r1-Cerulean Blue-p2

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The Bishop approached Prince Mulder as he struggled in the men's grip. He reached out and ran a gnarled finger down the prince's cheek, who struggled and tried to escape from his loathsome touch.

"Such a pretty little thing," he cooed. "How you did betray me, my Fox. I am very disappointed in your behavior!"

"You're insane! Don't touch me!" the prince cried as he cringed away in disgust.

"You're mine, sweet Fox. You're mine, and if you can't accept that, then you and your oaf of a lover need to learn a hard lesson," the Bishop hissed. He was white with fury at the prince's repelling his advances. For a long time he had dreamed of caressing that luscious, naked body, running his hands over the fine limbs, claiming the prince over and over again. His passion for the prince had developed into a mad obsession, becoming a live thing that was no longer under his control.

His craven, mean-spirited soul would not allow the prince to live in peace with his lover. He couldn't kill him, his lust hadn't yet been transformed into a bloodlust as his revenge, but nor would he let them go in peace. He wanted them both to suffer, to never know the fulfillment in love and carnal desire that was denied the Bishop. He wanted to blot out the light of their love and make their lives a living hell.

"Since you are so fond of taking flight, my Fox, you will spend your life in flight. And your lover...your lover will spend his days as the ravening, scavenging, desperate creature he truly is!" The Bishop would kill Captain Skinner, but he was afraid of the curse, and it did not suit his purpose to release the captain from torment so quickly. He wished to win Mulder in the end, and his plan was to wear him down through the unrelenting torment of his changed self, and of his frustrated desire for the captain.

"Your days will be spent as a gyrfalcon. The good captain will spend his nights as a wolf. In time you will come to learn well the harsh torture of defying me," snarled the Bishop.

He wanted Mulder to suffer so. His sweet, headstrong love would spend his nights in his whole form, but his days, the beautiful, sunny days as a gyrfalcon. It was only fitting. To fly towards the sun like the young Phaeton he was, as after all he had brought on his own destruction.

Skinner snarled in rage and attempted to throw himself at the Bishop. The Bishop waved his hand, and in the next moment the snarl became lupine as the men struggled to hold a writhing, growling, furry creature in their arms. As the wolf turned on them, trying to tear at their throats with his sharp claws and teeth, their cries seemed to amuse the Bishop, who allowed himself a malignant smile.

"NO! No, you cannot do such a cruel thing!" Prince Mulder cried, his grief tearing him apart. "You must punish me! Only me!"

"Oh, you will be punished quite rightly, my sweet prince, do not worry yourself," the Bishop assured him with a deadly calm. "Go now, out of my sight…I can't stand to look at you! Your terrible beauty pains me…how you've betrayed my love! Be grateful that I leave him his life, though I am surely tempted to test his curse right now!"

The men holding the prince turned to throw him out of the Bishop's study. Mulder resisted them, even as he was sobbing, bracing himself against the doorway. "Wait! I-I'm not leaving without him!"

"How typical," the Bishop sneered. He turned towards the men who were trying to restrain the wolf. "Captain Skinner, I know you can still understand me. Harm me, and your beloved Prince dies. You cannot defeat me, so do not make the attempt." He had no intention of killing Mulder but did not want to risk death at the hands of the enraged, vicious animal.

The wolf lowered his head and looked up at the Bishop, snarling. The hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up. He looked ready to pounce, but instead the creature turned and slowly walked over to where Prince Mulder stood.

"Go now, you two wretches, get out of my sight. May the good Lord have mercy on your souls, because I certainly won't!" the Bishop spat out angrily at the miserable prince and the snarling wolf.

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Aqualegia is Next!