Nightbound Oneshots [more coming soon]

Forever Royal

Nik Ryder's face was all smiles as he entered the fae royal palace of Lamrian where he had been invited by his girlfriend, Lady Alexis Clarissa Fontaine, the new duchess of Lamrian.
The young duchess had all the power now in her hands. But Nik was a little worried that she might forget about him. But he pushed those thoughts aside. Once inside he walked up to a pair of guards.

"I'm looking for Duchess Alex."
One of the royal guards looked him over up and down for a moment.
"Are you her boyfriend, sir?"
"Yes, I am.", he confirmed.

After a minute the door opened and Alex approached him. Although now she wore a dress of light silk embroidered with threads of gold. She now the new duchess of Lamrian, but the woman in front of him was still the same Alex he had always known. With her hair in a braid tied with a ribbon, she looked at him with a smile that made him catch his breath. She hugged him back tightly, the smell of her perfume, her skin, her embrace filled his head.
Nik pulled back a bit and looked at her affectionately.
"I'm so very happy for you. You look stunning in that dress, even more so now that you're a duchess.", he kissed her in her cheek and grabbed her hand.
"I'm glad you're here, Nik."
"Of course I'm here, my love.", the young man gazed at her with admiration and desire. Then he hugged her tightly.
She was all smiles and leaned in, kissing him on his soft lips. Then the two started strolling inside the palace while Alex kept holding Nik's hand the whole time.
"This is all thanks to you, you know. If you hadn't been by my side supporting me all the time, I don't know what I would have done. You're the one who united me with my home. You're the one who found my long lost home and my father. I wish he would be alive now. He would have been so happy to see me as Lamrian's newest duchess.", she seemed emotional and very grateful towards her lover.
"I'll always be there for you, my love.", he raised her palm and planted a sweet kiss on it.
"Nik..."
"Yes, babe."
"Don't panick please, but...", she hestitated as if trying to find more courage to continue.
"What's the matter, love?"
"Nik, I'm a duchess now."
"Yeah, I know."
"I need to get married one day. Probably soon.", she wispered without meeting her lover's eyes.
"You what?!", Nik stopped his tracks and almost got pale. He watched her with a troubled look. "You can't be serious, darling?"
"Nik, don't you want to marry me?", she finally turned towards him, looking at him with sadness and hope.
"Because you once said you wouldn't be the man who wants to be bound in marriage, Nik."
He breathed hard for a second, and then he replied.
"Of course I want marry you, you're the love of my life. But I don't like what you're implying, that you don't consider me as your future husband?"
"Wait, what?? You want to marry be??!! Really?!!"
"Yeah, really. You changed my mind, rook. I can't imagine a life without you anymore and want to stay with you forever. And I definitly can't see you with anyone else than me. You're mine and I'm your's. I want to marry you one day. Not now, but someday.", he shyly confessed.
"Oh Nik!! You have no idea how happy I am to hear this. It's like a heavy stone has been lifted from my chest. Thank you, thank you, thank yoooouu. I love you!!!", she began to dance and twirled around him as if all her worries in the world disappeared.
"Love you too, my rook.", he chuckled as he saw her sweet reaction.
But then, she immediately stopped her little dance as she just remembered something ver, important and got serious now. "Then I have to convince the royal fae court for that."
Nik smiled and laughed a little. "There's no need to worry about it. They won't refuse the wish of their new duchess. Besides Lady Thalissa loves me. She knows about us, doesn't she?", he grinned, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Nik, it's just not normal for the other fae if their duchess is together with not only a human, but a nighthunter. You're a nighthunter, Nik!! You hunt supernatural creatures and well..."
Nik chuckled at her comment. "True, our relationship is a bit unconventional, my sweetheart. But I hope that doesn't matter to anyone."
"Uhhh...Well, I heard some of the court members trying to invite possible suitors for me", she got nervously answered while looking at the polished floors and then back at him.
Nik stopped for a second, his whole body tensed. "What do you mean? There are other people besides me who are interested in you? But don't they know that I'm your boyfriend? So that's why you asked me if I want to marry you, right?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. But you deserve to know about it now. I was just afraid, but I'm glad we're on the same page now.
Also, these other fae nobles just want marriage to strenghten their royal status. Nik, you're the one I truely want."
Nik couldn't help feeling jealous of the fact that other people were showing interest in his partner. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and then decided to talk without fear. He looked her in the eye with determination.
"Well, that's too bad for these suitors because I intend to marry you. Do you think I'm going to let them be with you? I won't let that happen, my queen."
"I knew I could count on you, my love. But please, no drama in front of the fae court. Try to impress them."
Nik then laughed softly.
"No drama, I promise. Let's just go and I'll do my best to impress them with my appearance and words."