Fantasy Project Anima (Ranix & InkedFox)

[Ranix Aurus]

Right at the moment when he finished the page's worth of text, his quill dried out and with it went the last drop of ink that he had for the night. Not even a month's supply of ink could satisfy the Prince's demand, as evidenced by the pile of bottles hastily discarded at the corner of the study room. He could always ring the bell to fetch another one, but decided not to. The poor maid had had a rough day already without him disturbing her sleep in the dead of the night.

The large study room, lined with rows of books procured from everywhere around the continent, had long since become the dwelling of choice for Argillys Frauvent Serion, the Seventh Prince of the Kingdom of Serion. His fascination with the unknown had earned him the unofficial title of The Scholarly Prince. More than anything, he knew that it was just another way of jeering him as "weak". While his half-brothers piled up recognition on the battlefields, he himself chose to remain in the capital, safe within the confine of the royal family's castle wall, where he spent his days -and nights- consuming the ever-growing collections in the royal library.

The Prince pondered whether he should left tonight's work until dawn come, but decided to spend the time reading instead of sleeping. He moved his chair closer to the nearest bookshelf, being careful to put a tiny space between the shelf and the chair. He then picked a random book from the topmost shelf and plopped down, quickly becoming absorbed in the knowledge unfolding from within the pages.

 

[InkedFox]

WHAT LURKS...

The Scholarly Prince-- it was the title of her mark. She found herself somewhat irritated that the guild had found it fit to stick her with such an easy mark. So easy in fact, that she had been sitting in a dark corner of the library, watching him silently as she perched atop one of the tallest book shelves. There had been multiple opportunities to slay him and slip out quietly, but she found herself bored with ending it like that.

After all-- this had been the first royal she had been allowed to lay hand on, and though he was meek and disappointing, she was still intrigued to see exactly what a royal's blood was made of. So she elected to play with him a while. She was so elusive that even if he did manage to catch a glimpse of her she'd simply disappear like smoke and leave him feeling as though he were hallucinating. Even so, the young prince had trouble seeing past the magical veil of shadow that cloaked her presence now.

--and like a golden-eyed cat, watching its master go about his nightly routine; she watched him patiently and with mild interest. He was peaceful--- and surprisingly, modest with his wealth, choosing to surround himself in literature rather then finery, and this baffled the assassin. Her share of experiences with nobles had taught her that they were often overfed and over-pampered-- but this one. He was quiet, and reminded her of the carpenter's assistant from town. Another meek and modest young man; though hard working and often pushed around by the master carpenter. That commoner did good work, and kept his mouth shut even when she herself had felt the urge to retort.

Her mischievous and curious nature overtook her, and within the beat of a butterfly's wing; her shadow magic crumpled about her in a silent and undetectable manner before expanding and dissipating like a breeze --which blows open a tiny window just above the tall bookshelf she had perched upon. Moments later, a sleek black cat creeps in through the window and perches at the edge of the towering bookshelf. Staring down at the prince with vivid yellow eyes. It purrs and then mewls at the prince.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The content of the book was not something he would partake in broad daylight. It was a journal made by the pioneer of the land. Overly dramatized, what should’ve been a lesson in history had been turned into mere entertainment for the masses. A waste of time for his studies, but an amusing pastime when he had nothing else to do and wanting to ease his mind from all the thoughts squirming endlessly inside.


He was about to reach the part where the adventurers fought a dragon, again, most likely an exaggeration of some more grounded facts, when he noticed a faint mewl coming from the edge of the window. Hmm, weird…he could’ve sworn that he had locked the window right before he retreated to the far corner of the room. His eyes slowly rose toward the open window, but found nothing except darkness looming outside.


Another meowing. This time it was closer. The Prince’s eyes crept upward until they met with a pair of golden eyes staring at him from atop the bookshelves. A black cat had sneaked in. Ah, that would explain the meowing. Perhaps he had left the window ajar, his memory failing him due to exhaustion, and the feline took the opportunity to hide here until the night passed.


"I see that you have made a rather comfortable abode up there," the Prince smiled at the cat. "Pray come down and join me. The night is cold, but having a company would quickly warm one’s soul."


He made a gesture with his hand, waving at the cat to lure it down.

 

[InkedFox]

THE PROBLEM WITH CATS...

"Meow~" The cat mewled once more, inspecting the welcoming prince with round, reflective eyes. It purred deeply, before curling its form and in a graceful leap; jumped down from the shelf, landing in his lap, but nimbly hopping up to his desk before he can lay hands on her. She sits atop a book that had been left on the desk, and pausing to clean her paw with curt strokes of her pink tongue, she seems mildly disinterested in him for now, and nonchalantly begins to groom herself. Until its curious sharp eyes lock with the remaining empty inkwell on his desk, which she promptly bats off of the table top and onto the ground where it clatters and rolls off into a dark corner. A remaining droplet of ink has stained her paw and instead of resuming her grooming, she chooses to track paw prints across his desk and through several pieces of parchment he had just spent a few hours writing.

"Meeeeeooowwww~" She mewled in a needy tone before hopping down from the desk and heading toward the doors of the library. She presses her face and glides her body against the entrance as if she is asking to be let out. Subsequently, she continues to meow in a needy tone, demanding the prince come and attend the door for her.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Argillys was surprised when the cat suddenly leaped to his lap. Wild creatures tend to keep away from humans, but this cat certainly was a playful one. Oh well, a pet or two wouldn’t be so bad, right? Petting cats were known to relieve stress after all…Just when he was about to reach out to it, the cat jumped away to his table. Oh…never mind then. He retracted his hand back with a slight disappointment showing on his face.


He just watched as the cat made chaos atop his table. A bit annoyed, even. The documents itself wasn’t that important, and the library had a few more copies of the book, but it was still something he had worked for days, now. Smearing them with ink was a no good.


“Hey, you…” He tried once again to reach out to it, but the cat proved itself to be faster than what he could hope to be. This time it was meowing while rubbing itself on the door. What now? It wanted him to open the door? What was he, a butler? He quickly rose up from his chair and walked toward the cat, wanting to give it a piece or two of his mind.


…Actually, he just opened the door. Ugh…nothing would be achieved from getting angry at an animal, after all. He just let out a tired sigh.


“You’re awfully rude for an uninvited guest, you know?” He remarked. Here he was, a royal Prince of Serion, talking to a cat in the midst of the night. If the maids saw him they would’ve started gossiping. “Are you trying to lead me somewhere?”

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

THE PROBLEM WITH CATS...

The prince was awfully accommodating and though her antics were annoying, he managed to contain his anger and instead obeyed her wordless commands. Opening the door for the cat he looked down and inquired at her, in which the cat simply stared up at him with large illuminated eyes, and mewled happily. It swished its long, languid tail and caressed the length of its body gratefully against his shins.

Then darted out of the room, and down the first corridor connecting to the royal library. At the first branch in the hallway, it turned down the hall, breaking line of sight for the prince. Only moments later did a thunderous crash ring out throughout the emptied hallways. The sound echoed and was metallic and heavy as if something had been knocked over. By the time the Prince would come to investigate, he would find a decorative suit of armor toppled over in the middle of the hall, and the cat sitting on the back of the chest chitin, licking its paws as innocent as ever.

Little did the Prince know that the assassin had set a trap, rigging one of the heavy chandeliers in the hall to come crashing down the moment he drew closer to inspect the cat's accident. The feline on the other hand, sat right at the center of the bait, with the rope supporting the chandelier clearly in its line of sight.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

For a while, the beast –albeit tame- was content with hovering around his shins, but as cats wont to do, it jolted away from him, as unpredictable as its arrival. The cat finally went out of his line of sight and the Prince was content with it doing so. He was eager to return back to his work, and the night was still long. At least this was something he could weave a tale about for the maids.

That was, until he heard a loud crashing noise from the hallway, right where the cat had disappeared into. Oh, no… he cursed at himself. This was the price of letting a wild animal scurrying around in the royal palace. It must’ve had broken a vase or two in its erratic stride.

He could’ve let the maids take care of it in the morning, but curiosity got the better of him. The Prince broke a sprint toward the corridor, only to see the cat in the middle of the hall, perching atop a fallen set of armor among other chaos it had created.

“You…” the Prince was hovering between anger and amusement. In the end, amusement won, and a slight smile fashioned his face. “You’re hopeless, aren’t you? Come, let’s get back to the library. I can’t let you run amok here. Come on, kid. I’ll get you a glass of milk.”

He scooted closer slowly, trying not to scare the cat. He couldn’t let it run even further down the corridor, where the King had put expensive vases on display. It wouldn’t just end with a simple apology. They might even have fried cat as dinner. In his eagerness, however, the Prince failed to notice the trap laid by the cat.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

THE PROBLEM WITH CATS...

The cat simply sat there, thinned eyed and waiting as the trap was all too easily filled. --way too easily. How gullible was he? Just as he drew in, the fickle assassin decided this was not the time to end him; though the mischievous spark in his eyes brought thoughts of other things. If he was so eager for a different pace, she'd certainly oblige him before she killed him; a last wish of sorts.

In response to his coaxing, the cat jumped back with an irritated yowl and scurried further down the hall; finding a large and rather expensive looking display shelf with many shining exotic vases. The cat perched at the very top and licked it's paw and mewled again, as if waiting for the Prince to come and retrieve her. At the very end of the top shelf where the cat sat, was also a very delicate looking vase. Which the feline soon took interest in and began pawing at the decoration inquisitively, and incidentally nudging it from the lip of the shelf little by little.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Ah, wait...!"

The Prince failed to catch the cat. More like, the cat ran with all of its might down the hall. Right at where the King's collection of vases were displayed! His heart sunk immediately with the gravity of the situation. Hurriedly he gave chase, stomping with all his might to move his body as fast as possible toward the cat, noise be damned.

The scene awaiting him was a horrifying one. There was no broken vase yet -thank the Three Goddess for that- but the cat was now playing around with the biggest, most delicate of them all. No, not that! Not the tribute given by the duke of Barmekid! It was the King's most prized possession, favored amongst others for the beautiful shades of color akin to rainbow decorating its body and rim. If that were to fall, head will start to fall.

"Kitty, kitty, get down here please. I beg you," the Prince tried to coax the cat to get down and leave the vase alone. Or at least, just stay away from there. No, please don't nudge it any further! The Prince moved closer toward the shelves bit by bit, preparing himself to leap and catch the vase in case fate dictated it to fall.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

THE PROBLEM WITH CATS...

The cat watched him lazily, and lost interest in his coaxing words. Its attention turns back to the vase, and nudging the shiny object further over the edge. By the time the prince has managed to tread close enough, the vase was left tittering as the cat lost interest once more, and turned to squeeze its body behind the decorative obstruction. As the shadowy feline glided by, the vase finally wobbled over the edge and fell. Fortunately the prince had been close enough to be able to easily catch it if he simply put his hands out. Unfortunately, the row proceeding that exquisite trinket was knocked over the edge, and fell one after the other, with loud subsequent crashes as each treasure was carelessly shoved out of the way of the cat who seemed intent on getting away from the prince.

"AAHH! Argillys Frauvent Serion!!" The queen's voice could be heard as she came sweeping around the corner in her night robe; drawn in by the loud crashing. Her angry cry echo shrilly off the halls as she came face to face with her beloved husband's treasures in ruin on the floor, and standing not two feet away was Argillys, with the king's favorite vase in his hands.

"Put that down! Have you gone mad!?" She shouts at him, nearly going red in the face. She marches over and rips the vase from the Prince's hands and marvels over at the mess on the floor. She gasps again noticing that a suit of armor has also been knocked over. The very suit of armor that had been gifted by the Rumarian dignitary.

"What has gotten into you?" She scolded him and pointed sharply at the suit of armor. As if on cue, a sharp snap is heard and the chandelier's withered rope finally gives way, allow it to come crashing down right behind the suit, and shattering into crystalline shards. The queen's mouth fell agape, and she pinned Argillys with sharp accusing eyes. By this time, the cat that had once been on the shelf is gone-- there is no trace of the animal anywhere. It is as if it had never been there to begin with.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

People said that time moved slower when your life flashes in front of you. Time did seem to move ever so slowly as the cat knocked down the King's most prized vase. The only thing in Argillys's mind is to salvage it somehow. He stretched out his hands using every inch of his body length to reach it. If only he could reach it...!

In the end, he succeeded in his endeavor. Time started to move in normal pace once more now that his adrenaline rush died out. Just in time for the harmonious sound of vases breaking one after another filled the hallway. Aaah...he had protected the vase, but at what cost...this will really anger the King...

Right on cue, as if fate was playing down on him, came the Queen, the First Lady of the King. She was hardly a mother figure for Argillys, although he accepted that she was a kind enough woman for him to be fond of her...if only she would not go to a lengthy fit of lecture everytime he did something bad. The Queen can run her mouth off if she wanted to.

"It-it's not my fault! The cat was..."He tried to point toward where the cat was going. To his horror, there was no cat in sight. But how? This was a straight corridor, how...

"Argillys! It is unbecoming of a royalty to blame someone else!"

Here comes the lecture. She kept him occupied until dawn, chewing down on him like a demon. The spectacles lured the attention of their numerous maids and butlers. Only after the head butler came and calmed her down did he got a reprieve, and was allowed to retreat back to his room.

He fell to his bed like a sack of dirt. Curse that cat...if he ever saw it again...!

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

BLACK CATS AND CROSSED PATHS...

Like a nightmare coldly creeping into reality; a sweet and prolonged mewling could be heard from the corner of the prince's bed room. --There in the shadows of his dimly lit room sat the silhouette of a feline, curled comfortably onto his personal desk. A long and languid tail sweeping lazily behind it as it regarded the Prince with bright and luminescent golden eyes.

The very aura of the creature was smug, with it's twinkling eyes silently mocking the young man. Slowly it began to rise and stretch its back, curling its elegant spine in to a high arc before stretching out the full length of its body. It turned it's back to the prince and sauntered off into the dark shadows of the room cast by the early hours of the morning. It's ink colored fur making it all but disappear from sight within the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a lithe voice called out. "Gill! Argillys! --It's me, Amelia. I heard what happened; let me in!" The nobleman's daughter had been staying at the palace for some time as her father, a Duke, had come to request the king's aid. Within that time she had taken a liking to the quietest prince and often came to tease him just to see his flustered face. --But she was surprised to hear of Prince Argillys suddenly having a fit and destroying the king's mantle pieces. It was so uncharacteristic...

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Argillys couldn't believe his eyes; there was that cursed cat, merrying atop his desk as if it owned the place. Such disrespect! His body screamed for him to sleep it off, seeing how tired he was, but the Prince couldn't just let a random feline shamed him without repercussion. He slowly got up, almost failing in his feeble attempt, but when he finally stepped down from his bed and sauntered over to the desk, the feline had jumped off.

"Wait, you little...!"

The creature was too fast for the Prince's battered body. Off it goes into the dark shadow of the room, until he couldn't see it anymore. He would have gone further if not for the gentle knock on the door. An acquaintance was calling out to him

"W-wait, I'm coming,"

He was not a man of proper conduct within the palace, and so people he knew tend to come to his room without announcement beforehand. With the other, more mature Princes, people would need to make arrangement with their council, but with young Princes, and Argillys, it was not the case. He walked stiffly toward his room, opening the door cautiously. He didn't want the cat to see that opening and sprinted off when he couldn't catch it.

"Lady Amelia, to what honor do I have your presence?" Argillys gave her a gentle, albeit premeditated, smile. It was common sense to maintain their attitude at all time, especially toward important people like the nobles. Even Argillys, not one to care much about appearance, would keep his words in check due to habit.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

BLACK CATS AND CROSSED PATHS...

Lady Amelia pinned the tired looking Prince with great scrutiny. She was a bit of a troublemaker in her own household despite her meek and proper looks, and often snuck off between her lessons to come and pester Argillys. She had had quite the crush on him since she had arrived and her handmaidens were constantly feeding her information about his whereabouts. Which is why she came rushing over so early in the morning to check on his highness.

"Gill--" She had taken to referring to him informally as she regarded him as a close friend, and he never saw fit to correct her, which she understood as a sign of him being equally affectionate towards her; though, he was not. "Are you alright? What happened with your father's trophies? Were you upset?" Amelia peered up at him with great concern in her clear blue eyes. She could see the exhaustion wearing on his weary smile and that made her heart ache. His clothes were slightly disheveled and large bags had begun to weigh beneath his soft and gentle eyes.

Still, the noblewoman was a bit suspicious when Argillys would only crack the door open a little and she leaned over as if trying to get a better look inside his room. "Ummm... --May I come in for a bit to talk?" Her eyes flashed back over to him. "Is this a bad time?" A part of her heart crept over with the chill of fear that he may have a woman in his room with him, and he was trying to conceal her.

As if on cue, just behind the Prince, a silhouette of a person passed the window but the dimness of the room cast the figure in total shadow. Amelia could make out only the slight curve of a feminine form and her heart clenched. "--Are you with someone right now?" Her throat suddenly felt tight with the prospect left hanging in the air and her heart sank. "I'm sorry this must not be a good time..."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Amelia was a nice girl, and someone he can considered a friend. Even if he didn't show it, he felt at ease when being with her. Mainly because he didn't think Amelia would actively meant harm to him, unlike most people involved in the politic of the Crown.

Her presence right now was not really in a good time, however, as if he opened the door a crack more, it would be large enough opening for the feline to pass through. Gosh darn it, did he remember to close the window? He did, didn't he? As far as he remember, cats haven't learned how to open windows yet, so at least that front was safe.

"Yes, yes, a very bad time for morning conversation, milady. But if you would give me a few seconds -no, minutes, to take care of my business, I would gladly accompany your morning stride..."

He was a bit confused when her expression changed so suddenly. She was peeking through the gap of the door...no, did she see the cat? That accursed feline wasn't trashing his room on his behind now was it?

"Lady Amelia, forgive me to cut short our meeting...what? Yes, I'm with someone right now. A very troublesome someone."

A cat.

"I have to finish my problem with her first before I can move on."

Because that thing destroyed the family trophies and only fried cooking would salvage it.

"Please, milady, after I'm finally satisfied of this urge..."

Of getting revenge on the cat.

"...I can only see you some other time. Farewell!"

He closed the door rather abruptly, and then turned his attention back to the problem at hand. His eyes darted around, trying to locate the now-hidden cat. It should still be here somewhere, and he won't stop until he find it!

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

BLACK CATS AND CROSSED PATHS...

With the door shut on her nose, Amelia felt her face grow warm, and her stomach knotted. The notions 'with her' and 'satisfied of this urge' echoed in her head and sent pangs of jealousy and heart break through the noble girl's chest. She wouldn't allow herself to cry out in public and instead stormed off back to her quarters, where she could cry into a pillow and vent her unhappiness to her hand maidens. Amelia was so confused. she was sure Argillys was a nice young man, and here he was; rebelling against his father and sneaking unknown women into his room! The noblewoman was intent to find out just who this harlot was---!

As if stranger things could not happen in one night, when the Prince turned, he would discover the window directly next to his desk opened, and a light breeze was now billowing into the room, rustling the silk curtains. On the very window sill sat the smug looking cat. Its bright eyes the only feature that was noticeable against its pitch black fur. Again it watched him with lazy eyes, as if mocking him, and daring him to give chase. It's smooth tail curled and uncurled behind it, as if it were beckoning the young man over. How far would he go to catch the menace? --and what else could go wrong if he didn't?

As if having waited for him to realize this, the cat turns and slinks out the window, and gracefully walks a narrow ledge connected to the exterior sill. It sits directly in front of a decorative stain glass window across from the Prince's bed; as if it knew that this portal could not be opened. The only way the prince could get to her would be to brave the ledge, and hope he was fast enough to catch her before she darted again. She knew he wouldn't be-- but a part of her wanted to tease him and test his courage. How far would he go for a grudge? It sat there just beyond the painted glass, its silhouette was left abstract and fractured by the many faceted panels in the stain glass pane. --But one could clearly make out the motions of it restfully licking it's paw, biding its time.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The Prince stared through the stained-glass window with bewildered eyes. The window was open -there is no way it could be open! He was certain that it was closed just a while ago! No, a cat can't open a window. That's. Impossible. He felt the world started to spin around him. Maybe he was getting crazy. For a moment he felt an urge to just forget about all of this. Not worth the effort to catch that cat..

...No. He had come this far. Now that his pride had been scarred oh so terribly, by a stupid animal to boot, he couldn't stop just yet. Gathering his courage, he started to make his way across the ledge, one graceful step at a time. The morning wind was gentle, but at this height it was still horrifying. He inched closer toward the cat, who was still perched at the edge without a care in the world, staring at him mockingly.

Just you wait. Oh the things I will do to you when I get you...

The Prince sprung into action when his arms were in range. Using one hand to clutch on the edge of the stained-glass window, he lunged with his other arm, stretching as far as he could toward the cat. His fingers were just a hair's breadth from touching its tail. He gripped with all his strength, confident that this time, he would made it.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

BLACK CATS AND CROSSED PATHS...

"Meow---" There was that sweet and mocking mewl again, as the cat sat quite calmly watching the young prince reach for it. It didn't even bother moving as it calmly watched the terrified yet determined young man reach for it's long ribbon like tail. Then, suddenly---

Crack!

The tile just beneath the Prince's foot snapped in half and let his weight slip free from the ledge, and the cat simply sat there watching him with dull amusement in its bright eyes, as the Prince tumbled down towards the courtyard. The next sound to resound throughout the quiet yard was a shrill and curt rip, as the Prince fell directly through the roof of his Lordship's carriage, that had just arrived a minute earlier and parked there. His majesty had just been preparing to disembark and return to his quarters after a long and tiring journey, but this was certainly a surprise 'welcome home'.

He did not expect to be greeted by Argillys so early and prompt upon his arrival, and he expected the boy to come falling through the roof of his carriage even less. The King sat stone still as he examined the boy who had safely landed on the plush carriage seat in front of him and then looked up at the huge hole that had been ripped through the golden silk of the canopy.

"Argillys?" The king asked in disbelief. He was still trying to put together how the boy had come flying in through the roof of his carriage. "What are you doing?" The weary king had much on his mind since returning from his diplomatic talks, and he certainly had no energy left to be outright angry with him; instead he was just extremely baffled.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Gravity was an annoying little prick. Right when he was about to get the cat, it drove him down, plummeting toward the hard ground below. His life flashed for an instant, with him lamenting what he could have done instead of chasing a lame little beast, but death would not come so easily for the prince. Instead of his skull breaking into pieces after crashing on the castle pavement, he fell straight through the roof of the royal carriage. He comically ended up sitting atop the cushion right across the King, whose flabbergasted expression was too easy to perceive. The entire journey still hurt his bottom, greatly so, not to mention the sudden increase of blood pressure. He was still astonished that he didn't die from heart attack right then and there.

But for a moment, the rage he felt toward the cat slipped away in an instant. The world started to spin, forcing him to close his eyes. The King's weary voice fell to deaf ear as Argillys tried to quell the rising emotion inside of him. The King of Serion was known as a charismatic leader, whose bravery and undaunted persona struck either awe in the heart of his subjects or fear among his adversaries. Yet for him, he was merely a father.

A father who had abandoned him for so long.

"I...was performing research about the castle," after a while, the Prince opened his eyes and uttered a quick-thought lies. He returned back the King's inquisitive gaze with resolute eyes, not letting him sense that he was lying. Whether the King realized it or not was no concern; it was merely a show of force. "The roof gave way, resulting in my downfall. But I see that you have returned safely, Milord."

The King shook his head. "Enough with your games. You are a Prince of this country. Your brothers had bore fruit of honor and conquests across the land. You shall perform well as tactician in the field instead of playing around in the castle all day and night."

"You spoke too highly of this unworthy me," he stood up, ignoring the pain on his entire body. That fall hurt. He might look okay, but he was sure his body was bruised all over the place. "I will give it a thought. I promise a well-earned result in the near future."

The King didn't say anything as he watched his son walked out of the carriage. "Utter fool," he murmured to no one in particular.

Walking back to his room, the Prince tried to avoid the gaze of people around him. Maids turned each time they caught sight of him, but he dismissed them with a few polite words and a forced smile. His mind was too distraught to handle a conversation at the moment, and the only thing he wanted to do was returning back to the confine of his quarter. Instead of his bedroom, where the accursed cat was, he retreated back to his study.

After locking the door, double-checking to ensure no wild cat or two would enter, he finally sunk into his favorite recliner, closing his eyes with a tired sigh.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

MISERY LOVES COMPANY...

The assassin by now had had her fill of fun, but the boy's reactions and the trouble that was brewing around him spurred on her mischievous spirit. She watched the boy slink from the carriage and back to his room, all the while staying comfortably unseen in the shadows of the palace. She was still deciding if she wanted to play with him a little more, or put him out of his misery finally.

Her answer came when a noble lady came to his door at his study many hours later, where he had retreated too, and knocked lightly. This woman Nazena had come to know as Amelia Yorickstein of Castle Fletch. A feudal kingdom on the outskirts of the capitol. Nazena had also noted that she was quite smitten with the young man, and she was usually the one to come interrupting Nazena's observations. Amelia had been a thorn in Nazena's side for a long time, but since she had begun playing a game she thought it would be fun to involve more players.

Amelia approached Argillys' study and knocked lightly. She waited to hear anything stirring inside but it was silent. Hours had passed since she had last seen him, and in fact-- a whole night had passed since he had slipped into his study. Now it was nearly breakfast time and no one had yet seen Argillys emerge from his study. Amelia wondered if something was wrong and had come to check on him herself. The noblewoman knocked once more, but instead of Argillys' voice, she was met with the sound of purring as a stray black cat came sauntering out of the shadows to caress the length of itself against her skirt.

"Oh hello kitty!" Amelia cooed at the stray and bent down to stroke its fur. "Are you Argillys' friend---?" The memory suddenly hit her of what had happened between her and Gill the last time she had come to see him, and her heart ached. She wondered if that mysterious woman was connected with Agrillys' strange behavior. Those thoughts were shook loose as the cat purred and meowed up at her. It's twinkling yellow eyes fixed to her.

"Are you hungry kitty? Does Gilly feed you?" She asked as she bent down and peered between Agrillys' study and the cat.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

When he opened his eyes, what awaited him was the sight of his usual study room, albeit in total darkness save for a sliver of light piercing through the gap between the thick curtains. He remembered that he had shut himself in the study room for a quick rest, and closed off all possible entrance in order to ward off the cat haunting his entire yesterday. Thankfully, he saw no sight of the cat at the moment. But how long had he fallen asleep? He quickly opened the curtain. The sun was shining weakly in the horizon. From the color of the sky, it was a bit after dawn.urb

Did he just sleep through the entire day? Last time he had consciousness, it was some time before noon. Chasing the cat around must've taxed his body more than he'd initially thought. And nobody had the thought to wake him up. Heh, as expected. If this was his older brothers, they would've looked for them in panic. He was merely an useless Prince, not needed by anyone. The more he stayed out of everyone's way, the better.

But he remembered that he was woken up by a knock on the door. Who was it? It was rare for anyone to disturb him in the study room, unless...it was Amelia. The daughter of Duke Yorkstein was a bit of a pain, but she was still his friend. And so he lazily got up to his feet, about to open the door so as not to let her wait for too long.

"Oh, hello kitty!"

Her voice made his spine shivered. He couldn't have heard it wrong, had he? As swift as the wind, he opened the door to see Amelia and the cat from earlier. When his eyes landed on the cat, he knew it was that accursed feline. It had to be.

"Lady Amelia, listen to me carefully. Please remain calm and trust me," he started to bend down bit by bit, keeping a straight eyes toward the cat. "Do not move from there, okay? Do not...Move...RAAGH!"

He lunged forward with all his might, his arms stretched toward the cat while using his entire body to block the cat's escape.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

MISERY LOVES COMPANY...

Amelia froze the moment the door was ripped open, and there stood a wild-eyed Prince Argillys. His hands postured like claws as he bent down and regarded the cat. Amelia was completely taken off guard.

"What are you--?" She began but her mouth was left a gape as she watched him lunge towards her legs. The cat, spooked by his abrupt leap, took the nearest escape it could find. Instead of back treading and falling into the Prince's grasp, it jolted forward. Darting beneath Lady Amelia's dress and giving her quite a shock as she felt the brush of soft fur tickle at her calves as the animal raced off. The sudden sensation made her weak, and her knees buckled slightly, though, she tried to hold herself up and avoid trampling the cat at the same time. Instead, she ended up stumbling right into Argillys' path. Toppling over, she fell with the prince laid atop her, and his arms wrapped about her legs.

Before she could even stop herself, she shrieked, "Argillys!!"

Her cheeks lit up like embers from the accidental embrace. A few maids raced out into the hall to see what the disturbance was, and there, found the Prince wrapped around the Duke of Yorickstein's daughter. Whispers cascaded down the corridor as the maids began to duck in and out of rooms, nervously glancing down the hall, but unsure if they should interrupt the situation or go about their business.

"Oh-- Gill! I'm s-sorry!" Amelia scrambled to get free of him, but his weight proved a little too much. She understood the situation though, or at least she hoped she did. "Are you alright? What's gotten into you?"

Ranix Aurus

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The Prince's was too clouded in his single-minded pursuit for the feline such that he couldn't comprehend the implication of his action. Even with his arms circled around Amelia's legs, all he could saw was the darting visage of the jet-black cat, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor. If he let up now, he would be left behind again. No more, no more would he be defeated by a mere animal!

"You guys! Don't just stand there, catch that cat!"

He let one of his arms go, and pointed down the corridor. As expected, though, nobody gave him a reaction. They had entered the scene too late to see the cat. Help didn't seem to be available for him, just like before. With a heavy sigh, the Prince abruptly got up, but before stumbling a bit, hindered by his other arm still touching her legs.

"Ah, my apology, Lady Amelia. Hey, help the Lady. I have something to attend to."

The maids were left in confusion as they watched their patron hurrying down the corridor as if possessed. The girls tended to the still-shocked Amelia, helping her to get up and brushed off dust on her dress. A few of them in the back couldn't contain themselves and started murmuring gossip. Ah...rumors would spread in no time at this rate.

On the other hand, Argillys, fully oblivious to what was at stake, kept on running, trying to catch a glimpse of the cat. It might be futile if the cat had already jumped out of the window, but if there was still a chance that it was still in the castle, he wouldn't let it pass him even if that meant his death.

InkedFox

 

[InkedFox]

THE PRINCE OF MISCHIEF...

Amelia was flabbergasted by Agrillys' callousness towards the situation. --It wasn't proper in the least! Though she did feel somewhat hurt when the prince didn't appear as bothered by the accident as she was. Forlorn and forgotten once again, she allowed the maids to help her up as she cast a sad gaze in the Prince's direction as he fled down the hall after the cat. She was still completely in the dark as to what was driving him so tenaciously after an animal.

None-the-less the cat was still free, and it could hear the Prince gaining ground behind it. Though it was far too nimble in its retreat. It skillfully navigated around statues and displays. --and curled swiftly through the legs of servants and maids who went about their day, doing their tasks, without so much as sparing a glance in the feline's direction. It was just some dumb stray after all. It wasn't until the prince came careening down the hall that everyone paused to see what the rush was. Though he stormed through so quickly, no one had any time to see what he was chasing.

Down the hall the Cat paused, as it came across a pair of large double doors. There were voices on the other side. it seemed like a deep discussion was going on. Curiosity called the feline fourth, and it crept through the small crack left in between the doors. Inside, a long table was flanked by several men with authoritative looks about them. They seemed to be discussing politics or something equally as boring and were too caught up in their serious conversation to take notice of the stray slowly making its way under the table, and nestled itself between the rows of shifting feet beneath it. The king suddenly entered the room, and all fell silent as they anticipated his next words.

Ranix Aurus

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Then King cast a quick glance at the men in front of him. He said no word, but merely took the center seat. A tense atmosphere filled the hall for a while until General Erst, the supreme military leader under his command, broke the silence. A seasoned veteran in many battles, he had always been the quickest to take action, unlike the politicians around him.

What followed was a brief summary of notable events happening around the capital, as well as the current situation with other kingdoms in the continent. Peace was still prevalent, although there were a few, albeit non-lethal, skirmishes around the border. A show of force, one might say. The Kingdom of Lapant in the north was among the most aggressive in current time after their new King ascended the throne. There were already whispers among the merchants passing through both kingdoms that a war might broke in the near future unless political maneuvers were made. After that was concluded, the men proceeded to take turns reporting the condition in their own lands.

It was around the time that Lord Bermekid was starting his report that Argillys rushed over into the room, too oblivious in his reckless pursuit of the feline to notice that it was the meeting hall he had intruded upon. Another silence fell into the room, although for a different reason. Everyone, and especially the King, was glaring at him with bewildered eyes.

"Uh...good morning."

the Prince felt shiver running down his spine. The Duke of Frauvert, his uncle, was sitting in the far end of the table, sending the most intensive glare among all participants. At this moment these powerful men were at loss on what the Prince had wanted to do, barging in unannounced with such a stupid look hanging on his face. And then as he explained himself, the people started to gave him an inquisitive look. Certainly a matter of grave importance was at stake?

"Did you see a black cat entering this room?"

They now had an empty look on their face. His words were too absurd such that they failed to connect the meaning to reality.

InkedFox