The first thing Alex and William did after setting foot in the palace was request a private audience with the king.
The journey to Narea, the governor's veiled threats, and the merchant's far more tangible ones had taken a heavy toll on them both, but the prince knew he had to inform his father of everything that had happened.
"If you want to rest," Alex said, "I can speak to him myself."
"There's no need, Your Highness. I'm not tired."
The prince stopped in the middle of the corridor. "How are you feeling today?"
"Better than yesterday." William lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry if I—"
"You don't have to apologize. Not for any of this. It's not your fault, Will, and being with you, I've learned how to be patient."
"It's just that I wish I'd been able to make better use of the journey. To do things I couldn't do here."
Alex frowned. "We can do them here too."
"Your Highness, we—"
"Trust me." He leaned closer but didn't touch him. "Somehow, there will still be an 'us'."
William hesitated, then nodded with a faint smile. "I trust you."
They resumed walking and reached the Council Hall. The king was waiting for them inside with Nikolas; none of the other royal advisors were there.
Alex sighed. Better this way.
"Father, it's a pleasure to see you again."
His father lifted his eyes from the documents and rubbed his forehead. "I hope the journey was pleasant."
"Actually, no. We ran into several problems."
"What do you mean?"
Alex turned to William, who gave him a small nod, then stepped closer to his father and Nikolas.
"The story is long and complicated, and I'd like it to stay within these walls."
The king frowned. "Do you doubt me?"
"No, Father, but it's not about me. It concerns William, and I don't want the court to gossip about it."
"I won't tell anyone." He gestured toward the chairs. "Sit down and tell me. Nikolas, would you mind leaving us alone?"
The advisor raised an eyebrow, cast a glance at the prince, and took his leave with a bow.
Alex and William took their seats near the king and remained silent for a moment.
"Well?" the sovereign prompted. "What happened?"
The prince sighed. "We have proof that the governor embezzled money. A letter—it's all we managed to recover. It's in code, but William deciphered it."
The mage handed over the letter along with the translation he had prepared.
The king frowned. "This isn't very strong evidence. Do we at least have names?"
"Unfortunately, no," William said. "We only know the governor is involved because the letters were in his chambers."
"You'll have to interrogate him," Alex cut in. "If you put pressure on him, I'm sure he'll talk."
His father nodded and looked at them in turn with hawk-like eyes. "But this isn't what you wanted to talk to me about, is it?"
"A merchant, Evered Cox, kidnapped William."
"Explain."
"He decided William had to be his, in every way. He harassed him twice, and when I threatened him, he kidnapped him."
"Did you have him arrested?"
"I wanted to, but during the raid someone from the city guard ignored my orders and killed him. And it appears the merchant was involved in the missing funds."
His father let out a deep breath and turned to William. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm better, Your Majesty. His Highness took care of me."
"I'm glad to hear that. And I'm sorry for what you had to endure."
Alex clenched his fists and lowered his gaze. He wanted to tell his father about William's past, to make him understand how much he had suffered because of the merchant's actions, but he couldn't.
William would have hated him for it.
The king sighed. "I'll take care of the governor. Thank you for what you've done."
He gestured for them to leave, but the prince didn't move.
"Father, I need to speak with you in private. It's important."
"I'm busy at the moment. Can we discuss it after dinner?"
"Yes, of course."
His father studied him for a moment. "Do you want your mother to be there as well?"
"That would be best. It's… something personal, and I'd like to talk about it with both of you, if possible."
"You're worrying me." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "All right, we'll talk after dinner. Go and get some rest, my son. The journey must have been exhausting." He nodded to William. "You should rest too, boy."
They bowed and left the Council Hall.
Once in the corridors, Alex caught William by the sleeve of his jacket. "Can we… spend a little time together?"
"Don't you want to sleep for a while?"
"No, I… I'd rather stay with you."
The mage frowned. "I have no intention of hurting myself."
"I know. I'm saying it for myself, not for you. I need it."
"Do you need my company?"
"I like being with you. I even like watching you read."
William gave a small smile. "All right. You can come with me to the library and—"
"Alex! William!" Myrina's cheerful voice echoed through the corridors.
His sister ran up to them, a wide smile on her face, and hugged them. "It's so good to see you again! I missed you, you know?"
Alex flashed an amused smile. "Really? And who did you miss more, me or Will?"
"William. You're annoying." She stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to the mage. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course, Princess."
"Will you be my preceptor?"
William raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain?"
"Absolutely sure! I know you're very intelligent and you know so many things, and you're definitely more patient than my current preceptor."
Alex chuckled. "Will is anything but patient."
"Maybe so, but I'd still like him to teach me. And besides, we can talk about novels."
"Right, I forgot you read that obscene stuff."
"It's not obscene, it's literature!"
"Myri, you read about two men sleeping together. That's not literature."
"They're love stories. They're beautiful."
"They seem inappropriate to me."
"But you haven't even read them!"
"Actually, I have." He gave her a little smirk. "Will once read me a passage from… what was it called? The Duke's Slave? So I can say it's not literature."
Myrina stuck out her tongue at him and turned back to William.
"You can be my preceptor, right?"
"Certainly. It will be an honor to teach you."
"Really? Thank you!" She hugged him again, and for a moment William seemed to stiffen.
Alex opened his mouth to pull his sister away, but the mage shook his head. His eyes seemed to tell him to let it go, that he could handle the situation without being overwhelmed.
The prince wondered whether that was really true. Whether being hugged by his sister wasn't tearing William apart inside.
He also felt a faint pang of envy, because he wanted to be the one holding him in his arms.
"Let's start right away!" Myrina trilled.
She grabbed William's hand and Alex's and dragged them toward the library.
---------------------------
Alex rested his head on his arms and watched William's graceful profile.
The mage had been talking for ages, but the prince had no idea what about. He wasn't really listening; he was letting himself be lulled by the soft tone of William's voice.
Myrina, seated in front of them, was taking notes with focused attention and, from time to time, asked questions. She seemed happy with William's lesson, and the mage appeared comfortable in the role of preceptor.
Alex wished he could take him to his own chambers and spend the rest of the day listening to a few more indecent passages from his erotic books.
He slipped one hand under the table and touched the mage's leg with a finger.
William's eyes flew open, and his voice trembled, but he continued with the explanation. Of what, exactly? Medicinal herbs? The history of the kingdom?
But did it matter? He could have been talking about the weather and Alex would have listened anyway. He loved his voice.
Myrina was writing quickly in her notebook, her expression intent. The prince stretched out his hand again and touched William's knee.
The mage shot him a sharp look, and Alex settled his hand on his thigh. He didn't feel him tremble—maybe it didn't bother him.
"Princess?" William said.
Myrina lifted her head abruptly. "Yes?"
"Would you like to repeat the notes you've taken? That way I can check that they're correct, and you can study them for next time."
"Yes, of course."
She began to reread them, and William gave Alex a stern glance, then set his pen down on the papers and moved his hand under the table.
His slender fingers brushed the prince's knee and slid up toward his side. The mage stared straight ahead, as if he were truly listening to Myrina reading. But was he really, or was he just pretending?
By the spirits, Alex could never have maintained such detachment.
"Princess," William murmured, "you've got the date of the southern annexation wrong."
"Oh! You're right."
The mage's hand caressed Alex's thigh, slid toward his groin, then withdrew. He was tempting him, fully aware that the prince didn't have much self-control.
Myrina finished reading, made the corrections, and stood up from her chair.
"I'm going to ask for some tea. Do you mind if we have it here?"
William smiled at her. "That's perfectly fine, Your Highness. If you like, we can also talk about the last novel you read."
The princess broke into a wide smile. "That would be wonderful!"
She left the library and closed the door behind her.
As soon as they were alone, William turned to look at Alex, his gaze as stern as ever.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Your Highness?"
"More than I'm willing to admit." Alex rested his chin on his arms. "Are you all right?"
The mage lowered his gaze and stayed silent for a few moments. "I think so. You surprised me, but I didn't feel any repulsion."
"That's a good thing."
"It is." He stood up. "May I ask you something, Your Highness?"
Alex raised his eyebrows and nodded.
William let out a brief sigh. "I'd like to sleep beside you. Tonight, and in the nights to come. I sleep better when I'm with you, and I'd like to continue, but I know it won't be just as easy."
"We can make it work somehow. I can come to you."
"But if you don't sleep in your own bed, the servants will gossip. They'll say you're frequenting the brothels again."
"I don't really care. And it's safer for you. My chambers are more closely guarded; if they see you leaving, it'll be a scandal."
"Then tonight—"
The library door opened and Myrina came back in. She was holding a ceramic jar in her arms.
"They'll bring the tea shortly. But look what I swiped from the kitchens!" She lifted the lid and showed them some cookies. "The cook just baked them. Would you like to eat them together?"