Chapter Text
He told himself that he was above all of the dramatics, the fidelity, and the yearning. It wasn’t his part to play. She wasn’t his.
The Merrywood Three never spent much time at Castor’s home, instead running around the village and far into the forest. Wolfhall wasn’t the place for shenanigans of teenage boys.
Outside of the view of the court, Castor could be himself. He could be someone other than a Valor or a prince. He could sword play with his friends, shoot birds in the Merrywood Forest, or set up pranks just to annoy Lyric’s older sister. Lala was only a year his senior and he'd be lying if he said that she wasn’t one of the reasons he always found himself at the Merrywood Manor in his youth.
He wasn’t alone in his crush though, something he told himself wasn’t a big deal. Jacks and Lyric had flings of their own. Jacks had been not so secretly sneaking off to see some Fox girl. And, as happy as he had been for his friend, he knew his twin sister, Aurora, would not share in those feelings.
So what was the harm in letting his attention linger on his friend’s older sister?
With Ariel, she never cared much for Jacks, or never seemed to show any inclination of attraction towards him. Rather, it had been him that Lala had been smitten by.
Unlike his own sister, Aurora, Lala wasn’t constantly around. When she did see him, she would find reasons to linger in the hallway, not so subtlety glance his way, or search him out in a crowded ball for a dance.
Her presence was a the touch of the sun amidst the brutality of his life as a Valor. More than once he found himself wandering across the yard in search of the girl, in search of her bright smile and decadent eyes, or that bubbling laugh that only he seemed enthralled by.
It was one of those days that Dane had found her. Dane, who couldn’t make decisions for shit. Dane, who didn’t know the meaning of decency or respect, had decided that tiny, shining, Lala was something to be plucked up and taken. The dragon and his prize.
Castor no longer saw much of Lala without Dane. His brother was ruthless and cold. Unlike Lysander, he didn’t care much for strategy, instead preferring to shove and break his way through difficult tasks.
Castor assumed being able to shift into a dragon had something to do with his short temper and brutish nature.
Over the years of their courtship he tried not to be affected by watching her spend time around Wolfhall.
It was like watching a troll with a maiden. He tried to call himself that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if he truly wished to pursue anything with Lala. She was his best friend’s sister. A simple crush- plus Lyrc would have him by the balls if their cordial relationship were to change.
The walls had eyes and ears that he’d risk alerting if he ever let his gaze stay a moment too long or seek her out like she had him. He wouldn't be the knight in shining armor come to save her from the dragon.
As fitting as it would all be.
No, to risk the consequences of soiling her reputation with speculation and rumors would bring about more trouble than a simple crush was worth.
Dramatics was something much more interesting to Aurora than Castor. She had feigned her affection towards Lyric to win over Jacks.
Not that that had gone over well at all…
The hunter had almost gotten his fox if it hadn’t been for Aurora.
Looking back, Castor believed none of these events would have occurred if not for his twin. It was all so chaotic; the murders, the Valory Arch, and the prophecy were not things easily forgotten.
Although, fate was something that Castor would not test. Things always had their finicky little ways of working out the same in the end. Jacks did end up with his Fox girl- one pink haired girl much later on. The prophecy of the Valory Arch had come to pass.
And the other prophecy of the knight made of stars? It’d better that it remain forgotten by the magic of the North.