Rival Rulers

Alexandria clasped her hands together tightly in her lap as she looked out of the plane window. They were beginning to desend now into werewolf territory. How in the seven Hells did her parents think that this was a good idea? Marrying her off to their sworn enemy for some fake sign at peace. Humans and werewolves had not been fighting for as long as she could remember, and some marriage was not going to fix that. In fact, Madeline thought that it would only make the divide worse.

Unlike her family, Alexandria was sure that this would be the death of her. Somehow, it was her parents belief that they would treat her well. And despite her fears, her begging, her fighting, or any of her other attempts of convincing them, they continued to believe it. But to Alexandria, this all felt like a death sentence. Maybe it was a trap by the royal werewolves themselves. Once they had her, there would be little her family could do for a while. They could easily kill her, the next in line for the human throne. Or, maybe, his own people would kill her in retaliation. It was not unlikely, considering the public on both sides did not like the idea of their lines mixing with the other.

Yet, it was her parents' attempt at peace with the werewolves, and her attempts to stop it had been futile, for now. Alexandria would continue to try once she was in the Lupino's grasp. But, for today, it was best to stay quiet and keep her head down. She would not want them to think she was unwilling to the idea on her first day here. If they actually wanted peace as well, they would be more willing to protect her if Alexandria was good. And if they wanted to kill her, well maybe they would wait a bit longer if they saw she wasn't here to cause trouble.

A heavy breath of nervousness came from Alexandria as the plane landed. Six months. For now, that was all Alexandria needed to last for. Six months in werewolf territory and then she would be brought back home (with Prince Dominic, unfortunately). At least that was what the Kings and Queens had agreed on. First, Prince Dominic and Princess Alexandria would celebrate their engagement and get to know each other in the Lupino's country before heading back to her own for the other half.

As Alexandria stood up on the plane, her eyes now scanning the landing strip, looking to see if the Lupino's were out yet. They were suppose to meet them at the airport. It was a sign of good faith to meet them when they land. Also, it would give her and Dominic a chance to meet for the first time without prying eyes.

Dominic had never been much of a fighter, despite being the oldest son in his family. That wasn't to say he wasn't capable because he was. He had trained and trained, to the point he was just as capable of a fighter as his second oldest brother, as his father - their alpha. But he wasn't a fighter at heart. Which probably explained away why he had been the one chosen to marry the Malomi princess. He hadn't been ecstatic about it by any means but his father had asked it of him and without even questioning it, Dominic had agreed to it. It was an odd sort of honor that he was going to accept it as that. He knew being sour about it wasn't going to do anything to help the.

His father had only agreed to meet the Malomi at the airport upon Dominic's urging - it would look good if they greeted them. Dominic wanted this to go as smoothly was possible, so that Alexandria could see that he was not going to treat her nearly as bad as she was probably fearing. He didn't want to be the wolf that she feared, rather the one that she loved and was devoted to. The way that his mother was devoted to his father. He wanted that sort of love, sort of devotion in his marriage and he was planning on doing everything that he could to make that happen.

Standing at the entrance of the airplane door, Dominic stood in front with his father and mother and a few select others gathered behind him. His hands grasped in front of him as he waited for the door to open. He wondered what his fiance looked like, how she would be, and if she was going to be as open to this engagement as he was trying to be. They both had to be open to making this work if they wanted it to bring about the sort of peace that it was supposed to bring.

Dominic held his breathe as he looked up slowly, offering a briliant smile as the first of the Malomi started to enter the airport terminal.

@ castle.

Richard, Alexandria's father, was the first to walk into the terminal and was quickly followed by Charlotte, her mother. They walked in, strength and grace in their step. The two had been on the throne for many years now and they knew how to handle any situation. The king moved to the Wolf King first, shaking his hand firmly but with a smile. By now, they had met many times but this was one of few that was meant to be more joyous. Once welcomes with the King and Queen were in order, he went to Prince Dominic. While they had never met, Richard knew who he was immediately. "Prince Dominic, pleased to meet you. I have heard much from your father."

Charlotte also welcomed herself with the Lupino King and Queen, also introducing Alexandria in the process. "It is nice to see you both again, this is my daughter, Princess Alexandria." The Queen smiled warmly at the two, but there was still a hint of nervousness in her eyes. It was understandable, considering the situation. However, despite the poise of her mother and father, Alexandria was not as put together. Normally, the princess would find it easy to smile and bear whatever was thrown her way. Though this situation was not like most, and was completely nerve wrackling to her. A smile was still on her face but it was small and closed mouth. She also spoke gently and with care. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you, your highnesses." Alexandria curtsied to both of them as a sign of respect. While it was not necessary in this situation, Alexandria thought it wise to put her best foot forward.

As she came back from the curtsy, Alexandria's eyes wandered for just a moment, landing on the young man standing next to the Lupino King and Queen. She was quick to bring her attention back to those in front of her once she was fully up again. Alexandria's heart was pounding and she felt like she could almost feel it in her head. The anxiety that she had been feeling for the last week was filling her up. Was that him? Was that Prince Dominic? She was not sure, but it felt like it must be. The man's physique was impressive, but frightening. If it was Dominic, she had a reason to be scared. It seemed he would be able to easy just break her if he wanted.

Dominic stood beside his parents, tall and proud with his shoulders squared as they greeted the human royalty. It was strange to him, that they were welcoming enemies into their home but it was a good thing. He'd believed it the moment his parents approached him with the idea, had agreed that it was for the best. It would do no good if the families continued to fight, it'd be better if they came together for both families. They would be able to grow instead of lose loved ones because of a hate that had been passed on centuries' old worth of bitter rivalries. Dominic was proud to be a part of the life altering change.

Greeting Richard, Dominic gave him a healthy handshake with a gentle smile. He did the same with Charlotte, his eyes drifting to the princess after shaking the queen's hand. She was beautiful. Long, brown hair framed pale skin. Dominic's eyes roamed over her for a moment before he looked back up to meet her gaze as she spoke. His smile grew a bit and he gave a tiny nod, wanting to be as inviting toward her as possible. He could sense the hesitation and anxiety wafting off of her, there was no avoiding the emotions. It made the wolf inside of him whine, tugging at the urge to step forward and comfort her but that was too forward. Alexandria did not understand the connection that a wolf had to its mate, would not be able to find immediate comfort in Dominic's touch and attention.

Exhaling slowly, Dominic stepped forward, around his parents to greet Alexandria. He kept his movements slow and calculated so that he wouldn't frighten her. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Alexandria," he spoke, his voice smooth as he held his hand out to her. "I hope your flight wasn't too.. strenuous or long," he said, offering her a kind smile, only stepping back once she had shaken his hand.

@ castle.
Alexandria's eyes quickly had moved back to the man as he started to move around the Werewolf King and Queen. As much as Alexandria did not wish to show it, she was on edge. It felt necessary to watch them - especially him - carefully.

Once the man confirmed himself to be Prince Dominic, Alexandria was ready more than ever to try and get out of this arrangement. He was an absolute beast, even in his human form. There was no way she stood a chance against him, if her fears were to come to reality. Though, really, Alexandria knew that she should not be surprised. She had known that the werewolf royalty knew how to fight, so it would only follow that the heir would be this way. But it only caused her to worry more that this was some kind of set up and Alexandria refused to get tricked by a handsome man.

"It is lovely to meet you as well, Dominic. And the flight went well, thank you for asking." As Dominic stepped back, Alexandria's hands moved back together in front of her. She gave him something closer to warm smile. Though, as pretty as it was, it was easy to tell that it was not genuine. Alexandria was too anxious to muster that.

Even so, she still needed to try and seem open to him. Alexandria wanted out of the wedding for many reasons, but making her intentions clear would only fight against her. "I hope you did not have to wait for us long."

Dominic's smile fell just a bit when he took in Alexandria's features a bit more and he realized that she wasn't as comforted as he had hoped. He had known it was silly to be hopefully but still, Dominic had been. He bit back a sigh, giving a nod of his head as Alexandria spoke. Even if they were talking about useless details, it was a start to their relationship that Dominic would welcome because he knew they had to start somewhere at least.

"Luckily, we did not have to wait long through security..." Dominic trailed off, letting out a laugh. Of course they had been waved right on through but he knew that regular wolves and humans hated travelling because of security and delays and other such travel woes. Clearing his throat, Dominic turned to begin leading the way toward baggage claim.

"A feast is being prepared to welcome your family," Dominic explained. They had taken to walking behind both of their parents but there was enough space between them and others that they could speak softly without having to worry too much. "Most of the..." Dominic paused, realizing that perhaps 'pack' wasn't the right word to use despite that being the proper word. "Family will be there. There will be some that won't be able to attend but you will meet them all in time. We are a tight knit.. family," Dominic still struggled to use the word he thought more proper for the situation.

@ castle.

Alexandria understood immediately why Dominic had laughed after mentioning security. It would be silly to think that Dominic and his family would even get stopped by the security officers in the airport. It was pretty common for the royals to just be moved along through any line. They were in charge of the whole country, so there were certain perks to it. Besides, it would be ridiculous to think that any of them would try to attack a commoner or property in their domain. It was a lot more likely that they would be attacked than doing the attacking.

"Thank you, a feast sounds lovely. I am sure that my family and I will enjoy it." Alexandria said in response to him. Food actually did sound tempting. In all honesty, Alexandria was actually quite hungry as she had been too nervous to eat for most of the day. Though, Alexandria was not sure hw much she would actually eat when they were there. It would probably be difficult to find her appetite in a room filled with werewolves.

But that was not Alexandria's largest concern from Dominic's words. She had picked up on the way the Prince was speaking, how he hesitated before saying the word family. She could not help but tilt her head a little as he hesitated to say it for the last time. Was he lying about it being his family or was there something going on. Either way, Alexandria's alarms were going off in her head. Their current conversation was quite pointless anyways, so she thought it was better to get to the bottom of this instead. Though, she had to be careful how to go about it. Alexandria did not want to be pushing buttons yet. "Family?" She asked softly. "Who is in your family?"

Dominic raised an eyebrow when Alexandria questioned his choice of words. It wasn't that he was put off by it by any means but he wondered if it was appropriate to tell her the truth about what he had meant. He didn't want to scare her or make her any more apprehensive than she already was. He could sense her fear rolling off of her in waves, he simply hoped that he could ease that stress for her. Swallowing, Dominic gave her a little smile as he shrugged his shoulders. He tilted his head to the side just barely before quirking an eyebrow. "My pack. They are all family, they will look to me for answers and guidance - as an alpha, that will be my role," Dominic answered calmly, ultimately deciding that it wasn't something that he really wanted to hide from her. If they were meant to be mates, then starting their relationship off on lies wasn't what he should be doing. Dominic knew that.

Cupping his hands together in front of him, Dominic began to lead Alexandria and the rest of her family from the airport terminal. Many stopped and whispered, watching the group with wide eyes. It wasn't often that humans were seen in this part of the world and certainly not the royalty that ruled them all. He couldn't help but smirk slightly at the attention, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders as they moved through the crowds who parted for them wordlessly. As they passed, the wolves bowed their heads in respect.

"I am hoping to take you on a day trip tomorrow," Dominic said, hesitating as they climbed into the vehicle that was parked in front of the airport for their family, several other cars behind their own. He turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. "To show you some of the most breathtaking parts of our lands," Dominic explained, hoping that she would agree to the trip. It would allow them time to bond together properly, without others around.

@ castle.

Alexandria just gave Dominic a small nod when he mentioned his family was really just his pack. She had a basic understanding of what packs were, and they weren't necessarily just those with the same bloodline as him. Now she knew that it really could be a mix of people at the feast tonight. People that he trusted and that he one day would be in charge of. In the least, it meant that nothing would happen that Dominic and his family would not want to happen. Though, still, Alexandria knew she was walking into a room of enemies, friendly or otherwise. As to why he wanted to hide the fact that it was truly his pack was a seperate concern.

As they walked through the crowds, Alexandria kept her head up and her hands together. She did not bother to look any place other than straight in front of her. There was no reason to give them a single look or smile. As much as their parents were promoting peace with their engagement, they were not her people. Nor did she appreciate being stared at or whispered about in such ways.

Her head lifted up once again, looking to Dominic as he started to speak. Alexandria knew that something like this would come eventually, but she had hoped it would not arrive so soon. Spending time alone with Dominic was not something she prefered to do. Seeing his lands (and possibly his people) were also on that list. She took the time that she used to get situated into the vehicle as a chance to think of a response, any reason as to why she couldn't go. Though nothing legtimate came to mind. Unlike any normal girl, Alexandria couldn't just say she was taking the day to unpack. "I do not believe I am needed for anything tomorrow."

"Mother?" Alexandria asked as she looked to Queen Charlotte, knowing that the woman had already been partly listening in. The older woman smiled warmly. She knew what her daughter wanted to hear, but would not provide it. "No, dear. You two should go out and have fun. Though do keep in mind that your father and I have some things to finish up with you before we leave."

It was already known by all that the Queen and King would only stay for a few days before getting back home. They only were going to have more discussions on some smaller details of the treaty and ensure that Alexandria was settled. With no help from her mother, Alexandria turned back to Dominic. "Then we shall go. What time should I be ready by?"

Dominic didn't view anyones' attention as negative. He didn't think that them looking and whispering was harmful. They were all just naturally curious after all, they were wolves welcoming a new family into their ruling class. Dominic could only imagine what the others may be thinking, what they may be feeling. In due time, Dominic would have to approach his people and explain their relationship. His father had already done his part and explained why but with Dominic agreeing and explaining that all was well, it would likely put everyone more at ease. To know that their prince was not going into this was ill intentions, or going against their alpha.

Pleased when Queen Charlotte declared that Alexandria was free to go with him tomorrow, Dominic offered the Queen a soft smile. He wanted the woman comfortable with the idea of him being around her daughter. After all, this was new to everyone. There was a lot of careful tiptoeing that would need to take place before everyone trusted each other. It would take time, there was nothing that could hurry the process along.

"We should leave no later than ten in the morning," Dominic said after a moment of thought. He tilted his head to the side, glancing back toward Alexandria. "That will allow us time to explore a bit, have lunch, and return before four. That way you will still be able to spend time with your family before they depart," Dominic offered. He hoped that by showing he was trying to be thoughtful, that it would help ease her hesitation.

Dominic fell silent as they drove away from the apartment. He wanted to reach out and perhaps hold Alexandria's hand or wrap his arm around her shoulder but he thought that that was perhaps a bit too forward so he held himself back. Relaxing into his seat, Dominic looked out his window. It was nearly forty five minutes before they pulled up to their mansion.

Climbing out, Dominic offered his hand to Alexandria to help her out of the vehicle. "Welcome to our home."

@ castle.

As Alexandria started out of the car, Dominic offered his hand. She looked at him for a moment before reaching out and gently placing her fingers into his palm. Once out, Alexandria removed her hand from his. It was not ideal, but Alexandria knew better than to refuse the help. This was just simply a matter of proper manners. Though, admittedly, Alexandria was surprised by the softness of his skin. She had always thought that werewolves had rougher skin, due to the constant transforming. Yet, he felt just like human.

With that out of the way, Alexandria lifted her head, looking up at the mansion. It was quite the sight to see and different from her own home. The home seemed to light, so open. There were so many windows as well. Were they not concerned with peering eyes? While she liked the style, Alexandria couldn't help but question the privacy of it. Though it felt rude to say so or ask such a question. Even so, her eyes started to wander as she attempted to see as much of the house as she could. She loved the styling of it.

"Thank you. Your home is very beautiful." She followed the prince towards the doors while their parents followed them, speaking amongst themselves. At this point, Alexandria was unsure of what to do. She did not know what was planned for them nor when the feast started. This was unusual as they were normally given quite a strict schedule. "When will the feast be starting?"

Dominic had hoped for a moment that Alexandria would have taken to holding his hand but he wasn't the least bit surprised when she pulled away from him. Holding back a sigh, Dominic instead forced a smile to his face. He didn't want her to think that he was putting pressure on her or anything of the sort. He was going to be nothing but loving and welcoming because he could only imagine the sort of feelings running through her... fear, confusion, anxiety. He was sure that the list went on and on...

With the compliment, Dominic couldn't help but smile as he looked up to their home. He was thoroughly in love with it, proud as he could be. Just as each of his pack were. "It is open for we hide nothing from our pack, we are in tune with nature but with how many people are always constantly in and out of our home, it wouldn't be smart to have a small home. Regularly, other pack members stay with us. Announced or not," Dominic explained witha small shrug of his shoulders. He didn't think of it as strange, it had always been their way. They were pack.. family.

Everyone knew what was expected of them in the pack so it was rare for the alpha to have to check in with lower pack members. As long as everything was done on time, that was all that really mattered. They weren't ones to work on schedules, never really had bene. Dominic rolled his neck before turning back toward Alexandria as she spoke. He tilted his head, letting a small smile form on his lips. "Two hours or so, it will most be hearty foods. Meat, potatoes.. we know how to cook some meat over the fire though. Hopefully you will enjoy the food," Dominic spoke, his smile growing a bit. "Though, if you don't, we can absolutely make something else for you."

@ castle.

"No, that will not be necessary. Meat and potatoes sound delicious." Alexandria reassured him. While that meal did sound quite good, it also sounded different from their regular meals. Things were not so...hearty unless there was a long day ahead. Though nonetheless, Alexandria would be happy to eat the food provided. While at some point she would have to ask for what she wanted, she did not want to start off by being too picky.

Alexandria could already feel the need to mull over Dominic's words. As expected, his life, his country was so different from hers. She loved her home back in her country. However, the palace was not so open and it was extremely protected. There was plenty to hide from her people, for the good of her country and for them. For while most of he citizens were good and just, there were those who would try to hurt them. And while Alexandria enjoyed nature, she did not have a strong bond with it. Nor was it regular for people to show up announced. It did feel as though the palace was always full with people, but their arrival tended to be expected and prepared for. The concept of his pack seemed foreign to her, and Alexandria was not sure if these were his blood relatives or not anymore. "What is a pack, exactly?"

Her eyes drifted over to the royals, seeing both their parents continuing to speak. They were already beginning to head off in their own direction, presumably to speak more about the arrangements of her time here or of their treaty. Alexandria looked back to Dominic, knowing fully well that she was expected to stay with him for now. "If you are able, could you give me a tour of your home?"

Dominic wondered if Alexandria was truly okay with the meat and potatoes because she had seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering him. He decided not to press it though because he didn't want to upset her on their first day together. They weren't married yet, sure, but one day, Alexandria would be his mate and he wanted to keep her as happy as he possibly could. They would get to know each other in time and at some point in the future, Dominic knew that he wouldn't even need to ask what she liked. He would just know what she did and did not like, when it came to food and movies and everything else in the world. He just hoped that one day, Alexandria would be able to say the same about him... that she wanted to be that close to him. Communication and adoration drove great relationships, as far as he thought.

Seeming to consider how to explain all the truths about what the dynamic between the packmembers were. There was just so much that Alexandria would learn in time but there was quite a bit to be explained as well and he wasn't really sure where to begin. Would it be best to explain just a few things at a time as not to overwhelm her? Dominic thought so so he'd ultimately settled on that idea... until Alexandria was speaking again.

Dominic gave her a warm smile, giving a quick nod of his head. "Of course, follow me," Dominic said, motioning for her to follow him as he started the tour of their home. He cleared his throat, holding his hands behind his back as they moved. "Packs are.. we are like an extended family," he paused, clearing his throat. "Related to some by blood but we are wolves; we thrive on being close. Both physically and mentally, forming close relationships to those around us. We listen to Father without question; he is the alpha for a reason. He knows what he is doing and always has our best interest at heart. Even if I don't always think it.." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

@ castle.

Alexandria was quiet as Dominic spoke. She listened to him intently, soaking up his words and trying to get a good grasp of it. Though even with his explanation, she was having difficulty understanding the idea of it all. Now she had even more questions than before about how the pack worked. It felt like an important thing to know but Alexandria was unsure that she would understand the concept before meeting everyone. And she thought it was best not to ask too many questions about it yet. So, instead, Alexandria gave Dominic a nod to motion that she had heard his words.

As they continued to move through the house, Alexandria started to wonder how she was suppose to fit into the 'pack'. She was clearly not a wolf, but did they still expect her to mold in? If that was the case, Alexandria assumed she would at the top of the hierarchy but did not know what to do with that. And it was extremely unlikely that Alexandria would listen to anyone without question. That was not something she even did with her own parents, so it would never happen with people she did not even trust. Would she get in trouble for this or would they understand that it was not how humans were?

Once they were in the next room, Alexandria started to question how to handle this. Surely, one more question would not be harmful? There was information that Alexandria needed if she wanted to at least pretend to try to make this work. Though, in reality, Alexandria just needed to know so she can figure out a way out of this beast's den. "I do not understand how I am meant to fit into the pack?"

Dominic and his parents had had quite a few lengthy conversations about what to expect moving forward. Humans were different from wolves, not always as submissive as wolves were to his father. It was natural to expect questions and confusion and even push back from them. Dominic had prepared himself as much as he possibly could for that because he knew lashing out at Alexandria and demanding submission right off the back would get him absolutely nowhere. He needed to be kind and understanding, and show grace in the coming months. And potentially years because no one had any clue how long it would take for Alexandria to adapt to her new life.

Alexandria would ultimately be considered to be at the top of the pack only after showing that she deserved that and could lead well. She would always be respected, of course, but she wouldn't make any decisions for years to come, in all likelihood. Dominic only hoped that she would be able to understand that... wolves would welcome her simply because his father had said to but that wouldn't make them look to her as a leader until she had proved herself as one.

He had meant to explain this all to her in due time but it seemed that the inquisitive nature that he had been warned about was already rearing its head when Alexandria spoke. Dominic bit back a sigh, shifting slightly before he turned to look at her. He contemplated answering her, almost deciding against it before realizing that if they were meant to be together, they needed to be open and honest about everything in their lives.

"You will be my beta, once you... are around and accustomed to our ways, everyone will look to you as a leader just as much as they look to me. You will be looked to for our needs... where as I will be more concerned over our relations with other packs and the like," Dominic explained, careful to keep his tone as light as possible.

A silence moved over Alexandria for a moment. Beta. She had a very loose idea of what that meant, but Alexandria definitely did not like the idea of that. Oh goodness, Alexandria prayed that they did not expect her to just submit to Dominic. If that was their plan, things were going to be so much more difficult than she originally thought. Would she get in trouble for stepping out of line? Or for disobeying Dominic and his family? What would they do if she started to argue with them? Alexandria knew she needed to be on her best behavior but it seemed unlikely that she was going to be able to agree and do everything they told her to. How would they even handle her when everyone else around them was so submissive?

Though there was something Alexandria did like about what he said. No one was going to be looking to her to lead for a while. It was what she had been expecting, but to have that confirmed did take some weight off of her shoulders. Alexandria was never interested in ruling their country and she plans on being long gone before something like that happened.

"Okay." Alexandria finally answered, not sure what more to say on the subject. She asked for an answer and he provided her with one. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but Alexandria certainly was not going to ask more than she had already did. At least having a sense of what was going on with her role here was going to be helpful. As her mind still mulled the idea of being a beta over, Alexandria folded her hands in front of her.

She continued to look around the house, figuring that her room must be coming up soon.

@ castle.

Dominic couldn't actually read minds, no, but he had a pretty damn good idea of what Alexandria was probably thinking. If it was anything like he could imagine, he wanted to at least offer her a bit of comfort. If she was to be his mate, Dominic wanted nothing more than to be a source of comfort and love to her. He was strong and able when it came to decisions that he had to make but that didn't mean a damn thing if he couldn't protect the very person that he was bonded to.

Moving through the halls quietly, Dominic led them to his room. He paused, glancing toward Alexandria for just a moment. "This is my room. If you need me for any reason, I'm here during the night most of the time. If not, one of the servants will be able to help you find me," he offered quietly before twisting around on his heel, stepping forward to open the door opposite of his. "Yours," Dominic offered, stepping out of the way so that she could go into the room. He wouldn't join her, to spend more time with her, as badly as he wanted to. He thought it might be best to give her a bit of space. Despite every fiber of his being telling him to do the exact opposite.

He cleared his throat, leaning against the door frame as Alexandria began to explore her room. Dominic shoved his hands into his pockets before he decided to speak. "For the record," he paused, running his tongue along his bottom lip. "You will be my beta but regardless of what others feel, I do not expect you to fall into that roll immediately. It will take time. Adjustment on both of our parts but I believe that with some work and being openminded, that we can bring our peoples' together..." Dominic spoke, chewing on his bottom lip. "So long as we work together. Not... against each other," he said. Dominic drew in a deep breathe. "I mean that just as much to myself as to you so I... I hope you're open to making this work just as I am."