Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters
Mahiru watched the countryside pass through the carriage's window. It was refreshing to be outside the castle again. He had only been inside the castle for a day but the large place was surprisingly stifling, especially when the staff were very distant. The tall walls made him feel trapped despite how beautiful the castle was. He thought of how overjoyed Licht appeared when he first met him in the streets
His black cat briefly kneaded his leg to get his attention before it rolled onto its back. He rubbed the cat's stomach and its soft purring filled the carriage. Mahiru wanted to take the cat with him to the apple farm so it could stretch its legs. He scratched Ash's ear and said, "Make sure not to run off, Ash. We need to return to the castle before dinner. Hopefully, the plan will go well."
He whispered the last sentence so only the cat would hear him. Kuro was sitting across from him and sleeping. Mahiru was still cautious of anyone discovering that he was impersonating royalty though. The small trip to the farm was dangerous but he needed to know the full scope of the fruit bat infestation. He prayed that Hyde wouldn't return before he did or else that would lead to chaos.
"If everything goes as planned, we should celebrate with a feast. I can't wait to introduce you to all my friends. I'll make fried fish specially for you too, Ash."
He was a little surprised when Kuro mumbled a response. "I prefer noodles over fish— Sorry, I thought you were talking to me for a minute. I just woke up and my mind is still slow. Are we at the farm yet? The staff told me that the journey wouldn't be more than half an hour. How long have I been sleeping?"
"You were asleep for fifteen minutes, I think. But I think we're close to the apple farm. I can see the trees in the distance." He pointed out. Mahiru leaned out of the window slightly so he could see the farm better. Beside him, Kuro did the same and Mahiru felt their fingers brushed when he placed his hand on the window as well. He couldn't help but blush and pull his hand back. "Hopefully, the carriage's wheel won't break again. It would be terrible if we got stranded and you were late for work."
"Did Mahiru tell you about my carriage's wheel breaking in the town?" Kuro asked. He thought of how he acted earlier that morning and it was clear that he was friendlier with the servants than other royalty would be. Yet, the maids reacted to his openness with confusion as well. Due to his occupation, Kuro knew that someone like him was rare. He also well aware that he could never be close with servants like he obviously wanted to be. He couldn't help but sympathize with him.
"You and Mahiru seem to have a lot in common." Kuro leaned away from the window so he could sit more comfortably against the plush chair. He didn't notice the way Mahiru stiffened at his words. "You two don't treat people differently based on their station. That's admirable but it must be difficult. No matter if you're an angel or a witch, people have expectations for us. We can't run from our responsibilities."
"You're right." He nodded with a sad smile. The admission made Kuro look back to him. He had heard of how strong headed Licht was so he didn't expect for him to agree so quickly. But, Mahiru added: "I can't run away from my duty when others depend on me. It simply wouldn't feel right. Yet, I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be free sometimes. My mother taught me something important…"
"Was it flying? Hyde would often write to me about how you love flying."
"No. She told me you can fight for what you want, even while you have other obligations. Being ambitious isn't a bad thing but there's a balance you have to keep. I want to find my own way to fulfill my duty. That's my dream." Mahiru loved his mother and he missed her dearly. She taught him magic and he wanted to use what he learned to help others. Pride filled Mahiru's voice as he said: "I'm lucky I had a wonderful mother."
His sentence caught Kuro's attention. Why would Licht speak of his mother in the past tense when the queen was still alive? Moreover, the man sitting across from him was far from the haughty prince he thought he would meet. Kuro told himself that he was looking too much into small actions. He watched him pet the cat and coo softly to it. "Helping the farm will be a great first step. Will you help me, Ash?"
"I don't know how much a cat can help us. Is this your first time outside of the castle?" Kuro asked. He knew that it was rare the royal family leave the castle outside of public events. He understood the reason because people would often try to kidnap royalty for ransom. At the same time, it could be incredibly lonely and isolating.
"I've never visited a farm before." Mahiru didn't want to lie to him so he said a half truth. He worked for Carp's magic shop but he could only occasionally leave. He looked out the window again and he realized that they were almost in front of the farm. As the carriage, Mahiru jumped to his feet and opened the door. He didn't bother to wait for the carriage to stop before he hopped to the ground.
He took a deep breath and stretched his arms above his head. After sitting in the carriage for so long, he was hoping he could take a nice walk. Mahiru never enjoyed sitting idly. He moved to stand next to the carriage and took Ash down. He placed the cat on his shoulder and then held out his hand to Kuro to help him down as well. "C'mon, Kuro, we only have a few hours to explore."
"Your people will have a heart attack if they saw us. A prince helping a royal advisor? Shouldn't this be the other way around?" In spite of his words, Kuro placed his hand in Mahiru's. He stepped off the carriage but Mahiru didn't let go of his hand. He pulled him towards the farm with a happy skip in his steps. Kuro thought that he was like a whirlwind of energy. He decided that it was best not to fight him and he let himself be dragged around.
As Mahiru passed the carriage, he waved to the coachman. "Thank you for bringing us to the farm. May you also tell us when two hours pass?"
"As you wish, your royal highness." The man gave him a formal nod. While he was pretending to be Licht, Mahiru felt a little uncomfortable being addressed such. He mumbled a polite reply before he turned his focus back to the farm in front of him.
Ash nestled against his cheek before it scurried down his arm and onto Kuro's shoulder. That made Mahiru realize that they were still holding hands. He blushed and quickly let go of his hand. He was so excited to explore the farm that he forgot himself for a moment. Mahiru tangled his fingers together and he hoped he hadn't made things awkward.
"You must be a cat person, Kuro. Ash took a quick liking to you." Mahiru gave the cat a light pet and he smiled softly at how it purred happily. He walked a little ahead of them to rows of trees. The orchard was only a moderate sized farm. The kingdom main export was gold from the mines so he wasn't surprised. He stood beside one of the trees and saw the rotten apples beneath it.
Mahiru read about fruit bats earlier that morning and he searched the branches for one. He thought of the advisor's plan to burn down the trees to force the bats to leave. It would be a shame to destroy such beautiful trees and dislocate animals. If they could find a way to harvest the seeds, they could use the bats to their advantage.
Kuro tapped his shoulder lightly and said, "You're staring at those apples a lot. Are you still hungry? I would suggest you eat those apples though. The fruit bats probably sucked out all the juice from them already. Maybe we can ask the farmers if they harvest anything else you can eat."
"I'm not hungry. I was just thinking of how we could locate the fruit bats so we can contain them." He told him. Ash must've thought differently because it jumped onto the tree and pawed at an apple. He had to dodge the apple that fell once Ash touched it. He accidentally bumped into Kuro. Mahiru saw the cat climb higher to find a fresh apple. "He's going to get himself stuck in that tree."
"You can fly so we don't have to worry about getting it down." Kuro shrugged and Mahiru forced himself to nod. His wings were merely an illusion so he couldn't use them to fly. He owned a flying broom but he didn't know if he could use it. The illusion spell he placed on himself needed a lot of magic to maintain so he could only perform simple spells.
Mahiru noticed a few bats fly around Ash and they likely thought that the cat was invading their home. He didn't was worried that the bats would either hurt Ash or push it out of the tree. Without hesitating, Mahiru grabbed a tree branch and he began to climb. He stood on a branch a little below Ash and lightly swatted the bats away. "Please leave this cat alone. He means you no harm."
He couldn't talk to animals but he kept his voice soft so they would know he wasn't dangerous. Mahiru also stretched out a hand to Ash and gestured for it. He intended to carry the cat down from the tree branch. Ash leapt towards him with more force than Mahiru expected. He swore when he lost his footing and he started to fall backwards.
"Licht!" Kuro saw him fall and he instinctively rushed to save him. He caught him in his arms and he held him against his chest for a moment. The first thing he noticed when he held him was how warm his wings were. The feathers were soft and held a powerful magic yet there was also something strange about them as well. He couldn't say what it was though.
"Umm, Kuro, you can put me down now." Mahiru waved his hand in front of his face to get his attention. "Thank you for saving us though. I'm glad that Ash isn't hurt."
"You should be more worried than yourself. You're troublesome, do you know that?" Kuro lowered him to the ground carefully. "Let's go and enjoy this outing until we have to return to the castle."
"Can I fly now?" Licht must've repeated that question a hundred times in the last hour they had been walking. Hyde had promised him that he could fly briefly to stretch his wings. He needed to find a secluded place people wouldn't see them. He knew that he wouldn't be able to fly as much as he wanted but it was better than nothing.
"Just wait a little more." He could see that he was becoming impatient and rubbed his back. He could feel his wings hidden beneath the cloak Licht wore. Hyde knew that Licht must be tired since he never had to use his legs so much. They were walking along a dirt road in search for a place to fly discretely. Once Licht enjoyed a short flight, they would find a ride to the kingdom. He squeezed Licht's hand. "When we find a place with tall dense trees or a deserted farmhouse, we will stop."
"What about sunflowers?" Licht pointed to a field across the road. Even though he asked the question, he was already walking towards the flowers and dragging Hyde along. "They're tall and thick. No one can see us walking among the sunflowers, let alone notice me flying. Anyone who sees the sunflowers moving will only think that we're walking through it."
As they reached the center of the sunflower field, Licht took off his cloak and tossed it towards Hyde. He lightly flapped his wings a few times before he lifted himself off the ground. It was wonderful to feel the breeze through his feathers again. The sunflowers around them were almost as large as two men and that allowed him to fly more freely. But Hyde gently took his hands into his to stop him from flying too high. He didn't need to say anything because Licht could see how worried he was through his expression.
"You're being paranoid, Shit Rat. No one can see us." Licht said. He couldn't admit that he enjoyed holding hands with him. They would never be able to be so close if they were in the castle. Even if their rankings were the same, he could never confess to him. He flew a little higher and Hyde urged him back down. They had a little tug-of-war until Hyde pulled him against his chest and wrapped his arms around his waist.
"We made a deal, Lichtan. You have to be careful while you fly. The wizards who kidnapped you are still out there and we don't know who they are. We have to keep our head low. More specifically, you need to fly low. Okay?" He let go of him and Licht slowly flew a few feet into the air. Hyde was relieved that he didn't argue with him.
"When we get home, I want to start planting sunflowers. My mom will love these! We have a maze of roses and we could add another section for sunflowers." Licht gently pulled down one of the flowers so he could smell the flower better. He was careful not to bend the stem. Seeing Licht's smile among the sunflowers, Hyde was certain that he couldn't find anything more stunning.
"What are you staring at, Shit Rat?" Licht used one of the sunflowers to hit him. He thought that the sunflowers were similar to Hyde because of their colour. They also made a warm feeling spread through his chest. He cupped one of the flowers and sighed. "Even if mom plants sunflowers for me, I won't be able to enjoy them much. I have to go live with Sleepy Ash soon."
"Licht," He whispered his name but there was nothing else he could say. They both knew that they couldn't stop the marriage. It was selfish to hope to have a few more fleeting moments together but that didn't stop Licht's desire. He was a greedy angel. He floated down until they were standing in front of each other. They were so close that their feet touched.
They jumped apart when they heard a large crash. Licht instinctively wrapped his cloak tighter around his shoulder to hide his wings. Despite the danger, his curiosity made him leave the sunflower field and towards the loud sound. He spotted a group of people and smoke flowing out of a cave in the distant. His curiosity turned to worry when he realized that someone could be in danger.
Licht sprinted towards them. He barely took three steps before Hyde grabbed his arm to stop him. Hyde could already guess what he wanted to do the moment they heard the crash. "What did I just say about staying hidden, Licht? The fewer people you interact with, the safer you will be. There are already knights there so you don't need to endanger yourself."
"Don't tell me what to do, Shit Rat!" He jerked his wrist out of his grip. "Those are my people in danger and I won't turn my back on them. As an angel, I can't! I'm going to help them but I'll hide my wings."
He added the reassurance to ease the worry in Hyde's red eyes. Licht wasn't naïve so he understood that he needed to return to the castle for his engagement. Yet, he couldn't ignore the screams of help behind him either. He turned away from Hyde and ran across the field to the people standing around the cave. Licht overheard their conversation and learned that there was a collapse in the mine.
He spotted someone yelling orders to the knights and walk towards them. Licht was glad that they were low ranking knights so they wouldn't recognize him. He grabbed the man's cape to catch his attention. "Are people still trap in the mine? What can I do to help them?"
"Please step back, Sir. It's very dangerous here." The man must've thought that he was a mere civilian since he brushed him aside. Licht wasn't deterred though. He pieced together the situation from the orders the knight gave. The main passageways were blocked and the miners still inside couldn't escape. Licht pushed his way past the knights and stood in the entrance.
"Sir, you cannot be here." The man repeated and tried to pull Licht away. Hyde suddenly came between them and gripped the man's wrist tightly. There was a glint in his red eyes as he forced his hand away from Licht. He stood protectively in front of Licht and addressed the man.
"I am Lawless Servamp, royal advisor of the Todoroki family and this is my apprentice. If you don't want to lose your job, you will stand down and let us take over the situation." He took out his badge so the man would know that he was telling the truth. He thought that Licht was being reckless but the best thing he could do was stay by his side. "So, what are we going to do, Lichtan?"
"You need to be quiet so I can hear the people trapped." Licht strained his ear and heard faint voices echo out of the cave. With his magic and love for music, he was more sensitive to sounds than others. He summoned his piano and began to play, much to the other's confusion. He closed his eyes and followed the song of his piano throughout the cave until it mingled with the miner's voices.
Licht stood sharply but his piano continued to play by itself. "There's another way to them. Help me climb up the mountain, Hyde."
He nodded and he started to climb up the side of the mountain. He took Licht's hand and pulled him up the rocky grounds. Without his wings, he couldn't balance himself like he was accustomed to so he clung to Hyde's hand. His song was still echoing through the mines and he followed it. He spotted a cluster of wood among the rock and stomped through it.
A hole opened beneath them when Licht kicked through the wood. Hyde's arm around his waist kept him from falling through. They peered through it and he could see mine tracks beneath them. "This must be an old mine shaft. We can pull them out from here."
"Get a rope and your strongest men up here!" Licht yelled the order to the men below.
"Here's to our rescuers!" Everyone in the bar cheered and tapped their glasses together. After the miners were rescued, they insisted they celebrate with their saviours. "We were lucky that you two were passing by. You play the piano beautifully too, Lichtan. You're an apprentice but have you consider being a musician? You can be famous with how talented you are."
"Hey, hands off my Lichtan." Hyde stood behind Licht and wrapped his arms around him possessively. They were both a little drunk and Hyde leaned heavily against him. He hated hearing others use the special nickname he gave him but he couldn't correct them. It was risky to tell them their real names so Licht gave them his nickname.
"Stupid Demon, I don't belong to you or anyone. I should kick you for lying to these people." Licht threatened but he couldn't kick him when he felt so dizzy. He was a lightweight but the kind and grateful miners continued to fill his cup. "Damnit, I'm going to throw up"
"Don't throw up on me!" Hyde placed his hand on Licht's back and led him out of the bar. They barely made it to the alley next to the bar before Licht throw up the beer he had earlier. As he took a few shaky breathes, Hyde rubbed his back. The fresh air and his hand eased the burning knot in his stomach. He still felt lightheaded and stumbled into Hyde when he stood.
Hyde brushed his bangs from Licht's face and saw that his face was still flushed. He was in no condition to travel and Hyde groaned to himself. "We're getting you a glass of water and then we'll find another inn to stay in. No more alcohol for you."
"Wait," Licht clumsily placed his hands onto Hyde's shoulders when he started to back away. "There's someone behind us. I've felt them watching us since we walked into the bar. Do you think it's one of the wizards? I'm too dizzy to tell."
"Shit," He swore softly. A fight was the last thing they needed but he would defend Licht no matter what. He scanned the alley behind Licht for the man and gathered his magic in his palm. He was shocked to see who it was and his spell dwindled. "Is that you, Misono?"
"Misono?" Licht turned around sharply. "Brother?"