"Please, follow me."
Nai and Luan follow the Crown Prince through the large doors of the castle. Two guards dressed in the colors of fire close the doors behind them. Luan watches the figure guiding them through the winding halls of the palace, talking nonstop about the last time he had seen Nai.
Apparently, it had been three years since they last saw each other, just before Nai was needed at the battlefront. But Luan doesn't care much about their past interactions, so he zones out, admiring instead, the intricate carvings winding through the castle, embedded into the walls and columns. Flowers blooming on twisting vines follow the trio, carved into the walls. It's a strange thing to put in the walls of a castle, but it does remind Luan of his own palace, back in the Demon Realm. He had paintings depicting various scenes, mostly ones of battle, on his walls, too.
Luan feels a strange tug in his chest. It has been a long time since he last thought of home. For the past few weeks, he's been too focused on trying not to get killed, or figuring out what these strange, warm feelings were that he felt whenever he was close to Nai Soari - which was all the time.
Luan only perks up, listening back in on Nai and the Crown Prince's conversation, when the Prince mentions a woman's name: 'Suna Diell'. Nai's step falters, but only Luan notices. The Crown Prince only continues to talk, a large smile on his face.
"Remember how much she cried when you left for the battlefront? I had to continue to comfort her even after you had left," Prince Aelius sighs and stops, spinning on his heels. "She really did love you, you know?"
Nai nods, his face solemn.
"She dead, Nai. Killed herself," Prince Aelius continues, walking until the gap between Nai and himself has been filled. Luan glares at the prince. There's something in the small hint of a smile he is wearing that rubs Luan off the wrong way. "Not long after you left, she slit her throat ... Just thought I would let you know."
"I know," Nai says in a completely unreadable tone.
With a tiny hint of a smile, Prince Aelius spins back around and walks away, waving over his shoulder, indicating for the two to follow.
Luan looks up at Nai, who still hasn't moved, his face stony and cold. It seems like this is another topic that must be avoided in order for Nai's mood to stay happy and light. Luan's gaze falls upon the retreating back of the Crown Prince. He glares into his back, tiny fists clenching. To Nai, this is a rather adorable sight. Watching such a small, unkept child bearing a grudge against someone they just met. Very cute.
Nai starts walking, following Prince Aelius, and Noah trailing behind, still latched onto his legs. It had been so long since he had last walked these halls ... and last had to think about Suna. Walking a familiar path, Nai realizes that Aelius is leading them toward his quarters, placed in the far right side of the castle.
"Aelius," Nai calls out to his friend, who turns instantly at the sound of his voice, "would you mind giving us a spare room? Noah here is incredibly tired and I would like to make sure he gets some rest before we leave."
Aelius nods and points toward a closed door at the end of a hallway. "You can drop him off in that room, I will make sure to tell the guards to keep an eye on him. Come find me in my chambers once you have put him to bed."
And with that, he leaves.
Nai starts down the hallway, walking toward the room Aelius had allocated for Noah to use. He tugs on the door handle, and the door swings open. A room enveloped in darkness stands before them. Nai steps in first, leaving Noah standing outside with a fearful look on his face, scanning the room for a source of light. With a grunt, he runs into a table. Looking down, he runs his slender fingers over the surface of the table, before picking up a box of matches and striking one, lighting the candle next to it. Once all the candles had been set alight, Noah steps into the room and runs straight to the bed. Noah stretches his limbs across the bed like a starfish and closes his eyes.
Nai waves out the match in his hand and stands in the doorway, looking over his shoulder at the child quickly falling asleep. "I won't be gone for too long, I promise."
Luan cracks his eyes open, only to see the door had been closed and Nai was already gone.
...
Nai had walked this path many times. The path to the prince's chambers is a short one from the room in which Noah rests in, so Nai arrives pretty quickly.
The door to the Crown Prince's chambers is wide open, so Nai just steps inside without waiting to be let in. A large bed draped with orange sheets and pillows lies in the center of the room. Dozens of rugs, tapestries, and curtains, all the color of fire litter the room. The red curtains lining the right side of the room have been pulled and tied open, warm afternoon light drifting in through the windows.
Aelius sits on the edge of his bed, a patient look on his face. A warm smile plants itself on his face as he sees Nai, and he rises from his bed, slowly walking over to a large desk under one of the windows. Aelius grabs two glasses and opens a red glass-stained bottle, pouring a red liquid into the cups. He then strolls over to Nai, who is still waiting in the doorway, handing him a glass.
Nai smiles, accepts the glass, and takes a drink.
"So, I do not yet know the reason why you are here to see me," Aelius starts, taking a sip from his cup. "I assume you are not here to see me for personal reasons. Not to make up for the lost time. So. What do you want?"