However, you'll find that whereas I walk into walls, the chick... well, if you take the time to read it (please do! *begs*), you'll figure it out.
Well, I'm going to have a heck of a time with splits in posting, so bear with me!
Prologue
The half-demon’s sensitive ears twitched as the sound of hoofbeats reached them. He raised his head to look eastward, dropping the currycomb he carried in his left hand and dusting his hands off on his loose trews. He clicked a command to his horse and came out of the stables to find out was going on, and found himself confronted by three young women on horseback.
Great, he thought. Just what I needed.
He smiled politely at them when he saw they were looking at him. “Can I help you with anything, ladies?”
“Um, yes,” the foremost said, glancing around him. “We were directed to the stables by the guards- can I assume he meant the same ones you’re standing in front of?”
“Yes, you can,” he answered. “Just take them in, anywhere is fine. Er, the stableboys are in the back, I can fetch them for you if you’d like.” He turned to go, hoping that was the last he had to deal with them, but no such luck.
“Wait,” the girl called.
He turned back around.
“Actually, can you maybe give us some directions?” She dismounted smoothly, causing him to look at her carefully and note the practicality of her attire, and the way her blonde hair was pulled back into a no-nonsense knot on the top of her head.
He shrugged inwardly and thought, oh, what the heck. Doesn’t look to be too much trouble.
“Sure, what do you need directions to?” he asked.
“Well,” she smiled crookedly. “We’re from across the Wall, so we’re not precisely what you would call accustomed to the way things work around here, but I’m looking for some people and I was told to seek out the King. Perhaps you can help me…?”
He sighed. “The king is abroad right now, dealing with certain matters that required his attention. You’ll have to talk to the prince.”
“Oh,” she said, grimacing. “Alright. Well, we’ll take care of our horses first, so I guess his highness will have to wait.”
He stared at her, and a smile spread across his face. He coughed and turned around to cover it, indicating that they follow him. He scratched one of the doglike ears atop his head and said, “I’ll be right back, to fetch the stableboys for you, but it might take a second. They’re out in the pasture, assisting with a horse who threw a shoe.”
One of the other girls snorted. “Don’t bother,” she said, dismounting as easily as the first had. “We tend our own horses, and enjoy it too.”
A mark in their favor, in his eyes. He glanced at her and it was all he could do to keep his eyebrows from shooting up. She was small and slim, but hard, wiry muscle moved like liquid under her skin even as she flicked her brown braid over her shoulder. It hung down past her thighs, disappearing behind what really caught and held his attention. Slung across her hips was a belt, and on it a pair of twin blades, identical in every aspect and meant to be interchangeably dual-wielded. If he was any judge, those hilts looked used, and the muscle rippling throughout her body was a strong indication that she was the one who used them.
She scowled at him. “Excuse me,” she said pointedly, and led her mare past him and into the stables.
Oops. He grimaced to be caught staring at her, hoping she wasn’t misinterpreting his gaze, and looked the last girl over analytically. She dismounted smoothly as well, smiling brightly at him as she went by and walking along with a cheerful gait in stark contrast to the dangerously graceful stride of her companion.
The half-demon shoved his white hair back and followed them, going back to his previous task of grooming his patient stallion. A steady creature, he didn’t so much as twitch when he caught the scent of the mares.
He tried to ignore what was being said behind him, but his ears were sharp and curiosity was overcoming him. He caught a few snippets of conversation as he bent to his task, and what he heard sounded strange to him.
“They here?” the one with the swords inquired brusquely of the blonde one.
She paused. “Oh yeah. I’m certain. Close. Very close,” she said emphatically.
His back prickled with the sensation of being stared at, and he scowled to himself. Already, it had begun…
As the sensation continued, he forced down a growl of frustration. Yes, I’m a half-demon, he thought furiously. But I’m not evil, nor am I going to leap out and attack you at any moment. I didn’t ask you to come here. If you don’t like it, go back on your side of the Wall where everyone’s human and all men are created equal.
At least, from the looks of them and the fact that they spoke Common, he was assuming that’s where they were from- America. It had always sounded like a decent enough place, in principle, but he couldn’t imagine not being able to use magic, having to rely on those ‘electric’ things those on the other side of the Wall liked so much.
The sensation of being stared at went away, and he relaxed slightly, releasing his temper. They weren’t so bad, he told himself. They hadn’t said anything, after all. Gradually, he heard the sounds of them finishing up, and did so himself, facing them once more.
There were only two, the blonde one and the cheerful brunette. Strange, he hadn’t heard the other one leave…
The brunette rolled her eyes at the puzzlement on his face and sighed, shaking her head in exasperation and causing her short hair to bounce. “Behind you.”
He turned around and started in surprise when he saw the girl there, looking up at him with clear hazel eyes and a disturbingly neutral expression.
“Stop scaring the poor guy,” the brunette said teasingly to her.
The one with the swords shrugged. “Oops. Now we need to find this prince, so can you tell me where he is?” This last was directed toward him, of course.
He bit down a short brush-off and swallowed his annoyance, then bowed to all three of them. “Right here. What can I do for you?”
She raised her eyebrow. “You’re the prince?”
“That’s right.” He matched her gaze challengingly, raising his chin.
“Well then,” the blonde interrupted, gaining his attention. “I’m Robin, this is Katie,” she indicated the girl beside her with the short hair. “And this is Michael.” She indicated the third with a wave of her hand. “And we’re here on business that I am not quite prepared to discuss. However, I was informed that the king would give us lodgings for a while to conduct our business, proof of which I carry in my bags.”
She glanced at them, sitting there on the ground beside the stall her mare was in.
“May I see it?” he asked politely.
“Certainly.” She held out her palm, and suddenly there was a scroll resting in it. He blinked, but accepted it.
A mage, then. Interesting, how casually that was done…
He scanned the parchment, seeing that it was indeed in his father’s hand and did indeed permit them a stay here at the castle. He handed the scroll back to her with a bow. “I am Prince Jonaleon, then. Welcome. I will make you comfortable at the castle, then we shall see about providing you with whatever you may need,” he recited like any civil host, but he was inwardly grinding his teeth. Guests. Now he had to keep an eye on them as well as Cloasia, to make sure his half-brother didn’t cause any trouble.
And if he could just keep them out of his hair, keep them far away, it wouldn’t be so bad when they turned against him like everyone else always did. Hopefully, their business wouldn’t take them too long and they’d be gone soon. He grimaced once more and asked in a careful tone, “Forgive me, but you introduce yourselves merely by your first name… have you any title, any particular rank or way you ought to be referred to?”
The one with the swords snorted again. “Yeah. Michael. And forgive me, Prince, but I do not believe that is at all important to what we are doing here. We’re from the USA- no doubt you’ve heard of it. There’s no such thing as rank or nobility, or royalty. Call me by my name or not at all.”
When the prince finally got them all into their guest lodgings and settled, playing the polite prince and seeing to it personally instead of sending a servant, he was only too glad to get away. Shutting the door of Michael’s room behind her, he walked off down the hallway irately, storming by his half-brother and ignoring him, muttering, “What a little b-”
The rest of the word was cut off by the slamming of the door behind him. His half-brother glared at where he had gone and continued on his way, waiting to see who the new people were who apparently had such talent for annoying the prince.
it works half the time...
Gender:
Points: 890
Reviews: 101