Trials of Inner Trust

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"No, I do. What I just did was foolish. I beg milady's forgiveness and for her mercy."

He feet snapped together and he bowed before he turned and left, retrieving and donning his helm.

He did now stop of look back as he pushed open a door to use the servant's staircase down to the barracks to undress and store his armor. He had the idea that he wasn't getting much sleep tonight. Too much had happened, and he was far too confused. Tomorow he would tell the prince and request to be let serve in the rangers. Where all crimes would be forgiven in exchange for a lifetime of service.

But what else could he do?
 
Dominic had plodded up to his room in an utterly foul mood. It was one thing not to be able to have Anterius, but to deny the man the Lady of his Heart? Dom kicked a chair and undressed in a huff. Somehow and someday he was going to fix all this. No matter what it took, he'd fix it. Even if he had to pretend to be a traitor and pull a knife on his own dear Father.

It was better than letting Anterius's heart break. He didn't much care about Racquel's, he didn't know her at all and while he most definitely felt sorry for her, he wasn't mourning her. Just Anterius. He only hoped that she was worth it, all the pain that he was about to go through. All the yelling and the shame. Because no matter what Dom did he'd be shamed. He hoped that Racquel was worth it for Anterius.

Because Anterius's happiness was.

It was with a heavy heart that Dom settled into his bed with a sigh of unhappiness. He prayed he wouldn't dream, he couldn't handle it right now. Sleep didn't come easy to the young man and he tossed and turned in his bed, a sheen of sweat on his brow.

Morning came with the crowing a rooster somewhere far far away. Dom hated mornings. Hated them. So the prince rolled over in his bed as the morning light caressed over tawny feathers and fur. Dangerous black claws were currently clutching satin sheets to his rather pouffy chest fur and his beak was nuzzled down into the pillows. The gryphon yawned and stretched, his wings opening and tangling with his blankets as he rolled away from the horrible sunshine.

Dom liked his sleep.
 
Morning. Up before the sun. Breakfast in the barracks, bread, meat, vegetables, ale. Then get dressed in padded armor and pick up a sword, then three hours later, as the sun bloke the horizon he would bathe and get pampered. He was a minor noble, but still a noble, and a palace guard who would be around nobility had to look his best.

Shaved, combed and perfumes he'd don his armor and assume the search for the wayward prince.

That's what he did every day.

Even today, even if his heart wasn't in it.

He mounted the stairs and approached the Prince's room his helmet under his arm and announced himself with a rap of his knuckles.

"My Prince...?" there was no answer, as usual. Anterius hoped that the prince was simply asleep and not in trouble.

He pushed on the door and found it unlocked. But what he saw inside make him drop his helm and with the ringing of steel draw his sword. It was a gut reaction before he ever realized what he was looking at. What WAS he looking at.

"ALARM!" he called out hoping someone was within earshot as he looked around the chamber... there was the beast but no prince... so with a menacing pose he gripped the longsword and advanced in a rush, hoping to catch the beast before it could react.
 
Dominic woke up at the sound of knocking at his chamber door. Seriously too early, so the prince rolled over again and pulled the covers up over his eyes. He didn't even notice that he suddenly had more limbs than normal and wings as well. The magic worked wonders on him and it was very natural for him to snuggle all of himself, extra parts included down into the bed.

At least until Anterius screamed Alarm at the top of his lungs. That was unusual enough for Dominic to sit up, his feathers sticking up at all angles just like the Prince's hair as he tried to rub his eyes with the back of a paw. ... A paw? Dom blinked down and stared at his clawed foot. That was... That was different. He looked up just in time to see Anterius lunge towards him with a gaze that could melt stone!

Dom found himself squawking and looking ridiculous as he tried to free himself from the sheets. He tumbled, head over tail over wing over himself until he collided with a wall all wrapped in his sheets. The gryphon made noises, squeaky bird noises of irritation and confusion and fear.

"Listen Anterius! I'm sorry! Look it's not my fault that my Father tried to marry your Lady to me! We can talk this over! And don't kill me! And... and ... I'm a..." Came out as "Squaaaaaawk squawk ssssssquawk waaak waaaaaaaaahhhc squaktk." The gryphon looked very very surprised at the noises that issued forth from it's beak. It blinked rapidly and ducked, cowering under the sheets.
 
The creature evaded the first lunge but was now tangled in the sheets. There was no sign of the prince and there was only on explanation. "FIEND!"he grabbed the sheets and pulled then tighter around the creature. Then with his sword raised and ready to strike he noticed something. There was no blood... "What did you do to him?" he growled as if the creature could understand him. "Where is prince Dominic?"

His eyes met with the griffin's. "Of course you can't talk, I should kill you and then see if he'll come out of hiding..."
 
Hazel eyes met the Knight's and Dom shook his head back and forth violently several times in hope of communicating 'No, don't kill me!'. The large and ungainly feline bird tripped over it's own feet as it tried to get to the desk where Dom kept his writing supplies. He kept an eye on the Knight too of course.

Never had Dom had such a strange morning, in a way he couldn't believe this was happening but as he got less groggy and more awake he realized one very important thing. He could remember the day before. All of it. Including him finding the wizard. The foul liquid of the potion and the Curse. Yesterday hadn't been his day at all, that was clear.

Dom squawked and ruffled his feathers at the Knight, carefully dragging a sheet of paper to the floor between his clamped beak. He couldn't get the ink open though. He stared at the lid in irritation and squawked again, looking to Anterius. Of course the Knight wouldn't help him, the Knight wanted to kill him! Though it was sort of nice, Dom thought that Anterius cared enough about him to face on a great beast even after everything that had happened last night.

"SQUAWK!"
 
He was getting irritated. The thing didn't want to fight him and was ransacking the royal chambers. He would have it's head.. or capture it alive! He sheathed his sword and was picked up the sheet to hold it like a net moving to the center of the room to corner the beast. "Come on... I'm not going to hurt you beast. I'm just going to hand you over tot he royal wizard. Maybe you'll make a nice pet for the prince or a gift for Lady Ra...." he flinched, momentarily distracted. He didn't want to think about her.
 
Dominic broke the ink bottle. Damn. That had been a gift from his sister in law, who he actually adored. The woman always seemed to stand up for him, she was wonderfully nice. He shuffled around, squawking a bit more and dipped his talons into the ink. He tried to write it out but he was still clumsy, so very clumsy with his big bird talons.

He ruffled his feathers and eyed the Guard. Dammit! Why wouldn't Anterius just pay attention and not try to kill him? Seriously, Dom thought, it wasn't like anything could get into his bedroom! Another sheet of parchment was grabbed as he hobbled a bit farther away and finally Dom had it. In big scrawling childish letters was the words:

ME
DOM

The Gryphon picked up the paper in his beak, ripping it a little in his excitement and showed it off proud. His ink stained claws left curious scribbles all over the stone and rug floor.
 
The weight of the knight and all his armor slammed into the beast as it was distracted and brought it to the floor before Anterius even saw the parchment. The scribbled didn't make sense at first but... He didn't believe it. He rose form the floor on top of the beast and stared down at it falling back to sit on the bed and just... stared.

"How!?"

It was the only word his reeling mind could think of. No apology for assaulting the prince, no disbelief just...

"I've gone mad."

That had to be it. He was sitting here talking to a fell beast and believing it was Prince Dominic. He had to have gone mad, from the stress and shock of last night. Had to be.

He fell back onto the bed and laughed in relief the tension of the fight dissolving in an instant and replaced by giddiness.

"I've well and truly gone mad."
 
Dom squawked again as the Knight bowled him over, wings and feathers and legs going every which way. The Gryphon struggled at least until Anterius saw the parchment and clearly started to have a break down. If Dom had eyebrows they would be raised in concern and worry at the Knight. Lots of concern and plenty of worry. "Squawwwwwwwk?"

Well. Dom finally had Anterius in his bed but this was certainly not how he expected it to happen. He cocked his head to one side and crept a little closer to his Knight. He wanted to tell Anterius that he wasn't crazy and that he was sorry, so sorry. He looked up at him, feeling guilty. Though in a way this was Anterius's fault. For being Anterius. For making him love him, even superficially. Dom huffed and very gently headbutted his armor and tried to shrug his shoulders. He didn't know what to do.

The Wizard had said if he told someone of the curse, that person would be...
They'd be...

Cursed. For all of their lives. Dom couldn't do that to Anterius. What was he going to do?! He made a distressed noise of confusion. This was terrible.
 
He looked down at the creature. It was...

"They will come for you." he said "To speak about wedding arrangements."

Why was he even talking to this thing. It was acting nothing like Dom. Dom wouldn't show concern!

He sat up and rested his head in his head in his hands taking a deep breath. "If you are or if you're not we need to get you out of here. I didn't kill you but the other guard might not be so kind. I'll go with you, say you're a gift for your betrothed, that will get us at least to the royal wizard who should know what to do."

This was insane, so insane he was sitting up to look in the wardrobe for the prince, and under the bed and behind the changing screen. "How... How did this happen?"
 
If Gryphon's could blush Dom would be flame red. He ducked his head and looked down at his toes. "Squawk..." It was a long story and one that he certainly couldn't and wouldn't tell Anterius. He shuffled around again as Anterius looked around the room, leaving the very large tawny bird-cat alone.

At least until the Wizard was mentioned. A Wizard was the cause of this, wasn't he? Surely one could fix it but what if he turned the man into a bird like himself? He clicked his beak together. He didn't know what to do! But the wizard seemed the best bet and the Gryphon nodded a few times. Surely a Wizard could somehow protect himself... right? In a way though... In a way it was tempting for Dom to try out his wings, he could feel them resting on his back. They were heavy. Longing to be stretched. He looked out the too small window.

Maybe being a Gryphon would be easier than being a man.
 
Anterius was oblivious to the thoughts in Dominic's mind but the drapes fell closed as he confiscated a tie and made on and into a loop to slip over the slender head of his charge as a makeshift leash. "More believable this way." he said by way of explanation looking at the beast and still shaking his inner head at himself for going along with this.

"Dominic." he said to get his attention. "We'll fix this. We.."

If he remains like this Racquel will be free.

He pushed the treasonous thought away and placed a hand on what was either the hack or the shoulder of the prince. "Are you ready to see the wizard?"
 
Dominic looked towards the window again as the silken rope was looped around his neck. To never be a man again, clearly he could still think but... He headbutted Anterius again and gave himself a shake but his eyes strayed towards the window and he looked up at the Knight again and gave a pitiful squawk. If he left, things would be alright. Sure it wouldn't be great, after all the Kingdom would be scoured and someone would probably try to him and someone might be executed for his 'death' or disappearance but at least Anterius would be free. No one could doubt the Knight's loyalty to the crown.

Then Anterius could marry Racquel and everyone would be happy...?

Dom took the leash in his mouth, yanking it away from Anterius before dashing towards the window and squirming out of it and onto the small ledge. It was slick and slippery, his claws scrambling against the stone sill as he squawk a few times. 'Alright Dom... We can do this.' Dom told himself and then he leapt.

Wings spread.

He caught the air current hard and with several clumsy flaps at least stopped his plummeting towards the ground. He was flying over the gardens.
 
Racquel had a hard time going to sleep, but finally the stress of the day was defeated by exhaustion and she fell into slumber. The next morning she ate in silence. A small rebellious part of her still hoping Anterius would show up, but of course he didn't. It would have been disastrous if he had. Racquel though found herself unable to be content with anything she did and finally gave up with all the trappings of being a proper lady.

In her quarters, Racquel replaced her fine gowns for simpler clothing. A home spun shirt, breaches and leather boots. In haste she wrote a quick note.

Need fresh air. Be back in a while.

Though her family would have a fit for her leaving with everything that was about to start, Racquel knew if she didn't leave, she would be unfit to deal with anyone. Apologies later were much preferable then who she was in her own skin right now. Grabbing a pack and her bow, Racquel left, taking her servants entrance for her escape to the stables.

The Lady was just about to get on her horse when she noticed the shadow over head. When she looked up, what was blocking the sky was not a cloud, but a bird. No, it was too large to be a bird. "What is that thing?" She asked aloud, even as she got on her horse and kicked it to follow the strange beast.
 
"No!"

It was too late. The prince was gone...

If he stays like this ...

No! Anterius would be blamed, the shame and punishment would fall on him!

He dashed out the door and down the stairs, past lords and ladies who surmised the prince was in town again. Wenching and wining no doubt.

He clattered into the courtyard where a squire was readying a mount but Anterius held up the seal of the prince.

"You horse in the name of the Prince your horse."

The squire stepped aside and Anterius heaved himself into the saddle and with reckless abandon thundered out the gate.

The prince was missing and he had been seen fleeing. This didn't occur to him as he lased after the dot in the sky, Dominic... what have you gotten yourself into this time?
 
Flying was hard work! Dom labored to stay up in the air, his wings beating furiously. Even still, it was amazing. Flight was amazing and Dom could see everything as he swooped over the gardens. He had always known it was meticulously laid out but from afar he could see the rose pattern bloom. It was beautiful but only seen by air! How amazing.

The gryphon swooped low and touched the top of a tree and then winged back into the heavens with a happy clack of his beak. Maybe being a Gryphon would be the best thing that ever happened to him? He could leave and never come back! He wouldn't have to shame his family with his natural proclivities.

Dom soared playfully over the garden as he tested his wings, he wasn't going anywhere fast...

Besides. He'd like to have some of his stuff, namely his diary.
 
Racquel pushed the horse just short of its limit. She needed a better view of the beast in the air. It could be dangerous. This far into the city, it probably was. Nothing with good intentions that big would be flying around a castle after all!

Close to the Rose Garden, Racquel slowed down her mount. The beast had just swooped down and then come up. It wasn't flying fast, which made Racquel fear it was stalking some unsuspecting prey. A child perhaps! Pulling out her bow, Racquel set her sights on the flying monster, standing in her stirrups. Racquel aimed her bow and....
 
He galloped after the beast, not sparing his mount as he thundered along the path. What the hell was he doing? Why was he flying away? Was he leading Anterius somewhere? That had to be it.

He was gaining on the griffin and that was a relief but there was someone ahead, a mounted figure with a bow and they were taking aim...

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

There was the ringing of steel as Anterius drew his sword and slowed his mount and in an few seconds had grabbed hold of the archer and pulled them both off of their mounts, but at least he had the courtecy to land on the bottom, drop his sword, draw a dagger and have it pressed into the person's back just in case. "Hunting in the royal garden is prohi..."

The dagger fell with a clatter and he stared, maybe he had hit his head in the fall but no...

"Lady Racquel!?"
 
"Anterius!" Racquel exclaimed. Moments before she had been taking aim at the beast, ignoring the sound of a horse coming up behind her. She had been sure from the heavy hooves it was a guard at the very least, here to help in the capture of the creature. She was taken for a shock when she was pulled backwards, her arrow lost and nearly her bow as well.

Of all the people in the palace, she would have to land on an armored knight, but worse yet was who it was... Or was that a good thing. She didn't have time to decied. "What are you doing? Didn't you see that thing in the sky? If we don't hurry it could pick up a small child. I can't even imagine what it's doing out here!"

By this time she was getting up off the prince's guard, doing her best to focus on the real situation. They had a monster that might be intending to attack one of the royals!
 
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