Archive of Our Own

“Good morning, Lord Phainon!”

Phainon returns the greeting with a smile on his face and a wave of his hand. It has been a lovely morning so far. He woke up early to the smell of his mother’s suncakes, the sound of his father chopping wood, and the sunlight peeking through his window. 

It feels as if he’s never left Aedes Elysiae once.

It hasn’t been that long since they defeated Irontomb, but it has been long enough that everyone has started establishing a regular schedule, easily adapting to their new life in the Eternal Page as they patiently wait for Amphoreus to materialize one day. Phainon himself chooses to live with his parents and return back to his old farm life. He has spent countless centuries wielding his greatsword and slaying enemies and defying his fate, so all he wants to do now is to live a slow life—on his own terms, unbound by any prophecy whatsoever.

All the other heirs have also adjusted themselves in this new world. Aglaea has opened a new tailoring shop alongside Tribios, Cipher, and Hysilens. Cerydra has been gathering information on other planets on the World Wound Web, planning either a conquest or a vacation for when they finally become real and can travel. Castorice, now reunited with her sister, has taken a liking to gardening and opening a small flower booth together with Cyrene. Hyacine and Anaxa have returned back to The Grove, with Hyacine handling the Twilight Courtyard once again. 

And Mydei…

Phainon looks up at the sun shining above his head, feeling a gentle warmth on his skin. Not only is Mydei reunited with his parents and his dearest comrades, but he also has his library now. Like the others, Mydei has also adapted himself in this new world—quite successfully, if he may add. He even keeps a fixed schedule like he did in previous cycles. 

Early in the morning, he leaves home where he lives with his parents to do a quick workout with Phainon before they both go their separate ways for the day—Mydei to his library and Phainon to the farm. Sometimes, Mydei even prepares some snacks for him to share with his parents before they part ways. And then, in the evening, Phainon will wait for Mydei at the library so they can continue their daily bathing tradition.

Phainon has also familiarised himself with Mydei’s fellow brothers and his parents, the same way Mydei has also familiarised himself with Phainon’s parents and the other villagers, since he sometimes comes over to visit them, either to lend a hand at the farm or play with the kids.

So now, he, Mydei, and everyone in the Eternal Page know or at least have an inkling that their feelings are reciprocated. 

And the thing is… 

“Phainon.”

Phainon pauses in his step as Mydei comes into view, the corner of his lips lifting up in a small smile as his long sunset hair gently flutters behind him. Mydei stands in front of him in a Kremnoan-style chiton, with a red-and-gold cloth draped over one shoulder and across the chest. Mydei may dress like a civilian and claim that he himself is one, but his royal magnificence will always shine through.

It takes a moment for his heart to start beating again, and for air to enter his lungs again. “Mydei.” 

The thing is, neither of them have taken the leap yet to address their relationship.

Mydei, his gentle-hearted Mydei… Phainon knows the Kremnoan is giving him time and space to get everything sorted out, like spending time with his family, getting used to the new world, going to therapy and working on himself. Phainon also knows that Mydei is waiting for him—will forever wait for him—but how can Phainon take that final step when he’s still ridden with guilt, when he has felt how Mydei’s blood had spilled thirty-three million times by his own hand.

“What’s going on in that thick head of yours?” Mydei taps his forehead with his knuckle, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Phainon laughs at the small frown on Mydei’s face, masking his worry. The warmth and sensation where Mydei’s knuckles tapped his forehead lingers on his skin. “Just how nice my name sounds coming from you.”

Mydei scoffs, but doesn’t take a step back. The distance between them is close enough that Phainon can just turn slightly and their shoulders will brush against each other.

Which is exactly what Phainon does.

“Come, Mydeimos! Time to see who can do more push-ups with just one hand!”

-

After another successful therapy session with Hyacine, Aglaea, and Anaxa, Phainon stretches his back with his arms high above his head. Judging from the sun’s position, it’s only a little past Action Hour. Mydei should be on his break, and Phainon is already planning on spending the rest of the day in Mydei’s library until it closes.

Although his parents are happy that he is back and helping out at the farm, they still insist on him taking a day off each week to recover. So, he decides to rest on the day of his weekly scheduled therapy session, and what better way to rest than spending an entire day with Mydeimos in his library?

Phainon’s steps slow down to a stop when he sees a long line at the library entrance, almost all of them holding a bouquet of flowers or a small package decorated with ribbons or both.

“Is there a special event today?” Phainon drifts towards Mydei’s friends, who are leaning against the wall and sharing bread while watching a throng of people lining up at the entrance. Peucesta shakes his head.

“There is.” Leonnius replies in a gleeful tone, contradicting Peucesta. “I’m calling it a Break Your Heart Day. Or Conquer Your Heart Day, whichever sounds nicer.”

“Neither.” Hephaestion swallows the bread in his mouth before continuing, “Your naming sense is horrible.”

“Like you could come up with something better.”

“Wait, wait.” Phainon stops them before they can continue to bicker. The line at the entrance moves again as two people come out with their heads down. “What is going on? Is something happening in the library?”

Both Leonius and Hephaestion look over their shoulders, giving him a confused glance. “I’m surprised you didn’t know about it.”

“This has been happening since a few days ago.”

Before Phainon can even ask them once again what is happening, Peucesta pats his shoulder and points to yet another person looking dejected. “They have been trying to win Mydeimos’ heart.”

Phainon’s eyes widen, mouth falling open at Peucesta’s answer, but it seems none of the trio is aware of the predicament in his head because what did they mean by trying to win Mydeimos’ heart? So the people in line are actually Mydei’s suitors? Hoping for a scrape of his love and attention?

“Why the sudden…”

Hephaestion glances back at him. “Recently there’s a rumor claiming that you can ask for Mydeimos’ hand in marriage if you can present him his favourite flower.”

“Apparently dueling is no longer a proper Kremnoan courting custom to them just because the Kremnoan dynasty is no more.” Leonnius clicks his tongue, irritated. “If they have even the slightest respect for Mydeimos, they would have asked him for a duel like a proper warrior. Our dynasty may have ended, but we will not let our traditions die.”

“But…” Are they not aware that Mydei is his? That there’s obviously something between him and Mydei, so they should already know that this is all futile. They can stand outside the library for a full day and Mydei will still not spare them a glance.

Peucesta pats his shoulder once again, this time in what feels almost like pity. “They must have thought that since you two are not officially together, then they still have a chance.”

Which is bullshit.

But Phainon doesn’t say that out loud. He takes a deep breath instead—once, twice, three times. “Oh. That… makes sense.”

“Speaking of,” Hephaestion turns around and crosses his arms. “When are you going to make things official?”

Phainon looks away, chuckling nervously as three pairs of eyes bore into him. “Haha… Well… Um…”

“You’re not stringing him along, are you?”

Phainon snaps his head up in alarm to see Leonnius copying Hephaestion’s pose. Suddenly it feels like he’s facing Sir Eurypon and Lady Gorgo for the first time all over again. “No! Of course not, I would never. I just… need to get some things in order first.”

“Well, you’d better hurry up,” Hephaestion comments as he points to the person next in line at the entrance, holding a small bouquet of snowdrops while everyone else has large and elaborate bouquets of roses, tulips, and even lilies with other flowers that he doesn’t recognize. “That guy did his homework. While everyone sees snowdrops as the flower of death, we see it as the flower of hope.”

Phainon watches the person standing in line, both hands firmly holding the base of the bouquet. The person doesn’t look older than him; his appearance looks neat, hair combed and chiton not a wrinkle. Like everyone, he looks prepared to see Mydei.

And then Phainon’s eyes land on the bouquet in his hands, eye twitching involuntarily. Snowdrops. Hope. What a joke. Mydei’s favorite flower is not snowdrops, that much he can tell. The former crown prince prefers forget-me-not because it reminds him of his eyes and it symbolizes hope because he was the Deliverer. As for how he knows Mydei’s favorite flower is forget-me-not?

It’s because Mydei himself told him that little fact right to his face in one of the cycles. Cycle seven hundred sixty three, to be exact. Yes, he still remembers what Mydei likes even though it happened a long time ago!

“I’m surprised the guy knows Kremnoans have different definitions for each flower.” Leonnius chimes in as the person takes a deep breath before straightening his back and entering the library. “I’m kinda rooting for him over all those people. You have to admire the dedication.”

Hephaestion only slaps the back of Leonnius’ head, muttering something in Kremnoan while Peucesta pats him, yet once again, in sympathy.

“Excuse me.” 

Phainon squeezes between Hephaestion and Leonnius, ignoring their baffled looks as he briskly makes his way to the door and into the library, to the table upstairs where he knows Mydei is currently at. He doesn’t miss the glare the snowdrop guy shoots him when they reach the bottom of the stairs together.

Phainon returns his glare and quickens his pace, which causes the snowdrop guy to go even faster until they’re both sprinting up the spiral stairs. Even as they’ve reached the top, Phainon keeps going until he sees Mydei, leaving the snowdrop guy behind at the top of the stairs to catch his breath.

See? If he can’t even run up the stairs without almost collapsing, then how is he supposed to keep up with Mydei?

“Mydei!” Phainon halts in front of the man, grinning as Mydei furrows his eyebrows in confusion, two tomes cradled in his arm about to be placed back onto the shelf.

“Did you run up here?”

“No, of course not.” Phainon leans against the shelf, trying to appear casual while ignoring the look of suspicion thrown by Mydei. “So, I heard you’ve been—”

“Mydeimos.” Snowdrop guy comes up from behind him and stands in front of Mydei, looking pristine as if he didn’t just sprint up the stairs and was out of breath seconds ago. He thrusts the bouquet of snowdrops in Mydei’s direction, who only looks at him tiredly but still full of patience. “This is for you.”

Mydei looks at the table to his side, and they follow his gaze to find that the table is full of carefully arranged bouquets of flowers. Not only do they cover the surface of the table, they are also stacked on top of another, creating three layers of flower bouquets. 

Next to the table is distressed Perdikkas, holding a bunch of bouquets in his arms as he arranges them on the table. More bouquets are found on several chairs and stools. Ptolemy, annoyed judging from the endless mutterings under his breath, also helps to move the flowers.

Mydei looks at the snowdrops in front of him, then hesitantly takes them. “Thank you…?”

“Nikolas.” Snowdrop guy introduces himself with a hand across his chest and a bow before standing upright once again. “Mydeimos, if I may?”

Mydei nods. Phainon wishes he didn’t. “Speak.”

“Mydeimos, I have long harbored feelings for you. I stand before you today to formally ask for your permission to court.” 

Mydei remains quiet, like he’s thinking of a way to reject him, and it seems the snowdrop guy catches on to him and starts speaking in Kremnoan. Perdikkas and Prolemy look up from the flowers in surprise, then to each other, almost impressed.

Once the snowdrop guy finishes speaking, no one says anything. Perdikkas and Ptolemy stay still, not even moving a muscle from where they’re standing, just like Leonnius, Hephaestion, and Peucesta who are hiding behind a shelf, all of them waiting with bated breath for Mydei’s answer.

Phainon bites the inside of his cheek when Mydei glances at him briefly before responding in Kremnoan as well. He doesn’t understand what Mydei said, but he knows that Mydei is rejecting the guy, judging from the way his head hangs low between his shoulders as he walks past him. 

Leonnius, Hephaestion, and Peucesta watch the guy dejectedly walk downstairs before they make their appearances known and inspect the flowers on the table.

“What did you tell him?” Phainon asks, unable to sate his curiosity. 

“Why do you want to know?”

“Why not?”

Mydei tilts his head towards him and smirks. “Why not get the dictionary and find out for yourself? 

Oh. Is that a challenge?

Phainon can’t help but return the smirk, feeling fired up. “What do I get when I find out?”

“Your next admirer is coming up,” Hephaestion says before Mydei can respond, and they all look towards the stairs where another person is walking up, a bouquet of red roses behind his back. Mydei lets out a quiet sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Phainon looks back to Mydei, who looks worn out. One thing about Mydei is that he doesn’t like being constantly disturbed when he’s doing his work, and who knows how many people have come up to see him and confess to him since the library opened that morning. 

Mydei is proud of his library. He loves it when people come to his library to read, not to confess their feelings to him.

“It’s alright.” Phainon finds himself saying the words, and he gives a reassuring smile when Mydei looks at him in bewilderment. “I got this. I’ll escort everyone away. This is a library, after all. ”

“Thank you.” Mydei nods in appreciation, a hint of a smile playing in his lips. Phainon doesn't think he will ever get tired of seeing Mydei smile. Like seeing the rain after a long season of drought, it soothes his heart and calms him down, that tells him everything will be fine now.

The moment is broken when Leonnius clears his throat. “Not to rush you, but…” He points with his chin to the stairs, where the guy has reached their floor and is taking a moment to compose himself.

“I’ll be right back.” As Phainon leaves the group, he puts on his usual smile despite feeling like grabbing and stomping the flowers in the guy’s hand. Have they not learned anything from the previous cycles, how no one could get close to Mydei like he did, how Mydei looked at no one but him?

What makes them think that they have a chance this time?

“Lord Phainon.” Red rose guy greets him, a smile on his face and suspicion in his eyes. “Are you just leaving?”

“Sort of.” Phainon nods as he throws his arm around the guy’s shoulder, turning him around and pulling him to walk down the stairs with him. “It’s a nice day outside, isn’t it? If you’re here to read, I don’t think Mydei minds if you borrow a book to read outside.”

“Wait, Lord Phainon—”

“And what lovely flowers you have there.” Phainon peers forward to take a look at the fresh red roses wonderfully arranged with smaller flowers in white and tied with a white ribbon. “Did you buy them from Castorice?”

“Yes, but—” The guy tries to twist his way out of Phainon’s grasp, but Phainon keeps grip firm, determined to not let go of him until they reach the entrance.

“Castorice grows beautiful flowers, doesn’t she? I adore her flower arrangement skills. Perhaps I should stop by and buy a bouquet too. What do you think?”

Once they reach the ground floor, Phainon briefly glances up at the upper level to see everyone leaning over the railings to watch them, both Hephaestion and Leonnius grinning and giving him a thumbs up while Mydei shakes his head, smiling fondly.

The sight of Mydei smiling—at him—never fails to send butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Ever since they are inside this new world, Mydei has been more open with his feelings. While he still maintains his reticence, he does smile and laugh more freely in public.

And oh how it does things to his heart every time he catches Mydei smiling. 

And, apparently, as he just found out, it also does things to other people’s hearts.

He gently nudges the red rose guy out the entrance and claps his hands, attracting everyone’s attention. “Okay, everyone. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m putting this gathering to an end. This is a library, not exactly a suitable place to do this kind of thing, don’t you think?”

A chorus of groans echoes, but despite it, Phainon can still hear several people murmuring in agreement. “I know, I know. But think about it. How would Mydei feel about this commotion when this is supposed to be a place of peace and quiet, hmm?”

Phainon nods to himself, giving himself a mental pat on the back when the line begins to disperse, everyone now looking lost and not knowing where to go with a flower bouquet in their hands. He hopes they won’t throw the flowers away—Castorice has worked hard growing and caring for those flowers, so he hates to see the flowers get thrown away so carelessly.

Once everyone’s gone, minus the few who are still mindlessly lingering around, Phainon turns around and enters the library once again and makes his way up the stairs, where Mydei and his five friends are looking more relaxed as the library returns to its state of tranquility.

“Good job, hero.” Leonnius grins at him when Phainon approaches them. “I must say, it was a funny sight to see them nervous about giving flowers to Mydeimos. I don’t think I’ve seen anything funnier, except maybe that one time when Mydeimos ate a flower.”

Phainon turns to Mydei, seeing the tips of his ears turn red, and he can’t help the smile that stretches his face. He stands next to the shelf that Mydei is arranging books on, elbow resting on the shelf. “Oh? What’s this about eating flowers?”

Mydei remains quiet as he steadily puts one book after another on the shelf, but Phainon can see just how embarrassed the man is, considering the red that blooms on his skin has yet to fade away. It tickles his heart seeing just how cute Mydeimos is when he’s embarrassed or flustered. He leans in, voice low. “Well, Mydeimos?”

Without even looking away from Mydei’s adorable blush, Phainon can tell that the other guys are scooping the bouquets up into their hands, Ptolemy urging them to bring the flowers downstairs instead. Inside, Phainon mentally thanks Ptolemy for giving them privacy.

“Don’t throw those flowers out. We can use them to decorate the library.”

“You want us to decorate?”

“You trust Leonnius’ ability to decorate?”

“Can’t I stay here? I’m quiet.”

“No, Peucesta, you cannot.”

They go downstairs one by one, trailing after Ptolemy like ducklings. It’s only after they’re gone that Mydei finally speaks. “If you have so much free time, grab those tomes and put them up on the shelf.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Phainon acquiesces, hands raised in defeat, but it doesn’t make the smile on his face go away. He grabs the tomes on the other table and begins to arrange them like how Mydei has taught him before. 

They work together in a comfortable silence, until a certain thought crosses his mind when he glances at the table that was previously filled with flowers. “I have a question.”

“If the book is unlabelled or damaged, you can put it aside.”

Ignoring Mydei’s flat answer, Phainon asks, “Why did you accept their flowers when you’re just going to reject them? You didn’t even have to hear their confessions. Just ask Leonnius to turn them away at the entrance.”

There’s a small pause before Mydei turns to him, blinking slowly. “Would it not be rude if I were to refuse their flowers after they spent money on them? I do not want Castorice’s flowers to be carelessly tossed away when she has poured her time and energy into growing them.”

“Well…” Mydei does have a point. And they’re using the flowers to decorate their library too, so it’s not a loss.

But still, Mydei’s answer doesn’t quite satisfy him, if he has to be honest. If Mydei wants flowers to decorate his library, then he can buy flowers for him. He will even grow a whole garden for him. 

Mydei doesn’t have to accept flowers from anyone anymore.

Phainon returns to arranging the books on the shelf before he remembers something else—something more important.

“So, any chance you could show me where the Kremnoan dictionaries are?”

-

A few days have passed since the library incident. Thankfully, no one else tried to confess to Mydei in the library and disrupt anyone who’s trying to read. Castorice also gets to take a break and care for her plants now that there’s no more crowd surrounding her humble little stall that she mans with her twin sister and Cyrene.

And it has also been a full day since he has finished combing through the Kremnoan dictionary from the front and back trying to figure out what exactly Mydei said to the snowdrop guy that got the guy’s shoulders lower than when Cyrene tried to prove to him that she could carry two stacks of hay more than him.

It was hilarious the way Cyrene’s shoulders instantly crumbled under the weight, and he wished he had a teleslate to record the moment. It's not fair that Cyrene has blackmail materials on him but he doesn’t have anything on her. 

Right now, all he needs is a break so he can go through the dictionary again with a fresh mind—which is why he’s at the farm, knees dug into the soil as he pulls out weeds from his potatoes. 

The same potatoes he’s going to gift to Mydei, like a true Aedes Elysian courting custom! All his courting gifts will be grown and created by his own two hands.

It's going to take a while until then, but it’s not like they have anywhere to go.

Two taps on the shoulder makes Phainon look up from the soil and over his shoulder, where he sees Selene—a fellow villager. He remembers her as his classmate when they were still kids. They played together sometimes, but their relationship was not as close as his with Cyrene, Livia, and Piso.

With a smile, Phainon brushes his hands to get rid of the dirt and stands up. “What’s up, Selene? Did you need help with anything?”

Selene smiles bashfully up at him, her cheeks turning light pink as she worries her lower lip between her teeth. Phainon patiently waits for her. After all, there’s not much to do left on the farm. His section is almost done, and his parents have told him that he can take a break or go back first if he wants to. 

And Phainon will—go back first, that is. It has been several quints since he has last seen Mydei, and they are both due for their daily bath together.

“Phainon, you’re close with Mydeimos, right?”

Phainon blinks at the question. The air around him goes still as a growing dread fills his stomach. Still, he nods with his usual cheery smile. “I’m close with Mydei, yes. Why?”

“Then…” Selene tucks her hair behind her ear before looking up at Phainon with hopeful eyes that set alarms off in his head. “Do you know what his favourite food is?”

Oh no. Oh no. 

He already knows where this is going.

No, absolutely not.

No one is going to steal Mydei away from him.

The cheery smile doesn’t leave his face. “Why?” 

“Why else?” Selene puts her hands on her hips, sighing as her softened gaze shifted to the blue sky above. “I… fancy him. Ever since you brought him here the first time, I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s so polite with everyone, he’s great with kids…” Then, her blush turns a shade darker as her voice lowers. “And he’s so strong too. Have you seen the way he lifted those hay sacks like they were nothing?”

Has Phainon seen? Phainon has seen Mydei lift two Furiae Warriors in each hand and toss them like they were mere trash, yes. Sometimes they were tossed in his direction when Mydei was being difficult for some reason, but yes, Phainon has seen.

Selene shakes her head, dispelling whatever thoughts that are in her head that are making her blush before looking at Phainon with determination in her eyes. “Anyway! I want to cook something for Mydeimos! Who knows, maybe he will notice me the next time he’s here.”

Phainon’s smile slightly drops, and something changes in his eyes. His mouth moves before he can even blink. “I don’t think he’s interested in getting into any relationships for now.”

Selene gapes at him, eyes filled with disbelief. “He’s… not?”

“Yes.” Phainon answers before guilt swallows him, then smiles as if to comfort her. “Right now, his family and his friends are his priority. You understand what I mean, right? Let him spend time with them.”

“Oh… I guess that makes sense.”

Selene mumbles her thanks as she walks away with drooped shoulders. Phainon waves at her retreating back before crouching back down in the dirt, returning back to his earlier task and humming a cheerful tune under his breath.

“Did he tell you he’s not interested in a relationship?”

Phainon looks up once again to see his mother observing him with a critical eye. “Well, no… but I know Mydei, and he never says anything about wanting a relationship with anyone.” Anyone other than him, that is.

Her mother stares at him for a moment longer before shaking her head with a sigh, muttering something under her breath. Phainon leaves it at that and resumes his previous task.

They may not be in an official relationship yet, but there’s still no way Phainon is going to let other people approach Mydei with the intent to court.

-

Having spent a full day at the farm yesterday, Phainon feels more refreshed than before. He's ready to tackle the task of deciphering the mystery phrase uttered by Mydei.

So, once he has finished his farm tasks for the day, he sits down under a large tree near the Membrance Maze with an opened dictionary on his lap. The sentence that Mydei uttered in Kremnoan keeps replaying in his head, over and over so much that Phainon has already memorized each inflection, pronunciation, and the emphasized syllables.

Sometimes, Phainon even finds himself whispering the words under his breath as he toils away on the farm, feeling how the sentence flows from his mouth, as if each correct pronunciation will bring him a step closer to deciphering what Mydei said.

As if each correct pronunciation will bring him a step closer to Mydei, not like he is there already. 

Phainon knows that the Kremnoan language uses a different script. Thankfully, he’s spent enough time in Mydei’s library to recognize some letters. And although the Kremnoan language has different sentence structure, Phainon isn’t that easily deterred.

After all, he’s always loved a good challenge.

So far, after going through the dictionary, he has successfully translated some of the words. There's a my and a specific one people, which can mean certain person, he supposes. Someone, maybe?

As Phainon continues to replay Mydei's words and scan the dictionary, a soft, melodic hum enters his ears. “So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Phainon looks up from the page to see Cyrene grinning from above, hands clasped behind her back. He then pats on the ground next to him, gesturing for her to take a seat. “Cyrene, when did you get here?”

“I just arrived.” Cyrene leans over, trying to take a look at the thick book in his hands, eyebrows knitting in the middle when she doesn't recognize the script. “What are you reading?”

“Kremnoan dictionary.” Phainon turns the dictionary to her so she can take a good look. Cyrene squints her eyes and tries to say a word out loud, wrong pronunciation and emphasis and all, and for a brief moment, Phainon wonders if this is what he sounded like to Mydei when he first learned the word HKS. “Mydei said something the other day, and I want to find out what it means.”

Cyrene lifts one eyebrow at him. “And you couldn’t have just asked him directly?”

“I did,” Phainon blows air upwards, his bangs fluttering, as he hugs the dictionary to his torso, lips curled into a small pout. “And then he challenged me to find out for myself.”

“You could’ve said pretty please after.”

Phainon stares at her, almost offended. How could he say pretty please when a challenge is thrown to his face, by a Kremnoan no less? As a (former) warrior, he has pride! 

Not a single universe exists where Phainon rejects a challenge issued by a fellow (former) warrior, especially a Kremnoan.

“No, don’t say anything.” Cyrene holds a hand up with a tired sigh. “I already know what you’re going to say. Thirty-three million cycles and both of you still refuse to play nice.”

“We do play nice.” Phainon retorts. They don’t make snarky comments towards each other anymore. Mydei may or may not still be that proud crown prince he met the first time, but he has stopped calling him boy since then, even though he is younger. 

“Are you done playing house, boy?”

Looking back at the memory almost makes him want to laugh. How far have they come since then?

And to think that now, he has to fight off Mydei’s suitors… Every second he’s not by Mydei's side, a new suitor will pop up with a gift or some flowers in an attempt to woo him. He will not be surprised if there is one right now, considering he is far away under a tree in Aedes Elysiae and not all the way in Kremnos’ Grand Library.

“So, what’s got your face all scrunched up?”

Phainon lets out a sigh as he thumps his head against the tree bark, staring at Cyrene in forlorn. “Do you have any idea how many suitors Mydei have?”

Cyrene blinks. “Many?”

“Many. There's probably one right now confessing their feelings to him. Don’t they know that Mydei and I… you know…” He trails off, then looks away sheepishly. 

“Not together?” Cyrene supplies unhelpfully. She giggles at the half-hearted glare she receives before calming down. “Alright, alright. You know what would make other people stop courting him?”

Phainon straightens up in interest. “What?”

Cyrene holds up her hand, the back of her hand facing him, and wiggles her fingers. 

Phainon stares at her hand, then at her face, blinking. Does she want money in exchange for the answer? Since when has his childhood friend been a money-grubber?

“A ring!” Cyrene huffs as she furiously points to her ring finger. Phainon makes a small ‘o’ with his mouth in realization. He supposes that makes sense. It doesn't matter if they are not not-together; in the suitors’ eyes, as long as Mydei is single, then they still have a chance to win his affections and his heart. “How many times does Mydei have to reject other people for you to finally put a ring on his finger?”

Phainon glances away at the question, opting to look at the trees with golden leaves instead of Cyrene’s stern look. 

It isn’t that he doesn't want to marry Mydei, or even make things official between them—he does! Oh how he dreams of holding Mydei every day and night, of pressing him close to his chest until he can feel Mydei’s heartbeat echoing in his own chest.

“What are you still waiting for?” Cyrene prods softly. 

“I just think…” Phainon looks down, where the dictionary lies open on his lap. When was the last time he sat down next to Cyrene, pouring his doubts and troubles to her willing ear? In regard to Mydei, he knows he can trust Cyrene to keep whatever he is about to say a secret. “...what if Mydei doesn't like me like me?”

“What do you mean?”

At the gentle prompt, Phainon spills everything to his childhood friend, eyes still fixed on the dictionary, downcast. “What if Mydei feels obligated to return my feelings? He knew what I had been going through, so what if it’s a way for him to indulge me as a gratitude for saving Amphoreus?”

He knows it's a silly thought, but a part of him can’t help but wonder if it's true. What is the possibility of Mydei's feelings for him being nothing more than a sense of gratitude? What is the possibility of the moments they shared in the past being nothing more than Mydei sympathizing with him, trying to give him a moment of reprieve from his heavy responsibilities and duties?

…What is the possibility of Mydei’s feelings for him all this time being nothing but his own illusion?

“Ow! What was that for?!”

Cyrene lets go of his ear and leans back on her hands, rolling her eyes. “Tell me, Mister Encyclopedia. Do you honestly think Mydei is that kind of person?”

Phainon clamps his mouth shut at the question as he averts his gaze, one hand gently rubbing and soothing his red ear. Of course he knows Mydei isn’t the type of person to freely offer his heart and soul to anyone who saves the world, but—

But what if? What if Mydei’s affection for him is merely because he saved the world?

“Deep down, do you really think Mydei is the type to not be honest with himself?”

Cyrene’s voice is softer this time, but it hits him harder than anything ever has. He knows Cyrene is right. Mydei is the most honest person out of everyone he has ever known in Amphoreus. White lies are not something he would do. Although he prefers to keep his thoughts to himself, when prompted, Mydei will try his best to convey them.

Mydei may be reserved—stoic at times, even—but he always wears his heart on his sleeves; one that can only be seen by Phainon and Phainon alone.

Ever since the first time they walked together, Phainon knew their connection would be special and go beyond mere colleagues and best friends. 

They are kindred spirits.

Everything that Mydei feels, he can feel too. Every thought that Mydei hides, he can easily read them. Every sigh that escapes his lips, he can understand the hidden meaning. 

And with every interaction he has had with Mydei ever since they arrived in the Eternal Page, there has been absolutely no indication that Mydei has been anything less than sincere towards him. 

“No…” He eventually says with a sigh.

“You know, Khaslana.” Phainon’s eyes shift to Cyrene upon hearing his real name in that serious tone of hers. Very rarely does anyone in the village call him by his real name, and if they do, it either means he is in trouble or he just disappointed someone—and he isn't sure which is worse. “Mydeimos is a human too, and he has his own feelings and needs. But if you can’t see him in your future, then it would be better if—”

“No!” Phainon clenches his jaw, eyes bloodshot as he clutches the dictionary to his chest with trembling hands. His fingers dig into the leather cover, his breathing harsh to his own ears. “Don’t… don’t even think of finishing that sentence, Cyrene. Don’t even joke about it.”

He has already lost Mydei thirty-three million times, and damn if he lost him again.

Cyrene’s gaze turns soft as she nods. She slowly reaches her hand out, and when Phainon doesn't retreat, she rests her hand on his shoulder, clasping gently. “Alright, I won’t. I’m sorry. But… just think about it, okay? Both of you deserve to be happy together, not just yearn from a distance when both of your feelings are mutual.”

Phainon’s shoulders fall. Cyrene is right, as always. They can’t keep dancing around their feelings forever. And just because Mydei is waiting for him, it doesn't mean he should leave Mydei hanging forever. Mydei deserves better than that.

Mydei deserves a better version of him.

Just the thought of a better version of himself stokes a fire inside him. He wants to be better for Mydei. He wants Mydei to have the best of everything. He wants to spoil Mydei and do every single activity under the sun and under the moon with him. 

He wants their story to be different this time. There are no more tragic prophecies looming over their heads, and the only thing that they should be worried about is how big their wedding will be at their parents’ insistence.

“Hey, Cyrene?”

Cyrene tilts her head, humming questioningly. “What is it?”

“Thanks for knocking some sense into me.” Phainon shoots her a grin, then laughs when Cyrene’s eyes go wide with delight. He hugs the dictionary to his chest, feeling warmth blooming inside. “I owe you one.”

Cyrene winks at him before patting herself on the chest, nose turned up. “And don’t you forget it! Come on, let me help you with the dictionary so you can start courting him!”

-

With Cyrene's help, Phainon manages to figure out what Mydei said to the snowdrop guy at the library. At least, he thinks he has figured it out. He still needs to confirm if what he translated is true or if he is back to square one.

Which is why he is back in Mydei’s library, at the counter where Ptolemy is currently reading a Kremnoan book. He vaguely remembers Mydei telling him offhandedly that Ptolemy also enjoys reading history books, so this must be one of them. 

“Oh, Phainon.” Ptolemy greets him with a nod. “Are you here to return a book or look for Mydeimos?”

“Depends,” Phainon says secretively, which gets Ptolemy’s attention. Phainon looks left and right and around him, checking to see if anyone’s around, and it has Ptolemy leaning forward in interest. After all, there should be something interesting if the former hero is acting covertly. 

Phainon then leans over the counter, speaking in a hushed voice, “Do you still remember what Mydei said the other day?” When he receives nothing but a confused look from the other man, Phainon clarifies. “In Kremnoan. He said something in Kremnoan to the snowdrop guy?”

Phainon watches recognition settling in Ptolemy’s eyes before the Kremnoan replies in a hushed voice too. “Yes, I still remember. Why? Did something happen?”

Hearing the odd curiosity in Ptolemy’s voice, Phainon almost wants to laugh. There is no doubt that when they are done with their conversation, Ptolemy will grab their nearest friend to talk about it, and it will spread to the whole gang in less than a quint, especially since Leonnius has been itching and looking for any excuse to stretch his legs.

“No, not really.” Phainon chuckles before continuing, “It’s nothing big. I just want to confirm, did Mydei say—” He whispers the translated phrase near Ptolemy’s ear. Then, he pulls back, watching the Kremnoan’s expression. He doesn't even get the chance to wallow in anxiety because Ptolemy immediately lets out a small smile, then a chuckle.

“For someone who has little knowledge of the Kremnoan language, you catch on quick.” Ptolemy settles back on his chair as he nods. “But yes, that is what he said.”

Phainon brightens up, feeling like he just won the hardest debate competition. In fact, it doesn't even compare to him winning debate competitions. He places the dictionary on the counter and gently pats the cover. “Then, I’d like to return this, please. Also, where is Mydei?”

Ptolemy points to somewhere with his chin as he takes the dictionary. “Back room.”

“Thanks, Ptolemy.”

Phainon doesn't need to be shown the way to the back room considering how many times he has been there. The back room is where Mydei often spends his free time when he isn't running the library. It's a special room with wide windows for sunlight to fill in, warming up the kline near the window, which is Mydei’s favourite napping spot.

And that is how Phainon finds him in the back room—all laid out on his back with one arm above his head and the other resting on his torso, bathing in the warm sunlight. He steps inside quietly, careful not to awake the sleeping lion. 

Mydei's chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm, completely unaware of his surroundings. It's an undisputed fact that one of Mydei’s favourite pastimes is napping, even though he is a light sleeper. Phainon has heard plenty of stories and witnessed plenty of incidents where Mydei woke up mid-nap because someone was approaching his chambers.

And yet, never once did Mydei stir awake whenever Phainon got close to his kline, let alone his chambers. In fact, Mydei was still softly snoring when Phainon dragged him for their daily baths. 

Something stirs in his chest at the realization that their trust for each other was already deep even before they developed feelings for each other.

Now, seeing Mydei peacefully sleeping without a care in the world, not having to constantly be on alert in his own safe space… it makes him want to freeze time itself so he can savor the sight as long as he wants.

If only he could bottle this feeling and open it whenever he needs a pick-me-up…

Mydei twitches in his sleep, rolling onto his side and facing away from the sun as he slowly blinks awake. “...how long have you arrived?”

“Not long.” Phainon leans forward and softly pets Mydei’s head, watching his eyelids grow heavy again. “Go back to sleep, Mydei.”

“Mm… garden…”

“No, it’s alright. We have plenty of time.” Phainon soothes him, shushing him gently as those eyelids flutter shut. After all, they have nothing but time in the Eternal Page. Tomorrow is always waiting for them.

When Mydei’s breathing steadies again, his hand goes from patting to stroking Mydei’s hair, lulling him to sleep even though he is already asleep. This is one of the things that he has always wanted to do back then. He wants to see Mydei let his guard down and fall asleep as he pats him to sleep.

Now that the Flame-Chase Journey is over once and for all, he is slowly going to fulfill every single one of his small desires.

-

“Castorice!” Phainon waves his hand at her in greeting before seeing a familiar pink-haired girl popping up from behind the booth that Castorice has set up. “And Cyrene.”

“Well, don’t sound too excited.” Cyrene huffs at her childhood friend, who only laughs in response. “What brings you here? Fancy buying a bouquet of flowers for a certain someone?”

Phainon doesn't miss the teasing tone in her voice, but when he sees the fresh batches of flowers that Castorice is currently arranging, he can't help but consider Cyrene’s question. 

Perhaps he should buy one…

The two girls notice his silence, and they share a knowing smile with each other. Cyrene steps out from the booth and stands next to him, putting on her best saleswoman act. “If I may recommend, kind sir—”

“This is our bestseller!” Cyrene points to a familiar flower arrangement—too familiar, perhaps—as she carefully brings it out from the display shelf. “Red roses signify your romantic love for your special person, and white roses signify sincerity and new beginnings. Perfect way to start a new chapter in your life with your special person, hmm?”

Unbeknownst to Cyrene, Phainon has stopped listening to her before she even explained the meaning of the flowers. Because now, all he can think about is that long, long line outside the library the other day, with everyone fidgeting and rehearsing their lines before they entered the library with the sole purpose of courting Mydei.

“So you were the one who recommended these flowers to Mydei’s suitors.”

“Haha…” Cyrene fiddles with her fingers and laughs nervously as she looks away from the piercing glare and towards Castorice for help. “Well…”

Castorice gets her signal and smiles, walking slowly and standing next to Cyrene. “Lord Phainon, what do you mean?”

Phainon turns his attention to Castorice. “Did a lot of people come by to buy flowers last week?”

Castorice nods, eyes lighting up at the memory. “I still do. It was my best sales ever.” Then, realization registers in her eyes, followed by pity. “Oh, Lord Phainon… did they buy those flowers to court Lord Mydei?”

“Yeah, they did.” Phainon sighs, but quickly adds before Castorice can feel guilty, bless her pure heart, “But Mydei appreciated the flowers though. He used them to decorate his library. It's really beautiful. Let me show you some pictures.”

He takes out his teleslate and opens his gallery. Both Cyrene and Castorice flank him, eyes glimmering as Phainon taps on a picture where Hephaestion stood on a chair, carefully tying a string from the top of the pillar to the stem of a red rose.

The next picture is of Peucesta sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the same pillar as he handed a flower to Hephaestion. The string is already halfway filled with flowers, twining around the marble pillar.

The next picture is taken from a distance. There are four pillars in the pictures, all of them decorated with various red, pink, and white flowers.

The next one is a picture of a table, covered with bouquets of flowers. Leonnius and Perdikkas are separating each flower from its bouquet. 

Another picture is Ptolemy pointing to a string of flowers with his mouth opened, looking like he’s in the midst of saying something. Hephaestion sits on a stool, giving him a tired look.

He swipes to a few more pictures, finally ending with a picture of a vase on the counter where Ptolemy often works, filled with snowdrop flowers.

Phainon does his best to hide the disdain look on his face when the snowdrops appear.

“What a shame I missed it.” Castorice laments with a small sigh, staring longingly at a picture of two pillars decorated with roses. “I would have loved to see it with my eyes. If it’s not too much of a trouble, could you send the pictures to me?”

As Phainon selects the pictures to send to her, Castorice turns to Cyrene. “Oh, right. Cyrene, you gave them advice too, didn’t you?”

Phainon pauses, his finger hovering over the send button before looking up at Cyrene with a betrayed look. “So you’ve been giving them advice on how to court him?”

“Unknowingly!” Cyrene cries back in defense as she pulls Castorice in front of her. Castorice giggles into her hand. “And besides, isn’t it romantic to have a little competition?”

When Phainon keeps staring her down, Cyrene cups her ear. “Oh! I think I just heard Aglaea calling for me.”

“Nice try. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m not falling for that trick again.”

Cyrene glowers at him for a moment, then she seems to see something over his shoulder. She shouts while waving her hand. “Mydei! Over here!”

Phainon spins on his heel, only to see other civilians lounging and chatting together in the garden, no sign of the former crown prince of Kremnos walking towards them. When he turns back around, Cyrene is already sneaking away, but he pulls her back by the elbow. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Well I can’t believe you fell for it.”

As Phainon and Cyrene continue to bicker, a new voice interrupts them from behind. “Excuse me…?”

The two childhood friends cease their bickering to look at the newcomer—a young man, younger than them, if Phainon has to guess. He looks progressively helpless as his eyes scan the flowers row by row, overwhelmed by the flower choices.

Cyrene steps away from Phainon and skips to the customer’s side, a friendly smile on her face. “Hello there. Welcome to Eternal Flowers, where our flowers are grown lovingly by our Miss Castorice. How may I help you?”

“Well…”

Now that Cyrene is busy with a customer, Castorice tilts her head in question. “That reminds me. Is Lord Phainon here to buy flowers for Lord Mydei, or are you just passing by?”

Phainon thinks about it for a moment, then a lightbulb goes off in his head. “Actually, can you teach me how to make a flower crown instead?”

-

It's already Action Hour's fourth quint by the time Phainon finishes making a flower crown for Mydei. It took him an embarrassingly long amount of time not just because he wants it to be flawless, but also because he doesn't want to waste Castorice’s flowers.

He saw a small light dying in Castorice’s eyes when he accidentally crushed a small flower under his thumb when he tried to weave the flower into the crown.

But thankfully, after that one unfortunate death, no flowers were sacrificed.

Phainon makes his way to the Dome where they had previously agreed to meet. They had spent billions of years staring at the same sky lit by Dawn Device together, so when they discovered there exists a sky they have never seen before, just a few flights of stairs away from the garden, it has become one of their favourite spots to spend time together. 

It has also become a special place for them. This was where they officially reunited for the first time after the battle with Irontomb. He almost wants to laugh when he remembers just how awkward they both were back then, neither knowing how to approach the other and where they stand with each other.

That is, until Mydei told him that his library has always been open to him. 

And, he doesn't think he will ever forget the look on Mydei’s face and the tone in his voice when he said it either. 

It was at that moment that he knew that everything was alright between them.

By the time he reaches the last flight of stairs, he sees a young man peeking out from behind the archway, stealing glances at—Phainon follows his line of sight—Mydei.

Who is already waiting for him in the middle of the platform.

“Something wrong?” Phainon whispers to the guy from behind, startling him, so much so that he jumps and clutches his chest as he turns around to look at Phainon, catching his breath.

“Phainon!” Now that he finally has a good look at this guy, Phainon remembers him as one of the bath attendants working during the Entry Hour, Kairos. “You scared me…”

Phainon smiles in apology. “You seemed preoccupied with something. Are you having troubles?”

Kairos looks down at his feet, then at the wall beside them, steals a quick glance at Mydei over his shoulder before looking back at his feet again. “It’s just… promise you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.” Phainon nods. 

“Well… you see, I’ve been admiring Mydei ever since the first time I saw him as a judge in Culinary Wars…” Kairos confesses with a small, dreamy sigh. The flower crown hidden behind Phainon’s back rustles. “I was afraid to approach him then, but now… now, I think I have a chance! Phainon, you’re his best friend, so you must know him the most. What’s the best way for me to court him?”

Phainon's eye twitches. Best friend? Best friend? While, yes, he is Mydei’s best friend, but obviously, obviously there’s something more between them. Has he not been obvious enough? Did he not spend every waking moment with Mydei and going to the baths together, especially in Curtain-Fall Hour?

What could be more conspicuous than two best friends bathing together, alone, in Curtain-Fall Hour?

“Mydei is a Kremnoan through and through,” Phainon finally says. “If you wish to stand next to him as his mate, then be his equal. Duel him.”

“W— What?”

Phainon nods, smiling as his shoulders fall lax. “That’s right. How else will you prove that you’re his equal if you can’t keep up with him?”

Kairos is quiet for a moment, then replies with full enthusiasm. “I can provide for him! I work and I have some savings, and I can buy anything he wants!”

“So?” Phainon raises an eyebrow. “Even though he’s no longer a royal, he still has his family’s coffers that can last for generations. Not to mention, he’s also working.”

“Well…” Kairos stutters, his confidence slightly waning. “I can do houseworks! I can clean our house and do our laundry. I can cook a decent meal too.”

“Is that all?” Phainon hums, feigning boredom. “Everyone knows how to do chores. The one question that you should ask yourself is, what will you do when someone attacks Mydei? How will you protect him?”

When Kairos’ shoulders fall, Phainon continues. “That’s right. Providing is one thing, protecting is another. What will you do if Mydei is incapacitated and unable to defend himself?

“Are you willing to lay down your life for him? Are you willing to face the former king and queen of Kremnos for failing to protect their only child? Are you willing to face the King's Aegis? Mydeimos' brothers-in-arms? I'm sure you've heard of their amazing feats, and how fiercely loyal and protective they are of their brother.

“No, scratch that.” Phainon shakes his head before saying in a low voice, like he’s sharing a secret, “Are you willing to face an entire nation for allowing Mydei to get hurt?”

Phainon steps back, leaving some space between them while Kairos becomes completely mute, pale and shaken. Behind his back, Phainon swings the flower crown side-to-side as he patiently waits for the other man to finally speak.

“...we, we’re peaceful now, aren’t we?”

Instead of answering, Phainon just gives Kairos a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and watches the guy walk down the stairs, heading back to the Sunlit Garden with heavy shoulders. If they were in the cycles where he had yet to come to terms with his feelings, Phainon would feel guilty, but he honestly is just giving him a reality check. 

How could he dream of being Mydei’s equal when he can’t even hold his own against Mydei? How is he going to protect his family from harm if he doesn't even know how to fight?

So, really, Phainon is just helping him see the reality.

“What did you say to him?”

Phainon spins around at the voice, and his face breaks out into a grin. “Mydei! I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

In front of him stands Mydei in all his glory, colourful and fragrant flowers braided into his long hair that has Phainon’s fingers twitching, itching to run themselves through the luscious lock. Mydei must have been playing with the Kremnoan children again before coming here.

Mydei clicks his tongue, pulling Phainon out of his thoughts. “What did you say to him? He looked dejected earlier.”

“Oh.” Phainon scratches his head and shrugs. “I think he was just sad that he didn’t learn how to fight when he was younger. ”

“What brought the conversation on?”

“Who knows.”

It's obvious that Mydei doesn't buy what he said, but at the same time, he also doesn't push it. Instead, Mydei turns around and walks back to where he had been waiting. 

“Wait, Mydei.”

When Mydei turns around to face him, head tilted in question, Phainon smiles and finally reveals the flower crown he has made from behind his back. Mydei’s gaze falls to the flower crown in his hands, bewilderment filling his eyes.

With a smile, Phainon carefully, gently, places the flower crown on Mydei’s head, fixing it in place so it will not fall. “There.” He knew forget-me-nots would look good on Mydei. “You really do look…” Like a princess. Goddess that he would worship and sing hymns to every second of the day. “Beautiful.”

“...thank you.” Cheeks painted pale pink, Mydei turns on his heels and starts walking away, and Phainon follows him with a spring in his step. 

They sit down at the edge of the platform together, Phainon leaning back on his hands while Mydei pulls a basket closer—a basket that Phainon fails to notice earlier. “What did you bring?”

Mydei hands him a pastry; it looks plain on the outside, but the smell on the inside is already making Phainon's mouth water. “Is this your new recipe?”

Mydei grunts in answer as he takes out another one for himself. “I wanted to try making a savoury pastry this time. I used Dulu bird for the filling. Let me know how it tastes.”

Phainon already knows it's going to taste delicious. Any dishes made by Mydei—even when he is beyond pissed at him—always makes him feel full. Not just from its portion, but also from the knowledge that Mydei was thinking of him while cooking.

Just like now.

He bites into the pastry, humming in surprise when the juicy and spiced minced meat hits his tongue. He takes another bite again, and the taste is as if it's amplified even further. And then he keeps eating and eating, only pausing briefly to swallow. 

Mydei gapes at him for a few seconds before sighing. He reaches into his basket for a napkin and wipes the mess near Phainon’s mouth. “Slow down, or you’re going to choke. No one is stealing your food.”

Feeling the napkin pressed to the corner of his mouth, Phainon is stunned that he almost forgets to breathe. But eventually, when Mydei pulls away, air enters his lungs again, and Phainon gives him a sheepish smile. “Who knows. Cipher could come by right now and steal my pastry and your basket.”

Mydei shoots him an incredulous look, but before he can open his mouth, a familiar voice echoes in the space. “Slandering me when I'm not around? Tsk tsk. You’ve got some guts, little pup.”

“Wha—” Phainon looks around them, then up and around, only to see nothing. “Cipher? Where are you?”

Cipher laughs in response. “Don't let me catch you slandering me again. Or else I’ll eat all the food little lion cooks for you next time.”

Mydei lets out a huff of amusement as he continues eating. “Well, that went well.”

“She almost gave me a heart attack.”

“At least she didn’t steal your food.”

“You’re not surprised by this?”

Mydei shrugs. “It’s not the first time. Ask Castorice.”

Phainon returns back to his pastry, savouring the way his taste buds tingle with each bite as Mydei pours a drink into two cups for them. “Try this too. Father and teacher brewed this mead a few months ago. Tell me what you think.”

Phainon takes a sip, letting the mead flow down his throat before smacking his lips. “What is that? Apples? It tastes a little… bland? The flavour is there, but only barely.”

“Mm. I’ll let them know.”

As they eat together, Phainon tells him the story of when he went fishing with his father the day before, only to return home with not more than one fish. Mydei then tells him the story of his father and Krateros attempting to open a jar of mead which, ultimately, led to a small explosion in the chamber where they keep all their various experimental meads.

Phainon can tell that despite the exasperated tone in Mydei’s voice, the former crown prince actually finds the whole thing humorous. 

It seems that his relationship with Eurypon is getting better and better—or rather, Eurypon isn’t as awkward anymore with his son.

They sit in a comfortable silence, content in watching the stars and galaxies above them. It has been a while since he spends one-on-one time with Mydei without getting interrupted. If they are spending time in the garden, then they will be joined by the children wanting to play with them. If they are spending time in the library, not only will they be joined by Mydei’s friends, but Mydei will also put him to work.

Speaking of library…

“Hey, Mydei.”

Mydei makes a non-committal hum, eyes closed.

“Can you repeat the phrase you said to that guy at the library?”

Instead of giving him a questioning look, Mydei repeats the words to him without hesitation.

“Again.”

Mydei does, again and again each time Phainon tells him to.

In the midst of it all, Phainon’s hand inches closer to Mydei’s, hesitantly brushing against the warm skin. When Mydei doesn't pull away, Phainon places his hand over Mydei’s, with Mydei responding to the gesture by lacing their fingers together.

Phainon closes his eyes, letting the cool breeze flow past him. “Again.”

“My heart already belongs to someone else.”

“Again.”

“My heart already belongs to someone else.”

His heart already belongs to Mydei too.

-

“Oh, Phainon.”

Phainon looks up at the voice and smiles when he sees Gorgo and Eurypon sitting together near the fountain. He is on his way home after dropping Mydei off at his home after their small picnic. The sky in the Eternal Page had almost turned orange by the time he and Mydei returned from The Dome. 

“Lady Gorgo. Sir Eurypon. Are you here for an outing?” Phainon greets them with a slight bow. Even though both Eurypon and Gorgo had insisted him to drop the formalities, especially since they want to live as civilians now, Phainon still does it. Not just because they are former royals, but because they are also Mydei’s parents.

So, technically, they are his future parents-in-law too.

(And also because his mother taught him to show respect to his elders.)

“Having some fresh air after an unfortunate mead-related accident, yet once again.” Gorgo crosses her arms and turns to Eurypon with a playful glance. Eurypon clears his throat and looks away, flustered. Gorgo shakes her head with a smile before turning back to him. “Were you with Mydeimos?”

Phainon scratches his head and laughs nervously. “Ah, yes. He asked me to try his new pastry.”

He also conveniently leaves out the part where Mydei had him try Eurypon’s mead too, especially now when Eurypon looks like his dream just got crushed.

Gorgo hums, her expression turning contemplative as she stands up from the bench and eyes him up and down. Phainon stands still, afraid that a slight movement will interrupt her concentration and he will then be thrown into the dungeon, if they had any.

Lady Gorgo may not be the queen anymore, but her sheer presence can tame even the fiercest lion—case in point, the once-fearsome king of the Castrum Kremnos, Eurypon, is now staring lovingly at his wife, after being flustered and teased by her.

“You’re a healthy man, Phainon.” Gorgo comments after a moment, her golden eyes, which are so similar to Mydei, meeting him. Assessing him, more like.

Phainon isn't sure what he is supposed to say after that. “Thank you…?”

“A brave warrior who has engaged in countless duels with my son and ended as neither the victor nor the loser, an exceptional swordsman who has mastered the art of the sword and uses it to protect others, and a dutiful man who carries his responsibilities till the end.”

Phainon’s throat bobs. He knows what Gorgo is implying in her last sentence, but neither her tone nor her facial expression shows that she is displeased by his past actions.

“So, pray tell, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae—” Phainon winces at the use of his full title, “—why have you not asked for my son’s hand in marriage yet?”

…

Phainon blinks at Gorgo, who is truly displeased this time. The way her eyes narrow into a glare and her breathing becomes too steady is truly reminiscent of her son. Mydei always, always looks like this when he is a second away from punching his face but chooses to take a deep breath and ignore his bullshit instead.

“I…” His jaw drops, speechless. He blinks once, twice. Three times, just to make sure he heard right.

Eurypon stands up with a quiet sigh, standing next to Gorgo. “Several suitors have started to come to us asking for our blessings.”

Phainon freezes. Several suitors have what?

Gorgo sighs too, sounding similar to his mother when she is tired of his nonsense. “If you’re not planning on doing anything, then don’t look like a kicked puppy when he chooses someone else.”

Phainon’s shoulders drop. “Mydei has someone else?” 

“Oh, Nikador, grant me patience.” This time, Gorgo fully turns to face him, then knocks his forehead gently with her knuckles. It doesn't hurt, but Phainon still winces. When Gorgo pulls back, there is a small smile on her face. “No, Mydeimos has no one else in his heart except for a certain brave warrior who is also an exceptional swordsman and a dutiful man. But how long will you keep him in limbo?”

“I…” He wants to deny, wants to say that he isn't keeping Mydei guessing about their state of relationship, but… but that is exactly what he is doing, isn’t he? He stops other people from courting Mydei, but he himself never once confirms what their relationship is, especially when Mydei has basically told him that only he has the key to his heart.

And how did he respond?

Fantastic!

“I…” He glances down at his feet, the grass almost as tall as the thickness of his sandals. “I didn’t mean…”

Gorgo and Eurypon exchange a glance with each other, and the former king speaks up after being quiet for the past few minutes. “Are you still filled with lingering guilt?”

Phainon lifts his gaze, and the look reflected in Eurypon’s eyes tells him that Eurypon understands the reason for his stalling, if he can call it that. Eurypon continues to speak, his voice quiet but steady. “I, too, have done terrible things to my own family, too many times to count. Their steadfast trust and forgiveness may not be able to fully erase my guilt, but it's also with their trust and forgiveness that I am able to look at myself in the mirror every day, and strive to be a better husband and a better father.

“Do not let your lingering guilt stop you from pursuing your dreams. Taking one small step is better than staying still.”

When Eurypon finishes talking, something sparks within Phainon. There is truth in the former king’s words. What good is there to dawdle and putter around, delaying the inevitable when he can slowly lay a foundation of their metaphorical home so by the time he has finally come to terms with himself, everything else is already laid out?

Now he understands why Eurypon is considered one of the greatest kings of Castrum Kremnos—each word that comes out of his mouth is truly inspirational, kindling something inside him that is too shy and too afraid to face the light. 

He knows that if he were a lowly soldier in Kremnos during Eurypon’s reign, he would feel like he was able to conquer a whole nation on his own. 

Eurypon seems to have recognized the fire in his eyes, as he chuckles and nods to Gorgo. “Go ahead, my lady.”

“Here.” Gorgo grabs his wrist and places something small but warm in the middle of his palm.

Phainon’s eyes widen, breath stuck in his chest when he sees what exactly Gorgo has just given him. “Lady Gorgo, this is…”

Gorgo nods with an affirmative hum, a smile playing on her lips as the Kremnos’ signet ring glints under the dimming sunlight. “After our duel that ended in a draw, Eurypon proposed to me with this ring. It’s only right that it’s passed down to you.”

Then, Gorgo flicks her gaze upwards to him. “I have seen the way you look at my son.” Red rushes up to Phainon’s cheeks at the thought of being caught, by Mydei’s mother no less. “And I have also seen the way my son looks at you.”

Phainon swallows. “I…”

Gorgo places her hand on his shoulder and gives a firm squeeze. “You are a good man, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae. The world is peaceful now. Allow yourself the happiness that you desire. Do not hold back.”

“Thank you, Lady Gorgo, Sir Eurypon.” Phainon blinks away the wetness in his eyes as he closes his palm around the ring, keeping it safe and close. Determination blazes in his heart. With this ring in his hand again, he feels like he can overcome any mental obstacle coming his way. “For the ring and the blessing. I will not let both of you down.”

“Just don’t keep us waiting any longer.” Gorgo grins and gives him one last pat. “The faster you put that ring on his finger, the faster you can call me mother.”

-

“Today has been a good session.” Hyacine claps her hand in joy, with Little Ica trilling happily beside her. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Lord Phainon. Before we dismiss today’s therapy session, is there anything you want to talk about?”

Phainon looks down at his lap, forehead crinkling in thought before he turns his gaze to the three people sitting across him—Hyacine, Aglaea, and Anaxa. “Hypothetically—”

Anaxa sighs loudly, but Phainon pretends he doesn't hear him as he repeats himself in a louder voice. “Hypothetically, if someone is getting married, what preparations should be done?”

Hyacine's hands fly to her mouth to stifle her excited gasp. Aglaea stares at him for a moment before smiling. “I see. This is a matter Hyacine and I can help you with.”

“Good riddance.” Anaxa stands up, his chair scraping behind him at the same time Hyacine lets out a squeal. “I’m heading back to the laboratory. Kindly do not look for me until next week’s session. Phainon, do not forget to retrieve the books I asked for from Mydeimos’ library.”

“Lord Mydei said yes? Finally! Congratulations to both of you!”

Little Ica flies around his head as if to congratulate him, and Phainon rubs the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. “Actually… I haven’t asked him yet.”

Little Ica stops flying.

Phainon clears his throat at the silence that ensues. “I… We aren’t even together. In a relationship, I mean.”

Anaxa, who is already three steps away from them, is stopped by Aglaea grabbing the corner of his coattail, slowly dragging him back to his seat. Anaxa looks up at the ceiling of the therapy room and takes a deep breath. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“All those years in The Grove and I had thought you would at least teach him something useful.”

“In what way has romance ever been useful?”

“What do you mean you’re not together with Lord Mydei?”

“Doot doot?”

Phainon rubs his face and lets out a quiet sigh. Did he make the wrong choice to ask for their advice? He has always looked up to Aglaea and Anaxa as his mentors, who are not only mature and responsible, but every single word they have said to him is dripped in wisdom. Any advice that they gave him, especially when it pertained to the Flame-Chase Journey was very inspirational and helpful when he was feeling down.

Perhaps he should have just asked his parents. After all, who else would know about marriage if not couples who have been happily married for decades?

“Why,” Anaxa starts, patience thinning with each passing second now that he has sat back down, “have you not asked for the crown prince’s hand the second we defeated that abomination?”

“Well, I figured that we needed time to get used to everything.” Phainon scratches the back of his head as he laughs nervously, only to be met with three blank stares. He then clears his throat. “So, it’s evidently clear that we are both used to our new lives by now. And I have made my decision to take a step forward in our relationship.”

“Before we start, let me ask you this.” Aglaea folds her arms in front of her chest. “Have you only decided on this just because he is being courted by others, or because you truly want this?”

Phainon presses his lips in a thin line, not expecting this question, especially from Aglaea of all people.

At the silence that befalls them, Aglaea’s gaze softens. “Forcing yourself when you are not ready is never wise. I am sure Mydei would understand.”

Phainon shakes his head. “No, I do want this. I know I want to be with him.” And he knows while Mydei would wait for him as long as it takes, Mydei also would not like it if they were to enter a relationship when he was not ready. 

They know each other inside and out, so he knows Mydei will instantly know if he is ready or not.

“I’ve also talked with Cyrene about this. Because of my actions and my guilt, I had deliberately convinced myself that Mydei’s affections for me are misplaced, but I know better now.” Phainon leans back in his chair, chest feeling light. “I won’t keep him waiting anymore.”

Aglaea shares a look with Hyacine, who is nodding enthusiastically while hugging Little Ica. Then, she turns to the man next to her, who sighs and waves his hand. Finally, she faces him with a smile. “Alright. You said you need our help with preparation?”

Phainon lights up, elated that the three agree to help him. “Yes! So, is there anything I should prepare or know before we get married? Or anything we should discuss about?”

“Well, considering both of you currently live in different areas,” Hyacine begins, “you should discuss where you want to live together. Will Lord Mydei live with you in the village, or will you move out to live in Kremnos?”

Phainon nods. “That’s a good point.”

“Hyacine is right. While you’re discussing living arrangements, you should also consider whether both of you will be having children.” Aglaea tells him, and her now-keen sight doesn’t miss the faint pink flush sitting on his cheeks. “If you are, you will need to consider how big your home will be and how many chambers it will have.”

“Children, right.” Phainon coughs, hand covering the lower half of his face to hide his blush, but it seems no one is buying his fake cough. Especially now that his mind has an excuse to conjure a mental image of a heavily pregnant Mydei enjoying his favourite honeycakes under the warm sun. “What about you, professor? Do you have any advice or wisdom to impart?”

The professor crosses his arms. “Hm. Start thinking of your children’s futures. Where will they get their education? From whom will they get their education? It can’t be helped that there’s no one else more suitable to teach the heirs of two Chrysos Heirs than me. I suppose I can build a special nursery school at The Grove and they can help me conduct—”

As Anaxa continues to speak, Hyacine shakes her head and Aglaea rubs her temple, letting out a long sigh. The professor has officially lost it, Phainon thinks. But at least it's good to know if they were to have children, they would have a great future ahead of them.

“Anyway,” Aglaea speaks over Anaxa and ignores the sneer coming from the man. “Living arrangement is the most important thing, and your children’s education is something to consider too, should you decide to have them. You need to be on the same page regarding these two things.” Next to her, Anaxa nods solemnly. “Aside from those, you also need a ring and a plan to propose to him.”

“That’s right, Lord Phainon.” Hyacine chimes in. “Do you need our help in picking out a ring? Having something custom-made would be romantic. I’m sure Chartonus would love to help!”

“Oh!” Phainon reaches into his shirt and pulls a necklace over his head before showing the signet ring to the others. Hyacine and Little Ica lean closer to take a look. “Lady Gorgo and Sir Eurypon gave this to me. The former king used this ring to propose to the former queen, and this ring has also played an important role in our relationship ever since the first time we walked together. So, I’ve already made up my mind to use this ring to propose to him.”

Recognition glints in Aglaea’s eyes, and her lips curve into a gentle and approving smile. “Nothing is better than a ring with a sentimental value. Have you figured out how to propose to him?”

“Uh…” Phainon hangs the necklace back around his neck, tucking the ring under his shirt so it's hidden. “Not yet. I’m planning on asking him about our future first, and if everything goes well, I’ll start planning the proposal.”

“Doot doot!”

Hyacine beams as Little Ica bobs happily in the air. “That’s right. Don’t hesitate to come to us for help.”

“If you need assistance with the location or the outfit, you know where to find me.” Aglaea nods before turning to the man next to her, raising an eyebrow.

Anaxa raises an eyebrow back at her, both of them maintaining eye contact for a few seconds before he turns to him. “You’re my former student, so you don’t need luck. Just don’t embarrass me.”

Well, that is as good as he is going to get. “Yes, professor. Aglaea and Hyacine too, thank you for the advice. I’ll let you guys know if anything happens!”

-

“Okay, so. Hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically.” Mydei repeats in a flat voice as he arranges the scrolls on the shelf. Nearby, Phainon sees Ptolemy stop scribbling something in his tome. Hephaestion is in charge of the counter today, leaving Ptolemy with a free schedule for the day. He remembers seeing Peucesta playing his lyre to a few children near the water fountain just outside the library before he entered the library, while Leonnius is dutifully sweeping the ground floor.

Perdikkas is nowhere to be seen, but Phainon has an inkling that he is with Eurypon and Krateros.

After his therapy session the other day and getting advice from Aglaea, Anaxa, and Hyacine, he has been trying to think of various ways to ask Mydei about their future. Although he knows Mydei is more likely to appreciate him being direct, he also wants to keep some of the mystery and surprise him. 

He turns his attention back to Mydei. 

“Hypothetically, if you were married to someone who isn't from Kremnos, where would both of you live? In Kremnos, your… spouse’s village—” Phainon quickly backtracks when Mydei pauses to lift an eyebrow at him, “—I mean, your spouse’s place, or perhaps even Okhema?”

Mydei shrugs as he holds out his hand, and Phainon gives him one scroll out of the bunch that he is carrying in his arms. “I don’t mind. Somewhere in the middle would be great. I can go to my library every day, and at the same time, my husband can continue working at his place.” 

His face warms up when Mydei said husband, and he tries to focus back on the topic of their conversation. This isn't the time to imagine Mydei sweetly calling him husband, but he also can’t help imagining Mydei looking soft like a lazy fluffy chimera… "Husband..."

Mydei standing at the doorway, kissing his cheek before he goes to the farm early in the morning...“Husband, work hard today.”

Mydei tugging him by the elbow to the dining table, where their steaming dinner awaits...“Husband, let’s eat.”

Mydei sliding his own chiton off his shoulder as he looks back at him with half-lidded eyes... “Husband, shall we bathe together?”

Mydei looking up at him pitifully, tears pooling in his eyes... “Husband, please…”

Phainon vigorously shakes his head. Yes. Yes! What Mydei said makes sense! 

“But we still have to see what will happen once Amphoreus materializes. How far is the distance between Kremnos, my husband’s place, and Okhema. If Kremnos remains a mobile city-state, I suppose it can be anchored down somewhere close to my husband’s place.”

Mydei sprawling on his back, long hair spread out like golden halo underneath him as his nails dig deep into his skin... “Husband, harder—”

Slap!

Phainon slaps himself, earning two startled faces from Mydei and Ptolemy. He laughs nervously, flushing. “Sorry, sorry. I thought I felt something crawling up my face. Haha…” 

“For now though,” Mydei slowly speaks again as he crouches down to place the scroll back in its place. “I don’t mind living either here or my future husband’s place. The Eternal Page makes it easy for my future husband and I to visit each other every day.”

Phainon nods once again, ignoring the stinging pain on his cheek and the ringing in his ear. The Eternal Page is set up such that there is a common area, the Slumbering Courtyard, that diverges to other regions. One passage leads to Aedes Elysiae, another leads to Castrum Kremnos, another to Okhema, Styxia, Dolos, and such. It's very convenient for them to visit one another and get together.

“Okay.” Phainon eventually says. So Mydei doesn't mind living anywhere as long as he can still go to his library.

Mydei stands back up again, gaze sliding to his red cheek, his lips forming a small frown. “Let’s get some ice on that first.”

Phainon wants to say no, tell him that it's fine and the pain will go away soon, but Ptolemy has already stood up from his seat and gestures to the scrolls in his arms. “I’ll finish these up.”

When faced against two Kremnoans, Phainon knows better than to argue. He knows a losing battle when he sees one. He hands the remaining scrolls to Ptolemy and follows Mydei to the back room to tend to his cheek.

Oh, well. At least he gets to spend private time with Mydei.

-

Later, during Parting Hour, after Mydei finishes his duties for the day, they head to the baths—a private one, just for the two of them. Not only is it more quiet and relaxing, but they also won’t be disturbed by Mydei’s persistent suitors.

They sit side by side in the pool, leaning back against the wall and sighing at the feeling of their muscles loosening up in the warm water. Phainon scoops up the bath water in his palm and washes his face. The pain on his cheek had faded just before they reached the back room.

It felt nice, having Mydei dote on him like that.

And to think he will get to experience more of that when they get married in the future… living under the same roof…

“You know, I was just thinking…”

Mydei snorts. “Horrifying.”

“Shut up.” Phainon bumps their shoulders together. His fingers tap rhythmically on the rim of the pool. “What do you think about children?”

“Honest. Innocent.” A short pause. “Quite active.”

Phainon lets out a scoff. “You know what I mean, Mydeimos.” Then, his voice turns serious again, almost hesitant. “...what do you think about yourself having children one day?”

Mydei falls quiet, looking contemplative as he pours water on his shoulder. After three heartbeats, he finally replies. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

“So you…” Phainon swallows, feeling his throat going dry all of a sudden. “...wouldn’t mind having children with your future husband one day?”

Mydei tilts his head just enough to look at him with a raised eyebrow, like he is suspicious of the line of questions and yet he doesn't question them back. Mydei never once questions him about anything, all too willing to indulge him and go along with his whims. “I wouldn't mind having children with my future husband one day, yes.”

“Okay.” Then, not more than a few seconds later, “But do you prefer biological kids? Adoption?”

Mydei shrugs casually, lifting his hand and watching the water spill through his fingers. “I don’t mind either. I’m confident my future husband and I are capable of loving them and taking care of them.”

Phainon internally screams on the inside. Yes, he is capable of loving their kids and taking care of them! He will do anything for their kids as long as they grow up healthy and happy!

“Okay. Good to know.” Phainon nods, a satisfied smile curling on his lips. Biological or not, he knows they will be extremely loved by them. “But if given the chance—”

This time, Mydei turns his head to look at him with the most gorgeous smirk that has Phainon’s heart racing in his chest. “If given the chance, yes, I would love to carry my future husband’s babies. Are there any more child-related questions you want to ask?”

Oh.

“O- Oh.” Phainon looks down at his lap, feeling the tips of his ears burn from Mydei’s answer and smirk. Did he hear that right? Mydei wants to carry his babies... “That’s—” His voice cracks, and he pointedly ignores Mydei’s quiet chuckle as he clears his throat. Mydei wants to carry his babies. “That’s good to know. Thank you. No more questions.”

“Alright. Whatever you say.”

As Mydei relaxes again in the pool, eyes closed and sliding down just enough to rest his head on the rim of the pool, cushioned by a folded towel, Phainon gazes at Mydei’s calm face, trailing down to the length of his neck and his bare throat, lost in thought.

I would love to carry my future husband’s babies, is what Mydei said.

Mydei wants to carry his babies.

Mydei wants to carry his babies.

As in, Mydei will be soft and round with a baby inside him. A baby that will have both of their features because they made the baby together.

Soft and round Mydei… a pregnant Mydei…

Pregnant Mydei gently cradling his round bump… pregnant Mydei waddling whenever he walks… pregnant Mydei flushed and out of breath… Pregnant Mydei whining because he’s tired…

“Husband, I can’t—” Mydei sobs as he fully sinks down on top of him, thighs shaking, “please fu—”

“Your thoughts are too loud.”

A hand covers his face and vision, and when his brain finally catches up to what’s happening, Phainon lifts his hand and slowly pries Mydei’s hand away from his face. And what a lovely sight he is greeted with.

Mydei is red all over, from his scalp and down to his neck and chest—and Phainon knows for sure it isn't from the heat. He is glaring at him, but really, all Phainon can think of is how adorable he looks. Like a chimera that bites with its small fangs before scurrying away and hiding behind a bush.

“I can’t help it.” Phainon licks his lips and swallows at the sight of Mydei blushing in front of him. In all those cycles they spent together, all the occasions where Mydei had blushed are permanently etched into his brain—most of them from Okheman children innocently complimenting his beauty when other adults were still apprehensive of Kremnoans. And not more than a year later, once the malice between the two races had calmed down, the Okheman adults openly admired and ogled the crown prince’s beauty. His fingers unconsciously clasp tighter around Mydei’s wrist. “...my future wife is too sensuous.” 

The blush on Mydei’s face turns darker, as the former crown prince bites his lower lip, eyes shifting to the side. “...HKS.”

Throughout the exchange, Phainon realizes that Mydei doesn't even attempt to pull his hand back, not even when he has gotten over his embarrassment.

Once they get out of the bath and get dressed, their hands quietly find each other again under the moonlight as he sends Mydei home, only reluctantly separating when Mydei wishes him good night.

And his hand clings to the remaining warmth as he walks back to his village.

-

“Partner.”

“Partner!” Stelle chirps back in a cheerful tone as she throws her arms around Phainon, squeezing him in a tight hug. “How’s life treating you? Sorry I haven’t visited in a while. I was trapped in this huge school when I was looking for a mask to enter a competition but then it got stolen from right under my nose but a pink fox rescued me and gave me my own mask and—” She pauses to take another breath, “—and there's just so much shit happening but heavens I don’t want to talk about it because I miss you and I miss everyone and I miss Mydei so, so much.”

Phainon smiles and gives the poor girl a pat on the back. It seems the Trailblazers are up to another fun adventure on another planet. “I’ve been fine. Everyone else is too. Would you like to see them?”

“Yes, please.” Stelle bemoans before pulling away with a huge grin. “Mydei first! Does he still cook and bake like usual? I miss his cooking! It's absolutely criminal that I only got to eat his cooking once.”

Here in the Eternal Page, Phainon knows time moves differently than in the real world, where the Astral Express is at currently. He doesn't know how long time has passed since they last saw each other, but it's a relief to see that the Trailblazer is still chatty as always.

He leads her to Mydei’s library as Stelle continues to regale him with tales of her fighting a giant mecha and being the victim of a cancel culture, or whatever that is. He doesn't understand the meaning of some words, but it sounds like the Astral Express had a bad time…?

By the time they reach the library, Mydei is already at the entrance, talking to three Kremnoan children that he often plays with. There is no doubt that the children are asking when he will be free so they can play together again.

“Mydei!” Phainon calls out, waving his hand once they are done talking and the children enter the library together. Mydei spots him and begins to walk towards him. “Look who’s here.”

He watches as Mydei's gaze slides to Stelle, who is standing beside him, and Stelle lets out a low sniffle. Confused, Phainon asks, “What’s wro—” 

“Mydei!” Stelle lets out a loud wail as she dashes over to Mydei, leaping with arms spread open before winding tightly around him like an octopus. “Mydeiiiiii!”

“Trailblazer.” Mydei acknowledges her with a smile. His hand awkwardly hover over her shoulder, hesitating whether he should pat her or not. In the end, he does. “It’s good to see you too.”

“Mydei!” Stelle continues to sob, rubbing her face and snot right in the center of his chest, which immediately spurs Phainon into action. He immediately pulls her back by the yellow strap of her grey coat. “You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you. No, scratch that, you’re more beautiful than ever! My eyes have been blessed.”

“Hey, partner.” An angry tick appears on his forehead as he smiles at the girl. “That’s enough, don’t you think?”

“No!” Stelle shakes her head before willingly letting herself be dragged back, then looks up at the former crown prince with tears in her eyes, hands clutching Mydei’s shoulders. “I will never get enough of you, Mydeimos. Ever. Never let anyone tell you you deserve less.”

A low rumble of laughter escapes past Mydei’s lips. “I am glad you still remain the same, Trailblazer. But yes, I will keep your words in mind.”

Mydei’s eyes flick upwards to Phainon, meeting his eyes, and Phainon finds himself smiling back at the prince. “Trailblazer is right. You deserve nothing but the best.”

“Indeed I do.” Mydei glances back to Stelle, who immediately perks up under the attention. 

“Mydei! Let’s hang out!” Stelle grins as she tugs at Mydei’s wrist, oblivious to the slight downward turn of Phainon’s lips. “I miss your cooking. Can you whip up something for me, pretty please?”

“Sure, why not. It’s been a slow day today.” Mydei lets himself be dragged by the girl, Phainon quickly falling into step beside him. “Let’s go to my house.”

Stelle catches Mydei up with what she has been doing on another planet. Just like him earlier, Mydei looks confused at some parts, but he still nods along. And then, his brows furrow, concern etched across his face. “I’m sorry, did you just say a detective sleeps in… the freezer?”

“Yes!” Stelle nods, then thinks it over before shaking her head. “Maybe. I’m not sure if it’s a one-time thing. If it can fit a whole man, then surely I can fit into it too, right?” Stelle makes a contemplative hum after that, muttering, “I wonder if he will let me borrow it for one night…”

Over Stelle’s head, Mydei shares a look with Phainon, confused, and Phainon just shrugs. It isn't the first time the girl has said something that neither understands. In his experience, it's better to just nod and move along, lest they get even more confused when the Trailblazer tries to explain.

Once they have finally arrived at Mydei’s house, the former crown prince leads them to the dining room while he wears his apron and begins to prepare the ingredients. This time, Phainon takes over the conversation as Mydei cooks, telling Stelle what everyone has been up to. 

“Aww,” Stelle sighs. “I want to see Castorice’s flower booth too. I’m gonna find her and Cyrene after this.”

A delicious scent wafts in the air, and Phainon stops in the middle of his story telling to praise Mydei on his cooking. “How lucky are we to have the crown prince sincerely cook for us? One plate of your dish will keep my stomach full for a whole day even when I’m working at the farm.”

Mydei may snort at him, but his smile doesn't escape Phainon’s eyes. “If you want to bring some home, just say so.”

“My most sincere gratitude to the chef.” Phainon bows from his seat, which earns him an eyeroll. 

“Dig in.” Mydei places two bowls of steaming hortosoupa in front of them, and they both lean in to sniff the delectable scent. He then comes back with another bowl for himself and sits down next to Phainon.

“Don’t mind if I do!” Stelle exclaims before dipping bread into the soup and shoving it into her mouth. “Mm! This is restaurant-worthy, Mydei! Dan Heng and March are going to be so jealous of me when I tell them about this.”

Next to him, Mydei huffs in pride. “It’s all thanks to Phainon too. The fresh vegetables are all from his family’s farm. Even the bread is made from his village's wheat.”

Phainon grins, preening under Mydei’s praise. “If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll personally deliver it to you!” Then, after taking a spoonful of his hortosoupa, he adds, “In fact, if there’s an ingredient you need that’s out of season, tell me anyway. I'll find a way to grow it.”

There is a small smile on Mydei’s face when he looks at him, and when he speaks, his tone is imperceptibly fond. “I will be counting on you once again then, Deliverer.”

Phainon feels his heart flutter, and there’s nothing else he can do but return the smile and savor this warmth in his chest.

Stelle looks back and forth between them both, then scratches her head. “Well, I’m glad some things never change…” 

They easily fall back into conversation, with Stelle and Phainon dominating the conversation and Mydei preferring to just listen and eat. Stelle talks about how she is the boss of a publishing company now and how her furry employees, although cute, love to slack off on the job. 

When Mydei has finished his bowl, he gets up from his seat and brings his bowl to the sink. “I’ll have to get back to the library, but feel free to stay here. Father and mother won’t return until late Parting Hour. Just lock the door before you leave.” Then, right before leaving, he glances over to Phainon. “You can take the rest of the hortosoupa home. I made extra for your parents. You know where the containers are.”

Stelle looks at him, alarmed. “Lock— wait, we don’t have your house key!”

“Don’t worry. Mydei gave me a spare.” Phainon assures him before calling out to Mydei, “We’ll wash the dishes too!”

Mydei only responds with a wave of his hand. Now, it's only both of them at the dining table, Stelle still looking confused. “Wait, I have to wa—”

“Partner.”

Stelle blinks at the sudden seriousness in Phainon’s voice. “Yes…? Shit, did I thirdwheel you guys again? You should’ve told me earlier! I don’t mind meeting Mydei later. I could just hang out with Cy—”

“Partner.” This time, Phainon smiles with a sigh, shaking his head. “It’s not about that, don’t worry.”

“So I didn’t thirdwheel you guys?”

“Anyway,” Phainon steeples his fingers together, eyes laser focused which makes Stelle sit up ramrod straight. “Has Madam Herta told you anything about the progress on Amphoreus?”

Stelle scratches her head. “Uhh… I don’t think so. I’ve been busy at Planarcadia, and I’m pretty sure she’s still recovering because she hasn’t been hounding me to do Simulated Universe. What’s up?”

“So…” It really isn't like Phainon to suddenly lose confidence. Even back then, when the Trailblazer casually asked him if he was reading an erotica, he did not feel embarrassed nor flustered. In fact, he had even gushed about the impressiveness of Mydei’s body in public before, so asking Trailblazer this one particular question should not unnerve him.

But it does.

“Am I in trouble?”

“What?” Phainon looks up and sees Stelle hugging herself, eyes darting to the door like she is about to run off the moment he blinks. “No. You’re not in trouble. It’s… Well…” Phainon clears his throat and covers the lower half of his face, feeling the skin warm under his fingers. “When Amphoreus materializes, will everything remain the same?”

Stelle relaxes in her seat as she puts a hand on her chin in thought. “Probably. What’s up?”

“So, there is a possibility that we can change some aspects before it materializes?”

“I guess. There’s nothing Madam Herta can’t do.” Stelle gives him a thumbs up, grinning. “If there’s anything you want to add in the new Amphoreus, just let me know! Madam Herta will never say no to me! Although, I may have to do extra hours in the Simulated Universe, but she won’t say no!”

“What if it’s something that changes the person’s biology?” Phainon asks. “Like getting a tail?”

Stelle squints her eyes. “Do you want a tail?”

“No, not me.” Phainon shakes his head vehemently. “This isn’t about the tail. It’s just an example.”

“Oh.” Stelle says, then nods. “It’s… doable, I think. Maybe.”

“Like men-getting-pregnant doable?”

Stelle blinks. Once, twice, then snaps her fingers. “Oh! I get it! Like Castorice’s omegaverse!”

Now, it's Phainon’s turn to blink. “Castorice’s… what?”

Stelle grins and leans forward to pat Phainon assuringly on the shoulder. “If it’s just that, then you don’t have to worry! Geez, you worried me. Anyway, just leave it to me, partner. I’ll make sure you and Mydei can have lots and lots of babies!”

Phainon smiles at the girl in front of her. If she says she can get it done, then who is Phainon to doubt her? “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“But you have talked about this with Mydei, right? About having babies?”

“Yes, we have.” Having gained his composure again, Phainon nods with a smile and a scratch at his neck. “He…” Phainon trails off, hesitant. How is he supposed to tell Stelle that, yes, they have talked and Mydei said he wanted to carry his babies. “Well…”

“The omega?” Stelle fills in helpfully.

“The… what?” 

Stelle beams at him. “The one to get pregnant.”

There’s no teasing coming from the other, and Phainon gradually relaxes in his seat, a relieved smile coming back to his face. “Haha… you’re perceptive, but yes.”

“I will do whatever it takes to make it happen.” Stelle nods determinedly, one hand to her chest as if she is making a vow, her gaze unwavering. “You and Mydei deserve a peaceful life together.”

“You have my appreciation.” Now that one matter is solved, Phainon can move on to the next agenda of his plan. He gets up from his seat and gathers their dishes. “Come on, let’s wash the dishes. I don’t want to overstay—”

But when he looks up, the seat in front of him is empty. He looks towards the door, where he sees Stelle’s silhouette running away.

“Sorry, partner! I’m no good at doing the dishes! Pompom banned me from the kitchen because I kept breaking plates! I don’t want to be banned by Mydei too!”

Phainon shakes his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he brings their empty dishes to the sink to wash. Well, at least it has been a fruitful conversation. One item is crossed off his list.

-

Phainon wakes up early that morning full of hope and optimism to move down the list of his plans to pursue Mydeimos. He can almost feel it in his bones—the special day is getting nearer. Mydei doesn't have to wait that much longer and Phainon will make sure to do anything he can to make up for making Mydei wait this long.

After a quick bath, he goes to their outdoor kitchen to help his mother with breakfast only to hear a loud crash. He dashes to the scene, quickly pulling his mother behind him and lifting an arm to brace against the falling shelf and pots.

The last pot clangs against the ground, spinning before falling on its side. Heaving a sigh of relief, Phainon turns around to look at his mom, who looks distraught at the mess at their feet before looking up at her son in worry. “Are you alright, Phainon? Did you get hurt?”

“I’m fine, mom.” Trust his mother to put her son first before her own well-being. Then, he inspects the broken shelf before bending down to pick up the pots and plates. Thankfully, none of them are made of clay, or else they have nothing to eat out of. “I’ll clean this up. We can just have breakfast at Uncle Makis’ stall later.”

“Nonsense.” Audata huffs before helping him with the dishware. “I’ve already made the suncake batter. It doesn’t take that long to cook. Go find your dad after this and tell him to fix the shelf.”

Once the outdoor kitchen is cleaned up, dishware neatly stacked on a bench, Phainon goes to find his dad while his mother starts cooking their breakfast. His father is at their farm, inspecting the sprouting seedlings and pulling out weeds while he is at it. He’s mumbling something under his breath every now and then, and Phainon already knows his father is making mental notes on where to transfer the saplings on their farm.

He calls his dad for breakfast and the family has breakfast together, with his father examining the broken shelf. “Do you want the same shelf, or do you have other designs in mind?”

His mother hums, deep in thought. “Make it shorter but wider. That way I don't have to climb up the stool to get things from the top shelf.”

“White? Brown? Any particular carvings?”

Audata laughs and holds his chin, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “I trust your skills, my dear carpenter. I’m sure I’ll love whatever you make.”

Watching his parents acting sweet with each other in front of him, it makes him realize that he wants to be like this with Mydei too. He knows Mydei is a highly independent person, but he wants Mydei to rely on him too. He wants to provide Mydei with anything he needs. 

If Mydei needs fresh vegetables, then he will plant all different vegetables on his farm. If Mydei needs fresh eggs and milk, then he will rear chickens and cows. If Mydei needs new furniture, then he will chop down trees and make new furniture!

He can give Mydei anything he needs and more!

As his mother leaves to help out at the wheat field, Phainon stays behind to watch his father sketch a design for their new shelf. His cheek propped on one hand, he can’t help but imagine…

Mydei sighs heavily on the bench, leaning back against the wall of their house with a hand resting atop his very round, very pregnant bump. “You didn’t have to fix the shelf. We could just buy a new one.”

“It’s fine, Dei.” Phainon laughs as he lifts his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead before looking up at his radiant wife, a hammer loosely hanging from his grip. “I like fixing things in our home. Isn’t it nice knowing that everything in this house is made by our own two hands? We don’t need a third.”

Mydei shakes his head, the fond smile on his face making him look softer than ever. Phainon resists the urge to kiss him, considering he is all covered in sweat and Mydei has just finished taking a bath, but decides to give in to his want. After all, he knows just how much Mydei likes to see him all sweaty—either on the field or on the bed. And his decision is right too when Mydei is leaning into their chaste kiss, lingering on his lips before Phainon cups his jaw, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. “Phainon…”

“Mydeimos…” Phainon sighs, slipping his tongue past Mydei’s lips.

“Phainon.”

“Khaslana.”

Phainon sits up straight at the deep voice and blinks as the scene dissipates from his mind. And what stands before him is father looking at him almost exasperatedly. He quickly wipes the drool from the corner of his mouth. “Hm? What?”

Hieronymus sighs. “I asked if you could grab my tools.”

“Oh!” He scrambles to get up, accidentally knocking the chair in the process. Flustered, he quickly bends down and sets the chair upright. “Right. I'll be right back.”

“That child…” Hieronymus shakes his head as he watches his son’s retreating back before he, too, leaves to get some planks for the shelf. “Barely Lucid Hour and he’s already daydreaming.”

By the time Phainon returns with a toolbox and a handsaw, his father has already laid out the plan and several planks on the ground, checking each one carefully before marking them. Phainon sets the tools down and crouches next to his father, quietly observing him measuring and marking each plank.

“Can you teach me how to build a shelf?”

Hieronymus glances at him before gesturing to him to pass the handsaw. “Oh? Why the sudden interest?”

“Well… isn’t it an important skill to have?” Phainon reaches out for the handsaw and places the handle on his father’s awaiting hand. Then, in a quieter voice, he adds, “Especially if I am to get married…”

He nervously looks up to see his father’s reaction, who seems to be frozen in shock. Phainon waves hand in front of face. “Dad? Hello, dad?”

“M- marry…” Hieronymus stares at his son with wide eyes, handsaw falling to the ground with a loud thud before getting up on his feet and running to the field, stopping just by the fence and shouting, “Darling! Darling, get over here, quick! Our son is finally getting married!”

“Dad!” Phainon hisses in both embarrassment and horror, especially when several other villagers who are working alongside his mother turn their heads at the loud voice. “People are going to hear you!”

“Oh my, Audata’s son is getting married!”

“Congratulations!”

“Who’s the lucky girl?”

“Oh!” One of the aunties slaps the other on the arm repeatedly in excitement. “It must be Mydeimos! Did you see how Audata’s boy looks at him? Like he hung the stars!”

“What a shame… I would really love to have the crown prince to be my son-in-law. Such a sweet and well-mannered boy. And he knows his way around the kitchen too! I can finally take a break in that house.”

Phainon’s face flushed red hearing them talk about him and Mydei; although, there's a part of him that is pleased. Not just because they notice something between them, but also because they adore Mydei. 

“Phainon!” His mother exclaims, all out of breath after running from the field to their house. She grabs his shoulders and shakes him. “Is it true?! Are you finally getting married?!” 

“Mom, you should catch your breath first.” Phainon sighs as he places his hands on top of his mother’s. “Let me get you a glass of water.”

“Wait, grab one for me too!”

Phainon blinks at the new voice, and he looks past his mother’s shoulders. “Cyrene, what are you doing here?”

“What,” Cyrene glares at him, hands on her knees and panting after running all the way from the field. After catching her breath, she straightens her back and places her hands on her hips. “A girl can’t work at the farm?”

How wonderful that Cyrene just had to be in the village for this news when she usually spends most of her time at the garden helping Castorice. 

In the end, Phainon ushers his parents and Cyrene inside and grabs them a glass of water each. When he turns around to place the glasses on the table, all three of them are looking at him expectantly. Impatiently, even.

“So?” His mother asks as he sits down across from her. “Is it true? Are you really getting married?”

Phainon opens his mouth, but his father quickly tacks on. “Should we prepare anything? What’s the proper Kremnoan custom to ask for someone’s hand in marriage?” Then, his eyes widen in horror. “Wait, he’s a royal, no? So that means more elaborate and complex customs, right?”

“Dad, wait—”

“How are you going to propose to him?” Cyrene interrupts, leaning forward in interest with her chin in her hands. “Where will you propose to him? In his library? At the garden at night? Or at The Dome? Tell us every single detail!”

Phainon nearly goes dizzy with how he is bombarded with questions by three different voices at the same time. Every time he opens his mouth to answer, someone else is already asking the next question. He doesn't even have a moment to think about his answer because there are already three new questions being asked.

“Okay, pause!” Phainon exclaims, and the kitchen immediately falls into silence. The only sound he can hear is his own breathing and his heart beating and the birds chirping outside. “Okay, first thing first. Take a deep breath and drink—”

“Khaslana!”

“Okay!” Phainon holds his hands up in defeat. Who would have thought his parents would be so interested in his love life? “Look. Yes, I already have the intention to marry Mydei. I just haven’t asked him yet.”

His parents and Cyrene seem to calm down at the statement, with the way they lean back in their seats and finally, finally, taking a sip of their water. Now that they are not freaking out anymore, Phainon continues, “Since Mydei and his family are no longer royals, I don’t think there’s any specific royal traditions to follow.”

But he is still considering asking for a formal duel with Mydei one day. Like Leonnius has said before: Just because the Kremnoan dynasty is no more, it doesn't mean their traditions will have to die too.

“Not to mention, with how many times you have duelled Mydei in the past, it’s like you’re already married thirty three million times.” Cyrene laughs, and Phainon can do nothing but look away when his parents shoot him looks of disbelief.

“I have heard that duelling is a traditional Kremnoan custom, but—” Audata furrows her eyebrows, “to think that my son duelled and didn’t even get married back then too…” Phainon watches as something settles in his mother’s eyes, a blazing determination that no amount of water in the River of Souls can extinguish. “Leave it to your mother! I will make sure you get the wedding that you deserve!”

“Haha…” Phainon rubs his face, partially to hide his reddened face.

“Customs aside,” his father says, “Do you already have a ring?”

Seeing three expectant looks in front of him, Phainon nods and pulls his necklace out from under his shirt, showing them the ring that he has been keeping on himself.

Cyrene lets out a quiet gasp. “Isn’t that… Kremnos’ signet ring?”

“Mm. Lady Gorgo’s, to be exact. She gave me this a few weeks ago.” His gaze softens as he remembers every single memory of every single cycle involving this ring. From Mydei using this ring as a wager, to Phainon searching deep in the sea for the ring for him… “The same ring that united us in our first Flame-Chase Journey, the same ring that will unite us again in this new life…”

“You have the former queen’s blessing,” Audata says in complete awe before she shakes her head, frowning. “Khaslana, you have the former queen’s blessing for weeks and you haven’t asked for Mydeimos’ hand?”

“It’s—” Phainon stutters, closing his fingers around the ring and cradling it to his chest protectively. “It’s complicated! I need to take care of a few things before proposing to him. I only have one shot at this, and I want it to be perfect.”

Cyrene and his mother share one look with each other, like they are thinking the same thing, and Cyrene turns to him. “You know Mydei won’t care if it’s perfect or not, right? As long as it’s you, he will say yes.”

“I know. But he deserves a perfect proposal.” Phainon tucks the ring back inside his shirt before looking up at his father, remembering something. “Speaking of, dad, how did you propose to mom?”

“Well…” Hieronymus looks at Audata, face breaking out into a soft smile as he reaches out to clasp their hands together. “We talked about getting married, and then I came over to meet her parents and asked for their permission to marry your mom. When they said yes, that’s when we started preparing for our wedding.”

Straight to the parents… Phainon would have tried that if Mydei's parents did not come to him first. Thinking back to that moment, it almost makes him shrivel up in embarrassment because oh to be approached by your future parents-in-law asking you why you still have yet to propose to their son…

If Mydei finds out, he doubts Mydei will ever let him live it down...

Phainon shakes his head. It's going to be fine. A small price to pay to be married to his heart and soul! “How did you know when it’s time to propose?”

“Sometimes, you just know when the moment is right.” Hieronymus squeezes their hands together before facing his son. “You could be on the boat in the middle of the lake, catching fish together, and the question will come out naturally. Just trust your heart.”

Just trust your heart, his father says. And his heart wants him to give the most elaborate and grandest proposal to Mydei because he wants Mydei to have the best of everything. He wants there to be blooming flowers decorating the venue, he wants there to be Mydei’s favourite little critters, awoo-ing away to celebrate them, he wants there to be the biggest fireworks that can light up the entire night sky, that rivals even Kephale’s Dawn Device at its brightest.

He wants the moon to be so bright he can see the specks of orange in his eyes. He wants the wind to blow so gently that his hair flutters and falls and frames his face as he slides the ring on his finger.

He wants so many things he doesn't even know where to start.

“Here’s a marriage tip.” His father motions for him to lean in, while his mother rolls her eyes like she’s used to this behaviour. Then, his father whispers almost conspiratorially, “If you want to avoid an argument, just say I’m sorry, you were right, it’s my fault, even if you don’t mean it. These magic words will get you out of any argument.”

Phainon doesn't mind arguments though. Mydei is cute when he is angry. A disgruntled little thing.

Audata clears her throat, glaring at her husband.

Hieronymus laughs and scratches the back of his head. “I mean, you have to say it very sincerely! And make sure not to do it again!”

“So,” Cyrene steers the conversation back to the original topic, which Phainon is thankful for, “What’s your plan now?”

Phainon fiddles with the ring though his shirt. His plan is to propose, that’s for sure. But the question is how?

-

“Brother Mydei!”

“Brother Mydei is here!”

“Brother Mydei, play with us!”

Phainon stands up at the voices of the children shouting, seeing a group of children racing one another to see who reaches Mydei first. Following behind Mydei are Eurypon and Gorgo, who smile and wave at the other villagers who are greeting them. The family then separates—Eurypon heading to the shed by the dock to help carry the tables, Gorgo to the courtyard to help with the decoration, Mydei still stuck and surrounded by eager children.

it's Aedes Elysiae’s monthly feast tonight, and Mydei and his parents have been a regular occurrence in the village enough times that they have familiarized themselves there. In fact, several uncles and aunts—even his own parents—have asked the former king and queen when they will settle down in their village.

Phainon hopes their persuasion works because if Mydei’s parents move to their village, then perhaps there is also a higher possibility for Mydei to move here after they get married.

His heart thumps loudly at the thought of them getting married.

Ah… he can’t wait for the moment to come.

“Phainon.” Cyrene whispers as she stands next to him, nudging him with her elbow. “Look.”

He looks to where Cyrene is pointing, and the sight makes his chest clench. From the field next to them, Selene is gazing at Mydei, hands wringing nervously behind her back despite the smile on her face. And from the courtyard, several young maidens have also come out, peeking from the entrance and giggling before fixing their hair and clothes.

And all of them are approaching Mydei, who is unaware and occupied by the children.

“This is going to be so exciting!” Cyrene gushes to herself as she takes out her teleslate. “Oh, I need to record this. Cassie should have been here! Who do you think will approach him first?”

“Me.”

Cyrene blinks at the answer, and when she looks up from her teleslate, her childhood friend is no longer standing beside her. Instead, he is already a few paces away, jumping over the fence before walking briskly towards Mydei. The other young ladies seem to have noticed him too and are aware of his intention, so they pick up their pace as well.

Cyrene holds her teleslate up and steady, holding her breath in excitement. “I can’t believe I’m alive to witness this moment.”

“Mydei!”

“Mydeimos!”

“Lord Mydeimos!”

Mydei looks up at them from his crouching position, blinking, then rises to his feet with a child in his arm, who is happily clinging around his neck much to the chagrin of the other kids.

Oh, if that view doesn’t do things to him.

“Phainon. Ladies.” Mydei addresses them with a nod towards Phainon and a small smile to the girls. “Thank you for having my family and I here again.”

Phainon opens his mouth, but one of the girls beats him to it. “It’s our pleasure, Mydeimos.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and takes a step closer towards him. “It has been a while since you’ve been here. Mydeimos and his family are always welcome here.”

“That’s right.” Phainon occupies Mydei’s other side and slings his arm around Mydei’s neck, grinning smugly when the other girl shoots him a nasty glare. He is going to show them just how close they are. “You know you’re always welcome here, Mydei. My house is open for you. Speaking of, you’re sleeping over like last time, right? You can’t say no, you know. Especially when I tidied up my bed just for you.”

Despite the unamused stare from Mydei, Phainon’s face is brimming with smugness at the quiet mutters and sharp glares he is receiving from the others. He then looks down, finally noticing a box full of ingredients tucked to Mydei’s side. “Oh, let me help you with the box.”

Mydei lets him take the box as the children start talking over each other to tell Mydei what they have been doing since the last time he was here. At the same time, the girls are also trying to walk him to the courtyard when a voice stops everyone in their tracks.

“Ah, Mydeimos, there you are!” 

Aunt Medea comes over with a smile on her face, full of excitement as everyone makes way for her. “Are you helping out in the kitchen like usual?”

Mydei nods and leans down to put the child on the ground, who softly whines in response, especially now that the others are scrambling to climb Mydei, but the man himself doesn't seem bothered as he straightens up. “Yes, Aunt Medea. I remember everyone enjoyed the bread that I brought last time, so I brought the ingredients to make them again.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Phainon furrows his eyebrows when Aunt Medea walks over to Mydei’s other side and puts her hand on Mydei’s shoulder blade, leading him to their makeshift kitchen just outside the courtyard. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for the recipe. This is even better! Don’t hesitate to bring us more Kremnoan cuisine.”

Aunt Medea continues her conversation with Mydei all the way to the outdoor kitchen, and Phainon is sure they make a funny sight to the other villagers—especially when Mydei doesn’t just have him trailing closely, but also a group of children and young women.

He can almost hear his mother teasing him about it for having competitions with fellow villagers on top of Okhemans and some Kremnoans.

Phainon lets out a quiet sigh as they reach the kitchen, the other aunts welcoming Mydei with wide smiles on their faces. As he watches Mydei being surrounded by everyone, Phainon can’t help but smile, his gaze softening.

It's no surprise that Mydei can fit in so easily with everyone here, and he is endlessly glad and proud that everyone accepts Mydei like he is one of their own. He has seen how Mydei had struggled trying to fit in as the leader of the Kremnoan detachment and as a citizen of Okhema. His own people had been restless and waiting for him to bring them back to their homeland, while the Okheman citizens were wary of and discriminatory against any Kremnoans in vicinity, Mydei included.

So it's nice to see that Mydei doesn't have to feel conflicted about fitting in—not just in Aedes Elysiae, but also in this new world now that everyone is amiable with one another.

“Phainon.”

Phainon blinks when he hears his name being called, and Mydei stretches out his hand. Confused but delighted, Phainon grabs Mydei’s hand. It isn't common for Mydei to initiate any contact between them, especially in public, so he is going to take every opportunity that graces him!

A pink flush begins to bloom up Mydei’s face as he looks away, especially when the aunties behind him are giggling quietly behind their hands. “The box.”

“Oh!” Phainon hurriedly hands over the box to Mydei, a shiver running down his body when their fingers brush. He clears his throat. “Right, yeah. Do you want me to help with anything?”

It's almost unfair how quickly Mydei can regain his composure while everyone’s eyes are on them. “You can chop the walnuts.”

And then, a cacophony of voices erupts as the children and the girls eagerly ask Mydei what they can help with, so much so Mydei looks to him almost in alarm, eyes pleading for help as everyone closes in on him. Thankfully, Cyrene arrives with a cheerful “Hi~!”, pulling everyone’s attention to her.

“So many people are helping out with cooking for tonight's feast!” Cyrene exclaims, sneakily sliding something into Phainon’s hand as she steps forward to link her elbow with the girl nearest to her, tugging her. “I think our chefs will be just fine. Let’s go decorate the courtyard instead, hmm?”

Cyrene looks over her shoulder and winks at Phainon while no one is looking, and Phainon smiles gratefully at her. Then, he glances down at his hand where Cyrene has just slid something—a white ribbon that she often uses to tie her hair. He doesn't know what Cyrene is planning, but he trusts that whatever Cyrene is doing must have a purpose.

“Come on!” Cyrene cheers as she begins to pull the poor, reluctant girl with her. And, as if a higher being from the sky hears her plan, Gorgo walks out from a store room just outside the courtyard carrying two rolls of rugs—both taller than her—on her sides. 

“Oh, Cyrene! Phainon!” Gorgo calls them with a grin, her knowing eyes lingering on Phainon for a moment. “Haven’t seen you both in a while. Are you both helping out in the kitchen?”

“Not me!” Cyrene answers sweetly, letting go of the girl’s arm to skip towards Gorgo with a smile—one that tells Phainon she is up to something. “I’m ready to lend my hand for you, Lady Gorgo. My time is all yours.”

“Oh, you’re such a sweet-talker. My husband would do good to learn a thing or two from you.” Gorgo laughs as they both enter the courtyard together, their voices fading with each step. The outer courtyard is then filled with hushed whispers before the group of girls begin to jog in the direction of the inner courtyard. As they brush past Phainon, he can hear their excited murmurs. 

“Do you think we’ll get to learn more about Mydeimos?”

“Maybe we can even hear stories about him!”

Now that the crowd has thinned, Phainon turns to the children with his hands on his hips. “Aren’t you guys going to help at the courtyard too?”

A chorus of groans is what he gets for a reply. “But Brother Phainon! We want to play with Brother Mydei! It’s not often Brother Mydei comes here…”

Mydei walks over with a chuckle before saying,  “If that’s the case, then I will come by more often. How does that sound?”

“Really?!”

“Do you mean it, Brother Mydei?!”

“Brother Mydei, this is serious! You can’t joke about this!”

“I’m not joking.” Mydei tells them, and the children look up at him in excitement. Mydei calmly continues before he is interrupted. “But you have to be good and help everyone with the preparation. Deal?”

Phainon watches the whole scene, fondness filling his eyes as the children let out a loud cheer and run to the inner courtyard, shouting that they are there to help. He turns his gaze back to Mydei, who is smiling as he watches the children running and begging for a task to do. The gentle wind blows his hair, the long golden lock fluttering behind, and his fingers curl around Cyrene’s ribbon. Phainon steps forward. “Let me help.”

Mydei’s golden eyes settle on him, sharp yet curious, not unlike a chimera observing its surroundings. Mydei remains still, doesn't even flinch nor ask what he is doing when Phainon gently turns him around and gathers his long hair with his hand. 

It has been a while since he helped Mydei wash and brush his hair, but he can never forget the feeling of Mydei’s hair in his hands. How soft and silky it is, how Mydei is always careful to brush his hair so it doesn't tangle, and how his hair always smells faintly like pomegranate…

As the soft strands of golden hair tickle his palm and slide between his fingers, Phainon gulps, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. Then, unexpectedly, a thought begins to form—would Mydei like it if he grabbed his hair in the throes of pleasure?

“...Phainon?”

Phainon immediately snaps out of his reveries and shakes his head, flush creeping up his neck. How inappropriate, completely inappropriate! “Right, sorry, hold on.”

He focuses on gathering Mydei’s hair, carefully pulling the lone braid into the ponytail and tying it up with the ribbon, making sure it's tight and secure. Once he deems it good, he steps back with a satisfied smile. “All done.”

“Thank you.” Mydei turns away, the ponytail swaying behind him as he walks to a table to spread out the ingredients that he has brought. Even from a few steps away, Phainon’s keen eyes can’t help noticing the faint red painting Mydei’s nape and ears.

So it isn't just him who is affected, it seems.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten the rest of us here.”

Phainon jumps in surprise at the voice next to him. Aunt Medea laughs at his reaction. “Ah, young love. It’s so refreshing to see in this village. It's about time one of you youngsters get married.”

“Aunt Medea...” Phainon rubs his neck, smiling nervously as his eyes dart to Mydei, who is helping the other aunts set up their makeshift kitchen for the day. He hopes Mydei did not hear what Aunt Medea just said. 

“What, isn’t it true?” Aunt Medea teases him while nudging him with her elbow. “Your father shouted at the top of his lungs about you wanting to get married the other day. I’m sure the whole village heard him.”

He still remembers the incident like it happened yesterday. Ever since then, the aunts and the uncles in the village have patted him on the back and given him encouraging words whenever they see him at the field. 

And yet somehow, the news doesn't deter the others from pursuing Mydei. 

“Well, come on. Let’s not keep your sweetheart waiting, shall we? We have a lot of work to do before the feast.”

-

It's only when the sky shows hints of orange do they finally finish cooking. All the dishes they have prepared are laid out on the low tables in the inner courtyard, which is splendidly decorated with colourful rugs on the floor and flowers and vines on the walls. 

Cushions have also been placed on the rugs where everyone will sit. Ever since Mydei and his family have joined their tradition, they have made adjustments on the seating arrangements. Since everyone in the village at the time had recognized Mydei as Phainon’s guest and best friend, their families were seated together—and it has been that way ever since.

Now that everything is almost done, it's time for them to head back and freshen up. Both his parents and Mydei’s parents have gone back earlier to have a quick shower before coming back to help with the final preparation.

As Mydei showers, Phainon sits on his bed and takes off his necklace, cradling the signet ring between his palms. He has not come up with a perfect plan yet, let alone a speech, but something tells him that tonight will be the night. 

He's still trying to figure out if he should do it while they are alone or while they are with everyone. He's sure his parents and Mydei’s parents would love to see the moment it finally happens, but at the same time, he also wants them to have this special moment to themselves.

Or perhaps… he should wait until later, when he can gather their parents as well as the other heirs and Mydei’s friends before he proposes to Mydei.

That should be better, right? The more, the merrier. All their loved ones are there to share the moment with.

Phainon lets out a low sigh, his head falling. His father made proposing sound so easy. Clearly there is no such thing as spontaneous proposal or ‘knowing the right time’. The time is only right when he plans for it beforehand. 

And how can he plan if he doesn't know if he wants it to be a private event just between the two of them, or a small one with their friends and family? Or maybe even a big one with the entire Amphoreus as their audiences?

Should he do it at dawn as a symbol for a new beginning? During the day where everyone is up and about? Or perhaps at night when it's more romantic with the moon shining up high and stars twinkling?

…Clearly he is going to need some help with his plan.

“What’s with the face?”

Phainon snaps his head up at the voice, fingers immediately curling in on the ring on his palm. Mydei is standing at the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist and hair tied up into a bun. Mydei can’t have seen the ring, right? 

He smiles at Mydei, playing it off even though his racing heart feels like it's about to burst out of his chest. “What’s with my handsome face?”

Mydei gives him a blank stare—unamused, and it doesn't seem like he is buying it either. Fortunately, he doesn't ask anything further as he steps into the room. Phainon gets up on his feet, pocketing the ring and picking up his own towel and a pair of trousers before gesturing to the folded clothes on his bed. “I’ll be right back.”

Phainon would have thought that a quick shower would help give him some new ideas regarding his predicament, but alas, it gives him more questions than answers instead. 

Where should he propose? Somewhere that has personal meaning to them both like Mydei’s library? Or somewhere with a sentimental value like their usual hangout place at the rooftop in Okhema, or even the temple of the Time Titan, where they met for the very first time? Or The Dome, where they have their proper reunion in the new world?

And on that note, what should he wear on the day of the proposal? Request a new outfit from Aglaea, or wear something nice from his closet? His Deliverer’s outfit?

…Should he get a new hairstyle too?

Phainon ruffles his hair with a frustrated groan before drying himself off. Too many questions, not enough answers. Well, whatever. He is just going to enjoy the feast tonight and have a good night’s sleep, then consult with Aglaea tomorrow. 

He walks out of the bathroom wearing the fresh trousers and his towel draped over his shoulders. His steps slow down to a halt when he reaches his bedroom, breath stuck in his throat.

There Mydei is, sitting on his bed with his sunset hair cascading over one shoulder as he cards his fingers through his hair, smoothening it. Although they are of a similar height and build, the shirt that Phainon lends him looks half a size larger on Mydei, slightly broader on the shoulders and slightly tight around the chest, yet completely loose on his waist…

Phainon rubs his throat.

Mydei also has his white towel draped over his head, giving the illusion of a veil. The sight overall is not unlike…

Not unlike a bride on their first night.

Phainon scratches his throat and swallows. All those thoughts about proposing are starting to get to him. 

“Let me help.”

Mydei looks at him, then lowers his hands as he gets up on his feet, the white towel sliding off his head. Phainon stands in front of him and reaches for his hair near his ear, feeling how silky it is against his skin, how easily it spills over his fingers. Mydei is proud of his hair, always taking good care of it especially after a bath.

When his finger accidentally brushes against the back of Mydei’s ear, a quiet gasp fills the silence. Mydei turns his head to the side, and Phainon can feel his ear warm up under his fingertip. “Sorry,” he whispers to the space between them.

Mydei doesn't respond, and his ear remains warm. Phainon begins to divide his hair into three sections, his fingers moving automatically as they weave the hair into a braid. This isn't the first time he has helped braid Mydei’s hair, but it isn't often he gets to do it either. Throughout the hundreds of millions of cycles, he can count on two hands the number of times Mydei let him braid his hair.

And the times that that happened were the cycles where the line between their friendship and something more were blurred. There was something there; they both felt it, but neither dared to speak it out loud, let alone act on it. The Flame-Chase journey was their only priority, and they could not afford to be distracted, especially when they had Amphoreus’ lives and future on the line.

Phainon’s gaze lingers down, following his moving fingers. it's almost halfway down now, and he can’t help but sneak a glance at Mydei’s face. Mydei’s head is still turned to the side, possibly because he doesn't want to disturb his braiding, but Phainon also can’t help but wonder: Is Mydei affected just as much as him, so much so that he can’t look at him directly the entire time?

“...The clasp?” Phainon licks his lips when his voice comes out hoarse.

Mydei silently hands him his golden clasp. Phainon quickly puts on the clasp at the end of the braid, finishing it. Even so, even knowing that the braid is done, neither moves away.

Holding his breath, as if bracing for rejection, Phainon brings his hand to the other side of Mydei’s face, knuckles tracing featherlight touch across his jawline and up his cheek. Mydei’s chest stills, then relaxes as he leans into his touch—almost nuzzling against his fingers. Phainon slowly breathes out, relieved, then gently tucks Mydei’s hair behind his ear before spreading his palm, fingers cupping the back of his head and thumb caressing the apple of his cheek. Mydei’s cheek rests on his open palm, eyelids fluttering close.

“Mydeimos, I…”

Mydei opens his eyes, two ambers piercing straight into him—calm, patient, knowing.

Phainon steels himself. This is it. This is the moment. Right here, right now. This is it. “I…”

“Race you to the courtyard!”

“Hah! We’ll see who’s faster!”

Phainon jumps at the sound of gleeful shouts from outside. He looks at the window, seeing silhouettes of several children running past his house, their laughter and shouting temporarily filling the silence in the house. 

He turns back to Mydei, who has straightened up and is looking at the window too before those feline eyes settle back on him.

“I should put my shirt on.” Phainon finishes lamely, hand falling limply to his side. He doesn't dare meet Mydei’s eyes or even look at the expression on his face. Mydei must be disappointed, just like how he is disappointed in himself too. 

“I’ll wait outside.”

Phainon walks over to his closet and waits until Mydei is out of the room to bang his head against the surface. His first attempt did not go quite well. He had it. All he had to do was say the next two words: …love you.

I love you.

How difficult was that?

Surely not more difficult than killing his own people millions of times and scratching Nanook.

He grabs a shirt and puts it on, then takes out the signet ring that he keeps in the pocket of his trousers, thumb tracing the strife symbol engraved on it. Everything will be fine. Failing once doesn't mean he lost his chance forever. There will come another chance—and when that time comes, he isn't going to let it slip from his fingers.

He brings the ring to his lips. Please wait a little bit longer.

He hangs the ring and its chain around his neck before walking out of the house, where Mydei is waiting for him. He grins at him when Mydei raises an eyebrow. “Sorry, sorry. I’m ready to go now!” 

As the sky darkens and the stars twinkle, the inner courtyard is lively with children running around and picking grapes from the bowl while waiting for the feast to begin. Their parents are mingling with the other elders. Phainon can see his father in the midst of telling a story, and Eurypon nodding every now and then, taking his story seriously. 

It reminds him of Mydei, now that he thinks about it. Mydei always pays close attention when someone is speaking, and he doesn't interrupt them. Whatever questions he has, he asks them after the person has finished talking. It's one of the things he adores about the former crown prince.

It doesn't matter how trivial the conversation or the story is, Mydei will still take time out of his day to actively listen.

At their table, his mother and Gorgo are huddled close as they talk and laugh together. At a corner of the inner courtyard, he sees Cyrene sitting cross-legged with her oracle cards spread out in front of her, divining to three girls. 

The corner of his lips is pulled into a frown. He hopes they are not asking about whether Mydei will fall in love with them or not.

“If you keep making that face, you’re going to scare off everyone.”

Mydei walks past him and goes to take his unofficial designated seat—diagonally from his mother. Phainon follows behind him and sits cross-legged on Mydei’s left, smiling and nodding at Gorgo in greeting. “Come now, Mydeimos. You said my face is handsome, but now my face is scaring everyone? Which is it?”

There is a bowl of grapes on their table, and Mydei reaches out to pluck one. “Since when did I say your face is handsome?” 

“Is my face not handsome then?” Phainon props his elbow on the table, chin in his hand with a cheeky grin, meeting Mydei’s blank stare head-on. Their psychic connection must have been so strong between them because he can almost hear Mydei’s “What is wrong with you?” in his head.

“Mydeimos…?”

Both of them break their stare and look up at the timid voice, seeing a young woman standing in front of them with two plates in her hands. Thalia, Phainon remembers her name. A diligent, quiet girl who always helps out at the farm and bakes pastries for everyone. His heart suddenly drops to his stomach when Thalia kneels and places one plate in front of Mydei.

A slice of pomegranate pie, with the red glaze slowly dripping to the plate, almost tantalizingly.

It smells delicious too, Phainon begrudgingly thinks.

Thalia fiddles with her hair as a blush blooms on her cheeks. “I heard Mydeimos likes pomegranates, so I made this for you.” Then, she places the other plate in front of Gorgo, who is watching the whole thing with amusement glinting in her eyes. So does his own mother, it seems. “This is for you too, Lady Gorgo. I hope you both enjoy it.”

The girl hurriedly leaves before either of them can thank her. For a moment, no one says anything, until Gorgo chuckles and pulls the plate towards herself. “What a sweet girl.”

Mydei nods as he picks up his forks and cuts a small piece of the pie. “I hope Father gets a slice too. He loves sweet pies.”

A small frown pulls at Phainon’s lips as he watches Mydei bring the fork to his mouth, lips enveloping the small piece of pie. Some of the glaze stains the corner of his mouth, and Phainon’s hand twitches on his thigh. Mydei’s cheek moves as he chews, then lets out a hum of approval. “Delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness. How do you find it, Mother?”

“Quite good.” Gorgo grins as she takes another bite before pushing the plate to Audata, who looks excited to try. “Do you think you can replicate it?”

Mydei engages in a conversation with their mothers, discussing the possible ingredients used together, but really… to have Mydei openly compliment the dish and to have Gorgo’s approval too… it can’t be that good, right? 

Phainon may not spend as much time in the kitchen as Mydei does, but he knows he can bake a better pie. He knows what level of sweetness Mydei prefers. He knows which brand of flour and sugar Mydei likes to use. He knows where to get Mydei’s favourite milk and cream that he often uses in his cooking. He knows—

Phainon’s thought is interrupted when a fork is shoved into his mouth, and then the taste of pomegranate and sweet glaze burst on his tongue. He blinks as Mydei pulls the fork out, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you that your thoughts are too loud?”

Phainon’s eyes widen. Does Mydei know what he is thinking?

Mydei taps his forehead with his knuckle. “Good food is good food. Don’t look into it too much.” 

“I wasn’t even thinking about anything…” Phainon rubs his forehead, mumbling petulantly but unable to hide the growing smile on his face, which only makes Mydei shove another forkful of pie into his mouth.

With his heart feeling light again, Phainon looks around, leaving Mydei to his conversation with their mothers. Cyrene is still sitting at her corner, but this time, a few children have gathered around her, looking at her oracle cards in curiosity and wonder. His father is now listening to someone else speak while Eurypon has a plate of pie in his hand.

Speaking of pie…

Phainon spots Thalia standing at a pillar nearby, staring longingly at the person sitting next to him. But the look in her eyes and her drooped shoulders tell him that there is something more—not quite a look of defeat, but not quite a look of confidence either. Did she see Mydei feeding him?

Just then, Thalia meets his gaze, and she immediately looks away and pushes herself off the pillar to go to the upper floor, where it's less crowded. 

A loud bell then rings. Everyone returns to their table—his father sitting across from his mother, Eurypon across Gorgo and next to Mydei. Cyrene joins their table, sitting next to Gorgo and across Mydei. It has been their arrangement since the formal royal family joined their feast for the first time.

Originally, it should have been his father at the head of the table, then him and Eurypon sitting across from each other, his mother and Gorgo, and finally Cyrene and Mydei at the end. But that would mean being separated from Mydei and missing out on the fun Cyrene and Mydei would be having.

In the end, they sit wherever they want.

An elder stands up and gives a short speech, expressing gratitude for their bountiful harvest as well as everyone’s hard work. Beneath the table, Phainon knocks Mydei’s knee with his. He doesn’t bother hiding his grin when Mydei retaliates back with force, not even when Cyrene gives him a tired look. 

How can he, when he is back in Aedes Elysiae, sitting together with his parents and Mydei and Cyrene and eating together?

Once the elder sits down, everyone begins to feast. The sound of chatter and utensils clinking fill the atmosphere. As Phainon takes a sip of his water, he takes a look at his surroundings. Behind him, he can hear a mother scolding her child for drinking while eating. The table to his left, a man older than him but younger than his father is tearing into Mydei’s special Nikador’s Shield of Victory, gorging on them and praising how delicious it tastes, with the rest of the table agreeing with him.

In front of him is Cyrene, chatting merrily with their parents, their table erupting with laughter as Eurypon shares his latest mishap with Krateros. 

And to his right… Mydei is slowly chewing his food while listening to their conversation, content with being just a listener. Even when they were at banquets in Okhema, Mydei preferred eating quietly and would only occasionally speak when others addressed him. But throughout it all, Phainon could always see a smile on his face and in his eyes whenever someone licked their plates clean. 

To Mydei, there is nothing more fulfilling than watching other people enjoy his food and having a good time together. 

And to him, there is nothing more fulfilling than seeing Mydei happy.

“Stop staring and eat your food.” Mydei grumbles at him. 

It does something to his heart when Mydei can tell what he is thinking or doing without even looking at him. How well Mydei knows him, so well-attuned to his thoughts and feelings, just like how he can tell what Mydei is thinking just from his sighs. 

Just then, Mydei turns to his right to address his father, and his earring makes a soft chime as it follows the motion. Mydei is still wearing the same golden earring as before, inlaid with a blue gem. Despite Mydei looking good in red and black, Phainon can’t deny that blue looks amazing on him too; how it pops out against his strawberry blond hair and pulls people’s attention to it, and thus, his beautiful face. 

Phainon finds himself distracted by that piece of jewelry far too often than he likes to admit. Whenever they fought against Titankins, it did not matter how loud their battlecries were, because every time Mydei moved, even to just turn his head to watch Phainon’s back, his ears would, without fail, catch the light tinkling sound.

It sounds ridiculous, but it has become a comforting sound to him. It's a sign that Mydei is alive and breathing and kicking. Even when Mydei is pissed off at him and giving him the silent treatment, he can always count on the chiming of his earring to soothe his heart.

And now, looking at the earring…

An idea pops up in his mind. That earring has witnessed too much of Mydei’s demise in his past lifetimes. Mydei should get a new one to represent his new life, away from his billions of years of death and anguish.

He's going to drop by Aglaea’s store tomorrow first thing in the morning and ask if she can help with designing a pair of earrings for Mydei. And then he is going to ask Chartonus to teach him how to forge jewelry. Hyacine is right; making something with your own hand is more personal and romantic.

And then… perhaps, instead of exchanging rings, he can put the earring on Mydei on their wedding day.

“A new beginning…” Phainon smiles as Mydei’s earring chimes in the night breeze, as if responding to him. “Perfect.”

His plan is slowly coming together.

“Hm?” Mydei tilts his head at him. “Did you say something?”

Phainon smiles brighter. He can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with this man. “Nothing. This bread is perfect.”

Mydei’s eyes flicker down to his plate before returning back to him with a deadpan stare. “You haven’t eaten your food. If you don’t like it, give it to me.”

He knows Mydei is only joking when he reaches out for his plate, but Phainon quickly dives in and shoves the bread into his mouth. “See? Perfect.” He says, voice muffled through the bread.

“...” Instead of saying anything, Mydei turns to Cyrene with an exasperated look, and Cyrene only responds by laughing.

Mydei’s earring softly chimes in the wind again.

-

When everyone has finished eating, the children all rush outside in excitement. Some of them even come by to their table, tugging Mydei’s hand. “Hurry, brother Mydei!” One of them exclaims. “You promised you’ll play with us if we help with today’s feast!”

Mydei lets out a low chuckle as he gets up on his feet, letting himself be dragged by the children. Phainon finishes his glass of water before following them at a much leisure pace. The young women his age are distributing sparklers to the children, meanwhile the young men group together a little further away to play with firecrackers.

Some of the older adults remain seated in the courtyard, preferring to just sit around and talk together now that it's less noisy and crowded. His parents, on the other hand, walk out together and sit on the bench outside, watching the children play with sparklers. Mydei’s parents have walked out too, hand-in-hand, presumably to walk around the village.

His gaze finds Mydei again, watching him help light up sparklers for the younger children. The torch casts a warm light on Mydei’s smiling face, making him appear more gentle. One of the kids is saying something to him, and Mydei throws his head back in laughter. 

His heart leaps to his throat hearing Mydei’s open laughter echoing in the night sky. Mydei looks so at home here, his golden hair swaying with the golden wheat fields, the sapphire in his jewelry glinting like the stars in Aedes Elysiae’s sky…

There is no doubt that he is absolutely besotted by this man, willingly letting himself be drowned by and lost in Mydei’s presence. Deep down inside him, if he had it his way, he would keep Mydei in their home, just the two of them, so he can watch every single one of his expressions, from the arch of his eyebrows to the curve of his lips. He wants to see Mydei open and free with his emotions at any time of day—and he doesn't want to share it with anyone.

He wants to see Mydei throw his head back like that when he is laughing. He wants to see Mydei grumble and try to swat at him when he is angry. He wants to see Mydei’s entire face light up whenever he sees something he likes at the market. He wants to see Mydei’s shoulders sagging when he realizes he forgot to bring some treats for the chimeras and he is stuck between buying generic treats from the market or visiting the chimeras later than usual so he can go back and bake chimera cookies from scratch.

Oh, how he wants Mydei.

“It’s a lovely night, isn’t it?”

Startled, Phainon looks to his left and sees Cyrene, hands behind her back and smiling serenely at the sight in front of them. He turns to Mydei again. This time, the man himself is holding a lit sparkler, his smile illuminated by the spark. “It is. I can’t believe we get to be here again, with everyone.”

“And your romantic tale is just getting started~”

“What?” Phainon asks, confused.

With a cheeky smile, Cyrene pushes him forward. “What are you standing still here for? Go!”

He supposes he should, because when he turns to Mydei again, Serene and two other young women are already playing with Mydei and the children, teaching him how to make beautiful patterns with the sparklers.

And then Serene giggles, holding Mydei’s wrist to guide him.

“Hey—” Phainon scrambles over to them, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process and ignoring the flash that he knows is from Cyrene’s teleslate. “Wait, Mydei! I wanna play too!”

Now that he has a lit sparkler in his hand, Phainon tries not to look too smug as he recalls how fast their expression soured when he arrived and stood next to Mydei. Mydei did not say anything about it, but he knows Mydei knows what he is doing.

And it's the fact that Mydei has never once stopped him that makes him keep doing it and pushing just to see how far he can go before Mydei tells him to stop.

Despite him being there, the girls still look like they are having a good time with one another, some of them grumbling whenever firecrackers are set off, the sudden loud noise startling them. 

Phainon takes the chance to slide close to Mydei until their shoulders are pressed together, and then whispers, “It’s alright, Mydei. If you’re scared, I'll protect you.”

Mydei elbows him in response. “Who’s scared? 

He starts provoking Mydei, engaging him in their usual competitions by pointing his sparkler in his direction like his own blade, and Mydei instantly picks up his intention as he, too, points his own sparkler towards Phainon. “May the best warrior win.”

Phainon makes his first move, lunging forward and attempting to knock Mydei’s sparkler off his hand with his own. Mydei then steps aside, graceful as ever as Phainon's sparkler barely misses by a hairsbreadth. Mydei flicks his wrist and does the same, applying force so Phainon’s sparkler will get knocked off. 

In the end, once their sparklers fizzle out, they throw them aside and start to playfully wrestle with each other—Mydei sweeping Phainon’s knees with his leg to knock him down, Phainon trapping Mydei with a headlock and Mydei countering by wrapping his arms around his waist. Phainon is laughing so hard he can feel his sides aching and his lungs struggling for air.  

Mydei isn't faring any better, especially now that Phainon is moving his fingers against his side. He can feel Mydei’s entire body vibrating against him with restrained laughter as he scolds him. “Stop it, you scoundrel!”

A swarm of kids join them, surrounding them and laughing together, tickling him and Mydei and one another. He briefly lets go of Mydei to steady the kid that is climbing his back, and when he looks back to Mydei, it's as if time slows down.

Mydei's face softens, his previous cheeky grin settling into a gentle smile fitting for a regal crown prince as he kneels down and keeps his arms around the kids, making sure they don't stumble and fall as they continue their relentless tickles and hugs on him and Phainon.

He wants this. He wants to laugh with Mydei every day. He wants to make Mydei laugh and be the reason he smiles every day. He wants them to have a family like this one day. He wants Mydei to be surrounded by their children, filled with so much love and happiness that he can only hug them back, pouring all his love into his warm hug. 

“Look, fireworks!”

The night sky brightens up with colourful explosions. Everyone stops playing with their sparklers to watch the fireworks. Mydei stands up straight, a small smile on his face as his eyes reflect the colours in the dark sky.

He wants nothing more than to give Mydei everything he deserves. His entire heart and soul ache to fulfill every single one of Mydei’s wishes and needs. He would move the stars and galaxies for Mydei. He would rip his heart out just to pluck down a star from the sky and forge it into a new jewelry for him. All he wants is just to see Mydei smile by his side.

And he really…

He really…

“I love you, Mydeimos.” Phainon breathes out, heart thumping against his ribcage as he watches Mydei turn to him, the fireworks coloring his widened eyes. “I've loved you since the first time we walked side-by-side and I’ve never stopped. Even throughout the recurrences as a new Phainon, I fell in love with you over and over again.”

Once he starts, it's as if a dam has crumbled to mere pebbles. All his thoughts, all his desires spill out from his mouth like rushing water. “If I could, for every hurt I caused, for every injury I inflicted, I would have you use my own blade against me. I would be reborn just to have you shatter my spine and burn my flesh, over and over again, but I know you wouldn’t let it happen. I know you have never faulted me for what I did, but I will still do my utmost best to make it up to you for the rest of my life. 

“I want to show you all the crops I harvested and all the fishes I caught. I want to read every single book in your library and dust all the shelves, from the ceiling to the floor. I want to build us a home and any furniture you need with my own two hands. I want to wake up and fall asleep next to you every day. I want to watch the sun rise and set with you every day. 

“So, Mydeimos.” Phainon takes the necklace out and reveals the signet ring in the palm of his hand, and swallows. The sound of blood rushing in his ears is deafening, muffling the sound of the fireworks going off. “Will you help me make my selfish wishes come true?”

Mydei’s gaze falls to the ring in his open palm. It feels like an eternity until Mydei meets his eyes again, the softest smile gracing his lips. “Yes, Khaslana. It would be my honor.”

A trembling breath leaves him, and he laughs and unhooks the necklace to get the ring. Then, he grasps Mydei’s hand, sliding the ring onto his ring finger.

This was what he should have done a long time ago. In the last cycle before Mydei left Okhema for good, he should have personally given the ring to him and slid it onto his finger.

But it’s all in the past now. This will be the first of many, many times he is going to put jewelry on Mydei, and he is going to personally craft and forge them himself this time.

“You know, Khaslana.” Phainon looks up from the ring upon hearing his real name being called, and he almost melts at the look in Mydei’s eyes. “I meant what I said before. The key that was placed in your hand the moment our promise was made, it’s not just the key to the library.”

Phainon laughs under his breath, feeling his heart go light as he leans in until their foreheads are pressed together. “I know. I’m sorry I took so long. Thank you for waiting for me.”

With everything falling into place like it should be, like he had expected, Phainon closes his eyes and softly, gently presses their lips together, ignoring the hoots and cheers from everyone. Mydei’s warm hand slides to the back of his neck, the cool metal of the signet ring making a contrast on his skin. One thing he can’t ignore—definitely will not ignore—is the way Mydei is smiling into the kiss too.

Their first kiss. First of many.

He only pulls away when the children start shrieking near them. “Ew, brother Phainon! No kissing!”

The children are all either covering their eyes or squeezing their eyes shut, and Phainon can’t help but bark out a laugh. These little brats. That’s what they get for stealing Mydei’s attention from him.

“I hope you’re prepared, Mydei.” When Mydei gives him a questioning look, his lips quirk up in a small smirk as he leans in to whisper in his ear. “I’m never letting you go. I'm going all out from now on. You’ll be so sick of my love you’ll have nowhere to run.”

“Heh.” Mydei returns his smirk, eyebrows arched. “You better prepare yourself. I’m never leaving your side after this. You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily.”

“Brother Mydei!” One of the children tugs at Mydei’s sleeve to get his attention. “Can we play again? Let’s play ball!”

“I’ll get the ball! It won’t take long!”

Stealing his Mydei again so soon?

Phainon turns to Mydei, mischief glinting in his eyes. “Mydei.”

Smiling, Mydei shakes his head, his long hair swaying in the night breeze. “You don’t even have to ask.”

“Then…” Phainon slides his hand into Mydei’s, nodding and squeezing his hand once before taking off, pulling Mydei with him as they sprint across the golden wheat field together.

“Brother Phainon, come back! You can’t steal brother Mydei!”

“Brother Phainon, that’s not fair! You have long legs!”

“Brother Phainon, give brother Mydei back!”

His bright laughter echoes in the night as they keep running. He doesn't know where they are heading, but he knows it will be fine as long as Mydei is with him, next to him. 

Equals, as they have always been.