Alex let the servants in with lunch trays. There were only a few dishes: roast hare, stewed vegetables, and sweet potatoes. And then there was the special surprise he had prepared for William.
As soon as they were alone again, he pulled the armchair closer and smelled the food.
"I was just starting to get a little hungry."
William smiled, and they began to eat. From time to time, the mage glanced at the bookcase behind him, as if he were looking for something.
"Do you want to read, Will?"
"May I?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, pausing with his fork in midair. "Why wouldn't you?"
"Well, maybe you wanted to talk. It's rude to ignore you."
"Since when do you worry about that?"
"Since we…" William pressed his lips together and looked faintly embarrassed. "I don't want to ignore you."
"I like watching you while you read."
"But after a while you might find it boring."
"I don't think so. Like I said, I enjoy it." He swallowed a bite of meat. "But I don't understand why you're worrying about all this now."
"If I tell you, you'll think I'm a fool."
"If you don't tell me, I might start thinking you are."
William sighed and absently stirred the vegetables with his fork. "I'm afraid my behavior will push you away."
"Why would it?"
"Because it's happened before."
Alex clenched his jaw, a surge of irritation tightening his stomach. Will's former lover—the one person he would gladly forget ever existed, and he didn't even know what he looked like.
"You said you were the one who left him."
"I did it without telling him why. I just… ran away. I'm a coward, overly strict, and I don't know how to get along with others."
"Will…"
"My behavior drives people away. I know, it's always been like that, but I… Last night I realized I can't tolerate it anymore. Not if you're the one who walks away."
Alex set his fork down, leaned toward William, and kissed him. It was light and gentle, but he hoped it would reassure him.
"I'm not walking away from you. Not now, not ever. We're bound by magic and by our feelings, no matter what you say or do."
"Your Highness, I have a terrible temper…"
"Your terrible temper turns me on like crazy."
William blushed up to his ears. "It… turns you on?!"
"So much that I might get hard in the middle of a Council meeting." He straightened and glanced at the bookcase. "So, which book were you looking for?"
"No, wait—don't change the subject!"
"Do you want a novel? Though I doubt there are any of those naughty books you like."
"Your Highness!"
Alex looked at him. "What?"
"You can't say things like that! If someone heard you… or saw you…"
"We're alone. What's the problem?"
He rose from his chair and walked to the bookcase, scanning the titles on the spines.
"So, what do you want to read? Should I pick one for you?"
"It doesn't matter, Your Highness, really. We could just talk instead."
Alex ignored him, picked out a random book, and handed it over. "Go ahead and read while we have lunch."
William hesitated, then took it. "Thank you. Oh, it's a ballad."
They sat back down to eat. The prince kept glancing at the mage, his heart filling with joy as he watched him absorbed in his reading. He could have watched him for days and wanted for nothing else.
As soon as they were finished, Alex moved the plates onto the cart and took the final dish: his surprise for William.
He sat atop the desk and rested a hand on the book. The mage looked up, annoyed.
"Do you need something, Your Highness?"
"Just a minute of your attention."
Alex picked up the chocolate and slipped it between William's lips. William's eyes widened, and a strange expression crossed his face when he swallowed.
"This…"
"It's chocolate. You wanted to try it, didn't you? What do you think?"
"A little bitter, but… it's very good."
"I knew you'd like it." He leaned closer and brushed a hand along William's cheek. "Since I've been a good prince all morning, can I have a small reward?"
"Your work isn't finished yet."
"An advance on it, then?"
William sighed. "Wasn't the reward supposed to be the ride with Tempest?"
"But I want it from you."
A faint blush spread across the mage's cheeks, his eyes sharpening as they met Alex's. "You're really shameless."
"You say that like you don't enjoy it…"
William sprang to his feet, wrapped a hand around the back of Alex's neck, and pressed his lips to his. The prince's eyes widened, then he melted into the warmth of William's mouth and fingers against his skin, letting the kiss deepen.
He welcomed his tongue and stroked it with his own, drawn like a moth to candlelight. William's breath tasted of cocoa, and his skin of ink and parchment.
Alex slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer over the desk. William wrapped his arms around his neck and let out a small moan that made the prince's heart twist in a sweet, painful way.
By the spirits, he wished he could strip William and kiss him until their lips were worn raw. Mark every fragment of his body and claim him as his own.
He slid a hand beneath William's clothes, but the mage caught his wrist.
"No. Not here." He met his gaze. "We could be discovered."
He was right, but it was getting harder for Alex to restrain himself when they were alone.
He laced their fingers together. "Then we'll make up for it after dinner."
William gave a mischievous smile. "Only if you act like the responsible prince this afternoon too."
"I won't disappoint you, my lovely raven. Your kiss is an excellent incentive."
He let him go back to his reading, his heart swelling with happiness and desire.
Soon after, the servants came in to clear the dishes, and Alex went back to his desk, waiting for the ministers to start arriving.
The warm midday light filtered through the windows; the garden below was quiet, and the willow stood still near the benches. William's pen scratched across the paper, a sound the prince was beginning to love almost as much as watching him read.
"You're beautiful."
The pen stopped scratching, and Alex turned toward the mage. William was staring at him with obvious embarrassment, his cheeks and ears bright red.
"Your Highness, what—"
"I wish I could tell the whole world," Alex interrupted with a smile. "I wish I could climb a tower and shout it. Hold a ball just so I could invite you to dance and kiss you in front of everyone."
"Your Highness, we can't."
"Not yet, but in the future? That's why I'm here."
A flash of sadness crossed William's eyes. "You should be here because it's the right thing to do. Not just because you feel something for me."
"Can't I want to become king for both reasons?" Alex stood up from the armchair. "I want to protect Vellara, and I want you to be proud of me. And I want to become strong enough to dance with you in front of the entire court."
William's lips curved into a smile. "That would truly be wonderful, Your Highness, but I'm not a good enough reason. You should find the motivation within yourself."
"Why do you say that?"
Before the mage could say anything, someone knocked on the door and opened it.
His father stood in the doorway, his lips drawn into a stern expression and his pale eyes seeming to pierce straight through him.
The prince grimaced. "Father, it's a pleasure to see you. What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see how you were doing." His gaze shifted to William. "Has he caused you any trouble?"
"Not at all, Your Majesty. His Highness has been diligent and efficient."
Alex scoffed. "By the spirits, Father, I may not be brilliant like Franziska, but you don't have to treat me like an idiot."
The king frowned. "If you didn't behave so recklessly, I wouldn't have any reason to doubt you."
"Do you want to argue again today?"
"As if that would change anything."
"Then why are you here?"
"I want you and William to leave for Lenz."
Alex frowned. Nikolas had mentioned it days earlier, but he'd thought his father had changed his mind.
"To do what? Handle more problems?"
"No. Just a pleasant visit. The Duchess isn't doing well, and William can take the opportunity to visit his family. I was told he hasn't seen them for many years."
William stiffened. "That's not necessary, Your Majesty, I can exchange letters with them."
"That is an order, boy. You both need a few days' rest, especially after what happened in Narea."
Alex didn't buy it. There had to be something else behind it; his father would never have sent him away for something so trivial.
"Why don't you tell the truth?"
The king pressed his lips into a thin line and, for a long moment, looked conflicted.
"I need you to stay away from here for a few days."
"But why?"
"Because William's position is less stable than I hoped. And the last thing I need right now is you ruining my plans."
"I'd never do that!"
"But you are damn impulsive, Alex." His father sighed and rubbed his forehead. "They want to drive him out, but I can prevent it if you let me do my job."
A chill ran through the prince's veins. It couldn't be possible; they should have had much more time to prepare. William had said they had about ten days—how many had passed already? Two, three?
Was Ballard really that far ahead of them?
"Your Majesty," William exclaimed, rising to his feet. "If that's the case, it's unwise to send me away. I should stay and defend myself before the Council."
"No. You will go. The Duchess wants to see Alex before she dies, and you will accompany him."
Alex clenched his fists, anger burning in his chest. His father didn't trust him—maybe he never would. There was no reason to send them away and handle everything alone, yet that was exactly what he was doing.
"Do you hate me, Father?"
"Don't be silly."
"Then why do you treat me as if I were your worst enemy?"
His father didn't answer and turned his back on him. "Leave as soon as possible. Take the escort with you."
He left the study before Alex could protest, and all the prince felt was a deep sense of frustration. He didn't want to argue with his father—he just wanted him to stop treating him like a helpless son.
After the incident at Astya, Alex had convinced himself that his father thought he was a good prince, but the facts spoke louder than the many reassuring words he'd spoken.
The truth was that he still despised him for what had happened seven years earlier.
"Your Highness?"
Alex looked up at William and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
"It wouldn't seem so."
"I'm used to it. We always argue." He clenched his fists and returned to the desk. "Call Sven. I'd like to leave tomorrow morning, if possible."
The sooner he left, the sooner he'd be back.
The following day, they departed by carriage, accompanied by the prince's private guard.