[Notes]

Feels train alert.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 2

Through the Grapevine

-o-o-o-o-o-

Alex had faced so many failures in his life. But when he met her, he swore he would turn that streak around. He swore he would never fail her.

Alex tried. He really did.

He had been pulling strings so many miles away, in an area still struggling to recover from the so-called "Mourning Moon" event nearly two years prior. That was where he heard some passing rumor about the coming heir of Ayuthay. She was due soon, you say? No known marriage, you heard? Such a juicy scandal, you see?

It didn't take a former healer's knowledge to connect the dots.

Alex had literally dropped the purchase he had been making in the marketplace, rushed to gather his few belongings from the rebuilt inn, and teleported as many times as his Psynergy would allow to speed his travel south. He had always hoped to return once his mission was complete. Almost eight months later and it was still unfinished, and now there were rumors and gossip of a hidden pregnancy and complications and oh the shame this must all bring to her brother and kingdom and did you hear the one where they were saying she was part Neox and—

Stupid. He was so stupid, stupid, stupid.

And so, exhausted from a lack of sleep and depleted of Psynergy, Alex arrived late in the night to a hushed and somber silence. It felt wrong compared to the loud and joyous celebrations he had left behind. He skirted the shadows as he moved through the royal halls, his dull robes adding to his camouflage, but there was hardly anyone to avoid. As for the few servants he did see in passing, they simply added to the atmosphere of—

No. He wouldn't think like that. Until he knew, he would not allow himself to think like that.

Because every one of them was dressed in black.

He edged out of a window and onto a ledge. The next hall would surely be guarded, but he knew his way around the outside to reach the room at the end. He had just enough Psynergy creeping back into his reserves to traverse the gaps that would otherwise hinder him. Once there, he listened for any sounds from inside. Only more silence greeted him. This was fine, he told himself. She was simply elsewhere at this hour. Or perhaps she had been taken to the healer, instead of vice versa. He would wait and see her when she returned, or until some clue to her whereabouts presented itself. With that goal in mind, and a final peek inside for any movement, he crawled through the open window and curtains into the dark, unoccupied bed chambers. When he stood tall again, he finally received a full look at what awaited.

It had been many years since Alex had last felt the freezing grip of grief on his heart.

It had been longer yet since he had last observed funerary customs up close.

Alex numbly slid his wooden mask upward to rest atop his head. Finding her cold hand to hold in his, he slipped to his knees beside the bed, and lost all concept or care of time.

-o-o-o-

Alex didn't know how long he stayed by her side, silently staring at the veil hiding her face and clasping her hand in both of his. He was stirred from his watch by the sound of the door opening behind him, a long pause, and the door shutting. Whoever had entered did not speak, though Alex knew they were still there. He freed a hand to slide his mask into place, obscuring all but one turquoise eye behind painted streaks of blues and grays. Eventually, the person moved into view, using what moonlight filtered in to find their way. They sat in a chair left on the other side of the bed, and Alex recognized the king.

Nothing was said between them as they kept vigil through the night.

-o-o-o-

Paithos already had a cover story, because of course he did.

Alex did not have a part in that story.

"It's common knowledge that our Exathi ancestors married members of the Jenei clans at times. Every so often, powers will crop up, especially in the royal line. It will simply be stated that the child was created through her power."

"That isn't how Psynergy works."

"These days?" Paithos crossed his arms and raised a stern brow in consideration. They had retreated to his private study at the first hint of light, making only one important stop along the way. "Who can truly say?"

Alex frowned behind his mask, knowing full well he could say plenty about the ways of Psynergy and Alchemy, but otherwise didn't reply. His attention was already being drawn back to the sleeping bundle in his arms. At some point he had started to rock lightly, and he didn't care enough about Paithos' opinion of him right then to bother stopping.

"Of course, no one can know you were here. You'll need to leave soon."

Alex's head snapped back to the other man, his hold tightening protectively and the frown behind his one visible eye darkening. "What?"

Paithos was unphased as he continued, now leaning against the edge of his heavy desk. "People must believe the child is hers and hers alone. If you suddenly show back up now, people will start to talk."

"Can the hero who activated the Alchemy Well not return to check on its progress?"

The king scoffed. "With this timing? Don't be foolish. I loved my sister dearly, and I will not see her legacy tarnished. Besides," here he breathed a tired, frustrated sigh, "the people already believe that she was the one to activate the well. With everything else happening, they won't question this if we let them draw their own conclusions." There was a coo and wide yawn from the bundle. Alex's entire focus immediately shifted back to the baby. As much as Paithos disapproved of the masked man being there, he seemed to ease up just the slightest as he watched. "Know that he will be cared for as the prince that he is. I will raise him as though he were my own. But you cannot claim your role in his life if this is to work."

"What's to stop me from disappearing with him right now?"

"Because you know it is not what is best for him."

Alex hated it, but Paithos was right. Every bit of him wanted to hold his—his—child tight and teleport away, but Paithos was right. Alex had other matters to tend to. Other obligations. Too many wheels had been set into motion for him to stay in one place for long. It would be impossible for him to care for a child during his travels, much less care for an infant.

It didn't mean he had to like it.

He carefully ran the back of a finger down the side of the child's face, committing it to memory. "…He has his mother's nose."

Paithos quietly observed the pair. They didn't have long until someone would arrive to care for the babe, but they had long enough for him to give the masked man this much. "She wished for him to be named Amiti," he offered.

"Amiti," Alex breathed with a nod. "It's a good name." Turning his back—and Paithos found himself tensing at the motion, as if he could stop an Adept of all people from escaping—he lifted the mask covering the entirety of his face. Alex pressed a kiss to the child's forehead as the baby began to fuss, then his own forehead to the same place. The blue light of healing Psynergy passed over the tiny bundle.

"Be well, Amiti, my little prince."

-o-o-o-

Amiti was a lucky child. He had an uncle who loved him. He had nannies who doted on him. He had maids and guards who served him. He had other children who played with him.

And, though he did not know it, he had a masked guardian who would always, without fail, watch over him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

[End Notes]

Say what you will about the guy, but for this timeline Alex really did love Veriti. For an extra feels trip, my headcanon for this has decided that "Ashes" by Claire Guerreso makes for a good Alex/Veriti angst theme.

On a lighter note, I've had too much fun trying to imagine what the brother-in-law dynamic would've been like between Alex and Paithos.