William frowned. "Your Highness, could you please get up?"
"I—"
Something slithered across his back. "Will, is that the little prince?"
Alex turned his head and came face to face with a sharp muzzle, a forked tongue, and a sinuous neck. Blood pounded in his head. A trickle of sweat ran down his neck. What was a snake doing in the royal palace?
The reptile hissed again, and a wave of dread washed over the prince. Why did this day have to go so badly?
"A—A snake! Get it away!"
The serpent hissed sharply just a few inches from his nose. "I'm not a snake, I'm an air spirit."
"Your Highness," murmured the mage, "you're pressing down on me."
Alex flinched, straightened, then stepped back to put some distance between them. "Who let this… reptile in?"
"I did." William adjusted his shirt collar and stood up. "It's my familiar. His name is Caedos, and he's an amphiptere, an air spirit. A kind of winged serpent."
The creature arched its chest and spread the feathered wings that served as its forelimbs. Its long, sinuous body was covered in small iridescent scales, and its head resembled that of a dragon.
Alex scrunched up his nose. "It looks like a worm."
William frowned, clearly displeased with the comparison, and addressed the familiar. "Apologize to His Highness; you scared him."
"Not a chance. It's not my fault that he's such a vain blond."
The prince froze. What kind of pair were these two? The mage talked back to him in front of the entire court, and now his pet dared to call him "vain blonde" in the middle of the hall.
"Caedos!" William scolded him, but the amphiptere made a derisive hiss and fluttered out the window. The mage sighed. "I apologize, but he isn't very disciplined with humans. He's an ancient spirit, and hierarchies mean nothing to him."
"I noticed. And they don't seem to matter much to you either."
William didn't reply, but a flicker of unease dulled the poison-green of his eyes.
Alex sighed. He didn't like it, but if he wanted a way out of this bond, he needed the mage's cooperation. Despite everything, he didn't want to kick him out of court.
"I can't stand you, and you can't stand me. But together, we can convince my father to release you from your duty, so you can return wherever you came from, and I can choose a Court Mage more suited to me."
"His Majesty doesn't seem like the kind of person who gives up easily."
"True, but I can be particularly annoying when I want something."
William frowned, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes. "I don't doubt it."
Alex's lips twisted in irritation. "Can't you be a little less blunt? Or at least pretend to be?"
"No. I always say what I think."
What a strange man. Honestly, what did it matter? Just one more week and he wouldn't have to see him again.
"Never mind." He held out his palm. "So, are you willing to cooperate?"
"Do you already have a plan?"
"No, but together we'll think of something, right?" He winked, but the mage pressed his lips together and turned away, ignoring his outstretched hand.
"If that's what you want, I'll help, but on one condition."
Alex let his arm drop to his side. "Which one?"
"Whatever happens, you must take responsibility. I don't want to be blamed for anything, and I don't want His Majesty to be angry with me. I want to come out of this with a clean slate. Can you promise me that?"
"Of course!"
William studied him again with a cold, probing look. "Is that the truth? Do you swear it?"
Alex met his gaze. "I know what they say about me at court, but I'm a man who always keeps his word."
"Actually, I don't know. Gossip doesn't interest me. I prefer to judge people with my own eyes."
"And what have you seen?"
"A completely irresponsible man."
"Then you'll get along well with the rest of the nobility and with my father."
William frowned, turned his back, and took a few steps. He stopped and looked back at him. "There's one more thing, Your Highness."
"Go ahead." One more request wouldn't make a difference.
"Don't touch me. Ever again."
A rush of heat rose to Alex's neck. "Look, it was an accident! I tripped on… on… What did I trip on?"
"You tripped on Caedos." William lowered his gaze, and for a moment he seemed conflicted. "I know you didn't mean to, but… don't do it. It annoys me."
The prince dug his nails into his palms. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Didn't he realize he was talking to the future sovereign?
"You're the last person I'd ever want to touch. I've never liked brooding types."
The mage shot him an irritated glare and walked away with the valet, a gloomy, distant figure that even dimmed the golden sunlight streaming through the windows.
-------------------------------------------
The next day, Alex went looking for the mage. He hoped that the night had brought some clarity to at least one of them.
Not knowing where his room was, he guessed the library would be the place to find him. Once again, his intuition had been right.
He walked through the double doors and spotted him sitting at one of the desks near the windows.
The warm late morning light filtered through the panes, illuminating his pale complexion and long jet-black hair. There was something truly exotic about him — perhaps he wasn't entirely native to Vellara.
He passed the librarian's counter and the elderly archivist gave him a curious glance. "Your Highness, it's been a long time since you've been around here! Were you looking for a manual?"
Alex pointed at the mage. "Actually, I was looking for him."
William lifted his nose from the pages and gave him a surprised look. "Me?"
"Exactly!" He took a seat in the chair opposite him and got straight to the point. "Have you had any ideas?"
"No. You?"
"A couple, but they involve blowing up one of the northern towers — or maybe some stained-glass windows."
William frowned and set his quill down near the inkwell. "Do you want me arrested?"
Alex let out a small laugh. "I was joking. Do you take everything so seriously?"
"These aren't things to joke about."
"Why not? What's the point of being alive if you don't laugh a little?"
"You are the future sovereign; you should have more composure."
"Lucky me." Alex rested his cheek on his palm and studied him for a few seconds. "You're eyes are peculiar…"
"Do you mean the shape or the color?"
"Both."
William pressed his lips together, pulled a sheet of paper from the pile between them, and returned to writing. "My mother is from the Empire of Xia."
"Do you have mixed blood?"
"Does that trouble you?"
Alex waved his hand. "No, not at all. I'm open to all cultures and peoples. And anyway, in a few days you'll leave. We won't see each other again."
"She's a good seamstress, my mother. Even the local nobles in my hometown appreciate her silk garments."
"Did you get those intensely green eyes from your mother too?"
William shook his head without stopping his writing. It was incredible how he could stay focused despite their conversation. "That's because of magic. It's a side effect; the irises tend to be brighter and more vivid."
"Are you a powerful mage?"
"Caedos is an air spirit." He looked up at him. "Do you know what that means?"
Alex shook his head. He knew nothing about magic. "I'm not a mage."
"That makes sense." William returned to his notes and turned the page of the book he was consulting. "There are four types of spirits: air, water, earth, and fire. Depending on the type, they can take different forms. For example, air spirits can be amphipteres or feathered serpents, while water ones are wyrms or sea serpents."
The prince suppressed a shiver of disgust and pursed his lips. "They're all snakes?"
"The air and water ones, yes. In any case, there's a hierarchy among spirits, and the air ones are the most powerful." He set his quill on the paper and looked him straight in the eyes. "And Caedos, among the air spirits, is the most powerful."
"That creature?"
"He's fickle and capricious, but very old. You are alike in that way. You're capricious too."
Alex scowled. "That's not true."
"You were late on purpose yesterday."
"I didn't!"
William gave him a sharp look, and the prince responded with a huff. Better to change the subject.
"He seems to obey you."
"It's just an appearance. And he's not my servant; he's more… a friend. Spirits are just channels for magic. It's a bond that can be revoked."
"Ours, however, cannot."
William stiffened, then shook his head in denial. "No, ours binds until death."
"And that's fine with you?"
"The king requested my presence, and I came. That's what's expected of a commoner."
What kind of answer was that? He hadn't even considered the consequences of such a vow.
"You do know that if I fall off a horse and break my neck, you die too, right? Don't you care at all?"
"There are many ways to die, Your Highness. I don't expect someone raised in the palace to understand."
Alex slammed his palm on the desk and sprang to his feet. "What do you know?"
"Is that so?"
"Of course not! I think I know better than you what it means to risk one's life." After all, he had faced death more than once.
William frowned. "I just deduced… I can't—"
The prince grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him close. The mage's eyes widened, surprise evident and on his parted lips.
The smell of leather, paper, and ink filled Alex's nose… with a faint scent of flowers or medicinal herbs beneath it. Something churned in his stomach, but it was overwhelmed by his anger.
"Watch your words, mage. You know nothing about me; you can't deduce a damn thing."
William closed his lips and brushed his long, thin fingers across his wrist. A tingling ran through the skin where Alex touched him.
The prince released his grip and looked at his hand. What the hell had just happened?
He looked back at the mage: William was staring at him with wide eyes, even paler than usual.
"What's wrong? Are you ill?"
"No, I…"
The mage slumped back into his chair and rested his forehead on his hand. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and when he opened them, he had retreated into himself.
"Perhaps I know how to prevent the Crown Pact."
"Really? How?"
William parted his lips, but before he could speak, the library door swung open, and Sven came rushing in.
"Your Highness! His Majesty has summoned both of you. He says it's urgent."