Saruwatari Taiki, prince of Fu, holding the qualities that define his race – Airbrushed looking skin, and eyes that seem purple in the right lighting – was the next person to change Eli's life.

To give even the short version of Fu and Sui's history together, you'd first have to explain how almost every kingdom in the land had formed.

It all started with Ku. Ku was the reigning superpower. It was the only kingdom. Within the kingdom, change occurred. A new kind of person was found, different from the rest of them. Later, the difference between these two persons would become known as “race,” but at the time, these new people were demons. And they were killed off, immediately, by people who didn't understand them.

But, then came along the Hikari and the Yami, representing light and darkness, respectively. Both were able to branch out from the kingdom of Ku, and formed their own kingdoms. Since then, many more races have formed, but none of them understood. It's the same, wherever you go. A new race is killed or it kills. As of today, there are only seven surviving kingdoms.

Fu is the newest formed kingdom. Broken away from Chi. Sui aided them in their battle for independence, despite their strong alliance with Chi. That decision alone has quite the story to go with it, but what's most important right now is that about thirty years ago Fu was declared a kingdom by the International Courthouse, and since then, Fu has been in debt to Sui.

The King of Fu presented to the King of Sui his youngest child after a peaceful dinner in which affairs between the two kingdoms had been discussed. Eli remembers it well. He was standing beside his brothers, watching as Prince Taiki bowed down to his father with frightened eyes, light green cape falling over his shoulders as he knelt.

The King of Fu doesn't look nearly as upset as his son does, humbly presenting him to Eli's father. “The Kingdom of Sui has done many great deeds for Fu, and I cannot deny that our kingdom wouldn't exist if we hadn't had your help. I wish for our kingdoms to continue to help each other as time proceeds. If I had a daughter, I would give her to you, but instead, I ask that you please take my youngest son. I hope he can prove to be useful to your kingdom. We hope that this sacrifice is enough to repay our debts to you. Please let this represent our kingdoms' friendship.”

The speech was short and to the point, but in such a situation it felt like it needed to be longer. Once Eli's father excepted his proposal, they said their goodbyes and the room was cleared.

Eli watched Prince Taiki stand to the side, uncomfortable, staring at the ground, behaving like no prince he'd ever seen. Eli tried to put himself in his place, but then stopped, realizing he'd rather not think about it.

Eli's father told Atushi, his eldest brother, that he had no use for Taiki, so he could do what he wanted with him. He reluctantly agreed, waiting patiently for his father to leave the room. Out of boredom and curiosity the brothers stayed behind, watching as Atushi exclaimed, a bit exasperatedly, the way he often said things, “What the hell am I supposed to do with someone from Fu?”

Kaito, second oldest, laughed. “Hm, have him work in the stables or something, should it really matter?”

Without taking a moment to consider the option as usual, Atushi waved it off. “Looks kinda wimpy to me. Think he's worked a day in his life? I don't want to give him a job he'll slack off on.”

Taiki opened his mouth for the first time, but before he could say anything, Atushi cut him off. “I didn't give you permission to speak.”

“Well, if you don't put him to work, what are you going to do with him?”

“That's what I'm trying to think of.”

“You could skin him and hang him on your wall.”

“Like I would want something like that...”

The conversation goes around in circles for a while, and Eli thinks about going back to his bed chamber without waiting to hear what they would do with Taiki. It doesn't concern him, after all, and he has a letter from JaeSeop waiting for him on his desk.

Eli's thoughts halted when Atushi made a new suggestion, seeming to have had enough of the conversation. “Well, why don't you just take him then Kaito? I don't want to have someone from Fu working for me, anyway.”

“What? Like I do? I'll just end up giving him to one of the servants, let them find work for him to do.” Kaito continued to smile like it was a joke, in stark contrast to Atushi.

“No, that's no good!”

“Why not?”

Atushi took a breath and lowered his voice, as though Taiki wouldn't hear him from where he stood only a couple feet away. “Look, he's from Fu. Everything he touches will be ruined. He'll curse the place if we let him do anything. If it were up to me, we wouldn't even keep him, but if he dies, and someone finds out, that'll upset the King of Fu. And we can't have that.”

Eli saw Taiki's fists clench at his sides, and he knew that he had heard what Atushi had said. Eli thought about JaeSeop for a brief second, once again being reminded just how bad it would be if someone found out about their friendship.

Kaito tilted his head to the side. “Maybe... We should just throw him into a prison cell, then. You're right, if his father just gave him away like that, he's probably not worth anything, anyway. We can fix him up if anyone wants to see him.”

Eli looked over to the third oldest, Naoki, who didn't seem to even be paying attention. His sisters had both left long ago, along with his parents. The cleaning team was already well into their work, and Taiki only stood quietly, staring at the ground.

“I'll take him.”

Atushi and Kaito both looked up at Eli in surprise. “Kazuma? What are you going to do with him?”

“I don't know. I'll figure something out. But, I won't let you be so disrespectful. The King of Fu sacrificed his son to our family and you aren't even grateful.”

Atushi narrowed his eyes. “Like I could be grateful to someone with foreign blood.”

“Well, good luck ruling the kingdom that way.” Eli replied, feeling a bit risky. He could sense Taiki's eyes burning into his head, making him feel almost like he had to prove himself to him.

Kaito laughed. “What, you suddenly think you could be a better king than Atushi could?”

Taken aback, Eli stuttered on his words. “N-no. I don't think that. But, if you're going to have no respect for other races, then I don't think you can be very successful.”

“Basically saying you can rule the kingdom better than him.”

“You know, you're way too kind to other races for you're own good, you realize that? You're going to get yourself cursed one day.” Atushi seemed angry now, but Eli wasn't scared of his brother. Well, kind of.

“I really doubt that-”

“Atushi's right. It's not good for you.”

“What do you know about what's good for me? I'm not saying you have to like it, but just it up and do it, is that so hard? You can let your prejudices get in the way.”

“Prejudice?” Atushi raised an eyebrow. “You don't think they're evil? The Fu, they're evil. This is like a threat, leaving their kind here like that. They want to hurt us, this isn't about peace. Why can't our father see that?”

Kaito waved his hands in the air. “Wait, wait, I think you're going a little to far with this.”

“Too far? You think too highly of them.”

“No, Kaito doesn't think too highly of them, you're just far too malevolent to see that-”

“Malevolent? Isn't that a big word for you, Kazuma? You're not even using it right.”

“What do you mean I'm not using it right? I'm using it just fine!”

“All of you, just stop it!” Naoki hissed the words, but it was enough to silence all of them. “What's father going to think if he finds out about us bickering like this? Just be mature about it, let Kazuma take Taiki, and move on with our lives, okay?”

Eli was reluctant to let it go, but realized that it wasn't in his best interest to get into an argument about such a risky topic. Instead, he moved over to Taiki and grabbed on to his cape. His brothers looked at him as though he was petting a venomous snake, but he tried not to pay attention to them.

Atushi spoke up again, this time in a much calmer voice. “Wait, what are you going to do with him?”

“I don't have anywhere to put him, so I guess he'll be staying in my room for the night.” Eli quickly started to lead him out the door before he could be stopped.

“In your room?” The shock of his brother's voice was almost enough to make Eli laugh.

“What? On the floor should be fine.”

“I can't believe this...”

Eli pretended not to hear Atushi.

Once inside his bedroom, Eli hurriedly made adjustments. He hid the letter sitting on his desk, threw a blanket and pillow on the ground. He turned around to see Taiki still standing by the door, his eyes blurred over with emotion, thinking about something distant.

Eli wondered about what to do now, wondering if Taiki was going to start crying for a brief second. “You... Is this enough? I can ask a maid to get more blankets, if you want them.”

Taiki looked up, and Eli found anger on his face instead of sorrow, catching him off guard. For the first time that night, Eli heard Taiki speak. “No. I don't need them.”

“O-Okay... What about something to sleep in?”

“No. I don't want anything from you.”

“Alright. Well, unlike you I prefer not to sleep in formal wear, so I'm going to go ahead and change...”

Taiki remained silent as Eli changed, spreading the blanket and pillow out on the ground. Looking down at the ground, he muttered, obviously not trying to hide it from Eli's hearing. “You're just as bad as they all say you are back home. Monsters. I can't stand the idea of being treated as a servant to you for the rest of my life. Even the idea of being equal to you makes me sick.”

Eli felt his eyes widen, realizing how stupid he'd been. Of course, Sui wasn't the only place that racism existed in. Back in Fu, Taiki was probably raised to hate foreign blood as much as he was. Eli knew that the only reason he'd come to accept other races is because he befriended JaeSeop at such a young age. Still, Eli couldn't help but feel anger rise within him at Taiki's words.
Taiki continued, taking off any unnecessary outerwear, fingers trembling. “And what are those scales on your skin? They're gross. You're lucky a tee-shirt is enough to cover them.”

“You have purple eyes. That's weird.” Eli sat down on his bed, pretending not to care about the insults Taiki was throwing at him.

“And Atushi!” Eli felt himself cringe out of habit of the use of his brother's name without honorifics. Taiki's voice grew louder as he spoke, hugging the blanket around his shoulders. “Saying that my father gave me to this kingdom as a curse to you. Doesn't he realize what kind of sacrifice he'd made? Giving me away like that.”

“Didn't seem all that upset to me. Probably just wanted to get rid of you. You're annoying.” Eli found himself snapping back at him without thinking.

“He was!” When Taiki's voice cracked, he looked away, speaking softer now. Eli wondered if he really was going to start crying now. “He was. He was upset... My family was all upset... And my people...”

“But he gave you to a bunch of 'monsters' like us.” Taiki didn't respond, so Eli just sighed and turned away. “I'm your master now, so, just go to sleep.” Eli's voice sounded much gentler than he wanted it to sound. Still, surprisingly enough, Taiki listened, turned over, and that was the last he heard from him that night.

For a brief second Eli felt guilty for what he had said, but decided that he had deserved it, after all.

When Eli woke up again the next morning it was still pitch black outside. Taiki was still sleeping. Eli snuck past him to his desk, pulling JaeSeop's letter out of hiding. Flicking a light on near his desk, dim enough that he hoped that Taiki wouldn't stir, Eli settled himself in his seat with a pen in hand and paper in front of him.

JaeSeop's letter this time mostly consisted of the events going on in Chi. A festival that had just passed, discussion on a new law that would be passed, debate over a different law that may follow the new one up. Really, Eli didn't care about politics as much as he should. When JaeSeop talks about these things, Eli tries his best to give a good response, but he knows his apathy shows. Of course, it makes sense that JaeSeop would care so much about politics; he's the eldest son in his family, and most likely to become king. For Eli, this was never something he had to worry about.

JaeSeop had also written about his friends in Chi, and that's what Eli decided to focus on responding to the most. He also wrote about things that have been the focus of his life; his lessons, and he wrote about the dinner from earlier, and about Taiki.

Eli finished his letter, folded it and placed it in an envelope, hid it in his desk again along with JaeSeop's letter, and turned the light back off. He crept back to his bed, and fell back into the warmth of sleep.

When he opened his eyes again he felt like only five minutes had past, but the sun lighting his room argued otherwise. The clock showed that it was six in the morning, so there wouldn't be much use in going back to sleep. He forced himself to sit up, and noticed Taiki already awake, eyes meeting his.

Eli looked away and didn't say anything. He had put off trying to think of what to do with Taiki, and now he has to make a choice. He couldn't just lock him in his room all day, Atushi would question him. He considered letting the other servants find something for him to do like Kaito had suggested, but Atushi could easily turn that on him as disrespect for Fu's gift to them.

Eli pondered this for a while longer, painfully aware of the silence the room wore. Taiki stared at him, waiting, as though he too knew this was the moment that would determine his fate. The air was cold, and Eli hugged the blankets tighter around him, considering going back to sleep and waiting for the maid to wake him up. He had lessons to attend later that day, so maybe that wouldn't be a good idea. What would his teachers make him do today, he wondered, then realized his thoughts were straying.

Suddenly, Eli decided it didn't matter what Atushi thought of what he did with Taiki. He was trying to hard to satisfy everyone, but really that couldn't be obtained in this situation, could it? And in this case, despite the bad start last night, Eli found his sympathy went towards Taiki. Atushi probably wouldn't even find out about it, as he never goes to Eli's part of the castle to begin with. Eli had made his decision, declaring to himself that today would be a fresh start with Taiki.

Eli climbed out of bed, and hastily started to dress himself in everyday clothing. He motioned to Taiki. “C'mon. We're going to introduce you to some people.”

Taiki took a moment to respond, but then got up, fingers running through his brunette hair, obviously concerned with his appearance. Eli pretended not to notice, and led him out the door, knowing Taiki would follow him despite his contempt.

Eli guided him throughout the castle, making several stops. The first was to get clothing for Taiki from one of the maids. Taiki was surprised to find he was given decent clothing, instead of the clothing you would expect a servant would wear, but Eli only shrugged off his questioning gaze. The second would be at the bathrooms, where Eli told Taiki to shower and meet him back in his bed chamber when he was done.

Eli then asked someone to set up a room for Taiki, and he was told that it would be prepared by the end of the day. The servants seemed troubled by the fact that a foreigner would be receiving better treatment than they were, even if that foreigner happened to be a prince. Eli paid no mind, as their opinions didn't matter to him. They were only servants.

By the time Eli had made it back to his room, breakfast was waiting for him. He called for someone to bring him a second one for Taiki, and the order came soon after he returned.

Taiki, dressed in his new clothing, ate his breakfast in silence. He ate carefully and neatly, staring off into space with a troubled expression on his face. The clothes he was given were too baggy for his sleek figure, and hung off of him awkwardly.

Eli noticed that Taiki's presence was completely different from yesterday. He was no longer angry, but more self-pitying. Eli decided he would react accordingly with gentles words. There was something that made him want to treat him kindly; maybe it was that sadness did not suit Taiki's face.

“From now on you'll have to work in the castle, okay? I won't make you room with the other servants; mostly because they likely won't treat you well. They probably won't, anyways, though, and you'll end up having to do the hardest work. But, this is the best I can do for you right now.” Taiki looked up at Eli in surprise, his purple eyes glinting with worry. What he was so caught off guard by, Eli wasn't sure.

Taiki spoke quietly at first, building up to a louder volume. “I... I don't think it's a very good idea to make me a special case like that. It'll just draw more attention to me, in the end, and they'll hate me more.”

Eli had noticed this already, but dismissed it. “If anyone gives you trouble, just tell me and I'll take care of it.”

Taiki's worried expression did not loosen. He opened his mouth to speak, and for a moment Eli was sure that another insult would pour out of his mouth. He imagined Taiki's anger from the previous night, spitting the words, “What, like I need you to take care of me just because I look weak on the outside? I can deal with it myself, I don't need someone from Sui to help me.” But, Taiki's mouth closed again, refraining from speaking.

After another moment passed in silence as Eli scrapped the last of the food from his plate, Taiki decided to speak. “Why didn't you just throw me in the prison last night?”

Eli didn't put much thought into his words. “Like I said, it would be disrespectful to-”

“Yeah, you've said that. But, what's the real reason?”

Something in Taiki's serious expression made Eli want to change the subject, not sure if he was ready to straight out confess that he thought this whole “Sui is the most superior race” thing was stupid. Instead, he said, “Well, if Fu is so much greater than Sui I guess I better be nice, huh?”

Taiki practically bristled at Eli's sarcasm, reacting much more hostile than Eli had expected him to. With JaeSeop, these kinds of jokes could be made, but he realized that this was an entirely different situation than light teasing between friends. “I'm sorry to bother you, oh-so mighty Prince Kazuma.”

Eli laughed at Taiki's venomous words without meaning to, causing Taiki to shoot a dark glare at him. Taiki set his fork down, letting it clatter loudly against the plate. “You speak of respect, but you yourselves are all so disrespectful. Referring to each other so casually. None of you seem to know your place.”

“Know our place? Who?”

“You and your brothers. Referring to each other like they're just anyone, without honorifics, and you completely disrespected your older siblings last night. Atushi is the oldest, so you should all listen to what he says, regardless of what you think. That bickering would have never happened back in Fu, because we know our place.”

“Really. That's the problem you have with us? Because, you would have preferred to live in a prison cell from now on, right?”

Taiki's eyes were dark, dark as he looked down at his lap, speaking clearly and cautiously. “It's because of my respect to my family that I will do whatever is asked of me.”

“Really? Then stop whining, because it could be a lot worse. If you respect your father so much you would do what I say, and you would do it silently.”

“I am doing what you say.”

“But, then, you turn around and insult me. That's not very respectful to the person your father asked you to give your loyalty to, is it?”

Taiki continued to stare at his lap, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

As the minutes passed Eli eventually got up and continued with preparations for the rest of the day, fixing his appearance in the mirror, checking his schedule, doing whatever he needed to keep himself preoccupied while Taiki continued to sit uncomfortably in the chair.

Once Eli set out for the day he handed Taiki over to the servants, letting them find work for him. The women studied him disapprovingly. “People of Fu are so wimpy. I'm sorry, Your Highness, but what do you want me to do with him?”

“I don't care if you give him women's work in the end, just find something useful for him to be doing.”

The women scoffed, but obeyed.

The rest of Eli's day continued like it normally would, and he had some time to clear his mind.

There was something about Taiki that made Eli want to like him. But, then, Taiki would talk, and Eli would decide not to like him anymore. The pattern would continue as the next week passed. It was the fact that Taiki was foreign that made him interesting, he decided. Eli was sure that was why he wanted to befriend him, just like he had wanted to befriend JaeSeop.

Eli would stop by to check on Taiki every now and then, which was more often than he should have, considering he really was only another servant in the large castle, now. But, Eli couldn't think of him as only that. He was curious. And every time he would check on Taiki he would be a little less defensive and more like the person people had always described him to be, even if it was clear that he did not like Eli.

He had heard rumors around the castle about what Taiki had been like as a prince. “Happy, bubbly, cute,” they would all say with a laugh, because that person was a joke to the people to Sui. “It must be an act he puts on in public,” they would claim, seeing the current Taiki as quiet and troubled.

But by the end of the week, Eli had gotten a taste of the old Taiki. The more Taiki began to settled into his new life, the more comfortable he had become. On an off chance Eli had caught Taiki working – in the end he was given a job cleaning, after all – humming to himself, with bounce in his step as he mopped the floor. Eli found himself wondering briefly if a dress would suit him better than male clothing.

As soon as Taiki saw Eli, though, his smile fell and his eyes grew cold.

Despite Eli's feeble attempts to stay on good terms with Taiki, he was surprised when he received a very excited letter back from JaeSeop, who also thought it would be a good idea to befriend Taiki.

JaeSeop was the one with the idea. He was the one who started this whole thing. He wanted to start a sort of club. Recruit at least one person of power from each kingdom. Give them code names. Be some sort of group representing peace and equality among races. That was what JaeSeop was into, at least. He always talked about that kind of thing, equality. He always said that when he would become king, that would be his main focus. While Eli understood it was important, he never really cared as much as JaeSeop did.

No, to Eli, this was like an adventure in his pointless life. They already had their first recruit, Taiki. They would be three out seven kingdoms. An undercover operation. More secrets in Eli's life would seem like a curse to many, but not to him. Thinking about it was enough to give him a glimpse of the adrenaline rush he had received at nine years old, sending letters to JaeSeop, and that seemed to be enough to convince him.

Both of their ideals were childish in different ways; changing the world and going on adventures. Eli realized this, but it didn't stop his mind from jumping ahead of itself.

In the letter, JaeSeop asked Eli if he had any ideas for Taiki's new name. Eli spent the following days forming random sounds in his head, putting extra effort into befriending Taiki. And Taiki noticed. He became even more cautious around Eli, wondering what he was up to and what he wanted.

But, Eli was pretty sure the day Taiki began to warm to Eli was one evening after dinner, when Eli went to check on Taiki in his room.

“What do you want?” Taiki was more upbeat with his stomach full, his expression more irritated than anything else.

Eli paused in the doorway, shrugging. “Just wanted to know how you're doing.”

“Same as yesterday.”

“I see...”

“What kind of man spends so much time obsessing over another man?”

“Huh? Oh, what, no!”

“I was joking... But, it really doesn't make any sense why you check on me so much. Don't do this to anyone else.” Taiki was leaning against the wall, sprawled sideways across his bed, notebook and pencil in hand.

Eli found himself wordless, once again shrugging it off.

“You think I'm plotting something, don't you? To bring down Sui from inside.”

Eli hadn't even thought of that, and shook his head. “No. That's not why.” He wondered briefly if he should just go ahead and tell him everything about him and JaeSeop, and their plans to form some sort of international group – Organization, Eli's mind liked to call it. But, it wasn't safe, not yet, he couldn't fully trust Taiki.

Their conversation wouldn't last long, like usual. Eli struggled to find something to stall for time. “What are you writing?”

Taiki clutched the notebook to his chest a lot like a girl would, Eli couldn't help himself from thinking. “It's nothing.”

Eli didn't want to pry, so he shrugged it off, and glanced around the room, helplessly. “Are the other workers giving you a hard time?”

“A little bit...” Taiki's voice betrayed him, showing it was a lot more than a little bit.

“I'll talk to them.”

“Please don't, you'll make it worse. I'll just have to prove myself.”

Eli let the silence linger for a moment as he thought about it. Maybe he was right about having to prove himself. But, that seemed unlikely to succeed, no matter how hard he worked or how strong he became. Eli found his thoughts straying elsewhere. “Why did your father give you away?”

Taiki was more bitter than upset at the reference by now. “It was a gift for the good deeds your kingdom has done for Fu. Weren't you listening?”

“I was. But... Is that really the reason?”

“Yes. As far as I know.”

“That's awful.”

Eli expected Taiki to snap at him about it, giving some sort of lecture about respect again, but instead he said, “I... Yeah, it is, isn't it?”

“Can you tell me... More about what your home is like?” Eli tried to keep the conversation going while Taiki was opening up to him.

“Home? The people are a lot... Smaller? I'm tall for someone from my home, it's weird not to be towering above everyone. And... In Fu, we represent air. Wind, smoke, things like that. Breathing.”

“Yeah?” Eli urged him to keep going.

“The food is different. You eat way to much sea food here. The clothing is different. Much less... Modest, compared to Sui. We like a lot of gold accenting our clothes. It's a lot more flow-y too. And... everyone I know is there.”

Eli waited for him to continue. Most of what Taiki told him were things that Eli already knew. “Is that all?”

“Hey, it's harder than you think! It's not like I've learned a lot about Sui living in the castle like this. I only know the basic things that distinguish our two kingdoms. Oh, and there's your accent.”

“You're the one with the accent.”

“Funny.”

“These are really small things separating us, don't you think? It makes me wonder what makes us so different.” Eli gave a go at hinting to Taiki.

“We're totally different.” Taiki said abruptly.

“Like how?”

Taiki struggled with his words for a moment before replying. “Like our cultures. You worship the sea, I worship the air. The way your people talk to you is different; they treat you so much more casually than they treat me in my home. There's just... A bunch of little things. They all add up.”

“Are a bunch of little things really enough to make one of us evil?”

Taiki didn't even think before replying. “Yes.”

“Whatever, then.” Eli gave up on the conversation. He was about to turn to leave, but paused for a moment, eager to try his new name for Taiki on his tongue. “'Night, Kevin.”

“Huh?”

Eli left Taiki – Kevin, he would now think of him as – without giving an explanation.

---

Quick update since I already had the chapter written.  Next update should be in about two days, since the chapter will be short again.  Maybe even tomorrow if all goes well?

I hope this chapter wasn't too boring...  There'll be a while until we get to the main plot/romance aspects, but if you endure it until then, hopefully it'll be worth the wait!  I think this is about as boring as it'll get, and that it'll pick up from here.  ...Maybe? ^^;

Also hope you aren't too upset with my portrayal of Kevin.  I feel kind of like I've made him into a bad guy, but I promise that's not going to last for long until he starts acting like the Kevin you all know and love.  And I also know that in a couple interviews it's been said that he doesn't really get angry...  But surely this case would be a reasonable acception, right?

@sseonflower, iamanonymous, and ciriak:  Thank you all very much for commenting!  :D It means a lot to me, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!