Chapter Text
Conexion, the prince and next in line for the throne is... bored. The idle chatter at the dinner table with his fanily always circles back to his position for king. The rare times he gets to go outside always ends up with fearful whispers and rumors just barely in his earshot.
Childhood is a thing of the past— or a thing of never. He used to have this friend, bright and warm. Always playing and sneaking out with him. Until his family betrayed theirs, and they were executed.
The dangers surrounding his family doesn't make things a lot easier. He rarely meets people, often isolated in his room with every minute feeling like a day. That's why he's dubbed 'The Phantom Prince' by his people. His strengths only heard through the grapevine with no actual proof. People made up rumors about what will happen when he takes the throne, fear-mongering, especially when they've just recovered from a war.
Heels gently clicked against polished floors, the echo bounced around the spacious room with nothing but artworks displayed on the walls.
Sharpness pushed the thin veils open that blocked partial sunlight from a balcony overlooking the garden. He sat down on a decorated, admiring the view like he had thousands of times.
His cape was made of red silk, gold plates on his shoulder with white fur beneath. One of a kind, they said. Passed down through generations, they said. Through it was but a simple a piece of clothing to him because of how much he'd been desensitized to these "Priceless" items.
"Sir Conexion. Your family is waiting for you in the main hall." One of the butlers notified. Sharpness nods and heads downstairs with him.
The palace is decorated with gold and porcelain, with red accents sprinkled around. It's so still it might as well be an imagine. Everything's untouched, and most likely have been for years, except for routine cleaning.
Sharpness peeked his head around the arched door frame, and his mom was the first to notice his presence.
"Our son is here. Is everything ready for us to head off?" The noble nodded, giving a polite bow as Sharpness approached them.
The gravel crushed under the carriage as they headed towards the noble's mansion. His father and mother sat across from him, with the same blank expression he'd gotten used to.
"Sharpness." The bumpy road caused slight turbulence, before it faded into a dirt road. Sharpness acknowledged his word with a nod. "You know better than anyone that you're the perfect fit for the throne. Your combat skills are refined beyond anyone's comprehension."
Sharpness zoned him out. He remembered this exact lecture play out over and over and over again. First, he'll say Sharpness' name. Then follow up with that sentence. Then say, "Your life is precious, and must be kept safe. The king is the safest position. Protected by pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, and queens. You're loyal to this kingdom. It's not safe anywhere else. May the sun be the peoples' guiding light, and may you be the sun. King Conexion of the future."
Then, his mother will say, "Listen to your father, Sharpness. Don't ignore him."
"Sorry."
They arrive at the mansion. Their arrival always meant some special event occured. The normal welcomes happen. They walk down the hall with people watching on both sides, his father gives a heartwarming speech congratulating the celebration, and Sharpness sneaks off to the nearest bathroom or isolated area.
As Sharpness was scanning the room for exits, he gets interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.
"Greetings, Prince Conexion. It is a pleasure to be able to meet with his highness." the man bowed. His hair was dark, but it was more purple than it was black, and it was combed back. As he lifted himself up, Sharpness caught a glimpse of a strange device behind the man's ear. "How are you doing this afternoon?"
"Oh, my apologies, but my life isn't all that extravagant," he started politely, noticing the magenta colored eyes that made him stand out, "I have a few tutors that come a few times a week and I read documents that need to be approved."
"Preparing for the king then, must be tiring." Sharpness nods. "But, what do you like to do?"
"...I'm afraid I don't understa—"
"Do you have any hobbies you enjoy?" The man gets closer, the friendly smile disappeared from his face, replaced with something indecipherable. Like his parents.
"Sorry, I think I need to—"
"Does your life bring you any joy?"
Sharpness stiffens up. Before he can respond, or try to leave the situation, the man seemed to get alerted by something, and he scurried off.
His body moved automatically, heading for the bathroom he had asked for the whereabouts of earlier. Around the corner, the hallway is in full view with no one in sight.
Does your life bring you any joy?
As he leaned against a wall, footsteps began coming his way. Sharpness hid behind a counter that was deep in the hallway, where no one would look. He squatted down and stayed there.
"... Wouldn't it? It's almost done anyways. We just have to be patient."
"I agree. Though, this conversation should be saved for another time. Anyone can be listening here."
"Of course, of course."
One of the two entered the restroom while another stayed near. He can't peer his head around in fear that they might spot him.
The next thing he hears. Rapid footsteps. Air whooshing. Metal meeting flesh. A cough, a kick, a thud. Sharpness clasps his hand over his mouth. He didn't dare speak— he didn't have a weapon with him.
This was unlike the harsh training he'd gone through. The metal clashing, the smell of blood, and the unrelenting force.
But they wouldn't let him die. This assassin will.
Sharpness watched the shadow of the man bend down and take something, pocketing it and leaning against the wall. Assumingly waiting for the other.
Fear was picked out of him long ago. But now... it was as it it never left him. Sharpness breathed shallowly. He didn't know how keen the assassin was. He didn't want to know.
Your combat skills are refined beyond anyone's comprehension.
Sharpness stood up in silence. The assassin was facing the other way, and his identity is obscured due to a cloak.
"As I recalled—" The assassin grabs him by the collar, a flash of panic in his eyes was abruptly cut off by a stab to his chest with a small dagger. Blood spews out as the man kicks him and he lands on the ground.
Sharpness snuck behind him. Every footstep silent despite his heels that would click loud if it were any ordinary person.
He made sure the assassin's knife was in his sight, before putting lunging towards him.
Sharpness put him in a chokehold and disarmed the assassin. Immediately, the assassin latched onto his arm, trying to remove him, but to no avail. Choked coughs came out of him as he removed his hood.
The same, purple accented hair. For a second, Sharpness' grip loosened, and the man escapes his grasp.
The man runs until he's far away from Sharpness, but not enough to be in the main hall again. He grins at Sharpness, teasing him. Catch me if you can he teased, but he didn't say it. He mouths a phrase. Sharpness can only recognize the last part.
"— be your guiding light."
He slipped away without another word.
—
It's been a week since the incident.
Right now, they have no leads as to who this man is. Sharpness could've told them, but every time he tries, it lodges in his throat. As he pondered more and more over the strange man, a certain feeling started arising.
Behind the curtains of fear, there was something akin to thrill. The thrill of near death— of keeping a secret. Where not everything has to be confessed to his parents. A small, safe secret.
It didn't help at all that all sorts of things began popping up in places he usually goes to in the palace over the week. In the balcony overlooking the garden, a singular fig sat on the railing. In his combat training grounds, a dead purple emperor butterfly laid in the center.
But these were harmless in Sharpness' eyes. Sharpness kept all the items in the drawer on his nightstand. It didn't stop with the fig and the butterfly. There were beetles, elderberries, amethyst, violet flowers, and grapes. The one thing they all have in common? They're all purple.
With basic pattern recognition, it's likely it came from the eccentric assassin he met.
Sharpness woke up like any other day, except when he got out of bed, the first thing he noticed was a letter with a purple wax seal on the small table beside his window. It had no wrinkles or dirt on it.
He opened the letter, and it read:
"Your life is in danger. Leave the palace and your identity behind. Run away. When you do, go to " It was... blank?
On the back, it said:
"May the moon be your guiding light, Prince Conexion."