Apologies and Bruises

The mysterious eagle harpy beastman lifted his head up trembling. His black and gray highlighted hair shook. Erick grinned and looked down at the beastman he had a devilish smile that you would often see a war crazed maniac wear after defeating and conquering his enemies. It struck fear into deepest parts of the young beastman.

"Stand up I won't kill you. Not until you apologize to the prince and apologize for everything you've done. Once he decideds your fate. then we will find out if I'll be the one slicing that moronic head off those cocky shoulders of yours." Erick told the harpy eagle.

"I-I-I understand." he said frying to stand as his legs were still shaking from fear of almost being killed.

I can't believe he did that the harpy eagle man thought to himself. For a minute his whole life flashed in front of his eyes. He saw himself as a child running into his beautiful mother's arms and laughing with his father taking his first flight lesson. Up to the point of him maturing his adolescence and arriving to this very moment. His nerves were never on edge like this before.

"Now before we go I need the name of the beastman who attacked the prince!" Erick demanded looking at the avian beastman who was wobbling in fear.

"My name is Aladar, Prince Aladar Skye. Of the Skye Kingdom." he responded quickly.

"Well then Aladar let's get a move on, we have an appointment with fate and I'd rather not keep it waiting. I'm a very busy man." Erick said with a grin.

The two men walked out of the damp dull dungeon and headed up the stairs to the prince's room. Aladar was extremely nervous, he understood his selfish behavior brought this all on him, but he was a young beastman ignorant to the outside of his kingdom. He had sweat dripping down forehead onto his shoulder length hair to his chest. Erick could tell he was nervous. It filled him with delight to see the youngster struggling with an inner battle realizing his mistakes. He hurt his prince the pride of the kingdom and he made Erick put on his knight uniform that he put away the day he promised to stand by the prince's side. Erick hated gore and killing those that didn't deserve it. He took no delight in murder. But he'd do anything to protect the man he swore his life to.

They continued walking throughout the castle. Onlookers were glaring at the avian beastman, Aladar could feel their piercing stares. More and more guardsmen started joining Erick in walking him to the prince's room. Soon it was like a pack staring down their prey ready to pounce at any minute. Not long after they reached the Luka's room, Erick knocked on the door waiting for a response. Yet nothing happened no one answered. Erick knocked and the again he grew concerned wondering if Aladar was just a distraction. He started giving other hand signals to the other men that he was going to go in and he yell a command if anything happened. Erick opened the door walked in quickly checking out the surroundings in the room. He looked at the windows there was no sign of forced entrance neither on the door. His eyes swiftly looked over and then he saw the bed. Luka and Lily were laying down in an embrace. Erick choked back a growl. A growl that wanted to roar out, he was envious of the prince. He was holding Lily so tightly and the were both asleep so soundly. All the times he wanted to hold Lily or kiss her and he didn't.

He clenched his fist tightly his nails embedding into his palm where blood started to drip. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled trying to steady himself. He walked out the room witha ferocious dominating aura seeping out from him. Everyone could tell something was wrong.

"Head back to your posts the prince is resting." he commanded the guardsmen.

Aladar stood there frightened by Erick's new demeanor which was much much more scarier and the act he put on in the dungeon. Aladar wanted to run afraid Erick might actually take his head at that very moment. What he didn't know was that Erick was the very best at not letting his emotion consume him and contradict his actions.

"You and I shall wait in my chambers for them to awake." he said with a small growl.

Them Aladar questioned what did he mean by them. Who else could possibly be in the room with prince. He also wondered what could have made Erick lose his demeanor and cause him to be so riled up. It was very shocking. They both waited in Erick's room waiting for time to pass. Time did pass slowly and painfully to Erick filled with regret on not acting and expressing himself with Lily. He promised himself he act when Lily awoke he would finally do something in hopes to win her affections. After about an hour or two Lily woke up in Luka's arms to her surprise.

She stared at his face blushing yet still concerned over his wounds. She was a bit upset that he took advantage of her sleeping to cuddle when he was supposed to be in his wolf form healing. She watched his long eyelashes and listened to the sound of his steady breathing. It was still like a dream to her being in this world and having someone like Luka in her life. After everything that happened to her she couldn't have imagined she'd end up in a world like this. She laid there silent trying not to wake him up. His silver hair glistened at the rays of the moonlight beaming into the room through the large nearby window.

Luka eyes slowly lifted and the first thing he saw was Lily and her beautiful blonde curls drifting down her chest to his hands. He grabbed onto her pulling her closer, nudging her face and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Lily in returned blushed and pushed him off of her. She sat up quickly evading his arms that was trying to pull her back. A guardsmen the knocked on the door.

"Yes, you may enter." Luka responded to the knock.

"Sir, Erick is waiting for you. He has the prisoner with him in his bed chamber after interrogating him." he reported to the prince.

Luka got up quickly and grabbed Lily's hand the rushed to Erick's room. Finally they were altogether questions would be answered. Lily looked at avian prince. She tilted her head in confusion he looked like he was 17 or 18. Very very young she couldn't believe that this was the man. Luka looked at Aladar and smiled as a mask hiding his true intentions. Lily looked at Luka's face his smile infuriated her because this was the man that caused him pain. She walked over to Aladar her raised over his and swiftly slashed through the air. Smack! A loud noise echoed through the room. Erick and Luka stood there completely stunned at what Lily just did. She was always so compassionate and never wanting to hurt anyone even if it cost her her own happiness.

"You should apologize immediately and you Luka shouldn't smile like this is a joke when you were the one injured!" she declared like a roar.

All the men became frightened of her and didn't want to upset her further. They all nodded to her words. Showing that they agreed.

"I-I'm sorry due to my own selfish childish behavior I hurt you and could have started a...a war. I was looking for sparring partner outside my kingdom since I've never been anywhere else but in the Skye kingdom." he stuttering out a sincere apology also afraid that Lily might smack him again.

"I accept your apology. I am also sorry Lily for smiling you're right." Luka answered to both Lily and Aladar.

"Good now that we settle that we should have tea and discuss why it happened and what's going to happen next." she said gratefully that things were bow settled.

She went to Aladar and placed a cool cloth on his face where she had hit him to avoid it from swelling. Erick and Luka sighed at the sight of her normal behavior returning. For a moment she was as scary as a lioness protecting her young. Aladar was surprised by her actions and slightly blushed at her kindness he took the cloth tough her soft small hands and held it on his face. Francheska came in with delicious pastry cakes and cookies a beautiful white porcelain teapot pot with blue flowers painted on it and a set of four teacups. They all sat there a bit awkward and hesitant. No one knew exactly what to say especially Lily she'd never hit anyone before. Her emotions took over and she had saw the recent memory of Luka and the bloody wounds when she had hit Aladar.

No one could address the elephants in the room everyone sat cold and silent. Until Erick coughed from sipping on tea that was too hot. They all looked at each other and smiled. Aladar stood up and bowed to the Luka in a apologetic manner.

"Your highness of the Lupine Kingdom as you have accepted my apology I propose an offer. I would to ask to stay at your kingdom and learn more about principle of treaties and how to run a kingdom and in return a peace treaty between our two kingdoms." Aladar requested with a hand on his chest kneeling to Luka.

Luka looked at Lily thinking of she might say he in the past would have declined he might've even started a war after what Aladar did. However Lily taught him that sometimes even if someone committed an ill will towards you meeting them with compassion in return could make a situation better. He continued to think on the matter and when he came tp conclusion he smiled and grabbed Aladar by the shoulders lifting him up. He met his eyes and put his hand out for a handshake as if they were nothing but equals.

"You are a prince yourself, hold yourself with dignity and bow to no other king or prince. That's my first lesson. And you are more than welcome to stay here. Just don't touch Lily." He responded back staring at Lily who was on the chair blushing.