forum Kingdoms of metallic scarlet ((one-on-one//private// 18+))

Started November 04, 2023 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

Ariella was not a pretty sleeper. She might look beautiful during the day, put together with her hair done and pretty clothes. But that wasn't without her work cut out for her. There was a reason she usually slept with her hair in braids. Loose braids that wouldn't damage her hair but also keep it from getting tangled as she turned and moved in her sleep. And if she didn't, well, it looked like this. A tangled mess on her head that would take her forever to comb through.

See, Ariella had a bad habit of moving in her sleep. It wasn't just a little unrest where she turned around a few times. No. More than once as a child, she woke up with her feet where her head should be and her head where her feet would be. She had woken up laying horizontal on the bed when she knew for sure she had laid down the correct way. And while she's not as bad as she used to be, she's still pretty bad. Unless the sheets were nailed to the bed, she was getting tangled in them and pulling them up from where they were tucked under the mattress. She would spread like a starfish across the bed, on her front or on her back. And she had a bad habit of drooling. Sometimes she breathed with her mouth open, involuntarily, and would cause her to drool.

This morning, she had managed to wrap the blankets around her stomach and her legs, leaving the area in between free of sheets. She was lying diagonally on the bed, on her stomach. She had one leg pulled up and the other outstretched. Her nightgown had risen some with all her tossing and turning, and while the important parts were covered, it had become blatantly obvious she was without underwear. In her defense, she hadn't been expecting to leave her bedroom until morning, dressed for the day.

The sun was peaking through the curtains, illuminating the room and yet she did not wake. Not even the harshest of rays on her face would wake her. Some mornings, her maids had to fight her to get her out of bed. The smartest thing would have been to ask Dominic to wake her once dawn came so she could sneak back into her own room. But she hadn't thought he would do it and believed that she would have been able to wake up early enough. She had overestimated herself. She was not waking nor did she want to wake. Her body was exhausted. She had slept little last night. She had slept little the past week.

Too much had been going on. She was currently fighting with her mother. Her mother who was currently pretending they weren't fighting with a new "prospect" to sell her daughter too. Ariella was frustrated and upset and she didn't know what to do. She was starting to come to terms with the fact that she would never win. She would never get the life she wanted for herself. Sooner or later, her mother would win. And short of killing herself or running off into the woods and praying she was never found, she would be out of luck. She would have to make the best of her situation. But she would still hold out as long as she was able to. Enjoy her life free, or as free as she could ever be being a daughter to the monarch, until her ultimate demise.

For someone who was so put together during the day, Ariella was certainly a sight to behold in the mornings. It was funny, really, and more than a little endearing if he was being honest with himself, which he was trying his best not to be. If he could remain ignorant and pretend to be oblivious then he wouldn't have to worry about whatever might occur between him and the princess. Probably, hopefully, nothing. Neither of them seemed thrilled on the prospect of being around one another for longer than they had to be.

Last night had been nothing more than Ariella trying to distract him from his own mind, and she had done a damned good job. Dominic was more than aware that the teasing, the subtle flirting, was just a way to rile him up, and test his strength and his mind and the princess had definitely pushed it. But nothing had happened. Nothing would happen. They could pretend like the night's events were nothing more than a dream, or even forget about them entirely. No, Dominic didn't need to be distracted when he had to prepare and help Galen with war. He shouldn't be getting distracted by a pretty woman.

Yet he was. Even in the morning when Ariella looked like she had just gone five rounds with the bed sheets as her competitor, she was still pretty in her own little way. A mess, yes, and definitely not looking anywhere near royal or regal like she should be, but she was pretty. Funny, without meaning to be, and tempting, too. From the way her ass was practically out on display for him, perky and touch and begging to be touched, Dominic didn't stop himself from ogling as she slept at her lithe form. God, he wondered if her skin was as soft to the touch as it looked, if she would bruise easily or redden under his hands if he pressed down harder than he should. The thoughts were enough to make him hot and bothered, and if he had been around someone he would have been embarrassed. He wasn't though, because he was essentially alone with the princess and no one had to see the impacts that his own thoughts had on him.

He had to look away before things got worse. Dominic crossed to the bathing chambers and shut the door with a soft click behind him that was too loud in the quiet rooms, echoing through the spaces to alert whoever might have been listening that he was awake. He wondered when Ariella would wake. Dominic hoped she would be gone by the time he finished bathing since he needed to grab a change of clothes before breakfast which were in the closet outside. The prince drew the warm water of a bath and steadily stepping in, fighting off a content groan as the water eased into his aching muscles in more ways than one.

Ariella did not want to get up. She should have anticipated this last night because she went through the same thing every night. Whenever she got an ounce of decent sleep it was so hard for her to wake up from it. She would never admit that she had slept well last night. And she certainly wouldn't admit it to Dominic. She wasn't sure if it was the soft mattress and blankets, or the lingering scent of Dominic. She didn't think it was the former but refused to admit even to herself that it was the latter.

The click of the door was strangely what woke her up. That combined with the ray of sunlight in her eyes, her eyes fluttered open only to snap shut as she realized the sun was right in her eyes. She groaned loudly and shoved her head in the pillow. But when she realized a moment later how uncomfortable and hard to breathe it was to be face down on a pillow, she rolled over. The problem with rolling over was that the upper half of her body was pretty much out of room on the bed. So when she rolled, she suddenly found herself rolling off of the mattress and landing on the ground with a loud thump and a yelp. That was going to leave a bruise on her arm. it wasn't like the bed was only a foot high. It was at least half her height. And falling from that height would knock the breath out of her at the least.

She grumbled a string of curse words as she debated grabbing the blanket and a pillow off the bed and just going back to bed on the floor. Her first good night's sleep in a week and it had been rudely interrupted. She sat up, wondering why her maids hadn't woken her, only to look around and realize exactly where she was. Last night's events had momentarily escaped her mind and it was all coming back to her now. She had no idea what the time was, only that she had to get back to her room and quickly. She didn't really want to be caught by her maids, the guards were bad enough.

She knew better to look in a mirror before she left. She didn't want to see the mess that was her hair. The guards pointedly ignoring looking at her said enough. She felt scandalous, sneaking out of Prince Dominic's room as if she had something to sneak from. So she might have slept in his bed, and slept the night, but they hadn't done anything. He hadn't even touched her. She had been the one that touched him. He had just stood there and when she pushed him away he had left.

Ariella slipped back into her room, releasing a sigh as she noticed her room was empty. Her maids weren't there yet. She thought about going back to sleep but she would never get up if she got back in bed. Instead, she sat at her vanity and pointedly ignored her reflection as she worked at the knots in her hair. She had gotten almost all of them out before her maids had arrived, surprised at finding her up. She had just dismissed it on a bad night's sleep and nothing more. As long as the guards didn't open their mouths, everything should be fine.

The flitted about her room, cleaning it and preparing her for the day. They dressed her in a dusty rose gold gown. A pearl necklace was clasped at her neck and pearls in her ears. her hair was swept up in a half up braided hairdo. She looked feminine, soft. Vastly different from her sharp mind and wicked tongue and yet she couldn't help but feel pretty. She knew it was her mother's doing, even if no one said it. But she refused to let that sour her mood. Not right now. She looked pretty, even beautiful perhaps. She could almost rival her sister's beauty. Almost, but she never would. Something that she had long accepted and come to terms with.

Dominic would be with her father now, if he wasn't already. Everand would likely be with them which meant Ariella was left to have breakfast with her mother. Something she wasn't eager to have. She debated skipping breakfast altogether and going to the library, it was where she was more comfortable. But just as she was making the plans to head to the library, she received her mother's summons to breakfast. Something she couldn't very well ignore. Not now. So with gritted teeth, she held her head up high and went to dine with the lion.

Dominic couldn't remember the last time he had had a bath that was so relaxing. Maybe it was because he was sore and tired and aching, or maybe it was because he needed the time to cool his brain off, he didn't know. What he did know, though, was that after last night with Ariella, and those moments of seeing her in bed while sleeping, he had more than needed the time alone.

Because his mind drifted back to the princess and his hand wandered and Gods she was going to be hard to get out of his head if she continued to look like that. Dominic knew that his terrors persisted every night, and if she came in once, what was to stop her from doing so again? Would she wear that stupid little strip of fabric again, would she at least wear undergarments next time? He didn't know, and Dominic didn't want to decide on an answer when he had a clear picture of the curves of her body. Especially when he thought about how she had looked in his bed, lounged out like she owned the room, like she belonged there. Inviting him in with batting lashes as she had fucking crawled across the bed to him and kneeled before him. How could he not think about what she would look like on her knees in other scenarios? If her lashes would be stuck together by tears while she choked, or if he would be able to destroy that damned night dress as easily as he wanted.

It was wrong to be thinking of the princess in such a way when they had only just met. He supposed that it was no different to how he had thought about others he had slept with over the years, the one night stands of evenings of pleasure. Yet somehow this felt different. It felt wrong to be having such thoughts about the woman, the princess, when he barely even knew her. Why it bothered him now he didn't know, because he had had no issue with those thoughts before about anyone else yet somehow, Ariella was different. She was already under his skin in a way no one else had been for a good long time. The prince didn't know whether to be scared or intrigued, probably both.

Eventually, when Dominic had sorted himself off and the water had gone cold, did he rise out of the bath feeling a little more refreshed than he had been previously. The prince wrapped a towel around his lower half, hair wet and dripping down his golden skin as he peaked a head out the door. Ariella was gone. He didn't know whether he was happy about that or not. Of course, that meant he could dress and wander around his room without having anyone see him and his body, which was the main issue when it came to sharing spaces with someone during the evening, but also he couldn't help but be drawn to the woman despite not knowing her for very long.

Dressing in soft, thin white pants, his boots, and a sand-coloured shirt with what looked to be a soft pink undertone, Dominic left the room, hair still wet as a guard led him to Galen's study. The king was there, as was the prince, and Dominic bowed his head in greeting which was returned by the other two as he entered. Once the door was shut Galen wasted no time in asking questions about his father's plans, which Dominic answered without protest. Everand was taking notes while the other prince and the king spoke, laying out maps while Dominic presented the warpaths his father would most likely take, and where Galen would need to defend the most. He didn't know how long they were in there for, but food was brought to them, knowing the three men would be hungry as they spoke and too wrapped up in their conversations to go to breakfast with the two women in the palace. No, they stayed for a good long while.

Breakfast was unusual, to say the least. Her mother was chirpier than usual, and less critical than normal. Actually, she didn't think her mother had said a critical thing about her other than she looked tired. And Ariella was tired but that's what not sleeping well for a week did to a person. She would be surprised if there wasn't a hint of bags under her eyes. At least it wasn't noticeable enough to warrant cosmetics to cover it. It might have almost been a pleasant breakfast if Ariella wasn't so suspicious of it. She kept waiting and waiting for her mother to mention where Ariella had been all night. For her to say that she knew where Ariella had been and that action must be taken immediately. She thought she had gotten to the guards in time but perhaps she hadn't Perhaps one of them was on her mother's payroll and whispered every little thing in her ear. But Ariella made it her mission to know which servants were on who's payroll and now of those guards were on her mother's.

"Oh look at the time," her mother said, setting down her glass, "You'd best collect Prince Dominic. Your father and brother might keep him there all day if we let them. Your father can get carried away so easily." Ariella knew that. They all knew that. her father could lock himself in his office for days if they let him. If a maid wasn't sent to bring him food, he'd never eat. If her mother didn't go to collect him for bed, he might not sleep. He let work consume him and it was only his family that could anchor him and bring him back. And even then, he ignored them. Like Ariella, whom he ignored most of these days.

Ariella rose from her chair, bowing her head to her mother. Her uneasiness of this meal drove her to leave the dining room. It was sad perhaps, that a pleasant conversation with her mother made her more uncomfortable than a critical one. She had never really felt any love from her mother. As a child, she was pushed aside because of her brother and pushed into the arms of nannies. It was only when she was old enough not to need them anymore that her mother turned her attention to Ariella. It started out small, just little critiques here and there. But as her sisters left one by one, it got worse. She would never be good enough. She'd never be as pretty as Evangeline or as talented as Margery. She wasn't complaint, she didn't behave, she didn't look put together. It was always something. She would never be good enough for her mother, or her father apparently.

Ariella knew the path to her father's office well. She walked it many times, trying to join him in his office, even if it meant sitting at one of the couches drawing. He used to let her as a child. It was easier to let her color silently than bug him endlessly for him to let her in. He used to hang her drawings on the wall behind his desk so he could look at them. Then one day, he didn't let her in his office anymore. Her pictures had disappeared from his wall and he slowly started cutting her out of his life. She didn't understand and after years of asking for him to clarify, she finally stopped.

She used to spy on him searching for the answers she so desperately sought. But when she figured out she would never get them, she started to spy on him to fill other curiosities. She wanted to know how life was in the palace. Her father wouldn't speak to her and her mother wouldn't say a word. Her tutors would only reveal so much. He rather she came to him with the information. he didn't believe in spoon feeding her information. So she had to find it another way. And that way was spying on her father.

It would have been easy to send for a maid to fetch Dominic. It was a maid's work. And yet she welcomed the silence of the halls as she walked through them, even as she spied a soldier or two tailing her from a distance. They hadn't been there when she had gone down for breakfast.

She wanted to get this day over with. The sooner the better. The more she was around Dominic, the more she tempted a side of her she didn't want to meet. She couldn't show that she had any affection for Dominic. Her mother would tie them into a betrothal quicker than she could blink. Her mother had a way with getting people to do things they didn't want to do. So it wouldn't matter what Dominic's thoughts were on marriage, her mother would get him to do it. Space would be good. Space was needed. But it was hard to put space between them when she was giving him a tour of the palace.

She sighed softly to herself as she raised her fist to knock on the door. There was a shuffle and hushed voices before Everand opened the door. He seemed surprised to see her at the door. "I'm here for Dominic," she said, loud enough her father and Dominic would be able to hear. "I'm to be giving him a tour of the palace."

Dominic didn't know how long he and the other two men stayed in the study for, all he knew was that it was long enough for his eyes to start hurting and his brain to stop working. There was only so much that one could do on lack of sleep, a tiring journey, and recovering from an injury that had had him passed out within seconds of his head hitting the bed yesterday. Discussing war strategies was not something that he wanted to do with his time in the morning.

Regardless, he wanted to see the training grounds of the palace. Ariella had mentioned them last night during their little escapade and forbidden teasing session and the prince was eager to check it out, if only for his sanity. Maybe he could train to the point of exhaustion and pass out that evening like he had done yesterday.

Training had always been a way for Dominic to clear his head. At the end of the day, his sword was always there for him. The heavy metal that balanced so easily in his hand wouldn't wrong him. He could take his anger out in the training rings where his opponents were equally trained soldiers and could fight back, could taunt and test his limits until one of them lost. Usually, it was his opponent. There were few who could beat him in a fight when it came to Verillia's royal guard. The captain was one of them, although usually they were equally matched. But the main had trained him, taught him all he knew. When it came down to it, the captain was aware of his weaknesses and faults in a fight and could use them to his advantage, and was one of the only men who was able to do so. The other was his father. Well, it had been his father in his prime, the old man now was less skilled was a sword and Dominic would easily be able to best him but hadn't had the chance. Truthfully, he was too scared to even attempt to fight back against him.

The knocking on the door was almost a blessing as the conversation turned to that of his father and Dominic's personal relationship and it was one that he was not ready to have with the other two men. If at all, and when he saw the princess standing at the door he couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He blamed it on the fact that he was desperate to get out of that room and into the sunlight and not because it was the princess who had come to steel him away. A tour, yes. Eveline had said that yesterday evening and he had agreed. Now was the time, he supposed, to follow through with it. He had no doubt that it was her mother that had sent her to collect the prince. It seemed like she wanted them together as much as possible.

"I'm sure we can resume these conversations later, Your Majesty," Dominic said, bowing his head as he moved away from the table. He wondered if the other prince would join them. They had spoken about Dominic attempting to train him, but perhaps that was for another day when his arm was healed and he was at his full strength. It would only be a few days, he hoped. If he continued to drink the tonics he was given then he had no doubt that it wouldn't be long before he was back to normal and could show Everand how to wield a sword correctly. It would be needed when war arrived. How was he to fight on the front if he was not able to pick up a weapon?

Everand's lips lifted up in a smirk. "Mother finally sent you? I was wondering how long it would take. How was breakfast, dear sister?" Ariella would have smacked the smirk off of his face if her father wasn't standing just beyond the door. She could only imagine his reaction, and it wouldn't be in her favor, even with Ever riling her up. She was barely able to contain the eye roll.

"Pleasant as usual, brother. I'm not sure why you're insulating otherwise." Being around her mother was never pleasant but they needed to appear as a unified front in front of their guest. Even she understood that. She had read between the lines her mother had spoken at breakfast. She could play nice, for now. Or at least in front of her father. While misbehaving usually got his attention, or used to, this was not an instance she wanted to get in trouble for. Not with war on the horizon. The last thing she wanted to do was make anyone's life harder than it was right now. Planning a war couldn't be easy. She didn't need to add to their mental load by acting like a brat. As long as they didn't ask her to marry, she shouldn't have an issue.

Ever stepped aside, allowing Dominic to have a direct path to Ariella. She lowered her eyes from him, fixating here gaze on her brother's shoes. She didn't understand why she couldn't look at him. Why the very thought of him had her cheeks reddening in a blush. Last night had been a mistake. She shouldn't have gone to his room. She shouldn't have done what she did. Crawling to him, what had she been thinking? She hadn't been thinking, not clearly at least. She had just wanted to help take his mind off of whatever had him screaming in the middle of the night. It had worked, though, hadn't it? She wasn't awoken last night after she fell asleep because he fell into another nightmare. It had worked. She just wasn't sure she was happy it worked. If he now expected something from her. He had backed off, sure, but was to say he would again. If Ariella was smart, she wouldn't put herself in that position. She would distance herself from him so as not to tempt herself or him. But she knew, she knew her mother had other plans. Her mother was likely planning every available minute they each had for the two to be together. Eveline was taking advantage of the fact that Dominic couldn't leave, not unless he wanted to face the wrath of his father.

It was only as Dominic came to her side that she raised her eyes and caught Everand's gaze. He was looking at her with a knowing smile. She froze for a moment, wondering if he knew what she had done, where she had been last night. But that was impossible, right? She had paid the guards enough that they shouldn't whisper a word to anyone. Ever winked at her, causing her cheeks to heat and she gave him a scalding look. Ever was only teasing her for avoiding looking at Dominic. That had to be it. That's what she prayed it was. She would find out later just exactly why Ever was teasing her. He would likely come to her later with notes on the meeting.

Ariella raised her arm, expecting Dominic to take it with his good arm. She half expected Everand to join them, as it was proper for her to have an escort, but her father was calling him back into the study and the door closed behind him, leaving the two of them alone in the hall. Or as alone as they could be with four guards now behind them. She wanted to roll her eyes at them too. She missed the days she didn't walk around with a guard following her everywhere. The only times she used to have a guard with her was when she went into the city, which was less frequent as of late, and when she took walks around the palace.

"Well, you have already seen my father's study. This hall consists of several councilmen studies as well as an assortment of meeting rooms. The war room, which I'm sure you'll be acquainted with soon enough, various council meeting rooms and such. I'd show you them but I'm not allowed inside." She started walking down the hall. "I'll take you to my favorite spot in the palace and we'll work our way from there."

It was clear to someone who had a fucked family dynamic that from the reactions, teasings and conversation that the siblings were having with one another there was obviously something going on behind closed doors that he wasn't aware of. Ariella's tone conveyed it all, along with Everand's clear smirk that was clear as day, no matter how hard he tried to hide. So, the princess and her mother didn't get along so well. Somehow that wasn't a surprise to Dominic in the slightest. A part of him wanted to question her on her relationships with her family, but his gut told him that she would only lie to present a certain scenario. After all, why would they want to show their guests that they were dysfunctional?

Dominic knew the feeling all too well.

Because the King and Crown Prince of Verillia looked as happy as possible when it came to public appearances. There seemed to be no trouble between them, no conflict other than that of the personal family issues all people experienced - such as fighting about whether or not elbows belonged on the dinner table - and that the two were a united front. No one would have ever guessed how vile the King was. No one would have thought him to be the man who so easily let his 'friends' and court members abuse his only son in any way they liked, or that he even partook in the abuse, too. No. It would be cause for scandal. An insane thought to propose such a thing when the two men acted as if they were as close as they could be. Dominic understood, and he would not press on the matter, at least for the time being. There was no need to cause conflict when it wasn't his place to comment.

A distant part of his heart wondered what he and his brothers might have been like had they still been alive. Would they have been as close as they had been as children? Or would there have been a clear favouritism considering he was the heir and they were not? Dominic hoped it would have been the former, but he would never know. That opportunity had been ripped away from him before he had the chance to create memories with them that would have lasted lifetimes. Ones they could have spoken to their children about.

Had the king not been behind him in the study, Dominic would have denied Ariella's arm no matter how customary it might have been for him to do so. After last night he didn't want her thinking that there would be anything between them. Last night, even if she had started it, was nothing to him. It had been a good distraction, she was a beautiful annoying distraction from his own mind, but nothing more. The implications of them sleeping together were too grat to risk when they did not know one another and if anyone found out - if her parents found out, he would either have to marry or leave, neither of which he wanted to happen. Dominic had to keep his distance, at least for the most part, and make sure that nothing more than a few teasing words were exchanged. Nothing more than fun. Nothing physical. But as it was, he wrapped his good arm around her own with a soft nod to Everand before the door was shut and he was left with her and the guards.

Gods, he hated behind watched, "I'm sure many of the councilmen's rooms look similar, regardless," He replied, looking down at her for a moment, "What is your favourite place, Your Highness?"

Ariella gripped his arm firmly, her skirts molding around him. For every two steps she took, he took one. He was over a foot taller than her, bigger than her in every way. And as much as she hated to admit it, they seemed to compliment each other once more. Her dusty rose gold gown, trimmed with white embroidery matched his color palette, even if it lacked color. White pants and a sandy-colored shirt. All he was missing was a coat or even at least a vest and they could have made a fine couple. Oh, how she loathed her mother for putting these thoughts in her head. It certainly had nothing to do with their activities the night before. Ariella tipped her head to look up at him, looking at him for the first time since she had arrived at the study. "You'll just have to wait and see, prince."

The library would be anyone's guess as her favorite room in the palace. It was where she could most often be found. When she wasn't attending her duties, or avoiding her duties, she was likely hiding away in the library with a new book, or old. The smell of new books and old lingered on her skin. The dark eyes under her circles were usually from the hours that had escaped her while immersed in a novel. Ink stained her fingertips from writing her notes on paper. And yet as much as she spent in the library, it was not her favorite place in the palace. It was close, yes, but everyone knew about her favoritism toward the library. Everyone knew she went there for solace or to learn or just be. She couldn't truly escape in the library. Even when running from her duties or her mother, they always found her in there eventually because that's where they knew she would go.

But her favorite place was someplace that rarely anyone visited. It was only truly occupied during eclipses or when the planets were subjected to align. When they were not, it was rather empty. Empty and utterly alone. No one would ever think to find her there. So up and up they went. Step after step they climbed. The servants diminished the further they climbed. Ariella's thighs were burning and yet they still had yet to climb. The reached a spiral staircase, the last of stairs they had to climb.

"Wait for us here," she said to the guards. Where they were going, there wouldn't be enough room for them all. And while she was willing to share this room with Dominic, for what reason she did not know, she was not willing to share this with palace guards. It was bad enough their captain knew. Ariella released Dominic's arm as she began to climb. There was no one around to see whether or not Dominic was behaving with Ariella nor did she care. Perhaps she didn't want him to behave with her.

As she reached the stop of the stairs, the astronomy room was revealed. A chalkboard half erased, papers scattered, a giant telescope. But most of all, a stack of books that certainly didn't have anything to do with astronomy. Her own collection of books. She walked over to the desk and spun so she was leaning against it as she faced Dominic. With her foot, she discretely pushed the empty wine bottle under the desk as she spoke, "This is where I come if I truly need to get away. No one thinks to look for me here."

Mystery seemed to be a reoccurring theme with the princess by his side, and Dominic wouldn't lie to himself when he found it intriguing. Whether that be the reasons as to why she visited his room in the middle of the night and seemed insistent on staying, why she seemed to actually care about his well-being, and now, leading him to a place that he would only understand when they arrived. Ariella was proving to be full of surprises. Then again, he could have guessed that upon first meeting when she addressed him in such a way that one would have deemed rude. It didn't matter if they were both royals, there was supposed to be respect in tones and when he had shown up on his horse, there had been none. At least now there appeared to be a little, but that could simply be because the princess knew who he was.

Either way, as they walked through the palace Dominic was keenly aware of the eyes on him. From the guards behind them to the servants scurrying around and attending their duties. Anyone who seemed to pass them glanced in the direction of the pair and it was difficult not to glare at them as they passed. If anything they appeared to be a couple, from how they were dressed to almost match, even now, to how they held one another as if meant to do so. Dominic didn't know whether or not he liked the thought.

Up and up they climbed and Dominic was more than glad that the guards were dismissed as they ascended the stairwell until it was just the two of them. He kept his gaze lowered to the steps beneath him out of respect for Ariella, even though images of last night flashed through his brain. The thought of pushing her against the stairs flickered through his mind as clear as day and Dominic dragged his brain out of those thoughts before they became too difficult to deal with. Only once they arrived at the top did he finally raise his gaze to the small room and for the first time that day, something that might have been the barest hint of a smile flashed across his lips.

"It is quite out of the way to get to," He mused, heading to the telescope with intrigue alight in his honey-brown eyes, "And would be disappointingly pointless if you were not here when someone reaches the top." Calloused hands ran along the cold metal of the telescope and once more did that hint of a smile flicker across his lips, "I have a place similar to this back in Verillia."

A tower out of the way from the rest of the palace, albeit a little bigger. A room with a telescope and books of astronomy and space and stars lining the walls and scattered on the floor. Globes of the continent, maps of the sky and a giant gap in the tower ceiling where he could see the stars through the magnificent telescope. It had been his mother's and his place when Dominic was a child, a secret that they shared form the rest of the family. The prince made sure to keep the tower under lock and key. His father didn't venture that way because he was told it was only storage, and Dominic made sure that the maids kept away regardless. No one went in or out but him, now. A perfect place to escape and study the sky, a passion that no one knew about now.

Ariella planted both hands on the desk behind her. The dark oak wood had once been a thing of glory, when scientists had swarmed this room. But that was long ago, before her father had their own building constructed out in the city. Now they rarely ever visited here, unless they were bringing their research. Occasionally for eclipses and planet alignments her father would invite them to the palace and make this tower somewhat of a spectacle for courtiers to watch and gawk at. But other than that, it was empty and her solace.

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to bring him here. She could have very well left this place out of her tour and kept this all to herself. She had never shared this space with anyone. Eric, the captain of the guard knew, but only because he stumbled upon her one day. She had made him swear never to tell a soul. This was the only place she could get away from everyone without them knowing. Even her brother didn't know she frequented there. Less so these days, but she still came here as often as she could. Hell, the bottle she had hid under the desk was just from earlier that week after her fight with her mother. She had come up here to drink away her problems.

She watched him carefully as he approached the telescope. She didn't bother with the metal thing. The first time she had used it, it had hit her eye and given her a black eye for a week. She vowed never to touch it again. Ariella watched him touch it with such ease, as if he was familiar with telescopes. "All the more reason to come here. No one really bothers with this place. The only reason there isn't a thick layer of dust everywhere is because I keep it clean."

Perhaps even more odd than the prince being familiar with the telescope was a princess cleaning. princesses never cleaned. They had servants to do that for them and yet she kept this place. As clean as it could get. She didn't touch the notes or the chalkboard scribbled with scientific writing. She put them away or left them where they were. A few of her own notes were scattered on the desk. Notes that would never do anyone good as she was a woman and turned away from everything. But if Everand could have use of them, she would give them to him. Better to see him succeed and their parents be proud of at least one of them. They would never be proud of her.

"Tell me about it," she said, "your place back in Verillia. What was it like? How is it different?" She had only ever known the walls around her. She had never traveled to other countries. She'd never even traveled around her own country. She had ventured as far out to the neighboring cities but never any further. She had never been important enough to bring with during diplomatic trips to other kingdoms. Even now, all of her suitors came to her. She longed to see the outside world. She longed to see more than just this. And if she had to see it through someone else's eyes, then so be it.

Science was not something that many would have picked the Crown Prince to be a lover of, especially that of the stars. Astronomy was a difficult subject to understand and for the most part, people left the scientists to their own devices when it came to their studies. But not Dominic. The prince had loved the sky since the moment he could see, being enraptured by the planets and the stars with dreams to walk among them one day. His mother, Saoirse, had only fueled the fire for that love, showing him the old tower that had been abandoned long before he came along.

Saoirse had been a lover of the sky just as much as her son, and when she had found the tower the Queen had claimed it as her own until the day she showed her eldest the room. Then, it had become theirs. Her father had been an astronomer, and she had always supposed it was in her blood to love the stars above. Always she had hoped that her children would share the same passion, and when Dominic had done so, she couldn't have been happier. All the books inside the space had belonged to her and her father. Many had been taken from her father's study, or that of the astronomers guild in Verillia where he had worked. Saoirse had taken as many notes and books, objects and trinkets as she could get away with until the tower had become her own astronomy guild. No one but her father knew, because it was preposterous for a woman, and then a Queen of all people, to be so fascinated about science and the stars, and to be so smart with it.

Dominic learned the art of the stars as soon as he was able. Octavian had been a little hesitant with his son's passion, only because during lessons he would become distracted from his studies but was aware it made him happy. In the end, he forbade Dominic from anything related to the subject. Tried to, at least, but Dominic still had his tower where he toiled away at books and calculations with his telescope.

There had been so many times when he and Saoirse had spent the day up in the tower away from the palace to talk about their findings, or snuck out to the guild to speak to the scientists there and gain as much information as they could. There had been nights where he had sat in her lap, huddled in blankets and Saoirse had sung him to sleep while gazing at the sky above before carrying the boy to bed. When she had died, Dominic had thought that the love he held for the stars died with her. It was a loss that would never heal. With her and his brothers, Ezra and Otis, gone from the world leaving only him and his father, what else was there if not pain? Dominic had left the tower alone for months after their deaths, but found that reconnecting with that passion was rekindling and reconnection with his mother, in a way.

"Larger than this one," Dominic said, moving to admire the work of art that was the telescope before him, "With many more books. There's a large chalkboard on one side, a desk not too dissimilar to yours with bookshelves on all sides," He leaned down to peer into the lens of the scope, "I have a telescope like this one, bigger, and copper, but just as beautiful. Many small ones, too. My mother and I would sometimes take them into the gardens when I was a child." Giggling and pointing to the different stars they could see, sitting in the soft green grass and making notes, tracking the planets, "All my notes are in there, the place is littered with them." Big pieces of parchment he had hung and stuck to any available wall or table with scribble marks to map the changes he saw.

Ariella pushed off of the desk and strode over to him, standing opposite of him across the telescope. She kept her hands behind her back, watching the telescope as if it would reach out and swing at her again. One black eye was enough for her to handle. When she was sure it would not move, she looked over it at Dominic, observing him observing the telescope. It was strange, perhaps, that a prince, a crown prince at that, enjoyed astronomy. But then again, it was stranger yet for a woman to enjoy reading and politics. Ariella was beginning to think they were not so different. They were two sides of the same coin.

His voice softened as he spoke of his mother. He loved her dearly, then. Ariella wasn't sure of what happened to her, she had been so young herself. But she knew that the Queen of Verillia had died, along with two of her sons, leaving Dominic the sole remaining child. Her curiosity was peaking and she was almost tempted to ask him what happened. But why would a stranger tell her the horrific details of what happened to his mother? She would not even tell him of the discourse between her and her family if he asked. She had no right to ask him something so personal.

"It is not lost. You will get it back." Her voice was soft and kind. She cleared her throat, taking a step back from the telescope. She had already tempted fate too many times. She didn't need to tempt it anymore. "You are free to come here whenever you like. Court can be stifling. Between my mother and father and Everand, there will come a time when you need to get away. All I ask is that you keep this between us." It was a big thing to ask. They weren't friends or even friendly. And yet she asked it of him. He had been kind to her last night, in his own way she supposed. He had respected her and her boundaries, which was so unlike anyone she had met before. And when she looked at him, she saw more to him than what was on the surface. If she could trust him with her body, she could trust him with this, or so she hoped.

She made towards the stairs. "Come, we have much to see. I'd like to be done by lunch." Araniel was by no means as rich as Verillia and she very much doubted that their palace was any larger than theirs, but it was still grande and vast. There were many rooms and halls to see. The courtyard was something to behold as well. They had a beautiful garden. Araniel provided much of the food for their neighboring kingdoms. Their soil was rich. And while they grew the best food, flowers flourished as well. their garden was vibrant and lush. There was nothing they couldn't grow. And yet Ariella hated it. the scent was harsh on her nose and it gave her a headache every time she passed through them. She hoped to make their time there quick.

She held her skirts as she walked down the stairs. While she was confident with most steps in the palace, these were steeper and she'd rather be seen holding her skirts than tripping down the stairs. The former was more dignifying than the latter. As she neared the bottom, one of the guards held out his hand to help her down the last few and she took it, thanking him quietly. "I'll show you the royal suite next. It's where my mother, father and Everand are housed. While I don't expect either of my parents to call you to their rooms," or at least she hoped they wouldn't, "Everand might. And besides, I'd rather you know where everything is than know nothing."

Dominic rarely spoke of his mother. She had been everything to him when he had been a child. Now all he had were memories and dreams that would never come true. It made things worse with how his father changed after her death, too, along with his brothers. Without them Octavian had crumbled, the part of himself that had been locked away rising to the surface in full force and headed straight for his eldest without a care in the world of how it would affect the young boy. No one, he had no one.

He didn't know if he would ever return home. Ariella sounded so sure that he would but his heart ached, as if mourning the loss of Verillia before it even arrived. He might not voice his concerns but quite frankly, the prince was more than a little worried that they wouldn't win this battle. The Verillian army was great. Powerful. They had more numbers than was necessary and one of the strictest yet best training programs on the continent. How they were going to beat that was beyond him, especially when Aranial's army in comparison would barely even make a dent. They needed allies. Many allies. Needed to recruit other kingdoms to their cause if they hoped to win and defeat his father. It was a lot of work, and Dominic was worried they wouldn't have enough time to prepare. He could only hope.

But hope was slim when the prince had spent his entire life hoping for something better only to be let down night after night. Whether that be a quick death at the hand of a court member, even his father, or for the man to return to his former self. Whatever it might have been, he had been let down time and time again. Hope wasn't something he had much left of, if at all. And being in the study with Galen and Everand that morning? Dominic wasn't feeling entirely confident that things would go their way. So his tower in the palace, where he had spent years and years learning, gathering as much knowledge as he was able until he practically qualified as an astronomer himself was already lost in his mind. There was no going back there and he doubted he would ever see it again. If the fight was taken to the front of Verillia, to the palace itself, if anything happened to that old tower it would all be lost regardless.

"Your secret is safe with me." Dominic would not tell a soul about the space she had up here. He knew all too well what it was like to have a space to escape from the pressures of life from, and he didn't want her to lose her space just as he had lost his own. That wouldn't be fair.

He followed her as she made for the stairs, a little reluctant to leave the room, but did so anyway. If they were up there for too long it would become suspicious, and he wasn't about to tempt his luck. Dominic didn't need Galen down his neck any more than he might have already been. Besides, he was looking forward to the gardens. Another space that he loved just as much as the sky and the tower to the world beyond were the gardens back home, and he wanted to see how Araniel's compared, "I doubt your brother will call me to his chambers, but it is necessary to know where they all are, in case of emergency."

Ariella looked back at him as he finished descending the stairs. "Don't be so sure. Everand will call you to his chambers, likely sooner rather than later. And he will give you the same speech he has given all of my suitors that have come to the palace. And if not for that," which he would, he always did, "Then to at least discuss what happens in your meetings and have a private discussion of how to move forward. Even my brother does not voice all of his opinions in front of the council. He'll invite you to meet with him, gauge your position, and go from there." She failed to mention that sooner or later, she would know everything that was spoken in those meetings as well.

The walk to her family's suite was much shorter than the walk from the study up to the astronomy tower. This part of the palace had several rooms. the king and queen's suites, Everand's room, a private dining room and sitting room. There were two more rooms on this floor, empty. Ariella had been offered one of them when all of her sisters had left the palace and thus left her alone on her own floor, but she had denied it. She was content where she was. She had made the room her own and wasn't looking to move rooms. the lighting would be different, the bathroom was on the opposite of her own bedroom. No, it was much easier to keep her own room. And it was as much distance she was able to put between her and her mother. And now that all of her sisters were gone, there were certain things she could get away with now that she couldn't before.

She pointed out each of the rooms. "Father's rooms, mothers, Everand. Those two over there are empty. This is our private dining room and attached to it is our private sitting room. While we typically dine with the rest of the court, we use these occasionally. You'll likely find yourself in one of these during your stay." During his stay, because he wasn't staying here. He was visiting. Gods knew how long he would be here. Until the end of the war and he was free to go home, assuming they won this war. And war could take months, years. Ariella should get used to seeing his face. he wasn't going anywhere for a long time. "Our rooms are on the floor below along with several other guest rooms, which will be filled in the upcoming weeks as guests start arriving for Everand's birthday."

She headed for the stairs. The next room on her agenda was the library. Her second most favorite place in the palace. She could practically smell the books as they neared the great double doors. The smile on her lips were not forced as the doors were opened. She took Dominic's arm once more as she led him into the library. "I'd liver here if I could. I tried once, by slowly moving my things into the library. My nanny caught me when I was trying to bring down a chest of all my clothes and shoes. I didn't get very far out the door. She made me grab everything I had brought down here and put it all back where it responded. Then she and the librarian got into a fight. The librarian feigned innocence, claiming she had no idea what I was doing but we all knew otherwise."

She ran her fingers over a desk as they passed it. She had spent so much of her time here. She spent more time in the library than anywhere else in the palace. So many memories of being hunched over desks for her lessons or curled up on a couch reading fiction. "This is where I usually am. If you can't find me anywhere else, I'll be here." Part of her prayed that he never came looking for her, yet she secretly craved what he could give her. Near the back with the oldest of tomes which no one ever frequented, her skirts bunched up at her hips while she was pressed to a bookshelf, a hand clasped over her lips to keep her quiet.

She swallowed and blinked rapidly, dismissing the fantasy from her mind. She would only hurt herself further if she allowed herself to get attached. And she refused to do anything her mother would approve of, even if it meant denying herself happiness. Out of spite for her mother, she had vowed to remain unmarried. And she knew herself well enough that she could not prevent the feelings that would come if she were intimate with the prince.

Ariella showed Dominic the various sitting rooms and tea rooms on the first floor. Her gaze was trained a second too long on the grand piano sitting in the middle of one room. A piano her fingers were well familiar with. The great hall was next, and through there, the kitchens where they were shooed out almost immediately. The kitchens were important to know for when the midnight hunger set in. Ariella came down here more than she would like to admit to steal a sweet or five.

"I think this next room is more suited for you," Ariella said as she pushed open a door. Inside was the palace armory. "When your arm is healed up, you may choose your weapon of choice. they range in different sizes and weights but all are rather standard. If you wish for something more customizable, more personal, there's a blacksmith in the city. There's no one better than he is. Everand or myself can take you to him should you wish to visit. After your wound is healed." She gave him a look that said she would be dealing with him personally if he did not allow his arm to heal before starting up training once more. "We'll pass the barracks as I show you the courtyard. You can enter those on your own time. I don't think it would be very proper for me to go inside."

Ariella had one more place to show him before they went outside. Or rather, she would show him the door. She would not dare step inside. Sometime when she passed, she swore she could hear screaming. they claimed it was soundproof and sound could not escape but she did not quite believe that. Not with the screams that haunted her sleep from the prisoners below. "I'm sure Father and Everand will give you a proper tour of the dungeons. Even if they had not banned me from stepping inside, I would not go inside. It is not someplace I would like to be." Not because it wasn't proper for a woman, but because it was a reminder of the horrible things her father could do. The things her brother would soon do. The interrogations, the torture, all sanctioned by her father. She did not want to think her father had such capabilities, no matter what the prisoners might have done.

"And on that note, shall we proceed to the courtyard?"

Dominic stayed quiet as he was shown around the palace making note of where the important rooms were and the ones he could more or less forget about. There was no use trying to remember where each guest room was, or a certain tea room that he liked the look of when he would not be frequenting them often, if at all, during his stay. Sure, he liked to explore, to try and find new places and hideaways from the rest of the world around him, but there was something about how this palace wasn't his own that made it uncomfortable for him to want to explore. Even being in the astronomy tower, no matter if the princess had granted permission for him to be in there, would really feel the same as his own.

It was strange. Since it had just been him and his father, the Verillian palace had never quite felt like home. Not since there was an absence where three of his closest people should be. There were two rooms that remained untouched by the world, gathering dust on the old chestnut cabinets and beds that his brothers should have outgrown. Time passed around them, where the clothes began to decay, eaten away by moths, just as the once vibrant curtains had done. Where the windows slowly grew clouded over by sun damage that not even the best cleaners could remove. Not that they tried. There were strict orders for those rooms to be left alone. No one was allowed in or out. Well, no one but Dominic, even though he shouldn't really have been in there. As a child after his brothers' deaths, the crown prince had spent many nights asleep in their beds, savouring the last of their scents, the last blankets and pillows they had once touched. Octavian had caught him after a few weeks and banned him from the rooms, but that hadn't stopped him. Dominic only became sneakier about it.

As he followed the princess around the palace he wondered if he would ever see those rooms again. It didn't matter if they were covered with dust and grime now, if they no longer held the smell of his brothers or mother's perfume from the nights she spent cuddled up with her boys, it had been their space. A family space. Any trance of that had vanished the day that three died, along with the part of Dominic's heart never to be replaced. It didn't matter how many lovers he had, or how many apologies he was given, it would never, ever, replace what was lost.

Dominic's attention peaked and was drawn from his thoughts when they neared the armoury. Now that was more like it. He could have pouted when Ariella practically banned him from picking a weapon until his arm was healed, "My arm is fine. I've fought with worse." Not a lie, but he left out the part where it hurt like hell to lift his sword for a while, "I'll be perfectly capable of lifting a weapon by tomorrow afternoon." He needed to get his hand back on the smooth steel that he loved so much. Had to get back to training. If he was to defeat his father he needed to keep up his training. Needed to make sure he was prepared. That the army of Araniel was prepared, too. Maybe he could speak to the captain of the guard at some point, train with him, and learn about the army that he would be fighting with.

Wandering by the dungeons, he almost smirked. Dominic refrained. Even though he had left Verillia, there was still the part of him that his father had trained and ingrained into him settled in his soul. A part that many knew the prince for. The fact that he was a vicious killer, a man with no mercy for the prisoners that his kingdom housed. A man who came out of cells grinning when he was covered in blood and basked in the sound of screams. It wasn't something he was proud of, but Dominic wouldn't deny that it ran in his blood to enjoy torture. The only difference between him and his father, however, was that he would never lay a hand on someone who was innocent. Never touch a child, a woman, or anyone of that nature. His father was a different story, and their similarities ended at the line of who they liked to inflict pain upon, "I'm sure I will visit soon enough," He slipped a hand into his pocket, "Please, direct us to the gardens."

Ariella's eyes shifted to the wound covered by bandages and sleeves. Her eyes lifted back up to him. "You will wait until your stitches come out. If you do not, you risk prolonging the injury or even contracting an infection. An infection will keep you away from the front and far away from any fighting while you heal or succumb to the infection. Then all of this would have been for nothing." She put her hand on her hip, eyebrow raised as if begging for him to disagree with her. "Five days. You will let your arm heal for five days and then we will see if the stitches can come out. I'll remove them myself." Stitches were easier to take out than they were to put in, and she was proficient in both. She would be able to tell any signs of infection and judge how well the wound was healing. They never even had to leave his bathroom. She could do it just as well in there as she could in the infirmary.

"Just because you can't train, doesn't mean you cannot do anything. You can still train my brother without having to lift a sword yourself. You can sit down with Eric and my father's war general and discuss strategies. You know everything there is about your father's army. How they move, how they operate. Tell them. Tell them Verillia's weaknesses and their strengths. Where you think they will strike first. Your father has lost the element of surprise now that we have you. What will he do instead?" Dominic was useful for more than just his sword. His mind was just as, or even more, important. He knew everything there was about the Verillian army. Verillia may be stronger and more powerful, but knowledge may yet help them win this war. If Araniel's army could exploit those weaknesses, they might yet have a chance to win.

The glass doors to the gardens opened and Ariella was hit with the onslaught of floral perfumes. She tried, and failed, not to make a face as the scents assaulted her nose. It was too strong and too many and she knew a headache would be upon her soon. She only hoped they didn't stay too long here and continued in the courtyard. Her nose was sensitive to particular scents and the garden happened to be one of those. She dreaded every time she had to be here.

"Araniel's soil is rich and fertile. Our garden holds many flowers you won't find anywhere else. This is but a taste of what we have to offer. There's a botanical garden on the west side of the city much larger than this one. You'll have to see it someday." Without Ariella, for she wouldn't even be able to make it halfway through before her headache would be too grave and her nose too runny. He would have to go by himself or with someone else as a guide.

Ariella walked down the steps into the garden along the main path. Just in the center of the garden was a water fountain. The water fountain was three tiers with two pegasuses at the top, wings flared and rearing at one another. It was beautiful. Ariella would spend more time at the benches surrounding the fountain if not for the headaches she received. She dipped her hand into the cool water, her fingertips skimming along the surface. Just as she looked back at Dominic, her face scrunched and she let out a small sneeze. "Sorry," she almost squeaked as she pressed a hand to her nose. She really needed to get out of these gardens.

Dominic could have whined like a Gods damned child. Five days? Five whole days where he wasn't able to pick up a sword? What kind of fuckery was that? That wasn't fair. The sword was his whole life. Fighting was his whole life. He was a soldier, what else did Ariella expect him to do with his free time? He didn't know how much free time he would have, really, because meetings with Galen and the court would take up most of his time with only small breaks in between. He needed to train, needed to keep in shape- as if five days off wouldn't do him good in the long run.

Really he needed the break. The prince had a habit of training until he couldn't do anything else. Until he was so tired and out of it that he had no choice but to pass out in his chambers. He trained until his legs were jelly and the metal was heavy and someone needed to drag him away from the training ring. And sure, he could try and train Everand while he was out for the next few days but the chances were that the other prince wouldn't even pick the weapon up. Fuck, he might not even look at a sword or a bow until Dominic was able to show him how it was done. He seemed like the type to disregard fighting in its entirety, and there really wasn't much that Dominic could do. He had a feeling, too, that Ariella would pound his head in if she caught him with a weapon in hand between now and when the stitches were out. He wouldn't put it past her to do something of that nature. Well, if she could reach, that was.

He chose to stay silent and wallow as Ariella directed them to the gardens. Flowers always cheered him up. Anything of that nature cheered him up. The prince loved the sun. Verillia was one of, if not the southernmost kingdom on the continent. They experienced the hottest weather but regardless of that, nature thrived and adapted in ways it would never have done so in other kingdoms, such as Araniel. Plants that grew here would not grow back in Verillia, and vice versa, making the prince excited to see what types of plants he would find in the gardens that he had not seen before. He wondered if there would be big, towering flowers with colours bright and electric, and was lucky that it didn't take long before they reached their destination. Where Ariella tried not to breathe in the scents, Dominic did the opposite, taking in a long, deep inhale as he practically tasted the smells that graced his nose and senses. It was warmer in the greenhouse gardens, and it reminded him of home.

Well, at least there were now two places in the palace that he would be able to frequent and enjoy. Three, if one counted the training grounds, but he was currently banned from those thanks to a certain princess by his side. All the flowers were stunning. Different shapes and sizes and colours, decorated in patterns that he had never seen before. For the second time that day, something resembling a small smile graced his lips as he took in the gardens as they walked, enjoying the warmth as well as the scenery.

Dominic huffed a very faint chuckle, "Bless you." He said in response, lazily wandering to the water's edge as he trained his eyes on the fountain. It was magnificent. A fine work of art, really. His hand dipped into the water as he leaned over and watched his reflex, "The gardens are beautiful. I have a feeling I will be back here sooner rather then later."

Ariella almost laughed at the pouting prince at her side. It was laughable. The prince was well over six feet tall. He was abnormally tall, freakish almost, how he towered over everyone. He had a muscular build which only told everyone around him how much he trained his body. Ariella doubted there was an ounce of fat on his body. So the mere thought of his pouting was entertaining, but seeing him pout him person, now that truly was amusing. Had she not thought that he would have pushed her into the fountain, she would have poked his pout and turned it into a smile. But he could have pushed her into the fountain with a touch of his finger. And Ariella didn't particularly feel like getting soaking wet today. Or explaining to everyone as she passed by them in the halls to her room why she was wet.

Spring had come and so had the heat, their kingdom shedding the last of the winter cold. Soon it would be warm enough to venture out to the spring she found years ago. Warm enough that the cool spring would soothe the skin and a dip in the water was appreciated after the ride through the heat and blazing sun hitting the skin. It had been Everand and herself that had found it. Their guards had turned their backs as the siblings had stripped to their underclothes and jumped in the water. Since then, they had brought clothing suitable for the water but their guards always turned their backs to them. Not for Everand's modesty. His didn't matter. It was for her, Ariella. They would not soil their minds with the imagine of her in a bathing suit. Even with her reassurance that it would stay between them.

"You'll have to come back another time. And preferably without me. My allergies don't allow me to spend more than a few minutes here," she said, already rounding the fountain and walking towards the exit on the other side of the gardens. Just beyond the gardens, the hedge mazes were just behind. Ariella was in no way trying to attempt to go into them. She used the mazes for kissing boys she certainly shouldn't be kissing. It wasn't a place she wanted to bring Dominic into.

"You're already familiar with the front gate so we'll go around the back. It's where we house the stables and there's multiple trails and a smaller, second gate leading out into the woods behind the palace." It was a short walk to round the side of the palace and reveal the back of the palace. There were the stables, horse trails, and a couple of livestock pens. The smell intensified as they neared. And, ironically, it didn't seem to bother Ariella. She spent enough time around the stables that the stench no longer bothered her.

Instead of skipping around the stables and continuing to the other side of the palace, she ducked inside of the stables. Her maids would throw a fit later when they saw the mess at the hem of her skirt but she didn't particularly care. The stains would come out, or they wouldn't and the dress would be thrown away or cut to scraps for another gown. She might be able to petition for it to be donated to the local theater. She tried to donate all of her old gowns there. Over half of the stalls were filled with horses, including the horse that Dominic had ridden into. Ariella swiped a carrot and held it up to the horse, scratching his chin as he took it from her.

"He'll be alright," a voice called out as a stable hand walked out of a stall. "Some rest is all he needs. We'll feed him well and let him out to stretch his legs but I wouldn't recommend taking him out for a ride for some time. I could recommend another stallion for you if you're looking to ride." It had to have been obvious that they weren't, what with how Ariella was dressed, but he was kind enough to offer anyway.

Ariella turned to him and offered him a kind smile. "We're not looking to ride today, Emory, but thank you. I just wanted to check on the horses, and see how Buttercup is doing. I was wondering if Lady has had her pups yet as well." Lady was a Weimaraner that her father often used for hunting. A few months after a particular hunting trip, Lady began showing signs that she was pregnant. Everyone has been anxiously waiting to see if the pups she has is from one of the other hunting dogs or some beast or other she found in the woods.

Emory smiled. "Not yet. I told you, I would send word as soon as she did." He began walking through he's table, Ariella following behind him. As they passed by Buttercup's stall, he handed Ariella an apple to feed to her mare. She held it up to the horse, murmuring to her as the mare ate. She hadn't ridden Buttercup in quite some time, a lot longer than she would like to admit. She had been dealing with so much as of late she just hadn't had the time to take her out. Buttercup exercised daily but it wasn't the same as taking her out on a trail or into town. She would need to ride her soon.

A Buttercup finished the apple, Ariella moved on until they reached a seemingly empty stall until she looked in it. Lady was sprawled out on a bed of blankets, food and water at her disposal, and very much pregnant. As Ariella stuck her head in there, Lady popped her head up and grinned at Ariella. Or, grinned as well as a dog could. Ariella stepped inside the stall and knelt on the ground to put the dog. Her grey fur was sleek and soft under her hand. Lady nuzzled her head into Ariella's lap until the princess was sitting down on the bed of blankets and Lady halfway on top of her. She certainly didn't fit very well on Ariella.

Dominic would definitely be returning to the gardens if he found some time on his hands. They were so beautiful, and grand. There would be spaces in there that were begging to be explored, calling his name as if enchanting him with their colours and scents. Maybe he was just going crazy from the overload of fumes in such a space, but he didn't care. The gardens were magnificent. Had Ariella not shown him the astronomy tower first, he would have said that this was his favourite place in the Araniel palace grounds. But, as it stood, his love for the stars would always outweigh the love he had for the plants on the ground.

There was something so mysterious about the night sky that nothing else was able to compare to. It could have been from the fact that he had grown up with his mother loving the stars, showing him the wonders of the universe as if they were able to explore them themselves, or maybe it was simply because they were beautiful. Dominic didn't know, but his love for them was greater than life. A part of it was the connection he felt with his mother whenever he did study the wonderous beings. It was as if she were next to him once again, looking over his shoulder, guiding his hands on the telescope into position until he was pointed at the star he wanted or the galaxy. Phantom hands of the mother who had been the most amazing person in his life. Phantom memories that made him feel like a child again.

The prince could see himself coming out into the gardens at night if he couldn't sleep. Of course, there was the matter of the guards. Would they let him out at night? He didn't know. But he was determined to try. If he could sneak away or be allowed to come during the quietest hours of the day when he didn't have to deal with people or war, to be surrounded by one of his loves and gaze upon the other, it would be a slice of heaven. Chances were he would fall asleep on a bench if he went on his own, but in here it was unlikely that anyone would here him scream from a nightmare. Perhaps it was for the better to venture into the greenhouse at night, then. For everyone's sake.

Reluctantly, Dominic followed Ariella out of the gardens as they ventured to their next stop. He didn't want to leave but at least he would be able to come back without fear of being punished for doing so. Octavian had hated when his son spent his free time doing something he enjoyed rather than studying or training. Eventually after the first few punishments the prince had gotten the gist and stopped trying to have fun or visit the places he liked in the palace. That was until he grew older and found more confidence in himself. Sure, the punishments were worse if he was found out, but being older meant that he was able to handle it rather better. Well, 'better' wasn't the right word, but the aftermath wasn't as terrible in the end.

His horse was a stunning black stallion with a lightning bolt shape across its left eye. Dominic had been riding the same horse since he had been able, and his stallion, Tywyll and he had formed a strong bond over the years. Tywyll nickered when fed the carrot and soon Dominic was at his horse's side not a moment later, resting his forehead against his strong face and muttering something under his breath in Verillia's native tongue. He turned to the stable hand, Emroy it seemed was his name, and gave him a small nod. Anything soft that might have been present in his features from the gardens had faded away into his stern features once more, "Thank you for taking care of him." He said, but offered no other words to the man.

Dominic didn't want to leave Tywyll but at least he seemed to be in good hands. The prince felt more than a little bad for ridding his stallion to the brink of exhaustion but they had to get out of there. At least now they were both safe. He followed Ariella through the stables until they reached the stall, and Dominic leaned against the post with his arms crossed as he watched the dog and the princess, "She looks about ready to burst."

Emory watched Prince Dominic silently as he went to the stallion. He was a beautiful horse, carefully bred, and suitable for a prince. The pair of them suited one another. They complimented each other, just as Ariella and Buttercup complimented each other. Ariella was headstrong and didn't always think before charging in. While her mare, Buttercup, was mellow and had a calm temperament. They balanced each other out. The prince and his horse were perhaps a little more alike than the princess was with her mare. Both were tall and strong, but the stallion needed to be to be able to carry the weight of the prince. The prince was gentle in a way with his horse that he had never of. Of course, he had heard the rumors of Prince Dominic's cruelty, but he was gentle with the stallion. And there was a kindness in his eyes as he looked at Ariella. Albeit, some irritation there as well, but Ariella always seemed to get on everyone's nerves. It was a talent of hers. Perhaps the prince and princess would balance one another out as well.

The stable hand simply bowed his head in response. No words were needed to respond. The thanks were more than Emory had been expecting from he prince and it was nice to be appreciated for his work. He followed Ariella as she made her way to Lady's stall and opened the door for the princess to go inside. He had a small smile on his face as he watched her and Lady interact with one another. His smile brightened as Ariella looked up at him and flashed her pearly white teeth at him. She always did have a pretty smile.

Ariella turned her gaze to Dominic as he walked over to the stall. She ran her hand along Lady's belly, stroking it soothingly. "Any day now, hopefully. I'd love to be here for the birth. It's fascinating to watch. And I want to be the first one to see so I can name all the pups." She had been here years ago when Lady had been born. Only Lady's mother had been bred. Where Lady just decided to get knocked up. They would have to keep a closer eye on her after she gave birth to the pups to make sure she didn't get herself knocked up again. "We're not sure what the pups will look like. They might be a cross breed of one of the other hunting dogs. Or they might be half wolf. We'll find out in a few days I suppose."

She looked down at Lady and she nuzzled Ariella's hand. "Someone was naughty. Yes you were." She spoke in a voice that was only used for small children or in her case, a dog. Ariella and children did not get along very well so she never had the chance to use such a voice with them. So it was reserved for Lady, whom she babied more than she should have. She had been warned by multiple people to stop spoiling Lady but how could she not when Lady looked up at her with those eyes and she just wanted to give her love? At least Ariella didn't sneak Lady into her room anymore. Everand had told her off for that one.

She eventually managed to untangle herself from Lady, who looked absolutely devastated as Ariella made her way out of the stall. Emory was shaking his head next to her. "You spoil her too much. Soon enough she'll be useless hunting." The smirk on his lips said that he was anything but mad at her. He had always had a soft spot for Ariella and Lady. He had been the one to deliver Lady when she was born.

Ariella wasn't bothered by this. "Well, if she becomes useless, I suppose I'll just have to take her in and care for her myself. She can stay with me in the palace." They both knew it wouldn't happen. Not only would her mother throw a fit, but every maid who walked to and from her room would. The hair would shed and get all over the place, more so than Ariella's hair already did. Lady would certainly make a mess of her things and possibly even use the bathroom in her room. And not to mention the smell. There was no way Ariella could get away with it. Her maids loved her but they didn't love her that much.

Emory snorted. "Good luck with that. I think she's better suited here. And you know you can visit whenever you want to." Ariella knew that. A couple of years ago, she would have visited to see him. But those days were long over and they were nothing but friends now. And while she appreciated their friendship, she only ever visited to see the animals. His company was just an added bonus.

"I will see you when Lady gives birth." Ariella stepped over to Dominic, looking up at him as she took his arm. "Come, we still have the training yard to see. Which you are not allowed to use until those stitches come out."

Not many, barely even a handful, of people knew about the prince's true nature—the softness behind the cold exterior. The maids knew, only because they were the few that had seen Dominic at his weakest and most vulnerable, but the rest of the court had only ever seen the aggressive man. The man with a short temper who lashed out when things didn't go his way. His horse, even if it was a fucking horse, was one of the only other things in his life that had seen the gentleness that he was capable of.

There was something about Emroy that Dominic didn't like. He didn't know whether or not it was the smirk that he had on his face, the way he spoke about the princess and how he acted like they were close in a way that lovers might have been. Regardless, the prince wasn't a fan. He wasn't one to get jealous, especially when it came to those that he had just met, so what was it about Ariella that had his jaw tensing at the sight of the two of them? Pushing those thoughts away, he focused back on the dog. She was a fine specimen and whatever half-breed the pups were going to be would be strong hunting dogs regardless.

He had never really been a dog person. Saoirse had been a lover of dogs, but Octavian was not. In fact, the king wasn't a fan of many animals apart from horses, but even then, he only ever interacted with them when he needed to. Where Dominic liked to ride Tywyll, his father preferred to ride in his carriage. The bastard was far too pretentious to be seen riding a horse like a common soldier or his son, of all people. And the prince certainly preferred cats over dogs any day of the week. They were gentle creatures when treated right. Cuddly and darlings and they always seemed to cheer him up. Often he had taken in the strays off the street and hidden them away in the tower, feeding them and caring for them. If Dominic couldn't take care of himself then he was going to do his best and care for the cats in his life instead.

Luckily, though, Ariella was untangling herself from Lady and standing. Good, he was ready to leave. As much as he didn't want to leave Tywyll, his horse was in good hands, he could tell that much. He didn't speak, watching the two converse until Ariella was at his side and grabbing onto his arm. Usually, he would have protested, but at the same time, with having Emroy there, he made sure to keep the princess a tad closer than he had been before. Gods, even though he didn't know Ariella, didn't want to be with her, he didn't know why he was so jealous of the man. He was a stablehand. Even if there was anything between the two which- it seemed like there might have been in the past, potentially not anymore, he couldn't tell- it was impossible for them to be together due to the difference in status. It was stupid for him to be feeling this way, and it wasn't until they were attached by the arm again did those feelings dissipate.

Dominic huffed once more at how he wasn't allowed to use the training grounds, "You are unfair. I have trained with worse injuries than a stitched-up wound." Because at least the wound was stitched up rather than open to the elements. On the battlefield, there was no choice but to fight even if injured, unless there was the opportunity to get to an infirmary. And Dominic would often go without attending to the nurses in case there were more important injuries that were worse and needed to be seen to. He could survive, he was strong, there were some soldiers who were not.

Ariella tipped her head up at Dominic as she felt him pull her subtly closer. She said nothing, though the question was present in her eyes. She would have thought, that if he did anything, he would have pushed her away or held her as far from himself as he could manage. And yet he did the opposite. She couldn't discern why. Nothing had happened, there was no threat nearby that would make him want to protect her, though she doubted he would do even that. Pushing the thought away, she gave Emory one last smile as they passed by him out of the stables.

She looked up at him once more, eyebrow quirked and clearly amused. "I didn't know princes such as yourself whined as if they were a child," she said with a smirk. "And just because you have trained with worse injuries does not mean you should be doing that. You will let this arm heal. I don't want to see you back in the infirmary. And especially not because you reopened your wound, thus prolonging the healing and then you will be out even longer." She stopped and turned to him, eyes narrowing. "If you end up back in the infirmary because you've reopened your wound, I'll have you bared from the training grounds and any equipment until that wound heals." She couldn't actually do that and yet she did. And she was scary enough when she was mad that the guards would listen to her. And if they didn't she would convince her brother to back her up and then he would definitely be banned until further notice.

Ariella took her patients very seriously, even ones as impatient and infuriating as Dominic. Her patient's health mattered more than anything, even if he technically wasn't her patient. She would have stitched him up had her father not been on his way. They might not be able to keep her out of the infirmary but that didn't mean she was going to throw her passion in their faces, not when they so disapproved of it. She was only willing to test them so much.

As they rounded to the other side of the palace, the entirety of the courtyard on this side had been turned into a training ground. There was a building a little farther off, closer to the wall that encased the palace, that held the barracks. It was large enough to house all the soldiers that guarded the palace, given that they doubled in rooms. The training yard was emptier as it was further into the day. A few guards who were not on post were getting their workout in, a few jogging around the training yard and a few in a ring sparring. The best time to train with he other guards would be right before sunrise. Ariella had found that out a few years back. Every now and then she would watch from the windows in the palace above. She couldn't help it if dozens of attractive guards were working out without half their clothes. She might as well watch.

As they came to a stop, Ariella said, "Well, this concludes our tour. I'm sure my brother and father will want you back shortly." She made no move to let go of him just yet. She still stood there, peering up at him, and clutching on to his arm. "We shouldn't linger here. I don't want to tempt you to join them while you're incapacitated."

Five days was not entirely necessary. Four, perhaps even three days, and the stitches might have been able to come out and he could have resumed his usual activities. But not only did she want to see how he would react to this, which was amusing, but he had been through a lot these past few days. Just because his body was ready to step back into the ring did not mean his mind was. The extra day or so might be necessary just to let him rest. The physical body was not her only concern, it was his mind too. And after his nightmare last night, she wanted to give him more time before training his body. Perhaps the nightmares would go away and he would be able to sleep peacefully without exhausting his body or taking any other measures.

Even if Ariella had asked him why he pulled her closer, Dominic wouldn't have been able to give a straight answer since he didn't entirely know why he did it himself. Really, he shouldn't be jealous over a stable hand, of all people, because when it came down to it he would have easily been able to beat him off. He was bigger, stronger, a Gods damned prince. Not that any of that mattered, or that he was really concerned about it since he wasn't interested in the first place. But the way Emroy had looked at Ariella sent his blood boiling no matter how hard he tried to tell himself it was because of something else. It didn't matter if he could ignore the real reason that he was practically seething at the thought of his hands on her.

Strange when he had no claim over the princess and never would. He wasn't here to seduce the princess by his side, wasn't here to form a marriage. Chances were they would die by the end of the war– at least Dominic was certain he would die at the end of the fighting. Being on the front lines came with the risk of death and by now he was best friends with it. Death seemed to never leave him. From his family to friends, to even himself at times during his younger years when it had come close to claiming him due to no fault but his own. Death was an old friend, and he had no doubt that they would meet again soon enough. So why he was so pressed about the thought of Emroy touching her was beyond him.

It didn't do wonders for his mind, especially when his thoughts turned to memories of the night before when she had been in his bed wearing practically nothing and almost begging for his attention. The thought of taking Ariella in the stables crossed his thoughts, somewhere only mildly private, somewhere Emroy would certainly hear, perhaps not see. Although, the thought of the stablehand seeing her come undone due to his hands, his words, his touches was certainly a thought he enjoyed. Especially if Ariella was screaming for him over and over rather than the stablehand. Fuck. Dominic turned those thoughts away quickly, face still masked in cool calmness no matter if his mind was running a thousand miles. No. No attachments. No desires. No claim on the woman on his arm even if they seemed to fit together better than expected.

"I'm not whining," He replied as they entered the courtyard and he finally saw the training grounds. He certainly was, he was just denying it, "I'm simply stating it is unfair to keep me from training when I am perfectly capable of doing so. It's barely even a scratch," It was definitely more than a scratch, "You need not worry about me."

Considering his ongoing nightmares– which Dominic had a strong feeling Ariella would realise tonight– there was certainly reason to worry about the prince. Dominic hadn't been in a good space since the death of his family, and with the war, he doubted he would ever get back to where he used to be when he was a child. Whatever light may have been in his eyes had long since vanished. His mind, heart and soul had fractured far too many times for him to believe that the pieces would ever be put back together, "I believe lunch is in order before any more talk of war strategy." Even though he definitely didn't want to go back into that room so soon.

Ariella and Emory had a fling two summers back. Emory had been new to the palace and she was the only one who had really taken he time to get to know him. She had been drawn in by his knowledge of the outside world. Emory had been from one of the outer villages of their kingdom and Ariella knew nothing about life beyond the borders of the capital city. He would tell her stories as she would walk Lady or take a ride on Buttercup. Eventually, their friendship had evolved into something more. She was sneaking away from the palace to meet with him in the stables. They had spent more time than she would admit in an empty stall in a less than signifying position. Nothing that would ever "soil" herself, as her mother called it, but it would have certainly gotten Emory thrown in jail had they been caught. And they had been. Her brother Everand had caught them kissing in a stall with his hand up her skirt. And after a very lengthy lecture from her brother, she had decided it was best to end whatever she had with Emory. it could never go any further, why risk breaking each other's hearts?

After a time, they had slowly slipped back into their friendship with one another, and now two years later, their tryst was nothing more than a passing thought. Neither of them looked at each other like that anymore. Or at least, Ariella did not. She found a friend in him and nothing more. She saw him less and less as time went on, her mother taking up more of her day. It had been weeks since she had last been in the stables and even longer since she had taken her mare out for a ride. The last time she had stopped in was to check in with Lady. But after finding she wasn't quite ready to give birth to the pups, she had made her exit fairly quickly.

"You are whining." Ariella almost laughed. he was like a child who had his toy taken away and she was refusing to give it back to him. "That is much more than a scratch. A scratch wouldn't require stitches and yet here you are, your arm stitched up and wrapped in bandages. You had an infection starting when you came to us. We were able to treat it before it spread but had you been a day or two later, we might not have been able to save you. So you will rest and you will stop complaining about this or I will keep those stitches in you even longer, thus keeping you from the training yards."

She snorted, which was very unladylike from her. "I have a feeling I will do nothing but worry about you as you are my patient. For some odd reason, my gut tells me you are going to be in the infirmary more than you should be. Or I'm going to have to drag your ass to the infirmary because you'll be too stubborn to go there yourself."

It wasn't that she worried he would lose his fights. It was the opposite of that. She worried he wouldn't know when to stop. When enough was enough. If she hadn't threatened him, he would have jumped in the ring by now and only hurt his arm more in the process. "I'd like to not see you in the infirmary, or have to drag you there, so heal and try not to get injured more than you already have been." Ariella knew it would be impossible once the war did start. Dominic seemed like the sort of man who would go to the front to fight. When he did, it would be out of her hands. There was no way her father would let her travel to the front as a medic. She would be stuck behind these walls, her talents wasted while their soldiers were dying when she possibly could've helped save them.

Her stomach growled at the thought food and shuffled so he wouldn't be able to see her blushing face. She hadn't realized how much walking they had done, or how much of an appetite she had built up. "Lunch sounds wonderful. Shall we?"

It was hard not to whine when Dominic's whole life had revolved around training and fighting for the vast majority of his life. If he wasn't dealing with his father or political issues that he was needed for then he was in the sparring ring, taking out his anger on the soldiers around him. They had all come to know that he was the most aggressive man that they had ever had to fight. Worse than the captain, definitely worse than his father when it came to battle.

But then again, Octavian didn't like getting his hands dirty unless he was punishing Dominic himself. Half the time he didn't even do so, simply watching as the court members had their way with his son and making sure that the punishment was deserving of whatever the fuck he had done to earn it. It had gotten to the point where the prince practically had his own cell in the dungeons below the palace. Every time he was taken to the block furthest away from the other prisoners that may have been kept under the grounds, taken in through the back entrance so they wouldn't see that their beloved prince was being tortured just as they were. And every time the cell was left bloodied and he was left a little more broken than he was when he entered.

By now Dominic felt as if he were a vase that had been smashed to pieces over and over again, to be reassembled and put back together as best as he was able only to be broken once again not long after. Each time he came out with more cracks in the foundation, his soul and his heart had been shattered a thousand times over Dominic didn't know if he could handle any more. But he was forced to take it. Forced to take the punishment, the abuse, and had no choice but to reassemble the pieces. There were far too many missing that he doubted he would ever be whole again.

And training was the only thing that had kept him somewhat sane over the years. It was an outlet. A way for him to disperse his anger in a manner that wouldn't hurt anyone unnecessarily. Of course, there would always be injuries to whoever went up against Dominic in the ring, but there was a respect between him and the soldiers. Everyone knew what they were getting into when it came to fighting in the ring, especially up against Dominic that even if either one got hurt, they understood it was a part of the deal. Now he wasn't allowed to do so and so yes, he was going to whine about it.

Dominic grumbled in his native tongue, only adding to the fact that he was clearly whining and upset but he wasn't going to fight Ariella about it. An argument with her was not something that was on his agenda. He guessed he would have to play by her rules while he was in her company. Unless she really did something to piss him off, or annoy him, which was starting to seem very easy to see. Regardless, he forfeited. He would be at the front of the fight in the end.

"Fine," He huffed, "No training till the stitches come out. But they're coming out as soon as they are able. I need to get back to training." His thoughts were turned away by the rumbling of Ariella's stomach and he almost chuckled at that, "We shall." Her family was probably waiting for them in the dining hall, too. It was certainly time to eat, and he was sure that the queen would be wanting to get Everand and Galen out of the study.

Ariella decided to keep to herself that she was fluent in his native language. Or as fluent as she could get without being a native. She was actually fluent in five other languages besides common. She had started the process of teaching herself a sixth a few months ago, but she had been neglecting her teachings for a few weeks now. It wasn't that she didn't want to learn it, it was just that there were other things taking precedence at the time being. She mashed her lips together, hiding her smile as he confirmed that he was indeed whining. She supposed she could take the soldier out of training, but she couldn't take the training out of the soldier. She would bet on her favorite tiara that any dedicated soldier would respond similarly to him. Perhaps they wouldn't whine as much as he was, but they would be just as put off by being banned from training for a few days.

She walked them through the front courtyard, smiling at the workers they passed but said nothing to them. Had the prince not been with her, she likely would have stopped and spoken with them for a few minutes before going inside. But he was here and it was uncommon for anyone of her status to befriend the help. She didn't need to give the prince any reason not to help them further. It would be petty to abandon them simply because Ariella had a few unlikely friends but she wouldn't put it above some royals. Some of them believed they were better than everyone else when the reality of it was that they weren't even good enough to lick the dirt off their people's boots.

She was silent as they walked through the halls. If she wanted to, she could have rambled on about the architecture that had gone into building the palace or gone into detail about the lives of the artists of the paintings and sculptures. But she did none of that. She had done her duty, she had given the prince a tour of the palace and had been close enough that her mother would be satisfied. Over the next week or so, Ariella would spend time with Dominic as her mother forced her to, and then come up with some excuse as to why she didn't like him and wouldn't marry him like Eveline so obviously wanted her to. this was what she did every time her mother brought someone home for her. She kept as much distance as she could allow without her mother getting onto her about it. Then after an allotted time, she would complain to her mother about something she didn't like about him and overexaggerate about how she could never marry a man like that. Then she would try to convince her mother that she was better off single and that would start a whole new argument. It was a never-ending cycle. Dominic would be no different.

As they entered the dining room, Ariella noticed that everyone was seated at the table but the two of them. She had long left go of his arm before reaching the dining room. Her mother's little spies would have already reported back to her that Dominic had escorted her around like a gentleman. There was a fifty-fifty chance that her mother would ask her why he wasn't escorting her into the dining room but she would just make some lie and all would be well. Speak of the devil, "There you are. I was just about to send a maid for you. You two took an awful while."

Of course, her mother would comment on how long they had been with each other. "Apologies, Mother, we stopped at the stables to check on his horse and see Lady. I got a little distracted." It wasn't as if this was a ginormous palace and there were thousands of square footage to cover or anything like that. And they hadn't even gone into every room. They had skipped out on quite a few, as they would just become repetitive.

Her mother tsked. "You should stay out of those stables, darling. I mean look at your gown." Ariella looked down at it. Sure it was stained but they would most likely come out. It was a shame, though, this was her favorite color. She would hate to ruin the gown. But there would be other uses for it if it was completely ruined. "I'm sure they will come right out, Mother." She sat down in her seat that was conveniently right next to Dominic's once more. She looked across the table at Everand who's jaw was clenched. He looked angry, though he hid it well. Ariella knew his tells. He couldn't hide that from her. She gave him a questioning look.

Later, he seemed to say. Later indeed. if he didn't come find her, she would find him. Preferably before Dominic went to bed. She didn't want Everand around just in case his nightmares came back. It was bad enough that Ariella knew, no one else needed to.

Even if Ariella had stopped to speak to the workers of the palace, Dominic wouldn't have minded in the slightest. Sure, it would delay their lunch, which was only mildly infuriating when he was hungry and wanted something to eat, but he understood what it was like to be friends with those that, as a royal, their parents deemed it inappropriate to speak to.

The maids who tended to him were the few in his life who understood what it was that Dominic had been put through by his father. It had been entirely by coincidence the first time around when the head maid, Fiona, had found him as a child, curled up in his bed and bleeding from the injuries to his back. Usually, she didn't tend to his chambers during the late hours of the evening but his room had been forgotten about in favour of cleaning to prepare for a ball. So when she had found the young prince sobbing into his pillow, the soft dragon plushie clutched to his chest and blood pooling onto the white sheets, she had stopped her duties immediately. Luckily, Octavian had gone to sleep by that point and so no one had known she was there. A good thing, too, for when the young prince had explained what happened, Fiona had been worried that she would be cast out if he knew Dominic had spoken a word to her.

That night she had stayed with Dominic. She cleaned up his wounds as gently and carefully as she was able until there was no more blood on his body. The prince could still point out which scars on his back was from the very first night she had tended to him. Fiona had read him a story and stayed all evening with the young prince curled up to her side. She had no children of her own and cared for him as if he were her own son, and Dominic saw her as a mother figure throughout his whole life.

There had been other maids who helped over the years. A small handful that he trusted not to tell a soul about the abuse. It broke them all to see their prince hurt in such a way, to change in such a way due to the pain. They all wanted nothing more than to rip the king a new one, but for the sake of staying by Dominic's side, they had refrained. When Octavian found out years later that the women had been tending to his son, he had killed them all. Dominic had had to spend the night in the infirmary due to the injuries had had received. That night, they hadn't been from his father.

When they made it to the dining hall Dominic straightened his shoulders a tad more in the presence of the king and queen, offering them a bow of his head in acknowledgement as he took a seat beside Ariella. Would every meal be like this? He figured it would be. Somehow he doubted that Eveline would let them be separated, "Apologies, Your Majesties," He said not a moment later, "It was my idea to go to the stables. My horse is very dear to me, I wanted to be sure he was doing alright." Because there was something in the way the queen spoke to her daughter that made it clear Ariella would be in trouble for her dress. He would take the blame for it, just this once, "The food smells wonderful."

It took every ounce of her self-control for Ariella not to snap her head in his direction. She didn't understand why he was covering for her. She hadn't done anything that had warranted him to cover for her. She knew how to handle her mother. The dress would have been an incident soon forgotten. Even if Eveline remembered to chastise her later, she would have forgotten about it a day or so later. As soon as the gown was out of sight, it would be out of her mind.

Ariella truly did hope the dress was salvageable. Pink was her favorite color. It complimented her well and didn't wash her out, depending on the shade. And the gown itself was beautiful. Her seamstress had spent many hours designing and piecing it together. She would hate for all that work to go to waste. If the dress was truly too stained to be saved, she would always commission another gown. It would vary slightly, as the seamstress never made the same dress twice, but Ariella would still pick the same color if it was available and help choose the fabric of it. The seamstress would ask her a couple of questions and then a few days later, a new gown would appear in her closet.

Eveline smiled at Dominic. "I'm glad to hear that your horse is doing alright. He's a brave little thing, taking you all the way here." Galen took a big gulp of his wine to refrain from saying anything. It was a miracle in itself that he didn't roll his eyes. His nerves were already set from watching his daughter stride into the room with the prince. She was his last girl. She didn't know the ways of the world, not beyond what her books would tell her. And her books were hardly accurate about how society functioned. Her visits to the city were hardly enough to give her insight either. He worried about her. He worried Dominic would ruin her. He was nothing like the men she had fancied, because yes, he knew about most of them. Dominic came with more baggage than he believed her able to handle. His world was pain and misery and death. And he wanted to keep her as far away from that as possible. Unfortunately, war called for desperate times.

"Please, eat," Evelin encouraged, unaware or purposeful ignorance of her husband's turmoil. "You must be starving. Touring the palace certainly works up an appetite. I'm famished just thinking about it." She wasn't of course. She took a laxative tea to help her keep skinny but that wasn't something discussed beyond hushed whispers among staff and court.

Ariella took a long drink of her wine, inwardly cringing at her mother. Sometimes she wondered how she wasn't a drunkard having to deal with her mother. Then again, she wasn't around Eveline this much. She was often able to get away with not eating lunch with her and sometimes even breakfast if she played her cards right. But her mother was likely forcing them all to eat together so she could continue to put Ariella and Dominic in close vicinity. If it didn't mean she would have to listen to her mother complain about her drinking habits, she would have asked the maid to leave the bottle on the table for her.

Dominic didn't really know why, exactly, he covered for Ariella. He had no reason to do so, it didn't matter to him whether or not she was chastised for her dress by her mother. She had every right to do so, since well, that was her child, but instead he had taken the blame. Said it was his idea to go to the stables when she had led him there. Something in his gut told him it was the right thing to do, even if being in the queen's bad books for a little while. Really he could make it up to her by taking Ariella out for lunch or a picnic, pretending to court her like Eveline so clearly wanted her to do. It would make her forget the whole matter within seconds by just suggesting it.

Although, by the look on Galen's face, that might be a horrible idea.

He was well aware that he came with baggage. That he wasn't a good person. Dominic was a man who had killed and would kill again without care in the world. To him, it didn't matter. He would gladly enter the dungeons and the torture chambers with a knife in hand and wouldn't come out until the other person was screaming. It was what he was good at. It was what he enjoyed. He liked, no loved the feel of metal swiping through skin, the feel of blood dripping down his hand as the other person begged for his life. Dominic had been killing since he was a teenager, thanks to his father, and after months of rejecting the idea that he hated what he did, he had learned he loved it. Craved it in ways he didn't know was possible. Galen had every right to be worried about his daughter being around him. And in all honestly, Dominic didn't know if he particularly wanted her around, either. She had seen him after a nightmare, his most vulnerable, when they didn't know each other. Where the fuck did he go from there?

Dominic wasn't going to deny himself the food any more when he was hungry and dug in to the delicious beef and vegetables in front of him. It was delicious, as always, and so as the family chatted around him– well, mainly Eveline chatted to them all and her husband responded here and there, along with Everand when he seemed to get himself together, he might have even called it pleasant.

He had always eaten by himself back home. Octavian dined on his own or with his court members and never with his son. Dominic wasn't allowed near the great dining hall when he was there. He had always been claimed to be a 'nuisance' or a 'disturbance.' Even as he grew older and didn't speak out of line as much as he did as a child he dined by himself. If he wasn't eating in his chambers he was dining in the astronomy tower. The prince would push as much food onto his plate as possible and head to the tower as quickly as he could. Then, on the little balcony on the top, he ate and watched the sun set and the stars rise above.

The prince wondered if, in another life, they would have dined as a family. All together around a table, chatting and laughing. Would they have had big dinners like the one he was seated at with the Araniel family? Or small dinners, perhaps, where Saorise snuck her way into the kitchens and cooked for them all instead, small and quiet and intimate. He would never know. It was simply a daydream, a life he would never receive.