Of royal blood

ㅤ It was impossible not to feel the piercing gaze. Even if it were only him they were looking at so rudely, Flynn would have said nothing, but when prince Ioder was granted this "honor," silence was no longer an option. "Yuri, show at least a modicum of respect!" "Huh?" He sincerely didn't understand the reason. "It's rude to stare at anyone so intently, especially His Highness." "Since when can't you look at him?" Yuri snorted, feeling unfairly accused. "Yuri!" "It's all right, Flynn," Ioder hastened to reassure him, not wanting to start a fight between friends. "I'm destined to be the center of attention. I'll have a lot of eyes on me; there's no need to worry about just one." Smiling stiffly, more out of habit than actual fact, Ioder nodded to Yuri, before Flynn giving his approval. And now, with both of them looking at him, Yuri finally solidified the nagging thought. "At least tell me what we did to deserve your attention," Flynn asked with a hint of concealed rudeness. "Well." Yuri gave himself time to decide, to consider whether he should answer at all. "If it weren't for the age difference, I'd think Ioder was your son." "Yuri!? That's too much!" "Hm…" Ioder interrupted the escalating argument again, peering thoughtfully at Flynn. "He's right, we really are very similar." "Please, Your Highness, don't take his words seriously…" Flynn looked embarrassed. It was one thing for Yuri to be foolish, another for the prince to be. "No, he might even be more right than he thinks." "Hm?" Yuri became interested. "There are rumors," Ioder explained, "that one of the past emperors was noted for his amorousness and infidelity, so we could very well be, say, cousins." "Well, well," Yuri said, dumbfounded. "Flynn, it turns out you're of blue blood. No wonder you're so noble." "Please, stop," Flynn said, blushing. He was simultaneously ashamed of his friend, overcome with embarrassment at the prince's incredible words, and… a growing interest. "But…" he was even more concerned, "Your Highness, are you sure you should share such information?" "I think you have a right to know. You," Ioder looked Flynn in the eye, "because we are potentially related, and Yuri," he paid him a fair amount of attention, "because he probably hit the nail on the head. Such attentiveness deserves respect." "Especially what's there to fear when the throne is barred to bastards?" Yuri concluded. "It's a shame," Ioder lamented with a hint of humor, "an emperor like Flynn could have been a real find for the empire." Yuri couldn't help but agree; only Flynn resisted. He couldn't even imagine such a lofty title. Yuri, however, was imagining him on the throne, trying not to dream of something that would never happen: a true empire for the people, not for a select few. 'If Flynn were emperor… I wouldn't have left the knights,' a thought flashed through his mind, pricking with regret. Not about a lost future. But about a painful past, full of disappointment. "Please, let's drop this topic…" Flynn pleaded quietly, pressed by Ioder's heated words. "I agree," Yuri supported him, encouraging him. "No matter what color his blood is, Flynn is Flynn." "Thanks for that at least," Flynn breathed out, smiling wearily. ㅤ