Lady Of The Night

04| the silly prince

chapter 04: the silly prince
date edited: 04.01.23

Everyone turned to look at them, and Raven burned under the scrutiny.

Niklaus, however, did not seem to care. He laughed until he had to wipe a tear from his eye, until his breathing grew heavy, until something inside her wavered. Despite wanting to tell him to shut up, there was another part of her that wanted to smile. That was glad she could dispel the darkness that had been lingering in his eyes when she had first conveyed her condolences.

She stomped on that part of her like it was a cockroach that wandered unwittingly into her room. It had no place in her pristine fortress.

"Laugh all you want, prince. That éclair is mine," she whispered, moving toward the éclair with alacrity. At the very last moment he pulled away, and as she watched, put the pastry between his teeth and bit into it. Yellow custard dripped onto his plate from the other end.

Stifling the urge to growl like a Graugan bear, she stepped back and placed her dinner plate back in the stack. It settled with a soft clink.

"I hope you choke on the custard." She said pleasantly, folding her hands at her waist.

"The most delicious of deaths," he replied, swallowing and then licking his lips.

"Oh, and what of your plans of money-making, global domination—bringing a general sense of displeasure to every human being you interact with?" Raven asked, her brow quirked. "I may not respect you, prince, but I did respect your ambition. For shame."

Laughter still danced among the fronds of his eyes. "I suppose the pleasure of having thwarted your way and ticking you off would have to be fulfilling enough."

Instead of stomping her foot like a three-year-old who did not get the rocking polar she wanted, she smiled serenely. Before she could deliver her scathing reply however, her mother floated toward them. A buffer perhaps, so that they would not make a scene. Again.

"Your highness." She greeted, bowing. "I am terribly sorry for your loss. Delivered with the sincerest of intentions. Despite our disagreements, your father was a powerful ruler."

The green in Niklaus' eyes seemed to dim a little, and Raven wanted to pinch her mother for her subtility. Then she wondered why. She thrived on the prince being uncomfortable. And yet, somehow, this just didn't sit right. Something warred within her.

"I know you must feel terrible about everything and I hope I can be of some help to you. Please, you may speak to me as frankly as you wish. You know, despite everything that happened—" at which she sent Raven a glare, who rolled her eyes in response, "—I have always considered you a son, a fact that I relayed to your mother—bless her soul—several times. You can tell me anything."

Raven stared at her mother. Did she honestly expect the prince to break down in the middle of the sitting room before all the royals of the hexstate?

"Mother—" Raven started; her tone ripe with admonishment. But the doors to the sitting room suddenly opened, and Raoul—NaLuna's head steward—entered the room.

He bowed. "Good evening. The Grand Duke requests the presence of his—his majesty, King Niklaus Wylan Crescentia in his Grace's study."

A gasp goes through the room, and Raven suddenly realised that, while everyone had acknowledged and realized the tragedy of the King's demise, no one had really realized that his heir would now be king. And from the look on Niklaus' face, neither did he.

He put the rest of his éclair on the plate and set it down. After apologizing to her mother and bowing to the rest of the ladies, he left the room. Raven glanced longingly at the abandoned éclair.