vada
Junior Member
Eirwen sighed softly to himself, watching his small group of friends with an unamused expression. His silver eyes flicked from one of the three young men to the next, shaking his head in distaste. “You know she’ll kill you for that, don’t you?” He asked, watching the three fools attack his mother’s beloved roses with swords in their play fighting. The first among them to stop was Ernoullet, who paled visibly under the light of the moon.
“Ah…” The blond man said, immediately dropping his sword. There wasn’t much the knight was afraid of, but Queen Aurae certainly made the top of the list. “Apologies, I suppose I forgot myself for a moment there.” The other two followed suit once they realised their little game was over, their faces fallen and guilty.
“We’re just bored, Eirwen,” said Renard, a man with such shockingly bright red hair that Eirwen still couldn’t fathom he was actually an Unseelie. Ernoullet and Symon nodded their agreement and Eirwen found himself chuckling under his breath.
He could understand their restlessness. He, too, was itching for some action. Being the friends of a prince had its perks, of course, but he knew that oftentimes, there just didn’t seem to be anything to do. Eirwen’s life was not as action-packed as that of a soldier, a commoner, or even a king. It seemed, mostly, his life consisted of sitting around, reading, studying, or actively dodging his father’s wrath.
The four young men had already done all they’d been free to do without stirring up too much trouble. Raiding the wine cellars, prowling the local village for women, and now, duelling with each other in the castle’s gardens. If they didn’t find some entertainment soon, he was likely to call it a night and go to bed. The moons had barely begun their journey across the sky; it would be an embarrassment for him to retire this early.
“What do you have in mind?” Eirwen asked with an arched brow, opening himself to the opportunity.
“There was talk of a ball…” Ernoullet suggested, and Renard instantly grinned.
“Right, at the Seelie palace!”
Eirwen actually laughed aloud at that. “You’re not actually suggesting we crash the princess’s engagement ball, are you? My mother will definitely have your heads for that.”
Symon waggled his brows, teasing the prince. “Well if mommy says no, we’d better not…”
The other two cackled at this, and even Eirwen found himself laughing, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. But when, not if, we’re caught, I want you to remember, I am the only one here who can’t be thrown to the stocks.”
⊱ ────── {⋅. ✧ .⋅} ────── ⊰
As the carriage pulled up to the entrance of the Seelie palace, Eirwen adjusted the mask on his face, grunting quietly to himself. It was mildly uncomfortable, but that didn’t bother him as much as the very real possibility that they were all about to be captured and thrown in some Seelie somewhere. Where did the Seelie even hold their prisoners of war? He didn’t know and tonight certainly wasn’t the ideal time to find out.
“Don’t worry,” Ernoullet said as he patted his friend’s shoulder. “I’m not going to let these tree-huggers get you.” He grinned and winked a bright blue eye as he adjusted his own mask.
“Better hope not,” Eirwen muttered under his breath just as the carriage rolled to a stop and the four young men stepped out into the night. The palace itself was lit up and decorated in a stunning manner, surprising Eirwen. It instantly felt warmer, softer, and more welcoming than his own home ever had. Something stirred deep within his chest, an unfamiliar warmth, and with his three friends at his back, he made his way up the steps, feeling an inexplicable urge to be closer to that sensation.