The Beloved

Flaming red hair, piercing scarlet eyes, and a smile that screamed out her charismatic personality, a personality Iscodaya barely knew. Nairuga Kousa, the late Queen of Phirines, was a royal whose strength was only second to the mightiest General of the nation, who eventually became her husband.

But now, the Flaming Monarch of Phirines, could only be seen in paintings. One of these paintings is found in a hallway of the main castle, one that the second prince of Phrines, Iscodaya Kousa, was currently looking at. His scarlet eyes locked into hers, his expression was unreadable, but inside, his emotions were swirling.

“How could a cursed child ever come from a woman so bright as her?” He asked himself, his insides screaming. But like a light in a world so dark, one voice called out, a voice that always distracted him from himself.

“Isco,” the voice was soft, inviting, one that made Iscodaya guilty for even being regarded that way. His head turned, and instantly all his guilt went away. Orange hair, red draconic eyes, the golden crown of a King, the scars of a warrior, and the gentle face of a caring father.

Drano Kousa, the King and mightiest warrior of Phirines. He walked near Iscodaya, turning also to the painting. A comfortable silence came over the father and son, as Iscodaya kept his eyes facing the ground. But then, two fingers came up and touched his chin, gently lifting his head up.

“Do not feel ashamed, my son,” he stated, not knowing how much his words meant to his son. “A son should not cower in looking at his mother, same as a prince should not cower being with his people,” Drano expressed as he began to walk.

Iscodaya followed, his fingers fidgeting, “...I do not deserve their reverence,” he replied. Draco’s eyes turned to his son.

“Well, that’s your older brother’s job, isn’t it?” He jokingly commented, closing his eyes as his smile grew, “Your name is Iscodaya, the Beloved.” The young Prince’s eyes widened as he heard his father’s words. It was true, his mother did name her three sons after what they should be seen as. Daran, revered, Isco, beloved, and Seno, respected.

Iscodaya turned his gaze away from his father, “Well, I’m not doing a great job about that, I think Seno should take my title away,” he replied, earning a chuckle from Drano.

“No, I think you’re perfectly fine with that title.”

Hearing this, Iscodaya lifted his eyebrow, “I don’t think so.”

The King sighed at his son’s constant rejection, “First things first, my son, I go out to see our people more than you, so I would know how people see you.” Iscodaya flinched at his father’s reply, as his uncles always remarked how he got his sassy attitude from his father. But after his cheeky comment, Drano’s voice turned soft again, as he laid a hand on Iscodaya’s shoulder, “And second things second, you refuse love so much. My son, you deserve it.”

The young Prince’s eyebrows curled, as he gritted his teeth; his father had always been the most loving person in his life, a love that encouraged him to keep on going. As the two made their way to the laboratory, Iscodaya met up with Kaus. They changed their clothes to ones of the human realm.

But as they made their way to the portal area, Drano noticed Iscodaya’s clothing, “What kind of design is that?” Drano asked as the two made their way to the platform.

Iscodaya turned to his father, “It’s human clothing, I got it when I went adventuring,” he responded as the scientists around them started to chant magic and use the technology around them.

Hearing this, an intrusive thought came from Kaus’s mind, one that accidentally came out, “With Kei right?” But as those words exited from Kaus’s mouth, Iscodaya venomously turned to him, as the portal teleported them to the human world.

But in the laboratory, Drano stood contemplating Kaus’s words, “So~ Iscodaya actually went out?” A voice uttered next to him, one that Drano didn’t even have to turn to for him to know.

“Seems so,” he replied, as the man next to him, a very tired scientist with curly blue hair, touched his chin. “Serioth… could we send out Daran or Seno to find out who this Kei person is?”

Head scientist and General of Phirines Serioth turned to his brother, “I don’t know? Probably, ask Jion or Sharusha, it’s not my problem.” Hearing this, Drano turned to Serioth, a sly smile on his face.

“King’s orders~,” he cheekily remarked, causing Serioth to give him the stinkeye. The scientist got up from his seat as he scratched the back of his head.

“I swear, why did you, of all people, have to marry into the royal family?”

“I don’t know, brother, maybe because I was the strongest and prettiest in Phrines?” But as the two brothers bickered, Iscodaya and Kaus made it through the portal.

As they teleported to their apartment, a silence came over them, one that made Kaus worried. “Irom,” Iscodaya called, shaking Kaus’s entire body.

“Y-yes, your Majesty,” he responded, but before Iscodaya could open his mouth, his phone got a message. Opening it, he saw that Kei had texted him.

“Hey, you back?”

A feeling of relief came over Iscodaya as he saw the greeting. He then turned to Kaus, giving him the look that spoke that he had been spared today. Iscodaya then began to type out a response.

“Yeah, just got back, we’ll be going to school tomorrow.”

But while he texted, the Prince’s mind thought of something. For the little time the two knew each other, Kei had always been the one to tease Iscodaya. So he thought that this time, it was his turn.

“You missing me or something?” He wrote out, but didn’t send right away, for his mind was thinking of it he should do it or not. But in the end, thinking that it might be too embarrassing, he decided to delete it. As his fingers were about to hit the delete button, Kaus bumped into him.

“Who’s that?” He asked, as Iscodaya’s fingers hit the send button. A surge of red came over Iscodaya’s face as he saw that his message was read. The embarrassed Prince turned to his servant.

“YOU CLUMSY IMBECILE!!” He yelled out, softly hitting Kaus on his shoulder and back. The servant didn’t know what he did, but Iscodaya stormed off outside to be left alone. He muttered to himself as he was trying to write something to excuse himself.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

But before he could, his eyes read Kei’s reply text. Like a statue, Iscodaya froze, his eyes glued on the text, “W-what does that supposed to mean?” He verbally exclaimed as he sat on the stairs descending to his apartment.

“What do you mean?” Iscodaya sent, his eyes wide open, his foot tapping, intrigued by Kei’s texts.

“I mean what I mean, I missed teasing you.”

Seeing what she sent, Iscodaya couldn’t help but feel like he was led on. He sent a picture of an angry cat as he stuffed his phone in his pocket and went for a walk. But from the other side of the chat, Kei was stuffing her head on her pillow.

“Why did I send that?” she murmured to herself, her feet tugging each other like embarrassed hands. She lifted her eyes to her phone, her face a pout, “What the heck is this guy even about? Sending me a text like that, then getting angry when I joke around. WHY AM I EVEN GETTING EMBARASSED AT ISCODAYA!!”