Heavenly Love

Chapter 7: Royal Guest

A week into muscle building had Aoi wishing for a second death. Calix was brutal, continuously adding on to the work-out routine with a single-minded ferocity that made the Transmigrator think that perhaps he was planning to train him into becoming a dueling partner of some sort. The thought of versing his elder brother in a fight actually had his stomach knotting up and his face turning green. Just by watching Calix and the Duke's battle practice was enough to make the most manly of men feel weak and timid.

The most baffling part of these exercises were what appeared to be the trigger for the increase in intensity. It seemed like every time Aoi came across a stranger and exchanged pleasantries (as he was taught to do by his beloved mother and sister), his brother would freeze up with a look of exasperation and anxiety. Following that would be an extra fifteen pushups or an additional set of arm raises that would leave Aoi panting and unhappily sore.

It was actually on one of the most grueling of days when an unexpected visitor showed up at the doors of the Tesoro Manor. A gilded carriage, full of old money and charm with snarling lion heads marking both sides, rolled up to a stop outside the house around early afternoon. Four gorgeous black Destier horses with shiny coats came to a well-practiced halt at the command of an austere looking footman dressed as finely as a nobleman. Flanking the side of the carriage were three physically intimidating knights in full armor, each one carrying a heavy, scarred weapon at his side.

Calix glanced over with little interest before focusing back on his little brother's form, critiquing it in a manner that he thought was loving, but sounded more sinister in the ears of the Little One. In a desperate attempt to divert his attention back to the the mysterious visitor, Aoi began to earnestly ask questions.

"Who is that? What do the lions mean, Big Brother?" Aoi asked curiously, while standing on tiptoe in an attempt to peek inside the carriage.

"That is the royal family crest, and I believe that must be the Little Princeling." Calix answered absently, secretly preening at Noah's affectionate pet name for him.

"The Prince?!" Aoi gaped in surprise. Wasn't that one of the love interests and the heroine's fiancée? He wasn't supposed to show up until after Alina entered school and the otome game began. Why was the plot being derailed so much even though none of the big plot points had occurred yet? His relationship changes with the members of the household couldn't have been significant enough to trigger any early events, could it?

Noah's clear interest in yet another dangerous person relit the fire in Calix's blood. His little brother kept talking to random individuals and had nearly been kidnapped at least twice in his presence. One would-be abductor was a foaming-at-the-mouth, low nobleman that had been passing down the road. His eyes held an ugly glint when he had asked for Noah's name and to this big brother's horror, the Little One had answered naturally with a sweet smile. Before Noah could be further endangered, Calix had rushed in to pull him away. The lax guard was severely reprimanded and let go, while the nobleman... well he had come to a satisfying end.

Before he could order Noah to pick up the dumbbells for another round of weight training, a maid came running out from a side door towards the two boys. She paused breathlessly a few feet away and bowed, before picking up her pale face to inform the older boy that the Duchess had asked for his presence in greeting the Prince. Her obvious snub towards Noah had Calix icily watching the girl before promptly picking up Noah and marching towards the door the maid had come through, with no word to the messenger. He then gently deposited his little brother into the arms of Eleanor, and with a gentle pat, he left to seemingly get ready for the royal guest.

Aoi began the same, even without the formal invitation. It seemed even in the short time that Eleanor had been with the Tesoro Family, she could already foresee the request for the Young Master's presence, given that he was constantly doted on and rarely left out of the Duke or Young Master Calix's sight. She paced over to a bear-claw, porcelain tub and tossed him in, then quickly and efficiently scrubbed him clean, while Aoi, still bewildered by the plot change, but still grateful for the end to his tortuous exercise, tried to formulate an idea of what the notorious Prince was like in Heavenly Love.