Kilian Asking For A Favor?

Kilian stood, surprised once more by the torrent of accusations from his sister, a stark reminder of the animosity she held for her older brother.

"She really hates me, huh," Kilian thought, a flicker of sadness mixed with resignation.

"What did you do to her that made her hate you this much, Kilian?"

He then offered Vivienne a gentle, kind smile, a stark contrast to her stern demeanor.

"I went out after breakfast to go to the library with Elara," he answered calmly, his voice even.

"I wanted to read some books, trying to learn. The start of the school year is right around the corner."

"I wanted to be ready this time. I had Elara follow and show me around the city."

Vivienne was visibly taken aback, a "what?" escaping her lips.

Kilian had given a straightforward, normal answer, utterly devoid of the disrespect or mockery she usually expected from him.

Her gaze snapped from Kilian to Elara, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Is he telling the truth, Elara?" she demanded, her voice losing some of its earlier bite, replaced by genuine confusion.

Elara, standing tall with no hint of deception or nervousness, met Vivienne's gaze directly.

"Yes, Princess," she affirmed, her voice clear and steady.

"I showed the young master around the city and took him to the library to read books."

The confirmation, delivered with such unexpected confidence, only deepened Vivienne's shock.

"What... what did you do to Elara?" she stammered, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she looked back at Kilian, her brow furrowed.

"Why is she talking so straight and confident?"

"What did you feed her this morning?"

Both Kilian and Elara looked at each other, their heads tilting in unison at Vivienne's peculiar question.

A beat of silence passed, and then a slow, dawning realization spread across Kilian's face.

"Wait," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked back at Vivienne, "did you just say 'feed her this morning'?"

Vivienne's confident demeanor faltered.

A visible droplet of sweat seemed to appear on her temple, and she suddenly found her voice caught in her throat. She didn't answer.

Kilian's gentle smile vanished, replaced by a cool, almost dangerous glint in his eyes.

He began to walk slowly towards her, each step deliberate, making the distance between them shrink.

"How did you know about that, Vivienne?" he pressed, his voice dropping to a low, silken tone that sent a shiver down Elara's spine.

"I don't think Elara would have told that to anyone, would you, Elara?"

He glanced briefly at his maid, who shook her head subtly.

"Were you spying on me, sister?"

Kilian's gaze remained fixed on Vivienne, his silent question hanging heavy in the air.

Before he could press for an answer from his sister, a voice, calm and authoritative, cut in from not far down the corridor.

"It was me who urged your sister to find proof that you were hiding or plotting something, because of how different you were this morning."

Kilian's head snapped towards the sound. Standing there, his expression unreadable, was the King, the Emperor's representative for the Noxhaven Kingdom, followed closely by the Queen.

The King continued, a hint of weariness in his tone,

"I'm sorry, son, but I don't even remember the last time you had breakfast with your family, probably because of your late-night habits."

The King then added, his gaze now settling firmly on Vivienne.

"I also told your sister to stop confronting you and accusing you without proof. But it looks like she just did it again."

Kilian immediately understood the situation.

He knew his current reputation in this body was, unfortunately, the worst it could be within the castle walls.

So, he replied to his father with a disarming smile, a picture of calm understanding.

"It's fine, Father," Kilian said, his voice even and gentle.

"I actually find this fiery passion from my sister, dare I say, quite admirable."

He paused, then added, "I actually wish I had this kind of drive and passion that my sister has."

The Queen, who had been listening intently from behind the King, now stepped forward, her expression warm and reassuring.

She gently placed a hand on Kilian's arm.

"Don't worry, my son," she said softly, her eyes full of maternal affection.

"I know you have that in you, because you're a Noxhaven."

Surprised by the Queen's interjection, the King chuckled lightly.

"'Because you're a Noxhaven', you know that was supposed to be my line, right?" he teased, a fond smile spreading across his face.

"I was going to say it, you just beat me to it, my love."

The Queen laughed, a melodic sound. "Too slow, my dear. Better luck next time."

A wave of genuine laughter rippled among the three of them, a rare sound in the often-tense castle halls.

Elara, standing slightly apart, allowed a small, private smile to grace her lips, witnessing this unexpected moment of familial warmth.

While this was happening, Vivienne, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with a bewildered expression, suddenly exploded.

"What the hell is happening?!" she burst out, her voice incredulous, effectively cutting short their laughter.

"What did I just watch?!"

Her outburst snapped Kilian back to the present.

He suddenly remembered something important he wanted to ask his parents permission for.

He looked at his father and mother, realizing this was probably the best time to ask, while they were clearly in a good mood.

"Ah right, actually," Kilian began, a slight hesitation in his voice, "may I ask for a favor, maybe more of a request, Mother, Father?"

The King and Queen both tilted their heads, a synchronized gesture of mild curiosity.

The King and Queen then exchanged a subtle, almost imperceptible glance.

"Kilian asking for a favor? A request?"

Both of their minds raced back through years, trying to pinpoint the last time he had ever approached them with such deference.

Kilian had always been known for doing precisely what he wanted, whenever he wanted, without consultation.

He didn't ask, he took.

This simple request was, in its own way, more startling than Vivienne's outburst.

The King then, was the first to speak.

"Is it serious?" he inquired, his expression thoughtful.

Kilian paused for a second, weighing his words.

"Well, kind of?" he replied, a touch of uncertainty in his tone.

The Queen gently laid a hand on her husband's arm.

"Why don't we hear it for now before deciding what we can do about it, my dear?" she suggested, her voice calm and reasonable.

The King looked at his wife, then back to Kilian, a slow nod indicating his assent.

"Okay then, let's hear it."

Kilian took a deep breath.

"I actually want to bring people inside the castle. I'm kind of recruiting them while helping them at the same time."

The King's and Queen's brows raised in unison, a shared look of surprise.

The King's voice held a note of caution.

"People? How many are we talking about?"

"Four people, Father," Kilian answered promptly.

"A mother and her three children. Two kids probably the same age as my twin siblings, and an eldest sister of them, mostly the same as my age."

The Queen's brow furrowed slightly.

"But then, why does it need to be in the castle?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Kilian met her gaze steadily.

"Well, their mother is in need of medical assistance because I believe she will die if they are left in the slums.

And where else is the safest place to recover in this kingdom? The castle."

The King's expression remained scrutinizing.

"Is that all?" he pressed, his voice even.

"Why are you actually doing all this for that family? You never did this before."

Kilian took a breath, preparing for a revelation that would undoubtedly shock them.

"To tell you the truth, Mother, Father," he began, his voice firm, "I believe that they will be a great asset for the future of this kingdom."

A collective gasp, though faint, escaped both the King and Queen.

Even Vivienne, who had been listening with a scowl, seemed to freeze, her eyes widening at the unexpected declaration.

Kilian, ignoring their shock, continued, his gaze unwavering as he looked directly at his parents.

"But more specifically," he added, "is that I want their oldest daughter to stay by my side."

This new revelation hung in the air, a profound silence falling over the corridor as the implications of his words settled upon his family.

Then Vivienne, as if a sudden, terrible understanding had dawned upon her, erupted.

Her voice rose sharply, laced with triumphant accusation.

"Ah! There it is, Mother, Father!" she cried, her finger pointing dramatically at Kilian.

"He just wants to take that girl for himself!"

"By helping the girl's family inside the castle, he'll be able to do whatever he wants to the poor girl with the reason of her having a huge debt for saving her mother's and her younger siblings!"

She turned her impassioned gaze to her parents, her plea laced with disbelief.

"Mother, Father, you couldn't possibly think of allowing this, right?"

***

/I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If its alright, please drop a comment or a powerstone to help me keep making this world bigger!