Chapter Text
Luka grumbled as he fought with his necktie. A knock on his door interrupted his battle. He turned as Anarka stepped into his room.
“You almost ready?” Anarka asked.
“Yeah, just fighting with this.”
Anarka chuckled. “Need help, lad?”
“No. I got this. I’ve done it before.”
“Alright, but I’m only giving you-.”
A man pushed past Anarka and struck a pose in the room. “Surprise!”
Luka and Anarka turned to the man and stared. He wore a sleeveless under bust corset tailcoat that trailed behind him in long peacock feathers, a blue shirt with sleeves that flared and dangled at his elbows with a few buttons undone to expose his chest, black pants, and white knee-high boots. His messy, beach blonde hair was slicked back in an elegant mess that framed his face perfectly. Gold bracelets and cuffs adorned both his arms with a single gold earring in his right ear.
“Adrien? What are you-?” Luka started.
Adrien tackled Luka, kissing Luka. Anarka cleared her throat, earning Adrien’s attention.
“Adrien, what are you doing here?”
“Huh? Oh! Well, it’s rather simple. I wanted to see my darling little snake charmer. It has been so long after all.”
“We were on our way to the Court soon. You could have waited.”
Adrien cooed like a bird as he nuzzled Luka. “Oh, I know, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I just had to see him. He is my favorite after all.”
Anarka scoffed. “You may be the Peacock, but you need to leave Luka be. You’ll need to focus on finding a suitable mate, not just some passing fancies. It’s your responsibility to-.”
Anarka stopped abruptly and left the room. Adrien let out a long sigh and cuddled up to Luka.
“Are you ok?” Luka asked.
“I’m fine. Just tired of hearing that same bullshit. I know what I should be doing, but that doesn’t mean I want to do it. Not that they’d accept I want you even if they did take me seriously.”
Luka opened his mouth to speak, but Adrien continued.
“I mean, now they’re pushing me to be with that stupid Butterfly girl. She’s so annoying. All she does is preach utter nonsense about how I’m such an utter disgrace and need to act like I should. The utter nerve of that little brat. I am a glorious peacock and a Highborn at that. Where does she get off shaming me like that? Honestly, where? Oh, and don’t get me started on-!”
Luka kissed Adrien to silence him. He kept their faces within an inch of each other’s. “We can talk about this later after all the pompous and ceremony when it’s just us and the only eyes are your fabulous feathers.”
Adrien cooed softly. He kissed Luka on the lips and trailed to Luka’s ear. “You need to get better at tying ties, my sweet toxin.”
Luka looked down at his perfectly tied necktie. “Hey, mine might not be perfect, but it gets the job done.”
Adrien snorted. “That mangled mess is far from getting the job done. Besides, what message are you sending looking like?”
Luka smirked. “You know, not everyone cares about appearances, right?”
Adrien gasped in feigned horror and dramatically fainted into Luka’s arms.
“No, say it isn’t so. You couldn’t have possibly uttered such blasphemy. Not you, my heart, of all people.”
Luka rolled his eyes as he scooped up Adrien. “Alright, your Majesty. Save the theatrics for later. We have to get going.”
Adrien shrugged and snuggled up to Luka. He cooed while Luka carried him out towards the door. Luka stopped dead and back stepped.
Adrien looked up. “What’s going on?”
“Stay low. Don’t let her see you.”
Adrien cooed. His head turned to the front where he heard a pair of women yelling. He rolled out of Luka’s arms and approached the railing. His eyes widened seeing Anarka fighting with a young lady covered in layers upon layers of clothes.
“Who’s she?” Adrien asked.
“Uh, that would be Juleka. My twin.”
“Wait. You have a sister, and you didn’t tell me?”
“Well, I wasn’t allowed to. She kinda had her memory of the Court and everything erased at a young age. So, you know.”
Adrien grimaced. He turned back to the fight and listened to them.
“Juleka, please. I just need you out for a few minutes, then you can come right back. How hard is that to understand?” Anarka demanded.
Juleka sneered. “And how hard is it for you to just let me go to my damned room? Why are you trying to toss me back out in the freezing cold? Is this it? Is this the day you finally fucking realize you don’t want me? Is this the day you realize you should have tossed me out sooner?”
“Juleka, that’s not what I’m saying. You know we care-.”
“Don’t fucking finish that damn sentence. You don’t care. You never did.”
“I didn’t? Then why did I send all those years clothing and feeding you? How can you say I don’t care?”
“Because you didn’t have the mother fucking balls to put me up for adoption like you should have. Maybe then I’d have a mother that actually loved me and a brother that didn’t treat me like trash to be tossed aside.”
Adrien glanced back as Luka flinched as if Juleka’s words physically struck him.
Anarka scowled. “How dare you? How ungrateful must you be? We gave you everything.”
Juleka laughed harshly. “You fucking tossed me aside the moment I was inconvenient. You showered the fucking golden child with everything. And what was I? Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing. And right now, that nothing just wants to hide away and not see your ugly ass mugs.”
“You have no right to-.”
“Shut the fuck up and get out of my way, banshee.”
Juleka attempted to push past Anarka, but Anarka held her back. She struggled against Anarka’s grip with the door flung open. Everyone braced against the cold while she let out a horrid animalist shriek. Everyone gawked at her except the newcomer, Jagged Stone, their father.
“What’s up, party people!” Jagged Stone cheered.
“Shut the damn door you damned fool!” Juleka roared.
“Excuse you, but who do you think that you are to command me? I’m the legendary-.”
“You’re the legendary slacker that was out of fashion and relevance back in the seventies. The only defining feature about you is the hippie, fuckboy whoring around and excessive drugs you overindulge in to maintain any semblance of importance,” Juleka hissed.
“Well. You are… very mean,” Jagged Stone remarked.
“And I’m about to get a whole lot meaner if you don’t shut that damn door.”
Jagged Stone crossed his arms and stood indignantly. “No. Do it yourself.”
Juleka opened her mouth to yell, but only managed a loud, menacing snake hiss. Everyone watched as Juleka transformed into a large black cobra naga with a turquoise underbelly and diamond markings down the length of her back and tail. Juleka hissed again and advanced towards Jagged Stone but collapsed onto the pile of her torn clothes.
Jagged Stone fainted at the sight while Anarka ran to shut the door. She ran back to Juleka. She flinched at Juleka’s ice cold scales. Adrien jumped down to the main floor with Luka and joined Anarka.
“Anarka, did you know?” Adrien asked.
“I… how could I? I never thought… I mean with her powers never developing at the proper age, I just assumed… Oh, Juleka.”
“Mom, now’s not the time. We need to get her to the Court,” Luka interjected.
“Right. Right, the Court. They’ll need to see this. They’ll have to help her.”
Luka placed a reassuring hand on Anarka’s shoulder. She gave him a smile while Adrien lifted Juleka onto his shoulders.
“Let’s go. The Court of Miracles awaits.”