"Caelum," Elias called out, his voice a low summons as he fixed his gaze on his companion.
"Is something wrong?" Caelum asked, his brow furrowed with concern as he walked quickly to Elias and gently took his hand, his touch a silent offering of comfort.
Elias's face was a little pale, worry etched into his features. "If we do let Aurelius's mother know about the magic enhancing ring, wouldn't Aurelius want to try it first to check its authenticity after stealing it?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of trepidation. "And if he tried it, wouldn't the ring take even more of my magic?" The question hung heavy in the air between them.
Caelum offered a reassuring smile, a soft curve of his lips that immediately calmed Elias's nerves. "It absolutely wouldn't," he assured him confidently. "I actually made one amplifier, just in case, and I tested it beforehand. I asked you to push a little of your magic into mine about a week ago, remember?" he prompted, his eyes searching Elias's face.
Elias nodded slowly, recalling the moment. "You said it was a small project of yours," he stated, a faint memory returning.
"That small project was the enhancer rune," Caelum explained, reaching into the inner pocket of his coat and pulling out a simple, yet intricately crafted ring. "This ring here is an amplifier. I asked you to push your magic into me to test if the amplifier would pull your magic or just mine," he clarified, holding the ring up for Elias to see.
Elias gasped softly, realization dawning in his eyes. "You were preparing for all of these possible situations, even before you made the seal itself," he murmured, impressed by Caelum's foresight.
Alexander was observing the exchange with a quiet, approving smile.
"I think we wouldn't have found a better knight and mage for Prince Elias even if we had searched the entire kingdom," Matheas whispered to Alexander, his voice filled with sincere admiration for Caelum.
Alexander nodded in agreement. "That is absolutely true," he said, his gaze lingering on the two young men. "And, he looks genuinely happy with Caelum standing right beside him," he added, a warmth spreading through his chest.
"I think Caelum would agree to what I have in mind, Alex," Matheas whispered conspiratorially, before walking over to Caelum and Elias and pulling both of them into a warm, fatherly hug.
Alexander gasped quietly when he heard Matheas call him "Alex" again. 'It has been such a long time since you called me by my name when others were present, Mat,' he thought, a secret smile spreading across his face, warmed by the familiarity.
Then a sharper gasp escaped him as he understood the deeper meaning behind Matheas's words. 'Will he really accept?' he wondered, his thoughts racing as he looked intently at Caelum. Caelum was gazing at an excited Elias with an expression of profound softness in his eyes, a look Alexander had only ever seen in Matheas's eyes when Matheas looked at him. Alexander smiled to himself. 'You might be right, Mat. I truly think he would accept that condition,' he concluded before walking over and joining Elias.
He gently pulled Caelum a little to the side, creating a moment of privacy. "Once you graduate from the academy, two years from now, please come to my office with Elias," Alexander instructed, his voice firm yet kind.
Caelum nodded slowly, an intuitive feeling washing over him that his entire life would change significantly because of that single, future meeting. He did not know if the change would be for the better or for the worse. But, ultimately, he did not care as long as he could remain by Elias's side and continue to protect him, which was his sole purpose.
Caelum then offered two rings to Alexander. "The one with the letter 'S' written in gothic script is the sealer ring. The one with the 'S' written in a bolder gothic script is the amplifier ring," he specified, pointing out the subtle differences.
"Give me the amplifier," Alexander said, carefully handing both rings back to Caelum for a moment.
Caelum promptly gave Alexander only the amplifier ring.
"Matheas, please put this on display immediately," Alexander requested, giving the ring to Matheas, who took it and quickly walked out of the room to carry out the task.
"We will simply wait for them to steal the fake one and replace it with this," Alexander explained to Caelum, a gleam of strategy in his eyes.
"How exactly do we replace it?" Caelum asked, genuinely curious about the next step of the plan.
"I have guards positioned on my side within his manor," Alexander replied confidently. "They are not siding with the Ravenlofts. They are loyal to the Idrasil family," he clarified, giving Caelum a meaningful look.
"Are those Matheas's family knights?" Elias asked with a knowing smile as Matheas returned to the room, having completed his task.
"If you are referring to the knights stationed in the first prince's manor, then yes, they are," Matheas confirmed with a slight, satisfied smile. "They follow my specific orders, and not His Highness's," he stated plainly.
'Do I even have any knights on my side within that family's ranks?' Caelum wondered silently, a flicker of insecurity passing through him.
Matheas walked closer to Caelum and placed a comforting hand around his shoulder. "You would have the entire department of magic at your disposal, if you simply accept your great grand uncle's generous offer," he whispered, keeping the confidence low.
Caelum nodded slowly, processing the information. "Will it be alright for me to do that?" he asked, his gaze earnest as he turned to look at Matheas. "Will accepting that position not put more pressure on Elias, especially since he is the one I have chosen to protect?"
"He will be absolutely fine," Matheas assured him with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. "My own family's knights were not entirely my own, either, when I started," he confessed. "I am the successor to the title of Royal Grand Knight, after all," he reminded Caelum. "I had the very same doubts and almost rejected the offer out of fear for Alexander. His Majesty chewed my ear out for even thinking about rejecting it," Matheas chuckled softly at the memory. "He practically forced me to accept the offer. He told me to simply keep a better, closer eye on him if I truly thought my new position would bring him any kind of danger," he finished with a fond smile.
"Like father, like son, then!" Caelum remarked with a smile, looking over at the king and his prince, seeing the similarities in their demeanor.
Matheas nodded in acknowledgment. "That is precisely why I like Elias the best among all of His Majesty's children," he said, his voice warm. "He is like a miniature Alexander; it truly amuses me when His Majesty grumbles about Elias's antics from time to time," he said with a smile, as he, too, looked at the father and son duo planning intently on how to make absolutely certain that the main consort would take their bait.
"Bastard!" Elias suddenly cursed under his breath, his voice strained, and Caelum was instantly by his side, alert. "We will be going back to Emerald Manor immediately," Elias gasped out, his words punctuated by short, shallow breaths as Caelum began pushing his own magic into Elias's body to stabilize him. "Just let me know how the plan progresses tomorrow," he instructed, and in a flash of shimmering light, he teleported both himself and Caelum directly to the security of his own room.
Once the magic surge had passed and the immediate danger was gone, Elias pulled Caelum close against his chest, holding him tightly. "Was it painful for you this time?" he asked, his voice filled with concern as he looked down at Caelum.
Caelum gently shook his head, his face pressed against Elias's shirt. "It truly wasn't," he assured him, his voice muffled but clear. "You have been making absolutely sure that I wasn't hurt right from the very start," he said with a genuine smile, tightening his hold on Elias's arms around his chest.
"Caelum," Elias called out, his voice soft.
"Yes?" Caelum asked, tilting his head up to look at Elias.
"Can I do more than just roughly push myself into you when the poison inevitably gets triggered?" Elias asked, his expression tentative, a deep hope in his eyes.
"Like kissing?" Caelum asked in a quiet voice, his face beginning to flush a deep crimson at the suggestion.
"Yes," Elias confirmed, his eyes fixed on Caelum's. "Just slamming into you is all we ever do, and I honestly don't want to do it that way anymore," he admitted, his voice earnest. "I want the both of us to at least enjoy the physical act when we have to do it," he confessed, a sincere plea in his tone.
"Are you asking this for my benefit, or is this for your sake as well?" Caelum asked, a spark of curiosity in his voice as he turned around in Elias's arms to face him directly.
"For both of us, absolutely," Elias replied, giving Caelum a soft, tender smile. "But it is completely alright if you do not want to," he quickly added, not wanting to pressure Caelum.
"It is not that I do not want it," Caelum said, shaking his head gently. "I actually really like it when you suddenly kiss me," he added, a little shyly. "What I truly do not want is for you to feel like you are forcing yourself to go through the act just to make sure that I am okay," he explained, wanting Elias to understand his hesitation.
"I have honestly wanted to ask you to do this for a while now," Elias confessed. "I just lacked the courage to actually bring it up and ask you about it," he admitted with a soft, relieved smile before leaning down and gently kissing the top of Caelum's head
"Then, it is completely alright," Caelum said with a genuine, heartfelt smile, immediately burying his face into Elias's chest, hiding his embarrassment as Elias smiled broadly, watching Caelum's ears turn a bright, undeniable red.