Finding a Prince

Chapter 8

The truth was that Dan often felt a bit like a teenage girl around Phil. He just didn't know what to feel. On one hand Phil was insanely cute, hot and smart all at the same time and Dan would have absolutely no problems dating him but on the other hand, Phil was a Solmortan. Bringing a man home would be bad enough for his parents, but bringing home one of their mortal enemies, it was a recipe for disaster. The main problem was that he had already grown quiet attached to Phil and honestly the idea of never seeing him again hurt, because that's what would happen. Dan would cross over the border, wave Phil goodbye, probably get caught, be taken back to the palace and be forced to marry the countess. The war wouldn't end and Dan wouldn't be able to leave. If that was the case, then this could very well be the last day he ever got to spend with Phil. Dan hated this, why did he have to get lost, why did, by some miracle, he manage to get over the border without getting caught and why oh why did he have to run into the oh so perfect Phil who just happened to be one of his mortal enemies. Dan thought back to a book he'd read in the library once 'Romeo and Juliet'. The immortal tale of two lovers separated by family hatred, well that's what the blurb said anyway. Ok so the feud was between two families and not between two countries and they had both fallen madly in love at first sight rather than just developing a little crush but Dan could force it to relate. Dan thought he was totally Juliet in this situation. He had defied his family just like she did and was even engaged to someone she didn't love, just as he was. The problem was that Dan couldn't see Phil as being Romeo. Romeo was ditzy and love-struck, very quick to make decisions without thinking much of the consequences while Phil was quite reserved and thought decisions through. Maybe it was a good thing however, that Phil was not the Romeo to Dan's Juliet because they both ended up meeting a rather unfortunate end.

Dan reluctantly agreed to Phil's plan and after packing a few supplies into Dan's old satchel, they headed back into the woods with Ethel and the dogs. The sun was still reasonably high in the sky although with winter fast approaching the days were getting shorter so they didn't have a whole lot of time. I was quite gold outside so Dan had wrapped himself up in one of Phil's old jumpers. It was scratchy and old, but oddly comforting. Having decided it would be quicker to simply ride to the border they had both mounted Ethel and were heading through the trees at a fast walk. Dan never really took much notice of the countryside when he was in the palace. It was always something he could just look out of a window and go 'oh there it is' and be on his way. Now however, he missed the open fields and meadows. The only thing that was out here was endless trees. Despite the dark cloud over his mind that started to rain every time he thought of losing Phil, a small ray of sunshine filtered through when he thought of home. He knew that once he was back in Serultria he would have to return to the palace, having no more money and no place to stay, but at least there he would be safe. You never know, maybe his disappearance had scared his parents into cancelling his engagement. He could only hope. Maybe Phil could come with him, and Dan could marry him after all. In all honesty, Dan was getting far too ahead of himself. They weren't even dating for god's sake and, although Dan was pretty sure his feelings towards Phil were reciprocated, they might not be. He could always ask, to be fair he didn't have much to lose. It wasn't as if he would ever see Phil again if he said no.

"Will you marry me?"

Phil almost fell off the horse.

"Excuse me?", he spluttered, attempting to regain his balance. Dan took a deep breath.

"WellitsjustIreallyreallylikeyouandI'mnevergoingtoseeyouagainandwhenIgohometheyregoingtomakememarrysomeoneIdontwanttoandargh!!!!" Dan rambled.

"Ok ok calm down. Tell me again, just with spaces this time please." Phil said soothingly. Dan took another shaky breath.

"It's just that I belong to an important family and they want me to marry a girl and I'm gay and she's horrible so I ran away and met you and now I think I've got a massive crush on you because you're funny and hot and I might never get to see you again. It's just that I was thinking that maybe you could come back to Serultria with me and we could get married, we wouldn't have to tell anyone you were from Solmorta, but now I realise its stupid because you have a life here and you only met me a week ago. I just really, really like you and I don't want to lose you which is stupid because we're barely even friends and you probably don't even like me." By this point, Dan was in floods of tears, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked but I just really want to go home but if I do without someone to marry I'll be forced to marry that wretched countess and I can't oh please I just can't."