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After secretly visiting his brother, Kishiar had been sneaking around the alleys near the palace under a black cloak when someone suddenly shouted,
"Watch out!"
Quickly with reflexes betraying his 'normal civilian' disguise, he jumped away from where he had just been standing. He barely had time to look up to see fluttering pink veils and violet eyes underneath them as the person quickly descended.
Kishiar breathed sharply as he took in the rest of the person's clothes - an elegant white mask with intricate deer antlers sprouting on the top and red flowers with ribbons framing the sides of the pink veils he saw earlier. Light purple silk outer robe with red floral patterns overlaying soft cottony white. They all fluttered with the wind and then fell perfectly into place, making the beautiful person look exquisitely graceful.
Kishiar let out an incredulous laugh as he asked a question his atheist childhood self that used to crash into temples to denounce them would hate him for. "Are you god?"
As if in utter disbelief, the person slightly lifted up his mask with a finely sculpted hand, breaking the momentary delusion Kishiar had, and stared at him. The man, oh it was a man, had an inexpressive face, but Kishiar somehow got the feeling that he was giving him an incredulous look as if asking if he was mentally okay.
Kishiar got the sentiment, but laughed and began smiling again, feeling very intrigued and very very fascinated by this person that literally fell from the sky.
"A god then." He joked despite knowing that the face reveal was supposed to be interpreted as a hard no. "What's god doing so far away from the mountains?" He asked, assuming that the person was supposed to be some mountain village's performer for a traditional festival.
The man continued giving him a stare that suggested he was stupid until voices were raised in the vicinity along with the heavy footsteps of armored knights. A frown marred those beautiful lips as he looked away from Kishiar to that direction. Understanding that they were after this person, Kishiar beamed and moved forward to grab the person's hand.
Great! A reason to hang out with this interesting person who was a lot more fun than the paperwork Nathan was probably trying to hunt him down to do.
Startled, the fake mountain god returned his eyes back on him and instinctively pulled his hand back, but Kishiar didn't let him escape as he grinned disarmingly and hopefully very friendly into the other's beautiful eyes.
"They're after you, right? Then come with me! I'll take you to the back door of a good tailor to change your clothes. You're too inconspicuous in these."
The fake mountain god only had a moment to think about it, the sound of footsteps and people searching drawing near, before he decided to follow with a nod.
Kishiar beamed brightly and then began leading the way, pulling the mountain god with him.
He could already tell that this was going to be fun. That the person he was holding the hands of were going to bring him a lot of fortune and fun.
-
As he waited in the private lounge of his favorite tailor, Kishiar felt giddy.
Watching his tailor hold many outfits to the man's chest made Kishiar realize that the fake mountain god really was handsome. Too aesthetic that even his tailor had a hard time deciding just which one was best for the fake mountain god.
But the experienced tailor finally decided on one and allowed the man to go change privately behind the curtain. As he passed by Kishiar, Kishiar whisper-asked him to keep the festival outfit. Although it was plain to him now that the materials were cheap, as it was a village festival costume, he still rather liked how it looked on the man and wanted to keep it.
He felt like he was going to see the man a lot more. No, Kishiar wanted to keep the man around a lot more, if possible always.
When the young man returned to the lounge with an elegant black suit, Kishiar made no pretense of not looking at him as he studied and appreciated how it looked. The previous light pastel like colors and flowing fabrics were nice, but black and sharp polished lines looked especially good on the stranger. If the man would let him, Kishiar would love to have a suit fitted and tailored perfectly for him.
The man himself seemed to study the outfit on him before he mentioned. "I don't have any money."
Kishiar grinned. His personality was also quite good if he wanted to pay him back. Not that Kishiar needed any money and he told the black haired man that too.
"No need, I wanted to. Besides this is all spare change for me - Feel free to even take some more clothes home."
The man shook his head, "Just this is fine. Thank you."
Before the man could wrongly think that he was being a burden and think of leaving, Kishiar asked. "It looked like you were running from something. Did you have a place to go? If you don't, you can work for me." Just stay by my side.
The black-haired young man hesitated before looking up at him. "I don't want to be a bother..."
Kishiar beamed. He didn't have a place. Perfect. "You won't be! I was looking for an assistant anyways." Lies - Even if Kishiar wasn't self-sufficient and mostly independent, Nathan could do everything for him, but he made up a position on the spot anyways.
The black-haired young man thoughtfully listened as Kishiar described what he would have to do, sometimes interjecting honestly with things that would normally disqualify him for the position.
"I can't read or write." He mentioned once and Kishiar without skipping a beat waved his hand away, "You seem smart. I'm sure it'll be easy for you to learn. We can teach you."
"I don't know how to fight with a sword..." Kishiar's eyes glowed as he eagerly offered himself. "I'll teach you. I would love to teach you the sword. I think I'm quite good at it." He would love to. Maybe as he taught him, he could even hold his hand so as to teach him the proper grip and stances.
Finally, the black-haired man mentioned something that he had been thinking about.
"Why do you want me?"
Ah. So he did notice that Kishiar was just making it up to have him close.
Kishiar eyed the black-haired man contemplatively before deciding to be honest.
"You're interesting. I like you and I think you'll be worth it." He really did think so. There was something about the man that just attracted him and something about the man that said he'll be something if he just had the opportunity.
The black-haired man thought a little longer, ruminating over the words, before nodding.
"Alright. Is there a way I should address my employer?"
Kishiar blinked before realizing. "Ah." Had they really not introduced themselves? He felt so attracted that he thought that they already had. "Right. I am Kishiar La Orr or Duke Peletta of the Peletta Duchy."
The black-haired man's eyes widened a little, but otherwise amusingly didn't show much more surprise. Bowing his head a little, now knowing that he was a Duke, he introduced himself. "My name is Yuder."
Kishiar smiled at the refreshing reaction and then patted the seat on the couch next to him. "Yuder. It's a good name. Yuder, come here and sit." Yuder, he repeated in his head. He liked the sound of that name.
Yuder hesitated a little, but obeyed and sat next to him. Kishiar offered him a glass of wine, perks of being a VIP customer in the private lounge of the store, and Yuder accepted it after a while.
"So, if you don't mind, what were you running from? Is there someone I should keep an eye out for?"
Yuder paused, but shook his head.
"No. A noble came to our village and thought I was some mountain god." As Kishiar sipped his wine and listened in interest, Kishiar idly thought that he understood why. Even now in a suit, he thought Yuder was a little divine.
"He wanted to marry me in the capital," Kishiar coughed, nearly choking on his wine. "but it shouldn't be a problem." Yuder contemplated and nodded with finality. "He didn't see my face."
"Wait. Go back." Kishiar asked. "A noble kidnapped you to marry you in the capital... and you escaped. But you don't mind me wanting to hire you because I like you?" Among other reasons, but Kishiar did say that. Even if he didn't quite mean it in the way that noble did. Well, kind of, but that was a thought for the future. Kishiar was a gentleman, after all. Courting should always come before marriage.
Yuder blinked as if he had never considered that before he looked at Kishiar again. After looking at him for a while, the black haired man nodded.
"I don't mind. Your highness is more handsome."
This time, Kishiar did choke.
This person had to be god. He was killing him.