The afternoon garden party slowly drifted toward its end. The palace musicians changed their lively tunes to softer, winding melodies as the staff began clearing away the empty teacups and half-eaten dessert trays. Small groups of nobles gradually moved inside toward the main palace halls, where the grand evening banquet would soon begin.
Cassian had just finished changing into his dark evening attire when Sora stepped closer, his slender fingers reaching up to gently fix the high collar of Cassian's formal coat. He smoothed down the gold embroidery with careful precision.
"You look incredibly handsome tonight as well My Lord," Sora said softly and Cassian smiled. Trailing his eyes down to Sora's attire. It was pure white tunic with fins in the hems, widened sleeves and gold embroidery threaded all around it. It even sparkled in the light and his baby bump was clearly showing over his lean figure.
Cassian gently pecked Sora's forehead.
"You are the one who looks the most handsome tonight Sora," Cassian replied naturally and Sora's long, pointed ears immediately turned a deep shade of red. He pulled his hands back, his gaze darting away.
"You–... you really shouldn't just say things like that so casually."
"And why is that?"
"It makes me so nervous," Sora muttered, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper.
Cassian chuckled, stepping forward to close the distance between them.
"You've become surprisingly shy lately Sora."
Cassian's expression softened completely and he reached up, his thumb gently brushing a loose strand of Sora's raven hair behind his ear.
"Have you been taking proper care of yourself back in the forest?"
"I have."
"And you've been eating properly as well?"
Sora hesitated, his eyes shifting slightly. "...Mostly."
Cassian narrowed his eyes, his hand dropping to his side.
"Sora."
"I said mostly, My Lord."
"Sora?," the prince repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright, fine! I might have skipped a few meals here and there..."
Cassian let out a long, heavy sigh. "I leave you alone for a mere two days and you immediately start neglecting your own health."
"I was incredibly busy with the eleven elders. Those old geezers were truly demanding and nitpicking at everything I did." Sora defended himself, pouting.
"Even so, were you too busy to sit down and eat?"
"Well....Maybe."
Cassian reached out and lightly flicked the elf's forehead.
"Ouch!"
Sora hissed, immediately bringing both hands up to rub the sore spot while glaring at him with dramatic betrayal.
"That actually hurt!"
"That was for causing me unnecessary worry," Cassian said, though there was no real heat in his words.
"You're so mean to me My Lord." He pouted sulking and Cassian only chuckled, suddenly pecking the spot he flickered on Sora's forehead.
"There there I kissed it."
"Now come on quit fooling around it's time to go. The banquet is waiting for us."
Sora intertwined their fingers immediately, his grip tight and secure.
"Then let's go together."
The moment they stepped out into the grand stone corridor, the line of waiting servants and royal attendants bowed one after another, clearing a path for the royal couple. Neither Cassian nor Sora noticed the lone, massive figure standing silently near the grand archway at the very end of the hallway.
It was Lucien.
The Duke had been tasked with personally escorting several foreign delegates to the grand ballroom, but he had paused near the pillar as the doors opened. His ice-blue eyes landed instantly on their tightly joined hands. Then, his gaze moved up to fixate on the gentle, unforced smile Cassian wore—a look of pure, relaxed warmth that Lucien had rarely ever seen directed at anyone else in the palace.
The knight remained perfectly still, a silent statue in the dimming light of the corridor. His stoic expression didn't alter by a single fraction; his posture stayed flawlessly regal. Yet, hidden beneath the drape of his formal cape, his large hand slowly closed around the cold hilt of his ceremonial sword, his knuckles turning white from the sheer force of his grip.
"...Sir Arden?" a younger knight standing just behind him asked, noticing the prolonged pause.
"Is something amiss?"
Lucien blinked, the tension in his jaw tightening before he slowly forced his hand to release the weapon.
"...It's nothing," Lucien whispered, his voice entirely flat and devoid of life. He looked away first, turning his back to the couple before they could look down the hall.
"Let us continue walking."
Yet, as he led the foreign guests toward the loud, roaring echoes of the grand ballroom, the painful thought refused to leave his mind.
'He smiles so easily, so naturally, whenever he is around that elf..'
Lucien stared straight ahead into the bright lights of the banquet hall, his heart breaking all over again in the dark.
'I wonder... did he ever look at me like that? Did he ever smile like that because of something I did... or was I simply imagining a warmth that was never truly there to begin with?'
The question lingered heavily in his chest, a silent, suffocating torment that stayed with him long after the grand orchestra began to play its celebratory music for the crowd.
*****
The grand ballroom was a breathtaking spectacle of light, gold, and absolute luxury. Hundreds of crystal chandeliers hung from the high, painted ceiling, casting a brilliant glow over the massive crowd of gathered nobles. The grand orchestra filled the room with the sweeping, dramatic notes of a slow imperial waltz.
As the official opening announcement echoed across the hall, the crowd parted cleanly to reveal the most admired couple of the evening. Cassian and Sora stepped onto the polished marble center stage to open the first dance.
The applause that followed was absolutely deafening. The sound roared through the hall, a mixture of political respect and intense curiosity.
Beneath his flawless, elegant posture, Sora was incredibly nervous. His chest heaved slightly, his breaths coming short and fast as he was no longer just a hidden half-elf covered in protective illusions of his glamour, hiding away in the shadows of the capital. Instead, he stood there as the Crown Prince's officially acknowledged fiancé and the father of the Crown Prince's unborn child—the father of the Holy Empire's future heir. Every single noble eye in the room was secretly judging him, dissecting his movements, and searching for any flaw to exploit. And Cassian immediately noticed the sharp, visible trembling in Sora's frame. Without saying a word, he shifted his placement, sliding his hand a little firmer around Sora's slender waist and it was a grounding, protective hold that pulled the elf closer against his chest.
"Relax, dear,"
Cassian murmured, his voice low, smooth, and steady against the roaring music. "Everyone is watching us."
"I know..." Sora whispered back, his eyes darting anxiously toward a group of staring nobles.
"That is precisely why you cannot afford to appear frightened around these people," Cassian instructed gently, guiding him flawlessly into the first turn of the waltz. "They feed on weakness."
He added and Sora let out a nervous, breathless laugh, his fingers clutching tightly to Cassian's shoulder.
"Easy for Your Highness to say. I can't really get used to their noble mocking and hidden judgments. It feels like they are waiting for me to fall."
Cassian's gaze locked onto Sora's face, his expression softening just a fraction. The coldness in his eyes melted away, replaced by a quiet, comforting warmth.
"Then look only at me," Cassian whispered, his tone filled with a rare tenderness.
"And forget about those jealous people entirely."
For several heartbeats, the world faded into absolute silence. The loud music, the judging glares, and the suffocating ballroom completely vanished from Sora's mind. He looked up into Cassian's eyes, his racing heart finally slowing down as he let himself believe, even just for a moment, that he was entirely safe in the prince's arms.
Meanwhile.
At a short distance away, Lucien moved gracefully through the crowd, dancing with Ruby Charmainia Thompson.
To the surprise of the watching court, the two of them actually got along remarkably well as Ruby was incredibly intelligent, quick-witted, and entirely fearless. She didn't try to flirt aggressively with Lucien or use the typical, exhausting games of high-society noblewomen. Instead, as they moved rhythmically to the waltz, she spoke passionately about her S-class expeditions, the unique habits of magical beasts, and the ancient secrets buried within forgotten ruins.
Lucien found himself genuinely interested in her personality as a whole. Her sharp mind and independent spirit made it easy to talk to her, and the tension in his massive shoulders relaxed slightly as he listened to her stories.
And from across the crowded ballroom, Cassian watched them. Seeing the two of them conversing so naturally, his chest tightened with a bittersweet victory.
'They fit together exactly as the original story intended.'
But Lucien wasn't entirely present.
Even as he responded politely to Ruby's witty comments, his icy eyes kept unconsciously wandering over her shoulder and his gaze traveled past the dancing couples, tracking the familiar, dark uniform of the prince. He couldn't stop himself from watching the way Cassian held Sora, the way the prince's hand rested protectively against the elf's waist.
But Lucien had not known that Ruby was observant the entire time. Very observant. She didn't miss the subtle pull in Lucien's posture, or the way his attention fractured every time the prince moved across the floor.
Instead of becoming offended or angry, Ruby maintained her graceful stride, her eyes softening with a quiet, knowing look.
"...You are very fond of the Prince, aren't you, Sir Arden?" she asked quietly, her voice barely louder than the violin melody and Lucien nearly missed a step. His boot caught slightly against the smooth marble before his perfect instincts took over, instantly correcting his stance. A heavy, suffocating silence fell between them as the waltz carried them in a slow circle.
Forcing his expression back into a mask of professional courtesy, Lucien offered a polite, distant smile.
"Solely because he is my prince, Lady Thompson. It is my duty to ensure his well-being."
Ruby looked at him, a sad, knowing smile touching her lips.
"That wasn't the answer I was expecting, Sir Arden."
Lucien didn't answer. He simply tightened his hold on her hand slightly and smoothly changed the subject to her recent mapping of the desert dunes. He didn't need to speak; Ruby already had her answer written clearly in the profound sorrow lingering in his eyes.
Sora, however, noticed everything.
As Cassian spun him through the crowd, Sora's eyes scanned the room, and he saw it all through a lens of deep, painful insecurity. He saw Lucien's eyes constantly tracking Cassian through the ballroom, filled with a raw, unspoken longing. Then, he looked up and saw the satisfaction on Cassian's face—the way the prince was smiling as he watched Ruby and Lucien talk.
Sora's mind raced, completely misinterpreting every single look and gesture.
He thought Cassian was smiling because he secretly liked Ruby, charmed by her brilliant, fearless nature. He thought Lucien was watching Cassian because the knight was deeply in love with the prince. And he thought Ruby was getting close to Lucien because she liked the legendary hero.
And the dark, heavy weight of his own insecurity quietly grew in his chest.
'Everyone has a place,' Sora thought, his grip on Cassian's hand turning cold.
'The beautiful scholar, the grand hero, the perfect prince... I am the only one who doesn't truly belong here. I am just a burden forced into this script.'
The grand orchestra built to a final, sweeping crescendo, the final chord echoing beautifully off the high walls. The opening dance had officially ended, but as the couples stopped and bowed, the invisible web of heartbreak and misunderstanding had already tightened around them all.
*****
Later that night.
The suffocating heat of the grand ballroom and the endless drone of the orchestra had finally become too much to bear. The moment the opening waltz came to an end, Cassian gently loosened Sora's possessive grip around his hand.
"I'll only be gone for a moment."
Sora looked up immediately.
"Hm? Where are you going?"
Cassian offered a calm smile.
"I promised to greet one of the minor officials earlier. It won't take long."
"...Promise?"
Cassian nodded.
"I promise."
Only then did Sora reluctantly let go of his hand and Cassian finally managed to quietly slipp away from the crowd.
Instead of heading toward any official...he walked past the towering marble pillars. Past the rows of golden chandeliers and the laughing nobles filling the ballroom. Then, unnoticed by almost everyone, he slipped through the heavy velvet curtains that were leading outside.
The palace balcony was empty and the cool night air immediately embraced him the moment he stepped outside. A refreshing breeze swept across the gardens below, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass. Even the distant music from the ballroom became muffled behind the closed doors.
Much quieter.
Much easier to breathe, Cassian slowly walked toward the marble railing. His boots echoed softly against the polished stone floor and he rested both hands on the cold railing before slightly leaning forward catching his breath. His eyes drifted toward the moonlit gardens below.
Finally...
He closed his eyes. A long breath escaped his lips.
"...Haah..."
Another followed.
"...Much better."
Cassian rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the stiffness that had settled there.
"I swear nobles can talk endlessly without ever saying anything important."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a loud sigh.
"And those musicians..."
"Do they know any song besides waltzes?...at this point I feel like listening to some R&Be and soul."
A faint laugh escaped him.
"...But then this is a while different world and I suppose this is just how royal banquets are supposed to be."
His smile slowly faded and the silence returned. Feeling tipsy and lightheaded.
But it wasn't the alcohol bothering him. His hand slowly drifted to the center of his chest and he frowned.
"I should be happy that everything is going according to plan."
"Lucien is slowly moving on with the woman he always wanted in the past lives."
"Sora is also safe at the Verdent Forest."
"The Empire is at peace and so am I."
Cassian looked up at the stars.
"So... Why does it feel like something is missing? Just what exactly is this feeling?"
His fingers unconsciously tightened against the marble. Only the gentle sound of the wind moving through the trees below comforted him as the emptiness inside his chest refused to disappear. The taste of his own victory was entirely bitter.
Just then as Cassian was lost in thought. A soft, heavy footstep clicked against the stone behind him. Cassian didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The steady, protective aura was entirely unmistakable. Lucien had left the ballroom, leaving Lady Ruby behind to follow his prince into the dark.
"Sir Arden,"
Cassian spoke into the quiet night, his voice a smooth and cold as he kept his back turned to the knight.
"I believe I saw you dance with Lady Ruby not so long ago. A Holy Knight should not leave a lady standing alone on the ballroom floor, it is quite rude to do that."
Lucien stopped a few paces behind him. In the dim moonlight, his massive frame cast a long shadow over the balcony and his eyes were fixed entirely on the prince's rigid shoulders, filled with a raw, agonizing yearning that he could no longer completely hide.
"Lady Ruby is surrounded by suitors, My Prince," Lucien replied, his deep voice carrying a quiet, heavy weight.
"She does not lack company. But you... you look as though the weight of the entire world is crushing you down."
Lucien notices every tiny detail about Cassian without even trying. The exhaustion around his eyes, the loosened collar, the way he avoids eye contact.
Even the forced smile Cassian had been wearing all evening had disappeared.
'You are exhausted, you must have barely slept these past weeks. And I could tell that you have been drinking more than usual. And you're pretending you're fine again...'
Lucien's hand twitched instinctively.
For just a second...
He wanted to walk over, straighten Cassian's collar, brush away the loose strands of hair covering his face, ask if he had eaten, ask if he had even rested enough and ask just how much he was hurting. The same things he had done every day while serving as his guard. He wants to reach out to Cassian, but then he remembers that he no longer has that privilege anymore.
So...
His fingers slowly curled into a fist instead as he could no longer hold him. He had already lost that right.
Cassian himself had taken it away.
And that silent restraint was far more painful than jealousy itself.
"So..."
Cassian let out a small, humorless laugh as he finally looked toward Lucien.
"Are you worried about me now, Sir Arden?"
Lucien answered without hesitation.
"Of course I am."
His reply was immediate.
"So much so...that I came looking for you."
The sincerity in his voice made Cassian's chest ache and that made him look away from Lucien once again.
"Sir Arden, I am the Crown Prince of Edrath, Cassian Valemont. Nothing could ever crush me down." Cassian countered sharply, finally turning around to face him. He erected the coldest wall he could manage, tilting his chin up to look down at the knight.
"The weight of the empire is my birthright. It is not your concern. Your only concern is to obey my commands, and right now, I command you to return to the banquet immediately."
Lucien didn't move. He stood his ground, the unsaid words of the past few weeks finally burning through his strict knight's discipline. He stepped an inch closer to Cassian, his gaze dropping to the high collar hiding the faint marks on Cassian's neck before rising back to the prince's pale face.
"Why are you doing this, Cassian?" Lucien asked softly. The sudden drop of the formal title made Cassian's breath hitch.
"First, you tell me that once this tournament is over, I am to be removed from your side. Then, you stand before the entire court and hand me over to a woman I have only just met. You speak of my marriage, my future and my retirement... as if you cannot wait to scrub my name entirely from your life."
Cassian's heart twisted violently in his chest, a sharp, physical pain that made him want to gasp. He wanted nothing more than to step into Lucien's arms, to let himself be held by that desperately gentle strength he had felt almost everyday the past month.
For once Cassian had wanted—
No...
He needed— to walk forward, to close the distance between them, to bury himself against Lucien's chest and feel those familiar arms around him again. Even if it's to hear Lucien tell him that everything would be alright.
Just once.
Just one last time and his feet almost moved.
Almost.
But they stopped as Earth flashed across his mind.
His mother, his father, his annoying sister and the life he had left behind.
And within three months, just only three months remained before he could finally return home. But if he let himself become weak now, if he allowed himself to lean on Lucien again...
He would start wishing to stay.
He would begin choosing this world over the one he came from.
And if that happened...
How could he ever face the family waiting for him on Earth?
His nails dug into his palms.
'Don't look at Lucien, don't soften up, don't give him hope.'
Because hope..
Would only destroy Lucien when Cassian disappeared.
'He has to hate me. It's the only way he'll ever survive after I'm gone.'
Cassian swallowed the lump in his throat.
When he finally spoke...
His voice was colder than winter.
"I believe..."
"...you've misunderstood your place, Sir Arden."
Even as those words left his mouth...
They shattered something inside him too. But right now he had to make Lucien hate him.
"You are being absurd once again," Cassian said, his voice dropping to a cruel, mocking whisper.
"I am simply arranging the pieces of my life. You are a celebrated hero, but you are also a vassal. Lady Ruby is the perfect match to secure the future of your household. Therefore I am doing you quite a favor by bringing you together."
"A favor?" Lucien chuckled bitterly, it was a hollow, heartbroken sound. He looked directly into Cassian's cold eyes, his own shining with an intense, desperate devotion.
"Did I even ask for that favor?, because if I remember correctly my Prince I haven't even named the favor that you truly owe me at all."
"Or do you truly think so poorly of me? Do you think I care about noble titles, or lands, or a perfect match? My Prince... my heart, my mind, my entire soul has only ever yearned for one person. I have stood by and watched you bond with that Elf because it couldn't be helped. I have accepted my place in your shadows. But to force me away entirely? To push me into another woman's arms just so you don't have to look at me?"
Lucien took another step forward, his voice trembling with months of buried emotions.
"Just tell me to my face that you want me gone. Tell me that my presence disgusts you. Look me in the eye and tell me that you feel absolutely nothing, and then I will walk away and never trouble your sight again."
Cassian stared at him, his own vision blurring slightly at the edges. The agonizing sincerity in Lucien's voice was tearing him apart from the inside out.
Forcing his expression into a mask of pure, unbothered arrogance, Cassian let out a short, dismissive laugh.
"You are becoming entirely too sentimental, Lucien," Cassian said, his voice steady and cold.
"You ask me to look you in the eye? Very well then. Here. I've done it."
"I feel nothing for you. Your presence does not disgust me—it simply tires me. You are a loyal guard, but you have become an inconvenience to my private life and my current arrangement with Sora. I am pushing you toward Lady Ruby because I want a clean court, free of lingering, pathetic attachments. Your duty to me is done for so take the lady, take your retirement, and leave my sight..... Entirely."
"I don't ever want to see you in front of me or anywhere near me ever again."
Lucien froze. The words hit him with a physical force, draining the remaining warmth from his face. His eyes shattered, the light in them completely dying out as the cruel words sunk deep into his soul.
He stood in the silence of the balcony for a long, agonizing moment, his chest heaving slightly under his armor. Then finally, he drew himself up, his posture turning entirely formal and rigid. Then he offered a low, perfect imperial bow.
"I understand, Your Highness,"
Lucien whispered, his voice completely dead of all emotion.
"Forgive my... pathetic behavior. It will not happen again. I shall return to the ballroom and fulfill your commands."
With that, Lucien turned around, his heavy boots clicking rhythmically against the stone as he walked back toward the velvet curtains. Each step was slow, heavy, and final.
The moment the curtains fell shut behind the knight, Cassian's posture collapsed completely. He grabbed the marble railing to keep himself from falling to his knees, his entire frame shaking violently as he let out a choked, silent sob. He pressed a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the sound of his own breaking heart.
He had done it. He had corrected the story, so why does it hurt him instead. Lucien would finally be with Ruby, something the knight always yearned for in his past lives but couldn't have because of the Holy See.
In fact it was truly a favor Lucien should be grateful for.
But as Cassian stared out into the dark, empty gardens, the suffocating loneliness of his choice completely consumed him. He had successfully pushed Lucien away, but instead of rejoicing, he wretched his own heart in doing so.
So what was the point of groveling in his own pain he caused himself?
*****