Chapter Text
From the vast, clear azure skies, the sun was blazing down at the land, but its rays were not enough to warm the ground and the air around. It was nothing unusual. So high up in the mountains, early spring was only a shade warmer than freezing.
The cold winds blowing through the training grounds easily found their way under the light layers of his clothes, chilling his sweat-soaked skin.
Suppressing his shivers, Kaveh lifted his unadorned greatsword, slashing at imagined foes with its dull edge. He had to keep moving if he did not wish to become an icicle - just like the ones hanging from the roofs of the palace. Easing through familiar motions with the sureness of the years of practice. His muscles were burning from the effort, but that did not stop him.
Kaveh had been training since the sun had reared its head over the peak of the eastern mountains. There had not been a soul, and even now, hours later, there was nobody around, just him and the wooden training dummies he had dragged onto the dirt field.
He was grateful for being alone. It was always easier to practise and train when he didn’t have to bear the sneerings and judging looks of the Astral Knights and other trainees. He had known that he was not welcome among them - not with his status in the royal court - but at least they left him be, for most of the time.
But of course, there was no stopping the occasional fools who thought it a good idea to challenge the only omega who dared to dream about becoming a knight. Those alphas more often than not had ended up on their asses, then, somehow, had always found a way to pay Kaveh back.
The noble high-ranked Astral Knights - their masters - never had a qualm about putting said omega in his place after such incidents. They had made sure to remind Kaveh that beating fellow trainees was nothing and that he had no chance against full-fledged knights. Those beatings had hurt for days, leaving him sore and unable to move.
And still, Kaveh had kept to his conviction and had been determined to prove them wrong through his hard work. He had believed that would be enough to realise his ambitions. Believed it right up until-
‘You will never be an Astral Knight. We do not need weaklings like you. Omegas have no place here. You are hereby rejected, Prince Kaveh.’
His grip became tighter on the hilt.
Rejected.
They had rejected him at the last tryouts, ruthlessly and without consideration.
It had been his own fault, he had lost all the practice matches and had the worst scores on the practical exams. He should have done better, should have trained harder, done more. It had proved his masters right, he had never been good enough.
Burden.
Useless.
Ironically, the challenges and beatings from others had stopped since then, but Kaveh had done a great job of taking up the task himself, beating himself up for his shortcomings.
Like right now. Training from the crack of dawn in the chill weather, when everyone else was given time off, while the Astral Knights attended the peace talks, keeping the royal family members and the Astral Priests safe.
Sighing, Kaveh tried to focus his attention away from that, calming his breathing as he landed hit after hit on the targets, but he could not help the anxiety rising.
The peace talks had been going on for months now and no news had reached his ears from them, not even from his sister - who was the biggest reason for his uneasiness. She had promised to keep him informed, and yet, no letters had arrived ever since they had said their goodbyes. It was unsettling.
Going up against as big of a country as Haravatat for more than half a century was an impressive feat in itself, but a small mountain land kingdom like Rtawahist would have never been able to win this war. That was obvious from the last decade. Poverty and economic decline striking the country everywhere, the signs visible even in the capital. They had been losing the war, and with Spantamad allying with Haravatat, their defeat had been inevitable.
Then, out of nowhere, the Wise Queen of Haravatat had announced her wish to end the war. Unsurprisingly, it had been met with mistrust and doubt - mostly caused by the circulating rumours of more and more telepaths and magic users appearing in Haravatat.
Even agreeing on where to hold the negotiations had been a difficult task. In the end, the neighbouring kingdom of Kshahrewar had been chosen after their ardent promise to uphold the sanctity of all gods and oversee the peace talks. With the young Divine Queen’s personal involvement, people had been more inclined to believe that this had not been a deception.
Kaveh himself had been tentative about it and with his twin sister attending the event as a High Priestess, his fear had only risen, but he had been telling himself, that no news meant good news - even if he did not believe it, he kept on repeating it. Just like how right now he kept whacking away at the wooden targets, leaving shallow dents on their surface and running himself ragged as he tried to keep his increasing bad feelings at bay.
He knew this would not be a real solution for his inner turmoil, but he needed something to keep the worry from driving him crazy, and training had the lovely effect of exhausting the body enough to distract the mind.
And distracted enough he was, only noticing the presence approaching when a high-pitched voice shouted behind him.
“Big Brother!”
It took all his strength to force a smile on his face, as Kaveh turned around to face the newly arrived.
His little brother, Zaryab was standing under the awning, looking out of breath as he was leaning on his knees, his long black hair falling into his flushed face. His cheeks were still somewhat puffy and childish - he was yet to even turn ten. He was much shorter than his peers, but that had never bothered the little rascal, rather he enjoyed the servants still babying him.
“What’s up, little bunny rabbit? Came to join me?” he asked teasingly, knowing full well that was not the case. He slowly made his way towards the resting area.
Something good must have happened then. He could use some good news.
“Big Sister Astrella is back!” Zaryab exclaimed in one breath, bouncing on his heels, watching his big brother’s reaction expectantly, huge, silver-grey eyes sparkling with excitement.
Kaveh stopped in his path as if struck by lightning.
Astrella was back. She was back in the capital.
Which meant the peace negotiations were over.
~
Kaveh and Zaryab raced down the familiar, winding hallways of the palace. Each turn led them deeper into the heart of the royal palace, dark and dim with its black walls and only a few Starlight Crystals illuminating them with their white shine. The corridors’ spaciousness was lost without efficient lighting, leaving them feeling narrow and suffocating.
Running through them swiftly was the best way not to be rushed with the stifling feeling, hence why the brothers were holding a friendly race to reach their quarters.
Kaveh was holding back just enough to still have his little brother run fast enough so the two of them were head to head, but as soon as the door to their quarters came into view, he slowed down, pretending to be too tired as he jogged the last few steps.
“I win! I win! I win, Big Brother!” Face beaming he turned to Kaveh, jumping in place.
Kaveh just smiled, slowly walking to stand next to Zaryab.
“Yes, you did!” he said, ruffling Zaryab’s hair.
They were still giggling and fooling around when they walked through the simple double door leading into the sunlight common room they shared. Nothing fancy, and definitely not huge, but the enormous windows, and the warm browns and oranges decorating the room made it seem bigger - and warmer - than it was. A very clear difference from the rest of the palace.
But this was their home, the only place in the royal palace that they could call their own. The concubine’s quarters to be precise, but even after her passing her children were left to occupy the rooms here. Not many cared about what they did anyway, as long as they stayed quiet and did not disturb the Queen’s offspring, or call attention to themselves with a scandal, they were left alone.
Standing next to one of the windows, gazing at the view outside - the rolling hills and meadows of the eastern mountains -, was Astrella. The sun’s beams caught in her golden hair, which cascaded past her hips, left unbound and only adorned by her simmering blue headband, the sign of her status as one of the High Priestess of the Astral Church. She turned around as soon as she heard her brothers come closer. Her tall frame was highlighted by the backlight, reminding Kaveh how perfectly alike the two of them were.
Everything from their eyes, down to their last strand of hair, they looked the same, and even until their late teens people would mix them up.
The only real difference between the two of them was how Astrella had all those beautiful, subtle curves completing her feminine look. She was a vision in her deep blue robes, even if a bit too tall to be considered a perfect omega by Rtawahist’s standards, she was beautiful nonetheless. Her power only added to her unique allure, which had earned her the adoration of the people. In that sense, so unlike her recessive twin brother who could not be considered either conventionally fitting for an omega or uniquely alluring, just an abomination. A freak of nature.
Kaveh had to ignore his swirling thoughts that threatened to pull him under, instead watching as his little brother stormed away from beside him.
“Big Sister Astrella!” Zaryab ran up to his older sister, jumping into her arms.
She caught him with ease, closing her arms around his shoulders, before nuzzling to Zaryab’s hair.
“Bunny rabbit! I missed you so much!” she said, but her eyes were on Kaveh.
Her face was a reflection of his own, familiar features they had shared their whole lives, along with a set of carmine eyes. There was something weird in them as they observed him. They seemed sad. Sorrowful. It was not just in her eyes though, everything about her radiated sadness.
“Welcome back, Astrella,” Kaveh greeted her softly, walking up to his siblings and joining their hug, pulling his twin against his chest. He whispered into her ear in a low voice, so Zaryab could not hear it, “You look tired. What’s wrong?”
No answer came, she just shook her head slightly, only for Kaveh to see.
Alright, they could talk about it later. Right now all that mattered was that she was back and she was okay. Kaveh squeezed her harder for a second before letting her go, but Zaryab was still clinging to her side.
“It is so good to see you two,” Astrella sighed. “These months have been so long.”
“And tedious, I presume,” Kaveh added with a half-smile, trying to cheer up his sister in some way. “All those old and boring nobles talking endlessly must have been tiring.”
The light in Astrella’s eyes dimmed again.
Ah, so not the right thing to say.
“You can say that…” she mused, not meeting her twin’s eyes.
Something was very wrong then, but without anything to go on, Kaveh could only guess at the reasons - one worse than the other.
“Tell us everything, Big Sister! How were the talks? Are we no longer at war with Haravatat?” The questions flooded out of Zaryab, still unaware of his older siblings’ tense aura.
“The negotiations were…” she hesitated before continuing. “Actually, we should head to Father’s office. He ordered us to meet him as soon as I arrived. We should not make him wait.”
And there it was again as spoke. That sadness.
It left Kaveh feeling a knot in his stomach, the sure-tell sign of bad premonition.
“Then let us not make His Majesty wait any longer.”
~
Rtawahist was the land of stars and starlight. They prided themselves in their astral magic, their affinity for star readings and prophecies and their worship of the Goddess of Stars, who had put those prophetic words there.
This was also reflected in the Star King’s private office.
The high-ceilinged oval room’s walls were all painted black and dark blue with golden dots connected throughout them, forming the constellations of the night sky. The lines and stars had been enchanted by High Priests to shift according to seasons, creating an ever-swirling replica of their most cherished canvas.
Starlight Crystals were placed at each intersection of the Astral lines, lighting up the whole room. But right now, there was no need for any of the Crystals to be casting their lights, as the room’s only window - the thick, blue-tinted glass that replaced the full ceiling - was letting in enough light to see clearly.
The most beautiful rays of filtered sunlight hit the imposing pedestal desk made out of black wood, its corners and carvings lacquered by silver. All pens and documents were in perfect order atop it, and behind the desk, in a chair - deliberately crafted to resemble a throne - sat the king himself, looking regal with the softly refined features that made him seem younger than he actually was.
His piercing silver-grey eyes were studying his children standing before him, along with the four archdukes standing next to him, pompous and uncaring. All of them had an air of satisfaction around them as they looked down at the siblings from their high-held noses.
The situation was already stinking like rotten fruit - the pheromones let out by the nobles an odorous concoction that was so bad it made Kaveh gag. The most powerful figures had gathered in one room, and they were all focusing their attention on Concubine Faranak’s children. The least popular royal children out of all the king’s offspring. That had never happened - Astrella had been the only one to ever be called before the lords and nobles.
Kaveh took a shallow breath and bowed deeply.
“Greetings to His Majesty, the Star King.”
“Greetings, Father,” his siblings followed suit, both bowing their heads.
The three of them stood before them like wares to be inspected, with Kaveh in the middle as the eldest - if only by twelve minutes -, Astrella on his right and Zaryab on his left.
Only a grunt came as a signal that they could rise.
“I have asked you to come here today to discuss something of utmost importance,” the king stared, his tone flat. “As you may know, the negotiations with Haravatat have concluded and we have mutually agreed upon the terms of our peace treaty.”
He said this as if Rtawahist ever had a chance of standing toe to toe with Haravatat, but Kaveh stayed silent, not stupid enough to say such a thing out loud.
“The war is officially over,” the Star King stated.
“Those are some joyous news, Your Majesty.”
“Joyous indeed,” he nodded, something unpleasant gleaming in his eyes as he watched Kaveh, “as we are to celebrate this occasion with a wedding.”
His heart stopped.
A wedding?, he thought, his stomach sinking as he swiftly glanced at Astrella. She did not return the look, her head turned to the other side, not daring to meet his brother’s eyes.
She had known.
This was the reason she had seemed so strange.
Oh, no.
Now he knew as well what would happen here.
The king went on, “We have arranged for one of our own to have the honour of marrying the Crown Prince of Haravatat. We are to send a prince or a princess by the end of spring, but the sooner it comes to pass the better for everyone. We do not want to risk the war breaking out again. So a candidate needs to be chosen immediately.”
It had not been decided then yet. Or at least, it was presented as a choice - even if it was clear there was no choice here. It only became clearer when the archduke of the north exclaimed:
“One of you will have the opportunity to be the bride of the Crown Prince, isn’t that wonderful? You could not have asked for a better match!”
His lies almost sounded believable if not for the leering shake of his voice, his smug expression mirrored on the other’s faces. They were happy about this development. They had known from the moment this condition had been announced that the candidate would be chosen from the concubine's lot. And that could only mean one thing. One person.
The king only gave them a sidelong glance, a pretence of chastising, before saying, “It is as His Grace says. One of you shall be the candidate,” he paused, giving Astrella a sharp look. She shrunk back, casting her eyes down, not even wanting to acknowledge their father.
A muscle feathered in the king’s jaw as he kept on talking.
“You are free to discuss it among yourselves, but you shall have an answer by tomorrow evening.”
An expectant silence fell over the room as all the adults on the other side of the desk looked at Kaveh, the jeering clear in their faces. Their decision had already been made, they were just having their fun watching the agony of the children they cared not for.
It was obvious what they wanted.
For him - the useless recessive - to be the sacrifice.
And if he did not take this role on, they would be heartless to send a literal child to be the bride of their old enemies. They would send his little brother without remorse, throwing him away like a chewed-off bone, not caring what might happen to him.
And they knew. The disgusting bastards knew that would not have to happen. Knew that Kaveh would not hesitate to take up this role to save Zaryab. He would willingly throw himself into the maws of the beasts that were Haravatat’s lords and Crown Prince, just to spare his family from this situation.
So he spoke up.
“If I may, Your Majesty.”
“Yes?” The king looked at him, expression bored, but with a hint of poorly hidden disgust seeping through.
“I would like to humbly offer myself to be the candidate for this marriage.” Kaveh managed to say this without wavering, somehow his own voice sounding alien to himself. Like his soul had already left his body, just his remnants remaining.
There was no hiding the satisfied smirks all lords now wore, as their wishes came through. To them, there was no better feeling than when a carefully crafted plan came to fruition. Even better if it had involved tormenting the weak and the undeserving.
“Very well. What about the others, what do you say? Astrella? Zaryab?” he turned to them as he called their names, but neither answered, only looked to the floor, choosing silence.
They knew not to say anything. Knew that that would only serve to make things worse.
“That settles it then,” His Majesty nodded, already done with the conversation. “Kaveh will become the bride offering. Get ready by tomorrow morning. Your company leaves immediately.”
Immediately.
It didn’t surprise him, yet his heart felt heavy, dark talons gripping it hard, scrapping its soft wall. It felt so very cold inside himself like ice was coursing through his veins, making him tremble. But Kaveh could not let them see him lose it, so he gritted his teeth.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he bowed his head and did not attempt to rise.
“Good. Then we are done here,” the king said, but it just served as another slap to his face.
That was it. That was all the thought he would ever give to his disgraced child.
“Astrella, you stay. Everyone else, dismissed,” the Star King waved at the people gathered, attention already back on the papers before him.
“Yes, Father,” Astrella answered, stepping forward.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” everyone else sounded it in unison, all turning to leave.
That really was it then.
~
Sitting on the rooftops of the palace, Kaveh gazed at the breathtaking night sky, full of tiny sparkles of white, yellow, blue, and an occasional red or purple. Stars painted on the dark canvas by the Goddess. Her gift to this world, this kingdom. Something that had always provided solace to him, the beautiful lights holding the secrets of the future.
Stars shine with cold light.
Such a stupid notion.
There was nothing more scorching than the heat of a star's flames. Not even a fire or a lightning elementalist could come close to the power of an astral mage who could wield astral fire.
Something Kaveh could not - yet another thing he lacked. Yet another reason why he had been rejected and shunned. A burden. Useless. No value.
He was inclined to agree with the nobles’ and knight’s assessment. What could he offer except his life and barely meaningful status as a Prince of Rtawahist? Lofty words, misplaced ambitions and hollow passions.
But at least if he became the bride offering to Haravatat, he would have something to offer. At last, he could be useful, even if it was just as collateral.
A deep sigh left his lungs.
There was really no way to guarantee this would go well. There were a million ways this could go wrong, and only a handful where it would turn out if not well, but relatively okay. Too many stars had to align for that though…
Another sigh, as Kaveh came to the realisation, that it did not matter. There was nothing he could do, he had no choice. Not with other people’s lives hanging in the balance - hanging over his head. And wasn’t that what one wanted to build a marriage upon, threats and mistrust? Sounded like a lovely thing.
Huffing at his thoughts, he waited for his emotions to finally settle, but they refused to, content to stir inside him, creating a vortex that sucked him deeper and deeper into his despair. There was no escaping its clutches, and Kaveh was ready to just give in when something rustled behind him.
Silk cloths chaffing against the tiles. He didn’t even have to look to know who it was. Unmoving, he just waited for Astrella to reach him.
Without a word, she seamlessly glided next to him, taking a seat there, and now both of them watched the thousands of stars blooming with light above them.
Kaveh said nothing, and Astrella could not bring herself to say anything. She opened her mouth, then closed it without uttering a single word.
Was there anything she could have said anyway? He thought not.
Eyes still fixed on the stars, Kaveh lifted his arm, beckoning his sister to come closer, and the next second, Astrella was draped to his side, head resting on his shoulder, Kaveh’s hand around her waist as he pulled her even closer. Cuddled up like how they had used to whenever one of them was feeling down - or both of them, like right now -, taking refuge in each other’s presence. Something he would no longer be able to do after tomorrow. Would he ever see his sister and this scenery ever again?
The answer that his heart was beating was a steady no. Never ever.
He knew. This was their last night together. The last he would be able to feel her warmth, smell her familiar scent.
His hands clutched at Astrella’s side. He was clinging to her as if his life depended on it, and his twin buried her face into the fabric of his clothes.
They still did not speak. There was no need for it.
She knew, knew him too well.
And as they sat there in silence, walls were slowly being built around Kaveh’s heart, using his sister’s love and his own love for this kingdom.