Revenant Requiem
He should have fought harder.
That is Lovino's sole thought as he sifted through the papers scattered about his room like so many autumn leaves after a storm.
"This is for the good of Oriel," said one Council member.
"It is your duty," said another.
The sunlight was fierce and streamed through the arched window making the room glow from within as the diamond chandelier sparkled, and the gold veining the wall in elegant floral patterns gleamed. When Lovino was set to the task of organizing everything for his departure to the Region of Armozel, the sun was still rising over the horizon, which meant that he had wasted a good portion of a good day he'll never get back.
Just a precursor to the misery to come.
He snorted. It wasn't as if he was an inborn diplomat and skilled in the art of human interaction. But they wanted him out of the way. He was quick of temper, foul of mouth, and everything his younger brother wasn't-namely, hotheaded and hard to control. Not to belittle Feliciano, of course. It wasn't his fault that the Council was composed of a variety of schemers, narcissists, and sycophants. Still, that failed to take away the sting of being forced to leave while his younger brother got to stay.
The one bright spot in all this was that he had permission to skip out on today's Gathering; however, he'd rather endure a thousand Gatherings than to be sent away to a place where he'd be ignored-shunted aside, treated as nothing more than a pretty doll.
Irrelevant.
It was getting to the time where the Council would adjourn for a break, leaving Feliciano with a few hours to come and visit him. The ritual that had become the norm the past few days would proceed: talk about trivial matters, take a walk in the Gardens, and persuade someone to escort them around Romana's upper district, only to remember that the Council would resume within the next half hour and they'd rush back to the Palace. Late, despite their valiant efforts.
He shuffled more papers into a haphazard pile, pausing as someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" he called.
"Just me," Feliciano said as Lovino shoved a bunch of papers into his desk drawer. Lovino turned around, his head angled.
"Finally," he replied. The door swung open and Feliciano stepped in, dressed in a robe of cream and bronze that brought out the unusual amber tint in his brown eyes.
"Sorry, they were quite talkative today, ve." He made his way over to the bed, falling back on the covers made of sumptuous silks and plush velvets.
Lovino folded his arms, resting his delicate frame against the desk. "Oh, really? What concerned them so?"
Perhaps it was the bitter tone in his voice that prompted Feliciano to push himself upright. Perhaps it was the sour mood he has been in for the last few days which caused him to receive a concerned look from his younger brother. Whatever it was, Feliciano had caught on to it.
"Brother…" he trailed.
Lovino narrowed his eyes, biting the inside of his cheek as the edge of the desk cut into his hip. "Don't start with me."
Feliciano leaned forward, the translucent gold droplet dangling from his right ear flashing. "It's just that..."
Lovino pressed his lips into a thin line. A bubble of silence enveloped the two. It expanded, grew thin and sheer. Feliciano inclined his head towards the window. Worried, but mute.
"So," began Lovino, popping the bubble of silence. "Is it the same today?"
Feliciano nodded, casting a sidewards glance. "Ve, if you want it to be."
Lovino gave him a curt nod. "Sure," he said, looking down at the desk. "Just let me get these damn papers organized." He turned his back towards Feliciano, glaring downwards. The younger Prince rose from his seat.
"I'll help."
"No, I don't-" Lovino started. But it was no use. Already, Feliciano was sifting through the mahogany bookshelf shoved against the back wall of Lovino's room, extracting loose papers and arranging the books by alphabetical order. The soft humming of an Orielan folk song muted Lovino's half sigh. Fine, if he wanted to be that way, then he could be that way.
Lovino shoved some stray pens into a drawer.
He hated cleaning anyways.
The two brothers sat in awkward silence.
Their escort, clad in the lightweight armor of the Imperial Guard, stared at the two as Feliciano watered his wine. Lovino poked at his lunch with a fork, its tines ablaze with the harsh sunlight. The outside air was crisp and fresh, smelling of sea salt, citrus, and spices from the Parjani Isles.
Lovino glanced at the guard, then down at the food before him: cappon magro-a salad of seafood and vegetables that blanketed the hardtack underneath. It tasted bland to him. The dressing, too much. The seafood, overcooked. The hardtack was awful as well, though that was nothing new.
"Are you about done?" asked the guard.
Feliciano raised his chin. "Is it about time to head back, Sadiq ?" He took a sip from his wine glass, then set it back down on the linen tablecloth. Gold wires wrapped themselves around the stem of the glass, branching out into vines that crept up towards the rim in intricate lines.
"There is still time," the guard replied. "But, I'm sure there are other things you want to do." He folded his arms. "And I refuse to take another ounce of blame for you being late, Vargas." A few onlookers bristled at the brazen tone the guard used.
Lovino's lips curled upwards in a faint smirk. The disrespect this guard showed them was one of the few reasons he trusted him. It was always the nice ones you had to beware of. The crass would wave the dagger around in the air, cursing before they charged at you. The ones with a smile on their face would be the ones to slit your throat in the dead of night after having dinner with you.
Feliciano let out a nervous laugh. "Surely, they aren't blaming you? I tell them over and over that it's of no fault of your own, ve."
Sadiq rubbed his thumb against the stubble on his chin. "You know as well as I do that most of those old folks in the Council don't take anything you say into consideration, Vargas."
Lovino set his fork down. "They will, eventually."
The guard chortled. "Right? Once you turn eighteen and are able to claim your right to rule." He listed to the left. "I suppose that's why they're shipping you off Armozel. So they can get as much done in what little time they have without your interference."
Lovino bit the inside of his cheek. Feliciano stiffened.
"I don't think-"
"They won't get much done," said Lovino. "Lorenzo is still on the Council, and still plenty influential." He shot Feliciano a look. "Not to mention Feliciano has a seat, and his votes count for two-being the second born."
The younger Prince sighed and shook his head. "See? You have him started," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Sadiq responded with an apologetic shrug.
"Pointless," Lovino muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Absolutely pointless."
Feliciano folded his hands and leaned forward. "If you can secure solid diplomatic relations with Armozel, that would be beneficial-"
Lovino waved a hand, indicating that he thought Feliciano's words were nonsense. "If it was about relations, you would be the better one to send."
Sadiq laughed. "That's true!" His hazel eyes glinted with a rogue light. "Little spitfire, aren't you? Be more likely to ignite a war than negotiate a treaty."
Feliciano rubbed his brow, eyelids fluttering.
Lovino glowered at Sadiq for the longest time before making an obscene gesture with the butter knife. He could hear the scandalized murmurs of the eavesdroppers and onlookers, but at this point, he couldn't care less. "Why don't you go, then?"
Sadiq rolled his eyes. "I'm a fighter, not a liar. You think I'd fare much better than you?"
A blush tinged Lovino's cheeks. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"
The guard widened his eyes. "What am I implying?"
"That my brother's a liar," snapped Lovino. His fingers tightened around the silver shaft of the knife.
Feliciano buried his face in his hands.
Sadiq snorted, placing a hand on his forehead. "Why the hell would I suggest that? You know as well as I do that he can keep his mouth shut."
Lovino stole a glance at Feliciano and bit the inside of his cheek, setting the butter knife back down on the table. "I want to leave," he announced imperiously, because excelled in acting imperious when he wanted to. And right now, he wanted to.
Sadiq exchanged glances with Feliciano, who nodded.
"Alright, where to?"
The crowd was thick in the Centre, filled with shouts, smells, and colors bright enough to make one's head hurt. Vendors hawked their wares, well-dressed people admired the various goods up for sale, and there were collective oohs and aahs as a dancing troupe performed their weekly ritual.
Feliciano led the way, holding his brother's hand. Sadiq was right behind them, his arms burdened with a variety of packages. They slipped past the crowd gathered around a spice peddler's table, the aroma of turmeric and mace strong enough to make Lovino's eyes water.
"How much longer do you plan on walking around here?" groaned the guard. Feliciano paused and turned around, head cocked in a birdlike fashion.
"How long until I have to go back?"
Sadiq glimpsed down at his wrist. "I'd say about another hour."
Feliciano nodded. "So, about fifteen more minutes, ve."
Sadiq looked up at the sky, mock horror scrawled all over his features. Lovino snorted, suppressing a yawn as he scanned the area surrounding them. Nothing interesting: jewelry, silks, and various sweets from every region known to man. The scars on his left wrist itched.
Feliciano looked at the various stalls in a thinker's pose, lips pursed. "So… where to?"
Lovino wanted to go back. Sadiq wanted to go back. Feliciano did not want to go back, however. Which meant they were stuck here for just a little longer. Feliciano would be the one stuck in a stuffy room with a bunch of bastards for the next few hours. Not Lovino, nor Sadiq.
Lovino folded his arms.
But then again, he was getting sent away.
"Can we head back?" he asked.
Feliciano blinked. "Oh? Uhm…" He alternated a glance between Sadiq and his brother, then sighed. "Sure."
Lovino hovered outside the set of towering gilt doors that led into the Council Room. The tapping of his foot against marble echoed off the walls adorned with paintings of flora and fauna from places he didn't know, and scenery from an era, long past. It took everything he had to avoid kicking a column. He wasn't even attending the Council, but here he was. Meanwhile, Feliciano was in his room, about to be late.
For only the hundredth time.
Why couldn't he stay?
"Ve, brother?" Feliciano approached him, eyes wide. He had changed into a knee-length tunic, shot with threads of gold and cinched at the waist with a wide leather belt, and simple red-brown leggings that matched his hair color to perfection. "What are you doing here?"
Lovino raised his chin. "Just waiting to see if you'd show up on time."
Feliciano beamed. "That's nice of you."
Lovino gave him a slight shake of his head. "No, I was praying for you to be late so I could laugh at the wizened bastards as they threw another fit."
Feliciano shook his head, trying, and failing, to look annoyed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to not antagonize the Elders?"
Lovino rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his hip. "It wouldn't be me antagonizing them, it would be you, idiot."
Feliciano sighed, wringing his hands together. The faded white scars on his wrist peeked out from the leather gloves he wore. "Fair enough, but I don't think you help matters."
With an irritated look, Lovino said, "Are you trying to start something?"
Feliciano held his hands out in front of him. "Of course not! But, I overheard some of the Elders complaining about your conduct, and they've been agitated as of late."
Lovino snorted, his nostrils flaring. "Aren't they always agitated?"
His younger brother started to chew on his bottom lip. "They're even more tense, brother. They seem to be in negotiations with Armozel, and whatever it is…" His words trailed off into a wistful sigh. "I wish I could understand half of what they're saying, but it's all incredibly complicated legal matters that I can only start to get the hang of. Though, there was one issue that didn't seem to involve Armozel… something about a Grail?"
Lovino huffed, then folded his arms. "Oh, the Sacred Chalice?" A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Those fools are doddering on about religion in between moments of asinine political maneuvering now? And here I was thinking they couldn't get any more annoying. Damnation, salvation, blah blah blah." He furrowed his brow and looked down at the turquoise swirls veining the floor.
Four months.
Four months and he could put an end to their nonsense.
Feliciano flexed his shoulders. "I guess, perhaps."
Lovino blew his bangs away from his eyes. "Why are they worrying about such stuff when they have no souls to begin with?" He shook his head. "Anyways, shouldn't you be heading in now?"
Feliciano hummed, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't think they'll be expecting me for another five minutes, at least."
Lovino placed a hand on his brother's back, mouth pressed into a thin line. "Cute, real cute." He shoved Feliciano towards the door. "Now, get in there, you idiot. If they discover the meaning of life, be sure to tell me, alright?"
Feliciano chuckled despite himself. "Sure thing, ve."
The silence that followed the sound of the door closing behind Feliciano was lonely. Lovino looked over his shoulder, down the empty corridor. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the wall.
Two more days.
Read between the lines, think hard, and realize how complicated relationships can be.
Feedback is much appreciated (but not required) so I can spot, and fix any of the B.S. that comes with making a first fanfiction. Thanks for taking the time to read this.