Three Fates Bound By Scars

Do You Trust Blood?

Elias had spent the better part of his afternoon after the council meeting following through on his promise to Arryn. Pascal and Cha had each sent a daughter to seek his favor for marriage, one on each arm pranced beside him. They shifted uncomfortably when his fangs peeked through though he tried his best to hide them. When they thought he was distracted they mocked the fangs, the ears, and both were careful to avoid holding his hands. He knew why, tales of his claws and his monstrous form had been peddled to every noble.

They've barely seen a shift and they already find me monstrous...

He did as he had been bid though, as mother and Arryn had drilled,

Be the man you are not the stories they conjure.

His thoughts weren't with the girls latched on his arms, they wondered to and fro about Lenai. He hoped he'd see her, to trade a look from afar so she knew he would much rather be spending the afternoon by her side. To his immense disappointment he hadn't spotted her anywhere after their morning chat and his ears dropped. Instead he tried to keep the girls interested as best he could with demonstrations of swordplay and artistry.

The sun had begun to set, his brother should be coming down from his hippogriff flight by now. Elias wasn't inept and suspected these flights weren't really Arryn milling about above the castle skies. He was sure they were being used for reconnaissance or even meeting some male courtesan on the outskirts of town. Perhaps he was just drinking himself into a daze nearby, he sure as hell wasn't just flying aimlessly above them for hours. Elias politely led the two women back inside and inclined his head downward in goodbye before going to the training grounds. When he was sure he felt alone on his walk, he let himself shiver for a moment- he knew by now not to let it bother him but practice didn't mean immunity.

His ears flicked up as he heard the rapid beating pattern of a hummingbird's wing beat with an oddity to it. Bird's feathers had a softness to the sound they made, this was a hard clacking sound. He snapped his head to his left shoulder where a hummingbird entirely made of pale ice was tapping it vigorously. Clearly one of his brother's pets but it immediately set him on edge, Arryn had used a creation to guide Elias before but the way this one was pulling at him,

It's frantic, panicking.

Immediately he broke into a jog and began following the hummingbird in front of him, he could now tell it was heading for the stables. The hummingbird stopped far enough from the stables he could clearly make out the guards in their uniforms but made no move to get closer. Elias didn't understand what it wanted, what Arryn had led him here for. It made a small shrill beside one of his ears but continued to flap in place,

Does he want me to get them out of here?

He figured that was a safe enough bet and motioned to the bird a stay gesture as he moved toward the guards. At his approach they stopped their conversation and bowed,

"My prince." both greeted in unison.

"No need for that, I came to tell you I believe I saw my brother's hippogriff circling the yard. I think he intends to land there and you're the closest guards nearby, you should greet him on his return."

The guards exchanged a mildly confused look between themselves and the older looking man with a thin beard cleared his throat,

"Sire, we aren't to leave our posts. Surely there is someone closer to greet his majesty?"

Elias made a show of scrunching his face up in thought, "There is no one around closer and the courtyard is just behind me, you know he'll want to greet his guards with any necessary commands. I suppose you could just stay here..."