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Location: Post Office/Pleiades' Home | Collaboration with @The Savant |
While the tension in his muscles was slightly more relaxed, Tia did little to quell the storm swirling in Flynn’s mind. Her behavior left him with more questions than he had expected. The clergy members he was used to dealing with had little empathy for his decided fate, but Dawnhaven’s new Priestess seemed to share his inner turmoil. Even more confusing was her shared hope that there might be a path beyond what the seer had seen in his vision. Flynn wondered if she had expressed that thought to her peers and what they would think of it. Why had she been the one they sent? She was a powerful healer, no doubt, but she did not seem as confident as the other clerics he had met who dealt directly with the royal family. Perhaps she was just a very good actress…
As Flynn made his way to the post office, he took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and then released it, trying to clear his mind. Next on his task list was to speak with the blight-born man Pleiades. The creature who had been
cuddling with Flynn’s wife,
in her bed chambers, the night before. Flynn took another deep breath, doing his best to keep his anger at bay. Pleiades was not someone he wanted to pick a fight with—he hadn’t even brought his sword, such a careless oversight. Not that it would do him much good against a blight born without a quick skillfully placed swing.
If Flynn had it his way, he wouldn’t be talking with Pleiades at all this morning, but he needed to inform him about the new employee that would be joining him. Flynn always took it upon himself to personally handle these matters; sending a squire would immediately raise suspicions. Besides, this required an in-person discussion. Willis was dangerous—a new blight-born who barely understood his own power. Flynn knew Pleiades could hold his own, and thought this would be a good opportunity for Willis to learn while helping the town. Alongside Sya and Ivor, Pleiades had proven to be one of their most valuable blight-born in all of Dawnhaven. For the good of the town, Flynn would need to swallow his pride.
Opening the door to the post office, Flynn stepped inside and looked around. It was quiet on the first floor, though he could hear footsteps coming from upstairs.
“Pleiades?” Flynn called out, raising his voice so that he could be heard on the second floor as he headed toward the exchange counter.
“Do you have a moment to speak with me?”Pleiades stood there in his living space, staring at the area that Willis had been moments before, and glancing up at the window that he locked. A silent call to stay out of his space to the man. Licking his teeth and applying pressure with his tongue to his canines, he wanted to feel the sharpness of them against the soft tissue of the muscle, as he was letting his frustrations die down.
How could the prince be such an idiot? Those thoughts were the loudest in his mind at the moment. How could he approve someone like Willis into this town? A blightborn with such…
careless and low standards was not comforting to think about.
Hearing the post office door open caused him to put his face into his hands, he wanted to scream, but he internalized each bit of the emotion flowing through his system. If anyone could see him, they would notice that his feathers would puff up with stress, but luckily no one was around to see how overly stressed his whole demeanor was.
A grumble came from Pleiades as his hands left his face as he heard the familiar voice of prince charming — Flynn. His irritation made him want to stay up in his living quarters. He could decide to be petty today, couldn’t he? Avoid the man and
everyone else in this god forsaken town. Then that fire inside him went from burning to coals. A sigh left his lips while his teeth carefully chewed on the inside of his gums with thought. That was when he let his whole demeanor change and by the time he got to the ground floor, he wasn’t necessarily happy looking, but he was in a neutral state. “
Did you have a moment to think about asking me if I wanted any help with the courier tasks?” Pleiades hissed out while opening the door and slamming it. It caused the whole building to shake. His eyes looked surprised and at the door to check if it was okay. Clearly, he didn’t mean to slam it that hard or react like he did, though he glared at Flynn.
Flynn clenched his jaw as Pleiades spoke, his attempts to keep himself calm quickly dissipating. The door slam caused him to glare back at Pleiades, their green and slate eyes both holding a fiery energy between them. Somehow, news of Willis had reached Pleiades before Flynn had the chance to tell him first, which was frustrating for both of them, but Flynn was not about to apologize.
“
I really don’t want to give you a moment. I’m irritated. What do you want?” Pleiades tried his best to keep himself neutral and open with what mood he was in. It was hard to control the outburst of questions and statements he wanted to throw at the prince about Willis, but he was trying very very much not to let himself explode and his tongue to become too loose with the man.
“You’re irritated,” Flynn replied in a mocking, sarcastic tone, a fed-up sort of smile reaching his lips. He continued locking eyes with the man, letting out a breath from his nose and shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Flynn’s previous idea of swallowing his pride seemingly went out the door now that he was faced with the man who had been in his wife's bed just the night before.
“That’s rich.”“Good, you already know. I have nothing more to say to you.” he stated, beginning to turn as if he was going to leave the post office.
When Flynn decides to mock him, all of the positivity fell from the blightborns face, and the emotions began to fade from Pleiades moonstruck eyes. “
He told me he doesn’t care if it’s a rat or a human he drains dry, prince charming. I told him that he’s forbidden to step into this post office. Our little exchange showed me that I couldn’t trust a bloodsucker like him and if you want him to be a courier. Don’t be surprised if people start turning up dead because of you lack of intelligence and over-trusting fucking abominations like that,” Pleaides spat out as he watched Prince Flynn go to leave the post office. “
People will die because of you.”
Facing the door, Flynn paused, throwing his head back toward the ceiling, taking a deep breath, and closing his eyes while he listened to Pleiades. He let silence linger between them for a few moments as he released his deep sigh, feeling the weight of this responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. Willis had already almost killed someone—Pleiades wasn’t wrong.
“I give people second chances,” Flynn stated as he turned back towards the winged man, his eyes fiery with anger.
“People like you.” He clenched his jaw again, conjured up images of Pleiades and Octavia in bed together flashing in his mind's eye.
“I thought you’d be a good mentor. And I thought you’d like some help from another blight-born who can fly to take some of the work off your plate.” At another time, this might have sounded caring and thoughtful, like a compliment, but Flynn’s tone now conveyed it as an insult. He had once believed in Pleiades' character, but now he felt betrayed.
“I will find somewhere else for him, if it pleases you.” he gritted his teeth, his body itching to leave.
“It seems you can’t be trusted anyway.” he blurted out against his better judgment.
His greenish-gray lips parted to say something then pursed in a line when Flynn stated
people like you —
What the hell do you mean by that?” Screamed through his mind as his teeth clenched hard.
Do not react.” He reminded himself not to explode. Over and over and over again. The tightness in his chest increased as a fist was made out of frustration to the comment.
Listening to each and every word, the last statement was what caused his brows to furrow in confusion, and his face to change from its hardened state. “
What do you mean by that?” He couldn’t get himself to comment on the statements of help and so on. Not with that statement lingering in the air.
Pleiades' voice almost sounded hurt since he had never done anything to break the Prince’s trust. Not anything that he could think of. “
I’ve never done anything to break your trust, Flynn. Nothing that I can think at the moment,” His shoulders relaxed in an almost defeated way while that neutral lip turned into a slight frown. This was when emotions began to build in the winged man. Actual emotions of anger and hate towards Flynn.
“Nothing you can think of?” Flynn questioned, raising his brows as if to urge Pleiades to dig deeper into his memory. He waited a few moments, crossing his arms over his chest uncomfortably.
“My wife, Pleiades. She told me you were in bed together last night.” His voice dropped, losing its louder tone, but anger dripped from every word.
“While I’m trying to keep this town alive, to create a safe haven for people affected by the blight, to find a cure, to save her life and mine own—” his eyes darkened as he continued to glare back at Pleiades,
“You two are abed.” He let out a bitter laugh, wishing his mind would stop imagining what the scene would have looked like. Lips pursed together, he waited for Pleiades to respond to such an affront.
At first the man was bewildered by the question, since he honestly could think of nothing. Did someone figure out that he slept with Sylestar for exchange for his services? No, he did not tell anyone about that. Not that he could think of. He knew that Flynn would be upset about him allowing sexual services for payment. That wouldn’t make Flynn this mad, would it? Then the man continued to speak and Pleiades face began to twist and turn.
His one hand went over his face to try and hide the smile and grin, as his body began to hiccup a little with laughter. Pleiades was trying his best to not burst out into laughter as Flynn spoke but he couldn’t help it. The man was laughing hard especially when Flynn decided to emphasize that
they were abed. “
I’m sorry,” The man was not apologizing for what Flynn would assume he was. He was apologizing for his laughter as he tried to tighten his hand around his mouth to not laugh, he stood there, his free arm wrapping around himself as his torso moved from the suppressed laughter and the grin hid behind his darker hands and claws.
Flynn’s lips twitched as Pleiades began to laugh, his eyes growing cold and his expression clearly not sharing the amusement.
Inhaling deeply and holding it, Pleiades was trying to take control over the laughter, but he was failing at doing so. His one arm stayed wrapped around his bare chest. As his other hand stopped covering his mouth from jawline to jawline. Pleiades held his chin in his hand with his pointer finger curled before his smiling mouth. His lips pursed, “
If we are being honest, here, prince charming. You are more likely to get me naked than Octavia is,” Pleiades chuckled.
Flynn sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the anger beginning to melt as Pleiades spoke and disarmed the Prince with his sudden laughter. Rubbing his temples with one hand, Flynn stared at the ground, listening and wondering if he should truly believe him or not.
“
I wouldn’t bed your wife, Flynn, nor would I care to have sex with a virgin. They are not as fun. Plus, you can tell she is. She was so distraught last night that my aura only made her want comfort. The only thing I did was let her cuddle me as she fell asleep from emotional exhaustion. It’s not like you or Elara were around to comfort her. You are a busy man and fuck… I have no idea where Elara was. It was somewhat odd she came into the room when Octavia was out of it,” The man chuckled a little more as his teeth showed, his tongue licking at the sides of his upper teeth and stopping at his canines.
Flynn furrowed his brows and looked up at Pleiades then.
A virgin? Is that what he had just said? He knew the Princess had been sheltered, but had she never snuck out or had her own fun on the side as he did? It explained much of why Octavia had been so hesitant around him, but he had just blamed that on her also hating him for dragging her to Dawnhaven and marrying her without having even met.
Shrugging his shoulders at the thought while he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the back wall behind the counter. “
Do you really think she would really have sex with me? Especially after I informed her of more things about her mother. She was pretty upset to discover that I had an affair with the Lunarian Queen. I doubt she would have done anything with me but who knows. Royals are quite different at times,” Pleiades grinned at the man and shook his head with another chuckle.
“
Thank you for the laugh, Flynn. I needed that,” Pleiades stated as he opened the door to go back up to his living quarters. He was honestly done for today and glad he was leaving Dawnhaven for at least a handful of days.
Flynn pursed his lips as he watched Pleiades turn to leave, trying to gauge his honesty. He had never known Pleiades to be a liar, but Flynn still found it hard to fully believe him. Pleiades was a sexual blight-born; why wouldn’t he take advantage of a meal presented on a silver platter in the royal bedchambers, especially when the princess resembled her mother so much?
“Pleiades,” Flynn called after him as Pleiades opened the door to the upstairs,
“I will choose to believe you,” he stated, waiting for Pleiades to meet his eyes.
“I would prefer if you stay out of my wife’s bed in the future, however.” Although the prince had been disarmed by Pleiades’ laughter, it didn’t mean Flynn was any more comfortable with the thought of another man in her bed, especially not a sexually fed blight-born.
Flynn began to turn to leave but paused as another idea came to mind.
“Admittedly, I know nothing of the Princess and her intentions.” He glanced towards the ground, formulating his thoughts.
“You seem to know more about them than most.” He raised his gaze to Pleiades again, recalling the treasonous affair he had with the Lunarian Queen.
“If you will not have Willis here, can you offer me some insight instead?” He asked, watching for a reaction on Pleiades' face.
“What can you tell me of the Queen? Of Octavia? She’s unwilling to open up to me, no matter what I try.”Pleiades was standing in the doorframe and he shook his head at the prince’s words, “
Please don’t do that. I know you don’t trust me. If I am telling the truth or not. I’ve always thought you would never trust me so don’t act like you would,” The man held an intense eye contact with the prince. His blind–looking eyes seemed to have a lot of emotion in them at the moment but nothing that could be exactly placed. He was trying to not express how hurt he felt but he wasn’t surprised at the same time.
Listening to the other man’s comments about the Lunarian royal family, he shook his head in the negative, and sighed. The comment about Willis caused him to roll his eyes. “
Stop talking to me like I owe you anything, Flynn,” Pleiades sounded somewhat snappy and defensive with his statement. He was annoyed. For some reason, he allowed himself to believe that Flynn did trust him. This situation made him realize that he wasn’t trusted at all and it was hard to hide how that hurt. His chest felt empty and sickening like when he had colds as a child while human.
Flynn clenched his fist at his side, struggling to hold back another flash of anger. It seemed that each blight-born in this town had forgotten the debt they owed him for negotiating their safe haven—a sanctuary where they could live without fear for their lives and attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy. For all they knew, he could easily turn them over to the capitals, who would then orchestrate a massacre. Flynn could even inform the King of Lunaris about Pleiades’ actions with his Queen, and the King would undoubtedly send armies after him. Despite this, Flynn kept his mouth shut, biting his tongue in an effort to maintain peace between them.
Taking a step out of the frame, Pleiades opened up the small entrance in the counter, “
If you want to talk. We can talk upstairs, but I am really getting sick of company today. I already had to destroy a cup out of disgust because of your little experiment. You call him Willis. I’ll call him a parasite,” Pleiades decided to go up the stairs with that comment. Leaving the prince’s sight as he went to the floor of his living space. Going over and lying in his hammock since he wasn’t feeling courtesy or being a decent host today. Not anymore.
As Pleiades left, Flynn turned and exited the post office without a word, slamming the door on his way out this time. He had had enough for today, as well.