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Fate is cruel.
It writes the course of things as it pleases, deciding the beginning and the end of things without the slightest concern for those who are involved in one way or another. He plays with people like a puppeteer with his puppets, creating stories for the delight of those watching from a distance.
At least, Sae thought, he was sure that watching them scurry about like little mice would be great fun for them.
Blood and dust stain their once neat clothes. At some point he has dropped the badges he was awarded throughout his adolescence when he studied at the Royal Academy. He doesn't mind losing them, if he was honest; they were mere ornaments of no value. Losing them in the midst of a flight was the least of his worries at the moment. Instead...
The distant whistle alerts him that they have been overtaken, his legs burn from the uninterrupted run but he keeps moving, they must get away. If they make it to the river in time, they might have a chance of escaping with their lives.
At his side, his faithful friend runs with all his might, the moss-green cloak he gave him weeks earlier flapping in the wind, torn and tinged darker in places. Had he not made sure to check his body for any wounds before embarking on his escape, he would have suspected that the blood belonged to him.
He doesn't know exactly how long they stay that way. Running as fast as their bodies will allow, the blood pumping through their hearts with force, the thinning air rushing into their lungs, the crash of wind and branches against their bare skins. They are oblivious to the wounds inflicted by nature and its flora. The only thought that prevails in their minds is to flee as fast as they can. To get to safety. To protect the other no matter if they give their lives in return.
At some point, when they think they have reached safety, they manage to stop for a breath. The little air that comes in stabs into their lungs like icy blades.
The mist approaches, descending from the mountain heights where the slush spirits reside. They don't have much time.
Now that their presence has become obvious to the protectors of that haunted place, the only way they could get out of there alive was by means of a miracle. With luck, they would be capable of such a feat...
Or so Sae thought. On the other hand, Yoichi, who had his mind working at full speed, devising a plan, discarding routes and checking the map he memorized for weeks to find a way to get the prince out of that forest alive. After all, it was that place, the same scenario he had imagined over and over again since he was seven years old and met the young crown prince.
For he was aware of the dangers of such a journey. His eyes focus on Sae, on the wound on his face and the tired grimace on his usually expressionless features. Yoichi is fully aware that his friend was fully capable of fighting and winning. He had done it a thousand times, even the best swordsman in the entire kingdom could not stand up to the young prince's swordsmanship.
But he was terrified. The thought of fighting never even crossed his mind. They couldn't. They had to avoid a direct confrontation above all else.
The forest was completely silent except for their still heaving breaths. No presence other than their own, not a squirrel or bird in sight. Possibly they took refuge after the disturbances caused by the invaders at their home.
"Sae," the younger one's voice is barely a whisper. "I need you to get behind me."
The signature green of Durin's royal family instantly meets his eyes. Years of friendship and togetherness make silent communication easy. Sae's frown is barely noticeable, yet it lingers there, a clear question: What did you see? Yet it remains unanswered. Isagi steps forward, breaking eye contact and bowing to absolute nothingness.
Sae said nothing, before even trying, the rustling coming from the trees silenced him completely and it wasn't until he saw the leaves rustling that he understood his companion's actions.
He, as someone blessed by fire, would be seen as hostile if he tried to speak to the fae that inhabit that stretch of the continent... or any part of the continent, for that matter. Yoichi, on the other hand, who was blessed by the fae themselves in his childhood, could negotiate their lives with them without getting hurt.
It was almost impossible for Sae to hide a smile, because seeing the fae accept the bow given by the boy, he became more aware of the tingling in his chest.
Perhaps that was why he didn't see the flash of light hitting metal before it happened.
It was only an instant, one that had it not been for the magical being with them might have taken Isagi's life. The knight let out a gasp, as if all the air had just been knocked out of him at once. Blood stained the dirt and moss at his feet as the boy recoiled after a hard shove from the fae.
Sae moved seconds later, loading an arrow into his bow and letting it fly, driving it into the chest of the attacker who fell backwards from the force of the impact. He didn't get a second glance, whether he was alive or dead when he fell didn't matter now.
His knight lies on his knees, one hand on the ground and the other on his chest, where the enemy arrow wounded him. Sae realises that he is, in fact, too pale and goes over to check his condition.
"Yoichi, Yoichi! You have to let me see the wound."
His gaze wanders to the arrow that's stuck in a trunk a few steps away from them, to how life seems to wither away from the tree with every passing second. The smell of burnt sugar makes the use of magic on that damned weapon obvious.
"Hm..." Yoichi lets out a groan of pain, but instead of doing as Sae asked, his eyes roll back into his head and he staggers.
Itoshi reacts faster than he thinks, pulling the knight's head to his chest before it hits the ground. His friend lies limp in his arms, leaving Sae to feel his rapid, shallow breathing.
Panic overflows from him like a jar filled to the brim. This shouldn't be happening. The story wasn't going this way, he was the one who was supposed to die by the arrow infused with magic, not Isagi. It was his destiny, what was written for him from the beginning of it all.
His vision blurs, barely allowing him to make out the colours and shapes of everything. A suffocating weight in his heart makes him shudder. This shouldn't be happening, he repeats over and over in tears of fear and frustration.
And we must not forget, he is still a child. Even with the weight people have put on his shoulders, the expectations and the looks of hatred and disgust. His trembling hand moves to look at the wound, while not deep, it has darkened worryingly and blood oozes with every beat of Isagi's heart. She hates herself so much right now for accepting the knight into her life. For allowing Yoichi to serve him and swear her sword to him despite the risk involved.
For the first time in years, he wept in helplessness. His magic does not allow him to heal, only to destroy, just as those elders claimed that because of him they would all die, he was watching his only friend die in front of him, for defending him, for accompanying him even when he had the choice to stay behind. He didn't want Isagi to die because of him, he couldn't bear to go a day without his presence.
A rustling catches his attention, and soon the fae from before is kneeling in front of them, looking at him curiously. The air fills with unfamiliar murmurs and rustles that make their heads pound as they can't quite grasp what they are saying. They can't connect with him. Not considering what he was.
"Please... I'll give my life if I have to," he pleads in a weak voice, broken by the burning pain that sears through his chest. "Please don't let him die..."
The red-haired man carefully moves the young man so that he lies on his back, his head resting in his lap. He pushes his hair away from his pale face, his parted lips trying to catch his breath.
"I can lose everything, I don't care," something finally seems to break, the first sob seeping out. "But not him... Gods, not Yoichi. Please..."
The fae seems to look at him with surprise at his request, Sae couldn't say for sure even when it had calmed down and the storm ceased. She watched with her face drenched in tears as the spirit placed his hand over the wound and the golden light that came from his palm moments later. Not even two minutes had passed when the figure of the being began to disintegrate, back to the shape of leaves and twigs he saw at first.
"Thank you" barely a shaky whisper.
Sae bowed his head, keeping it low even when he no longer felt any presence nearby.
If anyone in his kingdom heard that story, they would laugh loudly to tears; the crown prince? Begging for help? Wanting to save someone? Oh, what a wonderful joke. Because to everyone in his kingdom he was nothing more than a mere puppet of royalty. A puppet who would sit on a throne of blood and ashes to rule, a thick chain tied to his body to prevent him from even the slightest movement.
For he was a heartless being who was destined to destroy them.
How wrong they were.
He brings his hand to Yoichi's sternum, to feel his heartbeat and his breathing, without concentrating entirely on it. Then he can concentrate on Isagi's abnormally pale face returning to its normal colour, a soft blush on his cheeks. Silly as it seemed, the experience made him realise something.
Something he had completely ignored in order not to get his hopes up, just because of that trip. Because of this destiny to which he was bound by chains from which he could never break free. No matter how hard he tried to run or change things, it was the same. His curse, the prophecy and then dying trying to get away from his brother to protect him.
So why, then, how could Isagi get an arrow that was meant for him?
No. More importantly.
Wasn't Yoichi the son of Marquis Isagi, the boy who died because he couldn't bear the blessing of the spirits? He was not sure. He couldn't remember a face other than the unconscious boy in his lap.
He could feel the warmth emanating from him and feel his heart beating under his palm. Regaining its rhythm. Getting back to normal.
It is alive. Here and now. And although in the original story he was never present, he hasn't left Sae's side since the first moment they met face to face. He followed him to the Academy, being so insistent that it was impossible for Sae to refuse his company. Yoichi entered his life like a magic bullet full of light, eliminating the darkness that surrounded the young prince.
After a few seconds, the boy's eyes open. He blinks, disoriented, and tries to get up immediately. Sae pressed his hand against his shoulder, gently forcing him to stay on the ground.
"Not yet. You're clearly still dizzy. You're going to collapse the moment you get up too quickly. Don't rush"
Yoichi nods and looks at his face with nervous eyes. His breathing has returned to normal. So they both stand there in silence, sharing a glance.
"Why?" The prince breaks the silence, his eyes slightly swollen from crying. "Why did you put yourself at risk like that? Are you stupid? Suicidal?"
The knight has the descent to look embarrassed, a small, hesitant smile on his lips.
"My glory, my faith, my strength," he says in reply, raising his hand to caress the red-haired man's cheek. "I swore to you that I would give everything to protect you. Including my life."
Sae snorted, leaning into his touch.
"Idiot. Yes, you swore an oath. You swore your loyalty to me and gave me your life in the process," his voice drops to a whisper as he closes the distance between them, coming within inches of her knight's face. His eyes glow mint green with his next words, "Don't you dare let it be taken from you so easily."
He does not break the last few centimetres, preferring to leave it for another time. She has not yet calmed down enough to let her feelings get the better of her. For the moment, she'll settle for the fully flushed face of her Yoichi. Happy to see him safe.
Fate is cruel.
But with the opportunity Isagi has given him by somehow strangely changing the original events and altering the whole story, he may discover a way for his brother to ascend the throne in his place.
Rin has what it takes. Even if he is not there to advise him, someone else will.
"Let's seek shelter," Sae raises his gaze again, scanning the trees with calm eyes. "I don't know if we're still being chased, but as soon as we have a safe place where you can pull yourself together..." he sighs "I need us to talk. You and me. Very seriously about all of this, Yoichi."
The safety of his knight.... No, from the person who was stupid enough to enter his heart and make his place in it even with Sae's personality being absolute shit... The way he specifically positioned himself in a way that the wound would be serious but not fatal was suspicious.
Yoichi would have to explain several things to him.... And he would explain a lot more.