Chapter Text
The Sage’s Hamlet is the same as it was when he had left, green and vibrant and full of life. The gate, built of old wood and covered in ivy, creaks as the group of knights pass through, and Conrad can’t keep the smile from his face.
He’s home, and the smiles of the villagers bring him ease. A gentle breeze that carries the scent of baked bread wafts through his hair, and Conrad reaches up, pulling his mask away to gaze upon the great green expanse of his home.
Lukas is by his side, gazing intently at him when Conrad turns his smile on the knight. He receives a smile from Lukas in return, one eyebrow raised curiously. “Lead the way?” Lukas asks, but Conrad looks back upon the group of knights uneasily. Halcyon rarely takes visitors, a by-product of both his old age and former life as high priest of the faithful, and Conrad supposes that six unknown knights might not be the best first impression.
Lukas must read his unease, because he turns directly to Forsyth behind them, and the other gives a slight nod, pulling his horse away from the two and leading the rest of the detail towards the local inn.
“Better?” Lukas’ voice is like a wave of calm, and Conrad nods, leading the two of them down a dusty path towards the hermit’s cottage.
When they arrive, Lukas dismounts first, hurrying to Conrad’s right side to support him as he slides from the saddle.
With a steady arm around his waist, to keep him upright, Conrad relishes in the feeling of Lukas’ warm hands holding him up with relative ease.
Halcyon himself stands solely on the porch of his little cottage, three steps up with a staff in one hand. He leans against the railing, a small smile playing on his lips as he gestures to the two of them.
“Welcome home, my son.” He says, and Conrad feels the familiarity overtake him.
The hours pass by rather quickly, and Lukas spends them alone, sitting on the porch and watching the clouds go by. Halcyon had said that the treatment for Conrad’s arm would take him some time, and had asked Lukas to wait outside.
It wasn’t so bad, Lukas thought. The weather was mild and he had stationed himself quite comfortably into an old rocking chair that creaked with every swing. His book lay abandoned on his knee as he tilted his head back, eyes sliding shut.
The familiar atmosphere soothed him, like Ram Village had the first time he’d been there, albeit that visit had been under far more dire circumstances. The Hamlet reminded him of a quieter life, one he’d be loath to admit sounded amicable.
But no, he had his job and his duty and his friends to account for. His duty to the crown was a part of him he would never shirk, not for all the lives of solace and peace in the world. He loves and respects Alm too much to do that to him, or to himself.
He must have dozed off at some point, thinking about this life of his. He only gets an hour of blessed darkness before he’s shaken awake again. He struggles to open his eyes back towards the light, which blinds him for a solid second before Python comes into his view. His smirk is infuriatingly sly as Lukas throws his arms back to stretch, back cracking in the process. A yawn is ripped from him, a reminder that the previous night was spent fighting rather than sleeping, even though Python hardly looks fazed by the lack of rest.
“I never expected to find you sleeping on the job.” His tone is joking, but there’s an undercut there that Lukas can hear, but can’t decipher.
“Ah, sorry.” He can’t help the smile that graces his lips, soft and familiar. He hopes that Python can see it, behind his stoic voice. “I suppose I was far more tired than I initially thought.” Python’s belt clinks against the wooden porch as he takes a seat next to Lukas’ chair. The back of his head hits the cottage wall a second later, and Lukas turns to look as Python gets settled with his back against the wall.
“So, falling asleep in a rocking chair with a book in your lap, huh?” Python smiles, pulling one leg forward to rest his cheek against his knee as he turns his head to gaze up at Lukas. “When did you get so old?”
Lukas leans back in his chair, letting his eyes slid shut again, his small smile growing ever larger. “I’ve always been an old soul, Python.” He rocks back, relishing in the way the sun warms his face. “The war never gave me an opportunity to relax. Always battle after battle, it was exhausting. I’m happy I finally have time to read.” From his side, Python grunts out his agreement, turning to stare out at the fluffy clouds and never ending sky.
“At least it’s over now.” Python says, letting his own eyes slip shut in the afternoon sun.
The silence slips in naturally as both men bask in the sun like cats for an afternoon nap. It’s comfortable, and Lukas takes the liberty to rock his chair slightly, keeping both his feet planted on the porch.
Python’s voice is the first to break it with a quiet question that jerks Lukas awake instantly, tendrils of ice clenching around his heart. Perhaps he hadn’t heard it correctly the first time, so he blinks, lifting an eyebrow as he turns to the other.
“Pardon me?” Python is resting his cheek on his knee again, arms hugged tight around that one leg. But his face, his tone, reeks of pity, and that’s an emotion Lukas has gotten all too comfortable reading.
“The Prince and you.” Python starts, gaze turning back to the yard and the sky. There’s another moment of uncomfortable silence, one where Python rubs at his chin and Lukas watches him warily. When Python turns back, that sly, salacious smirk is back. “Are the two of you, y’know?”
Lukas furrows his brow, face drawing a tight line. The tension in the air is so thick that Lukas is surprised he hasn’t choked on it yet. “Are we what , Python?” The other must ignore the tightness in his face, the obvious disapproval, because Python shrugs slightly.
“Are you together?” Lukas’ stomach turns, and he’s sure his face is rapidly paling. Everything feels cold, and the sun is blotted out by a wayward cloud. His rocking stops.
“Of course not.” His tongue feels heavy in his mouth as he swallows. “Why would you even think that?” But a part of him, a traitorous little voice in the back of his mind knows why Python would ask him that. It’s selfish, so selfish, everything about it is selfish.
“I dunno, you just seem happier now than you did before.” He says, pushing against the cottage wall to stand to his full height. “You seem pretty close with him too. Same hobbies and stuff.” Python tilts his head, stretching his neck with a loud crack and a relieved sigh. “You should go for it. He seems like a sweet kid, and you deserve happiness as much as the next man.”
Python’s gaze cuts into him, and Lukas all but matches it, albeit a bit more uncertain.
“Y’know, happiness isn’t just going to fall into your lap so easily.”
“But I am happy, you just said it yourself. And I-” Python holds up a finger with a ragged sigh, the ones he used to loose when the fighting got bad, and Lukas stops his mouth and his thoughts.
“Just trust me on this okay?” He says as he turns, taking slow, deliberate steps towards the stairs. “Try it out, communicate, and let me know what happens.”
Before he knows it, Lukas is out of his chair, grabbing hold of Python’s wrist desperately. That same desperation must show on his face, because Python’s cold stare eases into something not quite a smile, but reassuring nonetheless.
“I don’t- I don’t know if I can.” He says, and Python slips his wrist out of Lukas’ hand to intertwine their fingers. Lukas’ teeth grit together as he speaks. “What if- I can’t-”
“You can, I know you can.” Python says, and Lukas knows it was meant to be comforting, but tears come to his eyes instead.
“But I don’t even know what love is.” The confession bursts from his chest, something tried and true, something truly repressed from the bottom of his heart. “How can I when I don’t know how to love or what it’s supposed to be?” His cheeks are wet, his eyes closed to the world. A hefty sob is just barely stifled by a sniffle. Everything he’s feeling is just his own selfishness taken shape.
“Well, that’s stupid of you to say.” Lukas jolts as Python reaches up, brushing away the tears with his thumb. His other hand is still clenched tightly in Lukas’. “Of course you know what love is, Lukas. Love is different for everyone. Just because you might experience it differently doesn’t make it less than others.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” Python squeezes his hand. “And I’m sorry. This clearly wasn’t something you wanted to talk about today. I really didn’t think you would freak out on me like that.”
Lukas’ laugh that bubbles from his chest is anything but forced; it’s light and airy and natural. “It’s alright. Though I never would’ve thought someone who lazed around so much would have such profound advice.”
Python’s face twists in a parody of annoyance, but his eyes are still soft with Lukas. “Y’know, you can just say thanks instead of insulting me. Backhanded compliments are Forsyth’s thing.”
The procedure takes another couple hours, but after they have finished, Lukas is offered a place to sleep and dinner from Halcyon, which he gladly accepts.
Halcyon’s cottage is small, with only three main rooms and a broom closet. The first is a common area, with bookshelves adorning almost every free wall that surrounds the room. The only wall without a bookshelf is home to the kitchen and stove, and a small kettle that is currently heating water for Halcyon’s late night tea. There’s a table in the middle of the room with books and dishes scattered over it haphazardly, one Lukas would clean off entirely if he had the energy and the permission.
The second seems to be Halcyon’s bedroom and study, though Lukas has yet to formally see it.
The third room is Conrad’s, a small bedroom with a flickering lamp and a drafty window. It’s got a bookshelf full of children’s books and small mattress not fit for a man of Conrad’s size, though it is rather amusing to watch him curl and twist and torque to fit the meager size of the matress. There’s a second mattress on the ground, laid out for him, but Lukas’ mind isn’t ready.
While Conrad sleeps, curled up in his childhood bed, Lukas chooses to peruse Halcyon’s bookcases, more for a way to pass the time than anything else. He can’t sleep right now, no matter how much he wants to. His mind won’t let him, too caught up in his emotions from earlier to just turn off on a whim, and his heart feels so overwhelmed with fondness at the slightest look towards that other bed.
He’s staring quite intently at a single book when the kettle on the stove whistles, and Halcyon putters out of his room to get his tea. It’s not that Lukas is trying to ignore him, but his mind doesn’t quite notice the passage of time anymore.
“You’ve been staring at that same book for some time now.” Lukas visibly startles from his place at the bookshelf when the older man speaks up. With tense shoulders and wide eyes, he turns, but Halcyon is nothing if not his opposite, sitting at the cramped table with a knowing smile and his cup of tea in his delicate hands.
“Ah, my apologies sir.” Lukas glances at the bookshelf once more, his brow furrowing together warily. He does not feel quite right around him, though he can’t say why. “Perhaps it is best if I go lay down. My mind is clearly not with me today and I don’t want to be a bother.”
A hearty laugh loses from Halcyon. “Nonsense! You are here as a guest of my son, please do not feel pressured into leaving simply because I am here.” The man takes a sip from his cup, a smile still curling on his lips. Lukas tries his best to search his face for insincerity, but there is none brewing on the surface. Halcyon takes time to set his cup on the saucer before him, and Lukas flinches at the clink of the porcelain. “If you would perhaps indulge me?” He waves toward the opposite side of the table where a second cup is steaming, one Lukas hadn’t noticed before.
His legs carry him there, and, before he realizes it, he’s plopping into the chair opposite Halcyon. The books and scrolls are cluttered around him, but when he looks up from the teacup where his eyes have been trained, Halcyon is nodding reassuringly. He reaches to cradle the cup in his hands, taking a hesitant, ginger sip, and his stony facade melts. The tea is warm, just the right temperature, and he goes in for another sip but Halcyon’s voice gives him pause once more.
“How is he?” Halcyon’s eyes are cast into his tea, still steaming in the cup he’s left it. “Conrad, I mean.”
Lukas blinks, teacup poised just below his lip. “Well,” He starts slowly, placing his tea cup back onto the saucer. He notices that it’s adorned with pink flowers and green vines before he continues. “He’s very good at his job- passionate about it even. Sir Mycen seems to have taken a liking to him rather quickly-”
“That’s not what I meant, my boy.” A smile graces Halcyon’s lips. “What I mean to ask.. Is he happy?”
It gives Lukas pause, a question so bold and yet so simple. Is Conrad happy? It’s something he’s never thought about before, and he’s only known Conrad for a few months.
But he thinks about it now, about the days and nights that Conrad spends curled up in work, about the dark bags under his eyes and the ink splotches that often cover his hands. He thinks about the way his wrists crack with overuse, or the way he always seems to fall asleep at the desk in the library next to a stack of reports.
But then he thinks about what Conrad’s said to him, how important it is that he’s making a difference. He thinks about the tired but genuine smiles that he gives when he finishes his work, eyes droopy but full of satisfaction. Conrad is truly using his hands to shape a new future, so Lukas smiles, thumbing the rim of his teacup.
“He’s happy. Very happy, it would seem.” Lukas says, and Halcyon nods solemnly, taking a sip from his tea.
“It makes me happy to hear that he’s happy.” He sets his teacup down on the saucer gently, bringing a hand up to wipe at the scruff of his beard. “That child deserves every shred of happiness that comes his way and then some. Can I trust that you will stay by his side?”
Such a poignant question catches Lukas off guard momentarily, but his answer comes naturally, from the depths of his heart.
“I will.”
The light in Conrad’s room is still flickering when Lukas returns.
He tries to extinguish it, to plunge the room into the darkness and comfort of sleep, but the damned flame keeps coming back after every attempt to stifle it. He’s about to give up when he hears a snicker from the bed sheets, and he turns to look, coming face to face with a grinning Conrad.
“You should’ve seen your face after the third try.” He says, interrupted intermittently with giggles and snickers. There are bags under his eyes, dark with sleep, but his smile is nothing if not mischievous.
“Were you keeping it alive the whole time?” Lukas asks, and Conrad, illuminated by orange glow of the lamp, stifles another snicker with his hand. Lukas’ heart clenches around the fondness that engulfs it, listening as this man laughs to himself.
Lukas smiles as well. He can’t help it if Conrad’s attitude is contagious. “Can you teach me?” He asks quietly, and Conrad turns to him, face a series of hard angles and shadows in the lamplight. His eyes are so full, full of joy and mirth and natural ability, and his smile grows ever wider.
“Sure, but I’m a little tired right now. Perhaps tomorrow?” Lukas tries to hide his disappointment with an animated nod, but Conrad reads him like an open book. He crooks a finger at Lukas, eyes already slipping into drowsiness once again.
So Lukas kneels at the side of his bed, curious. “Gimme your hand.” Conrad demands, and all Lukas can do is give it to him. Conrad traces his palm, a hand covered in scars from battles past, and he smiles. His eyes are shut tight, but his mouth continues on. “Ah yes, your hands are strong.” He manages to slur, and Lukas swallows hard, a red tint forming on his cheeks. Conrad’s fingers slip into his easily, curling around Lukas’ hand. “Your hands will be good for magic.”
And he dozes off like that, leaving Lukas with a blush and a hand clenched in Conrad’s grip. But he smiles nonetheless, moving to extinguish the lamp and let his mind rest for the night. He doesn’t need to figure out these feelings right now, he can simply be.