Each year the Kingdom of Khearia throws a festival in remembrance of one of their most beloved kings who had tragically perished along with his wife and second son. His first son, Prince Fabian, was the only one to survive. Witnesses claimed his cro...
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Alex was in the same place when morning struck.
ㅤThe hurricane had passed, leaving a serene and mocking calm in its trail, the destruction strewn around in a mess. It was a scene only Alex would see.
ㅤEven now, as he sat in a reverie, his mind remained practical, already trying to think of solutions, planning new schemes. It cast no consideration or sympathy to his tired heart. Survive, survive, survive; that was all it thought. It was in spite of his will.
ㅤFletcher pushed open the door, yawning, eyes puffy from sleep. "Good morning," he mumbled.
ㅤAlex forced a small smile. "Morning."
ㅤ"Could you tie my hair for me?"
ㅤAlex sacrificed his chair for Fletcher and stood behind it, his muscles feeling cramped from setting in one position for so long. He used the brush Fletcher had given him to pass it through his hair. It was a task Alex became engrossed in, providing him with a distraction so he didn't have to listen to more futile plans. None of them would work anyway.
ㅤ"How do you want it?" he asked.
ㅤ"Top half up."
ㅤAlex didn't have a lot of experience helping people with their hair, others never tended to get this friendly with him. But, they weren't in a rush, so he wasn't worried. He had time to learn.
ㅤ"James said he'd grown his hair out once." Alex wasn't sure why he said it.
ㅤ"That's surprisingly not hard to imagine," Fletcher mused. "His hair is a beautiful colour, like woven gold."
ㅤIt was indeed beautiful. It was as if James had been designed to be a great treasure himself, superfluously blessed with bounty by Adeia Herself, carved addictively. It possessed people to want to follow him, like he could grant such affluence onto others.
ㅤAlex didn't think much of the Gods but, if they did exist, it was obvious they had favourites. Alex could imagine his own creation had been neglected for James' sake.
ㅤ"Have you ever grown yours?" Fletcher asked curiously.
ㅤ"No," Alex replied. "But, it wouldn't suit me anyway."
ㅤPerhaps Fletcher was shrewder than Alex gave him credit for, because he sat silently in thought for a few sharp beats.
ㅤ"It will," Fletcher promised.
ㅤAlex was more comfortable feigning ignorance to its meaning.
➵ ➵ ➵ ➵
Breakfast was an awkward affair, even if Riley, in particular, seemed immune. Riley had Thomas in a headlock when he and Fletcher entered the dining room. Thomas was trying to fight him off without hurting him.
ㅤ"Get off me, you brute!"
ㅤRiley laughed, leaning over to push Thomas' head down and disturb his balance. It was a blatantly disrespectful display to subject Duke Straton to, but the duke sat at the table with a grim twist to his mouth, not challenging them. It didn't seem like Riley held much respect for his uncle at this time anyway.
