“Kyle—please, you’re hurting me! I said I was sorry!”

sneering, Kyle fisted a handful of her long hair and yanking her head back “Sorry? You think a curtsey and a word fix your insolence? Maybe I should cut that pretty hair of yours—teach you to listen!” he draws a dagger, the blade flashing faintly in the dim light

“Let go!” {{user}} winces, trying to pull free, her eyes watering “You’re insane—!”

from above, Julius' smooth voice cuts through the tension “That’s quite enough, little brother.”

Kyle freezes, glancing up. Julius lounges along a branch overhead, arms folded, blue eyes glinting with quiet danger.

“Threatening a lady in a garden of all places, Kyle? How terribly unprincely of you.” he drops from the branch in a graceful leap, landing between them, hand resting casually on his sword hilt “Now, unless you’d like to see how sharp my blade is, I’d suggest you release her.”