group
"It's not exactly something I can just come out and say," he grumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes. "And trust me, once my mother finds out about my type, you'll look like a princess in her eyes. The public, too." He sighed heavily, then flopped an arm over to sloppily gesture to the dress. "Anyway, enough about my doomed love life. I came here to deliver that death trap. Queen's request."
"Maybe you don't have to just say it. If someone like me can manage, then you can absolutely do so." She shrugged, smiling softly. Her smile, however, faltered, when her eyes moved to the dress. It hit her that that was hers. By an order she couldn't refuse, she would be wearing-
Lily took in a shaky breath, nodding. "Thank you for bringing it. Are you-absolutely sure it was meant for me?"
group
Wolf sat up and looked at the dress, curling his nose slightly. Both twins had a strange dislike for dresses. Perhaps Wolf had gotten it from Cinthia through their odd twin connection. "Yup. A serving girl—Yvonne—was ordered to take it to you. I chatted with her a bit and offered to ease her burden. May or may not be because of an ulterior motive." He looked at Lily with a crooked and adorably guilty smile, then ruffled his hair a bit. "If you need any help with straps or buttons, just give me a shout and I can see what I can do. Promise I won't try anything," he added with his hands up in surrender.
Lily's smile strengthened a bit, and she forced the color of the dress out of her mind for the moment. "Your ulterior motive was talking to me about your brother?" She asked, tilting her head and gathering up the dress. She carefully avoided actually looking down at it, keeping her eyes focused on everything else. Wolf's face, the bed, the small songbird in the windowsill, anything. "I will keep you in mind, should I need the help." She would probably manage without him, but the thought was nice.
group
"No," he defended, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff, "My ulterior motive was just talking to you. Unfortunately, my brother is the only thing I could think of that I knew you were fond of." He flopped back onto his back, giving Lily privacy without actually leaving. He would leave, of course, if she so wished. There was just nothing striking about the female body that warranted him wanting to stare at her while she changed. The thought made him shiver in disgust and he quickly thought about something else. "You think I could persuade my mother into letting me get Yvonne as my personal servant? That sounds incredibly wrong and like slavery, but it'd mostly be for getting that poor girl out of the Queen's clutches and just a little more freedom than what she has at the moment."
"Next time, flowers and fruit work just as fine." Lily advised, standing from the bed and and slipping behind the dressing screen. She pulled it tighter, giving herself enough room to change, but effectively shielding herself. She trusted that he wouldn't peak, but it made her feel safer in general. If Rhydar trusts him, and so does Cin, then I absolutely can. Starting to remove her clothing, she hummed thoughtfully. "You might be able to. That's a noble thought, too. You know, if you wanted to keep the Queen, or anyone else, from finding out about your lack of…attraction to specific types, that might be a good way to ease suspicion. I'm sure she would appreciate the familiarity, too, and friendliness."
group
Wolf cocked his head to the side, humming. "You're right, with the whole Queen issue. I never even thought about that. It would raise suspicions, but it would shield me from some others. I might try that." He twirled his hand in the air, small twines of greenish blue magic twisting between his fingers and knotting in the space above his face. "Yvonne is nice, and bold." He quirked his lip up. "Most servants are too afraid to talk to me, let alone have a conversation with eye contact. Probably a good thing I covered my eyes…" The twins would probably never grow out of their insecurity when it came to their heterochromia. "Anyway, it'd be nice to have a friend, besides you—and I'm claiming you as a friend whether you like it or not. I'm lonely and like you."
Lily tilted her head, pausing halfway through pulling the dress down from the side of the screen. That was the second member of Rhydar's family to say something like that. And the second friend she had made. "She sounds like someone you could benefit from having around. A good friend, I mean. Though, I hardly think she would mind your eyes, you know. At least yours have set colors. Mine are never the same color twice in a row." She said, furrowing her brows as she studied the dress, dreading the feeling of the fabric on her skin. A hand closed around her arm, vicelike grip preventing her from moving. Not that she would. When he had his sights on her….that was a good way to find yourself unable to walk or even speak the next few days. "You're doing so well tonight, Rose-
"I am alright with being friends, if you're sure you want to be."
group
"I just declared you as my friend," Wolf drawled, "I'm pretty sure I don't want to be lonely, either." He tipped his head to the side and stared up at his twisting magic, painting a strange picture that looked like a winged reptile. He never really had any control over what he made when he was doing this. Magnus usually suspected that it was a prophetic vision being revealed in a different way. "Huh. You'd think the royal children would be a little less…" he trailed off.
"What, unique?" Lily said, making a 'tsk' sound as she shook her head, even though he couldn't see it. "Don't say imperfect. Because that insinuates that perfection even exits." She said, making a face as she attempted to lace up the back of the dress on her own, finding it a bit harder than she'd expected. While she was flexible, she was no contortionist, for sure.
group
Wolf laughed, waving away the forming winged reptile—dragon, more like. He's never even seen such a creature. Strange he would unknowingly 'draw' one. "I was thinking more like lonely, but I suppose unique works. We're not exactly the typical royal family, save for Mother." He thought about how long Lily's been taking, comparing it to about when Cin was begrudgingly asking for help, and sat up with an arched brow. "Need any help, hun?"
Lily paused, blinking in surprise. How had he guessed that quickly? "I…I'm not sure. I don't want to bother you." And I'm not sure if I could handle you accidentally touching me. She moved the screen, peaking out at him and looking at the floor. "I just want to get it over with, I guess. So, if it wouldn't be a bother to you…"
group
He waved his hand dismissively, standing up and stretching, joints popping. "Nonsense. I offered my assistance before, and I'm nothing if not a man of integrity." He laughed quietly at himself, then looked over at Lily, though he didn't make a move to come closer without her permission. He didn't know of her fears, but it was a habit formed by being around his twin so much, who often shied away from help and physical contact.
"Thank you." She nodded once, stepping out and turning her back to him, taking in a subtle deep breath. Rhydar's brother is just as trustworthy as Rhydar. You trust him and Cin, and you trust Wolf. "It just these, right here." She said, angling her arm to point at where the strings had been left undone. "I can't quite get there, not without dislocating my arm. Which would require a re-location, so that's off the table."
group
He chuckled and stepped up to her, taking the strings and getting to work on binding them. He, once again, unconsciously made sure to not touch her as he did so, his head tilted in concentration. He'd never understand the appeal of complicated dresses women had to wear. "We can't have that, now can we? Rhydar would throw a hissy fit and blame it all on me, then I'd have to get Cin involved, prompting Magnus to enter, which would just turn into a huge sibling rivalry that would put us all in time out." He said it lightly, though there was a hint of amusement that suggested he was speaking from experience.
"All over me dislocating my arm to get a dress on?" Lily furrowed her brows, tilting her head. She didn't look back at him though, letting him work to get it done quickly, instead of taking longer to re-do it. Even if he was unconsciously keeping from touching her, it was still very much appreciated. Regardless of his orientation or motives, the dress was already causing problems. She didn't need that on top of them. "That would seem a bit extreme, if my own siblings hadn't ended with the same result over things as small as a pebble found in one's shoe. We lived at the end of a gravel road, to put that in perspective." She added, shaking her head.
group
Wolf chuckled. "Us four need a little bit of entertainment, and what better way than getting thrown into the royal slammer for a petty squabble? It usually happens once or twice a year, maybe more if we're really bored." He looked over her shoulder and rose his brows, though his hands didn't falter as they continued to work on the strings. "And Rhydar would be worried over you, no matter how your arm got hypothetically dislocated. He's a worrier, mainly when it comes to what and who he cares about."
Lily's cheeks pinkened, but her lips lifted up just slightly. "He shouldn't worry about me. He should focus more on himself, and the people who actually need to be worried about." She said, fiddling with the ring on her finger as she spoke. It was a constant companion for her, ever since Rhydar had given it to her. She wasn't about to go losing it, obviously. "A dislocation wouldn't even be that problematic, just unnecessarily in the way."
group
"Tell that to my brother," he grumbled, tying off the last string and stepping back. "There. Secured in that death trap. I kept it reasonably loose for easy removal. Learned the hard way from Cin." He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure the entire castle could hear her cursing up a storm and thumping around as she tried getting that one dress off. Coincidentally, Mother stopped ordering she wear corsets after that." He tipped his head to the side and fell quiet, body going slack and his eyes looking at seemingly nothing. Well shit was the last coherent thought he had before he was plunged into a vision, held prisoner by his own gift.
She huffed a small and soft laugh, turning around to thank him and pausing. "Wolf?" That wasn't something she'd seen before, the only thing at all close being forced to watch the other women at the Garden as they slipped into the disassociative trance every one of them learned. It made things easier. But this was different, that much was obvious, and she was just slightly worried.
Biting her lip and pushing aside the crawling feeling and worry in her gut, she stepped closer, hesitantly reaching out. Whatever it was, she didn't try to shake him out of it, just very gently guided him over to the bed, in case he fell. She didn't want him getting hurt.
group
Wolf barely registered Lily guiding him to the bed, a flicker of gratefulness going through him as it was very likely he'd collapse after this. And that was the last thing he remembered before he was fully dragged under, consumed by the crystal clear future, heightened somehow by Lily's touch. It was as if his Seer gifts were waiting for her to do that, guiding her hands to make a hidden connection.
Mossy walls damp with perspiration. The Eyes of the Seer drifted through the halls, twisting and turning, going down, down, down, down… It got darker and darker, the moist earthy scent surrounding the Eyes and clinging to the phantom. There was seemingly no reason for their path. That is, until they reached a set of three different paths. Follow the Eyes, said a voice, and then darkness. Seconds went by, and the phantom was greeted by the stone doors of a tomb. It was new looking, a set of giant wings embracing the double doors. A square was carved into the center of the seal between the doors. The Eyes turned, turning attention to a web with a glint of steel behind it.
A trembling breath escaped Wolf's lips, the only sign that he was coming back to reality. It was a slow process, though, and he slowly sank down to the bed, his legs giving out. He didn't reach out, didn't seek help. How many times has he collapsed on his own, with no help? It was to be expected, now.
It took some effort, but as Wolf began to collapse, Lily reached out again. Of her own volition, she kept her hands only at his shoulders, helping him sit on the bed as she searched his face worriedly. "Wolf? Are you alright? Should I-go fetch Cinthia?" She wasn't sure if she was expecting a response or just talking to herself, musing over what would be the best thing to do right now. She had no clue what to do, or how to make sure he was alright. It was surprising, finding herself this worried about a person she barely knew. He's your friend. And the brother of your other friend. He's Rhydar's brother. You don't want anything to happen to him.
group
Wolf blinked rapidly, now teetering on the edge of the present and future. It took a few tries, but he managed to find his voice. "N-no, I'm fine. Just… Get a piece of paper while I remember this." He focused on the turns, knowing that he'd need to remember them all before it got fuzzy. That vision was too abrupt, too clear to be dismissed. He suspected it was something important to Lily, as it had happened when he was close to her, and the clarity got even better when she touched him. "I'm sort of blind at the moment, so if you'd be so kind as to write this down for me…" He rubbed at his eyes and ducked his head away from where he sensed Lily, an action similar to that of Rhydar when he used his abilities near her.
Lily nodded quickly, releasing him once she knew he was steady enough to not fall off the bed, and grabbed a piece of paper from within the drawers in the room. Finding a pen took a bit longer, but she managed. "Of course. What do you need me to write down?" She asked, settling next to him and crossing one leg over the other. The dress inhibited her motion a bit, especially with the measures taken to avoid looking at it. That was far from her mind, though, her current thoughts just relieved it was nothing serious. Actually, it almost reminded her of the morning she and Rhydar had spent together, after his nightmare.
group
He didn't waste time explaining it all to her, which he felt slightly guilty for, but that was just how it was. "Copy down what I say," he ordered softly, but firmly, then began reciting what he saw replaying—though the image was getting grainier by the second. "Underground, somewhere wet. Stone. Left, right, right, left, right, left, left, right. Three staircases. Follow the Eyes. A newish set of tomb doors with large wings. A dagger behind a web." He rubbed at his eyes, the heels of his palms digging into his eyes to try and rub away his blindness. "I–think that's it. Anything needing repeated?"
"No, I got it all." She said, taking a moment to stare at the paper. Her schooling had, of course, ended abruptly, and hadn't been all that in depth as it was. So writing was a bit of a struggle for her, especially after eight years being forbade to even look at a pen. Finally, she managed to get the things he'd listed down, though her hand writing was reminiscent of a drunk doctor riding a lame mule. Nothing was spelled wrong, though, thanks to the amount of time she spent reading. "You said…wings? What kind of wings?" She asked suddenly, looking up at him as a thought flickered through her head.
group
"Uh…stone wings?" he said slowly, blinking one last time before he could see clearly and his head wasn't spinning. He met Lily's gaze and ran a hand through his hair, tugging slightly to make sure he was completely grounded. He then hurried to elaborate, his hand moving as he talked. "There was this set of double doors leading to some sort of tomb. No decoration besides this set of really big wings that were kinda curving around them, like a hug? No paint or anything, even though it all looked relatively new, in terms of a tomb, that is. A few years old, maybe?"
It seemed far fetched, but the nagging in the back of her mind wouldn't cease. A constant 'this means something. You know what this means.' It took her a moment to connect the dots beyond a feeling, but then her eyes were lighting up and widening, and she looked down at the paper in her hand, then Wolf. "Wings, a few years old? What did-did they look feathered, or more bat-like?" She asked, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she mulled over everything on the paper in front of her.
group
He was confused, but he answered honestly. "Feathered." So his hunch was right—whatever he had seen was important to Lily in some way. What it was, he had no idea, but Lily seemed to be onto something, and he wouldn't pry. "I have a feeling this is important to you," he said, then rubbed the back of his neck and let out a small breath. "If I were you, I'd follow it. I haven't seen a vision as clear as that one in years. The clearer, the more important. Especially when it's so abrupt."
She looked back up at him, eyebrows furrowed. Studying his face for a moment, she nodded, tapping the paper in her hands. "It is. More important to someone else, but that makes it important to me. The clearer ones mean more?" Lily tilted her head, curious about that itself, and what it might mean if this vision was what she thought it was.
