Reed
late summer | midday | House Valaith—Icarus' room
Icarus (
@slifer)
Reed had braced himself for the familiar searing pain across his back but looked up curiously at a commanding voice carried swiftly to them by pounding hoofbeats. He smirked at the overseer's humiliation at the hands of who could only be the prince, but a skeptical frown soon replaced the smug expression at the following decree as the other two taskmasters hauled him none-too-gently to his feet in obedience with the order. His eyes bored into the prince's back the duration of the walk to the castle, trying to read the intent behind the odd decision from his demeanor.
At the end of a more brief march through ornate halls, his escort pushed him through an opened door into a lavish, blue-hued room. Shrugging their rough hands from his arms, Reed cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders as the door clicked shut behind him, then cast an observant glance around the room. Considering the furnishings and objects visible, he guessed that he had been brought to the prince's own bedroom, though he was still perplexed to the reason.
Feeling a bit out of place in the soft, refined environment, he wandered about the large room, careful not to touch anything but sharp gaze taking note of every detail. He paused at the desk, scanning the scattered masses of paper with interest though he wasn't sure why he was wasting his time. After all, it wasn't as though he could understand the languages, or any written language for that matter.
At a click of the door, he stepped back from the desk to stand more in the center of the room, turning to meet the approaching prince. His piercing blue eyes followed the man's every move, posture tall, even warrior-like in poise and readiness. The prince had a...
really nice body, his musculature well-defined even obscured by clothing as it was. He held himself with the sort of confidence that could only come from combat experience, and honestly Reed was a little impressed given that he would expect someone like him to lead a rather soft and sheltered life. He couldn't help but wonder how that physique would hold up against his own, and despite his record, he had a sneaking feeling that he wouldn't win: remarkable form notwithstanding, the prince's tone addressing the overseer had been that of a man who knew exactly what he was capable of and as such had no fear of opposition. He reminded Reed of himself in that way, if he were honest.
Reed considered the prince's decree. Personal slave? Well, what the hell, seemed his old man was right after all. Despite his mean heritage and upbringing, he'd always known that he was destined for greatness, though this certainly wasn't exactly what he'd expected. He grinned, folding his arms.
"That wouldn't be advisable. I have a reputation for breaking things. Tools, laws—" the grin widened—
"people. Unless, of course," he conceded,
"you prefer your bulls in your china shops."
He cast another glance around the room, more passive and casual than his first look, but soon found his gaze trailing back over Icarus. Okay, maybe he was more than a little impressed. Damn. He shook his head, forcibly dispersing the dangerous train of thought. Snap out of it, Reed, let's not gawk at the goddamn prince, shall we. The man was miles out of his league—he was just pushing his luck to think he had a chance with royalty. Then again, that royalty had specifically picked him out...
"Okay, let's get to the point, shall we. What does the prince want with someone like me?" His grin turned sly, tone taking on a slight purr.
"And what kind of 'personal' are we talking about here?"
Did- did he really just say that. He seriously just hit on the goddamn prince, what was he thinking. Sure, he seemed awfully interested in Reed's appearance, but that could mean anything.