Regarding the young prince carefully, he’d heard the rumours about how this one was different. He had little to go on from his own dealings with the man… Louis he believed. His answer was intriguing, so used to the decisive games of his brother and sister, not to mention Stephan, he did consider the possibility that this too was some form of sport.

Nevertheless, he stepped to the side to allow the greater view to him, still admiring the garden from afar. He certainly could force anyone away from this garden but he let the matter rest. “They are spectacular. I’m sorry for the pain it must cause to look that them.” Tristan knew why the gardens had been constructed, a beloved family member. His own castle had similar such gardens. 

he was silent for a moment at the fallen king’s words before he walked further into the garden. “yes. it was painful for me to lose my aunt.” silence again but then the dragon rider turned to actually look at tristian. “but i’m sure it wasn’t as painful as losing a child... i’m sorry about your daughter.” he cleared his throat. he’d never imagined himself with children. just the idea of marrying had him on edge. he knew he was expected to marry but women didn’t interest him. 

“  A favor if you will, a taste test is all I require of your time, then you can continue with what you were doing before this interaction though you look like no prior engagements needed attention.  “

today seemed like a better mood then, words carrying the weight of being blunt to the point of no chance to refuse her request yet softened in some way only her companion could possibly understand from the tilted way her lips curved. the kitchen was hers to do with as she pleased for a short amount of time despite other staff members hovering around the edges wary of the clock ticking away but unable to muster the courage be rid of her presence, gazes like that of beady-eyed vultures for her disposition whether sound of mind or not always seemed to be a riveting show, a spectacle, to the eye. obviously, they had seen different messier results to a similar situation yet remained untelling. 

his mother always worried him. the shifting off her moods- the curse that bares her. why must their family be cursed like this? his cousin, her... it was sickening. he noticed her interaction with a slave and louis shooed them away before stepping forward towards her. “mother...” his gentle voice rang out before he gave her a kind smile. “i’ll test it...... how are you feeling today?”

   the morning seemed dull. then again this place always held a dullness to stephan. it’s one of the reasons why he left the kingdom the first chance he got. but this was all he had left of his family’s name and he was going to do his best to preserve it. 

   getting up from bed the king slides one of his many robes on before stepping out of the comforts of his room, taking in the chill crisp air of the hallway. this morning seemed like a good one to lock himself away in his study for a few hours and he makes is way down the hall toward the room; only stopping when e sees a figure sitting on a chaise near one of the bay windows. “it’s  a pretty uneventful morning, isn’t it?”

a family member of stepan’s bloodline should have been keeping people in check- taking pleasure in the slaves that wandered around the palace. but louis usually found himself in the company of his dragon; mab ( the queen of the dragons ) or enjoying old tomes of the very creatures they had enslaved. he was in his usual spot on the chaise, lounged up as he read by the sunlight. he didn’t notice his uncle until he heard his voice. 

he looked away from his book and gave a gentle smile. “oh uncle. i didn’t expect you to be up this early. you didn’t have a long night?” he let out a teasing chuckle before he closed the book and placed it on his lap.

“‘Undermine’ is such a strong word,” he replied, shaking his head. How could Louis ride a dragon and fight and yet still be so weak? The better question though was, perhaps, how the two of them were related. “Truly your are the sick one, Louis, but no. I know you well enough. Still, this does involve the dungeon and it’s not going to be completed by you standing there.”

sometimes- his brother frightened him. that was probably why louis went along with him. if he could do that to the slaves-- what stopped him from doing it to him? a heavy sigh left the dragon rider before he took a step away from mab towards gaius. “fine. why do you need me? cleaning blood and shit off the floor is an ‘undesirable’s’ job- not mine.”

OPEN:

It was later in the evening than she would have liked to finish her duties. They’d dragged on and while she was grateful she wasn’t forced to dance or sing, this was still taxing on her body and soul. She missed her old life. Wandering the hallways absentmindedly she was trying to settle her mind before returning to the servants quarters for the night. She’d lost count of how many times she’d turned a corner now, staring up in confusion as she didn’t recognize this part of the castle, spinning around in circles as she continued to walk, slamming into something solid, collapsing to the floor in a heap. “Watch where you are going.”

In his mind, he ripped the dragon’s wings apart. However, that was a completely ridiculous notion. “Does your dragon have a reason for her hatred of me or am I simply the closest person around who isn’t you?” The smirk on his little brother’s face made him sigh. “I came to get your assistance,” he continued. Unlike himself and their sister, Louis was too gentle. He needed work and, as the eldest, Gaius was determined to straighten the younger out.

OPEN:

Standing out in the courtyard, he was staring out over the gardens, it stirred a fondness in him for his home, the forest that he frequently hunted in. The things he missed now as a fallen King, forced to bend to the will and whim of a cruel man and his equally cruel family. Hearing the faint footsteps on the flagstones behind him, he knew his solace was no longer his own. A melancholic sigh passed his lips as he forced the smallest of smiles, not even bothering to turn around, he was enjoying the sun on his face. “I’m not in the way, am I?”

louis the gentle. louis the coward. how could one be a coward when your soul was connected to the queen of the dragons? when you fought a war? was it because he didn’t view the world like the rest of his family? that he didn’t torment others that didn’t need to be tormented? he had found himself wandering to the garden; staring at the statue of his aunt. it brought a sadness to him. he missed her. of course; the fallen king would be there. his lips pursed together. he was told not to be nice to him. “no... how can i force someone away from these memorial gardens....”

Gaius hated all non-humans and that included the dragons that had won them the war. They were annoying and ridiculous and after punishing so many slaves he was nearing the end of his proverbial rope with them. On top of that, his gentle brother was hardly a good member of the family in his opinion. Their sister was much more suited to treating the non-humans how they should be. Running a hand through his hair, he stepped out into the field, seeing the dragon overhead. It swooped down toward him and he was forced to duck. “LOUIS!” he shouted, “where are you?”