A/N - Thank you so much for the lovely reviews thus far. They really warm my heart and are important in indicating to me how you guys feel about the story. So keep them coming! It really brightens an author's day.
GLOSSARY
Nox - The magic that resides in all Hoenn nobles; unusually absent from May's blood. Simply speaking, it is the energy and life force that all living creatures thrive off of. Wielding Nox requires much training and skill.
Noctis - A prevalent deity in Hoenn's religion. Known as the God of Twilight.
ROYAL GARDENS
9:34 AM
He could taste the morning on his tongue. The air was ripened sour like the strawberries of a hot summer's day, and the strong scent of freshly bloomed roses blossomed on the whisper of a breeze. The Royal Gardens were nothing short of a magnificent masterpiece. Indeed, compared to the dusty streets of LaRousse that lay sprawled beyond, one might even say this was heaven.
Drew certainly thought so. With arms folded behind his neck, he tipped his chin up to catch the first winking glints of morning's light. It didn't take long for that routine shadow to squash the yellow glimmers flickering behind his eyelids. Cracking one eye open, it was – of course – none other than May's cheery face that blotted out the blue of the sky.
He hummed. "Oh. It's you. I thought it might be someone important."
As predicted, her smile cracked. "Y'know, one of these days I'm gonna shove a foot down on that precious face of yours."
"Uh-uh. Careful now. That's a royal prince you're talking to."
It was as normal a morning as could be; so normal, in fact, Drew could almost forget of the imminent war looming on the horizon, or the short-lived rebellion that had taken place just last night. It seemed to have become a ritual of theirs when such bad things happened. Turn a blind eye, pretend they hadn't even witnessed a drop of the injustice that had occurred, and carry on with their normal routine. To think of it was to summon a curdling in his stomach or a sharp clenching in his throat.
"So!" With a mighty plop, May slumped down at his side. "I've got the details on Harley. He's on duty with me for most of the day, but he's also been assigned night-watch tonight. And you know what that means…" Her sly grin said it all. With Harley on night-watch, they could expect their oh-so dependable guard in a sleep like death by twilight. Perfect.
"Then tonight's as good a chance as any."
"Sure is!" Drew couldn't help smirking at the excitement interwoven into her voice.
Say what you want about May. Sure, she was ditzy, a klutz, one hell of a pain in the ass sometimes – but she also had her moments of unflappable dedication and (admittedly rather foolish) kindness. Their secret monthly trips beyond the Kingdom walls were an example of that.
And this might be our last one. The realization struck Drew with a reverberating clang.
May lay back to rest against grass stained earth, bright blue eyes reflecting the hollow golden orb of the sun above. He watched her from the peripheral of his vision as one hand reached out to grasp at a sky so far away, palm open and fingers splayed as if she really believed she could touch the clouds. He could almost hear the echo of her thoughts; just a little more…almost there…!
Drew turned away. The sour chasm in his stomach opened wider, turning his insides into puddles of mush.
They might never get to touch the sky. Maybe their fingers wouldn't even graze the near future.
He swallowed his fear and laid back to lie at her side.
-xxx-
"You're late."
Drew barely heard Roxanne's sharp reprimand over the fervent crowing of a dozen girls at his chest. As per usual, his fan club never missed a beat. "Oh, Prince Drew," a student of ivory hair wailed, grasping onto his arm and pressing her chest uncomfortably close; "we were so worried when we saw the uprising yesterday! Nobody dared hurt you, right?"
"If anyone so much as touched you, Drew, you should hang them by the gallows!"
"Even better," chuckled another darkly, "burn 'em at the stake for everybody to see." She whipped out a fan to stir the golden locks of her ringlet hair. "Honestly, we'd have less trouble from the dogs if we beat some obedience into them every now and then."
Roxanne's hand smashed down upon her table, startling her class into silence. "Alright, that's enough. Everybody back to your seats." Those words were enough to summon a collective groan from all female students present. Drew was secretly grateful as, one by one, their clammy grips on his arms were relinquished, and he was finally free to breathe air untainted by their sour breath.
Teacup School. Otherwise known as 'King Henry's Official Academy for the Royally Gifted.' Big mouthful of a name that tasted like dirt on his tongue, if he were being honest, so Teacup School fit so much better, even if it was a hell of a lot less eloquent. After all, where else would you learn such fascinating subjects like what each of the ten different dinner forks was for, and perhaps most importantly of all, how to properly hold a teacup without offending your suitor. Now that was an interesting read…all 400 pages of it.
(Okay, maybe he was exaggerating a little. Didn't change the fact that sitting through one of Roxanne's ludicrously drawn out classes was akin to hearing long nails tear down a chalkboard.)
"…Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what happened yesterday." Those words were spoken just as Drew slipped into his desk at the front. Damn. No early morning lecture about the best kind of tea to brew for your significant other? It must be serious, Drew thought dryly. Sure enough, Roxanne was leaning back against her desk with arms folded tightly against her chest. The crease in her frown seemed to deepen at her mere mention of last night.
The girl of golden ringlet hair didn't even wait for permission to speak. "My mother said it was an uprising. But the guards got it under control before any major harm was done."
"Yes, well," said Roxanne, "you know how the people are. This war is a burden on everybody's shoulders. The weight of it was enough to send them into a period of madness."
"Was anybody hung for their treason?"
"As of yet, no. However," Roxanne turned back to her chalkboard, "there's an investigation to determine the leader of last night's revolt. If my information is correct, it was a boy no older than fifteen."
That snagged Drew's attention. One eyebrow cocked in a vague hint of amusement. Huh. So, he's back at it again. And here I thought Ash was dead.
…Which would likely be the case soon, if that bumbling moron didn't stop tangling himself up in politics that were none of his concern. Ash might've been spirited, but he wasn't exactly what Drew would call smart. Sooner or later, his stupidity would catch up with him. And Noctis only knew how May would react when, not if, that inevitably happened.
"We have the finest Knights working 'round the clock to ensure this won't happen again. I do urge you, however, to be careful if you plan on venturing into the more rugged areas of LaRousse's mainland. Tensions are already incredibly high. Nobles seem to have the people more on edge than usual."
Someone from the back of the room gave a high-pitched laugh. "As if I'd even be caught dead down in that slum. Have you seen the rats? They're huge! My dad said they're big enough to take down a human child."
"Even worse," another whispered, "I heard they keep dragons down there. Real freaking dragons! Like, what the hell? Do they want to be eaten?"
Roxanne's brow twitched. "Enough!" Gradually, the chattering within her class became a low background hum. Their teacher gave a dramatic sigh as if all too suddenly the painful weight of her job had been hefted upon her thin shoulders. "Honestly, I'd think your parents raised you better than to believe any stupid rumour you come across. I've been down into LaRousse's slums and let me tell you, it's not nearly as interesting as the stories would have you believe."
No. It's worse.
"Aw." Ringlet girl made her presence known yet again in her trademark pompous way. "Sounds even more boring than this dump! Why you gotta go crushing my dreams like that, Teach'?" Her words were followed by an obnoxious chorus of giggling, and Roxanne's predictable "enough!"
Yeah. It was a day just like any other. Nothing had changed. Nothing would change.
His blood boiled at the thought.
Not yet. Not now. He had to be patient. Wait for the perfect opportunity.
One day, he'd be beyond LaRousse's walls for good. No leash to hold him back, no royal babysitters to tell him what he could or could not do. No stupid teacup school to preach how a prince should act. He'd be free.
Drew could hardly wait for that promised day to come.
-xxx-
The rest of the day passed by in a blur of motion and jumbled voices. By the time sundown had finally bled out its last drops across the sky, there was still no word of Ash's capture to carry on the breeze. Leaning back against the rails of the porch, Drew attempted something akin to words of comfort. "Even if they do catch him, his trial will take more than a week. He won't die immediately."
May threw him a glare dripping with ire. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
Drew shrugged. Secretly, he was grateful once they lapsed into the usual sombre silence of defeat. The news of Ash's role in last night's revolt had spread through the castle like wildfire. For now, he'd evaded capture – but for how long? If May's concern was anything to go by, Drew could only guess that the King had his finest knights and huntsman employed to track him down.
"I thought he was gone." Her hushed murmur shattered the silence into a million tiny fragments. "It's been so long…I'd just assumed he'd taken off. Got outside the walls. Made a new life for himself."
"Who, Ash?" Drew laughed. "Nah. That would be the smart thing to do. Since when was Ash smart?"
"Since always," May replied defensively. She cast her sullen gaze back down to her feet. "I hope he's okay."
Drew found he hoped so too, if only for May's sake. She wasn't nearly as fun to tease when depressed like this.
Night summoned the wide circle of a full moon. He was directed by Harley to his chambers, May to hers, and so they seemingly parted for the night, with only solemn 'goodbyes' to follow in their footsteps. Time ticked by ever so slowly. When the chime of 1:00 am finally filled his room with its knowing breath, Drew wasted no time in slipping out of his bed and taking to hallways lit gold under the embers of their torches.
May met up with him not a moment later. "He's out like a light," she whispered. Good. Apart from Harley, there were a few guards they'd have to navigate past, but thankfully nothing too major. That was the great thing about being the son to a King who cared only for greed and power; his father hadn't wanted to waste precious resources on his disappointment of an heir, and so he was left with minimal security and the freedom to do (mostly) whatever he wanted.
"Brrr, it's cold!" Outside, the night sky bled darkness onto cobbled pavements below. A cold wind nipped at the skin beneath their clothes, leaving bruised goosebumps behind as a mark of its teeth. All was unnaturally quiet. Security was, as they'd expected, stricter than usual, so Drew stuck close to May as she led them through shadows cast by fanciful white houses and over walls that grew thick with vines. Once they'd left the fortified gates of LaRousse noble land behind, it didn't take long for polished houses to melt into the dusty brick and weed-strewn pavements of the slums. Flecks of embers still flickered and grasped for dear life among the dying ruins of trampled gardens and blood-splattered pathways.
Drew was grateful when they'd finally left the remnants of yesterday behind. The cool, damp air of the forest filled his lungs and stole away the last scorched blemishes of fire-bitten wind. He drunk it in, savouring its mossy taste upon his tongue.
It was a route he knew like the back of his hand. He'd travelled it enough times in his life to know every upturned rock and bush laden landmark. Unlike other nights, however, this journey was far more sombre than it ought to be. Just a few months ago, May had filled the air with her laughter and him with his jibes in what had been yet another successful escape beyond the mainland. Now, they trudged on with feet formed from lead. The silence was suffocating. His anxiety, even more so.
Drew paused. "We're here."
He could hear May's breath catch in her throat.
The walls of LaRousse. Not actually made of tangible brick or stone, no, that would be flawed design on the King's part. It would be akin to their Kingdom holding a huge sign of 'here hides LaRousse! Come and raid us!' Drew almost chuckled at the thought. No, one didn't see the walls, they felt it; ripples of energy that crackled like static through the air, and shifted to bend and melt beneath the weight of his fingertip. Fueled by the magic of Nox, these barriers prevented anyone from seeing within – or venturing out. Unless, of course, a certain someone happened to harness a certain power within their veins…
May stepped back, head bowed. Was that a glint of shame in her eyes? No matter. Drew pressed his hand to the invisible force field, feeling its weight pulsate under his flesh. With a decisive swipe, he whipped his hand across and felt the sparks of thunder jolting through his fingertips. A crack opened up, summoning with it a gush of fresh air. "Now!" Seizing the moment, Drew slipped through, May hot on his heels. Seconds later, the barrier resealed, meshing its translucent threads back together with a sizzling pop.
He could still feel the electricity of Nox surging through his veins, long after his fingers had left the invisible walls and fallen back to hang at his side.
For a long, almost aching moment, Drew and his Knight stood in cold, torturous silence.
It was broken by the sound of May unsheathing her sword. "Okay. We can't stay long, lest we want to face Harley's wrath should he wake up." She fixed him with a stern look. "So don't wander off too far – hey!"
Too late. Drew was already striding the grassy depths of a land free from LaRousse's corrupted touch. It looked no different from the forest back in his Kingdom if he were being honest – but the atmosphere? Oh, it was clean, pure, the air fresh as crystalized water and the grass soft and springy beneath his feet. There was no dust to cling to his skin; no broken sobs to echo within his ears.
Nothing but sinless, unadulterated freedom to beckon him onward.
"Drew!"
He ignored her.
For the first time in a long while, the smile that tugged up at his lips was genuine.
"Drew, wait up!"
He spun back on his heels to see a frantically puffing May, her eyes wide and shoulders squared. "Seriously, what did I just say?"
"Oh, c'mon. It's not like this is our first time. Loosen up a bit, Maple, would you?"
May scowled. "How can I 'loosen up' when it's so creepily quiet? I feel like I'm being watched," she added with a dramatic shudder. Drew rolled his eyes. Did she have to throw a fit now? Couldn't she wait until they were back in the castle to lecture him?
"Yeah, by who? The trees?" he tossed back icily.
May's head snapped in his direction, blue eyes blazing under the silvery light of the full moon. "It's not funny, Drew! Don't you feel it too? Or is your blood too stuffed with Nox?" He didn't miss the trace of resentment curdling in her tone, turning the words sour beneath its poisonous touch.
May seemed to realize her mistake, for she sighed and allowed her shoulders to droop. "Sorry. It's just…strange. Don't you think? No birds. No insects. Even the wind feels wrong."
Drew quirked up an eyebrow. "Wrong?"
May shook her head, exasperated. "Unnatural. Bad. I think we should go back."
"May, if anything was wrong, don't you think my Nox would let me know?" May went to interject, but he cut her off with a firm finger pressed to her lips. The look she sent him resonated with careful, or I'll bite it off.
Drew didn't doubt it.
Hastily pulling back, he signalled to the wide sprawling woods that stretched out on either side. "Nothing. I don't feel any presence of bandits nearby."
"But –"
"Hang on!" May froze at the taut terseness twined into his voice. "Yeah…my blood's pounding…I think I know what my Nox is trying to tell me!"
"What?" May squeaked.
"It's saying…whoa, really…it's saying that…May…is a big cowardly pansy." He finished his dramatics by delivering a tiny flick to May's nose. "Yeah. Not like I need magic to tell me that though."
"You little-"
His plan worked. Her sword went clattering to the earth, and she tumbled into him in a mess of flailing limbs and feet. It wasn't rough, nor were her blows sharp; they were the playful punches and disorganized kicks reminiscent to Drew of his childhood when they'd tossed and scrambled among the Royal Gardens in a flurry of laughter and raw bruises.
They rolled to a stop, their argument melting into echoes of laughter that resonated throughout the cold, lonely woods. This time, May had managed to have the upper hand. "Pinned ya," she teased, "Nox or none, I'm still a force to be reckoned with, huh?"
"You're alright," Drew admitted grudgingly. Seemingly pleased by his backhanded compliment, May rolled off and flopped down to lay at his side. A smattering of stars turned the black sky to silver above. For the time being, it seemed his companion had relaxed. Drew closed his eyes and listened to the thrumming in his blood. Normal. Nobody was nearby. May was worried about nothing.
"This reminds me of when we were kids." Her voice sounded distant as she stared up at the ink smudged heavens, hand outstretched in a direct parallel to what had only been hours before, under a morning sky tainted by the Castle's reek. "Is it selfish to wish I could turn back time? Because I would if I could. I miss hanging out with you before all of…this." She paused, breath tight. "I miss being oblivious to it all."
Drew didn't reply. What was there to say? Yeah. I do too. Because he did. Back before he'd had to fight to even hold a right to May's friendship; back in the days when war, Nox, nobility, none of that had mattered, not an ounce of it, and all they'd cared about was having fun amid rose-scented flowerbeds.
If he could turn back time, he would. He'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant both him and May wouldn't have to face the looming responsibilities of nobility that now weighed so heavily upon their backs.
Not a word slipped past his lips. The sad fact was, she couldn't. He couldn't. No amount of Nox in his blood could change that solitary truth.
Suddenly, May jolted upright. "Get back."
"Huh?"
"Now!" she hissed. He wanted to snap back in response to her order, but something about the urgency in her voice kept him from making any biting remarks. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet.
"Up the tree," May ordered.
"Who died and made you Queen?"
"Quickly!" Desperation. He knew that emotion too well. It left May's face bruised with panic. His stomach turned at the sight. Though every nerve in Drew's body screamed at him to argue and bicker at these senseless orders, something akin to commonsense robbed the words off his tongue. May's breath was sharp; her eyes stretched wide; he could almost hear the reverberating thud of her heart, so silent was the night.
Silent.
He nearly staggered under the plummeting force of realization's punch.
"Go!" And this time he listened. Feet scrabbled hard against the sturdy oak's trunk as he hauled himself up onto the lowest branch; then higher, and higher, until pinpricks of blood blossomed under his fingernails and his bones wailed in protest. He'd just made it over halfway, hauling his form onto a precariously thin skeleton of a bough that trembled like jelly under his weight, when finally, the threat made itself known.
Stupid. How could he be so stupid? In hindsight, it was obvious. The silence, May's tension, the lack of warning supplied by his Nox – they were here.
The Banetooth.
He'd only ever seen them in illustrations of legend, though it was a widely regarded fact that they did, indeed, exist, and they prowled the night with paws made of smoke and teeth formed from bone. In person, they appeared much less impressive than the stories had so boldly claimed, but nonetheless, their presence still hammered fear into the midnight air.
Imagine a wolf, but larger; no fur, no eyes, just slits for nose and ears, and teeth as white as polished bone. Their ribs poked out their rotting flesh, and bits of skin drizzled down to drip onto the mossy earth below, leaving puddles of melting pink and pussy goo to scorch the grass under its sizzling touch. Drew quickly threw a glance down to May. She was a branch below him, one hand desperately clasped at the empty scabbard that hung at her side.
Oh, they'd really done it now, hadn't they?
The Banetooth might've been blind, but they could navigate the woods at night as well as any hunting owl. Their hearing was unparalleled, their sense of smell even more so. It was rumoured that even the slightest vibration could alert these beasts to the exact whereabouts and location of their prey. Not to mention that perhaps most infamous of all, was their immunity to Nox. Which explained why he hadn't picked up on their presence. Drew silently cursed himself for his foolishness.
But why were they here? Of all places? The Banetooth were well-known, yes, but they had never exactly been a threat. Their homeland lay beyond the Kingdom's grasp, in the distant woods where the leaves never flourished, and winter prevailed all year 'round. He narrowed his eyes as the four creatures came to a halt under their tree, sniffing, breathing, waiting.
He didn't miss May's fingers coiling around her scabbard's grip. Quickly, she shot him a careful look. He nodded his consent.
Though she might not have been the most talented knight, Drew had to admit that she had thought fast on her feet. If stories were all they had to go by, then they might as well give it their best shot. It was said that the Banetooth were deadly, yes, but not exactly smart. May unhooked her scabbard and gave it a testing swing with her arms.
Do it!
She threw.
It sailed through the air and crashed into the bushes beyond. Three of the beasts reacted immediately. They tore in the direction of the sound. Drew didn't miss how every paw step made by the ugly creatures left a scorched, steaming hole in what was once fresh woodland earth, a sign of the death they carried intertwined within their flesh as well as their souls.
One, however, remained behind.
It slunk around their tree with foul breath tainting the air yellow.
Then, suddenly, it paused.
Drew felt his blood turn to ice.
It looked up. Logically, he knew it couldn't see him with only those thin red slits for eyes, but it almost felt as if, somehow, it did, and he was sure that it was looking at him now, looking deep into his eyes, hearing all, feeling all, seeing all.
His hands tightened their grip on the branch. Dimly, he was aware of the dull pain of bark piercing his skin, but he hardly felt it under the tension that rendered his flesh numb as a snowy winter's day.
May looked ready to jump down and fight. He was about to break his silence and snap at her to reel it in when, suddenly, the spell was broken. The Banetooth turned away. With a rough grunt to its confused companions, the four beasts streamed back into bushes now crisp with dead ferns. In mere seconds, they had disappeared, and become fragments of darkness once more.
It felt like eons before Drew could muster the courage to speak.
"You think they're gone?"
May was more versed than he was in the lore of the Banetooth. After all, it was a knight's duty to know of every individual threat that lurked their lands and beyond. To Drew's surprise, however, she looked confused.
"No. No, I…they knew we were here. But they didn't do anything." Her brow knitted together. "Why?"
"Maybe they could smell your breath." It was an awkward jab that failed to serve its purpose of lightening the mood. He was almost disappointed when May didn't respond with her usual fluster.
"I'll tell you why."
Both heads shot to the left.
In the tree neighbouring theirs, hair as pink as the fluffy swirls of cotton candy, stood a shape all too familiar to Drew's eyes. His heart sunk to the bottom of his feet. Disappointing his father, that was one thing – it was to be expected – but disappointing Solidad? His mentor and good friend? That was something else entirely.
She perched with her shoulder resting against the willow's thick trunk, a stern light of disapproval glimmering in her eyes. "Hello, Prince Drew. May."
May looked to have shrunk three sizes under Solidad's piercing stare. Drew had to admire, however, that despite the anxiety she resonated with every fidget and twitch, she still somehow had the courage to reply with an awkward, "hello, Solidad," of her own.
Drew had his own way of solving conflict. He glanced around, quickly seizing what looked to be a luscious oak leaf in his palm. Not a rose, but it would have to do. "Why, Lady Solidad," he began with a fantastical flourish of his bangs, "Has anyone ever told you just how stunning you appear under the moonlight? Really, no woman could ever hope to compare-!"
"Shut it, lover boy. May." She turned her fiery blue eyes onto the awkwardly fidgeting girl. Something akin to compassion softened her stern features. Uh Oh. If there was one thing May hated more than Drew's obnoxiousness, it was pity. And Solidad seemed to be showering her with it now with just one simpering stare. "We all know your condition, but even I would hope you'd have more sense than this. Where's your sword?"
She bowed her head, perhaps to hide the frustration curling down at her lips. "Lost it."
"Drew." She turned back to the Prince, still feebly holding the steam of an oak leaf between his fingertips. "I'd ask where your obedience is, but I think we all know the answer to that question. C'mon. Let's go home."
"Home?" Even under such circumstances as these, Drew couldn't keep the distaste from soiling his tone.
"Yes. Home." With a gleaming spark of silver, Solidad withdrew the full length of her sword. "These are dark times for LaRousse. Darker times still loom closer. And I think all three of us need to have a good little chat."
Us…three?
Before he could even dwell on the peculiarity of her words, Solidad had leapt from her perch and crashed upright into the earth below. She swung her head up and grinned. May, not wanting to be shown up, gave a determined frown and copied her movements; she crashed into the ground in a clean roll, whipping up to stand on her feet just as the older knight had.
"Drew?" Solidad's grin was almost mischievous in nature. "Want me to catch you bridal style?"
He snorted. "I'll be fine, thanks."
The night hadn't turned out as he had expected. But as he joined Solidad and May to stand on firm earth once more, Drew couldn't help but hope that perhaps these mysteries were the winds of change billowing upon the horizon, beckoning him forward with an ever so dangerous allure.
A Prince could dream, right?
