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Chapter Text

Kallian Antiqua knew once he laid eyes on that Homs, he could not be trusted.

His father, the emperor, and a silver-haired Homs dressed in a fitted-parka accented with eloquent colors of purple, red, and white and snowwhite boots entered the dining hall where he, Kallian Antiqua, and his half-sister, Melia Antiqua, were enjoying their breakfast of toast and eggs.  With the length of his silver hair reaching the edges of his pale neck while scarcely touching his visage, the man had an intriguing air about him.  The thunderous clacks of his boots reverberated throughout the hall, invading and irritating Kallian’s thoughts, as he approached.

Kall could not take his eyes off of the stranger.  Of all his 136 years, it was beyond any oddity he’d never experienced before.  When he and Kallian suddenly noticed each other, an annoying self-satisfying simper appeared across the stranger's mouth.  Bothered by the expression, the prince slowly gnashed his food in between his teeth.  Neither man broke contact nor acknowledged any other person as the Homs and his father finally arrived at the dining table.  

It was incredibly unnerving yet, why could he not look away?

His elder father gestured to the stranger that stood a comfortable distance behind him.  “Good morning.  I would like to introduce you to our new royal seer, Alvis.  We have a long history spanning centuries with his family advising our royal family and providing us with life-saving visions.  His parents, grandparents, and even great grandparents were dear friends of mine.”

Kallian sipped his black tea while still watching this “Alvis”.  Every bit of the Homs, from his flashy clothes to his brilliant eyes, incited intense emotions that the prince himself could not determine.  Was it the way he dressed?  The way he smiled?  The way he stood with his legs spread apart haphazardly and uncivil?  Whatever it was, it vexed him.  The man was vexing.

The Homs was looking at his father speak while having intermittent glances around the grand hall.  He should keep his eyes on his emperor, the prince thought.  Mannerless whelp.

“If you recall when you were much younger, seer Macalon who served us for seven decades before retiring was his grandfather.  And, if you recall, he told us before leaving that his children would bear the next seer for our family.”

Was this even necessary to know?  What a boring conversation.  Kallian finished his tea and ended up pouring himself another cup from a nearby teapot.  Glancing sideways to his sister, Melia seemed enthralled with the questionable man and his introduction.  Of course, she’s half-Homs after all.  Ever since her biological mother passed away a few years ago, the poor girl clung to any semblance of her heritage.  Not to mention, it was rare to see another Homs ambling around Alcamoth in this day and age.  The prince crossed one arm over the other and continued to sip his lukewarm tea.

“His parents have unfortunately passed away during their trek to Valak Mountain due to a band of Mechon that we are currently pursuing.  Nonetheless, the poor lad by himself made the journey back from the mountain.  He has completed his rite of passage and wants to serve our family.”

After wiping her mouth and hands with her cloth handkerchief, Melia extended her hand for Alvis.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, seer Alvis.  If you require anything from my brother or I, please do not hesitate to let us know.”

Why make him an ingratiating servant for this disgusting Homs?  With furrowed ivory brows, Kallian watched the man take his sister’s hand and bring it to his lips.  “The pleasure is mine, princess Melia.  I hope I am able to reciprocate such a sentiment.”

Disgusting fake humility.  Subsequently, expectedly, Alvis with a manufactured, empty smile turned to Kall and extended his hand.  “Delighted to meet your acquaintance, your Highness.”

“Charmed,” the prince returned flatly while maintaining intense eye contact.  The handshake was unnerving--vexing.  

“Well, now that we’ve introduced ourselves,” the emperor said with an actual smile.  “Kallian, since your schedule is going to get more tumultuous, Alvis will be attending you until his services are required elsewhere.”

What.

His father raised an arm to his daughter.  “Melia, you also are going to get busier.  We have some things to discuss.  Kallian, Alvis, we will leave you two together.”

“Coming, father.”  Melia stood from her seat and followed her father out of the hall.  

The two men sat in silence as they watched the backsides of their emperor and princess disappear, providing enough time for Kallian to think about how to deal with this “issue” accordingly.

As Alvis turned his head back to the prince, Kall frowned deeply and said flatly, “It appears that we are stuck together.”

“I’m excited to serve you, your Highness.”  Alvis bowed to him by lowering his head.

“Enough of the fakeness.”

Alvis perked, lifting his head up.  “Pardon?”

“I want to make it abundantly clear that I do not like you.  You degenerate races from the lower parts of Bionis still struggle with basic technology and food safety.  Coming from such an simpleminded race, what makes you inclined to put up such a fake front of competence, hm, seer Alvis?”

Absolutely wordless and stunned, the silver-haired man blinked increasingly rapidly.  

Grabbing an apple from a nearby bowl, Kall said and bit into the fruit, “My condolences for your parents.  Now leave my sight.”

With knitted brows and pursed lips, the seer stood upright, inhaled, and turned around.  Without protest, he departed the dining hall, leaving Kallian at long last alone to his meal.

The rain grew heavier.  The air was thickening.  Only the sounds of water slapping against the canopies of Makna forest could be heard.

The storm was only getting worse.

“There is cave near here!  We stop in cave!  We wait for storm to go away!” the leader, expert adventurer Nopon, Poki, exclaimed as gusts of wind began slamming harder into the tourist group, comprising an assortment of Nopons, Prince Kallian and seer Alvis.

The royal siblings and seer were delegated to visit the lower region of Frontier Village by emperor Sorean to cultivate relationships with the industrious Nopons.  The Nopons requested Sorean for anti-mechon technology in-exchange for exotic foods and merriment, which the benevolent emperor accepted on the condition of the village accepting his children (and Alvis) as envoys.  Princess Melia decided to remain within the grande Nopon tree with its leader, Chief Bunga, while her brother and seer go out and survey the surrounding forest.  Kallian deeply desired to investigate Makna for himself, but, annoyingly for him, the Nopons would not allow him to go alone.

Holding his jetblack umbrella reinforced with sterling steel close to his body, Alvis glanced at the prince who also had his own umbrella.  He was vested in light clothing: white short-sleeved shirt, brown burlap shorts, and plain rubber black boots. The contrast of his usual, flowy court attire had the seer eyeing him more than he wanted to admit.  For his mood, he looked stoic yet angry (so no different than normal) and didn’t seem to be adapting well to the forest’s chaotic climate evidenced by his heavy breathing and gaping mouth.  

“What?” he scowled at Alvis.  He had caught him looking in his direction.

The silver-haired man shook his head and looked away.  “Nothing.  Just wanted to make sure you were faring well.”

“I am.  Thank you for your heartfelt concern,” his words dripped with venom.

Sighing lightly, Alvis shifted his eyes to the Nopons in front of them.  It had been a couple of weeks of this unbearable treatment.  Nevertheless, within those couple of weeks, Alvis learned that the prince was an esteemed historical and literature lecturer and renown technological developer.  When prince Kallian wasn’t lecturing to droves of bright-eyed students, he was tinkering with ether-imbued mechanical parts and augmenting the city’s current automatic sentinels.  The prince was also a vegetarian and avid animal-lover, routinely tending to wildlife outside the city walls including feeding and grooming.

Despite all his gregarious activities, however, Kall did not vocalize his bigotry publically.  Alvis considered if he were the only victim of the prince’s callousness.  Even still, the seer couldn’t believe his racism was legitimate. Sorean wanted the two men to get along, so that’s what the Homs intended albeit with hesitating compliance.  

The tourist group rushed onto a nearby coast, wet sand crushing under their feet.  Keeping his eyes on the horizon, Alvis saw an enormous, vertically elongated rip in the face of a nearby cliff.  The “cave” was actually a cove with an enormous body of water inside it.

Frustrating.  Annoying.  Standing alone at the cove’s mouth with crossed arms, Kallian watched the rainfall drum against sand and water outside.  

Alvis was sitting around the campfire amongst the Nopons, though keeping the prince within his peripheral vision.  After having pleasant conversations with the creatures ranging from food to clothes, Alvis found himself engrossed in their culture and wanting to learn more.  However, in the back of his mind, he knew that he shouldn’t spend so much time with them while his highness was off brooding by himself.  Deciding he should check in, the seer stood up and walked over to the High Entia.

Kall noticed Alvis but remained silent with furrowed brows.  Alvis leaned against the cove’s wall.

Curious and bored, the Homs asked in a low voice, “What seems to be the matter?”

“I hate sitting around doing nothing.”

“I see.  Have you tried talking to the Nopons?  They have interesting tales to tell.”

“And deal with constantly being called ‘birdman’?  I’d rather sit in silence.”

“Hm, do you secretly detest the Nopons too?”

He furrowed his brows deeper.  “No, just you Homs.”

Right…Alvis had to fight himself to not scoff bitterly.  A half-smirk was the result.  

Kallian turned around to the others and yelled out, “It looks like the rain is letting up.  I’m sure we all can shoulder it and get back to Frontier Village before sundown!”

“For Birdman maybe!” Poki answered and the other Nopons eagerly nodded their heads and hummed in agreement.  “It’s too far away, and we’re too tired and hungry!  Other Nopons will know!  Just wait until rain stop!”

The prince was not going to be bound to this cove.  He then replied loudly, “I’m stepping out for a bit.  I need to relieve myself.”

“Don’t go far!”

Prince Kallian nodded his head and departed.  With his half-smirk growing, Alvis silently watched the High Entian leave and disappear into the jungle.  The seer “forgot” to tell the prince before he left that he was going to fall into a deep sinkhole that would open up a cave system filled with rushing water while he was out in the jungle by himself.  He “forgot” for a week before this trip was even planned.  Also, this whole adventure dazzled the dull Homs man--how could be held accountable?  Thankfully, his simple-minded brain remembered now, meaning he could let the prince know of his demise.

“I’ll be stepping out too.  I need to ensure his highness’s safety.”

Soaked with rain and irritated, Kallian was determined to experience Makna Forest to its fullest extent.  He immediately went off the muddy trail and didn’t regret it.  After walking for several minutes, he found himself ogling the beautiful tall, enormous trees that extended many hundreds of meters above him.   No creatures were out in the downpour, meaning this time was even more favorable for any small land dwellers to prowl and investigate.  Though, the further he traveled, the more he realized the jungle was a labyrinth with scarce landmarks.  Despite it all, he pressed on.

After relieving himself on a tree next to an oasis, Kall thought about the type of fish that could be within its waters.  Approaching it, he could feel the flooded ground squelched under his boots--until he felt his boot sink fast and unexpectedly deep into the watery sand.  Both his foot and heart dropped.  Quicksand, he knew but had not encountered it before.  Only one foot was stuck, and the sand had stopped at his shin.  Sandy water was pooling into his boot.

Kallian tried with all his might to pull his foot free but failed.  His foot slipped out, and the prince ended up falling onto his ass into a pile of disgusting smelling mud, which he quickly realized based on the smell was a pile of dung.

“ARGH!” he groaned and wanted to rip his hair out.  

After getting to his feet, Kall stripped his breeches off, grabbed a nearby enormous flat leaf from a nearby palm shrub, and carefully tiptoed around the quicksand to the oasis.  He scrubbed the shit off with the leaf in the clear water.  

As he continued to scrub, suddenly, the raindrops that were pelting his face stopped.  Kallian looked up.  Alvis, holding two umbrellas, held one over his highness.  He asked, “May I help you?”

The prince scowled.  “I don’t need help from a dirty Homs belonging to the recesses of Bionis’s nether regions.”

Rolling his grey eyes, the silver-haired man held the umbrella and his tongue.  Says the guy scrubbing crap off his clothes...

Finally content with his washing, he quickly put the drenched shorts back on, stood up, and snatched the umbrella out of his servant’s hand.  With a momentary glare, Kallian hurriedly stomped back into the jungle.  Realizing that Alvis wasn’t following him, he flipped around and yelled, “Are you coming or not!?”

Oh.  Alvis could not temper his delight once he realized the reason why the prince didn’t return without him was because he got lost.  With an almighty smirk, the seer ambled gently across the jungle floor until he reached his prince.  “After you, your highness.”

“Tell me how to get back to camp.”

“Do you not know, your highness?”

“I will make sure you will be thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon in Alcamoth if you do not tell me how to get back, you insolent swine!”

The smirk devolved into a polite but vacant smile, his passion rising while his instincts telling him to relent.  Pointing to the nearby muddy path Kall originally left, Alvis said, “Follow the path.  We will be back to the cave in no time.”

“Good.  Let’s go.”

The prince began his mad trot again in a direction where Alvis did not point to nor expect him to go.  Suddenly, the scenery began to appear familiar, especially with Kallian’s swagger.

“Wait!  Stop!” Alvis bellowed and held his arm out.

Kallian halted and swerved around.  “What now?”

After some moments passed, Alvis considered if his suspicions were false.  He said, finally, “I had a vision you’d fall into a sinkhole.  Here.  I think.”

“What?” Kallian cupped his ear with one hand.  “I can’t hear you!”  

The rain was deafening.  Carefully making his way over to the prince, the seer told him, “I saw you falling into a sinkhole around here I think.  Tread softly.  This terrain has weakened from the excess rain.”

“Here?  You think!?”  the prince exclaimed.  “Of course.  Now of all times to have a ‘vision’ instead of hours or even days beforehand!  What good are you for?!  Why did my father think it was a good idea to assign you to me?  You’ve been nothing but a nuisance with your snide remarks.”

With a quirked brow, the seer retorted, “Excuse me?  You’re the only one fueling this needless tension between us.  I hold no hostility for you, Prince Kallian.”

“A convenient statement.  I’ve known since the moment we met that you were a disgusting person with an even more detestable personality.  You’re always judging people silently because you want to appear so humble.  There’s absolutely no reason I should believe your ‘visions’ since I still haven’t seen them in action once.”

Shaking his head and sighing the heaviest he had ever done, Alvis surrendered, “Do what you must.  I cannot stop you.”

The concession surprised even the raging prince; the roar of rain thankfully hampered the awkward silence that fell between them.  Eventually, Kall shook his head too and turned back around.  He tiptoed gently onto the path…

...but slid on some mud and was on his knees with his open umbrella propelling forward, out of reach.

Alvis hurried over and offered his hand again.

Looking at the hand, Kallian appeared sullen.  His voice was forlorn as he spoke.  “Why do you look at me with such contempt?”

Crouching down and holding the umbrella over them, Alvis said, “I’m not sure what you speak of.  I hold no ill will.”

“You know why my father delegated you as my attendant.”

“I was never informed, and, even if I was, I wouldn’t have let it affected my opinion about you, Your Highness.”

Kallian shook his head.  “Lies.  All lies.  No Homs can be trusted.”

“Please,” the silver-haired man begged, exasperated, “tell me.”

“I don’t trust you,” the prince spat and swatted his hand away.

Another wall.  All Alvis could do was huff.  Standing up, the man retrieved his highness’s umbrella and handed it back to him.  Thankfully, Kallian accepted it silently and stood up by himself.  

Trying to let his emotions subside, the seer mustered, “The path will lead us back to the coast.”

He began walking without his prince, desperately wanting to distance himself.  He was beyond finished with the day and wanted to retreat to shelter.  

Kallian followed his servant wordlessly.  After taking a few steps, however, the earth suddenly relented and collapsed under him, dragging him into its pit.  Alvis instantly flipped around and managed to nab the prince’s arm, dropping his umbrella and digging his heels deep into soft, watery soil.

A glance at the hole revealed similar rushing water, except it was running eastward from his point of view rather than northward.  Were there multiple holes?  Did they alter events?

“Pull me up!” the prince bellowed and thrashed.

“Trying!” Alvis grabbed and collapsed his umbrella with his free hand, inadvertently breaking some of its inner ribs, and stabbed the ground with it.  Using it as an anchor, the servant drug his prince up and through the earth.  

Panting heavily, the seer continued pulling his highness arm.  “Move away from the hole before it collapses anymore.”

Without warning, the prince picked himself up and belted into the distance, kicking up mud and leaving the seer behind.  Blinking nonplussed, the seer stood up and chased after Kallian.

“Wait!  There may be other sinkholes!”

The prince was too far ahead to hear anything over the downpour.  Alvis, breathing heavily, kept his running pace as best as he could down the path.  He did his damndest to keep the one-boot wearing prince in his sight.

Somehow.  Somehow.  The two men were able to find their familiar coast and get back to the cove.  Kallian was rinsing himself in the cove’s waters when Alvis finally caught up to him.  The Nopons were grilling the prince for how long he was gone.  Kallian wasn’t saying anything back.

Once he realized the prince was absolutely fine, Alvis finally caught his breath.  The Nopons were generous enough to see if the seer needed anything, but he declined them all.  Exhausted, the silver-haired man found an empty corner of the cove, stripped his dirty clothes off down to his underwear, and snuggled into his wool covers.  

He was done.

Chapter Text

Decorated with streams of ether-based bulb lights and colorful festive linens, the Great Hall of the Imperial Palace in Alcamoth was filled with clamoring guests, ranging from High Entia to Nopons to Homs.  It was a special occasion, planned by the Emperor himself, and seemingly the entirety of Bionis was invited.

Numerous enormous long dining tables were placed parallel on the sides of the hall, all of which were covered in foodstuffs, silverware, and plates for any passerby’s delight.  In front of the fountain that lead to the main court room, the royal family and select guests were placed at their own table.  All family members and guests were seated and were waiting for the Emperor to make his important announcement.  Placed at the very end of the table away from the center where the royal family sat, Alvis drank his wine silently.  He found relief from the separation of his highness for the time being.

In his stead, the prince had two unknown women flanking him from both sides: a Homs and a High Entia.  Alvis didn’t particularly care who they were but wondered if they could relieve him of his attendant duties permanently.

The emperor then stood up from his chair and clanked his wine glass with his fork.  Silencing the chattering guests and catching their attention, his clanking reverberated all throughout the Great Hall.  He stopped once he had all eyes on him.

“I would like to thank everyone for coming.  It warms my heart to see you here for my announcement,” Emperor Sorean declared to the Great Hall. 

“It pleasures me to tell you all that the future consorts to prince Kallian have been decided and wedding arrangements have been made.”

Kallian and the two women stood up.  His smiling father gestured to them as he spoke, “I would like to introduce you to Malyn and Threona, future consorts of my son, Kallian Antiqua.  May their futures usher in a newer era of Homs and High Entia relations.”

All three people ceremoniously bowed to their audience, and Sorean began to clap loudly.  His cue incited the crowd of mixed races to burst into an ovation, with some members cheering or roaring their jubilation.  Alvis clapped as well—though, a tad bit lighter than most.  

So, maybe they were going to permanent relieve him.  He sipped his wine and watched the royal family stand from its seats and assimilate itself into the crowd of people.  Hopeful for the prince-less future, Alvis remained seated and lost in thought.

Two weeks had passed since they returned from Frontier Village.  Everything was seemingly back to normal.  Melia had enjoyed herself so much that she wanted to train her magical skills with the Nopons and learn their techniques. The other two men were ambivalent; they acted aloof when pressed if they enjoyed themselves outside of Alcamoth.  Emperor Sorean was concerned, but both men remained evasive to any of his advances.  Al wanted to say something but found himself unable since the prince wasn’t going to break his silence.

Prince Kallian and Alvis never brought up the sinkhole incident to anyone—not even to themselves.  Al wasn’t sure if the prince was angry about it (even though he would’ve perished without Al intervening), but he wasn’t keen on finding out.  The silver-haired man was tired of the incessant bickering between them, so he planned to keep his mouth shut.  However, he did wonder about what the prince was accusing him of when he uncharacteristically crestfallen in the mud.

“Why do you look at me with such contempt”?  His words would periodically bother the seer that it edged on insanity.  What did Kallian see?  What did the prince want from Alvis?  He wanted to do something—anything for the prince yet he was shoved away because he was a Homs.  A dirty race.  Someone that feigned politeness.

It all felt like a hot, confusing fever dream where he’d wake up in his former house and his parents would still be alive.  Though, his parents sold their house before they left for Valak Mountain since they planned to be nomads after Alvis finished his rite of passage.  He wondered what his late parents would think of him if they knew their son was a subservient, ingratiating dog for a horrid prince.

Lifting his glass to his lips, Alvis guzzled a mouthful of wine.  The alcohol was thankfully numbing his painful, surging thoughts with each gulp.  

Realizing that nearly most of the royal family, including Kall currently with one of his future consorts—the Homs—, were now waltzing together in the center of the Hall, Al decided to wander around himself.  Wine in hand, the seer coasted through the waves of people on the sidelines and ended up settling into a group of high court noblemen.  They welcomed him cordially and filled his wine glass to its brim.

“Could you give me a private lesson in soothsaying some time, seer Alvis?” a High Entia woman asked in a honeyed trill. 

He smiled, realizing how bittersweet it was to receive warmth from a stranger.  “Unfortunately, Prince Kallian takes up all my time.  Perhaps during holiday, my dear.”

“He’s so lucky to have someone watching his safety in both the present and future,” she went on to say and batted her long, saber eyelashes.

Al had to resist the urge to tell this woman of everything.  He knew better than to besmirch the prince.  And, even if he did, who would believe him?  The wine must be making his senses dull.  He eventually bid the noblemen farewell, broke away from them, and deposited his empty wine glass on a nearby table.  He probably had enough.  Debating whether or not retire to his bedroom or stay, Al scanned the room for his highness for his answer.  He found the prince alone talking to the emperor across the room near.  Kallian appeared angry.

Huh, must be talking about him.

Needing his curiosity satisfied, Alvis floated past throngs of people and slinked around enormous beige buttresses to arrive close and out of sight near the duo.  With his back pressed against a buttress, he was able to hear them easily.

“…did to me the other day?  He let me fall into a hole and dangle for my life before finally deciding to pull me out.”

Ah.  Alvis’s mouth opened, but no words emerged.  That’s not what happened.

There was a long silence.  Alvis half-thought the conversation had ended until he heard the prince audibly huff.

“I don’t like his arrogance.”

The emperor softly laughed.  “Look, for now, enjoy the night.  Our guests have traveled far to come here.  Attend to your women and eat some delicious food, my son.  We will talk about this later.”

“Fine.  Later,” he seethed.

Peeking around the column, he saw the prince and emperor go their separate ways back into the Great Hall.  The seer sighed and facepalmed.  What was he to do?

“Seer Alvis!”

Startled, the silver-haired man jumped when someone appeared before him.

Dressed in a flowy evening gown dyed with cool colors of blues and purples, beautiful Melia was bright-eyed and joyful.  She embraced the man with no restraint, burying her face into his chest.  She then pulled back and said, “I haven’t seen you since our trip.  How have you been?”

Feeling as happy to see her, he replied, “Ok, I suppose.  How have you been?”

“I’ve been practicing my magic skills.  My father told me that if I could pass some trials made by the great magisters of the city, then I’d be able to venture past the sea by myself or even lead brigades.”

“I wish you luck, princess.  I had to go through my own trials to become a seer, and it was no easy task.”

Her teal eyes saddened.  “Yes, but your trial ended tragically for you.  I’m still incredibly sorry for your loss.  I unfortunately have not heard anything about our current pursuit for the Mechon that took your parents from you.  But, mark my words, I will find them myself if I have to.”

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he inhaled and smiled.  “Thank you for your kind words.  It is appreciated.”

After blinking momentarily, Melia looked down and away as if considering something.  She then said, “And I wanted to thank you for attending my brother.  I know he can be difficult at times.”

What did she know?  Al was about to speak before Melia continued, “His previous attendants quit, saying that he was brutish and rude.”

Forgetting what he was going to say, he remarked, “Interesting…”

Her voice was full of worry.  “Has he been treating you the same?”

While wanting more than anything to tell her every detail the prince has done to him, Al ultimately decided not to.  He would feel remiss if he relied on her to fix his problem.  Eventually, either through the marriage or through Alvis’s own endeavors, he would no longer hold this position, and this would end.  With a gentle smile, he assured her, “Princess, while I appreciate your concern, it is nothing you should fret about.  I can handle this.”

She bit her lip and her eyes twinkled, threatening tears.  With her palm, she wiped her eyes and said in a long drawn out breath, “He… he wasn’t always like this.  He used to smile and laugh a lot more.  Ever since Luna died, he was never the same.”

He was intrigued.  “Who?”

“He hasn’t mentioned, has he?  No…no, of course he wouldn’t.”  The woman shook her head and smiled sadly. 

“She was our former attendant—more like a motherly figure when our biological mothers were absent.  She raised both my brother and I for our entire lives until she broke her hip and eventually passed away.  Kallian was there when she passed, and he was the one that took it the hardest.  He didn’t leave his room for a week, neither to eat or talk to anyone.  I tried for weeks to talk to him about it, but all he did was distance himself and bury himself deeper in his duties or hobbies.  It’s been five years since she passed, and Kallian has only grown more callous.  My father endlessly assigns people to be his attendant, hoping that someone might break through his obstinance, but it seems that that will never happen.”

Alvis quirked a brow, unsure how to feel.  He failed to see the connection between the prince’s inflammatory, ad hominem rhetoric and his loss.  However, he did find it interesting that he was randomly assigned to somehow placate the man’s woes.  “I see.”

Silently, she tucked a lock of silver hair behind her ear and kept her gaze steady on the floor as if she were mulling over what to say next.  Her movements were deliberate and delicate and her eyes full of guilt and remorse—things that Alvis was not accustomed to seeing.  Considering what he said might’ve come off as hurtful, Alvis could not help himself.  “Perhaps his behavior might be related to something else?”

She offered calmly, “Well, we’ve been talking about who will succeed my father for a few years now.  Both my brother and I are viable, and my father was leaning towards my brother.  But, oddly enough, Kallian hadn’t protested nor agreed to it.  This ceremony was scheduled out-of-the-blue by my father.  I suppose my brother finally made up his mind.  Maybe his consorts can soothe his soul.”

“Your father made no mention of a successor, though.  Only marriage.”

“Does marriage not imply becoming a ruler, though?” Melia countered and had a cheerful smile again.  “Do you not see it in your mind’s eye what will happen?”

Alvis wryly smiled.  “My apologies, but my visions are particular to disasters.  I rarely see mundane things.”

“Didn’t realize marriage was a mundane thing,” she snorted playfully and crossed her arms.

“Well, to some it is.  What I meant was perhaps if his reign would bring the destruction of Alcamoth, I would see something.”

“Hmm…how do your visions work again?”

“Seer Alvis,” an unknown voice interjected.

The two darted their heads to the third voice.  It was Prince Kallian with his characteristic narrowed ivory brows and deep frown and without his future consorts.

He turned to his sister, ignoring the other man and his visage softening.  “Is seer Alvis bothering you, Melia?”

Straightening her spine, she lifted a hand to her mouth and answered, “No, we were just talking.  Nothing to worry about.  Everything is OK.”

Kall smirked.  “Unfortunately, it is not.  He has one job and finds difficulty even doing that.”

“Kallian…”

Al sharply inhaled.  “It’s ok.  He’s right.  I suppose I will bid you adieu, princess.”

Lifting himself away from the buttress, he turned and walked away from the princess with the prince.  When they were far enough from Melia, with a sharp glare, he asked, “Is something the matter?”

“Walk back with me to my bedroom.  I’m retiring for the night.”

Was there a reason why he couldn’t do that himself?  Why not ask a guard?  Why?  “Yes, your highness.”

“Also drop the cordial talk.  It’s annoying.”

Al pursed his lips.  “Ok.”

After using the transporter located on the east wing of the Great Hall to the higher floors of the palace, the cacophony of celebration turned into an endless quiet.  Nary a glance at each other, the two men walked down the lengthy catwalk to the prince’s bedroom.  Alvis found Kall’s lack of words to be…off.  He thought of the observation that has been in the back of his mind for most of the night to break the discomfort.  “One of your brides-to-be is a Homs.”

Expecting backlash, Kallian surprisingly answered in a chipper tone, “She is different from any other Homs.  My father chose her precisely for her pristine heritage and because we have had amicable relations with their family for decades.  Their family will provide munitions, and we will bless both our families with our offspring.”

“You’ve had amicable relations with my family for centuries, yet you treat me no better than an animal.”

“You’re arrogant and annoying.  You constantly gripe and look for trouble.  Does that suffice?”

Well, which is it: are you racist or is it just me?  Alvis looked at the metal railing of the catwalk and considered if bashing his head against it would be more productive than this conversation.  Feeling the moral obligation to walk ahead of his highness, Alvis reached his bedroom first and gestured exaggeratingly servile with his arm towards the door.  “Well, it’s been a lovely chat.  Here we are.  Your room.  Wouldn’t want to keep you from your beauty sleep.”

Expressionless, Kall stopped in front of the man and placed a hand on his hip.  “Tomorrow you will dress nicely.”

“For what purpose?”

The prince smiled.  “You will be giving a fortune to Malyn.”

He wasn’t a fortune-teller—he was a seer.  But Al knew explaining such a discrepancy would fall on deaf ears, so he opted not to.  Not to mention, he was beyond tired of being treated like a plaything for his highness’s amusement.  He would apologize to the emperor later for being unable to even achieve normal speaking terms.  But, after being acutely reminded of his rotten attitude, Alvis conveniently forgot about anything Melia mentioned about him being a tortured soul.  Whether it was the wine or his fatigue, the seer then considered the prince’s demand.

Malyn…that was the Homs girl.  Of course. 

“Ok.”

Alvis pulled his powderblue, handcrafted flowing robes across his shoulders and placed the silver filigree crown upon his head.  The delicate crown’s spikes splayed outward to the sides of his head, intended to fold wings back, but for Al, only prevented his silver bangs from covering part of his visage.  The High Entia high court attire wasn’t bad, he thought, as he inspected himself in his bedroom mirror.  Al hadn’t dressed in anything but his parka and white boots since he first came here, but it wasn’t out of dislike—it was merely his fashion choice.  It was nice to change things up.  But it unfortunate he was only doing this based on a command.

Checking the time with his pocket watch, the silver-haired man realized it was time to go to the guest room where his highness and his future consort were waiting for him.  He placed the watch into an inner pocket of the robe and exited his bedroom.  He took the closet transporter to the guest rooms located on the other side of the palace.

When he arrived at her bedroom, he saw the door was wide open and inside was Kallian and his consort talking with one another.  They were sitting at a small wooden table with chairs across from each other.  Dressed in a golden, tight-fitted dress, Malyn was the first to wave excitedly, stand up, and greet him.  The woman with striking green eyes and short platinum blonde hair said, “Hello, seer Alvis.  My name is Malyn.  Prince Kallian has told me all about you and your gift to see the future.  I’m so excited to have you tell mine.”

Ambivalent to what she said, Alvis’s eyes flicked between the woman and his highness.  Al was trying to gauge the prince’s current mood.

Oddly neutral. 

“I’m delighted to meet your acquaintance as well, my lady.”  He dared not to touch her, lest not come off as fake.

Alvis proceeded to walk over to the table and hover over the prince.  “If you would mind, prince Kallian, I would like to use the table.”

“For what?”

“For the fortune-telling, of course.”

Kallian blinked and quirked his brow.  He then stood up for his chair hesitatingly, and Alvis took it from him. 

Malyn took her seat in front of him and beamed.

He found himself beaming too.  “May I see your hands, my lady?”

She giggled and offered her hands facedown.  Watching from the sidelines and still confused, Kall watched the duo quietly.  Alvis gently touched her hands with his hands and flipped them upwards.  His grey eyes darted up and down her palms, analyzing each crease and crevice.  “Yes…I see.”

“What do you see, seer Alvis?”

Not answering right away, he brushed his own fingers against her hand as if obtaining more information with the touch.  Waiting in suspense, the woman and the prince watched the man warily.  He finally smiled and said, “This is interesting.  Very unique.  I’ve never seen anything quite like your future before.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.  You are very special, my dear.”  He looked back to her hands and pointed to a place on her left-hand index finger.  “This mark on finger one, position two means you will find great fortune but will have to go through great hardship for it.”

The man then pointed to another spot on her ring finger.  “Finger three, position three; this mark means that you will take a journey to a faraway place, and it is uncertain if you will return or not.”

“Oh…that sounds dreadful.”

“There is hope,” the silver-man continued, “your heart line reveals you’re a rational thinker that is empathetic, your life line says you are happiest when you are busy, and your head line says that you change your opinion upon new information.”

Kallian grunted.

“Wow, that’s incredible, seer Alvis.”

Al looked to his highness who now was frowning deeply and back to the woman.  Alvis’s smile was upgraded to a smirk.

“Well, the future could change at any moment, and you have the ability to do so.  My recommendation for you based on my reading is that you avoid open doorways, wear only green for the next week, and sing to yourself in the mirror to improve your luck.”

“Malyn,” the prince finally spoke and moved behind her chair.  They looked at each other.  “He’s joking.”

“What?” she said and leaned back in her chair to look at him better.  “But he is the royal seer who even your father trusts!  What he says must be true!” 

They both looked to the seer expectedly to set the record straight.

“My word is my honor,” Alvis simply stated.

That was it.

“See?  Even you vouched for him, dear.  I’m so excited.  I’d wear my green blouse even if it didn’t improve my luck.  Oh, seer Alvis, what kind of songs should I sing?”

“Any song you’d like.”

“Malyn,” he said again with a painfully obvious forced smile on his face.  “How about we take a stroll with Threona for a bit?”

“Oh, dear, but do you not want your fortune told too?  I mean, may as well, right?”

Kall was baring his white, pearly teeth now.  His jaw moved rigidly as he spoke, “You know, you’re right.  But I would like to get my fortune told in privacy if you don’t mind.  I will catch up with you two soon.”

“Ah, I see.  Privacy is important.  Well, I’ll leave you two then.  Pardon me, dear.  Seer Alvis.”  The Homs woman bowed to both the men before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

Kallian took her seat with a thud.  Raising his eyebrows, he cocked his head.  “You think this is funny?”

Al, still smirking, considered the question and shook his head.  “I don’t think of myself as a funny guy, honestly—”

“Why didn’t you warn her against any future danger?  Avoid open doorways?  How will she leave or go to any building?!”

Passion was welling up inside of him; Alvis quirked a brow, feigning confusion, and asked calmly, “Oh, you trust me now to tell you about my visions?”

Kall intensely glared at Alvis.  The seer then shrugged and replied, “Because I saw none.  Her foreseeable future has no danger.  Turning hermit for a bit won’t hurt her future.”

Cheeks flushed, Kallian was vicious.  “Then why didn’t you tell her just that!?”

“You wanted me to tell her a ‘fortune’.  Did I not do just that?”

“What?  Now you’re going to blame me for not knowing the difference between your ‘visions’ and ‘fortunes’?”

Alvis, considering what he said, slowly began to nod and agree.  “Yeah.  Do you not regularly harp about the importance of nuance in your lectures?”

“I’ve been alive a multitude longer than you were even thought of, seer.  Never in all my years have I met someone so arrogant—so disrespectful such as yourself.”

“I get it.  I’m a bad person.”  Alvis rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively.  “How about telling your father that I told her hole herself up to prevent your marriage from happening or something?”

Confused but then realizing what the seer meant, Kallian threw his hands up and groaned.  “You’re making a mockery out of the royal court!  You may have fooled Malyn and my family, but I will not tolerate this insolence!”

“Ok, get rid of me.  You’ve given me nothing but hell since we’ve met.”

“I knew the moment I met you, you’d be a treacherous whelp.”

“Oh, and who’s the one who can see the future here?  You?  How about telling your father your ability?”

“I don’t need to know the future to read people.  Your face, your eyes—you’re a con man in disguise.  You probably want to instill discord into my family and rip us apart.  You know what will happen to us if we turn against each other.  You know what can happen.  You probably even already seen it and are the harbinger of it all.”

The seer stood up, moved to where the prince was sitting and planted himself inches away from Kallian’s face.  Grey eyes clashed with teal ones; both were waiting for the rebuttal.

Finally, he said flatly, “You’re beyond delusional.”

And Alvis left Kallian alone.

Chapter Text

Tapping his boot against the marble floor outside the teleporter to the throne room, Alvis found himself restless as he waited for an audience with the emperor.  Each time he recited each of his talking points, his anxiety increased.  It was difficult for him to ask the emperor—the very man that asked Alvis to attend to his son—to relieve him from such duty.  Only one day has passed since he left had seen Kallian, and in that time he had planned his time accordingly.  Immediately after leaving the prince, he requested to talk with emperor Sorean alone but was told he needed to wait a day.  The seer waited patiently and carefully thought about what he was going to say.

A royal guard materialized from the nearby portal.  Alvis straightened his spine and stopped his tapping.

“The emperor will see you now.”

Nodding, the lone seer entered the transporter and appeared at the entrance of the brightly lit hall.  It was eerily silent and void of noblemen and guards.  He marched forward to the throne where the emperor sat on his throne, expressionlessly looking down onto the lowly man.  Alvis planted himself before his emperor and bowed deeply.

A warm smile appeared on the emperor’s worn visage.  “Seer Alvis, what seems to be the problem?”

Alvis inhaled deeply and gulped.  He had decided to go the quick and painless route.  “While I’m grateful for the opportunity, I struggle being your son’s attendant.  I humbly request to be relieved of this duty.”

Sorean’s smile faded, and Alvis’s heart sunk deep.  His stomach turned into hard knot.

“I must apologize for his behavior,” Sorean said finally, confusing Alvis.  “Many people before him have said how rotten he acts and how little he cares for anyone else.  I try not to shy away from it but…I guess we wouldn’t be here if I had dealt with this head on.”

With his robes spilling downward as he stood up, the ruler walked down the stairs from his platform and offered his hand to the seer.  Alvis shook his hand.  “Thank you for taking care of my son.  If you would like, you can serve in my royal court instead.”

Before immediately accepting the offer, Alvis hesitated.  Annoyingly, the thought had to be said.  Despite absolutely everything, he wanted a better resolution than this; he wanted to understand Kallian.

“Your highness, I must ask,” Alvis found himself saying, “If you knew that he was acting this way, why continue to assign people to be his attendant?”

Sorean looked downward and grimaced.  “It was only the past couple of years where he began to act in such a way.  As a child and adolescent, he was sociable and made friends easy.  But, now since he’s an adult with responsibility, he’s focused on tasks instead of people.  I do not think he’s realized that he cannot be an island unto himself.”

The emperor’s downturn eyes suddenly looked to the seer.  Full of sadness, he said, “I only wanted him to be happy.  That’s all.”

Alvis clenched his hand but didn’t look away.  His entire body tensed.  He felt like a betrayer.  “Even though I couldn’t do anything, the women you chose for him are making an impact, your highness.  I think he will find happiness in due time.”

“Yes…yes, I think they are lovely enough to get through to him.  Hopefully, his moodiness will finally be tempered.  In any case, seer Alvis, will I see you tomorrow serving on my royal court?”

The silver-haired man blinked. 

“I…I…”

Just say it.

“…I thought about it, your highness…” he stumbled, his mind interrupting his mouth.  As his eyes dropped to the floor, the knot in his stomach tightened and churned.  Why couldn’t he speak?  What happened to the plan?  Right.  The plan.

“I think…I need time to myself away from Alcamoth.  Perhaps three months would suffice.”

The emperor quirked a brow and lifted his fingers to his chin.  After thinking about it, he smiled and said, “Seer Alvis, you are free to do what you wish.  Enjoy yourself.  I will let everyone know of your vacation time.”

“I will be back if I foresee anything,” he reassured his emperor. 

Alvis left Alcamoth that night without speaking to anyone else.

The autumn day was bright and sunny.   Having traveled to Eryth Sea to the graveyard of lesser people, Kallian and Melia Antiqua walked together down a long stone pathway lined with graves of High Entia and Nopon.  The silent duo finally arrived at two marked graves laid next to each other, one much grander than the other.  The brother and sister each were holding two bouquets of self-made linen artificial flowers dyed with warm colors of brown, yellow, and red.

Melia kneeled in front of her biological mother’s grave and placed one bouquet upon the stone.  Kallian did the same.  Melia then turned to the neighboring grave and placed her other bouquet on that one.  Kallian hesitated and clutched his flowers in his hands.

Both the siblings sat in silence.  Melia closed her eyes, as if she were praying, but Kallian kept his eyes wide open.  It was a jarring experience each time he came here, and he hated it.

Finally, the princess stood up and brushed dirt off her legs. 

The prince remained seated.

“Is something the matter, Kallian?” she asked.

He shook his head.  “I only want to be left alone.”

She squeezed his shoulder.  “Don’t stay too long, ok?”

Melia left on that note.  Motionless and mesmerized, Kallian continued to stare at the grave.

It had been five years since she’s been gone.  And five years of trying to come to terms with how he had disheartened her beyond repair.  Kallian beat back the flood of emotional pain with reminders that the dead woman could not do anything beyond the grave.

He heard someone approaching.  Turning his head, the prince saw his other mother—his biological mother—Yumea holding her own two bouquets and with two royal guards attending her.  Melia smiled and bowed as her mother passed her.  Nodding her head at her daughter, Yumea stopped next to him and placed her flowers on Luna’s grave and Melia’s mother’s grave.

Kall fixated on Luna’s grave, while the mother fixated on her son.  The woman fanned herself with her red ornate silk circular fan. 

“Interesting to see you here, Kallian.  Though, I suppose it is the anniversary of our wonderful Luna’s death.  Even though she was a Homs, she was certainly a terrific cook and babysitter.  A prime example that all her kind should aspire for.  If only the typical Homs could’ve lived as long as her.”

Kallian grunted and mechanically deposited his flowers on her grave.  He then stood up and brushed himself off, ready to leave.  Even though he towered over his mother, Kall found himself uneasy when looking at her.

“Speaking of Homs, where is your seer friend?” Yumea asked.  “Haven’t seen him in quite a while.”

His jaw tightened at the mention of Alvis, the pain striking him acutely and unexpectedly.  “He requested time for himself and will be gone for another two months or so.”

“I see.  Such a shame.  Well, Homs are highly temperamental and unpredictable.”

“We merely had…a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“We were both upset.  But he was struggling to cope about his parents’ deaths…and adjusting to this new lifestyle with me.”  The thoughts were spilling out of his mouth, but he didn’t know where they were coming from.

“You’re taking the blame for his selfish leave of absence?  Oh, my sweet son.”

He frowned as she caressed his cheek lovingly.  He supposed she knew all the details of their separation and was merely taunting him like she always does.  She somehow always found a way to be backhandedly condescending to her son. 

The mother looked at him with a simple smile.  “Well, I thought of him a terrible person since he left, but do you think otherwise?  Were his visions at least helpful?”

Kallian shrugged.  “He has problems.  But, I think with enough patience, he’ll come around.”

The confused Yumea blinked her long black eyelashes rapidly.  Realizing he wasn’t going to say anymore, she relented, “I see.  Well, if you trust him, then I suppose he’ll be a fine addition to our family.”

The prince turned towards the direction to the teleporter back to the city, and his mother and her two guards began walking back with Kallian.  The sounds of crunching vegetation beneath their feet stopped once they reached the teleporter.  Kallian allowed his mother and two guards to enter first.  Upon reaching Alcamoth, the group continued their trek back to the palace.

Yumea asked, “How are your lovely ladies?  Are they to your liking?”

Kallian had been repeating this phrase for many days now and to his mother it’d be no different.  “I love them both equally and look forward to marrying them.”

“If you ever tire of them, come tell me, ok?  I care about you more than anyone ever could.”

Whatever.  “Yes, mother.”

They then parted ways, the mother retreating to wherever while the son going to the dining hall where his two future consorts were.  Thankfully the Antiqua family decided for the next couple of months to have separate lunch times for the sake of Kallian cultivating his relationship with his soon-to-be wives.  That meant less time being around his mother.  Malyn and Threona were already seated and chatting to one another as the prince approached them.  Malyn, beaming, said, “Greetings, darling!  We were waiting for you!”

Softly smiling, Kallian greeted them both and took his seat in front of them.  Realizing his highness had at last arrived, the dining staff began to bring out an assortment of roasted vegetables, roasted, buttery fowl, and wines.  Among the shuffling staff, the kitchen’s butcher placed a steaming bird carcass next to the prince and began to carve a piece for him.  His tall, lean figure swaddled in a tight white apron towered over Kallian who was eyeing him warily.  The prince had never seen the man before—was he new?

With a deep frown and a quirked brow, Kallian watched him plate a piece of white, steaming breast meat in front of him.

Malyn covered her mouth in horror, while Threona happily began to spoon vegetables onto her plate.  The other staff exited in trickles out of the room, leaving this lone man here.

Sensing something wrong, the confused butcher looked at Malyn and then to his highness.  “Is something not to your liking, prince Kallian?”

Kallian weakly smiled as he held back his fury.  “I understand you’re new here, but I’m a vegetarian.”

“Oh—oh my sincerest apologies!” The man lifted the plate away and slid the platter from the prince.

“It’s my fault.  I didn’t tell him your food preferences,” Malyn blurted out from her hand.

After she realized what happened, Threona stopped eating and cleared her throat a bit.  “Actually, it’s my fault.  I kinda insisted I wanted poultry.”

“That’s fine.  Have all the meat you want.”  Kallian stood up, took the plate from the butcher’s hands, and placed it in front of her.  Unsure and guilty, Threona looked at the plate and then back to the prince. 

Kall focused on the floundering man who was struggling with his words.  His flushing face and erratic hands were demanding his attention more than anything else.

“Sir, please, allow me to make you a wonderful vegetarian dish with—”

“What’s your name?” the prince asked flatly.

The butcher’s half wings on his head were completely receded.  “My-my name is Cem.  You were correct; I am new here.  I was told to make and serve poultry.”

“Ok, Cem, I’ll only say this one more time: it’s fine.  The love of my life wanted a particular food, so she is allowed as much as she wants.  Just remember that I don’t eat meat.  That’s all.  You may leave.”

Still flushing but wordless, Cem nodded, bowed deeply, and returned to the kitchen with his head drooped downwards. 

Rattled but calm enough to forget what happened, Kallian sat down again and began to serve vegetables on his plate.  Malyn followed his lead and plated her own portions.  The two women began to talk amongst themselves as they ate, which Kall wasn’t particularly interested in.  He was far more interested thinking about how something crucial like his food preference could go unnoticed by the other senior kitchen staff.  The oddity stirred his curiosity; when and why did they hire another kitchen staff member?  Cem seemed harmless and repentant—was it an honest mistake? 

Perhaps he was overthinking things and seeing things that weren’t there.

Just like he did with Alvis. 

The sour thought killed his curiosity and his mood.  He cursed his mother for bringing up the seer.  It’d been a month since he left, and he was much happier without the man’s insolence.  If his future wives weren’t here, he would’ve probably unleashed his rage onto Cem.  Cem…

Having hardly interacted with the two women, Kall finished his meal and pardoned himself to his bedroom.  Prince Kallian had enough today.

Cem was odd.

Ever since their first encounter, prince Kallian had paid special attention towards the High Entia man every time he and his future consorts came to eat in the dining hall.  They ate there daily and were served by the same staff that should be familiar with the prince’s food choices—no…no, stop thinking that.  …Cem was amongst them and faltering like always.  It seemed like he never truly recovered from making a fool of himself since he would always be on pins and needles around the prince.  Each time Cem brought out of a different animal carcass, he would situate it as far away from the prince and make the women grab for pieces of meat themselves.  He would constantly hang his head and speak very little.  And, as promised, Cem crafted a different rich vegetarian meal each and every day for the prince, which surprised and delighted Kallian.

The improvement and humility Cem demonstrated made Kallian swell with emotion.  In contrast to that damn seer, Cem was a saint.  But he was odd.  His shifty eyes and hesitance made the prince wonder if the man was holding something back. 

What exactly was beyond him, but not out of reach.  Kallian pondered the impossibility of his biggest fear but quenched it immediately, the sharp sting of memories coming forth and reminding him of what happened before.  However, the more he tried to forget his horrible mistake, the worse the pain got.  Luna was appalled by him till the end of her life, whispering her repugnance with her final words to him.  Her words reminded him that if anyone knew what he was hiding, everything would be lost.  Annoyed, infuriated, frustrated at himself, the prince reigned in his thoughts as best as he could each time he was around Cem.

But because Cem shifted his eyes often, trying to keep special attention on the prince, their eyes inevitably kept meeting.  And they would lock.  And—stupidly—his heart would pound and thud involuntarily.  He couldn’t believe this was happening again.  If Alvis was here, he wouldn’t need to worry so needlessly about this mysterious man.  If Alvis was here, there would be answers.  Damn it, he actually longed for the seer to return.  Even if the guy made him equally on edge and nervous about everything with his annoying little schemes.

Kallian was losing sleep at night thinking about how intense each time they locked eyes.  Undoubtedly, it was unnerving.  But, for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about the next time it would happen.  He couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility.  His thoughts were exceeding and, oddly, he was becoming excited each time he entered the dining hall, hoping to be around the butcher again.

What was wrong with him?  Why was he this way? 

…

“Are you coming, dear?”

The question interrupted his thoughts and snapped him back to reality.  Concerned Malyn and Threona were both looking at him.  They were stopped in the long hallway right before the dining hall door.

He had been thinking about this conundrum for nearly a week.  And he had decided right before he left his room this morning what he was going to do.  “Actually, I think there is something we need to talk about later when we are alone.”

“Oh?  What is it?”  Threona asked.  She was dressed in flowy cream-colored robes to match her long, saber hair.

“It’s far too important to discuss at this moment.  Let’s eat first and we can all talk in private about everything.”

Kallian went ahead and opened the door for Malyn and Threona.  They walked past him, and he followed.  Eager but refraining himself from showing it, the prince sat down first before the ladies and darted his eyes over to the kitchen.  To temper his excitement, he shoved his hand into his pocket to feel the piece of paper and key.  Taking notice of their arrival, the kitchen staff began to put out their prepared cuisines of today, including exotic cheeses, wines, breads, and steamed greens with buttered carrots and more. 

After a few minutes of laying out all the food, the staff began to scuttle back into the kitchen, leaving the trio to themselves to eat.  The two women began to put slices of bread, cheese, and greens onto their plates.  However, Kallian remained still.  He was alarmed.  Of course he wasn’t excited to see the newest steaming animal carcass, but the person who was responsible for the preparation did not appear at all.  Not to mention, was he not going to get a meal prepared just for him?  Where was he?  Did something happen? 

“Did neither of you request any animal today?”

“I didn’t,” Malyn answered.

After scarfing down a buttered piece of bread, Threona wiped her mouth with her cloth handkerchief.  “I didn’t today.  I’m trying to cut back on my meat.  I don’t feel like I’m respecting your food choices as seriously as I should.”

Kall gawked at her.  Then his eyes shifted to the steaming piles of seasoned potatoes and broccoli in front of him.  Ambivalent, the prince scooped his own portions onto his plate and began to eat.  He felt heavy yet confused.  It was as if he lost something or was left out of a secret.  Was he that despondent about it?  He should be happy.  He was happy.  There wasn’t a floundering, erratic butcher or an annoying, condescending seer hanging over him.

“Well, we’re alone.  Wanna tell us what you’re thinking?”

Kallian’s heart dropped.  “I’m-I’m not thinking about anything.  Nothing.  Nothing at all.”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to tell us something in private?” Malyn asked and sipped her wine.

Oh, that.  “I wouldn’t want to run the risk of the kitchen staff hearing this important discussion.  It can wait.”

“Well, can we talk about anything then?  You’re always so quiet, hon.  It drives me nuts sometimes when I’m constantly talking at you.  You never say anything beyond grunts or ‘ok’.”

Kall poured himself another glass of wine.  “Just have a lot of my mind is all.  My students this year are taking up a lot of my time.”

“What are they like?  I was a private-in-training at the academia back in colony 5.”

“You were a ‘private-in-training’?  What is that even?” Threona interjected.

“Well, you know, not exactly a private but ‘in-training’.  I shot at stuff with guns and did drills with some guy screaming at me!  I had another 6 months to go but then our families decided this whole thing and here I am.”

“Hmph.  Well, I was an ordinary jeweler here in Alcamoth.  My little brother is looking over the business while I stuff my face with expensive cheese and wine.”

…Kallian found himself downing his glass and pouring himself another one.  He wasn’t even touching his meal anymore.  His fingers traced the key that was inside the piece of paper in his pocket, and his heart sank deeper into his chest.  His patience was wearing thin.  He was happy though.  Happy…as a clam…

“That sounds nice.  I wish my family would hurry up and get here so I can see them again.”

The prince felt heavier than ever.  He stood up.

Malyn looked up at him.  “Where are you going, dear?”

“The kitchen.  I’m going to go look for a wine of a different vintage.  I don’t like the taste.”

“Hm, I don’t mind it.  Have you tried the other ones here?”

“I want a particular vintage, and that one isn’t here,” he said.

Taking the bottle with him, Kallian left the dining room and entered the kitchen where he found some staff members preparing cookies, breads, and croissants.  Someone took immediate notice of him and ask, “Is there something the matter, prince Kallian?”

“I want wine from 5 years ago from colony 6.”

“Right away, your highness.”  The servant took the bottle away and scurried down the steps of the wine cellar.

Kallian took this opportunity to look around meticulously for his target.  Following the smells of lard and pork, the prince found Cem tending to skewers of pork tenderloins lining a wire rack inside of a fully lit hearth.  He was squatting in front of the flame and wearing thick flame-retardant gloves.  Beads of sweat dotted his pale, charcoal-dirtied forehead as he flipped each skewer to its opposite side against the fire.  After he was finished, he lifted his bloody apron to his face and wiped it with gusto.

Kallian had been standing behind him, watching wordlessly.  Cem dropped his apron, peeled his gloves off, and tossed them behind him, which he immediately regretted.  He snatched the gloves that plopped onto the prince’s feet and abruptly got to his feet.

“I’m so sorry, prince Kallian!  I didn’t realize you were behind me.”

“It’s all right.  Calm yourself for once, Cem.”

The butcher blinked his blue eyes, bewildered.  Looking into his eyes was almost as appetizing as candy.  “Yes, your highness.”

Kall moved next to him, closer to the hearth, and gestured towards it.  “What’s this then?”

“Pork tenderloins for your father.  I plan to make your sister steak served rare later.”

“Ah, so I see you really didn’t make me anything today?”

“I was told that I didn’t need to make you anything today since your future consorts didn’t request anything today,” he stated, almost confidently and immediately, which pleasantly surprised Kall.

A wry smirk appeared on the prince’s face.  What was he doing…? 

“Well, I suppose it was a bit dumb of me to actually begin to get excited for whatever you prepared for me today.”

“W-would you like me to make you something?  Unless you want something simple, my preparation for your meals usual takes around 45 minutes…”

“It’s fine.  I didn’t come here to talk about food.”

“How can I be of service, sir?” Cem ringed his hands on his apron, rubbing away any excess grease and grime.

Kall’s heart was busting out of his chest.  He was ecstatic but on edge.  “You ever wonder about the future at all?”

“The future?  Hm, not really.  I’m struggle with thinking about today.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to know if you could know exactly what happens tomorrow?  Sometimes I like thinking about all the possibilities but know that it could never happen.  We have a royal seer out on vacation right now that protects us from danger with his visions.  He normally attends to me.”

The meek man slightly smiled.  “It would be nice to know when I’m going to make myself a fool in front of you, I’d admit.  Having a royal seer sounds more useful for you, though.”

He did save me from falling into a pit…  “He’s…great.  Maybe you’ll meet him one day.  But, I’m straying off-topic.  I meant to ask: are you doing anything on the eve of the winter solstice?” 

Taken aback, Cem looked upward and thought for a bit.  “Um, well, I was just going to turn in early.  I’ve seen the fireworks all my life.  They won’t be any different this year.”

“Are you sure about that?” Kall asked and pulled the key and paper from his pocket.  “How about you join me up close to watch the fireworks?”

“Huh?”

He offered the butcher what he was holding.  “Take this.  Come to my private chambers on the eve of the winter solstice and don’t tell anyone.”

Cem looked at what he was holding, wavering, but eventually took the paper and key.

The servant that originally was tasked with finding wine returned and presented his bottle to the prince.  “My apologies, prince Kallian.  I couldn’t find any colony 6 wine, so I could only bring you back some wine from our own vineyard from 5 years ago.”

“That works.”  Kallian grabbed the bottle of its neck and looked back to Cem.

“Farewell.”

“Oh,” he said, pocketed the paper and bowed deeply. “Farewell, your highness.”

When they parted ways, Cem returned to his skewers and tried to understand what just happened.  And since they were finished with their meals, Prince Kallian left the dining hall with Malyn and Threona and felt both joyful and uneasy for what he had just done and was going to do. 

Luna was right…

Chapter Text

Alvis hated his dreams.  For him, they could either be normal dreams or visions in the form of dreams.  He’s saved people before because of vision dreams but only because they were clearly visions where normal everyday life was struck with sudden, preventative chaos.  Most of the time, however, he thought of his dreams as meaningless, nonsensical pieces of his mind like everyone else.

The rough, grainy straw shifted under his frame as he rolled over onto his back.  With a long sigh, he looked up at the hardened clay ceiling of the room he was staying at in Frontier Village.

He had just awakened from a vision dream.  And he didn’t like it.

He had seen the prince in his bedroom with an unknown man during the middle of the night.  There was complete darkness except for sporadic firework explosions radiating onto the duo.  They talked in a low mumble which Alvis couldn’t understand.  And, to the seer’s surprise, they were cuddling and embracing each other.

That scene faded and that same unknown man was then talking to Emperor Sorean and the entire court was present.  He announced to the court that the prince was an unfaithful repulsive person, unfit to marry let alone be Alcamoth’s next emperor.  His proof was the key to his bedroom which was given to him by the prince himself.  Sorean hesitated.  The court was unable to believe it; it voiced its confusion and doubt.

But then another unknown man within the court itself interrupted and said that he had slept with the prince as well.  His proof was also a key.  The crowd started to shift, uncomfortable with the information, and it began to echo the two men’s statements.

That scene faded.  And he saw the prince…he saw Kallian…near a precipitous cliffside…looking down…

His heart racing, Alvis rubbed his eyes and buried his face into his feather-down pillow. 

It was a dream.  It was only a dream.  The prince wouldn’t do such heinous acts.  The prince wouldn’t betray his future wives.  And he most certainly wouldn’t…

It was just his ugly mind shuffling around ugly thoughts.  Ugly mind.  Ugly thoughts.

The shuffling of Nopons going through their wall tunnels.  The sun peeking over the horizon through his bedroom window.  The village was waking up.

After grabbing for his purple shirt and white boots, the seer began to dress himself.  Like he had been for the last month, Alvis was going to be with the Nopon sages to further his knowledge about their techniques.  He sunk each foot into his boots and wiggled his toes a bit. 

The sound of distinct heavy footsteps reverberated outside his door.  His door cracked open and a warm voice called out to him, “Hello, seer Alvis.”

Alvis froze and his eyes widened, realizing a tall High Entia woman entered his room.  He asked, “Greetings?  Have we met before?”

Wearing a tightly fitted crimson armored outfit that lined her arms and legs, the woman wore a proud smirk.  “I suppose we haven’t.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Lorithia, leader of Alcamoth’s Ministry of Research.  The Nopons were happy to escort me to your, um, humble lodging.”

Alvis furrowed his brows, processing what she said.  Her name sounded familiar.  Wait…“Lorithia.”

The other disciple giggled.  “Do you know now?”

Alvis couldn’t believe he was meeting her here of all places.  Lord Zanza’s arrival was not until years from now.  “That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“I’m here because you need information on a man,” she said and procured a piece of folded parchment from her enormous cleavage.  She held the paper between two fingers and offered it to the seer. 

“Dickson told me centuries ago about this very event.”

“Dickson…” he murmured and plucked the paper from her fingers.  He was the reason why Alvis was able to survive Valak Mountain’s tortuous terrain after his rite of passage.  Months before, Dickson told the seer that he would pick him and the Monado up once Alvis was finished with his ceremony.  Though, Dickson liked to keep details to himself.  It would’ve been nice to know of his parents and the band of Homs researchers getting killed within Ose Tower by Zanza’s damned Monado.  Or about watching over Zanza’s vessel after he was of age.

So, Dickson knew about this ridiculous incident too.

“Exactly.”

Alvis scanned the paper.  He had no idea who this was.  His throat was dry.  “The vision is true then?”

“I don’t know the details of your vision nor do I want to.  Kallian must be kept alive.  He is instrumental to Lord Zanza’s resurrection.”

Alvis gave her a pointed look when she mentioned the prince so casually and then looked back to the paper.  For some reason, the fact that she didn’t actually know the details soothed Alvis’s nerves.  It seemed like a matter that Kallian did not want anyone to know.  Another thing bothered him, however.

“If you knew for centuries, why wouldn’t you prevent it.”

“You really do like to ask needless questions, don’t you?” she scoffed.  “Dickson told me that there was going to be a particular man at a particular place that I needed to get information on for you, little Homs.  I couldn’t prevent it because it’d be odd if I accused someone I’ve never met, never seen or had any proof of subterfuge.  You’re the royal seer.  You’re the one closest to the prince.  Of course everyone would believe whatever you say.”

Alvis remained silent.  After being accused of being a “con man,” trying to instill discord in the royal family, his sense of urgency for the situation may have been off.  But he couldn’t betray his emperor or princess Melia… he couldn’t betray prince Kallian again either.

“Are you listening?” she asked and snapped her fingers in front of his face.  “You must notify the emperor of this man and have him removed from the city before he harms the prince.  Now stop complaining and let’s return to Alcamoth.”

…He couldn’t go back to Alcamoth.  He couldn’t tell the emperor what was going to happen.  He couldn’t deal with his emperor’s disappointment or disgust if he told him about his son.  He had hardly stomached asking for time away from the city.  Alvis facepalmed, thinking quickly through his choices.

Lorithia cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips.  “Something the matter?”

The thought then sprouted in his mind.  “On second thought, I can handle this matter myself.”

“What?”

“I will deal with this myself.  Your job is done, right?”

Alvis stood up and gathered his belongings.  “I’ll return to the city with you, but I will handle this matter by myself.”

“And what do you plan to do exactly?”

She watched the man grab for his claymore resting against the wall.  He lightly ran his finger against the blade, testing its sharpness since he rarely used it, and holstered it.  Though, he probably would choose something smaller—perhaps a knife.  Turning to her, he said firmly, “I will do whatever it takes to maintain Lord Zanza’s resurrection.  Rest assured.”

Lorithia smirked, delighted by his conviction.  “Let’s go back to Alcamoth then, seer Alvis.”

--

Alvis learned during his time in Alcamoth that the Antiqua family was consistent with its eating schedule.  They valued eating together as a family since all members were incredibly busy with their own lives, such as Melia with her training and Kallian with his lectures.  This was fortunate for Al since it allowed him to plan around bumping into them and revealing that he had returned.  Keeping his identity was especially as difficult since he was the only known Homs in Alcamoth.  His lack of head wings made him stand out like a sore thumb.  Regardless, he needed to tread carefully and target only one man.  And that man was in the kitchen.

Wearing a titanium metal helm Lorithia provided and an ordinary white High Entia robe, the seer quietly slinked into the empty dining hall where dinner had finished nearly 20 minutes ago.  He then beelined to the kitchen and opened the door as he normally would. 

The smell of soap mixed with dinner permeated the kitchen.  His target was one of the three dishwashers that were scrubbing plates and utensils. All were wearing white uniforms and had aprons tightly fitted against their frames; one stood out with blood spatter on his person.

One man took notice of Al after he entered.  “And who are you?”

He took his helm off and held it flimsily.  “The royal seer, Alvis.  I’ve come to speak with a man named Cem.”

The two other washers automatically looked at Cem who froze halfway scrubbing a plate.  Of course, it was the one with the bloodstained apron.  “That…would be me I suppose.”

“Aw, what did Cem do this time?  Did the prince send you?” the other one groaned at the wilting man and looked at Alvis.

“I would like to be left alone with him.  Please leave us.”

The two men looked at each other and back at the sink, inspecting the small remainder of the dishes left in the sink. 

Alvis assured them, “I will help Cem clean up if need be.”

“OK, sir, whatever you say.”  The other man lifted his hands in surrender.  Both the men then scuffled off to where Alvis first entered.  Before leaving, one said, “Don’t be too hard on him, yeah?  He’s still new around here.”

Al nodded with a tight curved upper lip, and they finally left.

Cem’s face had lost all its color.  His eyes were on the floor, and he was biting his bottom lip.

Once he felt enough time passed for the other two men to leave, the seer drew closer, eliminating any distance between them.  He ran his finger across the hilt of his dagger that was hidden under his robes, making sure it hadn’t shifted from his waist.  He hoped it didn’t need to come to that, but he wasn’t sure what this man would do.  The guy was a butcher by trade—he could’ve been a cutthroat in a previous life.  He couldn’t let this guy have the upper hand.  He couldn’t let him harm prince Kallian the way he did in his vision.

Cem’s blue eyes flicked between Al’s piercing gaze and off to the side, his chest rising and falling rapidly.  Al himself was beginning to feel nervous, but he knew he had to do this.

His voice, unwavering, “I’ll cut to the chase.  I want you to tell me what kind of relationship you have with prince Kallian.”

His eyes widened.  “I’m not sure what you mean.  I serve him food everyday…”

“Try again,” Al growled and kept his hand on his dagger.

Cem’s brows knitted.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m a seer.  I see things.  You tell me what you and the prince have done, and maybe I’ll rethink becoming a butcher myself tonight.”

“What?....huh?”

That was it for the seer.

Within a flash, Alvis grabbed Cem’s arm and twisted it behind him.  His helm making a loud clang against the floor, Alvis flipped Cem over the very sink he had been using.  The seer grabbed a handful of silver hair and shoved Cem’s head downward into the sink’s brown, soapy water, letting it mask the man’s screams.  Cem flailed with his free arm, but Al shoved his head deeper into the dirty water.  His attempts for freedom useless.  Once Cem began to settle down, Alvis yanked his head back up and glared directly at his waterlogged face. 

The seer felt delirious.  He hadn’t known what came over him, but he wasn’t going to let up.  He grated, “Want to try one more time?”

Cem coughed and sobbed, trying to catch his breath.  “He…g-g-gave me a…note and a…key to his room.”

Guilt was crashing into Alvis as he watched the poor fellow struggle with his words.  His grip on his hair was tight, evidenced by the whiteness of his knuckles.  He wouldn’t stop though.  He would do anything to protect prince Kallian.  …and maybe Zanza…

“What did the note say?”

“T-to meet him…at his bedroom…on the ni-night of…the win…ter sols-solstice and his…his room number.  That’s all.  I swear on my life.  P-please…”

The plea struck him harder than his fury.  His felt lightheaded and conflicted.  He calmly as he could reminded himself of plan B if the guy was willing to accept.  He released his grip on his arm and his hair and watched the man fold over the sink.

“Ok.  Change in plans.  You won’t meet him.”

Keeping his eyes on Alvis, Cem flipped around and sank to the floor.   He still was struggling with his breath and gaping.  He ran a hand across his face that still had water flowing down it and seeping into his white, bloodied apron.

“I’m going to buy that key and note from you,” Alvis calmly said and fished around in his other pocket for the lump sum of gold he prepared.  Giving this stranger this gold pained him more than he wanted to admit, but the price of no bloodshed outweighed his protests.

“You’re going to leave Alcamoth forever with this and tell no one this happened.”

The butcher asked in a semi-normal voice, “You want me to leave?”

“I want you to leave Alcamoth for the safety of the Antiqua family.  If you don’t, I will be forced to eliminate you here and now.”

“I…I would never hurt the prince,” Cem quietly countered and carefully stood up.  “I would never hurt prince Kallian.  I would do anything to protect the family and the city.”

The rage was back and simmering; though, it was easier to quell this time around.  “Give me the key and note and leave Alcamoth.  Leave Alcamoth with whomever you recruited for your misdeeds.  I will end all of you before you realized anything is afoot.  Are we clear?”

Cem inhaled deeply.  “I will leave if I’m going to hurt the prince.  I’m choosing to believe you, seer Alvis.  Everyone talks highly of you, especially the prince.”

Cem procured the key and note from the pocket inside his shirt and handed it to Al.  And, in exchange, Alvis placed a lump satchel of gold within the butcher’s hand.  Each clutched their own trade.  They stared at each other.

“You will tell no one that we met.”

“I will tell no one and leave Alcamoth,” he repeated.

Alvis picked up his helm that had dropped during their struggle and nodded at the man.  “Goodbye and good luck, Cem.”

“Goodbye.”

--

It was tonight.  The winter solstice was tonight, and prince Kallian was more than excited.  He was a cluster of wild emotions, ranging from the devastating guilt to nervousness.  He reminded himself constantly that what he did was for the best; their response was understandable.  Their response was well within reason.

He stood in front of his bedroom door and fumbled around for his keys in his robe’s pockets.  Tonight, he was going to leave all his thoughts outside and have Cem for company.  Whether or not Cem would feel the same or not, Kall didn’t particularly care.  He only wanted resolution.  He unlocked his door with a twist of his key and opened the door.  The room was shrouded in complete darkness.

Flicking on the ether lights, Kallian stared directly at the person sitting in his armchair near his bed.  Once he realized who it was, he went from widened eyes and mouth agape to sullen and shut over a few seconds.  Kallian resigned himself by sitting at the edge of his bed and burying his face into both of his hands.

Alvis stood from his chair and sauntered over to the prince, his boots making thuds against the carpet.  He asked, almost playfully, “Are you not surprised to see me?”

“You’re a damn seer.  Why would I be surprised,” the prince countered flatly through his fingers.

He opened his mouth to retort but then conceded, “Good point.”

Kall groaned, stood up, and fiddled with his balcony door.  After he opened it, he stood outside, looking over the faintly lit cityscape scant of the usual luminescent banners that hung high above the denizens.  Alvis followed his lead and found his place next to the prince.  It was cold out tonight.  They didn’t say a word for what seemed to be an eternity.  Alvis considered asking him about his day or something ordinary, but he knew Kallian wasn’t in the mood for it.  He knew he was going to have to talk about “it” with him if he truly wanted this matter to be settled without getting the rest of the family involved.  But he hadn’t had the time to think everything through like he wanted.  He felt ill equipped and hopeless—nothing like what everyone thinks that he is.  He hated these liminal moments which he couldn’t fully control, but he knew he had to do this.

A whistling sound echoed nearby.  After a moment, a brightly lit red and white firework crackled and exploded above the city but incredibly close within their range.  Al jumped slightly, but prince Kallian remained still. 

“Never seen fireworks this close, huh,” the question came out like a statement.

“No.  I’ve always seen them from the ground.  Never this high up.”

“My nanny would watch fireworks with me here every year.  It was nice having some sort of annual ritual on the night of the winter solstice.  We did this until she told me how disgusting I was, broke her hip, and died.”

“Ah…I believe you’re talking about Luna?  Melia told me about her.  So, you had some falling out with her?”

Kallian’s jaw tightened but then he shook his head.  “Does your knowledge have no bounds?”

“Hm?  What do you mean?”

“Considering that you’re here and he’s not, Cem was someone not to be trusted.”  A dry smile flashed across the prince’s face.  “I’m beyond hopeless.  Entertain me, seer.  What was Cem going to do to me?  Gut me?  Slit my throat?”

Alvis hesitated, seeing flashes of his vision appear.  “Not exactly.”

“Then what?  Push me from this balcony?  Why not just tell me, Alvis?  You must’ve enjoyed seeing me perish.”

Alvis felt his heart beginning to palpitate.  He was caught off-guard hearing his name intertwined with such horrible words.  “I want you to know that people care about you.  Including myself.  I care about you.  I care about what happens to you.”

Kallian snorted.  “We’re back to being ingratiating, huh?  You’ve proven that you aren’t as kind and caring as you want people to think.”

His anger slowly growing, the seer continued, regardless, “Both your sister and father told me how much they care about you and how much they want you to be happy.  I want you to be happy.  The whole reason why I came back to this city was to protect you.”

“You came back because you had nowhere else to go.”

Fury finally overtook him.  He couldn’t believe that even now the prince was willing to be so callous and trying.  “I came back because you were going to throw yourself off a cliff.”

He opened his mouth, paused, but then said, “…What?  Why…would I…”

“Cem was going to tell your father and the court what you two were going to do on this night.  He was going to ruin your reputation.”

Wide-eyed, prince Kallian said nothing.  Then he found a disturbing smile.  “Then you know what was going to happen here.  How did it make you feel then?  About my secret?”  

He drew closer, and Alvis backpedaled a step.  “Are you as disgusted as the people you saw in your vision?  Am I a disgusting person?”

Nonplussed, Alvis furrowed his brows and maintained intense eye contact with the prince.  “What?”

Suddenly, a single tear ran down his cheek, and his smile melted into a pain-stricken frown—all while maintaining that piercing look.

“Like those people you saw in your vision.  Are you as disgusted as they are?”

Al blinked.  He couldn’t respond.  “Why do you look at me with such contempt?”

“I believe you.”  Kallian’s voice was as fractured as his expression.  “I’ve spent so long in misery, hoping that my horrible true self would never show.  Knowing that if it ever did, I’d end everything myself.  Luna was right about everything.  I can’t believe she was right about everything.”

“Stop.  Talking.  Like that,” Al mustered, finally understanding everything.  “Stop talking like you would have nothing if everyone knew.  Despite everything, I’m still here caring about your wellbeing, am I not?”

“You…you of all people wouldn’t understand.  Eugh, why am I even trying to talk about this with you.”

Feeling despondent, he was breaking out in a cold sweat.  Every time the seer would try to convince the prince of anything, it would always lead into these unproductive, unsatisfying conversations.  Frankly, he was beyond tired of it and wasn’t willing to be this indentured servant anymore. 

“Of all things to agonize over, why your ‘secret’?  Why not just admit that—”

“My image is everything, don’t you get it!?” Kall spouted.  “If I don’t have my image, I’m a disgusting person.  My community, my family—I would lose them all if they knew.  I’d be utterly alone without any of them.”

Alvis opened his mouth, but he stopped himself.  Instead, he said, “Is that what Luna told you?  What if, prince Kallian, I said that I would never leave you.  No matter what.”

“Riiiiight.  What was the last two months then, seer?  You begged my father to get away from me.”

A bitter, sad smirk appeared across Alvis’s face as he shook his head slowly.  “We both needed a break from each other.  You can at least admit that.  But, regardless, what I had to do to get here made me realize something.  That I truly do care about you.  I care about what happens to you.  I was so desperate to stop this vision I was willing to kill Cem for you.  Instead, I gave him the inheritance my parents left me for this damn key and note.  Now, even when I have no gold to my name, no family, no one fawning over me—nothing—I’m here by your side.  I know everything, and this ‘secret’ of yours does not disgust me.”

Kallian didn’t reply.  He rested his elbows on the balcony’s railing and looked off into the city again.  Alvis did the same with his elbows and gazed at Kall, waiting for his response. 

After a few fireworks crackled and snapped in front of them, the prince said, “I’ve always found you strange, you know.  You make me nervous.  You’ll be polite to everyone but have these clever, little ploys against me.  It astounds me just how creative you are, like with the way you tricked Malyn and I with your pseudo fortune telling.  I deserved all that I got from you for being so stupid.”

That took him by surprise.  Alvis inhaled to steady his drumming heart and softly said, “I didn’t mean harm.  I’m sorry.”

“Don’t—” Kallian began and locked eyes with him.  “Don’t apologize.  I’m sorry.  ME.  I did so many stupid things and tried to shove you away.  Even when I was focused on degrading your race…that was mostly me trying to imitate my mother because I knew nothing about you.

“Ever since we’ve met, I thought I was weirded out by how you look and act.  But then I realized I was fascinated but I didn’t want to admit it.  I didn’t want to admit that this was happening again.”

The prince’s eyes drifted back off to the side.  He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

“What was happening again…” Alvis asked quietly, though he half-knew what he meant.

Kall shook his head, making the seer’s heart drum harder.  “This whole thing has ruined me.”

“Kallian, please…tell me what you’re feeling.”

He exhaled and chortled a bit, as if he were amused.  Al had never seen him laugh like this before.  It was nice but weird.

“How I feel?  Fine, if you must know: confused and afraid.  Maybe it was because the last time I confided in a person that I thought loved me, she castigated me and shunned me until she died.  Even in her dying breath, she told me that I would never make a woman happy and would bring misery to whomever I met.”

“…sounds dreadful.”

“I’m not looking for pity.  Only resolution to this mess.”

“Is that why you are going to marry Malyn and Threona?”

Kall suddenly laughed harder, which startled Al.  “Nothing gets past you, huh?  That was the plan.  Then I broke it off with them a week ago because I made up my mind about my life.  The looks on their faces when I said I didn’t want this marriage crushed me.  But, if I didn’t end this now, I would only bring them more misery later.  My father, mother and sister were expectedly upset about it.  They still haven’t figured out how to make our breakup public after holding such a huge ceremony months ago.”

“What did you tell your family?”

“That I didn’t want to marry and have children.  I didn’t want to become the emperor of Alcamoth either.  That’s all.  Melia deserves the throne.  She’s much smarter and wiser than I am.  Not to mention her children will be fitter for future generations.”

Alvis smirked and huffed a bit, amused.  “So, in the end you kept your secret.”

“I suppose I did.” 

Standing up straight, prince Kallian placed both his hands upon the railing and focused on the luminous show.  The whistling and crackles of fireworks started to decrease their intervals and explode in rapid succession.  The duo was bathed in colorful lights, allowing the seer to see the tears running down Kall’s face from his squinting, glistening eyes.  Kallian was quiet and motionless.

Alvis was at a loss for words.  He felt heavy and guilty for what he said.  He dropped his eyes to the city below and saw High Entia and Nopon citizens looking upward at the sky, all gathered in bunches here and there.  It seemed that there was a huge turnout for the winter solstice fireworks, and everyone was with their loved ones. 

Perhaps it was for the best this remained a secret.  Perhaps Alcamoth wasn’t ready for something unusual as this.  If racism was still an issue here, something even more unconventional would only bring more chaos.  In the end, as long as Kallian was safe from harm, that was all that mattered to Alvis.

…and don’t forget Lord Zanza.  His fists tightened when the thought appeared, but he knew that he had to accept that reality.  The inevitable was still many years away, and something would befall prince Kallian because of Zanza.  Zanza would get his reckoning when the time came; Al knew this as fact.  But until that day, all that mattered was the safety of the Antiqua family.  All that mattered was their happiness and longevity.

There remained one more thing unresolved—something that even Al was afraid to confront.  He knew the ending of this story but not the middle parts.  He hadn’t expected to lose his parents so suddenly.  He hadn’t expected being an attendant to a constant berating, raging prince.  He hadn’t expected that he would be threatening to kill someone within the capital city for the safety of such prince.  And yet, here he was, telling him how much he cares and thinks about his happiness.  Has he gone mad?  Or did everything make sense?

One final whistle went off and the biggest, grandest explosion of light flooded his entire peripheral vision.  A red rose-shaped burst scattered across the night sky until it melted into twinkling twilight back down to the earth. 

Alvis and Kallian watched the people below then disperse and murmur as they shuffled back to their dwellings.  They stood together in silence.  Taking one more glance at Kall, Al saw he was wiping his cheeks with one hand.  It was as if he were trying to do it sneakily judging how unnatural it looked.  Was he trying to make it look like he was rubbing his eye?  It was cute.  A smirk inched across Alvis’s face.  He turned his head away from the prince, fighting to conceal his smugness.

Almost instinctively, the seer pressed and curled his fingers on top of Kallian’s other hand on the railing.  It was warm yet rough and unfamiliar.  He half-expected Kall to jerk away and start yelling at him, but that didn’t happen.  Instead, the prince slowly took his hand back and turned to Alvis.  They locked eyes with each other.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Kallian told him, the dim bedroom light revealing how puffy his eyes were.  “I’m sorry for hurting you.  I’ll pay you back your inheritance and more.  I—”

“It’s ok.  It’s ok, Kallian.”  Al brushed his thumb across the prince’s cheek, picking up a tear rivulet he missed.  He then placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it softly.  And, like that, he slinked his arms around Kallian and embraced him, his face pressing into the crook of Kallian’s neck. 

Maybe it was madness, but he didn’t care.  The only thing that mattered to Alvis right now was the person he held in his arms at this moment.  May this madness overtake his better judgement and protect this damn arrogant prince from any future dangers he may self-inflict or waltz into.  May it last for as long as he could.

He eventually felt the prince’s arms slowly wrap around his back and pull him closer.  The warm sensation mixed with the scent of his cologne made Alvis more lightheaded than he’s ever felt.  He’s never held anyone like this before.

“Thank you for saving me yet again,” Kallian murmured quietly. “Thank you for everything, Alvis.”

“You’re welcome, my prince.”  The seer fought back his emotions and tears.  May this madness never end.

The duo then let their arms fall from each other. They eyed each other for a bit with ardent hesitation before Kallian interlaced his fingers with Alvis’s and looked back inside.  Kall guided Al back to the warm bedroom and onto the bed. 

And that night and for many nights thereafter Alvis and Kallian fell asleep in each other’s arms, never truly wanting to let go and never wanting these feelings to end. 

--

Alvis kept his promise of never leaving the prince, rescinding his request to be relieved of his duty.  Kallian took the backlash of ending his relationship with Malyn and Threona with stride; he himself announced the separation and revealed the princess to be the next empress of Alcamoth.  It was difficult for the first few weeks, but the royal court and citizens eventually replaced their fury with anticipation for Alcamoth’s future empress. 

Years passed and people forgot.  The two men kept their relationship secret and enjoyed their lives as much as they could.  But Alvis knew this would not last forever.  When the day came where Zanza’s vessel finally was of age, the end would be near.

Witnessing a vision of an attack, the seer took the transporter to where Shulk and his allies were and called out for him.  He then saw inquisitors of the Bionite Order lying facedown on the floor, still breathing.  It surprised him that Empress Yumea would go to such lengths.  Again, even now, he didn’t know the middle parts of the story but only the ending.

“What is this?” he heard Kallian ask behind him.  Alvis glanced away from the inquisitors and saw Kallian and the Homs party threatening more violence with dangerous eyes.

Calmly taking to his feet and standing in front of his prince, Alvis explained, “Wait.  This is his highness Kallian.  Brother to her highness Melia.”

“Melia’s brother?” Shulk squeaked.

He knew Kallian hated the cordial talk, but the prince wanted to always maintain his “image”.  Alvis told Kallian, “Do not concern yourself, Your Highness.  The matter appears to have been resolved.”

The prince knitted his brow, clearly surprised to see him.  “Seer Alvis?”

After Alvis explained Melia’s current state of danger to the everyone in the room, Shulk decided to pursue her despite Kallian’s warnings.  Alvis told them which transporter to use to get to the catacombs and saw them off.  The determined party left, and the prince, his two guards, the inquisitors, and Alvis remained.

“Can I trust them?” the prince asked with a quirked silver brow and crossed arms.

“They are no harm to you or your family, your highness.”

Realizing Alvis wasn’t going to drop the talk, Kallian looked over to the stirring inquisitors on the floor and gestured to them with a free hand.  He told his guards, “Take these zealots away.  I’ll personally see to them later.” 

His guards obeyed by lifting the women up and away to the nearest transporter.  After their particles disappeared in the bright ether beam, the prince and seer were all alone.

Without hesitation, Kall wrapped his arms around Alvis’s hips and pressed his forehead to his.  His intense eyes bore out the seer’s.  “Can I actually trust them?  I’m not sure what may happen to them if they interrupt her rite-of-passage.  They could be tried if my father so wished.”

“It’ll be OK,” Alvis assured him with a weak smile.  “You should be thinking about her safety and not about rule violations.”

Kallian’s teal eyes softened.  “I’m trusting you, Alvis…”

Al’s heart skipped a beat.  It felt no different than a knife twisting into him.  Kallian then leaned into Alvis and pressed his lips into his, which made him feel worse.  Against his own feelings, Alvis forcefully pulled his prince closer with his hands around his waist, deepening the already smothering kiss.  His erratic tongue grazed Kallian’s teeth as he penetrated his hot wet lips.  Kallian, shocked by his roughness, eventually relented to his advances and parted his mouth.  They kissed and held on to each other tightly, their tongues massaging against each other into one passionate coalescing mess.

After several minutes, their kiss eventually weakened, and the seer was the first to break contact.  With flushed cheeks and teary eyes, he whispered, “I love you, Kallian.”

The prince smiled softly, though appearing confused.  “I love you too, Alvis.”

Even though the end was near, his feelings would never change.  He’d do anything for his prince.  He’d protect his prince until his dying breath and, even then, continue his vigilant watch for all eternity as his attendant.

He could never leave him.