"It's you again, why is it you? Does your brother has an aversion to us?" Yeran asked, looking Ruth up and down.

After their first couple or few meetings, Yeran had not had the pleasure of meeting Prince Aki of Delhevia. Yes, he himself had not been present in all the convenes personally, but from Zeke and his elites he knew that Aki never showed up.

"I doubt you are unaware of the falling out we had?"

"OH I am aware of that, and how staged it was,"

"Then you should also know he is watched, and not as easy to slip by," Ruth pointed out with the voice of explaining something to a three year old.

Yeran huffed. Amused. The two brothers never failing to surprise him.

"Ah, Ruth, Ruth, Ruth, we both know if he wants, he will be here,"

"He's...occupied," Ruth relented, probably with the intention of cutting the meeting short. He too, was watched, and his absence will not be gone unnoticed for much long.

"Yes, well, tell him I miss him," Yeran said with a wink.

"Get to the point, Prince Yeran, what was it that you wanted to tell us?" Ruth's voice was as flat as a board.

"I want the two of you to completely cease contact," Yeran replied as casually as if he was referring the weather.

"What?!" He watched Ruth's hand tightening into a fist and knew that it was a harder request than any other. The twins depend on each other.

"I know that you have been planning this for a long time, for the reason of getting at least one of you off the sight of Yor, I'm telling you that you might not be succeeding as much as you think."

Ruth narrowed his eyes.

"Explain," he ordered.

Yeran raised a brow of his own, they both were of same ranking, technically Yeran being higher as a crown prince, but he let it slide for the moment. He was responsible for the emotional outburst.

"My people caught two spies that sniffed at your small conversations Prince Ruth. Two! And we cannot afford to make such mistakes. Those spies will be dealt with nary an idea to Yor that they disappeared, but it cannot happen again." He accentuated.

"We were careful," Ruth muttered, seeming mostly to himself, though Yeran heard.

"Not enough, it seems,"

"Very well, we will do as you asked. We do have methods to communicate without meeting."

Yeran nodded, he did not doubt that.

"Good, you do that, and that army of yours, as you said, they were separated into groups and is held in different positions?"

"Yes?"

"Tell them to be on the move, change locations every few weeks, and be descreet about it, a moving army is much harder to conceal, but easier to not be discovered,"

Ruth nodded.

"Is that all, you came personally today?" He asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I also wanted to offer my sincere condolences," Yeran bowed his head, lightly, unable to even begin to imagine how hard it was to be orphaned. To lose a parent.

Ruth blinked rapidly, suppressing whatever he was feeling before Yeran could get a read on him.

"Thank you," he offered, voice flat and emotionless.

...

Aki folded his hands into fists, hiding the shivering.

'No way!' His mind kept screaming.

'No way this was happening, no, not this, not now,'  he tried hiding his emotions, to force his face back into the well crafted mask. His eyes had long gone dull, a forgotten window to his shattered soul, closed shut, barred and locked.

Aki swallowed, hoping against hopes that it went unnoticed in the dimly lit chambers he had not lit up. Why bother, none but him will come in anyway.

He had been imprisoned in his own chambers like some kind of a toy that was only taken out when it amused them and now this!?

For the past year, all he had as company was darling Nuwee, only for the reason that the child will scream his head off if he couldn't see Aki. It took no small amount of begging to allow him inside. Aki bore it all, for his brothers, he would have given his life.

And of course, the occasional offender of Yor, who fell to his blade, if pleadings of mercy could be counted as conversations.

"You...you want me to kill my husband?!" He asked, still caught offguard at how cruel Yor truly can be.

Why is he trying to kill his own ally? What has Yeran done to make him feel threatened?

Yor raised a brow, not answering.

"But marriage... marriage is a sacred thing, how, how can I?"

"I knew what you were from the beginning boy. I could smell the blood. You were born to spill blood, and you will, for if not, you would not be the one who pays!" Yor growled, grabbing him by the collar.

"I do not like repeating myself boy, did you hear what I said?" The cruel, deep voice of his nightmares filled his ears and would have made them bleed, only, this is the reality, there is no escape by awakening.

"Yes, father," the words tasted like poison, bitter and acidic, but stayed even, unwavering.

"Good, the seamstresses will be here tomorrow to prepare your robes. Remember boy, no mistakes!" Yor ordered, pushing Aki back.

"Yes father," he gritted through his teeth.

The doors banged shut behind the hulking shadow and the strength went out of Aki's legs. He crashed down, hard, knees banging, but could not notice whether they hurt or not. The world had gone too loud in the too quiet of his room, all white noise.

Nuwee, Nuwee will be alone here. In this vipers' nest of a palace, the darkest hell hole. Ruth had been ordered to go as a bodyguard, a guise to keep Aki under control. With both of them gone, Nuwee will be alone in the palace. What cruelty would he have to face, he was only five years old.

But they weren't ready! They weren't ready to do anything yet. All they could succeed in was getting them all killed.

True that being at the same place would ease their plans into motion, but not with the cost of Nuwee.

And marriage of all things? What was that stupid Prince thinking? It was known to all that he and Zeke were a thing! How far, Aki did not knew, but it did not matter, it was still true! Why is he trying to suly a sacred ritual?

For Delhevians', the marriage was not just a union of two people, but of two souls, of two families. They honor the marriage as a blessing of gods and is not something done lightly. For them, marriage is something that will tie you to another for seven reincarnations.

Aki sighed, covering his face with his hands. He let himself mourn for but a moment before standing up, suppressing and repressing everything under iron clad will and pulling on an impassive mask.

He had work to do.

...

Hiya,

Yh, I know, I ignored REMAKE in favor of this, but I didn't wanted to leave you guys confused, so, enjoy.

Arkhane.

P. S. : did I ever mention that I particularly like flipping the books upside down as plot twists? No? Well, sorry? Maybe? (Evil gremlin laugh)

..