The next day, Alex and William met in the courtyard in front of the stables, ready to depart.
The hunting ground was half a day's ride from the royal palace, and they would be setting out on their own, without an escort. By order of the king, the prince would also be traveling incognito to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
"Your Highness." Sven approached, holding a sword he had retrieved from the armory. "Please be careful."
"We'll manage… I think."
Alex took the weapon and tucked it into his belt.
Sven looked down. "You still have time to take me with you."
"Disobey my father's orders? Absolutely not."
"I'm serious, Your Highness."
"So am I." Alex smiled at him. "Everything will be fine, but be ready for anything. Alert the rest of my personal guard and wait. If there's trouble, I'll find a way to let you know."
Sven nodded.
Alex stroked Tempest's neck, and the horse neighed. The stallion seemed eager to stretch his legs and get going.
"How's the situation on the roads?"
"Fairly calm around the capital. It's the northern provinces that have trouble with bandits. They target caravans, and some merchants swear the attackers are foreigners. People from Xia."
"Sounds like a convenient excuse."
"I think so too. Someone wants to undermine Vellara's diplomatic position."
"And maybe this incident with the deer is part of the plan."
Sven shot him a worried look, then nodded.
Alex sighed and tightened the saddle straps. The last thing he wanted was to fall in front of the mage.
"There. The mage has arrived," his friend murmured.
William approached with his usual detached expression. He wore a doublet and a pair of riding pants with boots, and his long black hair was tied in a braid.
He was… striking, with the small beauty mark under his eye and that sharp gaze of his.
Alex flinched and scratched the back of his neck. "You're… not what I expected."
"I thought these clothes would be more suitable for riding. Was I wrong?"
"No, you chose well. I was just surprised."
The mage nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder, and shot a doubtful look at the mare the stable hand had prepared for him.
"Do I… get up there?"
"Yes. Can you ride?"
"No, but I suppose it won't be too difficult."
Alex suppressed a smile and gestured to the animal. "Give it a try."
William furrowed his brow, placed a hand on the saddle, and tried to hoist himself up. The mare shifted. He followed its movement and tried a second time, without success.
"Put your foot in the stirrup!" Alex called, grinning.
Sven shook his head. "Your Highness, you shouldn't tease him."
William shot the prince a glare but obeyed. The mare jerked, and the mage fell to the ground, his foot stuck in the stirrup.
Alex burst out laughing. "By the spirits, you're unbelievable!"
"Stop it!" William snapped. He looked truly uncomfortable.
The prince felt a pang of guilt and stopped laughing. Maybe he had gone too far.
He stepped closer, freed William's trapped foot, and offered a hand.
"I didn't mean to. Are you hurt?"
William looked away, ignored the hand, and got up, brushing off his clothes. "I'm fine."
Alex let his arm drop and felt like an idiot. The mage had made it perfectly clear he didn't want to be touched, but the prince had forgotten again.
He scratched the back of his neck. What did it matter? He wouldn't see him again anyway. He was just too gentle, that was the problem.
"I'll have a mounting block brought over."
"I can manage on my own if you explain it to me."
Alex sighed and showed him how to get onto the horse.
William listened carefully and followed his instructions without batting an eye.
On the third try, he managed to mount and dismount by himself. He'd even gotten the hang of handling the horse.
Alex had to admit he was capable. Not only was he good at studying and annoying important people, but he also learned quickly. The mage was something of a genius. And that made him feel even more inept.
Once William got used to the mare, Alex mounted, then the two set off on their journey.
-----------------------------------
The day was perfect for riding.
It was warm and the sun kissed his skin, lifting his spirits. If he had been alone, he would have urged Tempest into a gallop and let himself be carried by the rhythm of his hooves and the wind through his hair. He would have savored the feeling of flying.
But unfortunately, the mage was with him.
He glanced over his shoulder. "How's it going?"
William looked away. "Fine."
"That mare has a good temperament, she shouldn't give you trouble."
"Yours seems unruly."
"Tempest has a terrible temper and is very stubborn." Alex smirked. "Just like you."
The mage pressed his lips together and took the criticism in.
"Where's your familiar?" asked the prince.
"In my grimoire."
"And the grimoire?"
"In my bag."
Alex pressed his lips together and held back a sharp retort. He could be exasperating even in a normal conversation.
The prince slowed Tempest's pace and let William catch up. "Keep your eyes open, alright?"
"Do you really think it might be a trap?"
"Did you eavesdrop on my conversation with my father?"
William stared at him, outraged. "No. I used logic. And besides, you had suggested it could be a trap. If someone wants to ambush us, they could do it on the road. I saw that the last stretch passes through a forest; it's an ideal place."
"You're sharp." He hated admitting it, but beneath that gloom and that sharp tongue, there was a very keen and pragmatic mind.
"I'll take that as a compliment. How far are Astya's castle?"
"About half a day's ride."
William groaned, and Alex smirked.
"Don't tell me your ass already hurts."
"My back," the mage corrected. "I didn't think it would be worse than riding in a carriage."
"You've never ridden before? Really?"
"I don't like animals. And then…" He looked away, as if uncertain whether or how to continue.
That flash of uncertainty piqued Alex's curiosity. "And then what?"
"Nothing."
"You were about to say something."
"It's not important."
Alex curled his lip, grabbed the mare's reins, and tugged. The horse neighed in annoyance and jolted sideways.
William paled and grabbed onto the mare's neck, perhaps fearing he might be thrown off. "Are you crazy?"
"If you don't answer, I might let her loose."
He would never actually do it, but there was no reason the mage had to know that.
William bit his lip and turned away, a curtain of ink-black hair falling over his eyes. "Besides, I wasn't allowed to go out."
"Your parents didn't let you leave the house?"
"No. But that was fine with me. There were always too many people outside for my taste."
Alex loosened the reins, and the mage straightened. For some reason, he regretted having insisted so much. Spending his childhood locked indoors couldn't have been pleasant, even if he claimed otherwise.
"Why?"
William blinked. "What?"
"Why were you always indoors?"
"Well… for health reasons."
"Were you sick?"
"I am, more or less." He lowered his gaze, and a shadow fell over his poison-green eyes. "There's no cure for my condition."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Had he known, he would have been kinder to him.
"Don't." William's voice was sharp as a blade. His gaze pierced him again. "Don't treat me like I'm fragile. I don't want your pity."
Alex held his gaze for a few seconds, then nodded.
He couldn't claim to fully understand, but he knew how much it hurt to be considered weak or incapable. William was not sick, just as Alex wasn't a frivolous, useless prince.
"If you need anything, just say so. I'll help however I can."
The mage frowned. "You don't want to know what my condition is?"
"Yeah, but I won't insist. You know your limits better than anyone, so I'll trust you."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Alex smiled at him, but William looked away. Nothing would make him relax, but that was fine. After all, in a few days they would part, maybe for good.
A stomach growl cut through the silence.
Th prince turned toward the mage, puzzled.
"I… uhm…" William stammered, and his ears had turned bright red. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm a little hungry. Can we stop?"
"You didn't have breakfast?"
"I was too busy with preparations and forgot."
Alex raised his eyebrows. That man was truly absurd!
"If you had told me before we left, I would have had something prepared for you. The palace cook makes wonderful honey flatbreads."
"I didn't want to bother you."
Alex softened his expression. William was strange, without a doubt, but for some reason, the prince almost found him endearing. Maybe he just needed to learn how to handle him properly.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to be bound to him.
"There's an inn up ahead. We can stop there."
"Thank you."
On second thought, it couldn't have been easy to be thrown into a world you weren't accustomed to.
William was a commoner and had never been to court. His Xianese features didn't make him popular with the advisors and nobles. At the palace, the only one he could count on was Alex, and he hadn't been very friendly.
But he could make up for it during the last few days they had left together.
"Does Caedos need to eat too?"
William looked surprised. "No, he doesn't need it. Spirits usually don't eat; when they do, it's just for indulgence."
"And what does he eat? Mice?"
Surprise turned to dismay. "Your Highness, he's not a snake."
"He looks like one."
"Not at all. Caedos has wings."
Alex raised his hands. "But he has a snake-like body."
William sighed. "I didn't think you were afraid of reptiles."
"Only the crawling ones."
"Caedos flies, so he shouldn't count, right?"
"Is that sarcasm?"
William pressed his lips together in an annoyance, and Alex laughed.
Half an hour later, they reached the inn and stopped near the stables.
Alex dismounted and approached the mage's mare to help him down, but William shook his head.
"I can get down on my own."
He tried to swing his leg over, but the mare moved. The mage lost his grip and slid off the saddle. Alex rushed to support him, grabbing his arms before he hit the ground.
A tingling ran along his palm, and William stiffened.
He had felt it too. Alex was certain of it now.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, don't worry."
Alex helped him to his feet. "Seems she doesn't like you much."
William looked away and hugged himself. "I'll see if they have a free table. Can you take care of the horses?"
Alex nodded, secretly pleased to have an excuse to step away for a moment.
As soon as he was alone, he looked down at his gloved palm.
That feeling… he should have found it annoying. Instead, it was pleasant. A kind of tingling he had never felt before. Could it be magic? But why did he only feel it when touching the mage?
He clenched his fist, tied up the horses, then headed inside.