Alex smirked at the sight of William's flushed face.
"Has anyone ever told you you're strange?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"What you said earlier to the Castellan. It wasn't necessary—especially if you're going to blush like that afterward."
William ran his pale, slender fingers over his braid, eyes still lowered. "It was just an act."
"Sure, but only the two of us know that. Now Lord Lynden probably thinks we're sleeping together. Give it a few weeks and the whole court will know."
"Who cares?"
Alex sighed and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.
"By the spirits, William, don't you get it? I'm used to it — I'm the Crown Prince, after all — but you're not even a noble. The Prince's whore — is that how you want to be known?"
"I don't care. We have to carry out His Majesty's mission, and I'll do whatever it takes."
He opened the door to the room assigned to Alex and stepped inside.
The prince followed him. "Your room's on the other side."
"Tonight we'll sleep together." William snapped his fingers. The candles on the silver candelabrum resting on a round table flared to life. "That's why I played the part of your lover."
"So no one will get suspicious if we share a room?"
"More or less." William turned to him. "Is that a problem for you?"
Alex shrugged. "No. At least I'll be close enough to stop anyone who tries to kill you."
"I have a feeling you're the real target, Your Highness."
"I wouldn't be so sure. You're a mage—they might see you as a threat. And if you send Caedos away, you'll be defenseless."
William's lips curved in a faint smile. "But I'm not defenseless if you're with me."
Alex scratched the back of his neck. He hated to admit it, but he'd misjudged the mage. William wasn't incompetent at all.
Maybe he was just awkward with people—but inside that head was a mind as sharp as a blade. Was that why his father had chosen him? To balance out his own flaws?
"Do you really think I can protect you?"
William raised his eyebrows, looking genuinely surprised for a moment.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because right now, I don't have control over anything."
It was the first time Alex'd found himself in a situation like this, without Sven and the others watching his back. Without even knowing the enemy's face.
Leading a siege or hunting down bandits was easy. But surviving in a castle crawling with assassins and traitors—especially when the only person he could trust was a mage he'd met only a few days ago—was another matter entirely.
With a sigh, he moved closer to the window and looked outside. Night had wrapped the castle in its dark coils, and silence had fallen like a cloak.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the dark walkways. "That's odd…"
William came to stand beside him. "What is it?"
"Do you see anything?"
"No. It's completely dark."
"Exactly. I told the Castellan to post guards, but there isn't a single soldier on the walls."
"Now that you mention it, I didn't see any inside the castle either."
"Me neither," Alex murmured. "And there are barely any servants around. Last time I was here, the place was full of people."
"Maybe the Castellan reduced the staff."
"What about his family?"
William frowned, meeting his gaze. "Do you think he's involved?"
"I'm afraid so. Which means we can't trust anyone in there."
"Do you trust me?"
"I don't know yet. But I have no choice."
Alex couldn't allow doubt to take root in his mind, or he'd lose the ability to see things clearly. But the question remained — could he really trust William?
***
Magic flowed from William's hand, and a faint silver glow lit up the room. The grimoire's pages rustled softly.
Alex watched in silence, holding his breath, eyes fixed on that slender, graceful profile. The magic brushed against his bare arms and played with the golden strands of his hair with the same gentleness as a breath of wind.
It was a breathtaking sight, one he could have watched endlessly without ever growing tired of it.
A silver sphere settled in the mage's palm and burst into countless weightless fragments. A breeze carrying the scent of spring and blooming flowers swept through the room, and Caedos opened his jaws wide, trilling.
"Took you long enough, Will!"
"Keep your voice down. It's the middle of the night."
"Such a killjoy." The amphiptere turned its little head toward Alex and huffed. "The little prince is here too."
Alex forced himself to smile, though deep down he wanted nothing more than to flee the room. He doubted he would ever get used to that talking winged serpent.
William pinched the familiar's wing. "Caedos, you have to carry a message to the king. It's urgent."
"Can't you send a pigeon or a human?"
"They might be intercepted. You're much more reliable."
The amphiptere let out a chuckle. "Of course I am! I'm not some frail mortal or one of those dim-eyed birds."
"Don't be unpleasant."
Caedos flicked his wings, letting the scolding roll off him. "What should I tell the old man?"
"My father is not old," Alex muttered. "He's not even fifty yet."
"Isn't that considered old among humans? You're all so fragile."
"Caedos," William chided, "show some respect to the sovereign. He's given us a job."
"And what do I care about that?"
William frowned. "Don't make this difficult. It's a matter of life and death."
Caedos clamped his jaws shut and shot Alex a glare. "What did you do, little prince?"
A chill of fear slid down Alex's spine. "Nothing! It's not my fault they tried to kill us."
"You put Will in danger?" the amphiptere hissed.
A faint glow slithered along his iridescent scales, and a gust of icy wind whipped through the room, snuffing out a couple of candles.
Alex jumped to his feet, more on reflex than anything. If that little monster attacked him, he'd have no idea how to defend himself.
"Enough, Caedos." William's voice rang out, sharp and cold. "It's not His Highness's fault."
The amphiptere snorted, curled up on the mage's shoulder, and rubbed his snout against William's neck. "I don't want to go. Can't you send someone else?"
"No. You're the only one we can trust."
"But if I leave, you'll be defenseless. You're a weak mortal, Will—how will you protect yourself without me?"
William's lips curved into a faint smile as he stroked the creature's tiny head. "His Highness will look after me."
"The cowardly prince?" Caedos hissed. "I don't trust him."
"I do. He gave me his word, and I believe him."
Alex flinched, a pleasant warmth spreading through his chest. Even if the mage had only said it to convince the amphiptere, he still felt a spark of warmth hearing it.
Caedos puffed a small cloud of smoke from his nostrils. "He'd better keep his word."
"He will."
William sat down at the table and began to write the message.
Caedos fluttered over to Alex and dropped into his lap. "Will's my human. You'd better keep him alive until I get back."
Suppressing a shudder of disgust, Alex leaned back. "I'm good with a sword."
"I know." The amphiptere tilted his head. "You know he's sick, right?"
"Yes. I'll make sure he doesn't get hurt—don't worry."
"You're really too kind for a prince."
He fluttered onto Alex's shoulder, and the prince stiffened. Why was the little beast getting closer? Couldn't it just go back to the mage?
The amphiptere sniffed his neck. "Blood runs through both your past and your future." His yellow eyes locked onto Alex's. "I haven't decided yet whether I like you, but if he trusts you, then I trust you. Besides, there's nothing I can do to stop your threads from intertwining."
"Our threads?"
"The weave of fate. You can't see it, but I can." He lowered his gaze to Alex's chest. "And I can tell they're already quite tangled."
The prince raised an eyebrow. What on earth was he talking about?
Caedos snorted a puff of smoke. "Well, in theory you should be able to feel something—but you're a bit dull. Will probably figured it out already. Who knows why he hasn't done anything yet."
"I'm not slow. You're the one speaking in ridiculous riddles."
Caedos looked at him with ancient, wise eyes. "You'll understand in due time. Only fools try to force the flow of events."
William called him back, and the amphiptere fluttered to the table. The mage handed him the message, opened the window, and Caedos took off, swallowed by the dark night.
Alex sighed in relief. "Are you sure he won't be intercepted?"
"Unlike me, Caedos is a spirit and can draw freely on his own magic."
William closed the window and returned to the desk.
Alex watched him with curiosity. "How does your magic work?"
"When I need it, I borrow Caedos's magic. The grimoire acts as a channel, but for small spells, like lighting candles, I don't need to hold it in my hands."
"So without Caedos, you can't do anything?"
"Not without a source to draw from. Right now I can cast very few spells using the little residual magic in my body; once it's gone, I'll be defenseless."
"And you don't have any other sources to use?"
William looked at him with a strange expression. "Technically, there are other ways to get magic, but I don't want to use them."
"And why not? Ethical reasons or practical difficulties?"
"Ethics. Apart from the spirits, there are two other ways to use magic. The first one is by harnessing the energy of corpses."
"And the other one?"
"It is currently out of reach. There's no point even talking about it."
Alex pouted. "As you wish, but I was curious. So, what do we do now?"
William sat sideways on the armchair, legs resting on the armrest. "I'm not sure. We wait for dawn and then check on the dead deer, I suppose."
"Do you think they'll try to assassinate us tonight?"
"Maybe." If the mage was worried, he didn't show it.
Alex folded his hands in his lap and stroked the leather of his gloves. "Who do you think they're targeting?"
"You, I suppose. You're the prince."
"So you think it's a plot against the crown."
"Do you have any other theories?"
Alex parted his lips and hesitated for a few seconds. "They might be after you."
"I'm no one."
"You're my Court Mage."
"I haven't even been sworn in." William lifted his head and met his gaze. "Besides, the timing doesn't make sense. The deer were killed before news of my appointment spread. Not to mention that, outside the court, no one knows it yet."
"I doubt the culprit comes from the common people."
"Do you think it's a noble?"
Alex shrugged. "My father isn't liked by everyone, and I'm liked by even fewer."
"Strange, you're so pleasant."
Was that another jab?
Alex sighed. "In any case, now you've become a target too."
William raised an eyebrow. "What do I have to do with it?"
"They've seen your magic. If whoever attacked us is even half as clever as they seem, they'll consider you the main threat."
"I'm not afraid." The mage looked away. "Let them try; I'll defend myself."
He had courage, maybe even a touch of arrogance, but Alex didn't mind having someone with that kind of willpower around. William had the grace of a reed and the resilience of a thousand-year-old oak.
"Sometimes I can't tell whether you're confident or just plain reckless."
"I could say the same about you, Your Highness."
Alex rubbed his eyes. He was really tired and needed to sleep.
He took off his boots and jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled back the covers. He looked at William. "Coming?"
The mage raised an eyebrow. "Where?"
"To bed."
"No!"
It was such a sharp answer that Alex had to restrain a laugh. "Look, I'm not going to touch you. But you can't sleep up there."
William pressed himself against the back of the armchair, as if to reinforce his point. "I'll be fine."
Alex sighed; he really was stubborn. "You'll be cold, and tomorrow you'll wake up with every muscle aching."
"I can handle it."
"You need to sleep, William, and I need to keep you close. If you stay up there, I can't protect you."
He lifted a pillow to show the hidden dagger to the mage.
William pressed his lips together, claerly displeased, but after a few moments of hesitation he got up from the armchair and joined Alex in bed. He removed his boots with the same expression a man being led to the gallows, took off his doublet, and slid under the covers.
Alex smirked at his curled-up figure under the blankets. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead," the mage grunted.
"That bruise on your neck… is it really a hickey?"
William turned, scandalized. "Of course not!"
"Then what is it?"
"It's a bruise. I got it when you saved me from the ambush. I hit the saddle."
Alex made a face. Too bad; he was hoping for a slightly naughtier story.
William frowned. "You have no shame."
"And you're boring." The prince blew out the candles, slipped under the covers, and lay down next to the mage.
They remained silent for a long time. Just as Alex was about to drift off to sleep, the creak of a door made him tense.