3__Gatecrashing weddings
The entire kingdom was waiting to hear the announcement.
The moment they were told the ceremony was complete, it would be party time for the next week and a half. So what if their King didn’t seem to have a soulmate as Werewolves usually did? As long as he married Evelynn and had heirs, he’d have fulfilled his duty! Mates were overrated anyway!
At least, that’s what they told themselves.
The excitement of the whole wedding party had apparently caught everyone except Raiden.
Evelynn stood beside him, her blue eyes shining with adoration as they always did when she looked at him, her hand on the crystal ball warm beneath his. His sister and the only princess of Zaïre, Veronica, stood near the altar, a huge smile stretching her face as she wiped away tears.
The elite of Zaïre were present, his Alphas were there, everyone in a tux and nodding in approval.
Raiden just wanted the whole thing to be over and done with. All he had to do was marry Evelynn and have an heir and most of his duty as Alpha king would be done.
Except something seemed to be wrong.
Raising a dark brow, Raiden glanced at his Chief Priestess as she peered at her crystal ball.
“Manasa?”
Blinking, the old woman raised her head. “Ah… yes, King Raiden. There is ah… some delay.”
Evelynn’s smile dimmed, her blonde bob swaying as she shook her head. “What delay?”
Manasa scratched her wrinkled cheek, her glittering black eyes clouding over with confusion. “Something… something is wrong. The gods are not answering me…”
Gasps exploded in the room, whispers flitting about as people grew anxious.
Disgruntled, Raiden glanced back, silencing them all.
He looked at the Priestess. “Try again, Manasa.”
“I’ve tried several times, my King, and there is no response. Without the blessing of the gods, we cannot form this union!”
Impatience flashed through Raiden’s sharp silver eyes. Drawing closer to the Priestess, he lowered his voice. “You said we were compatible and our union would be blessed. So make it… work!”
Manasa looked deeply troubled and shook her head helplessly. “My King—”
The doors slammed open.
“Which one of you bastards is Raiden?!”
The whole room stood, exploding with murmurs and sounds of confusion.
“Who fuck is that?” questioned the kingdom's 2nd Alpha, shoving back his chair aggressively.
Calmly turning around, Raiden took his hand off the crystal ball and faced the intruder.
The man was giant, his body covered with a fur shawl which one could tell had probably been ripped off an animal he’d personally hunted.
His beard was huge, but left enough space for Raiden to see the angrily flushed face and sharply narrowed brown eyes above it.
He scoffed with disbelief. What the hell was a Vampire Viking doing here?
“I said!!” roared the mountain of a man, marching in despite the Alphas clearing gathering around him. “Which one of you bastards is Raiden?!”
Undoing the button of his black suit, Raiden sauntered down the steps of the altar, approaching the loud disturbance.
“Raiden,” began his second Alpha.
Raiden held up a hand to silence him.
Natalia’s father focused on him. “You? You’re Raiden? Alpha King of Zaïre?!”
Raiden did not respond, still wondering what the hell the Vampire was doing there. If his reason was valid, perhaps Raiden would stop his alphas from tearing the man to pieces.
King Kendrick held a hand to the side and one of his men stepped forward, setting in his King’s hand a long gold sword.
The Alphas were already growling, their instinct to defend kicking in despite their not knowing the Vampire’s reason for appearing this way. They would kill and ask questions later, as was the way of the Werewolves of Zaïre.
Brian set a protective hand on Raiden’s chest, stepping forward when he saw the sword. Apparently the Vampire wasn’t here peacefully.
“I,” began Natalia’s father. “Am—”
“King Kendrick of the Viking Vampire kingdom of Gadon,” Raiden drawled flatly. “I know who you are. You’ve only further proved it with all these… theatrics you’re performing.”
King Kendrick blinked. “The— theatrics?!” With a grunt, he shoved off his fur cover, revealing the huge body underneath, his feet set firmly on the ground in a pair of fur and leather boots which were a somewhat bad combination with his long grey robe.
“You’ve stained my name, you dog,” growled Kendrick. “I'll kill you today or I am not Kendrick of Gadon!!”
Confusion mingled with annoyance in Raiden’s eyes. This shitty day was not going as planned.
Glancing back, he looked at Evelynn and Veronica who held each other and watched in quivering fear. With a nod at Evelynn’s handmaiden, Raiden signalled for them to be taken inside.
He had to deal with this.
“Where. Is. My. Daughter?!” boomed Kendrick’s voice.
Raiden glanced to the side. “Brian.”
With a nod, Brian turned to the watching audience and clapped his hands. “Right now, everybody out! Let’s go!”
The guests hurried to the doors, ushered by Brian until the last one was gone and the doors was thrown shut.
Raiden looked back at Kendrick with a raised brow. “Look… I’m going to give you a moment to confirm that you’re in the right kingdom. Alright? At your old age, mistakes can be excused. So check again.”
King Kendrick almost passed out from fury. “What?! Are you…? You’re mocking my age? You impudent fool!”
Brian’s jaw ticked with rage. “One more fucking insult at the Alpha king and I’ll tear your throat out myself. Vampire King or not!”
Kendrick blinked at the second alpha. “And who’s this?! Your lapdog?!”
Brian stepped forward with a dark growl, but Raiden raised a hand, stopping him. This situation had to be controlled quickly and quietly. Zaïre was not going to enter into war, especially not with a Vampire kingdom and one as wild and unreasonable as the Vikings. It was so unnecessary.
King Kendrick was raising his sword threateningly when the doors burst open once more.
Raiden watched another huge, fur-wearing man march in, a girl caught in his grasp, her feet barely walking as she was dragged into the hall.
“I’ve found the princess, your Majesty!!”
King Kendrick spun around with wide eyes of fury. When his gaze fell on his daughter, he damn nearly screamed with rage! How dare she?! He’d kill both her and this Werewolf king together!
Raiden blinked when the girl was dropped harshly at his feet, her knees slamming onto the floor.
“Shit!” she hissed in pain, clutching her hair where she was sure a few strands had come loose.
“Natalia!!” screamed Kendrick.
Jolting at the loud voice, Natalia peaked up at her father with a sigh. “Yes, fathe—”
“How dare you?! How dare you ruin me this way?! Your marriage has been set and yet you dare, you dare defile my throne, my honour this way!!”
Natalia cleared her throat, re-adjusting her position on her knees. “Oh, King of Gadon, I have committed a grave sin,” she said flatly, the words written on a piece of paper in her back pocket. “How can I ever undo this evil?”
Pressing her lips together, she waited eagerly for her father to announce that she had to marry Raiden or die.
Shaking with rage, King Kendrick looked down at his daughter, reading her mind like a book. She’d done all this just so she could have her own way!
“You despicable wench!” he muttered. “If you were going to be so much like me, you should have been born a man!! What good to me is a stubborn, ambitious and brave girl?!”
Natalia killed the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, father, what use indeed?”
“Don’t talk back!”
She pressed her lips together.
“I will make sure you pay for this!!”
Natalia brightened. “By making me marry this guy?” She pointed a thumb behind her shoulder.
The hand pointing a thumb was suddenly grabbed, making Natalia gasp as she was hauled to her feet and spun around to she face Raiden.
A sword flashed through the air, its sharp tip stopping before Raiden’s face.
The guard who'd dragged Natalia in narrowed his eyes. “Do not handle the princess of Gadon!”
Natalia glared at him. He hadn’t had a problem when he’d been throwing her around like a bag of rice earlier, had he?!
Calmly pushing aside the sword, Raiden stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Natalia’s face.
When she remembered that he was standing there, Natalia’s face went slack, her eyes avoiding his as best as they could.
Raiden could feel the desperate thump of his heart in his chest.
Something was very wrong, he could feel it.
“Look at me,” he rasped.
Hesitantly, Natalia raised her face, looking up at him and finally exposing her double identity.
“By the gods…” murmured Brian with a frown. “It’s her… the dancer.”
King Kendrick nearly passed out. “The what?!”
The alphas were exchanging glances, confusion making them momentarily forget to be on the defence.
A whole Vampire Princess had danced for them last night! Like a common entertainer!
They looked at her in shock. Was she insane?!
Raiden saw her in a blurred memory. She’d been… a princess?
Natalia cleared her throat. “I can explain.”
“The hell you can!” spat her father. “You listen to me, young lady, and you, young man! I will be damned if I take a damaged product back to my house!”
Natalia didn’t allow the words to hurt her.
He slammed the tip of his sword into the floor. “Right here and right now! You are going to make a proper woman out of my daughter, or may the heavens help you, I will rain… fire and wrath upon this kingdom!”
Raiden’s expression of cold shock rose to meet King Kendrick’s dark anger.
Fury darkened his silver orbs, the wolf within growling with rage. What on earth was the old man talking about? How dare he barge into Raiden’s kingdom and spew utter nonsense?
“And if I refuse?”
King Kendrick smiled cruelly, revealing dark stained teeth. “It’s marriage… or Zaïre will see dead bodies pile and know the wrath of the Vampire Vikings.”
“That so?” Rage tightened Raiden's lips and a twitch briefly curled the corner of his mouth. “Fine. So be it.”