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Cale has a few choices he could make here. He could put on any mask he wishes, so long as it’ll elevate Basen’s position in the eyes of his cousins. They are second cousins, his father’s cousins’ children, but they have too many opinions and mouths that are awfully rude. Their parents only enable them, hoping they can worm their way into seating their sons higher than Cale’s stepbrother. As if Cale would allow that to happen. Basen is his new little brother and Cale loves him. Cale will protect him. He just needs to choose the right way to protect him.
Basen is a super smart kid, an intelligent little 7 year old. But he’s shy. Even when he knows the answer to their tutor’s question, Basen won’t speak up. The tutor is a snooty old coot and Cale’s never liked him, but he’s never bothered Cale because this tutor likes smart kids. But he hates dumb kids. Hm…oh, yes, this is a brilliant idea! Cale can be a dummy! Basen will get to show off how smart he is and Cale can be the dummy who makes his little brother look better. Basen will be safe if he takes position as heir, and an heir should be smart. If Cale’s not smart, then obviously the future count will be Basen. Cale’s so good at making a plan.
Cale doesn't start acting stupid out of the blue, of course. That's just too suspicious, especially because so far Cale's been doing well with his lessons. He needs to start small (Basen is small. He's little and Cale wishes it was easier to get people to love him because it's just so easy for Cale. His brother is small and smart and cute and Cale's). So, he pretends that he doesn't know the answer to something. It's nothing that hasn't happened before. Cale's not a super genius, and he's only 10, of course he'll get stuff wrong. From here on, though, he's going to pretend to not know anything. It actually kinda sounds fun, pretending to be a dummy while watching this annoying old man turn beet red while Cale scrunches up his face in faux confusion. If Cale can fool the tutor, doesn't that make Cale smarter than him? Cale likes the thought of that.
Cale smiles innocently when Viscount Frisch's jaw clenches so hard he thinks he can hear his teeth grinding down to dust. What an interesting shade of red! It's brighter than Cale's hair! How cool! This is so fun, Cale's glad he decided to do this plan.
He catches Basen shifting uncomfortably in his chair, unsure of what he's supposed to do in this situation. Don't worry, Basen, this is going to work out for you very well.
"Basen knows," Cale says sweetly, pointing at his brother, "He looks like he knows."
The look his little brother shoots him is one of panic, which is silly. Cale knows that Basen knows, so there's nothing to worry about. His silly dongsaeng, he's so nervous over nothing. All he has to do is be his smart self and that'll take care of it. Cale smiles behind Viscount Frisch's back as the tutor turns to look at Basen expectantly.
"The- the roads are checked quarterly, not annually," Basen stutters, "Good road maintanence is better for trade."
Viscount Frisch's little mustache twitches like a rat's lip. Appropriate, since the man looks like a rat.
"Correct," the man grumbles, and returns to lecturing.
Cale makes sure to get a few questions correct afterwards, but lets a few pass as incorrect so Basen gets his fair share too. He's going to slowly decrease the amount of correct answers he can provide. It'll be slow work, but really, after seeing the bounce in Basen's step after they leave the library where they get tutored is worth it.
By the time Cale is 11, he can't answer a single question right, and Viscount Frisch doesn't even bother asking him anymore. He just glances at Cale, who blinks up at him with a confused look, before he turns to question Basen. It's a good thing too, because soon after Cale started his plan, his mother announced that there would be a baby coming soon. Being a dummy will be good for the baby as it grows older, surely any kind of attitude the baby will have will be better than a stupid eldest brother who's good at nothing but laughing and asking frustratingly simple questions.
His father calls him into his study after an especially good performance (Viscount Frisch had to leave the room for 15 minutes after Cale offered an absolutely ignorant answer about seasonal production), and Cale can feel his heart jumping around in his chest like an unruly colt. Cale knocks on the door, hardly having to wait a second before his father calls him in. He pushes the door open and cautiously approaches his father.
"Cale," his father beckons, gesturing for him to come closer.
He inches closer and almost squeals in surprise when his father lifts him up and settles him on his lap. Cale leans up against his father's chest, smiling into the fluffy collar of his father's coat. Mmm, it's warm. Cale likes when his father wears these coats, they're always so cozy. His father pats his back gently, and the slow rhythm almost lulls Cale to sleep. He'd been up all night reading while trying to not get caught with his book by Ron. Ron is always checking in on him on his reading nights and it makes it so hard for Cale to study! Not fair at all, though being so tired does make it easier for Cale to give a completely blank look when someone asks him a question more complex than what kind of tea he wants.
"Cale," his father says, "Are you doing okay?"
Cale pulls away, still clenching handfuls of his father's coat. He gives his father his best look of confusion.
"I'm fine," Cale responds brightly, "Ron didn't give me lemon tea this morning because we ran out!"
"Did we," his father chuckles, "It seems we'll have to order more."
"No," Cale protests, "Why do we have to?"
"The baby has been making the Countess crave lemon tea," his father replies, "And it's good for you."
Cale sighs in resignation. "Fine."
His father clears his throat, drawing Cale's attention once again.
"I've heard that you've been struggling in your lessons lately," his father says, "I thought that you were just adjusting to the changes in our home, but it's been a year. Is something wrong? Is Viscount Frisch too hard on you two?"
Hmm, should Cale use this opportunity? While Viscount Frisch does do decent work, he's a bad teacher. And even as smart as Basen is, the viscount is still disdainful of him. That old man is super annoying and he isn't so indispensable that he can't be replaced with someone of higher quality.
"He's mean to Basen," Cale complains, "He's always so rude even though Basen is smart. I don't get why. Basen is his student, and you shouldn't be so mean to your students, right?"
His father frowns deeply, eyebrows knitting together as he thinks. Cale lets him think for a minute before he gets bored and reaches up to squish his father's face between his hands. His father looks down in surprise, though the surprise is mushed up by Cale's hands squishing his father's face up.
"Did you forget something," Cale asks, "Are you going to do something?"
His father pries Cale's hands off his face, squeezing them gently with a smile. Cale smiles back, leaning up against his father once more. It's so nice being held. It's warm and comfortable. He'll be getting too big for it soon, so he should really milk this for all it's worth. Luckily, idiots aren't shy about anything, and Cale is an idiot.
"Of course," his father says, "We can't let anyone be mean to your brother. He's a Henituse, right?"
Cale nods eagerly, beaming. His father will kick Viscount Frisch out right out on his ass (Vicross should never know that Cale heard him swearing so loud because he'll probably wash Cale's mouth out with soap for saying or even thinking the word 'ass' but it's a funny word to say, so there).
"Will you try a bit harder with your new tutor," his father asks.
Cale shrugs. "I'll try. It's…it's hard though. It used to be easy, but I just don't understand things like I used to."
His father pets his head soothingly, frowning in sympathy. He's probably thinking about how these past couple of years have been hard on Cale. Cale's adaptable and resilient, so he's managed, but his father's too worried to think about how good Cale is at handling things.
"I won't be upset if you're still not doing well," his father reassures him, "Just try your best, alright?"
Cale rewards his father for falling for his ditzy act so thoroughly with a pat on the cheek.
"Okay," Cale agrees before he hops down and runs out of his father's office so he can go find a nice, quiet place to read. Hopefully a spot where Ron won't find him.
Basen isn't sure what's going on with his hyung these days. His smart older brother has suddenly started having trouble with school, though unlike Basen would be, Cale doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. No, rather, he's started laughing more. He giggles when he can't answer a question, tilting his head to the side like a confused puppy.
"Are you…hyung, are you feeling alright," Basen asks him once while they're sitting in the garden, warming themselves in the sunlight while they wait for the baby to be born inside.
Cale looks up from the crown of flowers he's been weaving together for Basen to wear, his confusion breaking into a warm smile. It's such a different expression from the one that he first wore when they became family, a face that was a little lost and a bit scared.
"Hmm~? Oh, I'm nervous, but I think that's normal, right? Do you think the baby will be a boy or girl? I hope it's a girl since I've never had a sister before," Cale replies, still weaving the flowers together into a circlet.
"That's…that's not what I meant," Basen mumbles shyly.
"Oh? What'd you mean," Cale hums, tying off the ends of the flower wreathe and dropping his finished project on top of Basen's head.
A petal tickles Basen's nose as he falls. It's so strange to be wearing a flower crown from his older brother who he couldn't truly approach until last year when he tried to help Cale study, not that it worked out very well and Basen ended up studying more than Cale did. But here the two of them are, sitting together in a garden while their youngest sister enters the world. It feels…it's a nice feeling.
"…Nevermind," Basen murmurs, "Are- um, should I make you one?"
Cale plucks a single pale pink rose off a bush and tucks it behind his own ear. It's a rose in full bloom, so pretty and full of life. It's a bit like his older brother, Basen thinks. It looks noce against Cale's red hair.
"Basen?"
"Yes, hyung?"
"I didn't take the thorns off. I think my ear is bleeding."
"Hyung!"
Vicross can hear the maids and servants whispering amongst themselves. None of them have any kind of subtlety, which some would regard as beneficial. Not Vicross, since he doesn't need to rely on whispers and rumors to acquire information. He's a chef, anyways, and attending to the needs of his masters beyond their dietary requirements is not his duty.
"Poor Young Master Basen, he's had to put in so much effort studying recently!"
"Yes, he's had to make up for Young Master Cale with his efforts, hasn't he?"
"Young Master Cale used to be so intelligent! To think his intelligence peaked at only 11…I fear the worst for the county if he becomes the lord."
"I doubt the count would doom the territory like that. He'll obviously pick the Young Master Basen as heir."
"Are you certain he'd pick the young master who hasn't a drop of Henituse blood in his veins?"
"Of course! The count's hardly a traditional man; both of his wives have been from fallen noble families, haven't they?"
"Oh, that's true, I suppose. Have you seen the new Young Lady?"
"Yes! She's adorable! I saw Young Master Cale holding her for hours in the nursery yesterday."
"Young Master Cale? The countess let that little half-wit hold the baby? Isn't she worried he'll drop the baby?"
"No, he seems to be quite good with babies."
"That'd be a fine trait if the Young Master were a girl, he'd make a pretty one, don't you think? He could be as stupid as he likes and be happy with a baby or two. But he's not, so that's rather useless. I wonder what the count will do with him when he gets older."
"Shhh, don't speak like that out loud unless you wish to be sent out of the territory with your last wages! Whatever the count and countess do with the twit is none of our business."
"I heard Lucille is putting together a little betting pool about it."
"…Tell me the bets later and I'll see what I can add to the pot."
Irritating. Rumors like this are completely irriating and unreliable. Vicross's fingers clench around the cleaver he'd been sharpening against the whetstone. The sharp 'shing' of the blade startles the two whispering maids and the whispering servant, sending them scurrying off. A little head the color of fresh cherry juice pokes into the kitchen. If Vicross were anyone else, he'd startle at seeing a face so close to being an exact reflection of the countess who'd taken him and his father in. But since he is himself, he simply gives the redhaired child a flat stare.
"Viiiiicross," Young Master Cale chirps, "Can you show me how to make some cookies for the baby?"
"The baby can't have cookies," Vicross deadpans.
"Oh." Young Master Cale frowns briefly before smiling again. "Then can you show me how to make cookies for me?"
What a cheeky brat, staring at Vicross expectantly with those shining eyes. Whoever thinks this brat is an idiot is the real stupid one. Anyone can see how cunning a creature this child is.
"I'll share with Basen," Young Master Cale promises, "And the count and countess. The countess likes your cookies."
Vicross himself might be an idiot for falling for the schemes of a conniving brat like this.
"Fine," Vicross grumbles, "If you make a mess, you'll get out of my kitchen."
"Ooookay!"
Young Master Cale, of course, knocks over several bowls and spoons and laughs like the little airhead klutz he might actually be. (But does Vicross kick the child out? Well…)
Cale's having so much fun! He's a clumsy fool with no sense of decorum, and nobody would trust him with a single important task (except of course, holding Baby Lily, which Cale is very good at and very happy to do). Basen, however, is regarded as such a bright, calm child with a good head on his shoulders. Yes, praise his good little brother! It's so fun to keep a secret, knowing that everyone is fooled by Cale's acting. He thinks even Ron has been tricked, and the thought makes Cale feel immensely proud. If he's fooled Ron, then even his friends will be fooled.
Cale's correct. Eric hyung-nim worries and fusses over Cale like he's his father, asking Cale mountains of questions about why he's been slacking off on his studies.
"I just don't get it," Cale answers with a smile, "It doesn't make aaaaany sense at all. But it's okay, I try really hard and that's all that matters, right?"
"How about you sit still and let me talk today at the banquet, okay," Eric hyung frets.
Sit around and just eat snacks? Oh, Eric hyung always knows what Cale wants to do. It's not like Cale's ever been especially interested in the political dealings that come with having to endure the noble meetings.
He's never been ignorant of who builds connections with whom, especially in regards to the economy, but he's never made any effort to build connections beyond the neutral faction of the North Eastern nobles. The Chetter, Ubarr, and Wheelsman families hold no influence and do not wish to, preferring to maintain the balance of power they hold among themselves and with the Hentiuse territory. They also serve to provide buffers for the Henituse family, forming a neutral ground that makes it hard for anyone with particular political agendas to approach Cale's wealthy family. After all, the Henituses could hold immense political power if they so choose.
Hmm…actually, the stupid act will really help with enforcing his family's neutral stance. Right now, Cale is still regarded as their heir as the eldest, and nobody outside the territory knows that Cale's 'stupid', so if Cale, the heir apparent, shows complete ignorance and disinterest in politics then who could approach? The parents of the heirs? No, the parents would have to go to his father, and Cale's father didn't amass and manage such wealth by being stupid. Better to just give up on swaying the Henituses~.
"Okay, hyung-nim," Cale agrees, "Father says I don't have to do anything but show up anyways."
It's standard policy, actually, even before Cale started up his act, but he used to make himself socialize politely. Now he can just ignore everyone and have some good food. That really is the only good thing about the noble gatherings- the chance to eat sweets without Vicross or Ron monitoring him.
Eric hyung-nim keeps a close eye on Cale the whole time, only daring to drift away from their spot when Amiru or Gilbert are nearby, and he's never away for long. Cale feels a bit bad for Eric hyung so he makes sure to stay completely still, never leaving the table and only snacking peacefully. He really wasn't planning on stirring up trouble. Unfortunately, Venion Stan had other ideas.
Venion is, unlike his older brother Taylor, completely deplorable. He's slimey, cruel, creepy, and on top of his personality issues, he's got bad hair. It's really bad, seriously, his servants might have cut it like that in some kind of quiet revenge against Venion. Cale really doesn't like seeing his creepy little face.
"It appears that the Tolz family has decided to hang on to the tailcoats of the Stans," Amiru murmurs, shifting her glance subtlely to Neo, who is trailing close behind Venion.
Probably because they want to grow their wealth by doing the Stans' biddings. Cale can imagine that this role isn't too hard for Neo, since he's always been the type of person who Cale thinks would do well as a henchman. He supposes this means that the Tolz family will cease any friendly interactions with the Henituse family, which will be more to their detriment than Cale's family's. They can throw their lot in with the Stans if they think mucking through the darkness will bring them to power and wealth. Cale may pretend to be a fool, but Neo and his family are the real idiots, in his opinion.
"Oh well," Cale hums in response, dipping his spoon into his fruit pudding.
Despite the fact that they've been keeping to themselves, Venion seems to be extremely bothered by their presence. Perhaps it's because of the fact that he's a second son and not the immediate assummed heir like Cale, Amiru, Gilbert, and Eric hyung-nim are. Or maybe it's just Venion's bad personality acting out again. Who's to say? All Cale knows is that Venion's approaching with an expression that looks like he'd had a teacup full of pure lemon juice, barely considered to be socially polite.
"My, what a quiet corner this is," Venion says with that nasty, knife sharp smile of his, "How wonderful that you all have found peace in this busy space."
He really is an idiot if he's trying to insult them for not engaging in political maneuverings here. Of course they're not, they're the neutral families, and they wish for the same neutrality their parents currently uphold.
"It's so calm here, it makes me want to be lazy," Neo comments behind him, sneering at Cale.
Hmph, is he mad that Cale's family is more wealthy? It's not like that's Cale's fault, so Neo should stop being such an immature little brat about it.
"We don't have any chairs left," Cale pipes up, "If you bring some, you can sit with us and be lazy too."
He takes a bite of pudding, staring at the two of them with a clueless smile. Cale's just being friendly and offering for the two of them to sit somewhere relaxing, not antagonistic at all. What're you going to do, Venion Stan? Show off your bad temper?
"Unfortunately, Young Master Henituse, some of us have things we must attend to here," Venion replies bitterly.
"Oh, did you make a new friend you must go see? That's good, I hadn't heard that you spend time with anyone else besides your family. Congratulations on your friend," Cale laughs airily before taking another bite of pudding.
Oooh~, look at how red that face is! It looks awful against Venion's pale hair, how unfortunate. Poor Venion, he really got the short end of the stick when it came to his looks versus Taylor's. It wouldn't be so bad if he was a nice person, but all around, he's just bad. Which is why he's only got henchmen and not friends.
"Shut your mouth, you moron," Venion snaps under his breath, leaning closer, "You don't know what it's like to have to work your ass off to take your rightful place."
Whoa, isn't that too emotional for being in a public social situation? Jeez, he's bad at this. Cale tilts his head, aiming for more confusion.
"Why are you so angry, Young Master Stan? I was congratulating you on your new friendships you made," Cale says, "Having good relationships is very important, you know?"
Someone behind Venion quietly snickers. Venion's faces turns more red, completely surpassing the shade of Cale's hair. Maybe his head will explode if he gets angry enough. What a bad temper this guy has. It's exactly what Cale's counting on.
It's after this meeting that the rumor of Cale's stupidity starts to spread far and wide, painting him as a clueless, ignorant, silly noble boy who can't read a room. Cale giggles to himself while he's reading in a hidden corner of his mom's private garden. Venion and Neo's individual vindictiveness is doing so much hard work for Cale, he doesn't have to do anything but continue to be a bad student who can't get anything right. Ah, Cale feels so smart right now. Everyone's totally fooled!
The rumors worsen as Cale gets older, relying on Venion and Neo to speak ill of Cale, as well as Viscount Frisch, who is a bitter little man who still stews in embarrassment after being dismissed from his position as a tutor. The well-educated but poor Baron Elloise takes over his position, which really sends Viscount Frisch into a fit. Cale makes sure nothing bad about Basen is circulating, since that'd obstruct Cale's goal. Basen is 12, and Cale 15, when their father starts to send Basen with him when he goes to gatherings.
"You don't have to do anything but keep an eye on your brother, alright, Cale," their father says, "Can you keep him safe?"
"I will," Cale promises seriously, "I can't do anything else very well, but I can do this."
"You can do many things well," his father protests, "No matter what anyone else says. But you two just relax and have a good time."
Basen nods anxiously, fidgeting with his sleeve cuffs. Cale pats his head roughly, messing up his little brother's neat hair. Basen startles, jolting in place as he registers Cale's playful touch to his head.
"I'll make sure we have lots of fun," Cale says, "And that he eats his vegetables."
They're sent off two days later, Basen nervously fidgeting again. Lily had wanted to come too, but the 4 year old is just a bit too little for that unless it's a family trip.
"Will we really be okay, hyung-nim," Basen asks.
"Hm? Of course," Cale reassures him, "I made sure all of your clothes were super nice."
Cale's picked up a bit of a frivolity to add to being stupid. Liking pretty clothes and gems suits his persona well, and he can afford to wear them too. Isn't that nice? And he has a perfectly ready excuse for helping Basen look nice; a spoiled little idiot who likes nice clothes wouldn't think twice of making sure his sibling was dressed up like a fancy doll. Really, it's too much fun. Cale might be enjoying himself too much.
"That…that's not what I meant," Basen sighs.
"What else could you mean," Cale laughs, "Why would a Henituse be nervous otherwise? We're always the richest in the room unless we're in the presence of a royal, and we've got no political things to bother with. The only thing we should be worried about is looking nice, and I can take care of that just fine."
Something in Basen's expression settles, like the waves of the sea after a storm has blown past. Maybe Cale's lack of care has let him calm down. Basen, of course, will mind himself better than Cale will, but perhaps he won't be so conscious of himself while attending the gathering. It'd be nice if his little brother could socialize with some ease and not worry about standing out too much. Cale's glad he can go along and keep an eye on Basen. If their father were to trust Cale with one thing and one thing alone, then it'd be taking care of his younger siblings.
The party, unfortunately has Neo Tolz and Venion Stan in attendance. Just looking at Venion's unfailingly unfashionable haircut (has nobody truly told him how hideous he looks? It must be revenge on the servants' part) makes Cale loose his appetite. Hm, should he pretend to get a little bit drunk tonight? He can lie and say that he thought the wine was juice, it'd be believable for him. A real idiot would drink wine till they get drunk and not realize it, after all. It sounds fun.
"Ah, Young Master Basen, how good to see you," Eric hyung-nim greets politely, not entirely sure of how to approach the child who seems to be slowly overtaking Cale's duties as heir, "Are you accompanying Cale?"
"I'm accompanying him," Cale corrects, "I just need to watch over him, so you don't need to worry about me at all."
Well, okay, Ron is here to watch over them but not at the actual gatherings, that's Cale's job. And Cale will take that job very seriously, even when it comes to his childhood friends. Cale does not want them to shun Basen because of some perceived injustice against Cale. They'd do better to help protect Basen than try and correct that perceive slight against Cale. There is no slight or wrong he's felt aimed towards him, not when Cale's been slowly laying out the path for Basen's succession to the spot of heir. He needs them to guide Basen down that path, protecting him from what could lie off the road Cale's trying to make.
Amiru gives them an assessing look, trying to see if Cale's communicating something in secret. He gives her a clueless smile. He's not trying to say anything he hasn't said already. Cale's family isn't like the Stan family; he doesn't wish to claw and bite at his brother for a position that Cale is giving away freely. Just help Cale keep Basen safe, and make sure Lily will have no trouble in the future, that's all that Cale will demand of his childhood friends. Amiru nods, and smiles gently at Basen. She's already picked up on Cale's intent, and will not push back against him. The others will follow her lead, and Cale? Well, that vanilla custard tart over there looks really yummy…
Cale had fully intended to simply enjoy his evening with no worries while Basen handled everything. He's good at neutral diplomacy, like their father, he just needs more practice to get less shy about it. He's keeping an eye on Basen from over the rim of a glass of wine that he'll later claim that he thought was a glass of fruit juice. It's sweet, though nothing as expensive and high quality as the wine their county makes. His cheeks are flushed red with heat from drinking alcohol, though he's not even a little drunk.
"Goodness, are you drunk," Eric hyung-nim gasps, "How many fingers am I holding up? Can you walk in a straight line? Drink some water, Cale!"
"But the juice is nice," Cale protests, "It's so good with the desserts. Aren't these the best desserts, hyung?"
"Oh, you are drunk," Eric cries, "Who let him get drunk?"
Poor Gilbert, it seems that he's going to take the blame for not paying enough attention. Of course, Cale had been purposefully sneaky, so it's really not Gilbert's fault but hyung-nim's in a fretful mood now. Cale leans against him, poking him in the chest rudely.
"You're being meaaannn," Cale drawls, "Don't be mean, hyung."
Eric lets out a noise like a tea kettle that's been left on the stove for too long. It's very undignified but also very funny. Cale laughs to himself, then catches the sight of his brother's brown hair disappearing into a crowd of older heirs. Frowning, Cale fakes a stumble before he slips in amongst the crowd, disappearing beyond Eric's line of sight. He can't leave Basen alone. Despite being 'drunk', Cale's not too clumsy, though everyone who sees his flushed face gives him plenty of room to maneuver through the crush of attendees.
This corner is a darker one, a quieter one. A place that makes it easy for someone to be surrounded and harrassed if that is the intent. Given Neo's and Venion's presence, that's exactly what's going to happen to the kid in the middle of the group. Cale snatches up a glass of wine from a passing tray and waits, ready to pounce on anyone with ill intent.
"So," Venion sneers, "The bloodless son has shown up."
Harrassing a little 12 year old like this, yeah, sure, so brave of Venion to do so. What a little coward. He should pick a fight with someone who's actually taller than his chin and see what happens. Cale would be a willing participant in that fight.
"Is there something you gentlemen wish to discuss with me," Basen asks, his voice shaking with nerves.
"We wish to discuss the fact that you have no right to be here," Neo spits, "You're a dirty little commoner who's weaseled his way into a place too good for you."
"I'm a Henituse," Basen states as obstinately as he can manage, "I possess all the right to attend a meeting of nobility as my brother."
Neo lets out a loud, ugly cackle. Does this idiot think this corner is sound proof? It's a dark corner, not a whole other dimension. If Venion were smarter, he'd shut his little lackey up, but Venion's as stupid as he is ugly, so he just snorts out a detestable chortle.
"Your brother's a twit," Venion sneers, "He's a good for nothing idiot with less brains than a worm."
"Don't talk about Cale like that," Basen cries, "He's-"
"He's a moron," Neo crows.
"He's nice and he's fun and- and- and even if he isn't the smartest, he's a better person than any of you will ever be," Basen shouts.
Oh. Basen….Basen really cares for Cale. He might even love Cale. He'd thought that this affection for his younger brother was one sided. Perhaps not. Well, since Basen is doing such a good job of defending Cale's honor, then Cale should keep up his job of making sure Basen is safe. That's what he's supposed to do as an older brother, right?
"Baaaseennnn," Cale shouts drunkenly, swaying and giggling as he turns the corner, "Baaaseenn! You're here!"
Cale trips forward, hip checking Neo hard enough that he stumbles back and trips himself into a nearby pillar, taking the chance to fumble his drink and pour it all over Venion's front.
"Basen, look! He turned red! it's like a magic trick~," Cale slurs, dropping the glass at Venion's feet and letting it shatter around his shoes.
"Hy- Cale hyung," Basen stutters, "Are you drunk?!"
"I had juice," Cale cheerfully announces, "It kinda tastes funny, but I like it!"
He feels a bit bad about acting drunk around his kid brother, but this shouldn't be too traumatizing for Basen. Maybe he should get Basen a little gift later as an apology. Though, from the looks of it, watching Venion Stan get splashed with wine seems to be a fine enough gift for him.
"You stupid bastard," Venion howls.
Cale drapes himself over Basen, shielding him from Venion's harsh glare while he hums out a little tune, clinging onto his little brother so he can't see anything. Just as Venion stomps forward, glasss crunching underneath his shoes, Eric hyung-nim rounds the corner.
"Cale," Eric scolds, "Why'd you run off? You're completely drunk off your head!"
Ignoring the rest, Eric shuttles Cale and Basen out of the corner, waving them along and keeping a steadying hand on Cale's shoulder. Basen puts up quite bravely with Cale relentlessly cuddling him like a teddy bear, clinging to Cale's forearm with trembling fingers. Hmph. There's no way they're going to stay here now. Not when Basen's looking so frazzled.
"Home," Cale mumbles into the crown of Basen's head, "Le's go."
They're quickly escorted out to their carriage, Cale still acting slightly drunk. It hadn't been the best of evenings, and he truly wishes Basen's first noble meeting attendance hadn't had to account for the detestable presence of Venion Stan, but there were a few upsides. After all, he got to have four vanilla custard tarts without anyone noticing and Basen's still letting him mess with his hair while he acts drunk. So, a somewhat successful evening in the end.
Violan sits at the edge of the bed, attempting to not encroach too much into Cale's space. He looks up from the book of fairy tales from the Breck Kingdom he's been enamored with recently, closing it and keeping his place with his thumb stuck between the pages. He'd been terribly shy when they first met, a little boy who'd hidden behind his father and couldn't approach her even after the wedding. Not that she'd blamed him; after all, was she not the stranger who'd disrupted his already unstable life only a year after the untimely death of his mother? But this sweet boy, he hadn't scorned her or his siblings. No, he's only acted with a warm, gentle hesitance that's steadily blossomed over the years.
"I heard there was a bit of an incident with the Stan and Tolz heirs," she comments, carefully measuring her tone so he doesn't mistake her for scolding him, "The Stan heir seems to be especially upset."
"I really didn't mean to ruin his clothes," Cale says with an embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks, "I don't even really remember what happened. I just remember that I was looking for Basen."
"Basen told us," she replies, "You did very well."
Cale smiles at her, faintly, as if he were a spring rose awakening early as the snow melts away. His eyes are the same color as his father's, that gentle hazel that is so expressive. He's a charming child, and Violan is glad that she has been allowed the privilege of calling him her's, even if she could never take the place of his birth mother. As long as he allows her to give him as much love as he will allow, then she will be content.
"Is Father with Basen," he asks.
"Yes, he's speaking with him right now," she tells him, "I know it is a lot to ask of you, but will you continue to keep watch over your brother?"
Cale laughs, his smile spreading across his face. His mother must've been truely lovely if she had gifted Cale equal loveliness. Violan wonders if it would be appropriate to visit the former Countess so she could offer a promise to protect her- their eldest son and cherish him enough for the both of them.
"That's not a lot to ask of me," he responds cheerfully.
Gently, slowly, Violan reaches back and takes his hand in hers. To her quiet joy, Cale squeezes her hand in his. Her eldest son is not hers by blood, but he is hers by love. And that, Violan thinks, is what matters.
"Cale?"
"Yes?"
"No more wine for you."
"...Okay."
The puppy is clever. It's charming, Ron must admit, to see such a silly little thing act a fool. Who does this little Young Master think he's fooling with his swapped book covers and puppyish little expressions of innocence? Everybody, the Young Master must believe, from his indulgant father to his enamored youngest sister, but surely he can't believe he's fooling this Ron? No, the puppy must believe he's fooling even Ron and Vicross. How cute.
"Ron," his Young Master says, flipping the pages of a rather complex philosophy journal published recently in the capital he'd disguised as a frivolous novel popular with the more romantic young nobles, "What do you think of long hair?"
Oho? A curious question. Ron wonders where this silly puppy is going with this question.
"Long hair requires much maintanence," Ron answers, serving the 16 year old a cup of lemon tea, "It can be quite expensive and the upkeep can be quite the nuisance."
"Is it too expensive for us," the Young Master asks as if that were not a silly question, "Would it be too much of a nuisance for you or Hans to take care of?"
"Of course not," Ron replies easily.
"Would it be pretty," the puppy Young Master asks, "Like my mom's hair?"
"I dare say you'd be the spitting image," Ron tells him, which is the entire truth.
The Young Master with his hair grown out would be nearly the mirror of his mother, if not for him lacking that strange, intense coloration she carried in her eyes, the one that unsettled everyone, even Ron himself when he first encountered the late Countess.
"Then I want long hair," the Young Master decides, "Stop cutting it short from now on."
"Of course," Ron agrees easily, "I shall only trim the very ends. Shall I put in a request for products for you hair?"
"Get really nice ones," Young Master Cale demands imperiously, as if he weren't as soft and spoiled as a sheltered pet and had about as much bite to his bark as a puppy that still had its milk teeth.
Ron really isn't sure what exactly goes on in the mind of his puppy Young Master, but he's more than certain it has something to do with the progression of Young Master Basen's studies to become heir rather than Young Master Cale's arrested state of study. To choose a life of frivolous idiocy, sporting the mask of a vain, spoiled little fool while acting on the stage. Ron's little puppy Young Master will never stop being entertaining.
Cale winds his hair around his finger, fluttering his eyelashes stupidly at the guards standing at the gate. They shift nervously, unsure of how to proceed. The young, dark haired man stares, mouth agape in confusion. Cale's glad he decided to grow his hair out at 16. It's grown so long in the past two years, and it really adds to the image of being a frivolous airhead that Cale's so comfortable projecting. What could be more idiotic than letting in a strange man who possesses no identification, but has come from a distant little village to seek work?
"We- er, Young Master Cale, we can't let him in," the first guard stammers, "He doesn't have identification."
"But he's from Harris Village, right," Cale points out, "That's still part of our territory, isn't it? Or…did I get it wrong? Oh…I thought I would've been right that time."
"No, no, you're very much correct," the second guard reassures him quickly, trying to subtlely kick his companion in the shin, "But all those who enter the city must possess identification for the safety of everyone, especially you and your family."
"I'm sure he's a good sort of person," Cale insists, "How about I take him right to my father and if we decided he can't stay, he'll leave right away. Will you leave right away if we tell you, sir?"
The dark haired young man nods quickly. He doesn't look like the trouble making sort. Just like someone who doesn't know much about the world. He looks terribly naive, and maybe Cale feels just a bit bad for him.
The guards hesitate for just a bit longer before letting the man inside, who Cale quickly latches onto by his tattered cape.
"Let's go," Cale commands as he drags the man along, "And you better leave straight away if we make you, okay?"
"Alright," the man agrees.
"Good," Cale huffs, "I'm Cale Henituse."
"Choi Han."
It's a bit of a strange name. He must be from somewhere very, very far away. Maybe he'll have some entertaining stories to tell. Cale pokes the man in the arm. Hmm. It's solid.
"Can you use a sword," he asks.
"Uh- I- yes," Choi Han stutters, "I'm fine with a sword."
"Hmm," Cale hums, "My sister's looking for a good swordmaster to teach her. Maybe you'll be good enough."
It turns out this Choi Han is very good, better, even, than Hillsman. Of course, Hillsman doesn't seem too happy about this, but what can he do besides mope about it.
"How is life in Harris Village," his father asks Choi Han, "We try and maintain the roads, but please let me know if there is any further aide we can provide to our most distant village."
"I. Yes. I will," Choi Han replies awkwardly.
He's a very strange guy, from his hair to his eyes, so awkward with people that you'd think he's been living in the Forest of Darkness for a hundred or so years.
His father turns to address Cale. "Cale."
"Yes," he says, brushing his hair over his shoulder, "Don't you think he'll be a good teacher for Lily? I think he's quite skilled."
"He is," his father agrees, "However, I need you to be a bit more careful with who you take in, alright? For your safety."
His father worries too much. Cale's always been a good judge of character, even as he plays the fool. But Cale would tell the same to Basen and Lily, so he doesn't paritcularly mind his father's worry.
"Okay," Cale agrees simply, and thinks about those cute kittens he saw in the street when he'd been out wondering.
Perhaps adopting some pets would be better. He might just do so.
Lily's oraboni is her favorite person in the world. He's pretty and he's kind and his smile is pretty and his hair is pretty and he gets her special gifts, like the sword master he brought home for her. The swordmaster, Choi Han, even has a real sword and not a wooden practice sword like the one she's got. He really is the best (just don't tell Basen-oppa, or her mom and dad, because you're not supposed to play favorites. But Lily can't help it, she just loves Cale the most).
But there's a bit of a problem with her oraboni: he's too pretty. He's like one of the red roses in the special garden he loves so much, pretty and bright and red. And everybody likes things that are pretty, and Lily doesn't want anyone to take Cale away. So she has to be a very good, very strong knight so she can protect Cale and keep him safe so he can always play with her.
When she meets Choi Han, she points her wooden sword at his face (well, his chest because she can't reach that high quite yet, but she's tall for her age, so she'll be as tall as him very, very soon) and gives him her best glare. She even practiced in her oraboni's big mirror for this!
"You can't like my oraboni," she declares, "You can only be his friend a little bit! But only his friend!"
Choi Han looks very confused. Maybe because she figured out his plot very fast and revealed it. That's right, Lily won't let anyone get away with planning to steal her oraboni!
"…Okay," he agrees.
Oh. That was easy. Lily's a bit disappointed, but she'll count it as the first fight she's ever won, even if she didn't get the chance to use her sword. Well, maybe it'd be a better idea to get him to teach her all his moves before she fights him. Hmmm…yeah, that's a much better plan.
Choi Han is a good teacher, and Lily's very tired by the time they're done with training for the day. She wipes the sweat off the back of her head and neck and darts off, outpacing the maid who she knows is going to catch her and make Lily clean up and get dressed in 'proper' clothing. Lily's happiest when she's wearing training clothes. She doesn't like the blouses and skirts, even if they are pretty.
Lily kicks up dirt as she rounds the corner into the garden, looking for a head of ruby red. Her oraboni likes to be out in the garden, reading books he says are 'too silly' for her to bother with even though he reads them all the time, trying to sneakily throw out that lemon tea he hates so much. She can't wait to tell him about training today.
Her oraboni's in the garden, just where she thought he'd be, right by the fountain. Hans holds a parasol over her oraboni's head, since her poor oldest brother burns so easily. She wonders why he's so pale when nobody else in their family is. Her mom says it's because his mother must've been a very pale woman. Lily thinks that her oraboni's mother also must've been the prettiest person in the world, since Cale is also so pretty.
Instead of reading, her eldest brother has a pair of kittens in his lap. One is a pretty little silver kitten, the other is a cute red kitten, both of them with golden eyes. Oraboni looks like a painting as he strokes the kittens' backs and smiles peacefully. So pretty!
"Lily," her oraboni greets her cheerfully, "Did you finish training?"
"Mhm! Choi Han made me run around the courtyard 30 times and jump over hurdles," she reports dutifully.
"…You still had energy to run over here," he asks.
"Yep," she chirps.
"You're very impressive," Oraboni praises, "This is Ohn and Hong. They're my new kids."
Her eldest brother is so strange, calling his new pets his kids. But Lily likes that about him. He's a bit weird and he's always very nice. She's glad that Basen oppa doesn't have to bring him along to a lot of places anymore like he used to. That way he can just stay with her here at the county until she gets big and strong enough to guard him.
Lily's happiness is ruined at dinner, when their dad tells Basen and oraboni to go to the Capital. Why does that stupid king need both of her brothers to go to his birthday or whatever it is? Stupid jerk king. She bets nobody wants to actually go, they're only going because he's a king.
"Choi Han, you go with them," she says, planting herself right in front of her sword instructor.
"Huh?" He jumps in surprise, staring down at her with confusion. "Did the Count say so?"
"He's going to," Lily mutters, dragging him along with her as she marches towards her dad's office.
She only knocks twice before she pushes her way inside, making sure Choi Han is right behind her. He keeps tripping over his own shoes. He's a bit clumsy for a sword master, but her oraboni's also a bit clumsy, so she doesn't mind.
"He's going with Basen and Cale," she announces, "He's going to guard the both of them."
Her dad waves her closer, then scoops her up to put her on his lap. Lily giggles in surprise and lets her somewhat upset mood disappear.
"Lily, we have plenty of guards assigned to your brothers, and he just began teaching you," he points out.
"But he's better than the other guards," Lily argues, squeezing his face between her hands, "What about bandits or kidnappers or- or- what if they run into Venion Stan?"
"Cale can take care of Venion Stan perfectly fine," her dad chuckles, "And I don't think they'll run bandits or kidnappers."
"But what if they do," Lily worries, "Choi Han can fight off bandits, right?"
She turns to look at him, fixing him with a pointed glare.
"I- I can! And I would gladly repay your family for hiring me and allowing me to send money to my village," Choi Han says, "If you'll permit me to do so."
"There's other sword instructors," Lily continues, "One of them can teach me while he's away and when he comes back, he can go back to being my teacher!"
Her dad always spoils them all, and she's not above using that to her advantage. He gave in to her pleads to study the sword, he gave in to Basen oppa's wish to study astronomy alongside his heir lessons, and he always, always gives Cale whatever he wishes for. Lily's unsurprised when he asks Choi Han if he'll accept joining the guards accompanying Basen and Cale to the Capital. She kisses her dad on the cheek and runs off out of the study, pulling Choi Han with her.
Outside of the study, Lily grabs his sleeve and makes him lean down, meeting his very dark eyes.
"Make sure that nobody tries to make oraboni run off with them to marry them, okay," she requests, remembering the servants and maids whispering about how her oraboni was now at the age to be married off and how her dad should just send him off to get married now, which Lily absolutely doesn't want at all (they call him an airhead and Lily doesn't get it, why is it any of their business?)
"Yes, Lily-nim," Choi Han agrees, "I will protect Cale-nim with my life."
"And Basen?"
"And him as well."
Lily sticks her hand out to shake his.
"It's a deal."
Until Lily can protect her brothers on her own (especially her oraboni), she'll have to outsource. She hopes that Choi Han can keep up his end of the deal.
To be honest, the beginning of the trip is an honest-to-Gods nightmare. It'd started off fairly normal, including Cale-hyung promising to buy Lily a real sword while they're in the Capital and the two kittens Cale-hyung had taken in rubbing their fur all over the seats and Basen's clothes his older brother had insisted on dressing him in like a doll. Then, naturally, the bandits had to attack. Bandits, near their roads? It's shocking. He doesn't see what happens, because Cale-hyung yanks him down to the floor of the carriage and wraps his arms around him. His hair, so long now, softer than the silk of his brother's shirt, smells like elderberries. He buries Basen's face in that hair, holding him close, singing something under his breath. All Basen can hear is a strange and foreign lullaby, and all he can smell is elderberries.
Basen jumps when there is a soft knocking on the side of their carriage door before his mind reminds him that bandits would most likely not have the manners to knock. He pokes his head up, freeing himself from Cale's tight grasp. Ron's ever-smiling face greets them, his clothes and hair pristine as ever. Somehow, that disturbs some sort of base, animal instinct in his gut that makes him believe he is a prey animal and must run away from the predator before him.
"How do the Young Masters feel about rabbit stew for dinner?"
That benign smile sends shivers up Basen's spine. Cale-hyung, however, seems unbothered. Then again, Ron helped raise Cale-hyung from birth, so maybe Cale-hyung just doesn't notice how disturbing the elderly man is.
"That's fine," Cale says, poking his head outside briefly before a passing Vicross pushes his head back inside, "Where'd they all go?"
All the bodies of the bandits have disappeared, as if they'd never been there to begin with. Ron's smile only becomes more and more chilling.
"Why, our brave knights have ensured neither of our Young Masters will have to face anything too frightening," Ron replies with a quiet, unnerving chortle.
Despite the fact that there are no bodies left lying around, Basen can still faintly smell the sharp stench of blood. He turns back to Cale and breathes in elderberry.
If it had just been the bandits, it'd have been fine, but no. They had to have an encounter with Venion Stan. Basen's extremely glad that Cale is his brother; if he'd had a sibling like Venion, it's likely Basen wouldn't be alive, or he'd have been disabled in a way similar to Taylor Stan. He vaguely wonders if Taylor Stan is still alive or if he'd been killed off in secret like the rumors say.
"Oh, you've got blood on your sleeve," Cale comments loudly, "How'd it get there?"
Venion's eyes flicker down to his sleeve, his pale face turning sallow in rage.
"None of your business," Venion hisses, then turns to bark at his servant, "Let's go."
The old man Choi Han had rescued escorts them to the inn nearby, the only one in this village. It's cozy, and Cale even manages to get a drink despite Ron's best attempts to discourage him. His eldest brother had apparently developed a taste of wine during that one party years ago, though he's politely held off until he turned 18.
"Bed," his oldest brother mumbles, face flished redder than strawberries in the summer, stumbling into Choi Han's chest, "Need to sleep."
Basen stays up a bit longer, reading over the itinerary he'd organized for when they got to the capital. However, when he finally goes to bed, his brother's bed is empty. What? He checks underneath the bed, in case his hyung had rolled off and underneath it, then in the bathroom and closet. Not a single sign of his hyung, or the cats. He knocks on Ron and Vicross's door timidly, trying to suppress his shaking when the chef opens the door. Has the chef always looked so scary? His dark eyes, smudged by the shadows underscorimg his glare, make his gaze look incredibly intense. His brother's servants are so much more intimidating than he realized…
"Yes, Young Master Basen," Vicross grumbles.
"My brother isn't in his room," Basen manages to croak, "I- I'm not sure where he could be?"
"Oho? I believe our Young Master has gone on a walk with his kittens to clear his head," Ron says from behind Basen, and Basen can't even keep himself from jumping this time, "Choi Han has accompanied him for safety."
Oh. That's…well, that makes sense. Why was Basen so worried? He should just go to sleep now. He's had an awfully long day. Perhaps a good rest will put his frazzled nerves to rest.
He awakens in the middle of the night to an incredibly loud, violent explosion from the mountain nearby. His brother's bed is completley empty, the blankets rumpled but unoccupied. Where is his brother? Basen stumbles out of bed, whipping his head around as he runs out of the room, down the halls, tripping his way down the stairs. Just as he darts out the door, something snags him by the back of his sleep shirt.
"Go to sleep, Basen," Cale whispers, pulling him against him, "You're still growing, you can't be up this late."
"Where- where were you," he pants, "You weren't-"
The kittens wind around both of their legs, purring against Cale's calves. It's soothing. His heart hammers against his ribcage like a war drum.
"I woke up and heard the explosion and came to check it out," Cale informs him, "You were still waking up when I left."
Basen nods sleepily. Elderberry clouds his exhausted mind and makes his heavy limbs feel limp. Tired…he's so tired. They can't get to the Capital soon enough. He falls asleep in his brother's bed like he's a little kid, clutching onto his sleeve in his sleep so his hyung won't disappear.
Taylor Stan seems to be plenty alive, if not exactly well. He looks worn down, not that Basen can blame him. He'd be worn down too if he was a Stan.
"Oh, your haircut is much better than Venion's," Cale blithely declares, "He's terribly ugly, isn't he? I lose my appetite every time I see him because I'm worried I'll just throw up."
Cale's complete obliviousness to what's socially appropriate to say to someone's brother is quite astounding. It'd be impressive if it didn't make Basen break out into an anxious cold sweat every time. Luckily, the eldest Stan is not only much better in face (and hair, Basen has to agree) than his younger brother, but dispositon and humor as well. Taylor and his attendant who seems to be some priest of some sort, let out loud barks of laughter, Taylor Stan even doubling over in his wheelchair and clutching his stomach.
"You're very bold, Young Master Cale," Taylor Stan wheezes, "I apologize for any encounters either of you have experienced with him."
"Are you running away," Cale asks, twirling his hair around his finger as if that weren't an extremely inappropriate question to ask, "Are you going to the Capital? Or are you going to stay here? I'm not sure why you'd stay here; it's all rocks."
The priestess cackles, leaning against the back of the wheelchair. Basen wonders if a priestess is allowed to slouch like this but it's not like he can say anything. He doesn't know anything about priests.
"Why? Offering to let us tag along on your trip," she asks.
Basen hopes to the Gods that Cale isn't about to-
"Yeah, okay," his hyung agrees.
This really is a godless city.
"Young Master Cale, how do you feel about getting to know a cool older sister," the priestess asks playfully.
Hey. Basen's right here. What is she saying?
"Um, like…an alliance with the church," Cale asks, still playing with his hair.
The priestess snorts.
"Maybe he'd like to get to know a cool older brother instead," Taylor Stan interjects cheekily.
Basen doesn't like him anymore. Go away, you evil Stan.
"Like a political alliance," Cale asks, still cluelessly toying with his hair.
He's so glad his hyung doesn't know what these people are saying. Really…right in front of Basen….these people are rude. Basen catches a glint in Ron's eyes. Urgh, he really needs this trip to end already…
The Universe itself is trying to ruin Cale's good time acting like an idiot. Seriously, the fact that he managed to get Choi Han to investigate the strange encounter with Venion coming from the mountain in the Tolz territory with blood on his sleeve is nothing short of a miracle. What was Venion even doing with a baby dragon? He's genuinely more stupid than Cale's pretending to be.
Basen only relaxes once Taylor and his attendant, Cage, unload themselves in the capital. Cale frivolously gives them a bit of money to spend on whatever they wish. He hopes they can find some peace here, hidden away from Venion in the hustle and bustle of the city. They'd been entertaining company on the last legs of the trip, though Basen hadn't seemed happy about being surrounded by unfamiliar people. Poor kid, Cale will get him a gift here in the city as well.
"I don't believe you're permitted to attend the party for the noble heirs of the houses," Basen tells him apologetically, "But there is a party much later that you should be able to attend."
"Just stick with Eric hyung-nim and the others and you should be well taken care of," Cale advises, "I'll go shopping while you're gone. Do you want a gift?"
"No, it's fine, hyung," Basen insists, "Just get one for Lily."
"Hmm~, well, I want to give you a gift so if you don't tell me exactly what you want, I'll have to get you a bunch of things," Cale teases, pinching Basen's cheeks affecionately.
"No, no, just get me a fountain pen," Basen interjects in muted horror, knowing full well Cale will buy him all kinds of things he'll appreciate but will also be embarrassed by.
"Aw, just that," Cale sighs, "Fiiiiine. I'll have to spend the rest of my money on something else."
Basen's relieved face is so funny. Cale loves teasing him, it's too fun. He should get lots of nice things for Ohn and Hong. Kids should have lots of nice, fun things. He hadn't meant to take in some actual kids when he just intended to bring home some kittens, but even spendthrifting idiots can be responsible. Yes, Cale will have fun like that, wasting stupid amounts of money. Let his idiot reputation increase!
Okay, well, so there's a baby dragon in his bed. The baby's hide is soft and warm, and much less scarred looking than Cale remembers. He seems to have recovered well. But why is this little baby in Cale's bed, taking a nap with him? Cale's book, a new edition of a fashion catalogue critiquing the overuse of one-day fashion, has fallen off the bed, swiped away by Hong's paw. He'd fallen asleep in his room in the villa while Basen left for the small party the Crown Prince was hosting before the much grander events. A political gathering, meant to obtain support for the Crown Prince. What a schemer. Cale's glad he's not caught up in that mess. But it seems he's stuck in a different mess now.
"Pardon me, esteemed dragon-nim, but why have you chosen my humble bed to rest on," he yawns, stretching out on the sheets before settling back down to cradle Ohn against his chest.
The dragon blinks sleepily at him, bright blue eyes half out of focus.
"Your weak self saved the great me, so I shall repay you by protecting your frail life," the dragon mumbles.
Well, it looks more like the baby dragon has decided to make Cale his caretaker. Ah, Cale didn't know he'd be taking in so many children. Well, Cale likes babies, and all of them only average about 7 years old, so they're defintiely babies. An idiot should be responsible as well.
"I humbly thank your majestic self," Cale mumbles, and settles back down to keep napping.
It's so warm. His sleep is peaceful and deep, and when he wakes up as the sun sets, he smiles at all the little ones who've gathered around him. He has another kid to spoil.
Alberu's attempts to get support from the North Eastern noble faction have borne no fruit thus far, but Alberu hasn't survived this long by simply giving up. If the powerful neutral house of Henituse were to join hands with him, he has very little doubt that the Chetter, Wheelsman, and Ubarr houses will follow suit. Unfortunately, the Henituse heir is about as neutral in politics as the current count, and shows less than no interest in making any moves to support anyone for the crown. It's good that they're not supporting any of his siblings, but he really would benefit from the rich backing of the wealthiest of the familes on the continent.
Alberu is in luck, though. Though he had not appeared as a representative alongside his younger step-brother, he has heard that Cale Henituse, the reject heir, will be appearing at the party Alberu's hosting in "honor" of his father. He hasn't heard anything about bad blood between the siblings, but perhaps Alberu can give Cale substantial support in reclaiming his heir position, or appeal to him in some other way if that is not his wish. If he appeals to the spoiled eldest enough, then there's a chance that Cale Henituse may sway his father from a neutral stance. It's something Alberu is willing to take a chance on, for the sake of ganing political backing and pushing himself further along in his goal.
He strikes a deal with the eldest of the Stan household. It's not the politcal backing he was hoping for, but if Taylor Stan becomes the Marquis, then Alberu's prospects look much better. And it's nice to be able to use the Star of Healing, which has just been wasting away in Alberu's possession. A dear gift like this will be richly rewarded for sure. Perhpas this is a good sign that he'll have luck with the eldest Henituse.
Red catches his eye as it escapes to the garden. Such a brilliant shade of crimson, so eye-catching from across any room. Alberu weaves through the crowd as politely as he can manage, slipping outside. In the lantern light illuminating the garden, whisps of blood red hair beckons him to follow along as they disappear into the garden. He can only follow, and this feels enough like a game that his mood is one of amused playfulness.
The chase ends at the pavilion sitting on the wide pond in the gardens, Cale Henituse sitting in a pool of light provided by a hidden lantern under the domed roof, leaning elegantly against the cool stone. Long hair tumbles down his back and over his shoulders in smooth, artful waves, and Alberu is faintly reminded of roses blooming in the late summer. Perhaps, like Alberu, Cale Henituse is not entirely human.
He seems to be drunk, balancing a half-full glass of wine in his left hand and the other hand swiping stray hair off his flushed face. Alberu doesn't wish to make deals with inebriated people, but there's something so sharp and aware within those brilliant eyes that he doesn't feel any hesitation when he steps forward.
"The Crown Prince," Cale Henituse hiccups, "Oh my~, you really are handsome! Woooow! Hey, you have really good wine."
Alberu allows an undignified snort to escape him. Does he really believe Alberu will buy that he's drunk? Up close, it's plain to see his eyes are too clear for Alberu to believe that.
"I thank you for the praise, Young Master Henituse," Alberu replies warmly, "I will accept any compliments from the loveliest person to grace the halls of this palace tonight."
"That's not nice," Cale Henituse chastises, "Haven't you heard what the God of Love will do to you if you say things like that?"
"Oh," Alberu laughs, "What do you mean?"
"The God of Love went to a ball at the palace once a bill- a million years ago and the king told every woman he met that night she was the loveliest, and the God of Love was so mad that his compliments were thrown around so easily that she cursed the king into becoming tongue tied every time he spoke to a woman for the rest of his life," Cale explains, "Don't be like the king."
Alberu is highly aware of this story as an old fable, and can't help but correct Cale, "It was actually a thousand years ago."
Cale furrows his brow in confusion, his pale, flushed face expressing his surprise at being wrong, but his eyes tell another story. That fumble was a planned part on his end. Alberu is well and truely fascinated.
"I'm very bad at remembering," Cale laments, playing with his long hair, "Apologies, Your Highness."
His long, thick eyelashes flutter over his sharp eyes, rosey lips pursed slightly in a pout. Alberu has to wonder if he knows that his expression regretting his own act of stupidity could be regarded as rather attractive. Alberu wishes he could read what is going on in that head of Cale's, and know what he is aware of and what he is blind to. It's been years since Alberu was so intrigued by someone.
"No need," Alberu dismisses, "The wine is very potent tonight. I cannot fault you for your memory. Actually, should the two of us share a glass of wine? I believe we could discuss much."
"Oh," Cale giggles, "Like what?"
"Whatever you wish, Young Master Cale," Alberu replies with a genuine smile stretching broadly across his face.
"I'm not entertaining," Cale sighs, "I don't know much of anything, really. All I can remember are fairy tales and stories. Do you like those kinds of things, Your Highness?"
"I like the real world the most," Alberu admits, "But I believe you could tell me more than you're willing to admit."
Cale throws his head backs and laughs like honeysuckle blooming in the night.
"I really don't, Your Highness. Don't you know the reason I decided to not be heir?"
Those brilliant eyes flash vividly in the night, so intelligent, so sharp. Like knives slashing through Alberu's flesh, cutting to his heart. How clever this young man is. How captivating.
"Oh," Alberu breathes as Cale leans in closer, catching the wafting scent of elderberries, "Why?"
Cale's smile is marmalade tart-sweet, pearly teeth gleaming viciously against the spring rose petals of his lips as he drops his voice to a soft whisper, as if he were about to reveal some unbelievable secret.
"Doesn't Your Highness know I'm an idiot?"