Chapter Text
“Ah! Happy anniversary Lord Phainon!”
The first thing he felt was confusion.
The type that made him feel he heard the wrong thing or that the old kremnoan lady currently greeting him with such enthusiasm had had a lapsus and simply mixed her words up. The second thing he felt was more confusion as the lady didn't correct herself and they were left staring at each other, moreover with her volume even Verax Leo back in the Marmoreal Palace could have heard her, not to mention Phainon standing not three meters away.
“Pardon, ma'am I'm not quite sure of what you're referring to” he scanned trough his memory but everything came up blank; he first arrived in Okhema during the month of Joy , right now was the month of Balance and he couldn't remember anything else worth celebrating right now leaving him with absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
“Oh you! There's no need to be shy. I may be old but I can still hear the words brought in passing, even if it wasn't for the prince's brazen flirting everyone knows of the confession at this point” the old lady had begun heavily patting his shoulder with a strength unreconcilable with her frail appearance and, while Phainon was still trying to understand which one of them was crazy, the woman continued “In fact I'll have you know I'm one of the 13 people who won the bet on when you were going to get together. It's been quite a rift in my wife's and my marriage”
“Oh what were the others betting on–”
“–there's 13 of them????” Phainon tried, and failed, not to choke on all the new information and his attempt to fish for intel useful to get a feel for when this supposed ‘confession’ happened failed just like that; 13 people, 13 people, 13 people were only the ones who won and depending on the time therms it could be from 26 to who the hell knows how many people who thought he and Mydei would get together in this—any lifetime.
“Hah, look at you youngsters, were you trying to be subtle? Did you think we wouldn't notice? Nikador in the Marmoreal Palace would have been more subtle” she chuckled “But everyone approves of you two so I'll forgive you from believing us fools" she tutted "Well I won't impede your special day, congratulate his Highness on my behalf” and with another titanic pat on the back she swished away, bringing the winds of chaos and leaving behind a rebooting Deliverer, with less information than what he exited his house with.
‘Alas, the circle of knowledge expanding truly brings immense ignorance’ Phainon sighed and resolved: he should talk to passing civilians and try to gather everything he could.
He looked around and spotted Leonia sunbathing by the shoemaker's shop, probably waiting for her kids to finish snooping around, a bag of pelts she would indubitably sell at a high price at hand.
"Miss Leonia" he greeted politely "I trust you're been well since the accident, I see you already went out hunting" he tilted his head towards the pelts
"Ah, Lord Phainon! I was meaning to come see you in a bit actually" she widened her eyes surprised at her luck "Please wait a minute" she dropped the bag and started rummaging through it while a quizzical look overcame Phainon who had now tilted his head at a 45° angle in curiosity.
"There it is!" she heaved lightly "I'd been meaning to bring you this" she showed him a heavy-looking cloak lined with fur and secured with sturdy yet intricate metal clasps that glinted in the light "Do NOT refuse" she warned him before he could even open his mouth "I wouldn't have been able to go back to my kids had it not been for you, and they would cry if you refused"
Phainon closed his mouth, then opened it, then closed it .
"Leonia, this is too expensive, I can't" he elected to say before he started looking like a drowning goldfish.
"My. children. crying."
"…"
"Will you explain it to Letha and Alexios"
"…"
"Well then I hope you like it" she smiled as if she hadn't just guilt tripped him and with all the calm in the world began gathering her things.
"Ah-wait, Leonia! Before you go I actually wanted to ask" he paused deliberating on what to say "Do you know what day it is?"
"…Uh" she blinked "Monday?"
"No, as in" he stopped "celebration?"
"Are you asking me?" she half laughed, half wondered "nothing comes to mind, but now I'm curious if it has you so unsure"
"Hah, no it's nothing, I must have remembered wrong" he quickly denied.
Not everyone's in the known then?
He wondered what the connection was. Looking around some more should yield him some clue.
He stopped a young man well on his way to the training grounds where he guessed this day would ultimately bring him “Lord Phainon” the youth nodded as greeting “What's the matter, is this about the crown prince?” Phainon didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared of the story's proliferation “Yes, about today…” he trailed off, not knowing how to breach the subject “Eh, today's that day–shoot, what is it?” the young man smirked, elbowing him to the stomach in a playful manner.
Most in Okhema respected him, but even then they also treated him as a family member.
Aunties and uncles chiding him when he forwent meals in favour of helping around the city like they would with their own children, teens asking for advice like they would an older brother, kids beseeching him for stories like they would to a parent.
He'd lost a family, then gained another.
He shook his head.
"I recently discovered that everyone seems to be informed on Mydei and I's relationship and I couldn't help but wonder…" he trailed off 'what you know' unspoken on his tongue
"How we know?" He raised his eyebrow teasingly more times than necessary "Heh, if you hadn't been so blatant maybe there would still be someone who didn't know"
Ok, low blow.
He didn't even know what it was that he'd supposedly done yet he still felt insulted.
"Elias, you hks! Do you want to be late to training again? Khalita will–ah Lord Phainon good morning" the newly arrived young lady's sheepishness morphed into hardly contained jocularity as she shot a conspiratorial look to her companion then back to Phainon "were you heading to the training grounds as well?" She smirked "I bet the crown prince would love to have a match to commemorate the occasion" she elbowed him, a carbon copy of her friend's previous actions eyebrow twitch included.
"Yeah, in a little bit, I was still reminiscing. It feels like yesterday, yet it's already been this long" he said in a practised wistful performance, hoping to yield any useful result
"I mean, has it?" The girl, Syntyche, he now remembered, pondered befuddled "I mean, sure the courting went on for a while, but one year?" She continued oblivious to the fact that she was about to figuratively punch Phainon in the stomach "maybe with dating it would be long, but in marriage that's just the honeymoon phase"
…
The revelation hit Phainon like an ill-mannered dromas loose in the streets.
Now. Phainon wasn't stupid per se.
He's been debate champion for 10 consecutive years for titans' sake! And sure his IQ might dive to room temperature in Mydei's presence, but that was the same for the other, not to mention he'd only been haunted by his name and not the man himself today.
Marriage.
It was as surprising as it was not.
The most logical conclusion, excluded from his conjectures based on what? Fear?
Inadequacy?
Or hope? That if he didn't ask for it, not even entertaining the thought it would have a chance at happening.
Everything he had loved in the past had slipped trough his fingers like the cerulean sands of Styxia. Could he afford to clench his palm and try to hold onto a grain of sand?
"-non?"
"Lord Phainon?" the duo was looking at him worried, Elias holding onto his teleslate, Hyacine's number at hand and Phainon slapped himself internally for losing himself in his thoughts over such matters.
"Ah- sorry, I merely lost myself reminiscing" he chuckled with a practised ease and a apologetic smile.
He would not be sent spiralling by his silly crush. His silly crush who had already consumed his life.
A sigh escaped from his lips.
At least now he knew what to look for.
"By the way– unrelated do you know were I could find some books on Kremnoan culture?" an easy rationalisation later he was directed to the nearby secret hideout of the pair and their buddies rife with knickknacks and paraphernalia and—as it turns out various works of literature. He didn't know whether to be proud or confused of the youths.
Regardless he accomplished his goal
『Travel itinerary of a Dolos wanderer IV : Uses and costumes of Castrum Kremnos』
he held the sheepskin tome like it contained the secrets of the universe, which it might as well have had for his specific situation; he sat under a tree in the shade and started reading
marriage customs... marriage customs...—! There!
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Hark! Oh dear reader of a tale of disillusionment for I, myself in my hubris learnt of true romanticism in the most unlikely of places.
As I've been wondering the Kremnos courting is as peculiar as, as I discovered cantankerously romantic.
In the last few months I had the opportunity to befriend a comely couple, started from childhood friends, now married as of the last Month of Balance.
Hereafter I shall compile their courting methods and compare it to other popular courting rites.
[...]
As everyone is well aware the draw between the current King and Queen's first fight is the incipit on which the locals sing their laude as equals.
Equality is indeed the cornerstone of relationships here, as equal is used as 'pet-name' of sorts in between partners
「 "Well we are rivals after all, if I wasn't able to catch up with you what use would I have to be here"
"Don't be stupid, Deliverer. You're my equal if you weren't I wouldn't entertain you in your dumbass challenges" 」
[...]
—as the culture is very influenced by fighting, lovers are usually expected to fight each other to prove their spirit—
「 "You've been slacking off, Deliverer. Are you that worried of losing to me that you won't even come to the training grounds?"
"My dear Mydeimos, I'll have you know that while you were leisuring so, I was on a mission to eradicate titankin"
"Alone? We could have made it a challenge if you weren't a coward"
"You!—You're on. To the best of three!" 」
[...]
—The person initiating the advances is usually expected to present the object of their interest with trophies, be it enemy corpses or game—
「 "…What...is this?"
"A titankin corpse"
"Yes. I can see that. May I ask why you threw a titankin carcass at my feet?"
"…" "It's proof "
"…"
"You need to do better if you want to beat me"
"…"
"…"
"For some reason I feel like you're trying to show off"」
[...]
—Finally the proposal consists of offering a chalice from which both parties partake.
It is told that the content was once blood but such minutia was ousted in favour of wine or similarly coloured liquids.
Declaring either before or after a vow, similar to what others might consider toasting—
.
.
.
The festivities in the month of joy were varied and as plenty as Phagousa's title would imply and they were even more rewarding when after a long day of accomplishments.
Farmers working the soil, merchants selling their wares, warriors fighting.
They had just returned not long ago from a mission near Janusopolis one of those missions were everything was competently and swiftly taken care of in one of their typical matches.
Blood ran high as the stakes dictated that whoever lost would have to pay for the evening.
It... was a draw
Mydei handed him a chalice, expression unreadable and strangely official "Are you poisoning me? What's with the seriousness" he tried to joke away some of the tension.
Someone in the distance broke a glass.
People cheered and bards sang melodies from their homeland.
Yet their corner seemed muted, as it the sounds couldn't completely pass through.
"You fought well today"
He blinked, puzzled by the seriousness reserved by his companion towards such statement, but before he could tease him out of this peculiar atmosphere the crown prince continued "I concede this toast to our victories, past, present and future. For you are the only one worthy of it, my rival, my equal"
Could he be drunk?
Phainon had wondered why a toast needed such ceremony at the time, still the party outside their little bubble raged on and flattered as he was to receive the acknowledgement he was also getting more and more flustered. He definitely had to do something before it would show.
"To us, to our victories, to our equivalent standing!" he accepted the cup smiling and took a swing of the brew, sweet, tasting more like liquor or dessert wine than the usual common wine and as he savoured the taste he noticed the lack of cup in Mydei's hand
"Wouldn't it be rude to toast and not drink" he joked "where's your respect for this relationship" something flickered in Mydei's eyes and for a second he saw a softer light within them.
"Hm, you're right" he stole back the half-empty chalice and finished it's content a smile playing at the corner of his lips and if anyone asked Phainon would have insisted that it was the lights making him mesmerized.
He wasn't a teenager he'd long since stopped freaking out about indirect kissing, but something about the words, the expression, the something permeating all around made him want to cover his face.
Neither noticed the eyes on them, not many at all, but enough to be a credible witness to this great farce.
.
.
.
The gentle breeze ruffled his hair, the chimeras chirped in the distance and a book covered the best part of his rapidly reddening face.
The peacefulness of the garden he had based his choice upon becoming his greatest enemy.
The titles, the trophies, the wine and that speech.
His mind was still trying to process, s mix of
He was really telling the truth
So he WAS showing off all those times!
Yes, I am the only one who can walk by his side
Reassurance, amusement, pride, and disbelief above all
His 'silly little crush' now validated was threatening to overcome his brain.
It wasn't one sided.
It was mutual, very mutual if the number of titankin remains thrown at him in the last few years were any indication.
A smile, a real one, couldn't help but overcome his face, the giddiness making him giggle, at first fondly, just to then change to mischievous
"Ah~my dear Mydeimos, you needn't have given me such power" he thought in a sing-song-y voice "or better you shouldn't have for your own peace of mind"
A small part of him was still unable to process but after going through whatever the opposite of the five stages of grief was, he felt readier than ever.
"Hiding behind Kremnoan traditions" he tutted "Oh, I'm going to have fun"
And with a spring in his step and a tune in his hum he headed towards those accursed training grounds.