Cora nodded and dropped some of the intensity she'd been leveling on him, pressing Fiori's bundle of bread into his hands. He seemed a little startled as he accepted it, like he'd forgotten where he was and who was with him. He was still blinking out of his fog when Levi said his name, slowly coming back to life. "Yes?" The whole conversation had been so distant. They were talking about… Johan? About punishment? "Or… I think so, at least." He turned to Cora, taking in the crease between her eyebrows, and took one of her hands gently, sending Levi a nervous glance. "Are you both okay?"
“Yes. I’m fine,” Levi replied, but he didn’t quite believe his own words. Speaking with Cora about his brother had rattled him, made him start to second guess his decisions. A midnight ride through the grove of trees behind the castle would help to clear his mind; he doubted he would be able to sleep anyway. “I should be going soon. Thank you for the bread, Cora. I really… enjoyed our visit.” He let out a shaky breath and finished the last bite of his snack.
Cora nodded, giving Fiori's hand a squeeze before she ushered him over to Levi. "I'm sure you did, prince. It's getting late, I think both of you should be off to bed by now anyways. Have a good night"
Fi nodded, giving her a wan smile and a bland goodbye as he wandered over to the door with Levi in tow behind him. He turned to the prince once Cora was out of earshot, concerned by how rattled he seemed. What had they been talking about? "My friend, you seem… off. Are you quite sure you are okay?"
Levi turned his head back to Fiori now that they were out of the room, and he could relax a bit, but still dazed. He shook his head in reply. “I knew she would be biased towards Johan because of their history together, but I didn’t realize it would bother me so much,” he mumbled. It was by far easier to talk to Fiori about this. “Her wording almost implied that I’m just as callous and cruel as he is for the punishment I decided. She was talking as if he was a victim. And I guess she’s not entirely wrong, but it just didn’t sit well with me.”
Fi nodded, turning the words over in his head. Levi wasn't cruel, he knew that. Levi was kind and careful and wanted what was best for his country, but that didn't make him immune from bouts of cruelty. Vengeance. He glanced over at his friend, taking in the unhappiness on his face. "She is his mother, Leviticus, and you have hurt her son. She is not impartial, not… separate from this the way I am. I do not think it would be wise to take everything she says to heart."
Levito us looked down to the passing ground below them while he listened. Fiori was right, Cora was only acting like a good mother would to protect her son. Levi only wished she would be on his side too. It seemed like such a long time since he had a maternal figure of his own. “Johan is fortunate to have her as a mother. It still hurts but, remembering that, I’ll try not to take it too personally.”
Fi nodded, patting him on the shoulder. "I am sure she will come to like you in time. It seemed like things were going well until you got to the end of the night." He turned down the hallway, towards the room Johan had been left alone in. He tried to ignore the doubt beginning to creep through him, focusing on Levi. "Sometimes people do not act the way we would like them to, but that is no reason to turn up your nose at a good friendship."
“That is good advice.“ Levi glanced up to his upcoming bedroom door. “Next time I visit her I’ll try to avoid talking about Johan. That’s where our conversation seemed to take a turn for the worse.” He had enjoyed talking to Cora when his mind was free of his brother. It would be a shame to refrain from visiting her altogether. “Anyway. To clear my mind I’ll probably take my horse out for a ride. You’re welcome to join me, if you’d like. I just need to change first.”
Fi nodded, smiling as he was invited to join Levi. He hadn't been out for a ride in a long time but he knew it would be just what he needed. Nights in Usige were still and cool, a welcome change from the often unbearable heat and humidity of the day, and he was sure they would be just as pleasent here. At the bery least they would be quiet, and he could look up at the sky and see familiar stars. "I would like that very much, Leviticus. Get me when you are finished changing, and I will accompany you to the stables.
“Perfect, I’ll try not to take too long. Luckily my clothes are already set out from this morning.” Levi’s disposition already seemed to improve with the promise of his friend’s company. He continued on towards his bedroom with a quicker pace than before, eager to take a ride with Fiori as soon as possible. He usually took Mordecai with him for these late night trips, but he assumed his lover would already be fast asleep by now. He’d hate to wake him after such a busy day.
Johan’s door appeared I disturbed. The only sounds coming from inside were the usual cracks and pops emitted by a thriving fireplace. Johan must have been tending to it while Fiori was gone.
Fi let out a little sigh of relief when he saw that the door was still standing, though he felt a bit silly about it as he unlocked it and walked inside. It wasn't like Johan could break it down or anything. Really he should be more concerned about whether Johan had managed to break himself. His eyes skimmed across the room as the door swung shut behind him, only settling once the prince was in sight.
Johan had pushed himself out of bed to sit front of the fireplace, settled into the chair with his eyes closed. Hearing the door open, he turned his gaze towards Fiori. “You’re back,” he croaked, breath straining. His lower eyelids were noticeably puffy, and less noticeable in the amber light: his eyes bloodshot. Despite himself and the tousled bedspread slightly more decrepit than when Fiori left, Johan appeared to have kept his promise.
Fi nodded, wandering closer with a small frown on his face. Johan looked bad. Pained. He only got more worried as he stepped closer and caught the little details. He hadn't been like this when Fi left. "I am, and… you are hurting again. Why?" It didn't seem like anyone had come in to hassle him, but he could be covering bruises. "Did somebody hurt you? Are… are you worse?"
Johan shook his head. “If somebody came to hurt me, they would probably want me dead. I’m not dead. My injuries just bother me more at night.” It certainly didn’t help that he didn’t stay completely still while Fiori was gone. He swiveled his head back around to watch the flames. He’d been used to his aching jaw every night, but his bruised ribs were new.
"Oh." Fi hadn't considered that before, that people might want Johan dead, but thinking about it made something ache in his chest so he brushed the thought aside. "Is there some way for me to help?" He took a careful step forward, hovering at the edge of Johan's reach to give him space. "I will not be here for long, but I would like to do what I can while I am still around."
“Where are you going?” Johan tilted his chin up a little bit with interest. He liked the idea of getting out of the room, a change of scenery might ease some of the dry boredom. That was just as painful as the bruises on his ribs. “I might tolerate going with you if it’s someplace interesting.”
Fi laughed softly. "I do not think my companion would like that very much," he answered, a bit of humor in his tone. "And I am sure you would not tolerate me for long anyway." He gave Johan a small smile, a tad apologetic. This room was nicer than your average cell, sure, but it was still a prison.
Johan glared at Fiori while he contemplated his answer. “You’re right,” he said dryly. “If it’s with you, anywhere we go wouldn’t be half as enjoyable as it could be.” The companion Fiori spoke of must be Leviticus, and he wasn’t very interested in seeing him either. “One thing you could do, though…I’m tired of staring at the fire, and the empty walls, and everywhere in this room. I’d like to have another visitor while you’re gone.”
Fi's smile dimmed a bit at confirmation, but he brushed past it with a soft laugh. Johan's request was more important anyways. He didn't deserve to be cooped up like an animal, but having somebody in here who might be sympathetic to him–who might be willing to help–would certainly pose a problem. "I would like to let you," he replied, after a few seconds of consideration. "But it will depend on who you have in mind."
“My brother.” Johan’s expression softened for but a moment. “Mikhail.” He hadn’t seen his little brother since before he was attacked in the baths, and he wondered what Leviticus might have told him to sever their relationship. Next to Cora, Mikhail was his favorite person. He didn’t want to lose the relationship they had just began to develop. Not so soon.
"Oh." The suspicion left him like water flowing down a river and he nodded. "Of course." He'd never met Mikhail before, but it shouldn't be too difficult to bring him here if he mentioned Johan had sent him. Levi had said the two were close, and Johan's request confirmed that. "Do you know where he might be right now? I will need to bring him before Leviticus fetches me."
One corner of Johan’s lips, the corner unaffected by his scar, quirked up in a soft smile. “Probably in his room. His door is right next to mine.” He gestured to the direction with a light toss of his head. Mikhail was most likely asleep at this time of night, but he would be busy with tutors any other time during the day. “Depending how long it takes him to wake up, timing shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
Fi winced slightly, shoulders curling in almost imperceptibly at the suggestion. "I do not know how well he would react to me waking him from slumber, Johannan." He glanced from Johan to himself, cataloging the differences. He was bigger, foreign, a complete stranger to the youngest prince. The kid was more likely to think he was an attacker than anything else and the last thing he wanted to do was frighten him. "Could you wait until tomorrow to see him?"
Johan let out a sigh through his nose, supposing it was foolish to let himself get his hopes up. “He’ll probably be busy tomorrow. Either with tutors, Leviticus, or training outside.” His smile, as small as it already was, began to fade. “But. If he can visit tomorrow, I guess I can wait.” Johan seemed to be much more agreeable at night when sleep wasn’t far off. Especially with his painful injuries.
"I will talk to the crown prince tonight," he promised, wishing he didn't feel quite so pained as he watch Johan's small smile dim and die. "And I will have Mikhail visit you tomorrow. There will be time for you to speak with him then." He took a small step closer, carefully reaching over to help Johan to his feet. He kept the touch light. Perfunctory. "For now you should sleep. It will help you heal."
Johan blinked over at Fiori’s hand, weighing his dignity against the painful experience of standing on his own. He accepted the help. “It’s bad enough I have to filter my whims through you. Now Leviticus has to allow me to visit my own kid brother?” He scoffed, but it trembled weakly along with the rest of his breath. Wincing, he remembered the bruises on his torso. They were easy to forget and really didn’t do his abdominal strength any favors.
Fi winced at the way his breath stuttered out of him, taking extra care as he helped Johan down onto the bed. Seeing him like this felt strange, like an invasion of privacy. A man like Johan should never look so vulnerable and yet here he was, letting Fi tuck him into bed like a child. His hands, which had been smoothing down the blankets, stopped. "It is easier with his blessing. You know this." The words were a welcome distraction from his thoughts as he sat, far enough from Johan that the prince could stretch out if he wanted. "But I do not have to ask if you do not want me to. There are other ways of arranging a visit."
Johan waited for Fiori to finish tucking the blankets around him, staring elsewhere with an indignant frown, before he lifted his arms out from under the blankets. “If you ask him, he’ll likely say no. I’m sure he will think I want to corrupt Mikhail’s mind and turn him against his country. Psh.” He rolled his eyes. “Mikhail is impressionable, sure, but I’m not that type of monster.” With his absent tone and far off look, he was reassuring himself of his moral values more than anything. Mikhail was innocent, unable to do wrong.
Wasn't he though? Johan had already betrayed one brother, it wasn't such a big leap to worry that he'd hurt the other too. Even if Fi didn't think he would, he wouldn't begrudge Levi for being more cynical. "I believe that you are not, but your brother has been given reasons to believe otherwise. I do not think he is so wrong for trying to protect your smallest brother from a similar fate to his." He drummed his fingers in his lap idly. Sitting still all day had never sat well with him, he needed to spar—to move. "Can you honestly say you would not hurt him if doing so would grant you your freedom?"
(I have a very rough, possibly outlandish, idea for something that could happen way way later after Johan shifts into a better person. What if in order to take steps to defeat Fi’s uncle, Johan is sent to Usige to infiltrate? I dunno if he would be too recognizable with his scar and be immediately killed, or if he would be valuable to his uncle/the military as a hostage. I’ve been wondering what Johan would do in Usige)
“My freedom?” Johan blinked at the suggestion. He would do anything for his freedom, but hurting Mikhail in the process? That complicated things. “I-I don’t know,” he stammered. “I don’t even know what kind of situation that would be. I don’t even want to think about that.” He stared down at the blankets, silent while he thought about his answer. “Mikhail’s my little brother. I would never hurt him.” Besides, Mikhail posed no threat to him.
