A Queen and Her Kings

A Plan Most Abhorrently Wonderful, Near-Trial-by-Combat and a Ancient Birthright

The night had turned from peacefully quiet to deafeningly silent as the four boys sat in a circle Indian style, their numbers decreased due to the resident prince sending Llisa back to the dorm. They had relocated from main street square to the outdoor commons. The usually loud and lively outdoor area was completely silent for what felt like the first time any of them could remember, an eerie mirror of its usual state. The leaves in the trees rustled, highlighting the silence even more.

No one so much as cleared their throat, they all just stared at each other. Some intently (Che'nya and Emerald), some awkwardly (Neige and Rielle).

Finally, someone spoke.

"So, you know what these things are?", the youngest of the group asked, focusing his intense gaze on Rielle. The red haired prince jumped a bit, squeaking in surprise at the suden question.

"Y-yeah!", he stuttered out, eyes a bit scared. The young man before him was intimidating. Pretty, but intimidating. Emerald blinked in confusion at the redhead's reaction, had he done something to scare him? The dancer spoke again, softer this time.

"Don't sound so scared, it's not like you caused this.", Emerald said, trying to get the boy to relax. Rielle felt himself relax and he sighed.

"You're right, sorry for being such a spaz...", Rielle trailed off, looking at Emerald purposefully. Emerald realized he never told the prince his name.

"Emerald Bathory, I'm a first year.", he said, reaching his hand out for Rielle to shake.

"Wow, you're really a first year? You're really mature...", Rielle trailed off as he took his underclassman's hand. He almost flinched at his strong grip. Emerald laughed.

"I get that a lot. So, about my question?", he asked again. Rielle blinkedas he remembered the first year's earlier inquiry.

"Yeah, I do know what your marks mean. It's like I said, the marks are soulmarks that link you to your One True Love.", the prince said, voice turning wistful as he sighed dreamily at the end. Che'nya raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, we got that much from your little tangent earlier, but what we don't know is the 'what, why, and how?'"

Rielle blinked.

"What do you mean?", he asked. Che'nya sighed.

"I mean what caused it, why do we of all people have them, and if the marks are truly for only two people, how do we all have the same one?", the beastman asked. Everyone else, save for Rielle, nodded in agreement. Rielle began to look frustrated.

"That's what I would like to know, too. No one knows what causes the marks, not even the fae. As to who gets them, no one knows the requirements either; all we know is that people who make big marks on history tend to get them. It's said that the princes and princesses this school was created to emulate were the first and only known cases of soulmates in history. This... anomaly, according to recorded history, has never happened before. Soulmarks are supposed to be exclusive to only two people, who are the destined lovers. Why we all have the same mark isn't something I can tell you.", Rielle admitted, and now everyone somehow had even more questions than answers.

"Maybe it means that we all are...", Neige trailed off, speaking for the first time since they had sat down. Everyone realized what he was getting at, eyes widening with thousand yard stares. Che'nya turned to Emerald, who sat on his right.

"You wanna bang, Em?", the beastman questioned casually, as if he was speaking about the weather. Rielle and Neige choked on air and Emerald looked at his friend with narrowed eyes and a smile that promised pain.