Coming up with lesson plans to provide the advisors had been simple enough. Frederich impressed himself at how easily he forged fake classes for helping Radhildur. It also made things smoother when Radhildur debriefed Frederich through all their previous childhood etiquette sessions. 

Amused and perhaps a bit miffed, Frederich realized Radhildur had just the same amount of training as any other court noble, the only difference was that Radhildur didn't care to employ that knowledge in the slightest. They were polite and considerate to those who offered that courtesy to them, and brutish when it came to those who outwardly expressed distaste. 

Frederich found this dichotomy to Radhildur's general smug and mischievous personality extremely bemusing. Perhaps two months ago, it would've annoyed him. But now he came to find Radhildur's acting as a source of entertainment. Watching advisors and nobles alike be dismissed without second thought, fuming at the end of an encounter, had Frederich often laughing to himself. 

His faux plans focused on introducing Radhildur to common court etiquette. This included mannerisms, social skills and dancing, as well as increased knowledge in Celestials and their importance to the other two kingdoms. Advisor Jaerin seemed skeptical but admitted that the king highly favored these topics as the initial areas of focus. It was then that Frederich stressed the importance of sleep providing good memory retention, and how it was necessary for Radhildur as a student.

Begrudgingly, Advisor Jaerin affirmed he would see that the seventh heir returned to a regular sleep schedule.  

Regardless of whether or not Frederich had made the smartest move in his wager with the king, he prided himself on outwardly making a difference. Regardless of how it would last in the long term.

Three nights had passed since the bargain, and it was the first night since turning in the plans. As he fell asleep, body sinking into that comfortable weight and mind becoming heavy, Frederich found himself in the Atrium of the Celestials. Breathing in the heady air that swirled with the frosty touch of Ku, Frederich searched the darkened lands for either Celestial or its champion.

It seemed that in over the month of his absence, the landscape had changed. Ku's realm, while murky, had a hidden ethereal quality to it. Now,  it felt like wading through a swamp, the landscape uncertain and thick with ichor. The gloominess reminded him of that very first dream where he found himself in the Atrium, trapped in an unending bog of inky darkness that threatened to stifle him. Frederich picked his way carefully through the landscape, hoping to catch sight of Ku or Radhildur. 

“Frederich,” the timbre of Radhildur's male voice immediately sent a wave of relief washing through Frederich.

He turned to find them, only to stagger a step back. Radhildur stood behind him, their hair pulled back like when they dressed as Rognvaldur. Their outfit was their usual velvet dress. But instead of their wild, windsept bangs guarding their eyes, a pair of antlers woven from starlight pushed back the dark strands of hair and stretched up to the sky.

“Rathi?” Frederich breathed out slowly.

Their normally sharp gaze seemed to glow. “Freddie… I think something is wrong with Ku. I can't find it. But, I feel stronger here. There's this electric fizzle that's drawing me in, like a magnet.”

Frederich frowned. Ku's presence should've been all around them, and instead there was a residual aura mostly emanating from the strange antlers from Radhildur's head. “Is there a chance it went to visit any of the other Celestials?”

“It hasn't left when I’ve been here before.” They hesitantly brushed their fingers against their forehead and the base of their antlers. “This has never happened before.”

“You don't think it's a result of your transformation in the waking world, do you?” Frederich asked. 

Radhildur's eyes widened a bit, and he could see their thoughts racing behind their gaze.

“First the weakened gates to the Celestial realm,” Radhildur murmured, “then my own physical instability, and now Ku's disappearance.”

“The tides of the Celestials may be changing.” Frederich's arms crossed over his chest. “Ku mentioned that belief in the Celestials' existence affects their very essence. If your disappearance from the public eye, even as Rognvaldur, brought down the public acknowledgement of it…what if that led to a negative impact?”

“I…surely not. Reyk's belief in the Celestial alone shouldn't be strong enough to erase it.” Radhildur murmured. “There are still two other nations.”

“But yet Reyk’s lack of belief is enough to corrupt Ku. Change its plane of being into something beyond recognition.”

Radhildur seemed to pale at that. 

Frederich reached his hand out, patiently waiting until they laced their fingers in his. He gave a light smile. “Don't worry just yet. Talk to the Crown Princess, see if her patron was able to reveal anything through visions. The disappearance of a Celestial would topple their hierarchy.”

After a beat, Radhldur sagged a bit with relief and nodded. “You're right. Something is wrong, but we shouldn't panic until we understand what's happening.”

Frederich gave a light squeeze to their hand. “We'll figure this out.”

Radhildur hummed in agreement, leaning down and placing the softest of kisses on Frederich's brow.

Frederich woke up with warmth blooming in his stomach and a relatively positive outlook on his day.

He prepared as usual for the day, with only an added skip in his step. When he clambered down the ladder from his room in the attic, he noticed Bea watched him warily even as he wordlessly moved past her—only a little song that hummed in his chest following in his wake. 

Bea's friendship and constant chatter was one of the things he missed most during his  family’s estrangement. Knowing how little his parents liked to disclose when there were troubles, Frederich was also uncertain that Bea knew why he was being shunned. It was very likely that his father hadn't mentioned the why to his mother either. Perhaps that made the burden a little easier to bear. He couldn't blame his sister if she didn't know better. 

He ventured to the kitchen, rooting around the salt box for anything he could take with him on today's excursion and found cured pork strips and salted cheese. He took those, wrapping them in a floral napkin from one of the cabinets. 

Even though he knew they probably would eat far better meals than this, Frederich also packed a portion for Radhildur. 

As he started to leave, Bea siddled up behind him, handing him his rupsack. “Freddie?”

Startled, Frederich turned to her and offered her a grateful nod as he accepted the offering. “Bea? What’s wrong?”

She passed him his bag, sighing with relief a little. “I just missed talking with you. It’s boring.”

Frederich smiled and shouldered his bag. “It's rather dull without your morning gossip updates. I hope things have been well?”

“Of course they haven't,” Bea snapped back. “Why did Dah tell me I couldn't talk with you? I don't understand. And then he had the gall to tell me to stop following Rognvaldur around and—”

“Well you shouldn't be following anyone around, Bea, that's not safe.” Frederich ruffled her hair, her curls bouncing from side to side as he did. “Dah has his reasons, and I have mine. But it's okay. These things happen.”

“Well they shouldn’t, it's not fair!” Bea stomped her foot, almost petulantly. “You're my brother! No one should tell me whether or not I can talk to you.”

“You're a good kid, Bea, and I love you very much. Just remember that, and nothing Dah says about me otherwise will matter, okay?” Frederich took a step back and then another. He opened the door and stepped past the threshold. “Now, before Mum wakes up, hurry out after me. Otherwise she’ll tell Dah that you and I were having a conversation, and you’ll be punished most likely.”

He left after that, not waiting to see if his sister hurried out after him.