Aedion stomped through Orynth, haunted by a black mood.

It had been a day of inconveniences and headaches- of explaining basic principles ten thousand times to the same three idiots. A day of people just not getting the concept.

'Why do you want to build a gate in that section of the city?'

'Because the wall is in such bad shape it has to be replaced anyways and if there's a gate then tradespeople from the Staghorns won't have to spend half a day circling the city.'

'I've been in city planning a decade now and hardly anyone ever comes down from those mountains.'

'Yes, because Adarlan invaded and they were in hiding. Now the East Gate is backed up for hours.'

'Which is why we should widen it.'

'No, which is why we need another gate!'

'But that part of the city is just slums.'

'Yes, because they don't have a damned gate so no new business passes through. Build the gate and suddenly there is work for those who are able, shops and restaurants will spring up, and that section of the city can bounce back.'

'But no one passes by that area so a gate is pointless.'

'PEOPLE FROM THE STAGHORNS DO.'

'Don't shout at me, Prince Aedion. You're the one not being clear as to why we need a gate-'

Aedion was trying his best to remain patient, but something must have given away his urge to murder the city planner because the man wisely shut the hell up.

All Rowan had to do to get anything done was point at the map of Orynth and say "build". These people had followed Aedion's instruction in war without blinking an eye, but now it felt like he was mired in stupidity no matter what he tried to do or how logical a decision it was.

The wall was so critically damaged in that section of the city that it would be a complete replacement anyways- what did it matter putting in another gate?! It would help ease traffic on other entrances to Orynth, cut down travel time from the Staghorns, and might actually provide jobs to support those in the slums. The cost would even be less than rebuilding the damn wall!

That was the last fight of the day, but by no means the only one. Hell, for the past week it was debate after debate, all with doddering old fools who wouldn't know a deal if it bit them in the ass.

Aedion was sick of repeating himself, sick of explaining himself, and sick to death of the diplomatic side of his job. His morning exercises had become morning and evening to help burn off steam, but today he didn't even have that to look forward to- the training grounds were destroyed by a fae unable to control his emerging power.

The Flamebringer's Tavern was Aedion's backup, and he stomped there every step of the way. His head throbbed at even the idea of speaking to another person, but he was frustrated and in need of drink.

Flamebringer's was one of the oldest taverns in Orynth precisely because it was so completely mediocre. The food was okay, the atmosphere tolerable, the building clean-ish, and the grog… well, not good but it wouldn't kill you. Sandwiched between two long-closed warehouses, it was easily missed by the casual passers-by and therefore was never particularly crowded.

Aedion made it to the building without killing anyone, but when he went to order-

"We don't have no grog today. Supplier didn't come through," a gruff old bartender was wiping down the counter.

"Then I'll take meade." Aedion's head twinged.

"The ale's stronger."

"I want meade."

"Well ale ain't no different from grog, just a bit sweeter. It'll taste the same."

Aedion ground his teeth as hate filled his heart, "Do you have meade?"

"Yeah, I just think you probably want ale."

"You're wrong. I want meade. That's sort of what the phrase 'I'll take meade' means."

The old man laughed, "No, it means you'll endure meade. Ale will set you right, you'll see."

Aedion had been palming the coppers he would pay for his drinks with. At the man's words he slammed them onto the bartop hard enough to make the man jump, "I'm going to be sitting at the table in the far corner. If anything other than meade is delivered to me, I will come behind that counter, take what I want, and set fire to the damned ale. Understood?"

"Someone's having a bad day, huh?" The old man raised an eyebrow, "I'm just saying you should trust an old bartender to know what'll cure that temper."

"And you should trust an old soldier to know how to drink," Aedion snapped. He resisted the urge to draw his dagger- but only barely. "Mead or I burn this place to the ground." WIth that, the Prince of Terrasen stormed over to his shaded corner seat and slumped onto the bench. He stretched his legs out in front of him, preventing any patrons from sitting down.

Ten minutes later- far longer than it should have taken- a teenage serving girl brought Aedion a mug of gods-damned meade and a shot of ale. The old man behind the bar smiled at the withering glare Aedion fixed on him.

"My grandfather always thinks he knows best," the serving girl shifted her position to block sight of the bar- probably saving the old man's life. "I'm sorry Prince Aedion, I'll keep the meade coming." She set down a bowl of breaded and fried strips of cheese, "Oh the house."

Aedion handed her a gold coin- enough to pay for another ten refills. He didn't intend to drink half as much- but that was why she brought Aedion free food every time he came in. He usually overpaid anyways.

He drank deeply as the tavern filled with evening clientele. Someone picked up a fiddle and began to play over the gathering din. Bodies crowded around, but Flamebringer's Tavern stayed- as always- on the edge of full. Crowded enough that by the time Aedion finished his second tankard he could barely hear the fiddler, but not so populated that he felt guilty for taking a table all to himself. A few other single parties moved towards the bar to free up space for groups, but Aedion would be the last to move closer to that odious grandfather.

A deep, sensual laugh carried from the bar, and Aedion's eyes flashed. His ears reached for the sound, following it back to a male voice that soothed and burned all at once.

The crowd shifted and-

There. At the far edge of the bar, in the center of a group of men, was the most beautiful male Aedion had ever seen.

Rich bronze skin cast a pallor on the fair Terrasen men. Tousled jet-black hair, groomed eyebrows, and an expensive navy blue tunic set him apart from everyone in the tavern- Aedion included. He was heavily muscled, but lithe. His every movement held a near feline grace as he smiled and chatted with the men around him. And when his roaming eyes caught Aedion's the Prince's heart raced- they were a piercing violet.

His voice was a melody unlike anything Aedion had ever heard, and the entire room seemed to fall away into nothing as he focused on that male's voice. Not on the words, but on the tombre, the slight Adarlanian accent, and the laughter that came forth again to draw even more attention. That was a male to watch, not to ignore.

The liquor made Aedion more brazen about staring than he might have been otherwise. He was in a gathering haze, and only that male's voice cut through it. Every move of his hand or tip of his head was sure and confident, taunting, teasing, seductive.

Every word from his lips was a promise of sin that he would be all too happy to deliver on, and those he graced with a smile were instantly mesmerized, as Aedion had been.

The men surrounding him- even if they preferred females- would certainly harden at his touch by evening's end if he put effort into the seduction. He was the embodiment of expensive wine and silk sheets- a rich elegance few could even dream of.

Aedion remained in his corner and finished that second mug of mead, then a third, all while watching that male weave his spell without so much as touching anyone. There were no whispered promises, no lingering gazes or physical contact- it was a rare talent to seduce without making any advances. Their hearts, minds, and bodies would come to him and serve at his pleasure, not the other way around.

Evening reached its heady apex. The manic energy of the bar settled into something closer and alcohol took hold of everyone's inhibitions. Aedion was flushed and he knew he'd stumble on his way home, but he was still far from drunk.

Ensnared, burning, consumed by the smile flashed earlier in the evening- but not drunk.

A man grew brave and reached out to touch even one finger of the male that laughed and joked so easily. In an instant he was moving, gliding away to another corner of the bar before that touch could land. Men were left dazed and wanting- more than a few of them realized their trousers had grown a bit too tight.

That dark male was confident, and he knew damn well all it would take was a glance and any man in the room would follow him upstairs to the private accomodations. His roaming eyes snagged on Aedion and in an instant the prince knew- his attention had been noted. Every hungry, greedy eyeful of that beautiful creature was marked.

The male glanced to the door- an invitation few missed. Aedion flashed a bratty grin to the males of the room as he stood. An entire tavern to choose from and he'd picked Aedion for his pleasure.

That male reveled in it- being wanted and desires so tangibly, to know that no male in the room could resist him and then to turn around and pick someone hidden in the corner to take outside. Not one of the men who'd courted him, but the male he truly desired.

Aedion followed the male from a distance as he stepped out into the cool air of an Orynth evening. He looked like a hungry wolf on the prowl, and that male was the greatest prey of all.

He followed down the street and into a dark, secluded alleyway.

The male came at him from behind-

-as he did every time he lured Aedion away.

Aedion was pushed against the wall fast and hard- with the incredible strength of that delicate male harder and stronger than his frame revealed.

A warm hand quickly found its way into Aedion's pants. Another hand came up to his mouth. Two fingers forced their way inside while the male pinned Aedion against the stone. His broad hand wrapped around Aedion's member, stroking as the Prince of Terrasen sucked and moaned at the taste of his skin.

"I know you were watching me," that silken voice whispered in his ear. "I felt you fucking me with those pretty turquoise eyes." Such filthy words from such beautiful lips.

Aedion wet the male's fingers with his tongue. As soon as he was hard the male unbuckled Aedion's trousers and pushed them down to his knees. Even as his chest was shoved into the brick, Aedion spread his legs as wide as the pants would go, giving permission to their dark liaison.

The fingers vanished from his mouth to reappear at Aedion's backside. With only a little delicacy they were pushed into his hole. He cried out against the stone as the male's other hand wrapped around his cock to stroke him in time with the thrusts. Aedion's mind was a blur of sensations- pain from the fingers fucking into him, and pleasure from the warmth wrapped around his cock.

His legs trembled at the pressure of the fingers inside him. Aedion gasped as the male reached deeper and deeper, and as his entrance relaxed to allow the invasion.

Once Aedion was open enough to even think about taking the dark male's length, he bit the golden one's ear and unbuckled his own pants. Still mostly clothed and without any further finesse, he spat on Aedion's ass and pushed his cock into the prepared entrance.

Aedion's heels lifted from the ground. A strangled shout filled the alley as he raised himself higher and fought against the urge to run from the iron heat that was pushing into him. When the male hesitated Aedion snarled and threw himself back, forcing another inch in.

"Not. Gentle."

"Been one of those days has it, darling? I'm only too happy to oblige." A deep, sensual chuckle was the only warning Aedion got. The male slammed into him as hard as he could, completing their joining, "You're so tight, fuck."

A hand grabbed Aedion's hip for leverage as the male pulled out, spat once more on his cock, and shoved it back in. Aedion screamed and reached down to stroke his own aching length while the male gave him everything he could ever want and more. He'd had a shit day full of braindead idiots and obnoxious bastards, Aedion needed this more than anything else. Not the gentle lovemaking he and Lysandra shared, but a hard, merciless pounding in a dark alley by a beautiful stranger.

A stranger who wasn't a stranger.

Aedion listened to those perfect lips curse and groan as he gave the prince every inch of his heat. The head of his cock struck the small bump deep inside and Aedion screamed again as sharp, vicious release tore through him- far quicker than he would normally manage. The male's own gasps grew high and thin at Aedion's spasms. He lasted only long enough for the prince to sag before pulling out and stroking himself to orgasm across Aedion's exposed rear.

"Thank you, beautiful." The male panted as Aedion collapsed against the wall. He shoved his softening member back into his pants and walked away without a parting touch or even a glance back.

Cool, calm, and finished with his dripping little toy.

Quivering and still hard, it took Aedion a few minutes to collect himself enough to pull his pants back up and refasten his belt. He could feel the male's release drying across his ass and thighs, but all Aedion could think about was how wonderful it would feel if the male had come inside him and left him to walk back to the palace like that. He kept a hand to the wall and swayed a bit as he moved, but Aedion felt more sober and right than he had all week.

There was no more frustration or fantasies of murdering anyone who so much as crossed his path. Aedion felt light and downright giddy as he reached the palace and angled for Lysandra's chambers. He wanted more fun- he wanted to spend a night forgetting the world outside even existed.

Aedion locked Lysandra's chamber door behind him as he entered. He licked his lips and stripped away all of his clothes, grinning at the cold air that kissed the moisture on his backside. While he stroked himself back to full mast, he stepped into the doorway to her bedroom.

She was laying there naked, waiting for him with a coy grin on that painfully handsome male face she loved to seduce him with.

"Ready for a round two already?" The male purred, "Me or you, who's getting fucked this time?"

"You," Aedion's voice was rough as he prowled for the bed.

Lysandra smiled as the black hair turned brown and grew longer, falling all the way down to cover an incredible muscled chest that softened and curved until breasts Aedion loved dearly reappeared. Her golden skin faded to an olive tan and the cock- one Aedion would need again before the evening was done- faded away until her perfect pink entrance was back.

She swirled a finger around her knot, smiling at the way Aedion's mouth watered and his cock throbbed.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Lysandra asked innocently. She slid her fingers down through her wet heat and parted those delicate lips for him, showing Aedion where she needed him.

"Might not be gentle," he said by way of warning. When she pinned him in the alley she gave him the chance for a softer night. It was only polite to return the favor.

"I spent the whole day learning etiquette for state dinners and dealing with Darrow. The last thing I want right now is gentle." She crooked a finger and spread her lower lips to give him a clear target, "I'll fuck my frustration out on you if you fuck yours out on me."

Aedion's answering grin was enough to set Lysandra's blood on fire.

"Deal."