Silver Eyes

A/N - this is my first attempt at a NaNo story, and also my first attempt at any original story. I've started writing before and never finished, so I'm hoping that NaNo inspires me to actually finish. Reviews will help me finish as well ;) While I would love all reviews, as my first attempt, reviews with con-crit will be adored.
Please also see the two questions at the bottom of the prologue/first chapter.

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D’rian trudged reluctantly down the steps of his tower. He very rarely had cause to leave it, and that was perfectly alright with him. It may have seemed claustrophobic to many people, but his tower was his home; his sanctuary. When D’rian had to venture out into the castle proper, he was generally regarded with stares, both overt and subtle, as well as whispered conversations. A shame he was forced to ignore those comments, as tempting as it was to remind the people why exactly it was that he was the Royal Wizard.

The young man snorted to himself at the title. He wasn’t anything close to a wizard, but if that was found out, he’d be a dead man. His father, he barely remembered him, but he did remember serious silver eyes slowly dimming, telling him that no matter what, he had to hide what he was. It was nearly two decades ago that D’rian had been left alone, fending for himself on the streets for a few years before an elderly couple had taken him in. He found it hadn’t taken much to alter his appearance, except for his damning silver eyes. But it had quickly become apparent to the eight year old that he would also have to hide his powers. Living on his own had taught the young boy to be a quick learner, and it only took one incident for that important lesson to be driven home.

D’rian had been starving, not that that was an uncommon occurrence during that period of his life, but had seen that freshly cooked meat and his mouth was watering. Taking a furtive glance around, he hadn’t seen anyone in the near vicinity so had deemed it safe to swipe some dinner. He concentrated and pulled, and the meat (and the whole plate) left the table and re-appeared in D’rian’s waiting hands. Just in time for a woman to walk into the kitchen his dinner had been located in. She met his eyes - damned eyes! - and promptly screamed. The plate and his meal hit the ground and the youth took off down the street. However, his keen hearing heard the woman’s panicked description of what happened, and the man’s attempt to calm her down, that king had purged the monsters, of course it was just a little thief. Her next words, however, twisted in his gut,

“But his eyes. I saw them - silver like one of those demons! And the plate moved. Don‘t tell me to hush, I know what I saw!”

From that point on, he stopped using his abilities, except to change what he could of his looks, and let his hair grow long to shadow his face and his damning eyes. A little over a year later, he was attempting to steal lunch the old fashioned way when he found himself immobilised. That had turned out to be the best mistake of his life, as he found out he’d been discovered by no less than a retired wizard. While D’rian’s own abilities were formed of his own will, a wizards were formed of spells and enchantments created with herbs, stones and other such tools. Brant, or Gramps as he took to calling the elderly man who took him in, never outright said that he knew D’rian wasn’t human, but it was obvious in the way he took to training the boy in his craft. Over the next ten years, his Gramps showed him how to make it look like he used wizardry to use his own abilities. It even gave him a way to hide his eyes, as most wizards wore long robes to carry all of their tools.

So his youth passed. The good thing about not actually needing to learn the spells is that it gave D’rian time to learn other skills, such as sword work and archery. While most wizards were pale and gaunt from long hours learning spells and reading incantations, D’rian quickly became tanned and toned from hours in the sun. He was by no means a master swordsman; having no one to practice against limited his training, but he was an excellent shot with the bow, and combined with the spattering of street fighting he had to learn earlier in his life and the agility he had gained as a child thief, he was fairly confident in his ability to protect himself should the need arise.

For companionship however, he was leery about anyone other than his Gramps. While at home he could pretend he was normal, and so would his guardian, he knew it would only take one person to see his eyes and both his life and Brant’s would be forfeit. He did his best to not let it bother him, but at the same time he couldn’t help feeling a little bitter towards society as a whole and the King in particular. Yes, he could do magic - without the trappings that wizards needed that is - and yes, he may appear different, but not so much where he should have to hide in fear. Eyes, hair, even skin colour changed from human to human yet that wasn’t punishable by death! However, at the end of the day, it changed nothing and he was forced to hide away. As a child, he watched the children in his neighbourhood play together, then as they grew older the playing turned to shy flirting, then courting, and as the years passed more and more married and moved away. Each couple that left was a relief, as he envied them the normal, simple lives they led.

Until one day it was time for D’rian to move on as well. He had awoken one day, shortly after his nineteenth birthday, and instantly knew something was wrong. Moving off the small cot he used in the main room, he crept into the small bedroom his Gram and Gramps used, already fearing for what he would see. And sure enough, the couple were curled around each other, still in death. While D’rian knew they were old, and had lived full lives, he still grieved for the only family he had truly known. The young man spent the next few days preparing for the burial and clearing out the house. While he was considered strange, the elderly couple had been well liked, and their friends and neighbours all stopped by to pay their respects. He, however, would not remain there afterwards, it just wouldn’t feel right. During this time, he found trinkets and old journals left behind by his Gram, showing that she was in fact not human either. This only made his belief that the couple knew his secret even firmer. It also showed why his Gramps hadn’t survived his wife’s passing - as a mate to a lycan, he wouldn’t have the will to continue on without the presence of young children or a dire need for revenge. The fact that she should have been killed made his blood boil - she may have had the ability to turn into a wolf, but she was a good woman. There wasn’t a child in the neighbourhood who hadn’t called her Gram or been treated to a cake or some other treat whenever they stopped by.

After the funeral, he gathered up his few belongings and mementos and took to wandering. Being able to pass himself off as a wizard gained him odd jobs fairly regularly, as well as keeping most dangers at bay. He wandered for two years, until he found himself unwittingly helping the King’s brother who had been attacked by one of the myriad of rebel bands that roamed the country. Truthfully he probably wouldn’t have helped except he saw a young girl in the carriage as well, and he realized he couldn’t sit by and let an innocent child be slaughtered. The Duke was actually quite a nice man, and insisted on rewarding D’rian for the rescue. Without appearing suspicious the young man had no real reason to refuse. So he went with the small party to the capital city, and stayed on as the Duke’s personal wizard for a year. During this time, the young girl, Saela, stuck to him like glue, even going so far as to announce that she planned on marrying the wizard once she came of age. It was a close contest as to whether D’rian’s face or her father’s was more red at that statement. Especially given that the girl had been betrothed to one of the royal knights nearly since birth. Luckily Duke Jalen was used to his daughter doing impulsive things and waved it off as a passing fancy.

He stayed with the Duke’s family for a little over a year, and if he hadn’t been so paranoid about someone discovering his secret it would have been quite a pleasant experience for him. For the first time in his life, he was accepted in society. He was regarded as odd, but most wizards were so it was easy enough to ignore. The family adored him and treated him as an adopted member. But each day D’rian woke to wonder if this would be the day they realized he wasn’t human. Thankfully this never happened, but as with all good things, this time as well came to an end. The King’s Royal Wizard had passed away, and having heard from his brother what an excellent wizard D’rian was, insisted that the boy pack his things and move to the palace to take the Royal Wizard’s place. Jalen, knowing his brother’s temperament, had no choice but to send the young man away.

D’rian was terrified. This was the King that had ordered his family’s death, who still hunted down anyone non-human, and ruled his kingdom with an iron fist. For those who did not fall on the wrong side of any of his hundreds on new laws life was very good, very few were hungry or homeless, and most people were at least well off. But the laws were strict, and punishment fast and generally fatal. Aside from the laws against non-humans, most perceived wrong doings were met with death, even for smaller crimes. Anyone seen as a threat to the crown was dealt with in the same manner, until it got to the point where people were afraid to speak about anything regarding politics, good or ill. As the years passed in the palace D’rian saw more and more laws passed, and as time went on, they became less and less rational. Although it was, of course, never spoken aloud, it became obvious that the King was dealing with an advanced case of paranoia, and his thoughts and words were less sane each day.

With the heightened fear in the castle, D’rian took to spending as much time as possible in his tower. He was ignored by the King for the most part, and this was perfectly acceptable to him as it meant less chance of his secrets being exposed. There was also the additional fear of whether or not the King would decree that wizards were a danger to the kingdom as well, and have him executed. So D’rian spent his days mixing herbs for cures even most midwives knew for healing, and tried to make himself appear as non-threatening as possible. His heightened senses picked up the whispers, some saying he was as mad as the king, others saying he was simple-minded, yet others saying he was a plant by the rebels and was just biding his time before killing them all. Thankfully these whispers never made it to the King, as any would have ensured his death. However, it would also have doomed whoever spoke to the same fate, so the rumours stayed just that.

Which made his audience with the King today that much more suspicious. It had been over a year since he had last been in the presence of the King, who had instructed him to put new wards around his rooms. D’rian had done this, and more, knowing if even so much as a fly had gotten in he would be to blame. So he stood in front of the throne room, trying to control the tremors that went through his body, hoping that he was only facing another paranoid task rather than a death sentence.


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So, my two questions - what would people prefer to see? Yaoi/slash, het, yuri/femslash? I have my ideas but I'd also like to see what people think.
Second question - if the answer to the first is slash, how do people feel about m-preg? I have a great idea for it, but I don't want to scare too many reader's off ;) Depending on the answer, I may just make a second version after NaNo is over anyway, so everyone can enjoy.