A few days later.
The morning of the grand wedding finally arrived. The Madurai tribe was known as the wealthiest tribe in the Steppes, and they spared no expense to prove it. The central hall was draped in heavy silk, wild fox furs, and beaten gold. Adrian, Elyria, and Thoris looked stunning, clad in traditional barbarian formal wear adorned with brilliant jewels that caught the light from miles away.
Every single tribe member attended, alongside the proud, judgmental nobles of the Edrath envoy. Yet, even the most snobbish imperial courtiers were hushed into silence by the sheer, overwhelming display of luxury as it turned out the people of the Steppes were not likely the savages the capital made them out to be; most of them possessed immaculate etiquette, sharp minds, and an undeniable grace.
As the bright beautiful day unfolded, filled with the echoes of the celebration. The night finally came.
Music echoed off the high stone beams and couples took to the floor.
Lucien spent the entire evening maintaining a strict, agonizing distance from the Crown Prince. He split his time between guarding Cassian from afar and sparing Lady Ruby his polite attention on the floor, guiding her through a slow-burn, elegant dance and conversing with her more than ever.
But from the head table, Cassian watched Lucien look so effortless and at ease with her. And for reasons he couldn't bring himself to explain—and with the help of far too much heavy wine consumption—a hot, bitter irritation began to burn in his chest.
His eyes remained pinned on the pair, his fingers tightening around his glass that it almost broke. Lucien noticed the intense glare from across the room, yet he simply looked away as if Cassian was like a passing wind and he continued spinning Ruby gently to the rhythm of the music.
Neither of them had spoken a single word to each other since their last explosive fight in the knights' quarters, and the unspoken tension between them had become too unbearable for Cassian to ignore.
On the other hand.
With the distance drawn wide between the Crown Prince and his trusted guard, the quiet scheme concocted by Thoris and Duke Reinhardt for months now, finally had the chance to came to fruition.
As Cassian was finishing off his last glass of wine, a young servant stepped up to the imperial table with a heavy crystal decanter and approached him.
"Your Highness, would you like a refill for your chalice?"
"Yes, and leave the whole bottle," Cassian muttered darkly, his eyes still glued to Lucien and Ruby.
Leo, sitting beside him, leaned closer with a worried frown.
"Brother, haven't you drunk enough for the night?"
"Not at all!" Cassian snapped, waving a dismissive hand as he poured himself another full cup from the newly brought decanter.
"Today is a big day, and we ought to celebrate until the morning comes!"
Cassian snatched the wine bottle from the servant, bringing it up to lift a scent before drinking.
"The wine has a nice aroma, and this scent... it is strangely familiar."
The ruby-red liquid poured into his cup, and along with it, a faint, sweet fragrance of wild orchids and night-blooming jasmine drifted into the cold air and filled his nose—it was the distinct mark of the *Sacred Nectar of The Fertile Mother*.
Ignoring the strange aroma which he also found suspicious, Cassian couldn't care as he chugged the entire cup in one go and even continued to drink directly from the bottle. All that mattered to him at this point was getting drunk and drunk and drunk until he forgot his name. Give him a handful of intoxicating poisons and he will drink it all just to get drunk.
Standing across the hall, Lucien's sharp senses caught the faint, undeniable resonance of Holy magic seeping from Cassian's cup. He turned his head slightly, watching the prince foolishly gulp down the enchanted, fertilizing aphrodisiac. And Lucien's eyes flicked sideways to where Thoris was, whom was watching Cassian from the side of the hall with the widest and most triumphant grin on his face.
Lucien instantly caught wind of what was happening. Yet, a dark, bitter part of his heart chose to just stay quiet and let it all unfold as intended. He went along with the act, playing distracted just as they wanted him to be. He watched Thoris give a subtle nod toward Duke Reinhardt as Cassian began violently fanning himself, his face suddenly flushing dark red. And while Lucien was entirely focused on Cassian, he had no idea that there was a trap set for him as well.
"Sir Arden,"
One of the trusted imperial head servants requested near Lucien's elbow, bowing low as she spoke softly and respectfully without even a hint of trembling.
"Sir, Duke Reinhardt would like to see you for a moment outside the hall."
Lucien looked at her for a while, and an internal chuckle broke as he couldn't help himself.
'Ah, so that's how it is?... distract the guard just to get the target?'
Lucien thought, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.
'How typical. Trying to lure me as far away from Cassian as possible just to get to him. Even a child would see right through their scheme.'
'But should I play along?...after all it seems like I have finally found the rat that has been working with Thoris and feeding him highly confidential information.'
Lucien looked down at the maid again and then he nodded gesturing her to lead him.
"Lady Ruby, please excuse me," Lucien said smoothly, bowing to his dance partner.
"I will be back once I have attended to Duke Reinhardt."
Ruby nodded in understanding, and Lucien walked away with the servant, heading out into the quiet corridors of the palace.
Meanwhile, at the high table, Cassian felt his stomach churn unnaturally. It was a terrifying sensation, a heavy heat bloomed in his gut and his mana slowly got drained and pulled into his core, as if a second core was forming inside of him.
'That's strange... did I get poisoned?'
Cassian thought frantically, his breath catching in his throat as he slammed down the empty decanter.
'But my dark mana naturally absorbs all poisons...'
He pushed himself up from his chair with a sudden, unsteadiness, stumbling as he tried to excuse himself. His vision blurred, turning the grand hall into a swirl of gold and red lights as he walked past.
Cassian groaned leaning his weight on the wall for balance.
'What the fuck is going on? Am I too drunk, or am I dying again?... No, this can't happen! My promised day to leave is in two months, I can't just die here!'
Cassian caught his breath for a moment trying to steady his legs once again and walk.
'Fuck!, I've always known that the barbarian alcohol is on another level. Did I go too hard?'
"And where the hell is Lucien when I need him around?!"
Cassian scoffed out loud, stumbling his way down the bustling hallway that was filled with the Madurai servants that were on duty and working alongside the Imperial maid servants all prancing around, each fulfilling their assigned roles.
Just as Cassian was about to ask one of them for help, a Madurai male servant quickly appeared at his side and took his arm with a tight grip and Cassian let him be.
"Your Highness forgive my imprudence, but is everything okay? Please allow me to help you to your room."
The servant cast a quick, silent glance toward Thoris and received a nod in return. Thoris slipped away from the ceremony first, heading toward his own master bedchamber to wait, feeling smug as if he had already won the prize.
As the servant guided him down to another dark and empty hallway, Cassian shook his head violently, trying to clear the haze in his mind.
"This–... this is not the way to my guest room."
"Your Highness, you must be confused," the servant lied smoothly, pushing him further down the passage.
"This is—"
"I know the Madurai palace right from the base to the peak hills servant!" Cassian rasped, his skin burning like fire. "I've survived this place! So where the hell are you taking me!?"
The servant panicked, pulling harder, but just then, a tall figure stepped out from the far end of the corridor and it approached them. It was Vikra Madurai.
"Is everything alright here?" Vikra asked, his sharp eyes locking onto the prince then to the servant.
"Vikra!..."
Cassian gasped, leaning between the cold stone wall and the servant holding him.
"Help me, I need to go to my room. This servant is getting lost."
The servant bowed frantically.
"No, I certainly have everything under control, Great Lord! You can trust me—"
"Servant, go back to your duties," Vikra commanded, his voice cold and tone unquestionable.
"We will take care of the Crown Prince from here."
"Great Lord, I must—"
"Buja, take the servant back,"
Vikra ordered and Buja, Vikra's right-hand guard, stepped forward and forcefully dragged the panicking servant back toward the main hall.
Left alone, Vikra stepped up and caught Cassian in his arms just as the prince's knees buckled.
"Hey... Cassian, are you okay?"
"No..."
Cassian whispered. A soft, helpless whimper escaping his lips as his body flinched against Vikra's touch.
"I am burning up... and my head is spinning around."
Vikra carefully inspected Cassian's flushed face.
Cassian's eyes were wide and heavily dilated, his breath coming in shallow, ragged hitches as the aphrodisiac was taking full effect, stripping away all of Cassian's logic and defenses.
"I don't really know what is wrong with me," Cassian whined, his voice thick with uncharacteristic vulnerability. "But I am feeling so out of it."
"You drank too much, that's what," Vikra murmured softly.
"Come, let me take you to your room."
Without waiting, Vikra scooped Cassian up into a comfortable princess carry. Instinctively, Cassian locked his arms tightly around Vikra's neck and staring up into his eyes, even nudging himself closer to snuggle his body against his.
The heavy atmosphere in the dark corridor instantly shifted so smoothly.
"You know..." Cassian murmured, his voice slurred and hazy as he whispered against Vikra's face, his hot breath causing Vikra's facial hair to tickle a bit.
"Vikra, I never thought I'd see you again."
"Me neither," Vikra admitted softly, carrying him down to the quiet guest wing.
"And I also had no excuse to contact you back in the Empire."
Cassian let out a soft, hazy chuckle. He pulled himself up slightly, leaning his body even closer against Vikra's and tightly wrapped himself on him so desperately.
Just then without warning, he inched forward even more, until his warm lips pressed against Vikra's lips in a sudden, needy kiss. Vikra froze dead in his tracks for a moment, his heart hammering against his ribs in sheer shock.
"Cassian what are you doing?"
Vikra whispered, pulling away as he quickly looked around the empty stone hallway, checking if anyone had witnessed the treasonous act. Vikra rasped, his breath hitching as he finally regained his senses.
"Your Highness... If anyone were to see us–"
"Then hurry to my room, Vikra," Cassian whispered against his skin, his eyes heavy with a dark, intoxicating hunger. "There, no one will be able to see us. It will be just you and me, and the bed. Both of us reminiscing our past as much as we would like.... doesn't that just sound so nice mhm?"
Cassian pecked his lips again, this time around tugging on Vikra's lower lip and sucking on it.
Vikra hesitated for a fraction of a second, his throat dry as he swallowed hard. But looking down at Cassian's flushed face, needy eyes, and the sheer desperation in his touch, his logic completely crumbled to the point that he also felt the need to spend the night with him.
Turning sharply, Vikra rushed down the remaining corridor straight to Cassian's private guest chambers. He kicked open the heavy door and carried the prince inside the warm bedchambers, the fireplace crackling with burning wood. Vikra made a beeline for the massive bed, draped in soft and heavy furs.
As Vikra laid him down on the mattress, Cassian immediately reached up, pulling Vikra down by his collar to attack him with another desperate, lustful kiss as Vikra climbed on top of him and pinned his whole weight down on him.
*****