The following morning, I woke up to a particular summer day. My eyes blinked open and I winced as they adjusted to the sunlight. In my foggy mind, I managed to twist my head to the other direction to check the time.
...3:00 a.m. I rubbed my eyes and groaned. Are you serious?
I slept early yesterday because I was tired, but that didn't mean I wanted to be woken up seven hours earlier than usual during vacation. I sighed and eventually relented, rolling myself off the bed and crawling my way to the closet with the blanket coiled around my body like a heavy net.
I slipped on a pair of pants and a large silk shirt. It draped on my shoulders freely, but still felt restrictive enough for me to die a little on the inside. I pulled on the delicate fabric in irrational frustration. I hate clothes...
Just as I was about to burn off the clothes on my body in bitterness, I heard a small wooden creak from outside the room.
My eyes shot to the side as I tensed. Perhaps it was because of the assassination, but I was particularly demanding when it came to noises outside. Guards were never supposed to be stationed near my door, but rather on the opposite side of the hallway where I couldn't hear them, or else I would never be able to sleep.
I gritted my teeth and held my breath, taking light, muted steps to the front door. I gulped and siphoned a small, blazing dagger in my hand, then, as soon as I reached the entranceway, I thrusted the dagger into the thick wooden door, causing it to splinter and explode. Shards of wood scattered, sharp and searing, instantly illuminating the hallway. With the dagger still in hand, I swung it blindly downward. Yet, before I could finish, a firm hand clamped around my wrist, stopping my shaking arm.
"Ah..." I froze and blinked. Why does that hand look so familiar?
At this point, I was completely awake. I realized that I was staying inside a suite next to a royal's sleeping quarters, and that there was a very low chance that an assassin would be able to even come close. I immediately paled and slowly turned my head up to meet the gaze of the man.
Oh, shit. My face lost all color as soon as I caught a glimpse of the familiar striking blonde hair. Did I just try to kill a prince?
----
Lucius stood at the edge of my bed, his eyes fixed on me with a blank, unreadable gaze. I pushed him down onto the mattress and forced him to lie down, pulling up the sleeves of his singed pants. Small cuts covered his ankles and calf. The contrast between his fair, unsullied skin and the blood dripping down from the wounds made me shiver.
Thank god there weren't any guards there... or else I'll be accused of treason... I winced and intensified my diligent tending to his wounds. But, come to think of it... I didn't know why all the guards were dismissed from the hall. I knitted my brows and stared intensely at the small cut while applying medicine. I didn't know why the prince was standing by my door at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. I want to ask, but I feel like I shouldn't do it now... I bit my lip and frowned.
Meanwhile, the prince, who was domineeringly pushed down onto the bed, began to blush as I tightened my grip on his ankle. His eyes lowered, intently staring at the kneeling figure beneath him with a mixture of inexplicable confusion and flusteredness. I didn't notice his strange gaze, too busy trying to assuage fears of being hung for treason.
After a few minutes of intolerable silence, I finished applying the ointment and carefully rolled down his pant sleeve, afraid to hurt him further. I exhaled shakily and stood, my knees slightly shaking. "...Your highness, my deepest apologies. Please, I have committed a grave crime. I am willing to accept any punishment."
Yes, any punishment is fine, just don't kill me! I sobbed inwardly. The prince stayed silent. He pulled himself up, sitting casually on the bed with his legs dangling off the edge. His strange gaze remained fixed on my face inexplicably. I shuddered.
He glided off the bed and sauntered towards me. I could only stand stiffly until his face was only a few inches away. I spotted him lifting up his left hand moving it towards my face, and braced myself with closed eyes. I'm really going to get mutilated this time. I thought. However, all I felt was light, gentle caresses of my cheek, the slight warmth seeping into my skin.
The silence was finally broken with the prince's low whisper. "Why... do you look so different now?"
I cracked my eyes open and saw his aggrieved, frustrated expression. I wanted to move back but was too afraid to provoke the prince. He gritted his teeth and mumbled, "I don't... understand..."
His lips were hovered directly in front of my eyes. I awkwardly tried to shift my gaze upward to compensate for the strange height difference, but as soon as I met his eyes, I felt a pang of inexplicable shame like I did something wrong and looked away hastily. His hand cupping my cheek slowly slid down to my lips to my neck before finally dropping back to his side. He leaned forward, his nose a hair away from my forehead. I didn't dare to look up and meet his gaze.
"What did you do to me...?" He said. I felt the hot breath slide across my skin. So... does this mean that I won't be punished, after all? I thought quizzically.
"Y-your highness, I'm afraid I don't understand." I finally seemed to break through my frozen state and say.
He gritted his teeth. "You—! No, I'm sure you understand! Why else would I feel this way when I see you...!" I saw his eyes slightly redden from frustration. I gazed at the dark circles under his eyes and shook my head inwardly.
He's exhausted, I thought. That's not good. I sighed. "Prince, you're not making any sense. Please, the sun is still rising and we both are tired. Go to sleep and we can talk about this later..."
"No! We're talking about this now!"
"Your highness—"
"I know you did something to me! What other explanation do you have for the weird feeling? What kind of magic are you using to do this to me!"
I groaned inwardly. What 'weird feeling'? He's too tired to think straight. "Prince, you're sleep deprived. I implore you to return to your quarters and sleep."
He bit his lip and turned his gaze downward in frustration. "Shut up, if I want to stay, I will! It's none of your business!" He exclaimed.
"As your aide, it is my duty to ensure your well-being, so it is my business." I retorted. His reddened eyes deepened and his cheeks flushed pink.
"See, you did it again! What kind of magic are you—"
"You're tired." I cut him off and lifted my head up to meet his eyes. "Look, prince. Your dark circles..." I lifted my hand and traced my fingers along his undereyes gently. I frowned as I felt his usually clear skin feel slightly rough to the touch.
He clenched his teeth and shifted his eyes away, flitting from one side to the other, not meeting my gaze. "I... I just..."
Before he finished his sentence, his eyelids fluttered and he slumped on my body, unconscious. I sighed. See, I told you, stupid.
I smiled helplessly and pushed his limp body back onto the bed. I lifted the thick, warm covers and wrapped it around him, carefully sliding a pillow under his head with a deep sigh. I brushed his hair back softly and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Lucius."
----
The prince woke up the next morning with his leg painfully throbbing from the burns. The sunlight streaming from the window burned his eyes. He tried to lift his arm to cover his face, but before he could, he felt a slight weight on his leg clamp down on his body, pulling him closer.
"Mmm..." The person behind him stirred, nestling in to prevent his life-sized teddy bear from escaping. Light breaths gently stroked Lucius' back, causing tingly, shivering sensations to zing up his spine. The prince's murky mind instantly cleared, and he immediately realized his predicament. He blushed furiously and felt the familiar breathlessness as his heart pounded out of his chest. He felt his blood rush through his body, tensing him up and leaving him starry-eyed.
Remis, who was sleeping soundly behind him, felt the stiffness of his teddy bear. The firm back made him uncomfortable. "...mmh... relax, stop moving..." The innocent words had a completely different meaning in Lucius's brain. His mind blanked and blood instantly rushed down to a certain place.
Lucius felt a rush of shame and immediately tried to twist his way out of his grasp, but that seemed to make the sleeping youth more displeased. He swung his arm around Lucius' waist, holding his lower abdomen tightly to stop the prince from escaping.
The prince's breathing quickened as he tried to calm himself down. However, his heartbeats didn't slow and instead quickened as his mind wandered into strange directions. His eyes reddened, feeling wronged. He had spent the last two nights exhausted and unable to sleep because of his interaction with the black-haired teen the other day. It kept replaying in his mind, making him all too aware of the other person lying on the bed. He was too scared to face the youth the day before yesterday, resulting in him waiting in front of the royal suite for the entire night, dismissing the guards only to stare blankly at the wooden door. Then, yesterday, he tried to lay on his bed and sleep, but when he started dreaming, Remis appeared, kissing him and...
The prince blushed, ashamed. The weird, overwhelming feeling surfaced. If he didn't cast magic on me, then why do I feel this way?