Archive of Our Own

The carriage rattles along the road, swaying Kai this way and that. His eyes stay trained on the window through it all though, bereft of the complaints rattling around in the back of his head. The scenery is nothing new to him, but it's… it's refreshing. Prettier than the thick forests and plateaus that fill his kingdom, Maripose. Verdant hills, thriving lakes and streams, farms with fat cattle and bountiful crops. It's all been impressive sights from the minute they crossed the border of Eden-Gardin to here.

"Here" is a new kingdom. Kai is pretty sure it's new, or something. He knows that it's been growing dramatically in power over the last few years, its close rivals bowing and forking land and towns over to its reign, provinces eaten up and subsumed under a single banner; the Kingdom of Ouros.

Which Kai's parents have shipped him off to a month in advance of the banquet that's to be hosted, so that "he can learn some things from a rising power." As if this isn't the perfect time for someone to kill him. Ugh.

"What do you plan to say to him?"

A curious, caring voice breaches his thoughts, and he turns away to look at Diana. "Huh? Who…?"

His adviser's brow immediately knits with worry, clearly fighting the urge to frown. "The prince of Ouros, of course! It should be nice, right?" She clasps her hands together, her mood upbeat in spite of the shadow of doubt over the concept of this entire trip. "He's your age, maybe he'll understand your situation."

"Better than the court? Better than the nobles making fun of me at every party? Please." He puts his chin on his hand, back to staring out the window forlornly. Patches of thick grass rustle every now and then, and Kai's paranoia runs wild with the prospects of how well a person could hide themselves in the brush. "He's just going to be another rich guy that hates me."

"Kai…"

"It's true!" Kai throws his hands up, dramatics etched into his behavior since the day he was given his first town to manage. "You can't tell me hasn't heard about me. Everyone has heard about me." He gets quieter, knowing Diana hates to hear it but unable to keep the complaint to himself. "'Kai the Delicate' is the first thing I'm gonna hear when I walk into that castle, I swear."

She leans in, voice raising in intensity. It's the tone she took more often when they were younger, and though it's been years, it's strong enough to make him shiver. "It's going to be different this time."

"Can you promise that?"

She hesitates. He's doomed. "… No, but I can promise that he won't view you like everyone else. He's very different from the princes of other kingdoms!" Diana's eyes light up, pulling out her notebook and carefully flipping through it. "Here! I've heard he even stood up to Wolfgang of Eden-Gardin at a banquet a few months back. Wolfgang was… really, really rude to him, apparently."

Now that's something. Kai leans back in towards her, growing invested in her claim. "Yeah? What do they call the other guy now?"

"… 'Damon the Venomous'."

She loses him. Kai sinks into his seat with a dramatic sigh, bemoaning his fate before it's to unfold. "He's gonna try to assassinate me. I just know it."

"No one is going to do that, it's going to be okay." Diana sighs too, but it's quieter. Still expresses the lamentations of a person facing an inevitable tragedy, anyhow.

Over the next few hours, Diana makes attempts at placating Kai. All of them are poor and short-lived. This trip is a test, and Kai is set up to fail. Managing the bare minimum is going to be the only success he has a chance at; that is, getting close to the Prince of Ouros. He might even be a friendly guy, but the chances that he's going to be charitable to someone of Kai's nature? Unfortunately, he's just dead on arrival.

At the very least, he can hope that the prince isn't an asshole. That would get him killed, definitely.

"O-Oh, uh– Wow."

From the city streets, the castle didn't look very interesting. But now, standing at the start of the walkway that leads to the entrance of the place, Kai gets a full view of how enormous it is. Brilliant stonework, swooping roofs covering the spires facing each cardinal direction, shining a bright silver in the sunlight. Thick, impenetrable walls protect whatever may be inside, though from here it seems large enough to contain an entire town!

A castle of this size and grandeur being here after just a few years of growth means they are very, very wealthy. Success on a level Kai has never fathomed before.

"Right?" Diana, not having any of his hesitance, grabs Kai's hand and pulls him along. "The architecture here is amazing! Ouros has really outdone themselves!"

Kai stumbles forward, nodding in lieu of words. He might as well save his breath… and maybe stop looking up at what they're walking to. He looks ahead… just to see the same wall of knights as always. Two in front of him and two behind, each adorned in silver armor with pink accents and swirls along the pauldrons, painted along the chestplate and down to the greaves. It's kinda tacky, honestly.

But it's striking enough to get people's stares. Let them catch sight of their coat of arms adorning the shields at their sides and stitched into the fabric he and Diana wear; a black shield with a pink butterfly standing out against a golden pile, its wings spread. Doesn't scream strength exactly, but Kai finds it cute. Pretty pathetic against Ouros' coat of arms, though.

They've gotten to the steps up to the castle entrance now, walking up in silence. Apprehensive, Kai can't help himself from leaning over to whisper to Diana as they walk. "Hey, if he's greeting us, what should I do?"

Diana frowns, thinking for a moment before lending an answer. "Just… be friendly with him? I'll introduce you, and then you shake his hand. I haven't met him before so I don't have a good grasp of his character, but I'll try to help as much as I can."

Oh, that's comforting. Kai grips his arms the rest of the way, up until they reach the front doors. Two guards notice them, and after a quick exchange between them and one of his knights, the doors are opened.

Stepping inside, the courtyard sprawls in front of them, taking Kai's breath away. It reminds him of the capital of his home, with stone brick paths that wind through a sprawl of flowers and greenery. Bushes lining the walls and filling in areas that couldn't otherwise be filled with blossoms yellows and reds and greens. He can recognize some, the chrysanthemums standing out to him, but there's many more that remain unfamiliar, tickling his interest.

Not that they have the time for looking around, unfortunately. Kai knows he'll get his chance later though, so he obeys Diana's corralling efforts and follows the path through its twists and turns, until they're walking through large doors at the other end of the area and into the great hall.

The room is spacious, at least twice the size of the hall at Maripose's capital. Three long rows of oak tables fill the walking space, fresh candles burning on them to illuminate the polished plates and silverware. Paintings fill out the walls, illuminated by the jeweled chandeliers nearby. Some are landscapes, while others depict scenes from what he assumes are stories. A few he recognizes; one of a witch cursing an upstanding woman to live as a werewolf stands out to him, since he was told that one as a child and it gave him nightmares for days.

That doesn't matter. The thing is, they're all high quality, all beautiful, and contain levels of detail that mesmerize Kai. But his eyes don't rest upon them. His golden eyes are set firmly on one of the cloth banners that split the walls into four segments, breaking up the views with a simple reminder.

A green bourdor on black cloth. Within, a white snake curls carefully around an upturned blade, unfazed by the danger it constricts to stare down at Kai with emerald eyes. The coat of arms of the kingdom of Ouros, enough to make him shiver.

"Welcome, visitors from Maripose."

A voice as sharp and rigid as a sword slashes the silence apart, miraculously forcing Kai's eyes away to heed the demand of attention. His stomach drops when his gaze hits the back of the room.

Two knights on each side of him, a man stands, hands behind his back. His clothes befit a royal, all black with a green line of triangles that wraps around his torso, breaking up the dark with a bit of color. His pants are held up by a white belt, seemingly made from reptile skin, and a silver necklace adorns his neck, a round emerald slotted in the center and shining in the low candlelight. His short blond hair frames verdant green eyes, which are just as striking as the snake's, even boring into him with the same amount of judgment and animosity.

He takes a step forward, which echoes around the hall louder than the sound of the knights in plate armor that follow behind. Suddenly, Kai's knights part and take up the rear, pretty much forcing him and Diana forward.

Diana, of course, is the one to take charge, stepping forward as soon as Damon stops a couple feet away from Kai. "Your Highness," she starts with a bow, a friendly smile on her face as she motions an arm to her left, "this is Prince Kai of Maripose."

The other man stare blankly at her. "I see." That commanding voice breaches the air again, and his eyes lock back with Kai's own. It feels like they're staring into his soul, reading his worth before a word could be uttered. "I was surprised to hear that you accepted the invitation to the banquet. Welcome again."

Oh. That's kind of annoying.

"Hah, well– It's an exciting opportunity, is it not?" Kai chirps back, putting on his best smile. "I have heard a lot about you, Damon of Ouros." Though it's more like Diana drilled in all the information he needed to know before they arrived. He remembers bits and pieces, but it's spotty, falling through his fingers under the influx of pressure. To mask his nervousness some more, he holds out his hand to the other prince.

Prince Damon doesn't react with more than a twitch of his eyes. His hands stay behind his back. "I'm sure you have."

Kai carefully pulls his hand back, trying not to flinch. Did he already fuck up somewhere? This guy sounds like he hates everything about this conversation, and it isn't even a real conversation!

Ignoring any signals Kai's expression must be putting out about his displeasure at the treatment, Damon continues. "Come with me to the library. We may speak more with privacy."

"No guards?"

It's a reflexive, but valid question. But Damon actually frowns this time, and Diana uncomfortably shuffles in place. Not a good sign. That was really bad.

"One of each of our knights may be stationed at the door, if that brings you comfort." His tone is laced with annoyance, like thorns on a rose.

Kai will just take what he can get. "You know what, yeah! That sounds fine!"

This is going to be the assassination attempt. Kai is beyond sure now.

Kai stares into a cup of steaming earl gray tea, trying to judge if there's any discoloration or if Kai is just imagining things. They've been in here for at least half an hour by now, sitting in admittedly comfortable chairs while Damon reads a book. In silence, ignoring Kai. That can't be right, right?

"Hey…" He starts slow despite his disgruntlement. "Prince Damon?"

"Yes?" He responds, not looking up from his book.

"How has… uh, your hunting been?"

"I don't hunt."

That actually gives Kai some feeling of relief. "Oh. Yeah, I don't either." Definitely explains the lack of trophies in the great hall, and in here.

"What do you want from me?" Suddenly, Damon is looking at him, the book snapped shut in his hand.

"Huh?" It's hard not to let panic seep into his voice, making him stumble. "I-I don't want anything, I—"

"You want an alliance with the Kingdom of Ouros so that you can benefit from some kind of generosity when Maripose is set upon by Eden-Gardin from the west, which we will not offer because we are focused on guarding our own lands over multiple threats thrown at us by our neighbors."

His world shatters around him. "What the hell?"

Entirely disinterested in the fact that he's now spelled out Kai's doom when he returns home, Damon continues. "I'm not interested in an alliance, so you are free to do whatever you wish and then leave at the end of the month."

"What the hell is your problem?!" Kai stands up, setting the tea on the table to point an accusatory finger at him. "I don't even want to be here, I don't want to deal with you hating me over things I don't have control over on top of that!"

"Hm?"

Damon is just staring at him. Does he really not get it?! Kai sighs irritably, running a hand through his hair as he speaks. "People say stuff all the time in the court about me, but like, I'm not ambitious. I don't know where people are getting this idea that I'm planning something when barely anyone likes me anyway."

Silence sits for a moment after, until Damon answers succinctly. "… Maybe you would be liked more if you whined less."

"Man, you— Ugh." What's the point in arguing? Damon already said this isn't going anywhere. "Whatever."

Yet he just keeps going. "I've never heard of you before, anyway. I received a request to invite you, so I did."

"Wh- Okay, wow." It had to have been his parents. Guess that's why he doesn't remember reading much about Ouros in his mail before being told he was going to a banquet here. "Why didn't you refuse?"

"I had never heard of you before. I wanted to know about you."

The prince's answer is so simple that it startles Kai. He really doesn't know anything? He just… wanted to learn more about him?

"But now I see that there's nothing to know, and that I've wasted my time."

Any attachment he was starting to feel gets dashed in an instant. "Hey, you wasted my time too! We haven't talked about a single thing in… however long we've been sitting here!" Kai holds himself, glancing towards the walls of books around them. "I could be hanging out with my followers right now instead of being here…"

"Do you whine this much all the time?" Damon sets the book on the table, taking a sip of his own tea. "If so, I'm not surprised you don't hunt."

"It's not like you hunt either!"

"That's different." He growls out the words like they're supposed to be intimidating, eyes screwed shut. Maybe he's getting a headache from all this? He probably deserves it.

"It's not at all!" Kai scoffs, motioning to nothing in particular as he continues drilling into him. "You know, I'm not surprised that you act like this. The court call you "Venomous," but there's that other title, right? "Damon the Snake-Tongued." Pretty fitting with how much you're hissing at me."

Damon's eyes go wide then, mouth open from shock. "You…!" That bafflement evolves into anger as he shoots up from his seat, hands balled up into fists at his sides. "You're a poor excuse for royalty!"

"And you're a terrible host! Maybe when I return home, I'll talk all about how you started throwing insults at me for no reason!"

"I have reasons– No, you started this!" He steps closer to Kai, as if he's trying to menace him. The guy honestly looks a bit ridiculous when he's angry, so it's not hard to stand his ground for once. "No one's going to listen to you anyway, my name is respected, whereas yours isn't worth a—"

The clack of a shoe against the floor pierces the tension like a hot knife. Kai snaps his gaze to the door, which had somehow been opened in complete silence. There's a flash of pink in the doorway, and for a single, wonderful moment, Kai's heart fills with hope that Diana has come to say his parents want him to go home and this whole thing was a wash.

Instead, it's… some kid? Wearing a pretty fancy kimono and a fan covering half her face.

"Prince Damon." She speaks calmly, seeming to completely ignore Kai. "Your parents request your presence."

In the moment it takes for him to look back at Damon, he's gone from furious and ruffled back to being completely formal, adjusting his collar to return to being presentable. "I will be there right away." He takes a step towards the door and turns around to look at Kai, eyes reflecting a lingering glint of animosity as he dips into a bow. "Prince Kai, I apologize for leaving so unexpectedly. But you must understand my duties."

God damn, this guy pisses him off. Trying to act like he's better than him now that there's someone else watching… But, Kai knows not to pick more fights. Putting up his own mask, he smiles and replies in a light, friendly tone. "No problem, I have reason to believe that Damon of Ouros would have plenty of important duties to attend to."

Then, with a polite bow, he's sickeningly sweet as he speaks. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Prince Damon."

A look of surprise crosses Damon's face again. Kai isn't sure if it's Damon being truly surprised Kai can be nice, as much as he's surprised Kai didn't take any of his bait. Annoying that he can't call Damon out on it. "Uh– Yes. It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Prince Kai."

Damon walks towards the door, stopping only to look back again when he's beside the kid. Rather than saying anything to her about how she needs to get back to her parents or whatever, he motions between her and Kai. "My advisor, Toshiko, will accompany you and guide you to your bedchambers. If you have any requests, direct them to her."

What? "A-Advisor?" Is this actually a kid?!

If the other prince is trying to pull a prank on him, he's gone before Kai can bring that to light, leaving him and… yeah, definitely a kid. And she's staring at him so intensely… does everyone in this kingdom stare at people like they're reading their souls?

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, she beckons Kai over with her fan. "Come. We have things to discuss."

In the next hour, for some odd reason, Kai finds himself pacing in his new temporary bedroom while Toshiko sits on his bed and watches him walk around like a madman. As weird as this is, Kai can rationalize it; she's the first person that he's met in this kingdom that is easy to vent to. First out of the two whole people he's met, but still!

"I'm not doing anything to impress a guy that hates my guts!"

Toshiko scoffs. "Mochi feels no such thing!" She's been insisting that at every frustrated outburst Kai has made, and every time Kai cannot take it seriously when he thinks of her calling Damon that. "He may be brash, but he lacks the heart to resent anyone as much as you claim."

"What do you know?" He rolls his eyes in annoyance. "You're like, ten."

"Fourteen. No matter my age, I belong to nobility just as much as anyone else in the court!" She pulls out another fan from seemingly nowhere, pointing it at him like a weapon. "My family have whispered in the ears of the greatest kings and queens for longer than your kingdom has existed!"

Don't need the history lesson, but whatever." He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he walks over to the window. It gives a perfect view of the city sprawling below them. It's like Damon wanted to flaunt the prosperity of this place to him. Show what a good prince can do before he even rises to the throne. "Doesn't change the fact that I'm not respected by anyone, and now I'm going to a banquet at the end of the month where everyone hates me."

"… I may not be able to help mend your relationship with everyone," Toshiko starts slow, like trying to soothe a startled horse, "but I know Mochi better than most people."

Okay, he has to ask. "Why do you even call Damon that? I don't know what that is, but it sounds disrespectful."

She huffs like it's supposed to be obvious. "It's a pleasant, frozen treat, perfectly emblematic of Prince Damon's nature." There's some humor in her voice as she explains, "He is cold and hard on the outside, but on the inside, he's a sweet pushover."

That gets a laugh out of him, though it's more like a bark with how it's cut short when he turns around to face her. "You're just trying to make him look good, aren't you?"

"I don't believe saying his personality requires an emotional and physical gauntlet to make his better qualities known is any kind of compliment." She glares. "Not that you will make me speak ill of my ruler."

"You just did?"

"Th-They are observations! His faults are not the subject of this meeting, anyhow." She insists before carrying on with her vision of the conversation. "Your parents have sent you here to form strong ties with the Ouros Kingdom, yes?"

"What? H-How do you know?!" Has she been… eavesdropping on him?

"Because your complaints are easy to hear when you're howling like an abandoned dog." Oh. That bums Kai out a little, but he can't deny it. "I desire to give you aid in your task, anyway. I know Prince Damon better than anyone, so I would know how to get someone into his good graces."

"Eugh…" That doesn't sound like a discussion he's going to enjoy. The advice would help, but it's not like Toshiko would lie to him. She sounds like she's loyal to the prince and wouldn't feed Kai any lies about him. Plus, he needs any information he can get to scavenge anything of worth from this visit. "… Fine."

Kai walks back over and sits down beside the advisor, going against his paranoia warning him that this is going to be useless. "If you know how to get him to be friendly with me, then I might as well take it. What does he like?"

Toshiko actually seems pretty surprised he took her offer, but doesn't hesitate to take over the conversation. "Out of a person? That's what matters most, so… I could conceivably truncate the best way to earn his favor through a list of three simple traits his exhibits." She leans in close, still managing to hide the lower half of her face as she speaks lowly, like she's about to share secrets no one is supposed to know. "Now, Prince Damon is…"

It takes a few days for Kai to get the chance to go out into the city outside his window. Not that it wasn't available to him, but he's not been willing to go out on his own. He's going to always look too stiff and intimidating with a knight by his side, and Diana has been pretty busy in discussions with others at the castle. She needs her time and he needs his… though, it's meant Kai hasn't had much to do besides accept whatever Damon asks of him.

Which is a lot, surprisingly. Damon keeps requesting his presence in the library, in strolls around the castle, and during meals they stay pretty close. Ouros has proximity to another kingdom whose primary exports are sweet ingredients that are hard to get a hold of in Maripose, so Kai's been thriving for the past few days on the desserts and treats prepared in the kitchen. Still, it's not like they've been having good conversations, or that their relationship has improved since their first meeting. Even with Toshiko's advice, long-winded and detailed as it was, Kai can't seem to get a read on him.

Thankfully, today is a change of pace. Damon leads him through the streets of the city market, the few clouds on a cool, sunny day providing perfect weather for people to shop, as evidenced by the thick crowd they're winding through. People part to let them pass, but Kai feels their stares burning into him. Probably already judging him, if they haven't heard of him already.

So Kai has been taking some time to do what bring him some comfort; browsing the stalls they pass for anything that catches his eye. It's tough since Damon seems in a rush to get to their destination, a brewery that has fresh wines ready to be taste-tested for the upcoming banquet, but Kai knows they have like, an hour to get there? He's not worried about it, because there's no need to be worried.

For the third time, this hour, Damon huffs beside Kai as he looks over the contents of a stall selling rings, the seller patiently waiting for his choice. "Are you always this distracted by shops?" He asks, not even sparing a glance at the amber ring he picks up to admire.

"No, I'm just looking around." Kai huffs, setting it back down in its slot before he turns to bite back at him. "Why am I not allowed to look at what your people are creating? Your kingdom has a lot of cool stuff here, you know?"

"Of course I know." Damon answers confidently with his arms crossed. "I will be ruling it one day, I know everything my people make here is bound to have appeal."

The guy practically runs the kingdom already. Kai has hardly seen his parents in the past week, probably busy with stuff Kai isn't familiar with, but he knows most of Ouros' explosive success can be attributed to Damon's choices. He won't say that though, assuming people would be annoyed at his disrespect towards the royal family.

"I don't know, do you really know that?" Kai walks to another stall just ahead, people stepping away like receding ocean waves as he picks up a well-crafted wool blanket. "I haven't seen anything like this in your room." Not that he's seen much of Damon's room, but that's besides the point.

He frowns at the item, not even reaching out to feel how goddamn soft it is. "Why would I buy it?"

Damon must be stupid. "Why wouldn't you?!" Kai drops the blanket back down on the pile it came from, prepared to tell him off for admitting to being so ignorant. "I love the stuff my followers make. My room is full of paintings and decorations they made themselves, without any fame or fortune to back them up! I go down to the market of one of my towns each week to look around, but my carriage is always loaded when I have to head back home." Kai idly twists one of his rings around his finger, feeling how warm the gold has gotten under the midday sun. "A lot of them are gifts, but still. I buy whatever pretty stuff I see, no matter who made it. People appreciate that kind of thing."

Damon looks down at Kai's hands, finally seeming to admire the golden rings adorning his fingers and the glimmering bracelet he put on today. Then, he looks back up, glaring for whatever reason. "I don't spend money on things I don't need."

"Oh come on. You have like, a hundred paintings in that stupid castle—"

"Ninety-six."

"—Ninety-six paintings and like, no jewelry. Nothing! It's weird!" Kai throws his hands up, unable to figure out what's gone wrong with Damon to make him not understand this issue. "You're weird!"

The Prince of Ouros' expression tightens. "I'm not weird." He hisses, marching closer and having the gall to pull him to the side, the entrance to some building that provides a brief respite from being in the midst of the crowds. "Stop trying to fish for issues where there are none."

"I'm not!" Kai huffs, rolling his eyes. It feels a little quieter despite how close they are to the crowds… ah, there's some people that have stopped to look. He shrugs. "I'm just saying…"

Damon's glare turns so intense, Kai is afraid he might rip his arm off with how tight he's gripping it. "I don't care what you're saying. We have things to do today, and there's no need to give hope to people that think we would buy something."

"Fine, okay… I'm sorry that you hate nice things." Kai rolls his eyes, catching the gazes of onlookers as he does. Damon somehow looks even more furious at that slight, but his jaw stays tightly shut. That's pretty surprising to Kai; at this point, he's settled into their frequent and unrelenting arguments.

Instead of pushing on with it though, Damon just gives a deep sigh, the red warmth on his face settling. His eyes meet the stonework of the walkway as he speaks in a low voice. "Let's go." His voice wavers, but he doesn't repeat himself to cover the mistake.

Damon lets go of Kai and walks back into the crowd, letting Kai follow on his own. Which he of course does, reluctantly keeping his gaze fixed on the back of the prince's head. The crowd starts moving again as they walk, and the silence is overtaken by the murmurs of passing conversations. It does nothing to distract Kai from the annoyance he feels over being blown off so hard, though. This guy, he really must think he's hot shit not to…

As if that kid had a form of telepathy, Toshiko's words from that day suddenly cut into his thoughts. "Mochi is thoughtful, but has trouble communicating it." Something like that… it does feel like he's missing something important. He doubts their destination is actually so important as Damon makes it seem, since he the kind of guy that hates alcohol, so he's in a hurry just. to make himself look good. But he's… actually going pretty quick now, making it a bit difficult for Kai to get to his side instead of staying right behind him. During their argument, he didn't try to meet Kai's gaze, which was weird. It's like something made him get all meek all of a sudden.

Did… did the crowd bother him? That would be wild. From what Kai remembers of Diana's information about Damon, he's always fighting with the people on his court, with other royalty, anyone with power. But he'll get all nervous in his own kingdom, in front of his own subjects?

A twinge of pity grows in Kai's chest. He must have embarrassed him, then. Or maybe Damon wanted to get them both out of an embarrassing situation, he can't imagine that looked good in front of Damon's subjects. Shit, and when word gets around about two princes having a public argument… Ohh man, he's too used to being in his own towns!

Kai's gaze inevitably wanders as his anxiety spikes, catching sight of one of the stalls ahead. Held up in the hands of the person behind the counter is a bracelet, silvery chains decorated with cut pieces of gems that glitter in the sunlight. A jewelry stall then, though other pieces are hidden away. Must be expensive stuff, if that's the case.

That gives him an idea, which he follows through with before Damon can even glance back to see if Kai is still following.

Besides that, the rest of the day goes okay. It still takes some time for his nerves to ease, and all the wine they end up trying at the brewery tastes terrible, but he gets to savor the sight of Damon struggling to keep his cool while sipping on swamp water. Maybe it's the first day in Ouros that Kai would call… good. In a way.

Kai still isn't sure of what to make of Damon, really. Toshiko gave him all of those tips, yet it's the end of his second week and he has nothing to show for it. Damon's behavior towards him hasn't changed much, maybe biting at him with less intensity. But it's like when you have had forced contact with an animal for long enough that it gives up on driving you off, and instead just tolerating you. It's not exactly grounds for alliances in the future, as his parents desire out of him.

Damon's even stopped inviting him to stuff, which has been a weird change. He still does it, but only as claimed by castle staff and not by Damon himself, who stays silent every time they're in the same room. It's honestly getting kind of scary… Ah, he wishes Diana were here.

… Actually, when was the last time Kai talked to her? He's seen her around, they meet every morning so that she can catch Kai up on whatever he's missed, but they haven't spent much time with each other. Which is weird, since they're usually attached at the hip back home.

She lives on his estate in a guest room, they eat all their meals together, and always go out together. There's times where she has to head back to the capital, but that's always a couple brief weeks where she's giving them reports on his performance, and they give her orders for more in return. Usually in the form of letters Diana has to deliver, and then Kai has to read them in his room and cry for a few hours. She always comes in right when he's done, a warm meal in her hands… it's nice, honestly.

So for her to be so absent during this hellish visit to Ouros is weird. Again, they've definitely talked a few times, but… well, she's definitely not as around as much. Kai should talk with her, see what's going on.

Since he has no idea of where she could be this evening though, he accepts that he'll end up running across her sooner or later just by walking around the castle. Maybe he could go grab something from the kitchen with her? It's easy to talk when there's food to keep them relaxed.

Kai is sure it's going to take a while for that to happen, though. So that's why it's so surprising when it's barely a turn down a corridor that he hears recognizable but indistinct voices echoing through the stone hall.

Curiosity peaked, Kai strolls towards the source, finding his gaze fixed on the second door to the right. The voices are becoming clearer now, their sounds forming into words with meaning.

"… A problem…? This tea is… it off…"

That's Diana. And she's talking to someone, from the sounds of it, though it's difficult to make anything out from this distance.

A chill of uncertainty runs down Kai's spine. Should he approach at all? It's within his right to know all of her goings on, but he likes to give her privacy. But… she always insists it's fine to talk to her or listen to any conversation she's having. Diana doesn't mind his curiosity.

He presses on, sliding up next to the door, grabbing the padlock of his necklace to will it to not rattle against his other jewelry and reveal his presence. Or maybe to soothe himself, as another voice chimes in.

"… You bother to do so much for him."

Wait, Damon? Why is he talking to her? In private!? Kai's body tenses, bidding himself not to burst through the door and demand Damon speak with him instead.

"Huh? I-I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"You're your own person." Damon insists something Kai doesn't get either, his tone beyond serious. "You may be at the beck and call of the Maripose family, but you have your own life, surely."

"… Y-Your Highness—"

"It's Damon. Stop calling me by that title. It's too long, and you're not someone I lead."

"Uhm… Prince Damon, I'm Prince Kai's advisor." She responds rationally in the face of Damon's baseless observation, with that tone Kai is so used to hearing in the court. "It's my duty to aid him in his decisions however I can."

"I understand that, but you do too much." Kai pulls a face, shuffling a bit closer. The temptation to walk in and interrupt Damon in his attempt to deface Kai's reputation to his own advisor is strong, but he taps it down. "He can do some things on his own. Unless his parents decided he's that much of a—"

"Don't say that about him! You're assuming so much about him, and it's not—"

There's a gasp, and the sound of a chair being pushed back.

"Ah, I-I hadn't… meant to say that. Your Highness, I…"

For reasons Kai assumes he'd have to see to know, Diana pauses, and silence suffocates the air.

"… Sit back down." Damon demands, his voice softer. "Explain to me your duties to Prince Kai."

"I stay at his home and oversee his schedule, his clothing for each day, and I deliver messages between him and his parents. But usually it's just me talking to his parents, really."

That checks out. Kai doesn't like talking to his parents all that much, and rarely hears from them when there is something he has to bring up. Diana handles all of that, and hasn't complained once, so he assumes it's alright. It makes him feel a little ashamed to hear it openly discussed, though.

"Do you have to do anything to keep positive relations between him and other royalty?"

It's starting to get on his nerves that Damon keeps grilling her, but Diana is bound to do better in this situation than him. He's just going to keep quiet and listen. "… It is true that I don't need to do it, but sometimes I leave a few more good words about him than people might like."

"And leave out a few failures, I'm sure." Just keep quiet and listen.

"I wouldn't talk about his failures! Kai— Prince Kai, he hasn't failed at anything. He's just… in a tough point of his life."

"… I suppose it means trying to be a decent guest is part of another series of tough points in his life."

Something metal clinks against something else. Kai can't name the material off the top of his head, but it sounds hollow… it reminds him of his jewelry boxes, actually?

Whatever it is, it makes Diana gasp. "Oh!"

"This was a gift." Damon ignores her excitement, saying something so nonsensical in the tone he takes whenever he thinks he's in the right. "I want to return it."

Kai's veins fill with ice. Did he… oh my god, did Damon not read the note?

"… Let me see it."

"Sure."

Metal clinks against metal, as the gift piles into Diana's hands. "It's cute... this must be jewelry from your kingdom, right?" Her voice is warm and sweet. "This snake ring, it doesn't look like something anyone in our towns would make."

"Why don't you explain it to me?"

"You think… I bought this?"

Kai grabs his own necklace and squeezes, feeling the lock dig into his palm.

"Who else? You didn't hide it." His voice lowers into a hiss. "Your handwriting is completely different from his, and it's not like he would do this at all. You heard about what happened in the market last week and took it upon yourself to repair relations that aren't yours to deal with. It's not a good look upon the Kingdom of Maripose that their own subjects have to do the peacekeeping for their rulers."

"Oh… Uh…" There's some humor in her hesitance, before a giggle spills out as she fails to hold it back. Embarrassment sinks deep beneath Kai's skin, making blood rush to his cheeks.

"W-Why are you laughing?" Sounds like Damon is embarrassed too, his voice rising again in the face of his mistake. That makes Kai feel better.

"I'm so sorry—" Her laughter tapers off, calming down enough to be withheld. "Ah, how do I… the letters Prince Kai sent you through autumn, when he was asking questions about the trip, you must be thinking of his handwriting in those."

"I-I don't see how that's relevant, but yes? He wrote and signed them." Oh, Kai sees his mistake now. That brings a smile to his face. "Are you going to tell me those aren't his words?"

"Prince Kai dictated some of them to me, while I wrote them. Did you think he wrote them himself…?" He knows Diana means nothing by it, but her tone isn't particularly favorable as she tries to guess why he would make such a mistake. "Most nobles don't write except to sign important documents."

"…"

This conversation has been horrible to listen to, but it is very funny to think of the face Damon must be making right now. It really doesn't surprise him that Damon would write all of those letters himself, though Kai couldn't fathom how he could manage that. He must be swamped with work.

"It's alright! It's a fair assumption to make, he… he should have been signing them, haha. But Kai does other things himself, even if he's not prepared to take the throne. He's not good with the politics, or the formal relations. He's good with people, though! Which is why he did this for you."

"…"

"Prince Damon, he's really trying. Even if he doesn't want to do this, he's still trying. I haven't been around him very much because I know he needs to do this on his own terms. And I think this was an attempt at reaching out to you."

Okay, now she's looking wayyy too far into this for Kai's comfort. Damon's going to get the wrong impression from this, isn't he? He can't back up the expectations she's setting him up for.

"… It's a cheap gift."

"It comes from the heart! He found something he thought you would like. Do you like it?"

There's a moment of very suspicious silence. "I'm not going to wear it." And he answers curtly with that. There goes his hopes of something good coming out of—

"Then should I take—"

"It's my property. Give it to me."

—Oh? Wait a minute. He hears metal clinking against something, then a sharp, heaving sigh. Like the sound a cat makes when it's getting frustrated, its claws extending to deal with the problem when all else has failed.

"Leave, and don't speak a word of this meeting to your prince."

"Ah, Prince Damon, are you sure you don't want me to leave a word for him?"

"No." He responds quickly, but not as viciously as Kai is used to. "I will handle my business on my own."

"Alright… It was nice talking to you!"

Kai registers footsteps coming close to the door, and he scrambles back as best he can while keeping his steps as quiet as possible. Unfortunately, while he does succeed in putting a safe distance between himself and Diana as she pulls the door open and steps out into the hall, it doesn't stop her from reacting to the sight of him standing there awkwardly. "Kai?"

His breath hitches, his mind scrambling for a quick solution to this issue. "D-Diana, hi, uh—"

There's a loud thud, warning of Damon's arrival before he's swinging open the door, a startled look on his face as he looks over Diana and meets Kai's eyes. Within those verdant eyes, he can see fury beginning to spark.

Miraculously, Kai doesn't find himself intimidated by it, instead bristling in his presence. "Hey!" Some of the lessons that have been drilled into his skull over the years come into use, as he straightens and rallies himself for the important conversation this is sure to be. "I was walking down the hallway, and—"

"How much did you hear?"

Damon's voice is dripping in the signature venom the Prince of Ouros is known for, withering Kai's spirit and making his legs shake. But… he can't just let himself get caught in the jaws of this guy! Not after all of that!

Diana moves to the side as Kai steps forward, gritting his teeth. "Enough to know that you don't read. I left you a note and everything!"

Damon's expression sours and a mild pink hue dusts his cheeks, but Kai presses on, past the urge to point it out. Making Damon snap at him is amusing, but now isn't the time to be dancing around his fangs.

"It would have been fine if you threw it away, or just threw into a box and never looked at it again. But I did that! Bought it with my own coins! But instead you use it as an excuse to get mad at Diana?! Are you really that—"

In the moments between Damon breaking eye contact with him and the door being slammed in his face, Kai sees something flare in the prince. It's easy to name, he's felt it before; the fury of someone that knows they're cornered and is scrambling out of the way of complete social annihilation.

The slam of the door is loud and violently echoes through the hall, leaving them in further deafening silence afterwards.

Diana steps back in again, raising a hand to pat his shoulder… Kai…

Kai carefully steps back, turning to let his back hit the wall. He stares at the ceiling, the energy he built up now seeping out of him and leaving an empty feeling in his chest. A deep sigh expels the rest.

"I accept my fate." He gently puts his head in his hands, the gold of his rings cool against his skin. "Assassins are killing me next month."

"Kai!" She cries, "Look, I'm sorry you had to hear that, I thought that he…"

"What? That he might appreciate that necklace?" It's clear in his mind; a small chain looped around a ring, molded like a snake swallowing its tail. "It seems all I've been able to do with the guy is get on his nerves. And he gets on mine, so…"

"How do you feel about him?" She prompts, taking a gentler tone. "I think there's more complicated feelings between you two than you realize."

"As if." He seethes, peeking out from his hands to glare at the door. "Every day we find something to argue about. We're kind of obligated to talk to each other, right? So he keeps dragging me along for stuff or, y'know, 'requesting my presence' for small stuff."

His hands drop, fussing with his rings again to ground himself. "It's nice in the moment, and he's kind of funny sometimes… I can see why people like him, that's the thing. He's pretty curt and harsh, but not to his people. He greets everyone and navigates conversations in a formal way that I never managed, they respect him, go to him about their issues and all. And I get that I'm not at the castle but no one really goes to me if they have a problem. We're both princes, but he's…"

Kai trails off, unsure of where to end his statement. Damon is… what, better? That word doesn't feel fitting. Damon has a million mistakes about him that will make his kingdom fall quicker than Kai's own will crumble. Antisocial, solitary, a rising power grabbing land faster than it can manage the people within it. But Kai knows he would break under that kind of pressure. That part, that's…

Diana can't offer the words he's trying to find, staring at him with pity. "This… this seems really complicated."

He's fighting his tears surprisingly well right now. "Ugh, tell me about it."

Apparently she will, as she grabs his hands and holds them in hers. "I won't try to help you fix it, but, as your advisor, I have some advice."

Does he want any more advice? Some of Toshiko's words strike his train of thought once more. 'He's prideful, the kind of person that wants to help others but not let them be freeloaders. He desires them to pull their own weight, with his own contributions reinforcing the foundations of their work.' Made him sound like a control freak— and that is totally true, Kai has seen enough discussions between him and the castle staff to know that— but maybe there's something else to it.

"… No." Kai settles, carefully prying his hands from her loose grip. "I can handle it myself, don't worry."

Surprise reflects in Diana's eyes, but it's temporary. "Good luck, then." She responds with a nod, trusting his judgment.

That doesn't make Kai feel so good about saying no to her help. But the point of no return is past him, so Kai stands back up straight and continues down the hall, wracking his brain for a plan of action. A way to sway Damon of Ouros to his side.

Turns out, working on creating a solid relationship with someone in barely a week's time is hard. Really hard. Kai has been trying harder than ever, but with all sorts of measures to not come off as pushy and invasive. Though as more nobles arrive in the area, finding opportunities where Damon is free to hang out are increasingly slim.

The warmth of the fireplace in the great hall does little to soothe the creeping chill of anxiety that ails Kai. It's night now, the night before the banquet, and after it he'll be going home. He can count on his fingers how many times he's spoken to Damon, their exchanges brief and inconclusive. Damon seems avoidant of Kai, and he's not sure of what to do.

Damn it. He grits his teeth and sighs, walking over to the entrance to the courtyard. The delicately cared for array of flowers filling the area catch his eyes, all sorts of colors that lure him out into the open. The night air is clear, allowing for the sweet scents of each flower to fill his senses, though it's impossible for him to find the names of any one of them.

Finding any peace of mind has been an uphill battle during his time in Ouros. But standing here in silence, basking in the comfortable beauty of a bit of nature… it's not in the cards for Kai. It's not meant to last.

His gaze darts around the courtyard one last time, and manage to catch what he's consistently missed. Black and green clothing, framing the lithe build of one particular prince. Sat among flourishing greenery, surrounding a small patch of clear ground.

Kai's breath hitches. Damon isn't facing him, gaze cast to the starry sky above. But Kai knows he can't just walk away now. He gets the feeling that after another step, Damon will notice him. Now is the time for a conversation.

"'He values his privacy', huh…?" Kai echoes Toshiko's words under his breath, nearly inaudible. He realizes that what he's about to do is very antithetical to that advice, but it's not like Damon has been willing to socialize. Over the past week, it's been Kai making the advances, despite the failures they've been. Now there's nowhere for Damon to rush off to, no obligations to meet in the dead of night.

The Prince of Maripose takes a step forward. His shoe hits the path, and the Prince of Ouros indeed twists around as his paranoia claimed, eyes narrowed. Shit. He has to say something.

"Nice night we're having, huh?"

Terrible opener. He can hear the arrows whistling through the wind to pierce his back now.

"Why are you talking to me?" Damon responds with an equally terrible answer instead of immediately admonishing his conversation starter.

That puts him in a tough spot. But he has to answer, probably. No real way out of this now that he's in it. "How do you even want me to answer that?"

"Hm."

And the guy doesn't even bother to give him a proper answer in return, turning back around to stare at the stars. That's pretty fair, actually. Means he just needs a different approach. Something that pushes past that aversive behavior and gets him talking.

"You know…" Something daring. Something that pushes Damon to listen. "I don't hate you."

"… What?"

Damon doesn't turn around again, but he does lower his head. Means that he's caught his attention, just as needed. Kai walks along the stone bricks, brushing a hand against the passing flowers. They bend to the slightest push, before perking up again, facing the sky with petals open wide.

"I said I don't hate you. You're a pretty harsh person, definitely earned that title, but the other title doesn't fit you at all." Kai stops next to Damon, staring down at him. He still has not faced him, but he stares up at Kai in his peripheral. "You're really sincere, and pretty nice when someone earns it, you're attractive, you're like… I dunno, you just fit into the ideal of a prince, I think. I dislike some stuff about you, but it's… complicated?"

"…" After a pause, Damon finally turns to him again, one eyebrow raised. "You find me attractive?"

Kai's eyes go wide, entirely unprepared for that kind of answer. "Hey— You're a prince!" He barks, voice rising with his embarrassment. "We're supposed to be attractive! That's like, a general statement!"

Damon's glare veers suspicious, but it dissipates quickly. He stands from his place, an inch of height difference meaning nothing to their locked eyes. "Alright. Am I supposed to be happy that you only moderately like me?"

"I'll be real— I don't know!" Kai can't keep up his bravado. There was no way he wasn't going to break under Damon's resistance, the panic that's built up in his chest now spilling out into his voice. "I don't know what to say to you! It feels like I've been scrambling around every day to find a way to connect with you, or— You know, just, have a decent relationship?"

Damon opens his mouth, clearly having some choice words, but then immediately closes it without a sound. Instead, he stares, eyes drawing up and down. Up and down, up and— Ugh, this guy… the silence should be infuriating, but Kai is too tired of being mad. If he's going to say something, then Kai will wait.

"… I like the present you gave me."

He blanks completely and immediately. "What?"

"The— The necklace." Damon pushes, not quite meeting his eyes. "The one you bought. I like it. I'm going to wear it tomorrow." His tone turns sour and his brow furrows as he continues, "I still find it dumb you didn't give it to me face to face, though."

"Really?" Kai isn't sure if he's supposed to be happy or hurt now. "Okay, um, the thing about that. You hate talking to me and I didn't want to deal with you blowing up at me or throwing the gift back in my face."

Should he be this honest with the prince of a powerful kingdom? No. Flat out no, he shouldn't do this. However, he's more than just tired of being mad, he's tired of tip-toeing around things like all royals are bound to. Honesty worked out poorly last time, but sprinkling lies into a tense conversation is far worse, right?

"I don't hate talking to you. I kept taking you along on errands in the city, didn't I?"

"You have to be joking." Kai blinks, grasping for any sign that this is some fluke. "That was like— an obligation? Right?"

"No. I'm beholden to what my parents demand, but there's little they want out of me." He sighs, carefully stepping back to only brush against the flowers, giving Kai space to breathe. "I could have gone into the city or had my meals alone. You didn't need to come."

Huh. Wow. That's… Well, a bit mean, but maybe it's means something better. "Did you… like me?"

Damon sighs irritably, but doesn't refute his takeaway. "I thought we were getting somewhere. You're like a skittish horse, it's not easy to make you happy."

"H-Hey!" Kai's expression drops to misery, memories of the insults that have been slung at him by nobles and their guards over the years flooding his mind. "That's not true!"

"It's very true. The only thing that seemed to make you happy was free access to the kitchen and not being around me, so I just let you be." He admits it like it's nothing. But unfortunately, it's everything to Kai.

"Oh my god, okay." He puts his hands on his face, groaning out his woes. "What about the gift thing, then? Why did you react so badly if you liked it?"

Damon clams up, a blush settling on his tightly controlled expression. Thinking, thinking… "It's fine now. I don't see any reason to discuss it."

Annoying, of course. For once, Kai thinks he'll just let it slide.

"Fine, fine." Kai's hand drops to his side. "You can keep your secrets."

"I didn't know you would do something like that for me." Damon chimes in, suddenly just admitting it.

Kai doesn't know what else to do besides nod along. "Right. Because you thought I hated you."

"Yeah." Damon affirms, the tension he's carrying melting a little as he settles on some kind of realization. "But apparently you don't."

And that leads to the main thing about all this that's been bugging Kai for a few minutes. "So we've been dodging each other for a stupid amount of time over small stuff." They feel small now, at least. Practically empty moments compared to the opportunities they could have had.

Damon manages to find a way to pick at that conclusion. "It wasn't small." Damon hisses, "You're just bad at understanding me."

"I-It's not like you understand me all that much either!" Kai bites back, angrily pointing at him.

"I understand enough." He pauses again, hesitating before he continues. "Enough to know that you've been wasting your time here."

"I mean… not really." Kai finds it slipping out, unable to be stopped. "I've been paying attention to your conversations. You're not good at talking to people normally, but you definitely sound like a king already."

The other prince looks pretty surprised by that compliment, but tries to mask it under a cool facade. "Unnecessary conversation is what I have Toshiko for." He crosses his arms, turning his head to look up at the stars again. Kai is starting to think that he's not always glaring, and maybe his resting face just looks annoyed all the time. "… Do you have anywhere to be tonight?"

Oh, that's an interesting question. Kai takes a second to look around, indulging his paranoia about assassins lurking in the shadows for just a moment before shoving it back down for Damon. "Not really. I'm not tired tonight." Kai admits, some apprehension showing on his face. "Uh, anxiety about tomorrow, mostly."

"Hm. Then it shouldn't be an issue for us to head to the kitchen and see what a chef can fetch us." After one final look to the sky, Damon stares at Kai, his expression significantly softened. "If you want help with learning how to rule, I'll give you something before you're bound back for Maripose."

"Really?" His eyes go wide, flustered by the fact that Damon would say such a thing. "I, uh— Yeah, I'd actually really like that… Can't imagine my parents are gonna be satisfied with my conclusions on anything, haha."

Damon's soft stare suddenly turns intense, though it feels like those eyes are staring through him as he turns and speaks sternly. "This is for you. Not your parents." He turns again, this time taking a step away from the flowers. A light wind starts to blow, making the plants wave goodbye. "You're going to be king. What you first need to learn that their word is not your law."

The decisiveness of Damon's statement rattles Kai. His heart fills with warmth, and anxiety relents its grip upon his body. He stares dumbly after Damon, watching as he continues down the path with his hands in his pockets, not even sparing a glance back to check if Kai is following.

… He doesn't want to be left behind. Kai doesn't want to squander this final chance with him. Shaking hesitation off his heels, he takes to Damon's side, finding conversation to finally come as easily as breathing.