"Wouldn't your darling husband be expecting you, your highness?" Zeke asked.
"If he knows better, he won't, I sent a massage." Yeran replied, annoyed with all the pretense he has to put up.
"Why are you thinking about him anyway, pay attention to me! And since when do you call me your highness?" He scolded.
"Ah my Yeran, so naive as always," Zeke snapped a finger against Yeran's forehead.
"Ouch! What?!" Yeran scowled, miffed.
"Of course I would be thinking about him, he's too damn handsome for his own good and is definitely your type, shouldn't I be worried?" Zeke put a hand on Yeran's waist, dragging him towards himself.
Yeran sniggered. "As if, specifically not after the nasty surprise you gave him this morning."
"That was too bad of me, wasn't it, to steal his husband on the wedding night?" Zeke put a thoughtful hand against his chin, tightening the hand around Yeran's waist.
"As if I care, he should have known not to reach for what that doesn't belong." Zeke sneered.
"What are we gonna do about him?" Yeran asked
"Nothing, at the moment, it doesn't say anywhere that 1st partner has to be the consort, he could be a concubine, or maybe he could have a little accident before your coronation." Zeke smirked, a cruel shadow passing along his fair features to disappear only a second later.
Yeran shivered. Startled.
"Zeke no! We can't, if even a slight hint were to be revealed of a suspicion, Dilhevia will be legally bound to call for war in honor of their prince's name." Yeran warned.
"That is, of course my Yeran, if we were to be caught, who knows what can happen in a hunting parade." Zeke smiled beatifically.
"Hunting parade? You mean the hunting parade in three months time?"
"Mmm...." Zeke hummed, nuzzling Yeran's neck.
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Zeke," Yeran mumbled, voice cautious.
"What?!" Zeke lifter his head, eyes narrowed.
"Do not tell me you cannot bear to part from your pretty husband." He stared into Yeran's eyes.
"What?! Heaven's no! But..."
"The sooner we can be rid of pests, the better."
Zeke interrupted, releasing Yeran.
"Where are you going?" Yeran questioned.
"Home, your highness, I do not live in the palace if you had forgotten,"
"Zeke,"
"Have a good night my lord, maybe visit your poor husband."
Zeke threw over a shoulder, seemingly aloof.
He glanced at a shadowed alcove just outside the room from the corner of his eyes.
'It will need to be fixed,' he thought, noticing something that does not belong.
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"Your highness," Yeran had no choice but to incline his head and accept the greeting of his new husband, met straight to face.
"Prince Aki, wherever may you be going? Have you not heard that it could attract ghosts by walking alone in the night?"
Yeran asked, throwing a disdainful glance at the long white robes his husband is draped in. Hiding how he was startled when the white figure, seeming to float along the ground, appeared around a bend in path, dim torch light not enough to illuminate him fully.
"I will heed your highness' warning. Also may I inquire where your highness must be going at this time of the night?"
"I am neither alone nor that is any of your concern," Yeran replied throwing a lazy wave at Ruth just a step behind him. Dark clothing almost blending into the night.
Not for the 1st time Yeran wondered how twin brothers could be so different, where one is almost shining like a beacon, other is not giving a hint of existence.
"Prince consort," Ruth was forced to acknowledge his brother after his presence was brought into conversation.
"Prince Ruth," Aki inclined his head, so very slightly it was barely noticeable.
If a stranger were to be looking at this confrontation, he was sure to think that these young men absolutely loathed each other.
"You better be on your way, Prince Aki, nights of Aved are colder than of Delhevia." Yeran said, not interested in wasting any more time.
"I thank you for his highness' concern" Aki bowed slightly.
"Sometimes I wonder if he is truly living," Yeran said, absent-mindedly, throwing a glance over his shoulder to where Aki had disappeared.
"You might not be the only one who does Your highness," Ruth replied.
"Has he always been like that?"
"I wouldn't know, I went the extra mile to avoid him."
"Hmm....." Yeran hummed, thoughtful.
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Yeran's head snapped up at the sound of breaking glass.
"Zeke!" He rushed to where his lover had dropped the glass, now clutching at his throat with a pained whimper, forgetting the chair cluttering to the floor behind him.
"Your highness," probably alerted by the loud bang the doors opened swiftly, revealing Ruth.
"Zeke, Zeke?" Yeran was too busy handling Zeke who had slumped in his hold.
He didn't wasted time to put a hand under Zeke's knees to lift him up into a bridal carry.
"Call the royal physician."
He yelled in terror.
Hurriedly placing Zeke in his own bed, Yeran struggled with buttons of Zeke's shirt, intending to loose the fabric when Zeke seemed to be having trouble breathing.
"Let me see your highness," Ruth approached without waiting for permission, catching Zeke's wrist, searching for pulse.
"He's been poisoned, quick your highness, open all the windows till the physician comes," Ruth didn't wasted time explaining why.
As quick as a wind Ruth rushed around the room, helping Yeran throw open the windows, blowing fresh cold air inside.
"It's cold!" The physician came dashing in at the same time Yeran exclaimed, hurrying back to the bed.
The physician and the nurses rushed around the bed, in and out of the room, preparing poultice, potions and medicine.
Yeran stood back, helpless, knowing he would only be of a hindrance if he were to approach.
Time passed, hours or minutes Yeran was not certain, he stood, as still as a statue, watching his lover's wane face, barely breathing.
Out of the blue, Zeke shot up, coughing harshly. Causing Yeran to cry in alarm when he spat out a mouthful of grim looking blood.
"Zeke!" Yeran took a step, only to be stopped by Ruth.
Zeke kept hacking away, more blood flooding out, and the physician patted his back in aid.
Zeke gave one last weak caugh before slumping back on the bed, breath still ragged, but more eased than before, only which when Ruth released Yeran, who was at the bedside with two steps.
"Not to worry your highness, Lord Zeke will be well by morning. If only for the blessing of the windows being open."
Physician assured Yeran.
"Windows?" Yeran asked.
"Yes your highness, though Nightberry is quite lethal, it does not act well in the cold. Lord Zeke's life was saved since the temperature was so low in the room."
"OH, oh, it was not me, Prince Ruth, how did you..?" Yeran turned to look.
"I am a bit acquainted in medical field your highness, by the blue tint that appeared so rapidly under Lord Zeke's eyes it was quite easy to identify Nightberry." Ruth explained.
"Prince Ruth is correct your highness, the blue under the eyes is a distinct feature of Nightberry poisoning, though I wonder how Nightberry reached Your highness' room."
Yeran glanced at the shattered glass still on the floor, red wine soaked into the woven mat, as dark as blood, and then the bottle standing innocently on the table top.
"That Nightberry was never intentioned for me. I do not like red wine." Yeran observed, his eyes almost glowing with a fiery rage.
"You!" His eyes turned to a servant. The servant jumping in fright.
"From where did that bottle came?"
The servant immediately fell to his knees, prostrating.
"Forgive this servant your highness, forgive this servant,"
"I asked you a question!" Even Ruth was taken aback by the usually mild mannered prince blowing up so suddenly.
"I..I...I....." the servant stuttered, face still pressed against the ground.
"Where. Did. It. Came?" Yeran's voice had gone quiet, scarily quiet, pronouncing each word slowly.
"The...the...the...Prince consort..." servant was almost hiccuping from fright.
Yeran snarled, everyone in the room shying away from the raging Prince.
He pulled open the doors, striding out without a backward glance.
Ruth hurried to follow him, knowing an unpleasantness is approaching fast.
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Aki
Yeran
Zeke
Ruth
Hey,
Yh, it's sort of a cultural mix, don't get offended if something's not correct, they probably aren't, my world, my rules 😉😌. Added pics only to give u a hint of aid in imagining, feel free to build urs as you wish, this is just my imagination.
Arkhane.