Chapter 30. Madness in the Music Room
In one smooth and swift sweep into the music room, Master Fenn had assessed the entire predicament and his now unfurled wings, of mottled brown, curtained the crumpled form of the raven servant, which was now curtained and out of the Peacock Prince's view. He realised with a cruel sense of irony, how her form crumpled like that of the towels outside the room.
The rage visibly came to the surface of Master Caruso's, the Peacock Prince's, face. His erect and hard member was still very clearly out of his trousers. The Prince's face became so red with equal parts rage, and equal parts embarrassment... and partial fear from getting caught that his face now was so red and purple, that contrasted horrifically, and oddly with the blue and green of his hair, "That servant was tending MY needs." He spat at the bold and younger tawny Prince.
Behind the curtain of Prince Fenn's mottled wings, the blue-hued servant girl curled into a fetal position. Her wings curling around her. Her sobs were now audible as there was no reason to hide them anymore.
Master Caruso hadn't yet recognised that there was a small crowd just inside the entrance way of the door, who were watching this scene as it occurred. All who remained just beyond the threshold of the room remained silent, so as not to alert him to their presence further. Just as Lyla, the ruddy-hued servant girl, also had not yet recognised which colleague it was that had been in such a terrible predicament. As the tawny's wings unfolded too fast for her to catch any more of a glimpse than black wings. A raven.
Prince Fenn squared his shoulders further. He was shorter than the Peacock Prince, but he was naturally taller and far broader at the shoulders. "No, Caruso. I entirely doubt that those…" At his words, the Tawny Prince glanced down briefly, gesturing, "…needs… are of the type the Raven Queen meant."
It was unclear if it was from the earlier rage or from embarrassment at Prince Fenn's intrusion, but the peacock harpy darkened a shade or two further of red and purple. From a tomato red to a scarlet sky. Certainly, it was not a good look for him at all. Even if a creature of dubious nature and colours.
After a moment, the Peacock began to tuck his member away again, his eyes locked with Master Fenn's. "Fine." He barked, "Have the stupid squawk." he sneered that last part, lingering on the insult pointedly. Both Princes knew that attacking the other could constitute a declaration of war by their Clan to the other. This was the only reason that blows were not being dealt this day, eyes were watching, and from observing owl factions.
The younger Prince, Prince Fenn, had noticed King Easton behind Lyla. Owl perception was always advantageous.
"WHAT... Were you DOING?!" Prince Fenn once again bellowed loudly. Demanding an answer from Prince Caruso. "What were your intentions with this Raven?! To be her mate??"
After a moment, the Peacock began to tuck his softening member away again; he had finished with some satisfaction inside that servant, honored with his seed. His eyes locked with Master Fenn's. A silent promise for a future confrontation lingered in the peacock harpy's eyes, as he grew his turquoise talons in a frustrated and enraged gesture.
"Fine." Caruso barked, "Have that stupid squawk. I'm done with her anyway, and she enjoyed every second. She is trash that should never be allowed to work in any castle, ever again." He sneered that last part, lingering on the insult pointedly.
At these words, he wafted his hand with unsheathed talons close to Master Fenn's face. As if he were going to slap him or attack him, but ensured it was only a threat and made no actual contact. Before trying to storm out and leave the room, with his peacock tail now lowered, tucked between his legs.
Almost instantly, a certain scent of a female who had recently been mated hit Master Fenn's senses. While he was young, as a prince, and had never smelled this specific scent before. In any conditions, never mind the one that they were in, he had read of it and knew what that musky fragrance had to have been… and with that, the Prince Caruso turned to fully leave.
Stopping dead, momentarily, when he finally saw that Lord Easton and another of the household servants were standing in the doorway watching him.
Within those few seconds, he seemed to be trying to collect and present a new sense of composure with any shred of dignity he believed he may have left.
However, this failed before it began, and it looked more awkward and clunky than the rumoured grace of the Peacock Clan. What had been witnessed was not graceful but disgusting contempt and behaviour unbecoming of a royal, especially not one attempting to court the Raven princesses.
'This is one way to be assured that there is no longer unnecessary competition for the princesses. A reason for Caruso's early elimination.' Lord Easton mused gleefully to himself.
At the doorway, he had been lapping all of this information up and storing it away for later as he processed it. 'This,' he thought darkly, '…this may be of use someday, soon.'
He winked at Prince Caruso and tapped his nose twice.
The Peacock Prince was aware that of all of those within the owl Clan's and the greater Owl Council, it was not the Princes', but this specific Lord that he would have to worry about. At the same time, he knew that his mother would do nothing if she heard about this; she would protect him or make this go away. As both she and his father had always done for him, when back home.
It was just a servant girl after all, and it was not one of her servants back home.
Lord Easton and servant Lyla watched him go as he trotted awkwardly past them and back down the hall to return to his own quarters.
Once Master Fenn was sure that the peacock was gone, he turned to the household servant and folded his mottled brown wings away again, "Are you okay…" He trailed off as he laid eyes on Auro, her face with eyes swollen red from tears and a look of pure terror in her eyes. Those eyes were red and puffy from sobs. The scent of a female ready to mate hit him again. He assessed her more thoroughly this time, and a substance that was a milky gloss dripped down her legs as she stood.
For a moment, Prince Fenn was silent in anger at that stupid Peacock that couldn't keep it zipped... and his heart equally broke for this young servant girl. She had been mated by a Prince with no intention of marrying her... this ruined any chance she would ever have of taking the mating ceremony with any other harpy male. It may bond... but it was a slim chance. If it did, with any other male than the Prince, then it would be weak. This would only happen if it were a marital ritual and contract that the little female raven wanted, but if it were not wanted? Then all other marital bonding rituals would fail. 'That bastard... he may as well have stolen her life from her.'
"AURO!" Cried the other servant at the doorway. Pulling the tawny prince from his thoughts, just after the very moment Master Fenn lowered his wings. The almost dark-ruddy-haired girl immediately rushed in to her colleague's side, "…what h-…" before she bothered uttering another syllable, she turned to glare at where the tall and lanky peacock prince remained. His back was to them all except Lord Easton. The look on Lyla's face was one with such with such vehemence, it looked…wrong and misplaced on her pale complexion.
This was unacceptable in these lands. The young servant, Lyla, had been in the Queen's service long enough to know that this was land ruled by the Raven Queen. Female consent and autonomy over their bodies was sacred... what Caruso had committed was a crime of the most grave levels. 'The Queen will hear about these crimes against Aurora.'
Only then did the servant girl curled up, below Master Fenn, look up. Relief, that her ordeal was over, washed over her. Her tearstained face looked to the tawny prince as though he were a hero in a legend. A royal prince of another Clan had literally come to her rescue... although... not in time.
The kind Tawny Prince offered the servant girl his hand and helped her up, getting her off the floor. His body still shielding her from the peacock prince, who stole glances, "I was on my way to the baths prior to the discovery of this disturbance." The stress on the last word hit, just as Master Fenn's scowl met with Master Caruso's, "Please, Lyla, take your colleague and my bathing towels and see to it that she is washed up. I'm happy to testify about this incident at any point and time. Until then, it is my whim and orders that you take care of your colleague. Do not disobey." His scowl moved to the ruddy servant girl and instantly softened. His tone might have been harsh, but surely. Crimes of this nature and severity would not go unpunished.
With a nod, both of the girls bolted out of the room.
Only now did Lord Easton fully step into the room, "You have made quite a scene tonight, Young Master Caruso. Hardly one fitting of a prince."
The hero of the house, Prince Fenn also chimed in, "That young Raven will forever struggle to find a mate now... the binding ritual that comes with matrimony and mating, it may never fully work. You understand what you have done to her? That it will impact her for the rest of her life?"
The glaring tension between both of the young Princes instantly evaporated, and a strange pressure flew against his jaw. Fenn had finally let out a punch, unable to contain his rage.
The Peacock Prince moved to take his leave, but continued, "She was asking for it with that outfit and... She was enjoying that anyway…" At these words, he wafted his hand close to Master Fenn's face as if he were going to slap him, but made no actual contact. The scent of Auro's mating wafted in front of him. This prince really had no sense of class or dignity.
"Do you have no shame?" Prince Fenn was incredulous at the lack of words coming out of Prince Caruso's mouth.
Almost instantly, the scent of a female who was ready to mate hit Master Fenn's senses.
Lord Easton and servant Lyla watched him go as he trotted awkwardly past them and back down the hall to return to his own quarters.
Once Master Fenn was sure that the peacock was gone he turned to the household servant and folded his mottled brown wings away again, "Are you okay…" He trailed off as he laid eyes on her face.
The glaring tension between both of the young Princes instantly evaporated, since one was now gone. Instead, a strange pressure flooded the room, "Now… how should we proceed from here? I presume Master Fenn, would wish to make a note of conduct to the Parliament of Owls. Do you not?" King Easton queried, so softly, however, Fenn knew to take it as a threat if he did not make a report to the Parliament of Owls.
The Tawny Harpy Clan Prince, Master Fenn, gulped nervously, attempting to stabilise his voice before speaking. "Of course." He had struck the peacock prince, but only in the defense of another harpy.
"That may not be to the best of everyone's interest, most notably the Tawny Clan and my own Eurasian Clan… For we are in the company of these peacocks," he drilled a sneer into the very word, "We will be judged as harshly and with the same scrutiny turned onto us. Do you want to make a fuss for your kingdom... for your King... your father."
At this, Master Fenn eased up and tilted his head. 'Do Lord Easton and the Eurasian Harpy's have something to hide?' "Perhaps. I was following the Code of Conduct, and I am within the law. I have no fear in making a report to them of this incident." That was all he uttered, as he began to leave the room. "Lord Easton, please see to it that such an incident with this…Peacock… does not happen again. Certainly not in my presence." With his back to Lord Easton, he uttered the final words before walking out in search of new bath towels, "I will not overlook such conduct, the first time is a final time. For this was nothing but sheer madness, taking place in a music room, and this is now instead a room where screams and terror have been heard. This is a stain which does not belong."
The 'stain' Prince Fenn referred to was the Peacock Prince.