Two years after Prince Heiko witnessed the death of his father during the 91st Battle of Tyton, and subsequently, the defeat of his kingdom, he was sent to the gates of the victor, armed with nothing but empty words and a command from his elder brother to form a treaty of peace. 

Two years after General Celestino Adesso released the arrow that felled the great king of Simo, he is presented with the youngest of his sons. Though barely a man at seventeen summers, the prince was far from wet behind the ears. In fact, his tactful yet brazen form of statecraft vaulted him far beyond his years. Coupled with his draconian mannerisms, and a knack for callous pleasure, it was only a matter of time before Celestino caught a whiff of something sinister. 

But Prince Heiko was no fool. He was betting heavily on that sharp nose. He wanted a sense of dubiety to gnaw at the general. He needed to create mistrust in his elder brother in order to build credence in himself. Because he knew of Celestino Adesso, and of the illustrious king he served. He knew they wouldn't trust him over his elder brother any more than they would trust a raincloud to bring sun. He knew that to those men, he wasn't honorable, and because of that, he was forced to play the games he was known for. The ones that conspired in the dead of night, the ones that spoke no words but shifted kingdoms. The ones that could obtain the allegiance of General Celestino. Little did the young prince know, however, allegiance was not all he would obtain. But no matter how much Heiko wanted to offer the man what he desired, he could not - not while bound to the gods. 

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{A/N: Phew - for whatever reason this chapter took me forever to complete. Hope you enjoy! 


"You were exiled, Little Ko," the king of Simo reminded with cloying insincerity. You have been stripped of your rights and locked away in a cage, one that was suitable for the Snake of Simo. But you disobeyed your king and fled. Along with two of your men." His gaze flickered to Cele. "And an Ilysian.” 


Heiko watched him in silence, as if awaiting his next progression. 


“But what's the surprise there?" King Ingo tutted. "I would look foolish if I even tried to convince you that I had faith in your ability to listen to commands. I knew you would flee. I knew you would attempt to cross into Burke, and thus, there I waited." 


His bronze gaze glazed over his brother's face before continuing. 


"I admit, I was worried about Cuilin’s clan. A bit of a bastard, isn't he? But it was clearly for naught - you managed to get past him without any problem.” 


Dulcet and Duplicitous - Part 16