Avery's Story: Chapter 5

Avery sat in his sitting room and closed a history book and smiled.

-flashback-

"Make love to me..." Nina said. Perhaps the best birthday present he had received was her smile, though that of an intoxicated young woman. Her paw gripped his collar and she pulled him close. Her golden eyes more beautiful than ever.

"Nina..." Avery kissed her hearing her coo and begin to pur. She was longing for his touch. "Nina I want you to come to be without influence of mead..." Avery said as he broke the most amazing kiss. It was his first and was beyond anything he could have dreamed."

"What do you mean? I am totally myself.." she laughed and hugged him. Avery knew in this moment he could not take what he wanted more than anything. He wanted to to offer herself to him when she truly did desire him. Avery crawled into the bed and held her tightly, not wanting the moment to end.

"Making love is much different... Than i imagined!" Nina said in a slurred voice as he just held her. It wasnt long and the intoxicated wildcat was asleep in his arms. He held her awhile before getting up. He knew he dare not let her wake up and find him there, lest she tear out his jugular.

"Good night my fiance... And may you find it in your heart to ask me again... With your heart..." Avery considered taking her once more before gently kissing her and going to his own room.

-flashback ends

Avery stood up and stretched. He had been reading all morning, before long everyone would be awake. He couldn't not get his mind off her laughter. It was the most beautiful sound he had heard. And the best birthday gift he had received.

Lela walked in with his afternoon tea and biscuit. She had a claw mark slash on her chest. She was somewhat silent, but was smiling. "Good afternoon Avery. I made you your favorite tea." She places it down and pours it in a teacup.

"Thank you Lela. He grabbed her wrist and looked with a frown. "Are you okay?" Avery asked. He still had great feelings for the girl. "What happened to your chest?" He couldn't help but linger his stare to her perfect breasts. Breasts he had dreamed of for half of his life.

"I went to get tea for Nina but she didn't like me coming in so she scratched me. No worries though. It was just a warning." She laughed nervously.

"I am sorry... I should have tied her to the bed last night..." Avery said. "I... merely laid with her until she was asleep or perhaps we would be sharing our battle scar stories?" He still could not stop looking at her. Her heartless desire to help even when it was the woman who had entered Avery's life and taken her chances away. "Lela..." Avery took her paw and squeezed it. "I... I am sorry for the harsh words I shared at the alter..."

Lela looked at him. "It's alright. I deserved it all." She squeezes his paw back. "I regret what I did that day...I'm sorry."

"I know... I know you do Lela..." Avery looked away, the pain still so fresh of what had happened. He wanted to forgive to forget, maybe even move on and be with her eternally under the loving eyes of the goddess, but she had hurt him so badly. He had yet to look his father in the eye either.

Lela handed him a teacup. "Here you go." She bows her head. "I'll be back. I must attend to your fiancée."

"Lela... be careful... she got a little... well drunk off father's mead last night... it was not her intention... please try not to judge her too harshly..." Avery realized that without Nina in the picture, Lela would probably be half way across the country with Avery and their future family.

Avery though was still thinking of the laughter of his tipsy fiance the night before, a beautiful albeit aloof sounding thing. Avery smiled.

"She really makes you happy doesn't she," she whispers softly at him. Of course she was still a bit sad that she didn't have him.

"She can... at times..." Avery said softly. "I want her to make me happy... just seeing her does, and hearing her or seeing a smile." Avery said softly. "But I loved you... I had never loved like I loved you..."

She kisses his cheek. "I will always love you. When the world goes against you. I'll stand by you."

Avery felt the warmth in her lips. He felt the heat of her breath against his smooth and freshly shaved face. He found himself purring. As Lela walked away he sighed at what could have been.

His father walked in. "Son... can we talk? Please." He had a small plea in his voice.

"Father..." Avery sipped his tea, Lela made it as lovely as always. HE did not look back at him, only flicked his ears in an annoying way. "Just because I am King has not changed the fact I am your son... so I am obligated to still respect you and whatever it is you must say to me..."

"I know son. I just wanted to let you know that my actions...they were tainted and not made in a proper state of mind. I want you to do something for me."

"I know father..." Avery said with a heavy sigh. "Any man to turn down Lela would be the biggest fool on the planet...." Avery shook his head. "What can I do for you then father?"

"I want you and I to spar like we used to." He held out the sword.

"If you think it would help relieve some anger, I accept..." Avery stood up and removed his fur coat. "Shall we dance father?" Avery said getting into a defensive stance. He was small enough to know he would never beat Knivert in a wrestling match, but he was unmatched with the blade.

He chuckled and bowed before him. "Of course. I have to see if you won't step on your future wife's feet."

They clashed swords and Avery had forgotten how much he missed some time with the older man. He blocked parried and slashed a few times himself.

"You haven't slowed down a bit father..." Avery said.

"A king must know how to defend himself." He grins as he blocks an attack.

"I learned from the best... of course my own fiance has stabbed me and lets not forget the arrow incident on my first hunt..." Avery sparred with him. "I feel like you are here for more than sparring father... just because I have not been pleased as of late does not change the fact of our bond..."

"You're smart, sharp as an arrowhead." He ducks and looked at him. "I want to talk about someone serious."

"Well then father... your a multi tasker... talk..." Avery said spinning and blocking another attack by his father.

"It's about your mother." He said. "I'll have you know she was from Catophia...and the reason my father went to war with them."