Strange Love

Russ flipped the hood up over the ballcap he wore as he walked through the back servant's entrance. Surprisingly, the area was bustling with people. He shot Ry a glance as he made his way through the kitchen. The people were so busy hurrying through their jobs that they barely acknowledge the three large men as they walked through. Russ's brows furrowed as he noted the endless spreads of various dishes. He paused by one of the many loaded counters and lifted a bottle of wine. "What is all this?" He asked, stopping a young man who came bustling by.

"About three hundred bucks." Ry said taking the bottle from Russ and studying it before handing it back to Poseidon.

The young man looked nervously between the three men. "It... it's his Majesty's dinner party, sir..." He looked over their casual attire. "You... you are not with them? You... you shouldn't be in here."

Ry arched a brow as a wide smile curved his lips. "Looks like Ol Fern may have some friends over, and by the looks of these spreads, some important ones."

Russ made his way around the kitchen. It had to be thousands of dollars in fancy dishes and food. He halted another worker. "How often do parties like this go on here?"

The woman frowned, not looking away from her work. "Often."

"And who finances it?" Russ asked.

"Listen boy, we're busy. If we don't get this work done-" The woman's eyes shot up to his in irritation but the second, her eyes met his, her words died off and her mouth dropped. "Your Majesty, I... I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

She bowed deeply as her hands shook in worry.

Russ placed a hand over hers. "Please, don't do that. I don't want the attention. I'm not mad. I just want answers."

Her eyes searched his. "King Fernando likes to woo his investors. They have parties like this that usually last a few days..."

Russ tented his brows. "I've seen the town, what are the investors investing in?"

She looked around the room nervously. "I'm... I'm not sure, Sir."

Russ studied the woman. Her clothes were well worn, and her shoes looked like one good puddle and they would completely fall apart. "Are you at least paid well for this?" He indicated the work she was doing.

The woman's wide eyes met his. "No... no, Sir. We're not paid at all for it." She nodded to the others. "We are all indentured servants, working off our sentences..."

His brows drew together as he remembered what the driver had said about the guards. "What were the crimes?"

She looked around nervously. "Petty thievery, for the most part, unpaid taxes, unpaid debts to the crown... that kind of stuff." She shrugged.

"Petty theft?" He said with a deep frown. "Let me guess food?"

She nodded as her nervous eyes moved around the room again. "I'm sorry, I really do need to get back to work, Sir."

When the woman immediately went back to work, Russ placed a hand over hers again. He shook his head as her worried eyes met his. "It's late, do you have a family?"

The woman nodded toward an elderly lady sitting in the corner peeling potatoes with trembling, arthritic hands. "That's mamma. My husband works here as well. We have three kids, but the oldest is watching over the other two..."

Russ nodded as the deep frown set wrinkles across his brow. "You and your mother are dismissed. Go on home and see to your children." He nodded toward the tables of food. "Take what you'd like. Make sure it's enough to feed your entire family." He looked around the entire kitchen, several of the workers had either stopped or slowed their tasks and were now watching him. He pushed the hood off his head and handed the cap to Ry. "That goes for all of you. Call it a night, take what you want, and go back to your families." His gaze moved from each of the tired, worried faces. "You'll not be reprimanded, I swear it."

Ry and Poseidon chuckled as they watched Russ load plates and baskets of food for the workers. Poseidon popped the top of the wine bottle and took a large drink. "This is going to be more fun than expected. I really didn't expect this of him."

Ry shrugged as he joined in on loading plates and baskets for the workers as they hurried to leave. "Our boy's growing up so fast." He teased. When a nervous, malnourished boy took one of the last baskets quickly before running out the door in fear of being caught doing something wrong, Ry added. "There's nothing like seeing true suffering to put one's life into perspective. Everyone likes to think they've had it hard until faced with others way worse off."

Russ pushed through the server's door and into a brightly lit banquet hall. There were three massive gold and crystal chandeliers hanging over the expansive table. At least forty people sat around it, all their eyes trained on the intruders in stunned silence. "Parties over, everyone out!" Russ bit out in an angry, almost animalistic growl.

Fern pushed up from the head of the table as his guest began to murmur among themselves in equal parts confusion and irritation. He held his hands out signaling for his guests to settle down and be reseated. "I do apologize, everyone. My nephew is new to palace life and doesn't seem to understand the finer points of such a lifestyle."

Russ's brows went up in sarcastic question. "Finer lifestyle? The town is starving, and many are left homeless. Please help me understand." His angry gaze moved around to the many faces staring back at him. "Are you people here to donate money for the repairs this town needs? Are you here to help implement a program to feed them?" After several sharp inhales and a few 'Well I've never's, Russ shook his head. "I didn't think so. Now get the f.u.c.k out of my palace." Wide eyes and angered conversation filled the room, all darting back and forth between Russ and Fern.

Fern cleared his throat and held up his hands once again. "Again everyone, I do apologize. But as you can see my nephew is quite upset. We'll have to do this again some other time." His gaze turned menacing as his eyes bored into Russ. "I will have to teach my nephew a few lessons on proper etiquette, in the meantime."

"I'm sure that will be interesting coming from you, Fernie boy..." Ry said as he stepped into the room, leaning against the door frame beside Russ. His smile widened when Fern's anger began to seep through his well-masked diplomacy.

"You-" Fern growled out as several of his guests went quiet, recognition registering in their eyes. His eyes moved from the massive giant blocking the doorway beside his nephew to another smaller man now leaned against the other door frame to the left of Russ. The man met his gaze with an amused smile as he lifted one of the expensive bottles of wine, he'd had flown in just for the party tonight. "The three of you may wait upstairs in my study. I'll be up once I see to my guests."

Ry stepped forward placing a hand on Russ's shoulder as he sent Fern a wide smile. "Cool. Come on kid let's go check out YOUR study. Maybe we can find some cool shit of your dad's still in there." He held Fern's gaze. "Don't make your future king wait too long, Fernie boy." He couldn't help the widening of his smile as Fern quietly seethed.

Poseidon lifted the now half-empty bottle. "Great tastes by the way. I shall grab another for the wait."

Russ sent his uncle one last glare as he turned from the room. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he headed toward the main entrance and the elegant double staircase leading to the upper floors. Zooming in on the floor plan, he pointed up. "This looks like the main office... or at least it was whenever this floorplan was drawn up."

They mounted the steps quickly, tossing their bags and luggage on the floor as they walked into the study. The door had no sooner latched behind them, and the trio was already going through drawers and shelves, looking for any hint of what Fern was up to. Ry held up his hand with an old book in it he'd pulled from one of the many bookshelves. "Check it out. It's some of the older palace records. We should be able to find better blueprints and hopefully figure out where the entrances to those tunnels are." He handed it to Poseidon, the book instantly vanishing the second it touched the god's hand.

Russ sat behind the desk, going through several drawers until finally coming across one with a false bottom. "Yo, I'll need your magic touch over here. It's locked or something."

Poseidon walked over to the desk, setting the two bottles of wine down as he went. He bent and placed a hand over it. "Hum... We'll have to use a different trick on this one..." He flexed his fingers and without opening the drawer the contents materialized through the locked drawer. "Hah... Easier than I expected." He grabbed the papers and journals causing them to vanish as well. Moving his gaze back to Russ's questioning one, he explained. "If it was lead-lined I wouldn't have been able to do that. Lucky for us, it wasn't, but there is a trap set for anyone who opens the locks. So, keep that in mind before opening anything else in this room." He said the words to both Russ and Ry as he moved his attention to his son.

Movement at the door brought all three sets of eyes around to face it and caused all three sets to turn equally surprised when a small girl walked through. "Master said to show the two of you to your rooms." She nodded toward Russ. "Master would like to speak with the prince in private." She bowed her head waiting on their replies.

Ry turned his attention to Russ. "What do you think? Want us to stay?"

Russ nodded toward the girl. "Go on with her so she doesn't get in trouble. I should be fine... right?"

Ry nodded. He walked over to Russ and clasped him on the shoulder as he leaned in to whisper so that the girl couldn't hear. "Call my number and keep the call going. We'll be back here at the first sign of trouble."

Poseidon nodded from beside Ry. "In a flash, kid." He grabbed the two bottles and turned toward the doors. He nodded and lifted the bottles as a very irritated Fern entered the room.

Fern glared at the two intruders before turning his irritated glare to his nephew who was seated behind his desk as if he already owned it. {Over my dead body... or rather his...} Fern forced a smile as he took one of the seats opposite Russ. "I hadn't expected you back. Had I known, I would have rescheduled the dinner."

Russ crossed his arms over his c.h.e.s.t. "Who were they? What makes them more important than our people?"

Fern chuckled. "You're still young. You wouldn't understand the politics that go into ruling a land."

"Apparently neither do you. There has been a massive decline in the past fifteen years since you took up the position." Russ said without missing a beat.

Fern narrowed his eyes as he pushed up from his seat. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled open the etched doors. He took out a glass and poured it three-quarters of the way full of amber liquid, before bending and retrieving a bottle from the hidden wine fridge underneath. He grabbed a glass and walked back to the desk. He slid the tumbler across to Russ, then poured his own glass of wine. He crossed his legs as he sat back down. "It's true, the town hasn't done nearly as well since the attacks. That is why it is important to bring in investors. We must show them the best the island has to offer in order to gain their business and keep it." He watched as Russ lifted the glass and swirled the liquid before taking a large drink. Satisfaction reflected in his eyes as the boy took another drink. "Good, isn't it? It's one of the many new revenues we are looking to expand on here."

Russ arched his brow. "I don't think mass-producing good booze will save the island." He sat up, pointing toward the doors. "Had you taken a fraction of the money needed to throw such a huge event tonight and put it toward the people... toward the town, then that might have helped." He shook his head as he pushed the tumbler toward his uncle. "But not this shit." He met his uncle's eyes as he stood from the desk. "But it's fine, your days of leader are slowly dwindling. I plan to petition the council and take my rightful place as quickly as possible."

Fern's eye twitched as he watched the arrogant smile curve the boy's lips. The kid was more determined than he'd expected... with a higher tolerance. "Even if the council grants such a ridiculous request, you will still need my assistance until you are more familiar with the duties and workings of the palace."

"Your assistance? What help would I need from you? Look around, even at my worst, I couldn't possibly drive this place into the dirt as much as you have." He stood from the desk with a slight wobble. He furrowed his brows as he glanced down at the half drank tumbler. Nodding toward the drink, he commented. "I'll give it to you, it's a strong liquor... but it's not enough to provide sufficient revenues." When his vision began to blur, he forced himself toward the doors. "Good night, Uncle." He said as he bent to grab his bags, stumbling slightly as he lifted and made his way out into the hallway.

Fern's eyes narrowed and a pleased smile curved his lips as he leaned over and hit a quick dial combo on the phone sitting on the office desk. When the call was quickly answered, he ordered. "The prince will be incapacitated soon. I want you to dispose of him and frame his travel companions... especially the big one."

"Yes, sir." Came a gruff answer, before the call ended.

Fern finished his glass of wine, a wicked smile spread across his lips.

***

The sky's just beyond the large bay window were still dark as pitch with only the faint flickering of stars when Jos jerked away. Her frantic eyes moved around the room quickly landing on a sleeping wolf on the bed beside her. A large arm slid around her and another hand stroked her arm. She turned her focus to the other side of the extra-large, king-sized bed. Bright hazel eyes met hers.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Arei asked sleepily as he traced soothing patterns on her arm.

Jos scrunched her brows. "I... I had a nightmare... I guess..." Her brows scrunched more as she moved her gaze to the blanket covering her legs. "But I can't remember what it was..." She shook her head in aggravation. "It seemed so important when I was having it."

Arei pulled her down into his arms. "It was only a dream, kitten, go back to sleep." He nestled her head against his c.h.e.s.t as he continued to stroke her arm with his other. "I'm sure it was nothing, only your nerves." He whispered soothingly as he continued to stroke her arm and hair until her breathing began to steady out once again.