Levi lifted a hand to rub his chin thoughtfully. For the sake of their progress with Johan, he hoped he was truly asleep and hadn't heard about the tests. "As long as he learns from this experience that he is not entitled to everything, however you go about it is fine with me. You may only have to be very demanding of him when it comes to a task. As for what type of job, I didn't have many specifics in mind. I thought perhaps cleaning the rooms, but I'm not sure how much of an affect that will have on him. You have infinitely more experience with slavery in your country than I do in mine. What sort of jobs did personal slaves have there?"
Fi hissed out a sigh. "Their jobs could be very… diverse. Sometimes they were taken into a household as children, to be companions to the household children. Sometimes they did hard labor. Most of the time a personal slave was hired on to be a helper of sorts, helping with things like finances or acting as a lady in waiting." He combed his brain, pursing his lips when he came across a job he didn't particularly like but did seem appropriate. "And… sometimes they were taken on as pets. Used for… stress relief and the like. Most people have given up the practice, but if you want Johan humiliated…" He shrugged.
“Johan could stand to learn some humility,” Levi agreed quieter, glancing over at Johan once again. Even the sight of him brought anger bubbling to his chest. “The prisoners here often do hard labor. For Johan, maybe a combination of hard labor and whatever you deem appropriate to humiliate him. It is your call. But from what I know if you, and what you said earlier about your nature, I trust won’t be unnecessarily cruel?”
Fiori nodded. "A combination does seem to be very effective. Perhaps… a labor job near the palace— hard, with a crueler overseer. And then, when he gets to the palace, he is expected to fulfill the role of a pet." It was an ideal mix, get him tired enough not to struggle first, and then humiliate him while he's too tired to fight. "Whatever I do, you are right to put your trust in me. I would not do anything he does not deserve."
“Yes, That should work well. I do put my full trust in you with all of this, and I appreciate your willingness to help, my friend,” he offered Fiori a smile of gratitude. “I’ll find an overseer tomorrow. Someone, or even a group of people who Johan couldn’t overpower.” He pulled his other foot up into the bed to cross his legs. “And I think, for the first few days after he regains some strength, he should be restrained. I don’t trust him enough to assume he won’t try and weasel his way out of this as soon as he’s physically able.”
"I agree. Make sure they're not kind enough to give him unearned breaks or cut him any slack because he used to be a prince, but try to steer away from people who would humiliate him. We need his work to be a safe place for him mentally and home to be a good place for him physically." Fi pulled his legs up so Levi had room to sit and turned to better face him. "As for restraints… I would say a collar. The symbolism is there, but it is also very easy to incapacitate someone when they have one around their neck."
“That makes sense, I’ll look through my options carefully.” The overseer would need to be someone who respected Johan enough as a worker, but not as a former prince. Johan had quite a bit of physical stamina from his time in combat. The work itself would have to be chosen just as carefully. “In order to incapacitate him with a collar, it would have to be a lot stronger than the flimsy silver one you gave me.”
Fiori laughed and nodded. "Yes, that was… very decorative. I did not want one that would feel restrictive or be noticable. I am… assuming you wish to take a different approach with Johan's?" Jhan's neck still had heavy bruising, a collar would hurt even if it was the flimsy silver thing Fi had given Levi all those weeks ago. "A leather one would be good, padded enough to be comfortable if fastened properly and easier to adjust. Plus… a dog collar is a humiliating thing to wear. It would put him in his place quite nicely."
“It certainly would put him in his place,” he agreed, “Leather would be strong enough to restrain him, and a hook could be added for a detachable chain.” Just like a dog’s collar. He didn’t have to use a chain with Boris and Alexei. They were trained well enough to stay at his heel, without a chain, when he went for a walk. At this point he trusted his dogs more than he trusted his brother.
"Yes. Make sure it's lined with something more supple or it will chafe, which easily leads to infection." He didn't doubt that it would chafe anyways, Johan seemed like the type to pick at his collar, but soft leather wouldn't hurt his neck quite so much either. "A detachable chain would be an excellent idea, good for keeping him locked up at night too… which… lead me to another question, actually. What should I do about all the knives?"
“If you want them you can have them,” Levi replied, taking a moment to look around the room at all the ornamental blades on the walls. Not all of them were actually supposed to be used in combat, but they were sharp enough to. The handles were mostly decorative to show his wealth. “We can wrap them and put them away in a locked closet somewhere.”
"That would be nice, thank you. I do not think it would be wise to keep them around." He was pretty sure Johan would be slightly less obvious about things but it was just tempting fate to leave them up. "I will need some supplies. Not for the days while Johan is healing, but… after. He will need a place to sleep, some new clothes, and… perhaps something showier. Clothes that emphasize his place in the world, that make him look like… a trophy, perhaps. A conquest."
Levi nodded. “I completely agree. Leaving him with the least amount of weapons possible is the safest option.” He quieted to listen to the things Fiori needed, pursing his lips on focus to commit each thing to memory. “Alright. I’ll just have to make a day of planning everything out tomorrow. The only showy clothing we have at the moment is for the royals and nobles, but I don’t think you would want him to look that distinguished. I’ll meet with the couturier and see if there’s something he can design that’s more of what you’re thinking. Do you want him to wear any jewelry?”
Fiori nodded, pursing his lips slightly. "Yes, less noble, more… trophy, I suppose. As for jewelry, I am not sure. I do not know how jewelry is used here, be it a status symbol or a simple sign of wealth." In Usige, jewelry could show off a person's wealth but was mainly used to mark courtship. It was common to provide jewelry to your beloved to prove that you could provide for and support them. Here he assumed things were much different. "Can you explain it's significance here?"
“Well,” Levi took in a breath. There was a lot to explain about the jewelry, but he knew he could have to condense it down for a brief conversation. “Most jewelry is for fashion. Hair and hair jewelry are the main show of status. Rings are seldom worn outside of high nobility and royalty.” He lifted his hand to his face, grazing his finger over his lip piercing that had been tended to before the ceremony. “Piercings, however, are expensive and high maintenance, so they’re mostly a sign of wealth. Where the piercing is placed is, in essence, a wish to better themselves as a person.” As far as Levi knew, Ialdir had nothing to do with the practice. It was more superstition than prayer. “Every time it is taken care of, cleaned, and kept from infection, it nurtures the wish. I have a lip piercing for good speaking ability, for example. There are too many wishes to assign on a human body, so the piercings can mean different things among different people. If you’d like Johan’s appearance to be trophy-like, I might suggest a navel piercing. As far as I know, they are vastly unpopular in our modestly dressed culture. If a noble had a navel piercing, no one would see it anyway.”
Fi took some time to absorb all the information he'd been given, slowly nodding as everything came together in his head. "I see." There were a few similarities in their cultures after all. Jewelry in Usige was assigned a spiritual meaning, albeit not the same way Widonian's did. Piercings were rare in his culture. The risk of infection was high in the musty humid south, and if you were going into battle the last thing you wanted was another thing for something to grab. Priests pierced their ears with large hoops sometimes, if they were dedicating themselves to peace, but it was a shunted practice. "If we truly want Johan to have the ability to one day come back, I think fostering a connection between himself and his god is a good way to encourage it. A new piercing would be risky, especially because we want him doing hard labor, but if it will take you a while to locate a good job we may be able to take that issue off the table. It would be an effective way to humble him." As well as show him how truly out of control he was in this situation, but Fiori kept that thought quiet. "I see no problem with giving him simple jewelry to fill his piercings."
“In that case, the piercing would show your wealth instead of his. They can be small jewels,” Levi added. They would have to find knew rings for the piercings with different symbolism than he had before. “Johan won’t be starting the hard labor until he’s recovered, I’m sure. Would it still be to risky to give him the piercing now so that it is healed by the time he starts the labor?”
Fiori nodded. "Then small jewels sound good. Piercing him now would be… fairly risky. He will already have a difficult time taking care of himself with his ribs in the condition they are, adding another area for him to be mindful of is… not without risk. Especially considering the location." He gestured to his own torso to illustrate.
“Understandable,” Levi replied with a considering nod, and a “It is completely your choice whether to or not. I have enough decisions to make anyway without thinking about Johan.” Navel piercings were also usually shied away from in order to prevent the possibility of infection. Levi understood Fiori’s caution in giving Johan a piercing there, especially now.
Fiori laughed and nodded. "I am sure you do, my friend. When we were talking earlier about the possibility of getting a new royal advisor who were you considering for the position?" It seemed as though Levi could you the help, and FI really didn't have anything to do but wrangle Johan and attempt to explore the palace. "I think having someone fill the position would be very valuable to you, so long as they fit it well."
“Oh, Fiori.” A warm smile spread across Levi’s face. He hadn’t realized Fiori didn’t understood his implication from earlier. “I was talking about you. Ever since I met you, you’ve given me nothing but good advice. You would be very valuable with making decisions regarding the war and your country. You know your uncle and his tactics better than anyone here. Mordecai is a great advisor, but he knows very little about Usige. I would benefit greatly receiving opinions based on different perspectives.”
Fi blinked at him, slowly putting the pieces together until it clicked in his head and he blushed. "Oh. I… I apologize for not understanding, I would be honored to advise you, my friend." A smile spread across his face. He'd been dreading the empty days that had spread before him but now he would have a job, a place in this castle. It reassured him, even as he worried about how Levi's other advisor would feel about the development. "I simply hope that your Mordecai will accept me as you have."
“Wonderful!” Levi’s smile grew wider at Fiori’s acceptance. “Oh, He’ll get used to you, especially as you get to spend more time together. He’s only cold to the people he doesn’t know very well, but I’m sure he’ll warm up to you eventually. I promise he’s not as bigoted as my brother.” Mordecai certainly had his assumptions of what Usigens were like, just as Levi once had, but it stemmed from rumors and misinformation.
Fiori nodded and for the most part he seemed content. He was a bit nervous, sure, but Levi was a good person and if he trusted Mordecai then Fi would have to trust him too. He laughed quietly, eyes flicking over to Johan. "Your brother seems to hate me in specific above all else. It's… amusing. Better than the way other people look at me, I think."
Levi followed his gaze to Johan, who had attempted to shift into his side and failed. “Hah, That seems like a valid conclusion. From what I’ve gathered he thinks himself superior of everyone individually rather than entire races. If he truly hated Usigens themselves I’m sure he would have just killed me, himself, instead of cooperating with them.”
Fiori nodded, carefully tucking Johan back in. "He thinks me a beast, but he would think the same of everyone if given the chance." His gaze lingered as he pulled away, snapping to Levi at the last possible second. "He is very strange to me. I have no idea how a man could become so proud, let alone a man raised the same way you were."
“He thinks you a beast because he knows you can overpower him. He’s one of the most skilled fighters in all of Nord Widona, but you’ve bested him in a fight before. Essentially, if I didn’t know any better, I would think he’s terrified of you.” He met Fiori’s gaze when it snapped back to him. “I wonder that same thing, myself. He wasn’t trained as heavily to be king as I was—am. But I have a theory.” He glanced back to his brother again. “If it weren’t for his war fame and battle skills he wouldn’t be as popular. He wouldn’t be known as anything except the second prince and maybe the surrogate father of the next heir, but only if his older brother somehow managed to get married to another man,” he murmured.
Fiori laughed and gave Johan another curious glance. "I do not think Johan is the sort to let himself be terrified of anything, but then again I do not know him the way you do." He turned back to Levi, looked him up and down, and then sighed. "I suppose your theory had merit. He was not… ignored, was he? By your parents or the court or anyone around him? Sometimes people are proud because they have nobody to be proud of them. It could be… a defense. Something to cover up the fact that he could easily become unremarkable without his skills and his power."
“He might not think he is afraid, or he might be lying to himself,” Levi echoed the soft laughter for a moment, and finished with a sigh. “He certainly has never been the most ‘important’ prince in the palace. And after Mikhail was born and I really started my studies to be the future king, my parents spent the least amount of their time with him. He spent a lot of the time in the kitchens, and talked to me about his conversations with Cora, one of the cooks, when we used to share a bedroom.”
Fi perked up at the mention of Cora, nodding excitedly. He adored the cook already. She felt like a breath of fresh air in this unfamiliar place, a little piece of home. "Yes! She's a most remarkable lady, very sweet. Very much like my own mother." He smiled fondly. "I told her I would bring Johan to visit her tomorrow. She says she misses him."
