He had quickly gotten restless within the palace, so now he was being restless OUTSIDE the palace. The gardens boasted the kind of beauty a little kid wouldn't really appreciate, so his interest lie not in the exotic, beautiful plants or intricate sculpture. Instead, all his attention was on the smaller, much more insignificant occupants of the palace grounds- the bugs that flew or crawled among the garden's foliage.

His quarry buzzed around neatly trimmed garden hedge- it was a Glowfly with intricate glowing white markings decorating its abdomen. He stared at it intently as he stepped forward carefully, hands poised and ready to scoop up and trap the poor little bug.

The beetle flew away at the last moment, leaving his hands to cup around empty air. Frowning with determination, he'd dart forward after it, managing to grab it after a second attempt. He whoop'd with delight, holding his two cupped hands into the air. A rather loud, angry buzzing emitted from his cupped hands, making it obvious he'd got SOMETHING.

@Ruvaen

A little boy peered from behind a shrub, staring out curiously at the child playing in the garden. He stepped out from his hiding place and walked forward, pointing at the other boy's hands.

”What's that?” he asked - or rather, demanded.

Ruvaen seemed to have a perpetual frown on his face, his lips downturned and his brows furrowed. It didn't really match his delicate features and wispy golden hair, but he didn't seem the type to care. Besides, he had other things to worry about, like the fact that he wanted whatever the other had.

”Give it,” he said, making a grabby hand at the fly. ”I want it.”

What a brat.

@Cyneweard

"Huh?" He turned in the direction of the other boy- a boy who looked far more 'human,' rather than the strange weasel-kangaroo-raptor creature Cyneweard resembled. His ears twitched at the demand, and while Cyneweard was more predisposed to 'play nice,' the anger and rudeness of the other immediately activated a spiteful response.

"It's MINE! I caught it!" He replied indignantly. "Look, don't touch." Which is something he'd been told many times about the vases and other more fragile and valuable decoration of the palace, but obviously it also applied to this perfectly average bug that wasn't particularly fragile or valuable.

He'd wait until the beetle stopped angrily buzzing and flying into the sides of his hands. When he felt the prickly little legs of the insect wrap around a finger, he'd carefully uncup his hands, and hold the glowfly out a couple inches away from his body. The glowfly sat perched on his hand, not trying to fly away. Yet.

@Ruvaen

Ruvaen was just about to pull out the waterworks when Cyneweard held out his hands, stunning them into silence. He looked up at them, head tilted to one side, before leaning forward tentatively, eyes wide. He peered at the bug and took a step back, brows furrowed and lip jutting out in a pout.

”It's a bug,” he said, nose scrunching up. ”It's so gross! It has so many legs and wings... ew!”

He shuddered and ran around behind Cyneweard to instead try and peer over his shoulder, squeaking in fear as the bug did what bugs did best. Crawl around, legs tapping and wings fluttering.

”Ew ew ew!!” Ruvaen shouted, hiding his face in Cyneweard's back.

He clung to Cyneweard's fur, his chubby hands curling into it but miraculously not pulling hard enough to hurt. He just wanted to hide, after all, not hurt the other.

@Cyneweard

He was a little suspicious that Ruvaen might try and snatch the bug out of his hands instead of just looking. What he DIDN'T expect, however, was for him to have such a negative reaction. Hadn't he wanted the bug for himself just moments ago?

"Whuh? Its jus' a bug..." He'd look to the bug in his hands, then awkwardly over his shoulder at the boy cowering behind his back, then AGAIN at the bug. You could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to connect the idea of 'scary thing' to the pretty little bug he held.

Finally, he held out his hand as far from his body as he could, shaking it until the glowfly flew off. To be fair, it DID make a fairly disconcerting sound as it flew off, like a mini helicopter. He'd look back over his shoulder. "It's gone now!" He grinned, as if proud to have vanquished this great evil. "You don't gotta be scared anymore."

@Ruvaen

Ruvaen peeked once the bug had flown off, tears having begun to form in the corners of his eyes. He stepped out from behind his protector and sniffled, wiping his eyes gently.

”It's gone?” he asked, taking Cyneweard's hands and checking them to make sure. Once he was sure he suddenly threw his arms around the other and hugged him tightly, absolutely relieved.

”It's gone!! Thank you... If I knew it was a bug I wouldn't have come out, I thought it was just a glowing thing,” they said quietly, clinging to Cyneweard. ”Thank you for getting rid of it.”

Ruvaen pulled away and grinned, baring sharp fangs as he did so. He giggled suddenly and tugged on his hand, trying to lead him somewhere.

”Come! I have an idea!!” he said.

@Cyneweard

Cyneweard general had an aura of mild confusion, both due to the incongruent source of the other boy's fear and his change in demeanor. "You're welcome!" he beamed, "If I'd known you didn't like bugs I would've warned ya!" At least he knew this, just in case a similar bug-incident occurred in the future.

He'd grin back with equally sharp- if not sharper- teeth. He'd let himself be led, because friendship! "Where're we goin'?" He'd ask, staring at the other curiously- and then nearly tripping over a rock because he hadn't been paying attention to where he stepped.

@Ruvaen

”I'm a prince,” Ruvaen said. ”My name is Prince Ruvaen Silvertongue! And since I'm a prince, I can make whoever I want a knight! And since you saved me from that bug, I'm gonna knight you!”

He let go and grabbed a stick off the ground, since he didn't have a proper sword. He pointed at the ground in front of himself, his expression determined.

”Go on and kneel!” he ordered, his glittering eyes betraying his excitement.

His very first knight as Prince! Oh how excited he was, he couldn't wait!

@Cyneweard

"Ooooh!" Wow, a prince? That must mean he was really important! And he could knight people! So he was gonna be knighted! Wow!

He'd kneel in the grass, the tip of his tail twitching excitedly. "What do knights do?" Cool and brave stuff, obviously! But.. he didn't exactly know what sort of cool and brave stuff he should be doing.

@Ruvaen

”A knight!” he announced, brandishing his branch with a flourish. ”Is chiv-walrus! Chiv... chiv-al-ars... chivalrous! It is a code that a knight must follow, no matter who they may meet! A knight must be brave, truthful, courteous, honorable, and must strive for justice for all! Most importantly, though, you have to help those in need, and protect me, your prince.”

Ruvaen placed the tip of the branch on Cyneweard's shoulder with a grin, his eyes sparkling.

”Now, tell me your name, so I may pronounce you properly and give you your vows,” he said, resting his other hand on his hip.

@Cyneweard