#cainscholar

@cainscholar

his heels echo as he enters the feast, a frown marring his face at the fact none of the servants had called him forth, has left him in the dark. and it makes sense as green eyes fall upon beastkin. abruptly he comes to a halt, eyes roam through chamber, fall upon table decked with ample of food to feed the entire kingdom, fall upon strangers that resemble his classmate, turn to his grandmother and lilia - the betrayer - before they finally end upon @cainscholar hanging far in the back, draped against stone wall and looking like he wants to be anywhere but here.

dread climbs upon his limbs, carries through his veins and tries to drown him, it’s that very dread that makes him feel exactly like leona : he shouldn’t be here. instead he speaks, wills it away for his curiosity has not been answered, had not had its fill yet. “ what is the meaning of all this ? ” he sees the queen talking to what malleus assumes to be the king of sunset savannah if he can read leona’s visage correctly. it is lilia’s expression that gives it away, that stops malleus heart momentarily from beating ; takes all the warmth from the room. and it’s that same cold gaze that he directs towards his grandmother, the current queen of briar valley and it is with that same coldness that he speaks again. “ i do not agree to whatever your idea is. ” petulant, angry like a teenager bereft of a choice for their future, and is that not what malleus is ? he knows very well the talk of marriage, the talk of a future for briar valley, for their very kingdom. it has been the topic of a handful of meals and malleus had tried so very hard to stop it, to have it disappear and die out and he had been so certain his grandmother had forgotten about it. 

it is she that walks so gently to him, that takes his hand in hers to console, to talk him out of whatever anger he’s feeling, to soften the hurt of the denial of choice. she whispers to him of opportunities, of helping the kingdom — they’re a dying species. to break the news as careful because she’s aware of his very curse. a marriage of convenience. convenient for who ? clouds form near the castle, swallow up its towers as the close in, grow in their size and darken.

have they all agreed to this ?

was he to never have a choice at all ?

he turns quickly away, eyes ablaze with anger and hurt, this wasn’t what he was promised, he was promised a dream, a future where he would — where he would what ? his reign wouldn’t be lonely, he would have lilia as his commander and sebek and silver at his side as his trustworthy advisors and guards. there would be years before he had to find a partner, someone that he could love. lilia used to tell him those stories of his parents, of them falling in love and was he not owed that ? was he not worthy of finding love for himself ? composure long forgotten and left behind, he’s shaking, falling apart at the seams, they’re tearing faster than he can allow them. his voice shakes as he speaks, trembles as the words get snarled. “ has the council set you up to this ? ” 

only a year he had been gone from the palace, only a year had passed by where he had experienced life away from the clutches of the council, of their wary eyes. was it not the very reason he was sent to this school so he could have a few years of joy and enrichment before he would be sat upon a throne of thorns ? was it not lilia's idea for him to experience what normal people would ? was a year of that enough for them ?

his gaze snaps to leona, the next to feel his ire. was he not to do anything against this as well ? was he going to accept this farce so easily ? “ you use your tongue so very often, have they cut it off for you to stay so silent now ? ” he breaks free from maleficia’s hold, stalks forward in a breeze, his chiffon cape fluttering behind him. the nonchalance in leona’s form only fueling his ire. he's close enough to tower over lion, he searches for something, anything. to see the same anger and betrayal in those eyes as he feels. “ do you have no care at all ? where are your insults, where is your venom ? ” he finds nothing. prince turns again to the feast, to the guests standing still and if he could fire would rain down upon them all. “ have you all gone mad ? ” rain beats against windows, wind howls through fireplace, makes embers dance through air.

who thought they’d be a magnificent match ? who’s fool idea was it to bring them together ? they were rivals at most, fated to fight against each other and malleus would always come on top. they were oil and water, unable to match, unable to mix. how could they possibly think they could become a happy union ? had they all been cursed ? had they become blind and senile in their search for a future ? why should he exchange a worthy future for a lazy guy who doesn’t have a care for anything besides a good night’s rest ? why should he ?

thunder rumbles, its lights flash along cold stone, brighten fae's angry face momentarily. “ i refuse. ” it is said quietly, like the calm before a storm. “ i refuse to participate in this farce. ” he dares them all to speak up, dares them to deny him. once more does he turn to leona. “ tell them, speak your mind for once it is wanted. ” he’s certain leona doesn’t want this either, he isn’t a fool, malleus knows they don’t like him, at all ! hatred has been so very apparent ever since he stepped foot on school grounds, had felt it in the eyes glaring at him the moment he walked into their sight ! oh, how he had delighted in it all then ! still, he stands close to him. an united front they're supposed to be. now, or in the future. malleus prefers now.

@cainscholar

eyes up here, lizard. @cainscholar

EYES FLICK UP ALMOST LAZILY, drag over exposed skin further before deep greens meet molten golds, its as if he’s looking at the savannah leona’s from, the desert sand, the tornadoes crushing through the vast landscape, he can see it all in those eyes as if he’s standing in the land itself, despite having never visited himself. not once had he thought of visiting the other lands outside of briar valley, not once had he taken an interest to any of it. and yet, ever since lilia had dragged him to this school everything had changed. malleus wasn’t sure how to feel about it, the initial change in his body and mind, the space forced apart to make room for all these people, to remember them all till the end of time as all had turned to dust, he’d be the last standing, the last to keep their memory. 

is that not a curse of itself ? 

as much as malleus was aware of lilia’s wants, of his wishes to let malleus have a youth, there’s something painfully oblivious to the fae to think that it won’t harm the heir. what good does it do if all of them become one with the earth when he hasn’t even turned of age properly ? when he’s only ascended onto the throne for a couple of years, when none of them would know his reign and how supreme it will be. none of them shall visit anyway. 

so why, lilia, are you forcing him to care for others  ?

eyes return to the sliver of skin, which is shown more than usual, and truly, it agitates malleus. royalty should be decent all the time, should they not set an example for the masses ? or is that because leona is not meant to wear the burden of the crown, is that why he rebels so much against his blood and future ? eyes narrow, focus becoming sharper as he truly regards sunset savanna’s second prince, truly try to take him in and malleus questions if he will ever understand him. 

does it matter, though ? 

-> Lyric's secret garden was a nestled collection of flourishing flora that few in the Biology Club knew about. It's members were far too abundant for any one person to keep track of every other person's projects, and Lyric was even more meek and cagey about their interests than the average first-warning student could dig for answers on. The downsides to this were numerous: Lyric often struggled to compete for space with other members who forgot they existed, their delicately cultivated efforts were often plucked or stomped on by those unaware of their destructive habits, & they rarely interacted with anyone among the club members when it wasn't strictly necessary. So even now, here, they are tending alone.

-> The sudden drop of his bodyweight onto the bench makes their whole body flinch, pots jumping and rattling in their hands. Their head snaps in his direction, raised hackles and confusion clear indicators they were prepared to chew someone out, but it's useless to them when they realize it is a housewarden. Specifically Savanaclaw's Housewarden, who Lyric has heard no nice things about and managed to stay blissfully out of the way of up until this point. They don't speak immediately, unsure if they should turn themselves to face him better. The arm cast over his eyes likely obscures them totally from view; it wouldn't matter if they did anyways, right?

"... ... this area is reserved for Biology Club members."

-> It's Lyric's area, but they don't say that. This furthest hidden corner in the shadow of a willow tree, where the sun casts through the glass. Partial sun, partial shade, not too humid... Ideal for the flowers they were trying to grow. Not that he seemed to care if he was in the way of all their soil bags and trowels and sproutlings.

"There are plenty of other places for you to rest, Housewarden Kingscholar."

Sevens, what barbarous behavior... Two could play at this game but Leona might not like the outcome. Oh well. Play stupid games, and one will surely win stupid prizes. At first, Vil could effortlessly ignore and treat Kingscholar as if he were nothing but air. But it is evident what Leona wants as he finds a way to get closer time and time again. Again, barbarous behavior. Absolutely ridiculous.

When Leona resumes hovering too much, Vil would flick his hair and intentionally smack the lion with purple tips. As if he were flicking away a pesky fly. Take a hint. It is when he closes his transaction with a merchant and turns on his heel, the irritation is evident on Vil's face when he finds Leona practically breathing his air!

@cainscholar