At Arms Length

Chapter 9

"Where is your brother?" my father asked readjusting his facial features to conceal his shock. Ops, I forgot to call him to tell him where father was when I found him. I pulled my phone from my bodice and called my brother. "Found him!" I said when I heard Lance pick up his phone. "Where?" he answered quickly, I could hear him moving between people chatting. "Near the stage at a table." I could practically picture him nodding his head before he said, "Be the in a minute," and hung up. I rolled my eyes and looked at my father who had sat down again, talking in a hushed tone to my uncle Xander. "He is on his way to us, father." My father nodded in response and then continued his hushed conversation. Knowing he would not need to talk to me until Lance arrived I walked over to my mother. "Mother, you look gorgeous like always. Hey aunties!" I greeted the whole table with a big smile. I loved parties simply for the reason that I got to see all my relatives. "Why, thank you sweetie, I glad to see that you are enjoying your ball." I nodded and laughed. "Yes, I am. Though there have been some bumps in the road." She gave me a comforting smile and rubbed my arm, "I heard, though I have a feeling that was not the only trouble you had tonight." I let out a sigh my smile slipping a little, "You always can tell can't you? I had a talk with Cameron and though daddy is being more open now we most likely will not be seeing or talking to him maybe ever." My mother gave me a sad smile, she knew how much my friendship with Cameron had meant to me. It still hurt that I couldn't be around him anymore since we had been friends for so long. "Everything will work out sweetie." My mother reassured me, which helped a little with the sad feeling that had made my stomach feel as if it had dipped.

Lance finally arrived looking a bit ruffled. "What took so long? Did you get attacked by your fan club?" His face blushed a deep red and I let out an unladylike snort. "Wow! Really bro?" I asked between laughs. He glared at me and huffed at me with annoyance. "Lance." My father said stopping our banter, we both look at our father. "Tell me what you saw in the garden, and be specific." Crap, Lance is going to rat out Luke. I looked at Lance giving him pointed look. I did not want there to be more clashing between lycans and vamps, because of one scumbag vamp that did not get the memo that I was not interested. He rolled his eyes at me, "I had been in the garden to get some air and I heard Victoria struggling against some creep. So of course I intervened, but little Vicky did not really need my help. She managed to push him off when she finally lost her temper and her eyes turn a glowing silver. The little creep got scared by this and crawled away quickly. I was too shocked by the glowy eye thing that I forgot to grab the creep before he got away, sorry father." Our father nodded his head in thought, we knew that we both purposely kept the creep's name from him. "How long did the 'glowy eye thing' last?" my father asked thoughtfully. Lance looked at me and then back at our father, "It took a few minutes, she looked like she was going to attack me. So, showed I was not a threat and waited for her to calm."

Our father nodded looking as though he was in deep thoughts. "So, uh is there something wrong with me daddy?" I asked worry very evident in my voice. My father gave me a reassuring look and pulled me to him for a hug. "No, but I have a book that you will need to read tomorrow. Now go and have fun, this is your party after all sweetie." My father said gruffly in my ear then kissed the side of my head and let me go. I nodded at him and asked with dreed, "Is the book long and boring?" My father chuckled, "Yes, and no, but it will answer your questions." I gave him a begrudged look. "You couldn't give me the sparknotes version?" My father gave me a confused look, and Lance laughed next to me. "You honestly think he knows what sparknotes is?" I shrugged and laughed, "Sorry I forgot how out of touch he is with the new age." Our father gave us glares and growled. "We should run, right?" I whispered to Lance and he nodded in agreement. We quickly turned and of course I ran straight into a male's chest.

"Omph, I am s-so s-sorry." I stuttered and looked to see who I almost trampled. "Its fine, Victoria." A smile grew on my face, "James." I said relieved that it was him and not some body that would hold it against me. My relief was replaced with total and utter embarrassment as I saw two adult vampires that I assumed were his parents. He had obviously gotten most of his looks from his father, though he did get his amazing blue eyes from his mother. I wanted to find a closet and hide, there were plenty of them around this huge mansion. "I-uh, please let me disappear right now." I whispered the last part to myself though I know James heard me, because he chuckled. "Mom, dad this is Princess Victoria, the young woman I was hoping to court." James said though he didn't sound formal like every other royal I ever met lycan and vampire alike. I quickly took off my mask and curtsied towards them. "It's very nice to meet you both. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not usually this clumsy, but ask James he could tell you stories. Oh, gosh I'm rambling aren't I?" I looked at James panicked.

I was a princess so I was very use to socializing, but for some odd reason I was acting like a rambling idiot in front of James' parents. They all laughed and James' mom did something I never expected, she hugged me. I stood frozen for a few seconds with utter surprise then my brain started to work again and I hugged her back. "Don't worry dear we don't bite, well I don't anyway. That's my husband's job." James' mom said letting me go from our unexpected hug. She definitely was not a vampire or a lycan, I sniffed her and I couldn't place her species. No, it's not weird I sniffed her, I know it sounds strange but in my defense her smell surrounded me when she hugged me. "I – uh, if you don't mind, I know it's rude but..." she smiled at me and answer my unasked question, "Oh, dear it's fine. I know you don't get many witches around here, so you don't know what we smell like." I turned bright red and looked down. Well that's definitely true, but still embarrassing that she knew I sniffed her. "Oh, well now that that is cleared up. Let's go see your parents. Oh well they are right behind you, great!" James' mom said with a bright smile. I nodded and moved away from James to let his parents pass to meet mine.

"Sebastian! Clara! It is so nice to see you too!" my mother said brightly to James' parents. So they know each other already, I guess that is not that surprising really. I looked at James and he did not seem at all surprised by this, great so he knew but I didn't. Well at least this seems to give our possible relationship some leeway. "I should have known he was your son! He looks just like his father!" My mother continued excitedly. "Sebastian." My father greeted James' father gruffly with a hand shake, dang they must be friends because usually my dad refuses to shake hands with anyone that he doesn't deem worthy. Yes, I know that sound snobbish but he is a king. "So, he's your son I see. Well then I am definitely fine with this if you are." My father continued in the same gruff tone, I smiled at this. "Yep, he is and I'm glad you are fine with it. I was shocked when James told us, we knew he had a crush on a lycan girl, but we never imagined one of the princesses being the target of his affections." His father chuckled and winked at James, who was blushing. Oh my goodness it was too cute, though I could barely see it under his mask. "So exactly how long has he had this crush?" I asked giving James a smirk. He narrowed his eyes at me, "Victoria and I are going to go dance," he said before his dad could rely to my question. Sebastian winked at me and mouthed 'I'm tell you later.' I giggled and nodded while I was pulled away from our parents.

"So, how long? Unless he wasn't talking about me and you have a crush on somebody else." I said as we slowly swayed to the music. He chuckled and leaned next to my ear, "Seven years, though most of it was pining from afar as you never noticed me." A shiver of excitement slide down my spine, though his words made me feel bad. "Really? Why didn't you ever try to talk to me? Wait, you know that whole not talking to me thing really annoyed me to no end right?" I asked moving to look him in the eyes. He gave me a sad smile, "sorry, he who is an idiot, ordered his guards to not talk to you," he said with an annoyed look on his face. I looked down, Cameron just ruins everything doesn't he. "Also I was scared that if I approached you, you would reject me. I'm not that great when it comes to talk to you, I fine when it comes to anyone else but you always made me feel like I was going to mess up and say something stupid. Plus everyone knew about how you felt about him. Except him of course, but I was scared to put myself out there and know that you would not return the feelings I had for you." He continued and pulled me closer almost as though he was reassuring himself that I was really in his arms. At that moment I did not care if the whole room saw us, so I leaned forward and placed my lips on his softly and savored the feeling for a few seconds. I pulled away and gave James a bright smile, "I'm glad you came to talk to me on the balcony and I am glad that I finally opened my eyes and noticed you." He smiled back at me his fangs showing for a second and gave me a kiss in return, just as sweet and short as mine. "Me too, Victoria. I'm glad that I finally got to really talk to you." I nodded and leaned my head onto his shoulder and we continued to dance and share small conversations that were comfortable and sweet.