you're ripped at every edge

Cassandra arrived at the castle late at night, her cloak hanging heavy over her eyes that was dampened by the rainfall. It had insisted to continue for the last few hours of her journey, and she was grateful to finally arrive through the gates of the looming palace in front of her. It was certainly more grand than she had ever encountered in her adventures, and her amazement only continued when she was approached by a guard to lead her inside and to her room. She thanked the guard quietly, setting down her one bag that she carried and untying her robe and slipping it from her shoulders once the door closed behind her.

She wandered around the room, hands trailing over the wooden frame of her ornate bed, and the porcelain smoothness of the tub in her bathroom. Cassandra resolved to take a nice, long warm bath to soothe her aching muscles and bones, and moved the faucet with a small movement of her hands. She was able to slip into the steam moments later, and as she tilted her head back and settled down into the water, she thought of what she had been summoned here to do.

The King and Queen had brought her here to help with Prince Beckett, who was having trouble settling into his magic. It was imperative to his royal status that he would be able to perform magic, and his blood line was already known for having powers to a great degree. His brother Jason was already able to perform it correctly, though rumors around the kingdom condemned him for using them to his own advantage at the detriment of others.

Cassandra had traveled far to help others, having learned her own magic easily at a young age. She had wanted to ease others into the process ever since she had and seen her own friends struggle with their own. She had assumed the King and Queen had called for her because she was close in age to Prince Beckett, and therefore he would probably react well to her trying to teach him. She was eager to begin, even though she was slightly nervous because she was unsure if he would react horribly to being taught or even have to be in the first place. Most were sometimes ashamed of their inability to receive and accept their powers, however Cassandra was a firm believer in that it was always there, it just needed to be coaxed properly.

She left her bath moments later, wrapping herself in a luxuriously soft towel and walking to her bag, pulling out some folded nightclothes and changing into them. When she moved into her bed, she hummed in satisfaction at the softness of the pillows and the smoothness of the sheets. It was a stark difference to the shitty inns and forest floors she'd been spending her nights sleeping, and she felt a wash of exhaustion spread over her a moment later. Cassandra easily fell asleep, dreaming of color, of brightness, of warm, brown eyes and a fire inside of them.

---

Jason awoke with a start, blinking his bleary eyes as remnants of his nightmare faded into the depths of his mind. The blackness crawling into his body and soul and clawing at the edges of his consciousness seemed to try and hold on, but he pushed it away as he sat up in bed and messily ran a hand through his hair. A heavy sigh left his lips as he sat for a moment before leaving the warmth of his bed, sitting on the edge with his hands gripping the edges at his side. He looked over at the bell that sat at his bedside, which silently rang when he shook it but alerted his own maid only when he did so.

Jason waved his hand to ring it a few times, knowing that the sound would only work for Nixie, who had recently been hired for him specifically. His last maid had disappointed him greatly, and he was unhappy with her and requested her to leave as he never wanted to see her again. She never met any of his standards or remembered anything about him or what he liked well, and he hated the inconvenience. He hadn't been able to really test the new girl yet, but he fully intended to.

He waited for her to show up, mulling things over in his mind. There were several things that he required of a maid, and her attractiveness definitely satisfied him. Jason was eager to find out more, as it was one of his favorite things to learn and find things out about people and use it to his advantage. He decidedly didn't want to look into her mind from the get go, as he'd done it before and he had gotten tired very quickly, since everything was so easy. He wanted more of a challenge this time, so he was going to keep using magic to get what he wanted to a minimum. Jason felt excitement pool in the bottom of his stomach, warm, spreading up through his chest, and felt his magic thrum underneath his skin. He smirked to himself, knowing that this was going to be interesting, to say the least.

Nixie was already awake when she heard the bell ringing from Prince Jason's room. She hardly found herself sleeping anymore, unsure of whether it was because of her new residency where she could no longer hear the sound of water lapping at the sand, or because sleep didn't seem to interest her anymore. Most nights, she found herself helping out the seamstresses finish the garments for the royal family or hiding in the library reading, like she was doing now. Nixie shut the book silently and slid it back into it's home between other leather-bound books.

Within her first day here, Nixie had been warned about Prince Jason's antics and just how insufferable he was. Tales of unkindness to other maids and servants were whispered to her, warning her to be careful, but she was not afraid. She had suffered far worse things than what the prince was able to do, she was sure. Still, Nixie did not wish to test him.

On her way to the prince's room, she stopped by the kitchen to load up a tray with a pot and a cup for tea, and a few biscuits. She started warming up the tea pot with just a little touch and it was ready when she arrived at the prince's door. She knocked twice before turning the knob and entering his room. "Is there something I can help you with, my prince?" she asked, setting down the tray on the small table in his room before pouring him a cup. It was only when she went to hand him the cup that she looked at him. He was shirtless with messy hair and a sleepy look in his eyes, but he looked almost gentle in that moment. She ducked her head then, in fear of being caught staring. Her white blonde hair fell into her face. It had grown longer since since chopped it off a few weeks back when she heard she was to go to the palace. It was an act of defiance, one of the few she could act upon.

---

Beckett woke that morning, and turned into his pillow to bury his face, not wanting to get up. He was supposed to start tutoring sessions with someone that was brought in from some far away place. He just hoped it wasn't an old man who breathed through his mouth and treated him like glass. It wasn't his fault that magic didn't come to him as easily as it did with his brother. Beckett could barely heat up his own bath with a snap of his fingers where Jason could undress a woman with a smirk, well, most likely he could.

He threw back the covers to his blanket and sat up, stretching his arm high above his head before sitting up and slowly making his way to his wardrobe to dress. Beckett was to partake in tutoring before breakfast would be served and he wasn't quite sure how he could focus with his stomach rumbling, begging for a meal. After dressing and shoving his feet into a pair of boots, he made his way to where he was supposed to meet his new tutor. Beckett wondered, just for a brief moment, if maybe he could talk his parents out of his whole tutoring thing. He had gotten so used to not using magic from his inability to preform it correctly, that it seemed like a waste of time now. He could still rule a kingdom without it. Not everyone in their lands could use anyway, it could make him more like them, make their people love him more than his brother who only abused his powers.

Jason's eyes went to the doorway when it opened, seeing Nixie there a moment later, cradling a tray of tea and what looked like to be biscuits. He briefly raised an eyebrow, impressed, as he watched her set it down and pour him a cup. When she moved to come and bring it to him, he reached out for it, brushing her fingers as he did so. He noticed her eyes linger on him, and he smirked as he took a sip of the warm liquid. As her hair fell into her eyes, he moved his index finger and tucked it behind her ears with his magic. "Don't wanna hide that pretty face, now, darlin'," Jason drawled, his voice deep from sleep, eyes still watching her as he took yet another sip from the cup. He set it down a minute later, moving so that his hands held him up from behind, stretching out his body.

"I wanted to get ready for the day so I called you. If you could choose an outfit for me and then dress me," He ordered, still watching, waiting for her reaction. In reality, she really couldn't deny him anything without losing her job here, or just being submitted to treatment to punish her for her refusal. Although, with the way that her eyes lingered for just a second longer than needed when she handed him the tea, he didn't think she would refuse dressing him. If anything, Jason thought of it as a treat.

---

Cassandra woke early the next morning, feeling more than refreshed. As she slipped out of bed to change into her usual dress, a corset with cap sleeves made of a soft, silken material that was colored a deep red, she waved her hand to pull her curtains back, morning sunlight streaming through the room. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, it being long enough to still cascade halfway down her back in dark curls, and let pieces fall around her face. Slipping her feet into shoes, she made her way to the kitchen, introducing herself to the people there, sipping at a cup of tea and munching on a biscuit. She felt the shift in time and grabbed a tray, filling it with a pot of tea and two cups, a few more biscuits and jam, before heading to where she was supposed to tutor the prince.

She opened the door and made her way in, seeing the back of what she assumed was Prince Beckett standing there already. The room was large, high vaulted ceilings and the walls filled all the way to the top with books. There were tall glass windows and large reading seats incorporated into them, and tables and couches with things strewn across the tops. She set the tray down on one of the tables, clearing her throat. "Hello, Prince Beckett, I'm Cassandra Foxscale, and I'm your tutor for the moment. It's nice to meet you," She spoke aloud, bowing and looking to the floor as she introduced herself.

It was hard for Nixie not to roll her eyes at his request for picking out his clothes and dressing him. Wordlessly, she turned away from him and walked to his wardrobe to start looking for something for him to wear. "If you insist on me dressing you, my prince, you won't always be happy with what I put you in," she told him, trying to find items that either didn't match or looked as if they were now too small for him. He was a grown man, he should be able to dress himself, so she was going to dress him in absurd things unless he decided to dress himself. Nixie wasn't outright refusing to do what she was told, for that could get her fired and that would be a disappointment to her family, where her pay was being sent to, but it was just another little defiance.

Nixie brought the folded up clothes over to the prince, almost positive that he wasn't going to like what she picked out and most likely scold her at the bare minimum. Nixie ran a hand back through her hair, waiting on what he was to say about the clothes, and moved over to the table with the tea and biscuits. She placed a biscuit on a plate and brought that over to the prince to eat.

---

Beck turned around when he heard a woman speak up. He was hardly able to hide his surprise when he saw it was a woman near his own age, and beautiful at that. "Please, no need to be so formal, you may call me Beck." He figured since they would be spending a lot of time together now, that she could at least not have to refer to him as 'prince' every time. He was sure that had to get tiring. It also helped her that she was quite gorgeous. Beck would not mind spending this time with her.

He pushed his glasses back up onto his nose, "I am honestly quite surprised my parents found such a young magician so intune with her magic to help me," he admitted, "and I will not be the easiest person to tutor, just to warn you." He motioned to the many seats in the room, "Is there anywhere specific you'd like to sit, Miss Cassandra?" he asked.

Jason raised an eyebrow at her comment, watching her go over to his closet and sorting through the clothes that he had. "Oh, is that so?" He mused, and looked over what she brought over to him. None of it matched and some of the things he hadn't worn in ages because he had grown out of them. He ran his fingers over them as she left him, and he watched as she put a biscuit on a plate and brought it over to him. He took the plate from her and then snapped his fingers, in a moment undressing her and replacing it with the clothes that she had picked out for him. "Look how lovely you look in my clothes, certainly something I prefer over that silly maid's outfit," He said, and his eyes traveled the length of her body, slowly.

He smiled then, leaning back on his hands, again. "Please pick me out a proper outfit, Nixie, I'd much appreciate it. If anything, you're wasting my time. We can continue to do this all day, but it's only going to get worse the more you resist. I know you can pick me out something that I'll look handsome in, so please do so," Jason remarked, staring her straight in the eyes.

---

Cassandra smiled when she finished her bow, finding the man in front of her to be quite handsome. It wasn't much of a surprise, he was a prince afterall. She nodded at his request of her calling him Beck, and moved over to the tray to pour them both cups of tea, that she warmed quickly with her magic, and placing biscuits on a plate. At his next comment, she gave a little giggle. "I'm happy to be able to help you, and glad that your parents requested my presence here. I'll try my best to accommodate you, I've worked with quite a few people who found magic difficult. I know that together we can work this out," She said, and moved over to one of the window seats, since she liked being able to look out over what seemed to be the castle's gardens.

Cassandra set down the tea and biscuits, and sat down right after, crossing her legs and picking up one of the cups to take a sip. "Here is lovely. Are those the gardens? We'll have to practice down there once the weather permits," She commented, and looked over at him, waving him over to her. "I brought some tea and biscuits, I figured you would be hungry," Cassandra took another sip, before setting it down. "Also, you don't have to be formal with me, either. Cassandra is fine, or Cassie, or Cass, or whatever you'd like. I'll answer to any variation," She said with a smile, looking to him.

Nixie was startled when her clothes were changed, a frown appearing on her face. "I was always told you preferred your maid's in more revealing attire, my prince," she retorted under her breath as she turned away from him and back to his clothing. She dug back through his clothes to find him something a more fitting for him and returned back. "Hopefully this pleases you enough to return me back to my uniform?" she asked. She really hated the feeling of someone using magic on her, it made her extremely uncomfortable, but hopefully not visibly so. She did not want him to know anything he said or did bothered her too much.

Nixie ran her fingers over the button down shirt she had picked out, efficiently smoothing out any creases. "Arms out, please, my prince," she requested. Nixie hated having to tag 'my prince' or any variation of that onto everything she said to him. It was hard and strange on her tongue. Once his arms were out, she pulled the shirt onto him and rolled up the sleeved to his elbow.

---

Beck followed her to the window seats and sat on the chair beside her. "Thank you, Cassie, I was a little peckish. These early tutoring sessions always make me far more hungry," he admitted as he took one of the biscuits and bit into it. His stomach was thankful for the food.

"Why did you come to tutor me? Surely not just because my parents asked you to," he asked her, curious to see if she came to help only because of them, or if she was interested to see if the he was really as awful with magic as the rumors told. He was, infact, really that awful and untalented at it. The rumors told no lie. Beck took the other cup of tea and touched his fingers to the cup, attempting to focus on heating it up again, even if it was still hot. He wanted to try to make it even hotter, to see if he could even do the most basic task of that. When he couldn't, he frowned and set his hands in his lap.

Jason hummed with her comment, moving his fingers again and removing the pants so that she was dressed only in his shirt, which happened to stop just above her knees. "It's certainly not a lie," he told her, watching as she obediently picked out another outfit for him. His eyes admired her legs, and her figure in just his shirt, and when she returned he stood so that she was able to dress him. He put his arms out for her to put on his shirt, bending down slightly so that she could reach because of her smaller height.

"You know, Nixie, you can just call me Jason," He murmured, as she once again called him "my prince". He enjoyed the title, but it did get a little old after awhile. And with the whole castle addressing him as "prince" one way or another, having her address him as Jason felt a little more personal, which he liked.

---

Cassandra smiled when he called her Cassie, watching him as he sat down and took a bite of his biscuit. She could sense the low energy that he was emanating due to his hunger, and she knew that just wouldn't do if she was trying to help him with anything.

"I came because I've been helping people with their magic ever since I was a young age, as it came to me very quickly and suddenly. I've been honing my skills for years, but it makes it more worthwhile when I help others. In many ways, I have found out why people were unable to come into touch with their magic. It fascinates me, how the magic chooses to present itself, and I find myself getting stronger because I am able to understand it more and more. So if anything, the more people that I help, the more knowledge that I gain about the nature of magic in ourselves and in or world. Curiosity fuels me most, but I love seeing magic bloom in other people. I think it's beautiful," She explained, looking out over the gardens and seeing the magic in every little bit of nature, no matter how big or small.

She looked over at Beck when he managed to pick up his tea cup, and she felt his concentration spike, though felt it falter quickly. When he placed it back and just sat with his hands in his lap, his mouth upturned in a frown, she reached out with both of her hands. "May I?" She murmured, and a moment later, took both of his hands in hers. In a moment, she transferred some magical energy to him, enough so that he could feel it in his hands, could feel the warmth that he was attempting to generate.

"Magic is very tricky, but it is different to every person that uses it. It produces a feeling that one really can't describe, but once you discover it, it can be easy to call upon. I can produce my magic and how it feels to you, and I hope that perhaps you can focus on that to find your own," She then moved his hands from hers to the tea cup, where the magic would trail into the cup to heat it if he focused. "Try again," Cassie murmured.

"Is that an order, my prince?" Nixie asked him. She wasn't sure she wished to be on such a personal level with him. She finished dressing him, thinking to herself that she did pick out a pretty decent outfit for him, one that showed off his muscles and shape quite well. He should be pleased, even if he acted like a child, demanding to be dressed, when he could do so with a snap of his fingers.

She felt bare without the pants on, but chose not to make a comment about it. She'll hem her uniforms later tonight when everyone is sleeping. Hopefully the short length will keep him happy enough to let her stay in her own clothing.

"I believe breakfast will be served shortly if you wish to go to the dining room, unless you have other plans, my prince." Nixie will continue to call him "my prince" to bother him, unless he would demand otherwise. But even then, she was sure she would continue to do so.

---

Beck listened to her story, intrigued with how one person could enjoy helping people out so much. He would grow tired of that quickly, he was sure. "How lucky my parents are to find you," he mused. She would surely need so much patience to teach him; it wouldn't be easy.

He let her take his hands and he felt warmth, entirely starting from his fingertips and then coursing through his body as if it was flowing through his veins. He nodded when told to try again and he took the cup back in his hands, concentrating on transferring the heat he felt then with Cassie.

The cup slowly started to heat up, steam rising slowly at first, barely anything before more and more rose. The tea boiled slightly. Beck was in shock, almost dropping the cup, but managed not to, thankfully. "Wow," was all he could say.

"I shall not demand it as so, for now, at least," Jason told her, and looked down at the clothing she had picked for him after she was done dressing him. "This looks quite lovely, thank you Nixie," He commented, and moved over to his vanity to see it more fully, running a hand through his hair to calm it down. He vaguely waved his hand to put her back into her maid outfit, moving to put the clothing she was wearing back on the bed, folded and stacked neatly.

He looked over to her when she mentioned having other plans, and he raised an eyebrow, a smirk growing on his lips. "Something else you'd like for me to do for you, Nixie? Have I teased you too much this morning? I'm sure you think it's silly that I wanted you to dress me, but I just wanted an excuse to have your hands on me," Jason murmured, his voice having gone deeper and more sultry.

---

Cassie smiled at his reaction to the tea warming up, and sat up a little bit, folding her hands in her lap. "It feels amazing, doesn't it? Unfortunately, that was my magic, but I'm sure we'll be able to call up yours at some point in the future. Mostly, I want you to explain to me how you feel when you try and use magic. Where does your mind go? Do you feel blank and empty? Do you feel distracted?" She asked, looking over him and trying to see if she could sense anything.

Nixie nodded her head at his approval of what he was wearing as she started to make his bed. She felt magic being used on her once again, tingling going down her body hat made her shiver, but now she was back in her uniform and the clothes she was wearing laid neatly on the bed. She picked them up and returned them back to the wardrobe.

She rolled her eyes at his comment, focusing on her tasks. "If it is a whore you require, I'm sure i could arrange for a guard to take you to the brothel in the village, my prince," she replied, trying to ignore the lust in his voice. There was nothing said about sleeping when the prince when the royals hired her, maybe a suggestion of not denying any of his requests. Unless he was planning on forcing himself on her, it would not happen.

---

The warmth had faded from his being and he let out a sigh. That was what it was supposed to feel like. It was power and beautiful and felt like the warmth of the sun on a cold day. It felt like a dream and gods, Beck wanted that feeling back.

"Whenever I attempt, it feels like nothing, nothing is there. I concentrate and concentrate like previous tutors has told me, but there is nothing. I feel... disappointed. For my brother, Jason, it comes so easily, so simply, like there is no thought in the action and i have no idea how he does it. It's so frustrating," he admitted. Beckett had never told his previous tutors that, he had never felt any sort of connection with them. With Cassie, he felt like he could tell her his little thoughts and fears with hardly knowing her. Beck shook his head, silly thoughts about connection, that's all they were: silly thoughts.

Jason laughed at her comment, stepping back from the mirror and watching her as she made his bed. "I do not require a brothel. There's plenty of princesses who wish to have me in their bed, many maids that wish they were mine. You're lucky, you know," He said, coming over to her and leaning against one of the posts on the corner of his bed, near Nixie, and smiling at her. "You'll come around soon," He murmured, before he then left the room, heading to breakfast.

---

"You need not compare yourself to your brother. You are Beck, and though he is family, you should not compare his progress to yours. He may have different motivations or compassions that caused his magic to show and come easily, but that doesn't mean that you don't as well. You just haven't found them yet," She reached out to put her hands on his, smiling.

"Tell me, do you believe in magic? I know it's a silly question, I mean, you can see it everyday, but do you believe? Do you believe that you, yourself, can have magic? Sometimes these things plague our subconscious, and though they don't make sense, they can hinder our abilities," She sighed then, moving her hand away even though she felt a hint of something there, a cool ember of blue fire.

"Instead of feeling nothing focus on something. A memory, a person. Something that makes you feel something that is strong. Whether it be a thought or an inclination. Have that be in your mind when you prepare to do magic," Cassie said, moving to lean back against the wall of the window seat.

Nixie let out a loud sigh once the door was shut, with Prince Jason on the other side. She let herself fall back onto his bed for just a moment, taking long, deep breaths. He was so arrogant, and awful, and thought that he could do anything that he pleases just because the blood running through his veins was that of royalty. He wasn't going to break her. He wasn't going to have her groveling at his feet, begging for whatever he was convinced she would be begging for. Nixie had dealt with many men just like him back in her village by the sea, especially when she was a barkeep for just a little while.

She sat up, an idea forming in her head. If he wanted to be an asshole, then she'll just have to be a tease. She'll be the perfect little maid and have him begging for her, instead. Hastily, she cleaned up Jason's room before going to the seamstresses' room to get to work on her uniforms, shortening the hem of the skirts and lowering the necklines with a smirk on her face. Jason wouldn't be near his room for another few hours, and if she was lucky, another hour on top of that before he decided he needed her for some reason. Nixie would have everything done by then.

---

Beck listened probably more than he had ever listened to his tutors before. Did he believe in magic? What kind of question was that? "I... I do believe in magic, but maybe not always Magic, with a capital 'M'. I think everyone has these things that they're really good at, like my mother and sewing, or my father and being able to always hit the middle of something, every single time. I am really not too sure if I think everyone has powers. I keep hoping that I do, and it is kind of silly to think that I don't possess any with my lineage and all," he trailed off, wondering if he was rambling. Beck pushed his glasses back up his nose a little, they always seemed to like to fall.

Beck took a deep breath and closed his eyes, envisioning his tea turning colder, colder, and colder until it was a solid frozen cube. He then thought of Cassie sitting beside him, eyes large and a smile on her beautiful face. He thought of her being happy, ecstatic that he was able to do something, anything. Beck felt the cup in his fingers grow cold slowly, so that he didn't quite feel it at first. The cold grew faster and faster and when Beck opened his eyes again, the tea was frozen solid. "Did I do that?" he asked, looking to Cassie.

Jason arrived at the dining room with half of his family already there, seating along the long table and chattering among themselves. He sat down near the end, looking for his brother Beck and not seeing him. As he poured himself more tea and took from the platters near him, it dawned on him that he was probably starting his magic lessons today. He figured he might go around after breakfast to see how he was doing, see if this tutor was going to be a failure again.

He'd always been better at magic than Beck had. He'd never really taken a moment to wonder why his twin was so bad while he was so good, and didn't understand how he always had such a hard time with it. His mind wandered to the throne, and how he was currently more in the running for it than he was because of his magic. In the back of his mind, he did have a feeling of how it was unfair, their parents cherry picking them for their best skills, but he guessed it was for the kingdom more than anything else. They needed to have a strong figurehead, and if they didn't have magic, the people may look down on their rulings.

As per usual, no one really acknowledged Jason when he sat down at the table. His parents were as isolating and cold as ever, and he was sure that their heads didn't even move upon his arrival. He wondered sometimes why they didn't pay attention to him, why they spent so much time focusing on Beck and his powers and trying to help him. It made him feel like they really didn't want him to be King, they wanted Beck instead. And Beck was kinder, and more levelheaded, but Jason was powerful and strong. He believed he could deal with any of the things the kingdom could throw at him better than his brother.

Through his musings, he finished breakfast, and arose shortly after, leaving the room without another word. He made his way to the library then, thinking that perhaps Beck would have met his tutor there. Jason found the door open, and peeked around the edge, his eyes traveling the whole room before finding Beck on one of the window seats with a beautiful girl. She was leaning over to him, smiling brightly with her hands on his, and Jason couldn't help but smirk.

He chose that moment to walk in, then, sliding his hands into his pockets as he made his way towards the two. "Beck, my handsome brother. Looks like you've found quite the beauty," Jason said, and met eyes with the girl who happened to look his way when she heard his voice. She pulled her hands back then from Beck, taking leave from her seat there to stand and bow before him.

"It's lovely to meet you Lady Cassandra, I'm Jason," he said, and moved forward to offer his hand, in which she slid hers into, and he raised it to his lips to give a kiss.

---

Cassandra hummed along with Beck's words, finding his thought of magic to be a healthy one. She was glad she was able to get him to open up to her easily with his inner thoughts, and wondered why she had been told it was going to be hard to get through to him. He seemed kind and eager, which was all anything anyone needed to be when it came to figuring out their magic. When he pushed his glasses up his nose she found it to be quite cute, and smiled when he did so.

She watched him as he closed his eyes then, and felt a surge of energy coming from him, a concentrated ball building around him. Cassandra waited for a falter but felt none, and looked down to the cup in Beck's hands to find it frozen solid, cool mist swirling from the top. She smiled brightly then, putting her hands down to his and feeling the coolness of the cup, and then felt his hands, feeling the cold still emanating from them softly. "Beck, yes of course it was you, that was fantastic!" Cassandra exclaimed, and looked back up to his eyes, hers full of warmth and mirth. "What did you think of? How did it feel?" She asked, her voice excited, trying to contain herself from practically bouncing in her seat.

It was then that she heard footsteps and a voice follow after, and she looked over to see a tall, handsome man approaching the both of them. She quickly removed her hands from Beck's, realising in a moment it was probably his brother, Prince Jason. She had read up as most as she could on the royal family before arriving so that she would know what to expect. Cassandra slid from her seat then, standing on her feet and giving a bow. She felt her cheeks go slightly pink at the notion of him calling her a beauty, and when she rose from her bow she found him offering her his hand.

She placed it in his hesitantly, warming when he placed a kiss to the top of it, and pulled back once he was finished. "It's wonderful to meet you as well, my Prince," Cassandra responded, and moved back towards her seat once they were done introducing themselves.

Nixie's off doing her own thing...

---

Beck waited for the heart-shattering news of 'no, Beck, that was still my magic', but those weren't the words that came from her. Instead, it was confirmation that it was, indeed, Beck's own magic and will that turned the tea solid. He let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and looked to Cassie with the largest smile on his face. That magic was his and it felt amazing; the rush of the adrenaline, purely pumping through his body. It felt addicting, and he could understand now, why his brother was so fond of using it all the time.

He barely registered someone walking into the library until Jason spoke up. Beck turned to face him, his smile falling. "Have you already grown tired of your new maid that you must come bother me?" he asked, setting the cold tea back on the table, then running a hand through his hair. "I am a little busy, right now, if you haven't noticed."

The relationship between the two brothers wasn't like it used to be. They no longer played together. No more, were they running around the castle with bedsheets tied on as capes and pranking the staff. That all stopped when their parents decided that soon, one of them needed to become the heir, needed to eventually take over ruling the castle. All Jason had to worry about, Beck thought, was to find a wife before the ceremony since he was already adequately able to use magic. Beck, on the other hand, had to focus on learning his magic, to become better than his brother, and, he supposed, eventually finding a wife (but he first had to focus on magic).

( Hehe @ Nixie )

Jason watched as Cassandra went to go sit back down, his eyes lingering longer than probably necessary. She was absolutely breathtaking, and he felt jealously roll in the pit of his stomach that Beck was able to spend time with the woman. He was the one that needed to be finding a wife before he was crowned King soon, not Beck. Beck couldn't even think of it because he had to focus on his magic, which Jason didn't have to.

He turned towards his brother then, smile wiped from his face. "My new maid is off doing what she needs to, I care not. But it does look like you are having quite the time being busy with Cassandra. It seems like you can only find beautiful women because you're so terrible at magic, and even then, they'll probably never want you because you're such a lost cause," Jason mused, and he smirked then, as he looked over at Cassandra.

"You should be careful, gorgeous, he hasn't even had his first kiss yet, so expect him to probably be all over you in a day's time. However, if you're looking for someone more.. experienced, I'm sure you'll be able to find me," He said, giving her a wink before he turned and left the room.

He made his way back towards his room, then, wondering what else there was to do that day.

---

Cassandra felt a cold shiver go down her spine at Jason's presence and Beck's reaction to it. The relationship between the two was evidently sour, and she felt jealousy more than anything else as the prevalent emotion. At Jason's insistence on focusing on her and how he found her beautiful, she felt even colder. She had heard things far more about him than she had ever heard about Beck, and they were all not the best.

He was one of the ones that had magic come easily to him but used it for his own pleasure, and Cassandra tended to dislike most who were of that nature. She had always felt like magic was granted for them to use for help, not for using against others. When Jason continued to talk and insult Beck, she had to bite her own tongue, enough she tasted copper in her mouth. She so badly wanted to speak against everything he was saying, at the least, it was cruel and unnecessary and she hated that. However, she needed this job, and she knew that Jason had the power to remove her, or even worse, punish her and she could not do much about it.

She felt horrible for Beck, and even though she had just met him, she could sense that he was a good person with just as good intentions. None of it mattered to her, whether his magic was bad or he had never been with a girl, it was always a person's heart. When she looked up just to catch Jason winking at her, she looked away quickly, feeling disgusted. She couldn't believe a person who she had just met would be so forthcoming onto her, especially those who should have manners since they were royalty. She would expect the same behavior from a drunk man at a bar.

She let out a breath once he had left the room, and her eyes stayed out to the gardens, wanting to give Beck a moment of privacy. "I would say many things but they would be out of line. You should not listen to your brother. He is not of pure intention. Focus on being strong and believe in yourself. The magic you just produced was amazing and great progress. Leave behind anything he has created here," Cassandra spoke, her words soft.

Nixie put on her new, altered uniform: the skirt's hem was short, the v-neckline was very low, she wore thigh high white stocking and a pair of cute black pumps. In any other situation, she would have felt uncomfortable. Now, she just felt empowered. Before coming to the castle, her hair used to be so long, but she had cut it off herself in attempts to make herself less attractive, to try to dissuade in being Prince Jason's maid. Obviously, that didn't help any. So now, she'd try a different plan of action, one she hoped would help, in some way, any way.

---

Beck sat there in silence, for what felt like hours, but eventually, Cassie spoke up. He nodded his head. "Thank you," he replied, looking out into the garden. Jason might think that he was the best, but there was no way that Beck was going to let him get that crown. He would tear apart the kingdom until it was nothing but fragments of what a grand place it used to be.

He looked over to Cassie, mustering up a smile. "Would you like to go on a walk through the garden? I know you're supposed to be tutoring me, but maybe a change of scenery would help in some way? Maybe I could attempt to make flowers bloom brighter, larger?" he asked her, hoping for a yes.

Jason spent his time relaxing in his room for awhile, reading books that he had taken from the library that he usually went to replace every week when he knew no one would be there to see him. It was a little known fact that he enjoyed to read, and he usually kept it to himself that he did so. It was why he returned the book to the stack that he left underneath his bed, and rang the bell for Nixie. He was growing tired of reading after doing so for several hours, and wanted some entertainment.

He stayed laid back in bed, one leg propped up and his arms up and supporting his head. Jason had grown slightly hungry throughout his time reading and would probably order Nixie to get him some food.

---

When he spoke, she looked over and offered him a soft smile. "I would love to walk through the gardens," She told him, earnestly, and got up from the bench and dusted off her skirt. She waited for him to begin walking before she fell into step beside him, hoping that it wasn't crossing a line. Sometimes royalty wanted those to walk behind them, but she figured with Beck wanting her to remain casual, that walking beside him would also fall under the request.

The walk to outside of the palace wasn't long, and once they were outside and able to breathe in the slightly warm Spring air, she felt lighter. The sun was peaking out from beneath puffy clouds, and everything in bloom sparkled with dew. She looked around in awe, as she always was of nature.

They were silent for awhile before she looked over to Beck, and gave him another smile. "Earlier, before we were interrupted, I asked you what you were thinking of when you were able to do the magic? I'm curious to see your motivations, since you were able to freeze the cup," She said, voice gentle.

Nixie had just finished readying herself when she heard the bell ring for her. She smirked devilishly, excited to see what he would think. Gods, if this backfired on her, then she would never be able to live this down, or probably continue to work for the prince. She shook her head, ridding her mind of those thoughts before quickly going to the kitchen to grab a couple of snacks and a new pot of tea for Jason as it had been a couple hours since breakfast and she was sure that he would be hungry again.

Nixie knocked once on Prince Jason's door before entering, carrying the tray of tea and snacks in one hand. She set the tray down on the table and began to pour his tea into a cup and add the appropriate amount of sugar before speaking to him. "I assumed you might be a little hungry, I brought tea and cookies." She didn't speak about her new attire, letting him put as little or much attention to it.

---

"Lovely," Beck grinned, standing up and leading her out to the garden, her by his side. He always much preferred walking with people like that, for he was no better than them, at least in the sense of being a person. He did have more money and a higher status, but Beck did not believe that they were important things.

"I love it out here," he admitted, "Jason's new maid, Nixie, she keeps her own little herb garden out on the far end, thinking no one really knows besides the gardeners. But I help tend to it if she isn't able to make it out here." He pointed over in the direction that the garden was. He didn't really know what she used the herbs for, but there was always a reason for things. He never really asked about it. Some people just liked their little private things.

When Cassie asked about what he was thinking of when he was casting, Beck looked to the ground, hoping his ears really weren't as hot as he thought they were. "You, actually. Not in the romantic sense, like my brother likes to think, but I didn't want to disappoint you. I wanted so bad not to disappoint and have you believe in me that you would continue to aid me, and it worked - well, the spell did, at least."

Jason looked to the door when it opened to find Nixie there, and he had to compose himself quickly to keep his mouth from opening in awe. He didn't know where she found it, or even had the time to make it herself, but she had completely changed the look of her outfit. His eyes traveled the length of her body, admiring all the small details she had put into making the outfit. He assumed she had done so because she thought it would please him, and he smirked to himself. She was learning.

"Thank you, I appreciate you bringing me some things to eat.. As well as something for my eyes to consume," He murmured, watching her as she made his tea for him. Jason moved so that he was sitting on the end of the bed, and he beckoned her over. "Please bring me my tea and come sit on my lap," He ordered, still smirking. "I'm sure you spent a good amount of time making this outfit for me, I want to make sure you feel properly appreciated," Jason continued, his eyes sparkling.

---

"That's delightful. It's nice that she's doing that sort of thing. And lovely that you're helping her," She commented, looking over in the direction that he pointed while he was speaking. It was a little ways a way, but she thought she was able to distinguish the look of varying herb plants making their way out of the ground.

When she heard that he thought of her while doing the spell, she could feel her cheeks warm pleasantly, and was sure that they had turned the lightest of pink. "I'm flattered that I'm able to be a source of inspiration for you, Beck, and I hope that you're able to continue so that your magic will grow," She told him, and looked down at the ground for awhile, watching her feet walk over the bright green grass below them.