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"Thank you, Fiori," Levi uttered sincerely, looking over at him with a grateful smile. "It certainly won't be for life. Perhaps a year at the most. If he still seems like a threat maybe I will have to lock him in prison for a longer amount of time." He lifted his gaze as they approached the palace. Two guards were posted at the entrance, and they straightened their backs once they noticed the riders.
It warmed his heart to get such a sincere thanks from his friend and he nodded. "Then I will do it for you gladly, if not happily." The rest of the ride up to the palace was quiet. Fiori was dreading what might happen with every passing step, and he nearly winced when the guards straightened up. He was not supposed to be here, no Usigen was supposed to be here.
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One guard in particular noticed the Usigen and the clothing sooner than he recognized Leviticus. HIs expression hardened, and he braced himself to attack. He exhanged a few words with his partner, who seemed more defensive. He eyed Levi more than he did Fiori. The more offensive one unsheathed his sword, "Stop right there, Usigen!" He snarled
Levi halted his horse a few feet away and held up his weaponless hands. "I'm no Usigen!"
It took every bit of strength in his body for Fiori to stay on his horse and keep from drawing his sword. He wanted to fight, to lose himself in blood and battle and pure adrenaline until he could feel clean of all this worry, but he couldn't. Levi needed him to stay still. Levi needed him to keep quiet so he could do the talking. "I am the only foreigner here, Sir."
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The second guard leaned to murmur the the first one, his eyes still glued to Leviticus.
The one guard lowered his sword only slightly as his eyes widened with recognition. “Holy shit,” he exhaled. “Are you Prince Leviticus?” He turned his gaze to Levi, though still flickering back to Fiori nervously. When Levi nodded, he lifted his hand to his jaw unsurely. It certainly looked like the prince, but they had found his body. They should tread carefully until this information was officially confirmed. “Ah—we will escort you inside and inform Prince Johannan of your arrival right away.”
“Although we would respectfully request you to dismount you’re horse,” The more defensive guard added. Just in case.
Fiori sighed and dismounted quietly, eyes flicking from LEvi to the two guards and back again. After everything that had happened, he was hesitant to call any turn of events good, but this certainly seemed… unbad. Very unbad, because if the guards recognized Levi that meant the people more familiar with him would recognize him too. "Any other requests?"
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Levi shortly followed slipping off of his horse, and he bid Ozymandius a brief, thankful pet to his muzzle.
“That you stay put, Usigen,” the first guard spat out the words. Clearly he hadn’t expected an Usigen to be in exactly friendly cohorts with the Widonian prince.
“No—no, he’s fine,” Levi held up his hand as if to quell any possible physical fight. “He’s with me, perfectly peaceful.”
The guard relented, but still eyes Fiori warily. “Fine. But I still request he give his weapons to us.”
Fi narrowed his eyes at the guard and then at Levi, sizing up his chances of getting a sword into the palace without a fight. "No. But I will give my weapons to him." He nodded to Levi. It was better than nothing. Plus he was pretty sure he could grab a weapon off Levi if he asked nicely. "I'm sure you can trust your prince to keep me in check."
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The guard chewed on his lip unsurely. It would certainly be fine if this was in fact the prince and wasn’t some Usigen trick. But what other choice did they have? “Alright. He may hold them for you.” He sheathed his own sword.
Levi nodded back to Fiori, “I’ll keep them safe,” he murmured back, offering out his hand for the weapons.
Fi nodded and then he was passing over all the weapons he'd hidden in places the guards could guess. Off came his sword belt, out came the daggers in each of his boots, and then he was patting himself own for any extra knives because he tended to forget where he kept all of them. "Thank you, Leviticus. Please… be careful with them."
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“You’re welcome, and of course,” he held the sword belt with a little bit of difficulty, but managed to tie it around his waist to carry it, and cradle the daggers, easier.
The guards watched over the scene, studying each and every movement of the two men. Once they were satisfied, they turned to lead them beyond the gates and into the palace. One of them walked in front, and the other trailed behind. The one in front ordered a very confused servant to inform the Prince Regent of their arrival.
Fi tutted softly, helping him tuck the daggers away so he wouldn't stab himself just walking into the palace. And what a magnificent walk it was, even if he was too antsy without his sword to really admire it. Where most of his home had been made for function, this place was gorgeous, with swooping architecture and gorgeous decorations. "You have a beautiful home," he murmured, peeking at one of the tapestries.
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The stony outside continued on inside, with carvings of celestial characters in the walls, and the painted ceilings, and the embroidered tapestries to add color against a seemingly monochrome gray. The floors were marble with a long line of carpet leading into the throne room on one side, and the ballroom with the staircase on the other. Just like the nobles and royals decorated themselves with jewels, so were the walls in the ballroom.
Levi took in a deep breath of the air, looking around at his familiar home. He had always especially been fond of the velvet benches and the matching curtains on the windows. “I know,” he chuckled, “Thank you…”
Fiori was both stunned and a bit surprised to see so much wealth in one place. Wealth was never displayed like this in Usige. Wealth like this was never even gathered in Usige, not when labor was the basis of most currency anyways. "You are… very welcome. Tell me, why do you have such magnificent decorations? Is this a public area??"
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“This part is, yes. The ballroom and throne room mostly when we host parties for the nobles. The rest of the castle is much more private, and where I spend most of my time,” Levi explained, taking a closer look around the room. It was subtle, but there were more decorations than when he’d left. “My brother is much more interested in showing off wealth than I am.”
Two large dogs with long coats came barreling down the steps to greet the newcomers. Levi’s expression lit up, “Ah!! Hello, there!” Levi stopped to pet his furry companions, who repeatedly let tried to jump up and lick his face. Levi laughed heartily, “Fiori, this is Boris and Alexei.” Boris sniffed Fiori’s hands curiously as his tail furiously wagged back and forth.
Semi-public then, but Fiori could begin to understand all the art. Public works were beautiful things, things everyone deserved to enjoy, even if they did seem to be a bit wasteful. Maybe his brother had them put in while Levi was gone? He snapped back to reality when the dogs were introduced, giving each a respectful nod. He didn't seem to know how to deal with animals, but he did his best, patting the dog sniffing at him on the snout. "Yes, hello. It's… good to meet you? You are Boris, right?"
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“Yes, that’s Boris,” Levi chuckled while pet Alexei behind the ears. “He’s the most friendly.” Alexei closes his eyes and tilted his head into Levi’s hand. “Did you two miss me, Huh?” Levi asked the dogs in a high pitched coo.
At this point, the guards were much more certain that this was the prince, but no less dazed and wondering what the hell had happened, and why he was back from the dead.
Fiori continued to pat the dog stiffly on the head, crouching down to look him in the eyes. Boris was cute, he guessed. Kind of scruffy, but with very bright eyes and a lolling tongue. "Hello," he said again, now that they were eye to eye. "Nice to meet you, Boris. You're very… licky, aren't you sir?"
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Boris licked Fiori’s nose in reply to that, as if he understood everything he’d said.
Levi continued to dote affection on his dog until someone calling his name diverted his attention. He nearly lost his breath seeing Mordecai stand by his brother at the top of the staircase.
Mordecai was tall for a Widonian, but slightly shorter than the man he stood beside. He wore a black undershirt tucked into his pants, which brushed his ankles. His eyes were widened into rounded circles at the sight of his lover, and a contained smile of disbelief plastered on the rest of his face.
The man who stood beside him would be very similar to Fiori—a well muscled eighteen year old clothed in a royal coat and a crown placed upon his head of elaborately braided dark hair. Piercings on his lip, his nose, several in his ear, and the scar. It dragged from the front of his ear down his jaw. He could hardly conceal his glower. It was for Levi, but he would pretend it was only for the Usigen who dared to step foot in his court.
Fi gave him a single solitary pat of approval and a gruff 'thank you' before the procession came waltzing down the stairs.
Levi looked so lovestruck it made his own heart ache with the memory of Cadmus, but he pushed that down and took in the object of such affections. Mordecai was taller than he'd imagined, dressed simply for a king's advisor, and then there was the king himself. Fi couldn't help but smile at the sight, the satisfied grimace of a job well done as his eyes raked over the scar.
This was the spitfire prince, then. Just as dark and imposing as he had been on the battlefield, with the same lack of subtlety. Even Fiori could hide a frown with more skill.
He rose to his feet, giving the princeling a shallow bow. "Your highness."
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Mordecai quickened his pace down the staircase, much faster than in a usual circumstance as he was passing the regent. His eyes were still wide and glued on Levi, all the way up until they collided into each other, embracing.
Levi gasped, burying his face in the crook of his lover’s shoulder. He took a handful of the back of Mordecai’s shirt, clinging to him as if he’d be pulled away again at any second.
“I thought I lost you—” Mordecai whispered in a single breath, soft enough for Levi, and maybe Fiori, to hear.
Johan adjusted his sleeves as he approached, his eyes darting between Fiori and Levi. “I’m glad to see you alive and safe, brother,” he expressed flatly. “And I see you brought the prince of Usige with you. He is a prisoner, I hope?” He sneered, shooting a less than subtle glare in Fiori’s direction.
Fiori felt the most peculiar mix of joy and jealousy. Hadn't he greeted Cadmus the same way when he was fresh off the battlefield? Hadn't he been just as delighted to see his love? And now Cadmus was dead and the ground was crumbling beneath him and he was so very trapped here, in this kingdom of snakes where he had nothing and everything to lose.
He was distracted from his thoughts by that glare, haughty and full of fire, and he grinned in return. Johan was so uncomplicated in his motivations—so easy. "I see no chains, prince."
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Levi snuck a kiss to Mordecai’s cheek as the advisor reluctantly pulled away. He stood somewhere between Levi and Johan. Technically Johan was still the regent, but Levi was by default ranked higher than his brother.
Johan’s lip twitched, “Still, you will be disposed of quickly.”
“—You won’t lay a finger on him!” Levi snapped, glowering right back at his brother. “He’s under my protection.”
Johan’s attention turned right back to Levi, his expression was cocktail of surprise and contempt. “I think you of all people would want to see him pay for his crimes. For what the Usigens did to you.”
Fi snorted under his breath. Johan's men had done far more damage in their three days of travelling with Levi than he'd done in the greater part of a month. "I am here as a delegate, to show our… goodwill." It was a lie, but one he was sure Levi would support. They couldn't tell Johan how destabilized his country had become, the younger prince would surely push to have it defeated once and for all. "Your first prince, Leviticus, was delivered to our borders in a most unkind way. We sought to return him as soon as we were able, with me to help communicate our deep regrets at the treatment he was given by those who brought him to our country."
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“He’s telling the truth, Johan,” Levi insisted. Although he knew Johan’s opinions wouldn’t matter anymore. Now that he was home, and Johan would pay dearly for his crimes. “Let him alone.”
Johan fell silent in consideration. He doubted that Usige would so goodheartedly return the prince of their warring country. He hadn’t expected his brother to return, and this inevitably wouldn’t be good for him. What if Levi told someone the truth? He raised his arm, “Let’s just sort this all out later.” He starkly looked over Levi and his outfit. “You obviously need to change into some proper clothes. A Widonian prince can’t be looking like some Usigen prostitute.”
Levi looked wholly respectable, draped in the flowing clothes of Fiori's kingdom. He was even wearing a shirt, which was wholly unusual for the blazing temperatures that so often arose in the south. Of course, it made sense that Johan would be angry. His plans had just fallen apart before his eyes, and he had always been more of a fighter than a thinker. It was part of why Fi admired him so much. He was a creature made for the battlefield, like Fi had been sculpted to be.
He turned to Levi, face falling into a more serious expression. "Where you go I will follow, Leviticus."
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Levi closed his eyes to conceal the eye roll at Johan’s crude, and very untrue remark. He ignored it for the most part and turned towards Fiori when he spoke. He nodded once, lowering his voice ever so slightly. “Alright. Well, first I’m going to my room. If it is still intact, at least.”
“I insisted they preserve your room,” Mordecai piped up. “Except for the dead body. That’s cleaned up.”
Fi nodded, the barest hints of a smile on his face. "Then it seems we will relive this experience again." Everything was going to be like when Levi had come to his kingdom—tour of the castle, introductions to friends, and what have you. "Will I go see a tailor as well?"
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“Well, of course if you don’t want to freeze here,” Levi chuckled, giving Alexei one last pat on the head before brushing past his brother to go upstairs. He thought about the first day he was in Usige, and this certainly did feel like a repeat of the same situation. Not exactly, but it wasn’t dissimilar.
Mordecai caught Levi’s hand in his own to walk with him. He looked over at Fiori curiously, with less contempt than Johan. More cautious and reserved from not knowing anything about him. Other than the fact that he was the Usigen prince.
Fi laughed as well, giving Boris a solid but respectful pat before he followed Levi up the stairs. He didn't care for Mordecai's staring, but he was Levi's beloved and it didn't seem like he meant any harm so there wasn't much he could do about it. "I like your dogs, Leviticus. They are very…" He couldn't think of the word in Levi's language, so he slipped back into his own. "Very wolf like. Are the all big like that?"
