A Spam Book

Daybreak's Crest Writing Prompt Shorts 2

06. "Never saw one without the other, did you?"

Libra himself never had much of a presence in the Auraidorian castle. Amongst so many princes and princesses, he wasn't particularly anything – he wasn't particularly talented, beautiful, handsome – rebellious, hated, scorned.

However, his retainers, on the other hand...

It was common knowledge that Gemini Mercier was daughter or something of the Mercier family – hence her surname – which had served the Auraidorian royalty for generations as servants or maids. But the very idea that a lowly maid could become retainer to a prince, even though most people didn't know said prince anyway... that was quite the shocker, especially to the other retainers of the Auraidorian royalty that had obtained their positions through skill, titles...

And Aquarius, second retainer to Libra. The Auraidorian royalty didn't shy away from purchasing people like they were goods rather than actual human beings, and many knew it. Most of the time, it was the case of men and women being sold to become the wives or husbands of nobility; an unfortunate side to Auraidorian politics, but it was a tradition that had never died out when it should've. Perhaps in another life she could've been a completely different woman – with her looks, she would've been a popular choice for some accessory to attach to some nobleman's hip if her life hadn't shaped her to become who she was. People didn't like when others were better than them at anything so they whispered about her under their breaths, too.

But the two retainers were extremely loyal to their liege and they were rarely seen apart. The two retainers had something that many of the other retainers didn't – they shared a close bond with each other and their liege. It was almost naïve in a way, for friendships to be shared between what should've been two vastly differing ranks – but it was what, as Libra described, gave them their strength.

It wasn't unheard of for retainers to betray their lieges. Being their closest advisors and at their side every day had its merits. The close friendships the two girls shared with each other and Prince Libra; some may scorn it while others may look down upon it, but to the three close friends, it was what made life a little more bearable and what secured their loyalties to each other.

-x-x-x-

07. "Don't you touch her."

"Don't you touch her."

Taurus stared coldly down at the cowering bandit, his gaze stony and unyielding. The blade of his axe was buried deep in the earth directly next to the bandit's head.

"...Taurus," Virgo mumbled from behind him, "He –"

Taurus glanced at the dark-haired girl for a split second. For a moment, he saw someone else; a young boy, brown hair, shaking like a leaf as he watched –

Virgo was staring at him again.

Taurus let loose a breath and turned back to the bandit, who continued to cower, trembling. His lip curled. Coward.

"You'd better run." Taurus said softly, in a voice that wasn't quite his own – in a voice he could recall in an instant, murmuring encouraging praise and full of mirth as he bickered with his friends, with Taurus's –

Taurus pulled the axe out of the ground.

The bandit stumbled to his feet.

"Run." Taurus repeated. He could see his shadow engulfing the bandit's figure; the shadow of a man, and if he squinted hard enough, he'd see piercing green eyes, fox-russet hair. "If I see you anywhere near –"