Summary: Keith, cousin to the Emperor and a scion of one of the wealthiest and influential families of the Galra Empire, should realistically have everything that he could ever want.
But the privilege of money and status can’t buy everything. It can’t buy the love and affection of an Avian slave, gentle and caring and kind, fated to eternally adorn the presence of a cruel and wealthy nobleman. It can’t buy the slave himself, not from the greedy grasp of that noble.
And once that slave learns a secret that turns him into the greatest threat in the Empire, it can’t buy a single thing to forestall the horrifying death that awaits him.
Keith could lose everything by helping; he is under no illusion that doing so would be anything but the highest of treasons.
But having everything else in the world means nothing without Shiro.
Notes: Written for @spacedandylions for the Sheith Flower Exchange of 2018!
I was prompted for the following:
Alstroemeria - Devotion; Loyalty
Honeysuckle, Coral - The colour of my fate
Lily of the Valley - Return of happiness
Moonflower - Night; Instability
Venus’ Car - Fly with me
Volkamenia - May you be happyAnd I sorta…. fit all of it in there. Enjoy!
For someone who knew he belonged here, Keith couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to be caught.
Truthfully, he wasn’t out of place in the slightest. Young nobility roamed the halls of the palace at all hours of the night, basking in the privilege of revelry into the obscene hours of the morning and the luxury of sleeping as late as the body needed to be content. Keith, dressed as he was in the black and red tailcoat with dramatic lacing up the back, holographic jewelry shifting subtly around his neck and wrists, could have easily been on his way to a number of gatherings.
But he had an entirely different destination in mind, and no amount of status or wealth would dig him out of this if he were caught.
He’d do it again in a heartbeat.
He nodded absently at the sentry-servants, whose robotic heads acknowledged him as he made his way towards his destination. His appearance wasn’t out of place, after all; even the satchel around his shoulder could have very easily contained some exquisite alcohol. When he was entirely certain he was no longer observed, he darted into a side corridor, pushed aside a tapestry, and opened the plain door behind it.
The nature of the unobtrusive servant’s routes enabled him to travel much more quickly without drawing unwanted attention. His brisk stride became a quick jog, and he counted the doors he passed, feeling the urgency grow within him…
Though the lights at the corner of the door indicated inoperability, Keith had learned better in one of his many ventures alone through the palace. The benefit of having most of the Imperial servants be sentries was an absolute lack of inquisitiveness regarding sealed off areas.
The same could not be said of bored, young nobility. The fact that entering servant’s areas was frowned upon was deterrent enough for most, but Keith had never particularly cared what other people thought.
Keith strode forward, pushed open the door, and slipped inside alongside the brief sliver of light that he was afforded before closing it behind himself. He sat in darkness for a few moments and listened.
The faintest rustle, like leaves or feathers, and Keith exhaled with relief. With a quick flick of his wrist, the metal band around it emitted a holographic glow, lighting up rows upon rows of empty, dusty wine racks. Keith inhaled through his mouth, trying to ignore the unpleasant smell of mildew in the air.
“Shiro?” he hissed as he stepped forward. “It’s me!”
He heard no response, but as he continued to make his way to the very back of the wine cellar, he spotted a form huddled in the corner, then lifted his hand.
A pair of brilliant white wings unfurled from around the form, and as he looked, Keith’s gaze met the gray eyes of the most wanted criminal within the Galra Empire.