The metallic sound of steel on steel echoed through the room as the mysterious guests performed their dance with swords. Elegantly, student and teacher dodged each other and elegantly parried each blow.
Three hours had passed since Fine returned with the oil, and since then she had done her best to avoid the strangers. Trust was not her strong point, especially with people who showed up with a whole crowd of Imperial soldiers and who so obviously traveled under false names.
Nevertheless, she had let herself be persuaded by the master to attend this little show fight. The girl had retreated to the farthest corner and was carefully watching their every move.
The blond boy was maybe one or two years older than her, but already two heads taller. His eyes were always alert, studying the fluid movements of his teacher. Despite his attentiveness, however, his entire facial expression seemed rather as if he were terribly bored.
Her gaze drifted to Dholar. The guild master stood against the wall with his arms folded as he watched the scene. He seemed pensive and somehow lost in thought.
Fine sighed, brushed a white curl from her face, and then stealthily slipped out of the room. The air suddenly felt terribly stuffy and there was a mood in the air that she couldn't explain.
Heat didn't bother her much in most cases and since the morning hours it had already become much warmer. The sun was still high on the horizon and yet the weather weighed heavily on her today.
„A tea, sweetheart?" Linina looked towards her from the reception desk. She was a rather tall hyur in her 40s. Dark hair and skin of a typical Ala Mhigan, with unusual green eyes scurried worryfull away without waiting for an answer to set up a pot of tea.
Normally Fine would check on her sister at noon. But she would also have to let Dholar know beforehand, and nothing in the world would make her want to go into the room now, when she had been able to sneak out so cleverly.
„You look distressed." There he was, the blond boy who was so good with swords. His hair fell in his face over his dark headband. He wore a plain white shirt, with black pants of light leather, good for training. So much for the perfect sneak out.
„I'm fine." She tried to turn away, but he grabbed her by the arm and firmly stopped her from doing so. Her whole body tensed at the touch.
„Pretty rude to just lie to an Imperial like that. It doesn't turn out so well in most cases." Fine stared at him. Hyde - or whatever his real name was - smiled at her. A smile, though, that didn't reach his eyes.
„I don't see why you should be so interested in my well-being." She had no idea where she found the courage to talk to him like that, but it somehow seemed fitting to put him in his place.
„Pretty rude, by the way, is touching strangers." His grip had already loosened, but he still held her by the arm. As far as Fine could tell, his fake smile turned to a real one and he nodded. „Touché."
A few uncomfortable seconds passed, during which Hyde made no move to let go of her. Instead, he stared at the place where his hand lay as if it were a foreign object over which he had no control. Fine cleared her throat. „Um...and is everything okay with you?" This was definitely one of the strangest conversations she'd ever had.
„You mean there's something wrong with me?" It was just a whisper, but one that sent a shiver down her spine. The boy let go of her abruptly, his expression suddenly icy.
„Uh... That's not really what I meant. I meant more like... well... are you fine?" Fine quietly put a little distance between herself and Hyde, who was now staring at her as if she had spoken a completely different language.
„I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before," was all he said as Linina reappeared, cup of tea in hand. „Tea's up, honey - oh I didn't see you there."
But Hyde paid no attention, gave Fine one last look, and then just left her standing there.
„That was weird," she muttered.
- Zenos POV -
„Are you okay?" The question repeated itself in his head over and over again.
He wasn't doing badly, at least. He got everything he wanted, his servants would rather cut off a hand than not fulfill a wish of his... because otherwise they were threatened with far worse. He had enough food, a warm bed and was heir to the most powerful empire of his time.
But was he doing well?
To be honest, he did not know how to answer that.
Let alone that anyone would be seriously interested. Not his father or great-grandfather, not his servants and certainly not his teacher, who was only waiting for a suitable moment to drive a sword through his chest. Zeno's fingernails dug into his fist. But as indifferent as he was to them, so were they to him too. He didn't care what they did or said or... felt. For a brief moment he wondered what his mother would have said to all this.
His grip tightened, but he didn't even seem to notice that he was hurting himself. Would his mother care? He didn't have the slightest idea what it meant to care about someone. That's when he felt his fingertips dig into his arm so deeply that it was bleeding.
He watched absently as a small drop of blood formed and fell to the ground. Only then did he wake from his trance, the prince blinked and opend his hand. A brief pain passed through him, which, not entirely to his dissatisfaction, cleared his head a bit.
The next time he saw the Au Ra, she was hugging a small figure. His gaze followed her every move as she gently brushed blue curls from the figures face. She said something he couldn't hear. Zenos had no great desire to converse, not because he was embarrassed by his previous behavior, but simply because he was tired of the same, terribly dull questions. „What's wrong with you?" His father's arrogant voice sounded in his head. Annoyed, he shook off that thought.
The girl had spotted him at the end of the room, but quickly turned away. Curiosity overrode his aversion to stupid questions. As he got closer, he noticed that the other girl was also an Au Ra. Siblings? When she saw him coming, her grip tightened around the younger one. Definitely her sister - Zenos decided - judging by her protective instinct.
„I don't think I've even asked your name," his head turned to the other Au Ra. „And your companion." To his surprise, the younger one did not avoid his gaze. In the contrary, she practically pierced him with her shimmering golden eyes. „Fine." said Fine, not taking her eyes off him for a second. „And this is my sister, Rue."
Ah - so he had been right. Fine luckly didn't seem to want to elaborate on his strange behavior and shook her head.
„Dholar has already told me your name, but it would be rude not to ask."
Well, it wasn't really a question, but Zenos couldn't help but pick out the slightly sarcastic undertone. She knew Hyde was nothing more than a pseudonym. No wonder, with all the effort the soldiers were making to ensure his safety.
Oh, he was tempted - and how tempted he was to just tell her his true identity. He wanted to see how she reacted. Would she be afraid? Become angry?
The words were already on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them. Would the reaction really be worth it? At the risk that the Tribunus would not simply entrench him behind walls again and that his everyday life would consist of the same conversations and annoying political talk with van Baelsar - no, he preferred to take advantage of the little freedoms he had here.
„Hyde." he forced himself to say.
- Fine pov -
Fine could see him hesitate for a moment and seriously wondered why. On one hand, she was curious, she wanted to know who she was dealing with, but on the other hand, she didn't want too much attention from this strange boy. „Anyway," she cleared her throat, „we have to go now." She took Rue by the hand.
„Finished working already, huh?" Hyde smiled, and the teasing tone was hard to miss. „Pretty much yes... Apart from that," she pointed out a window, the sun already setting, „you may not care, but normal people have to be home before curfew," a chuckle came from him and he struck a surprisingly gentle tone. „Well, I won't keep you then."
Fine and Rue scurried home through the streets of Ala Mhigo, and not too slowly. The door closed behind them just as a bell announced curfew. Sighing, Fine dropped into a chair. „What was going on with you guys today?" Rue looked at her sister nervously, „you've never been gone this long before."
„Dholar was busy... I didn't want to ask and well... you saw our guests yourself." She was far too tired to elaborate and rose from her chair to check on the dove from the morning.
„I think Hades ate it." Rue pointed to a bundle full of feathers and then looked around searchingly for the cat. „At least, one would be full today."
„Great." But there was no use getting upset about it, instead the white-haired girl opened a closet door and actually found some old cookies.
„Here, Linina gave me these." She handed the package to her little sister and then lay down on the mattress.
„Go ahead and eat them, I'll find something better tomorrow." Rue sat down with her and handed her a cookie. „Well I don't need all of them either, way too sweet, I'm going to be sick."
She forced herself to smile and Fine laughed dryly. „Alright, thanks." With that they both snuggled down on the mattress and soon fell asleep.
Almost a month went by with nothing really happening and slowly they got used to the mysterious strangers. Hyde liked to make a mocking comment here and there about Fine's work in the guild, which she countered with a comment about his spoiled ass. At first he was visibly surprised, but it quickly became clear that neither of them was particularly serious. In fact, it was actually really fun.
The only thing Fine didn't want to get used to were the visits from the Tribunus, the grim man immediately spoiled the mood of everyone in the vicinity when he appeared. Even his protégé didn't seem too happy about it when he showed up to „see if he was all right" Hyde always looked extra bored.
As if they lived in a strange in-between world, where it didn't matter that they were actually enemies and as long as the Tribunus was not present, everyone could say what they wanted - without consequences.
It was already dark outside and Dholar had told her to put away the plates from lunch and lock up afterwards. She had to hurry if she wanted to get home in time. Fine put down the still dripping plate and silently thanked for the existing sink. Tired, she closed the door to the kitchen and was about to turn off the light in the training room when she saw Hyde's figure sitting at the edge of the sandpit. He had put his headband aside and didn't seem to notice her at all. His arms hugged his legs, blond hair spilling down his face.
„Hyde?"
He moved his head slightly in her direction, just to show that he had noticed her. Fine sat down next to him and together they were silent for a while.
She was about to ask what was wrong, when she remembered his last reaction about such a simple question. He isn't used people worry about him. She reformulated her question. „How do you feel?" she asked softly, making an effort to look at him. On his forehead, the Garleans third eye - not exactly a surprise.
The boy gave a quiet hum and closed his eyes, but said nothing else. Fine was already used to this behavior and just waited until he was ready to say something. When the minutes passed and he still said nothing, she turned to him again.
„Would you rather be alone?"
„No!", his voice sounded somehow heavy - almost panic-stricken and a hand sprang to her arm to hold her tight, as if he wanted to stop her from leaving. Yet she had made no attempt to get up at all. Briefly, Fine winced from the unexpected action.
„Okay." She put her hand on his and Hyde's grip loosened a bit, but didn't let go.
„Did I hurt you?" He still wasn't looking at her and she was starting to get really worried.
„No, I'm fine. Hyde what's -"
„That's not my name." His grip tightened again.
„Oh, don't tell me that should surprise me now." Fine gave him a smile and finally, finally he looked at her. The Garlean laughed dryly. „Well, I guess it wasn't a very clever lie - not my idea, by the way."
„Of course not."
He sighed and once again they sat in silence - getting home on time was something she could probably forget today. The girl said nothing, just squeezed his hand. He looked so lost, sitting next to her ike that.
„Well?" she asked tentatively after a while, reminding him that she was still there.
„Well what?" he looked at her, confused, until he realized what she wanted. „Oh -"
Fine chuckled, „Come on now you have to tell me your real name."
An expression slid over his face that she couldn't quite interpret, and she noticed his hesitation, grip tightened even further.
„But you don't have to"
He shook is head: „Zenos yae Galvus..." a short pause, „...my great-grandfather is the emperor."