ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴇʏᴇs

      –– A deep bow, with practiced elegance more than anything else and grace that flowed through his veins like blood. Brusque and harsh manner, sharp like a cut glass, all thrown out of the window as soon as he left the battlefield and one would never expect him to have stood in the front lines as he gave a chaste, swift kiss to the back of the princess’s hand. “It’s an honor, Your Majesty.” Lips quirking into a smile, dark as his hair, dark as a summer night without the mar of stars in its wake.

       –– Time and again, he found his feet leading him back to the stables –– it was something he had learnt to accept, ceased resisting, for it was in the company of the gentle-eyed animals that he had learned to let his guard down and actually rest. Of course, in the eyes of others, he might appear as a devilish rogue with a wicked smile plastered on his face almost constantly but that was but a mask, and his true emotions and feelings stayed hidden –– sometimes, on an occasion as rare as a blue moon, it would leak out like the paint in a brush when dipped in water, but never more.          So again, today, he found himself walking towards the stable, walking towards the beauty that was his horse, one that had carried him on her back so gallantly through battles after his former one expired in the battlefield  ( and oh how devastated he was about his death ) and yet, he found himself greeted with a surprise as he stepped his foot inside the doors. Eyebrow arching up and lips quirking into that devilish smile that was his and his alone, he approached the other figure –– conveniently near Niña –– and whispered his hello at her as he brushed his horse’s mane. She was something familiar, her figure and how the light hugged her body and he couldn’t helped but wonder where he had met her, it was not like him to forget a face. So perhaps, he did saw and met her but not her face for that was the only thing that he couldn’t fetch out of his memory bank. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

        –– “I’m doing fine, and you?” He mimicked the younger man in voice as well as accent before laughter poured out of the cavity of his ribs, taking up his face in a brightness that was so rarely seen from him. “Sashka, since when are we so..formal with each other, hm? Oh? Did something happen with Luk––” He noticed the slight changes in the Russian prince’s face as he spoke of the chancellor, something inside him wanting to press further, but instead he stopped himself. His little one would speak to him when he needed to and he always believed in the saying all’s in due time. This was not an exception. Perhaps it was not wise for Marcos to harbor a soft spot for Alexei, after all, despite the current amicable and strong relationship between the two countries, one could never know what would happen in the future. Should their long-standing alliance fall, the Spanish chancellor knew that he’d have the short end of the stick making hard decisions regarding the matter.He shook his head, trying not to let such morbid thoughts enter his head. They’re here in Rome to talk about peace after all, one that would hopefully last until he blew his last breathe. “What’s that? Are you really counting the days until my last breathe? I’m hurt.” Put his hand on his chest in mock sorrow but how could one lie with such a playful smile on their face? It was certainly refreshing, talking to his old friend. Felt as if he could drop all the pretenses –– not that he ever did that, not fully at least –– and relax. For once conversation didn’t feel like a game of chess where he had to contemplate every move, every word that left his lips. 

        –– The droplets of rain was cool but expected and by no means distracted him from noticing the rosy hue that started to dust her cheeks, yet he spoke nothing of it. Perhaps, if he were a few years younger –– still the strapping young man with tease and wickedness in his eyes and playfulness in his grins –– he would point it out with a smirk and a finger to her chin. But war took that man away and gave back what he was now. He hummed as he thought of his answer, taking off his clothes as he put it over the young lady’s head with his hands. Smile on his face, he asked, “I don’t know, what do you think?”

   –– Belarus. Smile etched still on his face. Of course he had heard of the country, who hadn’t? How the country ruled with a ruthless sovereign and how rumor had spread that it was the doing of the princess in blue rather than Ilya The Great himself. “Pleasure’s all mine, I assure you, My Lady.” Had heard that they were cold and perhaps that wasn’t quite the right word for them as charismatic, for she held herself with grace and strength. “Ten years ago? Would you still be in your teenage years then?” A deep chuckle escaped his lips as he guided Nina, another hand gesturing for the woman back to the stable. “I am sure the palace’s stable would have a horse to your liking.”

   –– “Something. Everything.” He shrugged, a deep chuckle slipping past his lips. “Anything.” Eyes scanning back to the party, lids closing for a second behind the mask he’s wearing. He pursed his lips for a second before his dark eyes were casted on her once more. “The party’s nothing more than an attempt to let us guard down. Promises of peace but not one soul in every meeting held so far relented and yielded. Everybody pushing for what they want. It’s all demand and demands. My Lady, believe me, it’s not a pretty sight.” A charming smile, a dark twinkle in his eyes before he shook his head slowly. “And, how do you see it from your eyes, Lady Light?” He understood her answer for he too, felt the same about his. But his position didn’t allow him such luxury. For him whose opinion already held weigh even from the moment he was born, only for such thing to increase when he accepted the position his princess had offered him. For someone like him, there’s no turning back. He could only push forward, no matter how taxing it was for him. “Boring, no. Common, maybe. Not everyone can –– or even want –– handle such pressure and I understand that very well. “

    –– Watching sea of masked people dancing with each other, their flurry of dresses and whispered giggles reached his ears and he couldn’t help but wonder if he could allow himself to join them. But of course, he couldn’t. Had his chance to steal the night away with his quen of hearts and that’s enough for him. Arching an eyebrow as another man threw himself beside him, he chuckled at his remark. “Well for your sake, sir, I hope that it’ll get better soon.” Refraining to use Spanish, a dead giveaway for his identity and that’s the whole point of the ball, was it not? “Could I be sure it’s you if I spot a limping man tomorrow?” A playful smirk played on his face as he held hid goblet up to his lips, taking a generous sip from it as he kept his eyes on the other man.

   –– He sighed an tore his gaze away from her momentarily, hearing the hesitance that was so painfully obvious in her voice. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. I’m fine, Catalina. You don’t think your brother’s that weak, do you?” He offered her a warm grin as he ruffled her hair, thoroughly messing with her hair this time. He hated that he made his sister worry like this. Not only was he her older brother, he was also the pillar of the family now. He was supposed to protect and to take care of everyone. Mother, siblings. Arm circling around his sister’s shoulder, he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Leave the worrying on me, as usual, alright? You just focus on having fun and doing reckless things like you usually do.” A chuckle, warmth in his eyes that soon turned into mirth as his sister spoke again, “I guess that’s true. But you also know that mother would have my head if I just let you run around without any supervision, don’t you? I have to keep some semblance of a pretense that I’m reigning you in or I’m in for an earful.” He paused for a bit, to heave a sign yet again, Marcos seemed to do that a lot around his sister. “Stop bothering her. I can’t just be around her all the time anymore. We broke up, Catalina”

   –– Tilting his head, a shrug of his shoulders as he shared a secret smile with the others, “If you’re that eager to be someone else other than yourself, you must be pretty bad in real life, no? Don’t worry, the same applies to me.” Laced with that characteristically tone that was his and his alone, that made it hard for people to decipher whether ot not he was jesting or being serious. His own glass having been half empty already, he swirled it, eyeing the content before arching an eyebrow, hidden by the mask, at the other. “You can’t dance, really? Never in your life?”

    –– "Oh believe me. It’s a hard thing to do. At least for a cynic like me.” Arched an eyebrow, etched a smile, winked a wink. All fun and jesting but those were but peppers to the real truth. And as she talked, he found that it’s harder for him to suppress that skeptical side that started to stem out in the corner of his heart. Good girls like her never seen the wretchedness that made him lost faith in humanity he wished he never seen those things either. Good girls like her were good, but you don’t achieve anything by being good that’s why the good people died first even on the battlefield. He shrugged. “Maybe just a bit more. And how much do you wish yours have?”

    –– A chuckle. “So I’m the only one allowed to call you by such an affectionate nickname? I’m honored, Prince, really am.” A mock expression on his face, hand on his chest to emphasize it. To be quite honest, try as he might but Marcos could never see him as anything other that the sixteen years old boy he first met. His antics and childish disposition that somehow still persisted. And he was glad that it did for when they talked to each other, he felt as if time stood still and he was not the man he was now. The wretched man he’s now. Wasn’t the best person five years ago, wasn’t even one to begin with, but at least not this. He laughed alongside the other guy, shaking his head a bit. Romantic. He sure as hell wasn’t that. Not after a botched up attempt at something that actually mattered for him. “Plenty of people caught my eyes tonight. You know more than anyone else my eyes wander around, kiddo.” Patted the other’s cheek a bit, something so brazen to do, but they were that close anyway. “How about you? Or are you perhaps already in love with someone?”