Curled Horns

13. Alliance

"I understand. Then do you plan out of love? Or will you agree with an arranged marriage?"

Political relationships weren't unheard of. Yunho's father himself had married the second princess from the southern kingdom in their youth. They made a powerful couple, but the magic of their romance had never been much more than two pretty faces. Not that the swooning public minded much.

Yunho shrugged as he scooped the last bit of soup onto his spoon. Elegant horns bowed as he dipped to eat it.

"I don't know yet. It depends on my options. And if I fall in love, of course. Although I presume I would fight until the last breath to be with my person if I ever truly found one worth the time."

Mingi tasted the first chunk of cake. The taste was nothing like what he had expected. When not just crunchy carrots but a sweet combination of sugar and crumbly dough hit his tongue, his eyes widened once more. Curious at his reaction, Yunho tried his cake, too. His lips curled in pleasure as well.

"Aren't there a lot of suitors? I would guess that many of them have personalities you could fall in love with," Mingi wondered. He himself had no experience with relationships. He had never even been kissed before since there had always been more handsome demons than him around that the girls picked over him. The older he got, the more his awkward fumbling ruined his chances as well. Women his age wanted families and solid lives. None of which Mingi was ready for yet.

"That is true. I have met a lot of outstanding people in my life."

Mingi ignored how his heart gave a malicious stab. Unnoticing, Yunho continued.

"But you see, as a prince, it's difficult to match people. Those I can be close with all belong to the palace or nobility. And as I said before, those tend to their superiority complexes as if they were a treasure to share. I believe the person meant for me to cherish and I simply have no access to each other." Yunho's smile turned wistful. It tugged at the strings to Mingi's heart. He wanted to console the lonely prince, tell him that the right person would come, but it wasn't his place. Not when he still sulked inwardly over not being on the same level as Yunho and no possible match himself. Mingi would have to rid himself of his selfishness first before he could provide heartfelt advice.

Sad, Mingi's tail curled around itself. He wanted to be a good friend for the prince, more so than an obedient servant.

Yunho cheered himself back up. The next moment, his usual playful smile returned to his lips.

"What about you, hm? I don't doubt that my handsome servant had his fair share of admirers running after him," Yunho got back on track with his light-hearted tone. Mingi waved it off quickly, embarrassment heating his cheeks.

"Not at all. Rather than fellow demons, it was the actual goats coming after me. Probably because they mistake me as one of their kind with those." Mingi knocked his knuckle against his horns punishingly. He had taken off the bandage by now, letting the wounds heal in the open air. They glistened with the ointment that helped him replenish his cells today. Most pains had subsided; the dull throbbing gone.

As soon as Mingi had casually dropped those words on Yunho, however, the prince's face darkened. Both of them were done eating by now, so Yunho utilised their unoccupied hands to reach one of his out for Mingi. Bravely, Mingi didn't flinch back when Yunho's fingers gently settled on his in a questioning touch. When Mingi didn't draw back, Yunho took his palm into his fully to share his warmth. His fingers cradled Mingi's like a precious good, and Mingi wanted to cry unexpectedly at the tenderness.

"Who told you that?"

The drop in Yunho's voice had Mingi shift in his seat uncomfortably. He adjusted his hooves under the divan, his tail nervously curling around one.