The Hardened Heart

Marcus

"I don't excuse you, Cyric," Marcus said, blocking his path. "Titles are everything to royalty, I don't care if you care about them or not, they matter. Since you are royalty and your actions affect Father, me, and our siblings, you need to be more careful." He sighed and said, "if you knew more about the other races, you'd know that the elves prefer to play double-edged games where nothing is as it appears, while the Dragonians prefer to be direct, they respect raw power and subtlty is not their strength. You must know how to play their games."

Piecing together what he knew, he said, "You won't stand much of a chance against her, Cyric. I'm guessing Chantel is the girl you were with, and as a dragonian, her power will far exceed your own. Sparring with her is not good. In our own culture, fighting a woman is not a good thing to do, and losing to her will mean loss of respect."

Cyric nodded his head at what Marcus said about the races, but rolled his eyes nonetheless. He spoke, "Hey, she challenged me. Besides, she's not playing a game or anything. We're friends that had fun at a bar. And you and I both know that I'm one of the best fighters in the kingdom."

Marcus

"Key words, in the kingdom," Marcus said. "You may consider yourself one of the best, but seeing as you've yet to be in war, you can't claim that too boldly." He shook his head, and said, "it doesn't matter if she challenged you, you shouldn't have accepted. The two of us may see the value and strength in females, but we're about the only ones, and for now, we have to live up to expecations, not betray them. If you win, no one will say it was a great victory, and if you lose, you'll be met with ridicule. I won't stop you, but you should know that even if it's friendly to you, it won't be to others." It didn't appear to be true, but this was Marcus's way of looking out for his sibling, though it mainly appeared he was looking out for himself and his family's titles.

Cyric sighed, "Fine. I'll explain the situation to her. Sometimes being a Prince isn't as fun as it sounds."

Marcus

"It only sounds fun to those who aren't," Marcus said. "I'm glad you understand." He turned and walked away, down a hallway that would lead him to his room.

((I'm going to skip to midday if that's ok with everyone.))

(It's fine with me.)

(I'm fine with it as well.)

(I as well.)

Marcus

He had slept badly, there was something going on in the castle, but he had not deciphered what that was. Marcus was now standing in the garden again, his brain actually not thinking much, he just felt like his body was there, and his mind was somewhere else. Why think, why do anything, when there was nothing really worth living for in this world? Isn't what this whole thing is about though? Father not only wants an alliance, he wants you to find someone that makes you happy, his brain suddenly remarked.

"Maybe so, but happiness left with her, and I have yet to find anything that makes me feel as happy as spending time with her," he told himself. You don't give anything a chance, he replied. "I don't recall asking for your opinion," he snapped.

"Pardon me for interrupting, but who is it you're talking to, Prince Marcus?" Elala asked as she approached the Prince from where she had been deeper within the garden, lifting the branch of a flowered tree to step under it. She stopped a good 15 or so feet away, keeping her space from the Human, but studying him carefully. She had orginally thought she was alone, having been out here all night. The snowette had snuck out deep in the night in hopes of finding the plantlife of the area peaceful and calming. She wasn't sure where guards were posted just yet, so didn't dare go farther than the reaches of the garden.

Marcus

Marcus nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice, and turned to find one of the princesses that were guests in the castle. "Talking to? No one," Marcus said. "It was nothing. Are you enjoying the garden? It's a great place to be at peace."

Cyic yawned as he walked through the hallway. He really wanted to find Chantel, if only to inform her that he couldn't fight her. It was a shame really. He really wanted to see how well she fought.

Rebecca sat back for a second as she continued to work, and then she heard the click of the door behind her which meant the maid she had been gossiping with had left. The gardener pulled a small book out from under a bush and she pulled a small stick out of her hair. She then picked a berry off of the bush and poked the stick into it before turning the pages. She read over the title on the page before she began to quickly write another tidbit of information onto the page.
"Disappeared...found in kitchen when it was empty." She mumbled a few of the words as she wrote. She had to go back and rejuice the small sharp stick every other sentence, but the servant knew that it was worth it if it somehow helped the kingdom.

Rebecca blew onto the juice for a second before turning the pages before beginning to write some more.
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Ardal & Aine


"It's not like I was starting a fight like the Belenus were, it was just me releasing some energy. I don't see how it's any different then what you're doing here to be honest." Aine complained to her brother as she leaned against a stone wall. They were currently alone in a small kitchen area on the first floor around the southern wing of the castle. After a few hours of searching Ardal had discovered it so he could have a place to be alone and have some peace, unfortunately Aine was currently wrecking that plan.

"You left the safety of the castle and ran at full speed on a path where humans could have easily seen you on the first day since arriving here. It was irresponsible Aine, simple as that." Ardal pointed out as he looked away from the dough he had been kneading. The pleasantries and polite tone that the Elf usually used with everyone else was now gone, now replaced with a casual demeanor and a tone of voice that revealed that he was in fact annoyed at the moment.

"And is this responsible, a Prince cooking the day after arriving?" Aine replied in question as she looked up at her brother, feeling like she had made a very good point.

Oddly though Ardal simply chuckled at her statement and shook his head as though she were being foolish. "This helps me relieve stress without scaring anyone. Also, I was not sent here to court a Prince, but to keep you and everyone else safe." He replied while moving across the room and placing the dough into a rather hot stone oven. The Prince then walked over to a small container in the side of the wall and opened, which let in a rather disgusting stench. But before it could spread across the room Ardal mumbled something and the flour and dough on his hands fell off him and went into the bin. The latched door quickly shutting behind it.

"Just don't go anywhere where I wouldn't be able to find you within ten minutes notice, ok?" The elf requested as he put his hand onto his sister's shoulder, trying to make her understand.

Aine simply sighed in annoyance and nodded her head in agreement before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she went to explore more of the castle.

Elala tilted her head, unconvinced and not fooled after watching him start at her prescence, but she nodded anyways; not feeling the need to pressure him into an answer. It was likely none of her business, but not like that had ever stopped her before. "Yes, your gardeners do a fine job. Your plantlife..." She looked around a moment, "Is strange to me, but it's unique." the snowette said, looking back to the Prince.

--

"Yes, of course..." Chantel said, not really paying attention to the Dragon princess as she refitted her dress. "Hold your arms out." She said, for what seemed like the millionth time, but her voice protrayed no impatience whatsoever. The girl sighed dramatically, lifting her arms up again. Chantel pretended not to notice, taking the needle from her teeth and finishing up. "There, how does it feel? Better?" The girl looked in the mirror, "About as good as you can get it, I suppose." She said snobbishly, keeping a spoiled and haughty expression.

"I suppose..." Chantel echoed, putting her things away.

Marcus

"Yes, this garden is full of the rarest plants that could be found. It is the smallest, but the most beautiful in the castle," Marcus replied. "My mother started it. She arranged for every plant to be brought here, and planted them herself."

Karian

"Why, hello Prince Cyric," the dragonian princess cooed as she approached the younger male. "I am Princess Karian. It's a shame we haven't been able to talk before now."

Elala looked around once again. In her kingdom the royals had pretty much everything done for them whether they liked it or not, it amazed her that a Queen would have done all of this. She wondered why she had yet to meet the woman as she continued her gaze on the plants. "Your mother has good taste," She commented.

Marcus

"Had," Marcus corrected her. "My mother passed away when I was young." He seemed to just zoned out, his mind was back in the past, despite the current situation. His logical mind and skeptical attitude aside, he believed that a part of his mother remained here, that she could hear him here, and he frequented the place often to keep her up to date and reflect on his life. He came back suddenly and gave a fake smile that looked genuine. "I'm glad you like it here."

"In life or death, her taste remains good, and it lives on where she left it." Elala said, watching as his eyes changed just slightly for a few moments, before he smiled at her and said something she was too distracted to catch. The elven princess nodded slowly, not wanting to admit she hadn't heard him. Brilliant response, Elala. The thought drifted through her mind, and she had to keep from smirking when she returned his smile.

Marcus

"Perhaps," Marcus replied. "Do you believe in an afterlife," he asked suddenly, changing the topic. He knew little of elven religion, but he had heard that they believed in spirits, but not of any dieties. Perhaps the spirits were of the deceased.

Elala looked at him curiously, "I do." She said, taking a seat on one of the stone benches. "But, I'm not strong on any particular religion that my ancestors have practiced." She brushed her fingers against a lilac shaded flower of a kind she had never seen, watching as it folded in on itself at her touch, and then slowly opened as though it were blooming all over again. She knew she might've been slapped, or in the least bound to her chamber for the day for what she said, her parents having practically set a specific belief for her. Though it was ridiculous and mere nonsense to herself, and she only pretended to believe to keep on good terms with her father. She escaped from her thoughts long enough to look from the flower to the Prince, "How about yourself, Prince Marcus?"

Marcus

An elf who's differrent from the rest. Potential, but I'll need to see more of her and the others, Marcus thought as she spoke. "Yes, I do. I have yet to see any proof that denies the possibility of existance after the body dies," he said. "And proof is everything when changing an opinion."

Cyric started when he heard a woman's voice and saw that it was one of the princesses. Hoe bowed his head slightly, like he had been drilled to do by his father and teachers and spoke, "Well, this is my brother's party."

Proof is everything... The line echoed through her mind as she considered it, before looking back up to the Prince. "I have to disagree with you on that point," Elala stated, "Opinions change as we ourselves do. Proof or no." The statement came from her thoughts on before she knew anything outside the castle, and how she had viewed her family and life in general.

"Seeing isn't always believing."

Marcus

"Your way of thinking will change, but it's because of proof that things are different from the way you saw them before," Marcus retalliated. "My people once believed themselves to be the only race on this world, but they saw evidence disproving that. Proof is everything, otherwise there is no basis for progress, no discovering the truth, no accepting reality."

Karian

"Maybe it is, but that doesn't mean you can't dance and mingle with his guests," Karain replied. Getting this boy to talk about his brother might be harder than she had thought, he didn't seem interested in talking.

Elala stood from the bench, walking nearer to the Human. "Proof can support facts, Prince Marcus. Facts such as Humans not being the only race. But all it takes for an opinion is a belief, and someone to agree with it." She smiled, bowing slightly, "I'll leave you be now." Elala stated, before the snowette turned and left the magnificent garden for her guest chambers.