[ the young prince of the kingdom is well-loved. so too was his mother who died giving birth to his youngest sister, and his father who died when he was fifteen and left him with his stepmother who is very decidedly not-loved. credence cannot take the throne until she steps down or dies and she rules the kingdom with an iron fist so fierce that there isn't a person alive in the country that doesn't wish that the crown prince would just kill her and take it from her cold dead hands.
but no: credence is too sweet, too kind, to kill even her. mary lou does not wish to give up her power either and thus will not grant it to her stepson - she won't grant it to her stepdaughters either. she had cleared the whole castle of the old staff save three: the princesses' ladies in waiting and the prince's personal servant.
she had granted them their servants as a false show of kindness; something to keep them settled long enough for her to do as she pleases in the background. credence is bright enough to watch her from the shadows with sharp eyes. he knows her cruelty but still he carries on and lets her focus on him. whenever one of them "misbehaves" they get beaten within an inch of their life even though it's an openly cruel means of keeping peace within the castle.
credence bears her marks most often as he poses the most threat: lashes across his back or his palms, bruises in the shape of her ring on his cheek. it leaves him quiet and timid and distrustful. so much that he only trusts his sisters and the man at his side. percival graves has been with him since he was a child - since his real mother was still alive. sometimes he asks the older man for stories about her, but mostly he just uses graves' beholden duty to him as a surrogate for affection.
(he's more fond of him than he should be, but he doesn't let on about it. ever.)
tonight he's sporting new marks courtesy of the queen's rage and his movements are a little stiff when he gets back to his chambers, shutting the door quietly behind him. it's particularly bad tonight - he's in simple pants and a shirt but the fabric of the latter is stuck to his back with sweat and blood. there's no denying that she's gone too far, but it isn't as though anyone can actually say anything without risking their lives. sometimes credence wonders if she wouldn't kill them if she could.
he knows graves will be in here now that he is returning. he's not allowed to attend the punishments as it's well-known he'll do anything to protect his charge, even inspire the queen's wrath toward himself. credence sighs, moving toward the window so that he can glance outside. ] Percival, will you please help me get ready for bed?
[ and that's just it. he's so kind, and so polite, and why wouldn't anyone with half a heart love him? the young prince, unspoiled and sweet. ]
→ i want no other
but no: credence is too sweet, too kind, to kill even her. mary lou does not wish to give up her power either and thus will not grant it to her stepson - she won't grant it to her stepdaughters either. she had cleared the whole castle of the old staff save three: the princesses' ladies in waiting and the prince's personal servant.
she had granted them their servants as a false show of kindness; something to keep them settled long enough for her to do as she pleases in the background. credence is bright enough to watch her from the shadows with sharp eyes. he knows her cruelty but still he carries on and lets her focus on him. whenever one of them "misbehaves" they get beaten within an inch of their life even though it's an openly cruel means of keeping peace within the castle.
credence bears her marks most often as he poses the most threat: lashes across his back or his palms, bruises in the shape of her ring on his cheek. it leaves him quiet and timid and distrustful. so much that he only trusts his sisters and the man at his side. percival graves has been with him since he was a child - since his real mother was still alive. sometimes he asks the older man for stories about her, but mostly he just uses graves' beholden duty to him as a surrogate for affection.
(he's more fond of him than he should be, but he doesn't let on about it. ever.)
tonight he's sporting new marks courtesy of the queen's rage and his movements are a little stiff when he gets back to his chambers, shutting the door quietly behind him. it's particularly bad tonight - he's in simple pants and a shirt but the fabric of the latter is stuck to his back with sweat and blood. there's no denying that she's gone too far, but it isn't as though anyone can actually say anything without risking their lives. sometimes credence wonders if she wouldn't kill them if she could.
he knows graves will be in here now that he is returning. he's not allowed to attend the punishments as it's well-known he'll do anything to protect his charge, even inspire the queen's wrath toward himself. credence sighs, moving toward the window so that he can glance outside. ] Percival, will you please help me get ready for bed?
[ and that's just it. he's so kind, and so polite, and why wouldn't anyone with half a heart love him? the young prince, unspoiled and sweet. ]