Chapter 18: 'Not Anymore'

"Prince Azrael?" Caspian spoke beside him in concern as he sensed that there was something off with the young prince. Thaddeus feigned ignorance as he looked at the two behind him, which were Marinus and Oceanus.

"Prince Marinus, Prince Oceanus...enlighten me. What is happening here?" Thaddeus repeated the same question that had been ignored multiple times now.

Finally, one of the twins cleared their throats. "Nothing, Sir Thaddeus. We were all just doing some magical sparring and ended up accidentally knocking the second imperial prince down." It was Marinus. He lied effortlessly as if he wasn't terrified just moments ago.

"Is that right?" Thaddeus asked as he looked at both Azrael and Caspian for confirmation.

Caspian turned his head to look at his brother. Azrael knew that Caspian wanted to deny Marinus' words and tell the guidance counselor the truth of them attacking the young prince, but Azrael was quick to grab his arm before he said anything, which surprised Caspian.

"Prince Azrael?"

Azrael took a deep breath. He did not trust Thaddeus. He now knew the identity of the one who pushed Azrael, and judging by the vision, Thaddeus could potentially be the one making Azrael do insane things to get Valerian's attention.

The question was: why?

He did not know Thaddeus' intentions, but he also was not an idiot. He could tell from how Thaddeus acted in the vision, or even now, that his kindness and concern were anything but genuine.

The original Azrael was too naive and blind to see it, but he wasn't the real Azrael.

'If Caspian tells the truth, the twins might use it to their advantage and accuse us of faking it. The guidance counselor might even back them up. We'll have to go along...for now.' Azrael thought to himself, looking at Thaddeus and finally decided to respond to him.

"Yes. That's right, Sir Thaddeus. I accidentally stumbled and fell earlier while they were showing me their skills." Azrael smiled as big as he can, making Caspian furrowed his eyebrows but follow along with a hesitant voice.

"Yeah...right." Though Azrael felt bad for Caspian because he took his stand for the first time against his brothers, only to cover for them. The young prince had a bigger fish to fry and that was Thaddeus Meadowcroft.

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes ever so slightly then placed both of his hands behind his back, his eyes still glued to Azrael, which made the young prince feel very uncomfortable. "If that's the case, then alright, but need I remind you young princes that as first years, you are not allowed to use magic in the dormitories unless it's in the training hall, but I will let it go for now."

Cove, who was still behind Thaddeus, let out a breath of relief. Azrael could also hear the twins behind him sigh which made him internally roll his eyes. 'The proud twins are jerks, but they seem to be afraid of professors and staff.'

"Run along now, young princes, back to your rooms or make good use of your days of rest. Royals should not dally around in hallways like this." Thaddeus said with a condescending tone. Azrael frowned and glanced at Caspian and Cove, who both did not seem to catch on.

Caspian nods. "Okay, Sir Thaddeus." He responded still obviously bothered that his brothers did not get in any form of trouble whatsoever. Azrael could also hear the twins behind him snickering and whispering amongst themselves.

"Pfft. What does he know about what royals should do? He's nothing but a commoner."

"Oceanus, quiet down. Let's just go."

'A commoner?' Azrael's eyes widened a bit. That was new information to him; well, Thaddeus himself was new to him, which made Azrael feel intimidated because he was never mentioned in the novel. Maybe, because he only existed for the original Azrael who died.

'But that just means the only person he ever bothered or messed with was anyone BUT Azrael.'

From the corner of his eyes, Azrael saw Oceanus and Marinus, and they walked past him heading towards where Cove was. "We'll be heading to our room now." Marinus said to Thaddeus, who smiled and bowed his head.

"Have a good rest, Your Highnesses."

The twins did not respond to him; instead, they turned their heads to Caspian and Azrael when they were both out of Thaddeus' peripheral vision and glared.

"This isn't over, bastard." Oceanus mouthed to Caspian while Marinus just quietly glared then they gestured for Cove to follow him. Their student servant, though visibly afraid of his masters' rage, followed silently behind them.

When all three of them were gone, it was just Thaddeus, Caspian, and Azrael, but the remaining Aquarise prince also decided to withdraw as he looked at Azrael.

"Shall we then, Prince Azrael?" Caspian asked with a small smile on his face which calmed Azrael a bit. Despite Thaddeus' sudden presence and his vision, he could not forget that Caspian had just bravely stood up for him despite that he, himself, was still afraid of his brothers.

He wanted to know more about Thaddeus, but he was mentally drained from everything that happened today, so he nodded his head. "Yeah, let's go—"

"Actually." Thaddeus interjected before Azrael could finish what he was about to say. Both Caspian and Azrael flinched in surprise as they turned their attention to the guidance counselor. "I would like to speak to Prince Azrael, so if you can go ahead, Prince Caspian."

Azrael's brows furrowed in both confusion and concern as he did not expect Thaddeus to actually do something right now, especially with the presence of another student, but judging by the expression on his face and his sudden presence it seems...

'He didn't come here by accident.' Azrael thought inside his mind as he glanced at Caspian, who looked slightly worried. 'Caspian probably thinks I'm in trouble.'

"Ah. Yes. I almost forgot." Azrael decided to play along to not worry Caspian so much, and if he was correct, Thaddeus came with the intention of speaking to Azrael. That would mean they'd talk eventually, and he had to take this chance to get to know the original Azrael further.

As far as he was concerned, everything he thinks is just his own speculation based on his vision.

Azrael placed a gentle and assuring hand on Caspian's back. "I have to discuss something with Sir Thaddeus. It's nothing serious, just about my leave next Loreday. So, you go ahead." He gives Caspian a small smile, which seemed to alleviate the light blue-haired prince's troubles.

"Alright, Prince Azrael. I'll be going to my room now. If you need me, you can just knock on my door, but I will most likely drop by later or tomorrow to hang out." Caspian said then his eyes widened a bit, his face turning red. "O-Only if you want to, I mean."

"Of course. I already told you, Caspian. We're friends. You can hang out anytime. Tomorrow sounds good, and I'll ask Adham to prepare some snacks we can all share."

A smile made its way on Caspian's face then nodded. "That would be nice. Well then, I'll be going now." He steps forward a bit then turns to look at Thaddeus, who had been watching their interaction with an unreadable expression.

"Good day to you, Sir Thaddeus." Caspian greeted him as he walked away. Thaddeus bowed his head, similar to how he did when the twins left.

"And to you as well, Prince Caspian."

After that exchange, Caspian walks away while Azrael silently waved his hand in goodbye. He kept the gentle smile on his face until he could no longer see Caspian or hear his footsteps. The moment he was sure that the coast was clear, he dropped his hand and his face became serious.

The same happened with Thaddeus; his air of sophistication and kind expression twisted into something a bit more menacing as soon as it was just the two of them together.

'He's quick.' Azrael snickered inside his brain as he crossed his arms against his chest. 'It's best not to beat around the bush to get this over with. I am exhausted. I couldn't even find the stupid training center.'

His plans of having a peaceful look around the dormitories were shattered, and now it feels like his first day in the academy all over again with different problems arising one after the other. "So, Sir Thaddeus." Azrael starts with a strained tone. "What is it that you want to talk with me about?"

Thaddeus raised an eyebrow at him then let out a tiny chuckle. "You seem displeased, Prince Azrael. I'm quite curious as to why."

"Displeased? Why would I be displeased? It's not like Sir Thaddeus has done anything wrong."

"Hmm. That's right. As far as I know, I've been helping Your Highness for quite some time now, and with some great results. Tell me...how are you and the Crown Prince so far?"

Azrael could not help but narrow his eyes a bit as he thought, 'I was right. All of Valerian's complaints and Adham's concerns about the original Azrael hurting himself or doing absurd things to get his brother's attention weren't all his idea.'

"Great. We're doing great." Azrael had to force out an answer as he looked at Thaddeus with disgust. 'I'm not sure why he's doing this, but I am not happy with it.'

When he first realized he transmigrated into 'Destiny Awaits You', he thought his biggest challenge would solely be Caelum because no one in the novel was even remotely close to him when it came to being a threat.

Now, Azrael figured maybe it was because Eirian was the main character, and despite the fact that he was hated and could not even use his own magic, he was also feared.

Azrael, on the other hand, only had his status to help him, but that alone was not enough to cast fear into others; Marinus made that fairly obvious.

And Thaddeus as well.

"Great, you say? Is that why you have not sought me out in days?" Thaddeus spoke as if he was hurt by Azrael not visiting him. The guidance counselor placed a hand on his heart, mimicking the actions of a forlorn man. "I've been so concerned about your well-being that I ended up asking other first years how you were doing...only to find out..."

Thaddeus' eyes darkened a bit. "...That you've grown quite close, not only with your student servant but with the infamous Prince Caspian as well. I even heard that you have not even tried to speak to the Crown Prince, and it makes me wonder now since you said things were great."

'He's basically calling me out for lying but with added, unnecessary, information.'

"It's been great because, as you said, I've gained some friends recently which has healed my heart from yearning for my brother. You must have misunderstood my words, Sir Thaddeus." Azrael replied with a bittersweet tone.

"But you said we, Your Highness. That means you were referring to your brother as well."

"Mhm. Yes. We are great because now I am pestering him less, which I'm sure puts his heart at ease, while I am now happier with my new friends."

"That's not possible, Prince Azrael. Was it not your lifelong goal to get the Crown Prince to treat you with affection? That has not happened yet." By now, Thaddeus' tone was getting a bit forceful, as if he was worried that Azrael had stopped caring for Valerian.

And his worries were true because, again, he is no longer the real Azrael.

Azrael shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Truth be told, I've grown tired of it. I don't want to do such things to gain his favor anymore."

Thaddeus was visibly bothered by Azrael's words, even taken aback. His eyes were wide as he gritted his teeth. "With all due respect, but what about our plan, Your Highness? Are you just gonna throw it away after all our hard work? You've already come this far, and I've risked everything from asking the healers to not treat you unless Prince Valerian comes, to getting students to pull him out of class just to go to you."

'Ah. So he's more involved than I thought. Wait...he mentioned a plan.'

"I appreciate your efforts, Sir Thaddeus." Azrael tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear then crossed his arms against his chest, while his facial expression remained neutral. "But our plan already slipped out of my mind, and I've already forgotten about what it was."

'Take the bait.'

Azrael looked to the side but watched Thaddeus in his peripheral vision to check his reaction, and the guidance counselor seemed furious. His fists were clenched to his side, and his shoulders were shaking.

"How can you not remember our plan, Prince Azrael? Everything we worked for was for that moment." His tone was quiet; it almost seemed like he was stopping himself from yelling at the young prince.

"Enlighten me, what was that plan again?"

Thaddeus clicked his tongue as he placed a hand on his hip. "The suicide plan."

Thump.

With widened eyes, Azrael's neck snapped to look back at Thaddeus in shock, his heart dropped when he heard that. 'The suicide plan? What...is he talking about?' He thought, not sure how to form the words to respond, but his body naturally just did as he asked.

"W-What do you mean...?"

"How could you forget this, Prince Azrael?" Thaddeus ran his free hand through his hair frustratedly. "I told you about this before. You will constantly hurt yourself to get the Crown Prince's attention, make a lot of fuss, and when the time is right...we stage your suicide and scare the Crown Prince into thinking you are dead, only for you to survive. I've assured you many times that it is foolproof, and he will surely feel guilty for not believing you or even taking care of you all this time."

Azrael could not believe what was coming out from a guidance counselor's mouth. Sure, he already knew there was something wrong with him from the moment he saw the vision, but he was convincing Azrael to fake his suicide?

He didn't know how to feel. There were so many questions inside his head, and it was making him feel dizzy, but he had to get himself together.

"I am not interested in doing that anymore." Azrael's voice was shaky because of the information he got. Truth be told, he was already at his limit for this day and he wanted to go back to his room. So, he decided to wrap things up now because he already got everything he wanted to know.

"I'm quite tired. My head hurts a bit, if that's the only thing you wanted to talk about then I'll be going now."

"What?"

'What?' Azrael couldn't help but repeat inside his head as he stared at Thaddeus who wasn't even hiding the displeased expression on his face now.

"What do you mean by that, Your Highness? You're not interested in doing our plan? How could that be? No..." Thaddeus took one step forward. "If you think it's not going to work, it will. I am sure of it. Don't just give up now."

Azrael wanted to say so many things but, again, he was exhausted. His brain is fried, and all he wanted to do now was rest and be left alone with his thoughts.

"I am a hundred percent sure that I do not want to do it anymore. Not just because I'm giving up, but because I genuinely do not want to do anything to get my brother's attention in a negative way."

"But what about our deal?!" Azrael flinched as Thaddeus now yelled, not even caring if others heard them.

'Deal?'

"What about it?" Was all Azrael managed to respond.

"You cannot possibly just abandon it, Prince Azrael. With how far we've gone now...with how far I've worked—"

"There's nothing you could do anymore, Sir Thaddeus. I am done, and you should be too." Azrael cuts him off as he turns around. "Perhaps, we can discuss the terms of our deal again next time, to make sure I compensate you for your efforts so far."

It wasn't good.

As much as Azrael was now also curious about the deal that made Thaddeus become this agitated by the idea of not 'helping' Azrael with getting Valerian's attention anymore, he felt as if he was about to pass out at any given moment, and that was not good.

He decided to just move their talk for another day because it also seemed like Thaddeus was not ready to back down.

"Will you excuse me? I must be going now," Azrael spoke, trying his best to stay composed as he started to walk away.

Behind him, he could hear Thaddeus let out an unidentified sound to let out his frustration as he asked rather loudly,

"I thought you cared for the Crown Prince, Your Highness. You said you were willing to do anything just to get him to love you!"

Azrael had to stop walking; he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he turned his head to look back at Thaddeus.

"Not anymore."

Thaddeus' eyes widened in disbelief and shock, but Azrael couldn't care less about what he would respond to this time as he began walking again. He knew he was walking in the wrong direction, and he might even end up lost, but since Thaddeus was blocking his way back to his room, and Azrael wanted nothing more than to get away, this was a small sacrifice he should make.

He thought it was over, and that Thaddeus would get the hint, but as he heard a few heavy stomps from behind him, he felt someone grab his wrist and pull his body around.

Azrael did not have to check to see who it was because it was obvious. "Sir Thaddeus, what are you doing?" He asked as he looked up at the guidance counselor who was glaring down at him.

"You, I am not letting you ruin my pl—"

"What are you doing, Thaddeus Meadowcroft?"

A familiar voice spoke behind Azrael, making him jump a bit in surprise. He also got a bit of deja vu because he could have sworn a similar thing happened with Thaddeus.

'What is it with people sneaking up behind me and suddenly speaking?'

Thaddeus' head shot up to look at the person who was behind Azrael, and almost instantly he dropped his hold on Azrael's wrist, which confused the young prince.

Everything made sense after Thaddeus dropped to kneel at whoever was behind Azrael, his head bowed as he stared at the floor.

"G-Good day to you..."

'Wait. Don't tell me it's—"

"...Crown Prince Valerian."

'Fuck.'

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
KazTheWriter

OMGGG HE'S BAAAAAAAACK lmao. The jerky big bro. Anyways, not that most of you might care but the title for my third story is so funny so I had to share it. It's "Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!!!"

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