[IC] A Bloody Murder

[cthulu]

Alessandro looks over to Rei as he moves, closing his history book and placing it quietly on the small side table beside his chair, a faint, heart warming smile slips onto Alessandro's face at the look in Rei's eyes. For the first, no, second time since they met Rei looked relatively human, there was no trace of that cold, unfeeling assassin or the strange, alieness of the fae. His face radiated with youth, excitement and hopefulness, this was for the first time that Alessandro honestly looked at the fae, knowing of those cute pointed ears and the mane of white hair beneath the hat, the slender frame that hid a surprising amount of strength and grace, Rei was rather attractive. While most men would ridicule him for his 'feminine' build and delicate features Alessandro could appreciate them knowing full well why he was the way he was.

With a glance to the sleeping Meister, Alessandro rose, removing his over jacket and smoothing it across the old man's lap with a modicum of genuine affection. Approaching Rei so he might speak without raising his voice the Prince uttered, "Feel free to look through any of these, the Meister didn't make me send you away so he probably has decided he likes you." Alessandro's voice a bare whisper, "He's like that, he'll just look at you for a few seconds and decide if he likes you or not, he's never been wrong about a person in my experience."

The Prince glanced to the old man again then to Rei, "Stay here for a little while, I'm going to run down to the kitchens and grab him his lunch, if father finds out he fell asleep again he'll fire him. I don't want that." Alessandro didn't give Rei time to argue, with a gentle pat on the back the human disappeared -surprisingly silently for his size and pace- down the stairs once more. No sooner had the Prince left the tower room than the door eased it self shut, a no doubt familiar feeling of magic accompanying the motion as the Meister's milky eyes slipped open and he straightened a little in the chair, somewhat surprised to see Alessandro's jacket over his lap but grinning faintly anyway. "He's a good kid you know." The meister finally spoke, his voice surprisingly strong for one so old, it was powerful but not the brute force kind, no this was a much gentler power, like the arms of a father ought to be. "So fae child, what are you doing with my prince? I may be old but if you plan on hurting him, I'll have to try and stop you."

[PopeAlessandros]

The prince's smile makes him once more curious, however he is far more interested in getting his answer than asking any more questions at this point. His eyes dart back and forth between the tome in his arms and the prince, his blinking noticeably sped up in his muted excitement. He pauses in his excitement however when the prince moves, his eyes locking on the moving target as he shows the old man a touch of open affection. 'He must like this one better than the other. Smiles can be deceiving, but then again, so can affection, however I think this be true' His eyes remain locked on as the prince approaches, his head tilting as he is given permission to peruse the books.

As much as this raises his normally dormant spirits he recognizes the tone of voice and sets the book open on the table, ready to follow the youth as he leaves the tower. However, the prince has other plans and he can feel his body keying up as his charge vanishes from his sight. He tumbles over and over the possibilities, weighing the pros and cons of disobeying the prince's order to stay and the likeliness of him actually encountering any problems on a quick trek to the kitchens, and finally, he decides to stay put. 'If he is not back in a reasonable amount if time, I will go look for him' He decides, and without a second guess of himself, he slides into an empty chair next to the tome he'd picked up earlier and flips to the front page.

He does not have long to enjoy it however seeing as as soon as he feels the prince move out of the building, a new magic laces it's way about the room, tangling none too pleasantly with his own. With unhurried movements the fae stands, his hand going to his dagger. His eyes lock on to the man's back as he moves and he can feel his cool, killer instincts kicking in at the feeling of the old man's magic rubbing against his own. Fortunately for Rei, the magic is nonthreatening at the moment, unfortunately as well however, Rei is not so talented in his magic to recognize that. 'Is he challenging me?' He moves slowly around, seeking out the man's eyes to better assess the situation. While most assassins would sty behind their target, Rei knows that would do no good against a magical opponent, and as he has proven many times with his kills, he has no need to stab them in the back to make it clean, and quick.

He pauses only for an instant as the man speaks, not relaxing at the apparently kind words and fond tone, but instead comes at last around to face the man, reading his face, not his words. Sensing no malice, no anger, only a touch of warning, Rei at last relaxes, giving the old man the benefit of the doubt. 'Besides, if it comes down to magic, he could easily be stronger than me and I will not only not have been able to tell, but would not stand a chance' His hand remains grasped on the handle of his dagger, but he moves up from his slightly crouched position, drawing back in his magic to get rid of the annoying grating feeling on his magical nerves. He blinks one of his slow blinks, all traces of his excitement and interest gone in the face of this old man's warning and possible real peril facing him.

He considers the question for a long moment, assessing his true intents in this case, and after a long moment where the old master waist patiently Rei falls back into his old habit of few words and looks to the man, answering with a simple, “No.” The old man takes his time as well replying to the declaration, his milky white eyes looking at Rei as his own magic touches here and there. To true magic users like the fae, and human mystics like this one, magic is almost an added sense, helping them to probe the world around them, and Rei does not begrudge the light poking.

His smile from before returns and he motions the youth sit down before him and without hesitation the fae walks over slowly and takes the prince's seat, hand still on his blade. “I believe you.” The simple words carry truth, however Rei can not help, at this declaration, his curiosity once more peeking up for a question.

Waving to the tome the prince had been reading he murmurs, “Then, do you not believe the history you teach, or are you simply accepting that I am different from they?”

The old mage chuckles lightly, his body relaxing slightly, the folds of his robes once more threatening to eat the old man. “Oh, you are quite different from they, though closer to they than your kin, if my eyes be not deceiving me.” Rei does not even try to question the veracity of that assessment, knowing full well that indeed, the life of a killer applies to his life more than the gentle folk he came from. However a moment later the elder man manages to surprise him a bit by rescinding his statement. “No, forgive me, the pretend fae in this book are evil, and I sense you do not have even a touch of that in you. . . .You are something else entirely.” He raises an eyebrow as Rei shakes his head slightly. “You disagree child?”

Rei nods slightly. “While I agree, I am not evil, in the eyes of my people I am near to it, and even in the eyes of my current ward, I may be. Life is built not only on truths, but people's perceptions of the truth, so even if I may not be, I am still perceived as such, so in the eyes of most, I truly am nearer to they than those who call themselves my kin.” The Meister looks at him for many long silent minutes, and Rei stays silent as well, simply looking back at the man.

When at last he speaks, Rei listens with his usual look of disinterest. “People may perceive the world one way child, but that does not change it, no matter how hard the people believe it to.” He smiles warmly after that. “I must say however it is nice to hear someone speaking the tongue of philosophy so eloquently once more after such a long time. You have a good head for figuring on your shoulders.” He then waves a hand dismissively. “As to the prince, if he truly thought you evil, he would not have you around. As I said, he is a good boy. . .”

Rei notices the old man once more falling back to sleep and in the interest of honestly he decides to ask his question from before about the wig. The elder opens his eyes once more, a but confused at first, however he at last figures out what the youth is talking about. “Oh, that look from earlier. . .It's his wig. I have a great distaste for his need to wear it. I find this whole thing quite foolish, and I am sure it does not bring out the best in him to have to hide a part of who he is.”

Rei nods softly, “I agree.” The Meister's eyes snap back open at this, giving Rei a look he does not recognize, but after a few silent moments the man chuckles, letting himself fall back to sleep without another word. Rei stands slowly, moving back around the table to where he left his book as he thinks over the old man's words. 'He may be right. The prince may not think me evil. However that look in his eyes on occasion. That almost startled expression. . .As if he is just remembering what I am and what I do for a living. If not thinking me evil, he at least finds my actions as such' He settles back into his chair behind the sleeping man. 'As to the rest. . .'

Rei does not quite know what to make of the old mage's breakdown of his way of thinking, so for now he lets his go. His hand slides from his dagger hilt, sliding up on to the book as he begins reading. He has to sit on his knees to be able to read the top lines of the tome properly, using his arms to lean over the giant book. And as with many things in his live, the exchange with the old man soon leaves the forefront of his mind and he is once more excited about the opportunity to read books he's never read before. He does however keep his magic pulled in tight, not wanting it to brush against the old man's should it snake out again. The feeling was rather unpleasant. As such, he does not feel the prince returning, only catching his attention when he hears the young man's feet on the stairs. His head comes up only as the door opens before darting immediately back to the line he was in the middle of before the door opened.

[cthulu]

Alessandro had slipped into the kitchen and had begun to gather up plates to set a tray, however a kitchen hand had caught the Prince and with a shriek more befitting for a murder scene than a kitchen she came scurrying over. "No no no my Prince!" She squeaked in a high pitched voice, "You can't do that, you'll get dirty!" Dirty? From plates and cheese? The Prince had intended to ignore the woman but her plump frame shuffled almost expertly between him and the plates and her hands began moving. "why are you even here milord, we usually bring your lunch to your room. I...I'm sorry, I don't mean to presume...its just..."
"It's not for me, its for the Meister, we have completed our lesson and I intended to lunch with him in the tower."
"Oh I see, he is a good man isn't he? Though with his age and his tendency for naps I don't know how much longer the king will keep him on."
"He'll keep him until the end of his days Madaline and it will do you well not to repeat what you just said again."
"I'm sorry Milord, I meant no harm it's ju....I'm sorry milord."

Alessandro nodded lightly and with three plates organised he reluctantly allowed the woman to carry them, the large pot of infused herbs that the eastern peoples called tea and three mugs the Prince lead the way back through the courtyard and up the stairs to the tower. He idly wondered on the woman's words, servants were awful gossips but they usually got their information from some grain of truth, he truly hoped his father was not considering getting rid of the Meister, the castle would be virtually unbearable if it were not for the kindly old man. It was hard to put into words but the man had such an easy aura, so gentle and somehow so strong all at once. He decided that if his father intended to fire the meister then Alessandro would just rehire him as his personal tutor. His father would likely take offence to such, the meister might even refuse at first but he'd talk them both around if he had too.

With the door opened and held so for the serving woman he allowed her to scoot into the room, her eyes falling on Rei, widening a little and then quickly dropping to the ground. Alessandro watched her a moment then shook his head and moved to check on the meister. "Don't touch his papers, he has things how he likes them." The woman looked surprised but bowed her head in response, a smile on Alessandro's lips in reply to her nod. He took the mans hand as she struggled to find a place to put the tray before dismissing herself with another paranoid look to Rei, once the door shut behind her the prince gently rubbed a thumb over the meisters. "Meister, it's time for lunch." He quietly announced. Though rather than force the man awake he released them ans hand and stood to walk over to Rei. The plates were made up of sliced read, fruits, cheese, slices of cold roast ham and a fist full of grapes. "Sorry. So what did you read while I was away, anything good?" He took a seat closer to the table, one foot hooked on the supporting rung and rear only half and took up the handful of grapes from one plate, picking one and popping the whole fruit into his mouth, chewing politely and ready to listen to Rei's revelations.

[PopeAlessandros]

Rei continues reading while the food and drink is being situated, his expression notably more subdued from the last time the prince saw him thanks to the presence of the woman who clearly isn't too trilled to be in his presence. The last time she looks to him he looks back and watches as she nearly flees from him. 'Such easily spooked people. How does the king expect anything to get done around this place if just one odd looking 'child' puts them on edge?' When at last the prince takes a seat Rei relaxes ever so slightly and looks up, his head tilting to the side as he tries to figure out what he means by “good”. 'He could be asking if I took interest in any of this, or if the book was written well, or any other number of factors. Should I ask?' Mulling it over silently for several seconds he at last decides to just provide the answer to the most likely implication.

“I find it interesting, the views of the writer, on the exploits of the human hero of the tale.” He looks back to the book. “At least in this his foes were human also, save for a twisted mystic who was likely an undead, though the writer may not have known that.” He closes the large history book and looks to the meal. 'There are three plates, does this mean one each?' He gestures to the man slouched in the chair. “I also read a bit of his magic and intentions. He does not sleep by the way, it is a form of meditation I recognize from elder mystics.”

A moment later the old man chuckles and opens his eyes slowly. He meets Rei's gaze and for a moment they look to one another, silent thoughts passing between them before at last the man looks to the prince, sitting up a little straighter and motioning for one of the plates to be moved closer. Rei finally decides he's hungry as well and reaches across the table, grabbing up a slice of cold meat and sitting back in his seat, keeping the food away from the books and papers more out of his own desire not to soil them than any respect for the man's work. As he munches silently he decides to just sit and watch the two for a while, wondering what the old man will have to say now that the fae has outed him, and also wondering if he will tell the prince that he knows that Rei is a fae.

[cthulu]

Alessandro glanced from the fae and his interesting take on their historical documents to his mentor ans Meister, taking one of the gestured too plates and approaching, "So you've played me for a while now huh?" He uttered, handing the man the plate and sitting by his side, before the old man could answer Alessandro grinned, "and I knew you had magic." Even the meister looked momentarily surprised as the glanced to the prince.
"How di-"
"You're not as careful as you think you are." Alessandro uttered with a wink, "Don't worry, no one else knows." The meister smiled faintly, shook his head and started eating, Alessandro grinned back and looked at Rei, "Did he give you the whole surrogate father speech? I've seen him do it to my other body guards, they were always so nervous after meeting with you. Do you remember Raoul?" The meister nearly choked on his food as Alessandro spoke, swallowing quickly to lightly chuckle back, "All I said was would he like to fly?" The old man confessed, Alessandro's grin spread, "From the top of the battlements, while holding his arm, I've never seen someone wet their pants so quickly." Both chuckled and Alessandro turned to Rei. "I had this...issue with another nobles child. He used to love tormenting me when I wad younger, he'd push me over, say things abou-"
"He was a bully." The meister cut in, "and he got what was coming to him. Of course I was much younger then, I bet I couldn't throw a piece of parchment from a window, let alone a horrid little rat from one." The Prince stood, touching the old mans hand. "Well you wont get big and strong like me if you don't eat your food." Alessandro teased with genuine love and concern before taking the cheese from his plate ans sandwiching it in the bread.

[PopeAlessandros]

Not really needing to chew Rei munches down the hunk of meat rather quickly, his gaze first traveling back and forth between the two before him, then on to the rest of the room. He still listens closely to the humans, curious about the interaction, however feeling unable to just keep staring. 'It is an old habit, and one I do not intend to break. Even humans can tell when they are being stared at, so when scoping one out, it is good to not look directly at them for very long unless speaking to them. It puts them on edge' He is soon addressed however, his gaze going back to the youth with a faint questioning glint. 'Surrogate father speech? I do not even know what a father speech would be like, let alone a surrogate one' As he listens he gets the general idea, nodding softly in the affirmative.

However, as they go on to talk about the things the old man is willing to do to protect the young prince, Rei reaches for another cut of cold meat, musing to himself. 'It seems that this man is very protective of Alessandro, however this is not to say that he is not also one of those who have struck the prince. From his own words, most all of hi teachers, if not all of them, have struck him at one point or another' His head tilts to the side, once more curious. 'Is it just in human nature to strike children? The king strikes him even though he is his son. The tutors strike him to make him a better king one day. And this old man, beloved by the prince if I am reading this relationship right, may have also struck him despite his over protective nature of the youth. . .'

He lets out a faint sigh, shrugging to himself. 'Humans are weird, though no more weird than a fae who kills people for a living' Finishing with his hunk of meat Rei decides to get as much reading done as he can while in the tower, his ward's safety more secure with the old man around so he can relax more. The Meister looks over to him, a faint smile on his lips before he turns once more back to the prince, a gleam in his pale eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

The fae youth reaches the edge of the woods, the sunlight beyond brighter than he has ever seen. As he moved away from the village, he could feel the life force of the forest waning, becoming almost dead to his senses, even though it is very much alive. Having lived his life in the overflowing life of the village his entire life makes anything less feel dead and dull. He swallows hard, looking out into the light, his eyes taking some time to adjust. When at last his eyes stop stinging he hikes his bag up a little higher on his shoulder, and begins making his way slowly into the tall grass, and towards his goal.

[cthulu]

For a while he and the meister spoke, going over their lessons both recent and in the past, curious and intellectual questions from Alessandro about the fae and the wars and then more mundane things. Eventually the elder man settled down for a proper nap and Alessandro sat himself in the chair opposite,allowing Rei as much time to read as he cared for. Several hours passed and there was the sound of a knock on the door, Alessandro stood from the chair he'd been in and walked across the room, it was a servant calling him for dinner with the family. She gave Rei a cursory look and catching the meaning Alessandro said, "He will be joining me yes." The maid blushed and bowed before leaving quickly and he turned to Rei, "Time for you to meet the family, I apologise in advance."

With that the Prince gathered his coat, said his goodbyes to the meister's resting form and slipped easily down the stairs, the kitchen was all a bustle and even the dogs seemed to know it was dinner time, barking and woofing happily at the fence closest to the kitchen, sniffling and snuffling at the scents rising from the kitchens open door. From inside the sounds of shouting and sometimes the odd cursing rose with the smell of the food. Alessandro tried to ignore it for the most part and lead Rei and himself around to the side entrance of the castle, slipping through the heavy wooden door and into the main hall, it was here they received guests, held dances and other formalities, though largely ignored as Alessandro made his way to the far end where the hustle and bustle continued as serving staff began decorating the table with flowers, whole cooked hog, chicken, fish and an assortment of other dishes, dabbled between the candelabra's that were evenly spaced across the length of the table. there were many chairs at the grand table, it could seat a dozen but there were only three seated, the King and his wife were at one end, his sister sat to their left already toying with the finger bowl placed before her.

Alessandro took a deep breath and let it out quietly before approaching the head of the table, missing out a chair beside the King's side and sitting at the second down. The first seat was his late brothers and no one was allowed to sit in it, well, he wasn't anyway. "So you finally grace us with your presence." The king uttered giving a disapproving glance to Rei, his sister sighed and looked into the bowl, distracting herself from the situation as did the queen. "I didn't see you at breakfast this morning."
"I was breaking in the birthday gift you got me honourable father."
"Ah, the horse, he is a fine stallion, tell me, what did you name him?"
"The Beast."
"What?! That is no name for such a fine horse, do you dare mock me! Do you have no respect!"
"It is a name most befitting of such a horse and it suits him."
"Why you ungrateful- and you dare bring your servant to the table? Even your sisters handmaidens eat in the kitchen with the staff!"
"He is my body guard not my servant, he'd do a very poor job of guarding me if he couldn't see me."
"And what do you expect will happen herewith your family?!"
"With all due respect I was attacked in my very own room, is it not more sensible to keep my guard close."
"Why you! Why did the gods not see fit to take such an incorrigible son and take the only good son they gave me I don't know." The King was red in the face with anger and banged his fists upon the table. With a silent but almost violent aura, Alessandro stood. "I will take my supper in my room." With that he turned to leave his father muttering and the queen trying to console him as best she could, placating him by saying what a good father he was and how he should not get so worked up over the boy. His sister remained silent but glanced up at his retreating form with a silent sorrow.

[PopeAlessandros]

Rei zones in and out as the human's chat, odd little tidbits of their conversations of interest to the fae, while most of it more or less he's heard before. He reads quickly, finishing two books before the old man finally settles int to sleep. He casts a glance at Alessandro before shuffling off to grab another tome. Seeing no objection, he settles down to read. Time passes, pages flip, and eventually Rei has gone through over a half a dozen books by the time there is a break in the near silence. His hand slides smoothly to his blade, having heard the human approaching but always at the ready. His hand slides back to the pages of the tome as the door opens to reveal a servant woman. When she announces that it is time for dinner Rei swiftly closes the book and wanders over to the shelves, placing it back in it's proper place.

As he returns to the prince's side the smaller male looks up at him, tilting his head curiously. 'He apologizes for them? But, he would have no reason to do so, he is not at fault for their actions. . .And does this mean he believes they will do something that will require apology?' He decides to hold back a response for now, figuring the answers to his silent questions will likely be answered in time. He walks silently behind the young man, keeping a weather eye out for anything suspicious from any of the many people now bustling about. A few people stop to look at him, a few even jumping back when he looks at them despite his permanent look of disinterest and nonthreatening manner.

When at last they arrive in the hall with his family in it Rei keeps his eyes down respectfully as he can while still keeping an eye on everything. Of all things he's learned about royalty it is that those who serve, need to act like it. He spares a glance at the king and queen when they are not looking, however as they draw close to the head of the table and he looks to the sister, she looks back at him curiously, giving him a look different from all the ones he's received thus far. He shows no response to this, instead trying to take what cues he can from the prince. It is clear to the fae, and indeed, anyone with eyes, that the prince is not thrilled to be with his family at this time. Rei himself can not help his heckles silently rising at the clear near threat in the kings voice from the get go, however he remains calm on the outside, his fingers flexing softly as they always do.

As he watches the lashes fall back and forth between the two males Rei's curiosity grows, and the answer to his second question is answered. 'It is clear the prince anticipated his father acting less than respectable at this encounter' he muses, his eyes moving slowly over to stare somewhere over the king's shoulder so he can observe the man's face without looking as if he is doing so. At the sudden explosion of anger however the fae visibly tenses, his eyes landing directly on the king. He keeps his hands down, knowing that the motion his hands long to take could land him with them attempting to take his head, however his eyes narrow and he does not look away when the man looks to him. Rather than angering the man he seems confused for an instant before his anger at his son once more takes it's place at the forefront of his mind.

He turns on his heel, following the prince out of the hall. He thinks over the exchange, wondering how the name could be thought shameful, and how the princess seemed to just ignore it all. When at last it seems the prince would hear his words the fae moves up a little closer and says quite plainly, “That man is a horrible father. I grew up with a killer for a father, and I can honestly claim him better than that man.” His head tilts this way and that and he adds on, “I am not use to giving comfort, so forgive me if I am failing, however I thought I should at least pretend to be what you call normal while I am here among you all.” He is careful to avoid anything too damning, not using the word assassin to describe the man who raised him, and avoiding mentioning race. He has no problem discussing such things when alone with the prince, however they are still out in the open and he does not wish to chance it.

[cthulu]

Alessandro wasn't even mad, that was the crazy part, his father wasn't very good with emotions even when his brother was still alive but now he was gone he was like an angry porcupine, ready to shoot his quills at anyone, even his own son. If Alessandro wanted he could have likely analysed that his fathers behaviour wasn't just due to grief but stress, concern and guilt as well. Likewise he wasn't angry with the queen or his beloved sister for not speaking up for him, he'd told them not too many times and it was only when the King had raised his hand to strike his sisters cheek -he had personally got in the way before it came to marking his precious sister- that they listened. It was something he'd grown used to, like the hatred for his hair and the murmers of the villagers. As Rei had pointed out as well, he was lucky not one to be pitied, he had food in his belly every day, so much that he couldn't eat it all at times, he had all the things money could buy if he just asked for them, warm clothes in the winter, boots with no holes thick blankets so he was grateful. He did get lonely from time to time that was true but his sister and him spoke when they could, when their father wasn't keeping a hawk like eye on her and forcing her to meet new and further unsuitable suitors.

So it rather surprised him when Rei hinted he was trying to be comforting, the Prince looked down to the littler body guard and faintly smiled, dropping his hand lightly to Rei's head only to remember both the Bandanna and hat that blocked him from feeling that super fine hair. "Your awkward that much is true but its good, your doing okay. I'm fine though, I've got used to it, he's never been an overly caring or friendly father, my brothers death just made him...worse. I'll be fine, the cooks servants will bring us up our plates and honestly I'd rather eat with you, maybe my sister, than sit at that big empty table anyway." He removed his hand and lead them back to his room, holding the door open for Rei so the boy might enter and shutting it firmly behind him, it seemed rather bizarre having Rei in here while they were awake, the last conversation they had he had been mostly naked and Rei was going to kill him. Such an odd feeling since it was only a few nights prior.

"Take a seat, we can go over tomorrows plans if you like? It'll give you time to plan and once supper arrives we can discuss any books you were interested in that you might like to borrow. I'm sure if its you the meister won't mind overly, you just have to take care of them for him, is there anything else you want to get from your home too? I never really asked if you were leavign anything important behind, family or the like. This 'father of yours, is he there?"

[PopeAlessandros]

As they walk along Rei once more finds the prince's hand on his head. For a moment his mind reflects on the act as if it is a puzzle. 'I know I have seen people doing this before, to friends or children, but for the most part patting the head is reserved for pets or other domestic animals.' He glances up at the prince. He listens to the man's words even as his brain continues working thing out. 'So, does this mean he sees me as one of those? I suppose, he is a prince, and many royals see any non royal as less than they, which would mean I can see him seeing me as a pet. After all, I am technically his personal guard dog, but at the same time there are those times where he seems to look at me strangely. Looks at me in a way I do not recognize, but at the same time I know one would not look at a pet that way'

At the last part of what the prince says his eyes go to the flag stone and his brows furrow slightly. He walks even with Alessandro, entering the room without coming out of thought. 'By his words, he likened me to his sister, however he can not see me as family. If that is the case, that leaves friend, however just two moons ago I was in this very room, ready to kill him. I do not see that being conducive to a friendship, and that aside, we barely know one another' Looking up as the prince once more speaks he listens, still lost in thought. 'He has been liberal with his hands, if I am any judge of such things, ever since he first caressed my hair. Perhaps he is just fascinated with laying hands on me? I find that a very confusing prospect. . .I do not normally have to think on such things. Perhaps as I am around him more, and around humans other than assassins, I will learn more of all these odd interactions, and what they mean. . .'

Taking a seat as he is bidden Rei lets out a soft sigh, his mind returning to it's blissfully smooth and 'in the now' state of being, the deeper thoughts sliding away like butter on a hot skillet. Setting gently on the string of information Rei decides to address it all in order. “Going over your plans beforehand will be useful, and give me a chance to check some things. I can think of a few tomes that I would like to review, but eventually I would like to read them all. I like books. . .” His voice trails off an for an instant he looks like the young man he is before going back to his normal disinterested self. “Now that I am here and under this unwritten contract, I can not leave here and return to the village. Not until you release me, or I fail. I will not risk leaving you alone, not with the dangers even within your own home.”

His mind drifts back to the well used secret passage and the eyes of those in town that had appeared ready to take the prince's life at any time. 'I can not leave him. Even his own family is a threat, with these “Replacement Sons” and so many assassins willing and able to at the least get within a dozen paces of him. No, I may be here for many years' Rei does not lament this fact. He has a long time to live, and Alessandro will be dead long before the fae will even be considered fully grown. He may be mature, and by his species' standard what one would call breeding age, however majority is still years off for the little fae. “There is far too much danger around you at this time. I saw at least three of my profession as we rode through town, all with eyes for you. It would seem my employer had a redundancy plan. Smart when you want someone dead.” He does not sound as if he is giving a compliment to the person who hired him, simply stating the fact.

The final question leads to a pause for the young fae. He stays silent as a pair of servants come to deliver the food, his mind wandering over the possible responses to the query. There is a very simple answer, a less simple answer, but for Rei, he feels as f the full answer may be more entertaining to tell the young man. 'After all, he listens to me. When I returned to the village after the last kill, none really wanted to hear from me, sensing my taint, but unwilling to just turn me away. I have never told anyone the full truth of it, and perhaps this one will actually enjoy the telling. . .' Unable to come to the decision on his own he looks to the prince, blinking one of his slow blinks before inquiring softly. “Do you really wish to hear of my 'father'? I am eager to speak on it, if you truly wish to listen, however it may prove to be a long story, and if you would rather not hear the story of a. . .Murderer as you call me, then I will understand.” He looks down, not really feeling what his face and body is showing, but all the same not being dishonest in it either. “None have wanted to hear of him, nor of my life, corrupt as it is.” He looks back up. “You liked the tales of my kind, or so it seemed. I am not so sure you would like to hear of my human upbringing. After all, it is what made me into this monster you see before you.” There is no hurt in his tone, and he does not know why he is carrying on, however as those last words leave his lips, he at last falls silent, waiting calmly for his answer.

[cthulu]

Alessandro certainly didn't see Rei as a pet, though it was truly bizarre to think that Alessandro thought of him as anything other than a body guard. There was though a sweetness, a sort of naive charm that radiated from the fae man. His soft, good looks and his wild white hair made him something the prince was happy to call beautiful but he regarded a good many things beautiful. In truth Alessandro had thought little about Rei aside his profession, then his race, then his services and only now that things were calming down could he reflect on the man himself rather than his various backgrounds. Alessandro was not gay, as far as he knew, he had had a crush on and lusted for many a woman in his younger days, unlike some men he had not acted on any of these impulses and aside being kissed 'for practice' by one of his sisters hand maiden's he'd not truly experienced a woman. It was far too confusing a topic and so it was kept locked away as he listened to the fae with that same quiet patience.

When he had finished speaking the Prince smiled and nodded lightly, "I had noticed you were rather keen on them ,that is why when we are out in town tomorrow -I have to make a speech of thanks to the citizens for their support, their generosity and so on- I thought we could visit the local book makers? We will be leaving the castle shortly after breakfast to deliver the address which in all should take an hour at most. After which I'd like to go to the book makers, while you are here I think you should write your own book, if it suits you and if it does not they sell some good children books and light novel readings. Though nothing as extravagant or in depth as you find here in the castle. After that we are to dine with the local merchants, their trade is important to my father and keeps the city itself busy with customers in and out of the city. Then I have a few free hours in which we can do as we desire until supper here. The evening I have to meet a Lady named Christiana from one of the neighboring strongholds, my father thinks she will make a good match for me and if she and her father consent by the end of the matchmaking then it could solidify our position against any potential enemies."

When the food arrived he fell silent and quietly took a few bites from his meal, once again listening to Rei as the fae spoke, "Rei, I'll always listen, it's the least I can do right? I'm interested, he's part of you, part of who made you and you interest me." The Prince grinned that same grin he had before for Rei and only ever for him or the meister, warm and carefree rather than burdened and caged. "Besides you've seen my Father, aside the killing people how bad can yours be?" With that Alessandro pulled in his chair, cut his food so it was in bite sized chunks and lowered his knife to just eat with a fork, which left his gaze squarely on Rei , engaged, interested and without judgement. "Don't force yourself though, we've got all night."

[PopeAlessandros]

As his mind goes over the prince's schedule his thoughts grind to a halt for several long seconds on the idea of he himself taking up the pen. However, like many things that cold replace his current profession that he, undoubtedly would be good at, the idea of actually trying at such a thing quickly falls by the wayside and silently he concludes that entertaining such thoughts are folly. He continues tumbling over the schedule, a wonder at this thing he's heard of, this, matchmaking. Somehow humans believe that they can decide what person is best for another, and this common practice among the short lived beings is all but a joke among the fae. Rei had spent many long hours reading the history in the archives, and more than once he came across the fact that many times the humans tried to bring about peace through the wedding between races, only to fail as they refused to understand the heart of a fae.

'I do not understand it myself, not that understanding it would be of use to me, however I can understand that part about the bond' He blinks a few times, looking forward to the next day a bit. He has a little gold with him and if he can, while at the book makers, he hopes to hunt down one of the books he's been seeking.

However as the smell of the meal begins permeating the room, Alessandro's open face and willing tone once more has his mind slipping from one thing to the next, and at last his mind settles on where to begin. Having decided to not give the short answer he mulls over various ways to go about his tale, until at last he feels comfortable. Carefully he removes his hat and sets it on the table beside his plate. Plucking a few bits of some sort of cut fruit cluster he downs them carefully before beginning the story of how he came to be.

“When I was not yet walking there was a raid on my home. My parents lived near the edge of the woods, not in the main village, so it was less protected, and easy target. My birth father, as I understand it, made amulets, of metal, stone, and wood, that my mother, and enchantress, would then turn into forces of magic.” His tone is a little softer than usual, but still the cool disconnected tone. The hush only to keep from being overheard by any who may pass by the prince's room. “They would trade with the outside world, none really knowing what they were, just that they made masterworks worth a king's ransom.” He takes a sip of his drink, the cool liquid soothing his throat. He didn't even realize how dry it was until now. “So, as it would so happen, a local lord wanted my birth parent's entire stock, but they would not sell.”

Rei looks to the window, his gaze distant. “So, he hired a group of assassins, thinking them able to take care of them more readily than normal guards or soldiers, and for the most part, the lord was right. As it was told to me, my father was taken out first, then my mother. A nearly clean kill with only my mother's dying eyes seeing her and her husband's killers.” His gaze, still distant, moves to Alessandro. “It was then I was discovered, crying. No doubt at the time I was able to feel their passing, those who gave me life. I know that is the way of the fae children in the village. The family ties of blood are very very strong.” He looks to the table, snagging a bit of bread to nibble on as he continues. “At first, it was to be a clean sweep, however one man realized that my life givers were not human, and imagined the potential I may harbor, and as such, took me with at their retreat.” His head tilts to the side as once more he looks to the prince. “So ended my first life, my first father, and my existence as a fae.”

[cthulu]

Alessandro remained quiet as Rei began his story, he was rather hard to read until the first pause from Rei at which point he let out a gentle sigh. It honestly sounded an awful way to start ones life, taking a drink and a mouthful of his plated meal he contemplated on just what to say. 'I'm sorry' was neither going to help matters or really address anything except his own guilt at his rather lavish upbringing. So he offered Re a reassuring smile and motioned for him to continue with his tale, surely it got better at some point, right?

[PopeAlessandros]

As he waits for the prince to mull over the first part of his tale, Rei downs a bit of his meal. The expenditure of magic for the day has been higher than usual and as such he feels a little drained, however a little food is all he needs to replenish for now, and later, a trip to the garden. When motioned to continue he washes his mouthful down before going on. “From that day on to my fifteenth year of life, I lived in an assassin's guild. The man who stayed the blade on my life became my unofficial caretaker, however the entire guild had a hand in raising me. I. . .Do not recall too much of the youngest years, however after the age of five I recollect the coldness growing inside me.” He looks to the prince. “I am sure it is still there, though I can no longer consciously feel it.” He looks to his hands as he continues.

“I trained in many weapons, each member insisting that I would be best with this or that, until at last we found the perfect weapon. Due to my speed and reaction time, along with the precision I learned from my second father while practicing on the easy marks he would pick for me, my current weapon is what I am most efficient with.” On instinct his hand falls down to the handle of his blade, lifting it slightly to make sure it is clear of it's scabbard. An old habit, and one that has served him well. “At first, I was a bit obstinate, I recall many beating for not listening, and for the most part they did the trick in getting me to do as they wanted of me. However, I was able to stand fast on not killing the people they brought in for the other young ones like me to practice on. If it was not a mark with a contract on them, I would not take their life.”

He lets out a low hum as he thinks about it. “The other children would, and it was a note of shame on my second father for quite some time that I would not obey him in that. However with my excellent performance on the easy missions that shame soon was forgotten.” He looks at the prince, and with a slow nod he says, “By the age of twelve, I no longer needed direction, or correction. I could hold my own against almost any other assassin in the guild, my magic having awoken and given me quite the edge, as he would put it.” He now keeps his eyes on the prince, wanting to see his reactions, unsure of what to expect. “However, holding my own was not good enough. As I said, family bonds among my race are far stronger than it is for humans, and with my violent upbringing, I did not seek to mourn their passing. Indeed, I consciously felt nothing for them by the age of ten, but by then my instincts had enveloped them, and I reacted to the need the only way I knew how.” He tilts his head to the side. “I sought to repay them those lives they took.”

[cthulu]

Once more Alessandro remained silent as the fae spoke, he tried not to register emotions upon his face but with no practice of hiding anything but his own upset it was rather obvious when he was surprised, confused and perhaps a little concerned. It was not a normal upbringing at all for a child and it sounded both ruthless and cold and yet Rei spoke of it as if it were nothing different from the normal. Of course, to Rei it was nothing outside of the unusual, when the fae came to another pause the Prince allowed his unwavering attention to drop to his plate, a soft sound leaving his throat indicating his uncertainty on what to say. He finished his meal and then took his goblet in both hands, swirling the liquid in the glass for a moment before taking a swig. Words still seemed to fail him and after a moment of trying to figure out a polite way of saying 'so you killed your adopted family?' he decided to take another sip and gesture for Rei to continue.

[PopeAlessandros]

The myriad of emotions flowing across the young man's face are fascinating to the fae. He can tell, for the most part, that they are negative emotions. Those are easy to recognize, as often as he sees them, however somehow they feel different than usual. 'It is as if their direction is. . .Altered somehow' His own thoughts do not make sense to Rei, so he sets them aside and continues watching his ward. When the prince lets his gaze drop, the obvious state of being at a loss for words making Rei tilt his head curiously. While he does not talk with people often, indeed he has spoken more in the past few days than many years combined before that, however the sudden lack of response from the young man comes across as unusual to the fae.

'Since we have met he has been open with his opinion, free with his words, and always had something to say. The only silence I have observed is when he is around. . . .Well, anyone but me. Have I somehow fallen out of his good graces?' While mulling this over the prince once more gestures for him to continue. He hesitates for a moment, unsure if that is what the prince really wants, but after only a few second's pause he goes on, taking the gesture at face value. 'From what I can tell, he has never lied to me before, so I have no reason to mistrust him now' “From the age twelve to fifteen I took my own commissions, already my reputation well known to those who have need of such services often. During this time, I began taking the only uncomissioned lives I have ever taken as well. I did not plot or plan out the killings, however I did make sure that I only killed those who were members of the party that slew my parents.”

He pauses in his narrative for a moment, a faint feeling of a need to explain something coming over him. “I know that when we first met, I tried to explain how I am not a murderer. I can see how this would seem to contradict my words, however I feel the need to tell you this. I would find no fault in any loved one of one of my marks if they should seek to take my life. I would not consider that murder. In my own mind, it is a fair trade. As such, I do not feel that my actions against the party that killed my parents could be defined as murder.” He shrugs lightly. “Though, you have your views of the world, and I mine. I simply. . . .Felt the need to clarify this.” He does not give the young prince time to respond before going on with his story.

“Each death came naturally. A dropped guard, a careless act. I was not suspected until the last one. It took me a year to actually track down the last member. Though he had in essence raised me, he still held part of the responsibility for the death of my first life, and in the end I took the life of my second father.” He pauses for a moment to take a drink, his gaze once more falling, but this time a look of confusion crosses his face. He addresses the swirling liquid in his glass as he speaks softly. “When I took his life, I did for him what I did for all of my normal marks. I gave him time to speak his last words, and I must say I found them strange.” He gaze comes back up to the prince and tilts his head to the side. “It was a simple message, and while I understand it, I do not. . . Understand it. Sounds foolish I know, but it is what it is.”

He looks off towards the window, his voice still soft. “He said: Good job. I am proud of you, son.” His gaze returns to Alessandro. “That is the first time he called me anything except “boy”. The others called me the same. I was just boy, nothing special, nothing interesting. Just a gender.” His voice returns to normal. “I did him a slight honor, for saving my life back when I was a babe. I would hear every so often of his home, a place by the sea. I'd never seen it before, but I understood what it was and where to find the nearest one. I took his body over two hundred miles and dumped it over the first cliff I found. He always said he loved the sea, so it was the only thing I could think of that would do that love justice.”

Setting his drink aside Rei stands and stretches, his senses telling him that someone is approaching. He finishes the story carefully while his eyes go to the door. “I could feel the call of my home after that, the last remnants of my second life no longer hooked into my soul like a fisherman's hook. I followed it, and eventually found where I was born. The people there did not turn me away, despite their fear and disgust of me, and I was afforded a small house at the center of town. What I grew up doing became as a part of me as my magic, so even now that I have a peaceful house to return to, I have no real home, and continue my work as I always have.” He settles back into his seat just as there is a knock at the door, and with ease he returns his hat to his head, that extra protection for hide his ears settling snugly into place.

[cthulu]

The tale seemed to trip off the young man's tongue as if it meant nothing, as if reached no more beneath the surface than anything else had since they met. He wondered idly if every fae was like that, Rei was like ice in the Prince's mind, unreadable, unemotional, he didn't want to say unfeeling for the fae could look confused and thoughtful but the emotions seemed almost skin deep. It almost seemed like a person was reading from a book of another's life from generations before, it was, disconcerting to think that any person could speak so casually of their life, their occupation in such a carefree manner. Though it was refreshing to just be spoken the truth of a thing rather than be lied to or be led astray.

He listened intently to the end of the story as he had all the rest with a quiet and interested eye but he was rather distant as his thoughts tumbled around his mind, the kind of life Rei must have had where speaking as he did was as natural as the Prince reading the laws of his land, what was perhaps the most perplexing, though perhaps not entirely unexpected, was as he spoke of his 'second father' the assassin that raised him's last words and how they were something he could not understand. Why of course he hardly approved of the man the mans intentions with those words was clear to Alessandro, as clear and obvious as Rei was, sitting right there before him. For a moment he left the conversation hanging, listening to the story of how he went back to the village and was left feeling as far from home as he ever had.

After a substantial pause the Prince leaned back, stretching his arms and shoulders to relieve the tension that had built there over the last few minutes, he took a deep breath and released it, allowing himself to remove the black wig and stand so he might go place it upon the mannequin head on which it belonged. Fluffing up his now flattened and slightly limp blonde hair until it resumed the naturally light bounce he took a seat back at the table and finally spoke. "Well, I thank you for sharing that with me, it couldn't be easy despite your..." It was hard for Alessandro to describe exactly what Rei was like without it sounding insulting in his mind. "...detachment from your emotions." It seemed the best way to put it, it was as if emotions and Rei existed in the same space and yet they stayed separate from each other with the very occasional brief meetings resulting in the confused looks and the deep concentration.

"I think your father, forgive me if it is outside of my rights to say so, said that out of love. While he was not your biological father he was human correct? While it was in awful conditions it was a home in his eyes and he raised you. Over such an extended amount of time it is only natural that in such close proximity that a person will grow attached to another, especially if he sees that other growing up. While he was not able to show it for fear of the jealousy and wrath of his men being inflicted upon you. Even if he didn't realise it himself until the point of his death. What else do you call a person you spend your life caring for but a son?"

Alessandro was still between touched and disconcerted by the assassin and his son but on the whole he thought he could not judge the man too harshly for at the end he had, in his opinion, showed the fae true love, even if the understanding of such had been beaten out of the fae years prior. Despite the way the boy was raised and his dislike for the subject material he found he thought nothing different of the fae, he felt instead he had a deeper understanding of the male. Again the compassion in the Prince demanded he moved and showed Rei some affection but the knock on his door had his head lift and his eyes narrow in thought.

Standing he slipped across the room to the door and opened it to the rather portly bustling servant who bought in a bed warmer and ignored the pair as she set about readying the room for Alessandro for the night, though swift at her heels was his sister who offered her brother a gentle smile, a proper princess in her gait and gestures which were dainty and as graceful as a swan. "Hello my darling brother, I do hope I am not disturbing you and your new guard, I thought we could all chat together, if such pleases you of course?"
"Of course, you do not need to be so formal with me." She gave a shy smile and slipped into the room.

[PopeAlessandros]

The assassin's eyes follow the prince as he gets more comfortable, his natural hair fluffing up after only a bit of fuss. He raises an eyebrow at the assessment of his emotions, though he can find no fault in it. 'I have them, but I rarely feel them. When I do feel them, I have no idea what do do with them' In a soft voice he says, “I can not attest to the ease or difficulty of my life, but I think in this case appreciation is in order. Your feelings about my life. . .I suppose would bring many comfort.” He tilts his head slightly, watching a spot over the prince's shoulder. “I think you are right about my emotions. . .I have them, I know I do, I simply have no idea how to feel them properly, and I have, as far as I can tell, only acted on them a handful of times.” His head tilts the other way and he nods. “Such as when I took interest in you and spared you, to feed my curiosity.”

What the prince has to say about Rei's second father makes sense to the fae up to a point. 'Even if I can not feel what was meant, the prince is human and I can trust that he would know what another human meant in such a situation. Indeed, many of the tomes I have read also support this ideal' Slipping his fingers along the brim of his hat he makes sure it is well in place before rising from his seat and backing towards a wall. 'A servant does not sit with it's master like an equal' he muses, not understanding it, but having observed it enough to act accordingly. 'It is also good to have a wall at your back, as long as one is not trapping themselves. Though I doubt a danger would knock on the door, one can never be too cautious'

His mind settled he rests his back against the cool surface and takes up a casual position, his arms crossing his midsection, hands grasping his elbows. His eyes latch on to the brusk servant, watching it for a few seconds before sliding over to the other body in the doorway. Rei watches her closely, with the same scrutiny that he would any standing so close to his ward. With Alessandro having said that even his own half brothers are ready to take his place, there is no small touch of trust the fae can afford any member of the boy's family. 'I may not feel it, but I can recognize it's absence. I did not see even a touch of natural family fondness in his parent's eyes, and even if this girl seems to look upon him with kindness, she obviosuly has her own distastes for him' That last assessment of her comes from the ocassional flick of her eyes towards the prince's hair, then away as if seeing something she fears or even hates.

As she comes in, here eyes find Rei standing near the window and she starts at first, the youth blending into the shadows quite well. Hand on her chest she laughs lightly, looking over at her brother with a smile, “Well, I don't suppose anyone will see him coming, being so good at hiding like that.” Her eyes then slide over to the servant, obviously waiting for it to leave before she says anything else. The heavyset servant soon finishes, the princess wandering over to the table where Rei's meal still sits half finished. Rei watches as she continues glancing at him until at last the servant is gone and she whirls around with a smile. “Dear brother, must you sit around in such dull dim surroundings? How about some more light?” She giggles softly, obviously waiting for her brother to comply while once again so looks towards Rei, who hasn't stopped staring, almost without blinking. She bites her bottom lip a little nervously, moving close to he sibling to whisper, “Does he have to stare like that? It's unnerving.”

At these words Rei blinks one of his slow blinks, knowing that she most likely thinks he can not hear her from across the room. He also is sure that the right thing to do when overhearing such is to look away, at least briefly. However Rei does not feel the need to do so. 'I have rarely seen a princess this close, not much business in killing woman in this society, and most of the time they are attempting to scream when I see them. I may not be observing proper etiquette by watching the way I do, and will switch to glancing if my ward calls for it, but for now I will watch as I am able'

[cthulu]

With an over dramatic bow, full of pomp and queer flourish, punctuated with, "As my lady wishes." And a giggle from his sister he moved to the window and threw open the curtains, pinning them back to allow the last lights to fall into the room, before moving to light the candles that formed his night time illumination, "As you well know my darling sister, the dreary dullness suits me of occasion but I often wonder if you are not part flower the way you crave the light."
"The world is full of darkness is it not? So I will always take any light I can to fend its approach." As she spoke on Rei however the Prince glanced over to him, he seemed to contemplate something for several long moments, wondering what exactly to say and to whom. The fae was unlikely to listen to him if he suggested anything that might put him in harms way and yet this was his sister, of all those in the castle he didn't think for a second, or so he hoped, that his sister would ever do him harm. He knew she was afraid of his hair, it was all he could do not to reach for the wig and pull it on just to get rid of that look of uncertainty and bad taste that she wore despite her regal appearance. However all through his life she'd been his only confident, hell at one point she'd threatened their brother with a stick when he'd been beating Alessandro a little too thoroughly.

"I'm afraid my darling sister I can't get him to stop, I've tried, believe me, he's like an owl don't you think?" He grabbed a clean handkerchief and draped it over Rei's face. "There." His sister tutted with a shake of her head, "You can't do that to your guard, silly." She smelled of violets and vanilla as she gently pulled the handkerchief from Rei's head with slight mirth in her eyes but a hint of pouting scolding aimed at her brother. "There we go." She uttered, turning to her brother.
"What? He doesn't mind."
"Oh really?"
"Well maybe."
"Alessandro." She intended to sound chiding but she sounded more exasperated as she took a seat on the edge of his bed. The mirth was gone from the both and Alessandro took a seat next to her. "Why do you have to make things so difficult? Isn't it bad enough your hair is the colour it is, why do you purposely anger father?" Alessandro couldn't lie, it stung to hear her speak such a way, as if he'd purposely chosen to be born blonde rather than brunette, however he knew it was what she was taught and he could bare her no grudge for speaking the words of her tutors.
"He doesn't make things easy for me either Evangeline."
"I know but he's our father, you have to give him patience and understanding."
"He has never given me any."
"He's a King, he doesn't have to."
"If a King can't love his own children how is he supposed to love his people?"
"If a King loves his children how is he supposed to have enough left for his people?"

There was a long pause where neither said anything, both looked only at their hands in their silence, Evie's eyes stung with confusion, torn between the brother she loved, despite his deformities and the father and King she served. What was a girl supposed to do? All the same Alessandro looked like he was in great pain, torn between speaking his mind and sparing his dear sisters feelings. "Father would be angry that you've removed your hair already, the sun is still up, someone might see."
"Is it truly so terrible sister mine?" Evangeline forced herself to look at it and with a hesitant hand she reached up, brushing her fingers into their warm, fluffy strands, "On anyone else they would be enviable, handsome." She paused and dropped her hand, frowning lightly, "Not on the head of a Prince of this realm, they are only...hideous." Alessandro couldn't help but flinch slightly at that but it was his own doing, he'd asked. Nodding lightly he closed his eyes a moment, regaining his composure lest he do or say something terrible.

Evangeline's soft lips pressed to his a moment and his eyes opened, "I do love you my dear brother, please, try harder with father, if to for yourself for me. I can not bare the squabbling between the two men I love most in this world." Alessandro offered a faint smile and another nod of his head, meeting her as she drifted backwards to kiss her forehead. "For you then my sweet sister." The Princess smiled faintly, "I must away, Father would scold me for being here while he's still so angry with you. Please...come to breakfast tomorrow? The Queen and King are busy and I shall be alone otherwise." Alessandro nodded again and with a final parting grin the princess left.

Once she was gone Alessandro's smile faded away and he fell back against his breath with a heavy sigh, he loved his dear Evie and Evie loved him, perhaps more than she should have, yet every meeting with her left him feeling exhausted and worthless. "Sorry...for the handkerchief thing." He muttered up at the canopy, assuming Rei was still close enough to hear him.

[PopeAlessandros]

Rei's eyes narrow when the window is thrown open, the sudden addition of sunlight making them sting a bit. He doesn't let them close however, intent on watching the sister as long as he can. 'So many options for people who want him dead, I can not rule anyone out, no matter how nice they seem. As kind as her voice is, I can still see that disgust. . .I do not get it, but I see it, and do not trust it' As he watches however, a new curiosity overtakes him. Over all, the only sibling interactions he's ever seen were either at a distance, or him being paid by one to kill another. 'Though I suppose the children I was raised with could be considered my siblings, but in that case it was still not informative. Assassins in training are just as if not more competitive than sibling competing for the throne' He tilts his head. 'They were nothing like this'

The fae meets the prince's eye when the young noble looks at him, but does not say a word. He simply stands there waiting for some sort of signal for what he should do. Not in his element and having nothing to do really Rei has no real idea of what to do, the only part of his job he can engage in now being keeping an eye out he is loath to do anything other than just that least he mess up this interesting job and have to leave. However when a cloth is suddenly put over his face he blinks slowly and is convinced that the boy is trying to make a joke of some sort. As such, he stays perfectly still, letting his magic do his seeing. He tenses ever so slightly when the sister approaches, but most humans would not be able to perceive the change.

The smells coming off of her seem out of place, most natural human smells he's around enough to overwhelm any perfume, but he concludes with only a moment's thought that she must bathe a lot. He remains tense until she steps away, taking the handkerchief as a cue to stop staring so much. He switches his gaze between the two at measured intervals, his gaze settling on her for a longer time however. The conversation between the two siblings makes almost no sense to the fae, his confusion over her accusatory tone when it comes to his hair added to that comments about a king having to choose between his family and his people sets him firm in the belief that the girl is an idiot, but it is clear from the way Alessandro acts around her that such an assessment said aloud to him would not be well received.

'I may not understand a lot of things, the emotion love being one of the major ones, but I do know that it is limitless and can be given out to anyone. If I have learned anything from the kings human books, the ones who treat their family poorly make terrible rulers. I recall a phrase. . . . “Charity starts at home.” I can believe that, and I do believe it applies to love as well. Every royal I have ever killed for to get them into a ruling position have always had a contract out on their life within a year' His head tilts to the side. 'And she is his daughter, how can she not see how foolish her father is when I have seen him but once and can say in absolute certainty that he is a bad parent? Though I suppose she could be the same as me. She grew up with it, so it is normal to her. . .However I still killed the ones responsible. . .Does that mean she has feelings of revenge on the man? I have seen that stray to others before. Being unable to strike at the one responsible, it has fallen to others close to that person. . . She just went up on the suspect list'

His silent musing pass quickly and as the conversation returns to his hair, Rei's head shifts from one side to the other. 'And that is another thing. . .It is hair. . .I do not get what is so bad about it. . . I can tell from the smell that he is the son of the king and queen, and sometimes light hair comes from dark haired families. All this fuss over something uncontrollable is just. . .' Unexpectedly a very low growl rolls from his throat when she calls his hair hideous, the stupidity of it finally getting to him on a primal level, however as neither of them respond to it he guesses they must not have heard him. 'I need to watch that. I could pass it off as a burp I suppose. . .I can normally deal with stupid. . .I think my prolonged exposure to the boy along with my job is making me over protective. . . .' He inwardly shrugs it off and goes back to watching the two of them.

As the girl turns and leaves the room Rei leaves a magical tag on the bottom of her shoe, intent on tracking her movements for a while. The creak from the bed as the prince collapses back on it draws his eyes over to the exhausted looking young man and without a word he pushes off the wall and slinks over to stand at the foot of the bed. His head tilts this way and that as he leans against the nearest post and he thinks hard, choosing his words carefully before speaking up. “You were right. In this particular instance, I did not mind, though in public I would ask you refrain from impeding my view. My hearing and magic can only go so far.” He blinks slowly, his tone becoming more exacting than usual. “And I would also request you not ask me what I think of your sister. I will not lie if asked, and I would rather not upset you any more than she has.” His head tilts to the side. And he adds, “I enjoy being around you as yourself far more than the false front you are forced to put up. You are far more entertaining like this.” Glancing at the meals he wonders vaguely if he can bring his back to his room of if he'll call an attendant to take the trays away. “You are you and there is no fault to be had in that and any discussions about it are moot, as the reality will not change.”