Slowly I get dressed, the uniform I wear everyday became almost a second-skin to me, the feeling of the smooth fabric on my skin for the first time still lingers my mind, different from the scratchy fabrics I was used to before, a long black tunic that was thick in the winter uniform and a light and breathable one in the summer, and a small white apron with the symbol of the Second Prince embroidered - such embroidery made by me when we arrived as the other servants refused to do so for us - and regular black worker shoes we change every trimester. 

For personal adornments besides the uniform, I do not use as many as some other servants, especially the ones from noble houses, but I carry a worn out pocket watch I bought during my mercenary days, two vials of potions I made myself and a small golden coin from the Temple of the Sun God. 

I’m not religious, although the existence of gods is a fact, as they often show up in front of humans and create species that can breed with such, I do not pray or wish for the favor of any particular god. However, once, when I was 10 and allowed to accompany one of the adults from the Tower to a local Temple, I was given this coin by a priest whom I do not recall the face or voice.

The warm feeling of his touch and the beauty of the golden coin with the symbol of the Sun God engraved in it, all were a marvel I never saw before, enough for me to wish to keep such marvel only to myself, as I never even showed it to my brother, keeping it with me at all times. 

If I remember correctly, while giving me the coin the stranger said: ‘’Poor child, as your future is colored in black, may this bring the warmth and undo the knots that stop you from shining brightly as you could’’.

Beautiful words for a child covered in needle holes, words of blessing, but the hope they brought were engraved in that coin as I, by myself, became unable to feel it. 

After placing everything inside my pockets, I move to organize my things, getting the book I was reading the night before back on my desk, setting up the bed and opening the curtains. The sun still didn’t start to rise, but the chirping of the birds can already be heard in the distance. Once I finish it all, I turn to my roommate and twin brother, the sound of his breathing brings me peace on a regular day like this.

I place my hand on Raphael's shoulder, making the man complain tiredly as he turns, a book falling from his hand as he slowly wakes up. Another romance novel, where does he keep getting those? I think, but am just as aware that half of the ones he owns were gifted by me. 

As he slowly open his eyes I observe his hair is longer than mine now, and he has a bit of beard growing, meaning I should get my tools ready soon and cut it for him, it's almost funny how he grows a beard so easily when we’re both twins and I never had even a speck of facial hair.

“Morning”, he says with a yawn.

“Were you up late reading again?” I say as I grab the book that fell from his bed and place it on his side of the room. 

“Well, I certainly wasn't eager to sleep and then wake up to work all over again”, he says with another yawn as he gets up to get dressed. He may complain about work, but between us, he’s the one that has the best relationship with the Prince and the other servants.

“I'll go get his highness tea ready”, I sigh, taking a deep breath. 

“I don't get it why he's so obsessed with mana, it never did us any good”, Raphael mumbles as he puts on his uniform. I scoff, that is true. 

Having mana is a blessing for many, but for children of commoners that could be a death sentence. Developing your mana and thriving as a magician is a dream only nobles can achieve, well, nobles and children that spent their whole formative years trapped in a Tower as experiments.

Compared to the children we left behind back when we escaped the Tower, me and Raphael are living like Kings.

Even if the Lord we serve is a bit… eccentric.

Nikias Gregor Chrysl, Second Prince of the Exos Empire is commonly known across the land as the Useless Prince, such title was earned during his teenage years as he proved time and time again to be leagues behind his older brother, Crown Prince Alkaios Theodore Chrysl.

Of course, after three and a half years serving him, in my personal opinion, he's more a victim of his own family neglect than a true evil mastermind. Although he does have a few questionable choices, his actions are misinterpreted even when he does something considered “good”. Just like offering a job to me and Raphael, as the rumors twisted to say we're assassins helping him to get rid of his brother.

Well, not that it would take much to get to that assumption.

After all, it is true he's poisoning the Crown Prince.

“It isn't our place to judge”, I say simply, we are there to follow orders, and as long as our salary is secured, that is what I'm going to do. After exchanging a few more words with Raphael, I leave our room towards the Palace’s kitchen.

The Palace is just as majestic as the Empire itself, even the servants' passages are covered in marble and gold, the main hallways are even more luxurious with masterpieces exposed like a museum and paintings of the history of the Empire covering the walls near the Throne room. 

Just like the scale, it takes quite a while to go from the servants wing to the main Palace. The servants I walk by pass by me as if I'm non-existent, not that I really mind since they don't interfere with my job. The only servants that need to speak with me properly are the ones responsible for the Second Prince’s services.

Entering the kitchen is like entering a battlefield, people walking around pressed for time, yells and the damned heat. It took me four months to get used to the environment and even so, I still find it overwhelming during events. The maids nod as they pass me, it's near the time that the Royals wake up, so everyone is running around preparing breakfast. Usually I would be doing the same if the Prince I served was a regular Royal, but Prince Nikias doesn't eat breakfast everyday, as to maintain his figure he only eats when his parents invite him for meals, otherwise he survives with tea and light soups throughout the day.

If you have any food in the world available to you, yet still chooses to starve, aren't you more of an idiot than useless?

Swiftly I move towards the tea station, preparing the mana tea I'm used to serving the Prince every morning. Just like regular tea I heat the water in one of the four kettles available and prepare the Prince's favorite teacup with the mint leaves. Glancing around to check if there isn't anyone around I grab the small bottle from my apron and place the liquid inside the teacup after I pour in the water. Rarely would only a cup of tea be prepared, however for the mana tea, preparing in a teapot would be inappropriate. The tea shines purple before setting up.

There are different levels of mana teas, but the use is always the same: improving mana circulation and mana outage, however, for those without mana it could cause severe internal bleeding and even induce comatose in some cases, although there are rumors that if a person with no mana drinks mana tea for a considerable amount of time, mana starts to accumulate in their bodies and they’ll be able to use it.

That whole rumor is reckless, stupid and incredibly dangerous. Of course, Prince Nikias knows that, but either way, the boy is so desperate to catch onto his older brother that he’s willing to risk his life just for the small chance the rumor might be right. Not that I didn’t warn him.

The same can be said with his other reckless actions that I must follow by his order. As I leave the kitchen with his tea on a silver platter, I pause near the exit where the Crown Prince maids are chatting.

‘’...I think he’s just playing me, ya know? Like, ya just a stable boy!’’ One of the young maids says with a high-pitched tone.

‘’You need to value yourself more Caroline, that boy hits on every maid’’, the other maid says as they turn to walk towards the oven, taking the opportunity when they’re both distracted I empty the second vial from my apron on the Crown Prince’s teapot. Swiftly I dodge the other workers, finally leaving the kitchen, it does not matter if the tea reaches the Prince’s quarters or not, my job was done regardless.

It’s been six months since Prince Nikias asked me to develop a poison to give to his brother. The 17 year-old boy is almost cute on his attempt to get his older brother’s attention, a poison weak enough to bypass the food test made by the servants, but strong enough to affect the Crown Prince’s health and mana. Not enough to kill him, of course, that’s not the goal.

The goal is making the brother feel weak enough to take a break, according to Prince Nikias, he wants to make his brother step down so that he can catch the attention of others, but both Raphael and me, after three years next to the boy, know quite well he just wants his brother to take a break and rest, as all he’s done after the coronation is work and barely sleep.

Not that the poison was affecting that unhealthy lifestyle, even looking anemic, the Crown Prince still barely sleeps and works himself to the bone. He’ll be a great Emperor, but he’s a bad brother.

Prince Nikias’ quarters are the only Royal’s room that has no Knight at its door and no maids walking nearby, just to be in standby. The difference in treatment between him and his brother is clear per usual, I knock softly on the door, already knowing the Prince won’t answer.

Slowly I open the door, Prince Nikias’ room is as white as the rest of the Palace, filled with gold and precious stones decorations, there is no need to draw the curtains as the ones he uses are already practically transparent. The morning routine of the Second Prince is quite simplistic, after placing the tea on the table he has in the middle of his room, I grab one of his regular outfits from his closet, and proceed to place it at the divan at the end of his bed. 

‘’Your highness, the sun is rising’’, I say softly, my hand on his shoulder.

He has a really bad habit of sleeping almost naked, a silk robe that slides off as he moves during his sleep; that wouldn’t be a problem if Prince Nikias wasn’t, by anyone’s standard, the most beautiful man in the Empire. Silver hair that shines be it day or night, smooth skin similar to one of a baby, soft features that make anyone’s heart skip a beat and gorgeous golden eyes that shine like the sun itself. It’s impossible not to blush and feel your heart thumping inside your chest as you glance at him, regardless of how many weeks, months or years I work for him, I cannot say I have become immune to his appearance. 

Of course the sudden flush in my face lasts for only a few seconds as the Prince slowly wakes up.

‘’Morning, Lowe’’, he mumbles, rubbing his eyes, his voice is deep and hoarse, a huge contrast to his appearance. ‘’Did you sleep well?’’ He asks almost innocently, and perhaps that’s why I cannot bring myself to hate the Prince, although he is, by any sense, a nobleman, those whom I despise the most.

‘’The tea is already served, your highness, and your clothes are on the divan’’, I say, helping him off the bed as he stumbles around, the strong scent of alcohol means he was drinking until late alone again, usually alcohol is only permitted to those over 18 years old, as they come of age. However the Prince has been consuming alcohol since I arrived at the Palace, when he was 14 years old, if it was up to me, he wouldn’t do so, but he seems to only use his wits when hiding his bottles from my radar.

‘’Thank you Lowe, you’re the best’’, he says, taking off his robe and putting on his regular clothes, I turn around. He doesn’t even think about going to take a shower despite the bathroom being connected to his room, after all, he has no appointments today, per usual, so he’ll probably stay inside his room, staring outside the window or reading epic novels.

Even as he stumbles around, barely dressed, with bed hair and a light frown on his face, no one can question he’s a Prince, elegance in his every move and beauty that makes most overlook his poor personality.

Of course, Prince Nikias’ ‘bad personality’ is mostly his tantrums when he doesn’t get what he wants, alcohol abuse and short-temper with servants that disrespect him to his face. In my personal opinion, punishing him for slapping a maid that called him ‘the failed son’ and ‘the half-brain pet of the Royal family’, is bad parenting. Not that I can tell the Emperor and Empress that their son only wants their attention every now and then and that leaving their son for the raising of ill-intended nobles isn’t really the best course of action.

Compared to the ones that conducted the experiments at the Tower me and Raphael spent years in, Prince Nikias’ ‘evil acts’ are mostly cute.

Unfortunately the morning goes by quickly as I exchange light conversation with the Prince and give him company as he reads another novel and sighs as he looks through his window. ‘’Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could escape the scopes of the life we were born in by nothing but our own choices?’’ And every once in a while, he throws me questions I’m unaware of how to answer. ‘’How beautiful a world where class and money don’t dictate our position in society would be?’’

I never can tell if he’s secretly smart pretending to be stupid or so stupid that sometimes can be smart when he just thinks for a bit?

‘’I think that wondering such things would be beyond my station, your highness’’, I answer as I clean his desk and his books. Prince Nikias laughs softly, his humor is always the best in the morning when we’re talking. 

‘’I apologize, I didn't mean to put you on the spot.’’ He says, his eyes seem to long for something beyond, sometimes I catch myself pitying the Second Prince, perhaps that’s another reason why I don’t hate him like I do other nobles.

Would I come to stop hating nobles if I met more of them? I doubt it.