princeling.

she’d taken some stale bread from the kitchens, claiming a seat on a snow covered bench in the courtyard during the snowfall. anya pulls at the bread– hard as it may be– before throwing it to the birds that waddle on the ground before her. a habit she’s made since arriving in norden and seeing the birds are unable to obtain their own food. the crunching of steps in the snow, causes her head to whip up in surprise. “oh ! did you come to feed the birds as well ??”

She couldn’t help but chuckle but went back to being as serious as she could. “It would be further north, then to make a right turn and it should be visible, don’t turn left or you’d end up in the woods,” She smiled again “I could accompany you if you like, I mean you know the way but…just to talk.”

pollux blinked at the instructions, having had zoned out halfway through. he recovers quickly, a grin growing on his face as he offers an arm to cleo -- much like a gentleman would. “ i’ve never been one to argue company.”

          even surrounded by his advisors, no one was ever more important than his brother. he was a bit preoccupied by the plague that surrounded the outside of norden and while he was mid-sentence to a man beside him, nathaniel was cut off when he noticed pollux out of the corner of his eye. to see the prince in such a state worried him immediately and the king turned to put a hand on his shoulder, shuffling him backwards. the younger man reeked of alcohol and that was the first sign that they certainly needed to distance themselves from others. nathaniel pulled him to the side for a bit of privacy, waving off his men.

          “ pollux, gods, are you drunk? ” he questioned, eyeing his brother. the man was clearly intoxicated but nathaniel was curious as to if he would be honest. “ what is the matter? ”

            anyone with a bit of sense would’ve flushed in shame if they had interrupted a king having a meeting with his advisors, however, this was pollux -- known to all for being a damned fool. also, he was drunker than a fiddler’s gal. and, he was angry. he had no boundaries. “ WHAT ?? “ he replied, afronted. how dare nate make such assumptions. “ NO. GODS NO. I HAVE -- “ pollux clears his threat, fixing his decibel level. it takes three words to find it raising again anyway. “ i have NEVER, EVER, been DRUNK in my LIFE. “ he hiccoughed as he jabbed a finger into his brother’s chest. “ NATE. “ he starts, the challenge in his voice, “ WE MUST DUEL. “

she rolls her eyes, gently thwacking him on the shoulder. “ i know charlotte, yes. but i do not know her pollux. she is your friend, we simply speak on friendly terms the way women do when their men are busy showing off. ” she looks over the list, her brother is there she notes but what of her mother and father? their relationship may not be the best but it is there. “ where are my childhood friends from the village? i can list some out for you. ” she murmurs, leaning against the desk with her hair falling over her shoulder like a curtain. she looks closer at the list noting that anya, nico, viola’s siblings all are listen. she shoots up suddenly, looking at him confused. “ where is bryn? he’s my favorite friend of all. ” sybil asks with a small laugh, reaching for the discarded quill.

pollux blinked. alright, so they hit a snag in the carpet. it was fine. easily, pollux leaned over the desk again and drew in another table in the corner of the parchment. “ will one table be fine for them ?? “ he hums, one hand reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear while the other wraps around her waist to pull her into his lap.  “ or shall i add another, my love ?? “ as she reads the list again, he presses a kiss to her shoulder. pollux is surprised when she suddenly shot upright. his mood immediately sours, and his hand takes hers as she reaches for his quill. “ what if i don’t want him there, hm ?? “

“Well i am sorry your highness.” She said with a kind smile, though Cleo was amused by the fact he was trying to pretend he wasn’t lost. “Surely you must be in your way to the castle and know perfectly well how to do that so, I’ll be on my way.”

“ wait -- “ he said hurriedly. realizing the tell in his voice, he cleared his voice and did his best to recover. “ hypothetically... if i were lost... which way would the castle be ?? “

The poke to the arm, made Rudraksh stir awake with a light hum of disapproval at being woken up when he’d only just slipped into slumber. The warm clothes kept him cozy for his mind was upon the non-existent warmth that the Norden sun bathed him in. At least, they got to see the sun for some time. His lips tugged into a lazy smirk of amusement as he stood up, upon seeing the young prince. “Rather, it was quite interesting, Your Highness. Just, needed to rest my eyes for a few moments. Seems like that turned into a nap.”

he gave a shrug, “ well, i suppose it doesn’t hurt to take a break. i’ve always wondered if any advisors ever slept. “ their occupations had always seemed like a time consuming job. if pollux were anything but a prince, he knew an advisor was not a part of his career option. it was too much commitment. “ what’re you reading ?? “

Cleo was making her way to her house, she could have taken a carriage but her home was so close to the castle and she hand’t really walked around Norden since she came back, she smiled as she watched the snow falling, she knew how hard this weather was for many but she just it. She saw someone looking rather lost and she walked a bit closer “I’m sorry but are you lost? “ The curfew would be soon.

                 if he turned north, he saw snow. if he turned south, he saw snow. whatever direction he looked, he saw snow. then, he turned over his shoulder and saw cleo. seeing cleo, despite being friendly with her, had not lightened his mood at all. “ lady cleo, “ he started snappily, “ a prince is never lost. “

“I don’t know…they have been blinded by his act.” He spit out disgusted. “We have to think of something, we can’t have someone like him take everything the Asteria’s had, to come into our lives and act as if he belongs…not to mention have you heard the rumors that he and your fiancé are very close? Is obvious he doesn’t care about that since he has gone out of his way to seduce Charlotte.” Right now he could tear the room apart in anger but he just takes a very deep breath and sits down. “We can just stay still and watch him take over.”

pollux’ eyes narrow. “ he and sybil are close ?? “ he had never one been one to listen to gossip -- since the two of them had become engaged, it hadn’t been the kindest to his future bride. gods, he really can’t believe this. is the only person he can trust truly silas ?? “ no, “ he said, changing his stance. “ we cannot just stand idly by as the everyone is charmed by this devil !! “

            his anger, although there, was now dulled down by both the time passing and the rum that hadn’t left his hand since. pollux was less mad, but there was still an uncomfortable space in his chest. he supposed that it wouldn’t go away until he spoke with his brother, or spoken to charlotte. but, he wasn’t really in the mood to look at her in the face right now. however, his brother was his best friend after her and silas. he knew nate was always supposed to be there for him even if sometimes they had rough patches.

           “ NATE, “ he shouted. the dragged out slur drew the attention of nearby guards. “ NATE. I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU. “

Silas found comfort seeing that his friend shared the same disgusted feeling he did, but of course he was. “That was my same question…I saw him, all dressed up as a noble, he looks like a joke, he seems to think dressing up in nice clothes will make him an actual noble.” He spit out “Why did your brother agreed I don’t know but I am also so mad at Charlotte for doing this, it feels like a betrayal.” Bigger than her cheating on him because he knew she had. “I don’t know how he filled her head with weird ideas but she isn’t acting like herself.”

he finds himself shaking his head, falling almost deaf to silas’ words. all he sees is the anger on his friend’s face and the tremor to his own hands and there are little black spots interrupting his sight.“ of course it feels like betrayal, silas. “ he says, his hands curling into fists. “ it is betrayal. “ how could she ?? how could they ?? both charlotte and his brother had gone behind his back. no, pollux had never hated brynjolf. while he and his friends had not been kind to him, it was just children being cruel. but now, in this moment, pollux is sure that what he feels is a lot worse than juvenile feelings. 

“In an ideal world that would have happened.” He said bitterly “But you see my darling fiancé decided to tell your brother to give everything they owned to Brynjolf Mallory and guess what your brother did. So we have a stable boy for a duke now.”

pollux’ face fell almost immediately. “ excuse me ?? “ there was a tremor in his voice. however, it was not confusion, or fear. it was anger. pure upset. while nathaniel was king, he could not believe that his brother did not tell him that this was what would become of niamh’s estates. he was sure her father would be rolling in his grave. pollux, despite their engagement having been broken long ago, still felt a responsibility to the late asterias. he could not believe that the land was being donated to the biggest charity case bearoria had witnessed in years. in fact, pollux was disgusted. 

He went inside his friend’s chambers and took a deep breath and exhaled “Do you know what happened to everything the Asteria’s owned?” He asked turning to look at Pollux. “And I mean everything, land, house, money…title..”

the furrow in his brow does not leave. he has to process his friend’s words first. “ was it not given to the rowes ?? i was under the impression that all the asteria’s property would be given to their closest relatives. “ 

they had taken home in pollux’s bed chamber. it was bigger than hers, by nature and much more warm, also by nature. it was also beautiful and most importantly it held him, whom she needed the most. her bed chambers was mostly used by as a placement for her clothing and books she had taken to reading or somewhere quiet from everyone else. she glanced up from where she had been braiding her hair to give pollux a strange look. 

“ finished? ” she called back, rising from the bed to walk over to him. upon glance, the guest list did look very much full but… “ my stars, not to be imprudent but —- where are my friends? ”

pollux leaned into his chair as she inspected his list. he was sure that she’d find everything in order, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to have a second pair of eyes. “ well... “ at her concern, pollux took a second look at the list. he barely looked further than the second name before pointing it out to her. “ you know charlotte, no ?? you are friends. “ while, yes, he didn’t invite all that many of her friends, he invited her brother which was enough. wasn’t it ??

There was another person that Silas had to talk to, he was slightly more calm  though anger still burned inside of him. But being angry wouldn’t solve anything it was time to think and plot, but first he must give the news to Pollux because he knew, the king surely didn’t have the decency to tell his brother where the title of Pollux’s former bethroded was going to end. He knocked on the door “Pollux is me, there is something urgent.”

@pvllux

the quill in his hand came to a still at the loud knock. pollux sighed at the pool of ink that had blotted halfway through his ‘ t. ‘ the princed sighed reaching for the door. he is startled to see silas so upset. with the furrow evident in his brow, he ushered in his best friend. “ please, silas, tell me what has you so worked up. “