Ash knew something was up when, the following morning, Naia informed him that his father wanted to speak with him. That never boded well.

After Naia left the room, Ash disappeared in a blast of dark billowing smoke. He rarely bothered traversing the corridors while traveling by himself. Teleporting used to be the only way he’d navigate the mansion. Lately, however, he’d started roaming the halls. Wren didn’t seem to care for travel via teleportation, so Ash refrained from doing so while with his “bride.”

His desire to cater to Wren’s needs was a new development that came out of nowhere. He’d never cared much for pleasing others, but something about Wren made him want to spoil the boy senseless.

Landing gracefully on his feet in front of his father’s study, Ash waited for the smoke to clear before he rapped lightly on the door. He didn’t have to open the door. At his knock, the knob turned and the door came open on its own with a soft click.

Ash stepped inside to find his father sitting at his desk. The older man’s head was down and he appeared to be looking over some parchments. There were books, scrolls, and various old papers strewn about the desk.

Ash’s father looked up from the parchment he was perusing. His dark amber-red gaze settled on his son.

In truth, Ash wasn’t surprised about this meeting. In fact, he’d been expecting it. He braced himself for what was to come.

“I heard about the disagreement between you and Landon.” His father said, getting straight to the point as he sat the parchment in his hand to the side, dismissing it in favor of focusing his attention on his wayward offspring.

“News travels fast in this mansion, as always.” Ash countered.

His father hummed noncommittally. Another knock sounded at the door and the older man waved his hand. The door opened and Ash watched as his father’s butler and valet, Demetri, entered with a tray in hand. Ash had never surmised whether the man came from fae or human stock, but with his delicate features, sky blue eyes, and hair like spun gold, he was as beautiful as any fae. He was always around Ash’s father and Ash himself had memories of the servant even from an early age. The man had been more affectionate with him than his own mother had been. Over the years, however, Ash had distanced himself from Demetri. It’d happened gradually once he’d discovered the nature of the servant’s relationship with his father.

“Ash, I know the reason for your disagreement with Landon.” His father said. “Frankly, I’m surprised. I don’t recall a time when the two of you ever had words before.”

When Ash said nothing, his father continued.

“You simply must go through with the wedding to your betrothed. There is a contract to be upheld.”

So, dear old Dad wasn’t mincing words, eh? Ash felt his proverbial feathers bristle.

“Yes, well, the contract that was so important you didn’t even bother getting my opinion on the matter?” He snarled.

“You knew there would eventually be an arranged marriage in your future. Your mother and I had one. We get along swimmingly.”

“Swimmingly?” Ash laughed bitterly. Who even says that, anymore? “Yes, separate rooms, separate beds… at times, separate mansions! All the better to keep your separate lovers, I suppose!”

“Ash!” His father admonished. Ash felt an unusual sense of guilt arise when he saw the blush that stained Demetri’s pale cheeks. It was the servant’s stricken expression that caused the guilt to settle in the pit of his stomach, an unpleasant weight that he couldn’t rid himself of now that he’d spoken the not-so-well-kept secret out loud.

Had the servant truly believed him so naïve that he didn’t notice their affaire by now? Ash had noticed more than he’d wanted too, in fact.

As a child, not long after he’d discovered his teleportation and portal creation abilities, he’d secretly created a portal leading from his playroom into this very study. He’d intended to surprise Demetri by jumping from behind the drapes when the servant came to clean the room. Ash hadn’t expected Demetri to already be in the room when he secretly and quietly entered the portal he created behind the drapes. He also hadn’t expected for his father to be in the room either, nor had he expected to get a very sudden and unwelcome eyeful of Demetri bent over the desk with his father accosting the servant from behind. Demetri‘s clothing had been torn and scattered about the room in pieces. His father’s own shirt had been ripped open and his normally impeccable hair was mussed.

To Ash’s young and impressionable eyes, it looked very much like his father was harming his friend. Ash had wanted to intervene, to save Demetri even though his younger self had very much been intimidated by his imposing father. But Demetri was Ash’s source of comfort and protection. He was the one who tucked Ash into bed every night, read to him, and who offered kisses on scraped knees or elbows when Ash became overconfident in his ability to scale trees or other tall places, with the usual end result being scratches and various boo-boos. Things that his dismissive mother and overbearing father would never think to offer.

So Ash had been ready to come to Demetri’s defense in spite of his tendency to shrink in fear in his father’s mere presence, at least until he overheard just how much the other male enjoyed everything Ash’s father was doing to him. In loud, passionate, and no uncertain terms.

Ash had hastily escaped the room through his newly created portal. After that, his relationship with Demetri or either of his parents had never been the same. In his childish thinking, he’d fancied his parents relationship – while not one that was expressed in overt displays of affection – was borne of love at least.

After witnessing what he did in his father’s study, Ash had been rudely disabused of that notion. And though he hadn’t understood the particulars of what had occurred in the study between his father and Demetri – he didn’t really understand it until a few years later, with his own first sexual experience at the hands of his not-so-studious and quite vivacious French language tutor – he’d understood why his parents relationship seemed so cold.

“Oh, didn’t think I knew about mother’s boy-toy? Or yours, for that matter?” Ash cast an accusatory eye toward Demetri. “You don’t think I see the two of you exchanging secretive looks every time he serves you you’re afternoon tea?”

Ash folded his arms across his chest. “Just looking at the two of you makes me ill.”

Ash’s father sighed as he waved Demetri off. “You’re besotted with that human, I realize that. It’s the only explanation for this venomous behavior. I’ll make you an offer, Ash. Go through with the betrothal and you can even keep the human as a pet, since you’re so very fond of him.”

                                                             * * * *

Wren thought it strange when neither Ungi nor Ash showed up with his breakfast.

Ash had started making sure Wren ate breakfast in his room. Lunch was typically outside in the courtyard, either in Ash’s company or Naia’s. Dinner was late at night in the kitchens. Ever since that brunch, Ash hadn’t subjected Wren to another meal at the dining table and Wren was thankful for that.

It was unusual for Ungi to not show up with his breakfast. The only time the little imp didn’t show was when when Ash himself brought it, which had been more often as of late. Still, Ash hadn’t shown and neither had Ungi.

Wren couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened.

He slid out of bed, tapped on the armoire three times, and then pulled out the clothing that appeared. He quickly got dressed and waited. He didn’t want to leave the room as Ash had told him not to. Every time he did, something bad happened, but it was getting later and his growling stomach kept reminding him just how hungry he was.

What if he just peeked out of the room? Nothing bad could happen if he only peeked out, right?

Opening the door, he stepped out into the corridor, and looked first one way and then the other. The corridor was completely empty, of course. He started to turn around and go back inside his room, but he felt his stomach drop at the sound of a soft click behind him.

Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!

Slowly, he turned to find the door to his room had closed. He jiggled the knob, only to find himself locked out. He tugged on it twice more, just to make sure, but still no luck.

He wondered how furious Ash was going to be with him for disobeying yet again.

Suddenly, he spied Naia at the end of the hall. The maid was carrying a large basket of laundry. The basket was piled so high that her vision had to be obscured. He couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to not trip over something.

Wren started to call out to her, but she turned a corner, disappearing before he could catch her attention. Wren hastily followed her, figuring he could get her to let him back into his room or take him to Ash, but when he turned the corner, she’d completely vanished.

With a sigh, he threw up both hands in frustration. Now what was he going to do!

Wren started to head back to his room. At the very least, he could sit in front of his doorway until Ungi or Ash arrived. However, his ears perked up at what sounded like a distressed whine.

Unable to ignore the sound, Wren turned the corner leading away from his room and toward the noise.