⋆ username baddad ⋆ name alba ⋆ pronouns he/him ⋆
[ winner may use artwork! there was other art ordered that was not finished in time. if it is completed, winner may also receive that as well. ]
[ winner may use artwork! there was other art ordered that was not finished in time. if it is completed, winner may also receive that as well. ]
- alba could clearly remember the first day he began to serve his master.
a tiny keldine, hardly much bigger than the palace cat, with nubby little horns and a tail so long that it dragged in the dust behind them, it had been no wonder the emperor sought protection for his only pup. the child's eyes were two-toned, one as bright and as fierce as their mother's, the other as soft and as kind as the patriarch's. he could still remember the way the prince had been hiding away behind one of the lamps in the palace hallway, letting a beetle crawl over their diminutive paw. with their lashes resting heavy and low, their nose tucked into their knees, the general had known their gentle nature right away.
he'd come close, getting to one knee soundlessly next to the young heir, and watched as they turned their palm up and closed their claws around the beetle.
"if a keldine kills a bug, no one is upset," they had murmured quietly. "but when a keldine dies, the whole country mourns."
a pang of sympathy flared in the general's chest. the empress had died only a moon ago--a tragedy for every citizen, but a blow much more devastating to the courts and royal family. she had been a pillar in many senses, a figure both of justice and of strength for all who lived under her rule. the emperor was kind, but no keldine could have compared to her prowess during her life.
of course they had mourned.
of course he had mourned.
"her majesty was much greater than a beetle, your highness," alba returned, his low voice catching at the base of his throat. the sound of it made the prince look back up at him, and he swallowed under the weight of that sorrowful gaze. "few creatures live today that could outpace her."
the prince had seemed dissatisfied.
"am i worth more than a beetle, alba?"
it startled the general that the young heir knew his name, but he hadn't been able to find any hint that his new master was testing him, then. those eyes had been looking up to him, searching his gaze for answers.
"of course, your highness. your life is most precious to this kingdom. to your servants."
that tiny keldine had nodded, slow, before getting up to their feet. alba would never forget the way the prince had looked down at him as he knelt, had peered into his soul as they spoke:
"then will you protect me against anything?"
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
- blood dripped languidly from the tip of the prince's blade. the body of their father lay still before them in the darkness, the light of the lanterns glimmering furiously against pools of crimson. alba's blood was cold at the sight, and he rested his paw over the sword at his hip. disbelief made his heart thump painfully in his throat, confusion fogging his thoughts. his mind searched desperately for answers, but he could find none.
"why?" he growled tightly.
the gaze his master cast in his direction was full of anguish and fire. a passion that alba did not understand, swallowed up by the darks of their sclera as they turned to face him.
"...alba. there is no answer i can give you that will sate such a question. nothing i say can soothe your anger, or even settle your unease. your eyes do not deceive you."
the general swallowed dryly.
"...the evening patrol will be by, soon. if you intend to raise your blade to me, my companion, then do it now."
alba's claws clenched on the hilt of his blade. he'd been left grasping at nothingness, given no shred of explanation. yet his master's words held no venom, and there was no lust for violence in the way they held themselves. slowly, his hold on his weapon relaxed. "...if you expect a coronation, none with receive you after treason. One of us will leave here marked for death."
the way the prince's gaze softened made alba's heart sting. no, this keldine would never harm him--how could they? he'd been at their service since before they'd lost their first tooth. they were not like their mother, not equipped to slaughter the ones that they loved. and yet... the general's eyes wandered to the emperor's still form.
"...i do not understand, your highness. that you would take the life of a benign and sovereign ruler... it is beyond me. therefore, there must be forces at work here that i have yet to understand. you cannot be seen as a traitor by your kingdom."
alba dropped down to one knee, lifting his maw and closing his eyes. he drew in a deep breath, then opened his eyes once more. he reached out, and his paws scooped up the prince's long tail, holding it away from the stains on the floor.
"...they'll kill you, alba." the prince warned, and the general could have sworn he saw a glitter of tears in their eyes.
"then let them hunt me, your highness."
yes, alba could clearly remember the first day he began to serve his master. he had picked up that little tail out of the dust, held it up so it would not drag. "i swear on the sky, your highness. to be allowed to give my life for your own would be the greatest of honors."
the little prince had opened their paw, then, and let the beetle go. it buzzed and fluttered as it took off, flying out the open window into the sun, and alba's new master had reached up to rest their little paw over one of his claws.
"i will gladly meet them with my life and my sword."
[928/1000]
