Chapter Text
Malleus has been grieving for days, or was it weeks? Months? Years?
Right, it's been about 358 years, 2 weeks, and 5 days, since his mother had died—according to the prince's counting. There's no method of measure to count the volume of his tears, the depth of his yearning, intensity of his fury. His mother is gone. Her life snuffed by the blade of a burning iron sword, her corpse collected by those responsible for her murder, her previous gems stolen as spoils of war. Malleus, the prince of Briarland—no, Briar Valley—had not been able to retrieve one singular thing from his mother. Not a horn, not a bone, not a single lock of hair. She was gone, following behind his kind, loving father that had disappeared mere weeks before her demise.
The one thing that he has left is the large family portrait hung in the foyer of Blackscale Castle, and the silver ring tied around his neck.
Their wedding ring—his mother and father's.
When Maleanor and Raverne Draconia had gotten married, they enchanted their rings, swearing that they would not take them off, and that should the other become lost, their rings would lead them back to each other. About two weeks after Raverne had left in hopes of coming to a diplomatic solution—the princess of Briarland, Maleanor Draconia had broken her vow and bestowed the ring about Malleus's neck, who couldn't have been more than the human equivalent of six.
"Take my ring," she spoke, "And one day, when you are bigger and stronger, be a brave boy for me and find your father."
Of course, about hundred years later, it became abundantly clear to the little prince that his mother had only said such a thing to convince him to leave the castle. At the young age of sixty-eight, Malleus was consumed with the valor of travel and humanity, nurtured by his father's tales of wonder. Never had he expected to take a "field trip" with Lilia to his grandmother's house, only to find that his precious home was gone, and his cherished mother was no longer with him.
Malleus, now in his three-hundreds, nearly four-hundreds, rubs the silver ring between his fingers as he traverses the thick forest around him.
Snarls, snaps, and growls echo before him, only to cease when he takes a couple steps forward.
Dire Beasts and those of the like—he assumes.
The area he is in—the former governance of the princess—has since been crawling with many a creatures. After the humans had failed at maintaining their status, the castle was abandoned. Corpses sunk into the ground, the ground swallowing the iron armor of the fallen soldiers. Vines, mold, debris—all of it surrounded the former Wildrose Castle, ruining its former image of beauty with that of vile creatures and the sent of blood.
Malleus walks closer to the former entrance of the castle, the archway crumbled beyond repair. With a wave of his hand, he shooes away the beasts brave enough to snarl at his presence, walking further into the withered castle.
His sharp nails drag against the moss tone, the green gem of the ring decorating his ring finger illuminates the dark space, his green eyes noting the scored tapestries, and crumbled suits of armor. The castle looks, surprisingly, almost the same. As if those who stole it hadn't had much time to settle (though, Malleus had heard from the whispers of servants that the humans who took over Wild rose Castle had gone to war yet again, though not with another unsuspecting species, with other humans). Yet, despite the similarity, the feeling of happiness that this building once invoked cannot be conjured, and it leaves a hole of despair in Malleus's heart. Still, Malleus continued through the familar hallways, so consumed by a plethora of feelings that he hadn't noticed a signature of magic inside of the castle. It wasn't moving, nor particularly powerful, hence it couldn't be a direbeast or similar monster. From what he can sense, it's a consistent flow of energy, like a small magical bubble.
The prince tilts his head, frowning at the signature and walking closer to it.
He approaches a door, which he believes to be one of the former guest rooms. Gently, he pushes open one of the only doors still attached to its hinges and takes a slow, cautious step inside. What he comes to see is something he couldn't have imagined ever happening during his lifetime. A bassinet, sat tucked into the corner of the room, covered by a fabric canopy. There is where he can sense the magic coming from. Slowly, Malleus steps forward and pushes back the canopy, pausing in brief surprise.
The intent of this brief exploration was to invoke a sense of nostalgia when approaching his mother's old, withered castle.
Malleus had expected crumbled walls, torn tapestries, and the defacement of sculptures—what he hadn't expected was a new experience in the form of a small human child, a golden ring hung around his little chest while he sleeps rather peacefully in a wooden bassinet, especially considering the environment the child is in.
The prince frowns as he takes in the appearance of the child. Carefully, he reaches down to lift the eyelid of the child, to check if the child really is asleep, consequently taking in the color of his eyes. How the child didnt wake up? Magic, hes sure. Though, the gleam of those little eyes made the prince frown. Malleus is also not an idiot, it only took mere seconds before he understood who this child belonged to. Fair skin, wispy blonde hair, and auroral eyes. Based on his fuzzy memory of the one singular visit humans made to the castle, and his (eavsdropped) father's description of a certain soldier, Malleus was sure that this child was the progeny of the one who killed his mother.
The Knight of Dawn.
Malleus frowns at the infant, draped in the magic of durianl fae and buried within soft, white blankets. The little boy remains in slumber, even with the prince's presence, his small chest rising and falling rhythmically as he is blissfully unaware of his circumstances. Malleus feels a hint of anger, a boiling rage rising within his chest. His parents—his precious mother and kind father—were taken from him by this very child's relatives. It was the Dawn Knight that drove the sword into his mother's chest, and it was the king of the Dawn Knight's nation that presumably stole his father as well. The thought of revenge appears, strengthened by the delicate appearance of the child next to his sharp, black nails. Though, he cannot bring himself to commit.
His fingers tremble, his heart wavering, salty tears swelling in his eyes…
Malleus takes a deep breath and lets the droplets fall—this child is like he used to be.
Young, ignorant, and delicate—blissfully unaware of the turmoil that has unfolded around and for him. And he too, this small little boy, has been robbed of the love of a parent, because of other humans.
Malleus sighs, taking a brief moment to collect himself, his feelings, and thoughts before leaning over the bassinet. "I suppose I can't just leave you here…" Malleus whispers, "There's something I should do, but I need to ask grandmother about this magic you have casted on you." His hand, much larger than that of the child, hovers over the babe. Malleus hasn't held a baby himself, so he feels a sense of anxiety, but, he has seen a couple of mothers hold their children the few times he was allowed out of the castle. Carefully, Malleus scoops the child into his palms. One hand cups his head and neck, the other holds his bum. Gently, he brings the child to his chest and adjusts him to rest his little head in the crook of Malleus's arm.
Hopefully there's no hassle about the little one, Malleus thinks to himself and turns to walk out of the room, wanting to get home as fast as possible. Truthfully, he'd like to teleport since Blackscale Castle is rather far, but there's no telling how that could affect the little one. Flying quickly isn't a possibility either because he could injure the thing. Malleus sighs, knowing this trek is going to take rather long. His grandmother will surely lecture him for hours, especially since he left the castle without a word to anyone. When thinking about her wrath, he doesn't want to head back at all. However, the little sigh from the child in his arms, prompts him to cast his flight magic—imagining his currently invisible wings—and ascend to the sky as carefully and gently as possible.
Malleus flies slowly and smoothly, cradling the baby in his robe to shield him from the wind, his ears peeled for any strange sounds from the boy.
Several hours into the next day, is when Malleus finally lands behind the gates of Blackscale Castle—mid Castle-wide panic. Malleus lifts his head from where he was looking down at the baby to see a group of servants stop in their tracks to stare at him. It appears everyone has been frantically looking for him. The winces when he sees their expressions, feeling his grandmothers anger from outside of the castle walls.
The servants then erupt in shouts. Each of them running, yelling, and rambling to the Prince. All before they pause and take note that there's something in his arms. Malleus swallows and gently pushes past them with a small "excuse me," and walks into the large double doors that lead to the foyer. When the metal doors open, he steps inside and pauses as he looks around the familiar room, particularly at the portrait that's hanging on the far wall in front of them. The painting of him, his father, and his mother.
She looks kind here—happy.
This is one of the few non-intimate moments where he has seen her so full of joy. He supposed that his father had that effect on her. As, no matter how irritated she may have been, Raverne Draconia could always pull a smile from her. Malleus swallows, taking a deep breath before getting back on his previous train of thought. He runs towards the stairs and treks up the stone to the throne room, he sighs at the effort that needs to be taken for such a simple trek. He hadn't realized until now how big the castle is. Yes, it was made to hold the dragon forms of the draconias, but he hadn't realized how vast the halls really are. Those poor servants who can't teleport. When he rushes to the throne room as carefully as possibly, he looks around. "Grandmother!" Malleus calls, when he walks through the large archway of the formal room.
A tall figure recoginzed as the queen of Briar Valley emerges from the smaller archway a couple of feet from the two thrones. The typical black veil that covers the queen's face is flipped up, hanging off of the two powerful horns dressed in silver jewlery, revealing streaks of white within her raven hair. Maleficia's expression is stern, her green eyes glowing with fury as she marches towards Malleus, her staff and heels clicking on the floor. "Malleus Draconia! What is wrong with you boy?!" She shouts as she makes her way towards the prince.
At the same time, there's a rapid click of metal boots against the tile that sound scarily familiar.
If he doesn't die today, it will be a miracle.
To his right, where another archway is located, Lilia Vanrouge and Baul Zigvolt barrel through. Respectfully, they are the former General [of the Right] and the current General of Briar Valley's army.
"Malleus Draconia where have you been?!" Lilia shouts as he stomps toward the prince.
"Your highness?!" Baur sighs in relief and swiftly walks towards Malleus aswell.
When they approach, mouths are open and chests are prepared to scream at him, yet they all pause when they spot the bundle in his arms. The room seems to silence, eyes widening and jaws slack. Lilia is the first to meet his eyes. "Malleus…would you care to explain?" The former general asks with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.
"Is that…a human child?"
Lilia frowns deeply as Baur speaks, narrowing his eyes at the child. His eyes focus on the golden ring hung around the child's neck, he's silent for a moment before his eyes widen and a realization is clear on his face. He tilts his head, releasing a shaky breath. "Malleus, what is this?"
Malleus swallows, looking between the older fae with hesistance. "I was…walking…near mother's old castle," he could barely finish the sentence before there's an exasperated sigh and an irritated rumble from his grandmother. Not only had he left without telling anyone, but he went to a dangerous area overrun with direbeasts and who knows what alone. Though, the queen doesn't speak yet, letting the Prince continue his tale, albeit while glaring daggers at him. "I went into the castle, and spent time walking around before I felt a signature of magic. I approached it and found this little one in a bassinet."
"Mallues…" Lilia pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Do you know who wore that very same ring? The—"
"I know, who his parentage is. I'm not ignorant. I just- I couldn't leave him there, and you certainly wouldn't want me going to a human village to drop him off," Malleus defends himself before his gaurd could go any further, "He's an infant, alone in a castle swarming with beasts."
"Not to mention, he has an unknown spell cast on him. I didn't want to abandon him. In fact, I wanted to ask you about it, grandmother." Malleus, hopefully, looks to his grandmother. The little bundle in his arms is still—in what Malleus presumes—a magical state of sleep. "Not once has he woken, from Wildrose Castle to here."
Maleficia glances down at the child, a stern expression on her face. "Malleus Draconia, you have brought a human child into my castle, the progeny of that knight no less. Are you aware of what you're doing? What you're asking of me? You walked past that painting of your mother—"
"Grandmother, please. I cannot abandon an infant."
The queen's eyes flick between the infant and her grandchild's pleading expression. The tension in the room is thick, a lump swelling in Malleus's throat. Subconsciously, he hugs the baby closer to his chest, feeling some anxiety. Baur swallows, looking between the nobles in both curiosity and fear. The Draconias aren't exactly known for keeping their temper after all, who knows how angry the queen may be, nor what awaits the prince. Lilia takes in a breath, preparing to, at least partially, defend the prince. After a moment of silence, the queen sighs, relieving the tense atmosphere in the room. "Your punishment shall wait. Give me the child."
Maleficia leans her staff in the crook of her arm and reaches her hands out. Malleus unwraps the child and carefully hands him over to his grandmother. So naturally, like its habit, she tucks the child in her arms, and without looking away she shoves her staff into Malleus' palm. She holds the baby in one arm, and hovers her free hand over the baby's head. There's a soft green glow that emanates from her palm before it ceases and she speaks once more. "It's durinal fae magic, a rather powerful protection spell, it's kept this little one asleep for a hundred of years, though I can't exactly tell you the conditions the faeries set, nor how to wake him." Maleficia's eyes remain on the child, her fingertips slightly brushing against the infant's chubby cheeks. There's something present in her eyes that Malleus cannot pick up, but his chest feels slightly lighter, despite the knews that the queen has no clue on how to wake him.
Malleus nods, eyes flicking to the ground as he thinks. "Ah," Malleus whispers, "I see..."
"Malleus how do you even intend to take care of this baby? Do you know anything about children? Human children specifically?" Lilia questions, jaw tense as he glares glances at the child. Malleus hands his grandmother's staff to Baur without a glance towards the general and reaches out for the child, feeling as if he should take the baby back.
"I'm sure father's library has something," Malleus grasps and cradles the infant in his arms, no longer paying attention to the adults giving him incredulous looks. "He just needs a home for now, and a bassinet in my room?" The Prince glances up, looking at his grandmother who's glaring at the moment.
"You can't take in a child without a single plan, Malleus—" Lilia argues.
"Then help me. His family and guardians are obviously long dead, it feels wrong to ignore him," Malleus pleads back to his guardian. Lilia sighs, scratching his scalp wondering how to handle this situation. Surely, Raverne would have a better idea. Actually, Raverne would enthusiastically agree with his son and help him raise the boy. Lilia's eyes fall to the ground, his hands on his hips as he struggles with how to respond to the prince. Before he can make up his mind and speak, the queen does in his stead.
"Malleus, if you truly intend on keeping that…child, then he is your responsibility. Lilia, surely you can help him," the queen looks towards Lilia and all but declares him a secondary guardian to the human child, before turning back to Malleus, "but as a prince you need to learn to take responsibilty for your actions. You are also, grounded. You aren't leaving the castle until I declare that you can leave once more, considering you've proven yourself disobedient and irresponsible." Malleus swallows, bowing his head to his grandmother with a mutter of apology. The queen sighs and rolls her eyes, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree it seems. I shall check once more on the magic cast on the child later, in the meantime, your chambers. Now."
Malleus swallows, bowing once more and whispering a haste "Yes ma'am" knowing her irritation will soon grow if he doesn't find himself in his room. Quickly, Malleus leaves the three adults alone in the throne room and walks to his bedroom. Once the prince has left, Maleficia sighs for what feels like the thousandth time that hour and turns to Lilia and Baur. "He isn't to leave his chambers for the remainder of the day…and, go get a bassinet for the boy." Maleficia waves her hand exasperatedly in the direction Malleus walked off to, grabs her staff from Baul, and turns to leave the room.
Lilia and Baur glance at each other, but they do nothing but bow and deliver a swift, "Yes, your majesty."
They remain in that position until the queen leaves the room. When she's gone, Baur stands up straight and turns to Lilia.
The former general can sense the curiosity and desire to talk from the man next to him. Before Baur can speak, though, Lilia just shakes his head. "Just follow the queen's orders..."