The Captive Prince (o/o) closed

“That’s good,” he hummed thoughtfully, looking towards where he assumed the next competitor would come from. “I wish I could invite my brother here to fight,” he laughed, “Even though he doesn’t like this country I think he would love something like this. It just wouldn’t fit well in our society…” he crossed his legs, tapping his chin with a finger. When I get back I might have half a mind to send him here, he thought with a small smile. Of course he’d never actually do that, it was just a nice thought to have him get a taste of his own medicine.

“Yeah, he’d do well in the arena. He’s not as prim as the rest of us are. Dare I say he might even have a chance against Fiori?” He laughed, eyeing the new competitor. He didn’t look as promising as the others Fiori fought. “And who is this?”

(Alright! No problem, have fun!)

Levi gasped in surprise, inching away from Cadmus when he yelled, but he had a wide, very amused smile on his face. He scooted back once he was done screaming. “He looks too terrified to have personal beef. I would have assumed he was fighting for someone like the other man.” He lightly chuckled again as the conversation turned to his brother. You haven’t met my brother, he humored to himself. “Balls of steel…That’s my brother,” he chortled.

“Hah, I bet. His uncle is terrifying, but he doesn’t look like he’ll do very well physically fighting. With his age and all.” He hummed thoughtfully, but his smile gradually waned. “Family is an important thing in my country. The most important, in fact, and siblings are our first close friends. We were close during our childhood, and I… suppose I am still fond of him.” He wasn’t sure why, though, if Johan clearly wasn’t fond of him. “For who he used to be.”

Levi turned his head to listen, nodding solemnly. He furrowed his eyebrows with more concern the more he listened. Surely not every family in Nord Widona was perfectly functional, even Levi’s wasn’t anymore. But hearing about and witnessing broken families still made his heart ache. “That’s… terrible, family shouldn’t do that to you,” he frowned. “Which country are you from?”

Levi simply nodded, glancing back up when Cadmus tapped him. He sighed out a heavy breath, “Alright. Family is just a sensitive topic for me. Especially…” he breathed, “Especially now.”

“Yeah, I know,” He replied not much louder than a murmur. Making peace with the fact that his brother betrayed him so heinously would take time. Perhaps time that wouldn’t be enough in the days he had left to be here before he was freed. Maybe to make peace with it fully, he needed to see Johan face to face.

(What if/what would happen if Cadmus somehow found out Levi is the prince? Of course Levi would outright tell him, but if he accidentally shares a bit too much)

“Nord Widona?” He smiled, at the change of topic. “It’s…cold, usually very cold, but it seems to bring everyone together. Friends are as close as family, and family by blood is even closer. Our own festival is in the dead of winter. On the coldest, darkest, longest night of the year, all the citizens gather outside for markets in each major city. Everybody is in their warmest clothes, drinking hot drinks and buying and selling homemade crafts.”

(Ohh Awesome! So would Cadmus be killed before he gets a chance to tell Fi and Fi still learns Levi’s a prince when they escape to Nord Widona? Or would he be able to successfully tell him before he dies? Either way, there’ll still be plenty of drama, I think)

“Mhm,” he nodded eagerly, smiling wide. “That’s what I really love about my country. We’re all connected, especially during the festivals. Oh! I would love it if you and Fiori could visit someday, most likely when the war is over, or I could just tell the guards you two are my guests.” He rambled, getting more comfortable in these types of conversations. They felt casual, even a little bit familiar, and he nearly forgot he was imprisoned.

(Oh man, yeah I like that!)

Levi didn’t seem to notice the shift in the mood, too invested in talking about his country. “Oh, we walk around the stores, after sundown admire the lights and go to the marketplace and browse the crafts. Couples who are courting like to go there together and drink steamed wine. I usually walk around with my lover, my friends, and one day to socialize with the nobles.”

Levi’s energy started to wane, finally noticing Cadmus’ sudden disquiet in the conversation, “I prefer the company of my friends, and I spend enough time with the nobles outside of festival season,” he replied less eagerly.

Levi relaxed, passing his brief lack of enthusiasm as a simple fluke. Maybe he was just thinking; it was entirely possible. He nodded, “Yeah, it really is. But a part of it is fun, making small talk and forming connections and relationships with them. Some of them are being trained to be the next royal advisors, so it’s especially interesting to talk to them. One of them is actually my lover,” he beamed.

“Hah,” he sighed out a laugh, “I guess one might say he’s a little bit like Fiori. Only because he seems a bit cold and callous on the outside, and he’s a bit of a fighter too. No where as good as my brother or Fiori, though. He’s quite shy, actually, but with a biting personality when he’s passionate about something.” He paused, trying to think about what else he could say about Mordecai, “Oh, and we were introduced to each other at a party several years ago.” Their parents had introduced the two of them, when Levi was fifteen and Mordecai was sixteen. They had only meant for a close friendship to form, but a friendship, and then a romance grew instead.

LevI smiled, continuing to chuckle. He looked over to Fiori to watch him, just for a moment before turning back to Cadmus. “Ha, yes, actually. Johan,” the name just slipped, and his stomach dropped. Shit. He struggled to maintain his expression—Johan was a common name in his country, he comforted himself. And maybe, just maybe Cadmus didn’t know the second prince’s name.