Lumiere slept worse than usual that night. He normally drifted off within seconds, but the day's memories clung to his mind like damp linen. Eventually, he rose and stepped outside for some air. The streets were hushed and empty, the hour deep enough that even the dogs had stopped barking.
He wasn't alone.
"Funny seeing you up this late, Lumiere," said Tao, already leaning against the doorway.
Lumiere yawned. "A lot happened today."
"Yeah," Tao smirked. "I saw you and Xia playing on the beach."
Lumiere's face warmed. "It's nothing."
Tao chuckled. "Sure. Anyway... we'll probably be staying in Italy for a while. Wilhelm's still in bad shape. And Idris is missing."
Lumière turned. "Missing?"
"I asked the doctors, but they wouldn't say anything." Tao's voice tightened. "If you ask me, I think he died. Maybe they sold his body. I don't know."
"Oh."
The silence stretched between them. Then Tao said, "We should probably buy Wilhelm a prosthetic leg."
"Yeah."
They began walking down the street, their footsteps echoing softly.
"How many people do we have left?" Lumiere asked.
Tao sighed. "Four of our men are dead or missing. One more deserted the moment we arrived in Naples. And until further notice, Xia, Kolya, and Wilhelm are unfit for combat."
"So…?"
"That leaves eight. You, me, Moses, Julian, and three of my soldiers. Technically eleven, but only eight who can fight."
"Can't Xia or Kolya help?"
"Kolya's a priest. He was never meant to fight. And Xia…" Tao's voice dropped. "She spent her whole life locked inside the palace. This crusade was her first time outside its walls."
Lumiere hesitated. "But… I mean, none of us had combat experience. Not me, not Moses, not Wilhelm either."
"I know." Tao gave a bitter little laugh. "None of this was part of the original plan. I guess I'm a hypocrite. I just… I don't want my sister getting hurt."
"It's okay," Lumière said softly. "I'd do the same."
Tao stopped walking. "Just promise you'll take care of her, all right?"
"You already asked me that."
"Then I'm asking again."
Lumiere met his eyes. "Yeah. Of course I will."
The next morning, Lumiere awoke in an unfamiliar bed. Sunlight bled through the shutters as he blinked to life. Panic immediately set in. The ceiling wasn't familiar. The sheets weren't the ones he had slept in prior. His head throbbed faintly.
Someone shifted beside him.
He jolted upright.
"Who the hell are you?!"
A body emerged slowly from under the covers. To his horror, it was Tao.
"Hmm… Good morning, Lumiere," Tao said groggily. "Shouldn't you be in Xia's bed instead?"
Lumiere's face twisted with disgust.
"First of all, that's creepy. Second—I don't remember anything from last night!"
Tao stood up, stretching. His shirtless torso revealed an array of scars, his frame considerably bulkier than Lumiere's.
"Oh, that's easy," he said casually. "You sat down on a bench and fell asleep instantly. So I carried you back and tucked you in."
"In your bed?! And put some damn clothes on!"
At that moment, Moses walked in—also shirtless.
"What the hell are you two idiots doing?"
Lumiere shrank slightly under the looming presence of another tall, scarred, shirtless man. Normally he wouldn't care—but this morning, for some reason, it made him deeply self-conscious.
"You too?! Put on a shirt!"
As Moses and Tao started bickering over something irrelevant, Lumiere took the chance to slip out of the room unnoticed.
He wandered the hallways of their temporary lodging, feeling strangely embarrassed. He thought about visiting Xia, but… no. Not after waking up in bed with Tao.
Julian and Kolya were out—something about a visit to the local church. Lumiere found it odd that Julian had any business in a church, but decided not to question it.
The other soldiers were still around, but frankly… They intimidated him.
Eventually, he made his way to the hospital. Wilhelm was still unconscious, but the quiet of the room was oddly comforting. Lumiere sat by his bedside and began to read, letting the silence settle.
An hour passed. Then the door creaked open.
It was Xia.
"I thought I'd find you here, Lumiere. Tao and Moses are already causing a scene at the local pub—arguing about who's stronger this time."
Lumiere chuckled softly.
"Yeah, I came here to get away from that."
Xia bent down to meet his gaze, a wide grin on her face.
"Wanna go out for breakfast together?"
"Of course."
They found a nearby café and sat down. As they looked over the menu, it quickly became obvious that Xia couldn't read anything but Mandarin. To be fair, Lumiere couldn't read the Italian either. After a brief, awkward pause, they both pointed to the simplest item and ordered a basic coffee.
Xia blushed slightly.
"This is exciting. I've never had coffee before."
"Seriously? I thought it was popular among royalty."
"That's tea. And besides, I was never allowed anything like this."
"Yeah... Tao mentioned how bad the emperor was."
"It's okay now. I have you and Tao. There were also Lao and Rin, but... they've passed."
"Your siblings?"
"Yeah, they were."
"What about the others?"
"They all hated me for being weak. Especially the second prince—Zhi."
"What's with him?"
She tensed, her shoulders tightening.
"Oh, it's nothing. He just... did other things."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of her words hanging between them.
"He can't hurt you anymore. Not while you have me."
She tried to stand and hug him, but stumbled to the ground, coughing violently.
"Xia?! Are you okay? Talk to me!"
His heart slammed against his ribs. Foam touched the corners of her mouth.
"It's okay," she whispered, "it's just my cough acting up."
He gently helped her back into her seat, arms trembling slightly.
"Tao told me you had tuberculosis, if you don't mind me bringing it up."
"Don't worry. I've survived this long."
"Is there a cure?"
"Not that I know of."
A long pause.
"What exactly did Zhi do to you, Xia?"
"Don't worry... I'll tell you later. I just don't want Tao knowing."
"Why?"
"Because he'd either kill Zhi or get himself killed."
"Is it really that bad?"
She didn't respond.
Their coffee arrived a few moments later. Trying to shift the mood, Xia shot Lumiere a mischievous grin and took a bold gulp.
She immediately recoiled, letting out a sharp squeak.
"Too hot—and too bitter!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes.
Later that afternoon, the two of them returned to Wilhelm's hospital room. Xia had fallen fast asleep on Lumiere's back, her breathing soft and shallow. Her eyes were still puffy from the tears, but her face was peaceful.
As Lumiere stepped into the room, he froze.
Wilhelm was awake.
He turned to Lumiere slowly, his voice hoarse, but clear.
"Is he dead?"