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The Monkey Prince and the Werewolf Princess ( MoonlightPrincess and SamuraiKing)

"Well, since we'll have some play time later I believe now the question is can you handle a werewolf girl?" She posed the question to Zhao in a flirtatious yet witty tone as she watched him with a challenging gaze. "So the person or couple in each room is aloud to change it to their tastes." She said, this time talking more to herself than to him. She wasn't sure why but it surprised her. As Zhao went onto say she was more than welcome to have a Beer she didn't hesitate in moving over to the fridge and getting herself one. She opened the can up and took a drink.

"I'm sure you'd like to see me in one of her Chinese dresses; looking at the very least semi girly." She said, her tone one of joking as she made a face as if she had tasted something sour. It was expected of her, given her title to dress, talk and act like a woman should but she clearly much preferred to wear comfortable clothes as opposed to the dresses her parents insisted she wore. "I not only wouldn't mind wearing your clothes, I prefer a man's clothes to a dress any day." She added before taking another drink of her beer.

As his grin changed to a warm smile as she requested her call her by her name, she returned it with a warm smile of her own. "I'd stick to 'Princess' if my parents are summoned here, though." Roxanne warned him. "They seem to think because I'm the princess of our pack and it's my title that I have no name." She added, rolling her eyes. Then as he leaned on the counter and looked up into her eyes the look of challenge disappeared and she looked into his eyes with a gaze filled with warmth and affection for him.
 
Sun Zhao shrugged at her accusation about him not minding seeing her is a Chinese Dress. Which, of course, he wouldn't have minded at all. "You caught me, Rox. The dresses my people made in the 20th century have this amazing effect that brings out the true beauty of a woman. I cannot deny I would not mind seeing you wear one. But, if you had rather not I shan't complain." He took another sip of beer to hide his grin.
He did show his grin, however, when she warned him about her parents. "Oh I am sure that they need a reminder that you indeed have a name. A lovely one, in fact. But I shall take heed of thou warning, oh kind and lovely princess of pooches."

Zhao knew that gaze she gave him. Hell, he gave it back. He was really liking this girl. The affection was plain to see in both eyes. His own fiery golden eyes gazed into hers for a few seconds, but he broke contact first. Much longer and who knows what could have happened.
Well, Zhao did know.
Some wizards called it a soul gaze. Zhao liked to call it the past perception, because that is what is basically boiled down to. When a magical being or someone with magical powers looks into someones eyes for too long it initiates it. For the briefest moments they look into one another's souls.
You see what makes up their soul and that is mostly past tragedies and things of that nature.
Zhao did not want her to see his past. Not yet,anyway. If their relationship went somewhere than he would show her what it took to make his soul what it was today. But for now, he looked away.
 
"Well, today there is certainly no chance you're seeing me in one but perhaps one day you will and who knows, that one day might just be whenever my parents are summoned here but I doubt I posses any "true beauty"." She said, not wanting to squash his hopes completely but when she spoke about her beauty her tone held a hint of sadness, as if she believed what she had said as the truth.

When the subject changed to her parents she found herself agreeing with him and as they talked about her parents she hoped he hadn't heard the sadness in her voice, not wanting to worry him. "Why, thank you, Zhao." Roxanne said, welcoming his comment on how lovely he thought her name was as she could feel her cheeks becoming red and a bit heated as she blushed. "However, I don't think you should be the one to remind them. I highly doubt you want the leaders of a fairly large wolf pack pissed off at you because they think what you're saying is that they don't know how to treat their daughter right." She said and by her tone of voice it seemed as if that was exactly the way they would take it.

As they gazed into each others eyes Roxanne seemed lost in his eyes but after a few seconds when he was the first to break contact she looked away from him. Like Zhao, she knew exactly what could happen if their gazes remained locked for much longer than a few moments. Roxanne had only experienced a Soul Gaze once and it had been a few hundred years ago but it it still scared her to get emotionally close to a man. He had been a human and she had seen that he watched his parents be killed. Soon after her parents found out she was seeing him and put an end to the relationship. Roxy sat her still half full beer can on the counter and shook her head. "I'm going to go take that shower.." She said, glancing at him but not allowing herself to stop and look. Roxanne then turned and headed for the closed door, stopping for a moment to look back at him to reply to an earlier comment. "What's next, are you going to call us flea bags?" She asked, her tone half playful yet half scared of something but by the way her Hazel eyes took in his body it wasn't him she was scared of.
 
Zhao frowned as he heard the sadness in her voice. "That is nonsense" He told her, "Your far more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. Now go shower, i'll put some clothes out for you." He finished off his beer and threw it out as she went into the bathroom. As she walked to the bathroom she left him one last playful remark.
"Heh!" Zhao laughed, though he noted the fear that was hidden in her voice. And it was not him that she was fearing. Zhao wondered what she did fear. "Nah I was thinking of something with a little more dignity. Like Puppies, or hounds or something like that. I am sure your dad won't mind if I call him Lassie or Rin Tin Tin"

As Roxy took her shower Zhao brought out some jeans and a black t-shirt with
"JOIN THE DARK SIDE. WE HAVE PIE" written on it in bold white letters. He put the clothes on the bed and walked back into the living room. Another beer in hand, he sat on the couch and got lost in thought.
And here he thought he had promised himself he would not fall in love again...Not after Kyoko. Not since the second world war....
 
As she opened the door to his bedroom and walked in she could clearly hear his statement about how she didn't realize just how beautiful she was followed by what sounded by the tone of Zhao's voice like a playfully demand. Roxy found herself wanting to go back out to him and playfully refuse to comply with his order but this time decide to resist the urge and bite her tongue; letting him win this time. With that she made her way across his bedroom and opened the door to the bathroom, slipping in the door before shutting it behind her. Rox had left the bedroom door open so that he could come in and lay her out some clothes, trusting him to close the door behind him when he was done. After all, Zhao seemed polite and it would seem he knew how to treat a woman right. Quite the opposite of most of the men within her own pack, who would do anything to get a peak at a woman nude.

As she retrieved a towel and washcloth for herself from the small cabinet as you walked into the bathroom she could hear his comment about what else she could call her people she rolled her eyes and made a mental note to comment on it once she was out of the shower and dressed. With that she started the water and as it warmed she stripped, her jeans, t-shirt and undergarments falling to the floor. Once the water was warm enough she stepped into the tub and stood under the spray of warm water coming from the shower head. As she began to wash her body after getting shampoo in her hair Roxy could faintly hear Zhao as he brought in some clothes for her to change into and it made her smile to herself when she could hear him close the door softly behind him on his way out. She enjoyed the rest of her shower and about twenty minutes later when she was done washing her body as well as shampooing and conditioning her hair, Roxy turned off the water and climbed out, wrapping the towel around her. The big and soft Baby Blue colored towel made her feel warm, as if she were in wolf form and her skin was protected by her warm and thick fur.

As she walked from the bathroom and into the bedroom, opening the door she left the bathroom door open. As she walked over to the bed and her eyes discovered the shirt the words on it brought a smile to her face. She also found a pair of boxer shorts and jeans laid out for her on the bed. Roxy used the towel to dry her body before getting dressed, putting the boxers on first, followed by the jeans and then the shirt. She then went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, running her fingers through her hair. Despite how long, thick and curly it was, her nails usually worked just as good as a brush.

She then walked out of the bathroom and opened the door to the bedroom. "Hey babe, is this your way of inviting me to the dark side? Because if it is, cake would work so much better." She tease with a grin on her face as she stood in the door way to his bedroom. "Oh, by the way, where would you like me to put my clothes?" She asked, knowing it sounded like a silly question but she was unsure of where to put them. It was clear she had already become comfortable and relaxed around him. Not that she would tell him put it was even clear she was beginning to form a strong love for him. Sure, she had been with a few men, but she had never cared for them this deeply and she hadn't even been with a man for a couple hundred years.
 
"So I'm 'babe', now?" Zhao asked her, eyebrow raised. Her words had brought him out of his sorrow filled memories and back into reality. A slight blush pinked his cheeks at her words. It was pretty obvious she was quickly growing comfortable around him. And Zhao was not complaining. "Not that I mind, really." He gave her a playful grin at her comment on the shirt. "True, but I am afraid the Dark Side was also hit pretty bad by the economy, and pie is cheaper than cake." He looked down at his beer and realized it was empty. When the hell did he drink it?

He looked back up at Roxy and pointed towards the bathroom. "There is a dirty clothes hamper in there. Just put them in there. I'll do a wash soon." He let out a small grunt as he stood up and thew away his second beer bottle. "Shit I am hungry. You want anything specific to eat? I was just going to make some eggs and bacon." Who cares if it was almost 11 at night? He had a hunger for some breakfast.
 
"Well, I figure if you can call me "Princess of Pooches" or any other canine related nick name, then I can call you almost anything I want, correct? By the way, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or if you don't like me calling you "Babe" or any other name I might call you." She said, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. As his reply she couldn't help but grin. "Well, I suppose it makes sense that the Dark Side get hit too, but can't you spring for cake for this one girl? After all, it will surely get her to join the Dark Side." Rox said, meaning for it to be both a comeback but at the same time her flirting with him. She had noticed when she first opened the bedroom door that before she had said anything that Zhao had a look of what seems like sorrow on face but said decided against asking about it, figuring that whatever had caused it she would learn in time if he wanted her to know.

Roxanne nodded as he looked back at her from the couch as he pointed to the bathroom. "Okay." She said, disappearing for a brief moment; long enough to gather her clothes and toss them in the hamper. When she returned she could see him throwing away his second beer bottle. Roxy shrugged at his question. "I don't care what you make, I'll eat whatever." She said, not taking the opportunity to tease him about wanting breakfast food so late.
 
"Well I suppose you do indeed have a right to call me what you wish...Princess" Zhao said, suppressing a huge grin as he made breakfast for dinner...Well ok, Breakfast for late night snack. He got everything out and began cooking. The eggs were all sunny side up, just the way he liked them best. He cooked the bacon crispy for himself and not so crispy for Roxy, know wolves like their meat a little rare. He also toasted and buttered some bread. All in all he had four eggs, five strips of bacon and one buttered toast for both his guest and himself.

He chuckled as he brought the plates of food over to the table. "Yeah, I agree with you, but I didn't suggest the recruitment method for the Dark Side." He sat one sunny side up egg atop his toast. It was something he saw awhile ago on one of those Japanese cartoons. He saw it and thought 'Hey! That looks pretty good!' and he had been eating egg-toast ever since.
As he ate he searched for another something they could talk about. He really did not want to talk about the case while they ate. Talking about murders made him lose appetite.
 
"You must like calling me that an awful lot." Roxy joked as she leaned against the counter, picking up her beer from where she had left it and finishing the second half of it off. As Zhao worked on gathering everything he would need, she watched him, often finding herself just watching him and half hoping he didn't see the affection her gaze held. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked as he began to cook, although she fully expected him to politely refuse any help from her. Hell, even if she wasn't his guest Roxy could easily see him insisting on doing things for her and she could easily hear him justifying it by saying that a princess deserved to have things done for her, even if that wasn't his reasoning for doing it.

Roxanne continued to watch him from the counter as he moved everything onto two plates, splitting the food evenly between them before carrying the two plates over to the table for them. Before joining him at the table she tossed her empty beer can in the trash before retrieving another beer from the fridge, getting a bottle this time. "Do you want another beer Zhao?" She asked and upon his answer she grabbed another bottle before closing the door and making her way over to the table. Roxanne sat his beer on the table in front of him before sitting in her seat across the table where he had sat her plate. "I guess you missed the meeting in which the recruitment method was decided, huh?" She asked, a joking tone still to her voice and although it wasn't as obvious as it had been before she still seemed this mixture of sad and scared, too. In fact, she was partially surprised he hadn't asked what was on her mind yet. Roxy opened her beer, taking a sip before beginning to eat herself, starting with her eggs and toast.
 
Zhao had noticed her gaze and the affection held within it, but he ignored it...Well Ignore seems harsh. Really, he made note of it and moved on for now. "Nah I got it, thanks" He had said to her. He was not the kind of guy that would not ask for help when needed, but c'mon, this is just breakfast. And anyway, she was his guest. He was from a time when a host was expected to treat their guest like a god...because they very well could be one. While Zhao knew Roxy was not a goddess, though she was sure beautiful like one, it was hard to break one's habits once you are hard set on them.
Speaking of habits... "Heh you could say I do, Roxy. Guess it has become a habit. I'll try and call you by your name from now on"

"Another beer sounds great, yeah. Thanks" He said. He began to eat his egg-toast, thinking of something to ask her. He didn't want to fall back on the default 'What can you tell me about yourself' question. Besides being overused it was kind of corny. He gave her a nod when she handed him another beer. It was then he noticed it again. More subtle this time, but still there. Her voice held twinges of sadness and fear.
"Roxanne" He said when she sat down, "What is wrong? You seem sad and afraid somehow...Is something on your mind?"
 
When Zhao spoke Roxanne looked up from her plate, swallowing what was in her mouth be speaking "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to ask." She said as she looked across the table at him, avoiding his eyes. Despite the subject of conversation there was a weak smile on her face. At first she seemed hesitant to tell him but knew she couldn't tell him it was nothing; he clearly knew something was bothering her and she didn't want to belittle him by pretending it was nothing. "I just have some stuff from the past on my mind. It's nothing you did or said." She answered, certain that he would push the issue until he got something more specific out of her. As she waited for him to either drop the subject or push it further she took a drink of her beer, trying to relax as she felt her muscles involuntarily tensing up.
 
Zhao noticed her tense up and frowned for the second time that night. He did not like to see her so tense and full of sorrow. "I see...Well If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here" Holy crap that was cheesy. Way to go, Zhao. He nearly sighed aloud and finished eating before saying something else. "Actually, I was thinking of past experiences as well. " He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I...It is a rather depressing tale, but I will gladly share it with you" He drank half his beer before adding, "But you will have to tell your story first, since I went first last time" He gave her a small, sad smile. In his mind, it was about time he told this tale to somebody. And who better than Roxy to tell it to? He was growing ever attracted to her the more time he spent with her. The attraction was not physical...well ok some of it was, but it was mostly a romantic attraction. He was falling in love with her....
 
As Zhao dismissed the issue for now by saying he was there for her if she ever wished to talk about she nodded and went back to eating her food, her eyes remaining on her plate and not wondering up to him as she finished her food. As she swallowed her last bite, Roxanne's gaze moved up to him. "So that's why you had this spaced out look of sorrow on your face when I walked out of the bedroom." She said, her tone of of understanding. Zhao's words helped her relax and helped her to feel even more comfortable around him. "Sounds fair to me." She said in response when he added on to his statement before returning his small, sad smile with one of her own. "There's probably something you should know first though, Zhao, I've never told anyone... About him." She admitted. Roxanne then took another drink of her beer. Like Zhao she was growing more attracted to him, not just because she found him physically attractive but but more so because their was a emotional bond between them and a romantic attraction was present, too.

Roxanne then leaned back in her seat and looked at Zhao, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath for a moment before opening her eyes to look at him again. She was trying to brace herself because she was certain that the first time telling anyone this was going to be rough. "This was at least three hundred years ago, maybe three fifty. I just remember being around two hundred at the time and I didn't look any older than fifteen, maybe sixteen at the time. Back then my parents knew I was sneaking out at night to go into town and they were fine with it. For one, nothing bad had happened when I was out on my own before but they also would have a couple of our soldiers to keep watch over me. At least, they usually did. For whatever reason the night this happened none of our soldiers to keep an eye on me and looking back now, part of me was glad they weren't because otherwise I never would have been able to sneak off with Luca. He was eighteen, and had just started college and that night when I met him I knew I wanted to be with him. Of course, he didn't know what I was and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. One thing lead to another and we went back to his place and by the end of the night were in bed together having sex. I still don't know how it happened because I lost control quickly.." Roxanne had to pause to gain control of herself and by this time her eyes were filled with tears.

"I... I ended up transforming into a werewolf and killing him. To this day I don't know how my parents found out about it because I was at his place most of the night. I don't know what I was thinking but I guess somehow I thought I could fix what I did and make it all better. Near sunrise my Father came and told me to go home, that he would take care of everything. So, I listened to him and he did take care of it. He never told me what happened and I haven't really been close to anyone since. In fact, you're the only one outside my pack I've allowed myself to get close to since." She said, tears running down her cheeks.
 
Zhao listened to her story, absorbing it all. He kept it safe in his mind, knowing she had told no other about it. For her, he would make sure the tale never got out. He would not betray her trust. Her past was indeed as sorrowful as his own. He hated seeing the tears that ran down her cheek. He reached over the table and put his hand on her's. It was obvious how hard it was to talk about what had happened to her. He did not speak a word for a few minutes. He just held her hand. Saying anything would sound half hearted or apologetic. She did not need his sympathy, just his presence.

His fiery golden eyes that he inherited from his father looked at Roxanne with affectionate sorrow. It was at that moment that he vowed to never make her cry. He vowed to make sure she smiled as much as possible. He took a hair from his own head, blew on it and threw it to his right. The hair instantly turned into a copy of himself. His copy held the same sorrow in his eyes that his true self had. His copy walked over and gently brushed her tears away with his hand.
"Cry No More" His copy said softly before vanishing.

Zhao squeezed her hand a little. It was time for his tale. It was only right that he speak the truth that she shared.
"I...have lived for a very long time", He began. "I have known many lovers and lost them to disease, sword or axe. By the time America had become a country I was three hundred years into a vow. I had vowed to myself that I would never love again, for it always led to tragedy. I broke that vow when I met her. Takeda Kyoko had run away from her homeland of Japan. I know not how she was able to escape the Tokugawa Shogunate, for back then the Shogunate was one hundred and seventy six years into an anti-Westerner policy. Japan was isolationist back then. They killed most gaijin and any Japanese who worshiped the Christian God. Somehow, though, she escaped that hell. I had found her adrift in the Pacific, halfway to Hawaii. She was near death. I flew her to Boston in a flash on my cloud. I was on my way to visit the Japanese Gods. You see, back then you had to go to the land where their gods were born to visit their realm.
Anyway, I nursed her back to health and we soon fell in love. We married shortly before the Civil War. I had given her the Immortal Elixir many years prier. Our life was mostly peaceful, save for the Civil War. I also fought in both World Wars.....
It was the second World War that took her away from me.
You see, the immortal elixir I used only prolonged life. It was nothing like Mingyu's, which can heal most wounds nearly instantly.
It was the 1930s, after Japan attacked Manchuria and began the Second Sino-Japanese war. Kyoko was ashamed that her people would do such things to the Chinese. So she set out with Mingyu and Liu Fang Ji to Nanking. I followed soon after but...I was too late to do anything to save her...."

He paused, fighting back a lump in his throat. It still pained him greatly to think of her. After finishing off his beer he continued. "She was...nearly unrecognizable. The things they did to her..Her own fucking people.....They treated her like another Chinese woman to be raped and killed...I knew not to blame Mingyu or Liu, for they were in other parts of the city and could not have done a thing to help, even if they had known. I blamed myself for not being by her side. I was her husband, damn it! I should have been there for her! Needless to say I killed all the Japanese soldiers who were responsible." He gave Roxy a small, sad smile, "And thus, the term 'Going Ape-Shit' was born."
 
As Zhao reached across the table shortly after she was finished and took her hand she smiled weakly at him, now that her full attention was on him rather than part of it being on how she was going to word her story Roxy noticed the affectionate sorrow that his gaze held as he looked at her and she found herself that he said nothing but rather just held her hand as an attempt to comfort her; to assure her that she wasn't alone. After all, what could he say beside "I'm sorry"? Nothing that would make the pain of her past go away, just as she couldn't make his painful memories go away. Surprisingly Zhao's presence alone did quite a bit to help her, though. It helped her feel safe, as if she didn't have to worry about being hurt by a man for the rest of her days and in addition his presence had a calming effect on her that no drunk nor amount of alcohol could achieve.

She watched as he took a hair from his own head, blew on it and tossed it over to his right before a copy of himself appeared. Instead of watching in fear at the new trick she watched in awe and when his copy walked over to her she didn't shy away from him, finding that as his hands brushed against her face it's touch had the same calming effect on her as he wiped her tears away. At it's words, telling her to cry no more Roxy felt as if any more tears she had left in her were gone and she felt strangely calm given how emotional she had been moments ago. "Neat trick you've got there, Zhao." She said with a small smile as he squeezed her hand. This was Roxy's attempt to lighten the mood a bit before he told his story, able to sense it would be rough for him.

When Zhao began to tell his story Roxanne sat back, allowing to keep hold of her hand, hoping her touch comforted him at least a little. She gave him her undivided attention as she took in everything he was telling her, just as he had done for her. When he was through with his story she returned his smile with a sad one of her own. She moved her hand so that she was holding his hand now and squeezed it gently, knowing there was nothing she could say. Roxy wanted to tell him that Kyoko's death had not been his fault but knew all too well her words couldn't help ease his pain. As she sat there in silence trying to comfort him though, she found herself wondering after finding a love like that if it were possible to love another with the same intensity. She didn't dare ask him, though. It was stupid, but she had only been with one man and and she was certain that Zhao could see something was on her mind along with the emotions her gaze held.
 
Zhao sat there with her, letting silence fill the room for a few minutes. There was nothing to say between them. Anything said would have sounded like pity, which neither of them needed. He held her hand in his. He noted a gentle strength to her hands. They were the hands of a warrior maiden. They reminded him of Kyoko's hands.....Mentally, Zhao shook his head. He could not compare the love he had lost to the new one he had found. It had been sixty years since he lost her, damn it. She would have wanted him to find love somewhere. He had atoned as best as he could. Now, sitting in front of him was a strong woman who shared her heart with him, and he shared his with her. They both deserved love, and by the Gods they found it in each other.

Zhao was about to say something when the phone rang. Zhao gave Roxy a small smile and gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it and standing up. He cleared his throat and put on a smile before answering his cell.
"A-Hoy-hoy!", He answered in his best Mr. Burns impression, which was near perfect. "Yes this is he. Eeeeeeexcellent! Wait what?" His voice went back to normal. "Another one? Ah and her father is there too, eh? Georgetown University? Somewhere THAT public? Minus twelve points for the assassin for not being...assassiny. Alright we will be there shortly."
He hung up and gave Roxy a half grin. "Well, Rox, we got another murder...He did not say which it was. But your father and mother are there checking the situation with us, so we had better get there quick"

And with that he opened the window and grabbed another cloud. He gave Roxy his hand, lifted her on and they flew to the University.

-----
The body was burned like the vampire was, but there was something odd about it. It did not smell like burning flesh or fur. It smelled of burn leaves. The smell hit Zhao's nose before he even landed. He let out a sigh. "Ah shit" He knew that smell. It was not a bar-b-qued vampire nor a toasted werewolf.
He walked up to Sean, Mingyu, Marcus, Liu and Roxy's parents. The woman laying on the ground was beautiful once, Zhao knew she would have been inhumanly pretty.
They Fae usually are.
"The assassin is killing the Sidhe now? This makes no damn sense!"
Sean nodded. "Yes, and this one was from the Kingdom of Autumn."
Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Well that isn't TOO odd, but still. It would have been easier to find one of the Spring Fae than trying to hunt for one of the Autumn Fae." He turned to Roxy's parents and gave them both a bow of his head in respect. "It is a pleasure to see you both again after so long." He waved a hand at the Sidhe on the ground. "And this proves that the assassin was not really aiming for a Vampire-Werewolf war."
 
Roxanne found comfort in the fact that as the two of them sat there, holding hands, that nothing needed to be said; that each others presence being more than enough. It was clear that even without words they both understood the pain that their past memories held and Roxy felt that confiding in each other brought them even closer. Part of her was already questioning what she had done to deserve a man who cared for her as deeply as Zhao and in the end all she could come up with was that both of them deserved a love where there was this deep emotional and romantic connection, as well as a physical one and that reason was good enough for her; she was also thankful he was the man she had found this love in.

She continued to gaze across the table Roxy could tell he was about to say something but before he could his phone went off and as badly as she wanted him to keep a hold of her hand, she knew that whoever was calling Zhao that it was likely to be something about their case. When he offered her a small smile and squeezed her hand one last time before releasing it and standing up from his seat she took comfort in it and watched him. Thanks to her excellent hearing she could hear everything each side of the conversation without putting in much effort at all. A look of worry began to come over her face the more she listened, but the way Zhao worded his last statement and with the tone it was in, she couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself. When the call ended she was curious, but found she didn't need to ask for him to explain the situation. "Sounds like this murder was far more public." She observed before making a face at his mention of her parents. She trusted Zhao to at least be professional and respectful as long as the case demanded her parents involvement but part of her was certain at some point he would feel the need to talk to them about their treatment of her. "Prepare for me to not get a word in and for my Father and Mother to act like I don't matter both as far as this case goes and otherwise." She warned him.

Then as he opened the window and summoned another cloud for them she joined him by the window. As he gave her his hand she took hold of it and thanked him as he helped her onto the cloud.

---------------

As the two of them arrived at Georgetown University the stench of what smelled like burning leaves hit her and caused her to growl lowly, clearly she found the smell unpleasant. Roxanne wanted to ask what the smell was but she kept quiet, figuring she would find out soon enough. As the two of them landed she followed behind Zhao, avoiding any eye contact with her parents, although she could feel their eyes on her and was certain they were more than displeased about what she was wearing.

As they got close enough to see the now unrecognizable body Roxy could tell that whoever she was, she had once been beautiful. "Sounds like most of what these assassins do makes little sense." Roxanne observed before her parents could silence her. "But what are they killing for?" She asked, more talking to herself this time before looking at Zhao. "Is it possible they are attempting to start a war bigger than between one or two races?" She questioned and feeling her parents gazes turn to glares she looked at her Father, as if daring him him or her mother to say something.

She watched as Zhao turned to her parents and bowed his head respectfully, although she didn't think either of them deserved respect.

"It's a pleasure, Zhao. I trust you've been keeping an eye on my little girl?" He asked, even now he wasn't calling Roxy by her name. In fact, it seemed almost like he refused to.
 
Zhao gazed at the former Fae beauty in thought. "That is a possibility, certainly. But who the hell would be stupid enough to try and start a war with the Sidhe? They are one of the most powerful Kingdoms in all the Inner Realms. It makes no sense...." He chuckled at Roxy's words. "Indeed. They make little sense at all. A Vampire, a Werewolf and a Fae...What is their connection? Besides the fact that most people do not think they exist, I mean."
He turned and gave Roxy's parents a smile warm as the sun, "As you can see, lord and lady alpha, your daughter is a great help and we are glad to have her here. I am keeping an eye out for her safety, of course. Though she hardly needs help from a monkey like myself"

He looked at the University's famous chapel. "The real question of the hour is why in a place like this where anyone can see? These trees are not the kind able to connect to the Fae-Lands so she had to have been chased here. And if so, than where is the blood trail? She was obviously stabbed before she was killed. Was she murdered somewhere else and then burned here in front of the chapel? Did they think this a religious killing? Do Jesuit Assassins even exist? Gods Below, so many questions need answered...." Zhao trailed off for a moment.

"Hey, I found something!" Mingyu called before Zhao could speak again. She was in front of the Chapel's giant doors. Zhao and the others walked over to it. She pointed to something written on the door in ink. She was powering some magic into the ink so it obviously needed a magical aid in order for someone to read it.
It said:
"SUFFER NOT AN IN-HUMAN TO LIVE!" Under the words was an odd symbol. It looked like a mixture between a Native American bird and a Coyote-Man inside a circle.
"Huh!" Zhao said, showing off his mastering of the English Language, "Well either the Dine* are suddenly becoming super assassins against non-humans or we got ourselves one hell of a complicated set up!"

((*Dine is the true name of the Navajo people))
 
"Apparently whatever race these assassins are, they are stupid enough." Roxanne said in reply to him with a sigh. When Zhao moved on to pose the question to the group Roxanne tried to think of what the connection between the three races that had had one of their own murdered or that murder was attempted and she was stumped, unable to find a link between the three besides the obvious; that humans thought all three races were myth and nothing more. When Zhao turned to look over at her parents she wasn't shocked that he remained civil with the two, knowing if he were to talk to them about their treatment of their daughter that it would be in private and that she probably wouldn't be around when he did.

When Zhao smiled at them her mother smiled back weakly while her Father's expression remained serious. "Yeah, so far you are, anyway. Let me know how good you are at keeping her safe when she decides to sneak off during the night without a word." He said and at his comment Roxy fought hard to keep her mouth shut. In fact, the only reaction she showed was her muscles involuntarily tensing up, which she was sure only Zhao could see since they were standing so close together. It was clear her Father was always putting her down and her Mother was just a guilty by not stopping it. It clearly effected Roxanne, though and was the reason she thought so little of herself.

As Zhao looked over at the famous chapel Roxy listened as he went on. "If she was killed somewhere else and then brought here there would be some kind of blood trail, on the other hand if she was chased here before being killed you would think this whole area would be bathed in blood." Roxy said, wanting to add her two cents in. When Zhao trailed off Roxy spoke up again. "What if it's both a religious killing and they wanted to make some kind of statement to whoever they are trying to piss off?" Roxy asked.

As Mingyu called to the group that she had found something Roxanne looked over to see her standing in front of the two wooden, giant doors of the chapel. When the group moved over to it Roxy stood next to Zhao, still quite tense despite her attempts to relax in her parents presence. Roxanne watched as she pointed to the ink on the door, able to feel the magic she was putting into the ink. "I think it's the later." Roxy said to Zhao. "But the question is what are they going to do next."
 
At her father's comment, Zhao gave him a big smile, showing shiny white teeth. It was the kind of smile apes use, not to show joy or happiness. But to show aggression. That was all. He did not raise his voice or shout. Hell, he did not even say a word. His fiery golden eyes blazed as he glared at the man. Zhao knew he could easily hurt the man, or scare the hell of him at the very least. But he didn't. That is something a bully would do. Zhao hated bullies.

Zhao then turned back to the door, his grin turning back into his usual one. He gave Roxy a wink before examining the symbol on the door. "This is like no Dine symbol I have ever seen..." In one swift motion he took out his cell, took a picture of the design and sent it. A moment later he got a call.
"Coyote!" Zhao answered jovially. "Yeah I thought so. Yup, it sure as hell did not look like something the Dine would use. Uh-huh. Yeah I'll visit soon, old friend. Say hi to the Druid for me next time you see him. Thanks."
He closed his phone and looked at everyone. "Yeah, it isn't a Navajo symbol. I am guessing someone didn't study their Native American art as well as they should of...." Zhao frowned for a second. "Which is way to sloppy for a pro!" He cursed loudly in old Chinese. Sean, Mingyu and Marcus were the only three old enough and familiar enough with the language to know what he said.

The three of them chuckled loudly.
"You can say that again, Zhao. Though I dunno HOW you could do that to a goat." Sean said with a grin.
Zhao grinned back before turned to Roxy. "We need answers. How about we do some Assassin hunting?"
 
When Roxanne saw Zhao turn his head to look at her Father out of the corner of her eye, she pulled her gaze away from the University's chapel and watched him as he interacted with her Father. She could see the change in his smile, just because she had become accustomed to seeing the playful, happy grin that was usually on his face. Roxy could also see the way his golden eyes blazed at he glared at the elder werewolf, it seemed to her as if he were warning her Father to keep his mouth shut about Roxy.

When Zhao turned his attention back to the door Roxanne did the same and it helped her relax to see Zhao's usual grin return to his face. When he winked at Roxanne she could see it out of the corner of her eye and it brought a small smile to her face as she watched while he examined the symbol on the door before he took out his phone, took a picture of it and sent it all in one swift motion. A moment later when he received a call Roxy looked over at her Father while listening to Zhao's side of the conversation. She looked at her Father with a glare, as if warning him not to test Zhao; once again she said nothing to him, not even when he barred his teeth at her and let out a low growl of warning.

When the phone call ended Roxy turned her attention back to Zhao and the rest of the group. As he cursed in Chinese Roxy had a confused look on her face and despite neither of her parents understanding what had been said either, they didn't allow themselves to look confused. When Zhao turned to her she grinned. "Hunting these guys down sounds like an excellent idea!" She said. She hadn't hunted in a while and it would be fun to be in werewolf form and hunt.

While her Father said nothing in response to Zhao he sure as hell planned to pull him aside when the group was done talking. Perhaps threatening to take Roxanne away from him would put him in line, at least that was how he saw it.
 
Zhao gave her a thumbs up and smiled, "Sounds good, Princess. We will leave in just a moment. I just have to have a talk with your father in private. Groovy? Groovy."
With that he turned and wrapped his arm around the Werewolf Alpha as if they were old friends getting caught up in a chat. With minimal effort Zhao brought Roxy's father around to the back of the chapel which was a private as they could get at the moment. Once there, Zhao took his arm from the man's shoulders. His aggressive smile was back on his face as he glared at the man before him.
"Before you say a damn thing, I just want you to remember something that you seem to have forgotten, either that or you just stopped giving a damn. Well, you SHOULD give a damn about me, pal. I'm the guy kicking the shit out of demons that would send you to hell with a swing of their claws. While you are taking your little puppy nap, I am out here banishing monsters from the deepest, darkest reaches of Eat-You'r-Face-Realm. I am the Monkey King's son, boy. No matter how old you are, I am older. No matter what you think you know, I know more. I have survived A Hundred Wars, and Gods be good I shall survived hundreds more!" His voice became a growl, "So I will be DAMNED if I am going to let a child like you disrespect his own daughter! you should be ashamed of yourself! Your own child is more an adult than you! By the Scales of the Easter Sea Dragon God!" His last words were more a akin to a declaration like 'Hell's Bells!' or For God's Sake!'

There is a thing that Gods and their Kin can do that other magical beings cannot. Other beings can do a variation of it, but Gods and their children do it best.
They can make their voice an epic vocal of minor harmonics, sort of like in the Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf the Grey used a bit of magical voice augmentation to declare to Bilbo Baggins: "I AM NOT SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!"
They usually make their eyes glow crimson as well, mostly for dramatic effect.
Zhao did just that. His voice became unearthly and eyes glowed red as flames. He had to resist the urge to repeat what Gandalf said to Bilbo. It was hard, though.
So hard.

"I AM NOT SOME MORTAL BOY WHO YOU CAN BOSS AROUND,CHILD! NOR IS YOUR DAUGHTER YOURS TO CONTROL LIKE A SLAVE!" The simple presence of a divine harmonic sent the man's hair back as if a strong wind had blown through. THere was no wind blowing that night.
His voice then became calmed and became normal again. His eyes were once more fiery gold. "By the gods, man! Do you not see that you are driving your daughter to hate you by keeping her trapped like this? She is centuries old. It is about bloody time you treated her like an adult instead of a servant."
 
Roxanne nodded, watching as Zhao lead er Father away from the group and to behind the chapel. She knew whatever was going to be said, she didn't want to hear it so unlike most time she purposely tried to keep herself from hearing the conversation.

As Zhao took him by the shoulders Rooger didn't struggle against him or refuse to go with him, not wanting to make scene in front of the group. As they made it to the back of the chapel and Zhao let him go, Rooger looked at the man, able to tell the smile on his face was an aggressive one and matching Zhao's glare with one of his own. His listened to what Zhao had to say and if his words, tone he used, or the power Zhao possessed scared him, he definitely wasn't showing it. "While I'm thankful to you and your organization for protecting my pack I don't think you are supposed to involve yourself if how I treat my family. Even if my little girl has tried to involve you." He said, even now refusing to call Roxanne by her name and clearly thinking Roxanne had somehow made Zhao confront him.

"I know you are not some mortal boy who my daughter has began chasing after. If you were your mind would have already been wiped of any memories of her but she is mine to treat how I wish, I don't care if she fears me so long as she obeys and respects me. She is a princess, Zhao and I don't care if she likes it or not but she has a pack to think about because one day she will be it's Queen."

As his hair was blown back by the presence of the harmonic it seemed to rattle Rooger a bit more this time. "Zhao, let me make this clear, I don't care if she hates me but I am doing what's best for her. She is too trusting and I suppose keeping her trapped within pack lands may be to blame for that, at least partially. " He then changed the subject. "Zhao, I've seen the way you look at her and the way you act around her, I know you care for my little girl deeply but I'm afraid anything between you two will never happen. It's not that I don't believe you would treat her like a Queen but as my child and the next in line as Queen she needs to be mated with a wolf." She said, hoping Zhao didn't take it the wrong way.
 
Zhao listened to all the man had to say, When finished, Zhao looked around. "Odd. This place LOOKS like The United States of America. But according to you we are in Iran. How astonishingly odd....Well I suppose you are right. The less freedom she has the safer she will be." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he spoke the words. He nearly laughed. Not a laugh of joy or humor, but one of mocking. He didn't, though. "Regardless of my feelings for her, you are damned wrong. By restraining her freedoms and forcing her a...mate...You are inciting rebellion. I have lived through my share of rebellions, Roger. It is not a pain I would like to see her go through. She is better than you give her credit for. Do not DARE tell me that it is best for her to have no freedom. No choice. If you truly believe that dragging her kicking and screaming and forcing her to love a man she does not than you are far worse a man and far more vile a father than I thought."

Zhao took a deep breath in an effort to control a long lost anger he thought had left him decades ago. "If lady Hilde were here, she would call you a fool as well. Sadly, the Big Boss Wolf is visiting Denmark at the moment." He laughed a little, "By my Father's staff, Roger, if my dad was as strict as you he would have forced me to marry a Chinese woman. Gods be good, my father did, and still does not give a shit who I fell in love with. Tell me, how is a Wolf Alpha different from a Monkey King? The storyteller in me wants to tell you that The Monkey Prince and the Wolf Princess makes one hell of a good fairytale. The God in me wants you to start thinking with your heart, not your tradition. She may be your daughter, Roger, but she is also her own woman. Keeping her on a leash is a sure way to convince her not to be queen. Force her to love someone just because he is a wolf, and she won't hate you. Gods, no. She will hate more than just you. She will hate the pack and its ways. Just think about the last ruler who hated his or her people. It is not fun to think about, is it? To hell with me. I would rather her find someone she loves than watch her fall into the hands of a man who is only there because he is a Wolf. It is beyond the realms of cruelty to do that to her. Do me a favor and think about that, alright?"

And with that, no more was said. Zhao stepped away and walked back to Roxy. He pulled a cloud down and helped her onto it. They flew off without Zhao saying a word.
 
Rooger listened to what Zhao had to say next and despite the fact that his tone of sarcasm was pissing him off more than his words, he kept silent and let the man finish. Rooger shook his head. "Seems you and I have both lived through rebellions and we both know she has had enough pain to deal with for the rest of her life but I do not have the luxury of just worrying about my wife and daughter. I have a large pack to worry about." He said in response and although he wouldn't admit it, he knew everything the monkey prince was saying was true.

"I know Lady Hilde would call me a fool she would be disappointed in me too. Goddess Nyx would be ashamed to call me a son of the night." He admitted when Zhao brought up the top leader of his race. Rooger allowed him to continue on, once again finding that every word Zhao was saying was correct. "I'm no different, or better than your Father. Your Father is a wise and kind man Zhao and has a vast amount of years on me." He responded before continuing to listen. "My heart knows you love her deeply, and she cares for you just as deeply. She feels the same way I felt for Galaxy once and when we were her age, we didn't let the fact that we were of two rival packs stop our love. When our parents refused to accept to accept the relationship we ran away and began our own pack." He said, letting Zhao see how much like Roxy he was when he was younger. "Perhaps it is time I accept she may not want to mate with a wolf, Galaxy did a long time ago." He said before falling silent and letting Zhao finish. Before he walked off, though he spoke again. "Zhao, just promise me something. That if the time comes and she decides to leave our pack that you'll watch over her and keep her safe. You don't owe me a damn thing but please do it for her and I will do you that favor and think about what you said. Perhaps it's time to talk to my pack and tell them their Princess may not follow our traditions, just please if she does choose you and you two become mates, protect her." He said before letting Zhao go and allowing him and Roxy to leave before returning to his wife.

As Roxanne was helped onto the cloud and it took off she sat behind Zhao, she was curious as to where they were they were going but didn't dare ask. He didn't seem like he wanted to talk, even to her.
 
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