4.

                            IV


“Please allow me to wish you a most wonderful morning, Mother Jilane, Mother Hukatra, Mother Belura, Mother Nilaya”

Eshmel kneeled before the four women seated on the bed.

“Good morning to you as well, Eshmel dear”

“Good morning, love”

“Please rise, Eshmel. Good morning”

Eshmel glanced at the fourth woman, smiling softly. She’d already fallen asleep against queen Belura.

I hope you’re having wonderful dreams, mother

‘Nilaya! Your son is wishing you the greet of the day, and you can’t even bother looking at him - and stop leaning against me!’

Hukatra placed a hand over Belura’s shoulder, her face tinged bitter in contempt

“Belura, for heaven’s sake - it’s early in the morning, a tender silence that one waits all day to arrive. Let us have respect for it, for the sakes of all our peace”

Eshmel gathered to his feet, rising to his height, placing his hand on his chest.

“Mother Belura, if I may - the love you give me in fond remembrance everyday is enough to set my heart at peace. I…I feel so blessed to have each and every one of you consider me your own son…despite everything. This prince of Thalia could never and will never ask more”

“Hmph…such a lovely boy, the son of this woman? I can never understand the will of the gods…hmm…Eshmel”

“Yes, mother Belura?”

The blue haired woman patted the mattress beside her.

Is it a lecture or…?

Eshmel approached the bed, setting himself on the bed. Belura placed her hand on his face, her warmth seeping into his cheek.

“How goes your dueling lessons with Sir Henfri?”

“Still as terrible as ever, I’m afraid”

“And your magic training?”

“It’s…coming along. Sort of. Maybe”

Hakutra sighed, a thin smile falling into her lips.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

“I wouldn’t without you, mother”

“Eshmel…”

Then stroking along his blond curls, she gently set his head against her chest.

“You are a good, honest boy, Eshmel - and so loved by us and all the people of the kingdom.. As mothers we are proud to call such a virtuous young man our son, even among our children by blood. But the prince of Thalia is not the only position you inherited from your father. You are the Hero of humanity - the only bridge between all the races of the world.”

Belura paused, tucking his gold curls behind his ear, before straightening him upright, looking back into his eyes.

“Now is a time of peace, but do not let that allow any laxness. Mornings this quiet are a gift brought by blood and suffering of thousands of lives, that fought with their all with, or without gift-”

“Belura, that's quite enough for now, don’t you think? I can only imagine how much he dreads talking to us just because of your senseless rants. The Empire will never rise again, and that’s that”

“Hakutra - you don’t know war. Stay out of this”

And neither do I!

Queen Jilane sighed, resting her head against her palm.

“Have either of you even thought to wish him yet?”

“I will, when the time is right”

“Similar here too”

Jilane turned to Eshmel

“Dear, let us leave these bickering women to themselves - do you know what day it is?”

“Of course. Today, my little sister Lasia will be bound to the Angel, realising her power through the virtue of her royal blood”

“And?”

“Uh…Sir Henfri will give me another iteration of ‘Shame on you, gifted fool’?”

“My dear boy, you have turned 16 today”

Well, shit

“Heh..I…uh…guess that’s also…on the platter”

Another party? You have got to be…

“Dearest Mother Jilane, may I have your-”

“For the grace of every god, Eshmel - you are under no circumstances skipping your birthday celebration"

“No chance? You know, we could always-”

“None”

“Okay. Okay.”

Well, time to magic ma way outta this one!

“And absolutely no ice replicas. I mean it, Eshmel”

…Yeah, you can just kill me now- MAWWM - WAAAKE UP! SAVE ME!

~

They were lying on the rooftop again, him and Lasia.

The navy tiles had begun to warm up now, gently pressing against their backs as they pushed up in serrated intrecciatos, light welling to their lips.


“So. How’s my princess feeling?”

Lasia groaned, slipping her head onto his shoulder. Eshmel curled his arm, gently stroking her hair.

“Hey - at the very least, you’ll get to finally use magic, right? And you’ll be able to use it properly too. Not like this idiot”

“I don’t wanna do it”

“Come on…it’s not like you’ll get hurt or anything”

“...I still don’t wanna”

Yeah, fair enough

“Hey…Lasia?”

“Mhmm?”

“If you had to choose between using a bow, and a sword - which would you pick?”

“Don’t wanna fight”

“...Yeah. Same”

“But your magic’s pretty good”

“And?”

“Don’t you wanna use it?”

“Oh, I use it all the time. For the important things, that is”

“Like what?”

Eshmel rummaged his pockets, pulling out a bar wrapped in silver foil, passing it to her

“Cooling your chocolate”

Lasia snatched it from his fingers, squealing in delight

“-Yayyy! How many-”

“PRINCE ESHMEL! GOOD MORNING!!”

“I LOVE YOU!!”

“MARRY ME - I HAVE THE PAPERS!”

“WOOOO-!!”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY - I MADE CAKE-”

“OUTTA MY WAY - MINE’S BETTER I SWEAR!!”

Found me already?

Sighing, Eshmel picked up Lasia in one arm, pushing himself up with the other as he stood up, waving to the amassing crowd below.

So the godman spoke - I am the wind of the north, the wind of the east, and the wind of the west - child, I am too the wind of the south. But I am too a child, that has but one gale. So must a blood plough in the mud of me - reap holy of what I was never born as? Then I must be a weed after all. On my own, I never was.

I never was.

“Esh…are you going?”

“Hey. I’ll make an ice slide for you later alright? Now, show that Angel what's a big strong girl, kay? You got this”

“I donno about that”

“I do. You’re gonna do great”

~

Well, apparently they’d decided to postpone the literal binding to an Angel for a particularly unimportant person’s birthday party. Modern priorities.

I don’t know, Belura - if this doesn’t show the whole Hero shtick is honorary at this point, what does?

Eshmel sipped his juice, trying to avoid Queen Belura’s ‘Go talk to that girl over there’ look.

Oh, for the love-

He adjusted his cuffs for the sixth time. Wearing the Hero Codex underneath the shirt was torture - the gauntlet underneath his blazer arm kept rubbing in and out - it was far worse than he’d ever imagined, and since he was perpetually stuck with the thing. In fact, as of () ago, his entire wardrobe revolved around ‘what is least painful while wearing this hunk of metal?’.

I couldn’t even decide on my own birthday dress…next time, I’m declaring that under my princely privileges

Apart from the thousands of people gathered in the enormous pearl white ballroom, and twirling between the thick gold coiled pillars of the place were the four princesses from each of the human noble families, shimmering in their distinct house colours - blue, green, red, and yellow.

Hey, at least they’re having a good time with the cake - while peeling my eyes off from afar. Good for you.

“Eshmel…”

“Going, going”

Eshmel sighed heavily, pulling himself off his seat and making his way over to the girl robed in a lush, emerald gown.

Maybe she doesn’t see me. Maybe, all I have to do is use a little bit of-

The girl looked up, smiling warmly.

“The Ice prince of Thalia, please do accept my warmest congratulations”

Eshmel smiled in kind, bowing - left hand on his heart, as he extended his right to her.

“Could I possibly serve you to wear off the cake?”

The girl covered her mouth, laughing softly.

“Are you trying to ask me for a dance, Prince Eshmel?”

Eshmel’s smile gave way to a wry curl, head tilting to his side.

“Unfortunately, you will have to stand my face for the next hour or so, from here or afar - and moreso, I imagine both our parents are watching”

You can refuse, you know?

“Very well, then…I shall take you on your offer”

The girl slipped her hands into his, Eshmel gently helping her up. The music still had a few more minutes to go.

“So, prince Eshmel - how fares your life?”

“Oh, me? Horrible! As of now…well, I suppose it’s not too bad - despite being such an atrocious host, you seemed to be quite enjoying yourselves”

“Please, Prince Eshmel - I’d rather not have you be so harsh on yourself. Ever since you’ve taken the mantle from your father two years ago, not a day has gone by without some form of reform. Peace within our families is a rare thing for any age, and I don’t think any of Hero Djorinne’s descendants have ever managed to so tightly hold so much of our vastly different legacies together, in a way that satisfies all of identities”

The girl looked to her left, gesturing to the tables filled with a Sundry of drinks and delicacies.

“I see our own culinary traditions carefully selected out, among the same for all the other kingdoms - for all this to be here for one day would have required months of preparation, and tireless coordinating”

“Hey. I don’t mess around with food”

“My point being, Prince Eshmel, is that as a prince, you are doing your duty thrice fold - allocating millions of people stranded and without jobs into economies they worked best in, quelled countless rebellions from the last strands of the empire with minimal blood shed, and are still resolving debts from your ancestors - not to mention, you aren’t the oldest of king Birnwend’s sons”

Eshmel flicked his gaze below, sighing.

“What do you think of this place around us?”

“Opulant, prince Eshmel - by any definition"

“Correct. It’s opulent. And how much of that opulence do you imagine extends beyond the capital of any of our kingdoms? None. Any further you walk away from these walls, you step back countless generations of infrastructure. There’s not a single place outside them that isn’t constantly under threat of collapsing under monsters - no guarantee of a tomorrow when even today is uncertain - every man, woman and child is in a constant state of peril….I have done absolutely nothing for them”

“Wasn’t one of your most controversial decisions to allocate more funds to the Kingdom guilds? Aren’t you already protecting them by sponsoring adventures?”

“What kind of backward solution is that? It’s temporary - all temporary! On top of that, the amount I can allocate by my personal treasury is miniscule, when divided amongst all the guilds throughout the continent - and, of course! All of that is assuming my ministers don’t take their little cut of that thin pie for themselves. Even in the best case scenario - people still die everyday, because adventurers are limited. Adventurers are human. Every hour of every day, the people of my kingdom pay with their lives. Yes, let’s hold another party - celebrate humanity’s independence and recognition by the other races. More wine?”

“Would you mind if I do?”

Didn’t hear a single word, did we? Oh Murevani…it is these times that I beg with your poems…I am the wind. The wind of the north, the wind of the east, the wind of the west, child - I am too, the wind of the south-

“Prince Eshmel, can I ask you to look at me again?”

Eshmel looked up, placing his gaze on hers.

Eyes match your dress. Lucky you.

“Change is slow, Prince Eshmel. The world is large, and full of endless possibilities. As long as there are people like you at the helm, lives will better - be it one year, two or a decade. I’m not particularly fond of these parties either, nor am I particularly delighted to be belonging no more than a subsidiary to Thalian royalty after the hero’s resolution with the Empire and the other races. You’re right. This peace is not ideal, and nor do the people act like it isn’t. So you better not give up on your plan to change the place of humanity in the present day"

Huh. For the wrong reasons, you’re rightly dissatisfied

“So. You wanna be reigning royalty?”

“I want the power of reigning royalty, to care for my kingdom with arms that now I cannot draw. All is in the hands of Thalia, as per the peace coalition with the other races. An exceedingly tricky situation, wouldn’t you agree? But…”

Okay, so not total scumbag after all.

“But?”

The girl leaned in, tilting her head coyly.

“We all hear tales of you, ice prince of Thalia, but now that we have met face to face…I find myself more intrigued with you than I thought possible”

O-kay, moving on-

“You humble me - well then, it looks like they’ve brought out the violins at last. Shall we?”

“Of course…by the way, if you don’t mind me asking: where are your brothers?”

Eshmel pulled her closer, gently clasping her waist as he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you know - filling me with their undying, venomous support from afar, spiking a drink or two and having it served on the every table for the chance to see my dead body - the usual”

~

Prince Eshmel tamed the Wraith.

Prince Eshmel became the hero

Prince Eshmel got every girl imaginable - in all colours, dynasties and tastes.

Jaldoror gritted his teeth, slamming his glass on the table. No one heard that, of course. The place was too full of him. Full of Eshmel.

No worries. It’s nothing personal. Your big brother’s just going to pay you back. It’s a birthday gift, Eshmel

He sneered, eyes flicking above as a shadow flitted past the vents above.

Finally got a professional to do it for me…gah! That bloody siscon’s still swinging that girl around! I wouldn’t need to stand your face for one more second if my mother - my own mother didn’t…

That thought couldn’t finish. He wouldn’t let it. Very soon, it wouldn’t need it to.

It was all going to be over today - his reputation, his authority, his power - all knocked down from the pedestals he had leeched his way up, along with that weird albino sister of his. Over. Finished.

….are we going too far with this? Hiring someone from the underground…no - we payed him to do exactly however much was necessary…yes, yes exactly…that’s why-

“Ay, Jaldie - why the long face? We’re finally kicking that twerp off the stage!”

“Exactly - after tonight, it’s over - oh, I can’t wait to see his face after this one. Hero my ass! Everybody’s going to see him shit bricks front ‘en center!”

“It’s centre, idiot”

“That’s what I said!”

“Pretty sure you’d misspell on paper!”

“You don’t know that!”

Both of you...I’m already ticked off as it is

“Oh, for the love of - would you two Shut. Up. Please”

Edward and Ehemet twisted their necks back, lopsided gapes hanging in their faces as they veered their gazes around dumbly.

Twins split by mothers. That phrase only made sense when you saw them together.

“But Eddie’s right though - you do look-”

“I’m alright! Okay? Don’t-”

“But you’re on the left though”

“Yeah, true - ooh, someone’s nervous!”

Two birds, one brain

Jaldoror sighed, palming his face.

Their man had clearly gotten into the ventilation systems - he didn’t really know the specifics of the layout like a particular psycho siscon, so the task’s time complexity was already far beyond his understanding.

Still…we led him into Eshmel’s bedroom hours ago…what the hell’s holding ‘im up? Can’t he just come already?

The clamour of the crowds undulated in deafening spurts, pounding from every corner of the ballroom as it grated into their ears.

Did we time it wrong?

“Hey, hey - lookie what uppie!”

That has got to be your worst by far…what is he even-

A glowering, orange circle. On the ceiling.

“Wha…”

The circle distended, leaning forward into the room. The clamour reigned on, dying down a little as the violin solo crept up again, couples twirling slowly to the rhythm.

The ceiling…it’s going to fall…and right below

Jaldoror hesitantly traced it down - it was going to fall…on the dancers! On-

“E-ESHMEL RUN!! GET OUT! GET…FUCK-!! H-he can’t hear me…he can’t…”

Silently, the thick wedge slipped out, hurtling towards the ice prince of Thalia.

~

“You’re quite the dancer, Prince Eshmel”

Princess Nadia spun below Eshmel’s fingers, lightly rolling in as her palm joined his again.

And you’re too nosy

“I suppose I have enough women in my life to have that skill well ingrained in me”

“Fair enough…but you must have practiced a lot, right?”

My arm…is something…

Eshmel swept up the princess, her weight quickly sagging into his arms as he leaped away, a loud crash shattering into the air. The girl clutched his neck, clamping closer - her breath felt hot against the chill giddily veining into his flesh.

“E-eshmel…what’s-”

“Princess, what’s your name?”

“N-nadia?”

“Nadia. Focus on my voice, okay?”

The girl’s pale cream face glistened softly, her cheeks ruddying as she broke away from his gaze.

“I need you to get the other guests and yourself as far away from her as possible? Can you do that for me?”

“I-I…o-okay…”

“Thank you, Nadia”

Gently setting Nadia down to her feet, he gave a light pat on her back, before turning back to face behind.

A figure crouched on a cylinder that now sprouted from the rubble littered checker dance floor - completely indistinct in black jumpsuit.

That’s…a part of the ceiling? Are there more? Hmm…it’s gone dead quiet, so-

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please calm yourselves - I am present to serve our safety”

Okay, I think it’s time.

Eshmel pulled back his blazer arm, his silver gauntlet glinting in the bright chandeliers above as the figure rose to their full height, pulling out two arm length black blades in either hand. Then listlessly arcing them through the air, they slowly notching one at Eshmel

So you are after me - how you did all this is a question for later

“Come, Ivandoliria”

All the heat of the room plummeted, the chill coursing faster through his limbs as a crackling clawed amid the silent hum of breaths - fractures sprawling through the checker ground, emerald frost spitting out from the widening crevices in glittering stalactites. His gauntlet throbbed, slowly lightening as he felt a weight pit around his arm, coiling up his arm.

She’s here

Ivandoliria the Wraith gave a shivering hiss as her prismarine hide swelled up, emerald frost gouging out of her pores as she slithered down, her tail coiling protectively around Eshmel’s body.

“Good girl!”

Eshmel reached down, rubbing under her chin. Ivandoliria cooed, nares flaring as she leaned into his touch, her little tongue flicking out in little flashes as she licked his arm.

Then looking up, he smiled at the figure.

“Well, I guess you know why I’m the ice prince now, right?”

The figure had frozen still. Probably because he was completely shrouded in a thick film of emerald ice.

Okay, I’ll let the guy out now

Eshmel snapped his fingers, and the ice shattered, the figure crumpling over and falling into the rubble below with a crunching thud

Oooh…that looked painful.

“Okay, girl - we’ll play more later, alright? Get some rest”

Ivandoliria stretched her body, looking at him at eye level, slowly blinking at him with her whole-cyan eyes, her flesh dilating as it grew coarse and cracked, before the flushing incandescent. She gave one last rattling hiss, before shimmering apart into emerald shrapnels, skittering harmlessly against Eshmel as they clattered all around.

Now then…

Eshmel walked up to the figure, faintly aware of the applause now thrumming into the air.

Reaching the figure, judging by the general body build up, it was a man. Making a big show of checking his body, he removed the face mask.

Yup, don’t think women grow beards…now, moving on…hmm…this situation…is rather troubling to be honest. Someone got through all our capital’s defenses? We really have to tighten security - even if it was my wonderful blood relatives who were pulling the strings from behind. Tch…well…either way…you, my friend, are going to help me big time. Bless you, Murevani.

Keeping his back to the guests, he subtly shoved the Guild’s budget approval paper he’d slipped in his coat pocket into the man’s suit, before standing up. Then, taking the man in his arms, he leaped onto the cylinder still standing.

Right. Front and center

He placed the man on the rough cement top of his little podium, laying him out flat. Then rising up, he bowed low. The applause had quickly picked up pace since then, now a crackling, unstoppable thunder rippling through every corner of the ballroom.

Slowly raising his hand, he gestured for silence. The crowd gurgled, cheers surging and falling, faster and faster, until eventually, the voices mellowed out to stray strands of praise.

“Well, I suppose that entertainment was a bit uncalled for, but I suppose I’ll take what I can get”

Laughs rippled out through the masses, hands flashing out in vigorous spurts, raising glasses and chiming out in concurrence.

“Once again, allow me to thank you for your patience more forwardly. But moving on, let’s address what actually happened. Tonight, what you all saw before was an attempt on my life”

The laughter slackened abruptly, curdling into an eerie quiet. A small smile fell into Eshmel’s lips, as he spread his arms apart.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight has been…enlightening, hasn’t it? While checking the body of this man, I found a rather curious artifact in this man’s possession. Allow me to reveal it to all you present at the same time, so you may see with your very own eyes, and make judge with a clear and unbiased mind”

Bending down, he rummaged through the man’s suit, cleanly demonstrating as he pulled out the Guild paper he’d planted on the man earlier. Then slowly rising up, Eshmel unfolded the paper, allowing the familiar crimson rose seal flash brilliantly as he held it high in the air. Heads turned around, frazzled stares boring into the scroll from all directions of the ball room.

“I am certain you all recognise this. This is a guild commission letter, all crinkled up…this man was a former adventurer”

“...that man’s an adventurer-?”

“Impertinence!”

“Oh, what has the world-”

“-Not one peaceful day-”

Eshmel held his hand up, and the murmurs quelled.

“I imagine this attempt will happen to each of us personally in our own kingdoms. This man represents the dearth of the guild’s funding, above all else. These, my dear people, are people who swore to protect us, now hunting us down for money”

“Then we hunt them down likewise!”

“Naturally! Honestly, the gall-”

“Citezens of Thalia, the solution is even simpler. The problem is money. And so is the fix. All of us have our own treasuries - all we need to do is donate a meagre sum to our neighbouring guilds and inhibit this barbarism with minimal effort! A rather simple resolution, given it guarantees the safety of every life present in this room right now, wouldn’t you agree?”

“...disrtibuting our wealth to the guilds? If it secures us…”

“How do we know if this would even work?”

“It’s a liability-”

Eshmel curled his hand in the air, placing it on his heart, the noise dying down as the soft thump against his chest resonated throughout the pillars.

“Men and women of Thalia, I ask of you to allow this prince to fulfill his word and regain the honour beset in each and every one of our hearts. The choice is yours, whether to allow this tumultuous predicament to drag on, and one day number the days in our lives - or quench it in the very next few days with but a wave of our hands. The choice as usual, my people, is yours to make”

Glances exchanged between the people, satisfactory hums pouring beneath the quiet chattering.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

“In the meantime, allow us to conduct a formal investigation while our guards escort you to your temporary quarters…dinner will reserved at your request to your rooms, and the details of my proposition should find its way to your dovecotes…please take the opportunity to calm your minds and let the excitement of these moments die down in due time”

Now then, to greet my favourite people in the whole continent…

Eshmel glanced towards the end of the room, finding his three deeply cherished brothers huddled together. Edward was still giggling, while Jaldoror and Ehemet had a sort of eye-bulging, mouth-gaping patchwork going on for them.

Soft clutters rang out as glasses and plates were set, forks and spoons chiming as they clanged against half-eaten meals. The guests dispersed out of the ballroom from the exits at every cardinal, the guards herding the masses into orderly trains as they slowly drained out.

Motioning to the last few guards by too near to follow him, Eshmel walked towards the shivering penguins.

Mom’s gonna give me an earful for this one…oh well

~

Eshmel stood tall, thin flakes of green ice beading his long blonde hair, still elegantly herded in a knotted lock that slung behind his back - blinding, against his all black suit. Jaldoror couldn’t look higher than that.

He covered for us…I’m sorry I’m sorry please-

“You know, just a little earlier, I was joking with Nadia about how you three like to kill me. Joking. And you guys actually went and fucking did it!”

“E-Esh I can e-expla-”

“Quiet!”

“We weren’t trying to-”

“SHUT UP! Shut. Your. Mouth…I can understand these two, but you, Jald? Even you? What do you have, three braincells? What did you think was going to happen? Do you understand how the underground system operates? Money!”

Oh no…oh no…

“J-just let me-”

“I burn my ass off EVERY day, trying to wipe your messes, manage the diplomacy between the other kingdoms, hold Thalia up with all your mothers on my head at any moment, and train my living lights out for three hours at dawn for honorary Hero nonsense, and what do you do? Grab cash from our sick father’s treasury and find new ways to blow it off? And for what? For What? ANSWER Me!”

“Because mum don’t look at us for shi-”

“Shut your ass, Ehimet. I’m coming to you - also, it’s ‘doesn’t’. Believe it or not, I’m in a really good mood right now. And for the love of - stop giggling, Edward!”

“How d’ya figure it was us? Could’ve been-”

“Because you’re like school-girls hiding their cupcakes. It’s on your bloody faces. I mean it, Edward”

Then slowly dragging a chair out, he sat down facing them. Jaldoror slowly lifted his head, flinching as Eshmel’s gaze burned back into his.

“You know, it was about when I was 9, when I realised my elder brother was a cumbersome bozo, and a pain in everyone’s fucking ass…but you know what? At least you had a head. And tonight? You might lose that too”

Death Row!?

“No, as much as I would like to. I was being metaphorical. Don’t know what that means? You can ask Ehemet all about, in the dungeons. Well? Any last words before they take you? It is my birthday, you know”

…Eshmel…I am so…

“Fuck you asshole!”

Eshmel, flicked his thumb up to the guard, gesturing at Edward.

“This one needs solitary - also: you didn’t give me a birthday gift, and I’m the asshole? Etching that to memory, Edward - this will come back around”

Green eyes cutting back to Jaldoror, Eshmel leaned closer.

“You wanna be like me? Then take a stand for once in your bloody life, and do something with it. I suck ass at dueling! You can excel there, can’t you? Queen Belura’s obsessed with war and fighting - be her pride and joy - go be her son! What are you waiting-”

“She doesn’t CARE, o-okay? She doesn’t care t-that I’m better than you in dueling, or hitting people - she can’t even stand my face!”

“And why do you think that is? Was it always this way? Was it, Jald? What do I have left to say to make you see could have everything you ever wanted, if you would just do it the right-”

“There is no right way and you fucking know that Eshmel…none of our mothers even…”

Eshmel gave him a dry stare, grabbing a tissue from the tables, and curling the paper around one of his stray strands - slowly sieving out the bits of ice from his braids.

“...so murder was the obvious option?”

“W-we weren’t trying to kill you goddamnit! It went fucking out of hand, o-okay? I don’t know what happened! I don’t know!”

“Jaldaror…if you stepped up as our father’s oldest son and did your duty as first prince, you wouldn’t be seeing my face like this - so don’t give me that shit, alright? For heaven's sake, brother: you're 19 - older than all of us. Do you understand that?”

“Y-yes...a-and…”

Eshmel arced his eyebrow, twirling his tresses as he swiped out the last of the ice.

“And?”

“And I’m sorry. And…happy 16th birthday, Eshmel”

“He finally said it! Well then, first prince of Thalia, I thank you for your congratulations. Still…if you guys didn’t order the assassination, it means someone outbid you…that’s a bigger problem…a bigger problem for tomorrow. I have letters to write, ice slides to construct, a sister to visit, and crows to feed my exhausted body”

Standing up again, Eshmel shrugged off his hair, patting out the crinkles in his suit as he glanced back, a sneer curling into his lips.

“I almost forgot! Should I send the rest of my regards through mother Belura?”

“Fuck no….spare me, please”

“Okay then - time to hit the road…catch you at the gallows, suckers!”

“Sir, is that an order?”

“No, don’t kill my brothers, Ricklet. That was a joke - a very misplaced, uninspired joke reflecting the horribly weathered psyche of one ice prince of Thalia. Okay, guards - please escort them to their cells”

“Sir, Princess Lasia had inquired about your whereabouts, requesting your presence - I held off my report due to the turmoil earlier”

“Oh, that cutie…tell her I’ll be there in…4-5 hours. What am I, exhausted?”