Princes of the Universe (Maylor AU)

Chapter 4

"This isn't going to work," Roger mumbled as he and John made their way across the bridge that led to the castle situated at the heart of Rhye, along with Tim who had been ordered at the last minute by Winifred to accompany the pair and keep an extra eye on the blonde. To blend in, he was dressed in the same ridiculous garb as the two boys were, adorned in a silky, black, feathered duster and a mask designed to resemble a bird's head, complete with a crown and a beak of gold.

The castle's towers reached high into the sky, and though the structure itself had been built entirely of dull, gray stone, it was made colorful by several tapestries, flags, and flowers. The smell and sight appalled the Nevermore natives and introduced a bitter taste to their mouths; the same kind of taste that the attire and makeup they disguised themselves with, as well as the company they found themselves in, elicited.

"It's going to work," John argued, catching a glimpse of the blonde whose confidence in the plan and the group was clearly lacking. This certainly wasn't the first time Roger was on a mission to kill, but it was the first time the target wasn't of his own choosing, and the first time he had to rely on others to ensure his success. He never once imagined that the people he was required to depend on would be the guard who'd been chasing him around since they were teenagers—Tim doing the queen's bidding since he was a young boy, orphaned by his mother and abandoned by his father—and the man whose hateful vengeance had been festering for years and was but a short moment away from being acted upon.

The three were destined for disaster, yet they couldn't afford to blow their cover—at least, not Roger. His mother had said it herself; it was this or execution, and the blonde would be damned if his life ended with his mother dropping the floor beneath his feet on the gallows for all to see. The only issue was, in the prince's eyes, their cover.

"What do you mean 'it's going to work'?" Roger snapped, jerking his head in his partner's direction as they approached the main door of the fortress that was unsettlingly quiet. After all, they'd arrived just before the break of dawn, and there were few awake at that hour in Rhye, mostly agriculturalists out on the countryside and sentinels littered about the palace—some in plain sight, others hidden to the naked eye. "Your plan is the most ridiculous plan I've ever—"

"State your business," the guard stationed at the door bellowed, stopping the unlikely group of three dead in their tracks. Aside from his rigid stature and dark, toned muscles, it was difficult to tell that the man standing outside the palace was responsible for the security of the kingdom, wearing very little save a pair of golden boxers and a matching cape-like garment that sat atop his shoulders.

John cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "Good morning, sir. We're here to see the queen—erm, soon-to-be queen." The sentry appeared unmoved by his answer, his enduring silence and the annoyed scoff under the blonde's breath prompting the young man to explain, "You see, we're her brothers, and we heard she's getting married. We wanted to be here to support her, if you'll let us."

An awkward tension blossomed among the four men, time seeming to slow down as the Nevermore natives anticipated the Rhyian guard's response. After what felt like an eternity had passed, the sentinel pressed his index finger to his ear and stared at the three with taut lips. Roger, John, and Tim exchanged baffled glances, curious as to what was happening.

With many of Nevermore's resources depleted, and their contact with other planets in the galaxy essentially nonexistent, they weren't familiar with the advanced technology Rhye had developed that allowed people to communicate without speaking. It proved extremely useful in battle, and other planets tried to imitate it but ultimately failed, giving Rhye the upper hand in countless wars and awarding them an enduring reputation of victory. Nevermore didn't stand a chance, which is why they had to play the game a different way.

Suddenly, the guard's hand dropped to his side. "Follow me," he ordered, turning sharply on his heel and entering the castle whose doors were being drawn open by a mysterious, hidden force. The loud grinding of the gears as the heavy doors disappeared behind the thick, stone walls echoed throughout the palace, bothering no one but Roger and Tim—their faces scrunching up in discomfort and their hands covering their ears in an attempt to muffle the harsh sound. Even John had grown accustomed to it, having visited the planet himself many times before for other, related matters.

"Come on, you two," the youngest of the three grumbled as he tucked the unicorn's head under his arm and grabbed onto their sleeves, dragging them forward and trailing behind the sentry whose pace refused to slow for them.

After passing through the courtyard that had been decorated for the wedding—the elegant, white décor relatively tame compared to the rest of the castle—they followed the guard down several dark, indistinguishable corridors that would soon be illuminated by the rising sun outside, its rays breaking through the large windows lining the walls. It felt like they had traversed the entire castle before arriving at the location the sentry had been instructed to guide them to—an open hall with diamond-patterned floors and a grand staircase that was draped in red carpet and split in the middle to continue in opposite directions.

"Wait here," the guard announced, abandoning the group who stood alone in the center of the empty room, Roger and Tim gawking at the extravagance that was seldom found in Nevermore—not even at the castle the Taylor family reigned from.

Just as the three began to mill about and take a closer look at things, punctuated footsteps filled the air and attracted the scattered men's attention to the top of the staircase to the left, where Freddie stood above them, traversing only a few steps before leaning against the railing and asking, "So, you three want to see the queen?"

"Soon-to-be queen," John corrected him, clutching the unicorn's head tightly. "We're her brothers."

"So I've been told," the dark-haired man replied, an unpleasant quality to his voice as he narrowed his eyes at the young man. Though he doubted it actually happened, Roger swore that the eyes on his crimson leotard narrowed too. "The problem is, darling, she never mentioned having any brothers."