Chapter Text
He stood there, an imperfect replica of the tiled painting that displayed in the middle of town: the same blonde hair, blue eyes, pointed nose, but older, more defined, yet uncertain and curious. It felt like a kick to the stomach, a slap to the face; here stood her brother, and he clearly didn’t know who she was. She couldn’t be shocked, shouldn’t be, yet she was. He’d been taken, shielded from eyesight and trapped somewhere unknown.
As a young child, Brenda had sat on her mother’s knee, blanket snugly wrapped around her shoulder’s and red pigtails lit like ember’s under the dying fire as her mother told her about her brother. The story was short, they hadn’t had him for long, but it was a story her mother was determined to tell all the same. As a young child, Brenda would lay on soft carped floor and try to imagine what her brother would be like. She’d draw him upon paper, dance the halls with his imaginary figure, and hold long tea parties in which she’d tell that depicted version of him all her gossip. As a teenager, Brenda gave up on the imaginary version, determined to find the real thing. She’d pour over maps, pondering about which distant island he was on, which forest or castle or sea-side prison he lay confined in.
She’d never have imagined stumbling upon him, never have hoped he was so close.
Her heart filled, then it burned. She turned, slowly, eyes bruised dark under the shadow of anger-furrowed brows and a raging, heart-broken feeling that sizzled and bubbled under her skin.
“How did you find him?” She asked, voice clear and steady, breathes anything but. “Where has he been? How long have you known where he was?”
She glared, vicious and spiteful, into shocked amber eyes.
“I didn’t find him on purpose.. I-I was running and I haven’t known him long..” Exer’s voice was slightly groggy, yet still panicked and alert as he continued to lock eyes with her.
She stomped forward, intent on giving him what he deserved but there was a glint of gold and then blue eyes, almost identical to her own, stared back at her.
“Woah woah.. let’s not do anything we might regret..” David waved his hands around, energetic with panic and curiosity as he tried to stop the crazy stranger with hair like fire and a temper to match it from slaughtering the brunette. “Look, I don’t know who you are or what problem you have with Exer, but you’re not the first and probably not the last and definitely not my priority at the moment. You see.. it’s my birthday and holy sugar, it’s my birthday!”
With the dramatic wake-up, David hadn’t had a chance to truly process that he was finally eighteen and was going to see the lights. Those bright things, golden beacons of hope that lit the night sky and had always reminded David that there was a world out there with beautiful, wonderful things. His breath lay stolen by joy for a moment before David seized it back and continued.
“I’m eighteen and have dreamt of seeing something for so long, and now this guy is going to take me to see it so I kind of need him. Just for today, could you maybe hold back on the murder plans so I can live my dream? You could come! Could introduce yourself! Then once we’re done, you can go back to chasing Exer till your hearts content!” He finished it with a wide grin, and hands tightly clenched by his chest as he leaned forward with wide, begging eyes.
The redhead stood there for a moment, completely baffled and taken-aback before she sighed, a soft thing but something that meant everything good for David in the moment. “Alright.. and it’s- it’s Brenda, by the way.”
David gasped, wrapping an arm around Brenda’s and dragging her away with a wide smile. “I’m David, but you already seem to know that! Have you ever seen the floating lights up close? Lanterns, I mean. I haven’t but I will tonight, it’s been my dream since I was small…”
As David rambled, he missed the sharp glare that Brenda sent over her shoulder.
The routine clang of bells echoed around cobble-stoned streets that curved up, up, up. In the distance, you could see the golden gilded castle, glinting in the sunlight as it perched at the top of the hill the town was situated on. People bustled around in every direction, darting from carts pulling an array of brightly coloured flowers to stalls that sold fresh bread, ripe fruits, tiny trinkets and purple banners decorated with intricate suns. The same banners sloped artfully from roof to roof, hanging above the streets beside flowery garlands. And the houses! Oh, the houses! Each unique, some with brown roofs, stone windows without glass and eye-catchingly coloured walls, others with elaborate glass windows of lovely blues and sunny yellows, matching stone roofs and turquoise cobble walls. Peeking down the side of a building, you could see a boulevard, neat but boastful in its variety of plants.
David had never imaged he’d actually be this close to achieving his, but here he was in the middle of a crowded town with people, so many people! He could hardly believe it, it was so much, too much. His eyes darted from person to object to person and he winced at the tug on his hair as someone stepped on it behind him. He could feel his breath picking up and he wasn’t even certain if it was from excitement or startlingly sudden anxiety. He shuffled, nervous, fingers wiggling awkwardly at his sides as he realized that after all this dreaming, now he was here, he didn’t know what to do.
The brush of course, work-worn fingertips against soft palms, then an encompassing warm and gentle grip had him looking down. Warm brown skin intertwined with pale and pink; David’s heart raised as butterflies flapped languidly inside his stomach. He looked back up into amber eyes, smiling softly before he glanced around to see Brenda talking to three girls braiding her. She pointed in his direction and the three girls’ heads snapped round, little jaws dropping at the trails of golden hair.
Exer wondered, absent mindedly, if he had ever seen someone so beautiful as he watched David try twist his head to see his newly braided hair, decorated extravagantly with hyacinths and daisies, carnations and pink lilies, lavender roses and other’s Exer didn’t know the names of.
He wondered it again, as he watched the boy decorate smooth grounds with obnoxious purples and bright yellows, chalk staining smoothly crafted fingers.
And again, as he darted from stall to stall with a grinning Brenda, who still had yet to explain to David who he was. And again, as they grinned, nearly nose to nose, hidden behind a wide pillar from patrolling guards. And again, as he chatted to stall owners, eagerly questioning them and freely handing out compliments to everyone (meaning every word, big heart tucked tightly into his sleeve). As Exer watched the boy, watched him interact with others and gift his positivity to anyone who may need it, he wondered how he had ever missed the prince this boy clearly was. David could have been raised in the castle, could have become one of those benevolent and benignant princes’ straight out of a fairytale book. If this was true royalty, Exer would be on his hands and knees praising the monarchy (and wasn’t that something? A boy who spited the royals becoming their biggest supporter).
When the pipes, lyre’s and violins began a joyful tune, David was the first one to dance. He dragged men and women alike into a unceremonious, wild dance, bounding gracefully from foot to foot with his arms raised aloft as if reaching for the clouds. Then, he’d drop his arms back down and loop them with the nearest person, spinning round with just as much innocent enthusiasm. Exer was content to watch, observe the angel before him (because, surely, that’s what he was), when he was shoved forward by a wickedly grinning redhead who then quickly darted off towards some girl she seemed to know.
Exer was dragged from person to person, starting off ungainly in his movements but slowly gaining confidence and the grace that comes with it as he caught his footing. Sharp eyes locked of blonde hair and a beaming smile, he danced his way towards David, darting from people’s grabs before inevitably being dragged away just as he reached the blond.
The music sped as it began its finale, sky blue locked on amber and they crashed into each other, chest to chest and palm to palm, as the final note resounded around them.
They stared, chests heaving and cheeks aching from wide smiles, heads slowly leaning closer, and..
“To the boats!”
Exer darted away, smiling awkwardly at the other “That’s us.”
He grabbed at the other’s hand again, and palm to palm, they rushed to the boats.
The soft swish of the oar pushing through calm waters filled what would be comfortable silence, and Exer’s arms burned from the effort of guiding their little boat closer to the center of the lake. He occupied himself by watching David, watching the way he’d lean over the edge to catch a lily pad in his palms and then turn to Exer with his new treasure. Exer would smile every time, watching the fond light in David’s eyes and feeling blessed that he got to watch the blond experience all these new things, got the pleasure of absorbing that enraptured smile, those blue pools of curiosity and uncontrollable pleasure brought by life itself.
He watched golden locks turn umber under the sinking sun and the way David’s grip on his seat got progressively tighter, knuckles whitening. He racked his brain for something to say, something that would take the blond’s mind off his nerves, and what came out was “I think you might be the lost prince.”
A tilt of a head, golden braid falling from its perch on his back, and uncertainty in his eyes “The one of that mural? with the woman and the girl?”
“Yes, the one with the Queen and.. Brenda.”
“Brenda?”
“Yeah, Brenda might be your sister.” He spoke, breathily, then paused. “I think she’s almost certain she is, and it’s hard to ignore the alikeness once you see it..”
“Why would she not tell me?”
“She probably didn’t know how, but she’s been searching for you. She joined the Royal Guard to find you.”
“How do you know?” David asked, brows furrowed with intrigue.
“She told me.”
“She told you..” David sounded amused and doubtful.
“Yeah, we were friends once.. then my dad died and..” He licked his lips, turning his eyes to his knees.
A hand in his brought his eyes back up, and he started into azure aglow with fond amusement, “You chose a life of crime?”
Exer chuckled, and the silence settled again like a soft weighted blanket, comfortable and warm.
David broke it, this time. “Do you think it’ll be what I imagined?”
“The lanterns?” He received a slight nod in response. “I think so, I think it will be everything you imagined and more.”
“If it isn’t?”
“It will still have been worth it, I mean.. look at you. You’ve seen so much, you’ve done more than you’ve ever been allowed to!” David smiled, pondering this for a moment.
“But then, what do I do after?”
“You find a new dream.” Exer squeezed his hand softly, lovingly and wow wasn’t that something. Love.
The silence returned, and their hands stayed linked. When the first lantern floated up, slowly ascending into the unknown, he watched David instead of the lights.
David, who leapt from his seat and threw himself at the front of the boat. David, who watched wide-eyed and overwhelmed because this was it, this was what he wanted his whole life and finally he was there. He tracked those lights as they increased in number, drawing articulate lines between them with his finger like they were a dot-to-dot page. When one fell too close to the water, he leaned right over to push it back up, the bottom of it burning warm against his palm. Grinning, he turned back to Exer, who sat staring, two lanterns of their own burning in his palms. He gasped, leaping forward to hook his palm under one, skin against skin, and beamed as he released it. He watched it rise, twisting and dancing beside Exer’s with intricate spins before they got lost in the others.
David imagined the two lanterns would stay together, a symbol of the emotions he felt for the brunette beside him. Those emotions when he turned and saw amber eyes on him, eyes that burned his skin like the flame encased within those lanterns, eyes filled with passion and what David hoped to be love.
He twisted, shuffling and leaning forward until they sat with their faces close. Exer leaned forward too, smiling sweetly, and he whispered “Hey..” when the tips of their noses nearly brushed.
“Hey..” David whispered back. He nearly leaned in the whole way, but hesitated and reached back for the satchel he had tucked underneath his seat.
“I have something to give you..” these words came out whispered, too.
Pulling it up from his seat, he pushed the bag lightly into the other boys chest then dropped his hands to his lap. Exer glanced at it, for a moment, then pushed it aside and leant forward so their noses brushed.
David smiled widely, feeling the right tug of his lips as they stretched as far as they could go, before he leaned even further forward. Their lips brushed, and it was intoxicating. Exer pushed forward, adding pressure and reaching forward to cup his jaw with bronze palms. The feeling of those calloused pads against the plush of his cheeks made his cheeks burn, flush pink blooming upon pale skin. He exhaled softly at the feeling, reaching forward to cup the back of the other’s neck and press his digits into curls but Exer pulled away.
David opened his eyes, frowning at the expression of worry and uncertainty he was faced with. “What?” He whispered, “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something I need to do.” Exer responded, already gripping at the oars and beginning to row in the direction of a forested shore.
When he leapt onto land, hooking the satchel over a broad shoulder, David panicked. He bounded forwards, grasping at Exer’s wrist to pull him back for a moment. It worked, and the brunette turned to him with a questioning glance.
“You’ll come back? Won’t you?” David’s voice shook slightly, and it sounded fragile to his own ears, nervous and pitched slightly higher than usual in his anxious state. Exer smiled, a fond, soothing thing.
“Of course.” He promised.
So, David watched the other walk away, and couldn’t quite push down that irritating, building sense of dread. He darted his eyes from thing to thing, staring at the darkened forest and falling log. His fingers fidgeted in his lap, and his heel tapped restlessly against the wooden floor of the boat. Every creak of a tree, howl of wind or crack of a branch sent his heart leaping and knocking against his ribs.
When he sees the figure walking towards him, he sighs with obvious relief. “For a moment, I thought you’d left me!” He’s chuckling, but then the figure grows bigger and taller and this clearly isn’t Exer. David’s breathing grows panicked as he steps out the boat, staring at the figure.
“He did.” It’s his Father’s voice.
“No..” The word comes out breathless and fearful. “Nononono!” This comes out fast, shaky and pleading, with desperation wrapped tightly around every letter.
“He doesn’t care about you.” The words feel like they crack his heart. His eyes water and he’s backing away.
“Neither do you, leave me alone! I know who I am, I know you took me!” Even this is said with desperation, despair where he wants there to be ferocity.
David tries to run, he really does, but there’s a hand in his hair and it tugs with an aggression he’s never felt before. He sobs, and the sound seems to break some dam inside of him because then he’s pleading, pleases and sorries dripping from his lips as tears drip from the corners of his eyes. An arm wraps around him and he struggles as he’s scooped up, but it does nothing and he eventually grows still.
There’s no sound, other than footfalls and his own shaky whimpers.
Left on the ground, is a crumpled and dying flower.