Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.
Author's Note:
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Third Person POV: Harper
"We have much to explain to you, cara mia. Why don't we move to the privacy of my office while we wait for your new clothing to arrive?" The raven-haired king suggested politely.
The invitation was the figurative bucket of ice-water dumped on Harper's head. She remained silent, considering whether to accept his request. She had limited experience with the opposite sex, but she was not blind to the heat in the kings' eyes after watching her feed, and she doubted their intentions towards her were pure. Having said that, she didn't exactly have many options at the moment. The kings had been kind enough to provide her with sustenance, which was more than she could say for Santiago and his guards. Plus, something inside her was urging her to trust the kings, she felt drawn to them. Most importantly, she knew that she wouldn't get anywhere by refusing to speak to them.
The raven-haired king approached her, apparently interpreting her lack of response as agreement. He placed a light hand against the small of her back and led her out of the throne room as the brunette and white-blonde kings moved to either side of them. Harper felt hyperaware of the kings' presence, even without them in her line of sight, she could feel their proximity. Two guards opened the throne room doors for them as they approached.
Harper made note of the castle layout as they traveled to their destination followed by a group of guards. Santiago had told her that she had to stay in the castle - or another facility - for the next year so this was likely going to be her home for the foreseeable future.
Soon, they entered an opulently decorated wing of the castle which featured large sparkling chandeliers and artwork in every medium. The kings guided her towards a set of arched doors at the end of the hall which a pair of guardsmen opened for them.
She was ushered into a large office with a red and black gothic theme. The front portion of the office was a sitting room with red velvet couches, and the separated section behind it had an office set up with a grand desk, leather desk chair, and tall bookshelves stocked with well-kept books.
"Guard the door and do not interrupt us. No exceptions." She heard the brunette king instruct the guards. His voice was a smooth, deep, and held an authority that left no room for arguments.
Harper's apprehension grew as the kings sat her in the middle of a large couch and then promptly sandwiched her between the white-blond and raven-haired kings while the brunette pulled an armchair forward to sit directly in front of her.
Now, with no escape routes and the only exit guarded, Harper was starting to panic. The kings had referred to her as their mate, clearly suggesting that they were not looking for a platonic relationship with her. Sure, she could refuse their advances, but as kings, she figured they were probably used to getting what they wanted. If she remained in the castle for her newborn year, would she face repercussions for rebuffing them? Even if she was able to transfer to a training facility far away from the castle, she knew that being on bad terms with the kings of the supernatural world would likely not bode well for her.
And the worst part of this whole situation? She wanted the kings. They were gorgeous, regal, imposing – she couldn't have conjured up more perfect male specimens in her mind if she tried. She had never felt anything close to the instant, intense connection that had formed when she locked eyes with them in the throne room. The pull she felt towards them had dwarfed anything she felt towards her sire when she first met him.
As tempted as Harper was to just give them what they wanted, she knew herself. She loved deeply, but she had a fragile heart. She wasn't sure she would survive the heartbreak it would cause her if the kings used her for pleasure and then discarded her afterwards.
"Please, talk to us, piccola. I can feel your anxiety growing by the second." The brunette king pleaded, looking oddly concerned.
"Are you an empath?" She asked him.
"No, however, my brothers and I are able to feel any strong emotions you experience though our bond. Now, before we start, we need to make sure that you feel safe." He explained.
"What bond?" She asked, avoiding his request again.
"We will discuss that once we have resolved whatever is troubling you." He told her sternly, but his face showed only concern, assuring her that he wasn't angry.
Harper frowned, uncertain whether she should, or even could, articulate her fears.
"You could take my hand if you don't wish to explain aloud." The raven-haired king offered.
Harper bit her bottom lip as he offered his hand to her… She knew that this was the cowardly way out, but she was grateful for the assistance. Plus, he had already read her mind once in the throne room so he couldn't be too surprised by what he saw this time.
She placed her hand in Aro's larger one and watched his eyes close briefly as he viewed the contents of her mind. A deep frown marred his beautiful face and when he opened his eyes, they radiated sorrow.
"I should have foreseen your fears." Aro said dejectedly. "In my haste to get you safe and alone with my brothers and I, I did not consider that our forwardness would frighten you. I'm truly sorry, amore mio. Please believe me when I say that my brothers and I did not request a private audience with you under the expectation of becoming physically intimate. We only wish to discuss what happened in the throne room and get to know you better, if you'll allow it. We would never intentionally take your choices away from you." He implored.
Harper didn't miss the Italian term of endearment that he had used towards her. Somehow, she knew that the raven-haired king's statement was completely genuine, so she relaxed, allowing herself to find comfort in his words. She felt the air lighten as the kings' moods improved in synchrony with her own.
"Now that we've cleared that up, how about we introduce ourselves properly?" The raven-haired king suggested. "I am Aro, and these are my soul brothers, Marcus" he gestured across from her to the brunette king who smiled and nodded, "and Caius." He said gesturing to the platinum haired king to her left who gave her a small smile. "And your name, piccola?"
"Harper" She replied, smiling back at them demurely.
"Harper," Aro spoke tenderly "I know you're curious about the connection you feel to us." Harper's eyes widened and she ducked her head in embarrassment. She had known when she took Aro's hand that he would see everything, but she hadn't expected him to announce her private feelings to his brothers too.
"There's no need to be shy, angelo mio, you should know you are not alone; we feel the same connection to you. In fact, the pull we feel is even stronger because have waited several millennia for your arrival." Harper peeked back up at the kings, her heart fluttering wildly with hope.
"The connection you feel towards us, and us towards you, is the most sacred bond in existence – the bond of fated mates, or soulmates, as mortals call it. You, Harper, are the missing half of our souls and the miracle we have waited our entire immortal lives to find. If you accept our bond, we will love, cherish, and protect you for eternity. And you may take your rightful place as ruling queen and our equal partner."
"I don't think I'm cut out to be royalty…" Harper replied nervously. This conversation seemed surreal, she had met the kings less than an hour ago and they were offering to make her queen? She knew so little of the supernatural world; how could she possibly help lead it?
"We will give you as much time as you need to consider whether you would like to rule beside us or not. And please, know that if you choose not to actively rule beside us, you will still be our queen regardless. I must say though, having viewed your life up until now, I think that you would make a very fair and compassionate ruler." Aro told her earnestly.
"The perfect person to help moderate Caius in court it would seem." Marcus smirked and Caius rolled his eyes.
"Don't listen to Marcus, I'm not that bad." Caius assured her and she couldn't help but giggle at their interaction.
"Of course, there is the more pressing matter of whether you intend to accept our bond and allow us to court you…?" Aro prompted gently.
"Would that imply an exclusive relationship with the three of you?" She asked and saw Caius's eyes narrow.
"Yes, it would be exclusive, is that an issue?" He replied in a clipped tone.
"What? No! I wasn't implying…" Harper released a soft, frustrated growl. "I'm not asking for myself; I'm concerned that the three of you won't be able to maintain exclusivity." She explained, feeling miffed at Caius's assumption.
"You have nothing to worry about, tesoro, you have our absolute devotion already. It may comfort you to know that the mate bond does not allow for infidelity, nor any other form of intentional mental or physical harm towards one's mate. Having said that, I have never heard of a happily mated vampire attempting to do so regardless." Marcus reassured her and then turned to glare at Caius. "And please, forgive Caius's tactlessness, he's just being a possessive bastard."
"So, none of you are romantically attached…?" She asked them. Her silent heart clenched painfully at the thought of their past relationships, or even worse… current ones.
"None of us have engaged in a serious relationship in over a millennium, Harper. But we can discuss it in more detail if you wish." Aro offered calmly.
Harper recalled Santiago saying the kings had ruled for two millennia now… which meant they had serious relationships prior. She growled at the thought but quickly shut her eyes and focused on controlling the rampant emotions she was feeling. Dear God, she had just met them, why did she feel ready to hunt down every ex-partner they had and rip them to shreds? If they were several millennia into their immortal lives, it would be extremely atypical if they had not engaged with anyone romantically or sexually, but that logic was not helping her calm down right now.
"Amore mio, tell us what's wrong, let us help you." Marcus spoke and she winced. She wanted to talk to them, but she was worried that they would think she was unstable if she told them the reason for her current upset.
"Would you take my hand?" Aro offered again.
"You're going to think I've lost my mind…" She whispered but placed her hand in his.
"Harper, you're feeling the possessiveness caused by our bond combined with heightened newborn emotions. I won't lie to you, your newborn year will be challenging, but we will provide you with training, blood, and anything else you desire to help you through it." Aro explained.
Marcus moved from his couch chair to kneel directly in front of her.
"Try something for me?" He requested softly and she nodded. "Take a deep breath through your nose." Harper tilted her head in confusion. She had been avoiding breathing through her nose since getting in trouble in the lobby and had only taken an occasional mouth breath in order to speak since then. She doubted breathing exercises were going to fix the unbridled emotions she was experiencing. But Marcus nodded at her encouragingly, so she drew in a breath in through her nose.
Her pupils dilated as her mates' scents hit her at once, amplified by the enclosed space they occupied. Aro smelled of crisp apple, Marcus of fresh pine, and Caius of sharp peppermint. She moaned lightly, feeling her body melt against the couch.
"A vampire's scent, or scents in your case, can also be helpful in calming one's mate, along with other things." Marcus told her. "And, if I may provide some advice, it's important to scent the area frequently to remain aware of your surroundings."
"I was avoiding it because I got reprimanded by my sire for growling when I smelled the secretary's blood in the lobby." She explained.
"Well, no one will dare disrespect you from now on, that's for damn certain. If they do, find me and I will be more than happy to teach them their place beneath you." Caius told her gruffly, and she grinned at him. Although Caius was short-tempered, she couldn't help but feel pleased when it was in her defense.
"If our secretary's blood pleases you, then we can have a guard fetch her for your next meal." Aro offered and she shot him a smile. She planned on taking him up on that offer quite soon.
She drew in another breath, reveling in her mates' delectable scents and sighed happily.
"I accept the mate bond… I already know there's no way I can resist the three of you, nor do I wish to try." She told them.