“Are we sure he’s even gonna show up?” Jayce spoke with his pessimism, tapping his fingers on the long table as he ignored his tea. He didn’t particularly like tea. In fact, he’d much prefer to rip into the meat that was sure to be coming once the meeting wrapped up. After all, Feather was the esteemed miracle worker, someone they absolutely needed to recruit at all costs, which meant this meeting was somewhat of a dinner, as well. But, well, from what Cirrus had told them, Feather wasn’t even on the planet anymore.
Though Eve just elbowed him from where he was slouching, ignoring him when he growled and instead shot him a wide smile. “You need to have more faith! He promised Cirrus he’d show up, didn’t he?” she insisted, and it was clear to everyone whose side she was on. Not that Jayce was okay with that.
“Ugh, so?! Does that guy really look like someone who keeps his promises?” the werewolf retorted, Queen Nadia listening quietly while sitting at the head of the table on her throne with her husband and mother at her sides. She was a very beautiful and powerful woman with an appearance fit for her position as esteemed leader of the Central Domain Alliance, with a royal purple gown that flowed and caressed her dark chestnut skin, snug against her slender yet strong features. Her effortlessly silky hair was black and long, draping over her shoulders while she took in everyone’s seemingly mixed opinions on this miracle man. She held the famed traits that the Aixon family had held for generations, as well… an extremely tall yet lithe stature. Her own grandmother, who she had met rarely before she died, had been notably tall as well. The gene had skipped over Ruba, who was a very short and frail-looking person, but Nadia herself was six feet and four inches tall, only an inch shorter than her youngest child, Cirrus. She liked it, though. She liked being able to tower over people. It was good for intimidation tactics, and everything could be used as a weapon in court if it was used correctly, including one’s height.
The table was wide and grand, made of a wood with a deep black hue with green cloth spread out over it, tiny golden gems sewn into the cloth of the fabric. And Nadia was smiling as she finished listening, slowly sipping on her cup of earl tea with a serene smile, although her voice came out colder. “Cirrus, my child… I thought you only had good things to say about this man?” she hummed, already forming her judgements based on the hearsay that was circulating.
But Cirrus was quick to object, sitting on his side of the table right beside Ruba and across from his older sibling, who looked far too smug for their own good. “He is a good person, he’ll be here. He’s just… ah, well—”
“A bit difficult,” Achitha interrupted helpfully, before his older sibling burst into laughter on their side of the table, head bent into their hands as Cirrus grimaced.
This person was Nefion Aixon, the eldest child of the Aixon family, and they were… horrid to deal with. Perhaps younger siblings always thought that about their elders, but Nefion had never let Cirrus have a day of peace in his life. Whether it be the time they tricked him into reading an explicit homosexual erotic novel between two men before he’d figured out he was gay, or the time they pressured him into letting them cut his hair only for them to have chopped off the part of his bangs that covered his eyepatch. And Nefion knew he was insecure about the way people perceived him walking around with an eyepatch! He was the prince of Lilino, he had access to healers galore, why would he be wearing an eyepatch? He didn’t like the attention that came with it, but Nefion gave him that stupid haircut anyway just because Cirrus had accidentally set their ship on fire! But that was a story for another day, that was. All people should know was that Nefion was horrid.
“Aw, you seem so eager to defend your new little friend,” they cooed from across the table, Cirrus refusing to look at them, their thick black bangs wafting over their forehead while the top half of their hair that was pulled back flushed upwards. The rest of their hair was let down, the thick mass brushing against their shoulders, and they had a strong, sturdy build with a wide chest and broad shoulders. While their colors and eyes matched the natural Aixon family characteristics, Nefion seemed to be the only one who took after their father, Didimitri Korule, who was a very brawny man with thick hair and a shorter stature, but somehow, despite being better built than Cirrus, his older sibling still managed to look rather lithe. And their amber eyes were shiny and the exact same hue as his, although theirs were much more playful, with a mischievous smile to match as they threw out menacingly, “Does sweet little Cirri have a new crush?”
“No, that’s not it,” Cirrus retorted, Jayce hearing that while picking at his teeth, resigning himself to not comment on the truthfulness of that statement. But there was an important reason why he was defying this, even though his emotions said otherwise. He just… didn’t know if it was okay to feel these things for Feather just yet. But right now, he needed to cover for him. “I just know he’s not a bad person, and I trust that he’ll be here.”
“Well, you know what they all say,” Nefion hummed brilliantly, twirling a reddish chocolate finger in their thick locks of hair as they gave a wicked grin, “When two men have trust in each other, it’s automatically homoerotic. Don’t you think?”
“That… that doesn’t even make sense,” Cirrus protested, Eve giggling in her seat next to Nefion as Nadia let out a sigh.
“I don’t care what their relationship is. We all know that Cirrus’ destined soulmate has long since passed away,” she gathered the room together, Cirrus’ frown turning more melancholic as Nefion leaned back in their chair with a huff. But no one seemed to understand what that really meant to him.
This… was exactly the problem. How could he be in love with someone when his prophesied lover was dead? Was it even okay to fall in love with Feather? Was he betraying Arcadia’s memory by falling in love with someone else? Of course, he’d never really felt anything romantic like that towards Arcadia, and the older he got the more convinced he became that he was only ever attracted to men… but maybe she was supposed to be different? That didn’t feel quite right… in fact it felt very contradictory to what prophecy was supposed to be, but, well… Cirrus didn’t know what was right and what was wrong. All he knew for certain was what he was feeling towards Feather. He was infatuated with that chaotic confidence, how the blond brought so many good things out of him by simply getting in his face and challenging Cirrus to match his greatness. He’d adored the sliver of intimacy he’d managed to get, and how they’d essentially held hands for a brief time… honestly, he wanted to do it again. He definitely, definitely wanted to hold his hands again. Would he ever get the chance? Ah, did that even matter? Was loving Feather even okay when he had a prophesied wife? Arcadia was dead, sure… and she had been for over four hundred years, but… agh, things really were complicated.
But Nadia kept her chin raised high, his mother poised and precise in all of her affairs. She never had grieved too much over Arcadia. In the end, all it meant to her was that the prophecy was not impenetrable. She’d tried her best to support her son after the girl’s untimely death, knowing what it must have meant to him, but the truth was, no one in her family had known that girl all too well. Arcadia, the Ice Princess, whose glare could freeze over any room. Arcadia, the only daughter of a lonely king, whose mother had died when she was only thirty-four years old. Arcadia, the brilliant strategist whose wonderful mind was envied by all. To Nadia, all of those things were superficial. It barely said anything about what that young girl had actually been like before her death.
Still, what mattered now was the current potential ally Cirrus had his eyes on. Whether it was a romantic interest or otherwise, it didn’t matter. All that was important to note was that Feather was powerful and they needed his power. And yet, as Nadia looked towards the sun from the nearest window, she noted that he was late. “If this esteemed miracle man is going to show his face, he better turn up soon. Our meeting should have started minutes ago.”
“It’s okay to spare a few minutes, my love,” Didimitri soothed his wife, Nadia’s brows only crinkling.
Though, as Cirrus watched his mother cringe, he suddenly spoke up from the tense silence that had taken them over, raising his head ever so slightly to try and better prepare her for what… for what Feather was actually like. “Ah, though I should say… while I think highly of him, he… he’ll probably be very disrespectful.”
“Eh?” Nadia twitched, Cirrus bracing himself for impact as his mother faced him. “I’d like to see him try it. How much does this man think he can get away with when facing royalty?”
“Probably anything, honestly,” Jayce offered with a scoff, Nadia glaring at her son as she tapped her fingers on the table.
“Explain.”
“Ah, well—”
However, before he could even begin to explain the nature of the madman that was Feather, he was interrupted by a slow, firm knock on the door, all eyes turning towards the grand entryway. It made Cirrus’ eyes light up, glad to not have to answer his mother’s question as the doors opened wide. Was Feather finally here? He barely managed to mask his anticipation, glad to see the man again even if it’d only been a day, only to be… absolutely taken aback by what he saw.
He looked… he looked stunning. Feather was dressed head to toe in silky white robes, loose pants flowing off his long, slender legs with flaming oranges dripping into fierce reds the lower you looked. His chest held three red feathers in a smooth pocket, his sleeves sliding back into bright scarlet along the cuffs with golden embroidery knitted into the hems. He wore a brilliant cape made purely of white, orange, and red feathers sewn together into a curtain, smoothing downwards to cover his backside as he entered with a face decorated with the most lavish makeup he’d ever seen. Feather’s lips were a scarlet red, gold and red eyeshadow dotting the lids of his eyes as the dazzling blue popped forth. His platinum blond hair was soft and luxurious, the curls being pinned back by a legendary feather he had not the knowledge to recognize. It clipped his hair back on his left side before spinning around the back of his fair face, red fluff curving around the other end to wrap around the side of his cheek. Yet despite all his red, Feather looked cold as ice, flipping out the fan in his right hand as he sent a chilling stare all across the room.
Leo held the door open for him as Kya pulled out his chair on the opposite end of Nadia, the two of them dressed entirely in red and gold uniforms that complemented Feather’s stunning attire with white at its core. Cirrus couldn’t help the way he stared as the man traced tender fingers across the chair’s black frame, before he delicately moved his garments to sit comfortably on the cushion, looking entirely dainty and regal with every small movement. Was this really the same person? He looked so, so pretty, and—
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
He had to snatch away his rude, prying eyes that were reflexively trying to memorize every delicate feature Feather was gracing them with when he felt Jayce’s foot forcefully meet his shin, carefully removing his gaze away from the dip in Feather’s neck and the white fabric that wrapped around his chest, a small triangle of skin visible on his stomach where the wrappings intersected above. Damn it, he didn’t think it’d be like this. He, he’d known he found Feather attractive, he wasn’t oblivious to himself, but… but still, this was a bit…
Cirrus’ attention was barely caught when his mother started speaking, the smile on her face practiced and regal. She didn’t seem surprised or taken aback at all, even when the man entered in clothing more pristine than her own. Usually, in meetings like this, you would wear something simple and formal while the Queen or King dressed up the most, but Feather clearly didn’t care about that. Knowing his mother, she was probably offended by this behavior, but considering that she was trying to recruit the man to get his miracles on her side, she didn’t show it, and instead gave him a serene smile. None of her emotions showed in the slightest. She really was fit for the title of Queen.
“Welcome, Feather. I am Nadia Aixon, Queen of this planet, Lilino. You look lovely in that attire, the red really suits you,” she flattered, and Cirrus thought that was probably a good thing to say. As far as he knew, Feather really liked praise and reacted well to it. However, he found his spirits sinking when the blond merely wafted his fan over his face with a lazy stroke, eyes staring deep into Nadia’s, before he said something absolutely outrageous to say to any royal at all.
“So?” His voice was cold, eyes sinister and uncaring as he lowered his chin. His nose dipped below his red fan, the feathers brushing at the bridge as he looked up at her from behind them. “We’re here to address my allyship to you, correct? Not my clothing. And tell your son to stop staring, it’s disgusting,” he snipped, Cirrus’ face flushing as Nadia’s brow twitched.
“Right, of course. My apologies, Cirrus will get ahold of himself,” she smiled tightly, amber eyes tilting towards her son in warning. “Won’t he?”
“Ah, yes. My apologies,” his head lowered, face burning from being called out so harshly, shame flooding over him as it mixed with panicked embarrassment, his eyes wide and staring indents into his teacup.
Was Feather the type of person to say things like that? Why did he feel like he was talking to a completely different person? Why did this kind of treatment feel familiar? His golden hair, those striking blue eyes that seemed to be looking down on everything they touched… he’d seen them before. It, it was… it was just like…
“But right, of course. Let’s get to the point then, as you wish,” Nadia redirected, Cirrus barely finding it within himself to look up and glance at his elder sibling. Nefion looked entirely calm and at peace, waving over a servant to pour them more tea as their mother talked. “Cirrus tells me that you are willing to become our ally. Is this the truth behind your intentions?”
“Yes,” Feather responded dully, blue eyes pinned on the servant in the corner of the room with a slight scowl. “But you make little room to help convince me. Am I to be left here to parch?”
Which the entire room froze at that statement, the servant pausing in subtle fear as they looked up from where they’d been pouring Nefion another their tea. It had the royal family on edge, even Cirrus unaware that Feather could act this much like a haughty noble before Didimitri, his father, quickly moved to accommodate. “Yes, of course, my sincerest apologies. Would you please forgive this inept servant of mine?” he smiled kindly, waving his hand to urge the servant closer to him, Feather’s eyes watching the way their hands shook as they moved to pour him a fresh cup of tea.
“R, right… I’m so sorry, sir…” they apologized, Feather’s eyes watching them closely.
“It’s fine. Learning is a natural part of life,” he squinted behind his fan, brushing it slightly against his nose to hide his smile. “Do better next time, yes?”
“Yes, of… of course!”
“Good. Be on your way. My companion’s and Eve’s cups need refilling as well, so get to work. Honestly, you should go over your etiquette once more the next time you receive a break. It’s in bad faith to not keep an eye on the people you’re serving at all times.”
“Ah… right, thank you for your wisdom…”
Though Feather didn’t respond to them as they scuttled away to place cups in front of Leo and Kya as well, fixing them the tea that was being served in this very meeting as he met Nadia’s gaze with disdain. “You seem rather unprepared.”
“My deepest apologies, Feather,” the queen smiled, dutifully hiding her anger at being criticized on so many fronts. “Do you have any other demands?”
“Hm. Yes,” he moved to cross his legs, giving a light fanning over his face as he met Nadia head on. “We are to be fighting the apocalypse, are we not? I find that you’re being a bit reckless in how you use Cirrus.”
“My, and who gave you the right to say that?” Nadia snapped behind her smile, Feather ignoring her as he continued to lean back in his chair. And it reminded Cirrus so much of someone else…
“I have the right to say whatever I like. I need not your permission.”
“Why… you’re quite the arrogant one, aren’t you?” Nadia gritted her teeth, only for Ruba to finally speak up from where she’d been sitting beside her daughter.
She chuckled a bit, Cirrus watching his grandmother with wide eyes as Ruba tilted her face towards Nadia, eyes hidden behind her blindfold. “Now, now, deary. He’s far stronger than you, I feel his arrogance is very much deserved. And he does have a point, doesn’t he?”
“Ah…” Nadia hesitated, turning back towards Feather with narrowed eyes. “Fine, then. Please enlighten me on how exactly my decisions have been reckless.”
“Sure,” Feather agreed, tilting his face back to give her the most disgusted grimace anyone had ever seen. And everything suddenly clicked into place in Cirrus, Jayce, and Achitha’s minds all at once… the three of them beginning to realize who this man reminded them so much of. It reminded them of none other than Arcadia Canasettia. Cirrus’ eyes were essentially shaking as he stared at the man, his core trembling as he forced himself to look down at his cup of tea, not sure how to process what he was witnessing.
But no, that stare… those crossed legs, that posture… he looked just like her. Of course, Arcadia had been far shorter and even tinier, with long locks of platinum blond curls that reached all the way to her hips, and she was always dressed head to toe in marvelous dresses as if she were some kind of doll her father liked to dress up. She was always caked in dazzling makeup that accentuated her features, with blue, pink, and white being her favorite colors to dress in. Her stare had always been cold, just like Feather’s was now, as if everything around her was just some bug for her to step on. But, no… she was dead. Arcadia was dead, and had been for centuries. Feather wasn’t…
“I really don’t understand why you’re sending Cirrus into the apocalyptic zones when he’s so weak,” Feather explained with dignity, Nadia’s composure snapping at the blunt proclamation of her son’s apparent lacking.
“What… how dare you say something of the sort,” she snapped, but Feather barely showed a reaction. He merely continued to glare behind his fan, looking entirely done with the woman.
“He is. If he cannot even defeat you, then he is too weak to stop the apocalypse. And with you sending him into warzones before he’s had the proper chance to cultivate any real skills is a big problem. He hasn’t even mastered his concept of the all-knowing eye. Sending him into battle with a half-baked concept is just asking for something bad to happen. You should know this,” Feather glared darkly, Nadia freezing underneath him as she began to feel a sense of fear and obedience kick into her system.
What… what was this? Was he doing that? She could barely keep her composure as Feather kept barreling on, not a care for her in the world as she began to feel pressured by nothing but his aura. “The real reason I bring up the fact that Cirrus and his entire team are not qualified for their task at all, is to propose to you a solution. I have two allies that live on separate planets who I want to recruit for this mission as well, so let me take Cirrus and his team with me. I’ll have them undergo trials that will help them master their concepts and much more. One of my former companions lives on a dungeon planet, so I’ll take them there and bail them out if things get messy.”
“Hahh… and you’re certain that you will even be able to do that? Bail them out of a dungeon planet all on your own?” she gritted her teeth, Feather just sighing into his fan as he uncrossed his legs, leaning forward before he grasped the handle of his teacup and took a small sip.
“Yes, of course I will. I can do anything,” he assured her when he put it down, before he gracefully stood up from his chair, Leo and Kya quickly following suit as they followed his lead. “I’ll let Cirrus decide what he wants to do on his own. I have stated my proposal, so I’ve said all I need to. I hope you’ll think about it with some sense,” he dismissed himself, his cape of white, orange, and red feathers flowing after him as Kya opened the door, the three of them leaving just as suddenly as they’d arrived. Though, looking at his tea… he really had drunk it all. There were even lipstick stains on the cup, Cirrus trying his best not to stare at them, before he carefully looked up to glance at Jayce.
“That… that was an entirely different person right there, don’t you think?” the prince spoke slowly to his friend, Jayce looking equally stunned as they all processed what they’d seen.
“Probably,” the werewolf agreed, moving a hand to itch through his thick brown hair.
“Hm? Why do the three of you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?” Eve spoke up, looking to Achitha beside her as the woman carefully rested her head in her hands.
“Ah… that’s because,” she whispered, the strong woman’s heart aching as she recalled the display Feather had just shown them. Had he been trying to tell them something? Had that been him giving them a hint? That maybe… maybe that girl was still… “He acted just like Arcadia, just then,” Achitha eventually conceded, Eve’s eyes widening as she looked down at her empty cup.
“Oh.”
That was all she could muster. Because what was she supposed to say? What could she say when Cirrus was right there? It made Eve’s mind stumble, because she wasn’t entirely sure what everyone else had seen. Sure, Feather had acted a bit more serious and demeaning, but she could tell that he was still Feather underneath all that extra flare he’d been giving the Queen. What was the big deal? Though, putting it into the context of Arcadia’s death, then…
“Well, doesn’t he look like a genderbent version of Arcadia anyway?” Eve threw out there, turning to glance at Achitha as the woman gaped at her, horrified. “Like, I’ve never met Arcadia before like the rest of you have, but I’ve seen paintings. And Feather looks exactly like her, just as a man. Don’t you think?”
“I…” Cirrus paled, Nadia’s face expressionless as Ruba chuckled. “Excuse me,” the crown prince ended up choking out, lifting himself from his chair to walk past his teammates, trying to hide the conflicted feelings on his features before leaving the room without another word.
Was this real? Was Feather really Arcadia? So Arcadia was… alive? He wasn’t destined to be alone forever, his prophesied companion was still there waiting for him… really?
Ruba, on the other hand, was perhaps the only one who knew what was truly going on. She simply smiled in silence as she watched her grandson chase after the miracle worker, pleased with the developments of this meeting. Because no one else but her understood the true meaning behind everything they’d just witnessed. Only her, the esteemed prophet of Lilino, knew it all. Because this was the beginning of a story… a story between two broken people, between one who feared death more than anything else, and one who saw no value in his life at all. And oh, what a tale they would make together. She hadn’t molded this prophecy from the ground up for nothing, that was for sure.
RIP Cirrus and his dignity
