Alexei:
"Five counts of property destruction?" Cassius demanded, his hands tapping a steady rhythm against his leg, tone even.
"What can I say, I have a gift," Alexei replied leisurely, lounging in Cassius's plush armchair like it was a throne, chin propped lazily on his fist. There truly was nothing like the feel of velvet.
"I tried to stop him, Cas, but he wouldn't listen," Aspen muttered, looking ashamed of his behavior. They may have been siblings, but they were truly nothing alike.
Jules remained silent, gazing out the window, appearing to be lost in thought. He made a beautiful, yet unnerving picture as always. Alexei could never quite figure out what was going through his head.
"Mmmm, I barely contributed, you know me, Cas," Elaine said, perching on the side of his chair and smiling innocently.
"It's exactly because he knows you that proves those words to be utter bullshit," Alexei jabbed.
"I know you didn't cause any harm, don't worry," Cassius stated, completely ignoring Alexei.
"She was the one who set the fire!" he shouted indignantly.
Elaine stuck her tongue out at him, looking immensely pleased with herself.
"The amount of bias from our supposed prince is insane, c'mon, Jules, back me up here!"
There was a moment of expectant silence before Jules seemed to realize someone had been speaking to him.
"Oh, Elaine set the fire after Alexei got into a fistfight," he said. Alexei shot him a glare. That had not been helpful.
"I sent you all there to negotiate." Cassius remarked.
"Your first mistake," he muttered.
"We did negotiate," Elaine insisted.
"With swords," Jules added, once again proving himself wholly unhelpful. It was Alexei's turn to sigh.
"I really am sorry," Aspen whispered, looking troubled by the whole situation.
"Fine, I am deeply apologetic for screwing up your negotiations, your highness," Alexei said, sweeping into a low, mocking bow.
"Finally recognizing your place?" Elaine questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"That's rich coming from you," he countered.
Elaine stuck out her foot, tripping him as he went to sit back down.
"I wouldn't speak that way to your future queen."
"Keep dreaming."
"Asshole," she muttered.
"Bitch," he replied.
"Love you too!"
Alexei blew her a kiss, rolling his eyes.
"Cassius is annoyed," Jules whispered.
Alexei glanced towards Cassius, who was now standing and pacing back and forth.
"I wonder why..." Aspen muttered.
"Something else is troubling him," Jules added.
"I swear he can read minds!" Alexei exclaimed.
"Oh shut up dumbass, you would think that about anyone with a brain," Elaine retorted.
"And you-"
"Stop fighting!" Aspen snapped, shooting Alexei a withering look.
He shut his mouth obediently, not wanting to upset his sister any further. If the rest of their group was a bunch of weeds, sprouting between cracks, trampled and broken, Aspen was a wildflower, blooming despite the hardships. He had tried his best to protect her, to shelter her, all these years, had sacrificed his heart and soul, had kept her alive with his own blood. He was happy those years hadn't tainted her the way they had him.
It had been Cassius who collected each of them and thrown them together. They all had a story, had something that led them to this point. None of them had anything left to lose except each other, so they were truly the perfect group for Cassius's plans. The temptation of getting rich as fuck and maybe not dying for his crimes was enough convincing for Alexei. He wasn't entirely sure how the others had ended up in this position, but he assumed it was something similar. All of them had been faced with the same option, an option to keep living, to maybe start over even. After spending one's whole life trying to survive, becoming intimately connected with death, it hadn't seemed like a bad idea.
"I'm going with you on the mission," Cassius announced.
"What, why?" Elaine demanded.
"Ew," Alexei muttered.
"It's going to be difficult," Jules answered for him.
"Mind reader," he whispered as Cassius nodded. Elaine elbowed him, glaring.
Jules's eyes briefly found his before looking away, the slate grey reminding Alexei of smoke, of a past he longed to keep buried inside.
Jules didn't say anything in response to his joke, resuming his staring contest with the sky. Alexei still wasn't entirely sure why he was even there. Each of them were supposed to serve a purpose, had some sort of gift Cassius found useful, but even after two years, none of them had a clue what Jules was there for. Was he just super smart? Good at interrogating people, since that was what he was most often chosen to do? Moral support? From what Alexei could tell there wasn't anything overly special about him besides his strange personality and abnormal, if not a little beautiful, looks.
Alexei found his eyes drawn to Jules more often than not, something he would of course deny to his dying breath. He had a certain otherworldly quality about him, often looking half a corpse half a god, and 100% mentally unavailable, spending strange amounts of time simply staring at the nearest wall.
His hair was shockingly white, seeming to glow like moonlight, his eyes the sea before a storm (one Alexei would gladly drown in), framed by eyelashes long enough to make any girl jealous. Hell, even Alexei was jealous. They were like night and day, his own hair a simple ebony black, always curling in the wrong directions. His eyes a simple brown.
"Your eyes are hazel."
Brown, they were brown. Letting his mind wonder was not a good habit.
"The tensions between Sirion and their neighboring kingdom have grown into an all out war. I believe it would benefit our kingdom in the long run to support them, but my father has refused to listen to reason, his grudge against their king is clouding his judgment. We will go in his place to negotiate an agreement," Cassius finally explained.
"Diplomacy isn't our strong suit, it wounds me that you wouldn't realize that by now. Don't you know us at all?" Alexei complained.
"You are coming in case things go south."
"Sounds great, I'm in!" he replied cheerfully, already bored of laying around and doing nothing. He had been raised to fight after all, and nothing brought him more joy than potentially beheading a king.
"As if you had a choice," Elaine muttered.
"What about the king? He surely hasn't approved this plan?" Aspen asked.
"Abraxos will cover for me, don't worry," Cassius answered.
"Oh kill me now, not him," Alexei mumbled.
"Abraxos is more reliable than you. Don't tell me you're still salty about the ring incident, it was your fault to begin with," Elaine said, smirking at his discomfort.
"At least I'm pleasant company!" he exclaimed.
"Maybe if you were mute," she countered, covering her words with a cough.
"I think you're pleasant," Jules assured him.
"Finally someone who appreciates me around here," he said, slinging an arm around Jules's shoulder.
"He looks like he is being threatened at knife point."
"Shut up, he always looks like that."
There was a polite cough from behind, causing them all to turn, Alexei's hand going for his sword before recognizing familiar lemon gold eyes brimming with disdain. Abraxos was a rather plain man besides the scar running down the length of his face from some distant war. His hair was a mousy brown with streaks of grey peppering the roots. He seemed as arrogant as ever, his golden glasses perched high on his crooked nose. Despite his relatively simple appearance, his clothes were probably more expensive than anything Alexei had seen his whole life, every inch expertly tailored.
"Am I interrupting anything, your highness?" he questioned, turning away from Alexei, not even attempting to hide his disgust.
"Not at all, I was merely informing them of our plan," he responded.
"Is it truly necessary to tell the likes of..Them about your every move? They could betray us at any moment, none of them have the most trustworthy of histories," he stated, acting as if they weren't even in the room.
Elaine glared, standing to flaunt her tall height. Abraxos's obvious loathing was quite mutual, no matter what she had said as a joke. A tiny flame flickered to life between her fingers, weaving back and forth, both a promise and a warning. Alexei made a mental note to never piss her off.
"Now, why would I sell out my dearest friend?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood, but struggling to mask his own annoyance, his words a bit too strained to pass as cordial.
"My apologies for doubting your surely quite noble intentions, but you must understand how stupid it would be to trust someone raised in a cult to kill the very person he claims to serve? Their cursed mark still brands your body, a show of what is supposed to be permanent loyalty, is it not? But of course, you must be a changed man right? All this money and power helped you change for the better? Did you finally find the light?"
"That is enough, Abraxos," Cassius interrupted.
"No, no, do go on, I'm curious on what else this oh so enlightened noble has an opinion about! Please continue!" Alexei urged, fists clenched.
"Forgive me for believing someone so morally bankrupt as yourself would be here for anything beyond riches and traitorous thoughts. Maybe your other 'dear friend' can give us an opinion, oh wait, he can't. He met his end on your blade, did he not? Would you like to know the only thing I dislike more than criminals? Snakes who can't keep their swords in their sheaths and out of people's backs."
Alexei's whole body stilled, a sudden chill hitting him, blinding him, drowning him in that icy fury he had known for so long. It wrapped its bony hands around his throat, covered his eyes, blocked out the world. It seemed to whisper to him, to encourage him to give in, to let go.
"Alex?"
He took a step forward, hands trembling. He wanted nothing more than to give Abraxos a matching scar on the other side of his face. He was a monster after all, morally bankrupt as the man had said.
What more harm could he do? Why would it matter? He would be thrown out like a dog in the end either way, for that was all he ever was, a starving dog, trained to kill and die when he outlived his usefulness. He was simply a pawn parading as a king, a player in a twisted game that he only pretended to have learnt the rules to.
Alexei paused as a soft hand brushed against him, his spiraling thoughts evaporating as he turned to find Jules staring at him in that unnerving way of his. He hated it, yet at the same time, couldn't break away. Not again.
"Will you trust me?"
"Of course, always."
"Your grace, it is lovely to see you again," Aspen greeted, shattering the tension.
Alexei looked down at the marbled floors, but didn't break away from Jules's tentative touch, letting it ground him. His hands were soft and cold, not at all like the ones he was used to, the ones that had stained his own permanently crimson.
"Lady Brooks," Abraxos acknowledged, nodding his head in greeting.
Aspen being the only one of them who hadn't had any altercations with the law won her a good bit more courtesy from Abraxos. Cassius was a rare oddity among the gentry, never questioning their backgrounds, never demanding more respect than he deserved, only loyalty, but Abraxos was a noble through and through. As a duke, his standards were almost as high as the king himself.
"You are dismissed, I will meet you outside in a few minutes," Cassius said, gesturing for them to leave.
Alexei gave another mock bow, squeezing Jules's hand hard to keep his own from shaking. Elaine blew a kiss to Cassius before linking arms with Aspen and walking out the door, he followed behind them quickly, dragging Jules with him.
"What a stuck up asshole," Elaine muttered as soon as they were in the hallway.
Several guards and servants glanced their way, but gave them a wide berth. They wouldn't dare insult the group, or at least not to their face, not simply because of Cassius, but because they had found out the hard way what happened if they tried. Cassius had granted them basically free rein when they weren't actively on a mission, and they hadn't hesitated to use it.
"Hating him might just be the one thing we'll ever agree on," Alexei stated.
"I think the two of you may also just be hard to get used to, I don't believe Abraxos is a bad person," Aspen defended.
Her words were casual, but he knew what she meant, knew the message in them that only Alexei would understand. Nothing Abraxos had said was a lie, his dislike not at all unfounded, every stinging insult was one Alexei had earned and she would never let him forget that.
"My own sister betrayed me, what a cruel fate!" he shouted, covering his heart and stumbling backwards.
"You two have something you want to share with the rest of us?" Elaine questioned, gesturing to Alexei and Jules's interlaced fingers.
"Yeah, we're getting married tomorrow, actually," he deadpanned, holding up their hands.
"Did you ask your groom about that? He looks a little surprised."
"Why would you want to marry me?" Jules asked, sounding genuinely curious.
The question seemed innocent enough, lining up with his typical air headed remarks, yet Alexei couldn't help but feel an ache in his heart, a pang of pity for the boy. Something about the question made him inexplicably sad, as if Jules truly couldn't comprehend anyone truly liking him.
"Do I need a reason?"
"It would make no sense otherwise," he insisted.
Alexei shrugged, his heart beating strangely fast as he spoke. "You're pretty."
Elaine rolled her eyes, exchanging a look with Aspen that he couldn't quite decipher. Jules smiled a little, nodding.
"Wow, a smile? Never thought I'd see the day! You truly don't look half bad when you do that, you should try it more often," he said, letting go of Jules's hand quickly.
"Can the four of you be any fucking louder?" a voice questioned.
Alexei groaned inwardly, Elaine's face pinching in disgust. The sight of Prince Ptolemus was the surest method to kill every one of their moods. Ptolemus was the epitome of a noble who had never been denied a thing in his life. He possessed none of Cassius' cold and regal elegance, making it strikingly obvious which was the eldest. His blonde hair was as fluffy as a cloud, always well groomed and cut to the perfect lengths, his blue eyes bright, face the perfect picture of boyish youth. He was the envy of most noble ladies despite being second in line for the throne and an entitled prick.
"Goddamn criminals, if it were up to me every last one of you would be hanged!" he exclaimed, walking closer, his face twisted into a cruel grin.
Alexei gritted his teeth, but didn't dare say a word. Cassius could do a lot for them, but blatant disrespect for a member of the royal family was something beyond even his abilities.
"Greetings, your royal highness," Aspen said, curtsying.
"I suggest you learn some respect, like your sister. You must've been quite the disappointment to your family behaving like this, hm? Oh wait, do you even have one?" Ptolemus questioned, turning his twisted hatred on Alexei.
"Always a pleasure, your highness," he said sarcastically, bowing shallowly, the jab about his family, or lack thereof, long proved ineffective. Seriously, he could've at least tried to come up with something original.
Elaine grimaced, refusing to do the same.
"Bow," Ptolemus commanded, turning his glare to her.
"Elaine," he warned, shaking his head.
Refusing his requests wasn't worth it no matter how much they hated him, but she continued to ignore him, standing tall, her eyes blazing a hole through him.
"You bitch!" he exclaimed, stalking towards her.
She didn't flinch even as he raised his hand to slap her, she only stared, her gaze firm against his.
Elaine was taller than most girls, and slightly intimidating with her choppily cut red bob and bold clothes, choosing to flaunt her prized knife collection and many assorted poisons she had gone through great lengths to procure. Unfortunately, Ptolemus was a few inches shy of average height, her ability to look down on him only provoking him further.
He struck her hard enough to force her a step back, raising his hand to do it again when she still didn't say a word. A moment went by and then another, but he just stood there, eyes widening as if he was surprised by his own immobility.
"W-what the fuck-"
Jules stumbled backwards into Alexei, who quickly grabbed him, holding him steady.
"Are you okay?" he questioned.
"I'm just a bit dizzy," he whispered, quickly straightening.
"That's enough!" Cassius shouted, hurriedly walking over and standing between Elaine and his brother.
"You should teach your dogs how to respect their superiors," Ptolemus ground out, still looking slightly shaken.
"And you should take a look in the mirror. Do you realize how unseemly you act? How do you expect to bring honor to our family like this? Even Lord Abraxos commented on your language just now, we could hear you through the door! Do I need to tell your mother to put you back into etiquette lessons? I heard our cousin has just been enrolled now that he's five, would you like me to ask which school it was, or are you capable of carrying yourself in a way befitting of your position?" Cassius demanded, his voice calm despite the icy fury surely hidden beneath the surface. Going after Elaine had not been a smart idea on Ptolemus's part.
His face bloomed bright red, his ability to conceal his emotions far inferior to Cassius.
"I'm the embarrassment? At least I don't strut around with criminals!" he exclaimed.
"Ptolemus." Cassius warned.
"Fuck you." He shook his head, not a hint of grace in him as he stalked away. Alexei promptly burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.
"I apologize for his behavior," Cassius said to Elaine, bowing deeply.
"I'm fine, Cas," she replied, putting a hand on his shoulder.
The two of them always seemed to gravitate towards each other, Cassius's usually biting words softer and Elaine's fire reduced to simmering coals. The two of them existed in a world separated from the rest of their group, a world Alexei couldn't help but yearn to find.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Aspen questioned, breaking the moment.
"I couldn't care less, his arms are like twigs, it is quite clear he hasn't done anything besides be a nuisance his entire life," she replied.
"Hey, you sure you aren't describing yourself?" Alexei asked innocently.
"Here, I'll slap you and you can rate the strength on a scale of 1-10."
"Fair enough," he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender.
"Put on your masks, we are going out," Cassius interrupted, already obscuring his face behind a golden one sculpted perfectly to his face, jewels dazzling in the light. It was a monstrosity, but Alexei didn't dare voice that opinion. Didn't dare allow his discomfort to show.
"I still don't understand this tradition. You want to be someone's ruler, yet you're too scared to even allow them to see your face?" Elaine questioned, the only one who could get away with asking such a thing.
"Only the Gods and those close to me are allowed to see my face until I take the throne, it makes sure my I am untainted," he explained.
Alexei hated it, hated hearing about the Gods, hated Cassius's religious bullshit.
"As if gods actuallv exist." he muttered, thinkina back to the lessons drilled into his head.
There were supposedly three "higher beings" who ruled over them. Wren, the goddess of memory and death, ruled over their past, Anima, the god of life and growth, ruled over their present, and Koen, god of wisdom and fate, ruled over their future. It was a bunch of shit meant to convince people they had a purpose beyond being born and rotting until they died, Alexei had long grown out of the belief.
"Alexei," Aspen warned, shaking her head as if she had seen his traitorous thoughts.
"I know, I know, l'm not trying to insult Cas. Hell, if I ever truly insult him, you can kill me, every one of us owes him our life anyways," he said hurriedly.
"Our lives aren't worth much," Jules observed.
Elaine coughed, no one really knowing what to say. Awkward silence often followed Jules speaking, his blunt words, though typically right on mark, always seemed to grace over uncomfortable topics. He was right of course, even if Alexei slit his wrists right then and bled out on the floor it would be worth absolutely nothing, hell, they would probably blame his dead body for staining the carpet.
"We need to get going. The ship we will be boarding is waiting for us in the harbor." Cassius stated.
"I still don't understand why we aren't just sneaking out, wouldn't that be easier?" Aspen was asking.
"Cas doesn't like sneaking around, he believes in honest methods first. Plus, it will make the gap between his leaving and Abraxos being able to shift make more sense. The king will assume he is in the city, and after Abraxos has transformed, they will swap places," Elaine explained.
Alexei quickly donned his own mask, a simple black constructed of raven feathers, the weight of it on his face suffocating. He kept his eyes focused on the ground, unable to look at his friends' masked faces, unable to even take a steady breath as his memories and nightmares blended together in his head, blurring out the rest of the world.
He could almost feel the sun beating down against his bloody skin, could feel that ghostly hand resting against his shoulder, guiding his arm, his sword, guiding it towards the person kneeling in front of him, he could feel it puncturing skin, could see those eyes going cold with shock and fear, could hear that piercing-
"Want to hold hands?" Jules whispered, his voice bringing Alexei back to reality, his breath ghosting against his ear.
"Sorry, but I don't like you like that," he answered, attempting a light hearted smile even as he fought the paralyzing fear bubbling up inside himself.
Jules gently look his hands anyways, and for some reason he couldn't make himself pull a way. How did he always know when Alexei was breaking down? Why did he always see him at his weakest? He hated it, yet he yearned for it, for someone to tell him that they understood why, that it was okay to make the choice he had.
"Damn, I'm really starting to think you two are really dating, no wonder you don't have any interest in me, I should've known no straight man could refuse my charm," Elaine remarked, grinning broadly.
"Shut up." he grumbled. his face heatina.
"I have finished the preparations, go ahead, it should not take more than an hour for the transformation," Abraxos announced, joining them.
"What are we supposed to thank-"
"Thank you," Cassius interrupted, gently shoving Alexei into Jules.
As much as he hated to admit it, Abraxos had proved to be an extremely useful ally. Having a shapeshifter was the only way Cassius was ever able to escape the palace.
They walked the rest of the way towards the entrance in silence, the windows revealing the gardens beyond, only full of the most hardy of plants, Prynn's harsh cold did not mix well with most flowers. Tall mountains stood in the distance, their peaks white with snow, standing guard over Prynn, cutting them off from the barren tundras above rumored to be ruled over by cruel warlords who had a taste for human flesh.
As soon as they stepped through the front gates a harsh gust of wind hit them, the cold already seeping straight through Alexei's cloak. Peasants began crowding around the moment they noticed them, all wanting a glimpse of their illustrious prince. People grabbed their children, hauling them closer, outstretched hands attempted to brush against them, eager to catch some of their good fortune, but the guards who had followed outside kept the masses back, hands resting on their swords.
While Cassius had his religion, Alexei stuck more to superstition, something his mother used to tell him. Strangers touching you could steal your luck, could destroy your future, curse you. He pressed close to Jules, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself and out of reach.
Suddenly he felt his hand being squeezed harder, Jules's nails digging into Alexei's skin, his grasp beginning to hurt.
"Jules," he muttered.
He didn't reply, his grip only tightening. Alexei gritted his teeth, attempting to shake him off, but his hand wouldn't budge. Jules shouldn't have been able to overpower him, couldn't possibly be that strong, yet his hand was getting closer to being crushed and he couldn't even move it.
Before he could react Jules was on the ground, mask clattering beside him, his body completely limp.
"Jules!" Aspen shouted, getting the attention of the others.
"Guards!" Cassius ordered, but they were too busy trying to contain the crowds, slowly being pushed closer and closer to the rest of them.
"Shit, what's wrong with him?" Alexei demanded, kneeling beside him and pulling him closer, trying to keep him away from the masses pushing in. As his hand brushed against Jules's head it came away slick with blood.
A few children crawled their way under the guards, their dirt stained fingers clawing at Alexei's arm as he shielded Jules.
"Please just let us have some luck!" one cried.
Alexei shook his head, body shaking as he took in the new red marks marring his skin.
"Get back!" Elaine said, a fire roaring to life in her palm.
He knew she was only trying to help, but the sight of the flames only made his breath come quicker, his hands sweating as he froze with panic, the side of his face, the side hidden beneath the ink of his tattoo, the side forever marred, burned as if it was happening all over again.
Cassius yanked Alexei to his feet and pushed him behind, his piercing blue eyes narrowed behind the slits of his mask, calculating. More guards were rushing towards them, shouting curses and forcing the peasants back towards the main square. Another broke free, making a mad dive for Alexei and before he could think his sword was through their chest, bringing sharp gasps and hysteric screams from the crowds.
Shit he had messed up, he had fucked up, he always fucked up when it mattered most.
"What the hell was that!" Aspen screamed, no doubt thinking back to the same memory he was, not a hint of sympathy in her gaze.
"Get Jules to the harbor and get the hell away from people," Cassius commanded, not even acknowledging the screw up, though it would surely be brought up later.
Alexei nodded hurriedly, not questioning his orders. He yanked his sword free, trying to block out the shouted insults of his cruelty as he carefully scooped Jules up, surprised by how light he felt. Could the fainting have been from not eating enough? Alexei would have to talk to him about that.
He bolted for the nearest side alley, tossing his mask towards the crowds to distract them. Someone was about to become quite a bit richer, or quite a bit dead for having property of the crown. Whatever happened, it was not Alexei's concern, he didn't know them, so why should he care what happened?
Even with Jules's light weight, Alexei's hand ached, shaking from the effort.
"C'mon, wake up you bastard, you're freaking me out," he muttered.
He had to focus on the moment, on getting them away from the wandering eyes. Maybe if he ran fast enough he could outrun his surfacing memories too.