Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, there once was a very wise, very adored king. All of his people of Sumeru loved him and knew he would bring in a time of prosperity to the land. There were even talks to return land that was wrongfully taken centuries ago to the very people who deserved their independence. A king so widely loved that his birthday was considered the biggest holiday that one nation could have.

Once upon a time, that very wise, very adored king unfortunately came to an untimely end.

Bandits attacked his caravan while he was traveling from Natlan and the king sacrificed himself to save the men he brought with him. He was regarded as a hero, beloved even in death. The king left behind a beautiful wife, who was absolutely devastated upon the passing of her perfect husband. Faranak was widely regarded as the most beautiful maiden in Sumeru and with her husband’s passing, her sorrows aged her immensely.

Not only did he leave his soulmate behind, but a dashingly adorable young prince as well. Hair spun from the sun, light and warm. A bubbly laughter that could make the kingdom laugh too. A prince who adored his father with everything his tiny body was able to. A prince who did not understand why his father never came home nor why his mother, wracked with depression, had to leave Sumeru for a while to get better.

She returned a year later with a new husband, one who called himself the little prince’s new father. A duke from the kingdom of Fontaine by the name of Émile. He was considerably older than his mother, but rather agreeable still. He was kind to the little prince, calling his name oh so sweetly when he came home with the queen.

“Sweet, perfect, Prince Kaveh.”

While Kaveh didn’t understand for a while who this man was, he was happy to be adored like his father once did. But it wasn’t long until his mother fell ill once more. She stopped spending time with Kaveh more and more until it was unbearable for her to leave her bed chambers. Soon enough, she was sent back to Fontaine to get better.

Émile changed after that. Becoming that of stories: wicked and cruel. A step father that left a little prince trembling in his boots, wishing for the love of his parents once more. A love Kaveh had noticed left when his mother did.

For years, Kaveh waited on his stepfather, hand and foot. A prince reduced to a servant, locked away in a tower when he was deemed useless. Which was far too often. Years upon years–the kingdom of Sumeru fell into despair and there was nothing a little prince turned into a grown adult could do. Not without possibly calling upon his step father’s wrath. Maybe called a traitor to the crown and left to hang in the city’s square for all to see.

It was easier to play a part to stay safe.

A hum, a twirl, and a bit of soapy water splashing onto his self-mended clothing. Kaveh often enjoyed the moments he was able to clean the floors on his own. Not that he didn’t trust the other servants to do a wonderful job. Truly, he thought they deserved so much more for how hard they worked. It was just a moment of peace for Kaveh, able to spend time on his knees and scrub, scrub, scrub. Humming tunes from his childhood he longed to hear in his parents’ off key voices just once more.

Cleaning was fine. It was the easiest chore he was given. Kaveh didn’t have to worry about getting in anyone’s way like he did in the kitchen. Less opportunity for him to accidentally slice open his palm while cutting vegetables too. Cleaning allowed his mind to wander, to think of better times and better places. An imaginary world just for Kaveh to disappear into.

“Your highness, please. It’s not proper for you to be on your hands and knees like me,” chuckled one of the castle’s maids. Kaveh’s head perked up at the sound, a sweet smile blossoming on his face. Radiant like a flower, Kaveh’s smile had her stopping in her tracks to look upon him with fondness. He tucked a loose strand of blond hair that slipped from his braid behind his ear.

“Inanna, let me help. He gets upset when I don’t anyway and it’s never a problem to assist you all,” Kaveh beamed, believing every word he said. Émile was a cruel man after all. Kaveh had plenty of marks, new and old, from various times he dared defy his father’s orders. Émile wanted the floors cleaned? Kaveh would scrub until his body was aching down into his marrow. Émile wanted him to jump? He’d ask ‘how high, Your Majesty? ’

“I promise it’s alright. Why don’t you get cleaned up for supper, hm? I know you’ve been hard at work for hours. A little break here or there isn’t a bad thing, my prince,” she smiled, ruffling the prince’s golden hair. With his own weak laugh, he waved her hand off him.

“Alright, alright. But you will fetch me if you need my assistance?” Kaveh asked, narrowing his eyes at her playfully. Kaveh bat long, blond lashes at her, ruby eyes glistening like gemstones in the sunlight. Inanna’s cheeks were nearly the same shade of red as she looked away from the fair prince.

“Of course, but I promise I won’t need it! Go, go. Rest up, please,” she giggled. Kaveh saluted her, before kissing her cheek and handing off his bucket of lukewarm soapy water. Inanna was one of the older maids who often took care of Kaveh as he grew up without a proper parent. Most of the servants in the castle took turns taking care of Kaveh, making sure he grew up with his birth father’s kind heart.

Kaveh dried his hands on his patchwork brown pants, his well-worn, too-big, dirty boots dragging across the stone flooring. He continued to hum his mother’s lullaby through the corridors, making his way to his tower where he might rest before supper. It wasn’t often he got to enjoy a meal with Émile, but he never turned down the opportunity to. It was one of the rare times he could eat to his heart’s content.

He made his way down the spiral staircase, fingers tracing over the bark of the tree the castle was built into. Vines snaked their way around the bark, a beautiful green to the warm browns and greys of the rest of the castle otherwise. His tower was across the outdoor pathway, above the view of the citizens of Sumeru City. Though, Kaveh looked like the help more days than not; it was like no one ever noticed their prince was just flitting around the castle. Cleaning, rearranging, pretending he was anyone else.

The sounds of Sumeru City below the castle were like music to Kaveh’s ears. He could smell the various scents of food and people, wafting up into his nose, even so high above the others. His arms swung as he walked, matching the beat of his song. He could feel a breeze in a new hole of the shirt a knight once loaned him that he had yet to give back. That was alright, as he had gotten decent at patching up his own clothing. Inanna and some of the other women taught him how at a young age so that he might patch up the king’s clothing as well one day.

The entrance of the stairs to his tower were right across the way. Kaveh stretched his arms above his head, groaning at the tightness in his back. Perhaps he had been too low to the ground for too long of the day. His fluffy bed was calling his name, fitted with freshly laundered sheets by his own hand too. Oh, how appealing.

Kaveh took one step into his side of the castle, his mind only concentrating on the nap he was going to take. The wind was pushed out of his lungs in an instant as he was forcefully shoved against the stone wall. A splintered part of the brick jabbed into his back and he just hoped he wouldn’t bleed. Getting the blood out of his cream colored shirts was never his forte.

He shouted out in pain, gritting his teeth as the back of his skull collided with the wall. Kaveh forced his eyes open, wanting to feel the force that pressed onto his chest, keeping him against cool stone. Before he could even speak, ice-cold metal was pressed to his throat. Every word on his tongue died in that instant. With his eyes open, he was able to see the person who stopped him dead in his tracks.

What caught him off guard first were the fox-like ears flicking every which way, possibly hunting for different sounds. It was just the two of them in the corridor and for once, Kaveh was almost wishing his father’s guards were glued to his hip like they usually were. Brown eyes that faded into the most impossible hue of green were planted on Kaveh’s face. He could feel the delicate grab of a tail wrapping around his leg, keeping him more firmly planted than the knife, if not by fear then by the weird sensation alone.

Those eyes were filled with a fire Kaveh had never seen before, yet burning with a rage that he was all too familiar with. Before the fox man could even speak, Kaveh knew what he was after. Rebels were constantly trying to assassinate the king; why would this be any different?

“Where is he? Where is the king?” hissed out the man, pressing the knife closer to Kaveh’s throat. Kaveh jerked his chin up, choking on his own breath in a desperate attempt to pull his skin away from the blade. Many people sought the king’s head on a silver platter. It was a rare occurrence for the prince to sneak out, but when he did, he was no stranger to his people discussing their hatred for the man. Secret rebels especially, even with their own plots to enact exactly that.

If the rebellion knew the prince was still there, desperately wishing for a way out–would they kill him too?

“He’s in his chambers. Bathing for dinner,” coughed Kaveh, standing nearly on his tiptoes. His thighs shook with every fiber of his being to keep him upright and against the wall. Perhaps this young man, probably no older than the prince himself, did not recognize their nation’s prince in these ‘lowly’ clothes. Clothes his father preferred him to wear. They were not equals, after all. Kaveh couldn’t squeak out another word, too terrified to move; his Adam's apple was bobbing dangerously close to the knife with each breath. His heartbeat was so loud in his ears, thrumming over and over. He almost missed the scoff the fox man gave him.

“Where is that? Speak, and I’ll let you live,” the rebel snarled, the grip from his tail tightening around his leg. Kaveh gasped in a desperate breath of air, shakily pointing down the opposite end of the hall.

“Far from here. He wants to be as far from me as he can make it,” Kaveh whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. The knife did not slice him, but the pressure was enough to leave him trembling in dirty shoes. One false move and the prince’s life would be over before it ever really began.

“Your Highness! ” called an all too familiar voice. Kaveh breathed a sigh of relief as the knife was reluctantly pulled from his neck. The man’s arm was still pressed tightly into his chest as the sounds of clattering armor caught up with them. The man ‘tsk’d as he pushed off Kaveh. Kaveh doubled over, clutching at his chest so hard his knuckles whitened.

His guards rounded the corner just in time to see the fox man. Kaveh pointed at him, unable to speak a word. The head guard simply pointed his polearm at the offender.

“You are hereby under arrest for the assault of this kingdom’s prince,” said the head guard, his blood orange eyes narrowing on him.

“The prince? Him? ” the criminal scoffed, pointing at Kaveh in disbelief.

“Hi, yes. Still the prince of Sumeru, despite what most believe,” Kaveh sighed, defeated. He watched the man juggle the knife around, threatening Kaveh with it. Kaveh pressed himself flush against the wall, eyes unable to pry themselves off the blade. With a clearly trained skill, the fox flipped the knife back into its pouch before launching himself through the window beside Kaveh’s head.

“Chase him!” the guard commanded, pointing for the two other guards on his flanks to chase after the man. They nodded and immediately scurried off to hopefully catch up with the would-be murderer. When it was just the two of them, the head guard breathed heavily, a bit of relief, a bit of worry.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” he asked, placing a well meaning hand on the prince’s shoulder. Long, silver hair half pulled into a low ponytail, bangs almost swooping in front of his red eyes. Kaveh placed a hand over a tanned one, giving him a firm squeeze.

“I’m fine, Cyno. Really. He scared me more than anything. I’m just glad you guys showed up when you did. Two more moments and I might have soiled myself,” chuckled Kaveh. Cyno made a disgusted expression at that, but shook it off to give the prince a cheeky little grin.

“You’re just lucky I tail you like a puppy. C’mon, let me get you to your room,” Cyno said, motioning for the prince to walk ahead.

“Think it was another rebellion assassination attempt?” Kaveh asked as they walked up the stairs to the top of Kaveh’s tower.

“Most certainly. They’re getting more… zealous as time goes on,” Cyno sighed, his eyes darting every which way to keep an eye out for more potential threats. Kaveh felt relief with the head guard by his side. The head guard who had always been by his side.

Cyno was brought to the castle in the time of his birth parents’ reign. An orphan who needed a home, somewhere safe to be. His father’s head guard at the time, Cyrus, took him in and taught him everything he knew. Cyno was only a few years Kaveh’s junior, so Kaveh took to him like a proud older brother. They grew together, learned together, and Kaveh relied so heavily on his friend. There were too many instances where Cyno had saved his behind when the going got tough. Cyno was his rock and Kaveh was always thankful for his best friend. Even when it hurt so dearly to watch Cyno accept the head guard position where he would be working even closer with his wicked step father.

Once safely inside Kaveh’s room, Cyno shut the door and breathed a real sigh of relief. His palms touched the wood as Kaveh could feel Cyno’s eyes watching his every move. It would certainly be a few days of tower lockdown if this truly was another rebel plot thwarted. Kaveh hated being confined to his tower. It was his father’s command more often than not, and it drove him insane. His only friends to visit could only be  Cyno, Inanna, and occasionally the castle’s prime entertainment: Nilou .

“You know what I’m going to say to you, Your Highness,” sighed Cyno. Kaveh groaned, flopping onto his bed, arms spread out as he looked up into his bed’s canopy.

“And you know I’m not going to listen to you. Cyno, there’s a festival in town tomorrow night!” whined Kaveh. It was hard sneaking out of the castle when the king’s guards watched him like a hawk often. But those rare moments,–ones when he could pretend to just be a regular citizen of Sumeru–those were his favorite . It was the end-of-harvest festival tomorrow night and Kaveh just knew there was delicious food to be had. Drinks to be shared! How could he stay cooped up in his tower when that was happening?

“It’s too dangerous and you know that. What if the people discover your identity? I can’t protect you all the time, Kaveh,” Cyno said, pushing off the door to sit beside Kaveh.

“Then they stone me to death in the courtyard. Big whoop. It’s my only chance at freedom!” Kaveh said, tossing his hands to the air. Nothing was like it was when his father was alive. A once beloved royal family–scorned. Loathed. Kaveh chewed on his inner lip, staring up at the ceiling.

“I want to see a festival for myself. Do you know how long it's been? I can’t keep painting what thirteen year old Kaveh saw so long ago. Over and over and over again. It’s so frustrating being here all the time, Cyno! I want to be free,” Kaveh whined, abruptly sitting upright. His face pinched together in frustration, red dotting the tips of his ears and tops of his cheeks. “Art is beautiful. It keeps me sane, but it is not the festival I dream of.”

Cyno placed a hand on his friend’s thigh, giving it a soothing squeeze. It did nothing to quell the anger boiling in Kaveh’s system, just under his skin. Only Kaveh would want to break out the day after an assassination attempt. It was almost as if he had little regard for his own life. What was life trapped inside the castle anyway?

“Will you bring me back a pita pocket? A good one,” smirked Cyno. Kaveh felt a weight fly off his chest as he flung himself at his friend. Kaveh was practically giggling as he enveloped Cyno in a tight hug, flopping onto their backs.

“You’re the best for covering for me,” Kaveh whispered, burying his face in the crook of Cyno’s shoulder. Cyno patted him softly, so warm against Kaveh’s skin. He truly was putting his neck on the line by always covering for Kaveh when he snuck out. Whether it be watching over him in the city below or keeping his father occupied so that Kaveh could enjoy unrestricted time under the sun.

Or rather, the moon with the festival tomorrow night.

“As long as you promise to come home, Your Highness.”

“Don’t I always?”

Though, there were often days when he was already off castle grounds where Kaveh thought about running away and never looking back. Perhaps to a farther off nation like Snezhnaya, where he could change his name and dye his hair. And never have to face his step father’s wrath again. But the pull of returning home to Inanna, to Cyno, always drew him back.

Always.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

The moment the moon was high in the sky, Kaveh could feel his nerves coming alive. He was giddy with excitement, thrumming in his veins as he watched his father enter his chambers for the evening. Cyno stood post outside his door until it was firmly shut behind him. He gave the prince a little nod, letting him know it was now or never. Kaveh bit down on his bottom lip and spun around on his heeled boot. Cyno had lent him a purple cloak so that he might cover himself up more.

Sumerians had not seen the prince properly since he was but a child. Émile was good at keeping him hidden, and while he had his father’s ruby eyes, he was hoping no one would get a close enough look to recognize them. Kaveh was content being a bystander in the festival, watching everyone have fun around him. The sounds, the sights–it would be enough for the sheltered prince.

Kaveh tugged the hood over his blond hair, tucked neatly in a low bun out of the way. Cyno’s cloak covered up all parts of him, a perfect disguise to weave through the city streets below. He slipped out of his castle, the biggest pep in his step. Music slowly grew louder and louder as he made his way down ramps connecting his castle to the massive tree in the center of the city. Kaveh brushed past people, excusing himself as he did; so far, everything was going smoothly.

Hooting and hollering were the first things he heard outside of the music. Bustling crowds danced and swayed throughout the streets. The air was sticky sweet with aromatic food, the soothing smell of padisarahs, and syrupy-thick humidity. Kaveh could feel his hair sticking to the back of his neck, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care at all.

Drinks sloshed onto the road below, creating little puddles, but no one cared about that mess either. Men danced with women, women giggled behind their hands. A band in the center of the town continued playing lively music that enchanted the gathered audience. Kaveh’s attention, however, was immediately drawn to a simple booth selling meat on a skewer. His stomach rumbled at the exact moment, ripping through him like claws. His father didn’t exactly share his meal tonight, but Inanna made sure he ate something small at the very least.

Kaveh dug around in his pockets for the small pouch of mora he saved for trips exactly like this. He took his place in line, humming along to the music and tapping his foot to the beat. The couple in front of him held each other, whispering and giggling. The girl kissed her boyfriend’s nose and he just nuzzled her with it in response. His heart sagged in his chest, heavy like a rock. Oh, what Kaveh would give to have something like that. It was hard meeting one’s true love locked in a tower for most of his life.

He waited his turn very politely, bobbing along in a pseudo dance while waiting. When it was Kaveh’s turn, he ordered two chicken skewers, handing over the correct mora exactly. Yet, just as he was about to take his precious skewers, a speedy hand snatched one of them up. As soon as it was grabbed, the perpetrator was already on the move. Kaveh gasped, jaw hanging to the ground as he grabbed his other one and started chasing after the person.

“Excuse me! I don’t believe that belongs to you!” scoffed Kaveh, stomping his boots onto the stone below. The figure he tailed after was taller than him, maybe even a bit broader too. They wore their own cloak, teal in color, hiding their identity. Kaveh hadn’t even a chance to bite into a skewer, too focused on reprimanding the person.

The person tossed the empty skewer onto the ground, shuffling away faster from Kaveh. Seriously? Littering? Kaveh huffed, picking up the stick as he waved it threateningly at the stranger running from him. They turned down an alley and Cyno in the back of his mind was telling him that following an unknown figure into a mostly empty alley was a stupid idea. But then how was he going to tell him off for being rude? Not ask for compensation, because if the person was truly hungry then Kaveh would have happily shared his chicken skewer.

“You are lucky the king’s guards did not catch you!” Kaveh hissed. The figure halted at those words, spinning around to look at Kaveh. Kaveh skidded to a stop, nearly toppling backwards as the figure seemed to try and tower over him. As if he were trying to make the prince seem small, when really their height difference was negligible. “What then, hm? I know the king is not kind to petty thieves.”

The hood of the stranger flew back, revealing the man he was chasing. Kaveh’s breath caught in his throat when he got a good look at his face. His palms immediately grew slick with a nervous sweat. Kaveh blinked up at him a few times, his own hood slipping off to reveal golden hair. Ruby eyes were locked with a teal, maybe a hint of something warm inside that color. Thin lips were pulled into a tight line, grey hair ruffled and messy from his hood.

“Guards have never caught me and I don’t intend to break that streak tonight,” huffed the man, whipping around and letting his cloak billow dramatically.

“Wait!” Kaveh barked, without even thinking. His hand wrapped around the man’s wrist, his skin boiling hot to the touch. It was almost like he was burned, especially with how fast his hand snapped back to himself. The man did pause in his tracks, looking at him from over his shoulder.

“I’m not going to apologize for taking your food, if that’s what you’re hoping for,” he said flatly. There was an almost monotonous quality to his voice, only catching certain inflictions. Kaveh was actually caught off guard with his sentence, upper lip curled in confusion as he squinted at him.

“What? No–what? Right, I don’t actually care about that. What do you mean they haven’t caught you yet?” Kaveh breathed out, in utter disbelief. His father’s guards were now under Cyno’s command and he whipped them into quite the shape.

“I mean what I said. They never seem to bother me. As if I blend into the background,” shrugged the man, arms crossing defensively over his chest. “You aren’t going to try and rat me out, are you?”

It was almost offensive that the man thought Kaveh would be a tattle tale. To his step father’s men no less! He made the most dramatic face of disgust as he shook his head at that.

“No. I was going to scold you for a moment, but something tells me it would go in one ear and out the other,” shrugged Kaveh. The man looked him up and down, a puff of a laugh escaping his lips.

“You would assume correctly.”

“Great, now that that’s settled–are you hungry? Do you need me to buy you food?” Kaveh smirked, shifting his weight to one hip. He would do it in a heartbeat even if the man hesitated to say something; that was just the kind of person Kaveh was. But the man was quick to speak.

“As if I need handouts from you.”

“But stealing is fine?”

“There’s art in stealing.”

“Mm, I could assume you don’t care much for the arts. What with the mismatched shirt to cloak,” Kaveh teased, poking at the man’s chest. The maroon peasant top with the teal cloak certainly did not match, nor was it a signifier of one’s love for the arts, but still. It was fun watching the man’s eye twitch when Kaveh said something to poke at him.

“Are you seriously making fun of the wardrobe of the man who stole from you? What if I have a weapon? What if I wanted to steal the mora pouch you have tied to your waist band? Hm?” he said, stepping closer towards Kaveh. Flinching in the slightest, Kaveh shook his head to clear his mind. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about him that just breathed… wet kitten. There was no way the man would lay a finger on Kaveh, but it was eating at him that he just couldn’t place why.

“You won’t hurt me,” Kaveh challenged, arching a brow at the man. He seemed taken aback by his brazen statement, upper lip twitching just the slightest. Maybe it was the buttery tone from Kaveh, or the way honesty poured out of every pore of the prince. Kaveh truly believed what he said.

“What is your name?” asked the man.

“You first.”

“You’re irritating.”

“That’s not exactly answering me.”

A smirk. “Maybe we don’t reveal our names, then.”

Kaveh’s eyes glittered in the lantern light, twinkling like precious stones. How exhilarating was this man? A mystery in all ways. He was almost envious. If he was able to evade his guards as easily as the man claimed to, maybe he’d be able to escape once and for all. Kaveh grinned, clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“For stealing my skewer–do you think you could teach me how to evade castle guards?!” Kaveh asked, his voice like an over-excited child. The thrum of doing something bad vibrated under his skin, spicy and prickly. The man’s face fell even flatter, if it was even possible, as he tried to look away from Kaveh’s gaze.

“What would you need to know this for? You look like you could blow over in the breeze. That mere, petty crime could make you ill,” he teased, looking Kaveh up and down. Kaveh pursed his lips, squinting at him. Well, he wasn’t wrong, but how else would he learn good evading techniques if not to do as the other did?

“I’m planning to run and I need to be good at it,” Kaveh nodded.

“Run? What, troubled past?” he asked with a thoughtful hum.

“You could say that,” sighed Kaveh, rubbing the side of his neck. The mere thought of living in the castle for the rest of his life… It sent chills down Kaveh’s spine. Perhaps he wouldn’t even make it to thirty at this rate. It wasn’t like Émile planned on giving up the throne any time soon. The man stared at Kaveh in silence for too long. He squirmed uncomfortably, unable to pry his own gaze away from the man’s face.

He was… pretty to say the least. It wasn’t like Kaveh had much experience socializing. When he made trips to the city below, he kept to himself. Kaveh was quiet and kind. Never one to draw attention to himself, lest they find out his identity. Kaveh didn’t spend much up close and personal time with his subjects. This one… well. He was striking, actually. A strong nose with piercing teal eyes. High cheek bones and sun kissed skin, smooth all over. His hair fell like silk over his face, a beautiful grey color with hints of teal. A beautiful stranger, one that had Kaveh’s heart skipping a beat in his chest. One who stole his chicken skewer and he wasn’t even mad at it anymore.

“Well? What do you say?”

The man still paused, as if mentally chewing on his words. “...Fine.”

Kaveh grinned and reached out to grip the man’s hand. He forcefully shook his hand, raising it far too high for a proper handshake. The man looked almost uncomfortable at the touch, but he didn’t pull away from him. Kaveh thought, for a moment, he might have wiped his hand on his pant leg once he was free, but Kaveh might have imagined it.

“First lesson, blending in with a crowd. No offense, but that looks like a nobleman’s cloak. You make for an easy target,” he scoffed, picking up the offending fabric with two fingers like it disgusted him. “You stand out too much.”

Kaveh felt his cheeks warm, hoping it wasn’t too obvious he was the crowned prince. “Really? This is a loan from a friend.”

“So you aren’t a noble? Makes sense. What nobleman of Sumeru wishes to run from their life of luxury,” the man said, a judging sniffle following with it. Kaveh groaned, shrugging his shoulders forward in annoyance and defeat. If he denied it, he would be a liar. Kaveh could not tell a lie to save his life. If he told the truth, the man might react badly. Might immediately hate him. And as Kaveh looked at those darling teal eyes, he wasn’t sure if he’d enjoy having them look at him in hatred.

It was easier to ignore the question.

“C’mon, let’s slip through the festival and see if you can be undetected,” he sighed when Kaveh didn’t reply to him. Kaveh nodded firmly, pressing himself close to the man to follow his lead.

For most of the festival, they wiggled in and out of groups of people. The man showed Kaveh how to swipe something off of someone and even return it all without them noticing. Kaveh was instructed never to harm his fellow poor man, but nobles and scamming merchants were fair game. It wasn’t an apology for stealing from Kaveh, but his words implied that if he knew Kaveh was a poor man, he wouldn’t have stolen from him.

The man told him he did pretty good at slipping about. Not nearly as silent as himself, but good enough. Kaveh felt a surge of pride swell through him at the minor praise. He clenched his fist excitedly and offered to buy the man a little treat as thanks.

Kaveh bought them a bag of candied nuts to share as they stood up and off to the side of the festival. His legs swung off the raised patio, munching on nuts as he did so. They continued to people watch, all the smiles and laughter being shared. It was so starkly different to how Kaveh would normally see his people. Sullen faces, silence in the streets. The festival was almost like how it was when his real dad was alive. How joy was shared throughout the land and his people were proud to be his people.

“It’s different being in the city during a festival. Beautiful, even,” Kaveh sighed happily.

“You’re right. For a moment, we can forget our oppressive rulers,” the man hummed. Kaveh turned to look at him as the man shoved candied nuts into his mouth.

“Do you hate the royal family so much?” Kaveh asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Don’t you? Don’t we all? The king ruined our lives. Our peaceful, easy lives. And where’s our prince? He’s grown now, right? Why isn’t he fighting back? I believe he likes Sumeru exactly how it is and doesn’t care,” he shrugged. Though his tone was neutral, there was a fire in those eyes that told Kaveh he truly was furious for the hand the people of Sumeru were dealt.

“Well, we don’t know that for a fact, do we? How do we know he isn’t fighting battles inside the castle?” Kaveh said, turning back to look at the people. His heart was weary in his chest. Did his people really think he turned his back on them? “What if the prince is going through something we couldn’t imagine?”

“Then I’d be inclined to send people to help, but let me offer what you said: we don’t know that for a fact, do we?”

Kaveh snapped his mouth shut at that. It was better to just enjoy the nuts and not speak at all. The man’s leg brushed against his, hot to the touch. Kaveh sucked in a small breath at the sensation of sparks traveling up his spine. Despite the man’s harsh words against the royal family–Kaveh felt drawn to him still. Perhaps it was because he was the first pretty face to ever draw him in. Not that Cyno was ugly by any means, or rather that anyone on the castle grounds was ugly. No, they were simply family. The only ones he had. This was an enticing stranger. New, and almost comforting in a way.

“Think you’re ready for your final test?” the man asked, just as people started gathering around for fireworks. Oh, how Kaveh loved fireworks. Brilliant displays of colorful light amongst the stars. He loved painting them, and it would be the first time in years he was going to be able to see them up close. He almost wanted to say no to the man, just so they could remain in their peaceful bubble.

The final test was supposedly simple. Steal fruit from a merchant who was overcharging his patrons on purpose. Right in front of him. Kaveh wasn’t the most confident in his swift fingers, but for some reason the idea of the man praising him again sent a warm tingle down his spine. Kaveh pushed off the patio, huffing as he did. The man followed closely behind, their hoods back up as they slipped into the crowds once more.

Perhaps these lessons from him were exactly what Kaveh needed. This was the most free he had felt in years. All the times escaping out of the castle to wander the city for a few hours led to this. A real shot at learning to escape for real! A taste of freedom as sweet as zaytun peaches.

Kaveh split off from him, watching the teal cloak disappear. It was amazing how good he was blending into the background. Silent, slippery–Kaveh was almost envious . No wonder his skewer was out of his hand before he could even realize. His eyes flickered forward, already knowing the man they had targeted. Kaveh was supposed to grab just a few pieces to see if all their training during the festival worked. Meanwhile, the man was going to grab a handful to share with those who truly needed it.

Quiet. Calm. Always watching. Kaveh slipped close to the booth, eyes trained on the seller. A flash of teal was all he saw before it was gone as quick as it came. The man had been  successful, and adrenaline coursed through his blood. This was Kaveh’s chance. He waltzed beside the table, as if he was just passing through the crowd to get by. Dainty fingers reached for the harra fruit, ready to tuck it into the inner pocket of Cyno’s cloak.

Alas, the prince never had the best of luck.

His knuckles brushed another piece of fruit and it slipped to the floor, tumbling below. All eyes were on him now, harra fruit nearly tucked into his pocket. Busted.

“Hey–Hey! He’s stealing!” the merchant called out when he realized what was happening. Suddenly a blazing hot hand was wrapped around his wrist, tugging him in the opposite direction.

“ Run ,” the man said, taking off in a full speed run. A light laughter passed Kaveh’s lips as they ran off towards the exit of the city. The man wasn’t laughing, but Kaveh couldn’t help himself. Guards were certainly on their tails, but it was the most magical thing he had ever experienced. Kaveh had never been intentionally bad before. It was exhilarating. Sure, they were being bad in the name of being good. He almost felt bad the poorer folks they were going to give the overpriced food to weren't getting as much as planned.

The pair ran and ran until they were well outside the city limits and the sounds of the knights’ armor no longer clanged in their ears. Kaveh was still doubled over laughing as they hid in the darkness of the rainforest at night. Only a bit of moonlight peeked through the trees, their only source of illumination aside from the distant lanterns lighting the safe path. The man leaned against a tree, panting.

“Why in god’s name are you laughing?” the man hissed, glaring at Kaveh.

“That was fun. Oh god, I’ve never done anything like that before. Anything like today,” Kaveh breathed excitedly, swinging his arms out in a circle happily. His smile was wide, taking over every bit of his face.

“You almost got us caught,” he huffed.

“Almost. We weren’t caught,” snickered Kaveh.

“That was foolish. You should have been more careful.”

“Jeez, we’re fine . Neither of us were arrested and I’m sure you got some fruit to share!”

“...That’s beside the point.”

Kaveh rolled his eyes, stepping towards the man. The sounds of fireworks filled the air, illuminating the sky even more with the prettiest of colors. It illuminated the man even more, moonlight and hues of red and orange highlighting his hair. Kaveh held his hands behind his back, smiling oh so sweetly.

“Thank you for today. I think I learned some valuable skills from you,” Kaveh grinned, his eyes crinkling. The man blinked at him, his flat expression shifting into something softer . A slightly dropped lip, wide eyes. If Kaveh knew any better he would have said he was almost mesmerized by the prince. Though, who wasn’t?

“Are you still planning to run?” he asked Kaveh. 

Kaveh sighed, spinning on his heel to face the fireworks and the moon. “I think so. I don’t know if this place is for me.”

Suddenly the man was standing behind him. Kaveh shuddered at his sudden heat, unsurprised he didn’t hear him move again. Kaveh wrapped his arms around his shoulders, watching the festivities from far away.

“Where would you go?”

“Dunno. Mondstadt? Snezhnaya? Something that doesn’t touch Sumeru. Maybe even Inazuma, though I’m not sure how I’d get there quite yet,” hummed Kaveh. There was silence from the man.

“What if I said there was somewhere for you to go?” he asked. Kaveh turned around, his turn for his lip to drop. He blinked his eyes at him, head cocked so slightly. He waited for him to continue, breathless. “If you’re willing to fight for Sumeru, that is.”

A rebel? Oh, this was dangerous territory. The man was a rebel?! If he recognized who Kaveh was, it could get too dicey. Kaveh gulped thickly, unsure of how he would respond to him. He couldn’t reveal his identity–who knew what would happen? Instead, his eyes caught something that helped him change the subject.

The tree before him looked like it was going to give way at any moment. It didn’t match the natural vibrancy of the trees around him. Like it was slowly dying from the inside out. Was it sick? Was the soil not good enough? Not enough rain?

“What–What is this?” Kaveh asked, stepping past him. His hand reached out to touch the bark of the tree, feeling it immediately crumble under his touch. It was almost like a coarse ash, nothing he had ever seen before. Or felt. He rubbed his fingers together, a low quizzical hum. There was now a wound-like mark on the tree and the sight had his heart aching in his chest.

“Withering. The rainforest is dying,” the man said, right next to Kaveh’s ear. Kaveh jumped out of his skin, a little yip escaping him. He spun back around, back pressed to the tree as the man invaded his personal space.

“Dying? Is this happening elsewhere in the rainforest?” Kaveh choked out. How had he not heard of this? Did his father know? The royal family must have some sort of plan to combat it, right?

“It’s happening all over the rainforest. Some spaces are worse off. It’s like the rainforest is slowly becoming the new desert. Sumeru is being sucked dry, turned to ash and sand. You–You don’t know about this? Have you been living under a rock?” he said, arching a judging brow.

Kaveh laughed without humor, “You could say that. Well, isn’t there anything anyone can do?”

“Not without the fairy godmother’s help. But no one has seen her for years,” he shrugged, “She’d probably be able to reverse all the damage that is done, but I worry it’s too late.”

Anger boiled inside of Kaveh. Fiery and white hot. His hands immediately clenched into fists, shaking with rage. He knew he would be red in the face; his emotions always presented with red tinted skin. Kaveh let out a frustrated sigh, reaching for his hair.

“No, that can’t be it. There has to be more we could do! The king must know about this–”

“And if he did, I doubt he would care. He’s sucked our mines dry. Ruined our crops. King Émile is destroying Sumeru, all so he can stay powerful and rich,” he said, his voice tight. Kaveh felt like he was going to throw up. All the beautiful greenery he had been painting since he was a child was withering away? How long did they have until Sumeru was nothing but a barren desert?

“I-I-I have to do something ,” Kaveh stammered out, still boiling.

“What can you do? Are you secretly a fairy? Or do you just have a massive hero complex?” the man asked sarcastically, drily. Kaveh jabbed a finger in his chest just repeating, ‘you’ over and over as words failed him.

“I can’t just let Sumeru fall.”

“Your Highness!”

Oh. Oh shit. Kaveh froze up, all the heat from his anger immediately freezing over with fear. A hand slipped over Kaveh’s mouth, the man growing silent. Kaveh pressed himself against the tree, already recognizing the voice. It was Cyno, coming to fetch him and return him home. The man pressed his body against Kaveh’s, still burning hot like his touch from before. His shoulders were broader, even if their height was rather similar. Kaveh felt only a little bit small, sweat dripping down his back.

“The prince is close by. Be quiet.”

Kaveh trembled slightly under the man’s touch. His skin burned from the direct contact, hot and almost delicious . Their closeness had want ripping through his system. Kaveh had never been in a situation like this before. It was surreal and he didn’t want it to end.

“Prince Kaveh! ” Cyno called out, stepped out from a tree. The man whipped around, placing himself directly in between Kaveh and Cyno’s spear.

“The prince isn’t here, Knight. You should leave already,” he hissed.

Cyno gave him an incredulous look, hip cocked out as he used his spear almost like a cane. Kaveh mentally slapped his forehead at this whole situation. Almost wishing he was being stoned to death in the courtyard.

“He’s… right there. Your Highness, I can see you. What, were you planning to run away with him?” Cyno snorted. “Your Highness, you’re like the tree who tried to run away from home. Not out of the woods yet!”

Oh my god. Now was really, really not the time for one of his jokes. Kaveh groaned, dragging a hand down his face. He could feel the man’s eye leering at him from over his shoulder. Kaveh never felt more pathetic in his life. He stepped around him, hands held up.

“Alright, alright. You got me. Sir Cyno, let’s go home,” sighed Kaveh, rubbing the side of his neck. 

“You’re… the prince?” the man gasped out. Kaveh turned to look at him, hurt to see disgust plainly written on his face. Kaveh reached out for him, almost desperate to touch him once more. The man took a step back, his upper lip twitching.

“Please, I am not what you think of me,” Kaveh pleaded, hoping that their time together would have proved it.

“You’re him,” he said, stepping back once more.

“Your Highness, we have to go. Leave him. You’ve been gone too long,” Cyno said, behind the prince with a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait–sir, will I see you again?” Kaveh asked, his hand still extended towards him. The man didn’t say another word, but simply hightailed it out of there. Kaveh’s fist closed with a sigh, his last chance at freedom was fleeing from him. He was offering him a spot with the rebels. Maybe if he just ran quicker–kept his identity hidden–maybe he could have been truly free. Kaveh sullenly turned back towards Cyno. “Let’s… go home.”

Cyno placed a supportive hand on his back, leading the prince back to the castle in secret. Kaveh’s heart felt heavy in his chest. There was so much he learned today–so much he wished he could undo.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Kaveh was a good son, always had been. He was dressed in his servant’s clothes, kneeling beside the throne, his head and eyes downcast. The throne room doors were thrust open, banging against the wall. Kaveh flinched at the sound, though he dared not look at his father. He could hear the sound of his heeled boots clicking against the stone floor. Closer and closer. The sounds of his royal cape swished, flicking Kaveh as he took his seat on the throne.

“Kaveh,” was all he said, hatred dripping in his voice. Like hot coals from a fire, singing Kaveh’s skin. Kaveh rose to his feet, but he dared not look at him. Not unless he was given permission.

“Welcome home, Father,” Kaveh said flatly, his hands held together politely in front of him, rolling his shoulders forward.

“Are your chores completed?” Émile asked, crossing one leg over the other.

“Yes Father. Dinner is being prepared for you as we speak,” Kaveh nodded.

“Very good. You are dismissed,” he hummed, waving Kaveh off. This was when Kaveh looked up, face twisted in agony.

“Actually, Father, can I talk to you about something?”

Émile looked at him the way one would look at animal feces at the bottom of their shoe. Putrid, horrific. Unwanted. Kaveh gulped, drawing more into himself. That free feeling he felt not too long ago was all but forgotten. He traced his top row of teeth with his tongue as he thought about how to proceed with this.

“Have… you been to the rainforest lately?” Kaveh asked, rubbing his hands together until it burned. Émile scoffed, raising a brow as if to say ‘are you serious?’ . “Right, of course not. Father, I have… heard of something happening to the rainforest. The people call it the Withering. It means everything there is dying. Turning to sand. Our land is sick, Father.”

Émile stared at him like he grew a second head. “Am I supposed to care?”

Kaveh blinked rapidly, his jaw dropping. “You… don’t?”

“Of course not. So what if the rainforest turns into the desert? Maybe it’ll be less rainy. I left Fontaine to avoid all the water,” he scoffed. Kaveh was so taken aback. He knew his father was cruel, unkind, but it was always shocking to hear him so blatant about it.

“Father, it could cause famine–unrest. The rebels are certainly up in arms about it!” Kaveh gasped.

“So let them come. We killed off more of them just now,” laughed the king, like it meant nothing. Kaveh’s heart dropped to his feet, his body going cold.

“K-Killed them? You killed people?” Kaveh stammered. Killing innocent people. Letting the rainforest die. How far was his stepfather going to go? Until all of Sumeru fell? Kaveh pressed his tongue tightly against his molars, wishing he was anywhere else. How was this fair? Why did his real father have to die? Why did Sumeru have to fall into Émile’s hands?

“What? You oppose it now?” Émile said, accusing Kaveh.

“I have always opposed it! They are innocent people,” Kaveh snapped, but he bit his tongue right away when he saw his father’s expression. Pupils so small all he could see was cerulean irises, filled with anger and hatred. Wide, flared nostrils, face pointed right at Kaveh. Émile rose to his feet, ringed hand raised high.

“Innocent ? Need I remind you that they are who killed your father, Kaveh? Attempted to kill the both of us numerous times?!” Émile roared.

“Rebels never killed my father. It was bandits . There was no need for a rebellion until you stepped in for him!” Kaveh retorted, fiery, but small. The burning sensation of his father’s palm against his cheek was what he felt first, then the sound rang in his ears. Kaveh gasped, grasping his cheek in pain.

“Go to your tower, Kaveh. Do not come down until I send for you. Am I clear?” Émile hissed. Kaveh looked up at him with glassy eyes, wanting to say more. Of course his father wouldn’t do anything about the rainforest dying. Of course he didn’t care if his subjects suffered. He never did.

“You truly are wicked,” Kaveh said quietly, turning and rushing off to his tower. If Émile said anything else, then Kaveh never heard him. Blood rushed in his ears as he stormed off, already plotting his escape. God, all he wanted to do was to be free.

He threw himself onto his bed, muffling his scream into his pillow. There was a knock on his door and then Cyno’s voice called from the other side. Cyno always checked in on him when Émile laid a hand on Kaveh. As if it would truly make it any better. Nothing would make Kaveh’s life better than being removed from this life entirely.

“Go away, Cyno. Just–not now. Please,” Kaveh grumbled at the door. There was silence for a moment, like Cyno was pondering it. But the sound of retreating footsteps told Kaveh he was alone once more. Always and forever… alone.

Kaveh had always wondered what it would be like to run away. There were often nights he had the most beautifully vivid dreams of it. Feeling the dirt under his feet, wind in his hair as he just ran . Kaveh would run as far as his legs could take him and his lungs threatened to give out. There had to be somewhere in Teyvat where his father didn’t have eyes on him. Where his guards could not reach him.

What would Kaveh do then? For a majority of his life, he had assumed he would become king after his step father passed on. Seeing as how he wasn’t giving it up willingly. If there was no throne to claim, what would he do? Kaveh would dream in watercolor, runny and colorful like his own paintings. Perhaps he would do portraits of other people for money on the streets of Fontaine. Peddling for mora, excited because it meant he was finally doing something for himself.

Oh, to go home at night to a home with a balcony overlooking the Court of Fontaine. Or peering out a window in Liyue Harbor, listening to the gentle waves and docking of boats. His dreams were so vivid it was like he could taste the dandelion wine of Mondstadt on his tongue, despite only having it once before. If there was no need for him to be king, Kaveh could be free .

The idea of sticking around for his people kept him firmly planted in the castle. That one day there would be festivals and joyous laughter in the streets all the time–like his childhood. The more he experienced the cruelty of his step father, the more he longed for better times. For a new king. Kaveh had never been the type to wish ill on anyone , but as things grew worse and worse, not only for himself, but for Sumeru … it was getting hard to remain kind. His warm heart beat and beat, with all the goodness and love his biological parents poured into it, sometimes soured and turned icy when he would think of what would happen if he were to become king early.

Kaveh would dream of running away. Of leaving Sumeru and her people behind. It would feel like icy crystals forming on his heart, as they carved into his chest. Scraping against the confines of his chest and hollowing him out from the inside. He could never leave his people behind, even if he dreamed of greener pastures.

He curled into a ball on his bed, clenching his teeth so hard he feared they would crack. How much longer could he last? Could Sumeru last? His arms wrapped tight around himself as he silently cried himself to a restless sleep, wishing one of those running away dreams would allow him a moment of peace.

Chapter Text

“Your Highnessss,” crooned the sweet cheery voice Kaveh had been looking forward to hearing all week. He immediately perked his head up from his desk, a smattering of drool drying on his cheek and on the watercolor painting he was working on. His father mentioned he was going to invite Nilou to the castle for some entertainment. While Kaveh was usually not permitted to be in the throne room when she danced for him, the lovely dancer always made her way to the prince’s tower for chit chat and companionship.

“Nilou! God, it’s been too long,” Kaveh sighed happily, leaning back on his desk chair as the red head burst through his bedroom door. Nilou and Cyno were some of the only people permitted to enter his space as they pleased. Though, if Nahida had legs, then surely she would have permission too. 

She spun on her heels, bells of laughter bouncing off the stone and vine walls. Her arms gracefully swirled around her, all her pretty swishy fabric twirling around her like backup dancers. The softest jingle of all her jewelry harmonized with her laugh, music to Kaveh’s ears. She delicately bowed to her prince, folding nearly in half as she did so.

“Your Highness, I am here at the same time every week,” she giggled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Nilou was always light on her footsteps, carefully bouncing from one spot to the next. Before Kaveh knew it, her hands were on the back of his chair, standing on bare tip toes to peer at the art he was working on. “Oh that’s beautiful. Although, I’ve not known you to draw people, Prince Kaveh. Usually it’s the castle or the gardens. Buildings and landscapes. I didn’t realize you had the skills to paint people!”

She snatched up his paper, nearly knocking over his glass of water as she did. Kaveh called out after her, but it was no use. She hummed in a light sing-songy manner as she twirled around his room. Her eyes were glued to the paper, assessing every detail of the man Kaveh had painted. A man who he could not remove from his mind no matter how hard he tried. Even if he could vividly picture the disgust on the man’s face when he learned of his identity. His heart ached at the memory, but he still painted beautiful teal eyes and a strong nose over and over.

“He’s gorgeous, my Prince. Who is he?” Nilou sighed happily, collapsing on Kaveh’s bed. Nilou had always made herself comfortable in Kaveh’s space and honestly it was nice. Most people looked at him in pity, or concern. Nilou saw him as her friend first, the prince second. Kaveh would always be happy to have Nilou take up space in his life.

“A rebel I met down in the city. During the harvest festival,” Kaveh sighed wistfully. He rested his chin on the heel of his palm, looking off as he thought of his fleeting moment of freedom. Nilou sat up with a shrill gasp, eyes wide.

“Rebel?! Your Highness, they hate the royal family!”

Kaveh groaned, “Oh believe me, I know. He found out who I was and ran the opposite way.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t try to kill you,” she scoffed. Kaveh squinted at her, snatching his paper back. Eyes trailed over the mysterious man’s face once more. God, if only he got a name from him before he fled.

“Cyno said the same thing. He doesn’t trust him. I mean, he learned who I was and didn’t immediately try to assassinate me, so he can’t be that bad, right?” Kaveh sighed, placing his painting of the stranger down. Fingers carefully brushed over the dried art. If only he had five more minutes. Maybe they really could have run away together.

“I don’t like your father as much as the next guy, but a rebel? If you’ve fallen in love with a rebel, neither Cyno nor your father will let you out of this tower ever again,” she snorted, grabbing one of Kaveh’s pillows to press it to her chest. Kaveh grumbled under his breath, somewhat agreeing with her. It was a great thing that his father never had a clue about what he could get up to then, hm?

“Not like I’ll see him ever again,” Kaveh mumbled, back to his resting position, but when he processed what she said, his cheeks were engulfed in flames. “And–And I wouldn’t say I've fallen in love! He is just a very attractive man, is all. I didn’t even get his name!”

“Maybe you need a faraway prince to swoop you away from here. Take you far, far, from Sumeru,” she sighed, a breath of hope in her tone. Kaveh sighed with her, just imagining all the places he could hide from his step father. He dreamed every night of a better life, a better kingdom. Sumeru was his love, but his father was ruining everything. He had hopes and dreams, but they were squashed like beetles under King Émile’s boot.

Forced to be a realist with the heart of a dreamer, he groaned, “Where would I even meet a prince from a distant land, anyway? Not like we throw parties.”

Another giggle passed her lips. “I have the exact solution to that.”

Nilou pulled out a rolled piece of parchment from her waistband, unrolling it with a flair and clearing her throat dramatically. Kaveh arched a brow, smirking at her as he turned to give her his undivided attention.

“O Fair King Émile and his Highness, Prince Kaveh, you are formally invited to the Palais Mermonia for a masked night of drink and merriment. A chance for nobles all across Teyvat to meet once more and discuss things as we once did. A feast will be held and music will play all night. Find the love of your li–okay I might be embellishing the invite a little bit! But! A ball! A ball in Fontaine and you and your father have an invite! C’mon, don’t look at me like that, you have to go!” she read aloud, all the theatrics as she did. Her voice took on a bit of a whine towards the end there and it got Kaveh to chuckle.

“Nilou, there is zero chance my father will leave the castle. I–I wouldn’t be permitted to go alone either,” Kaveh huffed, puffing out his cheek as he pushed on it with his palm. Eyebrows knitted together in frustration. He would be lying if he said the thought of attending a fancy ball didn’t have his heart racing in his chest. The last time Kaveh went to a ball he was but a small child, clinging to his mother’s legs in fear.

“So sneak out! It’s not like you don’t already sneak out,” she offered with a shrug.

“And what would you have me wear? All I have left in my size is clothes I’ve borrowed from the knights and servants! I can’t show up to the Palais Mermonia with tatted clothing and stained boots!” Kaveh said, using that as the excuse. Because Nilou was right; he had snuck out before for far less.

“I could certainly get you some clothes! Inanna can let me back in through the kitchen. I have plenty of costumes from the theatre that I’m happy to lend you,” Nilou said. She got up and kneeled before her prince. She took his hands in hers, looking up at him with a puppy dog expression, bottom lip trembling. “Please, I don’t get to go to balls. Go and let me live through your stories!”

Kaveh exhaled, trying to look away from her, sweat dripping down his back. It was very hard telling Nilou no, especially when she had that endearing expression on her face. Her big sea green eyes were always so captivating when she was able to make them well up with tears. He peeked at her with his peripherals, only to see she was leaning in closer with her begging look. Oh, this wasn’t fair.

“Fine, fine, fine! Only if Cyno agrees to help me!” Kaveh agreed, tossing his hands into the air dramatically. Nilou chanted ‘yes, yes, yes!’ over and over as she danced on her feet.

“He already agreed! We both think it is a good chance for you to be swept off your feet and saved from this crummy place!” she laughed, yanking Kaveh to his feet. Nilou half-sang half-hummed a little song as she forced Kaveh to dance with her. He couldn’t help but laugh along as they twirled around his room. “God, just imagine you find a pretty masked prince across the room. He sees your pretty eyes and boom! He falls immediately in love! Gosh, I hope he isn’t Snezhnayan. It’s so cold there and I don’t think you’d be able to handle it! Ooh! Maybe a Natlanese duke!”

“I don’t think I’ll find my true love at a random Fontanian ball, but I love the vote of confidence,” Kaveh chuckled, spinning Nilou around in their clumsy waltz. Nilou breathed dreamily, pressing her back to the prince’s chest.

“I think it would be so romantic and poetic if you did,” she grinned, looking off into the distance. Kaveh joined her, just imagining for a moment he was in her position. Some broad shouldered man who would spin him around the ballroom floor, hand him flutes of champagne. A man who was enamored with him at first sight, already willing to whisk him away at a moment’s notice.

“Fall in love with someone, Prince Kaveh. Fall in love and never come home.”

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Nilou truly had impeccable taste. Kaveh stared at himself in the room’s only object: a mirror, humming happily under his breath. She just dropped off the clothes stealthily and told Kaveh to be extra careful as they were pieces for an upcoming performance. Holding the hefty fabric in hand, Kaveh was so worried he might accidentally stain them. Thank goodness for years of working under Inanna then.

He took his time dressing himself, admiring each beautifully crafted piece of garment. The billowy charcoal black pants suited him well, tapered perfectly at his ankle. Off white slip on shoes with criss crossing golden straps and accents, matching the loose off white top above. A deep plunge front and back, revealing more skin than Kaveh ever had before. Nilou was sure to dust his skin in a fine glitter as he needed to sparkle in the ball room lights according to her. The wide and long sleeves of his top had a warm, deep red trim adorned with golden sun motifs.

Honestly, he felt like Nilou with the waist decorations that jingled as he moved. A black and gold waist corset with dangling golden accessories. The deep red shawl also had golden sun motifs like his sleeves. Everything blended together perfectly and Kaveh had never felt more put together in his life. Nilou put his hair in a loose up do, letting strategic pieces frame his face. He was putting on the large and beautiful earrings in the mirror while Nilou adjusted the cape on his back so that his skin was still revealed.

“Your Highness, you look beautiful,” sighed a sweet little voice happily, fading onto the mirror so that Kaveh could no longer see himself. Sumeru’s fairy godmother herself, Nahida. Petite, fair, and adorable. The tiniest little wings with a beautiful silver and green iridescent shimmer to them. A fairy who had been stuck in a magic mirror where no one has been able to free her from. His step father kept her in a room that was once his mother’s art studio. Only accessible from the king’s study and a small door leading into the servant’s halls.

“Do I? I don’t look… silly?” Kaveh said, holding out his arms as he twisted side to side.

“I have styled you well; you watch your tone. The Great Fairy is right, you are beautiful,” Nilou said, jabbing him in the side with a pin causing the prince to yelp.

“I think your mother would be so happy to see you so dressed up,” Nahida beamed, her smile causing her eyes to crinkle. Nilou nodded, her lips closed around a pin, but she still smiled at Nahida’s statement. Kaveh sucked in a gasp at the mention of her. It had been years since he had seen his mother. Not since Émile shipped her off to Fontaine to get better from whatever it was that afflicted her. Well, with Émile running Sumeru into the ground and their hospital certainly seeing better days–perhaps it really was better she was out of the nation for now.

“I hope one day we can bring her home. Maybe have a ball of our own to celebrate,” Kaveh hummed. Nilou was standing up again, adjusting his up do and all the red and gold pins she placed in it to decorate.

“I better be invited,” Nilou sang, but there was clearly an underlying threat. Kaveh chuckled with a nod.

“I’d be a fool to not invite the best dancer in all of Teyvat to my ball,” Kaveh praised.

“Well. Don’t call the Kings of Fontaine fools when you meet them, but I do appreciate the sentiment,” she giggled. Nilou spun around on her heels, reaching for the intricate golden mask with a rather large teal feather adorning it. She stuck her tongue out in between her lips as she delicately placed it on Kaveh’s face. His red eyes were striking beneath it, especially with Nilou’s addition of some kohl on his waterline.

“Oh you are going to be the talk of the ball. I can just feel it,” Nilou said, squeezing her fists at her side excitedly. There was a knock on the hall side of the mirror room’s door. All three of them went silent, hoping that who it was would just walk away. The less people that knew Kaveh’s whereabouts the better.

“It’s me, can I come in?” called Cyno from the other side. They breathed a sigh of relief as Nilou danced over to open the door for him. Cyno stepped inside, looking absolutely gorgeous in his mostly purple outfit. He too had gold accents and tall brown boots. His outfit, while rather nice, did not upstage the prince which was exactly what he wanted. To look good, but still be able to blend in with the average folks. Cyno’s hair was pulled from his face in a high ponytail, his own purple mask affixed to his face perfectly.

“Oh you clean up so nice, Sir Cyno,” Nilou praised, knowing she picked out his outfit as well. Cyno agreed to cover for the prince as long as the prince agreed to let him accompany him as a guard. Kaveh couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

“I agree–purple really suits you,” Nahida giggled behind her hand.

“Thank you, you two. Good to see you looking so spiffy, Your Highness. But are you ready? Your father will be heading to his study soon and I don’t think you’d want to get caught. Not to mention it is a long journey to Fontaine,” Cyno smirked, adjusting his cufflinks. Excitement tingled throughout Kaveh’s body all the way to the tips of his toes and fingers. It was like little shocks, not unpleasant, but new.

“We should hurry off then. From Bayda Harbor to Romaritime, correct?” Kaveh nodded, going over the plan plenty of times in his head. He was to be hidden in a storage vessel in a cart to Bayda Harbor. King Émile had given Cyno permission to go to the ball as a representative of the Sumerian royal family as to not displease their Fontainian allies. Émile just had zero clue the prince himself would be in attendance. The staff at the castle were aware of their secret plot as most were also hoping Kaveh would run off into the arms of another and finally be free. Their prince was so beloved and they all wanted to see him happy.

After a brief discussion with the four of them, Cyno urged that they be on their way if they wanted to make it to the Palais Mermonia on time. Kaveh repeated the word right under his breath, nerves settling under his skin. His first real ball as an adult. Would he make a fool of himself? Would people shun him like his own people do? No one had a clue what the king was like behind closed doors–maybe he could receive help.

That freeing feeling he had with his stranger was back, but the anxiety of it was loud.

“Oh! Oh my god, Nahida, the fairy godmother of Fontaine will be there! Maybe I can ask her if she has any clue how to free you!” gasped Kaveh, pressing an excited hand to her glass. Her expression was puzzling. Lips pursed out, thin eyebrows worried together. Clearly something was bothering her, but Kaveh couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“Don’t bother with that, Your Highness. Have fun at the ball, alright? Be safe,” she urged. Before Kaveh could say another word, Cyno grabbed his large sleeve and yanked him out into the servant’s hall. They whispered frantically to each other as they raced down the halls to the supply room doors. A cart was waiting for them to leave, a tarp placed to hide the prince.

“Oh Your Highness, you are as beautiful as the fair Faranak,” Inanna praised, her wrinkled hand lifting to pinch the prince’s cheek as Cyno helped him into the cart. A fierce blush rose on his face as he gently swatted her hand away. People always said he was the spitting image of his mother, but it flustered him always since she was so highly regarded as a beauty in Sumeru. “Come home safe and sound, please.”

“I promise Inanna. I’ll be back before you know it,” Kaveh promised, his sturdy hand on hers in a little embrace. She looked at him with soft, fond eyes before allowing him to lie in the cart. Cyno covered the prince with the tarp before taking his spot at the helm to control the sumpter beast. He called a command and they were off. Kaveh nearly squealed in excitement as he felt them roll over odd stones here or there.

His mind raced, thinking of all the amazing sights and smells of a new land. Traveling outside the castle was forbidden, let alone to a whole new nation. Eventually word would certainly travel back to his step father, but just for a moment Kaveh wanted to think his life was normal. He was approaching thirty years old, no sign of taking over the throne in sight. Émile was probably content to rule until they both died. He never had a child from any previous relationships and it wasn’t like he was able to mold the kind hearted Kaveh into a monster like him.

No matter how hard he tried.

Would nobles from other nations be like Émile? Cold, merciless. Not a care for their people. His heart clenched at the thought, but in truth he had not heard of anyone like Émile before. Nahida told him plenty of times in the weeks leading up to the ball that the kings of Fontaine were beloved amongst their people. A whirlwind romance that bewitched the nation. They weren’t much older than Kaveh himself which was great news for him. Perhaps it would be easier to find common footing when conversing when they were close in age. After all, his closest friends were Cyno and Nilou and they were around his age.

Would the kings like him? Would they think of him a coward for essentially abandoning his people? Or was news of Émile’s reign of terror not as widespread? Propaganda and censorship was a horrid tactic, but Kaveh wouldn’t put it past his wicked step father to do it. Would the kings of Fontaine welcome him into their nation with open arms? Perhaps there could be a thing or two he could learn from them. They were gracious enough to extend an invite to Kaveh personally after all. Though, he would never have known if it wasn’t for Nilou swiping the invite from his father’s trash.

The ride to Bayda was bumpy, but Kaveh survived. No bandits or even rebels approached them, thankfully. Cyno helped the prince to his feet, leading him through the small Bayda Harbor to where their ship to Fontaine was docked. It was only a couple hours via boat to Romaritime Harbor, where he and Cyno were able to freshen up a little after their journey through Sumeru’s humid jungle.

Kaveh gasped as he looked over the sea, in complete shock at what he saw. He knew Fontaine was raised to the heavens, but it was more magnificent to see it for real. Immediately his mind was taking mental pictures, his hands itching to paint the scene before him when he was home with his watercolors. Cyno was cracking jokes (and well, explaining them when Kaveh didn’t immediately laugh) about Fontaine. References he was sure he would understand if he was able to travel as freely as Cyno was. It was surreal to think his best friend had seen all of Teyvat’s corners. While poor Kaveh was lucky to see past his four walls.

Pre ball jitters were in full force after they docked at the harbor. The roar of the waterfall was beautiful to Kaveh’s ears–unlike anything he had ever heard before. Cyno escorted him, a dainty hand on Kaveh’s elbow to the elevator up to the aquabus. It was one of the proper ways into the Court of Fontaine where the kings resided. The feeling of an elevator was surreal to say the least as they shot up and up and up. Gilded and finely decorated, Kaveh was obsessed with watching it rise and swirl around them. Kaveh nearly toppled over from his thrown off balance if it wasn’t for Cyno’s sturdy hand.

“Your Highness?” Cyno teased with a snort. Kaveh glared at him, squinting through his masquerade mask. Other folks in the elevator, also dressed for a ball, seemed to snort around him. Kaveh adjusted the thin golden crown that Nilou insisted suited his attire. It was to show his status as the prince of Sumeru, but Kaveh wasn’t too keen on wearing it. Nilou would certainly have his head if he took it off or heaven forbid lost it.

Kaveh pressed the tip of his tongue to the roof of his mouth tightly. His palms grew slick as they inched closer and closer to the Court of Fontaine. The moment he stepped off the aquabus, they’d take the elevator straight up to the Palais Mermonia. His skin itched, crawled even. Kaveh mindlessly scratched at his palm in worry, unthinking as he stared off at Fontaine’s vast beauty.

The air was crispy, salty, and fresh. There was endless blue and green everywhere. Fields with flowers and trees, tall mountains. It felt so vastly different from Sumeru and Kaveh was in awe. He inhaled deeply, uncaring he might be disturbing the rather large woman to his right as she fanned herself. His nose felt dry at the corners with the salty air, but he lived for it. Even as a child he had never visited Fontaine. The furthest he ever got to travel with his parents was the Liyue and Mondstadt border.

He continued to scratch at his palm anxiously, unaware he was even doing it. Cyno sighed and gently pried his hands apart. Kaveh felt his cheeks heat up, lips pursed as he shot his glance down at his lap instead. The little sweet creature that Kaveh learned was a melusine was talking all about the features of Fontaine. Apparently the Clementine Line wasn’t as used as its sister line, the Navia Line. Kaveh couldn’t process any of the words she was saying. His own brain was still working on taking everything in as well as rehearsing how he could introduce himself to folks without looking foolish. It was hell in his brain, but it was worth it.

When the aquabus came to a halt, everyone filed off and headed towards the elevator that was going to bring them directly up to the front of the Palais Mermonia. Cyno placed a hand on his lower back, guiding him through the crowd and into the elevator. Kaveh was able to handle this one much better than the last, still enamored with how beautifully decorated it was. His jaw dropped as he looked around, blinking at the pretty lighting.

The elevator stopped and everyone burst out onto the road before them. In front of the Palais Mermonia, everyone was gathered around to see all the important faces that would be arriving. Kaveh gasped, pressing close to Cyno. Knights were stationed to keep the nearly unruly crowd at bay as important people marched up the stairs to Fontaine’s castle. Kaveh’s tongue darted over dry lips, tasting the sea on them.

Was he touched up enough? Did the glitter still shine and sparkle on his exposed skin? Was his jewelry and other accessories too loud as they jingled? Other folks were in gorgeous attire, but there was certainly a lot less skin showing. He began to gnaw on his lower lip, the itch in his palms back. Sweat dripped down his face and back, but not from the warm spring air. Cyno led him carefully, eyes peeled with every movement.

He could hear people around him whispering behind their hands. Questioning who he was and who was clinging to him so tightly. If he wasn’t careful, word might spread that he was seeing his head knight, but if Cyno were to let go of him he was afraid he might fly away.

“Your Highness,” Cyno whispered in Kaveh’s ear. He sucked in a shocked gasp, leaning towards him.

“What is it?” Kaveh whispered back, concerned something bad was about to happen.

“What did the sea say to the beach?” Cyno asked, his voice low and flat. Oh boy.

“I don’t know Cyno, what?” sighed Kaveh.

“Nothing. It just waved!”

“...Worst one today.”

Cyno pursed his lips. “Well, don’t you get it? Because the sea is pushed and pulled by the moon. To make waves. And neither of them are sentient and therefore cannot talk.”

Kaveh actually chuckled at the explanation. He was clearly trying to lessen the tension the prince was feeling. It was working, as it always did. Cyno knew exactly how to get under his skin and smooth things out.

“Tell me another. Surely you have plenty of water related ones, hm?”

“Ooh, here’s a good one for Fontaine. Why is justice best served cold?”

“Why?”

“Because otherwise it would be just water.”

Kaveh laughed, reaching for his best friend’s hand. He laced their fingers for a moment, squeezing it for courage. A silent thank you. Once released, they climbed the stairs, doors opening wide as they waltzed inside.

The sound of the string instruments hit his ears first, shrill, but still beautiful. The smell of finger foods and the fanciest wine hit him second. His eyes grew wide, jaw dropped so much he had to readjust his mask to make sure it sat well on his face. Cyno continued to lead the two of them, leaning to whisper at the man who announced the guests who they were.

“Sir Cyno of Sumeru, escorting the Prince of Sumeru, his royal highness, Prince Kaveh,” shouted out the man, his voice carrying well over the crowds and the music. Gasps rang out over the crowds, all eyes suddenly on the two of them. So many eyes. Kaveh felt his skin crawl, this time not from excitement. He gulped, keeping his head held high as he and Cyno walked into the ball room of the Palais Mermonia.

Inside, it was so finely decorated one could cry. Brilliant blue and gold lighting, gilded chandeliers across the entire expanse of the ball room. Fontanian flowers decorating each small table. God, it was huge. The dance floor was massive, already filled with people who waltzed to the classic Fontainian music that played. The smell of smoke and fire from candles positioned ever so often around the room. Kaveh used the beautiful room as a distraction from everyone looking at him.

The next guests were announced and suddenly less attention was on him. But he heard hushed voices, occasionally his own name too. He cracked his knuckles at his side, letting his thumb repeatedly trace over his knuckles in a soothing way. Inhale, and exhale. Kaveh could do this. As long as he held his head high, he would make a good representative of his nation.

“Your Highness, you are free to move as you please. I’ll remain on the outskirts and keep an eye on everything. Just–be careful. I know we’ve all been joking about you falling head over heels in love and running away, but you and I both know that would be a horrible idea,” sighed Cyno. He cracked his neck, stepping away from the prince. “Mingle. Make friends, not enemies. I’ll be watching. We cannot stay too long. We have to catch the boat back home, understood?”

“Yes Cyno. I’ll be good. You make sure to have fun too,” Kaveh teased. Cyno rolled his eyes with a smirk before disappearing into the crowds. And now–Kaveh was alone. He inhaled sharply through his nose, eyes flitting around as he took in his surroundings. People were watching him, wondering what the mysterious shut-in prince of Sumeru would do first. Well, first, Kaveh immediately grabbed a glass of wine and drank heavily from it. It felt warm in his gut and immediately gave him the bit of courage he needed to get through his first real ball.

The finger foods and free flowing alcohol was everything. He grew looser as the night went on, giggling as he floated around the ball room. He chatted with everyone who approached him. Most people were shocked to hear that he had finally left the castle. Others complimented him on his good looks, remarking at how much he looked like his mother. Plenty of folks asked Kaveh for just one dance, both in Teyvat’s common language and in Fontanian which he didn’t know a single word of. Each person was respectfully rejected, with a tint of a blush on his face.

All he wanted to do was people watch, sway to himself, and drink. Drink a lot. Kaveh didn’t mind the socializing aspect though. It was so nice to be able to freely converse with people outside of his castle. When he spent time in the city, he was so careful to not attract attention. Here, they knew who he was. He was a nation away. He was safe. Enough.

“Your Highness,” came a voice from Kaveh’s right ear. He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound, the wine in his glass almost spilling. He whipped his head to see who the man in his ear was when another voice in his other ear startled him just as much.

“It’s truly an honor to make your acquaintance,” said the other, his voice heavier, but with more of a hint of a smile. Before him now were two rather tall men. One in blue, white and silver attire, filled with puffy sleeves and filigree. His mask was as ornate as his outfit, perfectly tailored to him. Long silvery hair pulled into a loose and low ponytail swayed with every movement. His companion’s outfit was in reds and blacks, a hint of cream, and certainly more of the rugged variety. Though his mask matched his outfit color, the style matched that of his partner’s. It took a moment for Kaveh to register who was speaking to him. After all the eyes were back on him again, that is.

“The pleasure is all mine, your majesties,” Kaveh said, giving them a polite and respectable bow. The dark haired one, Wriothesley, chuckled and waved his hand.

“No need to bow, Prince Kaveh. We’re practically equals,” Wriothesley grinned, his toothy smile on display. Though the look on the other’s face, Neuvillette, said Kaveh was correct in bowing before the kings of Fontaine.

“Absolutely gorgeous party. You know, it’s my first time in the Palais Mermonia,” Kaveh smiled, his eyes crinkling in such an adorable way.

“Thank you, Prince Kaveh. We’re glad to have you here. We know you don’t exactly get out much,” Neuvillette said, clearing his throat towards the end there. Wriothesley placed a hand on his elbow, his smile never breaking.

“Well, I couldn’t very well turn down an invite from the kings of Fontaine. It would be incredibly impolite. Not to mention, Fontanian wine is exquisite and I just needed to try it from the nation itself,” Kaveh said. The three of them began to idly chat. Neither pried about the reasoning of Kaveh never attending any sort of diplomatic meetings between nations, nor any balls. They simply stated they understood he rarely left that castle, but it was a delight that he was out and about. Kaveh found they made easy going small talk, a big relief for him. It wasn’t his strongest, so at least they managed to carry it all.

Wriothesley did most of the talking, with his husband chiming in ever so often. Kaveh laughed and nodded at the correct parts. He was playing the part of the perfect prince and he knew his real parents would be so proud of him.

“Now, Prince Kaveh–” Neuvillette started.

“–Please, just Kaveh is fine.”

“Kaveh, right. Are you and your father preparing to deal with the unrest in Sumeru? Word of it has even traveled to us here in Fontaine. I know I and some of the other monarchs in Teyvat are worried about the possibility of a civil war. Is this something we should be concerned about or just baseless rumors?” Neuvillette asked, sipping from his own goblet. Kaveh’s hairs stood on end, goosebumps decorating his skin.

The rebels. He was asking about the rebellion. Was things outside of the castle that bad? Were rumors spreading all over Teyvat that they were planning to begin a war inside Sumeru? Kaveh groaned, jutting out his chin awkwardly.

“Well, to tell you the truth, Your Majesty, I don’t… really know anything about it. Rebels are rebels. Not everyone is quite happy with my step father’s rule, but it’s not like anything serious is happening with it. No, what I’m concerned about is the desertification of my rainforests. It’s spreading all over my nation, killing our trees and grasslands. I’ve tried talking about it to my father, but it’s not like he will pay any mind to it,” sighed Kaveh. He rubbed the side of his neck, sipping on his wine.

“Really? Does he not value your word as an heir? Kaveh, do you have plans to ascend to the throne any time soon? I know you and Wriothesley are not too far off in ages. I believe it would be wise. Especially if you are noticing things happening within your nation and your father is remiss to help,” Neuvillette asked, cocking his head to the side. His violet eyes were piercing right through to Kaveh’s soul, even through the mask. Kaveh coughed uncomfortably, trying to figure that one out. He stammered on his words, hoping that something would come to him. Neuvillette seemed to be scrutinizing Kaveh. He had never felt so perceived before. The king was watching his every movement, like he was about to crack. Wriothesley, perfect Wriothesley, cleared his throat, a hand on the king’s back.

“I don’t know if now is the time for politics. It’s a party! We should remain light. I’m sure Kaveh can come visit another time to discuss Teyvat’s current affairs. Especially if he does expect to rise to power soon,” Wriothesley chuckled, brushing his lips to Neuvillette’s cheek. The king laughed lightly, turning to kiss him right on the lips.

“You’re right my beloved. I apologize. Prince Kaveh, if you need any help learning what it takes to be a king, our doors are open to you at any time. Simply send notice by mail carrier,” Neuvillette said, a small smile on his face. Kaveh’s heart fluttered at just how utterly in love the two kings looked. They looked so happy together and clearly were comfortable with their relationship around others. Oh to be called someone’s beloved. What Kaveh would give for a safe love like that.

“How did you two get together? If you don’t mind me asking,” Kaveh asked, with a dreamy hopeless romantic expression clear as day on his face. Neuvillette and Wriothesley looked at each other, smitten as ever.

“Oh that’s my favorite story,” Neuvillette hummed, “Won’t you regale us with it, Wriothesley?”

“With pleasure. It was years ago. I was just a baker’s hand. I was making a bread delivery across Fontaine for him when my journey took me along the beach. From there, I noticed a crab stuck on his back. His little legs were kicking at the air as he practically begged for help. I was kind enough to stop and flip him the right way around,” Wriothesley explained. Neuvillette seemed to blush at the memory, turning away with a chuckle.

A… crab? Interesting. 

“I set my bag of bread down to do this, you see. And just as I had the crab correct, the tide came in and took my bread. I was supposed to deliver it! Washed to sea. I was devastated. The crab scurried off, trying to desperately save what it could. It was too late. I returned to my shop the next day and let my boss take it from my pay. The day after that, I was set to finally deliver the bread. Which meant I went through the beach once more. There sat the crab on a rock,” Wriothelsey mused. Kaveh drank more as he tuned further in.

“He looked different from all the other crabs, you see. While those armored bastards were usually orange or green-ish… he was the prettiest royal blue I had ever seen. When the crab saw me walking by with a new bag of bread, he ran around excitedly. He disappeared for a moment before returning to me with my old bag, dried with salt stains and missing bread. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was the funniest little thing. So, from there, I made it a point to take the beach through my journey so that I might see him. This went on for weeks,” Wriothesley said.

“For weeks, mind you. Until I got fed up and made the move myself,” snickered Neuvillette. Huh? Kaveh’s eyes nearly bulged out of his mask. What on Teyvat did that even mean?

“It’s true. He climbed all over me, aiming for my face every time. Until one day I got fed up with this cute little act and pressed a kiss right on top of his shell with a laugh. Next thing I know the most gorgeous mermaid I have ever seen in my life was sitting on my lap. I screamed and pushed him off me. His hands were raised in fright as he shifted into human legs right before my eyes. Butt naked and trying to stop me from freaking out. It was quite the sight. He couldn’t talk mind you–that took some time for him to relearn,” Wriothesley laughed, brushing his dark hair out of his face. Kaveh couldn’t believe what he was hearing at all. Neuvillette was still a blushing mess, resting his head on his husband’s shoulder.

“You were a crab?! For how long?” Kaveh gasped.

“Years. The fairy god mother of Fontaine, Focalors, ruled for me in my absence. I was cursed by a sea witch and even she couldn’t undo her magic. She didn’t even know where I was,” Neuvillette sighed.

“So wait–Wriothesley’s kiss fixed you?!”

“True love’s kiss is a very powerful tool, you know,” Wriothesley said, wrapping his arm around Neuvillette’s waist tightly. True love? Oh, wasn’t that the most beautiful thing in the world? Kaveh was going to melt right at his spot. How lucky were they to have found each other then, huh? “Plenty of other things led to us falling hopelessly in love, but there is no other crab I’d ever marry again. He’s perfect for me, perfect for this nation. I love him.”

“That’s–wow. That’s so romantic. I think I might actually tear up,” sniffled Kaveh, finishing off his wine.

“Mind if I steal the prince’s time now that your story is done, Your Majesties?” hummed a scarily familiar voice from behind Kaveh. He spun around to see a vision in teal. A fully buttoned up teal jacket, adorned with decorative golden floral line work and a matching cape fastened to a shoulder. His pants were a stark white, with matching knee high boots. His mask was angular, but still delicate and golden with matching colors to his outfit. And those eyes–oh Kaveh couldn’t forget those eyes even if he tried. A perfect match to his outfit, with a slight ring of red in them. The rebel from his nation.

“Lord Alhaitham, please. We will perhaps come find him later,” Wriothesley grinned. The kings dipped their heads at the two of them, Kaveh and who he now knew was Alhaitham bowed at the retreating kings. When it was just the two of them, Kaveh turned to him, shocked.

“It’s you–it has to be,” Kaveh said softly, almost masked by the music. Alhaitham did not say anything to that, but he did offer his hand.

“Would the prince so kindly accept my hand in a dance?” Alhaitham asked, bowing to him. He looked up at him through gray bangs and Kaveh thought he might die on the spot. God, he was just as gorgeous as he remembered. Maybe even more so with his beautifully done up outfit. Kaveh shakily reached for his hand, accepting his first dance invite the entire night. This caught people's attention as they made their way to the dance floor. Kaveh placed his other hand on Alhaitham’s shoulder, tensing the moment Alhaitham’s too hot hand touched his hip.

“I apologize for not talking with you sooner, Your Highness. But it would seem you were rather popular tonight,” Alhaitham said, his voice flat. Kaveh cleared his throat as they began their turns.

“Right, well. I guess I’m a bit of a commodity. It’s not like I really get out,” he coughed awkwardly.

“No. It seems you don’t.”

They danced awkwardly in silence for a song, their bodies not close to touching. Kaveh wanted to close the distance, to feel his heat seep into his bones, but Alhaitham’s body language was tense. Was uncomfortable. When the song completed, they bowed to each other before clapping for the musicians as the next song kicked in. Kaveh was about to turn away to stand off to the side again when Alhaitham caught his wrist and pulled him close once more.

“When you turned everyone else down for a dance, I assumed you came with your knight as a date,” Alhaitham mused, placing his hand back on Kaveh’s hip. Kaveh swallowed heavily, stepping close to Alhaitham again. He could say no–could walk away right now. But another dance with this beautifully enticing stranger was too much to lose. However, the mention of Cyno being his date caused Kaveh to guffaw out loud. Like a horse, too whiny, too loud. It didn’t seem to bother Alhaitham, just the people around them.

“God, no. No, Cyno is not my date. It freaks me out to even entertain that thought,” blanched Kaveh, shuddering. The moment those words left the prince’s mouth, was the moment Alhaitham brought him closer. Their torsos pressed together, heat shared between their bodies.

“Got it. With the way he is glaring at us right now, I was worried this wasn’t the right call,” Alhaitham said low in Kaveh’s ear. He shuddered at his hot voice, trailing more goosebumps down his body.

“Glad to see you think so. You know, I didn’t think I’d see you again. After our last conversation that is. I also–didn’t realize you were also of nobility?” teased Kaveh. He could see the twitch happen on Alhaitham’s face before the man quickly scrubbed it away to appear neutral once more.

“Not exactly. I am just a Sumerian representative. I am close with the kings though, and received a personal invite,” he explained. Ah, that made sense. With how he talked of his dislike of nobility and especially of the royal family–it would be weird for him to be noble as well.

“So then… why me? Don’t you hate me?” Kaveh asked, recalling how much Alhaitham disliked his family. He pressed his tongue to his teeth, trying to meet his pretty eyes. Alhaitham seemed to be looking everywhere but him. No matter the answer, Kaveh wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

“It would be inappropriate to ignore my nation’s prince,” Alhaitham said, ignoring his question outright. It wasn’t a yes, but it certainly wasn’t a no either. Kaveh said, pressing even closer to Alhaitham. Perhaps he could use his good looks to get him to sway to the positive side. He had been able to charm most with a flash of his smile, but who knew if it would work on this more stoic man.

“Well, you clean up nice. I am glad to see you can piece together a suitable outfit,” smirked Kaveh, giving him a wink. Alhaitham looked at him incredulously, but seemingly shook his thoughts out of his mind.

“I am a very capable man. You don’t know me.”

“Perhaps I ought to.”

“Hm.”

They twirled and swayed to the music. Kaveh let Alhaitham lead the entire time. He was happy to have his hand on him like that, pressed so close he could almost feel his steady heart beat. Kaveh loved the feeling of him against him. It was that draw to him, even if it was clear he was disinterested. This man was a rebel, someone who wanted the royal family gone. And yet Kaveh’s cheeks were heated like he was a young teen flustered around their crush. He could simply blame the copious amount of wine he had at least.

Alhaitham’s hand almost seemed to graze even lower by the middle of the third song. Kaveh gasped, but made no move to pull his hand upwards. His cheeks grew hotter and he couldn’t pry his eyes off the man’s face. Neither made a move to exit the dance floor and Kaveh wasn’t sure he ever wanted the night to end. Alhaitham was watching Kaveh now, their eyes locked in each other.

“Alhaitham. I think I really like that name,” Kaveh smiled, slipping his hand to the base of Alhaitham’s neck.

“Maybe we should have shared our names sooner,” Alhaitham said.

“Why? So you could have run away sooner?”

“Exactly.”

Kaveh scoffed, giving him a light tap. “You could run away now. You’re the one who invited me to dance, you know.”

“I’m aware that no one is keeping me hostage. Have you considered that I don’t hate doing this?” Alhaitham offered. Though his expression didn’t indicate that he disliked dancing with the prince, it really didn’t convey that he did.

“You really do what you want to do, don’t you?” Kaveh asked with a quizzical hum.

“I lead my life how I want to lead it,” shrugged Alhaitham.

A third dance slipped into a fourth. A fifth. Kaveh could feel his legs begin to tire, but he couldn’t pull away from him. It didn’t seem like Alhaitham wanted to part either. Fingers tangled in Alhaitham’s hair the more they danced. Alhaitham’s long fingers felt like brands, even on clothed skin, especially as they inched closer to his rear.

“You’re an excellent dancer,” Kaveh praised, fluttering blond lashes at him.

“You aren’t that bad for someone who’s spent his whole life in his castle,” Alhaitham hummed. Cool, Kaveh would take that. Even if he pouted with hunched shoulders at the crappy compliment.

As the sixth song began, they were impossibly close. It was like Kaveh was melting into the man, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Their conversation was gone, just the music filling the air as they waltzed. It was a beautiful waltz, even if Kaveh stepped on Alhaitham’s feet occasionally. His dances with Nilou were nothing like being led by this broader man.

“Alhaitham, will you run away again?” Kaveh asked, finally breaking the silence. Alhaitham looked at him in the face, a brow raised in a silent question. “I mean it. You found out who I was after offering me freedom. Are you going to run again?”

“Are you going to help your nation?”

“What–of course I–” Kaveh said, chewing on his bottom lip. Of course he wanted to help Sumeru, more than anything. He couldn’t bear to see the nation he loved fall to ruin any longer, but what good could he do?

“Your Highess–it’s time to go,” came Cyno’s voice, his hand firmly on Kaveh’s shoulder. He forced them to stop, yanking Kaveh from Alhaitham’s grasp. Kaveh looked between the two of them, seeing them glare at each other. The tension was so thick he could cut it with a knife. After being jostled by Cyno so sharply, it nearly knocked one of his earrings out of his ear.

“Cyno, we were having a conversation,” Kaveh said, in disbelief that Cyno would treat him like that. He knew the man was watching from afar and he did say before he didn’t trust Alhaitham, but he didn’t know him! Neither did Kaveh, but that was neither here nor there.

“And I’m cutting it short. We have a boat to catch, Prince Kaveh,” Cyno said, yanking on Kaveh again. Kaveh ripped from Cyno’s grasp, but Cyno wasn’t paying him any mind. His eyes were still locked on Alhaitham, narrowed and threatening.

“My last chance of freedom. I’m sure my step father will know where I’ve been and I’ll be lucky to see the sunset tomorrow! Why won’t you just let me have this?” huffed Kaveh, petulant.

“No, you should go, Your Highness. Your guard dog looks like he might bite off my head,” hissed Alhaitham. Cyno practically snarled at that, absolutely ready to bite. Before Kaveh could even say anything final, Cyno was dragging him away from the dance floor. As he was yanked around, Kaveh’s large and ornate earring fell from his ear, dislodged and on the ground. Cyno wouldn’t even let him turn around to go retrieve it. No matter how much Kaveh pleaded with him to let him go.

He marched him all the way to the elevator and down to the aquabus. Kaveh complained the entire time, but eventually gave up on fighting with him to let go. He pouted, yanking his arm back when they were firmly sitting on the aquabus back to the harbor. Kaveh turned around to watch the Court of Fontaine slowly disappear out of sight. His last true moment of freedom–gone.

Kaveh was certainly going to be in heaps of trouble when he returned home, but it was worth it. He got to dance, to drink–all without his step father berating him. Kaveh got to be a normal prince for once and it was such a magical feeling. He never wanted it to end. Kaveh could still feel Alhaitham’s hot palm against his own. He clutched his hand to his chest, sighing as the boat took them from Fontaine back to Sumeru. If he closed his eyes he could still picture swaying skirts and hear beautiful music. If he closed his eyes, he was still with Alhaitham and his step father wasn’t about to berate him until the sun went down.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

He was awarded exactly one week of blissful freedom. One week until word finally traveled back to his father that he was at the ball without permission. Kaveh immediately covered for Cyno, saying that the knight had no clue he was even there. When Cyno found him, he immediately took him home. Cyno was not at fault–therefore he was spared. All the blame was shifted onto Kaveh. Which meant he got to feel the sting of his step father’s ring hand.

Kaveh crumpled to the throne room floor as his father berated him over and over as he beat on him. He covered his face in fear, shaking as he was abused. He could hear the sound of Cyno’s leather gloved hand clutching tighter on his polearm. Kaveh knew Cyno wished more than anything to step in and help when this happened, but it would be death for Cyno. An act of treason against the king. Kaveh could never let that happen to him.

When it was finally over, Cyno was the one to help the prince to his room. It was silent the entire walk there, with Cyno supporting Kaveh the entire way. He carefully helped him into his bed, the prince groaning as he did.

“I’m so sorry I’m such a coward,” Cyno spat out just before turning for Kaveh’s door.

“Don’t be. You are protecting yourself and I’ll never hate you for that,” Kaveh coughed, moaning as he curled on his side. How could he ever hate the man he practically considered his brother? “Think you could fetch Nilou for me? I want to return her clothes. I’ve washed them for her theatre. It’s about time, yeah?”

Cyno left without saying another word, possibly too ashamed of himself. Kaveh stayed in bed, fully aware he would bring Nilou to him soon enough.

When she arrived hours later, she held a washcloth in her hand. Her face was twisted in both rage and pain as she stared at Kaveh. Nilou knelt by his side, pressing the cool and damp cloth to the swollen part of his face. He knew there was going to be quite the ugly bruise there after that. There always was when the rings were involved.

“Oh my sweet prince. I hate when he damages your pretty face,” she said, her cheeks puffed up and tears running down her face. Kaveh chuckled weakly, reaching for her face to wipe the tears away.

“I’ll heal, I always do,” Kaveh nodded. She tended to his wounded face for a while longer before climbing into bed with him. The pair were rather comfortable with each other after all these years. She rested her head on his aching shoulder, an arm carelessly draped across him. There were never any feelings between the two besides close companionship. She was a beloved friend.

“Was it fun?” she asked softly. “Did you meet anyone cute?”

Kaveh chuckled, “It was and I did.”

“Are you in love? Is it true?”

“No, but I do think he’s beautiful. I did lose an earring, Nilou. I’m so sorry.”

Her turn to laugh. “That’s okay. I’m sure you look cool with just one earring anyway.”

They laid there in the prince’s bed, him telling her the tales of his wonderful night. She questioned him about Alhaitham some more, but he could only blush and sputter past it. There was something about that rebel that he was just so drawn to. Even now his fingers itched to paint him once more. It had been so long since he had a person for a muse–not since his mother’s beautiful face shone in the sun.

Alhaitham was becoming his new muse. How dangerous.

Chapter Text

The next time Kaveh paid a visit to Nahida, he was just finishing up his daily chores. Inanna had asked if he would help bake some bread for the following day, but as he walked by her mirror room, he felt compelled to stop. Émile was in a meeting with some of the dukes of Sumeru, listening to them gab about how to increase their profits and keep ruining Sumeru no doubt.

Kaveh knocked on the door three times, their sign for when it was him visiting her. As he pushed open the dorm he called out for her, a soft smile on his face. His white bandana pulled his blond hair off his face, which always made it easier to clean, but after a long day of scrubbing walls and floors, loose strands were making it back to his face. He pushed them aside, locking eyes with the mirror. But Nahida did not come out when he called once more.

“Are you alright, Nahida?” he asked, approaching her mirror. He gently placed his lithe fingers on the glass, cool to the touch. It took a moment longer, but she finally came forward. Her visage faded into view, but she looked… different. Her eyes were red and swollen, like she had been crying. Nahida wrung her hands together nervously, chewing on her bottom lip as she did so. She dared not meet the prince’s eyes and that just worried him further. His heart felt heavy in his chest. Clearly something was wrong. “Nahida?”

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t be in here,” was all she managed to croak out.

“Is it wrong for me to visit my dear friend?” Kaveh challenged, his tone light and airy. Visiting Nahida was one of his favorite parts of the week. Nahida crushed the heels of her palms to her eyes at that, a sob wreaking havoc on her. Her small frame doubled over as she wept, as if she couldn’t control herself. Kaveh quickly placed two hands on her glass, wishing he could break her free. The glass trembled under his sudden touch, causing both of them to gasp.

“What is wrong?” he pleaded, all the desperation in his voice. Émile was a cruel man and often upset Nahida, but he had never seen her fall apart like this.

“I cannot say, Prince Kaveh.”

“Nahida, please.”

He had never seen someone’s pupils get so small before. Her irises trembled as she stared back at him. Hands shook as they continued to rub together, as if she was washing off something disgusting. Nahida was as pale as a ghost, almost green. Kaveh would take on her pain and anxiety if he could so that he would never have to see his friend like this again.

“He’ll kill me, Your Highness. I—I don’t want to die, please,” her voice was as small and meek as a mouse. Ripping through her vocal chords with such fear that Kaveh didn’t know was possible for one person. Kill? He would kill her? No, Kaveh would never allow anything to happen to her.

“Kill you?! Nahida, there’s no way. You’re a fairy godmother, yes? How can a human kill a fairy?” Kaveh stammered out, his voice breathy and confused.

“He’ll kill me like Focalors. Smash me to the ground. Discard me,” she admitted, lips tight. What? Well, that was impossible.

“I—I—I had just seen Focalors! She was at the ball the kings hosted, drinking wine and entertaining people!” gasped Kaveh. No, there was absolutely no way. Émile was horrible, but to kill a Great Fairy? The most diabolical thing someone could do in all of Teyvat? His own voice was high pitched in disbelief. How could his eyes lie to him?

“She is a false fairy. Masquerading as one for what I assume is to keep the peace. I watched him smash her. He trapped her in the mirror just like he trapped me and killed her,” Nahida sobbed, shrinking more into herself. Kaveh let his hands fall from the glass, one sliding up to cover his mouth. Vomit climbed up the back of his throat, threatening to spill over his hands. He smashed the Great Fairy of Fontaine? And he threatened to do the same to Sumeru’s? What would become of their land without her?

“You—You must be mistaken. It is the greatest crime to kill a fairy and—and he wouldn’t be so stupid as to not only kill one, but threaten another!” Kaveh stuttered, trying to get ahold of himself and his words.

“Your Highness, I need you to listen to me. Please, this is of great importance. I’m risking my life for you to know this. I need you to be careful. Watch out for everything and everyone. Trust no one. Not even myself, okay?” Nahida said, her tiny hands on the glass, pleading for the prince to look at her. Kaveh was shaking himself now, staring at her with his own wide red eyes.

“What do you mean, Nahida? Why can’t I trust anyone?”

“Please, just listen to me. No one is safe anymore, okay?”

“Not even you? Right now?”

She grew silent, her bottom lip trembling. Kaveh wasn’t sure he had ever seen her so frightened before in his life.

“Do not visit me again, Prince Kaveh. Stay safe and trust no one.”

Tears welled in the prince’s eyes. “Okay.”

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Kaveh’s life fell apart in the middle of a new week. He was painting in his room the beautiful waterfalls of Fontaine when the knock came. It startled him so bad that the gilded gold paint he was using for the elevator smeared and he sucked on his teeth in annoyance. Kaveh called out for them to enter, twisting on his chair to address whoever was disturbing him.

“Oh! Cyno it’s just you, what is it?” Kaveh asked as the knight entered his room. Cyno was rigid, his eyes almost looking past Kaveh as he entered his room. His polearm was upright, almost trembling in his hand. Chest puffed out, chin held high—it was clearly serious business. Which meant Kaveh snorted at him in confusion. “Alright Stiffy, what’s up?”

“Your Highness has been requested by His Majesty to join him in the throne room for a meeting. His Majesty has asked that you wear your best clothes for the occasion,” Cyno barked out, his voice tight as can be. Like the words were trying to claw their way back down his throat.

“My best clothes? God, I haven’t had anything akin to that since I was a teenager. I suppose I can see what I have,” snorted Kaveh, rising to his feet with a cat-like stretch. “I’ve been painting for too long anyway. It’s time for a break.”

Cyno clicked the heel of his polearm to the floor before exiting Kaveh’s room without a word. Weird, very weird. Kaveh shrugged it off and turned to his wardrobe to rip through his belongings in hopes of finding something acceptable. Perhaps someone of importance had paid them a visit. It was unlikely as his step father usually turned people away at the gates. However, the idea that perhaps a delegate from Fontaine had come to speak with him had him burning with glee. Kaveh chewed on his lip in a smile as he pulled out some of his nicest linen.

Kaveh slipped on the long sleeve top, decorated with golden embroidery at its high collar and on its sleeves. The sleeves pulled together with a lion’s head for a cufflink. He wrapped a fine red silk cloth around his waist, tying in a decorative way. If this truly was a diplomat from another nation, well, he had to look his best! Even if these clothes haven’t been worn since he was a teen. A little tight in certain spots, pull taught over his broader chest. Kaveh pulled on knee high black boots over his tight black pants, nearly toppling over as he did. With a chuckle he pulled his hair back with red clips, deciding it was enough for whatever his step father was about to drag him into.

Pleased with his appearance, he made his way to the throne room. Kaveh kept his back straight, hands pulled behind his back to bring out his chest. The moment he stepped inside the throne room though, his head went down and he took a knee before the king.

“I was requested?” Kaveh asked, not looking up at Émile until he spoke to him.

“Rise, Prince Kaveh. Our meeting will be brief,” Émile said, his voice more even than Kaveh had ever heard before. There was almost something tender about it, something he had not heard from the man since he was but a child. Kaveh slowly rose to his feet, bringing his eyes up to look at the king last. Émile sat there, resting his cheek on his fist, slouched on the throne. “I am giving you permission to leave the castle.”

…What? “What?!”

“You heard me, or have your ears gotten worse over the years? You and Sir Cyno will be going on a… trip. He will be in charge of you and you will do everything he says. Am I understood?” Émile instructed. Kaveh shifted uncomfortably on his feet. This almost felt like a trap. Was he really going to be able to leave on his own? Or rather, mostly on his own. What had gotten into his step father’s mind? A change of heart?

“What are we going to be doing?” Kaveh asked breathlessly, trying not to let his excitement show too much.

“Just a trip. Cyno will explain later,” Émile said, waving him off. Kaveh bit down on his lip in a smile, not wanting to ruin the moment and have him change his mind by asking a million questions.

“Okay! Okay, when do we leave?” Kaveh asked.

“Right now. Cyno?” Émile said, waving forward Cyno. The knight stepped forward, dressed in his armor. He saluted the king before bowing slightly to him. “Take Prince Kaveh to where I have instructed, hm? Do be careful.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Cyno said, his voice even. Kaveh was giddy, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. Cyno clapped a strong hand on Kaveh’s shoulder, leading him out of the throne room. The room was gravely silent, all eyes trained on the fleeting prince. Kaveh was far too joyful to even notice. Express permission to leave the castle? No expiration date? A trip for him and his best friend, his brother?

Kaveh chatted animatedly through the halls as Cyno led him to his father’s carriage. Kaveh hadn’t been in it since his mother was still roaming the castle halls. He cheered in excitement, climbing inside with Cyno closely following him. He was still bouncing on his seat as they took off, pulling away from the castle. He continued to talk, not minding that Cyno seemed to be silent. After a while, he trailed off and simply enjoyed the bumps in the road.

He watched the greenery rush past them in the carriage. Kaveh was all smiles as he felt the hot, humid air of Sumeru hit his cheeks. The breeze through the small opening on the door felt so good, brushing Kaveh’s hair off the back of his neck. They had been traveling for so long and in the general direction of the Dharma Forest. It wasn’t very often he snuck off to this area so he was excited for what their trip was going to be. It was… odd that Cyno wasn’t saying much about it, but perhaps he too was excited.

However excitement was muddied when he noticed patches of The Withering as they flew on by. His heart sank to his feet, seeing the crumbling trees and greenery all around. It seemed to have spread a lot in this area and Kaveh felt devastated that he never really noticed before.

“The Withering is spreading here and it doesn’t look good. I wonder how much time this area has left before it falls to the desert,” sighed Kaveh, peering out the window. Cyno still did not say a single word. Kaveh pursed out his lips, arms crossing over his chest. “Is there a reason you are ignoring me now, Cyno? It’s getting a little old. What are you, a child? Did I… do something wrong?”

Cyno still did not speak. With a huff, Kaveh went back to watching out the window in silence. He could feel his friend’s eyes bore into the side of his skull, but neither spoke. There was a heavy, eerie silence in the carriage, but still Cyno did not speak. Kaveh found himself mindlessly scratching at his palms to soothe the growing anxiety within himself. Cyno never pulled his hand away from himself like he normally did.

Eventually the carriage came to a sudden halt. Kaveh nearly flew forward onto Cyno’s lap, but caught himself. Cyno got off the carriage first before offering his hand to the prince to get out. Kaveh took it graciously, stepping out into the trees. When had they pulled so deep into the forest? Kaveh looked around, suspicious. Before he could even say anything, Cyno pointed his polearm towards the left and uttered a single word, ‘walk’.

“Jeez, okay, I will,” Kaveh said, tossing up his hands and walking in the path that was pointed out. Cyno didn’t say anything else after that and a cold chill was easing up the prince’s spine the further into the darkened trees they got. He gulped as he looked around, not familiar with any of his surroundings. A rogue vine tripped him and Kaveh collapsed to the ground, catching himself with his knees and hands. Cyno didn’t even help him up. Kaveh grumbled under his breath about how rude that was, but Cyno didn’t even seem to care.

It was when they were well into the forest, the sun nearly entirely blocked out that fear was settling into his bones. If they were to get lost, Kaveh was not familiar enough with this forest to guide them out. It was cooler under the shade of the trees, but it just made it that much harder to navigate. The air was almost wetter too, like Kaveh was going to drown just from walking.

He was beginning to wheeze, not used to all this walking in thick, humid air. Kaveh pressed a hand to his chest, as if to try and steady himself. He barely choked out a ‘are we there yet?’ before feeling the tip of Cyno’s polearm in his shoulder blade. Kaveh froze, all the hair on his body standing on end. He slowly turned around to see Cyno’s fearsome glower. One he never thought he’d see used against himself. He raised his elbows, polearm aimed right for Kaveh.

The tip of the polearm pressed into Kaveh’s chest, right over his heart. It pierced his rather nice shirt, causing a breath to be caught in Kaveh’s throat. However, as sure and steady as Cyno’s expression was, his hands were quivering, causing the polearm to falter in the slightest. Kaveh took a half step back to avoid the poke, but suddenly it was thrust more into his chest. Not enough to seriously harm, but enough to break skin and cause a pebble of blood to rise to the surface.

“Cyno what is going on? Is this a joke? Because it’s not very funny,” Kaveh demanded to know, surprised at how even his voice was for how frightened he was.

The other man groans loudly, gripping his pole arm tighter. With a roar he replied, “It’s not a joke! You’re supposed to die!”

Oh, that just broke Kaveh’s heart. A tear rolled down his cheek as he raised a shaky hand. He was supposed to die? By his family’s hand? It was clearly destroying Cyno too. Kaveh had never once known him to shake when brandishing his weapon. Émile was making Cyno do a cruel, evil thing. Something the kind soul would normally never do. If this was how Kaveh was supposed to end—might as well help. He grabbed a hold of the spear, pressing it firmly into his chest to draw more blood. He coughed at the sensation, trying to ignore how much it burned.

“So do it. Go on. My father ordered you to, right? Kill me. Get it over with. Sumeru will be happier without its useless prince!” Kaveh shrieked, hoping that Cyno would be quick with it. He closed his eyes, squeezing the polearm tighter in his grasp. All he had to do was run it right through him. Quick and hopefully not painful.

There was silence, and then, “Useless?! Your Highness, you are the greatest thing that will happen to Sumeru.”

The polearm was ripped from his hand at that moment. Kaveh’s eyes flashed open, in utter shock. Cyno took steps back from him, eyes never leaving the prince’s face. Kaveh could only get the first syllable of his friend’s name before he was interrupted.

“Run, Your Highness. Run, and don’t look back. It’s not safe for you here. I’ll give your father a boar’s heart to prove your death. Just… go. Don’t make this any harder for me, Kaveh. Please,” Cyno said, holding up his hand in surrender to him. Kaveh took two steps back, the words of pleading with him to come with. So they could be safe together dying on his tongue. Cyno commanded one final ‘go’ before Kaveh took off running.

He panted as he pushed past vines and plants. Running as far as his legs could carry him. He ran and ran until he could taste metal on his tongue and feel like his lungs were about to burst at any moment. Kaveh had zero clue where he even was. All he could do was run and feel the sticky air flow through his hair. His hair clips were long since gone, members of the forest floor now. Tears poured down his eyes as he thought of his life that was just ripped from him.

It wasn’t a good life, but it was a secure life. He had a bed, he had his paints. Kaveh was alive and had a place to be. But now with his father calling for his head on a platter, Kaveh had to run. Cyno had given him the gift of staying alive, but what was he to do? Sure, Inanna and the other staff taught him how to be independent, but what could one do when they were utterly alone? No mora to their name? Just the clothes on their back?

Wheezing, Kaveh stopped his getaway for just a moment. He placed a hand on a sturdy enough tree, desperately sucking in deep breaths to feel okay for a moment. His head was prickly, swirling around as he finally came down from the running high. Black dots filled his vision and he blinked trying to clear them to no avail.

A twig snapping was what pulled his attention behind him. Kaveh turned oh so slowly, eyes wide in fright. Approaching from the dark forest were monsters. Mushroom monsters with anger in their eyes as they approached the prince. One of the large ones, on all fours, made a roaring noise at him, dragging its foot like it was about to charge at him.

Run, he should run. He should really run, but his legs were made of lead at that moment. Still sucking in gasps of air, Kaveh pressed his back to the bark of the tree, sliding down until his rear met the forest floor. The mushroom monsters made odd noises at him, circling around him slowly. Like he was their newest prey. He was without a weapon, god, without a fairy godmother. Kaveh knew he was in danger and was just so bummed Cyno’s gift of life was about to be over.

But the roar of a new creature captured his attention. With a gasp, he looked off to his right to see not one, but two rishboland tigers entering the space. They snarled at the mushrooms, causing some of the smaller ones to float back in fear. Kaveh watched as the tigers pounced, ripping apart the mushroom monsters to pieces. His hands clasped over his mouth as he watched. Sweat poured from him, soaking his clothes all the way through. When the tigers were finished with the mushrooms, they turned their attention to Kaveh. Great. He favored his chances with the group of mushrooms.

A piece of mushroom dropped from the one tiger’s mouth as they approached him, heads low. Kaveh held out his hands in submission, hoping he did not appear a threat to them. They grew closer and closer, his heart quickening as they did. One tiger was on him in an instant. His eyes closed, prepared for those sharp teeth to latch onto his jugular. Instead, he felt soft fur press against his outstretched hand. Kaveh opened his eyes to see the tigers were now cuddling up to him. One had their head in his lap and the other was practically begging to be pet.

Chuckling, he indulged the cats. They did save him after all. The least he could do was pet them to their hearts content. It was surreal hearing and feeling a tiger’s purr, but Kaveh savored it. They were so sweet, cuddling with him.

“Good kitties,” he praised, scratching under one's chin. This got an even louder more affectionate purr if that was even possible. Sighing with relief, he sagged against the tree. He wasn’t petting the tigers for long before more of the forest’s creatures came out to greet them. Kaveh was suddenly surrounded by his nation’s native animals, chittering and chirping and purring. “Oh! Well, it’s good to see you all here!”

The animals seemed almost relieved to see him. To see that he was okay. Suddenly Kaveh had his hands full with all the animals that wanted his attention. Chuckling low to himself, he gave them all the adoration and touch he could muster. The animals responded to him. They seemed comfortable with him.

“Well, friends, is it possible you could take me somewhere safe to hide out?” he laughed, just mostly musing aloud as he thought of his new situation of homelessness. A few of the parrots squawked excitedly, tugging on his sleeves. The tigers got off his lap, nudging at him to stand up. …What? Really? Did the animals actually understand him? They all seemed to be pulling at him to walk a certain direction and who was he to argue with the creatures of the forest? With another laugh, he repeated the word ‘okay’ and let them lead him to where he assumed was their version of safety.

Birds carried his sleeves and tigers rubbed against his legs. Kaveh was beside himself with laughter, enjoying the kind attention the animals were giving him. His chest still ached from where Cyno had stabbed him, but at least he was… free?

Right?

The animals led Kaveh through the woods only to bring him to a path. Following the path led them right to what looked like a small village. The air had almost a dream-like quality to it where the edges were slightly hazy and the saturation seemed turned all the way up. He gasped at the sight, wishing to commit it to memory so that he might one day paint it. Should he ever get his paints again.

“H-Hello?” Kaveh called out as the animals dragged him to the center of the seemingly abandoned village. The plants were overgrown, like no one was tending to them, but they fit the scenery so perfectly. Tall plants gave shade over the small homes, letting the air feel cool and comfortable. The animals stopped him on an intersection of paths before disappearing completely. Kaveh called out for his animal friends, but they were already gone. Sighing, he pushed his hair out of his sweaty face, looking around for any sign of life. “If anyone is here—please. I mean you no harm, I just… need a place to stay for a while.”

Silence. Awesome. Well, perhaps he could take over one of the abandoned homes and live out his days there. He wasn’t much of a hunter or gatherer, but he could garden well enough. Kaveh stretched his arms above his head, groaning in pain when the wound on his chest splurted out blood. Muttering a curse under his breath, he clutched his wound and sighed.

“P-Princely Nara?” called out a timid, high little voice from behind him. He gasped and whipped around, looking for the source of the voice. Nothing at eye level, but when he looked down—well. It was the stuff straight out of the fairytales his mother used to tell him. A small little creature with tiny beady little dark eyes. Ones that looked almost like an odd fruit, ripe for a bite. And the cutest smiles anyone could ever see. This one was even tinier than he expected, orange with a fun little red hat. It floated around his feet, head cocked to the side. “Are you the Princely Nara?”

“Princely Nara? I am sorry, my friend, I don’t know what that means. I am the Prince of Sumeru if that’s what you are asking,” Kaveh said kindly, returning the creature’s smile. The aranara, a mythical creature of Sumeru that was a huge part of Sumeru’s ecosystem according to the lore. Magical little creatures created by the fairy godmother herself. Kaveh had drawn pictures of them when he was a child, but he always assumed they were just fiction.

…Just how much blood did he lose? He didn’t think it was a lot, but perhaps he was hallucinating something from his childhood. The little aranara gasped, waving its little arms around.

“It’s him! It’s him! Princely Nara is here!” it cried out, spinning around excitedly. Suddenly, Kaveh was surrounded by the aranaras. They were all cheering for him, calling him the Princely Nara, whatever that meant. They grabbed onto him, bouncing up and down with their little bodies excitedly. Kaveh laughed with them, completely sure he was hallucinating.

“Princely Nara, what happened to you? You’re bleeding,” gasped one of the aranara. This caused the others to gasp and really take note of the prince’s current state of being.

“I was—was hurt, but I’m okay. Really,” Kaveh said, holding his hands up. The aranara didn’t seem to like that answer. His hand was yanked down and he was forced to walk with them, bent at the waist to their height. Kaveh was led to a rather large house compared to the rest of them. The aranara were chatting away, promising him that they’d take good care of him. An aranara with what looked like a mustache was waiting for them at the door of the home.

“Princely Nara! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the other Nara on the other side of the Vana!” said the mustached aranara. Kaveh’s hand was let go and he was able to stand up right in front of this aranara.

“I was kicked out of my home. I… had no where to go. The animals led me here. Wherever here… is,” Kaveh said, gazing around. A beautiful waterfall was behind the home, roaring away. This whole area was gorgeous and he was almost envious of the little creatures for having such a beautiful home.

“This is Mahavanaranapna. Home of the Aranara. You are safe here, Princely Nara. Please, let us clean you up. I am Araja. Nothing can hurt you here,” Araja explained, stepping aside so that Kaveh might enter his home. Once inside, the aranara got to work. They helped patch up his wound and cleaned him up the best they could. Many of them excitedly introduced themselves and Kaveh made it a point to try and remember all of their names. He repeated them back to the aranaras as they said them and that seemed to really bring joy to them. He was smiling so much that his cheeks hurt.

“Princely Nara, you have no home with the nara? Are they bad nara? Aranakin will offer his home if Princely Nara needs it,” said Aranakin.

“No! He can stay with me!” called another.

“No us!”

“Please! Princely Nara may stay with me. I have the most room. He will be safest in my home,” Araja commanded, causing the other aranara to fall silent. It was clear he had the most say around the aranaras, very well respected.

“Oh I couldn’t trouble you all. I will happily find somewhere else to stay, but thank you for taking care of me,” Kaveh said as another aranara was dropping fresh fruit on his lap. They were such gracious hosts.

“Nonsense! Princely Nara is a very very special nara. Princely Nara is always welcome in Mahavanaranapna with Araja and the others. You will stay for now, yes?” Araja beamed. The other aranara murmured in agreement and well, could he truly turn down such wonderful hosts?

“Then let me take a fair share of village chores! I’ll live amongst you. Teach me the ways of the aranara,” grinned Kaveh. More cheers erupted around him and for once in a while—he felt truly welcomed.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Kaveh spent a week with the aranara. They took very good care of him and taught him all kinds of things about their lives. He sang with them, ate fruit, and was merry. The aranaras were kind and wonderful creatures and he was so glad he was lucky enough to be living with them. Kaveh had never sang and danced so much in his life, but he was having a blast. He all but forgot what happened to him only a week ago. The aranaras' good vibes were so infectious.

They were sitting outside of Arakavi’s house, with Kaveh lazily plucking the strings of an old lyre. The aranaras sang with it, trying to get him to harmonize with them. He laughed and paused to take a bite out of a juicy peach. The juices trickled down his cheek and onto his already blood stained shirt. Eventually he would have to travel and find more clothes—this just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

“Ah! Princely Nara, that was the last peach!” whined Aradasa, stopping their little dance. Kaveh set the lyre down to look at their bowl of fruit, noticing it really was rather low.

“Oh, I can go pick us up some more. I think I ate up the last of Araja’s stash too. I’ve never had so much fruit before,” chuckled Kaveh. He rose to his feet, cracking out his spine as he did so.

“Princely Nara, can I ask you a question?” called Arayasa’s soft voice. Kaveh looked down at them, smiling earnestly.

“Of course,” he replied, nodding with a little wave. The aranara danced awkwardly on its feet for a moment before sighing.

“You know the Great Fairy?”

“I do very well. She is family to me.”

“Well, us aranara have not seen the Great Fairy in a very long time. She and I made a pact to sing together forever. I have not heard her beautiful voice light up the stars in such a long time. Do you… think one day you could return her home?” Arayasa asked, voice oh so timid. Kaveh squatted down to Arayasa’s height, head turned to the side.

“It’s a vow, Arayasa. I will make sure the Great Fairy returns to Mahavanaranapna. She needs to be with her family too, yeah?” Kaveh nodded. Arayasa did a little turn of happiness to that.

“Princely Nara will succeed in bringing her home because Princely Nara is pure of heart and cannot lie! He will succeed!” Aradasa cheered, spinning with Arayasa.

“Pure of heart? Me?” Kaveh asked with a little scoff.

“It’s true! Only those pure of heart may see the aranara and well, you are speaking with us, yes?” Aradasa said, bobbing their little head. Huh, well, that made sense. Aranara were widely regarded as simply a fairytale, so why wouldn’t the so-called pure of heart be able to see them? Kaveh was still almost convinced this was a very elaborate hallucination.

“Alright, enough pure of heart chat. Let me go grab us some fresh fruits,” Kaveh said, rubbing the top of one of the aranara’s heads. He scooped up the bowl they were using and made his way just outside of the village where a bush growing zaytun peaches had yet to be plucked from.

He hummed the little tune he and the aranaras were just singing as he pulled them off the plant. His hips wiggled to the beat, ‘ooo’-ing when a particularly plump peach fell right into his hands. How delectable. He was so into his own world, feeling so safe around the aranaras and their homes that he barely registered the arrow whizzing right past his head. Kaveh shouted out when it landed in the tree beside his head, accidentally dropping his bowl of peaches. The next arrow that came flying stopped right at his foot, causing him to jump up on one leg.

“Okay if you are trying to kill me, please just do it! Don’t play with me!” he whined out, prepared for the worst. Out from the shadows stepped a familiar fox face—the man from his castle that wanted to kill his dad. Kaveh was frozen, not in fear, but held his chin high. The fox man slowly approached him, bow and arrow at the ready.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” he said curtly.

“Is that what my step father is telling everyone?” scoffed Kaveh.

“Cyno killed you. Brought your heart to the king as proof.”

“Apparently boar hearts are close enough to our own. What do I know though? Well, here I am. Like I said, if you’re here to kill me please just do it. I do ask that you make it quick at least,” Kaveh said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Why are you so eager to die, Prince?”

The question of the hour. With a sigh he replied, “Wouldn’t it be easier if there wasn’t a useless heir? It’s what my father thought. I’m a royal. You’re a rebel. Clearly. You hate the royal family.”

“Cyno doesn’t seem to think you are useless,” the fox hummed.

‘Useless?! Your highness, you are the greatest thing that will happen to Sumeru.’

Kaveh cleared his throat. “He and I often disagree on things. H-How do you know Cyno?”

“Nevermind that. You may call me Tighnari,” he said, letting his bow drop to his side. Kaveh breathed a sigh of relief, letting his tension drop in the slightest. He extended a hand for Tighnari to grab, but with a shake of his bob, he lowered it right after.

“Pleasure to meet you, Tighnari. You can call me Kaveh,” Kaveh smiled. It was clear the pleasure wasn’t mutual.

“What are you doing hiding out here?” Tighnari asked, gesturing to the village behind him.

“It’s what happens when your father puts an attempt on your life and effectively kicks you from the castle,” shrugged Kaveh.

“But why?”

“This might shock you, but my father and I disagree on almost everything. I know you rebels lump the two of us together, but I couldn’t be farther from him. He is simply my step father by marriage,” Kaveh explained. Tighnari shifted awkwardly at that, sighing heavily.

“I’m not just any rebel you know. I am the leader of the forest’s resistance. We fight the Withering in hopes of restoring our land and taking down your step father to end his reign of terror,” Tighnari said, standing tall and proud. He paused for a moment, raising that bow once more. “Give me a reason I shouldn’t kill you, Prince, for letting all of this happen to us.”

“I don’t have a reason. If there’s meaning in my death, then let it be. You’re right, I let my own cowardice ruin our nation. He took the land and people I love and hurt them. If killing me will cover my sins for leaving Sumeru to ruin, then so be it,” Kaveh said, placing his hand over his heart. Right where the wound from Cyno was still healing. Tighnari groaned, dropping his weapon once more.

“Well, what if you could change it? What if you came with me and helped us take down your step father? I’m sure your knowledge could prove invaluable,” Tighnari offered. The second time someone propositioned him to join the rebellion. His heart hammered in his chest as he considered it for a moment. The last time he thought about taking it for a chance of freedom. A completely selfish reason. But now as he stared at the fox man, he was actually considering it. He loved his people and he didn’t want their homes to be reduced to sand. Especially the lovely aranaras who accepted him like he was one of their own. “Prince Kaveh, would you join the side of the rebellion to stop your father?”

Tighnari offered his gloved hand and Kaveh stared at it for a moment. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not he was made for this. He wasn’t a warrior or a strategist, what good could he do? But then he thought of how much his people suffered. How they hated the royal family for living in luxury while they were losing their homes. Their livelihood. With a deep exhale, he took Tighnari’s hand and shook it. He was officially a rebel.

“Let me say goodbye and I will go with you anywhere, Tighnari,” Kaveh said firmly. He scooped the bowl back up, motioning for him to follow. Tighnari followed closely, ready with his bow for anything. Kaveh waltzed back into the aranara village, noticing that the aranara were hiding in their own homes as they did. He hummed low at that, making his way to Araja’s house. Kaveh told Tighnari to wait outside, that he wouldn’t be long.

Tighnari looked at him like he had two heads. Weird.

“Is this where you have been hiding out?” Tighnari asked, gesturing wildly to the area around them. Kaveh was confused as he saw a lush village around them. Raising an eyebrow, he nodded. He knocked on his friend’s door before letting himself in. 

“Araja! I have good news!” Kaveh called out. Araja made his way over to Kaveh, clearly happy to hear what he had to say. Kaveh set his bowl down on a table, beaming with pride. “I’ve joined the rebellion. We’re going to stop my father and I am going to free all of Sumeru.”

“Princely Nara, that is good news. I know you will do many good things. Us aranara will eagerly await your return. Though, perhaps you leave your nara friend behind,” hummed Araja.

“Tighnari? What for?” Kaveh asked, head cocked.

“He does not see us like you do, my Princely Nara. He does not see Mahavanaranapna as he is not pure of heart like you,” Araja explained. There they go with that pure of heart thing. But Tighnari was fighting for freedom, how was he not a good enough nara?!

“He fights for good, Araja. Does that not make him pure of heart?”

“I’m afraid not, but… he is very close. One of the closest nara in a long time. Besides you of course!”

“Huh. Go figure.”

He thanked Araja for a moment longer, giving his temporary roommate a hug. Araja wished him well, making him promise he would return with the Great Fairy. Kaveh told him he would be back as soon as he saved this nation. And god, did he mean it.

Once reunited with Tighnari, the pair set off for Gandharva Ville. On their entire trip, Tighnari took his time explaining how the rebellion worked and what would be required of the prince when he arrived.

There were two rebellions, working side by side for the same goal: to remove King Émile from the throne and restore Sumeru to its former glory. The Forest Rebellion was led by Tighnari and their base of operations was in Gandharva Ville. They were mostly in charge of strategy and sneaking into the castle if needed. Their fighting power wasn’t as strong, but they were still no laughing matter. The Desert Rebellion was led by two very powerful women as Tighnari put it. They commanded the desert’s army, ready to take back the land in the name of King Deshret. Kaveh gulped, knowing that story all too well. It was his own ancestors that ruined the desert after all. Yeah, something told him that getting along with the desert rebellion was going to prove difficult.

The Desert Rebellion were going to be the ones to charge the castle and keep the king’s guards occupied while the Forest Rebellion were going to deliver the final blow. Kaveh was originally on that list, but if he really and truly was going to be a part of the rebellion then they’d spare him. Both rebellions had a long way until they were confident in their siege of the castle, but god did they ache for the day to come soon.

In Gandharva Ville, Kaveh had never felt more like a social pariah than he did right then. Eyes were on him like the ball in Fontaine, but this time they were leering at him. Whispering angrily behind their hands. He felt so small in their presence. Kaveh was silent as Tighnari led him through the tree tops. The Forest Rebellion wasn’t very large, especially compared to the Desert Rebellion, but they were mighty.

“It will… probably take time for them to get used to seeing you here. After all, most of us were raised to believe our young prince turned his backs on us,” Tighnari explained quietly. Right. Like that didn’t feel like a knife to the chest. “Here, this is where I live. You’ll be staying with me for the time being.”

Tighnari pushed aside the leaves that acted as doors to his hut and allowed Kaveh inside. There stood an all too familiar face that had his heart racing in his chest. It had only been a week apart, but Kaveh felt like it had been years.

“Cyno,” he cried out, rushing over to his friend. The pair wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace. Kaveh buried his face in his silver hair, inhaling his familiar and comforting musk. “Wh-What are you doing here?!”

Sighing, he pulled back, but kept his hands on Kaveh. “I’m so sorry, my prince. I couldn’t tell you the truth, but I am so glad to see you are alive.”

“What do you mean, Cyno?” Kaveh asked, eyebrows knitting together in worry.

“I am a member of both rebellions. I hope to take King Émile down myself and I act as a spy in the name of the rebellion. That’s why I had to take that head guard position. Even if it meant you hated me for so long,” Cyno explained. Kaveh groaned and crushed him against him for another bone shattering hug.

“Cyno is a very valuable member of our rebellion. He gives us a play by play on the king’s schedule. He’s our eyes and ears inside the castle,” Tighnari praised, looking at Cyno with such fondness. Cyno looked back at him, his own soft smile on his face. Kaveh glanced between the two, coughing into his hand to get their attention. He most definitely saw the blush on their faces, but made no comment. For now. “Despite all of our current assassination attempts not… working out… he keeps us safe. He keeps us out of jail or the noose.”

That… made a lot of sense. Kaveh knew the guards were fully capable of capturing Tighnari when he was in the castle last. Yet somehow he evaded the dungeons and Cyno. Because Cyno let him.

“That’s incredibly dangerous. My father would kill you for treason if he were to catch wind you were letting rebels go!” Kaveh gasped.

“Doesn’t matter. Sumeru’s freedom is what matters to me. He could hang me a thousand times over and I’d still report to the rebellion,” Cyno shrugged. Kaveh’s heart fluttered in his chest. God, he was such a good man. A good friend. Sumeru was lucky to have Cyno on their side.

“The goal is to get a suitable heir on the throne after we take out the royal family. Someone who actually has Sumeru and her people at the forefront of their mind. We always assumed you were just like your father, Kaveh. And while I’m not entirely convinced you aren’t, Cyno has been defending you and your character for years. He’s the reason I found you,” sighed Tighnari. His ears twitched during the confession.

“I sent him in the general direction I saw you run. I told Tighnari you would be an asset to the rebellion and I just hoped and prayed he wouldn't kill you when he found you,” Cyno breathed.

“I thought about it. I really did,” huffed Tighnari, tail swishing side to side.

“Needless to say, we might not need the desert’s heir if Kaveh proves himself, right?” Cyno asked, gesturing to Kaveh.

“They have an heir?” Kaveh questioned, utterly confused. Did he have a cousin he didn’t know about?

“The Desert Rebellion has an heir. The Prince of the Desert. They fully believe he is the reincarnation of King Deshret. You know, the guy your family defeated all those centuries ago,” scoffed Tighnari. Kaveh groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He would feel remorseful of his family’s actions probably until he died. When his ancestors defeated King Deshret and took over his land, they didn’t know it would cause the land to die and turn to sand. They didn’t know it would slowly happen to their own rainforests soon after.

“The so-called prince will be arriving here tomorrow. You two arrived just in time. He just attended the Fontanian ball a few weeks ago in hopes of getting the kings to join our cause,” Cyno explained.

“Wait—Wait, I was there! I wonder if I ran into him…?” Kaveh said, getting a little lost in thought as he did. Tighnari and Cyno just looked at each other and laughed behind their hands. Kaveh looked at the two of them, confused.

“Don’t worry about it, Your Highness. I’m sure you’ll… get along great with him.”

Chapter Text

It had been so long since Kaveh had heard cheers so joyous before. His eyes snapped open, gasping as he sat up right in shock. Tighnari didn’t even flinch from his position at his desk. He continued working on his papers, not even turning to greet the suddenly wide awake prince.

“What in god’s name is that?!” huffed Kaveh, trying to blink the exhaustion out of his eyes. He peeled back the slick with sweat thin blanket off himself, tossing his legs over the side of Tighnari’s bed. Tighnari was kind enough to completely offer his bed to Kaveh, opting to share with a rebel in their hut.

“The desert prince will be arriving in a few moments. So it’s a good thing you finally woke up,” Tighnari hummed, straightening his paperwork. He moved to his little wardrobe where he grabbed a few pieces of clothing and tossed them to Kaveh. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. It’s… sort of an ordeal when they pay us a visit. He will be the future king, after all.”

Future king, huh? He must have really let down his people after all these years. He tried hard not to let it get to him, but the dull ache in his chest was persistent as he imagined someone else on the throne. His family had been in power for centuries—would it die with him?

Kaveh took the clothes to the face, listening to the leaves rustle as they shut off the hut. With a low groan, Kaveh stretched his arms above his head before quickly changing into the clothes Tighnari was lending him. It was better than his blood stained shirt at least. He had to make a decent impression on the guy who was in line for his job.

Changed now, he stood beside Tighnari and Cyno at the entrance of the village. The arrival of the carriage from the desert had attracted a rather large crowd. Kaveh craned his neck around a group of them to try and get a better look. The small crowd hooted and hollered as the carriage pulled up to them all. They clapped and clapped and Kaveh couldn’t even remember the last time he got an entrance like that. Whoever this Prince of the Desert was, was clearly a huge deal.

The sumpter beast skidded to a halt, the door to the carriage stopped right in front of the three of them. Kaveh puffed out his chest, feeling so bare in the peasant garb he was borrowing. It wasn’t very often he met princes, even if dubbed ones, and he felt like he probably should have been looking his best. Really, getting blood stains out of clothes wasn’t his forte, but perhaps he should try and save his one nice shirt.

Like a gust of air, the carriage door swung open and out stepped a rather muscular woman with long, dark hair with threads of gold spun right in. Her hair blocked her face for a moment, but as she raised her head to the shining sky, Kaveh was able to get a good look at her. Tanned skin, a face full of well done makeup, and not a single hair out of place on her head. She was feminine beauty as well as muscle and for a moment Kaveh reconsidered whether or not his attractions were truly just with men.

“Dehya! Dehya!” cried out the voices surrounding them.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Dehya,” Tighnari said, offering his hand to her. She swung her arm out and then grasped his hand firmly. Judging by Tighnari’s face, it was one hell of a handshake. She laughed as she let him go before turning back to the carriage. Stepping down off the stairs, she offered her hand up and inside.

“You don’t have to do that,” sighed the desert prince. In a voice Kaveh has grown too fond of lately. He stiffened at the sound, eyes locked on the figure coming out of the carriage. It was the top of his grey head that he had seen first. His breath was stuck in his chest, almost wheezing as it tried to come out. It really was him. Alhaitham—the rebel—was a prince?! Well, sort of. They claimed him to be one, hoping he would usurp Kaveh from the throne. Heat tickled his spine as the two of them locked eyes. Kaveh couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

Teal met red. Locked in and unmoving for what felt like eternity.

“You’re alive,” Alhaitham breathed out and for a moment Kaveh was able to pinpoint the sound of relief. Alhaitham took Dehya’s hand and stepped out of the carriage. The moment his feet touched the floor, the crowd went silent. The capelet he wore billowed around him as he took a step forward towards Kaveh.

“I’m alive,” Kaveh replied, equally relieved. It looked as if for a moment that Alhaitham was going to reach for him. His hand quivered in mid air before clenching to a fist and dropping to his side. His lips were pinched as he looked away from Kaveh.

“The kingdom is under most unrest with news of your death. How convenient of you to fake your death and hide out while civil war threatens to break,” Alhaitham said hotly, digging right under Kaveh’s skin. Kaveh grit his teeth together, crossing his arms over his chest. He glared at the would-be prince, tongue pressed to his cheek.

“I did not purposefully fake my death. My father tried to kill me and Cyno let me escape. I have been living in the woods just trying to survive,” hissed Kaveh. Nevermind that he had quite a nice life with the aranara. Alhaitham didn’t need to know that.

“Well, congrats on finally making the right decision and helping the rebellion out,” Alhaitham said, sharp as a knife.

“Okay, why don’t we all go back to my place to discuss like we have planned?” Tighnari interrupted. Alhaitham had bantered with Kaveh before but this? This felt heated, felt like there was supposed to be an actual punch to his words. Not just a conversation with a spark. Kaveh grabbed his upper arms, turning away from Alhaitham’s glare. Fine, be like that. Kaveh wasn’t the one grabbing his rear last time anyway.

Tighnari led the way back to his hut, he and Dehya chatting about local fauna and how he believed he could create a medicine that would help the cough that was spreading through the desert rebellion ranks. Dehya thanked him graciously, saying she would do whatever it would take to make that happen. Kaveh trailed behind them, Cyno directly beside him. Wouldn’t they just go to a hospital? That would make more sense than a rebellion leader attempting to make medicine, right?

Inside, Kaveh took a seat on the bed, Cyno sitting beside him. Alhaitham chose to lean against the far wall as Tighnari and Dehya began leading the discussions. Dehya had been traveling all over Teyvat to try and gain some allies for their side, but there was little luck there.

Dehya mentioned that the queen of Natlan was down to support the cause, but would only join at the last minute. She said that it was harder for her as she was her nation’s fairy godmother as well and could not just leave them entirely defenseless. Not when they had their own issues. The acting queen of Mondstadt at that moment was a no, but would reconsider in the near future. The queen of Liyue had decided to remain neutral unless necessary. No one had heard from the king of Inazuma, Ayato, in a while. Though, rumors of Inazuma’s own unrest and rebellion meant they wouldn’t try with them as hard.

“The kings of Fontaine are not interested in taking a firm side against King Émile. They told me they are not opposed to reconsidering if things were to start going south,” Alhaitham explained.

“Damn it! Was really counting on them because they could shut down direct trade with the king,” Dehya groaned, practically punching the air in annoyance. She pursed her lips to the side, one finger over plump maroon lips, thinking. “As much as I would like to keep things from going south—what if we have no choice? Shutting down trade access from Fontaine would be a huge advantage. Émile would be scrambling!”

“I don’t feel it’s necessary to risk more lives in another underprepared siege on the castle,” Tighnari sighed, rubbing the side of his neck. Kaveh’s eyes darted between them all, hands folded so neatly in his lap. Alhaitham was watching him from his position against the wall, face unreadable.

“You’re right. Our vanguard is still recovering from the last attack. Émile’s guards got them good and I wouldn’t feel right sending in our second string who are woefully less prepared than them,” Dehya hummed, her shoulders slinking forward sadly.

“Cyno mentioned to me last night that Émile is planning on visiting Fontaine very soon. It’s so rare that bastard leaves his castle, maybe we should strike then?” Tighnari offered, resting his chin in the crook of his pointer finger and thumb. Kaveh paused at that. His step father? Willingly leaving the castle? For an unsanctioned trip? Highly unlikely.

“When did he tell you that, Cyno?” Kaveh asked, turning towards his friend.

“Right after I gave him ‘your’ heart,” Cyno explained.

Kaveh paused, rubbing his temples as he thought about it. “I… don’t think he will actually be leaving. I worry this is a test of loyalty for Cyno. The thing is, he wouldn’t risk his own life to test Cyno. I’m sure he’d hire a trained fighter to pretend to be him in the carriage. Then, when we attack thinking it’s him—we get taken out. Cyno gets ratted out for giving information to the rebels and we lose our inside man.”

“I don’t like that you’re probably right. He didn’t seem suspicious when I gave him the heart, but he knows how close we are,” Cyno grumbled.

“So, this really is the prince, huh? When Cyno told me we were going to be recruiting him I didn’t believe it would be real,” Dehya said, a mocking laugh at the end of her sentence. Kaveh flinched at that, but was understanding. He remembered what Tighnari had told him. It only made sense.

“I was a coward, but not anymore. I wish to see Sumeru prosper once more,” Kaveh said, placing a hand over his heart.

“All of her?”

“All.”

Dehya grinned at that, offering her hand for a handshake. Kaveh remembered the intense one she gave Tighnari only moments ago and nervously took her hand in his. She practically tore his arm off, but her laugh was as light as bells in the air. God, she was a beautiful woman, huh?

“Well, then welcome to the right side, Your Highness. Name’s Dehya. I lead part of the Desert Rebellion with Candace. It’s a pleasure to have you fighting with us. Cyno assures us you’ll be an asset,” she beamed, her smile infectious. Kaveh couldn’t help but smile back.

“Pleasure is all mine, Miss Dehya,” Kaveh said, warm and comforting. Dehya covered her eyes, making a weird noise in the back of her throat.

“God, the rumors are true. You do have a smile that could kill a man. My dad always said you were the cutest kid ever. Can’t believe you grew into a cute man. How is that fair?” she sighed. Kaveh laughed with her, his chest warm. She was a delight, actually.

“Would storming the castle right now even do anything with our numbers? We recruit more people every day, but I wonder when it will be enough,” Alhaitham sighed, changing the subject immediately. Kaveh chewed on his lip nervously, shaking his head.

“No, no I don’t think so. Especially with Nahida still protecting the castle and the guards. If we were to free her, then perhaps it would make a siege easier. No magical protection for the guards and with Cyno on the inside, we could pinpoint the exact placements of certain guards. Put our weak against their weak and so on. Key points on the castle stationed with weaker knights,” Kaveh suggested, feeling oddly inspired. Eyes were on him, drinking in every word the prince spoke.

“Huh. Glad to see you aren’t much of a useless prince after all,” quipped Alhaitham. Kaveh sucked on his teeth, shooting daggers at the man with his eyes.

“He’s useful, sure, but I don’t think he truly understands the harm his step father has caused us all,” Tighnari said firmly. Kaveh’s mouth felt like it was full of sand, desperate for a glass of water. He had seen first hand the despair his people felt, just in the city alone. The thin bodies, ribs exposed. Flat, lifeless hair from hunger. He rarely saw joy filling the streets—except for that harvest festival. It was nothing like it was when he was just a boy.

“I’ve seen my people struggle. Go hungry. Fight on the streets for scraps. I’ve seen the forest and jungle begin to fall, crumble to dust. I know this is mostly my step father’s doing, but let’s truly be honest: it is all of my family. We have been polluting our land long enough,” Kaveh spat out, nodding curtly.

“Yeah, but forgive me for this Your Highness, you haven’t seen the desert, have you?” Dehya said, her voice miniscule and weak. No, no he hadn’t. His explorations rarely took him out of the city proper. The desert was a whole enigma to him. He shook his head, dropping it in shame. “Well, we can change that. His Highness Alhaitham and I are to leave in a few days. Come with us. We can introduce you to our side and show you what’s going on.”

“Please. I want to know what I will spend the rest of my life atoning for and attempting to make right,” Kaveh said, fist over his heart. Alhaitham looked away from Kaveh at that, a tight expression on his face. Kaveh couldn’t figure out what emotion it was trying to convey, but something told him it wasn’t positive.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Watching Alhaitham interact with other rebels over the last few days was pure entertainment. They all looked overjoyed to see him, speak with the would-be king. But every time Alhaitham had to interact for too long or with too many people, he would get this very tense expression. Small eyes, thin flat lips. His hands seemed to shake a little too much as multiple people spoke at once. Kaveh stood off to the side, watching a group of forest rebel girls fawn over him. He sipped at his water, shaking his head as Alhaitham tried to excuse himself from giggling girls. Girls who probably hoped to be queen one day.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Alhaitham hissed as he marched towards Kaveh and away from the girls.

“Nope. Why so troubled? You are so doted on, Your Highness,” Kaveh chuckled, popping the ‘p’ hard. Alhaitham peeked over his own shoulder to see that the girls were still watching him.

“Not interested. In any of it, really,” Alhaitham sighed, brushing his hair out of his face. Kaveh watched intensely as he did, the tiniest little gasp escaping him. His face was so sharp, strong. His nose was one of his best features with how it hung, large in the center of his face. Those teal eyes could cut you with a glare and Kaveh found he didn’t mind being on the receiving end of it. Suddenly his water was even more appealing as he stared at high cheekbones and light pink lips.

“I’ve never been truly doted on like that. You’re a prince, Alhaitham. Learn to love it,” smirked Kaveh, giving him a cheeky little wink. Alhaitham gave him no expression to read off of, causing Kaveh to shift uncomfortably on his heels.

“When we arrive in the desert tomorrow, try to be on your best behavior. Don’t just sit around doing nothing but watching me all day. You think the forest people dislike you? Don’t let them discover who you truly are. No one would believe you’re for the cause,” Alhaitham instructed. Kaveh sputtered at that, cheeks tinging pink. He wasn’t only watching Alhaitham. He was listening in to meetings with Tighnari and Dehya. He was talking about his father with Cyno! Things were happening!

Instead of, ‘I wasn’t watching you!’, Kaveh blurted out, “Don’t you believe it?”

As if Alhaitham believing in him was almost important to him.

Alhaitham shrugged, hands slipping into the pockets of his rather tight dark pants. Kaveh was able to get a better look at him this close up. Often he wore dark tones, whether blues, reds, or blacks. It was always tight fitting, like they were someone else’s clothes. And truthfully? It should be illegal for him to wear clothing like that. No wonder the girls were all over him.

“Doesn’t matter to me. All I care about is getting my life to normalcy. No rebellions. No pushing me to be king,” he mumbled, jaw set tight.

“You don’t want to be king?”

“And you do?”

“I’d do it if it means I can help my people.”

Alhaitham paused, looking him up and down with a half snarl on his lip. “Hm. Well. Keep talking like that and maybe they’ll think you’re with us.”

Kaveh kept his distance for the rest of the time they were in the forest. It was easy since it seemed like Alhaitham was dead set on avoiding him most of the time anyway. It was far easier to get along with Dehya and Tighnari and Kaveh found he really enjoyed spending time with them. They were brilliant in different ways, but mixing them together they were certainly an unstoppable force. It certainly helped that they made for excellent conversationalists.

The day that they were set to leave for the desert was the same time that Cyno was set to return to the castle. Dehya was riding with him because she had to stop for something in the city, but promised Kaveh and Alhaitham she would rejoin them in the desert quickly. She took the reins of Cyno’s cart, patting the back of the beast. Off to the side, Tighnari and Cyno had barely a few inches in between them. They talked in soft, hushed tones and Kaveh couldn’t help but watch them in curiosity. Cyno touched Tighnari’s shoulder just a little too long than he would ever touch Kaveh’s and Kaveh’s interest was piqued.

“Let’s go, Kaveh,” Alhaitham said, tugging on his collar towards the direction of the carriage.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Kaveh hissed, swatting at his hands. By the time he turned back to Tighnari and Cyno, Cyno was climbing in the cart to sit beside Dehya. Alhaitham was already inside the carriage, impatiently tapping his foot for Kaveh to join.

“Go on, Prince Kaveh. We’ll see each other soon,” grinned Tighnari, waving him off. Kaveh waved kindly to him, ducking his head inside the carriage. Thankfully there was a seat across from Alhaitham. He would have hated it if they had to sit thigh to thigh for hours back to the desert. Though, he wasn’t sure if staring at his face for hours was a good idea either.

“You… look better,” Alhaitham said, breaking the silence after they pulled away from Gandharva Ville. Kaveh raised an eyebrow, mouth slightly downturned. Dehya had given Kaveh a disguise to hide his identity. According to the people of Sumeru, Prince Kaveh was dead. The desert wasn’t just the rebellion, regular citizens lived there too. It was one thing for the small collection of forest rebels to know the truth. It was another for all of the desert. It was wiser to keep the prince being alive a secret. One thing they had against the king.

“When I don’t look like myself?” Kaveh scoffed, his fingers gently brushing his rouged cheek.

“Obviously.”

Oh Kaveh wanted to kick him, especially because he was smirking across the way. Alhaitham didn’t even have to look up from the book he was reading, but he still got under Kaveh’s skin. Over the last few days, that’s how it was with them. Alhaitham would say something bluntly in that tone of his and it would rub Kaveh the wrong way. He was always a rather emotional person, rage being his number one to quickly sprout up despite his usual sweet demeanor.

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with my appearance before. As I recall, someone couldn’t keep their hand off my ass,” hissed Kaveh. Alhaitham flipped his page and read a few lines before dignifying Kaveh with a response.

“Objectively, it’s a nice one. I’m not a blind man. But really I was just trying to build trust with you. If it were up to me and Tighnari, you’d have been dead before you stepped foot in Gandharva Ville. You’re lucky we trust Cyno,” Alhaitham said. Complimenting his butt like he was talking about the weather. That should not have heated Kaveh under the collar as much as it did, but his blush was evident.

“Cyno doesn’t seem to trust you. He told me to watch out for you before,” Kaveh noted. Another page turn. More silence.

“Pretenses, of course.”

“Of course,” said Kaveh in disbelief. He sighed, rubbing his temples. “What book are you reading anyway?”

Alhaitham simply held it up, not stopping his reading momentum, “A book on mermaids that I stole from King Neuvillette’s library back in Fontaine. Ever since learning he was one, I’ve been highly interested in learning more of their history. They’re odd, but in the best way.”

“Perhaps because you’re strange like them,” Kaveh joked, a little chuckle at the end. Alhaitham finally looked up from his book, glowering at him over the pages.

“Kaveh, do not make fun of magical creatures. That’s rude.”

“What?! You just—”

Alhaitham smirked at him, giving him a ghost of a wink before turning back to his book. Kaveh grumbled under his breath, forcibly turning his body to look out the window. He wasn’t going to give this annoyance in human form any more of his attention. Alhaitham was annoying, but god was he pretty. And Kaveh couldn’t help but check him out from his peripherals. Traitorous heart.

When they arrived in the desert some odd hours later, Kaveh was shocked to see that Dehya had beaten them there. Cyno often had his beasts absolutely running so that he could get to places quicker, where their carriage had taken frequent breaks. She waved at Kaveh through the window, listening to the roar of the crowd. It was far grander than their arrival in the forest. Here in the desert, their carriage was surrounded by all walks of life. Young, old, and everything in between. They all cried out Alhaitham’s name. It was like he was a proper celebrity.

The carriage slowed to a stop and Dehya opened the door for them. Kaveh stepped out, already feeling the blinding sun blaring down on him. The air was dryer than the other side of Sumeru by far. His tongue already felt large and crisp in his mouth as he smacked his lips. Dehya helped him down and instructed him to stand by her while she got Alhaitham.

“It’s him! It’s Prince Alhaitham!” cried a child’s voice from the crowd. Kaveh turned to the sound, jaw slightly dropped. Love poured from every voice in the crowd as Alhaitham took his first steps onto the sand. They were surrounding him in an instant, but the moment he raised a hand and gave a weak smile they gave him a small amount of space. Kaveh was just about to jog ahead and catch up with him when Dehya grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.

“Don’t stand in front of him. Always stand behind him,” Dehya instructed. “The people see him as their hero and savior. He’s the people’s prince.”

“Him? But he’s so—”

“I know, but you have to see him work. I’ve never seen Alhaitham not put his all behind something. He’s good at what he does,” Dehya explained, wrapping an arm around Kaveh’s shoulders. He leaned into her blistering hot touch only for a moment, as if his body was craving the closeness of another. Perhaps years of on and off solitude would do that to someone. Though the blinding heat of the desert sun was a little too much for him after a moment and he opted to simply walk side by side.

He watched Alhaitham as they marched through the crowds. Alhaitham held his head high, face neutral, as he shook hands with his people. Every single face in that desert village was lit up, like this was a moment they had been waiting for for ages. They flocked to only Alhaitham, paying the other two no mind. Dehya explained that they were citizens of Aaru Village, a central village in the desert. Not a single rebel in sight, but they all seemed to worship the ground Alhaitham walked on. As he ruffled a child’s hair, Kaveh felt his heartbeat race. He licked his lips, watching Alhaitham work. For someone who loathed the idea of being a king, he played the part of a prince exceptionally well.

A wave of guilt flooded Kaveh’s system. He clenched his fists at his side, teething grinding into one another. That should be him. He spent years hiding out and blending in when he wasn’t hiding. Instead, he should have been a prince his people could rely on. Kaveh was a coward and he hated that it wasn’t until Sumeru was encountering serious damage did he finally pull his head out of his ass. Kaveh hoped one day he could prove to his people he was someone to rely on. Then they’d be shaking his hand and seem so cheerful to see him.

The crowd thinned out as they went further away from the carriage. Kaveh’s mind was racing a million miles a minute as they walked. About his failures, about his step father. How could he have let it get this far? How could he?

“This is where I’m leaving. My house is over that way and I believe a certain someone has sights to see. Dehya, I leave him in your hands,” Alhaitham said, nodding firmly before turning and scurrying off without a further word. Dehya clapped a hand on Kaveh’s shoulder, beaming.

“C’mon. You can meet the better half of this operation,” Dehya said, jerking her chin towards one of the nicer homes in Aaru Village. Despite it still being considered nicer, the house was still damaged. Whether from sandstorms or otherwise—it was beginning to fall apart. Some of the other homes in the village certainly looked worse for wear too. Even the homes in Sumeru City were not nearly as run down. Was this what they meant by he had yet to experience the desert?

Dehya pushed open a door without knocking, simply calling out a name. A voice responded that they were in the back and Kaveh stuck closely beside her, back straight and lips tight. The home was well lived in. Knick knacks and crudely painted pictures wherever they could fit them. Handwoven blankets thrown over divans. The smell of a home cooked meal lingering in the air, making the mouth water. This was a home, not just a house.

A curtain was pushed out of the way and Kaveh stepped inside a back room, shielding his eyes from the blinding sunlight pouring in from the large back window. A large table took up most of the room, filled with maps and papers, all scribbled on. Two figures stood opposite him, hunched over the papers and pointing at different spots on the map.

“I think I can get the Tanit to join us. I have a meeting with their matriarch in a few days,” said the man with long dark hair. His voice was warm and low, comforting in a way. Skin tanned and dark from the sun and brilliant green eyes.

“Babel can be reasoned with. We’ve been in communication with our letters. I think it would be useful to have their numbers. The Tanit are very skilled warriors,” nodded the girl beside him. Her skin was tanned, too, smooth as could be. Her navy blue hair bounced as she moved, but it was her two toned eyes that caught Kaveh’s attention. She leaned over the table, sliding what looked like pieces to represent the Tanit closer to another group of pieces.

She had an aura that Kaveh just couldn’t ignore. Her arms were strong, clearly so, but there was a hidden strength he couldn’t quite put a finger on. There was something bubbling under her surface and Kaveh was curious to see if he’d ever see it.

“Dehya, you’re back. Excellent. I need you to work with Mazaar and Berat to get their teams whipped into shape. They will be expecting you soon,” said the girl, not even looking up from her map.

“Man, walk into the door and I’m given a task. That’s our leader for you. Your Highness, this is Sethos our strategist, and our ultimate leader, Candace. I run the warriors into the ground and Sethos gives us battle plans. Candace is the best of both worlds for the two of us,” Dehya said, gesturing to the two of them. Uttering the words ‘Your Highness’ seemed to capture both of their attentions. Heads snapped up in almost sync as they looked over at the two of them.

“Pleased to meet you,” Kaveh said softly, giving them a little bow.

“Cyno wasn’t kidding. We really did recruit His Highness,” Sethos chuckled, his voice in disbelief.

“And we’ve brought him here, because?” Candace asked, but there was no malice as she spoke. Her tone was almost kind, really. She looked at the prince quizzically, as if she was trying to get a read on him. Kaveh wiggled uncomfortably, feeling like a hunk of meat. Or perhaps a vase on auction, determining its worth.

“It was suggested the prince should see the devastation in the desert first hand. After all, no one has seen him out of the castle since he was a kid,” Dehya explained.

“I want to know what I can do to help. I want to see what happened and start making a plan to—to fix it. I can’t just sit idly anymore,” Kaveh said, a hint of insecurity bleeding into his tone. These were the people most affected by his family—Dehya was kind and accepting—would they be?

“Your Highness, you’ll have to forgive me if we don’t believe you off the bat. It’s appreciated that you are here now, but that’s exactly it—why now?” Candace asked. Again, no anger, no hurt. Just a person trying to understand.

“Too many years did I hide away in fear of my step father. Once I began seeing the Withering myself did I realize I needed to do something for Sumeru. It wasn’t until my father had an attempt on my life did I finally do something about it. Tighnari found me, took me in, and I swear I’m for the rebellion,” Kaveh said, holding his hands up in defense. Sethos and Candace simply stared at him. Their eyes were wide, curious. Kaveh waited, letting the awkward silence fill the air.

“The King has made you an enemy?” Sethos asked, blinking his eyes in confusion. Kaveh shrugged with a nod, as if to say ‘I guess so’.

“Then an enemy of King Émile is an ally of ours,” Candace shrugged, getting back to the map. Sethos then turned to look at her before looking back at Dehya and the prince.

“That’s it? We’re just supposed to believe him?” Sethos sneered.

“He has come to Aaru Village in peace. I’m going to believe his word like my father believed his father’s,” Candace said.

“Émile spoke with your father?” Kaveh asked, curious as he had never heard of anything like that.

“You were too young, like I was, Your Highness. No, the true king of Sumeru. Your father was in negotiations with my father to restore the desert to her former glory. To give us our independence,” Candace said, staring Kaveh down. Her eyes were beautiful, even overshadowed by the backlight. There was something sharp about them, always studying the movements Kaveh made. “I will treat you with the same respect that your father gave us.”

“Thank you, Candace. Honestly, I want to help,” Kaveh nodded. She smiled at him, her eyes crinkling in the slightest.

“I trust that you do.”

Sethos squinted, clearly untrusting with the way he was eyeing Kaveh up and down. But as he looked at Candace and Dehya who were giving the prince a smile, he sighed, hunching forward. Candace waved the two of them forward and Kaveh took a nervous step towards the table. Dehya pushed his back, causing him to let out a weak little ‘whoa!’ as he almost toppled over.

Candace explained where the desert currently sat with their plans. They were still recovering after the last attempted siege and Kaveh offered similar advice that he did to the forest rebellion. The desert rebellion was clearly the most prepared for an all out war, especially with having the numbers to back them up.

They discussed battle plans, with Kaveh having little input as they did. He did sit back and take it all in. These people wanted his step father gone and though it pained him to think of taking the man’s life to stop it all… it was probably what Sumeru needed. Émile wasn’t going to give up the throne so easily, he was sure of it.

After a little while of strategizing and getting to know each other, Candace offered to give Kaveh a tour of the village. It was the most central and viable civilization in the desert and yet it was still in need of serious help. Sethos was returning to his home to discuss with his team and Dehya had training to do. It was just the two of them, walking around the village.

People stopped to talk with them, laugh with Candace. She treated them with such warmth and kindness that it nearly crushed Kaveh’s heart. Candace was all smiles for her people, clear that she took on almost a chief like role where they were. The people looked up to her like they looked up to Alhaitham, but actually wanted to do the job by the looks of it.

The people of Aaru Village were friendly to Kaveh. He remembered the name that Dehya gave him back at Gandharva Ville, Kavus, so that the people would not recognize him. Introducing himself as such felt clunky, but hearing how sweetly they said it back to him was worth it. It beat the death glares the forest rebels were giving him back in Gandharva Ville.

While the people were pleasant, the surroundings were far from it. From dilapidated homes to people not even lucky enough to have a roof over their head. Starving in the streets, skin and bone. They went by a barely operational hospital, overworked and understaffed. With far too many sick and injured to take care of. The school only had a few classrooms, with not enough students inside. Aaru Village was supposed to be the most viable place to live in the desert, but it was just a mess.

Kaveh thought back to his childhood. When zaytun peaches were his favorite. He’d eat his fill, until it dribbled down his chin and then some. Kaveh would tear into a fruit bowl without a care in the world, leaving half eaten food for his servants to deal with. Sure, he’d share with anyone and everyone, always offering a bite to them first. But he thought back to all those wasted peaches and felt sick to his stomach. These people would be happy for just a bite and there he went throwing the whole thing away.

“It has been this way for far too long,” was all Kaveh could say when they had a moment alone. Candace shrugged, leaning against a stone brick wall. She looked up into the sky, a soft smile on her face.

“My father had a vision for a new nation. So things could be like they were in King Deshret’s day. Your father wanted to help him achieve that,” Candace said.

“My father was a very kind man. All he ever wanted was for everyone to be happy,” Kaveh sighed happily. He joined her against the wall, their shoulders brushing.

“I admired your father a lot. I had sat in on one of their meetings and gosh—the way that man lit up a room with just his smile. People talk of Queen Faranak’s beauty, but my mother talked about how your father’s eyes sparkled in the desert sun. Gemstones plucked from the ground, like the ones you have. Eyes that captivated all and could make anyone do his bidding, but he wanted to do everyone else’s bidding,” she laughed weakly. It was… interesting to hear someone else speak of Kaveh’s father.

He had his own memories of childhood, of course, but as time went on he wondered if he could even recall what his nose even looked like. Yet there she was, talking about how he made everyone feel. How Kaveh had his eyes. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, coughing awkwardly.

“I miss him, my dad,” Kaveh said, plain as day. Like his heart didn’t shatter every time he thought of the life he lost. “I wish I got to know your father like you knew mine.”

Candace smiled again. “I wish too, Your Highness. I wonder if he would put his trust in you.”

“He clearly raised a strong leader. Candace, I look forward to working with you. It’s so clear you care for the people of Sumeru and I wouldn’t want to be on anyone else’s side,” Kaveh grinned, offering his hand. Candace shook it lightly, letting her hand drop delicately.

There was silence for a while between them as they watched people walk by. The sun was beginning to set, a subtle chill filling the air. Kaveh cleared his throat, capturing her attention again.

“For the record, if King Émile is removed from power, and I were to ascend to the throne… I would happily work with you to give the desert its independence. My father clearly had a vision and I intend on seeing it out. I would love to see the desert flourish like in its prime centuries ago,” Kaveh said. Candace shook her head with a chuckle, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“No offense, Your Highness, but I would rather one of our own sat on the throne. Unless you can truly prove yourself,” she smirked.

Kaveh nodded at that, giving her a little shrug. “None taken. Perhaps someone other than Alhaitham?”

Candace laughed at that. A full body laugh that sounded like a babbling brook, cool and refreshing. Kaveh couldn’t help but laugh with her, wiping a mock tear as he did.

“Perhaps you’re right, Prince Kaveh—”

“—Please, just Kaveh.”

“Kaveh. You might be right. But he’s who the people want after all,” she smiled.

“Right, I had been meaning to ask that. I heard the people of the desert believe he’s the reincarnation of King Deshret—is that true?” Kaveh asked, resting on his side now to watch her. Candace pursed her lips out, cocking her head to the side to think.

“When we were still kids, I had a vision. This wasn’t exactly a brand new thing to me either. The village tends to rely on me and these rare visions. So, when I had a vision about twelve year old Alhaitham, his birth, and King Deshret? Well, everyone doted on him after that. Maybe I believe it, maybe I don’t. But I believe in Alhaitham,” she shrugged.

A vision? Kaveh blinked at that, puzzled. It was unheard of for anyone but the Great Fairies to have magic. While incredibly rare, it very well could happen. Candace was just human after all—how could she have visions?

“Candace, do you wield magic?” Kaveh asked plainly, ignoring the rest of what she said. It was her to stare at him, bewildered, with her lips slightly parted. Her mouth cracked into a weak smile as she looked back up at the sky.

“Maybe.”

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

Oh those girls were evil. The rebellion did not fight for good, they were actually wicked. Conniving, evil, manipulative. How could they do this to poor Prince Kaveh? He thought he was starting to get along with them all rather well too! When Dehya and Candace said they had the perfect place for him to stay while visiting the desert, he had no idea they would lead him there.

Kaveh had happily knocked on the door, without a care in the world, as the two girls walked away snickering behind their hands. He was prepared to introduce himself as his alias, offer to clean up after himself and cook if needed. Whatever he needed to do to intrude on someone else’s home.

Needless to say when the door opened and Alhaitham was standing on the other side of it, Kaveh’s smile fell right to the sand below. He could vaguely hear a shout from Dehya along the lines of good luck just as Alhaitham leaned against his doorframe. Oh, how could they do this to him?

“Hello, Prince Alhaitham. I’ve been informed we are to be temporary roommates,” grumbled Kaveh, not wanting to look Alhaitham in the eyes. There was an uncomfortable stretch of silence and he thought about turning around and sleeping outside when he was yanked inside by the collar of his shirt. Kaveh let out a shout of surprise, hearing the door slam behind him.

“You can sleep on the sofa if you must be here. I only have one bed,” Alhaitham said, already turned away from Kaveh, with one hand in the air. He began to walk away from Kaveh, his other hand on his swaying hip.

“Sofa?!” Kaveh gasped. He may have been mistreated most of his life, but there had never been a time that Prince Kaveh had ever slept on a sofa. Even Tighnari gave up his bed to him, despite Kaveh insisting it wasn’t necessary. Though, he was incredibly appreciative. He stammered, reaching forward and yanking Alhaitham to a stop with a hard yank. “You aren’t even going to try to offer your bed?”

Alhaitham whipped around, that unreadable mask back on his face. “Why should I? You’re coming into my home unannounced. I can make up the sofa. You’ll have to excuse me princess, but I wasn’t expecting company. Nor is it wanted.”

“You! It is just common courtesy to offer up a reasonable accommodation for a guest,” Kaveh hissed. What was it about Alhaitham just seemed to fire him up? He had always felt emotions strongly, sure, but it was like everything this guy said just set him off.

“Sofas are reasonable. I was told you were a kind and generous child, so what happened? Did your step father actually rub off on you?” smirked Alhaitham. A sharp pain ripped through his chest. Kaveh groaned, flopping forward dramatically, like his limbs were just soft noodles.

“Fine. Fine. The sofa will be fine,” Kaveh gave up. He peeked up through his lashes to see Alhaitham scanning him with his eyes. Was he sizing him up? Judging him in his mind? The latter was probably true.

“Can you promise to stick to one side of the bed?”

“...Huh?”

It took Alhaitham stealing the pillows from his divan out in the living room and using them as a blockade, but the two managed to fit onto his bed. Pressed firmly to Kaveh’s back were those pillows, but at least he was sleeping in a warm bed. He pulled the covers up to his chin, shuddering in the chill of the desert night. It was nothing like the sticky air back home. He could feel the cold from the tips of his fingers down to his toes, freezing from the inside out.

“You get used to it,” Alhaitham said in the quiet darkness.

“Get used to what?” Kaveh asked, his teeth chattering so loudly in his skull.

“The cold. Living out here, the cold gets bearable. It helps when you spend all day in the blazing sun. Warms you from the inside out. Then the night cools you right off. It’s not so bad,” Alhaitham explained, like he was trying to comfort Kaveh.

“Right, well. Now it’s pretty bad,” chattered Kaveh, drawing more into himself. Before he could even realize it, the bed was shifting beside him. Alhaitham had already gotten up and disappeared for a moment. Kaveh continued to shudder in the cold, his nose sniffling.

More warmth enveloped him as another blanket was carefully draped over him without a single word. The bed dipped once more as Kaveh tried to pull every limb under the second blanket as well. It certainly helped the bitingness of the cold and his teeth slowly stopped chattering.

“Thank you,” Kaveh said.

“Beats feeling you shake all night,” Alhaitham said. And Kaveh was pretty certain that was as close to your welcome as he was going to get.

Chapter Text

Watching Alhaitham interact with the desert folks wasn’t entertaining like it was watching him with the forest rebels. No, he wasn’t awkward and desperate to get out of there. He was handing out fresh food to people in need with—well. Still a flat expression, but it wasn’t reading as uncomfortable or negative. People were touching him and he wasn’t shying away from their touch. Kaveh was able to follow closely behind, happily sharing the food with children and the elderly. People were chatting with Alhaitham, paying no mind to Kaveh.

It was interesting seeing another side to Alhaitham. Every morning now, they had gone out to make sure food was being delivered to everyone in the village. It wasn’t a surplus, but it was enough to make sure someone had a meal to get through the day. Later in the days, they would venture out to further and much smaller villages. Ones that were even more worse off than Aaru village. Alhaitham would feed them too, talk with them. He was showing more signs of proper leadership than Kaveh had ever seen before.

Seeing the state of the smaller villages left Kaveh broken-hearted. How neglected had the desert gone? For how long? Clearly his birth father had plans to help, so he must have known. Did all of the past kings and queens know? Did they just not… do anything? How?! These were people of Sumeru and deserved to be treated as such!

Anger boiled inside of Kaveh the more he saw the desert falling apart. Seeing his people starve and light up at the promise of harra fruit and bread. If he could storm his own home and tear apart his kitchen to feed his people he would. God, he ached. He ached deep in his bones watching parts of homes crumble even as they walked by.

Fix this. He would fix this, all of this. He would rebuild every home by hand if he had to. Design them, fund them—everything. Kaveh would do everything in his goddamn power to fix the wrongs his family had brought to these people. Joining the rebellion despite his fears was the best decision because at least now he could do something.

His ears were ringing as he watched another family profusely thank them for giving them supplies. Alhaitham was talking, but Kaveh couldn’t hear a single word. Sweat rolled into an unblinking eye. All he could do was stare at Alhaitham, unmoving. The ringing grew louder and louder, fighting with his mind who could only repeat ‘fix this’ over and over again. More sweat dripped down his body. Sand in his shoes. On his hands. In his hair. Kaveh didn’t have the basket of food in his hand somehow. Did Alhaitham take it away?

Scratch. Itch. Crawl. Sand was eating away at his skin. Sweat made him even more itchy. Kaveh scratched at his palm mindlessly, watching Alhaitham’s mouth move. 

‘Fix it. Fix all of it. Fix everything your family has ruined,’ Kaveh thought, his own mind turning on him. A drink would fix him. Maybe multiple drinks. Maybe so much wine that he didn’t even remember this little freak out. A hand was slipping into his, but fingers weren’t interlocked. There was no way for Kaveh to idly scratch at it now—oh he was moving. His legs were moving, but he couldn’t register it. They were walking away, but to where?

Shade. There was shade. The sun wasn’t glaring at him from the sky, judging him for the sins of his family. Inside? They were inside somewhere? His ears continued to ring louder this time. Almost a buzz.

“Kaveh,” was the first sound to rip through the buzz. Kaveh blinked his eyes, gray and teal coming into focus. Alhaitham was eye level with him, watching his face with meticulous eyes.

“Wh-What happened?” Kaveh croaked out. The itch buzzed under his skin as he slowly reached up to wipe dirt and sweat from out of his eyes.

“You tell me. I looked over and you were freaking out. I brought you into Utem’s home. Is it the heat? I know you aren’t very used to the desert and we’ve been doing this for a couple days—” Alhaitham said, brushing Kaveh’s bangs out of his face to feel his forehead. When his usually warm hands actually felt cool, Kaveh shuddered.

“Heat—probably. Other stuff—also probably,” he admitted through his teeth. Alhaitham’s hands were on him, feeling the heat of Kaveh’s skin. Eyes never left his face, watching for Kaveh to possibly freak out again.

“Were the crowds too much?” Alhaitham asked, his voice almost quiet. This question somehow seemed to snap Kaveh more out of it. He shook his head, scrunching his face as he did so.

“No, no. Crowds don’t bother me. I’ll be fine, I promise,” Kaveh said.

Alhaitham paused for a moment. “When too many people are talking at once or if it’s too loud in a room, my body shuts down. I—get rude. Ruder than normal, before you can even get a quip in. It feels like everything’s on fire and I might collapse under the pressure of it. Is… that what you’re experiencing?”

Was Alhaitham willingly sharing something? The last couple of days have been nothing, but small talk. Talking to the people of the desert. Asking if Kaveh had any allergies while Alhaitham cooked them dinner. This felt like letting Kaveh in, even if only a foot in the door.

“No it’s not. Look, I promise I’m fine. I think the heat is just getting to me,” Kaveh sighed, pushing back his own sweaty hair. Alhaitham stared at him for a moment longer, as if waiting for him to say more.

“Fine. Let’s go back. I think we’ve done enough for today,” Alhaitham said, grabbing Kaveh’s hand once more. He didn’t interlock their fingers, but he dragged him right back to their carriage. Kaveh swore his hand was going to melt off from the contact.

When they returned to Alhaitham’s home, Kaveh was completely beaten. A few days in the sun and his body was ready to give up. Perhaps he was far too sheltered if a little sunshine was wreaking havoc on him. He nearly collapsed as they walked into the front door.

“I’ll get started on dinner if you’d like to take a nap in the living room,” Alhaitham said, shrugging off his sun protective cape and placing it on a hook by the door. Kaveh had borrowed one from him and hung it up next to him. They looked like they belonged together, teal and red. Despite the fact they were both Alhaitham’s.

“Yeah, that would be nice. What are you making tonight?” Kaveh asked, already making his way to the divan in the back of the room. He was already curling into a ball when Alhaitham walked by to enter the kitchen.

“Fatteh with chicken,” he replied softly.

“Mmm, yaaaay,” Kaveh yawned, his eyes fluttering shut. It felt like fingers lightly brushed through his hair, but Kaveh was sure that was his imagination. Before long, he was out like a light. A cat who had been bathing in sunlight for too long.

The smell of food and Alhaitham gently calling for him was what woke him up not long after. With a big stretch and matching yawn, Kaveh sat up right before joining Alhaitham at the table in the kitchen. It smelled delicious in the house and he was eager to dive in. Alhaitham already sat at the table, giving Kaveh a serving of dinner. A book sat beside him, much like their other silent dinners.

The only sounds were them eating and the turning of Alhaitham’s pages. This was how it had been since Kaveh had intruded on his home, but he didn’t mind. Why interrupt Alhaitham’s daily routine entirely? After a day like today, he wasn’t sure he’d be up for much talking anyway.

“Where did you get that bruise anyway?” Alhaitham asked out of the blue, not even looking away from his book. Kaveh stiffened at the question, fingers immediately moving to touch the nearly faded bruise on his cheek. It was at the ending yellowing stage, barely even there. How did Alhaitham notice?

“You can tell it’s still there?” Kaveh whispered.

“Yes, it’s nearly gone, but it was clearer before too. I’ve been up close with you before. It’s easy to see the yellow where it shouldn’t be. Was it from Cyno when he was supposed to kill you?” Alhaitham asked, pausing to shovel food into his mouth.

“No! No, Cyno could never actually hurt me, hurt me. He did pierce my chest with his polearm. Though, that’s pretty much healed. The bruise is… something else,” Kaveh admitted, shyly looking away from Alhaitham. It was then that Alhaitham actually closed his book and set it down.

“Not going to share what?” Alhaitham hummed, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.

“Do I have to?”

“Of course not, I’m just curious.”

“...Émile did it.”

Slam!

Kaveh wasn’t expecting Alhaitham to drive a clenched fist onto the top of the table. Their silverware and plates clattered, causing Kaveh to flinch at all the sounds. He nearly jumped out of his skin as Alhaitham cleared his throat.

“Sorry, sorry. You’re saying—what exactly? That the king hit you?” Alhaitham said, his voice much tighter than before.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that’s sort of… his thing?”

“And what do you mean by that?”

Kaveh wiggled on his seat nervously. “Exactly that. He’s been doing it since my mother left. I’ve just… accepted it as a part of himself. He’s the king after all. Can’t fight him off or I’ll be killed for treason. Or worse.”

Alhaitham didn’t move for a long time. Kaveh almost thought he broke him, but that was impossible. Kaveh could be annoyed by Alhaitham, but Alhaitham couldn’t be annoyed by Kaveh. It was their dynamic, right?

“So you seriously let all of us think that you were an unkind, uncaring prince? When in reality he beat you to silence? To submission?” Alhaitham asked through his teeth. Kaveh had never seen the man so tense before. His jaw was set so tight he was worried about him cracking a tooth. He reached out for a moment, but hesitated. Kaveh slowly lowered his hand, trying to think of how to respond to that.

It wasn’t that he wanted them to think that of him. That was how his people perceived him because he wasn’t around. Perhaps it was warranted. Maybe he could have risked being charged with treason, at least his people would have known he cared about them.

“...Yes?”

Why was he talking about this with Alhaitham anyway? Why did he feel so compelled to tell him his darkest secret? There was just… something about him. He had felt it from their first meeting, even if Alhaitham insisted it was all a farce. An air of comfortability with him. Something about Alhaitham drew Kaveh to him. An invisible pull. He wanted Alhaitham to look at him, but not with hate in his eyes. He wanted more dinners in silence, even if uncomfortable. There was something about him.

It drove Kaveh up the wall.

“Well. I’ll be the first to say I am sorry, then, Kaveh,” Alhaitham said after too long. He pushed his plate away, like his appetite was ruined. The urge to reach out, to touch, to comfort was too strong. Kaveh chewed on his bottom lip, settling for scooting his chair a little closer so that their knees knocked together.

“For what? For believing I had abandoned you? I practically did,” Kaveh said quietly. Alhaitham’s eyes snapped off his plate to look at Kaveh seriously.

“Don’t say that. It was life or death, right?”

“What, did you think I was some heartless monster?”

“Kaveh, your people went years without hearing from you. You locked yourself away, or so we thought, while we all suffered. Our parents taught us to hate you—well. Their parents. What else could we think?” Alhaitham sighed.

“I couldn’t leave. I had to sneak out if I wanted to do anything. I tried to get my step father to listen to me about the rainforest. He hit me for that too,” Kaveh admitted, rubbing the side of his neck. Alhaitham made a little noise in the back of his throat, shaking his head from side to side.

“I think it will be very satisfying to assassinate your father,” Alhaitham hummed, low and calculating. Kaveh chuckled, waving his hand.

“I agree, though I’m loath to kill another living thing,” sighed Kaveh.

“Really? Even the man who laid his hand against you for years?” Alhaitham questioned.

“Even then. I don’t believe in killing another human being. It—It isn’t right. Even if he is the most reprehensible being in all of Teyvat,” Kaveh shrugged. For years he had struggled with the idea of wanting his step father dead. Every time he iced a new bruise from him, he wished something would take him away. Anything. Lightning, food poisoning—anything.

“Kaveh, while I respect your kind moral compass: where will that get you? What will you do if you allow him to live and he lets more die in his rule?” Alahitham challenged. Kaveh rolled his neck side to side, groaning.

“Listen, I don’t care if he dies. Probably. I just don’t know if I can do the killing personally,” Kaveh muttered.

“You should really double check whether or not you’re committed to us then.”

“Right, right, you’re right,” Kaveh gave in, his heart hammering anxiously in his ears. No, it wasn’t right. He hated his step father, but there would be no way he could draw a blade against him. He was still a human being! Couldn’t Alhaitham see that? “Can… we change the subject?”

The pair then spent the evening letting their food get cold as they talked about anything and everything. Kaveh even got to learn about Alhaitham’s childhood. His parents were out of the picture for reasons he didn’t even know. For the longest time, his grandmother raised him until she passed. Then, Candace and Dehyas’ families took him in. After Candace’s vision, the whole village did, really.

Kaveh talked about all the servants he treated like family. How they took care of him in his formative years. Their kindness trained him to be as sweet as pie, but that was because they were mirroring his own parents. They always told him he was as fair as his mother and as merciful as his father. Kaveh always took it to heart.

Talking to Alhaitham was shockingly easy. Way easier than he ever thought it could be. How is it he could pull a laugh out of him in the same breath of riling him up? Why did Kaveh feel so comfortable sharing things about his life with him? Was telling Alhaitham about his home life all it took to switch his mind about him?

Kaveh rested his cheek on his fist as he stared at Alhaitham speaking about one of his travels to Inazuma where he and the king had actually gotten into a rather nasty argument. But no one else in the room besides the two of them even knew it was an argument because of how controlled and polite their words almost sounded. Kaveh watched the way his lips wrapped around words, how his hand and eyes followed each other as he spoke. It was a subtly animated way of talking and Kaveh found he was obsessed with it.

There went flips in his stomach the more he found he could not pry his eyes away from Alhaitham. He chewed on his inner cheek, desperately trying to ignore how his heart fluttered when he made Alhaitham laugh. Things were shockingly easy with him when only a few days ago they were practically at each other’s throats. It was… different. It was nice.

Kaveh really liked hearing Alhaitham talk about the history of Natlanese mythical creatures. Even if he found he would have normally had no interest in the topic. Interesting.

“Speaking of mythical creatures, what do you know about the aranara?” Alhaitham asked, sipping his water. Kaveh shook his head at that, suddenly brought back to the conversation instead of dreamy wandering in his mind about how pretty his eyelashes were.

“Uh, what about them?”

“Do you believe in them?”

“The children’s tale? Well… yes. Yes I do. If the Great Fairy exists, how could they not?” Kaveh hummed, fully knowing they were real. And that they threw great parties.

“I’ve seen them,” Alhaitham nodded, completely catching Kaveh off guard.

“Wh-What?! You?!” Kaveh heaved in shock. Alhaitham? Pure of heart?! That was certainly impossible, but he nodded with a smile.

“It’s been a while, but we are old friends,” Alhaitham smirked. Was he messing with Kaveh? He did not know his calls for lying quite yet, but god was that convincing. Especially because he did know they were real. Would it be so far-fetched for Alhaitham to be pure of heart?

“Not shocking someone like you has never seen them before,” he teased. Kaveh’s jaw set on edge. Yeah, really far-fetched.

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

“Are we seriously going to believe him? This could be a prime time to take out the king!” Sethos hissed.

“Because Cyno trusts him. You trust Cyno, don’t you?” Dehya asked, tossing her hands up into the air with a groan.

“Cyno I trust. His Royal Highness I do not,” Sethos said, glaring right at Kaveh. Kaveh pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, his other arm across his chest. He tossed the hand that pinched him out, shaking his head.

“Fair enough, but I refuse to let you endanger Cyno’s life. Besides my completely selfish reasons for not wanting him to be killed—he’s our inside man. What are we going to do without him, hm?” Kaveh suggested. Sethos sucked on his teeth, settling into his seat. This was Kaveh’s first strategy meeting with the three of them and he wasn’t sure he was doing a good job. Tensions were high in the room, so thick one could slice it right down the middle.

“If I find out that the king really does travel to Fontaine and we missed this opportunity—I’ll kill you myself. It will be proof you’re only here to hinder the rebellion’s progress,” Sethos threatened, gripping his quiver on his hip tightly.

“And I’ll grant you that permission, Sethos, but really I’ll need you to calm down. You’re never this worked up,” Candace said, waving her hand in front of him. Sethos inhaled deeply before cracking out his neck.

“I’m cool, I’m cool. It’s cool,” he sighed, motioning for everyone to continue.

Discussions of a possible siege once the troops were healed were pushed off the table by Kaveh once more. Dehya sided with him before Sethos could say anything, stating that the Great Fairy’s magic was shielding them all.

“We get Nahida out of the castle, he loses his magical defense,” Kaveh nodded.

“What is the validity of saving a fairy who has been aiding him all this time?” Candace asked, her voice uncharacteristically cold. It was this that reminded Kaveh of that hidden strength he knew she possessed. He shuddered at her words, swallowing heavily. Her own hurt bled into her words and Dehya rushed over to place a hand on her back in comfort.

“If Prince Kaveh is to be believed, then we must know she is serving him against her will,” Dehya assured, rubbing Candace’s back.

“I promise you it’s the truth. He has her trapped in a magic mirror somehow. Trust me, I cannot lie. It’s… a part of my charm…?” Kaveh offered with a nervous laugh. The girls laughed with him, but Sethos dared not even speak about it. Kaveh inhaled deeply before he continued. “Nahida had revealed to me not long before I was supposed to be killed that King Émile had killed the fairy godmother of Fontaine. She feared she would be next if she didn’t do as he said.”

Sethos slammed a hand on the table, rushing over to Kaveh. He grabbed his collar and pushed him up against the wall. Anger boiled behind those light green eyes, searching Kaveh for any sign of a lie.

“You must be lying now, Prince. Charm my ass. It’s impossible to kill a being made of magic!” Sethos snarled, pushing more into Kaveh. Kaveh choked on a gasp, shaking his head.

“Honest! She told me! Why would she have any reason to lie through her tears?” pleaded Kaveh. He didn’t fight back against Sethos, but Sethos just growled once more, reaching for a knife he stored on his other hip.

“How dare you lie on a Great Fairy’s name?” Sethos said through clenched teeth. Dehya was rushing over now, pulling his knife away from him.

“Sethos, that’s enough. What has gotten into you lately?!” she yelled, using all her strength to keep Sethos from plunging his knife into Kaveh.

“I would never lie! Nahida is my friend. All I want to do is help her!” Kaveh barked back, getting himself heated up. All three of them were shouting over each other. Sethos continued to claim that Kaveh couldn’t be trusted and that they should just end him now. Kaveh fought back with his words, insisting that they had to help Nahida and Dehya yelled at them to stop.

“Enough!” shouted Candace, but that wasn’t what got the three of them to stop their argument. It was the rain cloud that formed in the room, a clasp of thunder as the precursor to rain falling from the ceiling. It drenched all of them in an instant and disappeared almost as quickly as it came on. Eyes were on Candace, Kaveh the most shaken up by this. Her eyes were wide, quivering as she bolted out of the room.

“What… was that?” Kaveh asked, trying to keep his voice even as he wrung out his clothes the best he could. Dehya was shaking out her hair, sighing as she did.

“Weird things like that have always happened around Candace. Besides her visions, it’s almost like she can summon things like that,” Dehya said, pulling her wet hair into a ponytail off her neck.

“And she’s… human?” Kaveh asked, nervous.

“As human as you or I,” Sethos shrugged. Kaveh nodded at that, still not entirely settled on the whole ordeal. How can a human summon water like they were a fairy? It was something he had never heard of before. Mythical creatures like the aranara or mermaids, sure, but a human? A supposed human? Perhaps the next time he were to see Nahida he could ask her if a human could be blessed with magic.

It took a few moments, but Candace returned to the room calm as ever. No one said anything about the water that fell from the ceiling, opting to move on from it entirely. But Kaveh couldn’t keep his eyes off her. That hidden strength—was it magic? Thrumming under her skin, untapped and quite possibly dangerous?

“Our next mission is to save the Great Fairy of Sumeru. We will free her from her mirror prison, provided she agrees to side with the rebellion. Kaveh, you will return to the rainforest and work with the rebels there. You know the layout of the castle better than them all, so I trust you to take point on this mission,” Candace explained smoothly.

“I’ll lead a small team inside, with Cyno’s assistance. We can return with her in hand and figure out what to do from there,” Kaveh agreed.

“Great, in the meantime, we will work tirelessly here in the desert to train our ranks for an eventual siege. With the Great Fairy in hand, this should go much smoother than before, but we cannot risk anything,” Candace said.

“I’ll make sure our second stringers are just as good as our vanguard!” beamed Dehya. The group then took a few more moments to discuss plans and travel. Kaveh noticed that Sethos very pointedly avoided speaking directly to him, but Kaveh took no offense. No one knew how much he wished everything was different. No one knew what he went through, not realizing that his own nation suffered just as badly, if not worse. No one except Alhaitham and Cyno, that is.

When they cleaned up for the evening, Kaveh took his notes with him, straightening them on the table. Dehya and Candace were off chatting to the side, smiling at each other. Candace let her fingers trail up and down Dehya’s arm, causing her cheeks to darken in the slightest way. Endearing, Kaveh couldn’t stop watching them.

What would it be like if Alhaitham touched him like that? What if Alhaitham trailed those fingers up and down bare skin? Would goosebumps follow in their wake, his skin turning red as he heated up? Things with Alhaitham were easy now—did he want to make it complicated with these odd… thoughts? There was no denying that he was drawn to him. One of his first thoughts when meeting him on the streets was ‘gosh, he’s pretty’. Natural progression only advanced by their closeness in Alhaitham’s home.

“Prince Kaveh,” Sethos’s voice cut through the dreamy haze. Kaveh blinked before turning to look at Sethos, his lips slightly parted. He gave the other man a sweet smile, cocking his head slightly as he did.

“Yes, Sethos?”

Sethos seemed to allow his words to sit on his tongue for a moment. “I don’t trust you. I don’t know if I ever will.”

“Look, I understand—”

“—But, I do hope you’re telling the truth. I hope we’re able to save the Great Fairy and that our plans will finally work in our favor. I want to believe you, so please forgive me if I never do,” Sethos interrupted firmly. He didn’t allow Kaveh to say another word, just simply walked out of the back room in Candace’s home. Kaveh stood dumbfounded, but understanding. Maybe he might never win over Sethos, but he would try.

When Kaveh returned to Alhaitham’s home after that, dinner was already made for him. Alhaitham waited at the kitchen table, their plates made up. Kaveh couldn’t stop the smile that spread on his face at the sight, utterly domestic. He took his place across from him, diving into the home cooked meal.

Recipes from the desert were nothing like the ones from home. He made a mental note to write letters to Alhaitham, requesting all his recipes. He would love to make them for Inanna and the rest of his staff one day. Maybe Alhaitham could even teach him personally.

Dinner was delicious, as was their casual conversation. He got to hear about Alhaitham’s day, and even if it was the same as the day before, Kaveh held onto every single word he said. Strange, as only a few days ago their silence was better. Kaveh preferred the sound of Alhaitham rifling through pages, but now? Now, he enjoyed their light conversation. Opening up to him the other night was the smart decision.

All they did in the privacy of Alhaitham’s home was talk now. Endless amounts of it, like they couldn’t get enough of the other’s voice. Strings plucked so carefully, a breeze in the air whistling in Kaveh’s ears. He could dance to the sound of Alhaitham reciting a poem he had read earlier in the day. There was melody in the dulcet monotone sound of Alhaitham’s voice and Kaveh was… enamored.

They cleaned up the kitchen side by side. To think this was Kaveh’s last night in Alhaitham’s home. When would be the next time they were going to have dinner together? Would he ever see the beautiful cerulean tiles of his kitchen he adored? Kaveh let his fingers slide down the cool tile, humming low to himself.

“This is my last night here. You’ll have your bed and pillows all back to yourself,” smiled Kaveh, turning around to see that Alhaitham was already right behind him. Alhaitham smirked at him, head tilted.

“Great, it’ll be nice to be the only one living here again,” he teased, but Kaveh wondered how far the truth stretched in that.

“Shut up,” Kaveh laughed, swatting at him affectionately. The pair retired to the living room, sitting on opposite ends of the divan. Kaveh curled up on his side, just watching Alhaitham. Alhaitham didn’t have a book this time, but he did rest on his side, eyes just slightly closed. His breath slowed, as if he was about to fall right asleep there.

“Alhaitham?” Kaveh asked, breaking the silence.

“Hm?” he cooed sleepily.

“How come you don’t want to be king? After all my time here with you now, it’s clear you’re good at what you do. Besides, everyone seems hellbent on having you replace me anyway,” Kaveh snorted. Alhaitham peeked at him from one slightly opened eye, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Because I want an easy life. An easy life I get to control myself. No stuck up rules. No making sure people don’t die. Diplomatic affairs have never been my strong suit. I’d like a lazy life if you really wanted to know,” Alhaitham admitted.

“Really? You don’t think you’re fit to lead?” Kaveh asked, leaning closer to him.

Alhaitham shook his head. “Not that at all. I think I could be an exceptional leader if I put my mind to it. The issue is I don’t want to put my mind to it. I think playing the queen could suit me. Very little politics. Big perks.”

“So marry a king if you so please,” Kaveh laughed. Alhaitham had his eyes opened for that, eyeing Kaveh up and down. It actually made the prince a little nervous under the collar, so he flitted his gaze away from Alhaitham’s. His cheeks dusted a light pink.

“I just might.”

Kaveh laughed nervously. “You’ve changed since deciding I’m not a monster.”

“Well, it means I don’t have to hate you like I once did. I’m still rationalizing it,” Alhaitham shrugged, leaning into Kaveh’s space. With Kaveh’s knees drawn to his chest now, leaning over them, and Alhaitham sprawled on his side, close to Kaveh—it was intimately warm on the divan.

“Hated me? Even… at the ball?” Kaveh asked, breathless. He thought back to how they couldn’t seem to let each other go. How Alhaitham’s hands seemed to travel up and down his body. They couldn’t get enough of each other and it hurt to think that while Kaveh thought Alhaitham beautiful, he thought the worst of Kaveh. Alhaitham stiffened and Kaveh wondered if this line of questioning was something he might not want the answer to.

“Even then. There was a reason Cyno distrusted me around you despite fully knowing who I am. Seeing you at the ball... well I almost took you out myself. Kaveh, I wanted you dead,” Alhaitham started with a huff. “We all did, truly. But you came in like a whirlwind and started changing minds. We hated you—some still do. Distrust you, too. For me, it’s… complicated. Though, not to fuel the prince’s ego—you are objectively very attractive.”

Kaveh wished he could take that as a true compliment, but it felt forced. As a way to lessen the blow of Alhaitham admitting how deep his resentment to him and the royal family actually ran. He rested his chin on his knees, frowning deeply. That bone deep ache of remembering how badly his family messed up crawled its way up front once more.

“It’s… hard to come to terms with this. For so long, I’ve been told to hate you and your family. And even when I grew my own brain and could form opinions, I still hated you. Years of hating you and praying for your downfall so that the people I love could be happy. 

“After my grandmother passed… I had no one. I was utterly alone and then Candace and Dehya took me in with their families. They were best friends and Candace told me she ‘always felt a connection’ to me. It made sense when the vision came a few years later. But Cadance’s father was the head of the budding rebellion. The moment your step father became… horrendous and cut us all off—well. I hated you. Hated what your family stood for. You ruined us and I wanted revenge for hurting the people who loved me. My family,” Alhaitham explained, craning his neck as he spoke.

He paused once more. “Your family ruined the life I had hoped to build for myself and the ones I love.”

“Alhaitham, I’m so sorry. There was so much I wanted to do, but I have no power. No say. He wouldn’t let me do anything,” Kaveh assured, pleading really. His voice was small, squeaky, just hoping that Alhaitham believed him.

“I know that now. That’s what makes it so hard for me. I’ve been presented with new facts to go against what I had known for so long. It was easy to hate you when I didn’t know you, Prince Kaveh. I haven’t told your story because it is yours to tell, but I understand you now. I’ll wrestle with logic for a while longer, despite it being the easiest thing to know for me. You’ve turned my world upside,” Alhaitham said.

“One day, perhaps, I’ll tell them. I want to prove myself without it,” Kaveh said quietly. Alhaitham placed a hand tenderly on his head and Kaveh leaned into his warm touch.

“I’m sure they’d put more trust in you. I do. In fact, I actually want to fight on your behalf, Your Highness,” laughed Alhaitham weakly. Kaveh pulled his hand off his head, loosely interlocking their fingers.

“Do not fight for me. Fight for Sumeru’s prosperity,” Kaveh said earnestly.

Alhaitham snorted, “Don’t get it twisted. I fight for my family first. Then Sumeru’s prosperity. Then maybe you.”

“You’re an ass,” snorted Kaveh, pushing his hand away with a cheeky grin.

“So, Kaveh, your last night in the desert for now. Is there anything you’d like to do?” Alhaitham asked, snatching up his hand once more.

“See the stars? I’ve really only ever seen them from my window. From Fontaine. Being out in the desert—there’s got to be nothing like it,” Kaveh sighed happily. “I’ve painted them for years. They’ve always brought me… peace. Flowers and the stars.”

“Then I know the exact place.”

When the sky was completely dark, minus the beautiful full moon, the two snuck out of Alhaitham’s home. The air was frigid, sending chills down Kaveh’s spine. He shuddered against the harsh desert wind, wrapping his arms around himself as he followed Alhaitham. They trudged through heavy sand, weighing his limbs down like they were made of metal. Alhaitham urged him to hurry up and Kaveh snapped back that he was trying.

Eventually they made it to the top of a rock structure, the sky completely unobstructed. Kaveh gasped, walking towards the edge. He was completely entranced, getting a stunning view of both desert and sky. The stars twinkled in the night, brilliant and comforting. This was nothing like seeing it in the lit up Fontaine. This was unrestricted—no light pollution whatsoever. Kaveh had the whole sky to himself.

And Alhaitham. Who he remembered was with him when Alhaitham wrapped a woven blanket around the shivering prince’s shoulders. Kaveh greedily accepted the blanket, humming as he snuggled inside of it. It smelled like Alhaitham, of old pages and sunshine with just a hint of something sweet, and it was comforting. It was like he was wrapped up back in the bed they had been sharing while Kaveh was visiting.

“God, it’s beautiful,” Kaveh stated plainly. An arm was wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him flush against Alhaitham’s side.

“I see you aren’t used to the chilly nights yet. Maybe you’ll have to come back soon. Get acclimated to the temperature more,” Alhaitham said quietly. Kaveh laughed low under his breath as he wrapped his arms around Alhaitham back, stealing his warmth for himself. That quintessential Alhaitham scent was much stronger at its source and he felt so… safe.

“Maybe I will. After this mission—think you’ll let me crash with you again?” Kaveh chuckled, looking at Alhaitham with the softest eyes he could muster. Alhaitham was watching him back now, eyes wide and mysterious. Kaveh always had a hard time reading him, but the more time he spent with him the easier it got. Usually his face was flat, unable to discern a single emotion from him. Yet as Kaveh looked at him at that moment, suddenly he could read a million words from him. Like Alhaitham was a good book, Kaveh got it.

He leaned in closer, eyes trained on those lips of his. It seemed Alhaitham was feeling something similar as his eyes started to slowly close when he began meeting Kaveh halfway. Kaveh’s foot slowly began to rise as he pressed tighter against Alhaitham. Was his breath alright? Lips too chapped in the wind? Kaveh had never kissed anyone before and he just hoped it would be alri—oh no. An icy breeze ripped through Kaveh, causing him to shake uncontrollably. He knocked his head into Alhaitham’s nose, both of them softly making a pained noise. The moment was officially ruined.

Kaveh simply stayed glued to Alhaitham’s side, letting him gently rub up and down soothingly. A shooting star shot across the sky and Kaveh just had to wish for peace within Sumeru. And perhaps a peaceful life after all of this with just one man he wasn’t sure he’d ever get out of his head now.

“Thank you for this, Alhaitham.”

His voice was carried by the breeze and Alhaitham didn’t reply. He simply squeezed him tighter, giving him a murmur of acknowledgment. Kaveh rested his cheek on the man’s shoulder, looked up at the stars, and thought that this might be a nice way to spend the rest of his life.