Catch a Tiger by the Tail

Her hand reached out to touch the pen on the desk and he slapped her hand away. "Do NOT touch my things. Especially not from her." he warned placing the pretty brush back into its holder. It was elegant and ornate, and carved with symbols and designs, inlaid with gold and a single red jewel. Too extravagantly decorated for his liking, but it made Raina smile.

"Alright, as you wish. Now what is this I hear about you considering being put back om the Phoenix Tree?" Feya asked, knowing there was no point in drawing this out. She sat in the chair by the desk and watched as Clovis chuckled softly. He shook his head watching her with amusement.

"What? Does that worry you? Are you wondering if you placed your loot in the wrong bag?" Clovis taunted softly and she raise an eyebrow looking him over as if he had gone mad. Yes, he was beautiful and strong which had attracted her at first, but he was also weak. He would not do what must be done to take power.

Of all the brothers it would have been easiest for Clovis to take the throne but he never did. If the king fell before the Phoenix Trials, the son of the Empress would be the Emperor. Yet he never made move against the old man. Foolish sentimentality, in her eyes.

"No, My Basil will still take the throne and my sons will one day be the Emperor and First Prince in turn. However I worry you are causing unnecessary trouble for you and Our Raina." She replied, sounding smooth and confident. Feya was careful not to put too much emphasis on her words or give him any clue to how she truly felt. She simple went for his weakness like a dog goes for the throat.

"Oh and if I back out I assume you will see to it Bastil leaves me and My daughter alone, huh?" Clovis sneered at her, fire in his voice like she had never heard before. Her heart quivered in a unexpected way.

"Yes, of course. We would never be so petty as to…" She began but he wasn't listening. There was only so much shameless lying one man could stomach in a afternoon and the ledger keepers had filled that quota with their excuses.

"I really must thank you, My Love." he replied, a sickening sweetness to those words that made her skin crawl. The pretty green eyes of the prince turning steel grey with anger.

"F-for?" she stuttered slightly as she tried to force the words out. He simply grinned, standing up he walked toward her. The fight or flight instincts set off alarms in Feya's heart as she stood tried to scramble back, but tripped over the leg of the chair in her haste. She landed on her tiny bottom with a thud, staring at those pittyless eyes.

"Daddy!" called a little girl's voice and just like magic the power dispersed. A wide grin crossed his lips as he turned to see his daughter running toward him glowing as the sunset cast across her skin.

"Princess." he greeted her opening his arms to catch her in a loving embrace. Safe and warm in her father's arms Raina smiled brightly, hugging his neck. Her little eyes closed and focused on showing him love. As her eyes opened however, she saw her elder aunt trembling behind her father. Raina let go of her father and stepped back tilting her head.

"Daddy what's wrong with First Aunt?" Raina asked and Clovis smiled gently at her, waving away a maid who had moved in to straighten the little girl's messy hair. His fingers delicately combed through instead. There was no trace of the impending doom, or the imposing beast in Clovis now. If it wasn't for her heartbeat trying to bust through her chest, perhaps Feya would believe she imagined it.