Cassius Lidelle glowered at the book before him. He had read and reread the same passage seven times now, but couldn’t progress beyond it.

Though his door was closed, he could hear the palace servants prattling on about something much louder and with more vigor than usual. It was evident someone had returned, which was a bit odd considering the time of day. Moreover, His Majesty wasn’t due back for months, and Darrius was off to... somewhere. It was likely him then.

“Ah,” he murmured to himself. From what he could catch of the thoughts bouncing about, Darrius had brought someone new, someone handsome, perhaps Uncle Jasper?

Just as Cassius closed his book, the bedroom door swung open.

“Cass!”

And so ends the silence. Cassius thought to himself. He rose to greet his little brother but stopped short. There was indeed another person with him as he suspected. However, they weren’t what he had expected. He’d hardly call someone so thin and malnourished ‘handsome’.

“Darrius, who is that?”

His brother beamed. “I found him in Senoho. He looked like he needed a home, so I thought I’d take him in.”

Cassius didn’t miss the way their new guest rolled his eyes at that. Cassius pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a low sigh. “He is not a cat, Darrius. You cannot say that about a human being.” Still, there was something about the boy that seemed cat like. Maybe it was his eyes?

The boy in question simply stood there. He was scrawny, likely suffered from malnutrition, and seemed in sore need of a bath.

Great, now he was treating him like a cat too.

“Why did you bring him to my room?”

“It’s the only place I can hide him.”

That made Cassius give pause, “Exactly what do you mean by that, Darrius?”

“I want him to live with us!”

That seemed to take both Cassius and their guest by surprise. Still, Darrius persisted.

“Come on, Cass! You don’t have any servants or retainers, so I figured if you made him one, no one would question it!”

While he had a point, Cassius had a point of his own. “Bringing another complete stranger here was reckless, even for you. How many times do I have to tell you—"

“But this is the last time, I promise,” Darrius pleaded.

He stared at his younger brother, wanting to scold him more, but knew it would just fall on deaf ears. In the end, he never told Darrius no.

“Fine.”

Darrius smiled happily and Cassius felt his heart lift even as his burden became heavier. He sighed, “Just leave him with me.”

“Thanks a bunch!” He called out. On his way out, he glanced at their guest and whispered, “Behave yourself.”

The older boy glared at Darrius as he left. He looked to Cassius, “Does he have everyone in this castle wrapped around his little finger?”

“I should hope so.” Cassius poured a cup of hot chocolate from the kettle on his desk, “He will be king one day.”

The boy looked on incredulously, “You’re joking.”

Cassius held the cup out to him, “Here.”

Cassius watched him swirl his cup around, trying to dicern what it was. He wasn’t wrong, Cassius should’ve scolded him more.

Darrius’ projects rarely, if ever, went well. His servant Neha was the only successful one that came to mind and she’d come of her own volition.

As the older boy drank, Cassius allowed the full swath of their thoughts to cloud his own mind. He saw the way the two had come to meet, the deal that had been struck, and frowned.

Your feelings towards him are more than justified considering your first encounter. I don’t blame you for your hesitancy in trusting us either.

He scowled. Darrius, I taught you better.

Cassius cleared his throat. It only ever took seconds to peak into days' worth of someone’s memories, but he always felt like he had been standing still for hours. He schooled his expression before moving to introduce himself, “My name is--”

“Cass, right? Adrian.”

Cassius considered clarifying but thought it better not to. “Alright, Adrian. I am going to draw you a bath.”

He turned to his bedroom’s adjoining door and entered. Carefully, he ascended the few steps up to his tub and gestured to the nozzle. He always wondered why the architects had thought water and steps went hand in hand. Darrius had argued it was done so the bather could see the view offered by the long row of windows, but with all the potted plants Cassius had managed to cram into the bathroom, there wasn’t much of an argument to be made.

He glanced to Adrian who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. “The water is heated through an apparatus under the sink over there,” Cassius said, gesturing to the sink in the corner. “If you flick these switches on the nozzle—”

“I know how to use it,” Adrian said.

Cassius stepped down, “My apologies, I had not meant to infer—”

“No need.” He smirked to himself, his voice sharp, “I was in a pretty upscale brothel. Nothing but the best for our guests.

Cassius didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. Instead, he slipped past Adrian and back into his room. He wondered if Adrian had said it to get a rise out of him or to just make conversation. Either way, he could tell that this one would be more difficult than the others.

“We are of similar height; my clothes should fit you. Go ahead and wash.” He noticed suspicion clouding Adrian’s thoughts.

“You’re leaving me alone?”

“I have absolutely no intention of bathing you myself.” Adrian’s amusement left a tickling sensation not only in his mind but his body as well. He folded the clothes and concentrated on pushing it away.

“That’s not what I meant. What if I try to make a break for it?”

“Because you could get so far.” He handed Adrian the clothes, “Do what you will. Just know that you are in the southern most country of the continent.”

Cassius could feel the distrust and anxiety building up again in Adrian. He chose his next words carefully and spoke gently, “I am going to find you something to eat. Hopefully you will be here when I get back. Darrius can be pouty when he does not get his way.”

Images of some kind of flat bread and an unfamiliar green soup flooded his mind, but he knew nothing like that existed in the castle. He remembered the dish from books on Senosolvian culture though and wondered if they had the spices to make it. Adrian seemed on edge about everything, so maybe it would be best to give him something that reminded him of home. He scribbled a quick note before shutting his bedroom door behind him.

Adrian stepped into the bathroom. It was bigger than his room back home. The walls were covered in a dark wood and the floor a grey marble. There was a sink along the left wall as well as a small cabinet. The tub dominated the far wall. It sat atop a few steps just under a row of windows covered with leafy hanging plants.

He reached into the tub and pulled out the plug. He was never one to waste water, but he couldn’t help the wave of relief he felt as he watched most of the water drain. He then sat in the tub and pulled his knees to his chest. The water rose to just under his calves. He let a shaky breath; he couldn’t be drowned in it even if his Master tried.

Ex Master, he chided himself. It was hard to imagine that he’d ever be able to tell himself such things.

“My Ex Master,” he tested on his lips. It felt foreign. He switched to Senol and said again, but it still felt wrong, impossible. He felt feverish just thinking about it. His head hurt.

What the hell is going on with me? With all of this? I’ve been in that pit for years, and now a castle of all things?

He dipped the rag in the shallow water and scrubbed at his skin.

Those two couldn’t be more different. Darrius could be the Master’s kid but Cass? I can’t read him at all.

Thinking about Cass, Adrian couldn’t help but feel a little releived that at least he wasn’t bad to look at.

Ezra would’ve killed to have eyelashes that long and thick. Not to mention his full lips. He felt a little jealous himself but quickly quashed the feeling. If he’d been even a little less appealing to look at, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up in all of this mess.

He stared at his arms, he’d scrubbed them raw. His skin felt vulnerable, and the scars didn’t help. Darrius had healed the cut on his face but hadn’t made a move to do the same for the ones under his clothes.

Adrian pushed away thoughts of Darrius and the Master and toweled off. He had, thankfully, been given a long-sleeved shirt. The pants fit well enough, but his legs were a bit too long for them.

Adrian considered lingering in the bathroom. He wondered if Cass was the kind of person that would walk in when he was bathing. He decided he didn’t want to find out just yet and stepped out of the steamy room into the cool bedroom.