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Darius had never hated Hunter, or the 'little prince' as he called him. More so… resented him.
The previous Golden Guard, Humphrey, was his mentor. A man who had given him so much insider knowledge and a secret traitor who wanted to liberate the isles.
Then… one day, he just… disappeared. As if he was a mere speck of dust flicked away to the wind.
Later, his position was occupied once more by a child who looked eerily similar to him. His blonde hair, thick black eyebrows, hooked nose, sharp jawline, and that iconic hair strand…
Well, it could just be a coincidence that they shared so many traits. Perhaps the little prince was the son of the older prince, but wouldn't Humphrey have told him about having a son, and who was the joyfriend? Humphrey never told him about them, and children typically didn't look like a carbon copy of one parent. Humphrey did tend to keep some secrets, but he also gave Darius a lot of insider knowledge, so it would be strange if he had kept that , of all things, a secret.
What was even stranger was that Belos proclaimed both princes as his nephew. If the little prince was the son of the big prince, then wouldn't he be the Emperor's grand-nephew?
And to make things even more strange than that, one of their shared traits stuck out like a sore thumb. Those striking magenta eyes. Darius had never met any witch who had those signature eyes other than the two princes of the Boiling Isles. Darius had heard of a creature whose magenta eyes were their defining trait. Grimwalkers, but how could that be? They had been extinct for centuries.
…But, of course, grimwalker extinction could be another lie from Belos. He wasn't exactly a man of his word.
…Or perhaps he was overthinking all this. None of this made the slightest bit of sense, after all.
What Darius knew for sure was that this new Golden Guard, by the name of Hunter, was nothing like the old Golden Guard, Humphrey. Hunter was a lapdog for Belos, following every order and catering to every little whim the tyrant asked for. It left a bad taste in Darius' mouth, and he had been on the verge of losing all hope that this new prince could be anything other than Belos' perfect little witchling. He was never going to be anything like Humphrey. This was Hunter. The new prince. The new Golden Guard. Not Humphrey. The old Golden Guard.
But one day, a day that Darius never thought would come, the impossible happened.
The little prince, someone who had never put a single toe out of line, rebelled.
Turns out, he had secretly been keeping a palisman for a while now. One he seemed to deeply and truly care about, and not only that, he had even openly defied Darius' orders to save the friends he had just made, willing to put everything on the line for the new people he had just met.
The little prince wasn't so mindless after all, and to say Darius was shocked yet impressed was a vast understatement. A small string of hope had been reignited inside him. A hope that one day, the little prince would defy the tyrant he was so focused on pleasing. A hope that, perhaps, he would defect to the rebellion as a whole.
But right now, hope to that extent was wishful thinking. The little prince still needed a lot of time, and Darius needed to take baby steps. Nonetheless, baby steps were still progress, and perhaps that wishful thinking would become closer and closer to becoming reality in the future.
12 AM
Darius would rather be in bed at such a time. A man who enjoyed his beauty sleep was not keen on being up so late. Especially considering he had work early in the morning. However, despite wishing he could sleep the night away, he had a promise to fulfill to Hunter. He had expressed a strong interest in sewing, and Darius offered him a sewing lesson. However, Hunter was only available very late at night, which wasn't Darius' preferred time to be giving lessons. Well, it wasn't his preferred time to be doing anything , but if he wanted to try and get closer to the little prince, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Darius knocked on Hunter's door, which he opened quickly. "Hello, Darius." Hunter greeted with a smile.
"Greetings, little prince." Darius noticed that those eyebags of his looked a bit darker than normal,
"Hm… you appear to be tired. Do you want to reschedule?" Darius saw that Hunter's face went from beaming excitement to crushing disappointment. Darius frowned. "Well, I see the word 'No' is written all over your face."
"W-What? 'No' is written on my face?!" Hunter cried.
Darius held in a chuckle. "No, no. It's just a figure of speech, little prince." The tips of Hunter's ears turned red. "You don't understand sayings, do you?"
Hunter slouched. "...I, well, I never have. It makes me a fool."
"Actually, that's normal for some witches, and that doesn't make you any less smart," Darius told Hunter, a small smile on his face.
Hunter's eyes lit up like the stars outside his window. Darius couldn't exactly make out what it meant. Maybe it touched him? Maybe it was validating? Either way, he knew it was a good thing.
Darius grinned. "Alright, well. No more stalling. Let's get started, shall we?" He sat on Hunter's bed with the young boy following. After that, Darius summoned a box containing sewing supplies and a large piece of fabric with the cast of a spell circle. "Alright, first thing. You need to put the thread through the eye of the needle. Just like this, got it?"
Hunter watched and attempted to copy but struggled to coordinate his hands to get the thread through the tiny eye, but after a bit, he managed to get it through.
"Now, make a knot," Darius told as he demonstrated. Hunter was able to do this much easier.
"Very good. Now, watch me." Darius gently took Hunter's hand and began guiding him, stitching up and down through the fabric. "This is called a running stitch. It’s a quite common form of stitching."
Darius noticed Hunter appeared dumbfounded at this. "...There's different kinds of stitching?" The curious boy asked.
"Well, not every style of stitch is suited for everything you could ever want to sew, now is it?" Darius joked.
"Well, it's different from how I stitched my cape," Hunter explained. "I thought stitching fabric was the same as stitching skin."
What the-
…What did he just say?!
Darius could only stare, completely stunned at what he had just heard.
He… He didn't even want to imagine how Hunter knew of surgical stitches… and only surgical stitches.
"Darius?" Hunter called, breaking him out of his stupor.
Darius reeled, surprised at the prince's voice, before responding. "Erm, yes?"
"May I try out this 'running' stitch on my own?" Hunter asked excitedly.
Darius tried to push out the horrifying thoughts that were crowding his brain, "...Yes. Go for it."
Darius watched Hunter attempt the running stitch… but the weight of what he said, and so casually too, nearly petrified him.
Did he have to sew his own injuries…?
The thought made Darius' stomach twist into knots and churn as if he had food poisoning. It terrified him down to his very core.
"H-Hey, look at this; I… did it!" Hunter announced, his voice echoing slightly in his room as he happily displayed the fabric to Darius.
Darius looked at Hunter's work blankly, but his brain was too cloudy to think of a comment.
"...Yeah, I know." Hunter uttered, his tone switching to a saddened one, "It's impressively bad… I'm sorry for wasting your time, sir."
Hearing that, Darius snapped back again. "You are absolutely not wasting my time. You definitely have much more to learn… but it's a start."
Hunter cracked a smile, "Oh, heh, thanks."
Darius realized he had to stay focused and push his concerns to the side to stay on track of why he had come here. Darius definitely didn't want Hunter to misread him zoning out as him not caring. Or even worse, him being disappointed for not living up to what Hunter believed his expectations were. "Hmm, why don't we try another method of stitching?"
"There are other forms of stitches?" Hunter asked.
"Why, yes, little prince. There is." Darius confirmed.
"Can you teach me?!" Hunter beamed.
"That's why I'm here, is it not?" Darius replied with a faint smile. "Let's do a basting stitch. This is the same thing as the running style but simply takes longer strokes. Like this," Darius took Hunter's hand and led it through the fabric, showing him the way. "See? Now, try it on your own."
Hunter began to attempt sewing the basting stitch. However, Darius could pick up that the young boy seemed nervous. Perhaps it was because it was silent, and he was watching over him? Maybe some small talk would lessen Hunter's tension. "So, tell me, little prince, what did you do today?"
"Oh, not very much," Hunter replied. "Just went through thirty pages of paperwork, read three textbooks about mindscapes, sparred with scouts for a few hours, and did some nightly patrols around the castle."
Darius' jaw dropped. "That's… not much?"
"Oh no. Normally I have way more than that." Hunter said completely casually. "Sometimes, I skip meals to get things done faster. The best kind of work ethic is when you're willing to sacrifice everything to get the job done fast and well."
What in the actual-
Hunter finished his stitching at that moment, not even giving Darius time to think about the bombshell he casually dropped on him… again, "I think I'm getting a rhythm here. Look at this!"
As much as Darius wanted time to process what he just heard, he knew he had to make sure Hunter didn't misread him. "Oh… that is certainly… better."
Hunter smiled, hearing that. "Are there any other kinds of stitching you can teach me?" He asked curiously.
Darius desperately tried to keep himself together, "Erm, well, there is the backstitch?"
"Ooh! How do I do it?" Hunter said, readying himself.
"...Allow me to demonstrate." Darius continued the drill of taking Hunter's hand and guiding him through each style of stitch. When it was Hunter's turn, Darius watched silently. He didn't think he could handle another bombshell after those last three. As he was trying to remain calm, he noticed Hunter take in a deep yawn. Good, he could use this as a distraction, "...Tired now, are we?"
"Eh. I'm always tired." Hunter responded with a shrug, his eyebags evident of his lack of proper sleep.
Oh Titan. This was a mistake.
"Well, you should try to get more rest. Going to bed early can do wonders," Darius suggested, hoping this wasn't leading to another horrible reality.
"The amount of rest I get is enough," Hunter dismissed, returning to his stitches.
Darius didn't even want to ask this, considering how big Hunter's eyebags were, but he continued. "...And how much is that?"
"Eh, five hours typically. Six if I'm lucky." Hunter replied with another shrug.
"Please tell me you're joking," Darius uttered with horror.
Hunter cocked a brow, "Huh? I'm being serious."
Darius realized he slipped, shaking his head "O-Oh. Forget I said anything," he uttered, trying to recover himself.
"Oh, alright then," Hunter replied. "I think I'm figuring this out, Darius! I did some backstitching. How does it look?"
Darius forced a smile, pretending this kid hadn't boggled his mind so much, "...You're making huge progress already."
Hunter's eyes lit up again, this time like the moon high in the sky. Seeing the excitement this lesson brought him at least brought Darius some comfort, "Can you teach me another type of stitch?"
"...Hmm. I think you should focus on improving the three kinds of stitches you know right now," Darius noted. "Learning so many new things at once can get overwhelming. Ambition is good, but let's not get too ambitious. You're still a beginner, are you not?"
Hunter gave Darius a single nod and got to work practicing the three stitches he had been taught, and as Hunter did, Darius' fake smile slipped away into a strong frown.
All of the things Hunter just dropped on him, and so casually, too. It must've been normal for him, so normal that the kid didn't even realize how bad they were. This poor kid was in such a horrible situation… trapped under Belos' wing with no way out.
And even Darius himself had contributed to his horrible life. The ignoring, the talking down to, the rudeness… all because he resented the kid for just existing. For not being rebellious and wise like his mentor.
The little prince wasn't arrogant, or entitled, or a mindless lapdog. He was just a lost kid who had never known anything else. Humphrey was much older, so of course, he knew better, but Hunter was a child. A child who had never known any better.
Darius couldn't believe he had never realized this sooner. He couldn't believe he had ever treated Hunter so poorly. He should've never compared him to his predecessor; that had nothing to do with him. He should have never only seen the value in him once he showed hints of rebellion.
…
Humphrey was once in this situation, too, wasn't he?
Belos likely also treated him just as badly as Hunter. No wonder he had seemed to hate him so much. No wonder Humphrey told him that Belos was up to no good. Darius' heart raced at the thought of Humphrey going through all this awful stuff, just like Hunter was going through now.
Belos puts down any questioning or rebellion with an iron fist… and if Humphrey suddenly died and was quickly replaced-
…
Darius couldn't bear to think a word farther than that.
"Hey, Darius!" Hunter called, raising his hand, "...Hey, Darius? …Darius?"
Darius snapped back to reality, ready to fake it until he made it, "Uh, my apologies… I zoned out. What is it?
Hunter showed the fabric to him, "How do these look?"
Darius had to admit he was surprised. The stitching was far cleaner and more straight than anything else he had seen from Hunter. "Oh. Oh, wow. That's actually pretty decent. You're quite the fast learner."
Hunter grinned ear to ear, his tooth gap showing. Darius couldn't help but smile, seeing the kid happy.
He probably didn't feel happy very often…
Darius summoned his scroll to briefly check the time. Seeing it was 1 AM. "It's late, little prince. I think we should close this lesson for tonight." Hunter wasn't smiling anymore, causing Darius to frown, "Hey, I'm impressed with your progress. I had you all wrong again. You picked this up faster than I could've ever imagined."
"I… did?" Hunter gawked, his ruby eyes wide.
"Certainly." Darius confirmed, "You actually have made more progress than I did on my first attempt. You have a lot of potential, little prince."
"Oh..." Hunter uttered. Darius' eyes widened at the sight of tears forming in Hunter's eyes, but he thought it would be best to not point that out.
"Don't worry, this certainly won't be the last time I give you a lesson," Darius replied with a bittersweet smile, giving Hunter gentle head pats, "We can set up another right now if you'd like."
"I'm not exactly sure when I'll be available again," Hunter replied with a saddened tone. "My duties are ramping up… and I've heard rumors of an attempt to invade the Emperor's mind with wild magic. I have plans to deal with that."
Oh… right.
Hunter was still very much loyal to Belos, and on top of that, he had even heard rumors about their future mission. This was highly concerning, considering there were even rumors at all. On top of that, undercover CATTS meetings were getting far more frequent, and Darius was running out of what little free time he had. "Actually… now that I think about it… I'm not sure if I'll be available before the Day of Unity."
"Well, there's always after," Hunter pointed out with a smile. "I'm sure everyone's shifts will be much less strenuous once we're all united under the Titan's will!"
Darius felt like he got punched in the stomach. He went pale as his ears flattened, and his eyes widened as the wind got knocked out of his body.
This might be the last time he would ever be able to give Hunter a sewing lesson.
"...Darius? Are… you okay?" Hunter quietly asked.
Oh Titan… he slipped.
"I'm alright, I assure you," Darius replied, putting up his walls once more.
"...You don't seem alright," Hunter pointed out, concerned.
Darius sighed. He couldn't do this forever. "Well, you're right about that. I'm not okay… but it's not your responsibility to take care of me. I'm an adult. You're a child."
"But-"
"I am not arguing with you on that, Hunter," Darius ordered, addressing the little prince by name for the first time.
Hunter's eyes widened, and he tensed up, "Yes, sir," he replied with his head down. Darius could just see that look in his magenta eyes. That look of silent terror. The way he tensed up just because of his tone. That must've been because of Belos. Titan, Darius couldn't believe that it was possible to hate that man more than he already did, but if he learned anything, it was that the impossible was possible.
Darius would've hated to end this lesson on such a low note. He didn't want to leave, knowing Hunter was sad. "...Hey, perk up, little prince. You deserve an award for your hard work."
Hunter's eyes lit up, "...What? Whoa, really?"
Darius nodded, "Yes, definitely. Anything you have in mind?" Hunter went quiet, his eyes darting around. "Ah, I see. Indecisive." The Abomination Head joked. "I can offer some suggestions. How about some food?"
"Really?!" Hunter beamed, but then his tone and expression saddened, "Oh… oh, I appreciate that, but I'm not hungry."
That tone shift seemed awfully fishy. "Hmm, you seemed a bit excited before, but I guess I'll have to save my signature Mac N' Eyes for another time. Perhaps you'd like a new book instead?"
Hunter dropped to his knees in an instant. "I… I didn't mean to lie! D-Disregard that last statement. I fully intended to lie… a-and there's no excuse. My apologies for such foolery... I'll accept whatever punishment you think is fair."
For Titan's sake, how many bombshells was this kid gonna drop on him?!
"What on the Isles makes you think I'm going to punish you…?" Darius asked.
Hunter gave him the look of a deer caught in headlights. "...Because I lied?"
"Well, yes, I definitely don't appreciate being lied to, but you didn't lie about something too major. May I ask why you lied about something so trivial?"
Hunter slowly raised himself to his feet, rubbing his arm. "I'm not really supposed to eat without permission from Belos, and… I lied because I don't want him to find out."
Darius had lost count of the bombshells, but it definitely would've been enough to nuke the castle to smithereens.
Enough horrible realities; he was going to make something about Hunter's life good for once. He was going to get Hunter this meal. "I will make sure he doesn't find out."
"I don't know about this…"
Darius had to admit Hunter was frustrating him a bit, but he wasn't about to give up, "Well, you never said no, now did you?"
"Well… no, but-"
"You should listen to your stomach and not your brain," Darius suggested.
"Darius," Hunter replied in a firm tone. A tone that Darius was not expecting, "Trust me, I'd like some food, but I don't think I could trust you to not report this to Belos," Hunter replied.
A sharp pricing sting came to Darius' chest. He couldn't lie to himself… that hurt. And what hurt even more than the statement itself was that Hunter was justified. "I understand. You honestly have every reason in the world to not trust me just yet. I wasn't exactly the nicest witch to you, and I've been thinking about that ever since the Hexside incident. If you don't trust me enough to not double-cross you, then that's okay. I can give you the aforementioned book as a prize instead."
Hunter sadly smiled. "Well, if it's okay, then I'll just take the book for now. I'm not ready for much else just yet."
"Well, we can take this one step at a time," Darius offered. "Baby steps, if you will."
Hunter smiled a bit wider. "...I'd like that."
"Now, do you have a specific request?" Darius asked.
"A book about how plant magic was used in the savage ages," Hunter replied. "I've been super interested in the history of plant magic ever since meeting Willow. I really want to teach her fun facts!"
Hearing that, Darius couldn't help but smile. Despite how awful he had treated Hunter for so long, how terrible of a situation he was in, and the sting of Hunter not fully trusting him yet, hearing that made him remember that despite all of that, he had still made a positive impact on Hunter's life.
If he had never told Hunter to try and recruit members for the Emperor's Coven, then Hunter would've never made connections outside the castle, he never would've made friends, and he would've never gotten a scroll to keep in contact with those new friends. Plus, if it weren't for all of that, they wouldn't be sitting here having a secret sewing lesson in the middle of the night, something that Hunter clearly had an interest in and wanted to learn more about. Darius had indeed done things to improve Hunter's life, and although they were small things right now, it was a start. And despite it being so late, it was better late than never.
"One plant magic history book coming up," Darius replied with a saddened smile. He went to Hunter's door to leave.
"Darius…?"
Darius stopped halfway through the door to look at Hunter.
"Thank you. Thank you for everything," Hunter told him in a very genuine, grateful tone, smiling widely.
Darius couldn't help but smile back. "Anytime. It ain't much, but I'm trying to get better…"