(((Argh! Still not as long as I'd hoped or as much action, but I write what comes to me. Maybe after a good night's sleep and the exams for this week being over, you guys will have something truly amazing to read. I already know how it ends, after all, and one of the more incredible scenes in my head is around the corner. In answer to a question posed in a review I offer another question; how far would you let him go if you were Titania? Think about it logically, not with lust. By the by, I imagine that cacao would indeed be a powerful aphrodesiac for these creatures. In naturalists and vegetarians like msyelf, dark chocolate has a very powerful effect, almost intoxicating. Then again, so does caffiene, and no one wants to see Nuada hopped up on caffiene. Continue to be safe, everyone!))))
Chapter 25
Nuada had finished fishing and had caught a rather large perch long before Puck had returned. As Nuada knelt and dressed it on the same rock as before, he harkened back to the day Titania had returned to the forest after assisting him. She had watched him silently from a distance while he had paraded quite deliberately, barely clothed in front of her. It almost made him ashamed to think he had been so exposed in front of an elf-maiden under such an enchantment. He breathed deeply and consumed the catch slowly, pondering about what life would be like among his own kind again. It had been centuries since he had been among other elves and more friendly faeries for very long. Trolls, goblins, ogres, and more sinister faeries had been his closest companions. He had only truly known Wink by name. He wondered what the other creatures expected of him in appearance and duty. It wasn't terribly important, of course. He was royalty and whether they were impressed or not he had the right to assume the throne.
After finishing with the fish and clothing once again, the prince headed back towards the tree-house. Puck would be back soon and the prince had a proposition for his friend. It had occurred to him that he would need an advisor upon arriving. His father had many wise creatures in his service aside from his consul, Oberon, and it had done well for the court. Once Oberon had been discovered, the king had relied on no one advisor in particular. Puck would make a splendid advisor to some degree or another. After all, it had been the pwca that had greeted him and escorted him through the forest safely as well as run errands when told to do so. All in all, the pwca had been a good friend and clever subject. The rabbit had been a little unreasonable from time to time, but that had only been in regard to Titania. The prince understood why the pwca felt so protective of her, she was something to behold and kind as well. She had even given Puck a human name; Lewis. Where she had derived such a title was a mystery, but the it was amusing.
"Good morning, your highness," a voice called from overhead. Nuada looked up at the sight of a large robin. It smiled and nodded its head.
"Good morning," the prince replied; a little confused that the creature had recognized him after not seeing any acknowledgement in any of the creatures that morning save for the stag, Donovan.
"Good day, your highness," another, more smooth voice said from the ground. Nuada glanced down as he caught sight of a passing badger. It bowed its head politely at the shoulders and continued on its way. The prince smiled more brightly.
"Good day," he replied and began climbing the ladder. This was marvelous. If the forest animals were willing to be so welcoming, then the ancient beings in the Faerie Ring would be more so. The pwca bounded back, skidding to a halt at the base of the stairs and colliding with the first wooden step. He groaned and grasped his head painfully. Nuada raced back down the stairs towards him. "Puck!" he cried as he reached for his fallen companion. The rabbit groaned more loudly as the prince took his head in both hands and stared into his face. "Are you hurt? Speak to me!"
"Oh, sire, my head," he groaned as he began shaking himself. The elf frowned and helped him up the stairs, wondering what could have made the creature so suddenly careless. He must have been distracted by something. "I do apologize for my display this morning, sire. You are not a child and I am not an authority on anything." Puck hoped that by having this humbled attitude, the prince would not at all suspect that he had been betrayed when this was all over. Nuada frowned, seeing the creature so incredibly humble despite years of experience and service.
"You are right, my friend, my heart should stay with my people until all is restored," the prince soothed as they walked into the dwelling. Puck reeled for a moment, lying down on the floor unceremoniously. Nuada knelt next to him, still wincing at the goose-egg forming on the rabbit's head. "Titania is my charge, not to be enjoyed as a charm."
"Oh, but, sire," Puck began to stammer as he tried to regain his composure and sit upright. He sighed heavily. How could he give the prince permission to be a heel? Misses Badcrumble knew all too well that cacao in any form acted as a powerful aphrodisiac to elves and other magical beings in general. Once in his blood, the dark sweetness would burn an insatiable fire of lust within the prince for the girl. It acted as powerfully as any love potion or spell of madness. He cared for the child, he did not at all want this to end with Titania hurt in any way. Agatha theorized that Titania would be able to not only hold her own, but would have the upper hand in a tiff with the prince once he made a first advance. The old cook really had no idea what she was delving into. Puck had more experience in these matters. He shook his head, trying to think of something, anything to both give the prince permission and still not feel like a butcher sending a sweet yearling to the chopping block. "It does her much good to be with you when you are kind to her. It makes her happy, something that few things other than her presence in the forest have ever done for her from what I understand."
"Truly?" the prince asked with enthusiasm. His affections were beginning to steal the strength of his mind and the fortitude of his senses, but what a trade. He grinned. "I make her happy."
"Yes, sire," the pwca continued anxiously. "And it is something not many other creatures, especially humans, can boast."
"One could hardly expect her to have been happy being squelched by mortals," Nuada continued. He glanced out the window, sniffing. "Something troubles me, I feel a stir in the aura of the forest and its surroundings. Have you felt it?"
"Me? Oh, uh, no sire," the pwca lied as he fished through his pouch for the handkerchief. He withdrew it as Nuada spoke aloud of what he thought the sense of foreboding could mean, namely the presence of man. "That would be awful, sire," Puck agreed thoughtlessly as he stared down at the weapon. I can't, I simply can't, one side of his conscience wailed. You must, you simply must for the sake of everyone, the other side hissed angrily. He sighed and took a piece in one paw and warmed it into a soft paste before slinking over to the table and hiding it in a piece of bread left from the day before. He gulped and trembled as he took the bread and hobbled back over to the royal standing at the window pensively.
"Yes, I can sense them. They seek to claim this forest as their own, they have sought to have done so for years. In her mind, I saw Titania's fears of it, poor dear," he said still watching the sky apprehensively. "Mark my words, Puck, the first human that enters Bethmoora with a mind to destroy it will die swiftly. I will not see my family's home fall by the same hands that have diminished our numbers and raped our world. We must be vigilant until tomorrow night."
"Indeed, sire," the rabbit said nervously. His ears twitched in unusual fear. Nuada turned, noting the creature's expression and movements. "Here, sire, you need to keep up your strength."
The elf accepted the bread and frowned at the rabbit. "You have felt it, it was what distracted you," the prince commented. He observed his friend for a few moments more before turning back to the window, satisfied that Puck was in no dire need of medicine. "You must be weary, my friend. You should go and rest until the wound on your head is less angered."
"Of course, sire, thank you," the rabbit said sadly. He knelt back to the floor, willing himself to change. He couldn't bear to watch the prince take in the sensual poison or to watch poor Titania reap its iniquity. He felt his heart grow more heavy by the minute as he hopped up the ladder, into the room, and under the bed. "Oh, my poor Titania! My prince!" he sniffed as silently as he could. He folded his paws together as tears began to stream down his face. "Oh, please forgive me!"
The elf shook his head, feeling a tension growing in the air. He had felt the start of it at the stream, but had dismissed it. Seeing Puck's anxiousness accompanied by the unrelenting strain in the atmosphere told the prince that this was not something to be ignored. He had to be on his guard for now. He watched the horizon, keeping his ears tuned to the more subtle sounds as the morning pressed on. Titania would be arriving soon. He smiled and finished the bread Puck had given him. There was an odd flavour to it, but the elf knew better than to question nourishment given by a friend. The sound of hoofbeats in the distance caught the prince's attention. Nuada smiled. The Epona's messengers were on their way to him. A warmth without explanation began to fill him as he thought of the plan he had concocted earlier for the mare. He wanted desperately to show Titania the darker, deeper, hidden regions of this forest. There were more magical beings hidden in the shadows and trees, mainly faeries and breeds of goblin, but all creatures she would find interesting and perhaps spark a bit of her true nature to life. If he was to allow the real her to awaken, then it would need to be soon. He thought of her glistening emerald eyes, the innocence behind them, and the gleam of her imagination sparkling with hundreds of tales. The warmth grew as he thought of her riding beside him, better, in front of him as they bounded through the forest and its meadows within. The thought of her dark tresses kissed with jasmine so near. He had only thought of Titania as being desirable once before, beneath the moonlight. Moonlight paled by comparison to the revelations of the sun. He breathed deeply and leapt from the window, spinning, and catching branches as he swooped to the ground. This will be a glorious day, he thought, momentarily forgetting the ominous presence that had somewhat marred the morning.
"Prince Nuada!" a voice called. The prince turned, his ears standing at attention as the tone met them. The voice was not that of a simple forest creature or a servant of the magical realm. It had the melody of a dulcimer plucked in an hour of rejoicing. How had he not been taken entirely captive by it upon meeting her? It would have been disastrous for his people, he reasoned, for him to have been so distracted from the get go. "Nuada?"
"Titania," he said softly, feeling his heart race as the sound of her name escaped him. As he listened to the girl approaching, he could hear the mares simultaneously approaching from the opposite direction. She entered the clearing, catching sight of him and smiling. Her eyes flashed fire into his soul, haloing her true spirit before him in all the glory of the ancient Tuatha Bethmoora and the Sons of Danu. She gasped and took a step backwards as the mares appeared behind the prince and bowed their heads respectfully. He grinned, reaching one hand towards her. "Come, there is much to see before tomorrow night."
"I-I'm not sure about riding," she said with palpable uncertainty. Nuada stepped forward and took her kindly by the hand, suddenly savoring the sensation of her cool, delicate features clasped in his. She stared at him, noticing an almost golden glow behind forming in his eyes. "They don't have saddles or anything, and I think that's cruel anyway, but I don't want to fall off and break something."
The prince turned and quickly asked the second mare for permission to mount and ride with a companion. The mare agreed, amused to see a young girl at the prince's side. Pwca spirits were fond of little girls, elves like Nuada were not. The first offered to ride beside them to give him the update from her mistress that he had requested. He nodded and gently pulled Titania toward the horse, climbing on. The girl watched in shock as he reached down and drew her up in front of him in one move. She breathed deeply, allowing her body, mind, and heart to adjust to the sudden change. "You will not fall, I promise," he said softly. Titania froze, sensing something unusually tender in the prince's voice. He leaned forward and gently nudged the mare's side. The pwca moved forward slowly as the prince and his companion rode silently.
Titania felt the urge to climb off and walk home immediately, but that was an irrational fear speaking. She still had something in the back of her mind telling her to be wary of the prince, it was a natural protection against the opposite sex and their strengths. The prince waited until the pwca had taken them several steps into the forest before softly placing either arm around the girl's waist, cradling her to him as they rode. Titania felt more unsure of this gesture and kept herself very still for a moment as she tried to read his intentions. What's wrong with you!? A prince, an elf prince is riding into an enchanted forest with you and you're not enjoying it? Live a little, the id within her commanded. Having been unaccustomed to the voice of the id, Titania relaxed and leaned back against him a fraction. This would at least be educational.
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Liz and Nuala watched the door to the library as it swung open. Abe and Red entered slowly with Krauss not far behind, still going on about something he had heard in Washington after he had reported what they had learned of the prince. None of the team had been happy about the entity's desire to report the situation without any leads on where the elf could be found, but he followed the rules stringently with or without popular consent. Liz stood and breathed deeply. The thought of the prince returning weighed heavily on everyone, but Liz was still remembering the words of the Death-Angel; she would suffer more than anyone. She had felt incredible, unrelenting, unquenchable suffering when Red had been wounded. She couldn't bear the thought of being without him. She would be more prepared this time and ready to strike the elf first, even if it meant doing harm to his sister. She shook her head, not wanting to think about anything shattering the peace they had enjoyed for a few blissful days.
"Is there news of my brother?" Nuala asked hopefully. Abe frowned and moved to her side.
"The prince has not been seen nor heard from in any of the regions in the European areas," he said softly. Nuala frowned and glanced to the side. "But we will find him. If Wink is alive after all of that, then Nuada surely would be."
"Yeah, well, Nuada didn't just go through a grinder. He fell to pieces," Red interjected. He sighed heavily and stared at Nuala with uncertainty in his own yellow eyes. "You're sure he's alive?" Nuala frowned an moved Abraham to her side, pulling her sleeve away from her chest. Abe gasped and moved to cover her as she displayed the quickly healing cut to the demon. Red shook his head and looked away. "Fine, the little twerp is alive. How will we know where to find him? His puppy didn't even know."
"Wink is a troll, not capable of the gifts bestowed on elves and faeries," Nuala corrected. "I will know how to find my brother. All I need is a few hours."
"To do what?" Red asked. Before anyone could answer, the doors behind the group came open once more. The five turned and watched as Manning hurried into the room, looking more flustered and panicked than he had when hearing the prince had returned. "Oh, great. What is it, Manning?"
"Are they all in here?" a man's voice asked from the hallway. Manning turned. He glanced at the team apologetically.
"Yes," he replied panting. "All of them. We can brief the team now."
"Good. I need everyone to start on the new programs as soon as possible. Washington wants results," the voice continued as a man entered the room slowly. He glanced around the room in smug satisfaction, a look of vengeance fulfilled in his dark eyes. The three original agents stared at him in shock. The man's skin had grown pale in the lack of sunlight, but the lack of field work had obviously led to some sort of promotion. This was Timothy Welf, a rival operative who had worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigations in competition with Manning. At one time, Welf had been offered a job at the BPRD, but Red had made it clear that there was something about the man that did not sit well with him. It was Timothy that was responsible for the more controlled aspects of life at the bureau and the man had even tried to have Professor Broom removed after Red had grown to adulthood. The resulting confrontation had revealed a scandal surrounding pharmaceutical experiments that Welf wished to perform. The man had been removed, sent to northern Siberia, and the team had been relieved. The man now stood smirking at the group of misfits. "And they brought me back to get them."
"Welf?!" Red exclaimed.
"Actually, they brought you back here because your obscure relative is a three star general," Manning muttered angrily as Welf strode towards the demon, smiling.
"It's been too long, Red," the man replied smiling. Red stared at him in confusion. "You have no idea what I went through in that set up."
"Hey, no hard feelings, pal," Red laughed proudly. He had been overjoyed to see the man sent to Siberia where a facility had been built to study yetis and the like. "Just trying to get you some hard experience."
"You and your 'father' made my life a miserable living hell and almost ruined my career," the man hissed back. Red took a step away, sensing that something unusually rough had befallen the man on his extended assignment. Welf smirked as five operatives in medical uniforms entered. "I want physicals and blood tests; screen for all toxins and alcohol, we can't have our team using those substances. Let's see, Manning, what happened while there was no one here to supervise; two unauthorized interspecies unions," here he glanced towards Abe and Nuala with caution. Nuala looked away, quite shocked by the harshness of this human toward the team. Leopold began to cry from across the room. Nuala hurried towards him, lifting him from the cradle and comforting him. Welf turned to Manning with a look of sheer excitement in feigned disappointment. "One unauthorized and unidentified creature in the facility, one unauthorized conception and care of an infant of a paranormal being . . ."
"What are you doing?" Red whispered angrily as he moved beside the man. Welf watched Nuala walk hurriedly back to Abe's side. Abe placed his arms protectively around his wife and son. "What's gotten into you?" Welf ignored the demon as he advanced towards the couple. "Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Still ignoring the demon, Welf eyed Nuala more carefully, glancing specifically at Leopold. "We'll need to contain it until it's been cleared by the bureau to be free of disease and/or dangerous abnormalities," Welf replied. He motioned for one of his assistants to take the baby from his parents. Nuala gasped, stepping backwards as Abe moved in front of her. "Its mother as well."
"This is crazy!" Liz cried, suddenly feeling a dread washing over her at the thought of her own growing children. "What gives you the right . . ."
"Haven't you heard?" Welf interjected as he turned to her with a wry smile. She glared back in confusion. "I'm Manning's assistant. I'm here to watch him and all of you now that the world is."
"The world will also recognize their constitutional rights as American citizens," a female voice announced. Yet again, the group turned and watched a familiar figure enter. Jenna Finkelstein, the representative for the team's benefits, walked into the room angrily until standing a few feet from the man with her arms folded. "I already spoke with DC and they have granted Princess Nuala and Abraham Sapien cohabitation status. Not to mention that as long as she and their son are under the capable watch of Dr. Johann Krauss, there will be no need for containment."
"Wow, they really don't want me to have too many freedoms," Welf smirked. Liz suppressed a small flame over her head as Red pulled her closer to him. "I'm just here to help everyone follow the rules, Finkelstein. DC also isn't happy with what's been going on down here. I'm simply making sure that everyone's going to behave."
"Great," Jenna said as she pointed towards the door. "As their representative I'll be glad to discuss any changes with you before you try to implement them."
"You think your father will get them everything they want? These aren't kittens at the pound, they're paranormal creatures," Welf corrected. The team watched him silently. The first question was, of course, why he would return. More importantly, they wondered, why he would be so angry and so intent on coming in and making things difficult in an already strained branch. They glanced at one another in concern. Jenna continued her harsh gaze, unrelenting. "Well, since you can assure me that this is all taken care of, I'll ask you to present me with the paperwork in the morning. I guess I'll see everyone bright and early for our morning update."
"Not a morning person," Red muttered as Welf walked past. The man ignored this, motioning for his entourage to follow. Whatever had happened to the man had made him want to be as intimidating and cold as possible. This was more than the work of snow and ice. Nuala and Abe watched silently as their friends left the room, still trying to figure out why a new assistant had been sent and why on earth it was Welf. The she-elf sighed heavily and patted her child.
"I will need a few hours, Abraham," she said as she handed him their son. Abe nodded to her, clutching their child tightly after the mention of something so cruel. "I will find my brother. Perhaps when he is found and there is something more focused to do, this new man will be less hostile."
"I hope so," Abe replied softly as Nuala headed for their bedroom. Welf had always been strange and had a disturbing lack of concern for paranormal creatures, hence his desire to stduy them with less tenderness shown than one would see given to the average lab rat. Still, what had been going on at headquarters to warrant an agent of less than favourable repute to be brought in to help a situation? Something strange was happening. He frowned and looked down at Leopold who glanced back at his father with a similar apprehension. "I know, I know, we need to be patient."