The Succubus and her two Mates

25| An audience with the Queen

They were sitting at what was shaping up as their usual table, having lunch the next day. Brand and Ronnie's energy was more flirty than even the day before, touching each other under the table every chance they got. They'd all collapsed in bed after their shower, with Brock leaving before they woke up. Brand was unhappy at that, but he didn't voice anything to Ronnie. Brand understood it was all a lot for the other man, who was not the most emotionally intelligent person, but Brand was not feeling as patient as he was before, before, when the matebond was just the two of them.

Brock had been quiet all morning while they worked. Brand wanted to get into it with him, but considering he had not done any of his work the previous afternoon, he had a lot to get through. Not that he’d been able to concentrate much that morning, thinking about his time with Ronnie, the moments with Brock as well.

He knew he couldn't afford to skip off work again that afternoon, but spending time with her now, he was thinking he might need a bit longer for their lunch. He was about to suggest they retire, when there was a commotion by the doorway, breaking their attention on each other. They could see a ripple as people stood from their seats hastily and bowed.

Brand tensed and stood as he saw the Queen approach their table. Ronnie followed suit. When the Queen arrived at their table, she waved her hand, allowing everyone to sit. Brand and Ronnie remained standing.

"My Queen," Brand said in greeting.

Ronnie watched the woman. There was nervous energy coming off of her. The woman regarded Ronnie- today Ronnie was wearing her hair black in a loose braid over her left shoulder with human world black skinny jeans and a beautiful sleeveless tunic she'd found in her wardrobe, which was gray with silver threaded embroidery. She was the only woman to be wearing pants, from what Ronnie could see.

The Queen spoke, "I wish to request both of you to meet with me in the library."

"Request or ask?" Brand clarified.

The Queen paused and Ronnie definitely felt a little twinge of anger. It was sharp and brief.

"Ask," she clarified.

Brand looked at Ronnie. Ronnie frowned and shrugged. She thought she'd be better equipped to deal with this woman now. And Brock and Brand needed to continue living here and have a connection to her. Ronnie could leave any moment and didn’t want to leave a fracture in her wake. Plus, even without understanding the workings of this aristocracy, she could tell the Queen allowing an avenue for them to decline her request was no mean feat - she had also come to collect them herself...

Brand accepted and started to follow the Queen. Ronnie couldn't help but speak up. "Oh, you mean now?"

The Queen nodded. Brand gave Ronnie a warm, comforting smile and took her hand. He didn't care about proper conduct at that moment.

The library was deep in the palace, a glorious room that had open levels for the full three levels of the palace, everything a deep dark wood and black leather. The glass dome roof was a frosted glass, allowing some natural light to enter the space.

Ronnie looked around in awe - she wasn’t the most bookish person, but she was terribly impressed. The Queen took them into a back room. A fire was going, though it wasn’t a cold day. It had a very cozy feeling. Ronnie had noticed a few places liked this and wondered if dragons liked dark, warm rooms. She knew werecats didn't mind it, though Brand wanted all the sunshine.

“We will speak candidly,” the Queen stated.

Immediately, the feeling in the room was more relaxed, with Brand absorbing this concept and the Queen presenting a more earnest figure. They took a seat on plush leather sofas, Brand and Ronnie took a two seater lounge and the Queen sat in an armchair.

“I would like to start by apologising to the both of you," the Queen said with difficulty. “I was perhaps a little overly critical, though I need you to understand everything I do is for the good of this Kingdom.”

“Of course,” Brand said. His tone was light but there was an undercurrent of weariness present. Where is she going with this?

“Brock has mentioned his public declaration..?” The Queen fished and Brand nodded slowly. She sighed. “I appreciate you have been performing many duties expected of a Prince's companion.” Her words were carefully chosen, even in a ‘candid’ setting.

“There is much more that has been held back. I had assumed a more su- what I mean to say is that your training will need to commence, with a heavy handicap, as most prospective partners of a King would have this training their whole life. And we need to contend with the fact that there is no legitimate way to make this union via law-."

“Same s*x marriage isn’t legal here?” Ronnie asked. She had been trying to read between the lines of their conversation. She could feel Brand was not surprised with anything the Queen was saying, so she assumed this was along the lines of discussions they had had before.

The Queen shook her head, but it was Brand who responded. “Marriage is different here, it is usually only done by those in positions of power as a way to tie families together in order to have children.”

“And even when it does happen, it is only between two people,” the queen added.

Ronnie never thought she’d get married in any case, but realising that wouldn’t be possible between the three of them created a little bubble of sadness within her.

Brand grabbed her hand. She guessed he hadn’t really thought about it either.

"Don't- can't you change the laws?" Ronnie asked.

The Queen shook her head, "The law is governed by an elected council- it's designed so that royalty do not have absolute power." She waved her hand. “Besides, Brock also needs to have children,” the Queen said gently.

Ronnie shook her head. “I can’t commit to anything like that.” She could feel Brand tense but she was looking at the Queen. “I like both men a lot, but I am not a “here for a long time” kind of…” She trailed off, realising what she was about to say. “What I mean is, it’s been like a week- I can’t deny there is something between the three of us. Is that a forever thing? I don’t know. Do I want to run a Kingdom? Lord no.”

She saw a look come across the Queen's face. "Do you not feel the matebond?"

Ronnie pursed her lips. Had she just given something away?

The Queen seemed to be assessing the situation differently again. Ronnie started to understand this woman more - she was calculating. Always adjusting her approach. Cruel and shrewd. She addressed Brand. “Have you considered what would happen if Ronnie did not want to mark and was to leave?”

Ronnie felt like snapping that she was in the room, but she felt an unease emit from Brand, and it made her pause. “It has crossed my mind,” he replied.

“Do you think it has crossed my sons?” Her voice was sharp.

Brand was slow to answer. “I don’t think he has fully thought through the implications if Ronnie wanted to leave only him.”

Ronnie looked at him sharply. “I wouldn’t make you come with me, Brand.”

Brand's eyes belied the casualness of his tone. Ronnie could also feel it. “You wouldn’t have to make me.”

Silence settled over the three with the realisation of what Brand had admitted to.

“My plan had always been for Brock to happily have a mate by his side, but also have a political marriage, one where the next heir can be sired. I figured that was needed with Brand has Brock's mate. That way, any fluctuations of the heart can then be separate to the business of being a King,” the Queen's tone was precise and impassioned. Her logic was crazy to Ronnie.

“Is that the relationship you have with your King?” Ronnie asked. She felt Brand squeeze her hand in warning.

The Queen made direct eye contact with her. “I have, and always will, put duty above all else.”

Ronnie turned to Brand. “Should I just leave now? Before it gets more serious? I was an i***t to think I could come here and we could just kick it.”

The Queen gave a horrible bark of a laugh, so full of ridicule. “Girl, it was too late the moment they sniffed you out.” Her tone was nasty again. She stood, shaking her head. “We have the Initiate Gala at the end of this week - it would be the best time to announce you, Brand. But if your conviction isn’t as strong as Brocks, he needs to know now.”

She went to leave, stopping just before the door. “Veronika, you need to understand that at best you would be their mistress. There is no title here.” With that she left the room.

Ronnie was feeling upset by the conversation. She felt like she had been on an emotional rollercoaster since meeting the two men. She didn’t want any pressure in life- that was why she lived a basic life, yet she kept being thrusted into these crazy situations.

“What are the options here?” She asked Brand. She couldn’t meet his eyes so she stared into the fire.

"You reject us both, go home. We-," he took a breath, "We try to be without you. You don't feel the matebond yet so you'll probably just… get over it."

Ronnie swallowed hard at that. She offered the simplest option for her. "There's no option where the three of us just leave all this? There are a lot of places on earth where polyamorous relationships are not that unusual."

Brand shook his head. "Unlikely. There are places here where it is common too."

Neither of them were going to raise the option of them leaving Brock. Ronnie didn't know the other man well yet, but it felt just wrong. Brand had been pretty firm when speaking with the queen, angry at her- their past too much for him to ever relax in her presence- but he hadn't rejected Brock all those years for a reason. And wasn't going to do it lightly now. He meant what he said, but he didn't think it would come to that.

"Brock has a destined duty. It's beyond just him being a prince - his dragon is the most powerful in living memory."

"So that leaves us with..?"

“We go on this path. Brock is a Prince, with me being his public mate, and you stay here- no responsibilities, but no standing. If you don’t produce an heir, we will need to find a suitable alternative.” He shook his head at the thought.

“Do they not know how to do in vitro fertilization here?” She asked.

He shook his head, unfamiliar with the term.

“It’s where you have a baby without having s*x. You can just get an egg donor.” She wasn’t sure he was following. Did they not have s*x ed here?

“In any case, you don’t need a woman for two men to have a child together - you can choose which of you is the paternal donor.”

He just shrugged. “We can explore that part. But to be honest, that’s not really the part I’m worried about.”

“And what is that?” She asked.

“It’s the idea of you leaving us. You don’t understand what that will do to us. And I don’t say that to make you feel bad or pressure you- it’s just a factor. Brock thinks he can just give up the throne if you want to leave, he hasn’t thought through what that would actually do to the balance we have here. We’re in relative peace, but it’s always at risk- we’re always on the cusp of war.”

Ronnie shifted. “What if there was something about me that meant you wouldn’t want me as your mate anymore?”

“Like what?” he asked. Curious, not fearful. It was evident he couldn’t think of any reason why they wouldn’t want her as their mate.

“Just theoretically.”

He shook his head. “You can feel how I feel, can’t you?”

She nodded.

“Then what do you think?” He pulled her closer to him, staring her straight in the eyes - his cat came forth for a split second. She felt it there - that point of singularity and the infinite reflection, like a mirror of a mirror. The same urge she had the prior morning with Brock hit her, to drop her glamour. She thought for one moment that they would accept her, but long held fears stopped her. She was sure Brand felt her hold back - he traced the side of her face with his fingers. “I love you.”

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, feeling bashful and too scared to say the words back. She felt the rumble of his purr as he held her here in this warm place.

~*~

That evening, the three met up in Ronnie's room. They told Brock about their conversation with the Queen, assuring him they agreed to speak with her and they were not upset.

Ronnie had knelt next to him on the lounge, feeling his hurt at not being present for this type of conversation. Brand sat in front of him, having pulled one of the armchairs forward, his hands on Brock's knees.

"So, what now?" He asked. He was bracing himself. Was he going to be rejected by both his mates? He felt like he deserved it. He'd never accepted Brand and now that Brand had a chance to be happy Brock was driving Ronnie away.

"Brock," Ronnie moaned. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her face in his neck. His pain was hurting her.

"Just," Brand started, "hold off on the declaration. Ronnie has known us for a week. It's not long enough to base permanent decisions on."

That was what Brock wasn't getting. "That means you think you might not want to be with me anymore." His voice was full of hurt.

"What if… what if Ronnie actually wanted to be Queen? She couldn't if you claimed me. And if we decide to allow a political marriage-"

"You can't be serious!" Brock roared. He started to get up but both Ronnie and Brand coaxed him back down.

"Shhhh," Brand whispered in his ear, "we're not going anywhere."

Brock buried his face in his hands, taking deep ragged breaths as he fought not to cry. He felt like this was an ending. He wanted to storm out. He wanted to shift and burn everything in his path.

His dragon was confused, it was twisting him. He didn't understand why his mates couldn't be his completely. He wanted to claim and keep them both.

"This isn't how I wanted things to go," Brock whispered, "I thought… I thought we could just be."

"We'll find our equilibrium," Brand said soothingly.

~*~