Valis was still asleep when someone knocked on his door.

"Valen, there's a gift for you," he heard Adam's voice from the other side.

Valis frowned.
"A gift? For me?" He eventually responded with a short and not exactly polite reply, "Come in."

In Adam's hands was a carefully wrapped package tied with a green ribbon.

Valis yawned and carefully untied the ribbon, not sure what to expect. Inside was a decorative box, and within it... a set of vials filled with medicine. There was also a letter written in elegant, though somewhat masculine, handwriting:

"Sir Valen, we hope these remedies will bring you relief from your... condition. Please take them regularly. With care and wishes for good health, the House of Ladven."

"What condition?!" Valis froze in disbelief.

"Adam... what did you tell them?!" He hissed, holding up one of the vials.

"Well... you told me to send them away," Adam began flatly. "So... to stop them from asking too many questions, I said you were suffering from a rather embarrassing condition." He shrugged. "And look, they took care of you!"

"An embarrassing condition?!" Valis's voice rose. "Now the whole city will think I'm diseased, or that... that I have problems with..." He stopped suddenly.

Just then, Reggie walked into the room, checking if everything was all right after hearing his boss's raised tone. He glanced at the vial and said quickly, "Oh, I know this stuff! My grandma took it for bloating, but it is said it could even bring a horse back to life."

Valis closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm himself down, but it didn't quite work.
"Get out! Both of you, out!"

The door slammed behind Adam and Reggie, leaving Valis alone with the unwanted gift. He glared at the vials as if they might explode. After a moment, he shoved the entire box under his bed, muttering to himself.

"Embarrassing condition..."

He splashed water on his face, trying to push away the irritation. Outside, faint music drifted in through the window, along with the distant sound of gathering voices. Right, the parade.

Valis had been wondering whether it made any sense to participate at all. He had never been a fan of dense crowds: sweaty men, screaming children, and vendors trying to sell him something at every step.

With a heavy sigh, he threw on his worn coat. He had no desire to stand out in the crowd. At the last moment, on his way to the door, he paused. He should take one of his companions with him.

He walked towards the door where the red-haired teenager sat on the doorstep of the open door. "Reggie, want to go with me to the parade?" He thought he might like to learn a bit more about this strange boy.

Reggie turned his head, glancing up at Valis.
"Me?"

"Come, we don't have all day."

They left just before noon, leaving the business in Adam's hands, and made their way toward the market square. The sun was already high in the sky, and people were beginning to gather in the streets. It was exactly as Valis had expected: sweat and noise everywhere, children shrieking, and merchants shoving their products at them with every step.

"So, Reggie," Valis began, his tone casual, "where do you actually come from?"

Reggie kicked a loose stone on the square before answering.

"From here. And not from here."

Valis raised a brow. "That makes no sense."

The boy shrugged. "It doesn't matter where."

"Doesn't matter to you," Valis said, studying him, "but it might matter to me"

Reggie gave a small smile, "But for sure I'd rather stay here than go back there."

"Back where?"

Reggie looked ahead at the crowd gathering. "You ask a lot of questions, sir."

Valis smirked faintly. "And you give very few answers."

Reggie didn't answer after that.

For a while, they walked in silence. Val noticed that the teenager slowed down as they passed a stall where a cobbler had set out a row of leather shoes. His eyes lingered on a brown pair, far too costly for a boy like him, but he quickened his pace when Valis glanced his way.

Then they found a space in the crowd.

"Whose honor is this parade for?" Valis asked a woman standing next to them.

"You really don't know?" she replied, her voice filled with surprise. "Of course it's in honor of our Prince, Raven, and his family. Apparently, the young lord is to be married. Letters with marriage proposals are pouring in from everywhere..."

"I see..." muttered Valis. There was no time for further conversation, as the procession had begun.

At the front rode two horsemen carrying flags, followed by a group of guards. The same emblem of a black raven on each of them. Then came the open noble carriages, likely full of extended family or some guests. Valis did not recognize anyone in the first or second carriage. But in the third one... One much more embellished and decorated, yes.

He recognized Raven. The man's black hair was neatly combed back. Dressed in a black and gold suit, he looked dignified. He did not seem particularly delighted with the parade, yet he still bestowed polite smiles upon his subjects. Beside him sat his younger brother and his mother, both with the same bored looks, just like Raven.

A few years ago, it was supposed to be Valis who sat there as his spouse. They were meant to ride together in the carriage like this, gazing down at their people. Instead, Raven now rode as a handsome bachelor prince, while Valis stood among the crowd dressed in rags like a commoner. Like a nobody.
No... he was not nobody.
And soon they would all find out.

He wondered who House Ladven would choose as Raven's partner. A woman, or a man? What would they try to gain this time? He felt a sting of betrayal in his heart, a painful reminder of how he was abandoned by those people in that carriage.

That they have everything when he has nothing to his name. That even his real name was taken away from him. He couldn't even walk proudly as the Eldermere heir anymore, but instead was forced to wear all those masks, each one to deceive. He could never be himself. People loved Veragon and Valen.. Not Valis. That guy is just a brothel worker now.

'Get a grip'. He dug his fingernails into his palm to muffle the pain.

A tempting thought crossed his mind: to summon the rain. How pleasant it would be to see the crowd scatter for cover. He imagined Raven's expression, his soaked hair, and the panic of the Ladven servants rushing with umbrellas to shield their prince. Would they stop the parade, or would they continue, drenched to the bone?

He caught a sight of Raven turning his head, eyes skimming over the crowd. For a heartbeat, Valis forgot to breathe. Then, his gaze met his. The noise around him faded, every motion slowed, as if time itself had paused. All that remained was the heavy thud of his own heart.
'Did he see me?'

Suddenly, movement beside him broke through his thoughts. His companion dove down, crouching low, and began forcing his way through the crowd in blind panic.

"Reg?" Valis called, but the boy did not hear him. Reggie pushed ahead as if his life depended on it.

He pushed after him, but the mass of bodies closed around like a wall. He was elbowed, and someone even snapped at him to watch his step. He caught only fleeting glimpses of Reggie's red hair ahead in the crowd.

"Move!" Valis growled, shoving his way forward.

But the boy was already gone. He disappeared, like a drop swallowed by the sea.

Valis felt uneasy. Something was very wrong.