#ask bicho

I'm so glad you asked~ Strap in bc this one is a long one.

So Nik and Vihaan meet officially for the very first time during the joint coronation in Marlas. Nikandros is there as newly appointed Kyros of Ios and Vihaan is only there accompanying his lord. They have one single interaction, not very positive overall. Vihaan takes part in one of the palace games that are allowing Veretian to compete against Akielon players, and nearly beats out Aktis (Nik's champion, he himself doesn't partake) in spear throwing, but he forfeits the last throw because the winner is to participate in the Okton and it's, quote, "way above his paygrade". The forfeit causes Aktis to follow him around afterwards demanding a re-match, and Nik ends up intervening to shoo him away. Vihaan immediately sneers at him and calls him and his men incompetent and undisciplined, because of course he does. They exchange a few unkind words and Nik walks away because he's the bigger man.

While Nik is assessing his troops and getting them ready for the journey back to Ios, he's intercepted by Damen who asks of him to accompany him and Laurent north, to Arles. The Kings were meant to do a crown tour throughout both countries, but Arles was nowhere near the first stop. The thing is, Arles has been left unattended for months on end. The entirety of the last book takes place in Akielos and we know the Regent himself had travelled across the border, and he's left... well, it doesn't matter who he's left because he's dead; and the entire Council was with him in Ios. This lack of presence in the capital ended up fostering strong anti-monarchic sentiments that had been brewing I believe since Aleron's death (perhaps even before). With the Regent just recently dead and the brand new King, who is away from the capital, young and untrusted, and marrying The Enemy who publicly killed his brother, well. Unstable is the kindest way to call the situation. So Damen and Laurent need to show up in force and secure their position in Vere as soon as possible. Damen asks Nik to escort them since they cannot know how many of the men in Arles will actually respond to Laurent, and how many will respond to the insurgent factions.

So Nikandros is off to Arles with the Kings, because really what choice does he have. He is, overall, not having vibing. His army sets camp outside the city, and he's commanded more troops from Ios to arrive by sea in weeks time. Damen is very clearly uncomfortable from the second they cross the palace arches, Laurent is stiff and colder than ever, and the air is tense and vicious. They are surrounded by people who, if not outwardly hostile, the question of what will happen to those who used to be the Regent's allies hangs heavily over them. Laurent has not pronounced himself one way or another.

Of course, in true Veretian fashion, these tensions are pompously hidden under grand celebrations and parties that are virtually forced upon Laurent to accept. In these parties, Nikandros is subjected to two (rather pathetic, frankly) assassination attempts. And when I say pathetic I mean he barely noticed he was meant to be assassinated. It was very clumsy stuff.

The third attempt is way less subtle. Nikandros is fetched from his room by Veretian soldiers, and it takes very little time for him to notice: These are not Laurent's guard; his own guards seem to have banished off the face of the earth; there's like five men around him when only two had fetched him initially. So, of course, the second he sees an opening he takes off running.

Not knowing what guards are to be trusted, Nikandros ends up taking a turn to the only unguarded area of the palace; the Pet Harems. He tries the first door that opens and slips inside. You see where this is going. Yes, of course, the second he turns away from the door he sees a very startled Vihaan; who's just had an Akielon general walk into his room unannounced in the middle of the night with a sword in his hand. It would be Nik's luck also that he's walked into the room of a pet who both keeps a weapon and is willing to use it (he's got a spear) (he's pointing it at him) (Nikandros is more experienced but a sword v a spear has like 9/10 chances of losing even with an experienced swordfighter against a person who's never wielded a spear in his life) (And Vihaan is Vaskian) (He's wielded a spear).

So Nikandros, who would both not like to be impaled but also has no interest in fighting a palace pet who hasn't really done anything to him other than be rude that one time, talks him down from the fight. He takes a gamble and drops the sword and tells him he's being chased by insurgents and he needs to find a way out. He ends up convincing Vihaan by promising that, if Vihaan helps him out of the palace, Nikandros will see for his safety if and when this whole thing blows up.

Hijinks ensue, of course. They escape the palace. Nikandros realizes if there were insurgents trying to catch them it's because the palace is crawling with them. They need to go back and bail the kings out. The insurgents take over the city, Nikandros manages to break the kings out and with his men they set siege to the city but they can't walk in without bloodshed and dubious chances of success; they have to wait them out until Nik's forces from Ios arrive through sea. Meanwhile the insurgency grows unsettled and violent with the siege and they start killing people in the streets to draw Laurent out. Fun stuff! Nik and Vihaan survive everything together and frankly they're a little trauma bonded by the time everything's over. Lots of extreme emotions in a very short time. One day I'll write this out properly. At the end of it all Nik asks Vihaan to come to Ios with him (Vihaan's lord died during the riots) and Vihaan tells him if he bids for his contract he'll go anywhere he wants. Nik is like ??? so you wish me to buy you like a slave?? And Vihaan crosses his face about it (duh). Nik is really peeved about it but eventually understands he's asking Vihaan, who has no power or position to secure him anything, to just upend his life and go with him to Ios on his good faith, and that the pet contract guarantees him some form of security where Nik to grow bored with him, and it gets through to him that taking Vihaan without contract is actually putting him in a more vulnerable position than if he were to sign it. He ends up bidding for double his price and heavily editing the contract to be as accomodating to Vihaan's rights and liberties as possible bc he's that kind of man don't @ me.

Hehe

Okay, so, listen

I'm all for Nicholas and Seiji. Like all the way. Let's go boys. Nichoji is my endgame couple and I wish them the very best.

HOWEVER.

One of my favourite trope is bitter exes with confusing feelings. And NO ONE screams messy breakup more than Jesse and Seiji. And I ADORE the tension they have. The mess of feelings they bring out in each other. I love it. And while I do expect in the end for both of them to move on, Seiji w Nicholas and Jesse w some fucking dignity, please, I will in the meantime enjoy this messy ass love triangle. Bc glorious dumbass takes his love for granted and then loses him to a better suitor and suffers all through it is also a fave, and you know, love u Jesse but u had it coming.