William and Alex reached the small lake.
The sun glimmered on the aquamarine surface making the water shimmer with shifting colors.
Alex dismounted, helped William do the same, and tied Tempest to a fence near the shore.
They approached the water, and for a while both remained silent, watching the stillness of the clearing nestled among the woods.
"Are you hungry, Will?"
"Not really."
"Oh. Want to go for a swim?"
William blushed. "I can't swim."
"I can teach you."
The mage looked at him, and a small smile curved his lips. "You're a very resourceful prince, Your Highness."
"And you're a very strange commoner."
Alex pulled off his boots and jacket. He reached the shore and stepped into the water. It was cool and pleasant.
"Coming?"
William shook his head, eyes fixed on his feet. "Absolutely not."
"Come on, it'll be fun! We'll stay near the shore, where the water is shallow." He held out a hand. "Trust me!"
The mage looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then removed his boots and joined him.
He stepped into the water with uncertainty and drew closer. His long black hair flowed over the surface like trails of ink.
Alex smiled. "Now that you're here…"
He splashed him. William protested, though without much conviction, and splashed him back, starting a water fight that soaked them both.
The mage was laughing, happy and at ease. It was everything Alex had wanted from this day.
The prince grabbed him by the hips to toss him into the water, but slipped on the muddy bottom, dragging them both in.
Alex resurfaced and helped William do the same.
"You're alright?"
The mage coughed up a bit of water and shot him a sharp look.
"Were you trying to get rid of me?"
Alex laughed. "I only wanted to annoy you a little."
The frown on William's face softened into a sweet smile. "You're truly incredible. And naive."
He pushed his hands against Alex's chest and shoved him into the water. Alex grabbed his arm and dragged him under, and the mage fell on top.
They were close. Their chests touched, William's legs pressing against his groin.
Alex swallowed, and something churned in his stomach, like millions of butterflies fluttering wildly inside him.
His eyes fell on William's neck, where a rivulet of water slid down, on the wet strands clinging to his cheeks and forehead. On the poison-green eyes and the small mole under his eye.
On his slightly parted lips and the soft breath escaping them. All Alex had have to do was lean in to kiss him.
And he wanted that so badly. To taste those lips and his body, to claim all of him for himself, and to hell with the bastard who had stolen his heart first.
But he couldn't. He'd ruin everything.
William's eyes widened, and for a brief moment Alex felt that the mage had sensed how fiercely he was burning with desire.
The prince looked away. "You're cruel to trick me like this."
"It's fair payback for dragging me into the water."
"True. I suppose I deserved it."
William stood up, and the distance between them grew until it felt almost unbearable. Alex lifted a hand to stop him for a moment longer, but lowered it before touching him.
He had been impulsive; he shouldn't have.
"Are you hungry, Your Highness?"
Alex snapped out of his thoughts and gave a faint smile. "A bit. Want to eat?"
William nodded and held out his hand.
Alex hesitated for a moment, then took it and got back on his feet. He hadn't expected William to ever make such a gesture, but it made him happy.
It meant something between them was shifting, that they were becoming friends.
Too bad Alex had just realized he wanted much more than that.
They wrapped themselves in a couple of blankets and sat near the shore, under one of the oaks. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden patterns on William's face.
Alex forced himself to look away and rummaged through the saddlebag. He pulled out some honey flatbreads, biscuits, and a bit of dried meat. He handed some to the mage, and for a while they both ate in silence.
A light breeze rose, rustling through the leaves above their heads and the blades of grass around them. A cricket chirped, its song filling the stillness. In the distance, dark clouds were gathering.
"It's a lovely place," William remarked, licking honey from his fingers. "Do you come here often?"
"Not as often as I'd like. My father showed me this place when I was a child, before… well, the accident."
The mage gave him a curious look but asked no questions. He respected his boundaries, and Alex appreciated that deeply.
"Have you seen the scar he has on his cheek?"
William nodded. "It doesn't look like it was caused by a blade."
"It was a boar." Alex stretched his legs out and folded his arms behind his head. "We were riding together around here, without an escort. A boar burst out of nowhere and attacked us—probably defending its young."
"That's possible. They're very protective animals."
"I don't blame it. I should've paid more attention. My horse panicked, and I was thrown off and hit the ground. My father shielded me with his body, and the boar's tusks struck his face."
He had almost lost an eye back then. And after that incident, their relationship had never been the same.
William frowned and let his fingers glide through the blades of grass. "Is that why you blame yourself too much?"
"I guess so. I put people I love in danger, and because of me they got hurt. Now I can't stand the idea of anyone getting injured because of me."
"Not even me?"
"Not even you. Your life matters to me, Will, so don't put yourself at risk unnecessarily."
William pulled the blanket tighter around himself. His still-damp hair gleamed under the warm sunlight, giving it chestnut highlights.
Alex couldn't look away. Something about the mage—about the way he looked at him, or the feelings Alex experienced whenever they were close—pulled him in, like a moth to a flame.
But it was wrong. William was the last person he should ever want.
He was his mage; they would remain bound for their entire lives. He couldn't seduce him just because, in that moment, desire got the best of him.
Not to mention the wound the mage still carried.
William turned, and for a long, suspended moment their eyes locked. The mage's green irises glowed with a warmth Alex rarely saw in them—yet every time he did, it made his heart skip a beat and quickened his breath.
"You're looking at me more than usual today" William murmured.
"Is that a problem?"
"No. If it's you, nothing is."
"Will, I—"
A thunderclap cut through his words, stopping him before he could say something he would regret.
Alex lifted his gaze to the sky. Thick clouds were gathering rapidly above them. The light dimmed as a cold wind rose.
William hugged the blanket around himself. "Perhaps we should go back."
"I think so."
They dried off quickly and mounted up again. After only a few steps, a torrent of water crashed down on them.
White lightning slashed across the sky above, followed by rolling thunder. Rain poured in sheets, soaking them in seconds.
"We can't ride like this!" Alex shouted. "We need to find shelter!"
The rain had turned the ground muddy and uneven. Tempest was an excellent mount, but carrying both of them in those conditions was risky. They could fall and get hurt—and William couldn't afford even a scratch.
Alex grabbed the reins and led them down a path that wound into the forest. He remembered there was a cave somewhere nearby, but spotting it under all that rain would be difficult.
William pointed ahead. "There!"
Inside a rocky outcrop, a cave opened, large enough to hold all of them. They slipped inside, while the storm raged outside.
Alex let out a sigh and pulled off his now-sodden shirt. "And to think it looked like a good day."
"Are sudden storms common in this area?"
"Sometimes, but usually not at this time of year." He looked William over. "You should undress or you'll get cold."
"I can endure."
"Will, we don't even have a fire."
"I can make one."
"But we don't have wood to burn."
The mage pressed his lips together and curled up in a corner. Alex finished undressing and laid out his soaked clothes, then he sat down beside William.
"Are you sure you don't want to take yours off?"
"I can endure."
"Will, I'm not going to do anything to you. You have my word."
"I know, but it's fine like this."
A violent shiver ran through William, and he hugged himself tightly.
"Will," Alex murmured, "you'll get sick."
"I can endure."
"William…"
"I can start a fire if you have kindling."
Alex glanced toward the saddlebags. Maybe they could burn those.
He emptied one, unhooked it, and set it down in front of the mage. William extended a trembling hand, and after a few seconds the bag caught fire. A foul smell filled the cave, and Tempest stepped outside into the rain.
Alex kneeled beside the mage and brought his hands closer to the flames, letting the heat warm his chilled fingertips.
"Are you all right?"
"Y-yes." William rested his forehead on his knees. "D-don't… don't worry."
It was a lie. He was so cold he was even chattering his teeth.
"By the spirits, you're so stubborn."
Alex grabbed his hand and examined his fingers. They were bluish, clear proof William was freezing. If he kept this up, he'd risk his life.
"Will, if you don't take those clothes off yourself, I'll do it for you. Even if it means getting slapped. I'm not letting you die over something this foolish."
"I-I'll… be f-fine."
"Don't give me that. You're a hemophiliac, and if your body goes into hypothermia, you risk severe internal bleeding."
"How…" A harsh tremor shook his shoulders.
Alex sighed. "I spent a long time living with the soldiers. I know what cold does to the body. I've seen people who suffered internal bleeding and limb amputations."
The mage flushed and looked away. "A-all right, but… d-don't look at me."
Alex turned his gaze aside and waited until William had undressed, then looked back. He forced himself not to let his eyes wander over his body, and sat with his back against the wall.
He spread his arms. "Come here."
"Y-your Highness, I…"
"You need warmth, and my body is warm." Alex softened his expression. "I won't do anything to you. I give you my word. I just want to help."
William hesitated for a few heartbeats, then, very slowly, curled up against his chest. The mage's skin was icy and damp, with faint tremors running through his muscles.
Alex held him close and tried not to think that they were both naked, pressed together in an embrace.