Insanity (Richard)

[henry]

Henry was about to lose his mind. This entire situation with Elina was grating on him, and he could practically feel bits of himself being ground away. What she hoped to find underneath, he didn't know. He wasn't even sure himself what was there anymore, under his walls. It had been little more than a week since he'd been forced into an arranged marriage. Even before then, things had started to go wrong. If he could have gone back to that day he heard Elina playing the piano, just turned around and walked the other way... Well, it was no use now. The damage was done, and he was falling for a woman. Him, Henry Niall, actually falling for one single woman. The very idea of it should have been laughable, but it wasn't. Not to him, at least. No, Henry was confused, disoriented, and he didn't know which way was up. He'd been locked in his suite every night in an attempt to keep him from someone else's bed and he was sorry to say that the tactic was working. He didn't want to fall in love, and if that meant he had to sleep with the entire court to do it, he was determined to give it a try.

Of course, Henry's exploits ensured quite a few other things. It made people underestimate him, for one. It was a tactic Dawn had taught him for fighting that he'd applied to the rest of his life. It went hand in hand with certain negotiation tactics that Vaan used. It benefited Henry for others to think him incapable. It kept people from asking his advice or trying to use him to get to the King. It was another form of protection. Another benefit was that it made people generally dislike him. It pushed people away, and provided him with emotional solitude. He didn't have to pretend to care about people he didn't like, and he didn't have any obligations to people. There were very few exceptions to this rule. Of course, this particular benefit had it's drawbacks. Other than Elina, Henry didn't really have anyone to confide in. Normally this didn't bother him, but his emotions were all over the place and he needed to talk to someone. Seeing as the whole thing was about Elina, he couldn't talk to her, and he was still mildly angry at Vaan for arranging the marriage in the first place, not to mention the constant guards.

This is what led Henry to Richard's office. He knew well enough that even if Richard wasn't there, he would be soon. His little brother was a workaholic and never really left his desk for long. Taking long strides through the palace corridors, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He and Richard had never really been on the best of terms, but at least Henry knew Richard would be honest and tell him like it is. There would be no grovelling, no making up something that he thought Henry wanted to hear. Richard might not even listen. At the moment, though, Henry was ready to try anything to make sense of what was going on. Richard had a level head on his shoulders, and Henry hoped he'd help, despite the incident with Rachel. He didn't know whether it would be better to apologize or to just pretend it never happened. Perhaps he should just keep his mouth shut. The tactic had worked for him in the past.

Stopping at Richard's office door, Henry knocked. There was no answer, so he eased the door open and stepped inside. It was a large space with an ample desk, but that desk was dwarfed by the amount of paperwork on it. He strolled around, idly flipping through a couple of the files, waiting for Richard's return. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, perhaps Richard had something going about burying himself in work. Maybe a bit of boring paperwork would keep his mind off of Elina and his impending marital troubles. Closing a folder with financial information in it, Henry sat down in the chair opposite the desk. He was being an idiot. Nobody needed paperwork, and especially not this much of it. He wondered if Richard ever had time to eat. Resisting the urge to prop his feet on the desk, Henry waited, his thoughts slowly turning back into a puddle of confusion and denial.

[crispy]

Richard was up late, not just late it was at least 10 when he woke up, to find that his alarm clock was simply gone, He tried to remember what had happened to it only to realize that he or Rachel must have tossed it at some point the night before. Of course then was the fact that Rachel and he were so twined together as they lay in their king Sized bed that he had to wonder how he would get out of it. In the end he decided to just lay their and listen to the beat of her heart. He simply could not bare to wake her up from sleep at that moment. So instead he just lay their thinking about the day before.

Him and her just talking and enjoying each others company. He had found himself letting everything out, he honestly hadn't felt this good about anything in a long time, and he had gotten enough sleep that his dark circles around his blue eyes were not nearly as noticeable. It wasn't until he neared his office that something seemed to be off, for one he could smell pinesol coming from his brothers office, stopping he looked at the door. Why would the room smell like cleaner, no one even bothered to clean it because no one actually ever used it. Trying the door he found it unlocked, pushing it forward he saw the room spotless, everything put away and more than that it looked like it was waiting on Henry to show up to actually do something.

Confused he continued on his way pulling the door shut behind him as he continued on his way to his own office, and a familiar smell that rippled out as he continued forward. He could recognize his brother but their was a slight difference in his scent, like it was missing something that it normally had. He ignored it until he realized his half brother was in his office. Weirder and weirder he thought as he stepped into his office seeing his brother sitting in the guest chair as if waiting for him.

Richard prowled through his office, beyond confused as he tried to remember the last time they had talked about anything that hadn't ended with a thread of one kind or another. Okay so he couldn’t remember, a year... 25 Luna only knew when they had last had anything to do with each other. Sitting he glowered at the pile of work that he was sure he had shrank to nothing the day before and was possibly higher than it was before. Rubbing at his head at an incoming headache he looked up at his elder brother.

“You look... Like Angel just beat you with your own tail Henry... though I'm thinking that isn't why your here.”

[henry]

Henry involuntarily tensed as he heard footsteps, but he forced himself to remain sitting. He'd been pacing so much he feared that he'd start wearing out the floors, but it was impossibly hard to remain still. He'd made the trip to his brother's office four times and turned back before he even made it inside. Even now, he was still fighting with himself. To spill his guts, or just leave? Surely he could deal with all of this by himself. Normally, he would, but this situation was different. Henry was in uncharted territory. He'd never been in this situation before, and Richard was mated. He'd been through an arranged marriage.

Before Henry could make up his mind about whether or not he was staying, the footsteps got louder and the door swung open. Understandably, Richard appeared confused by Henry's presence, but seemed to otherwise ignore his elder brother as he prowled through his office. Richard looked pretty good, considering. Given Rachel's scent that was all over him, Henry had a pretty good idea about what had made him late to the office. Richard sat down in the seat behind the desk and despite being older, Henry wanted to squirm.

He wasn't one to share his feelings or open up about anything, and despite his recent confession to Elina, he still wasn't used to the sensation of vulnerability. Part of him wanted to get up and walk away right then. The problem was, he didn't really have anyone else to turn to. “You look... Like Angel just beat you with your own tail Henry... though I'm thinking that isn't why your here.” Henry couldn't take it anymore, and he stood to pace again, his thoughts all over the place. He knew he looked like hell, and there wasn't anything he could think to do to make it any better.

Running a hand through his short hair, he walked the width of the office before turning back and doing it again. To actually open up, or to leave? Damn it, Elina was getting under his skin. Letting out a breath, he stopped pacing and looked at Richard. This was his brother. Despite their differences, he should be able to talk to him. He gave a small shake of his head. "I know I look like hell. I feel like it." He resisted the urge to go back to pacing. Instead, he looked Richard in the eye, showing a rare display of sincerity tinged at the edges with panic. "I'm falling apart, Rich. The trouble is, I can't even ask you what you'd do because I already know." He gave a rueful smile and flopped back down in the chair. "I just... I don't know what to do. Everything I know is getting turned upside down. Elina is driving me insane, I haven't gotten laid in five days and you know what the worst part is? I'm falling for her." He laughed then, but there was no humor in in. "Damn it, I'm actually falling for her." The laugh trailed off and he rested his head in his hands, utterly confused.

[crispy]

In Richards life Henry had never talked to him about much, sure they had the same kind of brother brother rivalry as always existed but his brother was so much older it was hard to think of him as a brother. It Wasn't like they often were playmates and back then Henry tended to be as deep into work as Richards was now. So he had no idea as to why his brother was sitting across from him. So Richard simply waited, he knew that some people would never talk with prodding questions. His brother was one of those that had to be left to his own devices if Richard was to try and force anything his brother would lock up like a Safe and hide whatever the problem was.

Neither did, Richard want to watch his brother start pacing either. So he waited, the silence dripping across the stone floor in waves. Richard could hear his brothers pacing feet pounding upon the floor as he moved across the room. He seemed to be struggling with something. Like whatever thought was whispering in the back of his mind he didn't know what it would be or why he needed to say it. Eventually his brother simple stopped before the chair he had already vacated. His eyes glancing into Richards as he sat passively. Showing him as patient and waiting for anything that could happen.

"I know I look like hell. I feel like it. I'm falling apart, Rich. The trouble is, I can't even ask you what you'd do because I already know."

In all honesty Richard could say nothing to this, this was not a request for answers or wisdom, neither of which Richard felt he could give his brother. It was a matter of time before he collapsed into the chair that faced him. Richard honestly did wonder what the heart of the problem was. For surely his brother had a purpose to his visit not to simply pace and vent about some unknown thing. So what choice did he have but to sit and wait, his brother would find the heart of the matter in time. That would be when Richard could decide a course of Action, What words to say.

"I just... I don't know what to do. Everything I know is getting turned upside down. Elina is driving me insane, I haven't gotten laid in five days and you know what the worst part is? I'm falling for her. Damn it, I'm actually falling for her."

Was he really hearing this, he would have put money on Elina never being able to break his brother and yet here he was stating that she was managing to do the possible. That somehow his brother was falling for her and rather than accepting it, his brother still tried to deny and push it away. Would his elder brother always deny that which could make them more. Standing, Richard walked to his window, looking out at the sun trying to decide what he could say to his elder brother. Surely no younger brother had even been the one to have to give advice on love before. Yet in this court, he had much more time in Love than his brother, had been with one woman for most of his life, if not all of it.

“Henry, Elina is not your mother...”

It was the heart of the matter wasn't it, every tiny little thing that Henry had done all the running and hiding. The face of incompetence that he showed in court. His games he had behind the courts waiting for the chance to take the virgin to his bed. Yet never letting in any hope of love in his heart. How long had it been since he had let anyone get as close to him as Elina apparently was. That anyone had driven his brother to the point of seeking advice from his brother.

[henry]

Henry didn't even know what he was doing here. That was a big part of the problem really. He just didn't know what to do with himself. Everything he'd worked for, all the walls he'd built up, pushing people away... it was all crumbling down around him and there didn't seem to be anything he could do to stop it. Elina was getting under his skin and confusing everything he thought he knew. All the precautions he'd taken and everything he'd done to prevent someone being able to leave him and hurt him like his mother had... it was for nothing if he couldn't stop himself from falling in love with Elina. If that happened, the entirety of who he was would be in the palm of her hand for her to do with as she pleased. He nearly shivered at the thought.

Richard, like normal, was waiting for the other shoe to drop, it seemed. His little brother was always the cautious type, weighing his words with care. Henry lifted his head from his hands enough to watch him walk to the window and look out. For a moment, he didn't think Richard would say anything as the silence weighed heavy between them. In some ways, they were polar opposites. On the outside, at least. In truth, they had more in common than Henry cared to admit, though they'd never been close. Too much had happened, both in court and in their personal lives for them to have any sort of connection.

Finally, Richard spoke, his words quiet but powerful. "Henry, Elina is not your mother..." Henry's gaze sharpened on the back of Richard's head. If looks could kill, he would have been dead a year ago. Not many people could get away with talking about Henry's mother in front of him. Luckily for Richard, he was one of them. Henry's emotions spiked, but he couldn't get a handle on any of them. All that anger, the hurt, the loss... it all came dangerously close to the surface and his walls weren't there to hold it back. In the back of his mind somewhere, he thought that if that if that last tether to sanity broke, Elina would have no idea what she'd unleashed.

Slowly, Henry stood, his face a mask of impassiveness but his eyes holding a hint of anger, hurt, and insanity. "That was always the trouble with you. You never understood, you only thought you did. Your mother died, Richard. She didn't have a choice. Mine did, and she chose to leave. At least you know that your mother loved you. I don't even have that." Without another word, Henry turned and started for the door. Coming in here and talking to Richard had been a mistake. All it had done was inflame and tangle his already inflamed and tangled emotions. More and more, running away as far as he could get sounded like a good plan.

[crispy]

Had he really said what he did, pointed out the obvious to his brother, a simple fact that his brother could not avoid. Yet here his brother was avoiding, constantly avoiding the facts of reality that he had been left. He had been abandoned that in the end the very thought of that should have kept him rooted. Yet Henry had burried himself in his physical act of lust. His brother didn't know what it meant to love. Richard did, Father did, Henry had never given it a chance.

"That was always the trouble with you. You never understood, you only thought you did. Your mother died, Richard. She didn't have a choice. Mine did, and she chose to leave. At least you know that your mother loved you. I don't even have that."

Richard turned at his brothers voice, the mask was their, but their was something more in that mask. Anger, hurt, something even deeper than that. Richard could hardly describe it. Perhaps it was just a fear so deep that it had rotted his brothers mind. In all honesty he didn't know. Yet his brother stood to turn and leave. How often had Richard seen his brother do this. Every time someone came to close to the fact. He avoided the issue and fled. Richard didn't plan on letting his brother run away. His brother came her and asked and Richard was going to make him listen even if he had to string his brother up in chains to do it. That was why Richard moved, all training aside... Henry was family and he simply hated to see his brother killing himself over and over again. Slowly losing himself to some thing that he had no control over.

Why Richard moved, Jumping over his desk at his fleeing brother. His brother needed to stop running and that was why he went to the door and blocked it. Keeping his brother trapped in with him. It was either that or let his brother keep running around like a pup. Like a little lost pup with no purpose and fear in his eyes. His brother saw himself as utterly alone and in many ways he was... but only because he refused to let anyone in.

“You know, you always were good at running away... Its all I've ever seen you do, run away with your tail between your legs like the scared crying pup you are... So go ahead and run be a coward and lose your self every time you lay with someone. Feel a small part of you die the person that you can be whisper away little chunks falling apart like a river eroding the banks... Then when your old and alone your going to see her, Old and Frail and happy, Happy because she loved someone and lost them... When you will be miserable because you will have never given yourself the chance to love.”

Richard wasn't sure why he said the words he did, only part of him regretted them as soon as they came out of his mouth. Maybe it was all the years of him looking up to his brother. Maybe it was the simple fact that they were brothers and they were supposed to be in each others faces. He didn't really know all he knew was that he was tired of how his brother acted. Tired of acting the older brother when Henry should be the one doing that.

[henry]

In that moment, Henry wanted nothing more than to get out of that office, to go somewhere peaceful where he could get some air and be alone for awhile. His entire life was going haywire, his nerves were fried, he was pissed off, and he desperately needed something to ground him. What he didn't need was his brother, jumping over the desk and blocking his way to the door, but that's exactly what he got. Part of him was tempted to just shove him out of the way. He almost did. Considering the mood he was in, it wasn't the best move on his brother's part to get in his way. Henry ground his teeth, his anger spiking. He knew he had a temper and he did his best to control it, but nobody could push his buttons quite like Richard could.

Before Henry could do much more than twitch, Richard started talking. The anger burned low and deep before rising to the surface with a force that astounded him. It was probably because he wasn't just angry at Richard. He was angry at himself because he knew his brother was right. It was a sobering realization, to think that Richard knew him that well. Even buried in work, he was more observant than Henry gave him credit for. Part of him was even proud. But he couldn't show weakness now. Even though Richard was right, that didn't give him the right to stand in Henry's way or to even say those things out loud. "You're overstepping your bounds, little brother." It was all he could do to hold back just hauling off and clocking Richard in the head. Henry's fingers twitched into a fist at his side, but his brother continued. "Then when your old and alone your going to see her, Old and Frail and happy, Happy because she loved someone and lost them... When you will be miserable because you will have never given yourself the chance to love."

Henry stopped breathing and his eyes narrowed in his anger. Who did he think he was to tell him he would be miserable? On a deep level, Henry knew it was true, but that didn't mean he'd have to admit it. In all honesty, Richard's words only scoured away more of his walls and Henry felt, for the first time in a long time, that he was completely exposed to someone. Richard, who he'd never really gotten along with, apparently knew him much better than he'd thought. But, despite his brother's words, Henry still wanted to run. Richard didn't know what it was like to be abandoned. He might even understand in theory, but he didn't know what it felt like. The emptiness and the pain. The unbelieveable hurt that came from being rejected. Not only rejected, but rejected by the one person in his life who was supposed to be there for him no matter what. And she'd left like she didn't have a care in the world. Maybe she didn't.

Hurt lanced through his anger, but nothing would push it away completely. He was past his breaking point. All of this, Elina and everything that was going on there plus Richard's all-too-true words. It was all too much to handle. It felt like something within him was breaking, or perhaps re-breaking. Both of his hands in fists, he couldn't hold back his anger any longer, and it burst forth like a dam had exploded. Henry got in his brother's face, Richard only an inch shorter than himself. His words were soft, but anger, hurt, and rage dripped from them like acid. "You don't know anything, brother." With that, he grabbed his little brother by the shoulders, intending to fling him across the room. He was getting out of this office one way or another.

[crispy]

Did he expect a reaction from his elder brother, yes he did, what kind of reaction he could hardly be certain as he planted his feet before his brother. He had already made his decision, and he wouldn’t falter, he was tired of his brothers attitude. Tired of the way it hurt everyone around him to see him the way he was. Yet he wasn't about to get overly serious either. His blades stayed sheathed as he waited. He didn't have to wait long.

"You're overstepping your bounds, little brother."

Richard could see in his eyes the indecision, His brother still hadn't made the first move. So Richard waited his knees slightly bent as if to enable him better movement in the confined space. It didn't stop him from finishing his thought, telling his brother exactly what he saw coming in his future. The feeling of being alone, the feeling of never belonging and never working for something worth anything. Richard could see the change in his brother, the click of his eyes as anger caused him to stop his breath. His blue eyes narrowed to slits.

His hand's trembled next to him clenching into fists, Richard had no choice but wait for his brother, he would not through the first punch in this, he had come to him for help, by god if Richard was unwilling to knock sense into his older brother if he had to. He stalked forward, It was in some ways amusing to watch his brother like this, even knowing what was likely to happen. In the silence his brothers voice cracked at him, as soft and quiet as the words came out each one was like thunder. He could almost taste the rage, and insanity dripping within each one.

"You don't know anything,brother."

His brothers hands came upwards But Richard was far from slow as he brought his hand up on the inside of his brothers as they gripped his shoulders. As he did he twisted his hand around his brothers. His arms more like rope than a bar as his hands gripped the side of his arm. His brother may have him by rank, simply by being elder, but their was always a way to overthrow a lycans power... Earning it, It was not something that Richard planned on doing, but his brother was destroying himself.

“I won't let you leave until you actually start listening, you came to me, and now its your turn to pay attention and stop running like a scared child...”

[henry]

Faster than Henry would have thought possible, Richard’s hands came up and wrapped around his arms like rope. Henry might be stronger, but his brother had a speed that few could match. “I won’t let you leave until you actually start listening. You came you me, and now it’s your turn to pay attention and stop running like a scared child...” Oh, Richard wouldn’t let him leave, would he? Henry would just see about that. The fact that his brother was right only made matters worse. Deep down, he knew he was running, but he didn’t care. Running and not getting hurt was much preferable to exposing himself and getting shattered. If Richard thought he was screwed in the head now, he’d love to see the expression on his brother’s face if he got his heart broken by Elina. Damn the woman, she had the power to do it, too, or near enough.

Anger at her, at Richard, and most importantly at himself boiled up and over. The muscles in his arms bunched as he jerked on Richard’s shirt to fling him out of the way. He was getting out of that office one way or another. However, with Richard’s hold on his arms, he couldn’t get the leverage he needed and all he did was spin them around. Having his back against the wall put him in a dangerous position, but it might give him the angle he needed if he could use it to his advantage. Henry let go of Richard’s shoulders, his eyes glaring with anger and denial. His fingers twitched with their desire to hit something, and unfortunately for Richard, he was closest.

In a pretense of calm, Henry turned sideways slightly and took a couple steps. It was an instinctual wolf trait to circle his prey, and he couldn’t help the gesture. It was too lost in anger to care about propriety or the fact that he was, in a sense, stalking his brother like a rabbit in his own office. “You don’t want me to run? Right now my only other option is to fight, so wish granted.” He wasn’t in the mood to listen to words of wisdom, even if he’d been the one to instigate the conversation. Well, sometimes things between brothers were better said with fists and fangs. In his mind, he went over all the fighting techniques Dawn had taught him. It was hard to control his anger, even that much, but he managed to remember a few things. Moving as if to take another step forward, Henry slammed his foot against the wall behind him and used the extra force to launch his entire body at Richard’s waist.

[crispy]

Richard knew that in a test of strength it was his brother that would hold the upper hand. It didn't help that in the confined space of the office, Richards speed would only be useful for reacting to things... not actually attacking. Their simply wasn’t the space needed to use his speed to his advantage. That wasn't to say that he was not a competent fighter but rather the style he used was a softer martial style than many lycans used. In essence he used the force of those that came at him and redirected it back. So instead of taking the blow he would absorb and guide it into something else. A punch could be turned into a throw and a kick could enable an easier sweep.

In a way Richard was skilled at countering opponents in a fight rather than taking them on strait on. It was why he was effective at his job... He simply wasn't a bull. No he would find a point to start and blindside his opponent with something that caught them by surprise. Something that no one could or would expect from the Stubborn Duke... for he was stubborn. In that he and Henry were similar neither was one that would ever admit verbally to being stubborn but it was in every fiber of their beings. The Hold he had his brother in was hardly the best to use to stop him, in fact it could be described as one of the worst as his brother managed to break free of it.

So what was it going to be now, Richard could hardly be sure, the lack of cover meant this wasn't exactly a hunt, it was already a brawl and who knew how it would end. It was to be noted that Richard was to stubborn to back down and with that he felt his brother was so used to running that he was to stubborn to stop running. So in the end it was a fight to see who could break the stubbornness of the other. Richard only waited his eyes narrowed as he watched his brother keeping an eye on his body and on his face. He could tell by the movement that his brothers blood was up, the wolf was guiding not his brother the movements to much like a wolf stalking prey than a man fighting another.

“You don’t want me to run? Right now my only other option is to fight, so wish granted.”

Richard could wish that their was another option, had their ever been another option but for this to break down into a fight. Richard knew that he was supposed to be lower in the pack than his brother but that didn't mean much with him doing what was technically his brothers duties. It had left a sort of void in Richard, to actually think of himself as less than his brother would be to admit he had not done anything. As such he acted as if their were more than one Beta. On top of that but his brother was meant to be the future Alpha so he still had a better position than Richard. That didn't mean that Richard as his brother couldn't beat sense into his elder brother. Hell as a brother it was his duty to do just that.

“Hmph,”

Richard grunted as he looked on his brother, watching as his brother pushed forward his feet striking the wall next to the door to launch as Richard. Richard watched it, positive that he couldn't dodge it as he felt the impact of his brother knock him back. Yet Richard also took the force and let it act on him, not absorbing the force but using it to allow himself to move how he wanted to. He took the blow that doubled himself over to wrap his arms around his brothers waist and begin to fall back. This in turn lifted Henry from the ground in what looked like a suitable impersonation of a professional wrestler. It was only moments after that Henry was fully off the ground as Richard kept leaning back in order to slam his elder brother onto his desk... Sure he hadn't meant for the desk to be their but it was and it didn't help that the desk was already overloaded as his brother hit the solid wood. One would have thought the wood could handle the weight instead it hardly broke their fall as Richard felt themselves collide into the stone floor.

He wasn't about to get caught on the floor to grapple either, so he got himself back to his feet, After all fighting close in with grappling would be a style more suited to his brother... No Richard needed some space to work as he pulled his lips up to reveal the fact that his teeth had already changed with the slowly building climate. Sharpened canines gleamed as he waited for his brothers next move.

[henry]

Damn it all to hell... Not that lycans believed in hell, per se, but that didn't stop the thought from running through Henry's head as he saw what Richard was planning. His shoulder plowed into his brother's stomach, but there was nothing he could do to prevent the counter move. There was nothing for him to push against to change his trajectory, nothing for him to use to stop what was going to happen. Richard used his own momentum against him and grabbed him around the waist. Henry knew then that it was too late. Richard then dropped his center of gravity and lifted Henry at the same time, both of them falling into the desk behind them, but Henry took the hardest part of the fall. His back hit the polished wood surface, scattering papers and folders a split second before the desk gave way under their combined weight. Shards of mahogany popped and splintered, sliding across the floor.

Henry grunted when he hit the floor, momentarily dazed. He reached for Richard, but pulled back with a hiss at a sharp pain in his shoulder. That was all the time his brother needed to jump out of his reach. Twisting his torso, he looked at his shoulder to find a large splinter of wood dug deeply into the muscle below his neck. Adrenaline was keeping the pain at bay to an extent, so he used his other arm to assist in getting to his feet, the chunk of wood visible by a couple of inches. He could feel the blood start to trail down his back, but he forced himself not to flinch when he reached across his body to grab it. He kept his eyes locked with Richard's as he yanked it out, not even looking at it to see how far it had gone in. It didn't matter. None of it did.

Watching as Richard pulled his lips back, Henry smirked without humor. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one thoroughly pissed off. Then again, Henry was pissed for different reasons. Most everything Richard had said had been pure truth. Yes, he ran from his problems, yes, he wanted to fall in love, yes, he was probably going to ruin his life by fighting it... but he couldn't bring himself to behave any other way. He'd been wearing his mask for so long that it was a part of him now, and it hid that pup who had nearly lost his mind with loss and pain. The mask he wore was his only protection from those memories, and he could feel it slipping, dissolving, even as he stood there, bloodied and angry because he knew he was wrong and was unwilling to admit it.

Henry dropped the shard of wood at his feet without so much as a twitch from the pain. His shirt was starting to stick to his back as he breathed from the blood that was now flowing freely. Never taking his eyes from his brother, he ripped the constricting clothing off. If Richard wanted to play this the old fashioned way, Henry would oblige. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder, he growled, then started to shift. It would be a perfect time for Richard to attack, but Henry was hedging his bets that he might get a bit of misplaced mercy for his injury. Pain flared along every nerve ending in his body as he let his inner wolf take control. He was not fond of his were form, but he was too lost in anger to care as his bones snapped and muscles ripped. Before this fight was over, Richard was going to get hurt. There was no doubt in Henry's mind.

Breathing heavily, Henry stood at nearly nine feet, staring down at Richard with a deep, chest-rumbling growl. The blood that still seeped from his shoulder matted the fur on his back, but he barely noticed. It wouldn't be long before Richard shifted, so Henry had to make his move while he could. Richard had the speed, but Henry had the strength. He just had to catch the bastard first. His thoughts slowed and faded as his wolf took more and more control. It was instinct that guided him as he reached out and grabbed Richard in a bear hug. Twisting his body, he threw his brother across the room, straight at the window he had forgotten was there, letting out an ear-splitting roar as he did so.


((I have Crispy's permission for the god-modding there at the end))

[crispy]

Fighting and blood, in times long before Richard could think that it was bred into them, the need to fight to hunt and kill and it was only with time that a lycan could learn to master himself. The younger you were the more your wolf fought your control. Oh sure Richard wasn't as young as his pups but he was much younger than his brother. But control was something that Richard fought for. Every part of his life was about being in control. His work and home every moment Richard was in control and only one person could say that they could let him free of his need for control and soothe his savage beast at the same time. His mate was that person and in this instant he wasn't sure if his control was a good thing.

Here he was fighting the urge to control his body, to stay as human as he could and his brother, his elder brother was letting it happen letting his body change. Richard inwardly cringed knowing the pain of the change, knowing what it was like to feel ones bones breaking and reforming as they changed position and grew. He knew the pain, and yet a part of him loved the freedom of it the power and speed of that form. For in that form his speed was greater. The strength more finite yet there he was standing in his room his desk shattered under his brother and his feet bare upon the concrete. His lips twisted back, revealing his teeth and the gleaming canines that came from being so close to it. So close to needing to change. Yet he tried to control it to keep it from coming.

His mind, his body he swore, he would control it he wasn't some animal that would attack on command. His brother didn't seem to care and perhaps Richard was stupid for not triggering the change, for not letting loose the constant restraint as his brothers change finished. Richard saw nine feet of towering muscle fangs and claws before him. He also knew that the change would take to long to complete in order to stop his his brother from doing anything to begin with. How long it took him to realize this Richard couldn't fully realize as his brothers snarling muzzled and white chest moved forward with the speed that only a lycan could... a speed that normally had he changed Richard could have countered. In his human form though he was limited, he could not open to match the animal as it grabbed him from the earth.

Richard could smell blood, his own or Henry's he was far from certain as the movement continued, the movement of a fighter as he twisted Richard clutched in his hands. He could feel it as his body was lifted from the ground and thrown. For a moment he hoped to hit a wall... but then he felt it, the touch of the glass as it shattered around him, the razor edges cutting through the thin materials of his shirt and pants. It left his clothing tattered as he seemed to dangle for that split moment as gravity seemed to realize he was their. And he started to fall, his natural reaction was to reach out and tried to get to the edge to catch the ledge and pull himself back into the building. Try as he might though he couldn't, he had no choice as he let the change begin the black furr beginning to sprout as he focused on his hands forcing the change in them as he fell and managed to catch the wall as he fell. Perhaps it was luck that his arms lengthened and stretched as he reached the claws forming as they dug into the wall. And slowed him to a jarring stop.

He dangled their as the pain and the adrenaline hit him at once. He could feel his knees shatter and reverse to something more similar to normal wolves as he dangled trying to hold on. Slowly the pain subsided as the change was finished, nine feet of black fur and burning blue eyes hanging against the sheer wall for that moment as his claws dug into the thick stone walls. Slowly he climbed up. The rumbling growl in his chest silently dissipating as he climbed upwards. At the same time he could feel the wolf in him eroding his control, his brother his packmate had tried to kill him. He would have to do the same. Some part of him wanted to prove that he was the better, the stronger of the Niall brothers as he finally and slowly ended up on the ledge. Crouching as he saw his brother turning away.

He was running, he couldn’t tell what was wrong only that his brother was afraid of something, and he should have been he had let his guard down and Richards control was wearing thin. Did he think he was done, that they were done talking. They hadn't even gotten anywhere. He was still running from everything he always ran. Richard hated his brother for running from everything and everyone. He was a coward and he didn't deserve his position as Prince... if perhaps he was gone, if he was dead than Richard would be Prince then he would have what he deserved. Henry didn't deserve it, hadn't earned it... no Richard had done it, had busted his ass to be a duke... no he deserved to be the prince the crown prince. He would take it as well, take it from the brother that didn't deserve it. So he moved, with every ounce of speed he had he moved and slammed into his brother from behind in a foot ball players tackle. His shoulder lowered he slammed into the spine of his brother.

He didn't stop though, no he wanted this coward to feel pain to know he was not good enough, he would die in pain. Die not knowing why he was dieing. Then came the image of his mother dead. Of the lack of empathy, the feeling of being alone and ignored. His brother hated him, wouldn’t look at him. He had always looked up to him and he ignored him. He was alone when he needed family most and he hated him for it. All the rage and hate and anger was summoned up by the wolf in him and projected onto his brother. He blamed his brother for every thing that had happened and he would make him pay for it.

Stopping, and thinking was for this moment beyond him as he felt the pressure from the thick solid cedar door as it stood for moments and then simply exploded from the force of Richard forcing more energy through the door from his body pressing against his brothers and forcing his way through. The sound of the door exploding outwards tore as his ears and splinters tore at as matted fur but he didn't care as he kept going. The only thought was going until something stopped him. That something was the wall that was across from the door. Yet he didn't want to stop, no it was to easy to leave it at this. Why stop, why not keep on hurting the problem, it was all his fault. That he was isolated form his daughters that he could never see his wife. That he was always working. He didn't think about it as he turned and threw his brother against the opposite wall.

A deep growls rumbled through him as he saw the pulse of his brothers blood. Yes blood would be spilled, his blood, and then well he would be the prince and his brother would be a carcass a worthless memory. It took only a stride to reach his brother, laying face up staring upwards his chest rising and falling as he breathed. Richards vision tinted red as he lowered himself straddling his brother as his clawed hands rested against his chest one against his heart and the other near his throat as if to tear out an artery as he leaned forward his glistening fangs moving ever closer to his brothers throat...

[henry]

Henry didn't breathe at all as he watched Richard hit the window, shattering it outward. The sight of it snapped him back to himself with jarring clarity. As much as his wolf wanted blood, this was his brother who was now sailing through the air, stories above the ground. All his anger vanished as if it had never been as he watched. Richard tried to stop himself by grabbing the window frame and missed, and his heart clenched. As much as he tried to act like nothing mattered to him, many things did. Family was one of them. Gritting his teeth against the steadily growing pain in his shoulder, he moved to the window, trying to find any sign of his brother but he couldn't see anything. Fighting off a panic, thinking Richard might be seriously hurt or dead, he firmly told his wolf to shut up before shifting once again. The pain was worse this time, especially in his injured shoulder, as bone, muscle, tendons, and ligaments snapped and moved.

Standing naked in the middle of Richard's office wasn't going to do him any good. He needed to get outside; he needed to see if there was... he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. Turning away from the shattered window, he ran for the door. He'd only taken a few steps when he heard it. It was a faint sound and he doubted if a human would have been able to hear it. It was the sound of something large moving the air around it. He'd almost reached the door when he looked over his shoulder. That's when Richard's lycan body slammed into his back. He heard a crack on impact, and his lower back flared with pain, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Richard was moving so fast it would have been impossible to stop him. In a split second, he was pinned between a solid wooden door and roughly three hundred and fifty pounds of pissed off lycan. The door didn't last long with the force of the impact, and it shattered under him.

Despite how fast it all happened, Henry could still feel Richard's anger like it was a tangible thing. He'd always kept himself so tightly wound and Henry could see why. Richard's wolf was a volatile thing. At least it was in this state of mind. Henry wanted to tell him to let go more often. He wanted to tell his brother that it wasn't good for him to exert such rigid control all the time. He couldn't, though. Then his already injured back hit the wall opposite the office and he grunted as pain flared all throughout his body. It was worse than shifting. Every nerve ending he had was on fire and his legs started to give out from under him. Before he could fall, however, Richard grabbed him and threw him back across the hallway. Henry tried to brace himself with his hands, but his thoughts were becoming slow and sluggish. He only had time to turn his head slightly as his face rammed into the rough stone before he slid, boneless, to the floor.

The pain in his shoulder was nothing compared to what his back felt like. It was as if someone had banded a scalding branding iron around his spine and forgotten about it while it seared him. More than that, though, the pain seemed to spread outward from that point, making his muscles twitch. His face contorted in pain, there was nothing he could do as Richard straddled him. Well, no matter what his brother did, he deserved what he got. Henry had been the one to lose his temper first, and for what? Just because Richard had given him exactly what he'd asked for? Swallowing in between shallow breaths, Henry blinked up at Richard as he placed one hand over his heart and the other over his collar bone. He knew his brother's wolf was in control, and more than ever he wanted to calm him down. They were family and they should be there for each other. It was his fault that things didn't work out that way. Maybe the world really would be a better place without him.

[Vaan Niall]

Curiosity was getting the better of Vaan. He had to know if Henry was keeping to promise of actually doing his own work for a change, and now forcing it upon his brother. It was time for the boy to buck up and act like a man or so he hoped.

It was not that Vaan did not trust his son, his eldest was just too easily distracted especially if it was female and on her back. The womanizer and the workaholic, his son two different ends of the scale but nothing could be done about that now.

The corridor seemed to gone on forever, it was the perfect time to think. His brother wolf was growing restless, more so with every passing day and the cause, well that was obvious to the King. His Captain Dawn was the source of his discomfort but now that would be placed on the back burner. Henry and his lack of commitment was more important to the curious father. Vaan had never been the perfect father, he knew this well, maybe he should have been there more often not focusing just on his own pain and agony. His sons had lost their mothers, that special and loving bond had been shattered early on. It screamed at him that moment when he should have step in had past. Guilt, regret and sorrow filled his heart.

“Henry….”He said, turning into the hallway where his son's resided. open. His words trailing off as his eyes clamped upon a shocking sight, his sons locked in combat. In fact Richard was the one attacking his brother, straddling his chest with claws drawn. This must not progress any further, he would not have his sons at each other’s throats. This was completely unacceptable to be fighting out in the open like this.

“RICHARD!” He bellowed at the top of his lung, each word as angry as the one that came before. No longer was he just the father but the King slipped through, his court would remain peaceful. There was nothing he could do but forcible pull them apart, it had to be done before any permanent damage was done. Knowing his present form, he would not be able to move the hulking mass of muscle and fur that was his youngest. Vaan himself would have to shift into his nine foot tall were form.

Muscles twisted, changing as the change began. His head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. The were form was something Vaan hated to use unless it was completely necessary. The animal within could easily use this moment to take complete control but Vaan would never allow that to occur.

Lunging forward once the change was complete, he had to act now and pull Richard away from Henry, this was simply unacceptable.

Wrapping his arms around the Duke's waist, gripping tightly to make sure that Richard would not break away if he tried to escape his father's hold. With all the force he could muster in this moment, he yank his youngest off his eldest. Blood would not be spilled this day! Without a second thought, the king flung his son down the hallway, not giving him a chance to try to attack Henry again. Vaan would be standing in the way, between his two sons. This was where the anger and disagreement ended.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

Elina was outside taking a break from cleaning Henry's office. She hoped he would use it. She put a lot of effort into cleaning it up. And it still needed a bit of work. She left the maids to that though. She was tired and she was still reeling from the fact that Henry promised his fidelity to her. She worried though. Did he really mean it or was he just trying to get into her pants so he could say he had Elina Cali... the one who got away. She sighed and sat down under a nice shade tree, laying her head back against it softly with a sigh when she heard a loud crashing noise, like glass. She snapped her attention to the source of the noise and let out a loud gasp, jumping up as she watched Richard crash through one of the windows where the offices were located.

She watched in alarm as he shifted in midair. Her doe eyes got even bigger when she realized something. Henry was still in the offices. She didn't need to second guess it. She knew Henry had to be the culprit. She started for the castle as fast as she could and shot through the corridors while Richard made his way back into his office. She was just turning the corner when she heard a crash and she saw two very large, angry lycans in werewolf form come crashing through the door. She re Henry was the one on the bottom and he wasn't looking to well. She let out a scream, ducking from flying debris and splinters just as Vaan approached. She looked to him, watching him as he bellowed out Richard's name and grabbed him up into a a bear hug of sorts. Richard had that look that said he hungered for blood. To kill. It was there in his eyes and it worried Elina. It also made her mad. She looked to the two fighting brothers, cringing at the claws that had probably torn at Henry as Vaan pulled him away.

Luna must have really loved screwing with her life. She had just gotten Henry to promise her fidelity! Something that had a lot of time and effort put into it. A lot of hurt and fighting and all manner of things put into it. She was not about to let Richard wash all that work down the drain. Not before Elina got to sleep with Henry, damn it! She had fantasized about what he would be like. What he would make her feel. Richard was not about to take that away from her.

Before she even realized she was changing she had unwittingly fed her sister wolf that anger she was feeling towards Richard. Her body began to grow in size, tearing up her clothes. Her nose lengthened into a long dark snout with a full set of fang like teeth. Black fur sprouted all over her body, her hair turning into a black mane around her neck.She watched her hands become large claws and her feet become more canine like. Elina growled and she sat there, changing as quickly as she could, letting out a loud sound of pain before she came running back around the corner. She raced to Henry just as Richard was thrown down the hall. She crouched over Henry's body in a protective manner, those long fangs and canines bared in dangerous warning as she stood over her mate, dark amber eyes bore into his as she snarled at Richard menacingly. She did not need words to dare him to come near her or Henry again. Her eyes spoke of how much she was willing to rip him apart if he laid another claw on Henry with the intent to kill.

She was no in the mood to be messed with suddenly. Not when she finally got a promise of fidelity out . And certainly not before she got to test him in that promise. She was so incredibly pissed right now she didn't even care who started this entire mess. If Vaan couldn't end it Elina would.