|Morning|98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zhYzxHfyK
July•1•xxxx
As dawn broke across the Solarian sky, Avarice was already preparing to head out with his troops. Illya had stayed up all through the night with Tekina gushing over whatever findings were brought back from the grasslands so she was most likely hungover and passed out. So Callisto came to see Avarice off in her stead.
"Don't die. Stay warm. Don't get kidnapped and remember if you do end up getting captured or cornered kick em' where the sun don't shine and aim for the jugular when they curl over," Callisto lectured.
"Yes, dad I know!" Avarice hummed idly for the thirteenth time in a row.
Callisto sighed. He pulled a red crystal out of his pocket and handed it to Avarice. "Illya said to give you this. Crush it if you're in trouble and it'll send a signal to us and let us know to send reinforcements.
Avarice took it in his hands and examined it before tying it to his belt. "Will do."
He got on his horse and waved back at his father. "Alright then! I'm off. Tell mom I said bye!"
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Ea had gotten up early and scurried off to the kitchen. He decided to prepare a basket of food from whatever cooking knowledge he had obtained from his father over the years. When he was finished he headed out to the village. Ea poked his head inside to see the innkeeper at the front desk. She perked up immediately when she spotted the prince. Most of the tenants were still asleep due to how early it was. He brought a finger to his lips to hush her. The woman all but melted at the sight of him.
She came around the counter and gestured to the basket. "Good morning your highness! What brings you here today?"
Ea's smooth voice came across soft and quiet as he spoke to her. "I brought some breakfast for the child I left here yesterday. Which room is he in?"
The Innkeeper nodded in recollection. "Just this way your highness!"
She escorted him to Egan's room and raised her hand to knock on the door. Ea grabbed her wrist and shook his head. "Wait. Don't wake him."
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The woman laughed dreamily as she pulled the master keys from her pocket and opened the door for him.
"Let me know if you need anything else, your highness!" She beamed.
Ea nodded respectfully and stepped into the room. He quietly shut the door and peeked around the corner to see an absolutely exhausted Egan sprawled off on the bed. The sheets and pillows were strewn everywhere and on the small table on the other end of the room lay an empty platter of food. Ea chuckled, happy to see that he was eating well. Ea walked over to the side of the bed and quietly sat down next to Egan. Egan began to stir. A tired groan erupted from his throat as he rubbed his eyes.
Ea set the basket down next to him. "Morning kiddo."
Egan's eyes shot open the second he heard Ea's voice. He sat up and scooted to the back of the bed. Ea lifted the cloth on the top of the blanket, revealing its scrumptious contents. "Don't worry, I just came by with some breakfast. I made it myself."
Egan sniffed the air on impulse and his stomach twisted in hunger when the rich scents filled his lungs. It was unfamiliar, yet tantalizing. He stared at the basket for some time before crawling over to it apprehensively, ready to toss it back at Ea but as he scanned the food in the basket, he couldn't help but be drawn in by the tasty look of it all. He felt his belly grumble and looked down bashfully. Egan hastily reached over and grabbed a piece of bread, stuffing it into his mouth.
Ea smiled warmly at the boy. "If you like it, I can bring you lunch too."
Egan grunted as he munched on his food. "Why are you so nice to me? Like...you don't have to keep coming back for me." He said through his mouth full of food.
Ea's brows knit awkwardly. He took out his handkerchief and wiped Egan's mouth. "Don't talk with your mouth full."
Egan swallowed. He licked his lips and let Ea wipe his face. It was a foreign kind of contact for him. After all, he hadn't ever known the approaching palm of someone's hand to mean a good thing. Yet strangely enough, his worries were soothed by the gentle interaction.
"To answer your question, I guess you can call it a personal code of mine. I'm not one to abandon those in need and..." He trailed off, looking the boy over. "I have a soft spot for kids who try their best. My brothers and I didn't always live in a pretty palace. There was a point in time when my mother was having...some troubles. She often had to go into hiding and living conditions weren't the best. At some point, we were taken away from her because she was deemed too unstable to raise us. I won't bore you with the details. Point is, I know what it's like to always be on edge...to feel like you always need to scramble for survival."
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Egan finally let himself relax fully in Ea's presence.
He understands me.
It was a comforting thought, one Egan rarely had over the years. He put the piece of bread down and hung his head. He wasn't a boy that cried easily and certainly not in front of others, but he found himself so overwhelmed by the gentleness Ea showed him that he couldn't help himself.
The relief that washed over Egan was overwhelming. He was relieved to be sitting on a warm fluffy bed, relieved to be eating fresh tasty foods, but more than anything, he was relieved to hear that there was finally someone in the world that understood him and the pain he kept hidden behind his defensive exterior. Ea pushed the basket aside and gently scooped Egan into his arms. Egan let his head rest on Ea's chest and he was soon lulled into a calming trance by Ea's heartbeat.
"It's okay," reassured Ea. "No one can hurt you now." He spoke quietly as he rocked back and forth, softly rubbing Egan's back. For the first time in Egan's nine years of life, he was able to truly say that he felt safe.
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