Beneath Shadows and Secrets

♔ 𝕱𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔶 - 𝕿𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢 ♔

♔ 𝔑𝔦𝔯𝔞 ♔

"Queen Daenira." I turn to see a male bowing their form behind me. I watch him stand upright, a horrible conniving grin on his face. Young, perhaps younger than me, with slick blonde hair and a tall, little frame. His eyes burn bright orange, and around them, scales that push into his hairline.

I take in his attire, skin-tight and light blue, scattered in crystals pathed in such a way it looks as though water dribbles down his body. Covered in weapons, many hung from the silver belt slung on his hips. He judges me quite the same, lingering on the Stygian that coils around my hands.

"I do not know you from your brother," I confess, scratching beneath Maxas' chin. "Which are you?"

He laughs. "Josiv; the more attractive of the two." He looks at Maxas then, an obvious yearn to reach out to the small beast. "I have never been so close to a wyvern. May I?"

"No," he pauses the motion of his reaching hand. "He will bite."

His smirk is playful and taunting. "I cannot imagine it will hurt all that much."

"His mother's might." His eyes glimmer with mirth, attention flicking to my mouth.

"Yours? That does little for warning. In fact, it makes me want to test you even more." My fangs push against my gums, pulsing with a murderous venom.

"I did not mean me, but nonetheless, I would not push. There is only one being who has survived the bite of an Umbra Demon. Me." I look fleetingly to the open doors of the throne room towards the garden. "I was referring to their actual mother. She does not take kindly to others close to her young."

Josiv looks then, seeking out the beast I speak of. "You have another? A full-grown beast?"

"The same one I freed in my first Equinox. She waits in the treeline to be called should I need her attendance." I lean towards him, my words weighted with threat. "I do not need to call her, do I, Josiv?"

The cocky Posieren prince takes a step away, playing off his fright with a hollow laugh. Good, he is wise enough to fear me. "No need at all." I smile with satisfaction. "Three wyverns, though. That makes you formidable."

"It makes me the Wyvern Tamer. I am prophesised to become many things, and that was one of them."

He leans in conspiratorially, brow raised. "Are you prophesised to become the Queen of two thrones, or will you fall in your attempt?"

"That was a decision of my own. I will not fall, least of all by your hand." A weight comes to rest on my lower back, and a presence moves to my left. Calisto snaps at Calix's ankles playfully, and Maxas leaps from my shoulder to fly circles over his head.

"Josiv." He greets, keeping his hand against me. My jaw clenches with annoyance. We have not spoken since he parted with the whip of his cruel words, so I do not know why he believes he still has the right to stand beside me as though we are fine. We could not be further from that. "I hope you are not irritating Daenira. She has a temper that can sometimes get the better of her."

I hiss at him, knocking him back with the Stygian. He smirks. I loathe that. "Never," Josiv retorts, nodding his head in feigned comradery at me. "Merely wished to introduce myself to Her Highness. Royals tend to nurture relationships with one another, not that you would know much about that, Lord."

Calix bristles, and I find it difficult to bite back the lift of my lips. He turns to me, demand clear in his tone. "We must speak alone."

"Ah, first wait! Let me introduce you to my favourite sister!" The prince spins, beckoning over the female that spoke on the dais. She floats towards us, wet black hair swinging at her waist. She looks phenomenal. Her breasts are covered with shells, fish netting wrapped tightly around her midriff, and her skirt is layers of fabric that glimmers like water. Draped in pearls and diamonds, some hang from her skin like dripping water caught in time. "This is Disanye."