Gynger Snap

Chapter 1

Opening Refrain

Red mist pooled in the dank, airless cell. "They did not even allow you to return to your room," Radu whimpered, his chains rattling as he hunkered closer to the wall. "Has it grown back yet?' Radu refused to turn and face his brother. Just like Vlad to come down here to mock him. His abilities to heal had naturally been hampered by the manner with which he had been injured. Arcadian blood. Damn that little pipsqueak. "I am as curious as his father. How did you think this would end?" Vlad summoned a chair as the only item in the cell was the hook on the wall that Radu was secured to. "With him fighting you, he would have indeed torn and bled. Just as was demonstrated is what would have happened."

"I could have calmed him." Radu asserted. "If he likes to be taken by men I could have made him feel good."

"Is that what you honestly think?" Vlad sighed. "It is not that Misaki specifically likes being taken by men. It is that Misaki is in love with Spike, his William. Father has summoned you home."

"I do not wish to return to that harridan you changed." Radu pouted yanking on his chains.

"And England is home to you now?" Radu turned to face Vlad finding his brother leaning against the entrance, not as the red clad Alucard of the Helsing Organization, yet in the black suit with piercing green eyes, full dark curls as Prince of Wallachia, Vlad Dracula, son of the Carpathian king. "You will take yourself to Tirgoviste, where you will remain and shame the name of our family no more. Father has arrived to offer apologies to the Duke, and his son." Radu gasped as the chains released his hands to drop at his sides. "Have a care that your exodus from Arcadia is in all haste. Sir Marchand has vowed that he can not be responsible for his temper should he be contaminated with your presence again."

Radu nodded his head. He opened his mouth, to say what, he was unsure, yet he knew that there was some thing that he should say. "He... Is so lovely."

"And he said no." Vlad left the cell then shaking his head. How could they, brothers, raised in the same home, experience the same captivity and torture, have turned out so vastly different? "Try to be a better person in my absence than you ever were in my presence." Vlad meandered up to the throne room of the Obsidian palace where the preparations were underway for the feast in celebration of the nuptials. There were flowers of the brightest orange and yellow with silken ribbons in pristine white dusted with diamonds dangling among the shining black stone walls and ceilings.

Ryo greeted Vlad with a smile. "Welcome back. I hear that your brother is being sent away for a while."

"Father would rather that, than to have the Salamander end him permanently." Vlad shrugged. "Father feels guilty for my brother's lapses in humane common sense. He sent us to the Turks as a hostage pact. Little does father understand, the cruelty and lack of decency was within Radu long before we were ever tortured. When we were kids he practiced throwing knives as small animals and even some of the servants. He said the targets were no fun as they did not bleed." Vlad shook his head not wanting to focus on his brother during this happy occasion. "You are looking rather well put together today."

Ryo smiled with a nod. " The Salamander brigade came this morning." Ryo grimaced as he recalled waking to the cadre of his original dressers. The ensemble was as fussy as anything else that it only took Misaki to get him into, yet some how all six little creatures found something to do pushing past Dee as if he were not there. Ryo had to explicitly request that they get his jacket pressed and shoes shined and ready for the day. "I am sure that there has never been a cull married before." Ryo leaned over into the kiss that Dee was pressing into his cheek. "Due to Spike being a vampire there are several aspects of the wedding ceremony that are going to be skipped, mainly the joint basking. While Misaki will be induced into a sublime state of arousal by the hours spent in the furnace of love Spike would be immolated within moments."

Vlad shook his head chuckling. "Not the wedding celebration the dear boy had in mind."

"No," Ryo and Vlad looked up at Sir Marchand in his full Noble garb. The long pants were golden, with red satin down the sides. A long golden coat skimmed his calves with scales in patterns along the cuffs and seams. "Now while you all prepare to partake of the nuptial breakfast, I must go and do my duty as the father of the 'bride'," Sir Marchand grinned turning away he muttered. "I always thought Kouru would be my first to wed."

Break

Spike held the little body closer as the sun greeted the brand new day. His eyes were slow to open. He could smell the intruder in their room, yet he felt no malice. "He's fine," Spike grumbled making sure that the covers hid him from the view of his father in law. "'Eh pops, are you going to check on him every morning?"

"I am not here to see him," Sir Marchand leaned on the sturdy post of the bed. "Child, wake now and go with your mother."

"Maman?" Misaki sat up blushing as the cover slipped to his waist baring the mouth shaped bruises along his chest and neck."

"It is her prerogative to assist you into an ensemble. I will see you soon. Congratulations on your wedding child." Misaki smiled at his father still not moving from the bed. "Well?" Misaki looked away face inflamed. Sir Marchand gasped, turning his back his cheeks matching his youngest. Spike retained the blanket while Misaki shimmied into a pair of legging and a robe.

Spike stood from the bed dragging the cover with him wrapped around his waist. He watched as Misaki walked away mumbling around a yawn. Spike made as if to head into the bathing portion of the large room. He was brought up short when he saw his newly acquired father in law. While the hair color and lips were alluring on Misaki, on Sir Marchand, Spike a felt a chill down his spine that belied his recent ingestion of what he had been substituting blood with. "Oye," Sir Marchand halted Spike from waling past with just a nod of greeting.

"Yes sir," Spike stood tall ready to hear whatever the Fire Lord would impart.

"Never hurt him," Spike frowned at the solemnity of the tone.

"Of course not," Spike shook his head. "I am always careful... I..." Spike grew quiet at the narrowed eyes that made Sir Marchand seem more of predator than Spike could ever claim. "You do not mean physically."

"If that were my fear, I would kill you now and be done with it," Sir Marchand declared. "He has this inherent goodness, this ability to see the best in even the worst individuals. I never had the heart to tell him, but Hon, was the quintessential selfish, spoiled little princess. Yes she lobbied for the change in the lives of the culls mainly because she wanted him as her squire. She knew that her father would rather kill Cho D Koen than allow him to make it through, yet did not want to wait around for another to lay claim to her hand in marriage. If things did not go her way she ranted and raged. Her temper put mine to shame, but he would see none of it." Spike smiled thinking Misaki even more like him. How often had he ignored Drusilla's insanity, or Harmony's idiocy all for the sake of love. "Maybe... Maybe humanity mellowed her, or motherhood. To hear Prince Ryo tell it she was an exemplary mother. I don't know, the point is, Misaki only ever sees the good. Recently, with this hell beast that we sent hom, she murdered thousands over the centuries yet he fought for her right to exist."

Spike smiled recalling watching as Misaki had stood before the high king defending Glory's existance. "I showed himthe truth of the ugliness of human nature and declared that it was up to us to teach them to love." Spike sighed wanting to drink something for breakfast as the Sun, while it was not burning him, was making him weak. "I do get what you mean, and if I ever hurt him like that I will not even try to run. Come and get me." Spike went to the closet where his clothing had been brought up from his room in the basement of the palace. "Is my new ability to day walk due to the additions in my diet?"

"What do you think?" Sir Marchand grinned. "I know that no relationship is perfect. There will be times when you do not see eye to eye. You will argue and will grow. Love is not always going to be a bed of kisses and roses, yet the ups and the downs are worth it in the end. I remember one fight where his mother refused to speak to me for about five years. I don't remember what we were fighting about but making up was grand," Sir Marchand winked. "I do not understand the dynamics of your physical nature, and I do not wish to. Never tell me," Sir Marchand held up his hand offering Spike a chalice of blood as he had watched the creature pale. "Be assured that while we are at the morning celebration of the wedding, this room will be sound proofed. He is very much like his mother." Sir Marchand chuckled. "Bathe then, and dress. Welcome young William, to our family."

Spike blinked moisture from his eyes not wanting to waste the blood he had been ingesting. Sir Marchand heading to the door paused when Spike called out to him. "Hey pops... Thanks." Sir Marchand inclined his head in a gentle nod as he left the vampire to his bathing.

To-Be Continued

This is the short beginning of the newest installment of the Sugar series. There will be much more as this picks up right where we left off.

Ja ne