[ #𝐂𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐕𝐔𝐋𝐓 ] ── a dependent blog for 𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐌, penned by c
𝐚𝐳𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬 :
fae , prince of house aurelis , richard madden .
i . introduction . ii . pinterest . iii . countenance .
𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 :
fae , prince of house nymerion , apo nattawin .
i . introduction . ii . pinterest . iii . countenance .
𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐫 :
vampire , prince of house dragomir , zane phillips .
i . introduction . ii . pinterest . iii . countenance .
﹒azrien & alysa ( @ofheroism )
﹒upon a balcony , overlooking the grounds
the days had edged by with little distress , from within the walls of aureth , yet most importantly , from the city's newest guests. whether it was appropriate or not to call them such rested not on azrien's shoulders , but those of his mother , of the high queen and her duties to protect their people. it was but his duty to obey her word , to do what was required of him , even if it settled a putrid taste on the expanse of his tongue. there was little known of the vampires , of the creatures who had seemingly hid themselves from the rest of the realm , and azrien was hard pressed to simply believe the words from their own mouths.
it was a battle that settled presently within his own mind.
that is , until the sound of approaching footsteps drew his sharp gaze from the surrounding grounds. from those who still trained , either for the games or the unknown , and from those who treaded carefully , either from the rebels or the vampires that now shared their space. and onto his sister , who came to stand beside him.
whispered word had traveled quickly , slinking through the hallways , in the depths of each chamber , seeking out any willing ear. of the creatures that had once more stepped foot upon their soil. of the beasts that had been thought long extinct , only known by the elders of each domain. even in books , the text of them had dwindled , scarce , becoming nothing more than a fabled tale to spin to young fae reluctant to sleep.
for soravet , he had read nothing of them. he'd not known of their existence , or rumored existence , and thus had been pleasantly surprised at their arrival. that curiosity which walked like a companion at his side had flared , as if it were a fire brought back from dwindling embers. it had been that curiosity which spurred him on , to seek out one of these vampires , to see what it was about them which spurred a wave of fear and panic through the fae.
❝ you appear less of the wolf they claim , ❞ he mused softly , in that voice that bled with intrigue , with the curiosity that pushed him closer. if the high queen of aureth had allowed them to remain , it was not done so out of stupidity. there was no fear within sora as he stopped before the man , head pleasantly canted.
the vast hallways of the castle had echoed with the whispers of fae , from royals to servants , and all that settled in the between. their hushed voices had fluttered at his ears as if they were nothing more than a pestering insect , buzzing and humming , ever persistent. words of fear , of anger , of the unknown. for how long had they been under the assumption the vampires had all but gone extinct ?
then again , based on the echoes of fear in each of their voices , it seemed very few had even recalled the species to begin with. an intriguing thought , if soren weren't already annoyed with their cries in the darkened corners. he'd much rather they make their thoughts known to his face.
❝ princess , ❞ his acknowledgement of the approaching fae royal allowed his mind to return to the present , to the few feet around him , rather than the voices that still echoed so softly. ❝ are you to be my escort , lest you wish me to find myself lost upon these grounds. ❞
﹒soren & valeria ( @wrathgaze )
﹒outside the palace , a few days since their arrival
for days now , the fae had considered themselves clever , watchful from the corner of their eyes , keen on not catching his gaze. they wished to stare , to wonder , without making a show of it. yet , they did just that. with the way their breaths caught in their throats , how their hearts skipped a measurable beat when he stepped into view. he could practically smell their curiosity and hesitancy , their reluctancy to believe that the vampires were upon their soil for anything decent.
a part of him was annoyed , while another wondered how he could play.
❝ dear sister , ❞ he hummed at the knowledge of her approach , though his gaze did not drift from the fae that lurked about. ❝ do we satiate their curiosities now , or give them time to adjust ? ❞ a meager question asked , before soren allowed canines to descend , a mild display to those fae daring enough to keep their focus on him.
you were not born of love. you were not the blessing that was gifted from the cosmos to parents that would come to worship you. it was not in the stars that you would grow under the guidance of those that resembled you , but rather , under the care of the one who stepped forward. who welcomed you with open arms , with a heart that had always been too big for just the children of her own. it would be her that gifted you with both name and affinities , a consolation prize of sorts for the darkened welcome into the world around you.
as a young fae , you were cautious , skeptical of all those around you. if it had been so easy for two to abandon you , who was to say another wouldn't as well ? that you wouldn't turn around to see your mother , your siblings , nothing more than shadows cast from the flickering candles around you. it became your struggle , your cross to bear , as you buried it deep within your heart. it may have been these feelings , this voice in the depths of your mind , that manifested into the powers that grew within you.
from the mother who called you her own , came your affinity for celestial powers. yet from the feelings that etched themselves into your very being , came the darkness that crept at the edges of your vision. the shadows that swirled , that seemed to reach for you whenever you were near. the darkness became your ever present companion , where you could disappear into if the need ever arose. it was your shelter , even when the mountainous court was your home.
it was not long before the darkness became not your shelter , but your means of escape. or rather , where you could hide when the consequences of your actions came to seek you out. for the darkness had emboldened you , allowed you to break from the shell that had formed around you , that had hindered your true essence to be acknowledged by the realm. it was not long before the thoughts of the past hardly manifested , before you were barely the image of the young fae you had once been. no longer cautious , instead , you were defiant.
you began to push the boundaries , to revel in all that was offered to you , both within the capacity of your abilities and the realm around you. to eat , drink , blissfully indulge in all that exhilarated your senses. you had left behind your cautious disposition , and instead , became a curious creature. a curiosity that seemed insatiable , always begging , always scratching at the inside of your mind. questioning , wanting , eagerly pushing you further and further.
the darkness gave you your escape , your means of slipping from the consequences , yet , your astral projection gave you something far more. a means to see what others could not , a way to satiate that curiosity , for a spell , before it crept back in , fingers scratching , tugging. your sister had taken on the mantle of high queen , a responsibility that felt nothing more than a burden. and though you quietly mourned the one who had stepped up , who had become your mother when your own had turned away , you hardly presented as such. you remained boisterous , curious , playful , even with a storm cloud growing over your head.
you were not born the first , the heir , yet you were born with responsibilities , with the weight of the cosmos resting upon your shoulders. you were born second , before a string of siblings that would follow , sisters and brothers who would each become another responsibility placed upon your shoulders. a weight that you would carry until each of the stars in the night sky burned out.
you shouldered this responsibility since you had been a young fae , stumbling after your mother , following her guidance , listening to her words. you took it all in , if not for the siblings that would follow you , then for the fae that would look to your family for protection , for shelter , for the aid should any sort of misfortune befall them. you were not born their heir , yet you were born their prince , and you would vow to defend them with every atom in your being. a star plucked from the cosmos above , you would fight in their honor until you yourself burned out.
days were spent training , with sword , with bow and arrow , with whichever weapon was next placed into your hand. while nights were spent learning , of the history of your lands , of the history of others , of what the scholars could provide to you so that you understood your place within this realm. some may have called your birth luck , yet you were determined to ensure it was not gone to waste. that you would not be a royal who squandered this gift.
you were born with responsibilities placed upon your shoulders , thrust upon you , yet , were it those that had made you so cold ? that , despite the fire that tingled at your fingertips , your disposition always seemed so icy. you cared deeply for your siblings , for your people , yet , you seemed disconnected all the same. as if you were always meant to stand at a distance , to observe , to protect , yet never to be a part of. this feeling threatened to manifest your responsibilities into a burden , but you knew not how to rid yourself of it. this ever constant ache that steeled your bones , that wintered your blood.
you stand now at the precipice of a black hole , burdened with the art of battle , yet praying to the goddess that the era of peace remains. that the lands will never again be soaked with the blood of lives lost. that your siblings , your people , will not live in fear of what was to come , of what would creep out of the shadows , out of the darkness next.