4,018Prince Consort
Chapter 57
"We cannot let this insult stand," Donald hissed, fangs biting into his bottom lip such was his aggravation. He was seething in fury at the cowardice of his fellow Elders. If they had just made a stand together all this would have been over by now. Oh, how he hated that trumped up bloody consort. He'd never hated anyone more in his life, and he'd lived a long time so that was saying something. "We must speak to Severus and have this dealt with, at once!" crudely wiping the blood pooling out the holes left behind by his fangs.
"Donald, I'm not sure complaining to Severus will have the effect you believe," Gideon cautioned him, a wary look plastered across his face. Partly regretting actually leaving the room, but he couldn't bear to work alongside women like they were created equals. It was debasing, humiliating and just outrageous! He couldn't understand why their Lord would even conceive of the idea let alone allow his consort to act out this way. He was here to bring in the next Prince heir, one day Lord Prince, the next in line for the seat of power that was all. It was his duty.
"What are you talking about?" Donald spat, if he wasn't a vampire his face would have been a florid red colour, completely ugly. However, due to the fact he didn't have blood pumping through his body normally, he was just as pale and mostly impassive except from where he'd screwed up his face in a scowl.
"He doesn't seem to care what his consort is doing," Gideon pointed out, a faraway look upon his face. "He's young, a callowed youth. His upbringing left a lot to be desired, he might actually be fond of his consort." The idea was unfathomable to him, but perhaps due to the fact he was a male carrier made all the difference?
"Oh please, it's likely because the little fucker is pregnant, he's indulging the little shit," Donald interjected, he was definitely not fond of his consort. He'd never shown an inclination towards taking a partner, not once in all the years since taking the throne. He hadn't been aware of their world until his inheritance was unlocked.
Gideon inwardly winced, closing his eyes, listening for anyone paying any attention to them. He could have swooned when there was no sound, no anger, no indignation, no commotion. Nobody had listened to Donald, when you got as old as they did, they tended to ignore any voices that wasn't directed at them. Although, lately, it would just be their luck if they were actually overheard. He hadn't said anything but Donald was making it worse for both of them. "Do keep it down." Half tempted to walk away until he regained control over his temper.
"What? Do you think everyone around here doesn't already agree?" Donald sneered, lip curled in distaste, "With perhaps a few exceptions." Recalling Storms rather fast reaction to what was happening in the meeting room. He was sure some of the women might actually agree but the rest likely knew their place in the grand scheme of things.
"Still," Gideon murmured, "I think perhaps we may be old relics in a new world now, Don," he confessed, the world wasn't what it used to be. It was too bad Glenn and Rose hadn't remained in their seat of power once their pathetic daughter had run off, how different things might be. Glenn knew how things were meant to be, and had enforced that. Severus though, he'd been a little more lenient, allowing women to be his guard, but going to this extreme and letting women become Elders? It was beyond pale.
Don stiffened, eyes flashing showcasing his utter incandescent rage at the idea of being a relic. "Not everywhere has such disgusting belief's, you know as well as I do there are many countries that believe the same as we do." Alluding to the suggestion that they could leave, give this pathetic clan up for better pastures.
"Now you're going too far," Gideon hissed out, bloody hell, it was boarding on treasonous thoughts! They'd sworn oaths and vows for Merlin's sake. "Be careful of how you speak!" he was done with this conversation, he didn't care what Donald did, he wasn't going to be part of this even if he agreed wholeheartedly with him.
"Are you just going to accept this then?" Donald demanded, stepping closer to the vampire so he couldn't easily leave without actually resorting to physically moving him. "Let them ruin everything good about this clan until it's filled with naught by women!" using the word like it was a curse word, distaste practically dripping off his words, his venom would have shocked everyone if they were to hear it. He was usually stoic, a calm façade he showed the world, it took a lot to enrage him, recently though it seemed all the Lord's consort had to do was talk or you know, breathe in his direction.
There was unarguably a lot more men than women in the Prince clan.
Gideon groaned, his exasperation obvious, grimacing at the idea of remaining here whilst such humiliation continued. It was a humiliation, women were not meant to lead, to vote, to fight, they were meant to bring in the next generation and remain at home and keep it in ship shape for them, the men to come home to in order to rest their tired heads at night. To raise the children proper, to remain dutiful. To give them power was wrong on all angles, they weren't made for it, couldn't handle it. To advance a woman over men who had been fighting for generations was a grievous insult, he'd fielded many of them over Severus' decision to have women in his advanced guard.
"Or we can wait," Donald lowered his volume to a mere whisper, so that even the other vampire struggled to hear him. "Arrange an accident."
Gideon jerked away, already shaking his head only to scream in agony as a ring of fire shaped itself around his neck. He stiffened utterly, fear suffusing him, ready to accuse Donald of such treachery only to see him in the exact same predicament. He cursed his foolishness for going along with Donald, for allowing it to get this far. Such treason, he should never have participated. Was this some sort of punishment?
Donald had a ring of fire around his neck, his hands raised towards the sizzling heat, but dared not touch it. The pain surrounding his neck was already burning. He could smell the burning blistering skin, and it made him want to gag. He could see that Gideon's neck was suffering the same treatment.
"An accident you say?" came the cold calculating voice of Severus Snape, his tone wroth.
Gideon's fear mirrored his own, as they realized just how badly they'd screwed up.
There was a poignant silent that followed Severus' statement.
"Nothing more to say?" Severus uttered devoid of any emotion. "You certainly had enough to say a few seconds ago."
Alfred remained silent, observing the proceedings as he so often did with impartiality. Or he attempted to do so, for the truth was he was rather fond of Harry. His first observation was that Severus was furious, the only other time he'd known him to be this enraged was when he found out that his own mate had married him after being coerced and injured in the kidnapping Dumbledore had perpetrated to get the soldiers, he'd wanted in an attempt to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters. No, this was worse, it made Alfred shiver at the murderous look on his face.
"Corin?" Severus commanded.
"Sir?" Corin murmured, curtseying, terse and alert, waiting for whatever her Lord Prince commanded of them.
"Have everyone that's here sent to the Great Hall immediately," his tone filled with fire, refusing the mere thought of disobedience.
"Uh…everyone?" Corin echoed, glancing briefly at Alfred, "Should I disturb the Elder meeting?" snapping back to Lord Prince not wishing to end up on the receiving end of his ire.
"Everyone," Severus retorted, not sounding as angry as he had a moment ago, but he was still seething in fury, you could smell it exuding from him in droves. "Anyone that isn't there in the next five minutes will be considered traitors." His eyes snapping back to the two who were trembling a little (a miniscule amount but for a vampire it was like violent tremors to a human).
Corin curtseyed again, before taking off, luckily for her, there was a way to inform everyone regarding of spells upon the castle.
Alfred remained at Severus' side, a stalwart presence, he would continue to be so during his tenure as Lord Prince. He had sworn to do so, but did so now because Severus was someone who he'd come to care a great deal for. He'd been very prickly at the start, difficult to gain his trust, and near impossible to gain his respect, but Alfred had had to work for each and every single grain of gratitude and respect from Severus. He was no fool, and acted swiftly, and somehow despite him being older, he'd worked hard to gain Severus' trust and he treasured it.
"Shall I inform Harry what's going on? My Lord?" Alfred always knew when best to be formal, and right now it was a time to be as formal as one could get. He knew exactly what fate awaited those two, and it was going to be gruesome. Foolish idiots that they were, part of him was rather pleased though, the idea of treason being spread in the clan was a dangerous thought indeed. Best to nip it in the bud and Severus likely knew this.
"I want him beside me," Severus declared, it was a power move, a good one, especially considering what he'd just heard. If he couldn't actually hear him the short a distance, he was from him (still talking to the Elders) he would have wanted him far sooner. The urge to seek and protect his mate was so strong that it was overwhelming him, just as much as the rage growing in his breastbone.
Alfred bowed, "I shall retrieve him at once." He suspected just how much Severus was struggling, his mate was in a delicate state, no doubt he wanted to just go to Harry and check on him, forget everything else. However, as Lord Prince, he couldn't do it, he had to make an example of them. What they did…they couldn't afford to let it harbour in anyone else' thoughts let alone actions.
Severus' gaze followed Alfred until he was out of sight, then his gaze snatched back to the two traitors in his midst. The twin looks of sheer terror he got gazing back at him was heady. He was powerful and he knew it, he had amassed a power base that even the likes of Voldemort could only dream of. He knew better than to let traitors live, and he knew fear could work in staying their hands, but not always, he had been a traitor to Voldemort's cause, after he threatened Lily. If he had just left her alone, he would have been quite content to remain on the Dark Side, but he'd chosen to go after someone he cared about.
The only person he'd cared about.
It truly was the most ironic thing that she had ended up the mother of his fated mate.
Still, if Voldemort hadn't been defeated, as temporarily as it had been (if you could consider a decades peace temporarily) he would never had his abilities unlocked. It's quite terrifying to know he'd contemned himself by allowing himself to be marked so young. How many other shad abilities that had gone unlocked due to being marked as a servant to a mad man. He knew how to play the game, and play it he would with fire and terror.
Cries of alarm and panic assaulted Donald and Gideon as they were levitated quite carelessly too. Trying to remain still so that they weren't burnt to a crisp with their heads decapitated by the ring of fire still wrapped around their necks. They might have had an extremely long life, but they didn't want to die, but they did consider just pressing themselves forward, ending their lives before their Lord could do so, but they were too cowardly, too afraid to do so.
"Ah, Harry, follow me," Alfred said, opening the door to find most of the Elder council already standing, ready to leave, having been informed through the bond they shared. It wasn't often opened, wasn't needed often, only in the event of an emergency. He wasn't sure if Harry had even been linked into the bond or not. It was one of Severus' most useful inventions he had to confess, and oh, he'd made a lot of different inventions.
"Take me to him," Harry replied, he'd felt his emotions and had wondered what caused them, but had continued to talk to the Elders, there was no fear so he hadn't paid much attention to it to begin with. "What has happened?" he demanded to know, as they moved, following Alfred, what had been gleaned through the bond hadn't been much at all.
"Severus wishes everyone to be in the Great Hall as soon as possible," Alfred declared, already opening the door to find at least the majority of everyone within the confines of the castle there. He couldn't say without actually counting everyone but it looked roughly like the right number of people.
"We've checked everywhere, this is everyone," Storm declared as she came swooping in, Corin hot on her heels, both of them curtseying in respect, before they moved into position, both of them remaining close by to protect both Severus and Harry.
Everyone was decidedly unnerved by the flames currently still surrounding Gideon and Donald, to have that much power to control both for so long? It was unfathomable. It shouldn't be possible, it really, really shouldn't.
"Take a long and close look at the two of them," Severus said, his voice low and threatening, eyes flashing furiously, "These two who thought they could betray me, betray my mate, and betray all of us, just because they couldn't stand women or anyone that they considered lesser." Which was his mate!
"I didn't do anything!" Gideon squeaked, the pain, it was unbearable, he could feel the ring of flames continuously licking at his throat, biting through his Adams apple. The pain was horrendous, he was desperate to separate himself from Donald's treason.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you if you dare think of betraying me," with that Severus clicked his fingers, and the ring of fire swiftly rendered itself through Donald and Gideon's necks, severing their heads from their torsos but the fire whooshed consuming not only their necks, but their heads and bodies, leaving naught but ashes in their wakes, they'd barely had a chance to scream before they were gone.
"Uh, are you done?" Harry said, staring intently at Severus.
Severus' gaze latched onto Harry, frowning, the anger and rage still hadn't been snuffed out, he wanted to bring them back and torture them all over again.
Alfred chuckled in the background, first to identity what was going on.
"What?" Severus asked, out of all things he'd expected, that wasn't anywhere on the list. "Why?" utterly ignoring everyone who was just staring at the pile of ashes that had moments prior been two elders who had unconceivably betrayed them. Would that ring of fire apply to them if they even thought of betraying them? Not that they would. Or was it something their Lord had applied after he heard them? They were stunned by the suddenness of it, it would take them a while to move afterward.
Harry marched forward, green eyes aflame, grasping the lapel of Severus' robes and pulling him forward as he walked back. "We will be unavailable for the rest of the day. We are not to be disturbed unless the very castle is on fire!" Harry ordered, walking with a rather uncomfortable gait.
Only once they were near the door did Severus finally realize just why Harry was reacting the way he was, and the smell of arousal, desire and awe drifting from Harry in droves.
Severus groaned, his own body beginning to respond to Harry's fire, and his ire begun to cool off.
They weren't disturbed at all that evening.
A/N – want my advice? When you're making documents for your stories and deciding people's names when they're a character you create? Always put whether they're male or female LOL because it's easier than you think to mess up, I think I have a few times with this story but I'm not 100% on that one and I'm sorry it's so short, I'm really struggling with this one again, I think it's the length of times between updates that's doing it, it might mean I should consider block updates perhaps two or three at a time, until it's complete R&R