The Princess and her Fated Mates

Dominic's Dilemma

                              Dominic

            “We will not be ruled by wolves!” The young vampire shouted at the others.  He was standing on a makeshift stage in a rundown warehouse.  Dozens of vampires stood before him as he spoke about rebellion against the royals.  “We will rise against the royals and make them pay for betraying our kind!” The man shouted to rousing applause.

            Father and I stood in the shadows with a few of his enforcers.  The others seemed oblivious to our presence as the leader spoke.  “Do we have to take them out, Father?” I asked.

            He nodded slowly.  “We can’t allow the rebellion to grow, Dominic. We must show the young ones that we will not be cowed.”  He spoke quietly.  He turned to the enforcers who stood behind us. 

            We were all wearing black cloaks pulled up over our heads.  I was hesitant in wanting to take out this group.  But there was a rebellion growing among our kind.  They were not happy that in two years, I would be their King.  I am a hybrid of wolf and vampire, and my queen is a full wolf, to make matters worse.  So, groups have been popping up to question the rule of my family over them.

            “We will fight the DiAngelos and become free from their tyranny!” The young man shouted from the stage as his followers cheered.  He kept shouting various phrases that riled up the crowd.  “We will break the treaty with the wolves.  We will feed upon whom we want.  We will not be-“

            “On my mark,” My father said to his enforcers.  “We will take out the leader first, and if the others do not bow, they too shall perish.” He hissed.

            The lead enforcer, a man named Gareth, bowed his head.  “Yes, your majesty.”

            “Let’s go out and feed and show the humans who is really in charge!” The leader urged the crowd. 

            “Now!” Father ordered the enforcers.  They ran out and surrounded the crowd while father and I walked casually through the crowd.  The leader was on his knees as we walked onto the stage and revealed ourselves.  “You will all kneel before your king!” He bellowed, using his aura.  Most of the vampires in the crowd bowed before us. 

            The leader tried fighting the enforcers. Gareth had a tight grip on him.  He dug his long nails into the flesh of the leader.  “I will never kneel before wolves!” He spat towards my father. “This fight is not over.”

            “It is for you,” My father nodded to Gareth, who tore the leader’s head off.  Gareth held the head up.  “Don’t think I am not willing to have more heads severed from the bodies of traitors.”

            “We will not be ruled by wolves!” One young vampire stood up to declare.

            Father trained his white eyes on him.  “You will not be ruled by wolves.”

            A finger pointed at me.  “Your mutt son will never make me kneel before him.”

            Father snapped his fingers, and another enforcer rushed in and ripped the head off the young vampire.  “Any others want to speak ill of my son?”

            They all shook their heads. 

            “My son is the legitimate heir to my throne.  You will do well to remember that.”  Father bellowed.

            A female stood up.  “That may be, but his rumored queen is a wolf herself.”

            I stepped forward.  “Princess Daisy has agreed to become a hybrid like me before taking the throne.”

            “You will still be wolves!” The female argued. 

            Father snapped his fingers, and Gareth leaped off the stage, rushed towards the female, and grabbed her.  “Wait!” I shouted at Gareth.  “Father killing them may not be the best way to deal with the rebels.”

            “We must show them we mean business, Dominic.” He replied coldly.  “We can’t have rebels causing problems with the humans.  Otherwise, the hunters will be all over us.  And I will not let those of my subjects who do follow the rules suffer because of them,” He pointed to the rebels.

            Sighing, I looked at the female who was about to die.  “What do we have to do for you all to fall in line?”

            “Kill your wolf and take a vampire as queen.” The woman shouted, and the other rebels shouted agreement.

            “Daisy is my fated mate.  I cannot reject her.” I stated.

            “We don’t care.” The woman snarled.  “I would rather die than be ruled by filthy mutts.”  She lunged at me, and the enforcers caught her.  Gareth ripped her head off and dropped it on the ground.

            I sighed and looked at my father.  Waiting to see his next move.  “Any other dissenters?” He shouted, and the rest of the rebels remained silent.  “Enforcers take them away to the cells for reeducation,” Father ordered.   He stepped towards me.  “Let’s go home.  You must prepare to journey to the wolf kingdom.”

            “I do rather miss my Daisy,” I smirked at the thought.  Her eighteenth birthday was in two days, and I wanted to be with her the day before.  My wolf Boreas was eager to finally leave his mark on the mate he had known since before she was born. 

            I identified Daisy as my mate when I was five, and she was still in her mother.  Daisy and I were able to spend a lot of time growing up.  We would take turns spending time in each other’s kingdoms.  Though I always felt like Daisy’s father resented the fact that I was her mate.  King Cassius made me promise not to touch her sexually until she was eighteen, but we have been doing it since her sixteenth birthday.

            Father and I got into his royal Roll Royce limo.  I watched as the enforcers shoved the rebels into a paddy wagon as we drove away.  The rebellion was growing in our kingdom, and it showed no signs of stopping.  Father and I were going out and breaking up rallies all of the time. 

            “I feel bad for leaving you alone to deal with the rebels.”

            Father laughed.  “I have been dealing with stuff like this for centuries, my son.  You need to be with your mate.”

            “Daisy is ready to come live with us full time.” I smiled at that.  

            “Your mother will be pleased with that.  She loves Daisy.” Father stated.  “I do too.  But sometimes, I think your mother wishes you were a girl.”

            I couldn’t help but laugh.  “And who’s fault is that?”

            Hours later, we returned to the palace, which was a high-rise building.  Our kingdom capital was within the confines of a large human city.  We blended in for the most part.  The high-rise building we lived in served as the headquarters for our businesses that funded the kingdom. 

            “I can’t wait till you and Daisy are finally ready to take the throne,” Father said as we got out of the limo.  “I am so ready for retirement.”

            “I hope we don’t let you down,” I mumbled.

            He clapped my back.  “You could never let me down, Dominic. You are everything a son could ever be.”

            We walked into the grand elevator that took us up to the royal suite.  Mother was waiting for us when the doors opened.  She rushed in to embrace Father, and I had to avert my eyes as I smiled at Rhett, my best friend.  Rhett and I had grown up together.

            His father is my father’s second in command. “What’s up, man?  Sorry I wasn’t able to accompany you and your Pops this time.”

            “It's alright, Rhett.  You had to attend to other things.”  I said to him.

            His father, Ignatio, stepped towards us and looked at my father, still kissing my mother.  “Rom, when you are done, there is a pressing matter you need to address.”

            Mother stepped away from Father, much to his chagrin.  “What is so urgent, Ignatio?” Father asked with an irritated tone.

            “The Council wishes to address the growing rebellion.  They said they would like to speak with you and Prince Dominic the moment you returned,” Ignatio replied.

            Father huffed.  “Now?”

            “They are gathered in the conference room,” Ignatio told us.

            “Do we have to, Father?”

            He took off the cloak he was wearing, revealing his usual white suit.  “I’m afraid so.”

            “I’ll come with you two,” Mother smiled at me.  “You look so handsome in your royal cloak,” She pinched my cheek.

            I took off the cloak and hung it beside Father’s on a hook.  I was dressed in a black suit. “Let’s hope the old coots don’t take too long.  I promised Daisy I would call her.”

            “Daisy is a patient girl, Dominic,” Mother said as we got back on the elevator.  Rhett and Ignatio came with us.

            We all rode in silence down to the floor where the conference rooms were located.  There were several, and we assumed the Council would be waiting.  The Council consisted of elders and the dukes of the various regions that my father ruled over.  They made most of the laws of the vampire kingdom, but my father, as King, could overrule them.  But to be seen as a fair king, he usually went with their decisions. 

            We walked into one of the larger conference rooms where twenty vampires were waiting for us.  The room had a large round table, and they were seated on one side while we all stood on the other.  Father stepped towards them.  They all stood and bowed.  The one closest to the middle was a black-haired male with blue eyes named Lord Valance Tarquin.

            “Your Majesty, thank you for coming down here on such short notice,” Lord Valance addressed Father.

            Taking a deep breath, my father offered a tight-lipped smile.  “I was made to believe I didn’t have much choice.”

            “Our King always has a choice,” Lord Valance replied with an equally tight smile.

            “So, what reason do you have for all gathering here today?” Father asked while looking over each person.

            A brown-haired male named Lord Figaro stood up beside Lord Valance.  “We have serious concerns about the future of our kingdom, your majesty.”

            “And what would those be, Lord Figaro?” Father sounded irritated, but he always tried to listen to anyone who requested his attention.

            “As I am sure you are aware, the rebellion against your rule is growing.  We have each spent time in our districts trying to quell the tension and punish the rebels.  But we are also willing to hear the reasons for their actions,” Lord Valance explained.  “And the main one is your son and his mate.  I  have to admit I sort of agree with them.  The idea of being ruled by wolves does not sit well with a lot of us.  It's bad enough your son is part wolf, but the woman who will be our queen is a full wolf.”

            “Daisy is willing to become a hybrid like me,” I chimed in.

            “The people don’t feel that is enough,” Lord Figaro countered.  “All of your children will be part wolf and subject to wolf mates.  The cycle will never end.  We want pure vampires on the throne.  Not mutts.”

            I saw Father shift unevenly on his feet.  I felt his aura, and he was angry.  “So, what are you proposing as a solution?”

            The Council members all looked at each other before Lord Valance cleared his throat.  “We are advising that Prince Dominic choose a pure vampire to be his queen-“

            A growl launched out of me as Boreas made his presence known.  “NO!” I shouted. I was about to say something else, but Father stopped me with a look.

            “Go on, Lord Valance,” Father urged the council member while glaring at me.

            “We aren’t saying you have to leave your wolf mate.  We are saying we don’t think it’s a good idea that she is queen.  She can remain as a mistress.  Vampires aren’t known to be monogamous anyway.” Lord Figaro interjected.

            “Princess Daisy is the only one who will be my queen,” I replied through gritted teeth.

            “Your highness, we are asking for your to think this over for the good of our race.  So many, including high-ranking individuals, are willing to go rogue to avoid rule by wolves,” Lord Valance explained as I fumed.  Boreas was pacing and growling in my head. 

            “My Lords and Ladies, my wolf will never allow me to be with another woman, and I cannot reject Daisy.  The Goddess Selene paired us together to unite the races.  Our children and we will be instrumental in the war against the demons,” I explained to them.

            Lord Valance took a deep breath.  “With all due respect, your highness.  The Goddess Selene is not our goddess.  As you know, that distinction belongs to Hecate.  And she is not happy that her sister has co-opted the royal family for her fight.”

            “The fight against the demons affects all of us,” I stated.  “Daisy nearly lost her elder brother to a skirmish years ago.  Selene may not be our goddess, but her intentions are sound.  She paired Daisy’s brother Nick with the Queen of Fairies.”

            Lord Valance snorted. “The fairies were just happy to get away from King Tylo and his tyrannical rule.  They will go with just about anything they are told to.”

            “That is not true, Lord Valance,” I argued. 

            My father let out a low growl-like sound.  “Enough of this.  Are you declaring an ultimatum for my son?”

            “It's merely a suggestion, your majesty,” Lord Valance said.  “One we strongly advise you follow.”

            A female stood up a few seats down from Lord Valance.  “Your highness, there is another solution.”  She paused and looked at my father.

            “Go ahead, Lady Diana,” Father urged her.

            “We may be able to accept Princess Daisy as our queen if you, Prince Dominic, kill your wolf and become a full vampire.”

            Boreas became enraged at that suggestion.  There was no way I could live without him.  “I cannot kill my wolf.  He is part of me.”

            Lady Diana sighed sadly.  “Your highness, you have to be willing to think of your people.  If you continue as you are, the whole kingdom may fall apart, and there will be chaos.  The wolves may go back to hunting us alongside the hunters.”

            “I’m done here,” I snarled and stormed out of the room.

            “Dominic!” My father called after me, but I ignored him and got on the elevator. 

            I needed air and to be away from the insufferable words of the Council.  ‘I’m sorry, Boreas.  I will not let them kill you.’

            ‘I will not mate with any other women, either,’ He snarled.

            ‘Like I could ever think of that.  Daisy is the only mate I want.’ I sighed.

            The elevator opened, and I walked up the stairs to my palatial room.  It overlooked the city and ocean below.  I stood at the large picture windows and stared out.  My mind was a mess thinking about what the Council had dared to suggest. The door to my room opened, and the scent told me it was my mother.  “Are you here to lecture me?” I asked without looking at her.

            She snorted.  “When have I ever lecture you, Dominic Raphael?”  She stepped towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. 

            “Did the Council have any more suggestions for my life after I left?” I sounded entirely too bitter.

            “Of course.  Lord Valance presented his own daughter as a possible candidate to be your queen.  Your father concluded that was the main reason for his suggestion was to elevate her status.” She snorted. 

            “Mother, I will not have anyone else besides Daisy at my side. She is my mate.  You know how that is,” I sighed and turned away from the window.  I walked over to the leather couch in the sitting area of my room.  Mother sat beside me and clasped my hand.

            “You know very well that your father is not my fated mate.  If it weren’t for Romulus, my fated mate would have killed me.” She remarked. I had heard the story of her fated mate and how much of a tyrant he was.  “But I do love your father with everything I have.  My wolf even acknowledges him as my mate,” She explained.  “The Council was not asking you to reject Daisy.  They just want a vampire as their queen and not another hybrid.”

            “I don’t want to relegate Daisy to my mistress.  And what about children? I would never touch this substitute queen, let alone be willing to have children with her.” I snapped.

            She rubbed my arm. “It's something to think about,” She stood up.  “I have to go calm your father down. He is not happy with your tantrum.”

            “It wasn’t a tantrum, Mother.  I couldn’t stay in that room much longer.  Boreas was threatening to come out, and I didn’t want to be responsible for killing half the Council,” I chuckled.

            Mother rolled her eyes.  “I’ll try to use the excuse in your defense.”

            “Guinevere!” Father bellowed from somewhere in our suite.

            “I’ll see you later, son.”  She kissed the top of my head and exited my room.

            I grabbed my phone and tried to call Daisy, but she didn’t pick up.  That upset Boreas.  ‘It's okay. Daisy is probably out with her sisters or something.’ I ended up lying on my bed and watching TV.  I decided I would go to the wolf kingdom a day early.  I needed to see and hold my Daisy.  I fell asleep with images of her dancing in my head.  She would bare my mark two days from now, and no one would ever take her away from me.