#you are depriving people of bus fic sir

[lauronk]

not me mentally writing so much of bus fic in my head today during and then coming home and my partner is using the computer to play silly little games with his silly little friends 🙄

[paws-and-claws-au]

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

Prologue, Ch.1, Ch.2,Ch.3, Ch.4

Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?

Chapter Summary: Prince Roman stops at an inn to rest after defeating a chimera that plagued a village...and meets an unusual man with an even more unusual suggestion.

Warnings: Mentions of a battle, that’s about it for this chapter. This fic features Morally Grey Deceit.

Pairings: Royality and Analogical

Word Count: 2,389

Song for this chapter: “The Storm” by The Arcadian Wild

AU Creator: @thegremlinprince

Fic Author: @ironwoman359

Available on AO3 here

Roman rode back into the village, tired, hungry, and with more than a few bumps and bruises, but victorious nonetheless. He smiled as a crowd formed behind him, their cheers following him into the town square. Once he reached the center of town, he paused and held his hand up. He waited for their shouts to did away into murmurs, then he spoke.

“People of Riversedge! The chimera that has plagued your fair village these past weeks is now dead! You may sleep in peace again, knowing your herds and children are safe from its jaws!”

The crowd erupted into more cheers, and Roman bowed.

“Please, Your Highness,” a voice to his right spoke above the ruckus, and Roman turned to see the head of the village council staring up at him. “Allow us to repay you in some way for what you’ve done for us.”

“No, my lady,” Roman declared with another bow. “I am merely doing my duty as your prince. It would be unbecoming for me to ask for a reward.”  

“I...Your Highness, it would be improper if we did not–”

“My lady,” Roman interrupted as he dismounted. “All that I ask of you is that you direct me towards a place in town where I may lay my head for the night, and a stable for my horse.”

“Oh! Of course, your highness, right this way.”

The crowd parted as Roman followed the head of the council through the streets until they reached a small inn at the edge of town.

“It is not much, but the beds are warm and the stable is dry, your highness,” the woman said with a bow.

“Thank you, my lady,” Roman replied, nodding his head in respect. “You honor me with your hospitality.”

Roman handed a gold coin and the reins of his horse to the stable boy out front then slipped into the inn before the woman could reply. Heads turned and voices paused as he entered, but he was used to this treatment and ignored it, heading instead straight for the man behind the counter who bowed low as Roman approached.

“Your Highness. We are humbled by your presence. For you, the finest room in the inn, at no charge of course...”

“That won’t be necessary, my good sir,” Roman interrupted. “I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of your well deserved revenue. How much?”

“I...Your Highness, I–”

“How much?” Roman repeated, and the innkeeper stammered out his price. Roman felt eyes watching him as he paid the man, but he was used to commoners staring whenever he brought out his coin purse, so he ignored the sensation and strode up the stairs.

He didn’t notice one pair of eyes that continued to follow him, didn’t see the owner of said eyes down the remaining contents of a steaming mug or hear the stranger mutter:

“Hmm...now that is very interesting.”

He simply found the room that was to be his, locked the door behind him, and flopped down onto the bed in what most would consider a very un-princely manner. But hey, there was nobody here to see him. What did it matter if he acted a bit undignified?

Roman sighed and began to strip away his armor, wincing in pain as the movement irritated the minor injuries he’d received in his tousle with the chimera. Honestly, he was lucky to have gotten away with only a few bumps and bruises...dodging the swipe of lion’s paws and blasts of fire breath had been no easy feat, to say nothing of dealing with the creature’s snake-tail. Roman pulled his chainmail shirt over his head...and froze.

His earlier assumption about nobody being there to see him had been inaccurate.

A bright pair of yellow eyes stared at him from the window, and Roman gripped his sword on instinct. He took a step forward, then let out a relieved sigh as he let his sword arm relax.

“Well, hello there.”

A black cat sat on the windowsill, its tail twitching back and forth as it trained unblinking eyes on the prince.

“You gave me quite a scare there,” Roman chuckled. “But you’re just a pretty little kitty, aren’t you?” He reached forward as if to pet the creature, but the cat hissed and arched its back, and Roman quickly pulled away. “Okay, okay! Goodness gracious, there’s no need for that kind of attitude.”

Roman swore the cat arched an eyebrow at him, but he dismissed it as his eyes playing tricks on his mind. It had been a very long day, after all.

“Well, I’d love to stay up and chat, pretty kitty, but a prince needs his beauty rest!” Roman bowed dramatically, then slid into bed. He blew out the candle on the side table and murky shadows engulfed the room. The cat did not move, its large yellow eyes unblinking as it watched Roman shuffle about under the blankets.

“Goodnight, pretty kitty,” Roman called sleepily before closing his eyes and letting himself be carried away into sleep.

---

The cat sat still for a moment, then it yawned, stretched, and hopped from Roman’s windowsill to the branch of a nearby tree. In a few moments it was on the ground, and it was about to slip away into the alley behind the inn when a voice called into the darkness, making it freeze.

“Well well well...this night is just full of unexpected faces.”

The cat slowly turned to see a familiar figure leaning against the wall of the inn, arms folded in front of him and one eyebrow quirked upwards.

“Now, the prince being at this inn at the same time as me? Crazy coincidence, but I can believe it. The prince and you being here at the same time? Even crazier, much harder to swallow, but not impossible, I ‘spose.”

The man leaned forward, the moonlight gleaming off the white thread embroidered into the hood of his cloak.

“But babe, I’m having trouble accepting that all three of us happened to be here on this fine summer’s eve.”

The man smirked as the cat glanced around and shifted its weight uncomfortably.

“So the question obviously is...were you following him, or were you following me?”

Silence filled the alley, and after a moment the man sighed.

“Then again, I guess now it doesn’t really matter. Go on then, run along.”

The cat’s ears twitched forward in surprise, and the man chuckled.

“What? I’m not gonna stop you. I know better than to get in his way.” The man turned to leave, but paused, glancing back over his shoulder at the cat. “Just, do me a favor and tell him this from me: just because you think you know what you’re doing doesn’t mean you aren’t being stupid.”

He winked, and with a swish of his cloak he was gone, rounding the corner to the front of the inn, and after a moment, the cat slunk away as well, leaving nothing but starlight left in the alley.

---

Roman made his entrance to the main room of the inn early the next morning, and was greeted with the smell of hot porridge cooking over an open fire.

“Your Highness!” the woman leaning over the pot cried in shock, bowing low. “I apologize, but breakfast is not ready for you! You’ve risen sooner than we’d thought you would and–”

“It is quite alright, my good lady,” Roman interrupted, raising his hand with a smile. “I can wait for a few minutes. It already smells delightful.”

The woman flushed pink before nodding in thanks and returning her attention to her work. Roman sat down, content to watch the embers glow in the fire for awhile, before he realized that he wasn’t alone in the open space. Sitting in the corner, quietly sipping from a mug of something hot, was a man wearing a long, black traveler’s cloak. The hood was lined with a fine, white embroidery, and the man had it drawn up, despite sitting indoors on a fair day.

And his eyes were trained right on Roman.

Roman gave a smile and a nod towards the man, being used to commoners staring at him in public, but what the stranger did next surprised even him. The man stood up and actually came towards Roman’s table.

“Prince Roman,” the man said, drawing his hood back as he approached and giving a small nod of respect. “I hope you won’t consider me too bold, but would you consider taking your breakfast with me? Eating alone is really such a bore”

Thoughts of what his father would say about such behavior briefly flitted through Roman’s mind, but he nodded and gestured to an empty chair across from him.

“I couldn’t agree more, sir…?”

“Remington,” the man supplied, taking his seat. “Though you can call me Remy, most folks do. Remington is such a mouthful, to be honest.”

“I suppose it is,” Roman agreed, eyeing the man curiously. While he didn’t appear to be more than ten years older than Roman himself, there was something odd about the way he carried himself...he had an air of confidence and ease that suggested youth, but his eyes, piercing and gray, seemed to hold much more wisdom and experience than one would expect from looking at the rest of him.

“Again, you will forgive my boldness,” Remy said, interrupting Roman’s thoughts. “But I simply can’t hold back my curiosity...what is the Crown Prince of Aromania and only heir to the throne doing fighting chimeras in the remote parts of the countryside?”

“You give me too much credit, sir,” Roman said, raising an eyebrow. “I am not yet the Crown Prince.”

Remy waved his hand dismissively.

“You will be within the year, if I’m remembering my dates right. Besides, Crown Prince or not, you’re still here, in Riversedge of all places, and now there’s one less chimera in the world. Forgive me for thinking so, but that’s a bit of an odd pastime for a prince.”

“Perhaps,” Roman said slowly. “But those who lived under that creature’s tyranny can now sleep a little more soundly at night. Isn’t that what the goal of a prince should be? To protect his people from whatever may wish to do them harm?”

“A prince could easily just order his soldiers to investigate chimera reports,” Remy countered.

“Ah…” Roman looked down, clasping his hands together. “Well, a prince could not easily do that...the Crown Prince could...but again, I do not yet hold that title.”

Remy folded his arms, staring at Roman pointedly.

“The statement still stands, it is odd for someone of your stature to concern yourself with what many others in your position may call too trivial, or too dangerous, to handle personally.”

“Who are you?” Roman asked, staring in disbelief at the stranger he’d found himself debating with. He talked with the wit and confidence of a nobleman, but his clothes suggested he was middle class at best.

“Just a traveler,” Remy said with another wave of his hand. “I’m in town to look for the rare herbs that grow in this part of the riverbank.” He fixed Roman with a pointed stare, and Roman swallowed. “You still have not answered. Why are you here?”

Roman clenched his hands into fists.

“It’s my duty to be a leader,” he answered eventually. “ Someday, a king. And a king who leads others where he himself would not go or gives orders that he himself would not carry out is nothing more than a coward hiding behind a crown.”

Remy’s eyes widened, and he leaned back in his chair, regarding Roman with a new expression.

“The words of King Thomas,” he said simply, and Roman nodded.

“From the speech he gave at his coronation. You’ve read it?”

“Yes…” Remy murmured, almost to himself. “I...have read it, on occasion.” He shook his head, then looked back to Roman. “He is an admirable man to have as a role model.”

“He was the best king Aromania’s ever had,” Roman stated, and Remy nodded thoughtfully.

“I may just be inclined to agree with you.”

He suddenly got to his feet, and Roman was so startled that he stood as well.

“Well, Prince Roman, I must be on my way. But if to help and protect the innocent is what you desire…”

“Yes?” Roman asked, cocking his head.

“It may serve you well to travel along the river to the east. After a day’s ride or so, you’ll come upon a small settlement, barely a village anymore. Any people who are left would tell you to steer clear of the tower on the hill. I would tell you otherwise. You may find yourself in the face of danger the likes of which you’ve never seen, but behind it all lies a lonely soul that is desperate need of help.”

“Wha-”

“It’s been many years, and not once has the right person ever been able to breach those tower walls...but if there is anyone left in Aromania who’d be able to, it may just be you.” Remy bowed then, and pulled his hood back over his head. “It was a pleasure, Your Highness.”

Then he was gone, his cloak whipping out behind him as he exited the inn. Roman stared after him, trying to figure out what exactly he’d just been told.

“Oh my...what did old Remy say now?” the woman at the cooking pot asked, and Roman turned.

“You know him? Who is he?”

“Oh, just a traveler we see here often,” she sighed, glancing down at her porridge. “He’s some kind of herbalist I think, he always comes through here and picks the plants that grow on the riverbank. But he’ll sometimes have the strangest conversations with people...on more than one occasion he’s scared a potential customer away!” She shook her head, and looked at Roman apologetically. “I’m sorry if he bothered you, Your Highness.”

“No...no bother,” Roman muttered, before he turned and bowed to the woman, making her blush. “My lady, thank you for your hospitality. It was most appreciated.”

“Oh, will you not stay for breakfast then?”

“No…” Roman said, looking towards the door. “I believe that I shall get an early start on traveling...”

“I see,” the woman nodded. “Returning to the capitol?”

“Not just yet,” Roman answered. “First...I must ride east.” 

Prologue, Ch.1, Ch.2 Ch.3, Ch.4

A/N: I am getting SO excited for this next chapter...I had an idea of how this chapter was going to go, but as per usual, Roman just wanted to steal the show completely, and it turns out, Remy does the same thing, and I made the mistake of putting them in a room together, so it ended up not going exactly like I thought XD. But I like how it turned out, and am very excited for what comes next! Grim and I have been talking about lore and world building stuff more, and I’m super stoked to share more of this world with you guys! Thanks for all your support, it means the world to us!  -Taylor, aka, Iron. 

AU Creator: @thegremlinprince

Other fics by @ironwoman359​ 

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