"What do you think that was all about?" Julius asked Dallas as supper was over and everyone was off to clubs or the lounges in the palace.
"Mind your own business," Shylie snapped out of the puzzlement of Tamera.
"I was talking to DALLAS," Julius reminded her.
"I don't know but she looked really sad," Dallas said ignoring Shylie.
"Ferra. Shut-up." Shylie snarled.
"You. Go get you're friend before she decides to pull another stunt like that again," Dallas shot back.
"You're stupid," Shylie groaned.
"And you're ugly," Dallas replied. Although hat wasn't true because Shylie was gorgeous but her personality was about a beautiful as a cockroach.
"Hey now..." Julius tried calming them.
"Get out of this. It's not you're fight," she glared at him.
"Oh so now we're fighting? Put em' up Queen of Obscene!" Dallas balled his fists.
"Bring it Scary Fairy!" Shylie put her arms up in an open gesture.
Julius thought quickly and even though he promised Tamera he wouldn't, he did.
"So did you wash off the Underclass germs?" he asked.
Shylie flipped her pale blue eyes onto Julius. "What?"
"I heard you let an Underclass guy grope you at Chaiha Heights. And we all thought Tamera was slaggy..." he said.
"Shut-up. Now," Shylie spoke quickly.
"Oh ,so he did touch you?" Julius smiled.
"NO!" Shylie screamed aggravated and stomped her foot. "Quit talking about it."
"Hmm. Maybe if you stop pathetically trying to bloody Dallas up and leave us alone, I will," Julius negotiated.
Shylie thought about it. She wondered how Dakota was handling being a prisoner. "On one condition. Since you so nicely brought up the subject of the Chaiha Heights incident. Go check on the guy. His name is Dakota Silver and make sure he's feeling miserable."
Julius grimaced. He really didn't want to go down to the dungeon to check on an Underclass. But then again, Shylie would quit picking on them if he did it.
"Fine," he agreed and left the dining hall.
He descended down into the darkness of the prison cells. It was drafty and he wished he had a fur right then. Dim light flickered from a torch on the wall. He heard moaning. He would have darted back upstairs in a minute if he didn't notice something move around in the shadows.
Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him but he felt like something was there. Forget about Dakota Silver. If Shylie wanted to find out if he was miserable then she could do it herself. The dungeons were giving him the creeps.
He was about to walk back up the stairs but heard shuffling.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
No answer. It must have been the wind.
He turned and saw minty green eyes staring into his. Before he could actually figure out it was a fairy, they swung at him defensively.
He ducked as their fist came over his head, barely brushing his hair.
Julius immediately went into battle mode and blocked the rest of the crazy fairy's punches. It was too dark to see them but he could tell their eyes were green.
They kicked him in his shin and he fell and they turned to run away. Thinking quickly, he grabbed their ankle and they fell onto the hard stone. His shin was still in pain but he lifted him self up, still holding tight to the fairy's ankle. The fairy tried to fly away. The beating of their wings sent wind into his face.
"Oh no you don't," he warned and jerked them back so he could grab their hands behind their back.
He drug the struggling fairy back to the lighted part of the cells. They surely were dangerous and must have escaped the prison.
"Let me go!" cried the fairy. Julius stopped. It was a fairiette! Slowly he looked down and he could see her.
She was glaring at him. She looked beautiful and dangerous. Piercing on her eyebrow, lip ring, three earrings on her left ear. Red hair with a golden tint.
"Let me go! You stupid Royal!" she shouted and tried biting him.
"HEY!" Julius protested and pushed her head back.
She tried digging her nails into his arm but he made her back arch so she couldn't.
"What are you doing here, Underclass?" he growled realizing she what she was.
They heard feet running near them.
"She went this way!" yelled a guard.
"Let me go!" she cried and tried struggling out of his grip violently.
"Stop it," Julius said and started dragging her back toward the prisons.
The guards finally reached them with short breath.
"You're majesty, you found her. Thank you," said one of the guards and kneeled respectfully.
"Why is she out?" Julius demanded seeing she was indeed a prisoner.
The guards looked embarrassed but one shamefully said, "She convinced us."
Julius looked at the guards in disbelief. The palace guards had a very strong will and did their jobs with no wrong. How could this have happened?
He looked down to the red-head. She was looking away from all of them, glaring into nothing.
"It was my fault, my liege….. she has ways of charming the mind," the other explained.
"Who is she?" Julius wondered.
"Surely you know about Blaire Rye?" The first guard inquired.
Julius shook his head no.
"She's one of the leaders of the anti-Royal movement," explained the other.
Julius looked at the girl in disgust. He knew about the anti-Royal movement. It was a secret society of Underclasses who wanted to over throw the Dynasty. They just couldn't accept the fact that they were lower.
"Very well then. You're both dismissed and I'll take her back to the cell myself," Julius told them. The guards nodded sadly and left them.
"So, you charm people into getting what you want?" Julius snarled pulling her back into the lower dungeons.
"Let me go!" she said again tugging away but Julius was stronger.
"Not until you answer me," he replied calmly.
"I don't answer to you!" she screamed outraged.
"But I'm the prince!" He objected and grabbed her head so she was forced to look at him.
"It doesn't matter that you're prince. It doesn't make you any more special than me," she declared and spat in his face.
"How dare you!" Julius shouted and drug her down the corridors even rougher.
Madly, he threw her into the nearest cell. It was dim but he could see her. She laid still. He took a moment to wipe off her saliva.
"Get up!" he screamed as everything she did made him angry now.
She turned over and glared at him but slowly stood and he gasped. The side of her face and arm were scraped to bloody red. He stared at her. Not believing what he'd just done.
"Don't look surprised. It's what all of you do when you get angry," she said like it had happened to her before.
"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.
"YOU. Royals. When you don't want to hear or do something you get violent. Fairies get hurt or even killed because of your 'tantrums'. This is a minor thing compared to other stuff that's happened to me," she told him.
"That isn't true," he protested.
"Take a look, this is your doing," she said pointing to her face.
"It wasn't my fault, I was just ang..." Julius stopped, she was right. "I apologize."
She raised her eyebrows, she didn't expect a Royal to APOLOGIZE, ever. Not knowing how to reply, she sunk into a corner and used her snake skin covering to wipe her face and arm.
"No you're not," she said barely audible.
"Excuse me?" Julius asked growing frustrated.
"You'll never be sorry. You'd beat me in a moment if you could, you'd beat any Underclass. It's a sport. It's entertainment. You love to see us suffer," she whispered sadly with still a hint of anger.
"What can I do?" He asked.
"Excuse me?" she snapped.
"To prove it to you. That we're not all heartless beasts like you say we are," Julius wondered.
Blaire thought about it and said, "Release me."
"I can't do that," Julius sighed.
"Then you are heartless," she growled quietly.
Julius knew he wasn't as vile as she thought he was. After all he was the prince and he could release her. But then other Royals would get angry...of course they didn't have to find out.
"Fine," he breathed after a few moments.
She looked up doubtfully.
He opened the cell gate again and stood away, letting her see she was free.
"Your kidding right?" she asked with a sarcastic smile.
"No. You asked for it, now go," Julius showed the way out.
She got up cautiously and walked out. Then turned around. "Wait. I see what your doing. Yes you set me free but if I'm caught trying to get out I'll just get arrested again."
"That won't happen," Julius assured her.
"How are you going to make sure it doesn't?" she crossed her arms.
Julius rolled his eyes. She was making it so complicated. He knew no other way out from the dungeons and someone would surely ask him if he paraded her up to the hall with a bloody face.
"Fine I'll take you to wherever you want to be," he sighed.
"How do I know you'll do that?" she demanded.
"I give you my word as a prince," Julius guessed.
"Nope. That is not a good promise," she shook her head.
"I promise you'll get out free and easy or else... I'll renounce my title," he said and she agreed.
He took her hand and lead her upstairs, hopefully everyone had gone home. He peeked around the corner and saw some fairies were still standing around. "If you're quiet then we can sneak out," he whispered to her. She was shocked that a Royal would go to so much trouble for an Underclass.
"Cover up your face," he added.
She obediently hid the scrape and her tattoo behind her hand and they emerged.
"Julius, where have you been?" Dallas asked floating down into their way.
Julius quickly hid Blaire behind him so Dallas wouldn't notice.
"Uh, Dallas. I have to go," Julius said.
"What? To where?" Dallas asked not paying mind to Julius' impatient fidgeting.
"I don't know, I just got to get out of here, okay?" Julius said irritably and scowled at his friend.
It was a good thing Blaire Rye had a small body because Julius was completely hiding her.
"Fine, I'll leave you alone," Dallas said hurt and went away.
"You're sure nice to your friends," Blaire muttered sarcastically behind him.
"I'm trying to get you out, if you haven't noticed!" Julius hissed angrily.
When the coast was clear he grabbed her hand and half-drug her to the doors. When they emerged, he flew around the corner to the massive perches.
All the falcons, hawks, and eagles, kestrels and owls turned their heads to look at them.
Blaire fell back out of surprise. She'd never seen so many birds in one place.
"What are you waiting for?" Julius demanded and began walking down the aisle of feathered animals.
She blinked and followed cautiously. She was brave but this was unknown and scary. Any of these birds could pry her apart with their talons and eat her insides.
He came to Serus and untied his jesses. Blaire looked quizzical about riding such a bird. After all, it was a red hawk.
Serus eyed her and squawked.
"Easy man, this is Blaire. We got to uh...get her outta here," Julius explained trying not to be too mean.
Blaire raised her pierced eye brow and laid her hand on Serus' wing. Serus raised his head and cocked it to one side, accepting the red haired fairiette.
Julius jumped onto Serus and offered a hand to Blaire who reluctantly took it and sat behind him.
Serus gave out a squawk as Julius nudged him in his sides and started beating his wings.
"Hey, you there!" a night guard shouted as Serus's noise grabbed his attention.
Julius reigned in Serus and they zoomed out of the hollow. The guard shouted and other guards came running and hopped onto their birds. Julius looked behind him and saw about five birds behind him. He nudged Serus's sides to make him go faster.
"You're going to let them catch us aren't you?" Blaire asked from behind.
"Listen, I'm getting you out of here. At least trust me a bit," Julius said with anger.
"Puh-leez. You're a Royal," Blaire retorted.
Julius rolled his eyes and with one hand let go of the reign and threw off his olive leaved coronet of authority.
Blaire stared at the crown as it descended into the darkness below, amazed that he would do that.
"Now do you have faith in me?" he asked looking behind him.
Blaire, still shocked at his action shrugged. She wasn't so sure anymore. Why was it so important that she'd trust him?
The guards' birds flew down above them without warning. They didn't know Julius was on Serus because it was so dark and since his coronet was gone they couldn't recognize him as a figure of Royalty. Blaire hit the patrol bird in it's leg, almost meeting the talon and it backed off from them.
Julius leaned forward to try and get the best speed. Blaire had to grip his shoulders to keep him from falling off.
"Stop!" cried the guard and threw a pointed javelin at them. It went in between her and Julius.
"Tell them who you are so they don't kill us," Blaire suggested looking out for more javelins.
"Are you kidding? This is the best! A high speed chase!" Julius shouted excitedly.
"Not only are you Royals violent, you're also stupid!" Blaire shouted and she couldn't believe he actually liked this.
"Hey..." He objected but a javelin came zipping by, slicing through his arm. He wobbled off balance, giving her a puzzled look and in a split second was gone.
"JULIUS!" Blaire cried as he too, like his crown, disappeared into the night below.
Thinking quickly, she grabbed Serus's reigns and dived down after him. The guard's birds squabbled and refused to go into the next lair for it was dangerous at night. Not only for them, but fairies as well.
Blaire could hardly see anything but she could sense the fairy prince was nearby. Maybe dead, maybe not. There were snakes and scorpions and dangerous animals where they were headed.
Serus somehow knew where his master was and lead them to a bushel of illuminated mushrooms.
Blaire gasped as she saw Julius's body sprawled across the fungi. He was still. A fall like that had probably killed him.
Oh well, it was his dumb fault he fell. He shouldn't have been so eager to outrun his own guards. She dismounted Serus and simply walked away.
Serus squawked sadly and hopped over to Julius to nudge him with his beak.
Julius's head rolled limply but he groaned very softly. Serus chirped at Blaire to make her stop walking away.
She turned around very impatiently. But the way Serus was looking at him and her, broke her heart. After all, Julius was risking his life to get her out of the dungeons and she was just leaving him to die. She was the heartless beast. Her cheeks got warm from realizing she had contradicted herself.
Serus nudged Julius's head again and he moaned.
Blaire kneeled beside him and rolled him over so he was on his back. Bruises were forming on his dirt streaked face and his left arm was starting to make a puddle of red blood.
She brushed away a feathery piece of dark brown hair from his face to see if he had any head damage (not that Royals already suffered from it). He groaned again and scrunched open his eyes so she could see a glimpse of deep blue irises. They closed again as soon as they had opened.
"He needs a healer," Blaire said to Serus and he seemed to nod in agreement.
"Julius Rovan, be very worried for now you're under my care," she warned and picked him up so she was carrying him around her shoulders like a fur. It seemed impossible for such a small fairiette to lug a guy around but Blaire Rye was an exceedingly strong fairy.