The smile-- if that was what it was, if it could even be called such a thing-- was unexpected, and made Tamlin's ears flick in alarm.  His dark eyes widened as they stuck on those long, brutal-looking fangs, and the stare the demon was giving him was anything but friendly.  Panic flared in his chest, making his stomach twist, and he quickly glanced away, not caring if it made him seem like a coward.<br/><br/>Naviin saw the smile, and though he couldn't see his brother's reaction, he felt the urge to draw his sword.  Thank the gods he'd been forced to leave it in his rooms; he didn't know if he could trust himself enough not to use it today.<br/><br/>The King and Queen had some servants lead the way for Minas and her company, and then, the Dark Elves were left alone.  The room was silent except, and then Naviin spoke.  His voice was forced, almost strangled, as it fought its way past the fury in his throat.<br/><br/>"And so, we are bought.  A whore could have made a better deal--"  His words were stopped with the hardness of King Vuren's hand against his cheek, leaving a searing heat and a thin cut from one of the many rings his father was wearing.  Tamlin flinched at the noise of the slap.<br/><br/>"We have done what we must," Riasa said calmly, standing up and smoothing the front of her elaborate dress.  "And you will both do what you must, if we are to make this work."  She turned a cool gaze to Naviin, sitting silent in his seat while a dark blot of blood welled against his skin.  "Be grateful for your place.  We could have changed our minds."<br/><br/>It could have been Naviin in Tamlin's situation; it would not be ideal in the least, but the threat was real.  Neither prince spoke as the King and Queen prepared to leave.  "You will both attend the feast, you will both smile and play along, and you will both act according to your stations.  Do not be late."  Vuren closed the Council room door behind him and his wife.<br/><br/>Tamlin hesitated to look at Naviin, just a careful glance out of the corner of his eyes.  His brother was immobile, sitting in his chair with his hands gripping the arms so hard his nails had dug into the wood.  Slowly, the younger prince stood up, stepped towards the elder, and reached out a hand towards the other's wounded cheek.<br/><br/>"Don't."  Tamlin stopped immediately, knowing the tone.  It was low, quiet, and ultimately so much more frightening.  When Naviin yelled, he was angry; when he was soft, he was beyond furious.  To touch him now would bring down the fragile, brittle wall holding him together.<br/><br/>So instead, Tam lowered his arm, and perched on the edge of the table, awkwardly sitting with Naviin in a whirlwind of, ultimately, defeat.  "<i>Onna</i>, I--"<br/><br/>"Save it."  Naviin's piercing stare was on him, and Tam could practically feel the suffering warmth of the fire in his eyes.  "Save your pity for yourself, Tamlin.  Little Bird.  You're the one who needs it."  He stood up fast, the chair striking the floor and making Tamlin jump in his skin.  Then he grabbed Tam, grey hand holding his brother's jaw tightly.<br/><br/>"You see?" he asked, voice low and dangerous as he showed the side of his face, the remnants of Ranuk's clawmarks vivid as they raked through his flesh.  "You best hope your future husband can hold his temper better than I.  You're soft, Tam.  You won't make it if you stay soft."<br/><br/>Naviin let go, having scared his brother enough; he could see it in the young prince's eyes, those black pools that were always so full of feeling, so damningly open and too easy to read.  He was a fool, they all were, including himself...  None of this should be happening.  Without another word, Naviin wiped the blood from his cheek and stormed out, and Tamlin was left to himself.<br/><br/>Tears pricked at those dark eyes.  This was all so unfair, so impossible to endure...  But he had to, they all had to.  There was no other choice-- a slow defeat, or an immediate one.  He blinked until his eyes felt dry, the hurt contained just enough, and he slipped out of the room, wanting to find somewhere to hide, to rest and pretend things were alright.<br/><br/>As Ranuk wandered the halls with another demon in tow, looking for anywhere that let in the fresh mountain air, he would find something like a garden in the middle of the castle-- it was open to the sky, the castle built around it to enclose the space, a spot of green among all the grey stone.  Most of the plants were decorative, flowering shrubs and long, flowing grasses, but there were several fruit trees, laden heavy enough to make the slimmer branches bow in the light breeze.  It was a peaceful little spot, quiet and seemingly empty, but the sharp senses of a demon would reveal they were not alone.<br/><br/>Tamlin liked the garden, one of a few that were scattered through the palace grounds.  This one was farther away from the hustle and bustle, often empty, and right now the illusion of privacy was alluring.  He wasn't completely by himself though; Jera was with him, his servant and quite probably his only true friend.  The man was talking about some of what he'd seen the demons carrying when they had arrived, the kinds of strange items and whatnot they had brought.  His idle voice rolled over Tam's ears, a distraction from the tangle of his mind.<br/><br/>And Jera wasn't bothered by being a distraction, was very good at it.  "And they had a<i>huge</i>chest, I mean twice the size of the demons carrying it; I have no idea what was inside, but gods I would've liked to take a peek, I think..."  He took a big bite out of the apple he'd been tossing in the air, the crunch loud and just rude enough to make Tamlin crack a faint smile.  Jera treated Tam like a person, not a prince, and he was so thankful for it.<br/><br/>"Best to stay out of their way...  Curiosity isn't a trait everyone appreciates."<br/><br/>Jera made a tsking sound around the apple chunk in his mouth.  His gaze vaguely scanned the garden, but once he saw the two demons, his crimson eyes widened; unable to talk with his mouth full, he lightly tapped at Tamlin's shoulder, and the elf turned to look.  "What...?"  Then it was his turn to be on alert, ever wary as he watched Ranuk and his companion.