It was supposed to be a day like no other.

The whole palace was bustling with activity for the ceremony, but it was peaceful deep inside the private quarters of the first prince, the commotion only a distant vague noise. The only succinct sound came from the running water in the bath and the soft humming underneath it. 

Aleph Erstellen smiled fondly as the soft humming turned into singing muffled by the wooden door between him and the other occupant of the room. He shook his head as he laced up his boots, finishing just as there was a series of clatters, and then a door being dragged open.

Only wearing a plain white shirt that clung to damp white skin, Khres Prevoir stumbled outside, his dark navy curls still dripping with water as he crossed the room to stand before him. The young heir, clearly not yet prepared for the ceremony they were expected to attend today, smirked, bright golden eyes alight with mischief as he tilted his head to watch his prince.

“Done now, your highness? That was quick.” 

Aleph sighed. “I should be asking you that,” he replied. 

Khres hummed, reaching out to take a lock of Aleph’s hair between his fingers. He moved to stand behind where the prince was seated, his slender fingers weaving the prince’s long silver hair into braids to keep it out of his face. “I’m not the one everyone will be looking at, am I?” Khres said, as he finally tied the hair back with a ribbon. “You have to look pretty.” 

“I’m not the one everyone will look at either,” Aleph said with a slight chuckle. “And I don’t have the features to be pretty.” 

“No way,” Khres said in a teasing tone as he came back to stand in front of him. He settled himself on Aleph’s lap, his knees on either side of the prince’s legs to straddle him. “I think you’re the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” 

Aleph gave him a deadpan stare, but the young lord only grinned before capturing his prince’s lips in a kiss, soft and tentative before deepening it. Khres sighed as Aleph pushed him back for a moment. “Khres, we’ll be late.” 

“You’re no fun, your highness,” Khres said, as he licked his lips and brushed his thumb over them. “Don’t you think I can just apologize to the princess if we were?” 

“Khres,” Aleph said in a warning tone.

“It’s a troublesome day, Aleph,” Khres murmured, picking at the prince’s collar. He traced the embroidered mix of the Erstellen and Acero sigils on the collar with his fingers before raising his eyes to meet the deep red eyes of his lover. “Let’s enjoy the peace while we have it?” 

Aleph frowned at that, his brows furrowing. “Did you see something?” 

Khres gave an easy shrug as an answer to his question. He placed his finger over his lips. “That would be telling, wouldn’t it?”

“I thought it was the duty of the Prevoirs to advise the realm.” 

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not here for House Prevoir, right?” Khres chuckled, kissing Aleph’s cheek with a mischievous grin. “We have time yet, love. Play with me?” 

They weren’t late, Aleph thought, but they did cut it close. The ceremony was about to start, and the place was full of royals, representatives from the Nine Houses, and everybody else deemed important enough to witness such an important occasion.

When Aleph slipped into the royal hall to stand by his siblings, Emet glanced at him with amusement. “Fun morning, brother?” 

“Good morning to you too, Emy.” 

“Oh, we both know that wasn’t what I meant,” the youngest prince said with a laugh, throwing a cheeky grin and a wink his way. “I see Lord Prevoir had a lot of business to discuss this morning.” 

“Don’t tease Al too much, Emy,” Indak said as he approached them. “You have your vices, and he has his own.”

“It’s hardly a vice,” Aleph said. 

“Anything’s a vice if you enjoy it enough,” Emy said, his laughter more of a cackle than anything at that. “You still came here before Likha though, so I guess it wasn’t that fun, was it?” 

“Likha has to prepare,” Indak said.

“It is her big day, after all,” Aleph replied. 

Emet raised his hand as if he was giving a toast. “To our brilliant sister!” he exclaimed. “May she be the perfect crown princess our realm needs.” 

Aleph and Indak chuckled and shook their heads, though they imitated their younger brother anyway. Emet has always been the one to bridge the gap between his older siblings, and in turn, they all cherished him the most.

“If I find out which one of you is making fun of me in my absence, things would no longer be very funny for them very quickly.”

“There she is,” noted Emy. “The star of the show.”

“It’s hard to prepare for a formal ceremony with your handmaiden on vacation, you know,” Likha smiled at their brother who welcomed her for a light embrace. As they greeted Likha with pleasantries, Aleph’s gaze was caught by the smiling Khres from across the hall. The Prevoir heir was standing with his siblings, but he was grinning in Aleph’s direction, his dimples on both cheeks on display. The prince raised an eyebrow.

Indak smiled at his sister who twirled around, showing off her coronation attire, “You look decent today.”

“Oh, shush,” Likha rolled her eyes. “I bet my crown you’re just here for the banquet.”

“No doubt,” Emy commented. “All of us are, except perhaps for our dear Al who has other plans for his… meal.”

Before anyone could react properly, the chatter died down as Likha and Indak’s mother, the royal consort Harana Hariq, stepped up to stand beside the throne.

Everyone’s gaze fell on her instead. She looked as elegant and regal as the day she was introduced to the palace when Aleph was a young boy, but this time, instead of wearing the fiery robes of House Hariq, she was instead wearing the royal pattern of Erstellen embroidered in the deep crimson of her bodice.

A few moments passed by before the great ruler of the realm, King Novus Erstellen, stepped up to stand by his throne, next to his current wife. Every single person present in the room bowed down to his glorious presence, including his own sons and daughter.

When he raised his hand, all of his subjects straightened up. King Novus began to speak, “Realm of Chrysopoeia, a magical day awaits us.”

Aleph sneaked a quick glance at Khres, but the young heir was looking at the king, face unreadable. The light-haired prince recalled their earlier conversation. If Khres were to see something important, he would tell him. If Khres were to have a vision that can cause change, he would let Aleph know. The prince was confident of that, so he looked back at his father, who had been talking all this time.

“...as the sun sets and rises again, we have arrived at the time where the future of our beloved realm must be decided. Thus, today… I, King Novus Erstellen of Chrysopoeia, shall name my one true heir.”

Emy lightly nudged Likha and earned a stern look from the princess. Aleph looked over at his siblings and tried not to clench his jaw too much, tried not to look over at Khres too much, tried not to think about what kind of metals he would use to forge a certain anniversary present or the formula he can make his next derivatives from, or…

“Aleph, my beloved firstborn, step forward.”

His thoughts stopped. At the command of his father, the king, he found himself taking one step, and then another. He found everyone was looking at him, even Likha, even Consort Harana, and even the doves that loved to rest on the opened windows of the hall at this time of day.

Yet the bright golden eyes of his beloved refused to meet his own.

“Kneel, my son. Close your eyes.”

Aleph obeyed. King Novus brandished his broadsword, “With this weapon that you created by your own hands, my dear son, and along with the cherished memories of your late mother, I name you, Aleph Estrellen, the Crown Prince of Chrysopoeia. May the realm continue to be steadfast in your reign.”

There was silence.

“Rise, Crown Prince Aleph.”

So, he did. The room was stunned for a few seconds before cheers erupted. Yells and cries of “long live the crown prince”, “long live the king”, and “for Chrysopoeia” were heard throughout the room, yet not everyone opened their lips to welcome the newly-named heir. There were many who just looked confused and surprised at the unexpected outcome of the ceremony. 

Aleph looked at Khres, but the seer refused to lift his gaze.

He was absolutely certain that his lover would tell him if he saw anything in his visions that could cause a change in the realm, but right now, Aleph was no longer sure.

He turned to his siblings and found Indak with a placid smile on his face and Emet had a wide grin even as he still looked a bit confused. Likha’s expression was blank and unreadable. Aleph didn’t know what to say to her. 

He turned towards Khres again. Across the hall, the Prevoir was unflinching as he steadily met his gaze. His golden eyes were the only ones in the hall without a hint of surprise, confusion, or resentment. 

Khres inclined his head into a small bow for his prince before he turned and walked out of the hall. Aleph gazed at the rest of the hall, careful not to let his smile slip. Everyone was watching. He couldn’t afford to falter. 

Khres walked out of the hall while everyone cheered. He could still see Aleph’s gaze on him, though at least his prince had been wise enough to not show any of the anger or irritation he felt against him. 

His father had given him a knowing look when the heir had been announced, likely knowing that Khres had been aware long before anyone. His father may have inherited the family gift and title, but he didn’t have the natural talent for it that had been cultivated in Khres by his grandmother. 

His grandmother would want to hear about this development, though she likely would have seen this happening already. The former Head of their House was the one who told him to befriend the prince long ago, after all. 

He wasn’t looking forward to any conversation with her or his father. He especially was not looking forward to any conversation with Aleph. 

Aleph didn’t understand how fickle and volatile the future was, how fragile it was that it could shift with a single flap of a butterfly’s wings. 

He’d never understand. 

He went to his rooms in the palace undisturbed, even as around him messengers and representatives were already preparing to inform their lords and ladies of the developments. Servants stayed unseen, already preparing for the feast. Khres was not looking forward to the feast and seeing Aleph again, and he didn’t even want to try and look with his sight to see how a conversation between them would end up. 

The note was easy enough to write, just a short note to inform their house matriarch of the events in the palace. His raven cawed as he took her out of her cage and tied the note to her leg. He brought her level with his eyes, those black beady eyes looking like mirrors to his own mind. 

“Straight to the Halls of Glace, alright?” With a grin, he released the raven out of his window and got prepared to attend the feast. 

Perhaps, he’ll find some new metals for Aleph to play with later. If he came with gifts for forgiveness, Aleph was bound to forgive eventually, wasn’t he?