Hi all! Just wanted to let you know that the next update might be a little bit in coming (i.e. a week or a bit more) because:

1. I'm going out of town. I'll still be able to write but posting would be harder.

2. I like to keep ahead of myself. What this means is that I've already written a good bit of the story ahead of this, but right now I'm only 10,000 words ahead because this chapter was longer than I thought it would be (35,000~ total for the whole story at the moment) and I'd like to be more ahead than that by like 5,000 words or something, totaling roughly 15,000 words ahead. Idk why it just keeps me motivated.

Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone for your kind reviews. I'm in a bit of a tough spot right now with being a college freshman on the horizon, and it has caused a LOT of anxiety for me, but your reviews always make me feel warm and fuzzy, so thank you all. 3 (No, I am not trying to guilt you into reviewing. Don't feel obligated if that's not your thing lol)

/

Medusa shifted her weight from one foot to another as discreetly as she could. They were beginning to hurt from standing in one place for so long, and the incredibly high heels she was wearing were not helping at all.

One by one, agonizingly slowly, the council members filed by the king and queen who stood in front of the throne, exchanged pleasantries with them, then with Maximus, then with her before finally taking their seats. She had curtsied so many times that day, it was a wonder she hadn't unbalanced yet due to her dress and shoes.

The dress she was stuffed in to was agonizingly tight, hugging her body like a glove and severely restricting her range of motion. It was pretty, she would admit. A lacy v-neck plunged down her clavicle, yet thankfully not too low. Strapless, it still somehow managed to stay tight to her body, with simple lace embroidery on the (suffocatingly tight) waistline. The overlong train was hooked into golden wrist loops, which helped prevent her from tripping disastrously. And, of course, the dress was all various shades of purple. Though she was met with protests by the maidservants and tailors and presented with several horrific alternate choices, Medusa finally had her way and was given the purple dress.

Her hair twitched slightly as she shifted, but she willed it to stay still as she curtsied to the next council member. She had spent the better part of an hour that morning ridding it of every tangle, snare and snarl, combing it into silky, shiny perfection which she was rather proud of, the red cascade blending wonderfully with the purple of her dress.

Both excitement and anxiety pulsed through her, but she kept it carefully concealed behind a mask of queenly composure and an increasingly fake smile. After the ceremony was complete, if there ever was a chance for her to turn away from marriage, it would be gone. She and Blackagar got along well, and they knew each other, but the idea of marrying him still made her stomach turn a little, sending the same unanswered questions swarming through her head. Would she ever love him? Did she already have feelings for him? Would he have feelings for her?

But on the flip side of that anxiety was the excitement. Blackagar would finally be free of the prison he had spent his entire life in, and she wouldn't have to sneak around to have a conversation anymore. She could already picture the awe on his face as he experienced life, and the thought made her smile a little more genuine.

At last, the last council member sidled past, and Medusa dared to let her plastered-on smile drop a little, her cheeks (which were caked with at least an inch of makeup, or so she guessed) aching profusely. When the council member took his seat, Agon stepped forward to address the assembly.

"Honored members of the Council of Attilan, thank you for being here today. We have gathered here so that you may be introduced to the future rulers of Attilan, and it is my honor to formally introduce you to Lady Medusalith Amaquelin, of the House of Quelin."

All eyes turned upon her, and she did her best to stand tall and appear dignified.

"Though of extremely distant relation to the Royal Family, she is still of the Royal Blood, and is as Inhuman as you or I," Agon continued. "She has walked through the Terrigen Mists and come out with her unique gifts, and I can think of no better lady to be betrothed to my son." He looked at her expectantly, and she remembered what she had to say.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lords," she said with a curtsy, her voice echoing loudly in the vastness of the Throne Room.

A murmur of greeting came from the assembled Council.

"And now I shall introduce you to my own son." Agon snapped his fingers, and at the far end of the hall two officious-looking guards moved to the massive double doors, and one of them began to speak, his voice carrying across the hall.

"I present to you, the firstborn of the House of Agon, descendant of the Royal Blood and rightful heir to the throne of Attilan, the Crown Prince Blackagar Boltagon!"

The doors were opened, and in walked Blackagar.

He was dressed differently than the last time Medusa had seen him two days ago. His black and white bodysuit remained, but his headgear had changed. The muzzle was gone, his jaw and mouth were uncovered, but now a black cowl covered everything from his nose upwards save his eyes, glittering like blue pinpoints in the darkness of the mask. On the mask in the middle of his forehead was an odd device, a white two-pronged fork that stuck upwards and outwards from his face. It gleamed in the light as he strode down the room.

Medusa took a fortifying breath. Calm down, Medusa. You've seen him plenty of times before. He's just dressed a little differently…and not behind a wall anymore.

Blackagar's eyes flickered to her briefly before reverting to straight ahead. Every inch of him presented dignity, confidence, kingship. He walked up the steps onto the dais, bowing before his parents. Briefly he met Maximus' eyes, and his brother bowed stiffly.

Agon placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Blackagar, I introduce to you Lady Medusalith Amaquelin."

Blackagar turned to face her, his lips curved upwards ever so slightly. It took a moment for Medusa to remember that, in the eyes of the court, they were meeting for the very first time.

"It is an honor to meet you, Prince Blackagar," she said quietly, curtsying to him.

He crossed the dais to her. She was a vision of loveliness clad in her purple gown, though he could've done without the several layers of makeup. Though he had yet to meet any other girl his age, he knew without a doubt she outshone all of them. He took her hand in his, wondrously small against his own gloved one, and lifted it to his lips, greeting her in the traditional manner of Attilanian princes. Her skin was soft, softer than he had ever imagined skin to be, and he let his lips linger for a moment longer before drawing away.

Medusa's hair shifted as the warmth of his lips touched her skin, instinctively wanting to come forward and shield her face, hiding her embarrassment, but she willed it to stay still. Briefly she met his gaze, resisting a genuine smile before they both turned and faced the council.

Agon addressed the council again. "Now that Prince Blackagar and Lady Medusalith have been formally introduced to each other, we should allow them a couple of weeks to get to know each other, yes?"

A murmur of agreement rose up from the council members, and Medusa inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't getting married right away.

Agon looked at the two of them. "Blackagar and Medusalith, shall you lead us out?"

Blackagar nodded, offering Medusa his arm. She took it, thankful for the support as they descended the dais, her heels causing no small amount of uncertainty to her steps. Once they were off the dais she still held onto his arm but leaned a little less heavily upon it, unwilling to risk tripping and falling in front of the Council of Attilan.

They exited the Throne Room in what she hoped was a dignified manner, and she gently pulled Blackagar in the direction of the living quarters. When she was sure they were out of hearing range, she muttered, "This dress is strangling me!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blackagar's lips twitch upwards, a sight she had never seen before. He thought it was funny.

"A prince does not laugh at his betrothed," she scolded halfheartedly.

He dipped his head, though amusement still glimmered in his eyes. I am sorry.

"No you're not," she muttered. "Just get me out of this dress and these shoes and I'll be happy."

They made their way through the palace at a slower pace than Medusa would have liked, but she realized Blackagar was taking in the halls and the corridors as they passed through them, admiring the architecture and decoration.

"That's right," she murmured. "You've never seen this place before, have you?"

He looked at her, nodding.

"Well, in that case…" She stopped, leaning on his shoulder for support as she reached down with one hand, slipping the high heels from her feet and hooking them on her fingers. "Let's take our time then."

He frowned, gesturing at her dress.

She waved the implied suggestion away. "I can survive a little longer."

He smiled openly at her, revealing white teeth. It was an odd yet not unwelcome sight, one she had never seen before, and she recognized the telltale crinkling of skin around his eyes. She smiled back.

"What are we waiting for?"

Excitement glinting in his eyes, he grabbed her hand and pulled her off down the hall.

It was intriguing to watch him, Medusa realized. Despite being the Crown Prince and just about as stoic as they came, he took everything in with a sort of confused awe. She couldn't blame him; she figured that if she had spent all her life in an underground cell, she would react in the same way.

He ran his fingers over the pillars, the walls, everything he could touch. Never had he walked the halls of the palace, yet suddenly everything was within his reach. Earlier he had to fight to resist the urge to veer off course as he was led to the Throne Room, but now he was free to do as he wished.

Squinting, he looked up at the shaft of sunlight streaming through one of the skylights in the arched ceiling. Only once before had he seen sunlight. It was a warm and precious gift that many seemed to take for granted.

"This place is beautiful, isn't it?" Medusa's voice echoed slightly in the hall.

Blackagar turned to her, nodding. She was no longer behind a barrier anymore, he realized. They were free to speak as often as they wished. The thought made him happy.

"Blackagar!"

Both of them turned at the exclamation. Gorgon was coming down the hall rapidly, Karnak and Triton practically running to keep up with his massive steps. Before Blackagar knew what was happening, he was swept up into a rib-crushing hug, his feet leaving the ground altogether.

"Oh, it is so good to see you out and about!" Gorgon exclaimed.

Medusa winced in sympathy as Blackagar bore through the hug. She swore she heard his back crack in several places, but finally Gorgon let him go.

"I know you haven't been out for very long, but what do you think so far?" Karnak asked.

The expression on Blackagar's face said enough. It's wonderful.

"We were looking around before we went back to the living quarters so I could get out of this dress and into some more comfortable clothes," Medusa supplied.

"Well how about we head that way and we can show Blackagar his new quarters while you change?" Karnak suggested.

New quarters. The notion that he would be sleeping outside of his chamber hadn't even occurred to him. He had thought he would simply return to his chamber at night, but no, he would be sleeping in the living quarters like everyone else from here on out. In a way, he felt mildly apprehensive. After nearly nineteen years of being in the same place every day all day, the thought of somewhere new was a little daunting. On the other hand, it felt incredibly freeing. No more would he be confined to a single room. He could move, take a walk, leave whenever he wanted.

Medusa looked towards Blackagar. "What do you think?"

He smiled.

/

Dinner time came around sooner than expected. Blackagar had only been offered a brief glimpse of his new quarters before being whisked off by his cousins and Medusa to be shown more of the palace, but from what he had seen his room was more than satisfactory.

He sat down at the dining table, Medusa (who had since changed into far more comfortable clothes) taking a seat to his right and his three cousins to his left. He felt awkward; he had never eaten with anyone else before, much less his entire family.

Medusa saw the stiffness in his posture and the slight downward turn of his lips. She let a lock of hair wrap itself around his wrist.

"Don't worry," she murmured to him. "It will be fine."

Her presence was a comfort. She was confident in him, the girl he had met only a few weeks ago, and that was enough to tell him he should relax himself.

Medusa swiftly retracted her hair from his arm when Agon and Rynda entered.

The king surveyed the table with a smile as he took his seat. "It is wonderful to finally have everyone at our table together."

"Except Maximus," Triton muttered. "Late as usual."

"It matters not. He will be here eventually." Agon snapped his fingers and the food was brought in on trays bore by servants. A plate heaping full of bread, cheeses and fruit were laid down in front of Blackagar along with a bowl of steaming soup that smelled of potatoes. His stomach growled loudly, and he suddenly became acutely aware that he hadn't eaten since that morning. Medusa snickered off to his right, but he ignored it in pursuit of one of life's most joyous experiences: eating.

About a minute later, the door flew open and Maximus marched in.

"You're late," Triton grumbled. "Again."

"Apologies, father," Maximus said, ignoring Triton's comment. "I was preoccupied." He then proceeded to the seat exactly opposite of Medusa and Blackagar and bowed deeply to her. "It is a pleasure to see you again, fair lady."

"And you, Prince Maximus," she returned. She now had a chance to study the two brothers side by side, and she could see how much they differed. Maximus was shorter, slighter of frame than Blackagar, and his eyes held a peculiar calculating coldness, as if when he looked at someone he was attempting to divine everything he could from them. She felt oddly glad it was Blackagar she was betrothed to. Nice though he was, there was something in Maximus that didn't sit well with her.

Maximus took his seat, and food was hurried out to him. "It is fortunate we finally have you with us, brother," he said. "I am glad."

Blackagar nodded, taking in his brother's appearance. He seemed mildly disheveled. His clothes were rumpled and a few strands of hair hung down into his face. It seemed uncharacteristic for him, or at least as far as Blackagar could recall, but he was prevented from thinking on it further when Maximus spoke again.

"How are the two of you getting along?"

"Yes, what do you think of each other?" Agon joined in.

Medusa caught Blackagar's eyes. "Oh, um, Prince Blackagar has been very kind to me so far."

"And communication?" the king continued. "Have there been any problems?"

"No," Medusa said confidently. "There have been no problems. Talking with Prince Blackagar has been quite easy."

"What do you think of Lady Medusalith, brother?" Maximus drawled. "She is most beautiful, is she not?"

Blackagar nodded. It wasn't an action forced out of politeness, it was a true nod of agreement. Medusa saw this and blushed, turning her face down to her hands and letting her hair sweep over her face.

"You are too kind, my lords," she mumbled.

The rest of dinner passed quickly, and they all departed their separate ways. With great reluctance Medusa retreated to her room in order to read up on her studies, and she swore she saw a small frown of disappointment on Blackagar's face when she did.

She read her textbook until the words swam in front of her eyes, and when she finally looked up she realized the sun had set and night had come. Rubbing at her fatigued eyes, she stood up, stretching out her muscles and cracking her joints in several different places.

Perhaps Blackagar wouldn't mind a visit, she thought to herself. Figuring she had studied more than enough for one night, she acted on that notion and left her room. His room was only a couple of hallways away, and in less than a minute she found herself at his door.

"Blackagar?" she called softly, knocking on the door. "Are you in there?" Realizing that he of course could not answer her, she turned the doorknob and peeked in.

Blackagar rose from the window seat where he had been meditating, pleasantly surprised by her visit. He curled a hand to her, inviting her to enter the room.

She stepped fully into the room. The first thing that came to her attention was the fact that he was not wearing the cowl he had worn all day. It lay discarded on a chest of drawers, and for the first time the whole of his face was neared to her. She could truly see how he took after his father, bearing a strong jawline and noble features. The piercing blue of his eyes seemed to bore into her, and then they blinked, eyebrows dropping into a frown.

She realized she must have been staring, and she shook her head, embarrassment welling up inside her. "I-I'm sorry. I just came to see how you enjoyed your first day in…well, in the real world."

Blackagar ran a hand through his hair, bereft of motions or facial expressions that could adequately express how he truly felt. Fortunately, Medusa caught on.

"Overwhelmed?" He nodded, and a small laugh escaped her. "I can only imagine. There's so much to take in, so much to see."

He nodded again, pointing towards the window.

"You were admiring the view?" She crossed the room to peer out the window. Below, the lights of the palace and beyond that the rest of Attilan glittered like a host of stars come to earth, floating on a sea of darkness. "I don't blame you. It truly is beautiful."

He came and sat down on the window seat, and she followed suit.

"At least somebody got to admire it," she said. "I was busy studying."

He pulled a face of distaste, and she smiled. "I don't think there is a soul in the world who enjoys studying, except maybe Karnak."

He smiled back at that, knowing well his cousin's endless pursuit of knowledge. They fell into silence for a moment before she spoke again.

"Was it worth it?" she asked. "The test?"

He nodded. Now that his entire face was bared, it was easy to know what he thought. It was worth it.

"Did the test hurt a lot?"

In answer, he rolled back his sleeve, baring the fading red mark the electrical probe had left on his skin. Medusa gasped when she saw it.

"Does it pain you?"

He positioned his thumb and index finger close together. A little bit.

Two tendrils of hair snaked out, gently caressing his arm. Blackagar felt a shiver go down his spine as the silky hair touched his bare skin. He had never experienced such a sensation before.

"It's not fair you had to go through that," she was saying. "Experiencing pain just for the sake of being free like everyone else."

Blackagar could only shrug.

Medusa retracted her hair, meeting his gaze. "How can you remain so…indifferent?"

Again he could only shrug, hoping that she would catch his meaning. It has to be done when you have powers like mine. I have no choice.

She seemed to understand and looked away with a sigh. Her eyes came to rest on the cowl lying crumpled on the dresser, and another question came to her mind. "Why do you wear that hood? I have never seen it before today."

Blackagar crossed both arms over his chest, a sign she had grown to recognize over the past few weeks.

"Control." She shook her head. "You and I are very different in that way. Your whole life is control and restraint and you bear with it, but I would have a harder time. I do not like being controlled."

He saw the glint in her eye she acquired when annoyed about something, and smiled.

Medusa was about to say more, but before she could get the words out a huge yawn overtook her, and she smiled sheepishly at him. "Well, I guess if there was ever an indicator I needed to get some sleep, that was it."

Blackagar nodded understandingly. A strand of hair touched his hand, squeezing briefly before letting go.

"You should get some sleep too," she said. "It's been a long and tiring day."

He nodded again and she smiled before rising. "Good night, Blackagar."

Good night, Medusa. He watched her leave, his hand and arm tingling where her hair had touched.

She was right of course. It had been a tiring day, and despite the fact he was in a bed he was not yet accustomed to, as soon as his head hit the pillow he was drifting off to sleep.

But all was not so restful in the realm of dreams.

/

He stood upon a black landscape, formless and unchanging as he had once before. Everything in his field of view was inky blackness. He looked down at himself. The darkness blended perfectly with the color of his bodysuit, making him look like nothing more than some white stripes, half a face and a two-pronged apparatus floating in nothingness.

Blackagar turned, inspecting his surroundings, and he saw it. A figure was crouched some distance from him with its back turned to him, a pinpoint of light in the otherwise desolate plain. He started moving towards the figure without truly knowing it, and as he drew closer he realized that the figure was Maximus. Confused, he stopped just short of his brother and stretched out a hand towards him, but his fingers barely brushed Maximus' back when he whirled upon him, his face terrible with rage.

"Brother!"

Everything changed. Blackagar now stood in a garden amidst the vibrant sea of flowers. Medusa walked freely in the midst of them as well, a nonexistent breeze shifting her dress and her hair. She turned and saw him, her face lighting up with a beautiful, joyful smile, and she started to come towards him. Blackagar found himself reaching out to her, having the strange urge to pull her into his arms.

"No!"

Medusa looked away from him, and Blackagar looked too. Maximus stood some distance away, a pool of darkness around his feet, a gaping void in the flowers. He stared at Blackagar with an expression of undeniable hatred.

"She will be mine." Maximus extended his arms to Medusa, and a tendril of darkness came forth from his head, snaking across the expanse and taking hold of her mind. "Come to me."

Medusa started towards Maximus without a second glance towards Blackagar. Maximus grinned with evil satisfaction, a lustful glint entering his eyes. Blackagar stretched out a hand towards Medusa, but his feet seemed rooted in place. Unable to stop himself, he opened his mouth.

The scene shattered, the garden, Medusa and Maximus all getting swept away violently as if they had been hit by the force of a hurricane. Now Blackagar stood in what he perceived to be his brother's bedroom, Maximus himself curled up in a ball on top of his bedsheets. When he spotted the Crown Prince, he sat up straight, a manic grin taking over his features.

"If anyone were to know what really went on in my mind, everything would be ruined, which is why I don't tell anyone. It's my little secret, and you know what?" He crept towards the edge of the bed, still staring Blackagar right in the eye. "My mind is millions, no, billions of times better than any other Inhuman ever to walk through the Mists, and nobody even knows."

Blackagar stared, unable to understand what was being said to him.

Maximus tilted his head, and he rapped his knuckles again the wood of his bed frame. "Your time runs perilously short, brother."