#erseptyl au

[epicseptic]

Erseptyl

Ch1 | Where it begins

Word Count 3,573

I haven't continued this au for a long time but I'm ready to get back into it! I'm very out of practice with writing but I guess I have to start somewhere. Thank you @geekyfox2 for helping me out with this!

. . . .

Jackie was used to getting up early in the mornings. He ran the only horse stable in all of town which was fully open to the community. People who traveled in and out of town to deliver parcels or explore the city often left their horses in his care so that they could take care of their business or so that they could spend the night at one of the many inns without worrying about their steeds' wellbeing. It was a never ending job but Jackie loved it. He loved working with the noble stallions and tending to their every need. It had always brought him a warm sense of joy and purpose to serve his community.

It used to be such a delightful job…

Things just hadn't been the same as they were in the past. The town used to be absolutely bustling with vendors beckoning on the side of the roads. Travelers from faraway villages toured the sights and shopped for souvenirs while children ran and laughed in the streets.

It used to be such a lively and welcoming place to be, but there was none of that now. Ever since the prince had suddenly vanished 3 years ago.

No one knew what happened to him. They were all told that the prince was tragically killed in the night, but they were never told how. Neither was there ever a body to bury. There was no evidence of a murder either but what were they supposed to believe?

The royal bloodline was destroyed and the throne was quickly succeeded by the second in command to the prince, and he was an awful man. Because of him, no one dared step foot outside anymore. Not unless they absolutely had to anyway.

People still worked their jobs but the streets weren't as lively or populated as they used to be. Businesses were failing due to the lack of customers and there were no more tourists to bring them their business. Only few people visited the town now, but only if they were permitted by the king to bring trades to supply the shops. Nothing more, nothing less.

In fact, by order of the new king, no resident of the city was even allowed to leave the city walls unless they were given royal permission. Failure to abide by his rules would lead to an unrecoverable punishment. More often than not, that punishment was served with death. 

That's right. Anti had everyone in town wrapped around his little finger. To him, they were nothing more than pawns on a chessboard. They were just his tools to provide for him and his ultimate goal to expand his empire with the threat of war.

Ever since he came into power… It seemed as though life had literally been sucked away from the town.

Jackie still tended to the stables despite it all, but there really wasn't much to do anymore. The only horses he had left were his own, his brother's, and the kind old blacksmith down the road. Unfortunately, no travelers meant no horses, and that meant no income. Nobody had need for a stable anymore, not even the king. The selfish prick…

"It's just another quiet day, isn't it Sam?" Jackie was gently brushing through his steed's shiny, brown coat while the horse himself munched away at a pile of hay. The little glutton practically ignored his master's statement but then again, it wasn't like he was going to respond with words or anything. Jackie simply sighed in response to the silence.

The day really was quiet. It always was. It didn't help that the air was always so crisp and chilly, and the sky was always covered by a gloomy blanket of clouds. It made everything feel so… empty. It's like the earth itself was mourning. Kind of like a dry, lifeless tree in the middle of a scorched, vacant field. Colorless and gray…

It was depressing to say the least and even though he tried not to let it get to him, he couldn't stand this feeling anymore. Every day he was walking on glass shards and he was tired. Tired of feeling like a caged bird. Did anyone else around him even feel this way? He solemnly looked to the ground and sighed.

"Things really aren't what they used to be-"

"Mornin' bro!" Jackie felt an abrupt slap on his back, interrupting his private heart to heart with his horse. The scare caused him to drop the brush in his hand and he quickly whipped his head around to find Angus walking behind him.

"Oh… hey," Awkwardly, he offered his brother a friendly smile.

"Hey, Sam is looking pretty good there," Angus remarked, nodding his head in the horse's direction. He turned his attention to the horse in the next aisle over with a beautiful white and tan pattern. "Huh. So is Patches… Did you fix her up already?" He seemed genuinely astonished at how quickly his brother was able to get everything done. 

"Yep, I'm pretty much done with everything here. I fed the horses, cleaned their hooves, fixed their shoes, brushed their manes and coats-"

"Geez!" Angus interrupted. "Save some work for the rest of us! How are you gonna get through the rest of the day without crashing?" He gave a light-hearted chuckle and ruffled up his brother's hair, earning a frustrated growl from him.

"Heh, I think I'll manage," he said plainly as he ran his fingers through his hair to smooth out the now messy strands. "Think we should start heading over to Shawn's right about now?"

"Might as well. It's still early but it's not like there's much else to do." He suggested rather calmly.

Shawn had been a good friend of theirs ever since they moved into town. He ran his own general store and had been incredibly successful ever since he opened his doors. When they had first met Shawn, his store was being robbed by a couple of outlaws.

At the time, Jackie and Angus had only been living in town for about a month and were on their way to do their weekly supply run when they saw people screaming and running away from the shop's front doors. Without hesitation, the two of them rushed in and drew their weapons, ready for confrontation.

When they entered, four men were haggling and threatening poor Shawn to hand over his coins, pointing daggers to his face and blocking any possible escape. The pair split up the group and swiftly tied them up, turning them over to the authorities and overall earning the shop owner's respect.

Shawn wasn't always the best at communicating his emotions, but the pair knew he was grateful nonetheless. After that whole fiasco, they were always more than welcome to come by the shop for anything.

In fact, ever since the stable's business began to falter, Shawn kindly offered his friends a job to earn some extra money. It was such a kind thing for him to do, especially since his own income took a bit of a fall itself.

The shop wasn't far; just up the road from the stables and up a small set of stairs next to a soup kitchen. It was only about a ten minute walk to get there and the brothers chatted amongst themselves the whole way. 

"Hmm… You think we should make a casserole for dinner?" Jackie asked, looking straight up at the cloudy sky above. He was almost trying to make their schedule sound busier than it really was.

"Sounds good to me!"

"Pfft, everything sounds good to you. You eat like a hog-" Jackie jested.

"Not true! I don't eat asparagus. It's disgusting-"

His defensive response made him chuckle. "For being the older one, I think you're being a little dramatic. But whatever, I won't put any asparagus in the casserole-"

"Shhh-" He suddenly ordered, putting his hand out in front of Jackie, signaling him to zip it.

All joking suddenly stopped and Jackie focused his attention forward. In front of them were two guards performing their daily patrols. Their uniforms were an ashy shade of black and their eyes, as usual, were hidden by their hoods. They were faceless; like they were purely made from shadows. One thing was for sure, they didn't feel human.

Hundreds of these guys suddenly showed up when the new king had come into power. They appeared from nowhere but they carried out every one of the King's sinister desires. They enforced every outrageous law and detained anyone who merely looked at them wrong.

THEY were the reason the streets were empty. It was because of them no one dared to leave their homes unless it was absolutely necessary for survival.

Jackie knew better than to look into their eyes - if they even HAD eyes anyway. The two soldiers were walking in their direction, heading down the path they just came from. Jackie kept his mouth shut and stared at the road ahead of him and Angus did the same. However, Jackie could feel the weight of their gaze on him and just as their shoulders had passed each other, his eyes couldn't help but dart up to catch a glimpse of the soldier closest to them.

The man was looking directly at him and his breath hitched in his throat when he met his cold eyes. For a short moment, he waited for that dreaded call to halt and stay where he was, but thankfully the soldiers ignored him without a single word.

He sighed with relief before flinching at the sound of Angus' subtle tone.

"Never know what will get you in trouble these days…" He took a peek behind him to give a disgusted glare at the men walking away from them before turning his head back around.

Jackie watched him and silently agreed. At this point, if even one thing was out of place, you could easily be arrested or fined. It was unfair, yes, but that was how they liked it. The soldiers wanted a reaction out of people - to hear them plead for mercy - so that they could arrest them for being disorderly. It was entertainment for them…

With a shake of his head, he pushed those bitter thoughts away from his mind. It was too early to be tiptoeing around these assholes. He just really didn't want to think about it right now. "C'mon, we're almost to Shawn's. Let's just go…"

—

The door to the general store swung open and the sound of a brass bell rang to alert the shop owner of a customer.

Shawn turned his head to glance at the door from behind the counter where he was unpacking some boxes.

"Well you guys sure are early," he remarked, stopping to reach below the counter for another, rather large, box. "Your shifts don't start for another couple of hours."

"Eh, business at the stables is slow as ever. We decided to make ourselves useful over here," Angus fidgeted with a price tag on a jar of raisins that was sitting on a shelf.

"Don't touch that, you'll break it."

"Whoops-" he quickly let go of it per the shopkeeper's request, not even questioning how Shawn knew he was touching it when he was crouched down behind the counter. "Sorry."

Jackie on the other hand snickered at the nervous look on his brother's face.

"Well, in other words, I'm actually glad you guys are here-" Shawn called out from behind the counter, standing up and heaving a heavy crate onto the counter with a loud thud. "I finally got a new shipment and it's a rather large one. I need you guys to help me stock the shelves."

Jackie instinctively walked to the counter and started picking apart the contents of the box. "Are these all just fruits? Don't you need other stuff too?"

"Oh trust me, there's about a dozen more crates in the back." The shop was in dire need of a restock indeed and Shawn had been waiting at least a month for this shipment. He'd requested an order for fruits, spices, bread, candy… Everything a general store should have and it seemed like he finally received all he'd been waiting for. "Well, it looks like we've got a long day of sorting ahead of us. On your feet, get started!"

—

The day dragged on and on until the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon. Angus continued tidying up and sorting the merchandise on the shelves while Jackie carefully swept up the dirt tracked onto the wooden floors.

Business was no better, with only a handful of customers coming in to shop. Shawn stood by the counter where he added up the store's weekly earnings. Suddenly, his voice broke the silence.

"Ugh, I tell you, this shop isn't going to last another month at this rate." He dropped a handful of coins onto the counter out of frustration. The sound of small metal coins against the wood counter startled the other two men from their concentration.

"Well, there's not much else we can do about it." Angus was the first to speak up with a dismissive shrug. "Unless, of course, you would rather complain to the king and let his men dismember you." He was being a bit spiteful but Shawn seemed to take it in a totally different direction.

"Hah, how much do you think each appendage would go for? 50 shillings?" Shawn laughed, genuinely intrigued by Angus's sarcasm.

"Do you really think you are worth that much? Sounds narcissistic if you ask me."

Jackie quietly listened on to their conversation, sweeping away at the dirt that was caught between the floorboards, not really engaging in their spiteful exchange.

"You are right, Angus. Perhaps the king would rather display my mug on his mantle!"

He stopped sweeping and grimaced at the awful image of it.

"Please, that honor probably belongs to the prince, dude."

His blood suddenly ran cold at the mention and his grip on the broom tightened.

"I'll admit, you may be right. I mean, as much as you'd like to pretend, he's sure not in the dirt-"

"Shut up!" Jackie's voice suddenly interrupted their incessant, insensitive joking. They hadn't noticed his expression until they heard him interject. He was trembling and he dropped the broom he was holding onto the floor. "I cannot believe you guys would joke about this! How tone-deaf can you be!?"

After years of suffering in this tyranny, he felt his quiet, brave demeanor beginning to crack. He had suffered quietly for so long but he couldn't bite his tongue anymore. Not at this. He'd reached his boiling point.

Angus was shocked to say the least. He'd never seen an outburst like this come from his brother before and he was instantly concerned. "Whoa, we didn't mean any harm. It's just… We just thought cracking some jokes would be a good way to lighten the mood."

"Don't you think you went a little too far!? Do you not see the hell we are living in? Does it mean nothing to you!?"

"Jackie, calm down. We have been living this way for years now. Don't you think it's time to move forward? Stop grieving over what happened and accept that we are in the shit?" Shawn tried to reason with him, but Angus quickly noticed that his tone was too harsh.

"Now wait a minute, Shawn. Jackie, you know he doesn't mean-"

"How can you be so insensitive! How can you so easily move on when our people are being oppressed and murdered in the streets!?" He balled his hands into fists. He couldn't control his frustration; he was so disgusted at how they could mention the prince's name like this. "And the prince? The prince was a symbol of our freedom! Don't you dare speak ill of him!"

"Is that the problem? Jackie, the prince is dead, gone just like the king and queen. I'm sure he doesn't care what I say about him." He had a very calm expression on his face. It was like he was stone. How could he be so cold toward their situation? "Look, I am just saying, the sooner you stop caring about the past, the sooner you can move on and ignore it." 

Shawn really wasn't one to sugarcoat his words… But it wasn't something Jackie could accept. He would never, ever forget that day… The day all of the townspeople were called to the main square where the horrific, life changing news was broken.

—

The morning was particularly cloudy. So much so, it hardly seemed like the sun had even risen. The bells tolled, ringing loudly and calling everyone to gather in the square for an important announcement.

It was Anti himself that stood upon the center pedestal with a couple of bodyguards at his sides. He wasn't even phased when he spoke the words. Like he felt no emotion at all…

Jackie remembered every word of his speech.

"Good people of Erseptyl, I bring you solemn news today. It pains me to tell you that the young prince is no longer with us. It is truly a tragedy that we should lose the last remnant of our beloved royal family at such a crucial time-"

Upon hearing the news, pained cries of grief and panic erupted from the crowd. Jackie could remember his heart dropping when he learned of the prince's fate. Over the sound of people wailing and screaming, Anti had to raise his voice to continue.

"Yes, a truly sad time this is for all of us. But fear not, good people. You will not be without a guide, for I have a solution for you. From this moment on, as the late prince's royal advisor and second in command to the throne, I will be taking on the burden of being your King…"

Was he allowed to do that? Could he really just claim the throne like this? Weren't there rules for situations like this?

No one had the courage to question him. They were all stricken with grief and fear. They couldn't speak. All they could do was cry and murmur to each other about what they were going to do next.

Jackie didn't have the courage to ask either. Even his normally fearless brother had an empty, thoughtless look in his eye as he stared down at the ground in horror.

It was so unreal, you could mistake it all for a joke. Just a cruel prank that went a little too far.

Everything became all too real when hundreds of guards began flooding the streets and lowering the kingdom's flags from their poles. Oh gods. They were serious…

The entire bloodline… Gone.

"I have worked alongside both the late King and the Prince. I know the ins and outs of this kingdom and I know, better than anyone, how to lead this kingdom down the path of its true potential."

It was unthinkable. How did this happen? Why? Why all of a sudden?

It was all happening too fast! Just slow down, please!

"Believe in me and I promise you, you will never know a ruler quite like me…"

No, it was a lie. This was fake; a setup. His words were so sinister… Something was wrong. This didn't just happen!

It's too late to ask questions…

—

"Do you not remember just how beloved he was? He was the kindest, most fair ruler we'd ever had…" He spoke fondly of the old days, but his tone was twisted with heartbreak. Kind of like being homesick…

Shawn simply shook his head and sighed. "Why do you care so much about the prince all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden…?" He was shocked. How could they no longer care!? "This is nothing new, Shawn! Did you never question it? The prince's sudden disappearance? The sudden rise to power? Did you not see something wrong with it? Or do you just fail to care…" His tone only became more and more bitter while he glared in Shawn's direction.

"Listen to me. You are stuck in the past. I do not question it because it will fix nothing. The prince is dead. Move on. I have and I'm doing just swell." He was genuinely trying to reason with him.

Angus watched them from the sidelines, arguing back and forth while they glared intently at each other. "Uh, guys… Let's just change the subject-" He wanted to be the peacemaker, but neither of them would listen.

"You know what, Shawn? You want to live in this hell hole? Be my guest, but you can do it without my friendship." That was it. Shawn was never going to listen and he was only wasting his breath on him.

With that, Jackie kicked the discarded broom across the floor, its long handle bumping into one of the shelves with a loud crack. He stomped his way to the door and pushed it open, but he stopped for a moment to say one more thing.

"I do not care what you think, but Anti will never be my king, and if I ever find a way out of this shit, I'm taking it. With, or without you guys." With that said, he let the door swing shut behind him, leaving his brother and a very confused shopkeeper to finish the shift all on their own.

[epicseptic]

Just some doodles of Marvin and JJ from my Erseptyl au ^^ I'm tempted to create a fic where I elaborate on the fact that Marvin once got sprayed by a skunk cuz he thought it was a cat-

@jack-and-sammy @fanaticallyperfect @geekyfox2 @cryptid-bwoid

[epicseptic]

Erseptyl AU

Prologue Part 3

Okay, pretty sure this is like 6,300+ words so I apologize for its length... Still, this is the 3rd and last part to the prologue so the real story should start soon. This was really difficult to complete and I’m very much not confident with it but I guess I am still just starting out. Plz don’t judge me too harshly ;w;

Link to part 2: 

https://epicseptic.tumblr.com/post/663233184515948544/erseptyl-au

----------

Marvin had returned to his room that evening after dinner to eagerly get started on his bedtime routine. He was exhausted after today and he was looking forward to a full night's sleep, but he still had so much to do. He still had to wash up and let his hair dry, then he had to brush it and do his skin care routine. And even after all of that, he still had to brush his teeth too… Okay, maybe it wasn't that much, but it sure felt like a lot of work. 

Before doing all of that though, he usually liked to have some time to himself to wind down and relax before bed. He had a special set of hobbies he liked to do at times like these when he was alone; he would often practice his makeup, rehearse solo dances to himself, and he would even go as far as to sneak out for a late night walk in the courtyard. He often got in trouble for that last one though for worrying the servants - namely JJ and Chase - with his absence…

His favorite activity, however, was reading the thousands of books that were scattered across the castle. He'd always had an interest in books and must've read every single one on his bookshelf. Even when he was younger, his mother would always read to him or bring him new books whenever she went into town. It was his favorite way to learn and his window to the outside world. So much so that he had quite the head start when he finally began his studies with his tutors. 

Tonight, he spent up to what must've been an hour reading one of the books he'd borrowed - not stolen of course - from the royal library. It was a biography on an ancient sorcerer, well known for his deeds in magic, as well as his research in potions and medicines. 

That was another odd thing that some of the royal servants had noticed about him. Marvin had a certain secret fascination with witchcraft and sorcery. They never really knew why he had such an interest in magic but they never questioned it. He never did anything with the knowledge but he did learn a lot about famous individuals amongst the magic folk, along with many incantations and charms. Nobody paid mind to it as long as he focused on his studies though. The ones that they thought mattered anyway. Besides, unless you were born of magic, there really was no use for the knowledge. From what they understood, it was rather useless to him.

He'd finished reading awhile ago at this point and expected that JJ would soon come to his room to prepare him for his bath. However, it felt like it was taking Jamie a lot longer than usual to come fetch him. 

The book he was reading now laid closed and abandoned on his pillow while he laid on his back, staring at the ceiling and tracing little pictures in the air with his finger. What on earth was taking JJ so long…? 

His short attention span could only keep him entertained for a short moment before he quickly became bored again. He would read more but his eyes were already hurting from fatigue. Instead, he began looking around for something new to pass the time. 

He knew better than to wander the halls at this hour since JJ would probably come in to find him gone and have to hunt him down well into the night. It was easier on everyone for him to just stay put. That's what he was always taught. It seemed like everyone knew he always found new ways of getting into trouble. He just didn't feel like getting scolded right now.

His eyes scanned the room for anything to occupy his mind but there was nothing to do. He'd been there, done that... It was all boring now. He supposed he could water the plant sitting on his shelf but he'd already watered it yesterday and it wouldn't need more until next week. So then he thought maybe he could reorganize the books on his bookshelf. But then he remembered that he already alphabetized them and would hate to undo his work. With no other options, and with a heavy sigh, he eventually settled on stepping onto the balcony to see what the town was up to, just as he had done that morning. Surely something interesting was happening out there.

He carefully unhooked the latch on the doors and swung them open to reveal the stone floor of the balcony beneath him. The first thing he felt when he opened up the doors was the sudden contrast between the warm atmosphere in his room and the chilled night breeze. It was like a blast of wind that formed an invisible wall separating the cold outside world from his warm and cozy one. The wind blew strongly against his face and his hair before he took a step forward, allowing it to die down into a gentle breeze. He left the doors wide open as he leaned his hands along the stone railing outside, looking up to the millions of stars that decorated the sky. 

He always did love the stars and often collected works on constellations so he could learn more about them. He even collected little trinkets in the shape of stars and the moon. They were his favorite patterns to see on clothes and painted on walls... He just loved everything about them. Especially the way they lit up the sky every night... They looked like glitter up there and they all seemed to tell a different story. It fascinated him how everyone interpreted the stars differently. Some people studied them or used them to navigate, and some just thought they were pretty cool to look at.

Funny thing actually... For a moment, he recalled how his father used to tell him that the brightest stars in the sky were the spirits of great kings long passed, resting in their place amongst the gods. On the contrary to that belief, he'd heard so many scholars talk about their own theories on the sky, convincing themselves that the stars were huge burning balls of fire, or that they were tiny holes that punctured the dark dome that surrounded the skies at night. Whatever they came up with, Marvin never wanted to let go of that silly childhood belief. Especially because he believed that two of those stars had to be his parents. If only he knew which ones they were...

He searched each of the brightest stars he could find. There were infinite numbers of them and they all seemed to do the same thing. Twinkle and flicker. There was nothing there to distinguish one star from the last. If there was some sign of his parents up there, he couldn't see it. And so, he eventually grew tired of searching and his neck began to ache from looking upward. Gently, he lowered his head and rubbed the pain away with his hand, causing him to get distracted once again by movement he saw down in the roads.

He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the activity and he soon found himself watching the guards patrol the streets out in town. Some of them were holding torches, lighting the beacons around the many buildings to light the roads for the people still wandering about. It was nice to see the streets lit up like this. It made it seem like the town was glowing warmly against the harsh darkness around it. 

Many of the people in town had already closed up their shops or put away their supplies until tomorrow and only a few still roamed the streets, sweeping up or heading to the bar for a nightly drink. Looking around, he noticed that some houses still had lights on through their windows, meaning that there were people still awake inside. They were all probably having dinner with their families or actively getting ready for bed. On the other hand, there were houses that had darkened windows so he supposed they must've gone to sleep a while ago. He almost felt bad for watching the world below him so intently. He wasn't trying to snoop or anything, he just loved watching the people live their lives peacefully. They were the people he took care of and making sure they had everything they needed brought him a sense of solace. They were all like family to him, even if he could only view them from afar...

He watched the town until almost every person had vanished. The roads at night certainly were very different from the day. It was so quiet, as if even the buildings themselves had gone to sleep for the night. The peace brought a smile to his face, yet something seemed a bit off about tonight.

He was used to the streets being completely empty at this hour but, especially tonight, it was almost too eerily quiet. Oddly enough, while there weren't always a lot of guards patrolling the roads, tonight it seemed like the guards had all gone missing. There were always at least two guards by the main gate but they weren't there tonight, and the guards roaming around with torches... Their lights seemed to have fizzled out, as though they'd vanished completely. Strange… He didn't even see them walk away. Maybe there was something that really needed their attention tonight... Whatever it was, he didn't let it concern him too much. It wasn't out of the ordinary for the knights to change up their routines from time to time.

However, something was still concerning him. What was taking JJ so long? It was getting late and he still hadn't come to fetch him for his bath. He sighed as he waited, tapping his fingertips against the stone while he tiredly leaned his elbow on the parapet and held his chin in his hand. JJ was never this late. He wondered what could've been holding him up...

Just then, as if right on cue, he heard the faint sound of his bedroom door cracking open behind him and he sighed with relief, knowing that he could finally start his bedtime routine and finish this day off. Good thing too because he was sure he would fall asleep at any moment from how tired he was.

"Oh, Jamie, there you are! I was wondering when you would-" His words were cut off the moment he'd turned to observe the man behind him, but it wasn't JJ who had entered like he expected. "A-Anti...!?" He questioned with concern. It was a surprise to see his advisor there, especially since he had no business coming into his room like this. Actually, it was rather disrespectful...

"Good evening, your Highness," He greeted politely as he approached the glass doorway, bowing ever so slightly with respect.

Marvin took a step backwards, accidentally bumping into the stone behind him. He pressed his back against the rail, holding onto it with his hands to make sure he didn't accidentally fall over. The shock he felt in his chest was enough to render him speechless. He stood there in silence, juggling all kinds of words in his mind, not knowing which ones to say first. He had to at least muster up some kind of authority. "...You are not permitted to be here-" That was probably the most obvious thing he could say and he cursed himself for not addressing a far more important matter. He stuttered some more before asking the one question that mattered to him most. "W-Where is JJ?"

Anti had a slight smirk form on his face as soon as he heard the question, as if it were somehow amusing to him. "Jameson is a little caught up with something at the moment, so he asked me to be the one to help you get ready for bed tonight." He placed a hand over his chest while he spoke, making himself appear so confident and very atypically polite... It was almost creepy and, oddly enough, he didn't seem to find the prince's discomfort of the strange situation to be much of a concern.

This was extremely puzzling. What on earth could Jamie be so busy with? Sure he had a lot to do, but he always knew how to manage his time perfectly. For years he had been perfectly punctual and never skipped on any of his assignments. Especially when it came to aiding Marvin. As his valet, Marvin was his top priority. Aside from that, there was one major concern in the explanation that Anti just gave him and Marvin made sure to address it without hesitation.

"Jamie asked YOU?" He knew that Jamie was very uncomfortable around Anti and, in fact, despised him quite a bit, so how was it possible that he would ask him for a favor?

And yet, Anti seemed to come up with a perfect response for that question too. "I know it seems uncharacteristic of him to ask me, but I'm afraid everyone has their hands full around the castle tonight. I was the only one left for him to ask."

Darn it... Marvin couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Wait, why was he even questioning a member of his staff? He had faith in Anti and had no reason to doubt him. And yet, he strangely felt threatened by his presence… He had so many questions but found he couldn't ask a single one before Anti chimed in again and interrupted his thoughts.

"Come now, your Highness. May I help you prepare for your bath?" He bowed once again and gestured toward the door with his hand, but Marvin quickly declined with a shake of his head.

"Umm, no! That's alright... I-I think I'll skip my bath tonight... I'll have one tomorrow morning..." Something was telling him not to go and so he decided a bath could wait if it meant JJ would be the one to help him out tomorrow. He couldn't understand why but Anti was making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He just didn't want to be alone with him. This was all especially strange because Anti was supposed to be off duty. There was something very odd about him claiming that everyone else was too busy to carry out their usual routine. What on earth could be going on that needed everyone's attention?

Anti's smirk instantly disappeared upon hearing his request but he nodded in compliance. "Yes, of course. Your pajamas have already been placed in the bath house. I will go and fetch them for you then..." With that, he bowed and calmly left through the door without another word.

The instant he left, Marvin felt a wave of relief wash over him. Just a moment ago, he felt like he was in danger. As if he was some kind of defenseless prey being cornered by an approaching predator. Now the predator had given up the hunt and left… There was no reason for him to feel that way though. Why did he feel so tense? Still dumbfounded, he hoisted himself up off the rail and corrected his balance on his feet. He was breathing heavily as if he'd just run up a flight of stairs, and he didn't notice until just now that his heart had been racing during that entire exchange.

'Alright, calm down....' he thought to himself. 'It's a little strange but he's just helping out. Nothing weird.... It's kind of him to make the extra effort.' He took deep breaths, trying to convince himself that Anti was just trying to be an overachiever today. That only made sense, right? Maybe he was trying to make up for his outburst earlier that day. Besides, there had been weirder things that had happened around this castle, he was sure.

He shuddered when the night air only grew colder and blew through his hair with it's gentle breeze. He’d almost forgotten that he had been standing out in the cold this whole time. It was probably time to head back inside then... He took one more glance back at the town behind him, noticing that a few beacons had unfortunately gone out, making the streets look a little darker. Surely the soldiers would be back to fix it. With that, he stepped back into his room and closed the glass doors behind him, making sure to close the latch as well.

It felt like he had his back turned for only a few short moments before he heard his bedroom door knob rattling once again. Anti had returned with a pink colored garment folded neatly in his arms. He carefully set it down on the bed before taking a few steps back to confirm that the prince didn't want his help with anything. "I assume you'll want some privacy, correct?" His brow raised in suspicion, the creepy smirk that had previously been on his face now seemed to have permanently vanished. He simply stood there, feet together and arms tucked at his sides while he waited for further instruction.

Marvin supposed that he had been worried for nothing. Anti had been very helpful after all. At last, he let his shoulders relax while he strolled over to his bed, stopping to turn to Anti and dismiss him for the night. "Yes, I can handle myself from here, thank you. You may go now." Turning his back to him, Marvin carefully unfolded the clothes that were sitting on the edge of the mattress and began to undo the knot on his corset.

All Anti had said in response was "Have a good rest, your Highness," before leaving the room for good, the door clicking shut behind him.

Finally, he had nothing left to worry about for the rest of the night. It was just him now in his room, all by himself. He never did get to ask why exactly the servants were so busy elsewhere but he supposed it was out of his hands now. Maybe it was none of his business in the first place.

After struggling with it for a while, he finally undid the knot on his garment and set it aside by his pajamas. He was used to wearing corsets by now but it did become quite uncomfortable sometimes and, especially after wearing it all day, it always felt so refreshing to take it off. 

He began fidgeting with the buttons of his shirt next, completely focused on the task and very much unaware of an ominous presence still lurking within the walls of his room. Unlike earlier, he'd completely dropped his guard and trusted that there was nothing left to be concerned about. He even stopped questioning what had happened to all the servants. Not for a moment did he try to piece anything together in his mind and he would be severely punished for it... 

It all happened so suddenly. The darkness hiding in the room waited for it's moment to strike and, when it found it's opportunity, it didn't hold back. As if from nowhere, Marv suddenly felt a sack being forced over his head, leaving him instantly panicked and disoriented. 

He let out a yelp of surprise and desperately tugged at the cloth around his neck to try and pry it off of him. Unfortunately, his attacker was far stronger and he couldn't budge it no matter how ruthlessly he struggled. His only option was to scream for the guards... He opened his mouth to call for help but before he could utter a word, he felt a surge of pain shooting through his body. It felt like electricity was paralyzing his limbs, making it impossible to move them in any other position. Not a sound could make it from his throat no matter how hard he tried to force it.

Quickly, his vision began to cave in on him and there was nothing he could do but succumb to the pain engulfing his mind. He couldn't even fight back. Underneath all of the madness, however, there was a faint voice that he couldn't quite make out. Maybe it was Chase coming to save him… He tried so hard to cling to the sound, as it was the only hope he had but, eventually, it too was swallowed by the darkness and he quickly slipped into heavy unconsciousness.

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When he awoke, his head felt like it was swimming. He was dizzy and incomprehensive. Whatever was happening around him, he couldn't understand. He tried to pick up his head but he felt nothing. He tried flexing his fingers, but again, nothing. In fact, his limbs felt numb... It was like he was floating and he couldn't even be bothered to move. There was no strength left in him. He couldn't make sense of anything but then again, he didn't want to. He was tired and woozy. All he knew was that he couldn't see anything. He couldn't even be bothered to understand why.

Oh wait, that's right... Now he remembered. Something had been put over his head... A bag? Something like that. At least he remembered that much.

He may have been a little slow at waking up but he soon began to pick up on voices murmuring around him. He just couldn't make out a single word they were saying. They were all muddled together in a tangle of incoherent mumbles and shouts. He couldn't separate one voice from the other so it didn't seem like he was going to glean any clues from them.

It took a few minutes of pure grogginess to go by before he began to regain some sense of feeling in his limbs. That's when he realized there was ground beneath his feet. He was upright and yet, he wasn't standing on his own. There was something - or someone - on either side of him holding his arms up. Were they people? Were they helping him up? Maybe he was being rescued. But, from what...? Was he even in any danger?

His dizziness was beginning to wear off now and suddenly the voices around him started to get much clearer. He could hear men on either side of him, hushing and arguing with each other about something so stupid, like taking a wrong step or not standing straight enough. Something like that. Besides them, however, there was another voice too. This one was much louder and it was talking above the others. It sounded like someone was giving orders. Was this their leader? They sure didn't sound like any of the knights. 

The voices were so muddled, they sounded like they were coming from underwater. They were a garbled mess of words and sounds but he couldn't just tune them out. It was quite frustrating actually... For what felt like an eternity, he couldn't make sense of them at all, no matter how hard he tried. That is, until he finally picked up on something crucial from one of the men. 

"...don't lose the keys, you moron! The King will be furious!-"

The King!? 

It was enough to snap Marvin out of whatever trance he was trapped in. He never felt more confused than in this moment right now. So many questions were racing through his head. 

What King were they talking about? The King was dead! Then again, he didn't know where he was... Maybe he was in a different kingdom? But if that was true, someone must've abducted him. But who, and how would they have carried him so far in so little time? How long was he out...?

He kept questioning nobody but the empty void in his head while he felt himself being carried up what felt like a flight of stairs. He didn't know just how long they'd been traveling. The only thing clear to him was that he was being carried somewhere against his will but what was the use in fighting at this point? He assumed he was close to his "destination" already. It was probably best if he just stayed quiet and listened for whatever clues he could pick up on along the way. He wasn't exactly in a position to fight.

"I don't understand why His Majesty is wasting so much energy on this prince. It's not like we'll be missing him when he's gone." 

What!? Forget staying quiet about this! This was getting worse and worse by the minute!

They were laughing... Laughing and joking at his expense and he was overhearing all of it. This was outrageous! Was this someone's idea of a practical joke?! He didn't know why he didn't try acting up earlier, but he finally had enough of questioning everything and not getting any answers. He began to yell at them for their clownery, trying to spit any insults he could think of at them but instead of words, all that came out was muffled gibberish. He realized that something had been tied around his mouth to keep him quiet and yet, he still refused to let up. It only made him scream louder as he kicked and struggled defiantly against their grip on his arms.

"He's awake. And just in time, too..." Finally he was able to make out the leader's voice. He began giving orders out to the lackeys carrying out this operation. "I think he deserves to know just what's going on..." Their laugh that followed was so sinister, Marvin was certain that they must've been sick in the head. Strangely though...they sounded so familiar...

With that, the walking finally stopped and immediately the sack had been yanked away from his head. The moment he was finally allowed to breathe, the light of the room was too much for his sensitive eyes and he responded by shutting them tightly. And even when it stung, he tried to force them open but he didn’t get the chance to let them adjust before the gag around his face was cut and pulled away, and he was forcefully shoved forward to the ground. Landing on his hands and knees, he was just barely able to catch himself from hitting his head on the hard, concrete floor.

He was breathing heavily and didn't realize just how fast his heart was beating until now, whether it was the adrenaline from fighting, or the fear of what he would see when his vision eventually returned. One thing was for certain though. The thugs around him didn't seem to have a care in the world for his suffering... He heard the leader barking more orders again. "Leave us," it said harshly, and the sound of a metal door closing rang throughout the room.

Still temporarily blinded, he slowly let his fingers investigate the ground beneath him. Much to his surprise, he felt a soft, furry carpet under his touch. It may have cushioned his fall a bit, but he could tell that underneath it were hard stone bricks.

Gradually his vision improved and he was finally able to see without his eyes stinging so badly. Only then did he look up to see the one who was pulling the strings behind this scheme.

"You!?" The person he saw there was, ironically, the last person he expected to see. There stood Anti towering above him, glaring down at him like he was an inferior little ant. "W-Where am I? What is the meaning of this!?" He demanded.

"Poor little Marvin. You must be SO confused..." 

There was no doubt about it; of course he was confused. He'd just been abducted by his advisor. What on earth was he supposed to think!?

The way Anti spoke to him... His voice was filled with an obviously feigned pity. Almost like he was mocking him with his fake empathy. However, just as quickly as it came, he tore away the facade and grinned mischievously instead. "Let's make this clear and simple, yes? I brought you here because your people will no longer have need of you..." Leading him on with a vague explanation, he turned his back to him and strolled slowly over to a large, arched window. His hands stayed folded behind him while he stared out to the land beyond this hellhole and Marvin could hear him chuckling under his breath.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You really need an explanation for everything, don't you?" He was dragging this out on purpose. He was toying with him...

"Don't play coy with me! It's not a joke! Explain yourself this instant!" There were so many emotions erupting from inside of him. He was frightened, angry, and so, so confused. And now, he was losing his patience. All he wanted was answers.

"My my, calm down your highness. It's not very proper for a prince to yell~" That stupid, patronizing tone in his voice... It was irritating and Marvin growled under his breath. "Allow me to make this easier for you to understand. Your people need a proper King to lead them. Someone with authority. Power. Ambition… Someone like me." He paused to turn to him with a glare in eyes and a grimace in his expression, like he was disgusted at the mere sight of him. "Not some child."

This struck a nerve within Marvin and he snapped back at him with pure disdain. "I am NO child...." He took great offense to that condescending comparison.

"Oh, that's right! You're all grown up, aren't you?~" Anti mocked him, speaking in a juvenile, high pitched voice - much like one would use when speaking to a small infant. He let out an exasperated chuckle before changing his demeanor in favor of an angrier one. "Is that why you never noticed any red flags? You are SO DENSE! You are so lost in your little royal world that you have never punished me no matter how many times I fucked up!" 

Whatever hatred he had for Marvin had built up over so many years and this was finally his moment to unleash it all. And he did not hold back. 

"Your staff caters to you, admit it! They baby you and hold your hand every day of your life because you STILL can't do on your own what you were literally BORN to do. You walk around like a lost puppy! You run away from your responsibilities, and make up excuses for everything!"

"Shut up…"

"It makes me wonder what your parents would think of you now. I'm sure they're looking down from the heavens, watching while you screw up everything that they ever worked for. It's like you have no regard for their legacy! All you do is cry and make everyone feel bad for you. That's how you manipulate them, isn't it? You just love to play the victim! Especially after what happened to poor mommy and daddy~" He exaggerated a frown, ridiculing him again while he wiped away imaginary tears with his fists.

"SHUT UP! Don't you dare talk about them that way! You don't get to talk about them-!"

"Even your own staff see something wrong with allowing a dark elf, of all creatures, to work so close to the prince! But you? You ignored them! You are so LOST in this 'boo-hoo' little fantasy of yours, you can't even take your own servants' concerns seriously!" Anti was really laying into him, hardly even taking a breath between each accusation. It was just blow after blow...

"I-I..." Marvin struggled to say anything. How was he supposed to respond to that? Was it all true...? He swallowed nervously before speaking up. "I never fired you because you worked under my father! He trusted you! I trusted you! I gave you every possible chance to redeem yourself!-"

"And you were a fool to do so." He interrupted, abruptly cutting off whatever defense the prince was clinging on to. But Anti wasn't done with him just yet and with a snicker, he continued chipping away at whatever he had left of his dignity. "Heh, aren't YOU the one who so badly wanted to protect your people? Tch... And you couldn't even do THAT right. Face it, your Highness, you are worth nothing to this kingdom and it's time you took responsibility for your actions."

Marvin stayed silent. He felt so empty, like his entire world had crumbled in the palm of his hands. Any form of confidence he worked so hard for had been sucked dry. Was he really that bad of a ruler? All this time, he thought he was getting better. He thought he was doing good for his people but now, it seemed like Anti just unraveled his entire world and it was filled with nothing but flaws. Was he really the bad guy in all this...?

"Now then, I'll tell you just what you're doing here. I've brought you to this old, decaying ruin. A tower, far from the comfort of your palace. It's a place where I deem no one would ever dare step foot… Here you will stay for the rest of your sorry existence."

His eyes shot open upon hearing that. "W-What? No! Are you insane!? You can't just leave me here!" His fear was starting to grow the more he realized just how serious Anti was.

Anti knelt down to his level, reaching out to firmly hold his chin, forcing him to look at him. "You're lucky that's ALL I'm doing. I'm showing you mercy. If I wasn't so kind, I would have you killed." With that, he let go and stood up straight. Then, he walked past Marvin towards the metal door in the back of the room to take his leave.

Tears quickly began flooding his eyes while he knelt there on the floor, defeatedly. He didn't want to stay in this place forever. Wait, why did he think he didn't have a choice? He was the prince for goodness sakes!

He forced himself up, finding his balance while he turned to the exit to face Anti. "I am not going to stay here. You cannot make me." He declared sternly, finally finding the courage to stick up for himself.

Oh, this was so amusing to Anti. He turned to him, stared for a moment in disbelief, then bursted out in a maniacal fit of laughter. "Is that really what you think? That you can just waltz on out of here-?"

The sudden outburst from Anti made him flinch and the two tears that were threatening to fall earlier made their way down his cheeks while he fought back, desperately. "I am leaving this wretched tower and you are taking me with you!"

Anti only continued to laugh at this. "Oh this is precious..." His cackles and chortles finally faded out and he mimicked wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Nice try, your Highness, but you're not going to wriggle your way out of this one. Now I'm sorry to leave so soon but I have a kingdom to get back to~" He waved farewell to him as he pushed open the metal door to take his leave.

Marvin stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do. He was still in complete disbelief but he couldn't let this happen! No one was going to bail him out of this. Not JJ, not the guards... This was his fight. With that, he suddenly charged at Anti, grabbing hold of his arm in an attempt to pull him away from the door so he could make a run for it and get away from this madness.

His plan didn't get very far, however, before Anti, seemingly without effort, shoved him back. Marvin stumbled backwards on his feet but before he could regain his balance and try again, Anti lifted his knee and kicked him straight in the gut with the heel of his boot. Marvin stumbled back again before doubling over in pain. Wrapping his arms tightly around his torso, he fell to his knees once again while he coughed and gasped for air.

"Tch, pathetic." He looked down at him, watching him curl in on himself and weep pathetically on the floor. He almost felt bad for him. Almost, but not enough. "I have nothing left to say to you. It's no wonder you're so incompetent..." He seemed genuinely disappointed...

He looked up at him, shaking his head and pleading to him with the tears that now streamed down his face. He was praying that Anti would pity him enough to let him go or tell him that this was all some big joke. But that was unrealistic, wasn't it…?

"I am honored that you don't want me to leave, but I must bid you farewell now~" Again, he pushed open the door. "Goodbye, your Highness. May we never cross paths again." And with that, he turned his back and walked out.

However, before the door could close completely, Marvin had to make one final attempt to follow him. He quickly got to his feet, tripping over himself as he lunged forward to catch the door but he didn't make it time and the sound of heavy metal clashing rang throughout the little room, leaving Marvin to wail on the floor alone.

"No...! Anti, please! Don't leave me here! PLEASE!" He screamed and begged at the door, falling to his knees and banging desperately on the metal in the hopes that Anti would turn around and come back for him. 

He wanted to wake up from this awful nightmare. He wanted it to all be a dream. Just another one of his little night terrors that he would have from time to time... He wanted to wake up in his bedroom and find Jamie comforting him at his side. He would give anything to see Chase come running in and fretting over him after a nightmare… But deep down, a voice was screaming at him to give up hoping, that there was no way out of this... Soon, it became all too real for him and all he could do was futilely weep until his voice was so hoarse and broken, he could no longer scream for help that would never come.

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Tags: @jack-and-sammy @fanaticallyperfect @geekyfox2 @cryptid-bwoid

[epicseptic]

Erseptyl AU

This part one of a 3 part prologue for one of my aus. I won’t give away any details but this is my first time writing anything so its far from perfect ^^’

~~~~~~~~~~

It was early morning and the sun was already high in the sky, its soft rays of light peeking in through the closed curtains. The windows on the far end of the room were tall and let in just enough light to disturb the figure sleeping in the bed on the opposite side. Though the bed was elegantly decorated with drapes and curtains, they proved useless in providing shield against the blinding rays that managed to sneak their way past the windows' protective shades. The figure, who was still asleep, was wrapped up tightly in the wool blankets. They stirred lightly in their sleep and buried their face into the pillows, green hair falling over their face, completely shielding it from sight.

Only moments later, the door to the room opened and in walked a man dressed very properly in a beige vest and bow tie. His white dress shirt was without a single wrinkle, and even his moustache was perfectly groomed and curled upward to a fine point. Every detail in his appearance was put together with such delicate attention. With him, he carried in his hand a small tray with a teapot and a single teacup upon a saucer. The fine dishware had beautiful designs that were hand painted and appeared to be very delicate and expensive. The servant, who primarily went by JJ, carefully, and quietly, placed the tray on the nightstand closest to the door, careful not to startle the still slumbering figure. Then, he gently placed a hand on the individual's shoulder and gave it a soft shake.

Marvin awoke slowly at his touch. "Hmm...?" He hummed tiredly, attempting to open his eyes but immediately regretting it when JJ opened up the curtains, letting the sun mercilessly sting his eyes with it's harsh light. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut again and used his hand to shield them from the rays. Giving his eyes a moment to adjust, he attempted again to look at JJ, who was now pouring a cup of tea beside him. He really did move fast in the mornings. Then again, Marvin always felt like he was stuck in slow motion during the earliest hours of the day.

JJ noticed him awake a few seconds later, flashing him a bright smile to greet him. He set the teapot down on the tray once he was finished pouring it's contents into the fancy cup. The sweet aroma filling Marvin's nostrils already, threatening to further pull him out of the sweet, dark abysmal sleep he so longed to return to.

"Good morning, your Highness" the mute signed with his hands, briefly bowing to the prince respectfully.

With a heavy sigh, Marvin plopped his head back down onto the pillow, clearly disinterested in getting out of bed anytime soon. "Five more minutes, Jamie...." he whined. He was tired of having to wake up early at the same time every day. For once he just wanted to sleep in late without worrying about his responsibilities. The servant raised his brow, clearly unamused. JJ wasn't willing to deal with the young prince's stubbornness this morning, and he responded by placing the teacup right beneath Marvin's nose, letting the warm scent of tea do the talking for him.

He knew there was no way he was going to get any sleep with his favorite, mint tea tempting him out of bed so with a groan of reluctance - and possibly a curse under his breath - Marvin sat up against the pillows and rubbed his eyes, yawning tiredly. Finally, he accepted the tea that JJ had handed to him to help himself wake up. He always started his day with his favorite tea. It was Jameson's idea to use it as bait to get him out of bed each morning. Marvin was known to be uncooperative at times and thanks to how often he tried to sleep in and dodge his duties, this tea was a lifesaver.

While he was busy sipping his tea, JJ was busy by the wardrobe, pulling out a few outfits for him to choose from for the day. Marvin watched him bustle around the room, getting everything ready for him just like he did every morning; laying out his outfits, preparing his hairbrush and hair accessories, finding that cupcake that he had stolen from the kitchens the previous night... Why was JJ not surprised... All Marvin could do was shrug when he gave him a disapproving stare.

Even so, Marvin couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate how hard his valet worked to care for him. Not only was JJ a helpful member of his staff, but he was his best friend; someone that he felt he could trust with even the most personal matters.

JJ waited patiently for him to finish his tea before beckoning him over to the wardrobe where Marvin chose to wear a simple, plain white blouse with frilly cuffs and a corset wrap. He decided that a much simpler outfit would be more appropriate, and comfortable, to complete his duties for the day. His trousers were black and made of a soft fabric and he wore tall boots that came just below the knee and had the usual 4 inch heel he was used to wearing. He preferred shoes that gave him a little boost in height. It was apparent that he had a.... diminutive height. It was something he found to be a rather embarrassing topic if it was ever brought up and actually felt quite insulted that the gods would curse him with such short stature. What kind of king was so small? It seemed even the divines were mocking him.

After helping to get him dressed, JJ allowed him to take a seat in front of the vanity so that he could brush his hair for him. It was filled with tangles and very frizzy. It always looked like a giant, dramatic tumbleweed when he got out of bed in the morning. 

While he waited patiently for JJ to take care of his hair, he gazed into the mirror at his reflection, his sky blue eyes meeting the cold icy ones of his doppelganger in the mirror. For a moment, he wore a soft smile on his face but after seeing himself through the glass, that's when suddenly his mind started to wander again, and the smile quickly faded.... He stared into the eyes of his reflection, who only looked back at him with a harsh, lambasting stare of its own. It was only himself in the mirror, he knew that, and yet, it felt like a completely different person was looking back at him, judging him. Judging and criticizing him in any and every aspect....

By now, this was routine for him on most mornings; to remind himself of the burden he was forced to carry. This is how he normally started the day, being hard on himself and chastising himself for not doing better. For not BEING better, but unlike most mornings where he was able to ignore those thoughts, he felt especially troubled today. Today the worries he faced clouded his mind far more than usual and he found that he just couldn't shake them away. He criticised everything about who he was. His appearance, his intelligence, and most of all his worth. He just wasn't good enough. He wasn't "them"...

JJ must've sensed the tension in Marvin's silence but he didn't acknowledge it in fear of putting his friend through even deeper distress. He didn't want to seem intrusive or pull any loose threads. It was known to him that Marvin often preferred to keep quiet about things and not have anyone question him. Making a big deal out of the situation usually stressed him out even more and didn't help to solve the problem. Instead, the best thing to do was let him decide when he was ready to come forward and speak about it. Marvin felt more in control of his situation that way. The servant’s patience was rewarded in a way because it didn't take very much longer for Marvin to decide to open up.

"Do you think I'll ever be like them...?" He questioned, the tone of his voice was so soft that JJ could barely make out what he said. In the reflection of the mirror, his eyes met with the prince's as he gazed at him with bewilderment. Marvin must've noticed because it wasn't long before he spoke up again. "I mean my parents. They left me so early, I don't even know if I'm doing any of this right. All I did was pick up where they left off. And I'm doing my best but I don't know how to be a ruler. How do I know I'm living up to their success...?" By that time, Jamie had finished brushing through his long hair and set the brush down on the table. He approached the side of the stool so that he could make proper eye contact with the prince.

"Fret not, my liege. You are a hard worker and your people respect you for it. That is a great honor and you've earned it well. Your folks would be proud" he signed to him with a gracious smile, hoping to put his Highness at ease. Marvin often doubted himself and JJ knew that about him more than anyone in his staff. It was rather heartbreaking to see someone he truly cared so much about experiencing so much doubt in himself and comparing his own successes to that of others before him. Marvin did lack guidance, there was no doubt, but he was so young and had far too much expectation for himself.

"I suppose you're right..." As he thought about his words, he had to agree that he had a point. He was grateful that his people respected him but at the same it left him with a dreaded feeling of guilt. It was a respect that he wasn't sure he deserved. "But no one ever taught me how to run a whole kingdom... How do I know I am doing this right...?"

"Who's to say? You're doing it your way and it's working. If you ask me, I'd say you're doing just fine...." JJ signed.

On the table just in front of the mirror was a glass display case. He used this moment to open it up and remove a crown littered with jewels that was made specifically for Marvin.

He picked up the golden crown and moved back to his spot behind the stool and placed it gently on Marvin's head, being careful not to set a single hair out of place. Afterwards, he stepped back to admire his work, gazing into the mirror at their reflections to make sure that everything was centered and tidy.

Marvin too admired his own reflection. Before he had received this crown, when he was younger, he used to wear a small, elegant tiara but after he was put in charge he was urged to take the title as King. It was a title that he refused profusely. Perhaps he was afraid of the responsibility or maybe he was still trying to move on from everything that had happened to his parents, but for whatever reason, Marvin kept the title as a mere prince. However, a special crown was made in his honor. A crown fit for a King but not exactly something he felt he deserved. Still, he much preferred this to taking his father's crown.

Aside from it all, he was very much impressed with JJ's ability to seemingly turn anything into perfection. If only he could turn more than a person's appearance into perfection... Marvin knew that Jamie would never want to hurt his feelings, even with the truth, and that's why, sometimes, he could never truly know if he was being honest with him. He knew that he wouldn't hide things from him out of fear, but rather, he hid them to spare his feelings. JJ was a sweetheart and Marvin knew how much he cared about him, but all he wished was for him to tell him sincerely if he could do better, not just as a person, but as a ruler. Sometimes he felt that Jamie just didn't really understand the weight of it all. That was probably true. To lose your only sources of guidance as a mere child and have every responsibility of running a kingdom fall onto your shoulders... Though it'd been over a decade since the assassination, he never truly did know if he was living up to his name. Then again, his expectations for himself were much harsher than anyone else in the land but he didn't know how else to strive for the same success as his parents.

While his mind only got more and more muddled with thoughts, JJ had snuck off, taking the time to make his bed and straighten up the sheets for him. It didn't take him long and when he was finished, he came back to the vanity to notify the prince of his other priorities.

"My apologies, your Highness, but I have other duties to attend to." He gently knocked on the wood of the table, briefly snapping Marvin out of his thoughts. "Please come to the dining hall when you are ready. Your breakfast will be waiting for you. Now, please excuse me..." He bowed politely before taking his leave, leaving Marvin alone in the empty bedroom. The door clicked behind him and he glanced back to make sure he was alone. Then, he stood up and walked over to the tall windows where, in the center, there were two arched glass doors that led out to the balcony.

Marvin opened up the doors and stepped out onto the veranda, gazing out to the town below. It may have been a warm sunny morning but the breeze still carried a cool, refreshing scent on the wind. It was the kind of scent that you could only smell at dawn when the sun still hid behind the clouds and air was cool and humid and smelled like rain. The gentle wind that blew through his hair carried away with it some of his stress from before. He closed his eyes and leaned his elbows on the stone rail, feeling the air on his skin and taking slow, deep breaths to relieve the ache in his chest.

The tangled web of anxiety that he felt just a moment ago was now starting to unravel, allowing him to try and decipher just what it was that always left him feeling this way; feeling that he wasn't good enough.

Maybe the reason he was hard on himself was because he felt that he had nothing to show for all of his work. In mere seconds, his entire life had completely changed and he, all of a sudden, felt so heavily pressured to prove that he too could be a great king, just as his father had once been. He never noticed it until he stepped into power, but once he had taken the throne, he felt everyone's eyes on him. It was like he was performing upon a stage and his audience was just watching, waiting for him to make a mistake. The only problem was, one mistake could ruin his entire family name. He alone represented so much and his parents' entire legacy was on the line. He HAD to show everyone that he could be just as good a king as his father. In fact, he felt that the only way he would be worth anything was measured by great and noble achievements. Achievements of his that he felt could never compare to the deeds of his father. Perhaps he coveted that success...

He stood there with his eyes closed for quite some time, but soon he began to long for an escape. With another deep breath, he opened up his eyes and looked out to the city below. To be fair, he couldn't see many people, besides the castle staff, since the town was a ways down the road from the castle and many of the buildings made it hard to see what was going on, but the scenery still brought a fond smile to his lips. He caught small glimpses here and there of the townsfolk bustling about in the streets. There were farmers tending to and harvesting their fields, an on-duty soldier offering a flower to a small child by the gates, a man grooming the horses by the stables... There were children running by the shops in the circle and there were people dancing and playing music as if they were celebrating the new day. There were vendors passing out food, no doubt hot and fresh and Marvin could already smell the bread and cakes just by thinking about them.

Everything just felt so peaceful and it all brought him a sense of comfort...

Perhaps Jamie was right about everything. Maybe he did have everything under control after all. He gazed out at the town and everything was in order. The people were well and happy and they were all joyously doing their part to provide for themselves and their home. Everyone seemed so content. Maybe that was really all that mattered. 

He thought hard about it and settled that even if the job was tough, it was all worth it to see everyone so happy. It made the job feel a lot less lonely. Besides, it wasn't like he could just give up who he was. He was the prince, the heir and future king. Whether he was ready or not for this burden, it was his to bear and it was time he accepted that.

He was now starting to realize that maybe the only person he was trying to prove himself to was himself. He so badly wanted to prove to himself that he could be just as successful as the late king, but something that he often forgot was that such incredible feats of leadership didn't come overnight. And his life was only just getting started. There was still plenty of time to make his own accomplishments. And he could do it all his own way.... That would be the best part.

He just had to be patient.

He closed his eyes and took in one more deep breath, filling his lungs with that refreshing morning scent before it had finally disappeared for the day. It was calming and he soon felt all of the pressure from before leaving his shoulders. He stopped comparing himself to those before him and abandoned whatever harsh critical thoughts he had of himself. He wanted to face the day with a new mentality. He wasn’t a failure and he wasn’t going to be. 

As he stood there on the balcony, he made a silent promise to himself that he would never lose sight of what was important and make the most of every day, not just for him but for the people he swore to protect. The refreshing wind began to die down now, replaced by the less pleasant heat of the sun. Maybe it was time to head back inside, before it got late and the servants would come looking for him. He turned on his heel and entered the bedroom through the open glass doors. He closed them behind him and locked the door with the latch. 

He was on his way out and had approached the door that led out into the halls but just before he turned the handle, he looked back at the portrait above the vanity. Seeing it again made him wonder if they were watching him from their place up above but he knew, either way, that he didn't have to worry. Of course they were proud of him.... Even if he wasn't proud of himself yet, he knew that the most important people in the world were, and that was enough for him. His lips curled into a small smile before he inevitably turned away to head downstairs.

~~~~~~~~~~

This is my very first ever written piece so plz go easy on me ;w; 

Tags:

@geekyfox2 @cryptid-bwoid @fanaticallyperfect @jack-and-sammy

[epicseptic]

Erseptyl AU

Prologue Part2

So this is part 2/3 to the prologue of my fantasy au? I so apologize if this one doesn’t live up to the first. This one got a little too ambitious for me.... but I am still learning how to word ^^’ And dialogue.. i gotta learn to do that too. I’ll learn tho. I hope.... Criticism is appreciated ^^’

Part one - https://epicseptic.tumblr.com/post/660766644770062336/erseptyl-au

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"Ugh, this is so BORING!" Marvin groaned. He slumped in his place on the throne, leaning his elbow on the armrest with his head in his hand.

"Your Highness, please refrain from such inappropriate outbursts...." Anti was highly unamused by the misbehavior and the disapproving look on his face said it all. He stood to the left of the throne with a book as big as an encyclopedia in his arms and a quill in his hand. As Marvin's royal advisor, he stood beside him throughout most of the day charting records and ultimately helping the prince make decisions on social and economical issues in the kingdom. He was typically very calm and passionate about his work, always wanting to get straight to the point and sometimes getting carried away. 

At least, that's how Marvin saw it.

"How many people did you say I would have to meet with today?" He asked, his boredom was evident in the tone of his voice and the way he kicked his foot against the carpet.

"Not many. Several folks from town have requested an audience with you. Afterwards, you are to meet with a group of men from the council to discuss taxes and production within the city. It should only take a couple of hours. Now please sit up straight and be professional." His words were quite stern and he spoke to him as if he was instructing a four year old. It was clear that he didn't have much patience to deal with the prince's nonsense today.

Marvin simply huffed with slight annoyance as he propped himself up and fixed his posture. He was used to behaving "properly" but he wasn't fond of the way the servants would still tell him how to act. It seemed that some of them still treated him like some kind of adolescent child. Maybe they didn't see it the same way, but he thought he was perfectly mature. Inexperienced maybe, but other than that he didn’t need everyone to hold his hand all the time. He wasn’t just some child anymore. He just wasn't at all excited about the boring meetings he would have to sit through today... 

As if right on cue, the captain of the royal guard, Chase, entered through the castle gates and approached the throne along the long, golden colored carpet. "Your Highness" He kneeled in front of the steps when he reached the end of the hall. "The townspeople that are to meet with you are beginning to line up outside. Shall I let them in now?"

Chase was Marvin's most skilled soldier. He was skilled in both sword and bow. In fact, archery was his strongest suit. He was dedicated and disciplined, though you would never know that outside of the sparring halls since that side of himself was reserved only for the training grounds and the battlefield. His authoritative conduct usually stayed buried beneath his friendly and optimistic attitude when he was around the rest of the staff. He was friendly and fun, but focussed when he needed to be. Marvin quite appreciated his companionship as well. He was a good friend and was actually acquainted with the prince on a more personal level, much like JJ was. However, he still treated Marvin with the utmost respect. To this day, he still refused to address him by his first name no matter how many times Marvin told him he could.

With a bit of uncertainty, Marvin looked to Anti who simply stared impatiently back at him, waiting for him to give the command to the knight. He supposed that look meant yes. He sighed, ready to just get the afternoon over with. "Yes. Please send them in...."

Chase wasted no time nodding and getting to his feet to fetch the townspeople waiting outside and it wasn't long before he returned to introduce the first individual; a baker by the name of Ludwig looking to expand his business. He was asking to be given the funds to open a second shop on the other side of town and to provide himself with the proper equipment. A reasonable thing to ask for, right?

"Well…" Marvin thought aloud upon hearing the man’s plea. He knew that his advisor would insist on denying this request - that he would see no significance in the man's plight - but decisions like this really preyed on Marvin's moral values. 

When he didn't come up with a quick enough response, Anti decided to chime in and give his opinion. "Your highness, adding another bakery into the city is not a priority. There is no need to waste tax money on... cake..." He had a look of disgust on his face when he said that last word, his eyes scanning the man up and down. His words were harsh and Marvin cringed seeing the baker’s heartbroken expression. As he suspected, Anti was opposed to the idea. He took his opinion into account but he still didn't know what he should say. It was all so daunting, having everyone's eyes on him while he anxiously tried to come up with something that would make everyone happy... But he knew that no matter what he chose, someone was going to be upset. Whether it was the baker who would leave empty handed and disappointed, or Anti who would disagree with the way he handled money. It was as if he was stood before a tall, delicate structure and, despite his best efforts to keep it standing, his ultimate decision would always send it crashing down. Since being in charge, he quickly learned that there were no compromises. Apparently, it wasn’t about making a choice that made everyone happy, but instead about choosing the one that would cause less destruction…

He knew that he couldn't pass out gold to just anyone but, in the end, he couldn't deny someone the opportunity to follow their dreams. And so, he finally had his verdict. "I think it's great that you want to share your talent with your people. I would be honored to help provide you with the means to do so." He agreed and the man was immediately filled with joy. He thanked the prince again and again, saying that the kingdom was blessed to have such a gracious ruler like him. He had to admit, he felt a bit awkward by his kind words but, aside from that, he was just happy to see the man filled with such happiness. Besides, Marvin knew what it was like to want to be a part of something bigger and achieve a personal level of success. 

It felt good to come to a rewarding conclusion and he was beaming as he watched Chase escort the very joyful man out of the throne room. However, when he looked to Anti, he noticed him looking down with a frown as he scribbled something in his notes. He was shaking his head in disapproval and Marvin's smile promptly faded seeing the sour expression on his face. Suddenly he began wondering if he made the right choice after all. Maybe he should've thought a little harder about his decision but wasn't keeping the people happy the right thing to do? Wasn't that the most important thing about being a ruler?

He just didn't know anymore. He wished someone would tell him... It always seemed like he was doing something wrong. It was never good enough for everyone…

Minutes after the man had left the throne room, the next citizen walked in through the large doors. After all the time he'd spent pondering the first request, he already felt so overwhelmed and began wondering just how long that whole ordeal had taken.

"Umm… Anti?” He leaned over his chair to whisper to him. “How long have we been here?"

He stared vacantly at him for a moment, completely speechless. "Your highness, we just got started… It's only been 10 minutes. Now, please sit properly!" He whispered back but with a far more impatient tone. Truthfully, he was shocked that the prince was already getting restless when they'd only just begun.

Only 10 minutes? He frowned and corrected his posture again, resting his head in his hand while he leaned against the armrest. If that's how long 10 minutes felt, he couldn't imagine how long he was going to have to sit there… Sitting in one spot for hours was boring enough as it was, but the most taxing part of it all would be making proper, sensible decisions in a timely manner. all while trying his best to keep everyone happy. That was the most difficult part about all of this and he knew that all of the stress was going to leave him exhausted. There was no telling how long these meetings were going to last but he just tried to maintain professionalism and push through the next few hours with a smile. All he knew was that it was about to be a long afternoon… 

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Later that evening, after all of his meetings were finally over, Marvin had retired to his study. Unfortunately, though his meetings were over, his business was not and he still had yet to finish answering many other requests. His study room consisted of bookshelves on either side of the room, a large arched window in the back with the curtains wide open to let in the sunlight, and his desk in the center which contained paperwork, ink, quills, and books.

He was sitting at his desk with his head resting tiredly in his hand while he leaned his elbow on the wood. Anti was with him and he was listening to him read out more propositions for him to answer to. These ones were different from the meetings he had to sit through earlier since they weren’t just from town, but from all over the kingdom. Each proposition came with a scroll of paper to sign and Anti passed them to him on the table one by one. He had such a hard time focusing on them and found himself staring distantly at the papers in front of him, barely caring enough to listen as Anti read them out.

"Your Highness, the king in the neighboring kingdom is planning to raid Jaskervawl and he is inviting you to join him. He is simply asking for you to provide men and weapons for his cause. This would be a great opportunity for you to-"

"No, thank you." He suddenly interrupted, not wanting to hear any more. He already hated the sound of this selfish request.

Anti didn't appreciate being interrupted but he calmly continued just as before. "My Prince, if I may, this would be a great opportunity to expand your reign and conquer more territory." Anti made an effort to calmly convince him to change his mind and go through with the raid. "As king, it is important that you claim land and supplies for profit, even if that means stealing it. Just think, your leadership could strike fear into your enemies."

He shook his head. "I said no. I will not get involved in a war."

"My liege, I think you should accept this proposal.” He immediately disregarded his refusal and insisted that he go through with the assault on Jaskervawl. “You cannot continue to dodge vital opportunities such as this. A king must show leadership! You represent everything that this kingdom stands for. Whether or not this leads to a war, should not concern you...“ This is what he hated most when it came to working under the prince. He was always trying to 'play it safe' and it was obviously holding him back. His lack of leadership was only hindering the growth of the kingdom's productivity and, therefore, its money. 

And to him, money meant power.

"I said, no." Though he raised his voice a bit, he remained patient with Anti. However, it was starting to bug him that his words seemed to have no effect on the situation. He was in charge and yet it felt like he had no say in this. He wanted nothing more to do with it. "We will speak of this no further."

By this point, Anti was incredibly irked and found that he couldn't hold back his frustration any longer. "You are going to be king one day, and you expect to be as successful as your father? At this rate you’ll never measure up to him! What kind of example do you intend to set if you do not grow up and take some responsibility to provide for your kingdom? When will you accept your role as a ruler and quit avoiding every opportunity to-"

"Enough! That is not your decision to make!" This struck a nerve for him. He could only take so much of Anti patronizing him and he quickly got to his feet, his hands slamming on the table in protest. "I am the prince and I run this kingdom, not you! Do not speak to me like I am some kind of naive child!"

Anti fell silent. Marvin noticed and he brought his voice level down significantly.

He waited a few moments, took a deep breath, then sighed. "I told you, I decline. I will not risk the safety of my people or my army. You would do well to accept that, Anti."

"But-"

"You are my advisor, not my father. You have no authority over me. You are merely here to assist me in my daily affairs. I make the decisions, not you." It seemed he always had to remind him of his place...

He hesitated, swallowing back his agitation. "Yes, my liege...." He bit his tongue, so hard that he could taste a slight tang of blood in his mouth. He had to bite back whatever bitter insult he so longed to spit into the prince's face.

Marvin never noticed anything out of the ordinary and sat back down in his chair once he’d calmed down. He stared down at the paper in front of him with thought before picking it up and crumpling it into a ball in his hand. "Look....” He began. “I will remind you again not to step out of line."

"Yes, of course.... My humblest apologies, my lord. It seems I have allowed myself to lose my composure again...” His words were almost dramatic. The tone he used was excessively apologetic. So much so that any other person would suspect that it was all an act, like a jester putting on a terrible theater play, portraying a character that anyone could see right through. “I hope you will have mercy on me...." He bowed deeply with his left hand over his chest. No matter how many times this happened, he always acted so sincere, and Marvin believed him. He felt that he had no reason to doubt him.

He never looked back at Anti. In fact, he seemed to intentionally avoid looking directly at him. Instead, Marvin breathed a heavy sigh and after a few moments of silence, he offered his answer. "Of course…." He said calmly. Even though Anti tended to lose his cool, he worked efficiently at his job and Marvin couldn't bring himself to punish him. He wanted to be fair but perhaps he wasn't being firm enough. 

It didn't matter right now. His mind was tired and he was at his limit. He just wanted to finally be rid of all of the stress of this day. "Please, Anti, if you don't mind, I think I'm done with my duties for today. I'm exhausted…."

More annoying delays... He wanted to protest again but quickly caught himself and held back before he could make a sound. "Understood... We can continue this matter tomorrow. I will just take my leave then." He bowed to him once again. However, he never once took his cold, harsh glare off of him. The expression on his face was disturbingly calm, but his eyes were like icy daggers. It was like his stare alone could impale you just the same as any sharp blade.

Again, Marvin failed to notice this and laid his forehead directly on his desk, both arms dangling lazily at his sides. He really acted so immature sometimes... It didn't matter anymore though because Anti hastily turned on his heel and exited the room, not wanting to waste another moment he could be spending elsewhere.

Stepping out into the hall, he passed by another servant, JJ to be exact, who was carrying a tray of dessert for the prince in his hands. Anti marched down the corridor, the weight of his boots on the carpet let anyone within earshot know of his presence. JJ felt his shoulders stiffen when he noticed Anti ahead of him. He knew that they would inevitably cross paths so he made a great effort not to accidentally make eye contact with the intimidating man in front of him. Though his head remained facing forward the whole time, as he passed him, JJ swore he caught a glimpse of that same icy stare glancing at him with disgust. The moment was so short but the weight of his stare was almost suffocating. And as he walked away, the wind from his cape trailing behind him carried a bitter chill to it that made Jamie shudder.

As scared as he was of Anti though, he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks and turn back to catch a glimpse of him walking away with a posture so tall and full of pride… He looked so normal from a distance but up close, Anti was terrifying. He tried to just shake it off and pay no mind to his unsettling presence though. He had important matters that needed his attention, and after a few moments of staring, he turned around and continued down the corridor to Marvin's study.

He carefully knocked on the door when he’d reached it. Seconds later, he heard Marvin's muffled voice from the other side, permitting him to enter. He entered the room slowly and closed the door behind him. The first thing he saw was Marvin sitting with his arms folded on the desk and his head buried in his arms. He looked… comfortable... He didn't want to disturb him so he set down the tray on the desk in front of him and gave his shoulder a gentle tap.

When Marvin looked up, he saw a lovely piece of fruit cake on a small plate waiting for him. Then he noticed JJ looking at him with concern written in his expression. He quickly corrected his posture and shook the hair away from his face to quickly fix himself up for his friend and make it seem like nothing was out of the ordinary. Maybe JJ wouldn’t notice his tiredness.

"Oh- Hey, Jamie" he greeted as naturally as he could. However, JJ could see the fatigue on his face, plain as day.

"Is everything alright?" He signed. Seeing as how Anti had just left the room and Marvin being so worn out, he suspected that Anti had lost his temper again. This seemed to be a pattern with Anti and JJ wasn't at all pleased with the way he overstepped his boundaries with the prince.

Anti carried the blood of a dark elf in his veins and, while his kind had been wiped out by humans long ago, it seemed that his temperament matched that of his ancestors. It was a characteristic of his, yet it always made JJ wonder why Anti would take on a role in serving the royal family. Shouldn't he have a grudge on the royal bloodline for the destruction of his kind? As curious as he was, Jamie couldn't bring himself to ask. Anti was terrifying enough as it was. But why on earth would someone with such a short fuse like him work such a tedious job like this one? He should know what to expect by now.

"Did something happen with Anti?" He inquired worriedly, already expecting the answer he dreaded to hear.

He picked up the plate from the tray and placed it in front of himself. He didn't know how to answer him. He knew that if he said yes, JJ would scold him again for letting Anti lose his cool. But he couldn’t lie. Not to Jamie. "Well…" he paused, choosing his words carefully. "He just got a little heated again. It's no big deal though. I took care of it-"

Already he could see JJ's expression harden and his brows furrowing in anger. The mute wasn't usually one to lose his temper but when it came to his best friend, he became quite defensive.

"Marvin, you cannot allow him to disrespect you like that." He signed his name… Now Marvin knew just how serious he was. Even his hands moved more vigorously as he signed.

Marvin raised his shoulders and his cheeks flushed with shame. He knew that JJ was only concerned for him but he still felt as if he was a child who was being verbally chastised over a small mistake. Truthfully, he felt hopeless.

"It's fine, JJ. I have it all under control. It's nothing I can't handle-"

"Don't you see? He's doing more harm than good. He's stressing you out. Why do you continue to employ him?"

Marvin was silent. He stared down at the untouched cake in front of him, trying once again to find his words. "I can't just fire him. He might be impatient sometimes or lose his cool, but I feel like he has potential… You know?" He paused. "I mean… Surely, he's trying to better himself. Right? He deserves a chance at that…" He tried so hard to defend him and justify his cruel actions.

There was more to it than that and JJ could tell that he had more reason to want to trust Anti. He had a feeling he knew what it was too... Anti had been working at the castle for a long time. Longer than himself and many of the other servants. He had previously been under the employment of the king and only continued to serve under the prince. Marvin didn't want to fire him because he felt that he was the closest living person to his father. He certainly trusted him enough to allow him into the royal court… He just couldn't let go of someone who worked so closely with his father. Anti was the only one in the castle who spent all of his time with the king. If anyone knew how the king worked, it was him and Marvin believed him to be the only one who could show him how to be just as good as his father.

JJ had to admit, he felt a small bit offended. It seemed that Marvin saw Anti as more of a figure of guidance than him… In a way, he was disappointed that his best friend didn’t perceive him in that way. Despite all of that though, his reason for keeping the elf in power was personal and so JJ didn't want to press the matter further. Besides, the reasons didn't matter. It was clear that Marvin really trusted Anti as his advisor and didn't have the heart to remove him from his staff.

Marvin could see JJ looking at him intently with a very puzzled stare, as if he was staring into his mind trying to pick apart his very thoughts for trusting such a foul individual. "Look, don't worry about Anti. I know he's a bit… Unorthodox? But he deserves just as much a chance to work here as anyone else… Please, just give him a chance, okay?" 

Hearing those words reminded JJ of how kind Marvin really was as a person. Naive, no doubt, but kind. It was concerning sometimes, especially in this case. He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that there was nothing he could say to change the prince's mind. He didn't trust Anti one bit and, the way he saw it, Anti was faking his respect for the prince because when he was anywhere but by the prince's side, his demeanor changed. It was ominous and conniving. All of the servants knew it. There was always something going on behind his mask of loyalty but no one truly knew what he was thinking. It was disturbing to say the least.

JJ sighed in defeat. "I will trust your judgment, my friend." He addressed him more personally. "But please watch your back around him. Don't let him get away with his power..."

It was apparent that JJ didn't trust Anti. In fact, he was aware that multiple people in his staff felt very put off by Anti in general but Marvin still had faith in him. Besides, even if Anti lost his temper from time to time, he always seemed to catch himself and correct his behavior. Why would he punish someone who was just doing their best?

"Don't worry, Jamie. I'll keep an eye on him." He looked at him, giving him a confident, reassuring smile. He’d hoped that JJ could see things the way he did and trust in his judgment and it seemed he did a good job convincing him.

The atmosphere seemed kind of tense now after their conversation but then Marvin suddenly remembered the cake that he still had yet to touch. It had completely slipped his mind and he awkwardly fumbled for the fork that was still resting on the tray that JJ had brought in, eager to change the subject to something else.

"Oh! But this cake sure looks incredible-" He declared with renewed excitement. He scooped a generous helping of cake onto the small fork and took a taste of the beautiful dessert. It tasted just as good as it looked. It was dense and sweet and it was the perfect thing to help him relax after such a long day of meetings. “Hmm… Thank you, Jamie…”

Usually, Marvin would not be allowed to have junk food before dinner since it would spoil his appetite, but JJ decided that he would make an exception for today. It had been a long day and this was the perfect thing to help him relax before his bedtime eventually rolled around. Until then, JJ would let him take his time and enjoy his cake. He was just happy to see him smiling and enjoying himself for the first time all day. It was probably the most rewarding thing about being Marvin’s valet; getting to cheer him up when he needed it most. He smiled sweetly at him and signed once more. “Of course, my friend.”

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I hope its still okay to tag you all? ^^’

@jack-and-sammy @geekyfox2 @fanaticallyperfect @cryptid-bwoid 

[epicseptic]

Okay, I know I've only posted one story part of my au so far but I already wanna write spinoffs and side stories for it ;w; I've already got so much planned