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Chapter Text

what do you do when you find out you have purifying blood? well, when you're kaeya, you do what anyone else would do...

he laughs hysterically. for several long minutes. he laughs until his sides ache and his lungs burn for air. 

he slaps his hand against his thigh. 

albedo sits and waits for the knight to finish his bout of laughter, documents in his hands. 

"sir kaeya." he presses.

kaeya finally calms, wiping a tear that falls from his visible eye. "that's a good one. who knew you were such a comedian~" kaeya sighs. 

albedo huffs softly, "i am not quite so sure why you're in denial over this."

this truth came to light a few days ago when the knights of favonius had been urged to go through a medical exam — which occurred every few years to ensure they were in the best shape possible. kaeya hadn't been in the ranks the last time one took place.

"well, i hate to rain on parades but what makes you so sure of this little theory of yours? purifying blood? that doesn't exist. how can it?" kaeya points out. he doesn't even know what that means, let alone how HE apparently has it. 

"it means... you have a special blood."

kaeya arches a fine brow. "how does someone like me have 'special blood'?" 

"because you're from khaenri'ah. there's a lot that's different about you." he explains, sliding his medical report over to kaeya. 

"we noticed something strange about your blood. the color was dark but it almost looked blue. i decided to look into it more and ran some tests. i experimented on creatures from our homeland and it seemed to cause minimal changes, which, so far is fur turning back to skin in the areas it touched. i'm not sure what else it can do, but it was enough to start my theory." he explains, lifting his gaze to look at kaeya. 

the knight sits there, staring at his report, expression unreadable. in his mind, he's rapidly melting down. this doesn't make any sense. how can he possibly have this sort of blood? why him? he's so far disconnected from his own home that he should be the last person to have any sort of special, magical blood. 

he finally speaks. 

"why?"

albedo tilts his head, "well, why not?" 

"i- i don't know. i just don't think this is right. i'm just a knight, i... can't be some savior..." no, definitely not. sure, he may be the cavalry captain, he may be one of the best knights in their nation, but it doesn't mean he's a savior . he doesn't even know what he's a savior TO, let alone why he's chosen. it feels... wrong, especially knowing what his true destiny was when he first arrived to mondstadt. 

no, he definitely doesn't deserve this title.

albedo tilts his head to try and meet kaeya's eye, "what's so wrong with it?" he asks, curious. 

kaeya shrugs a shoulder as he sets his papers down.

"it's just not something i am. even if i did have this special, magical blood, what am i supposed to even do with it? what am i even saving? isn't that what all the archons are for? to save everyone? why is it falling to me now?" no, this just isn't right. this isn't fair.

when he climbed ranks in the knights, he didn't do it for glory or power. he did it because he wanted to save people. he wanted to protect the land he grew to care about. 

now he's expected to... to what? to be this new figure everyone looked to when despairing?

yeah, no. count him out. 

albedo opens his mouth to speak when kaeya stands. 

"sorry, al, but i'm not interested in whatever it is this is. i'm flattered, really, but this just isn't for me." he turns on his heel and leaves the headquarters.

the second he's out the door, he's running. he leaps off one of the walls and unfurls his glider, flying down into the plaza. he lands and hurries through the crowd, not sure where he's going.

in his rush, he bumps into someone, knocking them both off balance. 

he catches himself, looking up with a wide eye to see who he bumped into. 

"oh, i'm sorry." he apologizes, meeting sea blue eyes. a mask adorns half the blonde's face, but what really gets his attention is the star pupil like his own. the only ever time he'd seen pupils like this was from his father. 

did that mean....

it seems the blonde has the same thought as shock and recognition fills his expression.

kaeya shakes out of his daze first. 

"sorry, didn't mean to bump you." he apologizes again. 

"it's fine." the blonde answers in a rather low, almost monotone voice. he sounds like he's tired. 

kaeya itches to know more about this stranger, but after the news he received moments ago, he's not exactly ready to unpack whatever it is this guy has. 

"well, it's nice meeting you. if you need anything, please ask any of the knights at the headquarters or put in a commission with the adventurer's guild. i'll maybe see you around."

with that, he waves off the blonde before departing. he makes his way to angel's share, sighing in relief when he sees diluc behind the bar. 

he sits on one of the stools, resting his chin on his palm as he watches him. 

diluc catches his gaze before immediately moving off to prepare his usual. when finished, he slides the tankard over, kaeya sighing in relief. 

the captain takes a long drink. he wipes the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand and slumps.

"well, if you're drinking like that, something tells me you're more troubled than usual. what happened, did jean tell you to finally wear a shirt properly?" diluc's voice drolled out, the redhead cleaning a glass with a dishtowel.

kaeya rolls his eyes, "no. i wish." he drums his fingers on the bartop. 

diluc arches a brow, coming over to stand in front of kaeya. 

"what is it then?" he asks, making an attempt to be there for the other. 

kaeya stares into his drink, dull blue star staring back.

they sit in silence for a moment, and just when diluc thinks kaeya isn't going to tell him, the captain speaks up. 

"have you ever heard of purifying blood?" he asks, voice unusually quiet. 

the winery master pauses in his tracks. he tilts his head, purifying blood? he never once heard of such a thing. he never even knew to think about the concept.

"um no, i haven't. why?"

kaeya sighs softly. "because i have it." he answers, afraid to look up, afraid diluc would think he's finally lost his mind.

the redhead sits in stunned silence, staring his brother down. this had to be a trick, right? kaeya is known for pulling his leg and trying to get a rise out of him. part of him wants to believe that, but after the recent events that transpired between them, and the attempts at reconciling, he knows kaeya wouldn't lie about something as outrageous as this.

diluc takes a breath, "explain." he prompts. 

the frost swordsman shuts his eye. "i did a physical exam for the knights. albedo called me in today to talk about my results and he told me i had this... special, magical blood. when he said it, i... i laughed in his face. it's crazy. there's just... no such thing."

he pauses, finally looking up to regard diluc, "it's crazy... right?" 

diluc hums softly as he lowers his head and takes a moment to think about it. he still doesn't know much about kaeya nowadays, only what he chooses to reveal to everyone, but he does know he isn't crazy. he clearly didn't think kaeya had anything like this , though. yet another surprise on the list of neverending surprises. 

"i honestly don't know. i don't think it's crazy, but i don't know what it means either."

kaeya frowns, shoulders drooping. diluc has never seen him so miserable. 

"all albedo told me is that it's because of where i come from — that i'm this... savior. my blood healed a hilichurl, reverted parts of its body back to its original state."

"okay, so wait... they have an original state?" he asks to clarify before his mind can spiral with endless questions.

kaeya sighs, lowering his head as he realizes he really does have to divulge everything about his former kingdom. it instills a fresh wave of anxiety, knowing what happened the last time he revealed the truth about himself. 

still, kaeya nods, "all the creatures you've fought — the hilichurls, the abyss order — they're... they're all former people from my homeland."

diluc feels his blood run cold. those creatures… are all people? granted, diluc has fought actual humans before, but something about this feels… wrong.  

the redhead bites his lip. he should have known that there's more to the world than meets the eye. 

"okay." he takes a breath, "this is going to be a heavy topic, so, i'm going to close up early and we can head home and discuss it there. alright?" he proposes. 

kaeya looks up in surprise at diluc, heart thrumming with warmth when he realizes diluc had said "home." 

he nods, "i... okay, yeah, that works."

"good. then it's settled." 

what they don't know is the listening ears of the mysterious blonde from earlier that had followed kaeya in.

Chapter Text

diluc had dismissed the staff for the night, but not before adelinde had seen kaeya and promptly kissed his face. diluc chuckled softly as he watched kaeya fluster up, knowing no one was able to resist melting under adelinde's affection.

kaeya sits down at the dining table, leg bouncing with anxiety while diluc gathers a bottle of wine and one of juice. 

diluc pours out a glass of the wine for kaeya before he sits down in his own chair. he wants to immediately dive in and get to the bottom of everything, but he knows they have to treat this delicately. 

kaeya takes the wine glass and peers at the dark liquid as he swirls it, keeping himself busy while he tries to think through his dilemma. 

silence stretches between the two, kaeya becoming more and more uncomfortable. he squirms in his seat, about to speak and say nevermind to this when diluc interrupts his thoughts. 

"i suppose we should start at the beginning, no?" he asks as he lifts his gaze to look at kaeya, who remains with his face buried in his wine glass. 

the captain sighs before setting the glass down, finally looking to his brother.

"alright." he clears his throat, fidgeting with the star on his glove. 

"i uh… i'll start from the very beginning." he warns, knowing his homeland and his true role is a sensitive topic for the both of them. 

diluc holds kaeya's gaze before he nods, mentally preparing himself to hear the truth again. "alright, go ahead." 

kaeya licks his lips and takes a breath. "khaenri'ah is a godless nation that was destroyed five hundred years ago. a lot of the history and truth has been lost to time, but the truth of the matter is, celestia wasn't too happy about a kingdom thriving without a god in control. i don't recall very much as i was forced to leave when i was only a child, but i do remember that…" he trails off into a pause to take another breath as he comes to the shell shocking truth that he hadn't admitted on that fateful night. 

the knight reaches for the wine glass and takes a drink, letting it calm his anxiety as much as it could. when he's able to breathe properly without feeling like he would cave in on himself, he looks to diluc again. 

"i come from a royal family. my father was the king of khaenri'ah, which… makes me the prince. i… i rejected that title and disconnected from it a long time ago, though. i mean, who can be a prince to a kingdom that doesn't exist, right?" he laughs but it lacks humor. 

diluc stares in silent surprise, but he doesn't dare speak, waiting for kaeya to finish. 

the bluenette looks away now, fiddling again with his gloves as he sets his glass down. 

"either way, i learned the truth from albedo and the traveler. they somehow know the real reason behind the destruction."

"wait, the chief alchemist knows?" diluc can't help but interrupt. he knows it's not a stretch for the traveler to be aware of certain things as they're not from this world, but albedo? 

diluc can't deny it and say that he hadn't had suspicions surrounding the mysterious blonde. he somehow happens to know about certain things that not even the highest ranking knight knows. not even venti knows certain things. 

kaeya nods as he lets out another breath, "yeah, albedo is also someone from khaenri'ah," he clarifies to diluc, "i only discovered this with my own research, considering he doesn't have the telltale sign," he gestures to his eye as he speaks, "but we spoke once i confronted him, and he told me who he is and where he came from. he also told me as much of our history as he could.”

the redhead processes the information. just how many people came from this mysterious nation? how many more were there?

diluc exhales slowly then nods, meeting kaeya’s eye. “alright, then what did you learn?”

the knight sits back in his seat, “first, i learned that khaenri’ah and the abyss are connected. some of us are born with it in our blood, some of us are cursed with it. i was born with it, but it doesn’t really affect me much as i’ve been away from my kingdom for a long time. i only have small symptoms here and there —  my eye,” he gestures to the one under his eyepatch, “my hair,” he traces a finger over the light streak, “and my abilities. even before i gained a vision, i could feel power in my veins. i just never used it.” he explains, “though, sometimes, it’ll whisper to me in my own voice, as if it’s my own conscience, and it’s a little hard to differentiate between what’s the abyss and what’s me , but beyond that, i’m not as affected as say my father.” he shakes his head. 

“any questions so far?” he asks diluc to make sure he’s keeping up. 

diluc is gazing at his glass of juice, letting his mind adjust to everything he’s just told. the abyss? he’s heard of the actual place through his network, but he never knew much about it. if anything, like the name suggested, he assumed the abyss order hailed from there. he supposes that’s what kaeya means when he says khaenri’ah and the abyss are intertwined. 

“i see… no, i’m fine. go ahead and continue.” he encourages. 

kaeya nods, then slips his fingers into his pocket to retrieve his mora piece. “okay. onto the second thing. albedo isn’t… human exactly. he’s a synthetic human, kinda like a puppet or a robot. that sorta thing. it’s why he’s able to withstand certain conditions and why he’s so skilled and became the chief. in any case, there was this… researcher named ‘gold’. she created him, but, albedo wasn’t the only thing she created. she had studied this science of our nation called the ‘art of khemia’, you might’ve heard about it since albedo often looks into it.

“this study of alchemy was used a lot by our people to create life since we were a hidden nation that didn’t have much sustenance. it’s hard to thrive when your kingdom is essentially underground — no sunlight, very little vegetation and animals. obviously, it’s not a bad idea to want to create life, but when you have people like ‘gold’, that ends up twisting. the art got to her head and she got cocky, started creating monsters and destructive creatures, and then released them into teyvat. she thrived off chaos, and she let one loose and it tried to destroy this world. the gods saw that and decided instead of punishing just her, that they’d strike down the entire nation.”

he releases a long sigh, flipping his coin absentmindedly to keep himself eased and calm, “that was the cataclysm. most of our people were affected horribly. those that had been cursed by the abyss turned into the hilichurls and those abyss mages. those like me, who were born with the abyss, the power gets stronger and sometimes there’s pain. i get headaches or an eyeache, sometimes my entire body hurts. most days i can ignore it, but there are moments where it gets to be too much, and i wind up drinking away the pain.”

diluc feels a pang of guilt and sympathy at that. he had always assumed that kaeya was just skirting his responsibilities and drinking for the fun of it. hearing this, he can’t help but feel terrible for cutting him off so much. 

kaeya notices the deep frown on diluc’s face and he reaches out, placing a hand on his arm, “hey, c’mon, why the long face?” he asks, a slight smirk appearing, “you didn’t know, so ease up, ‘luc.” the nickname comes easily, and he pats his arm before pulling back. 

a sigh leaves him again, shoulders melting into a slump, "no matter what it comes down to, i have to be the one to "save" khaenri'ah. it's why i was sent here in the first place, to be kept safe and alive until the time came. at first, i was terrified that it would come to a war, and i'd have to choose between my kingdom or a place that served as my home for the last fourteen years. now, with this… revelation about my blood and that it has the power to purify, i think this is why i'm considered the last hope."

“anyway, that’s about as much as i know. i’m the lost prince of khaenri’ah, my people were cursed, they want revenge, and i have to somehow save everyone with this magical blood of mine. who would’ve thought this is where my life would lead.” he shakes his head, shutting his eye. 

diluc released a thoughtful hum. it certainly is a lot to take in, his brain filled with confusion and far too many questions. 

“part of me wants to doubt you, say that you made all of this up to get a rise out of me,” diluc speaks up, “but… if i know you like i feel that i do, then i know you’re being honest with me.” he tells him. “i know it took a lot for you to trust me with this much, considering the last time you told me the truth.” he looks away at that, the shame and guilt forever eating at his heart. “but… i’m glad you gave me the chance. i wouldn’t have learned all this, and i wouldn’t be able to help you figure out a way to get through this.”

“help?” kaeya asks as he finally meets diluc’s gaze, seeing nothing but warmth and protection. he hadn’t seen that fire in his eyes since they were children when master crepus brought kaeya home and diluc swore on his life to protect his ‘new baby brother’. 

diluc nods, “yes, of course. i know things haven’t been easy between us, which i take responsibility for, but you’re important to me, and i care about you. i’m not going to let you deal with this alone, so… i’m going to help you. it’s the least i can do for you after everything that happened.”

a burning sensation filled kaeya’s visible eye and he blinks rapidly as tears began to gather on his lashes. he lets out a laugh, but it comes out choked. he hadn’t expected diluc to even want anything to do with him after this, let alone help him. 

he rubs his eye aggressively, shaking his head. “alright alright, i’ll let you help.”

“good, because you weren’t given a choice.” diluc confirms as he takes a sip of his juice. 

kaeya rolls his eyes, sitting back, feeling like the world is lifted off his shoulders a bit.

the two sit in silence, the mysterious blonde from earlier nagging at kaeya’s mind again.

“hey, you have eyes everywhere, right?”

“naturally.” diluc answers.

“have you seen this uh… blonde guy? he’s tall, wears, like, dark blue and black, has a galaxy cape.” he lists.

diluc tilts his head as he considers it before nodding, “ah, right, yes. i don’t know his name, but i remember him lurking about a few months ago. i had charles keep an eye on him when he visited angel’s share. seems he was looking for someone.” he explains, “i know the traveler knows him. i’ve seen the two together here and there.”

“i see… i met him earlier, kinda. i ran into him when i was leaving the headquarters. he… i swear i’ve seen him before, he felt really familiar, but i can’t figure out why.”

“well, if you want more information, you’re likely to get it out of the traveler.” diluc suggests. 

“the traveler… alright. i’ll look for them later, then.”

with that, diluc finishes his glass and stands. he waits for kaeya to finish his drink before taking the glasses to the kitchen. he washes them up, setting them to dry, then returns. 

“considering all that you told me, and how late it is, you’re welcome to stay here for the night.” he offers, “your room is still the same.” 

kaeya blinks in surprise, his heart squeezing. all this time, he had assumed that diluc got rid of everything that had anything to do with him after their fight. learning his room is still exactly as he left it had him wanting to cry again.

he clears his throat and nods, “alright. thanks, ‘luc.” 

the redhead glances at his brother, then nods before scurrying away to his study. apparently, his softness is still a lot to adjust to after everything.

kaeya laughs softly as he watches, grateful he isn’t the only one that flusters from affection. he heads upstairs and instinctively moves to the door that holds his room. 

he hesitates as his hand reaches for the intricate knob, heart in his throat. fingers tremble as they wrap around the ornate design and turn. with a slight push, the door swings open and tears spring forth again. 

his bed is made, but everything else is as he left it. 

he slowly steps inside, azure hue gazing around and taking it all in. it still even smells like the calla lilies he would sneak under his pillows. 

shutting the door, he moves to sit on the bed. completely alone, he allows himself to finally break. 

deep down, his mind is screaming at him that he doesn’t deserve this, that no matter what he does, he’ll always be a traitor. his guilt screams that diluc never should’ve forgiven him, but his heart fights. 

he weeps softly, letting his heart soak in the comfort and the sense of belonging he yearned for. he wouldn’t dare mess this up a second time. no, diluc trusts him, and he’ll trust in diluc. they’ll do this together, just like they did everything else together as children. 

he deserves to have his brother back.

Chapter Text

first order of action, find the traveler. 

kaeya had woken up early, ate the delicious breakfast adelinde had prepared, and made his way into the city. 

diluc had opted to stay behind, having business surrounding the winery for most of the day, but had promised they would talk when kaeya returned.

the captain strolls across the bridge into mondstadt, deep in thought. 

kaeya knows that if he really wants information, he could just go straight to the source and find that mysterious blonde himself, but if there's anything kaeya isn't, it's direct. he prefers to move through his network and investigate that way. not to mention, he'd rather judge if this stranger is a threat or not from another angle. he couldn’t run the risk of this guy being a danger and getting himself in a sticky situation. 

granted, if this guy is friends with the traveler, he should be safe, as they refuse to be friends with dangerous people. still, kaeya can't be too careful. 

only issue is, he hasn't seen or heard from the traveler since weinlesefest. last he heard, they were on their way to sumeru to continue the rest of their journey. 

kaeya sighs as he stops in the plaza, a hand lifting to pinch the bridge of his nose. there’s no telling when or if the traveler would return to mondstadt. 

he could theoretically head to sumeru and meet them there, but that could take weeks, and he isn’t sure if he has that sort of time.

he sighs again before resuming his walk. he circles the city in a slow pace, slinking through the shadows and keeping an eye out for that strange man. there’s just something about him that unnerves kaeya. he doesn’t think he’s a genuine threat, but the fact that they share the same pupils and cover the right side of their face, it’s raising his anxiety. 

he has to be from khaenri'ah. no one else in this world aside khaenri'ahns bear star-shaped pupils.

the thing is, kaeya would've remembered if there were survivors like himself. so where did this man come from? who is he?

as he rounds the corner towards the front of the city, kaeya catches the sight of a familiar golden hair fluttering, a sparkling fairy right behind. 

traveler !

kicking into a jog, kaeya follows as the pair stop to speak with katheryne. he smiles, hand going to his hip when he stops behind them. 

“well, hello. long time no see, traveler.” he speaks up. 

the blonde whirls around, paimon perking up.

“captain kaeya!” she chirps.

“it’s been some time, hasn’t it?” he hums. 

the traveler beams at the sight of their friend, “kaeya! sorry about that, my trip in sumeru took longer than i thought.” 

“i take it you learned quite a lot, your eyes look deeper.” kaeya comments. 

they nod, calming down from the initial excitement, “i did. i learned so much.” they answer, having wanted to share everything that had gone on in sumeru.

“well! i bet it’s quite the story time.”

“it is! i think…” they glance at paimon before back at kaeya, “if it’s alright with you, we’d like to talk to you about it… it’s kinda why we came back.” they admit. 

the captain blinks in surprise before he smiles warmly, “alright then, only if you let me ask you a few questions myself.”

the blonde nods, "sure."

with that, kaeya leads the traveler to angel's share, immediately taking them up the second floor as they'd have more privacy.

the traveler sits down, paimon floating over their shoulder. 

"well then, now that we're settled, let's hear your thrilling adventure." kaeya hums. 

"right! so-" they dive into everything that happened with them in sumeru, including the conversations with nahida that surrounded their status as the ‘fourth descender’ and the information regarding the director of the fatui.

when they finish, they release a quick sigh and sit back.

kaeya had been tapping his fingers against the table as he listens to them, a cold feeling snaking into his gut. 

the jester . his father…

the thought of him makes him queasy. 

he had already known his father had been lurking through teyvat after the cataclysm, he can feel him even if they aren’t near each other. he even knew he had taken the reins of the fatui. he had been keeping an eye on him once he was aware of his presence. he knows almost everything about his father. except for this . 

his father knows traveler’s missing sibling? and not just in passing, but actually spent time with them? and if that isn’t already concerning, the fact that the first three harbingers hold power that surpass the gods has a chill running down his spine. how the hell did his father even find people like that? he’s powerful enough on his own, he wasn’t a king for nothing. what the hell is he planning that he needs strong allies?

the thought scares him. kaeya knows his own duty is to save his nation, — their last hope as his father told him when he dropped him off at the dawn winery in the cold rain — to spy for them so they could find weaknesses. 

he knows war is on the horizon, regardless of his position. 

is his father hoping a war breaks out? is he planning ahead and gathering people with god-like abilities — no, greater than godly — alongside all the gnosis from the archons? 

kaeya hates the dread that grips his stomach. 

he keeps his cool, though. his expression is hardly any different from when they first began speaking. 

“i must say this is a very interesting turn of events, don’t you think?” he ramps his charisma up to eleven, not wanting the traveler to realize how shaken he really is. 

the blonde sighs, “it’s a lot. i’m still processing it. it… it’s strange to me that my twin isn’t… i don’t know, even my twin? if i’m a descender, and they’re not, what does that mean?” they ask, spiraling in their own dilemma. 

kaeya feels his heart sink and that brotherly urge that's been resurfacing lately comes forward. he reaches across, taking their hands while paimon pats their head. 

“hey, don’t be so glum. even if you’re worlds apart, universes apart even, they’re still your twin. i don’t know what it means either with this whole ‘descender’ thing, but you’re still family, no matter what. nothing will ever change that.”

the traveler looks up at kaeya, then they smile softly, although it doesn’t reach their eyes. “you’re right… it’s still hard to swallow and understand.” 

“i get it, we all have harsh realities we need to face, but, you have a plethora of friends and allies that will ease that pain.” 

they nod a bit, letting that calm their heart. “thanks, kaeya.” 

“of course, you’re always welcome to lean on me.” he promises, then lets go of their hands and sits back. 

they take a deep breath and gather themselves, then brush their hair out of their eyes before fixing a determined gaze on kaeya. “okay, now, it’s your turn. you said you had some questions for us?” 

he sits up a bit more, “oh, right. i met someone yesterday, and i was told by master diluc that you knew them.”

“oh?” they tilt their head, “who? i do know a good handful of people.” they tap their bottom lip in thought.

“i don’t know his name, but er, well… he’s blonde, tall, wears dark colors and…” he pauses for a moment, before sighing, “he has the same eyes as me.” he finishes softly. 

the traveler instantly perks up at that last descriptor, “oh! that’s dainsleif. we met him a few months ago when we came back from liyue.”

“dainsleif…” kaeya repeats thoughtfully.

they nod, “mhm! he’s our friend. he’s helped us on a few of our adventures, but he doesn’t always come around. he’s usually busy investigating the abyss order.” they tell him.

investigates the abyss order? he thinks. no wonder diluc caught wind of him. 

“i see… i take it he’s trustworthy if he’s your friend.” he assumes, to which the traveler nods.

“he is. he’s very helpful and insightful. we learned a lot from him, and he’s helping us find our twin since he knew them.” they say, then hum, “hey, actually, it’s a good thing you saw him. like you, we wanted to talk to him too about what we learned. if you’re not busy, we can go looking for him and tell him what we learned, and you can meet him.” they offer.

kaeya straightens up further, this is the perfect opportunity. he can meet the mysterious khaenri’ah survivor, maybe learn why they seemed to recognize each other despite kaeya having no memory of him.

“that sounds great, dear traveler. shall we?” he asks.

Chapter Text

the pair walk through the city, paimon floating higher to see if she could spy ‘dainsleif’. 

“if he’s not here in the city, there’s a good chance he’s out in the wilds looking for abyss order activity.” the traveler alerts kaeya as their gold eyes scan the townsfolk walking about.

“well, it’s not like he’s hard to miss.” kaeya remarks. 

the blonde snorts, “he does stick out like a sore thumb.” 

the pair fall silent and continue their search, the traveler studying the shadows and hidden nooks and crannies. dainsleif sometimes tended to appear from anywhere, so they don't want to accidentally pass him by.

after a good circle of the city, they return to the plaza, the traveler humming in thought. 

as they're about to suggest leaving for the wilderness, paimon perks up. 

"there he is! dain!" she called out, waving her tiny arm over her head. 

the duo turn immediately, the traveler brightening up while kaeya swallows thickly. 

his palms sweat under his gloves, mouth feeling like cotton as he stares at the other. his soul is screaming at him in recognition, but his mind fails to connect the dots. 

dainsleif gives a small smile as he regards his companions, approaching them. 

“dain! where’ve you been?!” paimon asks as she floats around him. “we’ve been looking all over for you!”

he bows his head apologetically, "i had some matters to attend to. sorry to keep you waiting."

the traveler waves away the apology after shushing paimon. "no, no, it's fine. we're just glad we found you." they reassure, then glance briefly at kaeya, "we wanted to talk to you, and… wanted you to meet our friend. dainsleif, this is kaeya, the cavalry captain for the knights of favonius." they introduce. 

dainsleif turns his gaze to kaeya and just like before, he stares at him with those spooked, wide eyes when he fully registers who he is. 

kaeya, one to never wear his expression so clearly, simply smiles his charming smile. “it’s an honor to meet you, dainsleif. any friend of the traveler's is a friend of mine."

it didn't help the situation in any way, considering dainsleif immediately drops to one of his knees, hand held over his heart as he bows at kaeya's feet. "my lord, i-"

"whoa- hold on now." kaeya holds his hands up, paimon verbalizing her confusion. 

"eh??? your lord???" she questions. 

kaeya relates to her, in a way, as he doesn't understand where the hell this "lord" business comes from. sure, he may be the lost prince of khaenri'ah, but that doesn't change his lack of knowledge surrounding dainsleif. 

"listen, dainsleif, you don't have to do that." kaeya laughs nervously, glancing around to see if anyone's looking their way, but thankfully everyone is preoccupied with their shops. 

dainsleif shakes his head, "i… i must apologize, for i-"

kaeya steps up to him, offering a gloved hand, "hey, c'mon, there's no need for this, alright?" he gives his smile again, "how about we find somewhere private and we can all talk? but no more of this "lord" stuff, i'm just captain kaeya right now." 

the former twilight sword nods and rises to his feet, but his thoughts and regrets bounce around in his head. 

kaeya leads the way to angel's share, ushering the trio back upstairs. he orders a round of drinks — making sure to grab a non-alcoholic one for the traveler — before following upstairs with them once charles makes them. 

he sets the tray down, handing out each glass before sitting down, ending up in the empty chair next to dainsleif. 

the khaenri'ahn knight sits stiffly in his seat, unsure what to say first. 

kaeya, easily navigating his way around awkward situations, merely picks up his wine glass and lounges in his seat. 

"now then, let's get this meeting started, shall we?" 

the traveler sits up straighter, "um, i guess we'll go first." they shrug.

dainsleif turns his eyes to them before he nods. "alright." 

the blonde scoots forward, relaying all the information they told kaeya a few hours ago, paimon filling in. 

dainsleif hums thoughtfully, bowing his head. "i see… i didn't realize any of this… but i suppose that's why the lesser lord kusanali is the goddess of wisdom."

the traveler nods, "we were wondering if you had any idea who the other descenders could be. she said it had to be, well, beings not of this world. at first, we thought she meant you and your people, but considering there's only been four, we realized it might be something else."

the knight thinks through the question, a gloved hand resting over his mouth. "well, i can say with certainty that the first descender would be the heavenly principles. they're not from this world, not like we all are. i can try and do a little more research, hopefully find some lost books that might have the answer."

"are there really books like that?" they ask. 

kaeya nods, taking the question, "why, of course. regardless of how long ago, or what have you, humans are curious, resourceful things. many want to write down their experience, whether it's to preserve the memory or share it with others. someone somewhere must have written about these descenders."

"oh… you're right, kaeya! hey, traveler, maybe we can visit miss lisa and see if she has anything?" paimon suggests, to which the traveler nods. 

"okay, we'll do that." they reply, then turn back to the khaenri'ahn duo. the situation with their twin still torments their mind, and they can't help but stare at dainsleif. 

"you have something on your mind." he acknowledges, "what is it?" 

"it's about my twin… i still can't shake the fact that they knew the jester, the director of the fatui. we didn't even know about him, let alone that he was also from khaenri'ah and spent time with our sibling." they fidget with their hands, "i… i find it strange that my twin's traveling companions have all been from khaenri'ah. what were they even doing there?" 

dainsleif shows no expression when his former companion is mentioned. "i wish i can answer you that question, but even i found it odd that a non-khaenri'ahn sought refuge in my former nation." 

the traveler sighs, gold eyes lifting to regard dainsleif again, "... what happened that they turned to the abyss order? i understand wanting to restore a nation, even if it's not your own. but… working with the enemy? it doesn't make sense…"

dainsleif sighs softly, “i can’t tell you that either. i still can’t wrap my head around it myself, even after all of this time.”

“the mind truly is a mystery, is it not?” kaeya chimes in as he sips from his glass, “we may never understand what someone else is thinking, and we just have to make do with that.”

“maybe, but…” the traveler looks away, “it’s different with my twin… we’ve been together through everything, traveled worlds and universes. we know everything about each other, so it just… i don’t understand.” their face scrunches, paimon hovering worriedly around them. “this world… it changed everything, tore us apart. i don’t know what anything means anymore. how is it possible that the sibling i traveled with this entire time is now suddenly from this world while i’m not?”

paimon pats their head, “traveler…”

“hey, remember what i said?” kaeya asks as he sits up, leaning forward on the table, “no matter what happens, your sibling will always be there for you. even if they’re against you right now, they’ll still love you.” his mind flashes to his own relationship, the yearning and the frustration of being at odds with someone he loves, he can’t help but relate. “take it from me. your sibling will come around. all you can do right now is just be patient and show that you’ll be there for them when they need you.”

the traveler sniffles, lowering their gaze, “i know you’re right. i just…i miss them so much. it hurts to see them so… cold." 

kaeya's heart breaks a little more, and he's reminded of himself, reaching out for diluc, always met with a cold gaze. the loss of that relationship, the pain and hollow ache, it haunts him to his core.

"hey, i get it… i know it's hard to believe, but i feel this exact same way. i once thought that it was all hopeless, but deep in my heart, i know things will fall into place. it just takes time."

the traveler looks up at kaeya in surprise, not used to the captain showing so much emotion. they nod slowly, rubbing their arm. "thank you… i’m also just.. scared. this world is beautiful, and i… i’m terrified that whatever they saw, it was enough to take their heart away. i don’t want that to happen to the rest of us, i don’t want to lose my heart. i can’t.”

“you won’t, traveler,” dainsleif speaks up, “i noticed that no matter how hard things became during our travels, you still powered through. you kept your head held high. even with your sibling moving without you, you’re still fighting with your spirit. if you can survive all this, then you’ll be able to make it to the end. by then, i’ll know you’re ready.”

"he's right, you know. you came to this world a stranger, and even though you've been searching for your twin, you've been a huge help to all these nations. you saved mondstadt when it was being terrorized, you helped the people in liyue when it was under attack, you freed an entire nation, you saved a goddess . you've done so much. no one expected you to put yourself out there and save our homes, yet you did it out of the kindness of your heart. that right there should tell you. i know you'll be able to save your sibling, and i know nothing will ever bring you down." kaeya smiles, a rare genuine one. 

the traveler stares at their friends for a good minute before tears spring forth, their chest warm and fuzzy from the faith the pair had in them. they sniffle and smile, "thanks, guys…"

they take a moment to regain their composure, inhaling a deep breath before sighing it out. they give the pair a smile, passing a hand through their hair, “well, we better get going if we want to find lisa.” they tell them, pushing themselves to stand. 

kaeya looks at the traveler with a panicked expression at the prospect of being alone with dainsleif, unsure what to even do in this situation without someone to be a buffer. yes, he’s quite skilled in smooth talking and charming his way through conversations, but none of those were ever with another khaenri’ahn, one he’s widely unfamiliar with. 

“we’ll see you guys later!” the traveler beams, giving them a wave before leaving with paimon.

the cavalry captain watches them leave, his heart thundering in his ears. suddenly, he feels too close to dainsleif, the walls seeming to begin closing in on him. he swears his breathing hitches and struggles to get through as panic drowns him. 

“i’d understand if you’re too busy, so if it’s no issue, i don’t mind taking my leave either.” dainsleif speaks up, kaeya holding back the flinch at the other’s sudden voice. 

he swallows thickly, then takes a deep breath, shaking his head. no, he needs answers, explanations. he can’t let this opportunity slip by.

“no, it’s fine. we can talk.”

Chapter Text

"i assume you have questions for me?" dainsleif begins, carefully keeping his gaze on the table in front of them. 

kaeya inhales slowly before he nods, "i do…" he says, then he finally glances at the other. "how do we know each other?" he asks. 

dainsleif remains silent before his eyes also finally meet kaeya. 

"would you like the long version, or the short?" 

kaeya purses his lips. "that depends, do you have anywhere to be today?" when he receives a simple shake of the head, a smirk appears. "then i suppose we'll go with the long one."

dainsleif nods and looks away. he reaches for his drink, and kaeya notes that the blonde needs liquid courage similar to himself for heavy talks. 

setting the glass down, dainsleif sits straight. "what do you recall before you were brought to this land?" 

kaeya tilts his head. "the attack or…?"

"anything. the destruction of our home, your life prior to it."

the cavalry captain takes a moment to himself, humming thoughtfully. he eventually speaks up, "well, i remember my parents, my mother being the… kindest woman you could ever meet. my father… he was intimidating, as a king should be, but around us, he was warm and caring.” his heart aches at the memories of his parents, the way his father used to be before hell broke loose. it makes the current situation all the more bitter for kaeya. 

he releases a sigh, and continues, “i obviously remember that i was the prince, but not for very long." he explains, then he finally averts his gaze as he comes to his next memories. "i remember my mother sacrificing herself to save our people while my father led me away. i remember being frozen in ice… and then, i guess five hundred years later, father broke me out of it and left me at the dawn winery…"

he recalls that it had been freezing that day — not just from the storm but from coming out of ice. he wound up catching a cold that lasted a near month from it all. 

“everything else is muddled or completely forgotten.” he finishes with a shrug, though not without being surprised at himself. normally, he doesn’t tend to hesitate when he talks, nor does he stumble, but something about dainsleif bites his silver tongue.

dainsleif remains silent as he processes all that kaeya remembers, then he nods once, shifting his gaze to the lost prince.

“well, you seem to remember quite a bit, though i wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t remember anything at all.” he tells him, “in any case, as for myself, i know you because i once served your family in the royal guard. i was the captain. though, in reality, i was charged with you — to be your personal knight, as you were the only heir at the time.” 

kaeya stares at the other for a moment, the pieces finally slotting into place.

“is that why you called me ‘my lord’ earlier?” he asks. 

“it is. it’s how i was taught to address you. i suppose old habits die hard. despite everything, i couldn’t help but revert to who i once was when i saw you.”

“i see.” he responds, “alright then, so what’s this ‘long story’ of yours?” he asks, body instinctively angling towards dainsleif to show his utmost attention and interest. 

dainsleif takes a breath, “i served your family since the moment i became a knight. other knights were tasked with protecting the citizens, the smaller villages, but myself and my guild, we were charged with protecting the royal family. i worked closely under your mother as she was the queen long before she ever met your father.” he explains, a fond smile appearing on his face as he speaks of the queen. 

“you’re not wrong when you say she was the kindest woman in the world. she was so gracious, always so warm and gentle. though, that’s not to say she was a pushover, she ruled and commanded with an iron fist. as lovely as she was, she was also a force to be reckoned with.”

kaeya feels an ache in his heart, eye becoming misty as he listens to the knight’s anecdote about his mother. how he longs to see her again — but he knows that just isn’t possible. 

“your father was her royal advisor, and they had a deep bond. they were near inseparable, and i knew the moment they laid eyes on each other that it was love at first sight. eventually, they married, he became the king, and together, they ruled our home. they were powerful, brilliant, they were… they were our hope for a new future. soon, they had a child. our people rejoiced, ecstatic to see the bloodline continue.” 

kaeya looks up at the mention of himself, dainsleif meeting his gaze.

“was i really that important?” he asks, albedo’s revelation the day before resurfacing in his mind.

dainsleif nods, “of course, you were the firstborn and the crowned prince. we looked forward to watching you grow up and see where you’d lead us when it was your turn to take the throne.”

the last hope . 

the words from his childhood bounce around in kaeya’s head. does this mean everyone was aware of his ‘special blood’ too? is this why he was sent away to be kept safe? is this why everyone insisted he’s their last chance, their ‘last hope?’

he feels the pressure from yesterday return, and his chest tightens. why…? why is it all left up to  him ? just because he’s the prince? it still doesn’t seem fair. he never asked for this. hell, he distanced himself so far from his past life that he had hoped he’d never see it again. he lost too much because of it.

he takes a deep breath and pulls himself together. no sense in losing his cool, he can do that later when he’s alone. 

“i get it. what else?” he asks. 

“well, when you were born, my superior had tasked me with being your personal knight, considering my close ties with your parents. they felt i had the proper experience and the qualifications. since then, i spent all of my time with you. you were actually quite attached to me up until you were six years old. you were so fascinated by me, even my job, my uniform, my sword. you never wanted me out of your sight. it was actually quite adorable.”

kaeya’s lips part in surprise, a heat rushing to his cheeks. “really?” he genuinely doesn’t remember anything about dainsleif, nor does he remember being that heavily attached to anyone outside of diluc and master crepus. 

dainsleif sighs out a chuckle, “yes. you were a child, so i didn’t blame you. for some reason, despite making friends with other children, you still preferred being around me.” he shrugs, “either way, i was happy to indulge you. as you grew older , you started begging me to teach you how to use a sword, so on days where you weren’t busy with your studies, we’d train in the courtyard. as expected of a child, you were quite clumsy at first, but it wasn’t long before you really started to improve.”

kaeya can’t help but laugh himself. “ha, is that so? considering i’m the captain of the cavalry, i’d say i’m doing a pretty good job at swordsmanship. maybe one day, i can take you out into the plains, show you were my talent lies now.” 

dainsleif smiles in amusement, "if that's what you want, i'd be happy to accompany you and see how far you've come."

kaeya's suave nature returns, "then it's a date~" he teases, reaching for his wine. 

a snort escapes the khaenri'ahn knight. the difference between kaeya as a child and kaeya now is so stark to him. 

as a young boy, kaeya had been quiet, shy, but eager to learn and know about everything, asked a million questions when he was braver with socializing. now, he speaks so fluidly, his words tied together with honey and a hint of spice underneath. 

it intrigues him to know kaeya's journey up until now, but part of him knows that has to wait for another day. 

"i suppose you don't have any further questions?" dainsleif prompts after a bout of silence. 

kaeya hums thoughtfully, "a few, but from the stiffness in your shoulders and the constant glances around the room, something tells me you can only handle so much socializing in one day." his tone is still buttered, but the consideration does leak through. 

"i don't disagree with you. i don't have the energy that i used to, it's why i end up having to part ways with the traveler during our quests together." 

"that's fair enough. i s'pose i'll let you go, then." kaeya polishes off his wine glass, "if you ever want to talk or what have you, you can check in with the knights of favonius or here in the tavern, this tends to be my hotspot for relaxing or gathering intel."

dainsleif meets his gaze, then nods, rising from his seat. "very well. if for some reason i can't manage to find you, i can send a message through the traveler." 

kaeya smiles his charming smile, "understood. see you around, dainsleif." 

the knight nods once more, then stalks away. 

he really does come across like a vampire, kaeya notes in amusement. 

he sighs, sitting back and letting himself decompress. he learned… far too much today, it feels like. the news of his father, the update on the traveler's missing sibling, now this khaenri'ahn survivor and his apparent childhood that he can't seem to recall clearly. 

yet at the center of it all stands his role. dainsleif essentially just confirmed what his father and albedo had already did: he has to save his home. everyone is counting on him to do so. 

his head rattles and he can feel a migraine coming on. 

how is he going to do this? should he? 

he doesn't know where to go. not in this sense anyway. 

he sighs once again, then pushes himself to stand. he gathers the glasses and carries them down to charles, thanking the bartender for his service and promising to return another day. 

he exits the tavern and uncharacteristically bites the inside of his lip as he figures his next step is to return to the dawn winery and catch diluc up. 

with the weight of his kingdom on his shoulders, he walks back to the manor.

Chapter Text

“you look miserable.” diluc comments after taking a single look at kaeya before returning to the clipboard in his hands. 

kaeya had arrived at the winery and found diluc down in the cellars taking stock and inventory.

kaeya sighs as he settles on a stack of empty crates. unceremoniously, he reaches for a wine bottle nearby and pops the cork. he takes a swig, missing the way diluc huffs, rolls his eyes and crosses the bottle off on his list. 

diluc grumbles quietly to himself before he sets the clipboard down, turning around to finally face kaeya.

“should i let you finish the bottle before you tell me what happened?” he asks. 

kaeya sighs and lowers the bottle. "sorry…" he fixes his gaze to the rack next to diluc. he inhales a deep breath, then relays everything he learned from the traveler and from dainsleif. 

when he finishes, he swears the migraine strengthens, and he takes another drink. 

diluc remains silent, processing what he heard. it all seems like so much. seeing kaeya saddled with the duty of saving his homeland hits somewhere deep in his gut, knowing all too well what heavy expectations feels like. 

he finally looks at kaeya.

"okay, let me cover our bases to make sure i understand: you were born into a royal family and were the hope for the future for your people, you were brought here when your home was destroyed, your father left you with my father to keep you safe for reasons still unknown, and now it comes out that you have special blood that can rid the curse?"

kaeya lets out a huff at the simple summary from diluc. "that's one way to put it."

diluc hums, "right. let's say you do have this purifying blood. what exactly are they hoping you do? pour your blood over everyone inflicted by the curse? surely there's a more safe and… sanitary method for this."

kaeya leans back with a sigh, "i'm not sure, either. i'd rather not marr this beautiful skin of mine," diluc rolls his eyes, kaeya continuing, "but who knows. i may have to talk to albedo again, get an idea."

diluc nods, arms folding over his chest. 

"alright, so other than that, our next issue to tackle is the one regarding your father and the fatui. all this time they've been after the gnoses if what the traveler says is accurate — what is he planning on doing with all of them? you think he's waging war, right?"

kaeya nods in response but otherwise stays quiet. 

"okay, who is he planning this war against? why does he need all the gnoses or these powerful harbingers?" 

kaeya sighs at the questions he's been asking himself, a shoulder lifting in a shrug. 

"i couldn't tell you. i haven't spoken to or seen him ever since he left me here at the winery, and i highly doubt i could walk into snezhnaya and demand him answers. i don't even know if he wants to see me, let alone talk to me about this."

diluc sighs, "no, i get it. i'd just rather have the questions out there." 

kaeya nods, "it's fine. i was wondering the same thing."

the redhead looks away, contemplating for a moment. "well, if that's all the information out of the way, is there anything i can do in the meantime?"

their eyes meet and kaeya struggles not to fidget. not counting last night, this is the longest the two have had a civil conversation without too many snide remarks. kaeya is deathly afraid to ruin that by seeming needy. 

"i think other than doing what you usually do, there isn't much."

diluc's expression becomes skeptical, before he sighs. "fine. i'll keep an ear out for any abyss activity, and maybe keep a closer eye on that knight of yours. even if he's trusted by the traveler, we need to be careful."

kaeya nods in agreement, glancing down at the bottle in his hand, "i feel the same way. despite his story, i can't blindly trust him just because he used to know me. i remember nothing about him, so until i get a clearer image of him, he's being kept at arm's length." 

“alright, sounds good.” diluc responds, “do you know if you’ll be seeing him again any time soon?” he asks.

kaeya shrugs, “hard to tell at the moment. from what the traveler says, he tends to come and go, and there’s never any telling when or if he’ll show up, so it’s all a guessing game. the traveler was shocked they even saw him here in mondstadt to begin with.”

diluc hums in thought. “an unpredictable mysterious knight who seems to know more about you than you do, and can disappear at the drop of a hat. that certainly doesn’t spell disaster.” his sardonic tone spills without restraint. 

the captain rolls his eyes, “mock me more, won’t you?”

“happily.” diluc easily fires back, “point is, you’re right to be suspicious. it’s too early to trust him. even if the traveler is close to him, we still don’t know if he has any dark secrets that not even they know. he might end up being dangerous, especially with how much he seems to know about you. we can’t assume he isn’t planning to use it against you. as you said last night, you stepped away from your role. i’m willing to bet that there are some bitter souls who feel scorned by your dissociation, and given the importance you had in his life, i wouldn’t put it past him to be one of them.”

dread and slight guilt settle into kaeya’s gut like a cinder block, and he swallows past the panic bubbling in his throat. he hadn’t even thought about that. he knows too well that there are likely survivors out there, but he hadn’t considered that some of them might despise him for cutting off his own birthright , and the idea of them hunting him down sends ice through his veins, colder than his cryo. 

is dainsleif up to no good? he honestly can’t tell, and it terrifies him that he can’t. he’s usually a master at sniffing out other people’s intentions, but dainsleif has a carefully crafted mask — physically and metaphorically, — and it’s driving kaeya crazy that he can’t chip it away.

kaeya doesn't realize he's deep in panicked thoughts until diluc is shaking his shoulder. 

“— kaeya!" he calls one final time before the captain finally registers him. 

"sorry, what was that?" he asks. 

“i was originally asking if you’re well enough to eat, but given how pale you’ve become, i’m beginning to think you’re not.” diluc moves a stack of empty crates over and sits next to kaeya. “what is it?”

kaeya watches him momentarily before sighing, “overthinking. i guess i didn’t really think about there being bitter survivors out there who’d jump at the chance to cut me down. dainsleif seems like he’s harmless, but now that i’m thinking about it, what if you’re right?”

diluc sighs, “then we’ll take care of it. i know that… my words can’t be trusted, but, i want to try. adelinde got into my head recently, and she’s right. i should be working on making amends with you — it’s not like i can tell her no,” kaeya snorts at that, “so, i’m going to help you.”

kaeya takes a breath. “it’s not like i can tell you no.” he snarks out, but there’s a teasing smirk, “and i know you, luc, so i do trust you. i always have. i know under all that huffing and puffing that you don’t really mean it.” he reaches up and pokes the center of diluc’s chest, “i know you’re still the same old soft and gooey lulu from when we were kids.” he grins. 

just like that, diluc swats kaeya on the back of the head with a dishtowel nearby, huffing. “nevermind, i’m throwing you to the wolves.” 

kaeya laughs, leaning away from the linen assault, “alright alright, i’m joking.”

diluc rolls his eyes, “anyway, i’ll have adelinde prepare lunch. i assume you’re feeling better now?”

the captain sighs, resting his hands on his knees as prepares to stand, “as best as i can be.”

“mm, good enough.” the redhead shrugs before exiting the cellar, kaeya on his tail.

Chapter Text

the duo sit around diluc’s study now that his work for the day is done, the redhead flipping through tomes, journals and books.

“tell me again what you’re looking for?” kaeya asks from diluc’s desk chair, legs propped up on the tabletop as he watches the other. 

“my father kept a copious amount of history books and folklore, even ones the general public couldn’t find or otherwise get a hold of. maybe he had one about your kingdom — fairytale or real — or about your situation. granted, it’s a long shot, but we both know he was a collector.”

kaeya clenches his jaw a bit. he had always had a suspicion that master crepus knew exactly what kaeya was here for, and the fact he still welcomed him and let him stay weighs heavily in his heart. is it possible he held onto such information? is it possible he began to research everything regarding kaeya? was it to hopefully try and understand him better? or did he have malicious intentions?

did he also know about kaeya’s special blood?  

he mentally shakes those last thoughts off. no, master crepus cared deeply about him, he wouldn't use him or sell him out. 

still, there isn't a single way crepus never knew. even if he taught kaeya teyvat's languages, crepus himself learned khaenri'ahn to better understand kaeya on the days he couldn't verbalize what he wanted or needed outside his own language.

he stares into the tabletop, lost in thought again. 

diluc notices the silence. he peers over his book and studies his brother for a moment, a frown creasing his brows, “you keep drifting off. what’s going on?”

kaeya sighs, swinging his legs off the desk and sitting up. “suppose there’s no point in hiding from you.” he mutters, still avoiding diluc's gaze. 

“do you think master crepus knew?” he asks softly after a moment of silence. 

diluc thinks, eyes straying back to the bookcase before he speaks. 

“i wouldn't rule it out. why?”

“no, nothing. i just… i feel like he knew the moment he found me, but never said anything. almost like he wanted to give me a normal life.”

the redhead mulls it over, shrugging a shoulder. “it's possible. half of the staff here at the winery were people he took in or otherwise felt the need to protect. it's who he was.”

heh. it does seem very in character for master crepus to be the type to bring in every broken bird that fell through his window. 

“and… do you think he knew ?” kaeya asks. 

“knew what?”

“about me being a savior?”

“he might have. father knew a lot of things, so he could have pieced it together after realizing where you were from.”

kaeya sighs softly and falls silent. he wonders if he would've been told this truth. 

"is it terrible if he did know?" diluc asks.

kaeya doesn’t normally wear his emotions, nor does he spill them, but his heart clings to the safety of diluc, and the dam breaks. 

“not so much him knowing. more like… would he have also expected things of me?” he asks, but it's clear he has more to say, “my whole life, i was led to believe i was meant to be some traitor — some catalyst in a war. i was planted here as a spy to learn this world’s weakness for that reason, but now i find out that my people revered me as some messiah because i apparently have magical purifying blood. they knew it the moment i was born. and… i hate it. i never asked for any of this. when albedo told me, i freaked out. i’m not qualified to be a savior, and i don’t want to be. i was perfectly content with being just a cavalry captain for the knights. 

i mean, come on, the second i was abandoned and put in a new family, my old life wasn’t going to really matter despite what my father told me. so i discarded my royal status and my role as the ‘last hope,’ and i embraced this world. now, i’m expected to be some sort of god that’ll save my people and restore my kingdom. i don’t even know how! i don’t know where to begin. it’s all just so much.” he buries his face in his hands. he knows he’s spiraling, but he can’t stop. he’s so overwhelmed and terrified.

diluc’s eyes widen at the outburst, letting kaeya ride it out before he speaks. he sits in the chair in front of his desk. 

“listen to me. we’re going to take this one step at a time. okay?”

kaeya sighs heavily, heart still beating out of his chest, but he listens to diluc. 

diluc continues, “we’ll start with this whole 'special blood' of yours, get the situation under control and gain an understanding. from there, we can figure out the rest.”

kaeya finally lifts his gaze to meet diluc's, and he takes a breath. he nods slowly. 

“alright... i guess that can be our plan.” he replies. 

“very well. for now, i'll keep looking through father's collection and see if he possibly has anything. in the mean time, you should go and talk with the chief alchemist. anything you find, you can relay it to me and we'll see where to go next.”

kaeya nods again, dreading this whole ordeal, but he knows they need answers if he's ever going to hopefully put his mind at ease. 

“okay. i'll head over now. hopefully he's still in the city and not out in his dragonspine lab.” he shudders just thinking about the sub-zero climate. 

he pushes himself to stand, giving diluc a nod before departing.

Chapter Text

kaeya begrudgingly treks through the snowy tundra of dragonspine. albedo hadn't been at the headquarters since they last spoke, leaving a note on his desk that he would be at his lab. 

the cavalry captain makes his way up the pathway, fighting through the treasure hoarder and fatui camps. it's simple ordinary combat for a knight of his caliber, hardly working up a sweat.

it isn't until he stumbles upon a hilichurl camp that he falters, stopping dead in his tracks.

before, he would fight them with ease and he wouldn't give it much thought. now, though, with the truth behind these creatures, he can't help but hesitate. 

they aren't truly mindless monsters despite the fact that most of them are under the abyss order’s control. still, he knows how people look at them, how he used to look at them, so he can't blame them either.

kaeya stands a few feet away, concealing himself with one of the pine trees as he watches them, unable to help his curiosity. 

two hilichurls dance around a small campfire while a cryo-shield mitachurl and two cryo-wielding crossbow hilichurls sit nearby, simply watching.

from afar, it looks quite like a celebration of sorts, and kaeya can't help but think it feels very human.

in a sudden dream-like burst, the scene changes and real humans take their place. kaeya swears he can hear their singing and chanting in khaenri'ahn, filling the chilly air with liveliness. he doesn't know exactly what they're saying, as he hasn't heard or spoken khaenri'ahn in years, but he can pick out bits and pieces. 

just as fast as it arrives, the vision disappears and the world returns to normal, the chanting and the people becoming hilichurlian once more. 

kaeya staggers back in surprise and confusion, hitting a tree behind him. he knocks snow onto himself and he sputters, shaking his head to rid the frost in his hair. 

he hears the confused snarl from the hilichurls. he freezes, looking up to see the group jump. the two unarmed hilichurls and the shield mitachurl charge for him while the archers stand and aim for kaeya.

he braces, sword trembling in his hand. he doesn't want to hurt them, he can't… every nerve in his body stills him no matter how hard he tries. 

however, the hilichurls stop short when they reach him. 

kaeya holds his breath, the closer hilichurl sniffing the air around him. it studies him for a moment, then says something in its language to the ones behind it. 

the others retreat, and the verbal one looks at kaeya one last time before it also returns to its camp. 

kaeya stares after them, bewildered. never before have hilichurls ever left him alone. hell, his head still occasionally throbs with the memory of a hilichurl bonking him with its club. 

he watches them for a moment longer before he steps out of hiding. he moves onto the pathway but the hilichurls pay him no mind now. he isn't quite sure what in the world happened, but he doesn't linger to question it.

he hurries up the mountain and finally makes it to albedo's lab. he sighs as he enters the tent and shuffles over to the lit torch to warm up.

the alchemist is standing at his desk, pouring over his papers. he hears the crunch of snow and dirt beneath kaeya's boots. 

"captain." albedo greets before kaeya can speak, glancing over to him. 

"hey, 'bedo." kaeya settles on a seat. 

"i can only imagine what you're here for. only wish i hadn't been swept away with a project out here." he expresses his regret as he turns to the rack of test tubes. 

"s'fine. i was just here to ask some questions." kaeya reassures. 

"alright then." albedo prompts as he takes one of the test tubes out, holding it up to the light to inspect whatever liquid is inside it. 

kaeya sighs, and ponders over the question he wants answers to as a million of them run through his head. 

"how long have you really known about… me ?" he finally asks. 

the blonde pauses for a moment to glance over at the captain, "your biology? almost a week ago."

kaeya bites his lip, "okay… what about…" he trails off, not sure how to word it. 

"your future?" albedo fills in, watching him pale, but otherwise nod silently. "my creator mentioned it before she disappeared. she lived and breathed for what your future would hold."

kaeya's heart quickens. "… how many people had these expectations about me?" why him? simply because he's a prince? it doesn't seem fair.

“from what i can gather, our entire homeland.” 

kaeya swallows, the questions rolling to his tongue. “why me?” he asks softly, “why am i the special one?”

albedo sets down the test tubes in their holder before turning his full attention to kaeya, “i am unsure. it's just simply what the prophecy states.”

the knight feels his blood run colder. “...prophecy? there's one?”

“of course.” the alchemist answers like it's obvious. he steps away from his desk and begins rooting through the bookshelves. eventually, he comes across a rolled up scroll. 

coming over to kaeya, he opens it up. on it, khaenri'ahn text decorates the parchment. 

“what is that… that you have…?”

“my creator had it. she kept it on her at all times until she left. she told me to hold onto it — that i would need it and talk to you about it when the time was right.”

“...is that how you knew about my blood?” 

“yes. i’ll admit, i didn't think it was true. the traveler has told me that we shape our destiny, rather than any gods or prophecies. that's why i never brought it up to you until your physical exam the other day.”

albedo passes the scroll over to kaeya.

kaeya scans over it briefly, but he only catches a few words, “what does it say?” 

“ upon the day the man-made sky turns red, a kingdom will fall and the savior will become one with ice. 

hidden away from the gaze of the gods, the last hope shall be protected by the one who bears crimson. 

on the twenty second year, when the star sheds blue, the land once lost in the shadows will rise and a new dawn will be brought forth. ” albedo recites.

kaeya stills, processing the riddle before he brings it closer, reading it over again. 

“this… this really is about me…” he mutters as he pieces every bit of the prophecy to himself. maybe diluc is right, it really seems like him physically using his blood will save his people. 

albedo nods, “as i said, the moment i saw your test results, i realized that the prophecy was indeed true: khaenri'ah falling, you being our last hope, you staying with master crepus, and now your blue blood.”

kaeya's fingers twitch restlessly, “... do you know what the last line means…?” he already has a feeling he knows what it means, but he's hoping albedo debunks that.

“‘twenty second year’ refers to your age, ‘star’ is you as you were often regarded as one, ‘sheds blue’ is your blood, and lastly, when you come into your power, you will be able to raise khaenri'ah.” albedo explains. 

the captain releases a shaky sigh, fingers tensing and crinkling the parchment. 

“what do i do?” he breathes, chest tight and heavy under the pressure of their world’s expectations. “how do i restore our home…?” it terrifies him — the air in his lungs becoming short and shallow. 

he can’t do this, he can’t. how can he? he doesn’t know what to do or where to begin. 

why does it have to be me? he thinks miserably.

“i wish i can tell you how, but that's the thing about prophecies. they're generally tricky.”

kaeya slumps in defeat, “there's no way i can do this, ‘bedo… i’m not qualified enough for this. i didn't even get to be prince for more than a day, and now i’m expected to just slide right into my role and pretend my entire life never happened? that nothing changed?”

the captain sighs, shutting his eyes, “i… i was sent here to be a spy, but… after experiencing the life i did when i was left at the dawn winery, i… i grew to love this land — grew to love mondstadt. i… can't choose between khaenri'ah and mondstadt… and i know that's what's expected of me.”

albedo studies kaeya for a moment, before he shrugs a shoulder, “maybe not. maybe you don't have to choose. you could always save our homeland and still have love in your heart for this nation. fate is what we make of it. nowhere in the prophecy does it say you have to be a traitor, or anything of the sort.”

kaeya contemplates that for a moment. albedo has a point. despite the instructions his father left him with, he doesn't necessarily have to follow through. maybe he can do what he's tasked to do and still protect the city his heart truly belongs to. 

besides, after what he learned regarding his father over the years, and what had been revealed to him lately, he doesn't exactly feel like giving that man the satisfaction. 

his father abandoned him, saddled him with a heavy task to fulfill, and then went off to start a new group, all while never bothering to reach out to kaeya the entire time or open the doors for kaeya to make contact himself. 

the fated prince finally opens his eyes, releasing a sigh, but his chest feels a little lighter. 

“you may be right.” he tells him, blue eyes flicking to meet the alchemist’s, “now, what needs to be figured out is the blood part. you said it was blue, and that it reverts abyss creatures back to their human selves; and this prophecy puts emphasis on me shedding it. does it… really mean that i have to basically bleed all over our people?” 

albedo hums as he thinks about it, tapping his chin. “well, i only tested a few drops on the hilichurl because of the prophecy, but… perhaps we can do something different but still keep your blood’s essence. i can do some research and come up with a potion or a spell of some sort that allows you to use your blood to purify those that were cursed.” 

kaeya nods as he listens, “okay… a potion or spell don't sound too bad. do you need… more blood tests?”

“i may need some fresh, and if you can, chill it with your cryo. don't freeze it, just chill it slightly.” albedo moves off to one of his desks, moving things around before coming back with needles, a vial of clear liquid, cloth and tubes. 

kaeya rolls his sleeve up his arm, relaxing his body and allowing albedo to take what he needs. he closes his eyes, hardly bothered by the pinching pain, then sits up when they finish. he reaches for the corked tubes of his blood and infuses the glass with his cryo. 

“there.”

“alright then. i’ll get started. for now, just hang tight. if you want to head back, you're more than welcome to, since it might take me some time. i’ll let you know when i’m about done.” 

kaeya nods as he pulls his sleeve back down, pushing himself to his feet after. he desperately wants to get out of the cold, even if the torches nearby were lit and warming. 

“i’ll see you around, then.” the captain waves his goodbye before making his way back down the mountain, passing a curious glance to the hilichurl camp he encountered earlier. 

they pay him no mind, yet again, this time the entire group simply sitting or standing around.

he can't help but feel something deeper is about to occur. anxiety rising, he hurries back to the city, deciding to take a detour to the tavern to calm himself down with a drink or two.

he sighs as he sits at his usual table after ordering his drink, lounging in his seat. 

there's too much to process yet again, and he knows he needs this time to himself to really sort it all out. 

charles comes by with his drink a minute later, and kaeya takes the plunge into his mind as he takes a sip. 

a weird vision, a prophecy, his power… he isn't sure he understands it all quite yet. 

the prophecy is what chills him the most, though. even if this is some sort of noble cause, he truly has been doomed from the start. his entire life decided by some fickle matter known as fate. 

it somewhat annoys him. why does some unknown entity get to tell him who is and what he has to do?

fate. what a ridiculous farce. he won't let some otherworldly power direct his every action…

sighing, he takes another drink. 

his mind drifts from his irritation, back to the hilichurl camp. it still puzzles him how easily he had been left alone, and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach tells him that there’s something even deeper going on with him. 

had he been witnessing the past? had he… been seeing behind the creatures for what they used to be…?

that second thought ices his heart, and he downs his drink. no… no, he can’t think about it like this. if he accepts the truth behind the hilichurls, it all becomes that much heavier, and he doesn’t think he has the stability to swallow that. 

he lets out a heavy breath. he needs to stop thinking, he can feel his anxiety creeping into his veins. 

pushing himself to his feet, he hands the glass over to charles as he walks to the bar, thanking him before leaving. 

his feet carry him to his home in the city, not entirely ready to spill everything to diluc just yet, especially when he doesn’t understand it himself. no, he needs time. time to rest, to distract himself, to stave off the panic attack he can feel lurking.

shutting the door behind him, he slides down it and buries his face in his knees. he takes deep breaths to try and ground himself like he used to when he was younger. he focuses on the inhale, counting to ten before releasing. he does this for a solid minute before he feels his chest begin to lighten. 

when he doesn’t feel the prickling fear inside him, he uncurls himself from the ball he tucked into, then remains sitting against the doors, eye staring up at the ceiling above.

Chapter Text

kaeya flips his coin as he leans against the wall of the tavern, diluc closing down business for the time being. azure eye watches the door, waiting for the traveler to arrive. 

diluc cleans up what he can to keep himself busy, sweeping even if there isn’t much dirt or mess. 

a moment later, the door swings open, and in walks the honorary knight, paimon at their side.

“whoa! kaeya?” she questions as she floats over, an inquisitive expression on her face, “when master diluc’s bird gave us the message to meet, we didn’t think you’d be here too.”

“heh, what can i say, we just both have something to discuss with you two.” kaeya shrugs, tucking his coin away. 

“come, sit. you might need it.” diluc gently urges as he moves behind the bar, getting the traveler and paimon a drink. 

“what’s going on?” the blonde asks curiously as they hop onto a stool. it’s certainly rare to see the two brothers together and not actively trying to snark one another. 

kaeya looks to diluc, who nods in response. 

taking a deep breath, the cavalry captain settles in the stool next to them. 

“you see… the truth is, i learned something important about myself.” he starts. he launches into his explanation of his role in khaenri’ah, the prophecy, and his supposed purification power. when he finishes, the traveler stares at him with wide eyes. 

“wow… that’s…” 

“awesome!” paimon fills in without a second thought, her eyes sparkling. “that’s kinda like them!” she points to the traveler.

kaeya laughs nervously, “i guess it is awesome, but… yeah, that’s why we wanted to talk to you. you have this power, in some way. i… wanted advice, i suppose.”

the traveler blinks in surprise before they nod, “of course, i’d be happy to help. i’m still surprised i have this ability at all, but i guess it’s some of my original power leaking through.”

“we’re glad to hear it.” diluc chimes in, “we figured since you have a similar ability, you’d be able to help kaeya harness his. from our understanding, if he learns to control and adapt to this power, we can utilize it and the spell albedo is working on.” he theorizes. 

“ooh, i see.” the blonde nods along, thinking about it. “okay then, we’d love help. it’ll take a bit of time since it’s been a while that i’ve done it, but i know i can.”

“that’s great.” kaeya praises. 

the traveler smiles, but then their expression becomes troubled as they look away, falling silent. 

kaeya tilts his head, “is everything okay? if you’re worried, i understand, it’s a lot to expect.”

they quickly shake their head, “no, no, it’s not you… it’s… my sibling.” they say, their shoulders drooping slightly. “i still don’t get how they have such deep connections with khaenri’ah… what went on when i was asleep? and why are they so desperate to save khaenri’ah but joined the abyss order for it?” they question. 

kaeya frowns a bit, “you mentioned this last time, too, and dainsleif also found it odd, but he never explained what he knew…” that unnerving feeling surrounding dainsleif worms its way into kaeya’s stomach. that man is suspicious, friends with the traveler or not. 

“yeah… dain never talks about them. he only said they just… went separate ways.” the traveler sighs.

“it is weird, i agree… you’d think he’d tell you what he knows since he was so close…” diluc mutters, “but i figure we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. right now, our top priority is to get this power under control. we already have albedo working on a spell, so we have half of that squared away. if you need, i’m also willing to assist, given my new status. i should have some sort of divinity that can help.”

the traveler tilts their head at that, paimon verbalizing their confusion. 

“huh? what do you mean, master diluc?”

a moment passes before red crawls up into diluc’s cheeks, matching his hair. 

kaeya snorts. 

“ah. ahem . i apologize. i didn’t exactly tell you two yet.” 

paimon’s eyes widen in interest, “ooh! tell us what?”

diluc hesitates, kaeya slipping in. 

“dear old master diluc has another secret identity for us~ this time, as the pyro archon.”

“what?!” paimon squeaks, the traveler’s eyes widening, staring at diluc in shock. 

the blush explodes deeper on diluc’s face, and he huffs, shooting his brother a glare. he takes a second to compose himself, then turns to the traveler. 

“yes, it’s true. venti explained it, but i still don’t understand. either way, i was chosen to be the pyro archon.” like he did earlier, he shows his gnosis. 

“whoa… that’s so cool, master diluc!! now we can get awesome pyro powers!” paimon giggles gleefully, shaking the blonde’s shoulder. 

“um… maybe? i’m… not sure how that’ll work, so it might be a while…” diluc stammers. 

the traveler waves paimon off gently, shaking their head. “no, no, ignore her. i don’t mind. i get it.” they promise with a smile. 

paimon becomes sheepish, “oh, hehe, sorry, master diluc. paimon just got excited. but we’ll try and help you as much as we can!” 

diluc nods once, “thank you, i do appreciate that.” he expresses his gratitude. “in any case, we should work out a game plan for kaeya.”

the blonde nods, “we did look through lisa’s restricted section to see if we can find any books that might help, but it seems not even she knows where to find them.” 

“it makes sense, even if there is a possibility of there being information like this out there, it won’t be easy to come by.” kaeya muses, rubbing his chin in thought. his heart sinks as he considers his options: albedo only knows so much, and dainsleif only seems to remember kaeya and the cataclysm. a part of him fears he would have to get in contact with his father, and that is something he refuses to do. 

not only is that a messy situation overall for everyone involved, but he also just doesn’t want to see him. his father seems to have been ignoring his existence this entire time, and kaeya isn’t about to just crop up because he needs something. 

he didn’t need him as a child, and he doesn’t need him now.

his choices are very limited, and he isn’t sure where to go from here — other than to wait for the spell and take training from the traveler. 

he doesn’t realize he zoned out until his focus settles back in, the traveler’s words reaching his ears as they talk with diluc. 

“well, we might be able to investigate a few areas that not many people can get into. we did find a few books a while back that revealed secrets. we can probably find more.”

diluc’s arms are crossed as he listens along, brows pinched in concentration and thought.

“that would be beneficial. i’m also using my network to see if they come across anything. whatever you find, feel free to bring back here. you can leave it with kaeya, or at the dawn winery — whoever you find first.” 

the traveler nods, “yeah, okay, that can work. if neither of you are busy, we can take you with us when we go.” they offer.

diluc hums, “well, i’m unfortunately going to be unavailable the next couple of days starting tomorrow, but kaeya should be here.” his gaze shifts to his brother, “right?”

kaeya perks up now that he’s caught up in the conversation, “yeah, i’m always here. i don’t have any patrols coming up, and other than checking in with albedo, i don’t have much to do.” he sends a warning glare to diluc to bite his tongue about the knights being inefficient. 

“okay, great!” paimon chirps while the traveler beams. 

“then it’s settled. i will still send correspondence to the both of you while i’m away, to keep updated on the situation whenever you decide to go.”

“where are you going, master diluc?” paimon asks curiously. 

“he’s got a date in liyue~” kaeya winks, which doesn’t translate well with the eyepatch over one eye. 

“it is not a date!” diluc huffs, tossing a wet rag at kaeya’s face. “i’m meeting with this funeral consultant, zhongli. i was told he’d be able to help me.”

the traveler perks up at that, paimon growing excited.

“oh! mister zhongli! we know him. he’s very smart and resourceful.”

the traveler nods along, “he’s very kind, he’ll help you for sure. he knows everything.” 

kaeya perks a brow, clearly not up to speed. “why do you say that?”

the blonde and red duo glance at each other, the traveler shrugging to let diluc have the say. 

diluc sighs, “since we’re divulging secrets anyway, i was told zhongli is the former geo archon, rex lapis. he hides among the people as a mortal. that’s why i was recommended to talk to him.”

“ah, i get it. still a date, though.” he smirks, dodging the mug being chucked his way. he hears it clang off the wall and he sticks his tongue out. 

“alright, alright, we’ll get out of your hair.” kaeya stands, stretching before looking to the traveler, “if you’re ready, we can check in on albedo and then figure out where to go from there.”

they nod, “okay.” they also get off their stool, “thank you, master diluc, and good luck. we’ll see you around.” they smile. 

“bye-bye, master diluc!” paimon waves before the trio leave.

Chapter Text

the trio find their way up to albedo’s lab in the mountains, kaeya shaking off the frost and shuffling over to the lit torches. 

“captain kaeya,” albedo greets before he notices the traveler behind kaeya, and he brightens, “and traveler and paimon! what a surprise.” 

“hey, albedo! long time, no see!” paimon chirps. 

“i take it kaeya filled you in.” he states, returning his attention to the beakers and books on his table. 

“yep! it's really cool!” paimon’s eyes sparkle. 

albedo chuckles in amusement, “quite so.” 

kaeya finally comes over once he can feel his fingers again, peering over the desk. “what progress have you made?” 

“so far, i’ve only concocted a small solution here,” he holds up two small potion bottles, both with dark blue liquid, but one shimmering, “but i’m still looking at all possible options and avenues.” 

“oooh. what do they do?” paimon asks as she floats over curiously. 

“well, this one,” he holds up the muted potion higher, “is purely just kaeya's blood with his power. this one,” he lowers it and instead lifts the shimmering potion, “i filtered the essence of kaeya’s power from his blood. obviously, one appears more potent than the other, but i still want to test them out to see which has a quicker and longer effect.” 

kaeya feels a chill in his gut as he studies the potions. “so, how will we test it?” he asks.

“well, i was originally planning on rendering a hilichurl unconscious and bringing it back here.” albedo explains, “it’s a good thing you both are here. one of you can retrieve the hilichurl while the other sets up the space for them.”

“traveler and i can set up!” paimon offers as she floats over to the empty space in the back of albedo’s camp.

kaeya takes a breath, “guess that just leaves me and the hilichurl.” he murmurs, earning a sympathetic look from albedo as he makes his exit. 

he heads down the path to where he recalls a camp. he’s swift about getting there, concealing himself with tall bushes. he spots a lone hilichurl and he finds himself lucky. cryo tingles at his fingertips, and he sneaks up behind it. 

he reaches out to knock it out when his sight is robbed with a white light for a moment. when it clears, a teenage boy stands in the hilichurl’s place, humming to himself as he holds his crossbow close. 

kaeya staggers back, tripping over himself and falling into the snow. he freezes, watching with a wide eye, but the… kid? ignores him. kaeya holds his breath for a beat, then he rolls to his knees and inches closer. 

for a good few minutes, the teenager stands there, then the white flash burns kaeya’s vision and just as before, when it fades, everything is back to normal. 

a dull throb pulses in his head as a haunting chill settles in his bones. what just happened?  

confused and freaked out, he quickly gets his job done and he hurries back to albedo’s lab with the hilichurl in his arms. his heart is in a frenzy, stomach in the pits of the abyss. 

stepping inside, he scours the campsite and sighs in relief at the corner that is now occupied with a comfortable bed, blankets, and fluffy pillows, a pile of clothing nearby. albedo and the traveler are nowhere to be seen, but the concern is the last thing on his mind. 

crossing over, he tries his hardest not to just drop the hilichurl, setting it down before scurrying away. he shudders and sits down, arms wrapped around himself. he stares at the hilichurl on the bed, terrified and unnerved.

what is happening to him? 

this is the second time he’s seen ‘behind’ the hilichurls. 

he knows the truth, of course he does, not a single person from khaenri’ah doesn’t know, but why does he keep seeing it? it’s starting to worry him. 

he takes deep breaths, bowing his head to settle himself from the incoming panic attack that wants to overtake him. 

he sits there for a good ten minutes, the anxiety slowly fading. he hears footsteps a moment later and he lifts his head, unfolding himself from the ball he had curled into. 

“sorry about that, captain, we had to retrieve some food.” albedo explains as he sets down wrapped up frozen boar meat. 

“i offered to cook up something in case this works… i figure they’d be hungry for actual food.” the traveler explains. 

kaeya offers a smile, although it doesn’t reach his eye. “that’s very kind of our honorary knight.” he praises, watching the way the blonde blushes. how adorable. 

“well, now that everything’s settled, i’ll begin with administering the first potion.” albedo tells them, taking a chair and seating it at the hilichurl’s bedside. 

kaeya swallows thickly but he gets up anyway, standing at a bit of distance, but still close enough to watch. 

albedo takes the muted concoction, and with the dropper, he releases small droplets onto the hilichurl’s arm. 

silence stretches amongst the group, kaeya holding his breath. 

at first, the lingering cryo from kaeya’s blood merely causes the fur to bristle at the cold for a moment before it retracts slowly. in a matter of seconds, a patch of skin is revealed — pale and prickled with chills. 

the hilichurl jerks in its sleep, claw of its other hand absently reaching for the furless patch and itching at it. 

kaeya’s held breath leaves him in a shaky exhale. he feels his knees tremble, but he still has the sense to keep his balance, grounding himself by touching the mora coin in his pocket. 

“whoa…” paimon muses. 

albedo waits a few beats, utterly silent and focused. his eyes trace the arm of the hilichurl, counting the seconds in his head. after a near full minute, the fur returns. 

“wh… did it not work?” paimon floats back in shock. 

“as expected, actually. see, this muted version with the captain’s blood diluting the power can only last so long.” albedo explains. 

he takes the other vial and drips the shimmering potion onto the same arm. unlike last time, the effects are almost instantaneous. the fur melts into the skin once again. 

traveler and kaeya remain still, paimon fluttering behind the traveler and peeking over their shoulder. 

a good five minutes passes and the hilichurl merely scratches at the exposed skin again before rolling onto its side, putting its back to them. 

kaeya swallows thickly and he shuffles to sit at the desk, trying to catch his breath. that about confirms it, then, doesn’t it…

“so… guess we know which potion works.” the traveler speaks kaeya’s mind, their hand on their chin as a thoughtful expression crosses their face. 

“indeed, we do.” albedo answers, turning to the blonde, “will you please get started on the meal? i’m going to prep this potion to be consumed orally. paimon, if you could gather up the blankets and the clothes.” he directs them, the pair setting off to do as asked. 

kaeya bites his lip, “should i do anything?”

“not yet. you can relax for now, i know this must be a lot to take in.” albedo reassures as he turns to his lab table to work on the potion.

kaeya nods as he falls mute, the dread in his gut only darkening. 

once preparations are over, albedo makes his way back over to the hilichurl. he gently rolls it onto its back, then props its head up. carefully, he tips the vial into the hilichurl’s mouth, watching closely to ensure every drop makes it. 

backing away, he cocks his head to the traveler and paimon to come over. 

paimon hovers close by with the blankets, fear and anxiety in her eyes. the traveler holds the dish tightly as they stand at the foot of the bed. 

silence stretches, kaeya’s eye widening as the hilichurl begins to transform. he nearly chokes when he sees the teenager from earlier. he staggers to his feet, ignoring the questions from everyone as he trips and stumbles out of the campsite. 

he feels the blast of the cold and he gulps in deep breaths, heavily leaning against the wall of the cave. a tear beads in his singular eye, hands shaking. he hears nothing but his pounding heart, stomach twisting until he feels sick. 

he struggles to calm himself down, unsure how much time passes before he feels a hand gently touch his shoulder. 

jerking in surprise, he looks over, finding the traveler. 

they gaze up at him with a small smile on their face. they choose not to question him, only giving his shoulder a squeeze. 

kaeya watches them for a moment before he looks out at the rest of the mountain range. 

“sorry you had to see me like this, traveler.” he lets out a hollow laugh. 

“don't be…” the traveler responds. “paimon freaked out too, and… so did i, a little bit.” they admit, then they look to kaeya and give him a smile. 

“it's nothing to be ashamed of.” they promise. 

kaeya nods slowly as he takes a deep breath, “you're right…” 

the blonde’s smile grows and they tilt their head, gold eyes glittering. “i try.” they tease to lighten kaeya’s mood, “are you ready to go back now?”

kaeya contemplates it for a second before he turns. “let's.”

the pair make their way back inside albedo’s camp. before them, albedo is sitting in the chair next to the bed, quietly talking to the frazzled teenager. 

paimon flutters nearby, holding the bowl of soup and feeding it to the kid. 

albedo looks back when he hears the footsteps, and he smiles softly. 

“welcome back, captain.” he greets smoothly. 

kaeya nods jerkily, eye trained on the former hilichurl. he looks just like the kid he saw earlier, and his heart pounds. 

“we’d like you to meet our new friend, arvid.” albedo introduces, ‘arvid’ sheepishly lifting a hand in a half-hearted wave.

kaeya returns it, paimon setting the bowl down and coming over. 

“he woke up a couple minutes after you left. he can't really talk, but he knows some words in teyvat’s common language.” she explains, her eyes sparkling with excitement. 

“he seems to be doing well. i’ve been monitoring his condition, but i can’t confirm one hundred percent yet that the potion is effective. i’ll have to keep him here a bit longer to see if it’ll wear off or not.” albedo speaks, arvid none the wiser as he cuddles into the warm blankets he had been wrapped in. 

kaeya observes arvid for a moment, the young boy looking around silently. their eyes meet and kaeya is shocked to see a pair of gold stars staring back at him. 

arvid tilts his head, and he speaks up, broken khaenri’ahn mixed with hilichurlian coming out. 

kaeya freezes, only managing to pick out bits and pieces of the khaenri’ahn dialect. instinctively, kaeya responds in their tongue, equally broken as it has been years since he’s spoken it. 

“whoa,” paimon gasps, “what are they saying?” she asks albedo. 

“arvid is asking what’s going on. it seems he didn’t quite understand my explanation.” he sheepishly remarks at the end.

“well, you did kinda ramble on.” paimon holds her hands up in a shrug as she shakes her head, “even paimon was lost.”

the traveler quietly observes kaeya as he talks with the teen, thoughts circulating in their head. 

arvid nods in understanding and settles back down, but not before making a grunting noise and looking to the bowl at his side. 

“oh! whoopsie, paimon thought you were finished.” she floats back over, picking up the bowl to feed him. 

“i didn’t know you spoke khaenri’ahn.” the traveler muses.

kaeya looks over, and he shrugs, “not as much as i used to when i was a kid. since i grew up with diluc, i had to learn teyvat’s common language, and even though our father still spoke to me in khaenri’ahn, i eventually lost touch with my native tongue. i can only understand fragments of it at the moment.” he explains. sometimes, it comes naturally to him, other times, he has to struggle to remember a simple word. 

the traveler nods in understanding, “i see. albedo, do you know it?”

albedo looks over after setting his notes down. “i do, but since i don’t speak hilichurlian, it’s harder to speak with arvid. although, i figured i’d try teyvat’s language first, as i know some hilichurls understand it.” 

“that makes sense.” the traveler replies, “we can probably ask ella to give us tips in speaking their language so we have an easier time. though that means some of us might have to learn khaenri’ahn too…” they muse. 

“i might join you with that, traveler. i’d like to relearn my native tongue. i… i might as well, since i need to realign with my home again.” kaeya speaks up. his nerves still run thin, and he’s scared out of his mind, but something about arvid and this whole situation is sparking his motivation to at least try. 

“alright then. don’t worry, kaeya, we’re all in this together.” the traveler smiles, and kaeya feels himself melt in relief. he is forever grateful for their golden heart.

Chapter Text

kaeya definitely needs about a drink or twenty. 

he’s very tempted to hole up on the second floor of the angel’s share and nurse a couple glasses of death after noon, but he knows he can’t always wash his feelings away with alcohol. 

still, he needs something to distract his mind. today shook his core, and he feels cold all over. 

he hadn’t exactly put two and two together when it came to hilichurls and children, but now it makes too much sense. 

they had been killing kids… defenseless kids. sure, he’s killed other people, he’s shed his fair share of blood by exterminating fatui camps here and there, but something about this makes him sick, just like it did a few days ago. 

he sighs heavily as he walks home, hands in his pockets, too many thoughts in his head. he can’t shake the rising terror that wants to tear out of him. 

why me…? he thinks to himself, stopping near his door. he stares up at the fluffed clouds covering the island in the sky. 

is this your idea of a joke? you destroy our home, curse our people, and now i have to save them? 

“ha.” kaeya huffs out bitterly, single eye glistening with forming tears. “you can take your fate and shove it.” he mutters before stepping into his house, swinging the door with a resounding slam. 

he runs a hand over his face as he walks to his room, kicking off his boots and throwing himself into bed. he curls up, stuffing his face in his pillow with a deep groan. ‘exhausted’ doesn’t even begin to cover how tired he feels. 

he spends a few minutes buried in the plush pillow before he comes up for air. he lays on his cheek, staring at the wall. 

why is this happening? why can’t he just go back to being the captain without a cavalry? 

he lays there for hours until he feels himself getting hungry. pushing himself up, he gets out of bed and pads into the kitchen. he sets to cooking his easy snack, moving almost robotic. he settles against the counter, trying to shake the fog out of his brain. he hates the lost feeling — the numbing cold that races through his veins. 

he takes a couple deep breaths, mind shifting back to arvid as he finishes eating. he knows in his heart that he has to do this. if not for his people, for the children that never asked for this…

resolving himself, he cleans up and heads to bed early, aiming to do some investigating in the morning…

what kaeya hopes to be a restful slumber starts that way — a simple few dreams of nothing too important or memorable, but it’s peaceful — then he’s shrouded in the dark. when kaeya opens his eyes, he freezes at the sight of everything around him. it’s all too familiar — a nation at peace and calmness, but every now and then, it appears to glitch to remind him of the aftermath — one of pure destruction and death. 

he blinks, trying to right his vision. 

this cannot be real, right…?

“okay… this is not a peaceful sleep, brain.” he scolds himself. he knows it’s fake… but it feels too real. 

kaeya looks up, noticing the familiar castle that stands tall and proud in all of its glory. he may not know much about his birth home, but he knows he’s drawn to that fateful place. he can feel the tugging of his soul, urging him forward. 

clenching his hands into fists, he takes a breath. 

“alright… let’s see what happens this time.” he mutters before walking forward to the castle. each step feels heavier than the last, but the next time he blinks, he finds himself in a room — an elegant throne in the centre and a figure standing before it, back to him. 

he tilts his head. 

the shadows make it hard to see any noticeable features, but that doesn’t stop him from reaching out anyway.

“uh… hello? can i help you?” kaeya asks, taking a step closer in a bit of concern. “you know this place isn’t real, right?” 

the figure hums at the sound of kaeya’s voice and turns her head to look at him, gaze hidden by shadow but kaeya knows it’s piercing. 

“can you not talk?” he asks, taking a step closer.

“oh i can… i’m just curious about what you are doing here.” a feminine voice responds, and kaeya grunts in pain,  holding his head as the room ‘glitches’ to show it destroyed beyond recognition for a few seconds before returning back to normal. his head throbs and he winces.

“ngh… what the hell..?” he mutters in disbelief, noticing her walk closer and leave the shadows. what emerges is a woman with stark white hair and a darkened purple cloak over a pantsuit of sorts. 

“relax, little prince. this is just your memories messing with you. my associate and i are simply curious at how you’d react.” she reassures, a sickly sweet smile on her lips.

“associate?” kaeya repeats in confusion, blinking a bit as he lets go of his head after a few moments. “but… it’s just us two?” he lifts his gaze to try and meet hers, but when he looks into her eyes, he swears he feels a punch to the gut, unease and terror gripping him. he can feel the power that radiates from her, and he feels nauseous. 

wh- what the hell… who the hell is she? 

“ah… he’s not here… physically .” she explains before gesturing gracefully around the room with that same smile. “he’s just my… backup.” 

“how gracious to call me backup, my lady.” a third, masculine voice speaks up. kaeya blinks in confusion and looks around to try and find the source. 

“oh you clueless little thing… destiny has so much in store for you, but you remain ever so clueless to your own strength, it is adorable watching you squirm in confusion.” it continues, a sickly calm voice oozing out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time. kaeya hears it all around him and in his head, echoing.

kaeya looks back at the woman in the room with him and he takes a step back. the hairs on the back of his neck raise and an ice cold feeling seeps into his bones.

“i - i didn’t ask to be involved in any of this… who the hell are you two?!” he yells out in panic, wishing he had his sword right now. his fear earns a smirk from the woman as she folds her arms.

“me? i am simply watching how you grow, learn and adapt to your harsh truths the gods threw at you as a mocking gift.” she remarks, tilting her head curiously. 

“wh-... no! how is this fair?! i didn’t ask to be a savior?! i barely can live my own life, how can i save everyone?!” he yells in disbelief, heart pounding in terror and frustration. why can’t this stop? why is it him? 

“oh poor prince, broken by fate itself… but you can salvage things if you simply accept the gifts the abyss is willing to provide.” the male disembodied voice chimes in, piercing through the heavy air left by their fear radiating from kaeya. 

the woman takes the chance to slowly walk over to him while her ‘associate’ speaks, a cold hand tainted in pure abyssal energy cupping his cheek. she smiles in that same, sickly sweet smile she donned for most of this conversation.

“you can embrace your fate, the abyss will aid you in everything, just surrender to it.” 

hearing that, before he could say or do anything else, kaeya’s vision goes pitch black.

morning dawns, and kaeya immediately sits up in a cold sweat from whatever that had been. he curls in on himself, shaking. whatever that was — dream, vision, nightmare … it felt too real. 

he buries his head in his knees as he draws them to his chest, trying to take deep breaths. 

just who was that? who were those people? are they another memory? is he seeing behind the veil again?

he swallows hard, the lump in his throat aching as tears burn his eyes.

whoever those people were, they meant no good. the cold of the abyss from that terrifying woman still clings to his mind and he shivers. 

what is going on…? he fears he won’t ever get an answer to that question…

he struggles to calm himself down, trying every technique until finally, his heart rate settles and his body relaxes. 

he uncurls himself and he sits up, looking around his room for a moment. he pushes the nightmare to the back of his mind and he gets ready for the day.

leaving the city, kaeya makes his way down the pathway to the dawn winery, pausing on the porch for a moment once he arrives. he chews on his bottom lip before he steps inside, adelinde greeting him from where she dusts furniture. 

“welcome home, master kaeya.” she smiles.

warmth spreads in his chest, chasing the dark dread away, loosening the tightness in his heart. he gives her a genuine smile in return, then gestures to the study, “sorry to barge in like this. mind if i use diluc’s office?”

“of course. since you’re here, master diluc told me to let you know that he wouldn’t be home if you were looking for him.” she tells him.

“no worries, i know. that’s what i’m kind of here for. i wanted to send him a letter.” kaeya explains before retreating into his brother’s study. 

muscle memory takes him to the side table where diluc keeps all his paper, kaeya snaking a few sheets before sitting at the desk. 

d, 

by the time you return to mondstadt, i’ll likely be gone. 

…

sorry, ominous. 

i’m heading out to sumeru. my gut feeling is telling me something over there is calling to me, so i want to check it out. 

don’t worry, i’ll be fine. i’ll keep you updated if anything happens. 

hope you had fun on your date, by the way ;)

— k.

he rolls up the letter and binds it with a ribbon. he opens the window, grateful diluc’s falcon stays near the manor when her master is away. 

he gives her gentle scritches when she flies through the window and settles on the desk. kaeya carefully ties the letter to her leg. 

“give this to ‘luc for me, hm?” he tells her, hearing her caw before she takes off. 

closing the window, kaeya exhales slowly before leaving the study.

“thank you, adelinde.” he waves to her as he makes his way to the door, passing her on the way.

“ah, won’t you stay for lunch at least, master kaeya? it has been a while.” she asks. 

kaeya shuffles on his feet for a moment, eye glancing to the door before he caves. he can’t exactly say no to her. 

“sure, i’d love that.” he smiles at her. 

kaeya double checks his bag, making sure he has everything he might need, then he steps out of his house. he swallows thickly, trying not to think about that strange nightmare from a couple nights ago. it still haunts the back of his mind.

he shakes his head aggressively. no, he needs to focus. he needs answers. 

he grips his bag tighter and he makes his way out of the city, heading towards dornman port for an easier way to sumeru. 

the journey is quiet, kaeya still feeling heavy in his heart as he gazes out at the water. the last time he hopped on a boat to sumeru, he had been eight years old. he had snuck onto a trading vessel that had been carrying dawn winery brews. 

he huffs a chuckle as he remembers crepus freaking out about him being gone. though, at the time, he had felt terrible for worrying crepus and diluc. diluc had sobbed into his chest when he returned, blubbering that he thought he had imagined kaeya. 

kaeya sighs at the memory, rolling his mora coin between his fingers. he’s glad his relationship with diluc has been better these days, but he still yearns for their childhood days. 

the boat docks a couple hours later in port ormos, and kaeya steps off, taking a look around the market. he doesn’t remember much from the last time he was here, so he simply walks. 

merchants from all of teyvat gather here, and kaeya finds himself having to dodge sellers and scammers. 

he stops at the tavern and he takes up a table to relax. he needs a plan first. he came here on a whim, but he knows he needs more than that. 

he can’t quite remember his reason for coming here last time, just that gut feeling again. 

what in sumeru is special? other than possibly talking with the dendro archon, he doesn’t know where to begin. 

he drums his fingers on the table, thinking. he could check with his network, see if there are any whispers about something he may be interested in. someone has to have heard something. 

deciding on that line of action, he sets to leaving a marker for any possible informants that know where to look. 

with that done, he pulls his map from his bag and marks down a route to the city of sumeru. looking around the port one last time, he departs, unaware he completely misses his mysterious knight lurking in the shadows. 

Chapter Text

kaeya wanders the city of sumeru, stuck playing the waiting game. he feels the urge to meet with the archon, but a large part of him is terrified about what he could possibly learn from her. 

he might explode, actually. 

he flips his coin as he leans against the railing near the adventurer’s guild receptionist, gazing out over the rainforest. that feeling inside him tugs towards the desert, but he is not at all prepared to traverse it, so for the time-being, he stays within the city. 

the sun is setting behind him, and he pushes off the railing. he might need help. he wanted to try going at this alone, but he knows he’s in way over his head. 

he slips his coin back into his pocket and heads to the inn to settle for the night. he sits at the desk and contemplates his situation and what it all really means. there’s something here, and he knows it, but he doesn’t know where to start. he knows he needs to ask for help, so he swallows his pride. 

he reaches for his bag and pulls out paper, writing out two letters — one to the traveler, and one to diluc.

it's been a while. how have you been?

i've heard that the two of you are traveling in sumeru, and i happen to be in port ormos on official business.

lately, i've been stopping by djafar tavern for a drink or two every afternoon.

if luck's on my side, and this letter successfully reaches you… come to me then and we can catch up on old times.

we'll see it as a fated encounter.

— your trusty buddy, kaeya

d, 

i know you’re busy, but...

the owl has lost its sight.  

think you can help out? you usually know what to do.

you’re better at birds than i am, at least. 

— k.

kaeya sighs and sits back after rolling up the letters. he takes a moment, not entirely sure where any of this is going to lead. the unknown of it all terrifies him. 

he prides himself on knowing everything and digging for information, yet when it comes to his own life, he’s spun into a whirlwind with no sign of stopping or coming down. 

he pushes himself to stand and moves to the window, whistling for a messenger bird to take the letter to diluc. he partly wishes he had snatched his brother’s falcon and taken her with him on his journey. 

he turns from the window and crawls into bed after kicking off his boots, curling up on his side. he wishes he could remember why he came here in the first place, all he has is flashes of the desert and then the cold rain of mondstadt. 

he knows all the answers are there, but he dreads going out into the sands. he can handle the heat just fine, after all, he grew up with a living inferno his entire life, but something about the desert terrifies him to the core. 

the answer he’s looking for might not be something he wants to actually know…

he shudders and curls tighter. hopefully when he sees the traveler, this weight will loosen a bit. 

turning over, he forces himself to fall asleep, not at all prepared for the next coming days. 

kaeya whistles softly as he stands on the docks of port ormos two evenings later, singular eye keeping watch for the blonde traveler and paimon. birds sit around him, pecking at the seeds he had. 

he doesn’t sense his mysterious knight, but he does hear the familiar caw of his brother’s falcon. relief floods his body, and he welcomes the bird. 

“hey, girl.” he greets, welcoming her nuzzling, “i have a snack for you.” he offers the seeds, watching nova hone in on them. she lands on the crate, scaring off the other birds due to her size. she pecks at the seeds, happily munching on them. 

kaeya chuckles, then unties the letter from around her leg. 

“let’s see what ‘luc has to say.” he mutters to himself. 

k,

i hope your trip is going well. i hear sumeru’s nice this time of year. 

i really don’t want to cut your vacation short, however, it seems the harvest is running a bit dry .

i can handle it, of course, but i might need your expertise on this. 

don’t rush, but try to come as soon as possible. 

— d.

kaeya’s blood runs cold, heart thundering in his ears. what did diluc find? what’s so urgent that he’s calling kaeya back home? what went wrong? diluc only uses the harvest when he’s in an emergency. 

shit . 

he slips his bag off his shoulder and digs for a paper, quickly scrawling out a letter that promises he’ll return to mondstadt as soon as he can. whatever happened with diluc, kaeya’s almost terrified. he hopes his brother is okay. 

last he knew, diluc was meeting with the geo archon. did something go wrong? did diluc get hurt? 

kaeya knows he’s alive, but that doesn’t mean he’s not in danger. 

kaeya has a very bad feeling. 

he ties the new letter to nova’s leg and gently pets her head. 

“there you go, get this to diluc right away, hm?”

she caws at him, pecking his hand affectionately before she takes off. 

he watches her depart, then he lets out a slow breath, raking a hand through his bangs. he’s tempted to leave this second, but he has to finish his investigation — he has to get to the bottom of this or the trip would have been a waste. 

he takes deep breaths, shutting his eye and counting backwards from fifteen, trying to stave off the panic that’s fighting to choke him. 

he hears a couple of birds land on the crate next to him and he looks over, the birds pecking at the leftover seeds. he lets out a final deep breath, then reaches out and gently scritches one. he whistles softly to them, trying to ignore the sudden dread crawling down his spine and lifting the hairs on the back of his neck. 

he hears a distant familiar high pitched tone, and he shakes off the looming presence. 

“we just saw kaeya a few days ago, what does he mean it’s been a while …?” paimon muses as she follows the traveler through port ormos. 

they shrug, “you know how it is, he’s a knight, they’re probably taught to send unassuming letters to hide confidential information.” 

“oh, that’s true, i guess. i wonder what it is, then.” she hums, then perks up when she sees kaeya. “there he is! kaeya!” she calls out, floating over to him. 

“hello, paimon, traveler.” he greets warmly. “it’s good to see you both.” 

“of course, we got your letter, so we figured it’d be nice to meet up again.” traveler plays along with a smile. 

“i’m glad. i did promise a few drinks at the tavern, so why don’t we go ahead and do that. i bet there’s a lot to talk about.” kaeya gestures for them to follow him. he feels more at ease, knowing he can rely on the traveler’s insight. 

they sit at the table kaeya marked days ago, kaeya ordering them a round of drinks. 

“how long have you two been in sumeru?” kaeya asks. 

traveler perks up, “oh, we got back yesterday. we wanted to check in on our friends, and then we got your letter. we were in the city when a bird dropped it off.” they explain, “but, we didn’t actually know you came to sumeru. what brings you out here?” the traveler asks curiously. 

“to scope out the competition, of course. let’s just say, i needed to do some business for our dear master diluc, on his behalf, since he’s busy with his date and all.” he really hopes that the date’s all that happened and his brother didn’t end up in trouble with the geo archon somehow. diluc has the misfortune of angering the wrong people. 

the traveler nods, studying kaeya’s face. they know everything he says always has a deeper meaning. kaeya’s here to investigate. 

“you’re lucky master diluc isn’t around to hear you say that, he might just chop your head off.” paimon comments on the date remark. 

kaeya chuckles, “it’s my job to annoy him.” his eye sparkles, “in any case, i guess i missed you when i was in the city.”

the traveler tilts their head. “have you been here before? you don’t just visit other nations on a whim.”

kaeya’s chuckle reaches their ears once more, this time a bit more strained. “saw right through me, eh?” he sits back, “you’re right, i have. i came here once as a child. i was still new to the dawn winery, and i overheard master crepus talking about a wine export to sumeru, so i snuck onto the trading ship. i don’t know what it was back then, but something urged me to come here, so there was little adorable eight year old me, stowing away on a ship.”

“what?!” paimon asks in shock. 

“heh, i did stir a bit of trouble by suddenly disappearing. master crepus found me and brought me back home, gave me quite the earful for running off. poor master diluc was in hysterics. if you can imagine, he was blubbering and sobbing his little heart out because he thought he imagined me.” he shakes his head with a laugh. 

“whoa… was master diluc really like that? paimon can’t imagine it.”

“he’s a softy really, paimon, but don’t tell him i said that or your poor friend here might end up missing for good~” he teases with that same smirk he usually gives.

“real funny, kaeya.” paimon huffs.

“do you know what brings you here this time?” traveler asks. 

kaeya shrugs a shoulder, “not entirely. i suppose i’m just following that gut feeling again. i have some vague memories but i can’t focus on them, my head starts to hurt when i do.”

“hm..” the traveler puts their hand to their chin, “what memories do you have?” 

kaeya thinks about it, “the desert, and then i’m in mondstadt. i don’t know anything beyond that. i don’t even remember walking with my father until we were at the dawn winery.” 

“paimon’s starting to think your dad’s more mysterious than you, kaeya. why bother taking you from the desert to mondstadt when the forests of sumeru and liyue are on route?”

“you know, paimon, i wondered the same thing. it didn’t make much sense, given where he went after. you think he would’ve just taken me with him.” he drums his fingers on the table, “as far as mystery goes, i’d say he’s hardly it. he couldn’t hide from me, no matter how hard he tried, and i tracked him down pretty easily.” there’s no denying the thinly veiled bitterness in kaeya’s tone, despite the relaxed expression on his face.

“then who is he? tell paimon!!” she yelled in excitement.

“let’s just say, my father is someone who chose to dump his son off at some random stranger’s house before going off to play the leader of a terrorist organization. some might even call him a clown, if you will.”

the traveler’s eyes widen as the dots connect, “wait… the jester ? he’s your father?” 

“WHAT?!” paimon screams, eyes wide before covering her mouth at how loud she spoke and likely got eyes glaring their way. “sorry…!” 

“heh, bingo. who would’ve thought, khaenri’ah’s bright and powerful king would go on to become the director of the fatui, while the prince gets reduced to a captain without a cavalry. there’s some ironic cosmic joke in there somewhere.”

“i wonder how he knew my sibling...” the traveler muses softly, not sure what sense any of this made. it’s one thing for their twin to affiliate with refugees of khaenri’ah, but the king now? before, they were under the impression the jester had been a mere mage or a soldier like dainsleif. 

“i wish i knew why that came about, but the only one who’d know is.. well, my father, and maybe even dainsleif, since he knew your sibling.. but getting some answers out of that guy is like pulling teeth, or so i heard.”

“yeaah… it kinda is. he’s so mysterious.” paimon comments with a shake of her head. 

“in any case, my father took me to mondstadt for some reason, told me it was my job to save our home, and then disappeared. i haven’t heard from him since, but hey, don’t feel too sorry for me. i’m better off without him.” kaeya shrugs. 

the traveler feels a pang of sympathy regardless. kaeya’s good at masking, at hiding his pain with a smile, but they know how he feels. kaeya said as much the other day. 

“whoa… that’s crazy. so… what now, then?” paimon asks. 

“now? well, knowing our luck, things can only get more chaotic. like for example a certain bough keeper probably showing up.”

a movement behind kaeya catches the traveler’s eye, and they squint when they catch the familiar blackened uniform and starry cape. 

“um… i think he already has…” they comment, watching the aforementioned knight stiffen at being caught. 

he seems to take a moment before approaching the table. 

“my… apologies.” he bows his head, “i didn’t mean to lurk, i didn’t want to intrude on the conversation.” 

paimon perks up, “oh come on, you’re always lurking. you’re as bad as master diluc when it’s midnight in mondstadt.” 

kaeya chuckles a little, “it is rather amusing to witness, huh paimon. though she is right, dainsleif, your lurking skills are certainly a thing. come, sit.” he gestures to spaces next to himself and the traveler to let him pick where to sit. 

dainsleif grapples with where to sit for a second before settling beside kaeya. just as before, he sits stiff and almost awkwardly. 

“what are you even doing in sumeru, dain? we didn’t know you were coming here either, otherwise we would’ve just traveled with you.” paimon asks him. “honestly, we all could have come together, now that i think about it.” she mumbles at the end.

“if you remember, i once mentioned the ‘loom of fate’ during one of our encounters.” 

the traveler nods, “you did, we didn’t know much, just that they were looking for that eye to complete it.”

“yes. as you know, my memories are… difficult to sort through, as most are lost to erosion, while others remain rooted to my past failures. however, i did recall that your sibling once mentioned it to me when we were traveling together. we were passing through sumeru when they brought it up to me, so i figured, if i came, more memories may crop up.”

“huh, so almost the same reason as kaeya, then.” paimon comments. 

kaeya jolts at that, having been picking at the straw in his drink while the trio talked. he looks up, caught off guard from the sudden attention, but he quickly pulls his poker face back together. “that’s right, i felt sumeru was worth investigating.” 

“so… both of you were brought here with a… gut feeling.” the traveler murmurs, “well, guess what we should do is stick together and figure out what it is we’re looking for. we can also investigate that loom while we’re at it, kill two birds with one stone.”

“that’s a bright idea. i expect no less from our honorary knight~” kaeya praises. “what do you say we finish up here and see where we can go.”

dainsleif hesitates, “ah… may i finish my drink first…?”

the traveler pinches the bridge of their nose while paimon shakes her head. 

kaeya chuckles, “sure, whenever you’re ready, then.”

Chapter Text

the four climb the hill, coming up to a small home with tilled land off to the side. 

“um, dain, are you sure the abyss order was around here? it looks like no one’s been here in ages.” paimon comments. 

“no, we’re not here for that… there is something familiar about this area. i may have stopped here with my companion.” dainsleif responds, teal eyes scanning the area. 

kaeya tilts his head slightly as he observes the small hut. something inside tugs his soul, and he finds himself walking towards it. 

“kaeya?” paimon questions.

“i want to check it out.” he explains, pushing aside the fronds covering the door. inside lays a bed, a table, and a chair at the bedside.

“whoa!” paimon coughs as she follows in, fanning her face, “it’s so dusty in here.” 

“look around carefully, there must be something in here.” dainsleif instructs, mind focused more on the situation at hand than on his nerves fraying at his prince near him. 

the four split off in the small hut, inspecting what they could find.

“hm. there’s nothing under the bed.” paimon reports, floating back up and spotting the box on the table. “ooh! what about that box?” she flutters over to it before her nerves get the best of her. she hesitates, then quickly darts behind the traveler. 

“on second thought, you do it.” she laughs sheepishly.

the traveler rolls their eyes half heartedly before opening the box, paimon peeking over their shoulder. 

“oh! it’s… just a mirror…?” she sighs in relief. 

they lift the broken mirror, careful not to touch the shards. they look underneath it, but the box is otherwise empty.

“seems so.” 

kaeya remains silent as he stares at the empty bowl nearby. something that was once inside it tickles his nose, and he vaguely remembers when he was bedridden with pneumonia. master crepus had concocted a medicine that cured kaeya almost instantly.

“whatcha looking at, kaeya?” paimon asks when she notices how silent he’s gotten. she comes over, peering around him to see the bowl. “huh, it’s just a bowl. maybe whoever lived here used to cook a lot, given that campfire outside.”

“no, it was used for medicine.” dainsleif speaks up as he crosses over, careful not to stand too close to kaeya. “i can smell the herbs that were used.”

“yeah… i thought so.” kaeya mumbles. 

“you seem kinda spooked. are you okay?” the traveler asks softly. 

“yeah… i’m fine, sorry. it just brought back some memories.” 

“oh? what kind?” paimon asks. 

“when i was first brought to the winery, i caught a really bad cold after being left out in the rain for so long. master crepus and the staff tried everything to make me better, but i was bedridden for almost two weeks. 

at some point, and i don’t know how, master crepus found a medicine that worked. he gave it to me and i was cured in a couple days. i remember the smell of it, and when i saw this bowl, i caught the scent again. must be the same medicine.”

“whoa… guess this trip was worth you coming along then.” paimon remarks. 

“heh. that's yet to be seen. anyway, that’s about all i got. did you find anything?”

“nope, whole lotta nothing. dain, are you sure this is the place?” paimon asks. 

“while my memory is hazy, this place does indeed feel familiar.” he replies, looking around once more. he truly wishes he could put his finger on it, but he can’t seem to find the memory that suits the feeling. the past five hundred years have been like this: vague emotions with no explanation. if he were a weaker man, he would have gone crazy. 

he’s about to turn to kaeya when he hears something outside. he stiffens, immediately on guard.

“we have company.” he comments before he turns and heads out the door, the trio following him.

“ahh! monsters!” paimon zips behind the traveler who raises their sword. 

kaeya brings out his own weapon, grateful the enemies are just slimes. most enemies are a piece of cake… slimes, he can handle. bandits? a walk in the park. the fatui? child’s play, but… the abyss order? he can’t bring himself to fight them, no matter how hard he tries. 

they make quick work of clearing out the slimes, the traveler wiping their brow after a pyro slime got a bit too close to them and combusted. 

“how odd… a place with no activity and yet monsters were still lured here…” dainsleif looks out into the distance. he falls silent as he thinks, hand on his chin. 

“there may be an issue with the leylines. you three stay here while i investigate. i will return when i know more.” he instructs.

“that’s fine, dain, we’ll just rest up here.” the traveler speaks up, kaeya almost relieved. as much as he wants to know more about his mysterious knight, being in his proximity raises the hairs on the back of his neck. 

diluc’s warning from the other day continues to bounce around in his head. he can’t bring himself to trust dainsleif just yet, not when he doesn’t know how the bough keeper really feels about him and his split from his birthright. 

“i’ll set up the sleeping bags. i don’t think any of us wanna stay in that dusty old house,” paimon says as she digs through the traveler’s bag for the camping gear. 

the blonde nods, “that’s fine, i’ll make us some food in the meantime.” they move off with her to the bonfire, igniting it to heat up the stove.

kaeya sighs heavily and sits down, hanging his head a bit. he can feel a migraine coming on, his heart and soul tugging at him restlessly. whatever this area is, it’s something he needs to investigate. it might have the key to the questions he has.

as they settle in and eat, night begins to fall. paimon hums as she hovers next to the traveler.

“he’s been gone a pretty long time. do you think the leylines are that bad?” she asks.

“it’s possible. given what’s happened to sumeru in the past with the withering and all, i can imagine the leylines still need to recover from it.” the traveler muses as they finish off a skewer. 

kaeya reclines against the log behind him, quietly listening to their conversation. while he would ordinarily join in — the social butterfly that he is, — he finds himself at a loss for words.

paimon looks up at the sky for a moment, then she looks to the traveler. “hey, traveler… what was it like… traveling with your sibling?” she asks softly, kaeya’s ears perking up. 

the traveler leans back on their hands, gazing up at the stars themselves. 

“well, we used to gaze up at the stars, and we’d point out constellations in different worlds, and talk about what next planet we wanted to visit. we traveled through the universe, always at each other’s side.” they look down, a frown tugging at their face. “this is the first time we’ve ever been apart… i just… all i want now is to know what happened.” 

kaeya feels his heart ache and he looks away, bringing his knees up to his chest. he remembers when him and diluc were like that — glued to each other’s hip, always doing everything together. 

they learned together, trained together, they became knights at the same time, they even looked at the stars too, just like the traveler and their sibling. diluc had taught kaeya all about teyvat’s sky. they would sneak out of diluc’s window and climb up onto the roof of the manor, and diluc would point out each of the constellations, including their own. 

kaeya finds himself regretting that night still. he doesn’t know why he said what he did, why he went and threw it all away, and he wishes with every fiber of his being that he could take it back. 

he remembers the fiery anger in diluc’s eyes, but what breaks him the most is the raw anguish he saw too. it tears kaeya apart to this day. he knows they’re closer now again, especially with diluc going out of his way to admit he needs help, but kaeya still mourns their past. 

kaeya sighs softly. he knows he shouldn’t dwell on the past. things are getting better, diluc’s trusting him again. though it brings kaeya guilt, diluc’s putting himself in the line of fire to help him. he knows diluc cares, and he’s glad he forgives him. kaeya just needs to trust and forgive himself, but that, he feels, is going to take an eternity. 

he’d sooner talk to his own father than to ever think about forgiving himself for the past.

“paimon understands,” her voice breaks through kaeya’s turmoil, and he looks over, “being separated without a reason is terrible, but… you got paimon! and kaeya, too! we’ll find the truth together, and we’ll show those heavenly principles just who they’re messing with, hehe!” she gains a satisfied grin, her hands on her hips. 

the traveler laughs softly, “you’re right, paimon.”

kaeya smiles a bit, then sits back. paimon’s right. today proves to kaeya that no one has to go at any of this alone. it reassures him that he made the right choice asking for their help.

“anyway, paimon will take first watch while you and kaeya sleep.” she urges them to sleep, getting the traveler’s blanket and tossing it onto them.

as the night draws on, the duo eventually fall asleep, and it only goes wayward from there.

kaeya groans as he wakes first, body aching from sleeping on the ground, even with his sleeping mat. he sits up and stretches, rubbing the back of his neck to get out the kink. 

“hey, it’s time to get up.” dainsleif voice jolts kaeya. he looks up at his knight, releasing a quick breath. sheesh, he truly does appear out of nowhere like diluc during his midnight escapades. 

the traveler mumbles sleepily as they stir, sitting up as well and running a hand through their hair.  

“huh? oh hey, dain. you finally got back.” they comment. 

“come on, it’s time to get going- ah…” he trails off when he notices their face, “tears.. you dreamed of your sibling, didn’t you…?” he asks. 

kaeya perks a brow and looks to the blonde as they touch their cheek in confusion, finding dried tear stains. “oh…” they mutter.

“rest here, okay? i’ll scout ahead.” dainsleif assures them before disappearing the way he went the day before.

“are you okay, traveler?” kaeya asks. 

“i’m fine.” they give a small smile, then confusion tugs their brows. “wait… where’s paimon?” they ask as they look around. 

kaeya scans the area as well, “hm… shall we go look for her?” he offers. 

the traveler moves to stand, rubbing their chin in thought. where would paimon have gone? 

“i… maybe she might have gone with dain..?” they look down the path dainsleif had gone. now that they think about it, it is possible she went with him at some point and was told to wait while dainsleif came back to wake kaeya and the traveler. 

“she could be. should we get going down there too then?” kaeya asks. 

the blonde nods and stoops down to pack up when they hear movement from inside the house. they jerk and straighten back up, gold eyes locking on kaeya’s singular blue one. 

the pair remain silent for a few beats when they hear another movement. 

kaeya cocks his head towards the house before bringing out his sword. 

the traveler nods and pulls out their own. silently, the two advance towards the door, kaeya reaching out to pull the frond aside. 

“stop! what do you think you’re doing!” a voice behind them shouts. 

the traveler whirls around while kaeya immediately lifts his sword. 

“this place is not for you to be poking your nose about. begone with you, this instant!” the man demands.

“wait, please, calm down. i’m just looking for my traveling companion.” the traveler tries to settle the man.

“ah, you mean the one who was sat at your side all night? yes, i believe your companion went into the forest.” 

the traveler looks to kaeya, who gives them a subtle look to not trust the man right away.

“when you say all night… does that mean you were here?” the traveler asks. now that they think about… it is rather odd. there hadn’t been any signs of life, yet this man just so happened to pass by last night? kaeya’s right to be suspicious. 

“and what business is it of yours? i found this place and it is not your concern what i do here. now go!” 

the traveler grits their teeth a bit. this man is definitely hiding something.

kaeya narrows his eye as he studies the man, only for his heart to drop. the man’s eyes… he’s khaenri’ahn. 

“ah, excuse us.” he pulls the traveler aside quickly, the man watching them like a hawk. kaeya gives a friendly wave before turning to the blonde. 

“we need to tread carefully. he’s…” kaeya finds himself fumbling for words before he huffs softly and gestures to his eye. 

the traveler’s eyes widen, quickly glancing at the man. “he is?”

“there’s no mistaking it. the eyes, the clothes… he’s one…. one of my people. i don’t know what he’s up to, but we can’t trust him. remember what i said: all that’s left of my home are the sinners.” 

they nod in understanding, then return to the man with kaeya flanking them.

“we’re sorry, we didn’t mean to be rude. ah… we were discussing it, and we felt we might not get any answers in the forest. it’d be better if we waited for our companion here.”

the man scoffs. “fine, suit yourself. do not make any racket, or i will send you off myself.” he warns them, then turns to the door. 

“wait…! can we join you? it was awfully cold last night and i might feel more comfortable inside.” the traveler quickly proposes.

the man takes a moment before sighing heavily. “...very well, then. you are quite stubborn. all that i ask is that you keep your wits about you.” he turns to open the fronds and steps inside. 

the pair follow, the traveler’s breath hitching while kaeya’s stomach immediately flips. 

on the previously empty bed lays a hilichurl on its side, a scarf wrapped around its wrist. 

kaeya feels his guts churn, and fear grips his heart. his breathing comes out in shallow pants, and he finds himself staggering, his back hitting the wall. 

what the hell is this man up to?

“..why do you have a hilichurl in your house?” the traveler finds their voice first, reaching for kaeya’s wrist and gently grasping it to ease the spooked prince.

“that is none of your business!” the man snaps before looking to the hilichurl, expression taking on a somber one. “there is no need to worry… he’s not aggressive. how can he be? he was so young… he didn’t deserve any of this… so don’t you even think about harming him. you stay over there and away from him.” 

kaeya’s breathing slowly regulates and he swallows. the hilichurl is a child… just like arvid, just like all the others he’s been seeing. 

“you’re from khaenri’ah.” the traveler states.

“and? what of it? what do you know about khaenri’ah, huh?” 

“your eyes… your clothes…” they answer.

“tch.” the man turns away, hands curling into fists. “tell me this, child. do you believe in the gods?”

kaeya feels the dread thicken in his gut. a sinner, just like the others. 

the traveler meets kaeya’s gaze, then looks back to the man. “i don’t have any belief.” they answer, which is true. while they are friends with some of the archons, they don’t believe in the heavens. they have been to many worlds, met many different deities and powerful forces. after a while, they just become regular people to the traveler. 

“i see… very well.” he turns back to the pair, “my name is eide, and yes, you would be right. i am from khaenri’ah. i do apologize for my rude behavior earlier, as you can see, it is rare to find any non-believers in this world. i could not trust if you were aligned with the gods or not.” he explains. 

they look back at kaeya with a bit of the shrug at the sudden change of heart. “it’s okay…” the traveler mutters. 

“ever since the cataclysm, it has been difficult to find… suitable company. this…wretched curse of immortality, hah… who knows how long i must continue to suffer…” eide puts his hand to his head. 

kaeya swallows thickly, unable to find the words to reassure this man, but even he knows it to be hopeless. their curse of immortality, that is one kaeya can’t cure. he doesn’t even know if it’s in his arsenal or if his only power is just to return humanity to those who lost it.

the traveler hums softly in thought, “the curse… what exactly is it?” they ask. they know it well from what dainsleif and kaeya had said, but they want to hear it from another perspective.

“the curse? tch, it was a lovely little gift from the wretched gods. taking away our homes, our lives wasn’t enough, no… they had to force some of us to live for eternity. we cannot escape, we cannot be at peace. all we can do is helplessly watch as our loved ones succumb to death and leave us behind. we lose our memories, lose ourselves — it is truly the worst torture.”

the cavalry captain moves to lean against the wall, needing to catch his breath again. the weight and pressure returns, and his chest feels tight. the helplessness comes flooding in and he can feel himself despairing. what should he do? what can he do? can he even help? is he just as useless as he was before? 

the traveler gives kaeya a sympathetic look before continuing to take the lead in the conversation, “so then… why did some people become…” they trail off as their eyes drift to the hilichurl.

eide sits down in the chair beside the hilichurl, and he sighs as he holds its hand. “you see, while khaenri’ah began with a single bloodline or a single clan, it was also home to others who opposed the gods. it was a place for non-believers, those who felt cast aside or wanted a different life away from teyvat — away from the eyes of the gods. 

when the cataclysm came, pure-blooded khaenri’ahns were labeled ‘great sinners,’” kaeya stiffens, heart squeezing, “and were inflicted with the punishment of immortality — to suffer the consequences of our actions, while those who were born of different blood were punished with the curse of the wilderness, and turned into monsters.” 

the traveler keeps their gaze on the hilichurl, “and… who is this hilichurl to you?” they ask, nerves tightening. they have a feeling they know exactly who this is.

eide sighs, “his name is caribert, he is my illegitimate son.” he explains, “back then, i was a noble of khaenri’ah by blood. my family was charged with protecting the royal branch, you see, and… part of me despised it. why were we responsible for taking care of the royal family when they had guards? but no matter, that isn’t important now. the point is, i met a wondrous woman from mondstadt, who had fled to escape the devotees of the anemo archon. we fell in love, and then we had caribert…

the poor thing… i never meant to bring him into a world of suffering, he was an innocent child, burdened by my selfishness, and then… he turned into a monster. i… will never be able to forget that.” 

kaeya’s knees buckle and he sinks down the wall, leaning his head back against it. he doesn’t care if he’s being watched, his mind is in too much of a frenzy. guilt, horror, and despair seize his heart and his soul. his people have suffered so much — more than he realized. he isn’t blind or ignorant, he knows the tragedy and pain of his home falling apart, but he hadn’t realized how deep it ran. 

he doesn’t care for the man’s bitterness towards his family, he doesn’t blame him, if anything. eide didn’t ask to become a protector, that hardly matters to kaeya. what does matter is this curse, and what it all means. 

the traveler turns to kaeya and kneels beside him out of concern, “hey, it’s okay… just breathe.” they try to soothe him, taking one of his hands and squeezing it. “it’ll be okay, i promise.” 

kaeya looks up into the traveler’s eyes, using them to ground himself. he takes deep breaths, fighting through the fog of panic that wants to suffocate him. 

once his hands stop shaking and his heart slows to its normal pace, he nods and he lets go. “thank you.” he breathes. 

the blonde smiles, then straightens back up to face eide. 

“i’m sorry if i made you relive all of this, i guess i just couldn’t help my curiosity.”

“it’s fine, child. at least i have my son in the end of all of this, even with his curse. i vowed to take care of him to the bitter end, and i intend to follow through.”

the traveler nods, “what do you plan to do now?”

“well, before you showed up, i was making something. come with me.” eide walks out the door, and the traveler sighs softly. 

they take a moment, then they look to their friend. 

“do you want to come too, kaeya?” they ask. 

he takes a moment to decide before nodding, keeping his gaze away from the hilichurl in the bed. “yeah, let’s go. i need some air, anyway.” he pushes himself to his feet and follows the traveler outside. 

the pair make their way over to the man who has set up a crafting bench. 

“what is this?” the traveler asks curiously.

“i brought my son to sumeru, you see, as this is the only place i can find the medicinal herbs that can aid him.” eide explains, “it is said to recover the clarity of his mind.”

kaeya and the traveler stiffen at that, glancing at each other. a medicine that can restore a hilichurl’s mental state? that seems more unheard of than kaeya’s supposed purification power. 

“huh.” kaeya huffs. “who would’ve thought.” 

“do not misinterpret, i do not plan to cure the curse, there is… no possible way for that. no, i only wish to restore his mind. he doesn’t deserve to live his life as a monster, he deserves to have some of his humanity back.”

“where did you learn this?” the traveler asks, wondering if this man had come across something similar to the prophecy that albedo had gotten from his creator. 

“ah… well, as i said earlier, i disliked the noble life. i craved thrills and excitement, so because i had access to the royal library, i looked into the forbidden section and read up on everything i could. i found this medicine that was said to be imbued with the essence of the god of wisdom. these books were banned and forbidden as it contained elements of the seven, but i found myself intrigued regardless.”

kaeya pauses at that, thoughts circling around. the royal library. he had been in there before, he knows it. he remembers the fireplace, his father, and getting caught reading something he shouldn’t. kaeya had snatched the page before the evidence could burn, and he stashed it away. 

“in any case, i have no choice… i have to use this if i wish to save my son. if i may, i would like to ask for your help, child. despite my immortality, my dexterity is not at all what it used to be.”

the blonde nods, “sure, i don’t mind.” they step away, allowing kaeya to hang back by himself. 

as the traveler preps the medicine, kaeya seats himself to try and clear his mind from everything.

soon, they finish with the concoction, and eide rubs his forehead, seeming annoyed. 

“is it time to give it to caribert?” the traveler asks. 

“not yet, there is one more thing. this medicine relies on the power of the god of wisdom, so we must pay a visit to a statue of the seven.”

the blonde hesitates, “i see… if you’d like, i can go for you. i do resonate with the power of dendro.” they offer. 

eide shakes his head, “no, it’s fine. i must do this. i simply have to swallow my pride and pray.” he turns and begins to walk off. 

the traveler looks back at kaeya, communicating with their eyes for kaeya to investigate while they’re away. 

kaeya straightens up and nods, watching them leave for the statue a hill away. he waits until they’re out of view before he gets up. he steps up to the house, then hesitates at the door. 

he takes a quick breath, stepping inside.

the hilichurl shifts and grunts, but otherwise remains still, only breathing. 

kaeya bites his lip, trying to ignore his pounding heart as he walks up to the cursed child. he settles in the chair, then he carefully touches caribert’s clawed hand. 

caribert jolts in surprise, shifting his hand, but immediately stills when kaeya squeezes affectionately. 

“hey… caribert, right? listen… i’m gonna try something. i need you to trust me.” he speaks softly. he flounders a bit after that, unsure where to start. he doesn’t have any of albedo’s potion on him, and he doesn’t see anything sharp nearby to try and use his blood. 

maybe… maybe he can channel it? 

“hope this works.” he mutters to both himself and caribert. he shuts his eye and he takes deep grounding breaths. he searches within himself, seeking out the power running through his veins that doesn’t stem from his cryo vision. 

there . 

he follows that source of power — it’s almost bright in his mind’s eye, similar to the bottled essence albedo had. 

he channels the power the way he does his cryo, sending it to his hand. his fingertips tingle, and his breath hitches. he keeps his focus, brows scrunching. he keeps the flow going, expanding his power. a soft glow emits from his hand, engulfing caribert’s. 

after a few beats, kaeya opens his eye, and it widens in awe as he watches the light. his heart races, and he looks to caribert’s mask. he swallows, trying his hardest to purify the child, but nothing happens. slowly, the glow disappears, and caribert curls into himself. 

kaeya snatches his hand away, breaths short and shallow. dammit. why hadn’t it worked? it worked with arvid. 

his head aches and he sighs, rubbing his forehead. “i… i’m sorry, kid. i tried, really. maybe your dad’s medicine will help, i don’t know… i wish i could’ve done more.” he huffs to himself. so much for being the savior, he can’t even purify a child. what hope does he have thinking he can save his home? 

“kinda ironic, huh, caribert. fated to save my nation, but i can’t even use my power by myself. some prince, right.” he shakes his head at himself, “anyway, i’ll let you rest.” he gets up when caribert snatches his wrist.

kaeya looks back, the kid looking directly at him despite the mask. 

the boy grunts in hilichurlian, then lays back down. 

kaeya lets out a shuddered breath, “..yeah… no problem.” he responds to the ‘thanks’ before he pulls away. he steps out of the house and hurries back to his previous spot before the traveler could return with eide. 

after a few minutes, the traveler treks up the hill, eide in tow. eide looks infuriated, and dread sinks into kaeya’s gut. had he seen him go inside? 

kaeya braces himself, only to watch in confusion as eide tears a hand through his hair. “those accursed gods… ignoring prayers. typical. after all, why would they ever listen to a sinner?” he rants, pacing. 

“it’s fine, eide, let’s just… try and give the medicine to caribert. maybe it’ll work, we never know.” the traveler tries to reassure him, meeting kaeya’s eye and giving him a nod. 

“fine, fine. you’re right, let us go then.” eide makes his way into the house, the traveler on his tail. 

kaeya swallows thickly, then gets back up and follows them, pausing to watch from the door. 

eide sits in the seat kaeya had just occupied. he takes the bowl of medicine from the traveler and he feeds it to his son, quietly comforting the boy. 

kaeya holds his breath, hand gripping onto the doorframe. please work… 

“caribert…” eide strokes his fur on his head, “it’s me… your papa. i’m here, i promised i wouldn’t leave your side. see? i’ve been here all along.”

caribert grunts, but otherwise remains just as before — not much conscience beyond his basic awareness. 

“did it work?” the traveler asks softly, and while it may seem like they’re asking eide, their eyes are on kaeya. 

kaeya shakes his head silently, the traveler nodding in response. 

“i-i can’t tell. caribert, please, answer me, my boy.” eide pleads, grasping caribert’s hand. he begs for the boy to respond, and kaeya feels his heart clench. 

dammit. he desperately wishes his power helped. he hates to see this poor father suffering. 

at least this man cares about his child . a darker voice whispers to him, a voice he quickly shoves down and locks away. now isn’t the time for doubts, even if it may be right.

the traveler reaches out to gently touch eide’s shoulder. “it’s okay, maybe it just needs some time.”

eide lifts his head, desperation in his eyes. “what do you mean?”

“well, it’s medicine, right? medicine takes time, so maybe we just have to wait. as long as we stay by his side, he’ll be okay.” they try to comfort him. 

eide seems to consider the traveler’s words before nodding. “you’re right… you’re right. i have to be patient, and i have to have faith in my son… thank you, child.” 

the traveler smiles. 

eide shakes off his despair. “well, then, let us go and prepare more of the medicine in case he needs more doses. i have some of the ingredients we will need to grow, so come. i would like your help.” he explains, leading the traveler back outside. 

kaeya follows them after sparing caribert one last glance, standing a bit off to the side of the tilled land. 

eide instructs the traveler on what to do, while he himself sets up the crafting bench once more. kaeya slips his hands into his pockets, feeling rather useless at the moment. he would help, but his failing at his special power has taken a huge hit to his pride and his ego. 

the traveler takes off for a moment to get water for the crops, leaving kaeya alone with eide. 

kaeya’s nerves fray and he swallows thickly, but the man otherwise ignores him. can he sense that kaeya is his prince? is that why he refuses to look at him?

“heh… bitter to the end, i guess.” kaeya mumbles to himself.

silence passes between the two before the traveler returns, sprinkling water onto the soil. 

“good, good. thank you.” he comes over with the fertilizer, tossing some of it onto the ground. “it should take but a moment.” 

the traveler nods, coming to stand beside kaeya as eide returns to the crafting bench. 

“are you okay?” they ask softly. 

kaeya lets out a quiet sigh, “i don’t know… honestly. i thought i could help, and it looked like it was working, but… i don’t know… maybe i’m not strong enough yet? i might need more training, or something.” he looks at his hand. the power’s there, he can sense it rolling through him, and he saw it when he had touched caribert. he just.. he doesn’t know how to use it, he supposes.

the traveler offers a smile, “don’t worry, once this is all over, i can help you.” they promise. 

kaeya meets their gaze and he smiles a bit as well, “thank you, traveler. i do appreciate it.”

“ah, there we go. now it is done.” eide speaks up, reaching down to pluck the mushrooms out of the ground. 

the blonde steps off to help make another batch of medicine. 

“and now we return to the statue.” eide sighs, “let’s go.”

kaeya chews his bottom lip before deciding to follow the pair this time. as they climb the hill to the statue, eide gasps in horror. 

“wait a moment… is that… caribert?!” alarm takes the man and he drops the bowl. 

the traveler and kaeya look to where eide’s staring, finding a hilichurl wandering down the path. 

“when did he get up?” the traveler asks. 

“we must hurry and catch up with him!” eide makes his way off the hill, kaeya and the traveler following after him.

Chapter Text

the trio finally catch up with the hilichurl, eide huffing once he fully observes it. 

“ah… that isn’t caribert…” he sighs in relief. 

the traveler looks over the creature, eyes zeroing in on the wrist. “oh, right. caribert has a scarf!”

“indeed. it… was a gift i gave to his mother… ah…” he puts his hand to his head, “what kind of father am i… not even recognizing my own son from a simple hilichurl.”

“it’s fine, they did look alike from far away. it’s not your fault.” the traveler comforts. 

“hm… it’s acting weird.” kaeya comments, watching the hilichurl continue down the path, completely ignoring them. most of them would immediately attack at even sensing a person nearby. 

“wait… that’s true. where is the hilichurl going?” the traveler agrees.

eide lifts his head, “how strange. it seems to be going towards a… cave? let’s follow it.” 

the trio move after the hilichurl, kaeya’s nerves bunching the closer they get to the cave. he pulls out his sword, gripping it tightly. 

soon, the tunneled cave opens into an abandoned ruin. 

“look at all these hilichurls.” the traveler comments as they walk through the corridors, hilichurls bowing on the floor. 

“they seem to be worshipping something…” kaeya muses. this place raises the hairs on the back of his neck, a chill running down his spine. he can feel a suffocating power deep within, and it unsettles him. 

they need to get out of here. being here any longer twists his gut with nausea. 

“traveler… i don’t think we should continue.” kaeya speaks up as he stops walking.

the blonde looks back, shock filling their eyes when they see how pale kaeya had become. 

“are you okay? what is it?” they ask as they walk up to him. 

“i… i don’t know. this place feels… off … dangerous . we… i can’t explain it, but i have a very bad feeling.” 

the traveler considers his words, then nods. “okay… i still think it’s worth investigating, but… if you think we should go, then we will.”

kaeya’s shoulders slump in relief. he’s about to turn away to walk back towards the entrance when a deeper chill fills the room. dread follows the icy air, and his heart stutters. 

before them, a portal manifests, and out comes an abyss herald. 

kaeya freezes, eye widening, while the traveler immediately brandishes their weapon. 

“eide, get back!” they urge.

“halt, humans. fate has not granted you the right to enter this place…” the herald speaks, lifting its hand and summoning cryo, sending it at the infiltrators. 

breaking out of his panic, kaeya blocks the attacks, before dashing forward. he can’t use any of his own power, put at a disadvantage by having the same element, so he focuses more on staying defensive and utilizing his physical strength. 

the traveler greatly aids kaeya by summoning their other elemental powers, electro, anemo, and dendro swirling the air. 

kaeya swings his sword, swiping at the herald. he looks up at the creature, then he winks and teleports behind it, aiming for its weak spot. 

the herald staggers forward, dropping to its knee. the traveler hurries and charges in, summoning their electro and taking the final blow. 

they pant softly, brushing their hair back out of their eyes. 

“nice work, as always.” kaeya praises. 

“that creature…” eide speaks up, catching their attention, “that creature was…”

“an abyss herald.” the traveler answers.

“he… was the perfect being .” eide breathes in awe, kaeya perking a brow.

“i wouldn’t call it perfect.” he responds, but eide ignores him once again.

“that.. magnificent power. it was awe inspiring, and yet… you managed to defeat it like it was nothing… truly your power is impressive as well.”

the traveler shrugs, “it’s not that impressive. i just have a lot of experience.”

“no matter, let us continue on. i can sense something wondrous further in. come, let’s hurry.” eide takes off, leaving the pair to chase after him. 

“this guy’s really up to no good.” kaeya comments, the traveler nodding in agreement. 

“no kidding…”

soon, they come to an open area, broken bridges up ahead and a looming crystal chained in the air. the chamber is stifling, and along the path, hilichurls line the floor, bowing before said crystal.

kaeya feels the air get choked out of him the second his eyes lock onto the crystal, and he staggers. his head pounds, heart skipping a beat again and again as his chest tightens painfully. the eye behind his eyepatch throbs, and his vision distorts. 

what the hell is this place? what is that thing?

“agh!” he drops to a knee against his will, hand shaking as it comes up to his eyepatch. he clutches his head, his breathing labored. 

“ah, the wayward prince finds his way to me on his own accord? how intriguing.” 

the traveler stiffens, their head shaking furiously to get the voice out of their head as it slithers in.

horror seizes kaeya’s rapid heart, ice racing through his veins. this voice . he’s heard it before. 

just like the last time, it wraps around him like a snake, coursing through his mind and around his body. 

“ ahhh ! stop! stop !!” kaeya cries out as pain radiates through his skull, stabbing on all sides. he grits his teeth, panting. he can hear the traveler calling out in concern once they snap out of it, can feel the hands on his shoulders and his face, yet it all feels so distant, like he’s under murky water. 

“stop? you thought i would not notice an intruder amongst the past? have you considered why your gifts do not work here?” the voice asks with that sick tone it had in the previous encounter.

“wh- what? what are you talking about?” kaeya gasps, trying to fight through the pain, but it pins him down and keeps him bowed. it’s the voice, isn’t it… it’s forcing him to kneel. 

kaeya feels so powerless.

“let me go..” he croaks helplessly. 

“let you go? dear prince… i am far from done with you.” they laugh out. “in fact… i think we should chat properly, face to face, and not in this lie you see.”

“...lie?” kaeya repeats, only to shout in raw agony as his soul is harshly tugged. he feels like he’s being torn apart, lifted and yanked in all directions. before he knows it, the world around him becomes purple, and a man stands in front of him. 

kaeya falls to his knees, and he gasps for air. 

the blonde stands tall and menacing, dressed in dark khaenri’ahn robes similar to dainsleif. now that kaeya looks at him, the man himself looks like dainsleif.

“...what is this place? where am i?!” kaeya demands once he can breathe again, sitting up straighter on his knees. his chest still feels tight, and he feels like he’s splitting at the seams. 

the man tilts his head to study the other, a sickly smile on his lips as he bows far too dramatically.

“welcome to the prison your family thought fitting for me for being their oracle.” he explains as he stands from his bow, long hair flowing as he does. 

“who the hell are you…?” kaeya asks, the pain slowly receding from his head. it’s deadly silent and he looks around. the walls shift in color; purple to light pink to translucent before back to purple. 

he’s inside the crystal, isn’t he?

“do you not recognise me? then again, a child in your situation would not connect the dots.”

kaeya scoffs, “just answer the question, i’m not in the mood for riddles.” his sass returns, dripping from his tongue. he can’t shake that this man looks too much like his knight. 

“oh my prince, you play this game all the time, but cannot take it back? very well, i’ll obey. i am the visionary, vedrfolnir.” 

something strikes his heart, and he stiffens. a sinner… not just any sinner, one of the sinners. 

kaeya doesn’t know much about his home anymore, but he knows the five sinners all too well. 

kaeya slowly rises to his feet, “what do you want from me? first my dreams, now this?” he gestures to the world around him.

“your dreams are not from my doing alone, i am simply aiding the head of the abyss to achieve their goals. what your family did, it happened long before the abyss ever became a burden to our kingdom.” 

kaeya huffs. of course, everything is his family’s fault. how convenient. after all, why make kaeya the savior, their last hope , if not to clean up the mess everyone left behind. 

“then what do you want from me? i’m not part of the abyss or part of my family, i’m just the unfortunate prince. whatever my family did, i had nothing to do with, considering i was, oh i don’t know, eight years old?” kaeya puts a hand on his hip, clearly unamused by this conversation.

“i want nothing from you, dear prince. you were a victim of the gods, just like everyone else in our kingdom was. what i am doing is showing you the truth of your gifts. you hold many powers, and no one has taught you it. this is why i am here, to teach you, and all i ask is that you hear the truth from me.”  

kaeya narrows his eye, immediately on guard. “how do i know you won’t lie to me? why would i trust you? you’ve given me no reason to.” even if it’s tempting to learn more about himself, he doesn’t trust what a sinner has to say. 

“i became known as a sinner because they were scared of my truths. believe me, there are worse sinners than me in my little ‘group’, and all i do is foretell their atrocities.” vedrfolnir explains with a hand over his heart. 

the prince shrugs a shoulder, “fine, hit me with this supposed truth, then. what are my special powers besides failing to cure a kid?”

the visionary hums as he takes a step forward, “you cannot change the past, for what you see is a mere illusion. think about it, prince, why did no one besides the traveler speak to you?”

kaeya thinks about it, and the visionary is unfortunately right. dainsleif didn’t even look at him earlier — despite dainsleif having been avoiding him partially throughout their trip anyway — and eide ignores him like he’s not even there. 

and yet… he managed to make contact with caribert. caribert felt his touch, caribert spoke to him.

“how do you explain the kid, then? if i’m not real, how’d he know i was there trying to cure him?”

“the abyss is a paracausal thing, something that should not exist but does. those afflicted with it can sense it, no matter the source, no matter the time.” 

huh… it does make sense. this ancient power transcends time and space, kaeya knows it, he can feel it inside him. 

“alright… so then… how did i end up here? if this is the past, why am i seeing it? is it the leylines?”

“that is your gift from the abyss, dear prince. those of your bloodline and other lucky souls in our kingdom were blessed with gifts of unique talents. you are able to see into the past and be a part of it, but none will see or know your interference.” 

he furrows his brows. he can see the past? he has memories, of course, like any normal person, but he doesn’t have visions. he knows he doesn’t. he would have felt them if he did.

“how?” he asks. 

“you’ve seen what the hilichurls really are, yes?” vedrfolnir asks bluntly. 

“well… yeah? but i thought it was because i knew what they really were anyway. it’s a logical explanation, some people see the real truth at times.” he shrugs. 

“yet, not even dainsleif can see the truth of the hilichurls. whilst he may know their fate, he has not seen the visage of their humanity, unlike you.” he counters.

“...those can’t be visions, can they?” kaeya feels a tremor in his hands, and a new wave of ice cold dread washes over him. why…? why does this keep happening? he’s already grappling with one power, why does he have to handle more?

why can’t he get a break?

“visions are horrifying things, a double-edged blade.” he remarks. “that is one of likely a myriad of reasons why your father blinded me.”

his breath hitches. he knew his father was cruel — after all, he abandoned his son without hesitation — but this? he almost can’t fathom it.

“what…?”

“is such a concept so hard to grasp?” 

“can you blame me for not knowing? i haven’t seen the bastard in fourteen years. i knew he was capable of some cruelty, but not this.” kaeya responds defensively. 

“i do not blame you, child. this is why i am talking to you in a civil manner and giving you truths no one would ever divulge.” 

kaeya huffs softly. his head is starting to hurt again. he needs to get out of here. he needs to get away entirely . 

“alright, well uh… now what? i just… go back home? how do i get out of this?” 

“that is what i am willing to do if you have no more questions.”

the prince shrugs a shoulder, “yeah, guess i’m done.” 

“then, i bid you farewell, i have other guests and having three conversations at once is tiring.” 

kaeya feels that pull again, but this time backwards. 

“wh-” he stumbles back and then he’s suspended in the air as he pops out of the crystal before he plummets. he flails, trying to right himself to deploy his glider, but panic seizes his instincts. instead, he screams, bracing himself for the hit. before he knows it, all goes black.

—

the traveler rubs their head as they sit up, looking around blearily. they only see eide in the corner of the house, and they blink the sleep away. 

what happened…? kaeya’s still not here… 

last they knew, they had left the ruins without knowing where kaeya disappeared to, returned with eide and then they lost caribert after ‘curing’ the boy with the abyss. they eventually found him at the edge of the cliff, and then everything went dark for the traveler.

“ah, traveler… you’re finally awake… ha… no, why am i still calling you ‘traveler,’ i’ve known your identity from the start.” eide chuckles as he rises, “and since we’re dropping our guises, allow me to do so as well. you see, my name is not eide, it is chlothar… chlothar alberich.”

the traveler shoots up at that, jumping to their feet. an alberich…? like kaeya? does kaeya know? 

gods… where is kaeya? he still hasn’t come back. the traveler fears something bad happened to him. 

“don’t look so surprised…” ‘chlothar’ reassures, “in any case… you felt the power, didn’t you? the abyss… ah, what a wondrous feeling. i see now why our people turned to it. the addiction, the gratification… i will gladly be a sinner, as you so called it.” 

the traveler takes a step back. this man is crazy . 

“my son… caribert didn’t deserve his fate, so i will change it. he will become… the loom of fate . yes… that is what i will do.”

their breath hitches and they shake their head, “no, no ! you can’t use the abyss, it’s dangerous…” they plea, and chlothar merely chuckles. 

“how odd. i never would have expected you to say that… you… we looked to you for strength, for the future… we wanted you to take us there, o’ ruler of khaenri’ah .”

the traveler freezes. what…? ruler of khaenri’ah? that… that isn’t them, that’s kaeya… right? 

“wh-what did you just call me?” their voice tremors as their hands shake. they lift them to touch their face, but nothing seems amiss; no eyepatch, nothing. 

they stagger over to the broken mirror, snatching it. they slowly bring it up, but instead of seeing kaeya like they thought, their eyes widen at the sight before them.

their twin…?

“what…?” they gasp, dropping the broken mirror and stumbling backwards. no, no, no. this doesn’t make sense. 

they clutch their head, breathing coming out in short pants as panic races through them. what is going on? have they finally lost their mind?

“traveler!” dainsleif voice calls out to them and they whip around. heart pounding, they try to race to the door when their world goes black. 

a moment later, they wake with a gasp. they shoot up from where they lay, panting for air. 

“traveler! oh thank goodness, you’re awake!” paimon cries out as she zips for her companion, throwing her arms around them. 

dainsleif is kneeling next to them, having been fanning them with a large leaf off one of the trees.

“you gave us a fright. you were asleep for a long time.” he comments.

“wh-where’s kaey-” they’re about to ask when they hear the aforementioned prince’s scream of terror. 

the traveler and dainsleif turn around in alarm, kaeya breaking out of his sleep with a flail and rolling off of the log he had apparently slept on. 

kaeya lands on the ground with an oomph and he groans. 

“kaeya! are you okay?” paimon asks as she floats over in concern. 

he coughs and spits out dirt before pushing himself up. “ugh. yeah… i’m fine.” he wipes his face and shakes his head. 

he looks to the spooked traveler, and he knows without words that what they both just experienced was hell… putting it mildly.

dainsleif connects the dots, and concern tugs his brows. “you two saw through the leylines, didn’t you?”

the traveler nods mutely while kaeya huffs, “yeah… just about.” he leans back against the log. 

“i… saw how the abyss order came to be, and…” the traveler glances at kaeya, “we met a sinner…” 

dainsleif immediately straightens up. “ what? ” his voice is low, almost dangerous. 

kaeya nods, “the visionary… vedrfolnir . he.. looked familiar.” 

the twilight sword remains silent, kaeya’s nerves fraying once again. the look on his knight’s face makes him nervous. who is that man…? why does dainsleif seem so angry at the sound of his name?

“wait… kaeya, where did you go? you… suddenly disappeared. i thought something happened to you.” the traveler asks. 

“he pulled me into that crystal with him, gave me some ‘truths.’ i don’t… believe him really, but… everything he said made sense: why i’ve been seeing the reality behind the hilichurls, why i couldn’t cure caribert… why i was even in that vision.” 

“strange… apparently we were experiencing my sibling’s memories… how did he see you?” they ask. 

“i don’t know, but he pointed me out right away and knew i didn’t belong. the thing is… i’ve heard his voice before. a few days ago, i had this strange dream. i met a woman, and then there was this voice. she said he was her associate…” 

the traveler falls silent, thinking about it. chlothar called them their sibling’s title… but it doesn’t make sense. kaeya’s the royal heir, the one propped up as ‘the last hope,’ he said so himself. so, why did chlothar say it was their sibling?

“chlothar… tried to say my sibling is the ruler of khaenri’ah.” they mention softly. 

kaeya perks a brow, then he shrugs, “well, remember what i said after stormterror and the abyss order? they’ve always had a leader, one that they called royalty. even though they’re not, i’m not going to fight for that title. i abandoned that role for a reason, so honestly, they can play the prince or princess all they want. if that’s the burden they want to carry, so be it.” he eyes dainsleif at that, wondering just how he feels about kaeya outright denying his status. 

in a complete surprise to kaeya, dainsleif nods. “chlothar was right. while he created the abyss order, my companion was the true ruler. i can only imagine it’s because the real heir to khaenri’ah was ‘missing’, so they were chosen as the leader by proxy.”

“makes sense, i guess,” the traveler sighs and flops onto their back, “after all of this, we’re left with more questions.”

“heh, tell me about it.” kaeya agrees, then pushes himself to stand, dusting off the dirt and grass stains. “anyway, i think it’s about time we get out of here. we’ll rest up in the village nearby, then head back into the city and figure out a gameplan from there.” he proposes. 

“yeah, paimon definitely thinks you two need to rest. let’s get going! maybe we’ll see collei there!”

kaeya chuckles, “collei, huh? it’s been a while since i’ve seen her. let’s go, then.” he packs up his belongings, then looks to his knight. 

“coming with?”

dainsleif steadily meets his gaze, then he takes a breath. “sure, i’ll join for a moment, but i will have to depart soon. i have matters to investigate.”

kaeya nods, “alright then, understood.”

Chapter Text

“okay, so, albedo’s been teaching arvid how to speak teyvat’s common language, but he does know how to sign it, so if anything comes up and he can’t say it, he’ll sign it to you.” kaeya explains, sliding a backpack off his shoulder to hand over to his brother. behind him stands said teenager, wide gold eyes curiously studying diluc. 

“as for what he eats… he likes meaty stuff, but he’s not a big fan of veggies, so try to avoid them. um, let me think… albedo might drop by every now and then to check on him. oh! right, and there’s a couple extra potions. albedo said they might not be needed, but you never know.” 

diluc nods along, rummaging through the backpack. other than clothes and potions, he notices books and papers. 

“what are these?”

“well, since he’s still learning, albedo has him reading books to get used to our language. they’re just kid books that lisa had on hand that razor isn’t using anymore. the papers are so he can keep practicing his writing.” 

“i see.” he closes the bag, then he lets out a breath, “very well, i can handle it from here.” 

kaeya nods, clapping his hands together in a grateful prayer. “thanks, ‘luc, you’re a lifesaver.” he turns to arvid, and he offers a kind smile. “alright, you’ll be staying here with master diluc. i promise underneath that grumpy expression, he’s really a sweetheart.”

the kid shifts his attention from diluc to kaeya, reading kaeya’s expression. after a moment, he nods silently, and he steps away from the taller khaenri’ahn. 

“good. i’ll try to come back as soon as i can. if not, i’ll keep you updated.” kaeya tells his brother. 

“of course. and worst case scenario, i’ll come out if the situation calls for it.” diluc mentions their last resort, to which kaeya nods.

“it’s settled then. see you guys later.” kaeya salutes to the pair, watching diluc turn to the teen and awkwardly but kindly invite him into the manor. with a sad smile, kaeya takes a deep breath, then he departs.

the desert is stifling, and he somehow managed to get sand in his boots from the blowing dust devils. he has never felt more miserable in his entire life. he doesn’t remember it being this hot or dry, and he wants to pass out. 

the journey through the forest was no issue, but the second they hit the sand, kaeya swears he felt every liquid in his body evaporate. they had been in the desert for hours at this point, and the sun only seems to be getting hotter.

“what if i just died here?” he brushes his bangs out of his face, wiping the sweat from his forehead. he has already tied his hair up into a high ponytail, but it hadn’t done anything to keep the heat away. 

he had tried to use his cryo, but with his body’s low tolerance of extreme temperature, he knows his energy has to be delegated to the journey. if he focused on keeping cool instead, he wouldn’t have made it this far. 

“should we stop somewhere?” the traveler asks with a concerned expression as they pause, gold eyes scanning around them. cliffs jut out nearby, providing a bit of shade. “we can go rest over there for now.” they offer. 

kaeya looks longingly towards the darkened canopy of rock. “yeah, sure, s’better than melting alive.” he makes his way towards the cliffs. he isn’t sure if he’d rather freeze to death from dragonspine’s cold over the desert heat. neither are exactly ideal. 

the second he hits the shade, he sighs in relief. he sinks to the ground and basks in the slight coolness. it isn’t as cold as he would like it, but it’s better than the direct heat from the sun. 

the traveler digs into their bag, pulling out a few bottles of water. “here, i got these in caravan ribat.” they hand one over to kaeya. 

kaeya takes it gratefully and nearly downs all of it. after he finishes, he wipes his mouth and he slumps over a rock next to him with a groan. 

the traveler frowns softly. “we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” they assure him. 

he sighs, “i want to… i’m just not used to the heat. i’ll be okay.”

they nod, “okay.” they drink their own water, but the worry still rests on their expression. 

kaeya looks off into the horizon. “what about you? how are you feeling?”

“i’m okay… i’ve been through the desert a ton of times, so i got used to it, but i know paimon gets too overheated so i let her stay with a few friends we have in the city.”

“that’s good. no reason for two of us to be suffering from the heat.”

“kaeya…”

he chuckles, “no, really, i’ll be okay. it’s just been a very long time.” he sits back up, then sighs. “though, i guess a part of me is stalling a little… i’m afraid of what i’d find.”

the traveler brings their knees up to their chest. “and if we don’t find anything?”

“then… at least i got some kind of answer.”

they nod quietly, looking up at the sky. 

the pair sit in silence for a while, tumbleweeds rolling and bouncing along the sand as hot wind blows them around. 

kaeya takes a deep breath, then he pushes himself to his feet. he dusts off the sand, even though it’s fruitless. “okay, let’s get going.” before he decides against this whole trip and calls it off. 

the blonde hops to their feet, repacking their bag and leading the way again. 

they walk for hours, stopping every now and then in shades and small oases to catch their breath and cool down. eventually, the sun begins to set, and the air goes from hot to a slow chill. 

the traveler finds a spot for them to rest, kaeya setting up the tent and sleeping bags while the traveler summons a personal stove. 

they settle in for the night, kaeya staring up at the stars as they begin to twinkle. the sky turns from a soft purple to a deep navy. 

his gaze strays to his constellation, the eye of the peacock shining brighter than he’s ever seen it. he tilts his head as he stares at it, wondering what it means. rarely has it ever done that, only when he’s in an intense situation. 

“huh…” he looks down at his vision at his hip, but it still glows normally. “odd.” he murmurs. 

“okay!” the traveler claps their hands once in pride, pulling kaeya out of his thoughts, “dinner is done!” they beam, bringing over a dish to kaeya. “here, it’ll help us have better energy tomorrow.” 

“why thank you, traveler~” he takes a few bites, hoping to get his mind off of everything. 

as the night draws on, the pair retire to the tent, the traveler almost immediately falling asleep. kaeya, on the other hand, finds himself staring up at the sky again from the slightly open flap, unable to sleep. the exhaustion tugs at him, yet his heart weighs heavily in his chest, and his stomach knots up, leaving him wide awake. 

a big part of him wants to just abandon this whole endeavor, lock it up and throw away the key. he knows he isn’t equipped to handle this. 

however, no matter how hard he fights himself, he knows he has to do this. he has to see what’s left, he has to put this puzzle together. it will drive him crazy if he doesn’t. he already took the first steps, there is no point in turning back, even if he really wants to.

kaeya sighs, rolling over onto his side. he clenches his eyepatch in his hand, trying to use it as grounding. he can feel the incoming panic attack, and he desperately doesn’t want to wake the traveler. he has already shown enough vulnerability, he couldn’t show just how pathetic he really feels . 

he huffs, curling himself into a tight ball. breathe… just breathe ….

he shuts his eyes tightly as he takes in slow deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. 

when he can feel the pressure in his chest lift a bit, he relaxes. he wiggles further into his sleeping bag, and lets the exhaustion in his bones overtake him.

the next day, their journey takes them north of the sumeru desert. while still rather hot and dry, it isn't as bad as it had been. kaeya can breathe a little easier here. 

“how do you handle this?” he still asks the traveler as they lead him down through a tunnel.

“i guess i’m just used to traveling. i’ve been to other worlds and walked through strange weather, so the desert really doesn't faze me.” they explain. 

intrigue perks kaeya's brow. “is that so? you know, you are quite the mystery. maybe after this, you can tell me more about these other worlds you've been to.” he always wondered about life beyond teyvat. 

the blonde smiles as they carefully step around uneven ground. “i’d love to.” 

arriving at the intersection of paths underground, each one branching off to different areas under the desert, the traveler looks to the stone walls on the right hand side to see the path they need. their gaze shifts to the arena-like floor in the centre where they know an abyss lector is stationed and they look at kaeya.

“we need to be careful, a powerful abyss lector that controls four elements stays here.” they explain, looking back at the floor, but as they do, they notice the lack of abyssal portal and they blink.

“huh?” they look back at kaeya, confused.

“what’s up?” he asks, tilting his head curiously.

“they're… not here? i’m not sure why but… it’s just us and an access to the labs where the elevator shaft we need is.” the traveler remarks as they begin walking to the stone walls, kaeya following suit.

“perhaps they’re needed elsewhere and moved on from here?” kaeya shoots out the random theory, to which the traveler shrugs. 

“maybe, it’s just… weird.” they mumble as they walk down the winding tunnel to the abandoned laboratories. 

kaeya follows after them, boots clunking against the metal flooring as they enter the laboratories. 

“it's down this way.” the traveler brings kaeya to the elevator shaft, and the pair jump down, furling their gliders to soften their landing when they get closer to the ground. 

they soon find another shaft and jump down that one as well, kaeya dusting off his clothes. 

“alright, let's see…” the blonde taps their chin as they look around. they spot the open door and perk up. “aha! this way.” 

kaeya follows their gaze and like a punch to the gut, dread sinks into his belly like a dead weight. they're close, he can feel it. his hands tremble and his heart squeezes painfully in his chest. 

the traveler makes their way towards the door, pausing when kaeya doesn't move. 

“kaeya?”

he shakes his head to rid the fog of panic, and he quickly makes his way over to them. 

“sorry… let's go.” he gestures for them to lead the way. 

casting him one more glance, the blonde brings him out into a cave. across a large pit, a broken stairway leads up into a grand door, a star etched into it. 

kaeya’s knees buckle for a moment and he quickly rights himself. he takes a deep breath, then he brings forth his sword. channeling his cryo, he builds a staircase of ice, filling in the broken gap. 

“after you.” he tries to give the traveler a charming smile, but they clearly aren't buying his facade. 

still, they climb the stairs, stopping just a few feet back from the door. 

kaeya swallows thickly and follows behind them. his heart pounds thunderously and nausea swirls his gut. 

there it is . 

he stares up at the colossal door, the star of his people engraved into it. 

this was his home… 

he sinks to his knees, arms winding around himself as he struggles to breathe. it's too much, all of this is too much. so close to home, yet he knows he could never return — none of them could. 

can he really do this? can he really save all of his people? can he restore khaenri’ah’s glory? being here… it really feels like he can’t, and maybe it’s true. 

to build a nation… he can’t do it, not on his own. kaeya is only one person, royalty or not, and he knows he doesn’t have the strength to rebuild his home, let alone lead it. 

he feels a hand on his shoulder and he looks up, the traveler rubbing comfortingly, a sad expression on their face. 

he sighs, and he leans into their touch, letting it ground him. 

“what if i can’t do it?” he speaks up, voice hoarse. 

the traveler sinks beside him, “then we’ll figure it out. we won’t let you go at this alone.” 

he feels his eye burn, and he looks down. “we?” he asks. he knows what they mean, but he still needs to hear it to soothe the raw agony in his heart. 

they smile, “we, all of us. we’re here to help you, kaeya. this isn’t a task for one person to handle by themselves, so you’ll have help from me, from master diluc, captain albedo. we want to support you.” 

he takes a deep breath and he nods, shutting his eye as it waters. “i know you’re right. it just… feels so overwhelming.”

“i know how you feel, but we’ll get through it.” they promise. 

“and if you’d have me, i would also like to help.” a voice from behind them speaks, jerking them both out of their bubble. 

kaeya stiffens, recognizing that voice anywhere. he glances back to find his mysterious knight a few paces away from them. 

“dain?” the traveler asks as they stand up, brushing the sand off their knees. “what are you doing down here? how’d you know where to find us?”

“something was telling me to come here, i suppose i know why now.” he explains, his eyes shifting to kaeya. 

kaeya takes a deep breath and he pushes himself to his feet as well. “so, what, you’re stalking me now?” he’s partially teasing, his arms folding over his chest. 

dainsleif’s eyes widen, “what? no, i am not… my deepest apologies if it came across that way. i genuinely didn’t know you both were down here.” 

the prince smirks, grateful for the distraction. “i’m only joking. though, it isn’t a coincidence we keep running into each other, but i figure we might as well embrace it, no?”

confusion tugs the blonde’s brows, “i am not sure i follow…”

the traveler rolls their eyes, “meaning, we might as well just stick together at this rate. you know, i kinda agree with him. you’re always disappearing after dropping huge bombshells on me and paimon.” they put their hands on their hips, a frown quirking their lips. 

kaeya chuckles a bit, “you just end up getting all the bombshells at this rate, dear traveler. next you’ll say you met, oh i dunno, a powerful dragon changing fate.”

both the traveler and dainsleif glare at the prince, who raises his hands in self-defense at that. “okay, sorry.”

“at this rate, that might actually come true, so let’s not.” the traveler huffs. they really don’t need huge surprises and twists like that. 

“in any case… i suppose you two are right. i simply prefer to keep my distance so i can investigate the abyss order properly.” dainsleif explains. “however, if you truly do wish for me to stay, i would not mind. it would make things easier.”

“attaboy!” kaeya grins, “besides, if you’re really my knight, shouldn’t you be protecting your poor defenseless prince?”

“and here i assumed you despised me calling you my prince.” dainsleif shoots back. 

“hey, i never said that. i just felt it was a little weird to say it in public in front of everyone who knows me as the cavalry captain.” kaeya points out.

“you are also far from poor or defenseless, so regardless on what you say, you speak a lie.” he remarks. 

kaeya pouts, “you’re no fun, no wonder paimon says you’re a stick in the mud.” 

the traveler giggles, “he kinda can be.” they tease along. 

the prince huffs, “well that’s just cruel. now how about we deal with this door before my own knight apparently bullies me to death.”

the traveler nods and turns back to the door, “okay, what are we hoping to find?” they ask. 

kaeya shrugs as he summons the courage to walk up to it. “i’m not entirely sure. i highly doubt we can open it, if we could, people would’ve done it by now.” 

slowly, he reaches a hand out, placing a palm on the cool stone of the door. 

his heart skips a beat and the world distorts around him. he staggers away, trying to readjust his vision, and when he does, he freezes at the sight before him. 

the door that was shut is now wide open, and the warmth of braziers lighting the way down hit him. kaeya turns to address the others, but pales when he notices that he’s not only alone, but the bridge he made is instead an actual, stone bridge. 

“huh…? traveler? dain?” 

he groans, running a hand over his face. not again. he swears, he’s going to find that sinner and give him a piece of his mind for this. 

“fine, guess i’ll do this alone again.” he grumbles. taking a deep breath, he turns back to the open door, and summoning his sword despite being in a vision, he steps through. 

he walks through long corridors, the stone etched with khaenri’ahn designs that he knows he’s seen in other places. 

he shudders, continuing to follow the lit path until finally, the corridor opens into an entire world. however, instead of the soft blue lighting in the darkness that he remembers, everything is a deep red, with a large blood-red moon hovering in the sky. 

“huh…? this… this isn’t khaenri’ah… is it?” he mutters to himself. 

“indeed it is, child.” a feminine voice next to him speaks, and kaeya barely has the sense to keep himself from shrieking. 

he whips around, sword drawn, finding a mysterious hooded person next to him. 

“who the hell are you?” he asks, heart pounding from the scare. 

“there is no need to fret, dear one. i did not mean to frighten you. however, i will answer your question. you are in khaenri’ah, just not the khaenri’ah you remember.”

“what does that mean? khaenri’ah never looked like this. well, the red i remember, but not that moon. ours was dark…” 

the hooded woman chuckles, “that is true, that is how khaenri’ah looked in its later years. however, this was before your reign. once upon a time, a different dynasty ruled over khaenri’ah. not many remember it, but it was known as the crimson moon dynasty.”

kaeya looks out to the aforementioned moon. he gets chills just from looking at it. 

“okay.. why am i back here, though? if i wasn’t a part of it, why am i seeing it? shouldn’t i be seeing my version of khaenri’ah?” he asks. something about the woman’s voice is familiar, but he can’t pinpoint it with the way his head is beginning to throb. 

“if you are the true heir to khaenri’ah, you simply must know your home’s history, all the way to the roots.” she explains. 

“but this is forgotten history to time, no one in the eclipse dynasty knows about this crimson moon… i know we named it after we formed an eclipse but… this feels… wrong.” he mutters. 

“indeed, just as your khaenri’ah was erased from teyvat’s history. the gods above could not tolerate our homes. although, the crimson moon dynasty was not brought down by the will of the gods, instead, it was the head of the eclipse dynasty that ended our reign. still, it is impertinent that khaenri’ah’s history should be remembered, lest we repeat the cycle once more.”

“how did you know the head of the eclipse dynasty did this? from what i’m witnessing, it’s still thriving. so either you’re lying or… you know more than you let on.” kaeya looked over to the hooded figure, his gaze narrowing. “who are you.” 

“you are in the past. this is what it looked like back then. as for how i know? i was there when the original king of the eclipse dynasty eradicated the crimson moon’s.”

kaeya feels a cold dread seep into his veins, a haunting realization coming to mind. this person is talking to him in this vision, as if they came with him… but how? that visionary told him no one can see him in visions unless they were affiliated with the abyss.

is this woman affiliated with the abyss?

“you didn’t answer my last question. who are you ?” he asks, gripping his sword tightly. 

“i am no one, just a mere survivor helping you understand what you’re seeing. you will soon be at the helm of your nation, you need to know your history. i do not wish to see you fail where many others have.”

kaeya barks out a bitter laugh, “ha, no pressure.” he turns to look back at the moon. “but… one more issue, how do you know everything about me, if i only asked about khaenri’ah? i never introduced myself, so you’re still hiding a lot from me. so if you value your life, i’d talk or get executed.” 

“ah, just as feisty as your father. i see where you get it from. i know everything about khaenri’ah — every past, every present, and i know every future. you are an important figure, that is not hidden knowledge.” she nudges the tip of the sword away, “i will reveal who i am in due time. if i give you too much information, i fear your pretty little mind might explode.” she reaches up, and she taps his forehead. “return to your companions, you will understand later.”

“no, you are going to-!” before kaeya could finish his yell, he feels the pain in his head and cries out as he falls forward like he was going to faint. 

he feels hands catch him and he shakes his head despite the painful throbbing. he groans, looking up to find the traveler and dainsleif on either side of him. 

“kaeya? what happened? you just froze up.” the traveler brings kaeya to sit down, not realizing they had sat him down next to the mourning flower that pokes out of the ground.

he sighs heavily, rubbing his forehead. “i was in another one of those damn visions.” what the hell was that just now? that woman… she seemed so familiar. 

“what did you see?” dainsleif asks as he kneels beside kaeya, a wary tone to his voice. 

“i… can we get out of here first?” kaeya asks softly, nausea rising. he can’t be here anymore, it’s all too much.

“of course.” dainsleif nods. 

“can you walk?” the traveler asks. 

“i uh… i dunno… i feel sick though…” he mutters, lowering his head to try and keep it at bay. 

“i’ll carry you, then.” dainsleif offers, not giving kaeya the chance to protest before he’s sliding his arms under the prince, lifting him to carry him bridal style.

the traveler snickers quietly, “alright, let’s go then.” they lead the pair out of the cave and labs, heading back up to the surface. 

“yay… desert.” kaeya groans when they climb out of the tunnels, greeted with heat and sand. 

“are you able to walk now?” dainsleif asks, their eyes meeting. 

kaeya sighs, nodding. “yeah, i’m fine now. thanks, dain.” he hops out of the knight’s arms, trying to ignore the way his heart is jumping. he already has enough to deal with. 

“well, we can stop and camp out for a bit, then maybe head back into the city, find paimon, and figure out our next move. my original plan was to go to fontaine, see if the hydro archon had any answers for me about my sibling.” the traveler explains as the trio find a suitable area to rest. 

“fontaine, huh…” kaeya muses to himself, “i’ll come with you. i’m not exactly ready to go home yet, and who knows, maybe i can find something out there. not that i’d know what i’m looking for, but given everything, i can’t rule it out.” 

the traveler perks up, “oh, okay! yeah, that’d be great. what about you, dain? are you gonna disappear on us again?”

“i do not think fontaine would be suitable for me, but i will be here in sumeru while you two are away. i still have matters to handle in regards to the abyss order. they’re quite active here.”

the traveler pouts, “okayyy… fine. we’ll bring you back something from fontaine, then.”

kaeya smirks a bit at dainsleif, “what’s the matter, scared the hydro archon will judge you for abandoning your lord~?” he teases. 

“no, actually, i am more afraid of the iudex judging me.” he answers plainly. 

“iudex? you have history with them?” the traveler asks curiously. 

“you could say that, yes.” dainsleif nods. 

“and more and more, you continue to be a mystery.” kaeya sighs. 

“well, can you tell us about them?” the blonde asks. “if we’re staying in fontaine for a while, we need to know what they’re like.” 

“he isn’t a bad person, i apologize if i made it seem that way. he is very kind, a bit firm and intimidating. our history isn’t anything negative, i just know he might not wish to see me.”

“so you’re the problem child then.” kaeya teases. 

the traveler frowns, “...does he know where you’re from? could that be it? you know… does he know what my sibling does?”

dainsleif meets their eyes, and he nods once. “i fear he may also think the same of me as your sibling does. he, too, may think i failed to protect my home.”

“why would he think that? he’s not from khaenri’ah, right? so… what would he care?” the traveler asks, to which dainsleif merely remains silent.

kaeya tilts his head at that, brows furrowing. how odd… 

“huh… anyway, yeah, guess we’ll catch you up when we see you again.” the traveler shrugs. 

“i would appreciate that.” 

the trio fall silent, kaeya sitting back against a rock. 

“i should probably talk about the vision, huh.” he asks himself more than he asks his companions. 

“if you want to.” the traveler encourages with a small smile. 

he returns it, “i do… might as well get it off my chest before i explode.”

they shake their head, but they pay attention regardless.

“so… the door was open, and i walked in, but instead of the khaenri’ah i remember, i wound up seeing… a version before my home… apparently there was a dynasty that ruled before ours, the crimson moon dynasty. the thing is… the history of that dynasty was buried and erased, so no one in ours knew about it. i met this… woman, i guess, and she told me i was being shown that particular era because i apparently need to know the true history of khaenri’ah if i’m ever to rule as the future king.” 

“hm… indeed, you are right. that era has been erased. i knew the king that had overthrown the previous dynasty and started his own. he wanted our home to thrive in technology and the smarts of mankind, rather than using mysterious powers and forces.”

“you knew him? but… if he was the first king, wouldn’t that have been a long time ago?” the traveler asks. 

“well, you see, khaenri’ahns age differently. physically, we age slower, but mentally, we’re hundreds of years. think of comparing human years to animal years, except we use both simultaneously. so while i may be over five hundred years old, i still have the physical appearance of a man in his late twenties.” 

“oh, i get it. my sibling and i are like that.” the traveler nods in understanding. 

“so, as i was growing up, i knew of both kings. our first king ruled for quite a long time. i was born a few years before his reign ended, before the second one came into power. i served under the second king, and that is how i became kaeya’s knight. i would say, physically, i was in my late teens. i was quite young for the ranks, but due to my skills, power, and strength, i made captain of the royal guard.” 

“wow, that’s pretty neat.” the traveler smiles. 

he smirks in amusement, “i suppose you could say it was. i was quite proud back then, so i certainly held a bit of confidence and even arrogance. about one hundred years before the cataclysm, your sibling arrived. i assume this is when you two were traveling and ended up here in teyvat. from what i recall, they told me you had been put to sleep, so they traveled this world and found khaenri’ah. as you know, the cataclysm struck. i led a faction of knights, and we did our utmost to protect our home. your sibling had assisted us in battle, and you obviously know the rest.”

the traveler nods slowly, tracing patterns into the sand beneath them. “yeah… they woke me up and said we had to go, so we tried, and we were blocked by that god. she took my sibling, and then i was put to sleep again. i didn’t wake up until five hundred years later… i found myself on the beaches of mondstadt, and that’s how i met paimon.” 

kaeya listens silently. it’s so much to absorb, and he fears that woman might have been right about his brain exploding. his head throbs painfully, and he just wants to sleep for a few decades.

“in any case, back to the topic at hand, the first king of the eclipse dynasty eradicated the crimson moon. it was one of the reasons khaenri’ah was… weak, i suppose. the stability was still recovering from the shifting of reigns.”

“that must be why that woman told me i had to stop the cycle… no matter where the source came from, khaenri’ah was destroyed twice.” kaeya remarks. 

dainsleif nods, “unfortunately, it’s true.”

the prince sighs, and flops back into the sand. “‘ hey, kaeya, we know you’ve been a cavalry captain for a few years and you have a new home, but you should totally just throw your life away and go back to khaenri’ah and bring it back. no pressure, by the way, but you’re the only person who can do it. ‘kay, cool, have fun! ’” he mocks his fate, covering his eyes with his hands despite one being under an eyepatch.

the traveler looks over and sighs at the dramatic performance. “well you did lose your cavalry, kaeya, so you’ve kinda got a lot of free time.” 

he fake sobs, “not you too, traveler~” he whines, “damn you, varka, taking the entire cavalry but forgetting the captain.” he shakes a fist at the sky. 

“you know, you should become an actor instead at this rate.” they smirk. 

“you know… that might not be a bad idea, and we’re going to fontaine, which is known for filmmaking and movies. might ask the hydro archon for a job.” 

“and watch this mysterious iudex end you beforehand?”

“knowing my luck, yeah, i bet i pissed him off in some alternate universe, so he might hate my guts just by sheer principle.” 

“no, i do not think he will harm you.” dainsleif pipes up, “he is quite understanding if you follow the laws of fontaine and remain respectful.” 

“welp, kaeya’s a goner.” the traveler smirks.

“hey now, i can be respectful. i’ll have you know, grandparents in mondstadt think i’m the best gentleman.” 

“and yet i hear jean, diluc and albedo scold you for being mischievous and they’re key people in mondstadt.” they counter.

“diluc doesn’t count, and jean scolds everyone. albedo rarely scolds me, thank you very much.” he pouts. 

“jean doesn’t scold lisa, amber, sucrose, eula, i could continue if you want.” 

kaeya waves it away, “anyway, i’ll be on my best behavior. besides, fontaine’s new to me, and i’d be more interested in exploring than causing trouble.” 

“alright, alright. besides, it’ll be nice to have a friend besides paimon.”

“then it’s settled~”

Chapter Text

“goodbye hellish desert, hello beautiful water!” kaeya cheers as they reach the end of the desert, one of fontaine’s ports in sight, the waterfalls bordering the horizon. 

“we made it!” paimon chirps with him, spinning high into the air before hovering back down to the traveler. 

kaeya breathes in the fresh air from the ocean water, sighing in relief as it cools him down. 

the traveler shakes their head with a laugh before jumping down the cliff, gliding their way to the beach. 

kaeya follows suit, paimon floating after them. as they stand on the shore, the traveler contemplates the ship wheel that rests a bit in the water. 

“hm.. should we drive…” they muse. 

“could always use my cryo.” kaeya offers. 

“true! okay, yeah, that’ll work better.”

“at your service.” kaeya bows before leading them across the water to the port, ice forming a bridge under them as he channels his cryo to his feet. 

“ah, this is so exciting!” paimon wiggles in the air once they step onto the concrete. 

“whoa…” kaeya tilts his head as he looks at a mechanical person standing in a stall of sorts. 

the traveler walks over to the billboard, looking over the posters, one of which is advertising a magic show. 

“ooh! a magic show! we should go see it when we have the chance.” paimon suggests. 

“well if you wish to watch the show, i would be honored to welcome new audience members~” a tease comes from behind the trio, which makes paimon jump.

“ ah! you can’t just do that to paimon!” she yells as she turns to see not one, but two people standing there. 

the male in the top hat smiles as he waves her off, “sorry, sorry, forgive me for the scare. i’m lyney, and this is my sister and assistant, lynette.” he gestures to the female, who gives a curt bow.

“a pleasure.” lynette responds softly, her cat ears twitching. 

“nice to meet you!” paimon waves, “paimon is paimon, and this is the traveler, and kaeya.” she points to each respectively.

“the pleasure is all ours! you seem to be new around here, so how about myself and my sister take you around? fontaine is… well, rather unique i’d say.” lyney explains. 

“unique?” kaeya questions as he walks over properly to get involved in the conversation. 

“well, unlike most archons, our beloved archon lives amongst us and attends everything. anyone who shows up to fontaine and enjoys either our trials or shows will see her, so i’d get used to that.” he explains. 

“that’s-” kaeya starts, before being interrupted.

“brilliant!” paimon grins as she holds the traveler’s hand. “you can get answers to your sibling quicker that way!” 

“well, how about we go towards the court of fontaine so you can get ready to meet her? the show is starting tonight but we need something from our house. you can come with us.” lyney offers, but before he could get a response, he notices the other civilians look up and he blinks. 

“or… lady furina would come to see you herself instead.” lyney mumbles. 

guards march onto the scene, and up above the port, a girl in blue stands before them. 

“my dear people,” the hydro archon speaks, “rich and poor, those with cup in hand and those with nothing at all, raise your glasses in celebration. if you don’t have one, then just raise your hand in lieu.” her mannerisms are quite theatrical, and kaeya shuffles in his spot. something about her raises the hair on the back of his neck, a vice snaking around his heart and squeezing. 

they’re the same… aren’t they?

he knows an act when he sees one, knows a game is being played even if others aren’t aware of it.

“as you can see, two unfamiliar travelers have arrived in our nation. come, let us make a toast in honor of this traveler and their companion who have journeyed here from distant lands!” 

“well… i suppose we found the hydro archon.” the traveler mutters as furina continues to speak.

“i've long heard of the turmoil and chaos you've left in your wake as you visited other nations, but i welcome you nevertheless. no, i have come to receive you personally. fear is for insignificant cowards. i am a god, and i will never entertain the notion of such meaningless wariness. you can be rest assured, i see clearly your sincerity.” she explains. 

the traveler huffs, “hey, those disasters weren’t because of us.” they puff a cheek as they cross their arms, but furina clearly ignores them. 

“of course, seeking an audience with me is the most sensible thing to do. it will allow you to truly behold my power and witness my authority. intelligent people always gather under the correct banner. i, focalors, hereby welcome you to the nation of hydro and acknowledge the value and significance of your trip. now, you may rejoice in this!”

“wow, what a fanfare!” kaeya comments, hand going to his chest, eye locked on furina’s as he takes the lead to keep the traveler from becoming more annoyed. he smiles his gracious smile and he bows, “it’s truly an honor, my lady. thank you, really, for welcoming us in such a grand manner. we did not expect such an entrance, but we are flattered and offer our humblest gratitude.” 

his lifts his gaze, visible eye sparkling as he turns up the charm. he catches the surprise on furina’s face before it quickly disappears. 

“well, well! it looks like you do have some grace after all.” she hums, “very well, then. i hereby grant you entry into my beautiful land. trust me, fontaine far exceeds those silly other nations with their dry heat or their high cliffs.” 

“oh, naturally! i trust that the hydro archon has meticulous quality and has put such an effort into making her nation that much more grand.”

furina giggles haughtily, “my, my, a charmer seems to be in our midst. i can tell this is going to be… entertaining. well, then. you see that, my good people? this is how you woo your archon.”

“wow, kaeya sure charmed her quickly.” paimon comments in the traveler’s ear behind her hand. 

“now, i expect everyone to remain respectful and graciously show our new guests around our lovely home. i do have important trials to attend to, so please, until next time, my dear citizens. ta-ta!~” 

the archon prances away, her guards following her. 

the traveler lets out a sigh, deflating, lyney untensing beside them. 

“well.. that certainly went better than expected,” he comments. 

the traveler eyes kaeya for a moment, the captain still rather stiff. 

“how’d you know how to handle someone like her?” they ask with a tilt of their head. 

kaeya meets their gaze, then shrugs, “she’s easy to read. clearly, she’s someone who thrives off praise and flattery, so i figured playing at her level would get us what we want. if i hadn’t stepped in, something tells me she would have escalated the situation.” 

deep down, he knows exactly what she is. that faux confidence, the loud bolstering. it’s incredibly clear to kaeya that furina is not who or what she says she is. in fact, he knows it too well. fake smiles, overly done bravado. it’s what he practices on a daily basis. 

he wonders what the archon is really like when the mask comes off. is she as broken as he is?

shaking it off, the group makes their way up the lift and to the aquabus. 

as they board the boat, lyney speaks to a small creature — a melusine, lynette answers when paimon asks who she is. however, a familiar passenger climbs onto the boat and lights up like the night sky.

“wow! if it isn’t the traveler and paimon! oh, and mister kaeya alberich as well!” charlotte chirps in delight, quickly snapping a photo as the aquabus begins to move. 

“charlotte!! it’s been a while!” paimon cheers.

“indeed, it is a pleasure to see you again.” kaeya graces her with a charming smile, much like he did during their first meeting. 

“oh!” lyney’s eyes widen in delight, “it seems you’re already acquainted, then.”

“yeah! we met charlotte during the genius invocation: tcg tournament!” paimon answers. 

“which i graciously lost, fair and square. i know when to take losses.” kaeya pipes up as he crosses his heart solemnly, knowing he had been center stage due to being a finalist. 

the traveler rolls their eyes, “uh huh, more like you let a child win.” they tease.

charlotte giggles, “well, either way, it was the hottest scoop — getting to see the finalists of every nation. i do hope another international tournament happens again. i can’t wait to see fontaine enter the fray now that the game has made its way over here!” 

“it might be a good opportunity for you, brother. after all, you did play it quite frequently when the game first came out.” lynette speaks softly as she regards lyney. 

the magician hums as he puts a hand to his chin, “you know, lynette, you might be onto something. i’m certain i can make it pretty far.”

“wow, are you like a renowned player? like cyno?” paimon asks with sparkling eyes. 

“i wouldn’t say renowned, i suppose just the best in our house.” he shrugs sheepishly. 

“he’s being humble as always.” lynette comments. 

as the twins chatter, the traveler feels a bitter twinge in their heart and they let out a slow sigh. 

kaeya shifts beside them, turning his head to look at them. 

“you okay?” he asks softly. 

they lightly jolt in their seat at his attention, and they nod, “yeah! yeah… i’m fine. guess i’m just tired from the trip.” they give a small smile. 

kaeya holds their gaze. like him, they wear a poker face to keep others from worrying.

“okay.” he returns the smile, knowing better than to pry. 

“so, charlotte, any big news!” paimon asks, pulling the pair out of their bubble. 

“well, i have been following a series of cases lately.”

lynette’s ears perk up, “oh, you mean the ‘serial disappearances of young women’ case?” she asks. 

charlotte nods, “mhm! that’s the one!” 

“oh? what is this mysterious disappearance case?” kaeya asks as he slips into the conversation.

“well, the culprit hasn’t been found yet. the first case happened twenty years ago, and ever since, after a period of time, another girl will disappear. they’re all of a similar age, and they have all vanished without a trace.”

“the scariest part is that to this day, none of them have ever been found…” lynette speaks up, her voice soft. her tail curls into her lap, a subtle sign of distress. “many suspects have been arrested over the years that have any sort of connection to this case, but even with all the arrests, another disappearance will always happen.” 

“that’s horrifying…” paimon mutters. 

“sounds a little like a copycat.” the traveler theorizes. 

charlotte nods, “it’s possible. whatever the case may be, the truth should come to light.”

lyney frowns, “agreed.. and those families… they deserve closure or some sort of answer. being left in the dark… i would hate it. if anything like that were to happen to lynette, well, i would do anything to get her back, no matter what it is.” he speaks with resolute determination. 

lynette takes his hand and pats it, “you don’t have to imagine that, lyney. i’m not going anywhere.” she promises.

the traveler swallows thickly and has the overwhelming urge to look away. they set their gaze on the passing scenery of fontaine’s mountains and forests as they ride along the waterways. 

their heart aches and they have to swallow past the thick lump in their throat. lyney and lynette seem so close, so intertwined, and the traveler only agonizes over their sibling’s decision. 

they used to be like that, before they came to teyvat. they don’t remember a time where they were apart, and now, they can feel the deep misery that their twin left behind. why couldn’t they be like lyney and lynette? why couldn’t their sibling have been like lyney and wholly devoted to searching for them instead of running off to lead some abyssal army? are they just not that important to their twin anymore?

their head spirals and tears begin to line their lashes, and they exhale a shaky breath. their hands curl into fists and they thank the stars that everyone is absorbed by a different conversation, paying no mind to the traveler. 

all except kaeya. 

gold eyes chance a glance over to the cavalry captain at their side, and kaeya meets their gaze steadily, concern shimmering in that starred iris. 

they shake their head silently, relaxing one of their hands to reach out, squeezing kaeya’s in a quiet gesture that they would tell him later. 

he nods in return. 

paimon gasps in awe and spins into the air, “wow, look! we’re almost there!” she cheers as the aquabus rolls into the city’s drop-off.

the traveler perks up, grateful for the distraction. 

“the court of fontaine. this is sure to be interesting.” kaeya comments as he gets up, stretching when the boat comes to a stop. 

“this was fun! it was nice seeing you all, but i have a lot of work to do. hopefully i’ll see you guys around. enjoy fontaine!” charlotte waves off her friends before hopping off the aquabus. 

“where should we explore first?” paimon asks, her eyes gleaming in excitement at the thought of roaming a new nation. 

“well, why don’t we stop by my house first to gather some materials, then we can head to the opera epiclese, where the magic show will begin.” lyney explains.

“ooh, sure!” paimon agrees, the traveler nodding in agreement. 

with that, the group move off, following lyney as he leads them through winding streets until they come up to a decent housing district. 

“oh, look!” lyney chirps when he spots a young blonde boy in a diver’s outfit and a mechanical penguin in his hands. “freminet, i didn’t think you were home. where’s everyone else? we have some new friends we’d like to introduce.”

the boy shuffles nervously for a minute, “oh, they left a while ago.”

lyney nods, “i see. i suppose everyone’s getting ready now that “father” will be returning.” he remarks, “in any case, i’d like you to meet our new friends. this is the traveler, paimon, and kaeya. they’re visiting our lovely nation from mondstadt.” 

freminet turns his gaze to the trio and he nods, though when his eyes pass over kaeya, kaeya feels an odd pulse in his heart. despite the innocent and anxious demeanor, kaeya senses a deep darkness within the young boy. 

it reminds him of himself when he was first brought to teyvat. 

he offers a kind smile regardless. 

“it’s nice to meet you all.” freminet bows his head in greeting, voice soft. 

“freminet here is our little brother. he can be quite shy, but don’t let that fool you. he is a phenomenal diver.” lyney praises. 

freminet’s cheeks burn a bright red at the attention and praise, “o-oh. i’m not that great.” he dismisses, then turns to lyney. “i… did want to talk to you about something.”

lyney catches the intent in freminet’s eyes and he nods, “of course, we’ll give them a chance to breathe while we talk over here.” lyney leads his brother aside. 

lynette sighs affectionately, “as you can see, my brothers are far too modest.” she explains, “but they mean well. lyney has always been our leader, since he’s so outgoing.” 

paimon smiles, her hands clasping behind her back, “that’s sweet! your family seems so nice.”

“well, they’re the best and only one i have, so i can’t be picky.” there’s a slight tease in her soft voice. 

kaeya chuckles in response, “i suppose we can’t choose family, huh?” he pointedly ignores the side-eye he receives from the traveler. 

lynette shrugs, “i like to think we can, in some cases. lyney and i were on our own together before we met freminet. he essentially became a little brother to us and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

“oh! so you guys are kinda like adopted siblings then? i heard lyney mention something about a father.” paimon comments.

lynette nods, ears flicking slightly, “yes, you could say that.”

“huh, that’s kind of like kaeya and master diluc.” paimon puts her hand to her chin in thought, kaeya glancing over. 

“oh,” surprise takes lynette’s features, “you have siblings as well?”

“eh, yeah, a cranky older brother. don’t let his grumpiness fool you when you meet him, though, he’s a softie at heart.” kaeya smirks. if he listens closely, he swears he can hear a voice through lyney’s vision a few feet away. 

the traveler shakes their head with an amused smile. 

“i’m sure he sounds lovely. we have some siblings that can seem grumpy.” lynette assures, then her eyes land on the traveler. “what about you?”

the blonde stiffens ever so slightly, and they give a small smile. “oh, um, yeah. i have a twin, too…”

lynette’s ears perk up and swivel at that. “really?”

“mhm…”

“that’s nice. are they also traveling like you?”

“um… i guess they technically are, yeah.” their heart pounds in their ears, and a deep ache settles in their heart, but they mask it with a smile, hoping lynette doesn’t notice their inner turmoil.

“understandable. this world is so big, and some people gravitate towards other places more. at least you’ll be back together after all of this.” she smiles. 

the traveler rubs the back of their neck, “yeah… i know.” they smile back, despite knowing that lynette couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

“whew, got that settled.” lyney’s voice rings out to them as he approaches, “sorry about that, everyone, we can start heading off now—” he starts to tell them when clouds roll in, darkening the sky. rain drizzles down into the city. 

“oh… it’s raining.” freminet comments as he looks up at the sky. 

“how odd… it was just bright and sunny a moment ago, no cloud in sight!” paimon remarks as she holds her hands out to catch the raindrops. 

“ah, yeah, that’s just how weather in fontaine can be.” lyney explains. “it tends to rain whenever trials are being held at the opera house.”

freminet frowns softly, clutching pers tighter.

“what is it?” kaeya asks him softly when he notices the diver shrink into himself. 

“well… there’s this legend about the rain that i believe in… it’s said that a dragon of water once resided in fontaine. we don’t know where it is, but… every time it weeps, the skies will cloud up and pour out rain. when i was a child, my mother told me that if i wanted to go outside and play, i should yell towards the sky at the top of my lungs: hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don’t cry! ” 

kaeya tilts his head at that, lips pursing in thought. “i see. what a very interesting legend, freminet.” 

“oh… an elemental dragon…?” the traveler mutters softly. so far they seemed to have met a few, including a sovereign. could this one be another one? 

they have half a mind to smack kaeya for his joke a few days ago about dragons. 

“hm… let paimon try, then!” she clears her throat, “hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don’t cry!” she yells to the sky, eyes wide, but after a few moments, the rain continues. “oh… guess it didn’t work.” she frowns. 

“seems to be just a legend, or maybe it’s because you’re strangers.” lyney shrugs. 

“awhh.” paimon slumps, the traveler patting her back. 

a few moments and some chatter later, the rain lets up, and lyney sighs as he catches the sunset. 

“well, guess it’s getting late. we still have some preparations before the show.” he explains, “you can meet us later before the show starts. just ride the aquabus to the island of erinnyes. lynette will meet you at the fountain in front of the opera house.”

“okay! will do!” paimon speaks.

“oh… wait… you’re leaving already?” freminet asks, alarm in his eyes although subtle. 

“huh? what is it, freminet?” lyney replies. 

“um… well, i was hoping you would come with me to deliver the supplies for the magic pockets.” he mumbles. 

“oh! i see. um. perhaps we can trouble the traveler to take them for you?” he offers before turning to said blonde, “i do apologize and hope you won’t mind, freminet is rather introverted, and the blacksmith, estelle, at the beaumont workshop can be quite talkative.”

“we can, we don’t mind.” the traveler smiles kindly. 

freminet bows his head politely before handing over the bag, “thank you… i promise i will make it up to you.” he vows. 

“see you guys later!” paimon calls out with a high wave over her head before the trio depart. 

they make their way down to the workshop, the traveler approaching the blacksmith and handing off the supplies. 

“huh… much larger machines than in mondstadt. wagner would have a field day.” kaeya comments with an amazed whistle.

“it seems so advanced!” paimon comments. 

the blacksmith chuckles as she takes the materials, “well, why use your hands when you can use a machine instead? with the technology we have, it would be a waste to not use it.” she shrugs. 

“interesting. where does the power come from?” kaeya asks curiously. 

“ah… well, it’s quite complicated, but in the simplest of terms, everything in this city is powered by indemnitium — it’s a type of energy that’s produced from trials.”

“trials? what do you mean?” paimon asks in confusion. 

“when a trial is in session, the oratrice mecanique d’analyse cardinale harvests people’s belief in justice, and converts it into energy to be used all around fontaine.”

“the what?” paimon tilts her head.

“the oratrice, it’s a machine created by the hydro archon. both it and the honorable chief justice, neuvillette, judge trials. at the end of every trial, the oratrice and monsieur neuvillette will give the verdict, and the oratrice will collect the beliefs before turning it into indemnitium.” she explains. 

“ooh. what happens if there isn’t enough? does fontaine just lose power?” paimon asks. 

“well, we have another form of energy, known as ‘pneumousia.’ unfortunately, it’s still rather… unstable, so not everyone uses it.” 

“well, well, look what we have here?” a smarmy voice rings from behind them. 

brow arching, kaeya turns his head to look over his shoulder, a group of men approaching them. 

“here i thought you’d be hard at work, and yet, you’re shooting the breeze instead. well, since you’re already talking, i’m sure you wouldn’t mind a few words with me.” the frontman smirks. 

estelle immediately stiffens, her eyes going wide. “wh- y… you again? i already told you i’d pay back the mora i owe confrerie of cabriere next month. why are you hounding me?” she demands despite her voice shaking. 

“oh, so you say, but how do we know you won’t go running off by the end of this month?” he points out, “i want fifty percent. today . wait, no… seventy percent.”

kaeya’s hand twitches when another voice pipes up from the other side of them.

“hey, hold on now! before you go around collecting payments, why don’t you settle your own debt first?”

paimon and the traveler both perk up, kaeya flicking his gaze over to the newcomer. almost immediately, he notices the snezhnayan vision on his hip, and the missing light in his blue eyes. 

“childe?!” paimon wiggles in the air, delighted to see him. 

kaeya’s spine stiffens. childe . the eleventh harbinger. he doesn't know everything about him, but he knows enough. he had gone through every known harbinger of the fatui — all but the tenth — so he had good enough intel regarding the ginger. 

childe, while the newest harbinger, clearly didn't earn his position for nothing. he is still a potential threat despite the boyish attitude. even if he weren’t a harbinger, kaeya can still sense a deep darkness within him, and it brings chills to his skin.

what kaeya wants to know is why his companions seem so excited to see him. 

“now, if confrerie of cabriere wants to poach clients from northland bank, that’s fine, but i’m afraid you still owe the bank a hefty sum of mora. why don’t we work things out first, hm?” his hand goes to his hip, then he looks to paimon and the traveler, and he shoots them a toothy grin. 

“hey, paimon, traveler. it’s been a long time!” he greets them casually, and kaeya’s mind starts running. the ginger’s gaze lands on kaeya, and he perks a curious brow. “oh? who’s this?”

“this is our friend, kaeya! he’s the cavalry captain for the knights of favonius.” the traveler introduces. “kaeya, this is our friend, childe.” 

“‘kaeya’? i’ve heard a lot about you. you must be a true friend if the traveler talks about you.” a smirk appears on childe’s face, one that unnerves kaeya. 

“wow! well, i wish i can say the same! the traveler never told me they had such… interesting friends!” kaeya remarks in return, casting the blonde a side-eye. it would have been nice to know that his dear friends were buddy-buddy with a harbinger.

the traveler rubs the back of their neck sheepishly, “heh…. we know so many people… it’s kinda hard to keep track sometimes?” they offer. 

“anyway! what are you doing here in fontaine, childe?” paimon asks. 

“ah well, you know how it is. i felt restless at home, so i decided to come here. gotta say, though, it’s been pretty boring, but now that you guys are here, things oughta be more interesting! after all, trouble seems to follow you like a magnet.” he laughs. 

the traveler rolls their eyes playfully, “we’re not that bad.” 

kaeya shifts his weight, azure eye tracking childe. he still doesn’t trust him. he can’t bring himself to be less frosty towards him, not when he knows the chaos and calamity the harbingers bring whenever one is around. he knows his father’s pets far too well. 

“hey you, northland bank boy! aren’t you forgetting something?” one of the men demands. 

“don’t interrupt, that’s rude.” childe frowns, “it’s not often i get to see the traveler, so why don’t you mind your business and wait for me over there, yeah?” he turns back to the traveler with that blinding grin again, “so, anyway, where was i? oh right— so, get this, i took tonia and teucer ice fishing, and teucer said —”

“hey!! that’s way over the line!” the leader snaps, “we’ve had enough. come on, boys, let’s see who has to pay up now!” 

each of the men pull out their weapons, and childe sighs heavily.

“sheesh, can’t you at least let me finish one sentence? fine. although the bank told me not to get rough with our clients, guess i got no choice.” childe’s bow materializes in his hand, and in a flick, he turns them into hydro blades. “consider this self-defense, so you asked for this.” he grins. he dashes forward, hydro particles spraying into the air as the harbinger makes quick work of the thugs. 

kaeya scoffs softly, taking the time to step a bit of a distance from the scuffle. he brushes off his coat from the residual water that had caught him, his cryo frosting it over until it fell off of him in soft fluffs of snow. 

paimon watches him, her lips pursing in concern before she floats over. 

“are you okay, kaeya?” she asks softly. she can feel the change in the atmosphere with kaeya, and she worries she may know exactly what’s putting the captain off. 

“oh, i’m completely fine. i’m just not a big fan of water.” he gives her his usual charming smile, “don’t worry about me, paimon, i’m all good. let’s just get this over with, and go catch that show later, yeah? hey, actually… i might start heading over. why don’t you two meet me later?” he personally doesn’t feel comfortable being in the same vicinity as a harbinger. 

even if kaeya is a trained fighter, he still knows he’s not a match for childe. that darkness he senses all too well rings the alarms in his head, and it itches at his skin. while he doesn’t think their introduction will lead to a fight, kaeya knows when to avoid a sticky situation. 

“awh, well, okay then! get us good seats! we’ll see you later.” paimon smiles. 

“see you then~” he bows gracefully as a joke before departing. he huffs to himself, making his way up the lift to the aquabus that would take him to the opera epiclese. 

this melusine seems less talkative and more serious compared to aeval on the other line, but kaeya doesn’t mind it. he still listens to the information she gives before the bus stops at the end. 

he thanks her gracefully before stepping off. he takes a breath, walking down the paved pathway. he whistles to himself, hands in his pockets. soon, he comes to the opera house, fountains and jets of water spraying. 

curiously, he approaches the fountain and he reads the plaque. he hums, then pulls out his mora coin. with a flick of his fingers, he tosses it into the fountain.

just as he’s about to leave, he hears quiet sobbing, and he freezes. wide blue eye glances around, trying to find the source, but he doesn’t see many people beyond guards and melusines. 

listening closely, he follows the source to the fountain he’s standing at. the water rushes, but he can hear the faint crying. 

“what…?” he mutters. he peers closer, tilting his head to listen, and he swears the voice sounds familiar. 

how odd… 

he shakes it off, then walks away, making his way to the steps of the opera house. he spots lynette and he bows his head. 

“hey there, lynette.” he greets her.

she lifts her head and she nods her head in return, her hands folded in front of her. 

“hello. you can go ahead and go inside, lyney already has seats for you and the traveler.” she tells him with a small smile. 

“thank you very much.” he returns the smile before heading inside. he doesn’t know why, but the second he steps through the doors, his heart plummets with dread.

Chapter Text

kaeya finds lyney in the opera house, getting the tickets in order. the magician spots kaeya and he perks up. 

“well, well, you’re here early, too! guess you wanted to get your seats before the rest of the audience. don’t worry, everyone has assigned seating.” lyney explains as he gets kaeya’s ticket, “i put you and the traveler down in the front row. you can go ahead and sit now if you want. the show’s not going to start for another half hour or so.” 

kaeya nods, taking the ticket with his seat number on it. “great, thank you.” he bows charmingly, watching the way lyney’s eyes sparkle in flattery.

with that, the cavalry captain enters the theatre, making his way down the steps to the front row. as he approaches, he slows down when he spots a man with long white hair in a loose braid sitting at the end of the aisle. 

ah, so that’s what lyney meant by ‘too.’ 

kaeya lingers for a moment, that dread thickening, anxiety chasing it. the aura of this man is… intense . 

“excuse me.” he mutters as he steps past him to get to his seat. he glances at the man out of the corner of his eye and he nearly trips over his own feet when their gazes lock, kaeya’s heart skipping. 

he looks just like him . he thinks to himself, the ghost of his father briefly flashing over this man’s face. 

that… has to be a coincidence, right? there’s all kinds of doppelgangers in the world, so surely this man just happens to look like his father. 

“sorry.” he mutters and hurries to sit. that intense gaze from this stranger has the hairs on the back of his neck raising. did he do something to him? kaeya doesn’t remember meeting this man ever in his life, so why is this man watching him like a hawk?

“no, don’t apologise. if anything, you seem… on edge?” the man speaks up, soft in his tone as an eyebrow raises in confusion and concern. 

“oh, haha, it’s uh. it’s nothing. you just look like someone i know… that’s all.” kaeya tries not to fidget. 

“oh, i see… funny, i was thinking the same thing about you, actually. apologies, i didn’t get your name?” he asks, head tilting a little bit. 

“kaeya.” he reaches a hand to shake, careful not to slip his last name. he learned his lesson years ago. 

that name; the man pales a little at hearing it. his gaze looks down at the hand and he swallows his pride as he shakes it. “i am neuvillette, the iudex of fontaine.” 

singular eye widens in surprise, “oh. so you’re the ‘neuvillette’ everyone talks about. i see now.” well, that explains that strong aura he gives off. 

“well, when you’ve been within the nation for as long as i have, the rumours do fuel the talk of the nation. if lady furina was not here, i am confident i would be mistaken to be the hydro archon.” he tries to joke. 

deep in his heart, neuvillette knows this man is more than what he claims to be. he recognizes those eyes, the same dull star as him . he can only assume the color of his iris hidden beneath the eyepatch. 

neuvillette’s eyes narrow slightly into a confused squint.

“i’m sorry, you look far too familiar… i do not know why, though.” the iudex admits, despite knowing exactly who he might be. perhaps if he’s direct, he might get an answer out of the boy. 

“please, tell me more about yourself and… that eye of yours.” no going back now , he supposes.

kaeya stiffens at that, “ah, it’s uh…” he feels his nerves bunch up, and his heart rings in his ears. “it’s nothing special, just some… birth defect.” kaeya shrugs, and although it isn’t true, he simply refuses to reconnect with his home. despite everything weighing on his shoulders, he still feels that yawning chasm between himself and his birthright. 

he knows how unwise it is to reveal his khaenri'ahn roots. there's a glaring reason why survivors are so few and far in between. it isn't because there aren't any, if anything, there are quite a lot. no, the issue lies in the fact that most, if not all, of the survivors are regarded as sinners. 

the last thing kaeya wants is a target painted on his back again for revealing his true heritage.

“that is a funny way to admit we share the same home.” neuvillette states bluntly, brows furrowing at how kaeya describes those eyes as ‘birth defects’. does he not remember? does he not know who he is? he supposes it can’t be blamed, neuvillette had left one hundred years before khaenri’ah fell.

kaeya freezes at that, eye widening, but his words fail him. what? how is this man khaenri’ahn? his eyes aren't like his or like dainsleif’s. if anything, they look almost reptilian. 

neuvillette bypasses kaeya's confusion, and continues, “khaenri’ah… has a lot of dark history, i know, but hiding from it will only hurt you more… i’d know, i was in the same position as you are six hundred years ago.” 

kaeya’s heart drops, and he stammers for a second. 

“wh- ah… huh? what are you talking about?” he swears he would have remembered this man growing up, especially if he had been there before the disaster. yet, just like with dainsleif, kaeya has no recollection. who is he? 

neuvillette had mentioned khaenri'ah’s dark past. is he referring to the cataclysm? or is he also referencing the dynasty that predates the eclipse dynasty? 

if so, then he isn't wrong. khaenri'ah carries a weighted past. however, not many knew this history, so it only unnerves kaeya further to find another person that has some sort of awareness about the previous era. 

“you have a lot of questions for me, don’t you.” the iudex remarks, gently taking the other’s hand, almost fatherly. “kaeya alberich, i know you but also don’t know you. you are at the beginning of a journey that will take time, pain, and loneliness to endure, but you cannot stop, you cannot waver, i can answer your questions, but you need to open up to yourself too.” 

the prince swallows thickly and he finally looks away, pulse thundering. “i… you don’t get it… i’m not some… savior. i can’t be. it’s… it’s too much. i still don’t understand any of it.”

“when did i call you a savior? your journey is what you want yourself to be, not what anyone in our kingdom desired. i seek to uphold the law and truths as best i can, and the truth is you are your own person, not whatever fate decreed. prince? sure, by birthright and blood, you can’t escape that, i tried and failed.” 

his lungs constrict, and tears begin to burn. “then why? why is there this huge weight on my shoulders? why me ? i have been fighting my whole life to be something more, to be someone else. he.. he left me behind with a task, and i have to bear it alone. it’s not fair. it’s… just a bunch of crap, and yet, it’s expected of me. i have to be the prince, i have to save our home, i have to do everything for the sake of our people. you’re right, i can’t run away. i have tried so hard, and it keeps catching up to me…” his chest tightens and he swallows thickly again. 

neuvillette listens, tapping in his power that he knows emanates around him to send a wave of soothing energy over kaeya, like a wave gently running up the sandbeds and returning to the main body. “i don’t know what he said, whoever he is that told you this duty. if they are still around, i can speak to them and understand it for you. with my authority… they know dismissing me is a foolish idea.” 

kaeya scoffs, throat thick with tears, “well, he is a clown after all, so who knows? he might be. dumped his kid off at some random guy’s house, and never bothered to see me ever again. i doubt he’d care what anyone else has to say to him.” he can’t contain the bitterness dripping off his tongue as he speaks about his father. 

lilac eyes narrow at the explanation, oh he knows. he knows exactly who did this and he scoffs himself. “ulrich, you fool…”

“...you know my dad?” kaeya asks once he hears his father’s real name slip from neuvillette. “i mean… guess that’s why you kinda look like him. just… younger.” he snorts, “ way younger.”

“i do.” he admits, looking at him properly and he chuckles a bit. “i’d hope i look younger than him given our age difference. he really thought he knew best for everyone all the time, that hasn’t changed it seems. though if i am to be biased for a moment, i am the better looking one of the two of us given my more youthful looks and not an ugly mask in sight.” 

a laugh bubbles from kaeya’s chest, “see, i thought his mask was stupid too. i’ve been cursing that thing since the moment i found out he was wearing one.” 

“tch, his fashion sense is awful, mine was far more superior, and still is.” neuvillette huffs, the humanity enjoying being able to talk about someone close but also distant now. but then he looks down and sighs a bit, realising he has to admit one final truth.

“...do you know why i know your father, but also why i look like him?” 

“i’d like to know that, yeah.” kaeya tilts his head, curious. he has a feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he can't be too sure. he's known to have been wrong before.

right as neuvillette opens his mouth to speak, paimon’s voice rings out. 

“kaeya! there you are!” she chirps as she floats down the stairs, the traveler behind her. 

kaeya bites back a sigh and he straightens up, “well, you two certainly took your time.” he smirks, wiping away the emotional vulnerability he just had. 

the traveler sighs, bowing their head apologetically, “sorry, we just got swept up in talking. good thing we made it in time, though.” they take their seat next to kaeya, before realizing they had completely missed neuvillette sitting there in their hurry.

“oh! hello.” they greet, “we didn’t think anyone else would be here early.” 

“hello to you too. forgive me, i was just finished doing some work here and mister lyney allowed me to sit in the audience early.” neuvillette explains, looking to them, and then at kaeya before he mutters in a native tongue they both knew, “ speak to me later. ”

kaeya stiffens at that before he nods, ignoring the perked brow from the traveler. 

“well, it’s nice to meet you. we didn’t think you knew lyney so closely.” paimon comments, “are you two friends?”

“oh no, sadly i… do not have many friends. however, if mister lyney would like, i’d be happy to be friends with him.” 

“oh, really? well uh… we can be your friends, too! so…guess that gives you three new ones.” the fairy beams, her hands behind her back. 

a chuckle leaves the iudex as he looks away at that. “i’d be delighted to have three new friends. ah! my apologies, i never introduced myself to you two.” he looks back at them, lilac eyes soft in a bit of regret. “my name is neuvillette, the iudex of fontaine.”  

“ooh,” paimon’s eyes sparkle, “paimon is paimon, and this is the traveler! and you’ve obviously just met kaeya.” 

“indeed i did.” the iudex nods. 

soon, the theatre begins to fill as audience members trickle in, taking their seats. paimon wiggles eagerly as they wait, the lights dimming once there were only mere minutes close to the show. 

“oooh! paimon can't wait.” she squealed softly.

the lights hit the stage and the curtains open, presenting lyney in the center.  “welcome, one and all, to the opera epiclese! i am the star of today’s show, lyney! and over here is my dear sister, lynette, who will be working as my wonderful assistant!” he presents lynette as  she walks into view, her hands folded in front of her.  

“now, some of you may be thinking: two vision holders who can freely manipulate elemental powers performing magic isn’t magic at all, so, i would like to take a moment to assure you that elemental powers will have nothing to do with what you will witness on the stage today. both lynette and myself have removed our visions for the show. that way, even the gods won't be able to help us.” he shows off his outfit to prove their visions are indeed missing. 

“now, without further ado, let the show begin! lynette will now exit the stage to make some preparations. i know you might miss her, but don't worry, she'll be coming right back on stage momentarily... perhaps in an unexpected way. i'm sure she'll be stealing the spotlight soon enough.” he winks to the audience before continuing, “oh, and before i forget... there's one more thing i should say: you never know what can happen in the blink of an eye.” 

with that, lyney begins to do a series of hat and card tricks, and soon enough, a tank of water begins to lower from the roof, lynette sitting atop it. they pull of a miraculous transportation trick with lynette turning into bubbles before appearing on stage again. 

“whoa! how’d he do that? how’d they do that?” paimon chirps in astonishment, her sparkly eyes wide. 

“well, as we all know, magicians never reveal their secrets.” kaeya hums, although he is equally impressed. 

soon, lyney bows before flourishing his hat and popping it onto his head. he explains his next trick, a box swap one. 

kaeya can’t help sitting up a little straighter, eye glittering in amazement. despite having seen much of teyvat, he still can’t help the wonder whenever he sees something as mundane as magic tricks. it feels normal. it doesn’t feel like he’s in a world filled with monsters, curses, or prophecies. 

the trick seems to be working, and the audience is captivated, leaning forward in their seats, some standing in awe. everyone counts down together, eager to see the trick be pulled off.

the trio hear a bang nearby, paimon perking up.

“whoa, did you hear that? what was that noise?” she asks them.

“it probably came from the stage.” the traveler guesses, kaeya’s mind already running as his knights of favonius training kicks in. that was no ordinary accidental bump, that sounded too loud to be anything less. 

before kaeya can speak, the audience finishes counting down. lyney exits the box in the audience, the crowd cheering. as he gestures to the box on the stage, pyrotechnics go off, but instead of the audience member exiting, the water tank that had been hanging overhead abruptly drops, crushing the box beneath it. glass shatters, and water floods out. 

the audience murmurs in confusion and excitement, wondering if it’s part of the trick, but kaeya and the traveler are immediately on their feet. 

“that wasn’t supposed to happen, was it?” paimon asks in worry, hiding behind the traveler, scared to look at the stage. “that girl, she was still in there, wasn’t she?” her voice is smaller this time, her eyes shutting. 

neuvillette rises, swiftly taking action. “this performance is over! medical staff, with me. gardes, secure the scene and detain all the performers. seal the exits, no one is allowed in or out at this time!” he orders, then he turns to the traveling trio beside him, “worry not, you three, we will get to the bottom of this. rest assured, none of you are in trouble, but you may need to remain here for the time-being until we get this sorted out.” he promises. 

the audience soon begins to evacuate to the outer lobby of the opera house, but kaeya and the traveler linger in the theatre still, lyney and lynette pulled off to the side for questioning. 

kaeya observes the crime scene from his spot near the stage, hand on his chin. he wants to get a closer look, but this is fontaine, and despite often being sent to investigate matters for the knights of favonius, they don’t have jurisdiction outside of mondstadt. 

“so… what happens now?” paimon asks quietly, nervous. 

“we wait for the gardes to finish so they can tell us what happened.” the traveler replies, but they're obviously worried as well. 

after a while, the gardes complete their investigation and report their findings to neuvillette. he nods in understanding as he listens, then he leaves them for a moment to speak with the traveler and kaeya. 

“unfortunately, the person who was in the magic box has been pronounced dead. his name was cowell, one of the assistants in lyney's magic troupe. apparently, the fireworks on stage ignited the ropes that were suspending the water tank, which then caused the tank to fall onto the stage.” he starts. 

paimon gasps softly, “but… why would he been in there? wasn’t it supposed to be that girl? what about her?”

he holds up a hand to calm her down before he continues, “as of now, we are still not sure why we found cowell in the box rather than the guest from the audience, and after an initial search of the area, the gardes have confirmed that the girl is nowhere to be found.”

kaeya hums softly, “do we know if she left somehow?” he asks, fully in captain mode now. 

“we do not. it is highly unlikely she managed to get far without being noticed.” neuvillette answers, “furthermore, it appears that this incident was not merely some mishap with the performance and there are many indications that it is connected with the case of the serial disappearances of young women.”

“the serial disappearances case? charlotte told us about that.” the traveler speaks up, confusion etching their features. “who would be bold enough to commit such a crime in front of the hydro archon and the chief justice?” they muse. 

“fortune favors the bold.” kaeya comments, “if someone’s desperate enough, they’d do anything anywhere if the opportunity arises.”

paimon puts her hand to her chin, “so…we think lyney is a part of that? but.. that doesn’t make any sense. he would never hurt another person. we saw how upset he got at the thought of lynette being one of the victims.”

neuvillette shakes his head, “no, it is not that we think he is responsible for that case, just that it happens to coincide with this incident. i apologize if i made it seem he were the culprit.” he explains. 

“ ahem !” furina clears her throat dramatically as she stands from her seat up on her reserved balcony. “even if mister lyney were not the culprit of kidnapping those poor women, he is still our primary suspect of killing his assistant!” she declares. 

kaeya narrows his eye at her, hand going to his hip. “on what grounds? at best, you could only have him charged with involuntary manslaughter, but anything else would be considered a wrongful arrest.” he counters, surprising the iudex. 

reptilian eyes narrow slightly as he studies kaeya. 

furina scoffs, clearly caught off-guard by the sudden challenge. she folds her arms over her chest, “oh? and you think you know the law better than me? don’t forget you’re speaking to the god of justice.” 

kaeya huffs a little as he shrugs. “and i’m the one who defends people in mondstadt in our courts of law there, that would make me an expert.” he lies, sort of. 

calling kaeya’s bluff, neuvillette turns to him, “so then, mister alberich, you wouldn’t be opposed to defending mister lyney then, would you? we ordinarily assign an attorney for our accused, but if you have experience, it would be beneficial.”

the captain looks to neuvillette, blue eye slightly widening at the request. “huh? me? i’m a mere visitor to your fine nation, i shouldn’t get involved in your politics and laws.” 

“no, really, i insist. it would be a great help. with your foreign diplomacy, it may also strengthen fontaine’s bond with mondstadt’s.” his tone makes it clear this isn’t up for debate. 

“you sound like my father.” kaeya scoffs in khaenri’ahn, before sighing softly. “fine… fine. i’ll do it.”

neuvillette’s eyes narrow a fraction at the comment before he nods. “good. you may go ahead and investigate the crime scene and speak with lyney once the gardes are finished with questioning. the traveler may accompany you if they wish.” he allows, “the trial will commence a day from now, so use your time wisely.” with that, he departs.

kaeya takes a breath and he steps away with the traveler. great. he just cornered himself by opening his mouth. he really should have kept quiet, but he couldn’t help wanting to stick it to the hydro archon. 

damn his pride. 

he climbs onto the stage and approaches the crime scene, careful not to touch or disrupt anything. he kneels a bit to inspect the rope, noticing the frayed ends of it. 

“how weird that it just snapped, it looks so durable.” paimon comments as she flutters over to kaeya’s side, peering down at the rope while the traveler studies the other parts of the scene.

“the rest of it, yes, but this part isn’t. look, the threading right here is thinner and was made out of something else entirely, like it was meant to burn away quickly. think of it as a fuse.” he explains as he shows her the frayed end. 

“ohh, i see. but why would lyney have this kind of rope? if it’s so risky and dangerous, wouldn’t he get something stronger? he doesn’t seem like a killer… he seemed genuinely scared and worried when he found out his assistant died.” 

kaeya narrows his eye slightly as he thinks, “honestly? i don’t think he’s the killer. it’s too soon, and we don’t have evidence, but… something is definitely fishy here.” he says all this quietly to her. 

paimon nods, “yeah… he doesn’t seem the type… let’s go see if the traveler found anything.” she suggests, zipping off over to said blonde. 

kaeya rises to his feet and he makes his way to them, head tilting as he looks down at the body outline within the water. nothing really sticks out to him, but his instincts run wild. he knows there’s something deeper going on, but he can’t quite make it out yet.

the traveler looks up when they approach, “according to one of the gardes, the girl’s name was halsey. she’s not a part of the troupe, so she doesn’t have any personal connection with lyney.” they explain, but the expression on their face says there’s more. 

“alright, what’s the bad news then?” kaeya asks.

“well, because she’s not affiliated, it falls in with the description of the serial kidnapper’s motive, as all the women were chosen at random. that’s why everyone’s immediate assumption was to think she was kidnapped.” 

“it doesn’t look good. lyney’s in the clear for that, but he still has suspicion cast on him just for setting up the opportunity, even if it was unintentional.” kaeya remarks. 

“mhm. i also learned that the number selector isn’t actually randomized. everyone had assigned seats, if you remember what lyney told us when we got here. so while lyney’s picking wasn’t random, the potential kidnapper’s was.” 

kaeya nods in agreement, “i thought it was odd during the show that he kept saying an audience member would be picked randomly when he gave us assigned seatings.” 

“it sadly makes lyney look even more suspicious. he knew where everyone would be sitting, so it does seem like he’s an accomplice, even if he isn’t. the way people seem to judge immediately before the facts, that’s probably the theory on everyone’s minds.” the traveler frowns. 

“boy have i gotten myself in quite the pickle.” kaeya sighs. 

“wait, what about that thud we heard?” paimon asks, “would that have anything to do with the case? it sounded out of place, and paimon’s sure we’re not the only ones who heard it.”

the traveler puts their hand to their chin, their eyes trailing to the seats. “it came from behind where we were sitting.” they hop off of the stage and walk to the spot just a few paces in front of the second box. they stop, turning around to face paimon and kaeya. “around here is where we heard it.” they call out, the gardes curiously watching the trio.

“ahh. good ear. as expected of our honorary knight.” kaeya praises as he jumps down from the stage as well, making his way over. “if we heard the thud in this spot despite no one standing here during the trick, then it begs the question: where did it come from?”

paimon hums in thought, her brows furrowing. when she gets an idea, she snaps her fingers and lights up, “what if there’s an underground passage, kinda like in the cathedral in mondstadt?”

“it makes the most sense. where else would a thud that loud come from if there was no one up here?” kaeya agrees. “anyway, we’ll put a pin in that for now.”

the traveler nods, writing everything down they just went over. “okay so… defective rope, missing girl, deceased assistant, loud thud… we don’t have much to go off of. the evidence seems stacked against lyney.” they mutter glumly. 

“it’s too early to judge that. all they have is circumstantial evidence, any investigator worth their salt knows to dig deeper.” kaeya reassures them.

“that’s true… sorry, i guess i’m a little dejected.” 

“it’s fine. it’s nerve-wracking to see someone with a very compelling case against them, but we’ll figure it out.” he promises. 

the traveler takes a deep breath and nods. 

“let’s go ask around to see if anyone heard or saw anything that we didn’t.” kaeya suggests, leading them out to the lobby area. 

“look! there’s lyney. looks like he’s done being questioned.” paimon points him out. 

kaeya redirects, walking over to lyney. 

lyney lifts his gaze when they approach and he deflates, that chirpy persona melting away. “i’m sorry about what just happened. i hope none of you were too scared.”

“at first, yeah, it was a crazy accident.” paimon tells him. 

“i get it. i was shaken up too… i never intended for this to happen, and… poor cowell… i still can’t stomach that he was in there.” he shakes his head, then his eyes shift to kaeya, “i know you offered to defend me at monsieur neuvillette’s request, but… i have to ask…” he hesitates, “do you think i could possibly be the murderer? in your honest assessment?” he asks. it’s clear lyney doesn’t always show vulnerability, so for him to express it to kaeya has kaeya’s heart clenching. 

“i don’t think so. it’s too early to tell anything, but i don’t think you’re a cold-blooded killer.” kaeya answers honestly, a rarity in itself. he’s a master at reading people — at reading everyone except for his knight, of course. go figure — so he can see plainly that lyney wears everything on his sleeve. “i’ll defend you to the best of my ability. i do have to say, the evidence they have isn’t looking great, but it’s all circumstantial.” 

lyney sighs, “i figured. i know everyone sees me as the biggest suspect at this point.” he accepts, then he shakes his head, “but even then, it’s all one big mystery shrouded in more mystery. i don’t know how cowell ended up in the box, nor what happened to the audience member. i don’t know if it really was an accident, or if i somehow messed up my preparations and got someone killed with my recklessness.” his face pales and his hands tremble slightly before he clenches them into fists, “i… wish i had the answers for you all, you deserve at least that much, but… i don’t. i don’t know how any of this happened, and i’m so confused.”

“hey, it’s okay. we’re figuring it out. we’re looking at everything we can find.” kaeya promises. 

lyney nods. “thank you… i’m worried this whole thing was a setup and that someone tampered with my props. i… i can’t bear to think about it.” 

“honestly, it’s a possibility. if it is, we’ll get to the bottom of it, that i’ll make sure of.” kaeya tells him. 

“hey, lyney, since it’s just us, can you tell us how you originally were supposed to perform the swap trick?” paimon asks curiously. 

lyney sighs, “i suppose there’s no point in keeping it a secret, it’s bound to come up during the trial anyway.” as he’s about to speak, a garde comes back over to them, expressing they need another round of questioning. 

lyney struggles not to show the disappointment on his face, “of course. i’ll be right there. i’ll shw you the trick soon enough after i finish with this. wait for me maybe?” he asks. 

“of course, take your time.” the traveler smiles softly. 

lyney walks off with the garde, clearly tired of the interrogations, but cooperating nonetheless. 

“guess it can’t be helped. want to ask around like you originally wanted, kaeya?” paimon asks.

“sure, let’s go.” he turns on his heel and strides off. as they talk with other people, all they get in return is more and more suspicion cast against lyney. it feels like people almost want him to be guilty for the satisfaction. 

kaeya shakes his head, keeping his pokerface as he walks off, but it’s clear he’s bothered. 

as they enter another room, a voice calls out to them.

“hey! you three!” 

the trio turn to find a woman with long blonde curly hair and a rather large hat.

“are you talking to us?” paimon asks as she floats over.

“that i am! if i’m not mistaken, you're also among those who wish to cut down the thorns and pursue the truth, no? and by the looks of it, you're not from fontaine.” her eyes pass to kaeya, and kaeya’s stunned to see white stars in the corner of her irises. they aren’t khaenri’ahn by any standard, but they’re pretty close enough. a few centimeters over and with a change in color, and kaeya would have assumed she was another survivor. he wouldn’t be surprised, given how many he’s run into at this point.

“no, we’re not actually. kaeya’s from mondstadt, and the traveler is.. well, a traveler!” paimon explains. 

“who are you?” the traveler asks curiously. 

the woman smiles, “have you never heard of the spina di rosula? from mediating disputes and providing protection to solving conundrums — you name it, spina di rosula does it! i, navia, have the honor of being its renowned president, though, those who play by our rules simply call me ‘boss.’” she tells them.

Chapter Text

“let’s get down to business, friends. one thing to know is that i’ve been keeping an eye on the serial disappearance cases — my interest stems from a matter back from my father's time. judging from the look of things, i find lyney an unlikely mastermind.” navia explains.

paimon sighs in relief, “oh good, you believe in his innocence, too. how did you figure it out?” she asks.

“our boss is quite the genius, actually.” one of her bodyguards, a man with greying hair, pipes up.

“quite the best in the business, our demoiselle.” the second one, a man with a dark ponytail and sunglasses, chimes in.

paimon’s brows furrow in confusion, “oh, um… who are you guys?” she tilts her head.

“i’m silver, her attendant,” the dark haired one speaks, then the older man goes next.

“and i am melus, i oversee her daily affairs and needs.” 

“nice to meet you two, then!” paimon smiles.

navia jumps back in once the pleasantries pass, “back to the topic at hand. you asked how i know, well, it’s pretty easy to see the discrepancies, actually. the disappearances case started twenty years ago, and if i had to guess, lyney seems to be at best around the age of twenty. i highly doubt he was committing these crimes as a baby. 

most people would then think he’s simply an accomplice, but to be frank, this was simply too elaborate to kidnap an innocent girl. most of the women that were kidnapped were taken off the streets. why would someone go through such an effort in putting on a show just to nab a girl?” she points out. 

“that’s true. so then, what about the accident?” paimon asks. 

“just that! an accident. furina was certainly quick to accuse lyney without any decisive evidence whatsoever, right? and like your friend here pointed out, at most, lyney can be charged with involuntary manslaughter. it seemed like a genuine accident, which is why it would qualify as such. she thinks it’s premeditated, but obviously, we think otherwise.” she explains, “now, you might have already guessed, but here in fontaine, a trial begins the moment someone levels charges, and seeing as how furina did just that, we’re in for a busy ride.” 

“so, what’s our plan? we only have a day to investigate.” the traveler reminds her. 

“well, firstly, i have a question to ask you. what do you think about the people treating trials and justice as a mere show?”

“heinous.” kaeya answers immediately. “in mondstadt, our trials are held by the anemo archon, the grand master, and the deacon of the church. it’s done in private, with only a few witnesses present and the captains within the knights of favonius. we don’t open our trials to the public unless it absolutely has to involve them.” 

the traveler nods in agreement, “i don’t think it’s right either to treat trials like a tv show. it ends up making it easier for the public to want the accused to be found guilty. they all find it entertaining, which interferes with true justice.” they express their opinion, “treat something like a game enough and no one will take it seriously.” they realize they rambled and they blush, “sorry… guess i got a little passionate there.”

navia shakes her head, “no, no, if anything, i’m glad. you basically encompassed my thoughts exactly.” she smiles, clearly pleased with their answers. “if you’re interested, i would like to join your investigation. as the spina di rosula, we try to ensure justice is delivered.”

kaeya looks to the traveler, who shrugs, “you’re the lawyer.” they tell him. 

he huffs before he returns his gaze to navia, “then consider us a team, boss.” he accepts her proposal.

navia claps, delighted. “wonderful! glad to be onboard then, partners!” 

“could always use the extra help, so paimon doesn’t mind!” paimon declares, “we should go check on lyney and see if he’s done so he can show us that trick of his.”

with that, the group moves back into the foyer of the opera house. 

lyney looks over, and he waves to them. “oh good, you’ve returned!” 

“yep! we can’t wait to see the secret art of magic.” paimon beams eagerly.

“right this way, then~” lyney and lynette lead them back into the theatre. he heads for the box in the center of the audience, a garde following them to keep an eye on the twins. 

lyney opens the door to it, and he gestures, “now, before we show the secret, notice anything different about the box?”

navia purses her lips as she looks it over, “actually, yes. the decorations, they’re gone. they were there earlier, all the stars and balloons.”

lyney nods, “good eye, miss. if you look closely, you’ll also notice the back is different, as well.” he points it out, the back now a blank panel instead of patterned. 

“huh. there’s another box inside this one.” kaeya deduces as he steps closer. 

“exactly. very perceptive of you!” lyney praises, “there’s a passageway underneath the stage, it runs about the entirety of the theatre. there are various trapdoors along the way, and for us to perform the trick, we placed the boxes on two of the doors: the one on stage, and the one right here.” lyney explains. 

“aha!” paimon chirps, “paimon knew it! paimon knew there were tunnels under the theatre!” she wiggles in the air.  

lyney chuckles a little in amusement, “you have a sharp mind, paimon. now, it’s a little more complex after this. once the audience member stepped inside, the inner box is lowered underneath into the tunnels, placed on a trolley, and quickly transported to the other side and raised into the new position.” 

“sounds pretty elementary, i’ve seen this trick a couple times.” kaeya comments as he nods in understanding. 

“but what about you? we heard you talking on stage still.” paimon asks in confusion. 

“we had recorded my side of the conversation, which lynette used while i was making my way to the other side. once the countdown started, i was already on the other side. lynette was behind the smaller box, and she walked out at the end instead of me.” 

“lyney and i are twins, and if we alter our clothes and our hair, you hardly see the difference.” lynette explains. 

lyney nods, “exactly, that’s why only lynette and i can really perform it and pull it off.” 

“yeah, it makes a lot of sense now that we think about it.” paimon comments, “but paimon still doesn't understand how cowell got in there. where was he supposed to be?” she asks. 

“i honestly don’t know. he shouldn’t have been inside it at all, and we still don’t know where the audience member went.”

“we really don’t know how any of this happened.” lynette murmurs softly. 

“well, with me at the helm, you’ll be fine.” they’ll be doomed , kaeya’s mind supplies before he shushes it. he turns to the garde, “may we investigate this area?” he asks for permission, earning a nod. 

kaeya leads the pack as he examines the area. 

“what’s this?” navia asks, careful not to touch the hook attached to rope laying on the floor by kaeya’s feet.

“maybe it’s a prop? but what would it have been used for?” the traveler asks. 

“paimon has no clue, but we better take note of it.” paimon comments before she writes it down in the notebook her and the traveler have been using. 

they investigate the area, noting the discarded clothing, the broken vase, the costume trunk, and the trolley system. melus had gone back up to the stage to speak with the gardes in the meantime.

“hey, there’s a vent here.” the traveler says, “it looks big enough to crawl through.”

“maybe the kidnapper was waiting in here for the girl during the show?” paimon guesses.

“no, it seems like it only fits one person.” kaeya peers inside as he opens it, “i doubt he was able to pull her through without grabbing attention. he would’ve made more noise than that thud we heard.”

“do you think it leads anywhere?” paimon asks as she peeks over his shoulder.

“i can’t tell, it’s dark and as slim as i may be, i don’t think i can squeeze in here.” he muses, his eyes turning to the traveler. 

“you’re small, do you think you can fit in here?” he asks them, earning an eyeroll at the comment. 

“the tunnel leads into the opera house basement.” melus announces as he enters the tunnels, “i have asked the gardes for every detail down here, and they believe the odds are very low that the young woman was taken through there. the vent leads to the opera house's basement, and the gardes have checked the area carefully. no one left through the basement during the performance or after the incident, and no one was found hiding there.” 

“welp, guess that’s that. looks like i don’t need to crawl through it.” the traveler pats kaeya’s shoulder.

“let paimon write all that down.” she quickly scribbles the information into their notebook. “okay! so that’s all the notes down here. should we go back up now?” she asks. 

“sure, let’s go.” kaeya agrees.

they head back up onto the surface, congregating in the spot they met navia. 

“i know everyone’s glum, so why don’t we cheer up with some desserts.” navia offers as her bodyguards pull out a traveling cooking pot.

“ooh, desserts? what kind!” paimon’s eyes sparkle immediately. 

“macarons, of course!” navia declares, silver bringing out the ingredients. she sets to mixing the ingredients and baking them. when they’re finished, she sets three of them each onto plates and pours everyone tea. 

“and voila! perfectly baked macarons!” she presents, quite proud of herself. 

paimon immediately digs in gleefully. 

“alright, down to business.” navia sits down as she helps herself to macarons of her own, “so we established that the tunnels underneath the stage can be used as secret chambers. we can assume that lyney and lynette were not alone. there’s a good chance the criminal also occupied its sealed confines. like everyone thinks, the magician twins could have committed the crimes, of course, but they lack any logical motive.”

“so, apart from the twins, we're left with two other people: the missing girl and the deceased.” the traveler taps their chin in thought. 

“the vase down in the tunnels was knocked over. maybe halsey and the criminal got into an altercation?” kaeya theorizes. 

navia nods in agreement, “exactly what i was thinking. the vase was broken, her clothes were discarded. perhaps the criminal thought that since she was chosen from the crowd, she would be too easy to identify if she was still wearing the same clothes…”

the traveler frowns, “maybe, but there’s no evidence suggesting a third party was even involved.”

“true, but the only people left to consider are both technically victims, whether it's the missing girl, halsey, or poor cowell…” navia trails off. 

the hairs on the back of kaeya’s neck raise, and he shivers, getting the sense that someone’s watching them. however, as he scans the room, nothing seems out of place.

he shakes his head, turning his attention back to the conversation. he tries to fit all the pieces together, but he knows he’s missing far too many to see the bigger picture. it frustrates him. he truly hates locked room crimes. 

“could halsey have secretly made modifications to the magic props in order to murder cowell before making her escape?” paimon asks.

the traveler immediately shoots that down, “no, she couldn’t have possibly known how the trick works. she doesn’t have motive either. she isn’t part of the troupe, remember? so she has no reason to target the deceased.”

paimon pouts, “yeah, that’s true…” 

“and so we’re back to square one.” kaeya sighs. he goes to reach for the macarons he hadn’t touched yet when he notices only one is left. “huh… now, paimon, i know you have quite the big tummy, but isn’t it a little rude to take food from someone else~” his tone is teasing. 

“what?! paimon didn’t eat your macarons!” she stomps her foot in the air, “paimon doesn’t steal food, paimon would ask first!” 

“well, someone had to have eaten them, i certainly didn’t.” 

navia waves them away, “it’s fine, you two, i’ll just make some more!” 

“ah, i couldn’t possibly trouble a kind young lady to make more.” kaeya politely declines. 

she shakes her head with a bright smile, “nonsense, baking is my specialty! i can whip them up in no time.” without waiting for more protests, she bakes more macarons. 

they enjoy the fresh macarons, but kaeya can’t help the dread simmering in his gut. he has his work cut out for him, and he fears he might let lyney down. 

“well, today’s the day.” kaeya sighs as he stands in front of the opera epiclese, hands on his hips. 

“ready to do this?” the traveler asks from his side, paimon hovering near them. 

“not one bit. let’s get going.” he heads inside, people already gathering in the lobby, some taking their seats. 

he ignores his nerves as he makes his way up to the defense attorney balcony. lyney and lynette spot them arriving, lyney perking up.

“well, how did the investigation go?” he asks. 

kaeya takes a breath, “i don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s looking to be quite the complicated case. like i said yesterday, though, a lot of the evidence is circumstantial.” 

lynette shakes her head, “it’s okay, just helping us is enough.” she promises. 

“awh~ why the long faces~” furina’s voice drawls out, a haughty laugh leaving her after as she stands at the prosecutor’s side. “let me guess, you realized your little ‘investigation’ was fruitless.” she mocks. 

kaeya resists the very tempting urge to roll his eyes. instead he plasters his award-winning smile, “ah, don’t you know, lady furina? we keep our cards close to our chest.” he easily fires back. oh he wishes this case would go well, just so he can rub it in her face. 

“since both parties are present, i declare that the trial regarding the magic show incident is now in session.” neuvillette speaks from his judge’s chair, standing tall and mighty. kaeya feels a shiver run down his spine. oh he’s in for it. 

“firstly, in order for the audience to understand the causes and results of the incident, could we please have mr. lyney explain the trick?” he directs his attention to lyney. 

lyney stands from his seat and steps forward, explaining the trick to the audience. when he finishes, he bows his head and steps back. his eyes cautiously look towards neuvillette, anxious for his opinion. 

“mr. lyney, i admit you are rather talented in your tricks and bravado, but for the record i must ask this and ensure your statement is correct. you ran into, and then remained hidden within, the magic box in the audience stands once the trick began, and thus could not have committed the crime. is this correct?” neuvillette asked calmly, fully aware of furina’s lack of amusement during the entire explanation. 

lyney nods his head, “yes, this is correct, your honor.” he promises.

“very well. then, lady furina, as you serve as prosecution, i allow you a chance to refute his statement if you see fit.” he looks over to her, vishap hues narrowing a bit to see if she will follow through.

“of course i do, my dear iudex.” she folds her arms over her chest, “mr. lyney is clearly lying!” she turns her heterochromatic hues onto the magician, “there is no chance you could have been in the box the entire time if you were to abduct poor halsey and senselessly murder cowell. in fact! i’d like to propose that you weren’t in the tunnels at all .” she declares her facts. 

kaeya huffs under his breath, what a ridiculous hypothesis. 

lyney frowns, “that’s just conjecture, lady furina, based on your assumption that i’m already guilty.” 

she arches a brow, “oh? then if that’s the case, you surely would be able to tell us what you heard when you were in that box, then, right?” she leans forward on the railing. 

“of course! i heard the roaring countdown of the crowd! that’s how i was able to keep track of the time.” 

a sinister smirk appears on her lips that immediately sinks dread into kaeya’s gut, “and you heard nothing else? at all?” she asks.

“nothing.” lyney confirms. 

“interesting.” she turns to the audience, “you see, my dear people, if lyney had been inside that box the entire time, then surely he would have heard that thud around the thirty second mark, wouldn’t he?”

the audience immediately clamors, talking over each other and murmuring that they wondered what the sound had been. as they agree with furina’s point, the scales on the oratrice begin to tip.

“wait…” the traveler mutters, “how did lyney not hear it?” 

kaeya swallows thickly, but he keeps his pokerface. it’s not looking great, that’s for sure. 

furina continues, standing taller and all the more cocky and arrogant, “and that’s not all! you see, i did a little investigation of my own. after all, as the god of justice, i have to cover all my bases.” she’s almost gleeful at this rate, “tell me, lyney and lynette, don’t you two come from the house of the hearth ?” she drives the point home. 

kaeya’s mind falters. wait, he had heard of that when he was trailing his father, trying to learn any and everything of all the harbingers. his eye shifts to the twins who look stiff as stone. fatui? they look like they couldn’t hurt a fly. 

at this revelation, the audience breaks out into a bigger disarray, kaeya blinking a few times to try and think of something — anything to say. 

neuvillette narrows his eyes as he raises his cane and slams it down.

“order! order in the court, now.” he demands, the chaos silencing almost immediately as he looks to lyney. 

“mr. lyney, the prosecution has raised two valid issues. firstly, the issue with the thud, if you were in the box within the audience stand, or even if you were in the other box on stage, you should have heard it. secondly… the fact you are a member of the house of the hearth was never mentioned to anyone.” 

lyney stammers, heart racing, “w-well, yes, but our identities have nothing to do with the incident.. as for the thud—” 

“see? no matter what lies you try to spout, you’re guilty. i think we’re done here~” furina looks quite proud of herself, and kaeya feels his blood boil. judging someone just based on their associations? that isn’t fair, but the oratice didn’t care when it began sliding towards furina’s favour.

“your honor, wait. may we please have a moment?” kaeya quickly calls out. this is all happening way too fast, and they need to touch base. letting it go out of control will only make the situation worse. 

“and may i ask why you need a moment, mr. alberich?” neuvillette asks, making sure his tone was not insulting or disrespectful, but a mediating tone. 

“seeing as our client withheld some information, i won’t be able to proceed with the defense until we settle this. may i request a brief recess?” 

at his request, the audience scoffs, some murmuring that there would be no use, and kaeya fights the urge to tell them to buzz off.

“silence, gallery.” neuvillette demands, waiting for them to quieten down again before he turns to lyney. “mr. lyney, is this true? did you hold back key evidence from your own defense team?”

lyney takes a breath, “it isn’t like that, your honor. we didn’t think this would be relevant to the case, as it has nothing to do with cowell’s accident, or the girl going missing. i swear it.” he promises. 

“believe me, mr. lyney, i understand better than anyone else. but the issue remains about the thud. you did not tell your defense you never heard anything, that is the key evidence i am more concerned about, not your identity.” neuvillette explains. 

kaeya raises a hand before placing it over his chest, “i will admit that was an error on my part. i assumed he was aware of it, so i did not question. regardless, may we please have a second and then reconvene in a moment? nothing will be tampered with, nor will anything change, we just need to gain a better understanding.” 

“very well, as there is miscommunication going on,” he stops, glaring at furina who he knew was about to say something. “there will be an hour recess. this court is adjourned, we will reconvene in an hour.” the iudex declared, tapping his cane once. 

kaeya bows his head gratefully, then follows the twins, the traveler and paimon backstage. 

lyney’s face is pale and guilt etches his features. 

“listen, i — we didn’t mean to keep this a secret. i swear it, we aren’t like the rest of the fatui.” he begins, kaeya lifting a hand to silence him. 

“look, i don’t care if you’re fatui.” kaeya promises, “it shouldn’t matter where you come from or who you know. they don’t define you, nor do their actions reflect on you as a person. it’s not my place to judge you for that, especially the actions of my own family.” he reassures them, “in any case, yeah, we kinda fumbled a little here, but what’s important is to cover every detail, alright? no more secrets from here on out, is that agreeable?”

lyney nods almost erratically, “yes, of course. anything you’d like to know, i’ll share what i can.”

the traveler looked over to lyney, confused a bit. “so where were you when the thud happened then? that’s the main issue, like monsieur neuvillette said, he didn’t care about the fatui thing, he cared that you didn’t hear what everyone else heard.” 

“the truth is… well, i guess our identities are a part of this, but… our ‘father’ wanted us to investigate the secrets of the oratrice, to see if it can help with the prophecy.” lyney starts, kaeya’s nerves immediately fraying at the last word. a prophecy? there isn’t a possible chance that these people know about his prophecy? right?

“prophecy? what… prophecy?” he asks once he finds his voice.

“the one about fontaine. it’s been around for a long time. the water will rise, the people will dissolve, and the hydro archon will be alone, weeping on her throne.” lynette explains. 

“how do people dissolve?” paimon blurts out. 

lyney shrugs, “supposedly, when we touch the primordial seawater, we dissolve. no one knows the reason why, but that’s why ‘father’ asked us to investigate. she thinks the oratrice might have answers, and… well, the base of the oratrice is in the basement. 

so during the countdown, i jumped out of the box, hurried through the vent, and came out into the small space.” he explains, “but… i heard a voice when i was in there, so i quickly left and went into the box that was in the audience. i still had a few seconds left, so i just went on with the show.”

“a voice in the oratrice…? was it masculine, feminine?” kaeya questioned, curious more about this than the trial.

“it was a woman’s voice, and she said my name. i don’t know who it was, i didn’t stay long. on the way back, i noticed the clothes and the broken vase, but because i was running out of time, i just continued on like i said.” 

“alright, so then… what do we do?” paimon asks. 

“we tell the truth, furina can’t argue with facts. neuvillette was already tired of her actions as well.” kaeya pointed out. “all we need to do is prove without a shadow of a doubt lyney and lynette didn’t kill cowell or kidnap someone, this proves it.” 

“we still have a lot unaccounted for, but… you’re right, kaeya.” the traveler agrees. “the people’s judgement all seem to hinge on the fact that the fatui is indirectly affiliated. we need to find a way to disperse that…”

“can’t you summon your ‘father’ and have her testify?” kaeya grumbles.

lyney shakes his head, “she was returning from snezhnaya, so she isn’t quite back yet… not to mention, if i hadn’t slipped up, this was supposed to remain a secret.” shame fills his tone at the end, lynette lifting a hand and placing it on his shoulder comfortingly. 

“eh, it happens.” kaeya waves off. “you’re young, and no one expected a fucking murder.” 

“thank you… really, for still believing in us. i know things just got difficult for you.” lyney expresses his regret. 

kaeya shrugs, “i don’t see why i wouldn’t. i’ve had my fair share of unfortunate associates, but i’m still my own person, just as you are.” he sighs, “anyway, let’s get back out there and face the music.”

with that, recess wraps up, and they return to their respective places.

Chapter Text

neuvillette stands in the judge’s balcony, making sure all have returned before looking over the room. “court shall now reconvene. before adjournment, mr. lyney admits that the evidence provided by lady furina is correct. therefore, we shall resume with the prosecution continuing their recollection of evidence and viewpoint of how the series of events went.” he explains before sitting down, gaze turning to furina.

“lady furina, please continue the prosecution’s reconstruction of events.” 

“ah-he-hem!” she makes a show of clearing her throat, “as the countdown began, he entered the tunnel. when the flatbed trolley passed, he opened the box and got into an altercation with halsey, which caused the loud thud. he did not realize that this sound could be heard by everyone in the opera house, which is why he claimed earlier that he could not hear the sound. 

finally, he used the vase to knock her out, before making her change clothes to prevent others from recognizing her. at this time, cowell arrived in the tunnel, having heard that strange noise, and caught lyney red-handed, so lyney proceeded to knock him out too before stuffing him into that box. 

afterward, lyney passed the unconscious halsey to his accomplice through the magic box in the audience stands, before operating the devices such that cowell's death would be ruled an accident. there you have it, that's the truth behind what happened…”

kaeya has to take a moment to absorb what she said, flabbergasted at the sheer ridiculousness. she can’t be serious, can she? does she really think any of that happened?

“i see, thank you for your theory, lady furina.” neuvillette replies, then turns his attention to kaeya’s side, “does the defense wish to give a rebuttal?”

kaeya nods, “yes, your honor.” a part of him wants to slam his hands onto the railing. instead, he assumes his usual knightly demeanor. “sure enough, lady furina does make a very compelling argument,” he praises, hands clasped behind his back, “but unfortunately, her facts are wrong.” 

he begins to pace, “you see, first of all, a man of lyney’s size cannot possibly lift that incredibly heavy vase filled with water to knock someone unconscious, and even if he tried, halsey would have put up a fight while he would attempt to lift this vase.” he points out. 

“secondly, after much discussion, you will be interested to know that lyney could not have had an altercation with miss halsey as he had entered the tunnel vents to scope out the core of the oratrice. however, he heard a voice when he was in there and immediately backtracked. when he came back out, he found the broken vase and the discarded clothing, but had to get back up on stage, so he was unable to deduce what had happened as he didn’t have time.” kaeya concludes. 

furina scoffs, “oh? so, in other words, you believe that he knew nothing of the incident?” she presses. 

“indeed. our client did not know of the crime taking place, therefore ruling him out as a suspect of the kidnapping or the murder of cowell.” kaeya insists. he’s unable to help the smirk that graces his features, “furthermore, i’d like to propose that the prosecution has flawed reasoning.” 

she sputters and gasps before stomping her foot, “ my reasoning? on what grounds?” she demands.

“well, you see, if you had investigated like you claim you did, you would have noticed that the equipment on stage was clearly tampered with, more specifically, the rope used to hold up the water tank. a professional performer of lyney’s calibre certainly wouldn’t have faulty equipment, as it can be a liability. this in turn proves he didn’t intend for cowell to be killed, thus ruling this as involuntary manslaughter , much like i pointed out yesterday.” 

kaeya is far from finished, however, “now, you may ask yourself, if he hadn’t intended to kill cowell, then who was the setup for? after all, if this is about kidnapping a young girl, why would he set up such an elaborate trap that could kill someone? the serial disappearances case has not involved any form of murder.” kaeya finally ends his rebuttal. 

the audience murmur amongst themselves, some agreeing with kaeya’s points while others are a bit more skeptical. he can’t exactly blame them, he’s not a fontainian, anyone would be suspicious of an outsider playing lawyer — especially for a fatuus. 

furina huffs, crossing her arms. “alright… your denial is very strident, i'll give you that! but what proof do you have to back your claims?” she fires back. 

kaeya’s smug smirk only grows, very much in the zone. “now, lady furina, you may think his alibi had fallen apart earlier due to him not hearing the thud, but it’s actually his lack of hearing it that proves his innocence.” 

the hydro archon falters, her mask dropping for a second before she swallows and redoubles her efforts. “well then, if it wasn't lyney who committed the crimes, then who was it?” 

as kaeya is about to speak, the traveler suddenly gasps and straightens up. “cowell!” they declare, then sheepishly withdraw, “sorry. um, your honor? permission to speak?” they ask neuvillette as they step forward.

neuvillette takes a breath, clearly displeased with the sudden outburst, but he nods his head. “you may. what did you wish to share with the court, traveler?” 

“indeed, i’d like to know where your logic starts and your delusion ends.” furina mocks. 

“lady furina! need i remind you to maintain some decorum in the courtroom, please!” neuvillette scolds, immediately quieting her down. 

“i know it sounds impossible, but only our defendants and their assistants knew of the trick, which meant cowell had direct access to the equipment to tamper with it all and spring his trap. ignoring the way he died, he had all the means and resources to commit this kidnapping. 

as for the thud that we all heard, it could have been him and halsey struggling, and since lyney wasn’t in the tunnel for one minute, it gave cowell time to kidnap her.” as they speak, they realize a flaw in their reasoning at the last second, and they trail off. 

cowell wouldn’t have taken a big risk in kidnapping her as there had only been three exits, and he would have been in view of the audience regardless. so how did this happen?

“traveler?” paimon prompts when she notices them fall silent. 

“where did halsey go…?” they mutter as they try to think over the clues they know, not sure where they went wrong. 

furina smirks, “oho, how amusing. so this was all just a bluff~ and here i thought you had something to show for it, but it seems you're still far from the truth. as i said, nothing but delusions.” 

“well, let’s think outside the box for a minute, traveler.” kaeya speaks up as he follows their train of thought, “instead of figuring out where she went, why don’t we consider how she disappeared.” 

“sure, but it’s not like a magic trick. we can’t just make people disappear into thin air like lynette did in the water tank.” paimon frowns. 

“...what if we could?” kaeya responds to her hypothetical as it dawns on him just how this could have played out.

furina coughs to get their attention, “excuse my interruption, dear opponents, but do you not see that the crowd is growing impatient? there is no greater sin in this opera house than an awkward delay in the performance. get on with your defense or admit defeat!” 

as she speaks, the scale begins to dip again, two lights lit up now in her favor.

neuvillette nods his head in agreement, “if the defense is unable to make further effective arguments, we will move on to the next stage of the trial.” 

“no, i have it now, your honor.” kaeya promises. “we all remember how lynette escaped from the water tank, right? she seemingly turned into water, leaving behind clothes. with that line of thought, what if halsey had also been turned into water similarly? and to cover his tracks, cowell knocked down the vase of water, making it seem like it just spilled over in an accident.”

furina laughs hysterically from across the room, holding her belly. “oh, now i know you’re all delusional. you can’t even tell fact from fiction! life isn’t a game, and magic isn’t real. so pray tell, how in teyvat did halsey ‘turn into water’? that’s just a silly fantasy.” 

“well then, why don’t we check the deceased’s belongings? surely that won’t be an issue if you’re so certain about your claims, right?” he shrugs. 

furina huffs, rolling her eyes, “i don’t see why we need to waste time on the irrelevant details. you’re making up stories to give your clients false hope!”

“and if it just so happens to be true? what then, lady furina? you’re the god of justice , aren’t you?” he goads her. “if you claim you’re the paragon of such an ideal, you’d be interested in uncovering everything there is about the case, wouldn’t you?” 

she narrows her eyes, knowing she can't pin kaeya down like she can do others. she huffs and turns up her nose. “fine, fine! to satisfy you, i’ll let you live in your delusions.” furina allows.

“i’m just doing my job as a faithful attorney. i have to make sure we have every detail.” kaeya shoots back. 

neuvillette interrupts them, “seeing as how the defense’s request is hardly unreasonable, i will allow it. gardes, please examine the personal effects of the deceased.” 

moments later, the gardes return, but they seem to be in distress. 

“what did you find?” neuvillette prompts. 

“well, we are still examining the items, but we have already made critical progress that we feel must be shared with everyone posthaste. we discovered several test tubes of fluid within cowell's baggage, each labeled separately, and the notebook in his backpack claims that these fluids are "water from the primordial sea." the notes' contents also indicate that cowell belonged to an organization that sells illegal drugs, and that he had an accomplice.”

neuvillette ruminates over this discovery, his hand to his chin. “what else did you find?” he asks. 

the gardes continue to explain what they found, making it clear that halsey had been indeed targeted by cowell. 

the crowd becomes restless and nervous, some muttering amongst themselves.

“how can that even be possible?” a lady pipes up, “people dissolving into water?”

“order! order!” neuvillette silences the audience, “it is undeniable that further examination of the deceased's personal effects has yielded some surprising results, but we cannot yet verify the veracity of these clues. gardes, continue your investigation. mr. kaeya, you may proceed with your defense.” he addresses kaeya last. 

“sure thing, your honor.” kaeya replies, looking over to furina with a hum. “see, the situation is this water actually ties up a lot of clues yet unresolved, and i’m about to prove it to you by explaining cowell’s true plan. first, he would tamper with the water tank rope and the number selector, securing his target in it. once the magic box containing halsey was lowered, the metal hook would retract gradually and pierce the balloon at the top of the box.” 

his smirk slowly reappears as he leans forward on the balcony. “when the balloon attached to the box popped, the water from the primordial sea inside it would pour down and dissolve halsey. afterward, cowell would enter the tunnel and break the flower vase to conceal the water inside the tunnel, with the remaining evidence being covered up by the water tank onstage. but, he encountered something unexpected in the tunnel, and wound up being fatally hit by the same water tank he meant to use to cover his tracks.”

furina blinks a couple of times as she listens to him, trying not to look too panicked as she watches the oratrice’s scales favor him once he finishes. the mutterings of the gallery also don’t help as she hears the support of his theory and explanation. 

lyney hums in relief as he looks to his defense. “well, it seems like the only point of contention remaining is the exact circumstances that led to cowell's death. his notes mentioned he had an accomplice who could be related to the situation…”

neuvillette sighs a little as he looks down at the bench before him. “on that note, the gardes also did find something unusual in the luggage of all involved to find any plausible reason to accuse accomplices.” his gaze then focuses on lyney. “mr. lyney, were you aware that your own personal effects contained a sample of primordial seawater?”

“huh?!” lyney asks, lynette blinking.

“that’s… not good.” she mutters, her ears flattening.

furina’s worry fades into a grin as she leans on the balcony with a joyous laughter. "hehehe, oh i see! well, how wonderfully comedic, to have your own counterattack only to come back and wound you! does this not clear all doubt?"

her gaze looks to kaeya and the grin turns into a cruel smirk for just a moment before the smile returns as she looks to the gallery.

"my dear citizens, my loyal audience, allow me to present my reasoning and bring this performance to a swift close."

kaeya huffs a little to himself. “more like allow you to show what nonsense you can spew this time…” he mumbles quietly.

furina places a hand on her chest, gaze focused on the gallery. "lyney did not need to take part in the dissolution of the young woman at all. indeed, he did leave the scene via the vent. having made modifications to the props beforehand, his accomplice cowell then caused halsey to vanish using the water from the primordial sea."

"but upon his return, in cruel avarice, lyney desired sole credit and prepared to do away with his partner-in-crime. ultimately, he knocked cowell out, and the tool meant to cover the crime up also became a murder weapon. now, as much as i regret having come to such a viciously straightforward conclusion, it does seem that the famed fatui is quite the cold-blooded and ruthless organization."

she glances to lyney, a cruelly bright smile on her lips.

"is this right, mr. lyney?"

when she asks this, kaeya’s eye widens in worry as he watches the oratrice sway heavily to her side and he grips the bench. the traveler meanwhile looks over to the box in curiosity, noticing it move ever so slightly. 

“no… no no no!” he panics. “there… there has to be something, anything?!”

“is there?” furina asks as she looks to kaeya, “don’t you see, kaeya, and of course my dear chief justice, the oratrice has spoken~! i think we should wrap it up, don’t you agree?” 

“may i interject?” the traveler speaks up, their hand raised as they look up at the iudex.

“hm? what is it, traveler?” neuvillette asks, not yet answering furina. 

“i think we’re not looking at some evidence properly. see… i think whoever is hiding in that box should pop out now.” 

the twins blink a little, lyney piping up in confusion. “there shouldn’t be anyone in the box—?” 

as he speaks, the box clicks open as a woman stumbles out and looks around awkwardly. 

some audience members gasp out as the woman looks all too familiar given the news lately, and the traveler smiles at them.

“ah… sorry for interrupting.” she speaks up.

“how’s this possible… you’re halsey, right?” furina asks as she looks at the woman, to which the woman shakes her head.

“no… i’m not. my name’s liliane, i’m from mondstadt and the only reason i’m here is because if i showed up, i’d hopefully get a lighter sentence. i… killed cowell.” liliane explains, which made furina’s eyes widen in both anger and confusion. 

“what? why a-and how?!” she demands.

“well, when i heard that lyney's show was going to be a real thriller, i missed the chance to buy a ticket, so i stole one. that's how i make a living, i steal stuff here and there... and i'd never been caught before. i thought i could just enjoy the show and no one would notice... until i got selected by the random number generator." 

“makes sense, that explains where my cookies went… kind of rude, honestly.” kaeya grumbles.

“look, it’s not everyday someone from mondstadt gets a chance to steal from the cavalry captain of the knights himself!” liliane explains, looking at him sheepishly. “but back to what happened, i heard about the fortress of meropide being a prison, and i didn’t want to go there for stealing so… i played along with the show while looking for an opening to flee, but then i got water poured on me for no reason, and then someone jumped into the tunnel to nab me. 

“i wasn't going to take that lying down, so i knocked him out and stuffed him into the box. there was nowhere to run from there, though, so i had to change my clothes and hide in a box containing performance costumes and after the first garde arrived at the scene, i slipped out of my hiding spot and continued hiding inside the opera house.” she finishes. 

"but i swear i didn't know that the water tank would fall down. really, i swear it! had i known that, i wouldn't have put him in the magic box! i may be a thief, but i'm no killer!"

“so you heard it from her yourself, lady furina.” kaeya remarks, smirking as he folds his arms. “it’s manslaughter, and the twins aren’t involved. you can’t refute this anymore, and look, your dear oratrice is siding with me~” he taunts as the oratrice reflects what kaeya says, swaying completely in his favor. 

“i’m afraid he is right, lady furina.” he starts, watching her try and slink away, and he taps his cane. “lady furina, if the prosecution has nothing else to say, you admit that properly, and not try and run away from it.”

“how rude, my dear iudex.” furina huffs as she turns and looks at him, being oh so close to escaping through the door. “fine, fine, i admit defeat, i have no more arguments and the twins didn’t kill cowell. could have given me some dignity in defeat at least?” 

“very well, while there is much in lyney and liliane's conduct that should still be investigated separately, this case, at least, can be handed over to the oratrice to make the final decision.” neuvillette declares as a ticket is inserted into the machine. almost as quickly as it enters, is it ejected from the machine and he takes it gently.

“according to the oratrice mecanique d’analyse cardinale, lyney and lynette are declared “not guilty”!” he announces, kaeya loudly sighing as he slumps against the wall and looks to the traveler and paimon.

“you did it, kaeya!” paimon cheers, to which he waves off.

“this was nothing.” he lies with a smirk.

“uh huh, then why are you slouching against the wall like you ran a marathon?” the traveler asks with a playful grin, to which he huffs.

“dunno what you mean.” kaeya scoffs. 

lyney can’t help himself and he throws his arms around his sister, knocking his hat askew. “we’re going to be okay, lynette!” tears bead colorful violet hues. 

lynette pats his back, but her tail curls around his waist. “we have nothing to worry about now.”

lyney beams as he pulls out of the hug, turning to kaeya. “thank you… so much. you have no idea how much this means to us. believe us when we say, ‘father’ will graciously reward you if she learns about this.”

a pit of anxiety seeps into his belly at the mention of their ‘father’, but he masks it with a cool smile. “well, then i’m honored. really, i was just doing my job. it got a little dodgy there, but we made it through.”

“the case is not over yet, defense. please, have a seat while we have the gardes explain the truth.” neuvillette speaks, effectively silencing them. his eyes shift over to one of the gardes. 

“i would like an explanation, garde vaughn. how did you come to find the water from the primordial sea in lyney’s baggage? i suspect that the accomplice mentioned in cowell's notes was not lyney, but you, yes?”

the garde stammers, nervously sweating, “i- uh, well you see…”

“i'm sure you know what you must do to lessen your sentence.”

“i was just following orders,” he insists, “we were supposed to place blame for the serial disappearances onto lyney and thus cause suspicion to fall on the fatui. The higher-ups said that this was the best opportunity to do so.”

“and now that your plan has fallen through, and the secrets of the water have been revealed, you have become a liability to said higher-ups, yes? therefore, you would be wise to tell everything you know and seek the protection of the gardes.” neuvillette stares the garde down, vishap eyes intense. 

“y—yes! i'll tell you everything i know! our boss discovered that the water can make people dissolve. it can also be made into a potion which, when extremely diluted, can cause people to experience unforgettable exhilaration. we've been in this business for a while now and have made decent mora off it. the disappearances were also the boss' idea—” as he speaks, he begins to choke the closer he gets to the truth. he holds his head in anguish as he falls to his knees. slowly, he begins to dissolve into water until nothing is left besides his clothing. 

the crowd erupts into disarray again, kaeya looking on in horror as the man was effectively silenced. the nation of justice is quite ironically a lawless land. 

neuvillette calls the gardes for further inspection before ending the trial, the audience beginning to disperse, but not without glee as they talk about the trial like it were a mere show. 

kaeya rolls his eye as he follows the twins, the traveler, and paimon out to the lobby.

“thanks again for helping us… we’re in your debt.” lyney turns to kaeya. 

kaeya gently waves him off, “c’mon, there’s no need for that. i’m just glad i was able to figure out the truth and clear your name. you may be fatui, but you don’t strike me as a cold-blooded killer. people have their reasons for being in whatever organizations they’re a part of, and that’s your right.” 

lyney smiles, taking kaeya’s hand to shake it gratefully, “well, regardless, we really do appreciate it. lynette and i will head home soon. perhaps we can all meet up again later for a smaller show maybe?” 

lynette shakes her head, “already planning another show. the ride never ends.” she’s partially teasing, but it’s clear she’s relieved. 

“sure, we’d like that!” paimon smiles, “we’ll see you around, lyney and lynette!”

“adieu, my dear friends.” lyney bows before he leaves with his sister. 

the traveler watches them, and kaeya hums casually.

“you still never told me what was on your mind.” he prompts as they begin heading back to the court of fontaine themselves. 

“i have a lot on my mind.” they dismiss. 

kaeya rolls his eye again, “you know what i mean. when we first got here, you seemed upset with lyney and lynette.”

they purse their lips as they frown, their pace slowing. they eventually sigh. 

“yeah… you’re right. it isn’t anything personal, it’s just… well, they’re so close.” they observe, but their eyes are pained, “and when we were talking about those missing girls, lyney seemed so passionate at the idea of saving his sister were she to end up in that situation, and i just can’t help thinking… why couldn’t my sibling be like that? we were just as close as lyney and lynette, and then they left me behind… we finally reunited, and they just… left. they didn’t care that they found me, they acted like it was nothing — like we hadn’t been separated for hundreds of years.” 

tears bead at their eyes and kaeya feels his heart sink. 

he sighs gently and he reaches out, taking their shoulder and pulling them into a hug. 

the traveler stiffens in surprise before they sink into his embrace, their arms lifting to wind around his slim waist.  

“i get it, and i don’t blame you for feeling resentful. it’s hard seeing a bond that you don’t have anymore. if i could, i’d find your twin and set them straight. what they’re doing to you isn’t fair. it isn’t as if you had some falling out that needs time to mend. you two were forced to separate… if it were me, i would’ve searched the ends of the earth for you.” he speaks honestly as he comforts them. 

paimon flutters closely and gently pets the traveler’s hair.

“yeah! paimon would do anything to find you too!” she chimes, “paimon knows it hurts, but we’re here for you, no matter what.”

the blonde sniffles and they let out a soft laugh, “thanks guys…” they pull back, wiping their eyes.

kaeya gives them a squeeze before letting go. “come on, let’s go find somewhere to sit down and eat. i don’t know about you guys, but i’m starved from that stressful trial.”

“ooh, now that you mention it, paimon’s starving too! let’s go see what desserts fontaine has to offer.”

the traveler smiles and follows their companions, the mood a little brighter.

Chapter Text

it had been a couple of days since the twins’ trial. kaeya had assumed things would calm down, and yet, one encounter led into another, such as the iudex summoning all three of them to his office to discuss a highly sensitive situation that arose. 

the traveler glances at kaeya, who seems to be a bit more quiet than usual, especially after the request to speak two days ago. 

“kaeya? you sure you’re okay?” they ask quietly, snapping kaeya out of whatever stupor he’s in.

“oh, don’t worry about little old me, dear traveler. i’m perfectly fine~” he reassures, which paimon rolls her eyes at.

“you sure fooled paimon.” she huffs as the trio leave the hotel to go to the iudex’s office. 

the walk to the office isn’t long, but the closer kaeya gets to the palais mermonia, the more worried he becomes, anxiety fluttering in his gut. he isn’t one to get nervous, but this has his stomach knotting itself, given the promise neuvillette made about telling him the truth. 

kaeya knows that he wouldn’t lie, after all, he’s the iudex of fontaine, lying would not suit his position or him as a character. but it’s the deep lurking truth that kaeya’s afraid of, the truths he’s been trying to avoid. 

his curiosity wants to know more, of course, figure out this mysterious khaenri’ahn, but at the same time, kaeya desperately wants to keep running from his ties and his cursed nation. he’s tired of it dragging behind him like a dead corpse. 

arriving inside the main building of the court of fontaine, the trio enter the most luxurious office they all have ever seen. a long blue carpet leads the way to a couch next to a desk with very limited papers on it, and behind it sits neuvillette reading some documents in a high chair. 

he lowers the papers as the doors behind the trio are shut and he gives a small but warm smile as he stands and approaches the trio. “ah, it is good to see you all again. how are you all?”

“we’re great, thank you!” paimon chimes with a smile. 

“that is wonderful to hear. i do apologise for bringing you three into the chaotic politics of fontaine, but alas it seems the tides of this nation want to favor anarchy.” he explains, holding out a document written in unfamiliar handwriting. 

kaeya takes it first, eye passing over the words. apparently, the harbinger they met days ago had somehow broken into the fortress of meropide and mysteriously went missing promptly after.  

something about the signature at the bottom gets kaeya’s attention. despite its unfamiliarity, he feels like he had seen this handwriting before. 

“wait, childe’s missing?!” paimon squeaks after reading from over kaeya’s shoulder, her hands going to her mouth. “what was he doing in the fortress? is he nuts??” 

“is he okay?” the traveler asks as their gold eyes lift to regard neuvillette. 

“i am unsure, as is the warden. he originally had eyes on tartaglia, but he managed to fall under the radar, and his disappearance also captured the attention of a fellow harbinger.” neuvillette explains. 

kaeya huffs, “of course. anything involving the fatui in any way would attract other harbingers into making it a diplomatic issue.” he knows all too well the stresses jean had been under with fatui trying to force her hand during the stormterror chaos. 

neuvillette nods, “indeed. while i do trust the warden greatly, i fear this may become an issue. as such, i have yet another favour to ask.” 

“of course, what do you need?” the traveler asks.

“i need one of you to go down into the meropide and investigate. i am more inclined to send the traveler, as you seem to be close friends with him from what our reports suggest. you likely know his hiding places, his patterns, his behavior. you are more than welcome to decline, but i felt it would be best to ask you.” 

surprise takes their expression and they look to paimon, “oh…! well, sure. childe is our friend, so, we don’t mind looking for him.”

neuvillette seems to relax and he gives a pleased smile, “wonderful. i will send letter to the warden letting him know, and i will arrange some charges for you later today so you do not seem suspicious.” 

“ah, wanted once again in another nation. a tale as old as time.” kaeya teases, earning a soft elbow to his ribs from the blonde. 

“thank you, monsieur neuvillette. we won’t let you down.” the traveler promises. 

“what about kaeya? what’s he gonna do while we’re down in the meropide?” paimon asks as she tilts her head. 

“i have my own plans for him, there is no need to worry.” neuvillette tells them, kaeya fighting the urge to shiver. 

why does that sound so ominous? 

“if he was going to kill me, he wouldn’t have invited me with you.” kaeya laughs off, but he is very much afraid of what he really means by those words.

“i’m sure you’ll break a law or two somehow and inevitably make that happen.” the traveler teases. 

neuvillette merely gives an amused smile before turning back to his desk where he begins to pen letters. 

“why don’t you three sit down, i will have someone bring in some desserts and tea before the traveler has to depart.” he kindly offers, paimon immediately perking up. 

“ooh, desserts! paimon is interested!” she flutters to one of the couches, the traveler following her. 

kaeya looked to the two sitting down and he sighs a bit. “i guess something sweet before a sour conversation won’t hurt.” he mutters, following them and taking a seat besides them. 

desserts arrive a moment later, neuvillette sending the letter with the melusine. the traveler and paimon eat to their heart’s content while kaeya picks at his cake. 

after the duo finish, paimon stretches in the air. “ahhh, paimon is so stuffed. she’s ready for the hard life!” she gives a thumbs up. 

the traveler shakes their head, “it’ll be fine.”

“well, if you two are finished, i can escort you both to the entrance of the meropide.” neuvillette offers, then his eyes turn to kaeya, “do you mind waiting here, mr. alberich?”

kaeya tries not to flinch at the sound of his last name, and he nods. “yeah… i don’t mind.”

“good, i will return in a moment.” 

with that, neuvillette exits the office with the traveler and paimon, the doors shutting with a resounding slam that sinks kaeya’s heart. 

once neuvillette arrives in erinnyes with the traveler and paimon via aquabus, he leads them behind the opera house to a large platform. 

“whoa, is this the secret entrance?” paimon asks. 

“it is not much of a secret, i suppose, but yes, you could say that.” neuvillette waits for the lift to open, and out comes the warden, wriothesley. the iudex seems to visibly brighten at the sight of him. 

“ah, monsieur neuvillette,” wriothesley greets casually, pale blue eyes landing on neuvillette before shifting to the pair at his side. “i take it these are the troublemakers i have the honor of babysitting?”

“babysitting!?” paimon repeats in an offended tone.

“alas, it seems to be the case, your grace.” neuvillette hums as he looks at the two. “breaking laws in my sight, there is no point putting them on trial if the judge caught them in the act.” 

“wow, bold move of them. not many have the guts to commit crimes in front of the honorable chief justice.” wriothesley smirks, “i do wonder what scandalous crime was committed that would dare offend the iudex’s eyes.” 

“you are in luck, the paperwork is already here.” the iudex walks to the duke, getting a little too close to what some might expect as he hands it to him directly, eyes softening now that the distance is shorter. 

he whispers quietly to him, “you know some of these rules are a bit childish, dear. just… play along, like we promised.” 

“of course, i’m a great actor, love~” wriothesley smirks as he speaks in a hushed tone, taking the papers, fingers brushing against neuvillette’s gloved hands. 

paimon leans over to the traveler while they talk in hushed tones, covering her mouth with her hand. “they’re being awfully close and quiet… are we not allowed to hear our crimes?” 

“i guess keeping us in suspense helps sell the illusion?” the traveler shrugs a shoulder, “though, they do seem pretty… intimate.” they tilt their head as they observe the pair.

“in any case.” neuvillette speaks up as he takes a few steps back, “i do trust these two troublemakers in your very capable hands, wriothesley. if they cause too many issues, do send word directly to me, i’ll assist however i can.” 

“you know i will, but don't worry, i have it under control. once i’m through with them, they'll be model citizens at the end of this. maybe they'll think twice about disgracing the iudex’s sight with their criminal behavior.”

“you flatter me, your grace. well then, if there is nothing else, i shall make my way back to the palais mermonia, i have… other issues that need my attention.” he turns to look at the duo besides him.

“remember what we said in my office.” he remarks before turning to leave them with wriothesley. 

the traveler nods, then they approach wriothesley, paimon at their side. 

“alright, you two, let’s get this show on the road. we have much to discuss.”

back at the palais mermonia, kaeya anxiously taps his thigh, bouncing his leg. the spacious room somehow feels claustrophobic, and the hairs on the back of his neck stay lifted. he’s almost terrified to learn the truths neuvillette has to tell him. he has half a mind to leap out one of the windows and find a boat back to mondstadt somehow, but he knows he can’t keep running. 

he can’t run from much, it seems. 

the doors nearly slam open and he tries not to shriek in surprise. he clears his throat and straightens up, singular azure eye watching as neuvillette enters. 

the iudex sweeps across the office, gracefully seating himself at his desk before turning his attention to the anxious prince.

“there’s no need to be nervous, i will not bite you.” your father, however, i might. he adds internally. 

“could have fooled me, you look like the type to bite.” kaeya remarked as he looks to the iudex properly. 

neuvillette can’t help but chuckle, “believe me, i have bitten my fair share of people. most specifically, your father. he still has the scars to prove it.” 

“dare i ask… why you bit my father?” he tilts his head, somehow confused at how someone would be so smug over biting his father. though, he supposes he doesn’t blame him. he would have bitten his father too.

“he deserved it.” neuvillette answers simply. “in any case, let us get to the real reason i wished to speak to you. firstly, i wanted to ask, have you ever heard of the name ‘nashah’?” he comes right out with it, finding no reason to beat around the bush. 

kaeya blinks a bit, trying to scrounge through the memories he has of names, before shaking his head. “no… that name doesn’t ring a bell.” 

he nods, “no matter, that is fine. you see, that is my name, or rather, the name i used when i lived in khaenri’ah.” he explains, “i was once part of the royal family, however, i left quite early on, so i am not too upset about your lack of memory regarding me.” 

“you were a part of the royal family..? i know i’m prince and the main line but… you’re a branch of it?” he asked, rather shocked to see the family tree grow like this. “but… then that means you have some sort of gift? i know my family likely does, given my visions and healing but… what gift could you even have?” 

“i am not a branch, no. i am a part of your lineage. you see, i was born after your father, which makes me your uncle and also a prince, i suppose. as for my gift, i…” he trails off, lips quirking into a frown. “i suppose you could say the affinity for the element of hydro.” he gives a simple explanation. the people of their home didn’t believe him about his identity, and he doesn’t doubt that kaeya had been raised to believe the same, had neuvillette ever came up in conversation after his departure. 

“okay but that’s.. normal? what, you the dragon of it or something?” kaeya blurts out, completely unaware of the true nature of the iudex. 

surprise takes the vishap eyes before he gently huffs. “that is not relevant. the point is, our homeland.. our people, we did not have a natural connection to the elements of teyvat. regardless, i am your family. i left for… a number of complex reasons, long before the cataclysm.” 

kaeya taps his thigh, the question that has been buzzing around in his head like an angry bee getting louder. “okay, so… if you’re supposedly my uncle, then… why not reach out to me? my dad, i get. he’s an idiot and he thinks he can run some stupid mafia.. but… and forgive my brashness, but what’s your excuse?” he can’t help but ask. 

neuvillette sighs a bit as he looks at the table, shame filling his eyes. outside, the rain starts to pick up, hitting the window. “....i don’t have an excuse, really. i assumed it was best i was erased from khaenri’ah’s future, so i cut my ties and became the iudex of fontaine. i suppose due to being khaenri’ah’s jastis, it made it easier for furina to hire me, and i got far too busy…”

kaeya picks up on the rain outside, eye shifting over to the window to see it coming down in a gentle shower. how odd. his gaze shifts back to neuvillette, and freminet’s words from a few days ago resurface. putting a pin in that, he focuses on his reasoning. 

he supposes he can’t blame the guy for seemingly ignoring him. it doesn’t seem intentional, and like neuvillette said, he was essentially erased from khaenri’ah, and that much is true. kaeya doesn’t even recall mentions of a jastis, let alone that he had an uncle. he barely learned about his own personal knight. 

“i get it, i guess… better than him. he pretends i don’t exist, you just… you didn’t know, so that’s fair. he has no excuse.” he shrugs. 

“i don’t know why that idiot thinks this is the wisest call, but… trauma does cause issues.” neuvillette theorizes, gaze looking down as he sighs. 

“...you heard that damn tale, didn’t you.” he calls out, knowing the look kaeya gave him. 

“huh? what tale…?” kaeya asks softly. 

“hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don’t cry. it’s because it’s raining, isn’t it?” he remarked. 

“to be fair, a kid mentioned it, but… yeah. kinda put two and two together. you got sad just now when i confronted you, and it started to rain.” kaeya shrugs, “i know i seem cocky and flashy, but people underestimate just how much i actually observe.” 

“no… i should have assumed you would have worked it out. your father was the first to know my truth, so you deserve to know it too. yes, i am the reincarnated hydro sovereign, one of the seven elemental dragons and original rulers of teyvat.” 

“reincarnated?” he asks, tilting his head, “so… you are and aren’t the dragon?”

“i am the dragon, but due to my… previous incarnations’ demise, and the enkanomiyan’s prophecy of the hydro dragon’s fate to be reincarnated as a human… well, you and i both know what that means.” he remarks, looking to kaeya with a pained glint in his eyes.

kaeya’s heart immediately drops at the mention of a prophecy and he swallows thickly, glancing away. “yeah… know it all too well.” he mutters, “i’m still trying to understand mine.” he shakes his head. he fears he never will. 

“well, let me hear it. i’m more versed in this field than you realise and well… i’m not your father, but i know the pain of being royalty, technically i’m a runaway prince too if you think about it.” neuvillette tried to lift his mood, despite knowing very little humor. 

“heh… seems running away from our bloodline just spun us in a circle.” kaeya remarks, then he sighs, handing over the scroll he keeps on hand. he closes his eye as he recites his prophecy by heart, the damned words burned into his soul at this rate. 

he sighs at the end, hands clenching into fists in his lap.

“all i know is… everything that happened in my life was supposed to happen. my dad was supposed to abandon me, our home was supposed to fall to ruin, and it’s on my shoulders to bring it back…” he huffs, “and that’s not even the worst part. i have this… i’ve been having these visions of this woman and a sinner, and they both have been adamant in the fact that i have to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself for an apparent third time.” 

the iudex’s heart sinks at the mention of a woman. he clears his throat, reading over the prophecy. he furrows his brows when something clicks. “...who wrote this prophecy, exactly?” 

“vedrfolnir. albedo told me he gave the prophecy to his master to pass to him to eventually pass to me when ‘the time was right’.” he bites his bottom lip, “i’ve… met him twice now… and i don’t know what this all means. i just know it’s bad news, judging by dain’s reaction when i brought him up. plus, he’s a sinner… just like… well, everyone else. a sinner cropping up isn’t exactly a good sign.”

“no.” neuvillette utters coldly, looking to kaeya with a narrowed gaze. “vedrfolnir is more than a sinner, he is fate incarnate. his visions have never been wrong, he knows fate better than anyone in this world. what he says, will happen. dainsleif is his younger brother, he knows that man better than anyone else besides one other soul — surtalogi. your father made the mistake in doubting him, you would be wise to not do the same.” 

surprise takes the prince, and he tries his best to follow along, but everything spins around in kaeya’s head at these revelations. his stomach tightens as nausea rises. 

this is all too much.

“wait… wait, hold on!” he rests a hand on his chest when he realizes his heart is beating way too fast. his knight? related to a ‘sinner’? hell, his uncle vying for the sinners? the visionary being right? kaeya’s life just a game to fate?  

he had always known since meeting vedrfolnir that his life is not his own, but hearing his uncle confirm that his visions always come true? 

the thought shatters something inside him. 

“ha…” he can’t help but stand up from his spot, “i’m sorry, but i am not a puppet. i am not a toy for fate. you’re telling me that he’s right, and you know what i say to that? i say ‘bullshit.’ i say ‘it’s not fair!’ why should my life be bounced around like a ball, like it’s nothing?? i get no say in my own fate and i’m just supposed to accept it?” kaeya finally snaps, the rising anguish and despair he had been feeling for weeks finally boiling over. 

“you think i’d lie about something deadly serious? i know our home, i know their capabilities… those two betrayed me long before you were ever a thought in ulrich’s mind, kaeya. everyone calls khaenri’ahns sinners, but they don’t know the five who truly brought agony to our home. i hate to break the news, kaeya, but a third of this already happened five hundred years ago!” he gestures to the first line of the prophecy.“this was the cataclysm! he knew khaenri’ah wouldd fall, and my brother blinded vedrfolnir because of your same reaction — he didn’t believe him! yet look at the history books… look at what happened to our home, kaeya… it’s proof… i don’t like it, but i am never a liar.” 

tears spring to kaeya’s starry eye and he takes in a ragged breath, turning his full glare onto neuvillette, “you don’t get it! you don’t get that this isn’t fair to me. i don’t give a shit if it’s true, or what my dad did. i know all about it after vedrfolnir dragged me into that stupid vision. i’m upset because it’s all a bunch of crap! i didn’t ask for this. this was planned since before i was born and it’s garbage. you walked away, you were allowed to leave and it doesn’t haunt you like an open wound. i don’t have that luxury!” he runs a hand through his hair, knocking his eyepatch askew, gold eye peeking through.

he rips it off, gripping it tightly, the tears streaming down his face now. 

“i’m not a savior, i am not going to bring khaenri’ah back. it’s not even my home anymore! everyone expects me to just forget about the life i lived and just go along with their plans because it’s already drawn out for me.” 

his knees buckle and he drops heavily onto the couch as a sob escapes him. “it’s not fair… i never asked for any of this. my life is my own, and i am so tired of being in the shadow of a nation that makes everyone hate and distrust us.” he buries his face in his hands, shoulders heaving.

guilt pools in neuvillette’s heart as he watches his nephew fall apart. he stands from his desk, grabbing the paper and his cane as he walks over slowly. he sits down next to his nephew, the cane resting by his side and the paper placed on his lap. he reaches out and he rests a hand over kaeya’s shaking shoulder. 

“i apologize, kaeya. i did not mean to minimize your pain and suffering. that said, i do not want you to care about somewhere you don’t know. you’re right, i walked away from khaenri’ah. i took myself out of the equation because i never belonged.” his hand drops and takes the boy’s, neuvillette gently squeezing it, “however… i know prophecies better than anyone else, i know we can make this work in your favor. we have time… khaenri’ahns have a long time, luckily.”

he offers a kind smile before he continues, “look at it like this, from my perspective this only begins when you are twenty two, but theoretically you’re far older than that… so maybe, we can twist this into your favor because this is the one area we can challenge. 

the first third, we can’t change at all, the second third you were protected by someone, and i assume the crimson means they’re related to that colour, so that has happened and you seem happy there. it’s the last third we can fight together and defy fate, if you want my help.” 

kaeya takes a few deep breaths to calm himself, wiping his eyes, “yeah… i guess you’re right. i just…” kaeya sighs heavily, finally sitting up, “i don’t know how i’m supposed to bring back a destroyed nation. our people are not the same, and… most of us are monsters… it’s a heavy task, and i’m expected to do it myself.”

“are you? or perhaps, you’re looking at this through a biased perspective after ulrich’s foolish words to you. let me put the last line in a neutral perspective with how khaenri’ah as a nation was meant to be. it is a godless land, a nation of humanity and unity, where all pitch in with their strength. together, under a leader who is balanced, fair, and honest, we work to prove the strength of humanity will always surpass a god. 

khaenri’ah is a land, but not just physically, rather metaphorically as well. united to bring a group together, one will restore light to a shadow, or rather… one will unite hope amongst despair. you, a child who has lived amongst the nation of freedom, can use those lessons and restore hope to those who do not have it — bringing forth the true philosophy of khaenri’ah.” neuvillette explains, looking at him with a gentle smile. 

kaeya quietly absorbs his words, then he lets out a soft hum, “i mean… that does sound easier…” he slumps into the couch a bit afterwards, “i just wish i knew what it wanted from me… this whole time, we were so focused on the blood aspect. does it… really need that?” 

neuvillette shakes his head, “no, prophecies are never that literal. there is a high chance that it simply means your essence. i assume you have looked into your gifts, no?”

kaeya nods, “yeah… we did a few experiments. we found our best bet was to isolate my… purifying abilities and fashion it into a potion of sorts. we managed to heal a hilichurl and restore his humanity.” he explains. 

neuvillette nods in understanding, “and i suppose that needs to be provided at a semi-constant rate or… is it permanent?” 

“mine is permanent.” kaeya answers, to which neuvillette tilts his head. 

“yours?” he asks. 

“a while back, my brother ran into an abyss mage that was also purified, but he said that it was a temporary potion. we're still not sure why or how someone has this, especially when the ones we made have been kept under lock and key.” kaeya shrugs. 

the iudex pales, fear chilling his veins. he has a feeling he knows who could be doing it, but he can’t be too sure. he shakes it off, chalking it up to overthinking as he looks away. “perhaps they either got lucky, or… nevermind.” he can’t propose any other possibilities, he doesn’t want to worry kaeya.

“yeah, it was a rough discovery. it made my brother freak out. i’m still not sure what to think about it. all i know is… with all this attention on me from a sinner to this creepy lady, i don't think i’m safe. not alone, at least.” 

“no, you’re not… but i don’t want to force you to stay here. i know you want to wait for your companions, but they could be days, if not weeks down there.” neuvillette remarked. 

“no, it's fine. i came here because i wanted to. after everything at the door… i just didn't feel like going home yet. so, i was just going to hang around the traveler for a while.” he explains, then a playful smirk appears, “since they're away, guess that means i can bug you instead, catch up on five hundred years of quality time we missed.” 

“maybe i should drag your father here after all.” the iudex smirks. 

kaeya snorts, “why, so he can tell me how disappointed he is in me? no thanks, i can get that in a letter.” 

“no, so i can let you watch me rip him a new one.” 

“heh, you know what? i might actually take you up on that.” kaeya’s smirk turns into a grin, gold eye sparkling. 

“well if he stops being a pain in the ass and supporting archons, maybe i will.” he hums. 

the younger prince perks a brow, “don't you work for one?” 

neuvillette sighs as he looks at his cane, “while i do, i…naturally, as a khaenri’ahn and sovereign, i will always despise the concept of archons. should i ever regain my full authority, i will judge them all for their transgressions and lies.” 

kaeya blinks in surprise at that. “oh… yeah, guess that's fair. i honestly don't know how to feel about it all… i was granted a vision, and i know they destroyed our home, but… i guess archons like barbatos or my brother aren't so bad. even though the anemo archon helped cause the cataclysm, he still accepted me into his nation. kinda have to be grateful for that.”

neuvillette furrows his brows, “your brother…? you've mentioned him many times now.” he knows for a fact that kaeya is an only child. unless ulrich had more children? but that wouldn't have been possible.

“ah, yeah, diluc. he's the crimson the prophecy refers to. or, well, his… our father. my dad left me with diluc’s dad and we grew up together. he's also apparently the pyro archon now, which is kind of funny in hindsight. he's the poster child for war, if you take one look at him, so we honestly should've expected it.” kaeya shakes his head. 

neuvillette breathes a sigh of relief. thank goodness ulrich didn’t have more children, one is already enough with… well, he’d rather not think about that. “i see…” 

“anyway,” kaeya moves on, “guess i’ll be sticking around for a while, until the traveler comes back. by then, i might be ready to head home. maybe while i’m here, you can help me out…? you did offer…” he fiddles with the star on his glove. 

neuvillette dips his head in a single nod, “indeed i did, and i will do my utmost to support you.” 

“thanks…. um… do i call you uncle?” kaeya asks, realizing he hadn’t established any sort of familiarity between them. 

neuvillette smiles kindly, “if you wish, you are free to do so.”

“great. then, thanks, uncle.” kaeya nearly beams. despite the five century gap between them, kaeya feels comforted having someone in his corner that knows what he’s going through.

Chapter Text

kaeya had been camping out in his uncle’s office the past few days. he had watched melusines, gardes, and even the hydro archon come and go. 

though, it isn't as much of a relaxing vacation like he had hoped — or a gushy, mushy family reunion. neuvillette had decided to put the prince to work since he figured kaeya’s expertise as a captain would help. 

kaeya had fallen asleep after hours of paperwork, sheets strewn across his stomach, the prince sprawled on the couch. 

he is widely unaware of the impending disasters waiting to happen until the doors slam open. 

kaeya jerks out of his sleep with a shout, flailing a moment before calming down. he looks over to see neuvillette striding in. 

neuvillette startles at kaeya’s sudden shout and they lock eyes before the iudex sighs when he realizes what had happened. 

“my apologies, i did not mean to scare you.” he takes another breath, and kaeya notices he seems to struggle with words. 

“s’fine. everything okay? you look… stressed.” 

“not quite. lady furina is preparing for a meeting with the knave. i would accompany her, however, i am urgently needed down in the fortress of meropide.” 

kaeya sits up, rubbing his eye, trying to ignore the chill in his veins. “i take it you want me to go in your stead?” he asks. 

neuvillette gives a pained look, “i wouldn't ask this if i didn't think you couldn't handle it. i am aware you and lady furina have not been on such friendly terms, but with your silver tongue and your charm, i am hoping you can keep the knave’s attention drawn.”

kaeya takes a deep breath, “can't say i’m eager to meet one of my dad's lap dogs, but i’ll help.” 

the iudex’s shoulders loosen in relief, “thank you, kaeya. i will take you to the opera house, then i will depart for the fortress.” 

kaeya sets aside the papers he had been working on and stands up. he takes a moment to stretch before he follows his uncle. 

the pair make their way to the opera epiclese, kaeya splitting off from neuvillette and approaching the steps. his hackles raise at the number of fatuus, trying to ignore the stares. after all, it isn't every day one gets to see the director’s wayward son. 

he clenches his jaw as he enters, a fatuus breaking away from their position at the wall and leading him to the meeting room. 

he steps inside, the doors slamming shut behind him. immediately, two sets of eyes are on him and furina jumps to her feet, surprise taking her expression before relief follows. 

“ah, so you're the esteemed guest miss furina mentioned.” the knave speaks, and kaeya feels a shiver run down his spine. 

he meets her gaze and his heart lurches at the crossed irises. he doesn't know what it is, but those eyes unnerve him. 

“of course, of course! i had to invite the honorable cavalry captain of mondstadt. he has been such a valuable asset to fontaine in our trying times.” furina fluffs kaeya up. 

the knave hums as she crosses a leg over the other. 

“it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, i have heard much of your accomplishments and your feats. i am the knave, the fourth of the eleven fatui harbingers.”

kaeya graces her with a smile and he bows almost theatrically, blue hair falling over his shoulder. “kaeya, the cavalry captain and quartermaster of the knights of favonius of mondstadt. the pleasure is all mine.” he straightens back up. 

“i do hope i do not offend with this comment, but i have had a rather unpleasant encounter with one of your fellow… colleagues in the past, so i do hope you understand my slight reluctance at being at ease.” he explains. 

the knave merely hums, “you are wise to be cautious, i commend you for that. i do assure you i am only here for the sake of fontaine, nothing more.”

“really?” he asked, skeptical about that as he takes a few steps towards the pair. “don’t trust the hydro archon? or is there something under the floorboards i can aid in airing out?” 

“does our esteemed guest not know the true ongoings of fontaine? interesting… further proving your lack of effort i see, lady furina.” the knave remarks as she looks back to the archon who pales in panic. 

“go on, tell him the truth… or do you want me to do that for you? monsieur neuvillette told me quite a lot, and we both have been putting effort and resources into preventing that fate.” she reminds. 

“‘that fate’? what fate?” kaeya questions. 

furina looks between the two and she sighs as she looks down. “…it’s the prophecy of fontaine. it says that all people from fontaine are born with sin that cannot be absolved. one day, the waters of fontaine will rise and the sinful people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the hydro archon will remain, weeping on her throne. only then, will the sins of the people be washed away.”

kaeya ruminates over that. the twins told him about it during the trial. still, it hadn't made any sense to kaeya. no one is born of sin, he would know, he hails from the kingdom of sinners. 

to know the people of fontaine are fated to dissolve leaves a sour note. 

what is it with prophecies? kaeya’s starting to hate them at this point. 

“i see. i was told about this.” he informs them, his uncle’s words circulating back into his head. like kaeya’s prophecy, maybe they can look at it from another angle. unfortunately, one glaring detail shows kaeya this prophecy is literal. after all, he had witnessed a man turn to water. 

“you say you and monsieur neuvillette have been planning in the background?” kaeya turns his attention to arlecchino. 

“we have. our shared history and desire to put injustices to an end make us rather compatible allies. if the hydro archon does not want to help and play in nonsensical tea parties, then i will simply go forth with my plan with him and combat this without the help of gods.” she replies calmly, despite the venom in some of her words.

“but monsieur neuvillette wouldn’t do things behind my back!” furina insists as she looks at the knave. “he’s been by my side for so long, and yes i trust him, but collaborating with the fatui?”

“this is not related to the fatui, lady furina. my home nation runs the risk of being flooded, how can i sit by and watch my own archon do nothing? the iudex has listened to me, and frankly listens to the people better than you do. if you think him saving our nation is betraying you, are you worthy of the title of archon of justice?” 

furina pales, but her hands clench into fists in her lap. she can’t back down, not like this. she swallows her fear, and she puts on her persona, “it’s not like that! i’ve been investigating the prophecy myself. i don't have to tell everyone my business twenty-four seven! i simply do not tell the people what’s going on so we do not incite mass hysteria. if we let fear spread, we only invite chaos, and we wouldn’t want that, now would we.” 

kaeya glances between the two, and his mind pumps through torn thoughts. on the one hand, furina has a point. you can’t sow chaos amongst the people by confirming the worst, but on the other, pretending the problem isn’t there doesn’t help matters either. she’s caught between a rock and a hard place, and kaeya can sense she feels that exact way. 

“this prophecy. how did you learn about it?” he asks, eye straying to the knave. kaeya has an extremely bad feeling he knows exactly where it came from. the question he really has is ‘why would a sinner help a nation led by an archon?’

the knave crosses her arms as she sits back, “as you know, freminet is a phenomenal diver, and i heard tale of some ruins beneath the waters. i had him investigate, and he brought back photos of these tablets he came across.” 

kaeya’s heart starts to quicken, “i see…” he had taken a shot in the dark but it seems he’s right anyway. arlecchino didn’t confirm his thoughts of course, but that feeling in his gut tells him he hit it dead on. 

“monsieur neuvillette and i came together to discuss this matter in private, as freminet sensed something off about the tablets, and we decided we would start preparing. we want to prevent this land from destruction.” 

“do you know who the prophecy came from?” kaeya asks, meeting her gaze. “if so, then you know that this can’t be fought. the prophecies from this source are set in stone, so what is your plan? you can’t evacuate everyone in time, and there’s nowhere they can go if the waters are going to rise.” 

“do you know?” the knave asks back pretty quickly, head tilting in curiosity. she only heard theories from the iudex, but of course keeping those cards to her chest was a more profitable move.

kaeya shrugs as he sits back, “i do. after all, for my station, i do quite a healthy amount of investigating. i know who does what and where. just like how i know what my dear old daddy is doing while i’m left behind in another nation. i’m sure you know it quite well~” 

she looks down with a light chuckle. “of course, the cold intelligence of your bloodline doesn’t fall far from the tree. so tell me, alberich, who is the responsible one for these prophecies?” 

he sighs almost dramatically, “fine, fine. i’ll share my wisdom. some call him a visionary, and true to his name, everything he sees comes true. i’m sure you know about the infamous disaster, since you seem to claim you share a background with my uncle. well, he foresaw that, and would you look at that, it indeed happened.” he folds his arms over his chest, “so like i said, this prophecy your fighting is fruitless, and again i ask, what is your actual plan?” 

“you should know, prophecies are not literal.” she reminds, just like neuvillette told him a few days ago. her gaze looks up to focus on him, “sure, this visionary can see a prophecy and it happens, but does he know the exact methods.”

“perhaps not, but fontaine’s seems to be. that garde from lyney’s trial dissolved into water in front of our very eyes. otherwise, i would be inclined to agree with you.” 

she looks back at the table in thought, eyes closing as she sighs softly. “i see… that does cause issues. if monsieur neuvillette can decipher this power from the tablets, perhaps he can find a way to reverse or stop the dissolving. after all… if only pure-blood fontainians dissolve, he stands a good chance.” 

“well, from what we learned in the trial, it was diluted primordial seawater that was dissolving people, but it doesn’t exactly explain why the people are being affected by it. it’s ancient water, if anything, you’d think it’d be pure.” kaeya puts his hand to his chin in thought. 

furina catches up after listening silently, “that’s right! our dear lawyer here helped uncover the secrets of the water, and as he pointed out, we watched a man dissolve. i did have some people look into it, but they have yet to return to me with anything substantial.” she needs to get control of the situation fast. she can’t have them thinking she’s this incompetent when she knows exactly what she’s doing. 

kaeya waves off her lawyer comment, “i’m not actually a lawyer, but like i said, it seems strange that this water source is harming people.”

“then perhaps, it’s something to do with biology. they say bloodlines are at the core of some things, this could be another one of those moments. tell me, have either of you two tried to use this water on someone from beyond fontaine?”

kaeya shakes his head, “not personally, but the girl we had presumed missing during the trial had actually been a resident from mondstadt, and the water only soaked her. it didn’t do anything else.” 

“so, with that proof you all saw, what’s to say the primordial sea water affects the biology of only pure-blood fontanians?” arlecchino questions.

“well, the garde, no? he’s from fontaine and he was dissolved. i know it wouldn’t hurt someone like me, or the traveler, as we’re outsiders, but we have no way of knowing who’s actually fontanian or not, and i don’t think we have enough time to investigate everyone to make sure.”

“we’re not here to play guessing games of someone’s biology.” she reassures as she stands up. “what i am saying is… the reason this prophecy works is because of the biology of fontanians spanning generations. pure-blooded fontanians have inherited the ‘sin’ of the prophecy, and like this visionary claims, they will drown. if we find a way to reverse that ‘sin’, then perhaps we have a way to prevent the prophecy all together.” 

realization dawns on him, “ah, i see… i suppose that angle makes sense. if that’s the case, then we have to find out this sin, no? whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as, well… those sins.” 

“hence monsieur neuvillette’s involvement. he’s older than lady furina, he knows the history of fontaine better. if he sees these tablets first hand, he is our best hope working this out.” she explains. 

“alright, i guess that’s fair.” kaeya taps his fingers on his thigh, “so then, where does that leave the rest of the public? lady furina is right in that we can’t just tell people they might or might not die. even if there’s skeptics, it would still cause mass panic, and that does nothing but make things difficult.”

“she’s going to stay here and continue being herself, we cannot have the iudex suddenly vanish and not keep a figurehead around.” arlecchino spoke as she slowly began walking to the door. “i need to prepare my children in case things go wrong and they must escort people out of fontaine.” 

kaeya turns his gaze to furina who stands from her seat, “i’m working on it, i swear it on my authority as the hydro archon. i can’t tell anyone my plans, but i am doing something for our home.” she promises. 

arlecchino glances back and hums, “we’ll see.” with that, she departs, the doors swinging shut behind her. 

furina sinks into her seat and slumps. 

kaeya lets out a slow breath. “well, that was an ordeal.”

she sighs a bit as she curls in on herself. “you’re telling me…” 

he walks over and sits where the knave was, leaning forward as he does. “...you know you can drop the mask now, i’m not going to snitch on anyone.” he promises. 

furina looks at him, immediately sitting up as she does. “mask? what do you mean, my dear captain?” 

kaeya rolls his eyes, “don’t give me that. i know when someone’s pretending, i do it all the time. you wear a mask, it becomes your persona, but the second it falls, you lose your identity.” 

furina stares at him for a moment before she sighs, deflating. “i… s’pose you’re right, but… you don’t get it. i’m an archon, i have to be godly. if i’m not, no one will take me seriously.”

“are you one, though? knowing my luck, you’re just filling in the role.” kaeya remarked, more to himself than anything. 

“i am, but you know what i mean. some archons are more friendly or they’re not as serious. i fear that if i’m not… like this, they won’t listen to me. i don’t know what it is, but acting arrogant and haughty captures their attention here. fontanians want entertainment, you know?” she doesn’t know why she’s spilling her heart out to him, but something about him feels like a balm. she worries she’s slipping too much, can she trust him to keep it quiet? 

“your nation hosts trials in an opera house, a building renowned for the dramas of things. this nation set itself up to fail in that regard, a trial isn’t meant to be dramatic, it’s meant to be earnest. if your people truly saw the reality of life, like whatever this prophecy is… i doubt they’d enjoy the dramas anymore.” 

“that’s just the way it is,” she shrugs, folding her hands in her lap, “that’s how it was when my predecessor ruled, so i kept the tradition. it’s not great, and i know the iudex doesn’t like the theatrics, but we know not to mess with something that isn’t broken.” 

“but when this prophecy is over, when that part of fontaine ends, you could start anew. un-... neuvillette might want the change.” he counters. 

“i know, and i want to. after the prophecy, i’ll be free.” she utters the last part quietly, “i can do what i want after…”

he tilts his head, what did she mean by she’ll be free? he didn’t want to question it, he just nods in understanding. “i get it… well… i should get out of your hair, neuvillette wanted me to keep an eye on things while he was in the meropide.” he explained. 

she perks up at that, “oh, you don’t have to leave yet! stay, have some cake. monsieur neuvillette will be back soon, and there’s not much else to handle.” 

he blinks, surprised at the offer as he shrugs a bit. “i don’t want to be a burden, but if you insist, i’ll stay… though i’m not sure if he’ll know i’m still here.” 

“he does. he said you were going to stay until he returned.” she leans forward to take a cake plate before sliding it over to kaeya. “here, i promise fontaine desserts are to die for.” she beams, already bouncing back. 

“okay… okay, i’ll have some of the desserts.” he raises his hands, sitting back himself.

“wonderful!” she claps, then pours the tea. she feels more at ease. maybe kaeya is someone that would understand her predicament. she wants to tell him the full truth, but terror clings to her heart, keeping her paranoid. she’s so tired of being alone in the dark, but it’s her duty. 

kaeya watches her pour the tea, noticing how calm she appears but he knows there’s more worry under the surface. it’s how humanity works, no matter their status, but he doesn’t push it for now. he takes the cup and brings it to himself. “so then, what’s he like? neuvillette? any gossip you got about him? does he date?”

furina takes a sip of her own tea, then she smirks at the question. oh he just opened the can of worms. “oho. would you be surprised if i said yes?” she asks. 

that gathers his interest, but he shrugs regardless, “honestly? yes and no.” 

she giggles, setting her cup down onto the saucer with a soft clink. she crosses a leg over the other, “our dear iudex has his eyes set on the gruff and tough warden of the fortress.” she tells him, “i caught them many times in his office at the palais mermonia.” 

“oh? i never expected him to be that careless. what’s this warden like, maybe i’ll get to meet him?” he asked, sipping his tea, this type of conversation was far more enjoyable for him.

furina scoops sugar into her tea and hums, tapping the small spoon against her lips in thought. “he’s interesting… he’s kind enough to monsieur neuvillette. i don’t know much about how he acts as warden, but as long as he isn’t a brute to neuvillette, i don’t bother them.” she goes back to stirring the sugar, then sits back. 

“well, that’s good to hear. i don’t know much about my uncle, but as long as he’s happy despite his roots, then who am i to judge? at least one of us is living a better life.” kaeya remarks. 

furina tilts her head at that, “can i ask why?”

kaeya falters, then he clears his throat. “well, you know his origins, correct? where he really comes from?” 

the hydro archon nods, “mhm. i wasn’t archon yet, but i met monsieur neuvillette about a hundred years before… the disaster. he mentioned being from khaenri’ah and that he was looking for a fresh start. so, he was hired as the chief justice as we learned he had been a jastis previously. we felt it was best to keep his role similar to something he was used to. then… after the disaster, i was made archon, and we began our official partnership.” she explains. 

kaeya hums, “that sounds about right from what he told me. though, he just said it was only you.” he points out. 

furina laughs nervously, “ahh… yeah, he doesn’t quite like talking about the previous hydro archon. it’s complicated. i never really knew why, but i never pressed. it didn’t seem like my business. i had already pried enough with the khaenri’ah stuff.” she tells him, “in any case, yeah, i know where he comes from.” 

“alright, i guess that’s fair. i only made my comment because people like us, well… the world is wary about survivors given what happened. people distrust us, push us away, and i mean, i can’t exactly blame them. a lot of us did do some pretty nefarious things. still, i’m just glad my uncle didn’t get the brunt of being a khaenri’ah survivor.” 

“no one in fontaine knows he’s from khaenri’ah, but… they do know he’s different. he was treated quite unfairly when he first got here, especially when he was made the iudex. people were distrustful, and even more so when he brought the melusine over to give them a better life. it was a terrible time, and i tried my hardest to ease the discourse, but i could only do so much without the people casting their suspicions onto me next.” 

kaeya falls silent at that. he had no idea his uncle had gone through such strife, and a pit of guilt settles in his gut. he had assumed neuvillette had walked away from khaenri’ah without any repercussions, but it seems like he faced them anyway. 

furina continues despite kaeya’s silence, “i guess i understand what you mean, though. i’m also glad he’s happy. he’s… a good friend. a friend that i don’t deserve…” she mutters quietly at the end.

they both settle into a somber silence after, furina absently stirring her tea. 

kaeya purses his lips as he sets his cup down. he needs to cut away the sorrow, so he does what he naturally does. 

“so, you’re an archon, right?” he asks her, a grin bubbling to the surface. 

furina casts her gaze over to him and she scoffs, although it’s lighthearted. “duh~” 

“do archons know when a new archon comes into power?” he asks next. 

she quirks her lips in thought, “kinda. we get this… sense that something’s changed.” she explains. 

“oh, so then you know about a new pyro archon, right?” 

her tear-shaped eyes widen in shock and her lips part as she gasps. “what?? no i didn’t know this! i mean, i had the feeling of course, but i’ve been so busy with fontaine that i didn’t even notice. who is it?” 

“ah, just a grumpy old winery owner in mondstadt~ what are the odds, right?”

furina mulls over the description before she gasps again, “wait, you mean diluc ragnvindr! what do you mean he’s the new archon! tell me everything.” she scoots to the edge of her seat. of course she knows the mentioned winery master, monsieur neuvillette has had meetings in the past with him, but she hadn’t expected him to be on her level. 

kaeya’s grin turns menacing, “oho~ let me tell you everything, my dear hydro archon.” he angles himself to face her, taking the opportunity to get comfortable as he sits back in the chair, head tilting to the side with the grin only getting larger.

“master diluc, oh what a being he is. getting nearly killed by a harbinger for having a temper tantrum, and then gets banned from snezhnaya for ‘being a problem child’ - fitting, he still is one.” 

her mouth only comically gets larger in shock, “what? i never would have guessed that. i did hear about that from monsieur neuvillette, but i didn’t think it was him. he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.” she can hardly believe it, but heavens if this isn’t juicy gossip. she couldn’t wait to tell it to neuvillette next, she knows he doesn’t know the whole story. 

“wait, neuvillette told you? how did he hear about that, does he know the identity of the sixth harbinger?” kaeya asks, genuinely curious. 

“he told me he heard about someone ransacking ‘that clown’s nation’, but he didn’t know exactly who it was. as for the harbinger, he knows all of them… obviously.” she refers to his apparent close ties with the fourth. 

“well, i know what clown he means, but, apparently diluc got absolutely beaten to near death by their sixth, called the hound, and then scurried back to mondstadt to run the dawn winery, but also ended up in an intelligence gang as a way to feel… in the loop.” he continues.

“‘the hound’,” furina repeats, “i did hear about him briefly, not sure who it is, though. monsieur neuvillette wouldn’t tell me, he just said it wasn’t that important, and that i didn’t have to worry.” she shrugs, “but anyway, i can’t believe the master diluc had done all that. you wouldn’t even be able to tell just by looking at him. he seems so refined and sophisticated.” she should have caught on that it was all an act, she knows pretending best. 

“diluc’s a brat at heart, he won’t change, and given how close he’s getting to the geo archon, if you begin hearing love stories in the works about gods, thank them~” he hums.

“interesting. you just provided me with the most scalding of tea, my dear kaeya~” she giggles, then takes a slice of cake before catching onto what he just said. “wait a minute. the geo archon?” now that catches her interest. yet another person that’s been uttered from monsieur neuvillette’s mouth. 

“yep, the geo archon himself. he thinks he can hide it, but when you’re as observant as i am, you catch hints. the liyue statues look exactly like zhongli, how no one caught on is a mystery.” kaeya remarked, “...fitting when no one recognises diluc in the worlds worst mask as he doesn’t change his hairstyle beyond a low or high ponytail.” 

“oh, the people of fontaine wouldn’t have caught on either. they would have theorized it, of course, but they wouldn’t have actually figured it out. humans are easy to fool, apparently, especially the ones that like to be entertained.” 

“evidently, mondstadt even believes anything i say, and well… let’s just say i may have made some interesting lies~” he winks, despite having his eyepatch on.

her brow arches at that, “oh? do tell~ you’d be surprised what kind of lies the people will easily believe.” 

kaeya hums a bit, looking up to the ceiling as he taps his foot on the floor. “well, people assume my grandfather is the greatest pirate of all time. he’s not, he’s a dragonslayer~” 

her eyes widen, “what? what do you mean?” dragons? she’s heard tale of them, especially the one that allegedly resides in fontaine, but someone that’s slain dragons? she never once considered that. 

“of course, dragons. why else are they all extinct~” kaeya hums. 

“i see…” her eyes narrow slightly in thought. 

“what? don’t tell me a dragon lives in fontaine, my poor grandpapa missed one?” he teases, he knows the truth, of course, but seeing others squirm is fun.

“i mean… kinda? it’s just a legend, but i’m sure you’ve heard of the hydro dragon, right? the one that brings rain whenever it weeps.” 

“yeah, the fatui kids told me it. what, you think it’s genuine?” 

she shrugs, “i honestly don’t know. fontaine is… special, i guess. it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. so many stories, so many legends, fairytales. where does the fiction end and reality start, you know?” 

“it’s as i told diluc before he left for his warmongering in snezhnaya - this world is truly fascinating.” he remarked, refusing to elaborate why he truly said those words. 

she nods in understanding, “i see. it is, you’re right. despite… everything, i have seen quite a lot. the world has its quirks.” 

“it does, i do wonder what else lies ahead.” he remarks, sipping his drink afterwards. part of him feels he shouldn’t have spilled so much, especially about his brother, but he just couldn’t resist. he just hopes diluc won’t be too mad at him. 

they fall into mindless chatter after that, neuvillette returning moments later. 

“oh! monsieur neuvillette, you’re back!” furina chirps when she spots him. 

“yes, the situation has been handled.” he answers. 

kaeya tilts his head, “what was it? you rushed out of here like your house was on fire.”

neuvillette gives him a look that has kaeya shrinking back into his seat, “there was a problem down in the fortress. it appears the sluice gate hadn’t been strong enough to hold back the sudden surge of primordial seawater.” his gaze then shifts to furina, “i do not wish to say it, but i fear the prophecy is already in its first stretch.” 

furina frowns as she quietly sinks into herself. “oh…” 

kaeya furrows his brows, “did anyone get hurt?” he asks. 

neuvillette shakes his head, “no, thankfully. wriothesley and miss clorinde managed to hold it off until i arrived. i used my power to seal the water. the water will not escape, but the seal will not hold long either.” 

kaeya shrugs, “have you ever considered just… moving the primordial sea?” 

sharp vishap eyes shift to kaeya and they narrow into a glare, “you truly are ulrich’s son.” he snarks, earning an offended gasp from kaeya. “it is not that simple. i do not have my full authority, so the most i can do is hold it back.” 

furina remains oddly quiet, chewing on her bottom lip. this isn’t looking good. they can’t be entering the first stages of the prophecy already, it’s too soon. 

“alright, alright. fine. sorry for the dumb question. point is, you really can’t do anything about it?” kaeya asks. 

“no, if i could, i would have done so already. i suppose all we can do is wait for the traveler to return.” 

furina nods, “right! we’ll need all the help we can get.” she gets up, “i have some things to finish. anyway, thank you for joining my little tea party, dear kaeya. i’ll see you two later. toodles~” she prances off, but kaeya knows immediately that this is just her form of running away.

neuvillette sighs, “i truly do not know what i’m going to do with her.” he shakes his head, “in any case, i assume the meeting went without a hitch?”

kaeya sits back, “it was fine. the knave is intimidating as all hell. what interests me is that she claims you have a deeper relationship with her.” his brow arches at that as he regards his uncle. 

“we simply share the same goal. i do not ordinarily associate myself with ulrich’s harbingers, but there are a select few that have earned my respect in spite of their origins.” 

“oh?” kaeya replies, “go on, then, who are they?”

neuvillette stares at his nephew before sighing. “i deeply respect the captain, the knave, and the hound. does that satisfy your curiosity?”

kaeya perks up at that, “the hound?” that’s the one he mentioned earlier that had nearly taken his brother’s life. “you know the sixth harbinger? who is it?” he asks. 

neuvillette looks away, “that is not my identity to share. i do hope you understand.” 

the prince narrows his eye slightly, “alright… fine.” he lets up for now, but he will get to the bottom of this. 

“in any case, i have some paperwork to attend to. you are welcome to come with me if you so wish.” 

“yeah, s’fine. i got nothing else to do anyway.” 

the pair leave the opera house, returning to the palais mermonia via aquabus. kaeya mulls over everything he had learned earlier, dread sinking like a stone in his gut. he fears things are only going to get worse from here on out.

Chapter Text

days pass in trepidation. with the traveler still carrying out their sentence and the looming presence of the knave, kaeya is on edge, and the same clearly goes for his uncle. 

between two prophecies, two lost princes, and revelations left and right, they’re both at their wits end. 

kaeya is returning to his uncle’s office with reports when the ground begins to tremble. he quickly rights his footing to keep his balance, singular eye widening. the quake doesn’t seem to last very long, only a couple minutes, but a spike of fear still jolts through kaeya. without another thought, he hurries into the palais mermonia and heads into neuvillette’s office. 

neuvillette is already standing at alert, clearly prepared to leave. he’s speaking with a garde, trying to calm them down.

“sir, the people are in a frenzy, and we have citizens filling the lobby. we have to address this.” the garde emphasizes.

“yes, i’m fully aware it is a bleak situation, but i must ensure that the waters involved are not related to the prophecy.” he explains, looking past them to see kaeya before looking at the garde again.

“calm the fontanian citizens down, i must depart. i will address it when i return.” he orders, earning a salute before the garde walks out as kaeya approaches.

“well, i was gonna ask if you felt that earthquake too, but it looks like you did.” kaeya remarks, watching neuvillette round the desk and head towards the door.

“yes, i did. if the primordial seawater has managed to disrupt the waters of fontaine already, this poses an issue. wriothesley is keeping tabs on the blocked conduit in the meropide, but if this has managed to find a second exit, i must find it.” he explains as kaeya follows him out of the palais mermonia.

“that’s great and all but… if the prophecy is happening now, what do we do?” he questions, worry blooming in his chest. 

“...i don’t know.” neuvillette admits, “but, we need to investigate poisson. from what the gardes said, it originates there.”

“we?” kaeya repeats. 

“ulrich would insist on coming along with me when something was wrong, and since you are his son, i expected your insistence, therefore i jumped to allowing you to accompany me.” he explains, looking over to the younger prince, who pales at being caught. “was i wrong?” 

“...nope.” he mutters as he looks away with a nervous laugh. “i want to help and well… here i am.” 

neuvillette nods, “exactly my point. besides, i may potentially need your expertise in this.” 

kaeya glances back at his uncle, blinking a couple of times, “uh… i’m no expert in primordial floods, uncle.”

“no, but as a foreigner, you can get to victims faster than i can. while the water will not hurt me, i do not know how my biology will react regardless. given you are cryo as well, it may help in the way wriothesley’s assisted down in the fortress.”

“i’m not like your boyfriend, uncle. i’m just some guy with a sword who can teleport.” he lies. 

neuvillette ignores the boyfriend comment and instead, gives an unimpressed glare to his nephew, “do you want me to pull out all your titles right this very second?” he threatens. 

“you still end up with more than me, so go on, try it.” kaeya dares with a grin. 

“it doesn't matter how many i have, the point is that you are not as ‘simple’ as you claim. if i can read your father’s idiotic lies, i can read yours as well.” 

the grin fades from kaeya’s face, eye shifting away as he sighs, “they’re not lies… they’re… just opinions i have about myself.” 

“i’m well aware of that. after all, you referred to our biological trait as a birth defect when i first inquired about your eye.” he reminds, “but in this moment, i do not want you to sell yourself short. right now, i would like your help in whichever way you can provide it.” 

“...alright, if you want disappointment… you got the right person.” kaeya looks back at him with a small shrug. “poisson awaits it.” 

“you are tempting me to hit you upside the head with my cane.” neuvillette grumbles before he takes the lead. 

arriving at poisson, the pair hurriedly descend down the pathway to reach it and come across the flooding of the area. primordial seawater is rising at a rapid pace, and kaeya looks at the people closest to the water, eye widening in panic. 

neuvillette’s eyes widen as well, “kaeya! get down to the people quickly. use everything you have at your disposal. i will attempt to quell the tide.” 

“okay..!” kaeya uses his innate ability to teleport down to the people trying to flee and pulls out his sword. 

stepping forward, he uses his cryo to form an ice bridge under his feet, then begins to build an ice wall around the primordial sea, locking it in place. waves crash, some water splashing over, but kaeya quickly frosts it, turning it into snow. 

once the wall is secure, he turns to the people and helps them evacuate to the higher levels, thankful that the members of the spina di rosula have a handle on that part of the situation. he pointedly ignores the fatui who have also come to help. 

meanwhile, neuvillette summons his strength and minimal authority, channeling it into the waters. he winces as the tugging becomes a persistent ache, but he remains steadfast, slowing the water flow until it settles back down. 

once the threat is minimized and the waters have receded, he nearly topples over. he grits his teeth as he leans heavily on his cane, taking a moment to gather his bearings.

kaeya sighs in relief once the people have cleared out, then makes his way back up to where his uncle is. once he gets to him, kaeya pales at his demeanour. 

“are you crazy?! y-you could have been injured…!” he can’t help but scold. 

neuvillette takes a deep breath when the world stops spinning. “it was a risk, yes, as i am not at my full power, but i could not allow the people to perish… i had to do something.” 

kaeya sighs a bit as he helps his uncle. “i know… but it feels like only you are doing something… the archon should be helping too, not just an incomplete sovereign.” 

the iudex pinches the bridge of his nose as he sighs, “i… i know. you are right, and i have asked, but she always assured me she had it handled. given the knave’s urgent meeting and what you told me, she doesn’t seem to have it under control.” he closes his eyes as he considers his next option, “i may have to confront her. this is getting out of hand.”

“confront her? maybe we do that… when we’re not in the middle of sudden floodings?” kaeya suggests meekly. 

neuvillette gratefully changes course, “right, of course. were there any casualties? any wounded?” he asks. 

he shakes his head, “no, they ran while i froze an entire wall around the place.” the prince nervously admits as he looks to the wall of ice he created. 

neuvillette’s eyes stray to said wall as well, a hum leaving him. “and you doubted your skills?”

“well i’m not exactly… good at many things.” kaeya tries to insist, despite the proof next to him. 

neuvillette has enough strength to roll his eyes, then he straightens up and takes a breath. once he can walk without collapsing, he leads kaeya to the people. 

“do not fret, the threat has been neutralized. i hope everyone is safe and unharmed?” he asks. 

one of navia’s bodyguards, silver, steps forward, and he bows his head, “everyone is accounted for. thank you, monsieur neuvillette. had you not arrived sooner, we may have had casualties.” 

“of course. the people of fontaine are of most importance.” 

“we owe you our gratitude, and know that the spina di rosula is indebted to the chief justice.” melus graciously bows his head as well. 

neuvillette lifts a hand to kindly wave it away, “there is no need.” he promises, “seeing as how poisson is a territory at great risk from the primordial sea, i will be sending gardes to come and evacuate the people. we will set up temporary homes within the city until this threat is handled once and for all.” 

with that agreed, he steps away and he releases a slow sigh. “come, let’s head back to the city. i need to have a word with lady furina.” 

his tone sends a shiver down kaeya’s back, dread for furina settling in his gut. ah… he’s never seen his uncle this deadly serious. if he digs deeper, he might even be able to sense a rising anger. 

the duo return to the city, and neuvillette enters his office after directing the rest of the gardes to evacuate poisson. he takes a deep breath, then prepares to call for a garde to find furina, however, when the doors to his office open, the traveler walks in, paimon trailing behind them. 

“oh,” surprise takes neuvillette’s face and tone, “traveler. you’ve returned…” his eyes glance to the calender on his desk, “ah yes, today was your last day, correct?” 

“yeah! we’re finally free.” paimon wiggles, “but uh… what’s going on? you guys seem tense..” she frowns when she catches onto the atmosphere of the office. 

“we will get to that momentarily. did you find anything with your investigation?” 

the traveler nods, “yeah. so, according to the prisoners, childe found a way to sneak in through one of the water pipes. whatever he was looking for, we guessed he thought the prison would take him to it.” they start, “but after a while of not finding it, he snuck out. we’re not entirely sure where he went, but because i have his vision, i kept having these dreams of him and this… giant whale. i’ve never seen anything this big. it… didn’t feel like it belonged here…” they bite their bottom lip anxiously. 

neuvillette listens intently, a cold fear sinking into his gut. he knows exactly what that monstrosity is, and who it belongs to. “you are right, that beast does not belong to teyvat… it lives within the waters of the primordial sea, so with what you have said about tartaglia, i am safe in my assumption in saying he is also in the primordial sea.” 

paimon’s eyes widen, “what? but… how can he be there? isn’t it dangerous?”

“worry not, tartaglia is of snezhnayan descent.” the knave’s voice rings out as she steps into the office, scaring the daylights out of kaeya who had been immersed in the conversation. he hadn’t even heard her walk in. “the primordial sea has no effect on him, so he is relatively safe.” 

“this is quite the party…” kaeya comments softly, trying not to shrink when arlecchino sets her gaze on him. 

“i come bearing news that is to be shared with the iudex. though, it may also pertain to you, as well, so do with this information as you will.” she tells him before turning her attention to neuvillette. “i have found the ruins that freminet had stumbled upon that held the stone tablets regarding the prophecy. the aura of these stones gives an idea of the prophecy’s source. due to your background, you would be pleased to know that the aura traces back to the visionary.” 

kaeya’s blood runs cold, and he pales. again?? what is with this guy and prophecies? and why fontaine? what does he get out of ruining fontaine? 

kaeya’s eye strays to his uncle, who seems to be deep in thought. 

“the visionary?” the traveler speaks up, “you mean one of the five sinners?” their eyes shift to paimon, who looks equally worried. “why would he have any connection to fontaine?”

“it is likely he has no connection to fontaine itself.” neuvillette begins as he looks to the goblet of water. “vedrfolnir knows fate better than anyone in the world. if he caught on that fontaine was doomed to face a certain fate, he would make that fate a prophecy and use it to taunt the previous leaders of this land to see their reaction. he sees fate as a game, his game, and he is the puppet master of it.”

“but what does he get out of it with fontaine? it can’t just be because of the archons, if so, why not find prophecies for all the other nations?” the traveler points out. 

“i’m afraid the only person who might know that is dainsleif.” kaeya frowns. “that’s his brother, right? if anyone knows the vendettas of blood, it’s going to be dain.” 

“they’re brothers?!” paimon repeats in shock, “we didn’t know that!” 

“huh… guess that’s why dain is so sour over my sibling…” the traveler mutters. 

“vedrfolnir’s his older brother, fitting in hindsight with how dain acts, kinda bratty.” the prince lightly teases before shrugging. “i think if there were anyone who would know the visionary’s craft work, it would be dain…”

neuvillette scoffs quietly, “not all younger siblings are brats, thank you.” he comments, “but yes, you may be right. while i did know the sinners previously, i do not know their agendas now.” 

“look, i agree with the ‘not all younger siblings being brats’, i’m one and i am a delight.” kaeya replies, “but where the hell is dain gonna be…?”

“huh, if you listen closely, you can hear master diluc from all the way in mondstadt.” paimon leans over to the traveler. 

they shake their head before focusing on the question, “well, last time we saw him, he said he was going to stick around in sumeru, so we can send a letter, see if he can meet up with us. it might be hard since we don’t know where exactly he is, but we can try.” 

neuvillette shakes his head, “with the flooding of poisson happening, time is not on our side. sumeru is massive, even if we have a good port connection. if we cannot find dainsleif now, i fear we have to worry about motive speculation after we stop the primordial sea from overflowing.” 

“well… we do have his prince here.” paimon hums as she looks over to kaeya, “paimon thinks, what if we summon him through kaeya?” 

“because i know how to summon dain suddenly.” kaeya looks at paimon with a deadpan expression. “what, do i call for his help like, oh noooo, my uncle is about to flood me for breathing in his direction?” 

paimon scoffs, her hands going to her hips, “well! do you have any other ideas? who knows, maybe he’s like….” she pauses before spelling the next name, “like x-i-a-o, and can just be summoned if you called for him.” 

“how does that not count as calling for him? ugh anyway, fine, i’ll try, even though i used his name like five different times.” he grumbles before looking up at the ceiling. “oh beloved bough keeper, your prince needs you~” 

neuvillette looks over to the knave, grumbling in their shared language, “why did ulrich become a father again?”

arlecchino smirks, “this isn’t my circus. i don’t have to worry about him being my family.” 

“yet again, i suffer for my brother’s idiocy. is it too late to become a sinner myself?” he half-jokes.

“you guys are mean.” kaeya huffs, however, he stiffens when the air shifts in the room. a moment later, a portal manifests near the door, and out dainsleif walks, confusion on his face. 

“ha! it worked!” paimon boasts, a smug smile on her face. 

“dainsleif?” neuvillette speaks up in confusion at the summoning working. vishap eyes do widen a bit due to how long it had been since they last spoke. 

the bough keeper stiffens at the voice and his eyes shift to neuvillette, “jastis nashah alberich…” he bows his head, giving him the khaenri’ahn salute instinctively, “it has been a long time.” 

“ja-what now?” paimon questions. 

“...it’s… been a long time indeed, bough keeper. even that title and name is just a drop in the ocean now.” neuvillette waves the title away.

“i see.” dainsleif nods, then he looks to the rest. “why was my attention needed?” 

“would you believe me if i said fontaine’s dying because vedrfolnir got bored?” kaeya asks his knight. 

immediately, dainsleif is on guard, “what.” he looks to neuvillette again, “where is he?”

“if we knew that, we would be hunting him as we speak for answers.” neuvillette answers honestly as he stands up and grabs his cane. “alas, the only information we have about his activities is the prophecy of fontaine itself. it was created by your brother a long time ago, before i took the role of iudex, and before lady furina became archon.” he explains as he rounds his desk to meet the group in the center of the office.

arlecchino takes that as her cue, “one of my children discovered stone slates within some ruins that foretold fontaine’s future. i investigated myself and can indeed confirm that they are directly sourced from the visionary.” 

dainsleif turns to her at that, “can you take me to them? i have to see this.”

“yes, but fair warning, one of the tablets is currently missing. i have already dispatched some of my children to find it.” 

kaeya nudges his knight, “hence me summoning you, by the way. if we did this without you, i think you’d be mad.” 

his eyes meet kaeya’s single blue one, and he sighs, “not necessarily. i assume the jastis told you my ties to vedrfolnir. had he not, you would have no reason to think i was affiliated.” he explains, “regardless, i do thank you for calling me. this is vital, and it may give me some answers.” 

kaeya shuffles his foot a bit and shrugs his shoulders, “even if he didn’t tell me… you know the abyss better than most of us, i’d still invite you. but we should find these ruins, and learn the truth.”  

“i thank you regardless.” 

“yay! now it’s really a party!” paimon wiggles, “although… it is kind of somber…” 

“well, i will lead you all to the ruins and you can see for yourselves.” arlecchino tells them.

neuvillette sighs, “it is a somber situation… but we must use any information we can to prevent the flood.” 

the knave looks to neuvillette, “indeed, it is the only way we can press forward, fontaine needs to be protected.” 

“then let’s go.” kaeya nods, as the group depart from the office to follow arlecchino’s direction. 

the journey to the hidden ruins is one filled with mostly silence, the evacuation of poisson happening nearby with docked boats piloted by the gardes and citizens being ushered on them safely to sail to the court of fontaine. 

arriving at the base of mont automnequi, the group ventures into the ruins and dive under, following the knave’s precise guide. eventually, they climb onto some land and through the caves, the group notice a large tower in the distance, ruined but still keeping most of its shape. 

“i would advise caution, freminet warned of the likelihood of there being remnants of the primordial sea water beneath us.” the knave speaks up as she looks at the others. “however, given none of us are from fontaine, we should come out unscathed if we were to fall in.” she explains. 

kaeya hums, “well, even if we’re not at risk, it’s still better to build a bridge than to fall through and having to swim the rest of the way.” he takes a couple of steps forward, analysing the situation before him before nodding and glancing back at the traveler. “traveler, can you use geo to form those crystals? i’ll use cryo to interlock them and the remnants of this pathway.”

they blink at the idea before moving forward and nodding. “okay… we can try!” they agree as they raise their hand in the air and with the power of geo, they force out a line of geo in front of the group, following the path forward to the doorway of the tower.

the prince hums as he steps onto the crystalline geo energy and with his own cryo, begins forming a sheet of ice to reinforce the cracks in the geo and the pre-existing ground to make a bridge stable enough for them all to enter and exit from and avoid the water beneath. 

“ooh that’s clever!” paimon cheered as she looks at the gold and blue pathway before them.

the knave walks past the duo, testing the sturdiness of the created path. “it is good enough to get us there and back.” she admits before continuing to walk towards the tower, expecting others to follow. 

kaeya glances back at dainsleif as the others begin to follow the knave, tilting his head at his lack of reaction. “you good, dain?”

dainsleif blinks a little before he looks at kaeya. he nods, snapping out of the stupor he had fallen into. “i am, forgive me. i suppose i was not as prepared as i believed to be facing his actions.” he admits as he slowly walks forward, only to be stopped by kaeya grabbing his wrist.

surprised, dainsleif looks back, meeting kaeya’s gaze.

“you don’t have to look at vedrfolnir’s work, you know.” the prince reassures, glancing down at the ring on dainsleif’s pinky finger on his left hand — a typical location for important rings to go. “especially if you keep a close trinket of his by your side.”

“ever perceptive, aren’t you, my lord.” the bough keeper sighs as he turns to him properly. he glances down at the ring and he nods. “yes, this ring i own is a gift from him when i was a part of the royal guard… it keeps me stable, reverts me to a state of… normalcy. when our people were cursed by… the ruler of death, this ring… well, it became a rather useful trinket now, given the curse in our veins. despite his inactivities in the cataclysm, he still has brotherly tendencies if he has yet to revoke this ring’s gift.” 

he hates admitting it, he hates acknowledging that there have indeed been good things vedrfolnir had done. it makes it all that much harder to despise him in full.

kaeya purses his lips, “that is a weird contradiction… does nothing to save khaenri’ah, but keeps his brother from falling to our curse.” he muses, tilting his head curiously. 

“it is. i do want him to pay for his inactivities, but this one situation is a curious one to be in.” he agrees. he sighs, glancing down to see their hands still linked. he clears his throat, looking back up. 

“my lord, we need to catch up.” he urges, which makes kaeya look down at their hands before swiftly letting go. 

“ah, ahem, right.” he stammers, ignoring the rising blush as he glances at the others walking up the slope to the entrance above, with neuvillette staying a bit behind to make sure they aren’t split up. 

“by the way, dain, you got neuvillette’s character very wrong.” kaeya smirks as he walks ahead, dainsleif tilting his head at that statement before sighing and following suit. 

“what do you mean?” he asks once they catch up.

“ask him yourself~” he teases as he walks past his uncle.

“ask me about what?” neuvillette asks instinctively, looking at the duo in confusion. 

with a steady glare after his lord, dainsleif turns his attention to neuvillette, “he claims i misunderstood your personality, so i am asking him to clarify.” 

“well, what did you tell him i was like?” the iudex asks, looking at dainsleif properly. 

“i said that you were quite firm and rather intimidating, as i had known you when i was part of the royal guard. however, i reassured them that you were still kind. though, i did also voice my worry in how you would perceive me.” he admits the last part with a slight shrug, gaze shifting away. 

“how i would perceive you? dainsleif, you stayed when our home… suffered. i was the one that left. if anything, you should perceive me as a traitor, i see you as a noble warrior who tried.” neuvillette reassures, though not without a hint of guilt in his voice.

“ah…” dainsleif frowns, shaking his head, “i would never see you as a traitor, sir. i suppose i assumed you would see me as one, as i have been labeled a failure for not protecting our home from being destroyed.” 

the traveler stiffens up ahead and they look back, a frown appearing on their face. they recall the vitriol and malice dripping from their sibling’s tongue when they verbally lashed out at dainsleif, their twin blaming the twilight sword for the disaster. 

“you were no failure, dainsleif.” neuvillette speaks calmly, but firmly as he places a gentle hand on his shoulder. “i assure you, no one in the royal family who truly cared for the eclipse dynasty saw you as a failure.”

dainsleif steadily meets neuvillette’s gaze, seeing the sincerity in those vishap eyes. he lets out a slow breath and he nods. “thank you…” 

“i promise you, i do care for our home and respect those who fought for it… so let's get answers about vedrfolnir together, alright?” he comforts before they return to the group. 

dainsleif looks up at the tower and tilts his head, “is anyone surprised at how… simple this tower is. hardly any windows, consisting of a simple turret and a lack of a roof?” 

neuvillette looks up, focus zoning in on the water droplet at the centre and he shakes his head. “no, this tower is a lie. that water droplet is not true hydro, there’s… abyssal energies tied to it. that is likely where the tablets are hiding, and what mister freminet saw was what vedrfolnir wanted him to see, illusionary ones with abyssal energy from them.” 

the knave sighs a little, “that would make sense from a sinner. i will personally make sure freminet is not infected with abyssal influence when i return.” 

the iudex nods as he continues the walk up, his grip on his cane tightening more as he looks down. “how did he manage this without sight..?” he muses to himself quietly, concerned over the possibility of not just one sinner being involved in this.

kaeya shuffles nervously, “you mentioned he was close to another sinner. surta… something.” 

“surtalogi.” dainsleif fills in, “they weren’t just close… they were married— are married.”

“are? they’re both still alive?” he questioned, looking over to dainsleif. 

“of course. remember, some of our people were cursed with immortality. among us, the sinners have also been inflicted with the same.” dainsleif reminds. 

“true, but i thought given how they didn’t show up to help, they left before the immortality curse hit us.” kaeya mutters. 

“even if i was not there, i felt the curse hit our bloodline.” neuvillette chimes in, “i know if i was not the hydro sovereign, i would be inflicted with the curse.” 

“so they’re out there… likely aware of our plans… and mocking us.” kaeya sighs in defeat. “this is just an elaborate plan from the sinners.” 

“hmph.” dainsleif huffs, “are we truly surprised? everything is a game to them.” he glares above them, hoping it’s caught by his brother. 

“well, what do we do now? where do we find that prophecy then?” the traveler asks as they approach. 

“the water droplet up there.” neuvillette points with his cane. “that isn’t water, that is likely an abyssal portal. we climb up, enter, and learn the truth.” 

“then enough stopping and talking.” arlecchino speaks up as she continues to walk, the end in sight. “our goal is nearby.” 

quietly, the rest of the group follows the knave up to the water droplet. 

as they get close to it, kaeya feels a dead weight drop heavily into his gut at the abyssal aura. he lets out a shaky breath, and reaching forward, he touches the water droplet first. 

his heart and soul lurches, much like it did when he had been absorbed into vedrfolnir’s crystal, then a moment later, he’s in a room with crumbling walls and drawings etched onto the stone near him. 

he takes a couple of steps forward, turning back when he hears dainsleif and the knave show up next. “you’re both here, good… none of us are being split up it seems.” 

“vedrfolnir isn’t the type to split people up again if what you said is true in your last encounter.” dainsleif remarks as the traveler, paimon, and finally, neuvillette arrive. “he adapts based on his strength.” 

kaeya huffs, “yeah, well last time, i had to face a red moon by myself when i was thrown into another vision of the past.” he grumbles, folding his arms over his chest.

arlecchino turns her gaze to kaeya curiously, “oh? is that so?” she asks. 

kaeya nods, shrugging his shoulders. “yeah. met this woman that i swear i’ve seen before. dunno who she is, she just guilt tripped me into making sure khaenri’ah’s revival doesn’t end in a third fall.” 

neuvillette and arlecchino share a gaze that kaeya misses as the prince turns his attention to the tablets. 

“so this is what freminet found.” he leans down a bit to see them more closely.

behind him, paimon, neuvillette, and arlecchino approach, the traveler glancing around the room curiously. something feels off about the subspace, but they can’t quite put their finger on it. 

dainsleif takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and steeling himself. his gut churns anxiously, and his senses run haywire, and he tries to force it down. when he reopens his eyes, he takes a step forward, only for the world to fall out from underneath him before he can make a sound. 

when he lands, he stumbles and falls to his knees. he groans and lifts his head, aqua eyes flicking around. they land on his brother who seems very amused, and he growls, baring his teeth. lifting himself onto a knee, he readies himself to launch at the elder when a blade meets his sword. 

he stiffens, wincing when a hand slips into his locks and yanks. 

“easy there, bough keeper.” the foul’s voice rumbles out, “i wouldn’t make any sudden moves if i were you.” 

“you should know him well by now, my love.” vedrfolnir speaks up, head tilting like he can see exactly what is going on before him. “he only knows violence in his current state.” 

dainsleif scoffs, “what do you want from me, vedrfolnir.” he sneers his brother’s name, “it wasn’t bad enough you had to destroy our home, but now you have to toy with fontaine?” 

“is it wrong of me to see my kin? i have done nothing to fontaine, their fate was sealed long before i wrote it out to them.” he explains, carefully approaching the pair as he lets his brother see him far more clearly.

vedrfolnir still has that long blonde hair, but the abyss drips from under his blindfold. a halo of eyes stare down at dainsleif, studying him. 

dainsleif rolls his eyes, “oh, i’m sure. just as i’m sure your pet,” he spits the term towards surtalogi, “isn’t responsible for the recent floodings. you cannot fool me, just as you cannot fool the jastis.” 

vedrfolnir sighs, “surtalogi, if you wish to stab him, go ahead, remind him of his place.” he lifts his head to face his beloved, a cold smile on his lips before focusing back on dainsleif. “tell me, dear little brother, why do you think i plucked you out of that little group?” 

dainsleif is about to make a retort before he thinks better of it. still, it doesn’t take the glare off his expression. “i don’t know, you tell me.” he sasses instead. 

“you want to know the fate of fontaine, yes? what if i told you, we are saving the nation from the most cruel archon known to teyvat?” he asks. “as a self-proclaimed hater of the gods, you yourself would love to hear their hubris, no?”

the twilight sword huffs, “even if i despise the heavens, it’s no reason to eliminate humanity alongside it. these people did nothing to deserve their fates. they are not true sinners like you and your ilk.” he bites. 

“oh dainsleif, dainsleif, dainsleif.” vedrfolnir tuts as he walks around him, gloved hand running up the masked side of his face to rip it off him. he holds it up to examine it, humming. “these fontanians aren’t human. they are the descendants of egeria’s oceanids.” 

dainsleif grunts in pain from the mask being peeled abruptly from his face, exposing his corrosion from the abyss. he still glares up at vedrfolnir all the while. 

“then why punish creations for what their creator did? you are no better than the gods that cursed our home if you’re punishing these beings for something someone else did.” 

the visionary turns to face his brother properly, a sickly smile on his face. “because nashah will free them before they perish, as he will take back his authority and be complete. i warned them of their fate, not their outcome. that is something you fail to comprehend about my gift. they are fated to drown if they remain oceanids, but nashah is fated to save them and bring back true humanity. tell me, oh bough keeper, why do you think the hydro sovereign is needed here?” 

“even if you’re right, what do you gain from this? what’s in it for you? you’re not interested in helping others, so how do you benefit? i know you, ‘brother,’ you never do anything without expecting something in exchange.”

“a grand trial will happen soon, and during that concentration, my beloved’s pet will feast. within this feast, shall nashah finally be able to confront focalors, and witness the death of one of the seven thrones permanently.” vedrfolnir tells him. “my benefit? one of the seven thrones is gone, and we are one step closer to true revenge for the fate of our nation, the very fate your king punished me for speaking about.”

dainsleif rolls his eyes at the last part. even if vedrfolnir speaks the truth, dainsleif refuses to believe in any of it. “the fate you brought upon us. don’t play innocent, like you care so much for our home.” 

“i did, when rahim led it.” vedrfolnir bluntly replies. “you may question my loyalty and truths, but you know best dainsleif, i am fate incarnate.”

“then where were you when khaenri’ah needed you!” dainsleif snaps, fury in his eyes, “where were you when i was left on the frontlines and had to watch my comrades, our people, succumb to the curse or be turned into monsters! you turned your backs on me first! so forgive me for questioning you when you have given me no reason to trust you.” 

“do you want to know what ulrich did to me? where he left me for hundreds of years?! surtalogi still cannot free me, i am still trapped in that crystal your “lord” left me in! how can i save anyone in that prison?!” vedrfolnir snaps as he grabs dainsleif by the jaw, halo eyes blazing with fury, tears, and remorse. “tell me how i could do anything blinded, chained, weakened, and alone?!” 

dainsleif grits his teeth and he tugs out of vedrfolnir’s hold, ignoring the sharpness of surtalogi’s sword against his throat. he shoves down the nauseating guilt that wants to rise. 

“where was everyone else then? what is their excuse for abandoning me, for betraying me? i thought each of you had my back, but you held a knife to it instead.” he glares up at his brother, angry tears in his own eyes as well, “i took the fall and the blame for our home falling to ruin because the great heroes of khaenri’ah chose the abyss and became sinners instead.” 

“i warned you all over a century before the calamity struck… the only ones who believed me were the heroes who abandoned you all. you showed your true colours when ulrich became what she made him, you all obeyed like little obedient dogs… so you died like them. we are above that.” vedrfolnir straightens up, calming down but ichor-like tears roll down his cheeks. “blame him for our ‘fall’... but you see him as a future daddy in law.” 

dainsleif lets out a bitter laugh, “and that just goes to show how much you know, ‘brother.’ i believed in you, despite my duty to the prince. i believed in the prophecy about him, about a chance of our home flourishing. but i still stood for our kingdom, not for the maddened king, but for my lord’s future.” he clenches a hand into a fist, “everything i did was for kaeya, and it will continue to be for kaeya. he was supposed to lead our home into a new future, onto a brighter path.” 

vedrfolnir looks at him, a frown forming as he lets go before turning his back to dainsleif. “his future is tainted by her, i warned you countless times. he is doomed to learn the truth, to witness it and see his fate. when he does see it, he will not bring your salvation, dainsleif, he will kill your final hope.” 

“he is our last hope, he is the savior. you wrote the damn prophecy yourself! you know exactly what his future entails, you will not fool me with this supposed doom when you wrote out plain as day that he will usher in a new dawn for our kingdom. you should know exactly what he’s capable of, you saw his power yourself, you even mocked him for trying. you do not fool me.” 

“perhaps i do know his future, his capabilities, his fate.” vedrfolnir admits as he folds his arms and sighs. “but i live in the end of all things, where all stories end, and all journeys die. i know the aftermath too… and i mourn his journey the most.” 

dainsleif can’t help the cruel smirk, “then you’re wrong, for once in your life. you may see all endings, but kaeya defies fate. he is not tied to the fate of this world, not traditionally. you would do well not to underestimate him.” 

with a quick flick of his wrist, he summons a portal and with his corroded arm, he grips surtalogi’s sword and shoves it away. 

“we are done here. bother someone else with your nonsense. i have no time for this.” 

dainsleif pushes himself to his feet, sparing his brother one last glance. 

“you better hope the next time i see you isn’t too soon.” it’s barely a threat, but he leaves with the last word regardless.

vedrfolnir sighs as he looks back at the portal closing, “you don’t know the sacrifices he has to make, you foolish boy. that is his burden.” he sighs before turning to face surtalogi. “your pet will soon consume some of this population… does that weigh on your soul?” 

surtalogi sighs, sheathing his sword. “truthfully, i’m neutral on it. do i want people to be consumed? not entirely. however, if it happens, then that would be unfortunate.” 

“you know it will.” the visionary reminds him as he approaches the foul. “this is the fate of fontaine. the deaths of humans and gods alike are happening because of us.” 

“then i simply hope the jastis will regain his power in time. despite our differences, i do not see the need to dismiss him or his new home.” 

“his new home will survive, if he survives the onslaught of humanity as the first true reincarnated sovereign.” vedrfolnir explains as he strokes his cheek. “if he fails, we simply mourn the loss and move on. for this, is merely a stepping stone in our vengeance, correct?” 

the foul rests his hand over vedrfolnir’s and he manages a smile, “you would be correct. we will continue to further our plans until i can free you and get back at those that hurt you.”

the visionary smiles, leaning up to kiss him. “then go, my love, prepare the narwhal for his feast, and for your student to enlighten the jastis of our newfound truths about the trinkets ulrich seeks.” 

surtalogi returns the kiss, “very well. i will see you later then.” he promises before he departs. 

back in the room with the tablets, dainsleif re-enters via portal, the group quietly discussing amongst themselves. 

paimon notices him first and she squeaks, “dain! you’re back! where’d you go? you suddenly disappeared.” she gasps after when she actually gets a closer look, “whoa! where’d your mask go!” 

“i apologize. i must have bumped into the water droplet and was sent back outside.” he waves away as he approaches. “and i took it off momentarily, i needed… to breathe.” he had completely forgotten his brother had taken it. he would have to find a temporary one for now.

kaeya meets his gaze, not buying it for a second, but he pins it for now. “well, we’re trying to figure out these stones. like the knave said, we’re missing one,” kaeya gestures to the broken part of the stone wall, the tablet obviously having been ripped out, “so we’re trying to fill in the blank until we can find the last one.”

“i still think it ends with neuvillette pulling out his cane and batting the flood away.” the traveler huffs, their arms folded. 

“and i told you, the missing tablet is the first one in the sequence, so how is that possible?” neuvillette counters. 

“that’s- what? how would that help?” dainsleif can’t help asking, shocked at the absurdity. 

“told ‘em. i actually theorized that maybe uncle’s boyfriend uses his cryo to put a huge shield of ice over the water to keep it from flooding.” kaeya brings back up. 

“i do not have a “boyfriend”?!” neuvillette tries to argue.

kaeya looks over at him, head tilting with a smirk. “furina told me you and him have meetings after dark and she heard you.”

“actually, yeah! paimon knows kaeya’s right! we saw the way you and the duke were interacting. we even tried snooping around while we were down in the fortress. plus, we all saw the way he looked at you when you showed up to stop the water.” paimon grins. 

“being human was the worst idea ever.” the iudex grumbles in his draconic tongue. 

arlecchino sighs, “whatever the case may be, this is what we have for now. freminet has already taken pictures of these, however, it will not hurt to have copies for ourselves.” 

neuvillette looks back at the tablets and nods. “indeed, i have written down the direct translations of these tablets as well from what i can decipher as the hydro sovereign.” 

kaeya looks to dainsleif when he notices him zoning out again, and walks over to him, gently taking his wrist. “wanna talk privately? they got this handled, we can get going and… look after you.”

dainsleif meets kaeya’s gaze, then he takes a breath and nods. “yes, please…” 

Chapter Text

kaeya takes dainsleif’s hand, and with his free one, he touches the water droplet and brings them out of the room. 

dainsleif exhales slowly, then he looks down at their hands, ruminating over what he just went through. 

“so… where were you really?” kaeya asks as they stand together, the prince gazing out into the distance. 

“what do you mean?” dainsleif questions, looking at kaeya like he isn’t hiding a million things from him. 

kaeya rolls his eye, glancing over, “you know what i mean. you disappeared. i know you didn’t just ‘accidentally’ bump out. so… where did you go?”

dainsleif stares at his lord for a moment before he sighs, looking away, “my brother dragged me away to lecture me.” 

“why just you? why not all of us?” 

“i honestly do not know. he knows how to isolate me, belittle me. i should have expected it when i arrived. i essentially painted a target on my own back when i stepped into his trap. he just exploited it, mocked me, tried to convince me that all of this was meaningless.” 

kaeya huffs softly, “yeah… he did that to me too back in sumeru. still don’t know what i did to him, but he likes mocking us, i guess.” a smirk crosses his features and he nudges dainsleif, “suppose we’re a match made in heaven then. a knight and a prince, both hated by an all-seeing sinner.” 

“ever since he lost his sight, he began seeing better than anyone, according to him. anything we see is inferior to his vision.” dainsleif shrugs before looking at his lord when he nudges him about their common trait. “my lord please, this isn’t a joke.” he sighs. 

kaeya sighs, “gotta lighten the mood. can’t walk through life with a permanent frown on your face. you’ll wrinkle like a prune.” he hums, “still, in all seriousness, your brother’s full of shit. fate or not, seeing or not, our lives aren’t a game. why should we be pinned down by something as finicky and stupid as fate? he can make all the prophecies he wants, but in the end, there will always be loopholes and cheats at getting around them.” 

the bough keeper sighs as he looks down. “the only worry i have is what he said about the jastis. vedrfolnir said the jastis will witness the end of the hydro archon’s throne and become a complete sovereign. we know the flood is happening, we know furina is fated to be alone… what if he is about to witness her death?”

kaeya feels his heart sink, but he takes a moment to think through the supposed future events. he can’t seem to think of a way where his uncle can regain his full power without witnessing something traumatic.

“then… what do we do? seeing something like that is scarring, regardless of the outcome it’ll bring.” 

worry settles in kaeya’s heart. he doesn’t want his uncle to witness the death of an archon, even with his aversion to them, but how else will the prophecy come into fruition? 

“i do not know. all i know is… the jastis will put the hydro archon on trial.” he explains. 

“that’s what the tablets state too. we just don’t know the first tablet, so we don’t know how it starts.” 

“not even the jastis? he left when egeria was archon, yes? he should know her.” 

kaeya frowns, “yeah… furina said he knew both her and the previous archon, but she didn’t know much else because uncle’s pretty tight-lipped. furina assumed it was because he just didn’t like her.” 

“or maybe, he knows her truth and worked it out. he knows the first tablet, my lord. think about it, when you were in that room with him, was he acting strange?” dainsleif asks. 

kaeya thinks about it, his free hand going to his chin in thought. “i… don’t know. he did seem to let the traveler throw out ridiculous theories, almost as if it were on purpose to keep us from sniffing deeper.” 

“and you don’t think that, from the chief justice who has overseen trials of two nations essentially, is strange?” he presses.

“i did, but i didn’t press it at the time, since he was already cornered. i might confront him when we’re alone later.” 

“as much as i despise and dislike my brother, when it comes to the jastis, he is correct about his personality and motivations. nashah is the key to saving this nation, even if he’s afraid of it.” dainsleif looks at his lord. “…he also has my mask.” 

kaeya nods as he listens along, then he snorts, glancing over to dainsleif. “i figured. i think you look fine without it.” he shrugs, “but i’m sure i can find you a replacement. diluc has a ton of stupid masks, he might have one that can cover that side of your face.” 

“my lord. it was to keep this hidden. i will simply have to make a new one.” he huffs. 

“orrr, you can just keep it off and let me admire my knight~ i think it adds to the image.” kaeya smirks. 

“tch, you are as bratty as ever.” he rolls his eyes. 

“i prefer calling it charm~” kaeya winks before gently squeezing his hand. “…anything else you wanna admit?” 

“not really.” dainsleif mutters, shrugging, “not sure what else i would talk about.” 

kaeya lightly nudges his arm, “come on, you looked at me like you saw a ghost when you came back. clearly he had a lot to say, and given he was lecturing me not too long ago, i can only imagine he was trying to piss you off with me.” 

dainsleif sighs, “i hate that you can read me so well, but… yes, he did mention you.” 

“to be fair, you're obvious when you're hiding something.” kaeya huffs. “but go on, what did he say about little innocent me?”

dainsleif bites his lip, “that you were doomed to fail… and that your fate would end your role as the savior once you learned ‘the truth.’” 

kaeya furrows his brows, “the truth? what truth? other than the history i’ve been forced to learn about our home, i doubt something like the truth would break me that hard. sure, i… i still don’t think i can do this, but it has nothing to do with failing. i just… worry that my efforts won’t be enough.” 

“my lord, they are enough, it’s just…” the bough keeper stops, knowing he can’t risk his brother being right, again. “i don’t know what he means.”

kaeya eyes dainsleif for a moment, but he lets it go for now. “fine, fine. keep your beloved prince in the dark. if it’s that bad, then… maybe it’s better i don’t learn it right now.” 

“i don’t want you in despair. even if you question your role as savior, you still deserve to be happy.” 

kaeya meets his gaze, then he offers a small smile. “hey… i’ll be fine. like you’ve all pointed out, you’re all here for me… so, if that stays true, i’ll be okay.” he reassures. “i… it’s going to be difficult, but… i want to save our home, or… at least change it.”

dainsleif nods before bowing his head, “i will be by your side, no matter what you do, kaeya.”

kaeya squeezes his hand again, “i certainly hope so. you are my knight, after all, and you really have no excuse to avoid me anymore.” he teases. 

dainsleif sighs, shaking his head now. “i wasn’t trying to avoid you. i would have approached sooner had i not been caught up in abyss order matters.” 

“yeah yeah, excuses~” kaeya smirks, poking dainsleif’s chest with his free hand, “just say you hate me.”

now the twilight sword rolls his eyes, “i do not hate you.” 

“then kiss me.” kaeya blurts out before he can stop himself.  

turquoise eyes widen at the outburst and he stammers, “i-i beg your pardon-? wh-” he isn’t serious, he can’t be. dainsleif doesn’t even know where his own heart lies beyond the chasm of hatred and spite, let alone how kaeya really feels. 

“oh come on, dain, i know emotions aren’t your strongsuit, but the things you’re doing for me go way beyond loyalty as a knight.” kaeya points out, trying to make it seem like it had been intentional. 

he honestly doesn’t even know why he said it, some impulse in him took over and spat out the first thing it can think of. there’s no use in taking it back now, though. kaeya can use this as a way to further gauge dainsleif’s feelings towards him. 

dainsleif sighs, “i… it was how i was trained, and we have not fully gotten to know each other on a deeper level. have you always moved this fast..?” 

“i mean, kinda? i’m suddenly meant to lead a nation at 22, you think i know what slowed down means?” he sasses.

“i… you know what i mean. what if your heart is with another? i wouldn’t want you to force yourself to be with me simply because i am your knight. i swore to protect you and to be at your side. were we to actually be together, then i would let the relationship evolve into that. but… because we’ve been separated, i know things will be different.”

he raises a good point, but honestly, kaeya never had interest in anyone. granted, he doesn’t even know if he’s actually interested in dainsleif, but he’s already in deep. “dain. i could have anyone in mondstadt, you hear the gossip and know the looks i get. the fact i’ve not picked them is kind of obvious, isn’t it? you… despite you putting me on a pedestal, you make sure i’m alright through the mental warfare the sinners put us through. if what vedrfolnir said is true, that i am going to lose my way… don’t you think i need someone like you to guide me back?” that part, he’s being earnest about. 

dainsleif frowns, “i do not put you on a pedestal… you are the prince, and i am sworn by duty to ensure your safety on all counts. however, yes, i am meant to guide you, and i will. i just simply do not want you to jump into something with me just because it makes sense. i want you to truly think about what and who you want, take the time to consider it. i…” he looks away, “i do not want you to be disappointed if your expectations are higher than you realize. not to mention, i do not even know how i feel yet… i’m still trying to understand the parts of my heart that aren’t clouded in hatred…” 

kaeya nods and lets go, taking a step back to give him space. a flush of embarrassment washes through him, and he scolds himself for pushing too hard. 

“alright… i’m sorry. it’s up to you what happens… i’ll um… get out of the way.” he mutters, turning to head back down the slope. well, if dainsleif didn’t hate him before, he likely does now. 

before kaeya can make it down, dainsleif catches up to him, gently snatching his wrist. “i did not say you have to leave, nor do i want you to be sorry… i still wouldn’t mind getting to know you, this you. all i have are memories from our homeland, so… i would still like to see who and what you’ve become in this world.” he offers a smile. 

kaeya stills when dainsleif takes his wrist, refusing to look at him as he sighs. he might as well come clean. “dain, listen… the reason i was testing you was because… well, i’m not worthy of being prince in this day and age. there’s nothing left of our home besides sinners, and i’m one of the biggest ones if i’m failing our home. i abandoned my bloodline, ditched my royal duty, and i’ve been running ever since. how can you be loyal to something like that?” 

the twilight sword sighs, “even if our home is in ruins, it is never the fault of yours. failing does not make you a sinner, if that were the case, then every single one of us is a sinner.” he points out, “i don’t want you to think about your past, or the fate of our home. i want to meet this kaeya, the… what was it you said? the captain without a cavalry?” a wry smirk appears. 

the prince rolls his eye, “okay rude, i’m also the quartermaster of the knights.” he huffs as he looks back at dainsleif, “...stupid varka stealing my cavalry and abandoning me. i’d call it homophobic but, i mean look at him, he isn’t straight.”

dainsleif chuckles, despite the odd tightness in his heart. “i wish to know more about that. what do you mean he stole your cavalry?”

“well, he went on a patrol to natlan, met the captain, and is now around that area between it and nod-krai. left me behind because he hates me clearly.” he huffs. 

“i see. that does seem quite unfair. i still do not understand the cavalry part.” 

kaeya shakes his head, “he decided to take every horse in mondstadt with his squadron of knights. so we have far less men, and zero horses. my job is basically useless until he comes back.” 

“i am sorry to hear that.” dainsleif shares his condolences, although there’s an amused smirk on his face.

moments later, the knave, neuvillette, and the traveler return from the room, distracting the two. 

“even after all that, we’re still no closer to finding the truth.” paimon sighs as she holds her head. 

“do not despair, we will uncover that first tablet somehow. until then, we simply must prepare for the prophecy. we are running out of time, if poisson is any indication.” neuvillette releases a breath, “i will contact lady furina and get an answer out of her. the rest of you, start preparing for a trial. if lady furina does not cooperate, then… as the prophecy states, we will have to put her on one.” 

vishap eyes shift to kaeya, and he bows his head, “kaeya, i know i have asked you many favors, but i would like to ask for you to accompany me. you might have a chance at convincing her to speak. therefore, i’d like you to witness our confrontation.”  

kaeya blinks a couple of times at the request, looking to dainsleif who gives a small shrug before back at his uncle. “i uh… sure?” 

“i ask you as you’re someone she has opened up to. perhaps if i can’t get through to her, you might have a chance.” 

“i’ll try but, she’s been masquerading for a long time uncle, it’s going to be hard to decipher a mask from the truth.” kaeya explains.

“then we’ll go to spina di rosula's base under the court of fontaine, gather people to be in the trial audience itself.” the traveler pipes up. “that way, we can sway the favor of the oratrice with the audience on our side.” 

“and i shall prepare my children to either gather the stranded civilians, or find this first tablet, whichever their strengths suit best.” the knave remarked.

dainsleif sighs a bit, arms folded as he looks down. “if that is the case, i shall make my departure now.”

kaeya perks a brow, “departure where? don’t tell me you’re going off on your own and abandoning your poor lord.” 

dainsleif frowns, “no, i am not intentionally abandoning anyone. i wish to investigate more of what my brother has done, perhaps even find a way to actually see what he is up to. i do not trust him, nor do i trust that he has fontaine’s best interests at heart.” 

kaeya purses his lips, eye narrowing at dainsleif before he shrugs, “alright, i guess. if you think it’ll work. just… be careful. he clearly knows how to get into your head…” 

the bough keeper nods a bit, “i’m aware, my lord. i intend to visit somewhere first, irminsul.” 

“all the way in sumeru?” the traveler pipes up, “would nahida even allow it?”

“perhaps not, but if i have to, i will swallow my chagrin and make my case clear. if there is a good source of figuring out what my brother is doing, it is through irminsul.” 

kaeya feels an odd swirl of anxiety that he can’t explain sink into his gut, “how long do you think you’ll be gone? it’s pretty far out there.” 

“i do not know, but i will fill you in if i can and inform you of my status.” 

the traveler hums, picking up on kaeya’s apprehension, “well, if you’re gone even after we finish here, paimon and i can come meet you.” they offer. 

dainsleif shifts his eyes to the blonde and he nods gratefully, “thank you. that would be appreciated.” 

neuvillette nods as he listens to the plans, “very well, then it is settled. i will depart posthaste. you all have your duties, please… try to be quick. dainsleif? be careful while you are away.” with that, he begins to leave, glancing back to ensure kaeya is following him. 

kaeya sighs, “welp, i can’t guarantee a victory, but i’ll try.” he steps off to follow his uncle, patting his knight’s shoulder on the way. 

neuvillette heads back to the court of fontaine, ordering a garde to find furina as he enters his office. 

kaeya follows, seating himself on the couch. anxiety bristles him, and he can’t help but feel dread for furina. 

the duo sit, the silence thick with tension. kaeya tries not to fidget, but his foot taps and his hand toys with the star on the back of one of his gloves. 

finally, the doors open and furina waltzes in. she approaches neuvillette’s desk and she rests her hands on her hips. 

“what, pray tell, was i summoned for, my dear iudex? don’t you know i’ve been a bit busy.” she huffs. 

neuvillette doesn’t even entertain her attitude. “sit down, lady furina. we have much we need to discuss.” his tone is firm, leaving no room for argument. 

she falters for a moment before she sighs. “fine, fine. what do we need to talk about?” 

“is that really the question you want to begin this discussion about?” he asked, calm but annoyed at that being the first thing she asks.

“what’s wrong with some clarity, my dear iudex?” she tilts her head a bit.

“furina. the prophecy is happening right now, poisson was flooded and evacuated. the stone tablets foretelling this have been found and i myself have studied them first hand. i am giving you a final chance, tell me what you know about the prophecy tablets.” he insists. 

furina keeps her pokerface and she crosses her arms, “you saw them? then you know exactly what they’re about. i know the same as you, so we can forgo these senseless questions.” 

he leans forward, vishap eyes narrowing. “oh, but are they senseless? pictures portray an image, but the mind deciphers them differently. you and i, archon and sovereign, view the world differently. i wish to know your takes.” 

“my take is the same as everyone else’s. the waters will rise, and i’ll be left alone. what more is there to understand?” 

“but there lies a contradiction. everyone knows the final two tablets, that is the summary of the prophecy for this day and age. yet, if you have seen the tablets, you should know there are two that precede them, the missing first and the second tablet. that second tablet does not fit in that summary.” he explains, leaning back as he grabs his goblet. “tell me, what does the second tablet show?” 

“why does the first two tablets matter, monsieur neuvillette? that’s the past, the previous hydro archon’s story, not mine.” she explains. 

“that is not the point, the point is, the sin originates from egeria’s actions. as she is the previous hydro archon, as you stated as well, she should have forewarned you of the fate of fontaine and her progress in alleviating it, given how she caused it with her actions.” neuvillette insisted. 

furina freezes, he raised a valid point. but admitting he’s right only weakens her position in this argument. she glances back at kaeya who listens in and she comes up with an idea to buy her time.

“w-well, our dear foreign lawyer here can back me up!” she insists, which catches the prince off-guard.

“i’m still not a lawyer… but how can i back you up?” he tilts his head. 

“what was said to the knave in our divine tea party, of course! she said prophecies are not literal, you can attest to that. if egeria was the one who made the sin exist, then clearly the reason for my weeping on the throne is because of the trial about her!” she hums triumphantly.

kaeya sighs a little as he stands up and walks to the pair. “except… that’s not the truth at all, furina.” 

“huh? what do you mean?” she asks, confused at his demeanour shifting.

“...the trial in question is against you, for your lies about your divinity. you’re not focalors… because you wouldn’t be punished gravely by neuvillette when he finds you guilty, he isn’t the type to do that to someone he considers a friend.” he calls her out. he had known right away that something had been off about furina, especially during their chat after they spoke with the knave. furina nearly admitted to his suspicions.

neuvillette looks to his nephew, eyes narrowing at where he’s going with this. “what gives you the idea that i would not punish furina for pretending to be the hydro archon?” 

“because you believe in the truth, in justice. you know the transgressions of lies being weighed against you, it happened to you for your entire life even when you left khaneri’ah.” kaeya points out. “regardless, the prophecy is literal, even if many aren’t. you were there, furina, when we watched that man dissolve into water. that’s why this is dire.”

neuvillette takes a moment before he shakes his head, “what i am not understanding is how you’ve come to this conclusion. certainly, i had my speculations, but you have only been here for a few weeks.” 

kaeya sighs, eye shifting to furina. “i know a mask when i see one.”

furina looks at kaeya, her eyes welling with tears that she tries to fight back. how did he sniff her out so quickly? like neuvillette said, kaeya is an outsider, a nobody in fontaine’s eyes. how did he figure her out? 

she stands up, pushing the chair in and laughs, trying to pull on her mask that she had when he first arrived — arrogant and haughty. 

“a foreigner like you, claiming he knows me, the god of justice? how ludicrous! i am focalors, and you are nothing but a troublemaker, kaeya alberich.” 

kaeya shakes his head, a hand coming up to rest on his hip, “save the act, furina. we acknowledged it the other day that you hide. you might as well come clean, we’re already this far.” 

“but am i not fated in this literal trial of yours to be judged? if you wish for me to come clean like you say, then we will have the grandest trial ever! where you two,” she looks at both khaenri’ahns, “will decide my fate as god. funny, two people from a godless land judge a god… what irony we live in today.” 

neuvillette narrows his eyes, “if that is what you wish, then so be it, lady furina. you will be put on trial, and i will judge you accordingly — not as a khaenri’ahn, but as the chief justice of fontaine.” he settles firmly on her conditions. 

she lets out a sigh, “very well, monsieur neuvillette. the trial will be held tomorrow, at the opera epiclese, and the captain of mondstadt’s missing cavalry can be my prosecutor. i shall defend myself, after all i know how these political games work.” 

kaeya rolls his eye, “alright, fine. you’re on. if you thought i was a tough act to crack as a lawyer, wait until i’m the prosecutor.” he folds his arms over his chest now. she wants to play games? he’ll happily play them back. two actors in one room is sure to be a sight.

furina smiles arrogantly as she tilts her head, “and when you lose, kaeya alberich, i’ll make sure you never set foot in this nation again, after all the iudex listens to me~ i bid you both adieu until tomorrow, where fontaine’s fate shall be sealed~!” with that, she bows dramatically before leaving the office and leaving the pair alone.

kaeya watches her go before sighing and looking back at his uncle. “that… i don’t know how that went.” 

neuvillette sighs heavily and sinks into his seat. “not well, if i had to guess.” he mutters as he rests his forehead in his hands. “i do not wish to antagonize her, she has been a reliable ally, however… this is too much. i cannot continue to let her drag this out when fontaine is in jeopardy.”

the prince nods as he sits where furina was, gaze looking down. “...dain told me this was your fate. that you will judge all of this… i guess he’s right.”

“i had a feeling, i am the judge, and even if it weren’t part of the prophecy, i still would have done so. it is my duty.” 

“i know but… dain met with his brother when you were inspecting those tablets.” kaeya admits.

“yes, i noticed dainsleif had disappeared entirely. given vedrfolnir’s presence, i’m not surprised he took the chance to pull dainsleif to his… space.” he sits back, an ache settling in his heart. if vedrfolnir had seen his fate with fontaine, then this was always going to happen, no matter what actions he had taken. 

“...are you scared, uncle?” kaeya asks softly, watching his demeanour shift and hearing the lightest drops of rain hit the window. 

“i am not so much scared, more… apprehensive. the visionary’s prophecies all come true, and if he had seen me in fontaine’s fate, then it feels like all my actions up until now… they feel like steps to a cruel fate. i either die here or… my sovereignty is complete.” 

kaeya bites his lip, fidgeting with his glove. “do you want to know?” he asks quietly. 

neuvillette considers it for a moment, then he shakes his head. “no… it will happen regardless, and i fear that if i knew, some part of me would try to fight it. as we know, fate cannot be fought, not so easily.” 

kaeya nods in understanding, “i get it… knowing fate and trying to fight it off. it never works…”

the iudex chuckles a bit, “evidently. but… i do not know if i want to be a sovereign or not. all this time, i… feel like i have been on trial, judging humanity and… unsure when i must declare a verdict.” 

“i get it…” kaeya repeats, “i mean… i feel that way about having to be the savior. even though we kind of boiled it down to make it easier, it’s still… a lot. the pressure is heavy…”

“as is fate… but right now, fontaine needs us to… to free everyone from their burdens.” neuvillette mutters, his heart heavy in fear over what his fate will be. with everything he knows about vedrfolnir and his visions, they always point to life-altering decisions that cannot be undone. no matter what decision it is, no one comes out of it unchanged. 

as much as neuvillette wishes for his true authority, he can’t find any comfort in the possibility of it being returned to him. even if he had spent his entire life in khaenri’ah tied to his previous identity and insisting he wasn’t delusional, he fears he’d lose himself. he fears losing the nashah part of him, despite the hardships he faced. 

the rain comes down harder, and kaeya glances out the window, his stomach tightening. “uncle?” he asks when he looks back at neuvillette. 

neuvillette blinks and he straightens up. he hears the torrent outside and he sighs, realizing he had let his grief get the better of him. “my apologies…” 

“hey, it’s okay… you can talk about it, you know. furina’s clearly hiding her torment, and so are you. i may be no expert, but… you listened to my plight of prophecy, so let me listen to yours. what’s wrong?” kaeya asks gently.

the iudex shakes his head as he looks at the documents, “no, i cannot burden you more than i have.” 

“you watched me break down and snap when i told you i hated my fate, i’m not saying follow my path. i’m just saying… stop putting others before yourself, for a few moments.” he explains. 

neuvillette sighs as he closes his eyes and swallows thickly. “if the prophecy is true, if i am fated to become the complete hydro sovereign in the end of this madness… how much of me would remain? how much of nashah and neuvillette, the two halves of myself… how much of them, if any part of them at all, would survive the ordeal of becoming the hydro dragon in full?” 

kaeya looks at his uncle, the clear worry and sorrow on neuvillette’s face sinking his heart. he never expected such emotion from someone who has to be neutral in every regard of jastis and iudex. here, in this raw moment of chaos… kaeya sees his uncle, nature’s cruel joke of mixing humanity and draconic nature into one being.

he also sees himself. 

“uncle…” he mutters, genuinely unsure what to say, but he knows what he feels in a way. 

kaeya had questioned the outcome of his own fate many times. how much of kaeya — the kaeya he is now — would remain if he were to embrace his role as the savior, and become khaenri’ah’s rightful heir? 

dainsleif had asked about meeting this version of kaeya, but not even kaeya knows who that is. he has never known who he is outside of labels and titles — prince, cavalry captain, the last hope, the savior, a traitor. he has never had a true identity of his own that isn’t influenced by someone else. 

“i get it…” he finally speaks up, startling neuvillette out of his thoughts. “who are we really when people aren’t labeling us and choosing our identities for us?” 

“a conundrum indeed… i am worried that everything i have done, everything i have gone through, will be erased if i regained my authority. i am not who i used to be when i was the original hydro sovereign, i do not have the same feelings or thoughts as them.” he explains, and his eyes become shameful and sad, “we used to be selfish, despite the ‘peace’ we had as dragons before the usurper came. we broke contracts and deals, and since becoming neuvillette and nashah… since becoming symbols of justice… it is harder to swallow my past actions. that is why i try to distance myself from my former identity.” 

kaeya waits quietly for neuvillette to finish, an ache settling in his heart. he hadn’t realized how difficult life had been for his uncle, especially when he seemed to be thriving.

“i worry that if i do become the hydro sovereign in full… it will mean nothing to the progress i have made, to the evolution i have gone through.” neuvillette finishes with a shaky breath and he plucks his water goblet from his desk to try and ease his sorrow. 

the younger prince swallows hard. the pain in his uncle’s heart is deeper than he imagined. how much of this did his father know, if any? he mentally shakes that off, knowing deep down that his father clearly doesn’t care about either his son or brother if this is how neuvillette is feeling.

“i don’t think you’ll lose yourself… i think you’ll find more about yourself than ever before.” kaeya comforts. 

neuvillette releases a small sigh, “it is possible, but that is why i am hesitant. it is not a guarantee, and that unsettles me most of all.” 

kaeya nods, “i understand… and i don’t blame you. if it helps, even if i don’t know you much, i’ll still see you as my uncle no matter what happens… you’ve shown me more care than my own father, and… it’s nice having a family member that doesn’t have heavy expectations for me.” kaeya shrugs a shoulder, offering a small smile. 

part of him wonders how his life would have gone had his father left him with neuvillette instead of crepus. how much would have changed? who would he be now if he had someone who knew his home and their life before teyvat? would he be who he is now? 

neuvillette meets kaeya’s gaze, and he knows that the young boy is right. he takes a deep breath, and he nods. “thank you, kaeya, for hearing me out. i am still rather apprehensive, but i do feel better.” 

kaeya nods, glad he had been able to help the other out a bit. “it’s alright. would it help if you distracted yourself from something we can’t control with something we can, like the whole trial tomorrow?” 

he nods at that plan. “very well, let us give the knave and the traveler time to get their plans in order.” neuvillette takes a deep breath and looks at the papers on his desk. he’s grateful the incident in poisson hadn’t ended with casualties, but he knows that if another struck, they might not be so lucky. 

an idea begins to circulate and he lifts his gaze to regard his nephew. “i…” he begins, then pauses a moment to word this properly, “i want you to be the one to confront her before the trial. as i said before, you’re someone she had opened up to. granted, she seems quite tight-lipped at the moment, and is likely to be hostile, but if you’re anything like…” he bites his tongue at that and changes direction, “if you have skills in loosening secrets, then i want you to be the one to attempt at finding out furina’s. perhaps it won’t have to end in a trial if you were to learn the truth.” 

kaeya bristles a bit, knowing exactly where neuvillette was going to go with the comparison, but he ignores it. “i can try, but… i dunno. i don’t want anyone to put their hopes up, in case i can’t get through to her.” 

neuvillette shakes his head, “no, it is fine. if you cannot, then that will be that. i simply think it will not hurt to at least try. were it to fail, you will not be blamed.” he promises. 

kaeya rubs a hand down his chest as it tightens. he can’t deny that his uncle is choosing the right person for this. kaeya’s a master of manipulation, knows how to crack a mask after wearing one for so long. if anyone had a chance at dropping furina’s guard, it’s kaeya. 

no pressure. his mind mutters to him. 

“alright, i’ll give it a go, then.” 

“have faith in yourself, kaeya. if it doesn’t work, we… we will have the trial, and we will use facts to make her admit the truth.” neuvillette reassures him.

Chapter Text

to work out where an archon full of secrets and regret would hide, kaeya’s first assumption is the obvious — the scene of the latest incident related to the prophecy, poisson. of course, kaeya has no idea if she’ll actually be there, but given the dire situation, he knows she wouldn’t avoid it for long. if he is going to try and stop fontaine from fulfilling the prophecy set by vedrfolnir, this is their final chance to lay all the cards out on the table and hope for a miracle.

to his surprise and relief, as kaeya approaches poisson properly, he glances down at the bottom where the leakage happened, the ice wall he created still lasting strong and the hydro archon herself next to it. her hand rests over her heart as she looks at the devastation. 

“how did it get so bad… you promised it wouldn’t end this way.” furina mutters quietly, looking at the ruined remnants of the small settlement. she’s lucky there hadn’t been casualties, but what if there had been? what if people had died if monsieur neuvillette hadn’t made it in time?

her breath shakes and she swallows thickly, tears beading at her eyes.

kaeya tilts his head a bit as he watches her, too far away to hear her quiet mutterings. he takes a breath himself as he begins approaching her, looking at the ice wall more than her when he stops a few paces away.

“i know i’m the last person you want to see right now, but… look, furina, we don’t have to have this trial. if we talk, maybe we… we can save fontaine another way.” the prince gently encourages, finally looking over to her.

she blinks when she hears kaeya’s voice, looking at him coming to a stop and she shakes her head. a frown tugs at her lips and her brows furrow. “you and monsieur neuvillette asked for this, you don’t trust my plans!” she crosses her arms, the tear-filled eyes hardening into a glare. 

he sighs a bit, “i do want to trust you, but for that to happen, you need to open up to me about everything. i know you’re struggling, i know the weight of the whole nation is on your back, but i want to help save it from a prophecy written by so called ‘fate’.” 

she scoffs, “you know nothing, kaeya alberich… so why bother pretending?” 

“pretending? i am being genuine, i know who wrote this prophecy, and i know they are never literal with it.” he explains. 

she huffs now, “but this one is!” she insists, “you know it as well as i, just as you pointed out to the knave. we watched a man turn to water, who knows how many other countless people did the same. our fates are sealed, and there’s nothing we can do… i tried. i’m fighting the best i can, but unfortunately, our prophecy is literal.” 

“okay, perhaps that part being literal is a true fact. but, you don’t have to go on trial for focalors, furina.” kaeya delivers the blow. “you’re not her, you’re furina.” 

she freezes up and she swallows, taking a step back from kaeya. “how did you know that? how do you know that? no one’s supposed to know.” panic wells up in her chest, and her stomach knots. did she fail? 

“...because i know actors, just as you do. we stand here as actors, being called something we both know we are not. you are being called focalors, and i am being called a savior.” he explains. “those who know the same pain, have the same glint in their eye. a silent sign, that you are aligned in the same suffering.”

she shakes her head aggressively, “q-quiet. you need to be quiet!” she hisses, her hand over her heart clenching into a fist. “you don’t get it. this is how it has to be. i am focalors! y-you have it all wrong.” she desperately tries to take control back, terrified of him breaching the truth.

kaeya shakes his head, eyes gazing to the wall behind her, “if i don’t tell the truth, neuvillette will, and believe me, that’s worse. in the trial tomorrow, if you really want to face me and lose there, one of us two will call you out with evidence.” 

she swallows thickly and she looks away, “i can’t… if you think you know me so well, then maybe you’d understand why i can’t. i…” she takes a deep breath. she wants to spill her heart, she doesn’t want the trial to go forth. she’s terrified of what will happen to fontaine if she keeps quiet, but… she can’t say it. she just can’t. even if it’s an outsider like kaeya, she can’t take the risk. 

“i just can’t… i’m sorry… please, just trust me.. that’s all i can ask.” she begs quietly. 

the prince sighs a bit; this is getting repetitive. he can’t make progress this way. he folds his arms over his chest as he looks at her properly. “and if you lose in the trial tomorrow? what then? what happens if you get exposed for your lies?” 

she bites her lip, flinching at his words. her hands shake, and she struggles not to cry. instead, she funnels her frustration and her rising temper. “i don’t know, okay?! i don’t know what will happen… i just can’t fail at this. i have to succeed, or everything will just fall apart even more.” 

“furina, i have bad news. everything is falling apart at a rapid pace, it rests on you to end the masquerade here. i want to know you, but you… well, you’re not you anymore. you’re so deep in this act, it’s clear you’re forgetting who is furina and who is ‘focalors’.” 

her heart sinks. she knows he’s right, and she wants to so badly, but she doesn’t want the plan to fail. “i’m sorry. i can’t tell you. she told me not to.” she whispers the last part, and it’s clear that’s all kaeya’s going to get.

“...fine, fine.” kaeya raises his hands in defeat. “if you really want to expose yourself in front of the public, i’ll play that game.” 

she straightens her spine, “then that is what we will do. maybe then, once you see the truth, you’ll understand my position.” she needs to get out of here. 

“maybe, or maybe, you’ll see that something worse happened this entire time… and you’re a victim of lies.” he mutters before turning around. “...i know you’re a good person, furina, but you’re not a puppet or a performer… you’re human.” 

the simple comment meant to be reassuring only adds salt to her wound, and she feels sick. she turns away and leaves without a word before her impulses get the better of her.

kaeya waits for her to leave, watching her depart before sighing to himself, his gaze turning back to the ice. “stupid vedrfolnir…” he insults, before departing to return to his uncle’s office to deliver the bad news. 

arriving back at the palais mermonia, kaeya walks past the gardes after explaining he is involved in a meeting with the iudex, knocking on the office door. hearing a faint ‘enter’ from someone in there, the prince opens the door to see three figures standing at the desk - the knave, neuvillette, and, unknown to kaeya at least, a third man right beside his uncle. 

“uh… i thought i would be the last to arrive.” kaeya comments as he enters, closing the door behind him and walking over to the trio. 

“you’re not, kaeya. the traveler sent word they are currently sorting out the audience for the trial, so it will take a while for them to finish and come back.” neuvillette explains, looking to wriothesley beside him and gesturing to him. 

“ah, where are my manners? kaeya, this is wriothesley, the duke of the fortress of meropide. wriothesley, this is kaeya, the prosecutor of this upcoming trial… assuming it is still going ahead?” he asks, looking back at his nephew. 

arlecchino tilts her head, looking between the two. “what do you mean by that, monsieur?” 

kaeya sighs softly, “...we agreed to try and deter furina from going forward with this trial. i… failed, she’s insisting it’s the only way.” he explains. 

neuvillette frowns, sighing as well. “i see… then i suppose we have to see this through.” 

wriothesley rubs neuvillette’s arm, smiling at him as he does. “it’ll be alright, dear. we can handle this if lady furina wants to make it difficult.” 

kaeya folds his arms over his chest, a smug smirk appearing. “see, i called it. you cannot fool me, uncle.”

the iudex glares at his nephew, despite said glare not being threatening at all. “i am correct, he is not my boyfriend.” 

“husband~” the duke hums, looking to kaeya with a smirk. “a proud, happy one at that too.” 

“well, either way, i’m just glad my uncle’s happy.” kaeya shrugs. 

the knave sighs, “in any case, shall we discuss further plans now that miss furina has refused to speak?”

“yes, we shall. wriothesley here is going to lead the evacuation of public spaces with the boats. if the trial overruns and the flood occurs, we have him ready and waiting.”

“but wouldn’t he be affected by the waters?” the prince asks.

“no, despite my position and vision suggesting it, i’m not fontanian.” wriothesley replies, shifting into a more serious tone. 

kaeya tilts his head, “wait, really? how do you know? did you ever test it?” he asks curiously.

“neuvillette found out years ago. kinda handy.” he shrugs. 

kaeya nods, eye traveling over wriothesley. he doesn’t know what it is, but something about him feels… off, in a way. “well, that’s good, then.”

wriothesley smirks, a wolfish edge to it as one of the ears flickers ever so slightly. “what, you look like you’re seeing ghosts with me~”

“i dunno, that jacket gives that haunted vibe.” kaeya shrugs. he’s seen these types of furred jackets many times.

“you should see my formal one~” he winks.

“wriothesley.” the iudex glances at him with an unimpressed look, the knave squinting her eyes at him as well.

“you may as well admit it now.” the knave scoffs. 

kaeya glances at arlecchino before returning to wriothesley. “you work for my dad?” he asks, unable to keep his nose from scrunching. 

the duke shrugs, “eh, work for him is pushing it. i married his brother and he still isn’t over that, but fine, yeah i’m a harbinger, the sixth one called the hound… who beat a snooping redhead up and then got banished here again.” 

just like kaeya guessed. all the dots connect and he blinks for a second. “...you’re the one that almost killed diluc? huh… guess i should thank you for ending his temper tantrum.” kaeya still can’t help the unsettled feeling he has about wriothesley regardless. there’s more to the hound than just from what kaeya’s heard, and even so, despite his teasings surrounding diluc, learning this truth unnerves him. 

“oh, is my work finally getting recognised as a good thing? well, you’re welcome~” the revealed hound teases.

“dear…” neuvillette muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “can we please discuss the plan at hand and not your track record of murders and attempted murders? i cannot keep covering for you.”

“look, i was going to figure it out eventually.” kaeya points out, “but uncle’s right, we should handle this first. i… admittedly don’t know how i’m going to handle tomorrow, if i’m being honest. furina is a hard nut to crack, and while we need answers, i also don’t want to push her too hard.” 

“she has been masquerading for five hundred years, had time to perfect an act. tomorrow, you must push her as hard as possible, i’m afraid kaeya.” neuvillette explains. 

kaeya sighs, “i was afraid you’d say that… but alright. i’ll try my best.” he would hate to be in furina’s position right now, but at the same time, he knows this is necessary. 

“we are here to make this easier for you.” the knave utters calmly, arms folded as she looks to kaeya. “the evidence we have and the lack of support the people of fontaine are showing will help you convince the oratrice.” 

“why are we focusing on the oratrice?” the prince asks.

“technically, the oratrice is the final verdict of all trials, including this. i may give my verdict, but if the oratrice overruled me, i must agree to it. that is why we need the audience on our side.” neuvillette explains, sighing a little. “as much as i despise it, i cannot change the rules without furina’s consent as archon. this is why i am more willing to let an audience be… skewed, to say the least.” 

“so i’m convincing a giant machine that furina isn’t an archon… yay.” kaeya grumbles.

“could be worse, could be convincing focalors themselves.” wriothesley hums, earning a glare from the knave and iudex. 

“dear… don’t make jokes like that.” neuvillette mutters in a concerned voice. 

“though the hound raises a point, albeit not the point i was going for. the oratrice is not just a machine, it is something more. lyney told me that he heard a voice from the oratrice during the magic show, but he couldn’t work out who it was.” the knave explains.

“could it be a contingency from before neuvillette took the role of iudex?” kaeya asks. 

“perhaps. i significantly doubt that the oratrice works on simple beliefs of justice being executed from humanity and converting it into indemnitium. the power source works fine for the court of fontaine’s functions, yes, but to convert it into a sound verdict constantly? it is extremely improbable.” neuvillette agrees, arms folding as he looks down.

“my question is however… who is in the oratrice?” he mutters more to himself.

“well, whoever it is, can we just knock on and ask them to find furina guilty and save you trouble and save the nation?” wriothesley shrugs.

“if i could do that, i would have.” neuvillette sighs, looking to his husband. “but it… is not that simple.”

“there also comes the issue of the oratrice failing regardless of the outcome of the trial.” arlecchino steers back the conversation to the plans at hand. “the indemnitium being sent around the nation from these trials may stop because of something happening to the oratrice, what do we do about that?” 

“i have a contingency being worked on, i am siphoning my strength as the hydro sovereign into containers temporarily to replace the power. it is why i requested you all to handle other aspects, i feared the oratrice could fail.” the iudex explains.

“you’re… really handling this well.” kaeya looks to his uncle. 

“we’re out of time, kaeya. i… have to take control.” neuvillette is hardly proud that he seems to be in control as much as he is.

“you are a credit to both khaenri’ah and fontaine, monsieur.” the knave praises earnestly. 

“thank you, arlecchino.” neuvillette nods, a sad smile on his lips. 

“and once this is over, i promise i’ll treat you to a nice time~” wriothesley nudges his husband, trying to cheer him up. 

“this is why the jester keeps you here.” the knave scoffs. 

“regardless, the trial tomorrow will change the fate of fontaine, despite none of us being from this nation… saving it and the people of fontaine is paramount. this prophecy, the one vedrfolnir made… it will happen, but we can change the way he intended it.” the iudex expresses, looking at all three of them. “we need to discuss how the trial will go, now we have the prelude and aftermath plans done.” 

“well good thing i’m here for that part, huh? i’m guessing i’m kinda needed for it.” kaeya tries to joke, but the heaviness of the conversation made it hard.

“indeed. my intention is to charge furina with identity theft essentially. while yes, she has done some conspiring, it is not enough to charge. her five hundred year long attempt to be focalors however, is identity theft. all you need to do, kaeya, is to make sure furina is found guilty, and then the trial is over.” neuvillette explains. 

“why only a small charge?” arlecchino asks. “her lack of aid has led to a lot of deaths.”

“despite her… lack of support, she has done more for fontaine over five hundred years than not, therefore i do not feel comfortable bringing in other elements. the situation is simple, something is making her insist she is the hydro archon, and kaeya must prove that whatever it is, is not a good enough excuse to pretend to be focalors.” he replies, arms folded as he looks down at the paperwork.

“my intention is to just… get the trial over and done with, and save the people of fontaine before the flood rises and…” neuvillette stops himself, refusing to acknowledge it. 

“i understand, monsieur. if you genuinely believe this is the best way to get the trial out of the way, and defeat this prophecy… we can try.” the knave nods.

“but furina might make this much more chaotic.” kaeya raises a point, head tilting as he looks between the two.

“if she does, because she’s the defendant, neuvillette is in charge of the nation temporarily.” wriothesley explains. “he can shut her down if it gets too much.” 

“so basically, i convince the traveler’s selected audience that furina’s an actress, the oratrice agrees with their emotions and boom, case closed, we save fontaine and no more flooding. easy!” kaeya hums in success, earning a glare from all three of the others. 

“if you jinxed this now, your dad might actually start giving a fuck for the wrong reasons.” the duke huffed. 

“relax, houndy, the day papa actually cares about me is the day the world blows up.” kaeya scoffs, earning a glare from neuvillette. 

“your father-” he starts, stopping when he sees the door open to reveal the traveler and paimon entering.

“sorry we’re late, everyone!” paimon yelled out as they both approach the group. 

“ah, traveler, paimon. it is perfectly fine, we just finished discussing the trial’s intentions and hopes for the outcome.” the iudex smiles, giving a curt nod. 

“well, well, it’s good seeing you two on this side of fontaine.” wriothesley speaks up, arms folding as he smirks at them. “been behaving for monsieur neuvillette?” 

“that was one time!” paimon whines. 

“can we please stay on topic, your grace.” arlecchino stares at her fellow harbinger.

“sheesh, missing your kids, miss arlecchino? i put them in their place one time-” he starts.

“wriothesley.” neuvillette speaks up, looking at him. 

if anyone notices his tail droop, they don’t speak of it as wriothesley sighs, “...so about the audience,” the duke looks to the two arrivals. 

“we’ve got it set up, and we have a plan to manipulate the oratrice. there will be five groups, they already have assigned seats, thanks to lyney’s randomiser machine.” the traveler speaks up, pulling out a diagram they drew of the audience seating in the opera epiclese. each seat has a distinct colour on them, and to the side is a table. 

“this is just an example of what we intend to do, for fairness and in case the oratrice catches on, neither furina, kaeya, or you, monsieur neuvillette, will know the true seating arrangement.” they point to a random grey dot on the seating plan. 

“these grey dots represent group one, which we’ll call the neutral party, they will agree and disagree freely based on their opinions.” they point to some as an example. “these serve as our base line for the oratrice to play nicely initially. eventually, and this goes for all five groups, they will side with kaeya.” 

paimon then points at a green dot, “these green dots represent group two! these are the curious ones who will ask questions to all three of you! they’re gonna keep their opinions quiet until necessary, but their goal is to iron out facts that may not be clear, or to catch lies, with questions.” 

the traveler then points to a black dot, “these black dots represent group three, these are the ones who will challenge kaeya and pretend to support furina. over time, they’re going to shift to kaeya’s side, but we need a balance, and they agreed to serve it.” 

“fourth, the yellow dots!” paimon hums as she gestures to one, “these will be our kaeya supporters and challenge furina’s defense. no matter what, they’ll stand by kaeya’s challenges and beliefs on her guilt.” 

“finally, the last dots, the red ones.” they look to them, “these are genuine audience members who will come in from the public. they do not know the plan, and will provide genuine evidence for the oratrice. it’s a risky group to have but… we agreed it’s for the best.” the traveler explained, looking to the other four.

“i must admit, it is a well thought out plan. all aspects get covered, and we control the sway as best we can without it being too obvious.” neuvillette compliments, looking at the example provided. 

“yay!” paimon cheers, looking at the traveler with a wide smile. “we’re a great team!”

“well, i guess we’re sorted then huh… a good plan, willing participants, minus the defendant… all that’s left is a good rest and hope tomorrow, furina doesn’t actually kill fontaine with her act.” kaeya sighs at the end, worry seeping in now that there’s an actual plan that he cannot run from. 

he can’t seem to run from anything. 

“indeed. well, i believe this meeting is adjourned then. i do hope you all have a good rest.” the iudex nods, as the knave returns the gesture and leaves.

“well… see you tomorrow.” kaeya mutters, turning to leave with the traveler and paimon, leaving the duke and iudex alone. 

outside of the office, the knave stops when she hears the two sets of footsteps and turns to face the trio.

“before we part ways for the night, i wish to extend an invitation to you three.” she explains, arms folded as she speaks.

“oh? what’s that?” paimon asks, head tilting curiously.

“i wish to personally invite you to the house of the hearth when things settle, as a gesture of good will.” 

the traveler blinks in surprise, glancing at kaeya. “oh!.. we’d love to.” they answer. 

kaeya shrugs a shoulder, “sure, i don’t see why not.” 

“wonderful, i wish you luck in this endeavor tomorrow. my children will be apart of the audience in case something goes wrong, so do not worry about that.” she promised, before turning to leave the palais mermonia. 

“an invite to visit a fatui organisation… weird.” kaeya mutters when he’s confident the knave is nowhere near them. 

“kaeya?” paimon looks over to him, worry in her tone. “are you… sure you’d like to come? paimon knows you’re not comfortable about the fatui but-”

“it doesn’t matter.” he shoots down, looking at her as he folds his arms. “i need to see what my father runs, no matter what. he keeps avoiding me for a reason, and sure, the knave is her own person, but in the end, they’re harbingers. her, my… uncle’s husband…” 

“oh… paimon understands. have you considered going to snezhnaya to find him?” she asks.

“ha, like i can abandon master jean and the knights more than i already am. besides, it’s clear he doesn’t want me around, nor does he want anything to do with me. hell, there are two of his harbingers right here, surrounding his brother, and likely feeding information about my uncle to him.” kaeya rambles. “now i’m here helping, if wriothesley or arlecchino speak to my father about what happened here, i’m going to be front and centre of it all, and that clown will not give a fuck.” 

“it’s his loss then.” the traveler speaks up, looking at the cavalry captain with a smile. “you’ve done so much for places that aren’t your home, and you’re still fighting for those who can’t do it for themselves. you’re here trying to save an entire nation by showing furina her acting is a hindrance, you’re here helping monsieur neuvillette bear the weight of the nation by being his family. if that doesn’t spark pride in the jester, what would?”

“you flatter me, honorary knight… but it’s time to face facts. my father ditched me in mondstadt, gave me a cryptid prophecy and final hope bullshit title… and here i am, saving my uncle from two prophecies.” kaeya waves off. “come on, let’s get some food… and work out how to prepare for tomorrow and handle the knave’s invitation.” 

the duo nods at the suggestion, and the trio leave the palais mermonia to go get some food. as the main door closes, the office door opens and wriothesley pokes his head out to check if the coast is clear before nodding and shutting.

“they’re gone, dear.” he says as he walks back to neuvillette, resting both hands on the desk with a smirk. “so, for the aftermath~”

“the aftermath?” neuvillette repeats in curiosity, head tilting as he adjusts how he sits.

“yeah, where we yell at your brother for doing absolutely nothing to help out?” the duke points out as he pulls out some paper.

“you really think you can summon my brother.” he rolls his eyes, “i bet he forgot about me.”

“c’mon neuvi, trust me!” he smiles, writing away on the paper. “by the time he has this, you’ll have saved fontaine and who knows, be the new archon if furina resigns and passes it to you.”

“i do not want to be archon, wriothesley.” neuvillette mutters, leaning forward to see what he’s writing. “i don’t want to think about the future right now… i just… i am scared.” 

“it’s going to be fine, i promise. he knows you work in fontaine, he’s your brother, if he isn’t going to help, then we make him explain why.” wriothesley insists, frantically writing down the decoy letter. “look, i’m just gonna say there’s an emergency, and get him to come to your office.” 

neuvillette watches his husband perfect his penmanship and signature, and he briefly ponders when wriothesley had the chance to learn it. he shakes it off and sighs, hand moving to retrieve his stamp. he presses it to the bottom of the letter once wriothesley finishes it, then he folds it and slips it into an envelope. 

wriothesley takes it, tucking it into his pocket. “i have a couple agents that can get it to him quickly.” he explains. 

neuvillette nods and he sits down in his seat. his horns seem to droop, and wriothesley frowns. 

“what is it?” he asks softly. 

the iudex cautiously meets the hound’s gaze, “will we even see a future for fontaine?” he asks. he doesn’t want to jinx them, but part of him worries their chance of failure is simply too big. 

“‘course we will, you’re leading the charge against sinners.” wriothesley reassures, walking around the desk to stand next to his husband and gently cups his cheeks to make them look at each other. “you’re our best chance at saving fontaine, dear.”

“but if i fail…” he looks at the duke, gently holding his wrists to keep him there.

“we won’t.” he promises. 

neuvillette takes a deep breath and he shuts his eyes, nuzzling into wriothesley’s hands. “very well… i still don’t see how you believe in me so strongly.” he mutters. 

“it’s not everyday an ordinary man like me gets to be married to a man of your fame. what, you’re the hydro sovereign, iudex of fontaine, prince of an entire nation, next you’ll tell me you’re the god of life or something.” wriothesley smirks, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

neuvillette takes the kiss, then shakes his head, “i actually was… in my original form.” he answers almost bluntly.

the duke blinks, tilting his head like a dog usually does when confused. “...huh? it was a joke, i didn’t expect you to genuinely be that.” his tail sways to emulate his confusion. 

neuvillette sighs, “you couldn’t have known. there isn’t much knowledge about the sovereigns and our roles.” he explains, then he finally looks up, “and i know you, dear, your jokes half the time end up being the truth.” 

he smirks a bit, “it’s my talent, babe. but damn… i’m fucking a god?”

“wriothesley.” the iudex scolds, hardly meaning it as his cheeks turn pink. 

wriothesley laughs, “okay, okay. i had to, alright? either way, no matter who or what you are, i still love you all the same.” he reassures. 

“i know, my love… and i love you too, no matter what.” he replied earnestly. 

“good.” wriothesley hums, his tail beginning to wag a bit faster. “so, when my boss shows up, can i stay and watch you yell at him?” he smirks. 

“even if i say no, you will show up anyway.” he rolls his eyes with a small smirk. 

“true, but i still gotta ask~” 

“of course you do, now how about we get home? it’s late, and i need help destressing for tomorrow.” neuvillette remarked as he stands up. 

wriothesley perks up, “yes sir.” he takes his husband’s hands and immediately drags him off.