A/N Thank you to everyone leaving reviews, taking the time to do that helps a lot as I write and all the PMs too. So many people have come to enjoy the Bosco of the Pradesh family and I'm so happy they've been loved so much! Daily I get PMs and messages across several sites and those of you who follow my work on all the sires? Yes, I am working on a fully original novel staring the Pradesh family but they will continue with their lives on Earthland too! As long as people enjoy them here, I'll keep writing and posting.
Desna
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Cristoff strode into the guild hall still smiling and shaking his head. He wasn't kidding, it was fun seeing Kaleb act...normal, not so rigidly responsible and cool headed for once. Honestly, it was better he didn't know all the details about what had spurred that fight on the airship, what he'd heard was enough, Gildarts and Emzadi...well, the man was a big strong well built and powerful mage...Emi had been involved with older men before, it wasn't that much of a shock but then he wasn't privy to Gildarts memories like Kaleb was so….yeah...better he wasn't.
He'd still give up a case from his wine collection to see the damn fight though, especially after treating their very powerful very very hard to lay successful hits on wizard saint brother and seeing the damage Gildarts had managed to land.
He smiled then, forgetting all about it all when the swing of emerald hair caught his eye and he spotted Freed.
Dressed in black slacks tucked into his white boots, his red and white jacket laying on the table by where he was standing shaking his head at Cana. His little smirk was sexy as hell too and Cristoff was instantly curious what the two were discussing that had Freed shaking his head at the card mage and smirking.
"...come on Freed, you and I almost did once...he's your mate, just for the magazine, it's good for the guild!" Cana was saying.
"He's already done one shoot and the fashion show, I'm not asking for more, if he wants to do it I won't stop him but I won't ask him to Cana." He said firmly his smile still in place though. His eye slid to her neck and he narrowed his eyes on the beautiful unique black metal chain holding what looked to be a black shadow opal in more of the black metal he just couldn't identify.
"That is a stunning necklace Cana, I've not seen it before, where did you get it?" He asked, thinking to himself that metal would look incredible as a band to replace the silver one Christoff wore above his left bicep that held a motion sickness lacrima bead that was the reason he never got sick with transportation. He was considering getting them made for all of the guilds dragon slayers once Cristoff had confirmed he could place the right spells and enchantments into a lacrima bead.
He was surprised when Cana blushed...BLUSHED, and fingered the pendant. "Um...well...not sure where it came from...it was a gift...I think…" She said chewing her lip. She had been more than a little stunned when she'd slid out of her bed after what had been the most satisfying and intense wet dream of her life, congratulating herself on her amazing imagination and praying she could have another dream like that in the near future...like...every night for the rest of her damn life would be nice, shuffled into her shower and started washing her hair and when her hands slid down there it was.
The necklace she'd watched him weave from shadows through sleep and sex hazed eyes after he'd told her she was gorgeous...after he'd rocked her damn world with some of the sexiest most sensual sex she'd ever had. She'd guessed that would be what the youngest of Bickslows brothers was like in bed, watching the way he moved, his flirty personality, she'd seen him training, gotten to watch him spar with Zen and Erza one day.
Hell the whole guild about had turned out for that, to watch their Titania, stand off against her mate, who wielded a variety of weapons but was particularly fond of some vicious glaives he'd brought out and had been teaching Erza to use and, Vander, who Zen, Cristoff and Kaleb asserted was probably the finest swordsman in Bosco.
News of the three way dual had spread through the guild quickly and the turn out the morning they did it was impressive. "Simple rules, no holds barred, all magic is fine, no killing blow spells, keep the fight in the ring." Zen said, eyes flaring gold and runes flashed over Vander and Erzas foreheads as they agreed, binding them to the simple rules via Zens Archangel magic.
Everyone was beyond interested in seeing how Zen and Vander fought, some had gone on jobs with them, but for the most part, it was all rumor and speculation since Zen was the only known Archangel mage in over 800 years and Vander was the only known shadowquip currently. All three mages were S-class rated too, Vander also having been an inducted Knight and a current Bloodhunter for the Steel Council.
The fight had been spectacular to watch. Cana organized a betting pool with Bickslow and Cobras help, and had bet on Vander herself, just having a feeling his lazy persona and seeming careless ways hid something really serious and she was right.
Within minutes of the start Erza and Zen ended up teaming up against Vander, who, with his shadows, void shifts and ability to almost instantly create from shadows any weapon or armor he could imagine, proved quickly, he was more than a match even for Erza.
"At home, he spars 10 on one." Kaleb smirked, Vander drove him crazy at times, and was a challenge he wouldn't wish on any other Guildmaster as a mage, but for all his recklessness and troublemaking, pranks and fuckery, if he were ever in a horrible situation, there was nobody he'd want fighting at his side more than Vander.
"There's a pool, mages who challenge him, if they lose they have to put jewel into it. If they win they take the pot home based on what they put in, so if they put in say 1K they get to keep 10 percent of the total pot for their win, Farron started it a few years back when Vander had just been taken by the council for training. It's up to 5 million jewel now." He'd added and Cana had whistled.
"Zen ever try?" She'd asked and Kaleb had smirked, puting his money on Vander.
He just moved so fluidly, precision, control beyond what you would ever expect by so much peoples mouths were hanging open watching as Titania was driven back back Vander in her Lightning Empress armor then Flight, then Robe of Yuen her wingblade gave her the best defense but it was just defense, even with Zen taking to the air within the rings ceiling of containment Vander was keeping them both on the defensive.
His own armor and weapons shifting far faster than Erzas requips so no matter what she went to, he countered her with his own armor and weapons and always seemed to have in mind his brothers magic. It lasted nearly an hour, and Vander ended it, the sun had shifted and a thick shadow was forming at one end of the ring, it split into hundreds of incredibly fast snake-like shadows and attacked Erza, bringing her down first while Vander void shifted into the air, caught one of his brothers wings, vanished into it and the Archangel was wrenched down out of the air and slammed into the rings surface, Vander appearing standing on his wings with a curved black sword with saw teeth along the end quarter of the savage looking blade, Erza buried under writhing shadows.
Zens wings Vanished and he spun, slamming Vanders blade aside but the Shadowquip just vanished before the bigger mage could land a blow on him reappearing by his feet.
Zen had laughed, waving a hand, dropping his glaives and Erza had squeaked out her surrender eager to get the writhing mass of shadows off of her. Vander had turned then and bowed to the assembled crowd with a wicked grin and that was it, Cana had wanted him bad ever since, the pendant around her neck was absolutely gorgeous, and proof her "dream" hadn't been a dream after all, the man had just been so good he'd worked her all through that whole thing without jarring her from her sleepy dreamy state.
It certainly hadn't sated her desire for the Shadowquip though, now she wanted very much to have him while she was wide awake and sober. But, inwardly she could only sigh...he was gone now, heading back to Bosco, she hadn't even gotten to thank him for the necklace...and Gods did she ever want to thank the fuck out of him.
She returned her attention to Freed from the necklace and smiled, shoving her thoughts aside to focus on the job she was trying to land. She could use the damn jewel.
"Ok, I will." Cana said brightly, eyes locking on Cristoff and her sudden step from Freed had the Rune mage looking up and meeting his mates eyes, feeling the sweet attraction and affection for a moment before Cana stood in front of the big slayer.
"Ok tall dark a sexy, so your brief walk on the runway at fashion week along with the page you got in sorcerers weekly has requests coming in for you and Zen like crazy. Sorcerers weekly has loads of advertisements in it for the top clothes, colognes and perfumes, jewelry you name it in the wizard circles and you, Zen and Mira are now THE models everyone wants to hire, especially YOU because they got less of you than the others." Cana told him.
Cristoff lifted a brow looking past the card mage to find his mate now sitting on the edge of the table by his coat watching him, Freed shrugged showing he wasn't bothered one way or another by it all.
"Ok, and where would YOU fit into this?" He asked looking skeptically at Cana who grinned. "Well, a job just came in for Femme Couture, the ladies lingerie designer? They specifically requested you and Mira along with a "beautiful brunette" to model for an add they're running in the weekly. Reward is damn nice and Mira said if I could talk you into it she'd go and bring me as the brunette." Cana said brightly.
"Freed, you should step in...I'm the better choice for that shoot." Evergreen, sitting close to Freed, said poking the rune mage with her fan.
Freed frowned at her "I'm not involved in this Ever, it's not me they're requesting." He said firmly and Evergreen narrowed her eyes "But your mate could insist on taking me instead of Cana, come on Freed! I would LOVE to pick up a modeling job, once people got a look at me I'd start rivaling Mira!" She said smiling and looking cattily over at the barmaid who was chatting with Lucy at the bar.
"I am not influencing Cristoff one way or another Evergreen." Freed said flatly and meant it, he refused to put demands on his mate that way. He was too damn happy to mess with things.
"Hmph, I would think you would prefer ME being the one hanging all over him in lingerie instead of Cana who has made no secret of the fact she wants to get into the pants of each of the Pradesh brothers since they walked into the guild." She huffed.
Freed narrowed his eyes on Cana who was now running her hands up Cristoffs arms while the Dragon Slayer continued to eye her doubtfully, there was zero sexual interest from Cristoff, their bond told Freed that clearly, just mild amusement and interest in the job she was talking about.
"Freed! I thought we were friends. You know how much I love fashion!" Evergreen changed her tactics, going for pouting.
Freed was rescued by Cristoff, "I'm taking the job with Mira and Cana but if you find one we can do, I'll go on one with you Evergreen." The slayer said as he walked up with Cana who squealed at his indirect answer and rushed off to tell Mira.
Freed watched his mate as the big man sat beside Evergreen and she grabbed his arm and hugged it before going off to the mission board to check the requests section, Freed was certain there were several modeling jobs for Cristoff, there had been since before Christmas for everyone who had been in the magazine shoot.
"You and I need to take a job sometime, just us." Cristoff said and Freed smiled "I'd like that, though I don't care for being photographed/" He admitted. Cristoff shrugged "I don't care what kind of job it is, I just want time with you." He said and Freed blushed in spite of himself. They were mated, the engagement ring on his finger, and the one he'd put on Cristoffs declared them engaged too, his mother was even due in next week to go over some plans for their wedding. He slept in those arms every night, kissed that mouth and made love to that body every single day yet he still blushed when Cristoff made his affection so clear and plain in public, something his big mate wasn't the least bit shy about.
"After mother leaves I'll find us one." He said and Cristoff smiled, reaching and pulling Freed down into his lap, growling when, instinctively Freed looked around in alarm to see who had seen him do it.
"Stop doing that, Bickslow and Cobra give each other handjobs at this table, I'm allowed to damn well hold you." He rumbled quietly and Freed blushed more, leaning into his mate then jerking his head around to stare at him aghast "They do?!"
Cristoff laughed, hugging his owl eyed mate and setting him down on the bench after turning to straddle it so Freed was sitting between his legs, "They've done it at least three times since Christmas love. Yesterday during dinner being the most recent. Bickslow did Cobra last night while he was talking to you." He chuckled and Freed gaped, he and Bickslow had been discussing Bickslow and Cobras ceremony, they had married while in Bosco last time, after the whole mess with Freeds father.
"Oh Gods...he was….while he was discussing how the ceremony in Bosco worked….Oh my Gods I'm going to kill him...no wonder Cobra wasn't talking!" He was still shaking his head when Mira and Cana came up and slapped a flier down.
"So here's the information on the job, we should honestly leave tonight, it's in Hargeon, Freed did you want to come along? The shoot starts at 8am tomorrow morning and will run two days." Mira said. Freed blinked at her "He's coming, we can meet you both at the station for the last train at 10pm." Cristoff offered.
Cana grinned "Perfect! I'll go get packed, see you guys at the station." She said and Mira nodded, leaving with her and waving sweetly to Cristoff and Freed.
"I...I didn't need to…" Freed started to say.
"Yes you do, we're less than a month mated Freed, we'll be miserable if we're separated, I need you with me and you can work like my liaison with the client. You know better than me what's proper here, what I should and shouldn't do for the sake of the guild, I lack Fioran modesty or reservations, don't want to do anything that might make the guild look bad you know? It IS a lingerie designer and Mira dn Cana are going with me…" He pointed out and Freed chuckled
"Good point." Cristoff reached down and gripped his thigh before pulling him in to kiss his neck "We have a few hours...how bout we pack, I cook dinner, fuck you till you scream and then we have a shower and meet the girls?" He whispered against Freeds ear and the rune mage shivered, smiling. "We should just get take out...it's faster...I intend to make you scream too…" He purred back and Cristoff growled, dragging him quickly to his feet and out of the guild hall.
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Makarov settled back in and Freed was finally whisked away to Bosco. His mother had been travelling back and forth to Pelerno, learning all she could about Boscan heritage, Dragon Slayers, mates, and Arman helped her, letting her raid his private library and borrow some of his one of a king handwritten texts that Nurem herself had given him.
She sat quietly in the kitchen of the Pradesh house sipping at some wine and reading when movement drew her head up and she smiled widely as Farron came into the kitchen. "Rowena, I didn't know you were in town already." He smiled, coming to her and leaning to kiss her forehead but she tilted up and caught his mouth. It was common in Bosco, greetings included kissing and usually on the mouth.
"I've been doing my homework, it's sweet you know Fiorans are so much more reserved but I intend to embrace this because Bosco is becoming a large part of my sons life and I want Cristoff to feel comfortable around me, not like he has to act all stiff and conservative." She said firmly.
Farron grinned, he liked Freeds mother, this was the fifth time in as many months she had appeared. Of course this time he knew it was preceding Freed himself, who was arriving the following day with Cristoff and a large number of guests from Fairy Tail for he and Cristoffs wedding. Including, freshly returned from his own honeymoon, Laxus with Lucy, who was now Lucy Dreyar.
"He'll love that, you don't have to work too hard though Rowena, Cristoff is a romantic, affectionate by nature, he's going to love you regardless, I know he missed your visit with Freed a few months back because he was stuck on some job with Evergreen but I know my little brother. Now what are you reading…" He asked eyeing the book and narrowing his eyes.
Rowena smiled, holding it up and he smiled "Draconic mating rituals and absolutes." He read "Nurem wrote that herself." He said fondly, remembering the beautiful dragon that was Cristoffs adoptive mother, and really, had been a mother figure to most of them during the years she was there, even Farron had cuddled into her huge cheek, fallen asleep between her massive claws and whispered his secrets and hopes and dreams to the ageless creature.
"This is the only thing I've found that talks about the male to male mating so common among dragons, and also about surrogacy and how it has to be handled. It's absolutely fascinating….I had no idea these wonderful creatures had such an intricate social structure, such amazing rituals and customs and how deep and powerful the magic in Cristoff really is." She said reverently.
Farron smiled, pouring himself some wine and sitting across from her. "The Dragon Slayers carry their magic well, and Cristoff was lucky, Nurem stayed with him far longer than most of the dragons that raised the first generation slayers managed to. He got a very good education and she had the foresight to provide father with books to help him as Cristoff grew and was ready for more aspects of the nature his magic would build in him. Are you hoping they will get a surrogate then?" He knew she did, she'd asked about it on her last visit and his father must have dug up this book to help her. His father was thinking a lot about surrogates since Bickslow had mated with Cobra so two of his sons would need them if they were going to be giving him the grandbabies he so wanted.
"Did you know that the magic...this is amazing, but the magic involved in the mating bond, when dragon mated to another male impregnates a female, the magic combines his genetics with those of his mate and the females is suppressed becoming fully recessive? It says here that if two mated males were strong enough to convince a Dragoness to let them breed her to produce hatchlings, her own genetics would recede allowing the mated pairs to be most prominent in the offspring thus ensuring such strength as would be required to win compliancy like that would be passed on to the hatchlings." She grinned at Farron, her aquamarine eyes, so like Freeds, gleaming brightly with excitement.
"That means, as long as it's Cristoff who impregnates a surrogate, BOTH he and Freeds genetics will be within the offspring created since Freed isn't a Dragon Slayer so him fathering a child would work just like a normal coupling would. Freed will have to be present, and I do love this part, because Cristoff is, according to everything I've read, physically incapable of having sex without his mate being there and a willing participant." She smirked archly at Farron "Hell of a nice way to prevent infidelity, makes me wish that little bit of magic could be implanted into wedding rings." She chuckled and Farron smiled, raising his glass to the idea before taking a deep drink.
"So Cristoff will have to do the impregnating and then both Freed and Cristoff will be within the grandbabies they'll give us. Bosco has a wonderful system for surrogacy too, a lot of women sign up offering to do it and that's such a huge difference from Fiore where finding a good surrogate is near impossible." She said.
Farron smiled as Rowena chatted on, she was a beautiful woman, small, barely over 5 feet tall and slender but so obviously capable and strong he marvelled at how Freeds father could have cast her aside like he had. Her hair was still a rich cinnamon color with just a dusting of paler silver at the crown, her deep aquamarine eyes were breathtaking and she had a beautiful smile with faint lines at the corners of her eyes that indicated she smiled a lot.
Meeting and getting to know Lady Justine had just convinced Farron further Abraham Justine was a fool. He did very much though, like that she was spending so much time with his father. Yes it was all innocent, parents working to organize their childrens wedding, but they had become fast friends, Farron knew his father liked Rowena or the woman wouldn't be sitting in their home while Arman himself was still at work.
"How is the divorce going?" He asked, sobering some and Rowena sighed. "Final as of yesterday. Abraham is still awaiting trial for his crimes but the courts…" she smiled giving him a narrow eyed suspicious look "somehow made time for our divorce and it went through seamlessly since my attorney was able to get right into the prison to work with Abraham and his attorney. I am taking over the business and the estates and holdings and paying Abraham alimony until he's out of prison...if he ever gets out of prison." She said darkly.
"I doubt he will, with the multiple attempted murders and host of other charges against him from the magic council because of his dealings with dark guilds, the councils investigation has turned up more things they are charging him with." Farron said quietly. Rowena sighed shaking her head.
"Arranged marriage, I was forced into it by my parents, just like Abraham was trying to do to Freed. Thank the Gods for Cristoff and all of you, you and your family saved my son and...well...both of my sons and myself from Abraham...I can never thank you enough." She said reaching across the table to squeeze Farrons hand.
"Freed is family, and by extension Rowena, so are you and his brother, my father taught us to always fight for our family, protect each other and be there for each other, we could never sit by and let what was happening continue." He replied.
"Well, I know only one of you has Archangel magic, but you're all my angels. Freed is so happy, Cristoff is so good to him, has brought my son farther in a few months than years away from home had managed to do. I am so looking forward to finally meeting him face to face." She said.
"Tomorrow afternoon, their ship arrives about 3pm, I'll be driving to get them, did you want to join me Rowena?" both of them turned as Arman swept into the room, Mr. Elan on his heels pushing a large cart heavily loaded with groceries past them toward the pantry. Arman had gone shopping with their cook to stock up for the next week.
"Oh Arman I would love that yes, can you pick me up from the Seaview Hotel on your way?" Rowena grinned. Arman smiled over his shoulder as he pulled down a wine glass for himself. "Of course, Farron did you want to come?" He asked and Farron waved a hand "I'll just be sure to be here at the house when you all arrive." He said.
The trio sat and Mr. Elan laid a light meal out for them a little while later, Farron opting to stay until Rowena was ready to head back to her hotel and driving her there himself since his townhouse wasn't far from the hotel. He watched though, his practiced eye missing nothing, not one of Rowenas long glances at his father, her faint blushes at his compliments to her research and efforts in planning the wedding for their sons. Rowena Justine liked his father more than a little, and he very much liked that she did. He wasted no time calling Kaleb when he got home, ignoring his brothers sleepy frown.
"You need to see if you can find out what Dad is thinking about Freeds mother...seriously, if he's interested...we may need to enlist our siblings in playing matchmaker, I wouldn't want to see Dad lose another wonderful woman because he waited around too long." He said firmly and Kaleb frowned at him.
"You woke me up because you want to hook our dad up with Freeds mother? Farron...you need an extended vacation, you're spending too much time setting up unions between countries, it's bleeding into your real life." Kaleb said sternly.
"Don't be an ass just because your sleepy, I want you to bust into Dads head and find out what he thinks of Rowena." He said firmly and Kaleb gave him a wide eyed look that turned defiant. "No, Farron, the last time I snuck into Dads head my life was hell for weeks, he always finds out." Kaleb responded.
"Yeah? He'll love this even more." Farron said holding up a lacrima bead. Kaleb narrowed his eyes. "What the fuck is that?" He demanded.
"Vanders recording camera, I won the bidding and got the camera itself, wiped out the copies he made with a neat little sonic wave when I collected it. You help me or I give it to Dad." He said and Kaleb narrowed his eyes. It wasn't the first time Farron had used underhanded methods to get him to help him do one thing or another for their family. He never did it with anything "serious" but moments like this had come up before.
"Blackmail...you're blackmailing me...you know, I still have the pictures of you with the twins from Bellum…" Kaleb said coldly.
"So not as good as you wrecking the top deck of a Boscan airship fighting with Gildarts Clive over him fucking Emi and you fucking Gildarts' daughter, You know he screamed "You fucked my baby girl!" at least four or five times." Farron replied equally as cold.
"Who you fucked first, who you brought back to the suite too, I wouldn't have touched a Fairy Tail guild member if you hadn't brought her there, technically, the whole situation was your fault because your horny ass couldn't take time to be more choosy." Kaleb snapped.
Farron waved his hand "Doesn't matter now does it? You're just being bitchy now, Come on Kaleb, I can't just start working on this without being sure Dad would be receptive. I know Rowena likes him, she was blushing, all heart racing and breath catching and the whole works all through dinner tonight so I know she likes him, her divorce from that pig is final…" He was saying.
"Because you pulled some strings to hurry the process, shit Farron if you like her so much YOU ask her out." Kaleb chuckled and Farron gave him a withering look lifting the lacrima bead and rolling it between his fingers.
Kaleb glared at him "Fine, I'll try tomorrow night after everyone arrives, Dad will be busy and have his guard down but if I get caught…" He said and Farron shrugged "I will disavow all knowledge of our arrangement as per usual." He smirked.
Kaleb rolled his eyes "You've been talking with Vander too much and no, I'm taking you down with me, I'll put those pictures right into Dads hands." He said smirking back at his brother who frowned instantly.
"I'll do all I can to help, just let me know somehow when you're ready to try and I'll see if I can keep him distracted with something." He offered.
"Fine, can I go to sleep now? I was up before dawn and have to be again so I can get my work done and haul my happy ass home in time for this whole mess." Kaleb growled and Farron grinned "Pleasant dreams little brother." He said brightly and Kaleb flipped him off before cutting the com off.
Farron grinned, turning to head to his bathroom, get a hot shower in before he turned in, tomorrow maybe he'd be seeing about getting his father into the arms of a good woman.
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"You sure I'm alright like this?" Cristoff turned and Freed smiled, 6'4" stunningly handsome, built like a god and his mate was worried about how he looked all because he was meeting Freeds mother in person for the first time. Freed had even picked out his clothes because he wasn't sure about casual or more formal so Cristoff stood in tailored black slacks that hugged his ass and gave delicious hints at his muscular thighs, a deep blue dress shirt and black vest. Several women had already tripped over themselves staring at him, one walked right into a post making Erza and Zen both snicker and tell him he'd earned 2 points for something.
He looked incredible, and the fact he was worried was just adorable to Freed, the man was endlessly confident, so much so Freed was starting to gain confidence just being around him, but he cared a lot about this, knew Freed was overjoyed about how his relationship was growing with his mother now and wanted her to be happy with the man her son was marrying and already mated to.
"For the thousandth time, yes, you look almost edible, I may run into a post myself." He smiled and Cristoff rolled his eyes "Don't start, I have no idea what Erza and Zen were snickering about back there." He admitted.
"Well, you have 2 points for something, I guess we'll have to ask them what for. My mother is already thrilled with you Cristoff, just be yourself, nobody can resist that." He tried and Cristoff pulled him into a hard hug "I hope not, I really want her to like me." he said, wincing when the announcement came they were docking.
"I could teleport home and meet her there…" He said and Freed laughed "Where's my brave Dragon?" He asked and Cristoff heaved a sigh "I might find him at home…" He smiled faintly at Freeds laugh, grateful at least his mate wasn't upset about him being nervous. It wasn't like him, he was never nervous, no, this new thing had started with Freed nerving up when his mother had come to visit and Cristoff had been stuck in the next town working with Evergreen on the God awful photo shoot she'd picked out for them advertising one of her favorite designers. The woman had even negotiated their reward away, taking clothes in trade...for her since the designer made nothing in Cristoffs size and certainly nothing in his taste.
So Cristoff was left in tight jeans shirtless for 4 days because the shoot director couldn't get the lighting right in the dense ass section of the woods he'd chosen so Cristoff missed Rowenas brief visit and hadn't been happy about that. Evergreen hadn't been too apologetic, not her nature to be really, but had approached Freed instead of Cristoff directly when another modeling job requesting him or Zen had come up.
As they walked down the skyway to the terminal Freeds faint smile brightened and he grabbed Cristoffs arm. "There, there she is." He said brightly nodding ahead of them and Cristoff saw his father standing beside a slight woman who, beside his tall father who was still shorter than himself, dwarfed the cinnamon haired woman who had Freeds eyes.
He saw his father lean toward her and point them out and then was under a bright aquamarine gaze. His own mouth curled into a smile under the warmth of it and the moment they were in the terminal Rowena was hugging him, stepping back a moment later and looking up at him then over to her son. "Oh Freed, he's so...handsome...Gods Cristoff, no wonder my son is so head over heels! Oh you're going to look so amazing in the suit I picked for you!" Rowena said brightly.
Cristoff grinned down at her "Bosco suits you Lady Justine. You look too young to be my mates mother." He returned smoothly and Rowena slid her hand into the crook of his arm, walking beside him as Arman grinned a little ahead of them, Cristoff may not be an Ambassador, but he certainly had the Pradesh charm down well.
Freed grinned, walking on the other side of his mother and watching as she started chatting with his mate who was, in spite of his neres, as smooth and charming as ever exuding that strong confidence that was one of the things he so loved about him.
"Erik, I'm surprised I'm not seeing the new coat you had made last time you were here." Arman said and was surprised to see Bickslow actually press his lips together and look away. Cobras eye flew to his son for a moment pointedly then back to his father in law.
"My beloved mates "babies" decided to take off with it during a fight, flew up into the air and blasted their way out from under it….my FAVORITE brand new white coat, yeah." He said darkly and Bickslow rolled his eyes "They were just being helpful, I tossed it to them to...uh...hold it ya know, keep it out of the dirt…" He said and Erik glared at him "You were trying to keep it from me when I asked for it and while you had the babies keeping it out of my reach we were jumped by the crooks we were tracking."
Bickslow shrugged "See?! Purely innocent, they had to blast your coat to dust so they could help us fight, it wasn't like they wanted to do it…"
"Blast the coat, Blast the coat!" The babies sang and Cobra gave Bickslow a withering look. "So we're planning a trip to Elluris, snagged a gift card from Cristoff who is still picking up modeling gigs for them and getting Erik some new clothes." Bickslow said brightly.
"I saw one of those ads! Dominic at the main store in Pelerno here even cut me an amazing deal on your suits for the ceremony, told me his favorite model needed to look amazing for his wedding!" Rowena said squeezing Cristoffs arm.
"Long as he keeps letting me steal those credit cards they give him they can have him all they want." Bickslow said with a grin. Elluris paid decently and always included store credit cards, they wanted their models wearing their clothes, but Cristoff had never been big into much more than jeans or breeches and usually gave them all to Freed, who had a hell of a wardrobe now and Freed had been handing some of them off to Bickslow and Laxus recently because he'd long since filled his own closet.
"Well, you looked amazing, I think it was for their summer line, you were in white." Rowena said thoughtfully, smiling up at her son to be son-in-law. She couldn't be happier with it all. Blaine was even coming in for the ceremony and having both her sons in the same place had her about beside herself, especially since there was no oppressive hateful man hanging over them all.
They piled into the cars, Arman had brought three and even so since he and his sons were all good sized and Laxus and Cobra weren't small either it was close but comfortable for the ride to the families estate. She honestly loved the Pradesh home.
She had expected something grand, and the house wasn't small at all, but it was simple, no grand front patios or anything, she knew though the back of the house was a veritable resort with its sprawling deck, large heated pool, grassy lawns and private beach overhung by gorgeous golden Boscan Starfruit trees.
The staff of the house was all brilliant, friendly and the first time Rowena had visited they had made her feel welcome just like Arman and Farron had. She was still in awe of it all. Her son, her darling Freed, so beaten down by his father, had fallen in love with a Dragon Slayer, rare and amazing as that was, he'd turned out to be the mate of Arman Pradesh's son.
She'd heard how hard that whole thing had been, Freed had tried to make light of it, that it didn't matter because he was happy now, but it still made her ache knowing that while Cristoff had a loving supportive family to turn to when that had happened, her son had been alone, reliant on the love of his friends because his family was so...volatile.
She had never loved Abraham, had never really even liked the man, and when he'd estranged her from Freed, leveling all manner of threats on her about "You, this is YOU, you fucking coddled the damn brat and made him some sick twisted deviant! I swear Rowena, if I catch word you've uttered a single word to my eldest son I'll make you BOTH pay dearly, you keep your liberal bullshit away from him and maybe I can salvage the boy!" Abraham had shouted at her as he'd had her packed and sent to their estate in Rosegarden.
He'd sent Blaine off to a private school and started working on trying to recover his "lost" son who he was certain Rowena had, in loving the boy, turned into the person Freed had become. Someone Abraham just about loathed but Freed was smart, refined, talented and successful as a mage and even Abraham could see it, so he hadn't given up and turned to Blaine, no, instead he'd all but tortured Freed and Freed had taken it to protect his younger brother. He didn't know it, but Blaine had always loved him dearly for it, knew what Freed had gone through for him.
Now her sons would be re-united and Freed was getting married, to a Pradesh no less and his love for Cristoff, had ended up saving herself and his younger brother and ended Abrahams tyranny over his family.
Add to that she now felt she could count Arman Pradesh himself as a friend, something the ambassador had told her he was with one of his heart stopping smiles. "We're friends Rowena, of course we are, our sons are mated, marrying and if we play our cards right they'll give as at least one grandbaby." He had said brightly.
She liked Arman, more than she probably should. He'd been kind, warm, welcoming and immensely helpful, had gone well out of his way helping her smooth through bureaucratic messes so she could take over the Justine properties and holdings and work out a legal, fair divorce from her husband, get clear of Abraham before he went down and it had all happened so fast and so smoothly with Arman and Farrons help that the rumor mills in Fiore were only now starting to catch on that something had happened with Lord Justine and his family.
By the time everything hit the fan, Rowena had full legal control of everything and had already started changing some of the things her husband had, bringing his business dealings out of dark shadows and forcing it all to either be legal and honest or she cut whatever it was lose as a loss.
She knew some of it was likely to come back on Abraham, some of the businesses he'd had were not fit for the light of day and those working them with him she sincerely doubted would want to even see a Rune Knight or legal authority within a mile of them. Those, she cut as losses without a second thought, and had, under Armans strong urging, done most of her work in Crocus within the secure walls of the Trade Administration for Fiore, making a point of travelling and not staying in a single place long for a bit because Abrahams former business affiliates, for a while, were going to be trying to get her to keep things as they had always been under her husband.
She now had personal guards, talented young mages from White Sea who watched over her. Her favorite, a friend of Armans youngest son, Presca, she was especially fond of. She saw him little, he kept himself unobtrusive, and took the job of protecting her seriously. He was an attractive young man with his steel eyes and chocolate colored hair, and Blaine had grinned at her wickedly when he'd seen Presca and Endine, the young woman mage who worked with Presca as her other guard. She'd had to set him straight, not wanting Presca to think less of her. She had never been like a lot of other noble women, she didn't take lovers like Abraham thought she did, like he'd told Freed she did, and she wouldn't flirt with a man young enough to be her son, no, if she wanted to flirt there was a tall man with pale green eyes….
She knew Bosco had no divorce, but then, they also strongly discouraged arranged marriages, with laws in place to assure when someone married they had the greatest chance for happiness in that marriage. Freed had told her he'd gotten a traditional proposal from Cristoff, even though it hadn't been when Cristoff had wanted to do it, and they would have a traditional Boscan ceremony, she'd even put them into the registry for a surrogate so once their marriage was filed and legal, when they were ready, a list of willing women suitable for them would be waiting.
Hopefully Arman wouldn't think less of her for being divorced, he didn't seem to, but she worried, if the handsome Ambassador held some Boscan disdain for her he kept hidden because of it. She'd been forced into her marriage, Gods, Abraham had raped her on their wedding night because she'd been frightened and her fear had made her not want to share his bed.
She'd willingly laid with him after that to get him his heirs, tried to drown her miserable self in her children then until Abraham had caught Freed with a stable hand and had beaten their son unconscious, shipped her to Rosegarden and sent Blaine to private school all over the course of a few days.
Freed had always blamed himself for it all, worried she hated him for his preferences and had carried a heavy burden most of his life.
Following him and his mate into the Pradesh home she shook her thoughts, it was the past, the future was so bright and she needed to hone in on it.
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