The dining hall was alive.
Candlelight spilled from iron chandeliers high above, flames flickering like patient stars. Long tables stretched across the marble floor, crowded with nobles, servants, knights, cooks still smelling faintly of spice and smoke. Silverware chimed softly against porcelain. Low conversations braided together into a steady hum, punctuated by bursts of laughter and the scrape of chairs.
Warmth lingered in the air, thick with roasted meat, buttered bread, and sweet wine. It felt less like a court and more like a gathered village, bound by familiarity rather than rank.
At the head of the hall, where the noise softened out of instinct, Nikolai leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. Candlelight traced sharp lines across his face as his eyes settled on Aster.
"So," he said, voice calm but carrying easily through the murmur. "I heard you had cutlery class today. How was it?"
Aster exhaled, staring down at his plate like it had personally offended him. "Hectic," he muttered. "Why are there different forks and spoons for every course? Can't you just use one pair and be done with it?" He jabbed his food with unnecessary force. "It's troublesome. I'd rather hunt."
"Oh?" Nikolai's brow lifted slightly. "You hunt?"
"Monsters," Aster replied, chewing as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world. "All kinds. Used to hunt for a living."
The clatter around them didn't stop, but a few heads nearby tilted, ears sharpening despite themselves.
Nikolai paused, studying him. "…So what, like an assassin?"
Aster glanced up, unimpressed. "Yeah. What did you think I did? Knit scarves?"
Nikolai smiled, slow and curious. "I'm not judging. I just assumed you had a gang. Or a guild."
"A what?" Aster choked, coughing hard as he thumped his chest, nearly knocking his goblet over.
A couple of nearby soldiers snorted. Someone laughed outright.
Nikolai leaned back, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Hey," Aster snapped once he caught his breath, glaring at him. "I may look rough, but I'm modest. Show me a little respect, will you?"
That earned him a genuine laugh.
Nikolai's shoulders shook slightly, amusement bright in his eyes. No one spoke to him like this. No one raised their voice, corrected him, or argued while still chewing their food.
And yet Aster did, surrounded by candlelight and chatter, utterly unbothered by titles or thrones.
The hall continued its rhythm around them, alive and warm, but for Nikolai, the noise faded just a little.
For the first time that evening, he wasn't bored.
Aster hesitated, fingers tightening briefly around his cup before he spoke again.
"By the way," he said, his voice noticeably softer, stripped of its usual edge. "I have a request."
Nikolai turned toward him fully now. "What is it?"
Aster swallowed. The chatter of the hall suddenly felt distant. "Can I visit my sister and brother?" His gaze dropped for just a second before lifting again, earnest and raw. "They must be worried sick by now. Please."
For a moment, Nikolai didn't respond.
The surprise crossed his face before he could mask it. He had seen Aster fight, argue, glare like a cornered animal. This was different. This was someone bending without breaking, worry bleeding through the cracks he usually kept sealed shut.
Nikolai resumed eating slowly, as if weighing the request between bites. Then, casually, as though granting mercy were the simplest thing in the world, he said, "Alright."
Aster froze.
Then he smiled.
It wasn't sharp. It wasn't defiant. It was small and genuine, the kind that slipped out before one could stop it.
Nikolai stared at him, momentarily caught off guard, eyes lingering as though the hall had dimmed around them.
Aster cleared his throat quickly, embarrassed, straightening his posture. "Ahem. Thank you. For that. I wouldn't try to escape or anything."
Nikolai's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "Of course you wouldn't," he replied smoothly. "I'll be with you."
"What?!" Aster blurted, nearly knocking his chair back. "Why would you be there?" His posture stiffened instantly, shoulders squaring. "Are you planning something against them?"
Nikolai raised both hands slightly, amused rather than offended. "Easy, tiger. Relax." A faint grin tugged at his lips. "I just want to meet my sister and brother-in-law."
"Hey!" Aster snapped. "Stop saying that."
Nikolai's smile widened, thoroughly entertained. "What? It's true, isn't it?" He tilted his head. "Isn't that the whole reason I saved you in the first place?"
Aster glared at him, jaw tightening. He huffed, looking away. As much as he hated it, the logic stung because it was correct. And worse, there was nothing he could do about it.
"Fine," he muttered at last. "But don't try anything weird. And at least let me explain things to them first."
Nikolai inclined his head slightly, mock-serious. "Alright. I'll try not to be… overwhelming."
Aster shot him a look that said he did not believe that for a second.
Nikolai only smiled, already looking forward to it.
When dinner finally drew to a close, Aster rose without thinking and began helping clear the plates and dishes. It was instinctive, ingrained from years of doing what needed to be done before anyone asked. He stacked bowls carefully, passed platters along, and wiped crumbs from the table as if this were any other shared meal.
Nikolai followed him.
Not out of duty. Not command. Just presence.
To an outsider, it would have looked almost amusing. The young prince trailing after the lad like a restless shadow, close enough to watch every movement, unwilling to let the distance stretch too far.
If one did not know the full story, it might seem as though Nikolai had been utterly captivated. As though he feared that if he stopped watching for even a moment, Aster might slip away.
A servant glanced at another and suppressed a smile.
"Look at him," one whispered. "Like a puppy."
From her seat, Queen Eliza saw everything.
She watched Aster move easily among the servants, saw Nikolai linger beside him, quiet and attentive in a way he rarely was with anyone else. A soft smile curved her lips, touched with something bittersweet.
"Oh, Leonard," she murmured under her breath. "I didn't need to find him a fiancé."
Her gaze lingered on the two figures, one rough-edged and sincere, the other sharp and watchful.
"My clever son already did."
In the kitchen, the two of them stood side by side, sleeves rolled up, hands submerged in warm, soapy water. The steady clink of plates and the soft hiss of water filled the space.
"Why are you here?" Aster asked roughly, scrubbing at a plate like it had personally offended him.
"They said couples need to get to know each other more," Nikolai replied evenly.
Aster snorted. "Yeah, not stalk each other and follow them around." He glanced sideways, then sighed. "Also, you're washing it wrong."
Without ceremony, he took the plate, showing him how to angle it, how to scrub the edges, how to rinse properly. His movements were quick and practiced, effortless.
Nikolai watched closely and copied him.
"…Sorry," Nikolai said after a moment. "I'm not used to this."
"Of course you aren't," Aster replied dryly. "You're a spoiled baby."
"Hey!" Nikolai barked.
Aster only chuckled, shaking his head as he reached for another plate.
"Are your servants always this avoidant of you?" Aster asked, not looking up, hands never slowing. "I noticed they scatter the moment you enter a room."
Nikolai rinsed a dish, considering. "Yeah. Either because I'm an enigma, intimidating… or I'm in a bad mood."
"Huh." Aster hummed thoughtfully. "People judge too much. They could at least try."
"I don't blame them," Nikolai said quietly. "I'm not easy to be around."
Aster paused. He dried his hands, stacked the clean plates, then glanced at him. "Don't say that. You're just bad at social stuff. That doesn't make you bad to be with." He shrugged. "You or the others just don't try."
Then he smirked. "Besides, you cleaned those plates pretty well for a beginner. Guess the prince can do housework."
"Hey," Nikolai protested, offended. "I once cleaned a stable."
Aster burst out laughing. "Really? Are you sure watching someone else do it doesn't count?"
"I am a man of my word," Nikolai said, feigning dignity. "I had a pet. My father let me raise it in the stables. Feeding it, cleaning, all of it."
Aster's laughter died instantly. His eyes lit up. "Wait. What kind of pet?"
Nikolai smiled, almost fond. "A Skyrend."
Aster blinked. "…A what?"
"It's a cross between a chimera and a griffin."
"What?" Aster stared at him. "You're messing with me."
"You know what a griffin is," Nikolai said.
Aster nodded slowly.
"And a chimera." Nikolai tilted his head. "Now imagine if those two had a baby."
Aster stared at him, mouth slightly open.
"…That's a Skyrend."
The kitchen felt suddenly much smaller, and Aster wasn't sure if he was more impressed or slightly terrified.
"I won't ask how you got that or anything," Aster said lightly.
Nikolai didn't respond.
The sudden quiet made Aster glance sideways. He found Nikolai standing very still, fingers hovering over the sink, eyes fixed on the surface of the soapy water. Slowly, almost experimentally, Nikolai poked one of the bubbles. It burst with a soft pop.
Then another.
And another.
Aster bit down hard on his lip, shoulders trembling as he fought the laughter crawling up his chest.
"Woah," he said, voice strained, "never seen them before, huh?"
"I have," Nikolai replied, popping another bubble with careful precision. "Just… not this close." He tilted his head slightly. "I didn't realize they were so translucent. And… bubbly."
That did it.
Aster snorted, quickly turning away. "You're kind of like a kid, you know that?" he said, smiling despite himself. "My brother Rowan used to love bubbles. When I bathed him, he'd make silly shapes. Beards, boats, all sorts of things."
Nikolai hummed thoughtfully, finishing his half of the dishes and setting them neatly aside. "I wouldn't blame him."
Here's a clean, cinematic polish with sharp banter and movement, keeping the energy brisk and natural:
Elodie appeared at the doorway, arms crossed, eyes flicking between the two of them and the sink full of bubbles. A knowing smile tugged at her lips.
"Sorry to interrupt whatever… this is," she said dryly, "but Nikolai, you're needed in the field. A horde of goblins was spotted near the forest. They've relocated."
Nikolai exhaled slowly, the softness draining from his expression. He dried his hands, precise and efficient, then reached for his coat.
"Of course," he said.
"Can I come?" Aster asked immediately.
Nikolai paused, glanced at him once, then shrugged. "Fine. But don't expect me to save you if something happens."
Aster smirked. "Please. It might be your ass I'll be saving. Remember, I used to hunt them for a living."
Nikolai merely hummed, unimpressed, slipping his coat on. "We'll see."
Elodie watched them go, shaking her head with faint amusement.
The warmth of the kitchen faded behind them as the weight of something sharper waited outside.