Chapter Text
Royals, much more the esteemed Crown Prince of the Sumeru Empire, must have a mastery over many things. Hunting, archery, holding feasts, entertaining the audiences, are among many basic things that he should have mastered.
Unfortunately, Crown Prince Kaveh sucks at the most important point, which is hunting.
Look, Kaveh may only be twelve years old right now. His attendants and servants always tried to convince him; it is okay to be bad at some things; they said. Not everyone has to be perfect, they said, and look, some kings of ages managed just fine without picking up certain skills!
It’s fine, Your Highness, you’re not a failure! Or so they said.
Again, unfortunately, Kaveh is one annoying perfectionist.
The reason originated from one sunny afternoon, where Kaveh attended a garden party with his mother, and witnessed a certain baron’s child from the northern borders of Snezhnaya Empire, showing off his archery skills.
The child of a baron tends to not have the stellar education system that Her Majesty Queen Rukkhadevata enrolled Kaveh on, yet the child managed to shoot three consecutive arrows and hit the marks. That child even had the audacity to say that it’s ‘the second time he uses a bow and arrow’ before apologising profusely.
Which is why he is here, in the inner garden of Surasthana Palace, to practise on his archery skill before throwing fit on the poor bow that had done nothing wrong.
“How annoying…”
Kaveh lies on the grassy patch of the inner garden and sighs as he looks at the cloudy blue sky. In all honesty, he prefers to spend his time in this place like usual, through sketching, or reading books and scrolls that the travelling merchant brought to the palace, instead of practising archery.
Kaveh is already sick of practising. His hands are sore after repeating the routine for hours to maintain the consistency.
But it’s so hard! Not to mention that the day he had to do this later will be on horseback. Kaveh is already dreading the scornful image of how people will look at him, mock at him for his inability to hunt even a squirrel or a rabbit. Of the measly hunts that he will catch… if he even catches anything, even.
But then Kaveh heard the all-familiar whistle and a flap of wings. His carmine eyes blinked with excitement as he stood up.
“Haitham!”
Kaveh raised his covered arm in reflex. Feeling the tight grip of the eagle’s claw grabbing on his arms, before the sharp beak nuzzled his cheek with an astounding gentleness.
“Where did you fly again this time? Was it far away from here?”
Kaveh giggles as he feels more of the gentle nuzzle in his blond hair. He loves the uncanny affection that the bird of prey gives him.
This majestic eagle is the reason Kaveh often visits the inner garden, reserved only for him and his dear friend. A bird of prey that Kaveh saved when he ventured into a nearby valley with his mother’s entourage.
Of course, another reason being is that Kaveh prefers to sequester himself on the corner-most of the palace garden. Despite his capability to hold feasts and captivate audiences at his young age, Kaveh would rather do things he enjoys here and play with Haitham.
“Ah, I cannot avoid the event this time. How should I do this, Haitham?”
Besides, Kaveh had spent so much time nurturing Haitham back to health. Of course, he will spend more time enjoying the hard work by playing with the bird.
Many had said that such a type of bird isn’t supposed to be treated as a pet. The eagle is a vicious bird of prey, but after Kaveh’s many attempts to release it back to the wild, Kaveh is sure that the bird doesn’t want to be free, either.
“It would be great if you could take my spot and hunt in my stead. But that’s not too manly and befitting of a prince, isn’t it?”
Kaveh knows it’s stupid to talk to a bird. Haitham will never understand him, and so does Kaveh, never knowing what those whistles meant. But who cares?
Being in the inner garden with Haitham is one of Kaveh’s few solace from his boring routine. Only with this vicious bird of prey that Kaveh can be himself.
Unlike the other noble kids who laugh at his reading preferences, Haitham doesn’t judge if today Kaveh feels like rereading his old fairy tales book. Haitham doesn’t mind if he sees Kaveh sketches a flower, unlike some of these pretentious parents who try to show off that their kids are better and worthy to be the Crown Prince’s friend by underestimating his hobby.
The bird, too, doesn’t care if Kaveh speaks like a ‘stinky merchant from Ribat’ whenever something annoys the crown prince.
“You’re only good to me when you’re hungry, huh? Seems like you can smell your favourite food even from afar.”
The only thing that Haitham cares about is whenever Kaveh sneaks the tender, delicious cooked lamb from his lunch—one that Kaveh doesn’t eat because it’s too smelly for his taste.
“Once you finish this one, go fetch me the bow over there, will you?”
Most of all, Haitham is the most obedient when Kaveh brings a cooked hare. The bird is getting fed from Kaveh’s finger, handing Haitham small chunks of the delicate hare and seeing the eagle eat it with immense satisfaction.
What an expensive eagle.
Right after Haitham finishes his food, he flies and, to Kaveh’s surprise, takes the bow and brings it to Kaveh’s lap.
The eagle’s multifaceted iris looks at him with such an expectant look.
“… oh.”
It is then that Kaveh realises that maybe, just maybe, he can train this bird for good.
“Maybe you can help me.”
Kaveh grins. Perhaps he can finally have his repayment from this bird. After all, hadn’t Kaveh been heroically saving this bird from his death?
This will be easy, he thinks.
Kaveh regrets his thoughts as soon as he began training the eagle.
The effort to train his feisty eagle was nothing short of painstaking. He does a series of trials and errors, resulting in various scratch marks that are not deep enough to leave a permanent scar on his skin.
“Oh my, my. My respected Crown Prince!” The travelling merchant cackled. Her golden eyes glinted behind the odd-shaped pink-lense sunglasses. “Your effort is the most admirable! But there is a discipline called falconry that will surely make Your Highness’ life easier!”
Kaveh’s interest perks up at the new term he just heard. “Tell me more about it.”
“Oh, it is an ancient art from faraway lands… it is knowledge that is considered having lost in time for the people of the Empire, but it is an art practised by many hunters and part of the nomadic culture on the plains.”
She then told the young prince stories of people from the plains. Of the falconers who rode horses and flew their birds as they traversed through the plains. How the ways of the hunt are being passed down from stories and verbal instructions. Lord Sangemah Bay does not forget to describe the majestic flaps of the eagles soaring the sky, before diving at a tremendous speed to the ground and killing their prey. She doesn’t forget to tell that some eagles, trained and cared for by the best falconers, are more than capable of taking down foxes and wolves alike.
“... and the legacy of all that knowledge passed orally is now in one book.”
“You don’t possess this… magic book, by chance, right?”
“Oh, Your Highness…! Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” The merchant grins, showing a leather-bound book. Its cover had only a title written in an old scripture that is still within Kaveh’s capability to read from. “Lord Sangemah Bay always has anything your heart’s desire! At a cost, of course… hehe.”
Later on, Kaveh would hear his mother nag him for buying a book at a price of three commoners’ houses. But it’s all worth it, he thinks. Not once, he regretted being fooled by the shrewd merchant… probably.
“Since Your Highness is one of my most respected patrons, I will have you know.” Still, he remembered what the merchant said before handing the book to him. “The magic will not happen unless Your Highness tries his best and really understands your bird. They’re your companion for life. With that said, good luck!”
Though, of course, as with anything in this world, training a bird isn’t as easy as it looks.
“Look, Haitham, I need you to help me.”
Kaveh heaves, flinching as he covers his arm that is, yet again, bloodied from Haitham’s sharp claws after one of his many mishaps. It had been weeks since Kaveh first read the book back and forth, using all sorts of techniques written in the book to train Haitham, to mixed results.
Well, Kaveh tried almost all of it. Except one.
“I know you don’t understand what I said, but…”
Kaveh gulps. His face reddens as he is about to do the most embarrassing part of the book’s instructions; talking to Haitham while feeding him his favourite cooked hare.
“If you help me with the hunt from now on, I will do anything for you.”
It is an off-handed comment, of course.
Kaveh expects nothing, yet as if his words are magic on their own, Haitham calms down and listens to him, almost in an instant.
Little Kaveh doesn’t think much about it. He only shrugs it off, thinking that Haitham finally clicks with him emotionally, and he clears the emotional bonding steps as written in the book.
Kaveh pats himself on the back as he calls it a day. Seems like he’s doing a pretty good job this time.
Later that night, Kaveh dreams.
In that dream, Kaveh is in his garden with Haitham perched on his arm, who then flies away, soaring high into the sky. By instinct, Kaveh chases for his eagle, running throughout the garden, amongst the dropping flower petals on the ground.
Kaveh checks bushes to bushes, climbing to the branch of the tree. He makes a loud whistle that he uses to call Haitham, and then Haitham will come and perch himself on Kaveh’s arm.
But then he waits,
He waits some more,
His eagle doesn’t return.
Instead, a man with silver hair comes walking towards him.
He is a figure that Kaveh swears had never seen before in his life. The first thing that attracts Kaveh’s attention is the man’s multifaceted iris. So captivating and drawing him close enough to make Kaveh stand still and shiver a bit.
“So you’re the one who saved me, and now you ask for my help.”
But the moment this man opens his mouth, speaking to Kaveh in such a pretentious and arrogant tone, is enough to make Kaveh pop a vein.
“No?” Kaveh frowns at the accusation. Who is this person who talks high and mighty like this? Even He was sure that he never met this man before, much more asking for his help. “I don’t even know you. Why would I be asking for your help?”
Just because this man looks older than him, Kaveh will not bow down and give in. Besides, this is a dream and in here, he has all the freedom to be blatantly honest to this guy.
Instead, the silver-haired man chuckles and caresses his cheek.
“Silly little prince.”
His smirk sent chills down Kaveh’s spine. Just for a bit, though.
“How dare you call me silly?” Kaveh sighs in annoyance. “Perhaps you really don't know who I am.”
Kaveh tilts his head to the side. Who is this guy? Why is he talking like he knows Kaveh?
“Oh, but I know who you are; Crown Prince Kaveh of Sumeru Empire, the first son of Queen Rukkhadevata. Severely incompetent in archery and your hunting skill is abysmal. You are also insecure because in your first hunt that will happen in six months, that talented young son of a baron from Snezhnaya will participate. You loathed him because he can shoot arrows well in his second try, and now you're dreading to imagine how talented he had become in six months that you're so certain he'll steal the show.”
Okay, maybe he knows a bit too much that it pisses Kaveh off.
“You—”
“You can’t bear the thought of losing because you’re such a sore loser, so you seek my help.” The man continues with his speech with a smirk, amused at Kaveh’s expression. “As I said, I know you, and I can help. But once you have got better with your skill, I shall return later on with my wish in due time.”
“Wait, I—”
“Until then, I will be in your care. Think about it.”
Kaveh jolts awake almost in an instant. His chest feels heavy and his breathing uneven.
Man.
That guy pisses Kaveh off.
He hopes that he’ll never have to see that guy anymore.