"He is not a bad man," Fiori said, but it sounded more like he was trying to remind himself than Levi. His uncle, his regent, his temporary superior with eyes like stone and fists like hammers; what would he do when he faced Fiori in the arena? "I will not let him hurt you."
Levi shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Those two comments sounded like they were oppositions of each other, but he took Fiori’s word for it. He swallowed nervously, “Alright.”
Fi nodded and then pushed the doors open, shutting them with a soft grunt once they were both out of the baths. "We will meet him in the arena, so he can bless me before the fights begin. After that, I will go down to the hold, and Cadmus will help you until the fights are over."
He nodded somberly, his mind still preoccupied with the thought of meeting Fiori’s uncle. He wasn’t sure why it made him so nervous. Perhaps he was fearful of his uncle having the same thoughts about slaves as the soldiers. “So we’re going to the arena now?”
"Yes." Fi didn't know if it was the anticipation or the dread keeping him quiet but either way, his lips were locked. He walked quickly, head high and shoulder squared, every inch the prince his people expected. All his sweetness slipped away as they neared the doors, the playful boy who braided Levi's hair cast away in favor of a fearsome mask.
The arena loomed large as they marched forward through flower-covered streets, all swooping arches and grimacing faces cut into the towering stone. The walk was short. Fi stayed quiet the entire time.
This was Levi’s first time out of the castle and on the streets. He looked around, gaping at the flowers and faces in the stone. He also watched Fiori, who seemed more remnant of the prince he met when he first arrived.
More people started to fill the street as Fi approached the entrance to the arena, trailing after them into the rows upon rows of seats surrounding a large empty oval– the place the fighters would be competing. Fi didn't spare a glance for it, leading Levi up to a shaded box where an aging man sat in a plush throne, two slaves fanning him.
He was not a small man by any measure, but his nephew still dwarfed him easily, though by the way he curled in on himself, it clearly wasn't by choice. His hair, once black, was starting to go grey. His eyes were black, more animal than man.
"Drakeling," he greeted, and Fi flinched even smaller. "What a… pleasure it is to see you back in time for the festival."
Levi stood slightly behind Fiori, staring at his uncle. His eyes darted from the man’s eyes, to his hair, stature, and the two slaves fanning him. So this was the king of his enemy country, the ones who his advisors and court spoke of. He shifted his weight from either foot again, pressing his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He would dare not say anything, something in his gut telling him that this man was more dangerous than Fiori. Especially since Fiori appeared nervous around him too.
"It is a pleasure to be back, uncle," Fi greeted softly, eyes downcast. His hands were behind his back, thumb rubbing over the scars on his fingers over and over. He seemed to shrink with his Uncle's full attention on him, eyes fixed firmly on the ground at his feet. "I am sorry I was not able to stay on the front lines for longer."
"I am too. It takes a certain kind of strength to plant your feet and hold your ground, a strength it appears you lack." His tone was dismissive and he turned to Levi. "You, come forward."
Levi’s expression twitched with all sorts of emotion, mostly anxiety and dread. It was a familiar feeling he had when first meeting Fiori. He swallowed his hesitation and obeyed, taking ginger steps forward. He kept his jaw set tensely, unsure where to look now that the man was closer, so he looked down and away.
Fiori's uncle grabbed him by the hair, pulling him forward just slowly enough that he could stumble along without getting hurt. "What a pretty little thing you are, Leviticus." He yanked his head up, looking him in the eyes. "You northerners so often are. How have you enjoyed the company of my nephew?"
Levi tensed even more than he already was. He swallowed again, staring Fiori’s uncle in the eyes, even if it made fear wave through his gut. “I-I Uh, suppose so.” He answered around the rock in his throat. What was he supposed to say to that? Either answer of yes or no could elicit negative reactions. And how did he know his name?
The man made a sound in the back of his throat and his eyes flicked up to Fiori, a sneer already crossing his face. as he yanked Levi sharply to the side. "Nephew, I had hoped you would've at least been able to teach this thing some manners."
Fiori flinched, eyes still glued to the ground. "He is well mannered, Uncle. I simply have not had time to teach him titles, the fault is not his." He turned to Levi, eyes apologetic though the rest of him was stony and cold. "You are to address him as your majesty, slave." He could barely push the word past his lips.
Levi breathily yelped as he was yanked by hair hair, instinctively reaching up his hand to the place on his head where it hurt. He stared at Fiori like a hunted, cornered animal, breathing in and out through his mouth. “Oh…” he replied shakily, his eyes returning to the uncle, “…Your majesty…” he closed his lips.
The regent gave Levi's hair another sharp yank, opening his mouth to speak, and Fi winced. His hand came forwad before he could stop himself, gripping his uncle's hand tightly to keep him from doing Levi any more damage. "Uncle, enough. He has done nothing wrong."
His uncle sneered, but when Fiori squeezed his hand tighter he let go of Levi's hair. "Fiori Misneach, you dare disobey your king?"
"You are not king for long, uncle." His voice wavered, but he squared his shoulders and finally met his eyes. "Bless my slave, bless me, and be silent."
Levi grimaced again, taking a step away from the regent to rub his scalp. He swayed from side to side, watching Fiori stand up to his uncle. His hands still shook, and he was still afraid, but it did feel good to have Fiori defend him.
The regent raised his hand sharply and Fi flinched, causing a cruel grin to spread across his lips. "All that talk and you're still the same little dragon you used to be, Fiori." He snapped at his slaves. One ran off quickly, returning with a bowl of crushed red powder. "Be careful to watch your tongue, Nephew. I am your king for now and you will obey me. You, slave, kneel."
Levi blinked, assuming Fiori’s uncle was talking to him, and not his other slaves. He hesitantly, awkwardly knelt onto the ground. Was this part of the blessing ritual? He hoped it was. He looked over at Fiori again.
Fi bit his lip and gave a small nod, almost imperceptible if you weren't paying attention. The regent took Levi's chin in his hands, forcing his chin up and then drawing a symbol on his face with the red powder. When he was done he dropped his hand and motioned for Fi to come forward, shoving him to his knees with to much force and roughly dragging his fingers across his nephew's forehead. "There. Now out of my sight, both of you."
Levi places his hand on the ground to help prop himself up and stand. He frowned at how Fiori’s uncle treated him. Even if they were family members, he saw no care in his interaction. He rubbed his chin with his other hand. Everyone just loved taking his chin, he noted thoughtfully. He couldn’t wait to get home, where his chin and hair would be left alone. He looked at Fiori for where to go next.
Fi reached up to touch the glyph on his forehead, staring down at the red powder on his fingers. "Come here for a second?" It was barely even a question with how weak Fi's voice was. "I'd like to add something to your forehead."
“Me…?” Levi stammered back, barely over a whisper as well. He inched over time Fiori anyway. “What are you adding?” His heart was finally starting to slow down from the anxiety. He knew the glyphs on their foreheads meant something, but he didn’t know what.
(If Fi’s Uncle is going after the people that he cares about (like Cadmus) in order to hurt him, would he try to go after Levi too?)
(Good question. They haven't been close for as long as Fiori's other friends, and they're kind of expected to spend time together because Levi's still technically his slave so them hanging around each other doesn't necessarily mean they're bonding, but Fi did just step out of line to help Levi so… maybe he'll be gunning for him but not as hard?)
"Just a few marks." He put his hand on the back of Levi's neck, gently pulling him a little farther forward before he began to change the symbol. "Your glyph is not so important as mine. People see the mark, they recognize that you are a new member of the palace. It is him accepting you into his home. Mine is… religious. A symbol of my god."
(True, true, yeah that makes sense. They have only known each other four days at the most)
Levi swallowed another lump in his throat. He nodded slightly, hoping he didn’t move too much to mess up the marking. “I see..” his words were more of a croak now. He could still feel himself shaking, and his scalp still hurt. He felt paralyzed, like every touch, even from Fiori felt remnant of the uncle’s. He couldn’t wait to get home, it was all he could think about. Especially after the bitter reminder that he was owned.
Fi's touch was light as he drew lines out from the center of Levi's forehead, covering the top of his face in as intricate a patchwork of red as he could. When he was done it was practically a mask, crosshatching lines covering the top of Levi's face. "There. You are like any other citizen now, Leviticus. You wear your own paint and nobody else's." He let go of him, wiping the dust off on his pants. "Cadmus is waiting for us. Let's go."
Levi instinctively touched some of the dust on his face. “Like any other citizen…” he echoed, “Thank you.” He waited for Fiori to start walking, unsure which direction Cadmus was. That was another thing that bothered him. Here, he felt completely helpless, unsure what to do or where to go without following someone. The captain’s words worked their way into his mind again. Maybe he was like a pet. He nodded slowly, biting his lip, “Where is Cadmus waiting?”
Fi nodded, leading him down a set of stairs to a hallway behind the seats. There was a door at the far end which Cadmus was leaning against, idly picking at his nails. He brightened when he saw the two, running forward to hug Fiori and then turning to Levi with a grin. His own face was painted blue, a swirling mass of lines and dots. "Nice paint you've got there, Levi. How'd your morning go?"
Levi’s lips twitched into a smile when he saw Cadmus and his reaction. “Thank you. You’ve got some nice paint there too.” He lightly chuckled. He was about to tell him his morning was alright, and then he wondered if he should tell the truth, but in his internal conflict he decided against saying anything.
Cadmus smiled, reaching up to brush his fingers over the bottom of his marks. "Thanks! I had Tharis do them, she's really good at stuff like this." One of his arms was still settled around Fiori's shoulder but the other reached out to hold the back of Levi's neck at his silence, grip gentle and light. "Oh yeah, you met… him. He didn't hurt you did he? Fi was there to keep you safe?"
Levi tensed again at the touch, even if it was gentle. “Yes, I met him. He Uh… he hurt me a little bit.” He paused to swipe his tongue across his lips. “He yanked my hair, but Fiori stopped him before it got any worse.”