32.

Arlon promised he’d never call him that, promised Elai that he was nothing less than a guest. But if he wants to play this the right way, sacrifices need to be made.
Elai knows this, too. He also knows that he will be going straight to the dungeons. Unless.. unless he kills him. Unless this is the climax of his journey and blood will spill.
They don’t say another word as they try to get closer to each other. Arlon’s feet are as unpredictable as ever, but Elai has managed to pick up some moves of his own, too. It is not as easy as it once was for the king to defeat Elai. The blonde boy stays up on his feet much longer now. It startles the both of them when Elai’s dagger cuts into Arlon’s arm. It is nothing but a tiny wound, yet enough to make the king bleed. This is his moment, he is doing it; he is fighting the warlord. He is fighting his only chance of going back home, of restarting life and gaining his title. All he had to do was open his eyes; why else did Arlon always wear gloves?
“Shock weakens you.” Arlon plunges forward and manages to push his dagger into Elai’s side. He doesn’t let it go too deep; he doesn’t want him to die. He knows very well where to stab and how deep to simply hurt them. He needs Elai alive; he’ll simply call for a healer once this is over. Elai has never been stabbed before, if it even counts as stabbing. He allows the pain to consume him as it rises all the way up to his throat. He drops to his knees, Arlon moving down with him and laying his free hand on top of Elai’s shoulder.
“The defeat in your eyes is beautiful.” Arlon is sure he has won.
Elai can’t say he’s wrong, yet the words still make him push Arlon back. He lets out a soft groan when the dagger disappears out of his body.
“I can see your focus.” Arlon stands up with ease, dagger pointing down at the boy once again.
“You’re tough.” Elai admits, both his hands stopping the focus. He’s not going to defeat him. He’s not going to be able to kill him. He needs to get stronger, which means he has to stay.
“Does this mean I get to keep you?” Arlon can see the realization kick in. Elai is slowly dropping his shoulders, eyes looking down. There is no way of getting close to him anymore; Arlon is a fucking beast.
“I am no prisoner.” Elai sighs out as he stands up, the pain in his side becoming bearable. He feels Arlon’s hand grab a hold of his blonde hair, a soft huff leaving Elai’s mouth. He can’t do anything but look into Arlon’s eyes. The look is, for the first time, a look of pure enemies. Now that it is out, Arlon does not have to hide the disgust on his face. But isn’t it too late to feel such negative things towards Elai? Has he grown to like him a bit too much?
“I’ll believe that once you’ve killed me.” Arlon does not even mind what Elai’s mission is.
The two stare at each other, a grin now growing on both their faces. Arlon’s fingers trace Elai’s cheek, the moment of silence saying more than enough.
“Touché.” Elai’s word is quick, his mind already traveling to something else. Even mow that Arlon is standing in front of him as who he truly is, he still feels the need to look down at his lips, to wonder how they would feel against his. He wishes the thought away, but it grows stronger the longer Arlon holds his hair and the more time passes by.
“What made you think that becoming the warlord as a king was a good idea?” Elai feels a soft sigh of relief leave his mouth when Arlon lets go of his hair. Does this mean the dungeons aren’t his next stop?
“You are quick to accept the situation.” The king sticks out his arms as a way to invite Elai next to him. It is odd; is he not scared at all?
“I could stab you in your side right now, you know.” Elai waits for Arlon’s expression to change but quickly looks away when he detects a grin. This man has a shield so thick, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever even be able to break through it.
“I became the warlord because I was a dumb, young pal wanting to prove the people they were wrong about me.” Arlon smiles when Elai finally intertwines his arm with his own, and he doesn’t wait another moment to start walking.
“What did they think of you?” It feels odd to walk beside the king like this, to even grab a hold of his arm with his free hand. He leans into Arlon just an inch more, hiding a smile by looking down as they walk. It is almost as if he never found out Arlon turned out to be Turi’s warlord. The king himself.. to Elai, it is brave.
Arlon guides Elai towards the main hall. He knows very well where they are going, and so does Elai. “I was seventeen when I was crowned. What do you think?”
“Too young, huh..” He knows this is the way towards the dungeons, and he knows he will be locked up until his execution. Elai doesn’t believe Arlon want him alive, doesn’t know why he would want him alive. His destiny is to kill Arlon. There is no reason for the king to be merciful. Elai needs to die, or Arlon will.
“Too young, too stubborn. I didn’t know how important a ruler was for quite some time after the coronation. Used to sit my time out in pubs, getting drunk with my friends or starting brawls. I was a teen. I was supposed to live like that. How could I refuse to try and pursue it?” Arlon’s words are true and all too fair. Elai wishes he could’ve lived like that as well. He would’ve been a different person then. He would’ve become king one day, or would’ve joined the war and die a hero to his kingdom. “I grew up in the dungeons and was put in another prison the moment I got this stupid fucking thing on my head.” Arlon taps his free fingers against the small, silver crown. It fits perfectly around his head, as if it was made for only him. But Elai has seen it before, on paintings. On paintings of his mothers. Arlon’s mothers.
“Dungeons. Huh?” Elai is quite surprised to hear those words. He said it so easily, just like Cesilia when she told him about her fight with Lyle’s warlord. They all seem to have the same way of coping with it.
“You are not the only one who was seen as a curse. Only difference is, is that the kingdom somehow saw me as the moon’s child when they heard I was born with the wrong ability. A power of the sun given by the moon.. I was seen as a god. A miracle. Hope.” Arlon stops Elai from walking to the right. Elai frowns for a moment and looks up to see a smile on Arlon’s face.
“Join me for a walk, sunshine.” The nickname has finally become real.
“But I thought-“
“There are no dungeons needed to keep you here.” Arlon is right. They both know it. Elai already has a perfect reason to stay close to Arlon.
“So to your people you are..”
“The moon.” Arlon finishes Elai’s sentence, but not with any pride in his voice.
“Or I at least carry her soul.” The doors to the outside opens up, and for the first time, Elai is able to be himself while he walks down the steps. It feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders, even though he knows it has only gotten worse now that Arlon is his target. He still walks with a straightened back and a smile on his face.
“I know, very lame. But Turians have a way of easily believing myths.”
“Yeah, all but Cesilia.” Elai doesn’t feel weird to say such a thing. He even says it as if she is his friend too, which she now will never be again. Not now that she knows. Not now that everyone knows. No one here is a friend. No one but.. the one he has to kill. Or that is also just a simple act. Arlon is good at acting, Elai found that out pretty quickly.
“Cesilia and me, both. It would be odd of me to think I own the soul of a god.” Arlon’s cheeks are turning bright red. It looks cute, it makes him look vulnerable and shy. Elai tries not to giggle when he sees is, the dark of the night surrounding both of them.
“Don’t get me wrong, I live my entire life for the moon, but.. the myth is just..”
“Far-fetched?” Elai’s eyebrows raise.
Arlon nods. “Hm, something like that, I suppose.”
They both seem to know all too well that they’re going to the garden, both of them taking a turn to the left side of the castle.
“But if I were to carry the moon’s soul.. would you be considered the sun?” The question is meant as a joke, a mere way of saying ‘hey, we are enemies, too.’
Still, Elai can feel his hard skip a beat. The question also suggests that that means the two would fall in love with each other.