Chapter Two: Alm
"Grandfather!"
Berkut had remained silent as he was led through the village by Mycen, paying his surroundings only enough mind to know that others were not watching him like some oddity as he feared they might. The houses and shops were ignored in favor of people, most of whom didn't notice that the young boy at Mycen's side was not actually Alm. Some did, but none yet questioned it since for all they knew Mycen was helping some traveler's child reunite with their family or simply showing them to where he rose his sheep.
When the 'grandfather' and 'grandson' reached Mycen's humble abode a young boy with hair like grass ran outside to warmly receive them. The boy did not seem to notice Berkut quite yet, instead being excited about his only known family returning to him after a short journey to do some errand he had not quite explained to Alm.
"Alm. I take it you were fine in my absence?"
"Of course!" the moss-haired boy responded with cheer, seeming quite capable even at his age of taking care of himself.
It was then that he noticed that there was another present, someone who happened to not be a sheep, but as soon as he was able to notice another he was offering Berkut the same smile he given Mycen, "Oh, hello there. I'm Alm. Who are you?"
Berkut was not quite sure what to make of his cousin, for he almost winced at the sight of this skinny boy his age who looked nothing like the refined nobility he had come to expect of others around his status…and yet this boy was to be Emperor. He seemed as if he were any other commoner, and if Berkut did not know better he'd have just passed him over by now.
Mycen was forced to break the silence caused by Berkut taking in the fact that his cousin, and the future ruler of Rigel, was not some noble in commoner's clothes but a commoner through and through except for his blood, "This is a distant relative of yours, Alm, by the name of Berkut. His parents have passed, but left him the funds necessary to attend a school in the north. He will be staying with us for some time until it is time for him to return there."
In a polite way Alm offered his hand to Berkut to shake, showing that while he may not possess the poise and dignity of a future lord he did at least possess common courtesy, "It's nice to meet you, Berkut! I didn't think I even had any more family, so this is exciting!"
Part of Berkut wanted to slap his hand away, the childish part to him upset that this other boy was so special and could one day be Emperor instead of him…but another part knowing his own manners and that he was brought here to get to know this boy, so he may as well try lest Emperor Rudolf be furious.
"A pleasure," Berkut returned both a smile and a hand to shake, making certain to have as firm a grip as he could for the brief handshake.
Seeing that the two boys were starting off on a good enough foot, Mycen came up with an idea to have them move forth from there without him getting in the way.
"Alm, how about you show Berkut around the village? He could use some time to acclimate to things here, and you two can get to know one another better. I can prepare a meal for us all while you do."
"Sure thing!" Alm grinned in excitement about being able to show an actual living family member around town, so long he had been without anyone but Mycen to call his own. Grabbing Berkut's hand, Alm was ready to march right out into town at the mere suggestion to do so, "Let's go Berkut!"
Berkut removed his hand from Alm's, though that did not mean he was averse to the idea…he needed to know about this place he was going to be living after all, so being taught about it all was actually an idea he supported.
He just wished his tour guide would be Mycen and not a boy he was semi-determined to dislike, even if he knew he had to at least try to be civil to him.
"Fine…lead the way."
Mycen was already handling his return to his home and thus was removed from the conversation when Berkut's uneven response caught Alm by surprise. To the boy he expected his seeming cousin of sorts to be so happy and pleasant as he was being, so to see him instead quiet and reserved like his younger friend Kliff was odd to Alm.
Why wasn't Berkut smiling? He got to meet family! Didn't he want to meet family too?
"Is something the matter?"
Knowing he could not reveal the truth, Berkut did as many children tend to under such circumstances and told a lie…a simple lie at that, and one which actually held truth in it.
"It's nothing. I just am not used to this place…or the smell."
Alm bought the excuse as he realized that not everyone was so used to the smell of barnyard animals, and so chalked up Berkut's behavior as being due to simple unease about this new place he was visiting, "Oh, yeah, I guess visitors tend to not like the smell of cows, but to us it's all so normal. Don't worry though, you'll get used to it here, I promise!"
Berkut made no other comment, instead just following Alm back into the town where due to the lack of Mycen he was paid even less mind than before. The villagers had their own lives to go about, and some random black haired boy had not yet earned their notice, allowing Alm to easily bring Berkut to wherever he pleased.
It was not a very large village by all accounts, nor was it the most exciting of places, but Alm did manage to show Berkut to an important location within it all the same as their first main stop.
"So, this is the well. We need this so we can drink water every day!"
Berkut had heard of wells, but he had never actually had to bother with one…but upon being shown it childish curiosity got the better of him.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the contraption. If this was how he would have to drink, he may as well learn.
"Go ahead. Drink all you want!"
Permission granted to interact with it, Berkut fiddled with the well until he was brought from it water…water which appeared clear and clean, but which when he brought to his lips left a soured expression in its wake.
"Is something wrong?" Alm asked, worried that something may have gotten in the water…but that was not actually the matter going through Berkut's mind.
No, what was causing his face to look like he had tasted something terrible was that compared to the fresh water brought to him in Rigel every day by servants…this water was positively disgusting.
He could not quite articulate what was wrong with it, but 'earthy' would have been his descriptor if he was not intent on still trying to be polite. He did not wish to start off on the wrong foot with Alm…the common boy from before, Grey? Sure. But not Alm, who was his family and blood even if Alm was unaware to the specifics.
"The water up North tastes…different," Berkut provided as an explanation to his face scrunching up, but Alm quickly caught on and lifted an eyebrow in doubt.
"You mean better, don't you?"
"Most certainly."
Alm laughed at the brutal honesty he got this time around, though it did make him wonder more about this 'distant' family member of his, "What's it like where you're from?"
And risk revealing the fact that this was all a farce to trick Alm while allowing for Berkut to meet with him? No, Berkut liked keeping his head on his shoulders, and the simpler he kept things the better.
"I would…prefer not to speak of it, if at all possible."
"Oh…I understand…" Alm apologized, realizing from Berkut's shift into a sorrowful tone that it was likely a touchy subject for him, "…I'm sorry."
Berkut knew he was being quite serious, but he needed to set some basic rules with Alm if he was to do this right…and the pettier part of him didn't want to just get along like the best of friends with someone he had only just recently been informed would one day replace him.
"I do not need your sorrow or pity, but I will be grateful if you can understand my wishes."
"You got it…but if you ever need anybody to talk to, you can always come to me. We're family after all, and there's nothing more important than family and friends."
That caught Berkut off-guard. Just how kind was this boy? In Rigel such displays of support and emotion would be laughed at. It would be a surefire way to be scoffed at to act with such emotionally reckless abandon, but at the same time it gave Berkut a glimmer of hope.
Maybe…maybe things didn't have to be unpleasant between them. Alm was kind, perhaps too much so, but when Berkut's father had passed no-one had been there to talk to him about it. His mother didn't speak to him about how it made him feel. Neither had his uncle for that matter. And yet here was some boy offering to do something even his supposedly loving family would not, mere moments after meeting, all because of a sense of family and loyalty…
It was nice.
"…thank you, Alm. I will remember that."
Not one to dwell on such things for long, Alm went about continuing his tour for Berkut, showing him some of the various buildings nearby the well.
"That's Grey's family's general store, and here's the local bakery! Sure, it mostly just sells bread, but it's really good I promise!"
The mention of bread caused Berkut's stomach to rumble to his embarrassment, prompting the young boy to blush even as he smiled at the thought of eating it.
"Bread…noble or common, I suppose we all eat it."
Any hidden meaning in his words was lost on Alm, who just was glad to see Berkut smiling for once, "That's right! Tobin's family owns it, so do you want to check it out?"
Despite his desire now to eat, Berkut shook his head and denied his cousin's suggestion, "Perhaps another time…your grandfather is preparing food for us, is he not? I would not wish to crave for something else while another is providing for me."
Alm grinned, thinking it considerate of Berkut to think along those lines instead of just with his stomach, "That's pretty nice of you, Berkut…you can always come by some other time, and I'm sure the Bakers would love to have you. There may be a lot of them, but they're good people."
Berkut resolved to do just that when he had the opportunity and stomach for a trip to the bakery…he had come with quite the pouch of coin, so purchasing food would be no issue. He had not wished to be a burden on his host Mycen, who he had been told great things about, so asking his mother for some coin had been easy.
More difficult was keeping up with Alm, who was bouncing between pointing one direction and then suddenly another as he nearly dragged Berkut around.
"Okay, so by the shop is where Gray lives with his sisters and parents, and over here's where Kliff's family lives. And there's Faye's house, and…"
Alm paused a moment as the young boy ran out of important places to show off, not quite experienced at the art of showing off a village to another. He had just shown Berkut most of the things and places he interacted with, but he had a short list of such things given the village's small size and his own age.
"…and that's everyone I think! That place over there with the old man is where we make our village's special wine. Grandfather doesn't let me drink it, but I hear it's really good!"
Wine…that was something Berkut had plenty of access to back home, but had not had the pleasure of drinking yet. Still, it might be good for washing out the taste of the local water, so he made a mental note to try that in addition to the food of the bakery.
"Maybe it can quench our thirst another time," he suggested, with Alm agreeing with a nod.
"The village isn't all that large, so except for the sentry tower or some of the sheep back home I don't know what more I can show you. Do you like it?"
The easy answer would be 'no', as even as young as he was Berkut felt this place was beneath him…but for the time being he would have to reside in it, so he may as well begin looking at what he liked rather than disliked here.
"It is acceptable. I expected a plain village and it would appear that is what this place is."
From one of the homes mentioned by Alm came the familiar form of Grey, who had with him some training swords and an excited grin on his face as if he had been hoping to run into Alm when he came outside.
"Hey Alm, you wanna play swords?"
"Sure!"
'Play swords'? That was a new phrase to Berkut…but as his cousin moved to join Grey and beckoned him over with a hand to join them both, the pseudo-prince of Rigel found himself curious.
Were these villagers actually capable of wielding swords, even false ones? If they could that was actually commendable, and he would like to watch. He may even respect Alm for it.
'May' being the key word. He may be slightly inclined towards his cousin thanks to the boy's earnest nature, but he was not going to roll over and accept him into his heart just yet…but that was not to say it could not occur at some point.
A part of him wanted it to though, even while the rest of him wretched at such an idea. To actually have family who cared for him…
That was a new experience indeed.
A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts, please leave them in the reviews below, and thank you to Kahili, ElemenUchihaMaster, and a Guest last chapter for leaving your thoughts for me!