Closer Still

Five years later...



"Ohhh, but I see..." Elic smiled his slowest, most knowing smile. He reached up to touch Edward's face. "What is mine is yours. Have you been wanting a woman's touch so badly?" Edward only frowned at his Elic's amusement and tilted his chin away from the questing fingertips. Elic was right, and all the more irritating because of it. "The Council-" "The Council is full of hot air, Precious, as you well know. They may still call me Prince, but who here is King if not me? Father is gone, Mummy is mad, and I am the only heir left to rule," Elic leant back amongst his pillows, sighing, "wife or no." Also true. Feeling a frustrated heat building in his cheeks, Edward grit his teeth and looked away toward the window so he didn't have to meet his Elic's eyes. Playing the worried avisor clearly wasn't going to work, it was too out of character, but admitting his half hearted scheme stung hard.

His pride wanted him to back out, to bark at Elic to forget it, forget the whole wife business and stop being an ass. His libido, his heart even, refused to let him take this easy route.

Edward wanted a wife, badly, a simple woman he could hold and own and protect and, possibly, have children with; but he was Elic's. In every way he belonged to the frightening and possessive Prince of Night. There would be no wife, not unless she belonged to them. If Elic took a wife he would share, and she would be theirs. With only one bed in use, it could be no other way.

Edward swallowed, keeping his chin turned away as he admitted defeat, "It would... make me happy," but he still caught the smile slipping from Elic's face from the corner of his eye. He could feel the critical stare against the side of his face and broke a sweat because of it, hastening to add, "Un-unless you really hate the idea. I mean-"

"No." Elic cut him off sharply, eyes narrowed, almost frowning. There was a long silence between them as he continued to read Edward's profile, but when he came to his conclusion he smiled again. His voice softened and he reached to touch his Edward's face again, this time unrejected. "No. Nothing that makes you happy could ever, ever, be something I hate."

Edward released a breath he hadn't noticed holding until it went. "... Good. That's... That's good." "Mm. I get to pick the girl, of course." "Of course." Disappointment crept up Edward's throat, he'd had someone in mind, but he didn't dare voice it now and stir Elic's suspicion. The jealousy of a Night prince, or King, was a violent thing indeed. "As long as she isn't completely repulsive." Elic clicked his toungue, eyes rolling to the ceiling. "Really, do you doubt my taste so much? You're attractive enough."

"I'm a man, and that's reason enough to be worried. If you marry a girl who looks anything like me, I'll jump out the window and be done with you both."

"The cook's niece is a 'no', then?" Edward pinned the prince with the sourest flat look he could muster, then made to roll away out of the bed. Elic caught him about the waist, laughing. "A joke! A joke, Precious, really! You look nothing like that rag, I swear it." "Forget it! Forget all of it, damn you! We never had this talk!"

At first, Elic didn't know what to do with this new task he'd agreed to put himself to. By his own request it was being kept between Edward and himself; he liked the idea of his taking of a bride being a surprise to all parties, and avoiding the suggestions of his relatives seemed like the best idea.

For a week or so, he tried making lists in his diary of all the women he could think of off the top of his head. None of them would do, being either too related, too old, or too thick skinned from life serving in the Night household. Elic hadn't considered anyone other than his Edward sexually in quite a long time, it just hadn't been necessary enough to come up with his needs met, but he decided now that if he had to pick someone... he wanted someone fresh. Someone he didn't know, who didn't know him, who could be frightened and shaped to his pleasures blindly. Like Edward.

Well. Perhaps not so much like Edward, but founds through similar circumstance. It had to be spontaneous!

So Elic took to wandering the streets. He did so on a regular basis anyway, but now he took the time to look at his people a bit more differently. Consideringly. He kept to the darkest shadows and narrowed his eyes at the young women who passed on their business, hurrying along because lingering in the dim hours meant possibly being caught in the dark. He looked, taking brief interest in a portley smiling woman who unfortunately had children already.

No one caught his eye, none he knew Edward would accept. Elic knew what Edward wanted; someone sweet and meek and very pretty, like their maid Lila. Well Lila wasn't getting anywhere near their sheets unless she was washing them, and that was that. The flirting tramp would be moved to his uncle's wing soon enough as it was.

Somewhat irritated by the lengthy search, Elic pronounced the town surrounding the Night mansion a complete waste of time. He spread his watch out into the countryside, less amused and more determined now, feeling more and more picky with every face he rejected.

Edward, taking the brunt of this fouling mood, tried to call it off more than once. It was too late. Elic was on the hunt. He grilled Edward on his preferences with wild eyes, then took off to his desk with notes and sketches, as if he could find the girl if he could just manage to design her on paper first.

"Will she scream, do you think?" He asked in the middle of the night, running his hand through Edward's hair before pulling it. "Will she cry?" "Just what do you plan to do to her?" Edward grouched back, exhausted by the obsession but not so worried. Elic had disturbing and sometimes painful habits in sex, but it was usually harmless. "Go back to sleep."

At least Elic had warmed to the idea of a woman in their bed. He woke frequently now from dreams like he hadn't had in years, dragging Edward up from sleep to better share through acting them out. But being put into what was clearly the woman's role in these dreams was getting humiliating. Being cooed at and degraded in filthy ways was nothing new until he knew just how they were being aimed at him.

"Stop! Would you stop? Just let me sleep! Take your cock outside, maybe it can point your way better than that twisted brain of yours is! If you call me 'Darling' one more time-!"

So this went for a month until, by complete chance, Elic saw her. Small in height, plump but smooth skin as far as he could see by her face and cleavage, dark hair and oval eyes that had a permanant startled appearance from the shape of her brows. Had he not been looking, he wouldn't have noticed her. Her knew this, because he was sure he'd seen her before without seeing her really. He must have, because the charming little thing was the middle daughter of his uncle's good friend, who visited often enough in the summers.

She was perched by herself on the sofa, one leg folded beneath her thigh while the other dangled, bent over and engrossed by some book with a green spine. The position tucked her dress up higher on her thigh than strictly appropriate, the angle put her breasts on obscene display, but she was in the presence of only her father, Leleno, and a Prince who had never shown any sign of acknowledging her presence before, so she was unconcerned.

"Peron," Elic slipped alongside the father in the short space between dinner and the card games Lelino so loved to play before bed. It was difficult to catch Peron alone in these visits, smitten as Lelino was with the older man, but not impossible. "A word?" Peron jumped as if a ghost had goosed him, going white when he turned to see the prince's face. He recovered quickly and Elic was unoffended- he had that effect on most people, and they didn't directly speak to eachother often. Still, the man did spend an awful lot of time with his uncle, so he must have built up some tolerance over the years.

"Oh, ah, ahah! Prince Elic, you-- you startled me." Peron cleared his throat, patting down his pockets for a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat that had broke on his brow. "Yes?"

"A private word." Elic added, placing a hand on the flustered man's lower back and steering him off to the side slightly. They didn't go far, only a few feet off into the hallway where Lelino couldn't see them directly from the lounge, but set Peron dabbing at the damp skin around his collar in a spike of visible anxiety. It brought a sharp smile to Elic's face; he could see why his uncle was so fond of the transparently emotional man.

The smile did nothing to soothe Paron, his eyes going wide. "Is- is something wrong, My Lord?"

"No." Very simple; no. Things were going right. Elic made the effort to reign in the grin that disturbed Peron so, but there was no hiding the manic gleam in his eyes when he paced away only to turn back to the man. "I have a request- no- two requests. Hm. Maybe three. Nevermind that, we'll combine them all to one, shall we?"

Peron blinked, owlish and alarmed. "I- of course. My Lord. I couldn't- that is- I- whatever you like."

"Exactly!" Elic beamed, arms throwing wide and coming back in a clap to clasp together. "That's exactly it- what I like." "... Yes." Peron agreed. But he was mystified and aware of how obviously so because he added a moment later, "I don't quite follow."

"That's just fine, be as slow as you like." Elic said, charitable as could be. He swung his hands back to fold behind his back, rocking back on his heels as he stared Peron down with what to him was consideration and anyone else watching unblinking madness. "Let me spell it out- I could help noticing you have a daughter."

"Ah, yes, I have three." Peron said dazedly, eyes growing wider by the second as he was caught in the stare with the pertrified feeling that he ought not blink either.

"Yes, yes, I know, but the one here- tonight- that one."

"... Doda?"

"Yes! Doda!" Elic rose onto his toes with the reminder he'd been waiting for- he'd been told the girls' names in introduction, but they were hardly fresh in his mind. There hadn't been any interesting reason to hold on to them then.

"Wh-" Peron's brows crooked with devastating worry. "What about my Doda?" "I've taken a liking to her, Sir." Elic said, and he couldn't keep back another smile. "She's a very pretty girl, and I happen to be looking for one."

Peron's round jaw dropped. "Oh. Oh no."

"Oh... no?" Elic repeated, eyes going abruptly narrow even as the grin stayed. He gave the man time to correct himself, and correct he did.

Peron went deathly white at his slip and moved to wipe his brow again. His hands were shaking now, shaking hard enough that he dropped his handkerchief before it reached the mark. "P-p-pardon, I di-didn't... I-I meant no disres-s-spect-" "And?" "I would-- I w-would be hon-honored..."

"I understand. Such a doting father, it must be your worst nightmare to marry off any of your daughters." Elic sighed sympathetically, but his eyes flashed. Nightmares, dreams, they gave him the most glee to pick apart. Needling the man's fear was an unexpectedly delightful bonus. "But you can't delay the inevitable forever."

"No... n-no, you can't. Delay the inevitable."

"I'm so glad we're on the same page." Elic turned away, giving the distressed man a moment of respite as he paced. "So glad. I know you don't hurt for money, between your business and--well. My uncle is very generous with his favors." "What-" "Nevermind that, don't be sidetracked." Elic waved the scandal away with a sweep of his hand. "My point being, as my father-in-law, your family won't be wanting for anything. Sounds like a nice deal, doesn't it?" "You- you want to marry my daughter-- you're sure?"

Elic half-turned, expression sly. "... You make a point. I could try her out a bit first-" "Oh, please, no! My Lord-!" "A joke! A joke! My Goddess, no one laughs!"

Peron clutched his chest as if his heart might stop beating, face reddened and sweat trickling slow down his temple. He was, perhaps, not the best candidate for laughs at just this moment. Lelano chose this moment to cave to the suspicion that rose when his company failed to join him in the lounge. He did not look pleased at what he found. In fact, he looked more than a bit angry.

"Is he harrassing you?" Lelano took the distance in four quick strides, circling his nephew to put a bracing hand on Peron's shoulder. "You should have yelled. Elic, why are you upsetting my guests?"

"Harrassment? We were having a conversation, I didn't even touch him." "Your humor is a form of harrassment, whatever you say, and I've told you to stay away from my guests!" "You're being dramatic, and I'm fairly sure I've told you not to tell me what to DO!"

"Don't scream in front of him!" "I'm not screaming, but I'll scream if I damn well please!"

"Elic, you're embarrassing me!"

Peron chose to lean back against the wall at this time, lashes fluttering like a very old, male, damsel in distress. Elic was fairly sure the man was fainting. Yes, fainting. Peron slumped right down until he was seated on the floor, head lolling until it tipped forward. A frustrating developement, but Elic allowed a passing hope that the daughter shared her father's vulnerability. It would be so fun to play with later.

"Now look what you've done!" "Oh, just shut up!" Elic whirled away, throwing up his hands. He hadn't even had a chance to tell Peron to keep their talk to himself. Now the whole mansion would know, then the town, then the country, and his surprise would be ruined entirely.

"You have no filter whatsoever! What kind of prince are you?" Lelano wasn't going to let it go either. Peron would be a mess when he woke up, he would probably leave early too. The night was spoiled to hell and back, all his plans. Resigned but angry, Lelano bent to collect Peron from the wall. "You could at least pretend to have manners when we have people come in from the outside!"

"Don't pretend like you're the dignified gentilman when you have him in your rooms." Elic snapped, arms crossing. "And I'll have you know, we were having a very serious talk. All business!" "What business do you have with Peron?" Lelano asked, tone laced with a suspicion that promised he would be equally venomous no matter what the answer was. Because what answer was there? The man sold feather mattresses, what use could Elic possibly have?

"I'm going to court his daughter." Elic huffed, tottering from foot to foot in his agitation. "Not that it's any of your business." "His daughter? Since when do you know any of his daughters?" Lelano was baffled. His expression went from angry, to baffled, to happy, and landed back in baffled to stay there. "Doda?" "Yes, Doda."

Lelano didn't seem to know what to say to that, so he went quiet for a moment or two and just fiddled with Peron's damp hair. He and Elic locked their eerie stares together, one thoughtful and the other sulking."... You know, she's not the prettiest one of the bunch. Have you looked at the other two?"

"I don't want to." Elic sniffed, chin going up. "I made up my mind." "Made up- it can't have even occured to you more than an hour ago! Have you even spoken to the girl? Ever?" "We'll have all the time in the world to talk when we're married, I think." "Oh for... Fine. Fine, yes, that's very you. I'm sure it will even work. My Goddess, you're just like your father." Lelano stood with his very limp, very heavy burden. Peron seemed to be coming back around, but he was being slow about it- maybe even faking, if he didn't want to be awake in Elic's presence. "I'll warn you, though. Don't touch that girl so much as a second before your vows, or I'll call hell down on you. She may as well be my own daughter-- all of them, even."

"How romantic. Tell me again why you haven't petitioned the council to let you marry the fat old widow? It's not as if you need to make heirs." Elic asked flatly, then, seeing the darkening of his uncle's features, decided to make his exit. He side stepped out of arm's reach before turning to head down the hall. "Edward will be back from his chores- tell the old man for me, he and his daughter will be staying as our guests a few more days while I make my arrangements!"

"Will I be breaking the news to her as well?" "No! Don't tell anyone!"