Alex froze on the threshold, his eyes wide and fixed on William. He had stepped inside, driven by an impulse he couldn't explain, but he hadn't expected to find him in that room.
He hadn't expected to find anyone, truth be told—least of all the mage smeared with ink, his face wounded.
"William…"
William lifted his gaze: a quiet fury burned in his poison-green irises.
"Your Highness." He reached for the papers and began gathering them up. "What are you doing here? Do you need something?"
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Don't worry." He stood up. "I'll go back to my work."
He moved past, but Alex caught him by the arm.
"Wait a moment! You can't just go around looking like that."
William shot him a glare, then lowered his eyes to the prince's hand holding him back and curled his lips in an irritated grimace.
"Your hands…"
"Your face."
"It's just a scratch."
Alex clicked his tongue. "Just a scratch, my ass!"
It wasn't a deep wound, but it cut across his cheek under the mole, and blood was still dripping. And the skin looked red and swollen too.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Alex swallowed his frustration. William could be so damn stubborn sometimes!
"If you don't tell me, I'll make you."
"Don't you dare."
But the prince didn't listen and dragged him out of the room.
They crossed the corridors, attracting the curiosity of servants and a few nobles. It was an unusual sight, Alex had to admit, and it would probably spark gossip, but he didn't care.
William needed to be treated, and he needed to know what had happened.
Alex pushed him into one of the sitting rooms, asked a servant to bring what he needed to treat him, and closed the door.
William rubbed his arm, eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape route.
Alex's chest tightened. "Are you afraid of me?"
William looked at him, surprised. "Why would you ask that?"
"Because it looks like you're trying to find a way to run away."
"I'm not afraid of you, Your Highness. But I would like to avoid this situation."
"I just want to treat your face."
"No, you want to know what happened."
Heat prickled at his hands. "And would it be so terrible that I care about you?"
"It is."
William tried to walk past him, but Alex stepped in his way. The mage shot him another glare and tried to go around him, but the prince blocked him again.
William pressed his lips together. "Would you kindly move, Your Highness?"
"No. You're not leaving."
"Do you want to force me to stay?"
"Yes." Alex faked a smile. "If you want to get out of here, you'd better start talking."
"Your Highness, are you trying to get turned into a toad?"
"Go ahead and try, mage."
A twitch crossed William's face. He was considering it. He was actually considering hitting him with a spell.
For some reason, Alex almost felt flattered.
"Move," William hissed. "Please, step aside and let me out."
"No."
"You're really stubborn—"
Alex grabbed him by the wrist, silencing him, and pushed him onto the couch.
"I may be stubborn, but you're no better."
William stared at him, outraged. "You're kidnapping me."
"I'm treating you. Or would you rather walk around with that face?"
A light knock cut the mage's protest short. The servant handed Alex the medical supplies and slipped out again.
The prince knelt in front of William.
"Hold still. I know you don't like being touched, but you only need to endure a few minutes."
William clasped his hands tightly in his lap and half-closed his eyes while Alex cleaned the wound and spread ointment on it.
"Your Highness, I can use magic," the mage murmured.
"Oh, right." Alex kept forgetting that. "But I'm almost done anyway."
"It wasn't necessary. I could have done it myself."
"Sure, but then how would I press you for the truth?"
"Why would you do that?"
"Because someone hit you." Alex looked him straight in the face. "Am I right?"
William held his gaze for a long moment, then looked away.
"If I tell you, you'll get angry."
Alex pressed his lips together; irritation prickled his hands. "That's the least I could do! Why on earth should I let it go?"
"Because it's the best thing to do."
"What, you enjoy getting hit? Is that your secret kink?"
William shot him a murderous glare. "You're really shameless."
"Then explain why you don't want to tell me anything." He gently took his chin. "Are you trying to stay scarred forever, William?"
"No."
"Then why aren't you taking better care of yourself?"
William didn't answer and pushed his hand away. He stood up, but Alex grabbed his wrist and pulled him back onto the couch. He loomed over him, hoping that would stop him from trying to run again.
"What happened? Who was it?"
"If I tell you, you must promise you won't say anything to anyone."
"I'm the prince. If someone attacks my mage, I have every right to punish them."
"Not if they're more powerful than you."
Alex frowned. "It wasn't my father, was it?"
William stared at him, appalled. "Of course not! How could you even think that?"
"That's because of you. Who could be more powerful than the Crown Prince, if not the King?"
"The royal advisors. Other nobles." The mage's eyes sharpened. "Do you really think your position is solid? Do I need to remind you what happened when the Council summoned us after the events in Astya?"
He didn't need to—Alex remembered it all too well. He also remembered the unease of being interrogated by those bastards.
And he remembered William's face after being struck by Ballard.
"It was Ballard this time too, wasn't it?"
The mage averted his gaze, and Alex took it as an admission.
"Did you defend yourself?"
"No. I can't."
"Yes, you can! You're a royal advisor too. You're my mage."
"I. Can't," William hissed. He lifted his eyes again. "I'm not a noble, and I have no support. If I fight back, my life at court is over."
"So you'd rather let him hit you?"
"It was just a slap."
"He hurt you!"
"It doesn't even hurt that much anymore." William touched his own cheek. "I've endured worse."
"And you think that makes it acceptable?"
"No, but there's nothing I can do."
Anger burned through Alex's veins. He hated Ballard for what he'd done, hated William for not fighting back, and despised himself for not knowing what to do.
"Don't you ever think about yourself, about your own life? What if it leaves a scar?"
"That would be for the best. At least then, people would stop noticing my beauty before anything else."
"I don't."
Alex bit his lip, but it was too late—he'd said it. He didn't even know why; he just felt the need to justify himself, to make William understand he wasn't like the others.
William looked startled for a moment, then his eyes sharpened again.
"Am I supposed to believe you don't see my face?"
"It would be a lie, but your beauty isn't all I see. Mostly, I see your intelligence and your sharp tongue. And your skill with magic."
William looked unsettled by those words and remained silent for several minutes.
"Your Highness, you should get up."
"I will after you tell me what happened. I deserve to know—you're my mage." He brushed a finger over the wounded cheek. "No one should disrespect you. It's like disrespecting me, do you understand?"
William looked away but didn't pull from his touch.
"It was Lord Ballard. He made some flimsy excuse, claiming I made mistakes in drafting the minutes of the last meeting—but that's not true. I'm absolutely certain of it. I think he hates me, though I don't know why. Maybe it's my Xianese blood."
"I can talk to him myself."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Lord Ballard has no respect for you. He could use this incident against you." William sighed. "You don't have enough strength. Your political power is weak, and I'm your mage. They can use me against you, and I can't allow that. Not after reaching this point."
Alex hesitated. "So you care only about your position."
"No. My duty is to serve you and support you, but you're not helping me."
The prince clenched his fists. "So now it's my fault?"
"You don't attend meetings. You don't concern yourself with the kingdom's affairs. Do you think none of this matters to you? You are the future king!"
William grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.
"And your behavior harms me. If you are weak, then so am I. If you don't command the Council's respect, Lord Ballard will have no qualms about trampling me."
"Then defend yourself!"
"I can't!"
William yanked him closer; they were so near that Alex could feel his breath on his lips.
"If I defend myself, you lose what little credibility you have. They'll say you chose a mad Xianese man, that you're so inept you can't even manage your own mage."
"And why do you care?"
"I care because I worry about you and your reputation."
Alex raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"I'm here to help you become the king you deserve to be, Your Highness. If letting Lord Ballard humiliate me is the price to make you stronger, I'll gladly pay it."
"You shouldn't. I don't want you to do that."
He didn't want William to get hurt because of him.
"Your Highness, I am your tool—"
"Stop," Alex snapped, pressing his forehead to his. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're not an object, and I have no intention of using you like one?"
He lifted his head to meet his gaze.
"Do I really look that cruel to you?"
"No, I…"
William blushed, and Alex was taken aback. It was the first time he had ever seen him react like that.
The mage pressed his lips together and looked embarrassed.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to imply something like that. It's just… I'm not used to being treated this way."
"Like a human being?" A sharp pain pierced Alex's chest. "William, what kind of people have you met until now?"
A shadow clouded his eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it, Your Highness."
The prince pressed his lips together and brushed William's cheek, but William slapped his hand away. His eyes were wide, and his cheeks pale. His parted lips trembled.
He looked… frightened.
Was it his fault?
"I'm sorry," the mage murmured, "I shouldn't have done that. I beg your pardon." He hid his face in his hands. "Please, stand up. You're too close; you're making me uncomfortable. I'm begging you. Please."
Alex obeyed. He hadn't realized William despised physical closeness to that extent, and guilt gnawed at him for forcing him into that position. He shouldn't have done it—not ever—but he kept forgetting.
What a foolish, selfish prince he was. If William hated him, he had every right to.
"I'm sorry."
He left the room, overwhelmed by the emotions churning inside him. He was worried about the mage, but also angry at him for the way he treated himself.
And deep down, he felt something else too, something he didn't dare look at, something he would never name. Because naming it would make it real, and he couldn't allow that.
The following afternoon, Alex put on a cloak and went down into the city.
He needed to relax and clear his mind, and the brothel was the perfect place to spend time.
And to try to forget what had happened with William.