The consciousness was not a steady thing, it came in bursts and spurts, there for a second, then gone. He would wake up for a few minutes, fall back under the thrall and wake up again several hours later.

As the drug began to wear off, it was easy to come to the surface, but not to hold it. It took another day for Aki to completely force his eyes open and keep them that way.

He blinked, trying to clear out the haze in his vision.

The ground was rocking underneath him. He could hear the sound of cartwheels.

He blinked, again, trying to sit up from his sprawl against a side wall, limbs heavy, and uncoordinated. Whatever that he was dozed with, was strong.

A hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump out of his skin, greatly alarmed. He had not noticed anyone in near vicinity.

He raised his eyes, blinking rapidly. Yeran's thoughtful face came into the view.

"Are you immune to poison or something? You were not supposed to wake for another day at the least?" He mostly appeared as if speaking to himself, rather than to Aki.

"Wh..what..what have you...done.." Aki whispered, his throat as dry as the desert sands.

He sat up straighter, staring into Yeran's eyes. The chains around his wrists clinked and clanked, sort of an eerily cheery sound, like bells from hell.

"I really aught to be stopped in this passing out and waking up bound thing," Aki croaked.

Yeran raised a brow.

"What are you going to do, Yeran, what is this grand scheme of yours?" Aki asked, leaning back against a side of the carriage carelessly.

His eyes stared out the window, his movements languid and lackluster.

"Going to do? I already have done, darling Aki. I would say I killed two birds with one stone," Yeran leaned against the other side, contemplating him.

"If you are waiting for a praise, dear husband, you might have to wait a little longer," Aki did not even bother to look at him.

Yeran frowned.

"You are taking this quite lightly." He mused out loud.

"OH trust me, I'm quite furious inside, I just can't be bothered to spent the effort to express it right now, that drug was strong, you know." Aki closed his eyes.

"Though," he said, "if you do want me to ask," he paused.

"What do you get from allying with Derhan?"

"You caught up quickly," Yeran raised his brows.

"You think I did not saw the uniform of Delhevia militia along with yours before I passed out?"

Yeran smiled, 'Of course you did,'

"Half the gold mine and two-thirds of the income of Ruwanyen and Vasras." He tapped his chin and did not replied to Aki's earlier comment.

"At least you benefitted well from your...I would say betrayal, but if you were never on my side, was it a betrayal? Ah...I don't know...I don't care," Aki raised his hands to rub at his forehead.

"Makes you wonder why people call you a demon. You are not as scary as they say,"

Yeran muttered under his breath, getting caught off guard when Aki's eyes opened. His pupils narrowed to a slit.

"No, I'm not," he smiled lightly.

A shiver ran down Yeran's spine when the eyes connected with his own, piecing through his very being. 

"I'm much worse," Aki closed his eyes again, clearly done with the conversation.

...

"When you said you liked me, kissed me and acted like a lovesick fool, was that ever true," his heart skipped a beat when Aki's voice rose suddenly from where he was pretending that Yeran did not exist.

"Does it matter?" Yeran asked, feigning ignorance.

"Not really, but I am curious,"

"Curiosity killed the cat Dear husband,"

"And satisfaction brought it back, darling,"

Yeran almost snorted at his words, saw the mirth dancing behind those purple eyes.

"The first time I saw you, was the truth. I was there to meet Derhan. You were not supposed to be a casualty Aki, that part, is true, but because you were, well, it just made everything a lot easier." Yeran smiled.

"After all, who wouldn't believe the true heir who was only concerned for his citizens. Those idiot kings ate it up!"

"What of Queen mother, is she.."

"No," Yeran interrupted.

"My mother knows nothing, neither does my father,"

"So you had been playing this game for three years now, on your own, without even the king knowing? Impressive, for a seventeen year old."

"Did you and Ruth not started a rebellion at fifteen?" Yeran smirked.

"Where is my brother Yeran," Aki asked, almost off-hand.

Yeran laughed.

"Did you think I did not know that was the only question that mattered to you, you only beat around the bush to lead there,"

"Where. Is. He?!" Aki asked.

"With Derhan. He was oh so eager to know where you were hiding your little army in,"

Aki closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When they opened again, all the light has been whisked out, until only a dark abyss remained.

"May gods have mercy on your soul Yeran," he said, voice serene.

"Because I won't!"

....

Hey....,

I had typed this chap, added a pic and published. Bam! They hit me with an error massage. When I refreshed and checked again, dude!!! half the chapter was missing!!!. I almost yeeted my phone! (I do not write in my laptop, no one but u and I know author writes bl, I wanna live a little longer)

But thankfully for you and I, because I was thiiiisss....close to give up and I wouldn't have started again for another few days at least, need to cure my depression, u know, the chapter was safe....

From now on, I'm keeping a copy before I take any attempt in publishing.

Phew!!

Anyway, here's ur chapter that gave author an almost cardiac arrest, enjoy!

See ya,

Arkhane.

Aki would die rather than admit that to Yeran's face

Ruth, Caz he's not in the chap.

And..

I didn't thought u'd appreciate seeing Yeran at the moment.