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“Don’t you want to see him?”
Violet bit back quicker than she could think. “Of course I do. It’s only sensical.”
But she didn’t.
No, she did.
She truly did.
“Then come on!” cried Patina. They were already gathered around the hatch in a semicircle, waiting for a set of human boys to arrive at any moment.
All except Violet, who stood next to her house. She did not wring her hands—such was unqueenly behavior. Such were the habits of someone prone to fear. Violet did not fear anything. Not even humans. She merely found them a disgusting, oversized disgrace to the face of this earth and all its non-human inhabitants.
She did not fear what her brother would look like now that he was… changed.
It was what he’d wanted since the day they’d met. The only thing he would talk about for so long. “When I was human,” this. “Did you forget I used to be human?” that.
Stupidity. Naivety. Immaturity.
He’d simply never understood the appeal of being a key as he should have. Immortality, muted pain, a superior vantage point, naturally better cleanliness. All things he would never learn the value of until they were gone.
And once they were, Violet would be entertained with the ability to remind him of his decision. The first time he’d grow ill, she’d be quick to chant “I warned you, did I not?”
The latch clicked open.
If Violet were any less sophisticated, she may have jumped at the sound. If she were as weak as any average peasant, she may have unconsciously stepped backward, into the safety of her poorly-built, spectacularly-decorated palace.
A shaggy, unkempt head of blond hair popped in through the floor.
“Guysguysguysguysguys-“ it exclaimed with a wide smile, pulling itself through.
Violet had somewhat tamed her disgust toward this one. He had great taste in jewels and would bow any time he should be within her presence, to which Violet could respect as the bare minimum of what was required to be a good human.
Instead of following such rambles with anything of purpose, the human scooted out of the way and peered back down the hole from which he’d emerged. His smile never faltered.
Violet knew who was coming next. Of course she did, it was obvious. Her beloved little brother whom she’d grown a strong affinity for over the years. The one who, despite being a headache at times, was a good listener. A proper young man she’d formed with her own time and commitment. The one she’d properly trained to follow her every word, to obey and act accordingly. To hold himself like someone who associated with her and her family. To hold himself like he belonged with her family. And, with practice, he did.
And now he had just thrown it all away.
She closed her eyes, turning her face away when pale human skin appeared through the opening.
As much as she would now like to deny it, this had always been the plan. All of them, herself and Nox included, had wanted him to return to his original state. It gave them their best chance of getting the real Onyx to wake up- their true twelfth sibling.
Nox’s voice sounded through the room. Violet did not look. Ten cheers rang out, exclamations of success. Congratulations.
The blond human was laughing for some reason. Patina was squealing. Curiosity hindered her self control, her eyes flitting sideways for just a second. The image that gave her, of her brother. Of her brother, now more colorful than before, his hair a bit messy. One of his eyebrows not smoothed perfectly down, likely from a bad habit of rubbing his eyes or face. Big Gold stood atop his shoulder, Patina clinging to his sleeve halfway up his arm, Stripes jingling atop his head.
How undignified of them. They knew better than this. They knew such proximity to humans was for the sole purpose of tormenting them, and yet, they seemed to use him as their own playground. Affectionately.
Violet’s eyes found their way back to the inside of her house. Oh, her decor was so beautiful. It never failed to amaze as she scrutinized it, each detail of the arrangement of gems and purple glitter and flower petals that of someone with respectable taste.
“Vi?”
She didn’t turn around to meet the voice that sounded now directly behind her, just outside of her palace.
“Yes?” she called out in steady reply, folding her hands in front of herself. “Who wishes to speak with me?”
“It’s… it’s me, Vi.”
“Ah, yes. Me, one of my oldest acquaintances.”
But of course, it was obvious who it was. This me, this voice she knew with such fond familiarity. Louder now, but still the same.
A long, exasperated sigh sounded from behind her, but wisely, no arguments or disrespect followed. “It is I,” he announced with as much boredom as dramatic flare, “Nox—Onyx—the former villain key.”
Former.
Violet let her eyes fall closed. She kept her shoulders intentionally high, her silhouette as perfect as always. “Now, nobody is former, my dear brother. No true villain gets a modern age ‘redemption arc’, and certainly you do not.”
She turned with perfect poise, her breath catching when she did not find her brother’s face, but his chest.
He leaned down further, sea glass eyes peering in through the open doors of her palace. A small, timid smile brushed his lips.
“Now Noxxy,” she tsked with half the confidence she normally felt, “I understand that, due to quite unfortunate circumstances, you have become sadly disproportionate to the world around you. However, this is no excuse to hunch over when you speak to me. Either sit up straight, bow, or lift me so we shall have a proper conversation.”
The loud shift was immediate as he fixed the position of his spine, having to tilt his head down further to look at her. Such an unflattering angle. Nobody wished to see their brother’s nose hairs like this.
“Lift… you?” His voice was so uncertain. Nothing like she’d taught him.
“Yes, my dear. I know I did not stutter, so is there any confusion?” Her hands found their way to her hips, her brow raised.
Nox’s eyes flitted to his own hand, which was inching closer. At a humiliating speed, one lacking in surety. Violet cleared her throat; her time was much too valuable to be wasted like this.
In the next breath, the hand was before her. Palm up, completely still. Yes, she supposed it was a worthy surface for her presence. Clean, careful. Unlike the grubby paws of Ex Libris pawns.
She stepped forward, the surface beneath her growing firmer as the muscles tensed. The next moment, after deliberate tapping her foot in impatience, she was lifted from ground. Positioned neatly in front of his face—visibly nervous, a slight frown positioned atop it.
Hm.
It would do, she supposed.
He was decently handsome. Clear skin, fine eyes. A well-centered nose. If only he would put effort into himself, perhaps this would all work out well after all.
She grunted, preparing her best bellow. “BLOND HUMAN,” she summoned.
Like the good little exception he was, he scurried over immediately. Wide eyes ready to listen. She raised a brow, to which he immediately apologized and fell into a bow. A bit too hurried and thoughtless, but it would suffice.
“Mr. Hollow, please fix my dear brother’s hair for me. It simply won’t do,” she commanded.
His attention turned to Nox, and he smiled. Soft giggles rang as he slowly slipped his hand into black hair, and- and eugh!
What an ungodly color Nox’s cheeks became!
But, with notable decency, the human did manage to smooth back his hair to something… acceptable. He licked his thumb, slicking it over that one unaligned eyebrow.
How… germy.
But yes, much better.
“Yes,” Violet hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, this will do. Now begone from my presence, human. Your assistance is no longer needed.”
Slower than he’d come, the boy left. He trudged over to the other side of the room, back to where the rest of her family had been. Except, she noticed suddenly, they weren’t there any longer.
Her eyes scanned the place where they had been, then the rest of the castle. This height, she noted, was well-suited for her. She would have Nox lift her quite often from here onward. It was a proper vantage point for a queen to look down upon her subjects.
Ah, there they were. Ten keys, surrounding the place where Nox sat. Bronze took hold of a fistful of cloth, beginning to scale his torso. And Nox, wisely, remained deathly still.
The others followed, each climbing at their own pace to their own destinations.
“Why Violet,” Silver cried from where she sat comfortably atop Nox’s shoulder, “isn’t this wonderful?”
Violet considered the question with a thoughtful hum as she observed the scene before her.
“Yes,” she declared finally. “Yes, I suppose this will do quite well. Won’t it, Nox?”
And he smiled.
