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It's too bright.
Leona doesn't want to open its eyes. More so than ever before, it wants nothing more than to sleep. But the brightness invading its closed eyelids refuses to allow it to do so. Its head throbs from just how bright the light is. The heat is unusual, too—not the warmth of a blanket or even its clothing. For a moment, it wonders if it is lying naked in the hot sun, the way it used to do as a child when it would go explore the savannah with its mother.
But Leona hadn't been out like that in years. And the last it remembered, it had been begrudgingly attending the party celebrating its nephew's birth. After skipping the ceremony earlier in the day, Falena had refused to let it skip this part of the proceedings.
It's important for the royal family to attend as a united front, he'd told his younger brother. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Falena had even insisted on picking out his little brother's outfit for the party. Since it mattered oh so much to the de-facto king, Leona had obliged him, if only to get him off its back for a while. It could do all the niceties, say its greetings to the big important people in attendance, and then sneak off after a while to take a nap. Surely Falena couldn't get mad at it at that point… right?
Although, the taking a nap part had come on rather suddenly. Leona remembers feeling someone brush past it from behind, and then—nothing.
It shouldn't have been 'nothing.' 'Nothing' implied that the person responsible for touching the second prince didn't even bother stopping to apologize. But it also implied that they'd managed to do something to Leona without arousing its suspicion. But how?
It finally opens its eyes, only to immediately close them again when it realizes a spotlight is shining directly at it. Leona tries to raise its arm to block out the light, but in that moment, it realizes its limbs are tied up in some manner. The best it can do is turn its head. Unfortunately, its usual ponytail prevents its hair from being able to fall in its face and block the light.
Leona cracks open one eye again. It does its best to take in its surroundings. The spotlight makes it nearly impossible to see what's in front of it, but Leona can at least tell that it seems to be on some kind of stage. Its body is nude and its arms are bound over its head as it stands upright. A bar is shackled to its ankles, keeping its legs spread apart, and there is something in its mouth. From probing at it with its tongue, the best Leona can tell is that it's some kind of gag—likely an attempt to prevent it from simply casting its Unique Magic and turning the bondage implements into sand.
Whoever did this to it knows it well enough to make preparations.
"Ah, our special product is awake." Leona's ears swivel around behind it when it hears someone speak. The voice is vaguely familiar, male and probably middle-aged or slightly older. Leona hasn't attended enough of these royal events to recognize everyone in attendance just by their voice; if it knows this person, then that means they're probably a member of the Council. Leona growls under its breath. "Now, now, calm down," the voice replies quickly. The man seems to have moved closer, but Leona can't turn its head enough to be able to see who he is. "Trust me when I say you don't want to get too riled up. It'll only make things worse for you in the long run." A few chuckles come from the darkness in front of Leona at the comment. An audience, then. What do they want it to do, dress in drag and do the hula? Not exactly feasible, considering the fact that they'd tied it up.
"We will start the bidding at ten thousand Thaumarks." The man behind Leona seems to be able to see the audience perfectly, because he starts to rattle off numbers and Thaumark amounts in quick succession. Oh. Of course. The item up for bid is Leona itself. It really shouldn't be surprised at this point, given the state of its body… and yet.
Does Falena know what's happening? Is this the reason he'd insisted on Leona attending this party? The thought makes Leona's chest grow tight. Guess this is some kinda twisted punishment for disrespectin' the crown prince…
The bidding balloons to almost astronomical proportions within minutes—twenty thousand, then thirty, then fifty, then seventy-five. With every jump in price, Leona feels its heart rate grow faster. The light is getting hotter and brighter too…
Oh.
It isn't that the light is getting stronger. Leona is getting warmer. Fever begins to course through its body as it stands stark naked on the stage. It can feel sweat beading up at its temples and along the small of its back. And between its thighs, dampness is starting to form. A familiar scent reaches its nose.
…Oh, fuck.
This is no ordinary fever.
Leona is going into heat.
A sudden ruckus drawa Leona's attention away from the state of its body. From the audience, it can hear shouting and curses being thrown around. Then, all of a sudden, a presence appears in front of it, blocking the spotlight. Leona blinks a few times to try to adjust to the sudden shadow. Before it can figure out what is going on, a strong arm wraps around its waist. Green sparks of magic shimmer around it, and suddenly its arms and legs are free of their bindings. The shouts grow louder and louder as the mysterious figure in front of Leona places their other hand over the back of its head to tuck it into their chest.
Then, in a dizzying swirl that leaves Leona feeling faintly nauseous, everything around them disappears.
It takes Leona a few moments to realize that actually, no, it wasn't everything else that had disappeared—instead, the mysterious person had somehow managed to transport Leona somewhere completely different using magic. Teleportation of that caliber isn't exactly something any old everyday mage could do. Leona can tell just from the person's scent that they have overwhelmingly powerful magic. Their scent alone is enough to make its nose burn and its eyes water. It had never experienced such a thing before now, but even it knows that this caliber of magical prowess can only mean one thing: it's dealing with a fae. Leona can't quite tell if they are male, female, or something else entirely. Fae are mysterious like that, after all, or so it's heard.
"Are you feeling alright?" Leona grunts at the question. The gag is still in place, so it can't speak at the moment. Thankfully, the fae takes half a step back at the sound and belatedly realizes its predicament. The slight distance is enough to let Leona actually get a look at its captor. Bright acid-green eyes capture its attention right away, followed by pointed ears and gracefully curved black horns. Their fingers are long and delicate as they reach up to remove the gag—but that only belies the hidden strength that comes to light when, rather than picking the lock that held the gag tightly bound around Leona's head, the fae simply snaps the thick leather band with one tug.
Huh. That definitely didn't make Leona shiver with fear. Nope, absolutely not. That didn't make it shiver with any other emotions, either. It busies itself with tugging the gag out of its mouth and rubbing at its sore jaw.
"There we go," they murmur. "How is that, Kingscholar?"
Leona can't help but sigh softly. "Better, but I'm feelin' a little put out that you know my name when I don't know yours." Because it knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that it's never met this person before—if it had, it's certain it would remember their name. "So, you gonna introduce yourself or what?"
The fae's eyes widen for a moment before a chagrined expression crosses their face. "My apologies. I thought my reputation had preceded me. My name is Malleus Draconia. I am the heir apparent of Briar Valley."
Malleus Draconia. Even just hearing the name sends another shiver down Leona's spine. His reputation had, in fact, preceded him. It was only his appearance that had still been a mystery to Leona. Of course it knows about one of the top five strongest mages in the world. Though Briar Valley had been closed off to outsiders for decades—centuries, even—the past few years have seen the tiny kingdom and its queen extend pleasantries to other heads of state as it slowly attempted to reconnect with the outside world. There were even rumors that Queen Maleficia was starting to look for a possible mate for her grandson, the future king of the northern fae lands.
Not that Leona puts any stock in such rumors. Such things are only whispers between servants with too much free time on their hands, after all.
"Briar Valley, huh? Is that where we are?" The bedroom they're in is certainly cold enough to fit in such a gloomy-sounding place, and the décor fits as well, all in shades of black and gray with pops of bright green and purple. Although part of the cold might be due to Leona's fever. It's definitely getting worse.
Malleus seems to realize it as well, because he reaches out a hand and presses the back of it against Leona's sweat-dampened forehead. He frowns slightly. "You're ill. What in thorns were they doing, auctioning you off like some kind of antique when you're this ill?"
Somehow, the image Malleus's words bring to Leona's mind is enough to make it chuckle under its breath. "'Ill' ain't exactly the word for it," it points out. "Whoever arranged the thing must've given me a heat stimulant." That's the only explanation Leona can think of for its symptoms. And it would track with the bidding, as well—after all, Leona was a delicate, pristine omega. Of course its virginity would fetch an even higher price if it was in heat as well. Even now, it can feel the way its higher thought processes are growing slower, its instincts clamoring to be heard.
Malleus blinks a couple of times. He clearly needs a moment to process Leona's words. Then his face erupts in a bright flush—not red, but a greyish-blue color that's almost purple. Ever the predator, Leona can't help but notice the difference. Is fae blood a different color? "…Oh. That… makes sense. To be honest, I was not actually invited into that room. I merely followed some others because I was curious what they were talking about when they mentioned 'the treasure of the savannah' that would be for sale."
Now that explanation makes a real laugh escape Leona's throat—raw and self-deprecating, but real. "Treasure? Yeah, sure," it replies, sarcasm practically dripping from its lips. "More like 'trash' than anything else. They were throwing me away and taking whatever they could get in return. Not sure how much you paid for me, but I'm sorry to disappoint."
"I did no such thing," Malleus retorts. "I wanted to save you, not buy you. You're a prince. That kind of treatment is abhorrent."
"That's just life on the savannah. Now that Falena has an heir, I'm no longer needed—I'm a liability. Better to get rid of me quickly before I go from liability to active threat."
"But that's not fair!" Malleus raises his voice, and Leona has to clench its jaw to keep from flinching at the raw power it carries.
"Life's not fair, though. Never has been." Not for Leona, at least. It sighs again. "Look. I'm in heat now, and I can already tell this one is gonna be a bitch. So if you're not gonna fuck me, then take me back and I'll find someone else who will." Or it will find another way to end this suffering once and for all.
The threat makes Malleus's eyes widen. Good. He's taking it seriously. "But… but surely your family wouldn't want this for you. They love you, they wouldn't—"
A cold, humorless laugh interrupts Malleus's words. "My family? Love me? No one in my family has loved me since my mothers died." Mothers, plural—the one who gave her life to bring Leona into this world, and the one who lost hers to the grotesque monster that gave Leona its scar and that poisoned the old king to the point of being bedridden. Sure, Aisha probably has some level of affection for it, but it's not love. Not in the way Malleus is talking about.
Malleus sighs. "This is the sort of thing you're supposed to save for your true love."
"You fae and your weird traditions…" Leona just shakes its head. "We may be beastmen, but animal instincts run strong in the savannah. Orgies and harems are common. It's actually unusual for me to still be a virgin at my age, especially as an omega."
"And… how old are you, exactly?" Malleus asks. "It's always so hard to tell with children of Man."
"I'm fifteen. Practically an old maid by this point." But Leona wouldn't be caught dead being fucked by its older brother, and there was no one else it could have joined before. But the auction was less about sex and more about power and influence. Whoever had won the right to take its first time—and, by extension, the right to mate it and to put a kitten in its belly—would have put themself into a pretty position close to the royal family.
Malleus's face seems to grow even more pale at Leona's words. "Fifteen? You're practically a baby by fae standards. I wasn't even able to walk on two legs until I was twenty." He looks like he wants to say more, but Leona's shivering is steadily getting worse. The heat pheromones are so strong now that even Leona can smell itself. Malleus's jaw clicks shut and he bustles it over to the bed. "Here. Lie down, and I'll see to it that you're taken care of properly."
"Good. 'Cause I'm a delicate prince, y'know… I can't be left alone like this for too long or I might get real sick." The words are only a half-jest. Red heats are still a problem in some parts of the Sunset Savanna, particularly in the Shadowlands. Leave an omega in heat alone for too long without preparations, and the fever can potentially burn them out from the inside.
Malleus sighs again and nods. "Just… let me get some things arranged. If I'm going to take care of you, I will need supplies." Leona watches as Malleus walks toward the bedroom door, where there is a small box mounted on the wall. It appears to be some kind of magical messaging device. He holds down a button as he speaks into the box, presumably contacting the castle's servcants. "I need stable food and water, as well as all the blankets, pillows, and towels we have available," he says. "Leave everything in the sitting area right outside my bedroom door. No questions, and absolutely not a word to Grandmother." He releases the button on the box.
Only once he's received a rather confused and tentative-sounding confirmation from the other end does he turn back to look at Leona. "So."
"So?" Leona doesn't necessarily mean to sound so combative, but it happens anyway. Oh well. If this dragon is offended, then maybe he'll just do what Leona hasn't been strong enough to do itself. "What're you waitin' for? I'm all yours for the taking, Mal." It smirks and presents itself in what it hopes is a seductive pose. Not that it necessarily wants Malleus to find it seductive… but right now it's definitely in a 'beggars can't be choosers' situation.
A slow, shuddering breath escapes Malleus's lips. With a snap of his fingers his clothing disappears, leaving him nude—and revealing exactly how much he does find Leona seductive. Two long, thick, utterly inhuman cocks extend from a scale-lined slit between his legs. They're covered with spines that look like nothing so much as the barbs that lion beastmen have. The sight of them makes Leona tremble. It swallows heavily. It doesn't know whether to be frightened or ravenous.
Maybe both.
"I do not wish to hurt you," Malleus says, his voice low and almost a mumble. "… It is my first time, as well."
"Seriously? A prince like you?" He has to be lying for some reason; maybe to try to comfort Leona. Surely people are throwing themselves at him. It hasn't exactly escaped Leona's notice that Malleus is devastatingly attractive.
He must see its disbelief on its face, because he lets out a wry chuckle. "I am telling the truth. That party tonight was the first time I've ever left Briar Valley. And I rarely get to interact with any of the nobles or subjects here… my grandmother—Queen Maleficia Draconia—handles everything with the court and the Senate. I won't even be presented as… available for marriage prospects for another thirty years or so."
Leona can't help itself—it blinks a couple of times, then bursts into bright, amused laughter. "That makes you sound like you're just a kid or somethin'. But you're, what, hundreds of years old?"
"I don't know why you're laughing," Malleus shoots back, his brow furrowing and his lips curving into a pout. Leona's just about distracted enough from the growing heat that it's able to acknowledge how cute the pout makes him look. "Dragon fae live thousands of years. It's only natural that we would be considered hatchlings for a long time as well."
"Sorry, sorry…" Leona is still giggling under its breath, the sound almost hysterical at this point. "It's just—you look so grown-up, but you're actin' like a little kitten, all scared of adult stuff. Just get over here an' fuck me already. It ain't that big a deal, really. You're just helpin' a poor drugged omega through a sudden heat, that's all. Just think of it like… like givin' me first aid or somethin'." Leona's definitely succumbing to the drug now, if the way its speech is beginning to slur is any indication.
Malleus bites his lower lip for another moment. "And… you're certain you want this?"
Leona rolls its eyes. "'Want' is a strong word, Mal. 'Need' is more like it… but I don't hate that it's you, if that's what you wanna hear." At least, it seems like Malleus will go slowly at first and won't hurt it more than he needs to. And it can't deny that it's curious about the fact that he's got two dicks. Will they even both fit…? Will he make them fit?
It wants to find out.
After another moment, Malleus nods. He strides forward and climbs onto the bed between Leona's spread legs. In just the few minutes that it's been lying there, a wet spot has already formed underneath it from the slick leaking out of its pussy. Malleus's gaze feels even hotter than the fever as he looks it up and down. Trembling hands settle on Leona's hips. "I don't… I don't want to hurt you," he says again.
"Just take it slow. It'll be okay. I promise." Leona's voice sounds steadier than it expected, given how close it is to getting exactly what it wants. Everything about Malleus is focused on it right now. The feeling of having someone's sole attention is heady, almost intoxicating. It wants more. "Ready, Mal?"
Biting his lip again, Malleus shakes his head. "I want to do something else first…" Rather than a cock, Leona suddenly feels two fingers testing its entrance. Its breath leaves it in a rush. Oh, okay. This is good too.
Malleus's fingers aren't necessarily thick, but they are long and nimble as he slides the first one inside. Leona trembles as the digit slowly seems to be mapping out its inner walls. Malleus's gaze is intense. He stares down at Leona intently, watching for any sign of discomfort—and every sign of pleasure. Leona decides to reward his diligence with a low moan and a roll of its hips. "You can add another finger," it purrs. "I won't break just from this much."
The only response Malleus gives Leona is a short nod. It can feel a second finger join the first the next time Malleus pulls out and slides back in. More moans spill from its lips in encouragement. Then it feels Malleus hone in on a particularly sensitive spot and it gasps in surprise and pleasure. "Th-there," it chokes out. "That's good… Keep going." The expression on Malleus's face grows almost playful in response to Leona's comment. Unfortunately, its eyes have fallen shut from the pleasure, so it misses the change in expression.
There is a rustling of bedsheets and Leona feels the mattress shift as Malleus moves. Suddenly, there is a very different sensation and its eyes fly open from the shock of the wet heat around its clit. "Fuck!" When it looks down, all it can see is horns and dark hair. Malleus's mouth is busy licking and sucking at the stuff, swollen bud while his fingers continue their assault on Leona's pussy. "St-stop, stop, I don't wanna cum like this! I need—"
But Malleus won't be deterred. He refuses to move, even as Leona grabs a handful of his hair and tugs on it. The pleasure only grows until Leona is trembling, shaking as it desperately tries to hold off… until the dam breaks. Slick squirts out of Leona, coating Malleus's face and making even more of a mess below it. The fae finally withdraws with a smile on his flushed face. "You are delicious," he murmurs. Leona can only groan and cover its face in response, cheeks red from embarrassment.
Malleus finally lets go of Leona with one hand and guides one of his cocks to its slit. It shudders at the sensation, still sensitive and throbbing from its orgasm just moments ago. Thankfully, he takes things slowly for its sake.
The barbs aren't as sharp as Leona expected when it slides inside. There's a stretch, to be sure, but Leona is wet enough that there's no pain from the intrusion. It feels nothing but pleasure, a sense of completion, and a bone-deep satisfaction as its omega instincts are finally being fulfilled. Leona hooks one leg over Malleus's hip to urge it to go deeper. Its arms wrap around his neck, a low moan being dragged from its throat at just how deep Malleus is going inside it.
"Faix." The unfamiliar word sounds like some kind of swear.
Leona chuckles. "Do I feel that good, Mal?" Malleus moans lowly in return and nods. The idea that its pussy has reduced Malleus to this has Leona's whole body heating up again. Pride and smugness mingle in its chest. It leans upward and gives one pointed ear a little nip. "You can move. C'mon now, fuck me. You said you'd take care of me, right?"
Malleus grunts this time. His hand returns to Leona's hip and he lifts it upward as if it weighs nothing, before pulling back and… and then, suddenly, Leona's eyes fly open wide. Fuck! The sudden swift pace punches the air from its lungs. Leona is left gasping for breath. There's still somehow no pain—only pleasure. The spines rake against Leona's insides in a way that makes it almost want to cry from how good it feels. "I— I need—" Leona can't even get a full thought out, its voice lost to the audible moans that each thrust forces out of him.
"I-is this… okay?" Malleus asks breathlessly. Leona's only response is to tighten its grip around him and mash their lips together. Its claws sink into Malleus's back. An inhuman sound, an almost pained roar, reverberates between them. Malleus's own grip tightens around Leona's hips and it's certain that there will be hand-shaped bruises there when all is said and done. Good. Leona wants something to remember this by.
Then an unfamiliar scent reaches Leona's nose. It's similar to that of blood, and yet different; rather than a rich irony tang, the scent reminds it more of a one-sorcent coin. Copper…? It cracks open one eye and looks at its claws. A dark bluish-green fluid stains the tips. Oh. So fae blood is different.
Bringing its hand to its lips, Leona carefully flicks its tongue out to see how the taste differs from what it's used to. An almost tingling warmth meets its taste buds. It likes the flavor quite a lot. It wants more. So it sinks its fangs into the meat of Malleus's shoulder. Above him, Malleus roars from the feeling of the bite. Scalding heat and flickering light radiates above Leona. It can smell a sulfurous odor on the air. Malleus breathed fire. All because of Leona, all because of a little nip.
It finds itself giggling again. How interesting. But before it can tease him, Malleus returns the bite with one of his own. Leona gasps when Malleus's fangs rend its flesh. Except instead of biting it on the shoulder, he bites it on the neck… piercing its scent gland. The pain and pleasure are so intense that Leona blacks out for a moment.
When it returns to consciousness, it's still cumming around Malleus's cock. Liquid heat fills its pussy and Malleus is panting, shuddering, stroking up and down Leona's flank while he gently laps at the bite wound he'd left. "Faix." There's that word again. "You're so tight…"
"Wha'd ya do tha' f'r…?" Leona struggles to form words, unconsciousness threatening to take it again. "Claimin' me as y'r mate… you some kinda stupid…?"
The words make Malleus pause. "…Mate?" He pulls back just enough to look down at Leona properly. "You mean…"
With much difficulty, Leona pushes itself upward on its elbows. "Yeah, dumb lizard," it pants. "Ya bit me on my scent gland. We're mates now." After another few moments of blank staring, Malleus lets out a high-pitched whine and covers his face with his hands. "Oi, what're you doin' actin' like a blushin' bride? You're the one who claimed me…!" An almost hysterical laugh escapes Leona's lips. "Falena's gonna be so pissed! Heh, serves him right after pullin' that stunt at the party, though…" It sighs and slumps backward into the bed. "Fuck. You've ruined me. Better take responsibility now."
"R-right…" Malleus still has his face covered with his hands, his voice muffled as he speaks. He takes a few deep breaths. "I'll… I'll figure out how to explain this to Grandmother later. You're still in heat, after all. It's going to take more than just this to get that drug out of your system."
"Mmm… Yeah, most likely… A good couple knots oughta do it… But do dragon fae even have knots?" Leona mumbles, more to itself than directly to Malleus.
"Unfortunately, no," Malleus replies anyway. "The best I could do is probably to use both of my lengths at once… but will that be too much for you?"
"Only one way to find out." Leona leers up at Malleus, spreading its legs as wide as they'll go. "C'mon, mate, fill me up…" The sound that escapes Malleus's throat at that clear provocation makes Leona chuckle. Seven, he's such a fuckin' virgin it's almost comical.
But Malleus doesn't hesitate any longer. He pulls out completely, then holds both of his cocks together before aligning the heads at the entrance to Leona's wet, reddened pussy. The stretch is worse than before—Leona has to force itself to keep breathing in and out slowly—but it is satisfying to his deepest instincts. The two cocks together are just about enough to emulate a real knot. "J-just… stay there… don't move," Leona gasps. It can feel the way its pussy clenches and throbs around the intrusion. The tight ring of muscle that's meant to lock an alpha's knot inside is working overtime.
Even without thrusting, Malleus's eyes are rolling in their sockets at the pleasure. It seems like he's feeling good… not that Leona actually cares. But they are mated now, so it supposes it's good to keep its mate satisfied. Happy mate, happy relationship and all that. Plus, keeping Malleus happy means he'll want to keep Leona around. It won't be king, but at least it'll be queen… that's more than it can say about remaining in the Sunset Savanna. Leona lets its eyes fall shut as it relaxes, just letting the pleasure of the moment wash over its body.
"Leona…" Malleus's voice sounds almost timid. "I'm— I'm sorry—" Leona cracks open one eye, about to ask what he's apologizing for, when it feels another rush of hot wetness fill its pussy. This is different from the feeling of Malleus's cum, though… and suddenly the scent reaches Leona's nose, and oh, it's a gone lion.
Fuck, fuck, fuck…! Pleasure washes over its body. It can't help itself. If Malleus is gonna do this, then so is Leona. So it relaxes fully, letting the floodgates open. By the time it's done, the bed below them is absolutely soaked. They're both panting, as if Malleus has just finished chasing Leona across the entire savannah.
"Damn…" Leona smiles softly and nuzzles its face into the crook of Malleus's neck.
"Mmhmm… Faix, indeed…" But Malleus gasps when Leona's fangs sink into his neck in return. It very nearly rips out a full chunk of flesh before it's satisfied with the bite. Pulling back, it laps at the torn flesh. "What was that for?" Malleus asks irritably.
"Just returning the mark. Ain't enough for me to be yours; you need to be mine, too. I'm a greedy lion like that. Hope you're prepared."
Malleus just sighs and carefully rolls the two of them over so that Leona is on top of him. It also gets them out of the wet spot—thankfully, his bed is big enough for that. "I suppose I'll simply have to be. We're stuck with each other now, after all."
"Damn right. You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy, Mal."
"…I do not wish to, Leo."
"… Good."
Some time later, a package arrives from the Sunset Savanna. Leona, who is half-asleep in their nest when Malleus opens the bedroom door with the package in hand, yawns as it sits up on one elbow. Its stomach is round with its egg, its kitten, who should be ready to be laid any day now.
"What's that?" it asks when it notices what Malleus is holding.
"A package from Falena Kingscholar," Malleus replies. "You remember I sent him a message after your heat broke? I was wondering if I would be getting a response… It has been several months since then."
Leona rolls its eyes and huffs. It turns over in the bed, its back facing Malleus. "Burn it, for all I care. That man is dead to me."
"Well then, it is a good thing the package is addressed to me, and not to you." Malleus walks over to the bed and leans over to press a kiss to the side of Leona's head. He then sits down at his desk and carefully opens the package, unfolding a piece of parchment placed on top. It appears to be a letter from Falena addressed to Malleus.
To His Highness, Malleus Draconia, Heir Apparent of Briar Valley,
Thank you for your letter, and I apologize in the delay in writing back to you. Though my younger brother may not believe me when I say this, I was unaware of the actions a handful of my Council members took on the night that was meant to celebrate my son's introduction to the kingdom. If I had known what they had planned, I never would have encouraged Leona to attend the party. My only goal that night was for us to celebrate Cheka's birth as a family… but I now understand that others in the kingdom had never accepted Leona as being part of said family.
Late as it is, you have my blessing to claim Leona's hand in marriage. Please take care of it in my stead, in the manner that I have continually failed to achieve. I hope that you will grow to love it as much as my wife Aisha and I always have—and even more so, as its mate.
I have enclosed with this letter some jewelry that belonged to Leona's mother. You may not be aware, but Leona and I are only half-siblings. It is not uncommon for kings in the Sunset Savanna to have multiple consorts, and our father was no exception. However, Leona's mother died giving birth to it. These were some of her most treasured possessions; when I took over as king, I ensured they were kept safe for Leona until such time as it wed, to wear for its marriage ceremony… So they are here for it now, to do with as it wishes.
Please give Leona all our love.
Most sincerely,
Falena Kingscholar
Malleus sets the letter aside and withdraws two smaller packages. Even fully sealed, he can already feel the power of a potent magestone within one of them. The other is wrapped in translucent paper; Malleus can see enough of the design to recognize that it is a diadem. A fae diadem. Malleus would recognize that craftsmanship anywhere, not to mention the tiny Mystium stones that hide among the other precious gems.
"I have some things for you," Malleus says, keeping his voice light and neutral. "Your brother said they belonged to your mother. He wants you to have them." That is enough to get it to roll over again and look at Malleus properly. It lifts its arms and makes grabby hands at him—clearly it refuses to leave the nest. Malleus chuckles, fondness sparkling in his gaze, and crosses the room to bring it the two items. There is a flurry of torn paper. A few tear-filled minutes later, his lion affixes a brilliant green pendant around its neck while the Mystium and gemstone diadem rests on its head.
"You look beautiful, Leo." Malleus whispers in its ear. "Beautiful and mine. I love you."
"I love you too, Mal," Leona replies just as softly. "Thank you for not burning them."
"Of course, mea gemma."