"Brother Kaelis!"

Aurien’s voice echoed brightly through the throne room the second Kaelis stepped inside.

Kaelis and Aamon had split up earlier in the halls, mostly because Aamon apparently needed to personally fetch Samson before the meeting properly started.

Which meant Kaelis arrived alone.

And unfortunately—

The first thing he saw upon entering the throne room were two people waiting there already.

One person he didn’t mind seeing.

And one person he absolutely did.

’I know what I told Ezra but...’ Kaelis thought quietly the second his eyes landed briefly on Helios standing near the side of the room.

But Kaelis immediately looked away and headed straight toward Aurien instead.

’...the only suspect I actually have is Helios.’

He was almost sure it was Helios all along.

"How are you, brother?" Aurien asks warmly as soon as Kaelis reaches him, immediately pulling him into a quick hug while patting his back lightly.

Kaelis exhales softly at the familiar affection.

Aurien had always been easy to be around.

Comfortable.

He only ever showed bad behavior towards Helios, and Helios only.

"Just fine," Kaelis answers as they pull away, smiling down at him faintly. "I should be asking you that instead. How was clearing the horde and cleaning up afterward?"

"It was a success, of course," Aurien says proudly, brushing some of his dark hair behind his ear. "We headed back immediately after everything settled down."

"And the others? The knights?"

"All back resting," Aurien answers. "We decided to give everyone a break. Your knights included."

Kaelis nods slowly.

"It’s well deserved after all that," he says honestly before sighing dramatically. "Though if I’m being honest, I was looking forward to the public punishment."

"You’ve always been a fan of good old whipping." Aurien laughs softly at that. "But Captain Aamon cancelled it."

"Oh?" Kaelis raises an eyebrow in surprise. "That’s new. Captain Aamon St. Clair-De la Cour sparing badly behaved knights?"

"Apparently they helped a lot during the sudden wave of Dark Ones that attacked camp," Aurien explains as they slowly start walking deeper into the throne room together. "That earned them enough brownie points."

Kaelis hums thoughtfully. ’That is true—’

Then unfortunately—

His eyes drifted.

Just slightly.

And too late, he realized his mistake.

Because he ended up glancing toward Helios anyway.

Helios was standing alone near one side of the throne room.

Watching him.

Directly.

Not even pretending otherwise.

The intensity of Helios’ stare immediately made something uncomfortable crawl beneath Kaelis’ skin.

’I really don’t have the patience for this today,’ Kaelis thought tiredly, quickly looking away again.

He was already worried about Lior.

"I’m surprised though," Aurien suddenly whispers beside him, leaning slightly closer.

"Hm?" Kaelis glances at him. "Why are you surprised?"

Aurien smiles teasingly.

"Brother Helios hasn’t been rude to me since we arrived back together."

Kaelis immediately snorts softly.

"That only means one thing," Aurien continues with obvious amusement. "You pissed him off."

Kaelis lets out a nervous laugh.

"Well—"

"Kaelis."

Helios’ voice cut sharply through the conversation.

Both brothers turned.

Helios was already walking toward them now.

And despite the calm expression on his face—

Kaelis immediately felt the tension.

Heavy.

Cold.

’Dear Aurethys,’ Kaelis thought immediately, forcing a smile onto his face anyway. ’Give me strength.’

Helios stopped directly in front of them.

Then suddenly—

His hand grabbed Kaelis harshly by the arm and shoved him backward slightly.

"Helios, what are you doing?" Aurien asks immediately, his brows furrowing as he stepped forward. "If you’re forgetting, you’re in the throne room."

Aurien narrows his eyes slightly.

"Or has your shame disappeared alongside your pride and ego?"

Kaelis almost winced internally.

Because honestly—

That was bold even for Aurien to say on a normal day.

And judging by the way Helios’ jaw tightened almost instantly—

He definitely didn’t appreciate it.

"Stay out of this," Helios says coldly without even sparing Aurien a glance.

His full attention remained fixed on Kaelis.

It was sharp and heavy.

Like he was barely holding himself back from doing something worse than shoving him.

But Kaelis didn’t back down.

Not this time.

Not after everything that had already happened.

"What’s got you in such a twist, big brother?" Kaelis asks lightly, his teasing tone almost deliberate now.

And the title itself—

Big brother.

Kaelis hasn’t called Helios that since they were children.

Back when Helios still acted like an actual human being.

At least somewhat.

Helios’ eyes darkened immediately.

"You know exactly what."

His grip tightened harder around Kaelis’ arm.

"I would’ve believed Ezra’s move was father’s idea if it weren’t for the fact that they somehow ended up in your old room."

Helios narrows his eyes further.

"That has you written all over it."

Kaelis lets out a small scoff.

"Well, of course it has me written all over it," he answers dryly. "It was my room after all—"

"I am in no mood for your pathetic attempts at jokes," Helios practically hisses.

Kaelis almost rolled his eyes.

’When are you ever in the mood for jokes?’

Oh.

Right.

Only around Ezra.

"You took advantage of the fact that I wasn’t here," Helios continues, his voice getting lower now, more dangerous. "You managed to put Ezra in your room and even..."

Then suddenly—

Helios stopped himself mid-sentence.

Kaelis noticed immediately.

And that alone told him enough.

This makes Kaelis scoff again, this time harsher.

"And even what?"

Kaelis tilts his head mockingly.

"You’re talking about the bread, right?"

Aurien, who had been silently watching the entire argument unfold with increasing amusement, blinks in confusion.

"The bread?"

"That’s right," Kaelis says immediately, not taking his eyes off Helios for even a second now. "Now that Ezra knows, I don’t have to hide it anymore."

His lips curl slightly.

"The fact that I gave Ezra that bread. I was the one sneaking out to see him, not you—"

"I WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK HIM HERE!" Helios suddenly explodes.

The sound echoed sharply across the throne room.

Even Kaelis looked momentarily startled by the sheer force behind it.

Helios’ grip tightened painfully around his arm.

"He didn’t even want to talk to me."

And there it was.

Kaelis immediately noticed it.

The crack.

The desperation buried underneath Helios’ anger.

’So Ezra really did reject him,’ Kaelis thought quietly.

Oddly enough—

That realization made him very, very happy.

"How is that my fault?" Kaelis asks instead, trying to keep his tone light despite everything. "It was your fiancée who told him. Your fiancée who approached him because she was concerned you apparently had no plans on marrying her."

Then Kaelis smirks faintly the second Helios’ expression changes.

Drops.

Just slightly.

"You didn’t know, now did you?" Kaelis says softly. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you started cracking, brother."

Aurien suddenly scoffs loudly beside them.

"Oh, how the great and mighty have fallen."

That finally makes Helios look away from Kaelis and toward Aurien instead.

"Watch your mouth."

Aurien immediately steps forward.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it?" he asks coolly. "Maybe you’ve forgotten, but I do not give a damn about what you say or do unless you want father to find—"

"What about me?"

A new voice suddenly cuts through the room.

Instantly—

All three princes tense.

Every single one of them.

Because standing at the entrance of the throne room now was Samson De Luxaelian Sunthyr himself.

And behind him—

Captain Aamon.

Samson’s sharp golden eyes slowly swept across the scene in front of him.

Helios gripping Kaelis too tightly.

Aurien standing defensively closer.

The obvious tension.

The anger.

And unfortunately for them—

Their father was not stupid.

Not even slightly.

"My sons," Samson says slowly, his deep voice echoing through the massive throne room. "Should I be concerned about whatever this is?"

Silence followed immediately.

Heavy silence.

And Kaelis could practically feel Helios’ grip loosening slightly now.

"Of course not, father," Helios says smoothly, immediately plastering that perfect prince smile back onto his face as if nothing had happened moments ago. "We all simply missed each other, hence why we’re gathered."

Aurien only nods once beside them, his expression neutral enough to not openly contradict Helios.

Kaelis, however, simply took one slow step back.

He didn’t even bother pretending anymore.

After all, their father had always known.

Samson De Luxaelian Sunthyr was many things, but oblivious had never been one of them.

The animosity between his sons wasn’t hidden.

Not truly.

Only Helios and Aurien still acted like it could be concealed beneath fake smiles and court manners.

But Samson saw everything.

He always did.

That was what made him terrifying.

Not because he exposed every secret immediately.

But because he didn’t have to.

Samson had a habit of waiting.

Watching.

Allowing people to reveal themselves naturally while he sat comfortably above them all.

Like a king observing pieces on a game board he already knew the outcome of.

’He probably noticed the second he entered,’ Kaelis thought quietly, resisting the urge to sigh aloud.

Samson slowly walked past them without another word, his heavy robes dragging softly against the polished floor while Aamon followed closely behind him as always.

Steady.

Silent.

Kaelis glanced briefly at Aamon again.

And once more, that strange thought returned.

’Those two really are odd together.’

There was something deeply familiar between Samson and Aamon.

A bond between a knight and his king.

The kind of closeness forged through decades of standing beside one another.

Enough that even suspicion apparently couldn’t fully break it.

’It sort of reminds me of...’

Samson finally sat down on the massive throne, golden eyes lazily scanning the room again while Aamon positioned himself beside him immediately afterward.

Then almost instinctively—

All three princes moved at the same time.

Stepping forward.

Lowering themselves onto one knee before the throne.

Heads bowed properly.

Perfect princes once more.

"Well," Samson says with a faint smirk pulling at his lips, "you can all continue your lovely reunion later, because right now..."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"We have more important matters to discuss."

Kaelis internally sighed.

’Here we go.’