A Dinner Date

Marcus glanced back at the Elf boy and gave a tiny sigh.

It wouldn't do to have one pet afraid of the other. Sigil wouldn't have been scared by such an adorable little puppy.

"None of the prey I hunt is intelligent." If they were, they wouldn't run from Marcus.

The Vampire stepped forwards again, until he was stood before the beast's great head. He bought his hand to his mouth and used a fang to slice a deep groove in his palm. He held the bleeding palm out to the hound, looking upon it with hard blue eyes and a smooth expression.

The beast's nose twitched, threatening the snarl if he came much closer, showing off it's impressive fangs.

It's nostrils flared as Marcus sliced into his own palm, the smell of blood hit the air and caused the beast to let out a deep purr.

It's long tongue lapped over the Vampire's palm, drinking in Marcus' blood eagerly.

Once it has lapped up all available blood it sat back, it's body calmed immediately as it looked up at him, waiting.

Once the Hound was done feeding from him, Marcus bought his palm to his mouth to lap at it himself, closing off the wound so it could heal.

He reached out through the bars of the cage to stroke the Hound's great head.

That childish excitement bubbled up within him. This Hound was his. His hound.

Marcus let out an uncharacteristic woop of excitement as he turned on his mother. In thee long strides he was in front of her. His large hands grasped at his mother's upper arms and he leaned forwards to plant a thankful kiss on her lips; a totally normal thing for pureblood Vampire families.

His blue eyes were sparlking.

The hound leaned into his touch, allowing him to touch him when others hadn't been able to get close.

Being tied to a master brought a sense of stability to the creature which allowed it to calm.

Cierra's eyes widened as Marcus wooped and walked forward to kiss her. Such shows of affection and gratitude were rare from him, it wasn't often that he got excited around her.

"I take it that you like him then?"

She questioned with a chuckle as she saw the sparkle in her son's eyes.

"Very much so, mother."

He kissed both her cheeks gratefully before stepping back. It was the most genuine affection he had shown her in a long, long time.

He was like a little kid again, unjaded by all his experiences with her. Happy to just be affectionate and thankful to her.

Marcus further shocked himself as he pulled her into a hug against his broad chest, laying a kiss to the crown of her head before pulling back and returning to stand before the cage.

The woman smiled as he kissed her cheeks, a stunned expression gracing her face as he pulled her in for a hug.

It had been a very long time since he had genuinly hugged her, it was an odd sensation to have her only living son wanting to be close to her.

Her hand reached up to pet his cheek softly.

"Train him well and he will be a formidable opponent for anyone who stands in your way."

She watched him stand before the cage, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Oh and darling, it can fly."

After that she went quiet, letting the new information sink in, the reason this creature had been so hard to get hold of was because of it's immense power.

Marcus leaned into the gentle petting of his cheek before he pulled away. A little part of him was thankful that she returned his affection. Like all people, a little part of him did crave the affection of a loving mother, no matter how much he denied it.

A breathtaking, toothy grin curled his lips at the news.

It could fly.

"My dear sisters are going to be green with envy," he crooned. How would they feel, with Marcus getting the best of their mother's attention yet again? It had been that way since he had turned sixteen. None of his siblings had been treated as well as he had.

Cierra gave a knowing smile as Marcus grinned, she had done her research when she had sent Marcus out to get her oracle.

This was a reward well fitted to the task he had taken on.

"I dare say they will, not that any of them would approach you about it, even less so now that you have him."

She eyed the beast, taking in the good work she had done.

"Feel free to let it out now that it has been claimed, you can leave it in the stables, or in your chambers, where ever you please, though try not to spook the horses."

Marnus snorted. "I'm sure Rosalind will find something to say." His youngest sister was very well opinionated and constantly shared her opinions on the unfair treatment of his sisters in comparison to him. She was like a petulant child, always sulking about how unfair mommy was.

It was almost laughable.

"I make no promises. It is quite a frightening beast." He was sure just gazing on the beast would spook the castle horses.

Marcus took a few steps back and clucked his tongue a couple of times, gaining the Hound's attention as he gestured for the guards to open the cage and free his Hound.

"And as per usual her complaining will fall on deaf ears, if she wants one of her own she can go out and fetch me an oracle."

Marcus hadn't just gotten it because he was her favourite, he had earned it.

The Hound looked up at Marcus immediately, tilting it's head slightly as it listened to his clicking.

The guards hesitantly opened the cage and the creature got onto it's feet, even larger now than when it had been sitting down.

It padded out and moved to sit in front of Marcus, haunting eyes on the Vampire as he waited instruction.

"If you want a saddle made for it best talk to the blacksmith, I'm sure he can sort something out."

No doubt their skilled leather-workers would be able to make something.

"I prefer bareback," Marcus replied idly as he reached forwards to pet the Hound.

It would be a fine creature.

After scratching behind it's hear, Marcus gripped a tuft of fur at the back of its neck and clicked his tongue. He began walking slowly, guiding the Hound to follow as he kept his firm grip n the tuft of fur.

He was leading the Hound directly towards Miriel.

The hound leaned into his touches, accepting of the affection it's Master was giving it.

When his fur was gripped and Marcus clicked his tongue he got back onto his feet, padding behind the man as he was guided toward the corridor.

Now that it had a Master it was far more docile and would remain so unless instructed otherwise.

Miriel gave a squeak as the hound got closer to him, cringing back against the wall as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

He led the Hound forwards until its great nose was pressed to Miriel's chest.

"Smell it. Remember it," he ordered the Hound.

"He is mine just as you are. He is one that you cannot harm, even in jest." Miriel was his property just like the Hound was. If Miriel was harmed, the Hound would be in for some serious consequences.

At the order the hound's nostrils flared again, taking in a deep breath of the Elf's scent and committing it to memory, once they had a scent they never forgot it.

If this one was not one to harm then it was one to protect, his Master's property would not be damaged.

Miriel pressed back against the wall, closing his eyes as the hound sniffed at him, he didn't like it being near him, it felt unnatural and the aura it gave off was menacing.

Marcus' hand rested on Miriel's head, stroking his hair out of his face gently as the Hound sniffed at him.

When he was content that the Hound had had enough time to get the Elf's scent, he allowed his hand to fall from its grasp on the Hound's fur.

"There is another you must not harm. You will meet him soon." In a few days he would introduce the Hound to Sigil.

The hound gave a slight nod at Marcus' words, there were now three people he had to protect, a simple enough task.

When the scruff of his neck was freed his head leaned down as he lapped his great tongue over the Elf's tiny hand.

Miriel gave a yelp and snatched his hand away, clutching it to his chest.

"I don't like it."

He whimpered, the hound was bigger than he was and far more imposing.

Marcus bent to slide his hands around Miriel's ribs, hoisting him up and placing him on the Hounds back.

"Learn to like it."

Once again, his hand found the Hound's fur and began leading through the halls, towards the kitchens.

He didn't even glance back to bid farewell to his mother.

Miriel squirmed in Marcus' grasp but when rigid as he was placed on the hounds back, instinctively gripped onto the mane of hair running down his back to stay on.

The hound didn't react to the small Elf on his back, he was extremely light so carrying him was not an issue.

He padded toward the kitchen as he was led, giving a small grumbled growl as Miriel gripped onto his fur too tightly, the Elf's knuckles turning white in the death grip, frightened of falling off.

"You're rather skittish, aren't you?" he asked as he witnessed the Elf's tight grasp on the Hounds fur.

The poor Hound.

In one fluid movement, he hoisted himself up onto the Hound's back and grasped the Elf, turning him easily so he was straddling the Hound, facing him instead of facing forwards.

"Grasp at me if you're scared of falling."

Marcus leaned forwards as he guided the Hound forwards with a clench of his powerful thighs.

"This creature is unnatural."

The beast's howls were meant to shaken creature like Elves and Lycans, Miriel's fear was fueled by the effects of the Hound's earlier noise.

Without thinking as soon as Miriel was moved his arms wrapped around Marcus, holding onto him to avoid toppling off the moving beast.

"As unnatural as you yourself."

The Hound lived and breathed like any other creature. It was natural. It was just scary to poor creatures like Miriel.

Marcus grinned as servants of the kitchen paused in their tracks to watch his gathering walk through the doors.

"My Elf needs feeding."

The head of the kitchen was an older woman, a robust, red headed Vampire called Margret who over saw all food preparation and deliveries, she had been tasked with this job even before the young prince was born.

"Don ye be grinnin' lad."

She scolded half-heartedly.

"Ye scarin' my staff with dat thing."

She added nodding toward the great beast, she had told Marcus off for similar things in the past, when he would try to sneak in some little critter through the back door that led through the kitchen.

"Ye know I don like pets in me kitchen."

It hadn't been been uncommon in the past when Marcus was only a small child for him to come down in the middle of the night when the feeders were asleep, hungry for something to eat, she had always taken care of the boy but after he got Sigil she had seen less and less of him, though she had seen his giant Elf quite often, he never ate with the other Slaves and would take what he needed back up to Marcus' room.

"Now for the wee Elflin, will he be eatin' down ere or in ye chambers?"

She asked, her hands resting on her shapely hips.

"Dear Margret, forgive me my sins. It's not my Hound's fault that others are scared of him."

He pet the Hound's neck before slipping off its back, leaving the Elf up on its back alone and backwards.

With an easy smile that only people that had seen him in his youth would ever see, Marcus laid an affectionate hand on Margret's weathered cheek. His lips pressed to her other cheek. For all that he had changed, he couldn't not be affectionate to the few that had cared for him in his childhood. Among those few were Margret. A woman he hadn't seen in four hundred years.

"You've taken care of my pets in the past." Sigil had always been cared for. He was no more than a pet in the eyes of Vampires.

"Down here." Only his loyal and well-loved pets got to eat in his chambers.

Margret faulted when he pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek.

"Ye always were a charmin' lad, never could stay mad at ya."

She replied with a shake of her head, even after all this time she still quickly melted when it came to Marcus.

In his youth she had a guise of being stern whilst dealing with him, she would always scold him with one hand whilst giving him treats with the other, that way the girls didn't get jealous.

She figured the royal children had enough troubles to deal with without the staff picking on them too.

"Never had to do much for Sigil, very independent that one, always cooked his own meals, and did the washin' up, never ate with the others either."

She replied, she had heard that Sigil had been moved to the barracks, hence why he hadn't been coming down for his meals, all the soldiers ate together.

"Come 'ere love."

She cooed as she padded over to the great beast and gripped Miriel helping him down from the creature.

"Y'know where the others are, fix y'self a plate and go eat."

There was always food readily available and Miriel quickly flitted about the room, grabbing a bread roll which was cooling in the unlit oven before getting a bowl of soup from the pot.

"My charming personality has only matured with age." Marcus dropped the woman a wink as she moved towards his Hound.

Trust Margret to not fear the Hound at all.

"She's one to keep safe," Marcus told the hound in a low, serious voice. Margret was his favourite of the staff here at the castle bar the woman that had been his wetnurse and carer up until he had hit teenage years. Neither of those two staff members were to ever be hurt by the Hound.

Marcus watched the Elf dart towards the gathering of Elves eating away happily.

The man reached up to let his bound hair free, brushing out the kinks with his fingers then shucking the formal red coat. He slung it over the Hound's back. In just a plain white tunic and black leggings, his his hair free-flowing down his back and over his chests, Marcus meandered towards the Elves.

As he passed one counter, he snagged a bowl filled with cooling green vegetables that he wouldn't be able to name for the life of him. As he leant his slim hip against the wooden table besides where Miriel had perched, he set the bowl down inn the centre of the table.

"Share this around," he ordered the Elf sat next to Miriel.

He didn't know the name of the green vegetable, but he knew from experience with Sigil that green vegetables would help with the Elves blood. The Vampires in this castle wanted strong Eves to feed from. A simple soup and slice of bread wouldn't cut it in Marcus' eyes.