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Chapter Text

Alberu had planned everything down to the last detail for this banquet, careful and meticulous in his setup to ensure that everything would run according to his calculations. He needed to meet all of these young nobles face to face and get a better feel for them in person. To ensure that he didn’t miss anything, myriad recording devices scattered throughout the room would capture anything that he didn’t note himself as the group dined. One could only learn so much from a report, and a sheet of paper really couldn’t convey everything about a person. 

He waved off the announcement of his entry, though of course all eyes in the room turned toward him as he entered, shadowed by the other Princes. All of the young nobles stood respectfully, welcoming the Princes to the banquet. Alberu started speaking before he even reached the top of the stairs, greeting the gathered nobles in return.

“Welcome. Thank you for accepting my invitations,” he said cheerfully, turning to face the room with a broad smile. “I’m so glad that these precious individuals, the future pillars and future heroes of this kingdom, have all gathered here today!” He dialed up the charm, ready to put his well-oiled tongue to use, but before he had the chance to speak further there was a sound from the door he had just come through. 

Alberu’s smile waned slightly as he watched it open a small amount and words were quietly exchanged. He thought that all the young nobles had already entered, and as he glanced around the room he didn’t note anyone missing. However, a moment later a servant was dashing up to inform him of the matter. 

Taylor Sten was not the expected party to show up for this banquet, but Alberu really hadn’t given a specific instruction when sending the invitations. For a family like the Stens, perhaps he ought to have sent an additional invitation. There was no reason to turn the elder son away, so Alberu instructed the servant to inform the knight at the door that the latecomer would be allowed to join the banquet. A moment later, the door was opened properly, allowing the wheeled chair to be pushed into the room. Taylor sat tall and proud, while a Priestess of the God of Death pushed his chair.

As expected, Venion Sten was unable to hold back an outburst of outrage and jumped up from his seat with a furious expression, but Alberu did not even spare a glance in his direction. Instead he spread his arms in a gesture of welcome and pasted the broad smile back on his face.

“I did not expect to see Marquis Sten’s eldest son and a priestess of the God of Death here,” he announced, and Taylor Sten respectfully inclined as much as the chair allowed him to. He politely explained that he had heard there would be an opportunity for young nobels to speak to Alberu, and indicated that he had come in pursuit of such a moment despite lacking an invitation. Alberu certainly wasn’t going to throw out a potential supporter, and he nodded his head, quickly converting his knowing smirk to a warm smile.

“I did ask for a representative of each family to come,” he told Taylor. “I suppose it wouldn’t matter who came if the household has no representative. You must have been upset that I only sent one invitation to the Marquis's household.” It was a subtle dig at Venion, but Alberu felt no guilt over the barbed remark. The Marquis currently openly favored the Third Prince and would hardly be moved by mere politeness, so Alberu saw no reason to give Venion Sten any respect. Taylor Sten, on the other hand, had potential.

“I was a bit disappointed, your highness,” Taylor told Alberu with a gentle smile. Alberu nodded in acknowledgement. 

“I do feel bad for making you upset,” he responded with a slight hint of apology in his tone. “I am, however, glad to see that you are looking quite healthy. It has been some time since we last met.” Taylor’s gaze was firm as he answered Alberu, resolve clear in his eyes.

“Your highness, my legs may not move, but my hands, my head, my ears, my mouth, my eyes, and everything else is still very much alive. In fact, they have gotten even stronger.” 

“Indeed, you are still alive,” Alberu acknowledged. “I had forgotten the fact that the strongest is the one who manages to live until the end.” Opportunity didn’t come knocking at his door every day, and he definitely wasn’t going to send Taylor away. He turned his gaze to Taylor’s companion. “Then must be a Priestess of the God of Death?” 

It was obvious just looking at her that she was in service to the God of Death, but he acknowledged her anyway to give her an opportunity to introduce herself, which she did. Alberu nodded acceptance at her greeting and returned his attention to Taylor.

“Let us talk later,” he told the other man, and Taylor’s responding smile was warm. “For now, it is time for this gathering to start so that we may enjoy this banquet, though I am not sure where I should seat the two of you.”

His gaze flickered over the room as he mentally weighed the response of those nobles at each table. At the Northeastern table, he made eye contact with Cale Henituse, though the redhead looked rather disconcerted by the brief moment that Alberu’s gaze held his. Considering the current arrangements of the nobility in the room, there was nowhere better to place Taylor Sten than at the table with the Northeastern nobles. 

“I guess there is a good spot for you,” he commented. “There happen to be some extra seats at the Northeast noble’s table, so you can be seated there.”

There wasn’t a power imbalance at the table that might inconvenience Taylor if he placed the elder Sten there. Taylor had potential to be a valuable pawn, so Alberu wanted to ensure that things ran as smoothly as possible. The family with the most influence at that table would be the Henituse family, and they had always remained neutral. Taylor graciously offered his thanks, and Alberu brushed his words off with a warm smile.

“It was nothing. You are all figures who will make great contributions to the kingdom in the future, and we should work together in cooperation.” Alberu’s gaze landed once more on the Northeast noble’s table. “May I rearrange your table a bit?” He gestured to the staff as Eric Wheelsman jumped up in acceptance of his words, and they promptly stepped forward to rearrange the table to make space for Taylor and Cage as the other young nobles followed Eric’s lead.

It didn’t take long for Taylor and his companion to be situated and the Northeastern nobles to be seated once more. Alberu had instructed the staff to place Taylor next to Cale Henituse, counting on the neutrality of that house. He let his gaze roam the hall once more with the broad, welcoming smile back on his lips.

“Let’s continue with the banquet,” he announced. “I wanted to gather together the young men and women who will lead this kingdom’s future and treat them to an excellent feast. Thank you all for responding to my invitation, and I hope you enjoy this meal.” 

With his words, servants started entering the room, trays of food in hand as they started to make their way around to each table. Alberu stepped up the final step and went around the table designated for him, taking a seat as he observed the proceedings below. As music started to play, the young nobles started to eat. It was only a matter of time before they started to mingle with one another.

They came up to greet Alberu as well, some singly and others in small groups. The four primary families from the Northeastern nobles approached as a group, with Eric Wheelsman at the head and Cale Henituse trailing in the rear. While the Henituse family had the most money and influence of the four families, Cale was clearly not interested in a position of leadership among the group. Alberu had never met Cale Henituse before, but he had certainly heard rumors about the man. 

He greeted the four of them with a bright smile, standing to shake their hands as he had with the other nobles who had come to greet him. Eric Wheelsman took the lead verbally as well, stepping forward as the representative of the group.

“Your highness, it is great to see you again. It has truly been a while since I had the opportunity to greet you.” Alberu knew that Eric had something he wanted to discuss, and he nodded his head in acknowledgement of the other man.

“We have something to talk about, don’t we Lord Eric?” Eric’s face was easy to read and Alberu saw the eager light in his eyes.

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for the chance to talk to you, your highness,” he responded quickly. Alberu smiled.

“I’ve been waiting for it too, the chance to speak to the clever son of Count Wheelsman, who is guarding the entrance of the Northeast as a pillar of the kingdom. You do such an excellent job of it. How could I possibly delay our time together?” 

He praised each of the young nobles in turn, the words of admiration sliding easily off his tongue. It wasn’t hard to find positive words to give them, as seasoned as he was at buttering people up. People were much more amenable when they were praised first.

The last of the four was Cale Henituse, who inclined his head slightly as Alberu reached out to shake his hand. Even if Cale’s reputation was less than stellar, Alberu was easily able to twist it around into something positive with his words. He praised the Henituse family first for their firm devotion as the guardians of the borders of the Forest of Darkness, and then called Cale himself a ‘free spirit,’ warmly complimenting the redhead.

Cale hadn’t let go of the handshake and suddenly grasped at Alberu’s hand with his other hand as well, a sincere expression on his face. Alberu felt a brief sense of misgiving that only intensified as Cale opened his mouth.

“I also felt something after meeting your highness today. I realized that in addition to our current sun, his majesty, we also have you who will shine over the night to watch over the citizens when they are afraid of the dark, brightening the night like the moon to chase that darkness away. The image is undeniably wonderful for my eyes.”

“Is that so?” Alberu hadn’t really had to deal with people turning the flattery back on him like this and was debating how to handle Cale’s words as the redhead continued.

“I myself may not be able to sleep at night now that I have personally met you, the star of our kingdom. The thrill of this moment will keep my heart racing in excitement.”

Alberu extracted his hand from Cale’s grasp, his warm smile gone from his face. 

“You may be similar to me, Lord Cale…” he commented in a somewhat subdued tone. Cale’s answering smile gave him goosebumps.

“Your highness, that you would say such a thing is the biggest honor of my life.” Alberu uneasily turned his gaze away from Cale, returning his attention to Eric instead. Eric was easy to understand and predict, and therefore Alberu could effortlessly control him, steering any conversations as he liked and working things to his advantage. Cale, on the other hand, was an unknown variable and someone that Alberu would need to be wary of until he knew more about the other man. 

Alberu and Eric exchanged pleasantries a bit more before the four Northeast nobles excused themselves. As Alberu returned to his seat, his eyes drifted unconsciously toward the bright red of Cale’s hair as the other man moved away. Cale Henituse was definitely someone he would need to keep an eye on.

Chapter Text

The square was quite packed as Alberu descended from his carriage with his usual bright smile. He waved at some of the citizens as he made his way toward his seat, conscious as always of his public image. His gaze slid next over the gathered nobles, grouped once more into the same sets that he had arranged for the banquet. The vivid red of Cale Henituse’s hair was hard to miss, but Alberu quickly pulled his eyes away when he realized that his gaze had inadvertently settled on Cale. 

He had gone over the recordings from the banquet meticulously, gleaning what he could of the young nobles and paying careful attention to Cale in particular since the redhead was an unknown variable. Unfortunately, Alberu had not been able to learn much more about the eldest Henituse, leaving him in roughly the same position he had started in. There were recording devices in the square today as well, but they weren’t set up specifically to observe the nobles as those in the banquet hall had been.

Alberu doubted he would gain much in the way of intelligence today and had resolved to push the problem of Cale Henituse from his mind. Instead he focused his attention on his father as the King stepped forward to speak, playing the part of the attentive and dutiful son. If it had been his own speech, he would have waited for the clock to strike before he started speaking rather than be interrupted by the bell tolling. His father on the other hand had either not taken the time into account or did not mind that it would cut him off. 

The clock rang to announce 9 AM just after the King’s first few sentences. However, before the King could continue to speak, there was a restless stirring among the gathered people. Several people pointed upward at the rooftops, where strangers dressed in black had appeared. The uneasiness in the atmosphere intensified as one of the strangers announced themself as a wizard by launching magic toward the crowd below. 

Before the magic could actually do anything, it suddenly stopped in the air, spinning aimlessly as if it had lost direction. The loud alarms of magic devices that had been disabled sounded from various locations, and Alberu realized that a mana disturbance tool had been activated. He somehow doubted that it was a precaution put in place by his father, but he didn’t know why it would have gone off with such perfect timing otherwise.

His father had ordered men to head to the rooftops and deal with the intruders, but the crowd was already disorderly at the appearance of the magic and the sudden mana disturbance. People were pushing at one another and trying to leave the square in a rush, nobles and commoners alike. The Royal Knights and a few mages had approached the stage to escort the royal family, and Alberu stood to follow their directions. He glanced at the panicking crowd as he did so, and noted that the chaos was only increasing as the knights and soldiers blocked the citizens from leaving and tried to calm them down.

Some of the nobles seemed less panicked than others. Alberu noted that the Northeastern nobles and Taylor Sten were among the calm ones, though they seemed to be gathered around Cale Henituse rather than Eric Wheelsman this time. He made a mental note that Cale could keep his head in a disaster situation, realizing that Cale had calmed Eric and the others down by remaining calm himself. Even if the rest of the group was looking to Eric as usual for direction, Eric was looking at Cale.

Taylor Sten, meanwhile, was focused on the citizens and Alberu knew that he had made a good choice in selecting Taylor as one of his supporters. People who cared about the general population rather than personal power were much more useful to the kingdom as a whole. 

Alberu heard the mages around the square activating mana stability magic to resolve the mana disturbance. He watched with curiosity as four seemingly random items flew through the air, rapidly disappearing toward the mountain in the distance. The red magic that had been aimlessly twirling in the air pursued the miscellaneous items and seconds later there was a massive detonation as the mana balls came into contact with them.

Silence descended instantly on the plaza as people realized in horror what had just happened. Magic bombs of that caliber would have done immense damage to the plaza and the people within it. Low murmurs swept through the crowd as people processed the events of the last few minutes. However, the source of the threat remained and the wizard atop the Bell tower spoke, drawing everyone’s attention once more.

“Guess this one was a failure.” Alberu didn’t have to wonder long what ‘this one’ meant as the mage called two subordinates to his side. Even from this distance, he could recognize the scrolls in their hands. The mages that were using levitation magic to approach the strangers paused in their ascent, also recognizing the new threat. The two new arrivals tore the scrolls they carried, their bodies igniting as they did so.

Alberu flinched as one of them dove directly toward the royal family, the other diving toward the gathered nobles. They were descending too fast for anything to be done, and while he could hear people calling that they should run in panic, he was well aware that the few steps anyone might manage before the suicide bombers reached them would be futile. 

Mages had already stepped forward to create shields for the royal family. While Alberu was as safe as he could be for the moment, he could do nothing but watch as the suicide bombers approached. This was hardly the time to reveal his hand but he still felt a twist of guilt in his stomach at the realization that he could, in theory, expend some energy and potentially save a few lives. 

Because he was watching the approach rather than trying to take shelter, Alberu was able to witness firsthand as Cale Henituse stepped forward among the Northeastern nobles, silver light blooming from his hands. A shield with glowing silver wings appeared, the wings enveloping the suicide bomber that had been heading directly toward the group of nobles. The silver glow made Cale look almost holy, his hair fluttering in the wind, though the frown on his face and gritted teeth did not quite fit the ‘holy’ image. 

The massive explosion made Alberu involuntarily duck despite being aware that the mages were putting the lives of the royal family before their own, layering shields around them. Screams rang out in all directions as people were injured or killed in the resulting blast. The thick black smoke made it impossible for Alberu to discern much of anything at first and he coughed as he tried to wave some of it away from himself, ears ringing from the loud blast.

The silver shield was still dimly visible above, but cracking and falling apart as if it were made of glass. He couldn’t see Cale or any of the other nobles through the smoke, but it was clear that the shield had contained the second explosion. One alone had done more than enough damage to the plaza, and Alberu was horrified at what would have happened had both gone off without any interference, or worse, if the initial four had gone off in the plaza rather than off in the distance over the mountain.

Alberu wasn’t a fool. He knew that the recoil of containing an explosion of that magnitude would not be something to shrug off easily, and he wondered what state Cale Henituse was in now. The mage from before had come down and was now hovering over the area where Alberu knew Cale was, though the smoke was still too thick for him to see Cale’s condition. He couldn’t hear what the mage was saying either, and the bastard soon vanished without a trace, taking his remaining subordinates with him.

The king had stepped forward to try and calm the crowd, but Alberu was more interested in whatever was going on with Cale Henituse. The man had turned out to be more of a wild card than Alberu had expected, and he needed more information on this unknown variable. As the smoke had cleared, he had registered the identity of the woman beside Cale as well, though her hair was currently brown instead of the vibrant red it ought to be. What was the Princess of the Breck Kingdom doing here and why was she with Cale Henituse? 

Alberu made his way toward the red haired noble, who was getting checked by a priest. As he approached, he heard Cale’s nonchalant voice ring out.

“I guess this is your first time looking at an ancient power.” The priest gasped in response but Alberu schooled his expression to hide his surprise. 

“I see.” He reached out and rested his hand on Cale’s thin shoulder. Cale turned around to face him, and didn’t seem surprised to see him. Alberu saw that there was red on the front of his shirt, as well as a trace of it at the corner of his lips, as if he had coughed up blood and missed a bit when wiping his face.

“Your highness.” Cale bowed slightly toward Alberu. He smiled, but Alberu had already realized that Cale was a bit too much like himself to trust that smile. Still, for now he had the public image to consider.

“Lord Cale, you did great!” he said enthusiastically, pulling the other man into a hug, a reaction that did not really suit his position as the Crown Prince. Cale was a bit stiff, so he whispered quickly to the redhead in annoyance to get him on the same page. 

“Lord Cale, aren’t you the same type of person as me?” His tone was a bit more bitter than he should have allowed, but he suspected Cale wasn’t going to make a fuss about his voice and only cared about his words. “I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly with no annoyances and reward you handsomely. How does that sound?” 

Cale’s response was immediate, his arms coming up to circle Alberu in return. Alberu was pleased that he had judged correctly. It made things much easier if Cale was willing to put on a performance with him, though he hadn’t expected such enthusiasm. Cale’s return hug was tighter than it needed to be.

“No, your highness,” he said in a bright voice that made Alberu want to call him out on playing things up a little too much. “I only did what I had to do as a citizen of the kingdom.” He released Alberu and took a step back, an all too familiar smile on his face. Alberu realized that he had let his own smile drop, his face displaying his distaste at the current situation, so he was quick to paste it back into place. 

Things in the Plaza Square were more or less under control, so Alberu saw no reason to stay here. Obviously Cale needed to come with him to the palace, so he escorted the redhead toward his carriage with a friendly expression. 

“Lord Cale, please get on first. For today, you certainly deserve this honor and I will show you my utmost respect.” Alberu gestured at the carriage, but Cale, with a smile that was probably going to drive Alberu up the wall any moment now, refused the offer.

“How could I possibly get on before you, your highness? You are the brilliant star that shines down on citizens like myself, illuminating the people’s hearts.” He even bowed deferentially toward Alberu, who maintained his smile with gritted teeth. Alberu reached out to pat Cale’s shoulder, using more force than necessary to convey his irritation at Cale’s insistence on dragging out this spectacle. 

“No, this is my way of showing respect to you. I insist.” Cale’s smile was bordering on a smirk as he accepted Alberu’s words.

“If that is the case, this lacking citizen will get on first, your highness.” Alberu barely managed to keep from sighing in relief, ensuring that his usual public smile stayed firmly in place. He beckoned to one of the nearby servants, pointing Princess Rosalyn out to the man.

“Treat her as a VIP,” he instructed, and the servant nodded, bowing respectfully. Alberu mounted the carriage steps himself, settling on the seat across from Cale. Cale was idly running one hand over the leather of the seat, as if checking the quality. Since he saw no point in waiting, Alberu got straight to business.

“Do you need any healing?” Cale had moved with no trouble on his way to the carriage and had been in no hurry to get on, but Alberu asked just to verify. As expected, the redhead was quick to identify the meaning behind the words. 

“My body is fine,” he confirmed. “However, shouldn’t I have the best doctors and priests take a look? I’m sure I should stay in bed for about three or four days.” Alberu made a sound somewhere between a disbelieving laugh and a sigh. Cale was living up to the impression Alberu had formed of him from their limited interactions.

“Of course. That would be best.” He nodded acceptance of Cale’s words. It was certainly a good story to spin. “The young noble who stepped up to save everyone is hurt, so the royal palace is doing all they can to ensure he gets better.” He and Cale were definitely on the same page as far as that issue went. However, there was something else that Alberu needed to confirm.

“Lord Cale. Are you involved with them in any way?” Alberu had not made it this far by blindly trusting people and he certainly wasn’t about to start doing so now, no matter how useful Cale might be. He pinned the other man with an intent gaze, but Cale smiled brightly.

“Your highness, why would I do something so bothersome?” Alberu sighed and leaned back against the seat. He had expected as much, but it was good to get verbal confirmation.

“Of course.” Cale’s reputation as trash was clearly a front, but Alberu could tell that the other man didn’t want to do anything that might put himself in an annoying situation. As things currently stood, he had likely only stepped forward today because there was no other choice. Alberu was grateful for that effort, even if it had landed him the displeasure of dealing with someone too similar to himself for his liking. 

“The palace might try to carry out an unnecessary investigation on you,” Alberu advised, and Cale shrugged with a smile.

“I’m sure you’ll take care of things for me, your highness. You’ll protect me, right?” 

“Why are you asking such an obvious question?” Alberu turned his attention away from Cale, pasting his smile back on his face as he pulled back the curtain to see the citizens outside. “We can finish this conversation later, when I come check to see how you’re doing.” He waved at some of the people gathered outside, intending to ignore Cale for the rest of the ride. 

“Your highness.” Alberu’s peace was short-lived. He looked back at Cale and found an uncomfortably familiar smile on the redhead’s lips. Even before Cale started talking again, Alberu could tell this was going to be annoying. 

“If it’s for the star of our nation, I’ll always be free for a conversation.” Alberu felt the corner of his eye twitch slightly in irritation and he gave Cale a flat look. The redhead seemed to enjoy Alberu’s displeasure at the needless fawning, but at least his next words weren’t more of the same nonsense.

“I don’t want my actions to be blown out of proportion.” 

“I’ll do what I can,” Alberu assured him. “I’ll just say what needs to be said to prevent people from putting blame on the palace.” He paused, realizing that he hadn’t actually expressed any proper gratitude to Cale, aside from their little performance in the plaza. At the very least, he owed Cale a ‘thank you’ for what he had done. Things would have been a lot worse if Cale hadn’t stepped forward.

“Anyway, thank you,” he told Cale, and he meant it this time. “You saved countless people from getting hurt.” Lives had still been lost, but since Cale had contained the second explosion there weren’t as many casualties. 

“I look forward to my reward,” Cale responded calmly and Alberu sighed, shaking his head. He supposed he should have expected something like that, even when offering a genuine statement. Of course he would ensure that Cale got his reward. He would have done so even if Cale hadn’t brought it up again.

Alberu turned his head to look out the window again, and this time Cale remained silent. It seemed that they had reached an unspoken agreement to ignore one another for the rest of the carriage ride. 

Chapter Text

Alberu had ensured that Cale was placed in the most luxurious rooms available, leaving the man mostly to his own devices initially, though he made sure to take note of Cale’s visitors. He hadn’t asked yet about Cale’s relationship with Princess Rosalyn, but it seemed to be positive, since the Princess had gone out of her way to visit the ‘recovering’ redhead. 

Some of Cale’s subordinates had come as well, including a man inexplicably carrying a pair of young cats. Alberu had not pegged Cale as a ‘pets’ kind of guy, but he must have asked for them to be brought. He hadn’t expected Cale to be the sort of person who couldn’t wait to see his cats, especially since Cale wasn’t scheduled to stay at the palace for a particularly extensive stretch of time.

After Cale’s other visitors left, Alberu went to see the man himself. Dismissing the priest that was ostensibly ‘treating’ Cale, he glanced toward the bed and grimaced at the fawning expression on Cale’s face.

“It’s such an honor to have you pay me a visit,” Cale started, but Alberu cut him off before he could go any further.

“Stop, you’re giving me goosebumps. Don’t make that face.” He approached the bed and took a seat in the chair beside it. Cale’s expression relaxed and Alberu definitely preferred this almost indifferent look on his face over the previous fake admiration. 

“Thank you, your highness.” Alberu brushed off the remark.

“Officially you’re on bed rest to recover from the strain of using your power. I said that you only got up in the plaza despite the pain and difficulty of doing so because you wanted to help calm things down as a proper noble should.” Cale wordlessly accepted the explanation, and Alberu continued with a smile. 

“Since you announced in front of everyone that you had used an ancient power, I went along with that, but explained that it wasn’t a very strong power and was only for defense.” He paused to check Cale’s expression, but couldn’t read it. “That’s what you wanted, right?”

“Hm.” Cale looked contemplative for a moment. “A young noble who is weak, but stepped forward for the kingdom. That sounds good.”  

“Of course,” Alberu agreed. “I’ll be sure to send all the rumors about you and any reports about the current situation through your butler tomorrow for you to look through.” The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could wash his hand of Cale Henituse. He’d rather not have to deal with someone so similar to himself any further. 

Alberu met Cale’s gaze, a slight frown furrowing his brow as he observed the other man. There was something bothering him about Cale and it wasn’t just his personality. Now that there wasn’t anyone else around to distract him, he could feel something wasn’t quite right. He hesitated, but the question lingering in his mind demanded his attention.

“By the way…” It wasn’t an easy question to ask and was likely going to prompt some odd responses if he was wrong, but he needed to know. “You are…human, right?” Cale’s impassive expression melted away, replaced by incredulous disbelief. 

“...of course I am human?” His tone and expression indicated that he was wondering what Alberu was on to even be asking such a question. Alberu let out a sigh without particularly meaning to and covered it with a slightly awkward laugh.

“Yes, of course you’re human,” he agreed with a nod. “You and I are both humans.” What was he even saying? There was no way these words wouldn’t prompt some sort of suspicion from Cale. Alberu shouldn’t have even brought this up. 

“Of course.” Cale met his gaze, but his expression was impassive once more. “Is there really that much to being human? We’re all human if we live amongst each other. It’s nothing special.”

“Right, nothing special.” Alberu glanced away, wondering how different the world could be if things were really that simple. Cale could be hiding a secret similar to his own. He didn’t feel human. There was something else, something more.

“I thought I was mistaken before, but there’s a strange smell around you…” Cale looked mildly offended for a moment. 

“A smell?” he repeated. “I just showered.” Alberu just stared at him. Surely Cale wasn’t taking his words literally. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. This line of inquiry clearly wasn’t going anywhere and if Cale was going to play dumb then Alberu wasn’t going to push it. He sighed and dropped the subject, moving on to the reason he was really here. 

“There’s no point in sugar coating things, since you and I both know what the other is like. What would you like as your reward?” He crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair as he observed Cale. Before he had come, he had taken the time to look over the files related to Cale again, but he hadn’t learned anything useful. He had already reached the conclusion that Cale’s reputation as trash was nothing more than rumors, potentially even rumors spread by Cale himself.

Someone who was trash would not have such a calculating look in his eyes as he met Alberu’s gaze. While Cale appeared to have been passed over when it came to succession, he didn’t seem upset about it at all. Alberu had also heard that he liked to drink, but the recordings of the banquet did not show him having more than a single glass with his dinner, though he had moved the wine bottle around several times as if intending to drink more. As far as Alberu was concerned, that was likely just Cale putting on an act to keep up pretenses. 

“What is it that you want from me?” Cale asked. “Please let me know first what you want me to do.” He was much too sharp to be trash and Alberu was further convinced that it was all a front to get people to drop their guard. 

“I want you to stay silent,” he told Cale. “Don’t say anything to the nobles.” The Henituse family was neutral anyway, so this request should not be hard to honor. The events in the plaza had potential to negatively affect the reputation of the crown, so Alberu wanted to cover all his bases.

“Also, I want you to praise the royal family once in a while, if you are asked.” Cale’s lips curved slightly in understanding. 

“Saying things like how generous our Crown Prince is?” he asked. Alberu may not enjoy dealing with someone that had a personality so similar to his own, but at least it meant that Cale picked things up quickly.

“Since it’s an ancient power, I suppose what you revealed today is the extent of your power?” 

“Of course,” Cale responded with a shrug. “It is useless for anything else.” Alberu accepted Cale’s story without pushing, but did not believe it for a second. He had merely been verifying the story Cale wanted to spin as far as his participation in the events of the plaza went. 

“So, what would you like as your reward?” Alberu repeated. “Something for your family? An investment for the Northeastern coast?” Cale may not have come with Eric Wheelsman to discuss the proposition, but Alberu knew that he was part of their group. “Do you want the battle for power in the Northeast to be settled?” He dangled the sort of bait that had lured in a number of fish in the past, but Cale wasn’t swayed. 

“None of those belong to me, your highness.”

“It doesn’t belong to you?” Alberu echoed, and Cale smiled broadly, placing one hand on his chest.

“I want a reward for me.” Alberu barely suppressed a snort of laughter. Of course Cale would want something for himself. Who wouldn’t? It was human nature to aim for the top and take control of everything. Cale’s number one priority was obviously himself.

“Of course. What is it that you want? A medal? A higher title? Perhaps your own faction in the Capital?” Some of these things were easier to arrange than others, but he intended to keep his word and deliver whatever Cale asked for. However, Cale kept shaking his head no with each suggestion Alberu offered. Rather than leaving Alberu to sift through other ideas, Cale provided the answer himself.

“I want money.”

“...What?” It wasn’t necessarily a hard request to grant, but it was an unexpected one. He blinked at Cale, thrown for a loop.

“I want money, your highness.” Cale repeated. “I don’t want a medal or a title.” 

Alberu put one hand on his forehead as he processed the unusual request. After a moment, he lowered it, meeting Cale’s gaze with a slightly disbelieving expression.

“Are you going to use it to buy alcohol?” he asked. Cale smiled brightly.

“How did you know?” Alberu suppressed the urge to sigh again. He doubted that Cale was serious, but he also doubted that Cale would give him a proper answer about what he really intended to spend the money on. 

“All right, fine,” he said, standing up in preparation to leave. “After you receive the report tomorrow, you can let me know how much you want.” Cale looked slightly displeased at Alberu’s words.

“Are you going to visit me again?” That tone was certainly not respectful, but Alberu didn’t comment on it. The desire not to see one another again was mutual.

“Why, don’t you want me to?” he asked with a sly smirk. He regretted it a moment later as Cale put on an extremely fake smile and brightly responded.

“It would be my eternal honor, your highness!” Alberu couldn’t help the look of disgust that  crossed his face, but he quickly turned his back on Cale rather than continue looking at that ridiculous false admiration. 

“Forget it. Just make sure you rest,” he instructed the other man as he left the room. At least he wouldn’t need to deal with Cale in person any further than this.  

Chapter Text

Cale Henituse had two golden plaques to use as he desired, but Alberu hadn’t heard a peep from the man since Cale had declined the medal of honor at the memorial service and left the capital. That suited the Crown Prince just fine, as he wasn’t particularly interested in getting more involved with Cale. One face to face meeting had been enough to determine that Cale was too close to himself in personality and would drive him crazy. 

Alberu had put the redhead out of his mind, focusing his energy and attention on other matters, but one afternoon a mage approached with a recording device to let him know that he had a message. Suspecting that Cale had finally decided what to spend his money on, Alberu dismissed the mage to listen to the message, idly supplying the mana to play the recording while he turned half of his attention back to the draft that he had been working on.

A moment later he broke his pen.

“Buy the Magic Tower in the Whipper Kingdom? Is he serious?” Alberu sighed and covered his eyes, heedless of the ink on his fingers from the broken pen. Leave it to Cale Henituse to be absurdly extravagant with the crown’s money. To make matters worse, Cale had ended the message by cheerily announcing that he would be unreachable for the next week, so Alberu couldn’t even call him back to demand answers. 

“This disrespectful bastard,” Alberu grumbled, glaring at the recording device as if it could somehow convey his mood to Cale even if Cale wasn’t anywhere that he could answer a call. There hadn’t even been any sort of instruction in the message, though Alberu didn’t doubt that Cale had arranged some sort of middleman. It was as if he had intentionally sent the message now to avoid any choice comments that Alberu might have, giving the Crown Prince a week to come to terms with the impending purchase.

Alberu still intended to save a few comments for Cale the next time they spoke anyway. He wasn’t going to let that bastard just get away with leaving a message like that and heading off to god knows where so that Alberu couldn’t call him back. 

“This is driving me crazy,” he sighed, letting his hands fall away from his face and leaning back in his chair.

“What is?” Alberu looked up to see that his Aunt had come into the room. She hadn’t knocked, but she rarely did if she knew he was alone.

“Cale Henituse,” he told her. She raised one eyebrow in question but did not actually say anything. Alberu had already told her about the golden plaques in the past, so she ought to be able to extrapolate the source of his headache from that. “Spending his money on alcohol, my foot,” he muttered. Tasha chuckled at his comment.

“You have ink on your forehead,” she said, coming around the desk to offer a handkerchief. Alberu accepted it with another sigh, wiping first his fingers and then his face. Would it be petty to demand that Cale replace his pen? 

Alberu left his own message with the Henituse estate instructing Cale to call him back immediately when he returned. A week passed, and Alberu supposed that there was actually some truth in Cale’s original message indicating he would be somewhere that he couldn’t take a call. At first Alberu hadn’t believed it, thinking that Cale was just being difficult for the sake of being a nuisance. He wouldn’t put it past the other man.

When Cale finally did call, Alberu accepted it right away. Cale’s bright smile was all the warning he needed to immediately cut the other man’s words off.

• “It is my great honor to speak with the star of our nati-” 

“Enough.” Alberu could see the sly smirk teasing at Cale’s lips, but he ignored it. Cale’s purchase of the magic tower was not the only thing that he needed to speak to the redhead about. It had been a somewhat eventful week.

“They made quite a mess in the Breck Kingdom,” he said, and watched Cale’s smile widen. Cale didn’t say anything though, so Alberu continued. “I’ll take your silence as awareness of the situation. I suppose you already know what happened. Princess Rosalyn seems to have made up her mind and given up her claim to the throne.”

Cale didn’t look at all surprised by the news, despite the fact that he had allegedly been somewhere that he couldn’t take calls. Alberu waited a moment to see if Cale had anything to say, but the redhead remained silent.

“She obliterated the Grand Duke’s family in a single day,” he commented dryly. Cale’s expression remained impassive. “From what I heard, there were two strong individuals with her. Everyone else seems to be uncertain of their identities but I’m not. They’re your subordinates, aren’t they?” Cale did react to that, though all he did was question Alberu’s choice of words.

• “My subordinates?” 

 Alberu bit back a scoff of laughter at his tone, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You’re a sly one.”He leaned back against his chair, mirroring Cale’s casual posture. Cale clearly didn’t intend to elaborate, so Alberu moved to the next topic. “Why do you want the Magic Tower?”

As he had been given a week to think the purchase over, Alberu was fairly certain that he had grasped the logic behind Cale’s request, but it didn’t hurt to test the waters and see what Cale would tell him. 

• “Your highness.”

Cale sat up straighter, leaning in toward the communication orb. Intrigued, Alberu sat forward again as well, waiting for Cale’s next words.

• “Sometimes I can’t help but think that you and I are very similar.”

It was a notion that they had both entertained, but that didn’t make it any more pleasant. Alberu couldn’t help but frown at the remark.

“What a horrible thing to say.” Cale’s smile hadn’t wavered in the slightest, despite the frown on the Crown Prince’s face.

• “I agree.”

There was a brief pause, and Alberu set aside his disdain for the fact that the two of them were too similar. It wasn’t something that would change just because the two of them disliked it, so there was no reason to dwell on it.

• “Our kingdom is a kingdom without anything.”

Alberu felt a smile pulling at his lips unbidden at those words. Yes, he and Cale were similar, but it made communication easier. 

“I see you’re not going to watch your words any more.”

• “Your highness, you are currently smiling, aren’t you?”

Cale pointed out the obvious, and Alberu acknowledged his statement.

“It is the truth.” The Roan Kingdom had a long history but nothing that stood out and nothing above average. They had knights and mages, but no spectacular achievements or strength from either faction. The world had been at peace for a long time, so this mediocre state had been sufficient for many years, but Alberu had taken note of the undercurrent of discord among the nations. He could not count on the peace remaining stable in the coming years.

Developing a specialty was hardly something that could be done overnight. It would take years, potentially centuries. However, there was a shortcut and Cale had identified it the same way that Alberu had.

“You sharp bastard,” Alberu said with a smirk as Cale met his gaze. There was an identical smirk on Cale’s face. 

Taking someone else’s specialty and making it their own was not so far out of reach as it might have originally seemed now that a target had obligingly presented itself to them.

• “So for me, I’ll get the Magic Tower and you, your highness…”

“I’ll get the mages.” Alberu finished. He had reached this conclusion in the waiting period for Cale’s return call and supposed it was a good thing that he and Cale thought in a similar way. Covering his eyes for a moment, he started to laugh. As much as he had hated the notion at first, there were definitely some benefits to having someone like Cale around. 

“How interesting. At first I couldn’t stand the thought of someone else like me.” He dropped his hand, controlling his laughter as he met Cale’s gaze again. While he had initially been rather put out by the thought of how much money Cale had intended to spend, he was fully behind the plan now.

“I’ll get you whatever you need,” he assured the other man. “You have my full support.”

• “Thank you very much.”

Cale’s smile was quite satisfied and his voice was confident. Alberu observed him for a moment, taking note of his expression.

“Why is it that you want the Magic Tower?” he asked. He wondered just how much Cale knew and how extensive his information network was.

• “I just want to own a Magic Tower.”

Cale’s response was somewhat flippant and Alberu resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I shouldn’t have asked.” Cale’s sly smirk grew a bit.

• “Then why does your highness want the mages?”

An answering smirk appeared on Alberu’s lips. He had expected Cale to bounce the question back to him.

“I just want to give them a home and offer protection,” he said magnanimously, as if there were no ulterior motives involved. They both knew that the other wasn’t going to elaborate, but neither of them needed to say more to understand one another. As terrible as the excuses were, they didn’t call one another out on how flimsy they were. Alberu supposed it really wasn’t so bad to have someone this easy to communicate with. 

“So when do you intend to head out?” he asked, leaning casually back against his chair again. Cale had made himself comfortable again as well. 

• “Probably about a month.”

Given the current state of affairs, Alberu supposed that was sufficient time for the Civil War in the Whipper Kingdom to wind down.

“How will you get there?” he asked curiously.

• “By ship.”

Cale answered as if it was obvious, and Alberu supposed that it was. There wasn’t a better route as things currently stood. 

“And your guards?” he asked, but the smile that formed on Cale’s lips made him realize that he had chosen the wrong word. He made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. “I guess that was a useless question.” Cale didn’t respond, but his smirk spoke volumes.

“Cale, make sure you are careful since your body is still weak,” Alberu instructed, his tone slightly more serious. “You know what to do, right?” Cale’s smile broadened.

• “I’ll bring back any and all good things.”

“It’s nice that we’re on the same page. You really are easy to talk to.” 

The two of them once again wore matching smirks. Alberu was about to end the call, but he remembered something at the last moment.

“By the way, you owe me a pen,” he told Cale.

• “What?”

For the first time in their conversation, Cale’s expression reflected surprise.

“It’s your fault I snapped it in half,” Alberu informed Cale, who looked even more bewildered by that remark. “I expect something decent as a replacement.”

• “Your highness. I asked you to buy me the Magic Tower, and you’re asking me to send you a pen?”

Cale’s tone was mildly incredulous. Alberu smirked.

“As I said, I expect something decent as a replacement.” With that, Alberu ended the call. He knew that Cale would be in touch again whenever the actual purchase price had been arranged. Until then, he would focus his energy on other things, such as drafting a proposal for the mage brigade he intended to form. The Roan Kingdom would not simply remain mediocre under Alberu’s watch.

Chapter Text

The total amount for the Magic Tower came up to somewhat more than 10 billion gallons, a number that Alberu would have been much more upset about if he weren’t getting so much from this transaction. He still didn’t understand what Cale wanted with an empty building in a war-torn land, but he knew Cale wasn’t going to give a straight answer to any of his questions so he didn’t bother trying to ask. 

Aside from arranging to have the money transferred through Billos, Cale hadn’t contacted Alberu again, but the Crown Prince expected that he would hear from the redhead again soon. It had been nearly three weeks since Cale’s last message and he had no idea what Cale was up to, nor where the man was. All he knew for sure was that Cale was not in the Henituse territory and had yet to return to the Roan Kingdom. 

It wasn’t really a problem, since Alberu hasn’t actually settled on any plans that involved putting Cale Henituse to work, but he had at least acknowledged that Cale was worth some investment. Despite his initial impression of Cale and his intentions to never interact with him face to face again, Alberu actually intended to invite Cale back to the palace the next time that they spoke. He was sure that he could find some use for a person like Cale. It was so easy to communicate with someone who thought the same way that he did.

As he was musing over potential uses for Cale’s shrewd insight, a notification of a call came up on one of his video orbs. Of course Cale Henituse would manage to call at the exact moment that he was on Alberu’s mind. He suppressed a small smile as he answered the call, though a moment later his expression shifted as he observed Cale’s condition.

“Why do you look like a drenched rat?” It was hardly a polite greeting, but Cale definitely looked worse for the wear. Alberu couldn’t believe that the redhead hadn’t even bothered to clean up or finish drying off before placing this call and wondered what exactly Cale had been up to. He couldn’t help the sardonic smile that formed on his lips at Cale’s obvious disregard for formality. 

“You’re completely soaked. What happened?” Cale’s answer was a smile that made Alberu’s own smile drop away in an instant. “How about you don’t make that face, hm?” he complained. Cale’s smile shifted to his usual expression instead as he leaned back in his seat, relaxing as he casually observed Alberu.

• “Your highness, the shining star of our kingdom, how are things for Marquis Sten’s household?”

Alberu ignored the first part of the sentence, used to Cale’s nonsense by now despite the few times they had interacted. He noted that Cale had no apparent intention of explaining his bedraggled state but supposed that if Cale wasn’t harmed by whatever he had gone through it was probably no big deal. 

“Interesting that you ask about that. The head of the family is currently changing, but why would you be curious about that?” He watched Cale closely, looking for any minute shift in his expression that might clue him in to the redhead’s thoughts, but Cale said nothing and his face remained impassive aside from the small smirk. Alberu let out a small amused huff of laughter.

“I’m only letting you know because I got something useful from you, but I don’t see why you would be curious about that. It’s impossible to tell what you’re thinking.”

Cale clearly had a decent information network or he wouldn’t have landed on the idea of snatching the Magic Tower away from the Whipper Kingdom by taking advantage of the current situation. Alberu suspected Cale had already known the general state of affairs surrounding Marquis Sten’s changing power dynamics, so he assumed that Cale was asking in an attempt to get something out of Alberu himself, such as the Crown Prince’s opinion on things. 

If Cale didn’t intend to give Alberu answers easily, Alberu wasn’t going to give things up easily to him either. He waited, watching Cale, and Cale eventually spoke.

• “I’m trying to do something that will satisfy you too.”

That statement held some promise, considering that Cale’s mindset was similar to his own. Alberu’s lips curved upward again. However, he couldn’t help doubting the things that Cale said. The man lied all too easily, even to the Crown Prince’s face.

• “I’m serious.”

As annoying as it was, Cale appeared to be better at reading Alberu than Alberu was at reading him. He seemed to have sensed Alberu’s distrust, as he doubled down on his statement.

“I’m sure. Just hurry back to the capital,” Alberu instructed. Cale nodded amiably.

• “Yes, your highness. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

Alberu supposed that meant that he’d see Cale somewhere between a week and a month from now, maybe longer. He doubted that Cale was actually going to come straight to the palace. It was very clear that Cale had his own agenda and Alberu was not at the top of his priority list despite his status as the Crown Prince. 

There was something mildly refreshing about Cale’s attitude, disrespectful as it sometimes was. Alberu was so used to the way that people usually treated him that Cale’s approach was a welcome break, though the fact that the two of them were so similar did still occasionally irritate Alberu. He had come to terms with that fact, for the most part, and decided that there were more benefits than drawbacks to having someone like Cale around. 

Outside of his Aunt and the other Dark Elves in the palace, Cale Henituse was the easiest person for Alberu to talk to because they had an unspoken understanding of one another. Of course, that didn’t mean that Cale wasn’t capable of driving Alberu up a wall, but so far their conversation had run smoothly. They discussed the Magic Tower again, confirming the final details of the sale, and talked about a few other things as well. Eventually Alberu circled back to his original question from the start of the call.

“So are you going to tell me why you called me while looking as if you fell overboard and nearly drowned?” Cale laughed at the question.

• “I’m fine, you don’t have to worry.”

Alberu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“That’s not what I asked,” he told Cale, but Cale just shrugged. He still had a towel draped haphazardly around his neck, but his hair had mostly dried while they were talking and his shirt was no longer partially transparent from how wet it was, since it had also dried considerably. Alberu couldn’t help thinking that Cale really didn’t care at all about how he presented himself if he hadn’t even bothered to grab a dry shirt before calling. 

“You’re ridiculous,” he commented, though he hadn’t really meant to say that out loud. Cale just laughed in response, completely unoffended. Alberu absently thought that it was a nice laugh and then immediately questioned his own train of thought. He quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind, planning to pretend that it had never happened.

“I told you to take care of yourself,” he said, also pretending that his previous verbal slip had not occured. Cale smirked again and corrected his words. 

• “You told me to make sure I was careful.”

“That…” Alberu couldn’t remember his exact words, but he thought that the sentiment had been there. “That’s the same thing,” he said after a moment. Cale shrugged again and this time Alberu did roll his eyes.

“Whatever. Take care of yourself properly and go dry off.”

• “I'm already dry?” 

It was more or less true, since they had been talking long enough for him to mostly dry off. When they had first started the call, his hair had still been wet enough that a droplet or two had fallen from his bangs onto his face, though he had completely ignored them. The fact that he was now mostly dry made Alberu abruptly realize just how long they had been talking to one another. He was astonished that no one had interrupted him. 

“If you have no intention of answering me, I suppose we’re done here,” he told Cale. Rather than wait for a response, he disconnected the call. He felt like Cale was going to make some kind of smartass remark, or worse bring out his fake admiration again, and Alberu wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. If Cale actually did decide to explain things, he could do so in person when he returned to the capital.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t often that Alberu personally went out to greet someone that he had summoned to the palace, but Cale Henituse was someone with a lot of influence as far as the public opinion went, so it benefited the Crown Prince to look as though he was on good terms with the other man. Unlike the last time that Alberu had seen the redhead, Cale was dressed to impress. His outfit was simple but eye-catching, easily drawing attention from onlookers.

“It’s been too long, your highness,” Cale said, his tone properly respectful as if it wasn’t him who had delayed this meeting by doing who knows what since they had last spoken. Alberu offered him a bright smile and tugged him closer for a hug, playing the proper role of someone welcoming a hero. The incident in the Plaza was fading from public consciousness, but Alberu had appearances to maintain. 

“I’m so glad to see you again,” he said warmly. Cale didn’t really hug him back, but at least he didn’t stand there stiffly like a board as he had initially the first time that Alberu had embraced him. He just sort of leaned into Alberu a bit, arms apathetically drifting slightly upward in the barest gesture of a return hug. 

“How was your recovery?” Alberu asked, continuing his role as someone concerned for Cale’s wellbeing. 

“I was able to rest well thanks to the royal family’s generosity. Thank you for your concern, your highness.” While his ‘hug’ had plenty of room for improvement, at least Cale’s answers properly fit their current performance. Alberu held him at arm’s length and observed him for a moment. He definitely looked healthy, and he was matching Alberu’s usual public smile. Anyone watching would assume the two of them were quite close and happy to see one another.

“Come in, I should at least treat you to tea when you’ve come all this way.” Alberu gestured toward the palace, playing the gracious host as he started to escort Cale inside.

“Yes, your highness, though I’m sure you’re quite busy, so I won’t take much of your time.”

They walked side by side, quite close to one another, carefully maintaining the performance until they reached Alberu’s office. The moment that the door closed behind them, they stepped apart as if they were magnets repelling one another. 

“Your highness, you must be tired,” Cale remarked, and Alberu made a sound that was somewhere between amused and derisive. 

“I’m sure you’re feeling the same way that I am,” he told Cale. He sighed. At least he didn’t have to keep up any sort of pretenses when it came to conversations with Cale.

Alberu was going to direct Cale to sit in the place where he usually conducted conversations with visitors, but Cale had already drifted to what he had apparently deemed the most comfortable couch in the room. It was the one that Alberu occasionally used for a nap when he couldn’t keep his eyes open long enough to focus on work, since falling asleep at the desk itself was far from comfortable. Cale looked right at home as he settled himself into the seat and Alberu suppressed a smirk.

“People will think you’ve been here a few times with how familiar you’re acting,” he said dryly.

“It may be my first time here, but your highness is so welcoming,” Cale responded blithely. Alberu sighed and took a seat.

“I thought I told you to come as quickly as possible,” he reprimanded. He hadn’t used exactly those words, but Cale had certainly taken his sweet time getting here. 

“Of course your highness, that’s why I even cut into my sleeping time to rush to your side.” Alberu couldn’t help but snort at that. Whatever Cale had been up to, he had arrived from the West instead of the Northeast. That was certainly not the quickest route to the capital from the Henituse territory. He surmised that Cale had been meddling in the affairs of the Northwest a bit, particularly since Cale had made a point to ask about Marquis Sten’s household the last time that they had spoken. 

“You’re a very suspicious person,” he commented, and Cale just smirked at him in response. They both remained silent as a servant came in with tea, quietly observing one another until the man left the room. Alberu had come up with quite a few potential uses for Cale and had several requests to make of him, and they had a lot to talk about as well, but it was better to do so privately. 

As the door closed behind the servant, Alberu opened his mouth to speak but Cale was faster.

“Your highness.” Alberu eyed him distrustfully as Cale smiled and pulled something out of his pocket. “I have prepared a gift for you.” 

“For me?” He wondered if Cale had actually brought him a replacement pen when they both knew that he hadn’t been serious about that. 

“Of course, for the brilliant star who shines-” Cale started his usual nonsense and Alberu quickly cut him off.

“Stop.” He raised one hand to emphasize his words, closing his eyes in annoyance. A gift from Cale was likely a double edged sword, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious. Opening his eyes again, he crossed his arms and looked at Cale with suspicion.

“Let’s see this present of yours.” Cale pulled out a small glass bottle full of black liquid and set it on the table between them. Alberu frowned at it, perplexed. Had Cale brought him ink instead of a pen?

“...what is this?” he asked. Rather than answering, Cale picked the bottle back up, removing the stopper and releasing the unmistakable scent of dead mana. Alberu stiffened.

“This is…” This was something that Cale shouldn’t know that Alberu would want or have any use for. 

Alberu knew that Cale wasn’t an idiot, and he knew that they were similar enough that he could guess somewhat at how Cale’s mind worked. Asking Cale if he was human had been a very stupid thing to do, and Cale had correctly identified Alberu’s weak point. Alberu mentally berated his past self for the foolish curiosity that had given him away like this as Cale slowly pushed the stopper back into the bottle.

“Of course, this gift isn’t for free, your highness.” Alberu had known there would be strings attached to whatever Cale had brought, but this was beyond his predictions. Cale continued talking with a casual smile on his face.

“I heard that people thought the late Queen was part Southerner, since her skin was darker than average. Dark Elves may have tanned skin, but I’ve heard a mixed child of a Dark Elf can be mistaken for a Southerner, with similar skin tones.” He met Alberu’s gaze confidently, his smile now more of a smirk. “So then, how might the child of a half-blooded Dark Elf look?” 

Alberu let out a long exhale, eyes dark as he glowered at Cale.

“You’re driving me crazy,” Alberu muttered. His tone would make most people flinch, but Cale smiled instead.

“It looks like I guessed correctly.” Alberu sighed again. He’d given himself away by confirming Cale’s suspicions. Even if he hadn’t done that, he doubted that Cale would have bought any story he attempted to come up with to cover himself. 

There was a long moment of silence as the pair of them observed one another. Alberu couldn’t read Cale enough to determine what the other man wanted from him, but he wasn’t going to back down from any potential threat that Cale might attempt to hold over his head. 

“So?” he prompted. Cale shrugged.

“Just what I said. I can give this to you, but not for free.” Alberu just stared at him for a moment in astonishment. Cale had casually dropped the fact that he knew Alberu’s weak spot and that was all the more he had to say? Unable to stop himself, Alberu started laughing.

Cale was certainly exceeding his expectations, but it seemed that things were not going to go in Alberu’s favor. He got his laughter under control and leveled a frigid gaze at Cale.

“I was planning to put you to work, but it looks like I shouldn’t have asked you to come.” He sighed, his gaze drifting back down to the bottle and his thoughts drifting to his mother. It was an undeniably precious gift for someone like himself, though it would be useless and even deadly to the average person. He met Cale’s eyes again.

“So you’ll keep your mouth shut?” Cale smiled ingenuously. 

“Of course.”

“But not for free?” Alberu clarified, and Cale’s smile widened.

“Naturally.” Alberu let out another huff of breath.

“You’re an evil bastard.” Cale shrugged, as if that comment had been a compliment rather than an insult.

“I won’t deny that.”

Alberu stared down at the bottle once more. Cale could have very easily taken this to one of the other princes, but he had come to Alberu instead, indicating that he was willing to make a deal. He supposed that it was some relief to know a bit about how Cale’s mind worked in a situation like this. 

What he really wanted to know though, was how Cale had come to this conclusion after only one question hinting that Alberu might not be fully human. Even his own father didn’t know the truth of Alberu’s bloodline, because his mother’s siblings had done a thorough job of hiding it to protect him.

“Are you really not one of us?” he asked. He could still sense something off about Cale, but it wasn’t the same sort of feeling that his Aunt or the other Dark Elves gave him. Cale was quick to respond.

“I’ll die if I drink that,” he told Alberu, pointing at the bottle of dead mana. “You, on the other hand…” He pushed the bottle lightly toward Alberu. “Don’t you need it?”

“Of course.” The answer was easy enough to give, because Alberu could tell that what Cale had brought was good quality from the scent that had permeated the air when Cale opened the bottle before. “It would be good for me to have it, because it will make me stronger. It’s clean as well, there were no traces of any toxins.” Cale nodded in acknowledgement. 

“Yes, this is very precious. It’s the dead mana from a dragon.” Alberu flinched at that.

“What?” he asked in shock. Cale had stated that fact so simply, as if it were something completely ordinary to possess a dragon’s dead mana. Alberu sighed again at the sight of Cale’s expression.

“You’re seriously driving me crazy.” Ordinary dead mana wasn’t easy to come by, let alone dead mana from a dragon. It might be a small bottle, but even that minimal amount was enough to make Alberu several times stronger than he was currently. Even if Cale was expecting something in exchange, this was an incredibly precious item that he was offering to Alberu. As much as he had thought that their similarities meant that he could comprehend how Cale’s mind worked, Alberu now found himself questioning his understanding of the other man.

Throwing propriety out the window, Alberu addressed Cale in the same way that he would speak to his Aunt or the other dark elves. There was no need to keep up any sort of pretense now. 

“You really don’t have any plans to say anything about my identity?” It was phrased as a question, but sounded more like a statement of fact. 

“Why are you asking me something so obvious?” Cale responded, and Alberu was at a loss for words. He just stared at Cale, wondering what was ‘obvious’ about a situation like this. It was clear that his understanding of Cale was much shallower than he had realized, despite the similarities that had made him so easy to talk to. 

“Oh, do you need the Magic Tower now?” Cale asked casually, as if his previous confirmation that he would not only keep quiet about Alberu but also provide him with such a precious gift was just another average day. Alberu crossed his arms and sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot when it came to dealing with Cale.

“It’s difficult to talk to you when you already know about everything.” He tapped his finger idly on his bicep and added, “That summoning device from the Magic Tower was quite useful. I was able to deliver my message to the surviving mages.” 

He had promised protection to the displaced wizards with the intent to put them to use for his own kingdom instead, but he had been hoping to have the Magic Tower itself moved to the Roan Kingdom or at least reconstructed for his use. However, it belonged to Cale and Alberu was in no position to be asking for favors from Cale at this point. 

“It seems like I can’t give you orders or commands, but can only make a request of you instead,” he commented ruefully.  

“I’m not going to reconstruct the Magic Tower,” Cale responded, denying him before he even asked. Alberu sighed and buried his face in one hand. “But…” Cale added, and Alberu looked up again. “I can give you a part of the Magic Tower’s blueprint in the future.”

Like the dead mana, this would clearly come with strings attached, but Alberu had no choice at this point and could only let Cale control the conversation. 

“What do you want in return?” he asked with a frown. Cale smiled again.

“Nothing right now. I just need something to happen in two years, so there will be a condition for you to fulfill then.” Alberu stared at him incredulously. What kind of vague nonsense was this?

“What the hell does that mean?” Cale shrugged.

“I think it’s up to you to determine that, your highness.” 

Incredibly displeased that he was on the losing side of this discussion no matter what he did, Alberu sighed again. 

“Even if I know that I’m getting something out of this and it will benefit me greatly, I can’t help feeling doubtful about this.” Despite his words, he was already moving to draft a contract between himself and Cale to lay out the results of their conversation.

“I think you should just enjoy this, your highness. After all, it’s a win-win situation for both of us.”

Alberu did not feel like he had won anything. Cale’s smile only made him feel more distrustful, despite how much he was getting out of this deal. The dead mana, the blueprints, Cale’s word that he would keep Alberu’s secret…it should have felt as if Alberu was gaining a lot but he still felt like he had lost. He sighed once more.

“Well then, I should be on my way now, your highness,” Cale said cheerily. As much as Alberu wished that he could detain Cale and perhaps even use force to get some information from him, he couldn’t afford to do that.

“Sure,” he responded in a dispirited tone. “Hurry up and leave, since you’re not going to answer my questions anyway.” He buried his face in his hands, wondering how things had gone so far out of his control. Cale had played him spectacularly and he regretted thinking that he understood the other man.

Chapter Text

Alberu was in trouble. He restlessly paced in his office, trying to decide how he was going to handle the newest problem on his already full plate. Aunt Tasha had suggested a potential solution, but the main problem was obtaining the item that Mary could craft for him. Alberu didn’t have the time to spare on a trip to the desert, and none of the other Dark Elves could fetch the artifact for him without activating it. 

Mary couldn’t just bring it to him either. Tasha had made it clear that Mary had never left the city and wouldn’t be doing so anytime soon. Alberu couldn’t blame her, as necromancers were hardly welcomed by the general populace and it would be dangerous for Mary to go out without supervision. Aside from the Dark Elves who lived at the castle with Alberu and his aunt, very few of those in the city ever left it. While they were capable of disguising themselves, they preferred to stick to the familiar surroundings where they didn’t need to worry about prejudice. 

There was a small glass bottle on the edge of Alberu’s desk, and he stared at it as he came to a stop. It was the bottle that Cale Henituse had given him, which had previously contained the Dead Mana of a dragon. While it was now empty, Alberu hadn’t bothered to throw it away, though he couldn’t really say why he kept it. As he stared at the bottle, he realized that he might have a solution to his problem in Cale.

Cale knew his secret. Not only that, Cale could handle the artifact that Mary would craft without activating it, meaning that he could safely transport it to the capital.

Unfortunately, Alberu wasn’t in the position to be asking Cale for favors. He had come to that realization the last time that the two of them had talked, leaving him feeling defeated despite what he gained from the transaction. Picking up the bottle, Alberu weighed the merits of asking Cale anyway. If he promised a reward, Cale might be persuaded to act on his behalf.

The idea of having to plead his case and potentially even bribe Cale to help him out was a bit frustrating. Alberu was used to having everyone at his beck and call, knowing how to manipulate events and conversations in his favor to get everything that he needed. It was a skill set learned through a life of hard lessons, and Cale had completely outclassed him without even appearing to try. 

His title of Crown Prince held little weight when it came to Cale, and Alberu was already more or less in debt to the other man. They did have a contract in place, but Cale’s vague terms to be fulfilled in the future still left Alberu feeling a bit uneasy even though some time had passed since they had last talked. Cale hadn’t asked for anything since, and had been quietly keeping to himself in the Henituse territory for the most part.

Alberu thought about the reward that Cale had asked for after the plaza incident. If it was money that Cale wanted, he could certainly offer more. Maybe it would hurt his pride a little less if he thought about it as hiring Cale as a mercenary of sorts to do the job, rather than begging him for a favor. He supposed he would have to see how the conversation went, but he definitely needed to call Cale.

Cale was both a first and a last resort for Alberu, and he didn’t know what he was going to do if the redhead refused him. Die, probably. His heritage was certainly not doing him any favors when it came to interacting with the Church of the Sun God. Even if no one in the Roan kingdom could tell what he was, he did not doubt the ability of the Sun God Twins to uncover the secret that he had worked so hard to keep.  

It would be nice if he could just refuse the invitation or foist it off on one of the other Princes, but Alberu’s position as the Crown Prince demanded that he be the one to attend the celebration. If Cale really did refuse him, Alberu would have to figure out some kind of alternative, but his options were practically zero. He supposed that he would cross that bridge if and when he came to it.

With a sigh, Alberu supposed that he should just shelve his pride and accept that he might need to beg for Cale’s aid. Alberu settled himself into his seat, setting up the communication orb that would connect him with Cale. He grabbed a pen and paper first, drafting up a message that he could leave in case Cale didn’t actually answer him. While Cale hadn’t indicated that he would be somewhere that he couldn’t take a call, Alberu wasn’t going to risk having to come up with a message for a recording on the spot.

Ready now for both an answer or the lack of one, Alberu summoned one of his allies to operate the communication device. While he could supply the mana to simply play back a message, making a call required an actual mage. This wasn’t going to be a call made openly, so he didn't request one of the usual palace mages, but specifically asked for one of his fellow Dark Elves to help him out. A call like this could not be overheard by someone who didn’t know his secret.

Alberu pasted his best smile on his face, the one that had won over many troublesome opponents in past conversations. It probably wouldn’t work on Cale, but it certainly didn’t hurt to try. He knew he looked good and he knew how to put his charm to work. Cale just seemed mostly immune to it, as unfortunate as that fact was. 

As Cale’s face appeared on the screen, Alberu’s smile widened slightly. He sat up a bit straighter, dialing up his charm to the max.

“Lord Cale, the shining treasure of our kingdom, it’s so good to see you. Did you have a nice day today?” A faint frown creased Cale’s brow.

• “Why are you acting like that?”

“Why shouldn’t I act like this, considering our relationship?” Alberu asked. He felt a little bit smug at the sight of Cale’s reaction. It was nice to turn the tables on him for once and be the one dishing out the false admiration. “After all, you are a valuable treasure, so why shouldn’t we have a friendly conversation?”

Cale’s face was mostly impassive, but Alberu could see mild annoyance in his gaze. 

• “I guess we have a good relationship.”

Alberu brightened as Cale admitted that they had a decent relationship. Maybe he wouldn’t have to beg after all, even if he wasn’t technically in a position to be asking Cale for favors.

“Of course!” The faint frown was back on Cale’s face, but Alberu ignored it. “And since we do have such a great relationship…I’m hoping that you can do something for me.”

Cale’s refusal was immediate, spoken in a flat tone.

• “I’m very busy. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“You didn’t even wait to hear my request,” Alberu pointed out. He eyed Cale, who was wearing something that looked very comfortable for lounging around and had the general attitude of someone taking a day off rather than someone who was as busy as he was trying to claim to be.

• “I’m not in a situation where I can do so.”

Cale doubled down on his lie, and Alberu decided he might as well just be dramatic to try and get Cale’s attention properly.

“If you don’t help me, it’s very likely that I will lose both my position as the Crown Prince and my life.” Cale flinched at his words. While the words sounded almost absurd, there was definitely truth in the statement. If the Sun God twins identified Alberu for what he was, he was sure to lose all claim to the throne and likely be killed for his ‘tainted’ blood. Cale sighed and leaned forward a little bit, finally engaging in the conversation.

• “Fine, I’ll hear you out. Just what is it that you need my help in particular for?”

Alberu paused, suspecting that his request was not going to be received very well. Cale clearly hated doing anything bothersome and there really wasn’t anything in this for him, unless he did consider his connection with Alberu to be a relationship of value. He hadn’t taken Alberu’s secret to one of the other princes, so Alberu would like to think that Cale had some respect for him, but he didn’t know if it would be enough of a reason to convince Cale to go out of his way for Alberu.

“Can you go to the Dark Elf village for me?” Cale closed his eyes in clear annoyance and Alberu felt his chest tighten with anxiety. If Cale refused him, he really didn’t know who to turn to. He knew that this was a lot to ask, but his life really did weigh in the balance. It would be much simpler if he could simply ask Cale to meet one of the Dark Elves somewhere rather than sending him all the way to the Land of Death.

“There’s something that I need you to retrieve for me,” he explained. “The Dark Elves aiding me here cannot help me. I need someone human to go.”

Cale was the only human who fit the criteria, because he was the only human who knew that Alberu had Dark Elf blood. Mary didn’t count, since she couldn’t leave the Dark Elf village. If his Aunt would allow it, Alberu would have simply summoned Mary to come here, but he respected Tasha's desire to protect Mary.

There was a long moment of silence before Cale finally opened his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Alberu realized that it was a rocking chair, further cementing the notion that Cale had been relaxing until this conversation. He resisted the urge to call Cale out on his excuse of being busy, knowing that antagonizing Cale wouldn’t help his case at all. 

• “What kind of item is it?”

Cale sounded somewhat resigned and he was slouching in the chair as if he didn’t care at all about Alberu’s status. Alberu sighed at the blatant disrespect in Cale’s posture.

“How is it that someone like you is my only choice?” he muttered in annoyance.

• “What?”

Alberu pasted his smile back into place, turning up the charm again.

“I was just thinking about how lovely it is to have someone as wonderful as you by my side.” He couldn’t help a slight chuckle at his own words. Wonderful was not the word that he would use if he wasn’t trying to win Cale over. 

“This item was made for me by an expert, but it is a one-time use item and would activate the moment someone with Dark Elf blood touched it,” Alberu explained. “Therefore, only someone human could transport it for me.”

• “Even if your subordinates are busy now, couldn’t you just send someone later?”

Cale was clearly looking for a way out, but at least he hadn’t turned Alberu down yet. 

“I wish it were that simple,” he told Cale. “As I said, only someone human can handle this task.” He left it unsaid that Cale was the only human who knew his secret, but he was sure that Cale would connect those dots on his own. It was rather ironic that Cale of all people was the only one that Alberu could trust to do this, but Cale had at least kept his word about staying silent for the last two months and hadn’t taken Alberu’s secret to anyone else.

As much as he disliked that Cale knew his weakness, Alberu had to admit that in a time like this, it at least gave him an option where there otherwise wasn’t one. 

• “You can’t just go get it yourself?”

Alberu stifled a laugh at that suggestion. The Crown Prince couldn’t simply waltz out of the palace as he pleased at any time he liked. There were too many things he needed to take care of before his trip to the Empire, otherwise he would have gladly gone to the Land of Death himself. He sighed.

“I need to go to the Empire, so I’m on a tight time schedule,” he explained. Cale’s faint frown returned.

• “The Crown Prince of the Roan Kingdom needs to go to the Empire?” 

He was clearly perplexed by the statement and Alberu didn't blame him. Ordinarily he wouldn’t have had anything to do with the Empire, if he could avoid it. 

“The Imperial Prince has invited me to a celebration hosted by the Sun God twins.” Alberu made direct eye contact with Cale as he spoke. He doubted that he really needed to explain the dangers that came with being in the presence of the Sun God twins. Cale was bright enough to put two and two together and see why Alberu would say that his life was on the line. 

“The Church of the Sun God is the enemy of the Dark Elves, and the chances of them realizing that I am a quarter Dark Elf is fairly high, so…” he trailed off and Cale filled in the blank.

• “Something terrible would happen.”

“Exactly.” Alberu rested his chin on his hand. “Those twins would definitely try to kill me.” ‘Justice’ was very black and white to the Sun God. Creatures of the dark were hated and would simply be burned to death for the mere crime of existing where the light did not touch. If Alberu’s bloodline was revealed, his life would be forfeit, not just his title.

• “Have a safe trip.”

Cale spoke in a way that made it clear he had absolutely no desire to go to the Empire, as if he was concerned that Alberu was going to make him bring the item there or otherwise invite him along. Alberu snorted back a laugh.

“I wasn’t going to take you there anyway, don’t worry.” He wasn’t really planning on being involved more with Cale at all if he could avoid it, but he did at least need Cale to help him out in his current predicament. Putting Cale into his entourage for a trip to a foreign nation was the last thing that Alberu wanted. Cale would absolutely drive him up the wall if they had to remain in close proximity for that long, especially if Alberu had to maintain his public persona the whole time. 

While Cale’s expression was still mostly impassive, Alberu could see that he was contemplating something. He supposed that he was starting to learn to read Cale a bit better, which might help him avoid an incident like their previous meeting in the future, so that was good.

• “Why would the Imperial Prince suddenly decide to host a celebration and go through the trouble of contacting the other kingdoms?”

As expected, Cale was questioning the same thing that Alberu had wondered about when the invitation had first arrived. It was nice to see his suspicions validated by someone who thought in a similar manner to himself.

“Maybe he just went crazy,” Alberu suggested with a shrug. Cale’s impassive expression shifted minutely for a moment as he eyed Alberu.

• “Should you really be saying something like that? You’re being very casual right now, your highness.”

Alberu was very, very tempted to call Cale out on being too casual himself, with the way that he was draped lazily in his chair and not bothering with a respectful tone. The two of them had only talked a handful of times, so their relationship was in theory not close enough for such a relaxed atmosphere, but Cale had set the tone for his expectations of this conversation from the start. 

Since Cale knew his secret anyway and knew what kind of person he was, Alberu saw no real reason to put up any kind of facade while talking to the other man. Maybe he was letting his guard down a little more than he should, but it was a relief to just be himself when talking to someone who wasn’t a Dark Elf.

Rather than addressing Cale’s remark, Alberu returned to Cale’s original question.

“It does seem strange to me as well, considering that all the information that I have points to the Empire and the Imperial Prince trying to remove the Church of the Sun God from power. They have no reason to suddenly co-host a celebration with the Sun God twins to celebrate the Church instead. Something is definitely off about this situation.”

• “It doesn’t make sense at all.”

Alberu nodded agreement to Cale’s words. 

“There’s something else too,” he added. “Not only are they celebrating the 150 year anniversary of the Church of the Sun God becoming the official religion of the Empire, but apparently the Alchemist’s Bell Tower also has an anniversary this year. It was created 500 years ago, so they’re going to be celebrating that as well.”

Cale actually gasped at that, and Alberu could see the gears turning in his head.

• “The Church of the Sun God actually allowed the celebration of alchemy at the same time?”

“If they didn’t, the Imperial Prince wouldn’t have sent out these invitations,” Alberu commented. Cale met his gaze.

• “That’s suspicious.”

“It is,” Alberu agreed. “Doesn’t it feel like something is going to happen during the event?” 

There was definitely something going on behind the scenes or some kind of hidden agenda that Alberu couldn’t guess at, and he wondered if Cale’s information network had given the other man any insights that Alberu himself hadn’t managed to get his hands on. From their previous conversations, Alberu had gathered that Cale knew things that he didn’t, so he clearly had sources of information that Alberu wasn’t privy to.

The only question was if Cale would be willing to share any of the information that he had. Knowledge was power, and people didn’t typically want to share power. Even if Cale hadn’t been seeking to increase his power when he asked for his reward after the plaza incident, Alberu doubted that the other man had any intentions of giving up any sort of advantage he already had.

• “I don’t know.”

As Alberu had expected, Cale said nothing. He pushed down the twinge of disappointment at the fact that Cale didn’t see him as someone worth sharing information with, despite his position as the Crown Prince. Was his life at least worth something to Cale? Alberu noted that Cale had not actually agreed to run the errand for him yet. He really didn’t want to be killed by the Sun God twins for the unfortunate crime of being born with Dark Elf blood in his veins.

“Either way, I need your help,” he reminded Cale. “I will definitely compensate you later on.” 

The weight of his life might not mean much to Cale, as absurd as that was when Alberu was the Crown Prince of the kingdom that he lived in, but it certainly meant a lot to Alberu and he would promise Cale whatever it took to get the other man to agree. Silence stretched out for a long moment and Alberu wondered if he should beg for this favor. He supposed that he hadn’t even said please, so maybe he should at least do that.

However, before he could say anything else, Cale’s expression shifted. Alberu braced himself, recognizing Cale’s usual fake admiration.

• “Your highness, the star of our kingdom, light of the night in the people’s hearts.”

Alberu bit back the sigh that threatened to escape, trying to maintain a neutral expression and not let his disappointment show. Was this theatrical performance really necessary? He would prefer that Cale just say no so he could get on with his day and get through the impending anxiety attack at having to find an alternate solution. 

However, Cale didn’t actually say no. Instead, he said something that made Alberu perk up, an actual smile blooming on his lips.

• “Where is it?”

“You need to go West,” he answered immediately, his heart feeling lighter than it had all week. He couldn’t help laughing a bit at the weight that had been lifted from his shoulders when Cale had agreed to assist him. One of Cale’s eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly. 

• “The Dark Elves live in the Land of Death?”

Alberu smiled. He knew that Cale was smart, and this only further confirmed it. All he had provided was a direction and Cale had immediately pinpointed the correct location.

“You’re quite bright.” The thought that Cale might have Dark Elf blood himself wandered through Alberu’s mind again. Cale had denied it twice, but he knew a lot more than the average person should, and he hadn’t even hesitated or needed to think long at all about where the Dark Elf village was when provided with only a direction to travel. 

If Cale was lying, he couldn’t really run this errand for Alberu, but since Alberu had already explained that if someone with Dark Elf blood touched the artifact it would be used up, he was going to trust Cale. Perhaps Cale simply had someone close to him that had Dark Elf blood. Alberu was definitely not the only child of mixed blood in the world.

“Yes, the Dark Elf village is located in the Land of Death. You’ll just need to get the item from the chief of the village.” Alberu paused, recognizing just how inconvenient this was going to be for Cale. Not only was he sending him to a dangerous place where Dead Mana occasionally rose through the sand, he was sending him to a desert in the middle of summer. It was going to be unbearably hot.

• “Your highness.”

“Yes?” Alberu noted the reluctance and hesitation in Cale’s voice and hoped that the other man wasn’t going to refuse after all. As he was thinking that, Cale spoke again

• “...Can I not go?”

Alberu couldn’t stop the sigh from escaping at those words. Everything had been going too smoothly, he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. He was silent, contemplating what he could offer to bribe Cale into agreeing to go. Was just money going to be enough? Cale had already used his Golden Plaque once, but Alberu could give him another one. Before he could say anything, Cale sighed and nodded his head.

• “I’ll go since I said I’d go.”

He hadn’t actually said those words directly, but Alberu was pleased to hear Cale confirming that he would help. The pressure that had threatened to crush his chest a moment ago was gone again. 

“I’ll send you a guide,” he promised Cale. “Since you’re heading to the desert, you’ll need someone who knows the way.” Alberu intended to send the most reliable person he could and make Cale’s job as easy as he could manage. It was all he could do for Cale at the moment.

“She’s my mother’s sister,” he added. “At the moment, my Aunt is really the only one free enough to go anywhere.” She did have things to do and she was busy, but Alberu would take over what she had been working on and free her up to send her to Cale. He realized that it might sound as if he was sending someone less useful than his other subordinates with the way that he had phrased things.

“She may be just one person, but she is the one in charge of all the other Dark Elves under my command,” Alberu explained, trying to ensure that Cale knew that he was sending the best person he had, not just someone that happened to have some availability. “You can trust her abilities.”

• “Of course.”

Cale looked contemplative again, and Alberu waited to see what he had to say.

• “Your highness.”

“Yes?” Cale smiled, and Alberu suspected he knew what was coming.

• “Can I ask you to cover my travel expenses? For example, I’ll need a lot of magic ice, because I really hate the heat.”

Even if Cale went overboard with the spending, Alberu still considered it a small price to pay in exchange for saving his life and his position as the Crown Prince. He nodded as Cale continued to speak.

• “Also I would like to select my own reward again. I choose money.”

Alberu had expected that as well. He nodded again.

“Of course. Do whatever you want.” Cale’s smile shifted into a smirk.

• “I’m sure that you already know, your highness, but when I complete a task I do so with 120% efficiency. I expect my reward to reflect on such excellent performance.” 

“Of course,” Alberu repeated. “I meant it when I said do whatever you want.” Cale looked pleased by the response and Alberu made a mental note to set aside time to go over the budget so that he could allocate what was likely to be an ostentatious amount to Cale. He didn’t know what 120% efficiency would look like for something as simple as collecting an item, but he would definitely ensure that Cale was well compensated for the time and energy spent on Alberu’s behalf. 

• “You can leave it to me then.”

“I trust you.” It was a statement that he had never really thought that he would say to someone that wasn’t one of the Dark Elves working under him, but Cale had proven himself an outlier in more ways than one. 

Alberu offered Cale some suggestions on the easiest route to take based on past conversations with his Aunt. He also made arrangements with Cale regarding where to send Tasha, confirming that Cale was amenable to meeting her somewhere along the way rather than waiting for her to join him in the Henituse territory first and traveling the entire distance with him. 

Although Cale had complained, once he had accepted, he seemed fully committed, which pleased Alberu. It looked as if he would be ready to leave within a day or two, which suited Alberu well since he did have the time schedule of his invitation to the Empire to consider. He had somewhat expected Cale to take up to a week, or possibly even more, to get moving, considering that Cale had not had any problem making Alberu wait in the past. 

By the time he disconnected the call, Alberu was feeling quite light-hearted, a far cry from how he had felt after his previous conversation with Cale. He even caught himself humming as he settled at his desk to tackle the paperwork that he had been ignoring all morning due to the stress of his situation. 

His eye landed on the little bottle that had previously contained the Dead Mana of the dragon again and he picked it up, idly tapping his fingernail lightly against the glass. He had fully intended to throw it away after seeing it earlier, but now he was thinking that he might just keep it after all.