Whew. Sorry I took so long. So I took advice from all your comments and I hope you like this chapter. I know I loved writing it :D. So, as usual, I really need your thoughts, so drop them in the comments section. Even if they're negative. Especially if they're negative. And don't forget to rate too. Love you guys. Enjoy.
*****
Ryen hated being among people. He didn't know why. Maybe it had something to do with being raised as a Sidhe prince. It always felt like there was someone out there trying to kill him. To be honest there was almost always someone out there trying to kill him. But what the hell? Royalty had its flaws. Understatement of the year.
He stayed away from the Sidhe capital, the Citadel, unless he was urgently needed. Now there, there was a place where people were really trying to kill him, every single day. He wondered how his mother coped. Maybe that was why she was like that. Or maybe she coped because she was like that. Oh what the hell? He really didn't have strength to debate his mother's psychology.
He glared at the guards in front of him. None of them were Sidhe, of course. Sidhe didn't trust themselves. They were the worst of the Fae, and the worst part was, they were actually proud of it. The other species generally were nervous around the Sidhe. Ryen didn't blame them. He was generally nervous around the Sidhe too.
"What the fuck do you want?" He snapped at them.
He'd woken up in the morning, only to discover that his "bodyguard" was missing. Ryen didn't even have the strength to search for him. He didn't have the strength to do anything. His mother's visit was making him strangely lethargic. Ugh! Right. Then after his disastrous breakfast with his mother, which had ended in her inevitably kicking him out - Ryen wondered why she'd bothered to invite him - he'd gone to chop his beautiful hair off. Fine. He hadn't chopped it all off. The ponytail was gone though. He'd cut the sides really low and the centre was just high enough to be messy. Oh yeah, his mother was going to hate this haircut. He found himself wondering whether Jason would like it. Jason. One night and he was already factoring him into his plans. He had it bad. He had it real bad.
So now he stared at the men standing so stiffly in front of him, and looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. Ryen decided that he'd also like for them to be anywhere else but near him. On the other hand, since he was practising his aim with arrows and knives, he could also kill one of them and pretend it was a mistake. The idea was tempting. So tempting in fact, that he twirled the knife in his hand while he gave them the cold stare.
"Your mother assigned us to you," one of them finally spoke up.
"What? I'm supposed to fuck you?"
Ryen didn't miss the look of fear that suddenly crossed their faces. Oh yeah, it was known. Josefina's son preferred men.
"No, your highness..."
"Do I look high to you?"
The guards blinked at him in confusion. Ryen had always had problems with that title. It was supposed to be used to address junkies, not royalty. Your highness. Yes, you are so very high, my prince.
"She has assigned us to be your security detail."
Oh hell no. Who were these people? Security detail? Was Josefina serious? Security detail was more like Mages and Shifters. These people looked scared out of their minds. What had they been guarding before? The fridge? She must've been toying with him.
Ryen stopped twirling the knife and gave them a sinister smile.
"I already have a bodyguard," he informed them.
He could see them peering around, like maybe said bodyguard was invisible. Maybe he was. After all, Ryen didn't know what species he was. That thing with the black eyes. Ryen was fairly certain he'd heard of it before. He just couldn't put his finger on it. However, for effect, he looked around too. The guards frowned.
"She insisted, your highness..."
"She insisted, your highness," Ryen repeated mockingly. "You ever been to the Citadel?" He said suddenly.
They shook their heads, showing their surprise in the sudden change in his line of questioning. He turned around and looked at them. Really looked at them. Where exactly had they come from? He'd left all the security business to Kovan. To be honest, he'd left everything to Kovan, but he wasn't complaining, was he? Anyway he was fairly certain that Kovan wouldn't have hired these goons. Jeez. And they most certainly did not look like Josefina's security. No. They were practically cowering under his gaze.
"Who did you say sent you again?"
They looked confused. "Your highness, the queen."
"Yeah? How about I nail you to the target board and you start talking?"
Again, that surprised them. There were seven of them, each of them dressed identically in all-black. Their weapons looked modern enough, guns at hip holsters and rifles slung over their shoulders. The only problem was their attitude. He frowned. Human. They were probably human.
He spun around and threw the knife at the closest board. He didn't even smile when it hit bullseye. What the hell were humans doing on Sidhe property?
"Your highness?" One of them, the one who'd been talking and who appeared to be their leader asked.
"Are you licensed to be here?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Are you private or government employed?"
"Government..."
"Shit!"
The leader stopped talking at his outburst, then cleared his throat and said, "The name's Mac," for lack of any other thing to say.
He didn't offer his hand. All good. Ryen would've broken it. Hell, it wasn't even out and Ryen still wanted to break it. He was that pissed.
Of course, it followed that the human government were keeping tabs on the Sidhe queen. He knew they didn't like her presence in their realm. They didn't like his either, but he stayed out of trouble and lived in a remote place, far away from civilians so they tolerated him. They must've sent a welcoming party for her, and offered their security. Not an offer she could refuse, so instead, she sent them to Ryen. Not an order they could refuse. Right. She was dumping her excess cargo on him. Humans. Christ, what was the government thinking? This place was crawling with different species so they were in danger from more than the Sidhe. If things went south, they would be the first to die. Josefina couldn't care less. But she knew she had to look good. So she'd dumped them on him, because she knew he'd care.
"Hello Mac. Nice to meet you. Do you know exactly what you're doing here?"
"I represent the American government."
"Yeah, I know. You're human."
The guy seemed suddenly uncomfortable with being called a human.
"It's alright. You're human. There's nothing wrong with being human," Ryen told him in a falsely comforting tone. He stretched his hand out and the knife came hurtling towards him. He caught it, hilt first.
