"That’s rich coming from you."

’Hm?’

Helios continued to smile.

He smiled even though it felt like his heart had just stopped inside his chest.

For a brief second, he genuinely wondered if he heard Ezra correctly.

’Did I hear that right?’ Helios thought, his gaze staying fixed on Ezra’s face even as something cold settled in his stomach.

Maybe he was tired.

Days of clearing hordes of Dark Ones without proper rest could do that to a person.

Maybe he was hearing things wrong.

Maybe he was hallucinating.

Because there was no way.

Absolutely no way—

That Ezra, his Ezra, would ever say something like that to him.

But then—

"You’ve been lying to me, Helios."

Helios’ eyes widened slightly.

Only slightly.

Still calm.

Still composed.

At least outwardly.

’Calm, Helios. Calm...’

Only the immatures panic.

His fingers tightened faintly against the armrest of the chair before relaxing again.

’This is Ezra.’

He couldn’t lash out like last time.

Couldn’t lose control again.

This was just—

What was this?

Helios’ thoughts moved quickly now, faster than his expression showed.

Ezra had been spending more time with Kaelis ever since returning to Luxaelis.

And though Helios had always been confident that he taught Kaelis well enough to stay quiet, well enough to know when to keep his mouth shut—

Everything had started slipping out of control.

Ezra specifically.

Because Ezra wasn’t reacting the way Helios expected him to.

Wasn’t behaving the way he usually would.

Maybe because Helios didn’t anticipate one thing.

Lior.

That child complicated everything.

"What do you mean, Ezra?" Helios asks, feigning ignorance smoothly as he kept his gaze steady on him.

He studied Ezra carefully.

Helios knew Ezra before Ezra even knew himself.

Knew every small habit.

Every expression.

Every little twitch that gave away his emotions no matter how hard Ezra tried to suppress them.

Ezra was distressed right now.

Trying very hard not to show it fully.

But Helios could see it anyway.

That slight flick on his eyebrow.

That tiny twitch near his mouth.

Small things.

But Helios always noticed.

Usually, Ezra’s frustration was directed toward other people.

Other situations.

Rarely him.

So whatever was happening now—

It was enough to concern Helios.

Just a little.

Only a little.

Because Ezra was still Ezra.

His obedient little puppy.

No matter how upset Ezra got, Helios always knew how to calm him down eventually.

Always knew how to redirect him.

No matter how much Ezra acted out right now, Helios still believed one thing wouldn’t change.

Ezra’s gratefulness.

That was what Helios thought.

’Oh?’

Ezra looked at him now with an expression Helios almost didn’t recognize.

Anger.

Real anger.

Still contained.

Still restrained.

But not restrained for Helios’ sake anymore.

It looked like Ezra actually wanted Helios to see how upset he was.

’That’s new,’ Helios thought, genuinely stunned now despite himself.

"Don’t act stupid," Ezra whispers, and even his voice sounded different now, shakier, tighter, like he was forcing himself not to completely lose control. "The bread...you...you never gave me the bread?"

Helios froze.

Actually froze.

Whatever calmness he had been carefully maintaining cracked for the first time since entering the room.

Not fully.

But enough.

Enough for silence to suddenly feel dangerous.

There was only one thought in his head now.

’How did he know?’

Then another.

’How could he have found out?’

And another.

’Why does he know?’

Then finally—

’Who told him?’

But honestly—

Who was Helios trying to fool?

There was only one bastard who knew the truth.

Only one person bitter enough.

Petty enough.

Desperate enough.

To tell Ezra while Helios was away.

Kaelis.

Helios wanted to explain.

Wanted to immediately tell Ezra that Kaelis was nothing but a liar, a bitter prince desperate for attention, and use every card he had to make sure Ezra doubted him instead.

Because that was easy.

That was familiar.

That was controllable.

But instead—

He went a different route.

"You’re angry because of the bread?" Helios asks, forcing out a small disbelieving laugh, his tone coated in fake disbelief. "Ezra, you and I both know what happened—"

"Bullshit."

Ezra said it almost venomously.

Sharp enough that Helios physically felt it.

And surprisingly—

It made Helios’ heart jump.

Not in a good way.

Not because he was angry.

No.

It made him feel something unfamiliar.

Something he hated the moment he recognized it.

Fear.

"All this time, you made me believe it was you who gave me the bread," Ezra continues, his voice shaking now despite how hard he was trying to keep it steady. "Why would you do that? What was your goal? How could you—"

Helios didn’t know why he interrupted him.

Maybe because he was running out of things to say.

Maybe because this was the first time Ezra was looking at him like this.

Like Helios wasn’t someone precious to him anymore.

Maybe because this was the first time Ezra spoke to him like he genuinely didn’t like him.

But Helios made a mistake.

A massive one.

"Ezra, I don’t know what Kaelis told you," Helios starts quickly, trying to regain control of the conversation before it slipped further away from him. "But it’s offensive for me that maybe because I’ve hidden a few things from you, that you would actually believe it was him who gave you that bread. I was the one who was there. Remember?"

Ezra stared at him.

Then something in his expression changed.

The anger disappeared.

Not fully.

But enough that Helios noticed immediately.

And for a brief second—

Helios almost felt satisfied.

’I know my Ezra,’ Helios thought as he leaned back slightly into his seat, relief quietly settling in his chest.

Because this was familiar.

This was how it always went.

Helios redirects.

Ezra hesitates.

Then Ezra folds.

"Kaelis has always been obsessed with being the center of attention," Helios continues smoothly now, confidence slowly returning to him. "He has always been trying to get your attention, yes? I haven’t told you that he has practically deluded himself into believing he was the one who—"

"Prince Kaelis gave me the bread?" Ezra whispers suddenly.

Not to Helios.

Mostly to himself.

But loud enough.

Far too loud enough.

"That’s how he knew?"

Helios’ smile twitched.

Very slightly.

Like it almost became a frown before he stopped it.

Because now he was confused.

Actually confused.

Ezra slowly looked back up at him.

And the expression on his face made something inside Helios go cold.

Pain.

Real pain.

"It was him this whole time and you..." Ezra’s voice cracked slightly despite himself. "Why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Ezra, I already told you, it wasn’t—"

Then Ezra dropped the bombshell.

"He wasn’t the one who told me about the bread."

The knight stood up from his seat as he said it.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Helios stared at him.

"He...didn’t?"

For the first time since entering the room, Helios genuinely looked caught off guard.

"Princess Alyce spoke to me," Ezra says, placing both hands firmly against the table between them, his breathing uneven now. "She told me how you two first met."

Helios’ heart dropped.

Hard.

’How we first—’

He didn’t anticipate that.

Didn’t even think about it.

"I put two and two together, Helios," Ezra continues, his voice getting tighter the more he spoke. "You could’ve never been the one who—"

"But I was the one who took you here!" Helios suddenly exclaims, standing up as well, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

The outburst stunned Ezra.

And unfortunately—

"Why screaming?"

Both adults immediately turned toward the bed.

Lior was awake now, rubbing at his eyes sleepily as he sat up against the blankets, his hair messy from sleep.

"Lior," Ezra breathes out immediately, the anger in his expression cracking for just a moment. "Don’t move, I’m just talking to Prince Helios."

"Heeyos?" Lior tilts his head sleepily, and the moment he notices Helios properly, his small face starts brightening, his hand already beginning to lift into a wave—

But—

"You have to leave," Ezra says coldly.

The warmth disappeared from his voice completely.

Helios looked stunned.

Actually stunned.

"Ezra, you can’t—"

"Leave."