Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“Well… we’re here. Come in.”
A grand house stood before Mydei, nearly the size of a mansion; its design was certainly luxurious, boasting an open-air courtyard smackdab in the center as the rest of the house wrapped around it. It seemed as though it would be a pain to maintain, but with no job now, Mydei had nothing better to do. After all, he had to fulfill his husbandly duties now. And to make matters worse, it was to an absolute stranger .
The man in question was currently arguing with the taxi driver, who had tried to overcharge them by 50%; had it been Hephaestion, the matter would’ve been swiftly resolved, but this so-called ‘Deliverer’ wasn’t one to push too hard. Krateros had called him a people pleaser, someone who was annoyingly stable, which apparently Mydei needed right now.
“Your room is on the bottom floor, just over there,” Phainon said meekly, lugging their suitcases through the entryway. The taxi driver had driven off in a fit, but otherwise hadn’t demanded much more. “I’ll be upstairs, of course; just above you.”
“Acceptable. I’d like to be alone now, if you wouldn’t mind,” Mydei replied. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his suitcase and stormed into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him as he slumped against it.
‘This is my life now. Married to a random man because the prince of Castrum Kremnos just had to be married,’ Mydei thought solemnly. ‘Brilliant. Get me out of here.’
His people had been wondering why their prince was so reclusive, so unwilling to marry a nice woman and continue the bloodline, so Mydei had formally declared his interest was in men only. That should have stopped them, because it wasn’t as though homosexuality was uncommon, but they instead pivoted to wondering why he didn’t just marry a nice man to continue the bloodline with. How that worked, he didn’t want to know.
‘Bunch of jackals, they are. I ought to divorce him right now.’
The pressure had gotten to a point where even Mydei’s parents and closest advisors were pestering him to go on dates, allowing him to slack on his princely duties just a bit. He hadn’t the heart to tell them no, and so he did; and thankfully, he found his lifelong partner fast in the man known as Hephaestion.
And things had been going great . For three whole years, he had allowed Hephaestion into his life, sharing every delight with him, every misfortune, and every part of his life. It was the most Mydei had ever trusted someone, the most he had ever felt like someone could really understand him beyond being a berserker of a warrior. He was even ready to marry him, willing to take this man in sickness and health, till death do them part.
And on the day of his wedding, his life turned upside down.
“Big day, huh?”
“Shut it. You’re not supposed to be seeing me before the ceremony, it’s bad luck.”
“I know, De, but I couldn’t help myself. Isn’t it exciting? We’re gonna be married!”
“... I know. Aren’t you nervous?”
“Not since I know I get to spend my life with you.”
“You sap. What would my people think if they heard you?”
“That their prince could do with some sweetness for once, and should really think about himself every now and then.”
“I think about myself plenty — what’s that yelling?”
“Yelling?”
“It sounds like somebody’s cursing out my entire bloodline… weird.”
“Yeah, definitely — Mydei, watch out!’
The explosions had destroyed the entire chapel, sending rubble careening onto everyone inside, and killing both the grooms instantly. Or at least, that was what should have happened. Instead, Mydei died in Hephaestion’s embrace, only returning to life miraculously as the paramedics and firefighters tried to separate their bodies. Nobody could explain how he managed to return after what should have been certain death, and they wondered if it was better for him to have stayed dead. Instead, upon his return to the land of the living, Mydei had to cope with the fact that not only had Hephaestion died, but so had both of his parents, as well as countless subjects of his.
In his grief, he handed off the matter of his marriage to Krateros, who spent another year searching for a groom to drag Mydei out of his funk. It was only recently that he found the Deliverer, and the rest was history. He firmly declared that he was no longer the prince of Castrum Kremnos, that he would draft up a new constitution for them as a parting gift, and that he wanted nothing more than to put this life behind him and live a quiet, married life. It was about time they dissolved the monarchy anyways; they were but a small nation, and it did more harm than good if one voice had too much power.
‘I fully expect this won’t be easy. I should consult Okhema’s library.’
It would be a welcome distraction from his married life, at least. He’d need another hobby though. Something completely separate from his past life, so that he might not remember Hephaestion’s name at all, nor the sting that accompanied it without fail. Pulling out his phone, he immediately started scrolling Facebook for activities to do in Okhema, wanting to waste as little time as possible.
‘Let’s see, baking, figure skating, crocheting — no, not that one… Dancing. That’s distant enough. Let’s see, every evening on weekdays from 6 to 8… that sounds reasonable,’ Mydei concluded. ‘I’ll let the Deliverer know so that he doesn’t think I got kidnapped, and then I’m free.’
But unfortunately, fate had other plans, as Mydei found himself in the middle of a rambunctious party in the middle of his own home. Phainon’s coworkers had caught wind of the marriage, and burst into the home (uninvited) to congratulate him on the matter. At the least, they brought their own food and decorations, setting it up with a speed unlike anything Mydei had ever seen. Wasn’t this excessive? Mydei didn’t even know these people, nor did it seem like Phainon was the type to make friends this close. He was proven wrong as the man in question greeted them all enthusiastically, his only apology for the fact that he hadn’t invited them to the wedding.
“Mydei, these are my friends from work,” Phainon explained, proudly leading Mydei over to a girl with purple hair. “This is Castorice, she’s studying to be a botanist!"
“Nice to meet you,” Castorice said, drawing a blank as Mydei held his hand out. “Oh, that’s right, the people here do handshakes. It’s a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Mydei offered formally. “Remind me, Deliverer, what is it you lot do again?”
“Wha — I’m a professor , Mydei!” Phainon spluttered, flailing his hands about. “Didn’t I tell you? I teach Okhema’s history, and Castorice here is my teaching assistant! At least, until she gets enough money to start her own teaching career.”
“An admirable ambition. I wish you luck. If you’ll excuse me, Deliverer, I’d rather like to rest… It’s been a long day.”
“Oh… I mean, of course,” Phainon answered, his confidence suddenly vanishing. “I’ll just let everyone know.”
“Thank you. And, uh… I really do want to meet these people you call your friends,” Mydei admitted, something about how Phainon’s expression fell striking a chord in his heart. “If it’s not too much trouble, perhaps I can meet them another day.”
“Oh, of course — I mean, sure. Sure. sounds good!”
With those reassurances, Mydei dismissed himself from the group and trudged off into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him and collapsing onto his bed. The sounds of the party, raging as it was, was muffled by the door enough that he could pretend it was the sounds of training instead. He missed his home, really, but this new era of peace might be just what he needed. It would take some getting used to, clearly, but he wanted to make this work. He had to forget his past and move on, no matter what it took.
But asking him to love the Deliverer was too much. That was just never going to happen, not with how poorly Phainon carried himself at all times. But perhaps, maybe, Mydei could learn to fit into this world neatly and slowly build himself back up again, back into a man he could recognize in the mirror.
He could do this, or he wasn’t Mydeimos of Castrum Kremnos.