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Diamant tapped his fingers against the desk restlessly, and tried to focus on the man in front of him. It was a terrible habit, but one he couldn’t shake. Another imperfection to be ironed out, another simple detail of himself that challenged the public view.
The man was a noble from north of the mountain range, going on at length about his opinions of Elusia. Everyone, it turned out, had an opinion of Diamant’s new proposals for their long-time punching bag. Some were reasonable concerns and understandable anger at ‘rewarding’ the ones who had killed Diamant’s father. Some of those bordered into outright conspiracy, and Diamant had (regrettably) had to hold Alcryst back from gutting the noble who suggested Diamant had planned the assassination.
Today’s meeting was a touch less exciting, and as thankful as Diamant was for a more standard complaint (outright desire for conquest), it did leave him…
Bored.
The warmongering droned on, and Diamant’s eyes wandered to his window. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the clouds were bright and fluffy in the sky…
In spite of himself, Diamant found himself wondering what Amber was doing. Training, almost certainly, though there were only signs of peace ahead of them. Alcryst and Citrinne could have given a dozen reasons Diamant’s retainers still needed to be on high alert within Brodia’s walls alone, but for Amber there was no doubt he had other things in mind than subterfuge.
Amber’s latest legendary tale was one that could have leapt right out of a storybook– and perhaps it had, before word of mouth had warped it into something that felt realer, felt worth chasing.
— x —
“Shouldn’t you be in bed by now?” Diamant had laughed late the night before, knowing even as he said it that he was being hypocritical.
Amber didn’t mention it, though, or not in so negative a fashion. Instead, he shrugged and said, “You’re still awake! I don’t mind staying up with you.” His bright voice cut through the cool quiet of the night and Diamant’s lingering exhaustion with equal ease. He perched easily on the edge of Diamant’s cluttered workdesk, perilously close to knocking over an inkwell even before he started his grand gesturing. “Anyway, this one’s the real deal! And better, it’s built for two!”
Diamant paused his writing at that, quirking his head at Amber. “What in the world could that mean?”
Amber laughed, a touch of nerves on the edge of the sound. Diamant’s heart swelled; that laugh almost always meant he’d been caught in some romantic gesture before he was prepared.
True to form, Amber scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact for just a moment as he said, “Well, y’know, not every story is just for one hero! This one’s easy for true heroes, but I couldn’t do it all by myself.”
Diamant took the bait with a spark of joy in his chest that belied the hour. “And why is that?”
“There’s two relics! Two legendary relics, I mean. Do you.. wanna hear the story?”
“Of course, Amber.”
Immediately, he launched into a long, complicated tale that involved a duo of heroes slaying griffons, harpies, and finally a great wyrm in pursuit of saving a family of fae folk that lived in the skies above the sea, far west of Brodia and Firene. At the end of their tale the two heroes found, as Amber had promised, two powerful ancient relics: a sword and a shield, both adorned with feathers to symbolize the fae they’d saved.
Normally, Diamant might question why one person couldn’t wield both– but there was something he hadn’t told Amber just yet.
“So, see, there’s no way I could do it alone! I’d have to bring along a super strong swordsman!”
Signing his name on the current proposal, Diamant set it aside and smiled up at Amber. “You skipped over some parts of the story, didn’t you? And why would that be?” Amber’s face instantly erupted into a blush that had been threatening him all night, and Diamant lost any composure he had left to a hearty laugh. “What a look!”
“W-well– ha, whatdya mean?”
“Ohh, don’t play coy,” Diamant teased, milking it for all it was worth. “I’ve been doing my own research. I’ve heard this legend. Why don’t you tell me the rest?”
“...Aww, you caught me. I thought it’d be a fun surprise if we got there! The heroes–” Amber halted, cleared his throat, and gave a huff of determination. “The heroes are supposed to be lovers. And the sword and shield are like– like rings, to bind them together.”
Diamant let out a quiet sigh of contentment. “I’m honored, Amber. If my duties allowed it, for even a moment–”
“I-I know,” he deflated a little, embarrassment shifting seamlessly into a sheepish smile, as if he shouldn’t have brought it up at all. Quickly, though, Amber recovered. “Maybe someday! No reason to think Brodia will always be this busy. King Morion went on trips sometimes!”
“That he did.” It was too distant a future to plan just yet, Diamant’s mind couldn’t even grasp the amount of preparation he’d have to do to take that sort of voyage, but it was a lovely thought all the same. A distant, impossible, lovely thought. “There is… one part of the legend we can start now. If you’d like.”
Amber glanced over and recognized the look in Diamant’s eye– and as he leaned over for a kiss, Diamant quickly palmed the inkwell before it could spill between them.
— x —
Amber continued to train, because he continued to dream. He still had hope, amidst all the piles of paperwork and politics, that adventure lay on not just his, but their horizons. It was a pleasant, sickly sort of ache, the kind Diamant hadn’t felt since he was young enough to still gorge himself on candies before dinner.
Might he have outgrown this, too?
“I hope you’ll take my concerns into deep consideration, Your Majesty.”
Diamant blinked back to reality, and glanced down at the notes he had meant to be taking– they stopped after a single annoyed scribble of a line about wanting war. He cleared his throat, and sat up a bit straighter in his chair before nodding with all the authority he could muster. “Your concerns are duly noted. Prince Alcryst will be sending word of my decision. You’re dismissed.”
The noble stood and gathered his things, adding a pointed, “As I’m sure you’re aware, my daughter-in-law has also scheduled a meeting.”
“I am. Feel free to send her in.”
As if he could get away with even a few seconds of rest, Diamant closed his eyes as soon as one man was out the door, and sat back up when the next woman entered.
She got through with her pleasantries, and at the end, her smile turned sharp. “As the closest territory to the Firenese border, I was simply curious what sort of compensation I’d be receiving for the heightened threat you’re bringing on us. What with Brodia no longer being known for its strength.”
It took everything Diamant had to not groan out loud; where to even begin with that?
Arguing for Brodia’s might wasn’t something he was so prepared to do as someone like Alcryst– to even question it was ridiculous, it simply didn’t need defending on that front. But the direct question, at least, he could address.
“I’ve already secured a continued peace treaty with King Alfred once he’s ascended the throne. The border will be in no more danger from Firene than it’s ever been in your lifetime.” In spite of his best efforts, even Diamant could hear the tired frustration seeping through his tone, and the noble woman took to it poorly. Before she could start in on him, he stood and walked to the window, seeking a blond head of hair down on the training grounds. “I imagine that isn’t your only concern.”
“...You imagine correctly.”
— x —
Wedded life… It was something, wasn’t it? Diamant’s work left no more room for it than grand adventures, and even still he imagined that the future he wished for looked a little different than his dear partner’s dreams.
Matching tools of war were romantic, and certainly Brodian to their core. But when Diamant looked to the future, let his desires run free, he pictured something.. softer.
A little cabin on the edge of a lake, surrounded by trees that deafened the world around them. Two fishing poles bobbing serenely in the water, even the fish unwilling to disturb them. Dozing together on a chair too small to fit them both, no fear of attack, no concern of looking strong or violent or serious enough to suit Brodian values…
Diamant sighed. He could almost feel the warmth of the late afternoon sun on his face, buried in Amber’s golden hair as they slept.
Almost…
No sign of Amber below. Diamant shook his head, and returned his full attention to the matter at hand.
— x —
That was his final face-to-face visitor, at least. The rest of the night stretched ahead of Diamant though, no matter how many proposals he read through and letters he penned there always seemed to be another awaiting what sliver of time he might have to give it. He would be here well after sunset.
But only half an hour later, there was another knock at his door. A weight settled onto Diamant’s shoulders– too early for dinner or Citrinne trying to pry work from his hands. That could only mean… He sat up straight, schooled his expression, and said, “Come in.”
But rather than an angry nobleman, the door handle was jiggled awkwardly a few time before the door finally fell open. Amber stumbled backwards into the room, wrestling with some oversized item he was carrying. Diamant raised an eyebrow as he saw several bits of white fluff fall to the floor– no, not just fluff.
Feathers.
Diamant was immediately concerned Amber had brought a goose into the room, but when he turned around it was clear there was no struggling animal in his arms. The source of Amber’s problems was that he appeared to be trying to keep together several large feathers in a bundle, a shape that loose feathers largely disagreed with.
“...Amber? What are you doing?”
“I–” a huff as he readjusted again, and nearly a quarter of the smaller feathers floated down around his feet. “I brought you a bouquet!!”
“A bouquet.”
“I-I know it’s a little, uh– I thought the string would be enough..”
Diamant laughed and stood to move around his desk. Once he had reached Amber, he plucked a loose gray feather from Amber’s hair with a warm smile. “Care to explain?”
“Well.. Maybe we can’t go find the legendary relics that’ll bind us together for eternity. But so what! You’re already a hero, and there’s no way your name won’t go down in history as the greatest king Brodia’s ever had!” Amber’s confidence was so easy, so smooth, as if it had never once crossed his mind that might not be the case.
“Don’t forget your contributions in the war. You were there when we felled Sombron as well, Amber. Anyone who forgot you in our tale would be doing Brodia a great disservice.” Before Amber could get too far down that path of thought, though, Diamant continued– “The.. ‘bouquet,’ then. It’s meant to represent the sword and shield?”
“Yeah!! Like the fae feathers! I didn’t get them from fae, but I thought they looked good!”
Diamant glanced down at the mismatched bundle of gray and white and speckled feathers that were now littering his office floor, and nodded. With a sigh, he pressed his forehead to Amber’s. “For this, they’re perfect.”
He elected not to ask where Amber had gotten them.