Chapter Text
When Horus woke up, he blinked at Seth, who just stared back at him briefly before saying, “Would you please untangle your tail from mine?”
Horus blinked some more, and then his eyes widened and he said, “Sorry!” Before letting go and pulling away.
Seth let him loose, too, feeling that pleasant electricity vanish without the contact. Isis was gone, so it was just the two of them over the shipwreck. Isis’ guards were away with her, as well, giving them some privacy. But Seth knew they were patrolling the area.
“Are you okay?” Horus asked, staying close but not too close. “You were badly hurt…”
“I’m fine,” Seth replied, and it was true. Physically, he felt as hale as he’d been before the attack. “Thank you for… your concern.” He didn’t know how else to thank Horus. For helping him to heal? For… something? “Did your mother tell you about the um… the healing thing?”
Horus’ eyebrows rose. “What healing thing?”
“I healed faster when you got to me.”
“…Really?”
“I think it happened on your island, too, when I first arrived.”
“Is that your magic?”
“No, I don’t have that kind of skill.”
“Oh.”
“…You didn’t do anything?” Seth asked.
“No.” Horus smiled sadly. “I don’t have healing magic. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
“Then I have no idea what’s going on.” Seth frowned. “That’s not normal.”
Horus thought for a moment, then asked, “It’s not because of the um… connection between us, is it?”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing happening before.”
“Ah.”
“But it might be something about your latent abilities, given you’re near your coming of age. I don’t know.” Seth shook his head. “This isn’t my area of expertise.”
Horus nodded. “Of course. I’ll speak to Mother more about it. Maybe we’ll figure it out.”
Isis didn’t have a clue either, so far as Seth could tell, but he nodded anyway.
Horus met Seth’s gaze for a bit before adding, “Should we talk about… your tail?”
Seth’s cheeks heated. “It was an accident. I didn’t realize I was doing it.”
Horus’ gaze grew neutral. “Oh.”
“I don’t mean…” Seth sighed. “Horus, I acknowledge there’s a connection between us. Perhaps I don’t plan to embrace it fully in at least a romantic sense at this point, but all of this has made me aware that… you could use more people on your side.”
Horus blinked at him. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t have bodyguards yet, and you will in time… but you’ll also need your own protection, generally. Someone at court in your corner.” Seth grimaced. “I don’t mean to just install myself there, but… my conversation with Isis makes me believe you might want help sooner rather than later.”
“And you plan to fulfill that role?”
“…As a token of my gratitude, yes. I have the credentials for it from my military service. If nothing else, I can protect you, physically.”
“Ah.”
Seth heard the sadness in his voice and sighed. “And because… I like spending time with you. And want to ensure your safety.”
Horus smiled at that. “Then I accept your offer. Though I hope it won’t interfere with your plans with the military.”
“I’ll figure it out. …I’m sorry I grabbed you.”
“I didn’t mind,” Horus replied.
Seth blinked at him. “You’re sure?”
“Really. I didn’t mind.”
“Even though I’ve said, repeatedly now, that I’m not just… jumping into a relationship with you? Being a sort of protector or advisor for you isn’t the same as… whatever my anatomy seems to want.”
“I will acknowledge that is… frustrating. But I’ll deal with it.” Horus smiled. “If you need someone or… something to grab onto, I’ll happily be there for you in future.”
Seth snorted. “Don’t hold your breath.”
Horus laughed. Seth pretended it wasn’t cute.
But as Seth studied him, Seth was afraid, too. He knew he was falling easily for Horus. Horus just… made it easy. The man didn’t seem to have a bad bone in his body. But he was going to be a prince. Isis’ heir. He’d have just as much power over Seth as Osiris had. Power that could easily be abused in accordance with Horus’ whims.
Suddenly returning to the palace didn’t sound so appealing.
He wouldn’t do that, Seth thought as he swam off in search of Isis and her guards, with Horus at his back. He’s not like that. But Seth had thought the same thing about Osiris, hadn’t he?
Seth snorted. Is this how I spend the rest of my life? Afraid of anything being Osiris’ shadow? Osiris’ mark forever on his life, deciding who he was with and what choices he could have?
Seth looked out on the open ocean, with its endless blue. He could go and hide somewhere else. Without Isis hunting him down, there were lots of options. But hiding in a hole somewhere, apart from everyone, wasn’t what he wanted, either.
Still better than jumping the first warm body after Osiris, Seth thought.
He sighed.
Their party left the shipwreck shortly after that and headed to the palace. Their group was more on alert now, but there were no more ambushes. Horus still swam near Seth, but they didn’t strike up any conversation. Seth could still feel where Horus had held him, and where he’d held Horus in turn. He knew their current arrangement was unofficial, but he tried to act more like a guard and keep watch. But it was hard, with Horus so close, and Seth’s body wanting to draw nearer.
They arrived at Isis’ palace soon enough, and it looked little different than when Seth had left. The structure was tall and beautiful, with curving walls that resembled sea plants and coral, made from stone that rippled through rainbow colors in different lighting. It was like a large, intimidating coral reef, with entryways and windows for visitors and residents to swim into and out of. There were more guard patrols wearing different armor, now, but the panic was gone. Merfolk of all kinds and ages saluted or bowed to Isis as she passed, and gave Horus and Seth curious looks. One mer clearly from a killer whale family was surrounded by a small crowd of smaller merfolk, who eyed Seth thoughtfully from a distance. When Seth met their gaze, the large mer grinned at him, and Seth wasn’t sure if it was friendly or not, but he nodded back.
Seth was used to odd looks from his time as Osiris’ pet, so he did his best to ignore most of the onlookers. He tried to focus on making sure no one got too near Horus. He wasn’t an official bodyguard or anything, but he looked after the man to some degree. But between the local guards and Isis’ protection, no one tried anything.
There was no particular grand ceremony to mark their entrance, other than a sort of guard arrangement as they entered the palace. Seth was followed along, staying at Horus’ side. He also didn’t like to think too hard about how he was returning to Osiris’ palace, after so long attempting to escape it.
It’s not his palace anymore, Seth thought. It’s Isis’. He could feel the adamant collar in the bag he’d brought with him. Almost like Seth had brought a piece of Osiris back. Seth didn’t even know what he’d do now. He couldn’t ask Isis for help: she might use it against him. And Horus couldn’t undo it, and might tell his mother. If Horus did inherit some special power during or after his coming of age, maybe it would even induce him to use it.
Seth felt more and more that coming here was a mistake.
Inside the palace, when Isis prepared to usher Horus to his new chambers, Horus explained matters to his mother. Isis gave Seth an annoyed look, but acquiesced, and said that Seth would be appointed quarters near Horus. She also arranged for new bodyguards for Horus.
Seth knew he should try to find time to visit his old rooms here, to see what state they were in. But being back in the main throne room was making him different to hold onto his focus. The place was largely empty, but for Isis and her guards, but he remembered sitting by Osiris’ throne, collared, awaiting Osiris’ pleasure.
Seth followed Horus to his palatial rooms, and stood aside while a whole crowd of servants arrived to arrange new clothes for their prince. Seth kept his eyes on them all, ready for someone to make a move. But no one did. They had fabrics, jewelry, and special products to shine his tail and prepare his hair.
Seth settled down on a chair out of the way where he could oversee it all, and didn’t bother stifling a grin at Horus being overwhelmed by it but still attempting politeness. When he turned to Seth for help, Seth shrugged. There was to be a small ceremony and a meal later, and Horus had to be ready for it.
While Horus argued over jewelry with the servants, Seth glanced out the large window in the main room. Like most windows, it was spelled to keep people out, not in, and Seth could have escaped through it if he wished. But for now he simply observed the view of the inner palace grounds, with its maze of courtyards, reefs, kelp forests, and balconies. Guards and courtiers swam along, and occasionally multicolored fish of different sizes. Nothing truly large – those animals knew to stay away from the palace – but enough that he could watch the fish swim around peacefully.
Horus’ chambers were larger than Seth’s were, as befitted nobility, and he had a large bed and multiple closets, as well as a large vanity with a cleanly polished mirror.
Seth glared at the servants who approached him to try and prepare him for the meal, and they backed off, but he noticed a pair of long golden earrings in one of their hands, and took those with a brief thanks. When another servant offered a pearl comb to work through Seth’s hair, Seth took the comb himself and brushed out his hair.
The servants left him alone after that.
The other servants eventually finished their work and departed the room, having prettied up Horus suitably. The younger mer was now wearing a thick golden necklace, a golden circlet with a blue gem in the center, golden armbands, and golden glitter on his tail. There was heavy blue and black make-up around his eyes, making him look more regal and intimidating. His scales shone, and his skin seemed a bit shinier than it had beforehand. He also wore a thin, translucent veil that wrapped around his arms and floated around him as he moved around. His ears were pierced with blue gems.
Horus swam to his bed to rest on it with a sigh.
Seth put down the comb and swam over, floating just off the bed edge to watch Horus. “This is just a taste of things to come. Servants are the nice ones. Courtiers are something else.” He’d known enough of them in his time even before his captivity.
“Don’t remind me,” Horus said. He looked up at Seth and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. And not trying to put something on me.”
Seth laughed. “Give them a day. I’m sure they’ll insist on the tattoos next time.”
Horus grimaced.
Without thinking, Seth reached down to rub out the angry lines on Horus’ forehead. His hand froze, and Horus stared up at him in surprise.
Seth pulled his hand back, and he settled on the bedside. “You look good. I’m… sorry it’s uncomfortable.”
“…I’ll adjust to it. Thank you for staying.”
Seth smiled. “It’s my job now.”
“Do you think I look good?” Horus asked, quietly.
Seth looked at Horus, who looked strangely nervous in his finery. “You look like a handsome princeling. You’ll steal hearts like this.” He studied Horus’ shiny skin, and said, “What did they put on you? Some sort of oil?”
Horus grinned. “It’s a kind of shimmer, I think? A light spell, I’m told, part of my armlets. You can touch it if you’d like.”
Seth reached out a cautious hand to Horus’ shoulder, and set his fingers down. It felt no different than regular skin. His hand moved softly along Horus’ upper chest, before stopping on his right breast.
What am I doing? Seth thought. Beneath him, Horus didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to move away, though he could. Osiris never let Seth explore like this. Everything was on his schedule. His wants. Seth squeezed the soft flesh beneath his palm.
Horus grunted quietly.
Seth let go with, “Sorry, I…”
Horus lightly grabbed his wrist and said, “No, it… No. Please.” He pulled Seth’s hand back to his breast, laying it there. “I like when you touch me.”
Seth’s heart was racing as he looked down at Horus, who met his expression with a look of clear want and… and… Seth leaned down to kiss him, wanting to taste what he was like. Wanting to know if his body was just a fool, desperate to recreate what it was used to.
The kiss was hot and wet, and Horus cupped Seth’s right cheek to keep him in place.
When they broke the kiss, Seth moved his tail onto the bed to curly around Horus again, and leaned his head against the other mer’s. He shut his eyes.
Horus wrapped around him, hugging Seth’s back tightly.
“I think I hate being back here,” Seth said, quietly.
“…Oh.”
Seth sighed. Somehow it was easier to think with Horus right there, next to him. “It’s not… I don’t know what other options I had. This will give me freedom to some degree. And it’s my first day back. I’ll figure it out.”
“I’ll gladly help you,” Horus said. “Just ask. Anything.”
Seth wanted to laugh. “I promised I’d protect you, you know. When I woke up to discover you were shielding me.” He squeezed Horus tighter, his tail wrapped around Horus’ hips.
Horus placed a kiss on Seth’s brow. It was gentle and sweet.
Seth sighed. “I don’t know what’s coming for us. But I know that… my path is bound with yours. And worried as I am about what I’ll do with that, I’m willing to give you a chance.” He breathed in again and added, “I’m willing to give… something with you a chance. Obviously, anyway.”
Horus smiled. “I look forward to getting to know you. And selfishly, I was hoping you’d agree to come with me here because I wanted to be near you.”
“So you do have flaws,” Seth said.
Horus snorted. “Oh, I have many. Did you think I didn’t?”
Seth pushed himself up on Horus’ chest to look down at him. His tail fell back to tangle more with Horus’ again, sending sparks of electricity through them both. He was destroying some of the servants’ work, and found he didn’t care all that much. Horus was beneath him, waiting, wanting him. Seth’s future, perhaps, in this place.
“I wasn’t quite convinced,” Seth said. The pouch with its adamant collar, which Seth hid in one of the empty wardrobes, said otherwise. But he thought he might bring it up. Someday soon. There was power in what Seth was doing here. In how Horus let him have power. Horus was young, and Seth had no designs on controlling him like a puppet. But even here, Horus was letting Seth dictate their pace, what they did.
It felt like more than Seth had been allowed in most of his life. It felt like maybe Seth could make something of himself here, different to the god of war, who killed whoever opposed Osiris. Different to the Seth who cowered and ran. Or he could start something, anyway. And Horus would be there to catch him, if Seth fell.
He ducked down to suck Horus’ collarbone, making the other mer tremble beneath him. Horus squeezed Seth’s hips. When Seth finally looked up, Horus had his head raised to meet Seth’s eyes, his eyes cloudy with lust. “But why don’t you enlighten me, my prince?”
Horus smiled.