The Lost Prince and The Demon King [BL]

The stunned silence didn't last long.

"What is the meaning of this?" the king demanded to know, pointing one finger at Perry. 

"But he looks exactly like the First Prince," someone exclaimed.

"It's a trick!" Someone else answered.

"It is not a trick," Master Rennin answered calmly.

A tall man, wearing a dark leather jacket with brass buttons, got to his feet. "Your Majesty, say the word and the Royal Guards will arrest this man and this pretender."

"Arrest?" Master Rennin spread his arms wide. "For what crime? Speaking up? I have not broken any laws. Have I, Your Majesty?" Master Rennin smiled and bowed his head slightly, but not to the King, to the Queen. 

A hushed silence fell over the room and Perry tore his attention away from the prince and glanced at the Queen only to find her eyes already fixed on him. She sat, motionless, her face devoid of color or expression. But her gaze stayed locked on Perry and he thought he saw something like remorse flicker in her eyes. 

Perry's stomach hollowed out. This was all just a strange coincidence, right? There's no way he could actually be… be…

A slow clap broke through his thoughts and the hushed silence that seemed to have ensnared everyone. 

A mas dressed in impeccable purple robes and a long beard that reached his belt got to his feet and circled the table. Perry noticed he'd been sat in the first place, closest to the Royal family. 

"Despite all evidence to the contrary, you have proven yourself quite resourceful, Master Rennin." The man smiled politely and inclined his head in Master Rennin's direction. "Truly, I congratulate you."

Master Renning returned the man's smile with an anemic one. "You flatter me, Clan Leader Venaric. But I assure you, I am not that resourceful. I could never measure up to your craftiness."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. 

"Craftiness? Did he really just say that?"

"Preposterous! How dare he call our Clan Leader that. He should be thrown into the dungeons. Or skinned alive."

Distantly, Perry thought those two punishments were not on the same level, but the thought didn't seem that important at that moment. He looked back at the prince who still stared at him open-mouthed.

Perry wasn't particularly fond of his own reflection — especially since the last time he'd tried to look at it, it had landed him in this place —, but there was no denying that Perry and the prince looked exactly alike. From the color of their hair, eyes, down to the shape of their mouths. If he were a betting man, he'd wager they even had the exact same number of eyelashes. 

No wonder the prince's past conversation partners kept confusing Perry with him. 

"... test the boy, then. If this is not some kind of ploy on your behalf, Master Rennin, then I kindly request you do not oppose we conduct some tests on him."

Tests? What kind of tests? Perry's mind conjured up images of sterile rooms and sharp needles being pushed into his veins. Of being prodded and poked until he lost what sanity he had left. 

Except that in this place, filled with people who rode flying discs and floating castles, he'd be lucky if he got a sterile room. They'd probably throw him in a dungeon and brand him with rusty metal pokes. 

What a lovely image.

"He is my pupil and I cannot simply hand him over." Master Rennin paused and caressed his chin with his fingers. "But perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement."

Agreement? Were they arguing over Perry's price? 

"I object," Perry exclaimed, taking a step away from Master Rennin. "I'm not this guy's anything and I sure as shit don't consent to being tested. Or tortured. Or branded."

He figured it was better to get it all out in the open one time. 

"I fear you have misunderstood," the Clan Leader in purple said politely. "I suggested testing."

"Sure," Perry said flatly. "I'm sure that's exactly what you meant. I wasn't born yesterday, you know."

"Were you not?" The Clan Leader in purple asked. What has Master Renning called him? Vernon? "Who is to say you are not some sort of fabrication? A clay doll? Or perhaps a blood puppet?" 

Another ripple of murmurs rolled over the room. 

"These conjectures are insulting." Master Rennin balled his hands into fists at his sides. "I am the Master of The Golden Light Temple and I would never debase myself with such methods."

"And yet, you entered the Royal Palace under the false pretense of celebrating our First Prince only to use a blood concealment on your 'pupil' and act out these theatrics for your own benefit." 

Fists pounded tables and heads nodded in agreement at the Clan Leader's words. 

"Blood concealments do not fall under the wicked magics, as you well know, Clan Leader Venaric. I merely used it to ensure our own security while traveling to the Palace," Master Rennin shot back. 

"And yet, this 'pupil' of yours—"

"I'm not his pupil!" Perry repeated. "Just so we're all on the same page here. I didn't even want to be here, this guy dragged me out here by force. I'm not even from here and I just want to go back home."

"Silence," Master Rennin hissed.

The Clan Leader's attention shifted to Perry and he smiled. That was all it took for Perry to realize he'd made some kind of terrible mistake. 

"Arrest this so-called Master and interrogate this man!" Someone exclaimed. Perry turned but wasn't able to identify where the voice had come from.

"Throw the Master in the dungeon. And skin the other man."

Perry broke out in a cold sweat. He could almost feel the energy of the room shifting and the hostility first directed only at Master Rennin being aimed at him. 

"If this man does not lay claim to you and you have been brought here against your will while not being a citizen of this kingdom, then you are a hostile threat," the Clan Leader said. "For the protection of the Royal family I—"

"I lay claim to him." The smooth, commanding voice traveled over the room and almost everyone fell into a stunned silence. The First Prince stood up straight, his gaze locked with Perry's. "I lay claim to this man."

The Queen stood, the prince's voice breaking her out of her stupor. "Cassian. Do not interfere, this is between Master Rennin and Clan Leader Venaric."

"This man looks exactly like me. Are you not the least bit curious why?" The prince asked. 

"It is a trick, nothing more. He will be tested by the Clan Leader and once he is found to be some fabrication or other, he will be disposed of." The Queen spoke without so much as looking in Perry's direction. 

Perry didn't know this woman, had never seen here before the feast, but he couldn't help but feel a niggle of betrayal at her words. 

"And yet, he looks like me. Not father or you. Me." The prince pointed at Perry, then at himself. "I, for one, would like more answers before we throw him in a dungeon or follow any of the other suggestions offered here today. Therefore, I, First Prince Cassian, lay claim to this man." The prince paused and gestured to Perry. "Your name is…"

"Oh. Perry," Perry said.

"Oh Perry," the prince said solemnly. "I—"

"Sorry, no, no," Perry interrupted the prince. "My name is just Perry, not Oh Perry."

The prince nodded. "This man, called Just Perry—"

"No, wait. Sorry, again, really. But… Perry. My name is Perry. Perry." The prince blinked at him, as if expecting him to add anything else. "That's it. Perry."

The prince cleared his throat. "I declare that this man, Perry." The prince paused but Perry nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Is henceforth under my protection. I alone shall conduct any tests required to determine his true identity, if there is indeed anything to be uncovered, and I alone shall determine the fate that ensues him after all the testings have been concluded."

Next to him, Master Rennin seemed to hesitate. "You-Your Highness, I fear I must protest. This man—"

"I do not give your permission to protest," the prince said, his voice calm but firm. 

Master Rennin swallowed and nodded jerkily. The Clan Leader remained eerily silent, his gaze boring a hole into the side of Perry's face. 

"Enough," the King finally said. He sighed and sat back down on his chair. "Today is meant to be a day of celebration. After the festivities are concluded, we will deal with this matter with the care and meticulousness it deserves. Guards, escort these two men from my hall."

Perry thought about running. But again, found he had nowhere to run to. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't get far. So he stood there, numb, as two Royal Guards wearing thick, dark-blue jackets approached him and placed two shiny manacles around his wrists. 

The feel of the cold metal against his skin made him question all of his life choices that had led him to this moment. He glanced at the prince as the guards led him away and mentally asked himself if he'd made the right choice by denying that he was Master Rennin's pupil, or if he's just royally screwed himself over.