Deception

"...I like what you've done with the place. The reds and golds-- all very regal. See, I'd have added some blue in somewhere, but that's just me," beamed the 'stranger', though, as he turned around, it was obvious just who it was. Five years may have passed, but Dax was the same as he'd always been. His hair was still short and he was as handsome as ever, possibly even more so with the addition of maturity to his features.

Now, he'd caused chaos around him, killed a few servants and scared others away with screams about how the former King had returned, but he made no such effort to even attack Anders. Instead, he threw some plates onto the ground and sat up on the dining table, swinging his legs with his head tilted to the side to observe his brother properly.

"What are you going to do, kill me for showing up? I want to wish you well and congratulate you, I don't think that's so wrong of me, to congratulate my baby brother. Besides, the orcs kicked me out the tavern I was staying at. I was late on rent, it was a whole big thing-- I don't need to go into it. I just know that killing orcs means I can't head back there anytime soon," the older brother snorted, seeming far more carefree and relaxed than he'd been when they met last, when he'd been in a panicked, emotional state.

"Oh! I did have other news to share, actually. Duh, how could I forget! I serve a noblewoman in the orc kingdom-- she's not an orc, don't worry. She proposes marriage to you. I thought I'd deliver the message because a) I get in my noblewoman's good books, and b) I get to see you, squirt. Her name's Viola. She's a naga-- and she's beautiful, if I may say so. Obviously you're saying no, but I need to at least deliver the message. She told me to kill anyone who got in my way-- you know what nagas are like. They think they're superior to the law-- but she'd kill me if I didn't do what she asked so, hey, are you really gonna punish me?"

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Dax...Dax returned. Staring at his brother in shock, many emotions flooded him. He was relieved to see him alive and well. He was happy with how healthy he looked. But he was fucking furious. Growling he threw his sword at him, it missed his head by a millimeter. "...How...How dare you come back after leaving me." Growled the man as he walked over glaring at him.

He couldn't believe he had the nerve to show his stupid face. His gold eyes burned with hate for the other as he gripped him up by the collar. "And you serve someone else now? You disappoint me. This could have all been yours, but no you were a coward!"
 
"Okay, woah, chill dude. Chill the fuck out. That was five years ago, get, like, over it," the man grinned, holding his hands up in surrender. This... wasn't Dax. Technically, it was. He was as breathtakingly gorgeous as ever, but he wasn't... the same. Dax would never speak like that, like some commoner, and nor would he ever hold up his hands in surrender, even if he was on the brink of death. The fact Dax was speaking so horribly casually, and surrendering with little pressure to do so, was bewildering.

But presumably, this was how he was now. He was a servant, serving a noblewoman. He wasn't living the way he ought to, by birth. He was little more than a servant these days; like every other peasant.

"I assume you ain't sayin' yes to her then. Shame. She's real pretty. Great eyes. I gotta go and, y'know, report back to her or she'll get all pissy and I ain't fond of annoying her. She beats me up a lot. I don't want another broken bone, dude."
 
Grimacing from his speech, he growled and threw him on the marble floor. "...You are acting like some peasant...And beat you up? You allow some woman to beat you?...Just leave, you are not the Dax I know. You are just some peasant, trash. Come back when you remember you are of nobility." Hissed the rabbit, his nose twitching in anger.

He couldn't believe this was Dax. Speaking as if he was trash, and allowing some woman to boss him around. It hurt to see him like this. And he told him to get over him leaving him? How! Dax had always been the love of his life, and he left him as if he didn't matter. How could he get over that?!
 
"Nobility? I'm not noble, dude. I'm... not anymore. Hey, I like who I am now! I was a dickhead back then, always hurting people who tried to help me. Look what I did to you, huh? I was a jerk to you and you were the one guy who believed I was cool. I've changed, but it's for the better. I... respect people. I acknowledge help," he smiled, not even that ashamed to have been thrown on the floor. The Dax of five years ago would have tackled the other and started a fight. Now? Now he just dusted himself off and gave that never-ending grin again.

"Hey, do you wanna come and see Viola? She'll beat my ass and... I dunno, it might be fun! I missed you, it wasn't fun being away but, like, you were doing so fucking well, dude, and I was proud, but I couldn't just wander in. I... didn't know when the right time... was. And Viola's a bitch. She never let me leave the cave, not without a black eye, anyway."
 
Growling at his brother, he grimaced at how calm he was acting. He'd go to see this naga, only to fucking kill the girl. And he wasn't going without his most trusted soldiers. Anders was paranoid. Ever since Dax left him, he developed paranoia, so he thought this was a trap of course. "...I'll leave in the morning...Go sleep in the servants quarters since you love your new life so damn much." It was said...This was the man he loved, yet...He was just acting like some peasant.
 
And so they did just that. During the travel to the cave on the edge of the orc kingdom, all Dax did was babble on about things he'd never have enjoyed five years ago - about wrestling with orcs, about cute girls in bars, about sleeping in the mud under the stars. If this was an act, it was impeccable. Dax spoke without hesitating; his words fell out in that peasant-like structure, his eyes glittered at the mention of his peasant-like hobbies, and even his clothes were that of a peasant. Dax had always loved clothes, so to be seen wearing these rags was something he never would have done. It was what was most convincing - he wore these rags with pride now.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the mountain after hours upon hours of travel, and he began on the trek upwards, leading the King and the soldiers behind him with constant grins about how pleased his mistress would be about the royal visit; about how she'd been eagerly waiting to hear back from Anders about her marriage proposal. And soon, the former King stopped just outside the cave, bones of the mountain-dwelling rats littered around. They were a naga's favourite food, so clearly a naga had lived around these parts - another example of Dax being genuine and telling the truth.

"Come on, you ain't scared of the dark, are 'ya? Or a naga? She's harmless, really," he laughed, beckoning his brother into the complete darkness, the only sounds being the footsteps and the dripping of rain. The further they went in, the lighter it came, until they reached the centre, lit by torches-- which is when the truth was discovered. There was indeed the body of Viola, the renowned Naga Queen... dead in the centre of the room. Before the soldiers could react to the sight, they were gasping for breath and clutching their own slashed throats, with Dax being far too fast to receive any injury. Waiting until they collapsed and bled out, the older brother glanced coolly to his sibling with a small smirk.

That was Dax. He didn't give a goofy grin like he had the last few hours; his smile was cool, dark and utterly handsome. That was the brother Anders had known his whole life.

"...I am sorry I had to act like that buffoon to get you here. Trust me, acting like that, dressing like this... it's been a long plan. I had to win her trust-- Viola, I mean. I needed her to write this letter of engagement, because I knew you could tell if it was false. I endured so much, just to get you here. Alone. Just us. No people, no castle, no grandeur. Just you and I, brother," he spoke calmly, his deep voice finally speaking in that regal accent, prim and proper once more. "Come and sit by the fire, warm yourself up. I don't intend to let you leave, so you may as well get comfortable, brother."
 
This was the brother he knew, and it made him happy to see his brother revert back to his usual ways. Not act like some trash who grew up as a peasant. Staring at him, he walked closer, wondering what he was planning. "Well...You got me out here alone, my best men dead, and now you plan not to let me leave? What are you planning?" Asked the younger of the two.

The rabbit walked over to the dead body of the naga, expecting it himself. Of course, he didn't touch it, but he wanted to make sure that this was the true naga Queen. And it was. "...Must have been some battle, I heard she was very strong, brother. I'm impressed...But this does confuse me. Why bring me out here, hmm?" He asked turning to his brother. He wasn't afraid, not in the slightest. Why would he be afraid of Dax? Dax would never hurt him, and he would never hurt Dax. He still held love for him, but he wasn't sure if Dax even felt the same.

Honestly, the hours he spent talking about cute girls in the bar made him want to slit his brother's neck, but he didn't. And now he learned it was all false but...How would he know if his brother didn't really find those women attractive?
 
"Did you think I was going to turn up at your castle, where you had the upperhand? Where you could restrain me and show off how powerful you were? Not at all. I decided it'd be best to get you out here. I only had to kill a few of your men, this way. And I don't have to deal with you showing off. I've spent 5 years planning this, so sit down and just... do as I ask? You have no idea what I've sacrificed to get to this moment. I've acted like a peasant, I've worked for this naga. All to get her to write a letter. A fucking letter for marriage. Just so I could turn up at your castle looking... legitimate, just so you'd come out here and we could talk. I've gone through all that, so shut your damn mouth and sit down," he murmured slowly, letting himself smile despite the serious tone to his words. Yes, his brother was this greatly admired King now, and he was proud of him-- but he was still Anders. He could talk to him as he liked. Like hell was he going to bow down and talk to him like everyone else.

"...You want to know what I have planned? Oh, times have changed, haven't they? Not so long ago, it was me that was desperate to get inside your head," he smirked, poking at the little fire with a stick. "...I just want to talk to you. I need someone to talk to, is that so difficult for you to understand? I've been through hell. Every day I wanted to murder this woman, and I couldn't until I... had her signature on this letter. Five years she refused. She... beat me up and... drugged me and... did stuff to me I've rather not go into-- and I couldn't do anything about it because it would... ruin the plan to see you-- so just sit down and talk to me."
 
Golden eyes watched the red and orange flames. The way the flickered and flared up was hypnotizing. It roasted Ander's front, but his back was left cold from the damp air of the cave. Warming his hands in the fire, he glanced over at his brother wondering just what he'd been doing these five years. "...I never banned you from coming home. You didn't have to live such a rough life. You knew you could have come back, but no. You're Dax Drakon. You wanted to do something dramatic as always." He bitterly mumbled under his breath.

It was obvious, more than obvious actually, that Anders was pissed with his brother. They were a team. A fucking team and he just left him. They did everything together. He was over being here honestly, and he was just annoyed with Dax. "...Then could you tell me what you want to talk about? Because I'm annoyed and cold, and I want to go home. Dax, you brought all of this on yourself. You left. You could of haad the world, but no you left and now I have it."
 
"Ah see, that's the other thing. I want my world back. You're going to give me my role as King back because it's not yours to have. It's mine. It's rightfully mine and I don't really want to be in this cave when I could be leader of the world. The way you've ruled has been fun, it really has. The curfew thing? I like that, I'll keep that when I'm back in charge-- but you're still disappointingly predictable and limited. Now, we can have a horrible argument about it-- or you can just marry me and we can share," he shrugged, glancing at him over the fire with a simple smile, as though marriage was a perfectly reasonable suggestion, even after five years apart.

"Don't pretend you're over me. I saw your face in the carriage when I talked about those women. You love me. I never got over you because I didn't want to, so let's pretend five years didn't happen. Well, it's hard to when you're this tall now, but... you know what I mean. I have so many plans. I want to kill the orcs, first and foremost-- or imprison them and use them to build homes. I have grudges against them, they deserve all the pain they get."
 
"M-Mariage?!" His face deepened to a red color, but he could easily blame the heat of the fire. "D-Do you really th-think I could possibly marry you, I have some dignity! Y-You left m-me, made me appear to b-be a fool! And now that your back and r-ready you think I can just drop ev-everything and marry you?!" Snapped the bunny, his nose twitching irritably. Standing up, he began pacing and rambling on and on about how selfish and cruel Dax was.

That lasted for at least ten minutes before he finally came to a stop, staring at him. Tears were now in his eyes as he stared at him. "...I want a proper engagement. I want you to really ask me, with a ring and all...I want an amazing wedding, for the world to see." He finally stated. Of course, he was going to marry Dax. He was still in love with him. He had just been a bit bitter with the thought that Dax left him.
 
"How would you like the ring of the dead naga Queen? You know the story behind this ring, right? How it was made for her by our great-grandfather, how he fashioned it out of the most expensive jewel to win her affection-- there's a reason I chose to serve her. I knew that this ring could be yours. See, I can plan these things ahead. You're predictable, Anders. I knew you were hardly going to run into my arms without a ring," he purred, leaning down to collect the ring from beneath the logs, where he'd hidden it shortly after murdering the woman. It was definitely a one in a million sort of ring. It was unique and made from a jewel that had long since been mined out of existence.

And he was more than happy to grab his brother's hand to gently slide the ring on for him.

"I could get down on one knee, but... I'm not kneeling in front of you. We're equals. I won't be doing that," he tutted, though did pull Anders in close to hold him against his body. He was still taller than him by several inches, but it was less obvious now his brother had shot up and toughened up like this.

"...I want to apologise properly for... doubting your plans. I just... wanted to feel I had an input. As long as you listen to me and take my ideas on board, I'll come back and we can move on. I haven't got any secrets hidden away. I assume you've not got any?"
 
Looking at the magnificent ring, he gasped at the way it glittered and glowed in the reflection of the fire. Looking up at his brother, he couldn't help but smile as he softly cupped his cheek. "...I'll listen, I'll step down from being King." He whispered and nuzzled closely, resting his head on his shoulder as his arms circled around his neck. He was more than happy to allow Dax to be King. That had been his dream since he was a child. Anders only ever wanted to just serve him by his side. He himself never wanted to be King.

Soft purrs radiated off of him, as he lifted up his hand to look at his gorgeous ring. He couldn't help but allow giggles to leave his lips. He was going to finally be married, and he was finally going to be living the perfect life for him. "No more leaving...I don't want you just running off again...If we're doing this again, then you have to promise to never leave, even if you start panicking again." He mumbled, lifting his head off his shoulder to look him in the eyes. "...I won't be made a fool again, Dax. You can't leave."
 
"...I did not panic. Okay, maybe a little, but I was 18 and it was overwhelming. I'm a man now, and I've seen the alternative. I'll be just fine. Now, I have certain demands because you know I adore drama. I want to keep me a secret. You announce that you'll be marrying someone and that you'll be stepping down as King, but don't say who. Then, I want you to find our beloved family members and invite them for dinner, pretend you're interested in repairing the damaged relationships. Then, when you're all tucking into dinner, I'll come in and sit beside you and-- oh come on, imagine their faces. It'll be a dramatic entrance, I'd adore it," he grinned, biting on his own lip in delight at the idea.

After all, he hated his family more than ever. When the kingdoms thought that Dax had disappeared and died, he managed to hear a few rumours spread about from his family: how Avery was glad he was gone, how Hope thought it was for the best. Sure, he'd been terrible to them, but he didn't expect to hear those sorts of things.

So yes, giving them some false hope that things could get better, only to tear it down when they realised he was becoming King again was amusing to him.

"We could have some fun. That's what we missed last time: fun. We were so serious and now we have it all, we can enjoy it. Tease people. Just... revel in our positions, hm?"
 
Andy smirked a bit at his fiancee's evil plans. "...Okay. We can do that." Taking his face in his hands he placed a loving kiss on his lips. "...We'll have fun this time~" And so, a week later, the dinner was being held in his castle. Now his family may not have been royals anymore, but they lived lavishly. Anders always took care of them, moved them into a mansion, basically a castle, and paid for everything. They just weren't allowed back, since they had disowned him.

Currently sitting at his table, Anders looked at his family, giving them all a loving smile. "I'm so happy you guys made it to the dinner. I'm excited for you to meet my husband."

"...That ring...It's lovely..." Apophis mumbled, staring at the familiar ring. He knew he knew it from somewhere, but couldn't remember it.

"Hmm, oh yes. It's the ring of the naga queen, dead now. My lover killed her, and gave me this ring when he purposed." Grinned the rabbit.

Ally, who was holding his little kitten, smiled brightly. And by little kitten, I meant kitten. He and Incy had gone through with another surrogate mother. And now they had a little baby. Their baby was only one year old. "I'm so happy for you, honestly~! I can't wait to meet him.
 
Hope had, of course, seized the chance to visit her son as soon as the offer had been made available to her. No matter what her son did, or how he ruled, she always had a soft spot for Anders. It was why there was such a distinction made between her feelings between how he was ruling, compared to how Dax ruled. She loved Dax dearly, but she had gone through hell to be able to have Anders-- and he was the only one who survived out of the bunch.

She was always going to be a little more preferential in her treatment to him.

Cooing quietly over her first -and currently, her only- grandchild, she tore her attention away to take her son's hand to admire his engagement ring. "It's beautiful, just like you," she gushed, smiling at her son like nothing had happened; like they hadn't been separated for all these years. "Oh, I can't wait to see him, I'm so happy for you--"

"God, sorry I'm late. Can you believe that the maid didn't iron my suit? She had one job to do and she failed. I had to deal with that, so I hope you can excuse my lateness. I'm usually such a stickler for manners," beamed Dax, entering in that typically dramatic way as he flopped to the seat beside Anders and, just to capitalise on the shocked, almost horrified expressions around the table, moved to finally kiss Anders in front of them. And he was hardly subtle about it either.

"...You know, congratulations would be nice--"

"W-What just-- I-- You k-kissed--"

"Yes, thank you for that insightful comment, Avery. Very observant of you," smirked Dax, resting back with his wine glass in hand, lifting it to clink Anders' glass. "I'm King. Obviously I'm King. Anders was just keeping my throne warm for me for a while while I... sorted myself out. He's so considerate like that."
 
Clinking the glass with his lover's glass, he looked at his horrified family with a grin. "Aren't you happy for us? I've got this amazing ring~ And an amazing fiancee~ Being King was great and all, but I'm more than happy to sit back and let Dax have control yet again."

"This is...Sick you're brothers!" Azula screeched, standing up, furious with her brothers. "How...How can you be okay dating knowing you're family, this isn't right! What is this a joke to piss us off?!"

"No, this is real. I'm happy with him, you should be happy for me Azula~ I mean everyone's been wanting me to get married. And this way we can rule together like we all planned. Ugh, if only Felix was here. I'd love to rub it in his face about how we finally got to rule together. He said we never could do it." It was true, Felix had never come home, but he still wrote his family so they knew he was alive. He just wasn't done exploring the world.

"I...I can't believe this. Hope, let's go." Apophis grimaced, standing up, helping his wife up.
 
"Oh, really? You're all just going to wander out and not even congratulate me? I can congratulate all of you on your achievements. Granted, you aren't the King of the world, so perhaps your achievements aren't even worth my recognition," he taunted in return, rolling his eyes at his mother's teary eyes and his sisters' clear disgust. A few years ago, seeing Hope like that would have torn him apart. Now? It didn't matter so much. Sure, he loved his mother and he'd never want her to suffer, but he wasn't going to apologise for being in love with Anders, nor for achieving his dreams.

They ought to be glad; not upset.

As the family trailed out, a bewildered guest stood in the corner of the room, having been pushed past and made witness to the latter parts of the conversation. Nobody in the world knew Dax and Anders were together, and in love, but the stranger now clearly knew. Yet, he barely seemed like the news affected him, bowing properly before offering a smile.

"You required my presence, sire. I'm from Gallion. The adviser you hired?" The warlock began, directing his attention to Anders, despite glancing briefly towards Dax and their proximity. "I... don't mean to interrupt--"

"Oh. Oh, not at all. Not at all. Come sit, have some wine, adviser." Dax began, shooting Anders a small smile. "So, you hired an adviser, from Gallion? That country is full of despicable, back-stabbing trolls--"

"And warlocks and witches. We relocated after you burned our kingdom down a few years ago. I couldn't stay there another second, sire. As soon as I heard of the job offer, I knew I had to take it," the man continued, taking some wine as ordered with another charming smile. "It's a pleasure to finally arrive."

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"I did hire an advisor. I couldn't possibly do it since I'll be Queen." Smiled the man, grinning at his soon to be husband, before looking over at the warlock. "It's great that you've finally made it~! I read your resume, and you seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Ugh, but I forgot your name, what is it again?" Asked the rabbit as he began to nibble on his carrot cake.

Like his mother, he was a fan of the sweet cake. It seemed to be most of rabbit hybrids favorite. Glancing up back at the stranger, he was eager as well as skeptical to allow him to start. While his resume spoke volumes, he didn't know if it would be a good idea to hire a warlock. Dragons did nearly wipe them out.
 
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