Dark crown

Control

Mae had gotten some of the best and worst sleep in her life that night. She woke up well rested but sore. Her pain was odd it didn't just seem physical it was as if someone had slightly drained her life. She rolled out of bed with a grunt and got dressed in her normal pants and shirt noticing that Ila hadn't come there hadn't even been a knock. Mae shrugged it off and followed the smell of breakfast to the dining room. There sat Cass reading a book and Aries who looked like had been in a bar brawl. His right eye was a dark purple, above his eyebrow was a nasty looking cut, and when he reached across the table for a plate of trepan he hesitated as if there was something wrong with his ribs.

Mae took her seat silently eating along with the rest of them. While Aries looked away Mae casted Cass a questioning look he simply replied with a reluctant shake of the head which made her even more curious. "How was everyone's night?" she asked. Aries looked up at her with a raised brow while Cass choked on his juice. "A bit rough?" Mae continued looking directly at Aries. He looked back with a calm fury on his saying, "I'm a deep sleeper." Mae smiled and Cass choked on his juice again from laughter. The breakfast fell into silence again the only sound a slight click,click,click of people's feet in the halls.  Mae had again cleared her plate and prepared herself for another beating from Cass.

"Mae," Aries said "You're not going to be training with Cass as much this week." Mae could have hugged him for that. "But," he said and her excitement was crushed "You're going to be spending the day with me." Mae slumped in her chair and almost whined that she would prefer Cass's beating, but followed Aries to his office once again.

The office looked completely different in the daylight almost magical. "Practice," Aries said pointing to the paper and ink that lay on his desk. "Again," Mae said out of disbelief. "Yes again," Aries snapped "I'm on a running clock here and soon you need to learn how to open portals and break wards so practice."Before Mae could protest again Aries had gone slamming the door behind him. Mae sat down at the desk with a sigh she hated this and him, but she remembered she was doing this for her people and so, for her people, she picked up the quill and began to write.

    Midday a guard came in and escorted Mae to the training field where Cass beat her up once again. Mae took a bath and went straight back to practicing the marking's again. Aries had come to have dinner with her saying that he had "work to be done."

"Does being a king ever become tiring?" Mae asked when the silence became too much.

"I don't have the luxury to be tired," Aries replied.

"Yes I know that but you're eighteen and you have to think about doing normal things sometimes right?" Aries looked down at his food as it it would have the answer then he looked at her. "I'm seventeen," he said "And I don't think about things I've never had." Mae had to hide her shock he was a mere year older than her and he had gotten the reputation of monster. "What do you think about?" Mae asked.

"Why are you so interested in me?" Mae shrugged her shoulders and stayed silent hoping that he would answer. "If you must know I think about pianos, the night, my empire."

"You play piano?"

"Go," Aries said shooing her away.

"Not until you answer my question."

"Yes my mother taught me now go." Mae smiled as she thought about Aries playing piano. A monster who loved music. A monster with a mother. Mae didn't instigate anymore and went off to bed thinking about the monster who loved music.

    A week of the same schedule went by Mae practiced her markings Cass beat the hell out of her and she did it all again. Then another week went by she began to write the letters as well as her own language and she began to block Cass's advances and wehna month went by Aries told her she was ready to use the marking's.