"Yes," Fiori replied immediately, not a sliver of indecision in his tone. "I will get you the justice you deserve, Leviticus. I can promise you that." He was almost dangerously sincere. It felt a bit strange, to care so much for a slave, but it was also… natural. Levi was no different from anyone else he'd known, not really.
Levi relaxed even more at the assurance, “Alright, thank you. How far away is the place we’re going? Do we have to walk very far?”
Fiori hummed consideringly, trying to figure out exactly how far away it was. "It will be far for you, I think. Will you need some help walking?"
He shook his head, “No, I’ll be alright,” he said, “I’m ready to go now.”
"You can lean on me, if you want," Fiori offered, leading him forward through the halls. Two rights, a left, up the stairs, middle path, right at the fork. Only… a ten minute walk, as long as you knew where you were going. "I don't mind."
“That’s Alright, But Thank you. I’ll make sure to do so if I need to.” He let his arms swing at his sides while he walked with a small limp in his gait. He was still barefoot, and stepped gingerly on the cold floors.
Fiori didn't seem to notice despite the fact that he was also barefoot. In fact, he didn't seem to be troubled at all by the cool air inside the castle, even though he was only wearing a pair of pants. "Can you make it up the stairs?"
“Of course,” He answered, but scanned the staircase for a handrail.
The cold air from outside in his own kingdom never bothered him, especially with their heavy fur coats to keep them warm in winter. Even when he was in his castle he wore long sleeved undershirts and sandals, his feet almost never touching the ground. Except for baths of course. He would have to get used to this new way of living. But until then, he shivered. How could a place like this be warm as the summer in his kingdom, but at the same time cold indoors?
Fiori couldn't help but be amused as Levi took in the castle, walking in front of him to point out the wooden handrail. "Tharis keeps her room much warmer. She is from the south, every winter she won't leave without at least ten layers and a portable lantern to keep her from 'freezing to death'." He laughed at the memories.
Levi laughed along and gripped onto the handrail. “I don’t mind the cold as long as I have a suitable fur coat. For obvious reasons so I won’t freeze to death. But then again, I’m from the high north.”
Fiori trotted up the steps, smiling. "You icebloods have such thin skin. Fur is so cloying, can't you just brave your winters? Or are they that much worse in the north?"
“Winters get pretty bad,” the corner of his lip twitched with semi amusement, “It often gets so cold that even our eyelashes freeze, and the doctors are flooded with cases of frostbite and even blindness from the cold.”
He took the steps a bit slower than Fiori, but continued to follow him bit by bit. “And yet every year in the heart of winter, we all bundle up in our fur coats and scarves and boots to spend an entire night outside with steaming drinks, hot meat soup, and vendors for the Festival of the Sleepless Night. Are you sure we’re thin skinned?”
Fiori laughed, imagining a winter so cold it froze your eyelashes. That people died. "I suppose you may be tougher than we think up here," he admitted, a teasing sparkle in his eyes. "But I'll wait for you to brave one of our summers to make the final decision. You haven't truly lived until you survive a summer hot enough to set fires."
Levi groaned, “If I had any day in the matter, I would be long gone by then. I think I might die,” he chuckled. He lifted a hand to scratch his neck, but quickly remembered it was the collar. “I’ll make you a deal,” he jokingly offered, “If I survive one of your summers, you have to experience the worst day and night of our winter.”
(Yo, Fi doesn't exactly know Levi's a prince. Is this how you want it to come out?)
(Ohh alrighty! I didn’t know that/forgot, I’ll edit that real quick!)
(K!)
(I’m done!)
Levi groaned, “If I had any say in the matter, I would be long gone by then. I think I might die,” he chuckled. He lifted a hand to scratch his neck, but quickly remembered it was the collar. “I’ll make you a deal,” he jokingly offered, “If I survive one of your summers, you have to experience the worst day and night of our winter.”
Fiori smiled and turned around, extending a hand for Levi to shake. "It's a deal, but you have to cheer me on during the festival of feats." He was completely sincere, not a trace of joking on his face.
Levi looked slightly uncomfortable at the idea of actually watching the battle, but since they weren’t actually killing each other like he was falsely told…He forced his discomfort into a promising smile and shook Fiori’s hand, “I don’t know who else I would cheer for,” he agreed.
Fiori frowned slightly at the look on Levi's face, and it only deepened when he slapped on a smile. "What's wrong? The festival's just a bit of harmless fun, I promise nothing bad will happen."
He dismissed it with a lethargic shrug “I’ve just been told how gruesome and terrible it is by my family, but I’m sure it’s just a misconception. And several of those have been disproven already… You said that it isn’t fighting to the death, correct?”
Fiori frowned and leaned a little closer to Levi, concerned by his unenthusiasm. "It's a tournament of champions, not a blood bath. My people don't see death in the arena or we wouldn't be having it in the first place. Is there something else that worries you? I could explain whatever you want."
He shook his head, eased by the reminder “No, that’s all. It’s different than what I thought. Thank you for explaining. I’ll cheer you on.”
Fiori smiled and started walking up the stairs again. He was more impatient than ever for festival season to arrive. "Good, I hope you will grant me luck."
Levi followed him a little faster, “When is it, by the way?” He still held onto the handrail, mostly for the sense of stability.
"It is five days after the week of sun, which happens a week from now. Festival season starts in two days." Fiori grinned at the prospect, almost as excited as he had been in the weapons room with the same kind of childish energy buzzing around him. "You'll like festival season! They have traders from all across the world lined up on the streets in tents. They sell everything, it's amazing."
“I won’t have any currency to buy anything,” he imagined the festival in his own kingdom, but better, “But that does sound wonderful. I’d like to see what they have.” He smiled at Fiori’s enthusiasm; these moments made him seem more like a new friend than his master. He liked that.
"It's fine, I can pay for anything you want," Fiori assured. "I think they'll even have some iceblood merchants visiting, maybe we can get you something to remind you of your home. And then after we can buy siùcar and watch the opening ceremonies."
“Oh, thank you,” He blinked, “I’ll be sure to visit my kingdom’s shops.” There was a possibility he could see someone he knew; a very small chance depending on who came—he didn’t have many friends outside of the royal court—but there was always hope. “Is…siùcar a type of food?”