Author's Notes: Okay, my lovely little fanfic is continued. Again, I don't own Dveyantriaenayotcheyvanyshlavarth the Silver Butterfly of Life and Purity, and Kayathrandyl the Purple Butterfly Messenger, those belong to my favorite male author, Ktrenal. READ HIS FICS! THEY ARE BETTER THAN MINE! This chapter has many confusing names. Again, don't own Square, but I own the cool names Hojo and Reeve are going by, Reno and Rude's too. More cultural background! Oh yeah, I LOVE having new reviewers.
Whatevergirl: Glad you like. Enjoy.
udonluvr8: Thanks for thinking this is promising... But it's not. It's just a thing I have always wanted to do. Go read Spirituality and Butterflies!
Chapter 2: Meeting
"This is to be your bed," the prince informed his new guard, who was standing very quietly while healers tended to wounds on his body.
Rudelynth was close to pointing out that many had said he was unworthy of a bed, but help his tongue. In the past two hours he had been fed, cleaned, clothed in a lovely uniform, and brought before the Prince, and stripped him again to be healed before the Prince. Still Rude was in shock of how people were treating him. Here a woman was, cleaning and curing a wound on his leg, while the Prince's valet, Lord Tseng, made a bed for him. By Dveyantriaenayotcheyvanyshlavarth he had even been introduced to the Queen and had kissed her hand!
"Does it not please you Master Rudelynth?" the gray haired Tseng spoke up, noting the perpetual frown upon Rude's face.
"No... I mean... Yes... It pleases me... Thank you my lord," Rude's deep bass voice scratched on the words, the first words he had spoken in five years. The fact he could speak at all amazed him.
"See Tseng! Already he speaks! I'm sure I'll be having real conversations with him in no time!" the chipper prince exclaimed.
"I think it will be a rare thing my Prince. Besides, one does not speak casually with his guard. Words should only be exchanged as warning, or in the event that you must plan something," the elder Buterfluas spoke, his tone disapproving.
"And that is why we have servants to talk too..." Reno sighed as if he had heard this before.
"Yes. Well, I must continue to prepare for the feast, so do behave without me. Be present early my prince. We begin at six sharp!" Tseng said before leaving.
With an annoyed sigh the Prince dismissed the servants and looked at his guard. Rude had the urge to speak, but could not bring himself to utter a word. The guard yearned to tell his prince that this was no place for an 'untrustworthy half-blood', but could not find his voice. So the fighter allowed the teen to circle him, inspecting the dark, nearly naked body as the people tending to the fighter's wounds had done. Reno circled Rude twice more before freezing to finger the ragged scars on the older male's back.
When Rudelynth hissed in pain the prince pulled back, "They still hurt?" When Rude nodded the prince continued, "Are you as young as me?" Rude shook his head, so Reno continued, "Old then? Are you twenty yet?" A nod. "Twenty five?" A shake of the head, "So, between twenty and twenty-five? Blink when I get it right." Rude nodded to signal his understanding.
"Twenty-one?" Nothing.
"Twenty-two?" Still nothing.
"Twenty-three?" The man nodded and blinked his affirmative.
"So, you're twenty-three. Your wings have only twice been cut," the prince said with a triumphant smile.
To this the man shook his head, and held up his hand, his fingers signaling twice the number.
"Four times!?" Reno asked, amazed. None younger than 10 had their wings cut, "Why? When are they due to grow back? When you're twenty-five, or sooner?"
The man's fingers flashed quickly in common sign-language, 'less then a month. Already I bleed at night.'
'A month,' Reno thought, 'So already his skin is wearing thin. That would explain the blood in the water that the bath attendants told me of after they bathed him. I'll have to go to Lord Rufus for the proper things to ease the pain. Hell, his fifth cut will come soon, so he was probably two or three when they were first removed.'
The thought disturbed the young prince. Wings were NEVER cut that young. It was because at such an age a child was identifying not only with their culture and customs, but with the innate magic and long life of the Buterfluas. One with wings cut off so young would not even reach the age of 50 whereas a normal Buterfluas made the age of over one hundred easily and usually beyond. The prince's final fear was in the popular belief that those whose wings were cut before 10 were normally insane.
"I'll get you what you need, so don't worry," again Reno ran his fingers over the scars. They were neither too brutal, as if his whole back had been shredded, not smooth like a normal fighter's. Maybe Reno would one day find out how Rude got these...
Reno
"To Prince Renonalte! May he one day rule with as kind a heart as his father," High Priest Hhojyodeymga raised his glass in a toast, his smirk mocking the young Prince, "And to his new guard, that he can protect our greatest treasure, the royal heir. To youth!"
Everyone raised their glasses to toast, and did not see what I saw, for who focused on a guard? The dark man glared at the High Priest, but hid it well. I could not help but wonder if the Priest was the one that had his wings cut so young. Really, only the King or High Priest could order such cruelty, or a human... This thought brought a scowl to my face, one people responded badly to. Soon they seem to be uncomfortable here at my family's table. Quickly I smiled happily at them all, trying to fix my mistake. Suddenly I am inspired to make my own toast, so I grab my glass and stand.
"My thanks to you all and especially you Hhojyodeymga. I would like to make my own toast. To you Hhojyodeymga, our beloved High Priest of over a hundred years, may you on another two centuries to guide us with your wisdom. May never another come to show your time is coming to an end!" I said with false cheerfulness, such that he could tell the true scorn in my voice. Hhojyodeymga recoiled a bit at my blunt display of hatred. The Buterfluas had poisoned his elderly predecessor and was cruel to our people. Yet nothing could be done, for until the next marked child was born he would live on to guide us.
Again everyone was fidgeting, looking from me to Hojo (as I called him) and the great black and silver wings edged with deep violet. Those wings were the only things that were keeping him alive. They marked him as the chosen of Kayathrandyl, Dveyantriaenayotcheyvanyshlavarth and Cytledorma, the one who knew them, and led our religion. Never had our people been without a high priest, and that was the only reason we spared the evil man.
Again I took a glance at Rude, somewhat obviously Rudelynth hated he priest. Oddly I found it pleasing to make him happy, to bring that smile to his face...
"Well," my father said, rather relieved as the food was brought out and laid before us, "It is time to eat and celebrate."
"I am sorry sir, I cannot..."
"Oh Tseng, let him in!" I laughed at my protective valet, "Rufus only wants a more private celebration. Come on and relax. Have a drink Tsengy! Reevesyn will be here soon... And we've always got the Royal guards and Rude to watch us! Come on, this is much better than my father's celebration!"
"You've had too much to drink already my Prince. You're starting to sound like a human!"
"Now Tseng, my favorite valet," my blonde visitor chuckled, "That is no reason to insult our lord Prince!"
"Lord Rufus, I don't think you should do this..." Tseng said, sounding less convinced than before.
"We got wine from the Wuitasiyan region..." Rufus announced, holding out the bottle.
"..." Tseng stood aside for Rufus to enter.
Rude, having quickly adapted to his new role, searched Rufus's loose white clothes for any weapon or foreign object that the healer would not usually carry. The man, five years older than Rude, was my best friend and my personal physician. With some hesitation Rude ran his hands over the wings of Rufus, as Tseng had taught him, to check for razors that had been covered by bits of silk painted like the wing. Once this was done Rude stepped back to his place by the door, silent as ever. Now done with his job, Rude did not hide his interest in the healer's wings. They really were a beautiful example of our people. They were a lovely yellow and sapphire on a background of pearl white. They matched the beauty of his royal breeding. Much like myself he bore his father's golden hair, whereas I bore my father's red. Yet we both had our dear mom's eyes.
"Mom was really crying at the celebration," my half brother laughed.
"What? Starting the celebration without me m'lords?"
All present looked up to the speaker, a taller male with dazzling emerald eyes, and great wings like that of a monarch butterfly, being green where it normally be orange. This was Reevesyn, my one time teacher and etiquette advisor though he was really an architect, one having designed this entire new palace a few years ago, down to the last detail of my room. Not only that, but he knew my body as well as he did this palace. By all definitions, Reeve was beautiful, a sensual man at the age of forty-three, a fast friend and lover of mine, and the son of my valet, the over 100 year old Tseng. Reeve smiled at his father as Rude stepped forward to inspect him for weapons. Honestly, I'm not sure which makes me more jealous, Rude getting to touch my lover like that in public, or Reeve getting to enjoy Rude's hands on his body.
"Never!" Rufus laughed, handing Reeve a glass of wine.
"Your mothers won't be happy," Tseng said he accepted a glass of his own.
"Mom is deliriously happy," Rufus smiled, "Because her baby is finally crown prince, someone with real responsibility."
"And my mother," Reeve said, pointedly to his father, "will only know if you tell her, and let is slip that you were drinking too..."
Tseng turned slightly red at this, but whether from blushing or anger I could not tell. The man sat down beside Rufus and sipped at the expensive liquor. My eyes fell upon the silent guard and I frowned. Taking a spare glass (I kept one handy for Rufus always seemed to break one) of wine. I stood and went to hum, holding out the glass. Everyone was staring at me now: Tseng was shocked; Rufus intrigued; and Reeve jealous of my attention towards the man. The bald man's eyes went wide, shocked I would offer him something. When he cautiously reached toward the glass I pulled back.
"Say please," I teased the man.
"... ... ..." the man said nothing for a while, looking at the other people in the room before he opened his mouth. His voice was weak from lack of use, but still that seductive bass when he spoke, "Please... sir."
When I didn't hand over the glass Reeve sighed in an impatient manner, "Just give him the wine, Renonalte, and come over here by me!"
Pretending to be properly disciplined by my lover's words, I handed over the glass, my fingers brushing against Rude's. The man blushed carefully and pulled away. His eyes flashed toward Reeve, nervously waiting for his reaction. Aside from an amused look Reeve had nothing to say about it. So... Rude spoke again, "Thank you."
"Mmmm.... He's got a lovely voice," Reeve chuckled, receiving a glare as reward from his father.
"Yeah, and we all know you like those deep voices," Rufus laughed, "How you're with Reno I'm clueless..."
"I have expensive tastes," Reeve laughed, and even his father laughed with him.
Such a comment seemed to be uncomfortable for Rude, and the man was twitching. Hmmm... How interesting...
Rude
I watched enviously as Reeve pulled the drunken Prince into his lap. Honestly I have no clue why I'm jealous, I just am. What scared me most was the fact that I found myself asking what Reeve had that I didn't. There were plenty of answers: money, looks, charm, and great wings. But by Gods, I think I'm attracted to the Prince! The idea brought a blush to my cheeks, which I tried to cover by sipping at the wine. Unlike the others I was still on my first glass of the evening, while they, after two hours of this private party, were rather drunk, but still I could not control myself. Being near people that wanted to talk to me, who wanted to include me, who didn't care that I was a half-blood, was more intoxicating than the liquor.
"Come on," Rufus mumbled drunkenly, "Renoooooo, lead me your guard. I need some help gettin' ta mah roooom."
"Yeh... Rudey, go take Tsengy and Rufy to their rooms. And Ruffy, don't go forgetting the medicine fa him!"
"Yes... My Prince," Rufus slurred as he stood, Tseng leaning against him. I nodded and put aside my own glass before guiding the two out as best I could.
When I returned to the room I was greeted by a horrible sight. There was Lord Reeve on the bed, his wings hiding Reno's body from sight. Both were groaning and moaning, mumbling loving words to each other. I wanted to demand they stop, wanted to rationalize, say they could not do this because I had to sleep in the same room. All I could do was stand there and watch, and mentally hurt from the memories of when men had done such a thing to me. Quietly I snuck to my bed while they made love, and pulled the thick blankets over my head. Please let me forget this!