Kaeya sighed, tucking his hair behind one ear and wiping his free hand on his pants. "It's fine, I suppose. And yes, it is considered customary for me to introduce myself to every person of 'relevance' that enters this castle." He scoffed and muttered to himself, "Just how relevant is an apprentice, Father…?"
He ran a finger through his hair, thinking for a moment of whether to leave, having finished his introduction, or to question the other a bit more thoroughly. Kaeya, being as inquisitive as he was, chose the latter.
"Caius, if you could leave us alone for a moment." Caius gave a small nod, excusing himself from the room.
"Mr. Ruen," Kaeya addressed formally, clasping his hands together in front of him, "how long have you been traveling for? And how would you describe the experience you had doing so?" He'd decided to ask the simpler, less complicated questions first. After all, Fio didn't seem to have much formal experience, let alone education.
Fio blinked. "Uhm. I traveled for…maybe two weeks?" He replied slowly, looking at Kaeya curiously. "And the traveling was fine. Long, but traveling usually is." Even if he wasn't well educated or have had much experience, he was still intelligent and quick to pick up on things, and was a fast learner. He studied the Prince, eyes flashing slightly in the light. He wondered why Caius had been asked to leave, but knew it would be rude of him to ask. He frowned a little bit, thinking, then focused on the Prince again, smoothing out his expression as he realized that a friend wasn't a good idea.
"Two weeks?" Judging from that response, Kaeya assumed that this journey must have been well out of his way. So why come here for an apprenticeship? It just didn't add up. But, as much as Kaeya wanted to press further into that matter, he couldn't risk his questioning becoming suspicious. "I see… and do you know how long your apprenticeship contract is? Or have you not gotten the opportunity to ask such?" Kaeya walked around the small room while he questioned the charcoal-haired boy, studying his belongings carefully trying to find something peculiar among them. Though this search was to no avail, causing him to pout slightly.
"No." Fio watched the prince carefully as the prince moved through the room. "My…mother set it up. She wanted me to get out of the town we lived in. I…don't know much more than that. He ran a hand through his dark hair, an errant, curled strand laying across his forehead now. He bit his lip a little bit, studying the prince still. "That's all I know." he was wondering what all these questions were about. Does he know? That I can do magic? Does he somehow know? He wondered, biting his lip for a moment. He tugged on the sleeves of his jacket anxiously.
"Mmm? You said your mother sent you here?" That didn't please Kaeya at all. That was…a perfectly normal reason to be here. Yet still, he found it quite strange that he hadn't received word of this beforehand. Had his father withheld information from him again? He quietly growled, pulling at his hair. Kaeya's eyes widened a bit and he stopped pacing the room, looking straight into Fio's eyes. "How long before you started your travels had your mother told you about this apprenticeship? And where is your mother now?" These were going to be the last question Kaeya would ask, as Fio seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable with the situation, which had been the last thing Kaeya had wanted.
"Yes, she did." Fio replied slowly. He looked at Kaeya warily. "My mother told me…maybe a month beforehand. And she is still in the village we call home, I believe. Scavin." Scavin was known for being the closest human town to the ancient ancestral home of the dragons, where they would return each year to mate and lay their eggs. The king had sent a force there to wipe out the nests. Even now there were still shattered pieces of the dragon's eggs lying on the ground and on the Stony mountain peaks. Scavin had been almost a waypoint. You stayed there if you wanted to see dragons. Much of its industry had been based around that tourism. Of course, now that the dragons were gone, it was just a sleepy little farming town that could only dream of its former status.
At this point, Kaeya's head was aching, and he took the clip out of the short end of his hair, letting it fall over his ear. A month's notice, yet he had only now heard of it? And his mother stayed but sent him away alone, which is only natural that one would live alone during an apprenticeship. But to Kaeya it managed to make no sense at the same time that it had made all the sense in the world. What really made no sense to him, though…
"Mr. Ruen," he said, with an almost exasperated tone, "why are you just tolerating having to answer all of my questions? Have you no questions of your own?" Surely there had to be something that had gone unasked. At least…he hoped there was. No one could be this naïve.
Fio blinked. "I…didn't want to bother you." He replied slowly. "I figured I would just ask Caius." He knew he was coming off as stupid, but…he didn't want to accidentally offend the prince, of all people. He bit his lip. Plus I can't call too much attention to myself. Not with this stupid magic that I can't control. He shrugged his shoulders, looking at the prince carefully.
He ran a hand through his hair, glancing out the window, then back at Kaeya. "Plus…I mean, you're the prince. I figured you'd finish up this interrogation of yours and leave."
"I-" Kaeya's eyes widened a bit. He was honestly scared of how…accurate that assumption was. Still, he calmed his nerves a bit and fluffed his hair idly. "Disregard my comfortability, if you seek information, then ask it from the highest power available to you. In this case, that would be me." He faltered a moment, not quite used to speaking in a forceful tone. "And… should you ever come to inquire info on me," he placed a hand on his chest, "you come and ask me directly."
He sighed, displeased with how the inquiry had gone. "But forget it," he said waving his hand in the air as if waving off the subject. "I'll be seeing myself out. Feel free to call in Caius and ask him whatever you please, but don't expect accurate answers." He walked out of the small room muttering, "I haven't got all the information myself," and closed the door behind him.
Fio frowned a little bit. "No, hang on–" he broke off as Kaeya left, his eyebrows drawing together. He followed the prince out quickly. "What are you so upset about?" he demanded. "You're acting like I came in here and tracked horse shit everywhere, which I didn't," he checked his shoes, just to be sure. Nope, no horse shit. "Or like I spat in your face, which I also didn't, and I don't see what I've done to deserve you being an ass." he crossed his arms, a little surprised at himself for being so confrontational and angry.
Kaeya turned around sharply. "I am not being an ass! I just have more pressing matters to deal with than you!" He put both hands on his hips and pouted. "And with the way you're speaking to me presently, you may as well spit my face right now!" Kaeya squeezed his eyes shut and turned away in an attempt to hide his tears. "Just, go get Caius and tell him he's free to come back to the room," he said in a calm tone despite the swirl of emotions that were making his chest ache. "I'd say my business with you is just about finished. For the moment." Despite wanting to run, Kaeya stood still, wanting to see what the dark-haired boy might make of this situation. Kaeya's interrogation wasn't quite finished yet.
((sorry if it feels a bit forced I'm really busy but I wanted to reply))
"You are being a bit of an ass!" Fio retorted, keeping his arms crossed across his chest. His green eyes were narrowed slightly as he looked at Kaeya. "And I only just got here, and I don't really know anything about this place yet, but you're demanding answers about everything, and it isn't really your damn business." He swallowed, wanting to back down, but knowing that if he did, the prince would think him a coward. And Fio didn't want to be a coward. "And if it's finished, then leave."
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