[IC] A Bloody Murder

[cthulu]

The Prince watches the fae with a mixture of awe and confusion, at times he seems almost amused, as if he has worked out something and then he descends back to quiet confusion and mystification. When the Fae was finally done and spoke up about the passages he himself had been intent on telling the fae he gives a wry and somewhat wary smile. He had been taught not to trust magic and this would seem more like magic than anything the young prince had encountered in his life time thus far. Yet he could not help but see the silver lining along with the black cloud, for if the fae had truly intended to kill him, even when the man had been hired too, then surely he would not be standing here and as such that lead to mean that even when hired too the fae had known such a thing to be wrong.

“It is your room do as you please, the mechanism is easily jammed and once jammed it will be nigh on impossible to open from either side. A clever trick, though I am sure it is one you cannot teach.” As the fae reached for the door the Prince stepped aside and took the lead out as he was spoken to. “I suppose it is better to show you now rather than later, though it is to be expected my life is targeted. Many oppose the idea of me taking the throne over my sister, they see me as an imposter. Others are still bitter and grieving over my brothers demise and yet others still believe that it is time my family’s rule comes to an end. If I die there is no living male heir to take the mantle of King and as such my sister would be Wed to a neighbouring country, forced to take their name, their title and thus giving the Kingdom to them. In fact, for a greedy man there is little reason not to kill me.”

Alessandro made light conversation as one might with a new servant as he directed the other about the castle, he showed Rei first the rest of the floor they were upon, explaining the interconnecting passageways and giving a rough idea of the guards patrol times. Then they progressed down through the floors, bathing rooms and guest servant’s quarters, the kitchens and the stables, both horse and dog kennels. Then back around the gardens to the main hall, where often balls and dancing were hosted on feast days and servants were even now still clearing the remainder of the party from the night before away. The family dining area which also served as a small council room was also shown along with the tapestries that hung there depicting their family lineage all the way back to the days fae and man had still interacted.

Below this and connected via outside means was the prison come dungeon, they only briefly graced this place though Alessandro pointed to the far end where bars were bent and twisted and a chill wind blew from caverns below. “They say one of our ancestors trapped a dragon down here, tricked it somehow, though no one is as quick to guess what happened to it or why the bars are bent like that. None are allowed there though and the guards keep it under tight security. I know from plans the meisters have shown me that there is an underground cavern there filled with water it’s quite perilous.”

With the gathering of night and tiredness weighing on him he lead them back to the floor they began and outside his own quarters the Prince halted and spoke one last warning to Rei. “If you intend to go to the West wing.” Which he had pointed out on the grand staircase as they’d descended, “I again urge you to be careful. With all being well I shall see you come the morn. Goodnight.” With his farewells given he slipped inside his room –lest Rei have words for him in turn- and readied himself for a nights much needed slumber.

[PopeAlessandros]

“The greedy man is oft' times the one with the shortest sight, and the longest ego.” he murmurs, following behind the prince quietly as he can. The hard soles of the boots make doing so difficult and he decides then and there that he will remove them for his own inspection of the palace and grounds. He lets the prince speak about whatever he wishes, asking no questions, simply absorbing what information he finds useful. 'I would guess that the measure of what he tells me is also the measure of what he finds important or interesting. Much is missed for the simple fact that one finds no reason to know it. In my line of work, all has the potential of being important, so my eyes, ear, nose, flesh, and magic seek out far beyond what a human would'

Many of the servants cast wary glances his way, and each time he lets his eyes drop. 'Perception is the sum of one's reality. If they see me as non threatening their views of me will pass to others and the misinformation will serve me well. I am sure most have heard rumors of my last excursion into this place, and have already formed an opinion of me' Glancing up at the prince as the come down the main staircase he tilts his head slightly. 'I wonder what they all think of what the prince said about me, or if they even believe it. Perhaps I will have the chance to ask one of the more talkative servants, if I do not overhear the information first' Blessed with exceptional hearing Rei has always taken advantage of humans and their lust for gossip. Even now the servants several yards away whisper about the young fae without realizing that his words are as clear in his ears as if they were less than a foot from him.

As they progress outside the map he had made in his mind of the grounds surrounding the building merges with the new additions to the interior, the information the prince feeds him giving detail to the picture behind his mind's eye. As they pass the horses, then later the dogs, the beast fall and back away from him. Most of his kind have a close connection to nature and the wild beasts that inhabit it, however for as long as he can remember Rei has always been on bad terms with animals. It does not bother him save for occasionally it has alerted a few of his targets to the fact that something is off. His gaze passes over the wary dogs and he tilts his head as they move past. 'It is good to know they are here. I can make use of them'

The garden looks simple and plain to his eyes, the flora and greenery around his village out shinning it by far, however he takes note of the larger foliage that could serve as cover for someone wishing to approach from this side of the building.

Once back inside his face becomes once more passive and the look of concentration he'd worn opening outside the palace relaxes into a neutral look of disinterest. However his eyes do take on a curious gleam as he examines the tapestries carefully. They pass by rather quickly but he takes in what he can, determining that he must return later for a longer look at some of them. 'I recognize some of my race upon those tapestries. They look almost like the pictures I've seen of us in the older storybooks I have read'

The bustle of servants around the room draws his gaze back down as the move into a smaller room and his eyes narrow. 'I must examine this room more closely' Keeping silent he follows the prince out of the room, this time as they pass the tapestries he does not look at them. Instead he begins planning his route for the evening.

The cursory glance and short story behind the prison area raises Rei's interest. 'Of all parts of this palace, I have not heard anything beyond relevant information one would expect any servant to need to know, however he went out of his way to bring me to a place he seems to have no interest in, and tells me a story that has no more merit than the one about a fairy who collects teeth. This is very interesting' Glancing towards the bent bars he concludes that he will examine this part of the palace another day. After some planning in which he can do it without being discovered by the rather vigilant looking guards.

At last they arrive back at the prince's room. He tilts his head as once more the prince warns him of the perils of the west wing before vanishing swiftly behind the solid wooden door to his room. 'He looked tired. I will inspect his room in the morning' With that he walks down the hall to his own room, slipping inside for a moment to remove his boots. Setting them beside his bookshelf he picks up an apple from the bowl on the table and slips it inside his sleeve. 'Props are good for pretending' Turning back to the door he heads out, closing it gently behind him. Doing his best to look like an outsider he wanders aimlessly down the hall. A few servants spot him, making offhanded comments about him not wearing shoes, however none approach him to confront him openly. 'Good, they are still unsure enough of me to keep away' Small tongues of magic trickle from his bare feet, feeding him more information that could not be learned during the earlier walk.

'The secret passage system in this place it rather intricate, however most of it is unused. Am guess that only the servants really have any idea of most of these. Some of the triggers from the entrances seem to be hidden rather well' Slipping slowly to the side of the hall Rei ducks into a little alcove as he feels a familiar presence approach. His eyes scan the boy carefully as he passes. 'This is the one he feels protective over, but is not related to' Stepping out of the alcove he watches as the boy mounts the stairs leading to the floor where the prince's room is. 'He looked notably concerned, but not panicked. He must be one of the prince's personal servants. Maybe he forgot to turn the young prince's bed down' Rei pauses for a moment in thought. 'I wonder what that means, turning a bed down. . . .' With a mental shrug he continues down to the entrance hall.

Glancing at the archway leading to the west wing he decides against heading here right away, instead he continues down to the first floor and makes his way back to the small dinning room beside the party hall. Closing the door carefully behind him he lets his magic out a bit more and begins exploring the room carefully. 'The servant hallway leads into this room, as is to be expected. However, there is something else. . . .' Letting out a long sigh he walks once more around the room until at last he finds it. His eyes snapped open, having closed to better concentrate on the search, and with a sharp look his gaze snaps to the ceiling. Climbing carefully on to the table after checking to make sure no servants are close by, he runs his fingers along the stone a foot from the chandelier. After a few seconds searching he finds what was bothering him.

With a rough but quiet grating noise several of the stones move to the side like a trap door revealing a dark hole. 'This should not have been used in quite a long time, however no dust fell when it opened. Most of the unused parts of this palace were obviously filthy and felt empty. This however. . . .' With little effort he jumps up and grips the sides of the hole. Lifting himself easily up into the darkness he watches as the hole closes up behind him. Feeling around he finds the trigger to open it once more but does not trip it. Instead he looks around at the space he now occupies. On three sides is solid stone, with the fourth side leading off towards, according to his mental map, the west wing. 'Interesting' He begins crawling slowly, his magic working overtime to take in as much as it can. 'This passageway is large enough for a fully armed man to move through easily on all fours' Rei himself crawls simply to have more of his skin on the stone.

The distinct lack of dust continues on for quite some time until at last he can smell it in the distance. At the same time he detects a trapdoor not to far ahead. Stopping beneath it he feels around carefully with both fingers and magic he determines the are above to be vacant and after a few moments thought he trips the switch to open the trap door. 'I shall only take a quick look' he decides before crawling out of the hole. As quickly as possible he takes in the room. 'Decent sized, about as big as my room. More barren, like a waiting room, only furniture chairs and benches. Like the small passage curiously free of dust, however I do not sense that this room is occupied much. More as if only in passing' Nodding to himself he slips back down through the hole and closes the trap door. Without hesitation he makes his way back to the small dinning area and closes the ceiling before moving on with his inspection.

By this time the number of servants has dwindled to only a handful and he easily evades detection as he slips back into the entrance hall. Deciding on a cursory examination of the west wing for now he spends a good half hour getting the guard's movements down at a distance before slipping into the hall and moving to the first safety point. High above the guard's heads he moves along the overhang running along the wall, pausing whenever one moves in any other way besides routine. 'A human would never be able to walk up here like this. I guess that explains why they never seem to look up while patrolling this hall' Keeping to the shadows he manages to figure out who is sleeping where, and which servants are doing their nightly duties at this late hour. Each one is less than a dozen feet from a guard, and all are within eyesight of one. 'I can see why he was so worried. I could mention to him about this little highway up here in the shadows. However, I and my kind are really the only ones who can more up here without detection'

Ducking back out of the wing he makes his way around the rest of the palace, easily avoiding most of the guards and servants, only a few times having to take extra measures to avoid being seen. At last he returns to the floor with his room on it having never needed to use the apple. Slipping back into his room he pulls out the bright red fruit and makes short work of it with his pointed canines. The meat is cold by now, but that is how he likes it. Tearing off a breast he wanders over to the secret door leading to the occupied room he opens it carefully. The small hallway, only half his height and a few feet long, is comfortingly filthy. With his unoccupied hand he reaches in and fiddles with the door's mechanism so that when it closes, it will stay closed, only able to open from his side. He eats slowly, going over and over the map in his mind until at last he comes to the other passage leading out of his room. 'He said no sneaking. He said nothing about wandering openly through a secret passage' Knowing his logic is flawed but determined to check on the prince before he himself retires for the night he crosses the room and opens the secret passage to the right of his now cold fireplace. Still eating the pheasant he walks slowly through the passage, tall enough to walk upright, and for one man with broad shoulders to walk comfortably.

[cthulu]

By the time the fae had entered the bedroom the young prince was asleep, he slept, as the fae would notice, in the nude as many of the highborn could afford to do. It seemed his servant had been in to turn down the sheets and check his room. Putting a few slow burning logs on the fire to keep the warmth in the room and drawing the shutters and thick curtains closed before extinguishing all but a single candle that was kept within arms reach of the bed. Upon his table a fresh jug of water and goblet and his clothes already removed for washing. he had left little trace that he'd been there but for a small folded blue cloth upon the table, inside of which sheltered a few lily of the valley, the fresh scent wafting about the room with it's delicate aroma. They were all but out of season now and one would assume they meant something to the lord if his servant would go out to find them asked or not.

As the fae checked on the sleeping lord he would notice that he entered at the end of some uncomfortable sequence or another in his dreams. For his brow was relaxing and a light sheen of sweat hugged his skin even as his fists and muscles began to relax once again, the sheets had worked themselves down, baring his chest and stomach, though glimpses at his back would reveal those scars again as he rolled over and faced away from the Fae's entrance, shivering slightly and in sleep grasping covers to pull them up over hips and to his rib cage.

Nothing else was out of place nor disturbed in his room aside the little gifts but one could only wonder how long that would remain the case for.

[PopeAlessandros]

Rei's pace slows as he reaches the end of the passage, his ears picking up faint noises of discontent. Sending his magic out he does not detect any but the prince beyond the door so he does not fret. The door slides open silently, the little catch off to the side letting out only a faint click as he flips it up. His eyes are fist drawn to the only movement in the room, his gaze roving over the bed where the young man seems to settle against the mattress. His brows furrow lightly as he moves closer to the large bed, his magic dancing about along the floor allowing him to remain alert to his surroundings while he examines the restless figure. Even in the mostly dark room Rei catches sight of the sheen of sweat covering his bare body and his head tilts in question.

'I wonder what is wrong. His breathing is fast, as if he has just been in an ordeal, however he. . . .' His mind drifts back to when he lived with the other assassins. He moves in even closer just as the boy rolls and he is once again filled with curiosity as the movement flashes his scared back to you young fae. 'I must ask him about those some time. I must know who in this household has the right to strike a prince' When at last Alessandro seems to settle into a more deep slumber Rei takes his eyes away from the other and instead looks to his room. From prior visits he knows the layout quite well, however he uses this opportunity engrave it more thoroughly into his mind, adding another page to his map.

A faintly floral smell catches his attention and he follows it to a cloth laid out on the table. Reaching out he pulls the top back a bit so he can look on the flowers themselves. He knows little of herb and flower lore so the small plant means very little to him. However he does take note about it not being there last he was in the prince's chamber. Dropping the cover back the way he found it he looks once last time to his new ward and lets out a faint silent sigh. Content that he's done enough exploration for the evening he moves back to the passage. Leaving only a faint string of magic in the room to keep track of the happenings there he closes the door and returns to his own quarters. Now able to make noise without worry Rei finishes off the quail leg, bone and all, the crunching echoing lightly around the room as his lack of manners has him eating with his mouth open. He knows that he may need to do some learning of high society while in the palace, but in his own room he feels little need to stand on any sort of ceremony with only himself as company.

Edging back over to the table he covers the meal once more and wanders over to the bookshelf, wiping his hands on his pants. Snatching up his bag as he passes it he sets about putting his books away. He arranges them carefully on the lowest shelf, away from the others so that they do not get mixed in on accident. Once finishes he glances over the tomes provided him by the prince, contemplating whether or not he wants to do some reading before he sleeps. After a few seconds he shakes his head and moves over to the bed. 'I will need as much rest as I can. Much of this night was taken up by my exploration, now I will need the rest if I am to be prepared for tomorrow' Reaching up ha carefully removes his hat, setting it on the bedside table. However he leaves the headband on. Should a servant glance in the room in the night before he notices them he does not wish to risk his ears being seen. Stripping off all but his undergarments he crawls over the bed and removes all but the thin sheet and with a contented sigh he curls up beneath it. Only the very top of his head peeks out from beneath the white fabric, settled beneath the pillows rather than on them, and after years of training, he is asleep almost instantly.

[cthulu]

Alessandro woke early the next day, the sunlight filtering through a crack in the window and his loyal servant already pulling back the curtains and chattering about the nightly events and the mornings gossip. A good, cold drink was handed to him as he groggily sat up in his bed and a beaming smile offered to him by the ruddy cheeked youth who was in his chambers, he was now talking about Rei and what the various other servants thought of him. Slowly supping from his cup he slipped from his sheets and left his servant to change them, neither he nor his boy bothered by the nudity he left on show. It was as usual for Alessandro to be naked about this man as it was his own wet nurse and likewise the boy had been here long enough to not react even when a certain morning problem made it hard to ignore him. There had even been talk of the poor boy having feelings for the Prince which the Prince had waved away as nothing but insolent rubbish before his parents had caught wind of it and seen fit to exercise their right to lop off his head.

He helped Alessandro into his robe with that same lovesick grin before fastening and serving him his morning breakfast. Fresh bread, egg and fruit were served with thick cuts of cheese and ham. The boy purposely ignoring the folded fabric as Alessandro grew curious and peeled back a corner. The fresh scent wafted into his room and it was his turn to smile, it was not hard to see why he was considered handsome when he smiled fori t was as warm as a summers day, his eyes reflecting like a summer sky. "I do so enjoy the smell of lily of the valley." He uttered with good humour in his tone that caused his boy to blush. "I wonder who would know that outside these four walls though...not even my sister is aware of my floral preference." The boy stammered a reason but Alessandro only nodded, "A lovely present, thank you." The boy uttered something about wishing he could have got something more for him for his birthday but Alessandro handed him some berries and his cheese -as oft he did as he was not too fond of cheese- and told him it was okay, it was perhaps the best gift he'd received.

Standing he fetched a clean sheet of parchment and carefully folded it in two, there after he lifted the white bell shaped flowers onto the paper, close to the crease. Slipping them into one of the thick tomes he really ought to -but never could find the effort to- read, this was a trick he'd learned from his sister whose various history texts were filled with assorted meadow and garden flowers pressed flat and dried to forever preserve their beauty. Returning to his meal he ran through his morning tasks that needed to be done and with a sigh glanced to the wig. It was of course real human hair, while most were made of dog or horse hair if worn at all, his father had decided it was not befitting a prince to wear such a low grade garment and was certain his friends and rivals would easily see through such a farce. So with pay offs to local barbers and some eager young lower nobles wives dark locks were cut and sewn into what certainly was a gorgeous wig. The black locks hung naturally with a slight curl, not as pronounced as his sisters which were plumped and pinned every morning but enough to make him look more a member of the family as his father so wished it.

"I had better put that on last." He uttered, stretching after another goblet of fresh water flavored with lemon and lime slices. The day was going to be warm, even the sun so early felt warm on his back and so their morning routine began. His helper ran a bath for him and helped him scrub and clean, including washing his golden locks until they gleamed. Helping him then to dry, dress and brush his hair where a soft compliment was always given by way of look upon the young boys face. Doubtful he even knew he was doing it but the boy whenever he brushed his hair before the mirror such as he did now had this look of wonder and jealousy, no other in the kingdom regarded his locks as something to be envious of and none seemed to see the beauty that he did, it was one of the many reasons he kept him. That and he never asked about the scars, something that while not a secret was somewhat of a sour subject this early in the morning. "So tell me about Rei."

[PopeAlessandros]

The sound of the palace coming to life around the young fae is enough to rouse him from his light slumber. His eyes peel open slowly and a faint rush of magic tumbles of of him out of habit. 'It is good to know who is watching before you make a move, no matter what you were doing before' It was one of the instructions that stuck with him the strongest and after taking stock of those within the range of his low grade magic he rises slowly beneath the covers. The fall away like a tumbling waterfall to reveal his pale flesh, the dim light of the morning still so low as to not reach his room, but enough for him to see by perfectly. His eyes trail about the room once and with a faint cough he begins stretching. 'The prince is not yet awake' he notes as his body arches this way and that on the, relative to his own bed, vast mattress.

Deciding to stay in his room until either the prince leaves his or sends for him, Rei wanders over to the fireplace and begins picking at the small woodpile beside it. A small touch of life had entered it since he fell asleep, and as his curiosity has little else to amuse it at this time he decides to dig the insect out. It takes some time, being careful not to squish it, but when at last he finds the little beetle he simply stares at it for a time. The bug is simple, but shiny, and Rei wonders what makes it shine. He scoops it up carefully and wanders over to the window with it held tightly in his palm. The little scrabbling legs feels odd on his flesh but as soon as the window is open he dumps the bug outside and doesn't give it another thought.

Instead he closes the window and begins getting ready for the day. Undoing his headband he fixes his hair best he can, the strands naturally untangling to settle flat against his head in the back while the fringe up front take a little more work to get it to stop frizzing on him. When at last he feels set he ties the cloth back on over his ears and pulls on the pants provided him by the prince. Just as he finishes fastening the clasp he feels a presence coming in close to his door. He'd ignored all those passing by, but this one has slowed and is less than an arm's length away. 'Calm. They may be here with good reason' Not waiting for the being to knock he strides over silently and pulls the door open carefully. The maid on the other side jumps slightly, pressing her free hand over her chest.

She looks older than himself, should he be any judge of human aging, and the startled look in her eyes surrounded by light brown hair, barely held in place by a white maid bonnet, makes he look much like a frightened deer. He stands still, his eyes dropping to the thing held steady in one hand and with a soft whiff he confirms that she is indeed here for a good reason. He other hand comes down to hold the side of the silver platter covered with a matching hood and she does her best to brush off her fright. “Forgive me sir, if I be disturbing you, but the cook sent me up with your breakfast and to retrieve the dinner ware from last night. I wasn't sure you would be a wake, but I suppose you be a light sleep. With your line of work and all.”

Rei raises an eyebrow, curious for an instant what she may mean by her words, however she resolves his confusion quickly, seeing his questioning look. “A bodyguard sir. Must need to be able to respond quickly, no?” Her voice is a bit high, obviously still a bit flustered, but Rei ignores that fact and steps aside. With the hand not holding the door he gestures to the table where his dinner sits still mostly uneaten. She nods and walks past quickly. Rei's attention however is drawn to yet another passing his door. The young man is taller than he, like many a human male, but it is the look in his eyes that has Rei following him down the hall towards the prince's room.

'That is his manservant, I recall his face' The boy had met his eye as he passed, his hands likewise laden with what looks to be a meal, but he paid little mind to that, more occupied with Rei's steady gaze. 'He seems interested, but not flighty like most of the others from the night before. More curious, and perhaps a little happy' He cocks his head as he steps back into the room fully and turns his attention to the woman as she finishes her task. 'Though why he would be happy. . . .' Not one for thinking much of such things Rei lets the woman out without a word and wanders over to his breakfast tray. Setting the bell aside he scoops up the berries right away and checks them over carefully before popping a few in his mouth. The ham he removes from the warm metal, setting it aside on a cloth so it will cool faster, and after staring at it a while he plucks off a small piece of cheese and tastes it with the tip of his tongue. He shakes his head. 'As I figured' Setting it aside he lets out a sigh.

Those who raised him had tried hard to get him to eat cheese, claiming it's good for growth or something like that, however Rei never managed to develop a taste for it. He thought that perhaps the rich people's cheese may taste better than the stuff the other assassins had tried to feed him, however it still doesn't suit his palate. Popping the last few berries in his mouth he wanders over to the bed to finish dressing. A faint tingle lets him know the prince is up and moving around, the servant in close proximity to him. Sensing no hostility he sets to cooling the meat so he can eat it. He enjoys hot food, but for meat, it has to be cool, or even better, cold, before he finds it tasty. Eating a bit of bread he checks and re-checks his clothes and hat to make sure everything looks alright, the process a little slow without the aid of a mirror, however he makes due with the glass of his window. By the time he's finished the ham is cool enough and he takes a seat on his bed, the meat still on the cloth so his pants do not get dirty, and he sets into it slowly, his sharp canines slicing through the meat easily.

~~~~*~~~~

I don't know who asked that last question, because if it was the boy, then the prince is answering and my post ends here, and if it was the prince asking, then I would ask if you wanted me to respond for the guy. :P

[cthulu]

Alessandro and the boy talked for a while, when the subject moved away from Rei they spoke of the weather and the boy's family, of the season and how unusually warm it had been and they even briefly spoke about the marketplace and trader caravan's expected sometime soon. Alessandro rarely got to speak so freely with anyone and so he cherished the time he could with this boy. Still soon enough the prince was ready, black wig and all, with every strand of golden hair tucked out of sight and even his brows charcoal to match the black of the silken wig that fell across his shoulders in, what was to him, an uncomfortable fashion. Then the boy took the dirty dishes and left and Alessandro left as well, straightening his posture and righting his chins angle to the floor to proper carry the 'weight' of a prince.

He did not think to knock upon Rei's door, the boy was a fae for goodness sake but further it was rather unbecoming of a prince to call upon his help as if to say 'when its convenient to you'. No, Alessandro slipped down the hall without a glance to the door that was the fae's room. He assumed, from the way he'd sneaked passed the guards and slipped into his room that night, the boy was able to handle himself and considered himself 'safe enough' to take himself out. His family were talking in low voices with the guests that had graced their halls, lords and ladies from prominent families, no doubt discussing his marriage to one of their daughters. There was no desire in him to sit there and smile graciously about the idea of being sold off as meat and so quietly he slipped behind cleaners and cooks until he'd passed the rooms doors and was out in the courtyard.

His first port of call was of course his stable where a big black stallion was saddled for him, his present from his father, as if he couldn't rub it in enough, the horse in itself was nice enough fine bodied and sturdy but it was a war horse and built as such. He much preferred his dabbled grey filly and while his new horse -which he'd yet to name- was being checked he went to spoil the filly who whinnied in delight to see him approach and promptly began sniffing around his tunic trying to find her favourite treat. She was his favourite, while hardly a war horse she was built for riding not for war. Fast as the wind and yet the smoothest ride he had ever had, he had never felt so free or so blessed as when he had been gifted her, they'd been together for four years now and they had grown as close as a human and rider could have. He produced the treat, an apple, from his back and she happily snuffled it down as he scrubbedh er forehead and patted her neck.

[PopeAlessandros]

Making short work of the hunk of meat Rei is soon licking his fingers clean, drying them on the clean parts of the cloth in his lap. Moments later he stiffens, feeling the prince moving to his door. Sliding off the bed and directly into the boots he's made ready earlier that morning he takes only a moment to adjust them on his feet before striding quickly over to the door. 'By his speed he does not plan on stopping' Without a thought he pulls the door open bare moments after the prince passes and almost as if it's the most natural thing in the world he begins trailing a fair distance behind the taller male, the door swinging closed with s small click behind him. His boots are uncomfortably loud to his ears but years of practice walking softly makes his steps nearly silent to the duller human sense of hearing. Despite the wig Rei finds the man before him very recognizable. Something about the way he moves and the way he holds himself screams that he is none other than a prince on the edge.

At the bottom of the stairs he spares a glance at the gathered lords and ladies at the other end of the hall. Most do not even seem to notice the prince's passing, but one girl looks to him with a sad expression on her face. Before he looks away he sees her gaze shift and for a brief moment their eyes meet. Rei can not read the expression behind her gaze as he passes along behind the young royal, but something about it causes him to make a note in his head to get to know more about her. 'I have the distinct impression she may be related to him' Unable to confirm his suspicion at the moment, the concentration and time it would take to send out his magic to check would have him falling too far behind his charge. As it is the prince seems intent on not being seen, moving through the area like a shadow behind the servants until at last he moves outside.

When he vanishes into the light Rei quickens his pace, the sound of his boots bothering him, but other than the servants already looking after the prince none seem to notice him passing by. Once outside he slows again, not sure how close his ward wants him to be. A few guards on the wall look down at him, but he pays them no mind. Even this early in the morning he can already feel the air warming with the sun, still not very high in the sky. 'This will most likely be the extent of my connection to nature for a while, plus the gardens on the grounds. I wonder if a part of me will crave the nature it's grown accustom to' As they move to the stables Rei takes the opportunity to once more stretch his boots a bit, curling and uncurling his toes with each step. The motion is unnoticeable, and the only difference it makes in his stride is a slightly slowed pace.

At the stable door he stops. Even at that distance, all the beasts inside seem to become a little edgy. He watches a large black horse shake off a stable boy trying to get his harness fixed properly. 'This may be a good time to tell the prince about how animals feel about me' Looking over to where the young man is he finds himself curious about his the animal at his hands is acting. The young filly doesn't seem bothered by Rei at all, nickering happily while the Alessandro feeds her an apple. Something like this has happened only a few times in his life. Some animals that are different from most. For some ineffable reason they don't seem to be bothered by him. 'If the prince is to ride, I would say that one would be best. There is no telling what would happen if he mounted a horse with me around. At a safe distance they are unaffected, but I would have to travel a little closer than that to do my job properly'

Risking setting off the entire barn Rei moves across the straw strewn floor to the young lord's side. The filly looks to him, shaking her head before reaching out to nibble at his shirt in an effort to find more treats. Around them the other horses begin snorting and stomping, a few kicking out at their stall walls. Raising his voice about the din he looks up at the prince. “Most animals do not like me, so if you are planning on riding today I would ask you use this one. She does not seem to mind me.” As if to further his point she headbutts his arm before chewing on his sleeve a little. He steps carefully back out of her reach before retreating to the stable door once more not wanting to start a stampede.

[cthulu]

it seemed odd that the horses began to grow riled, the dogs often slept in the barn and as most were used for hunting and war it was a rare thing to see them agitated if not scared, glancing up with briefly narrowed eyes he attempt to find the source of their discomfort. It was his sweet girl who alerted him to Rei and glancing at the fae boy he listened closely to get his words above the din being created. His own horse seemed utterly unruffled by the fae's presence, going so far as attempting to find treats in the boys own pockets which caused a light-hearted grin to form on Alessandro's face. The heaviness of Rei's words not hitting him until the fae had backed out and the animals started to calm themselves once more. This was going to be a problem.

Alessandro would love to heed the advice of his heart and of Rei but a prince, least of all a crowned prince, could be seen doing such a dishonour to any one who had given them a gift such as the Stallion, let alone his own father. The politics behind the gift were half the reason behind his constant despair of birthdays and other celebrations. If one did not honour their gifts then they were seen either as ungrateful or worse still unhappy with such a gift, wars in the past had been started over gift giving though few sides would admit to such in history books. An ungrateful King was one who did not respect their allies and was seen as to think he was somehow better than them. An unhappy King would be considered as to be thinkign the gift unworthy of their time, perhaps not lavish enough and thus considered greedy for something worthy of more money. All this was intensified with the children of a king, oh girls had it easy with their ponies, dresses and jewelry, they rarely rode so it mattered little which they rode and dresses were circulated more than the town criers news. A boy though, Alessandro, had standards to uphold, things he had to do or use or be seen using to be considered doing his father right.

With a sigh he kissed the dappled horse again and called to a stable hand to saddle her up as well, if he was going riding he'd ride the black one, his father would never let him hear the end of it if he did not. Judging by the reactions of the other horses only she would allow him to ride her without throwing him off. While the stallion had seemed uncomfortable and agitated he'd have to take that chance and remember to be ready for it to throw him off. With the horses being saddled Alessandro slipped outside to find his guardian, leaning upon a bale of stacked hay once found, "You will be riding today, you will treat her gently she is my favorite." Alessandro took a deep breath, "Have you ever ridden before?" Hopefully the fae would not ask to many questions about his choice, so much as speaking of it in the presence of the 'wrong' ears would be disastrous.

[PopeAlessandros]

Standing in the doorway for a few seconds, Rei decides to give the animals a break and moves a little further away. Still close enough to be in the bard in two seconds flat at any sign of trouble he hops atop a small pile of hay bales set up against the stable. 'I've always wondered why animals do not like me. I mean, most of my race are really close. I have tried asking before but I'm never welcome around those fae who keep animals, and no one else seems to have an idea on the matter' He turns his eyes to the brightening sky overhead and hums a little. 'I wonder if he will acquiesce to my request. Perhaps he can not? I'm not sure about royalty and stuff like this' Feeling the prince moving closer to the stable door he slides off the bales, the leather pants keeping the hard dead foliage from poking him, and lands with a tap beside the stacks.

'I guess that is one advantage of these clothing, but then again, the pokes do not hurt all that much' His thoughts trail off as he leans back against the bales, waiting for the prince to appear. Once he comes into sight Rei stops his wondering, tilting his head to the side slightly as he listens to what the man has to say. His head tilts to the other side at the question, then shakes slowly. However before the prince can say anything he brings up a hand. “I will be alright. Since she is not afraid of me I am sure we will understand one another.” He blinks a slow blink, hoping the prince gets the hint so he doesn't have to say the word Magic aloud. In a slightly quieter voice he adds, glancing down to somewhere around the man's navel, “Besides, I have always been nice to animals.”

Behind the prince a couple of grooms bring out his stallion, it's tack gleaming in the pale light. They both hold one side of the now agitated beast's reins. “I don't understand.” One says tot he other past the dark one's head. “He's always been strong, but I've never seen him this jumpy.”

The one on the other side of the beast, the one with a clear view of the prince and his new “bodyguard”, points at them with his chin and murmurs, “He was fine until that child came into the stable.” They both glance over at the two of them before he goes on. “How can the prince seriously believe that that little thing can protect anyone? Let alone anyone taking him seriously as a bodyguard. I'm sure many will see him as a disgrace.” He keeps his voice low so that the prince can not hear him, but his companions shushes him anyways.

[cthulu]

Alessandro nods lightly, "I am sure she will, I think she already does." The prince gave the fae a look over as if trying to figure out something, how could an animal have such a distaste for a person by mere looks. While he was certain animals saw, felt, heard, smelled and tasted more than a human ever could but any plaques or stories usually had fae and animals closely knit. With a quiet tone, "Perhaps it is the blood on your hands." Animals were sensitive to such things after all and perhaps the blood of all the people slain was what drove the animals into frenzy, perhaps his sweet dappled filly only accepted him since Alessandro already seemingly had? It was not time for ponderings however and with out so much as time to explain his own musings out came that great beast lead by not one but two stable hands.

It was an impressive horse, intimidating even and yet he'd have given his boots to have any one else ride the animal. About to take a step he heard the two stable hands talking and was forced to hold his position. While their quiet mutterings were hard to hear in a quiet stable it was not hard to pick out their words. The prince adopted a casual face, seemingly sizing his horse up from a far but one hand balled slowly into a fist behind his back and out of sight of the stable hands. As they continued it was hard for Alessandro to keep his face neutral, he approached with quiet heel clicks against the cobble stone and the pair had already quietened before Alessandro reached them. A prince didn't speak against rumours, they beget more rumours and showed poor quality and breeding.

He reached for the stallions snout and smoothed his fingers across his broad snout avoiding the teeth should his beast decided to bite out of fear. The words spoken had stung his pride and worse insulted Rei, while the boy was a mere servant he was also fae and Alessandro wasn't sure how much the boy would take or if he'd even bring his people to crush their castle should he be insulted enough. However Alessandro had to be careful with how he addressed this situation, he could not be seen showing sympathy and favoritism to a foreign body guard. Taking the reins he wrapped them in his fingers and without the aid of the hands who offered him a step made of laced fingers he swung up into the saddle despite the horses agitation.

The horse stamped and paced on the spot, "Do see yourselves to the stream, your stench is upsetting The Beast." Looking down upon the stable hands with his pale eyes narrowed to mere emerald slits as sharp as one of Rei's blades, his features set in a firm frown much like his fathers and his father before him. With his long black wig he in fact looked much like the founder of their blood line, a portrait of which hung in the halls as a reminder. "You need to saddle SilverWind, get to it and make sure she is ready to ride before I get too bored waiting." His tone was as sharp as his words and when the two stable hands released the reigns 'The beast' as was becoming his name attempted to rear and throw its rider. Alessandro leaned forward and held tight to the reigns managing to stay on and make it look effortless while whispering words to the beast meant to soothe his anxious spirit.

All horses needed breaking in, SIlverWind was easy, she had not been ready to ride at first, too young and she needed preparing for such a task so they had spent days walking and bonding. Though most riders received theirs as he had The Beast, as gifts ready to saddle but not necessarily ready for a rider. When the horse had dropped back to its hooves it paced uncomfortably before attempting to take off, being stilled by a jerk of the reigns and a quiet instruction. When the beast stood still Alessandro ran his fingers through his mane and caressed his neck, glancing down to Rei he offered a brief smile, "We're going to the old mounds, it'll be an easy first ride." The old mounds were an ancient graveyard, hundreds of years prior people had dug into the hills and buried their dead in the mounds. These days the graves were simpler and the mounds were only used for kings and their family. Over grown now it was a place filled with grass, wild flowers and vines overgrowing across the old hand carved stones that had paved the path all the way to the doors -many of which were collapsed or crumbled- to the tombs. Only their blood lines still stood the test of time, patched with newer stones giving it a beautiful but ancient feel.

[PopeAlessandros]

Rei stares back at the prince for a few seconds after he announces his idea as to why the animals don't like him. 'I have always considered it may be that. However I think it is more the taint of may aura than the actual smell of all the blood I have spilled. I think it must be confusing for the animals to smell me, and sense a killer. Something normally so kind and familiar feeling like a butcher' He nods slowly in response to the assessment before turning his attention to the men with the horse. He can her what they are saying very clearly but keeps his gaze on the animal. 'It matters not to me what they think of me, or the prince for that matter, however their words are questionable. If they are willing to speak aloud such thoughts about the prince, they may be willing to aid an assassin for the right price. Or even on accident for that matter'

His eyes fall from the horse to the prince. Now with his back to the fae he watches the motion curiously, wondering if it is some sort of signal to him. 'No. It is more like he is tense over something' Looking over the area he doesn't see anything suspicious, so his attention falls back to Alessandro. Stepping to the side slightly he figures out what the fist means. 'By their words and his tenseness, I believe he is upset. Perhaps his ego took a blow to head them speak of him like that. Or me for that matter. After all, I know humans hate when their deeds are judged by others, especially when judged so harshly' He decides not to follow the prince for now, knowing it will only upset the animal further, and instead turns his attention to the stable. However he does keep one ear on the prince and the men.

'I should travel well back from him, perhaps it will relax in time once it figure out I am not coming any closer' He listens to the prince snap at the men and wonders why he would say such thing. 'He knows very well that it is my fault, so why does he blame them? Perhaps they really do stink and it just adds to the upset of the big black horse' When the animal rears a hand goes to his blade and he turns his full attention on to the prince and the animal. He would rather kill the thing than have the prince thrown off and break his neck or something of the like. His fingers tense around the handle but as he watches the young man work he relaxes his grip. When it drops back down he makes sure the blade is clear of it's scabbard so it wouldn't stick if he decided to draw it. His eyes are like a hawks as it continues to fit and his body remains keyed up should the prince fail to contain it.

When at last it does settle his fingers slide from his handle an instant before the prince looks to him and his eyes regain their disinterested haze. From the stable door he can hear the workers whispering among one another and while he gives the prince a nod to indicate he heard him, he listens intently to what they are saying.

“Did you see that?! He really did look like a killer just then!”

“Yes but he wasn't looking at the prince, was he?”

“No, he was, at the horse, but why?”

“He was going to kill it, wasn't he? To protect the prince?”

The whispering continues even as a stout looking man walks out of the stable, the dapple gray's reins in his clammy hand. As he turns to look at the man he feels a faint bit of satisfaction as he jumps and stumbles a little. 'Well, if something like that is enough to change their minds even a little, then I'd say the upset animal is worth it' Glancing at Alessandro real quick he makes sure he's got the right idea before the groom stops in front of him, his hand shaking as he hold out the reins. “Thank you.” he murmurs softly, taking the reins gently from the man as to not scare him any further. The groom bows slightly to him, then deeper to the prince, then doing his best to make it look like he's not, flees back to his fellows in the stable.

Rei ignores the staff as they set up whispering again, having the good sense to do it out of sight of the prince now that SilverWind is out of the stable, and instead he moves as swiftly as he can to get ready for the ride. Bringing the reins over her head, his short stature not making that easy, he settles them against her neck before reaching up to make sure his hat is secure. 'If we are to be riding, it will have to stand up to the breeze' Once he's sure it's not going to fall off any time soon he forgoes the stirrup altogether he leaps nimbly into the saddle. She doesn't seem to react at all to the sudden movement an instead lowers her head to pick at the ground a bit. The grooms saddling her had done their best to put the stirrups in the right place for Rei and as he slips his boots in he sees they did a very good job guessing his height.

Rei seems to relax into the saddle and suddenly her head comes up. She doesn't look startled, just alert. ~Listen up lady. We are going to be following the big black one today. We can greet properly later. For now, just do not knock me off, and keep up. I will let you lead, but do not get too close.~ Her ears move around as if she's listening to something, but Rei's words to her are not something one hears with their ears. Because she already is open to him, speaking to the mare like this is very simple magic for him. True, this is the only time he can communicate with animals, when they already like him, but it is a useful skill none the less, and he has trained it best he can. Her head bobs up and down a bit, one hoof pawing the ground. His little communing with the mare finished he takes up her reins and looks to the prince. “Ready. Lead the way.” None of the palace staff noticed what had happened, the magic interaction slight, and invisible to the human eye, but with their whispers the continue to speculate about the young assassin turned bodyguard.

[cthulu]

After his little show of annoyance the prince set to simply ignoring the horse handlers, it was too pleasant a day for gossips and ne'er do wells to ruin it, with the beast mostly controlled and the brief change in Rei undetected by him he pat down the neck and kept the stallion somewhat still. It still seemed uncomfortable, unhappy even but such was the way with any new horse and while likely it was that Rei did not help he doubted fully that the Stallion would be any less of a handful if Rei were not around. The Beast when ushered to move took steps diagonally backwards and Alessandro calmly lead the reigns and the horses head until the Beast was moving forwards and coming closer to the fae. He spotted how calm his lady was and he was relieved to see she was still as calm as she ever was.

when the fae announced his readiness the Prince gave a small nod and moved the Beast, with a little difficulty out and into the streets that lead out of the city. The people reacted in two ways, falling out the way of the horse and rider who came by or running up closer to get a better look, the women chatted about how regal the prince looked with his black hair, how they'd known it was all a lie that he had been blonde with the beggars hair colour. They spoke about the babies they wanted with him and how they'd all have his thick, black hair and how everyone would call them Queen Lucky for their luck was just so. Alessandro paid them no mind, no more mind than they paid him as he slunk through the streets with golden locks a tumbling across his shoulders. No one spoke of how they wanted to marry that prince, that dark dirty prince that even now they whispered about, the mistake they called him, the curse. The men looked on in awe and equal parts jealousy and hatred, their whispers were fouler. They spoke about derobing the prince and seeing if his crown matched his cock, a joke about his hair colour, for the men knew there was only one brother left and didn't it seem odd that golden brat now had lovely jet black hair. Some didn't say anything they just watched and more still carried on with their work.

All through the ride through the city he kept his regal pose, shoulders back and head held high no matter what insults or rude words were spoken in his ear shot and he didn't blush for a second or show any weakness. while most saw him as regal, well bred he actually looked intensely uncomfortable and stiff. Once they were free of the city though and passed the gate guarded by their men his shoulders relaxed and he seemed to become human again rather than a statue. With a kick to the stallions side the mighty black horse partly reared then galloped off with Alessandro laughing and grinning ear to ear as he held on for dear life. "Keep up if you can!" He called back with an energy ot his voice that had the same components of freeness and contentment that he'd shown upon their first meeting.

[PopeAlessandros]

Holding the reins loosely Rei touches the neck of his beast and she bobs her head once before following the prince and his horse out on to the city streets. She stays several paces behind the black one, Rei's usual look of disinterest masking his keyed up body and his senses now working overtime. Passing so close, to so many people, and for such a long period of time is dangerous no matter who you are. Killing someone in crowds is not as hard as one would think. Rei himself would find the prince an easy target, a good head an shoulders above the rabble on his gigantic beast. He catches whispers here and there, most of which are relatively harmless, even if they are disrespectful to the prince, but a few voices draw his gaze from the young man's back and into the crowd. He keeps his expression blank, but his eyes seek out the source of what caught his interest.

The tone of the voices indicate real and true loathing, but it is more the reply to those kinds of tones that are of interest to the assassin. 'There are at least two like me less than twenty feet from here. They are not primed to kill, so he is safe, but them being so close. . .They are scoping Alessandro out, getting to know his face. The ones with him. . . They are the ones most assassins get their information from. The ones who hate, but are too cowardly to do the deed themselves' As they pass, when people get a look at Rei a kind of hush falls across the crowd. This makes it easier for the fae to hear what is being said about the prince, but he knows that despite their silence, he is drawing almost as much attention as the prince himself.

Once past they begin a whole new line of whispers, all of which are either questions as to what Rei is doing with the prince, or ideas of who Rei is. Rei has to close his eyes to filter is all, but eventually they reach the edge of town and he is able to open them again. Looking up at the male astride the large stallion Rei tilts his head, noticing that the prince looks much different in the saddle than he does when they are alone together. 'His body is ridged and stiff. I wonder if he is uncomfortable up there? But, he rides horses all the time, no? He seems familiar with the beasts. Perhaps one of the grooms did not put the saddle on right' Rei, despite his time spent around high society and human beings, has grown very little understanding in the ways of human nobility. He has seen the prince stand eye to eye with an assassin, the assassin being him, and not even flinch when knowing that his life could be ended any moment. The though of someone's words actually seriously bothering him doesn't even cross his mind after such a display.

Then suddenly, under Rei's watchful gaze, the prince he'd met that night seems to return. That smile more true than any expression he'd seen all morning. Even the smile offered him after stilling the beast between his legs did not hold such things behind it as the one he has now. Rei does not even notice the horse beneath him leaping to keep up with the taller animal, instead he keeps his attention on the man astride it. 'Strange. It is as if he can not relax around his own kind. I know that when I am with the fae I am in no real danger, but then again, they are fae, not human. Perhaps the prince fears the deviousness of humans. No fae would dare hurt another fae, it is not their way' Rei does not even notice his disconnection from his own people. Not aware that he always keeps himself separate from them en-mass. He may live with them, but they are not his people. Rei does not fit in anywhere, and deep down, beneath his conscious mind, he knows that.

His hands let go of the reins as he bends low over the female's neck as she bids him to. One hand slips to the front edge of the saddle while the other goes up to hold on to his hat. The speed at which they travel is a new experience to Rei and for a brief moment he takes his attention off the prince and looks around. However he has seen many rolling hills just like the ones flashing past so it does not take long for his eyes to come back to his ward. Eventually the horse in front of him slows and Rei sits up. He looks around at the area, many old bits of stone and wild flowers stretching away in every direction. Once slow enough Rei dismounts, letting the gray walk along beside him as once more his hand goes to his blade. If the prince can not get down and quite the beast, Rei is still resolved to kill it should it pose any threat.

[cthulu]

Beast seemed to move like liquid night across the landscape, his hooves pounding the dirt relentless and kicking up grass blades with the wanton nature of a large beast. It was a different ride to his sweet mare, who seemed to barely touch the grass or dirt at all and whose ride was as smooth as silk. Beast was a whole other matter, he felt every hoof fall, every lump in the ground every jump of those powerful legs that kept the landscape a blur. It was intense in a whole different way to the freeing sensation that riding his filly was. When eventually they began to come upon the ruins he attempted to slow the beast down, his first command ignored and the beast raced yo against the stones until at a second firmer command the animal slowed and finally halted. It stamped impatiently and angrily a moment before it settled to the petting of it's mane and the soft cooing words in it's flickering ears.

It was as the fae approached the beast began to rear and stomp his hooves once again and Alessandro took a further moment to try and quell the beast, uncertain that he could from atop its saddle he slipped freely off of the horse and narrowly missed a swing of the powerful creatures head. With reigns in hand he stilled the horses head and with his weight against the horses shoulder he attempted to calm the animal again. Unhappy and agitated but still the prince tied his horse to a slender stone arch that seemed fit to hold it and allowed him to snuffle at the fresh grass and moss beneath his hooves. "This place." He announced to the fae, as if not yet aware of his somewhat 'threatening' behaviour. "Houses all the great families, right back to the man who laid the first stone of our castle. Very few people come here anymore, which is a little sad but it does mean I have a space to be free and by myself for a while. What do you think?" It was then he turned and then he saw the hand on the hilt of the blade, the look in the fae's eyes. "You will be on edge a lot of you suspect everyone of attempting to kill me, even my horse."

[PopeAlessandros]

His body remains tense even as he walks closer to the calm looking animal. However when it begins rearing again he pauses, giving the prince the chance to calm it down. It is not as if he wishes to kill the beast, however Rei has never been one to do things half way. So when he took the job as the prince's defender, he became hyper sensitive to anything that could bring the man harm. He watches as Alessandro slips easily from the saddle and relaxes a bit. The skill of the prince at handing his horse allows Rei some piece of mind, however his hand remains on his blade none the less.

His hand remains in place even after the animal is tied up, the threat not quite gone yet. The filly butts at his back a bit and with on hand he reaches back and pats her nose, his eyes never leaving his target. 'I am sure it is fine now. But I will not risk it' When the prince begins speaking he turns his eyes on to the young man and listens intently. Rei likes learning, even if it's not from a book. Eventually the prince turns to look at him and he tilts his head slightly. With a nod he murmurs loud enough for the other to hear, “I agree, I will be.” Not wanting to disturb the large black Rei steps aside and motions that the prince is free to tie her up should he wish.

Walking off of the path a bit he looks around, thinking back to the boy's question. Rei does not really have judgments on things unless they are pertinent to his job, so before he can answer, he must first form an opinion. He looks this way and that, taking in as much as he can see, and feeling out the things he can't see, until at last he comes up with an answer he feels is true. Turning to the prince he catches his eye. “This place is calm and beautiful. According to your human traditions and belief, an excellent place to rest one's body after death.” His head tilts to the side and he adds, “I also think you are. . . . Better, when not around other humans. You feel. . . .False around them.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Did you see where he went?”

“No! When did you see him last?”

“This morning, in class but. . .”

He turns away from the voices, his eyes set on a different goal. He wants to see him. He wants to talk to him. There is something he has to know. He alone holds the answers, and no matter what it takes, he is willing to go the distance. A small pack on his back and a traveling hood to cover his nature, the little fae boy sets off towards his goal with a set look on his face.

[cthulu]

As Rei takes his time to admire the scenery and come to his own conclusions he ties up his filly, petting her neck and complimenting how good she was, keeping her a suitable distance from the Stallion just in case. With the horses tied he easily scrambled a tumbled arc and stretched out like a man reborn in the soft light of the sun. Here everything was better, it was quiet, he could be who he wanted to be not the palace's pretty posing puppet. Oh he loved his family dearly, despite all they put him through but he always felt as if he were short on breath, as if he were falling down a dark chasm from which he'd never escape. It was why he rode as if his life itself depended on it because to him, sometimes it felt as though it did, as if it were the last time he would be able to. He knew all too well one word from his father, one angered word and he'd never ride like that again. He'd ride with guards as far as the market and back and never with the wind in his hair, his actual hair rather than the damned wig, or the feel of strong muscles rippling like waves beneath his legs.

With a deep breath he did take to removing the wig, propping it on some jutting stone so he did not forget it and with an effort that took both hands he removed the straps and binds that held his hair in place, fluffing up the golden locks until they regained their natural waves and curls. Rei spoke up as he draped the last of the leather ties over the wig and the prince grinned that grin of his that said he didn't have a care in the world. "That is a fair summary, it is beautiful and tranquil, it should be creepy I guess but i think age has sucked the ugly out of this place and left it oddly beautiful." When the fae turned his musings onto the Prince himself he laughed out loud, it was not cruel and clearly not directed at the fae in the least, it was one full of mirth and humour, one filled with freedom but the sad realizations life brings. With all the grace of a deer he spun on his slightly mossy stone and allowed himself to fall backward gently enough to avoid damage. With hands behind his head and his eyes on the sky he mused himself on the fae's words.

He was more himself here, or his room than anywhere else, he was free to be the him he wanted to be. It was rather ridiculous his former assassin and guard for a total of half a day had figured out more about him than his own family cared too. With what sounded to be a momentous sigh he crossed his legs at the ankle, "I do believe you are right Rei. I am happier here, I am truer. It must be so nice to be a peasant, don't you think? No mold you have to fit, no responsibilities, no pressure. The worst you could do is let your mother down and she'd forgive you soon enough, she's a mother. You say the wrong thing the worst that'll happen is you'll get a clip around the ear. People think living in a castle is easy, all you do is whatever you want to do and you've got the money to do it. It would break their hearts to find out that I'd trade places with them in a heart beat if I could."

He rolled over to his side so he might watch Rei, "Lessons in history, geography, languages, reading, mathematics, horse riding, fencing, how to wave properly, how to walk correctly, how to sit properly. There's more etiquette than I'd care to remember and my head hurts so much from the lessons I have to take, I really don't know how my brother put up with it all." There was a weariness, a heaviness in his eyes that showed just how tired he was for a moment, then with that roguish grin he sat up, crossed legged and looked directly at Rei. "That's enough of that though. I couldn't change who I am even if I wished it for a hundred years. You can't get too far in but do you want a tour of the mounds? Or there is this beautiful bend in the lans up ahead, a pristine river that glitters in the sun and at it's banks the most vivid wild flowers i've ever seen."

[PopeAlessandros]

His eyes travel over the once more golden locks flowing from the prince’s scalp, his gaze flickering over to the wig dancing in the breeze for only an instant before all of his attention returns to you golden haired male. The renewed energy racing through his body most definitely giving the young man a different feel from when they had been passing through town. A laugh issues from the young noble and Rei's head remains tilted as he falls back on to the grass. 'I have heard people call things 'creepy' before, however this place, full of death, is far more familiar to me than even my own home back in the village. I know this makes me even more different from my kin, and from humans as well' Rei pauses his thinking, knowing there really isn't anything to be gained from thinking about such things. He focuses on his work, as he always has.

And right now, his work is a young man. A young man lay sprawled out on the grass growing over his ancestors, dotted by simple but beautiful flowers. His sun kisses main spreads out beneath him and Rei once more recalls what many said about the prince when he was gathering information for the assassination. He had not been sure to expect blonde locks or black, the stories running through town split pretty evenly down the middle, but somehow, no matter how well the wig was made, Rei still feels that the yellow flowing tresses far better suit the young man. 'My work relies on truths, and the gathering of facts so that my task becomes easier rather than more difficult, as false information is sure to do. The truth of his hair color is no different I suppose. It is his honest self, and it is in my nature to seek out the truth'

His gaze remains fixed on the taller male as he takes a place on a tall stone. The prince lay before him, and beyond, the horses stand tethered. The wind catches him, threatening to throw off his balance. However, he is in no real danger of such things, his body shifting automatically to counter the pressing force of the mid morning gust. He listens to the man speak, eventually rolling over to look at him. Rei blinks slowly, his gaze unwavering. He takes in what Alessandro has to say, his thoughts tumbling over and over the ideas and notions of the prince, matching them against his own opinions and the things he's read in books. He tends to shy a bit away from history books, but he has read quite a number. For some reason the boy's words make him think back to all the revolutions among humans over the ages and he can not quite reconcile the prince's opinions.

He s still tumbling over all the information when the young male sits up and addresses him directly. He blinks, tilts his head, and lets out a slow breath. Sliding down gently off the stone he locks his gaze with his ward's, leaning back against the stone. “I have grown accustomed to being underground, as needed, however it is against my nature to be surrounded by rock, stone, and earth. So, if you are inquiring as to which I would rather, then the river would be best. However if you wish to go into the mounds, that is your choice to make, and will follow.” Once the prince makes his decision Rei pushes off of the stone and follows. After a minute, he finds the words to respond to the young man's earlier statements about present life.

“Every being is expected to fit a mold, no matter what station they are born into, whether they be king or slave. All other things are relative to each person's life experiences.” He looks to the young man beside his briefly before looking forward once more. “To most of my kind, my life as I have lived it, is their version of the under fires. They could think of nothing worse, and would not trade lives with me for anything. While I on the other hand have seen what they have, and have no envy of their lives either. I would think that even most humans would find my. . . . . .Mold, distasteful and frightening. However, those I grew up with, fit that mold well, and were content as they were. Many were born into their jobs, and raised as I was, and like you, were expected to become what they became, death coming to those who did not conform.” Reaching down Rei pulls up his left sleeve slightly, revealing a long thick white scar running of the back of his lower arm from wrist to elbow.

He gazes up into the prince's eyes. “I am a commoner, and this. . . .This is for letting down my guard during a mission. I was no caught, and the mission went off without a hitch, however the man who raised me closest saw me turn my gaze away from where it should have been once, and this became my reminder to never do it again.” His arm has several other scars on it, but that one is the biggest. Pulling his sleeve down he buttons it once more. “You may be in a station you feel yourself unsuited for, however I would think it unwise to envy that which you know not the full expanse of the experience. I may fall under a different branch of the commoner tree than you were thinking of, however, thinking something is easy just because of how it seems to your eyes from the outside, is foolish.”

The fae falls silent, knowing very well that he may have offended the young noble, but fully willing to take whatever repercussions would come from speaking his mind in such a way. He is unsure of what inspired him to speak out in such length, but he will stick to his word now that they have been said. 'Perhaps it is his willingness to listen. None of my people really wish to hear from me, however this young human has never turned away or asked me to stop. He. . . .Listens. . . .'

[cthulu]

There was a moment where the Prince's brow hiked as if confused by the fae's words, however it was merely confusion at his manner. He had indeed asked which Rei would prefer and so the mounds would be left for another time. brushing such confusion aside he rose and nodded, "The stream it is then. We can leave the horses here, it is only a short walk and I am certain The Beast will crush a mans chest sooner than let them ride him. My Lady is also rather fussy with who she lets ride her, despite her good temperament." One of the stable hands had once tried as much and was left with a shattered arm for his attempts, Lady was a lady in all respects and only the man she chose was allowed to touch her. The fae one of the first since her gelding to be allowed to ride her without the Prince holding her reigns.

With easy steps he climbed a few toppled rocks to the head of the mound and just below, through a smattering of tree's and a dip in the landscape there was the unmistakable shimmer of the stream. A twenty minute stroll from where they stood, slipping down off the stone's and into the tree line Alessandro was glad for the smattering of shade from the leaves of both old and young trees around them. As the fae spoke Alessandro listened and as the fae continued to speak the Prince stilled completely, his feet remaining in position and his eyes and body following Rei until the culmination of his speech, the revelation of his scars and the boys' own silence thereafter.

There was a contemplative yet unreadable look upon his face, no smile lingered there but neither was he frowning. As the silence grew as thick as the leaf litter underfoot Alessandro finally reached forward and, awkwardly due to the hat, pet the boy on the head. His touch though heavy was not painful, it was a safe, reassuring sort of heavy, fingers even went to 'ruffle' the hair through the hat as he burst into a large grin. "Well..." He finally said at length, his tone still light and full of mirth, "I think I have well and truly been put in my place." He gave a grin and then carried on through the tree's towards the stream, "You are very right, very right indeed and d you know something? Your the only one who'd speak so frankly to me so Thank you. Thank you for setting me straight on that matter, I can't imagine how hard it must be for commoners in Winter, or when the Farms do not do well, or, gods forbid, they are raided. Foolish and childish of me to think so selfishly." As he passed a cluster of soft blue and lilac flowers he plucked a bloom and tucked it into the band of his hat.

Of course after such he was soon riddled with a brief concern that the fae, being lovers of nature, would take offence to the action. It had seemed right at the time to the Prince and now it was done there was nothing much he could do to undo it and so with a brush of his fingers through his hair he continued and hoped there would not be fall out over the flower. When they came through the trees there before them was a carpet of multi-coloured wild flowers and grasses, seemingly untouched by scythe or human hands in months if not longer. While there were vague paths trodden into the grasses they were hard for a human to make out and were clearly for passage through the area and little else. The stream itself was perhaps knee deep in most of it length though deeper patches seemed likely, tiny silver grey fish darted through it's calm waters while other fish, slightly bigger though not larger than a hand, swam lazily back and forth in search of food. "What do you think?"

[PopeAlessandros]

Having stopped beneath the trees a couple paces in front of the prince Rei had stopped and turned to show off his scar, and now as he waits, straitening his sleeve the best he can, he lets the faint breeze cool his body. Despite the light nature of the clothing he is wearing it is still difficult for his body to adjust to the loos fabric, his body heat trapped far more by them than the skin tight stuff he's grown use to wearing. He recalls wearing normal human clothing as he grew up, however even then it had always felt a little uncomfortable.

As his eyes come back up to the young man before him Rei blinks slowly, a bit confused by the look in his eyes. It is one he is not quite familiar with. 'It is almost as if there is nothing there to see, but it feels as if I am missing something' He tilts his head slightly to the side, unbeknownst to him making him look much like a curious puppy. His gaze snaps down at the movement of the prince's hand, but other than that he stays completely still, waiting to see what happens. Then the hand is atop his head, the firm yet gently feeling rather new to him. Not sure what to make of it he remains still, wondering what is meant by the action. 'I could ask him, but he seems so intent on something. I will ask later' When at last the silence breaks, a grin splitting his stoic expression from before, Rei listens quietly to what the young man has to say.

'He does not sound upset, but I am unsure if he is being. . .Sarcastic. I know many a noble who would be insulted to be spoken to thus, and as he put it, put in his place' However with the man's thanks in place he takes him at his word that he is truly grateful and falls into step beside him as they continue their trek. His eyes follow Alessandro's actions as he plucks a sprig and tucks it into his own hat. Rei stills for a moment, making the action easier for the young man to do, even as his mind wanders to wondering what it sounds like to hear the flower dying without any thanks being given to it. Many fae grow and pluck flowers, as the prince had, however for each one plucked a thanks is given to it to set it's energy to rest, allowing it to die peacefully. I is why the flowers around town are so beautiful after being plucked. The energy left behind brings peace to the one viewing them.

However, Rei has never understood such things, the flowers around his home never picked and just lazily swaying in the breeze. However, he feels the prince growing tense beside him and decides that perhaps he should say something. Looking up at the taller male he murmurs a soft, “Thanks.” Not sure if anything else would fit there, he turns his attention instead to their path. Eventually it opens up into a very beautiful field of grasses and flowers, around a happily babbling stream. As the prince once more asks for his opinion Rei moves through the grass wanting to get a better look at it all before responding and laying down his judgment. 'Not many have ever wanted my opinions on such things. Ask me the best way to get into a locked house or how to find one's way to a hidden cabin, and I have answers. I still have to observe the area, but I am unused to judging such things as beauty'

The simple answer in his head is that the place is indeed beautiful, however he is never one for such short simple answers, so he continues to look about, staring down into the water as the fish dart by. Casting out his senses he detects no one around other than the prince so slowly he pulls off his hat and bandanna, allowing the breeze to ruffle his slightly flattened hair. He runs his fingers through it gently, the fluffy fringe up front quickly springing back up into it's natural bushiness. Finally he looks to the prince and nods, “It is lovely, and peaceful. This feels much like the fields at the edge of my people's homelands, though it is clear that humans still tread here.” Moving to the edge of the stream he kneels down, dipping his hands in before wetting the back of his neck with them. The sun does not damage nor darken a fae's skin, however it will warm them uncomfortably if they are not careful.