After attending the Council meeting, Alex and William headed to the prince's study.
It was a spacious room, tastefully furnished, overlooking the back garden and the willow they had hidden behind just a few evenings earlier. Two large desks had been placed on a deep red rug, and tall bookcases lined an entire wall.
Despite everything, Alex didn't find it stifling. William, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased.
"It's nice," the prince said. "Did you have it arranged this way?"
"Yes. Your Majesty asked me to take care of it, and I thought this room would be perfect. It faces a quiet corner of the garden, so you won't have any distractions."
"I would've preferred seeing the stables."
"Then I'd have to spend my time reprimanding you." William pressed his lips into a stern line. "Better to keep you away from Tempest."
He gestured toward the larger desk.
"Go on, have a seat. We have a lot of work to do."
Alex smirked and settled into an armchair. "If I behave like a proper prince, can I hope for a little reward?"
William sat down and shot him a sharp look. "Maybe—but only if we finish on time."
They began working in silence. The mage handed him document after document, briefly explaining what each one was about, and to Alex's great satisfaction, they were all issues he could handle.
He might not be a refined politician, but when it came to troops, patrol routes, and the distribution of supplies, weapons, and armor, he was far more knowledgeable than William. He had spent so much time among soldiers that he knew the real problems—and how to fix them.
"They need heavy clothing in the north," he said, handing a stack of papers back to William. "And they should add more animal fats and dairy to their diet. They spend most of their time in freezing conditions, and sunlight is scarce. They need milk to keep their bones strong."
"Oh." William looked surprised. "Did you spend time up there?"
"No, but I've met soldiers who served for a while in the northern forts. They all complained about the lack of cheese and lard." Alex waved a hand. "Ah, and if possible, send them a ration of chocolate once a week. It boosts morale."
"Chocolate is expensive."
"They spend months in ice and snowstorms. A bit of chocolate might sweeten things for them."
William bit his lip, as if torn. "Is it… really that good?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You've never tried it?"
"No. My family isn't wealthy." The mage scratched his arm, clearly uncomfortable. His gaze drifted away. "Chocolate in Lenz is very expensive. I wanted to try it when we were in Narea, but…"
His voice trailed off into silence, the unease plain on his delicate features.
"You didn't try it here at court either?"
"Ah, no, I… didn't feel like I deserved it."
"You're too hard on yourself, Will." Alex smiled at him. "But you just gave me an idea for this afternoon." He stretched his shoulders. "What's the next problem?"
"Well…" William shuffled through the papers until he found what he was looking for. His expression darkened. "It's about the recent attacks on merchant caravans."
"Where?"
"Along the border with the Empire."
This was the same issue Ballard had mentioned a few days earlier?
Alex stood and moved beside him. "What does the report say?"
"There were casualties: two mercenaries who had been hired to guard their wagon. The goods were stolen, and the merchant—someone named Depois—was beaten. The survivors say the attackers were Xianese bandits."
"Can we trust the witnesses?"
"Why wouldn't we?"
"Because they might not have been Xianese."
William lifted his eyes to Alex's face. "But the merchant has no reason to lie. He's not a politician."
"But—"
"Your Highness, you shouldn't let your feelings for me cloud your judgment about my mother's homeland."
"It's your home too."
"I grew up in Vellara."
"But you were born there, and you're fond of your origins."
William lowered his gaze. "And that's a weakness that's caused me more than a few problems."
Alex raised a hand to caress his cheek, but stopped midway and felt like an idiot. How could he comfort him when he had no real idea what William was feeling right now? Alex was the prince—no one had ever questioned his lineage. William was Xianese, raised in Vellara.
"For what it's worth, it's a weakness I happen to like very much."
William looked back at him and offered a faint smile. "Thank you." He turned his gaze to the report again. "What do you want to do?"
"We'll increase the troops along the border. We can move them from the southern regions. Raise their pay to keep morale high. The men mustn't see it as a punishment."
"It wouldn't be necessary if you announced that it's to protect our homeland from the Empire."
"But I don't want to stir up unrest. Someone might use it against me."
"Against you?"
"Ballard might send you away, claiming that the people don't want their future ruler associated with a Xianese man."
"He wouldn't be entirely wrong…"
"William!"
"…from a rational standpoint." Will stood up and placed a hand on Alex's hip. "But I have no intention of leaving you. Not before I've seen you take the throne."
"And I hope you won't leave even after that."
"That I can't promise you, Your Highness. Not yet." He sighed, his eyes returning to the report. "Let's monitor the situation. If someone is framing the Empire, sooner or later they'll make a mistake. And if things go badly, we could arrange a diplomatic delegation to the Emperor's court."
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Alex kissed his forehead and sat back down. "Is there anything else we need to handle?"
"There's much more, Your Highness."
They resumed working side by side. The scratching of William's pen on the paper became such a familiar sound that Alex didn't even notice when lunchtime arrived. If being king meant spending his days listening to William's soft voice and watching his hand write orders on the page, he would gladly take the throne tomorrow.
"Your Highness, would you like to go down for lunch?"
Alex snapped out of his thoughts. "Go downstairs?"
"It's lunchtime and we're almost finished. We can head downstairs if you wish."
"No, have lunch brought here. If we finish, we won't need to come back after dinner, right? I have to meet the ministers this afternoon."
William gave a small smile. "You're very responsible today."
"It's because I want to go riding before dinner."
"I should have guessed."
"And I want you to come with me." Alex shot him a mischievous look. "We could go back to the lake."
William's cheeks flushed. "You're truly shameless."
Alex laughed, and the mage stood up with a sigh.
"I'll go tell them to bring lunch here."
The prince stopped him by raising a hand. "Never mind, I'll do it."
After all, he had a very specific request to make.
He stepped past him, leaned out into the corridor, and caught the attention of an attendant. He delivered the message and returned to William.
"While we wait, you can give me that lesson you promised this morning."
The mage frowned. "Have a seat. It's going to be a very long explanation."
Alex obeyed and watched as William pulled several volumes from the shelves and set them on the desk. The tenderness and reverence with which he brushed the cover sent a pleasant pang through Alex's chest. He must truly love books.
William cleared his throat. "So, what do you know about the founding of the kingdom?"
"That it was unified more than half a millennium ago by one of my ancestors. Before that, there were about ten independent kingdoms constantly at war. My ancestor conquered them and united them under the same banner."
"Correct." William spread a map between them. "Your ancestor unified them over the course of thirty years and restored peace."
Alex frowned, searching his memory. He had never paid much attention in history lessons, but he seemed to recall some legend connected to the unification.
"Am I mistaken, or is it said that he succeeded with the blessing of a dragon?"
"Of a spirit, to be precise, but yes. The legend says that your ancestor crossed the northern mountains, reached a great frozen lake, and prayed to the spirit dwelling there to grant him the strength needed to unite the warring kingdoms and bring peace."
"Is it a true story?"
"I don't know. In some versions, it seems he didn't travel alone." William pointed at the map. "In any case, your ancestor was the young king of a small central kingdom. The capital has remained the same since then; the court has always stayed here."
"Adesten is central. It makes sense that it stayed the capital."
From that position, after all, it was easier to control the territory.
William nodded. "But as the kingdom became more structured, it became necessary to equip it with an efficient administrative system. The Council alone couldn't handle all the duties, so the ministries were created. Currently, there are six."
Alex grew thoughtful. "The thirteen members of the Council are the most influential nobles, right?"
William nodded.
"So who exactly are the ministers? Nobles too?"
"Yes. In Vellara, prominent positions have never been held by commoners. I'm the first exception."
"You're the first exception in many ways, aren't you? You're the first commoner to have attended the Royal Academy of Magic and the first to sit on the Council."
"And the first to be Court Mage."
Alex smiled. "And the first to have won the heart of a prince."
William blushed. "We can't be sure of that." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, the ministers are chosen by the sovereign based on their skills. They head the ministries, offices that manage all the administrative aspects of the kingdom. They're housed in some old palaces in the city; they were moved there about two hundred years ago, when they realized there was no longer much space at court."
"But isn't that inconvenient for transmitting orders?"
"It is. In fact, your father is considering expanding the royal palace and building other structures where the ministries can be relocated. But the Council doesn't quite agree."
"Ballard, right?"
"Exactly. He considers it a waste of money that could end up in his duchy's coffers."
Alex drummed his fingers on the desk, his eyes fixed on the map. "So, if I understand correctly, the Council handles the most important decisions, then passes everything to the various ministries that have to carry out those decisions."
"More or less. The ministries also handle less important matters and submit anything significant to the Council."
"And the sovereign?"
"The sovereign is required to ensure that the ministers are doing their job properly, and it's an activity that takes a great deal of time. That's why your father often doesn't preside over meetings. But you don't have to do it alone; you can choose trustworthy and competent people to ease your workload."
"Still, my father didn't do that."
"Your Majesty ascended the throne at a difficult time, and that… I think it shaped him."
Alex lowered his gaze. He knew the story; his mother had told him years earlier—how his father had buried his own parent after a revolt and razed an entire city to avenge him.
"Do you think I should be like him?"
"No, Your Highness. You are who you are, and you shouldn't try to be anyone else."
"Even if I'm weak?"
"You're not weak. You're just inexperienced, that's all."
Alex gave a faint smile and turned toward the window. "You know, maybe being king won't be so bad if I have you by my side. If I can rely on others and don't have to pretend to be like my father."
"With me, you can show your vulnerability, Your Highness. I would never take advantage of you."
"I know." He looked at him, a pleasant warmth filling his chest at the sight of his poison-green eyes. "Thank you."
William smiled, but before the prince could add anything else, a soft knock interrupted them.