"Caspian," Azrael had to stop the blue-haired prince from speaking the moment he noticed Eirian.
"Yes, Prince Azrael?"
When Eirian realized that Azrael had acknowledged his presence, he furrowed his brows and took a few steps back. 'Oh no, he's leaving. I have to talk to him before he does,' Azrael thought as he looked at Caspian, who was still looking down at him curiously.
"I'm sorry. I have to go somewhere important right now; I hope that's okay. This is just really, really important."
Eirian turned around and walked away, which made Azrael internally panic. So, before Caspian could even respond, he spoke again. "Adham, my, uh, student servant...the brown-haired boy I was with, he went to get my food. He might come looking for me; please tell him that I had to do something. Okay?"
Again, without letting Caspian speak, Azrael walked towards the direction where Eirian was, but he was already gone. 'Crap. I'm sure he couldn't have gone that far.'
Azrael found himself once again chasing after Eirian. Determination etched across his features, he quickened his pace but was careful not to hit anyone this time because he didn't want another Valerian situation.
Fortunately, it seemed he was able to catch up this time. Azrael smiled a bit to himself when he saw Eirian again. Then his eyes darted all around him to check if there were other students around, and when he confirmed that there was no one, he decided to do what he couldn't before.
"Eirian!" Azrael called out loud enough for him to hear.
Eirian didn't turn around, but Azrael was certain that he heard because his shoulders flinched as he heard his name being called.
'Why is he so fast? He's walking while I'm almost running!'
Azrael felt his own sense of urgency growing as he got closer. The academy's botanical section towered ahead. With the sound of rustling leaves beneath his footsteps, Eirian stepped into the tranquil hideaway.
Azrael exclaimed in between gasps, "Wait!" but the peaceful atmosphere of the garden seemed to drown out his screaming. Eirian continued to go quickly, not appearing to care that Azrael was chasing after him.
Azrael saw the botanical area open up before him like a maze of colorful flowers and meandering walkways. An increasing sense of discontent pulled at him in spite of the beauty. 'He REALLY isn't making this easy for me.'
As Eirian navigated the garden, Azrael's exhaustion heightened. He dodged through the bushes, his academy uniform inappropriate for this spur-of-the-moment chase. The tension in the air mixed with the aroma of flowers borne by the wind.
Finally, Eirian halted his step, as if he felt Azrael following him. With a heaving chest from effort, Azrael took advantage of the remaining distance.
'Oh my God. He stopped, he actually stopped.'
"Eirian," Azrael gasped, finally catching up. "Hold on...let me just catch my breath..."
Eirian exhaled but didn't turn to face Azrael. "What do you want, your imperial highness? I believe, I've made it clear yesterday that you should not bother yourself with me. I made an error with mistaking you for a princess; I apologized. What more do you want?"
Running a hand through his hair, Eirian turned his head slightly, side-eyeing Azrael, who was still trying to catch his breath. "You were following me this morning too, and I can't quite understand why. I'll have you know that I don't care if you are an imperial prince; if you keep bothering me, I won't hesitate to fight back."
After a few seconds of inhaling and exhaling, Azrael's breathing finally became stable, so he gathered himself before he spoke again.
"I am so sorry for following you. I don't mean to be creepy or anything, but I really need to say something to you," Azrael implored, his words laced with earnestness. "I hope you can hear me out because...because..."
'I don't want you to die.'
Azrael wanted to say that, but he thought it was too soon. He had to properly think about what he should say because he was afraid Eirian would push him away again if he said the wrong thing.
Eirian remained silent, his shoulders tense. So Azrael took this moment to compose himself and his thoughts.
"I don't mean any harm, nor am I planning something bad to you. I promise. I just..."
'...know what happens to you and this empire in the future, so I want to help you save everyone and keep you from dying.'
Again, Azrael didn't know what to say out loud. It was difficult to articulate what he wanted Eirian to know without seeming crazy or suspicious, and it didn't help that Eirian seemed not to want to hear Azrael out.
He was starting to feel dejected because he chased after Eirian without a single plan in his mind.
"What? You keep cutting your words, your highness. It's hard to understand your intentions when all you're doing is stall," Eirian finally spoke, though his tone was filled with contempt. Azrael didn't expect that the prince was actually waiting for his words.
Because of that, Azrael remembered something from the novel that calmed his nerves down slightly.
'That's right. In the novel, despite his hostile behavior, there was only one thing Eirian wanted the most...'
Azrael closed his eyes to take another deep breath, calming his heart before he spoke again.
"I want to help you, Eirian."
'Is someone who would be willing to reach out to him.'
There was a change in Eirian's posture; it was a small change, but Azrael saw it. Eirian's head rose a tiny bit, his shoulders lowering themselves as if they were releasing some tension, but he was quick to put his guard up again.
"And before you say anything, no...this is not a trick. I can assure you that. I don't know how I'm going to convince you that it's not, but it's...not..." Azrael internally groaned because he was stammering.
He thought he'd already calmed himself down, but he was still so, so nervous.
As Azrael mentally beat himself up for being such a mess, an unexpected thing happened that surprised even him. Eirian finally turned to look at Azrael, his expression a mixture of skepticism and a hint of curiosity.
"If you had let me speak, that wouldn't have been my question, your highness," was what Eirian said, which baffled Azrael.
"Huh? Oh...Then what do you want to ask?"
Eirian narrowed his eyes down at Azrael. "Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Why, your highness? Why on earth does the second imperial prince of Celestria want to help me?"
Azrael expected this question; he'd actually thought about this a lot as Zak. Whenever he daydreamt being transported beside Eirian and offering his help, this was the same answer he'd say to any case that Eirian would ask him the question 'why.'
"Because I believe the prophecy is wrong, and that it was highly misunderstood by my father, the church, and the other kings. I don't think you're evil at all, and I want to help prove that." Azrael said honestly, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
Eirian had an unreadable expression on his face, but to Azrael's surprise, the black-haired prince took a few steps, walking towards Azrael, who didn't know whether or not he should take a step back but he didn't.
He put up a determined face, wanting to back up everything he said. Eirian stopped inches away from Azrael; this was the closest they'd been since bumping into each other yesterday.
Azrael wasn't afraid this time; he was more flustered because this was the first time he'd actually noticed how tall and attractive Eirian actually was. Though it was described in the novel that he was quite handsome, Azrael believes that the description of Eirian did not do him justice.
"Uhm..." Azrael had no idea if he should start speaking but luckily, Eirian beat him to it and spoke first.
"Your imperial highness."
"You can just call me Azrael."
"Your imperial highness." Eirian repeats, shoving his hands inside his pants' pockets. "How do you expect to change something that has long been going on even before you were born?"
"Well—"
"Hold that thought, I'm not done." Eirian lets out a sigh then continued much to Azrael's shock. "If you had been concerned about me, why now, your highness? I don't mean to be rude but you cannot expect me to trust your words just because you're of higher status or because you say you're being genuine?"
Eirian's gaze intensified, making Azrael feel much more tense now than he initially was. "What would you gain from this? Why are you doing this?"
Now, Eirian's series of questions left Azrael speechless. Of course, Azrael knew how to answer them because he wasn't originally from this world and had knowledge regarding Eirian and his future, but that isn't something he could tell Eirian outright.
So it was harder for Azrael to think of an answer now because, for whatever reason, Eirian is giving him a chance to explain himself, but Azrael didn't know how to properly explain without sounding like a lunatic.
'You're from a novel. I'm not actually Azrael; I'm a reader and a fan of the novel you came from. I'm doing this because I want to prevent your death; I want to give you your happy ending.'
He couldn't just say that now, could he?
'Think... You must think. Eirian's waiting for your answer, so you should think.' For some reason, Azrael felt that if he answered the question incorrectly then this would be the last time he'd ever be able to speak to Eirian.
He's certain that the reason Eirian was even giving him a chance to answer in the first place was because there's some part of him that wanted to believe in Azrael, but he'd just been hurt way too many times to trust anyone, especially an imperial prince.
"Well? You were so persistent with following me, your highness; one would think you have all the answers to my questions."
'Yeah, but I didn't think you'd have a lot.' Azrael thought that, but he knew he couldn't complain. Eirian was right; he should've thought things through before he chased after him.
'What am I supposed to do, though? God knows when I'll be able to speak to him again.'
Azrael felt the weight of doubt creep in as Eirian's attention closed in on him. Eirian's questions resembled a maze, and Azrael had to make his way through the complicated web of answers. A wave of anxiety engulfed Azrael as he searched frantically for the proper response, but the flowers and trees surrounding them became blurry.
'I can't tell him everything. It's too soon for that. But I can't stay silent either.'
His gaze drifted about, taking in every detail of Eirian's cautious look. The air became more tense, and Azrael, on the edge of panic, looked around for any clue that might help him.
Then, Azrael's eyes landed on a bed of crimson red flowers which he strangely felt like he has seen before.
'Why do those flowers seem so familiar?'
Against the vivid red of the blossoms all around, something strange—the same thing that had clutched Azrael's chest during his morning vision—took hold of him.
'Wait...don't tell me.'
The world shifted around him. The garden slowly transformed, and Azrael felt himself being drawn into a different world.
'A vision.'
Azrael gasped as scenes flickered, losing control of his body yet again.
Dirt.
He was surrounded by dirt and mud.
Azrael sat in a garden filled with red flowers, his back resting on a vine-filled wall.
"Prince Azrael is pretty pathetic, don't you think?" A voice he didn't recognize spoke from the other side of the wall.
A few snickers could be heard as the same student spoke again. "He's weak compared even to us commoners. He always comes to class late and barely participates at all, but the professors don't do anything about it."
"That's what being an imperial prince gets you. He's more useless than any of us but he gets the privilege because he's the emperor's son." Another voice said, his tone filled with hatred. "The only thing good about him is his face."
Laughter followed after the final statement. "Right? I wouldn't even believe he's the emperor's son if he didn't look like the empress."
"Don't even get me started with how much he follows Prince Valerian like a fucking puppy."
"That too! Holy crap. I thought I was the only one who thought the same. Actually, I don't think you were present at that time, but did you know that the crown prince got pulled out of class the other day?"
Ah. Azrael couldn't recognize their voices, but he was now certain that the students speaking were his brothers' classmates.
"Seriously? Why?"
The student didn't respond right away, but Azrael could hear a few light footsteps.
Now, in a whisper, the student continued speaking. "Apparently, the crybaby prince threw another tantrum because Prince Valerian ignored him again and ended up throwing himself down a flight of stairs and got injured."
"No way. Are you serious?"
'No, that's not true.' Azrael thought, his eyes lifeless as he stared down at his hands that were on his lap. 'I didn't throw myself off...I was pushed...'
"Yes! Prince Valerian came back to class visibly pissed off. I heard Prince Azrael refused treatment unless the crown prince was present."
"Celestria's sake, no wonder the crown prince was pissed. His brother is just the definition of doing too much. Why even bother?"
'I didn't refuse treatment. They refused to treat me unless they had my brother's permission.'
"Isn't it obvious?" The student said with a scoff. "He's obviously unloved. Not only by the crown prince, but by the emperor and empress. I'm sure you've heard the rumor that they initially didn't want another son, they wanted a daughter?"
The other student hummed. "Yes. Everyone knows that, it's so obvious! I mean, why else wouldn't they let the second prince attend any official events with them? He didn't even have his debut before attending the academy."
"That's not true...I'm sure they love me." Azrael whispered to himself as tears slowly formed in his eyes. His hands tightened around the flowers that he was holding, but it only caused his palms to bleed as the flowers had thorns around them.
"Well, whatever. Honestly, that crybaby prince isn't our problem. I just hate that someone as useless as him is here when we have to work hard just to get enrolled."
"That's life, I guess. Him aside, I'm starving. Should we go grab something to eat?"
"Hell yes."
When Azrael heard the two students walk away, he rested the back of his head on the wall, trying his best not to cry as he continued to whisper to himself. "They don't know anything. I know big brother loves me...he's just frustrated."
Yes.
That's what he convinced himself into believing. He believed that once Valerian graduates, and the pressures of being the crown prince subside, then he'll go back to being his loving older brother.
His brother that would bring him to the garden and happily water the flowers together. His brother that would gaze at him lovingly and would always tell him that, "You're God's favorite, Azrael. Always remember that."
Though he never understood what that meant, it always made him happy.
Thinking back to those moments, Azrael's tears, which he wanted to hold back, fell from his eyes. He desperately tried to wipe them away, but the more he did, the more they flowed out.
All Valerian did since that night of his ninth birthday was either ignore Azrael or push him away, and when Valerian had to leave to attend Luminara Academy, it crushed him.
They already drifted apart; he knew it would worsen if they were apart from each other for years. So, despite the fact that his father told him that he didn't have to attend the academy because his magic was weaker compared to his brother, Azrael begged him to let him attend.
Every day he would go to his father and convince him that he'll learn more in Luminara Academy, and that there's a chance his magical abilities might improve if he enrolled.
Eventually, his father agreed, but in return, he was not to have his debut. Azrael didn't even hesitate to agree.
Azrael was filled with hope; he thought his brother would at least be delighted to see him, but Valerian had nothing but contempt. He was anything but delighted; his brother even tried to convince him to drop out, and when Azrael kept refusing, Valerian kept pushing him away further.
His words became sharper, his gaze even colder.
'He loves me...he's just tired.'
Even if he treats Azrael harshly when he's injured, and would not listen to his explanations.
'I'm sure deep inside big brother cares about me.'
Even if Valerian turned a blind eye whenever other students disrespected him or talked badly about him.
'I'm sure of it...'
Even when Azrael took his time to create this garden filled with Valerian's favorite flower, only to find out that his brother had asked the headmaster to have it removed tomorrow.
Slowly, Azrael's grip on the flower he held loosened, and instead, he pulled his knees against his chest, hugging them tightly.
Azrael buried his face on his forearm, his body shaking as he quietly sobbed.
"What did I do wrong?"
"You..."
Azrael gasped as he felt someone grab his arm, ultimately pulling him away from his vision. It took him some time to adjust and realize that someone was in front of him, holding onto his arm gently.
That someone was Eirian.
"Why are you crying?"
'I'm crying?' Azrael thought to himself as he used his free hand to touch his eyes, and indeed, he was crying.
'No, I'm not the one who's crying...It's Azrael's body.'
It was then that he realized what answer he should give Eirian. He hadn't thought about this before, but thanks to the vision he had, he knew what to say now.
He shouldn't have been answering as Zak.
"Eirian, you may not know this, but you and I are the same."
He should've been answering as Azrael.
Eirian let go of Azrael's hands, scrunching his forehead in confusion, which Azrael figured was due to him crying and his sudden statement.
"What do you mean?"
"I know how it feels to be looked down upon, disliked, and unloved. Though my experiences may not be as painful as yours, and believe me, I wouldn't even dare compare how you've felt to mine, but to some extent, I understand what you're going through."
Azrael wiped his tear-stained face as he looked into Eirian's eyes. "I want to help you because by helping you, there's a high chance it could help my situation too."
"How so?"
"I can't tell you right now because I don't have a definite plan yet." Azrael confessed, but his face was filled with confidence. "I know it's too much to ask, but I need you to trust me, Eirian. I promise by the end of this year, everyone will respect you even more than they respect Caelum."
Azrael pointed to himself with a smile on his face, leaving Eirian speechless.
"I will definitely change your destiny and mine."