homebound. (earinor & akira)

There were things that never changed, not how many times he asked for them to change and yet, he couldn't help himself - Cecil wasn't bold or conceited enough to straight out forbid Eddie from calling him by any form of title, yet, the lack thereof was kind of refreshing, as if they'd turned to a different page in a blank book and were just trying to figure out what to write on said pages by now. A few things came to mind, yet none were important enough for him to jot them down straigh away - he kept watching instead, like he was used to and wondered when he'd be figured out anyway. Him and Edward had a long way ahead of them, a journey beyond Ylisse and when that occured, when they'd passed the border, there'd be absolutely nothing beyond that stopped them in any way anymore - nobody was as insane as to waltz over said borders, much like Cecil wasn't insane enough as to just straight up assemble a bunch of soldiers and march there, informing any and all family members about it once he was on his way. "There's no need to bow either. It feels like I have to teach you how to be unruly and nonconforming to your upbringing.", the prince mumbled and thought about it - Eddie was a man, bound by responsibilities, by duty and by his birth alone, to someone as disappointing as him. Wasn't that sad, too?

"Well, I was! I know you only wanted to guard me, but seriously, I just wanted nothing more than a friend to keep me company and you always looked so sad, too!", he answered, chuckling about it. Sad was the wrong word, stern was a better one and he knew that - there was a gaze that Edward shared with his brothers and his father, something that Cecil had noticed and he was sure his own brothers weren't exempt from that. Why, though? Being taught many, plenty things from a young age was probably what one could determine as the culprit, but he wasn't so sure just yet. "Yes, I do but we won't, not yet anyway. As long as we're together, we're save." They had each other, still, Cecil wasn't like his older brothers, he wasn't all too skilled at wielding any blade that was thrown his way and he also didn't have brute strength to assist him to wrangle an assailant down if he couldn't rely on Eddie - but he could try and learn, he'd come out more bruised than before, but it would give his body some other color than porcelain white or deep red, now that he was sure he would have at least some sort of sunburn - but he felt fine, just now. "You don't think so? My eldest maybe not, but my second brother wouldn't mind you. You are pliable, moldable and never end up sticking with your opinion of no - they both would just abuse your every word." Cecil was glad Eddie was his, even when his brothers weren't barbarians. "No, I don't think anything hurts yet", he replied, putting his cape back on but not yet pulling up the hut. "Can you come here for a second and bend down a bit?"

"Hm, I'm not good at teaching either way, but I think it's just something you've got to learn, then", he elaborated further. Was it the truth, though? Eddie could learn whatever whenever, as long as he wasn't neglecting his duties, everything went and it only showed how much of a difference really existed between them - the prince could do, virtually, everything and yet was barred from doing really anything because, well, he'd never learned to care much for himself, except enacting his selfish wishes and he also had never figured out what it meant to be someone with a bit more responsibility than initially anticipated. Right now, not only was he in charge of keeping his own life in check, but also that of Edwards, even if it might be the other way around - the sole reason for that was, very much, that he had nothing else he could cling onto besides a glimmer of hope and the apparent realization that not everything was, as it seemed. That was something he'd have to learn to live with, even if he often enough found himself in a pickle, unable to figure out the most important of things - and then, there was his ray of light, the beacon at the end of the tunnel and his name, or rather nickname, was Eddie.

"It's just a general observation. A lacking smile and a certain way of looking at someone can paint an entirely different picture - you're smiling at me, but not so much at others", he suddenly pointed out. It was a fact that Edward might have observed himself, and even if he didn't, Cecil had pointed it out for him just right now - there was nothing to worry about, one wouldn't bother a prideful knight from an observant family, not out here and not like this and even if someone asked too many questions, Edward could shut them up - maybe. Hopefully, right? Silence remained for a little while longer as he listened to him, wondered what it was that made their relationship what it wound up being and Cecil had little to no answer for that. "And I'm glad you ended up with me!", he declared. Cecil really was, even right now when Edward was bending down for him - he eyed the turquoise hair, so close from where he stood and eventually tilted his head to the side, wondering if there was anything he could do, before he figured out something quite stupid. "Can you turn around? I need your back to face me, if it's more comfortable, please sit down for a second." They had all the time in the world and Cecil felt like doing something silly ... were there any wild flowers around?

"Trying is better than nothing!" That was true and trying was often enough more than just suspecting oneself to a ridiculous amount of things one wanted to do, yet somehow couldn't because something kept them from doing so. Was it Edwards upbringing? Cecil felt that that was most likely, even if he was in no place to judge - he'd been raised to trust his servants, to not question things and keep everything to himself. It therefore only followed that he was viewed as lazy, even at times when he genuinely tried to be someone and really wanted to be less of a burden to everyone around him. Many people assumed different things, went on about how normal it seemingly was that he - of all people - was nothing more than a burden to everyone around him, any servant he ever had but especially to the one that was tasked with protecting him until he'd eventually meet an untimely death or something. Even then, Eddie was to blame, even when it was his own decision without consulting his knight first. "Hm, no. You could be easier to convince sometimes and you could call me by name, for starters, but I don't need anyone else." Those were aspects of Edward that he could change, if he wanted to that is and right now, it was hard, even when he tried his utmost. But was that really bad? Cecil doubted it.

"No, that's not what I was getting at", he let him know. Other servants, the one unnecessarily stiff and rude and stuck up and only focused on the king or Cecils other brother were the impolite ones, the ones that didn't bother with the youngest prince and ignored him like he was thin air because he knew he'd never be of importance to anyone. Did it hurt? More than it should, but it also was something that Cecil couldn't change anything about - he could complain about said people, but that was almost everything and whatever they got fired or not was barely up to him either way, too. Cecil didn't need more, though, he had Eddie whom he could trust and who'd do almost everything for him, which was why he eyed the sole flowers that he found, sticking out of some patches of grass - yellow and white, a healthy mix of both and something that would very much compliment his knights hair, even if it looked ridiculous. "If you were impolite, you'd have refused any and all of my requests, so no, you are the furthest thing from impolite. Don't beat yourself up over it." Still, he had the longer hair of the two of them and Cecil liked joking around, which was why he picked said flowers up, not without the stem though and sat down behind Eddie, to grab some strands of hair from either side and start a braid, in which he tried to incorporate the flowers, as some sort of flower garland. "You know what this reminds me of? That one time I begged you to take me off of the castle grounds when I was maybe fourteen and you were trying to stand your ground and I still won", he chuckled. They'd sat outside somewhere, in a patch of flowers, doing nothing much, but it was still fun!

Cecil knew who he was, what he theoretically was supposed to do and why, but he also was fairly aware that no matter what, not everything would be as one thought it could be - therefore, it only followed suit to figure that no matter what it was that made the two of them who they were, they still would be themselves one way or the other, as ridiculous as it sounded. Truth be told, not everything stemmed from nothing and albeit he knew that many things were the root of his own troubles, he couldn't cast them aside - it was impossible and therefore, he was someone that had to rely on others, no matter how much he seemed or tried to loathe it - he hated all of it and it seemed ridiculously inconvenient to think about all of what had transpired beforehand. "You're talking about yourself, I don't need any other friend", he clarified once more - there was nothing else to it, it was a ridiculous what if situation that wouldn't make sense, no matter what went on in his head. He knew that nothing came of it, that nobody would save him and yet, there he was, his knight in shining armor - Edward, who'd always made sure he was feeling the best he could, even when he sat in his room, sulking over a sunburn that was way worse than it should have been in the first place.

"Yes, but there's no need for you to entertain them, right?", he asked, rhetorically. In truth, there really wasn't and he could figure that there wouldn't be, that there needn't be. In fact, why? Only ever thinking about the same things led to only the same things, too - namely the realization that nothing was infinite, that the world was a force to be reckoned with and that not every minute of sparetime had to be invested into somebody else - as simple as that. "Still, please don't forget that I'm not always right and that I never will be always right." Would he ask his father or any of his siblings, there was no doubt about it that most of them would have a story to tell, either from personal experience or from books they'd read, about kings who went mad and their loyal servants didn't stop them in any way. Cecil wasn't slated to be king, he sat out here, still enjoying the way too bright sun, and was braiding his own servants hair - just because he felt like it and that was actually something he could do, as much as he wasn't sure if any of this was even doable in the first place. "Yes, and I whined about it for days after, but that wasn't what I was getting at. I like being out here with you and just getting a moment of respite to talk to you, you know? It always seems as if it's us against the world, or rather me against you against the world, until I convince you to switch sides and abandon your principles for a while, but what I'm saying is that, even if a bird isn't exactly locked in a birdcage but a closed area, don't you think it'd get lonely too because it never sees something it hasn't seen?"

"Eddie, if I got lonely and bored with you around, what use would it have to try and convince you to go with me all the time?", he questioned instead. They both were great at overthinking, at wondering if this plane of existence was really meant for people like them and he had no answer for any of that, except maybe that he didn't know, that there was no way of knowing and rigtht now, he couldn't figure it out for the both of them, especially when figuring it out for himself never worked in the first place, either. His brothers were something, one of them open and talkactive and the other more on the silent side, yet, he knew a plethora of things and if Cecil had to guess, he fell more in line with his older brother too - his sister, on the other hand, had no duties, no expectations raised toward her except maybe that she'd marry a noble, someone that the family could benefit from if they needed to, other than that, however, she was as carefree as one could be and the realization that she seldom even cared for anything but herself didn't hit like a brick, either. Somehow, it was no surprise that he wanted to be like all three of his oldest siblings, yet, he couldn't manage to be like any of them - he was still himself and had his own, fair share of problems, too - all of which he'd gladly disregard if he could.

"Well, yes, but you're answering to me, so that at least ought to do the trick, shouldn't it?", Cecil replied. That might as well do it, not that Edward would ever regard it as done and over with - Cecil knew better than anyone else even, that a discussion with someone like him was definitely not leading anywhere except in cycles, but he didn't mind, it was fun to be around Eddie either way. "Yes, sort of like friendly banter. You don't have to do something you don't want to do either, let's just ... you're always dutybound, so what if I just said you are entitled to do what you want if you want to do it, but you can also say no if I ask you for something?" Their relationship was already blurred at any and all edges, it felt as if all of this was not going to be well either way - Eddie would listen to him, whatever he said and no exception would make his heart skip a beat, he'd actually wind up looking like a lost puppy instead. Cecil wondered if he really was raised like that or if it just was who he was. "I don't mind if I do, but if you'd like me to, I can put it back up." Still, the slight breeze felt nice and his damp hair would never really dry if he put the hood up now. He wasn't as prone to sickness, at least, but he could still catch a cold if the weather decided to take a turn. "I know that, I don't even think I'm that pretty and admirable, but others beg to differ. The thing is, he wants me to be happy so he'd better let me come out here and do things." A few more braids and he'd be done, and so far, it didn't look too bad.

"Well, I do need someone to protect me, mainly from myself!" That was true, he sometimes was more a danger to himself than anything else and Edward lived through those experiences firsthand - whatever it was for the fact that he tried to climb a tree just because his aide looked away for a second or that he was already stumbling over his own feet, the last prince of Azenad-Othidor was not only one that felt like a curse was resting on him, he was also incredibly clumsy, if not forgetful and somewhat lonely at times. His siblings were way better equipped to deal with all the situations they found themselves in, to withstand some minutes in the sun, but they weren't even as pale as Edward and his siblings, even if he had to admit that the oldest of said siblings sometimes sported signs of a tan, especially when the crown prince dragged him out for a week or two, hunting for some creature and camping somewhere - Cecil wanted that as well, but his brother never took him along and his father had refused him to go alone on more than one occassion - in the end, it all boiled down to this situation of him making some memories himself - right now, right here, with Edward. "Sometimes it just feels like you're the only one that cares if I have actual fun, too", he elaborated further and finished up the braid by looking for something, only to figure out that the string that tied together the neckpiece of his shirt was a good alternative.

"There's no need to hope, in fact, I wouldn't trade you for anything, not as a friend or a servant." Being terribly honest had never been his thing, despite the fact that he had no need to lie, he also never had a definite need to be honest - he just lived his life and hoped that whatever came of it, he'd come to realize that nothing was worse than just accepting his own defeat at the hand of his surroundings. "I'm just preparing you with something that I might have to ask of you in the future, not that anything comes to mind right now. But rest assured that if an order makes you uncomfortable, voice it before you doubt yourself and your own beliefs." It would lead nowhere if Eddie hated himself for adhering to something that he felt like he needed to, even when Cecil knew that none of that was the case - he himself would be unable to rest easy if any of that transpired and he also knew that no matter what, they were dependant on one another out here, even if he couldn't contribute to all of this as much as, say, any of his siblings would. "So you think of me as a friend as well, that is great news Eddie!", Cecil chuckled and tied a little bow at the back of Edwards head. He did look mighty proud of himself, but also put up his hood, just as he was told - that wouldn't help if the sun shone directly into his face, sadly. "My skin is just annoying. I wish I was more like my siblings.", he wheezed, almost defeated, but then got up, waltzed around Eddie and offered him a hand to get up in exchange. "I tried my best, do you, uh, want to take a look at it?"

"You're unfortunately very right about that." Still, his oldest brother was the most reckless one and while Cecil wanted to do nothing more than be like him, there was nothing else that he could do about any of this except adhere to those who knew better than him - who had and always would know better than him in the first place. It seemed superficial to think about, he knew as much, but no matter how near or far any of it felt, he also had to realize that this world wasn't his to rule, to conquer, to prance in - he had a different role, much like anyone else would and whatever it was, even if he hadn't found it, he'd figure it out. His body was feeble, yet his mind wasn't and selfdoubt only raised awareness - in the end, nothing came of what he considered to be the truth, the world that was nothing more than a giant sea in which everyone took a role. Edward had his, he was his caretaker, his knight, his friend - and Cecil, well, he was born a prince but what came after that? "I believe that as well. You know, it's odd to say that but I'm just glad you care more about me as a person than anything else." A servant was supposed to care for his master, he knew that, yet, what was said care even worth if said servant was also only locking up said master? All the attention Cecil sometimes got was suffocating, if not weighing like a ton of bricks on him - and there it was, the feeling of perpetual emptiness, anyway.

"I'm not, we're friends, right?", he giggled instead. He was no little girl that had quite the obvious childhood crush on somebody, that couldn't form coherent sentences in front of said person - no, there was no way he would and there was nothing more than the obvious and forseeable realization that, no matter what, not only did the world not revolve around that, it also became painfully apparent that nothing in this world was able to compare. "See? Saying yes isn't even that hard!" For Cecil it wasn't, but what would Edward do if he really was asked to strike down his brother before anything else happened? Right now, his prince had given him the option to just say no and that was it, but no matter what he thought, no matter how much he tried his best, all of it culminated in devoting ones mind to do what was right - and therefore, figuring out what was right in the first place. "If you don't want to look at it, that's also fine!" The waters surface would have been enough, they didn't necessarily carry a mirror, but Cecil wasn't even sure if it would hold that well. What if it didn't? At least Edward still looked nice with that kind of hairstyle and he wondered if he could try to do something else with it if he got the chance. "Hmm, my oldest? No, not really. The other one? If he gets to bring some games or a book, for sure - I mean, he kind of lives to drive your brother insane with tea parties, is what I think. My sister would probably just spend her entire day holding a silly little picnic. We might as well have went to one of those, but I don't think she ever asked us?", he questioned instead and wondered why that damn hood had to obscure his vision so much - he already didn't see all that well, but it probably was better if nobody saw those eyes.

If one didn't know better, it felt as if prince and knight were just made for one another - maybe it was true, he wasn't sure and he also wouldn't obsessively be able to think about just that, but it only made sense that they both kind of adapted to one another over the years. Cecil was still loudmouthed on occasions, dragged Edward with him wherever he went and yet, he was able to be reserved and just relax most of the time, too - if given the opportunity, that was, and especially when he wasn't plagued by intrusive thoughts that felt as if he had to take care of them right now anyway. "What about you? Do you like being out here as well or ... would you rather, you know." Go back home? Cecil didn't want to voice it, too afraid to think about it or give a damn whatever or not Eddie really wanted to come with him the first place - maybe he'd plagued him too much, maybe all of this was also just quite the elaborate hoax, but whatever the case, no matter what, in the end, it all persisted somehow and he found himself out here, where he wanted to be, without having to worry what would come of it eventually, which was good in itself, if a bit skewed. "This adventure isn't just about me though! Is there anything or anywhere that you want to see?", Cecil blurted out - they had plenty of time.

Running away from home for a night was probably an excusable thing, something that he could deflect the damage from for Edward, by simply telling his father that his knight was actually trying to adhere to his every wish and had not done one single thing wrong, no matter how much everyone believed that he was at fault as well. "No, no need to! If you want to look, you can, but if you don't you really don't have to!" That only meant that maybe, Edward would be disappointed in his handywork and maybe Cecil didn't want that - but that wasn't even true, he was good at braiding hair, even if his own wasn't long enough to make anything worthwhile out of it. His sisters was quite useful for practicing, but it had been years and for some reason he was fairly sure that he only got the chance to do so because she took some sort of pity on him - in hindsight, it sucked, more than it would. "Oh, that sounds nice! We do have the blankets for it already, so we should look for a nice spot the next chance we get and buy some food!" The way he marbled at Eddie right now seemed more akin to a child that had been promised a present for being good, but he had - in fact - been good, right? "Mhm, we can go on if you'd like!", the prince said, before he took the hand he was being offered to get back on his horse. "Hmm, now that we went to this lake, where do you want to go?"

"It's nice to hear that! But still, you're taking all of this way too serious - if you want to do something, or want me to slow down, just say the word!", Cecil suddenly implored Edward. It was true that not everything came to fruition the way it should and sometimes, it also became apparent that he couldn't just do whatever he wanted either. Surely, there was another way around it and he was even more convinced there would be if he kept moving forward, yet, for that he had to leave his home behind and go on, as far as he could and as fast as possible, before anyone else caught wind of them. "That's true!" And once they arrived home, he had plenty of stories to tell, he'd have many memories made and then, well, he didn't need to embark on another adventure so soon, not anytime soon either way - he'd figure something out, even if that meant he'd be considered a traitor to the crown, it couldn't be as bad. Why would it be in the first place? It sounded silly, if not stupid, to even think about his father abandoning him for having fun, for doing what he was told he was allowed to - it was silly, wasn't it? "There's almost never more than a scolding, thankfully." Still, he did worry about what would happen if they didn't return soon - they acted as if Eddie had abducted him, which seemed vile in the first place. "You really don't want to go anywhere?"

Their adventure wouldn't be shortlived, at least Cecil didn't want it to be and being unable to go anywhere one wanted, didn't it feel somewhat wrong in the first place? Eddie could go where he wanted and Cecil would tag along for as long as he wanted him to - there was nothing spectacular about that, in fact, he had hoped he'd find something that put a smile on his knights face, aside from his own or the incredible need to just keep on smiling for him. "I'm glad! You like it, right?" And if he didn't, he could just undo all of it - there wasn't much more about that, they both knew that and still, they both persisted and pushed on, almost as if they had to work through any and all differences that might occur between them either way - and they did. But had there really been an instance when they both stopped standing one anothers guts? Cecil was unsure, he couldn't recall, he was sure there weren't. "Your suggestion is great, as always.", he chuckled, and he meant it. Edward came up with the best of things, just because Cecil had said something - if he were his father, he'd probably give him a raise, but knowing Eddie, he'd not accept more money anyway. "Mhh, only if you don't sleep on the floor again!" Which, really, was easier said than done to begin with - they both struggled with their own things, but what was worse, was the fact that Eddie didn't want himself to be helped by Cecil, at all - at least it seemed that way. Once glance at the map told him what he needed to know, even if it wasn't much and he grinned. "Mhm ... and uhm, I'd like to, but what about we just stay together like this. We're not in a hurry and if I have questions, I can ask them just right away!"

"You're in luck, then - I have no plans to leave you anywhere!" They were, per se, not exactly made for one another or even quite a match, but it worked out, didn't it? Edward was more on the silent side, he probably would have enjoyed a lifestyle his middle brother could have offered him - one without much hassle, just loads of games and tea and the occasional attendance of a formal event. His eldest might have been good for something like an endless supply of stories to tell and even his sister had to be good for something, but if he was honest, he almost felt as if Edward would have wound up as her dress-up doll instead. With Cecil, the tides turned on occassion and one wasn't entirely sure what to expect of him - there were days and weeks where no particular thought plagued him, where it was fine for the two of them just to stay inside, to stroll around the castlegrounds and then there were days on end where he wanted to go out, further than before and do more stupid stuff than ever before, much to any servants annoyance, probably especially Edwards. "Then it's a deal - where I go, you go, no chickening out allowed." Truthfully, it all would culminate in something, somewhat, and he'd soon find that nothing was ever worth the hassle that it brought upon them, lest it be nothing more than somnething as silly as he was used to.

"That's good!" It always was and Cecil was sure that, no matter what Edward did or when he did it, he'd enjoy it - even if it was just a compliment, something that he could keep to himself and fawn over when he wasn't even sure if it was meant that way. However, now that he thought about it, did Eddie even talk or compliment anyone besides him, or just him anyway because of the obligations he felt? Regardless, wasn't it weird? "You need a good nights rest, too. I insist. Really." If Edward didn't want to share a bed, they would at least get a room with two beds then, just so that the two of them could relax to the best of their abilities. Also, who even would be able to make them out in some small town in an inn, hidden away from the rest of the world for the rest of the night? Given, Cecil would be easy to spot and the Dryden family had a particular color of hair that sometimes was a dead giveaway, too. "I mean, you can't just keep sleeping on the floor. You'll wind up with a sore back and I'll feel bad that I didn't force you to at least share a bed with me." Even then, sharing a bed with Eddie was something out of question - it was weird, if not ... why would he even do that in the first place? They didn't have to keep their money in check for now, at least that was Cecils opinion and now that he got the map and their horses moving, he wondered ... "How long will it take until we reach Thria anyway? Like, how many days?" Ylisse was vast, in a worst-case-scenario they were talking about months, not days.