Chapter Text
The dirt road leading away from Karalos was rocky enough that Klavier could feel a dull ache starting to form in his lower back, refreshed every time the carriage rode over another bump. The view of the forest was lovely, but the boredom of the actual traveling was starting to wear on his patience.
This isn’t exactly what he had in mind when he told Kristoph he wanted to go on a journey across the kingdom to connect with the people more –
A long-winded sigh escaped Kristoph’s lips as he dully stared Klavier down over the rim of his spectacles, lowering them for what Klavier could only assume was dramatic effect.
“Klavier, do you truly have time to be dilly-dallying across the country?” Kristoph looked down, continuing to flip through the stack of neatly organized papers on his desk. “Your coronation is coming soon, and –”
“Yes, but that’s exactly why I should go,” Klavier cut him off, impatient. He resisted the whine he felt rising with his frustration, and took a calming breath before continuing. “If I’m to rule our people alongside you, responsibly, then I have to actually meet them. The royal court isn’t all there is.”
Kristoph clicked his tongue, the sound grating on Klavier’s nerves. “No, I suppose not,” he muttered, still sounding entirely unconvinced. “It is a significant part, though, and one you continue to neglect.” Kristoph’s eyes rose yet again, and Klavier scowled and bit back his retort.
‘You seem to pay enough attention to it for the both of us,’ Klavier thought darkly.
“It may not be important to you, Kristoph, but it certainly is to me,” he replied, more maliciously than he intended. “I’m not trying to shirk my royal duties, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Kristoph sighed again and gently placed his papers on the desk, giving his full attention to Klavier. “No, that isn’t what I meant. I just – I know you are trying, bruder, I…suppose I am simply being impatient.”
He paused for a moment, considering, as Klavier held his breath.
“…fine. You may go on your little journey. But you will take the royal entourage with you, I will not have the prince of the nation traveling like a servant.”
Klavier had been ecstatic (and genuinely surprised) that it had taken so little convincing for Kristoph to approve of the trip, but traveling with the royal entourage was…mildly stifling, to say the least.
A sigh escaped his lips as his eyes continued to drift across the green landscape, eliciting a snort from Daryan sitting across from him.
“Not exactly what you expected, huh?” A smirk played on his lips, and Klavier pouted.
“For once could you not read my mind?” Klavier said, stretching a little in his seat. “The royal procession is nice and all I suppose, but…”
“Eh, just be glad we’re not riding on horseback. You’d be sore for hours.”
“But with a horse, you feel the wind and hear the trees, but just…riding in a carriage feels –”
Klavier’s words were cut off by the procession coming to a jarring stop, almost tipping him and Daryan out of their seats.
“Ach, of course as soon as I say something…I suppose we should see what’s going on.” Daryan nodded in agreement and climbed out after Klavier into the brisk September air. The guards were milling around a large tree trunk that had fallen in their path, groans of frustration floating through the air as they tried to find a way to move it.
Klavier would have given another hefty sigh at the situation, but something seemed…off.
“Daryan…do you notice any other debris on our path?” he asked. Daryan took a brief look around before shaking his head.
“What’re you getting at? It’s a fallen tree, happens all the time.”
“No, but –” Klavier cut himself off before squinting through the trees. There was no jagged stump near the road that the tree could come from, and no signs of damage in the rest of the area, which would mean –
Klavier hurried to examine the breaking point of the trunk – it was almost perfectly cut.
“Scheisse, it’s an ambush!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Klavier heard a thunk coming from the carriage – a hooded figure in a maroon cloak lithely darted out, grasping his and Daryan’s bags.
“Get them!” Daryan yelled, and the guards attempted to reach the figure in time, but it was too late. They had mounted one of the unattended horses and sped away from the scene.
Klavier immediately jumped onto the back of one of the other horses to give chase, the now chilly wind whipping through his hair and clothes. He surged forward, getting further and further away from the rest of the group and Daryan’s yells of protest. The thief craned their neck behind them at the sound of approaching hoofbeats. In the brief moment that their attention was drawn away from the front, the horse suddenly whinnied as though spooked and wildly bucked, throwing the thief onto the ground. Klavier heard a short cry of surprise before the thief harshly landing on their back with an oof. The horse galloped into the woods, a gloved hand abortively reaching out to try and stop it.
Luck is not on your side today, Klavier thought, a little vindictively. He dove off his horse, tackling the thief back to the ground as they struggled to stand up. Klavier straddled their waist and grasped their wrists in one hand, effectively pinning them in place, before giving a breathless laugh in victory.
“Unfortunate for you that the horse you tried stealing is skittish compared to the rest.” The thief struggled against Klavier’s hold, wildly kicking their legs out to no avail.
“I am curious to see what kind of person would attempt to rob a well-armed carriage in the middle of the day,” Klavier drawled, using his other hand to pull the thief’s hood off and –
Oh. What a face it was, with deep brown eyes and round cheeks with a hint of red from the heat and exertion. Wavy brown hair framed his face, with bangs sweeping gently over his forehead. Even the snarl playing on his lips was adorable.
“For a petty thief, you’re terribly handsome,” Klavier said, giving him a wink.
The thief’s expression shifted into one of flustered embarrassment – his eyes widened, and a prominent blush traveled up his neck. Klavier thought the look suited him – at least, before the man surged forward and violently headbutted him.
“Ow!” Klavier couldn’t help the yelp of surprise that left him, a grinding ache immediately forming on his forehead. The momentary stun gave the thief enough leeway to break free from his grip, throwing Klavier off and mounting the horse he rode in on.
Klavier attempted to stand up, blinking tears from his eyes, just in time to see the thief disappearing from view.
“I will find you! And I’ll be taking my things back!” Klavier yelled after him, resisting his spreading headache. He groaned and checked his face for bleeding, feeling a large bump already forming on his hairline.
The sound of approaching hooves came to a sudden stop next to him. “They got away?” Daryan asked, dismounting his horse and jogging towards Klavier. “And took your horse?”
“The other one ran into the woods,” Klavier snapped, more than a little annoyed at the day’s turn of events. “And he made off with my bag!”
“Well, that’s not too bad, at least? You –”
“It had my ring in it,” Klavier retorted, glaring at Daryan out of the corner of his eye.
“Ah. That is a problem, then.” Daryan gave a sympathetic nod. “But, alright, you have to admit that it’s a little funny though.”
“…what?”
“Well, that guy was what, a head shorter than you?” Daryan snorted, and Klavier gave him the full power of his glare which, if he was being honest, lacked most of its heat due to the giant goose egg forming on his head. The attempt only made Daryan break into good-natured laughter.
“You are a terrible friend. And terrible guard captain,” Klavier complained. Even he could recognize his petulance.
“Oh, lighten up diva. You ran off, and I know you can take care of yourself. Besides, you were looking for a little excitement on this trip, right?”
“Being robbed was not exactly what I was expecting. Although…” Klavier put a hand to his chin, a mischievous grin starting to slide across his face. “It’d be a shame to lose that ring after I went to so much trouble to get it…and the thief was terribly cute, so it’d be a shame not to see him again…”
“Wh–huh? Wait, that’s not what I –!”
“I am looking for some excitement, what harm could a personal manhunt be?” Klavier replied, the frustration that laced his voice shifting into beguiled amusement.
This was going to be fun.