Shaded Sky

Chapter 6: Shrouded Past

Sky dropped on his bed roughly, an arm over his eyes as his mind whirled into chaos. Though he had many faults, Cobalt was a calming presence to have by his side. If only he could be this competent all the time, he mused.

"Ya want me 'ta stay? Keep you company?" It really seemed that his older cousin felt the most comfortable speaking in common tongue rather than the stifling language of the upper echelons.

The raven-haired lord's mouth twitched in amusement. " Gone tired of the formal language, have we?"

Cobalt coughed in surprise before throwing his cousin a glare the other wouldn't even see. "I gained many true friends because I learned 'ta speak this way, I'll have ya know."

"Those friends you speak of only became true because they like me," the bed's occupant reminded him in a rather dry tone.

The other neither denied nor confirmed, as he sat beside his cousin. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sky sighed and finally removed the arm over his eyes to give him the look. "What is there to talk about? That the king and my father were friends yet our family is still being treated poorly? That Father didn't think it important to tell me? I don't even know if my mother knew." His words flowed out of his mouth in a stream, almost forgetting to breathe in his distress.

Cobalt kept quiet, knowing that his younger cousin needed to let it all out. Not a sound was made, except for panting as Sky sought to recover his breath. After a while, he tentatively breached the silence. "You know, perhaps Uncle had a reason in mind for keeping such a powerful connection a secret. Either Aunt Heaven knew, or she too was kept in the dark, we shan't know. But none of these facts are pertinent to you at present, is it?"

The young Lord Nightshade sat up and gazed pensively at his cousin. "When did you become so wise?" He smiled, just a tiny bit, considering he was not one to show emotions usually.

Cobalt cuffed him lightly on the head. "Idiot. I have always been wise. And anyway, just a thought. If Uncle Obsidian's excellent secrets keeping skills were part of your special lineage... Wouldn't it be an interesting ability? We could make quite good use of it!"

Sky sighed again. "I honestly worry for the future of the House of Midnight with you as its lord. Uncle Brandeis would cry."

"Not 'me mum?"

"Aunt Maje would rather pull you over her knees and give you quite a strapping, I should think."

Cobalt shivered, knowing that his mother is fully capable of the action should she have a mind to do it. "You, dear cousin, are atrocious. Pure evil. How did I become childhood friends with a blackheart like you?"

"How could I have survived growing up with a lout like you," Sky countered, his face looking blank once again. The elder lord merely laughed, enjoying their brand of banter as per usual.

"I'll let you rest, shall I. Think you can join the royal family for dinner?"

"I can manage," he smiled again, the usual tiny one he can only do.

"Look a'that. Two smiles in one sitting! You're getting soft, ya are." He laughed boisterously as he made his way out, narrowly missing the pillow aimed at his head.

"You lout," Sky muttered fondly, allowing his smile to widen now that he was alone. His blue, blue eyes sparkled. He hadn't felt this lighthearted, not since his parents' passing. It felt - good.

§ § § § §

"That was quite the surprise earlier, wasn't it?" Vermilion spoke as he strode into his brother's quarters. "Do you think we played with him here when we were toddlers?"