In the middle of the night.
When Rodion opened his eyes, what met his sight was the luminescent moon above, the same half-moon he had witnessed with the Prince earlier.
The first half-moon appeared closer and lower as if he could easily touch it. Strangely enough, he immersed himself in it and reached out to it.
It's beautiful…
He reached for it with his hand, his fingers stuck in the air. Rodion couldn't quite identify the emotions swirling within him, and he wasn't resisting them. Strangely, he was urged to dive into those feelings, even if he couldn't find the words to describe them. Yet, there was a profound happiness in embracing these new emotions. As he withdrew his hand, he heard the soft chime of something metallic.
The sound snapped him out of his reverie. With his hand stuck in the air, his attention was caught by the golden bracelet that encased his wrist. It was a large gold bracelet with a carving into it; however, before he examined the bracelet that he was wearing, he noticed that the tattoos on his skin were apparent.
It was the tattoo that he had previously observed, which was dark in color. Rodion examined his other hand and noticed the same golden bracelet and the same intricate tattoos on his skin. He noticed that he was not wearing any clothes, but a single loin cloth tied around his waist; it was a hand-woven loin using red, black, and white strips of cloth. The design was so complicated and the quality of the product was exceptional.
Where am I?
He stood up from where he sat, and before he could make out where he was sitting, a cracking sound reverberated under his bare feet. Looking down, he saw a skull with its lower jaw broken off from its mouth. It cracked to pieces, and he felt it under his feet.
Rodion almost screamed in fear. The sudden disturbance of his nerve made him lose his balance, he fell to his back and unfortunately rolled a few times before his hand grabbed onto the hardwood and successfully stopped himself from rolling and falling down further.
He trailed his eyes on his surroundings with apprehension, and what he saw made him almost lose his grip on the wood; however, his eyes dilated at the realization that what he was holding wasn't wood but a human bone.
He was surrounded by a mountaintop pile of human skulls and bones. Although lifeless, he felt that the hollowed, dark circle of the skulls were staring at him. Before he could process what was happening or where he was, the human bone that he was holding, snapped.
Rodion jolted awake, breathing heavily.
He stared at the ceiling for a considerable time, zoning out.
After settling his nerves, he glanced at his siblings who were sleeping peacefully on his bed. His heartbeat was still racing, and although he managed to somehow calm his nerves, he deemed it difficult to get back to sleep after such a dream.
He carefully scooted to the edge of the bed, making sure not to disturb Anna and Viktor in their sleep. After their earlier conversation, the three of them had played some games he didn't fully understand but somehow enjoyed. Watching the kids as they slept, he gently tucked them in with his blanket before striding over to the window.
Gazing up at the moon, the exact thing from his dream—the moon he had witnessed with the Prince yesterday—prompted his nerve to turn chaotic once again.
The night sky was nostalgic to look at, as though he hadn't been reborn into another world. However, he felt a little lost when he looked at it. He remained in that position for a while, lost in thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed three male servants at the main entrance of the manor, loading a box onto a carriage.
Feeling uneasy about returning to sleep after the dream he'd had, he decided to leave his room.
*
Outside the manor, on the cobblestone path leading to the gate, two horses stood tall while their cart was loaded with various boxes.
After a few more minutes, everything was fully prepared. Mikhail, the Knight Commander, meticulously inspected the arrangements before signaling the male servants to depart.
"It's all I need. You all can go back to your quarters and rest for the night."
After making a sign of respect, the three servants hurriedly left.
Silent immediately prevailed when he was left alone.
Mikhail was about to prepare to leave when he suddenly heard a faint sound of footsteps from the opposite direction of the servants' quarters. He halted and leaned forward to adjust the reins of the horses, heightening his senses as he discreetly glanced to the side.
A rustling came from the flower bushes, and suddenly, a figure emerged.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword, brandishing it with precise agility at the figure who mindlessly approached him.
"M-Mishka! We- WAIT WAIT WAIT! IT'S ME, RODYA!"
"What… Young Master?"
Mikhail glanced down at the person who had collapsed on the hard, cobblestone ground, and immediately recognized who it was; it was Rodion, who feebly shielded himself with his arms.
The knight immediately ran to his rescue and aided him to his feet.
"Forgive me, Young Master, I didn't recognize you back there."
Rodion, not glancing in Mikhail's direction, nearly fell to his knees. He did his best to avoid showing to the latter that he was trembling from fear, pretending to dust himself off.
"It's alright, it was my fault for coming at you without calling out to you." He said, trying to act cool, despite his inner turmoil, and was screaming inside.
I thought I was going to die, you beast!
"You are right, you shouldn't do that again Young Master." Mikhail concurred, casting a glance at the poor sunflowers from where Rodion had emerged. Good thing he didn't damage or knock them off and only caused them a slight disturbance.
Rodion almost scoffed at his replies.
Shut up! I'll get you for this, I swear! Why is this house so huge? There are a lot of corridors and turns to take; I lost my way here…
Mikhail didn't linger by his side, to which he felt relieved. His body immediately hunched down with his hands on his knees as he trembled. He inhaled and exaggeratedly breathed out air through his mouth, releasing all the stress and anxiety that the knight had inflicted.
Oh god, I thought my head was going to get chopped off my neck! That scared me to death! What's wrong with this guy?!
"Why are you here, Young Master? You are supposed to be resting." Mikhail asked, preparing to leave.
"I couldn't sleep so I went out for some fresh air. What about you? What's all this? Are you going somewhere?"
Rodion gradually regained his composure and approached the two horses. He examined the cart, noting that the items inside were covered with a large blanket and securely attached to the carriage.
"I need to deliver it somewhere before dawn. I need to get going now, Young Master. You should head back inside and get back to sleep."
"No, I'll go with you."
Mikhail was surprised when his master didn't wait for him to refute and rushed to the carriage; he then opened the door and took a seat in the vacant space. Mikhail immediately followed and looked up at him from the carriage door in utterdisbelief.
"Young Master, I don't think you understand. I have to deliver it somewhere----"
"I know where, and I want to go with you."
Rodion cut him off using the tone of a master who has absolute authority over him. The knight glanced at him, not bothered in the slightest by his tone. However, he didn't probe any further and sighed in defeat.
"You can sleep while we are on our way, it's bad for your health if you don't have enough sleep."
For someone who almost had my head cut off a few minutes ago, you have the nerve to be concerned about my health. He scoffed inwardly.
Mikhail carefully closed the door, stepped up to the box seat in front, and took the reins of the horses. A servant opened the entrance gate for them, and the horses then exited and began their journey.
*
Inside the carriage, Rodion gazed intently at the neatly folded linen quills placed atop the seat opposite him. Furthermore, there were also a pair of clothes, towels, and other essential items.
I suppose this is the daily supply for Prince Nikolai…
A yawn escaped his mouth, and although he was anxious about going to sleep, he eventually fell asleep throughout their travels. The night was fast, and the moon above was gradually fading, but it still gave enough illumination. The journey didn't last any longer than 30 minutes, and they finally arrived without any delay.
When he felt the horses come to a halt, Rodion opened his eyes and hurriedly climbed out of the carriage. He instantly spotted the familiar, eerie manor. Mikhail also descended from the box seat and moved to open the enormous metal gate.
"Young Master, I'll be unloading the supply for the Prince, inside. Please don't stray any further; I can't afford to waste hours finding you."
Rodion almost stumbled on his feet.
This jerk!
He scoffed, but instead of refuting the knight, he carefully entered through the gate and didn't bother to offer assistance to Mikhail.
Without needing to say a word, the knight understood that his young master was aware of the person living inside the manor. He refrained from asking for specifics about how Rodion had acquired this knowledge, as it was not his place to pry. Besides, he was certain it was the Baron who had informed Rodion.
Mikhail led the horses through the gate and turned toward the rear of the manor. Upon arriving, he stopped the horses once again. Swiftly alighting from the box seat, his boots touched the grassy ground. He strode toward a door, searched his pocket for the key, and inserted it into the keyhole, opening the door wide.
The door led to the kitchen. As he entered the dark room, he relied on his memory of the layout, having been the oneresponsible for the daily supplies for the prince. He went straight to a table, carefully feeling for a candle placed atop it, and lit it.
Rodion on the other hand, was thoughtful on his tour outside the manor, Mikhail was right, he shouldn't stray further.
He caught sight of an old-fashioned fountain at the center of the garden, noticing that the water was clear and clean, gleaming slightly in the moonlight. This piqued his interest. He was amazed by the classic design of the fountain—not grand, but its simplicity made it all the more appealing. He moved closer, eager to examine it further. However, as he approached, he spotted a shadow on the ground on the opposite side of the fountain.
Has someone stumbled here on purpose or gotten lost? That's not good...
He paused on his feet and looked at the somewhat elongated shadow on the concrete ground from the other side. He was unable to make sense of whether the figure was a woman or a man.
"Who's in there?" he asked with a firm voice.
The shadow was startled when his voice reverberated throughout the silent garden.
Why are you so surprised? We caused noise at the gate earlier; you should be aware of it! Or are you hiding in there?
He noticed that the shadow made a movement, and shortly thereafter, a figure abruptly emerged from the opposite side. Despite the water that freely falls from the fountain's upper bowl to the middle and lower bowl which hindered them from seeing each other properly, it didn't, however, hinder Rodion from recognizing the other person.
"…you,"
They both muttered to themselves.
It's Prince Nikolai! He gasped silently.
Rodion felt his body freeze. He couldn't take his eyes off the other person on the other side. The prince was the first to snap back to his senses, circle closer to where he was, and stand in front of him. He was still dressed in the cloak that Rodion had given him from the evening. All of a sudden, out of nowhere and unrelated to his current circumstances, the dream he had from his sleep played on his head. Sitting and staring above the sky, watching that beautiful half-moon and admiring it to his heart's content.
Although he was confused by the sudden memory of his dream, Rodion managed to demonstrate his respect to the princeby placing his right hand on his left chest and bowing down with respect.
"Your Highness, the moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
Prince Nikolai's voice resembled the chill of the night, yet it sounded soft and solemn to the ear.
When Rodion straightened his body, what met his eyes was the beaming visage of the prince.
Prince Nikolai was taller than average, but he was slightly shorter in comparison to Rodion. His azure eyes were filled with pure innocence and his smile was genuine; like how the moon shines and reflects the sun's light, his silvery-light blue hair shone, accentuating his porcelain skin. He gazed at Rodion's amber-colored eyes.
"Is this the first time we met? I have a feeling that we've met before this." He asked with a certain degree of curiosity.
Confused by his question, Rodion answered him truthfully.
"We have already met earlier this evening, Your Highness. That cloak you are wearing is from me; you were wearing only a night robe despite the cold temperature, so I offered it to you."
The prince's face turned pensive. It was obvious that he was trying to remember what had happened that evening. He slightly tilted his head, looking unconvinced by what Rodion had said.
What? Don't tell me, he doesn't remember.
"Does Your Highness believe that I'm lying?"
Prince Nikolai opened his mouth with a soft gasp and went a little panicky, anxious that he might have offended him by his reaction because he couldn't remember anything that happened in the evening.
"Oh no, no." He anxiously rebuffed, "I just happened to have a bad memory, so I might have forgotten about it. Please,forgive my rude behavior."
Rodion then smiled to reassure him, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, that I am not in the slightest bit upset or offended."
The prince sighed in relief and relaxed. He approached Rodion a little closer to examine his face. The latter felt a littleawkward about his actions, though he remained on his feet and stood tall. The prince's azure eyes glared as they scrutinized his amber eyes.
"Your eyes, I can't see them properly due to the scarcity of light but, I know they're beautiful."
Rodion felt his cheeks burn, and he hurriedly looked away. However, Prince Nikolai leaned closer.
"It reminds me of someone…" The prince added.
"Do I bear any resemblance to a friend, Your Highness?"
Prince Nikolai leaned back; his smile didn't disappear.
"I don't have a friend." He briefly answered, which made Rodion regret imposing such an insensitive question, "But I have a feeling I've known you for a long time. I hope I am mistaken; may I touch your hand?"
Rodion stared at the prince in front of him, his entire body was covered with the black cloak he was wearing, and only his head was exposed. Although the prince appeared to be smiling, his eyes were showing otherwise. All of a sudden, instead of paying heed to the prince's request, his eyes were intently gazing at the prince's.
Staring deeply into his eyes sparks something within him. All of a sudden, he felt an intense headache, as if something had pierced through his skull. He almost lost his balance and nearly fell to his knees, and he hurriedly pressed his head with his hand. Good thing he was able to control himself and prevent himself from falling. The prince, on the other hand, turned worried and almost wanted to assist him, but Rodion held up his hand to stop him. The suddenness and brief duration of the pain left Rodion gasping for air. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"A-are you alright? What happened to you?" Asked the prince with so much worry.
Rodion approached the fountain and sat on its flat edge. His heartbeat was racing suddenly, and for unknown reasons, he felt certain that he was not the only one who was occupying his current body. He stared down at his trembling hand, lost in thoughts. Although the sudden headache was gone, he knew it would happen again in the future, perhaps even sooner than he could predict.
Prince Nikolai paced in front of him and examined his face to check if he was still in pain, clenching his two hands into a fist against his chest as he leaned closer to Rodion. When he noticed the prince approaching him closer, he looked up at him.
All of a sudden, their faces were so close to each other that their noses were almost touching.
The prince was surprised by their closeness and retreated almost immediately, but stumbled on the cloak he was wearing.However, Rodion swiftly regained his composure and immediately grasped the prince's waist, preventing him from falling.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
The prince trembled a little when he heard his voice close to his ears and his breathing touched his skin, but he nodded his head in affirmation. Rodion didn't fail to notice his trembling fists clenched on his chest. He then carefully assisted the prince to his feet and let go of his waist.
"Forgive me, Your Highness. Did I startle you?" He sincerely apologized.
Prince Nikolai smiled at him once again, "Not at all. You saved me back there. Thank you."
"You are welcome, Your Highness." He said under his breath, as he had not fully recovered from the intense headache.
The silence suddenly engulfed them, and they stood in close proximity, intently gazing into each other's eyes. It took Rodion almost a minute before he abruptly looked away.
"The fountain looks amazing…" he blurted out and turned around to escape the sudden awkward atmosphere. However, the prince didn't reply.
He gazed at the sky, where the moon had already disappeared. Thick fog blanketed the horizon, shrouding the land and making it difficult to see. Above the horizon, the sun was on the verge of rising, casting a beautiful pinkish hue across the sky. This scene captivated Rodion as well—another beautiful day to anticipate.
"Rodya, I am done, we should head back now. It's already dawned."
Rodion turned his head and noticed Mikhail sitting on the box seat of the carriage. The horses' hooves clacked as they jogged toward the gate. To his dismay, when he glanced back, he saw that Prince Nikolai had already gone—once again, leaving without a word. He couldn't help but sigh before running toward Mikhail.
*
Inside the manor, in Prince Nikolai's room.
The prince yawned loudly and stretched out his arms.
"Ugh… I'm so sleepy and tired, my whole body feels so exhausted. Have I once again spent the entire night gazing at the moon outside? I can't even remember a single thing! Are you not tired of staring at that sh*t? It doesn't even shine if it's not for the sun."
As he babbled, he couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance.
"And this cloak smells especially sweaty! Have you been wearing this thing for the entire night?"
He took off the cloak, including the black nightgown robe he was wearing from the previous night, and allowed it to fall to the floor. While doing so, he was walking towards the side table next to his huge bed and grabbed the half-emptied bottle of wine that was placed atop it. He removed its lead and eagerly consumed its content straight from the bottle.
"Ahh! That's good stuff right there…"
He went to the window near his bed and drew the curtain open, flooding his room with light. He gazed into the distance at the carriage making its way back to town, as the sun began to rise.
"This is the last bottle of wine I have, that stupid Knight better stock hundreds down in the kitchen."
He turned his back from the window and drank the remaining portion of his red wine before throwing it onto the floor. It rolled to the side and bumped the other empty bottles that scattered throughout the floor and every corner of his room.
"My room is a total mess. Why not try to clean the room instead of watching the moon outside? When was the last time we had a clean room again? A month ago? Damn… we've been living a slothful lifestyle. We need to do something about this."
He sat at the edge of his bed, his shoulders slumping. Gazing out the window, he felt the warmth of the sun streaming through the oriel window. Once again, he yawned, let his body fall back onto the bed, and gradually drifted off to sleep, naked on the sheets.