The Stars Do Shine

by Hertz

Summary:

The king has asked for one very specific accomodation for the lonely prince Kaeya – a companion his age to be created from chalk and alchemy. Yet, as they grow up together and become closer, they find themselves caught in the middle of a conspiracy rooted in the ancient art of Khemia.

Notes:

• Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: 【羽垩羽】The Stars Do Shine✦星影灼灼（授翻） by alleyVAlley, Ash (Ash_0219)

Chapter 1

The king of Khaenri'ah sees all – the chatterings of the common folk, the laments of the workers, the whispers snaking their way through the royal court – and right now, the information that has reached his ears suggests that he walk into the room furthest down the hall. The king opens the largest door in the walkway, decorated with ornate four-pointed stars.

The door creaks open to reveal the little prince as he stares out the window on his right. He perches on the cushioned edge that acts as a large, fancy windowsill, and hugs a golden pillow to his chest. He hastily turns away when the king enters, discarding his pillow and standing upright for a proper bow.

"Father," says the young boy softly.

"Kaeya," the king replies. He pushes the door closed behind him and then kneels so he is eye level with his son. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Kaeya glances up at the king, eyes already wary for one so young, and shakes his head.

"The maids in the kitchen had something interesting to say. You have this melancholic look in your eyes that doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. Somehow, this is my fault."

Kaeya is silent for a while before he shrugs. His gaze dips sullenly to the floor and the king doesn't hear a reply. The man heaves a sigh, stretching as he eases himself back up to his full height.

"I am so, so busy, Kaeya." He places his hands behind his back and takes an idle stroll around his son's sizable room, setting a brisk pace.

Kaeya's reply is subdued as usual. "I know, father."

"Surely one mustn't expect me to drop everything and come running, just because the little prince couldn't handle a little loneliness."

"That is reasonable, father." Kaeya nods, his head bowed and his eyes staring at the carpeted floor.

The king regards his son thoughtfully, his pacing coming to a stop. He bends down this time, and says, "What if I got you a companion?"

Kaeya blinks, slowly. "What does that mean, father?"

"You have progressed enough with your private tutors to understand our national art of Khemia, yes?" At Kaeya's nod, the king's ice blue eyes sharpen. "Small matter, then, for our best alchemists to make you a friend."

Kaeya stares with wide eyes. He doesn't know if he's scared to interrupt or wants his father to keep going. That seems weird, somehow. Khemia has only been used to create things like plants, his tutors had said and written in his textbook for him. A whole person seems… "Father, is that… is that?"

But Kaeya can't seem to find the words. He thinks about a hypothetical child made from magic and minerals and can't decide if he should feel awe or pity for the thing.

Still, the expression on the king's face is perfectly nonchalant, so maybe he doesn't have to worry.

"It is of little concern, Kaeya. Better for you to befriend someone made for that purpose, rather than mingle with the common folk. This would solve your gloom, would it not?"

Kaeya opens his mouth to respond, but the king is already outside. The large door swings shut on its own. Kaeya stares at it for a second before he slowly clambers back on the cushioned windowsill. There he sits and stares outside at the lands he can spy in the distance beyond his castle.

Chapter 2

Rhinedottir is the name of the alchemist who introduces herself at court a week later. She bows to the king with a flourish and introduces herself as the greatest alchemist in all of Khaenri'ah. Kaeya watches from his child-sized seat spun of gold beside the king.

For some reason, his heart is pounding and he feels slightly dizzy and sick. Kaeya has learned this means he's scared of something. He doesn't know what it might be, given that he's the one that needs to be impressed here.

The woman directs a smile towards the little prince that court antics have taught him isn't entirely genuine. She raises her hand and with a quirk of her index finger, beckons him forward. Kaeya obeys, standing up, treading carefully so his boots don't get caught on his cape, the way his instructors have taught him to.

Rhinedottir steps to the left, and this reveals a boy the same age as Kaeya. His hair is ashen blond and his eyes glimmer like the stars Kaeya has read about in fairy tales. Kaeya swallows down the ball in his throat and gives the boy the practiced smile of a sweet prince.

The boy starts upon realising his cover is gone. There is no change in his expression, which remains one of light confusion, but he runs to take cover behind Rhinedottir once more. Kaeya hears nothing but a high-pitched squeak from the… creation, and he wonders just how human he is, really. That was a normal nervous reaction, like whenever his father enters his room. Rhinedottir must really be a master of the Khemia arts then.

"Go on," says Rhinedottir, coaxing out the reclusive boy from behind her back. Slowly, blond locks reappear and large blue eyes blink in curiosity.

Remembering the manners and customs his instructors had insisted he learn by heart, Kaeya extends his right hand. However, the boy grabs at Rhinedottir's legs. His face disappears again, so he's apparently refusing to budge any further.

At this point, Rhinedottir smiles at Kaeya, a bit tight-lipped, and says, "Apologies. He's a little shy." She leans down, picks up the child in her arms and plants him in front of Kaeya firmly. The blond boy fidgets a little, scratching at his arm, but no longer makes any more attempts to hide away. Perhaps he too, like Kaeya, is afraid of punishment.

"Albedo, remember what I taught you?" Rhinedottir asks, her features now schooled back into that pleasant smile. Albedo nods, and without any hint of emotion in his face, bows to Kaeya.

"Prince Alberich, from now on, I'll be your companion. Feel free to interact with me as you see fit." Blue eyes dart briefly to Kaeya's right hand before Albedo places his hands behind his back again. He stands stiffly, like the bodyguards Kaeya always sees at the sides of the hallways. He even holds his chin up smartly like them despite looking so young. It looks almost comedic, in a way. Kaeya catches the glimmer of a familiar gold star on his throat. He pushes away the doubt in his mind.

"It's nice to meet you," Kaeya says aloud, cautious of his father's gaze on the small of his back.

Rhinedottir claps her hands and turns around to face the king. "Excellent, now that they are acquainted," she says airily. "He responds to 'Al-bae-do' because he still has the body of a child and has difficulty grasping some pronounciations. Now, this homunculus will grow as he ages with time, just like a real human, as was agreed. He's very simple to take care of. No food or sleep required. He will be mostly self-sufficient."

"Good work, Ma'am Rhinedottir." The king's voice booms across the courtyard. "I shall see to the delivery of your rewards. For now, you are dismissed."

Rhinedottir exits the stage with another graceful bow. Beside Kaeya, he notices Albedo tense up ever so slightly. He stares after his master, his small lips quivering. His hand twitches, as if he wants to reach out and prevent her from leaving.

Eventually, though, Albedo returns his hands to his sides and glances back at Kaeya. The slight dulling of his eyes has ceased and they are once again filled with idle curiosity, shining bright. Kaeya wonders if they are made of gemstones and his hair made of silk. He doesn't ask, because none of the lessons his private tutors have given him have dabbled in anything like friendship. He isn't sure where to draw the line, and that'd make Albedo angry, just like his father.

The king walks forward, onto the glamorous carpet that both children are standing on. He doesn't lean down to look at Albedo, instead gazing steadily at him from high up. Now, however, Albedo seems to have recovered and he stares back, although still a little unsure.

"Come, I will lead you to your new home." With a turn of his heel, the king is striding away.

Albedo looks at Kaeya, uncertainty betrayed in his clear gaze. Kaeya knows the king is intimidating, and so he tries to give Albedo a reassuring smile, the one he practiced so it looks as genuine as can be. Luckily, this works, and Kaeya sees some tension dissipate as Albedo lets his posture relax.

They're lagging behind, so Kaeya reaches out his hand again, a questioning glance on his face. Albedo looks at it, then bats at it like a cat might at a ball of yarn. Kaeya giggles and takes his hand in his, which feels soft and warm and like real human skin. Kaeya leads the way then, running to close the gap between them.

Notes:

They're rather different as children, aren't they? I'm hoping to ease them into their canon characterisations as they age.

Chapter 3

Kaeya finds out that Albedo has been given the newly renovated store room beside his own bedroom. Albedo had entered his new home with a brief glimmer of wonder in those blue depths. It seems Albedo has settled in well. Whenever Kaeya tiptoes out in the middle of the night to sneak some mushrooms from the kitchen, he sees the lights on from under the door of Albedo's room. He wonders what Albedo does inside there.

This is because after the first day of their meeting, Albedo hasn't reappeared since then. Not needing to eat, he has no place at their dining rooms. It's the same old, Kaeya putting his memory of fine cutlery to the test as he slices icky celery and all that. He gulps it all down anyway even if it leaves a terrible aftertaste.

Kaeya had thought it’d been fine. It’s still a bit weird knowing Albedo isn’t really human. How many of his reactions are real and how many are just actions from practice? Kaeya doesn’t know, so it’s a bit scary. But now, as Kaeya flops on his soft bed and rests his head on his arms, he thinks, I wonder what Albedo is doing, even though he doesn't know Albedo at all. His day had been the same as usual and nobody except his tutors talked to him, as always.

It’s hard not to be curious about the boy made from magic, after all. Kaeya’s fascinated by his sheer existence even, the way Khaenri’ahn alchemists research the ability to produce those cool powerful creatures. When alchemists make gardens bloom, they say funny phrases and wave their arms a lot and stuff sprouts up instantly. It's very cool, and maybe that's how Albedo came to be.

Besides, Albedo had literally been created to play with him. So when he has to slink back to his bedroom after his schedule is complete, Kaeya thinks back to the softness of his touch. Rhinedottir had said Albedo didn’t sleep, right? He had been a human-curious or something, right? So that meant Kaeya could seek him out now. Right?

Scrambling out of bed in his nightrobes, Kaeya sneaks out of his room on tiptoe. He looks around for any guards, left to right, before he presses his back against the stuffy door of Albedo’s room. He pauses then, because he doesn’t really know what to say. His tutors teach him about good impressions and proper manners but nothing on how to actually befriend someone. This means he has to rely on his charm and quick wits, of course.

Kaeya chooses to ask, “Albedo, want to come outside and play?”

After a moment, there is a confused sound at the opposite end of the door. “Is it morning already, sir? I still can’t tell because the outside’s always dark. Sorry.”

Kaeya grimaces. "Sir's even worse."

"Even worse than what?"

"My title."

"You don't like being a prince?" Albedo asks then. It’s very innocent, so Kaeya can tell at once that Albedo completely lacks social graces. No need to worry. Maybe now Albedo could replace him fully at those boring lessons.

"I don't don't like it," Kaeya answers. "Sometimes it’s funny enough."

Albedo is silent for a while. "Then what brings you here, Prince Alberich? Is it morning?"

Kaeya is aware of how this situation must seem to the common folk. Both of them, no doubt trained from birth to speak exclusively in diplomatic pleasantries. Merely children, but speaking with hushed tones that were overly stiff and formal. Kaeya thinks that maybe he should drop the formalities when speaking to a ‘friend’ he reads about in fiction books around the palace. But he doesn’t want to cause trouble for Albedo yet, so he matches the boy in demeanour.

“No, it's the middle of the night. I came to see you.”

At that, Kaeya hears footsteps and separates himself from the door before Albedo opens it from the inside. The first thing Kaeya does is look Albedo up and down. The blond is still wearing the same simple robes from before. “Have you taken a bath?” Kaeya asks.

“Not yet, Prince Alberich,” says Albedo bluntly. Yet his expressionless demeanour never changes. Kaeya isn’t really sure what to make of him.

“Why?” Kaeya forgets his manners for a moment and wrinkles his nose. “If you don’t bathe, you’ll smell really bad, and you won’t look your best.” He echoes what his father taught him.

“I’m not really a human, my prince.” Albedo blinks, almost confused. “You remember that, right?”

“But have you just been sitting in here this whole time?”

“Prince Alberich, my purpose is to serve you.” Albedo places his hand over his heart in an obviously practiced gesture. “I don’t have anything I want or need for myself. Don't worry. I don't mind.”

At that, manners be damned, Kaeya stomps his royal foot on the ground a little. The thought of this boy just standing in this room aimlessly, staring at nothing, makes Kaeya feel a squeezing in his belly. “That’s stupid. Since you’re here you should like being here. I’d feel bad otherwise.”

There's this look in Albedo’s blue eyes again that Kaeya has realised appears whenever he learns something new. Did all creations of Khemia have this urge, or was it just Albedo? Kaeya wouldn't know. They’re usually plants or such, so Albedo is the most interesting creation so far.

“What should I do that would fulfull…” Albedo shakes his head and tries again. “Fulfill that, my prince?”

“Do you have anything you like to do?” Kaeya suggests. We can do that together? he holds back, because he is reluctant to participate in such an activity so soon with a technical stranger. For now, talking is enough. The more Kaeya thinks about it, the weirder Albedo’s existence is. Father always makes the weirdest decisions. Still, maybe Kaeya remains cautiously optimistic about this one.

While Kaeya has been lost in thought, Albedo has gotten some thinking done of his own. He finally shakes his head and admits, “l don’t know what it’s like to like something. Master told me my purpose. I was brought here to do that. Nothing else.”

“It doesn’t bore you?”

“What’s… bore?”

“Imagine being on an adventure,” Kaeya explains. “Boringness — I mean boredom — is the opposite of that.”

Yet again, Kaeya is faced with a blank stare. “Adventure? I’m not quite sure what you mean, Prince Alberich.”

Kaeya is starting to wonder why Rhinedottir would leave Albedo so… like this. Maybe that was why he was called a human-curious, because Albedo seemed to wonder a lot about actual fleshy humans and what they did. Still, Kaeya hadn’t imagined that when father told him he’d get a new friend, their first bonding activity would be sitting down and explaining things to the magic boy.

Maybe this was friendship, because this was kind of nice – both of them sitting on the polished palace floor as Kaeya recounts his midnight snack adventures. It's a bit awkward at first, because Kaeya hasn’t had any practice talking to anyone in a non-formal setting. But as Albedo grows more and more interested in this recount he forgets to add Kaeya’s title after every sentence. Kaeya finds that this is okay.

“So that’s excitement,” says Kaeya after he finishes the story on him getting stuck on the statue of his father to avoid the angered kitchen maids. “Boredom is you. Right now.”

Albedo is puzzled. “You are suggesting it’s a good idea for me to stir up trouble.”

Kaeya actually laughs at that. “Oh no, definitely not. Only I can get away with it.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I’m so small and cute.” Kaeya grins even harder as Albedo’s confusion intensifies. “Dont worry, I’m just joking with you.”

“Joking,” says Albedo in a way that suggests he’s putting this information away somewhere for later. In his brain? That’s very impressive. Kaeya wishes he had a bigger brain to store his sword stuff and his politics stuff and his languages stuff.

Though more importantly, Kaeya feels… refreshed. It’s like taking a hot bath after horse riding lessons, but for the brain Kaeya actually has. Which is good. Maybe it's because Albedo’s cluelessness makes for a fun guy to prank. All Kaeya usually has to take out his mischievous side on is the maids and the guards. His tutors are scary, his father even more so. And every night Kaeya returns to his big, empty bedchamber with no one else around.

Albedo is his person-down-the-hallway now, though.

“Maybe you go back in and you play with stuff and then you’ll find something you like,” Kaeya says sincerely.

Albedo looks up at him with an expression of doubt, but he nods nonetheless. “If that is the task you wish me to perform.”

“Yup.” Kaeya stands up and stretches. “I’m going to bed now. It was nice talking to you, Albedo.”

“Good night, Prince Alberich.”

Kaeya can’t help but notice the utter lack of expression on Albedo’s face as he stands up, waves, and shuts the door again. It kind of reminded him of father, except father tended to do that to keep up his image, while Albedo just hadn’t seemed to realise smiling was a thing yet. That's okay, maybe Kaeya can teach him. But he won't be like his dumb private tutors who keep telling him to stop that or do that and then kick him out of the room once lessons are over. And then it's dinner until he has to go back to bed and he just sits there.

His toys don't really hold his interest much anymore so he sneaks out at night, but Kaeya also doesn't know why they're so against him stealing stuff from the kitchen. Surely no one can finish all of that food. But getting yelled at and then sent back to his room is better than the absolute nothing that awaits him there. Since Kaeya is the only one Albedo talks to, Kaeya wonders if he feels the same way about this. Now that he's actually talked to him, anyway, because the weirdo had been content to just sit there previously.

No matter, Kaeya has managed to set him right and for that he gives himself a pat on the back. Surely Albedo will find something that will make him smile.

Chapter 4

In the next few weeks, Albedo is seen more often outside his room. Kaeya runs into him sometimes in and out of the palace. He’s always accompanied by a kindly maid who smiles at him and asks him if he wants some fruit freshly picked from the garden. Kaeya has shared his berries with Albedo, who seems to adore them despite not needing to eat. He still does not smile, but the enthusiasm at which he picks up and eats the sweet berries is telling.

Albedo carries weird stuff sometimes too. Kaeya has asked him about the wooden club, the leather bag, the stack of papers. Every time the answer has just been ‘I’m working on the task you set out for me’.

Albedo is nothing if not single-mindedly dedicated to his duties. Kaeya thinks the word for such a person is called a ‘nerd’. Good for Albedo. Kaeya would be taking a nap right after class and forgetting everything instantly. Okay, maybe not everything. Father would be mad if that happened.

However, Kaeya thinks it’s finally time to check in on Albedo for real. It has been almost a month since their one actual conversation. Though he won’t admit it, he feels the hollowness tugging at the pit of his stomach again and wonders if visiting Albedo will remedy it, just like father says it will.

In fact, father seems rather displeased when he catches Albedo out roaming the palace, because he always makes the blond go back to his room. He’s never resisted, but Kaeya finds himself wanting to argue for his sake for some reason. But the heavy gaze of the king silences Kaeya long before he can even part his lips to speak.

Nevermind, next time if Kaeya is with Albedo then he can say he’s accompanying him to find treasure around the big palace. No one should say anything to that.

So, this afternoon after his boring etiquette lessons, Kaeya stops next to the old, dusty door and knocks on it once in a — his tutor’s voice echoes — polite fashion. He waits for a few seconds. Albedo answers the door with his blond hair a little mussed. His nose twitches and then he lets out a little sneeze.

"Ah, I'm sorry, my prince. How are you?"

Kaeya fishes out the handkerchief he always carries in his breast pocket and hands it out to Albedo as an offering. Albedo looks at it, then back at Kaeya. Slowly, he takes it and buries his entire face in the softness.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem.”

"What brings you here?" Albedo asks, looking up from the handkerchief, but still holding on to the edges of it. He seems to like it. It is fine silk, after all.

"You're always in here by yourself and I want to know what you’ve found out." Kaeya gets on tiptoe and tries to look behind Albedo, but the blond stubbornly blocks his attempts by doing the same.

Albedo's gaze shifts to the stone floor. It's completely unlike Kaeya's carpet. "I don't think it'd be anything you'd be interested in." Albedo forgets to call Kaeya by his title more these days, but that's okay.

"But am I allowed to see it?" Kaeya persists.

"...I suppose you are, since you’re the one who gave me the task." Albedo finally relents, holding the door open wider for Kaeya. The prince ducks his head to fit under Albedo's arm.

Once he's in, he notices potted plants all arranged on the one shelf that still works. The rest of it is falling into disrepair, so Albedo has set up the plants as near to the window as he can. Light from an invisible moon isn’t very strong during midday, so Kaeya wonders if they grow well. Next to the shelf lies a bunch of assorted items spilling out of a cardboard box.

Kaeya then realises what he's seeing and frowns. "They made you stay in a room like this?"

"Please do not be worried about me. I am only here to serve." Albedo makes his way over to the plants at the windowsill. He gestures over with a tiny hand and says, "Take a look."

Distracted, Kaeya walks over and takes a seat on the empty cardboard box beside the shelf. He leans forward with eyes gleaming in anticipation. There are little shoots growing in each of the pots.

"You're gardening," Kaeya proclaims proudly, happy with his deduction.

Albedo shakes his head. "Not quite. I'm practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Making them grow." At this Albedo places his palm against the surface of the nearest pot. He closes his eyes in concentration. Kaeya's eyes flick down to the plant in the pot, and a single leaf grows larger before his eyes. So caught up is he in his fascination that he doesn't notice Albedo stopping, pressing a hand to his head.

"Nngh," Albedo mutters, eyes opening to check his progress.

"Are you okay?" Kaeya asks, sitting up straighter.

Albedo waves off his concerns even as he massages his forehead with one eye shut. "Yes, thank you."

“Okay,” says Kaeya skeptically. “So what’s all this for?”

Albedo is silent for a moment. “This is the Khemia my master taught me.”

“Oh, the make-things-growy magic.” Kaeya makes a clawing gesture with his hands, which Albedo seems to find rather dumb. He slaps Kaeya’s hands lightly and he drops them instantly.

"Magic forms a part of alchemy, yes, but it's more rooted in the sciences of the nature of birth and death."

“You’re interested in it?” Kaeya asks then.

“Well, yes. Would you not be interested in how you were created?”

Kaeya makes a thoughtful face. “I am, but father won’t tell me. He says I’m not ‘of age’, so I need to wait till I’m older. That’s stupid. I’m turning eleven next month, which is super, super old!”

“Oh!” says Albedo, eyes wide. He starts clapping politely, as if it is already Kaeya’s birthday. “That is rather old! You must be very wise.”

“And super smart too,” Kaeya says, beaming.

“Yes, I am indeed learning many things from you.” Then Albedo seems to abruptly remember his plant experiment. So, Albedo runs off in the corner and returns with a piece of paper and a pencil. Using it, Albedo sketches something out shakily. Except he isn't sketching – he's trying to write but his recently created fingers lack the fine motor skills a normal child Kaeya’s age would process. Kaeya can't help but let out a small giggle as he looks at the quiet boy's atrocious handwriting.

"What are you writing?"

"My observations." Albedo's eyes narrow a little, the only tip off that he's feeling kind of frustrated.

"Need help?"

“I should probably learn to do this on my own. Besides, it's only for my own reference, so it's fine."

It's not like Kaeya will complain about less work, so he simply shrugs and accepts it with an easy smile. Speaking of which, the nice maid said Kaeya was smiling more these days. That’s good, because according to her, it makes him even cuter. Kaeya is thrilled.

Kaeya is also laughing, because Albedo has given up and merely drawn a picture of a leaf in the blank space. It's very shaky and jagged but at least Kaeya can tell it’s a leaf. As for his handwriting, Kaeya isn’t sure if Albedo wrote ‘onions’ so much as ‘observations’.

“Maybe you’re writing with the wrong hand,” says Kaeya as the giggles subside.

“How can I be writing with the wrong hand? They're just hands,” says Albedo with strange emphasis. This probably means Albedo's getting irritated even though his face is just as blank as before. Albedo has also become more expressive these few days, which is good because it gives Kaeya much more to go on. His tutors always stress the importance of body language and all that, so now he has a bit more insight into what Albedo is thinking.

Now Kaeya snatches Albedo’s paper and pencil. “Some people mostly use their right hands.” Kaeya writes ‘observations’ in perfect cursive and grins as Albedo’s teal eyes narrow. “Others use their left.” Kaeya’s left hand is shakier but still much better than Albedo’s, which is very funny. “I can do both because they’re trying to train me to use both in swordfighting.”

Albedo observes this all quietly with a nod. He switches to his left hand and does even worse because now the pencil is smudged all over the side of his palm. Albedo stares at it. Kaeya laughs again.

"You should come with me to my lessons. They’ll teach you how to write like me.”

"Lessons?" Albedo looks up at Kaeya, that telltale glimmer in his eyes. "You have classes all the time, don't you? Do you learn all about the world?"

"You mean Khaenri'ah? Yeah, it's super boring."

Albedo shakes his head. "Not just that. The world."

Kaeya doesn't know what he means by that, so he just shrugs and nods. "You should come along," he suggests again. "You'll make my lessons less boring at least."

"Will they allow me in?" Albedo asks, doubtful.

"If they don't I'll royally order them to do it," Kaeya says proudly. As grumpy as his tutors are they still have to listen to him if it's something like this. At least, Kaeya thinks so. It's not like he's ever had anyone else like Albedo in his life.

"That's what Master calls an 'abuse of authority'," says Albedo. His tone is far from chastising, however. If Kaeya looks closely he can see the corner of Albedo's lips twitching slightly. He beams.

"So I'm a bad boy?"

"I suppose you are."

"Then they'll just have to get over it," says Kaeya with an unapologetic shrug.

"If you'd like me to accompany you, I have no objections."

"So it's settled!" Kaeya smiles and bounces eagerly on the balls of his feet.

Their conversation trails off into a comfortable silence. Soon, Kaeya yawns, and Albedo is insistent that he put himself to bed. It's only after Kaeya leaves Albedo's room later on that he realises that the blond hasn't returned the handkerchief he gave him. He glances down to his breast pocket. He pets it and smiles.

Albedo can keep it.

Chapter 5

At first, the king had been less than pleased at the suggestion of Albedo accompanying his son to tuitions. Kaeya doesn't like pushing the king very hard, so if he says no, he drops it for a while.

The first time father had said no Kaeya had come and sheepishly told Albedo in his room. Albedo had nodded, but Kaeya had seen the slight sliver of disappointment in his teal eyes. And, well, Albedo wasn't known for being the most expressive. Kaeya doesn't really get why he wants lessons so much, but if he wants it and Kaeya wants it something should give.

Clearly father needs gentle persuasion and not a direct question.

Father, perhaps I'll do better with someone to keep me on track, Kaeya has suggested. A classmate to bounce ideas off of would be a valuable asset. So this is what months of court-speak lessons has drilled into him.

Finally, on the morn of Prince Alberich's eleventh birthday, he wakes up to the king sitting on the cushioned couch beside his bed.

"Kaeya," he starts in his deep, rumbling voice, "It has come to my attention there is something you'd like very much as a gift."

Kaeya forces his excitement down. He sits upright in bed, and then smooths out his long hair that has been messed up from sleep. He stands up, setting his back straight and placing his hands together in a symbolic gesture. He closes his eyes deliberately before opening them and saying, "Yes, father." His voice sounds calm and clear but he's bursting with anticipation inside.

"I must admit, your tenacity has impressed me, Kaeya. We will make a fine ruler out of you yet." The king sighs. "For these reasons and your special day, I suppose I will grant your request. However, I do hope you remember that boy is but a homunculus. He cannot hope to understand our humanity, let alone bear the burdens of the Eclipse Dynasty."

Kaeya thinks about how Albedo has begun seeking out the berries picked from the palace gardens. He thinks about the look of quiet determination on Albedo's face late at night when Kaeya catches him performing his experiments. He thinks about the way Albedo has begun speaking of other things apart from his sworn duty to Prince Kaeya.

Kaeya opens his mouth to disagree before he catches himself.

"I understand, father."

Satisfied, his father stands up from his cushioned seat. "Make your way down to the kitchen later. Have a good day, Kaeya."

The king leaves and Kaeya can't help but think, That's not exactly a birthday wish. He's used to it, though, so that's fine.

Instead, he concentrates on his excitement to get ready and dressed all by himself in record speed. He checks his cape in the mirror one last time before he bursts out of his room. "Albedo! Albedo!" he calls, hammering relentlessly at the shabby door of the old storeroom.

Albedo answers the door after a while. "Happy birthday, my prince," he says while holding up his cheeks with his index fingers. "This is a smile, right? I read about it in a book. They said giving others a smile makes them feel happy, and I wanted that for you."

First things first, Kaeya smacks Albedo's hands away from his cheeks lightly. "That looks kind of forced. I've seen you almost smile before without any hands. You should try to do it by thinking about things that make you happy! Starting with –" Kaeya sweeps his arms open. "Guess who got you into my dumb classes?"

Albedo's eyes widen. For a moment, he doesn't say anything. Finally, his voice returns to him, and it's kind of tight when he says, "You really abused your authority."

"You're supposed to be smiling, not scolding me," Kaeya says with a pout. "Anyway, did not! I just got father on board with it."

"Truly? Then I am indeed grateful to you."

Kaeya observes Albedo's face, but there's nothing. Not even the twitch in his face he sometimes gets when Kaeya says something particularly funny. "I promise, I am sincere in my words," Albedo says then, placing a hand over his heart.

Kaeya frowns slightly. This won’t do.

"Maybe today we'll find something for you to smile about!" is the only warning Albedo gets before he's dragged along by a rambunctious prince. He doesn't struggle, but Kaeya notices he has trouble keeping up with him after a minute or so of running through the hallways.

"Where are we going?" Albedo asks after Kaeya slows down. Albedo doesn't pant because he doesn't need to breathe. However, his back is bent forward slightly and he's bracing his right hand over his side. Stitches don't feel great, so Kaeya stops entirely.

"We're going to eat really good stuff," Kaeya says while they wait for Albedo's strength to return. "You like berries, right? You can have that in the pancakes I asked them to bake."

"Pancakes?"

"Fluffy food! You can pour syrup on it and it'll taste great."

Albedo seems to regain his energy at the thought of something sweet, because now he tugs insistently at Kaeya's hand. Kaeya giggles internally at how easy he is to read sometimes. They reach the kitchen and the staff, for some reason, seem surprised to see the blond boy here.

Albedo picks up a plate and marches up to one of the maids. "Pancakes, will they appear?" he asks in his quiet voice.

Kaeya is about to tell him that that's not how he asks for food – or anything, actually – but the maid smiles warmly and scoops two pancakes off the nearby display. "Thank you," says Albedo when the maid catches him looking at the bottle labeled 'syrup' and squeezes some out for him.

The royal family has their own table to eat at, but father isn't here right now. Hence, Kaeya finds it appropriate to drag a chair over to the table. Albedo seems wary about sitting at this prestigious location, but Kaeya loudly and insistently smacks the seat of the chair until Albedo walks over.

"You're making a scene," he says softly. Albedo sits down, shoulders tense.

"If I’m always the center of attention, I’m not," says Kaeya with a laugh. "Don't worry," he says more kindly. "I invited you here, so it's okay."

All of Albedo's misgivings seem to melt away the instant he sits down and takes an actual bite of the pancake. Blue eyes widen and he lets out a small sound of appreciation. Kaeya stops fiddling with his forks and settles for watching Albedo. The blond has his eyes closed now, and a peaceful contentment seems to settle across his features. It’s not a smile-smile, but Kaeya likes the look of it.

Albedo finishes his pancakes earlier than Kaeya does. While he waits, Kaeya catches Albedo looking longingly at the garden outside. He’s definitely thinking of those berries. Since Kaeya has no lessons or other plans for today, he can take him. Kaeya finishes the last of his food and then leads Albedo outside. The berries they’ve always had are picked by the maids, but this time Kaeya wants to see the bushes for himself. Time spent sneaking out of the palace has taught him their precise location. Tugging Albedo’s arm, he leads the other boy along.

It’s almost afternoon, so the shadows aren’t as large as they could be. The duo tread carefully amongst the well maintained paths under the perpetual darkness of the skies. The moon isn’t out yet, so they depend on the light of the lamps along the path.

Kaeya feels Albedo shiver and draw closer to him. He must be scared, because it’s easy to get lost in the darkness the first time. It’s okay. Kaeya will protect him. Besides, where’s the excitement without a bit of danger? It’s his own palace, he can manage fine without any stupid guards. What’s the worst that could happen, an ant bite?

The bush beside them rustles and Albedo squeaks, clutching at Kaeya’s upper arm. Kaeya grins and pats Albedo’s shoulder comfortingly with his other hand.

“Don’t worry,” says Kaeya. “You’ve got an expert swordsman with you.”

Blue eyes peek out at him doubtfully. “But do you have a sword?”

Ah. “That I don’t,” Kaeya says cheerfully. “But I can still punch!” He dislodges Albedo from his arm and crawls toward the sound on his hands and knees. “Don’t worry!” Kaeya calls, patting the patch of grass next to him. “It’s completely fine!”

Seeing as Albedo refuses to uncover his eyes, Kaeya has no choice but to take a closer glance when a second rustle draws his attention. Parting the grass, Kaeya leans forward, squinting under the dim light.

Kaeya can just make out the faint outline of glowing eyes. Something causes panic to rise up in his throat like bile. Kaeya doesn’t think he’s scared, no. Rather it seems something is causing him to feel that way. The creature sniffs at him and steps forward. Kaeya notices the ‘fur’ of its body is constructed from shadows.

Just as suddenly, it fades away. Red eyes close and its body trails away like wisps in the wind. The adrenaline rush stops and Kaeya can breathe again. Kaeya stands back up, slightly wobbly. "What was that?"

“I don’t know,” says Albedo, who is pawing at the marking on his neck. “Come on. Berries. Let’s go.”

Kaeya doesn’t know when Albedo became such a scaredy cat, but he agrees to his request. The berry bushes are easy to find. Their fruits grow bright and pristine under the red light of the lamps. Albedo finally relaxes at the sight of them. He wanders over to the nearest bush and snaps one berry off the stem. Kaeya watches, appalled when Albedo just eats it like that. No washing or anything. Wow, does he love sweet stuff that much?

“It’s dirty like that,” Kaeya argues.

“I’m born from the same ingredients as this plant. It won’t harm me.” Albedo pauses. “Well, not exactly the same, but mostly. I doubt chalk is an edible component.”

“They made you from chalk?”

“Among other things,” says Albedo. He picks another berry. “That’s why my hair is the color of it.”

“It’s nicer than mine,” Kaeya comments. “It’s hard to find clothes that suit this shade of blue.”

Albedo’s gaze on him is curious. “I like it. It’s like this sky, but shinier. And this strand…” Kaeya lets out a tiny yelp of indignation when Albedo pulls up one of the lighter blue streaks in his long ponytail. “It’s interesting,” says Albedo, curling it around his finger in wonderment.

“Hey, you don’t touch other people’s hair just like that,” Kaeya complains.

Kaeya swears he hears a smirk when Albedo asks nonchalantly, “You aren’t stopping me, though?”

Kaeya crosses his arms and stomps his foot. “I’m a chivalrous gentleman.”

“I don’t doubt that, my prince.”

Just to further prove his point, Kaeya gets one of the baskets nearby and gives it to Albedo. He tries to follow the way Albedo picks berries, but some of his berries burst. Albedo promises to let Kaeya have some from his basket later on. Kaeya is about to argue when he notices that Albedo has a small actual smile on his face. He’s looking up at Kaeya with a softness in his eyes. Kaeya inhales.

“There you go. That’s what smiling is like,” says Kaeya with a grin of his own. Albedo registers his words and his hand automatically reaches up to touch the side of his cheeks.

“...oh,” says Albedo. “This is… new.” Putting his hand back down, he comments idly, “This feeling is also a new sensation. It feels… warm?”

Kaeya pokes Albedo in the chest right where his heart (probably) is. “I think you’re feeling happy, Albedo.”

“Hm.” Albedo’s shy gaze wanders to the ground. “It’s all thanks to you, my prince.”

“No problem!”

The two of them spend many hours having idle chit chat. Kaeya takes Albedo around the garden and then they both head back to the palace with their haul. Kaeya takes Albedo to the library and his eyes light up at the treasure trove of books before him. The blond is also very much interested in the labs the alchemists reside in. It also seems the interest is mutual because Kaeya has to drag Albedo out of there before the alchemists manhandle Albedo too much in their curiosity.

Kaeya wonders why he hasn’t noticed Albedo dislikes touch before. He’s never been averse to it if it’s from Kaeya. Maybe he was created with that in mind. Brief discomfort arises in his chest at the thought that this boy is so friendly to him only because of some chalk magic Rhinedottir had sprinkled into him.

Though, maybe that’s not completely right either, because the boy had seemed so far away at first. Very distant. Now, however, Albedo is slowly, but surely developing this thing called a ‘personality’. This is making Albedo much more fun to hang out with, so that’s just a positive. Kaeya should stop thinking too much about things he doesn’t know.

Kaeya shakes the thought away as they walk back to their rooms after dinner. "Did you have fun today?" Kaeya asks Albedo.

"'Fun' is still a foreign concept to me," Albedo replies, but when Kaeya looks at him he finds that he's giving him that soft smile once again. "Thank you for giving me this experience, my prince."

"It's no big deal! Everyone should know what fun is."

Kaeya and Albedo reach the shabby door and Kaeya holds it open for Albedo like a true prince should do. Albedo ducks under his arm. Once inside, he nods in an almost bashful manner at Kaeya.

"See you tomorrow. I hope to learn more from you in class." Albedo shuts the door then, leaving Kaeya out in the hallway. The smile remains frozen on Kaeya’s face.

Aw, damn, once you have a day off it makes going back to work even worse.

Still, Kaeya goes to bed tonight with a smile on his face and pleasant dreams, the encounter with the strange creature of the night long forgotten.

Notes:

Hmmm

Chapter 6

Kaeya was right. Albedo is indeed very much what they call a nerd.

His private tutors had been skeptical of the blond boy at first, but Kaeya notices their formerly clinical gazes morphing into something warmer the more they interact with Albedo. This is because Albedo takes to studying the way Kaeya does not. He pays attention in class and takes down notes. He completes his assignments on time and turns them in early. He finds the tutor after classes to clarify the plentiful array of questions he will amass after every lecture. Albedo also does not usually entertain Kaeya's note passing or random pokes or light kicks under the table.

Kaeya can't believe it. Somebody actually listens to these lessons.

Albedo is so boooring and yet very fun to watch. Over the months they spend together as classmates, Kaeya has observed plenty about his companion. When he's studying something, Albedo has a tendency to frown slightly. He also adores tapping his pencil against the surface of whatever he's writing on rhythmically. Sometimes, Kaeya sees Albedo sketch pretty eyes in the corner of his homework. He asks to get a closer look, but Albedo hastily erases them and pretends Kaeya saw nothing. At least Kaeya can confirm that Albedo's handwriting has gotten better, neater and prettier.

Kaeya's glad Albedo enjoys his time here. At least one of them sees the 'joys of learning'. Kaeya does not appreciate the classes on social aspects, however. They're teaching Albedo weird stuff. Now when Kaeya says a funny joke, Albedo does things like roll his eyes and say something – gasp – snarky. Albedo never actually means it, though, so Kaeya supposes that's alright.

The lessons do also tire Albedo out, no matter how studious he is. So after class Kaeya always leads him to his favorite spot underneath the trees in the garden. Both boys can lie on the grass and tilt their faces upward to the starless skies. Every day, he asks Albedo what he thinks about what they learned. Also give him a reminder, please, he was daydreaming again. Kaeya always gets a light punch on his head for that.

"Why don't you ever pay attention?" Albedo chastises gently now. He has brought with him a fresh sheet of paper and that old clipboard. He's sketching something that he won't let Kaeya see again, but at least he seems to be developing a hobby of sorts. Briefly, Kaeya thinks back to the person Albedo used to be, who knew nothing of such simple pleasures.

"I'd much rather be practicing with my sword," Kaeya complains. "Classrooms are so boring and stuffy. The tutors always drone on and on. I don't know how you cope with it!"

"Perhaps I simply have more patience than you," Albedo remarks.

Kaeya whines dramatically, since this is one of those times where he can't tell if Albedo's just being blunt or being sarcastic.

"I've never seen your sword fighting lessons before," Albedo says neutrally. This means he is definitely being sarcastic because that's straight up ignoring his prince. How dare he.

Yet, Kaeya perks up at the change in topic. "I can show you! Come on!" Not waiting for Albedo to react, he grabs his arm and now they're both running towards the training area.

Kaeya kicks the wooden door open with a flourish, to Albedo's surprised noise. "We can spar with wooden swords first," Kaeya explains. He picks up one that's a size similar to the one he uses and throws it at Albedo, who catches it flawlessly. "I don't have many sword lessons right now because they're having a new, better sword made for me," Kaeya explains. "This is a baby sword for babies like you."

"You're only eleven," says Albedo with an amused glance. He turns the wooden sword over in his hand and observes the entire length of it.

"Eleven and a half," Kaeya corrects. This is a very important distinction. "But according to them I'll be twelve this year and then I'll be thirteen and then that's when the big changes happen."

"Big changes?" Albedo asks.

"My voice will get deeper." Kaeya lowers his voice to a growl to prove his point. "Then I'll become taller and stronger." Kaeya demonstrates this by flexing his hand-claws. "I'll be way bigger than you, because you're super small!"

"Not if I grow taller first!" Albedo retorts. He aims the wooden sword at Kaeya's chest. His grip is all wrong and so Kaeya just pushes it away, laughing.

"I will!"

"No, I will!"

"Best me in a duel." Kaeya picks up his own sword and thrusts it against Albedo's. "This shall determine our winner!"

Albedo furrows his eyebrows. Oh, this is good. Kaeya can sense Albedo knows that he stands no chance against him. Still, Kaeya is impressed when Albedo raises his sword so it is stomach level with Kaeya. His eyes betray his uncertainty but unwavering determination.

“Okay. Let’s try it once.”

Kaeya grins and grabs his own practice sword.

Albedo is beaten pretty much instantly. Kaeya dodges his first slow strike, steps neatly behind him, and pokes him lightly in the small of his back with the blunt tip. Albedo lets out a yelp and whirls around to face Kaeya, blue eyes wide. “I win!” Kaeya declares, spinning his sword. “This means I’m gonna grow to be twice as tall as you!”

“That is physically impossible,” says Albedo, but he smiles as he sweeps the dust off his shoulder. “I admit defeat. For now.”

Kaeya blinks. He stops spinning his sword. “Huh. What do you mean for now?”

“I’d like to learn,” says Albedo patiently.

“No freaking way.” Kaeya stares at Albedo and nearly drops his sword. “The gods were right. You are a mega super duper nerd. Why even?”

“It looks interesting,” says Albedo, plain and simple.

“Interest this, interest that, interest he says!” Kaeya exclaims in a high-pitched voice, mimicking jaw movements with his hand. “Do you feed off knowledge or something?”

Albedo smiles in response. The way he does so these days is sly, tinged with a hint of mischief. Kaeya is starting to understand being in his tutors’ shoes.

“And what if I do?”

“Ugh, you're impossible!” Kaeya throws his arms up in the air. “What don’t you like doing?”

Albedo thinks for a while before he replies, “Your lessons on political etiquette and the lands under the rule of other dynasties are rather dry. There are so many customs and laws to abide by. It’s awful. I’d hate having to curry favor with so many at once.”

“Oh, finally we agree on something,” says Kaeya with an over-dramatic sigh. Albedo shakes his head while Kaeya continues, “They’re so dumb and stupid and all they ever talk about is politics. Their kids aren’t fun to play with either. Not like you. They only come over every once in a while and their parents talk to father and then I just have to sit still for hours and be —“ Kaeya sticks his tongue out. “Civil!”

“That sounds terrible,” says Albedo. Meaningfully. With feeling. “We can talk about something else if you’d like.”

“You mean you’d like,” says Kaeya with a snort. Albedo makes no attempt to deny this, so Kaeya says, “Sword fights are a tricky thing. It’s not like in class where you can just sit and take notes.”

“Ah, yes, I understand that. I had already discerned as such from our fight.” Albedo straightens at that challenge, eyes flashing in earnest. He raises his sword again, looking to Kaeya for guidance. “I would like to try nonetheless.”

So over the next few days, while waiting for his new shiny sword, Kaeya teaches Albedo the basics. How to hold a sword, how to slash and thrust, how to dodge an opponent’s blade. The flourish is completely necessary, Kaeya insists. It adds style, which is very important.

Albedo isn’t just a nerd-nerd, he’s a sports nerd, too. Kaeya has spotted him doing exercises to toughen up his body, all by himself in the training grounds. Now that he thinks about it, Kaeya should probably have started Albedo off with the strength training first, but Albedo is smart and can take care of himself. Kaeya prides himself on being a good teacher too. Whenever Albedo lands a good strike on a training dummy, he gives the blond pointers for more.

Kaeya is starting to think Albedo really does thrive on knowledge. The look in his eyes show off his eagerness to learn. Even if it’s not in a classroom environment, he pays attention to minuscule details and trains until his arms are sore the entire next day.

Besides, it’s entertaining to watch the way he trains. The way he purses his lips and frowns at the sword and then swings it for just one more try. It’s strangely endearing, how hard he tries in everything he does. And when he gets it right, he seems to positively glow under Kaeya’s praise. Nothing too exaggerated, because this is still Albedo, but the shine in his teal eyes can’t be mistaken for anything else. It’s cuter when he tries to stay subdued about it.

Maybe, Kaeya thinks one day as he watches Albedo thrust his sword dead center into a dummy’s chest, I get why the tutors like him so much now. I like him a lot, too.

Notes:

ah, the boys are growing up

Chapter 7

Kaeya receives his new sword. There's new protective gear to go with it too. Arm guards and the like have been upgraded and reinforced, both to adapt to his growing body and to offer more protection against the now metal sword he has to learn with. When Kaeya swings it, it sings. He loves it, but he can't possibly use a real sword against Albedo, so for his sake he sticks to using the small practice sword when they spar. Kaeya can't help but notice how small it feels in his hands after he's tried the real deal.

Albedo is a quick learner who improves day by day. His clumsy strikes turn quick and nimble. He lacks raw power, but he's faster. Albedo still can't win against Kaeya, but with his guidance he's getting there.

Still, every time Kaeya observes him he is blown away by the lightness in his fast movements. He remains a bit stiff here and there, but when Albedo swings his sword it's in this perfect arc that's as breathtaking as it is calculated. His thrusts are precise and yet the flick of his wrist speaks of boundless elegance. His footwork is more akin to that of a dancer's, as graceful as he is starting to become.

Sometimes, when watching him, Kaeya finds himself thinking, this is what a prince should look like in the thick of battle, and he realises he does not know what to make of this observation.

So they train like this together, under the darkness of the moonlight streaming in through the open windows.

As time goes by, Kaeya thinks that the wooden sword doesn't really fit Albedo's hands anymore. He's always been a smaller build than Kaeya, but these days, he seems taller. Kaeya has to go back in his room that night and check in his mirror, and yes, he's much taller as well. He used to barely reach the halfway mark of the frame, but now he fills three quarters of it. When did that happen?

Kaeya starts paying attention to other tells then.

Albedo's voice is the first to crack and deepen. This forces the already quiet boy to become even quieter, as he becomes mortified when it does. Kaeya thinks this is hilarious and spares Albedo none of his teasing. Apparently, Albedo sees nothing wrong with telling a prince to shut up.

Though, Albedo is getting… moody. Once when Kaeya asks one too many questions Albedo actually snaps at him, which leaves Kaeya wide eyed. Sarcasm? Sure. But actual anger? It's not exactly something Kaeya knows how to deal with, so he keeps his mouth shut after that.

Kaeya doesn't visit Albedo that night. Instead, he spends it cooped up in the oppressive environment of his room. It's become rarer ever since he befriended the blond boy, but tonight he doesn't want to bother him. Instead, he uses the time to think about what he could have done wrong. The sheer depth of how upset Kaeya feels is probably concerning. His heart is squeezing and Kaeya doesn't want to do anything but lean against his bedroom door and hug his knees to his chest. The loneliness problem seems so quaint and far away now. Now it's the 'Albedo is being mean to me for no reason' problem.

Oh, he just had to call me a simple minded idiot, Kaeya seethes. Well, he likes to think he's rightfully mad. The truth is he's more upset that Albedo hadn't seemed upset. After that outburst he had just gone back to his stoicism and silence and Kaeya had just felt like tripping him in the hallway then.

Now here he is, wanting Albedo to sit here and tell him that it will be okay.

He misses him already.

Kaeya doesn’t know what to do with himself now that loneliness is a sickness that Albedo has cured. What did he use to do? Kaeya can’t remember. He supposes sitting here and moping is very becoming of a future king.

Stupid, stupid, Kaeya berates himself. He wants Albedo to comfort him about Albedo. Kaeya can't even recall ever being this worked up about someone’s opinion of him. Usually when the maids yell at him he just laughs. Maybe he really is an idiot.

Abruptly, a rustle alerts the prince to the piece of paper slipped underneath his door. He crawls over and picks it up, examining it. It smells fresh and flowery, and on it is Albedo's neat handwriting.

Prince Alberich My dear friend Kaeya,

I apologise for my temperament as of late. I know you're upset and possibly confused. The truth is, I'm not sure what's gotten into me either.

Strangely enough, my emotions used to be much easier to manage. It seems that out of nowhere, my feelings have been enhanced greatly. Recently, though it pains me to admit this, I found I've had a rather short handle on my fuse. Your asking of extremely obvious questions simply triggered my temper and I lashed out at you. It seems I am in dire need of practice.

Perhaps you have replaced my role as the patient one. For my rude behaviour, I apologise. I will work on it in the future. I can only hope I didn't make you too upset at me.

Albedo

P.S. I'm not entirely sure what a 'P.S.' is for but it seems it is polite to write one. I hope this letter finds you well, then.

Kaeya reads the letter twice. The fact Albedo crossed out his title makes him feel warm. He doesn't seem upset anymore in this letter. But Albedo hadn't come to him in person, so was he feeling upset too? Shy? And does Albedo realise that 'extremely obvious questions' bit sounds a bit too sarcastic to be sincere?

Still, Kaeya forgives him. Albedo has historically been crap at this social game. He's always been content to let Kaeya do the smooth talking for him, hanging back and allowing the prince to take center stage. Kaeya also knows that he needs to respond in the way he knows best.

"It's okay!" Kaeya calls loudly as he raps his knuckles against the shabby door.

"It's the middle of the night, don't yell!" is the reply. Then Albedo quiets down. "Thank you. I'm sorry," comes the mumble, so soft Kaeya wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been pressing an ear to the dusty wood. Kaeya nods though Albedo can't see him and leaves, because he senses he wants space.

Kaeya asks his father about Albedo's different behaviour nowadays. The king frowns and replies, "Is he being difficult?"

"No, father," he says quickly. He has left out the part where Albedo snapped at him.

"Good," says father, and Kaeya relaxes. "It's natural he's behaving that way. You'll follow soon, I imagine."

"I'll become an irritating piece of – I mean, will I be rather disagreeable in the near future, father?"

The king sighs. "It seems you've finally come of age. Unsurprising – you are nearly an adolescent, after all. Come, sit beside me, Kaeya. I have many things to inform you of."

The talk takes an hour.

Kaeya leaves his father's room as soon as he can.

Mind buzzing with the (frankly terrible) new wealth of information, Kaeya finds himself stumbling into the palace library. He scrambles over to an empty table and plants his face into the cold wood. Why couldn't I have been created like Albedo? Kaeya asks whoever's out there, indignance and embarrassment mingling hot and fast in his chest.

Kaeya looks up after a few minutes. He realises there are a few books next to him now he isn't feeling so frazzled. He gives it a curious look over. A man and woman are embracing passionately on the cover of the first one, who obscures the rest underneath it.

Oh, ew, like father and mother.

Still, a part of Kaeya has to admit he's rather... curious about the whole process. His father had left out many parts of it. Probably even he was embarrassed having to talk about this sort of thing. It's not like Kaeya currently has a mother to ask these sort of things, either.

You will regret this, Kaeya warns himself as he grabs the book. This is grown up territory, says his caution even as he flips the book open. He closes his eyes, sighs, and then tells himself to at least read one chapter.

Kaeya reads one, and then the next, and the next. He finishes it, and realises that it didn't actually have that in its contents. Though, that suits Kaeya just fine, and anyway – a weird burn starts high on his cheeks – it had been rather sweet. His father had described infatuation so clinically that Kaeya had just wanted to kick himself out of there. But the book's gentle, poetic, flowing words painted a vivid picture of a man who had sacrificed his all for a woman, and vice versa.

Kaeya is intrigued. He needs more of these.

Now, everyone who enters the library looks on in confusion at the blue-haired prince. Kaeya is not a known patron of services any library provides. One of these curious onlookers is Albedo, who wonders why on earth his lazy friend has suddenly developed a healthy appetite for books. He sneaks up on the prince silently, and smiles slyly at what he finds.

"It's… kinda… kinda…" Kaeya tries to explain to Albedo, having been caught reading A Summer's Tale of Love. Albedo's eyes are half lidded and his lips quirk upwards in a smirk that spells Kaeya's immediate doom if he doesn't spill the beans immediately. Doom and also possible confiscation, because Albedo is taller than he is now and he's holding the book up and out of reach. Kaeya crosses his arms and frowns. It’s completely unfair. He had beaten him in that silly little duel.

"Hey, listen, don't judge me. I just think how happy they are together is a… nice thing.”

"What do you mean?"

"The main couple. They like being around each other." Kaeya makes an annoyed noise. "Now give that back! I need to see if she finally confesses to her."

"Nope," says Albedo as he drops the book in Kaeya's hands. "May I read it along with you?"

"Of course!"

Kaeya finishes the book two hours later. He looks to his left and realises Albedo has long fallen asleep, a heavy weight against his shoulder. Albedo doesn't snore or even breathe, so Kaeya hadn't noticed. Come to think of it, Albedo doesn't even need to sleep. Which means that this story bored him to the point of sleep. Incredible.

Kaeya directs his gaze back to the last page that reads 'the end'. There must be more that comes after. He’s itching to read that which does not exist.

Yet, in every book Kaeya has ever read, it always stops once the main couple gets together. He wants to know what happens after that. Do they live happily ever after? They must, Kaeya thinks, considering how happy the couples seem with each other.

Still, there are things that don't make sense to Kaeya. Like how they start liking each other just because they have nice eyes and stuff. Why they don't just sit and talk to each other when things go wrong. And some of the coincidences in these books probably have way too low of a chance to even occur. It's so unrealistic. Honestly.

Still, a part of Kaeya... kind of… wants to know more about some of that. That kind of warm and fuzzy happiness feeling sounds like it comes from a fairytale, but Kaeya is already a prince, so...

Ew ew ew I'm too young for this, Kaeya thinks, disgusted at his own thoughts. He moves an arm over and shakes the sleeping Albedo awake. Albedo is nice and rational and will slap some sense into him. That's what best friends are for.

"Kaeya?" Albedo asks sleepily. He stretches and yawns while Kaeya watches. The dots connect in his head and he blinks. His eyes glimmer at this new discovery. "If this is what falling asleep is like, I should write this down later in my notebook,” Albedo says quickly. He takes a pen from his breast pocket and begins writing scribbled notes down on his left palm.

"You're the only person ever who's fascinated by this sort of stuff," says Kaeya with a roll of his eyes. "Tell me, was the book that boring?"

"It wasn't all bad," says Albedo, rubbing his eyes. "I learned new things from it."

"What might they be?"

Albedo lifts his fingers, checking off a list of items. "People become irrational when driven by emotions. How endearing something comes across as is subject to the viewer's interpretation. Also, the word 'fuck' has many contexts it can be used in."

"Probably don't say that last one aloud," says Kaeya, smiling.

"Luckily, I am not a prince," says Albedo airily. “We should go. It’s almost time for your royal dinner, after all.”

This time it is Kaeya’s turn to smack Albedo upside the head for his insolence. Still, he doesn’t really mind. Instead, as they wander down the familiar hallways, Kaeya finds himself silent for once, deep into his musing.

Romantic love is a completely new concept to Kaeya. He wishes he had Albedo’s brilliant mind in times like these. That would surely help him figure out everything he’s still confused about. From what Kaeya can tell, love is a close bond with one specific person that makes you feel happy. Kaeya glances down at the way he’s tugging Albedo along by his hand and wonders what the difference is between that and friendship. That’s a romance novel thing. Albedo’s nice and funny, but if they did some close friend stuff that didn’t automatically mean it was a relationship either, did it?

Albedo is his best friend, after all. His only friend. That's why being in a fight with him feels so devastating. Nowadays, Kaeya really doubts any liking of him has been automatically embedded in Albedo's artificial brain. He seems so frustrated with Kaeya sometimes, but they've always made up so far. That's why Kaeya thinks of Albedo as the most important person in his life right now.

That was… similar, was it not?

For the second time that hour, Kaeya wonders just where his thoughts are bringing him. Albedo’s his friend. That’s just ew. Except it’s more like Kaeya is telling himself to feel ew and his real feelings on the matter is just… well, whatever. Stuff comes and goes, doesn’t it? They are what they are.

Wow, I hate this, thinks Kaeya with a frown on his face. Growing up sucks.

Albedo stops walking suddenly, and this causes Kaeya to jerk forward a little before he rights himself. When Kaeya glances back, Albedo has taken a few tentative steps towards the garden. Turquoise eyes are narrowed, scanning, searching for something in the darkness.

“Albedo?” calls Kaeya.

Albedo seems to snap out of his trance. He draws back, shaking his head. “I just thought I saw something,” he explains. “It seems I was mistaken. Come on, we mustn’t be late.”

Kaeya doesn’t protest as Albedo takes the lead this time and passes by his prince. He remains still, as he has seen the deep magenta glow emanating from one of the bushes in the garden. For some reason, there’s some weird déjà vu about this whole situation that Kaeya can’t quite remember.

No matter. If Albedo, genius extraordinaire, isn’t worrying, neither will he.

Kaeya leaves behind the mystery presence in the garden and runs to keep up with Albedo’s long legs.

Notes:

Run boys it's the puberty monster

Chapter 8

It starts when Albedo shows up to one of their sparring sessions with his hair braided.

Okay, maybe not entirely braided like the long ones draped down a woman's back. This one just makes sure some of his hair is tied back, and it forms a pretty circle at the back of his head. A cute tuft pokes out in the center as a ponytail. Kaeya spends five solid seconds staring at it, and his trance is only broken when Albedo looks away with light pink dusting his cheeks.

"Does it… look bad?"

It's been a long time since Kaeya last saw this kind of hesitance from the blond. Ever since he was so kind as to show Albedo the wonders of the world he's repaid it by actually growing a spine. How terrible. Yet, the look in his teal eyes harkens back to the time when Albedo was a newly formed homunculus, waiting for his prince's approval.

Kaeya shuts his mouth. He looks stupid. "No, no, no, it's great," he says hastily, waving his hand around. His voice cracks on the last word. Betrayal. Now he knows what Albedo feels like.

Fortunately, Albedo doesn't seem to notice. "Ugh, stop that, you're embarrassing." Albedo runs the tips of his fingers against the braid in his hair. Then he shakes his head, eyes downcast, and adds, "I'm sorry… I'm thankful, truly, I'm just… no matter, I have no excuse."

"It's all good, but what's with the new look?" Albedo fidgeting with his hair gives Kaeya more excuses to stare.

The blond remains quiet for a few moments more. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise," says Kaeya earnestly.

"I just thought I should… change it up," says Albedo, voice so soft Kaeya would need to strain to hear it if he hadn't gotten used to communicating with the blond. "Yesterday I looked in the mirror, and I realised my hair really is as scruffy as they say. So I just thought… maybe I'd look less childlike if I tidied it a little.”

There's silence for a while.

"This is stupid," says Albedo forcefully, who reaches up to undo his hair.

"Hey, hey, wait!” Kaeya grabs his arm in one lightning fast movement. “No it’s not. What gave you that idea?”

Albedo flushes. “You weren’t saying anything. It is reasonable to assume —“

"Albedo, are you feeling shy? Oh, I get it now. You desire my royal validation.” Kaeya leans in and places his hand on his chest, blue eyes alight with mischief.

Albedo groans. "Kaeya Alberich, I swear to all the gods out there..."

"Whatever you say, Al-bae-do."

Albedo covers his red face with one hand. With a groan, he leans heavily against the wall. "I don't know how I thought I was going to win that one."

Albedo is so fun to tease nowadays. It's like gaining all this awareness about human things has made him overly self-conscious in recent years. Or maybe, just like Kaeya, he's becoming old. Whatever it is, Kaeya feels the urge to bully him even more, because his reactions are always the best. Sometimes Albedo teases him back and they get into some silly mock fight. It’s strangely enjoyable.

"If it makes you feel any better," says Kaeya cheekily, "I like the way you say your name. Better than Al-bee-do."

"I suppose everyone's gotten too used to it to change it just for the sake of consistency," Albedo says with a sigh. "However, a child born of alchemy getting a fundamental alchemical term muddled up…" He drops his head in his hands. “What was I thinking?”

If the cool, calm and confident Albedo is good, this shy and embarrassed Albedo is even better. The red blush on his pale skin is enchanting, and the troubled look on his face is kind of cute to watch. Kaeya feels a certain urge tugging at his chest.

"Don't worry too much about it. It's a name. It's got your personal flair on it is all." Kaeya blinks up at him a bit too innocently. "Just like your hair." He winks.

"Oh, you are trying to fluster me," says Albedo in a vaguely annoyed tone. His eyebrows twitch and his mouth is set in a thin line, as if Albedo can't decide whether to smile or to frown at Kaeya. “Tell me, my prince, from where did you learn such behaviour?”

"That's just your hypothesis. Evidence?" Kaeya simply smiles back mysteriously. It’s the smart boy’s own fault if he can’t figure out he’s been this way for a long, long time.

"Of course the only time you pay attention in class is to throw my own words back at me," says Albedo with a long-suffering sigh. Pale fingers reach up to play idly with golden strands. Kaeya's eyes follow the action.

He doesn't have any words to describe why he feels so fascinated by this simple change in hairstyle.

Perhaps, now that blond hair is no longer plastered to the sides of Albedo's face, Kaeya can see that his jaw has become sharper. Albedo has started to shed his childish roundness, the planes of his face becoming more defined. Albedo's eyes lack the star iris of a pure-blooded Khaenri'ahn, but his lashes have grown longer and they complement those teal depths just perfectly.

Oh, he is becoming old.

"You look great, really," says the blue-haired boy, more sincerely now. "You should keep it like this. If you want."

Albedo ducks his head, brushing some more of his hair behind his ears. He nibbles on his bottom lip for a few moments, eyes glancing up at Kaeya in a picture perfect show of bashfulness. “Thank you,” he says softly, looking away with a smile.

Kaeya doesn’t really know what to say, throat tight. A few seconds pass. Albedo clears his throat.

"Do you think," Albedo starts awkwardly, "they'd let me into the lab?"

Ah. Of course. This is Albedo. So of course it's not because he particularly cares how he looks, it's because children aren't allowed to conduct experiments. Everything Kaeya has ever seen him do is to further his curiosity about the world. At least some things never change. Kaeya feels both relieved and disappointed for some reason.

"I don't see why they shouldn't," Kaeya says with a snort. "They'd be glad to have someone like you in there. What are you planning to do?"

"I am… curious about the inner workings of the art of Khemia," Albedo replies. "I've been working on it in my free time, but I believe I'm ready for the next step, whatever that may entail."

"You've been working on it? How so?"

Albedo bends down and picks up one of the dead branches lying on the wooden floors of the training room. He holds it out, lips parted in a silent chant. Bright blue leaves sprout from once dead ends, bursting into life as cerulean dust settles all around them. Kaeya is captivated by the sight, and he reaches one hand out. He thumbs at the delicate new sprouts, marvelling at their texture.

"You've certainly gotten better," Kaeya says appreciatively. "There's a lot more of them now, and you grew them with no soil."

Albedo deflects the praise with a modest nod, but Kaeya has gotten used to how his cheeks flush. "Yes, but I would like the opportunity to improve my skills even further." Albedo takes the branch back from Kaeya and displays its flaws to the other boy. Resting the tips of his fingers over blackened twigs, Albedo explains, "You see? I wasn't able to coax all of the branches to sprout. This is a flowering plant, and yet I still can't make it bloom."

"You're still, like, twelve," says Kaeya, raising an eyebrow. "Calm your ambitions."

Albedo chuckles self-consciously. It is a melodious sound. "Well, from my point of view, I'm nearly thirteen. I simply would like to take my alchemy further."

He has never understood the boy's hunger for knowledge, but Kaeya will not begrudge him for it. Kaeya nods in understanding. "I get it. I'll talk to father."

"Thank you, Kaeya." The smile on Albedo's face is blinding.

Convincing his father to let Albedo in the lab takes less time than when Kaeya was eleven and begging to let him join his lessons. This time, Kaeya asks, and his father simply waves his hand and allows it. It is peculiar, given that father doesn't seem to pay the blond boy much attention. There's still a list of things Kaeya would like to demand for Albedo, like better accommodations, but Kaeya won't look a gift horse in the mouth. He rushes to tell Albedo the good news, and Albedo can't contain the sparkle in his eyes.

So after classes in recent times, Albedo can be spotted rushing to the labs. Kaeya follows him if he's free, as the visits from other dynasties have gotten more and more frequent. He'd much rather be spending time with Albedo than the other royal brats.

(Kaeya tells Albedo this one day, and the blond asks him with amusement in his tone just what he thinks he is, then.)

Kaeya watches as Albedo carefully measures out liquids and weighs solids in a beaker. Under the guidance of the senior alchemists, Albedo finds different ways to create new life. The adults seem to adore him still, answering any question he might have. Kaeya is beginning to think Albedo is even more popular than he is around these parts. Imagine that! The literal prince, outmatched!

Though, truthfully he can see the appeal. Kaeya has never been interested in alchemy and all that, but Albedo makes him want to know more. Sometimes Kaeya drags his thick textbooks to the lab and he sits next to Albedo, pretending to study. What he's really doing, however, is watching Albedo hard at work. The intensity of his teal eyes, the furrow of his brow, the delicacy of his motions as he learns to pipette and stir and boil is quite charming to behold.

"Prince Alberich," Albedo says when he notices him watching in that tone of voice, "are you sure I am not distracting you from your studies?"

Kaeya simply grins and rests his cheek against his folded arms on the table. "Whatever makes you think that? Similarly, I can't help but notice you've glanced up from your experiments, Albedo. Something else more interesting caught your eye?"

"Ah," says Albedo nonchalantly, who looks back down at his flasks. "I suppose you’re right as always, my prince."

Sometimes, the sheer bluntness of Albedo’s responses winds Kaeya more than anything else he could come up with. It’s rather unfair. Kaeya has always been the more mischievous one out of the two of them. What’s he supposed to do now that the quiet boy seems determined to take over his role? Perhaps this is his punishment for teasing the boy for so long.

Still, Kaeya can’t say he minds as they settle into another comfortable silence. He tries to focus on the experiments Albedo is conducting, but his eyes keep wandering upwards to his face, and the carefully braided strands of golden hair. Like this, his teal eyes shimmer in the dark. Moonlight filters in through the windows, painting Albedo in a silvery, otherworldly, glow.

Kaeya's stare lingers just a second longer at the sight.

Oh, Kaeya says to himself. Albedo should’ve been the prince instead.

Chapter 9

In recent years, Kaeya has learned Albedo doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday. Kaeya thinks it's a waste, given that it's the day Albedo came into his life and made it brighter. Last year, he made sure to give him a card and a fancy new sketchbook, because Albedo seems to like to draw. He has never actually seen the other’s art, but it is definitely better than the prince's cartoon horse on the birthday card he gave him. Nevertheless, Albedo had graciously accepted it.

This won't do now that he's old enough to make something with a more personal touch for Albedo. He doesn't think much of himself, which is why Kaeya has to do it for him. Though, he could do without the confusion emanating off the kitchen staff as he asks to be taught how to make pancakes. And perhaps it's a little early, but Albedo always gets up and about at the crack of dawn. Kaeya has little room for margin of error if he wants to get this right.

The maids indulge his request after an explanation, and under their guidance, Kaeya manages to keep collateral damage to a minimum. Because of Albedo's birthday, Kaeya thinks to the physical changes his own body's going through. Like the fact that his long, gangly arms are still a little awkward and since when were his hands so large? Doing anything was a simple breeze before, but now Kaeya has to be mindful of his limbs and duck his head below the counters.

(Albedo had been indignant that his five seconds of being taller than Kaeya were now snatched cruelly out of his grasp. Kaeya, for one, welcomes the ability to give him noogies once more.)

Somehow, despite the fact his hands and feet seemed to have been swapped that day, Kaeya gets the job done. With a whole lot of help. One of the chefs hands him some icing, encouraging him to write his well wishes on the stack of fluffy pancakes. It's probably some kind of compensation for the pancakes being 70% made by the staff, but Kaeya accepts the offer graciously. Happy 13th birthday, Albedo, he squeezes out in cursive with white icing. It's a little sloppy, but still readable.

"You care a great deal for him, my prince," one of the chefs observes.

"Have you met him?" Kaeya retorts, straightening his back. "It'd be difficult not to."

"I must say I haven't had the pleasure of being acquainted with him, my prince."

"You should talk to him sometime, then. He's serious, calm, and talented. Probably someone you'd like chatting with."

The chef nods and turns away with a mysterious smile. Kaeya would like to investigate further, but he has a task to complete. Carefully, he hoists up the tray of pancakes and makes his way over to Albedo's room.

"Albedo!" Kaeya calls when he bears the shabby wooden door. He won't risk the pancakes falling to the floor. "Open the door! I've made something for your birthday."

He hears the familiar shuffling of his feet as Albedo walks to open the door. He greets him with a reverent look on his face as his gaze falls upon the fluffy pancakes. "You remembered. Even I’ve forgotten," he says in a hushed voice. Somehow he hasn't realised that of course Kaeya would remember his damn birthday. Albedo's a genius, but he's truly a genius in all the things that don't matter.

"Of course I did, you make it sound like I'm an absolute dick or something," Kaeya complains.

Albedo raises a contemplative eyebrow. "The jury is still out on that."

"Oh, come on! Let me in. You know you want to." Kaeya gives him a large grin. “Or I’ll force my way in myself.”

Albedo does not dignify that with a verbal response. He does, however, ease the plate of pancakes off Kaeya's tray. He beckons Kaeya inside with a nod, and the prince eagerly follows.

Albedo's accommodations have gotten better, not least because he himself has thought to do something about it. Albedo can yammer on all he likes about how alchemy is a 'sacred art' and 'very powerful in the right hands'. It doesn't change that even the blond finds some mundane use for alchemy now and then. Repaired shelves, a whole table and a chair greet Kaeya as he steps inside.

"Making more plants grow today, Albedo?" Kaeya asks conversationally, leaning on the windowsill with one arm. On it is littered haphazardly scattered notes. Even Albedo has his vices, it seems.

"That’s on my agenda, but I have just woken up," Albedo replies after he swallows a spoonful of pancakes and syrup. So delighted is his normally stoic expression that it takes Kaeya a while to dissect the implications of his sentence.

"Hang on. You… slept?"

Albedo nods.

"Where? On this table? On the floor?" Kaeya gestures furiously at their surroundings, which in his opinion, is completely up to standard if one was a rat.

"Please, it's quite alright. Don’t fret over these unnecessary details. It's an… interesting sensation." Albedo raises his free hand. "I’ve realised that though I lack any need for it, sometimes a restful sleep gives my mind a sense of peace. I've found it beneficial to refresh myself after I've been working on a project for too long." He pauses to swallow. "Well, that's if I remember the option exists. I can easily pull an all-nighter if need be. When an experiment shows good progress, it'd be unthinkable to stop so soon."

Kaeya rolls his eyes. "Ah, yes. You're morphing into a workaholic on this fine anniversary of your birth."

"There are worse things to become," Albedo says, looking up at Kaeya.

"Albedo, you're so cold!"

The blond allows a tiny chuckle to slip past his lips. "Truthfully, I do not mind falling asleep. I've even experienced new things thanks to it. Remember when you told me about your nonsensical dreams? They're uncommon for me, but when they happen they offer me some insight into the state of my mind."

"You dream?" Kaeya asks, inching closer. "What of?"

Albedo pauses, nibbling on his berries. "I dream of you, usually. Perhaps it is because of how much time we spend together."

There is suddenly a large lump in Kaeya's throat and he needs a few seconds to swallow it down. "Ah," Kaeya says, voice a little tight. "Dreaming of nothing but good things, I hope?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Albedo scoffs. "For one, you act much more like a prince in my dreams. How unbecoming of the real you."

Although Albedo has thrown a barb his way, this invariably relaxes Kaeya. Of course. This is Albedo. He wouldn't ever mean anything by it. "Oh? Do elaborate," Kaeya replies, regaining the coy tinge to his tone of voice.

Albedo hums in thought. "I was dreaming just now, in fact. It was a whimsical scene. I was standing in a garden full of blooming white flowers and you were there. You took my hand in yours and kissed the back of it. You spun me around then, and taught me the steps to a dance I must have seen when awake. I must almost have fallen a dozen times, but your hand on my back steadied me."

"I… see," says Kaeya, who is starting to feel rather warm. This is most un-Kaeya-like of him, as the proper response should be something like 'ah, now I know how you truly feel about me'. Instead, once again Kaeya has been caught off guard by Albedo's sheer honesty. Does this idiot know the implications of what he's divulging? Kaeya almost feels secondhand embarrassment for Albedo, who isn't even feeling it firsthand. No wonder trying to fluster Albedo is often a fruitless endeavour. If only Albedo could be just a little more concerned about what he says to others...

"It was charming, but unfortunately in reality I'm stuck with an oaf," Albedo says with a huff. "Though, the you in the waking world is very endearing as well. For these pancakes you've made me… thank you. You didn't have to, and for that I'm most grateful." Albedo glances down, a blush forming prettily along his pale cheeks.

Oh, of course he's flustered at this, the oblivious dolt.

Kaeya really needs to set Albedo's priorities straight. For Albedo's hypothetical future relationships, of course. And that's assuming he actually wants any more, because Albedo never actually seems to talk about anything besides work. His single-mindedness is so infuriating sometimes.

Yet, there really is no words to describe the captivation Kaeya holds for the blond in front of him. Albedo's bashfulness draws Kaeya in like catnip to a feline. His mind seems to have fled for the moment, and impulse takes the reins. A simple 'you're welcome' seems too light for this atmosphere. The prince leans closer to his companion and asks softly, "Would you like to learn?"

"Learn?" That gets Albedo's attention on him again.

"To dance. Like the one in your dream, I mean." It's Kaeya's turn to duck his head, embarrassment bubbling up in the pit of his chest. He’s not sure why, as this is a simple affair. He’s cool, calm, and confident Kaeya. Where is this hesitation coming from? Father would not be very impressed.

However, Albedo's laughter is soft and warm and sends chills down Kaeya's spine. "If my dream self is that clumsy," Albedo says with mirth, "I'd hate to see what the real me is capable of."

"We can take it slow," Kaeya suggests.

"Maybe next time," says Albedo, but his voice is low and fond. "I have work to get to, after all."

“Ah, yes, work, the greatest birthday gift of all.” Kaeya nods, though his gesture is one of disappointment. It’s weird just how his heart sinks at this gentle rejection. To distract himself, Kaeya gets up and whisks the empty plate into his hands. He exits after bidding Albedo farewell and vice versa.

While traversing the hallways, Kaeya looks up at the lamps and thinks about how he can reach their tops if he tiptoes now. He thinks about the next meeting between royal families he will have to attend and sighs internally. He thinks about Albedo hard at work in his labs and marvels at how much it suits him.

Clearly, some of us have the rest of their future all figured out, Kaeya thinks with amusement, and some of us are stuck learning dumbed down explanations of political manoeuvres.

Running a kingdom is a behemoth of a responsibility, and now that he’s nearing his teen years father is absolutely going to force him to pick up the slack. No longer is his tender age an eligible excuse. Kaeya almost wants to groan out loud at the thought, but that would look rather stupid.

Besides, Kaeya likes to think he isn’t all that bad. If there’s one thing everyone (begrudgingly at times) praises him on, it’s his ability to mingle with others and weave his words together. In the royal courts, such a skill is prized highly. Apparently, others speak favourably of the heir to the Eclipse throne. It is well deserved, in Kaeya’s opinion. Everyone should know his name.

But Kaeya can’t help but feel that with every insult he filters to be polite, a piece of something is falling away. He’s not quite sure what it is, and the sad part is he doesn’t even know if he would rather it come back.

However, throughout it all, Albedo remains there, with his stoic demeanour and sharp tongue. Kaeya can always count on the other boy to be his grounding anchor in times like these, even if he is a little blunt and out of touch with the social games royals play. Around Albedo, Kaeya returns to his baser instincts of mischief and finds he does not regret it one bit. It's like a breath of fresh air, a weight off his shoulders.

Still, he can’t ever get quite so comfortable again. Keeping up a mask is necessary exhaustion, after all.

Chapter 10

Kaeya is thirteen and a half the first time he sneaks out of the palace.

Beforehand, he slips on a commoner’s coat. Unbounding his hair from its ponytail, he ties it up in a bun and hides it under the unassuming brown hood. His mirror has had to be lifted higher, accounting for his increased height in recent years. Kaeya looks at his reflection and nods. Nothing a good roll in the mud can't fix.

One pig impression later, Kaeya is climbing the walls of the palace, out of sight of the guards. He scales them easily and hops over the gates with his now long legs. He rolls upon impact and stands up, rubbing his left shoulder. Kaeya glances over his shoulder once more before he stealthily follows the pathway outside royal territory.

Sometimes, the eternal darkness of Khaenri'ah is an advantage. He's been trapped in this damn palace for far too long. Kaeya needs to go out and see the world, maybe eat something different, see some other kinds of people. Albedo would definitely not approve of this, the rules-stickler. That's why Kaeya has double checked their schedules and left him working alone in their classroom. He’ll go back home and see Albedo again later, and then force him to promise not to tell father.

When the path splits, Kaeya flips a coin to determine which way he should follow. It lands on tails, so Kaeya looks up at the signpost. It reads 'City Square', and Kaeya's lips curl up into a smirk.

How tragic that they wouldn't know a prince would be among them. Kaeya’s presence would liven up their day for sure. Though, that isn't his goal today. Kaeya simply wants to observe the common folk and how they go about their daily lives. Is it really any worse than being royally cooped up all day?

The way to the center of town is relatively peaceful, broken by the chirps and song of birds hidden in the trees. Kaeya emerges from the beaten down pathway into a center that’s surrounded by wine and song. The lamps are lit up brightly and children cheer as they set off sparklers.

Ah, an excellent opportunity to practice his smooth talk. Seeing the same old people every day gets boring, after all. He’d like to try his skills on a different crowd.

Kaeya makes his way around the laughing children, smiling kindly down at them. They point at him and wave back, giggling merrily. Kaeya raises one hand in greeting as he walks away.

Kaeya then stumbles upon many stalls set up with food. He picks one with appetising-looking fruits in it and tosses a coin towards the young lady minding the stall. She catches it with surprise. Kaeya sidles up to her and leans half his body against her cart. "Good afternoon," he says in a low purr. "Three meat skewers, please."

The young lady hurries to obey. It's not long before Kaeya is idly twirling one of the sticks in his hands. "Is there a special occasion today?" he enquires with a cool glance. He nips at one of the skewers, showing his sharp teeth.

"No, sir," she says amidst giggles and flushed cheeks. "Oh, I know, you must be a visitor from another district! This is simply how we market our wares. Although –" Her voice hushes as she gestures towards a fountain in the near distance. People crowd around it, throwing coins into its reflective depths. "Word along the street is that there's a famous alchemist coming here later to put on a marvellous show. You should stay for that!"

Kaeya looks at the hopeful sparkle in her eyes and indulges her with a smile. "I'd love to."

And the protagonists in those novels said this was hard.

Kaeya stays for maybe a few minutes, or maybe an hour. They talk in between customers arriving to buy some food. What he gleans from the conversation with the young lady is a vivid picture of the hustle and bustle of the city. Buzzing, thrilling conversation, and the shouts and yells when it gets busy. After dark, there’s this thing called a tavern where you can get drinks and information, and that has the young prince intrigued. Unfortunately, it is for adults only. Growing up can’t come soon enough, then.

Kaeya looks up when yet another customer comes. He freezes at the familiar head of blond hair.

“Good afternoon, ma’am,” says Albedo with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. Gripping Kaeya’s shoulder, he continues, “Unfortunately, my friend here must leave right away.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Kaeya protests.

“Yes he does, and immediately.”

Albedo nods apologetically at the young woman before he steers Kaeya away from the stall. Albedo leans in and whispers, “It’s not for me. You know how your father is. I looked for you in all your usual spots but you weren’t there. I told the maids you were waiting for me to do more sparring, but I don’t know how much longer they’ll believe that without checking on us.”

“Albedo, are you covering for me?” Kaeya asks with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I will cease immediately if you get us both into trouble.”

“But Albedo, there’s going to be a famous alchemist arriving soon. They’re gonna put on a show or something. It’ll be cool!”

A pause. The grip on his shoulder tightens before loosening. Kaeya watches as Albedo’s conviction starts to waver, conflict in his blue gaze. He grins and leans in closer, heading straight for the kill. “We should watch it together.”

Albedo’s face is tinted red now, eyes shifting from left to right and left again. “A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt,” he concedes quietly. Kaeya smirks at his victory. Where before he might have gotten yet another soft smack for his trouble, now Albedo simply sighs and shakes his head.

They head for the fountain in the middle of the square. While they wait, Kaeya purchases this delicacy called a ‘cake’ for Albedo. He tries to protest, but Kaeya insists, and he’s already full anyway. While they wait, they sit at a strange wooden table with a candle displayed in the center. The blond is instantly enamoured with the treat, and even licks the fork clean of frosting.

Kaeya watches him in contentment, resting his cheek against his palm. Something about this scene seems oddly domestic. Kaeya recalls page 137 of an old novel he read and is grateful his flush is hidden by his dark skin. Albedo's teasing has made Kaeya abandon his strange fascination entirely in recent times because he won't be caught dead doing something so embarrassing again. Better to hide it and shove that weird phase of his life deep, deep down into the abyss.

Though, he secretly admits living these sort of experiences is… nice.

Finally, as a bell rings in the distance, a strange figure appears at the fountain with the flourish of their cape. Whether this is magic or a scientific trick of the light, Kaeya can’t answer. They wear a mask and a hat, which they take off to tip to the gathered audience. Everyone cheers as they flip it upside down, makes a single flourish of their wrist, and makes it bloom from the inside. Albedo himself is leaning forward in a rare show of interest from the blond boy.

“Citizens of Khaenri’ah,” booms the voice of the alchemist. They are greeted with chants of ‘Gold! Gold! Gold!’ and… isn’t that one of the palace alchemists?

Gold is an expert in their field. Such an expert, in fact, that silly things like hanging out in labs are beneath them. Kaeya has only seen the elusive person beside the imposing figure of the king himself. They’re always talking together in hushed tones before the king bids Gold farewell. So, suffice to say, Kaeya hasn’t come across Gold very often. That explains why he hadn’t recognised them at all — but judging from how Gold is now staring straight at Kaeya and Albedo, he has a sinking feeling the reverse isn’t true.

Kaeya shrinks back into his seat, grinning nervously and trying not to disturb Albedo, who is still watching. In his daze, Gold has brought out a cage from somewhere behind them. It is half the size of a regular adult man, and it shakes with growls and hisses. They flip up the cloth covering it to reveal a shadowy creature, all snarling fangs and long shadowy horns. Its eyes cast a deep magenta glow on the citizens that stand nearest to it. That metal cage looks way too small for such a ferocious beast of shadows.

Kaeya blinks. Something about this is definitely familiar.

“It is truly an honor to witness such a miracle of birth before you, is it not?” Gold speaks confidently, and this just grants them even more applause. With a flourish, they add, “Behold what I’ve been working on! Creatures called forth by the art of Khemia!”

Kaeya looks beside him to see Albedo frowning slightly. He doesn’t know if this is from concentration or concern. Kaeya decides, though, that he should definitely be concerned when the nutbag starts undoing the bolts on the cage. The audience gasps and scramble over each other in their attempts to separate themselves from the growling shadow.

“Do not be afraid,” Gold says smoothly. “I wouldn’t dare endanger my favorite spectators.” With a snap of their fingers, their voice grows commanding. “Obey.”

The creature instantly falls still, but that isn’t what Kaeya is paying attention to. Instead, a gasp from Albedo alerts him before the other boy is doubling down, hand pressed over the mark on his throat.

“Albedo?” Kaeya asks urgently, easing his chair nearer to the other boy.

Albedo doesn’t reply.

Or rather, he can’t reply.

Albedo doesn’t need to breathe, but he’s inhaling long and deep in a laboured way that suggests he is a whole world of pain. His wide eyes blink rapidly, and Kaeya watches in horror as his eyes rapidly change back and forth from his normal teal hue to that of startling magenta.

Kaeya whips his head around to look at Gold, only to find they are giving a demonstration. A little girl is holding her hands outstretched, watching in wonder as the now tame creature licks gently at the palms of her hands. Kaeya can see the smirk under Gold’s mask as they loudly proclaim, “Isn’t it amazing how quickly such a creature can be tamed? This is the power of alchemy!”

Kaeya doesn’t even care if he gets into trouble with the king anymore. He feels his heart pounding in his skull, fear gripping his heart in icy claws. He picks Albedo up, one hand supporting his back and the other his waist, before he gets the hell out of there. The last thing he hears from Gold is their lament: “It is such a shame, indeed, that such creatures’ physical bodies are so unstable…” and when Kaeya turns back around, he sees the telltale trail of magenta and black particles spreading throughout the skies.

Albedo has to be okay. There’s no way he’ll just… disappear, will he? Kaeya won’t think about it. He can’t handle the thought of losing him. Not like this. Maybe later he will analyse the sheer dread that settles in his body and the tears that prick at his eyelids. Now, the most important thing is making sure Albedo will be safe.

Albedo’s eyes have rolled shut by the time the palace is in sight. Blood rushing, Kaeya sprints until he is within the gates, panting harshly. He refuses to put Albedo on the ground, though. He just has to rest a while before he drags Albedo to the medical wing. No big deal.

“Hey, Kaeya,” Albedo murmurs weakly. Trembling fingers grasp at his sleeves, prompting Kaeya to look down. Albedo’s eyes have opened just a sliver, and he has a slight smile on his face. It is probably for Kaeya’s sake, given how strained it looks. “I’m… I’m okay now. The pressure’s… gone.”

“Okay?” Kaeya asks incredulously. “You’re still trembling!”

“It will pass.” Albedo blinks up at him, and thankfully, this time his eyes remain that of brilliant teal. “I’m not human, remember?”

“Of course you aren’t, but I’m still taking you to the medical bay. I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know you’re absolutely fine!”

Albedo seems taken aback by Kaeya’s ferocity, but he still somehow finds it in himself to argue with his prince. “The staff are human, just like you,” he explains patiently. “They won’t know how to treat someone like me. It’s pointless.”

Kaeya grimaces. “I know, but there must be something I can do.”

“I just need rest,” Albedo insists.

This would be all well and good if only Albedo knew what rest actually tends to constitute of. There is no way Kaeya is just going to let Albedo sit in that old dusty storeroom all by himself. Albedo may think that’s proper rest, but what he really needs is to lie down for a long, long while and recover. And as much as he’d be happy to, Kaeya’s arms are not a long term solution. Then he thinks of a brilliant idea and his eyes light up.

“Oh, no,” Albedo says preemptively.

“My room,” Kaeya says confidently. “We’re going to make you rest in my room.”

“I… that –” Albedo’s cheeks are now stained a dark red. “I couldn’t possibly impose on the prince himself. What will your father think? Where would you even sleep?”

But Albedo knows just as well as Kaeya that when his mind is made up, there is no changing it.

“I will sleep on my royal couch and you can take the royal bed,” Kaeya promises Albedo as they make their way up the stairs. Albedo has begun to struggle against his grip, but in his state, there’s no winning against Kaeya’s strength.

“I can’t… can’t possibly…”

“If you hate it that much, get up and walk.”

Albedo is silent. He sighs, circling his arms around Kaeya’s back and leaning his head against his chest. Kaeya tries not to let the sudden warmth distract him from his task.

His room it is.

Kaeya unceremoniously kicks the door of his room open. With long strides, he places Albedo gently on his bed, making sure his head is propped up with an appropriate amount of pillows. Albedo shakes his head, protesting, “My clothes are stained with chemicals.”

“I used to sleep in here right after horse riding lessons. Trust me, those stallions do not care where they stand.” Kaeya smiles down at Albedo. “Listen, I really don’t mind. Just get some rest and feel better. This is an order,” he adds as Albedo opens his mouth yet again.

Albedo clamps his jaws shut with a frown, but as he is ever a well-behaved stick in the mud, he does not protest against a prince’s royal command. He finally allows Kaeya to tuck him into bed, and tries his best to relax amidst the soft pillows.

“I’m going to bathe,” Kaeya says as he takes off his soiled commoner’s coat. He takes a moment to straighten out his undershirt. “You had better be here when I get back.”

“Of course, Prince Alberich,” Albedo concedes with a sigh.

Kaeya is in and out of the royal baths in record time, just in case Albedo really has decided to sneak out if he takes his time. What he finds, though, is the blond deeply asleep. His hair has been undone from its usual braids, and it cascades along the pillows like a golden river. If Albedo has fallen asleep this soon, he must be really exhausted. Kaeya creeps closer to him, observing how the light casts the planes of his face in an ethereal painting of peace.

Kaeya’s smile drops as he recalls just what had planted Albedo in this state.

Usually, Kaeya avoids his father as much as possible, unable to withstand the heavy atmosphere he brings. However, now he finally has something he really needs to confront him about. This is going to be much harder than labs and lessons, but he desperately needs to get to the bottom of this. Still, the thought fills him with hesitation.

Maybe not now, he tells himself, conflicted, as he closes his door. I’ve got lessons to get to first.

Notes:

New note: I've been proven wrong. Let's see where this goes!

Old note: In the canon verse, there’s a theory that Rhinedottir and Gold are the same person. As they are referred to with different pronouns and Gold was said to live 500 years ago, as of yet I don’t subscribe to this theory. So they are different people in this fic, though my opinion might change in terms of the canon verse in the future!

Chapter 11

There isn’t really ever a good time to confront the king about anything, but this situation especially gets words stuck in his throat. Kaeya can't get ahold of the king today, as he rushes somewhere after dinner and Kaeya has been taught not to engage in idle chit chat while eating. Then later at night, the king doesn't answer the knocks on his room's door. Kaeya returns to his room without any success in his endeavour.

Still, though, this is something that Kaeya can’t let slip past, so he vows to bring it up to the king’s attention eventually for Albedo’s sake. Kaeya doesn’t think he could bear to see the blond in such pain again, and to think that Gold resides somewhere in the palace… Kaeya’s chest tightens.

When Kaeya retreats to his quarters, deep in thought, he is greeted by the sight of Albedo sitting awake in his bed. He has his sketchbook propped against his legs, which means that Albedo has definitely snuck out when Kaeya wasn’t around. Kaeya, however, can’t bring himself to scold him when he observes the little smile on Albedo’s face while he sketches freely. It's the same sketchbook he had given him on his twelfth birthday.

The sound of the door closing alerts Albedo to his presence. He looks up, blue eyes startled, and scrambles to hide his sketchbook. A smirk plays along Kaeya’s lips as Albedo elects to shove it under the covers.

“What are you up to, hm?” Kaeya asks Albedo, leaning in, pretending to look for the treasure. Albedo huffs and pushes him away, but gently.

“I was told I was under orders of bedrest,” Albedo retorts.

“Indeed, you are.” Kaeya’s mirth fades away as he settles into bed beside his friend. He leans forward, draping his arms over his knees, and sighs. “Are you feeling better?”

A twinge of something flashes at the edge of Albedo’s eyes. “I am. Kaeya, once again, you don’t need to worry about me. Not like that. I’m not made of flesh like you.”

“This again.” Kaeya lets an irritated huff leave. “Listen, chalk or flesh or whatever, you’re important to me. So you’d better get well soon.”

Equal parts confusion and fondness is battling for attention in Albedo’s expression. He opens his mouth to reply, but no sound comes out. Albedo looks away then, playing with his index fingers in a nervous gesture. Kaeya notices he’s sneaking a glance under the covers and wonders if he’s bothering Albedo. Still, he remains, waiting patiently for Albedo to find the words.

Finally, Albedo mumbles, “My prince… why do you care for me so much? It’s highly unusual to hold so much concern for an artificial being. Even the king barely acknowledges my presence.”

Has the king’s treatment of Albedo made him think that behaviour was expected? What of the tutors, of the maids, of the soldiers? Have they not treated him with kindness either? Kaeya thinks back to what the chef said such a long time ago on Albedo’s thirteenth birthday. No, perhaps it is that they have not treated him the way Kaeya has – like any other human being. Albedo is smart and can tell polite niceties from genuine goodwill. Kaeya knows Albedo is a difficult person to truly befriend, and maybe the staff simply feels it is not their place to make the attempt.

Conflict rises icy hot in Kaeya’s chest and he has to look away for a moment. Kaeya closes his eyes, deep in thought. “Look, human or not,” Kaeya says as he opens his eyes, “you’re my friend. Your body might be artificial, but there isn’t a bit of your mind that doesn’t come from you. They can make another homunculus, but I doubt that one will be just as work-obsessed, as brutally honest, or as infuriating as you.”

Albedo stares at him, lips slightly parted. The tension is growing thicker between them, so Kaeya tries to diffuse it – as always, with a laugh and a wink. “You’d best get better soon, or I might just overpower you and steal your sketchbook. I wonder what secretly perverted stuff you draw in there?”

With a sniff, Albedo covers his eyes with one arm. “You know you’d beat me anyway,” Albedo says, voice shaking. Kaeya would be worried he went too far, but Albedo’s gesture can’t quite hide the small smile underneath. “Besides, I wouldn’t call what I’ve drawn ‘perverted’.”

It's a second before Kaeya remembers to respond. “Oh, Albedo, are you offering me a glimpse into your brilliant mind?”

Albedo looks up at that then. He holds Kaeya’s gaze, surprisingly strong and steady given his earlier reactions. “If you wish it.”

Well, well, well. This is interesting indeed. Albedo hasn’t ever shown him the contents of his sketchbook, so Kaeya is going to cherish this rare opportunity. With a nod, he shifts so he’s sitting right beside Albedo.

On his bed.

Together.

It takes Kaeya’s brain an embarrassingly long time to piece together the implications and then he’s looking down at the duvets and then praying that Albedo doesn’t realise anything is amiss. He plasters his signature smirk across his face and hopes the beating of his heart isn’t too thunderous. So courtyard antics are good for multiple things.

Fortunately for Kaeya, the blond is simply picking up his sketchbook. He has flipped to his newest masterpiece, but yet he still cradles the book in his arms as though reluctant to actually let Kaeya see. Kaeya is about to tell Albedo that it’s alright if he doesn’t want to let him after all before Albedo looks up at him with determination. With an arm outstretched, he holds the sketchbook out to Kaeya like an offering. Kaeya pauses briefly before he takes it from Albedo gently, eyes scanning the page Albedo had flipped open to.

And this sketch… this sketch is of Kaeya.

The striking navy blue locks and the lighter cerulean that shines. The tanned skin on full display. The stars that dance in his lavender-hued eyes.

Clearly, the artist has taken a considerable amount of time paying attention to the fine details. Kaeya inhales sharply, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage. He’s not sure why, but just this piece of art being presented to him makes him feel all warm and tingly inside.

“You’re… rather good at this, aren't you?” slips out the mindless praise. And Kaeya, for once, doesn’t even mean that as self-praise. Rather, he’s in awe and slightly indignant that Albedo has been hiding talent like this for so long. Intelligent, strong, and artistic. What can’t Albedo do?

The blond boy has his head partially turned away, facing towards the curtained windows. His skin is tinged a lovely light pink under the moonlight. Still, his gaze is trained on Kaeya’s face. Albedo whispers bashfully, “...I had a lot of practice.”

“You mean…” Kaeya nearly drops the sketchbook. “You’ve done this multiple times?”

Albedo nods, like they’re twelve again and his voice can’t be trusted to speak much more than strictly necessary. “Kaeya, I…” He pauses and tries again. “I never meant to hide this from you, really. It’s just that… at first, my skills simply weren't developed enough to capture your essence. Allowing you to gaze upon such would be an insult, truly.”

“Albedo,” Kaeya protests, “nothing you can make for me will ever be an insult.”

Albedo picks up the sketchbook and promptly flips to the first page. Pencil Kaeya has a circle for a head and literal four-pointed stars for eyes.

“That doesn’t count,” Kaeya chokes. “You didn’t even try!”

“I am thankful for this dim light, for you are unable to see the countless erasures underneath,” Albedo says matter-of-factly.

“It couldn't have been that bad, could it?” Kaeya asks, amidst splutters of laughter.

Albedo’s blush darkens and his eyes shift to the left. “I have torn them out and fed them to the pigeons.”

“Albedo,” Kaeya guffaws. “If I knew you wanted to draw me that badly, I’d gladly have posed for you!”

“No, I… no, not!” Albedo covers the bottom half of his face with his sketchbook. His brows are furrowed and his face is positively red. “I-I… simply… couldn’t…”

Kaeya should stop, but Albedo’s reactions are just golden. He’s not sure he’s ever seen Albedo this flustered before and he’s going to milk this for all it’s worth. Leaning forward, Kaeya bares his teeth in a truly evil grin. “Perhaps you could explain your fascination to me, my dear alchemist,” he says in a sly purr.

Albedo’s eyes grow wider. Kaeya swears he hears a stuttering hitch of breath. Finally, Albedo brings his sketchbook down and admits with a shaky breath, “You’re simply… incorrigible.”

“How cold,” Kaeya replies with a pout.

“Is that how it came across? Then allow me to try again.” Albedo closes the distance between them, raw emotion glittering in those turquoise depths. “I believe after all this time interacting with one another, I've come to a conclusion. I owe my existence and my understanding of this life to you.”

Kaeya’s own breath hitches. “You’re exaggerating," Kaeya protests. "I just told you a few things here and there. You mostly figured it out yourself.”

"Yes, but without you to guide me I'd never have reached this state of self-awareness. I believe the refining of my emotions is all thanks to you." Albedo's eyelashes flutter shut. "I suppose you can say… I've started noticing you. As in, really looking at you. I don't believe your ego needs any more bloating, but indeed, the detail in your physique… is interesting to sketch. Still, nothing compares to the warmth in your gaze, which I can only hope I have captured with this charcoal."

Kaeya is silent, his lips slightly parted in an 'o' of surprise. The pounding of his heart echoes faintly in his own ears.

"Albedo," he says when he finally regains his voice, "are you declaring your interest in a member of royalty… to said member of royalty?"

Albedo’s expression is one of puzzled interest. “Is that... what it is?”

Silence resounds in the gap between conversation. Kaeya can’t tell if he wants to laugh or cry, so he then lets out a high-pitched, winded sound. Lifting his covers with both hands, he promptly presses his face into its softness, allowing dark blue hair to spill over. “Will the gods save me from this idiot,” he laments, voice muffled.

“Now, who should be saying that?” Albedo chastises, but it’s obviously in jest. Kaeya glances up to see the other boy staring curiously at him. Turquoise eyes shimmer with the light of the moon. Albedo is… really pretty. Kaeya’s brain needs to stop noticing these sorts of things, as afterwards he tends to do things that are inconvenient for others.

Such as now, when Kaeya leans in and tentatively wraps an arm around Albedo’s shoulder. “Is this alright?” Kaeya asks, voice hushed and deep.

The smile on Albedo’s face is teasing as he replies, “you may do what you like, my prince. I am here to serve you, after all.”

“So you say.” Kaeya lets a dramatic sigh escape his lungs as he leans in closer. His breath ghosts Albedo’s pale skin, caressing his cheek. “Whatever will father say once he finds out your interest goes beyond that of simple responsibility?”

Albedo's smile curls up into that of a sly fox's. It’s unfair just how Albedo can swap from being an oblivious prick to being a conniving, cunning force of nature. Kaeya is sure this is something Albedo has picked up from him, with that slight hint of danger embedded in his smug expression.

"Someone has shown me, repeatedly in fact, that one shouldn't always play by the rules," Albedo says with a narrowing of his eyes.

“We are going to get into so much trouble.” Kaeya laughs softly and squeezes Albedo’s thin shoulders.

“And does that bother you?”

“Not at all.”

“I thought it mightn’t.”

Albedo’s smirk in this dim light is something Kaeya will be thinking about for a long, long time.

Notes:

An important step

Chapter 12

Kaeya wakes up the next morning, head blurry and hair mussed from sleep. It's a while before his fuzzy brain comprehends the warm presence residing next to him. He turns, and finds a messy mop of blond hair sharing his pillow. Kaeya props himself up with his arm, taking in the disheveled sight before him. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Albedo this casual before and his heart warms at the sight.

Kaeya should have known Albedo would rather die than let the prince himself sleep on the couch. This is, in Kaeya’s opinion, completely unwarranted, as Albedo might say. Albedo, unfortunately, has also gotten too powerful, as he had quickly learned of Kaeya’s weakness to his eyes. One puppy dog gaze later and Kaeya had found himself lying beside the blond in his huge bed.

Damn alchemists in training and their powers of observation.

However, although it had taken far too long to fall asleep with the unhealthy pounding of his heart, Kaeya can’t say he regrets it.

Kaeya leaves Albedo to his rest and shrugs some clothes on in the bathroom. Tying his hair back in his low ponytail, he takes one final look at himself in the mirror. Readying himself, he tries to calm the apprehension in his chest with a large sigh.

Kaeya knows he still has to confront his father about Gold. The problem is how he’s supposed to go about it, and the possible angered reactions of the king. Nonetheless, no matter his misgivings, it must be done.

Kaeya leaves his room, strides to the central wing of the palace, and knocks on the door to the king’s quarters. The blue-haired man greets his son after the third knock, a deep frown etched onto his face even this early in the morning. “Kaeya, what may I do for you? You rarely come to see me personally, so I am assuming this is important.”

Kaeya takes another deep breath. With a half-bow, Kaeya answers, “Father, may I come inside?”

The large man gives his son a glance over. Then he spins on his heel and heads back inside, a simple cue for Kaeya to follow. Kaeya is less than obedient on his best days, but something about father always gives him the urge to curl his shoulders inward and walk with a hunch. Doing that will earn him a telling off, so Kaeya fights against his instincts to do so.

The king takes a seat on his bed, spreading his nightclothes properly so they will not fold and wrinkle. Up close, Kaeya realises how much he can never compare. There is an air of regality around the king that just oozes authority, even though he is simply clad in cotton robes.

Kaeya stays where he is, and starts by saying, “Yesterday… the alchemist Gold was at the fountain, in the city square.”

“I do wonder where you got this information from, Kaeya,” says the king immediately. “In a strange coincidence, it seems neither you nor your homunculus friend were anywhere to be found last afternoon. It is indeed a mystery where you could have gone.”

Right. Kaeya had forgotten about that. Internally, he cringes at the punishment that will no doubt soon follow, but Albedo is more important than whatever the king can possibly dole out.

“It wasn’t Albedo,” Kaeya interjects quickly before the king can get any funny ideas. “I snuck out on my own, and he went to look for me because he was worried.” He leaves out the cake outing, half because the king really doesn’t need to know and half because Kaeya wants to keep that special moment all to himself.

The king sighs at Kaeya’s response, closing his eyes. “I should have expected this sort of behaviour from you once you came of age. Adolescence is the time of rebellion, after all. I suppose I should have foresaw this happening. No harm came of your little escapade, but I need you to promise me to notify the guards of your location the next time you go out. In case anything happens to you, they can come to your aid.”

Oh. That is… surprisingly generous of father, and also surprisingly sinister. Where pre-teen Kaeya would have accepted this arrangement wholeheartedly, now Kaeya files away this information for further analysis. Generosity is hard to come by, even within the royal family itself. There’s probably something deeper that Kaeya doesn’t yet know all the pieces to. That’s what he’s here to find out.

“Thank you, father, for your kindness,” Kaeya says anyway, because he needs to say something. “However, I wouldn’t say no harm was done. Gold performed a peculiar ritual in the city square – they had brought a dangerous-looking creature, formed from shadows and claws and horns. Yet, they found it fit to put this creature on display in public, in front of hundreds of spectators.”

The king is sitting down on the bed. Kaeya is standing. Kaeya is looking down at the king here. There is no reason why the king's steady gaze on Kaeya makes sweat drip down his back.

“What Gold does outside of the palace is none of your business,” the king says with a note of finality to his tone.

This is a dismissal. Kaeya knows this. Yet, his brain flashbacks to Albedo lying weak and trembling in his desperate arms. He can’t stop himself as he challenges, “then how would they explain what they did to Albedo?”

“Do elaborate.” The king has started examining his fingernails in a show of boredom. This gesture, for some reason, fans a flame in Kaeya’s chest that burns the longer seconds tick by.

“They commanded that creature to do something,” Kaeya seethes. “It wasn’t just the creature that was affected by Gold’s orders, though. Albedo was affected by it, too, and – and! It really hurt him, father, hurt him physically. I’m not sure what Gold is up to but –”

“Calm yourself,” the king interrupts. “Getting so agitated over this small matter is rather unbecoming of someone of your status.”

Forced to bite his tongue, Kaeya clenches his fists that lay pressed flat against his sides. Albedo’s right. The king doesn’t give a rat's ass about him.

“I can assure you that Gold isn’t a problem at all,” the king says, crossing his arms. “For as long as they work in this palace, they have sworn their duty to us, the rulers of the Eclipse Dynasty.”

Kaeya has to flex his fingers urgently to avoid taking a swing at the king. “Of course, father,” Kaeya says sweetly, his grin stretched far too wide to be natural. “I’m relieved to hear of their loyalty.”

“I’m thrilled to have come to an agreement with you,” the king declares with a clap of his hands. His ice blue gaze bores deep into Kaeya’s soul, searching. “Why don’t you run along now? Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“How thoughtful your reminder is, father. You have my deepest thanks.” Kaeya’s smile is absolutely freezing as he slams the door in the king’s face.

Kaeya storms the whole way back to his room, his thoughts rattling about his head. He barely realises he had reached his room until he’s greeted with the sight of that familiar door. He braces his weight against it for a while, conflict swirling in his brain. He doesn’t know if he wants to even let Albedo know about this, but then he eventually figures that he really should. If nothing else, Albedo was the most affected by Gold’s strange incantations.

With strange trepidation, Kaeya opens his door.

Albedo is yawning and stretching on top of the covers. After a moment, he notices Kaeya standing there in the hallway, and gives his prince a shy smile. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Kaeya tries to muster up a smile in return, but he can’t right now with the dark cloud that blots out everything else in his heart. Albedo must have noticed, because a slight frown crosses his face.

“Is something the matter?”

Everything Kaeya had prepared melts away at the soft concern in Albedo’s voice. He doesn’t know what comes over him then, because Kaeya’s stepping forward and suddenly he’s at Albedo’s side. With a shaky breath, he draws Albedo close with his arms, leaning his head against Albedo’s neck. He doesn’t speak, but Albedo seems to realise what he wants. Awkward hands reach upwards to rub comforting circles against Kaeya’s back, and that alone elicits a tiny laugh out of Kaeya. Some things really do never change.

“Everything’s –” Kaeya lets out a long, deep sigh. “Everything’s fine, Albedo. Let’s go for breakfast.”

Chapter 13

It’s extremely frustrating how the king treats Kaeya exactly the same as before.

It’s as if their talk about Gold hasn’t happened at all. The king’s behaviour towards him is as cordial as always, if a little distant. Kaeya doesn’t miss his dismissive attitude towards Albedo, though. He thinks their feelings are mutual when he sees blue fire smouldering in Albedo’s eyes. Kaeya knows the king is, well, his father – but he can’t help squeezing Albedo’s shoulders in comfort whenever the topic of him comes up.

Whatever. The king not giving his attention to Albedo means he remains oblivious to the sort of situations Kaeya now finds himself in.

The old store room is tiny and cramped and not at all romantic, so Kaeya has begun inviting the blond over to his room. Albedo had accepted with trepidation at first, but as the days go by Kaeya finds Albedo growing more and more relaxed in his presence. He was stiff and bristling at the start, but now sometimes Kaeya opens his door to find Albedo lounging about on his bed uninvited, sketchbook and pen in hand, lying on his stomach to sketch something.

That’s the other thing that has changed – Albedo apparently has elected to no longer hide his sketches from him. Kaeya has taken to sitting beside him and observing Albedo, a rare opportunity to view a talented artist at work. It’s amazing the details Albedo can smooth out with quick flicks of his pencil, and the sheer atmosphere that can be conveyed from a portrait entirely in black and white takes Kaeya's breath away. It’s oddly flattering to view the way Albedo sees him, these dark marks on white sheets of paper. It also makes Kaeya’s heart thump out of control.

Kaeya’s favorite moments, though, are when they throw all caution to the wind and just… take their time to explore each other. Never mind that Kaeya is a prince and Albedo is his (supposedly) faithful servant. In Kaeya’s room, they are more than that – childhood friends taking their first clumsy steps together on their intertwined path.

What father doesn’t know can’t hurt him.

Kaeya is painfully aware, however, that his inexperience is a huge pain in the ass. The amount of times they’ve accidentally hurt each other scrambling to find a comfortable position is genuinely embarrassing. This fumbling and hesitation is absolutely unbecoming of someone as charismatic as he is. Kaeya certainly doesn’t know what he’s doing, and if he hasn’t got a clue then Albedo is absolutely stumbling around in the dark. Kaeya also isn’t entirely sure if Albedo actually wants this at times. There have been a few moments where Kaeya’s hand slips too low and Albedo murmurs, ‘no,’ but it’s always in this way that suggests he trusts Kaeya not to overstep his bounds – and of course he always will.

But sometimes he’s got Albedo with his back against the bed frame, face flushed pink, teal eyes blown wide and Albedo doesn’t lift a finger to stop him. These are rare opportunities that Kaeya seizes eagerly, as Albedo’s reactions are an experience he won’t ever pass up. Occasionally, Kaeya presses their bodies together and yet Albedo pulls him closer with his small arms. That’s also when he catches a glimpse of the sly, mischievous Albedo that the blond seems determined to keep hidden.

Albedo has grown so multifaceted over the last few years. Kaeya can hardly imagine him as the young homunculus he used to be. That’s a good thing, though, as Kaeya also wants to uncover even more sides of Albedo. So, of course he makes it his personal mission to do so.

Kaeya gets bolder the longer their nightly escapades go on. Albedo’s skin still remains soft to touch, his hair even more so. Golden strands spill between his fingers when Kaeya plays with it, silky and exquisite. Once, Kaeya had pulled on it teasingly and was left flushed at the small whine Albedo had emitted. He had moved to separate their bodies, but that had been one of those times where Albedo was in a more experimentative mood. He swears he still feels the imprints of Albedo's fingernails digging into his back.

Oh, this is dangerous territory. Kaeya is pretty sure both of them are playing with fire they don’t know the hazards of.

But… it feels good.

Kaeya can’t explain it, the euphoria that surges in his chest when they share the same space this close together. There’s a voice in his head that gently coaxes him to seek out more and more of Albedo’s warmth. The contact of skin against skin is heavenly, the warmth and heat unmatched. And if Albedo now comes over unannounced to share the same bed, what of it?

Ah, Kaeya realises. This is what father warned me about when I was a child.

They haven't actually done anything yet. It's far too soon. Yet Kaeya feels like he's been set on fire inside and out just from Albedo resting his hands on his waist or nuzzling up to his chest. Their bed sharing isn't anything sexual, either – rather a symbol of trust from Albedo to Kaeya. Still, their experiment continues, this little song and dance they’ve made up between themselves. Stopping is the furthest thing from Kaeya’s mind, even if he can already hear all of his tutors chastising him for fraternising with a member of non-royalty, let alone a homunculus.

Inflating his schedule seems to be the first thing on the king’s mind, though.

Kaeya isn’t blind to the reason behind the more frequent visits from the other royal families. They send their sons and daughters, and they curtsy and bow in front of Kaeya. He pays them just enough attention to avoid becoming suspicious, taking their hands in his and leading them around the palace for a while. Then he bids them farewell with his practiced smile and wink – a deadly combination, if Kaeya says so himself.

But at night, Kaeya returns to his warm room with Albedo inside, and Albedo allows his prince to hold him close until he falls asleep.

So continues this silly routine throughout the months. Kaeya is drained from all of the meetings. Albedo clings to him even tighter. The king’s frown remains ever etched deeply on his face.

If there’s anything good to come out of this, Kaeya supposes he has his father to thank for this new side of Albedo. He tries to play it off as mere concern, but Kaeya is well versed in people and their masks by now. The spark of something in Albedo’s eyes is definitely a dark, ugly emotion swirling behind that stoic facade.

Albedo absolutely hates hearing about Kaeya’s suitors.

In a strange way, this offers Kaeya some comfort. As though they are bound together by their suffering, though it isn’t from the same source. A reminder that Albedo really does care about him in that way.

“Albedo,” Kaeya whispers one night. “Those princes and princesses… they’re nice to look at, but they won’t ever replace what you are to me.”

In his arms, he feels the smaller boy stiffen. Then comes a low sigh and a telltale sag of relief. The pounding of Kaeya’s heart increases in its intensity as Albedo nods and leans his head against the crook in Kaeya’s neck. The blue-haired boy is suddenly very, very grateful that Albedo can't see his flustered expression in the darkness.

“I was afraid,” Albedo admits in a quiet voice.

"Afraid of what?" Kaeya asks, gently brushing blond hair behind Albedo's ear.

Albedo seems to need to take a few moments to answer. "Of… of them," he says softly, so soft that even this close, Kaeya strains to hear. "I… I'm… the possibility of you hitting it off with one of them… you'd be gone, and… I have no excuse, truthfully. This is a selfish whim of mine, I'm aware."

It's rare that Albedo offers Kaeya this much vulnerability, as independent as he is. His aloof facade is peeling away, revealing the shaken boy underneath it all. The way Albedo is offering this part of himself to Kaeya makes Kaeya want to… to protect him. To hold him and tell him things will work out.

Ah, yes, too bad they aren't children anymore. Illusions always have to shatter sometime. Kaeya misses their carefree adventures together, the time when Albedo was so curious about what the world had to offer and Kaeya was his ever-helpful, free-spirited guide.

It feels like they can't go home again.

In the midst of it all, Kaeya still clings stubbornly to Albedo. "It isn't selfish if I want it as well," Kaeya whispers against Albedo's ear, feeling him shiver in his arms.

Albedo wriggles out of his grasp then, and Kaeya lets him go, disappointed. Has he been too forward? Apparently not, because Albedo is simply putting himself at eye level with Kaeya. Kaeya realises his breath is hitching as Albedo places his arms on the back of his head, ever so gently. His mind spins as Albedo says, "Then indulge me."

Kaeya doesn't really know what Albedo's getting at, because his brain is currently… not present. This close, he can see the dangerous expression is back on Albedo's face, smirk playing across his lips. It's insanely attractive in a way Kaeya probably, really should analyse later. Then Albedo is shortening the distance between them, tilting his head upwards. There's a quick brush of his lips against his, and Kaeya can't deny that it's awkward – but the electrifying feeling leaves him wanting for more. Kaeya can’t focus on anything else in the moment, as if Albedo is the one thing that matters in this space between the two.

"Gladly," Kaeya replies after unscrambling his brain, and leans in to press their lips together again.

Perhaps this is why Kaeya falls asleep much later that night.

Perhaps this is why Kaeya doesn't wake up at his usual time.

Perhaps this is why the king himself has to search for the prince after he fails to show up at breakfast, given that no one else has permission to enter his room.

Though very bright, there is one skill Kaeya still hasn’t quite managed to grasp, and that skill is none other than foresight.

Reality comes crashing down on Kaeya when he finds his blanket yanked off him in the midst of sleep. He murmurs blurrily, his voice slurred from slumber, until he hears that familiar voice demand, "Kaeya Alberich, what is the meaning of this?" and ice cold fear jerks him awake immediately.

Kaeya sits up in bed, stares up at his father, then looks down at a similarly awake Albedo. Finally running out of options, Kaeya settles for an awkward grin.

Father, to his credit, does not instantly explode. There is, however, a telltale twitch of his facial muscles. "Kaeya, may I speak with you? Outside, please," he says, and though that was phrased as a question Kaeya feels the order hidden behind those words.

Albedo watches him go with a helpless expression on his face. Kaeya shoots him a fast quirk of his lips upward in a hopefully reassuring gesture. The slam of the door echoes loudly down the hallways of the castle. The walk to the king's room remains quiet every step of the way. Kaeya refuses to stare at his feet although the heavy silence is urging him to. He walks with his head held high, though every member of the palace staff's curious stare makes him want to hunch over.

Kaeya shouldn't have gotten too comfortable. That he knows. Still, running through all of those recent events in his head, he can't say he would have chosen any differently even knowing the inevitable outcome. Albedo being there is good enough. Kaeya won't regret that.

They enter the king's room, and he gestures for Kaeya to sit beside him on the mattress. Kaeya takes a seat elegantly, placing his hands together on crossed thighs and meeting his father's gaze.

"Kaeya," the king starts as if he hasn't noticed his little rebellion, "I understand."

Do you? Kaeya wants to say. Instead, he levels a neutral gaze at his father. If he wants to play this stupid game, he'll gladly join in. "What do you mean, father?" Kaeya finally elects to ask.

"It is very natural for young boys like you to latch onto close friends their age," the king says slowly, "and rather common to see their feelings blossom beyond that of friendship."

"Of course, father." Kaeya allows a smile to creep onto his lips. He also makes sure it deliberately reads as fake as possible. No softening of the eyes, no dimpling of the cheeks.

The king continues, "However, you must understand. If you do not become betrothed to a suitor of appropriate status, you cannot hope to run this kingdom well."

The smile remains plastered on Kaeya's face. He tilts his head to the right, blue hair spilling across his shoulders. "Is that so, father?"

"Marrying an eligible suitor will grant you numerous political power and allies in the long run." The king's eyes soften then. "I know Albedo is very important to you, but just think for a moment: what can he offer you? He has nothing to his name."

Kaeya does think. He thinks about how the king isn't privy to Albedo's true nature, his warmth and smiles and golden sunshine. He thinks about time spent together under the moonlight. He thinks about how the king really, truly, will never understand.

Something about his thought process must display on his face, because then the king is turning away and saying, "Come, Kaeya. There is something that requires your attention."

Kaeya gulps involuntarily at the ominous decree. The king steps up, hands behind his back, striding confidently to the rightmost corner of the room. He reaches behind the bookcase, his wrist seeming to fasten onto something and turning the object to the right. It’s a handle, Kaeya realises as a stone door slips open with a low groan. His father is showing him a secret passage, just like the one in Kaeya’s room behind the floor-length mirror that leads to the outside in emergencies.

However, as far as Kaeya knows, there isn’t any emergency.

Nevertheless, he figures it is useless to protest at this point. Kaeya keeps his head down, following his father down the passageway as they creep further into the darkness.

The lamps have been lighted recently. Father has been down here before, and frequently at that. Anxiety claws at the inside of Kaeya’s churning stomach.

Eventually, Kaeya finds the passageway widening again. He draws a quick breath in, noting the distinctly salty tang of the humid air around them. The king withdraws a key from the pocket of his robes. With a click, the unlocked door creaks open, leading the way to a large room.

The king enters first, and Kaeya trails slowly after him. He inhales in shock when he catches sight of that familiar mask.

So this is where the alchemist Gold resides – deep in this underground prison, teeming with creatures of shadows behind bars.

Chapter 14

Kaeya feels sick as Gold turns around with a flourish of their cape. The fact that he can’t see their eyes underneath their mask makes Kaeya’s hair stand on end. Their smile isn’t cruel, yet isn’t exactly soft, either. They wield a cane in their hands that they twirl idly, as though bored. Yet their body is turned towards the king and his son.

Kaeya can’t get an accurate read on Gold and nothing upsets him more than this. He tries to school his facial expression into one of deliberate neutrality, but adrenaline is rushing through his veins and he can’t quite manage it. Especially not this close to these shadowy creatures of darkness. Kaeya feels the pounding of his heart resound in his own skull.

The creatures don’t make any attempt to show hostility towards the prince. After that show in the fountain, Kaeya is almost certain that Gold is keeping them under control with an iron fist. An image of Albedo, trembling and weakened in his arms, rises unbidden in Kaeya’s brain.

Them… these creatures… they, too…

Kaeya hasn’t even noticed he has started backing away until Gold is beside him, steadying him with one arm. “Careful,” they say in their smooth, silken voice. “Wouldn’t want the prince of the Eclipse Dynasty to be in any danger, now would we?”

Kaeya turns around with wide eyes, and realises he had been about to back up right into the sharp, quill-riddled pelt of one of the creatures. Kaeya can’t even tell what any of them are. Each of them seem to be amalgamations of different creatures. If Kaeya looks closely, some of them even seem to shift and shake, their entire forms rippling. As Kaeya watches, one of the creatures to his left bares its fangs. He flinches and steps back, but then the creature’s body is falling apart into a million magenta and black particles.

The king watches this all unfold with nary a twitch in his calm expression. He turns to Gold and asks, “Still no success?”

Gold shakes their head. “Your highness, their physical bodies still remain highly prone to dissipation. Unlike most Khemia-born lifeforms, the different ingredients needed to comprise their genetic makeup trade stability for more power. I have been working on a new concoction, but alas, it seems their lifespans can only be prolonged for another week or so. At your suggestion, your highness, I am looking into swaying the minds of other living creatures. For now, the troublesome things have stopped breaking out of their cages ever since I kept tighter control over them.”

“Power?” Kaeya’s voice is trembling. Ordinarily he would hate this and be deathly embarrassed by it, but with this oppressive atmosphere it’s all he can do to remain standing strong. He takes a deep breath, trying to force away the feelings of dread that are sinking their teeth deeply into his chest. He’s putting on a brave face, but he’s sure both adults in the room can see right through his facade.

“Yes, power,” Gold says with a flick of their cane. “Think about it, my prince. You are young and naïve. You have yet to learn that the world of dynasties and kingdoms is a tumultuous one. In this constant struggle, any little source of power can prove to be a huge advantage in the long run.”

Kaeya feels his heart sink. He knows where this is going. He turns to father, his blue eyes pleading for the king to tell him something, anything, other than what he knows is the inevitable. Kaeya’s hopes are dashed when the king leans down to tell him, “When you’re older, you will inherit an army. These creatures of Khemia, all under your command.”

Kaeya feels like he’s stopped breathing. He turns back to the creatures, who are staring at him balefully with glowing eyes. They’ve been cooped up for too long, Kaeya can tell. Matted black fur accumulates on the stone floors. The cages remain far too small for their powerful sizes. Apparently, their blood flows magenta as well, as one bear-shaped thing with horns is collapsed on its side with half its hide forcibly torn out of it.

An image of Albedo, with torn flesh and bruised skin, sitting in these metal cages, crosses his mind.

Kaeya feels himself shrinking away in horror.

“I hope you found my demonstrations at the fountain entertaining, my prince,” Gold adds, placing a hand over their chest. “I have to admit, I never imagined I would have run into you there. After observing my warning to rival palace informants in the crowd, how would you rate my research?”

Kaeya’s throat is dry and his eyes are burning. He opens his mouth, only to croak out, “You… you did something to Albedo.”

Gold clicks their tongue. “Ah, yes, the young homunculus. A fine piece of art, that one is. Beautifully made, wonderfully maintained. Such a shame he had to be there as well.”

Everything about Gold’s tone of voice indicates that shame is the last thing on their mind.

Kaeya feels like he’s about to be sick. Nausea threatens to spill over, compounded further by the general sense of wrongness the creatures emit. He leans over and braces himself on a nearby table littered with potions and strange substances. Trembling legs locate a seat with much difficulty and Kaeya almost falls over in his haste. He forces himself to take a deep breath, trying in vain to soothe his pounding heart.

The king steps closer to his son, and in that moment Kaeya can’t help but blurt out, “Father, this is madness.”

“It is what is necessary.” The king’s voice is steady and deep as always and Kaeya isn’t having any of it.

“Are you blind to their situation, father?” Kaeya demands, the sheer volume of his voice akin to an explosion in this silent chamber. “Look at them, father, really take a closer look at them. They’re suffering! They’re in pain! They’re not going to serve us as long as we continue treating them with such cruelty!”

“A small matter,” Gold chimes in. “That is why I’ve devised a method of controlling them.” Kaeya’s gaze snaps to meet Gold’s mask, and he isn’t sure he likes that sinister smile of theirs when they continue, “as I am sure you have witnessed.”

"Go fuck yourself," Kaeya snarls.

The king's gaze sharpens. "Kaeya," he says as a warning.

Kaeya whirls around, furious tears pricking at the edge of his eyes. "You can't be serious," he protests, shaking his head, gritting his teeth. "You can't… I… I won't stand for this! You can't make me!"

Kaeya breaks into a run at that. He barely hears the adults calling after him with the blood rushing through his ears and the thumping of his heart. He dashes up the rickety steps and the lamps all whizz past in a blur. He doesn't stop even when he reaches the familiar surroundings of his father's room. Desperately, Kaeya kicks the door open, racing down the hallway to the one place that has always given him comfort.

He hates this, he needs to get away from it all, away from that suffocating atmosphere and the barely hidden glares of those creations –

Kaeya finally pulls up beside that shabby store room door, gasping for breath. His lungs ache and his legs are throbbing from overexertion, but Kaeya doesn't care. Lacking his usual grace, Kaeya pounds his fist against the hard wood. “Albedo,” he pleads unclearly, voice quieter than he would like, “Albedo, please, just talk to me.”

He hears hurried footsteps and the sound of something clattering to the ground. Albedo greets him as he always does, pulling the door open and looking up at him with a curious glance. "Kaeya, you're crying," he notes softly, concern flashing in his turquoise eyes. Kaeya feels hands cupping his cheeks and pulling him in and something in him just crashes at that moment.

"I just need you here," Kaeya whispers, squeezing his eyes shut and allowing the hot, sticky tears to fall. He curls his arms around Albedo's waist, pulling him closer, resting his head against Albedo's neck. His voice becomes wracked with sobs and sniffles, and Kaeya’s unsure who he's pleading to anymore, quiet mutters of 'no', 'stop', 'please', that go unanswered by the heavens.

Throughout it all, Albedo's arms remain warm and steady around the small of his back.

Notes:

It's not entirely clear why canon Gold created all of those creatures, so I took some liberties

Chapter 15

Over the next week, insomnia visits the young prince in his bed.

Kaeya thrashes and turns under his covers, unable to wrestle the image of those creatures in the secret chamber out of his mind. That wasn't the gentle warmth and life-giving essence of Khemia. Their energies had been all wrong, their appearance frightful and unsightly instead of inviting.

On one of his sleepless nights, Kaeya asks Albedo if he knows anything about the art of Khemia being used in this way. For once, Albedo is just as clueless as he is. He offers to research it, but Kaeya forbids him from doing so.

He can’t lose Albedo like that. He can’t stand the thought of his longtime companion crumbling into ashes, chalk and dust before his eyes.

Albedo tries to urge him to rest, but it's to no avail. Recently, Kaeya's sleep is plagued with images of Albedo lying broken on the ground, eyes glazed over and magenta, while half of him disappears into the sky never to be seen again.

He's been jolting awake in bed. He also knows Albedo has grown to expect this. When night terrors seize him in its talons once again, Albedo is there, night after night, offering soft whisperings of comfort.

Yet that's not enough. It's not enough. Kaeya spends his waking hours casting glances over his shoulder. Paranoia stalks his mind day and night and leaves it even more exhausted than ever.

There's a prickling along his skin Kaeya can't explain. An omen of foreboding, a whispered promise.

Something bad is going to happen. Nothing good can come out of playing god like that. The fact that this has been going on since his childhood years lends even more credence to Kaeya's haphazard theorising.

Kaeya wonders if their lives could have ended in the garden so long ago, once two innocent children caught sight of a strange magenta glow.

The tutors notice his stress and give him less of a workload. The guards ask him if there's a new threat he's concerned about. The maids fuss over him and make sure he drinks his tea. Even Albedo voices his concern to Kaeya: "You have bags under your eyes. You haven't been sleeping or eating well. Please, just tell me if there's anything I can do to help."

Kaeya closes his eyes at that, pictures the deep frown of the king, and replies, "Trust me. You can't."

Despite everyone's conjoined efforts, they do nothing to relax the frazzled prince. Something is going to happen. He can just feel it. It's simply a matter of when.

Now, usually, Kaeya loves being right.

However, it is one moonless night with Kaeya curled up in bed, trying his damndest to fall asleep, when Albedo slams his door open. Any rebuke Kaeya would have made dies on the tip of his tongue the instant he sees the wide-eyed terror strewn across the stoic boy’s face.

“Kaeya,” Albedo gasps, “We have to go, now.”

“Albedo, I – who’s, what’s –” Kaeya can scarcely get a word in edgewise as Albedo fumbles desperately with the sword and scabbard he keeps in his closet. Albedo yanks the prince out of bed in his nightgown and hastily fastens his weapon to his hips. If nothing else, seeing just how clumsy normally dexterous hands are chills Kaeya to the bone.

“Albedo,” Kaeya protests. “Please, tell me, what –”

Albedo points a trembling hand to the four-pointed star on his throat. ”Kaeya,” he whispers, his voice unusually choked with emotion. “They're calling me. It’s started, this… this little rebellion of theirs. I-I was out in the garden, I thought it was just going to be a normal night but when I had reached the vines, they had grown and the maids were having the breath strangled out of their lungs. I… don’t have much longer.”

Kaeya has no words. His heart has dropped to the very bottom of his chest. He tries to speak before realising how pointless it would be. He looks harder at the hand Albedo is using to point at his mark, and realises the very tips of his fingers are tinged with that frightful magenta.

“Kaeya, please, you need to get out of here. Which one of these secret passages leads to the outside?”

Albedo’s eyes are so large, so, so pleading. Kaeya would have gotten lost in them if not for the dire situation. As it is, all his humor and charisma seem to have fled and all Kaeya can do is gesture weakly at the hidden door behind his mirror. Father has had it drilled into his head not to use these unless in the case of an utmost emergency, but surely this counts as one.

Father.

“Albedo, where’s father?” Kaeya asks, voice hoarse. “Did you see him just now?”

Albedo’s silent shake of his head has Kaeya up and running to the king’s room, to that secret chamber underneath the palace. Kaeya looks behind his shoulder as he runs and feels a slight comfort at the fact Albedo is still going after him without protest. Determination settles in those bright teal eyes, but the longer Kaeya watches the deeper that magenta hue seems to grow.

Kaeya grits his teeth and presses on further.

The door to the king’s room is swung open wide. Kaeya takes a tentative step inside only to dodge to the side as a massive clawed hand slams down in front of him, leaving a blazing blood-red trail. Kaeya follows the broad arm up to meet the furious glowing gaze of one of the forbidden creatures of Khemia. Kaeya gulps, hand reaching for his sword.

“Don’t hurt him,” Albedo pleads from behind him. Kaeya freezes as Albedo steps between the two, lifting the palms of his hands to the creature that towers above them. “He’s been nothing but kind to me,” Albedo continues, a desperate plea in his eyes.

Kaeya wants to yell at Albedo and ask him just what the hell he thinks he’s doing. The creation, however, sniffs deeply, before lowering its head. Swinging its strange, shadowy caricature of an axe, it lumbers away from the entrance, down the hallway. Kaeya doesn’t want to think about what it might do then.

A distant memory of Albedo surfaces in his mind, of the time they were both young and carefree, picking berries in the garden.

“I’m born from the same ingredients as this plant. It won’t harm me.”

“As long as I’m here with you, I can protect you, but we need to hurry.” Albedo's words cut into Kaeya's thoughts, and his hands press insistently against the small of Kaeya’s back. The entrance of the secret chamber has been swung right open, and the energy emanating from deep inside is enough to make Kaeya’s skin crawl.

He doesn’t know what he might find inside, and hesitation makes his legs shaky. Kaeya is grateful for Albedo, who rushes him along, even if it’s out of fear that he will lose control soon.

And if Albedo does lose control, then…

No, no, Kaeya, focus, he reprimands himself, even if he’s coming off less harsh than he would like even in his thoughts. One problem at a time, right? We’ll find father, and then we’ll get out of this together, find some way to fix all of this…

Any hopes of this plan working out is instantly dashed the moment he spots the crumpled body of the king on the floor. Cages and alchemical liquids lay strewn all over the chamber amidst deep claw marks. Terror seizes Kaeya’s heart in its grasp, and he rushes forward until he’s on his knees. Kaeya has heard that his father knows all that happens in the city, and can predict the worst outcomes even during blessed years. That's how the Eclipse Dynasty became the ruling nation of Khaenri'ah.

Then how couldn't he predict this?

“Father,” he whispers, his voice sounding pathetic even to himself. Kaeya places one of his hands underneath the man’s head and tilts it up gently. His fingers come away soaked with blood.

“...Kaeya,” comes the low mutter of the king, star-filled eyes fluttering open at the sound of his son’s voice. His voice is weak and raspy, a far cry from the noble king Kaeya has gotten used to. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“And you shouldn’t have done this!” Sobs spill uncontrollably out of Kaeya as he clenches his eyes. “Look what you’ve done! Those creations are everywhere now and we’re all going to die! Are you happy now? Are you happy with all this power you’ve gained?”

The king is silent amidst the tears slipping down the prince’s cheeks. Then he breathes deeply, as if to gather his strength. “You were right, Kaeya,” he admits. “Not even Gold could withstand the power of the creatures they corrupted.”

Kaeya says nothing back, clenching his hands into fists.

“Run, Kaeya,” the king says then amidst little coughs. “Far away from this palace, from the city, from the other dynasties. Run to the edges of Khaenri’ah, and when you find it, don’t stop climbing up.”

Kaeya sniffs, blinking down at his father with a question in his gaze.

“You need to climb out of this underground nation, and flee to the lands where the gods reside.” The king’s voice is low and resigned. “You need to live.”

Kaeya feels his breath die in his throat. “Father, no, I can’t… possibly…”

Their conversation is interrupted by a deep rumbling of the earth above them. Albedo, behind Kaeya, lets out a pained gasp. He bends over, pressing both hands to his neck. His teeth are gritted, and Kaeya does not like the fact that fangs are forming in his mouth as seconds pass.

“Go now, through this passage. It leads above ground.” The king’s voice is oddly soft, softer than in all the years Kaeya has known him. He opens his eyes again, staring up at Kaeya. “Be safe, my little prince. Make sure Khaenri’ah lives on through you. For everything… I am truly, deeply filled with regret.” His voice cracks on the last sentence. “I love you.”

His eyelids flutter shut and his breaths still.

Kaeya doesn’t even have time to grieve, mind numb as he scrambles to his feet. He stumbles forward in a daze, supported only by Albedo’s hand that has slipped into his. “This way,” Albedo commands as he leads him along. Kaeya has to avoid flinching at the distinctly distorted sound of his voice.

Their journey feels both too short and too long when they finally resurface in a bush slightly beyond the palace gates. Kaeya dares to sneak a peek, and forces his panic down at what he sees.

Those born of Khemia are on a rampage that cannot be stopped. The chefs scream as vines wrap around their feet and entangle them in its snares. Sharp claws rip easily through an entire squad of soldiers called to deal with the threat. The scent of decay and blood litters the landscape. One large monster grasps a guard in its jaws, and as Kaeya watches it clamp down, the guard’s piercing cry is cut short. The prince shrinks away as the guard’s arm starts changing, morphing, into a creepily long arm, and former fingers turn into claws.

“Fuck, fuck,” is the only thing Kaeya can gasp out. He squeezes his eyes shut and breaks into another run, despite how exhausted he feels. Everything’s screaming at him to stop – his legs, his lungs, his heart. He hates this horrible nightmare he’s been plunged into, and he wants nothing more than to wake up. But Albedo’s strong grip on his arm keeps him rooted to the spot.

“Southwest. Our boundaries end southwest,” Albedo recites mechanically as if from a textbook, though knowing him, it probably is. What is much more concerning is the way he rapidly shakes his head after this, clawing intensely at his own body as if desperate to remove something from it. "Kaeya, I'm sorry," he says then, staring up at him with fully magenta irises, and if Kaeya wasn’t scared before he is absolutely terrified now.

“You’re going to be on your own soon,” Albedo says quietly, and Kaeya finally breaks down at that. Deep, sharp breaths wrack his frame, and tears cascade down the planes of his face. He grabs Albedo’s hand desperately, but the blond insistently tears it away from him.

“No! Albedo, I can’t do this. Not alone, not like this. Please, just stay. I need you beside me,” Kaeya whispers pathetically, his voice punctuated with ugly sobbing and hiccups.

Albedo is silent, but even in the midst of his corruption his hazy eyes betray his regret. “It’s calling me. I have to go. It can’t be fought.”

"You can! You have to!" Kaeya shakes him with a renewed sense of urgency. "We need to get out of here! Both of us! Once we go above ground, we'll both be safe. A-and we can be together, and we’ll look out for each other, j-just like –"

"It's no use, Kaeya," Albedo says, an ounce of regret making its way into his distorted speech. Another heartbeat and dark pink veins erupt all over Albedo, while already pale skin turns to white. Kaeya watches in horror as Albedo blinks, and the whites and blacks of his eyes become inverted.

"Run," Albedo warns as the last of him fades and he's replaced by a monster who stands where he was. The veins have gotten even more prominent now and Albedo's body now resembles a silhouette of what he once was. Shadow Albedo catches sight of Kaeya in front of him and once gentle eyes narrow in hostility.

Kaeya has never been particularly good at listening, and he won't start now. Despite Albedo's final words, Kaeya takes a cautious step forward, determined to coax Albedo back out. He raises a hand in front of the creation's face, timidly asking, "Albedo?"

It doesn't work. The humanoid shadow snarls at him and manifests a sword to his side. Kaeya doesn't know how he's even doing that but the next thing he notices is Albedo has gotten faster, because suddenly he's got his left hand tightened around Kaeya's throat and the sword of shadows aimed dead center. He knows all of Albedo's moves but he's never been put in this situation before. Kaeya struggles in Albedo's – no, not Albedo, the thing's grasp – as it growls and bares its sharp fangs at him.

"Albedo, please," Kaeya begs with a hoarse voice as the air is slowly squeezed out of his lungs.

It's hopeless. There is absolutely no recognition left in these magenta eyes. Kaeya feels like he has been plunged deep into an icy cold pit of despair.

The humanoid being of shadows lifts its sword in the same moment Kaeya finally gets a firm hold on its slippery, shadowy body. Its right arm manages to be redirected off course with a strong swipe, but pain explodes behind Kaeya's right eye. A hiss slips past his lips as he grapples with the creature and manages to land a solid kick in its stomach area. The creature bends over in pain, and Kaeya seizes his chance to scramble to his feet and blunder past curling vines.

As he runs, he notices deep red splattering the black leaves underneath his feet. His eye is still screwed shut, the pain pounding in his skull. Kaeya doesn't think it will ever see again. Still he forces himself to run on, despite the overwhelming pain and the aches that are accumulating in his tired body. Kaeya palms the hilt of his sword, the last remaining object he has to comfort him. He grits his teeth and applies pressure to his eye and presses on.

Southwest. He has to head southwest.

Kaeya runs until the screams and shouts fade behind him and the screeches and snarls are all but faint. He climbs the hills and valleys and trees, doing his best to sneak around the dangerous-looking fauna. Kaeya feels like he's running on adrenaline and not much else, as the urge for food and sleep have long since fled his senses.

He doesn't know how long it is before his ragged shoes brush against a solid pile of steady rocks. Exhausted, Kaeya looks up, and sees a natural boulder formation that seems to reach up and up and up. Is it a mountain, or rather the earthen walls that surround Khaenri'ah?

Kaeya doesn't even care anymore. Relief ripples through his veins. Father, Albedo, I've done it. I've found the edge. How thrilling it is, to have made Khaenri'ahn history even as it falls.

Kaeya dares to take a look behind him then. A short respite before the inevitable climb.

Even from this distance, he can see his palace in shambles, what was once familiar now lying in ruins. There are other, more distant castles beyond his, and Kaeya can see the plumes of black smoke rise into the air. The once bustling city square has been levelled barren. And in the center of it all, a massive creature with wings that blot out the skies soars through the air. Kaeya swallows, his throat dry and aching.

It's a dragon.

That's… that's a dragon.

Had Gold really thought to corrupt such a divine being of unimaginable power? Is this a recent development? It's no wonder they couldn't get it to obey, then. Kaeya wonders if this was the culprit that freed all of its fellow brethren.

It doesn't matter, Kaeya tells himself bitterly. They're gone. Everyone's gone. The only thing I can do now is climb up, and then think about what to do after that.

Kaeya turns around, flexing his strained arms, and accidentally kicks something on the ground. It makes a small 'clink' as it strikes nearby rocks upon impact. Kaeya flinches at the sound, glancing up, but the rocks don't seem to be tumbling down. Relaxing, Kaeya bends down, observing the strange object.

A gem ripples with soft blue light in the darkness. It is smooth and icy cold to the touch, as Kaeya had guessed from the snowflake symbol imprinted on it. Two wings extend outwards, and Kaeya wonders what it's symbolic of. Kaeya picks it up, and his lips part in surprise when frost gathers at his fingertips.

Oh. Well. This is new. Perhaps it is a sign, then, that Kaeya has indeed reached the lands where the gods thrive. Finally, Kaeya allows himself to hope that there is indeed an ending to this nightmare.

Yet, at that moment, the ground rumbles beneath his feet. When Kaeya looks up, the dragon is raising its head mid-flight, as if searching for something. Kaeya inhales sharply as he makes out the faint silhouette of a boy on its back.

Kaeya presses his hand to his right eye. The bleeding has stopped, but the dull throbbing left behind confirms his deepest fears. Kaeya knows it must already be turning milky white with blindness. He recalls the savage look in the monster's eyes and tries, but fails, to reconcile it with the gentle Albedo he knows.

Kaeya wonders if the corrupted boy of chalk will ever know him once more.

Kaeya shakes his head and wipes his tears on soil-stained sleeves. He can figure this out later. Kaeya attaches the strange gem to the sword at his hip. For now, Kaeya forces himself to his feet and wills the last of his strength to carry him the rest of his journey.

Notes:

You guys knew this was coming. So how are you feeling now that you've realised all those previous chapters were set up for the cataclysm: Kaebedo ver

Chapter 16

Kaeya trudges through tears and exhaustion until his skin is scraped raw. He climbs and climbs and climbs until his arms scream in protest against the exertion and his fingers are caked over with blood and dirt.

But Kaeya doesn't stop. He can't afford to.

After what feels like hours, days or even a week, Kaeya finally spies light leaking in through a crack above him. It's dark, so dark, that Kaeya had thought it had been the skies. Yet, this is confirmation that it indeed isn't. So this is where the faint light in Khaenri'ah originates from?

Philosophical questions can come later. In his desperation, Kaeya paws at the crack, then punches it. It doesn't budge, so Kaeya summons all of his strength to hold onto the boulders he's scaling and uses his other arm to thrust upwards with his sword. Rocks scatter down and hit Kaeya on the head, but the pain hardly matters because the obstruction has been successfully loosened. It's approximately shoulder-width now and with that knowledge comes Kaeya's flare of hope.

Kaeya takes a deep breath before he shoves himself through the cracks between the rocks. Their rough surfaces chafe against his soft skin, but Kaeya musters one last push and finally he's out.

Kaeya collapses on soft, green grass. A foreign scent invades his nose, and when Kaeya glances to his left he sees a strange new plant with puffy white... flowers? Are they flowers? Idly, Kaeya grabs at them with his bloody hand and is surprised when a small tuft of it dislodges.

Right, he probably should do something about his blood loss.

Kaeya glances at the gem he has attached to his sword's scabbard. He cradles it in one hand and experimentally brushes over his palm with the other. At a single thought, frost bursts forth at his command. Kaeya shivers as the cold ice melts and soothes his burns. He spends some time like this, waiting for water to form and clean his wounds. His hands are still awkward and clumsy, and his finesse in utilising this new power is certainly lacking.

When the coolness settles into his dark skin, Kaeya tries to stand and finds his legs are too wobbly to support him any longer. Now that he’s no longer on the run from certain danger, the adrenaline rush has left him dizzy and tired. His eyelids feel heavy, and his throat and stomach are screaming at him. His head feels so, so cloudy…

Kaeya falls into a restless sleep.

He dreams of blond hair and turquoise eyes. The boy made of chalk extends his hand to the prince with a gentle smile. His heart leaps into his throat and Kaeya can feel the corners of his cheeks lifting in a grin.

Right as Kaeya is about to accept the gesture, he crumbles away before him, and the palace starts melting. Kaeya turns around, looking into the star-studded eyes of his father. The king smiles, and blood pours out of his mouth.

Kaeya jolts awake, gasping and struggling against his binds.

...binds?

"Freeze, strange yet respectable traveller! You are under arrest for suspicious activity by a knight of Favonius!"

Kaeya has just woken up and already he finds a large sword pointed at his throat. There is something peculiar about the knight that holds it, however. For one, the sword is ridiculously huge and its user has to hold it with both his hands. For another, the strange knight is but a boy, and he glares up at Kaeya with a spark shining in his crimson eyes.

"The Knights of Favonius?" Kaeya slips a little smirk back onto his lips. After everything that's happened, it's all Kaeya can do to force reality out of his mind for a little longer. Wouldn't do to show this little boy just how truly worn out he is. "Do tell me more about them."

"I'm going to join them one day!" says the redheaded boy, proudly planting his large sword into the grass. "And you will be my first case!"

"What have I done to be offered such treatment?" Kaeya asks, more genuinely amused now. "I am but a humble nobody with nothing to his name." He jerks his head down at his once royal nightclothes that now lie in tatters. "Surely I have nothing to offer you."

"What? No, I'm not going to rob you!" The child squints, frowning, his lips forming a cute little pout. "Your clothes… you're not from around here. I was taking a walk just before bed and that's when I found you, just sleeping outside our gardens on the bare grass! Who does that? Are you crazy?"

"Not as crazy as the little midget who thinks he's going to join the knights like this," Kaeya replies, his tone bored and airy even as danger creeps back into the expression on his face.

The boy's eyes widen as Kaeya draws his sword in one swift movement, cutting apart the ropes that hold him. "H-hey! Why, you –"

Kaeya ignores the fiery child's indignant yammering. He stands up, brushing himself off while he turns to inspect what the boy has tied him to. It’s a pole with vines that creep up its length. Kaeya appears to be in a sort of garden, with fruits that glow purple under the bright moonlight. Whatever this strange land is, it's the first time Kaeya can make out his hands in front of his face without the aid of lamps. Kaeya looks up to the skies, and finds hundreds upon thousands of twinkling lights shining bright. His breath leaves him in a gasp. For a while, Kaeya is content to stare at the glimmering sea of dark velvet, even amidst all the aches and pains of his fragile human body.

Albedo would have loved this. His eyes would have shone bright, brighter than this foreign sky, as he grabbed his notebook and hastily wrote down all of his observations. Thinking about him makes a surge of pain choke Kaeya in its hold, and he shuts his eyes against the steady dull throbbing of his heart.

"What is the name of this land?" Kaeya finally asks, turning to the redhead beside him.

The boy stops mid-insult, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face. "You're in Mondstadt, the city of wind and freedom," he finally says. "You're really not from around here, huh? Father says our wine is famous in all of Teyvat, but you don't even seem to recognise where we are."

Kaeya smiles ruefully. "I suppose you could call me… an outlander. Well then, humor me. What is this place?"

"You're at the Dawn Winery," the young boy informs him, curiosity showing plainly on his face. "What land are you from, then?"

Kaeya chuckles, the smile on his face hollow. "It doesn't matter. It's gone now."

"...oh." The redheaded boy's expression drops, replaced by a frown on his face. "Then where will you go?"

"Go?"

"You don't have a home, right?" The boy stares up at him with innocent eyes.

Kaeya shrugs and lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I don't."

The boy's previously light expression turns into a small frown as he considers Kaeya's words. After a few moments, he then asks, "What's your name?"

Ah, what's the point of hiding it? The world has no love for the prince of a fallen nation. So Kaeya feels completely at ease as he replies, "Kaeya Alberich."

"I'm Diluc Ragnvindr, and you're coming with me to see father!"

Hang on, what? Kaeya must have heard that wrong. Except no, he didn't, because the boy is tugging at his hand with surprising strength, pulling him towards the entrance of the winery. Kaeya stares at the building as the roof draws closer and closer. "Oh, you are trying to kidnap me," Kaeya says with a weak laugh.

"Don't be so dramatic," Diluc scoffs. "You can't be kidnapped if you don't have a house."

"Somehow, I don't think that's how it works."

"Don't worry about it, you can stay at my house!"

"Your house?" Kaeya is invited inside the manor that stands tall and proud in the winery. He steps in after Diluc beckons him inside. Kaeya takes a few unsteady steps past the entrance as Diluc props his greatsword up against the wall. To Kaeya's surprise, when Diluc gives a tiny flick of his wrist, the fireplace flares up in front of Kaeya.

"How did you do that?" Kaeya asks after a moment, staring in wonder at the flame that has flickered to life before his eyes.

Diluc gives him a weird look. "Are you serious? You're a vision holder too!"

Kaeya blinks. "A vision holder?"

Diluc huffs and stomps over. He picks up the strange crystalline gem bound to Kaeya's hip and holds it up to him. "This," says the bossy child, shaking it in front of Kaeya so a soft jingle rings throughout the manor. "Just like you have a cryo vision, I have a pyro one. So I can do stuff like this." Diluc snaps his fingers and small sparks of flame erupt from the tips.

Kaeya watches as the embers disappear into the warm light, fascinated by the sight. Surely, Albedo would have been captivated by this discovery as well. Kaeya turns to the fireplace, reaching out his right palm, observing the bright flame before him. As far as Kaeya is aware, it's a normal fire. Emits heat and light and everything. Albedo could probably uncover any anomaly in it if it were possible to.

Too bad he's currently corrupted beyond recognition.

Kaeya closes his eyes and lets out a shaky breath. He needs to forget, but he can't. That horrible night will forever be imprinted in his mind as long as Kaeya lives.

"Diluc, who is this?" calls a deep voice, thankfully interrupting Kaeya from his darker thoughts.

Kaeya's eyes shoot open and he instantly gets into a fighting stance, hand hovering over his sword. However, Diluc simply smiles and jumps into the newcomer's arms. The man has hair and eyes the same fiery red as Diluc's. Kaeya straightens up and does his best to look like he wasn't just about to stab his new companion's father.

"Father, this scruffy-looking boy suddenly appeared in the garden," Diluc says, looking very proud at having caught Kaeya. "He says his home was destroyed, so he doesn't have anywhere to go. But you said it's dangerous outside, so I brought him back here!"

The man pauses, his eyes darting to Kaeya. Then he gasps, stepping forward. Kaeya is about to ask what he's doing before the man takes his wrist and gently runs his fingertips along the extent of his arm. He's examining my wounds, Kaeya realises, although the man has every right to distrust him and send him away.

"Oh, look at you… you've definitely come a long way." The man's voice is kind and warm, and despite himself Kaeya feels himself starting to put his trust in him. "Diluc, ask the maids to prepare a bath."

"Of course, father!" Diluc scampers away, delighted to be of assistance.

"What's your name?" the man asks, his smile kind and his eyes twinkling in the light. Kaeya hasn't seen this sort of sincerity in a long, long time.

He ducks his head and replies awkwardly, "I'm Kaeya."

"Greetings, Kaeya. I am Crepus Ragnvindr, the owner of Dawn Winery, and I welcome you as a guest in this manor. First, you should take a bath and change out of those clothes – oh my, they really are torn," the man murmurs absentmindedly, raking his eyes over Kaeya's small body. "You need urgent medical attention and lots of rest. I won't stop you from leaving after you are well, but until you've fully recovered, please make yourself at home."

Kaeya feels warmth accumulating in his chest and threatening to spill over. He bites his lip, sniffing, and wills the tears not to fall. "Thank you," he whispers, hoping the full sincerity of his feelings are conveyed in just those few words.

Master Crepus smiles in kind, and Kaeya knows the message was delivered.

Notes:

I hear Diluc was a rather sweet kid. However, I interpret him as still being rather snarky which intensified after Crepus’s canonical death lol

Chapter 17

Perhaps the Kaeya of old might have resented being sentenced to bedrest for a week. The current Kaeya, however, finds that staring out of the window and thinking idly of Khaenri'ah is becoming such a great pastime.

He still has nightmares of those now foreign lands. The blood, the screams, the crude transformations... At night, Kaeya wakes up panting and sitting upright in bed. He looks down at his arms and has to flex his fingers to make sure he isn't being turned into a monster as he breathes.

And Albedo. Sweet, gentle, brilliant Albedo… Kaeya doesn't know if he'll ever see him again. The real him, not the hideous violent caricature of him, with a shadowy sword and malevolent glowing eyes. The monster that had scarred him and left him permanently blinded in his right.

Kaeya finds himself stumbling over things he wouldn't before now that his depth perception has been drastically reduced. He grins at the maids when he trips yet again, but he can only hope they're not gossiping about him behind his back. Kaeya really hopes he gets used to this soon, as he would really hate to push over something expensive and be hated by what is probably the richest family in Mondstadt. It doesn't take a person of Albedo's genius to figure out that the Ragnvindrs are obviously some kind of nobility in this 'Mondstadt' place. The apparel Crepus and Diluc wear have a very aristocratic flair Kaeya is deeply familiar with, and the presence of staff to take care of their needs is a big enough hint of its own.

All things considered, Kaeya has been extremely lucky to land in the garden of a family with similar status as he used to hold. Still, Kaeya needs to pull his own weight. He can't impose on them for everything.

Finally putting his sewing skills to good use, Kaeya fashions an accessory for himself out of his old, washed clothes. Now that Kaeya has finally been introduced to daylight, he finds working during waking hours a much easier task. Sometimes, desperate to forget it all, Kaeya stops working and simply stares outside and thinks about the sun and warmth and light. The grass outside is real, and the dew smells refreshing every morning. Birds sing and crickets chirp and all of it is real, untouched by that abomination that is the Art of Khemia.

Kaeya wonders just how he survived living in a land of eternal darkness.

Not wanting to finish that train of thought, Kaeya holds up his handiwork to the light outside. It's a simple string connected to a black eyepatch. It's not anything fancy, but as Kaeya stares at his creation in the mirror, he feels a small spark of pride.

If Kaeya were still a prince, though, he would definitely reward Master Crepus handsomely. The moment he saw that new eyepatch Kaeya was wearing, he instantly ordered the servants to purchase some for him. Taken aback by his goodwill, it was all Kaeya could do to accept at his insistence.

Master Crepus is puzzling. All of Kaeya's previous court experience has taught him that generosity never comes without a price. But here he is, a seemingly ordinary boy, and Crepus is being so kind to him.

He doesn't deserve it, not in this state.

Kaeya has many sleepless nights, even though the guest room he has been granted is certainly fit for a prince. The manor is large and spacious, the decor homey and inviting. The mattress Kaeya lies on at night is made of the finest silk and Kaeya still can't rest.

Yet, this manor is flooded with a feeling of warmth the Alberich palace hadn't been. Kaeya sees it in the way Diluc follows his father around with undying devotion. Master Crepus, in turn, treats him with affection, smiling and laughing and praising him.

Master Crepus is an unexpectedly kind man. Instead of leaving the task to the servants, he personally comes by during mealtimes and makes sure Kaeya is eating enough. He's thoughtful enough to note that Kaeya loves their homegrown philanemo mushrooms. Sometimes at night, when Kaeya cries out and wakes, Master Crepus will be there to soothe him. Even the clothes Kaeya is currently wearing are hand-me-downs once intended for an older Diluc.

Kaeya wants to ask why. Just why on earth this random teenager with attitude that had crash landed in his garden was worth any of Master Crepus's time. Especially when he is so busy, as a noble tends to be. Especially not when Kaeya's own father had barely paid any attention to him his whole life.

Sometimes, Kaeya lies awake at night and reflects on his father's last words: I love you. Kaeya thinks about how much he would have liked to know the man behind the royal mask. Not just as his king and predecessor, but as a father.

Despite everything that has happened, it does warm Kaeya's heart that Diluc hasn't had to suffer his upbringing.

Even if he is a little brat.

Kaeya has found out Diluc is twelve, and he certainly acts like it. One moment curious about Kaeya, the next snarking at him because his funny jokes had set him off – and yes, they are funny, shut up Diluc. It's not Kaeya's fault the redhead has no sense of humor.

Goodness, was Kaeya this annoying when he was younger?

At the least Diluc doesn't have time to bother Kaeya constantly, because he's busy training for this 'Knights of Favonius' organisation. Apparently, he can try out once he turns thirteen, and Diluc's dream is to get in and be a captain of the force. After his skin has started healing and he can once again walk stably on two legs, Kaeya sits at the edge of the manor and watches Diluc have a go at the training dummies with his two-handed sword.

Kaeya has to give credit where credit is due. Although certainly not fast, Diluc does knows how to channel his power. His swings are heavy and strong, and the sheer knockback of that enormous weapon would be enough to stun any smaller foe.

Diluc spies Kaeya watching and stops to take a break. He walks up to the taller boy and demands, "Are you just going to sit there and watch me?"

"Are you just going to stand here and talk to me?" Kaeya smiles lazily. Diluc's eye twitches.

Oh, this is too much fun. Diluc reminds Kaeya of Albedo, in a way. But where Albedo's snark was disguised behind stoicism and boredom, Diluc's annoyance burns hot like the power granted to him by the gods.

"Actually, I was wondering if you could show me some of your fighting skills," Diluc says then, rubbing his arm and looking off to the side with a flush. "Remember when I found you in the garden? Are you a knight as well? Do your people fight differently?"

"I'm not sure," Kaeya says with a shrug. "It's inside. I can get it."

I'm not a knight, I'm a prince, he doesn't say. What good is it to be a prince of a ruined kingdom?

"Diluc," says Master Crepus in a mildly disapproving tone as he follows his son. "Kaeya still hasn't fully recovered. It wouldn't do him any good to reopen his wounds."

Kaeya is so, so confused, because Master Crepus has just scolded his own son in favor of him, the scruffy orphan boy who could be stark raving mad for all they cared. However, seeing the smattering of disappointment on Diluc's face makes Kaeya strengthen his resolve. "It's okay, Master Crepus," he says with a polite dip of his head. "A few moves wouldn't hurt."

"If you're sure," Master Crepus replies, frowning in concern.

Something about this display of worry makes Kaeya feel warm inside. He gives Crepus a grateful nod before he heads inside. When Kaeya comes back with his sword, Diluc's eyes light up and he tries to tiptoe to look closer. With a grin, he lifts it up higher, out of reach of Diluc's little arms.

"Kae! Ya!" Diluc protests, stomping his foot on the ground. Kaeya lets out a coo at the reaction. This kid's actually kinda cute, and that deserves some kind of reward. Kaeya presents the sword to Diluc carefully.

Diluc picks it up after a suspicious glance at Kaeya. Then he runs his hands over the hilt of it, unsheathing it, twirling the sword this way and that and watching the sunlight reflect off the edge.

"It's very finely made," Diluc observes. "Are you sure you didn't steal it?"

"Oh yes, because I was in such a state to go around plundering things," Kaeya retorts with a scoff.

"Oh, yeah." Diluc pauses. "Sorry, it's just… you look like you."

"Thanks, Diluc, I'm so glad to hear that."

"What Diluc means to say," says Master Crepus with a clearing of his throat, "is that you appear to be more than just a commoner."

"Ah," Kaeya says. His chest suddenly feels tight. The string of his eyepatch abruptly feels constrictive. He backs away, stumbling slightly, and tries, "I found it while adventuring out in the open."

"Adventuring," Diluc echoes. "In our garden? What a dumb excuse! I bet this has something to do with the land you came from!"

"Diluc," Master Crepus warns sharply.

"No, no, it's okay, Master Crepus. He's…" Kaeya inhales shakily. Damn it, seen right through by a child. Usually his lies are better than this. "Diluc's right. I…"

Memories flash before his eyes – Albedo, Gold, the creations of Khemia turned to corruption and destruction. His kingdom falling to ruins, while he stands there helpless to stop it. The lifeless body of the king, bleeding out before his very eyes –

He barely realises he's crying until a warm hand is placed against his shoulder. Kaeya looks up, and finally notices the fabric of his eyepatch is wet. "You can talk about it when you're ready, even if that means next time," says the deep, rumbling voice. Master Crepus is here, offering him even more comfort that he doesn't deserve.

Kaeya feels smaller hands clutch at his wrists and looks down to see Diluc looking up at him with trembling lips. "I'm sorry, Kaeya," says Diluc, looking like tears are about to spill out of his own eyes. "I wasn't thinking… you don't have to talk about it." He sniffs and shuts his eyes and Kaeya feels alarm prick at his skin because those are tears now. "Don't cry, Kaeya, I'm sorry…"

"Hey, hey, hush," Kaeya murmurs, face softening as he squeezes Diluc's hands in his. "It's okay. You didn't know. How about I show you those sword tricks you wanted to see, hm?"

Diluc's crimson eyes blink open and he nods quickly.

Maybe later Kaeya will examine why he feels a sense of protectiveness upon seeing this stubborn child shed some tears. But for now, Kaeya strides to the training dummy, unsheathes his sword, and demonstrates his expertise with quick slices and strong slashes. Diluc is clapping and jumping up and down by the end of his demonstration. Master Crepus seems impressed as well, if the tilt to his lips is anything to go by.

"A knight! A knight! A real knight!" Diluc is chanting. Kaeya is panting and his scarred arms are shaking from the effort, but the smile on Diluc's face is worth it.

"Thanks, but I'm not a knight," Kaeya says, gently apologetic as he sheathes his sword. He'd hate to shatter a young boy's dreams.

Diluc blinks. "Then you should become one! You're really good with your sword. I'm sure the Ordo would like to have you!"

"What's in it for me?" Kaeya asks, half teasing, spinning his sword around easily just to prove a point.

"Well," says Diluc as he puts a finger to his chin, "you'd get to help people. That's why I want to join!" His eyes are shining as he clasps his hands together over his heart. "Together, we'd make the streets of Mondstadt safer!"

Ah, who'd have thought this small brat had a sense of honor and justice? Kaeya whistles, impressed. He bends his knees so he can rub the top of Diluc's head, earning him a 'hey!' from the child.

"Your goals are noble," Kaeya says sincerely. "I'd be glad to train together with you."

Diluc's eyes light up in excitement. "Really? Teach me! Teach me!"

Maybe, with people like that around, Diluc wouldn't have to see his homeland fall.

Kaeya wonders how things are back in Khaenri'ah. Are there any survivors? Are the lands still rendered barren? Are the forbidden creations still rampaging throughout the land? It doesn't matter now. Nothing seems to matter now… it seems so far away. That land isn't his home anymore.

For now, Kaeya will force down the pain, and make training Diluc his purpose.

Kaeya grins and brandishes his sword with a flourish. "Come on. Let's see if you've got what it takes to join the Ordo."

Chapter 18

Training Diluc, Kaeya finds, is rather different than training with Albedo.

For one thing, the boy seems to look up to him now. Diluc hangs on to Kaeya's every word. He's fascinated by Kaeya's smooth thrusts and stylish movements. Kaeya doesn't really have experience with claymores, so he can't really advise Diluc on that – that responsibility goes to his tutors. What Kaeya offers is insight into how a real fight might go. Any flaw Kaeya can spot, he exploits to his advantage. Diluc is very intelligent, adjusting on the fly against Kaeya's quicker strikes of his sword. Not bad for a pre-teen.

Kaeya is also working on harnessing his new ice powers the way Diluc does for his flames. It isn't long before Kaeya learns to create shields and projectiles all for combat usage. Master Crepus is very impressed, and makes sure Kaeya knows just how polished his swordsmanship is. Kaeya doesn't know why, but he's grown to crave Master Crepus's praise almost as much as he seeks to keep Diluc happy. Master Crepus has made it clear that Kaeya is free to leave as he wishes, and yet Kaeya doesn't think he can. Not just because of his wounds, that have already recovered, but because this sense of… companionship had truly been difficult to come by in his royal days.

Is this what it's like to be one of the common(er) folk? Or was Mondstadt simply different? It's still too early to tell for Kaeya, but what he does know is that when he sits down to eat with Master Crepus and Diluc, it doesn't feel awkward at all.

It feels like… he belongs.

Master Crepus has taken note of Kaeya's food preferences, and always makes sure to give him extras though he never asks for it. Diluc always happily reports the fruits of his training to his father, and actively engages Kaeya in conversation at the dining table. They may argue, but it's in a teasing way that both parties don't really mean, and Master Crepus finds their interactions amusing. It's the same kind of camaraderie Kaeya and Albedo had shared, back before they were more than friends.

Yet, Kaeya knows that he is but an outsider in this manor, and his time with them will eventually end. He's not sure when that will be, so for now he simply basks in the moment. Hopefully, when Kaeya inevitably has to leave, the Ragnvindrs will have nothing but good memories of him.

Sometimes, after training, Diluc asks Kaeya more about his past life. Kaeya tries his best to deflect these questions, but Diluc is nothing if not persistent. He's learned his lesson about asking too directly, but Diluc likes to ask about little details here and there to coax more information out of Kaeya.

Ah, of course. A noble's son well versed in the art of persuasion is nothing new to Kaeya. If nothing else, Kaeya gives little nuggets of information to Diluc to signal to him that these tactics are way more effective than the way he had bluntly asked Kaeya that first time. Kaeya wouldn't have picked up on them if he hadn't been trained since birth in courtroom antics, and Diluc is growing well under his guidance. He will be a master manipulator when he's older, thinks Kaeya proudly.

However, this means that as weeks and months pass, Diluc gets closer and closer to unravelling Kaeya's entire past. Finally, Kaeya admits to Diluc one day, "I used to be a prince."

Diluc sits up at that immediately. "A prince?"

"Used to be."

"That's almost the same thing," Diluc protests with a pout.

"No, it isn't." Kaeya chuckles humorlessly as he polishes his blade. "Once, I was the heir to the throne of my land's ruling dynasty. Yet, this sword is the only thing I have left. Funny, isn't it?"

"...ah," says Diluc, implying he has no idea how to respond to this. Kaeya watches as Diluc fidgets nervously, glancing here and there but not at Kaeya. Clearly, curiosity and respect are battling it out in his mind. "What was it called?" Diluc finally chooses to ask. "Your old kingdom?"

"Khaenri'ah," Kaeya whispers in answer. The name feels like a shadow ghosting over his tongue. It's been getting better, but Kaeya still sometimes finds himself reliving that horrible nightmare in his dreams. Thankfully, with Master Crepus and Diluc around to keep him company, Kaeya has been able to distract himself from that reality. Just for a little while longer…

"Oh! Oh! I know that name from the books in the library!" Diluc's eyes light up in recognition. "You're from the abyss deep underground! That's so cool! I always wanted to know more about it, but it's so difficult to travel there!"

"...cool?" For once in his life, Kaeya is really, truly dumbfounded.

"Yes! Cool!" Diluc nods, placing his hands on his hips. "You're like the hero in a fairy tale!"

"...listen, Diluc, you have been reading far too much fiction," says Kaeya with the long-suffering tone of someone who used to do exactly that. Real life is far less exciting. Also potentially life-scarring. Better Kaeya than Diluc, but still.

Diluc ignores Kaeya and continues, "Is it true? The depiction in the books? Did you have a noble steed?"

"A whole stable's worth of steeds," Kaeya says with a sigh. Better to sate Diluc's curiosity before he bothers him again.

Diluc gasps. "Wow! And a royal palace? How big was it? How shiny?"

Kaeya hums in thought. "Yes, it was rather large. We had dining rooms, courts, gardens, all that kind of stuff. As for its sheen, I wouldn't know. I rarely ventured outside, and the eternal darkness of our lands made it hard to discern."

Oh, just how wrong Kaeya's wish to explore outside the palace had gone. Kaeya almost wants to laugh at how naïve he had been back then.

"Eternal darkness?" Thankfully, Diluc is able to drag Kaeya back from his thoughts once more. Diluc has his hands over his mouth, gazing up at Kaeya with wide eyes. "Wow! You're like an anti-hero! Those are brooding and dark!"

Despite himself, Kaeya has to choke back his laughter at that. "Excuse me, you did not just call me brooding. How unattractive. I am a gentleman, handsome and charming in all the right ways." Kaeya covers his eyepatch with one hand so he can send a one-eyed wink Diluc's way.

"Yeah, right," Diluc says confidently. "You may be all of those things but you're also very annoying! I bet no one like-liked you."

"Diluc." The smile on Kaeya's face dips slightly. "That's not how royal marriages work."

Ugh, of course. Whenever Kaeya starts to feel even a little bit happy the memories threaten to bring him back down.

Nevermind, he needs to focus on Diluc, who is now looking very curious. Kaeya is in the manor above those ruined lands and he needs to focus on the moment.

"Not how it works?" Diluc echoes. "But father always tells me when I grow up, I should find someone I like-like to marry. Surely you must have had someone you like-liked too?"

Damn it.

An image of Albedo washes over Kaeya, of that last night they had spent together in Kaeya's bed. Kaeya had been sobbing again, woken up from his nightmares. Albedo had shushed him, teal eyes so full with concern, and Kaeya had only relaxed when Albedo had pulled him in closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He misses him. Kaeya misses him. He misses him so, so much, his warmth and kindness and even his unending snark. His life doesn't feel complete anymore without their casual banter and the scratch of pencil on paper at his side. He'd do anything to have Albedo beside him once more, but...

"Kaeya?" Diluc's voice cuts through his thoughts. The little boy bites on his bottom lip, a worried frown on his face. Kaeya raises his index finger to the corner of his visible eye and it comes away damp.

"He's gone," Kaeya murmurs, closing his eyes. "I don't know if I can ever see him again."

Diluc is silent for a while, so silent that Kaeya almost wonders if the child has gotten bored of his repeated sob stories and went off to play with his claymore. But then he hears Diluc sniff a little and press close against Kaeya in a show of comfort.

"That's so sad," Diluc says sympathetically. "Though, you're prince Kaeya, so cheer up! The fairy tales I read all have a happy ending!"

Kaeya really doesn't think that will be the case, as life has a history of screwing him over. However, just to humor Diluc, he cracks a smile and asks, "Oh? Tell me more."

"Yeah!" Diluc seems absolutely sure of himself. "Sometimes the prince has to go through hundreds of obstacles to save the princess, but he always makes it in the end! You'll find him again someday, I just know it!"

Somehow, Kaeya's chest actually feels better at Diluc's reassurance, even if it comes from a place of absolute ignorance. He inhales shakily, and releases it with a short huff of laughter. "Oh, Diluc, Diluc," Kaeya chuckles, giving him a nice, well-earned head rub.

"Kaeya, why do you keep doing that?" Diluc complains, trying to wrestle with the older boy. "Stop – ow – hey!"

"Because you hate it," Kaeya says amidst his own giggles. Then his expression softens and Kaeya admits, "Thanks for listening. I… I feel better now. You really helped."

Diluc stops protesting at that and stands up straighter. "I helped?" he asks, eyes shining.

"Yes, Diluc, you'll be a great knight one day." Kaeya smiles, untangling his hands from Diluc's red curls.

Diluc nods and the next thing Kaeya knows, Diluc is on his feet and scampering away from him. "I'm going to tell father you praised me! I don't know where he is but I want him to know right now!"

"Slow down," Kaeya laughs, his long legs easily keeping up with Diluc. "Why don't you calm down and then we can look for father together?"

Diluc stops in his tracks and stares up at Kaeya. Kaeya is about to ask why until realisation hits him like an arrow hits its target. His mouth falls open and his eye goes wide. "I… I mean father, like, as in your father," Kaeya stammers, trying to salvage his misstep all while sweat drips down his back. "As in, you're a kid, this is how I talk to kids, yeah."

Diluc frowns, and perhaps in another situation Kaeya would be impressed at how he's managed to curate a done-with-your-shit expression so young. "That's baby speak for babies. You clearly meant father," Diluc retorts.

"No, no, no," Kaeya barks out amidst nervous laughter. "I… I simply… I was following you, because you mentioned it in your speech. Right, right." His legs are trembling and his voice is hoarse. Kaeya has never felt this nervous before and he doesn't know what to do with himself.

To make matters worse, Master Crepus chooses that exact moment to descend the steps. He shoots both boys a questioning glance. It must be quite a sight, seeing a fiery twelve year old glare down a teen taller than he is, who also looks like he's about to collapse. Kaeya might even have found it funny himself, if only he wasn't currently being put on the spot by Diluc.

"Diluc, what's the matter?" Master Crepus finally decides to ask.

Kaeya is desperately shaking his head, but Diluc either ignores this or doesn't see. The redhead whirls around and exclaims, "Kaeya called you his father!"

"Oh, I, n-no, I…" If Kaeya's skin wasn't as dark as it was, he'd definitely be blushing down to the tips of his ears right now. As it is, Kaeya simply stands there and decides to grin at Master Crepus with an awkward expression. "I'm… I'm sorry, it just slipped out. I'll ensure it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, I see." Kaeya had been expecting a million different responses, but what he doesn't expect is for Master Crepus's lips to curl up in a warm smile. He nods at Kaeya and continues, "Kaeya, you're a very kind and helpful boy. You've brought joy to both me and my son throughout your stay here. I would be honored to be considered your family."

Kaeya doesn't respond, because he currently can't. He's gaping at Master Crepus in what he knows must be a very unsightly fashion. However, the warmth he feels blooms and blossoms in his chest. Kaeya finally shuts his jaw and realises he's truly happy for the first time in months.

"This is awesome!" Diluc cheers. He begins tugging on Master Crepus's – father's? – pant legs, exclaiming, "Kaeya told me he's the prince of Khaenri'ah! My big brother's a prince! Isn't that cool, father?"

The sheer ease at which Diluc had just called him brother makes Kaeya want to sob from the cuteness, the relief, the sheer emotion that threatens to spill out of his body.

"Is that so?" The expression on Crepus's face is as kind as always. "Then perhaps Kaeya can tell you more. First, though, we have Calla Lily soup for lunch."

Diluc's eyes narrow at the thought of having veggies again, but he obediently trots away to help set the table. Crepus nods at Kaeya, and the two of them head to dine together.

Together.

Against all odds, Kaeya has found a family.

Despite everything that has happened to him, Kaeya feels the corner of his lips lift in a genuine smile.

Chapter 19

Diluc grows up so fast. It seems like a year passes by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly fourteen-year-old Kaeya is accompanying a teenage Diluc to the Knights of Favonius headquarters for tryouts.

Diluc doesn't show his nerves easily, as he has been taught to mask his emotions well. However, Kaeya notices Diluc's grip on his claymore seems to be trembling slightly as they walk under the sunny skies. To Kaeya, Diluc still reminds him of that stubborn child who had found him in the garden, though his voice has deepened and his shoulders have broadened. Sensing his need for comfort, Kaeya decides to annoy him instead as the fantastic big brother he is.

"Diluc, you'll be fine. You've done great so far." Kaeya flashes Diluc a smile and wink, because he knows he hates that.

Sure enough, Diluc tosses Kaeya a curt glance and retorts, "I wouldn't be so quick to trust anyone who winks with one eye."

Kaeya gasps and presses both hands over his chest. "Oh, you wound me. After all of the time we've spent together?"

"You're absolutely embarrassing," Diluc says with a sigh. "You're going to make me look bad in front of the knights."

Kaeya laughs, breezy and airy, as they climb up the steps to the headquarters of the Ordo. "If it makes you feel better, then I shall sign up for the tryouts and make a fool out of myself. No one will think twice about you after that!"

"Of course this is the one time you actually want to join the knights. Stay out of it. I want these people to actually remember me and not my idiot brother," Diluc responds, but Kaeya sees a smile tugging at the edges of his lips and considers that a victory.

"Don't worry! You've become quite the capable fighter, if I do say so myself." Kaeya smacks Diluc's shoulder in a friendly fashion. "Go get 'em! The Grand Master, that one Outrider, and… uh…"

"Ah, why don't you ever listen to me?" Diluc just sighs at Kaeya's sheer hopelessness. "There's only two captains this year. The Grand Master's out of town, so it'll be the Acting Grand Master in his place. There's also the Captain of the Investigation Team, who's new. I'm not sure why he's here since his main profession is as Chief Alchemist, but I hear he has a brilliant mind. Perhaps that's why he's needed to observe our trials."

"Alchemy…" Kaeya muses to himself. "Yeah, sounds weird."

"They call him the chalk prince," Diluc informs Kaeya, once again starting to fidget nervously. "Anyone who has a title like that is probably really hard to impress."

"Sounds pretentious," Kaeya says, even as he tries to get a handle on his feelings. Chalk and alchemy… now where has he heard that combination before? Kaeya shakes his head to clear it, because alchemy is a common sight in Mondstadt and that title could mean anything.

No, there's no way it can be Albedo, because last Kaeya checked he had been busy destroying their homeland. He hasn't even seen Albedo in so long now, although he yearns to. The night of Albedo's fourteenth birthday Kaeya had locked himself in his room, alone with his thoughts. There's no way Albedo could be here, no matter how much Kaeya wants to see him again.

These are all very good, logical reasons, and yet Kaeya still can't help hoping.

Pathetic, isn't it? To cling on to this faint hope so stubbornly. Any normal person would have moved on by now, but Albedo was the one good thing in Kaeya's life for so long. He's got a new family now, but the memory of Albedo still lurks at the edges of his thoughts.

Diluc flicking Kaeya's upper arm jolts him out of his thoughts. "So rude," he scolds. "He's right in front of us, you can't just insult a captain like that."

"Watch me," Kaeya says with an arch of his brow. He turns to look at whoever Diluc is talking about, preparing to say a funny quip to said captain. He turns and then he freezes.

A blond boy with a braided crown is standing several feet away at the top of the steps, smiling at a little girl with pointy ears in his arms. He's wearing a coat with a hood, shorts and thigh-high boots. "Klee, what did I say about Dodoco?" he asks in that smooth voice that is so achingly familiar to Kaeya. Turquoise eyes are as bright and alive with curiosity as ever. Kaeya watches, open-mouthed, as the alchemist lowers the girl to the ground with a final warning. It's not a particularly harsh one, as she's giggling up at him.

"Kaeya?" Diluc asks from beside him, concerned.

Kaeya's heart is pounding as he snaps his head round to stare straight at Diluc. "That's… that's him?" Kaeya asks, aware of how shaky his voice is. His own legs are barely supporting him as wave upon wave of emotion floods through his chest – relief, confusion, and joy all fighting for dominance in his brain.

"...yes?" Diluc takes a tentative step forward, obviously unsure of what to make of his expression. "Kaeya, are you –"

"Is his name Albedo?"

Diluc's eyes widen. "How did you know that? I don't believe I've ever told you –"

"Diluc," Kaeya croaks weakly. He's going to suffer and die. A million memories flash before his eyes. His heart is pounding way too hard and fast and all Kaeya can concentrate on is, "it's him."

Diluc looks like he's about to ask Kaeya what he means before recognition glimmers in his eyes and he lets out a soft, "Oh."

"Diluc, what do I do?" Kaeya pleads, shaking Diluc slightly by the shoulders. He glances over at Albedo every few seconds and the blond is there, he's right out of his reach but he's there, drawing something in his sketchbook for the young girl beside him. The soft smile is as blinding as Kaeya last saw it, that cute expression of concentration on his face one that Kaeya has seared into his permanent memory. He's itching to reach out for him and yet… Kaeya can't.

"Try talking to him," Diluc suggests.

Kaeya bites his lip. "I… are you sure? But… but your trial…"

"Forget about the trial," Diluc says, waving a hand around. "You've seen me fight a billion times already. Go get your prince." Just to be annoying, Diluc gives him a sly smile that he has most definitely learned from Kaeya. Too bad Kaeya's currently too frazzled to give Diluc the punishment he deserves. Kaeya doesn't know why, but his quick wit has completely fled him and he's just standing there, gaze flickering between Diluc and Albedo, just doing nothing.

Evidently, Diluc grows tired of this, because Kaeya suddenly finds himself being pushed forward and he's struggling against his hold because oh no, no, no, he's not ready. He's both dreading and desiring their meeting now, because there are so many things he wants to say, yet so many ways to screw it up and –

When they get close enough, Albedo looks up, alerted by his footsteps. He stares into Kaeya's one eye, and Kaeya notes the recognition that flickers to life in those teal depths. It's over in a second because Albedo stumbles to his feet, hurriedly telling the little girl, "Klee, I've got to go," and then Albedo is clutching his sketchbook to his chest and fleeing.

Kaeya stays rooted to the spot for a solid few moments as the clacking footsteps of Albedo fade. Then he turns to Diluc with a shaky laugh and tries to joke, "I really ruined your –"

"For fuck's sake, run after him, you idiot!" Diluc snarls, pushing Kaeya insistently in the direction that Albedo has fled. Sadly, Diluc with a flaming greatsword sounds even scarier than whatever Albedo might say, so Kaeya has to will his uncooperative legs into a sprint. Leaving Diluc behind, Kaeya runs and runs throughout Mondstadt after that familiar head of blond hair. He doesn't care about just how many people are staring at him like he's a madman. Kaeya's singular focus is on catching up to the boy in front of him as he calls his name through the crowd.

Unfortunately for Albedo, Kaeya's longer legs are a large advantage, and he gains quickly on the blond. Seemingly sensing the pointlessness of continuing to run, Albedo finally skids to a stop in the woods right outside Mondstadt's side gates. He stands there, clutching his sketchbook in trembling hands as Kaeya catches up to him. It's a few moments before Kaeya, still panting for breath, dares to ask, "Albedo?"

"...Kaeya." Back still facing Kaeya, he watches as Albedo clutches his sketchbook harder. "It's… been a while."

"...indeed it has." Kaeya bites the inside of his cheek, hating this feeling of awkwardness that has settled over them. He's not sure what he was expecting, honestly. To fall into Albedo's arms? To have those pale fingers brush against strands of blue hair? To sweep him up into a passionate kiss like he would have all those months ago? Being with Albedo has never been that easy, and it seems now he's putting his walls back up.

A long silence transpires between them, before Kaeya finally asks, "Aren't you going to look at me?"

This is the wrong move, for as soon as Kaeya says that Albedo hunches his shoulders and angles his head downwards at the grass. His lithe frame starts shaking, and Kaeya straightens up in alarm as he hears Albedo start sobbing. He's never heard this from the other boy before, not even on the darkest of nights that happened so long ago.

"Albedo," Kaeya says in a hushed voice. Awkwardness be damned, Kaeya rushes forward and places his arms around the blond's waist. Kaeya had been half-expecting Albedo to pull away, but Albedo leans back into his warmth even as more sobs wrack his small body.

"Why are you crying?" Kaeya asks gently, stroking Albedo's hair just like he had back in the palace. It had always been a comforting gesture to the other, and even now some of the tension dissipates from Albedo's shoulders at the touch.

His voice sounds brittle and fragile, as though Albedo doesn't trust himself to speak. "Don't you hate me?" Albedo finally asks quietly.

Stunned, Kaeya can only ask, "Why would I hate you?"

Albedo finally adjusts his position to look at Kaeya. His eyes are red-rimmed from the tears, but he still looks so, so beautiful. "I remember everything that happened that night," Albedo whispers, still hiccuping. "I… I remember as I grabbed you by the throat and tried to kill you. I'm the reason you have that eyepatch now, and... Kaeya, I-I'm so sorry, so sorry..." Albedo breaks off into louder sobs as he squeezes his eyes shut.

"Albedo," Kaeya says, tightening his grip around him. Tears are starting to fall down the planes of his own face. "It's not your fault. You weren't in control of yourself, and I didn't listen to your warning to run. Please don't blame yourself. Please, Albedo, don't cry."

Albedo continues sniffing, but at least there's a little humor in his shaky chuckle. "You always were… such a rebel," he hiccups, opening his eyes to look at Kaeya with that sea of deep turquoise.

Kaeya dares to give him a little grin. "Exactly, and that's why you aren't getting rid of me anytime soon."

"But I… I hurt you…"

"And I forgive you," Kaeya insists. "It's not your fault. You even tried to help me. Unless you're telling me you forgot about that?"

"I assisted in your kingdom's destruction," Albedo retorts, even though his tone is full of sorrow. "Even now, I don't know how you can look at me like that..."

"What else did you do? Do you remember?" Kaeya asks gently, brushing his hand over Albedo's shoulder.

Albedo is silent for a while. "I didn't kill anyone," he finally answers. "My fellow creations took care of that long before I could. However, I did stand by while they… I didn't do anything to save them, Kaeya, t-they were all just dying and the only thing my body could do... was obey Durin…"

"Durin?" Kaeya asks, more to distract Albedo from crying yet again. He already has a sneaking suspicion who it is.

"Did you see the dragon as it burned our land into dust?" Albedo's voice is bitter. "Dragons are independent, solitary creatures, but never evil. I suppose that with his connection to our land, as corruption leaked into the soil, he, too, fell prey to it the same way I did. That night, a former protector called his brothers and sisters to arms. Yet, his janky actions, his thoughts as he laid waste to Khaenri'ah... I don't think Durin really knew what he was doing, either..." Albedo glances down at the grass beneath their feet, as though doing so will grant privy to the underground dragon's thoughts once more.

"You mean…" Kaeya swallows. "This whole time with Gold's Khemia experiments… it was corrupting a whole dragon?"

Albedo's sad, wistful smile is answer enough. "And I was under his every command."

"But… but still, Albedo." Kaeya takes Albedo's hands in his and stares into his eyes with his one, sincerity in his expression. "You weren't in control of yourself."

"I might not have been," Albedo replies, regret in his eyes. "But I couldn't break free of it by myself, either. The only reason I'm here now is due to a divine blessing. And… and if I were to hurt you again, Kaeya…" Albedo's words trail off into a choked sob. "I don't know what I'd do," he confesses. "You don't know how many nights I laid awake wondering if you'd even survived."

"Have you forgotten what I'm like, Albedo? You aren't getting rid of me that easily." Seizing the chance, Kaeya leans in, their faces barely inches from each other. "If this happens again, you'll tell me off for being an idiot who doesn't listen to you," says Kaeya gently, brushing a hand across Albedo's cheek, "and I'll let you know just how willing I am to do it again."

Albedo actually lets out a little giggle at that. Tears are still glistening at the edges of his eyes, but at least he doesn't seem to be on the verge of breakdown anymore. He looks up at Kaeya and breathes out, "I suppose I really am stuck with you."

"Forever," Kaeya promises with a squeeze of Albedo's hand.

They stand like this under the shade of Mondstadt's trees, just content to hold each other for a few moments. After a while, Albedo finds it fit to rest his head against Kaeya's chest. Kaeya wonders if Albedo can hear the erratic beating of his heart.

"Albedo… how did you end up here?" Kaeya finally asks as he feels Albedo's sobs quietening down. Better to gently guide Albedo away from his guilt. Kaeya has learned after living with the Ragnvindrs just how important it is to live in the present. They're here now. They need to look towards the future.

Albedo remains deep within his thoughts for a few more moments, before he explains, "It was a long story. I remember coming back to my body and finding all this destruction around me. It was as though I had just woken up from a deep sleep, except… not really, because the entire time the flames felt like they were burning up my body from the inside out. I wasn't really aware of what I was doing, but the conscious part of me was just praying to all the gods out there in Celestia… that they'd free me from this plight..."

Albedo lifts up something lying around his neck. Kaeya looks down at it, and notes for the first time the small pendant that hangs just below Albedo's four-pointed star. "When I came back to myself, I found this vision just beside me," he explains. "I didn't know what this was at first, but I've come to understand the world beyond Khaenri'ah more after coming to live on the surface. There's a saying in alchemy – 'from soil was birthed chalk'. I theorise that the lord of earth – Rex Lapis, as I believe he's called – heard my prayers and deemed me worthy of purification."

"Then I believe I owe him my deepest thanks," Kaeya says as he gazes upon Albedo's face with a smile of his own.

Albedo prods a curious finger against the cryo vision that resides at Kaeya's hip. "And perhaps I should make an offering to the Tsarita."

"Maybe later," Kaeya suggests. "You still haven't told me how you came to Mondstadt."

"It's a less exciting story. By the time I came to, I was all alone. Just like you probably did, I climbed out of the underground," Albedo recounts. "I came to this city eventually, and slept outside under the stars. I suppose my behaviour came off as strange to regular humans, as one day one of the adventurers in Mondstadt, Alice, asked me if I had been kicked out of my home."

Kaeya snorts. "That's certainly one way of putting it."

Even Albedo smiles slightly at his joke. "I told her I was indeed homeless, and she took me in. That little girl, Klee, you saw just now… well, it seems like I've gained a little sister."

"Well, I've gained a little brother," Kaeya says with a roll of his eyes. "He's nowhere near as cute as she is. You've lucked out."

Albedo hums in thought. "Ah, yes, he did look like one of the trainees whose trial I am…" Albedo's face pales. "...supposed to be watching over right this moment."

"They should be okay with you not being there, right?" Kaeya asks, concerned, because Albedo's hair is all messed up and his eyes are still red from tears. "They saw you run off crying. Do you still need some time?"

"Kaeya, this is my job," Albedo insists. Grabbing Kaeya's hand, he strides back to the headquarters as fast as he can. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he does his best to make it look like he hasn't been crying. Kaeya can't help but let out an exasperated sigh of fondness. Even after all this time, some things will never change.

"So how did you become a captain at age fourteen anyway?" Kaeya questions Albedo.

"Before Alice left, she wrote the knights a recommendation letter." Albedo is back to gesturing animatedly as he talks about his research. "I'm grateful she did so. As Chief Alchemist, I get to have a laboratory all to myself. It's wonderful – you should come visit sometime."

"To think that for the past few months we've just barely been missing each other," Kaeya remarks. "This is all because the Ragnvindrs live in that big fancy mansion away from modern civilization. What barbarians!"

"That's big talk coming from former royalty." A smirk plays along the edge of Albedo's lips. This is absolutely infuriating, but Kaeya will give it a pass considering how much better a smirk is than his tears.

In response, Kaeya rolls his eyes. "Well, okay then! I didn't want to blame you, but you forced my hand, Mr. 'I don't care about anything that's not alchemy'!"

"Perhaps you should try becoming more interesting, then," Albedo scoffs, but malice is absent from his voice. When Kaeya looks at him, he's smiling. The sun casts Albedo in a golden light and emphasises the sparkle in his pretty eyes, and Kaeya is suddenly so grateful they came to the land where the sun shines.

"I'm glad I found you again," Kaeya says, running the edge of his fingertips along Albedo's hand. He allows frost to coalesce at his light touches. Albedo's pace falters slightly, and pink blooms across his pale cheeks. He clutches his sketchbook tighter to his chest.

"So am I," he admits, a fond smile across his face.

"After this… I'd like to take you on a date for real, if that's okay," Kaeya says, bashfulness creeping back into his tone. "We never really got the chance to back in Khaenri'ah, and… well, you deserve the world."

Albedo flushes even prettier at that compliment. "I'd like that very much," he admits, brushing the tips of his blond hair with his own fingers. "Maybe after these trials? I'm free for a while before I have to go back to my experiments."

"It would be my pleasure," Kaeya purrs, watching in amusement as Albedo swallows thickly.

Albedo and Kaeya show back up at the trials with hands intertwined. A woman with a blonde ponytail in a black ribbon looks over, and simply beckons Albedo to come over with no chastising. Albedo hastily walks over and flips open his sketchbook to a fresh page, writing down some details the woman is saying to him. Diluc catches Kaeya's gaze from amongst the other teens, and he's giving Kaeya the most annoyingly smug look. Kaeya rolls his eyes and sticks his tongue out in a decidedly childish gesture.

Still, despite everything, Kaeya feels affection rushing through his veins at the city and the people before him. For his newfound family who accepted him without question. For Albedo's family, who also sought to take him in. For this city of wind and freedom, who welcomed them both as a child of Mond even when they came from cursed lands beyond Teyvat.

Kaeya isn't sure what the future will bring, but as he looks up to the sky blessed by the winds of Barbatos… Kaeya feels like he's finally come home.

Notes:

Hey guys, heads up that the next chapter's the last one. I don't plan on covering every major event that happens in canon sadly, as this fanfic was mostly a Kaeya introspective above all. I'll be cleaning up (most) loose ends and then ending it, since I feel like it's a good spot for one.

This fanfic started as an extended oneshot and I'm glad to see how many of you enjoy it! Thank you for all your comments, kudos, and support throughout this journey.

Chapter 20

"Young man, you are required to bring Kaeya back home before dark. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Albedo's voice remains calm and clear even in the presence of Crepus's hard stare. Kaeya cringes and tries to shuffle away, but his father isn't having any of it.

"No funny business, you hear me? Are we in agreement, Kaeya?" Being the subject of Crepus Ragnvindr's crimson glare is always unnerving even for the best of men. As a loyal son, it’s all Kaeya can do sheepishly nod his head.

"Father," Diluc complains from within the manor, "you're threatening my superior."

"While Sir Albedo is on Ragnvindr land, he will be subject to our rules." Crepus turns around and waggles his finger at Diluc at the fireplace. "That goes for you as well when you get older, Diluc. Understood?"

"Father, why must you act this way," Diluc groans more than questions. Kaeya glances inside, and Diluc meets his eye with equal parts sympathy and amusement. Kaeya shrugs helplessly in response.

"Are there any other rules, sir?" Albedo asks politely, apparently oblivious to the tension in the air. Kaeya is suddenly overcome with an urge to throttle him. As it turns out, living in Mondstadt has done nothing to improve Albedo's social skills.

"You may explore the city, but avoid the bars," Crepus says automatically. "Believe me, Kaeya, my employees will tell me if you dare to step foot inside."

Kaeya heaves a large sigh. Father just has to be so embarrassing in front of Albedo. If they hadn’t grown up together, he’s pretty sure Albedo would long since have fled or abandoned him. Just great. Just his luck. "Alright, alright already! We understand! Can we go now, please?" Kaeya practically begs.

Crepus’s eyes narrow. "By nightfall," he reminds the boys again before he shuts the door on them both.

Albedo and Kaeya stare at each other for a while, silenced by Crepus’s words.

"He really does care for you as his own son," says Albedo after a while, humor stirring in his quiet voice.

"Shut it," Kaeya retorts, feeling hot under his collar with embarrassment. He turns and storms off in the direction of the heart of Mondstadt. He’s forbidden from entering the taverns yet again, but he could really go for a glass of apple cider right now.

“Where are you going?” Albedo calls after him. This makes Kaeya stop in his tracks and turn around.

“Uh, to the city?” Kaeya replies, confusion written all over his face.

“The city? Oh, no, no.” Albedo’s chuckles are laced with a hint of danger. “Let's head elsewhere. One of my… colleagues said Starnatch Cliff has a rather nice view in the evening.”

Kaeya stares at Albedo. “You want to go there?”

“Why? Have you been there before?” Albedo’s eyes are wide and innocent even as he shoots Kaeya a sly smile.

Kaeya knows his disbelief is plainly on display. He makes vague gestures with both his hands as he continues, “No, I haven’t, but you heard father! Since when did you become such a rebel, Albedo?”

“Rebel? I don’t know what you’re talking about. The only instructions given were to bring you back home by nightfall, after all.” Albedo hums and starts walking off in the direction of what Kaeya assumes to be Starsnatch Cliff. Face flushed, Kaeya simply sighs and shakes his head before he dashes off after his companion.

This right bastard. Kaeya has taught him too well.

The journey to Starsnatch Cliff is awkward at first, but soon Kaeya finds that they easily settle back into their old camaraderie. Kaeya will say something funny, and Albedo will respond in exasperation. Albedo will occasionally point out objects of interest, and Kaeya will tease him back. Kaeya finds himself smiling so often his cheeks hurt, a feeling lighter than air settling itself deep into his heart. Oh, he’s missed this. He’s missed Albedo for so long, and now he’s finally back here with him. Kaeya wants to do nothing more than savour this moment, overprotective fathers be damned. Kaeya reaches for Albedo’s hand and feels his heart pound faster at the gesture being returned.

Getting to their destination involves quite a lot of physical activity. After climbing up higher, the duo find themselves confronted by an angry anemo slime. After living in Teyvat for some time, Kaeya has become acquainted with the monsters that roam the wilderness. As such, Kaeya draws the sword he has brought with him. “Albedo, care to show me some of your new moves?” Kaeya asks, brandishing his teeth in a grin.

“Of course. I’ve been wondering the same of you myself,” Albedo replies in an airy tone. Kaeya watches as Albedo draws his own sword with a flourish, and realises it's the first time he has seen Albedo with an actual weapon. This sword is made of metal and has fine blue details that match the colours of his outfit. Kaeya watches, fascinated, as Albedo extends his palm and golden petals burst to life. Geo energy makes the ground beneath their feet rumble and quake. The slime jerks back as a fine blossom blooms and strikes it roughly.

Delicate and beautiful, yet simple and effective. Just like its user.

Impressed, Kaeya launches himself forward. In the same breath, he thrusts his sword dead center, between the slime’s eyes. Frost gathers at the edge and spills out violently in a shockwave, and the slime makes a pained look as the icy coldness chills it to its very core. Albedo swings his sword in a perfect arc, cutting through the slime. Kaeya pulls back and watches as its body fades into ashes, a green streak flying through the air before it disappears.

“You did great,” Kaeya praises Albedo as he sheathes his sword.

“So did you,” says Albedo, happiness glimmering in his eyes at Kaeya’s words. "You should join the knights along with Diluc."

"Hmm," muses Kaeya with a glint in his lavender eye. "What's in it for me?"

"Well…" Albedo says with a coy tilt of his head. "You'd get to see me more often."

"Ah, yes. To take care of the Chief Alchemist who leaves his toys lying around like this?" Kaeya eyes the pretty golden blossom at their feet.

“It will fade after a while,” he explains. “It’s a geo construct, not an actual living being.” Albedo grows quiet at that, staring at his hands before admitting, “I know I dedicated my entire life to studying Khemia, but now I don’t know if I want to continue. After witnessing what happens when it spills out of control like that…”

Kaeya shivers, forcing the dark memories out of his head. “It’s your choice, Albedo,” Kaeya says even as he has to force down his own misgivings. “I know how much it means to you.”

“I don’t know if my curiosity is worth another nation as well as the army that slays it,” Albedo says, wringing his hands together. “I know we destroyed Khaenri’ah, but… those creatures… Durin… in that moment when our hearts beat as one, I could feel all of their pain, confusion, and suffering.”

“...can you still feel them now?”

Albedo shakes his head. “I broke out of Durin’s hold. I… I hope he stays down there. I can't imagine what would happen if he were to come to the surface.”

Kaeya swallows, and tries not to think about the dragon of shadows trapping his little brother under its huge talons. He blinks, and shakes away the voice eating at him from the inside. “Is that likely to happen?”

“Hopefully not for some time. We as humans could climb out, but the gap is far too tiny for such a large beast,” says Albedo with a thoughtful expression. “But, Kaeya… I don’t know what would happen if I were to corrupt another dragon like that. Mondstadt would be… would be...”

Kaeya is silent. He reaches forward and places a hand on Albedo’s shoulder. “But you won’t be like Gold,” says Kaeya confidently. “If you choose to pursue your Khemia, you’ll use it for good. I know you will. A second Durin won’t come to be. We’ll have learnt from our kingdom’s past mistakes.”

They’re merely words, but Albedo smiles like Kaeya has just given him the ultimate reassurance. And Kaeya knows them to be true. Albedo has a kind, gentle heart, even if he is made from chalk and dust. He wouldn’t ever inflict that kind of suffering on anyone else, especially not when he himself has had to endure so much pain. Having his entire body burn from the inside out due to corruption… Kaeya can’t imagine living through what Albedo has. His thoughts briefly flicker to a cursed dragon destined to rampage underground for all of eternity, and it sends a chill down his spine.

“By the way, this construct has a second function,” Albedo says then with a shake of his head, pushing Kaeya out of the gloom of his thoughts. He’s clearly trying to change the subject, so Kaeya lets him.

Kaeya smirks down at his companion. “Oh? Do show me.”

Kaeya certainly was not expecting Albedo to wrap his arms around his waist, standing so close that their bodies press together. Kaeya feels himself being pulled forward so they’re standing on the golden flower. “Careful, it’s going up,” says Albedo with a playful sparkle in his eyes.

Now, if only Kaeya had been paying attention, but he had been rather lost in the other boy’s eyes. When the flower forms a crystalised geo platform, Kaeya stumbles forward and has to be caught by Albedo. Albedo intertwines his free, gloved hand in Kaeya’s, an obvious affection in the gesture. Kaeya for his part doesn’t know whether the pounding of his heart is due to fear or his close proximity to Albedo. He catches Albedo's smug gaze, and it beats faster.

The flower brings them up the rest of the way, and Kaeya steps onto the highest point of Snarsnatch Cliff with wonder in his soul. This close, he can see the sunset like never before, reds and pinks and blues awash in a beautiful haze. He turns to Albedo, and realises the other boy is staring at him.

“See something you like?” Kaeya asks with a one-eyed wink.

Albedo huffs and walks closer to the edge of the cliff. “I see a fool who thinks he’s more charismatic than he really is.” He sits down at the precipice, his legs dangling over the ground below. Like this, Albedo’s entire form is tinged in orange light and it steals Kaeya’s breath away.

“Oh?” Kaeya finally remembers to respond. He takes a seat next to Albedo, hugging his knees to his chest. “Who was it who convinced someone like you to go on a date with him?”

Albedo is silent at that. “It has been most difficult getting the memories of you out of my mind," Albedo confesses. “I… this is embarrassing, but… I’ve missed you, my prince.”

“No longer the prince here,” Kaeya reminds Albedo. With a teasing lilt to his voice, Kaeya continues, “I’ve missed you too, Kreideprinz.”

“Don’t call me that, I don’t even know how that became so widespread,” Albedo protests even as his face flushes red from embarrassment. “The people of Mondstadt… they’re really so friendly with each other.”

Kaeya grins and inches closer at Albedo’s discomfort. “Too bad, you’re stuck with that nickname now. Anyway, it suits you. You’ve always been the more princely out of the two of us. I bet they saw your handsome face and unending charm and came up with that title.”

“O-oh,” is the only response Albedo gives, his gaze rapidly flickering between the horizon and Kaeya’s face. His gloved fingers are twitching and he’s kicking his legs more agitatedly now. The evening light casts Albedo in an ethereal glow as he sits amongst a bed of flowers the same ashen blond as his hair.

Kaeya isn’t even joking. Albedo is a vision and he is so, so glad the other boy has allowed him close enough to witness this.

Maybe this is why Kaeya suddenly blurts out, “Dance with me.”

Albedo’s head snaps up to stare at Kaeya. Teal eyes blink prettily in surprise.

“You can’t be a prince if you don’t know how to dance,” says Kaeya, though the mischievous tone of his voice has faded, his expression now one of sincerity and honesty.

Albedo still doesn’t reply, but he stands up on shaky legs. With a trembling arm, he extends it to Kaeya. The blue-haired boy rises to his own feet, heart pounding in his chest as he accepts Albedo’s hand. With a bow, Kaeya twirls Albedo around once, twice, bringing him close to his chest so they can stare into each other’s eyes. It’s Albedo who takes the final leap once again, tilting his head upwards and pressing his lips against Kaeya’s.

Warmth explodes in Kaeya’s chest, sending a wave of sensation rushing throughout his veins. Kaeya breaks away after a moment, gasping, “You really don’t know how to dance, do you? That was over way too quickly.”

Albedo’s smile is sly. He leans in once more, raising one leg to rub sensually against Kaeya’s thigh. “Why don’t you show me, then?” Albedo whispers, eyelashes fluttering, his expression coy and inviting, and Kaeya can’t help but oblige.

Perhaps they are simply living on borrowed time. Perhaps there will come an instance in the near future when their homeland calls again. Perhaps they might not even be together in ten years. But as Kaeya guides Albedo through the steps of a dance he had once known, he finds that for now, being here together with his companion is enough. There’s simply the sunset, the cecilias, and Albedo’s warm hands in his.

Notes:

Hello all, we've come to the end of this fic. Everything might not be completely resolved, but these two got their happy ending. I'm super grateful to all of you who took their time to read this fic. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me!

Chapter 21: Epilogue

In the distance, there are two young lovers, deeply intertwined within one another in a dance, unfamiliar to those who call Mondstadt their home. The shorter of the two has hair that gleams like the golden sun in this evening light, and the forgotten prince’s one eye sparkles with absolute delight. The sight is almost blissful. Almost.

“Rhinedottir?”

The woman shakes her head and turns to regard her friend, staring at her with a certain curiosity in her expression. “What are you thinking about?” she asks, voice as light and bubbly as always. “Did you see something on Starsnatch Cliff?”

Rhinedottir shakes her head. “Nothing worth your while,” she responds calmly. “Anyway, Alice, don’t you have a new hilichurl experiment for me?”

The distraction works as Rhinedottir intended. With a whoop and a cheer, Alice brings out her trusty adventurer’s backpack with a flourish. “The bombs I made yesterday are even more flashy and extra spectacular,” she exclaims excitedly, juggling the objects in her hands like they aren’t weapons of mass distraction. “I wonder how my little Klee is doing. I could teach her to make even livelier explosives! If only I had the time to make it all the way back home…”

Rhinedottir stiffens as an automatic reflex, but she forces herself to relax before Alice catches on. “Luckily, Albedo’s proving to be a great big brother to her! Not that I had any doubts, I mean, but Klee sends me letters every once in a while, and she just seems to adore him!”

“I’m glad to hear Albedo is fitting in nicely with your family,” says Rhinedottir with a smile she has perfected all too easily, from a time that feels so long ago.

Alice stops short at that, giving a quizzical tilt of her head. “Of course he is,” she says, bewildered. “He is family. Sadly, he doesn’t seem to have an interest in Klee’s Dodoco, but I guess he’s in his weird teenage phase.”

Rhinedottir can’t help the pool of negativity that wells up in her chest, and hates the fact she can’t even tell what emotion it is. A floating, swirling maelstrom of regret, anger… and even jealousy? That can’t be. Rhinedottir forces down these feelings and replies, “I’m glad at least one person in your family isn’t as horribly destructive as you are.” The playfulness of her tone doesn’t match up with her thoughts.

She knows exactly how destructive Albedo can be.

“That’s exactly why I have to pick up the slack,” Alice says cheerfully. “And if we don’t investigate these hilichurls soon, I’ll have to pick yours up as well!”

“I’m sure you will,” Rhinedottir says as neutrally as she can manage. It’s become a ritual of sorts, but she palms the fragment of a gold coin from Khaenri’ah almost as a subconscious affair.

Alice, for all her faults, isn’t malicious.

But what if someone had forced her to be? What if someone twisted her mind in painstaking ritual after ritual, involving blood and sacrifice and the forbidden arts?

Even as Rhinedottir follows in Alice’s bouncing steps, she looks at her feet, as if she can look deep underground in this manner, and see the charred remains of her homeland. The waste that she had brought down upon everyone.

Would the young prince forgive her for massacring his father and his people? Would the homunculus find any room in his heart for his creator who had forced him into situations against his will?

I’m sorry, Rhinedottir prays in her thoughts. To who, she doesn’t know.

Nobody responds, for the gods have no love for an alchemist who ruined even a godless land.

Notes:

I know, I know, I said the last chapter was the finale. But in light of the reveal that Rhinedottir is Gold, I decided to write something for this plot development. As a bonus, it answers the question of where she was since chapter 2. Once again, thank you to all my readers for your support! I also have a few other Kaebedo fics if you’re interested.