Ayel had nodded his noble head quickly, or as quickly as his grace would allow him. Too roughly could hurt his delicate neck. But the prince had also noticed that the big oaf was being suspicous and had left the task in the hands of the most capable person around. Him. It didn't matter that he was the only other person around, it was that his bestest of friends had carefully taken in his observations and was believing in his story. If the prince believed in it, there was no reason for him to doubt his earlier observations. All thanks to having drank the far purer water in the Aurelian homeland compared to the defiled sewage that those northern mountain apes were used to consume. If it wasn't due to what they ate or drank, then it had to be something about their blood being outright superior.
The noble allowed himself a satisfied sigh.
'Do nothing without his say so? When have I ever failed you my dear friend.' He thought as he had nodded conspiratorally with Flynn.
'Finding the princess? Not this again. I bet she put some witchy curse on him.' The nobleman nontheless gave a determined nod and followed Flynn, choosing to take a moment to bicker with Valthyr. He couldn't let some filthy good for nothing barbarian get the last word. Oh no no no.
"Well you were made to be sweating, you are a worker, I am someone whose made to direct you creatures. This make-up is of top quality, much like myself thank you very much. I also have you know this skin lotion costs more than your house, in ten years you will look like a raisin, I on the other hand will retain my beauty. Like good wine… Mmm yes. I am of a great year. I would love to have you admire my splendor in ten years time, but judging by your lifestyle and lack of… well… to be fair.. everything, I doubt you'll even live that long." He laughed softly into his hand, for he had been raised to not openly laugh at others unless helped. Especially not people like this man. He barely even considered him human.
"How dare you accuse me of being useless, you inbred ape-born imbecile- I am talking with you, where do you think you are-" He had watched as Valthyr headed behind a tree to seemingly alter his shape into a wolf.
Ayel swallowed as he watched. He knew it! He knew it was true! This was the culprit! He had turned into a wolf and attacked his own. But… why was he getting so worked up over some barbarian dying? It meant one less useless ape to feed. And if the princess would be found dead then the prince could get married to someone better.
It dawned on him that perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all. Maybe despite being an overgrown dimwitted barbarian, he could be of some use after all.
He followed Flynn nontheless, while keeping not only one, but two noble eyes on the wolf-man.
'It's that crocodile woman again. Well, well well… and the wretched raisin man. Lord Coswain? This bearded mountain-raisin is a lord? Preposterous. It's like slapping a fine sticker on a bottle of mead and sell it as expensive wine! Wait a moment... these three are more or less all beasts. It's a larger conspiracy. Blightborn or not, they are working together to kill the royals! I must do something. I am too well invested to lose my friendship with the royal family over some peasant rebellion.' His thoughts had wandered, he didn't know what to do next. There could be more of them hiding around, maybe underground like rats in a tunnel!
'Situation at the temple? What situation? Is there something going on in the temple besides that beast tamer bathing his beasts? Don't tell me the clergy of my dear Aelios have been compromised? Or is his highness speaking of the Seluna sacricifial site?' Ayel's eyes wandered from Valthyr, then to Kira, then to Coswain and lastly to Flynn. It left him with a horrible realization, there was a very crucial part missing to his observations. He reached down into his belongings and pulled out his handmirror and looked into it at himself.
'Better.' He thought and then slowly put it back down again, even if it was a struggle. Now was sadly not the time for pleasurable sights and dreams but to stop an ongoing plot against his bestest of friends.
Then the prince had dropped a cart of gold on his head. The wolf before their eyes was no real wolf but an illusion?
'Impossible! I should be able to tell! I am the master illusionist! How is this possible?! ARGHHHHHH! How infuriating! How in Aelios bright brassiere has that loathsome worthless oaf of a man learnt to use that kind of magic?! How has he been able to do that sort of thing without- Oh goddess preserve me. How did it escape my notice? I am supposed to be able to tell. There's somethin clearly rotten about this, some sneaky underhanded cheating!' He grinded his teeth together as his face grew more and more red and his eyebrows furrowed, the veins starting to get visible on his otherwise pale and smooth face. Not only had Valthyr managed to deceive him, he had managed to anger him, and anger would lead to wrinkles, and wrinkles would lead to looking less graceful, and looking less graceful would lead to less praise, and less praise would lead to- It dawned on him that he had to suppress the immense rage filling up inside of his noble vessel before it would boil over.
Then Flynn set his eyes on him and suddenly he felt the prince's gaze on him. It was stern. Ayel quickly dropped any sign of anger and then as Flynn spoke, another feeling came over him. The prince had shown great care for him. Value! Appreciation! Care! His bestest of friends was worried for his safety. It always had managed to get him in a better mood when people were thinking about him. He felt the familiar butterflies in his stomach, the same kind he would get from watching peasants slip and fall, or when he had intentionally bought up all the pastries at the bakery to watch the kids look into the windows and see nothing. But… he had to make sure that he wouldn't be seen as a coward. He had a reputation to uphold for his noble family. He couldn't have anyone to spread slander that the powerful, wise and influencial Marquess was a coward. No he had to show his bravery to the less important and to his bestest of friends!
"Your highness! I am well aware of the danger of letting -rabid- and -wild- creatures roam about without leaches! But your care for your friends and family always make you stand out amidst the common rabble, truly your father's son. Fret not for me, I have been taught by the best to handle situations such as these the best, I shall go and do my outmost to keep everyone important safe!" Ayel made a bowing motion to Flynn, but gave each and everyone else a glare each, before raising his nose and swirling around on his feet to walk away in hurried steps. But cautiously looking over his shoulder.
'I need to get out of here! These wild beasts could attack at any moment! Goddess know what they would do if given the opportunity to assail me. I will not have my coat ruined because of some illusion-peddling fraud, some orange looking menace and some pretender lord who is most likely dead before summer. No no. I must return to my home and oversee the situation from there. Hopefully the prince will be able to lure these dumb creatures into a trap. He's Auric's son after all. Oh your majesty! We need your army right now! This is all your fault Faldrin, why didn't you suggest paving the road to Dawnhaven with peasant labor, the travel times would be much faster.' He lamented before he heard what Coswain said.
He wanted to escort him. Oh no no no.
'Ohohoho. I am Marquess Ayel Raunefeldt, I was not born yesterday! I know what you are up to. You are trying to gain my trust like a sneaky mountain-weasel and then attack me together with the mindless oaf. Well think again!' He gathered his courage, which didn't take much time considering the amount of it he had.
"I-I am going without your -escort-, I am a respectable and powerful mage, a highstanding and wealthy noble, I cannot be seen with t-the likes of y-you people! Away with you! Shoo! Don't come any closer to me or you'll regret it!" Ayel quickly tried to make his best attempt to make a run for it. 'These troglodytes better think again if they think me foolish enough to believe them! Hah! They are most surely the culprits! Not this time you insufferable inbreds!' He mentally chanted as he ran. But what if he was wrong and the real slayer was still out there? Nonsense. How could he be wrong? He was literally raised to always be right. Like a customer at a store. Always right.
@The Muse@PrinceAlexus@Fetzen
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