Castles in the Sky

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Was it really the same man Mile had propped upright in his quivering arms as knees collapsed in climax only a matter of hours' heartbeats earlier? Or perhaps, all heady hallucination borne of the wine his aching skull scolded he had over-indulged.

This way or that, as he watched the Busaban Prince bury his father and ascend to the throne in the space of one surreal morning, Lord Orion couldn't help but feel a certain disconnect from reality.

As if it were illusions of Esen, in long sleeved black tunic and trousers, gold threads embroidering scalloped neckline to marry the glinting crown upon his head. Haloed by fragrant clouds of smouldering incense, as he walked a lined avenue of holy men, chants and wais and offerings, with cousin Ciel at his side.

Not once a glance cast in Mile's direction - so why did it feel as if there was something that tied them? Some secretive string that stretched and slackened - elasticity as required, to keep those enemies-come-last-night's-lovers attached.

"You're going to have to kiss-" - Mew's voice at his sibling's side.

"-I...what?"

"Kiss and make up, Orion. Whatever childish grudge you two harbour against one another, it's time to let go. He is your Queen's cousin and our closest royal ally now. We will meet Esen often...damn it, are you even listening to me brother?"

Mile bobbing his brow energetically - wincing - as if clearing debris...

"Yes. Yes I hear you - I'm just leaden headed from the night's hell's juice I guzzled"

"Then take it as your punishment for behaving like a brat when we arrived. Poisoned revenge of Busaba's vines"

"Oh! You heard it too?" - Jin, distant relative and notorious loose-tongued tattler, muscling in at King Solaris' elbow, much to the elbow-owner's evident distaste...

"Heard what, cuz?", Mile took the bait - groans from the elder - inquisitive nature begging a feed.

"My footman had it from Esen's carriage driver, whose mother works in the palace kitchens. The servants are saying His Majesty Asnee's death was no natural end"

"What do you mean by that?" - both Jongcheveevat siblings' undivided attention commanded then, and Jin revelling in such powerful spotlight:

"It's told the royal physician believes it was an expertly masked poison, potent enough to paralyse a healthy heart in seconds. And then the very strangest part..." - pausing for dramatic effect as if playing an on-stage encore for rapt audience - "...Is that there was a spiralled shell found lodged in one nostril"

"...Bizarre"

"A...shell? Are you certain it was that?", Solaris' voice seeming unnatural - or so his younger sibling sensed vaguely, fleetingly. And how the King's body had stiffened suddenly at his side...?

Asnee poisoned.

A shell token.

Cloak and dagger fare - though in all truth Mile didn't care. Not about that...as he stretched into a yawn.

And when he looked up it was to find Apo's eyes upon him across the temple's courtyard. Dark and unreadable - yet the slightest flick of his head towards a side exit clear - Lord Orion hustling through mourners to follow, dragged like a dog on a lead by King Esen and that same invisible string.

His heart was being tied - if he did not yet know it.

//

"Can I show you my real home?", Gulf's breath had tickled Mew's ear on return from state duties of funeral and coronation processions, "An hour's journey away into the mountains"...