ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ sᴇʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ - advanced roleplay discussion

Along the roof of the palace are many terraces, as well as balconies. Some are used more than others, guards usually patrol regularly.

The day was coming to an end, and yet, it seemed to just be getting started for Aurora Richards. See, she was avoiding a visitor of the palace, one that she had given.. a tour, of sorts. Let's just say, it included a lot more action than most assumed. Needless to say, he had expected a one night stand, and that was all Aurora had been thinking. Now she was a woman who could run in heels, running away from a man dying for her to be his. But, Aurora wasn't anyone's. She was her own person, and no one else. That was unless and sex-loving, insanely attractive, dominantly possessive man came along. But, she hadn't found that yet. So until then, she was no ones. Aurora escaped into the rooftop terrace, knowing that no one would find her up there. She ignored the looks of the guards as she walked by and proceeded to lean against the railing, looking off into the sky. Times like this she thought about her family. The only people who had the luxury of seeing her all the time. Most people saw her at night, and then never again.

Renley had been up since dawn, carrying out his respective duties and ensuring everything was in order. Now he was on his way to the roof for a well deserved break. It wasn't a secret that Renley had something of a cigarette habit. He'd been trying to break it for months now and finally he was down to his last packet which contained only three of the damned things. Walking up the stairway now he reached into his pocket and took one of the cigarettes, jamming it between his lips as he pushed open the door and stepped out onto the terrace. It was a clear day, the sun was high in the sky and the few visible clouds barely made a stain on the horizon. Squinting in the bright light he wandered over to his usual corner and leant against the wall, lighting up the cigarette and taking a long drag. Renley felt a calm wash over him as the smoke filled his lungs and the craving he'd had finally began to dissipate. He breathed out and flicked ash off the roof, turning to look back over the terrace. Habitually the cigarette went to his mouth again only this time he faltered, something or rather someone on the roof had caught his attention. Across the terrace leant against the wall was a pretty dark haired girl, the kind of girl you only saw in magazines. Raven hair, dark eyes and the kind of enigmatic beauty that could draw the attention of any man. Renley instantly felt embarrassed, in a quick snap decision he flicked the remains of the cigarette off the side of the roof and hastily grabbed a piece of gum from his pocket. Two whole cigarettes left, that was it. Then he'd quit. Casually as to not draw her attention Renley took a walk around the edge of the roof, as if simply doing his rounds. As he reached her he raised a brow, "M'am, if I could ask you to stay away from the edge of the roof?" he asked, using the polite voice he usually maintained for talking to the royals. It was protocol of course, the terrace was old and the walls were crumbling in places, the last thing he wanted was for someone to get hurt on his watch.

Aurora had barely noticed the entrance of another person onto the terrace. Her senses picked up on the footsteps through the ground, and her ears noted that it was most likely a guy from the lack of heel clicking and louder steps. She wanted to look, she always did. But she never let herself. It made her look like she didn't care, as if she already knew she was better than whoever just entered her atmosphere. Thankfully however she didn't even have to turn, her peripheral vision allowing her to view him without even glancing to the side. He seemed to be smoking a cigarette, though once he noticed her however he hastily threw it to the side. Aurora's attention shifted towards the clouds and wondering what shapes or animals or just nouns in general that they looked like. For instance, one looked kind of like a bunny holding some ice cream, while another simply looked like a heptagon. And then, she heard his voice. She found herself smiling to herself, but she didn't bother to look at him still. "I'm not a ma'am, I'm twenty-five. Ma'am should be used for those who're middle aged, not young people like myself. I prefer 'Miss'." She explained, still leaning against the wall. She peered down, looking down to where the ground stood many feet away. Aurora figured that there was probably something unstable about the terrace, and he was trying to keep to keep her safe. She let out an effortless sigh, straightening herself up for a moment before she leaned against the wall again, smirking. "What do you think causes more damage," A pause for effect, and a turn of her head and finally making some eye contact. "Falling off the terrace, or smoking a full pack of cigarettes?" Her brow was raised and the smirk was still on her pink lips. Dark eyes glittered with mischief as she eyed her newest acquaintance, wondering how he would react to her teasing.

Renley blanched slightly as the young woman gave him something of a lecture for his improper use of the word ma'am. He wasn't exactly one for formalities and was simply trying to be polite, any attempt to remain that way quickly dissipated though as she scolded him. Renley rolled his eyes and cast a far off glance towards the trees in the distance, he really didn't get women and it was always the pretty ones that seemed to enjoy sassing him. Lingering on those thoughts for a brief second Renley returned his attention to the woman in front of him, amending is statement to fit her preferred title, "Fine miss," he began putting extra emphasis on that word, the ghost of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "If you could step away from the edge of the roof?" Of course she didn't comply, they never did and this one seemed to be making it her mission to really wind him up. Thankfully Renley was in the mood for games and well if she wanted to play, she'd better be ready to take on a pro. He watched as she made a concerted effort to lean against the ancient architecture and absently clucked his tongue. "Well don't say I didn't warn you," he muttered, as if preparing for the wall to give way at any second. Her next question confused him, he wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at. Renley could only watch as she continued her little tirade, finally setting her dark eyes on him. His gaze drifted from her dark eyes to her mouth where a lingering smile played about her lips. Renley was still looking at her mouth when the last of her question caught him off guard. He actually flushed a little, eyes widening slightly in surprise. So she'd seen him, she'd seen him the cigarettes. Renley sighed, staring at her for a moment as he attempted to form words again, "Well I guess I'm a hypocrite if ever you saw one, but I still think I'd take my chance with the cigarettes.." he threw a wary glance at the crumbling brickwork before looking at the girl again, "Now are you going to step back or am going to have to ask again miss.....?" Renley trailed off, leaving the question hanging. He wanted to know her name and he was curious as to just why she was up on the roof at this time of the day.

Carter sat near the edge of the roof, the ledge sticking out a bit farther than that. Ever since the first night he came up here, this was one of the few spots he could go and not be bothered. Not that many people came to talk to him in the first place. It was just that wherever he went, one of the royal children or extended family seemed to be, so he had to leave. Bastard children were frowned upon by everyone, so everyone thought they were better than an innocent child. Ha, innocent. Carter had been called enough things in his young age that he could insult and hurt a grown man just by the words he had been called. And so this was his refuge, a place where he could just come to think, or to draw. Anything that could for once, make the terrible people of the world disappear for a little bit.

((Sorry it's so short!!))

Kiyana didn't like all the hustle and bustle that was stirring the castle up like a shaken bee hive. Sure, she was happy there were lots of girls, emphasis on were, in the castle to make friends with, but with reporters and photographers all over the place to document things, and items being moved around all the time for better looking 'shots' she was getting rather tired of getting lost just so a picture could look pretty. They were moving items that hadn't been moved since she was born, items she used to identify where she was and where to go. So needless to say, she was more than a little cranky about everything being moved around, especially when she got lost and was stuck waiting for a maid, guard or one of her siblings to find her, then she could get pretty snippy, though no one really blamed her when it came down to it.

As it was, the only place where she didn't have to worry about getting lost, no one moved around the stuff on the roof, which she was grateful for. The only other place that was safe was her room, and that was because no one was allowed to touch or move her stuff out of fear of causing her to trip or hurt herself on it since she didn't know it was there. For a little kid, she was surprisingly particular about a lot of things in her room and where it all goes.

Stepping out onto the terrace, she turned her head to see if she could hear anyone and closed the door behind her. She walked along for a little while on the rooftop, until a small noise made her realize someone else was up there. Seeing as how it was rather quiet and empty, she knew who it was immediately. Carter. She'd heard him up here lots of times when things got busy, and it made her sad that he couldn't join in stuff. He was her brother after all, just as much a brother as any of her others. So when she realized it was him, she grinned widely and said happily, "Big Brother!!" and moved with open arms towards where she hoped Carter was at.

Carter sat watching the sun in the sky, falling farther and farther toward the horizon as he drew. The pencil in his hand moved so quickly it was as if it was only one of his fingers skimming the paper. He had been an artist for as long as he could remember, and by now, the pencil or brush he was using was just an extension of his arm. Carter cleared his head of everything but the sketch at the moment, just to get everything out of his head when he had the opportunity. He heard someone call out and jumped, his pencil flying out of his hand and over the edge of the roof, hurtling down to the gardens below. Carter sighed and looked around. The only person who considered him a brother (since he was) was ____ (insert little sister's name), but he didn't see her. As he moved to stand up, a small body was thrown into his arms, hugging him. Carter stood there for a second before hugging Kiyana back. "Um, hi. What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be downstairs with everyone else?"

Kiya lifted her face so she could smile up at him. "Hi Carter." she giggled, glad he hugged her back. For a split second, she was worried she had hugged a guard or something by mistake (it would not be the first time either). When he asked why she wasn't downstairs, she merely shrugged and said, "Its too busy down there, and everything keeps getting moved around so I'm lost all the time. But up here, I don't get lost, so I came up here...d-do you not want me to be up here with you?" she asked, pouting up at him with big eyes.

Carter kind of half smiled back at her, though she couldn't even see it. Kiyana always seemed the child who merged Carter with the "regular" Schreaves the most. He was her brother, it seemed, just as much as Oliver, Xander, and Zane. "Oh, okay. Um, n-no, it's fine. You can stay up here, if you'd like. I might go downstairs and get another pencil, though, in a bit. I dropped mine," he said simply.

Kiyana bit her lip. "oops....you were drawing again, weren't you?" she asked, looking abashed. "I should have knowed you would be up here drawing. I must have made you dropped your pencil when I hugged you." she realized. She wasn't sure if she should go with him to get a new pencil so he could draw or stay up here on the roof. It probably wasn't a good idea for her to be alone anywhere, but at the same time there was probably a guard around somewhere to keep an eye on her if needed. They were really quiet sometimes, the guards, so she didn't always realize they were there.

Carter nodded. He remembered a second later that she couldn't see him, and he had to break his usual habit of talking the least amount he needed. "Yeah, I was. But it's okay. Don't worry about it. And actually, I dropped it before you even hugged me. I just jumped after you called out to me. I didn't think anyone else was up here." Carter reached down and picked his journal up, setting it on the ledge closer to him, so he could continue talking to Kiyana.

Kiyana smiled and reached out to find something to sit on, her hands waving around until they made contact with a seat and she moved to sit down. "Okay. I'm sorry for making you jump." she said after a moment. "I almost thought I was by myself up here until I heard you drawing."

Carter watched as she flailed her arms until he finally reached out and guided her to where he was sitting. "It's okay," he said quietly. "You didn't mean to. And you shouldn't really be up here, you know. Everyone will be looking for you. They've been doing a lot of family interviews and such lately, and everyone will most certainly want to hear from the baby of the family, won't they?" Carter was flipping through his sketchbook, some just random doodles all the way to elaborate drawings and the beginnings of paintings. "I can escort you down to the Drawing Room, if you'd like." Carter was polite when he needed to be, and basically silent when he didn't.

Normally, Kiyana would object about getting help in finding the seat, she'd normally look stubborn in the cutest way possible and say that she could do it and stomp one of her little feet for emphasis. But, today was not a normal day. She had had to make guesses over everything today, the only place that was safe from that was her room and eventually, she would get tired of being in there. She missed being able to roam the castle freely and visit the kitchen and play with the maids and everything, but it was hard to do that when everything was always being moved around for the reporters benefit. To be truthful, she would be happy when all this was over and everything was put back the way it was supposed to be so she could walk around the castle again without fear of getting lost. When Carter spoke about the reporters and taking her down to them if she wanted, Kiya shook her head. "No, I don't want to go down there." she said softly, swinging her feet on the bench. "They're so noisy and move around so much stuff that I would be lost and unable to find my way the whole time, and I hate feeling like that. I'd much rather stay up here with you, big brother, if you don't mind." She tilted her head in his general direction. "We don't have to keep talking if you don't want, I know you don't talk a lot so we don't have to. I just want to stay away from all that chaos for a little while longer." she admitted softly.

It was at that moment the door to the roof opened and out stepped Oliver. His hair was slightly wet, curly like it got after a day at the beach, which was where he'd just been. He was still wearing swim trunks and a simple shirt, sandals on his feet, having just gotten back from his date with Adeline. When he saw Carter and Kiyana, he smiled at his siblings. Holding up a hand, a pencil glinted between two of his fingers. "Lose something?" He asked, giving a laugh as he walked towards them. "I was on the way to my room to change and this tapped me in the forehead. Almost hit my eye. I'd only be half as handsome if I had a hole where one of my eyes went, you know." He joked, clearly in a good mood. He held out the pencil to Carter when he got close enough, before leaning to kiss Kiya's forehead. "Hello there, princess. Hanging out with Carter, I see?" He had suspected Kiyana wouldn't enjoy the fuss of the selection, everyone bustling around and moving everything.

In truth, he'd caught snippets of their conversation, voices floating down the stairway as he walked to catch up with them. He'd heard Carter's comment, barely because his voice had been so quiet, about everyone wanting to hear from the baby of the family. And it made him sad. He knew that no one, no reporter, would even look Carter's way. If they saw a "real" member of the royal family, they practically trampled over each other to get an interview. But Carter had been ignored so long, they must barely even notice when he's in the room by now, except to watch in wait for him to make a mistake or do something wrong. Oliver knew, in a time where everyone had someone to talk to and everything was busy, Carter must have been painfully lonely. It made him sad to know his half-brother was being kept in the shadows while everyone else was in the spotlight. Even Carter's mother would get some attention, as the king's mistress, and trash magazines whispering about whether Oliver would be adulterous, like his dad. Oliver knew all these things. He only wished he had more time to spend with his siblings. Being the heir, the one who was having the selection, he had very little time. Little time for bonding with Carter, little time with making sure Kiya was getting around okay. It was like he was failing as a big brother, and that bothered him to no end. But some things couldn't be helped.

Carter thought she would protest to the help. but perhaps most people around the castle were just in a relatively good mood lately. Something about the selection seemed to make every go absolutely insane. It was quite nice for Carter, really. No one talked to him, he didn't talk to them. It was an unspoken agreement, at least between him and every reporter that even came near the castle. Family was a bit more difficult, though. They knew you were there, and would talk to you, but they never really meant it. Besides Kiya, of course. Being as young and innocent as she was, the evil of the world hadn't quite taken over her yet, as it did everyone, in at least a small part.

All of a sudden, Oliver walked through the half-open door and noticed them right away. "Sorry," was all Carter said as he reached out to take his pencil back from Oliver, and slipping it into his sketchbook. Oliver spoke to Kiya and Carter opened his sketchbook, just for something to do, and to look like he actually had something to do. He liked to think art was the one thing he wasn't terrible at. He actually had quite a talent for it, but being Carter, all he would ever see was "not terrible compared to everything else I do". No one really ever saw his art, though, so he didn't even have other opinions to base his criticism on. Carter leaned slightly away from the two, just so his sketches would be slightly covered from where Oliver was standing. He thought about going down to the gardens to draw for a bit, now that Oliver was back. He would probably be expected back down with his selected, or would sit and talk with Kiya for a bit. Carter didn't want to intrude on their brother/sister time, so he stood up to find another place to draw.

In all reality, Kiyana was very tired. She wandered around lost in the castle more often then she actually got to where she wanted to go, needless to say that burned through her energy just trying to get from point A to point B. She heard Oliver join them and smiled. Oliver was her favorite sibling for more than one reason so when he bent to kiss her forehead, she lifted her arms to hug him around his neck. "Hiya Ollie~" she chirruped happily, using the nickname he gave her special permission to use. "Of course, I like hanging out with big brother Carter too, but I don't get to see him often enough to do so." she said with a little pout, trying and failing to mask a yawn.

She felt rather than heard Carter stand up and immediately reached out to snag Carter's shirt. "Wait! Don't go." she said, looking sad. "I wanna spend time with you. I can be with Ollie whenever, but time with you is extra special. Please stay?"

Oliver had guessed Carter might move to leave as soon as he joined them. It wasn't the first time he'd done so. Maybe that was why it was so hard to have a relationship with his half brother. Oliver entered, Carter left. Well, not this time. Oliver immediately threw a hand up, "Woah, hold on. The little lass is right." He gave a small smile, "I'm the intruder here, I'll leave."

Part of him wanted to just... talk. Whether Carter liked him or not, Oliver kind of felt like he was the only one who would understand right now. Around pretty much everyone, Oliver always watched what he said and did, careful to consider his words before saying them out loud. After doing so his whole life, it was pretty natural, but after the mess that was his selection, he didn't want to hold back. He wanted to rant. He wanted to complain, to bitch, to moan over the stupidity of it all. He wanted to say one bad thing, bad talk one person, just say one insulting thing. He didn't want to be polite or charming, or say the nice thing he could say. It was weird because he never liked insulting people but everyone reached a breaking point, and Oliver was almost there. He was certain Carter would understand that. But I guess we'll never have that kind of "bitch about life and drink alcohol" kind of relationship...

Oliver smiled at Kiya. "You have fun with big brother Carter, okay? I'll see you later, princess." He ruffled her hair with his hand and looked back up at Carter, giving him an understanding nod, beginning to back up to the door. He had dates to go on, after all.

Carter looked at the both of them, though only Oliver could actually see Carter. They shared a look, Carter completely surprised Oliver would be the one to leave so that Kiya could spend time with him. Carter thought for a second as Oliver nodded then turned towards the door. "Kiya, you seem a bit tired, am I correct? How about you get some sleep and I promise I will spend time with you tomorrow?" Carter didn't know what he was doing (or why) until after he had done it. For once, Carter actually wanted to talk to someone. This was a feeling that was overwhelming him from the little use it played in his life, as Oliver began to walk away. Carter had been feeling particularly awful that night, which was the reason he was actually up there in the first place. He thought no one could possibly understand. Except for one person, who had done the exact same thing years before. Oliver's siblings had saved him then, maybe that's what Carter needed to save him now. "Oliver, do you...do you have any time? Or are you busy?" He asked nervously. "If you are, that's okay."

Kiya frowned at his words, but knew when she wasn't wanted around from his tone of voice. "I'll go." She said softly, moving to the door and out of sight.

Oliver had just been reaching for the door when he heard Carter speak to him. He opened his mouth as he watched Kiya run off, about to call after her, but thought better of it as he focused on Carter. He actually wants to spend time with me? That certainly had never happened before. Carter usually was in no hurry to be around Oliver, or even in the same room with him. A chill went down his spine as he thought of the boldest memory he had of this roof, of that night. Was it on Carter's mind as well? Oliver had remembered Carter being there, keeping his distance. He hadn't been sure why he'd been there, except that his siblings had banded together to stop him. He could still remember making the choice, taking the step, arms out wide to embrace death. He had been jumping, but his brothers- Zane & Xander- had grabbed him and hauled him back on the roof. That night had been his lowest point. Everyone now seemed to laugh it off, not talk about it. When they did, they acted like Oliver had done some heroic thing and decided to live. It hadn't been heroic, and living hadn't been my choice.

Now he didn't regret that choice, but it still made him uneasy. Was the look he saw on Carter's face the look he had that night? Was their thoughts on the same memory? Either way, Oliver gave a small smile and released the door handle, walking back over to him. "I have a few minutes." He replied easily, sitting on the edge of the roof so his legs could dangle off. Looking down made him dizzy, but he looked anyway, taking a deep breath. It helped him stay sane, somehow, to know the option was there.

Carter stood with his head down, feeling stupid for even asking the questions. Oliver is the crown prince, he has a selection, and probably lots of family promises. Why would he have any extra time to spend up on the roof, doing nothing but have a stupid conversation with Carter. He sat back down on the edge of the roof, where he had been sitting before, his legs dangling from the stone. Carter looked out over the city, and finally down. Sure, it was a far way down, but it seemed the only place that was accepting him openly. "N-Nevermind. You're busy. And Kiya is probably getting lost right now, anyway." Carter waited for the sound of the door to close and finally did, closing his eyes and leaning forward only slightly before Oliver spoke again, making Carter jump. He sat back up as Oliver sat on the ledge next to him. "Thanks. I mean, sorry, you're probably missing something." Because of me. It always was his fault, wasn't it?

Oliver laughed, "Only a bunch of girls vying for my attention. I can do without them for a moment." He nudged Carter lightly with his elbow, "Family comes first, and until I say "I do" to one of them, they're not family." Oliver looked out to the view, which was spectacular from this part of the roof. "I have a date with this girl named Adeline, and she's fairly patient and understanding, so if I told her I was spending time with you, I think she'd understand." For a moment Oliver was quiet, fumbling with the sleeve of his shirt, but finally he spoke, "You know... After this whole selection thing... Everything's going to change, isn't it?" His tone was soft, thoughtful. Oliver hadn't actually spent any time dealing with any of this, he was just going with the flow. But in truth, he was completely terrified. How did my dad and grandmother ever get through this? He wondered, taking a deep breath.

A small smile appeared on Carter's face, the rare appearance of quite a nice smile. He listened as Oliver spoke about family and his date -someone named Adeline?- quietly. Carter preferred family over others, simply because he would have to talk to others to get to know them better. Most of his family didn't seem to like him much, but that seemed like the lesser of two evils for him. And then the topic that was undoubtedly going to appear anyway: the selection. Carter was silent for another moment, just looking out over the city, the colors of lights in the dark making the artist in him wish he had his paint with him. "I think…it'll change for most people. You'll be married, after all. There will be someone new living in the castle, not to mention probably even more reporters." The one thing Carter didn't mention, though, was how it would affect him. It was just one more person to push the bastard child away and into the shadows, away from some of the only people who actually tolerated him.

It was an answer Oliver expected, but one he enjoyed hearing anyway. "Yeah... Marriage... Gods. It makes me feel old. Which is weird, because I know my dad got married at the same age, and so have generations of Schreave princes... It's just all a bit fast. And then there will be talk of heirs and... everything." Coronations, honeymoons, more selections for my siblings... Oliver counted off in his head. Glancing back towards Carter, he smiled back at him, and in an attempt to lighten the mood, he tried for a joke. "You'll still be around though. Lurking in the shadows, but still around. I could introduce you to some of my former selected once this is all over, you know." He grinned, until he realized this probably sounded incredibly condescending, like he was offering Carter his leftovers. Oliver gave a nervous, uncomfortable laugh, "Sorry, bad joke. This selection has even my humor out of whack." He turned his gaze away, rubbing the back of his neck like he usually did when he sensed awkwardness.

Carter nodded. "Yeah. It sounds strange. Glad I won't have to do it, though." And he was telling the truth. One thing he didn't mind about being the bastard child was that he wouldn't have a selection. Or, he didn't think he would. He'd like to have his own choice, in his own time. Carter listened to him and smiled politely, knowing he was trying to joke around with him. He did "lurk in the shadows", though. He knew it as well as everyone else. "I-I'm alright, thank you. I may not have a selection, but I've got time. And it's fine." He was nervous, obviously about the selection and everything else happening in his life. Carter hated that, though, that he had to be someone even his family had to be nervous around. It was positively awful, yet he didn't know how to change it.

It wasn't just Carter. Oliver had been a bundle of nerves all week. He'd barely spent enough time relaxing with his family, and he'd even felt awkward around Cyrus, the one person he'd never felt awkward around, ever. Though that was a whole other bundle of conflicting feelings he didn't really want to think about. Seeing that Carter hadn't taken offense to it, however, he spoke again, "If you're sure... If you change your mind, let me know. I could set you up with a dance or two at the Masquerade Ball. I'll be your wing-brother." He winked, "Get it? Brother, because I'm your brother, and wing, as in wing-man.... yeah." I'm really missing my usual joke-mojo. Sighing internally, Oliver took a deep breath. "Honestly, thought, I wouldn't mind if we changed places." His voice grew softer as he gazed out towards the gardens. "I've always kind of envied you, Carter. I don't mean this rudely, but no one expects anything from you. You don't have a bunch of responsibility on your shoulders, responsibility you never asked for or wanted. You can go in public and do things and have a life. You could pursue any life you want, like your art, all that drawing you do. You're... free. I've always kind of been a bit jealous of that. I know you probably wouldn't want to trade places with me, but there's been a few times I wished you were the prince and I was the bastard son." He almost added, You have all the luxuries with none of the scrutiny. But that seemed too rude. That wasn't Oliver's intention. Even so, he glanced down to the drop below, shivering as he thought of that night again. Freedom, the simplest thing, yet at such a cost.

Carter tried to memorize the scene in front of him, the lights and the buildings and the sky, so he would be able to paint it later. He must've had dozens of paintings and drawings that seemed like this one, from how much he was out there. Each time he made them different, but someone without an artistic eye would rarely be able to tell the difference between them. Carter nodded again, an actual laugh (however small) coming out of him at Oliver's attempt at a joke. "I…might have someone to dance with there. Maybe. I don't know. If she wants to." Carter looked up quickly as Oliver began to speak again, saying he wouldn't mind if they traded places. "Are you insane? Oliver, everyone loves you. You're practically a too celebrity here, with how much everyone in the country wants to hear about what's happening with you. Yeah, you have a lot of responsibility, but that's one of the reasons why everyone likes you. You handle it all so well. You know what I get? I get a room, in the castle. Which shouldn't even belong to me. I'm…I'm nothing." After his rant, Carter began to fall back into the never-ending hole inside of him. The darkness below where the two sat wasn't helping much, either. "No one notices me, I haven't been asked a single question about the selection, while practically everyone at the castle with an important job or title has had an entire interview. I don't what freedom is, Oliver, but this isn't it. I'm judged every time I say something, or take a step outside my room. All I've ever wanted was to be you. You couldn't possibly want to be in my place."

ℰlle wrote: "Renley blanched slightly as the young woman gave him something of a lecture for his improper use of the word ma'am. He wasn't exactly one for formalities and was simply trying to be polite, any att..."

He was quite the looker. Aurora tended to mess with men no matter what they looked like, just to have some fun. Some men she regrets messing with, as then they try to get with her when thats the last thing she wants. But this one? No, he was a good looker. So it was alright. It was cute how he thought he could play this game with her and walk away as though he had won. She caught him off guard, and she knew it too once he looked at her, confused. His gaze sat on her lips and she continued to speak until he stood there, flushed. He was surprised of course, as he probably didn't think she had noticed. Aurora stood still, against the wall and listening to what he had to say. He seemed like a good boy at heart, someone who was just trying to do his job. Sighing, Aurora stepped away from the edge, looking down at the crumbling floor. "There you go, I stepped away. Now the world is safe and there will be no precious damsels in distress. Feel free to go back to your stress relieving cigarettes." Aurora told him, gracefully setting herself down in a nearby seat as she looked out towards the clouds again, staring at more heptagons and bunnies carrying ice cream.

Was this really how Carter felt? Oliver turned very serious, gazing at his half-brother. "You're not nothing." He said it shortly, like it was a fact. Looking away, he sighed. "You have a lot to offer, Carter. The things I have to offer are... not even mine. Riches, nobility, fame. That's all just stuff that I've been given, that I don't want. And I get to give it to someone else. The thing is though... I don't want to. I want love, I do, but... The girl I marry will never be the same. She'll be... a caged bird at a zoo, for people to gawk at because she'll be the next queen. I won't be able to take her out, to walk with her in public. Any visits to her home will put her entire province in an uproar. She'll be poked, prodded, peered at. If I fall for any of these girls, I’m not even sure I’d want to put her in that position.” He was off on a tangent and he knew it. “I just mean… Don’t count yourself out. I know you feel like you’re the odd one out, but I really would do anything to trade places with you.” Turning, he swung his legs over the roof side they were sitting on and stood on the roof, looking down one more time.

Putting a hand on Carter’s shoulder for a second, he looked down at him. “And love aside, you have a lot to offer as a brother and friend, too. Don’t let the reporters bother you too much, okay?” Squeezing his shoulder, Oliver released him and walked towards the door, but he paused, looking back at him. “We should talk more like this, you know. You can come to me if you want. It’ll make for a good distraction from this whole circus I’m involved in.” He smiled, that happy-go-lucky Oliver smile. Though his mind still was on the height of the fall from the roof to the ground below, and that step he took so long ago. His siblings had stopped him. He only hoped that, if Carter was ever in a similar place, Oliver could be there for him, too. Waving, Oliver slipped out the door, off the roof, knowing he had places to be. Plus, he wasn’t sure how to convince Carter any more. The rest was up to Carter. ((Sorry I ended this! I’m trying to cut down on my Oliver’s. But feel free to reply, I so want to see Carter’s reaction.))