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Prince N'óavak Veau'tres always had a persistent fear of being assassinated.
Well, always was an overstatement, but he had been fixated on it since very early on in his childhood. Assassination attempts weren't unheard of in Aranea, and his House being fifth in the Queens Mass was nowhere near powerful or secure enough for such attacks not to be of pressing concern. His father had been assassinated by the previous fourth House, and his mother and Matron had them all slaughtered as they deserved. Very few submitted and even fewer were spared by House Veau'tres, and those that did were made into something less than soldiers. Had the Lady of Threads not blessed that House with multiple eyes akin to a spider N'óavak doubted any would be alive today.
Yet it wasn't the death of his father that shook him as a small boy.
Prince N'óavak was no stranger to the concept of death, nor was he unaware of the dangers his society and status hid. The boy had been taught to be weary since birth, like all Drow children.
The prince also had been dealing with cadavers since he was taught to wield a blade, so it wasn't seeing the corpse that scared him.
Perhaps where the fear truly lied was in the fact that someone, someone audacious and bold enough, could potentially bypass all the guards in the palace, attack the Matron's consort, and be the one to survive the altercation.
The event terrified him back then, and the irrational nagging at the back of his mind never quite faded. Instead, N'óavak would perform a variety of security rituals and demand utmost caution from everyone. He inspected his food, drink, living quarters, everything he could. Any sign of foul play from his servants and he'd have them interrogated immediately.
The paranoia was rewarded, of course, despite its rather excessive occurrence. When it was put into question the Matron would take a strict tone and insist that it was a sign the boy was more mature than other kids his age, more aware of the realities of life. N'óavak held onto the praise like a badge of honor.
As N'óavak grew older his paranoid vigilance subsided. He knew he was an irreplaceable asset to his House, thus he had been trained accordingly and what he lacked in brawn he more than made up for in arcane knowledge.
Most importantly however, he had an ally.
If prince N'óavak was not attending any lessons or was present in some social obligation, then he'd most likely be accompanied by Aiden. They were a known pair within the palace walls, and if one was present it was expected that the other wouldn't be that far off. Aiden was a very blunt and straight forward person, a personality trait that N'óavak appreciated, even if it meant a lack of societal awareness and the subsequent teasing for his obsessive compulsions. N'óavak and Aiden grew close at rapid speed, and the prince trusted him enough to let part of his guard down.
Besides, realistically speaking, if he was to be targeted by an assassin then it'd probably not be in his adolescence.
Hushed voices and quick steps broke the silence of the empty stone halls. A rushed whisper followed by shushing and muffled laughter as the prince and his companion made their way to the palace's library.
"Dude, shut up, people are sleeping" N'óavak whispered, stifling a laugh behind a slender gloved hand. Aiden only grinned wider and gave him a playful shove before rushing ahead, reaching a dark marble staircase leading a floor below. He stopped for a second, his milky white eyes glistening with mischief under the low lights of the torches. He waited for N'óavak to catch up, then as soon as he did Aiden jumped on the marble railing and slid down. The teen looked up at the prince, who was still at the top of the stairs, and smirked
"You're slow"
N'óavak rolled his eyes with an amused smile
"I told you I'm not racing you!" he whisper-yelled as he made his way down, only for Aiden to shush him with a smug expression
"Noah! People are sleeping" he whispered in a fake scolding tone and N'óavak clicked his tongue with another eye roll
"Dumbass"
Once downstairs, the two continued down the hall. As they walked N'óavak tensed, his ear twitched, picking up the faintest sound of tapping. Footsteps almost completely drowned in thick woven carpets came from a corridor the prince was certain should be empty. Without stopping he glanced over his shoulder, alarmed and subconsciously reaching for the dagger on his belt, the light hearted atmosphere of the late night study session having evaporated by the unexpected noise.
Aiden didn't notice the other's sudden shift of attention, not until N'óavak bumped into him, his gaze still turned to the dark hall behind them. The prince stumbled but caught himself before falling and ultimately embarrassing himself.
"Woah careful, watch where you're going" Aiden said with a hint of concern, having noted the prince's uncharacteristic clumsiness. N'óavak straightened his posture and gave a final glance over his shoulder
"Yeah yeah, I just thought I heard something"
"Don't you always?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Aiden grinned in response and N'óavak huffed, the two finally making it to the palace's library.
Opening the carved stone doors, they entered a central oval court with marble tiled flooring. Smooth tables were organized in this part of the room along with armchairs and sofas, circling around a shrine to the Lady of Threads that was set up in the middle of the court. Further on, rows and rows of bookcases stretched out in small hallways, creating the illusion of a maze. On their left, a small office-like area was established for the palace's head archivist that consisted of a desk, armchair and a bookcase with scrolls, books and catalogues. Surrounding the central court, another floor could be seen, reachable by twin stone spiral staircases where even more halls of bookcases stretched. Above them, faintly glowing crystals and spider woven silks draped from the ceiling, creating the visual of a spider's nest if one was to look up, while also giving the room some light.
"Alright," Aiden hummed and crossed his arm "This is your domain, you know where the book we need is"
N'óavak nodded in response and looked over at one of the tables
"Right, you go sit down and I'll go get it"
"I'm still not over the fact you have a favorite history book index"
The prince grinned "Simple pleasures Aiden, simple pleasures"
The two parted ways, Aiden plopping down and leaning back on one of the couches and N'óavak disappearing into one of the many halls of the library.
As Aiden waited for N'óavak to return, he picked up the unmistakable sound of stone scraping against marble. It was faint, slow, and most definitely something that made the hair at the nape of his neck stand on edge. Furrowing his brows he discreetly turned his head towards the source of the noise, and with the corner of his eye he saw a figure disappearing within the rows of bookshelves.
Aiden shifted on his seat uncomfortably, he knew the wall closest to the figure had a hidden passage behind it and he noted how they were alone and most definitely unfamiliar. Suspicion started to bubble up in his gut and he went to get up and investigate but before he could fully commit N'óavak returned with three books at hand.
Aiden raised an eyebrow, abruptly reminded as to why he rarely asked N'óavaks help with his studies
"I thought you were bringing one"
N'óavak shrugged and set the books down
"I mentioned one, but these are all equally useful"
Aiden hummed in response and glanced over his shoulder. The unknown person was somewhere there still, if they left through the passage Aiden would have heard it.
The drow turned to the prince and spoke quietly
"There's someone here"
N'óavaks jaw tightened
"Servant or not?" he asked and Aiden shrugged
"Probably, but they're alone and not a face I recognize"
N'óavak nodded and sat down next to him, picking up the top book of the pile and flipping through it
"We have new servants here all the time" he hummed as he found the page he was looking for and set down the book "Perhaps this is one of them, they should not be out alone however, I'll have to speak to the staff master about this"
Aiden nodded absentmindedly and N'óavak picked up the second book.
Aiden wasn't absolutely certain it was just a servant, but if the resident paranoid wasn't that worried then maybe he shouldn't be as well. He looked over to N'óavak who was going through pages and pages and immediately retracted his previous statement.
N'óavak seemed poised to the untrained eye but Aiden knew him better than that. He noticed how the prince was tense and could tell that the troubled expression on his face wasn't because he had difficulty navigating the book in his hands. N'óavak was growing more agitated by the second, and it made sense really, the prince was known for making sure the palace staff operated like a well trained army. Things out of the ordinary distressed him, sometimes maybe more than was warranted.
"I just thought I heard something"
Aiden remembered N'óavak's comment from before and his stomach twisted with discomfort. Was this really an oblivious servant or was something else going on? Did they have the luxury not to worry about it?
"Alright, I have all the relevant chapters at hand, we can start now" N'óavak said, pulling Aiden out of his thoughts. The other boy nodded and looked at the three open books before him with some level of despair, then leaned back on the couch.
For the next few minutes, N'óavak did his best to help Aiden with his history studies. Despite having heard most tutors complain about how Aiden was a nightmare to teach, N'óavak never shared the struggle. Perhaps it was because Aiden actually cared to listen to him, perhaps he was just a way better teacher, either way time passed smoothly.
As the two sat and studied, Aiden still kept an eye and ear out for the mystery servant. The uncertainty sent his nerves on edge, unease toss and twist in his stomach. Aiden was overcome by the frustrating and uncomfortable itch of anticipation, the uncertainty of the situation gnawing at the back of his head.
N'óavak snapped one of the books shut and set it aside
"I'll go grab the second tome" he said and stood up, gesturing for Aiden to come with.
Aiden didn't need to question it
"Should we put this back as well?" he asked with a hint of hope, picking up the book N'óavak had just put down. Unfortunately for him the other shook his head
"No no, we might need to reference it"
Aiden nodded with a hum and set it back on the table.
N'óavak turned and walked towards one of the halls, Aiden following right by his side. He watched N'óavak as he walked a few steps ahead, his long silver braid swaying ever so slightly with each step and his fingers tracing the spines of the rows and rows of books next to them. Sometimes, Aiden felt like N'óavak had every book in here memorized and catalogued in his mind way better than the palace's archival staff. He asked once, but N'óavak laughed and said he was flattered but he didn't, only that he had spent a lot of time in the library. Aiden of course didn't miss the opportunity to call him a nerd right after.
The thought brought a small smile to Aiden's lips, both due to finding endless entertainment out of teasing the prince as well as something else, something almost like admiration.
It momentarily distracted him from the uneasiness.
The unknown servant passed by them, and for a split moment locked eyes with N'óavak. Everything happened within a fraction of a second, the servant didn't stop as was proper, something that raised great alarms in N'óavaks mind. A hidden blade glistened dimly beneath their sleeve, with a swift launch N'óavak felt cold metal slice through his neck
But the prince was just as fast and swift with his movements. He channeled the weave around him, pushing the assassin's hand away before it could cut further. Necrotic energy sapped and rotten the part of skin the prince touched.
The assassin stumbled back with a pained hiss just as blood sprayed from the prince's neck, giving Aiden the perfect opportunity to grab them and slam them against one of the bookcases.
N'óavak choked, then coughed out of reflex, blood violently expelling from his mouth and leaving him with an overwhelming bitter taste. He slammed a hand on the wound, trying to minimize the blood loss. Adrenaline shot through him making his vision swim and his knees to buckle. He stumbled, falling against a bookshelf, choking and gasping in a futile attempt to breathe. He blindly tried to find something to support himself, only to knock books off the shelf of the bookcase and collapse to the marble floor. His glove and shirt soaked through with inky blue blood as his mind very unhelpfully reminded him that he could bleed out in five minutes.
Blood kept rising up, clogging his windpipe and pooling in his mouth, making the prince try very hard to keep half a rational thought in his mind and figure out how to save himself.
N'óavak tried to turn his head only to get horribly lightheaded, all while his heart pounded in his chest so fast he could swear he could see it. His fingers grew cold, blood escaped past his hand and ran down his forearm, staining the marble floor. The lightheadedness intensified at rapid speed as the prince wheezed and coughed, trying desperately to take a breath.
Everything went white.
Incoherent flashes and images came and went before the prince's eyes so fast he had no hope of processing them. Brilliant, scorching light blinded him, emanating heat so intense that N'óavak thought it'd burn his skin right off.
Yet he couldn't look away.
A vague form flickered through the light, slender and imposing, it made N'óavak's heart beat so fast it ached. The form extended something like a limb towards the prince, almost as if beckoning him to come closer.
And just like that he was back on the marble floor, head pounding and spots dancing before his eyes. The hand holding his wound felt heavy, and the weaker he became the more he struggled to think, survival instinct and desperation making his stomach turn. The overwhelming bitter metallic taste of blood coating his tongue and the visual disorientation did nothing to help with the subsequent nausea.
Aiden was so wired his whole body shook. The assassin had gone limp on the ground, eyes glazed over and blood staining the boys hands. Aiden had never done something like this before, nor had he expected he'd have to so soon. He felt off, almost panicky, the adrenaline in his veins making him want to throw up.
But there was no time to process his first kill.
Aiden turned and practically drifted on the marble floor, kneeling before the chocking prince and finally seeing the damage done.
"Shit shit okay um- fuck okay" Aiden muttered under his breath trying to trick himself into a sense of control. He tore the hem of his shirt, trying to make some makeshift gauze and help stop the bleeding. N'óavak choked and more blood spilled from his mouth, reminding Aiden he had no medical knowledge whatsoever.
No point in wallowing in despair however, with fast movements Aiden took N'óavak's blood soaked hand from his neck and hastily tried to wrap the wound.
He tried to keep himself calm, as dazed and pale as the prince grew with each passing second.
With the corner of his eye, Aiden caught an illustration in one of the books N'óavak had knocked over, an anatomical layout of an arm.
He almost scolded himself for getting distracted and cast the thought aside.
He had far more pressing matters at the moment, specifically the matter of pressing the fabric against the wound so the prince wouldn't bleed out.
And yet, Aiden remembered a few days ago, watching as N'óavak sketched the exact same illustration. When Aiden asked, N'óavak told him he was studying something new, a spell that could shift and manipulate flesh and that he needed to know exactly how a muscle is constructed.
Aiden looked back at N'óavak, blood had completely soaked through the line of fabric and was now trickling down his arm.
"Cast that spell you told me!"
N'óavak barely understood Aiden's panicked words through his haze of divine visions and blood loss induced confusion. His latest arcane studies weren't at the top of his head, the prince thought absentmindedly. He had an idea of what Aiden was talking about but he wasn't that sure if it'd work. Even if it did, N'óavak knew it'd harm Aiden.
"Do it!" Aiden snapped him out of his thoughts, his tone frantic.
The corners of N'óavak's vision darkened. In a panic, the drow prince realized if he didn't do something fast he was going to pass out.
He choked out a word, blood spilling from both the wound and his mouth as he forced his vocal chords to work properly. The prince channeled the weave around him, forcing it to bend to his will through tremendous effort. Arcane energy turned rotted and lashed out, tearing flesh with its force. N'óavak felt the familiar uncomfortable tingling of meat fibers stretching and blending back together.
Aiden hissed and jerked his head away, hot pain slashing through his cheek. He felt warm liquid trickle down his chin, then a droplet on his arm that was still holding N'óavak's slit throat.
N'óavak gasped and Aiden completely forgot about the gash on his face.
Through a small fit of heavy coughs, the prince expelled the remaining blood from his windpipe. He took in the air greedily, finally breathing without pain or the risk of choking. Adrenaline, dizziness and nausea still buzzed in his system and caused N'óavak to sway. Despite already being on the ground, the prince felt like he was going to crash and tried to hold onto Aiden so he could ground himself. Through strands of hair and blurry vision N'óavak saw a glimpse of the most terrified expression he'd ever seen on the other.
A hand on his cheek brought N'óavak somewhat out of his blind panic. Aiden pushed the hair out of the prince's face, examining him with a mixture of concern and horror.
Then Aiden looked at the gash on his neck and his expression softened. The wound was still there, still open, but the bleeding had stopped completely after the spell.
Most importantly it wasn't lethal anymore.
Relief washed over Aiden, turning his bones into jelly. With shaky hands he attempted to properly tie up the wound, all while N'óavak stared blankly ahead and just breathed. The front of his shirt was completely stained with blood, as was his mouth and throat. Aiden subconsciously reached over and tried to wipe the blood from the other drows lips, smearing a little the dark lipstick the prince had lately taken a liking to.
The library had fallen silent, so much so that one could hear the spiders skittering at the corners of the halls. The two boys stayed there for some time, alert as ever, trying to process the past few minutes.
Aiden was the first to eventually break the silence
"I-I should take you to a cleric," he muttered and cleared his throat as he stood "Can you stand?"
N'óavak gave a slight nod and with Aiden's help he got up on shaky legs.
Despite not actively dying anymore, N'óavak still was horribly dizzy and trembling. Aiden tucked some strands of hair behind the prince's ear and without a word let the other use him for support. He took a breath and led the other out of the library.
N'óavak had never been more vulnerable than he was at the moment. His heart raced in his chest, both due to panic and trying to make up for the blood loss, and he could barely focus on walking with how disoriented and dizzy he was. He was thankful he was with Aiden walking through the palace, in his current condition the prince was certain he'd be an easy target if there was more than one aggressor.
The shadows of the halls seemed darker in his disoriented vigilance. His ears twitched, trying to pick up noises that weren't truly there.
N'óavak quickly glanced at Aiden, trying to discern if the other also shook or if it was just his imagination. He could see that Aiden's dagger was coated crimson.
Aiden only looked ahead, his jaw clenched tight and eyes scanning the halls. A gash on his cheek trickled blood down his chin and onto his shirt but Aiden didn't seem to be particularly bothered by it.
N'óavak wondered if his spell caused that or the assassin.
The palace's clerics did a quick and efficient job of mending the wound and now a long pale dent of scar tissue decorated N'óavak's throat. By extension the appropriate measures had been taken, the palaces guard was on high alert and Aiden was expected to be summoned by the House Captain once it was certain that there was no other enemy in the palace.
News of the assassination made their rounds fast and as the two teens made their way through the halls they were followed by the hushed gossip and fleeting looks of the palace's servants.
Aiden noticed how N'óavak tried to seem as if he'd been merely inconvenienced by the attempt on his life. If he didn't know the prince any better he certainly would have been fooled as well.
Through the silent stares of staff and the chaos of soldiers, the two boys made their way to the prince's sleeping quarters.
Entering the room, Aiden closed the door behind them as silently as possible. His hands hadn't stopped trembling, his heart still pounded so fast he could see his chest twitch with every beat. N'óavak walked ahead of him into the room, he let out a shaky breath disguised as a sigh.
"I'll need to get rid of this shirt" his voice was quiet, almost cracked, the prince was trying very hard to sound as steady and poised as possible.
With two quick steps Aiden closed the gap between them, grabbing N'óavak's bloodied hand and pulling him into a hug. Aiden disregarded etiquette and their cultures customary fake bravado, within the privacy of the princes bedroom he could barely keep himself from crying. N'óavak stayed frozen for a second, before hesitantly returning the gesture. As soon as the prince's arms clung onto him, Aiden held the other tighter to his chest. He could still smell the blood, the image of N'óavak on the floor with his throat slit open hadn't left his mind. What if he hadn't acted on time? What if he didn't remember the spell N'óavak studied? What if his beloved prince didn't make it out of that library?
The questions buzzed in Aiden's mind, tormenting him. He stubbornly blinked away tears that formed with each scenario where N'óavak was dead. Aiden let his head drop on N'óavak's shoulder, the prince wasn't fond of physical contact and so Aiden didn't hug him for too long but given the circumstances he refused to let go. He had the irrational feared that if he pulled away the gash would be open again, spilling blood down the prince's chest. That N'óavak would be choking and dying and Aiden would only be able to helplessly watch.
Aiden didn't really let go of the other, at least not completely. He gathered the courage to break the hug but still kept his hands on N'óavak's shoulders, as if the prince would crumble and disappear the moment Aiden let go of physical contact. He looked at N'óavak's face for a moment, the prince was still so pale, his usually neat hair a mess and falling in front of his face. He was a bit teary eyed but kept himself from crying, Aiden hated when N'óavak did that.
Aiden spoke, his voice coming out whispered and barely hiding his terror
"I'm never letting something like that happen to you ever again"
N'óavak's expression ever so slightly softened at the words. He gave Aiden a small smile, trying to reassure him
"It's fine, I'm still alive"
But Aiden only clenched his jaw, his eyes going down to N'óavak's scared throat and blood soaked blouse. He sighed softly and looked up again, trying to calm himself down a little. He moved his hand from N'óavak's shoulder, pushing a few silver strands of hair out of the prince's face. N'óavak leaned to the touch ever so slightly and Aiden ended up gently caressing his cheek.
They stayed like this for a second. Aiden examined the prince's face, he looked awfully tired, and there was still blood at the corners of his mouth.
N'óavak looked up at him, the two locking eyes for a moment. Aiden broke eye contact first, his gaze drifting down to the prince's lips.
There was a rush of impulse and emotion and before Aiden could think about what he was doing his hand travelled from N'óavak's cheek to the nape of his neck, closing the distance between them.
Lips crushed on each other clumsily, Aiden could taste the bitter coppery remnants of blood on N'óavak's lips. The prince himself tensed, barely processing what happened, let alone getting a chance to react to it.
Aiden pulled away within fragments of a second, his eyes wide as a wave of dread washed over him.
He had kissed the Veau'tres prince, he was so getting executed.
Aiden expected some sort of reaction but N'óavak just looked at him in shock, his cheeks flushed.
He let go of the other immediately, as if touching fire, and stumbled backwards his face red
"I-I'm sorry! Your highness I- I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry!" he rambled in a panic, trying to do whatever damage control possible.
But N'óavak still didn't say anything. He blinked a few times then finally went to speak, only for a knock at the door to immediately cut him off.
A guard entered the room, turning towards Aiden
"Aiden, the House Captain wishes to speak with you"
Aiden nodded and hurried over to follow the guard who was already leaving. Before he could leave the room however, N'óavak grabbed his wrist. Aiden turned, his shoulders tense
"Return after you talk with him"
N'óavak spoke quietly, Aiden didn't know if it was because his throat had almost been sliced through, because he didn't want the guard to hear, or because the prince wasn't as upset as he originally assumed.
Regardless he gave a nod and didn't ask further questions. He was not about to risk his life for a foolish spur of the moment
"Yes your highness"
Prince N'óavak sat on his bed, keeping restless watch over the corners of his bedroom. He had tried to lay back and fall asleep but he didn't see much success, at least not for longer than a few minutes at a time. Whenever the prince closed his eyes he could hear footsteps, a blade being drawn, then he'd sit up in a panic, eyes darting across his bedroom for any sign of an intruder.
Aiden sat on one of the chairs near N'óavak's bed, seemingly fast asleep.
The prince didn't speak of what happened between them, simply told Aiden he wished for someone to stay with him to keep him company after the attack. It was an indirect way of telling him everything was alright between them.
N'óavak didn't mind that Aiden was asleep while supposedly guarding him, the truth was he simply wanted the company. Besides, he knew he wasn't going to get much sleep either way and outside his room were posted numerous guards.
He almost died tonight, N'óavak hadn't stopped thinking about it for the past few hours. He constantly ran his fingers over the scar on his throat. He felt the dent on his skin and the familiar pain of a bruise with every swallow.
N'óavak took a breath and pulled the covers closer to him, trying to keep his hands still. His head felt as if it was stuffed with webbing, he was exhausted but didn't even dare to blink out of 'caution'. The anticipation of danger made the prince feel like a little kid again. Waiting for a slap, a whip, a switch, something that would harm him because for a moment he slipped up.
N'óavak shook the thought away and internally scolded himself. He shouldn't be thinking like this, the assassination attempt was in the past now, it was a failure and he had survived. To his credit, not many teenage princes could claim such a feat of resilience.
But N'óavak's thoughts still dragged him to the past. Back when he was a child and had found his father's corpse, when the House was an overwhelming chaos of soldiers and yelling.
When his sister had given him a dagger and a piece of advice
"Hurt them before they kill you"
Those words echoed in N'óavak's mind on an almost daily basis.
Back then nothing had happened, everything had turned out just fine.
Yet the anticipation and confused fear of that day swelled up within him and never fully faded.
N'óavak took a breath, feeling as if ropes wrapped around his ribcage and only grew tighter. It came in shaky, he involuntarily let out a cracked sob and immediately shut his mouth. He tried to blink away the tears that had pooled in his eyes but they kept falling silently on his blanket. Next to him Aiden shifted and despite N'óavak knowing someone was there he still flinched and looked over in fear.
Aiden remained asleep, N'óavak went back to watching the dark corners of his bedroom for any potential threats and trying to stop himself from crying. He kept his teeth clenched so tightly his jaw was starting to ache and tears still clouded his vision and rolled hot down his cheeks. His trembling hands held onto the blanket so tight his knuckles had paled, and the fleeting thought passed that he might rip the fabric.
Through great mental effort N'óavak shut his eyes for a moment and sat up straighter, letting out a slow, controlled breath. He was good at stopping himself from crying quickly and efficiently, it was a skill he mastered early on.
He shouldn't be crying over a failed assassination attempt, he was fine, he was alive, and he had a cool scar to show for it.
N'óavak stayed awake for the rest of the night.