Only Rivalry

"I come here after settling all the important matters, Owine," Crown Prince Hemeri responded to his older cousin. "If not, do you think my father will allow me to leave Emerido?"

Owine Varence knew that Hemeri had a point but he was still concerned. "Be alert at all times," he advised his younger cousin and added, "I don't trust your half brothers at all."

The concerned words of his eldest cousin drew a little smile from Crown Prince Hemeri's face. "Don't worry," he assured Owine Varence. "I know what I'm doing."

As he nodded his head in satisfaction, Owine Varence noticed his personal guard and attendant who appeared at the door. Then he let out a soft sigh. "It seems like it's time for me to meet Father," he said and rose from his seat. "Don't disappear again, Hemeri. I expect to see you here in the palace at dinner time too."

Letting out a chuckle, Hemeri Van Hale nodded his head several times. "Fine. I won't go anywhere."

Once the Aritish Crown Prince left, Third Prince Saerus rose from his seat too. "I also have something to do. See you around, cousin." Without even waiting for a response, he hurried out of the chamber, making Hemeri and Alanus looked at each other before chuckling and shaking their heads.

"Does he even have important matters to tend to?"

"I don't think so," Alanus Varence simply replied to Hemeri's question. "He mostly stayed indoors, painting during the day and studying stars at night. If not, he disguised himself and visited some inns with his friends."

"It must be great to live with so little care," Hemeri Van Hale frankly said, his gaze on the door where his Third Cousin walked out earlier.

"Do you really think that's possible for royals like us?"

Second Prince Alanus's question made the Emerido Crown Prince slowly turn back to him. Then he continued by saying, "I think Saerus also share many of our worries. He just never shows because of his disinterest."

Crown Prince Hemeri stared at his cousin for a while before saying, "It must also be great to have full siblings." He slightly leaned back on the couch as he added, "I only have half-siblings, and what exists between us is only rivalry."

Hemeri appeared so cold and bitter when talking about his half-older brothers but Alanus wasn't surprised. After all, he was well aware of what the relationship in question was like.

"It's great that we are cousins," Alanus Varence pointed out with a little smile. "I wouldn't look forward to being your half-brother or even brother. What if that were to turn us into rivals?"

Hearing out his cousin, Hemeri Van Hale ended up chuckling. "You don't have to worry about that," he assured Alanus. "Because if someone like you were my brother or even half-brother, I wouldn't hesitate to give up on the race for the throne. I know you will make a good ruler and you're also a few months older than me."

At times, Alanus used to struggle in believing that the many kinds of Hemeri he witnessed, all belong to the same person.

The kind and caring one, the cruel and nonchalant one, the playful and friendly one, the sharp-tongued and cold one, the sly and intelligent one... it felt surreal to see how Hemeri had all these traits in him. Not to mention that he was capable of changing from one to another in a blink of an eye!

Alanus didn't think he would be able to do the same.

"Forget about it," he lazily remarked after snapping himself out of his thoughts and then asked, "Why don't you tell me about what you did instead? I know that Saerus was right when he said that you were always busy creating trouble whenever your whereabouts are unknown."

"You too?" Hemeri Van Hale let out a heavy sigh. "I did not create trouble," he insisted. "I only have some fun."

"As if," Second Prince Alanus bluntly remarked. "If only you know that your way of having fun is always more than troubling for others."

"Well, that's their problem," Crown Prince Hemeri simply said and let out a chuckle.

Almost immediately, Nygel, the personal guard and attendant of the Second Prince came inside. "Your Highnesses." He greeted both the two Princes before turning in Second Prince Alanus's direction. "General Azelyn is here. Should I tell him to wait in your chamber?"

Before Alanus Varence even got to respond...

"General Azelyn Camer? Isn't he the nephew of Commander Deric Camer?"

The Second Prince looked at his cousin, a bit surprised. "It's not like you have never seen Azelyn before," he pointed out. "He often comes with me to Emerido and you two are also pretty close, aren't you?"

When his cousin didn't respond, the Second Prince turned to his personal guard. "Let him in."

"Yes, Your Highness." The guard bowed and then walked out of the chamber. Upon this, Alanus Varence immediately shifted his attention back to his cousin.

"You do know that you are acting really strange, right? It's already strange enough that you come to Aritish on your own will and somehow, you don't look like Hemeri I know," he pointed out frankly. "Will you not really tell me your reason?"

"You think too much, Alan," Hemeri Van Hale replied after a brief silence. "Besides, we hadn't seen each other for a long time before I came here and many things happened during that, considering how it was the period where the fight for the throne was at its peak. Maybe that changed something in me."

Putting aside that Hemeri was often too secretive, he was brutally honest once again and it made Alanus tight-lipped.

"You should come and visit Emerido soon," Hemeri spoke after a few seconds of silence, changing the topic in the process. "My mother often asks me about you."

No sooner than Hemeri finished talking, General Azelyn Camer walked inside. Though the Second Prince still appeared to be lost in his thoughts, Crown Prince Hemeri's attention was already focused on the General who came inside.

General Azelyn Camer... he knew that Alanus was right when he said that he was pretty close to General Azelyn but it was his first time seeing Azelyn Camer after knowing that he was the close and reliable older cousin of Eloria Camer.

It was exactly why he reacted that way earlier...