Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with expensive paintings of fat nobles who thought they were important. The dining table was long and could seat twenty people, but only four chairs were occupied. Prince Mikhail, his wife Amelia, Orias, and Isabella.
Dinner was a lavish feast of exotic foods from all over the world. There were fruits and vegetables that were not available in the Ashfen, and meat that looked like it came from a genuine animal and not a swamp monster. The wine was a dark red, almost black.
“Try the caviar, Orias. It’s imported from the eastern sea,” Mikhail said, gesturing to a small bowl of black eggs.
Grabbing a spoon, Orias scooped up some of the eggs and put them in his mouth.
Mikhail’s eyes widened slightly.
“Have you tasted it before?” He asked, his tone curious.
The Swamp prince shook his head; Not in this life. “No, it’s my first time.”
The demon prince hummed and took a sip of his wine. His wife, Amelia, a beautiful woman with blue hair and eyes, remained silent throughout the meal. She was a succubus, her beauty was unearthly, and her body was voluptuous.
“So, brother, what do you think of the king’s announcement?” Mikhail asked, his voice casual.
Orias took a bite of his steak, the meat melting in his mouth. He could cry.
“Well, father has never been a man of mercy, so I can’t say I’m surprised,” he said, swallowing the meat.
A chuckle escaped Mikhail’s lips, his tail swishing behind him.
Left to right. Every chuckle and tail swish was left to right.
Amelia watched Isabella. The latter was quietly eating her food, her eyes focused on Mikhail’s tail. The succubus smirked.
“Is the food not to your wife’s liking, Orias?” She asked, her voice sweet.
His sister blushed and glanced at him before shaking her head. “No, it’s delicious. I’m just not used to eating in the company of a demon and a succubus.”
Mikhail laughed, his eyes crinkling. “Oh, is that so? I guess our reputations do precede us.”
He took a bite of his own steak, his expression thoughtful. Crinkling of the eyes. Left to right.
Isabella placed a hand on Orias’s thigh under the table and he looked at her from the corner of his eye as she stood up.
“Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.”
Taking her bag with her, she walked out of the dining hall.
Amelia watched her leave and her eyes were glued on her ass.
A finger tapped the table, drawing Orias’s attention.
“Brother I must say, I’m curious about your magic. Does it hurt when you shapeshift?” Mikhail asked, pouring more wine into his glass.
His eyes crinkled again so Orias decided to do the same and smiled.
“No, it doesn’t hurt. It feels like stretching in the morning,” he explained.
“Oh? I heard that shapeshifters feel pain when they change into a form that is not their own.” Amelia commented, her hand holding her chin.
Orias shrugged.
“Have you met other shapeshifters before?” He asked.
The succubus shook her head, “No, you’re the first one I’ve ever met. Your kind is quite rare, aren’t you?”
Rare? He guessed it was true, he only knew of his mom and Bella. Never met another shapeshifter outside of his family. He wondered if there were more in the world.
“I suppose you are correct, but I can’t say for certain,” he answered, taking a sip of his wine.
Footsteps were heard outside the room and Isabella returned, her fingers a little smudged with ink.
Mikhail raised a brow but said nothing.
The dinner continued with small talk and casual conversation. The demon prince was friendly and seemed genuinely interested in Orias’ life in the Ashfen. He asked about the people, the land, and the resources.
The shapeshifter prince answered honestly, no need to hide anything from his brother; except his true intentions.
A clatter sounded from his right. Isabella knocked over her glass of wine, the red liquid spilling on the table. A maid rushed to clean it up. Amelia handed Isabella a napkin.
Taking it, Isabella thanked her and wiped her hands. The maid finished cleaning the table and took away the broken glass.
“I’m sorry. I think I’m too drunk.” Bella laughed, “I have to go to the bathroom.”
She left the room again, and Amelia watched her leave.
Mikhail shook his head and smiled. “I suppose we both have wives that can’t handle their liquor.”
Amelia giggled and stood up. “I will make sure your wife gets back here safely, Orias. I wouldn’t want her to get lost in the palace.”
Orias’ heartbeat raced but he smiled.
“I think she can take care of herself, but thank you for your concern Amelia,” he said.
The succubus pouted and walked towards him, her hips swaying. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear, her hot breath tickling his neck, “Don’t worry, Prince. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”
She winked and left the dining hall.
Left alone with Mikhail, Orias finished his wine.
“Your wife is beautiful, brother. Quite the woman you have there,” Mikhail said, his eyes on him.
He nodded, “Yes, she is. I’m a lucky man.”
The demon prince chuckled. He stood up and walked to the window, his tail swishing behind him. Orias watched him, his eyes scanning his every movement.
“Do you want me to take care of her for you?” Mikhail asked, his gaze on the night sky.
Orias raised a brow. Generous framing for a threat.
Turning to face him, Mikhail smiled. His eyes were cold, the smile not reaching them.
“When you lose the competition, I mean. I can take care of her for you, make sure she’s safe and happy. I am the oldest, after all, it’s only natural that I take responsibility for my family, no matter how distant.” He explained.
Orias stood up and walked to his brother, stopping a few feet away from him. The room was silent, the only sound was the crackling of the fireplace.
He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and smiled, his eyes crinkling the exact same way.
“Thank you, brother. That is very kind of you. But I’m afraid I cannot accept your offer. A man must take care of his own wife, even if he is weak and powerless.”
The demon prince’s expression didn’t change. He placed a hand on Orias’s shoulder and squeezed it.
“Of course, I understand. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”
He let go and walked to the door.
“Goodnight, Orias. Sleep well.”
With that, he left, closing the door behind him.
Orias stood alone in the dining hall, his eyes on the fire. The words of his brother echoed in his head and it pissed him off. The fucking nerve of that demon.
Isabella entered the room, closing the door behind her. She walked to him and hugged him from behind.
“Amelia tried to seduce me, brother,” she whispered.
His stomach clenched. He turned around and held her face in his hands.
“Did it work?”
She giggled and shook her head. “Of course not. Who can do butt stuff better than you?”
He let out a sigh of relief and kissed her forehead.
Rummaging through her bag, she took out a small note pad and showed it to him. On it was a sketch of Mikhail. His face was drawn in detail, the eyes were perfectly captured. But his body was not perfect, the tail was wrong. It was slightly shorter than it actually was.
“I know it’s incomplete, but Amelia interrupted me before I could correct it and I lost the memory of the length,” she said, looking up at him. Her red eyes were apologetic.
He kissed her nose and took the notepad from her.
“It’s okay, Bella. Thank you for doing this for me.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
The prince flipped through the pages, looking at the sketches she made. The sound of a maid cleaning up the dishes was heard in the background before the maid left to the kitchen.
“Bella, could you stand by the door and make sure a certain someone doesn’t enter?” He asked, his eyes still on the notepad.
She nodded and let go of him, walking to the door.
Orias closed his eyes and concentrated on the image of Mikhail: His white hair, his blue eyes, the tail that swished left to right, the crinkling of his eyes when he laughed.
His body began to change, the bones cracking and shifting, the skin stretching and changing color. His hair turned white, his eyes blue, and a tail grew from his lower back.
He opened his eyes and looked at his hands, they were now a light purple color, the nails sharp.
A chuckle escaped his lips, the sound different from his own. The maid returned back from the kitchen and froze at the sight of him.
“Prince Mikhail, I’m sorry I didn’t know you were still here,” she said, bowing her head.
He waved his hand and smiled. “It’s fine, I was just leaving. Please clean up and have a good night.”
The maid nodded and resumed her work.
Walking to the door, he grabbed Bella’s hand and pulled her out of the room. His body turned back to normal as they walked down the hall.
“So, what’s the plan, brother?” She asked, her hand squeezing his. “Take over the demon province and make Amelia your concubine?”
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.
“Once you have the full picture of Mikhail then we’ll talk.” He whispered.
They reached their room and closed the door.