forum The forced facade of insanity is a heavy weight to bear // oxo // closed // Mature

Started July 07, 2023 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

Erix tried not to look confused or concerned over the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed in the room when the caretakers were there. It was an odd rule but not one that he was going to question for the time being. He supposed it all came down to privacy but at the end of the day he was going to be guarding the prince all the time, he was going to be constantly around him at every moment and see what and where he went, who he spoke to, privacy really wasn’t something that either of them were going to be able to have. But Erix knew that privacy wasn’t something the prince had anymore. Not since he was deemed mad but everyone around him. Cassio’s life had turned from being the picture perfect one of a royal who was going to be the perfect king to being locked away like a dog in a cage. Nothing was apparently going to bring him back to who he was before. At least that was what everyone thought, and it was definitely what he thought for the time being.

Instead he simple shook his head, “I have no more questions, Your Majesty. It all seems fairly straightforward, and I like to think I’m good at what I do. His Highness will be perfectly safe.” As safe as he could make him and allow him to be. As safe as anyone could be around a man who could go crazy and snap at any point and lose control, potentially kill or seriously injure someone. Marcus had said he was an excellent swords man back before everything happened, there was no way he was going to let Cassio anywhere near a weapon of any sort. He just hoped he was able to do so.

But the king wasn’t going to have to worry about him needing a break or personal time away. Erix didn’t have any friends, not really, bar Rowan and a few men from when be was a soldier in the army, but nothing more. He didn’t need them, didn’t want them, really. They were a liability when it came to his job. You couldn’t lose people if you didn’t have people to begin with, that was his motto. It had worked out fine so far for Erix, he wasn’t about to stop now. Besides, he was going to be around Cassio all the time, the prince needed his protection more.

"Perfect." Marcus reached out and pulled a small bellpull, which would ring for a servant. It took only a few minutes, and a young woman was opening the door, a questioning look in her eyes. "Erix, this is Nola. Nola, Erix is Cassio's new personal guard. You will be giving him a tour of the royal wing, including the location of his quarters, and all entrances and exits in the wing." then Marcus looked down at his papers again, in a clear, silent dismissal.

Nola gave a quick curtsy to the both of them, giving Erix a slightly nervous smile. She was clearly intimidated by his size and the scars, though she said nothing of it. "Come with me, then. I'll show you around." she seemed young, perhaps in her late teens. 20 or 21, at the oldest. She had long, dark hair that was bound back in a braid, and brown eyes. She wore the simple dress that many of the maidservants wore, utilitarian and easy to move in. She led Erix from the office, and then down the hallway. She smoothed out the front of her dress in a slightly nervous gesture, glancing over at Erix again. "So, uhm, why did you take this job?" she asked after a moment. "Most people don't want to be around Cas– uhm, prince Cassio anymore. They don't…he makes them uncomfortable." despite the winding halls of the palace, she seemed quick-footed and sure of her way, carefully pointing out the different directions that Erix could go to get to various places.

Most major intersections of the halls were usually labeled with signage, telling you where each hall would take you. Nola continued to lead him through them, headed towards where the royal wing of the palace was. This was where Marcus and Cassio's quarters both were, along with a selection of empty ones that were meant for when a family was in residence at the palace.

Erix gave Marcus a bow once more before he left, not wanting to disrespect the king of all people. He had just given him a job, after all, and on top of that he was the ruler of the country, his boss, he wasn’t about to forget his manners now. Especially not when he was going to be guarding his brother. He had seen many people in his life from the crazy to the sane, had spent time with many of those who fell into the in between category. It was what came with being a guard, a knight. Even more so when he took up freelance work after he left the royal guard. Cassio, however, was being made out to seem like he would be the worst of them all. A man who could break loose at any point. Someone who Erix was going to have to keep his guard up around at all times.

Really he didn’t know what to expect. There was the notion that he was going to be insane and lash out at him. If he wasn’t happy with the idea of having a personal guard then Erix was going to have to be careful in his movement and his words. Despite the fact that Cassio wasn’t of right mind he was still above him in position, if anything happened that he didn’t like then chances were he could loose his job over it. He wasn’t sure how things operated on the inside. Now was his chance to learn and understand. All he needed to do was stay in line, protect the prince, and all would be okay. It was a fairly straightforward job, all this considered. Erix wasn’t worried. He had seen and done worse.

He nodded to Nola and offered her a small smile. It didn’t last long however was still sweet, he hoped enough to make her understand he wasn’t a threat to her, no matter how large or scary he looked. Erix followed at her side, keeping step and taking in every hall they passed through. Some he recognised, others were foreign, especially as they moved to the more private areas of the palace. To her question, he simply shrugged, “Pays well. I know the palace somewhat, it’s a job.” There wasn’t anything more to it than that, “I’ve dealt with worse than a man who isn’t of right mind all the time.”

Nola nodded after a moment. "Prince Cassio…I don't know what his majesty said, but the prince is not…he is not usually violent, and he still has his morals, for the most part." he'd never hurt her, though he had had opportunities where he could have. He had been polite, though a strange sort of polite. Sometimes he didn't recognize her, but even then, his response was only suspicion, never outright violence. Of course, maybe it would be different with Erix; Erix was big and intimidating, whereas Nola was a small young woman, with a face that could only be described as sweet. She looked harmless.

"You'll, uhm, be seeing me around. My grandmother has, uhm, taken care of him for most of his life, and because he knows her, his majesty asked her to stay on to keep taking care of prince Cassio." Nola didn't seem to like silence, preferring to fill it with at least some sort of conversation. "Sometimes he– the prince –thinks I'm my grandmother." it had happened before. Cassio would spot her, and stare at her questioningly before finally saying her grandmother's name in an inquisitive sort of way. She usually just gently corrected him, but if he was insistent about it, then she didn't mind if she had to answer to her grandmother's name for a bit. It didn't hurt anything, after all.

Once they were in the royal wing, she paused for just a moment, looking up at Erix. "Do you want to see your rooms first, or tour the rest and see your rooms last? I'll introduce you to prince Cassio last either way." better for Erix to know the layout of the royal wing prior to meeting Cassio. Marcus and her grandmother had both told her that much.

Since the last time that Erix had been in the castle, which was over four years ago by now, the staff had certainly changed since. He hadn’t had much to do with Cassio back then, he had had no need to. All he had been at the time was a guard, a knight, and his positioned had remained the same throughout his time at the palace. Gods, he couldn’t even remember if he had met Cassio then. Times were different and he was sure that the prince wouldn’t have been able to recognise him even if they had met previously. Not many seemed to know who he was with his scar. Mainly people knew him by his height, now with that scar… he was a different man.

However the man he was now was well equiped to deal with the prince. His build and height would give him an advantage if the man ever decided to attack him. Although he wouldn’t lie to himself over the fact that he figured he would be more than a little intimidating on first glance. Considering he didn’t smile all too often, combined with the rest of his appearance and personality, Erix had no doubt Cassio would be hesitant around him. At least their chambers would be close, next to and linking to one another. Made things easier coming to terms with the knee arrangement.

Erix listened as Nola spoke, gaze flicking to her every now and then as they walked. Every piece of information was cataloged and stored in case he ever needed to use it, “It’ll be nice to know a familiar face around here,” He said, turning to try another smile at the small woman, “And tour the rest first, if that isn’t any trouble.”

Nola smiled back, when Erix smiled, then nodded. "Perfect." she started to move again, leading him down the halls. The halls here were slightly less grand, but still ornate and lovely. They were not the plain, simple things that a servant's hall would have held, but they were not quite as impressive as the more main hallways. They felt a little more…personal, somehow. "His Majesty's rooms are on this level as well. He has chosen to leave their parents' old room empty, for now, out of respect and mourning. Though he will have to move to them someday. Likely when he, ah, gets married, as those rooms are designed for the ruling monarch and their spouse." she led him up a staircase. "This is the second floor. The one above it is similar in layout, so I won't take you up there unless oyu want me to? This one is the one that Marcus is on, and is also the level that the nursery is on, though it is obviously not currently in use." there were no royal children to make use of it, after all. Marcus was unmarried and without children, as was Cassio. Though for different reasons.

"The upper level is mostly just living quarters, which are typically reserved for any visiting relatives of the royals who live in the palace. In-laws, cousins, that sort of thing." in other times, the royal family had been larger. It still was; the two brothers did have relatives. Aunts, uncles, cousins. But none lived in the palace, or were visiting at the moment. So the royal wing housed only Cassio and Marcus. "And of course there is the attic on top, but that is used for storage. It isn't really used as a living space by anyone." though it could have been. It just would have needed some renovation to be perfect.

"The first level of the royal quarters is the one reserved for the current reigning monarch and their heir. Hence why Prince Cassio rooms there. He…was the heir, at the time that that was made his bedroom, and His Majesty was concerned that moving Cassio to a different bedroom would be too much for him. Which is why His Majesty is still on this level, even though he is the king." she explained, looking up at Erix after a moment. "The third level and attic have only staircases down to this one, but this one and the floor below both have staircases down to ground level." the floor below was not a ground level; it was actually located above some of the more public areas of the palace, that way none of the royal residences opened directly onto the grounds. The royal wing also looked out onto the garden, which was where the staircases led to.

As they walked through the halls of the royal wing Erix made sure he was taking in every part and memorising it as best he could. There was a lot of information he needed to digest but considering his line of work previously it wouldn't be too much of an issue. Some of what Nola was saying might have been somewhat unnecessary, in his mind, but he wasn't going to complain. Maybe it would be needed at some other point throughout his stay here. He didn't know, or pay much mind, just tucked it away into the back of his brain for the time being. What was the most important aspect of all of this was knowing where Marcus roomed, Cassio and thus himself, as well as the basic living quarters. Now that he knew that, he could focus on the important part of his job, protecting the prince.

"No, it's quite alright, you don't have to take me up there, I think I've got the gist of it all." It was simple enough to learn and put to mind. With having spent time in the palace before he was familiar with the layout of the place, even if the royal wing was slightly different to the rest of the space. Erix found he had a knack for memorising spaces, and it was why he was a good spy, a good soldier. But none of the former aspect of his training wasn't going to be needed. The only thing that he needed to be and do was be a good soldier, a good, perfect protector. That was what he had been hired to be, that was what he was going to try and live up to. He knew he had had Rowan back him when it came to applying for this position. The man knew his qualities well and had found him to be a perfect candidate. As much as coming back here was only slightly bad for the previous wounds that had gone unhealed, it was the best job he could find.

His life would always and from now on be on the line for Cassio. Erix had nothing wrong with that. He had put his life out there for many others before, this was no different. Well, except for the fact that it was the prince he was now protecting, the price entirely, and he may have to protect him from himself but he would do all he could to make sure he, and everyone else, remained safe. It would be okay and everything would be fine, he hoped.

(I realize that Nola's explanation was a little confusing, so I just wanna clarify: there is a ground level, which does not hold any royal chambers. the next level up is the one that Cassio and their parent's level is on (level 2). Level 3 is Marcus and the nursery, level 4 is extra rooms, and then the attic)

Nola nodded slightly. "Perfect!" she paused for a moment, clearly thinking about what to say next. She stood there for a moment with an odd look, like she had forgotten something. "Oh! One last thing. There are, uhm, some secret passages? Because, you know, the palace is pretty old, and all of that. The passages have been around for a long time. I only know one of the entrances." she led him into the nursery, which was…slightly eerie to be inside, in all honesty.

It was obviously a nicely decorated nursery, complete with some toys that had…obviously been sitting unused for a long time. It was all perfectly innocent, in reality, but at the same time…the image of this nursery, unused in a very long time, just sitting empty? Oh, it was odd to look at. The walls were a lovely baby blue, with white detailing that curled along the walls in beautiful swirls and details. There were beds that had long ago been stripped of their sheets and blankets, and were for now just bare mattresses, waiting for future royal children to use them. Nola led him through the nursery and over to the fireplace, pausing before it and feeling along the brickwork. She eventually found one, and pushed it in. There was a soft click, and then she reached over to the panel beside the fireplace and opened it up. The panel swung open on soft hinges, and an opening yawned before them. "This one has a few passages leading off of it, from what I remember." she said, looking over at Erix. "We…I remember exploring it, when I was younger, but I haven't been in there in years."

She was only a year or so younger than Marcus, and her grandmother had been the boys' nanny. As a result, she had been around the two of them a lot as a kid. Had run around with them, and Cassio had been the one to show her and Marcus this passageway. There was a small chamber just beyond where they had spent most of there time, and she still wondered sometimes if the toys that they had brought into that chamber were still there. She wasn't sure, and she didn't want to explore those passageways alone. It wouldn't be the same anymore.

(ahhh gotcha gotcha lol thanks that makes more sense)

Passageways? The palace was certainly living up to the old name. Erix had never paid much interest in things like that when he was a kid. The royal family wasn't something he had been invested in. The palace even less so. Architecture? Not his thing. Either way, he hadn't known that there would be secret passageways. He almost expected Nola to be lying about them until she showed them to him.

The nursery was definitely creepy, to say the least. It gave off a strange vibe, a strange aura, and as fae versed in dark magic, illusions and minds, it set his senses off. Something was wrong in here. It wasn't often that he found spaces that concerned him and his magic, but this was one of them. Maybe it was simply because of the passageways, that the room hadn't been used in so long, that it was waiting for someone to have children in order to fill the space with light once more, but on the other hand, it gave him the shivers, and that wasn't something he got very often.

A frown covered his features. Erix easily peered over Nola's shoulder, considering their height difference, to inspect the space a little further. Dark. Dusty. No light bar that of the open hallway they were now peering through. He would have to come back and visit them again when he had time. When that would be… he didn't know, not when he was going to be guarding Cassio all the time. A small shake of his head and he backed away, "Maybe sometime you can show them to me," Another small smile but it only lasted a few moments, "Either way, we should get to His Highness."

(no problem haha, just wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion)
(having fun on your vacation?)

Nola nodded a little bit, backing up and then pressing on the brick again. The passageway closed itself up again, and then she led him back out of the nursery, down the hall, and then down the stairs to the first of the royal levels. "I'll take you to your rooms, then." she led him down the hall, past the set of larger, slightly more ornate doors that had been the king and queen's old rooms. Past that, on the other side of the hall, was a closed door that was likely Cassio's. She led him past that, to a smaller door that seemed designed to draw no attention to itself. She pulled out a small keyring, and sorted through it until she found the proper key. Using that key, she unlocked the door. "This is your room. It has a connecting door into Cassio's that is currently closed and locked."

Erix's room was not overly large, but it was comfortable. It had a nice, soft bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a bookshelf. It had all the necessary accoutrements for a good bedroom, though it was rather bereft of any real decor. There were two more doors in it. One was open, and led to a small bathroom. The other was the closed door that Nola had mentioned. On the nightstand was a set of keys, which she gestured to.

"Those are yours. It has your room key and Cassio's room key, along with some standard ones that unlock a lot of the outside doors so that you can get in and out of the palace. Obviously you don't ahve a master key, nor do you have all of the keys for every room. Neither do I." she gave another faint, quick little smile, pulling at her braid for a moment. "Uhm. You can decorate your room, if you choose to. It's meant to be your home, for now, so…" she trailed off, shrugging a shoulder. "Any questiosn, before we go and I introduce you to the prince?"

(im home now :) holiday was certainly something oof)

It didn't matter to Erix that his room was on the smaller side, or that there really wasn't that much of a decor to the place. He didn't have much in the way of decorative items. A few books that he had kept over the years, torn and tattered, and letters that he had received from his sister from her journeys away. Apart from that, he didn't have much. Coming from such a low-class family, dealing with the death of his mother and the absence of his father, he hadn't had much to begin with. It still felt odd to have more than the bare necessities. Something that he was stuck in his ways with. He doubted that would change anytime soon, no matter what he may try, who might attempt to convince him to have more, none of them had ever gotten far in that conversation.

He removed his larger overcoat now that he was in his own space. There was no need to keep it on while visiting Cassio. Chances were that he would have to start work immediately, or at least very soon. Removing his coat and preparing now meant he would be able to start sooner. He would be able to get to know the prince, meet him, maybe try and form some kind of a connection, if only very basic. Spending all day every day with a man who he was unable to hold at least one short conversation with might make him go crazy. Tossing the coat on the bed, he adjusted his belt, and his sword and grabbed the keys that had been sitting on the dresser, attaching them to his belt. No need to lose those on the first day.

Erix turned to Nola and shook his head once, "No, I have no questions," Everything seemed straight forwards and simple enough, "Take me to the prince."

(oof, did it not go well? Or was it just exhausting?)

Nola nodded, smoothing out her dress in a quick, slightly nervous gesture. "Right." she said, heading over to Erix's door and unlocking it, then opening it up. The door was clearly tucked back against a wall, out of the way and meant to be unobtrusive, but still with, immediately, a full view of the room. The prince himself was seated in an armchair by the fireplace, and his gaze flashed up as the door opened. His brown eyes were slightly too wide to be a normal expression, but other than that, he didn't look…out of the ordinary. His clothing was simple for a royal, but still of a high quality. He wasn't wearing shoes, though, not even slippers, just a pair of dark socks. His gaze was questioning, but not violent or malevolent. Just curious.

The bedroom that he inhabited was beautiful, big and grand and obviously had been decorated quite well. The walls were a beautiful eggshell blue, with a similar sort of white detailing to what had been in the nursery. If Erix had peeked into any of the other royal rooms, he would have seen that same sort of design motif echoed in all of them, the royal crest in the top center of each wall. It was clear who this room belonged to. Clear what this place was. At first glance, it looked normal. It was on closer inspection that some other things became obvious. Firstly, there were some leather restraints fastened to the bedposts. Long enough that they would be comfortable to sleep in, but still there in case the prince was out of control. There were other aspects of the room that seemed designed more for controlling the prince than for his comfort and ease in the room.

At the sound of the door opening, another person stepped into view. An older woman, she had greying hair and kind eyes, and bore a resemblance to Nola. "Nola, hello. And I assume this is Cassio's new guard?" she came over to stand behind Cassio, a soft smile touching her lips as she looked over at Nola and Erix.

"Erix, this is my grandmother, Maura." Nola said. "And, obviously, his highness Prince Cassio." she gestured to the prince, then looked over to Maura. "How is he today?"

Maura hummed faintly, reaching out to gently smooth a hand over Cassio's shoulder in an easy, grandmotherly little gesture. He glanced back at her, still quiet, before looking over to Erix and cocking his head a little. "He is…more sound today than he is on others." she said. She looked over to Erix, sighing faintly. "Today is a good day to meet him and…get used to him. There are other days where he would be far more, ah…upset or uncontrolled."

(bit of both lol)

Erix didn't know what he had been expecting when he stepped into that room. Whether the space was going to be set up with high defences in case the prince had an outburst, if there were to be other knights positioned on doors around them, whether his caretakers were to be around all the time, along with himself. Sharp, ocean-blue eyes scanned the room within seconds. He didn't take in everything, but enough. Enough to note the restraints on the bed, the decor, the lack of shoes, and those slightly too wide eyes. Cassio looked, for the most part, nothing more than a normal man. He was far from it, however, Erix knew that, but as he glanced at the prince for a few moments longer while Nola spoke, his brain ticked over in thought.

The tall man, when introduced and Maura had finished speaking, offered a bow to the both of them, "Your Highness," Another glance to Cassio, and then to the older woman, "Ma'am." Formal, respectable. There was no smile of greeting on his lips, and as much as Erix tried his best to appear less intimidating, he was more than aware that it probably wasn't doing anything. Not with his figure, his height, and the sword strapped to his side. Would it be a good idea to remove it?

His fingers snaked around the hilt of the golden weapon, feeling the grooves where his hand fit so perfectly. Callosauses snagged on the metal, and Erix drew a breath. No. The hand moved, both his arms moved, until they were behind his back and clasped together. A picture-perfect soldier. There wasn't even a slouch in his shoulders. Erix glanced briefly towards Nolal, then he took the smallest step forwards, as if asking for silent permission to draw closer, "I have no doubt I will be seeing many of those other days during my time here," He said, addressing Maura with a soft nod, "It does not frighten me." Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the job.

(oof. Did you at least have a bit of fun?)

Cassio's eyes moved to Erix's sword when the man put his fingers around the hilt, eyes staying on the weapon for just a beat longer than most people's would have. Cassio had been a swordsman, years ago. How long had it been since he had been allowed to use a weapon? A long time. Too long. His sword had always been a good way for him to get his energy out, had always been something he enjoyed. And now he could not have even that much. Not even under surveillance was he allowed to put his hands on a weapon. His callouses had long since vanished, and his muscles had dwindled to less than they had been.

Maura nodded a little, looking down at Cassio. "Prince Cassio, this is Erix. He is your new guardsman, and will be here to keep you safe. So no one tries to assassinate you again." her words were calm, and not at all spoken in a way that would seem as if she were speaking down to Cassio. She didn't speak to him as if he was a child, as many would have, but rather treated him like the adult that he was. "Are you going to greet him?" her treatment of the prince was more grandmotherly than anything; she clearly cared about him.

Cassio stared at Erix again, studying him closely with those brown eyes. The prince was in a simple, white shirt, with a waistcoat over top that had been left unbuttoned. The soft brown curls of his hair were unkempt, obviously not having been styled that morning, and he was clean-shaven. Almost a presentable gentleman. Almost a picture perfect prince. Then he moved to his feet in one smooth, quick motion and came over to Erix, staring up at him. Then, finally, he offered his hand. "Pleased to meet you. I assume my brother picked you?" his voice was easy and smooth and still held the notes of the king he had originally been raised to be. All those years of training in decorum and giving speeches and how to introduce himself and speak to people, learning what a king should sound like. And here he was. A prince, passed up by his younger brother who had taken his throne. And ah, his brother.

If Marcus had picked Erix, then what would Erix be like? Cassio knew what his caretakers were like. What they did, how they behaved. Would Erix be the same? Or was Erix truly here to protect, and nothing more? Did it even matter? Cassio had been helpless in this place for years. Erix's presence would change nothing.

(yeah it was a good experience all in all)

Erix was tempted to crouch down a little in order to become eye level with Cassio. It was one of the downsides of being so tall. He could never look someone in the eye without tilting his own head down, whether that be slightly, or majorly, exactly like what he was doing now with Cassio. He didn't, because he didn't want to cause the man any disrespect.

He looked and appeared, sounded and acted, exactly like a prince. Someone who would have been trained to become a king. It was clear that he had been the clear choice, no matter what he was like now. If this was what he ended up being like most of the time, Erix had no doubt that his job would be more than simple. Mainly consisting of standing around and watching. He wondered what Cassio would be like on days when he was deemed 'unstable.' Would he lash out at Erix? The guard didn't know, but he was more than aware he would find out in due time, just like everything else.

The guard didn't know whether or not there would be much chatter between them. Maura had prompted him to greet Erix, would he have stayed silent otherwise? They were going to be around each other all the time, or at least, most of the time. Having no conversation for however long they were together in close proximity might be a bad idea for his own head. Staying lost in his own mind with nowhere and no one to talk about anything with might just send him mad. Especially as a man who dealt with the mind and dark magic.

Erix didn't hesitate to take Cassio's hand, giving him a firm handshake, "Your Highness," He said, with another small nod of respect, "The pleasure is mine." He dropped his hand and returned them to behind his back once more, "It was a long process, but His Majesty ultimately made the final call."

(That's good!)
(Cassio not liking people crouching comes straight from me, at 5' even lmao)

Honestly, if Erix had crouched, Cassio would have felt a little bit humiliated. He was used to being taller or on average with most people, and the idea of someone crouching to be at his level was humiliating, even if Eris was unnaturally tall. He was not normally silent or quiet, but today had been a slightly difficult one. He had a tendency to go quiet when he was being consumed by his mind, and today had been no different. Maura had been attempting to distract him, to placate him and help him stay controlled rather than losing himself again.

Cassio's mouth twitched in a wry, sideways little smile that didn't quite show his dimples. "Ah, and of course my brother only ever intends for the best." he replied, the look in his eyes somewhere between knowing and insanity as he turned away from Erix and sat back down in his seat. He glanced back at Maura. "You may go, I am sure this man will not kill me where I sit. It would not quite be a fair fight!" he looked over to Erix again as he spoke, laughter pulling at his eyes. But as always, there was something in his eyes that was not quite sane, something about his laughter that was just a little off.

Maura raised her eyebrows faintly, gesturing to Nola. "Yes, I am sure he will not." she said, in easy agreement with Cassio. "Nola and I shall be on our way, then, unless either of you require anything further?" she glanced between the two as Nola came over to join her grandmother, standing beside her. Both women took a few steps towards the door, though still awaiting a clear dismissal.

"I need nothing. Thank you." Cassio said, waving his hand faintly as he dismissed the two again.

(asaskjnd shortie, im 5'7)

Erix tilted his head to one side softly. His chuckle, his words… he supposed that was what people said when they spoke about his Cassio wasn't exactly of sound mind. There was something behind those eyes that Erix couldn't quite place, but he didn't get long enough to look too deeply into them and figure it out before the prince was turning away. Either way, he didn't want to make a bad first impression by seeming overly inquisitive and interested in the man's state of mind.

That wasn't his job. Erix was here to protect and nothing more. He wasn't meant to look into his mind and work out the crux of who he was, what had happened. Surely there had been others around trying to figure it out for some time. After all, he was supposed to be the heir. Now he was only the second prince, fallen behind his brother. The guard wouldn't lie that he found it slightly odd. Rumours told that the man was supposed to have been getting better after returning back from the tragedy, only for him to suddenly decline again. Healing was never linear, there was no rhyme or reason to why people progressed forwards at times and back on others. But it was odd to Erix that it hadn't been more thoroughly investigated. At least to his knowledge.

"I intend only to protect, Your Highness." He said, and didn't offer a smile or a laugh back to the man. Instead, he turned to the two women before they left the room and offered what he hoped was a nod that conveyed that the prince would come to no harm. He would no doubt be catching up with the two carers at another point soon when Cassio undoubtedly needed something. It would then give him a chance to catch up with the two, maybe find out more about the palace.

(D: unfair–)

Maura and Nola left by the main door, closing it behind them as they went, and leaving Cassio and Erix alone in the prince's bedroom.

Cassio stared at Erix silently for a long few moments, the look in his eyes rather focused and intense. Finally, he stood up from his seat again, hands clasped behind his back. There was a fire burning in the fireplace, but there were no fire pokers. Nothing that Cassio would easily be able to use as a weapon, should the mood hit him. Sure, he could wrench the leg off of a table, but he didn't really do that. It was far more effort than his madness was generally able to put in. If he was in a violent or destructive mood, then generally he wanted something destructive immediately, rather than taking the time and effort to wrench off the leg of a chair.

Cassio's gaze moved, after a moment, down to Erix's sword, and lingered there for a very, very long moment. His fingers twitched, then tightened, still behind his back. The sword. How long had it been? How many years had it been since he last was able to wield a sword? His swordplay had been something he had loved. He had been a swordsman, that had been part of his identity. His hobby, and something he had been known for as being one of his greatest skills. He was a swordsman. And now he was not. And here was Erix, standing in his bedroom, a sword belted at his side. "Tell me about yourself." he finally said, gaze slowly tracking up Erix's body and back to his face. "What do you want."

(https://pin.it/4LEsZLy - me n u)

Considering how Casio was eyeing his sword, Erix was tempted to hand the thing to the prince. Of course, that wouldn’t exactly be smart given their situation. The half of him that loved the idea of rebellion, of going against the rules and regulations of life and government was tempted to give in to those thoughts. But that wasn’t who he was anymore. He was Cassio’s personal guard. He was tasked with protecting the man from himself and from others, and he wasn’t going to fuck that up on the first day, let alone within the first few minutes of being officially in the prince’s service.

He didn’t like having the man look him over so intently. Had it been anyone else chances were Erix would have snapped and told them to look the other way, or threatened to take their eyes out. Again, not who he was anymore. It also wouldn’t have been wise to threaten the prince, of all people, when he was the one tasked with protecting him. Anyone looking at him for too long had him self conscious. Of his scars, his height. He was a soldier made for battle, not necessarily for personal protection. Something he was going to have to over come now that he was in the presence of a man who was deemed insane. Cassio didn’t seemed all that insane, just not of right mind. Distant, far away, but still somehow far too intense.

Erix didn’t move from his spot when the prince moved, simply wrapped a hand around the hilt of the sword and kept his eyes tracking the other, “I’m a solider,” He started, “Eldest son, too,” Much like you, “There isn’t much to tell, Your Highness. And I simply wish to keep you safe. I have no wants.” And that wasn’t entirely false.

(sdfkgdbh)

Cassio huffed under his breath at Erix's final sentences, shaking his head a little bit. "Don't lie to me." he said, eyes fixed on Erix still. "You may say anything you wish, but do not lie to me about why you are here." he didn't believe Erix, for some reason. Why, well, that was harder to discern. What sort of ulterior motive did the prince think that Erix had? Or did he mean that comment about not having wants? Was that what he thought was a lie? Gods, who knew?

Cassio just stood there, staring and watching Erix still. It was also clear that Cassio did not quite trust Erix yet. Did not feel that he could or should turn his back on the taller man, did not feel that he could trust him. So Cassio was watching the man there to guard him, obviously distrusting despite the fact that Erix had been specifically hired to protect him. The prince's arms were still clasped behind his back, slightly too-wide eyes still resting solidly on Erix. He had hardly looked away since Erix came into the room, and his gaze was…well, it made most people uncomfortable, with how much Cassio would just watch people with those slightly deranged eyes.

Erix narrowed his eyes at the prince. It was always a risk talking back or taking a certain tone with someone of authority. No matter if they were deemed insane or otherwise, Cassio was still a prince. He still had the control, in some weird form. He was nothing but a guard tasked with serving and protecting, nothing more, nothing less. And that was fine. That was his job. It was what he had agreed to when he had taken the position.

Going into this he knew that it would be an odd job considering the nature of the man he was sworn to now protect with his life. The look he was being given, those slightly too wide eyes, the distrusting, slightly derranged look, it was interesting, to say the least. But it wasn't making him uncomfortable, like most people would be. It was only making him curious. What was going on behind those eyes that he couldn't see? What was he thinking about to make him look that way? What was he thinking about him? The situation? Erix could have easily slipped into his mind and found it all out for himself, but he had morals, in some fucked up way. He wasn't about to invade the prince's already broken mind.

He didn't look away. If anything the gaze he levelled back to Cassio was only one that screamed, I'm not afraid.

"I am no liar," He replied, and his voice was firm when he spoke, "I am a man who has come from nothing. I have nothing more than a few clothes and my sword at my side. I only want a roof over my head and a warm meal at the end of the day. Wants are not important." Not to him. He could never afford them when he was younger, and when he had faced death so clearly, he only wished now to keep surviving in case he ever returned to that place.

Cassio continued to stare for a long while still, seeming to be working on processing Erix's words. Then he shook his head sharply. "Everyone has wants and everyone has things that they want." and everyone around him always had a reason for being around him. And it was never for good reasons. They always wanted something from him, always wanted him to do something or let them do something. There were always these expectations and desires and wants.

Then, he finally turned away from Erix, brows drawn together in a frown. This tall man in his room was not someone he felt he could trust. Men like this almost never were. Then again, there were precious few in his life now that he felt he could trust. Though to be fair…how could he have known either way? The madness that dragged at his mind made it hard to know what was real and what wasn't, and much of the time, he never could tell. Even in the sanest of moments, it was hard to tell.

He moved over to the fireplace, staring at the flames, and then looked over to Erix again. He didn't really like that Erix was just standing there, watching him. It gave him a weird sort of prickly feeling along the back of his neck, that sent faint shivers down his spine. He hated that feeling. Hated feeling watched and stared at, like some sort of caged animal on display. And was that not what he was? A creature, caged and leashed and on display for the world to see? Gods, he hated it. The lucid days always made him feel this way. Sometimes he preferred the days where he had no idea of the world around him.

Erix couldn't help the soft sigh that escaped through his nose. Maybe this was going to be harder than he originally thought it might be. Because he didn't have any wants. Didn't have anything he wanted more than a good night's sleep and a warm meal at the end of the day. How was he supposed to explain that? And he wasn't about to lie to the prince to simply get him off his back about what he wanted. He didn't want anything from Cassio. This was a job and nothing more than that. It seemed as though the prince wasn't going to understand that. He could try and continue to explain, but he doubted he was going to get through to a man who wasn't in his right mind all the time.

"I simply want to protect you, Your Highness." He tried his best to make his words seem softer than they had been. He wasn't trying to pick a fight. Wasn't trying to make Cassio uncomfortable with his presence. That was far from his intention. Erix was a soldier. A fighter. He was here to protect, and nothing more, nothing less. The last thing he wanted was for Cassio to end up dead while he was supposed to be protecting him. That would certainly put him on the map for being the worst bodyguard to ever exist.

Instead, the man moved, boots clicking on the marble of the floor, "And maybe get to know the man that I have been tasked with protecting. Like it or not, we're stuck together." A few steps closer to the prince. He didn't know where he was supposed to stand, or sit. Sitting would mean letting his guard down. If anyone came in - even though he doubted it for th time being - he had to be prepared.

(btw love the new whale pfp that you've got)

Cassio arched a brow at him, somehow so regal even in his madness. "If you have heard the rumors, then there must be nothing to get to know." he replied, shaking his head just a little bit as he stared over at Erix. "You already know what rumors circulate." was there anything else to know? Was there anything Cassio truly had to tell that was not already part of all of those vicious, awful rumors that circulated about his mental state, about the way he behaved, about all of this. The rumors about his time while kidnapped, those were the ones most baseless. No one truly had any answers for that, and the few that did had been sworn to secrecy.

Cassio himself rarely spoke of the things that had happened to him and his parents, and the times he did talk of it, were usually when he was in his deepest, darkest times. When his madness had gripped him so deeply and held him so far in that he started to babble nonsense. In that state was when he would talk of those months in captivity, but only ever in disjointed, haunted rambling. Never in enough detail for most people to truly piece it together, so what little details were known had been told shortly after his rescue, when he was vaguely lucid. Now, there were hardly any details that he was ever able to give.

He raked a hand through his hair, turning away to pace just a little bit. "I do not see why you would want to get to know me, if you are only here to be a guard. It isn't as if you will stay any longer than a month." he had had a personal guard before, since his return. But that guard had not lasted very long. He had quit soon after Cassio had had a bad day and had lashed out.

(thank you thank you - tis a whale shark and i love them do not get me started on sharks i'll never stop)

"The rumours only talk about a prince who went through a traumatic event which in turn caused his mind to break," Erix wasn't letting up. He was as stubborn as a mule and there was no way he was going to be getting out of this anytime soon, "Regardless, half of the shit that is said about you is exaggerated. Rumours are based in truth but the public will take any story and spin it until it is nothing more than a fabrication of what was fact to begin with."

Maybe he shouldn't speak out so easily and pointed towards a royal. If it had been Marcus he definitely wouldn't have. The king would have gone for his head, no doubt, if someone spoke to him that way. Even though there was respect in his voice the guard was still firm with his tone, firmer than he should ever be, with a royal, regardless of whether Cassio was mad or not. But Erix, at this point, didn't care. He wasn't going to stop because this was a job that was too good an opportunity to let up. He needed this. He needed the work. Easy work. Mindless work. Work that had him thinking about and protecting someone, something to make himself feel useful once again. To take his mind off his own issues and trauma from his past as a soldier.

"I want to get to know you because otherwise this is going to be a very long and tedious job for the both of us. Conversation makes the time go, and I have to be with you all the time. I would rather hear from the prince himself about who he believes he is than that of rumours," He tilted his head to one side, "I'll wager I'll last longer than a month, too."