Chapter 180: The K in Kaelis means Koward. Pt. 2

’Was he always this cold?’

Maybe.

Maybe it came from the streets.

From having to live like that, to survive like that, where softness didn’t get you anywhere, and hesitation only made things worse.

But the gaze—

It was different.

There was something sharp in it, something steady and unflinching that didn’t match how young he was, and it was enough to make Kaelis feel it, a faint shiver that ran down his spine before he could even stop it.

’Why does he look at me like that?’

And yet, when Ezra spoke again, his words didn’t match it at all.

"I-I’m sorry," Ezra said quickly, the tension in his voice obvious now that Kaelis was actually listening for it. "I didn’t know, Your Highness. Please don’t get me punished."

Kaelis blinked.

Then again.

It was funny.

It really was.

Because from the start, from the moment he pulled him away, the last thing on Kaelis’ mind was punishment, and yet Ezra kept circling back to it like it was inevitable.

’Does he think I’d do that?’

Kaelis glanced back at him, his expression shifting slightly, something quieter settling in.

"Punished? No. I’m not going to get you punished." His grip tightened just a little, not harsh, but firm enough to keep him from stepping away too quickly.

Now, it was time to be honest.

At least a little.

"I’ve been curious about you," Kaelis admitted, the words coming out slower this time, more deliberate. "And to think you’d fall so close to me of all people."

He paused for half a second.

’That sounded better in my head.’

Ezra visibly looked confused, his brows pulling together as he stared at Kaelis, the confusion quickly shifting into something sharper, something closer to a glare.

And that—

That made Kaelis tense.

’He really shouldn’t act like this in the palace,’ Kaelis thought, concern slipping in where the amusement used to be. ’Not everyone takes kindly to people like him.’

He knew that better than most.

Kaelis had multiple siblings, far more than what the public knew, and despite only a few being acknowledged openly by their father, the rest carried themselves like they owned everything.

And they weren’t kind.

’I should warn him before he bumps into the wrong people.’

Kaelis slowed.

Then stopped.

"But," Kaelis went on calmly, his tone shifting again, more composed now, more instructive, "for the record, and so you don’t embarrass yourself again, when you meet someone with eyes like mine, you do not look at them like that."

His hand moved without much thought, pulling Ezra’s arm down slightly—

Too suddenly.

Ezra lost his balance, his body tipping forward, and Kaelis reacted on instinct, his hand pressing against the back of Ezra’s head to steady him—

Only to realize too late what position that forced him into.

A bow.

A perfect one.

Kaelis froze for a second.

’Oh.’

Before he could process apologizing, before he could pull him back up, his thoughts snapped back to what he was trying to say.

And Ezra—

Ezra was already there.

Head lowered.

Posture correct.

"There," Kaelis said softly, almost without thinking, his voice lowering as he looked at the position. "You bow. You don’t meet our eyes."

He kept his hand there for a second longer than necessary before finally easing the pressure, though he didn’t pull away completely just yet.

Now, it was time to boast a little.

"This," Kaelis continued, his tone turning lighter again, almost lazy, "is how you properly address us. Just in case Helios forgot to teach you."

’See that? I’m better than Helios because I’m teaching you to be safe in the palace.’

The thought came with a small, quiet satisfaction, something almost childish that he didn’t bother hiding from himself.

He expected something in return.

Surprise.

Maybe curiosity.

Or even just silence, the kind that came from not knowing what to do next.

Any of those would’ve been fine.

Because more than anything—

He was just glad he was finally talking to him.

That this wasn’t just a passing glimpse.

That this wasn’t another failed attempt.

But—

Ezra didn’t react the way he expected.

Something in his expression shifted, something tight, something that didn’t quite look like confusion anymore.

It looked...off.

’Should I ask him if he’s okay?’ Kaelis thought, his brows pulling together slightly, uncertainty settling in for the first time since they left the bushes.

Before he could decide—

"Understood."

The words came out stiff.

Flat in a way that made Kaelis notice immediately.

And without thinking, he let go.

His hand dropped back to his side as he took a small step back, giving Ezra space he didn’t realize he needed to give.

’Did I do something wrong?’ Kaelis thought, the question lingering longer than he expected.

Kaelis watched him for a moment longer.

It didn’t take much to see it.

The boy wasn’t happy.

If anything, he looked like he wanted to leave, like he was already looking for the quickest way out, his body angled just enough to suggest he’d take it the moment he could.

That...wasn’t what Kaelis wanted.

Not after finally getting the chance to speak to him.

’No, don’t leave yet.’

He didn’t say that out loud.

Instead, he reached for something else, anything that would keep him there a little longer, something that wouldn’t sound desperate.

"Come," Kaelis said lightly, his tone easing back into something casual, something easier to accept. "I’ll get you out of here."

He turned slightly as he said it, as if it was already decided, as if Ezra would follow without question.

He wanted to walk with him.

Even if it was just for a little while.

"You don’t have to," Ezra replied almost immediately, his voice colder now, sharper in a way that hadn’t been there before. "I know my way, Your Highness."

Kaelis froze.

Just slightly.

The refusal settled heavier than he expected, his thoughts stalling for a second as he tried to figure out what to do next.

’No...that’s not...’

He wanted to say no.

Wanted to insist.

Wanted to keep him there.

But he couldn’t just say that.

So instead, he stood there for a brief moment, staring at Ezra, his mind moving quickly again, searching for something else to hold onto, something else to say.

Then—

Something clicked.

A different approach.

"You know," Kaelis said, stepping closer again, closing that bit of distance Ezra had tried to create, his tone shifting into something more familiar, something he was used to. "Since you’re younger than me, you probably haven’t presented yet."

His gaze dropped briefly, taking in Ezra’s frame, the way he carried himself, the subtle details he had learned to notice without effort.

He wanted to talk more.

And this—

This was something he understood.

Something he was good at.

"With your height," Kaelis continued casually, as if he was stating something obvious, "and the way you look in general, it’s obvious."

He folded his arms, settling into it more comfortably now that he had something to say.

"You’re going to be an omega."

Ezra went still; it was obvious to Kaelis that he did.

"And as an alpha," Kaelis went on, his tone taking on that familiar edge again, something just a little smug, a little self-assured, though beneath it there was something else, something quieter, "even if I am a prince, it’s my duty to protect little omegas like you in a place like this."

His lips curved slightly.

"Especially since you’re a boy. Male omegas are rare, you know."

’There. That should—’

He stopped.

Mid-thought.

Something else came to him.

Sudden.

His eyes widened just slightly, the realization hitting faster than he could filter it, his chest tightening in a way that didn’t feel good this time.

’I wonder...’

"I wonder if that’s why Helios brought you here."

Present...

Kaelis had always wondered if that had been the reason.

That single thought had lingered in the back of his mind for years, resurfacing whenever he looked at Ezra, whenever something didn’t quite make sense.

Until Ezra supposedly presented as an Alpha.

But...

That wasn’t the point of reminiscing.

The point was something much simpler.

And somehow...much harder to admit.

Kaelis had never known what to say to Ezra.

Not back then.

Not now.

Whenever Ezra’s eyes were on him, whenever that gaze settled on him fully, his mind would go blank, his thoughts tangling over themselves until nothing came out right.

’Why does it always end up like this?’

And maybe—

Maybe it was because he was scared.

He used to be scared.

No—

He still was.

That hadn’t changed.

In all the times Kaelis had tried, whether it was clumsy attempts as a child or sharper, more guarded interactions now, Ezra would always push back.

And fairly so.

Because from Ezra’s perspective, from the way things had been shaped around him—

He belonged to Helios.

Not in the way Kaelis wanted to think about it.

But in the way everyone else saw it.

And maybe...over the years, Kaelis had grown to dislike Ezra because of that.

Not openly.

Not in a way he could admit without feeling something twist in his chest.

But it was there.

That irritation.

That quiet resentment.

Even when he knew Ezra wasn’t at fault.

’It’s not his fault.’

Maybe that was why it frustrated him even more.

Because deep down, Kaelis knew the truth.

That it wasn’t Ezra he disliked.

It was himself.

The part of him that hesitated.

The part that stayed quiet.

The part that never said anything when it mattered.

And maybe—

Maybe he had convinced himself that he didn’t deserve to pursue Ezra anymore.

That whatever chance he had once, however small it was, had already passed.

Either way—

Kaelis couldn’t tell him.

Not now.

Not after all this time.

Maybe it was the situation.

Maybe it was the timing.

Maybe it was that same fear, still sitting where it always had been.

’It wouldn’t change anything.’

Or maybe...

He just didn’t want to see Ezra look at him differently.

So instead—

Kaelis settled for something smaller.

Something safer.

"All I know about the bread is that it wasn’t Helios," Kaelis says softly, his voice quieter than before, his eyes fixed on Ezra as he watched it happen.

Watched the realization settle.

Watched something break.

Ezra’s face changed.

Right in front of him.

And Kaelis felt it.

"I want you to tell me what more? What else?" Ezra asks, his voice tighter now, his gaze locked onto Kaelis.

But it wasn’t the same gaze.

Not the cold one Kaelis had gotten used to over the years.

That distant, sharp look that pushed everyone away.

This—

This looked familiar.

Too familiar.

’...that’s him.’

The same broken boy from the streets.

The one Kaelis had watched from afar.

The one he had tried so hard to reach.

And despite everything—

Despite the hesitation.

Despite the fear.

There was one mistake Kaelis refused to make again.

Not this time.

Not when Ezra was looking at him like that.

"I’ll help you," Kaelis says, his voice steadying as he lets a small, reassuring smile settle on his lips, softer than usual, less guarded. "I’ll tell you everything you want to know, Ezra."