A surge of relief warmed his chest, and Alex pulled him closer and laid his forehead against William's neck.
He breathed in his scent—ink and old books—and a lump formed in his throat.
"Thank the spirits. I thought you were dead. You were… pale."
But William was alive, and still had that awful temper of his.
At that moment, though, Alex didn't care. He just wanted to hold him.
William sighed, his breath warm against Alex's skin. "Your Highness…"
"Just for a moment. I won't hug you again after that, I promise."
"You're crying…"
Alex blinked and realized his cheeks were damp with tears. "I didn't notice."
William brushed his swollen cheeks with his fingertips. "You really are emotional."
"And you're far too cold." He pressed his forehead against his neck again. "And stubborn. And I'm sorry—you got hurt because of me."
Slender fingers slid through his blond hair. A gentle caress, like a butterfly's kiss.
"It's not your fault." William's voice was cold and warm at the same time. "Don't take on guilt that isn't yours. Reyne chose to do harm; the consequences of that choice are his alone."
"You know, you're not so bad at comforting people."
Alex shifted slightly and tucked a dark strand behind William's ear. The mage's skin was pale and cold, yet for some reason the prince found himself drawn to it.
He wanted to touch him again, but held himself back.
William gave a small smile, and even with his battered face, it looked sweet. Alex's heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness!" Sven's voice made him start.
At the gate, reinforcements had just arrived. Royal banners fluttered in the wind, horses pawed at the cobblestones.
Sven dismounted, crossed the courtyard, and fell to his knees beside the prince.
"Are you alright?"
"I am. But William needs medical attention."
His friend furrowed his brow, glanced at the mage, then back at him. "So do you."
Sven raised a hand and called for a medic. A gray-haired man came over, quickly assessed William's condition, and had him taken away.
Alex watched the mage being carried off for treatment, a tightening forming in his chest. He wished he could be by his side, but that wasn't his place.
Sven placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He'll be fine, Your Highness."
"We performed the ritual. We're bound now," he said it in a quiet voice, and it felt real, solid. "It was the only way to survive."
"Did you want it?"
"Actually, yes. Over the past few days, I've realized he's not so bad. He's stubborn, quick-tempered, and sharp-tongued, but…" He bit his lip. "But he would have died for me."
Sven squeezed Alex's shoulder.
"It's not your fault. It's not like what happened seven years ago."
"To me, it felt exactly like that time. And I was afraid I would lose him."
And that terror hadn't left him yet.
"You need to calm down." Sven pushed him toward the horses, the soldiers, and the medic. "Come on, sit down. I'll handle the rest."
Alex shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Your Highness…"
"Inside the castle, there are corpses. Lord Lynden's as well. They need to be buried. And… send someone into the woods. The servants, the gamekeeper, and the Castellan's daughter hid there."
He fixed his gaze on Reyne's body, and a feeling somewhere between anger and resignation washed over him.
"That's the enemy. Take it away; we'll find a way to bury it."
Sven followed his gaze and darkened. He must have noticed the dagger wound between the shoulder blades and realized who had killed him.
"It couldn't have been easy for you."
"No, it wasn't easy at all. But somehow we made it out alive, even though I couldn't save everyone."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I tried to reach you as quickly as possible."
"It's not your fault. I should have understood sooner what was happening and made different choices."
He had been naive, and his terrible choices had led to the death of too many people.
He should have left with William immediately after the attempted assassination.
He should have prevented Lord Lynden from returning to the castle.
He should have waited for reinforcements and Caedos.
Instead, he had gotten everything wrong. His absurd need to save everyone and prove he wasn't useless had driven him.
Sven guided him out of the gate and went away to carry out orders.
Alex let himself collapse onto the medic's wagon and waited to be treated. His face throbbed, the wounds continued to bleed, and breathing caused sharp pains in his nose.
Maybe his nose was broken.
He wondered how William was doing… his handsome face, forever scarred by injuries caused by others.
"Alex."
The prince jerked his head up. In front of him, his father was staring with an unreadable expression. Sven hadn't told him he was here too.
"Father."
"Are you alright?"
Alex lowered his gaze. "No."
"The doctor will take care of you as soon as he's finished with William."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
His father furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"
"Magic… me… and the crown. Why didn't you tell me? Did you force my sisters to give up the throne for me?"
His father looked around, but they were alone. Then he fixed his sea-blue eyes on him again.
"No, I didn't force anyone. Your sisters chose to stand down to protect you."
"Protect me from what?" Alex shouted. "You forced me to wear a crown I never wanted!"
"Alex…"
"I'm not fit for this role! I'm useless and a disappointment—who would ever want to follow a king as worthless as me? A king who can't even protect a single person!"
His father placed his hands on Alex's shoulders. "Enough. You're being too hard on yourself."
"It's the truth, and you know it. I'm not like you; I can't do what you want."
"It's true, you're not like me. We are different, which is why I chose William. He balances out your flaws and has the pragmatism you're missing."
"I don't want the crown."
"I didn't want it either, but sometimes duty comes before personal desire."
Alex's eyes widened. He hadn't wanted it either?
His father sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Listen, you are far more capable than you realize, and I wish you could see yourself as others do."
"Others only see a lazy, spoiled prince. A fool to be manipulated once he ascends the throne."
"Then prove them wrong."
Alex lowered his gaze and clasped his hands in his lap. "It's not easy."
"Why?"
"Because this role feels suffocating." He closed his eyes. "I just want to be free of these chains and live as I want."
"No one has such a privilege—not a king, not a commoner. We all have duties to the kingdom and to our people. You just need to find a way to come to terms with yours."
"What do you see in me?"
His father looked up at the sky.
"I see my son and the future sovereign of Vellara. A man who is sometimes a bit foolish, certainly too impulsive and hard on himself, but endowed with a strong sense of justice and sacrifice."
"And you see a good king?"
He looked at him again. "Yes."
"Then why didn't you tell me about the true nature of the Crown Pact?"
"If I had told you, would you have acted differently?"
Alex hesitated, then lowered his gaze to his hands. "No."
He probably would have been even more defiant.
"Alex, you have far more magic than I do. I had no choice but to name you heir and find a mage who could help you."
"Do I really risk losing my mind?"
"We don't know. Our family's history says so, but I'm not sure it's true. In any case, as a father, I couldn't put your life in danger."
Alex stared into his eyes. "But you did just that, sending me here without an escort."
His father pursed his lips, a shadow darkening his gaze. "I thought it was just bandits, nothing you weren't ready to handle. And I was counting on the castle guard being there."
An honest answer, though it didn't reassure Alex much. Part of him wished to see his father worried, but the king didn't let emotions show so easily.
Had he even shown concern when he received Caedos' message…?
"And honestly," the king continued, "I hoped sending you two alone might bring you closer."
Alex blushed and looked away. Why did he have to sound like one of those matchmakers fussing over noble marriages?
"Have you performed the ritual?" his father asked.
Alex looked back at him and nodded. "It was the only way to face Reyne."
"Good."
"But there's a problem."
His father raised his eyebrows. "What problem?"
"William is a hemophiliac."
"He didn't tell me."
"He told me, before the Pact. It was… the excuse I wanted to use to convince you to send him to the forts in the north."
"But in the end, you still chose to bond with him."
Alex nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not so bad. He has a terrible temper, but he saved my life. Even now, he has those wounds because I was the one beaten."
"Understandable, given his condition, but I'm sure William can handle the situation." He squeezed Alex's shoulder. "Trust him—and yourself."
The prince pressed his lips together. "I will, Father."
The king stepped back, and the doctor came to tend to Alex's wounds.
After leaving some of the soldiers at the castle to restore order, the procession returned to the palace.
Alex was forced to travel by carriage, together with the doctor and William, who had been bandaged and was starting to look healthier.
It took them the whole day to get home, and by the time they arrived the sun had already set. A deep-blue sky hung over the palace, its walls lit by torches and mounted braziers.
A small crowd had gathered at the entrance. Alex guessed they were nobles who had come to judge him for his partial failure.
But when he stepped down from the carriage, it was Myrina who wrapped her arms around him, her chest heaving with sobs and her cheeks smeared with tears and makeup.
"I thought you were dead," she whimpered.
Alex encircled her waist and smiled into her hair, blonde and wavy like his own.
"I'd have been a cruel brother."
"Sometimes you are." Myrina pulled back and wiped her cheeks. "William, are you alright?"
The mage, who had just stepped down from the carriage, nodded. "Do not worry, Your Highness."
"Alex!"
His older sisters hugged Alex as well; his little brother and mother joined in. Alex flushed with embarrassment. Although being outgoing, it was the first time he had received such a welcome from his family.
A pleasant warmth spread through him, and he couldn't help but smile.
He might have been a terrible king, but he was lucky to be surrounded by people who loved and cared for him.
He turned to William, and his heart skipped a beat. The mage smiled with a tenderness Alex had never seen before, a contrast to the always-present frown that usually marked his face.
And for a moment, Alex wondered if this was the real William.