Chapter Text
Theodor sat quietly in the dining room, across from a beautiful white mage. In fact, she was the most beautiful woman Theodor had ever seen. His own off-coloring and grayish-white hair made him feel painfully ugly in her presence, self-conscious. He wondered briefly what Cecil was trying to accomplish by leaving him alone with her like this. Was he testing him?
As if sensing his discomfort, the mage smiled. "Well, since the prince seems to be taking his time tonight, why don't we get introductions out of the way? I'm Rosa, their Majesties head white mage."
"Theodor," he greeted with a relieved smile.
Rosa picked up her wine glass, swirling the liquid in it as she gazed at him thoughtfully. “You’re the man who claims to be Cecil’s brother, aren’t you?”
“I do not simply claim it,” Theodor replied softly, though his voice was full of conviction. “It is the truth.”
She sipped her wine her gaze never leaving his face. “Perhaps you’re the one who’ll bring sanity back into our lives,” she murmured finally.
Theodor blinked. What was that supposed to mean? He had the uncomfortable feeling that he’d walked into something he didn’t want to be part of. He was about to open his mouth to ask her what she meant when the sound of two voices, Cecil’s already-familiar light tenor and a deeper, richer voice, echoed to them from the hallway. Theodor looked up as Cecil entered the dining room with another man, taller than Cecil, almost as tall as Theodor, but more slightly built. The newcomer’s long blond hair was tied away from his face, trailing down his back in a ponytail. His ice blue eyes, normally piercing, were now crinkled in annoyance.
“I’m not saying that,” the blond man protested, his voice quieting now that they had company. “I merely wish you to consider that His Majesty hasn’t been himself lately. Perhaps instead of blindly following his every command, you could try standing up to him! You’re the only one in the kingdom left who can!”
“Oh, come off it, Kain,” Cecil scoffed. He smiled as his gaze fell on Rosa and Theodor, sitting at the table together. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You are just as capable of standing up to him. He’s your foster father, too.”
“Cecil, you had to convince him today not to send me on a suicide mission!” Kain’s gaze settled on Theodor as well, interest sharpening in his cold gaze. “If you think that means I can stand up to him, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“You’re just going to have to trust me, then,” Cecil replied in faux cheerfulness. “Allow me to make some introductions. Kain, Rosa—this is my long-lost brother, Theodor. Theodor, Kain and Rosa. I’m sure you can figure out who is who.”
Rosa giggled in surprise at Cecil’s joke. As Cecil approached her and bent to kiss her—interesting, thought Theodor—Kain regarded Theodor with all the thoughtfulness that Rosa had. He could see the gears turning in the man’s head. But Kain vocalized none of his thoughts, instead taking his seat at Cecil’s left hand, next to Theodor. “Cecil has explained the veracity of your claims already. Any ally of my foster brother’s is an ally of mine.”
There was something more beneath Kain’s words; Theodor could hear it in his tone. There was something strange about it, but the mage didn’t know the man, had nothing to go on but a gut feeling. He couldn’t begin to decipher what Kain was trying to communicate.
Cecil regarded Kain thoughtfully, and Theodor thought to himself that he’d entered a game of chess, with how the three of them appraised each other and him before speaking. “Thank you, Kain. I was expecting jealousy, not acceptance.”
Kain lifted his wine to his lips. Made to take a sip. The liquid didn’t touch his mouth before he lowered it. “Yes, well, love isn’t a finite resource.” His pointed gaze went to Rosa, who returned it with a hesitant, uncomfortable smile.
Theodor almost told them that he’d remembered urgent business he had in Agart and left then and there. A homicidal king, foster brothers who seemed to already be overly familiar him, a paranoid Dragoon, and a love triangle. Excellent. This was going exactly as he planned, Theodor thought dryly. The only one who seemed to be in his right mind was the Prince. As if hearing his thoughts, Cecil turned his charming smile on Theodor. “Love,” he said, and again, Cecil’s tone set him on edge. “You’re quite right. It isn’t a finite resource, Kain, but I’m afraid we’ve got a ways to go with Theodor before love comes into it.”
Theodor inclined his head in agreement. “You don’t know me,” he agreed easily. “Although I hope to win your love eventually, I don’t expect it quite yet. But we have plenty of time to get there, get to know each other—all four of us.” Theodor’s curious gaze shifted between Cecil and Rosa. “I assume there’s more between you than friendship?” he asked, remembering the kiss.
“She’s his betrothed,” Kain said dryly, again pretending to take a drink of his wine. He looked tempted to actually do so for a moment.
“Kain-“ Rosa started, sounding helpless.
But she fell silent before she finished her thought, and Cecil sighed. “Not everyone is happy for us, let us say,” Cecil said sadly. Kain snorted, looking away, and both Cecil and Rosa stared at him, their expressions concerned.
Theodor made up his mind to speak to Kain alone after that. Cecil’s concerned expression looked affected, hiding thinly veiled disdain. Perhaps Cecil was simply tired of the rivalry between them for Rosa’s hand that Kain was obviously bitter over losing. But he had the sense that it ran much deeper than that. Something was desperately wrong in Baron. Something Theodor wanted to get to the bottom of, if he wasn’t going to go running for the hills.
Much to his relief, the three of them dropped the tension when dinner came, and Theodor could focus on his meal. It was the finest meal he’d ever had; too much so. It was too rich, too decadent, the dessert far too sweet. Cecil and Kain seemed to not notice how indulgent the food was, but Theodor shared a look with Rosa as she picked at the food that told him that she was unused to eating such rich foods.
Interesting.
Cecil and Kain showed Theodor to his new room after dinner, and left him to his own devices. As he was preparing to strip down for bed, a firm knock sounded on his door. He rushed to open it, trying to temper his surprise. "Kain. I meant to talk to you-"
"Good, because we need to talk." Kain's deep voice was soft, almost a whisper. "May I-?"
Theodor wordlessly moved aside for him, closing the door behind him. Kain immediately began to pace, his expression tense. Theodor stayed quiet, waiting for Kain to gather his thoughts. Finally, after several moments, Kain said, firmly, "You have to leave." Theodor’s eyes widened, but before he could protest, Kain said urgently, "Listen to me. Cecil isn’t the man you seem to think he is-“
“You know, he told me that you’d say something like this to me.”
Kain gritted his teeth. “I’m sure he did. And I don’t care what he thinks of me anymore, to be honest. What I care about is that he’s damning himself and is determined to drag the rest of us to hell with him!”
It was Theodor’s turn to regard him thoughtfully, his mind racing. His gut was telling him to believe Kain, that the man had no real motivation to drive Theodor away. There would be consequences for the Dragoon commander if he succeeded, and Kain’s demeanor showed that he knew it. Still… “I can’t,” Theodor said finally. Kain didn’t react; and Theodor shook his head. “I abandoned him once. I cannot do it again.”
“Theodor-“
“Maybe-“
“Listen-“
“Maybe I'm what he needs," Theodor said softly.
"Great. Cecil’s only known family has a savior complex."
Theodor frowned sharply, but he didn't have a chance to protest. "Listen to me," Kain said, desperation in his icy eyes. "You probably don't know this yet, because you traveled from Troia. But Cecil sacked Mysidia, stole their crystal, and slaughtered anyone who tried to stop him."
Cold dread gripped Theodor. "I mean, that's-"
"They weren't fighting back, Theodor. None of them raised a hand to defend themselves. He didn’t need to kill a single mage. He wanted to.”
Theodor couldn’t help his lip from curling slightly. “And whose account was this?”
“His own,” Kain hissed in response. The cold dread gripping him expanded. “Listen, please,” he said desperately. “You need to go to Damcyan. He plans to raid them next, and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop him. Warn them, tell them that he’s coming. Tell them to evacuate-“
“Not to prepare to fight?”
He shook his head. “No. Their so-called military is for show. I’m sure their men have plenty of heart and can defend against sand bandits, but nothing much else. They’ll be slaughtered if they stay.”
Theodor shook his head slowly. “Perhaps I can talk to Cecil-“
“Cecil wants me dead,” Kain replied stonily. “Tell him of this conversation and you’re signing my death warrant.”
The big man closed his eyes, thinking. “I can’t believe that Cecil wants you dead,” he said finally, but added, seeing the color drain from Kain’s face, “but I will keep this between us. The impression I have is that this is odd behavior for him. Is that correct?”
“It is,” Kain said. “It started when we found a ruin high in a mountain range that had never been explored before. He returned to us… different. Almost like a completely different person.”
Theodor inhaled sharply. “The Tower of Zot…”
“The Tower of Zot?”
The mage nodded. “It is a ruin, as you say. Its presence is known by the mages of Mysidia, and despite no one ever having been to it to explore, it is known that it is not a myth. It’s said that it was built by the same people who built the giant ruined tower in Eblan’s territory.”
“So, what? You think he might be cursed or possessed, or-?”
Theodor chuckled, “Nothing so romantic… although ‘cursed’ may be close to it. There’s a legend that a beautiful woman was held captive there by the enemy general who burned her home. Rather than stay there a slave to him, she threw herself from the top of the tower to her own death. That is certainly a legend… and yet…”
Theodor’s voice trailed off. Kain stared at him. “Death doesn’t let go of his prey very easily, Theodor. Even if this legend is true, she’s long dead of old age, at least, if not from the fall from the Tower. There’s no way Cecil could have met someone from an ancient civilization in that tower.”
“You sound awfully sure of yourself.”
“He said it was abandoned.”
Blankly, Theodor replied, “And you believe him? After everything you told me?” As Kain stared at him, chagrined by Theodor’s point, the mage shook his head. “Perhaps I’m completely wrong. Perhaps it’s as simple as a curse or possession, as you suggested.” He gave Kain a somewhat unpleasant smile. “If it is something like that, I can get to the bottom of it. I’m certain.”
Warily, Kain said, “And you will keep this conversation to yourself?”
“Your presence here tonight will never be spoken of again.”
Kain visibly relaxed, exhaling deeply. “Thank you. I’m trusting you, stranger. I need to believe that my brother is still in there somewhere, that he isn’t completely lost to me… to us. Rosa and I love him deeply. We want him back.”
“I understand,” Theodor said quietly. “I may not have been in his life, and this is going to sound absolutely insane, but… I abandoned him because I love him, too.”
“You’re right, it does sound insane,” Kain said, his voice cool and accusing, “but I believe you when you say that. I may not know your reasons, nor do I particularly care, but your abandoning him as an infant to the King brought him into my life, into Rosa’s life. We owe you thanks for that.”
Theodor didn’t miss the condemnation in Kain’s voice, but chose not to comment. It was as Kain had said earlier: they were strangers. He owed Kain nothing. Nothing but to help bring Cecil back to himself. So he simply nodded. “I’m glad he has friends in his corner. Much of my guilt over the years was from the thought that I’d left him completely alone in life. It’s a relief to know that wasn’t the case.”
“He will never be completely alone,” Kain vowed fervently. “I swear it. The world may abandon him, but I will not.”
Theodor smiled a true, genuine smile. “It is a relief to hear that. But you better go. The longer you’re here, the greater the chance that your presence will be discovered. I don’t wish for Cecil to take hasty action against you.”
“Fair enough. Good night, Theodor.”
“Good night, Kain.”
Theodor met Cecil in one of the training fields, outside of the castle and away from the town. He was only vaguely familiar with the special brand of magic Dark Knights used, magic that used the knight’s own feelings of despair and anger, inflicting pain on the knight to harm his opponents. It was frowned upon, even condemned by some mages. Theodor did not. Magic was magic, to him, from the traditional he practiced, to summoning, and even the wind magic practiced by Baron's elite dragoon forces. All forms of magic were valuable in their own right, and if a holy white mage ever turned on the world, Cecil would have little to fear with his darkness.
Not that that was likely to happen, and he'd be at a definite disadvantage if confronted with a creature of darkness. He needed another way to defend himself, and traditional magic would do nicely, Theodor thought to himself.
Cecil smiled in greeting, his heavy dark knight’s helmet under one arm as he raised the other on his approach. Theodor raised his in answer as Cecil called out, approaching quickly, "I trust you slept well, brother?"
"Well enough. I'm used to sleeping on the ground, so it's always a touch awkward trying to sleep in a bed. I managed, though." By then, the brothers were face to face, and Theodor smiled. "How about you? You look well rested."
"I am," Cecil replied, setting his helmet down on the ground. "So... how do we start?"
"That's a good question." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm self-taught, for the most part. I suppose that makes this easy, although if the method I used doesn't work for you, perhaps we could ask Mysidia-"
"That's not a good idea," Cecil remarked flatly.
Theodor, startled by Cecil's blunt tone, replied, "Oh. Well, alright, then. We'll figure something out, but there's little point in making problems we don't know are there, right?"
"Exactly," Cecil said, his smile forced. Theodor noticed, but said nothing.
Instead he gestured for Cecil to come closer. Cecil crept forward as Theodor extended a hand, palm up. Cecil's eyes lit up as a small fireball immediately appeared in Theodor's palm, burning bright and hot, yet not burning him. Cecil watched it burn on nothing at all in fascination as Theodor said, "The most basic of magic spells is fire. It is the foundational building block of all magic, even Blizzard. Understand how to summon fire, and all magic - not just traditional - will follow."
"Fascinating," Cecil breathed. His eyes shone as the flame reflected in them, making Theodor feel oddly cold inside. "How easy was it for you to learn that?"
"Relatively." He closed his fist, smothering the flame. "Our father was an incredible mage. He often spoke of the magic of the crystals-"
"What did he know of the crystals?"
Again, Theodor felt that chill in his soul, and he heeded it this time. "More than he ever told me," he said. It wasn't a lie.
Nor was it the whole truth, but Cecil seemed to take it at face value. He relaxed visibly, nodding. "That makes sense. You must've been very young when he died. You’ll have to tell me about him someday. And… our mother.”
Theodor nodded, sorrow flickering over his features. “Their story is a long one, but the ending… Kluya was an extremely talented mage, and brought magic to the people of Mist.”
“But they’re already summoners-“
“True. However, they didn’t know how to used traditional magic, and it was one more method of self-defense. Eidolons are finicky creatures. They’re usually loyal to their summoner, but much is capable of breaking that bond; and if an Eidolon has been bound to a summoner for long enough, their death results in the summoner’s, as well. He believed that summoning an Eidolon should be a last resort only, because of that.”
“That makes a lot of sense.” Theodor could see the gears turning in Cecil’s head, and he wanted to ask him what he was thinking. Cecil didn’t give him a chance. “I assume you tell me this because it relates to Kluya’s death.”
Theodor nodded. "There were summoners who were unhappy with him, with his teachings, with the fact that he was diluting summoner blood." He couldn't help the derision in his voice as he spoke. "He was murdered for it. Assassinated in front of me. I tried to help him; I tried to heal him-"
"You were a child," Cecil cut him off softly, something stirring inside him that he thought he'd killed off months ago. "You couldn't have done anything."
"I knew Cure." Theodor’s voice was wry. "And I tried to use it. The man who assassinated our father was never caught, unfortunately. Our mother was pregnant with you, at the time." Theodor grimaced. "I had no idea she was so weak, so ill already. The midwife who delivered you told me that she'd have passed away sooner or later, but I know she died of a broken heart."
"Our parents loved each other so much?" Cecil's voice was awe-stricken.
Theodor nodded. "Yes, they did. And they loved us, more than-"
"They may have loved you," Cecil interrupted, his voice critical, "but they can't have loved me."
Theodor gazed at him in stunned understanding. Is that what all of this was about? Missing the love of family? Not believing that he's loved? "I promise you, they did," Theodor murmured. Seeing Cecil’s deeply cynical look, he thought better of suggesting that Theodor loved him, too. Theodor abandoned him. He had good reason to do so, but he doubted Cecil would be able to see it like that.
Cecil said nothing, though, and Theodor schooled his expression to one of bare neutrality. “Enough talk about ancient history. I have magic to teach you.”
The dark knight’s demeanor relaxed. “Yes, you do,” he said, seemingly relieved at the change of subject. “Let’s get to work.”