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The two Segros lingered under their invisibility in the back doors of the training facility. “You sure this will work?” Sunni asked as she opened one of the bottles.
“It’s plain and simple, slip the spell into their drink and collect the prince later when he’s passed out and delirious.”
She nodded as she screwed the top back on, before checking over her shoulder to ensure that the hallways were empty. In the background you could hear the thuds of people being slammed into the ground surrounded by yelling.
“Is that the guard dog’s one?”
She nodded looking at the label.
“Pass it over” Amaris instructed. “Better safe than sorry.”
Sunni hummed happily as she watched Amaris pour the remainder of the solution in the bottle. “This should be a breeze then right?”
“It will be just fine, all we’ll have to do is find them in a couple hours.”
The sound of fighting men started to dwindle down. “Come on let’s get going then” Amaris whispered, taking Sunni’s hand and leading her out of the hall.
“And they won’t taste it or anything, it will all be okay?”
”Yes it’s fine, I tried it myself, it should have no taste. Like we were never there.”
“What? Why would you do that, are you going to be okay?” Sunni demanded.
“It has no effect on Segros, so we don’t need to worry” Amaris reassured her as they fled into the forest.
…
“If you pull that again I’m having you kicked out of the palace” Osora warned as they pushed the door of the training room open.
“Tch I’d like to see you try” Arias laughed reaching for his water bottle. “You’re just mad because only took a simple move to have you flat on your ass”
“You distracted me, that’s cheating” Osora huffed, spraying some of his water at Arias.
“All I hear is a loser talking” He replied mockingly pushing the prince out of the way.
The walk back was nothing exciting. The prince and Arias walked side by side, the group of guards a couple paces behind them. Osora shooting them warning glances if they were too close. It felt ironic that they had guards to escort them to a combat class.
“I shouldn’t have wasted that water on you” Osora sighed, shaking his now empty bottle.
Arias laughed, shoving them once more as they continued to walk onto the palace grounds. “I’m hurt you don’t think I was worth it.”
When they finally neter in the large palace doors, Arias realizes how strangely quiet Osora had gotten. They had even stopped glancing over to him as they often did.
The guards remained stationed at one of the doors as the two walked down the hall, Osora hadn’t said otherwise so Arias continued to walk down the hall with them. Going a rather odd direction, he has no idea where they’re going. Keeping an eye on them wouldn’t hurt anyone.
As they turned a corner they started giggling uncontrollably. Arias had never heard the prince giggle before. They normally laughed under their breath, their brows never relaxing, staying furrowed.
“Ariassssss” they start to trail on.
“What’s your deal?” Arias called grabbing them by a shoulder. But on contact Osora nearly fell over.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Arias demanded having a hold of both of Osora’s shoulder now, shaking them.
“Did I ever tell you what pretty eyes you hav-“ Arias quickly covered their mouth looking down the hall to see if anyone could have heard.
“Not now, god you even know where you are?” Arias asked, grabbing osora by the arm and leading them down another hallway, he was almost 100% sure that their room was down this wing.
Osora just gave a quick shrug, following behind Arias without a care in the world clinging onto his arm tighter. “Pretty eyes” they whispered, trailing a finger down the side of his face.
“What in the hell is going on”
As they turn another corner, Arias feels like luck may be against him again as Celia comes into view lingering not too far from Osora’s door. If he were quicker he might have been able to turn them around to avoid trying to explain what is going on. This however was not the case. He was able to push the prince off his arm, leaving them looking no more stable than the moment before.
“You guys are finally back” She called as she approached them. “Took you two long enough, you know I think you’re strong enough as is” Celia told Arias.
“Well there’s still always someone stronger though isn’t there” Arias replied calmly glancing over to see Osora zoned out.
“What’s wrong with him?” Celia asked, pointing to her brother. “I think you’ve hit your head to many times”
Osora just smiled before giggling once more. “The fuck did you do?” Celia demanded snapping her finger in front of their face.
“So pretty isn’t h-“ Osora started to trail on, Arias shoved his bag into their hands hoping that it would distract them enough from whatever thoughts were going through that head.
“I think it’s just the heat” Arias tries to reason. It had been a hotter day, but Celia didn’t know that the training rooms were ventilated just fine.
“Super hot” Osora chimed in.
Celia looked uncertain but overall unbothered. That was one of the things that Arias liked most about her now, she really didn’t care whatever if it didn’t involve her. Or now seemingly with the other princess.
“Well if you pull yourself together you should go hang out with Catalina” Celia suggested placing a hand as she walked away.
“You're prettier than Catalina,” Osora whispered with a laugh.
Fear stuck Arias for a moment as he looked back to see if Celia was far enough gone. Finally letting out the breath he was holding he took his bag back and opened up the door, ushering the prince into his room.
But as he let go of Osora’s shoulder they fell sideways like Arias was the only thing holding them up.
Arias just sighed as he stared down at Osora who remained sprawled out on the floor.
“What in the hell am I going to do with you”
With a sigh he hoisted them up and plopped them down on their bed. “You're so pretty Arias” They started rolling over again.
“You’ve been saying that a lot lately.” Arias replied, starting to think over his options of how best to proceed.
“I used to have some shreds of dignity, you know. That's how pretty you are.” Osora swooned.
So calling someone for a second option in this situation was out if they kept talking like this. But what else was there to do?
Eventually Arias accepted defeat of the mind, and sat by the prince as he continued to ramble. You would have thought that Arias was the only possible muse in the world, and for those moments that’s exactly how Arias felt.
“Why did I have to fall in love with you?” Osora continues.
“Am I that much of a nuisance to love?” Arias jokes. But it was like Osora wasn’t really listening; they just continued on.
“Cause you’re perfect. But you deserve something better, you shouldn’t have to hide because of me. Pretty things shouldn’t stay in the shadows”
“And what if I like the shadows?” Arias asks them, cupping their face in his hand. Their skin too hot to the touch.
“When did you get a fever, tch- nothings ever simple with you is it?” Arias sighs, getting up to make a cool rag from the bathroom.
“So we never figured out what's up with you. Did you put alcohol in your water bottle or something, is this just you being somehow totally wasted?”
But when he returned the prince was not where he had last put him. Looking around the room frantically he finally spotted a figure behind the curtain and pressed up against the glass.
“Arias, come be in the sunlight” They called.
“I am never going to let you forget this ridiculous day I swear” Arias mutters joining Osora’s side by the window’s glass.
“There, happy now?’ He asks, smacking the wet rag on their forehead.
“I’m happy you love me” their hand slips from the rag, almost letting it fall before Arias catches it.
“I never thought I would hear you say that” He admits. “Come on let's go sit down”
“Can you keep a secret?” They whisper as Arias situates them in the comforts.
“Sure why not” Arias smiles, placing the rag back over their forehead. “I don’t think I’ll ever leave the shadow.”
“I thought I was the one in the shadow, not you”
“We both are, I guess.” Osora smiles sadly, flopping back. “You can leave though, the sun nicer than the shadows.I wouldn’t be mad”
Arias grows annoyed at the delirious prince’s words. “Is this like your last truth or something, which is wrong by the way. Because you can’t get rid of me if it really is your last dying wish.”
Maybe that’s what was going on, it was like he was on some sort of truth serum. But where would that have even come from? Or Airas had finally hit them too hard in the head for the last time.
But when he looked back over to them they had passed out. For a moment he thought about leaving them be, but they were still in all of the clothes of the day and that was hardly the way to sleep whatever the hell kind of fever thing this was. Plus he figured they weren’t in deep sleep just yet, or more likely faking it.
“Osora just get up really quick, and then you can pass out for the rest of the day” Arias nudges them. But they don't even stir the slightest bit. “Osora come on don’t ignore me”
Still they remained still, not even scrunching their nose to noise.
“I’m not joking, just get up” Arias called, shaking their shoulders, becoming more drastic as they remained asleep. “OSORA” Arias was yelling, trying everything within his power to wake them. But nothing appealed to the trance.
The fear that struck through Arias's heart was immeasurable. He was overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety, should he have gone to fetch someone sooner?
As the thoughts continued to pound through his head he scooped them up and started running through the halls in search of someone, anyone.
It didn’t take long for Arias to catch the attention of the castel’s staff. Soon people were rushing all around them, and before Arias knew what had happened he was laying Osora back on a bed.
“What happened?” The king’s voice filled the room, gaining imminent silence.
“I don’t know, he was feverish after training and then he just feel asleep, and-”
Arias had to take a moment to breathe, he was faltering. He was crumbing, his composure was at the stability of a crumb cake.
“He won’t wake up.” Arias finished.
The rest of the night blurred together, guilt seeped in through all formats of Arias’s consciousness. He should have gone for help sooner.
Is this why Osora was saying all of that stuff? Did they know they were gonna-
Did they catch some unknown illness that’s been working for weeks and nobody knew? And Arias did nothing at the first sign that something was off.
How can one person make me feel like the strongest and weakest person at the same time?
Arias stayed perched in his chair, wanting to reach over and feel their pulse, to ensure they were still there. But people walked in and out of the room, so he would remain there by their side from his chair, watching their chest rise and fall allowing time to slip by as the sun set and rose.
He had woken suddenly as a pillow was smacked against his face.
“You look horrible” Osora taunted, his expression set back to the pouty furrowed brows and gaze Arias was so used to.
“You asshole, you did this to me” Arias shouted back automatically not even processing everything fully yet.
With one shove osora was sent stumbling back against the bed. “You were worried that much?”
“Well you were talking like you were giving me your final thoughts or some shit like that, do you even remember all that?” Arias demanded.
“Oh” their face flushed.
“Yeah ‘oh’, so you do remember everything you said to me” He asked once more.
“We can just forget about that,” Osora replied sheepishly, covering their face with their hands.
“Like hell, you were all over the place and nearly gave me a heart attack” Even though he was mad, a smile seeped through his features.
“I should probably try and find everyone else shouldn’t I?” Osora asked turning towards the door.
“You gave everyone a scare, no one could wake you up”
“Not even you?” Osora teases.
“Not even me, and you say I sleep like the dead”
As Arias stands, Osora had made his way over to the door before closing it quickly. “Something the matter?”
Osora had run back across the room inot Arias arms. “I’m sorry I worried you, I-I don’t know what happened.” They admitted.
Arias just ran his fingers through their hair, pressing a soft kiss to their forehead. “It’s fine, but I will hold this over your head”
“typical”
…
Amaris sighed from out on the balcony they had been watching all night and morning. Arias never seemed to drift off for too long, plus there were continuous guards in swing at this part of the palace.
“Why the fuck didn’t it work? She whispered shouted.
“The prince went down, but his guard doggie seems just fine. Did he not drink any of it?” Sunni asked as she peaked in the window.
With another long breath Amaris started away from the window, “I don’t know”
“They definitely got fruitier though right?”
“One hundred percent” She laughed back.