Chapter Text
The crashing of waves and the crisp ocean breeze is sobering as Kaveh watches Fontaine’s royal steamboat “Poisson” arrive at the harbor. Closing his eyes, he takes one last deep breath of freedom while he listens to the shuffling of attendants and dockworkers preparing the Poisson to dock.
He stood on the balcony of the tea house where he’d soon meet his fiancé for the first time. It overlooked the rocky shore just west of the docks.
Looking down at the rocky cliff, he briefly daydreams about a silent fall into the depths where the cascading waves take his responsibilities out to sea, leaving behind everyone else to pick up the pieces on their own. What a sweet dream that would be, he fantasizes, going out beautifully with the sea. It’d be the ending fit for such a bittersweet existence. But he cannot escape his duty as the single Prince of Sumeru so easily. He feels anxious eyes on him as he leans over the railing further.
“My prince, its most unbecoming to greet the princess with your hair all displaced by this wind.” A deep voice scolds him, however, there’s no bite.
Kaveh recognizes the voice without turning around, gently brushing his golden hair back into place as he retreats minutely from the edge; enough to set his personal guard at ease.
“Please join her majesty in the greeting area after you’ve combed your hair.” The man says. “And don’t get swallowed by the waves of thought in the meantime.”
At that, Kaveh finally turns to face his guard, but the silver-haired man has already turned to go back inside.
The blond prince slaps his hands to his face to jostle the thoughts from his head. This wasn’t the time to curl in on himself and die no matter how much it felt like a part of him already had long ago. This union is for the betterment of the people of Sumeru.
He needn’t grieve his selfish desires.
The greeting area is decorated with red and gold accents along with feathers and Sumeru Roses. He briefly thinks that Mourning Flowers, his favorite from desert caves, would complement the décor much nicer. He finds a sick irony in the observation as he bows to his mother and takes the seat next to her.
She’d grown weak and resentful after the passing of Kaveh’s father. Her health began to fail and her heart was broken. The only thing she cared about was filling the void with her responsibilities and commitment to her nation. There was no room left over for Kaveh.
As Kaveh sat still as a mannequin he could feel his mother’s eyes on him. What could it be this time? He’d fixed his hair.
“I don’t want your attitude dampening the mood once she arrives, do you understand?” she warns bluntly.
Kaveh nods curtly. “Yes, mother.”
“I thought I told Azar to give you that eye cream. You look like you haven’t slept in days!” she critiques shaking her head. “If your pretty face goes, what would we have to offer your prestigious fiancé, dear? Fontaine is in its own league when it comes to beauty standards. You must consider these things!” she explains for the nth time to him.
Kaveh simply glances over to Alhaitham who’d taken his position by the grand front doors after he’d left the balcony. He stood firm and regal.
The blond played with the idea of trying to mess with him as he held his position, but Haitham never let him hear the end of it last time, plus his mother would berate him further. So, he simply tunes out his mother’s words and imagines how he’d decorate the grand hall if he was in charge.
Perhaps he’d incorporate flora from both Fontaine and Sumeru. It’d make their guests feel more at home while so far away. He’d use patterned cloth from the desert people and the people of the rainforest to drape over the center chandelier. As for the rugs, something large and ornate would fill the empty space in the room beautifully.
Just as he was thinking of ways to incorporate the divine tree to represent the transfer of knowledge that their marriage will no doubt produce, music begins to play, and the doors are opening.
In walks the Princess of Fontaine, Princess Navia Caspar di Rosula. She closes her parasol as she enters the venue accompanied by merely three guards. She probably doesn’t even need that many if the stories of her strength and constitution are reliable.
Clearly the word that she was a rare and sophisticated beauty was correct because the entire room is awestruck by the princess with long champagne blonde curls that appear effortless and well kept.
“I am Princess Navia Caspar di Rosula, crowned princess of the nation of justice, Fontaine. It is with great pleasure that I meet your acquaintance on this very happy day, your majesty Queen Faranak Paradisaea.” She greets ever grandly with a curtsy in true Fontainian fashion followed by a polite bow in line with Sumerian customs.
She’s good, Kaveh thinks to himself competitively.
It’s safe to say the queen is impressed as well by the look on her face. “It’s an honor to have you with us, Princess, may I introduce your fiancé and my only son, Prince Kaveh Paradisaea.” The queen announces with a wide smile. Kaveh stands and bows to the princess before walking over to meet her.
He takes her gloved hand and meets her eyes, “The pleasure is all mine, Princess.” He affirmed with a simple brush of his lips to her fingers. It’s a customary greeting in Fontaine to ladies with high social standing.
You’re not the only one to have done your research, his mind challenges.
Navia smiles warmly and Kaveh can feel both her strength and elegance behind her features. She really is something.
After the mandatory afternoon tea followed by an explanation of what the next few weeks of courting rituals will look like, Kaveh finally flops down on the sofa in his wing of the palace. He’s followed by Alhaitham who rolls his eyes.
“She’s perfect.” The blond states earning a tilt of the head from his guard. “She’s kind, beautiful, intellectual, and proper!” he whines.
“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Alhaitham emphasizes. “I understand your feelings on how ‘unromantic’ the concept of an arranged marriage is, but-”
Kaveh cuts him off as he stares at the ceiling, “It’s dull and shallow! I had hopes that she’d be uptight and rude so my mother might forget the whole ordeal and leave me be.” Theres a pause and he becomes quiet, “Besides, despite her numerous positive attributes, I could never fall for her.” He mumbles.
I could never fall for any woman, is what he doesn’t say at the risk of becoming too vulnerable.
He’d known he was attracted to men from a young age, but his position as well as his mother would never allow such feelings to come to anything. So, he keeps it to himself.
Alhaitham hums in acknowledgment before a smirk appears on his lips, “Of course, you’d never work out.” He begins, garnering Kaveh’s attention. “Did you feel the shift as soon as she walked in? No way could you sit back as she drew all the attention away from you and your good looks.” He teases.
The blond pouts and kicks the man from his position on the sofa, “Shut up, Haitham! Ugh! You’re so irritating!” He falls hook line and sinker. “No one asked your opinion anyway!” he crosses his arms over his chest.
“Okay princess.” Alhaitham gets the last word before Kaveh is a sputtering mess.
Their bickering, as annoying as it can be, is something Kaveh finds he looks forward to when they’re alone. Alhaitham wouldn’t dare speak to him like that in front of the queen or the other servants, but between them the boundaries fizzle away.
It’d been that way since they were kids. Kaveh never had many kids his age to associate with growing up. Three days before he turned eleven, however, his father introduced him to the grandson of the captain of the royal guard: A quiet young boy named Alhaitham. His parents had passed away and he was to be raised by the captain to be a guard for the young prince. He didn’t talk much due to the stress of his parent’s death, but he seemed to be a good listener. He’d even taken Kaveh to the royal medic when he’d scraped his knee playing outside.
As they grew up, Alhaitham became more talkative, although it’d only be to call Kaveh emotional or a sappy crybaby. Kaveh would throw insults right back and thus their friendship turned ‘prince and his guard’ developed nicely.
Kaveh trusts Alhaitham with his life and tries to give him a comfortable life in the castle beyond his duties, which he doesn’t seem to appreciate if all his complaints to Kaveh about making more work for him are anything to go by.
Kaveh suddenly sits up. “I’m going to the library.” He informs with an attitude.
After half an hour of skimming though a book about Fontaine’s architecture, he hears a knock on the doors. Alhaitham leaves from where he was reading over his shoulder and answers it.
“Captain Clorinde.” Alhaitham acknowledges.
Kaveh scratches his head trying to remember the name. A Captain?
“Pardon the intrusion monsieur, but the queen gave Princess Navia permission to explore the Palace as she sees fit, and she would like to peruse the library.” A tall woman with a deep, commanding voice explains. The female guard that accompanied Princess Navia.
Alhaitham bows, “Of course.” and steps aside.
The blonde princess then makes her way inside with a polite, “merci beaucoup,” to Alhaitham. Her blue eyes widen and sparkle as she takes in the grandiose palace library. Rows and rows of bookshelves and exquisite staircases greet her as she runs a hand over the spines.
“Incredible.” She says to herself before noticing Kaveh’s attention on her with a jump.
“My apologies Prince Kaveh!” she gasps.
Although he’s not the biggest fan of this arrangement, he would never take it out on her, so he gives her a warm smile. “I too was mesmerized by this library when it was first completed.” He eases. “Now, it’s become one of my favorite places in the palace.”
Navia chuckles, “I can see why.” She says brightly. Then she walks up to the table he was sitting at, “May I implore what it is a prince of your stature chooses to read in a library such as this?” she probed.
Kaveh notices her almost suffocatingly proper language usage, “Please feel free to speak informally to me when it’s just the two of us. I know it can feel stuffy.” He suggests.
Navia lets out a huge breath, “Oh goodness, you’re too kind, really.” She says. “I’ve been so anxious to say all the right things as to make a good impression.”
“As have I.” Kaveh admits humbly. “But we are to be wed after all.” A humorless joke to him, but Navia chuckles lightly regardless. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your time thus far in Sumeru. I’m assuming this is your first time here?”
“Oh yes! I’ve never left Fontaine until now, but I’m enamored by the people, the culture, and especially the food!” She exclaims reminiscing on her day.
Kaveh lets out a laugh then, “I’m glad to hear it. As for what I’m reading.” He shows her the cover of the book. “I’ve been fascinated by architecture my whole life, so I thought I’d do some brushing up to see how our designs compare to those in Fontaine.” He explains thoroughly.
Navia looks absorbed in the topic. “Oh! The architecture here in the palace is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen!” she compliments.
Talk of architecture makes Kaveh giddy. “My mother actually designed the whole palace.” He boasts. “She was a famous architect who graduated with honors from the Akademiya before she met my father. I’ve wished to follow in her footsteps by learning all I can.” He rambles on.
As a child he’d always loved to boast about his mother’s artistic prowess, but it’s become harder over the years. He’d hoped that studying architecture and joining the same Darshan would make her proud to be his mother again, but that lofty dream ended differently. She’d berated him about focusing on his frivolous dreams rather than princely responsibilities and did not attend his graduation.
Although his hopes were in vain, architecture was still his greatest passion, and he felt a connection to who his mother used to be through it. He doesn’t have much time these days for designing, but he loves writing on the subject in academic papers.
But to explain all this to the princess would be rather inappropriate, so he chooses to just share his relative interest in the subject and not much else.
Eventually, Navia finds herself a book and begins to read quietly. It’s peaceful.
He goes to bed that night feeling better than he thought he would. Something about Navia makes him happy to be around her. Perhaps he could find a friend in this ordeal.