dreams (alver x og cale)

Epilogue 1

"I'm sorry. I was wrong."

"Too fucking late."

Basen cringed, his eyes moving towards the gaping servants and back towards the incredible spectacle in front of them.

He would need to have a long conversation with his hyung-nim after this insanity but first and foremost, he'd need to clean up the mess. Catching the eyes of the servants and giving them a rather explicit look he followed them all into the hallway where they stood at stiff attendance.

"Not a word of this is spoken to anybody." He said severely, knowing that this would only be a temporary fix. News would spread, even if the servants didn't have loose lips there was general lack of loyalty to his older brother and plenty of rich nobles willing to ply open those lips with gold. "If word gets out, everyone here will be dismissed without recommendation."

It was a stiff punishment but the servants especially would understand what a sensitive matter this was. Some would have already noticed the opportunity within it. Some were probably just dying to tell someone the crazy thing they just saw. Basen had no means or method of reading their thoughts, he just needed them to stay quiet until he found a better solution.

The servants all nodded in understanding before being sent to their various tasks.

Basen sunk to the floor, his own mind chaotically rattling. '...shit, I probably should have brought them to my office and had them sign contracts or kept them busy or... shit... did I see what I think I saw?!'

Basen wasn't the sort to curse, not even in the privacy of his own mind, his vocabulary only sought out such crude words in times of panic and even then very rarely.

Cale Henituse, his one and only hyung-nim, was a complicated man. Basen knew him well enough to know he wasn't a bad man. He'd never done harm to his family and most injuries from his drunken tirades were actually his own.

It wasn't pleasant that he was difficult to get close to, complained about perfectly good food and drink, and kept a distance from his loved ones but that wasn't all there was to Cale.

Whenever he was nervous or scared, his hyung-nim would hear him out. Offering clipped and severe advice but good advice. There was a gentility to his brother when they were alone, almost as though he could relax just a bit with his siblings.

Cale was his fiercest protector whenever there was a hint of danger and the first person to truly accept him as a Henituse. Cale was crude and difficult but Basen never doubted that his brother loved him or his sister. He was his irreplaceable hyung-nim.

However, despite the great many times Basen had seen Cale lose his composure or cause a scene, he'd never seen anything quite like that.

Basen frowned as he gathered himself and stood, frowning at the door.

Basen actually had a fairly good impression of the crown prince. He was bright, kind, and an exceptional leader. Basen had every reason to expect great things from the future sun of the Roan Kingdom.

That and this were different matters however.

Basen scowled at the door.

What had that indecent son of a bitch done to his precious hyung-nim to cause him to become so distressed? What exactly was he apologizing for when Basen left the room?

Basen had very little room in his head for prejudice over the nature of the relationship, some surprise, but his brother was free to seek happiness with whomever he'd like.

Except Basen had plenty of disapproval for anyone who made Cale that upset. He had half a mind to go back in there and give that pompous dirtbag a piece of his mind.