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"well I think they are beautiful" He said smiling, as he smoothed out the feathers, "and I believe that everyone has their own form of beauty, after all 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' so you may think someones is better looking than yours, but to them it could be the opposite…wait, I am sorry I have no idea what i am talking about" He laughed nervously.
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Fiel glanced at him thoughtfully. "You know, you're absolutely right. I think my eldest sister is the most beautiful person in the world, but she's told me she feels uncomfortable in public and doesn't always like her reflection. Beauty truly is subjective—I think it's more about how much you love someone, and whether they are beautiful in their hearts and minds rather than their outward appearance. If someone acted in an ugly way, I think I would have a harder time considering them beautiful. Don't you agree?"
Lukas nodded a slight blush on his face, he hadn't really paid any attention to what he had said to Fiel, and was supprised when Fiel agreed with him.
Fiel paused to spread one wing all the way, examining the feathers closely. "Maybe it's just the way I was raised. My mother always says that we Tarilonans should value actions and intentions more than appearances. I know not all cultures think that way, now that I've one some traveling. There was one kingdom that didn't care whether we forged an alliance or not—they just thought we were handsome and exotic, and they wanted us to stay so they could add us to the king's royal attendants." He scowled at the memory with clear distaste. "They did not understand that we were our own people, with our own independence and autonomy. We did not linger there for long."
"Yeah, they are not a very respectful kingdom, a lot of people avoid them, except ones who agree with their values" Lukas mumbled, he had a lot of knowledge on the kingdoms around, after all he spent most of his time reading and learning about them.
Fiel glanced at Lukas over his shoulder. "I'm glad they're far from here. Hopefully they won't ever show up to cause trouble—at least not in our lifetimes. They haven't sent any suitors to see you, I hope?"
Lukas rolled his eyes, a slight blush still on his face "of course they did, almost everyone did."
Fiel pursed his lips in annoyance. "Well, your kingdom does seem large and wealthy. I imagine plenty of other kingdoms would like to be your allies because of that." He sighed. "Well, the only way to get to my kingdom is by air, luckily, so I think we'll be left in peace while we're there."
"that is good, I could use a break from being…" he stopped, not sure if saying it was a smart idea, after all being in the castle anyone could be listening.
Fiel waited, but Lukas never finished the sentence. "….Being what? Objectified? Stared at? Constantly pestered to marry?"
"fake" He said quietly.
Fiel paused, then half-turned so he could look at Lukas properly. Something about the way he'd spoken suggested he didn't just mean pretending to smile and acting like nothing ever bothered him.
"I'm glad to be able to give you a rest from that," he said slowly, a bit unsure how to respond. "It hurts when you're not allowed to show the world who you really are."
Lukas nodded, "you are the only person who I have been able to show who I really am since …" He said quietly, looking at the floor.
Fiel folded his wings with a rustle. "I will always be there to talk to if you need me," he said earnestly. "If this is even part of the real you, then I like that person. You don't have to hide anything from me, all right?"
Lukas smiled still looking at the floor, "thank you"
"Of course." Fiel relaxed and gestured to his wings. "And thank-you for helping me with this just now. I can't tell you how much better it feels to have my feathers in order." He glanced out the window at the afternoon sunlight. "It looks like we have a bit more time before dark. Is there anything else you need or want to do on our last day here?"
Lukas thought for a minute before he nodded, “just one thing” he said subconsciously grabbing the stone that hung around his neck with one hand.
Fiel tilted his head. "Yes? What is it?"
“I want to talk to my brother, one more time.” He said softly. He knew it could seem odd to others that he talked to a rock, but it was something he had done since he was a child. The rock was a traditional thing used to remember the dead. Most people didn’t talk to them though.
Fiel nodded in understanding. "All right. Take as much time as you need. Do you want to be alone while you do that?"
Lukas thought for a moment, “actually, if you want, you can come with me” he smiled gently.
Fiel blinked, honored that Lukas would offer. To him, this felt like a sign of trust. "If you want me to, I would like that, yes," he said humbly.
Lukas smiled and led the way to the garden, there he sat in front of his brothers rock.
Fiel followed and sat nearby, staying respectfully silent. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wanted to be a good friend to Lukas and keep him company in this moment.
Lukas started talking under his breath, barely audible. Explaining that he was leaving and such.