Queen of Thorns

Absorbed in his book it took the faerie a few moments to realize he'd been spoken to, registering what words had been used Oberon looked up from his book to study her "Oberon" he corrected quietly "What is it?" she managed to keep eye contact this time so he attempted a quiet smile in order to try and help matters. Nodding when she quietly requested aid with her dress, Oberon put his book down on the bedside table and got up out of bed. Walking over to her he looked over the buttons and internally wondered how long it must have taken to get into the dress that morning. Starting to undo the buttons he felt strangely cold when he saw the condition of the skin underneath the fabric, keeping his face neutral and hands gentle, the crown prince only spoke once he'd undone the last button and looked over her back. If he was honest he was surprised at how calm he sounded when there was a strange cold rage burning in his mind. he didnt really need to guess who had done this, the most obvious was her father but he'd ask more later when she wasnt in so much pain.

Whoever it was that had done this to her would pay, he was well aware most male faeries attitudes towards women, but this, this was too much, this was beyond cruel this was sadistic. Reaching forward to take her hand the black haired prince spoke softer "You wont be hurt like this again, ever. I swear it"lifting her hand to press a gentle kiss to it he summoned the memory of when he'd gotten a bad rope burn when a horse had spooked, "Wait here, I'll get something for the pain" heading down to where he remembered the medicines were kept he picked the strongest pain killers and after perusing the shelves picked some honey, aloe gel and plenty of white oak leaves. Returning he set the pain killers down along with a glass of water "Two of those then lie down on your front and i'll dress it" the cane marks were fresh but from what he read the items in his possession would be enough, especially since the leaves had a natural pain killing element.


Staying as still as he could when she began cleaning the wounds on his hands he was just grateful that the prince didn't know what a bullwhip was. That would have split the skin on his hands to the bone, indeed broken his hands perhaps, he'd seen them turn a mans back to essentially mush. Realizing she'd said something he came out of his thoughts to guess at her comment "It's more than anyone else has ever done before, thank you" his low voice was surprisingly sincere, he'd do something to repay the debt he felt he owed. Perhaps another carving, they were the only thing he had to give, she was dainty like a small gazelle, perhaps he'd carve one of those for her. Satisfied with this he nodded to himself and looked down at his hands, the warm water had been uncomfortable at first but had quickly become pleasant especially compared to the pain he was in before hand "Your parents sound like they are very kind, this world could do with more kind" definitely at the palace, but he didn't expect anything to change, these faeries seemed stuck in traditions and balked at the idea of change. He could understand traditions but sometimes things really needed to change, but there was nothing he could do except work and try to keep on his masters good side.

Pouring the gel and the honey together to make a somewhat sticky concoction he couldn't help but wince as he dug his fingers into it hating the texture already. Forcing himself to continue he as gently as he could spread it over her back, once he'd done that the leaves were neatly and somewhat delicately placed against the sticky mess "This should help, have a shower in the morning to wash it off, a dip in the sea might be good for it too should you wish to return to the beach" speaking quietly he moved into the ensuite to wash his hands of the gross feeling that the gel and honey mixture had left on his fingers. Walking back into the bedroom he sat himself back down and picked up his book, still showing very little emotion and no indication of how coldly angry he felt, a wild winter storm brewing in his mind "It was your father who hurt you, wasn't it?" his voice remained mild and he didn't look up from his book as he did so unwilling to frighten Titania anymore than she already was. What good would it do to blow up and get outwardly angry? Nothing, instead he'd keep it to himself, internalize it and unleash it upon her father when he returned from the honeymoon, what oh what would he do to that wretch of a man he nearly lost himself in brooding over what he'd do to his new father in law before remembering he was talking to Titania and so pulled himself out of that particular cess pit of thought.


The powerful man nodded, he'd do his best to keep them clean he needed his hands and the idea of the wounds getting infected was a sobering one. Watching her when she moved the dark skinned slaved just nodded when she mentioned getting in trouble with the prince and that she needed to go back inside anyway. Surprise briefly showed on his face when she asked if she'd see him the next day "Uhhhh.... sure I guess" no one had shown an interest in so long he wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Once she was gone, he frowned and thought over everything as he returned to his meager quarters, still he was there the next evening, a little early he was sat on his usual branch having pulled himself up there despite the pain in his hands and was busy carving with the knife that he wasn't allowed to have but he'd stolen anyway. He'd get the beating of his life if he was found with it but that didn't really bother him anymore, why should it? he'd gotten them for so long he didn't remember having a life without beatings anymore, his memory was going bad in bits and pieces especially when he'd been beaten about the head, thankfully most faeries were on the small side and couldn't reach.

Again she called him highness, so once again he corrected her placidly deciding that this was indeed the way to go "Oberon, Please" flicking his gaze up from his book to meet hers only to find her gaze was on the ground "he will be punished for treating you this way" was all he said before returning to his book, thinking over things without actually reading the words Oberon managed to comment afterwards "If its less painful to lie on your front you may do so" he had no idea what to say after that and so properly threw himself into the details of his book seeking to be stolen away from that bed and room to somewhere far away. This was the best thing about books, they could do that with little effort and soon enough it was like he was standing there watching the things written about unfold, his eyes hungrily devouring the words while he was transported to another world. Thoughts and feelings of the real world were so complex and difficult to understand whereas at least on paper everything was laid out so he could understand it all clearly, much easier than the complexities of court life.


Wondering if she wasn't going to show up, she soon proved that thought wrong bringing to him a large amount of food, climbing down and hiding the started carving in his pocket he nodded "Thank you" appearing unaware of the quiet smile that had turned his lips up when she'd joined him behind the safe veil of the weeping willows branches. Sitting down and quite thankful he wasn't being watched eating like some kind of animal he inhaled the food set out before him and if he'd been by himself would have licked the plate clean. Watching her from under his lashes and noticing her staring up at the stars he glanced up at them briefly too, hating that they were now more familiar to him than the stars of home that had shone a million times brighter without all the lights ruining it. The bruising on his hands from the whip beating he'd taken before thankfully was hard to see thanks to his dark skin tone, standing and stepping up onto his branch he glanced down at the female before speaking "The branches are a better place to watch from I've found" he hesitated visibly and for a long few moments before offering a hand, pale skins hated touching dirty dark skins, he didn't particularly understand why it was just a color but they got so finicky over these things that he didn't bother questioning it anymore. In short he was expecting to have his hand rejected and the girl to just fly up to a branch since she had wings.

Eventually he put his book down and turned off the light settling down and closing his eyes, however the thoughts would not just let him be, buzzing around in his head relentlessly. It was good for her that she had not married his brother, he would have insisted on consummating the marriage that night whether she was in pain or not. That'd be the least of her worries he suspected had she wed Jacob, lying on his back staring up at the ceiling and listening to the waves that was such a familiar and peaceful noise, he could remember lying in bed back home with a shell pressed against his ear pretending the noise he heard were the real waves. Until his brother had found out and smashed the shell, their father had praised him for it too, lying there in silence, thinking for quite some time he eventually fell asleep. Snoring his soft but low snore he'd picked up after a particularly bad bout of illness as a young teenager, tired from the effort it'd taken to be around people the previous day, long ride and taking a while to get to sleep Oberon slept in. Stretched out on his stomach, one arm under the pillow and his head turned to the side resting on it, features relaxed and almost gentle while his wings were wrapped around him protectively.


It was a surprise seeing her so willingly take his hand with no hesitation as if she wasn't afraid of the big dumb coloured boy, watching her climb up to a slightly higher branch he just gave a nod of agreement when she mentioned that the view was better. Sometimes he'd sneak onto the roof of the palace at night when none could see him and watch the stars from that vantage point, looking from the stars to her at the question he shrugged "It's only been a couple of days, no infection thus far this time" there had been times when he'd become quite sick and yet had continued to work rather than let his master know, he had no intention of being killed off because of being unwell. He had a good record which he was divided over, it meant that once the prince got sick of him he'd potentially find a master who didn't constantly beat him yet at the same time it meant he was their good broken little pet to be used and abused as they wished which he despised. The now natural instinct to call her mam and thank her for such a small service of washing his back and hands, something any humane being would have done to someone wounded like him, how grateful he was for the small smidgen of kindness. He was just their big black mutt, broken and obedient, subject to torment and ridicule at every turn.

Remaining sprawled out on his front, the crown prince didn’t awaken for a while and when he finally did he didn’t particularly want to get up, he never really got many days to sleep in and he was loathe to waste it and get up too soon. Realizing he was on his own in the bed, he rolled onto his side before sitting up, black hair rumpled and eyes thick with sleep, visiting the shower and the toilet he reappeared looking somewhat more presentable in clean clothes that were a lot more casual than anything he was allowed to wear at court. Joining her he looked out at the waves quietly for a few moments before he finally spoke “Have you had breakfast yet?” it looked like she’d been up for a while, if she’d already eaten he’d find something to eat and then suggest they go for a walk or do something they could bond over. She seemed to be watching the sea so perhaps he’d suggest wandering along the beach, although he detested the feel of the sand on his skin, he’d just make sure he wore clothes that’d keep it off of his legs and feet.


She’d found a place to look like she was busy looking at the flowers in the garden while eavesdropping on her husband and father-in-law, quietly brushing her fingers over the leaves of a plant as if totally engrossed in what she was doing. Hearing her name she dropped the act and glanced up at him “I’d like that” the fact that Elin didn’t seem to intend to let his father take control of her precious animals was a relief, it meant she would at least be able to spend some time with the gentle creatures although they had been known to become dangerous in the wrong hands and she fully believed that her father in law was the wrong hands. Her features lit up once she saw the familiar creatures, going over to them and forgetting that Lord Elin was there, she reached out and offered one a hand to sniff murmuring to it, they were a little anxious due to being somewhere new with no one familiar which she could understand. They had her and she had them at least, when her hand was accepted she quietly rubbed the nose of the creature.


Deciding to say nothing more, he just watched her leave, she seemed to be genuinely concerned about him, which continued to make no sense to him, but it was nice to not be treated like some inferior bug, part of him was wary that this was just going to turn into him owing her. The slimy bastards were renowned for doing kindness to get others to owe them, shaking his head and dismissing those thoughts he clambered down from the branches of the tree rather deftly and headed back to his quarters, kept busy it was a week or so before he was able to meet up with her again. A new whip welt had split the skin on his right cheek, leaning against the tree trunk he had quite obviously just started carving as the block of wood in his hands looked very much like a block of wood over anything else. When she joined him he glanced up at her and gave a nod of greeting, having had time to think and had come to the decision that he would see how things went, at best he got more food, at worst well he could throw her under the bus if it turned out to be a trick. Something however about her felt that this wasn’t a trick, but he couldn’t be sure if that was wishful thinking or not.