In a motion that surprised Lance, Bael stepped around to the side of the horse before clumsily clambering on top and settling himself right behind the saddle on Oberon’s hindquarters. The fairy fluttered up to the top of the animal’s head before settling down right between the ears. Both of them looked down expectantly at Lance.

“Are you waiting for an invitation?” The tiny feminine voice of the fairy piped up in an annoyed tone.

Lance fumed but continued to hold his tongue. “What are you doing? I don’t know where we’re going,” he retorted.

It was hard to catch but Lance could swear the look he just caught from Bael was a flustered one. “I don’t know how to steer a horse, that’s your job. This wasn’t in my plans, but it’s convenient and quicker.

He wordlessly moved to mount Oberon while seamlessly lifting himself into the saddle and swinging his leg over the other side. Lance could feel Bael twisting around to press his back against his own while letting out an irritated huff.

“Riding a horse isn’t difficult, you know.” Lance spoke as he spurred the horse to begin moving. The fairy had started flying off into a direction that led deeper into the swamp, so he understood that to be his cue to start moving. “I can’t imagine how much more difficult life would be if I didn’t know how.”

“What good would it serve me? Navigating the woods on foot is faster.”

“Well surely sometimes you have to leave, right? There're just things you sometimes need that you can’t forage for yourself,” Lance responded in an attempt to make pleasant conversation.

He could feel Bael’s head shake against his back. Lance would love nothing more than to cause Oberon to rear back and make the other man tumble off. If there was one thing he detested it was overly familiar contact from someone he barely knew. All of these emotions were exacerbated but how irritating the other was.

“I only leave maybe once or twice a year. It’s fun going to Clock Town for the carnival,” Bael replied in a distant voice.

“You attend the carnival?” That was certainly not what Lance expected to hear.

“Hm? I do. People wear masks which makes it easier for me to attend unquestioned.”

It definitely explained why Lance never remembered seeing or hearing about such a distinctive looking person visiting Clock Town. Oberon turned around a bend that took them even deeper into the swamp. The water along the path became murkier and signs of life hiding with the depth were obscured from sight. The woods behind them were entirely out of sight now.

“I’ve seen you before,” Bael announced to break the silence that had formed.

“W-what?” Lance jolted upright causing Oberon to shuffle in place. It took over a minute to calm his steed back down before realigning them on the fairy-led path.

“You used to be that dorky kid who played the hero in that play. Oh, what was it called, Death of a Hero?” Bael continued his previous topic despite Lance having direly wished he wouldn’t bring it up.

“Three Days to Die is the name of it,” he answered bluntly.

“Right! Right, yeah, yeah that’s it. Oh man, I remember when they changed actors for the hero seven years ago and out walked this scrawny little boy. Him, a hero!” Bael managed to talk himself into a great laughing fit. The rumbling from the heaves of his chest reverberated against Lance’s back and it took everything in his body to not just push him off the horse right then and there.

“Are you quite finished?” Lance asked amidst the boisterous laughter.

“Then in the act during the moon set when challenging Majora he squeaked the line,” Bael stopped to wipe a tear from his eye. “I banish you from this world, fell beast,” Bael heavily exaggerated the crack in his voice.

“I don’t know what they expected when casting a boy in the throes of puberty. Makeup covering his pimpled face and a costume much too small for his slight stature,” Bael finished as he regained composure.

“Are you done? Had your laugh at my expense? Glad someone is able to have a good time amidst all this,” Lance snarled as he flicked the reins to urge Oberon to pick up the pace. This caused Bael to pull up his feet to support himself better on the horse. His hands reached backwards and grasped Lance by the fabric along his waist.

“However when I came back the years after that I could really see the improvement. You aged quickly after that. Your voice became deeper, the likes of which could genuinely sound threatening. The clothes of the hero finally began to fit you.” Bael smiled wistfully as he recalled the memory.

“Let me guess, as one of the fairies you were born into this world with eternal beauty and youth; never knowing the pains of human maturation,” Lance replied, still tense.

“See now, you’re smarter than you look,” Bael said with a teasing voice. “I suppose in a roundabout way I just wanted to tell you that I look forward to seeing you in this year’s play. You’re doing a better job now than the actor before you did.”

“I think you need lessons in complimenting people. You’re wretched at it,” Lance replied allowing himself to crack a small smile in response.

Before Bael could reply the fairy flew back to them in a hurry. “Bael! We’re approaching the palace,” she cried next to their ears.

“Ah right, so” --he turned around from his position once Lance slowed the gait of the horse-- “how much do you know about deku scrub culture?”

“All the ones I’ve ever met are merchants, so they like to sell things and sweet talk you into a deal?” At this Bael flicked him in the back causing Lance to yelp in surprise.

“You’re going to have to do better than that. Deku scrubs are a prideful race and do not take lightly to disrespect, especially not an outsider. Fortunately for us they hold me in a high regard and I have befriended Her Majesty, Queen Euphorbia. All I need you to do is not be an idiotic foreigner.”

“Yeah yeah, my dad’s a politician, I know all about diplomacy,” Lance said with a roll of his eyes.

“That doesn’t instill me with confidence. Your politicians have regressed what little progress they had made in the last several decades.” Bael hopped off the horse and stepped around to its front to pat the beast on his nose a few times.

“Even I can agree with you there,” Lance said while following the other’s actions. “Just need me to sit and look pretty? I’ve got a lot of experience in that regard as well.”

Bael shot him a look like he had something he terribly wanted to say but refrained instead. “As another token of luck you’ll be glad to know the Deku Kingdom has a lot of admiration for humans since they modeled their entire government off the old Ikana Kingdom. They’re more saddened than angry about current affairs. So yes, sitting pretty should be just fine.”

Bael began leading Oberon by the reins towards the large vibrant building in the distance. Lance shouted in protest before jogging to catch up. As they walked closer to the entrance he couldn’t help but admire the bright vivid colors that made up the architecture of the palace. Everything was loud and demanded your attention, not dissimilar to a peacock who flashes his gorgeous feathers to garner attention from a peahen.

Lance stayed at a distance of a couple arm lengths away from the other man and fidgeted with his hair while crossing the log bridge leading to the entrance. He was never one to be vain, a quick comb in the morning suiting him just fine under normal circumstances. Being unfamiliar with nobility and how one would typically present themselves in front of beings with such esteem Lance was experiencing an unanticipated paranoia.

Bael swaggered towards the pair of guards posted out front while Lance’s fingers separated snags that had formed within his mane of hair. Immediately the pair of lackadaisical soldiers stood erect with a salute.

“Master Bael! We were not expecting you to pay a visit so soon before the festival. Her Majesty is having an audience with her children right now if you wish to pay your respects.” The deku soldier paused to peer around Bael’s side and take in the unexpected presence of an absent-minded Lance overthinking his predicament to a nauseating degree. “Are you making friends, Master Bael? Who’s the human?”

He turned his head behind him with a wry smile before facing forward again. “Consider him my assistant for the time being. Pay him no mind.”

Lance twisted his lips in displeasure but made no comment.

“Very well. As you’re familiar with the palace you may proceed as usual, we will take care of your steed,” the pair announced in unison before taking Oberon’s reins and disappearing from sight around the side of the building walls.

Bael led them to a small bench near the largest door in the lengthy corridor they passed through. He sat himself at one end of it and Lance on the opposing end. Idly his fingers twiddled long locks of his hair while ignoring a pointed stare from a certain fey.

Bael crossed his legs over each other with arrogant poise and an amused expression. “And here you struck me as the sort of person not aware of his own appeal, yet you fidget like a school boy with a crush.”

Lance’s eyes darted to the side to shoot a seething glance his way but did not stop his fingers. “Royalty isn’t exactly something you meet as a human since the monarchy fell centuries ago. I would think a certain standard for appearance is expected by them.”

“Trust me, kid. You’re already better dressed than most of the citizens of this kingdom,” Bael retorted as he looked over to the grand door to the throne.

“Okay I can put up with a lot of things but calling me ‘kid’ when you look my age isn’t one of them,” Lance slammed his fist on the back of the bench and turned his head to fully look at Bael.

At no point in any of today was he able to fully process what he was experiencing and was beginning to feel the onset of emotional overload. Today he woke up from a nightmare and went to look for just some of the many answers he needed. Hours later he encountered who he was now convinced was the devil and was being dragged around on an adventure he never asked for. It was sickening, truly, for how simple Lance’s desires were to just help his mother yet here he was now trying to help the world

Then this man had the gall to treat him like a child.

When his eyes refocused from his abruptly ignited anger, he was able to remember himself and how he was supposed to behave. Lance recoiled his hand but remained sitting up at his full height staring Bael down.

“Well you never introduced yourself to us. You had the privy of those old hags telling you my name but never offered the same courtesy to me.” Bael waved his hand in a dismissive gesture to appear nonchalant, but Lance could see the muscles tighten in his jaw as he held back the true depth of his displeasure.

“Oh.” That was all Lance could manage while sporting a blooming blush across his face as embarrassment pooled in his stomach.

“My name’s Lance. Lance Wisteria” -he turned his head up to look at the lilac fairy fluttering a few inches above Bael’s head- “may I ask your name as well, Miss Fairy?”

He couldn’t quite tell if she was looking at him nor the expression she might wear on her face. There was a long pause after his question, and he began to give up before being startled by her reply.

“Nyx,” she replied flatly.

“See? Was that so hard, Lance?” As Bael asked this he sprang up in response to the noise of large wooden doors sliding open. Somehow when Bael said his name it almost sounded like a curse or something vulgar.

Lance followed after him into the large door and played back the previous conversation in his mind agonizing over each detail. His anger got flipped back on him, and he felt humiliated by it. Line by line he traced it back and the doors began to close behind them when his eyes went very wide and his lips thinned into a taut line.

Had Bael called him appealing?

“Queen Euphie! You’re looking as elegant as ever.” Bael turned his sickening charm up to maximum and walked forward with arms outstretched to greet the queen.

Wait, no, time can’t keep moving. This needs to be addressed.

A warm feminine smile appeared in the back of Lance’s mind as he dryly swallowed his anguish, while offering a small wave to the queen.

“I didn’t expect to see you here so soon, opening rites for the festival don’t begin until tomorrow.” Despite being a deku whose body was of much smaller stature than a grown human Queen Euphorbia’s presence demanded attention from all around her. She wore a flowing gown of woven grass and flowers with a giant blossom atop her head as a crown. In her company were two younger deku that resembled her elegance but with only a fraction of her draw.

The two separated from their casual hug and Bael offered a courteous nod to the royal family. “I actually came here to speak with you about that. With this being the tenth year and all I know the honorary sacrifice must take place.” Lance began taking short steps forward but still felt apprehensive about being any closer to him.

What does he think of me, really?

Lance was almost certain he was overthinking everything and Bael so far had presented himself to be an enigmatic tease. Yet, genuine compliments were not something he ever knew how to take. As the son of a wealthy family and the mayor to boot people had vied for his attention his whole life with nothing but ulterior motives behind them. Why on earth would this man need to sweet talk him to get what he wanted after frequently proving his natural power over Lance?

The queen cleared her throat. “Yes, my son Juji is the sacrifice this year” -she waved a hand back to indicate the very obviously younger of the two- “why do you ask?”

“Now, if I’m overstepping my boundaries please let me know, Your Majesty. I would like to propose that my companions and I participate in the ritual by accompanying His Highness into the temple. As your guests, of course,” he offered with a smooth tone.

Lance was finally pulled from his rumination when he noticed that Bael was referring to him. He had absolutely no idea what had been said so when the queen looked at him pointedly he just nodded his head with a fake smile.

“As a dear friend of both mine and my kingdom I have no reason to reject your proposal. We of the Deku Kingdom would be honored for Master Bael to preside over the sacrifice to Odolwa,” Queen Euphorbia grinned to Bael.

“Sacrifice?” The word was out of Lance’s mouth before he could rethink his situation. His eyes widened and his gaze shot to the floor immediately.

“It’s a custom in the Deku Kingdom. Once every ten years a ritual “sacrifice” is performed to appease the old god Odolwa. No one is actually killed anymore, that was a long time ago,” Bael quickly explained to Lance with a look in his eyes that screamed ‘please be quiet’. “Forgive him Your Majesty, I’m trying to expose him to other cultures outside of his own. You know, as a human there is little chance to understand the ways of other nations.”

“I’m well aware,” she asserted with an uncertain tone before perking back up and changing the topic. “The ceremony will be tomorrow at noon, you and your companions may stay here in the palace tonight. Come, Kuthro, Juji. Time for your evening studies.” The queen waved her hand to her two children and they disappeared into a wing adjoined to the throne room.

Then it was just the two of them and Lance felt his skin begin to crawl at not knowing how to proceed from here. For once, he felt fortunate when Bael swung around with a knowing expression ready to lead the way from here.

“Come on, I’ll show you to where we’ll be staying.” Bael then turned on his heels and headed for the opposite wing to where the family left.

At the end of this hall and past several ornate decorations that covered the palace Bael stopped in front of a single door before opening it with knowing ease. He gestured for Lance to proceed before him which he did all too hastily. What he wasn’t prepared for was Bael following in behind him.

“I can’t even get my own place to sleep?” Lance forced the question out while intentionally staring at the single large bed within the room.

“I’m watching over you, remember? Last thing I need is someone to assassinate you while you’re helplessly asleep,” Bael reminded with an impatient tone dropping all charismatic pretense from earlier.

“I-is that something I should be concerned about,” Lance yelped as he shakily walked towards a folding screen near the back of the room.

“Not under normal circumstances, but if you haven’t noticed things aren’t particularly normal these days,” Bael paused before following Lance who was now behind the folding screen and slowly removing some of his outer layers to not be obvious he was just hiding from the other man. “You’re acting different from before.”

“You're imagining things,” he strained to say in a level tone.

Bael shrugged. “Suit yourself, not my business if you don’t want to tell me.” He stepped away from the folding screen to seat himself on the complete opposite side of the room against the wall so that he would be watching the side with the bed.

For a moment his chest twinged with discomfort that Bael so easily dropped the subject but soon after he let go of that negative emotion. Despite everything Lance had been through and what he remembered, he had only spent the day with him and they otherwise were perfect strangers to each other. It just so happened they were perfect strangers with lives completely intertwined now. He couldn’t help that his emotions were erratic and confused with regard to everything.

“No, you’re right.” Lance stepped out from behind the folding screen dressed in his underclothes that consisted of long woolen pants and a long sleeve undershirt. Darkness had come quickly so much so that he barely paid it any mind until now. A single candle lit next to the door caused the room to glow with a lurid illumination. Bael was barely visible if not for the sight of his striking blue eyes.

“A lot has happened today and I’ve only taken the time just recently to comprehend it. It’s a little overwhelming,” he admitted sheepishly.

At first he assumed Bael was ignoring him due to the extended silence, but he eventually answered. “You’ve been through a lot, I can’t deny that. You had a pretty cozy life beforehand didn’t you?”

Lance merely nodded.

“I’m sorry life took this turn for you. It’s not something I would wish on my enemies,” Bael spoke with a somber voice.

“Is your life like this all the time?” Lance asked, having grown curious.

“This might be one of the most extreme problems I’ve dealt with, but it can be hectic like this fairly often. I’m the only one capable of dealing with it.”

“Ehem,” a small feminine voice chimed in.

“Of course Nyx is always with me too. We’re a pair, you and I, don’t act as if you’re forgotten.” Nyx flew into Bael’s gloved palm and fell still in the comfort of his hand.

“It is the first time I’ve ever had to keep someone else with me that wasn’t a fairy, so getting along with someone outside my family is new for me,” he admitted with half-lidded eyes looking at Lance warmly.

“Is that why you’re so-,” Lance cut himself off as his hands tightly clenched the sheets.

“Why I’m what?”

“Y’know, so casual and touchy-feely. Is that normal in your family?” Lance held his breath after finally asking the burning question on his mind.

Bael laughed. It was a deep rumbling laugh that lived primarily within the chest. The kind of laugh that didn’t imply mockery but pleasure instead.

“Skinship comes as natural to fairies as it does to breathe. I understand the same is not true for humans and it varies person to person. I take it you’re not one of the ones that feels comfort in touch.”

Lance shook his head. “Displays of affection were reserved for when no one else was around. Hugs and kisses were held off for celebration once I started growing up instead of being something normal.” He drew his knees up to his chest before resting his chin on them.

“That just sounds sad to me, not gonna lie.” Bael raised his hand holding Nyx to his lips as he placed a gentle kiss atop her head.

“Maybe so.”

Silence then fell between the three as Lance made himself comfortable under the bedsheets and attempted to fall asleep. He was unaccustomed to sleeping in strange places and yearned for the soft familiarity of his own bed. Worries about the events of tomorrow began to invade his mind constantly pulling him up from the brink of slumber.

As he lay there, waiting for slumber to take him, Lance couldn’t shake the feeling he was being stared at by a pair of unwavering eyes.