The Darkest Dawn

Chapitre 14

Behind the curtains and waiting in line before it was his turn to walk the runway, Lucien was in a nervous and worried fit. He wondered where Darius was and if he was holding up okay. At least he was until he felt a hand on his shoulder. "No one is supposed to touch me, it would smudge the paint." Lucien said wearily, staring at the floor miserably.

"You know I don't speak french, Luci." A familiar english voice replied. Lucien looked up, shocked.

"Darius? Dear God, are you okay?!" Lucien asked in a hushed and panicked tone. He examined the Englishman and paused. Darius was dressed in a white tunic with gold embroidery. He had white and gold egyptian paint on his own skin. "Darius, who did your costume...?"

"A couple slaves... uh... Dan and Harley?" Darius shut his eyes, trying to remember.

"Daniel and Harper."

"That's it."

"Did they say you were based on anyone?" Lucien asked.

"Some stupid egyptian goddess, Raet-Tawy." He scoffed. He hugged Lucien, white and black smudging slightly and rubbing off. "Anyways, I'm doing fine. What about you? Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Darius." Lucien sighed, returning the embrace. They broke apart.

"I have to be a couple positions behind you in line. Just walk the runway, do whatever the guy or girl tells you to do at the end and walk back. You'll do fine." Darius instructed. He retreated back through the line. Lucien couldn't help but notice the contrasting black smudges on him. He looked at himself and his stomach sank to his feet at the sight of white smudges. Daniel and Harper were going to be furious with them.

Lucien could hear the applause of millions of seivohn. He knew they were at some kind of theatre with plenty of seats. The castle sure had its uses.... Competitors one by one exited from behind the curtains, met with a roar of cheering seivohn. Eventually it was Lucien's turn. The girl in front of him, costumed as a silver lion smiled reassuringly and nodded at him when she returned from the runway.

Lucien emerged from the curtains, flexing his hands. He was blinded by bright lights before he adjusted. Before him was sparkly runway, black seivohn surging forth trying to get a better view of Lucien. There were booths above them with seivohn who sported binoculars. Among the booth seivohn was Rhaelra who leaned forward, suddenly interested. Lucien started walking down the runway, careful. He reached the end and lowered his eyes at the judges, three seivohn who sat side by side in golden chairs.

"Flex your muscles." The small seivohn in the front seat to the right whispered to him. "Any way you'd like." Really? Lucien wrinkled his nose distastefully. The latino supposed he had average defined muscles, not anything he could really show off though. He sighed and flexed his back, pulling his arms taut forward. The crowd applauded and Lucien's insecurity was eased slightly. "Alright, walk back now." Lucien turned, making a show of it, and disappeared back through the curtains.

Back in his room, Lucien waited anxiously as he paced. The door burst open and Daniel charged in. Lucien abruptly stood, stuttering. "LUCIEN!" Daniel bellowed.

"I-I'm sorry, I told him it would smudge-!" Lucien tried defending himself.

"THAT WAS A STROKE OF GENIUS!" Daniel hollered, swooning over the white smudges on Lucien's skin.

"I... what?" Lucien sputtered, purely bewildered.

"Oh come on, don't play stupid with me! You know your mythology, don't you?! That was exciting! That was almost scandalous! Everyone was gossiping about it after Darius walked, skin all covered in black marks that messed up my art! My meticulous art!" Daniel grabbed Lucien by the shoulders and shook him, not caring about the paint now on his hands. It was clear Daniel was indeed a little annoyed that the two men practically destroyed his body art that he labored over judging by the way his eyebrow twitch and the corners of his grin faltered. "But that was okay, more than okay! I was blind to not see the possibility! All I thought about was matching you two to show everyone you represent the same lord, but holy smokes, you clever dogs!" Lucien pushed Daniel off him.

"I am sure I don't know what you mean!" Lucien scoffed. Daniel furrowed his brows, confused.

"What, really? The entire audience was whispering." Daniel hooked an arm around Lucien's neck and waved with his other to gesture some kind of big idea he couldn't see. Lucien was more concerned about all the paint that was wetting Daniel's arm. "Two slaves vying for their survival in a grueling competition that is the Pageant! However, behind closed doors, a doomed relationship between the two!" Daniel turns and pats Lucien's chest. "That is what I mean. The relationship depends on which seivohn or slave you ask. Most say brothers, others say best friends and some bet on lovers!"

"That is- you are utterly ridiculous!" Lucien argued.

"No Lucien, they are utterly ridiculous!" Daniel corrected. "We both know you certainly aren't brothers! You are egyptian while Darius holds a more greek charm to himself. Perhaps roman? No, definitely Greece." Daniel mused. "Which reminds me, we're doing greek mythology tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Lucien gasped, his worries about the rumours retreating to his subconscious. "How long does this Pageant last exactly?!"

"A week." Daniel smiled. "Today is the first day, Monday. Sunday is a day of celebration for the next Champion."

Lucien sank to his knees. "A whole week...." He muttered. He looked up. "Can I see Darius?" He asked, hopeful.

Daniel shared a skeptical look with his sister. "I mean, that's not usually allowed but... there are a lot of unusual things about this year's Pageant." He nodded and left the room, leaving Lucien with Harper. She sat on the pedestal and closed her eyes as if she meant to fall asleep. Lucien waited in silence with her, wondering if she ever talked.

The door opened and Darius charged in, beelining for Lucien. Lucien scrambled to his feet just in time to be smothered in another tight embrace. Darius held him, his arms tense. "Are you okay?" He asked, muffled in Lucien's shoulder.

"I'm fine. What about you? I know how hard it is this-" Lucien replied.

"Shut up. I'm okay." Darius cut him off, then pulled away. There was paint on his face now. He kind of looked silly. "We have to get through this." He chose his words carefully, clearly indicating his distrust in Daniel and Harper although Lucien doubted Harper could speak.

"What are we going to do?" Lucien furrowed his eyebrows, worried about the stadium Darius had described.

Darius closed his eyes and sighed. He reached up and tangled his fingers in his carefully brushed hair. "I don't know."

Lucien glanced at Daniel who hovered by the door, listening to their conversation and leaning aggressively forward as if he dared one of them to call him out on eavesdropping. "Seems like everything is falling apart." He looked back to Darius, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Are we going to die?"

Darius scowled. "I'm not going to let you die, Lucien." He whispered back.

"I can believe that." Lucien sighed. "But I also believe you'd die trying. Promise me you won't get yourself killed."

Darius clapped a hand on the nape of Lucien's neck. He stared at the latino, eyes intense. "We have until saturday. I'm not making any promises until then."