Finding Salvation in the Dark - 7. The Presentation

At nine thirty the following morning a knock was heard at the door. As Reeve went to open it he was greeted by the sight of a large, square box being held by three burly men. Behind them and lower on the steps he could just barely see four women in kimono's waiting with their arms folded.

"Delivery for Alexander Marin. He here?"

Pausing in his trek back to his and Antonin's bedroom, Alexander came up behind Reeve, a piece of toast hanging from his mouth. Waving at the guys, he took a bite of it, another piece on a plate and a glass of soy milk in hand. "That would be me," he said, hair still in a towel.

"Right. 'Scuse me," the spokesman said to Reeve. "Where do you want this? He asked Alexander.

"Uh, Reeve, can you show them the room next to mine and Antonin's? I don't need that in our room right now," Alexander said, sounding slightly bewildered as he blinked. "I'm gonna bug Elena."

Reeve nodded and led the men to the room and opened the door. They set the unwieldy box on the bed – grinning as it covered the [i]entire[/i] bed, then left. The women stayed behind, rapidly slitting the cardboard with knives Reeve hadn't seen them produce. He shook his head and walked away, leaving the door open.

Walking in with a now empty plate in hand, Alexander sipped his soy milk and sat on a chair, pushing the plate aside. "So...what is this exactly?" he asked one of the women, before smoothing out the shirt he was still wearing.

"You are to be presented, yes?" she responded in accented English.

"Yes," Alexander replied, taking another sip of his milk, eyeing the box on the bed. "Doesn't mean I know what that is."

The women looked at each other and had a rapid fire conversation in Korean, then the same woman turned to him and said, "Your soon to be Consort ordered your clothing for the Presentation. This is it."

"Ah," Alexander said, as he began to mutter something in French under his breath. Finally sighing, he smiled at them. "Thank you. I didn't know that he had already ordered it." Getting up, he moved to the door and grabbed Elena's hand as she walked past.

"There you are, dear," Elena said with a small smile that widened when she saw the women in the room. "Oh it's here!" she said delightedly and headed into the room, nodding at the women as she entered. "You'll love this," she said to Alexander.

"You get to tell me what each piece means," he said, removing his towel and starting to dry his hair with it. "And then, I get to rediscover my hair dryer and leave in, heat activated hair conditioner...that is for some odd reason, entirely herbal."

Elena laughed and turned back to the women, who had finally gotten the box open. "It isn't the outfit so much that has meaning," she began, "but how… impressive, I suppose, it is. There is a Vampire Council that all vampires worldwide must report to. They govern Vampire Law and administer justice if it is necessary. They believe the appearance should match the stature or status of the vampire. This is simply a way and means for Antonin to physically show how highly he values you."

Blushing softly, Alexander nodded his head, and flipped his hair over his shoulder before getting up and moving to stand against the head board. "It's....wow," he breathed as the outfit was slowly revealed.

The first item removed from the box was [b][url=http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/479629/]a gown[/url][/b]; it had a high neckline with strips at the side to the waist, where it flowed into a long A-line skirt. There was a hoop attached at the waist and the sleeves attached in strips at the shoulders with one solid piece that went down the back of the arm and circular strips all along it, making it look like pieces had been cut away. On the center on the gown was an ornate cross.

Gaping at the dress, Alexander made a soft noise as he moved to touch the fabric. It was soft and silky to his touch, making him think of the fae silk gowns that he had worn in the past for Lin's 18th birthday. "It's so...soft," he breathed quietly, looking to Elena for her reaction to it.

Elena's smile widened. "It looks like Lamina silk." Getting a nod from one of the women she explained further. "Lamina silk comes from a spider called Lamina Desidae, an intertidal spider that lives within barnacle shells in the Sea of Cortez. It is very difficult to harvest the silk and it is very, very rare to have enough to make something quite like this."

"Wow," Alexander breathed, staring at the dress with wide eyes. Drawing his fingers over the cross, he stepped back and smiled at the women, wanting to see the rest of the dress. If he could, he would have continued touching the dress.

One of the women pulled out a hanger and opened the bathroom door, then hung the dress over the door. Another pulled out a heavy chain and attached it to the hoop on the dress, then pulled out a thin length of the same soft material that looked to be made entirely of connected strips of material and said, "This is for the hair."

"Alright," Alexander said, playing with his hair. "Elena, you will help me right?" he asked, turning to look at her with hopeful eyes. He was never quite comfortable dressing in front of strangers.

She smiled and nodded, then looked back to the women.

The next items were two transparent lengths of the same material, same red as the dress itself. These they folded carefully and set aside on the chair nearby, before they hoisted out an ornamental crest. The crest itself looked to be metal stained a slightly darker red than the dress, almost the color of old copper. It had seven spokes and along the lower ridges had eight hoops, four on each side. One of the women unfolded part of the transparent silk and held it up to the crest to show where it attached.

Nodding, Alexander blinked a few times. "How heavy is that?" he asked, before tilting his head. "Mostly out of curiosity mind you. I've had hair styles bigger then that."

"Very light," the woman who had been the only one to speak so far said. She went up to the dress and flipped it around so he could see where the buckles in the sleeve would wrap around the lower spokes of the crest. "It's just too big for one person to put on."

"Alright," Alexander said, nodding as he touched it with curious fingers. "It's beautiful work, really." Smiling again, he stepped out of the way.

The same woman picked up the last thing in the box, a small case that held a pair of slim rectangular shaped dark glasses. "This you do not have to wear, but can if you like," she said, holding it out to Alexander.

Taking them, Alexander looked them over as he tilted his head to the side. "I may," he said, holding the box in hand before looking at Elena. "You...are so going to help me into this thing," he teased softly.

Elena laughed softly. "Of course I am, why do you think I'm here?" she teased him. She bowed to the women, who all bowed in return to her first, then Alexander, their bows to Alexander deeper than the one they had given Elena. Silently they left the room and headed out the front door.

Elena turned to Alexander and said, "What do you think?"

"I think that Antonin is going to get very lucky tonight," Alexander said, running his fingers over the fabric with a happy purr. "Gods, this is absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to have to find a new manikin for it," he mused softly.

Elena laughed and wrapped her arms around him. "You are such a joyful child. Let me ask you a question. If you saw this outfit on someone for the first time, what would you think? Who would you think they were?"

"Either Royalty or a High Priestess," Alexander said after a few moments of contemplation. "And not a regular High Priestess mind you. I'm talking High Priestess of one of the Central Covens."

"I suppose that's close enough. How much do you know of the Egyptian pantheon?"

"Not much, actually," he admitted, blushing. "I'm taking a class on them next semester, but I haven't really read up on them since then."

Elena laughed once more, then shook her head. "I forget how young you actually are. Antonin has given you clothing equal to the ceremonial clothing worn by Nephthys, head of the household of the Gods, daughter of Seb and Nut, sister of Osiris, Isis, and Set, wife of Set, mother of Anubis. He holds you in very high esteem, child. If ever he were asked to present you to the Council, they would know immediately how dear to him you are."

Alexander smiled, still stroking the fabric softly, his love flooding the bond between him and Antonin. "I can't seem to stop my love for him from growing even more every time he does something," he said, blinking a few times to get rid of the tears. "It's not something I ever expected to feel."

Elena's heart was both warmed and saddened by the sentiment, and she wrapped her arms around Alexander once more and held him close. "Come, let me tell you what you can expect tonight. Shall we go to the garden?"

"Let me slip on a pair of pants real fast," Alexander said quietly, smiling up at her. Going to his room, he tugged on a pair of white washed jeans before grabbing a smaller case from his back pack. At first glance it looked like a pencil case, but it was wood, not plastic, and was much bigger. About the size of a binder.

Elena waited, contemplating just how well suited Alexander was to Antonin; she smiled when Alexander returned. "Ready?"

"Yes," Alexander replied, nodding as he flipped his still wet hair over his shoulder again. If it frizzed, he would just wet it down and use some frizz free stuff. "Let's go. I was hoping to show you something."

Curiosity aroused, Elena nodded and followed eagerly as Alexander left the house. They headed for the same bench they'd sat on before. 'What is it?' she asked.

Sitting down near the lake, Alexander smiled and patted the ground. "Being close to the earth makes my nerves settle," he explained as he put the case onto the ground in front of him. "I occasionally draw. I'm not that good at bodies from the pecs down, but I do pretty good with pecs up," he continued, opening the case.

Inside was a colored pencil set on one side, some of them looking worn. Along with the color pencils were several charcoal sticks, a few of them in shades of grey. In the other half of the case was three sketch books held in by a stretchy band. Taking out the first one, he smiled nervously at her.

Her eyes sparkling with mischief, Elena asked, "Antonin doesn't know you draw, does he?" She had an idea what he might want to show her, and was hoping she was right.

"Not yet. I'm working on something special," Alexander admitted, blushing. "I want to give him a full painting with the finished sketch as a bonding gift." Flipping open the book, he skipped over various sketches of Antonin.

"I got bored yesterday, waiting for Antonin to wake up. So beside working on the quilt, I did sketches of him to practice my body drawing," he explained, blushing and flipping quickly past the pages centered around Antonin's groin.

Elena laughed and unable to resist a gentle tease she said, "Oh I think he'd quite like those you just tried to rush past, might inflate his ego a bit." She was very pleased with her newly adopted son and she knew whatever he had to show her, Antonin would prize.

Blushing brightly, Alexander finally found the page. It was a sketch of Antonin standing in front of a circle of tree stumps that looked very much like armless chairs. His hair was drawn to create the illusion of being played with by wind. Around his feet was a circle of flowers. Alexander sat next to him on one of the stumps, his hair loose around him. They were both in their outfits from their date. "I did the outfits mostly from memory. This is a rough sketch so far," he said.

"The kimono is gorgeous," Elena breathed, entranced. "This is the rough sketch?' she asked skeptically. "By the Gods this will be phenomenal when it's finished." She looked directly into his eyes and said, "He'll treasure it."

Smiling and blushing, Alexander closed the sketch book and grabbed the second one. This one had 'Friends' written on the top of it. "Thank you. I hope so. It'll be the first time I've done something this big," he said, flipping to a page and handing it over.

On it was Lian, in all his glory, including his short green hair and piercing blue eyes, his lover, Markus, with his black hair and brown eyes and Lin, with his soft lavender hair, and violet eyes. "These are my three closest friends. Lian, his lover Markus and Lin."

"Ah this is the Lin we've been hearing about. He's lovely," Elena commented. "Why is he by himself?"

"He hasn't found some one that doesn't want his money," Alexander said simply. "He took a few thousand dollars and made it into a multi billion dollar business. He's my boss and my best friend."

"Precisely why Antonin never tells anyone what he's worth, although I suppose, if someone looked hard enough, they might discover it. He tends to let people think all his money comes from the diamond store and mine," she said, shaking her head.

"Lin can't help it. Not only is he rich in his own way, but he's a trust fund baby," Alexander replied, flipping to another page. It had Lin in a dress that was clearly a Gucci dress from the year before. "His family is the Tsaka family and they are very rich, and some what powerful. It also doesn't help that he's not human and able to give his mate children."

"Ahhh," Elena said softly. "That does complicate things a bit. And you? Are you also able to bear children?"

"I can, but the ability is bound at the moment. It will be unbound only on Antonin's request. It's something that I will be telling him tonight after the Presentation," Alexander explained. "The same with Lin's ability. We asked for it bound since at the time, Lin was being stalked."

Elena blinked. "My you have had an interesting life for one so young," she said with a small shake of her head. "Let me tell you about tonight, then you can go rest or whatever you want to do until this evening, alright?"

Nodding his head, Alexander flashed a stunning smile as he flipped his sketch book closed, before putting it away. "Alright. I think I'll hole up in the room and relax next to Antonin," he mused.

"The Presentation is really a series of tests. One of the first is your appearance… it tells the Sire how the vampire views the person being Presented. The second is a series of question, a bit like an interview. Those vary, but most often deal with why the person being Presented wants to be with the vampire."

Nodding, Alexander nibbled his bottom lip as he played with the hem of the shirt. "I just hope I don't embarrass my self or Antonin. I don't want to make Antonin embarrassed in his choice."

Elena reached over and wrapped him in a quick hug as she reassured him, "I doubt you'll have to worry about that." She wanted to tell him how well he'd done so far, but he wasn't to know until after the meeting that [i]she[/i] had been part of the testing. It wasn't simply the Sire's approval that was needed, but that of the Sire's Consort as well.

Smiling, Alexander returned the hug before pulling back and standing up. "Alright. I have an urge to curl up against Antonin and relax. I'm sure you have things to do in preparation for tonight yourself," he said, holding out his hand to her. "Oh, uh, before I forget. I use herbal, softly scented, shampoos and soaps. Will that be a problem?"

Elena shook her head and smiled. "No, it won't. One more thing," she said, also standing. "Two actually. The final part of the Presentation will likely be the most intense and the most invasive. Darius will probe your mind for the bond you and Antonin share in an attempt to test its strength. Second, once Antonin awakens, you will not see him until after you've been Presented."

That would be the hardest part of the Presentation… and the most important as it tested how far Alexander would be willing to go for Antonin. A mind was very personal space, and to willingly allowing a virtual stranger in to it took both courage and a great deal of love.

Nibbling his bottom lip, he nodded. "I don't mind that, but, there are some places he won't be able to touch in my mind. Those are parts that...deal with my past," he warned . "And I can deal with not seeing Antonin until after the Presentation. I won't like it, but I can deal."

"I didn't like that part much either," Elena admitted as they headed back to the house.

"I can see the importance of it though," Alexander sighed softly, shaking his head. "I hope you don't mind grunge rock."

"If it will calm your nerves, child, I'll love it," Elena said sincerely. Once they stepped inside she gave him a gentle push in the direction of the master bedroom. "Go. Be with him. Once Darius arrives to wake him, meet me in the room where your clothing for tonight is."

Nodding, Alexander bounced off towards their room. Closing the door behind him, Alexander shed his pants and slipped into bed again, curling up against Antonin's side, just laying there for a few moments. After a bit, he shifted only enough to grab the i-pod that he had put onto a side table and put his ear buds in, listening to music as he dozed contently.

*~*~* 

Darius slid into the long robes he rarely wore – had worn only twice before in fact – and headed to Antonin's bedroom. He garnered some odd looks from some of the staff, and he could understand why; he knew full well what he looked like; chestnut curls now hanging long and straight down his back, robes like those that a Sorcerer or Magician of high stature might wear – or some other arcane High Priest – in black velvet with silver and gold trim; kohl around his eyes, nails painted gold and soft velvet boots. Ignoring them all, he rapped sharply on Antonin's door, waiting for Alexander to open it.

Falling out of the bed with a soft thump, Alexander got back up before moving to the door, staring at Darius like he was a new type of insect. "That time already?" he asked huskily, pulling one ear bud out of his ear. "Time flies apparently." Moving back into the room, he shifted through his bag before he kissed Antonin on the cheek, whispering a soft "Love you," into his ear.

Darius watched Alexander carefully as he moved about the room, smiling internally. The boy really did care for Antonin, and if that affection was a great as Darius thought it was, he saw no reason for Alexander to fail the tests. He stopped Alexander on his way out with a gentle hand on his arm, "It's earlier than you're used to him being awake," he said quietly, nodding his head at the window. "It's an hour before sunset. You have until then before I call for you."

Nodding to Darius, Alexander smiled up at him before moving to the other room with a happy wave over his shoulder. Smiling at Elena, Alexander waved at her too. "Give me a few minutes to wash and dry my hair?" he asked, putting the i-pod and i-pod speakers onto the table, he flipped to the grunge part of his list, Nirvana filled the room.

Elena smiled as she watched him, lips stretching wider as she listened to his choice of music. There was something wild and energetic about it that she found she liked, and she listened and fought the urge to dance.

Giggling , Alexander went into the bathroom, soon coming out smelling faintly of vanilla. His hair was dry, the blow dryer having only been used for a few minutes to get it that way. "Alright, how do I get into it?" he asked, looking at the dress with a curious expression.

Elena smiled and turned the dress so the back was facing forward and flipped aside the fold of fabric that concealed the zip in the top half of the gown. That done, she removed the chain from the loop, took it off the hanger and unzipped it, then turned to Alexander. "Hands up," she instructed as she slid her hands inside the dress to hold it open, being careful with the material.

Holding his arms up, Alexander blinked as he was suddenly surrounded by folds of soft material. Blinking a few times, he stuck his head out, his hair mussed and falling into his face. "It really is very soft," he hummed, sliding his arms through the arm holes.

Sliding the dress down Elena cooed her agreement. "It is as soft as the water against my skin," she murmured. She helped him slide his hands into the sleeves, then zipped the dress closed. Stepping around to look at him, she gasped softly. The gown was a perfect fit.

Smoothing the dress down with a soft smile, Alexander moved to a mirror and twirled in front of it. "It's so beautiful," he murmured softly, smoothing the back to settle better over the swell of his butt. "He got the perfect size for me, and only in a couple of days."

Elena smiled again as she stepped behind Alexander once more to undo the buckles between his shoulder blades and the upper back of his sleeves that would hold the crest in place. "Shall we do your hair now?" she asked, thinking it might be best to get that done first.

"Yeah," Alexander replied. Grabbing his hair brush and sliding it through his hair, he worked around Elena. Getting the various tangles out getting his hair to lie down finally, he smiled over at her. "Alright, have at it. I'll trust you not to tug too much on my hair," he teased softly as Metallica came on, singing about someone named Saint Anger.

Elena laughed as she listened to the words of the song and then laughed some more. This child was definitely for Antonin. She brushed his hair quickly and carefully, knowing they were running out of time, then quickly braided his hair into a tight rope on one side of his head and threaded it through the buckled sleeve. "There. Now, the crest. Turn around and stand still while I fasten it."

Turning around, he stood still and watched her with laughing eyes, trying hard not to laugh. It was so nice to find someone who loved a good song, grunge rock or not. He wondered what she would say to KoRn's 'A.D.I.D.A.S.' which was next. The laughter and reactions from Elena was helping him to calm his nerves.

Elena snorted and almost dropped the crest she was laughing so hard. "I think I'd like a copy of that. I want to play it for Darius," she said with a wicked grin and a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Get me an i-pod and I can download my entire list for you," Alexander laughed, holding onto the dresser to keep himself up. "You should hear some of my songs. I have entire section dedicated to annoying songs."

Eyes twinkling madly, Elena asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any Mindless Self Indulgence would you?"

"I do," Alexander replied, smiling over at her, nodding to his i-pod. "If you know how to use one, open the menu and open the rock songs that can annoy file."

Elena finished buckling the crest in place before she moved to the i-pod. "Move around a little to get used to the way that feels while I look for the song," she suggested, picking it up and scrolling through the playlist. She gave a girlish scream of glee when she found it and hit play, the electric strains of Capitol P blaring through the room.

Nodding, Alexander moved around the room, his hips swaying in time with the music. Smirking, he winked at Elena and moved over, showing her his entire play list. "Some how, Lin got two of these for his birthday, so he gave me one. It's a new type of i-pod that isn't out on the American market yet," he explained.

"I'll speak to Darius and tell him I want one before we leave. Then we'll transfer the annoying songs," she said with a grin. "Now, let's get the last of this attached. We're almost out of time."

"Alright," Alexander giggled, moving to get the last of it on, including the boots. Walking around a bit, he soon found his center and rhythm, able to walk without wanting to tip over. "It's a beautiful dress and I think I’ve got a dress design from it to boot," he said.

"Oh?" Elena asked curiously.

"I'll work it out later, but occasionally I have ideas for outfits. Maybe before you leave, I'll get to show you two my home and show you some of my designs," Alexander said, smiling, his skin glowing.

"I certainly hope so," Elena replied sincerely, then glanced outside and back at the clock. "It's time," she said. "You look beautiful."

Nodding, Alexander smoothed down the front of the dress before arranging his hair over his shoulder and heading for the door. "Where is he going to be?" He asked, pausing and looking at Elena.

She met him at the door and brushed a gentle kiss across his cheek. "I'll lead you to him," she said, then walked out the door in front of him. She led him past his and Antonin's bedroom, up the stairs and halfway down the upstairs hall. She stopped a set of double doors and opened them into what looked like a small ballroom. The only things inside were several suits of armor and a long rug that ended in a circle with Darius standing in the middle of it. "Follow me," she said, and stop when I do. Step forward after I introduce you."

Nodding, Alexander followed her into the room, his hands clasped in front of him, mostly to keep them from shaking. He was nervous still, no matter how much he put forth a face of calm.

Elena walked smoothly forward, then stopped about a foot away from Darius and said clearly, "I, Elena Cartwright, Consort and Mate of Darius Cartwright, Adoptive Mother to Antonin Drago Mihailovic, bring to you Alexander Marin, Childe of the Goddesses Li and Jin-Sing and prospective Consort to Antonin Drago Mihailovic." That said, she bowed and stepped aside, motioning Alexander forward.

Moving forward, Alexander blushed and bowed to Darius, stopping a few feet away in order to do it safely. Rising from the slight bow, he looked to Elena for some hint of what he was supposed to do, hoping he didn't screw up suddenly.

She nodded and gave him a small smile and directed his attention to Darius, stepping back so she stood behind Alexander. She saw the small door to her left, behind one of the suits of armor, crack open and she smiled to herself.

Darius cleared his throat and began. "You are here because you wish to be mated with my Childe. Tell me why I should approve you. What can you give to my Childe that he does not already have?"

"I can give him...love, and not just the love of a friend or parent. The love that comes from a lover," Alexander said softly. "The kind that comes from both soul and heart." Pausing he thought of what else he could say before deciding that it was good enough; in his eyes, love was the rarest of things in the world at the moment.

Neither face nor voice betrayed Darius' response to that answer as he posed his next question. "What can you give him that he needs, aside from love?"

"Home and hearth...and something very special that no other male, save one, to my knowledge, could give him," Alexander said softly, blushing as he stroked over his stomach. "That is, if he ever wanted it to happen."

Darius' eyes darted to Elena's for confirmation before he continued. Centuries of practice in hiding his thoughts was the only thing that kept him from giving away his surprise at this information. Still, his surprise was so great he almost forgot his next question. "Why do you wish to become his Mate?"

"I want to be his Mate to be with him forever. I love him too much to leave him now that we've found each other," Alexander said in reply, staring straight at Darius. "I don't want him as my Mate because of money or sex or his body. I want him as my Mate because I love him."

"And his status and prestige in vampire society means nothing to you?" Darius shot back immediately.

"What is that to me? I run around in a skirt and raid cult houses," Alexander replied quickly. "I could care less about prestige and status. Just pretty words to me."

Darius nearly lost control of his grin then, pleased with the answers he'd been given. The last questions had been the most important, not only in what Alexander said in his reply, but in what he didn't. None of his responses were calculated; everything came straight from his heart. He had one last question before the final test began. "What would you give to be with my Childe? Would you sacrifice your heart, your soul, your mind and your life?"

"Yes."

"Is that so?" Darius all but crooned. "We shall see. Open your mind to me." That was all the warning he gave before he let his mind make contact with and slide inside Alexander's mind. He searched for what he sought carefully, not wanting to damage the boy in the process, carefully shifting memories out of the way as he looked for Alexander's reactions to Antonin on their first meeting.

Pulling up that first meeting easily, shoving aside the ones that tried to press forward, Alexander relaxed and let Darius see what had happened, keeping the kisses out of the way, wanting to keep those to himself. He got the impressions of them, but not the actual memory of it. Suddenly a memory pushed forward, making Alexander moan softly as the sound of shattering glass, a scream and cruel laughter filled his head. Shaking his head, he tried to get rid of the image as the memory of the pain and the hard gravel under him drove him to his knees.

Pulling back slightly from the memory, Darius watched it unfold, knowing that whatever he was seeing, he was being shown for a reason. It was clear Alexander was fighting it, but Darius made no move to help him, he simply watched carefully.

Shaking his head, Alexander whimpered softly as more memories flashed past him, the belittling, the pain of his first time, and finally, the attack that had ended up with him, bleeding and nearly broken, scrambling for a bat, swinging it up and hearing a crunch as the bat connected with the man through the haze. A few more memories of his time in the psych ward slipped past before Alexander whimpered and finally collapsed. "Drago," he whimpered softly, shaking and crying on the floor.

From his spot in the side room, Antonin made to move into the room to go to his lover, but Elena put herself directly in his path. "You know you cannot interfere. You should not even be watching, although Darius and I both knew you would. Do not make me bind you to this spot Antonin. This must happen as it will."

Eyes blazing bright gold, Antonin stared at Elena for several long moments before he seemed to sag. She wrapped her arms around him and held him, then turned her eyes to watch the other child of her heart go through the most difficult part of this all important test.

Darius gasped softly as the memories played out in his mind's eye. There it was; the reason why the memories had escaped Alexander's hold and ignored the path Darius had set for himself in the wood sprite's mind. Twined around them was an oily black substance that recoiled every time a bright blue energy came near it. Darius knew that energy; had worked with it, helped to shape it, to strengthen it.

Darius watched as a light green energy, tinged with blue, determinedly pushed past the oil substance that was twined around the memories and made its way to the pulsing energy he knew to be Antonin's. He watched as Antonin's soul twined itself around Alexander's, watched as more and more of the poison that was the remains of Kilim's influence shrank. This then, was why their bond was already so strong.

He couldn't help them with their bond, but he could help with the obstacle it faced. Wrapping his own blood red energy around the memories, Darius carefully moved them back into their place in Alexander's mind, then he pulled slowly from Alexander's consciousness.

Whimpering softly, Alexander held his head as he slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, knowing that if he tried to get up, he would end up collapsed on the floor. He had no urge to do that, not when he was sleepy and just wanted his lover to hold him again. "Are we done?" he asked softly, looking up at Darius with one sad, dark eye, the other, covered by his hand.

"One last thing, and then we are," Darius said softly. "I, Darius Ashmore Cartwright, Elder and Leader of the Family of Light, Seventh borne of Lilith, Sire to Antonin Drago Mihailovic, accept you as Consort to my Childe." He bent closer and offered his hand to Alexander and said softly, "I am sorry for what you had to endure. My word on my blood, he will not touch you again."

The second Darius offered his hand to Alexander, Antonin pushed past Elena and virtually flew to Alexander's side, sliding his hands under his body as gently as he could before he carefully lifted him from the ground. "I will see to my mate," he all but growled. He knew what happened had to happen the way it did, but he sure as hell didn't have to like it.

Wrapping his arms tightly around Antonin's neck, Alexander nodded and smiled a tiny smile before burying his face into Antonin's neck. "Can we take a bath, Drago?" Alexander murmured against Antonin's neck, clinging to him like a life line as his shaking slowly stopped.

"Anything you want, Little Bird," Antonin promised as he made his way out the room and down the hall.

Darius watched them go as Elena walked over to him. He wrapped his own mate in his arms and said one thing. "That boy's ex must die."

*~*~* 

Nuzzling close, Alexander sighed as he finally relaxed. "I hate those memories," he whimpered softly, tightening his arms around Antonin's neck for a moment before relaxing them.

"I didn't see them," Antonin said softly. "What happened in your mind only you and Darius could see. I could feel your pain but I… Alexander, I'm sorry. I could not interrupt. I wasn't even supposed to be watching."

"It's alright," Alexander purred in comfort. "I could feel you there with me. I knew you would have helped me if you could. Darius helped me put them back into their place. I'm dealing with them...but it still hurts to remember them."

"What… did you see anything? Besides the memories?" Antonin asked as he finally made it to their room and pushed open the door.

"I saw...colors. Soft greens and blues. I also saw red when the memories were put back. I figured that was Darius," Alexander hummed.

Antonin relaxed slightly then. The blue he knew was likely his own, the red was definitely Darius. The green had to be Alexander's own soul, but he would know for certain when they were properly bound.

Smiling gently, Alexander kissed the side of Antonin’s neck and pulled up one leg to work open the zipper of his boot, sliding it down before working the other zipper open, not wanting to work them off yet.

Antonin settled into a squat before Alexander and gently pulled his boots off, then moved behind him to unhook the crest. It was bent slightly from when he'd collapsed, but it could be easily fixed. He set it against the wall and searched until he found the zipper, then undid it, leaving the gown where it fell. "I'll be right back. Let me start the bath."

Smiling softly, Alexander moved the dress. He laid it over a chair to deal with later before settling onto the bed, sitting in his small gray boy cut undies and thigh high stockings that he had worn to protect his legs from the boots. Swinging his legs, he looked up and smiled mischievously at his lover.

Antonin bent over to give him a quick kiss before he went to start the water in the bath. He set it to warm and let it run, then turned on the heater for the Jacuzzi. That done he opened one of the cabinet doors and pulled out a small container of lavender and emptied it in the bath. The scent would be soothing and hopefully help Alexander relax.

Humming softly in delight at the scent that was starting to float from the bathroom, Alexander smiled , knowing that he wasn't going to let his memories get to him. "Antonin? Do you have any massage oil?" he asked suddenly.

"I do," Antonin said as he stepped back into the room from the bathroom. "What kind would you like?"

"Your favorite scent? I want to play with your hands," Alexander said, smiling brightly. "I find that if you play with some one’s hands correctly, it can relax the entire body."

"Shouldn't I be taking care of you?" Antonin teased softly, lifting his lover from where he sat and carrying him into the bathroom and set him down by the edge of the tub. He turned the taps off and gave the water a swish to test the temperature, then turned the jets on. He watched the petals swirl in the water for a moment before he stood and stripped off his clothing.

"You should but I want to spoil you," Alexander replied, watching Antonin strip, playing with his stockings, debating on taking them off or asking Antonin to do it for him. That...was an interesting idea. "I had decided that I would the moment that I saw the dress."

"Ah," Antonin said with a small smile, dropping gracefully o his knees and lifting one of Alexander's legs to roll the stocking down. "You looked stunning in it. I knew it would suit."

"It's a beautiful dress. I'm going to look into a manikin for it in the next few days. I don't want it to loose its shape," Alexander said, lifting the leg to let Antonin finish sliding off the stocking. "I think it'll be one dress that I will cherish forever, beyond my bonding ceremony dress."

Antonin looked up and locked eyes with him, heat flaring there for a moment, before he looked down and gently set Alexander's foot on the floor. He went to work on the other stocking, allowing his hands to lightly brush over Alexander's skin along the way as he rolled it down and off.

Shivering softly in delight at his lover's touch, Alexander purred softly in pleasure. "That though, I'll be getting from my mother. She has a very special one for me. I'll talk to her about fittings when she gets back in 2 days," he hummed .

Antonin tugged gently until Alexander stood, then slid the underwear down his legs. "Do you know what Lin will make for you to wear for the Final Acceptance?" he asked as he waited for Alexander to step out of his last article of remove clothing.

"No idea," Alexander replied, stepping out of the underwear. "I won't know until I call him. Knowing him, it's going to be utterly gorgeous and made from Fae Silk. He has this thing for spoiling those he considers family."

Antonin laughed and carefully lowered Alexander into the tub of swirling water before sliding in beside him. "I suppose we'll simply have to wait and see," he murmured. "How are you feeling?" he added. It had been a shock to see Alexander crumple that way during the Presentation, and he still wasn't over it.

"Better. I don't hurt physically. It was just such a shock to see those memories push up. I usually call up a small part of one and heal that little wound," Alexander admitted, curling up against Antonin. "It's was a technique I learned in the hospital. One of my doctors was a Youkai. Very sweet woman."

Antonin frowned, wondering what had made Alexander's memories react that way. He resolved to ask Darius at the first opportunity, although he doubted the other man would tell him much. He stroked slow circles on Alexander's arm and took comfort from the fact his mate was no longer shaking and seemed more relaxed than he had before.

Humming in delight, Alexander nuzzled close to him and nibbled a bit on Antonin's skin, taking in his taste and scent again. Purring, he went back to nuzzling close. "Antonin, you were watching, weren't you?"

Blinking, having not expected that question, Antonin nodded. "I was, yes," he confirmed, wondering where Alexander was headed with this.

"Then you heard about my ability, right?" he asked quietly, looking up at him. "What...do you think of that?"

Antonin smiled as he looked down at Alexander, lifting his wet hand to leave a trail of lavender scented water on his nose. "I've never thought about children; not since my human years. Even before I changed, I'd resigned myself to the fact I'd never have any because my preference has always been men. Honestly," he continued, hoping this wouldn't hurt his lover, "I'm not sure what I feel. I think it's an amazing gift, but… I haven't thought about children of my own in so long that I'm not sure how to feel about it."

Smiling softly, Alexander brought his dripping hand up to Antonin's head and pulled him down into a soft kiss. Pulling back slowly he said simply "We have the rest of eternity to worry about having children, lover. We won't have any until the day we want to have them, if ever."

Grateful beyond words at how well Alexander has taken his response, Antonin ducked his head and kissed him once more, taking his time and drawing it out.

Moaning, Alexander wrapped his arms around Antonin's neck, drawing him close. All the depression that had been trying to well up finally washed away.

Pulling back slowly, Antonin said, "We should wash, and you should rest. Are you hungry?"

"I am hungry, and not all that sleepy. I want to play," Alexander said, looking entirely too innocent for the sentence that had just come out of his mouth.

Gaping slightly at the look on his lover's face and the words that had just left his mouth, Antonin laughed and shook his head. "After we wash," he said. "Then we can play all you like."

"I can do that. Can I have some fruit? I have an urge for some berries and citrus fruits," he said, smiling brightly and wiggling at the thought of fresh fruit. "And a glass of strawberry soy milk?"

"Of course," Antonin replied, not particularly surprised by Alexander's request. His lover had a love of milk that puzzled him, even though he understood the desire for fresh fruit. He reached into a compartment on the side of the tub and pulled out a small bottle of lavender body wash. "All natural," he promised as he opened the cap and poured some into his hand.

Smiling, Alexander shifted onto his knees and swept his hair up into a knot on top of his head, having removed the hair decoration while waiting on the bed. "I love you, Drago, I really do," he said, kissing Antonin's cheek with a smile. "You spoil me so, and we've only been together for a couple of days."

"It has been, hasn't it?" Antonin said musingly, warmth flooding him once more at the use of that name. He lifted his hands and began to wash Alexander's sides. "It no longer feels that way. If feels as though you have always been by my side."

"In a way, I always have been," Alexander hummed , leaning into the touches. "I used to dream about someone who came and swept me off my feet. Those dreams have finally come true."

Antonin smiled at him, then slowly brought his soap slick hands forward, sliding them gently down Alexander's chest, watching as the nipples peaked unto his thumbs. His voice was a low, heated growl as he said, "We seem to have a problem with baths, you and I. We have yet to actually finish one."

"Oh? Let's see, the first time, we pounced each other," Alexander said, leaning into the touches with a soft gasp. "This time...we'll finish it; just use the time to tease."

"You think so?" Antonin asked, sliding his thumbs over the pert nubs of flesh once more before allowing them to slide under the water and down to cup Alexander's hips.

"Well, we can always try," he breathed softly, his eyes dilating at the touch. Grabbing the soap, he poured a bit into his hands and slowly returned the favor of cleaning his lover.

Smothering a smirk, Antonin slid his hand lower and curled it around Alexander's burgeoning erection, stroking slowly and firmly and watching the expressions flit across Alexander's face.

Mewling softly, his eyes slipped half shut, Alexander leaned forward and brushed his lips against Antonin's as his fingers slide over the larger man’s nipples in a teasing motion. Nipping at Antonin's bottom lip as his fingers tweaked them, Alexander's hips rocked into the touch.

Antonin moaned and he used his free hand to pull Alexander forward until he was sitting in his lap, his hardness pressed firmly against his lover's. He let his hand slide between Alexander's cheeks stroking gently over his entrance, twisting his head and taking Alexander's mouth properly, plundering it with his tongue.

Moaning and melting into the kiss, Alexander rocked first into Antonin's hips and then back into the fingers. Burying his fingers into Antonin's hair, he nipped lightly at Antonin's tongue before sucking shyly on it, testing a thought.

Growling, Antonin's hands tightened on Alexander's body, and he stood, carefully stepping out of the bath to head for the shower. Not letting go of his lover, he pulled his head free from the kiss so he could see what he was doing, shoved the glass door open and turned on the shower, testing the temperature before he stepped in and rinsed them off.

Shaking his head, Alexander clung to Antonin with one hand while getting his hair loose. The moment they were out of the shower, he latched onto Antonin's neck; nipping, sucking and licking a mark into existence, wanting to leave one of his own for once and before Antonin melted his mind again.

Antonin hissed and took several large strides into the bedroom, laying Alexander gently on the bed. "I'm afraid, Little Bird, that this time I am not feeling very patient. I will have you soon, and it will be hard, and deep, and once you've come and I've licked you clean, I will have you again."