Haru was shaken to his core when the plans to apologize to Orion were changed at the last minute. An attendant arrived at the embassy early morning to inform them that the prince would be unable to leave his room. Obviously, the reason behind it was clear. Still, the brunette began to feel even more guilt than he had previously possessed towards the prince. It amplified the wrongdoings even more.

The (h/c) haired girl tried to support him in his endeavors, mainly because, if she had left him on his own, he never would have been able to apologize. Even as she guided him towards the boy's room, he tried multiple times to escape. With all his excuses and panicking, he almost managed to slip away. Luckily, Sona was quick to grab him and push him forward, advancing him against his will.

Soon enough, they were standing in front of the prince's room, Haru shivering. If it wasn't for Presley staring him down like a pest, he might have been a bit confident. Protectively, (Y/n) stood between the two, detesting whatever childish emotions the coral-haired guard was bearing towards them. She ignored him soon after, pushing open the door to the prince's room and being greeted by the servants inside. Atlas led the greetings, even offering to hold the gift Haru had brought. The brunette avidly refused, turning his body away to keep it for himself.

"His highness is not feeling great," Atlas sighed, darting his eyes away in mourning, "The doctors are here just in case, but we would like to ask you to keep this as short as possible. He needs to rest."

Haru's eyes shaked as he looked at the doctors in the room. There were a lot of them. Perhaps, if there were only one, he might not have been so shaken up. However, amidst the crowd of people just waiting to rush to the prince's rescue, he began to shiver. Though (Y/n) did her best to console him and try to get his eyes off of them, he would not move. It was as if he thought the doctors' presence was the thing that made the boy sick. He began to glare at them, too, further insinuating that.

Orion stirred slightly as Presley somberly shook him awake. The orange-haired boy gave a small groan of pain at being awakened, particularly because all the pain of his illness came flooding back to him in lucidity. Nonetheless, as he noticed his guests, he put on a smile to hide his agony and tried to sit up. His smile fell as Presley stopped him from doing so. It was difficult to sit up with his own strength in the first place, so all the coral-haired man had to do to stop him was place his hand on his chest. The prince slumped against his bed, tears pricking at his eyes.

That was when Haru shoved his present in Sona's arms and stomped forward. He very harshly shoved the guard away, scowling at him for his treatment of the prince. And though Presley was only trying to help in his own way, Haru hated it. He despised the way he prevented the ill boy from even moving on his own and he loathed the way he treated him like a corpse. And, after all that, he was so self-important he couldn't even see that he was making the prince he loved so much miserable.

Trying to calm Orion, who had begun protesting at Haru's harsh way of showing affection, (Y/n) sat down next to him. She very gently adjusted the bed before slowly helping him sit up. Though he was a bit put off at first, he warmly accepted the care, especially as she began telling him it would be alright. His cheeks became a little red but no one else noticed. Trying to control his racing heart, he began fiddling with his blanket, gazing back up at the brunette.

Though Haru was still glaring down the guard, wanting nothing more than to push him out of the window, he turned back to Orion. Immediately, all his anger dispersed, replaced with the need to make him comfortable. He began practically turning the room inside out to find what he was looking for. Soft thing after soft thing, Haru began burying the orange-haired male alive with stuffed animals and pillows. The brunette only stopped when he remembered his present. Rushing back to the younger girl, he took it from her before glaring at Presley again just for good measure.

"Allergies," Haru humphed, met with a few confused blinks from the prince.

"He's asking if you have any food restrictions," (Y/n) explained, spacing out the pillows so the male could breathe a little easier.

"Oh, no, I don't - "

Presley cut off the male, answering for him. He went on and on about how the royal family could not accept food from others. And though he didn't explicitly say it, he was insinauting that Haru wanted to poison him, and that he would not let that happen. True to his nature, the brunette began arguing with the knight, spilling insults and showing his animosity for the coral-haired male. The doctors also agreed that the prince should abstain from eating foods prepared by others for the sake of his health.

"This is stupid! You're all stupid!" Haru snapped, kicking a chair over in his tantrum, "Just admit you don't want her to be happy!"

Everyone in the room collectively decided to ignore the way he had addressed the prince, particularly because there were bigger issues than by what pronoun he called him by. Either way, Presley and Atlas were seething in anger at the statement, along with the other servants in the room. The notion that they didn't want Orion to be happy was ridiculous. After all, everything they did was to keep him safe and happy. Though, almost everyone agreed that his health was to come before anything else. That was where they disagreed with Haru, and he never took well to people disagreeing with him.

"Do you think she likes sitting there all day, hearing you crone? Do you think she likes it when you take away her favorite food? What's the point in living if you don't get to do whatever the heck you want?! Why don't you leave her the heck alone?!"

"If you keep this up, you'll have to leave the room," one of the doctors mumbled, "His highness should be distanced from tenseful situations and stress."

(Y/n) decided to intervene. She very skillfully placed her hands on Haru's shoulders and forced him to sit down. Though he was still so angry he was crying, he followed her lead, somehow absorbing the serene attitude she held. Much like Sona, he did have a little button she could press to make him power down. There was a special place on his shoulder that, if rubbed, would make him sleepy. With the lack of energy, he quieted down, but his grudge remained. He quickly looked up at Orion before they made eye contact. As a result, he gave an apologetic expression of pity before looking away.

"He meant well," the younger girl explained, alleviating most of the tension in the room, "But, I think he has a point. Out of the sake of a truce, please let Haru give his highness the presents he brought."

"Food is out of the question," Presley reminded her, placing his hand on his hip.

"I'm not asking that he eat all of it. But if he had a bit, I think both parties would be able to put the past behind them. Haru wants to apologize and his highness would probably enjoy not eating medicine for once."

"Speaking for the prince is treason and blasphemy. I suggest you not do it again."

(Y/n)'s brow twitched. She had met many difficult people in her life, but the most dangerous were those that did not conform to her charm. Most would back down once she bewitched them, but, obviously, being around the royal family, Presley had some kind of resistance. That might have been another reason she did not like the knight. Though, along with Haru, she despised the way he and the rest of the palace treated him. She sighed, trying to regain her calmness.

"Then I will ask him directly. Orion, what do you want to do?"

The prince paused. He didn't know what to say, pulling his blanket over his nose and mouth to hide his surprised expression. Of course, the emotion was easily read through his eyes, but she pretended to ignore it to spare him the bashfulness. As he thought, his eyes instinctively trailed over to Presley, waiting for some kind of advice. And though the coral-haired man did open his mouth to give advice, Haru put his hands over it, daring him to speak and influence the prince in some shape or form.

Orion's heart began thumping as she stared at him expectantly. He couldn't take looking at her, giving a squeak as he pulled the blanket all the way over his face. This way, he could begin blushing wholeheartedly, wondering where the girl had come from. She was like no one he had ever met, nor Haru. They both took such a different approach to speaking to him. Though it was hard to fully describe, he could only think that it felt nice. He really liked them, hoping they would never go back to whatever wonderful land they came from.

As he gained a bit more courage to answer her question, he slid out from under the blanket. He wanted to do what she and Haru suggested and do something new. Orion wanted to taste food from someone else and he wanted to experience having been gifted something. He wanted to see how the apology worked and he definitely wanted to become friends with Haru. An excited feeling began bubbling up in his chest as though he were about to hiccup out all his most secret desires.

"Your highness," Presley sighed, in pain for having to shut down the male, "They may not give you food. They may go and buy you something else...okay?"

"For your health, your highness," Atlas added, bowing at the waist.

"For your health, your highness," the rest of the servants begged, doing the same.

"You must do what you can for your body, your highness," the doctors added, kneeling on the ground.

Orion paused again, his eyes shivering. He had full reign to say whatever he wanted. He could say he wanted to get out of bed and breathe in the fresh air and he could have said he wanted to eat pancakes every meal. Yet, for some reason, as he opened his mouth to reply, nothing came out. Shock set in as he realized just how far his illness had progressed, the male crying tears of regret and fear. Not only was he bedridden and not only did his legs stop working. Not only did he have no strength and not only did he have constant ripples of pain shooting through him. Now he couldn't speak.

Presley's heart fell at the sight, everyone in the room realizing what happened. Before, it was true that he was having a difficult time speaking, his voice fading, but no one ever expected his voice would leave him completely. The coral-haired man fell to the floor, covering his lower face as he cried, mourning the boy. Before his very eyes, he was slipping away. The others in the room began to react similarly, the servants cowering and beginning to whisper in their confusion. They didn't know what to do other than accept it, even the doctors sniffling in the regret that they could not save him.

"Shut up!" (Y/n) suddenly snapped, raising her voice to a shout to silence everyone.

They all stared at her in shock and with some animosity, wondering why she wasn't responding as they were. Though they glowered at her, they nonetheless did as she asked. They quieted themselves and gave her room to think. All the while, the powerful shout made Orion tense. He stared in awe at the young woman in front of him, a bit of envy and a lot of admiration flowing through him. Try as he might, he could never do that, but she held so much power in her words. It made his heart race.

"You're all useless. Get the fuck up," she huffed, directing her order to Presley, who - with great hatred - did as she said, "Orion, you can speak now. No one is going to interrupt you and no one is going to tell you what to do. Isn't that right?"

The servants and doctors nodded, fearful of the tone she held. It was unusual seeing her filled with such animosity, and for some reason, the sight of her being angry made them shiver. They would do whatever she wanted as long as she calmed down and didn't hurt them. Presley, however, still held onto his spite for her. He didn't appreciate her ways of doing things, and he certainly didn't like her acting so intimately with the fragile prince.

Orion, on the other hand, felt a strange emotion. No one had ever done that for him. They hadn't held blind faith in him and they definitely didn't ask him what he thought. Most everyone already knew what he thought. It was just that they were too afraid of what the repercussions of his happiness would bring on his health. No one ever stopped to think that maybe he was in need of something new, even if it brought risk with it.

For a while, he had a difficult time finding his voice, and more so finding the words to say. However, the entire time, she offered her hand to him, encouraging him to squeeze it if he had a tough time. He did so many times, scared of what would happen if he really couldn't speak. The male worried that, if he failed to do so, she would rescind the rare trust in him. Haru, similarly, tried to comfort him in his own way, offering more stuffed animals and blankets. Orion was speechless for another reason, but she remained there for him despite the time it took him to actually say anything.

"I-I," he stuttered a bit.

Everyone in the room changed their tune, trying to approach the prince to see if it was actually him speaking. However, he suddenly found himself unable to speak again. With a huff, the (h/c) haired girl turned around, murmuring something about how good she was with a gun. And while none of them saw a gun in her possession, they backed up again regardless. Even Presley kept his distance, flinching a bit. Orion was baffled yet again. Was she trying to protect him? Whether she was or not, he still oddly enjoyed it, squeezing childishly on her hand again.

"Ignore the bastards, 'kay?" she chuckled, making him snicker.

"I...want to," A pause as he recovered from the hill of those words, "accept the gift."

Presley began crying again but for a different reason. And while the others also celebrated in their own little way, the (h/c) haired girl and Haru only smiled purely at him. He felt a sense of pride in the looks he was given by them and bashfulness from her look, in particular. Without waiting for the knight's permission, Haru placed the treats he had gotten for the male in his lap. The prince stared at the food in bewilderment and fascination, never having seen them before.

"This is ramen," the brunette explained, opening the lid and handing him the proper utensils, "It's Athainian. I heard you like vegetables, so I made them put a lot in there. Also, against my better judgement, I didn't have any meat put in here because of your stupid tradition. You should praise me."

"Yes? Oh, yes. Thank you. May I...?"

"Don't ask me. Just eat it."

Orion lit up at that. He held the new food up to his lips and paused, wondering if he would suffer from it like everyone else thought. However, Haru not so gently shoved it in his mouth, making him choke. (Y/n) yanked on the brunette's ear hard and had him sit on the floor as punishment, apologizing for his rash actions. She assured the boy he only wanted him to enjoy it without thinking. The prince understood, grateful for him snapping him out of his worries, particularly because he liked the food.

That being said, it wasn't enough to say that Orion simply "liked" ramen. On the contrary, he loved it more than anything he had ever eaten before. The salty broth and crunchy vegetables were overwhelming for his taste buds, but he couldn't stop eating it. Far from it, though he knew he shouldn't have, he devoured the entire thing, almost crying when it was all gone. However, Haru presented him with something else, laying a jelly on his lap for dessert. And though the prince was skeptical of the dessert, he nonetheless found it was not too sweet at all. In fact, it was bitter, making him melt at the taste.

"So, do you like it or not?" Haru pouted before adding, "And...do you still hate me?"

"O-Of course not! I like it! I like you! I like everything, Mister Haru!"

The brunette pouted, but he was not displeased with the results. Far from it, he was relieved. Even without him directly saying he was sorry for his past treatment, it seems everything worked out in the end. In fact, as Haru instructed the prince to drop the "mister", it seemed he liked Orion more than he let on. The orange-haired male was elated, enough so to start planning what kind of gift he could give his new friend.

Truth be told, (Y/n) had no faith in Haru's ability to find a gift. In fact, she assumed he would gift as he usually did to people outside of his family and get him something he, himself, liked. And though the foods that he gifted Orion were no random food, the significance behind them being his mother's favorite foods, she was proud of him. He had apologized, made amends, and even got himself a new friend. A rare smile found its way on her face.

"I also brought gifts, just in case," she chuckled, noting the scowl on Haru's face, "But I'd still like you to have them."

The (h/c) haired girl moved to Sona to take the gifts. She first placed the wrapped gift in front of him. Though she was eager to see the male rip off the paper in excitement, he had a much different way of opening the present. He very methodically took the tape off, gently peeling it from the paper it stuck to, only to where he could see the book inside. The male then slid out the interior, leaving the wrapping paper fully intact.

He gawked at the book she had gotten him: a guide to Athainian flowers. Without waiting for the second gift, he flipped through the pages, awed at the sights inside. He then stopped at the Lindre flower, peeking up at her shyly to see her give a saddened but grateful look. Faunus might have been right about her getting him a gift in return for letting her see the flower. After all, right there on the Lindre flower's page was a simple "thank you" written in her handwriting. He blushed.

"And these, too," she coughed, trying to mask her embarrassment as she placed the sunflower bouquet in his arms, "I wasn't sure what your favorite was, but these suited you somehow."

"Suited...me?" he repeated, his heart racing even more as he rubbed one of the flower petals nervously.

Orion could not take his eyes off of the bouquet. He loved it. He loved her gifts a whole lot, even more than he should have. The male couldn't stop thinking about how she had used a whole day just to get something that he liked. And while she gave it to him under the guise of apologizing on Haru's behalf, it nonetheless flattered him. He wished she would give him gifts every day. Amidst that wish, she leaned close to him and started to whisper.

"Don't let them bully you into being quiet. You can do a lot more than talk, Orion."

As she parted from him, his eyes shook with affection. (Y/n) understood him more than even he knew. He remained in bliss as she said her goodbyes, the soft feeling in his heart even lingering as she left with Haru. All he could think was when he could see her next. He wanted her to tell him more things like that and fill him with the kind of strength she had. To him, Miss Shiratori was strong, and, like many of their kind, that kind of strength sparked feelings of affection. Later, as he thought more about what she said, his legs began to twitch.