The deer immediately flees as I fall to the ground, pain and terror cutting through my thoughts with the same precision as the arrow that pierced through my knee.

I lay collapsed on the floor, a shriek ripping itself free of my throat as liquid agony flows through the veins of my leg. My hands are hot as I hold my knee, scalded by the blood pouring out of the wound. I curl in on myself, tears springing to my eyes as my screams form only a single sentence.

"BROTHER!" I cry out, sobbing. "BROTHER HELP, IT HURTS!"

I hear footsteps crunching frosted leaves to my left, and I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood as I turn to search for my salvation. I find my brother standing there, his bow held loosely in his left hand. I look up into his eyes, expecting to see worry, concern, panic…

Instead, only cold apathy meets my gaze. He stares down at me in the same way one might stare at a dying rodent, before he looks up and around. I feel a chill as his lips draw into a frown, and he clicks his tongue.

"I missed." He says simply, looking down at me again. The chill turns sharper, colder, as I realize…

He isn't talking about the deer.

I inhaled sharply as I woke, the lingering agony from my nightmare making itself known through the dull ache that pulsed through my knee. It took a few moments for me to gather myself, to feel the warmth of the covers I'd nestled myself in and the softness of the mattress beneath me.

When I did finally manage to come out of my stupor, I heard the muffled sounds of the city drifting upwards to my room. It was dark, save for the small sliver of sunlight that managed to slice into the darkness through a crack in the curtains.

I pulled my right hand out from underneath the warmth of the blanket, and raised it above my face to study it. On the back of my hand was a birthmark, one that had become the source of my misery throughout my life.

A butterfly.

It was amusing. No larger than a finger, and yet this mark had nearly been the end of my life more times than I could count.

There was a knock at the door, and I sighed as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. "Yes?" I called, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"My Lord, you told me to wake you when breakfast was being served." I heard Obain reply through the door, and I stroked the few wisps of hair that grew on my chin. I vaguely recalled giving such an order to him before I retired for the night.

"I see. Thank you." I said, swinging my feet over the side of the bed and tossing aside the covers. After nearly a week of sleeping on a carriage, the comfort it lured me in with was treacherous indeed. If I didn't stand now, I feared I would fall into its hold once again.

Grabbing my cane, I pushed myself to my feet with a short grunt, the ever-present ache in my knee sharpening slightly. I hobbled to the door and pulled it open, revealing Obain standing stoically on the other side.

I smiled, shuffling past him to take my seat in one of the soft armchairs in the main lounge. It welcomes me nearly as treacherously as the bed would have, and I heave a sigh as I allow myself the relief it brings to my leg. My smile widened when I realized he had already laid out a pot of tea on a silver platter on the ornate table resting to my side.

Obain, as grumpy as he may be, proved his service as my retainer by opening my case and laying out several outfits. I glanced over the assembled clothing with deliberation, pouring the tea into a cup before nodding towards the ensemble that would draw the least amount of attention as a stranger to this city.

He wordlessly nodded and walked into my room to lay it on my bed, before joining me in the main quarters.

"Your silence betrays your curiosity." I finally said, and he paused before grunting as he took the seat opposite of mine. I handed him the cup I had poured, which he took welcomingly, and then made myself another.

"Unfortunately the day's travel seemed to have taken the best out of both of us, so I wasn't able to ask you about it last night." He said after a small sip. I had to agree.

The stairs had been particularly brutal.

"Well, I am now able to slake such thirst for knowledge. Ask away." I offered magnanimously, and I peered at him over my cup as he organized his thoughts. Oh, that flavor was quite lovely. Floral accents with just a hint of citrus to cut through it.

"The delay?" I offered after a time, and he nodded.

"The delay." He confirmed, and I set my tea on the tray to the side.

Lacing my fingers together in my lap, I tapped my thumbs together for a few moments, trying to find the explanation he desired.

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"As you know," I began, "I received an offer to work here. To tutor, more specifically."

"Right, the Crown Prince."

I nodded easily. "And a select few of his siblings.. Now, I am sure that even you are aware what the political severity of accepting such an offer would be, yes?" I asked, and after receiving the confirmation of a wrinkled brow, I continued. "Though you and my family know the truth, for all intents and purposes I am simply out exploring the world. I am, by all accounts except ours, still the second prince of the Lysaran Dynasty."

"So…" I took my cup back into my hands, briefly entertaining the thought of adding just a pinch more sugar. "Before I am to betray my homeland, I would like to know if this Emperor is worth my newly placed loyalty."

I took another sip.

Obain stared at me for a long while, his tea steaming in the air.

"It's going to get cold." I hummed, gesturing towards his cup, and he looked at it blankly for a few moments.

"Oh, right, yes…" He murmured, taking a sip. My words finally seemed to have completed their route through his brain, as he looked back up at me wildly. "Betrayal? It's not- that's not what- taking a job is not-"

I finished the rest of my beverage, pouring myself another. I required the name of this blend, and would task Obain with obtaining it, as well as a vendor who sold it, shortly.

I held up a hand, cutting his stuttering off. "My friend, accepting a position that is that close to the Emperor is, without argument, treason. Of a higher sort, no less." I said, and he looked at me as if I had gone mad.

"But…" He began to protest, before utter defeat crossed his features as he sank into the cushions of his seat.

Hmm… Perhaps I had been lacking in his preparation for this trip? Language I had accounted for, we hadn't so much as slipped a word of our mother tongue into our conversations since departing from Vaznir. But I had been under the - I was now understanding wrong - assumption that he was aware of the ramifications of our journey here.

Faint sorrow pricked my heart at that. He had been a faithful companion. An uncouth, ungentlemanly one as well, but I would not urge him to betray his heartland if he did not wish to.

"My friend, if this is not something you wish to do…" I began, but paused as he raised a hand. He stood and took to pacing, and I decided to allow him as much time as he needed.

Well…

No more than an hour. Breakfast would no longer be served after that time.

To my surprise it took him only a few minutes to sigh before he once again sat across from me. He studied me for a few moments.

"Will there be retaliation against my sister?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"None. I have already secured Vevina's passage and estate to Catonia, should I choose to accept the position. And I mean no offense when I say this, but your fair sister is not worth souring relations with them to trespass its borders." I promised, and he took a steadying breath before nodding.

"Very well. I am prepared." He said, and I smiled. It was certainly a relief. Obain would be valuable- nay, a necessity for my plans, should I choose to pursue this course of action.

"Right, well then I am glad we have settled that." I hummed cheerfully, finally allowing myself another sip. "Now, as I was saying previously. I wish to ascertain what kind of man the Emperor is, but not through the adulants that surround him."

"The common people." Obain finally said, and I pointed a finger at him.

"Precisely."

Obain hummed and tilted his head, then scratched his cheek. "Is there anything I would need to do, aside from my regular duties?"

I thought for a few moments. "No. Quite the opposite, actually. When I do not require you, I expect you to go out and enjoy your leisure time as you wish. All you need to do is tell me what you experienced while doing so."

Obain nodded. "Easy enough."

"As for myself, I wish to establish an identity for myself here outside of his influence, as small as it may be in this limited time. At the very least, maybe acquire a small network of one or two individuals who are notably… aware of the activities within the city."

His eyes narrowed to a margin, bordering on suspicion. And then they widened in realization.

"You want spies!" He accused, and I scoffed.

"You insult me, Sir." I rebuffed, offended at the mere suggestion. "I want informants."

"That's the same thing!"

"It is most certainly not!"

"You are a yellow livered scumsuck, you know that?" He said, shaking his head, and I rankled at the sheer offense of the term.

"Excuse you. You will sour my tea with such language." I huffed, but the damage was done. My mood for tea was thoroughly quashed, and only breakfast could have possibly hoped to recover it. I didn't even feel the discomfort in my leg as I stood, such was my anger.

"You are by far the most guileful, devious rake I have ever met." Obain continued, standing with me, and I gaped at him.

"Why I never! Well, you are the most detestable, cloddish imbecile I have ever had the displeasure of knowing." I growled, hobbling past him as he too strode past me to his room, and slamming the door behind me as I entered my quarters. Then, I wheeled around and hurled my door open. "And they are only called spies if the one who hires them is of ill repute!"

Obain also turned around at that, standing in his doorway. "You, by every definition, just admitted to being a traitor!"

"Well, so are you. So there!" I shouted, slamming the door closed once more.

I looked at the attire laid cleanly on my bed, and was rankled all the more.

It looked as though I would need to ask Obain to acquire my tea at a later date. If I ever spoke to him again, that was.