Royal Pain (for Cleverfox)

[Brat Prince]

It was a bright and sunny day in the kingdom of Illyria. The temprature was balmy, and there was just enough of a summer breeze to keep from getting uncomfortable or sweaty.

Devon Nightshade was riding along on his sand colored mount, moving at a relaxed pace on a thickly wooded trail, enjoyijg the scenery. He was actually the seventh son of the noble family Silvertree, but being an extra son with few prospects was boring to the young eighteen year old kitsune. So, he frequently set out on his own for days or weeks at a time (if he could manage it) to have some adventures before being caught and hauled home.

Today was such a day, he had left home before dawn and through the use of backroads and trails was now far from the family estate. His long plumed black tail flicked hapilly at his success, and he smiled to himself. Today was going to be just brilliant, and perhaps this time he might find adventure and not just a rash from poisen ivy.

[CleverFox]

Things were boring at the palace and while he had lessons and any number of other things that he could have been doing the fact remained that none of these pursuits were things that he wanted to do. Which was what had resulted in Crown Prince Tristan Fherol deciding that he was going to take a day to himself, avoiding the various idiots that seemed to congregate around the palace like vultures swarming a carcass. With that thought in mind the twenty one year old prince went to the stables and saddled his black Frisian stallion before mounting the animal and heading off into the wooded area.

Guiding the stallion with an expert hand Fury kept his single, piercing violet eye focused ahead of him however his ears flicked about and he was on guard even if that wasn't obvious, having been trained never to drop his guard. He was dressed in loose fitting black pants and an equally loose white shirt, a choker with a cross adorning his neck completing the outfit. It was casual attire but even so he had a regal bearing and could not be mistaken for anything other than royalty. Fury had no set destination in mind but that was of little concern, he simply allowed his mount to have free rein and decided that he would go wherever the animal wanted to take him.

At least for the moment but that could all change should something happen to catch his interest.

[Brat Prince]

As he rode along Devon undid the top button of his loose fitting white top, he figured that there was no need to be overly proper now that he was well away from home. He wondered vaguely if his hunter green leather vest was overdoing it, now that he was adventuring. Flicking his ears uncertainly he shifted on his saddle. At least he was wearing his comfortable trousers and high boots. He'd nearly dressed in his riding breeches and heeled boots without thought that morning. Not comfortable wear for roughing it.

Suddenly his horse snorted in irritation under him. Leaning forward with a smile he petted the gelding's neck. "Whats the matter old boy? Are you bored already?" He chuckled and waved a hand, "Can't you just appreciate the lovely day?"

His mount nickered and snorted pointedly. No he could not.

Looking ahead at the seemingly empty trail that rounded the bend, he pricked his ears forward. Surely they were alone? No sense in not letting the horse stretch his impatient legs a bit. With a devil may care grin he settled back into his saddle and gave the gelding a squeeze. "Lets go boy!"

Needing no further encouragement his mount took off like a shot with a whinny, soaring down the trail like the wind, and rounding the corner recklessly.

[CleverFox]

It was oddly exhilarating, having no set destination in mind, and since his stallion was in high spirits and full of energy Fury was allowing the animal to more or less do as he pleased. Not something that most riders would do with a high strung mount but of course Fury was not most people and he saw no harm in it, gripping the reins in only one hand and gazing around as he took in the scenery. Or at least that was the way that he was passing the time up until the point when his sensitive ears picked up the sound of another horse approaching, the hoof beats clearly audible.

He could tell they were on the same trail but didn't judge just how close or else he might have pulled his stallion to the side in time to avoid the near disaster that befell next. As it were he thought that he had more time and it was for this reason that the other horse rounded the corner and startled his stallion, the black horse rearing and pawing the air as he whinnied. A lesser rider would have been thrown but Fury had been in the saddle since he was a mere kit so he managed to hang on though even he had to grab handfuls of the stallion's long mane in order to keep from being tossed to the ground.

"What the..." He cut off the profanity that he wanted to utter as he fought for control of his mount, managing to calm the stallion after a few minutes and bringing him back down to the ground, the animal snorting and tossing his head as he pranced sideways. His gaze flicked around as he searched for the other rider, breathing a little harder than normal because of the narrow miss and wondering just what had befallen the other rider and his mount though it was more of a passing thought.

[Brat Prince]

Devon was begining to enjoy his horse's high spirits as they whipped round the bend, right up until they nearly ran head on into another horse and rider that was.

In the moment he could say nothing, simply reacting on gut instict and hauling his gelding hard to the right, making for a near miss and causing the larger steed to go rearing. He winced and, finding his voice called out "Sorry!" After all what else could he say?

As soon as they were around the danger he forced his flighty mount to slow and turn round, dreading that there would be a broken mangled body on the trail behind him. How on earth would he explain that to his father? His fears turned out to be foundless, as he saw that the silver haired kitsune was still clinging to his saddle with fierce determination and skill. Devon felt his pounding heart begin to creep back down his throat where it belonged.

"Thank goodness!" He said as he trotted back up, staying back only so that the other could handle his upset stallion. "I'm sorry, so sorry!" He said once more, his white tipped ears folded in apology and his frizzed out tail laying behind him. He wanted very badly to sink into the ground. This was an embarrassing misfortune. He could only hope his father would not hear of him running rampant down a trail like a highwayman.

[CleverFox]

While he was startled to say the very least when the other horse came flying around the curve and nearly collided with his own stallion Fury couldn't help but admire the skill with which the other rider managed to divert his horse before the two animals collided. He didn't have very much time to reflect on that however as his hands were immediately full with trying to calm his stallion and keep himself from ending up tossed to the ground and possibly seriously injured or even killed.

Fury managed to calm his horse and bring the rearing animal back down to all four hooves, the silver fox breathing somewhat harder than usual and looking over his shoulder as he heard the sound of the other horse approaching once again. His ears flicked forward as he heard the apology that was being offered by the other kitsune, a somewhat arrogant look appearing on his face since he didn't want the other to think that this little mishap was anything that he couldn't handle.

"Well that was definitely exciting," he said in a voice that was quiet and yet at the same time still held an inherently commanding quality to it, his single violet eye going over to fall upon Devon, who looked vaguely familiar to him but he wasn't able to place immediately. Which bothered him to say the very least, Fury typically liking to know who it was that he was addressing when he was talking to someone however he figured that in time the other would introduce himself and if he didn't well then Fury would just have to deal with the annoyance of not knowing.

[Brat Prince]

Sidling his horse over closer now that they weren't in danger of being hit by a flying hoof Devon went pale. Oh gods! This was not just some rider. This was his royal majesty Tristan Fherol, the crown prince of Illyria himself! And Devon had nearly killed him!

His ears went even lower, practically flat, and he would have tucked his tail like a kit if he'd not been atop his horse. His green eyes were wide amd he looked down, dipping in a little bow.

"Your majesty! Please, forgive me. I-I didn't realize I wasn't alone out here." He stammered a bit, praying he could keep his cover. It seemed the prince didn't recognize him at any rate. They had only met in passing at some of the royal balls. If he was lucky the handsome older young man would contiue to not recognise him, and he could get off with a mere scolding or nothing at all seeing as how Tristan was clearly unflustered.

"I'm Devon, uh, Nightshade. I'm really, just very, very sorry sir." He cursed internally at hesitating when giving his false surname, and also wondered how a random stranger such as he was pretending to be could possibly recognize a prince. He turned his slender young face aside, wishing he hadn't pulled part of his thick black hair back so he could hide behind it.

[CleverFox]

Being that he was gazing at the younger kitsune he noticed the way that the other male paled and he vaguely wondered what had caused that however when his companion spoke up he realized the reason for the sudden submissive posture. "The formality is unnecessary, there are none out here to see whether you are or aren't standing on ceremony," Fury said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He had never really cared for titles though he was also not above using his position to his advantage when the need happened to arise.

He was still trying to figure out from where he knew this young man, since he was adamant that he had met him somewhere before, however he was having a decidedly difficult time figuring out just who he was. Or at least that was the case until he decided to offer up his name, or at least part of his name and part some fabrication, and it was in this moment that it clicked for him. "Devon...indeed, I recall meeting you at the palace though you were going by a different name then. Does your noble father know that you have changed your surname?" Fury said, his ears flicking forward and his violet eyed gaze focused on the younger kitsune who called himself Devon, waiting to see how he was going to react and somewhat intrigued by him.

Which could quite possibly turn out to be a bad thing for the young noble since Fury tended to like to 'play' with the things that caught his interest and those games were usually only amusing for he himself.

[Brat Prince]

Devon had nearly relaxed at the prince's dissmissive nature. Surely if he was being so casual there was nothing to fear?

When he asked about his name however, the youth slouched forward in his saddle and his face whent from white to a fetching shade of pink. "I... I haven't changed it and... no. No he doesn't know that I'm-" he paused, at a bit of a loss. What to say? My father does not know that I've run away for the third time this month and am masquerading as a traveling adventurer? That hardly seemed like the thing to say to keep him out of trouble.

"Out. He doesn't know that I'm out." He finished finally, his ears flicking nervously as he tried to meet Tristan's violet gaze. Desperate to turn the subject from his own knavery he straightened up and managed a shy smile, pricking his ears forward and giving his tail a slight wag.

"And you your- um, I mean Tristan? Are you out for a ride as well?" He asked, keeping his tone upbeat.

[CleverFox]

Fury knew that he had caught the other kitsune in his lie the moment that he asked his question and the younger fox's face turned a rather fetching shade of pink that the crown prince couldn't help but think was cute. He listened to what the other was saying, his right ear pricking forward as his left flicked back, giving him a somewhat quizzical expression. His single visible violet eye remained focused on Devon as he said that his father didn't know that he was out and that got a slight smirk out of him.

"Perhaps we should go and enlighten him as to that matter," Fury said with the same slight smirk still gracing his lips, the prince adding, "And perhaps it would be a good idea to see if he could give you a lesson on proper riding etiquette." He was sort of tossing that out to tease the other because fo the near accident that the two of them had only narrowly managed to avoid.

When Devon went on to ask him if he was out for a ride Fury had to give him credit for having the guts to actually use his given name without any titles. Usually people refused to drop the formality even when he told them to so Devon was getting points for that one at least though it only served to make him more interesting to the Illyrian crown prince and that might yet prove to be a bad thing. "Or perhaps you would prefer to return with me," he said in a quieter tone, Fury guiding his stallion to circle the gelding that Devon was sitting astride. "You would make a rather fetching pet."