Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

A Little Tea Party

Harry didn't get to see Eggsy even once in the following two weeks, everyone appropriate apparently far too busy to act as a chaperone so that the two could meet up. Nevermind that Harry was well aware that many of Harry's friends and their spouses had offered to fill in the role to help him and Eggsy; they were all politely turned down by their Guild Master under the guise that the matter had already been taken care of. When obviously that wasn't the case, since not even Harry's other bodyguards were good enough to act as chaperones even though they were apparently skilled enough to protect his life.

This was all his mate's way of trying to strike back at them, Harry knew, because he was also aware that Chester had been unable to argue with the papers Eggsy had presented him with. That meant that Chester stood to lose quite a bit of money, status, and business within the coming month. Losses that the woman his mate intended to replace him with could in no way help him recoup. Chester was losing millions in his quest for a heir, and those millions would soon be in Eggsy's hands, a dragon everyone knew their Guild Master had little liking for on the best of days.

It was thoughts like that that made Harry smile even as he missed Eggsy terribly. He had grown used to seeing the boy often in his capacity as Harry's bodyguard and he just didn't have the same bond with any of the others assigned to his protection detail. But at least Chester had allowed them to have email contact even though Harry could see from the times at the side that they'd been delayed in getting to him, most likely so that Chester could read them to see what they were talking about behind his back.

Of course it went without saying that both of them were smart enough to know that that was something Chester would definitely do, and they were both very careful about what the said in their emails least they give the bastard something he could use against them. As it was the majority of their messages revolved around the fact that Harry had given Eggsy the okay to move into the house they'd be calling home. Eggsy had promised not to change anything major without Harry's permission, but there were a few things they'd agreed on that Eggsy could take care of including Harry assuring Eggsy that he could do whatever he liked with the master bedroom and bathroom. As much as he'd loved his father's lover Harry would be the first to admit that the man's taste in bedroom furniture and color were…interesting, and since the master room was now Eggsy's Harry knew it was only fair to let the boy do whatever he wanted with it. Eggsy had insisted on running ideas by him though, which was nice of him even though Harry wasn't sure why the boy had felt the need to tell him that there'd still be more than enough room in the walk-in closet for his stuff, even with Eggsy clothes in there as well. It wasn't like he didn't have a perfectly decent closet in his old room, which would be his again, but it was probably Eggsy's way of teasing him about the amount of clothes he owned. What else could the boy mean, after all? So he'd sent off an email pointing out that as a businessman Eggsy would have to buy even more suits and such, Eggsy's replying by sending him an emoji crying its eyes out. Typical Eggsy.

But yes, overall Harry was sure the two rooms were going to look lovely when it was all done.

And so it was a testament to just how devious, vicious, and just plain nasty Chester King could be when the man in question stopped in to see Harry unexpectedly on Friday morning to inform him that as requested he had arranged for Eggsy to be allowed to come to the house the next day for tea. His bastard mate waited just long enough for his announcement to be registered and make Harry happy before oh so coolly informing him that his chaperone for the meeting would be none other than the heartless, classless, tawdry whore his mate was currently planning to mate with once their divorce went through.

That's right, his chaperone to make sure he and Eggsy didn't behave inappropriately was none other than his present mate's mistress.

The enormous insult and callousness of the other man's decision had rendered Harry speechless, which Chester had taken advantage of immediately as he took his leave, having gotten the response he'd obviously wanted. The bastard couldn't change the fact that he was going to be made to pay for treating Harry the way he was, but he'd found another way to draw blood with this little stunt and they both knew it. Minor blood, true, especially after Harry had had time to calm down and look at things more rationally, but still…his bastard of a mate deserved to be stuck with that bitch and whatever little demon she spawned and then some.

And damn but he was going to have to get used to tolerating Veronica, Harry knew, because once she was the consort she'd outrank him. She could command him to be in her presence whenever she wanted to try and make him miserable, and there was no question that the woman would lord her status over him every chance she could get to appease her black, soulless heart. Because even though Harry had been just fine with her sharing Chester's bed he hadn't been about to invite the woman into his inner circles or help her improve her status in their guild. She'd wanted his position from the start and it wasn't like Harry had been in a position to give it to her even though she'd have been welcome to it. But rather than acknowledge that Veronica had always viewed Harry as a major roadblock in her plans and had hated him for it.

Ultimately he should be glad that Chester had told him ahead of time that Veronica was going to be his chaperone, Harry concluded after several hours of stewing over things, since the gods only knew how he would have reacted if the news had been sprung on him at the last second. It went without saying it wouldn't have been pretty though. And yes, Chester's desire to see his reaction had tripped him up there, thankfully.

So Harry prepared for the coming day like a general getting ready for a war, mentally preparing himself for the verbal bloodshed that would no doubt occur and determined that if he did nothing else right, he would protect Eggsy from the other vicious omega who would either try to seduce or lash out at Eggsy for so completely rejecting her past sexual overtures. He couldn't be sure he'd keep his cool or his temper in check, but that he was determined to do.

And wanting to set the right table for the occasion Harry requested the tea set Chester had given him one year which he hated because it was just plain tacky in its opulence and therefore perfect for Veronica. He also asked for all the usual tea accompaniments, making sure that it was heavy on Eggsy's favorites because the boy could still eat his weight in food and not gain an ounce. Lucky him. And he'd indulge a little too, Harry decided, since soon he wouldn't be mated to Chester, who liked to find fault with every little thing he could about Harry's body or actions. Eggsy wouldn't care, and was in fact in the habit of smuggling him treats when Chester ordered the cooks to do away with desserts under the excuse that Harry was on a diet, when really it was the other dragon who didn't work out enough to escape the rounding middle Chester struggled so hard to hide.

Harry wondered for a moment if, should Veronica get particularly nasty, he could point out she was getting a chubby old man out of the deal, while he was getting a much younger, terribly fit man in his sexual prime.

Not that he'd ever actual have firsthand knowledge of Eggsy's sexual prowess of course, but that didn't mean he couldn't still shove what he'd heard in the bitch's face if properly provoked. Though on second thought that wasn't a good idea given the fact that once Veronica was mated to Chester she'd realize that being consort, not to mention stuck with Chester for life, was far from the fantasy she'd likely dreamed of. He'd control her life because Chester had very definite ideas of how a consort should look, dress, and conduct his or herself…a corset was going to seem less confining and that was before it came to all the duties and obligations that went along with the parties and enjoying the wealth she'd soon be able to get her hands on.

If she weren't such a deplorable person he'd actually feel a little sorry for her.

But yes, he didn't want her sniffing around Eggsy again once she realized she'd sabotaged her own life, especially since a high ranking dominant in their guild had been found a couple months ago literally cut in half from the head down. It had been ruled an attack against their guild, and people were supposedly looking into it, but everyone also knew that Lancelot had been warming Veronica's bed for a few weeks at that point on the sly and Chester was no one's fool for long. And between believing some other guild had been stupid enough to pick a fight with them and Chester's ability to arrange the murder of one of his own…those with brains were going with the second option. So while Eggsy was far too smart to get involved with Veronica in the first place, Harry didn't want Chester noticing her interest in his precious boy to begin with.

That wouldn't end well.

)

The next day at tea time Harry sat in his parlor, having dressed in one of his favorite suits and taken extra pains with his appearance. Not that he needed to dress up for Eggsy, of course, but it had occurred to him that while Veronica was getting stuck with an old man like Chester Eggsy was being stuck with an old man too. Though he was much better looking, fitter, and younger than Chester at least. But still, Harry wanted to look his best to make Eggsy feel a little better about getting stuck with him even though in the more rational part of his brain Harry knew the boy wouldn't actually care about that, and that it was Harry himself who wanted to look worthy to have the handsome younger man as his.

It was strange to think that very soon Eggsy would be his mate. Now that he wasn't freaking out so much at the idea that he was ruining the man's life Harry found his thoughts focused more on the most basic of changes this would entail. They'd share a house together. Eat meals together, work together. Eggsy would most likely be the last person he saw at night and the first in the morning. He'd have a close family through Eggsy in terms of Daisy and Michelle, a dog to play with in J.B., a beautifully ordinary life where he could just live and love life without worrying about someone coming down on him for not acting like a proper omega or consort because Eggsy wouldn't expect that of him. Eggsy would just want him to be happy because that was the sort of man his future mate was.

Naturally it was in this happy moment that the doors opened without his permission, Percival immediately moving to get between his consort and the foolish attacker with his gun out and ready. A gun he holstered when they both saw that it was Veronica strolling into the room like she already owned the place.

The look Percival sent Harry when he told him to let her pass said it all. The poor man was really, really dreading the day that he was stuck protecting Veronica instead of Harry. Harry felt for him.

"Consort."

Nodding in acknowledgement of the respectful curtsy she'd given him, not that she meant it in the slightest, Harry invited her to take a seat because that was what manners demanded. Though he did allow his voice to hold a hint of censor as he commented that she was early. The maid hadn't even brought in the tea yet.

"I didn't want to be late, especially since the Guild Master told me how eager you've been to speak with your intended, Consort. And of course I enjoy Galahad's company immensely too. He's so…uniquely charming, isn't he?"

Harry's gaze said 'touch him and die, Bitch' as he pleasantly replied that yes, he was terribly fond of Eggsy.

And he could see his message had been received and that it surprised her, but then against he'd never lashed out at Veronica for her relationship with Chester because he'd thought having to sleep with Chester in the first place was punishment enough for her actions. She was welcome to him. But Eggsy was his, had been under his protection even before this whole mating business had occurred, and he would damn well make it clear that he'd state his claim there if necessary.

"Well of course you're fond, you're practically his father after all seeing as you had to step in after his real father was killed protecting you. Every boy needs a strong paternal figure in their lives."

"Funny that you would say I'm basically his father, since it was your idea that the Guild Master chose him for my future mate."

Wide eyed innocence. "Well you had to mate with someone, and we both knew Galahad would take proper care of you in your old age. Not many dominants would be willing to mate with an unfertile omega of your years after all, but we both knew that Galahad would never see you as a burden and would treat you well regardless."

Nostrils flaring, Harry actually had to fight himself to keep his eyes from going dragon and slitting. How dare she. How dare she sit there, at his table, and speak to him like he was a useless old man who needed to be cared for like he was some elderly relation Eggsy was being stuck with. He was not young, Harry knew that, but he was still in prime condition for someone of his age and being infertile didn't make him less when it came to what he could contribute to society, something Veronica wouldn't know the first thing about.

"I suppose you have a point." Harry managed to get out as he unclenched his jaw, succeeding in keeping his face and voice deceivingly mild. "I hope you'll take notes about how best to care for an elderly man well past the prime of his life, so that decades from now, when I'm the Guild Master's age, I can pass them along to Galahad."

Direct hit, Harry could see, though she schooled her features back into pleasant lines after a heartbeat of consideration as to whether she could attempt to kill Harry with Percival in the room or not. Though she was eyeing Percival, who'd snorted in reaction to Harry's resort, like she was already planning how to make him suffer for being amused at her expense.

Thankfully it was then that there was a knocking on the door, Percival walking over to answer it. It was, he informed them, both the maid with their tea and Eggsy, the latter greeting Percival with a grin before waving at Harry from the doorway.

"And it's only logical that he'd come now as Eggsy always knows when it's time to eat." Harry drawled out with a smile, telling Percival to let them in then, with Eggsy coming in first and then holding the door for the maid while Percival returned to his original spot.

That Eggsy walked straight over to Harry and bowed before him was obviously for form since Veronica was in the room, but when the boy held out a hand in a gesture that asked for Harry to give him his hand Harry raised an eyebrow, not really sure what the boy was up to. But he gave his hand over, the gentle, courtly kiss his hand received very unexpected, but no doubt a ploy to annoy Veronica, which Harry wholeheartedly approved of.

"My Consort."

The way Eggsy said the words had Harry fighting the urge to give the boy another questioning look, he'd made the title sound like a petname or like he was Eggsy's personal consort. But then Eggsy was asking for permission to be seated, like nothing was amiss, and Harry inclined his head to give permission as he commented that Eggsy was early as well.

"You're the one who's often barely on time or almost late, Harry." Was Eggsy's cheeky response to that. "And besides, I had a feeling that Miss. Harrington would be here early too, so it would all work out for me to come ahead of schedule too."

Harry really did love the way Eggsy always called Veronica Miss. Harrington, like she was a spinster school teacher long past her prime. But since he couldn't say that while she was around Harry had to settle for smiling brilliantly at the younger man as he informed Eggsy that he'd arranged to have all his favorites prepared for tea.

"I expected no less. And I even stopped in at that bakery you like so much to pick up a couple of their double fudge brownies for you." Eggsy grinned at Harry and then looked at Veronica with a very fake look of apology. "I would have gotten you one in thanks for agreeing to chaperone us, Ma'am, but I figured you'd be counting the calories right now so that you'll fit in your wedding dress just right. I know how you girls worry about that sort of thing."