Adrian pushed away his plate, they’d gone straight to one of the palace’s many dining rooms once he was dressed, but after all that had happened, he had no appetite.

He tried to remember the last time he’d had that dream. It had to have been years. His Master had calmed down considerably during their many years together, but that didn’t mean the scars came any less frequently; there were just fewer pairs of hands on him.

“Adrian,” Darrius griped. He’d likely been calling his name for some time now.

He snapped out of his thoughts, “What?”

“Patience, Darrius,” Cassius soothed. “He clearly has a lot on his mind.”

Darrius sighed, “Don’t let him walk all over you, Cass, we’ve talked about this,” he grabbed a handful of grapes and left.

Cassius ran a hand through his curly hair. Darrius had often referred to it as a mess of cowlicks on a good day and a feather stuffed bird’s nest on others. He had a feeling today was one of the latter days.

Adrian watched him poke at his food and take small bites without really looking at it. He didn’t seem to be the only one with a wandering mind. “So, what am I going to do here?”

Cassius put down his fork. He seemed happy to have something other than his thoughts to pay attention to. “In short, I will make you my retainer. It is the most efficient way to establish your role here and gain you certain freedoms.”

“‘Freedoms’,” he repeated.

“Yes, I know how it must sound given your situation, but,” he thought over his words, “I want you to have as much freedom over yourself as possible.”

“That’s…” he didn’t know what to call it, “interesting.”

“I know I was a little brusque last night, but I do want your time here to be productive for you.” He stood. “If you are done eating, follow me.”

Adrian obliged. He felt eyes on them as they walked the ornate halls, and it made him uneasy. Eyes meant interest. He didn’t want to provoke interest. Worrying still was the way everyone seemed to treat Cassius’ presence, but he wasn’t sure what made it so strange just yet.

Adrian nearly walked into Cassius when he failed to notice the other had stopped. They stood before two large oaken doors. Cassius pushed one of the doors open.

It was a library. He’d never seen one before, only heard about them. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves lined the large room. There were windows as well, but they were curtained. All the lighting seemed to come from hanging fixtures, but he’d never seen anything like them before. The floating red stones emanated large bursts of light. He’d grown up with candles and gas lamps. He wondered if this was what Darrius had meant by ‘embracing the Arcana’ back in Senoho.

Cassius spoke, drawing Adrian’s attention.

“Every day, after breakfast, I study.” He stepped deeper into the quiet space. “After, I train. Then, lunch, horse riding, and miscellaneous errands. After dinner, I read, and sleep. I am a little late on starting today as you can see. Not that it matters, things will be moved around now that you are here.”

Adrian nodded, but his eyes were still on the shelves. He wondered what could be in so many books but doubted he would ever get the chance to find out. “I can’t read.”

“I will teach you.”

“Why?”

The ability to read seemed forever out of his reach. His mother had decided he wouldn’t go to school from a young age. She’d detested cooking and housework and had given him a broom the moment he could stand on his own properly.

Cassius looked to him. “Because those who cannot read can be taken advantage of. As long as you are stuck with me, I will do my best to be of use to you.”

“Shouldn't it be the other way around?” He wondered why he even bothered asking. He’d only known the prince for a few days, but it didn’t take a genius to see a pattern in how the blonde approached things.

“Perhaps when you are capable of doing so. Follow me.” He walked to one of the few desks lining the walls in between tall windows, “We will start with the alphabet.”

Adrian watched him open drawers and lay out sheets of paper along with a book and pens.

Cassius gestured to the chair, “Please, sit.” He rested a hand on the desk and pointed to the letters in the book with the other. “My native language is often referred to as Common Tongue, but it does have an actual name.”

Adrian glanced up and caught sight his fingerprints already bruising Cassius’s pale skin where the collar failed to hide it. “Cass, about your neck…” he started to say, but Cassius interrupted him.

“Because I can read minds, I have always been good at avoiding misunderstandings. We are going to be spending a lot of time together, so I hope we can work to understand one another. If I ever make you uncomfortable, please tell me.” He stood to his full height. His face was stern, but he still somehow managed to look embarrassed. “I am sorry for any inconvenience.”

Adrian managed a half smile, “Are you apologizing for having to learn about me like a normal person?” He shook his head, “You’re so weird.” He seemed to enjoy making people’s problems his own. Instead of pointing this out, he listened to Cassius’s teaching.