BLADEMASTER

ever  since  he’d  taken  up  the  mantle  of  vissai’s  renowned  master  of  war,  kurgan  seemed  to  spend  the  majority  of  his  time  traveling.  or  at  least  more  than  he  used  to,  back  when  the  old  knight  had  still  been  rooted  in  regia  ignis  —  when  his  place  had  been  at  their  side.  at  his  side.  training  him.  them.  all  of  the  princes,  yes.  all  of  them.  he  was  in  no  way  special,  and  that  was…  understandable.

darius  owed  him  a  great  deal.  everything,  if  he  was  being  honest.  kurgan  had  been  a  guiding  force  when  the  young  crown  prince  had  needed  it  most,  shaping  him  into  the  fighter  he  was  now  —  ruthless,  precise,  unyielding  in  the  ring.  “rest  assured,  i’d  never  assume  you  came  all  this  way  to  watch  me  fight.”  he  allowed  a  faint,  self-deprecating  note  to  slip  into  his  voice,  turning  away  as  he  began  setting  aside  the  scattered  pieces  of  his  armor,  each  placed  exactly  where  it  belonged.  “i  know  i  wouldn’t.”  the  last  piece  settled  with  a  quiet  finality,  a  soft  breath  leaving  him  as  he  straightened.  “if  anyone  can  determine  whether  there  is  cause  for  concern,  it  would  be  you,  sir  kurgan.”

he  looked  up  just  in  time  to  see  him  move.

and  just  as  quickly,  everything  in  him  stilled.

there  was  no  time  to  prepare  for  it  —  not  for  the  sudden  closing  of  distance,  not  for  the  familiarity  of  it.  kurgan’s  presence  filled  the  space  before  anything  else  could,  grounding  and  overwhelming  all  at  once.  darius’  breath  caught,  lips  parting  slightly,  though  this  time  it  had  little  to  do  with  surprise  at  his  presence  and  far  more  to  do  with  everything  that  followed.  the  remark  drew  heat  to  his  face,  sharp  and  immediate,  but  it  barely  had  time  to  settle  before  he  was  pulled  in.

the  embrace.

it  caught  him  off  guard  for  only  a  heartbeat  before  he  yielded  to  it  completely,  something  soft  and  unguarded  breaking  through  despite  himself.  his  hands  found  purchase  instinctively,  holding  on  perhaps  a  touch  too  firmly,  as  if  the  moment  might  slip  from  him  if  he  didn’t  anchor  it  there.

my  boy.

the  words  landed  somewhere  deep,  somewhere  dangerous.  darius  swallowed,  his  grip  tightening  for  the  briefest  moment  before  he  forced  it  to  ease,  though  he  didn’t  pull  away.  he  couldn’t  —  not  immediately.  he  hadn’t  realized  how  much  he’d  missed  this,  how  much  the  absence  had  carved  into  something  quiet  within  him.  vissai  had  felt  larger  without  him.  emptier  in  ways  he  would  never  admit  aloud.  but  he  did  not  say  that.  he  never  would.  “i  suppose  you’re  right,”  he  murmured  instead,  voice  steadier  than  he  felt.  “i  could  have  ended  it  sooner.”

so  he  had  been  watching.  the  thought  flickered  through  him,  quick  and  sharp.  when  had  he  arrived?  how  much  had  he  seen?  and  why  —  why  hadn’t  he  said  anything  sooner?  kurgan’s  presence,  his  guidance…  it  was  never  unwelcome.  never.  even  now.  especially  now.  the  moment  passed  too  quickly,  as  it  always  did.  it  always  had.

when  kurgan  pulled  back,  darius  let  him,  though  the  absence  of  contact  was  immediate  and  noticeable  in  a  way  he  carefully  ignored.  the  inspection  that  followed  should  have  been  routine  —  it  had  happened  countless  times  before  —  and  yet  it  never  failed  to  stir  that  same  quiet  tension  beneath  his  skin.  as  if,  one  day,  kurgan  might  look  at  him  and  find  something  lacking.  something  unworthy.

his  chin  lifted  where  guided,  compliant  without  thought  almost  as  if  it  came  naturally  to  darius.  little  did  kurgan  know.  “i’m  glad  you  found  it  entertaining,”  darius  said,  allowing  the  faintest  hint  of  a  smile  to  touch  his  mouth.  “i’ll  ensure  the  victories  come  with  greater  haste  tomorrow.”  it  was  as  close  to  pride  as  he  allowed  himself  in  that  moment  —  and  even  that  was  tempered.  his  attention  followed  as  kurgan  moved,  the  shift  back  into  motion  giving  him  something  to  anchor  himself  to  again.  something  normal.  something  safe.  “of  course,  sir.”

the  flush  returned  at  the  bluntness  of  the  words,  creeping  higher  despite  his  efforts  to  remain  composed,  but  darius  turned  smoothly  toward  the  table,  already  reaching  for  the  wine  as  though  nothing  had  unsettled  him  at  all.  he  poured  with  practiced  precision,  though  the  faint  tension  in  his  fingers  made  the  act  require  more  focus  than  it  should  have.  “i’ve  simply  not  found  the  right  person,”  he  said,  quieter  now,  measured and  careful.  “not  for  something  of  that  weight.  the  throne  demands  more  than…  convenience.”  he  set  the  filled  glass  before  him  with  deliberate  care.  “you  taught  me  that  much,  at  least.”

his  gaze  flicked  up  briefly,  searching,  before  settling  again.

“did  my  father  put  you  up  to  this?”  there  was  no  real  accusation  in  the  question,  only  a  quiet  sort  of  knowing.  it  felt  like  something  alaric  would  do  —  send  someone  else  to  press  where  he  would  not.  darius  straightened  slightly,  composure  settling  back  into  place  like  armor.  “there  is  no  cause  for  concern,”  he  continued,  more  firmly  now.  “i  will  choose  a  partner  worthy  of  vissai  when  the  time  comes.”

when  i  decide.

the  rest  went  unspoken,  as  it  always  did.

and make no mistake, vissai was supreme in kurgan's eyes, which is why he had no choice but to ride the princes hard. especially darius. he was the crowned prince so he got even more flak than the others. so yes, he said things to create distance and make darius chase his approval. he took liberties in checking in on the prince's life. he went above and beyond to make sure darius was prepared for any challenges that may come his way once he ascends the throne. vissai only had one crowned prince and kurgan cared for him deeply.

"if you stay ready, you won't ever need to get ready. i thought i taught you to remain prepped at all times. those from the other kingdoms are not our friends. war is an inevitability. remember that." he could find a teaching moment in any interaction, and though he may have sounded harsh, it always came from a place of care. kurgan was happy to see darius again after so long. "well, you performed adequately when i wasn't watching. now that you'll have time to get your head on straight, tomorrow's bouts should be even more entertaining for me. unless you choke like you always do. you have a bad habit of tightening up at the most critical moments. you need to remember to stay loose."

naturally, kurgan had no way of knowing that dari's combat performance tended to suffer when he observed nor could he begin to understand why that was the case to begin with, but watching the prince use all the skills he'd been taught over the years always excites the master of war. "you'll learn with age that taking your time is a privilge for those who know how to maintain control. as busy as my duties keeps me, it is nice to know i will be spending a lot of time teaching you new things once we return home."

kurgan's expression is light and pleased as he watches dari pour some wine. "there's a fine line between prudence and obstinance, your highness. claiming that you're being cautious doesn't hold water when you look at your track record. multiple sutable matches were made and you rejected them all. it's not a good look," kurgan chided as he lifts the wine to his mouth and drank. "this isn't your father's concern, darius. it's mine. and my concern is not for you, but for the future of the kingdom you hope to one day rule."

the  solstice  games  was  one  of  the  biggest  events  of  the  year  for  everyone  was  attending  them  in  the  hopes  of  catching  a  glimpse  of  glory  for  themselves.  darius  intended  to  do  the  same,  though  he  didn’t  come  here  for  a  glimpse.  he  came  to  take  it  all  home  to  vissai,  to  prove  once  more  the  prowess  their  kingdom  stood  for.  and  maybe  to  prove  to  himself  that  he  was  worth  his  people’s  admiration,  or  his  father’s  pride,  though  he  got  the  feeling  he’d  never  quite  reach  that  stage.

even  without  kurgan  at  the  games,  darius  had  been  determined  to  bring  his  best  performance  into  every  single  fight.  nobody  would  be  messing  with  vissai  if  they  saw  one  of  them  take  down  every  opponent  set  before  him.  and  so  he  did.

the  bouts  came  and  went  in  a  rhythm  his  body  knew  well  —  steel,  movement,  breath,  impact.  clean.  controlled.  deliberate.  he  fought  like  he  had  been  trained  to  fight,  like  every  correction  ever  carved  into  him  had  settled  into  bone  and  muscle  alike.  there  were  no  wasted  movements,  no  reckless  overreach,  no  openings  left  behind  for  someone  else  to  exploit.  it  was  the  kind  of  fighting  that  didn’t  just  win  —  it  proved  something,  even  if  he  couldn’t  quite  name  what  that  something  was.

by  the  time  he  left  the  arena,  the  sun  dipping  low  and  the  noise  fading  into  something  distant,  there  was  no  gnawing  dissatisfaction  beneath  his  ribs.  no  replaying  of  errors,  no  quiet  frustration  clawing  at  the  edges  of  his  thoughts.  he  had  done  well.  more  than  well.  he  knew  it,  even  if  part  of  him  still  searched  for  something  more  out  of  habit  alone.  he  just  wished  kurgan  could've  seen  him  today,  but  he  was  no  match  for  the  master  of  war's  duties.

darius  pushed  into  his  tent  with  a  steady  breath,  already  loosening  the  straps  of  his  armor,  movements  easy  and  unhurried  now  that  the  weight  of  performance  had  slipped  from  his  shoulders.  dust  and  sand  clung  to  him,  sweat  cooling  against  his  skin,  the  familiar  ache  in  his  hands  grounding  in  a  way  that  felt  earned  rather  than  irritating.  he  made  it  only  a  step  inside  before  he  stopped.

it  wasn’t  obvious  at  first.  nothing  overturned,  nothing  visibly  out  of  place.  and  yet  something  in  him  caught,  sharp  and  immediate,  instinct  tightening  before  his  mind  had  time  to  catch  up.  his  posture  straightened  subtly,  awareness  sharpening  as  his  gaze  shifted  across  the  space—and  landed.

kurgan.

the  reaction  was  instant  and  entirely  unwelcome.  something  in  his  chest  pulled  tight,  sudden  and  unguarded,  before  he  forced  it  down  just  as  quickly.  for  a  brief  moment,  he  simply  looked  at  him,  taking  in  the  reality  of  it.  he  was  here.  why  was  he  here?

then  discipline  snapped  back  into  place.

darius  stepped  further  inside,  as  though  nothing  had  shifted,  as  though  the  air  hadn’t  changed  the  second  he  crossed  the  threshold.  his  fingers  moved  back  to  the  straps  at  his  chest,  though  slower  now,  suddenly  aware  of  himself  in  a  way  he  hadn’t  been  moments  ago.  “…you’re  supposed  to  be  gone,”  he  said,  his  voice  lower  than  expected,  roughened  faintly  by  exertion  and  something  he  didn’t  bother  to  name.

his  grip  tightened  briefly  on  the  leather  before  he  forced  it  to  loosen,  continuing  the  motion  with  practiced  ease.  he  didn’t  look  at  him  immediately  this  time,  choosing  instead  to  focus  on  removing  the  last  pieces  of  armor,  though  his  awareness  stayed  fixed,  sharp  and  unwavering.

“what  are  you  doing  here?”  the  question  came  steadier,  more  controlled,  closer  to  what  it  should  be,  though  it  carried  a  weight  he  hadn’t  intended  to  give  it.  he  dragged  a  hand  back  through  his  hair,  pushing  damp  strands  away  from  his  face,  buying  himself  a  moment  before  his  gaze  flicked  back,  quick  and  assessing  —  the  dust  of  travel,  the  stance,  the  undeniable  fact  that  he  was  here. did it show how quick his heart thrashed in his chest right now?

darius  exhaled  quietly  through  his  nose,  jaw  shifting  just  slightly  as  something  unsettled  threaded  through  him,  familiar  in  the  worst  way.  “…you  came  for  the  games?”  for  me?  he  added  after  a  beat,  the  edge  in  his  voice  softer  now  but  no  less  present.  there  was  a  pause,  brief  but  noticeable,  before  something  sharper  slipped  through  despite  himself.  “or  to  make  sure  i  don’t  embarrass  you.”  it  was  meant  to  sound  light.  it  didn’t  quite  manage  it.

"how arrogant you've grown to suggest i'd alter military movements just to see you, highness. can you attest that all of my communications to regia ignis have remained confeditinal? who is to say one of the other kingdoms haven't formulated a new surveillance technique? based on my own judgement, i thought it was best to redirect my convoy here. i would never risk vissai's safety on a whim."

as kurgan chided darius, his measured steps carried him forward and accented his points with each beat. "if you meant here as in your private tent, well i thought that'd be obvious. i go where i please and i have to speak to you about what's been happening between your royal thighs," he said, now standing chest to chest with darius, staring him down with a rather stern look as he allows his words to hang between them. of course, kurgan is also the first to crack a smile and start laughing, his arm rising so he could grip darius by the back of the head and fold him into an embrace.

"there he is, my boy! it's been too long darius. long enough for you to have forgotten my teachings. you took far too long to win. the only spectacle the people need to see is absolute battlefield dominance, you know." kurgan couldn't turn it off. even during a gesture of affection with his favorite prince, he was still finding ways to be a guiding force. he supposed if he was no longer needed, he'd have nothing to say.

kurgan ruffles dari's sweaty hair some more before holding him at arms length by the shoulders. he systematically looks over every inch of the crowned prince, first by grasping him by the chin. "you look well, healthy even. a good sign at least," kurgan commented, inspecting darius from every angle as he moved his head side to side before briefly rubbing a hand down his grime-stained tunic. "it was entertaining to watch your victories. even though they were expected."