royally trashed (an og!Cale harem fic)

Part 2

Imperial Crown Prince Adin was well known for his magnanimous personality, firm leadership, and unshakable integrity.

On the other hand, Cale was getting the impression that he was just a git.

Adin smiled winningly at him, their chance meeting on the balcony just a simple moment in time that should be disregarded like any other.

"I didn't notice anyone was out here." Adin said, his voice as smooth as butter and Cale wasn't dim enough to miss the code for 'get lost'.

Cale had painstakingly memorized all the foriegn powers attending the ball before his reluctant arrival. The Roan Kingdom wasn't strong or powerful enough to survive an international incident with, say, the Mogoru Empire and while Cale was dedicated to his trash reputation, there was obtaining a goal and then there was just being stupid.

Simply put, Cale had memorized everything he possibly could about the whole lot of them in hopes of avoiding them.

Adin was chief upon that list. Despite his spotless reputation, he was the absolute worst enemy for the Roan Kingdom to make and someone Cale would have to break character in order to appease if it boiled down to it.

Which was exactly why he was out here hanging out on the damn balcony before some stupid fucking prince decided to invade.

The glass in Cale's hand twitched with the desire to throw it at his head. It wasn't actually that Adin had done anything to deserve his wrath, it was just Cale's temper flaring up at such an immediate disruption to his plans.

"There isn't." Cale replied, waving his hand passively as he moved to sweep past the prince and re-enter the ballroom. This much flippancy should be fine knowing Adin's public personality and besides, Cale could claim later not to know who he was.

He didn't quite catch the way Adin's eyes flickered with surprise at the response. He didn't care to look for it either.

He was returning to the primary battlefield which was the ball just full of landmines waiting to blow off his damn leg.

He made sure to gently sway with each step, a sign that he'd already had too much to drink this early in the evening and judging by the bottle hanging limply from one arm, had every intention to continue. He scowled at everyone he made eye contact with but restrained himself from any further act of aggression just for today.

He just wanted to make it to a resting area where he could collapse, splash himself with alcohol, and make it look like he was knocked out in a drunken stupor. Then he'd just sleep off this evening like a bad hangove–

Cale yelped, surprised at the sudden touch at his side. He was quickly able to notice that someone had slid up at his side, holding him up as if concerned.

He was about ready to let his crass tongue go to town on the shitty bastard who dared to touch him without his consent, when the words curled up and died in the back of his throat.

Adin smiled sheepishly at his side, holding him up with that 'good guy' appearance that made it so very uncomfortable to exist.

Why the hell was the Imperial Crown Prince of the fucking Mogoru Empire attempting to help him out?!

"Are you okay?" Adin asked, his hands wrapped around Cale's body to support him. "I saw you stumbling and I got worried."

Oh. Joy.

Cale just about wanted to die.

"'m fine." He slurred distractedly, trying to hide his blind panic with another swig of alcohol. "...just wanna fin' a place to sitdown."