Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

A Series of Unexpected Events Part II

Outside the inn, civilians stop to inspect the situation inside and the horse carriage waiting at its threshold.

The little boy from the large family has his eyes fixated on Niowei, and when Niowei goes past him to exit the inn, his heart shatters into a thousand pieces.

"No! Why are you a Princess?" His little hands grip onto his chest, knowing that he'll never have a chance with a princess.

His mother covers his mouth and holds him tightly in her arms.

"I'm not a princess. I'm my mommy and daddy's daughter," Niowei pouts softly, not understanding why others would address her as 'Princess'.

"You're a Princess because your brother is a King and father is a Crown Prince," Aguano pinches the bridge of his nose.

The door of the carriage opens for Alosrin and Niowei, but closes for Aguano.

"What's the big deal? I need to protect them."

A soldier opens her mouth to explain, but Alosrin overrules her reasoning and Aguano rides inside the carriage as well.

The ride to the palace is a long one, and along the way Niowei remembers that she did not eat much at the inn.

Alosrin gives Niowei the last of his cubed food, "It seems we'll have to return to Enzumin and restock soon."

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask... Where do you consider 'home'?" Aguano has a snarky smirk drawn on his face. "Any normal person would've said 'return home' rather than 'return to and then the name of their hometown'."

The elf leans down to kiss the temple of his half mortal daughter's head, "Home is where she is."

Aguano rubs his stubbly chin, "Then what does an Enzumin Ninety-Nine Scholar entail exactly? You seemed shocked earlier."

"Sometimes you're very keen on some of the most unusual details," Alosrin laughs. "Anyway, that title doesn't mean anything anymore."

Aguano can deduce that the title still means something to Alosrin in the way he reacted and deflected its existence, but he ignores its importance for now.

"Mommy, what is a princess?" Niowei knits her brows together, "Aguano said it's because my brother is a King and daddy is a Crown Prince."

Alosrin pats his daughter's head, "That title also doesn't mean anything anymore to you as well. You're my daughter and that's enough of an identifier."

"That doesn't mean her lineage isn't important to other people, especially her and my people," Aguano's stomach begins to churn a little.

"It's only a mortal title."

"It may be a meaningless title to you like your own title, but it's the reason I'm here. To protect the honor of that title, a Princess of Aarth."

Aguano's aggressive defense startles Niowei who crawls into her mother's lap.

"I apologize if I have offended you. I will do better next time," Alosrin wears a serious face to show his sincerity.

And yet Aguano isn't satisfied. He rolls his eyes, "Why do you care about offending and respecting my feelings if you don't even understand where my feelings are coming from? But what can you do? You who lived all your life without the threat of having a title being stripped away will never understand our mortal strife to maintain the respect from such a title."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Alosrin keeps his gaze soft, but he believes it is what keeps him from understanding his lover.

Perhaps it is this idea of respect from a title that his lover left him the first time and this time as well.

Even though Alosrin doesn't blame his lover, he still can't understand him either. And only called his lover a coward for so long.

After a long silence and the image of a palace brimming before the naked eyes, Alosrin brings up, "You asked me earlier what does 'Enzumin Ninety-Nine Scholar' mean."

Aguano nods.

"It means that someone who accused and threatened my nephew and I is letting his pet loose to spreading the rabies."

The brows hang low above Aguano's eyes as he is trying to digest the metaphor Alosrin has given him.

"Mommy, look. It's Uncle Artemis and Jaufasi," Niowei points outside the window of the carriage as it loops in a circle to the front of the palace.

"It's good to see you again," Artemis folds his arms, slowly amused.

"I feel the same about you too," Alosrin gets off the carriage and greets his old friend with an embrace.

"Baby," Niowei chuckles and gives the little dragon boy an elder sister's tease because she forgot Jaufasi's name.

And behind them stand a tall Aarthian man of familiar features, which Aguano greets with a grip on the hands and a shove on the shoulders.

"Lord Jin. It's good to see you still well," Aguano says.

Alosrin stares at Jin's familiar features as Jin replies to Aguano, "Thank you. It seems you're still... Still—Um, how do I say this nicely—"

"Just fucking say you're glad to see me still alive and well, damn it!" Aguano hooks his arm around Jin's neck, acting as if he'll punch him.

"You know him?" Artemis gesture toward Jin.

"No. I met someone related to him a long time ago in mortal years," Alosrin shrugs his shoulders. "Anyway, where's this Regent and Crown Prince I've been hearing about?"

Jaufasi slips through Niowei's greeting arms and tugs at Alosrin's leg, "Help my brother. Please."

The elf couldn't help but smile at the little dragon who's barely able to speak, looking the same age as he first met the little one.

"Please lead the way," Alosrin wears a gentle smile as he watches the son of Juda waddle into the palace.

Following close behind the little dragon boy, Jin whispers to Aguano, "The Mistress, she sure does look like the Queen."

"I guess one can say they're from the same clan?" Aguano sucks in his lips to think about his translation. "Besides, the Mistress is a dude. Didn't you read the 'Journal Adventures of Prince Niltiocles'?"

"I did. Prince Niltiocles only said his Mistress—like every Mistress ever—is a beauty capable of striking stupidity to the most capable of men. Never once mentioned the gender of said Mistress, and obviously I and everyone else assumed the Mistress is a woman." Jin rolls his eyes and shrugs his shoulders teasingly.

Aguano shakes his head in annoyance, "Well there you have it. They look similar so what?"

"Nothing. I simply made an observation."

"Seriously?" Aguano makes a disgusted face at Jin. "You do know that I'm the only one who can hang out with you and yet I'm losing my patience with you as well. Soon, you won't have any friends to talk to."

Jin laughs and hooks his arm around Aguano's shoulder, "Come on. Don't be like that. We're friends for life. I'll even give you my inheritance of Gluria."

"I don't want a weak city like Gluria."

"What do you mean weak?" Jin elbows his friend, "We're average. It's just... Thempolis is basically a city state. Not every one of us can become a Thempolis, a Port City, an Asandria, a Tord, or a Champion."

"All I can hear is that you're not taking this friendship seriously," Aguano rolls his eyes with a frown.

"Of course I am!" Jin laughs and Aguano pushes him away.

Then they come to the room where Arabret has been sleeping in, and there beside the bed is the Regent, Da'an Ryul, collecting his thoughts and waiting for his audience.