hidden secrets ━━━━━ 1x1

[skydust]

𝗘𝗩𝗥𝗘𝗡 (& 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗡) ✧
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✧ words: 2268 ✧ tags: Ascelin, Remon ✧ role: crown prince of ashain

indentEvren felt exhausted as he opened his eyes.
indentToday was the jousting competition, meaning keeping up appearances and act like he didn’t feel as if a horse had stomped on every inch of his body. Evren wiped the sleep dust out of his eyes as he sat up straight in bed. His bare chest now exposed to the cold as the blanket slipped off him. He shivered, looking towards his window to see just the faintest amount of snow falling from the sky. He was absolutely not prepared for today. He silently shot a prayer up to the gods above that his father wouldn’t make him do any public speaking. He was a natural at it, but he really didn’t feel like talking to more than his friends and family for today.
indentGetting out of bed, he found an already cold bath that one of the servants had probably made for him. He suddenly remembered earlier when they had tried to drag him out of bed to get dressed, and he had refused. They had given up on him when he started throwing pillows. Evren winced, making note to apologize later, before he got out of bed. He quickly bathed, as the water was already cold when he got in. Lathering himself in the scent of crisp honey and jasmine. Before getting out and getting dressed when he was all dried.
indentA servant knocked and entered the room as he was getting dressed, relief washing over their faces that the crown prince was up for the day. Before helping him get his clothes on and putting a warm cloak over his shoulders. He quickly placed his crown on his head before the servant was shooing him out of his room. He let out a frustrated huff before exiting his bedchambers. Of course Lin was right outside waiting for him. The prince let a genuine smile settle across his face as he took in his friend.
indent“Good morning. Hope you didn’t have to wait too long for me to get my butt out of bed. Let’s just hope my father isn’t upset with me. Or he might have both of our heads,” he said. Speed walking out of his chambers and quickly going to find his father. “I hope he didn’t greet the nobles yet. Otherwise I’m in big trouble. And what about you? Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for jousting?”
indentAt the reminder that Lin was his personal knight, and in turn was supposed to do his duty before the competition, Evren nodded. “Right, I suppose I have to drag you around first. Don’t worry about getting bored this time around though, there is definitely going to be some excitement today. I’m actually a little nervous. Don’t tell anyone though or I’ll skin you alive,” Evren joked, crinkling up his nose as he grinned at his best friend and bumped Ascelin’s shoulder with his own. Ascelin bumped back, and soon it was the two of them shoving each other to see who could knock the other father away.
indentHis laughter died quickly as he entered the throne room. Nobles of every banner turned to look at him as chatter quickly stopped. He sucked in a breath as he looked to his father, and winced when he saw his expression. He was definitely angry with him for being so late. Clearing his throat, Evren made his way slowly to his father’s side. He internally cringed as whispers and chatter seemed to pick up again. Surrounding him in gossip and talk.
indent“The crown prince! I haven’t seen him since his mother died.”
indent“He looks young. No wonder he was so late.”
indent“Are you excited for the jousting competition? I just know our house will win this year.”
indent“So the crown prince decided to make an appearance afterall.”
indent“Poor thing. You can see his eyebags.”
indent“Mom, it’s cold. I want to go home.”
indentHe turned away from the glare his father was sending his way to look at Ascelin. “I think this is your cue to go to the training grounds. I’ll be there in a little bit.”
indentAfter he had dismissed Lin from his duties for a bit, he made his way up to his respective place by his father. Remon was already there, looking as if he had something else on his mind. The queen was there as well, sitting next to his father. While she still looked beautiful, Evren took note on how tired she seemed. It was like she was going to pass out any minute. And her skin had a weird tint to it, which made him suck in a breath of concern. He made another note to check in on her when the jousting competition was over. For now he had to endure his father’s scolding.
indent“How could you be this irresponsible, Evren? You were supposed to be here when we greeted all the nobles, and yet, you were nowhere to be found! Do I need to give you another personal knight so you attend this things on time? Or should I get rid of Sir Ascelin since he clearly doesn’t know how to do his job?”
indent“No!” Evren quickly shouted. Earning him a couple looks. He quickly quickly lowered his voice. “No, it won’t happen again. I swear.”
indent“It better not,” his father hissed, before turning back to the crowd with a smile back on his face. Evren grimaced, but kept focus as his father welcomed everyone again to the castle, explained how the jousting competition would work, and escorted everyone out of the throne room to the training grounds. The crowd exited the room, all heading to the training grounds as the king had said. Evren followed behind, shoulder to shoulder with his brother. He grinned, poking Remon in the side to partially get his attention and partially to annoy him, and then spoke. “So, anything exciting happen to you over these last couples days I should know about?”
A blush crept up his brothers neck, and Evren raised an eyebrow. “Something did happen then?” The prince quickly shook his head, which only made Evren want to bug him more. Evren jumped in front of him, walking backwards as he faced Remon. “C'mon, tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me-” He was interrupted as he almost tripped over his own feet, quickly catching his crown before it tumbled to the floor, and righting himself with a blush across his face. Remon laughed and Evren pouted. That was embarrassing.
indentThey finally all made it to the training grounds. Knights from all over spared, talked, ate, and trained with one another before the competition began. Preparing to put on a show for all the noble houses and the royal family. The nobles all shuffled into the stands as Evren and his family made their way to their own. Before he could join the others, he was quickly yanked back by his arm into something solid. He quickly scrambled back before he realized who it was.
indent“Maron?! What are you doing?”
indent“Gracing you with my presence, your highness,” the older teased, winking at him.
indentEvren scoffed at the title, as he tried to hide the blush on his cheeks at the wink. “Well I thought you were supposed to be training?”
indent“I know, I know. I just wanted to wish you goodluck when it comes to your family. I heard your aunts are visiting.”
indent“Wait what-”
indent"Goodluck! And make sure to cheer for me. Ascelin can’t get all the glory,” he laughed before practically skipping away. Evren went to grab him by the back of the shirt to pull him back into the conversation but he was already gone. Turning around to stick out his tongue at Evren before disappearing into the crowd. Evren grumbled, turning back to where his family was waiting for him and making his way to his seat. Today was going to be something else. Evren watched as his father stood up next to him, arms open.
indent“The jousting tournament has begun!”
indent---
indentMaron was nervous.
indentHis family was supposed to be watching today. And it would be a huge honor if he won the prize money. He came from a noble house practically full of people who had served the royal family over the decades. Some apart of the kings guard, some personal advisors for the king, and others popular business men and woman. The Zachari family was not something to be messed with. They were powerful and took honor to the extreme. They served their country with intensity, and would do it again in a heartbeat. But that meant they were all perfectionist and automatically critical of any flaws. Which Maron had quite a few.
indentHe wasn’t apart of the kings guard, even at the ripe age of twenty seven. He was just a royal knight. He almost choked on a sob when Ascelin had announced he had been invited to be a king’s guard member and he hadn’t. But he had pushed it down in the moment to comfort Evren and make sure he was okay. But it still haunted him. The younger knight was already getting opportunities that Maron presence had never even graced. Of course, he was happy for his best friend. Why wouldn’t he be? But some part of him still stung at the news, and it made him even more determined to prove himself today.
indentHe quickly rejoined the other knights after his talk with Evren, trying to spot Ascelin in the mix. It didn’t take much to spot him, as he practically towered over almost everyone. He slightly blessed the gods for making his friend so tall before he made his way over. Maron practically hopped to where his friend was standing, coming up from behind the man, and then shouting in his ear, “HI ASCELIN!” He cackled as Ascelin practically jumped out of his skin. “How's my favorite knight? Are you ready to win?” He definitely got a few dirty looks from knights not apart of the royal family but he ignored it.
indentHe took in the other knight, letting his eyes wander a little too much. He couldn’t help but think Maron looked handsome in his jousting uniform. Maron locked eyes with him and grinned, not even hiding that he was checking him out. Whatever, he could have fun right? He was nervous and he could easily pass it off as that. Maybe, Ascelin would understand. He cleared his throat, “I’m going to be honest I’m a little-”
indent“Maron Zachari.”
indentMaron froze at name, turning around to meet the eyes of his father and mother.
indent“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here I thought you would be in the stands-”
indent“Yes, we're well aware. Your father needs to speak with you though. Privately,” his mother said.
indentMaron tensed, his dark brown eyes finding the identical ones of his father. “Right. Of course. Just hold on a moment.” He turned back towards Ascelin, fear written all over his features. He thought that he would speak to his parents after the competition, not before. What did they want? He gave a weak smile towards the taller knight. “I’ll talk to you in a minute, sorry,” he said before turning back to his father. His mother and father shuffled him away until they were out of earshot, before his father turned to him.
indentAnd then proceeded to slap him across the face.
indentMaron didn’t stumble back, but his head shot to the side, a ringing in his ears. He sucked in a breath, praying to all the gods above that the tears in his eyes didn’t drop. He stretched his jaw out, his cheeks burning as he heard whispers, before he turned back to his father. His gaze full of something raw. His mother didn’t look the least bit concerned, her expression only mirroring the anger on his fathers.
indentHe father furiously pointed a finger in his face. “Do you know how disappointed we are in you?! Are only son…a failure before he even hits his thirties. You still haven’t made it into the royal guard and yet you pretend to have honor? How disgraceful. I knew we should have married you off to a lady of high standing instead of you parading around pretending to be something you’re not.”
indent“Your father is right, Maron. I think it’s time you come home at once.”
indentMaron felt his heart burst in his ears. “Please don’t do this. I promise I’ll do better. I promise. Please don’t make me come home. I’ll do better, I swear it. I’ll bring honor to our family.”
indentHis father scoffed. “We’ll see about that,” the man said before walking away. Maron was left with his mother now, struggling to find the words. He was embarrassed, angry, and heartbroken all at once. He wanted to go back to his room and never see the light of day. But he had to do this. He had to prove himself. His mother touched his arm, speaking in a low voice. “Maron, maybe this is for the best. Maybe you need to come home.”
indentHe roughly yanked out of her grasp. “I’ll make my own decisions, thanks.” He turned around and stormed away, cheeks blazing red. He would win this, no matter what. He would prove to his family that he wasn’t worthless. That he didn’t need to get married off to have use. That he could do this. He would prove it to everyone. Or he feared that he may not be at the castle for much longer.

[Seokjinnie]

X█║ 𝔰𝔦𝔯 𝔞𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫 '𝔩𝔦𝔫' 𝔫𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔢 ║█X

indentAscelin hated attention. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he liked when Eve and Maron paid attention to him. But a bunch of nobles paying attention to him was the last thing he wanted. Yet that was what duty called for and he was expected to answer. At least he didn’t need to put on his armor quite yet, first came Evren. He waited outside of the prince’s door as he did everyone morning, trying his best to stay patient. The door was thrown open and he was immediately struck by the bright warmth of his prince’s smile. It was impossible to resist and he couldn’t help but return it, “Good morning to you as well. Didn’t have to wait all that long, you were faster than you usually are.” The fae hybrid refrained from commenting on the beheading statements. Lin grimaced as he followed after Evren, keeping pace with him easily.He let out a small groan and rolled his eyes, “I am supposed to be getting ready for the damn joust, but you come first.” Always. The tall knight shook his head in a mix of confusion and amusement, “I still don’t understand why you find this so exciting, but I’ll take your word for it. Won’t tell a soul Arohae.” He grinned down at the prince as they bumped shoulders, but their playfulness was short-lived as it died as soon as they entered the throne room. Mu’Ru fought back a growl as the nobles whispered loud enough for Evren to hear. The knight didn’t want to leave Eve to deal with the horde alone, but the prince was right, he bowed his head, “As you say, Your Highness.” It was a challenge to part from his friend, but he had to get ready for the joust no matter how much he hated the stupid competition.

indentThe armor, if it could still be called that, was absolutely ridiculously extravagant and would offer no protection if he wore it in an actual battle. There were too many easily-fatal-if-he-was-stabbed-there spots left uncovered. He had his arms uncovered in training because he didn’t need to worry about some arrogant noble or his knight with something to prove. This armor was a joke, it was tight against his chest and uncomfortable. A scowl was evident on his face as he waited among the other knights for the stupid joust to start. The sound of his name being yelled directly in his ear made him flinch. If he hadn’t already figured out Maron was the culprit, someone would’ve been in danger. Ascelin tilted his head with a smirk plastered on his handsome face, “Favorite knight, huh? Oh, shut up Mar, you know I hate this nonsense.” Winning, because besides Maron to an extent, there was no one else even remotely close to being a threat.

indentHis face flushed as the older man’s eyes roamed up and down his body. Suddenly he didn’t hate the useless armor so much. Then two very familiar and aggravating voices called out his friend’s name. He almost reached out and pulled Maron behind him because he couldn’t stand the fear written so clearly on his face. He watched the interaction between the parents and son from the spot he had been left in, straining to listen. Cold rage spread through every inch of his tall body. Lin moved to follow Maron’s father as he left his son and wife. It wasn’t hard to startle the nobleman as he appeared in front of him, seemingly out of nowhere, ‘For gods’ sake, make some damn noise when you move, you low-class bastard.’ The man was opening his mouth to speak again, but the knight wasn't going to allow one more poisonous word to come out of his mouth. The fae hybrid moved in close to the noble, using every inch of his height to intimidate the man, “If you ever speak to him like that again, you and I will have a problem. And no, that isn't a threat, it is a promise. You’ll find that there are far more people who would see me innocent than there are those who would believe you to be a victim.” A voice called out the start of the joust, Ascelin stared at the man with a cold dangerous look in his eyes, “Now, I have a jousting competition to win, good day m’lord.”

indentAscelin was just as angry with himself as he was about the competition. The last match was with Maron, the fae hybrid should have thrown it. After hearing what his friend’s parents had said to him, he should’ve thrown it. He impaled the dirt with his jousting sword and approached the older man with his hand out. The knight helped the man to his feet, he held into the man’s forearm and looked him in the eye, whispering so that only he could hear, “You make me a better fighter, you know that, right?” The tall man nearly grimaced as his name was called as the winner. He plastered a smile onto his face as he turned to face the crowd and bowed to the royal family, keeping his eyes on Evren as he stood. The hybrid walked over to the part of the stands where his prince stood. Lin bowed to his prince as the tradition of the competition called for, winking at him as he stood up straight. Queen Ululani stood in an opening of the stands, holding a necklace of powder blue Icilius lilies. He moved in front of her, bowing his head to her, “Sir Ascelin Nolle greets Her Majesty, Queen Ululani, the gem of Ashain. This one is honored.” The Queen gently slipped the necklace onto his neck, making sure that it laid properly before using her hand to tilt his head up, ‘No, Sir Nolle, the honor is mine.’ Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the usually graceful woman’s hands were trembling greatly, “Your Majesty?” His eyes darted to her face just in time to watch her eyes glaze over and roll back in her head, “Your Majesty!” Ascelin caught her in his arms as she fell, just as people were starting to notice and as he was about to call for assistance, all hell broke loose.

indentProjectiles were flying through the air, and it was clear to him that whoever was doing this was using magic. He covered the unconscious woman with his body as he searched for his friend, panicking when he didn’t spot his prince or the older knight. Lin caught sight of one of the knights he had trained personally, “GARRICK!” At the sound of his voice, the younger man raced over, looking like he was ready to do whatever the tall man asked of him, “Listen very carefully, you need to get Her Majesty to safety and to one of the healers as soon as possible. NOW GO!” The young dark-haired knight pulled the queen from his arms and into his own. As soon as Garrik took off, Mu’Ru got up and got up onto the stands. He dodged projectile after projectile as he searched for Evren. Relief washed over him when he spotted Eve ducked down and hiding. The tall knight got down onto his stomach, crawling over to where his prince was hidden, “Evren, stay to my right, don’t argue.” As soon as they were out of the safety of the stands, the fae hybrid guided Eve to a safe location, a place where they hid to avoid lessons and training, “I need you to listen to me, no whining or arguing back. Stay here, I will come back to you, but I need to find Maron. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” He rested his forehead on his prince’s before he ran back into the chaos. Despite everything, it didn’t take long for him to spot Maron, who looked just as relieved to see him as he did. The tall knight pulled the older man into a hug before pulling away, “I have Eve tucked away. We need to move quickly.” He could tell the older knight wanted to argue with him, but he wasn’t going to give him much of a choice. Ascelin guided Maron over to where Eve was hidden, just as it seemed like they had made it unscathed, he caught sight of something flying toward Maron’s head. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed the other man by the arms, pulling him to the side just as the object made contact with the hybrid’s head. He slammed into the ground, taking Maron down with him. Mu’Ru could hear their frantic and panicked whispers, but couldn’t make out a single word. The tall man could tell he was bleeding, that was the one thing he was sure of before he passed out.

indentLin’s head hurt as he woke up in a daze, this is why he hated jousting competitions. Alright, it’s definitely not why he hated them, but it certainly didn’t change his mind about them. The tall knight turned his head to the side to see Evren and Maron in chairs beside him, both wearing pained expressions on their faces. Eve realized he was awake before Maron did, and at first, the prince seemed to be overjoyed and relieved, but then anger and sadness filled his eyes, 'Y-you liar-bastard! You said that you would be fine! Shut up, I couldn’t decide what to call you, you jerk!' Tears welled up in his prince’s eyes as the knight grimaced in pain at the yelling. The crown prince filled with concern and panic, ‘I-I… Sorry!' He quickly turned and ran out the door of the infirmary. Mu’Ru was about to push himself up to go after him when he felt a hand on his chest and Maron’s voice, thick with sadness and pain, 'Get out of this bed and I’ll knock you out my self, no rock necessary.'

[Seokjinnie]

X█║ 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫 '𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔦' 𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔞 ║█X

indentThe jousting competition was something he had counted down the days till it happened when he was a child. He was permitted out even when he was at his weakest and most useless by his father’s standards. It used to feel so joyous and made him hope for better days, but not anymore. No, that hope belonged to an ill child who caused mischief because he’d rather people look angry than sad and terrified. Now, he was a man who chased after others because he was desperate for someone to look at him as anything more than what he really was, a spare. People had made decisions for him his entire life and he thought Cas was different until the older man got scared of his own feelings. But he put his foot down, he wasn’t going to be ignored because the sight of him displeased people or pleased them too much. To make a declaration of wanting to be his ferweved then simply running away was careless and hurt more than thinking that the blond had been using him for his brother. That wasn’t anything new nor did he resent Eve for it because it wasn’t his fault and made him look just as uncomfortable as Remon felt.

indentHis mother’s sisters were visiting just as they did every year and stayed for the month following the joust. His oldest aunt, Lady Imor, was married to the Baron de Naesset, a man whom he had never and likely was never going to since he was bedridden. His mother’s second older sister, Lady Losene, married a Count that died two years after their marriage and then promptly married his younger brother. Lady Raelea, his mother’s younger sister, is the nicest of his aunties or at the very least tries to be when he is in the room. Imor and Losene had barely tolerated his presence, always making it obvious that they preferred Evren over him. Raelea preferred his brother too, she was just quieter about it and more subtle as long as she thought he wasn’t around to hear her. Since Remi was without a head personal servant and his father refused to replace Nyorai, he was left to get ready himself. He found he actually got ready faster than he did when he was being pestered to hurry up. But it also meant that he found out what his Aunties call him, what likely many call him when he’s not around, The Spare. It wouldn’t do him any good to get upset over it, not when they were right. So, he walked with his head held high beside his mother as they walked to the throne room. The youngest prince meant to do the same until his Aunt Imor brushed him to the side to fawn over his mother who looked far too tired and weak to argue. He was going to let out a sigh when he felt his brother fall in step with him. It was hard not to mirror the grin on his brother’s face, his brain froze and a blush crept up his neck when Eve asked if anything had happened. Remon shook his head, “No, of course not!” His brother jumped out in front of him, walking backward as they moved. The younger prince let out a small laugh as his brother nearly tripped, distracting his brother long enough that he seemed to have forgotten that he hadn’t told him what happened.

indentRemon raised an eyebrow as Eve was yanked backward, but as soon as he saw it was Sir Maron, he shrugged it off and kept moving. He was about to sit down in the stands when he caught the sight of blonde hair with a familiar face hiding nearby. The silver-haired prince bit his lip and snuck beneath the back of the high stands, moving carefully to where the blonde stood, “I see you’ve actually taken my advice and decided not to avoid me.” Caspian looked both uncomfortable yet relieved to see him, ‘You threatened to fight me and while it’s cute that you think you’d win, you may have been right.’ His eyebrows shot up in surprise, he pointed a finger at the blonde then pointed it at himself, “So, you admit that avoiding me was a stupid idea, glad to see we agree.” Caspian took a step toward him with a dangerously flirty glint in his eyes, ‘I don’t think I said all that, I said you may have been right. Don’t get cocky, Little Mouse.’ The closer the blonde got to him, the more flustered the silver-haired prince got. The faeman had moved so close to him that he could feel his body heat, ‘It’s funny how quick you fold after acting so cocky.’ Remi rolled his eyes, lifting his hands to the blonde’s chest, “ You tease and tease, that’s all you do. Don’t talk to me about folding as soon as I get your genuine attention. If you won’t do it, I’m sure some of the noble girls and knig—” The lips met briefly in a short rough kiss, the older man broke it off with a growl, ‘Careful Little Mouse. I might be under here, but doesn’t mean I won’t be able to keep an eye on you or hear you.’ The young prince opened his mouth to speak just as it was announced that the joust was about to begin, he sighed softly before pressing a small kiss to Caspian’s cheek, “I must go. I promise I’ll behave, don’t worry.” For the first time in his life he meant it too.

indentRemon couldn’t help but laugh softly at the look of awe on his brother’s face watching Sir Maron and Sir Ascelin fight, winning their respective battles one after the other. He even saw the same look on their faces when the other man fought. The way in which the two knights fought was so vastly different yet also had some commonalities. He couldn't help but think how the two older men fought represented their personalities. Sir Ascelin fought in a gracefully straightforward yet mysteriously unpredictable manner. Whereas Sir Maron, though just as smooth in his technique, seemed to taunt his competitor with a steady flourish. Remon gently elbowed Evren in the arm and whispered so that only he could hear, “Brother if you keep staring at Sir Maron’s chest and Sir Ascelin’s arms like that you’ll put holes in them.” He snickered at the pout on his brother’s face, glancing back up at the current match.

indentThe few times Sir Ascelin had been convinced or forced into competing in the joust, he had won both competitions and this time was no different. There was a mixture of sadness on his brother’s face for Sir Maron yet proud joy for his guard dog’s win, it honestly confused him. The same look could be found on the two knights’ faces as well, well, joy was not the word Remon would use in Sir Ascelin’s case. For a brief second, he caught the mortified and sad look on the giant knight’s face as the cheers began before it quickly morphed into something the raving nobles would expect of him. His mother was already by the opening in the stands, he could tell she was struggling and he had to fight the urge to run over there to help her. It was obvious that Evren shared the came concern and desire to help their mother. It was as if someone had slowed time as he watched his mother collapse and Sir Ascelin thankfully caught her. Both he and Evren jumped to their feet, ready to push their way through to her when all hell broke loose. Things were flying in the air, people were shoving and pushing as they tried to escape the stands, and his brother was being pulled down to the ground and told to hide by one of their aunts before she, too, took off. The younger prince felt his brother reach for him, but he narrowly pulled his hand away, dodging the projectiles as he desperately tried to run after his mother.

indentThe silver-haired prince barely managed to make it off the stands, by the time he got to where his mother had collapsed, she was gone. He was about to head in the direction of the tents when he felt someone grab him by the waist and start pulling him backward. Panic coursed through his veins and just as he was going to scream, a hand clamped over his mouth. An all too familiar voice filled his ears as he was pulled a great distance away, into the cover of nearby trees, ‘It’s me! It’s alright Little Mouse! It’s just me.’ Remon whipped around in Caspian’s arms as soon as they were hidden and buried his face in the crook of his neck. The older man held him close to his chest as he cried, ‘Shhh Remon, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you, you're safe.' Once his sobs had quieted, he lifted his head to look at the blonde. His tears were wiped carefully from his cheeks as the faeman looked him over, “What just happened? One minute e-everything seemed fine and then chaos!” The blonde sighed, annoyance quickly flashing through his eyes before disappearing, ‘I honestly have no idea.’ They stood there in silence for a few minutes before the young prince felt his anxiety begin to bubble back up. He pulled himself from the other man’s arms, and tried to head in the direction of where the joust had been held, “My mother, I have to find her! I think she had been hit by something!” Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him back into the fae’s hard chest, ‘Like hell you are! I can still see things flying through the air! You're staying here with me until it’s safe.’ Remon stopped struggling in the blonde’s arm as he dropped his head back onto Cas’ shoulder, ‘This probably won’t help, but I don’t… I don’t think your mother was struck by anything…’ He hoped his responding glare was enough in saying that the blonde was right, it absolutely did not help.

[skydust]

𝗘𝗩𝗥𝗘𝗡 (& 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗡) ✧
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✧ words: 2399 ✧ tags: Ascelin, Remon ✧ role: crown prince of ashain

indentEvren was not staring.
indentNo matter how much his brother was teasing him that he was. No, he wasn’t. He wasn’t staring at Maron’s broad chest or Ascelin’s arms. He was simply admiring their skills as knights. That was it. Nothing more. He tried not to think of the feelings that were suddenly budding in his chest these last few times he’s hanged out with his friends. He tried not to think about what that meant. They were his friends, first and foremost.
indentAnd Evren wasn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t be caught dead making a mistake. So he didn’t. He wouldn’t ruin their friendship over something as silly as whatever his feelings were. He’d push them down, and be the crown prince. First and foremost, that was his duty. He was supposed to marry a princess someday, to unit their families and bring prosperity to the country. Gods, why was he thinking of marriage right now?
indent“I’m not staring, idiot,” he said playfully while pouting. He nudged Remon with his foot when he started snickering. Only to look the perfect picture of innocence when Remon looked his way. The battle continued, one noble knight after another going up against the royal guards knights. Of course, the two left participating would be Maron and Ascelin in the end. Evren knew that they were equally as good. Just in various different ways. He had never seen Maron like this though. So determined to win. Usually Maron would pull back when it came to showing off his talents, no matter how much he liked to brag about them. This time he was going full out, and Evren could only applaud in shock.
indentWhen the final battle between Ascelin and Maron came to past, Evren didn’t know who to route for. So he routed for both his friends in his brain. A stream of encouragement to the universe for them to both do their bests and let bygones be bygones in the end. They both fought valiantly, but in the end Ascelin was the winner. Evren saw him murmur something to Maron, which left a small but bittersweet smile on the mans face. But then Maron was standing and Ascelin was walking towards the Queen. Everyone politely clapped when he was claimed the winner, though Evren wasn’t ashamed to say he probably clapped the hardest of them all. His eyes locked onto Lin, a grin on his face as he looked at his knight.
indentEvren pretended he didn’t see the wink that Lin gave him when he stood from this bow. Only a light dusting of pink on his cheeks and a bite of a lip the giveaways that he did indeed see. Evren was a bit worried though. He kept glancing at the Queen and trying to see if she was okay. She looked a minute from falling over, and the cold probably wasn’t helping. Evren frowned as the Queen gave a weak smile towards Lin, placing the necklace of light blue Icilius lilies around his neck. Remon also seemed to be worried.
indentAnd then she fainted.
indentEvren gasped, quick to stand in his seat. “Mother!” he yelled, ready to push his way through his family to get to the Queen. And that’s when the projectiles started raining down. Evren could tell that magic was used to move them as they seemed to move through the air unnaturally. Like they were aiming for people. Evren ducked, turning to look for Remon only to find him being dragged back.
indent“Duck and hide, your highness!” his aunt had said, before moving back.
indent“Remon?!” he yelled, confusing and panic settling into his stomach. He found his brother, but when he tried to reach for him Evren was pulled back again. He quickly lost sight of his brother after that. All alone once again. “Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods.” He panicked, looking around for any of his family members and finding none. Where was his family? Where was his friends? Where was anyone he knew? All he could see was a blur of nobles running and projectiles flying through the air and hitting people. He practically fainted of relief when he saw Lin crawling to where he was under the stands. He didn’t even remember crawling under. “Lin, Lin what's going on?” he said shakily, trying to keep a steady head in all the chaos.
indentAscelin only told him to stay by his side and not to argue, but of course Evren would do just that. “What about my family? What about Remon? Have you seen him?” Of course Ascelin just dragged him to safety, a look of concern over his face. Evren wanted to scream but kept his mouth shut, biting on his tongue until he tasted blood. Once he was in a safe location, Evren grabbed onto Ascelin arms. “Lin, please tell me what’s happening.” But the knight simply told him to stay still while he get’s Maron. Evren let a whimper escape his mouth as Ascelin went back into the fray.
indentEvren had never felt as useless as he did right now. He couldn’t protect anyone when it came down to it. If he survived this, he was definitely asking for more lessons to train with Ascelin. If he lived, hell, he would even practice the piano. He hadn’t touched that instrument for forever, and every night he craved to play. Now he would get the chance if he lived. He promised himself he would. He promised himself he would live to see all his family well and alive. They had to be alive. That just had to be. He was panicking and he knew it. His breath came out in short gasps. He could feel his heart racing.
indentWhen Maron and Ascelin came back into view he practically wanted to weep from joy. That was, until he saw a projectile coming straight for Maron’s head. Evren yelped, trying to get up and push Maron out of the way but Lin was faster, pushing Maron out of the way but getting hit in the head instead. Maron and Lin slammed into the ground, and Evren stumbled his way over to kneel by their side. “Oh my gods, is he okay?”
indent“I don’t know, but he’s heavy!” Maron said, gently pushing Lin off of him and setting him on the ground with a hand under his head. Maron pulled his hand away gently and gapped in horror as blood came back. “Okay, maybe he’s not okay.”
indent“Maron! What are we going to do?!”
indent“Evren, you need to take a few deeps breaths,” Maron said. Placing a hand on Evren shoulder, he took a deep breath and let it out exaggeratedly. “Copy me, can you do that?” Evren did as he was told. Copying Maron’s breaths. When he was finally calm he realized tears had been streaming down his cheeks. He was brought into a fierce hug by Maron, before Maron pulled back. Maron grabbed Ascelin’s arms and then gestured for Evren to do the same with his feet. “I’ll get his arms and you get his feet. On three, we lift and try to make it back to the castle, okay?”
indentEvren nodded. Brushing away his shock and fear to help Lin. They heaved him up on three and slowly made their way back to the castle and away from the projectiles. By the time they got their maids and knights alike where rushing all over the place. A couple knights took Lin and they all made their way to the hospital wing. Where Lin was placed on a bed and a medic helped try and bandage him up. Evren realized he was shaking by the time he had finally got a moment to relax, and he quickly grit his teeth and clenched his arm.
indentHe wouldn’t cry again, not here.
indent---
indent17 dead. Countless injured.
indentThat’s all Maron heard as whispers around the castle became wildfire. Apparently, fae had attacked while every noble was in one place. Which was smart on their part, but a huge loss for the rest of them. Maron grit his teeth at the thought of the Queen. Apparently, her sickness had nothing to do with the attack, but she was gravely ill and no one had any idea on what was causing it. They even went as far as to use Asteria’s magic to see what was wrong, but couldn’t find anything. Maron burned with fury at the loss of everything that had happened in the last few days. Especially his friend, who was still in the hospital wing.
indentMaron gripped the bag against his side. He entered said wing and knocked on the door to Ascelin’s room, only to open it to find Evren there. Evren had been in the hospital wing practically every second when he was not doing paperwork. Either visiting Lin or visiting the Queen. So it wasn’t any surprise that he found him here. Maron gave a gentle smile and a small wave to the younger man, to only receive a small smile in return that didn’t reach Evren’s eyes. “Evren. How is he?”
indentEvren pierced his lips. “The doctor said he should wake any second now.”
indentMaron nodded, sitting in a chair next to Evren and putting the bag he was carrying against the chair. Maron bounced his leg, looking towards where Lin slept peacefully. The bandages where still around his head, but besides that he looked totally normal. Maron knew that wasn’t the case. With head injuries anything can happen. So he was wary on what would Lin be like when he woke up, though he wouldn’t dare tell that to the crown prince. Speaking of the crown prince, he spotted Evren’s hands shaking next to him. Maron gently brought his hand over to place on top of Evren’s. He gripped the slender hands in a way to tell him that he was here. Evren only nodded, and then Maron was looking back at Lin.
indentEvren noticed he was awake before Maron did. As Maron had taken to looking at the ceiling after a while and counting the tiles. Evren gasped, and Maron looked towards him and then towards Lin who was staring at the both of them. Evren got up, like he was about to grab Lin by the shoulders and hug him but he froze before a look of grief filled his face. “You liar-bastard! You said that you would be fine! Shut up, I couldn’t decide what to call you, you jerk!” Evren said, his voice wet with tears. Evren’s face quickly turned to panic and before Maron could even react, Evren apologized before running out the door. Asclien looked like he wanted to go after him but Maron quickly put a hand on his chest.
indent“Get out of this bed and I’ll knock you out my self, no rock necessary,” he said. Surprised at the own wetness of his voice. Maron cleared his throat, pulling his hand away and clasping it with his other. “He’s been very emotional these last few days, so don’t blame him for getting snappy. A lot has happened. And I would do the same if I wasn’t so gods damn happy that you’re awake. It’s been a few days. Seriously, did you have to go all savior-complex on me and push me out of the way?” Maron chuckled softly.
indent“Whatever the reason, I think I should catch you up on some stuff,” he cleared his throat. A serious expression coming over Maron’s face. “17 dead from the attack, and countless are injured. We still are trying to pick up the pieces on what happened and how they got close enough to the castle. Security has obviously been picked up, I’m only able to be here because the rest of the guards took pity on me when they found out you where in here.”
indentMaron laughed. “Guess being friends with the sick kid has some perks, eh?”
indentHe shifted in his seat, piercing his lips at the memory of his friend falling to the ground. Only moments prior had Maron smiled with a bittersweet happiness at his friend being crowned the victor of the jousting competition. Now he was in the hospital wing with a head injury and everything had gone to hell. The King was only more paranoid about the fae than before, which wasn’t a good thing. And the Queen was in the hospital wing fighting off a mystery illness. The queen, right. “And the Queen…She’s very sick. The medics have no idea what's wrong with her. Nobody does. She still hasn’t waken up since the jousting tournament.”
indentMaron sighed, chewing on his bottom lip. The last few days really had been chaotic. Maron remembered something and immediately sat up straighter in his chair. “By the way…did you talk to my parents? They’re alive by the way, scared as all hell too. It’s kinda hilarious. I think they were more scared of you than the attack,” he laughed. A sweet expression blooming in his eyes and falling onto Asclien. The older knight grabbed one of Lin’s hand. “That was very sweet of you, thanks. But just know I can take care of myself. I’m fine, trust me.”
indent“Speaking of sweet! Guess what I got!” Maron said, jumping up from his chair and bringing out a suspicious bottle of alcohol. He grinned, looking at Ascelin with a spark in his eyes. “Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t bring something festive now that you’re awake?” Uncorking the bottle, Maron raised it in his hand, still staring into Lin’s eyes with a grin on his face. “To Lin winning the jousting competition. May he go undefeated for all time, hadda hadda hadda. Cheers!”
indentMaron took a swig and was surprised at the unfamiliar taste. It didn’t taste sweet or bitter, but something entirely different. Something he’d never tasted before. He only shrugged and swallowed it, before offering it to Lin. “Want some? It’ll help that head of yours feel a bit better I bet,” Maron said deviously, already feeling the effects of the drink as his chest warmed. He giggled like a child as Lin took a hesitant swig, and than let out a cheer. “Thats it! See we’re having fun tonight. Just you and me. I think Evren needs time to cool off. Sucks to suck I guess!”

[Seokjinnie]

X█║ 𝔰𝔦𝔯 𝔞𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫 '𝔩𝔦𝔫' 𝔫𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔢 ║█X

indentMu’Ru stared up at his friend with his mouth slightly agape, a part of him wanted to tease the older knight, but the sound of the man’s voice put a stop to that line of thinking. He felt something tug at his heart, he hadn’t meant to upset either of them, “I-I put you both through hell…” The tall hybrid closed his eyes as he leaned back against the pillows, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night if he had let Maron get hit with the rock and injured despite noticing it was coming his way. Ice filled his veins as Maron spoke of the aftermath of the attack, people weren’t supposed to die at jousting tournaments. Ascelin grimaced at the mention of the queen’s condition, “I’m just glad I caught her before she hit the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it, Maron, may the medics figure it out soon.” The queen’s illness seemed so very unnatural and he worried for not just her safety, but for Evren and Remon’s too. He raised an eyebrow as Maron straightened in the chair beside the bed, immediately looking away from the older man as he mentioned his parents, ‘By the way… did you talk to my parents? They’re alive by the way, scared as all hell, too…’ Lin smiled sheepishly as he finally looked back to Maron, “I may have said a few things… I apologize for overste— The soft look on Maron’s handsome face as he grabbed his hand made him trail off. The hybrid squeezed his fellow knight’s hand gently, “I do trust you and I know you can, I think the world of you. I just couldn’t stand by after hearing the poison they spat at you. I would do anything for you, you know that, right?” He chuckled as his friend jumped out of his seat and pulled out a bottle.

indentA small grin was plastered on his face, though, his eyes traveled the room to make sure that no one was watching them. He gave the older man a look as he took a hesitant sip from the bottle, it tasted both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Ascelin shook his head as he handed the bottle back, “How ‘bout this, you break me out of here and we can drink as much as you want, deal?” He knew this was probably not the best idea because he just woke up and had a head injury, but he knew it would be a while before he could relax as soon as he was healed and back to work. The tall knight stared at his friend, silently pleading for him to agree as Maron stared back at him, clearly conflicted at wanting to drink with him yet not wanting to risk taking him out of the med-wing. Lin took hold of his friend’s free hand, tugging it gently, “Maron, please.” The older knight took another swig from the bottle, letting out a small sigh as he helps Lin to sit up and then stand, ‘Your poor adoring fans, how disappointed they’d be to learn of your dastardly ways.' It was a challenge not to laugh, but he really wanted to get out of the med-wing. He settled for shooting his friend a dirty look, though a mischievous glint twinkled in his dark brown eyes. He had one arm around Maron’s shoulder with one of his around his waist. They shuffled out of the med-wing undetected and down the hall; after a few minutes of walking then hiding then walking then hiding again, Mu’Ru leaned his head against the wall. He immediately regretted it as a rush of pain spread through the back of his head and suddenly Maron was in his face, ‘A-are you alright? Maybe we should go back, this was a bad idea.’ Lin frowned through his grimace, leaning forward to rest his forehead against the other man’s, “Hey, look at me. I’m fine, Maron. It’s gonna take a little more than a flying rock and a wall to get rid of me.“ He could tell that Maron was still unsure as he pulled back to look him in the eyes, ‘You told Evren you’d come back fine.’ Ascelin winced, punching his shoulder gently, whispering softly to avoid drawing attention to them, “Low blow, man. I fully intended to come back to him fine. Put yourself in my place, Maron, if you knew that damn rock was flying at my head, would you have let it hit me, or would you have done what I did?” He smirked as Maron looked down at his boots, muttering something he could in fact hear, but wanted to hear the older man say louder, “Sorry? What was that you said, couldn’t quite hear that?” The other knight lifted his head with narrowed eyes, ‘Don’t be an ass! I know you heard me with that freakish hearing of yours. But I’ll be nice and repeat it. I would’ve pushed you out of the way.’ He smiled softly as his friend brought the bottle up to his lips and took another gulp of it before holding it to his. He opened his mouth, letting the sweet alcohol pour into his mouth. With that settled, they shuffled the rest of the way to Ascelin’s room.

indentBefore long, the two knights sat huddled together giggling as they finished the bottle, 'You shoulda seen my dad’s face as soon as I mentioned your name, looked like he was gonna piss himself.' The tall hybrid burst into a small fit of laughter as recalled the look on the man’s face. He wiped a stray tear from his eyes as he let out a deep breath, “Mate, I did see it, ‘M the one that caused it!” Maron snickered as he rested his forehead on his shoulder as Mu’Ru shifted to pull him closer, ‘Gods not the clinging, you overgrown puppy.’ He let out a small feigned whine before giggling as he cuddled Maron closer. Lin stopped laughing as he glanced at the older knight, “I was serious when I said you make me a better fighter. Only you can keep up.” As he spoke his eyes trailed down his friend’s face, falling on the man’s lips. He had never realized how soft they looked, his eyes trailed back up to find that Maron was staring at him with a look he couldn’t place in his drunken state. A drunken and cocky smirk blossomed on his friend’s face as leaned closer. Mu’Ru smiled gently as leaned closer to his friend until their lips met in a frenzy, the bottle crashed to the floor having been dropped off the side as Maron brought his hand up to his cheek. The tall knight broke away, resting his forehead on his friend’s, “I-I know I am not the best at expressing myself verbally or a good fri—” A hand was slapped over his mouth and a finger pointed at him, mere inches from his face. There was a drunken haze in his friend’s eyes, but there was also irritation shining in his gaze, ‘You express yourself through your actions, you have for as long as I’ve known you. I will not hear any talk of your faults or you being a friend when you were injured protecting me, you stupid foolish man.’ The hand slid from his mouth, though the finger stayed, ‘And if you tell Evren or any of the other knights that, I’ll deny it and call you a liar. Aye?’ Ascelin nodded as Maron crossed his arms, glaring at him silently, "Aye.” It was silent for a good while before Maron punched his arm, ‘Gods, this drunk self-loathing you is insufferable. I think I actually miss your drunk clingy overgrown puppy self. From whining to trying to degrade yourself, good gods man, get it together. Now, shut up and go to sleep because I’m dragging you back to the med-wing at dawn.’

indentThe room was dark and he couldn’t quite tell if Maron was already asleep or not. He ran his fingers gently through the man’s hair as he whispered softly, “I really hope you don’t forget the kiss in the morning or regret it, don’t think I could take it if you did. You’re probably asleep so, I don’t know why I’m even bothering to say this out loud…” The tall hybrid let out a soft sigh as he closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.

[skydust]

𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡 ✧
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✧ words: 2259 ✧ tags: remon (ascelin) ✧ role: fae mercenary

indentCaspian was conflicted.
indentOn one hand his actions last night made sense. He was quite literally plotting against Remon’s entire family with the syndicate as they spoke. That night in fact he had just visited them with quite a shaking ending to that meeting. Caspian knew that he could hold his own against Iqaella, but it was winter. The opposite of his season, meaning she had the upper hand on him when it came to magic. And his wings had been trapped inside for so long that he doubted he could even fly away even if he wanted to too.
indentBut he was dangerous, he knew that for sure. Years and years of being a mercenary had done something to him. Made him sharp, like a knife. Made him living, breathing, walking death. He could be terrifying if he wanted to be. He could probably kill Remon right where he stood in seconds. That was what terrified him the most about these blooming feelings he had.
indentBecause eventually, he was going to have to do that.
indentOn the other hand, Caspian had always been impulsive. He liked the thrill of life and its treasures, even if life decided to screw him over one too many times. And Remon had came into his life unexpectedly, and being the impulsive person he was, sought him out with every fiber in his being because he liked the cat and mouse game that they played. It was a distraction that was fun and made his life just that much more bearable to deal with. So of course, he found himself on the grounds of the jousting tournament. Because, of course, he would let his impulsivity snake into his veins and poison him sweetly.
indentNobles crowded the stands, anxiously waiting for their knights to fight off in duels after duels. Caspian didn’t get this form of entertainment, but whatever kept them occupied was good. He spotted the King and Queen first. The King caught his eye and gave him a glare but also a subtle nod in his direction. Caspian nodded back, feeling disgust boil in his stomach. He would throw up all over the king's face if he was in range. The Queen looked ready to keel over. She was pale and shaky, and her eyes couldn’t seem to focus.
indentHis poison was working. For some reason, that terrified him.
Tindenthen Caspian spotted the crown prince, chatting to a knight and looking as regal as always. He seemed to avert his eyes whenever the knight smiled, which had Caspian raising a brow in question. But then he spotted Remon and he froze on the spot. The prince was dressed like royalty, as usual. With a small smile on his face and bittersweet nostalgia in his eyes as he looked at the jousting field. And then their eyes met and Caspian bit the inside of his cheek so hard he could taste blood on his tongue. It was all he could do to not walk right over to Remon himself. Luckily, Remon moved carefully over to him like he was a wounded animal.
indentTheir conversation from last night came up again, but this time it was the blunt end of it where Caspian decided to shut himself in his room. Remon had told him to not avoid him and actually talk to him instead of running away. Caspian had ignored the advice then, but confronted with the prince now, it was hard to ignore. The prince came right up to him, chatting to him with a little confidence in his voice.
indentCaspian scoffed, “You threatened to fight me and while I think it’s cute that you think you’d win, you may have been right.” Remon and himself were both shocked at his words, but Remon was the first to recover. Another quip on his tongue. Caspian laughed softly, moving towards Remon with purpose in his movements. “I don’t think I said all that, I said that you may have been right. Don’t get cocky, little mouse.” He took another step forward, and soon enough Caspian was right in front of him looking down and Remon was trying hard not to seem flustered. Caspian tilted his head, “It’s funny how quickly you fold after acting so cocky.”
indentRemon put his hands on Caspian’s chest, and he couldn’t even focus on what Remon was saying because the touch felt like it was burning. He hated how touch-starved he was. He hated how Remon made him feel. He hated how he was ruining this. He hated a lot of things. Caspian interrupted Remon by swooping down and kissing Remon in a short rough kiss, breaking it off with a growl on his lips. “Careful little mouse. I might be under here, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to keep an eye on you or hear you.” Remon sighed softly as the jousting tournament was announced, and kissed him on his cheek. Caspian would never admit that it burnt him from the inside out. The prince left soon after and the jousting tournament had begun.
indentCaspian watched from under the stands, a tad bit bored with everything. It was interesting to see the knights go up against one another, but it didn’t have the excitement of a real fight. Caspian watched on as Mu’ru and that one knight that the crown prince was talking to earlier decimated everyone. He even found himself clapping at one point, to which he growled and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. Everything was normal, the half-fae won and was crowned the victor. But something was off. It was in the air, a tense moment. Before the Queen suddenly collapsed and projectiles started flying through the air. Caspian’s mood quickly shifted into geer and he spotted a flash of silver hair.
indentQuickly making his way over to Remon and avoiding any projectiles, Caspian grabbed him by the waist before he could run over to the tents. The prince's mouth opened to scream but Caspian clasped a hand over it and pulled him to the nearby trees. Remon was struggling a lot now and Caspian rolled his eyes. “It’s me! It’s alright little mouse! It’s just me.” Remon quickly turned around and burned his face in Caspian’s neck. Caspian had no idea how to comfort crying people, so he just awkwardly held Remon in his arms as he cried. “Shhh Remon, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you, you’re safe.”
indentCaspian had only one guess who had done this. The syndicate. He could practically taste the magic in the air. But he had no idea why all of a sudden. It wasn’t like he was informed of this attack on the castle. Hell, he didn’t even know they had become this bold. He knew that they were killing nobles in the knight, swiftly and quietly. But now this was in broad daylight, and they were nowhere to be found. Caspian looked over Remon as he babbled, wiping tears off his cheeks. He was honestly slightly annoyed at the whole thing, but he kept his cool when Remon looked to him for an answer. “I honestly have no idea.”
indentCaspian wanted to comfort him and tell him that this will never happen again. But he had no idea what the syndicate was planning. It’s not like they ever told him anything besides giving him a to-do list of orders. Caspian was just a little bit frustrated. He liked knowing things when it came to his job, and they always left him in the dark. Panic suddenly appeared on Remon’s face, and then the prince pulled himself out of Caspian’s arms.
indentPure desperation and panic in his voice when he mentioned his mother. Caspian winced, and brought Remon back into his arms. “Like hell you are! I can still see things flying through the air! You’re staying here with me until it’s safe.” Remon stopped struggling in his arms, and Caspian sighed, “This probably won’t help, but I don’t…I don’t think your mother was struck by anything…”
indentThat earned him a glare.
indent“Right…What I’m trying to say is that I didn’t see her get struck by anything when I was watching Mu-I mean Ascelin get awarded for his victory. I think she may have fainted. Maybe she skipped breakfast?” Caspian said, trying to come up with answers that were false. He knew why she was sick. He just couldn’t say anything. It was eating him alive. He waved it off, realizing Remon from his arms and taking a step back. He missed the warmth. “Anyway, I think we should probably go make it back to the castle. C’mon.” Caspian took a step and then froze, before turning back to Remon. “We should probably glamour though..”
indentHe grabbed Remon by the hand, and with the other waved his and through the air in an arch before suddenly a shimmery light shined through the air before descending on the two of them. They slowly turned invisible, not able to see each other, only feel each other’s hand in the others. Glamour was something that came naturally to every fae and half-fae. Though he was pretty sure Remon wouldn’t be able to do it for a long while since his connection to the fae went so far back. But maybe with time he could, Caspian just didn’t know how long that would take. And really, they were running out of time already. Caspian felt sick at the thought.
indent“Okay, keep close. Remember fae can see through glamour if they look hard enough, so It’s best we try not to give them an excuse to look.”
indentSlowly making their way towards the now empty jousting grounds, Caspian looked left and right, making sure no one was here as he held Remon’s hand tightly in his own. He avoided the dead bodies on the ground and prayed to the gods that Remon was looking elsewhere. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Not turning to look and see who it is, he ducked into a tent, dragging Remon with him. If you looked closely, you could see Caspian open the flap and pull Remon in, but if not, then it could have been a gust from the winter wind. Caspian held Remon close, sneering at the voices that started up as if they could see him.
indent“Can you feel that?” A deeper voice said. Male. It sounded like Eoseal. That weasel. Eoseal was almost never around in the syndicate when he went to visit. He was always on missions trusted to him by Iqaella, and being second in command, he was dangerous.
indent“No, what is it?” A lighter voice, scratchier. Caspian recognized it as Fallon.
indent“It feels like glamour, I could have sworn I saw people over here as well.”
Caspian could practically hear Fallon rolling her eyes. “Whatever it was, It’s gone. Now did you see Aerais at all in that?”
He tensed at his own name, glad that Remon couldn’t see him wince. “No. I didn’t think he was supposed to be informed.”
indent“Right...Well, wherever he is. His plan has worked. Did you see the Queen? I don’t think she’s going to make it much longer.” Caspian could feel Remon struggling in his arms, probably trying to throttle the two with his mind. Caspian only held tighter, slowly stepping away and hushing Remon quietly. Fallon continued to talk. “Iqaella will be pleased. It’s one good thing that he’s done at least. What about the witch?"
indent"Neutralized. She should be waking up anytime now."
indent"Good. I don’t see any of the royal family lying here. That will upset her. Oh well, we’ll just have to continue our original plan. The time is coming for a revolution. Or whatever Iqaella always says. Now could you take care of these bodies?”
indent“On it.”
indentA gust of magic hit him, the ground shaking slightly. Caspian could only guess that Eoseal was destroying the bodies with his earth magic. Making them mangled corpses on the ground stuck between layers of roots that ripped out of the earth. Remon was still now, and Caspian could only guess that he was just in shock as much as Caspian was. This wasn’t good. Remon overhearing this conversation wasn’t good. By the time the two of them had left, and Caspian was sure that they were gone, he released Remon from his arms and from his glamour.
indent“Don’t even think about going after them,” Caspian said the minute the invisibility faded. “Your safety is most important right now, so heading back to the castle should be our priority. And by now, they’re long gone. We should head back and check on your family.” Caspian snaked his hand around his wrist and dragged him back to the castle. No matter how much Remon protested. Caspian had anger in his heart and a scowl on his face, and he didn’t even know particularly why. They didn’t inform him, sure. But was that really enough to make him angry?
indentWhatever it was, he didn’t dwell on it for long. They soon arrived at the castle. Remon was quickly surrounded by knights that glared in his direction. Caspian raised his hands mockingly and stepped inside as Remon was brought to safety. Probably on his way to the medical wing to get checked out. Caspian only watched him go, something dark growing in his eyes. He was going to have to talk to someone about this mess. And this time, he wouldn’t be threatened by Iqaella.

[Seokjinnie]

X█║ 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫 '𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔦' 𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔞 ║█X

indentHis brows furrowed as he stared at the blonde. His mother only ever missed breakfast when she was ill. Even then, he had never known his mother to faint. If anyone in the family was likely to faint, it was him. None of what was going on was okay and he wanted to scream. Remon remained silent as the blonde fae grabbed and cast a Glamour. He gave a small nod of his head, because who was he to argue when it came to this? On occasion, when pushed, he could summon a flame and it was never not painful to some extent, whereas Caspian knew what he was doing and he trusted the older man to protect him. Remon allowed himself to be pulled by Caspian through the trees and the empty grounds. His stomach turned as he took in the aftermath; lives snuffed out like a candle flame. He wanted to throw up but swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and averted his eyes. Suddenly, his vision was spinning as Cas dragged him into a tent. His first instinct was to argue with how roughly he’d been pulled, but it died in his throat as the older man held him tightly against his hard chest. The youngest prince could barely move his head with the angle and how tight Caspian was holding him. Remi heard two unfamiliar voices directly in front of the tent that had him tense in the blonde’s arms. It slowly hit him that even though projectiles were no longer flying through the air, they were still very much in danger. An icy chill rolled down his spine as the more feminine voice brought up his mother. He struggled in the blonde’s arms. What did she mean that his mother wasn’t going to make it much longer? Caspian’s arms tightened around him; he had a desperate urge to bite the blonde; the fae hushing him only deepened the desire. Blood was roaring in his ears the longer they stood there. His entire body felt incredibly numb, similar to how it felt when he was about to collapse as a child. Unlike then, he wasn’t ill and he wasn’t about to pass out. This numbness was fear and panic because this was too much, far too much.

indentAs soon as Cas released him, he let out a shaky breath. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he stared up at the blonde, ‘Don’t even think about going after them. Your safety is most important right now.’ If this were a different situation, he’s certain his heart would have fluttered and he would have melted. Remon was important to Cas, and he doubted that it was out of some sort of patriotic loyalty because he was a prince of Ashain. He rolled his eyes as the older man grabbed him by the wrist, “While I appreciate your protection, and I mean that genuinely, I would very much like it if you loosened your grip when you grab me because it hurts.” The silver-haired prince scowled as the blonde continued to drag him without any response, “Hey! Are you listening to me?” He could tell that Cas was upset and as much as his wrist ached, he could tell that the other man needed the silence. So, he bit his tongue all the way back to the castle and as he was surrounded by knights. Remon reached out to the fae as he was lifted into someone’s arms and carried off to the medical wing. A petulant frown planted itself on his face as struggled in the knight’s arms, “Let me down! I want to be put down! I am not injured!” The knight who was carrying him slowly put him down with a steadying hand on his shoulder. He sighed softly as he stared up at the knight who carried him then glanced at the other two knights, “I would like to be taken to my mother.” The three knights shared an uneasy look before the red-haired one on the left cleared his throat, ‘I’m sorry, Your Highness… His Majesty has forbidden anyone who is not himself, one of your aunts, or a healer into Her Majesty’s chambers.’ He felt his heart sink in his chest.

indentThat was a few days ago; he had locked himself in his room after making sure his brother was okay. He couldn’t bear to see anyone, nor did he particularly want to unless it was his mother. All he wanted to do was sit at her bedside and hold her hand. At one point he had tried to sneak over, but Lady Losene had seen him and immediately dragged him in front of his father. His father did as his father always did as his aunt hid a smile behind her hand. None of it was fair and all he wanted was his mother to be okay. He heard a small knock on his door, his first instinct was to ignore it, but he pushed it aside as it could be an update on his mother’s condition. It was not about his mother. When he opened the door, he was met with a handsome, muscular man with startling blue eyes with just a smidgen of brown in one and dark raven hair. The tall man’s voice was warm but unbelievably formal to the point where he almost thought he was a clone of Sir Ascelin, ‘Sir Garrik Maedad greets His Highness, Prince Remon, the spirit of Ashain.’ He wrinkled his nose in distaste, “The spirit of Ashain, really? Who in the heavens is coming up with these monikers? Well, at least it has moved past being ‘the joy of Ashain’ because that was just cruel. Anyway… Why are you at my door, Sir Garrik?” The tall knight gave him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, ‘This on—’ Suddenly it hit him, he knew exactly who this knight was, “I remember you! You're the little knight who followed my brother’s guard dog around! Boy, you grew...” A frown settled on Garrik’s face, his body had grown incredibly stiff within seconds, ‘Your Highness, I don’t mean to be impertinent, but I must request you not refer to Sir Ascelin as such in my presence.’ Remon narrowed his eyes, feigning aggravation, “How dare you order me! I am a prince of Ashain!” At the look of pure terror on the knight’s face, the silver-haired prince burst into a fit of laughter. After a few minutes, he collected himself and wiped a stray tear from the corner of his eye, “I’m only kidding. I’d prefer you speak to me like that, more honest. Now, without the Sir Ascelin impression, why are you here?” Garrik looked increasingly uncomfortable as Remon waited patiently, ‘His Majesty has assigned me the role of your Head Personal knight. I am to take on the job as of today.’ Confusion flooded his system because his father had never assigned him a knight before and he severely doubted that the ambush on the day of the joust made his father suddenly care about his existence. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep sigh because there was no way he could fight this and win, “No offense, but I don’t want a Head Personal knight or any knight for that matter. My father would sooner have another child than care about my safety so, did he give you a reason as to why you were given the task?” The young prince almost felt bad because he was putting Garrik in a difficult position, but he wanted to understand. The tall man cleared his throat, glancing over his shoulder before he turned his gaze back to Remon, ‘His Majesty told me that you were in need of protection from unsavory individuals that were hanging around you, Your Highness. His Majesty did not give me names or descriptions but told me to be on the lookout and report back to him.’ That certainly made things difficult.

indentHe grabbed Garrik’s hand, pulling him into his room and closing the door behind him, “Listen very carefully to me Sir Garrik. You want me to trust you, yes? Will you do whatever I ask of you?” Garrik looked unbelievably frazzled but nodded his head, ‘Yes, Your Highness as long as it is not unlawful.’ His eyes fell shut as he began to pace back and forth, "I want you to swear an oath to me. Tell me what is the main role of a Head Personal knight.” The other man’s shoulders straightened and he almost looked touched that he was asking him to swear an oath, ‘The main role of a Head Personal knight is to protect their charge above all else, even if it means death or punishment.’ He crossed his arms as he moved to stand in front of Garrik, “Indeed it is, which is why I must ask you to swear an oath. You know of my father’s reputation and I assume the rumors, yes?” A look of recognition, mixed with a tad bit of sadness, shimmered in the knight’s eyes as he nodded, ‘I am aware. A-are you going to ask me to commit treason?’ Remi bit his lip, as he shrugged and desperately tried to appear nonchalant, “I am, well, sort of. You need not swear the oath if what I am about to ask you is too much, but know that I will make your job unbelievably difficult. When you report to my father: lie. I don’t care what you say, but I’ll need you to lie for me because my father’s reputation is accurate just as the rumors are true.” Garrik completely surprised him as he dropped to one knee as soon as he finished speaking and took one of his hands in his own. The knight brought placed his hand over his chest as he looked into his eyes, ‘By the heavens, I, Garrik of the noble house Maedad, this day pledge fealty to His Highness Prince Remon of Ashain. I vow to provide thee with my sword and protection in times of danger, and my counsel in times of distress. I promise to defend thee against all that desire to harm thee with word, deed, and force. From this day forward, as long as His Highness allows, I am bound to be faithful to thee, holding thy honor and life above all.’ Rarely was he shocked into silence, even though he barely knew Garrik and trusted him little, he could tell the knight was being genuine. He took a deep breath before he bowed his head, “Let the heavens bear witness, that I, Prince Remon of Ashain, hear and accept thy oath of fealty, given in good faith. In turn, I vow to defend and support thee and thine, with words, deed, and force. If thou keep and hold thy oath with truth and honor, thou will be rewarded with my favor. If thou break faith and fail to keep thy oath, thou shall be repaid with my judgment and penalty. Arise, Sir Garrik Maedad, obey me, thy lord, thy master, thy prince." Gods, how stuffy... Just as Garrik rose up from his knee, there was a small creek from his window and the knight was pulling him behind him with sword out and ready. Remon looked out from behind Garrik’s back to see Caspian with anger shining in his blue eyes and growling softly, “This is not at all what you think it is, Caspian.” Garrik glanced over his shoulder at him, ‘My Prince, what would you have me do? I await command.’ He rolled his eyes as he moved to place a hand on the knight’s shoulder before dropping it after glancing at Caspian, “Uh… At ease? Yeah, yeah… At ease, Garrik. This man won’t bring harm to me so, sheath your sword. Don't tell my father of this, you swear it?” The raven-haired knight bowed his head as he sheathed his sword, ‘I don’t like it.’ Caspian in their distraction had stalked closer and was glaring at Garrik, who readily returned it, ‘He didn’t ask you if you liked it, he asked you to swear it. Be a good boy and answer him.’ Remon frowned as he reached over and took the blonde’s hand in his, but was once again shocked when Garrik grunted and straightened his shoulders, ‘I swear it, Your Highness.’ He was about to retort when he felt a hand snake around his waist and pull him toward Caspian, “I apparently have a lesson, you are dismissed Sir Garrik.” The knight was clearly hesitant to leave but obeyed.

indent‘Little Mouse, explain.’

[skydust]

𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡 ✧
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✧ words: 1657 ✧ tags: remon (eoseal) ✧ role: fae mercenary

indent“I don’t remember being informed of the attack on the castle.”
indentCaspian stood in the corner of the room. Back pressed against the wall as he sat in the shadows. He was glaring at Iqaella as she sat at her desk, but he was sure that if she could see him she didn’t care. Iqaella was rarely intimidated. Her fear had left her body and all that was left was crazed recklessness and desire. Caspian knew that feeling. He experienced it whenever one of his jobs had gone well and the pay was going to be just as good. But she never seemed to stop. It was all over her face, that smudge of madness. It almost made one want to grimace as her wild eyes looked up to smile at the corner Caspian was standing in.
indent“That’s because I didn’t inform you.”
indentCaspian stepped forward into the candlelight. His boots creaked the wooden floor as he tilted his head. “Yes, well, it seems you didn’t. Which is the problem. You’ve already set your rules in this partnership, so I think it’s time I set one of mine,” he hissed, stepping forward until his hands were on the desk and he was leaning forward in her face. He matched her wicked smile. “I expect to know when things like these are going to happen. It adds a whole lot of suspicion on the guy who the King has hired to do his dirty work. Especially if he’s in attendance.”
indent“Both Eoseal and Fallon informed me you weren’t there. And you have been doing the King’s dirty work, thanks to my guidance.”
indent“Let me finish. You were informed wrong, I was there. And I’m surprised you would admit to letting your own people get killed by my hand. After all, you were so passionate last time I mentioned I had done the same thing,” Caspian growled.
indentIqaella shrugged. “It’s under my control now. Dorin think’s he has power when in reality that power is mine to wield.”
indentCaspian scoffed, standing up straight again, “Right, right. Just let me know when you’re going pull another stunt like the one at the jousting tournament.”
indentIqaella smiled wider, her eyes searching Caspian’s face. Caspain frowned, doing the same right back and finding nothing. She put her elbows on the desk and her chin in her hands as she grinned with full teeth. “You know, I have to wonder if there's another reason that attack has gotten you so panicked. I’m sure you had managed fine on your own since you’re here without a scratch. And just like last time, I have to wonder, is there something you’re keeping from me, Aerais?”
indent“Woah, using the name I’ve sworn off? I’m positively shaking in my boots,” Caspian dramatically gasped, a hand on his heart before he rolled his eyes. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have to get back to the castle before anyone notices I’ve mysteriously disappeared once again. Have a good evening, and remember to inform me next time.”
indent---
indentCaspian furiously scrubbed blood off his hands.
indentIt had been a few days since his conversation with Iqaella, and he had been doing the King’s dirty work ever since. King Dorin was definitely angry at the attack on the castle. He was practically sending Caspian out every night to hunt down fae revolutionists apart of the syndicate. Last night, Caspian didn’t get a wink of sleep as he was out all night finding fae hideouts (under Iqaella’s guidance) to expose. Of course, everyone put up a fight. No one wants to die after all. But Caspian was an experienced killer, and by the fight the others put up, he determined that they weren’t. Though he was still left with plenty of bruises, burn marks, and borderline frostbite all over his body.
indentCaspian could also barely stomach the amount of fae he was giving over to the King. It left him throwing up in secret every spare moment he got. By now his throat was raw and scratchy. He couldn’t stop shaking, and no matter how hard he scrubbed, he couldn’t get the blood off his hands. He felt like running away, but he was in too deep. It was like he was simply in a trance. Like some witch had cast a spell over him and all he knew was this to take orders and kill. After all, he and death practically walked hand and hand. So it’s no wonder that this job was slowly killing him too.
indentAfter he scrubbed his hands raw, he quickly got dressed. He was training with Remon today. Finally, something that would hopefully get him out of this headspace. He closed the door to his bedroom and hastened his steps to Remon's room. He grinned wildly at the knights giving him strange looks, before finally making it to Remon’s room. His smile quickly dropped as he saw a man on one knee in front of Remon. He raised an eyebrow as the knight and Remon did some weird ritual. The knight stood up and Caspian took a step forward.
indentThen a sword was in his face.
indentHis eyebrows furrowed and he growled. He didn’t even know this guy and he was already pointing a sword in his face. Great. He rolled his eyes as the knight spoke, and Remon asked him to be at ease. Caspian walked closer when the sword was gone, and glared at Garrik. “He didn’t ask you if you liked it, he asked you to swear it. Be a good boy and answer him,” Caspian sassed. Remon reached over and took Caspian’s hand, which he squeezed. The knight surprisingly straightened his shoulders and did as told. He fake smiled before pulling Remon closer to him. Remon dismissed the knight, and when he was gone, Caspian turned to Remon. “Little mouse, explain.”
indentWhen Remon explained the situation of Garrik being his personal knight now because 'unsavory individuals,' Caspian sighed. Apparently, the King had taken notice of him spending time around Remon. Now he had a personal guard watching him all the time, and frankly, Caspian didn’t trust the man no matter how hard he swore that he wouldn’t tell. “Oh, that’s fantastic. So now you have your own guard dog like your brother. And I know he swore that he wouldn’t tell anyone, but I don’t trust him for a second.”
indentCaspian let go of Remon and paced the room, a hand rubbing his eyes. He was seriously about to lose it. With his lack of sleep and now whatever this was? The world must be cursing him for his wrongdoings. Not like he didn’t deserve it, but still, it was a pain. He turned towards Remon. “We’ll have your lessons in your room today. I don’t really like the idea of that knight secretly following us and then finding out some very important hidden secrets.”
indentHe cleared his throat to begin, but then he finally took in Remon’s appearance. The prince looked put together as always, but he could see the tiredness under his eyes. And the stress and sadness hidden in his features. Caspian bit his lip, before taking a step forward and putting an arm on Remon’s shoulder, squeezing lightly and looking down at him. “Firstly, how are you? You don’t seem…good.”
indentWhile Caspian wasn’t the greatest at comforting people, he was good at listening. Somewhat. He nodded along to what Remon told him and brought him close when the moments were right. He grimaced as Remon finished, partially knowing that everything that happened at the jousting tournament was his fault. It was definitely his fault that Remon’s mother was now sick. Caspian searched in his brain for what to do. “I-uh…” he stuttered. Trying to think of something to do. “We could learn about wings today? I could…show you my wings? If you’d like? I know it won’t solve anything but I’m sure it won’t hurt. But I mean, they are pretty cool,” he joked. Fake confidence in his voice as he nudged Remon.
indentWhen no protest came, he took a deep breath and then took off his coat before unbuttoning the white button-up shirt he wore. When it was unbuttoned he took it off and sucked in a deep breath. He forgot about his tattoos. The one’s marking him a seelie fae, but also a traitor of courts. The one marking him as a mercenary. He tried to ignore the eyes on him as he slowly unbandaged his wings. When the bandages fell to the floor, he let out a sigh of relief. The pain was still there from keeping them bandaged, but it was so much better now that they were free. He let his glamour fall, now revealing his pointed ears and the wings on his back.
indentHis wings were down, not spread out. So he stretched them, letting them move. He swore he felt a pop in his back when he did and he both winced and almost cried in relief. They flapped once, twice, gently. “They’re not the most impressive things. Most seelie fae have more colorful ones. Anyways, they’re often compared to that of the dragonfly, while unseelie fae have wings more like birds. Feathers and all that.”
indentHe anxiously looked anywhere besides Remon. “They’re strong and bendable, obviously since I can bandage them up no problem. They’re not fragile like normal dragonfly wings,” he looked back at his wings and let out the air he was holding in his lungs. “I don’t know why I bandaged them up all the time…I-I don’t know. It’s pretty painful when you keep them bandaged up for a while so I don’t recommended that. You don’t have wings so I don’t know why I’m telling you that.”
indentHe nervously laughed, running his hand through his blonde hair, before finally Caspian met Remon’s eyes. “You can touch them…if you want. I don’t bite. We’ll mostly.”

[Seokjinnie]

X█║ 𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔫 '𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔦' 𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔞 ║█X

indentWell, this felt so incredibly awkward. He shifted his feet anxiously as he looked into Caspian’s eyes, “My father assigned him as my Head Personal knight because of ‘unsavory individuals.’ I didn’t ask for him to be assigned to me. Though, I can't be totally disappointed because he was certainly attractive.” Remon bit his lip to hold himself back from laughing before a grave look settled on his face, “I asked him to swear an oath and he did. I just didn’t expect him to swear that oath. He just swore on his life so, unless he cares for himself very little, he won’t break it.” The young prince scanned the older man’s body before he rolled his eyes, “Right, the secrets are the only reason you don’t want him around me, oops. Sorry, I meant around us.” Once again he had to hold back from laughing as the fae cleared his throat. His body tensed as the blonde took in his appearance, dropping his head when he squeezed his shoulder, “I’m not— It has been a rough few days. He won’t let anyone see my mother beside himself, my aunts, and the healers. Then I have a knight thrust onto me when that is the last thing I want because we both know it isn’t due to him suddenly caring about my safety. Things are going to get worse because of the tourney.”

indentHe raised an eyebrow at the faeman’s attempt at consoling him before he mentally brushed it because at least he wasn’t being babied. His heart raced in his chest at the mere thought of seeing the blonde’s wings, though, he absolutely could not deny that. Remi stared up at the blonde with wide pleading eyes, “Yes! I mean… I would like that very much.” His eyes were glued to the other man as he took off his coat and then unbuttoned his shirt; it was insane how strong the hold Caspian had on him. The man’s upper body was littered with scattered tattoos, none of which he knew the meaning of and he wasn’t sure it was appropriate to ask. He felt a pang in his chest at the blonde’s sigh of relief and fought the urge to try to reach out to comfort him. A small gasp fell from his lips at the sight of Cas’ wings, his head whipping to look him straight in the eyes, “Not the most impressive things? How dare you, your wings are the most beautiful and impressive things I have ever laid my eyes on.” Remon took a careful step forward, feeling another pang in his chest as he listened to Caspian. His eyebrows shot up before he carefully reached out his hand and gently stroked one of the wings. A look of awe bloomed on his face as he glanced up at the blonde, “You are the most breathtaking man and you know very well that I wouldn’t care if you bit me.” He moved his hand away from the wings, cupping the older man’s face in his hands. The silver-haired prince smiled softly as he pushed himself up onto his toes and pressed a kiss to the blonde’s lips, “Don’t go acting all skittish on me now. Perhaps if I show you something…” He dropped his hands as he took a step back and then unbuttoned his dress shirt.

indentRemon slipped the shirt off his shoulders and turned his back to the faeman, his body tense as he glanced over his shoulder. He cleared his throat as he reached a hand over his shoulder and pointed to a spot just under where his neck met his back, “D-do you see this scar? The only ones who have ever seen it are my mother, my brother, and Nyorai. Well, I suppose the healer saw it too before it became a scar. I received it when I was five years old.” He nearly shivered at the feel of the blonde’s soft touch, he could hear the questions the man likely wanted to ask but wasn’t. He sighed, biting his lip, and turned around to face the blonde, “It happened because of my father, but he wasn’t the one who inflicted it. I was a sickly yet rambunctious child and everyone but my father coddled me far too much.” Remon took one of the older man’s hands in his, speaking softly, “I don’t remember what I did for my father to yell at me, but I remember feeling scared that he was going to make me leave the castle. I remember desperately wanting to fly away and so, I tried doing just that. There’s a bunch of fancy stones in a half-circle around the pond in the Royal Garden; they seemed so tall when I was five.” He felt Caspian squeeze his hand, he glanced down to see his hand trembling. He hadn’t even realized his hands were trembling, “I climbed onto them, it felt like I was scaling a mountain. As you pointed out, I don’t have wings, but I thought I could fly anyway. So, I jumped off except, I didn’t soar into the air and fly away. I fell directly into the pond, hitting that spot on my upper back on the fancy stone that jutted out the furthest.” Remon let out a self-deprecating laugh as he glanced away from the faeman, “If you think I’m weak now, I was far worse back then. I was lucky that Evren had chased after me and pulled me out of the pond before I inhaled more water. I was out for days because my body couldn’t handle the shock of it and I got a high fever. My father was furious with me because my little stunt forced him to delay a party that was supposed to be held in the gardens that afternoon.” A hand on his face, brushing a tear from his cheek pulled him from his thoughts, “Sorry, I rambled… Look, I know it’s not the same thing as having to hide your wings… But whenever I fall ill now or even remotely weak, I’m forced to hide away because my father finds it shameful, it makes my mother and brother sad and scared. I feel trapped like a bird inside a cage. So many people make me feel that even when I’m perfectly healthy, but not you. You make me feel free, Caspian.” He rested his head on the blonde’s shoulder, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks and biting his tongue to keep a confession from spilling from his lips.

indentRemon let out a groan as he banged his head on his brother's door. I must be insane. He had nearly admitted to the blonde just how strongly he felt about him. The young prince almost fell forward when Evren’s door suddenly opened, his brother steadied him by grabbing him by the shoulders, ‘There are better ways to knock, you know… Or do you perhaps like giving yourself concussions?’ Remi pouted as he glanced up at Eve, “It wouldn’t give me a concussion…”

[skydust]

𝗘𝗩𝗥𝗘𝗡 (𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡 & 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗡) ✧
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✧ words: 1729 ✧ tags: Remon (Ascelin) ✧ role: crown prince of ashain

indentMaron was panicking inside.
indentHe had kissed men before; it wasn’t a new thing for him. At first, he mostly did it to spite his parents, but then he realized that he was in fact queer. But kissing a random guy was one thing, kissing his best friend was another. So, he was panicking. Why did he think getting drunk and kissing Lin was a good idea? It wasn’t a good idea. It couldn’t be a good idea. Not now. Not when things seemed so dire. The Queen was ill, Evren was upset, and the fae seemed to be upping their attacks against the castle. Not to mention the King had them working double time. Maron simply couldn’t afford for his friendship to be ruined because he made a stupid mistake. Was it a mistake though? It’s not like he regretted it.
indentIn fact, it was quite the opposite. Maron wanted more.
indentSomething was clawing its way out of him, piece by piece it shredded his muscles as it made its way to his heart. He wanted more and he didn’t know what was going on but something deep inside him told him that the kiss was right. So right. Maron had to physically stop in his tracks to keep himself from turning around and running back to Ascelin’s room. He kept his feet planted against the ground. His head dipped to the side until it met the wall. He leaned against it, letting his forehead cool down against the cold wall.
indentHe stood there for a while. His fist clenching and unclenching. His jaw tight and his eyelids fluttered closed. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. He didn’t know how long he stood there until a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around, eyes wide open. He met one of his fellow guards’ eyes, confusion was written across their face as they took him in. He wasn’t in any armor, just the clothes he wore under them. He was supposed to be on duty. Right, that’s why he was making his way back to his room. “Maron? Aren’t you supposed to be on duty right now? Why are you just…leaning against a wall?”
indentMaron let out a fake laugh, “You know me! Just…thinking.”
indentThe guard sighed. “Same. Shame about the Queen.”
indentMaron nodded. “Right. The Queen. I’m going to go back to my quarters to get dressed.”
indentThe guard nodded, but Maron was already gone. Back to his room, back to seclusion.
indent---
indentWhen Caspian showed Remon his wings, he didn’t expect Remon to start unbuttoning his shirt. He raised an eyebrow, looking around the room like someone was about to burst in and say that this was some elaborate prank, and he was to go to the dungeons to be executed at once. Caspian sucked in a breath as he saw the scar on Remon’s back. Remon explained where he had gotten it from, and for some reason, Caspian felt an overwhelming sadness come over him. He was never one for emotions, in fact, he despised them. But when he was with Remon, they came easy to him. It was easy to let himself get swept away in Remon.
indentCaspian reached out a hand and brushed the tears away from Remon’s face. “I understand this sadness within you. I…I understand,” Caspian said. He couldn’t admit that he felt that emotion to his rotted core. He couldn’t admit that he felt emotion at all. But he could give this to Remon. His wings fluttered behind him as Remon said that he made him feel free. When Remon rested his head on Caspian’s shoulder, Caspian couldn’t help himself anymore. He brought his arms around Remon. Holding him tight as they both stood there. Caspian knew what he was doing. He knew this couldn’t last forever.
indentBut maybe, for now. He could enjoy it.
indent---
indentOnce again, Evren was being dramatic.
indentHe hated this side of him. The side of him that let his emotions out and shown on his sleeve. He wanted to be the perfect son, heir, and prince. Yet again he couldn’t help but want impossible things. His friend’s safety was among those things. He knew that they would lay down their lives for him. But couldn’t he live in a world where things didn’t have to be life and death? Couldn’t he live in a world where he could take his loved ones away and keep them safe? Evren was sick of the inconsistency. He huffed as he glared at his bedroom ceiling. It was late, and he couldn’t fall asleep.
indentSuddenly, there was a knock at the door. Getting up, Evren slowly made his way to the door. Silently hoping it wasn’t either of his friends. Not that he didn’t love them, it was just that he didn’t know if he was ready to face them after his embarrassing burst. He opened the door and quickly had to steady his brother with his hands. He grinned. “There are better ways to knock, you know…Or do you perhaps like giving yourself concussions?” He laughed at his brother’s response. “Right, well,” Evren looked right and then left. When he spotted no guards, he quickly grabbed Remon’s hand and pulled him inside his room. “Let’s talk somewhere private. I feel like we both need to get things off our chests.”
indent“I have an idea. How about we go party with some townsfolk? I’m in a mood to forget recent events,” Evren offered. Remon, of course, accepted. He knew his brother would be down for escaping the castle walls for a bit. Once they had changed into different clothing that wouldn’t immediately give them away as royalty, Evren opened his door, looking left and right, then pulled Remon towards a staircase. “Let’s get going.”
indentWalking down the staircase quickly and quietly, he made his way to the ground floor. “Stables,” Evren said, a grin on his face. He knew that the maids and servants were asleep currently, but the guards that had night duty were still patrolling the halls. Hiding behind doors and pillars, they made their way outside. When Evren got a clear shot to the stables without any guards looking in their direction, he made a run for it. Remon right behind him. When he made it, he let out a laugh. opening the stables and lighting a lantern. “That was a rush. Now let’s get on a horse and have some fun.”
indentHoping on a horse, he encouraged Remon to do the same. They both made their way to town, slowly, making sure that no guards would find them. Evren pulled the hood of his cape further over his face. “So, I got mad at Lin today,” he said, meeting Remon’s dark eyes. “And I know I might have been dramatic. I get that. I know I should hold my emotions together better. But he got hurt, on Maron’s behalf. And something about that deeply scared me. I know it’s his job, but gods just the thought of either of them hurt makes my head spin.” Evren laughed bitterly. “Do you think that’s crazy? Both are ready to lay down their lives for me and yet I don’t want them to. Father would call it a necessity. But I just…”
indentHe couldn’t finish his sentence. He bit his lip until he tasted blood. “Anyways, how about you? You seemed down when we met. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I think I just needed to get this off my chest. Too many things are happening, and I fear for our future,” Evren said, quietly. They had made their way to the stables just outside the nearby village. Evren hopped off, paid the stable owner more than he needed, and told him to keep their horses safe.
indentThey were in town.
indentEvren made sure that Remon was sticking close to him as he wandered in, eyes wide. Everyone seemed to be out. Drinking, dancing, and closing deals occurred all around him. He bumped into plenty of people and was honestly a bit shocked when people swore at him. He liked it. They treated him like an equal, not like he was someone to be worshipped. He grinned back at Remon but then ran straight into someone. Evren gasped as he was caught before he fell backward. He quickly looked up at who had caught him and quietly gasped at the man. He was beautiful but the most interesting thing about him was his purple eyes. Evren had never seen anything like it. “Woah, you okay?” The stranger said.
indent“Uh…Y-Yes. Sorry,” Evren said. Straightening himself out. When he realized his hood had fallen, he quickly yanked it back over his head. The stranger in front of him also had a hood on and just watched in amusement as Evren panicked. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
indentThe stranger laughed. “You barely touched me! I’m perfectly fine. And how about you?”
indentEvren could only really focus on the stranger’s accent. He hadn’t heard it anywhere before. When he realized he was just standing there, he cleared his throat and held out his hand. “I’m all right. My name is…Ren. It’s a pleasure.”
The man laughed again, and Evren felt nervous now. “So formal!” The man shook his hand. “The name is Finn, and pleasure is all mine. Would you two like to get a drink? It’s a bit cold out here.”
indentEvren just now realized Remon was with them. Evren let out a huge sigh that his brother hadn’t wandered off. Before he could answer, Remon was answering for him. Gladly taking up Finn’s offer. They both followed Finn, as the man talked about his adventures. Evren guessed that the weird accent was from traveling from place to place, as this man never seemed to be in one place for too long. When they finally entered a tavern, Evren raised an eyebrow as they walked inside. It smelt weird, like herbs and morning dew. And something about the tavern made him feel relaxed inside as if nothing could harm him here.
indentFinn simply grinned at his reaction, walked up to the bartender, and ordered three drinks. One for each of them. When the drink hit Evren’s tongue, Evren was surprised at how sweet it tasted. “So, are you two from around here?”