"She said no."
Eridan stared into the mirror, purple eyes glittering with tears. Feferi stood demurely at his side, unsure whether to speak.
It had been her birthday too, of course, but nobody cared about that. Eridan had been the centre of attention as always, being congratulated and lavished with gifts, while Feferi hovered at his elbow, pouring drinks and cutting cake. He had been surrounded by giggling noblewomen, older ones telling him he was becoming a charming young man and younger ones blushing and gossiping. He ignored them all entirely, his eyes locked on Nepeta all evening. After dinner he had proposed a toast to their guests from the Forest Kingdom, and queen and princess had both modestly nodded and smiled at the cheering. Eridan had downed his wine in one swallow, dropped to one knee in front of Nepeta, and asked her to marry him.
"She said no."
Eridan stood up, grabbed the wine bottle he'd emptied alone over the past hour, and hurled it at the wall. Glass and the last spatters of red wine sprayed the wall.
"SHE SAID NO TO ME!"
"Eridan, please, calm down!" Feferi ran forward to hug him and he shoved her away hard enough to land her on her back. She quickly got back to her feet, but made no move towards him.
"I wwill not calm down! Wwhere's the bitch get the idea she can refuse me?" He stamped back and forth, hands clutching his hair. He pressed his forehead against the wall and groaned, angry tears falling. "Oh, I shouldn't blame her. She's perfect. She lowes me! She'd newer refuse me! Someone must hawe got to her! And I think I know who."
He turned, glaring at Feferi, a cruel smile spreading over his face. She backed away, prepared for him to accuse her, willing to take whatever he would dish out to protect her friend Nepeta.
"Oh yes. Makara tells me she's been sneaking out. Wisiting a blacksmith. A blacksmith! She turned me dowwn for a lowwly craftsman, a mechanical! Wwhat could he possibly offer her that I can't?"
"Oh. Um." Feferi shuffled her feet. "I know about her visits to him. She already told me." She neglected to mention her own visits to Zahhak's shop. "He's not in love with her. He just ... really, really doesn't like you."
Eridan paled.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I think you might be right, he probably did tell her she shouldn't marry you."
Eridan was silent for a long time, chewing his lip. Finally, he spoke again.
"This blacksmith. He's from the Midnight Islands, yes?"
"Yes."
"Go into the city and find eweryone from the Islands. Eweryone. I won't take the risk of him being able to hide. Kill them all."
"What?" Feferi gasped.
"I said kill them all! Ewery last one of them. Take Makara wwith you, he'll take you to the blacksmith's house. I want you to bring me his head yourself. Now."
"But-"
Eridan grabbed Feferi by the neck and hauled her up to his face, squeezing her throat painfully, and screamed "Are you questioning my orders, Feferi?!" Feferi frantically twitched her head from side to side, unable to break her furious brother's surprisingly strong grip. "Good." He unceremoniously dropped her, and broke into a beaming smile as if nothing had happened. "I kneww you'd see things my wway. You alwways do. Thank you so much! I'll consider it an extra birthday present." He giggled.
Feferi scrambled to her feet and fled, tears starting to leak from her eyes. Eridan was out of control. How could he order the deaths of so many people over one man's wrongdoing - was it even a wrongdoing? All Equius had done was express concern, Nepeta was the one who turned Eridan down, not that she deserved to die either. And to be ordered to kill Equius herself ... How could she? She loved him, she was sure of it, and he had been nothing but good to her. Why should she have to kill him?
Feferi gritted her teeth. Why shouldn't she kill him? She had never disobeyed her brother before, why should she start? And for a man too old for her, who would never see her as anything but a sweet little girl? A man who had made her brother cry?
She knocked on the door of Makara's room, earning a lazy call of "Well, come on up an' fuckin' in."
Gamzee Makara sprawled on his bed, looking at the rainbow-coloured swirls and splatters he'd painted all over the black walls and ceiling of his room. Some of them smelled vile, and faded from red to brown to rusty black. His clubs hung on the wall in pride of place, red-stained. Fifteen years old, and already a killer of many times that number. He smelled of opium, and didn't get up when he saw her. He scratched himself, and blinked. "Aw, if it ain't my best bro's sweet little sister!" he slurred. "What's shakin', darlin'?"
Feferi ignored his disrespect, and cleared her throat. "Get your clubs and find me a sword. We have a job to do."
Makara's eyes lit up and he forward-flipped off the bed, nimble as an acrobat. "Fuck yeah, I knew one day you'd wanna see my miracles! Oh, doll, we'll have so much motherfuckin' fun!"
Feferi took the proffered blade and pulled on a black cloak to conceal it. Makara's demeanour changed as soon as his own cloak went on; his babble ceased, his movements went from twitchy to smooth and serpentine. His teeth glinted in the dark as they left the palace and headed to the watchmen's barracks.
Feferi gnawed her lip, thinking of Equius. His strength, and his gentleness. The way he blinked in the light when he took his smoked glasses off, and the blue of his eyes. How kind he'd been to her, and to Nepeta.
She clenched her fist around her swordhilt.
He made my brother cry. He deserves it.