I WAS nearly knocked off my feet by the force of a body colliding with mine. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, lifted my feet off the ground, pulled me backwards and began spinning me around in circles. My hand went for the daggers on my leg, but before I could get to it I smelled a familiar scent that made me pause. I looked down at the hands that were wrapped around my middle. A wide braided silver band was wrapped around the middle finger of the left hand and a scratched leather cuff covered his right wrist.

I felt my eyes go wide as I realized what was happening. I blinked and when I opened my eyes Leland had his saber drawn and pointed at the throat next to mine. I slapped the hands that were holding me repeatedly and whispered "LET GO! LET GO! LET GO!" in a panicked voice. The arms released me in surprise. I launched myself at Leland and grabbed the arm that held the sword.

"Leland! LELAND!" I said in a hushed voice. I didn't want to disrupt the dance. "Leland, STAND DOWN!" I told him. "Leland, it's alright. He's a friend." Leland continued to hold his saber to Zion's throat, moving closer. I placed myself directly in front of him and put my other hand in the center of his chest.

"Leland he is my cousin! It's okay!" I insisted, but it made no difference. I reached up and put a hand on either side of his face, forcing him to look down at me.

"Leland! Put the sword DOWN!" I commanded. "That is an order from your commander!" I growled.

Leland blinked and shook his head a little. He gave Zion a death glare and reluctantly lowered his sword. He looked down at me and reached up to hold my hand against his face and looked down at me with a huge sense of relief in his eyes. Then realization dawned on his face.

"Did you say cousin?" He asked surprised.

"Hi! I'm Zion. Sorry for the scare." Zion stepped forward and offered his hand for a handshake. Leland looked down at Zion's hand and then back at me. He pulled my hand off his face and held it against his chest. He leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"I thought the legends said you didn't have any living family left." he questioned.

"That they do, but not everything you hear is true." I reminded him. "This is my cousin Zion. He is the son of my Father's older brother. He's only 3 years older than me. We grew up together. To this day he is the only one who can catch me completely unaware. He also happens to be the Commander in Chief of the Ecrin army."

I saw Leland examine Zion over my head. I turned around and examined my cousin. I hadn't seen him in 4 years. His jet black hair was shaggy and hung almost down to his vibrant green eyes. He wore his dress uniform with yellow epaulets and gold buttons down the front. Leland seemed to relax a bit, seeing him in an official uniform. Zion awkwardly pulled his hand back to his side.

I pulled myself away from Leland and wrapped my arms around Zion. I melted into his embrace and felt his buttons mush into my face as he held me against him.

"I missed you cuz." I whispered into his chest.

"I know." He replied. "I missed you too." He pulled me away from him and held me at arm's length, examining me with a careful eye.

"When did this happen?" he asked, running his hand over my (now short) hair.

"Between the ceremony and now." I replied. "It just felt right." I laughed. He laughed and pulled me to his side and tucked me into his shoulder.

"Who are your friends?" he asked, looking at the others in my group who had turned around to see what the commotion was.

"You already know the syndicate, but this is Queen Aria, her daughter Princess Senara and her fiance Prince Oislin who you know already. This is her second son Evander, and her youngest Grey. These are King Kole's family."

Zion's eyes flashed a level of deeper understanding momentarily as I continued. "These are August and Arius, members of the Kavan Guard, and this..." I drew out turning to give Leland a face. "This is Commander Leland, Commander of the Kavan Guard. The Crown Prince of Kavan is around here somewhere, but I'm not sure where he's hanging out."

"It's very nice to meet you all. Thank you all for taking care of my little cousin while I am otherwise occupied. It's good to see you girls again." he nodded at the girls from the syndicate.

As we were talking, the new King and his mother finished their dance and the orchestra had begun a second song. As couples moved onto the dance floor, the crowd around it thinned out. I caught a glimpse of a familiar length of blonde hair. I drug Zion behind me as I wove through the crowd toward the familiar form.

Elowen wore a simple bright grey dress that had grey beads and featherlike designs across the bodice. Her pale grey eyes seemed dull and her blonde hair hung loose and limp behind her shoulders. A squeal escaped my throat as I got closer to her. I let go of Zion's hand, knowing he would follow me at this point, picked up my skirt and broke into a run.

Elowen caught sight of me running toward her and returned my squeal and embrace. We were just letting go of each other as Zion came up behind me.

"It's so good to see you!" Elowen squealed. "I'm so glad you're here. There's someone I want you to meet. I didn't get the chance to introduce you the last time I saw you."

"That's perfect. There's someone I want you to meet too." I countered

"You go first!"

"This is my cousin, Zion. We grew up together. This is my best friend Elowen. She let me crash at her place for the last few years." I said turning Zion.

"Looks like I owe you a debt of gratitude as well." He said, bowing his head. Elowen giggled and grabbed my hand.

"My turn! Uncle Tyrone! Come over here for a second!" She called. A man in a white evening suit turned at her call. My blood boiled as he turned to face us. "This is my uncle, Tyrone, Duke of Ecrin."

"Your UNCLE?" I demanded.

"Yeah. He and my father are brothers." Elowen elaborated.

"We meet again, my little kitchen maid." the Duke of Ecrin crooned down in my ear. I felt my fists clench at my sides and saw Zion move closer and rest his hand on the hilt of his sword. I reached behind me and rested a restraining hand on his wrist. The scar on the Duke's face nauseated me.

"Hello, Mr. Lamb." I replied. His grimace told me he remembered our conversations about lions and lambs at our last encounter.

I was incredibly tense. Leland came up behind me and rested his hands on my arms, making me jump. I was really off my game. That shouldn't have startled me.

"May I have this dance?" he leaned down and asked in my ear. He must have seen the situation unfolding. All I could do was nod. I was blinded by irrational rage and I needed to get away before I did something I would regret. I felt Leland take my hand and pull me onto the dance floor.

He turned me to face him, placed his hand in the center of my lower back and began leading me in a foxtrot. The room slowly came into focus around me. On the other side of the room Senara and Oislin were dancing together, chatting and laughing. August and Kingsley were making an attempt to follow the music but August kept tripping over his feet because he was nervous and Kingsley was laughing too hard to do anything about it. Blakely-Rose was dancing with Willow. Grey cautiously approached and tapped Willow's shoulder, asking to cut in. Mèabh had pulled Arius onto the floor and Evander stood at the edge of the dancefloor glaring.

As Leland led me across the floor I noticed him following my gaze.

"Sickening, isn't it?" he grimaced.

"Why did we do this to ourselves?" I laughed in reply.

I felt his hand move along my back. I looked at him quizzically.

"Is that your sword?" he asked.

"Why yes. Yes it is indeed." I replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How many blades are you wearing?" he asked.

"Five." I replied plainly.

"Where did you put them?" Leland wondered aloud.

"That's for me to know and for everyone else to guess." I bantered. Leland laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for getting me out of there." I said after we had let the music fill the space between us for a moment.

"I can't stand that man." Leland growled.

"That makes two of us." I mumbled in agreement. "Anyway, thank you for not letting me do something I would have regretted."

"Whenever you need it, Grasshopper." He leaned down and said softly in my ear, reciting Old Man Kady's nickname for me.

"You know I only let people I actually like call me that. You should feel honored." I said sarcastically.

"Trust me, I do." Leland whispered, pulling me closer. The song had changed to some slow swaying song. Leland brought my hand to his shoulder, placed it there then wrapped his second hand around my waist, pulling me closer. I felt myself lean my head on his chest. Leland pulled away with a start as I felt a tap on his jacket near my hand.

"Mind if I cut in?" A sickly smooth voice inquired. I peeked my head over Leland's shoulder to see the unwelcome face of Juniper, Willow's older half-brother. Leland turned around to see who had been so rude.

"Yes, I do mind." He snarled at the prince and began leading me off the dance floor by the hand. Juniper reached out and grabbed Leland's wrist.

"Now, don't be a spoil-sport. It's all in good fun. Isn't the whole point of a ball to dance with as many beautiful women as possible?" He asked in a snarl. "I like the hair, by the way." He added as an afterthought.

"In case you don't remember, the last time you tried to touch her, she almost removed your fingers from your hand. This is entirely for your own good." Leland snapped and threw Juniper's hand off his wrist, leading me away at a brisk pace.

As we left, Juniper directed his attention to Mèabh. She obviously presented the best target because she was the smallest. The instant he started toward her, Evander strode across the floor, whispered something in Arius' ear and swept Mèabh into the next dance that started. He repeatedly used his bigger frame to form a barrier between Juniper and his dance partner.

Kingsley and August had given up on trying to dance and had parked themselves at one of the tall tables around the room. As we made our way over to them, Juniper did the same. I saw him walk by Kingsley at a dangerously close distance and pause to whisper in her ear as he walked by. Kingsley's eyes went wide and her gaze went to the flower vase where her katana was stashed. August placed a hand on her arm and shook his head subtly, telling her not to make a scene.

We met them at the table as Juniper sauntered off toward the dessert table.

"What did he say to you?" I asked Kingsley.

"Something that will make me do something I will regret if I repeat it." Kingsley replied, shaking her head.

I decided to leave it enough alone. Kingsley was the member of the syndicate with the most control over her temper. If it was enough to make her reach for a weapon, the rest of us would snap. I watched the crowd mill around the room. Koa had pulled his mother onto the dance floor for a tango. The new king of Ecrin was making the rounds and exchanging pleasantries. Senara and her fiance were chatting with the Queen of Ecrin. They seemed to be getting along very well. If everything worked out like it was supposed to, that would prove to be a profitable marriage for all involved.

My attention was grabbed by a squeal on the other side of the room. A woman stood behind her dance partner shaking out her skirt. The man's face was turning purple in rage. I tried to distract myself from the infuriating situation at hand. I turned my attention to Mèabh and Evander who seemed to be enjoying their dance now that Juniper wasn't being a third wheel. He glided across the floor like he was dancing on air and her hair swished around them as she followed him. I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought of the surprise Evander was going to get when Drystan and the Chief got their hands on him.

Then I realized the tongue-lashing I would be in for: "I asked you to keep her safe and bring her home in one piece, not send her back with a prince in tow!" I shuddered and Leland looked at me in confusion.

Willow had joined King Zakariah and his father and seemed to be enjoying a pleasant conversation, but his gaze was directed elsewhere. I followed it to Blakely-Rose who stood by the drink table looking for something that didn't contain alcohol. Grey had managed to drag Senara away from her new fiance and onto the dance floor. They were adorable together. Grey was so caring toward his family. It was rare to see in a boy his age.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Juniper make his way toward Blakely-Rose. He had noticed that she was unaccompanied. She stiffened as he approached her. He was standing way too close. He had tried to put his arm around her or touch her arm multiple times at this point. I started toward them, but felt a hand on my shoulder hold me back. I looked up at Leland and he nodded toward Zion, who had seen what was going on and was headed in their direction. He was closer than I was. He would get there before I did. He positioned himself between Blakely-Rose and Juniper, not saying a word, but sending Juniper a glare that could freeze molten stone. Juniper raised his hands in the air in surrender and backed away.

Our whole little group started toward the drink table. We arrived just in time to hear Zion say "You should go find your brother. Stick next to him. It will be safer." Blakely-Rose noted and hurried off.

I was fuming. Any man who targets a girl because they're young and look immature is no real man... he's just a sewer rat. Zion rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"She's stronger than she seems. You know that." He assured me. I nodded as I saw Blakely-Rose wrap her arm through Willow's and begin pulling him back toward our group. Senara, Grey, Mèabh, and Evander all made their way through the crowd to us too, seeing that we were congregating. Arius joined us as the rest of the group engaged in idle conversation, but I couldn't make myself pay attention.

I saw Juniper conversing with the Duke of Ecrin. They both looked in my direction, making eye contact, and my boiling rage turned into freezing dread. Those two would only egg each other on.

I took a deep breath, centering myself. I couldn't let myself lose control. I got careless when I lost control. People died when I lost control. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing.

Suddenly my eyes snapped open. The hair on the back of my neck told me danger was near. Juniper appeared out of nowhere between Senara and Blakely-Rose.

"What are we talking about?" He asked quizzically. In all reality there was nothing wrong with Juniper trying to join the conversation. He was Willow's brother after all, and this was a social event. The point was to socialize. What drove the point home was when he tried to run his fingers down the arms of the girls beside him like he had done to me in his castle. Willow's eyes flashed with fire as he moved Blakely-Rose behind him.

"Just what do you think you're doing? That is my little sister." He growled.

"She may be your sister, but she isn't mine." Juniper replied snarkily.

I held my breath. The men moved closer to Willow, subtly moving us girls farther away from him. The comical thing about this situation is that the only one of those boys who had more training than my girls was Zion and that was only because we had trained together as kids.

"What else am I supposed to do when they walk around here looking like that?" Juniper asked like it was the simplest question in the world.

I heard the sound of steel on steel as Willow drew his saber from it's decorative sheath. He held it at arm's length pointed directly at his brother's throat.

"I've had just about enough of you. These are my friends and family. That alone should give you enough reason to treat them with the respect they deserve." Willow snapped, his voice getting louder.

"You're telling me that the friends of a base-born prince with no title deserve the respect of the heir to one of the biggest thrones in the realm?" Juniper scoffed. At this point the rest of the men drew their swords and mimicked Willow's stance, forming a semi-circle around the so-called 'Crown Prince'.

"I'll have you know, you were born out of wedlock, not me." Willow reminded him. "And what good did that do you?" Juniper countered.

"I have a family that will back me up no matter what I face." Willow stated. "What do you have?"

"An army."

Juniper let out a shrill whistle and the ballroom went silent as soldiers seemed to reveal themselves from the woodwork.

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Author Note!

Hi everyone ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thoughts >

Random >

How is your day today? Was it bad? Good? In between?

QOTD: How tall are you?

I'm 5'5....with a 6'4 dad..how i'm not 5'10..idk man.



Love you all thank you for reading! Xoxox 💋💋

- Mickey ✨