Deception

Amber giggled happily and moved to kiss his mommy. He was protective of her and adored her. Like any child would. His protectiveness and love carried on more as he grew. When his siblings were born, Peter told Amber that they were his to protect. So instead of growing jealous of his baby siblings, he loved them as well. Enzo and her children moved in with Peter. Peter thought it was best for Enzo to live with him to raise the babies. She had nine siblings back at home, so it was best if she just stayed with him, somewhere quiet and peaceful.

And so, life was pretty great for Amber. He was spoiled, and as he grew, he figured out how to fly and hunt. Amber often brought home dead animals as a child. They were small animals, and he did that because he thought he'd be providing for his family. Amber was mostly a good kid, and he still ate raw meats and everything. And he was such a mama's boy. He didn't go to regular school. Peter thought it was best to homeschool him.

Amber was...Different. Something no one had seen before. He didn't ant Amber being bullied or teased, so homeschool was the best option. So because of that...Amber lacked friends. But he wanted to make friends. Friends would be...Really cool. Sometimes, when his parents weren't paying attention, he flew to the school, just to watch them from the trees. He was never spotted, so it wasn't so harmful.

Now, he was fourteen years old. Amber was adorable still, and still a Mama's boy. He was play fighting with his grandpa, Dax giggling happily. Anders never had kids again after his miscarriage, but he had ten kids, so he had plenty of time of being a parent. But now, most of his children moved out. Some were traveling, some had their own castle, threw parties and whatnot...None started a family though. None except Enzo. They were probably just busy living.

Anders sat with his daughter, watching his grandson and his husband playing. "...You know...Amber is a really great kid...I don't think you have to worry about bullying sweetie. Who would bully someone as adorable as him?"

"....Kids are cruel." Peter mumbled glancing over at Amber. He saw Amber as a son, and like hell would he allow him to be bullied.

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Enzo's life over the last few years had gone so differently to that of her siblings that it was almost comical. All her young life, she'd been the rebel, the one to party and goof around and just live her life, and yet now, as all her siblings partied and lived their lives carelessly, Enzo was a mother who barely had a spare moment to herself. When she did have a spare moment away from her children, she spent it sleeping, catching up on the hours she'd missed out on when raising her children. It was an existence nobody would have expected from her... but one she didn't regret a single bit.

Besides, she did make time for dates with Peter and she didn't regret not going out partying like they used to. She was happy for their date to be a romantic dinner in the grand gardens of his home, or simply laying in bed playing video games with him (something that hadn't changed since they were teenagers). When she wasn't doing that, she had the honour of watching all her children grow up, and that was priceless. Her siblings could party and drink and fool around, but she was creating life and raising it - that was much more valuable.

As soft, nurturing and motherly as Enzo was, she hadn't changed too much. Every inch of her was perfect, and she was as glamorous as she always had been since becoming a woman. She had followed Anders' footsteps when it came to children, unable to really quit when each time was such an amazing experience, but she always seemed to maintain a degree of glamour to her pregnancies not expected from a mother-to-be. It was all amazingly easy to her, which made it more difficult to just say 'no' to one or two more - it was so simple for her that saying no to more additions to their family was impossible.

Currently, the other children were all playing elsewhere in the large home, and the younger ones were sleeping, having just been fed by Enzo. The young woman, tired from the frequent night feeds, took a seat and immediately cuddled Amber close to her, affectionately petting his hair back before releasing him to play with Dax again.

"...Peter's right, Pa. Kids are cruel. He's... a Prince, but they don't care. People bullied me when I first came out as a woman, right? People hurt me. They'll do the same to Amber, it's... inevitable."
 
"But that's changed! The laws are stricter, and we've made plenty of people examples od hat would happen if you mess with the royal family. Amber's fourteen years old...He should experience high school. It'll be in a private school, with only well-bred nobles. You needn't worry about him." Anders mumbled, glancing over at the fourteen-year-old boy. "This is the age for him to go out and find out who he is."

"...But just imagine that...He does fit in, and he does become the cool kid...He could rebel, and then he would be acting up, and we wouldn't have our sweet boy. Your majesty, I'm happy you worry for him, but we've got this. Sure those kids are nobles, but at the end of the day, they are teenagers, and I don't think it'll be good for Amber to get involved."

"Mama~!" Amber squealed, running over to her, his wings fluttering a bit, almost taking his feet off the ground. "Grandpa says I can join him at the next council meeting~! Can I?" Giggled the childish boy. He was kind of childish for a fourteen-year-old, but Peter and Enzo saw nothing wrong with that.
 
When Amber approached again, Enzo was clearly relieved to have something to take her mind of the conflicting debate going on... but she immediately grew riled up again, shooting a glare at her father. "No you can't, you're too young for all that-- and it'd be boring, sweetheart. Why would you want to sit around with some old men and bitchy women, discussing boring things?"

"Oh, come on, he can come sit in, can't he? The kid's 14. I was 14 when I first really started to plan the takeover of my father's kingdom," challenged Dax with a dramatic roll of his eyes at his daughter's defensiveness. "Besides, we have young guys on the council. I make sure we have some youthful voices in there, makes for interesting arguments. But I'm young--"

"You're not young, Dad. You're fucking ancient at this point--"

"...Anders, control your fucking daughter, would you? She's being rude," muttered Dax with another roll of his eyes, turning back to his grandson. "I'm the King, you listen to me. If you want to be on the council, you're on the council, kid. And hey, if you want to go to school, you can. I'm the King, I make the final decisions around here~"
 
"Enzo, stop cursing at your father. And he's still young...At heart." Snickered Anders, looking up at his husband lovingly. He stood up, dusting his lap off. "Amber, you are old enough to know what you want. So if you really want to go to school and be on the council, you can. You're fourteen." Smiled the bunny, leaning down to peck his forehead.

"...Well... I...I wanna be on the council~! Let's try that first and then...Then school!" He eagerly giggled.

"No, no school Amber. School is a dangerous place, remember that buddy? Remember we said school is dangerous. You...You can go to the council. Your grandfather will be there but...No school."

Amber's mouth twisted down into a grimace, and he rolled his eyes unhappily. "...Whatever...Fine. But I wanna go to the council meeting!"
 
Dax smirked triumphantly at his daughter, however childish that action was. With his other children remaining childless, his only hope to pass on his wisdom laid with Enzo's offspring. Amber was the eldest, so he had hoped for awhile now that he'd take an interest in the running of the various kingdoms Dax controlled. Having him show this interest now and want to make his presence known on the council was something that genuinely made him happy. He didn't jump for joy or show it too much, but this was one of the proudest moments of his life. Amber was his grandson, and he wanted to have something special with him. This gave him that opportunity.

And so, just a mere three days later, Dax was taking his seat at the council meeting with Amber at his side, prompting his grandson to sit while he had some water poured out for him. Dax, of course, had his usual full glass of champagne, easing back and taking a slow sip before eyeing the members around him, all of whom were responsible to relay information from the various kingdoms Dax and Anders controlled.

"So, what's the latest, then?-- Oh, this is my grandson, Amber. He'll be attending meetings with us, so don't be boring or I'll have to chop some heads off~"
 
Amber was excitedly looking around the room. He wore a nice suit, and his mother had combed his hair nicely so he would look like a 'young man'. He sat in his chair happily, glancing up at his grandfather eagerly. He then looked back at the council as an older woman began to speak.

"Thank you for joining us, Prince Amber. Now, my King, we've been having an issue in the south again. It seems the rebels have created a large army, and have been terrorizing some villages. I think it would be wise to send Prince Jax and his troops down there to solve this matter."

"I think we should allow those rebels to wipe out those poor villages in the south. Most of them are thugs anyway. Once those villages are basically gone, then we should send in troops to kill the rebels. It'll be a win-win for us." Grumbled a man, crossing his arms.

"While the villages are plagued with thugs there are innocents in the villages, should their lives be sacrificed?" The woman asked.

"I don't see why not." The man replied, scoffing. "Who else agrees with me?"
 
Normally in these situations, Dax would interject and add his opinion into the mix. He wasn't a leader who sat back and let the work be done by others; he liked to fully involve himself and immerse himself in the discussion. He had worked so hard to get where he was, so he obviously wanted to be involved in every process. However, in this instance, he kept quiet and simply observed, wanting Amber to involve himself without Dax telling him what to think.

Before Amber even had a chance, though, someone spoke up. Amongst the other voices came a much younger one; a creature not like the others. Everyone else around the table was a dragon and only this new voice was something different; an orc who, because of his species, stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the dragons. At least Amber had that in common with him - they both stood out because of how they looked.

Orcs did have a bad reputation in every kingdom besides their own land. They were ruthless and brutish; common and loud. Most rebellions were led by orcs, or at least involved them for their brute strength, so seeing one sat at the table with the king was a rare sight, especially considering this orc's young age. He was little older than 17, but he was like every orc - physically strong and taller than anything else in his proximity. Clearing his voice, the teenager offered a polite smile towards the King, then to Amber, before proceeding.

"I could accompany the Prince in his travels to quash the rebellion. I'm sure orcs are involved, as they usually are. I could lull them into a false sense of security, allowing our forces to strike with ease and gain the upperhand. I don't think innocents should be harmed, so... I should go and help in any way I can, to ensure that only the rebellious forces are hurt. You'll be seen as a saviour by the innocents, sire. We need their support, killing them would be ridiculous," he spoke, as properly and correctly as anyone else at that table. Usually, orcs were common with their language, using slang in their thick accents, but this orc was so different to any of his kind. It was mostly why he was at the table. If he was like any other orc, Dax wouldn't have him there. Dragons and orcs... well, they normally didn't mix very well.

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Amber stared at the young man, his eyes wide on him. He was so...different. He was handsome and spoke so proper. And he was so smart! Amber's wings fluttered a bit, and he looked up at his grandfather. "I-I agree~! We shouldn't hurt innocent people. Then...Then other villages will see that we intentionally went to stop the rebels too late, and allowed innocent people to die. They would rebel, and it would cause even more problems, maybe a civil war. We...We should go and address the problem as soon as possible." Smile the creature, hoping his grandfather would be proud of his words.

The man who said they should wait, scoffed, crossing his arms. "Nonsense. Prince, if I may, if we wait and allow those innocents to die other villages would be too scared to rebel. I mean, honestly. Who would rebel against the great King Dax after that?"

"People are rebelling now, so whats stopping more? We should just solve this problem before it gets out of hand." Amber replied, folding his hands.
 
Like most people, the orc -named Kelwyn- had heard of Amber before. Mostly everyone had heard of the strange creature that had been taken in by the royal family and raised as one of their own. Rumours spread madly about the being, but only a rare few had had the chance to see him properly-- and it did surprise Kelwyn to see him there now, with everyone around him seeming perfectly casual about his presence.

Not that Kelwyn was judging the strange creature, or even staring at him-- okay, he was staring, but not for malicious reasons. He was staring because Amber had just agreed with him and backed up his point, which nobody really did. He came across as intelligent and spoke 'properly', but he was still an orc. Not many dragons took him seriously, so it was strange to have someone actually defend his point of view. His staring was in total surprise, before a delighted grin took hold on his face.

"I could iron out more details and provide you with a report, sire," he continued, nodding back at the King. "You could examine the report, make amendments and then we'll set out a plan of attack--"

"Sounds good," agreed Dax with a casual wave of his hand, glancing to Amber. "I'd like you to help him out on that, Amber. It'll give you a chance to help out, you know? And he's an orc, he needs all the help he can get."
 
"Okay~!" Amber replied eagerly, happy to help the orc and happy to please his grandfather.He felt like he was really part of the council, and he liked it.He didn't know why Kelwyn would need his help. He was pretty smart on his own. He didn't know that Dax was still judging him for being an Orc. It was racist, but most orcs were brutes and savages. They didn't know much about anything.

So after the council meeting, the two were working together on the report. 'I'm Amber by the way." The creature eagerly grinned. "I'm the Prince but...You probably already knew that. You were so cool today in the meeting! You like super smart~!"
 
Working with Amber wasn't all that bad of a scenario. The younger teenager was clearly happy to work with him, which made a nice change from the assholes he usually had to work with, who simply brushed him aside like his ideas were useless. They were racist and derogatory towards him, simply because he was an orc. They assumed he was violent and crude and didn't trust that he had switched allegiances to become a follower of the King.

...And they were right in their estimations of him because, as smart as he sounded and as polite as he was, it was all a well put together act. He had a strong Orc accent and was proud of it, but he knew nobody would even listen to him if he spoke as he was born to. So he put on an act, worked his way through the ranks after arriving as a young boy, claiming to run away from the Orcs and the rebellions and pledged his allegiance to the throne. It meant that he didn't get to be with his family or see them, but he was their insider - he passed on information to the rebels until that day came where he could return to his friends. His family were no longer around, having been killed by the royal army a few years back - and it fuelled him into working harder to get his revenge one day. He was a proud Orc who was simply fighting for his species - and for every other species that was looked down upon. Some were deemed suitable - rabbit hybrids, fairies, elves, mermaids: they were all accepted. Creatures like Kelwyn -orcs, centaurs, ogres, witches and wizards, and the like- were judged and demeaned. They had every right to want to defend themselves against racist judgements.

But Kelwyn couldn't really find it in himself to hate Amber. He hated all the royals for their judging ways, as was natural to them, but Amber was... different. He didn't judge and he was happy to sit by Kelwyn without flinching at his large muscles and ridiculously large height. That was nice. It was strange, but nice.

"You think I'm smart? Don't let your grandfather hear you say that. Orcs aren't smart-- nobody believes we are. They think we're stupid," he laughed, setting out some important papers quietly. "They judge us on how we look, so... yeah, you'll get into trouble if you call me smart."
 
"...Your looks? You look fine." He mumbled, looking at the orc, wondering what could be wrong with his appearance. " Not a hair out of place~! You look great." Giggled the young boy, his wings flapping behind him as he began to hover off the ground. "And I don't get in trouble~ I'm the Prince. I can call you smart, besides it's true, you're super smart~ So what do I have to do to help you? I never made a report before...Well, a real report for the council. I've done book reports for school. Well...Homeschool. You know I never went to real school? It's pretty boring back in my home. All we do is...Um...Boring stuff." Babbled the boy as he looked down at the papers excitedly.

"My Papa and Mama think that kids would make fun of me. But I'm fourteen, I can handle my own. How old are you? You seem young but you're like really mature. You're really cool too~!" Giggled the creature. The reason Amber was so accepting to this orc because he wasn't taught to hate. Enzo was hardly one to look down on others. She dated an orc herself. And her son was different too. So Amber didn't know that orcs were supposed to be looked down on. That they were beneath him. He saw Kelwyn as a regular person. Hell to him, he was the coolest guy in the meeting, because he was so young and so smart.

"Ugh, let's hurry on the report, I'm hungry...I could use some raw steak, do you like raw steak?" He asked, once again not knowing it was odd that he ate raw meats.
 
"I was homeschooled, there's no shame in that. Mind you, I was homeschooled because... well, orcs aren't really allowed to go to school. My auntie used to teach me and my brothers and sisters, and I think she's done a good job-- though her teachings were biased. My kind... aren't a fan of the royals; of your grandfathers. I made my mind up that they were wrong, I left when I was a boy and now I'm working on the right side of things. Even if I have to work against my species, it's worth it - I'd rather be on the King's side," he smiled quietly, even if it physically hurt to have to lie like this. He didn't want to be rude about his own species, which he was immensely proud of. He would die for his kind and the fight to be recognised as equal creatures... which was the purpose of his presence in the castle, as the secret insider.

But that would come to an end soon. When he accompanied Prince Jax and the troops, he was planning on simply rejoining his friends and the rebellion forces. He'd gathered dozens of folders of information over the years, and now he could go back where he belonged, armed with the information.

"Raw steak-- hey, are you just saying that? You know that's an orc's favourite meal right? Nothing goes down better than a nice mug of beer and a good raw steak," beamed Kelwyn, which was completely genuine. Amber might be a Prince... but he was clearly innocent, and he was different. He wasn't a dragon, or any creature that was privileged in society. He was different and he would be nudged for that, so Kelwyn couldn't help but like him for that. "We could go get some after this report. I can do it, I've done loads over the years, it won't take long."
 
"Okay!" Beamed the creature as he watched curiously. His wings fluttered happily as he looked around the room in boredom. Obviously, it was hard for him to pay attention to one thing. "So you left your family when you were a boy?...Even if my family was on the bad side, I think I'd stay. I love my family. I have two little brothers and three little sisters. I love them all. And my Mama and Papa are so amazing~! They buy me lots of sweets and stuff."

Turning back to the orc, he nudged him to hurry with a grin. "Come on~ I'm hungry, I wanna try beer too. I can...I'm fourteen I can try beer, plus I'm the Prince. I get whatever I want."
 
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The mention of his family was quite clearly a sore topic for him. Being the smartest of the orcs in the rebellion group, he was the one chosen to be sent away and put on this act to impress and trick Dax and Anders. He succeeded, but it came at a price. He was unable to see his family, unable to help them when Jax's forces murdered them in cold blood. Knowing they died fighting for their rights while Dax and Anders had their happy, thriving family was sickening... but he managed to force a smile and nod to Amber somehow.

"Beer, huh? I... don't think your grandfather would want me sharing beer with you. How about we get that raw steak and just have some warm milk? I like that too," he laughed, scribbling a few notes down quickly before deciding to take a break when hearing his stomach grumble. Standing to his feet, standing at around 6'8", he gave the odd creature another smile and even a pat on the back, making sure to be careful when doing so. "Come on then, kiddo. You go get the steaks and we'll eat them in the garden, in the fresh air."
 
"Not milk, beer. I'm fourteen, and I can have beer if I please." Huffed the Prince, following the orc happily. It was obvious he'd been spoiled his entire life. But there was nothing wrong with that. Later that afternoon, he was still eagerly chatting with the orc. He told him about his younger siblings, and he told him about how he flew to the top of the roof and his mother was afraid because she couldn't find him. He spoke of many random things, and he never ran out of things to say. Mostly because he was just so happy to have made a friend. He'd never been friends with anyone other than family, so it was nice.

"Kelwyn, what time do you have to go home? Why don't you come to my house? My mama is really sweet." He promised standing up and dusting himself free of dirt/
 
The orc knew the dangers of getting close to someone here. Luckily for him, nobody in this kingdom seemed inclined to give him a chance anyway. He was discriminated against for his race, so the idea of even holding a conversation with someone that was genuine and sincere was so improbable he didn't need to prepare himself for it. People took one look at him and scoffed. It was the same for creatures like centaurs and ogres - they just weren't deemed worthy enough to talk to.

But Amber wasn't that judgemental. He was sweet and, against better knowledge, Kelwyn found himself genuinely enjoying the day with the strange kid. They ate raw meat, drank some beer and just generally had fun. It was strange to have this genuine fun away from his rebellion group, but... well, anything was possible.

"I don't think that's wise, kid," he answered in response, cracking his knuckles. "Your mom... won't approve. I don't want to anger the King by upsetting his daughter, so I'll get on home-- but hey, today was great. You're a real sweetheart, buddy. You've made me one happy orc tonight~"
 
"....Well, I'll make you a happy orc tomorrow too, we can hang out~!" Grinned the boy happily. "See you soon." He giggled, moving to hug the man tightly, before flying off. He was excited to tell his parents about his new friend and his first day on the council. He hadn't had so much fun in such a long time! He was happy, and he wanted to keep having fun and keep hanging out with Kelwyn.
 
And yet, it was fair to say that Enzo was far from happy with her son when he arrived home. She'd been concerned about him all day when he failed to arrive home in time for dinner, but she wouldn't have minded too much if he arrived home having told her he'd made a friend with someone she approved of; who the kingdom would approve of. She wouldn't care if he came back babbling about a dragon friend, or an elf - but when hearing about the orc, she understandably scowled. Nobody would be accepting of her son's choice in a friend, even if Kelwyn was on the council and seen as relatively smart.

He was still an orc and that was enough to earn him haters. Enzo had herself dated an orc, but that was purely to gain a reaction from her family. She hadn't loved the orc she dated that much and, when Peter came back into her life, she often joked with him about how disgusting her ex-boyfriend was. It was a matter of amusement for them; something to laugh about and make fun of. Orcs were hideous - so she didn't approve of Amber's choice in a friend.

"No. You can't see him again. Peter, tell your son he's too... naive," she muttered over her glass of wine, tutting in disappointment. "I won't allow it. Orcs are hideous."
 
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