Disclaimer: Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris.

Chapter 15

Mixed Points of View

Eric's tall and angry form towered over Christian who was only slightly shorter than Eric himself. Christian shrunk back, startled by his brother's mood. He hadn't been expecting to be greeted – he was expecting him to be annoyed, but not like this!

"I do not enjoy being disturbed, brother." Eric paused and Christian remained silent, knowing that his brother wasn't finished with him.

"Do you have any idea how many times Sookie and I have been disturbed?" Christian shook his head. Though he had a feeling it was partly his fault, but then he'd thought his brother would have wanted to know of his return to the castle. He couldn't see into the room due to his brother's large frame standing in the door way.

He wondered if Sookie was still here. Perhaps her absence was the cause of his brother's mood swings. As this thought flitted through his mind, a feminine arm slipped around his brother's waist from behind and he noticed how his brother immediately relaxed slightly at her small touch.

"I'm still here." She said, sliding past Eric with ease due to her slim figure.

Eric watched the shock flicker over his brother's face as he took in Sookie's attire. Eric growled and placed a protective arm around Sookie's waist, turning her around and bringing the front of her body flush up against his as his brothers eyes rested longer than they should have on her breasts.

"How is Isabelle?" Sookie asked from over her shoulder, breaking the tension between the two brothers whose eyes were locked on each other.

"She is fine, although she's understandably upset over the whole situation. She is relieved you still allowed her sister to marry what's-his-face and surprised that you've found yourself a woman that can keep your pants on." Christian smirked. He knew Isabelle and Eric were fond of each other in a filial way and he was fine with that; he'd want his brother and possibly future wife to get on and he was pleased a woman has finally been able to break Eric out of his old ways.

He continued, "I must say I'm surprised that you've still kept one woman. Normally you'd be on round eight by now, with a new lady in waiting," Christian remarked. A second later, he howled in pain in reaction to the fist that had crashed into his nose.

"ERIC!" Sookie scolded, torn between rushing over to Christian and staying close to Eric, who continued to hold his arm firmly around her waist, even though he was now towering over a crouching Christian who held his bleeding nose.

"You may be my brother Christian, but do not, do not speak of those whores in front of Sookie when you bloody well know that she's different from the rest."

"I am here, you know." Sookie grumbled from her position attached to Eric.

They both looked at her apologetically, Christian through his hand, as he covered his bloody nose.

"Look, both of ya'll need to take a chill pill and step a couple of paces backwards," she tugged on Eric's arm, indicating that she was being serious. He let her tug him backwards.

"What's a chill pill?" Christian asked curiously. Sookie sighed.

"It supposedly makes you all happy and relaxed, though I myself have never needed to take one. Though I know people who should!" Christian smirked and winced at the same time.

"Perhaps we should ask your strange great-grandfather if he could bring some the next time he pays us a visit."

Sookie felt Eric tense at the offhand comment. Christian saw his brother's face harden and even noticed Sookie stiffen a little in response. He stood up and took a couple of steps back, not wanting to deal with any more injuries at his brother's hand. Clearly, whatever happened whilst he was gone was a touchy subject regarding the strange prince.

"What is it you wanted that you couldn't have told me yourself later once you and Isabelle were settled? Why did you have to wreak havoc?" Eric asked his brother, trying to calm his last nerve standing. He was close to the bursting point and he felt sorry for the fucker who crossed his path when his bubble burst. He was fine when he woke up with Sookie this morning, and then the interruptions and everything else just got on top of him.

"Well..." Christian said, looking away.

"Of course I will." Sookie said, answering Christian's unspoken question. He looked at her gratefully. Eric was starting to get irritated.

"Of course you will what, lover?" Eric asked her, with a raised eyebrow.

"Help him with Isabelle. I'd like to get to know her, if we are all going to be in the same social circle. Plus, some people have trouble trying to put what they're thinking into words, and what your brother would have said, would have sounded awkward and uncomfortable, and probably earn him another fist." Sookie smirked at Christian's wide eyes at the last part of her explanation.

Eric looked at Christian, confused.

"Sookie is not a doctor."

Sookie turned to look up at Eric's face, his arm still around her waist.

"I know I'm not a doctor Eric, but I want to help. I've been here for a month and from what I've picked up, Isabelle has never stayed in Christian's chambers for long periods of times or been courted, like you've been doing with me. She may be used to this time, and how things run, but she's not going to be used to all that comes with being courted by a prince, let alone a king." Sookie paused, "I think even though she'd met your parents, and dined with them, she's never been put up front on display for all eyes to see. I was used to it due to stuff from my time, so it didn't bother me as much when you sat me next to you in front of everyone, but from what I got from Christian's head, Isabelle is shyer than me and has not had much experience in this department of being courted openly by a royal."

Both brothers just stared at her blankly. Sookie rolled her eyes and said drastically.

"MEN!" She kissed Eric on the cheek and made her way around Christian.

"Well, aren't we going?" Sookie asked. "And Eric, put a shirt on. I don't want everyone seeing what's mine." She shot him a stern look, and told Christian to lead the way. Both brothers followed her orders dumbly in a state of stunned shock.

When the door was closed to Eric's chambers and Christian had led her to his chambers, she stopped him before he opened the door.

"Let me look at your nose." She asked him. He lowered his now bloody hands. Sookie cringed; Eric made a nasty dent in his brother's nose, that's for sure.

"Trust me… close your eyes." She whispered and placed her hands over his nose, closing her own eyes and concentrated on mending it. It was one of her fairy gifts: healing power. She'd discovered it when she'd cut herself whilst chopping vegetables back home in her own kitchen.

Christian felt his nose become warm and mend itself. He was shocked. He'd been worried that his nose was going to be permanently bent; that after his brother's fist, his formerly perfect nose had met its sad end of straightness. It had been a lovely, masculine nose, with a slight curve at the end, but perfect. His mother had always told him he had a perfect little nose. It was even a good size for his face. It was neither too small nor too big. He and Eric were both lucky. Now he would bear no permanent reminder of this altercation, and it was all thanks to Sookie.

Eric joined them after Sookie had finished mending Christian's nose. He took notice of his brother's nose detecting how he wasn't cradling it with his hands. It still looked bloody, but it seemed different somehow, and Sookie was acting as if nothing had changed and was waiting patiently for Christian to lead the way.

He walked up to the two, placing a protective arm around Sookie. He'd grudgingly put the shirt on to please her. Something that infuriating man had said got him thinking. Thinking about the small fact, he'd never lain with woman around this time of the month due to their bleeding sessions that lasted normally a week.

But it was nearly heading into the last week of the month, and Sookie hadn't shown any signs of bleeding. He glanced down at the beautiful goddess that had been sent to him – his destiny – and he felt a little burst of hope surge through him as Christian led them into his chambers.

He hadn't known Sookie for very long but part of him felt like he knew her, and had known her for much longer than a few short weeks. He would have to keep a close eye on her in the next week, and treat her more gently – like a delicate flower.

As they entered Christian's chambers, Eric became alert. He was looking forward to seeing Isabelle again; she was a breath of fresh air, much like Sookie. But Sookie was his fresh air, and she had a unique fragrance of honey, flowers and fruit.

Christian's chambers were laid out much like his own, but smaller. He was the younger brother after all, Eric thought, smirking; he was glad that one of the benefits of being the eldest was having the biggest rooms. They may have more power than most families, but they still fought and quarreled like any normal siblings.

They walked into a room that was originally designed as a library, but was now turned into a living space. Sitting with her back to the door was a pretty woman with sandy colored hair. When she heard footsteps, she turned around and we saw her tired green eyes and slightly pale face. Her clothes looked worn from traveling, but otherwise she looked quite pretty.

With Christian and Eric were a very pretty woman who was standing closely beside the King. Isabelle guessed this was the woman Christian was telling her about: Sookie. She glanced down at the woman's attire and saw she wore a very pretty dress and the around her waist was Eric's, holding her in a protective embrace. She'd never seen him act this way before towards a woman; normally he beds them and then ditches them, but this one seems different.

Her eyes roamed over the two that were clearly a couple, whether they have openly admitted it or not. Even if they were just in the early stages of courting, she could tell they'd eventually be an official couple. They looked very similar too. Both had almost the same color hair, blue eyes and pretty skin. They'd make pretty babies together, and she seems nice.

When neither Christian nor Eric seemed to want to speak, Isabelle glanced at Christian briefly and noticed his bloody nose and raised her eyebrow. That's when the woman at Eric's side chose to speak. She stepped forward, holding out her hand in a friendly gesture.

"Hi, I'm Sookie, don't mind these two, they've been having a fist fight."

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