"....Orcs are pretty Mama. He's pretty. You can't tell me what to do, I...I'm going to be his friend." Huffed the immature boy, pushing his plate away as he crossed his arms. He didn't understand why she was so angry. "You...You're best friends with a giant mama...No one is okay with that....So...So my best friend is going to be an Orc. What's so wrong with th-that? You should be understanding...Y-You...You should be okay with change, you...You changed your whole body."

"Hey, Amber." Peter snapped, grimacing at his son. "...Orcs...The reason why we don't like orcs because of how mean they are. They will turn on you in an instant. They're rough and brutish."

"He's not! He's cool! And he's super smart! Smarter than you!"
 
This was exactly why she didn't want her son attending the meeting. He was gaining ideas that he really shouldn't. He was just 14 and he was naturally naive anyway - she knew he'd just end up adopting ideas that anyone else would realise were completely wrong. Him wanting to be this close to an orc terrified her, and it definitely upset her too, particularly when he seemed to attack her own change. It was in no way comparable, at least in her eyes.

"Orcs are scum, everyone knows it. They're back-stabbing, bloodthirsty, murderous and brutish. I won't allow m-my precious son to communicate with a... a brute like that. They... they're monsters."
 
"...I'm a monster." He challenged, looking up at her, grimacing lightly. "I hear what people say. I...I'm not normal. No one even knows what I am. I'm different, I'm weird, I eat raw meat...I'm a monster, Mama. So I'm going to continue being his friend."

"Amber you can't! You don't understand yet because you are only a boy! But he's an orc, and orcs will always be evil savages. I don't care if he's smart, or can speak properly. He's still an orc."
 
"You are not a monster! Sweetheart, no. There are just... some creatures who aren't... as... good as others. That's all. You aren't one of those, you're perfect and adorable and not a monster. So you look different - I think you're beautiful. And you eat raw meat.... that's not that bad, love," she smiled, even if his appetite was more difficult to depend. Orcs ate raw meat and it was something that they were criticised for. She was hypocritical, defending her son's appetite while simultaneously judging orcs, but her son was different. He wasn't a monster to her.

"You... can't be on the council, you're too young for it. Tomorrow we'll go and paint outside, do something... more normal for someone your age."
 
"You aren't being fair." He mumbled sullenly, as he stood up from the table. "I don't wanna paint. I want to go to the council meeting. And Grandpa said I could, so I'm going. You can't force me to stop doing something I like just because you don't like it." And with that, the dramatic teen went to his room, slamming his door...Not that it was heard very well, the castle was huge.

Peter sighed, shaking his head, before looking over at his wife. "...Now what? I told you this council thing was a bad idea. Now he's rebelling, and I knew this would happen. He was just fine two days ago. Now he's friends with an orc and he's disobeying us."
 
Enzo knew that things were bad; she just didn't know how bad they would get. The more she told her son he couldn't do something, the more he did it. That was typical for teenagers, she knew that, and she wouldn't mind too much if he was sneaking off to meet friends that were creatures everyone approved of. If his friend was a fairy, she'd gladly accept him sneaking off - she'd find it adorable, really.

But the next few months didn't bring forth that reality. Instead, her son was sneaking off to befriend an orc; one that was secretly working for the rebellion group. Amber would be broken if ever found that out, and Kelwyn knew that, so he simply told him the truth. He told him about the murders of his family and the horrors his kind had been through just because they were orcs and not some cute dragon race. He told him the struggles they and other 'disapproved' creatures went through, and how all they wanted was some form of acceptance. That's what they were fighting for. They weren't vicious creatures causing a rebellion just to enjoy murder and death, like everyone seemed to think; they had an aim in mind and wanted to achieve something. He told Amber all of that because... he felt like Amber would understand. He was a creature people stared at, who people gossiped about. If he wasn't a royal, he'd be bullied and looked down upon like the orcs and ogres and centaurs, and all other second-class creatures. He felt like Amber would understand.

Which was why he was taking this risk in visiting the rebellion himself, with Amber in attendance with him. He'd managed to convince Dax that they would spy on the group, take reports and bring them back on how many were involved in the group, their weapons and just what creatures were involved, so the army back home knew how best to attack them. That was completely false, because he had no intention passing back that vital information. He just wanted to see his friends and family again and inform them what Dax and Anders were planning, and bringing Amber to see the hardship hopefully convinced him that they weren't the bad guys in this.

"...I'm glad 'ya comin'," he began quietly, his real accent now slipping out. Once he told Amber the truth, he let his faked accent leave, deciding to be himself. Amber wasn't judgemental. While others would judge Kelwyn on how he sounded, he assumed the younger teenager wouldn't even differentiate between the ways someone spoke. "I mean, they ain't gonna hurt 'ya, I promise. I want 'ya to see how hard it is for us. Creatures like us are confined to a tiny village where nothin' works and everything's burned up-- we don't have real lives, I guess. Just 'cos we look the way we do and aren't 'pretty' or whatever, it fuckin' sucks. I just want 'ya to see that... we're just trying to get some equality."
 
Amber held Kelwyn's hand, following him however he wasn't completely on Kelwyn's side. While he felt bad for him, he wasn't going to turn against his family. Family was everything to him. But he didn't think they had to fight. He wanted to talk to his grandfather. Talk this out with words. "I know...I just think there's another way other than fighting...I mean...Fighting and killing each other isn't going to do anything or solve anything. But...I think if I were to show my Grandpa that you guys are peaceful...He'd be nicer."

He bonded with Kelwyn a lot over the days he's known him. He felt close to him, and he felt he could trust the orc. And he wasn't afraid of anyone hurting him with the other by his side. "I want to help your people in any way I can...I...I want everyone to be accepted because I'm accepted."
 
"Hey, I ain't asking 'ya to, like, join our forces and shit. I just want 'ya to see how... hard we have it. Maybe you can tell the King-- not about me being a rebel, but that you felt bad for us or somethin'? It... might help," began the orc, his attention become distant the more his village came into view. It had been years since the village was burned and ransacked, but the smell of fire was still in the air. The once thriving, lush village was now a place the 'undesirable' creatures were forced into, away from the eyes of everyone else, and arriving back did make Kelwyn a little emotional. This was his home and he hadn't been back for years, since he was a boy.

Leaping from the carriage and setting the reigns down, he cracked his knuckles with an excited grin. He knew that the lookout must have recognised him, or he'd have an arrow in his chest and would be bleeding on the ground.

"...Let's go to the tavern. That's where mostly everyone gathers-- hey, you'll get to see creatures you ain't seen before, huh? Centaurs are really big so don't get freaked out-- but they're super gentle."
 
"You promise?" He giggled, getting off the carriage to hold Kelwyn's hand again, smiling gup at the young man. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have a crush on the orc. He did, and it was his first crush ever. He didn't know how to act, or how to tell him. So he just playfully flirted with him a lot. He adored the man and wanted to be with him. And he couldn't exactly be with him if Orcs were looked down upon.
 
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"Pal, the whole village is full of creatures that ain't really accepted. You won't see much of 'em outside these walls," he pointed out as he eagerly made his way through the village. Houses were falling down and dirt and rubble marred what would be a beautiful landscape, but this was the home Kelwyn had only ever known. Nostalgia hit him hard as he walked about, recognising places where he'd had his first kiss, and where he used to hang out with other orcs and other creatures. This was home for him.
 
"Kelwyn! Welcome home!" Called a husky voice, belonging to a tall orcish man. He ran to Kelwyn, pulling him into a hug, laughing and patting his back happily. The man was Raaja. He was like a brother to an orc. He too lost his own family, but they were the best of friends. "I can't believe yer back! And look at ya! Ya grew!" He grinned, before looking at the strange creature next to him. "Are ya anotha abused, creature? I neva seen one like ya, but we got room for more." He greeted.

"No, I'm actually a Prince. I'm here to help." Smiled the boy, howeverRaaja's face dropped and he backed away looking at Kelwyn.

"....Prince? Ya brought a royal here?"

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"Raaja, don't... freak. This is the King's grandson but he's... real sweet, he's alright. He's gonna see how tough it us and then... go back and try and talk sense into the royals. It'll help us, y'know? Just give the kid a chance, he ain't a bad 'un," defended the orc with a small sigh, a little irritated that his reunion with his best friend had to start with this impassioned defence. He didn't mind defending Amber, and he'd do it because he trusted him, but it wasn't how he wanted the reunion with Raaja to start with.

"Can we just go get a beer or somethin'? Fuckin' trust me. Would I bring him if he was gonna hurt us or hurt our cause? He'll help, so quit being judgemental."
 
"...Yeah, we get a beer. If ya trust em, I trust em too." Mumbled the orc, before patting Kewlyn's back again grinning at him. "Well, let's go! We can go drink and you can see the elder, and everyone! We've all missed ya like a bunch!" Grinned the man.

Amber followed, moving to take Kelwyn's hand again. He looked around the brunt city with wide eyes. He wasn't used to anything like this. Hell this was the furthest he's ever been from his home and it was kind of scary. But at least he had Kelwyn with him.