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It’s chaotic. Very chaotic.

In the dead of the night, there are clashing of swords and screams of agony. Yelling out their battle cry as they swing their weapons, fighting for their life.

But not only that, there is magic too.

Faerie dusts, everywhere. Being splurged from their palms, their fingertips, to their aggravated enemies. What is happening right now was expected, yet it is not. It is in their prophecy, written in their book. It was impossible to dodge it. It is impossible to just, not make it happen.

The Light Faes, and the Dark Faes.

When the moon is at its highest, shining in its full glory, with the howling of the creatures and the swindling of the trees, will the battle begin. The Dark Faeries have infiltrated their Kingdom, their castle, their home. His home. 

Prince Keiji has never been this infuriated.

He never likes it when he is disturbed from his slumber. It’s the only rest he can get from sunlight until sunset. But to awake to the deafening cries of his people, of his soldiers, he is livid.

Still in his night garments, the Prince picks up his sword, as his wings scamper behind him, ready to cut off the heads of the Dark Faes.

“Your Grace! You must not be here! Run away, save your life!”

Bloodshed. That is what welcomes His Highness Keiji. Red splattered all over his once green marble floor as magic runs through the air. The bristle of their wings, the unpleasant bawls, the fight of his people can be seen on every nook in his castle. But he cannot just leave, for it is his battle too.

“I will fight! My people need me. Running away means cowardice, what kind of a Ruler will I be. Alongside with my Faeries, I will put my life on line to save our Kingdom.”

There is determination gleaming in his eyes as he unsheathes his sword. His divine power, his magic, oozing from his body because he is outraged. No one dares to disoblige the Prince. Or it will be no head on their shoulder after. In simple words, obeying Keiji or death.

But there is someone who is an exception. 

“My Prince! Your Highne―Keiji! Please, get back inside and do not endanger yourself!” Weaving through the red crowd is Kei. 

Kei. His right hand man. His best friend. That Fae without wings. How silly you would call him that, for Keiji thinks he is much more, even without wings. You can easily distinguish the blond in a room full of Faeries, for he is but honey-gold skin and afternoon amber eyes, an opposite contrast on how pale the Light Faeries are. Kei is tall, with long legs and slender fingers. The way he looks makes you think he is fragile, though he is not.

Neither his lack of wings do not put him down the ranks or hierarchy, it only made him work hard to where he is now. The Prince’s most trusted person. And more.

“But―But Kei! My soldiers! My people… T-They need me! What Prince of the Lily Meadow I am if I cannot even help them in the frontlines!” Keiji shouts, frantic, his courageous façade vanishing in the mere sight of the other. 

The blond sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. His Highness didn’t understand. “Your grace, listen to me.” He grips Keiji’s shoulders, looking at him straight in the eyes.

But the Prince can’t. The screams, the cries, they’re everywhere! His mind neglects anything but the battle that’s unfolding in front of him. He should save his Kingdom, it is his responsibility left to him by his father.

“Keiji. You need to go. We need to go. All these sacrifices your faes made will be down to nothing if you died here. You are the last bloodline of the Royal Family. If you die, Lily Meadow will fall too.”

Kei is right but…how about his people?

With a heavy heart, he left, following what his right hand man told him to do, that maybe this is good plan, that maybe this is good for them, good for him, good for the Kingdom.

Kei, riding his horse, and Keiji flying behind him, his wings emanating sparkles of faerie dusts trailing after. And there deep in the forest of the South hid a small cottage where they reside for the mean time. His Highness usually kills time here when the castle is too much for him. Too much for a lonely and overthinker Prince.

“Keiji,” Kei softly calls out, a hand gently cupping the other’s cheek and the said man leans into the warmth, looking at the blond with those emerald eyes of his that’s starting to do waterfalls. “I deeply apologize, but there is no other way, darling. I do not want you to die there. I care for you, and for the future of this Kingdom. And so, because of that, I will keep you safe.”

The Prince only nods, looking down at his cup of hot chamomile and fingers fidgeting the tip of the glass. He is anxious. He trusts nobody but himself to save his castle, his Kingdom, his people. But then there is Kei. 

“I have sent all the Tulas witches there and also the Bonian warriors, they will defend the castle for now. We’ll get help from the Wolves down the East. We’ll take back the Kingdom, we’ll take back what’s ours, Keiji. Whatever it takes. I swear on my honor.”

The other peeks up at Kei, dark long eyelashes battering at him.

“No,” he mutters. “Swear on your life.”

It caught Kei off. His Prince would never ask for something so selfish for himself but for the Kingdom… I guess he would.

“…I swear on my life, Your Highness.”

He takes the Prince’s hand, places a tender kiss on his knuckles to seal the promise he swore.

And with that, he left the Prince inside, alone with his thoughts. Kei never breaks promises. It’s against his morals. It’s lower of the lows. He looks up only to be welcomed by the bright gleam of the full moon, knowing well how the prophecies will go. 

Kei whispers something under his breath, calling a raven nearby, its feathers glinting under the night sky as it lands on the blond’s shoulder. 

The poor Prince did not even hesitate to run away with him. How foolish. Trusting a person so easily just because one showed how vulnerable they can be. Silly Keiji. 

All the Dark Faeries should do was just end the Royal Family’s bloodline. But one survived so now here they are. Now, all they need is to plunge His Royal Highness to his death, and Lily Meadows would be theirs to rule. 

Although he promised the Prince, but swearing on something he doesn’t have? Hm, doesn’t make sense. He’ll overlook this one promise for now. For Kei has priorities. 

“Tell my Lord that I have the Prince. He will have his head by the crack of the new dawn.”

“you are going to break your promise, I understand. and I will hold my hands over the ears of my heart, so that I will not hate you.”
-Catherynne M. Valente