Jibaro was lost in thought. He kept glancing behind to catch a glimpse of Zane's silhouette.
"Oh my", he thought. He really found the King attractive. He wondered if the king had a sister that looked just like him or was even more beautiful.
Roshan kept walking and telling Jibaro about what each room was and when they were used, unaware of his cousin's indifference to what he was saying.
In no time, the tour was concluded and Roshan excused himself to go and get his wound cleaned.
Jibaro roamed around the palace aimlessly. He was romantic love starved, unexpectedly.
Wherever he went, he actively scouted for a love interest that It was almost an obsession.
He actively sought out men and women that looked attractive and could keep his curiosity piqued. And he had just found another. One beyond his imagination.
It would be fun for him.
....
A week later, the attacks on Delsgade has increased significantly.
Zane also got word from Vendet that the attacks had also increased in occurrence.
It had been quite some time since the alliance was formed and the day for the plan to be carried out was soon approaching.
The warriors were all confident in their strategy to win so their spirits had been high.
The plan for the palace was to keep the queen, Roshan and the workers in an underground bunker to ensure their safety in case the fight spread to the capital city and by extension, the palace.
...
Roshan's forearm was almost fully healed and he was happy to leave the heavy bandages behind.
He happily skipped out of his room and down the stairs until he caught a glimpse of Zane.
The king of Vendet was drinking coffee with the sun's rays hitting his skin gently, staring outside the large windows.
Roshan gulped but sucked in a breath at the same time and ended up choking on his saliva.
At first it was a few small coughs but they got progressively worse and he couldn't breathe.
Roshan was fighting for his life on the staircase when he felt a cold palm on the nape of his neck.
The hand moved to his back and tapped gently.
Roshan kept coughing uncontrollably.
He looked up to see Zane staring into his eyes with a hint of concern.
He kept patting Roshan's back until the coughing had eased up.
His palm moved briefly to Roshan's nape again and he asked, "are you alright now?"
Roshan's face turned red out of embarrassment. How could one choke on the fluid that kept their mouth moist?
He could only nod, averting his gaze from Zane.
Once Zane was sure he was fine, he asked if Roshan had eaten anything. The latter answered with a no, which made Zane lead him into the dining hall to have a meal with him.
Roshan's ears rang momentarily. What did King Zane just say to him?
"Eat with me" was the statement.
There was no one else in the dining hall.
Eating with the person that watched you choke on your own saliva a few minutes ago felt even more embarrassing for Roshan.
Despite his embarrassing feelings, he decided to join Zane since his stomach began to grumble and he really didn't want to feel embarrassed again.
Roshan took a seat and Zane sat right beside him.
Roshan felt slightly nervous but his hunger was greater than his nervousness.
The food was served and they both began eating.
Roshan was having the time of his life as someone who enjoyed eating.
He ate so heartily that Zane paused eating his own meal to watch him.
Roshan noticed that the cutlery beside him was stationary, so he turned to check on his eating 'buddy'.
He locked eyes with Zane but instead of feeling nervous, Roshan asked with his cheeks full, "you're not eating anymore?"
"That's not it, I just like watching you eat" Zane said plainly before he continued eating.
Roshan paused and swallowed strongly before he continued eating.
After breakfast, Zane was called urgently by a security officer to attend to something related to the alliance and ambush.
"I hope we get to eat together again soon....Prince Roshan"
And he walked away from the hall.
Roshan took a deep breath and sighed before finishing his food.
.....
Later that night, Roshan tossed and turned on his bed. His body was tired but his mind was too active. His thoughts kept drifting to Zane's face, actions and words.
He sat up on his bed and shook his head repeatedly. Trying to manually remove the thoughts from his head.
He couldn't understand why he kept thinking about one person. Perhaps it was because he saved his life before as well, he thought.
The thought of that eased up his mind and let him fall asleep peacefully.
At the same time, Zane stood outside his balcony, smoking herbs.
He hadn't smoked in a long time as he only smoked whenever he felt his thoughts getting clouded.
He couldn't stop seeing Roshan's face for whatever reason.
He wondered if he was just horny and was attracted to the prince.
He hoped that was the case. He didn't want it to be more than that.
He knew he had a duty to his people and he had a fiancee back in Vendet.
But this white haired boy lived in his mind rent-free and he couldn't stop his thoughts.
He took a long puff of smoke and exhaled into the air.
After a few minutes, he felt clear headed enough to go to sleep.
....