Nighttime was always long and horrendous—the perfect time for a secret meeting of covert souls. Kari walked the hallways alone, snuffing out the fire from every lamp she passed by. Until, only darkness remained in the halls of the whole floor.
The new moon was out, a perfect night for the newcomers.
The whole floor was silent, almost as if not a living thing remained at the premises of the whole area. Well, since Kari owned the whole floor, there was no one else who resided in the premises except for a few other personnel who maintained the area.
As soon as Alva and Dustan were left alone in their room, Alva rushed to the latter and frantically checked him for any injuries.
"That brute—!! How could he just fling His Highness like that?!"
"Alva, shhh!" Dustan hissed, sheepish at his subordinate's reaction.
"Don't forget that we're here incognito."
"Why are you calling him Master even though he's not even here? Besides, you're the Crown Prince of this empire! How dare that lowly fighter treat you like this... And this room! How dare they give such a shabby room to His Highness!" Alva ranted, pointing at the naked bed with no pillows or sheets. The room itself looked like it hadn't been maintained properly.
Dustan Reinhard, a prince of the Elodia Empire—the only prince—sleeping in a room worse than a manger. With royal blood flowing in his veins, it wouldn't be an understatement to say that he didn't belong to the kind of place that the Sky Tower is.
And Alva, needless to say, is of a high standing too. After all, he is the Crown Prince's most trusted friend and ally—with the bloodline of a duke.
"Well, it's better to get used to this treatment from now on, Alva." Dustan calmly stated, gesturing to the room.
"Remember, just do as you're told. It's the least you can do after insisting to follow me."
Alva frowned. He couldn't refute Dustan. As the Crown Prince's right-hand man, Alva knew he had to lower his pride for the sake of this mission. So, he swallowed his bitterness and nodded his head in understanding.
Dustan let out a sigh of relief.
"Shall we go to bed then?" Dustan suggested with a small smile.
"Right." Alva grunted. He placed a lock on the door, securing their room from intruders. After making sure there wouldn't be anyone who'd peek on them while they sleep, Alva and Dustan took off their eye contacts.
Alva's sea-green eyes became a cool shade of emerald green after removing his blue contacts. And Dustan's red contacts unmasked his golden orbs—one of the dominant inherent trait of those from the royal family. From his gaze alone, Alva shuddered.
"Your Highness." Alva kneeled, in response to feeling Dustan's aura. He dared not look directly into the eyes of the prince.
"Alright. Enough of that, Alva." Dustan dismissed, smiling as always.
"Yes, sire."
"Let's get some rest for the day ahead of us tomorrow."
"... Your Highness."
"Call me Dustan, Alva. I told you to get used to it."
"Yes, Dustan... I just wanted to ask, why you're so interested in this Kari Faust. He's unbefitting of your presence, frankly. After all, he fights for a living and I bet he has killed people before. I do not see why you seek him, sire."
Dustan shook his head. "You do not see, old friend. But, that is because you are prejudiced. If you would only let go of your judgement and look beyond what is available. Then, you'd see the reason behind my actions."
Alva grunted, thinking how Dustan didn't really answer his question. His elusive way of answering only served to confuse Alva and add fire to the burning wrath in his heart at the thought of Kari Faust.
But, he did not dare go against the sayings of his prince. As a loyal subject and Dustan's oldest companion, he prided himself with his loyalty—not knowing that this loyalty had blinded him.
"That man... is not someone who is worthy." Alva muttered to himself.
"I can hear you, Alva."
"But, it's true sire! He's a lowly man who dares throw you around. I do not know why he is so strong, despite his obvious origins. And, If only I could, I would've executed him—"
"Alva. Enough." There was finality in Dustan's voice.
"... My apologizes." Alva said through gritted teeth. At his obvious rebellion, Dustan couldn't help but sigh.
Dustan knew what Alva was referring to. Kari's hair color, that is the color of the moonless night, indicated that she is of a lowly bloodline. Whereas Alva's blonde locks indicated his prestigious breed as the descendants of a Duke.
Even Dustan had to color his hair with grime and mud, to hide his pristine white mane—another signature characteristic of those in the royal family. It was an unspoken rule that the lighter the hair color, the more refined and pure the bloodline.
That is because Elodia is a holy nation, an empire serving only one god. And it is their belief that the royal family descended from their god. Thus, only those of the royal family has white hair and golden eyes from birth.
Truly, Kari with her Stygian locks and eyes the color of blood, was the epitome of proletarian. A person that is unworthy of being in the presence of a prince—let alone one who commands such an authoritative person.
The only prince of the Elodia empire, spending his time playing master-disciple with such a low-life.
Alva has trouble accepting this in his heart. After all, he couldn't shake the feeling—that slimy feeling that Dustan was hiding something from him again. Something related to his dream of uniting the Holy Empire with the barbaric country of Verdun.
Something that tied Kari Faust to that dream.
But what it was, Alva could only guess what the prince was actually plotting.
"Let's sleep now. I reckon we have a big day tomorrow."
"Yes... Dustan."