3rd Person POV
“Mira is Xanthippe’s daughter and only offspring. I loved Xanthippe with all my heart, I was devastated when she died,” Lord Augustine said as he stroked Mira. Lady Lowell rolled her eyes as her father went on and on about his favourite horse. She wondered why he had had to punish her by giving her the name of his beloved horse.
“Thippe, ride Mira today, will you?” quipped Lord Augustine. Lady Lowell narrowed her eyes at this generous offer. She had been begging her dad forever to allow her to ride Mira but her father had always refused. Once, she had asked her father to allow her to ride Mira as a birthday present but he had refused.
“Father?” quipped Lady Lowell, not sure that she had heard her father correctly.
“Get on her back before I change my mind,” said Lord Augustine.
She knew her father had only said that so that he could be alone with Reginald. She could refuse and miss an opportunity that would never be given to her again or she could risk her father saying things to Reginald she did not want him to.
She chose Mira.
Lord Augustine watched as his daughter submitted herself to the help of Prince Reginald. He said nothing but it made him wonder how his daughter could act helpless when she had been climbing horses since she was six years of age. A smile flashed on his face as he remembered the days when he used to carry his little Thippe up on horseback.
When Lady Lowell was out of earshot, Lord Augustine turned to the young Prince and asked, “What are your intentions for my Xanthippe?”
“Sir?” Reginald was beyond nervous. He had not been expecting such a question. He had fallen for Lady Lowell but he barely knew her. He wanted the opportunity to know her before he could commit to a relationship with her.
“I can tell that you like her but I need to know if you are going to make an honourable woman out of her or you only intend to sleep with her and move on to another woman,” Reginald had not expected Lord Augustine to be that direct.
“I want a chance to court your daughter and then perhaps, someday, we might get married,” said Reginald. The idea of marriage at the present scared him a little.
“Someday, huh?” quipped Lord Augustine.
“I do not intend to hurt Xanthippe, I assure you, sir. My intentions towards your daughter are pure,” said Reginald, hurriedly.
“They never intend to hurt her,” said Lord Augustine.
“Sir, I can swear on my honour that…”
“Prince Reginald, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to court my daughter if you have no intention of marrying her. I have watched Lowell, that scum put my daughter's name in the mud. I must protect my daughter's honour…”
“Father!” cried Xanthippe. The two turned to see that she was standing behind them.
“It is my honour; mine, father! I will protect it as I see fit,” protested Xanthippe.
“Thippe dear, this is a conversation between men, you should…”
“A conversation between men that is about me? I will be a part of the conversation father and I say that it is my honour,” insisted Xanthippe.
“Thippe, I do not want you to get hurt again,” said Lord Augustine.
“And getting married will prevent me from getting hurt? You only worry about your good name, that is why you are so angry at Lowell. Lowell hurt me, father, while we were married. He was sleeping with my best friend and he did not bother to hide the affair. He treated me like I did not matter…”
“Xanthippe!” her father tried to stop her.
“Father, I will decide what is right for me. Reginald is a friend and I would like to know a lot about him before even considering marriage. I'm barely out of a divorce with that monster,” said Xanthippe.
“Xanthippe?”
“I apologise for ruining your morning,” Xanthippe apologised to Reginald who had watched the drama unfold.
“Let's have breakfast,” Lord Augustine was desperate to change the conversation.
It was still very early for breakfast but Reginald did not protest breakfast. He followed father and daughter into the main house.
****
“We have to set the ball before Queen Euphrates’ ball,” said Alpha Dagen over a private dinner he was having with Lord Edvin and Lord Tyler. Tyler knew that the only reason he was here every day was because Dagen was lonely. He was not in a relationship, he had not been since the messy affair with Regina and Nydia. And so, it was he and Lord Edvin who bore the consequence of his loneliness.
“Tyler? What do you think? Should the ball hold after my visit to Euphrates?” asked Alpha Dagen.
“It should,” said Tyler who was looking for every reason to stop the set-up ball from happening at all.
“You had better have a reason besides you not liking the idea,” said Lord Edvin.
Tyler rolled his eyes, “I am certain you are not the only one that was invited to Mount Shasta.”
“So?”
“The other Alphas will have their minds on Mount Shasta at a time like this and would not care about your ball—they may not even show up,” Tyler could always defend whatever he said.
“You do have a point after all. Then we'll plan it afterwards. How is your son Edvin? I should stop by and see him sometime,” commented Alpha Dagen.
“I think it's about time we discussed your sudden fondness for us,” said Lord Tyler who was tired of seeing Dagen's face ever so often.
“Fondness? What are you talking about?” scoffed Dagen.
“You need a woman, Dagen, you are lonely,” said Tyler.
“Edvin! Imagine my cousin! Years ago I would not even entertain him in my sight and now I have…”
“He's right, Dagen, you need a woman. Perhaps I should add likely candidates for a wife at the ball you intend to hold for Reginald.