Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a surprisingly peaceful day. The soft chirping of birds flowed through the air as a breeze carried their songs. A chill ran across his skin, the days just starting to get shorter as the nights grew longer.

Soon, the land would be covered in pale white snow, the flowers would die, and the howling wolves would return. It happened every year. The hateful words would grow stronger, and the desolate wasteland would be the only one to hear his cries.

They had never liked the winter. He supposes that’s why he never liked the sun. The sun was just a painful reminder of his life—that even his own name was taken.

A sudden loud knocking broke him out of his thoughts—an irritable voice yelling through the door. “You are needed in the council room, Xelqua! You'd better be there in five minutes or else!”

He sighed, his eyelids drooping closed. So much for peace. He thought bitterly.

With great pain, he stood up, walking over to his closet and changing into his best clothes. If they bothered with getting him, then it must be for something important. Their ‘Prince’ had to show up every once in a while after all.

Servants doted on him as he exited his room, guards surrounded him in a circle of protection that was unwanted and unneeded. They didn’t actually care about him, but it would be a hassle to replace him. They would rather not deal with the fallout of their prince dying and silently threaten him instead.

He continued towards the council room, the clicking of his heels grounding him in the chaos of their palace. It didn’t matter that he had lived here for years; it wasn’t home and never would be.

Eventually, he arrived at the large, looming doors, the faintest hint of chatter coming from behind the door. He quickly shut his eyes and prepared himself. Anger bubbled up beneath his skin, but he couldn’t show it. ‘You are nothing, Xelqua. You’re just here to keep up appearances. Don’t make any noise unless asked and sit pretty like the doll you are.’ Their voices repeated in his head, the instructions stamped into his brain.

With one last sigh, he swung open the enormous doors. What greeted him, though, was something that even he couldn’t predict.

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When his brother had said they were visiting another kingdom, he hadn’t thought he meant The Watcher Kingdom!? The enemies they had gone to war with dozens of times in history!?

Safe to say Scar was not pleased.

He glared at his fingernails, the snide comments floating over his head, the backhanded remarks being ignored. What really angered him, though, was the sweet honey words they would throw in. Their lies so easily being detected by the faint vex magic humming beneath his skin.

“Ding!” His senses would yell, every other word they said being a lie. They never had discovered why the Kingdom of Convex never fell for their tricks. Even with their infamous spies dotted around hundreds of territories, they always fell short when it came to Convex. 

The whole point of vex magic was to be hidden, something even thousands of eyes couldn’t see. It’s what made them so powerful.

Scar glanced up, taking in the burning glares he couldn’t see but felt deep in his skin. For some reason, all the Watchers seemed on edge, a slight tick in their fingers or a twitch in their eyes. Scar was, to put it blankly—confused. 

Unlike other kingdoms, there was no designated ruler of The Watcher Kingdom; instead, they acted as a group of high-ranking officials all called ‘The Watchers’. So there was no reason for them to be glaring at the empty seat directly across from Scar.

Unless he was forgetting someone? Cub was wrong; he had a great memory! Just- not particularly familiar with the customs of their enemy kingdom. It wasn’t strange! Just because Cub knew everything about anything didn’t mean Scar had to!

He shook his head, banishing his running thoughts and focusing on the task at hand. And luckily, because right that second, the frankly unnecessary large doors swung open, revealing a smaller, robed figure.

Delicate purple and white clothing hung from the figure's body, a border of eyes embroidered into the silky white gloves he was wearing. His presence was almost ethereal as huge purple-dipped wings draped behind him. Soft, dirty blond hair was pinned and styled to show off the slight waves that perfectly framed his face.

Scar quickly glanced away, his cheeks starting to burn a crimson red. What are you thinking?! This is the enemy, keep his stupid, perfect, swirling void eyes out of your mind! Stars- I need to get it together.

Why is he so unfairly pretty?!

Cub suddenly tickled his skin with magic, a signal to do something. Scar quickly looked over at his brother, studying what he was doing.

Cub’s head was dipping just slightly before he straightened it out again, the motion causing his dark hair to swing. “Welcome, Prince Xelqua,” Cub greeted formally.

Scar’s eyes widened for a split second as he remembered. Of course! Oh my void- how could I forget about the Prince of the Watcher Kingdom?!

The Watcher Kingdom's prince was an elusive figure; he was rarely seen and never made public appearances without The Watchers. Whispers and rumors surrounded the Prince; his name was on every tongue and widespread throughout every household. He had shown up one day, and his true origins weren’t known, only theorized about.

Right now, Scar was really wishing he had paid more attention to the rumors because he knew next to nothing about the prince. For example— he was definitely supposed to be bowing right now, wasn’t he? Cub was going to be so mad-

Scar quickly corrected himself and repeated what Cub had done, making sure to throw on a signature smile of his. He was the charming prince after all, maybe he could even sway the enemy kingdom…

Xelqua eyed them both, something complicated in his eyes. “King Convex, Prince Scar,” he greeted with a cold expression, “welcome to Evolution.” He said, his words short and to the point.

Scar wanted to glare, but he held back the urge; he was more interested in learning about the prince after all, and giving away his disdain would ruin the plan. He wanted to know what made him tick—Scar wanted to worm his way under the prince's skin and never leave. The rush of a new target filled Scar with energy, a sparkle surely in his eyes.

This was a new mark to wiggle the secrets out of one by one. If he could get information from the enemy to use- then this would be his greatest achievement yet, something even Cub would be proud of him for.

The Kingdom of Convex wasn’t an honorable place; it’s what had gotten them so far, but they were tricky. Though, only few knew how far the rabbit hole really led. It was probably the one thing they had in common with the Watcher Kingdom—just the thought made him sick.

“Thank you for the welcome; it truly is an honor to be here,” Cub said, his skin vibrating with magic while Scar politely nodded along. Cub’s statement would seem truthful to anyone else; even Scar himself couldn’t hear the rings of lies, but that meant nothing. His magic never worked on Cub.

The prince nodded, his eyes flicking over towards The Watchers before gracefully sitting down. His breathtaking wings folded into a small heart shape that framed his body perfectly.

“We assume you have looked over our offer.” One of The Watchers suddenly said, their gaze focused on Cub—never Scar.

What offer? All they’ve been doing this whole time is looking mildly disgruntled about everything and failing miserably at lying to us. Unless- Scar shook his head, willing the thought away. He wouldn’t.

Only Scar noticed the slight flinch his brother gave to being addressed, his magic humming brighter in response. “We have,” Cub affirmed, his voice powerful and fit for a king, but that only left Scar questioning more. “The answer is yes. Conflict is only hurting our citizens; our duty is to them first and foremost.” Cub stated, his smile a centimeter too wide.

Scar's thoughts were disjointed. What was Cub agreeing to, and why were The Watchers involved? Most importantly, though, why did Scar have no idea what Cub was talking about? 

Did Cub not tell me something…?

“Wonderful.” Several Watchers grinned, the expression was uncanny in comparison to their prince, who tilted his head and squinted at them, a puzzle going on behind his eyes. Scar studied Xelqua—he wanted the answers to the puzzle that Xelqua was. “We are glad you could see reason and have agreed to become allies.” A Watcher stated with clear confidence, a sick smile plastered on their face.

Wh-what?! No- they must be lying! Cub wouldn’t not tell him something as important as this! He wouldn’t…- Cub was the king, the one everyone feared just as much as he was praised, the one who could placate the kingdom with a few well-placed words, the one who was admired and respected… but Scar was still the prince of Convex! He was the one who charmed his way into secrets and brought them all back to the king; he was the one who people touched and caressed with lust-riddled faces; he was the one who was whispered about when they thought Scar couldn’t hear.

He was the dog bringing bones to his master and waiting for praise.

Cub wouldn’t make such an important decision without telling Scar, without consulting his brother. He wouldn’t… But there was no ringing of a bell, there was no magic underneath his skin, there was no lie caught on their lips. It was the truth.

Scar’s eyes shot over to Cub, searching his face for anything, anything that might tell a different story. All he found was Cub’s normal unreadable expression that Scar could only pick through at the best of times—not when something uncomfortable was settling in his stomach.

His brother didn’t even spare a glance at Scar; he stayed the 'perfect composed king’ that everyone loved. Cub was radiating control, his head held high and his shoulders up, but his fingers were a little too twitchy for normal. It was a tick no one else but Scar would be able to pick up on—he learned a lot after carefully watching Cub his whole life.

The pounding in his ears slowed, and the butterflies stopped, but the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach didn’t go away; it only got worse. Cub had something up his sleeve, something The Watchers didn’t know.

But what? The Watchers hadn’t been lying- Scar would’ve known if they were. So what was Cub planning… and why didn’t he tell Scar?

He didn’t get the chance to churn over his racing thoughts anymore because suddenly his skin burned with magic, vex magic mixing with his own. When he looked over at Cub, he realized that the meeting was done and everyone was starting to stand up, while he had been zoned out.

Scar quickly shook his head and gracefully stood up, the king following behind him. A smile easily slid back onto his face, and he brushed back his brunette hair with ease. His smirk flickered only for a moment when he abruptly saw Xelqua get pulled away by a Watcher. They must’ve been in a hurry because their grip on the prince looked tight.

Scar jumped when Cub bumped his shoulder, his figure striding away presumably to their rooms. With one last glance back, Scar followed his brother, a plan forming in his mind.

Allies or not— Scar was getting a new target.

Chapter Text

The air was tense, and his skin buzzed with energy. If the crack of thunder finally came, then the downpour would start as well, the sky would erupt with flashes, and no one could stop it. He had to make sure the calm before the storm stayed calm.

“Why did you call me here, Cub?” Scar asked with an undertone of annoyance. He had to take a deep breath; he couldn’t start something he wasn’t ready for.

“I’m sure you’re questioning why we are allied with The Watcher Kingdom,” Cub said, his expression giving away nothing. Really? You think? A warning would have been nice. His thoughts were bitter and cold, but he couldn’t let them seep through—he couldn’t.

“Yes, I’m assuming you have a trick up your sleeve, though,” Scar answered, his thumb running over the jagged scarring on his hand.

His brother smiled something genuine and mischievous that looked like the prince he used to know, but when he blinked, it was gone again. “The plan is to slowly infiltrate this kingdom and gather information from the inside. Let them think we are allies until they have no secrets left.” Cub explained with confidence.

Scar flinched; he knew what the king was implying. “And you want me to be the one to do that?” He still asked, despite knowing the answer.

Cub nodded, the majestic crown on top of his head never moving. “The goal is for you to get close to the prince, gather information about him or the kingdom while tricking or charming him into your trap. You’re perfect for the job.”

Despite his better judgment, Scar’s head felt rushed with praise. If Cub wanted this, then it was worth it. Scar had been planning to trick Xelqua anyway—it was nothing he hadn’t done before. Yet, something in his gut squirmed with the idea; it almost felt like hesitation.

“That sounds easy enough for me… It’s just… pretty high-risk, high-reward. I mean, what if I get caught-” Scar’s concern was cut off, the butterflies still hadn’t disappeared, though.

“Please, Scar. This would be really helpful to the kingdom, and you won’t get caught, you never have before, so why would this be any different?” Cub pleaded, his voice silky smooth like Scar’s was supposed to be— why was his shaking then?

Scar nodded his head, his eyes returning to the king. “No, of course. Yeah, I’ll do it.” Why had he even hesitated for a second? Obviously, Scar would let Xelqua fall for his lies, void- he was the one who had thought of the idea in the first place! It was as the saying went, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ The saying wouldn’t be so popular if it didn’t hold at least some merit.

…Right?

“Thank you, Scar,” His brother said, “This means a lot.” Cub’s eyes were kind, but not kind enough. The hollowness of them echoed through Scar’s chest.

“Of course, Cub, no problem.” Scar automatically answered, his racing thoughts miles away from reality right now. Why couldn’t he just tell me this first? I would have gone along with it… He’s the king, though—he’s the one who could slaughter thousands with just a few words. Not me.

“I should retire to my room now…” Scar mumbled, his feet already moving to stand up, his weight tipped, and his body wobbled even from the simple action—it was okay, vex magic would hold him up.

It always did.

Cub simply nodded, his raven-black hair reflecting the cold blue lights the room was filled with. “Yes, you should. Tomorrow, you will need to start your efforts on gathering information.” His brother's eyes softened on the last sentence; Scar felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Get some sleep, Scar.”

Scar shut the door without a second thought, his legs continuing to lifelessly walk him to his own room. Did he even know where his room was? No, of course he didn’t. Cub had never given him the directions.

Scar sighed but continued walking; there was no point in lamenting the fact. Tomorrow, he would run around the castle looking high and low for Xelqua, his charming smile would be put to use, and his eyes would echo his own brother's hollow ones.

But today, he was exhausted. Worst part—he didn’t even know why.

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As soon as they were out of view, he started to kick and scream, his wings flapping hard in an effort to get away. His wings weren’t extraordinarily powerful, but they could still do some damage. He had screamed, clawed, bit, and kicked back then; he would always do the same now.

Never as hard or as loud as he did back then, though…

When he slashed their wrist open with his claws, only then did they finally drop him. “STOP IT!” They screamed, punching him once before pushing him to the ground with an audible thud.

He was about to get back up again when he felt the pressure on his wing, a hand digging into his delicate feathers. His instincts overrode every muscle in his body, and he froze like a deer in headlights; it didn’t matter how many times they did this, he still panicked every time.

They knew exactly where to hurt him, the small tears they could cause in his wings to impede his flight. They knew what feathers to clip so that any hope he had was squashed. They knew where they could stab holes through the skin of his wings and expose tendons, but still keep their bargaining chip.

He had always had one weakness— his wings.

“Move again and your pretty little wings will be shattered into a thousand pieces.” A Watcher threatened, the grip on one of his wings tightening. “We only want to have a quick chat. It would be best if you behave, Xelqua.” They said the name like they were taunting him; he knew they were too, but he couldn’t let them win this fight.

“My name isn’t Xelqua.” Grian hissed, his eyes burning with flames.

The Watchers didn’t acknowledge him; it would be a waste of time. “Those idiots fell for everything. Why don’t we teach them a lesson? It’s about time we gained the upper hand.” They laughed, their words soaked in venom despite their emotionless faces.

Truth was— The Watchers had been failing for years, no matter what they did, Convex was as invisible as ever. They had been sworn enemies for centuries before Grian was even introduced to this hell. The Watchers made sure Grian knew every time something as small as a paper cut happened, so of course, he knew their hatred for Convex.

By now, he couldn’t help but hate them too.

“We have a plan for you, Xelqua.” A Watcher grabbed his face, forcing his eyes to meet theirs. “You’re going to be the perfect little pawn in this game. We want information so you’re going to help us.” They stated, squeezing the skin around his face tighter when he tried to glance away. “And if you don’t…” The already harsh grip on his wings tightened, his wings stood frozen in their hands, even as it burned. “I think you know what will happen.”

Grian glared but didn’t object; he couldn’t fight them right now, he had to wait for the advantage. The Watchers always eventually got too cocky and forgot what skills he learned. But a fate without wings—it was worse than death.

They took his silence as agreement. “We want you to gather intel about Convex. We don’t care how, as long as you bring the information back to us. This plan is so simple, there’s no way your imbecile brain could mess this up.” They snared, finally letting go of his face. Grian gasped and brushed his fingers over the blooming bruises.

Another Watcher stepped forward, a glint in their eyes. “I’ve heard that the prince of Convex is gullible. If Xelqua is smart enough, then he can worm information out of him. Maybe even get some pleasure, I’ve heard that the prince is quite the playboy.” They laughed, a sadistic look on their face.

“Yes, Xelqua can get close to the prince and trick him. I’m sure Xelqua will like that.” A Watcher grinned, continuing to speak about him like he wasn’t right here.

Void- what are they even implying?… Really, though, I have to get close to him. Ugh, he’s so annoying. All I’ve ever heard from the rumors is how charming and hot he is; everyone always talks about sexual things when referring to him… I don’t like him. What was his name again, Scar? Convex has caused me so much pain… I can’t help but hate him.

And helping The Watchers?! AFTER WHAT THEY DID!? No. I hope I’m strong enough to kill them all one day.

“Why would I help you gather information?! I don’t want to do this, I hate the prince, but most of all I hate YOU!” Grian yelled, his eyes burning with the intensity of his namesake and his wings trying to flap in their grip.

Sometimes he didn’t have the energy to fight them; he knew the punishment, and yet he still tested his luck every time. But most times, he couldn’t let them rest easy, not after what they did to him.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN DISOBEY US, XELQUA?! You will do this whether you like it or not! After all, we thought you liked your wings.” A single feather was plucked from his wing, but it wasn’t ready to be taken. It wasn’t ready.

Grian gasped, his throat closing up and his body falling forward, only putting more strain on his wings. The taste of copper filled his mouth, his sharp teeth piercing his own skin in an effort not to scream.

He couldn’t lose his wings. He couldn’t. He couldn’t! He COULDN’T! HE COULDN’T-

“O-okay… I’ll help you.” Grian rasped, his heart beating dangerously fast in his chest. He’d never be able to kill them if he were dead, and ripping his wings off would effectively be the same thing.

The Watchers all smiled, something deeply unsettling taking hold in Grian’s gut. “We’re so glad to hear that Xelqua. You’ll be our perfect prince, won’t you? Now, we think you should get some rest, you’ll have a busy day tomorrow after all.” They grinned, a sickly sweet tune in their voice.

Suddenly, the hold on his wings disappeared, and he fell face-first onto the ground. Red droplets beaded on his tongue, desperate not to let them win the satisfaction of his pain. He couldn’t let them know how much their constant torment affected him. Couldn't let them hear him scream.

Grian pushed against his aching body and stood up. As soon as he could, he rushed past The Watchers with powerful flaps of his wings and kept his head low until the cold blankets of his bed greeted him.

Grian sighed and let his tears soak into the sheets; he never was allowed to cry unless it was in the confines of his own room. He couldn’t let anyone see, couldn’t let anyone watch.

He was barely able to keep himself sane back then; there was no hope for him now. All he had left was the ever-falling snow. They had taken everything from him, even-

No. There was no use in reminiscing about the past. It was too late now; he should have been more careful that day. He should focus on getting through tomorrow, but even that seemed like an impossible task. Really, the prince of Convex? Why him out of everyone?

His hatred for the prince started to bubble up, but he pushed it back down; that was tomorrow Grian’s problem. Current Grian’s problem was dealing with the terrible aching and itchiness his wings felt; there were no doubt purple bruises on his face, too. Ice might ease his pains, but he would just cover everything up with makeup and dye anyway.

What was the point?

Grian sighed again and rolled over. Tomorrow, he would be swept into a political battle that had no end and be made to gather information from Prince Scar. Maybe he shouldn’t be so pessimistic; maybe Convex’s prince really was kind and caring. Or maybe he wasn’t, who knows.

Maybe even one day the prince and him could be something other than enemies.

He doubted it.

Chapter Text

When he finally did wake up, everything hurt. His muscles ached, and his legs begged him to never move from this bed; of course, he couldn’t do that, though, he was a prince and a tasked one at that.

Wincing, Scar tried to stand up, only for his legs to immediately give out and plummet his body back onto the bed. Today was not the day for his body to fail him; he always pushed through the aches and pains until he eventually crashed, but he couldn’t crash now. Cub was counting on him; he wouldn’t fail his brother.

Vex magic swirled around him, his legs finally having the strength to keep him afloat. He must have overused his magic yesterday for his muscles to feel so sore; whatever, it was nothing more vex magic couldn't fix.

With a sigh, Scar pulled out a long, emerald green dress that hugged his figure nicely. There was a large slit on the side made to show off his tan skin, which he particularly liked. This dress had always been one of his favorites, especially with some golden jewelry.

Once he had gotten ready, he was on his way to find the prince, Xelqua. Cub was counting on him—he couldn’t mess this up.

The endless clicking of his heels didn’t help him find Xelqua; there were barely any paintings of the prince, either. Convex had dozens of paintings of Cub and him; it was a strange detail to be absent. Scar’s eyes lingered on one painting depicting the prince. Xelqua was young—the youngest Scar had seen yet—and he was surrounded by The Watchers, a fiery glare shone in his eyes, a dichotomy from The Watchers' wide smiles.

Something about the painting felt off—unsettling, but Scar couldn’t dwell on it; he was still hopelessly trailing up and down the palace trying to find the prince. The halls made him feel like he was trapped in a labyrinth after he passed the same archway for about the twentieth time.

Where is he?! Void- I don’t know where anything is in this palace, much less where Xelqua might be. He thought bitterly, his eyes drifting over towards the large archway that enticed Scar forward.

Maybe I should check in there… He decided, a small feeling in his chest blooming. If nothing else, then at least he could learn the layout of this place a bit more.

A gasp tore from his throat when he stepped inside, his eyes wide in awe. Thousands of books filled towering shelves, hundreds of different colors lining the walls. His eyes darted around rapidly, too much information for his brain to process. Millions of words were at the tips of his fingertips—anything his heart could ever want was sure to be found here.

As if in a trance, Scar glided forward, his fingers gently grazing over the spines of anything from gardening books to world-famous plays. This was heaven.

Almost instantly, his thoughts about The Watcher Kingdom or Prince Xelqua completely vanished; his heart was now transfixed on this enchanting place—he needed to explore everything about it.

Abruptly, his daydreams came screeching to a halt when he stumbled upon a book that read, ‘How We Became Blinded; The Rise of The Watcher Kingdom’. Right- he wasn’t here to have fun—he had a job.

Something about this book was weird, though. For example, it was just slotted into a random section with seemingly no reason. The pages were torn, and the cover was faded.

Scar carefully picked the book up, his fingers gliding over the discolored spine. He was about to open the book when a flutter of movement caught his eye. A white and purple figure was gazing at the thousands of books, his gorgeous wings unmistakably giving away who he really was.

Scar’s eyes widened, and he quickly tucked the book into a small bag slung around his hips. For some reason, he felt like he needed to keep this book hidden, away from prying eyes.

His feet treaded forward, slowly closing the gap between him and the prince. A glint in his eyes appeared when he looked at Xelqua—there was something…about him, something Scar wanted to desperately learn everything about. He needed to succeed at this mission, no matter what.

Scar threw on a charming smile and cleared his throat, grabbing Xelqua’s attention. “Well, hello there, Prince Xelqua, it’s a pleasure to see you here!” He easily said, a quick wink being sent Xelqua’s way when he turned around.

The prince narrowed his eyes, his wings folding tighter around his body. “Prince Scar of Convex,” he acknowledged, “may I ask why you’re here?” Xelqua bluntly questioned.

Scar quickly masked the shock of someone daring to address him like that and pulled his smile higher. “I was taking a walk around the extraordinary palace and happened to stumble upon this library! Say, when would this place have been built?” He let curiosity show through on his features for a simple, innocent question.

Xelqua bored holes into his skin. “Centuries ago. The library was one of the first things to be built; knowledge is incredibly highly valued here.” He explained, gesturing slightly with his hands. “What about your own kingdom? We should get to know each other now that we are officially allied.”

Scar gritted his teeth, covering a flinch at the acknowledgement of them being ‘allies’. The Watcher Kingdom would always be their enemies, really, they shouldn’t have trusted the kingdom rumored to constantly have tricks up their sleeves so easily. 

“Well,” Scar drawled, “our libraries are stocked full of books after centuries of being in operation; they have all the knowledge one could ever need.” The lie burned his tongue, a bitter taste going down his throat.

It wasn’t true; this library was the most enchanting thing he had ever seen, nothing like the ones at home. Truth was— Scar had probably read almost every book in that library that wasn’t a fact book about ‘some almighty powerful guy.’ He could hear his brother’s nagging voice in his head. ‘Scar, stop rolling your eyes at me, you need to learn this.’

Cub didn’t understand, though—it wasn’t just that easy. He didn’t care for biographies about another one of their ancient ancestors; he wanted to get lost in his mind and explore far-off worlds. The king had always been top of his classes when Scar and him grew up.

He wasn’t jealous, though—he didn’t care.

“We’re so proud of you, Cub! First place is extraordinary!” Her voice rang out, praise just falling from her lips.

“Good job, my boy.” He had said, ruffling his brother's hair.

Cub smiled and preened under the attention, but his eyes kept darting around, looking for something—or someone. Finally, they stopped when he caught Scar’s gaze, his grin even brighter now. “Scar got second, too! He did really good!” His brother said, a proud tone in his voice.

Scar perked up, stepping closer towards his family. “Cubby’s right! We both were in the top three!” His heart bloomed with love, smiling alongside his brother.

“Yes, yes, you both did well, but Scar is only second. He still has plenty of room for improvement.” She grinned, Scar’s smile dimming. “Unlike you, my child.” She took Cub’s hands.

“We are proud of you, Cub.”

He didn’t care. No, that would be foolish.

Xelqua looked away, his arms crossed. “Really now? I thought Convex lacked valuable knowledge about history.” He wondered out loud, glancing at Scar out of the corner of his eye. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s true.” He mumbled.

Scar’s eyes widened, his skin boiling hot with unused magic. “Excuse me!?” He growled, the smirk on his face now looking visibly forced. “Don’t you dare say anything about my kingdom! We worked incredibly hard for what we have.” Unlike you. His thoughts completed, an ache spreading throughout his entire body, the tips of his pointed ears growing longer and longer.

“I’m sure you did,” Xelqua sarcastically muttered, his wings flaring out behind his figure, white and purple feathers ruffling.

WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS!? I swear I will-! His thoughts abruptly stopped when he felt liquid running down his arm. He glanced down only to find crimson red blood dripping from large claw marks on his hand. Fuck! Scar softly gasped, quickly hiding his arm behind his back.

Shit- he must have let his vex nature get the better of him. He should’ve learned to control that by now! Void- how could he be SO STUPID to not feel his sharper claws digging into his hand!? He was nothing useful, nothing but a pretty little doll-

“Hello?! Are you there, Your Highness?” Xelqua snapped his fingers in front of Scar’s face, an annoyed look in his eyes. His expression only softened when he focused on the small puddle of blood staining the floor.

Xelqua’s eyes widened, and a thousand different emotions crossed his face—almost mechanically, he started to shuffle around in his pockets, looking for something.

Scar opened his mouth to speak, anything to salvage the situation and not fail his brother. Void- he had shown weakness to Xelqua of all people, maybe he could garner some pity from him and find out information at the very least?

He didn’t get the chance, though, because suddenly bandages were being thrown at him and he scrambled to catch them. The other prince sighed, “Take those; I had some extra.”

Extra? Scar questioned, his thoughts quickly being pushed aside for now in an effort to wrap himself up. The tangy copper taste in the air faded as the bandages became a pale red. By now, his claws had dulled to regular fingernails, and his ears had shortened so that his hair now grazed them.

Why did Xelqua help me?

Scar took a deep breath and slipped back into that persona he needed to be. “Why, thank you for the help, Prince Xelqua!” He charmed, a smirk on his face. “It was an absolute delight to see you.” It wasn’t; the prince had insulted his kingdom and made his blood boil. He couldn’t give that away, though—he was still playing the game.

A thought crossed his mind, something he had done hundreds of times before. It would be useful in this situation; it just always made him uncomf- never mind, it was nothing. Scar sucked in a shaky breath and carefully brought the blond’s fingers up to his lips, gently kissing the back of his hand.

Xelqua froze and stared wide-eyed at Scar, his wings pulled tightly against his back. After a few moments, he yanked his hand away from Scar, looking visibly disgusted, but there was another emotion behind his eyes, one Scar could place. “D-don’t touch me,” Xelqua gasped, “Keep your hands to yourself, I know that must be hard for you.” He glared, turning on his heels and leaving Scar with a weight in his stomach.

Scar didn’t dwell on the sticky, uncomfortable feeling his entire body felt; instead, he glared back at the prince before leaving the library too. It seemed like his strategy would have to change slightly—he couldn't just make Xelqua instantly fall for him, nor hope to ever like the man himself, but Scar was nothing if not a trickster.

Even though he now despised Xelqua, at the very least, he now had more information to twist and take advantage of.

He would win their little game, no matter what.