“Well, you do,” Eddie said. “But your royal title is always going to be different from your legal name. Monarchs have many monikers that they go by, and always have been. It’s your decision on how you want to be introduced, in what situation, though you’ll come to find some names are more helpful than others in certain circumstances. It’s not the same thing, sire. Names are power, and you want to utilize them as tools to get people to do what you want.”
I’d say. If you wanted to walk into a room and make sure people knew you were powerful, being introduced with a long,formal title was better than some average name. Though I could sense through our bond Charlie didn’t see it that way.
“Isn’t it so wonderful to have so many titles?” Eddie gushed. “If you get tired of one name, you can just pick another! I only get to choose between Eddie and Edwyrd, and I am very jealous.”
“Charlie Wahkin is just fine,” my husband grumbled.
“Yeah, and the Majestica family ain’t nothing to mess with,” Ivy emphasized. “You wanna talk about bodies piling up on the streets, take a look back at some of the showdowns between the Bianchi mob and the Majestica family during the 1920s. The two sideshatedeach other, and if your grandpa decides that he doesn’t want a Bianchi running around his palace, I’m dead meat.”
“That rivalry was over a hundred years ago. I get that vampires and Elves are immortal, but not even they can hold on to bad blood for that long,” I argued.
“Precious, you and your man have no idea what you’ve gotten yourselves into. These Elves like to play royal, but they ain’t no saints,” Ivy replied. “Both of you need a run down on how mob families work.”
“So tell us.” I leaned forward.
“First things first, you got the head of the family, which is the boss. In organized crime, there’s a hierarchy. All major decisions are made by the boss, and power trickles down to other people within the family that are beneath him, such as underbosses,” Ivy explained. “The wives of the family have their part to play, too, standing by their men no matter what goes down, prison, death or otherwise. You can’t refuse an order given by the boss, or one of the underbosses, because otherwise, you’re kaput. The dirty work is done by all the thugs at the bottom, but acceptance into the family isn’t freely given. You gotta earn your place and swear to be loyal to the family above all, even over the gods andyour loved ones, because the mob comes first. And you can’t ever get out once you’re in. If you try, you’re sleeping with the fishes.”
“Then why are you still here?” Kallie asked. “You left your dad’s gang.”
“I got tossed out on the street because my dad’s the boss, and as much as he hates me, he didn’t want to kill me,” Ivy explained. “The only reason I’m still alive is because I’m my dad’s only child. He thought throwing me out would make me reconsider my life choices and make me subscribe to livinghisway, since I’m bound to inherit the head position once my old man finally corks off— if he ever does.”
Ivy sank down in their chair. “Which iswhyif your grandfather wanted to get a big hit on the Bianchi mob, all he’d have to do was make sure I was taken care of.”
“My grandpa isn’t going to hurt you,” Charlie assured him. “You’re safe here in Ilamanthe.”
Ivy made a skeptical noise. “Sure, boss.”
After dinner, we had a short lesson in Elvish before Eddie told us we were free for the rest of the evening and it was a good idea we get some rest.
One of the rooms in Charlie’s suite had been converted into a mini-greenhouse for Sprigs. The little guy was enjoying jumping from leaf to leaf, sunbathing underneath the heat lamp. He gave us asqueeas we went by, and I waved back.
Oberi wanted to fly around the city and stretch her wings. I watched the phoenix go as she leapt off the balcony, soaring over the palace towers as her white feathers contrasted against the sunset sky. Charlie leaned against the balcony, and I smiled as I observed the wind brush back his hair.
“How do you feel about being a prince?” I asked.
Charlie shrugged. “I’m torn. Some of this is great. I get to be part of a big family, one that has a noble cause and all this history.”
His shoulders slumped. “Then, at the same time… it’s also a lot to take in. Sometimes too much.”
“It’ll get easier. It’s only the first day,” I promised.
“I don’t know if it will. My grandpa makes it sound like there’s a lot of responsibility. If I had grown up with this, it might’ve been easier, but I’ve been thrown into it.”
The setting sun cast rays across his darkened expression as he added, “I don’t like my dad, but when I see things from his perspective, I can understand why he ran away. Even though I would never leave, because Idowant this. It almost scares me… how easily I’m willing to do bad things for the family. My dad wasn’t comfortable with it, because he grew up in Forevermore and never had to be that bad person in order to survive. I have. If my grandpa were to ask me to do something morally reprehensible for the family, I’d do it, because I’ve already done bad things, and I wouldn’t flinch. I don’t know if that makes me a bad person… and honestly, I don’t really care if it does.”
“It’s okay to be conflicted.” I took his hand. “Maybe you’ll become sure of yourself once you spend more time here.”
“Maybe.” Charlie turned toward me and took both of my hands. “Let’s forget about it. I have a present for you.”
“A present? Where’d you find time to get me a gift during your busy day?”
“You’ll see.”
Charlie led me back to our bedroom and in front of a large floor-length mirror. He pressed his hand to it, and a portal began to open. “There’s a panic room on the other side of this wall that only I can get into. It’s meant to be a safehouse for us if there’s an emergency, but I had a better idea for it.”
I wheeled through the portal and into the room. An enormous smile spread across my face as I took in the area. In the middle of the room sat a king-sized bed with restraints attached to each of the posts, along with a bar overhead that hadbeen drilled to the ceiling. On the wall hung all kinds of toys— whips, chains, rope and ribbons.
A dresser sat beside the bed. I went to it and began opening drawers. Vibrators, rabbits, cuffs, blindfolds and other toys were laid out on the velvet pillows within the drawers. Everything in the room was shades of black and green, and burning black candles hovered in the air as the only light.
