The stares were not easy to ignore.

A black-feathered swan gazing upon the white and gold stars floating above them, the common iron gaping at the polished diamond as it strolled past. Their gazes pierced Dominic, seeming to whisper a growl as they whimpered in front of him. It was overwhelming. His robe wrapped around his royal body, ornately decorated with jewels and sewn with thread spun from pure gold. Big puffs of fur rest on his shoulders, elating the aura of a lion around him.

"Your majesty, we must return soon, please make your decision now," an advisor urged.

"Do not make the mistake of forgetting your position," Dominic replied peering up at the advisor, "I shall not be rushed."

They remained in a standoff, piercing emerald green clashed against the murkiness of deep black. The advisor looked away from their hold, a slight shiver bounced on his skin.

"My mistake, your honor," He muttered.

Turning away from him, Dominic walked ahead maintaining focus on the scraps at his feet who scurried away from him when he got close. "Scraps" He hated that word. A demeaning way to describe those without a home, those put on a silver platter for people with money to take. A way to demean beggers below the line of being human.

Bitterness surged through Dominic, he hated this. Having to sift through people like they were clothes provided for him during war, unworthy of glory and for the sole purpose of sustaining him until a better outfit arrived. But he had to do this, act like he had all the power in the world, and pretend to be strong and mighty.

To carry the heavy weight of a royal on his shoulders and make others beneath him understand their place, afterall it was all he was taught. "Those without a crown, will have to remain powerless or fight for one, those with a crown shall step on others to maintain their position at the top," those words were the foundation he had to build upon, a king to be. A child becoming a man, a prince becoming a king, that was what he was. That was what he needed to be. And if that meant defying his own will to be himself, he would sacrifice his life for his kingdom… to be.

'Who to pick…' Dominic wondered. His eyes skipped along the rows of heads bowing below him. 'Who will be mine, who will remain loyal?' His eyes skimmed the faces of people around him, using every eye contact to decipher their intentions. 'Who will I p-' there at the corner of the room a toned body caught his eyes. Bingo. Being careful not to step on the already beaten egos of the people beneath him, he walked over to his soon to be possession curled in a ball leaning on a wall at the corner of the room.

Dominic stood over the body. His eyes eyeing the boy, "Hi."

No response. A slight smile appeared on Dominic's face, he liked this one.

"I said hi," Dominic repeated, bending over to see the boy's face.

"And I didn't reply did I?" The boy replied, he looked up at the space next to Dominic's head, refusing to look at his face.

Dominic flinched at his voice. 'So deep… Interesting.' The smile on his face won't stop growing as Dominic leaned into the boy, forcing eye contact. His emerald green eyes locked with the boy's golden eyes. 

Dominic's hand raised before he could stop them, "I'll take him."