Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Whose Plan?

Niltiocles's threats were child's play. After all, if he couldn't kill the little beast after killing the mother, he wouldn't kill the little beast now.

"I'll really do it!" The prince tried to sound more assertive with his loyal servants watching him.

"Nil, I think you should leave him alone," Hueng said without thinking until he saw Jin's face and knew he had to shut up.

Jin smacked his lips, "Let's cook breakfast outside."

Then the two went outside to make breakfast and finish up butchering the mother beast hanging in the falling snow.

When the sun peeked through the twigs of the tree branches, the snow melted making the ground soggy.

"Damn. My boots are all dirty," Hueng complained as he skinned the beast.

"Shut up. If weren't for that elf, we've been home by now."

Hueng sighed, "Hey Jin. Stop blaming everything on the elf. We both know it's our own fault for being unable to persuade Nil."

"I'm going to go fucking crazy, man! I can't do this anymore," Jin stopped whatever he was doing and balled his fists angrily.

"What do you mean? Let's be patient."

"I can't be optimistic like you," Jin's face darkened. "I want to be at home with my family."

"Remember why we chose this job," Hueng walked over to Jin. He hung an arm over Jin's shoulders, "It's either this or go to war."

"I would rather go to war now then babysit a prince. He should be the one leading our soldiers, but he's just wasting his—and our—time with an elf that would never be with him and another that will never choose him."

Hueng replied with a dampen tone, "I know you're only saying that because we're not at the front line right now."

"Yes! You are right, but why do we only have two choices? We're both sons of lords for heaven's sake!"

Then Jin noticed Hueng's quiet face and thought he should've kept his anger inside himself.

Hueng unhooked his arm, stood up, and went for a walk.

Meanwhile inside the house, Niltiocles began to feel the kindling energy of trying to conquer something he couldn't have.

Niltiocles's rough movements upset the little beast, and it cried calling out for a mother that can never return to help it.

The little beast's wailing cry softened Alosrin's heart and he opened the door to pity the orphan beast.

"I'm sorry," Alosrin whispered when he got the little beast from Niltiocles who smiled with victory.

"I knew you have a soft heart unlike Aarthian men," Niltiocles declared proudly as he entered his own room.

Alosrin's brows rose confusedly, "Compassion and empathy are—"

"Ah! I don't care about those things. I won and that's what is important."

"Why are you so arrogant? If you had the guts to kill its mother, why did you pity it? Is it so that you can use it to get a win on me?" Alosrin grinded his teeth angrily.

Niltiocles's twitched his nose and turned to face the wall as he laid on the bed.

Alosrin shook his head in disappointment and head out of the house. He didn't understand why he fell for a person like Niltiocles in the first place.

Hueng smiled with a resolved stance, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Alosrin offered an awkward nod.