Protection

Beginnings

-TW for violence, abuse, and *slight* possessive behavior-

The children flinched as they heard angry voices approaching. The younger of the two began to shake, body wracked with silent sobs. The older hugged him tighter, whispering assurances into his brother's ear. The door flew open and the siblings were yanked apart, the younger reached out towards his brother, trying in vain to reach him. His sibling now out of sight, the older was thrown to the ground, a harsh kick delivered into his stomach.

"Monster"

"why were you born"

" you should just die"

He endured the abuse, and eventually they grew tired and left him on the cold floor. He tasted blood, he wanted more than anything to just give up, but hearing his brother's stifled screams from the other room, he knew he had to stay strong .

He looked up as the door opened, a child about a year or two younger than him was thrown to the ground. He pulled himself towards his sibling as fast as his damaged arms would allow. The sight of his brother's face, beat up and bruised, awakened an anger within him. He knew at that moment, that whatever happened, he would keep his precious brother safe. No matter what.

—------ + —------

16 years later

Scott rubbed his eyes, trying desperately to stay awake.

Come on, you still have several more papers to sign.

He sighed quietly,

Who knew being the emperor would involve so much paperwork?

He really needed more sleep, but he just had so many duties he had to complete, and if he didn't finish on time, well, the council was very creative with their punishments.

He signed the last paper, setting the stack aside, he stood and stretched. Yawning, he moved to get ready for bed. As he pulled the covers over his head, he had the distinct feeling of being watched.

How strange.

Scott fell into an uneasy sleep.

—-----------

He squinted, a bright light obscuring his vision. Blinking, the room slowly came into focus,

How strange, I could have sworn that my blinds were closed when I went to bed.

Scott shrugged off the vague feeling of unease and began preparing himself for the meeting at Katherine's later.

—-------

He tugged on a warm cloak, just fancy enough to pass for the meeting. Spreading his wings, he took off from his balcony. Scott really didn't want to have to deal with the Rivendell council this morning.

As the cold air hit his face, he allowed his mind to wander, trusting his wings to know the way. Flying over the mountains, he saw red corruption, it had spread further than last time. Scott made a mental note to check it out after the meeting. The cold tundra gave way to a beautiful meadow with an assortment of colorful flowers. He touched down outside House Blossom.

As Scott entered the meeting room, he assessed the other rulers. The Codfather and The Ocean Queen were whispering in the corner, some of the other rulers were quietly talking. Scott took his seat as Kathrine cleared her throat, signaling the start of the meeting.

"Right, welcome everyone, let's begin. House Blossom has been flourishing, the flowers are especially healthy this time of year."

It was The Codfather's turn next.

"The Cod Empire Is doing well," The Codfather took a deep breath "Um, Has anyone else noticed corruption in their empires?"

"Well, I've noticed red vines on some of my lily pads," The ocean queen admitted.

Some of the other rulers mumbled affirmations. Scott reluctantly nodded, the elders would have a collective heart attack if they found out that he admitted weakness in front of the others. He was surprised that the Codfather had come right out and said it, then again solidarity had always been more... friendly than the other rulers.

Kathrine frowned, "we should all keep an eye on that, reconvene at the next meeting."

The Codfather still looked worried, but he nodded.

Scott kind of blanked out for the rest of the meeting. When it was his turn to share, he gave his usual speech about wool production and how strong Rivendell was.

When everyone had spoken, Kathrine called the end of the meeting. As he took off, Scott felt a prickle on the back of his neck, a feeling of eyes, when he turned around, there was no one there. Once he was in the sky, the unease was banished by the freedom of flying, the elytras the other rulers used just couldn't compare to flying on real wings.

Somewhere nearby, something was watching, waiting, red vines curled up their arms and legs, they smiled without warmth. Soon, their plan would be in motion. 

-Hello! This is my first fanfic so I hope you enjoy it! I am open to constructive criticism but please no mean comments, if I missed any trigger warnings, please let me know. Thank you!-