Alex held his breath and moved his hand toward the dagger he had hidden under the pillow. The creak came from the corridor; it could be the door to William's room. Had someone broken in?
"Wi—"
The mage clamped the prince's mouth. "Shh."
From the other side of the door came a few muffled thuds, then a voice whispered something Alex couldn't understand. It sounded like a man, but it was so quiet he couldn't be sure.
William withdrew his hand from his mouth, then he brushed his lips against Alex's ear. "Did you lock the door?"
"Yes, but there could be a second pair of keys."
From the corridor came the sound of muffled footsteps again. Alex clutched the dagger tightly and took a deep breath. His heartbeat slowed, his senses sharpening.
He waited, ready to leap out of bed. But the door remained closed. There was no sound from the other side of the wall. Had the intruder gone away?
William pulled back the covers. "I'll go check," he whispered.
"No."
Alex grabbed his arm and dragged him back on the bed.
"You stay here. I'll go."
The mage stiffened. "You shouldn't put yourself in unnecessary danger."
"I'm armed." He showed the dagger, the blade reflecting the faint light coming through the window. "The one putting himself in unnecessary danger is you."
After making sure William obeyed him, Alex slipped out from under the covers, reached the door, and pressed his ear against it. There was no sound on the other side; it was as if the corridor were truly empty.
Alex took a breath, turned the key, and opened it just an inch. He peeked out, but the shadows remained still.
William's door was open, and a dim glow lit it. Someone had entered, but whoever it was no longer seemed to be there.
Alex closed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible, then turned the key and slid the bolt. He returned to bed and hid the dagger under the pillow once more.
"So?" William asked.
"Someone entered."
The mage lowered his head as if in thought. Then he suddenly jumped off the bed. Alex grabbed him by the waist.
"No," he whispered, as he dragged him back onto the bed again. "It could be a trap."
The now-familiar tingling crawled under his skin up to his chest.
"You're touching me," William murmured.
"I'll leave you alone if you promise to stay here."
William mumbled something unintelligible. "Alright, you have my word."
Alex withdrew his arms, and the mage rolled onto his side. He didn't try to reach the door. Little by little, Alex could relax and lie down again.
For some time, there was only silence.
"Your Highness?"
Alex tilted his head toward him. William had turned to face him, and in the faint starlight, it seemed he was looking at his face.
"Why do you always wear gloves?"
"I don't have nice hands. I prefer not to show them to others."
"You train with a sword; it's normal your hands aren't like those of someone who does nothing all day."
"It's not just that."
The problem wasn't just the scars and calluses.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too."
Alex could have brushed off the question and pretended the mage hadn't asked. He had every right; he was the prince and owed nothing to anyone.
But William had been honest about his illness, and Alex didn't feel right hiding from him something as small as his injury.
He removed his glove, took William's hand, and closed it around his own fingers.
William's fingertips were warm and soft, and when they brushed together, the familiar tingle filled Alex's chest with a heat that nearly stole his breath. He should have found it uncomfortable, but he couldn't. It was a pleasant feeling, like the warmth of a flame chasing away the night's chill.
William stroked his palm and fingers. When he reached the middle finger, he stopped. "You're missing the last two phalanges."
"It happened years ago. A sword strike I failed to parry properly."
"Do you hide it because you don't want to show weakness?"
"No, the reason is… a bit different."
But that was still a difficult topic, and even though he felt at ease with William, he wasn't ready to discuss it yet.
"Did it hurt?" the mage asked.
"I suppose it did, but at the time I had other things to think about."
William's fingers left his hand, and the mage retreated into himself again. "Thank you for showing me."
Alex slipped the glove back on and pulled the covers up to his nose. He wasn't very sleepy, but he should try to rest.
If only the mage's presence weren't making his heart beat so fast.
--------------------------
When Alex woke up the next morning, the sun had just risen, and a thin strip of gray light filtered through the windows, sliding across the furniture in the room. The space beside him was empty, and the rumpled blankets suggested that William had stayed there until moments earlier.
Alex had a suspicion of where he had gone.
He jumped out of bed, slipped into his boots, and flung the door open.
On the threshold, he collided with the mage, who was just returning.
"Where have you been?"
"I went to check."
William pushed him inside and closed the door behind him. He wore a robe with an exotic cut, likely typical of the Empire of Xia, in a soft apple-green with silver embroidery. His long black hair fell freely and perfectly groomed.
He exuded a cold, detached grace that Alex would have found fitting for a prince or a dignitary. Yet he was a commoner mage with a sharp tongue.
Alex pushed those thoughts away, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at him. "You promised you wouldn't run off."
"I waited until dawn, didn't I?"
What kind of answer was that?
Alex sighed and ran his fingers through his messy golden locks. "Never mind. Did you find anything?"
William drew a dagger from his robe and handed it to him. "Only this. It had been stuck in the pillow."
The pommel was gold and shaped like a five-pointed star, with a ruby set at its center. The hilt was engraved with a vine motif, and the guard was shaped like a flower.
"It belongs to a noble," Alex said. "It's a ceremonial dagger. In combat, it would be too heavy and impractical."
"Do you recognize it?"
"Should I?"
William shrugged and gave him a flat look. "Perhaps you had seen it before."
"Unfortunately not, otherwise I'm pretty sure I would have remembered it."
It wasn't just unusual — it was blatantly gaudy and overly decorated. Who would commission a weapon like that?
"If you don't mind, I'll keep it." Alex slid the weapon into a sheath and hung it on his belt. "Was there anything else out of place?"
"No. Whoever came in last night knew the room and how to move around. They went straight for the pillow, probably certain my head would be there."
"Then you were lucky to have slept with me."
William gave him a cold look. "I would have preferred the armchair."
"I doubt it was that bad. No one's ever complained about sharing a bed with me."
"You're the prince. Only a fool would dare object."
"At the brothel, no one knows who I am, and they enjoy my company. So far, the only person who's ever complained is you."
"And you still haven't punished me." The mage studied him with poison-green eyes. "Why?"
Right. Why did he keep letting it slide?
Maybe it was that tingling he felt every time they touched that made him less rigid. Or maybe…
He pushed that last thought away and forced himself to return to their problem.
They needed to survive until his father's reinforcements arrived and to find out who had lured them into a trap. Alex could think later about the mage, their relationship, and the fact that maybe he didn't really want to send him away.
"Let's go eat. We have some work to do."
He got dressed and went downstairs with the mage.
Breakfast was ready, and a couple of freshly baked cakes were set in the center of the table.
Lord Lynden had left word that he wouldn't be present but had instructed the staff to assist them with anything they needed. Alex found it suspicious but decided to leave it aside for now.
They ate quickly, though William only nibbled on some bread and a slice of cake. Then they went down to the ice cellar to take a look at the deer carcasses.
The two bodies had been laid on old wooden tables and covered with yellowed sheets. A faint smell of decay lingered in the cold, dusty air.
As soon as they were alone, Alex pulled back the sheets and examined the animals.
"They're both males. Young."
"How can you tell?"
Alex pointed to the testicles. "Obviously from those."
William pressed his lips together. "Obviously."
The two specimens hadn't yet grown antlers, and their fur was reddish-brown, fading to white on the belly and around the tail. Their large black eyes were wide open, staring blankly. A swarm of flies buzzed around their muzzles and nostrils.
There were no visible wounds, just as the gamekeeper had said.
"Can you sense magic even without Caedos?"
William frowned. "I don't know, but I can try."
"Perhaps it would have been better to wait before sending him to the palace."
"No. Getting you away from here is my priority."
Alex frowned, meeting his eyes. "Do you never think about yourself?"
William parted his lips, his gaze slipping away again. "I am no one, Your Highness."
"You are a person. That should be enough."
"That's not true. Some are more important than others."
But not to him! How could he not understand that Alex was the least important person in the entire kingdom? He was the heir to the throne only due to a foolish twist of fate; he had never been capable of taking the reins of the country.
"Why do you put me on a pedestal?"
"Because you are my prince."
"William, if I die, there will be other heirs. Myrina, for example. I'm not more important than you or anyone else."
"To me, you are. Your Majesty entrusted me with a task, and I want to carry it out to the best of my abilities. That's all."
William brushed the animals' fur, and the color of his irises deepened even more. A faint breeze ruffled some strands of his hair and disappeared just as quickly.
He furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together, a rivulet of sweat sliding down his temple.
"I don't understand. I can't sense any magic."