16一 and these bonds are irreplaceable
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ROHAN WAS QUITE CONTENT WITH his current position, sitting back to back with the Obelian Prince inside of said prince's tent as the younger boy played with his burnt-orange hair.
"It grew out..." The blonde mumbled, gloved fingers fiddling with the tips of the Duke's low ponytail.
The eighteen year-old felt like laughing at the absent-minded observation, his mouth curving into a fond expression as he slanted his head backwards in an attempt to look at his younger counterpart. "Of course it grew out. It's been months since I last saw you."
Athan simply hummed, quite clearly uninterested in making small talk and more than happy to remain in this silent atmosphere. Rohan did not give him the pleasure.
"You know the gift you've sent for Cassiopeia's birthday?" This is the beginning of a rant, the jeweled eyed prince inwardly sighed. "It somehow got in her head that it was a declaration of love, of all things. And then, that spiraled down into a mess that the two of you are having a secret affair, topped off with a far-tale of forbidden love and that you'd take her as a fiancé were it not for His Majesty's disapproval." The Grand Duke took a deep breath as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you even know what I've had to deal with on a daily basis because of that? Do you?"
Athanasius was silent, his fingers long since untangled from the older's hair, but Rohan could clearly see the suppressed laughter in his friend's shoulders.
Clearing his throat and mentally composing himself, the blonde eloquently replied, "It would have been impolite for me not to send a birthday gift for my best friend's dear sister. Besides," A scheeming upturn of the lips and Athan was watching the orange-hair with glowing eyes, "I've given you the perfect reason to peacefully rid yourself of her. I hardly believe that this is basis for frustration."
Rohan sighed and plopped backwards on the furs underneath them. It was true, but damn it if he was going to admit it.
Athan didn't seem to care either way.
"So," The Prince continued after a few moments, "how long have you been away from your fief?"
"Three weeks, give or take a few days. I'm letting my vassals stew in Cassiopeia's disillusions. It's been peaceful." The innocent tone was quite obvious to spot.
The fourteen year-old was promptly overtaken by a fit of laughter as he doubled backwards on the furs besides his best friend. To His Highness' mirth, the Duke cracked a smile.
He liked seeing Athanasius happy. He looked so much brighter when he smiled from the heart and allowed himself to be unguarded for a few moments. Rohan had come to cherish those sparce moments一 fleeting and rare as they were 一and being the cause of them was rewarding on a superior level.
Hesitant as he were to steer the subject of their discussion in the way he desired, Rohan knew that the issue had to be addressed before Athan imploded over his feelings. "Speaking of sisters, what's the deal with yours?"
At that sentence, the happiness flew out of the proverbial window and lost itself in time, Athanasius' face becoming stone cold.
He didn't speak for several minutes, and Rohan decided to give him a wide berth before pelting him with questions. Best he spoke on his own volition rather than having his friend forcefully pry answers from him.
The exhale that Athan eventually let out was equal parts tired and frustrated. "It's not exactly the issue that I don't like her, given that I personally don't care for her presence in Court."
"But...?" Coaxed Rohan.
Another sigh. "But she has decided that playing the fool will keep her out of the nobility's squabbling. She is no idiot, I can see that. She seems to believe that presenting herself as an unfitting candidate for the throne will keep her away from father's attention."
The Grand Duke hummed in realisation. "But she already has that attention."
Athan nodded, his eyes narrowing in thin slits. "She's had that attention since the day she was born. Playing the fool will only mark her as an easy target for the nobles. They'll seek to align themselves with her and create further discrepancy withing the nobility's faction." Gloved hands rose up to bury a face that had yet to loose its baby fat as the imperial prince muttered, "I knew this was going to happen, but it's such a headache."
Rohan had the feeling that there was more to this situation than his friend wasn't telling him, but wisely chose not to ram his head straight into a sensitive issue. Athan will tell him when he'll be ready.
Until then, he had a prince to escorts to the borders of his dukedom.
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IRIS POMERY WAS WELL-VERSED IN all matters pertaining the imperial court, as well as how to educate and mould a child into a respectable person in noble society.
Iris never had children of her own. She and her husband, Eugene, tried many time to conceive one, yet it seemed it wasn't written for her to be a mother. And after he died, Iris felt lost without her anchor, adrift at sea without any land in sight.
It wasn't until she was hired to look after the young heiress of the Saint House that Iris saw a new ray of hope. Miss Lucille had been a spirited young girl, bright and full of life. She was mischievous with those around her, yet never malicious. She was like the sun, blinding and radiating.
Lucille had become her daughter in a sense, and she a surogate mother. She raised that child, guided her and taught her about the wonders of the world. She watched the little six year-old grow into a beautiful young woman, and Iris felt proud.
When her little Lucy fell in love with the Obelian Prince, the prince who was so smitten with her that he would give her the world on a silver platter, Iris felt content with the situation.
It was clear that, at first, Prince Claude had been heartbroken from a previous courtship and that Lucille's attention was soothing that sadness. But as she sat on the sidelines, Iris could only watch Claude unknowingly fall deeper and deeper in Lucille's pull, watch him be confused with his own feelings before building up the courage to ask for her permission to court her charge.
She still remembered his determined face, hands trembling at his sides nervously as he looked directly in her purple eyes. She had conceded to his determination, of course. Iris was happy with how Lucy had responded to Claude's request一 every bit of the confident girl she had grown up to be.
And when they finally got married, Iris walked her daughter in all but blood down the isle and watched how she swore to love only the man before her. And then it was announced that Lucille was with child and Iris cried, for she achieved what she could not.
A beautiful baby boy was born in the cusp of spring, eyes of jeweled blue and Claude had been pulled to his duties to the Empire before the babe could have been named. But Iris did not fret. Simply because he was busy, that did not mean he didn't care.
Yet it was on a chilly summer's night that Iris left the Empress' chambers with promises to bring new toys for the boy in the morning. And then morning came, and Iris weeped for the loss of a child that was never hers.
Claude had cooped himself up in the Golden Palace, taking the newly-named Athanasius with him as paranoia set in and forbid everyone from coming into contact with the child.
It was almost five and a half years later that Claude called her to the Golden Palace to introduce his son to her. Iris had been instantly hit with grief upon seeing the prince. Lucille's golden thread-like hair and her eye and nose shape, all placed upon the cherubic version of the Emperor's face.
Athan was mischief and intelligence and curiosity all placed into one. He had his mother's kindness and his father's charisma. But the boy was equal parts heaven and hell. He was jealous and possessive and looked at any person that approached Claude as if they'd personally wronged him.
It was kind of adorable, if anything.
Athan also had the horrible habit of keeping his a metaphorical distance from all unknown people that approached him, a habit that Iris couldn't really fault him for, but would live happily without.
Iris sighed away her memories as she signaled for the maids behind her to hold onto the books in their hands for a little while longer.
The Madam's face was blank save for the thinned lips and the unidentifiable glint in her purple eyes. Iris never quite liked the Ruby Palace, no matter if Claude had never indulged in the women that ended up in here. Walking down these marble walls left a sour taste on her tongue.
A residential maid opened the door to her destination, her head dipping respectfully.
"Miss York." Iris curtsied to the younger woman that rose from the floor where she was playing with the Princess.
"Madam Pomery." She replied in kind, offering the same greeting, yet there was a tension set in her shoulders, visible in the veins on her neck. Iris did not dwell on that observation any longer.
Clearing her throat, the older woman decided to cut the pleasantries short. "His Majesty has instructed me to provide Her Highness with schooling material until she is to be found a tutor."
The pursing of the brown haired woman's lips was the only indicator to her dislike of this instruction, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.
Motioning with a hand at the three maids behind her, Iris kept on talking, ignoring both woman and child. "These are the books His Highness used when building his scholarly basis. I trust you will take excellent care of them."
"Um..." The sound drew the elderly woman's attention to the child in attendance, prompting her to speak her mind. "When did big brother start learning?"
It was a reasonable question, one that she wasn't exactly obliged to answer, yet she did so anyway, "As soon as His Highness was capable of walking and talking." Athanasius had been studying all base materials long before Iris' arrival back at the Court. Her Prince had know the material inside-out, having poured so many hours in memorising the texts.
"When shall Her Highness' lessons start?" The caretaker of the five year-old girl asked, her seafoam green eyes not leaving her own.
"Come next week."
There was displeasure in the other woman's face, subtle, barely noticeable, but Iris hadn't risen to her title as Madam by being a wallflower. She knew how to read people, and to her, Lilian York is but an open book. A book that told a story of bitter reluctance and partial favoritism.
Well, Iris couldn't really blame the younger for her obvious like of the little imperial princess. She herself was quite biased in all matters pertaining Athanasius.
Noting that should she remain any longer in the Ruby Palace, Iris would be threading a path filled with less than polite arguments, the Governess of the Sapphire Palace inclined her head and moved to leave the chamber.
"Glory and blessings upon Obelia's star." The customary greeting felt as if it was spoken through clenched teeth, yet the elderly woman refused to allow displeasure to colour her face.
"One final matter, Your Highness." She spoke from the doorway. "The Imperial Archives are accessible only to those of Obelian blood and none of the records it contains can be removed from the room."
With the orders given to her seen to completion and then some, Madam Iris felt it safe to return to the overseeing of her prince's servants.
"Aline, Josephine, Hyacinth." She called to the maids that accompanied her as her feet made haste down the marble halls. "Do tell the gardeners to see to the health of His Highness' angel trumpets. Remind Gregory to leave the incoming letters in the main study."
It wasn't long before she and her entourage found themselves walking the path to the Sapphire Palace, her orders and indications not letting up as they moved.
"Would that be all, Madam?" It was Aline who asked, intent to going back to work as it would seem.
Iris actually paused in her words, mouth slowly closing as she contemplated going ahead with this particular task. It felt wrong to do it with His Highness not present, though there was little she could do about the circumstances.
"Prepare Prince Athanasius' yearly gift. The second moon cycle of summer is nearly upon us."
She could only hope that her Athan won't be left unattended in the following weeks.
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that's a wrap on chapter 16, who was a bitch and a half to write simply because i didn't know from what angle to approach it, but it seems it worked out in the end.
also, this book has reached over 80k reads...
y'all are really the only good thing about this book lmao.
i'll see you next month!