The words echoed in Jeno’s mind. His half-brother and soon-to-be-coronated king, Olaf, was one bloke that Jeno knew had quite a lot of enemies. His fight for the throne being the runt of all the Draxians was tough – his mother, Queen Julya, has told Jeno about his tenacity and his gentle heart every time they had a conversation.

“That’s Olaf, your half-brother from my third marriage,” Julya said as Olaf bowed to one of her connections a few years back. “He will change our culture for good, Jeno. He has a good heart. I believe in him.”

Olaf was… big compared to Jeno, but small compared to the rest of his half siblings. With a big round face and massive eyes bordered by long lashes, there was a femininity in there that Jeno recognized.

“Your brother’s eyes are exactly like Bunny’s,” Jaemin said, chewing on his pastry. “Look, they are almond shaped and—”

“Please don’t say that. It’s weird.”

“He looks like a nice bloke.”

Olaf was nice. He did not look down on Jeno nor did he ever challenge Jeno to a duel like his other Draxian siblings. He would try to involve Jeno in the conversations (even if Jeno hoped he wouldn’t), and he had no problem in standing up for Jeno whenever his the others laughed at him being a player.

“Players. Battle of Peril,” Barog snorted one dinner when Jeno visited with Jaemin a few years back. “We are hunters. We kill in nature.”

“We don’t do that anymore, Brother Barog,” Olaf said mildly. “We co-exist peacefully with humans now.”

Barog wasn’t having any of it. “We are superior to other species – they are dainty. We handle cold. The heat. We can go days without eating! Humans, too. They are weak.”

A dirty look towards Jaemin who froze halfway of chewing his ravioli who he insisted did not need to have raw meat in it.

“When I get the throne, Draxians will rise in power,” Barog boasted.

Julya could be seen on the other end of the table. Draxians were not very inept in reading emotions, Jeno realized. He too, was not very talented at it. However, he was better than them. He was more human.

Julya seemed troubled by Barog’s words.

“Right, mother?” Barog turned his head towards his mother whose lips pulled up into a smirk.

“You will be given what you deserve, Barog.”

His mother’s words were simple, but Jeno guessed that the throne being given to Olaf was a smart move on her part. Julya had built an empire with her own hands, a businesswoman of connections. She wouldn’t want to jeopardize anything by giving power-hungry sons authority.

In the present, Jeno stood awkwardly as Nabi tried to comfort him.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Jeno,” Nabi whispered, rubbing Jeno’s shoulders.

“It’s fine.”

Jaemin and Bunny stood a feet away, not knowing what to do. They knew that Jeno had a pretty strong opinions about his mother and comforting him would be implicating that he was sad. They knew Jeno did not like being seen as “sad” for to him, it meant “weak”.

Nabi did not care. A loss of a parent who abandoned you is still a loss, she said bluntly. You are allowed to feel something, Jeno, especially since you’ve seen her a couple of times over the seven years.

Jeno was grateful to Nabi for saying that. There was a hollow feeling in his chest he could not shake away.

Jaemin then broke the silence by clearing his throat. “So… bud… When do we leave?”

The train ride over to the castle where his mother resided was dreary and cold. The winters were long and harsh, even Jeno feeling the chill to his bones. He looked to the side to see Jaemin who had tripled in size.

This time, Jaemin came prepared. He was wearing four layers of T-Shirts, two jackets, and a coat he had borrowed from Johnny. He had two gloves on – in one hand, and the other was bare so he could text his girlfriend. On top of his head was a pink fluffy snow hat.

“Gah. It’s so cold that I can’t even type!” Jaemin complained, sneaking a look at Jeno before muttering a small. “Sorry…”

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” Jeno said mildly, passing him a small smile. “You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me just because mother is dead.”

“I know,” Jaemin sighed, patting his shoulder. “It’s your mother. I mean, knock wood,” Two knocks on the wooden seat, “but if Appa went, I would know how to comfort you. It feels like a sin to comfort you now.”

Jeno thought to his father, the adopted dad that had taken care of him throughout his years and his heart both warmed and ached. He was older now, still handling the many machineries of the landfill. He wanted his dad to rest, no longer work, and bring him to retirement.

“Appa, too, is getting older.”

Jaemin pressed his lips together just as the train came to a stop. There was a pod waiting for them, something like a car, except it was oval shaped and had no driver. It would take them to the castle.

“The Ronchegnac Castle,” Jaemin whispered. “Well, to be honest, it does feel like home.”

Jeno laughed.

Entering the castle, he was appalled by how many people there were – or so, how many Draxians.

Octo, the short octopus head with a hobbit body greeted them. He was Julya’s loyal servant for so many years. Jeno could see the sadness in its eyes.

“Prince Jeno!” Octo exclaimed, rushing over and grabbing him into a tight hug. “My prince, what a sad day it is today, Jeno. Your mother has finally passed!”

“Uh…Uh, yes.”

“But it is happy times now that Olaf is being crowned as king,” Octo looked uneasy for saying it. “If your brothers don’t kill him first. Hello there, Mr. Human.”

“Hello, Mr. Octopus Head,” Jaemin replied, sounding miffed that his name wasn’t even said properly. “I have a name, thank you very much.”

“Yes, what was it? Pardon my lack of memory of others who’d address you by your name. Was it NawNaw?”

Jaemin blinked. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“Alright, come to the suites. I have had it cleaned  and ready.”

“Who are all these people, Octo? Are they here for the funeral? Or the coronation?”

“The funeral starts tomorrow, my price. These are all the other princes. These are your siblings.”

Jeno’s feet stopped moving, Jaemin’s eyes bulging out of his sockets. There were at least…. Almost a hundred people there.

“Your mother lived a long life. I know you’ve met around… half of your siblings—”

“Half? I met ten,” Jeno tried to search the crowd for the siblings he did meet.

“I’m sure you’ll find time to get acquainted to all of them, Prince Jeno. Also, your other counterpart, who you’ve never met. He has just arrived with your sister.”

“My counterpart? What? I have a sister?”

If it was one thing he knew about Draxian’s, it was that women were very very rare. All his siblings were male. That was the reason why Queen Julya had such a torturous life – They were rare and special since they would be able to procreate and continue to Draxian line. Queen Julya had done all she could to stay on the throne despite being hunted by her siblings.

“Yes. She is blue veined just like you.”

Jeno had no idea about this, and he stalked after Octo, Jaemin rushing after him as if being with Jeno would provide himself protection.

The bedrooms were the ones that he had gotten over one summer. He ended up taking a nap before dinner started, his phone ringing. Thank god. They had added wifi on his request. He had always felt so isolated when he was within the castle walls.

“Hi Jeno,” Bunny’s eyeball could be seen blinking rapidly.

“Honey, I can’t see your face,” Jeno said, Bunny moving back.

“I was showing you my eye. I have a sty.” Bunny said it as a-matter-of-factly.

“Did you wash your make up brushes?” Jeno asked, Bunny frowning. The answer to that would be no.

“I’ll do it tomorrow. Whatcha doing? Your mother’s death is all over the news.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She’s a big woman in society. The coronation date was published, too. It’s after funeral, no? They are speculating that you’ll step up.”

Jeno laughed. “That’s absurd. It’s not me. It’s my half-brother. Why would the public think that?”

“Maybe because you’re the public figure?” she asked, shrugging. “Anyway, what did you buy in Central Russia?”

“Sorry?”

“You went to Central Russia to shop, didn’t you? There are photogra—”

A knock on the door, Jeno jolting up. Jaemin popped out of the bathroom, looking stricken.

“Put on your clothes,” Jeno told him, Jaemin giving him a thumbs up. “Bunny, I have to go. I’ll talk to you la