Alvira Zeal was surprised upon taking notice of the optimistic mood in her darker companion as she sat fiddling with her napkin after the evening meal that night. Watching him with a slight tint of humor, she often wondered at the impassivity of his countenance as he stood silently next to her seat during meals, never speaking unless directly addressed, and even then would react as if he had just been grudgingly pulled back from some distant place in which he'd rather be.

He smiled wryly and cast her a sideways glance at realizing that he was being watched. "Is there something you would like to ask me?"

She started to shake her head, but then reconsidered halfway through the act and nodded instead. "You seem to be in better spirits than usual tonight, Prophet. I'm just curious about whether something might have happened today or not."

"No… not really. Just getting more acquainted with the kingdom, nothing more."

"Have you yet gotten acquainted with the Gurus like I recommended?"

"Sort of. I'm on regular talking terms with the three of them, to say the least."

"Oh, good. But you still refuse to associate with the nobles?"

"They're obnoxious, and they try to hover over everyone. How could I not?"

"Gossip has always been one of their favorite hobbies, and seeing as how you avoid them like the plague, they don't really know what to think of you. I suppose it's better that way, but you know you can't prevent people from at least wondering. You're always adamant about keeping yourself in the shadows."

"I'd like to keep it that way, with an exception here and there."

"You mean the Gurus?"

"Them, too."

"And who else?"

The Seer immediately clamped his mouth shut, knowing he had said too much already. He rather enjoyed keeping secret his new affiliation to the youngest royal. And Janus seemed to prefer it as well. "Sorry, my mind had slipped back to a different time. I was thinking of a past friend of mine." The thoughts of his lost feline companion had crossed his mind again. He just couldn't restrain his fascination at the aspect of there being two Alfadors, just as he was with Janus. And quite oddly, interacting with the youth didn't seem to be affecting him in any way - other than keeping him unusually contented, allowing himself to re-live his past a bit. "If your majesty has no immediate need of me, and with your permission, I will now take leave to my chambers."

"Plans?"

"No, just typical musings."

"I see. Well, then by all means."

"Thank you, your majesty." He stole a quick glance at the clock at the front of the great room before vanishing through the twin doors.

xxxxxxxxxx

He wandered amidst the confusion so suddenly that it took him several moments to digest the scene before him. Crouched in the middle of the hallway leading to the royal chambers were two similar forms and a third furry one - the royal siblings and one cat companion. Reluctant to make his presence known, he sidled against the wall to shroud himself within its shadows.

From what he could see, Schala had her hands positioned to snatch something from her brother, who shielded whatever he had by placing himself between her and the object of focus. Janus wore a mask of great determination on his face, apparently not at all willing to let go whatever it was that he held. Magus tilted his head, wondering what Janus had found.

"Janus." Schala made no attempt whatsoever to hide the fierce demand in her speech. This was an extremely rare sight for both the prince and his darker counterpart; Schala almost never flared with such anger, her normally frail and meek personality only making it all the more astonishing. "You shouldn't keep a strange object that you find when you know absolutely nothing about any dangerous potential it may have. Now give it here so that we may take it to the Gurus to be looked at. They're the authorities on these sorts of odd things. Know that I am only looking out for your safety and well-being as your older sister. I only have your best interests at heart."

Now his curiosity was piqued to full attentiveness. What on earth was going on here? What exactly was the damn object that was being so fussed over?

"I am going to have it looked at," Janus defended. "I'm not on such friendly terms with the Gurus. I want to give it to someone I can trust."

"But that's the issue. You don't trust anyone outside of the family."

"Well, I'm certainly not at all inclined to give it to Mother. She's become so different that I hardly recognize her at all anymore, and it scares me." Tears were quickly welling in the corners of his eyes. "Please tell me you know something that I don't, Schala. You normally connect better with her than I do. I… I want to be able to love Mother again, but I find it impossible. Nowadays she only frightens me." He furiously wiped at the streaks on his face with his free hand, the other deftly concealing the mystery object within his robes while Schala still concentrated on his face.

"Janus… If this is what has been bothering you lately, you really shouldn't worry about keeping it secret from me. I only understand it as much as you do." Her own tears were beginning to threaten, her attention losing the situation at hand to fully worry for her brother. Without speaking any further, she reached for him and pulled him into a desperate embrace, both siblings with their tears now unchecked.

Such uncertain future was a prospect that anyone would find terrifying, and neither of them knew it quite as well as their silent, secret companion. Magus' own eyes narrowed in the sharing of their pain, yet he did not cry. It wouldn't come to him so easily as it used to. His time travels had given him more than a fair share of shocks and surprising revelations that he hardly reacted to them anymore. His emotions had regressed to near nonexistence, which was the very thing that allowed him to stare out at the world now with such impassivity. He had hollowed out in his years as Fiendlord, otherwise he would have recoiled in disgust at himself for all the atrocious acts that he had then committed. Seeing now that these things were striking much closer to his home, just maybe, he thought, he could find the strength to return to humanity.

Yet at the current late hour and viewing the state that the pair before him was in, he wished nothing more than to immediately shut it all out and return to that barren emptiness. It was his only form of self-consolation anymore. Addressing the situation as it now was, he decided to dismiss it entirely and crept back to the royal guest chambers.

Sorry, that it's taking so long to update! Family, school, work, you name it. They've all gotten me busy, and I keep getting distracted from this fanfic with other projects. I know it sounds like excuses, and I'm also aware of the shortness of this chapter. -.- I have a few more chapters finished, but I'm going to hold onto them for a bit more revising. I'll spread them out and post them in the coming months.