#forgottenroyal

    “I’m immune to that, you know.” He could tell a siren’s song. It was nothing much different to a normal person’s speech, but it brought a whole new meaning to ‘honeyed words’. They seemed to literally drip with sweet, seductive power. Though this one’s appeared to be losing its edge. “You should probably think about getting back to your pond. Don’t want a Witcher catching you doing something you’ll regret.”

“Oh, just the usual things. That you’re pretty kind. You’re helping the people around this village and that your brother had been a Beast for what, a decade?” he chuckled. 

“Alice, don’t tell me you came all the way here to the village just to see me.” 

“I heard about this prince visiting out kingdom to gain your attention. Isn’t he handsome?”

“Princess,” he said, bowing low to her. Put up the non-threatening facade. Make her think she’s fine around him. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Quentin Graves. From England.” Coming to Versailles to pretend to court the princess. It was foolproof. Use the sorcerer’s student to get to him. And if he could be made a Prince of France, even better. “It is an honor. You’re even more beautiful than your portrait, if I may say.” The sorcerer stood straight to his full height. Tall, strong, almost ethereal. He could be considered a perfect match for the princess if he said the right things and made the correct moves. All a giant game of chess.

“I - I wasn’t expecting you to be awake,” he said, wincing slightly as he moved to the couch, sitting down a bit more heavily than he usually would. The injuries weren’t as bad as they could have been, but the discomfort from them was enough. “I didn’t keep you up, did I?” He had put heavy silencing charms around the cellar, but he knew they could sometimes begin fade near the end of the night.

As he sat up, he caught sight of her expression, and shook himself awake a bit more fully. “Are you alright?” he asked, reaching to take her hand over the covers. “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost, what’s wrong?” It was odd enough that she was awake before him - he had to get up earlier to deal with his responsibilities, and tried to avoid waking her when he did