EI Report: The Prince's Rose & introducing Zodiacal: Equinox

Happy Friday, Gaians! We've got a lot of ground to cover in today's report, so let's get started! The Prince's Rose has evolved once more, and we've got a brand new Evolving Item recolor, Zodiacal: Equinox!

The Prince's Rose: The girl’s eyes followed the blade as it swung towards her, because she dare not close them, knowing if she did they’d simply never reopen. If this was how it was all going to end then she wanted to be aware until the very last second, until she felt that blade’s cold sting against her skin. Wasn’t it strange how alive one felt the moment before death? She could feel every frantic beat of her own heart, pounding against her her ribs, every flutter of her pulse; she knew she was no longer breathing, the air trapped in her lungs, as that blade lowered practically by inches, and she wouldn’t close her eyes, she wouldn’t look away, she wouldn’t --

The bite never came. Instead she found herself pushed roughly to the cold ground, the ringing clang of metal on metal filling her ears. Her eyes flicked up to see the prince standing before her, wielding a thin, silvery blade with a handle carved to resemble an ornate rose, his sword absorbing the blow intended for her. “You stupid girl,” he snarled, not even giving her the courtesy of a glance back. The spirit withdrew and sheathed his blade, dropping to his knees before him as the prince straightened to his full height, his sword still pointed at the spirit’s incorporeal form.

“Lower your weapons,” he commanded, icy, “and kneel.” The ghosts dutifully acquiesced, a sea of dead soldiers following their former commander, and the prince smirked at their obedience. The danger gone, he flicked the point of his sword upwards, dragging the tip along the ghost’s face almost mockingly, before turning back towards the maiden. She stared up at him, breathless, her fine silks dirtied by the dewy grass. His hand reached for her wrist and easily pulled her to her feet, snorting derisively as she stumbled, but allowing her the small mercy of not commenting on it.

“Enough of this. Come home -- where you belong.”

She was too dazed to protest. The prince led her by the arm, as if she were a child, back past the wide doors of his black castle. He all but threw her back inside, the doors slamming shut with a resounding thud behind them, before he finally relinquished his hold on her wrist.

“You’re bleeding.” she observed, quiet. The prince lifted a hand and swept his fingers along his brow, the tips coming away bloodied.

“Its sword must’ve nicked me,” he replied, dismissive. “It’s nothing.”

Wordlessly, the girl tore off a portion of her skirt -- the dress was ruined anyway, no way the prince would ever allow her to wear such a thing to dinner again -- and gingerly reached up, intending to dab the blood away from his brow, but the prince flinched away, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

The girl didn’t bother to respond, instead simply rolling on to the balls of her feet and beginning to carefully clean the prince’s wound. He remained still this time, almost too still, as if he’d simply forgotten to breathe. When she drew away his gaze lowered for a moment, suddenly too embarrassed to meet her eyes, and for a moment the pair stood in a slow, awkward silence.

Eventually the prince turned away from her, a hand coming to rest lightly on the hilt of his fine rose sword. “What you did was unforgivably foolish,” he began, “Next time you choose to pull a stunt like that, I’ll simply let them have you.” A pause, and he still refused to look at her, but his tone softened slightly. “But you tended to my wound, and for that I thank you.”

She gave him no reply. Instead the maiden brushed past the prince, intent on heading back to her tower.

“Dinner tonight. I expect to see you there!” the prince called to her retreating back, and so it was. She no longer attempted to escape, instead simply donning the fine presents the prince gave her each night and joining him for dinner, as ordered. Their meals became less of an exercise in tedious silence as the prince began to open up to her, asking her questions about how she liked her nightly gifts, how well they seemed to suit her: the flowing red robes complemented the color of her hair, the silken overskirt her shape, how they made her look like a fine, wealthy lady. He’d swear that she was turning into a proper noblewoman, that her manners were improving, her quiet nature a sign of her attentiveness. The girl would demurely thank him for his comments but rarely responded, and when the prince demanded her love she simply took that as her cue to leave, to return to her tower, and she assumed it would continue like this forever.

Until the sixth night. Rather than waiting for her at the head of the table, the prince instead stood by the door, dipping into a practiced bow as she entered.

“I’ve a gift for you,” he murmured, surprisingly gentle. It surprised her to realize his tone could be any less than cutting and cruel, the kindness in his voice taking her slightly aback. “Close your eyes.”

Confused, the girl did as she was told, listening to the prince’s silks rustle as he laid something heavy upon her head.

“Open them.”

Her eyes fluttered open and she reached a hand upwards, fingers trailing carefully along spines of delicate metal, wincing as it pricked her fingers. A black crown, made to resemble thorns, as sharp and cool as the prince’s eyes.

“It suits you, my princess,” he said, smiling. His hand dropped to gently brush the back of his fingers against her cheek, almost tender, and she felt warmth flood her cheeks at this touch. “Now, will you love me?”

Zodiacal: Equinox: Zodiacal makes a triumphant return with stylish new colors and even a fabulous new pose! This month we've got the sign of Gemini, recolored in vibrant black and red.

Unfortunately that's all the time I have this week, but be sure to tune in next week for our next Evolving Item Report! You can see all these incredible items and more in La Victoire, and don't forget to vote in our Weekly EI Poll to let us know what your favorites are. See you soon, junior scientists!