announcement. Revenge is sweet but having a scandal that would be the talk for ages is much sweeter. Next on the list, request for a meeting with the green eyed marriage break-up expert. Lady Fate is going to have to reshuffle her cards soon…

"Congratulations on your engagement! Why didn't you tell us that you were very acquainted to his majesty?" Victoria asked.

"Yes Serena, why didn't you? I thought we are close friends!" Elizabeth piped in.

Serena nearly winced at the squeaky voice that Elizabeth had used, a habit which she finds disturbingly annoying. She did however had the pleasure of rolling her eyes as she sat down onto the only unoccupied seat in the room. She thoroughly contemplates the favor that her Maker holds against her.

When she woke up this morning, she had thought of spending the afternoon away at Ruben's, to settle her turmoil of a mind. But during breakfast, she had received a note from Victoria about having tea at her place. She was about to tuck the note away and conveniently forget about it when Aunt Agatha strode into the dining room and saw the letter. With a smile, her aunt had decree that she had to attend the honored tea party.

She hasn't even had tea yet and they have started questioning her, of all her luck…

When it was obvious that Serena wouldn't be answering until the tea was poured, Victoria graciously filled Serena's chinaware first followed by the rest. Steam of the freshly brewed tea hovered at the brim of the cup.

"Truthfully I didn't know it was him until the ball," Serena answered as she sipped the heavenly earl grey tea. Her eyes lit up when she found freshly made scones to go along with the tea.

"Then how did you meet him?" Victoria asked as she served the scones.

"It has to be during your nightly outings at the park, accidentally bumped into him and he… Oh it would have been so romantic," Marie sighed dreamily as the other ladies shook their heads in exasperation.

Serena spread a thick slab of blueberry jam onto her scone. "I met him at Ruben's while I was browsing through the books." Serena bit into the delicacy and savored the heavenly taste, oblivious of the silence that had fallen upon the other ladies. At least, there is something good at coming over for this party.

Victoria was the first to recover. Reaching out, she had a mouthful of tea down before she finally calmed her shocked nerves. "Ruben's? That is shocking. I thought only men and extremely aged would go there." At the glare from Serena, Victoria hastily added. "With the exception of you, Serena dear."

"Who would have thought a man as dashing as his highness would spend his time there," Elizabeth commented to no one in particular.

"I don't particularly mind, Lizabeth. Serena may I follow you the next time you drop by Ruben's?" Serena nearly rolled her eyes at the pathetic expression on Marie's face. Instead she managed a weak smile before she hastily refilled her cup and drank her tea. Poor Ruben would have to close his shop early…

"Is that your engagement ring?" Marie asked as she leaned forward to get a better view. A loud gasped escaped her when she saw the jewel that was on Serena's finger. Immediately, the rest of the ladies imitated her actions. Never has anyone of them seen a jewel so magnificently breathtaking.

"Look at the design on the ring! It's so… I'm going to have papa to make one for me!" Serena managed another weak smile at Marie's declaration. From Demando's little magic show, she doubts any normal craftsman could craft jewelry with the same craftsmanship as her engagement ring.

"What about Darien? Last I heard he had his eyes pinned on you. How is he taking this news?" the question had Serena pondering. Truth to be told, she had never once thought about him ever since Demando came along, not that she was complaining. The very thought of the dark haired lord makes her shudder in disgust. Serena shook her head as if to clear her mind and found the expectant eyes of the Vainglory Vamp Ladies.

"I'm not quite sure. As a matter of fact, I have never once liked him." When did she begin the habit of confiding her thought with these ladies?

"Oh dear… this would cause quite a bit of complications," Victoria commented as she gave a worried stare at Serena.

"Excuse me?"

Elizabeth decided to help Serena understand the situation a little better. "Lord Witchire is well known for three things; temper, jealousy and the marital activities."

Serena sighed inwardly. How wonderful, now she has an egoistical stalker to add to her problems, as if having Demando wasn't handful enough. At least getting around her beloved fiancé is quite easy but how is she going to handle a jealous stalker without having any bloodshed? Serena could feel the signs of an impounding headache.

"Marital activities? Oh dear… is it what I think it means?" Marie asked out, her eyes widened as her thoughts went astray.

"Yes Marie. It is what you are thinking. Don't you know? It is normality for the lords to be engaged in such activities. I even heard that some engaged couples consummate their nuptials agreement even before the wedding," Victoria stated, somehow at that moment, she looked worldlier than the rest of the women.

"I heard there is a new contraption they used to prevent impregnation of their partners instead of the usual potions," Victoria continued totally oblivious of the mortified looking Serena. "They used a sheep gut condom."

The information received a collective gasps of disbelief. Elizabeth had started fanning furiously while Marie had a wide eyed look on her face, her face as red as the sun.

Serena paled and swallowed the urge to gag. This little gathering is getting more and more robust by the second. Trying to hide her uneasiness, she reached out with slightly trembling hands to take her refilled tea cup.

"So Serena…" Elizabeth asked when she finally managed to calm herself. "Have you engaged in any activities with his majesty?" Elizabeth smiled slyly at the blond haired woman, her eyebrows wriggled.

Serena managed to sputter the remainants of tea in her mouth into her cup. Hastily grabbing a napkin, she wiped off the residue on her lips as she collected her frayed nerves. Of all the questions to ask… "Forgive me but I do not know what you are talking about."

Victoria gave her an assessing look and let out an exasperated sigh. "Has he kissed you before? Touched you and you know… that!"

Serena was silently praying that the earth would split apart underneath her and swallow her whole. She knew that the delicious scones and tea were too good to be true. She had once read that in certain countries, they feed their prisoners until they are full before the put the noose around them and that is what she thinks Victoria is trying to do to her.

"Kiss? Touch? That?" Serena squeaked out as she looked at the other ladies with wide eyes.

Victoria shook her head as if exasperated from her friend's antics. "Serena if you had listened to us years ago, you wouldn't be in this predicament. It seems that we have to teach you the arts of loving."

Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing and sputtered out her questions for reaffirmation. At the nod of the sable haired woman, she silently wondered if her day could get any worse. When Victoria started lecturing her about the importance of kissing and pleasuring the opposite sex, she knew it was just the starting of her problematic day.

"Had a troubling day, love?" Demando raised an eyebrow when the woman beside him threw him a tired look. "That bad?"

"If you only knew," Serena huffed as she settled herself into a more comfortable position on the settee. She had finally managed to twist herself out of the merciless grasp of Victoria's 'tutoring' only to remember that Demando was coming over in the evening. She had hastily returned home, bathe and changed, had a quick bite in the kitchen. She had thought of taking a few minutes of rest but that pleasure was dashed away when he arrived earlier than expected.

She is sure her mind will never be the same again after that 'tutoring'.

Demando threw an assessing look at her from head to toe, taking in her slightly dishelved form and tired eyes. He felt slightly guilty and if he had known she was tired, he would have postponed their meeting. Looking down at her, he noted the slightly drooping shoulders. Sighing, he reached out and pulled her onto his lap, one arm wrapped around her waist while the other soothingly massaged the bunched muscles on her back.

"What are you doing? What if my aunt suddenly enters?" Serena hissed as she feebly tries to wriggle herself out of his firm hold.

"Just relax and enjoy it, love." Demando didn't wait for her to agree but continued his gentle ministrations. It didn't take long for the beauty in his arms to start moaning and whimpering in bliss.

"Do you want to talk about your day, love?" Demando asked as he eased the coiled muscle between her shoulder blades.

"It was horrible. I had to have tea with Victoria and her minions. Ooh… harder Demando… it feels so," Serena moaned as skillful hands massaged a corded muscles on her back.

Demando smirked at the mention of the trio of ladies that was introduced to him at the Almack's. From Serena's constant complaints of their strange minds, he could only concluded one thing about her tea at Vandermeer's manor. "I take it that it didn't go as well as you had hoped?"

"Lower Demando… Ahh…" Serena moaned again as she directed his hands to the throbbing part on her lower back. She didn't want him to stop because whatever he was doing to her back was heavenly. "They were horrible… the topics they discussed about should be made illegal…"

Demando's interest was piqued. The last time his Serena had went for a gathering with the trios, he had a nice time listening to compliments about his manly assets although where they got the information was still a mystery. "What were they discussing about sweetheart?"

Since Serena was besotted with the pleasure that the skillful hands were doing to her, she was oblivious to the words that was coming out from her mouth. "Oh the usual… gossips… about what Lord Witchire is going to do about our engagement and… why did you stop? Demando?"

Serena slowly turned around to see what was causing her personal masseur to stop his heavenly touches. She was still quite dazed, an aftereffect of the massage, which made her throw all common sense out of the window.

Reaching out, she cupped his face and unwontedly shivered at the frosty look in his eyes. "Is something wrong, Demando?"

Instead of answering her immediately, Demando buried his face in the crook of her neck and slowly breathed in her calming scent. His arms flexed steely around her waist, crushing her if even possible closer to him. A stretch of silence hung in the air and every second the silence ticked, the more worried she became. Serena was about to ask repeat the question again when his declaration stopped her.

"I will not let anything nor anyone take you away from me." Although his voice was soft, the steely edge in voice and the underlying meaning in the words made it as clear as the stars shining in the clear night sky. The very thought of someone or something taking her away from him made his primal side roar with anger. He had gone through tunnels of dimensions to finally find someone who could ease his heavy soul and the ground will be covered in blood of those who tries to split them apart.

Tentatively, Serena reached out and stroked his silken hair comfortingly. "Demando…"

Long minutes had passed before Demando finally raised his head. The frostiness was gone from his eyes and although a heated look had replaced it, there was still a hard edge in his eyes. "I will not let you go Serena and I will destroy anything and anyone that tries to take you away from me!"

A surprised look crossed Serena's face. In all her life, no one has ever spoken such words with so much conviction to her and instead of feeling dread at the choice of words, she felt warm and tingly all over. "Demando…"

She didn't manage to finish her sentence as Demando's mouth suddenly closed heatedly against hers.

A set of eyes looked at the sound of a soft knock on the door. With a well-executed bow, the butler announced the presence of the new comer. With a motion of his hand, Darien dismissed the servant and waved the new comer in. Onyx eyes admired appreciatively as the new comer strolled into the room.

Stopping at the centre of the room, Lady Beryl Hallston curtsied to the gentleman in the room, giving them an appreciative view of her ample bosom. "To what I owe you, milord, this honored invitation?" a husky seductive tone flowed off her ruby lips as she straightened, smirking at the heated looks in the man's eyes.

"Keep teasing me with your beautiful assets my dear and we'll just have to continue the important discussion I had in mind after our little tumble in my bed. Please, have a seat."

Darien waited for Beryl to settle before following suit on his own chair, facing her. Waving his hand over to the china set, he asked, "Tea, my dear?"

After easing her almost parched throat, Beryl sat the china down and smiled at the gentleman before her. "I do hope you wouldn't disappoint me with just tea."

"Actually I invite you for a discussion, about our interests… protecting our interests," Darien watched as the green eyed beauty threw him a puzzled look.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I know of your interest in the prince that is residing in Malove, dear. I also know of his disinterest in you and his interest in Serena." Darien smirked when he heard the sharp intake of breath from the lady before him. He knows the very mention of Beryl's adversary would spark a great distaste in her behaviour.

"I didn't know you are interested in the common gossip, milord," Beryl smirked back coolly.

"Hold onto your temper, sweetheart. I'm trying to get your alliance, not to rage war." Leaning forward, he reached out and traced the contours of the ruby lips that had tempted him since she entered. He had almost forgotten how her lips felt like and although it had been a few days since he had last interacted with her since his recovery, he had missed her warm supple naked body beneath his, moaning and screaming his name.

"You have an extremely strange way to get an alliance, Darien," Beryl commented as she softly nipped at his fingers before soothing the finger with her tongue, never once tearing her eyes away from his. "And what type of alliance do you wish from me?"

Onyx eyes watched heatedly as the woman before him licked at his finger, causing an insistent urge in his nether regions. Reaching out, he pulled her against him and urgently tugged at the low neckline, spilling out the ample bosom. "How about we discuss about that after we had this alliance."

A knowing smile slipped onto the ruby lips but soon turned into a moan as warm hot mouth enclosed onto her exposed mound.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Work is taking my very own personal life away… Anyway I do hope you guys like this and yes.. I kinda make it into a steamy ending which I can assure you I had no intention of doing but somehow it just flowed through.

And I shall be doing some editing to the previous chappies due to the horrible typos.

Oh yeah many thanks to all who those that have been bugging me to get me off my lazy ass and updating this chapter.. you guys know who you are.

Once again thank you and enjoy the fic!

zackire