The assassination attempt has been foiled. In the relative safety of the castle’s walls, Anders and Mitchell are able to let their guards down and become something they never thought they’d be: friends. But as time passes, a hidden darkness is revealed, and even castle walls cannot keep out the night.
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Seven months after the wedding
The Land of Gods
"Well, dear husband, it looks like your grand plan didn’t work out. They’ve been married for six months and your brother is still in the best of health. What’s more, the marriage even seems to be a happy one. Apparently, the vampire has no interest drinking your ugly brother dry."
"Oh, shut your trap, woman! Of course I wasn’t expecting him to kill Anders within the first year of their marriage. That would be quite rude, wouldn’t it? And it might pose questions. The vampires don’t want to lose our gold, that’s for sure. So Anders might still have a few years ahead of him, forgotten and locked away in darkness while the vampires spend his dowry. But in the end, the vampire will kill him. They always do."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Vampires always kill their human spouses, whether by accident or deliberate. The last king had six wives. He killed four of them. One was driven into suicide, and one lost her mind. That’s a pretty crass quota, don’t you think?"
"The last king also was a ruthless, mad dictator with no qualms whatsoever. This current one seems a little saner, and his son almost acts like a human himself. And what if the rumours are true and they’re actually leading a happy marriage?"
"Whatever ‘happy’ might mean. Seriously, Michele, do you really think someone could love Anders? Do you think the handsome vampire prince will waste himself to a masked spectre with a falsetto voice? You know Mitchell’s reputation. He has a lot of lovers and I don’t think he’ll give up this lifestyle for his pitiful excuse of a husband. Of course they have to purport that the marriage is happy, what else can they do?"
"And what about the rumour about Anders, the vampire slayer, saving his husband’s life?"
"Michele. You know my brother. You’ve seen him. How could a creature like him ever wield a weapon, let alone take out a vampire? He’s too weak to lift a spoon to his mask. I don’t know where that rumour came from, but I’m positive it’s nothing but a made-up story. Anders is safely out of the way in the vampire land. In a few years’ time, he will be dealt with and won’t pose a threat to us anymore."
"You better be right there, Mikkel, cause I swear to you I won’t let anything come between our son and the throne. Not your brother, not a vampire, and certainly not a stupid prophecy out of a dusty old book."
"I know, Michele. I know."
*****************
Ever since the assassination attempt, Mitchell had tried to be friendly to Anders, remembering the words spoken in front of the fireplace: “You have been nothing but kind to me.”
And so he’d done his best to keep up that kindness. He spent more time in their chambers, for example. He even slept there most of the time, having slightly adjusted his waking hours to Anders’ routine so they had at least an hour before they went to bed on their respective evenings, and they spent this hour talking. They talked about many things. The events of the day, politics, gossip, books, news…whatever was on their minds. Anders was a very versatile and knowledgeable conversation partner with surprising insights on many matters. Mitchell actually enjoyed exchanging views with him, or asking him for his opinion on something. And he had the impression that Anders valued that.
Right now, Mitchell wasn’t in their chambers though. He was in Lauren’s small room at the far side of the castle; tiny compared to what Mitchell was used to, but that was the rule. Lauren was simple gentry, not of the high nobility, and thus she was provided with the bare necessities only. Oh, her bed was still of mahogany and her curtains were lush velvet; she had three blankets and soft pillows to sleep in and a few pieces of luxury furniture, so there was no real reason to complain. Many of Mitchell’s subjects had it far worse than her.
She was trying to seduce him, to get into his pants, but so far Mitchell had effectively warded her off with excuse after excuse.
"I really need to go back now, Lauren." He tried again. "My husband will be waiting for me. We always talk or play chess at this time of the day. If I don’t turn up, he’ll grow suspicious."
Lauren stopped the kisses she had tried to win his attention with. “You’re quite fond of your husband lately.” She said with barely concealed sarcasm.
Mitchell turned his head to look at her. “Well,” he shrugged. “He saved my life, you know. It’s only natural that brought us closer together, don’t you think?” There was irony in his own voice, and a small hint of anger as well. Why was she continuously picking on Anders? Her constant bickering really got on Mitchell’s nerves. He was a married man, and he liked his husband. He was not bedding him, but bedding his mistress instead, so what more did she want?
Lauren rolled onto her side and propped herself onto one elbow. “Someone who can take out a vampire in cold blood is not an innocent princeling, Mitchell.”
He stared at her for a few seconds, disgruntled about the turn of the conversation. ”Yeah, well, I for one am glad he was there and had the guts to react when no one else did or could. And frankly, that assassination attempt is still giving me a headache. Apparently, there are more of Herrick’s minions than we thought.”
"Which is why your father is sending me to investigate." Lauren said, calmly.
"What, you?"
"Yes. Ivan has found traces of a group that appears to be associated with the Herrick cause. I’m going to track them down and infiltrate them to gain information."
"But won’t they have spies here at the castle?"
"Most likely. That’s what I’m going to find out, so we can eliminate the spies."
"But…they will know who you are!"
"I am a nobody, Mitchell, that’s why they chose me. I’m a just a number here at court."
"You’re sleeping with the crown prince."
"Everybody did, at one point."
Mitchell still thought about that last sentence when he was dressed again and on the way back to his quarters, and his husband.
********
Anders sighed happily as he relaxed in his hot bath. He had washed all over, and was now just soaking in the warmth. He didn’t mind the cold of the castle, since the Land of Gods was a cold place too, but sometimes he missed hot summer days, even though his mask made them difficult. He didn’t hear his husband enter their room, nor did hear Mitchell step into the washroom until it was too late.
“Ah!” He gasped, standing and grabbing a towel, covering his face, forgetting in his hurry that he was leaving his body bare.
Mitchell was staring. He didn’t mean to, honestly, but still he was staring. He also hadn’t meant to walk in on his husband’s bath; had, in fact, had no idea about it when he entered their chambers.
Anders was nowhere to be seen, so Mitchell had called out for him but received no answer. That wasn’t unusual. The vampire had just assumed his husband was elsewhere in the palace, in the library perhaps, or out in the little secluded roof garden that was on the floor below their quarters. The masked prince would return whenever it was convenient for him, so Mitchell headed into the small washroom to clean himself before changing his clothes. And instead of finding the little chamber deserted, he’d walked straight in on golden candlelight and soft, white muslin curtains, parted to reveal his husband stretched out in the large, oval bath tub.
Everything had happened in slow motion. Mitchell must have gasped or uttered another little sound of surprise. Anders’ eyes snapped open, he let out a shriek and jumped up, water sloshing out of the tub. The ugly prince quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his face, but the rest of his body was as bare as it could be - and from the quick glimpse Mitchell had caught before Anders sank back into the water, hugging his knees and covering his face, it wasn’t an ugly body at all.
The blond was shaking. Mitchell had seen him. What little friendship they had was over. Even the kindest men would turn away from you, his family had said. He just…had hoped that they’d have a little longer before Anders’ ugliness ruined everything. He gulped and spoke softly.
“W-Welcome home, h-husband. I’ll…I’ll be out s-soon…s-sorry t-to r-ruin your e-evening…”
Belatedly, Mitchell’s brain registered the words, the shaking, the pose that spoke of utter insecurity. Mitchell blinked, not sure why Anders was so scared. He took a step towards the tub, raising his hand when his husband flinched, showing him he meant no harm. The words came through the haze in his mind, drifting softly on the warm air in the bathroom.
"You didn’t ruin anything. Please, stay. Make yourself comfortable." He paused for a second, unsure, before he said the next words. "Would you allow me to join you in your bath?"
The blond prince frowned and slowly sat up. Mitchell…wasn’t repulsed? He…wanted to join him? Anders blushed beneath his towel, then bit his lip, thinking. What harm could there be? His husband was an exceptionally kind man, and maybe…maybe vampires were kinder by nature to freaks.
“Alright…please, come in. But could you, um…sit in front of me? With your back to me? I could…wash your hair for you, my husband…” Anders’ posture became shy yet confident.
"Sure, sounds like a good idea," Mitchell agreed while stripping out of his clothes, tossing them carelessly to the floor. It was the first time they were going to be naked around each other, and of course Mitchell was kind of self-conscious about that. On the other hand, wasn’t it natural for married couples to show themselves naked? And Mitchell had been curious about what lay hidden beneath Anders’ wide clothes ever since, and now there was proof that his husband’s body was in no way ugly or disfigured. His face, perhaps - Mitchell had only caught a very brief glimpse and the towel that was still in place wasn’t transparent enough to allow a second glance. Only the eyes were showing, blue and wide and curious.
"I have to warn you though," he laughed, sliding his last garment down. "My curls tend to go quite crazy. You’ll need a bit of force to tame them." He let himself glide into the water and settled in front of his husband.
Anders slowly took off his towel when Mitchell slid in front of him. He marvelled at his husband’s beauty, his pale skin, his thick black hair. The vampire was gorgeous, even among other vampires. The blond slowly ran his hands through Mitchell’s curls, untangling them deftly.
“I do not know if you’ve noticed, my husband, but my hair is also quite unruly. If I did not slick it back so often, it would obscure my vision.” He was more confident now; the atmosphere felt relaxed, not tense and frightening like he’d expected. He began washing Mitchell’s hair, being gentle and careful with the shampoo. His fingers massaged Mitchell’s scalp and neck, wanting to help his husband relax. He’d seemed troubled lately.
“…You’re beautiful…”
Even though he was dead and couldn’t technically blush, Mitchell felt heat creep up his face at the compliment, and it wasn’t just from the warm air in the bathroom. He knew he was good-looking, he’d been told often enough, but deep within Mitchell still thought of himself as an average guy who’d just been lucky enough to become Crown Prince.
"Thank you," he said quietly, touched. He considered his next words carefully. "From what I have seen earlier, you are quite shapely as well."
Anders, who was not dead, blushed as red as a tomato. “O-Oh!” He ducked his head, smiling sheepishly even though Mitchell couldn’t see it. “Th-Thank you…” He swallowed audibly. “That’s…the first time anyone’s said I’m anything but ugly…”
His voice was quiet, and his hands gently carded through Mitchell’s hair as he rinsed it clean. He was silent for some moments, then spoke softly again. “You truly are the kindest man in the world. I’m so lucky you’re my husband. Thank you.” Anders hesitantly leaned forwards, and placed a small, shy kiss on the nape of Mitchell’s neck.
The touch of soft lips let Mitchell shiver. It was innocent, just a mere gesture of affection, nothing like the heated, passionate kisses Lauren had showered upon him earlier, and yet it released a flood of feelings within him, more than Lauren’s kisses ever could.
Affection. Warmth. Pity. Guilt.
Guilt, because Anders couldn’t possibly know that Mitchell had been cheating on him; had come straight from the arms of his mistress in fact, and even though Anders had given him permission to do so, Mitchell suddenly felt that it wasn’t right. They were married, they had said sacred words and bound themselves to one another. They should stick to their vows.
"You don’t have to thank me." He whispered, throat suddenly tight. "It’s the least I can do to make living with me at least tolerable for you." He grabbed Anders’ hand and raised it to his lips, breathing a kiss onto the wet skin.
A soft smile graced Anders’ lips, and he let his other hand caress Mitchell’s cheek. “I am happy here, Mitchell. So very happy. I would not change meeting you for the world. Now come, close your eyes. I’ll dry off, then you can.” He kissed his husband’s neck again, then stood, trusting Mitchell to keep his eyes closed.
He dried off quickly and dressed again, letting Mitchell know he could look. He smiled underneath his mask and waited for his husband, sitting on the bed, where they always talked.
Once Mitchell was dry and dressed, he joined Anders in the main area of their chambers, where his bed stood. He still felt slightly guilty and at the same time strangely elevated; the little interlude in the bathroom having left a rare sense of calm in his mind, almost as if he had achieved some important step. Anders was sitting on the bed, dressed in soft nightclothes and the ubiquitous mask covering his face. Those soft lips that had graced Mitchell’s neck were hidden again. Pity. The vampire would have liked to catch a glimpse on them.
He then remembered he had bought something for his husband at the market today. It had been a whim, a spur-of-the-moment decision when he passed by a shop that offered old books and manuscripts. Remembering Anders’ fondness of books and song, he had found and bought a beautifully illuminated copy of a songbook with traditional tunes of his people, sad songs mostly, bound in leather and inlaid with silver and mother-of-pearl in the form of a crescent moon on the cover.
He handed it to Anders, mentally slapping himself for getting no wrapping paper or box for the gift.
"Here, I…I found this at the market today. I thought you might like it."
Anders’ eyes were bright, giving away his smile from underneath his mask. He gasped when Mitchell presented him with a gift. It was beautiful, and filled with songs and ballads he’d never seen before. He glowed golden for a moment as Bragi took over, reading and absorbing the music even the god had never seen before. The golden glow faded, and Anders’ blue eyes met Mitchell’s, filled with excitement and adoration.
“Oh, thank you! It’s marvellous! Even Bragi has never seen these songs! I’ve…never been given such a gift before…never one with such thought behind it…” Anders gently set the book down and embraced Mitchell, laughing with joy.
"I’m glad you like it," Mitchell replied with a laugh as he returned the embrace. Holding and touching his husband wasn’t the onerous task he had imagined before the wedding, and he found that he enjoyed Anders’ unbridled enthusiasm whenever it broke through. Most of the time the masked man was quiet, sad even, but Mitchell had been lucky enough to hear his laugh on more than one occasion, and it was a sound he truly liked. The golden glow of Anders’ god wasn’t new to him, but Mitchell was too reluctant yet to ask about Bragi, or how exactly the relationship between Anders and the god worked. One day, he would. For now, he was just happy his gift had been well received.
"There were many other books at the shop that I’m sure we don’t have in our library. And the shop itself was nice as well, full of books from floor to roof, and smelling of ink and old paper. You’d have liked it. I think you would enjoy the market with all its exotic goods. There are paintings and jewelry, fine silken clothes, books and drawings and all sorts of spices and food from far away places." He broke off, thinking for a moment.
"We could go together. I would love to show you this little world. Would you like to?" he enthused.
Anders blinked, moving back from Mitchell. “You…would be seen with me? In public? Without it being mandatory?” He was quiet for many long moments, staring in disbelief as he looked for any lies in Mitchell’s eyes. Finding none, he smiled, his eyes tearing.
“Aye. I would love to come with you.” He embraced Mitchell again, giddy with excitement. He’d never dreamed to become friends with his husband, but somehow, Mitchell was his friend. He wanted to spend time with the ugly prince. Anders had never been happier in his life.
“Hmmm…but, wait…my mask…I would be quite visible. We may be harassed, or followed. It…would make for a stressful day, rather than a fun one. I know you go to the market incognito quite often. Do you…have something I could wear? To hide who I am?” Anders asked, head tilted to the side.
"That’s true," Mitchell agreed, never having thought of that possibility before since he usually only donned a cap and a few old, tattered clothes as a disguise. He had never been bothered at the market before, but now, with the assassination attempt still fresh in his mind, it probably wasn’t a good idea to show himself with the masked prince. Anders’ mask was going to shine like a beacon in the night and draw attention to them. Riding in a carriage or a sedan chair wasn’t going to be much better. However, Mitchell had an idea - a pretty crazy one, but one that could possibly buy them a day off their princely duties.
"We could disguise ourselves as merchants from the south. They’re not an uncommon sight at the markets these days; we would blend right in. They wear loose tunics and mantles over them; they drape a piece of cloth around their heads and veils their faces so only the eyes remain visible. No one will recognize us."
Anders’ eyes shone brightly, and he giggled like a schoolboy who’d just gotten away with something. “That’s brilliant! You can secure us some clothes, the seamstresses always have some costumes lying about, and they adore you.”
Anders stood and spun around in high glee. “This is wonderful! Finally, I could go out and not be seen! Not be a target, just another passing face.” His smile was evident in his voice. “Truly, you think of the most amazing things, my dear husband!”
Catching his husband around the waist, Mitchell easily lifted him and whirled Anders around several times in a crazy dance; the blond’s joyful mood having rubbed off onto the vampire. “I’ll speak to them about the costumes first thing tomorrow. We should have them in time for the next market. This is going to be fun!”
He came to a halt in front of the sofa where Anders slept, setting him gently down onto his feet again before he pressed a light kiss onto the mask’s unmoving lips. “Good night, my prince, and sweet dreams to you.”
When you get this, you must publicly post something nice about at least 5 different people you follow, then copy and paste this in each of their ask boxes
(no particular order)
Katyushha: My darling, my russian soulmate, my badass translator and beta. I love her more than the words can tell. I'm so happy and lucky to have met her here. We share a part of our brain and she is nice, funny and just awesome.
Ceallaig1 and Drakkhammerwrites : I put them together because they are kind of my real life OTP. I ship you together... sorry! ;) They are always generous and supportive. They have good advices and are also fandom masters Jedi for all of us young padawans.
Bluebutterflywrites: A talented writer, among the bests I know. One day I'll be able to convey emotions and atmospheres like her. She is my writing role model.
Odin-god-of-nothing-important: Precious sweet little cupcake. The nicest cutest girl. Has a wonderful TAJ blog. If you don't follow her, I don't know what you're waiting for.
Sweetladybat: My very own disco devil sister. Bella is a very talented vidder. You want drama, comedy, love ? She can make you laugh and cry with her magnificient fanvids. Also a very nice person to speak with.
There is so many other poeple I want to say nice things about. But my brain is in jelly due to a cold and it's the best I can do for now. But just know that I love you all. xxxxx
I know most of us already did it, so I won't copy it in your askbox.
when you get this, you must publicly post something nice about at least 5 different people you follow, then copy and paste this in each of their ask boxes
Oh, I’m so slow, this is my third one. And so hard to narrow down to 5 people!!!
werecakes - an amazing writer who can write a great mystery (and a great Bifur) and somebody I consider to be strong, brave, and considerate
bluebutterflywrites - another amazing writer! If I had to pick a single person who would be most likely to be published, it would be her. And I love exchanging messages with her.
thegreensorceress - Not only a wonderful beta, but I adore her stories too, and she’s a great friend. I wish you lived here, I know you’re somebody I could hang out with regularly!
nekomancy - another fantastic author and sweet on top of it all. Busy as she says, but talented and lovely.
daisykatherine - another beautiful soul who runs around spreading her positivity to so many people. And I love her landscape reblogs on top of that. And brave! How many tall things did you jump off while you were here?
When you get this, you must publicly post something nice about at least 5 different people you follow, then copy and paste this in each of their ask boxes
<3 It really made my day to see someone tag me in this! Probably several of the people I mention have already done this as well, but whatever. Let's see...
dianalunae: One of my very first followers! So nice, comments and likes almost every single one of my posts, and it makes me so happy!
teenyblondini: This lovely lady left an incredibly profound comment on one of my stories (and several others along the way as well), and it's one that really struck a chord with me. I'll never forget it, and truly your words have encouraged me to continue writing even about difficult subjects!
bluebutterflywrites: This girl knows how to craft a story! At the End of the Rainbow is an emotional rollercoaster for sure, but one I'm so glad you've put time and energy into. Such beautiful writing! Please never stop! Also one of the driving forces behind the Aidean fandom (in my opinion).
thegreensorceress: Have you seen her beautiful etsy creations? Need I say more? I will! Because she's amazing, and always has a nice word to say about my art!
dwarfsmut: Because porn on my dash. Always a good thing to come home to! And generally there are kinks that I adore and love but am too afraid to admit it. I'm glad you have the courage to just put it all out there, for my sake, and the rest of the pervy hobbit fans on tumblr. Ahh....the best.
There are so many other lovely people that I follow and also who follow me as well! <3
