The stress of the situation they had been thrust into was doing more harm than the good of having a talented healer to help their son was. Eulalie laid beside Regist, whose health seemed to change from moment to moment as she watched. She worried that each time she blinked she might miss something, might lose him. But the prince was as brave and strong as ever, holding on through it all.
He’d been awake for awhile now, long enough to see his father off as Somnus took a day to himself to hopefully unwind. But Eulalie could see the sheen of sweat on her son’s skin, the tired shadow in his eyes. So she’d gotten him to lay down so that she might read him a story. Her words weaved a world full of fantasy. Dangers abound, brave knights, powerful heroes. A world in which, like most tales, good won out over evil and everybody lived happily ever after.
The ivory woman smiled wistfully as she read, watching as slowly Regis was lulled to sleep. When at last his breathing was steady Eulalie set the book aside and, gently pressing a kiss to his cheek, stood to leave. Alba had remained behind Somnus, a connection to him should they need it, and the barn owl dutifully watched over the sleeping boy as she often did these days.
As she made her way to the door she asked Tabbriss to remain as well, and to not allow anyone that he did not trust into the room. She knew he would stand guard outside the doors as long as was asked of him. She also knew that the list of who he trusted was very short and consisted of, at most, around three individuals.
Eulalie’s steps traced an invisible path through the citadel halls, past staff and various other citizens of the court. Many, she was sure, looked on at her with pity. The mother with an ailing son. She did not meet their eyes however, her dark gaze looking straight ahead and yet at nothing. There was a weary set to her shoulders, a concerned crease to her brow.
Her meandering ended her in the great hall, quiet on a summer day when most were enjoying the time outside. She settled in at a table and her eyes occupied themselves in the grain of the wood, following the patterns it made. At some point a cup of tea, warm and relaxing, was placed before her and she gave a fleeting but grateful smile to the woman who set it down.
Eulalie was still lost in her mind when a shadow fell over her. She didn’t know how long they had been standing their for, hadn’t even heard them arrive in her trance, but the ivory woman glanced up to face the intruder on her thoughts, speaking before really looking, “Can I do something for you?”
over the moaning bones
of those who quit and chose to remain
Things were… complicated. Just as they had always been. Just as Atreus preferred them to be.
His grand entrance into Delumine had garnered quite a crowd, but he’d only had eyes for the gilded form of his brother. He’d looked on at the now Sovereign with a poisonous smile, spilling words of faux melancholy and spinning wicked tales of just how much he had missed his dearest brother. In the eyes of a stranger, they might have seemed sincere and genuine, but there was murder hidden behind the silken curtains of his performance.
Holding to his promise despite it all, Atreus had tended to the sickly boy born of his brother and the most likely the woman who had stood mostly silently at his side. What exactly ailed him was still a mystery to be uncovered, one that the roan was unfathomably thrilled to solve no matter the temptation to extinguish the already weak flame that remained within the scrawny dun. Later, maybe, depending on how the rest of his stay went.
The better part of morning had already come and gone, the reds and purples of sunrise giving way to a bland sky of blue above Delumine. He didn’t have plans to visit the crown Prince today, having giving him a cocktail of ingredients that were meant to alleviate his coughs and increase his pitiful appetite the day prior. It was up to his parents to find him if anything seemed amiss with the boy, so until they sought him out, he had every intention of exploring the western side of Novus and prying into the lives of its residents.
Making his way through the citadel, Atreus idly considered the differences between it and the one standing in Terrastella, but when he found himself standing in the great hall, his attention was immediately pulled to a form he easily recognized. Pale gold dusted by freckles, hair of honey braided up and out of the way – Somnus’ other half and mother to his one and only patient.
Winding his way closer, Atreus pushed a complacent smile to his dark lips and came to stand beside her, only feet apart. Her question seemed idle, but as he tipped his nose toward the mare to regard her, he answered pleasantly. “Oh, I do hope I’m not being a bother,” he said, exchanging his smile for a brief frown as though worried he was being a pest. “I saw you alone and merely saw an opportunity to speak with you, is all. I regret to say that I don’t even know your name, my dear.”
The last equine Eulalie had expected to be standing over her was Atreus, and it would be a lie to say that her heart did not beat a little quicker once she realized that it was his shadow casting itself across her. Her earth brown eyes regarded the way his lips fell into a frown, remembering the words that Somnus had spoken to her still; do not trust him. Regardless of her lingering doubts and Somnus’ feelings toward his half-brother, she simply could not bring herself to turn him away.
The ivory woman gestured to the place across from her at the table, “Please, sit if you’d like,” and although she wanted to heed the warnings she’d been given, Eulalie also wanted to determine for herself if this man was to not be trusted. “Would you care for a drink? It’s a rather quiet day and I’m sure the staff would be more than happy to fetch you something.” She was wary but retained the courteous and kind manner that she always had. If there was some warmth lacking in her eyes it was more from exhaustion than anything else at that moment. In truth, Atreus had done nothing since arriving to garner her distrust.
Somnus was out for the day, and surely it was for the best at this moment. She had a feeling he would not like to see the two of them sharing a conversation over drinks, but he deserved the time to unwind and relax. No doubt they all deserved some time of peace, and although the flutter of her heart said she’d feel more comfortable if Tabbris was at her side Eulalie reminded herself that it was more important he stayed with Regis. Besides, it was not as though the pair were completely alone, despite their quiet surroundings.
“My name is Eulalie,” she said at last, offering him the most cordial smile she could muster, tired as it was. It was true they had never received a proper introduction. Actually, Eulalie still didn’t even know the names of the two other Dusk Court members who had escorted him. What a mess their first interaction had been. Perhaps, she thought, their second would be better? “I hope Delumine and its people are treating you well during your stay,” and she meant it, sincerely. “What did you want to speak to me about?”
over the moaning bones
of those who quit and chose to remain
Some part of Atreus expected a nasty look and a terse demand to leave, yet none came. Instead of retaliation or disgust, he was met with the amicable offer of not only a place to sit, but a drink with conversation as the cherry on top. Stepping around the table so that they sat across from one another, Atreus settled in, ordering a simple hot tea when a courteous staff member rushed to service him.
It was just the two of them now. No Somnus in sight, no bodyguards at least in close proximity, no prying ears around to eavesdrop on the words they shared. Atreus had no intention of bringing an ounce of harm to the lady of Delumine, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy their privacy.
“Eulalie,” he repeated, a grin toying with the corners of one side of his mouth as he tried out her name for himself. “A fitting name for a Queen. The pleasure is all mine.” Contrary to most, Atreus was particularly good with both names and faces, and hers was one that would remain at the front of his mind for as long as he lived. A picturesque family for his perfect brother and a sizable, successful land to call his own – how long would it take for it all to go up in flames, he wondered?
The dark thoughts taking place failed to meet his eyes, masked by a pleasant smile and a curious gleam of his gold and blackened eyes. He hummed softly to himself as he considered the woman’s question, before rolling his shoulders as he shrugged in response. “There seems to be some tension directed at me from a few individuals,” came his smoothly spoken response, “But, they do not bother me and they do not hinder my work. Your staff have made my stay a pleasant one so far, however.”
“I merely seek to learn more of Delumine and my brother’s reign,” the silvery roan deftly continued as Eulalie pressed for what he had wanted in the first place. “I’m afraid we had a bit of a falling out, so to speak, and so I was hoping I might learn from you until we can patch things up. I’m just… so very proud of him, is all. To see him as he stands now.” An airy, wistful sigh passes between his lips, and for a moment he looks almost sorrowful – but Atreus is a snake in this garden of Eden, biding his time and waiting for the moment to strike. “What is his rule like? What are the people’s opinion of him?”
Atreus sat across from her at the table with a hot tea delivered by one of the many staff bustling throughout the hall that morning. Though her shoulders were still weighted with worry and her eyes lined with exhaustion, Eulalie shifted her limbs until she presented a more attentive hostess to her guest
He called her a Queen and she wasn't sure about it. A mother, a fighter, a lover. These were all things she could say with certainty that she was, but a Queen? That, perhaps, in her eyes remained to be seen. She did not act for this court as a Queen, only as she always had. As a part of it, as an equine who cared for it and those within. If it was only her relationship with Somnus that gave her that title, she was not sure how much she deserved it.
"If anyone makes you uncomfortable, please do let me know," she said. It did not matter what Atreus may or may not have done in the past, and as she was attempting not to judge him herself, she wanted to make him aware that as a guest to Delumine and as an aid to his son, he was welcome.
Without definite reason she would not treat him as a criminal, even if she was feeling a bit more reserved around him than she might normally have been with company. She was happy to hear, however, that the staff seemed to be doing a wonderful job assisting him and she nodded slowly, gladly. And though she didn't speak much, Atreus either didn't mind or didn't notice as he continued on. Eulalie listened carefully as he explained his interests in the court.
"I would say it must have been some fallout," she agreed, if the explosive reunion had been any indication. And although the words he spoke we're no doubt intended to be genuine, Eulalie was still hesitant. It was a strange feeling, and reminded her of Solterra. As someone who was raised in the desert, Eulalie was familiar with snakes hiding in the sands.
If Atreus was a snake, was he dangerous or just mistaken for something dangerous?
"Somnus cares very deeply for Delumine and her citizens. He is always at the forefront to meet any trial we have faced, and the court trusts him." She thought of Sloane, who seemed to be short with everyone but the King himself. "I would say that many have a certain kinship with him," and though she did not say it out loud, Eulalie didn't think Atreus would miss the meaning. That he was like a brother to more than one.
