Kenric did not mean to intentionally lie to Archie or keep the truth from him. He trusted him wholeheartedly, and he knew how understanding the other man was. Kenric knew that Archie would not be angry, maybe upset, but he definitely would not blame Kenric for anything.
At the same time, Kenric also knew that Archie could be insecure at times. He had already brought up marriage and asked Kenric whether he would be happier if he were to tie the knot with a woman and have a family. A family that Archie could never give him. No matter how many times Kenric reassured him that the only one he wanted was Archie... the stable boy still wondered whether there were better alternatives for the prince.
Kenric knew he would have to tell Archie soon. Before the neighboring royals showed up. It would be much worse if he were to get to know about the proposal from someone else, and Kenric wanted to avoid that. It was tough, though. The last thing he wanted was for Archie to be sad. He knew the man was starting to prepare for the archery tournament too, and he did not wish to distract him.
So Kenric decided he would keep the news from the stable boy at least until he had no choice but to tell him. Only the two brothers knew of the marriage proposal, not even the other council members, so it would be safe to keep the secret. Kenric hated that he had to hide something from Archie, but these were desperate times.
All Kenric could do was tell himself that he was not outright lying to his lover. He was just abstaining from disclosing a piece of information for the time being. That was it. That was not a crime, was it? It was not like he would hide it forever, he would surely tell him before the princess's arrival.
The hustle and bustle in the castle made it harder and harder for Archie and Kenric to be able to find time alone. No corner was empty, no hallway where there were no prying eyes. The stables, too, were busy with the other stablehands working day and night alongside Archie.
Over the next few days, they could only sneak away once when they went down to the river at night. They swam in the cold water and then laid down on the grass until the sun came up. Even though they wanted more, this was enough to re-energize both of them.
"Come on, Archie!" Sir Christian yelled. "Do not think too much and just shoot!"
"With all due respect, are you out of your goddamn mind?" Archie huffed, a look of disbelief on his face as he stared at the knight who had clearly gone insane.
"I am merely raising the stakes, just a little," Sir Christian chuckled, balancing the apple on top of his head as he stood against a tree. "Are you going to shoot or not?"
"Are you kidding me? What if I miss? Just a few inches down and you could...you could lose an eye! Or worse, you could die!" Archie exclaimed.
The stable boy was happily practicing on his own, shooting some targets that he had set up in order to prepare for the tournament. That was until Sir Christian found him and explained how he had an idea for something much more exciting.
At first, Archie was intrigued. But then the crazy knight picked up an apple that had fallen from a tree, kept it on his head, and was now asking Archie to shoot it. Archie could not help but wonder whether Sir Christian had way too much faith in the stable boy, or if he simply had a death wish.
"I am not going to die," Sir Christian said as he rolled his eyes. When Archie said nothing, the knight continued, this time his voice was gentle and sincere. "Trust me, just the way I trust you. Close your eyes and breathe, then aim and shoot. You will not miss, Archie. Have faith in yourself and your weapon."
Archie frowned as he stared at the knight, there was something about what he said, both his words and his tone that filled Archie with a sense of confidence that he had never felt before. Not even when Kenric was trying to convince him to participate in the tournament.
He raised his bow, the same one that was gifted to him by the knight, almost as if his arms had a conscious of their own. He did as Sir Christian had said. He inhaled deeply, he calmed his body and his mind down as he aimed at the red fruit. Archie felt the breeze against his face, his hair ruffling ever so slightly. But the wind did not scare him.
As Archie let the arrow fly, he knew he would not miss.
***
Archie had a fun time practicing. Sir Christian even showed him how to fence a little. Archie's old mentor had taught him how to use a sword, but he had never been as good with it as he had been with the bow. The knight had the stable boy falling on his ass quite a few times, which both the men laughed about without any hard feelings whatsoever.
As Archie went back to the stables, he was greeted by someone he had not seen in a while. A smile instantly formed on his face as he looked at the young prince. James held a book in his hands, equally excited to see Archie.
"You have not read to me in a while," James complained with a slight pout, and Archie felt his heart melt. The little prince was too adorable for his own good.
"I apologize, my prince," Archie said honestly. As much as he wanted to spend more time with the heir, the upcoming festivities had kept him busy. He had barely managed to find the time to practice. "Would you like to read now?"
"No," James shook his head, Archie was about to frown when the young boy continued. "I want to play chess."
"Of course," Archie nodded. "Your room or mine?"
"Yours."
Despite being over a decade younger than Archie, James was a mastermind when it came to chess. The kid was too smart, not only at the game but in general. Sometimes Archie felt he was much older by the way that he spoke and acted, but then again, as the heir, maybe he had to grow up quicker than other children his age. Nobody could understand the weight of the responsibilities that he had on his shoulders.
At times, this made Archie sad, considering he knew that James might end up becoming the king sooner than he, or anyone could predict. That is if Kenric and Archie fail to find a cure for Godric. James was blissfully unaware of what the future held, and Archie did not know whether that was a good thing or bad.
"Are you excited for the ball?" Archie asked as they were on their third round of the game, the stable boy had lost the first two. He was not bitter about it, though. He had only recently started learning chess with James as his, rather strict, teacher.
"They are boring, I hate dancing," James muttered as he moved his pawn. "I am looking forward to the tournament. They are always fun."
"Someday you would be taking part in them too," Archie pointed out, and James' face immediately lit up.
"Soon, I hope! I have been learning how to fence with father, he said he will teach me the basics himself before Uncle Kenric takes over my training," James spoke.
"Prince Kenric might be a tough teacher," Archie teased.
"But he is the strongest in all the kingdoms so if I want to be the best, I need to learn from the best. I am not afraid," James replied, his voice proud and determined, making Archie smile at the boy's tenacity and enthusiasm.
"You will be," Archie said. "Give it a few years and I am certain you will show your uncle who is the boss."
"I will," James nodded. "Unless he becomes too busy to train me once he gets married."
"Married?" Archie chuckled. "I do not think your uncle is interested in marriage."
"I thought so too but," James shrugged casually, "I overheard my father telling mother that a princess is coming to the ball and that she wants to marry my uncle."
"What?" Archie froze. A princess? What princess? There was a royal interested in marrying Kenric? Did the warrior prince even know about this?
"Yes," James nodded. "Mother said she had seen her a few years ago. Said that she is very pretty and would make a good wife."
"Oh," Archie muttered, frowning. His heart rate had gone up immediately upon the mention of Kenric getting married. But he would not, would he?
Kenric had told him plenty of times that he was not interested in the slightest in marrying anyone, let alone a woman. He had reassured the stable boy that he loved only Archie, and that nobody else could ever take his place. But...Archie could never be with Kenric in the same way that a woman could be. He could never give the prince children or a family. He could not even hold his hand or kiss him in public.
Kenric was missing out. Maybe he was finally realizing that? Is that why he did not tell Archie about the proposal? Perhaps, because he was considering it?
"In which direction does the horse move, again?" Archie changed the topic. He did not want to talk or think about Kenric getting married anymore.
Though no matter how much he tried to ignore it, it was the only thing that was on his mind. It plagued his brain, bringing a faint ache in his chest. He did not want to lose Kenric, but he did not want to hold him back either. Kenric deserved to be happy, and marrying a princess...someone who could understand Kenric on levels that Archie could not— maybe that would make him happy.
After James left, Archie busied himself with work. He skipped supper, having lost his appetite and will to eat. Just looking at food made him nauseous. He felt like he would throw up or get sick, so once there was no more work to be done in the stables, he retired to his room.
Archie could not sleep either. He laid on his cot, staring up at the ceiling with a blank look on his face. Would Kenric forget about him if he was to get married? Archie did not want him to, but he hoped that he would. Archie could not, in good conscience, continue their relationship if Kenric vowed himself to someone else.
Was Archie just overthinking all of this? Was he jumping to conclusions? Archie did not know. He could not help but assume the worst, and all the possibilities scared him. He had not seen Kenric since last night, and his absence was only making everything all the more unbearable.
Archie sat up, startled as the door opened. Kenric stepped into his room, quickly locking it behind him as he sighed deeply, before letting out a light laugh.
"This was close," Kenric said. "I thought one of the servants was going to catch me coming here, but I do not think anybody saw."
Archie hummed, not saying a word as he laid back down and resumed staring at the ceiling. Kenric, sensing that something was wrong, joined him on the bed as he faced the stable boy, a soft and confused frown on his face.
"What is it, my love?" Kenric asked. "Is something troubling you?"
"Did you know?" Archie questioned back.
"Know what?"
"That a princess is coming with a marriage proposal for you?" Archie did not want to skirt around the topic. He wanted the truth.
Kenric was stunned. How could Archie possibly know about Princess Eleanor? He thought that only he and Godric knew, but turns out that he was wrong. Maybe walls did have ears, and news traveled fast in the castle.
"Yes," Kenric answered, honestly. Archie whipped his head to look at the prince, the expression on his face screaming of how hurt and betrayed he felt.