Gaining Allies

"One minute," Vyan declared, his tone soft but firm, a hint of weariness in his voice.

"Fair enough. Here it goes," Clyde replied with a small, genuine smile, his hand placed gently over his heart. "I have no excuses for the fact that I initially approached you with selfish intentions." 

His expression was clouded with regret as he continued, "But when I learned of the possibility that my father and stepmother might have been involved in your critical condition, it ignited a fire within me. Even though they were ultimately innocent, the mere thought of them even considering such an act filled me with fury and anguish."

"Even in the midst of my anger, I realized that my feelings for you had transcended mere self-interest."

Vyan could feel the sincerity in his voice.

"I genuinely care about you, my lord. I meant every word when I said I wanted to help you become the greatest mage this continent has ever seen. I made a promise to stand by your side, and I intend to keep it, no matter what. I wouldn't ever betray you, trust me."

"Why me?" Vyan's voice was cold, his gaze piercing. "Why would you never betray me of all people?"

Clyde's smile softened, his eyes reflecting a mixture of warmth and longing. "I do not have a clear answer to that question. Perhaps it is because I never had the chance to truly love my own brother, step or not."

Vyan nodded slowly, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. He knew what it was like to yearn for the presence of a sibling, especially since learning about Aster.

"Besides, you are like my first-ever student," Clyde rambled on. "So when I saw you coughing up blood, it hit me like a ton of enchanted bricks.

"My first thought wasn't, 'Oh no, if Lord Vyan kicks the bucket, Father and Step-Mother's evil plan wins,' but more like, 'Who is going to endure my endless rants? Who is going to torture the piano keys so bad I would rather listen to a cat serenade? And who is gonna give me grief by calling me Mentor?'"

"I don't call you Mentor," Vyan deadpanned.

"Exactly!" Clyde beamed. "That's the sass I would miss. So, pretty please, forgive me for being a colossal numpty and let me stick around to help you become the mage extraordinaire you were born to be. Cross my heart and hope to crit, I will be your loyal sidekick till the end of time."

Vyan was torn. 

Could he really trust Clyde? 

The guy was definitely sneakier than he let on, that was for sure.

But heck, he should trust his gut instincts. He was spot on about Lincoln, after all. So why not give Clyde the benefit of the doubt?

"Fine, Clyde. You have got yourself a deal," Vyan relented, his tone firm. "But mark my words, one wrong move and you are going to be out of here faster than you can say Abracadabra."

"You got it, my lord," Clyde chirped confidently.

"Okay then," Vyan smiled faintly, praying this time he would not get betrayed. "Welcome aboard, Clyde Jayce Magnus. You are officially hired as my aide."

"It will truly be an honor to serve you, my lord," Clyde bowed.

In that moment, amidst their shared vulnerabilities, a bond formed between them—one built on honesty, trust, and the shared desire for companionship.

———

"Great job reigning me in today, my lord," Clyde said, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he strolled behind Vyan after he changed out of his Grand Duke attire. 

"Though I must say," Clyde added, "you could have been a bit more graceful. Your voice got a tad too emotional for my taste."

"Shut up. I did not ask for your feedback," Vyan shot back in irritation.

"By the way, how did you figure out everything?" Clyde inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Vyan's brow furrowed in annoyance.

He had overheard the servants gossiping about how Clara Magnus treated Clyde like dirt and made sure he was not the heir. 

At first, Vyan thought Clyde was just trying to secure a stable spot by cozying up to him, like any good noble-blooded person would. But when he dropped the bomb about Lincoln trying to poison Vyan and his grand plan to expose him, well, let's just say the pieces fell into place.

"I am relieved you are actually smart," Clyde chuckled. "I was ready to give you a piece of my mind for even considering such a boneheaded move with my father. Relinquishing his title means nothing when he can just control everything through my brother."

"Not if I exile him and his wife from Ashstone," Vyan added.

Clyde's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"I will be adding that part in the written decree—the actual verdict. I intentionally left it out in the verbal one."

Clyde grinned. "Oh, my, you really thought it through."

"Yep. Just wait and see how I have got presents lining up at the door tomorrow," Vyan smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Clyde laughed. "You are spot on. People love to shower attention on those who are easily flattered. It will be your secret weapon against them whenever they try to outsmart you."

Vyan nodded, a victorious smile on his lips.

"Oh, by the way," he suddenly recalled, "you never answered. What happened to me? Why was I unconscious for three days?"

Clyde's smile tightened like a rubber band stretched to its limit. "Well, about that…" he began, his tone as hesitant as a squirrel crossing a busy street. "My lord, were you not aware that you were deadly allergic to cucumbers?"

"Ah, is that so?" Vyan raised an eyebrow, the gravity of the situation not sinking in.

"What's with the flat reaction?" Clyde gave him a narrowed look.

Vyan shrugged nonchalantly. 

"Be thankful Doctor Harvey managed to recover you. Seriously, since the main symptoms were late to show, we couldn't figure out what in the world happened to you for a long time."

Vyan couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of nearly being taken down by a salad. 

"It's not something to laugh at. Please be more mindful of what you eat," Clyde rebuked. "We will conduct an allergy test on you so that we can be careful next time."

"Well, it is your fault, technically. Wasn't it your responsibility to conduct the test before? Were you waiting for me to be covered in hives?" Vyan shot back, unable to resist a jab at his unfortunate situation.

Clyde's shoulders slumped like a deflated balloon. "My bad."

"Oh, are we not going to train today? I already missed three days. I should get ready—"

"No. No training today. Today, you are going to rest only," Clyde announced, cutting off any protest before it could even form.

"Who was the one who announced that I was meeting the vassals one minute after I woke up?" Vyan's irritation bubbled up.

"My goodness! Who has the audacity to do that?" Clyde's eyes darted around the room, trying to deflect Vyan's glare.

"Stop it, you drama queen," Vyan retorted, unable to resist poking fun at Clyde's theatrics.

Clyde laughed in response.

"One more thing," Vyan groaned, turning to Clyde. "Who is going to tackle all this paperwork now that Lincoln Magnus is gone?"

Clyde scratched his head, his expression ponderous. "We will need someone new. But I don't trust any of the other vassals."

"Same here," Vyan agreed, slumping in his office chair. 

"I would volunteer myself, but my math skills are as shaky as a Jenga tower, and my spending habits would turn Ashstone into a ghost town with a 'Going out of business' sign."

"I don't expect anything less from you." Vyan rolled his eyes.

"But hey, I think I know just the right person."

Vyan perked up, intrigued. "Oh, yeah? Who?"

"She is a former imperial palace treasurer, supposedly a math wizard from the accounts department. If she can handle our numbers, I will handle the rest."

Vyan raised an eyebrow. "Why did she leave the palace gig then?"

Clyde shrugged. "Rumor has it she tried to flirt with Prince Izac and got exiled. But knowing that douche of a prince, he probably flirted first and then cried harassment when he got rejected. That guy's sleazier than a perverted old man on the street."

"Well, at least something good came out of me stabbing that sleazeball, possessed or not," Vyan smirked. "Anyway, let's hit the road to find that treasurer."

"But you need to rest," Clyde reminded him.

"I am sick of this place. I want to get out," Vyan reasoned.

"Yes, because the last time you went out, you came back not coughing up blood," Clyde pointed out sarcastically. 

"Excuse me, I had the salad at home. Outside had nothing to do with it," Vyan countered.

Clyde sighed, defeated. "Okay, but wear a disguise. The capital's still crawling with dangers for you."

Vyan smiled to himself as he thought, time to gain my next ally.

———

"Come on, Easton, we do not have to do this," Iyana implored. "We can split up, wander around town separately, and then come back, tell our fathers we had a blast, and call it a day." 

Iyana's plea hung in the air as Easton paused on the sidewalk, his sandy blonde hair catching the sunlight like a halo.

Easton pivoted to face his betrothed, her pale golden gown a stark contrast to the concrete background. "But why separate when we can be together?"

"And what's the point of that?" Iyana responded, her tone as flat as yesterday's tea.

Easton sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I am not thrilled about this either, Iyana. I could be back at the palace, wrestling with the Ganlop debacle, but instead, here I am, on an useless date neither of us signed up for. If we are going to do it, we might as well do it properly."

Iyana huffed, a clear sign of her disinterest. "I couldn't care less about doing it right. Honestly, I don't even want to do it at all."

"Then why not call off the whole marriage?" Easton suggested in frustration.

"If only I had the power to defy the almighty imperial family," Iyana scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Easton's incredulous chuckled echoed down the street. "Well, would you look at the audacity on display here? You are seriously rolling your eyes at the crown prince of this empire?"

Iyana met his disbelief with a tight-lipped smile and retorted, "As far as I am concerned, I am dealing with my fiancé right now."

Easton pinched the bridge of his nose. "Every moment with you is like a crash course in patience. How in the world am I going to survive a lifetime of this?"

Iyana shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, lucky for you, you don't actually have to. We can pop out an heir, then go our separate ways like distant relatives at a family reunion. You mind your business, I mind mine, and we will live happily ever after apart."

Easton blinked, momentarily stunned into silence by her brazen proposal. "You know, most people save these conversations for the privacy of their own home, not the middle of the freaking street."

Iyana's smile turned wry, annoyance flashing in her eyes like fireworks on the Empire Foundation Day. "You are absolutely right. It would be fantastic if we could keep our impending marital disaster under wraps. So, ta-ta for now. I will catch you back here in three hours."

"Iyana, wait!" Easton's protest fell on deaf ears as she sauntered away, leaving him fuming on the sidewalk like a forgotten accessory.

He muttered with a frustrated growl, "Fine, go! It's not like I care anyway." 

And with that declaration, he stormed off in the opposite direction.

Iyana strolled leisurely through the bustling marketplace, her gaze drifting over the colorful array of flowers on display. 

As she reached out to inspect a particularly vibrant bouquet, a familiar figure shrouded in a black cloak caught her eye.

"Vyan?" she exclaimed, unable to contain her surprise.

What on earth was he doing in Cantace when her informants had assured her he was not around? Those incompetent imbeciles!

Abandoning the flowers without a second thought, she took off in a desperate pursuit of Vyan.