DISCLAIMER: i do not own the characters of Sailor Moon

A/N: Adult Seiya is finally up. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter.


Chapter 7 – Seiya's Choice

It was dusk and the sun was slowly creeping back under the blanket of the horizon, marking the end of another day. Atop a window's ledge, sat the tall lanky figure of a young man and his head was resting backwards against the stone brick lining of the window. He sighed as he watched the sky darkened to a deep blue which would soon be glittered with many small lights. He breathed in the sweet scent of the night as the nocturnal creatures that lurked in the dark forest began to sing and dance. But there was an even greater reason for him to be gazing ever so passionately, like a lover, into the great never-ending space above him. A gentle smile eased into the corners of his lips as he basked in the soft silver glow of the full moon. Then a breeze blew across his face, sending the long locks of his dark hair to drift into the night air. Like a free man, he thought. And he wondered if nights like this would still be a possibility after tomorrow. After all... he thought to himself as he began nodding off, his lashes started feeling heavy.

After all... then he dozed off.

The tower bell chimed at the wake of dawn and the young man stirred awake, only to find that the nocturnal creatures had retired into the shadows and as he stared out into the horizon, he could see birds swooping through the air from a distance. Realizing that he had dozed off on the window ledge again, he stretched his neck out of the window and gazed downwards. It was a long way down and he shuddered at the thought of his skull cracking at contact with the stone path below. It amazed him how he managed to sleep upright all night. If only the night did not end so soon, he thought as the image of the silver moon resurfaced in his mind.

The sound of light knocking brought his attention back into the room. It was a lengthy room which could fit fifty horses—yes he had tested it once, much to his parents' disdain. His bed was placed diagonally across the window, against the far side of the wall. Its sheets were made from the threads of the finest silkworms and yet it lay smooth, barely touched by his skin for the finest things meant nothing to him. Next to his bed was a smaller mat where he would rather spend most of his sleeping nights on, other than the window ledge.

"Prince Seiya?" asked the voice on the other side of the door which was standing just between the window and his bed. "Come in, Kunzite." The young man responded, immediately knowing who it was. An older looking man with hair as white as snow entered the room and found the prince's still silhouette resting on the window ledge. The only movement was the outline of his loose dark tresses that were flowing towards him as the morning wind blew against them. Kunzite thought that he almost looked like a timeless stone statue, untainted by the woes of tomorrow. He had grown to adore the prince and would do anything to keep him safe from harm.

"Spent the whole night on the ledge again, did you?" Kunzite asked, "Best not to let Zoisite know of it lest he goes berserk." They chuckled. They both knew how paranoid the effeminate guardian can get when it comes to the prince's strange... un-princely ways. "Especially not today," Kunzite added lastly and the prince nodded. After all... he remembered those were his last thoughts before he drifted off.

Seiya stepped off the ledge and momentarily enjoyed the iciness of the cold stone floor spreading from his toes to his entire body. Kunzite then knelt and bowed before him with his right hand clenched over his heart. The prince sighed. "Please, you don't have to do that." But his guardian's electric blue eyes only met his without wavering.

"Only today, my Prince" He said. Then he stood up, placed a hand over the prince's shoulder and smiled. "Now, hurry up. Everyone's waiting for you."

Seiya mumbled okay and made his way towards a different door in his room that led to his bath area. Kunzite then left and waited outside with the other guardians while their prince got ready for the royal event of the year.


The red star-shaped jewel glinted from his silver headband that he wore around his head as he walked down the golden aisle. On both sides of the aisle, silently stood all the men and women who have been invited to be a part of this unique celebration. The Prince of The Light Kingdom has turned thirty and everyone waited in anticipation as he finally reached the foot of his parents' thrones and knelt before them. Everyone had come to witness something special and the prince knew that all eyes were on him. His body was upright, his gait regal and his head held up high with his long hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, but he could feel the burden of everyone's expectation weighing down on him as he closed the gap between him and his parents that were seated right at the end of the grand royal hall, waiting for him. It appeased him a bit to know that his four loyal guardians were behind him.

Everyone held their breaths as the King and Queen stood before the kneeling prince. In the King's hands held a silver crown with a golden star-shaped jewel that shone like the sun. Everyone tried very hard not to blink their eyes as the Queen gingerly removed the headband around the prince's head where the new crown was set firmly by the King.

Seiya finally stood up and faced the entire kingdom with a new sense of pride, or so everyone thought as they went down on their knees before him. He was no longer just the Prince of the Light Kingdom. At the age of thirty, he would be given a new right: The right to his own kingdom. He would set out and seek new lands to claim dominion over. With the help of his guardians and his parents' backing, he could conquer more than what any king or queen could ever dream of. But he wondered if that was what he truly wanted. He thought of the quiet nights he was so contented with and the round silver moon that seemed to sing to him every time he looked at it. His thoughts drowned out the sound of the cheers and applauds that were coming from all directions. To him, they just sounded like a dull drumming noise forcing him over the edge of oblivion and his head throbbed like a maddening beehive. But like a well-trained prince, the mask of joy was plastered over his true face as he bowed before the people who were coming up to him with good wishes.

Soon the hall was cleared to make way for a ball and this was another moment that everyone was waiting for in anticipation. Every princess with the blood of immortality flowing through her veins was given a chance to dance with the prince and among them he must choose one to be his queen. It was the only condition given if he were to be king. No queen, no land, no rule.


Her dark wavy tresses flowed along as she was led through the dance floor. Her deep violet silk dress swept against the marble floor slightly and the gold lace trimmings around the neck area were giving her a slight itch. But as Princess of the Eclipse Kingdom, she had a mask on as well.

"You have an interesting looking jewel on you, Princess Nehelenia." Seiya commented on his fourth dance partner as he gazed at the royal gem covering her forehead. It was made from an obsidian rock, cut into a round shape with three crescent-shaped—two silver, one gold—stones below it. The dark orb reminded him of an eclipse he witnessed years ago.

"Yes, Father's kingdom was born during an eclipse, hence the name of our kingdom." Her voice sounded like a winter's mourning and Seiya's heart suddenly grew cold. He started to notice the chillness of her hands and the purplish hue on her skin. Too cold, he thought. "...around the kingdom."

"Huh? I mean... I beg your pardon?" He snapped his attention back and stared into Princess Nehelenia's eyes that were the colour of icicles.

"I said: When we get married, I want to have mirrors all around the kingdom." She repeated herself.

"Why is that?" the prince asked. What a weird request, he thought.

"I want to make sure that I'm beautiful every second. Don't you think I'm beautiful?"

"Indeed you are, Princess Nehelenia." Seiya said with a tight smile and released his hold around her. He bowed, indicating that their dance was over. She curtsied, feeling slightly disappointed and disconnected. She somehow sensed that he was lying about her being beautiful and she was not sure why. He must be blind, she thought as she waltzed away, making way for the next princess to dance with the prince.

Too cold and too vain, Seiya thought as he gently wrapped his right hand around the tiny waist of the Princess of the Tankei Dynasty. Her eyes and hair dazzled with the intensity of the setting sun and she had on a simple black velvet headdress adorned with small beads, creating a pleasant juxtaposition. The orange-yellow dress she wore was made of sheer silk which extended to her toes like the delicate petals of an exotic flower, and Seiya could make out the elegant outline of her legs behind the translucency. As they twirled around the ballroom, he could see everyone around them staring in awe at her etherealness. "...look good together, don't they?" he could hear someone say.

"Ah... isn't that the famous scent of the Tankei Dynasty? You've brought it along with you, Princess Kakyuu and I thank you deeply for it." He said after tasting the saccharine air in the back of his throat and she smiled at him gratefully, the small mark of her royalty on the middle of her forehead seemingly shining with equal delight. She had hoped that the scent of the Golden Osmanthus that grew lavishly in the valleys of her dynasty would please the prince. "Thank you, Prince Seiya" she replied, not realizing that the scent of her famous flowers were actually suffocating him. He was very good at concealing his true feelings.

Too sweet, he thought. After their dance was over, Seiya bowed and gently kissed Princess Kakyuu's hand much to her surprise as he did not do the same for Princess Nehelenia. She curtsied and retreated from the floor after he thanked her for the dance. He waited for the next princess. He was already bored and could not wait for the day to end.

"May I have this dance with you, Prince Seiya?" asked a peachy voice behind him. The prince swirled around and got caught in the gaze of a pair of spring-green eyes that were staring suggestively into his. He wanted to burst out loud in laughter, immediately recognizing those eyes.

"What the hell Yaten!" Seiya hissed. He grabbed his friend's hand and pivoted them away from the crowd but still remaining on the dance floor. His boredom had instantly vanished.

"What? You thought I was joking?" Yaten asked. His long silver hair had been gathered and cinched up high on his head with the loose tresses flowing down in alluring waves that caught the light of the sun. A string of jewels the color of the sea were twirled and set around his head like a stone ringlet. Woven around his body was a long slender aquamarine dress with a silver sash that resonated with the color of his eyes and hair. Everyone in the ballroom was gawking at the petite beauty, not realizing that he was actually a teenage boy in disguise and Seiya could tell that he was very proud of his convincing look. "I told you I'd do this the minute I catch you looking bored." Yaten added. His voice was naturally pitched like a girl's and there was no need to feign it. Seiya chuckled as he twirled his friend around.

"So, how do I look? Do you like it?" Yaten asked in a mock-seductive way but the prince only felt tickled by it for he had been so used to his friend's playful ways. How uninteresting life would have been if not for him, he thought. "Very pretty Princess Yaten. And where from might you be?" He asked, playing along.

"I'm from the Kingdom of the Night Sky, where the stars shine the brightest, where there's no need for the sun. Come with me Prince Seiya and I will bring to your greatest dreams."

Seiya could not hold back his mirth and grinned. "Oh, you're such a drama queen, Yaten."

"Humph! I am not. I just have a very sophisticated personality. You're just envious."

"Yes, yes. You're the most sophisticated person I know." Seiya said as he bowed. "And the most elegant." He brushed his lips against Yaten's ear in a light kiss and everyone in the room gasped in unison. "Thank you, Yaten." He finished in a whisper to his friend who curtsied before exiting the room.

Seiya watched Yaten disappear into the back of the crowd when another voice entered his zone. "Good morning, Prince Seiya. I am Princess Galaxia from the Ginga Kingdom." said a woman in a long pleated gold dress. Adorned on her head was a heavy-looking golden headdress and Seiya thought she looked almost like a warrior. He bowed and began to dance with her.


He released the cinch on his silver hair and shook it free. Dressing up as a lady was just a silly past time of his and all he wanted was to bring a smile on his best friend's face. He looked into the mirror in his room—which was much smaller compared to Seiya's—and prodded his face with his finger. Already at the age of eighteen and yet he still looked feminine. Not a single strand of facial hair grew on him and even if there was, they were much too fine to be noticeable. He sighed, not knowing whether to love it or hate it. Sure, it brought him a lot of fun. But it was also the reason for his horrible life before he met the prince. Because of his looks, he became the subject of entertainment for rich old men who had particular tastes for young pretty boys. If it wasn't for Seiya... he thought as his mind drifted back to a time when the air smelled like stale bread and oily water.

"Come here you little whore! How dare you bite the customer's hand!" bellowed a fat man with yellow teeth. He was manhandling a small child with a fair face veiled by fine silver hair. The child's green eyes were stung by the dirt when his face was being shoved against the ground. By the time he got back up, he was tearing only to be given a hard slap. "Stop crying you little whelp!" The sound of the belt buckle being released soon filled the child's ears and he knew it was the sound of the devil's arrival. "I'm gonna show you—!"

He closed his eyes tight, awaiting his painful fate to come down on him in a huge whallop like it did before. Then he heard a muffled sound and then a gurgling sound. He waited but no beating came. He opened his eyes and instead of a fat man with a belt in his hands, kneeling down before him was a tall clean looking young man with long hair like the midnight sky. He had a smile on his face and his eyes were the colour of pure indigo. Standing behind him were four other older looking man wrapped in clean white robes. One of their swords had been sheathed and blood was trickling from its sharp tip. The child with silver hair was young but he understood what happened. His evil handler was gone. He stared wide-eyed at the young man with dark hair who reached his hand out to him in a welcoming gesture. "Come with me," he said and the silver-haired child thought he had the voice of god. "Are you a god?" he asked innocently and the man only chuckled. "Come," he said again and the child did.

Yaten's door slammed wide open and a man with strawberry blonde hair marched in with a fit. "Yaten!"

Yaten glared at his intruder who was reflecting from his mirror. Not now, he thought. Without facing the other way, he took his comb and begin straightening his hair out. "What do you want Zoisite? I'm still changing." He said as he started loosening his silver sash.

"Oh, stop acting like you don't know! We all witnessed your little stunt! Can't believe you really did it! I thought you were only joking!"

"I don't joke."

"Well, the Queen thought it was cute though I can't say the same for the King. He seemed displeased." Zoisite told him and noticed the change in Yaten's body behaviour who had his eyes hidden behind his hair and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. "Are you cold? Quickly get dressed into some warm clothes. Lunch will be ready soon."

"I'm not hungry." Yaten said in a sudden change in manner that seemed cold and distant.

"What? Are you alright?" Zoisite asked as he reached out towards Yaten.

"I said: I'm not hungry!" Yaten repeated in a raised voice and turned away.

"Then what do I tell Prince Seiya? He'll probably be expecting you. In proper attire." What the hell is his problem? Zoisite thought.

"Tell him I'm not feeling well." Yaten said with a wave of his hand and sat on the edge of his bed.

Realizing that there was no point in saying anymore, Zoisite started to leave. Before closing the door behind him, he looked back at Yaten who had his back to him. The guardian opened his mouth, wanting to say something but decided against it and finally left the room.


Where's Yaten? Seiya wondered as his eyes shifted around the hall, completely oblivious to the guests that were leaving. One of the palace maids who was sporting long blonde hair with a big red hair bow walked past him. It was hard to miss so he grabbed her by the wrist, almost hurting her. "Ow! What the hell Sei—I mean Prince Seiya!" She cried out as she wrenched her hand away.

"Sorry Minako. Have you seen Yaten?"

Minako shook her head. "Go ask Zoisite. I saw him leaving Yaten's room."

Seiya grinned at her teasingly. "And what were youdoing there?"

"I...I only wanted compliment him on his earlier facade!" A pink hue was starting to form around her cheeks.

Seiya chuckled and nudged her with his elbow playfully. "So, have you given him that love letter of yours already?"

Minako's cheeks burned. "How-how did you know that?"

"I have my ways." He said with a wink. "You'd better do it quick or I'll do it for you!"

Minako jumped a step back and frantically waved her hands at his face. "It-it's alright! Please don't trouble yourself!"

Someone cleared his throat behind her and Minako's heart skipped a beat. Realizing it was King Seiki, she immediately excused herself and disappeared into the kitchen in a flash, much to Seiya's amusement.

"Oh, you scared her off Father." Seiya remarked. King Seiki cocked an eyebrow and snorted. He was not one for jokes. "Having too much fun with palace maids?" There was a harsh tone in his voice and before Seiya could respond, Queen Himiko stepped between them and wrapped her arms around her son's neck in an embrace. "Oh, Seiya." she cooed and he submitted, stooping. He had grown quite tall over the years. "Hello, Mother." He breathed into her neck which always reminded him of soft feathers and... he sniffed her neck. "Is that...?" He wrinkled his nose, his nostrils stinging at the scent.

"Yes, Princess Kakyuu was kind enough to give me some of that sweet perfume of hers. Just one dab is all I need. Isn't that nice?" Queen Himiko told him with a twinkle in her eyes.

"What? Her or the perfume?" Prince Seiya asked dryly as rubbed his nose hoping that doing so would make the scent go away. He stopped when he saw his mother pout.

"The Princess of course." said King Seiki who had been silent all this while. All the guests had left and now was the time for a talk with his son. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Seiya looked around the hall. Right when I need Yaten the most, he thought. "Lunch was good. Who was the cook?"

"Don't change the subject, Seiya." King Seiki was not in the mood to dawdle over his son's apparent lack of interest. His face had not aged over the years but his dark eyes shone with a a depth of unchallenged cunningness. Seiya wondered if there was any fragment of the human soul left within him, if there was such a thing. He was not sure about himself though. He felt his entire being throb with an unquenchable thirst to explore this thing called love and for a long time, it has not ebbed away. Maybe I haven't lived long enough, he thought. Maybe I haven't lived long enough to forget what love is.

"I feel nothing for them." Seiya told him.

"Feel?" King Seiki frowned. It was strange that such a word would be expressed by someone like his son. As a parent, he could not think of a time when he had sat his son down and discussed about matters of the... heart. He had forgotten that Seiya was still young and had not lived long enough to realize the trivialities of such things like feelings and...

"Love." Seiya uttered, the word came out of his mouth almost god-like and he felt it was something worth enduring everything for. "I don't love them."

King Seiki and Queen Himiko stared at their son. For some reason they felt stricken and Seiya noticed the dwindling away of his parents' noble stature. "Well," Queen Himiko started to say. "Well, maybe we could arrange a few more meetings with them for you so you can get to know them better. Love can grow, right Darling?" She averted her gaze away from her son and looked at her husband for a sign of approval. King Seiki nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes."

Seiya shrugged. "Maybe. Though I doubt my feelings for them will change."

"Make sure they will or we will change it for you." King Seiki had regained his composure. "Another meeting will be arranged then. And this time, the princesses will be invited individually so you can get to know them more... personally."

Without saying another word, King Seiki turned and started walking back to his chamber while Queen Himiko kissed Seiya on his forehead and smiled before she followed.

"Prince Seiya?" Zoisite came up to Seiya once his parents were out of sight.


The curtains in the room were drawn and a thin line of orange light was peeking through the edges. The sunlight was slowly ebbing away as the evening shifted in. The tall figure of a man in a robe was standing at the foot of the door which he had shut close when he came in. He had his gaze fixated on a second smaller figure who was seated on a bed. "You looked pretty today." The man said. Even in the darkness, he could imagine the soft silver locks of hair twirling around his fingers. The distant rising sound of crickets rang in his ears and no reply came.

He moved closer and sat next to the smaller figure. "Turn around and look at me." He ordered. The smaller figure did as he was told and the straps of the aquamarine dress started loosening, causing the soft material to slink down to his waist in silken folds. He shivered but not from the cold. While admiring every inch of smooth skin laid bare before him, the older man reached out to touch it with his fingertips. His object of desire flinched but before he could shrink away, his chin was cupped tightly and roughly pulled forward. Their cold lips met but only for a split second as the boy immediately pulled himself away and slapped his assailant across the cheek. The sharp sound cut through the stillness of the room and for a moment, neither said a word.

"Please accept my apologies, Yaten. I couldn't help myself." The older man made no further advances as he apologised.

"Such poor excuse for a king." The boy sneered.

"I may be an immortal king, but I'm still a man at heart."

Yaten scoffed. "You're sick you know that? You bring shame to the Queen and dishonour to—"

The king suddenly chuckled, cutting him off. "Ah, but you have no idea." Yaten frowned and waited for him to continue. "You really think Haruka is just her Lady-in-waiting? You're so naive, still so young, so innocent." He shook his head as he lightly caressed Yaten's cheek. "You may have come from a life of cruelty and hardship, but you have no idea what's it like to live forever. No idea." He let his hand go. "Seiya reminded me what it's like to feel. Himiko and I have forgotten that he too is still too young. The effects of immortality have not even begun setting in. But when he has lived long enough, when he realized what's the point of feelings and love and whatnot, then he will understand. Then he will start changing. The way Himiko did." He glanced back at Yaten painfully. "The way I did."

"Seiya will never change." Yaten said, feeling no pity towards the king.

King Seiki's eyes darkened and he forcefully gripped Yaten by the throat. "You think he's special? You think he's different?" Yaten struggled and tried to wrench the king's fingers away but they held on like a vice. "You think he'll never change? Why? Because he saved you? Because he has feelings? You think I don't have feelings? You think you'd still be here, living in my kingdom, eating my food, drinking my water if it wasn't for me?" He finally released his grip and Yaten fell back onto the bed, gasping and feeling his neck. "I could have said no and have you thrown back into the slums. But Seiya's my son and I love him. Many times have I been reminded by his kindness. Many times I realize what a monster I am becoming when I see the things he did and listen to the things he said. Maybe... maybe we have only ended up cursing ourselves... for what we did a thousand years ago..." The king said with a faraway look in his eyes.

Yaten stared at him and wondered what he meant. He wanted to know and took the opportunity to ask something he had been curious about for a long time. "How did you gain immortality?"

King Seiki glanced back at him with the same painful look he had moments ago. "Do you want immortal life?" He asked as he brought his hand up, exposing the wrist. "I'll give it to you. My flesh, my blood... partake them. Don't worry, I will not mind the pain." He chuckled again when he saw the confusion in Yaten's eyes. "Oh, you look confused. Why, there's a rumor going on that by consuming the flesh and blood of an immortal, one can gain immortality." He laughed but without mirth. "Ah, the irony."

Irony? Yaten thought. Was that how he became immortal? By consuming the flesh of another? He shunned his face away from the king, sickened by the thought. King Seiki understood and finally got up. "I've spoken too much. Please accept my apologies again, Yaten. I hope you'll keep our conversation to yourself. Wouldn't want to create a stir, would we?" He waited for a response but none was given as Yaten was still facing away as if the king's presence meant nothing to him. "I will not have you think of me as a monster, Yaten. But do not make me wait too long. I don't think I can endure the torment you're putting me through any longer." He shut the door once he stepped outside and left.

I need to get out of here, Yaten thought to himself as he sat in the darkness of his room.


The royal courtyard was located behind the tower of the Light Kingdom, hidden within a curtain wall. A huge water fountain engraved with exotic insignias was spurting a gentle flow of clear water. Seiya listened to the bubbling sound with ease as he lay out on the grassy plot which was exuding the sharp scent of freshly cut grass. He watched as the white clouds drifted lazily above him when the shadow of a figure appeared.

"Morning, Yaten." Seiya said with a smile as his best friend sat next to him. "Are you feeling better?" The water bubbled behind them with the occasional sparrow fleeting through the little pool of water, causing a light splatter. He sat up when his friend did not respond and noticed the solemn look on his face. "You know, that glum look doesn't go well with your hair." Yaten's silver hair was tied back into a similar low ponytail, a trait that he had adopted from Seiya. It was his way of showing his dedication towards his friend. Hanging from his body was a loose light blue knee-length top with a mandarin collar which was less aristocratic compared to Seiya who donned on a red coat-like garment with gold embroidery seamed at the hems. He had worn it to breakfast with his parents earlier and not changed out of it before heading to the courtyard.

"Seiya?" Yaten finally said with a half-smile and braced himself before continuing. What he was about to say might come off as a bit of a shock. "I want to leave." He averted Seiya's eyes as he said it. He was not sure what kind of response he would be getting and he mentally prepared himself for whatever that was coming.

"Where do you plan to go?" Seiya asked. Yaten was slightly taken aback by the question for firstly, that was not what he was expecting and secondly, he had not thought about it. "I don't know. To be honest, I wasn't expecting that from you."

"What were you expecting from me then?" There was a look on Seiya's face which Yaten had not seen before. It looked like there was some hidden excitement in them about to burst into a million different sparks that could light up the entire night sky.

"I don't know. Tell me no?" Yaten said as he plucked at the blades of grass beside him. "Aren't you going to stop me?"

"You're my friend, Yaten. Not my slave. So, where do you plan to go?"

"I'm not immortal, Seiya. One day I'll get old and because of that I can't choose to do something anytime I want or whenever I feel like it. I only have now." He paused and looked out into the horizon. The world's big enough. I'm old enough. I'm skilled enough to protect myself thanks to you and the Shitennou." He looked back at Seiya. "I want to go back out there."

"Where?" Seiya asked again, this time with a slight grin on his face.

"I don't know. Somewhere far away from here, where no one knows me. I'll leave in the middle of the night with some food and water enough to last me for a week till I reach the next nearest town. You don't have to worry about me. I'll come back and visit you from time to time."

Seiya rubbed his chin as he looked at Yaten thoughtfully. "Did you know there's a rumor going on?

Yaten had a quizzical look.

"That one can gain immortality by consuming the flesh of an immortal. So, wouldn't it dangerous for me to live here then? Someone could send an assassin here anytime. I'll be safer outside, wouldn't I?"

Yaten looked at Seiya with confusion on his face. Instead of addressing the issue at hand, which was him leaving his friend, Seiya was talking about how dangerous it would be for him to stay within the kingdom. Is he...?

"I'll pack up some food and water too. We'll have to learn how to ration so our supplies can last more than one week. We'll leave tonight by the back gate and head towards the South. We can reach the nearest town by foot in five days. We stick together and keep each other safe."

"Wait, we? You're coming with me?"

"Yeah."

"But—"

"I'm not going to let you travel by yourself, Yaten. I'm better with the sword."

"But you can't just leave. You're a prince and you're going to be king."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about it. Firstly, I don't want to be king. At least not yet. And secondly, I don't want to get married to someone I don't love. I don't care if she's a beautiful princess."

"But you have to!" Yaten was starting to regret telling Seiya his plan to leave. The last thing he wanted was to have a bounty on his head for abducting the prince.

Seiya scowled at the last thing Yaten said. He has to? "Are you sure you want your best friend, to get married unwillingly, to become king unwillingly and be depressed for the rest of his life? Don't forget he's immortal."

Yaten stared at Seiya. The clouds loomed by, casting shadows over them. A small smile formed as he finally understood. He had told Seiya everything because he knewSeiya was not going to stop him. Instead, he was going to come along. He was going to leave to explore the world and he knew Seiya was not going to let him go alone. He knew Seiya's unwillingness to become king. It was going to be a risk with a huge price to pay if they were caught. But this was Seiya's choice and no he definitely did not want his best friend to be depressed for the rest of his life. "No."

"Well? What are we waiting for then. Let's go pack!"