Desire

Rubbing her temples hard and sipping at her tea, it was fair to say that Melinda was in a state. Somewhere out there, Honey was out in the cold, in the dark, and if she got hurt, it wasn't only her life at stake. It was the life of the little baby she was carrying too, and Melinda regretted leaving her behind like that. She had grown incredibly fond of Honey over the months, so much so that she was rather hoping Honey didn't leave her life after the baby was born. She needed a woman like Honey in her life because she made her feel alive and worthwhile and just... confident.

"...I don't want to discuss that, I... I can't. I physically cannot do that right now, Philip," she whispered, the fact she was so pale and seated so far from him not being a great sign. Like Philip, she was a great actor when she needed to be, and all day she had hidden behind a smile, pretended everything was just peachy while Honey was with them.

But now, she couldn't keep going with that facade a moment further.

"I... I found your clothes, Philip. Underneath your bed. Bloody, dirty clothes wrapped around a... a bloody dagger," she murmured slowly, staring into the fireplace and taking a deep swig of her tea. "I... I want the truth. An explanation. No excuses. I haven't gone to the police or told anyone, I simply... want to hear from you what it is I found and what it means. Please... Please tell me you just... went hunting for deer or something silly like that."
 
His face dropped instantly, and the color vanished as if someone blew a candle out. "Melinda..." Began the man, moving to take her hands, gripping them tightly. "....It isn't what you think. One night I was out in the lower class area, dressed liked them. I wanted to survey the area, see how poor it was so I can get some of my guys at work to fund them. This thief somehow recognized me and came at me with a dagger. I was able to dodge and grab hold of it. But I realized he wasn't going to stop. He was going to kill me. So I did what I had to do." The story was believable, and he was such a good liar.
 
The woman shakily glanced at her husband, her big doe-like eyes staring at him. Whether she believed him with all her heart was irrelevant - the fact she actually believed he could hurt someone was telling. She could have simply laughed when she saw the clothes, shrugged off any illegal motive and believed instantly that her honest, loving husband had simply gone out hunting and forgot to hand her the dirty laundry.

But she didn't. She held doubt and fear in her heart about what her husband might be up to, and even when he said this excuse with such conviction, she still warily frowned and gulped hard.

"...Thank goodness, I... I was worried. Why didn't you tell me? I'm your wife, Philip. You are supposed to tell me things. I... I have no secrets from you. I allowed you to sleep with another woman, that's how much I trust and love you. H-How dare you hide this from me!"
 
"I didn't want you to see me as a monster." Answered the man, this time honestly. If Melinda didn't look at him with those lovingly blue eyes, he wouldn't know what he would do. He would probably just end himself. He had fallen for this woman, harder than he ever anticipated. He couldn't have her seeing him as the monster he truly was.

Leaning his forehead on her, he closed his eyes tightly before whispering, "You mean the world to me, Melinda. If you were to suddenly start hating me my life would be meaningless. I love you, and everything about you." Promised the man. Pulling away, he smiled brightly down at her, before saying, "let's not bring up bloody clothes and daggers again...I feel awful about taking a person's life....You don't see me as a monster do you?"
 
"...You aren't a monster, no. You are a very ignorant and idiotic man, but you aren't a monster," she eventually sighed, her face softening and her body finally moving in closer to his, her hand taking his and gently running a thumb across his knuckles with a tender gentleness. She could never stay mad at him, no matter how hard she tried. Besides, she did believe that he had only been defending himself.

She was oblivious to the true horrors her husband had committed, both in his youth and more recently.

"I... I like the name Julian," she agreed, titling her head with a graceful smile. "It's lovely, I... I think it'll suit our darling boy, don't you? And... maybe Honey can stay a little while, to recuperate. She's made it clear she doesn't want to be a mother, and she's... a dear friend of mine, Philip. If she needs somewhere to stay to heal, I want her to feel like she has a place here."
 
"Alright. I don't mind her staying a little while." Answered Philip with a smile. Silently he promised, for real this time to end all of his cannibal tactics. He wouldn't ever kill again. For his wife, and his darling Julian. Taking his cup of tea, he sipped at it, looking at the clock, now beginning to really worry for Honey. "....Should we go looking for her? It's getting late now."
 
Almost as soon as her name had been mentioned, in walked Honey, the woman quiet and subdued until spotting the couple on the couch staring at her, as though expecting her to explain just what had happened.

"...We had a conversation. He was as foolish as a drunkard and as rude as one too. He offered me the chance to leave with him, said it was all he had wanted, but I refuse to believe him. And yes, he's the reason I called myself Honey. My real name's Penelope, that's true too. What else... Oh, only the fact I also gave my ring up after... years of holding onto it. I've moved on," she murmured confidently-- though her confidence only came through in her voice. Physically, it was clear that she wasn't doing well.

Honey had always been confident. She'd never let anyone see her vulnerability, but seeing Alejandro again brought back all those feelings when she had been human. It was hard to switch that emotional tap off now it had been switched on.

"I'm fine, I... I'm fine, honestly. He can find another woman easily, you saw how handsome he is. He's... flawless. Some other lucky young thing will be charmed by him and whisked off."
 
"Honey.....I'm sorry you had to see him again...If we didn't pester you to take the walk, you wouldn't have seen him. If there's anything we can do to make you feel better let us know." He stood up, walking over to hug her patting her back. "I'm so sorry." Looking over to his wife for support, since Melinda knew Honey so well.
 
"I wouldn't apologise too soon, he'll probably be around here tomorrow, expecting you to invite him in for dinner. You don't... understand him. If he really wants something, he'll pursue it until he gets it. It's why he's turned up in New Orleans, in this neighbourhood - for me. He said it was his plan, and he's waited all this time. If he wants me to go with him, he's going to continue to hang around until I say yes. I'd get used to him if I were you," she drawled and took a seat on the armchair opposite, kicking off her heels and only allowing herself to relax when she was comfortably seated and had the weight off her feet.

She knew what Alejandro was like. He seemed pretty certain that he wanted her to go with him. If he'd waited centuries for the right time to come and find her, he wasn't going to give up at the first hurdle.

And a small part of her wanted him to chase her. She loved that feeling of being wanted, so maybe she was playing with him a little, making him annoyed that he came running. He probably knew that, too. This was just a little... game between them at this point, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Your son's kicking me to death tonight," she murmured, sitting up a little more as she rested a hand on her stomach thoughtfully. "You'll both do brilliantly, I'm sure. As parents, I mean. Alejandro said he wanted a child with me, something about an 'heir'--"

"Is he... oh goodness... is he royal? You said 'heir'. He... He certainly seemed regal," blurted Melinda, rushing back from the kitchen with the hot milk and honey she made the succubus drink each night. "...And you said he might come around tomorrow evening? Oh-- Oh gosh, we have to fetch in caviar and steak, maybe pheasant-- something a royal would eat, Philip! I-I have to go shopping tomorrow morning."
 
"Royal? You mean to tell me you know someone royal?! Honestly, Honey, you should tell us things like this. Sweetie, we need to make sure we get new cloth for the table. When will he be here? Tomorrow? This is stressful. I'll make sure we have wine up to his liking. Of course, he may have tasted something better though. He's royalty. And in need of an heir? That's just amazing! I can't wait to properly meet him. I should have known he was royalty, did you see that cane?"
 
Sighing heavily, it took everything Honey had not to snap at the two. Hearing them gush and get excited about putting on some dinner for Alejandro was sickening. Sure, he might be a King and he might have power and riches beyond belief, but that didn't make him special. Frankly, she knew he would love to come and be stared at in awe by the humans, which made her all the more irritated with him.

But hey, he was only doing what she always did by making himself the centre of attention. She couldn't really blame him for it.

"...I didn't entirely know he was... royal. It doesn't make him a good person. He is still a self-entitled fool of a man. Just one that apparently wants me to join him, which isn't remotely appealing. I'm not the marriage type. I'm not a motherly type, either. Can you honestly say you imagine me sitting, caring for a baby when I could be out dining with men and drinking myself silly? No? Because that's not me. I'm not giving him any of that. He can chase me all he wants, he'll have to be extremely patient."
 
"Maybe he is patient. Wow, Honey. Having a King wait on you. That's marvelous really." Chuckled the man, moving to rub her swollen ankles. "Well, anywho, he will be our guest tomorrow. I'm excited to meet this King Alejandro. I've never had the pleasure of chatting with a King. Some councilmen sure. And Melinda's family is involved with the president. But no kings."
 
"He's probably King of somewhere in Hell, it won't be anywhere you've heard of," she muttered, albeit under her breath so he couldn't hear her. He was hardly going to be King of some little European country, or she'd have heard about it during her travels across the whole of the world.

"And gosh, Philip, don't become his fanboy. I thought you were on my side. He abandoned me, he broke my heart and left me alone to suffer with nobody to help me," she whined, purposely pouting in the hopes of having him sympathise with her again. It was a facade, of course. She didn't really get that upset about it these days, not now it was replaced with this fierce anger towards him, but she didn't need Philip to know that. She'd gladly fake being emotional if it meant winning his support back.

"He'll be here, but honestly, he might not. I'm just guessing. He likes doing that, turning up when he's not invited. He snuck into my bedroom when we were dating all the time, it's his 'thing'. He'll come here, smirk at me and make my night hell."
 
"Maybe he likes to keep things interesting. And don't degrade me so much as to call me a fanboy. That's rude. I'm an English Gentleman." Stated the man as he rubbed her sore ankles. "Melinda darling, I'll be home tomorrow. I'll help you set up, and make sure everything is perfect love. I know you have no problem handling it alone, but I do want to help you, love."
 
"Oh, there's no need-- well, maybe it'll be helpful. We need fresh flowers on every surface and I'd love that black dress you bought for me, but it's at the dry cleaners, so that'll need to be picked up again. And oh, I need my hair done! I can't dine with a... a King and have my roots show, it'll be so embarrassing," babbled Melinda. It was fair to say that all her concern with her husband and those bloody clothes had now been eliminated from her mind - all she was concerned with was making sure everything was spot on for the arrival of Alejandro. She wanted to hate the man after what he did to Honey, who was a good friend of hers now, but... well, she couldn't go hating a King, could she? It was social suicide.

Which was why, the following day, every inch of the house and every physical inch of Melinda herself was perfect. She'd spent the whole day cleaning, decorating, setting the table and making sure she and her husband were dressed smartly, just in the hopes of impressing an actual King. Hell, she was looking forward to her next visit to Washington D.C, just so she could brag to her uncles. They may dine with the President, but she was going to dine with a King.

Except, Honey didn't seem as excited. While Melinda was patiently sat on the couch by the fireplace, dressed in her beautiful black dress and shimmering with the various diamonds her husband had bought her over the three years of their marriage, Honey was nowhere to be seen.

"...Will she come down, do you think? He... He's coming to see her, Philip. She needs to come down, don't you think? O-Oh gosh, I... I hope we haven't upset her by fussing, it's just... he's... royalty! I-It's not easy to say no to that."
 
Philip, dressed just as smartly as his wife, glanced over to her letting a stressed sigh out. "...Maybe you should check on her. You're closer to her. And aren't girls good with comforting each other?" Asked the man, as he moved to sit down with his wife. However, he popped right back up when hearing the door. Clearing his throat, he went to go get the door, seeing Alejandro standing behind it.

Alejandro looked at Philip offering one of those dashing smiles. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm here for Honey. Allow me to properly introduce myself. We were interrupted yesterday. I'm Alejandro, Penelope's fiance."

Philip arched a brow, thinking about how similar he and Honey were. Both were so confident bordering cocky. "Ah, Alejandro, come in. It's a pleasure to have you here. I"m Philip Nottingham. This is my gorgeous wife, Melinda Nottingham. I believe Honey is upstairs. When did you two get engaged?"

"Hmm? Oh, we aren't just yet. But we will be once she gets tired of running away. My little Honeybee loves to put up a fight."
 
The man had the most cocky, arrogant, almost repulsively narcissistic personality Melinda had come across, and yet she found herself hanging on his every word. He was charming, he drew people in, and however cocky he acted, it wasn't enough to dissuade her from just... liking him.

"I... I'm sure she'll come around, she's very stubborn but... but, well, how can she possibly turn down a man as charming and as lovely as you?" Melinda smiled politely, gently handing over the chilled glass of wine she had been waiting ages to serve to him. The wine cost more than she liked to admit, but no expense had been spare making the night worthy for royalty. "Come and sit, dinner will be ready soon! I hope you like steak? It's my Philip's favourite, he's got such fine tastes."
 
"So I've heard." Replied the man, taking the glass of wine. Philip stiffened for a second, wondering what he meant by that. Honey had said something similar along the lines when they had met, and she knew his secret. Could this man possibly know it too? He couldn't have, right?

"So tell us about yourself, Alejandro. While we wait for Honey."

"You believe she's still here? Knowing her she probably ran off to hide, waiting for me to leave. But I suppose we can wait until my little Honeybee gets tired and comes back. As I mentioned, Honey and I are to be engaged. I need a wife and an heir. Honey fits the bill perfectly. But she feels as though she doesn't. And she keeps screaming about how much she despises the air I breathe, funny girl isn't she?"
 
Of course Honey had gone. Melinda almost wanted to slap herself for being so naive. Only last week, Honey had climbed from the window and spent the night at a diner just to avoid one of Melinda's rants about how she wasn't 'putting good things into her body'. Melinda had wanted her to eat her greens and her vegetables - something Honey hated to do. So, instead, she'd climbed out and snuck off to a diner, where she'd happily ate a big plate of cheesy pasta.

As annoyed as Melinda was about it, she had to admit it was rather impressive that Honey could do that while being so pregnant.

"...I'm sure she'll come back soon, though. She loves steak and we have a lovely dessert for afters, and she won't stay away for long, I'm sure," she began quietly, reaching to fill up a glass of wine for herself. "She's... just angry at you. I'm sure she'll calm down. Philip annoys me sometimes, but he's just so handsome and perfect that I can't be mad at him for long. He's such a darling that--"

"Oh god, don't start on this sickly lovey-dovey crap tonight, Melinda, please," groaned Honey, the woman entering the house-- though she arrived from the stairs. Contrary to what they believed, she hadn't snuck out. Instead, she'd had a long bath and... well, she made sure every inch of her was perfect. Her hair was up in a fashionable style, her jewels were on display, her makeup was inch perfect and... typically, she'd opted for one of her more glamorous dresses-- one she'd had to sit down and adjust so it fitted her maternal figure.

Granted, Melinda didn't think Honey would get dressed up for a man she hated, but that was Honey's idea. She wanted to look more beautiful than ever and catch Alejandro's attention, just so she could turn him down. Was it fucked up? Sure - but both Honey and Alejandro played these games with one another. It wasn't anything new.
 
"Darling you look gorgeous in that dress. You know what would set it off perfectly? My ring. I could buy you a new one, a bigger one if you want." Promised the man, as his eyes stayed on her loving how gorgeous she was.

Philip was surprised that she got dressed up as well. In his head, like any man would think, she was trying to impress him. Of course, men didn't think of complicated plans like women do. Well wasn't it dandy that they were going to work things out! Philip grinned, before standing up. "Shall we head to the dining room? Dinner is going to be great tonight."

"Oh of course." Smirked the man as he stood up, moving to help Honey up. "My dear Honeybee, I was thinking for our wedding you should wear yellow. Yellow suits you well, don't you think?"
 
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