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

Chapter 16

Mixed Points of View

Isabelle did not know what to make of the situation or the woman's - Sookie's – greeting. She glanced between the three and just burst out laughing, shocking Christian and causing Eric to feel uncomfortable with the turn of events, his eyes drifting between the two women. He wondered if this was a women's thing.

Sookie spoke up and told them that Isabelle had gone into shock and not sure what to make of everything. Isabelle was laughing hysterically now, causing Christian to look panic-stricken. Eric pulled Sookie closer to him and placed his lips at her ear.

"Perhaps we should leave." Sookie nodded, as Christian went over to Isabelle who had started half-sobbing, half-laughing.

Eric wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and they made their way down to the vast hall for the morning breakfast that would be in full swing. It was probably also filled with gossip of the prince's arrival as well as stories and theories about everything that had been happening behind closed doors.

"How was her mind structure?" Eric asked.

"All over the place. She wasn't being rude, she's just had a lot to deal with and some bad news and shocks in short spaces of time. It's all caught up to her." Sookie said.

"Are you going to be okay lover, with entering the hall?" he asked, holding her closer to him.

"I think so. I know it's going to be hard to block everyone out; I can already hear them - the closer we get, the more I hear the buzzing of their minds that are racing with theories and gossip of Christian's return and our lateness to breakfast this morning," she told him. She was touched that he'd thought to ask her how her mind was coping. Nobody back home ever did, until she got involved with the vampires. And then when the shifters and Weres came out, they started accepting her 'disability' more.

"Our lateness?" he asked her.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Eric. They think, I'm either pregnant which is why you're still with me or they're wondering if we're late because we're still under the covers, or they're speculating that we're dealing with Christian's return!"

Eric didn't like this; he didn't like this at all. He wished people would stop gossiping and guessing and let nature take its course instead of always watching and waiting for something to happen. He could have a talk with his people again. He could tell them directly about what was going on with Christian and Isabelle.

They reached the door to the vast hall and Eric pushed Sookie up against the wall beside the door and kissed her with everything he had, knowing that when they entered, her lips would be swollen and maybe even bruised. Eventually they broke apart and Eric offered Sookie his arm, which she accepted. He opened the door and they entered into the bright light of the vast hall, entering reality. Eric preferred the bubble he and Sookie created when they were alone.

All heads turned in their direction and people rose respectfully. Eric felt Sookie straighten up and go into her zone beside him as he did the same. He escorted her to the table like always and pulled the chair beside his throne out for her, seating her gently as he took his own place next to her.

Once he was seated, his people sat and the cooks came out with the breakfast dishes. As soon as the food was laid out, he'd watch Sookie closely, to see if there were any changes in her eating pattern. He'd gotten to know her pretty well since they started becoming intimate; they had grown closer, letting each other in.

Eric started piling food onto his plate and poured himself a drink. His eyes drifted over the hall, doing several sweeps making sure all was in order. He noticed several pregnant wives in the audience. He hadn't been informed that they were pregnant, but now they showed, through their dresses, that were unable to hide the bulge of their stomachs.

He never thought he'd feel anything like this, but he really hoped that things would continue to get stronger between him and Sookie. To his surprise, he realized that he was also hoping that in the near future, he would be the lucky man who would have a woman beside him, watching her belly grow with his child inside her.

Sookie had changed him, he knew that, and he did not know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, but in a short space of time, she'd already turned him into a more relaxed man and he'd started feeling new feelings that he'd never felt before. These feelings set his nerves - and other instincts - on edge.

Before, he got by due to his looks. Women wanted him, regardless of his attitude. Many of them seemed willing to look past his flaws in order to have a fling with a prince. He knew some hoped for more, but he refused to let anybody into his life, until he was ready - or his parents arranged a marriage. Then Sookie started appearing in his dreams and then popped up out of nowhere and his carefully balanced life turned upside down. Now, he was thankful for it and she was just what he needed to be pulled out of the zone he'd dug himself into.

He glanced at her plate, noticing she was going for seconds already and eating odd things she didn't like before. Was this all a sign? They'd been at it like rabbits since the moment she let him into her world. Again, they may have only known each other a short amount of time, but he felt as though he'd known her his whole life, and that she was a part of him some how and when he first saw her, when the guards brought her in, he felt an instant connection.

Now they would have to deal with Isabelle and Christian's return and smooth over the gossip. He decided to make an announcement when he finished eating. He noticed that Sookie was oblivious to his staring; her attention was focused on the food before her. He placed his hand on her thigh and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Lover, I think you should slow down." He got a dark glare in return and she ignored him and continued eating. Eric raised an eyebrow, and then smirked, feeling amused. Only Sookie would dare to look or act in such a way towards him. Nobody else would ever dare to treat him with anything but respect. Sookie, on the other hand, pushes his boundaries and he likes it.

When the staff came back in to collect the dishes, he squeezed Sookie's thigh and she instantly glanced in his direction.

"I am going to tell them of Christian and Isabelle's return." He said in a low voice, his lips resting lightly against her ear. Sookie's head turned in his direction so half of her face was concealed from the onlookers of court.

"Mmm." she replied. He continued. Then she stiffened and their eyes met. He silently pleaded with her to tell him what was wrong. She shook her head very slightly so even those whose eyes watched their every move would have to have looked very hard and captured their every movement to notice.

Once the staff had disappeared back to the kitchens, Eric squeezed her thigh before rising to stand and began to speak.

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