“Uncle Arden, are you serious?”

The king’s younger brother chuckled, “Of course, I am! I have always loved to see you dance when you were a young boy. I am sure you’ve grown to be a graceful dancer, Indak.”

“But, I’ve never really performed with other people present.”

“Come on, dear. It’s just a silly request from your dear old uncle. Dance during the evening banquet, Indak, for your silly uncle?”

“But it’s embarrassing,” Indak said, crossing his arms as he shifted on his seat. Aleph may not have known about his brother’s dancing, but he knew that Indak had always been hesitant to perform in front of an audience. His skill in dancing translated well to his swordsmanship, but Aleph had only ever seen Indak join the duels in tourneys on special occasions.

“It’s something to be proud of,” Arden replied. “But very well, it’s your choice in the end.” 

Indak grimaced.

“What is our Western Border like now, uncle?” Aleph asked, deciding to save Indak from their uncle’s insistence. 

“Terrible,” Arden shook his head. “Most of the smaller countries have always been at war with each other. It’s constant fighting between them all, and when we started, they kept trying to use us against their enemies. It was easier then.” 

“Easier then?” Likha tilted her head in a question. “It’s different now?” 

“Quite,” Arden gave them all a crooked smile. “They’ve started banding against us. Incanta was their recent rallying leader. Hopefully, with their surrender, the others will keep their heads down for a while.” 

“Some of the other lords wish for us to continue the conquest,” Aleph pointed out. 

Their uncle shrugged, and he stretched his arms up before resting it behind his back, a picture of lazy insouciance. “War is a good fuel for trade and development,” he drawled. “Though you’ll find most of the lords asking for it rarely actually step on the battlefield.” 

“Is it worth it?” Likha asked with a look of contemplation. “Do we actually gain anything in invading these squabbling nations?” 

“Depends on what you mean, niece,” Arden arched a brow in a challenging look. “What do you want to gain?” 

“What did we get from Incanta then besides an unwanted prince?” Likha scowled. 

“Magic stones,” Aleph answered before their uncle could give them another disappointed challenging look. “They use it to power their large-scale spells. It is an energy source.” 

“Their magic is different from our gifts,” Indak said, forehead creased in confusion. 

“That’s true. Their incantations tend to take longer to use,” their uncle said with a shake of his head. “But the late crown prince of Incanta found a way to store their spells in these magic stones. This way, they no longer require the incantations as long as they prepare. We couldn’t allow such a threat to continue.” 

“I guess the magic stones will now serve as their taxes to us?” Aleph clarified. 

“Very good, nephew,” Arden said. “I didn’t think any of you would be familiar with it.” 

“I tried to see if I can extract the energy from their stones to imbue them in the metals I work with once,” Aleph confessed. “It didn’t work but it was an interesting experiment.” 

Likha pursed her lips. “I never thought to combine alchemy with Incantan magic,” she said. “I wonder if it would be possible.” 

“Your father brought it up,” their uncle admitted. “He wondered if a marriage should be arranged between one of you and one of the Incantan royal children to see if a child would have both a gift and mana to perform their magic spells.” 

“The noble houses won’t be happy,” Likha pointed out. “If it was Aleph who father was thinking of, especially. No one would ever accept a queen from the Western Lands.” 

“Speaking of marriages,” their uncle said, sitting straighter in his seat. “Where is that nephew I’ve barely met?” 

“Welcoming his fiancee and their group to court,” Aleph answered. “He has been nervous about the whole ordeal. I thought it was because he was not raised in court that he was worried over a highly formal occasion, especially since his bride happened to be Lady Silvestris.”

“Ah, yes, that family. If they are to be wed for love, then your brother is a lucky young man indeed,” grimaced Arden. “They would never settle for less than an Erstellen prince for their house’s future.”

“House Silvestris is valuable to the crown,” commented Likha. “They can give us more horses for our cavalry, more livestock for food, and all that. I believe their union benefits both sides, their love is all but an incentive. I hope Indak can find someone already so Mother can finally have her schedule full.”

Aleph raised an eyebrow, “You two barged in here because of the queen?”

“What else?” Indak rolled his eyes as he continued to braid his silk ribbons, “We’re hiding from her or else she would let her mouth run off telling us what we have to do. She suddenly wants us wed just because Emy is getting hitched. Why now all of a sudden?”

Likha shrugged, “I don’t know either. Things have been stable the last years until Father’s announcement.”

“Now that I think about it, he did announce it just recently,” piped in Arden. “Perhaps he waited for the right time.”

“Right time?” Likha echoed.

“Sure,” smiled Arden. “Those Prevoirs are nitpicky when it comes to timing. Even the Western Expansion had to heed advice from their house when and how to go about the whole thing. I guess it works, seeing the results of our labor.”

Aleph hummed, trying not to think about the last time he saw his lover. Their fights never got this bad before, but perhaps Aleph had an oversight about how Khres really felt about all the developments happening left and right. Maybe he needs to talk to him to finally sort things out.

“Speaking of those pretty seers,” Arden continued as he gestured at Aleph. “How’s your beauty?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Aleph spoke slowly. “We have been otherwise preoccupied with our duties.”

Arden hummed, “If things get worse, sometimes you just gotta let your bodies speak. Right, Indak?”

“Uncle! I dance and not… do that!” Indak laughed, “Though you may have a point. There are times that actions do speak louder than words.”

Their uncle laughed as he jumped up from where he was lounging, “Anyhow, I will see you all tonight. Likha, I’m proud of your alchemical advancements. Aleph, you’re the crown prince now. It’s going to be embarrassing if an Erstellen prince such as yourself cannot sort it out with your lover. And Indak? Please do think about it. No one will laugh at you. If someone makes fun of your lovely dancing, I will come for their throat, okay?”

Arden walked towards the doors, “See you, kids, later!”

“Are you still fighting with my brother?” 

Khres pretended he hadn’t been startled at the voice of Prince Emet, turning to the youngest prince with a grimace. He turned from his perch on the balustrade of the terrace overlooking the Chymes Garden of the palace. “Aren’t you supposed to be with your fiancee and preparing for the feast tonight?” 

“Loreza’s politicking,” Emet answered, jumping to stand on top of the balustrade. “And I’m done seeing my brother mope.” 

“Aleph doesn’t mope,” Khres said with a roll of his eyes. The idea of Aleph sulking was an amusing one, but he didn’t think he’d ever truly seen that. 

Emet chuckled. “That’s what you say,” he said. “What was your fight about anyway?” 

“Why, Emet?” Khres asked in a challenging tone. “Are you planning on playing peacemaker?” 

“Why not?” Emet shrugged, jumping back down on the floor of the terrace. “Peace is wonderful. I think even my uncle will agree.” 

“The Commander General? Do you even know him?” 

“We met today,” Emet said with an easy grin. 

Khres laughed at the look on the prince’s face. Emet looked like he was having fun. Unlike Khres, Emet didn’t seem to have to fake those easy smiles. “And you already speak for his choices, don’t you?” 

“Aleph says he’s a fun uncle,” Emet said. “War isn’t fun.” 

“For you,” Khres pointed out. “About a third of the court would disagree.” 

“Do you?” 

“Not the subject of our conversation, your highness,” Khres shot back. He leaned back, balancing precariously on the edge. It wasn’t a long way down, and there were bushes to catch his fall if he did. He grinned, almost with a mad edge to it, at the prince. “Have you given up with your meddling then? Will Loreza be happy with you if you give up so easily?” 

“You’re a real bastard sometimes, Khres,” Emet said. 

Khres laughed. “And yet your brother loves me anyway.” 

“Does he still?” Emet said in an uncharacteristically harsh tone. “Maybe he’s gotten tired of you avoiding him.” 

“Low blow, your highness,” Khres said. “Well played.” 

Emet crossed his arms. “You’re still not going to say anything though, are you?” 

“Of course not, darling,” Khres almost purred, teasing the other. “It’ll take out all the fun, won't it? Let’s talk about why you sought me out exactly. You wouldn’t have just done it to meddle with my relationship.” 

“Why not?” Emet said, boosting himself to sit on the balustrade beside him as well. The sun was starting to set behind him, the red bleeding into the blue of the sky. It looked quite eerie, especially with the dreams of warm blood on his hands still haunting him in his waking moments. “I want my brother to be happy.” 

“But you have other things on your mind,” Khres pointed out. “Your upcoming marriage for one.” 

“I wanted your advice,” Emet admitted. 

“My advice?” Khres smirked. “Is it my advice you really want or a vision of the future?” 

“Is there a difference?” Emet asked, frowning in confusion. 

Khres clamped down on his bitter laugh at that question. He focused on the prince’s request instead. “What exactly are you looking for in a vision, Emet?” 

Emet shrugged. “I don’t know,” he admitted, hanging his head and looking down at their feet. The setting sun behind them cast long shadows on the floor of the terrace, and Khres tried to forget about the last few visions he had. “There are so many things I want to know.” 

“I can’t give you a detailed map of the future,” Khres pointed out. “And foreknowledge means changes and any changes made will make your foreknowledge null. Better to focus on one thing and use it only as a guide but not let it rule your life.” 

“I can see what you mean,” Emet said, looking up at him with a smile. “About your advice being different from a vision.” 

Khres blinked in surprise at the prince’s words. Before he could say anything in response though, the prince spoke once again. 

“I think I want to know about my family,” he said. “What happens to my family in the future?” 

Khres recovered from his earlier surprise. “Already planning for children, your highness?” He teased him.  “Does Loreza know?” 

Khres watched in amusement as the prince’s face flushed bright red. “That’s not what I meant,” the youngest prince insisted, flustered and glaring at him. Emet shook his head and blew out a breath. “I just want to know what happens when Aleph finally becomes king. I’m worried about what will happen then.” 

Khres flinched at the name of his beloved prince from the youngest royal’s mouth. He has never really thought to look at a future with Aleph as king. All he had pursued so far were visions of their future as lovers, a future that ended with blood on his hands and a look of betrayal on Aleph’s face. 

“Aleph as the king, huh?” 

Emet smiled at him. “Have you ever looked at it before?” 

“No,” Khres confessed. “It hasn’t even appeared in my dreams.” 

Emet frowned. “What does that mean? Is he–does it mean he dies?” 

“I didn’t say that,” Khres said. “Sometimes, I just have no reason to seek out certain paths.” 

“Even now?” Emet asked dubiously. Khres could see the prince drumming his fingers on the balustrade. “With everyone talking about Aleph being the heir?” 

Khres shrugged. “It never mattered to me,” he said. He carded his fingers through his hair and shut his eyes. “But shall we take a look then?” 

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar room. He recognized the sunroom shared by the royal children, but only the moon cast a light within. The furniture was all in disarray as if a struggle had just occurred. The large windows were broken as well, some jagged sharp pieces still falling from their weak hold on the metal frame. The frame itself seemed to have warped, the telltale signs of a gift or magic. 

Khres stepped deeper into the room, but his breath hitched when he saw something dark pooling underneath his boots. Somehow, he could tell that this was the same dark blood that haunted him in his dreams. He’d never seen this though, never saw the incident that caused his own nightmares. 

He followed the line of the blood to a body, and he knew without a doubt that it was nothing but a corpse now. Khres couldn’t see their face, but the long silver hair was quite distinct, and so was the silver dagger beside the body that he’s only seen once before. 

“Khres!” 

He jerked from the vision to see the worried, frantic look on Emet’s face. “What’s wrong, your highness?” He asked weakly, his perfect mask slipping. 

“You’re crying,” Emet observed with horror, and the prince’s short silver hair made him think of the vision once again. It wasn’t something he could just tell Emet. How would you tell someone that their brother will never be king because they might die instead? He thought of his dreams of blood on his hands, of the grief and guilt he seemed to feel in those dreams, and it suddenly made so much sense. He would forever blame himself if this vision ever came to pass. “What did you see, Khres?” 

Khres wiped the tears away with the back of his hands and laughed. “Nothing to worry about, your highness,” he said with a grin. “These are just tears of joy.”