Orion, still bedridden, gazed in awe at the sunflowers by his side. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. He had Atlas place them right next to his bed, and though he continued sneezing like crazy, his body unable to handle the pollen, he was elated. The orange-haired male began humming to himself in his joy, wondering just what it was about the flower that made the girl relate it to him.

He gave a silly grin, lying comfortably on his pillow and ignoring the common dulling pain in his body. Maybe it was that the flower was so bright. It liked the sun and followed it wherever it went, too. Orion was always doing that. He loved the sun, but how did she know that? The girl seemed to know all about him. She knew what kind of presents he would like, what food he enjoyed, and even made him rethink what his favorite flower was. Before, it was lilies, but, all of a sudden, because of the comparison, he adored sunflowers even more.

"You look quite pleased," Atlas teased, pouring a glass of water for the male, "I don't suppose it would have to do with anything Miss Shiratori's present?"

The prince whined contentedly, rubbing his cheek on his pillow. As a result, the servant chuckled at his love-struck attitude, placing the cup in his hands. Orion blushed, first giving the sunflower some water before taking some himself. He repeated the process, caring deeply for the flower. Atlas even helped him trim the thing, if only to keep it nice and strong. While he did so, the prince kept the grin on his face. It might have been one of his favorite things to have ever received.

"You like this plant more than Esper, don't you? You haven't been watering him lately. Is there a reason?"

Orion sulked and Atlas didn't push on it. Instead, he placed the male's medicine in front of him, encouraging him to take it. Though Presley would usually be the one with that role, as of late, he had been busy with all kinds of managerial matters. As head of staff, he was always needed, but it was so bad that he was even unable to perform his duties beside the orange-haired prince. Either way, he was doing his job and helping everyone, so it wasn't like the boy could necessarily complain.

"Well, you won't be sulking for long," the male hummed, holding up a letter with very, very familiar writing, "Because the fourth prince is returning today."

. . .

The blonde had been called back by his mother weeks prior. She kept clamoring about how Orion would die soon and that he would be needed to fill in the gap. Of course, he didn't believe her seeing as she had been going on for years about that. But, when the entire country was updating the world with the younger male's deteriorating condition, it was hard to ignore. He would have rather it never come to that.

Rei was supposed to be traveling the world. He had already gone through many countries on just his motorcycle. It was liberating, but he should have known it wouldn't last long. Putting the kickstand up, he removed his helmet and tossed it carelessly to the closest servant. They fumbled with it, terrified of what would happen if they dropped it, but thankfully, the prince's playmate scooped it up before it dropped to the ground. As always, he was inhumanly quick with his reflexes, placing it back in the servant's arms before going right back to the prince's side, always slightly behind him.

Rei's mind was filled with the endless possibilities he was walking in on. He expected his cousin to be in pain, of course, and on his last limbs, but he didn't know precisely what he would see. To his brothers, too, Orion was precious, and, even if the blonde wasn't exactly the type to fawn over him like everyone else, he did hold him close. That was why he had to prepare himself for what he would see.

Everyone he passed bowed at his feet, as per usual, careful not to be the one to trigger his sadistic tendencies. Perhaps, if he was not so distracted by his cousin's state of being, he would have liked to toy with someone. Though, with the help of his playmate, quite a few of his fits could be quelled. The male in question trotted behind the prince, gazing all around the palace. It had been so, so long since he'd last been in the country and longer since he had actually stepped foot in the castle.

As they arrived at the meeting room, Rei layed his eyes on his great uncle. The man stood up from his chair and gawked at the male, moving quickly to hug him tightly. And though the blonde did not reciprocate it with as much affection, he certainly was happy to see the man once again. When they parted, the blonde took his seat next to the man, his playmate standing instead as was tradition. He was largely ignored by the regent, both of the royals beginning to catch up where they left off a couple of years ago.

That was when the rest of the royal family joined them. Satoru burst in the room first, glimmering at his youngest before latching onto him and smothering him in affection. And though the younger male simply sat there with an unamused look on his face, it was his own way of showing affection for his father. After all, he hadn't seen the man in more than three years. He, too, was excited to be home.

"My baby," he teased, receiving a slap from the prince in question.

"Where's Zuki?"

"It's always about Kazuki. Nevermind your poor father who's been cooped up in here and gawked at like some sort of - "

"Freeloader?" the second princess snickered heartlessly, her ex-husband raising a brow.

"- flawless statue."

"Flawless...Do shut up, Satoru."

Rei glowered at his mother for her harshness, but, like always, he said nothing. It wasn't like her words particularly hurt his father. He had long since given up believing in whatever goodness she had in her. Instead, the man kept cooing at his lastborn, nuzzling him as though he were a baby. The woman, as always, made snide remarks about his attitude, but he couldn't have cared less. He was just happy to see his son.

Verona took her spot across from her nephew, giving a small wave to his playmate, though she could not find it in her to smile. The entire reason Rei had returned was to take Orion's place, after all. She couldn't even look over at her sister, sickened at the way the woman smiled and preened her youngest. Meridian was touching up every little thing on Rei, wanting the next King of Vethela to be as perfect as humanly possible. She made sure to send a smirk to her sister every now and then.

"Your brothers will join us soon. Kazuki just needs to settle some affairs in his company. There's no need for them to be here, so we should get things started for your coronation. I have a few ideas that I think - "

"Meridian?" Satoru questioned darkly, receiving a scowl from the woman in question.

"Adverse to one of your sons finally doing something worth noting?"

The man sneered at the question, the woman returning the nasty look. The two never got along, not even when they were just recently wed. However, lately, on the basis of the right of inheritance for the throne, they had been especially on edge with one another. Nonetheless, Verona was speechless. She realized what her sister had planned for Rei, but, obviously, it didn't sting any less. Even though she always tried to still her heart and let go of her hatred, in that moment, she held a similar kind of hatred (Y/n) had towards her own sister. The princess grabbed at the hem of her dress and steadied her breathing as best as she could.

"Are you so eager to see your nephew die?" the dirty-blonde-haired man snapped.

"I don't know what gives you that idea. It is deeply unfortunate that the prince will die in such a pathetic way. If I had it my way - "

"If you had it your way, he would have died long, long ago."

"Satoru!" Mica snapped, fearful of the first princess's reaction, "Please keep in mind that your words have weight."

"But they are true, aren't they?"

Satoru wanted to slap his ex-wife, but he wanted to slap Mica even more, for some reason. Though the regent glared at him, purely out of concern for Verona, he could not be quiet. There was a pity he had for the first princess, primarily because of all of the heartache her son brought her. But, because he cherished Orion more, he could not keep silent about the mistreatment he received, whether people understood it or not.

Satoru and Orion were a mismatch, but the man adored him nonetheless. He was a breath of fresh air in the suffocating palace, and, frankly, there wasn't a lot the man wouldn't do for him. That included challenging the regent or saddening his mother. Either way, he decided to relinquish his argument that time, if only to sit back and listen to the royals ignore their most prized member of the family.

They talked as if he was dead and planned accordingly as they had always done. Mica even set into motion plans for Rei's coronation, working in tandem with Meridian. Oddly enough, Rei, himself, was left out of the conversation. It was just as well, considering his head was in the clouds. As Satoru liked to often put it, Rei had resting bitch face, so when he was thinking deeply, most people assumed he was thinking of ways to humiliate someone else. And, that could have been true, but, in the moment, he was thinking of his cousin.

In fact, he had been thinking so much about his cousin that, in the middle of the conversation, he left. The rest of his family was too enthralled by talk of his coronation to notice him leaving. However, Satoru noticed, as did the male's playmate. As they left the room, the man followed, pondering what his silly child was going to do next. It was no surprise the route he took, going straight to the crown prince's room. The man watched from afar as he entered the room, Presley glaring at him for his snooping. The knight gave a similar look to Rei, but, as he was of the blood, it was not as criticized.

The blonde did not wake his cousin. He would have done so to anyone else, but, for Orion, he merely waited. Because the male was sensitive to most things, it didn't take long for him to stir. As his eyes opened, he began to register the person in front of him. With sleepy eyes, he gave an uncomfortable squeak, only for him to rub his eyes and huff, slumping on his pillow. It was then that he jolted up and gave a bright smile. Of course, afterwards, he became very lightheaded, feeling nauseous.

"Throw up on me and you're dead," Rei snapped, making the younger boy chuckle nervously.

The prince swallowed down his nausea before he began nuzzling his cousin. Though he was quite cruel in comparison to his brothers, Rei was someone that Orion looked up to. The younger prince found a way to idolize most people, but, for Rei, he most admired his intelligence. In the traditional sense, the blonde may not have been the genius Haru was, but he was astounding in his tactics. Strategy was a game he quite enjoyed, and, over the years, he'd gotten quite good at it. He also excelled at the arts.

"That's enough of that," the older male huffed, patting the boy's head before pushing him to lay down again.

"Akari, too?"

Rei's playmate smiled affectionately, giving a small wave to the prince. Akari Otsu had a great reputation in the castle, particularly because he had the ability to put up with the fourth prince. He was more like a punching bag for him, but, because of that, he could calm down Rei when no one else could. And though Akari was his own kind of chaos in the palace, running around on roofs and swinging on trees, his efforts were not without recognition. Anytime a servant of the palace saw him, he was given many treats.

Orion had alway been sickly. At least, so he had been told. So, to him, watching his cousin make such beautiful things always cheered him up. He had tried doing the same as him sometimes, but, unfortunately, he only had a talent for embroidery and singing. Still, Rei was incredible. He always thought that. So, seeing him after years was more than a welcome surprise. Similarly, Akari was always full of energy and smiles. He was an inspiration to Orion when he was particularly young, and a major reason he continued to smile through the pain.

"I missed you," the orange-haired boy enthused, wearing his heart on his sleeve, as always, "Did you come all this way just to see me? I feel really happy, but...you didn't have to do that."

"I wish that were the case. But we both know why I'm really here. I'm...sorry."

Orion's eyes darted over to the prince's playmate who smiled despite the sad glint in his eyes. The male did the same, trying to reassure his cousin. Despite this, obviously, Rei could see past that. Still, he pretended to play along, giving a similarly fake grin. Gullible as he was, the orange-haired male fell for it easily, relieved that his relative had a bit less to worry about. Akari just felt a pang in his heart at the sight of what the royal family suffered from.

"They probably want you to start planning for being king. Aren't you excited?"

Rei couldn't figure out what the orange-haired male wanted his reaction to be. As a result, he decided on keeping a straight face, if only to err on the side of caution. However, he didn't know what he felt about being crowned. In the first place, he hadn't earned the position. In fact, he should have been last in line to inherit the throne. And though he was relieved to finally be in a position where everyone would cheer for him, he felt a sort of emptiness surrounding it at the same time.

"Maybe not?" Orion questioned shyly, fiddling with his blanket, "Well, can we still cook something together? I-I might not be able to help or anything, b-but - "

"I don't need your help. You can just sit there and watch."

"Really?! Thank you."

The blonde had a harsh way of speaking, and, normally, it meant exactly what he said. However, in that case, he was showing his own sort of courtesy for his beloved cousin. It was best for him to rest and not strain his body. Even as he sat there, he kept coughing and his energy, as always, was near zero. Yet, at the very least, his happiness was lifted at the very implication that he could join in something. It was so rare for him.

"I brought a present, your highness," Akari interjected, handing the male a small box, "It's nothing much, but dad and I went to Pasnad. You always said you wanted to go there, so I took some photographs for you."

Akari's father was a famed and renowned photographer. The insanely wealthy loved his work so much that there were waiting lists at his auctions. He had a great eye for nature and always seemed to have the perfect timing for incredible shots. And his son obviously inherited that insane talent. It was said he had gained the passion for photography before he could walk, and, looking at the shots he captured, Orion believed that more than ever. With shots of the sunset, the local people, and even the flora the prince so dearly loved, he was deeply indebted for the gift.

"It looks like you got more gifts from someone else," Akari beamed, pointing to the stack of books wrapped neatly in a ribbon, "Has your dad come back yet?"

Orion flinched before putting on another smile and shaking his head negatively. Why that was, both the males knew, but, with most things, they pretended not to notice. Cadmus hadn't returned for years, too, but, unlike Rei, Kazuki, or Ichiro, he hadn't kept in touch. Though the official statement was that he left in order to find a cure for his son, some theorized he made a run for it to avoid the royal family. Others thought he had stolen something and crossed the border to avoid persecution. Either way, no one knew when or if he would return, including his son.

"They're not from him," A pause. "Actually, they're from a friend! She gave me these, too, but - "

As the prince picked up the sunflowers and hugged them to show off, he sneezed. Even when Atlas gently took them away from him, he continued to sneeze again and again. Though it took him a while to recover, he nonetheless moved to make grabby hands at the flowers. His head servant then placed them back near his bed, just far away enough for him to admire them but not close enough to trigger his allergies. Content with their closeness, he sighed joyfully, his cousin lifting a brow.

"Sunflowers? I'm surprised you're allowed to keep those. It's against protocol."

"I had...an exception made just this once. I just liked them so much. They might be the best thing I've ever gotten."

"Then what will you do when it dies?"

Orion gave a distressed expression as if such a thought had never crossed his mind. He moved to grab the flower, only for Atlas to politely stop him. The prince suddenly became very sad. His mother and his great uncle had always come to bring him flowers, if only to brighten his room up. Most of the time, they were fake to prevent any allergies, but, even with the real ones they brought, he had never cared for them so much. So, to think that a flower he adored would perish one day; he could not find it in him to smile.