Evander hummed faintly. "Of course. And I hope that you did as well?" He kept his gaze on Dacian, wanting to ensure that Dacian knew that Evander had had a pleasant time dancing with him. The young king still looked tired and worn, with those circles still beneath his eyes, but he at least looked a little bit lighter, even if stress and the wear of care was still visible in his grey eyes.
Dacian enthusiastically nodded his head. "Yes! I had a wonderful time," He responded. Quietly, he laughed for a moment, but ended up having to cover his mouth as he coughed. He mumbled an apology before speaking again. "Also, if you ever need anything, Your Majesty, or you simply would like to talk, please do not hesitate to send me a letter." His eyes scanned the king, looking up and down. Compared to last time, he appeared to be a tiny bit better, though Dacian took note of King Evander's eyes and his apperance.
Evander nodded, giving a small bow. "I will keep that in mind, ambassador." he replied, giving another small smile, before turning and letting himself be swept up into the crowd, speaking with various people about various things. With some, he inquired after their health, or after family members. With others, he spoke of business. Others, the army. The navy. Clothes. Weddings. He talked of whatever he knew the other wanted to hear.
Watching as the king walked away, he kept grinning. Dacian waited a few moments before he began to amble around in the crowd. Sometimes he would be stopped by an advisor or ambassador and would talk to them. Other times he would mingle with some of nobles and other officials. He tried to not really speak much, rather instead just listen to what they all were saying. Nodding along, he beamed, and even laughed at certain points in the conversations.
Evander was still stressed, the monster still clawing just beneath his skin, wanting out out out out. But he continued to smile and deal with people, talking and making conversation as the evening wore on. When the ball finally drew to a close, Evander headed to his room, getting into his pajamas and flopping into bed, breath leaving him quicker than normal. Shit. The stress and activity had all brought the monster to the surface and he wasn't sure he could push it back down.
Towards the end of the ball, he began to grow tired. On the way back to his quarters, he almost dragged his feet, but managed to get by without any trouble at all. After getting dressed in his usual pajamas and crimson robe, Dacian sat down at his desk and wrote in his journal. By this point he was roughly around twenty or so pages in. Pulling the candle holder closer, he leaned closer and kept mumbling as he was writing. Recounting his conversation and dance with the king, a bright beam swept across his sleepy face.
Evander groaned faintly, rubbing a hand across his face. He stuck his head out of his bedroom to ask the guard to bar the doors, not to open it until morning. The guard complied. Evander trusted his guards to be discreet; he had to. What choice did he have otherwise? None. The balcony, too, he locked up, doing his best to trap himself in his bedroom. If he didn't…he shuddered to think what could happen.
Slowly, he got out of his chair after finishing his last sentence in the entry. After putting the feather pen in its place, he ambled over to the window. His journal laid open, showing what he wrote. Dacian yawned quietly as he took the curtains and opened them. "How beautiful," He mumbled. "If only I had someone to share this view with….Maybe someday….Someday." Lazily, he closed them and fell onto his bed. His eyes flickered shut, but after ten minutes, he couldn't fall asleep. Letting out a groan, he sat up and glanced around. Is something wrong? He shook his head and lied back, staring up at the ceiling.
It was another hour that Evander spent, shuddering and struggling for control, claws flickering to the surface of his hands and his eyes flashing red. He could see it in the mirror. He looked ill, face becoming paler and the shadows beneath his eyes deeper, irises flashing red red red in the dark. The shadows behind him thickening, gathering into something like wings, that were gone if he blinked. The shadows of claws, waiting beneath his skin for his control to slip. Waiting for him to let go and gods, it was tempting. Tempting to slip into the waiting black and let the monster out and damn the consequences. He gathered himself in a breath, closing his eyes. He couldn't let it go. He was the king and he wouldn't surrender to the thing beneath his skin. Wouldn't, though he could feel it at his throat like a sword, could feel fangs in his mouth with every shift of his lips and tongue. Could feel the prick of claws when he flexed his hands, wings rustling if he moved his shoulders.
No matter how hard he tried, Dacian could not fall asleep. Even forcing himself to did not work. Time dragged on, leaving him to become restless and frustrated with himself. "Baszd ki!" He whispered while getting out of bed. Was he falling ill? He wasn't sure. Everything seemed fine to him. His forehead was not warm enough for a fever. No chills or feeling light at all. Not even the bleak sensation he would get when he was a child. So what is it? Ambling around his quarters, he tried to figure it out, but came to no conclusions. His eyes flickered over to the door. Once he took a few steps, the words of the king replayed in his head. His fingers curled back as he thought. If he just kept nearby his place, then he wouldn't cross any danger. How would they let the monster out for anyhow? He wouldn't be a complete fool, would he? Dacian sighed as he reluctantly opened the door.
It wasn't very much longer before the king felt his control slip from manageable to gone, gone, gone. Slipping away like grains of sand. A bowstring, snapping from too much tension, too much stress, held taut for too long until it gave way. He fell into the recesses of his mind, pushed back as teh creature made its way to the surface, its changes ripping through his body as those shadowy wings were given form, those claws pushing from his skin accompanied by blood. His canines, lengthening and sharpening. His skin turning leathery and scaly, darkening to grey and his eyes turning the brilliant blood red. The creature tore off most of the clothes, seeing no use for them. Thankfully it generally left behind something over the crotch area, but oterhwise the thing thought clothes just got in its way. Evander had taken off the crown earlier; there was no reason for anyone to be able to recognize the creature as him.
"Just stay close by…..Just stay close by," He whispered to himself. The hallways outside were much darker than in his quarters. Dacian wasn't even sure why he was out here. It felt as if something was controlling him, but he knew nothing. His fingertips lightly brushed against the walls. He did his best to keep his steps as quiet as possible, just so that he wouldn't disturb anyone. Mumbling under his breath, he repeated the same words, "Just stay close by," although he had no clue how far he should go or even if this little walk of his is by any means helpful to himself. If the king is to find out what he is doing, would he get in trouble? What would the king even think? What is he even doing at this moment? So many questions were swirling around in his mind; if only he could ask them all. Oh heavens above for he is such a fool for doing this. Nothing but a fool for going out at night despite a monster lurking around in angels only know where right now.
Evander, the monster, prowled through the room, tearing and roaring. It wanted out out out out into the dark into the moon into the air. It wanted to tear and roar and eat and kill. Blood and bone and flesh. It could smell humans, people, animals, all throughout this place and it knew it could feed if only if could get out of the room.
Dacian froze. Grabbing at his chest, he paused while his eyes frantically looked around. What on earth was that? The monster? He swore he heard something that he probably shouldn't. Now he couldn't hear anything due to his heart beating at a faster speed. His legs were frozen in place, though he felt them shake. Perhaps it is time to go back to his room. Yes yes…Seems as if that would be his best option. Nevermind what this unfamiliar sensation is in his heart or why he cannot fall asleep, he will simply deal with it all once he gets back.
The beast roared again, frustrated that all of its ways out seemed to be barred from it. It couldn't escape from this room, not yet, not that it could figure out. But it would do its best. It bashed itself against the windows, roaring in anger as it spun and threw itself against the doors to the balcony.
At the same time as he turned around, he heard the monster. Where ever it may be, it is so loud that even he can hear it all the way where he is. Is everybody else hearing it too? He wondered how all the other ambassadors and everyone in the palace just ignore it. Dacian's shoulders tensed up as he started to trudge back to his room, slowly but surely.
The beast kept throwing itself against the balcony doors, which creaked and groaned at the repeated slamming. It wasn't long before they gave way entirely, locks springing free and the doors slamming open, bashing against the wall and the glass in them shattering. The beast roared in triumph as it leapt onto the railing of the balcony, clawed feet holding onto the rails, tail touching the balcony floor for balance.
The cacophony of sounds startled him. One second he heard slamming and then the next he would hear creaking. All of this before hearing glass shatter. Dacian froze again where he stood. His knees began to wobble. Is the king alright? Glimpsing over his shoulder, he wondered what he should do. He could go and check to see what was going on or he could continue on back to his room. But the king on the other hand…..
The beast roared again, triumphant and celebratory, before spreading its wings and lifting into the air, searching for someone, anyone. Most people in the palace were smart enough to stay in their rooms at night, so it had yet to spot anyone.
Dacian fell to the floor. His heart was racing so quickly that it felt as if it was going to pound out of his chest. With his hand, he made the sign of the cross. Almost every part of him was shaking; he wasn't even sure if he was able to get up and sprint back to his quarters. Oh what a fool he truly is for this. Slowly, he reached up, attempting to get up before the beast could make its way over if it happens to do so. Nothing in his possession could really help him, except for maybe his slippers. No muskets, no daggers…Wait, wouldn't the king have men kill it? Something was not adding up. He shook his head and stood up, there's no time to dwell upon it. Perhaps he will the next day, if he manages to get back to his room in time.
(is he outside or inside?)
The creature bellowed again, circling above the grounds as it continued its search for people. It hadn't yet tried to leave teh palace grounds. Thankfully. Evander had had a magician put wards in place to try and keep the beast from leaving, but they had never been tested. Who knew what would happen if the creature attempted to leave?
(Inside the castle)
Despite it taking a few moments for him, Dacian managed to calm himself. Quietly, he took some deep breaths. He stood away from the wall, letting his hand drop to his side. The worry was still driving him. His heart kept on pounding. And though his curiosity was killing him, he finally made it back to his quarters. Once he closed and locked the doors, he dragged his feet over to the windows, carefully peeking out.
(ah ok. Monster can't see him, then, bc the monster is outside lol)
The beast was still in the palace grounds, though it was wreaking havoc on the gardens, tearing up lawn and flowers and bushes and sending them flying for no reason other than creating as much destruction as possible. It would relinquish the king's body when it tired and not before.
The monster…Dacian's eyes widened as he watched as it was destroying the gardens. It looked just exactly like how King Evander described it, though it looked like an evil spirit. He could not believe what he was seeing before his eyes. "How can such a damned beast exist?" He whispered. "Why is it just running around freely?" Pulling the curtain, he kept it so that it was almost closed, though he was able to still watch what was happening. He must witness this somehow so that he can write it all down and tell the king the next day.
The creature eventually tired of that, and took to the air again, flying around the palace and searching for people, any people. To its luck, though to everyone else's dismay, it did manage to find a guard out late. Too late. Too open. And the creature descended, and, well, that was the end of that guard.