A Charm
After Butch and Reid agreed to do business together if the opportunity arose, the former went right back to reestablishing his previous level of inebriation. Hanging out by the alcohol barrels gave him a decent view of the courtyard. Brick had successfully reclaimed Blossom from their father, but she appeared nowhere near as happy to be dancing with him. Probably because Brick was shit at it. Buttercup sat at a table talking to some Pixie noblemen who were practically drooling on her while her father drowned his misgivings in goblet after goblet of mead. Butch knew he was the reason why the Elf King looked like he'd start weeping any minute. Maybe he could console Galanthus by telling him he worshipped the ground Buttercup walked on and would treat her with all the respect she deserved and then some.
Queen Cotta swiveled her head to watch Butch approach Galanthus. "Your boy has a brass set, I will give him that," she said to Lucifer, whose company she currently enjoyed. "You do not know how hard it was for Dan and I to convince Old Snowdrop to offer his daughter for peace."
The Demon King gave his youngest son a fond smile. "I wish I had been able to assure Galanthus that he need not fear for his daughter in any way. Butch is the most well-mannered of my sons."
Cotta fixed her hazel eyes on Brick. "Unlike that one who looked about ready to blow his top when he saw you dancing with his wife." She too noticed how frustrated Blossom grew with his inability to grasp the steps of the traditional Pixie Aeriform Waltz, completely throwing off their rhythm. "I almost cannot bear to watch. Her subjects must pity her."
Lucifer sighed. "Lilita and I had our sons tutored for years to drill some cultural sensibilities into their heads. Brick knows the waltz. He merely refuses to let his bride lead like she is supposed to."
"How did he turn out to be such a little shit?" Cotta half thought aloud, half legitimately inquired.
"It is my fault," Lucifer admitted. "I spoiled him rotten when he was younger. But you must understand, he is my firstborn. I had such high hopes for him, that I could mold him into a king who would appear in history books as one that led Hael into a new era of prosperity. But in giving Brick all the tools I thought he needed to succeed, I did not see how entitled he had become. Now he is of the mind that he need not work for anything since it will be bestowed upon him by virtue of his noble blood."
Cotta understood that struggle. By the time her twin daughters were born, numbers five and six, she was willing to give them anything if it resulted in a moment of peace for herself. "I wonder if that girl can instill some humility in him. Blossom is quite an accomplished scholar and mage."
"So I have heard." Lucifer polished off his glass of red wine and peered around. "Does your daughter know any magic?"
"She has a penchant for alchemy."
"Alchemy!" he exclaimed, genuinely surprised. "I would not have gathered that from such an unassuming little Faun."
The queen smiled wryly. "You know how it is to assume– it makes an ass out of you." Much to her own surprise, the Demon King laughed. Good thing he was in high spirits or Cotta might not have been able to get away with that barb. "I know your boy was thrilled with Bubbles' appearance, but there is much more to her than meets the eye."
"Is that so?" Lucifer wondered.
Cotta pointed beyond his shoulder at the gazebo where the Florian court musicians had been playing all evening. "See for yourself."
The Pixie ensemble spread out to make room for Bubbles. One of them handed her a lyre and the assembled wedding guests started chanting for her to play something. Boomer was at the forefront, losing the majority of the ale in his tankard as he punctuated his shouts by flinging it around. "Prin-cess Bu-bbles sing for us! Prin-cess Bu-bbles sing for us!"
The flush adorning her cheeks grew darker while she wracked her brain for a lively Fawnish folk song. She tentatively strummed a little melody. "An earthly nourris sits and sings…" One of the musicians jumped in with a flute, encouraging her to continue. "And aye, she sings ba lily wean, 'little ken I my bairn's father…'" Cheering followed in the wake of her high note. "'Far less the lan that he staps in.'" Cotta and Lucifer made their way to the front of the circle that rapidly formed around the gazebo. "Then ane arose at her bed fit, an a grumly guest I'm sure was he! 'Here am I, thy bairn's father, although that I not be comelie.'"
"What an enchanting voice," the Demon King praised between verses.
"You have not heard the best part yet," Cotta said. Her face was starting to hurt from all the smiling she'd done tonight.
Bubbles' soprano rose a bit higher. "'I am a man upon the lan, an I am a Silky in the sea. An when I'm far and far frae lan, my dwelling is in Sule Skerrie.'" And even higher. "'It was na well', quo the maiden fair, 'it was na well, indeed', quo she, 'that the great Silky of Sule Skerrie…'" A pause while the belted notes faded to nothingness, leaving her audience in wonderment. "'Suld hae come aught a bairn to me!'" There were still two more verses, but Bubbles decided to stop there since her husband stood staring with his mouth hanging open like he could not believe the power her vocal cords were capable of producing. The flutist tactfully ended the song with her, then she gave a little bow while her audience cheered and clapped like she'd just performed an Angelic opera.
Boomer shuffled forward to embrace her. "I love you…" he breathed in awe, and kissed her forehead. Since she wasn't in danger of swooning this time, Bubbles giggled and kissed him full on the lips. That dopey look came over his countenance again and Boomer spun around with his arms in the air. "I fucking love my wife!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone hollered some more and raised their drinking vessels to that.
Over on the edge of the courtyard, Brick smiled partially and sipped his mead as Blossom threw her head back to empty her entire wine glass. "Finally decided to enjoy yourself?" he asked.
She sucked her teeth. "No. This is to ease the pain your abominable waltzing caused my feet."
"Abominable, you say."
"Yes. It was positively atrocious."
His brow twitched. "Now it's atrocious?"
"It was the worst thing I have ever experienced." A snide smile turned her lips. "No, I am mistaken. It was only the second-worst thing, and that slavering you called a kiss was the absolute worst."
Brick gave her a scowl that she didn't shy away from. He knew she only dared speak to him like this because of the liquid courage in her veins, but she still had to be punished. "If your feet hurt, let's get you off them." Blossom gasped as she abruptly found herself in his arms being carried to the fountain where cushions had been arranged around the base. Brick set her down upon one and sat beside her, bringing her feet onto his lap. He frowned at her authentic glass slippers and removed them. Light bruises had formed on her toes. "You really are fragile, even more so than your impractical choice of footwear."
Blossom rolled her eyes, then narrowed them at Brick when he began massaging her arches with his thumbs. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked in a less accusative tone than she meant.
"I think I'm assuaging the aches and pains of my lovely wife."
Why did he sound so pleasant all of a sudden? She hadn't drank enough to turn him into a different person. "I think you are… doing it wrong!" she declared. "Rub outward, not inward."
The haughtiness in her tone amused him. "Not used to giving orders, are you?"
"I never needed to." A happy sigh escaped as he moved to her sore ankles. "Asking nicely typically gets me what I want."
Brick scoffed. "Asking nicely won't get you very far in Hael. Demons need to be told what to do, explicitly. Some of them aren't that bright."
"Like… whom?" Blossom's eyelids kept fluttering shut. His hands were so gentle on her legs; there was nothing coarse or rough about his touch at all. He actually made her feel good.
"Like my familiars. They form the majority of the palace staff. You'll have to give them specific instructions or you won't be able to get anything done. Why don't you try it now?" His hands stopped moving. "What would you have me do for you, Princess?"
She felt so relaxed and light, she didn't want him to stop at all, but Brick's total change of personality didn't make sense. Had she passed out from drinking too much? Was this a dream? She forced her lids open with little effort, her heart skipping a beat when she realized how close his face had drawn to hers. His eyes were captivating, dark and faceted like garnets. The longer she stared, the deeper they drew her in, browns and violets tinting his irises. She saw something else, too, that he made no effort to hide. Lust coiled just beneath the surface, ready to devour her.
This was a dangerous game Blossom had unwittingly begun to play. But she was certain she could win, and there was no reward without risk.
"I would have you…" Those eyes glittered expectantly and oh, did she enjoy the way Brick hung on her every word. No one had ever been so rapt with her, like whatever she spoke next was all that mattered in the world. "Resume your ministrations," she ordered.
Wearing something between a smile and a smirk, Brick ducked to press a kiss to her shoulder. Butterflies erupted in her stomach at the tenderness of the gesture. He removed his left hand from beneath her skirt and planted it on the small of her back to pull her so close she practically sat on his lap. When his right palm reached her knee, he dropped all pretense to fondle in earnest, fingers splayed and groping at her thighs. Blossom didn't mind so much when she was distracted by the wonderful things his mouth did to her décolletage. How could the man that threatened to enslave her also leave her so lightheaded? And now his lips were on the hollow of her throat, tongue flicking across her sensitive skin. Her head dropped back to grant Brick access to her neck and she heard a rumble of want emanate from deep within his chest, almost a growl. She sank into the sound, going lax against him, surrendering herself for him to do with as he willed. Whatever it took to sate that primitive creature.
"Ahem."
Blossom was so startled by the unexpected company that she nearly fell into the fountain, grabbing Brick's arm at the last second. He righted them both and fixated the interloper with a death glare. Boomer was not fazed in the least. "Dad wants to talk to you," he said.
"Dad can go fuck himself. I'm busy."
Boomer snorted. "Feeling up your wife in front of everyone including her family. Real classy, Brick." Neither brother moved an inch. "Seriously, Dad said it's important. Go talk to him before you both get pissy and ruin the reception." Brick rose to his feet with a grunt and disappeared into the crowd. Boomer took his place on the pillow beside Blossom, who was red as a poppy while adjusting her gown. "Did he use compulsion on you?" he asked.
"Pardon?"
"Compulsion. Did Brick compel you to let him get all up on you?"
She blushed profusely. Now that she was disentangled from Brick, the heat in her belly and the tingling on her skin quickly faded away. Her head still felt a little fuzzy, but that was just the wine. Right?
Boomer winced. "He totally did, that creep. Look into my eyes, Princess." Blossom did so. Once held, she took no notice of the fact that he leaned closer and closer until the only thing in her field of vision were his sapphire irises, murky and mysterious as the ocean depths. Little flecks of green and grey caught her attention, and she couldn't help but wonder how different things would be right now if Boomer had won the game of Boulder-Parchment-Shears instead of Brick. She still didn't like the way he talked, but at least he sincerely appreciated Bubbles. Surely he'd appreciate her, too. Why couldn't they share him?
"I can tell what you're thinking," he murmured, voice smooth as honey. "You wish I'd gotten you instead of Brick. I tried, honestly, but he lucked out. And I regret to tell you that Demons don't do the polyamory thing, which is…" His gaze dipped down and back up, sending a little thrill through Blossom. "Unfortunate. Now put your hand in the water." She obeyed, frowning at her own action. The water was cold and she didn't want to be touching it. Her brain told her to remove it but she just couldn't. Then Boomer closed his eyes and she came free, rubbing her wrist to move heat into her fingers.
"What in the world…?"
He mussed his hair in an adorably boyish manner, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I figured you're the learn-by-doing type. Compulsion is a magical skill that powerful Demons like us can use without any training. Some Angels can do it, too. The eyes are the window to the soul and all, so if you stare into the eyes of a Demon long enough you'll invite them in. Then they project their thoughts and feelings onto you and make you comply with things you wouldn't otherwise."
His explanation made her stomach churn. "Brick did that to me? He made me believe his desires were my own?"
"Yeah, he's really good at it. Got it from our mom. Some people say she compelled Lucifer to marry her, but I doubt it. She was from a common house, though." Boomer waved it off. "You can fight the compulsion by having an anchor, something that provides a physical sensation so Brick can't fully claim your focus. Jewelry's an easy one." Jewelry… Blossom wasn't wearing any except her tiara, but that was too conspicuous. Then she pulled one of the pearl pins from her braid. "That works," Boomer grinned, "plus you can stab Brick in the eye if he gets handsy again. Win-win!"
"Perhaps I should blind him now and be done with it," Blossom muttered. She was unsettled by how easily he'd manipulated her into his grasp, and it only happened after he literally swept her off her feet. From now on Blossom wouldn't let herself fall for his gentleman act. And she wouldn't imbibe in his presence. And she wouldn't wear stupid glass shoes ever again, tradition be damned.
