The Wolf's Ruby Veil

Prologue: A Child of the Moon

Stars twinkled brightly overhead as the soft music of vielle, harps, flutes, and the harpsichord invited guests to gather to the center of the lavish ballroom as the host brought forth his intended to the first dance of the evening, the opening act to a love that would follow the two of them until the end of time.

Snow had begun to fall outside the party, the flakes small and light as they danced on the wind - twirling like the skirts of the many finely dressed noble women within the ballroom. A puff of air curled into the air like a cloud as a pair of ice-blues watched from the shadows outside of the ballroom near one of the exits that led to the gardens, strong arms crossed over a broad chest as the masculine frame leaned against the the ajar door - the cold winds of the season of Yule barely making him shudder.

"Siridéan?" a voice called.

The man turned as another man appeared from the opposite end of the balcony, his dove gray curls glowing in the pale half-crescent moonlight.

"Tadpole," the first man, Siridéan, greeted with a scowl.

"Come, cousin," the second man spoke, barely flinching as he came to a stop beside him, "as much as you want to scowl and stay away from the festivities, we should at least offer our congratulations to the Grand Duke and his bride-to-be."

"Please excuse me, I'm merely trying to contain my excitement and joy for him," Siridéan rolled his eyes heavenward as he spoke.

It did not seem fair that the leech who had ruled these halls for the past decade had actually been free of his curse.

When the three of them had last spoken, the man had been insistent that he did not care for the red-headed woman he was now dancing with - but then again, Drystan had sworn off love following the deaths of his parents. Siridéan didn't know the details surrounding the late Grand Duke's death as he was busy with trying to help locate his own father - who had gone missing one night - and he was only shy of the age of eleven at the time; however, from what he had heard during his time in the Calcheth courts, Drystan's father had succumbed to the ailment of greed and pride - before venturing into the Runewick Mines where he had met his demise when the ceiling collapsed upon him. It did seem that the promise and vow the Grand Duke had made all those years ago was short lived - especially when he had returned from the rose garden that Drystan had sealed off to everyone following his curse with the alchemist's daughter in tow, the two smiling with joy and love.

Siridéan could not help but feel a bit envious of Drystan; the woman was a beautiful flower with welcoming holly green eyes and soft-looking fiery red curls that framed her cream-colored features while little freckles marred her skin. Her scent was enchanting and her voice was soft - polite and sweet like honey. The leech surely was no good for such a wonderful looking woman - and Siridéan had mentioned it when he suggested expressing his interest in her; however, Drystan's possessiveness of the woman had made the wolf within him want to bite back, even though he knew he would be no match for Drystan's strength - if he was not already older than Siridéan by about two years, the Grand Duke was definitely built like an ox, even though his frame did not really show it.

'Must have been the continuous sparring he had done while in hiding,' Siridéan thought with a grumble.

"Siridéan," the voice of his cousin brought him back, "I know what you are thinking - do not try anything stupid."

"I have no intention on it," Siridéan answered with a huff, breath ghosting into the air again, "besides, I cannot enjoy the pleasures that you and Drystan can without causing serious damage."

"As if I was able to even feel anything to begin with," the second man spoke with a gentle shake of his head, "However, Drystan is the only one of us that has sought help for our conditions and from what he told me, it was Miss Calithea who found the curse in the first place. It would only seem logical that he would be the first of the three of us to rid his curse."