Chapter Ten
Following the elf's instructions, Hermione had left the Capital of Nott and had made camp just beyond the outer walls near a bend in the river.
The rather helpful little elf had gotten Draco and Theo's horses and all their gear to Hermione as she waited at the designated spot. She hoped that she wasn't falling into a trap, but so far nothing untoward had happened. In fact, all of her princes' things were in their saddlebags, even Draco's sword and flying broom.
She wished that she could be a more active participant in their escape, but she'd given Tippy the means for Draco to get the two of them out of the captivity in which the princes now found themselves. Now she just had to wait.
Hermione hated waiting.
Patience had never been her virtue.
Maybe she ought to read a book.
Theo had taken over watch and Draco had taken his chance to get a little bit of sleep as he was sure that his chance to use the daggers that Hermione had sent to him would be soon and he needed to rest. He stretched out on the bed with the daggers hidden under the pillow, his hands just inches away from them. He hadn't told Theo about them, not because he didn't trust his companion, but because he needed them to stay a surprise. If Theo had dreamt about them, he hadn't said. In fact, Theo hadn't said anything about whether he'd had a prophetic dream or not as he napped. And Draco had never asked him if he always had true dreams or just sometimes.
When the King did finally enter their rooms, Draco was awake, but pretending to sleep. Theo had nodded off on his place on the floor beneath the window which he had thrown the food out of the night before.
The king was a hardened man, Draco could tell even in the low light of the pre-dawn. He must have already been older even when Theo was born, the man had to be closer to the grave than the cradle now. He was only in a regular linen shirt and trousers, no armour, which would make what Draco had planned significantly easier.
When the wicked King picked up Theo by the hair and Theo didn't cry out, Draco continued to pretend to be asleep, his chest mimicking the slow rise and fall of someone deeply asleep, but his hand under the pillow gripped the hilt of one of the crystal daggers. He needed to wait and find the perfect moment to strike.
It could be any moment.
He needed to be vigilant for the perfect opportunity.
Theo knew that his father was going to come when he was asleep; he had dreamt it after all and he'd tried to stay awake, really he had. But the stress was exhausting and sleep had overtaken him sometime before dawn.
It was not the first time in his life that his father had picked him up by his hair in the middle of a deep sleep. Theo automatically gripped her father's wrists so that his hair wasn't ripped out.
"So you little viper," his father snarled at him. "You thought you could escape from me? That I would let you run loose and destroy my kingdom. I killed your cunt mother and destroyed her house to prevent it, but I had to keep you alive until I had a replacement. My current bride has given me two healthy sons, so I don't have any further need of the boy foretold to bring an end to my power."
His father was spitting in his face now. Theo knew better than to complain. He was probably going to die anyway, no need for it to be worse than it had to be. He just hoped his father wasn't willing to start a war with Draco's kingdom and would let him go free. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the way that Draco's arms had felt around him by the fire, Hermione's kind voice. If this was his last moment, Theo wanted to just remember the brief interlude when he had been truly happy for the very first time, and only, in his short life.
Warm wetness splashed across his face prompting Theo to open his eyes as the grip on his hair was also released. His father's face was wide with shock and his throat was cut open wide, the blood pouring out of the wound. Theo met Draco's furious eyes and watched as Draco plunged a dagger again and again into Theo's father's back. Draco's face was splattered with blood. Theo realised that he was in the same state when he wiped at his face and his palms were red. He shuddered as he watched his father collapse to his knees.
The king's accusatory gaze slowly dimmed as the life ebbed out of him and a huge puddle of blood spread across the stone floor. Theo reached for the hilt of the dagger that was stuck in his father's back.
"No," Draco cried, grabbing Theo's wrist. "They're cursed. You can't touch it." Releasing Theo's wrist, Draco grabbed the dagger and wrapped it in a cloth that he tucked behind his belt.
"Why can you touch it then?" Theo asked, knowing he was ignoring his father's dead body at their feet.
"They are my aunt's. My mother's sister. Only our family can use them without it being fatal." Draco wiped the blood off his face onto a piece of bedding. "Come on, help me push his body out the window. He'll fall into the river and that will solve some of our problems. I don't fancy getting caught with a king's corpse."
A pounding started at the door of the room and Theo met Draco's eyes frantically.
"Come on, quick then." Draco tried to pick up Theo's father by the shoulders but his clothes were slick with blood.
A woman's screaming voice had started to accompany the pounding.
"Thoros of Nott! I put up with a lot from you, but I've given you two sons and I will not tolerate you leaving my bed in the night to visit whatever concubine you have set up in there!"
"That must be my stepmother," Theo whispered, as Draco finally had a hold of Thoros' shoulders and Theo had his legs. Without thinking, Theo reached up and pulled all the rings off his father's hand letting them clatter to the floor into the blood.
"We need to get rid of the evidence."
The window was still open from when Theo threw the food out. Thoros' body was precariously placed on the windowsill and right as the door to the room burst open, a tiny angry woman standing there, Thoros' body fell backwards plummeting into the river below.
The Queen rushed forward, slamming the door behind her. "Who are you and what have you done?"
Theo fumbled in the blood for the rings and grabbing both of them, he walked toward the petite raven haired woman wrapped in a dressing gown, but so clearly the same woman that he had seen on the poster in the village several days past.
"Your highness," Theo held up the rings as he kneeled before her. "These are rightfully yours. I abdicate my claim to the throne as Thoros' first born son in your name and in the name of your sons. May you rule long. If ever I break my vow to not seek the throne of Nott, may the Gods strike me down."
"What!?" She shrieked, looking at him in terror. "Thoros had no living children. He told me so."
Draco stepped forward, drawing her attention away from Theo "Pansy? It's been a long time."
The Queen finally really looked at him, and her face went pale. "Draco?! What are you doing here?"
"I saved your stepson from a tower in the woods a couple weeks' ride from here where your husband held him captive with no idea he was the heir. Theo, show Pansy here your back."
Theo stood and dropped the bloody rings into Pansy's hand. He turned and pulled his jerkin and shirt over his head. He heard her gasp when his shoulders were revealed. He wondered whether his tattoo or the thick scars had elicited the sound.
"My father was about to kill me, when Draco saved my life for the second time since we've met. With your sons healthy he didn't feel the need to keep me alive any longer. He admitted to killing my mother as well."
"I knew that. My lady's maid was inherited. She's served all of Thoros' wives. He murdered all of them when they failed to give him sons." Pansy shuddered. "I know he wasn't a good man, but I gave him multiple sons in quick succession. He was…fond of me."
"Well Theo was prophesied to end Thoros' power hence the being locked in the tower," Draco stated. "He said as much when he was about to kill Theo."
"Thoros was a fool. That prophecy was like saying day follows night or spring follows winter. All princes end their father's power someday. It is the nature of life," Pansy sighed. "This mess needs to be cleaned up and you two need to get out of here. Tippy?"
The little elf popped into existence at just summoning. "Yes your Queenship, what can Tippy do for you and Master Theo?" The elf curtseyed awkwardly as though its leg was injured.
"Of course the bloody elf knew," Pansy huffed under her breath, placing a hand on her belly as if in pain. "Your youngest brother really loves to kick my organs. It can't be healthy. Neither of the other two were so active."
"Maybe it's a daughter," Theo smiled. "With beauty to match her mother's." Draco was against his back with those words and Theo could feel Draco's breath on his neck and it felt – possessive.
Pansy snorted, "Tippy, clean up all signs of blood from this room."
The elf was swiftly vanishing all signs of blood from the room and sanitised the rings in Pansy's hands. Theo's eyes could barely follow how fast she was moving. He assumed this was why he had never seen her clean in the tower.
"And we do need to leave," Draco urged, his hand on Theo's waist as he hadn't moved from his position with his chest still pressed to Theo's back.
"Oh, Tippy told the witch with the curly hair to wait for you at the curve in the river outside the South Gate of the city. Let Tippy clean you and then Tippy will take you to her. She is not good at waiting. There is probably a track in the forest moss by now from her pacing."
Draco laughed, "I have no doubt."
"Step apart and Tippy clean you off."
"Wait," Pansy called, pulling out a few small bags for one of the pockets secreted in her ornate gown. She tossed them to Theo, who caught them easily. "It's not much gold, but it's something. You may have abdicated your claim to the throne, but you are still the half-brother of the Crown Prince. If you need anything then you must write to me. I will see to anything I can ever do to help you as long as you hold to your promise. Draco it's good to see you again, but I have to get back and check on my sons and come up with a story as to how my husband is dead."
"He fell out the window in his cups after visiting his concubine?" Draco offered.
"I'd probably have to execute one of the palace maids to make the story believable." Pansy screwed up her nose in distaste. "Perhaps one is already due for the hangman's noose for some other crime. Well, I must leave you two. If Theo's back is anything to go by you have done a great service to your brothers, but do try to get out of my kingdom as quickly as you can."
"I assure you, stepmother, nothing could make me happier."
Pansy shuddered at being called stepmother, and then headed out the door after throwing out. "Draco, if you write to your mother, I'm going to send her an invite for a royal visit, please urge her to accept."
"Consider it done, your Royal Highness. Long may you reign." Draco smirked. "And I'm sure that Mother would love to see you. It's been too many years since you were fostered in our court."
Pansy nodded and was gone.
Theo watched as the little elf was carefully removing all the blood from the stones around the window.
"Tippy will be right back. There is blood on the outside of the tower, Tippy needs to make it all sparkly then Tippy will take you to the very impatient witch." The elf disappeared with a pop.
Theo tied the pouches that Pansy had given him to his belt and then rubbed at his face. Today was turning out to be a little much if he was honest. At least he wasn't covered with blood any more.
Draco turned him around, so that he could look into Theo's eyes and Theo was shocked at the intensity that he found there.
"I'm so incredibly grateful that we just made it through all of that alive," Draco whispered, before he leaned forward, capturing Theo's lips with his.
Draco could taste the innocence on Theo's lips and it was like the most addictive of nectars.
He slid his hand along Theo's cheek and into Theo's curls, so like Hermione's. He'd saved Theo's life a second time, there was no doubt now that Theo owed him a life debt and couldn't leave him. Which was good because Draco had no intention of ever giving him up. He had no intention of giving Hermione up either, although he did need to redouble his efforts to get her with child before they got to Belar Berdea.
If the journey continued being so circuitous, perhaps it would take longer than four moon cycles for them to reach their eventual destination. Maybe flaunting a pregnant consort and a male lover would be more than enough to disgust Astoria's father with Draco and the match. He certainly had no intention of marrying the girl, regardless of the size of her dowry. He certainly had no need of her money, he was wealthy enough as it was.
Theo was melting into him and Draco loved that he was Theo's first kiss. He and Hermione would be Theo's first everything if Draco had anything to say about it. Malfoys always deserve the best and Theo was certainly that. His little prince from the tower. His personal seer. His bed warmer. And soon his lover.
The hot desire that was present in Theo's eyes left Draco in no doubt of the latter.
Unable to sleep, Hermione had sat up all night feeding her little campfire a rotation of logs and magic to keep it burning bright. The sun rose and Hermione continued to fight sleep although sleep was certainly beginning to win that battle. She needed to know that Draco and Theo were all right. It was the not knowing that was making her go mad.
She had nearly gotten herself worked up enough to start heading back into the city to try to find that little elf and wring the answers right out of her when a pop sounded in the clearing.
Standing there in front of her were Theo and Draco and they both looked unhurt and were blessedly alive. She jumped up from where she had been sitting and ran to them, ignoring anything else. A herd of oliphants or centaurs could have come rushing through her clearing and Hermione wouldn't have cared.
She wrapped her arms around Draco first, kissing him soundly, and then she turned to Theo.
"Thank the gods that madman didn't hurt you again!" Hermione was nearly on the verge of tears, so grateful that her princes were safe and finally with her again. She shocked Theo and herself, by touching his cheek and claiming his mouth with a kiss as well.
And in that moment everything was just as it ought to be.
The trio swiftly fled the Kingdom of Nott, riding hard for the Southern border. The last thing that they wanted was one of the Nobles to try to kidnap Theo to use him as a puppet to try to overthrow the Queen. They all agreed that it was best to put as much distance between them as possible.
And as a new day dawned, the three of them knew that their adventures together were just beginning.
Author's Note: Expect more of this version of Dreomione in the future. Thank you for coming along on this journey.