Chapter Text
Keigo put on his most charming smile as he stood before the king, trying his best to keep his composure, “I understand your hesitance, sir, but it really would look good on your part if you were to hire me,” he explained, his gloved hands folded neatly behind his back. "After the war, there’s still a lot of tension between humans and faeries—which, I won’t deny, is understandable—but I believe that hiring me, and any other qualified fae who might stumble into your castle, will show that peace is truly upon us."
He had really hoped he wouldn't have to beg for this job, but after days of travel to the human kingdom, there was no way Keigo could return to his father—or worse, to the terrifying king of faeries—without completing his task.
The king’s gaze was full of suspicion as he watched Keigo. He didn’t like or trust the faerie before him, but there was something in Keigo’s words that made him pause. Deep down, he knew that he was right—or at least partially right. People needed a sign that peace was finally an option; and a faerie in a trusted position would be a good way to send that message.
“Remind me again how you're qualified to serve in my kingdom?” King Enji finally asked.
Keigo’s feathers twitched, but the polite smile never left his face, “I served the faerie king's son, Prince Tomura, before he disappeared.” His voice lowered as he added, “I was also training to be a guard.”
It wasn’t a lie per se, but it wasn’t the entire truth either. There were details he wasn’t sharing—details that no one in this kingdom would know until it was far too late.
“The prince disappeared?” Enji’s frown deepened. There was something in his eyes—something akin to guilt or regret—but Keigo couldn’t place it. Regardless, he filed it away in his mind—something to look into later on.
Keigo hung his head, staring down at his feet, and let a sigh escape his lips. “I blame myself, really,” he said, his voice soft, “I was in a meeting with the other guards to see if I was fit for the job... When I returned to Prince Tomura's room, he was gone. We searched the land and the surrounding areas for months, but there was no sign of him anywhere.” His eyes darkened as if recalling those long months.
King Enji nodded slowly as he listened, his sharp eyes never leaving Keigo. But his gaze softened a little as he saw the shift in Keigo's demeanor, noting that the fae truly seemed to regret what had happened.
“Is that why you left?” Enji asked him, trying to pry more details out of the stranger.
Keigo nodded, returning his gaze to the king, “That, among other reasons,” he said sadly, “I couldn’t live with myself after… I served him, but more than anything, I considered him a friend.” His words were laced with a tinge of sadness that seemed too real, too raw to be a lie. “I would've died for him if it came down to it.” he said honestly.
Enji watched him for a long moment, studying the faerie’s expressions. “What were the other reasons?”
Keigo grimaced, his eyes narrowing slightly, “While I liked Prince Tomura... his father left something to be desired…” he paused, taking a deep breath, “that man is crueler than anyone else I’ve met. After Tomura disappeared, I had no reason to continue working for him.”
There was something in Enji's eyes now—an understanding; he had heard many stories of the king of faeries; a man that could give and take magic on a whim.
He took in the faerie’s disheveled appearance. Keigo looked wild despite his attempts at politeness—his windblown hair tangled and sticking up in various directions,and his pupils narrowed into slits as he watched the king closely. Of course, Keigo’s wings were impossible to ignore, even with how he'd folded them neatly at his back. It may have been a trick of the light, but Enji was sure he saw each feather moving on it’s own.
Keigo’s attire also didn’t go unnoticed—his shirt was made of a light, flowing material that easily moved with him, and was barely held together by golden chains that criss-crossed across his back, leaving a large gap for his wings. His pantswere snug but practical, and his knee-high boots seemed mostly functional, even with the slight heel that added an inch or two to Keigo's height. Enji’s gaze lingered on the gold jewelry adorning Keigo’s neck and ears, wondering how he'd gotten his hands on such things as a former servant.
Keigo noticed the king staring and found himself tempted to make a teasing remark, but he bit his tongue. He wasn’t sure how far he could push his luck. Faeries weren’t known for their modesty, but he was well aware that humans could be a bit...prudish when it came to showing their skin. He had attempted to cover up, wearing a jacket when he first arrived…but the sweltering heat had forced him to remove it.
“My eldest needs someone to keep him out of trouble,” Enji finally said, breaking the silence. “If I assign you to serve him—”
“I won’t leave his side,” Keigo cut him off mid-sentence.
Enji frowned slightly, irritated by the interruption, “Very well,” he said, his tone resigned. “I’ll allow you to care for my eldest, Prince Touya, for the rest of the week. Then, I’ll decide whether or not you can stay permanently.”
Keigo bowed deeply, relief flooding his chest. “Thank you, sir,” he said with genuine gratitude, even though he was well aware that his task was far from over. “I promise, I won’t disappoint you.”
~♡~
It had been nearly an hour since King Enji had agreed to give Keigo a chance and had sent someone to fetch the prince. Keigo had been given instructions on what his role would entail, as well as the rules he’d have to follow. But now, there was only silence filling the room.
Keigo grimaced as he stood in the middle of the courtroom, his feathers shifting and twitching under the man's gaze. He couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of test to see just how patient he was.
So, he distracted himself, taking the time to go over the plan in his head, desperate to ignore the overwhelming heat and the eyes that never seemed to leave his wings.
The first step was done; he had been hired—or was at least being given a chance. Either way, he had a way into the castle.
Now he just needed to gather whatever information he could about their weaknesses and what weapons they held outside of the fire and ice magic that ran through their blood. That part would be easy; as a personal servant, he was sure he would get a few details from the prince himself, whether it be directly or from being at the right place at the right time. If that didn’t work, leaving feathers scattered around the castle surely would—he’d just have to hide them from the maids.
Once he had the information he needed, he was to assassinate the eldest prince. If anyone got in the way, he’d be required to take them out as well.
He frowned a little as he thought it over. He never liked this job and had always wanted a way out.
Ever since he was a child, he had just wanted to help people. But that was never allowed. It was all eavesdropping and assassinations, and when he didn’t play along, he was punished.
He knew that his father would likely just hunt him down and drag him back, locking him away in a tiny, cage-like room to rot. But maybe this time he could drag out the spying long enough to come up with a plan that led to freedom.
He was startled out of his thoughts abruptly when the doors behind him flew open with a dramatic flair.
Keigo looked over his shoulder in time to see the prince stroll with a confident flourish and a deep, mocking bow to the king.
“You called, Father?” Touya drawled, peering up at Enji from where he bowed, a sharp, venomous grin plastered on his face.
Keigo couldn’t help but stare. This prince was the most gorgeous man Keigo had ever seen. But in his defense, he really hadn’t seen many people…especially people his own age.
He forced his gaze away to watch as Enji gestured to him vaguely, “I found you a potential servant,” he told Touya, “try not to scare this one away.”
“I don’t need another babysitter.” Touya spat in response, standing up straight and turning to Keigo, “a chicken? Really? Why not send him to the kitchen so we can have him for dinner instead of making him follow me around like some sort of pet?”
“I assure you, your highness, I’m no chicken.” Keigo bowed deeply to the prince and plastered that charming smile back onto his face, peering up through his eyelashes.
He hated being compared to a chicken.
Now that Touya had turned to look directly at him, he took him all in; he was a bit taller than Keigo with pale skin and jet black hair—although Keigo couldn’t help but notice the silvery white regrowth at the prince’s scalp. There were burn scars trailing along his jaw and neck; scars that made Keigo wonder if he and Touya already had more in common than he expected.
But it was the prince’s eyes that drew Keigo in—their vibrant turquoise glow was so full of anger that it sent a shiver down Keigo's spine. He'd be keeping those eyes for himself once he had disposed of the man; something to make his cage a bit prettier.
He stood up straight as he watched Touya’s nose scrunch up, and followed the prince's gaze back to his father. But the man was ignoring the two of them now, having turned to chat with his advisor. He couldn’t help but notice the subtle shift in Touya’s expression; the prince was disappointed and was not doing a good job of hiding it.
Despite all that anger, Touya still craved his father’s attention and approval.
“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for now, your highness,” Keigo said, head tilting as he spoke, “Perhaps you could give me a tour so that I can serve you properly?”
As Keigo spoke, Touya noticed one of his feathers had slipped away from the rest, lazily floating over to where Enji sat. His eyes widened as the feather suddenly turned sharp and poked the back of the king’s neck before darting away.
Enji yelped and swatted at whatever had ‘stung’ him, looking around before turning to his advisor once again. Keigo could hear the man muttering something about insects getting into the castle.
Touya stifled a snort, turning back to Keigo and properly looking at him for the first time.
He was prettier than Touya expected any faerie to be, with wild, golden hair and wilder eyes that seemed to be lined with some sort of charcoal. His skin was lightly tanned with scattered freckles where the sun hit the most, and he had the trademark pointed ears that the fae folk were known for.
And of course, those enormous, scarlet wings were impossible to miss.
“Sure, follow me, Chickadee,” The prince finally nodded and headed for the door. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so keep up…”
Keigo grinned and fell into step behind him, already thinking of the many ways he could turn this situation to his advantage. He was eager to see what awaited them.