Reaper's Bane

Heavier is the Head that Holds the Crown

Everyone knows the names of our monarchs; that knowledge is all but required. But rarely are we mere peasants allowed to run our dirty eyes over their gleaming visages. To say we know their names might be a bit of an overstatement, though. True names hold power and are seldom shared, and even more rarely shared willingly. As a result, it's common practice for a child decide on their true name when they're old enough. A tradition meant to minimize the risk of a parent gaining power over them. This leads to the Fae tradition of having two names: a "nickname" and a true name. The only exception is between mates; a crucial part of the mating ceremony involves freely giving your true name. It's seen as the ultimate sign of trust and a way to maintain balance within the mating pair/set.

Running a critical eye over them I file away any relevant observations for use later. The Thornbriar clan is still the largest, sporting 6 children ranging widely in age that are currently engaging in, what appears to be, good natured fighting. But it's a common theme among shifters to have large families, pack mentality and all. They seem the most relaxed with one another, the High King, Altair, has an arm wrapped around his mate's back as she tries to wrangle the squirming babe in her arms. They were a true mate match and it's glaring, the difference between them and the arranged pairs on the stage. I still doubt Altair sees his mate, Maven, as an equal but at the very least he doesn't seem to abuse her. She has a warm glow about her and looks healthy enough with no visible bruising or signs of cowering away from his touch.

The only Veilwoods on the dais are Vox and Eugenia, the current King and his mate, and my brow crinkles in confusion before I realize they must still have the heirs hidden away. They stand coldly beside one another, and I take note of the way Eugenia flinches, almost imperceptibly, as Vox shifts his weight beside her. If the rumors about the couple are true, Vox never revealed his true name to her. Leaving him with complete dominion over his mate and a painfully incomplete bond. With their bond in that state she would be in constant pain, like half her soul has been ripped from her chest. I study her closer, curious if I could actually see the pain gripping her form but from this distance all I can determine is that she holds herself tightly, wary eyes shifting constantly as though expecting harm to befall her at any moment.

Movement across the dais draws my eye, landing on twin boys, no older than 13, wrestling one another to the ground. A grin quirks my lips up as I watch the smaller of the two slip his brothers hold only to maneuver behind him and sweep his feet out. The boy crashes to the ground and the two burst into laughter before starting their game all over again. Creed and Divinia Emberfall stand behind them, a proud look on their father's face and a slightly exasperated one on their mother's. It's hardly a surprise to see that the boys belong to the Emberfall clan, elementals are almost as emotion driven as shifters are due to the volatile nature of their magic.

Although, I suppose the boys don't actually have elemental magic considering we're all gathered here for this ceremony. But even without the family magic running through them the innate nature of it obviously still does. Standing slightly behind Creed is a slip of a girl. She looks to be around the same age as myself but, considering we age at a snail's pace after reaching maturity, it's impossible to go off of looks alone to determine how old she is. Her blue eyes are assessing as she sweeps them over the crowd. I stiffen instinctively, sinking as far back against the wall as I can, when I get the distinct impression that she's looking my way.

With her face turned my way I finally realize which of the Emberfall children this is, Seraphina Emberfall. The eldest child and rightful heir, or at least she would be if our society allowed women to inherit. She's probably the most rebellious of the royal children, frequenting the same underground fighting ring that I do. I can't avoid her completely, but I make sure to just gathering information and seek out contracts when she's in the ring. It's a barely restrained temptation of mine to fight against her, she's older than me with more experience in hand-to-hand combat and I'm curious to see which of us would come out on top. But beating the princess could end in my head separating from my body. A fate I've been actively avoiding.