Archive of Our Own

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Who would have guessed? Who would have predicted this? Certainly not Whizzer. Not the man who swore to himself that he wouldn’t make any close friends- or even worse, a lover. He took his occupation very seriously. Well, who wouldn’t? Being a royal knight was a very dangerous job. So the fewer people he had close to him, the fewer people he would hurt if something were to ever happen to him.

Yet here he was, staring up at the sky and thinking about someone he could not get out of his mind for the life of him. This one stupid boy... Curse this boy for disrupting his regular routines.

Whizzer picked at the hay bale he was lying on, his calloused fingers digging into the scratchy material. He watched the clouds in the bright blue sky slowly drift by, and he savored in the cool breeze that brushed along his body. The air was crisp this time of year, as the leaves had just started to take on a yellow hue.

Who was this guy anyway? The boy he met in the woods a couple of months ago.

‘Greenwood- Marvin Greenwood’

the boy had introduced himself as if he was unsure of his own name.

At the beginning of summer, May to be exact, this boy stumbled into his life. He had claimed to be a traveling bard that fateful day, but he hadn’t been carrying any instruments on him, or had any poems to tell.

Whizzer couldn't place his finger on it, but something was different about Marvin Greenwood. How could anyone be so new to the world at his age? They were both nineteen Whizzer had learned. But as Whizzer showed Marvin around his yard, and around the woods that surrounded his yard, Marvin had been so astonished by everything, as if it was his first time experiencing the things that had been Whizzer’s entire life.

He didn't get it. How could someone have not seen a lake before? How could someone have never ridden on horseback before? How could someone not know how to be careful when walking in a river so you don’t slip on the algae that coated the rocks? None of it made sense to him, especially since Marvin had told him that he lived on the other far side of the country. Just on the other side of the castle.

The other side of the kingdom was just as filled with nature and wildlife as his side, so why did he look at everything with such amazement?

Even if Whizzer didn’t understand Marvin, that didn’t stop him from getting a thrill from seeing Marvin so excited to learn about nature and simple chores.

Whizzer first saw Marvin about four months ago by now, but ever since then he always wondered when he would see him again. The two had spent nearly every single day that Whizzer wasn’t on duty, hanging out together. Exploring the woods that surrounded the area, or going into the city to check out all the shops and everything.

Even right now, Whizzer was supposed to be training, but instead, he was lying on a bale of hay, staring up at the sky while daydreaming, trying to think of something else he could do with Marvin. Ugh, even now he was plaguing his mind. Whizzer knew he was just daydreaming and wasting time, but that didn’t stop him either.

Maybe he would take him swimming in the lake that was not too far from here… pack some sandwiches and his sketchbook. So he could sketch while Marvin explored.

Whizzer could feel something developing between them, and he wondered if Marvin felt the same. He hated to admit this thought though. Scared that if he thought about it too much, he would manifest it by accident. Surely Marvin had to at least like him. Because he always came back to visit him and his family.

Something that also stood out to Whizzer was that on his 19th birthday, which was just last month, Marvin had gifted him this extremely expensive watercolour set. Whizzer would always eye it when walking past the art shop because he actually did watercolour paintings whenever he wasn’t training or on duty.

When he had peeled away the brown wrapping paper topped with a red bow, his jaw dropped nearly to the floor.

How did you afford this?

Whizzer had asked, but Marvin had told him to not worry about it, saying he always had it just sitting around, without any use to him. Because Marvin claimed he was not an artist in the slightest. Even if both Whizzer and his mother argued that anyone could be an artist, that didn’t change Marvin’s mind.
 
Whizzer blushed as he thought about Marvin, and wondered what he was doing now. He tried to snap his mind out of it when he heard the Aqua Droplet jingling in his pocket. The droplet was a magical artifact that showed the owner's true emotions through a little light in the glass orb that was no bigger than a golf ball. However, Whizzer believed this one was defective. Because it had two lights in it, which stood out as odd to him.

Since it was Marvin who discovered the droplet in a river, and he had been the first to touch the orb, it tied to him. But the two lights weren’t in sync, and even now they weren’t. He took the droplet out of the drawstring pouch and brought it up to his face, so he could look at it better. One light was orange while the other was pink, it made no sense. One was also slightly bigger than the other.

Marvin told Whizzer, almost hesitantly, that sometimes an aqua droplet could develop two lights in it, and that the lights belonged to two different people. Two close people.

Whizzer didn’t believe this because they had found this droplet only three days after they met. How could they be close when they didn’t even know each other’s middle names?

Marvin was actually very intelligent when it came to almost anything outside of nature. So he seemed to know all about aqua droplets, and a ton of other magical artifacts as well. Often, Marvin would just talk on and on about magic. If Whizzer asked a question about something he had said, Marvin tended to get ecstatic and happily over-explain the answer to his question. Whizzer never complained though.

However, when Whizzer asked Marvin more about aqua droplets, he seemed to be holding back some information. Whizzer didn’t understand why, until he went to a library and borrowed a book about artifacts.

He had found out that when two lights showed up in a droplet, that meant that those two souls were tied. There were romantic ties, platonic, family, anything. Whizzer didn’t tell Marvin about this discovery, simply because he figured Marvin had already known and was too embarrassed to explain. Whizzer didn’t know if the textbook explanation was any better than Marvin’s explanation though… Again, because then they had only been friends for less than a week…

When Marvin found the droplet though, he had insisted that Whizzer should keep it. At the moment he didn’t get why. But now that he and Marvin had started to get really close, he wondered if maybe, just maybe... Marvin had seen him as more than a friend… Thinking about that alone made him flustered.

Since then, Whizzer had been wearing it in a small pouch on his belt, and it had become one of his most prized possessions.
 
After a while, Whizzer calmed his mind and realized he should get back to training. So he moved to sit up, groaning a bit in protest. Just as he was about to grab his sword, he saw someone lean over him. Whizzer had been moving to sit up, while this person moved to lean down over him. This caused both of their foreheads to crash into one another's. 
 
“Hey Wh- Ow!!” Marvin shouted, whipping up straight and staggered backward. Whizzer yelped because he did not hear Marvin approach him at all, so he scared him quite a bit. Whizzer staggered up to his feet and drew his sword while holding his forehead.

“Ow!! Who ar- Marvin??” Whizzer shouted back, before opening his eyes and noticing it was just his friend. “Holy Spirit- you scared the shit out of me-” Whizzer breathed out, immediately lowering his guard and glaring at Marvin as he rubbed his forehead.

“I think you gave me a concussion,” Marvin groaned as he held his head with two hands. “What is your head made out of? rocks?” He complained as he sat down where Whizzer was just lying.

“Good day to you too, Marv,” Whizzer muttered and rolled his eyes, laughing a bit. 
 
“What are you doing here? You never said you were going to come over today,” Whizzer asked as he slipped his sword into its scabbard and sat down beside Marvin.

“Meh, I had nothing better to do today, and I remembered that you said you weren’t on duty,” Marvin said as he stretched, before laying back on the hay bale.

Whizzer chuckled lightly, looking down at his friend and noticed a red spot had formed on his forehead, where the two hit each other. No doubt he looked the same. He just hoped he wouldn’t have a lump on his head tomorrow. Whizzer laid down on his back beside Marvin, setting his sword aside once more.
 
The two laid there in comfortable silence for a long while, before Whizzer spoke up again. “I’m going to the masquerade ball tomorrow, did you find out if you were able to make it?”

About a week ago, Whizzer told Marvin about this ball that the royal family was hosting. Whizzer said he was going to see if he was actually on duty then, or if he could attend as a guest. When he asked Marvin if he could come, Marvin had also said he would have to check. “Oh right, the ball,” Marvin chuckled awkwardly, picking at his nails and listening to the faint jingle of the aqua droplet on Whizzer’s belt.

“I don’t think I can make it, uh... I’m busy..” Marvin lamely excused. He seemed nervous and was obviously covering up a lie. This caught Whizzer’s attention, making him furrow his brows. “Oh. what are you doing?” Whizzer questioned, turning his head on the hay bale so he could look at Marvin’s face. “Phhft, stupid shit. I wish I could come, but my parents... Uh.. need me to run some errands,” Marvin explained as he refused to look at Whizzer.

“Oh, that sucks then,”

“Yeah. I would have gone with you though!”

“Hah, I wish you could. I would show you the outfit that I am renting for the ball, but it is still at the dry cleaners,”

“Oh..”

The two laid in silence for a little while, just looking up at the sky. Whizzer fiddled with the droplet pouch that was attached to his belt, he had already slipped it back in after he took it out earlier. Marvin picked at his nails and quietly hummed a tune.

Whizzer did wonder why Marvin seemed to be lying to him. But he tried to not dwell on it too much. Although it did upset him a little. The thought that he was lying to him so he would not have to attend with him did make Whizzer overthink why. But surely he was just overthinking it. Marvin wouldn’t do that, right?

Whizzer was enjoying the silence as much as he could, looking past his worries. That was something he liked about their friendship. They didn’t always need a topic to talk about, and when they did, Marvin could ramble on about magic to Whizzer.

However, Whizzer’s thoughts were interrupted when he felt the droplet shaking against his hip. Then something soft and very warm brushed against his fingers. It did not take Whizzer long to realize that it was Marvin’s pinkie finger brushing against his own.

Quite quickly, Whizzer’s cheeks heated up and he averted his gaze over to his friend beside him. “Mar?-” Whizzer started, before being cut off by Marvin, “Shouldn’t you be training??” Marvin exclaimed a little too loudly as he yanked his hand away from Whizzer’s and sat up.

The warmth in Whizzer’s chest fizzled out a bit, feeling disappointed as he sat up with Marvin, but not nearly as fast. Still though, his heart drummed against his chest.  “Oh, right. But don’t you want to do something together, instead of you just watching me train? I doubt it’s that interesting,” Whizzer asked as he stood and picked his sword back up.

This made Marvin immediately shake his head. “No- no I don’t mind at all,” Marvin promised Whizzer as he brought his legs up to his chest and hugged his knees, still sitting on the bale. “I enjoy watching you, I think it’s very interesting,” Marvin smiled as he waited for Whizzer. “Oh- um, okay,” Whizzer chuckled as he unsheathed his sword and got back to training, heart thumping hard against his ribcage.
 
Whizzer had to take off the aqua droplet pouch from his belt so it wouldn’t tickle him while he trained.
 
*****
 
The rest of the day passed in a lazy blur. Whizzer’s training session finally ended, leaving him worn out but very much eager to spend more time with Marvin. He didn’t even bother asking if Marvin had other plans, instead, he grabbed the bard by the wrist and tugged him inside, their laughter trailing behind them as they leaped up the stairs. They settled into Whizzer’s room, where Whizzer showed Marvin all of his new paintings.

By the time Kathryn called them down for supper, the golden hues of the evening had begun to darken.

At the dinner table, Kathryn dominated the conversation, endlessly chattering about the upcoming masquerade ball. Her descriptions of gilded walls, golden chandeliers, and the excitement of the event left little room for anyone else to contribute—not that any of them wanted to chime in. Marvin, however, seemed too preoccupied to even notice her monologue. As beneath the table, his foot kept nudging Whizzer’s, each bump accompanied by a nonsensical question about the soup.

“How many apples are in this?” This was the fourth question relating to a random fruit and the soup, at this point, you could assume that he just wanted attention.

“Shut up,” Whizzer hissed, lightly kicking him in retaliation, though he couldn’t help the tiny grin tugging at his lips. To which Marvin rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his lips as well.

The secret foot battle continued, unnoticed by most- until Marvin missed.

“Ow!” David, Whizzer’s father, exclaimed, lifting his nose from the book he hadn’t turned a single page of.

“Shit- that wasn’t for you,” Marvin choked out, his voice tinged with guilty laughter. He shot both David and Whizzer an exaggerated look of remorse.

“It’s okay,” David replied slowly, eyeing the two young men opposite him at the table. His lips were tightly sealed, and his hands gripped his book just a little tighter.

Whizzer glared over at Marvin for hitting his father, still trying to keep himself from bursting into laughter at Marvin's embarrassment. But when Marvin’s smile shifted into something more akin to a playful smirk—just for him, his stomach flipped. He retaliated with a gentle kick, earning a muffled snicker from Marvin, which Kathryn somehow managed to talk over.
 
After dinner, Whizzer wasted no time dragging Marvin back upstairs. He grabbed him by the arm. The two paused briefly at the foot of the stairs, just staring at each other, it stretching a little longer than it should have. Then Whizzer started walking up the stairs, hand withdrawing from Marvin's bicep. Neither said anything as they climbed to Whizzer’s room, their steps echoing throughout the cottage.

Whizzer’s room was small and modest, reflecting his practicality more than anything. He was a knight after all. What else do you need but the essentials?... And a few paintbrushes… And maybe some things to style his hair with… And maybe some clothes that complimented him well. Okay. Maybe more than just practicality. A bed sat snugly against the window, offering a view of the castle’s distant towers peeking through the trees. Paintings adorned the walls, and a desk in the corner held scattered brushes and jars of paint. Yet every time Marvin stepped inside, his face lit up as though he’d entered a grand ballroom.

Whizzer never understood it- what was so exciting about his unremarkable room? But he’d long since stopped questioning it. Maybe Marvin's home was in awful condition? Seeing how he never let Whizzer walk him home. Marvin flopped onto the bed as if it were the most comfortable place in the world. His arms sprawled out dramatically, his boots narrowly missing the duvet.

“Make yourself at home,” Whizzer muttered, rolling his eyes.

“I always do,” Marvin quipped nonchalantly as he toed off his boots. Well, as nonchalantly as Marvin could muster, he was always bad at pretending. Whizzer immediately noticed the grin creeping up Marvin’s face.

Whizzer settled at his desk, picking up a paintbrush to resume work on a secret project.

“What are you painting?” Marvin asked, as he always did.

“You’ll see,” Whizzer replied for what felt like the hundredth time.

Marvin huffed, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. He rolled onto his side, resting his head in his hands. “You’re so fucking secretive. Fine. Tell me about something else, then. Like… I don’t know, the masquerade. Who’s your date?”

Whizzer’s hand faltered for half a second. “I don’t have one,” he said evenly.

“Liar,” Marvin stated, his voice laced with what could only be described as poorly hidden glee. “Someone like you? You could have anyone. Even the prince.”

The compliment caught Whizzer off guard, though he masked it with a snort. “What about you? Aren’t bards supposed to charm everyone they meet?”

Marvin smiled to himself, quirking an eyebrow at Whizzer and leaning back against the pillows. He seemed to think for just a moment, eyeing Whizzer carefully. “Maybe I will tomorrow night.”

Whizzer turned sharply, but Marvin’s expression was unreadable. His heart twisted slightly in his chest as he tried to figure out what Marvin meant by that. Did he mean he will charm Whizzer? But no- Marvin wasn't coming to the masquerade tomorrow night. Or was he referring to someone else? Did Marvin have a date? Was that why he was busy? Suddenly, Whizzer heard a light snap and turned back to find his brush had split in two in his hands. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Figure it out.”

What an ass.

With an awkward clearing of his throat, Whizzer changed the subject as he picked up a new brush. “Hey, tell me more about magic,” he said, feigning casual curiosity. “Like,

I don’t know

, curses or that thing about pulling magic from the sun or moons. How does that even work?”

The question worked like a charm. Marvin’s face brightened, and he launched into an enthusiastic rant, waving his hands around like a windmill. Whizzer listened- or pretended- to let the soothing music of Marvin’s voice fill the room.
 
Time slipped away unnoticed. The chatter eventually slowed, then stopped entirely.

“...The curse can’t be spoken about,” Marvin mumbled, his voice trailing off. “Not before it becomes true. Otherwise…”

Whizzer glanced back. “Otherwise, what?” he asked, but there was no response.

The sight that greeted him stole his breath. Marvin lay sprawled across the duvet, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. His lashes cast delicate shadows across his cheeks, and the faintest smile lingered on his lips. With a quiet laugh, Whizzer set his brush aside and stood up. The moons hung high in the sky, their silver glow spilling through the window. He considered waking Marvin, but when he noticed the faint shadows beneath his eyes, he hesitated.

Instead, swallowing nothing as he shook his head, Whizzer carried his oil lamp over to his nightstand before gently shifting Marvin to make space.  For whatever reason, Whizzer had completely forgotten about the empty couch in their living room as he climbed into his bed beside Marvin, gently placing the duvet over the other man. Each time he touched him, Marvin instinctively leaned into it, his warmth seeping into Whizzer’s fingertips, making them tingle and his heart speed up.

This was fine, Whizzer told himself as he climbed into bed beside him. Completely platonic. Marvin needed the rest. He was just being… a good friend.

No.

His job was too dangerous.

He's just…

They’re…

Good friends.

That’s all. 
 
*****
 
Morning arrived with sunlight streaming through the window, it caught on the dust motes floating lazily in the air and warmed the room with a soft glow. David's voice called from the other side of the door, breaking the silence.

“Whizzer! You need to get up, eat breakfast, and train now if you want to do it today!” Whizzer’s father’s voice rang into his room, along with a few sturdy knocks. Even though his health wasn’t at all what it used to be, not since… He still had one firm knock.

Whizzer groaned, burying his face in the warmth beside him.

Wait. Warmth?

His eyes snapped open.

Curls. A nest of dark, messy curls beneath his chin.

Marvin.

Marvin was pressed against him, his face peaceful in sleep. For a long, heart-stopping moment, Whizzer couldn’t move, couldn’t think. The world outside the room—the sunlight, his father's call, tonight's masquerade—blurred into background noise. All he could see was Marvin’s face, relaxed and unguarded in a way it so rarely was.

And then, Marvin’s eyes fluttered open.

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed, neither breathing.

Oh no.

Marvin froze, his lips parting as if to say something, but the words never came. The tension in the air crackled, sharp and fragile, like glass about to shatter. Whizzer felt his chest tighten, unsure whether to laugh, panic, or throw himself out the window.

“I didn't mean to fall asleep,” Marvin mumbled, cerulean eyes still wide, his words uncharacteristically strained.

“It's okay,” Whizzer said, his voice far too flat, the awkwardness thick in the air between them. He shifted slightly, suddenly too aware of the closeness, of the way his chest had been pressed against Marvin’s the night before.

Their faces were mere inches apart, and Whizzer could've sworn that Marvin's face was getting closer.

Marvin moved first.

He scrambled out of bed so quickly that the duvet tangled around his legs, nearly sending him sprawling. His cheeks were flushed pink, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears.

“So!” Marvin said, his voice unnaturally loud, the word hanging awkwardly in the quiet room. He bent to grab his satchel, fumbling as the strap slipped through his fingers.

“So,” Whizzer echoed, not sure what else to say. His face burned as he sat up, watching Marvin fumble with his belongings.

Marvin tugged at his shirt again as if he were trying to disappear into himself due to embarrassment. Whizzer’s gaze flickered over him once more, watching the subtle flex of Marvin’s muscles as he adjusted his sleeves, the way his wrinkled shirt clung to his body in all the wrong ways, and yet somehow, it only seemed to emphasize how… Good he looked.

“I should… uh… get going,” Marvin remarked. Without waiting for a response, he bolted for the door, pausing only to throw a hasty goodbye over his shoulder “Your mom’s probably downstairs making some- uh- eggs or whatever it is moms do.”

“Right…” Whizzer breathed, his chest suddenly feeling tight. He didn’t know why it felt so hard to speak, why his gaze couldn’t stop drifting toward Marvin.

Marvin hesitated in the doorway, just for a second, his eyes darting to Whizzer’s face before quickly looking away again. “Have fun at the masquerade,” he said, almost too casually, as if it were a phrase he had to say to break the silence.

Whizzer nodded, though his heart wasn’t in it. “Yeah, I will…” He could feel his pulse racing, his eyes lingering on Marvin, who was halfway through the door already.

Marvin stopped. He didn’t turn back around, jaw clenched as he faced away from Whizzer. For just a moment, he opened his mouth, his jaw hanging open. But then Marvin closed it again. His hand hovered on the doorknob, the moment's weight hanging between them like an unspoken question.

“Marvin- ” Whizzer started.

But Marvin cut him off, his voice rushed and shaky. “Anyway, I’ll see you later.”

Before Whizzer could respond, Marvin left the room, his boots thudding against the floorboards.

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Whizzer staring at the now-empty room.

What a strange guy.

What an
incredib
—ly awkward morning.

******
 
It was now the end of the day, and Whizzer was currently on his way to the masquerade ball with his mom and dad. It was a late summer evening, and the sun was already setting in the sky, currently leaving it a pinkish hue. The woods Whizzer’s family tracked through were loud with crickets and cicadas, in the distance they could also hear an owl. Whizzer knew these woods like the back of his hand. He grew up here and spent nearly every day in these woods. He and his sister used to play many games here too. However, Whizzer hated traveling through them at night. Right now he was fine because there was still some sonlight from the sunset shining through the trees. However he knew that he was going to be anxious when he was going home tonight. Especially since he didn’t have his sword on him.
 
The three approached the castle now. It was built in stone, with many accents of gold, showing off the kingdom’s richness. They had stained glass on every window, warm and rich colours filling the land. Stone-carved statues of animals like lions and birds guarded the tops of the walls and pillars.

The castle was large, filled with rooms that weren’t occupied, just there for show. The castle had many rooms and halls. It has a green room- which was ironic when they were the fire kingdom-, and a whole floor dedicated to the cooks, cleaners, and servants. A dining hall, a ballroom, a throne room, a chapel, board rooms, an infirmary, and hundreds of guest rooms. Yet no matter how warm the castle looked, or physically felt, you could never shake off the feeling of how cold everything felt.

Even if the castle was pretty well occupied, the air felt tense and thick. Not many people noticed, but being a royal knight who spent a lot of his time in the castle, Whizzer noticed.

It made him think about the royal family. He had heard stories about the king and queen from his father, and quite a bit about the prince too.

Growing up, David would come home and tell Whizzer about the boy who lived in the castle, about his age, with big blue eyes and frizzy brown hair. The freckled boy was full of happiness and cheer, as if the sun itself had raised him. The little boy who was so different from his stone-cold parents. Whizzer pitied the boy, and even to this day, he tried to catch a glimpse of him when walking the halls. Everyone knew of the prince, but the public never saw him. It was also rare for him to see the prince too. 
 
Whizzer, Kathryn, and David all approached the castle, the heels of their boots clicking against the stone tiles of the path that led to the castle’s front doors. The castle has a stable for the guests' horses, so they had already put their horses in the stable.

The knights and soldiers that were on duty were guarding the doors as they let everyone in. Occasionally, a few older knights would stop the group and chat with them. Those knights were old enough to have worked with both Whizzer and David. They had all loved David and were still upset that he retired.

David had retired from being the king’s right hand when he was about 36, which was not too out of the blue for someone of his age. However, no one but David and the king knew why David retired. All they knew was that David was gone for months, returned with an injured leg, then he was replaced with some war general from a different department.

Whizzer had been told that David had been away at war, and Kathryn had been told that he was sent on some mission the king put him on. Whizzer still remembered the summer that David was gone. He had never felt so lonely before during those months. David has even missed Whizzer’s birthday. Back then, when he was 11, Whizzer believed that his father was truly away at war. But when he was first knighted, some of the senior knights asked Whizzer about what happened.

It was then that made him realize that he had been lied to. Because when Whizzer got confused as to why David’s old lance group didn’t hear of this war, he immediately searched through the old battle logs. He was only a knight bachelor then, so he didn’t exactly have access to these logs. So at the end of one of his guarding shifts, he snuck into the archives and searched for this battle.

Whizzer had found nothing but moths and spiderwebs that day. So he immediately went home and questioned his father. But David just seemed to tense up and withdraw himself from the question as much as possible. Whizzer still held a small grudge against his father for this, but it was mostly forgiven by now. Although seven years later, he still recalled the feeling of utter loneliness and grief that came from his house.

Because not even weeks before this, his little sister has passed…
 
Soon the family entered the castle and was escorted into the ballroom hall. Well, they didn’t need to be shown the way, as both Whizzer and David knew the public areas of the castle far too well.

The castle was beautifully decorated. Most of the relics and items around cost more than some of the houses on the outskirts of their kingdom. One royal crown could pay to have all of the cabins and houses on the outskirts to be rebuilt, including the Brown’s cabin.

Gold and red were Ardor’s colors, so it made sense that it was the main theme of the interior design of the castle. Lots of the costumes and outfits people wore to this ball matched the castle too, including Whizzer. His outfit was a dark and rich red, with cream-coloured pants that fit him exceptionally well, and leather boots that covered up to his calves. The entire outfit has red and gold accents beaded within it. The silky fabric was smooth to the touch, and it just complimented Whizzer’s body and features so well. To top it all off, Whizzer had a custom-made mask for the party, as it was a masquerade. It was of a white wolf with gold touches to it. When Whizzer first saw the outfit, his jaw dropped so hard it hurt.

Something a lot of the other knights didn’t know about Whizzer, was that he absolutely enjoyed fashion and the arts. They would have never guessed so when he held the title of best knight in Ardor, and they mostly only saw him in training gear or the royal uniforms they were given.

Whizzer fixed his hair a bit as he held his mother’s arm, trying to catch a glimpse of himself on some reflective surface, but he failed. Kathryn just smiled at her son, swatting his hair out of his hair. “You look fine, stop touching your hair or you will mess it up,”  she argued with a teasing grin on her face. Whizzer only rolled his eyes and smiled.  “I’m glad I’m not on duty tonight. I hate guarding these types of events,” Whizzer muttered as he looked around at every guest. Even off duty, he was searching for any signs of a threat. There didn’t seem to be any so far, but they were early into the night and the party had just started. The king hadn’t even made the announcement he said he would in the invitations that were sent out.

Whizzer didn’t know what this announcement was, he honestly didn't care too much. He doubted it would be anything too important for him. It wasn’t like they would announce a war at a masquerade ball, that would cause too much chaos. Maybe it was a wedding, or maybe the queen was pregnant? Whizzer was a bit curious, but his mind kept on getting distracted.

There was a certain boy with curls and freckles that was on his mind again. Secretly… Shamefully… Whizzer hoped that his certain someone had lied to him. He wished he was actually going to surprise him. He prayed that he was somewhere in these decorated halls, hiding behind a mask and ready to swoop him off his feet and whisk him away to some dark corner of the room. To comb his fingers through his styled hair and make it unkempt. To hush their giggles and hide away from anyone who came looking for them.

Whizzer just wanted him to-

“..Whiz? Hellooo?” Kathryn urged, shaking Whizzer’s arm lightly. “Uh- sorry, what did you say?” Whizzer snapped out of his mind and looked back at his mother. He was so grateful that his mask covered his cheeks.

Kathryn laughed at her son, glad to see he still acted the same as he did ten years ago, head always in the clouds. “I said, where is your friend? Could he not make it?” Kathryn repeated herself as she graciously took a glass of champagne that was offered to her. “Oh, Marvin? He couldn’t make it. He said he had some plans made with his parents today. Something he couldn’t miss,” Whizzer slightly pouted and shrugged as he went back to hopefully looking around the room.

“Awe, that’s too bad. Maybe next time, I’m sure you’d enjoy that,” Kathryn teased, gently pushing Whizzer with her hip. Whizzer blushed deeper as he swore she was a witch or psychic or something. “Oh spirit- mom,” he hissed, casting her a short glare. A laugh came from her red lips, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she grinned.

“You can’t hide anything from me, Dear-”

“Why don’t you go dance with Dad?”

“Oh c’mon, you know how he dances-”

“Then just go and-”

“He just shuffles from side to side now-”
 
As the two were in their little banter, the lights dimmed down.

Ding, ding, ding.

King Henry Gardens, the Royal King of Ardor, stood at the front of the ballroom, on the low stage that held the live band that was playing. He was holding a spoon and a glass of champagne as well, hitting the spoon lightly against the rim of the crystal glass to alert the room he had an announcement to make.

Henry was a cold man, it was clear in his gaze. How he held himself and looked upon people who were below him. Which was quite a bit of people when you were king. His posture was straight and his head was held high. He sent disapproved glares toward anyone who did not immediately grow quiet at his request for silence. This was the look of a man who came from generations upon generations of men who held themselves on pedestals. Men who got what they wanted and gave nothing in return. Only those of the high elite were allowed to talk to him without explicit permission first. Even so, those of the high elite were on thin ice around him.

Whizzer quickly fixed his posture and stance, seeming a lot more regal and belonging once he changed his attitude. The boy his parents and Marvin had grown to know disappeared whenever he acted like this. A habit that was drilled into him ever since he was fourteen and started to officially train to be a knight. This made Kathryn stop teasing him and listen to the king. Although she could never look at him with much respect anymore…
 
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our castle. We, the Garden’s family, welcome you to our halls. Feel free to enjoy drinks, music, and dancing for the night,” Henry’s voice carried to the entire room, not a single person could not understand him. He may have been cold, but he had the presence of a respected king. Standing beside Henry, was his wife. The Queen of Ardor, Anna Gardens. She seemed disinterested, and just mindlessly swirled the red wine around in her gold goblet, bringing it up to her dark red lips.

As per usual, the prince did not seem to be anywhere in sight. The only family portrait in all of Ardor’s castle was in the throne room, which was locked up currently. Behind the three thrones, was an oil painting of the family. Henry had stood in the middle, with Anna on one side, and their son on the other. However, their son was young. This was an old portrait, painted at least ten years ago. Whizzer had looked at that painting only a couple of times because he wasn’t in the throne room frequently. The last time he was in there was when he was guarding an event held in the room. Even then, he barely glanced at it because he was too busy making sure everything ran smoothly.

King Henry talked on for a bit, before clearing his throat. “Now, what you have all been waiting for. In your invitations I mentioned I had an announcement to make,” Henry started, staring out into the crowd, seeming to be casting someone who stood near Whizzer a warning glance.

“Tonight is a very special night because for the first time in fifteen years, you will be able to talk to your prince.”

Hushed chatter filled the room, everyone turning to their companions to whisper things like, ‘Woah, he’s here tonight?’, ‘I forgot we had a prince,’ ‘Wait, isn’t he still unmarried?’.

Whizzer’s eyes widened as he looked around the room. Wait, the prince was here? No way, Whizzer barely believed it. Even most knights weren’t allowed to see or speak to him… Whizzer looked at his father, seeing that he was just as shocked as well. Which made sense, David, out of everyone, knew just how the prince was. Even from how David talked about the prince, Whizzer wondered if he knew more about the prince than the king did…
 
“Okay, settle down. Before I introduce him, let me lay out some rules. My son will be wearing a mask. Any attempts made to remove it will result in your… removal from the event. You may not ask him for his name, and you may not touch him.”

Henry read those rules off from a small sheet of paper. His nose was scrunched and his brows were furrowed. He didn’t seem happy about these rules, and only begrudgingly relayed the message written by someone else.

Once Henry read the rules from the paper, he lit the paper on fire until the ashes fell to the ground in front of him. Clearing his throat, he spoke up again. “Now, I introduce the prince of Ardor, my

son

,” Henry gritted his teeth and motioned in Whizzer’s direction.
 
Not even five feet away from Whizzer, stepped forth a masked man who raised his hand, and with a flick of the wrist, created a single rose made entirely out of flames. He stood in the most expensive attire Whizzer had ever seen before. From head to toe, he wore glistening gold accessories. His suit, a dark red crafted by only the richest pigments cultivated. The fabric was thick and looked soft to the touch if you looked past the beaded emblems and designs.

The man glittered underneath the candle lights that lit up the large hall. Over his shoulders, rested a velvet cape that flowed perfectly around his body with every movement. Within it was a pattern that was hand-painted into the silk with dye, and the other side had black silk lined against his body. The boots he wore were leather, with actual gold plates on the toes of the boots. It also seemed like there was a heel to his shoes too. On top of it all, the man wore a mask that looked like it had real gemstones embedded in it, along with the crown atop his slicked-back hair.

Whizzer’s eyes immediately widened as he looked upon the man… This was the prince?! Whizzer couldn’t believe it. He always pictured him as some possibly sickly boy, shy and caved in. There was no way this was the same boy his father knew. Tall, confident, and possibly toned…

Whizzer immediately felt his chest fill with heat. His breath stopped and his eyes were glued onto the prince. The small pouch that held his aqua droplet shook and bounced around against his hip. As he stared at him for not even a second, the guy briefly glanced directly at him while holding the rose. For the faintest of moments, Whizzer swore he would turn to him and offer him the rose. When his eyes met the shaded eyes of the masked prince, a blush spread through his cheeks and up into the tips of his ears. Whizzer couldn’t hear or pay attention to anything else around them now.  Before Whizzer could see if his delusions were correct, many young women squealed and crowded around the prince.

He caught a brief glance at the prince, who still seemed to be searching for him with his eyes as well. Much to Whizzer’s disappointment, he was nudged backward by some women and a few men who wanted to have a chat with the prince. All they knew was that the prince was young, handsome, and

unmarried

- well at least they hoped he was. He didn’t have a ring on that gloved finger of his.
 
*****

For the next couple of hours, Whizzer didn’t approach the prince. However, he could not stop looking around the room for him. It was like something was pulling him towards the boy. Maybe it was because of how badly he had wanted to meet the prince when he was younger. Hearing David’s stories of the boy prince made him want to befriend him. Now, of course, it was a little more than wanting to be friends. But it was still the same feeling.

For the whole night up until now, Whizzer chatted with some of the other knights in his squad, discussing how he expected his commander’s exam to go next week. Sipping on a glass of red wine with his back turned to the majority of the people in the room as he talked to his co-worker. Jamie, a young man around the same age as him. With tight black curls, and dark skin. He was an odd man, who was a couple of ranks below Whizzer, but he didn’t mind. He may have been odd, but he was certainly entertaining in the stale environments of some of the knight grounds.

“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Jamie raised a brow, leaning in closer to Whizzer as he tried to see the prince as well. Whizzer was looking over his shoulder at a certain someone again. He then glanced at Jamie, giving a short glare. “I’m not talking to

the prince

,’ he said somewhat firmly, holding his glass to his lips as he turned his head back to the man in front of him, making him take a step back.

“You know how it will end if I start seeing the prince, I could lose this promotion and my job,” Whizzer argued, clearly flustered as he drank the rest of his wine.

Jamie’s eyes widened, before choking out a surprised laugh. “I meant you should introduce yourself to him, not get with him!” he laughed, watching Whizzer choke on his drink, a bit of wine escaping down his lips.

Trying to not make a scene, Whizzer wiped the corner of his mouth with the side of his hand, accidentally making a small stain on his white gloves. “Shut up,” the poor knight hissed. “Awe, come on. What’s the worst that could happen?” Jamie snickered and grabbed his friend’s arm, walking towards where they saw the prince last.

Whizzer’s heart rate raised, his eyes widening. “Jamie,  please, I–” Whizzer started, scanning around for the prince. But as they walked forward, they soon realized the prince didn’t seem to be there anymore, dazzling ladies with his magic skills. Jamie had stopped in his tracks, a bit confused until he saw a hand reach up and tap Whizzer on the shoulder.

Whizzer looked over his shoulder, still a bit flustered but hid it the best he could. But once he saw the prince himself standing behind him with an amused grin, his eyes widened once more. Sucking in his breath, he swore he was inside of a dream or fantasy of his own.
 
Whizzer turned around to greet the prince, heart in his throat. “Your Highness,” Whizzer said as he put an arm over his chest and bowed. Being a knight as well, Jamie followed suit but didn’t speak up. The prince let out a soft chuckle, seemingly amused at their actions. “No need to bow, at least not tonight,” the prince had a warm smile on his face as he looked at the knights in front of him.

For a short second, Whizzer swore he recognized his voice, but he just couldn’t place a finger on it. “Oh-” Whizzer quipped, putting his arm down awkwardly at his side as he tried to figure out what to say now. Did the prince want to say something to him? He did approach them first.

“No need to be nervous, I was actually wondering if you would like to have this next dance?” The prince offered his gloved hand out to Whizzer, his other hid behind his back and behind his cape.

Feeling his tongue tied into a knot, he struggled to think of something to say. Anything to say. Whizzer looked over the prince’s shoulder, he saw his mother grinning and giving him a thumbs up, while his dad looked… upset? Whizzer couldn’t tell from this far away, but he could see he did not have the same enthusiasm as his mother.

“It would be my honor,” Whizzer eventually choked out, a lot more smoothly than he had thought he would. He noticed some of the younger crowd around them scoff and roll their eyes. They had wanted to be the ones to be offered to dance with, not this random knight.

Raising his hand, he placed his palm against the prince’s, and then both of their fingers interlocked around each other. Whizzer could feel just how warm the prince’s hands were. As he stood close to him, he could actually feel a heat radiating off of him. Which shouldn’t have been too shocking, since he was the prince of the fire kingdom. But either way, Whizzer found it amusing and kind of sweet. Maybe it meant he was nervous too. Surely if he removed the prince’s gloves, his hands would be sweaty. Whizzer couldn’t explain it, but he had a feeling the prince was a lot more dorky than he seemed. Otherwise he would be very disappointed if he was some snobby pompous stuck up.
 
The two walked out to the dance floor, Whizzer offering his arm for the prince to hold onto like a true gentleman. Whizzer’s posture was straight and his stride was strong. Regal and elegant, just like he learned. His hands were balled into fists, one rested on the curve of his own back, and the other out for the prince. As they waited for the next dance to start. This round was nearly finished, so there was no sense in joining now.

Whizzer glanced towards the prince, noticing that he was maybe about two inches shorter than him. But he wouldn’t truly know because they were both wearing heeled boots. Whizzer looked down as he watched everyone dance around in circles. He saw how his long-ish eyelashes fluttered upon following people swaying around and around. It was hard to see them through his mask though.

Whizzer opened his mouth to try and strike a conversation between the two of them. But the song had finished and the prince quickly pulled the two into the middle of the dance floor so they could get into position. Small, harmless flames sprouted around them. Whizzer didn’t mind, he actually loved them. But he noticed how once the prince saw them, his eyes immediately widened. Whizzer smiled and laughed softly at the other man’s flusteredness. “I like them,” Whizzer reassured the prince as he tried to wave them away.

The two of them resumed a waltzing position, as the next dance called for. Since Whizzer was taller, he decided to lead. “I’ve never danced as the follower before,” the prince commented, holding onto Whizzer’s right shoulder with his left hand. His right hand interlocked with Whizzer’s left. “And I’ve never danced with a prince before,” Whizzer commented with a giggle. He had his hand rested on the prince’s waist, and he could swear that the area his hand rested on top was a lot hotter than the rest of his body’s temperature.
 
The two of them slowly started to dance, swaying side to side, feet stepping around each other. The small flames followed them around the dance floor. Even when the two separated as they passed from partner to partner in a collective dance, flames still followed after Whizzer, as if the prince was still with him.

The entire time he had a smile on his face. This felt straight out of some fantasy, like it was a dream. Nothing really mattered to Whizzer as he danced and laughed with the prince. He didn’t notice Jamie watching them while grinning, or his father watching them like he just saw a ghost. No, his eyes were only on the prince. For someone he barely knew, he was already so hooked up on him. He wanted to see his face, know his name, what he liked to do, what he liked to read, and what his favorite foods were. He was so occupied with this mysterious man that he stopped searching around for his friend who he had wished would appear and surprise him.

The two of them met up again after they did a whole rotation, both of them smiling upon seeing each other. “What’s your favorite novel?” The prince managed to ask before Whizzer could speak. They were standing so close that Whizzer could see the prince had blue eyes, and he could really see all of the designs put into his mask.

“My favorite novel?” Whizzer raised a brow, feeling his own mask raise a bit on his face from his gesture. He smiled and chuckled softly. “Sorry, I don’t really read all too much. At least not enough to have a favorite novel,” he said truthfully, unable to think of a lie good enough to fool the prince. He hated to admit that he avoided reading most times, because he dropped out of school at a young age. But if he was stuck inside his room all day, he probably read a lot of books too. Which was exactly what the prince did.

“Oh that’s a shame, I have a ton of favourite novels. I mostly like to read about magic, specifically elemental magic and old magic. But I also find potion-making and magical artifacts interesting too. Really anything related to magic, I will read,” The prince rambled on, swaying side to side with Whizzer as he looked over his shoulder as he talked. “Oh, the prince who processes fire magic, is obsessed with magic, how egotistical of you,” Whizzer joked, smirking at the prince, before remembering he was talking to the

prince.

The moment he saw the prince’s jaw drop in surprise, he felt his heart stop in his chest.

Yup– he was losing his job toni- “Haha! Shut up, Whizzer” The prince broke out into laughter, interrupting Whizzer’s train of thought.

Whizzer let out a sigh of relief, and his shoulders relaxed now. But he quickly paused and looked at the prince. Whizzer never told the prince his name yet… He got so caught up in all of this, so much so that he forgot to introduce himself. If anything, the prince shouldn’t know that he was a knight.

“How do you know my name?” Whizzer questioned slowly, furrowing his brows and tilting his head to the side in the slightest.

The prince froze up, the flames that danced around with them, flared up for the briefest of moments, before fizzling out. “Oh- um... You.. I’ve watched you train before, and overheard your name in the knight's chambers one day,” The prince’s body heat rose, and he nervously scratched at his cheek. Whizzer couldn’t tell if he was nervous because he would be caught lying or telling the truth. But the more he realized that his ‘lie’ could very well be the truth, the more flustered he got. The prince had always had eyes on him??

Whizzer’s silence just made the prince speak up, clearing his throat first. “Hah, yeah... I have a perfect view of the royal training grounds from this certain spot in my private library. Sometimes when I am bored..I .. uh..head out to that room and just watch all the knights train..” The prince seemed beyond embarrassed as he shared this information. It was as if no one else had ever been told this before. Which was very likely true, because who would this boy talk to? Did he have friends? Could you have friends as a prince?

“Really? H-how close is the library to the training grounds?” Whizzer questioned now. It would be impressive if the prince could recognize him from so far away.

The boy blushed, “um.. Kind of far away..”

“So not really a perfect view?”

“No, not at all,”

“...How did you pick out my features from such a distance, while most of the knights wear the same training armor?”

“... don’t worry about it.”
 
Whizzer blinked at the prince, this was unbelievable. How insane was his vision? Or did he somehow figure out who he was simply based on his hair color and cut, a rough estimate of how tall he was, and what his body type was? Whizzer was honestly blushing from the possibility of that.

The prince grew even more embarrassed at Whizzer’s silence. The truth was he did use a small handheld microscope to figure out what Whizzer looked like. But for the longest time, he was able to figure out who ‘his knight’ was, simply by examining his fighting style. The prince thought it was unique, and had more flair than the other knights. Like every battle, duel, or challenge he did was a performance. He found it so

interesting

… like it was some kind of art form. 
 
“Is that weird?” The prince genuinely asked. The only reason why he brought it up was because he did feel a little guilty for basically staking Whizzer. “No!-- no- no. Not at all-” Whizzer immediately shook his head, laughing sheepishly as he glanced away. “I mean, if I was stuck inside of one building basically my entire life with no other forms of entertainment, I would do the same thing,” Whizzer admitted, smiling down at the prince.

The prince smiled back at him, but he had less innocence in his look. “I mean, I do have some other forms of entertainment,” the prince whispered, standing closer to Whizzer now so that their chests were touching. Whizzer stared down at the prince’s chest against his own, feeling the buttons, pins, and ropes from his outfit press against him. “How so?” Whizzer whispered back as a blush spread through his face. Once again thanking his wolf mask that hid more than half of his face.

The prince cocked a brow at Whizzer, his eyebrow peeking out from behind his mask slightly. “Well.. you already know how I enjoy reading, and I like you enough to share this secret that I haven’t told anyone before,” The prince smiled slyly, blushing in a sheepish manner as he glanced away from the knight he had been dancing with for so long already.

“Oh- well I’m good at keeping secrets,”

“I hope you’re patient too then,” 
 
Much to Whizzer’s disappointment, they were doing another dance mix, so the prince slipped out of his grasp and danced with this other man. A man who was wearing a royal blue colour. In contrast to the red of red, white, and gold outfits, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Oh, Whizzer never hated a stranger more than he did right now.

Whizzer spent moment after moment dancing with both men and women. Mostly women, since he took the lead role when he started dancing. They all swooned and giggled as they danced with Whizzer, flirting with him even after he just simply smiled and introduced himself out of kindness. Whizzer only indulged in all of those girls squealing over him because he liked the attention, not because he wanted to date any of them. Was that a little mean? Whizzer didn’t care. They were the ones crazy enough to assume he liked girls in any way. They were leading themselves on...
 
After fifteen agonizing dances with people he barely knew, plus one with his mother because somewhere among the crowd his parents were dancing too, Even though with David’s injured leg, the most he could do was shuffle side to side, one hand on his cane, and the other on his dance partners shoulder- or his wife’s waist. But eventually, Whizzer returned to the prince.

He smiled upon seeing him, maybe moving a little too fast towards him for the speed of the dance. “Want to go outside after this round?” The prince quipped, fixing his mask a bit. “Only if you will tell me this secret of yours on our way out,” Whizzer urged. He had been thinking about this secret the entire time. The prince held many secrets from everyone, so getting a piece of something no one else had intrigued Whizzer so much it drove him insane.

The prince laughed, even his voice sounded royal, and just hearing it made Whizzer swoon. “Okay- well let's go then,” the prince hooked his arm around Whizzer’s, just like they were before they started dancing, and snuck past everyone who wanted to talk to either of them.

Whizzer had managed to catch a glimpse at Jamie before the prince whisked him away. Immediately, his friend made a kissy face, turned around, and rubbed at his arms, to make it look like he was making out with someone. Whizzer rolled his eyes, before another knight that stood with Jamie smacked him on the arm to get him to stop, as this was a public royal event, and Jamie was a part of the kingdom’s reputation in settings like this.
 
The two snuck away from the crowd, and both of them felt like they could finally breathe again. When they approached the glass double doors that led out into the garden, Whizzer let the knights guarding the door know it was him. Upon seeing their co-worker, they let him leave with the prince.

It was dark out by now, the moons at the top of the sky along with the stars shone down on them, lighting up everything in a light blue haze. The crickets were singing in the garden, and a few toads croaked from the small ponds and fountains they had. With the sound of the leaves rustling in the distance, all together it made a beautiful symphony. It was a peaceful garden, very well tended.

Whizzer wished he visited it more because it was so calm and peaceful compared to the rest of the castle. With rows upon rows of flower beds, beautiful willow trees, and other greenery. You wouldn’t think that this was the kingdom of fire. Ardor was notorious for having conflicts with Arbor, the plant kingdom. Since they were neighbouring kingdoms, the king always tried to take over their land. However, despite being not the strongest against fire, Arbor found ways to protect itself.

The castle’s garden was lush, and deep inside was also a greenhouse that was rumored to be owned by the queen herself. “Woah, the stars are bright tonight,” Whizzer commented, finally slipping off his mask, letting it sit on his forehead instead.

Whizzer looked out at the stars, eyes wide and glittering. He always loved to see the night sky. It was much easier to look at than the day sky at least. Thousands upon thousands of little specks of salt littered in a black abyss. He wished he could one day be among those stars.  Forever intertwined with the universe. However, if the stars held our fates, maybe he could go up there and move a few stars around? Make things a little easier for everyone. Then would some things become undone? There was no way that would end well. You can never gain a good thing without losing another. Maybe the stars would forever just stay in the same place, and they would be forever doomed to the fates aligned to them. Whizzer could never decide if that was a good or bad thing.
 
“What are you thinking about?” The prince asked, fixing his mask to hide his face better. He had looked away from Whizzer the moment he was snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh, nothing. Now tell me that secret, I’ve been dying to know,” Whizzer grinned, holding onto the prince’s hand now to take him to a bench he spotted that sat underneath an apple tree.

As the two sat down, the prince grew flustered and let go of Whizzer’s hand, looking out across the courtyard. The only sounds were the water from the fountain pouring down, the music and laughter coming from inside the castle, and the sound of little critters around the garden. “I am…” The prince started, scratching at his cheek as he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. As if he was rethinking this whole promise. “I …like to read books about princesses being trapped inside of castles with a dragon guarding it, but then… a knight comes around and saves her. I like to picture myself as the princess…” the prince said so quietly that Whizzer almost didn’t understand. “I..” Whizzer started.

Oh my god.

The prince was just one big dork.

“Really now?” Whizzer smirked to hold back his giggles, raising a teasing brow at the prince as he tried so hard to not laugh at his secret. He had made it seem like such a big deal, he had thought the prince would reveal something astonishing.

The prince laughed awkwardly, looking down at his hands, before slipping off his pearly white gloves and placing them down on his thigh. “Don't tell anyone or I will have you executed,” the prince sternly warned with a foolish grin on his face. This made Whizzer laugh loudly. Making him hold his stomach and lean forward. It was so unprofessional, but Whizzer was slowly losing the need to constantly hold up this mask of himself when talking to the prince. Which was something he never thought he would experience.

“You wouldn’t dare, you enjoyed dancing with me too much,” Whizzer looked up at the prince with a fat grin, still leaning forward.

“I would, you.. Made my feet hurt from

forcing

me to dance so long,” The prince avoided Whizzer’s gaze by looking up at the castle.

Whizzer didn’t fall for this one bit. “

Forcing

you? You were the one who took a glass of champagne, drank it in one swig, and gave it back to the same butler so you wouldn’t have to step off the dance floor and leave me,” he argued back, sitting up straight and leaning in close to the prince. So close that he could count how many eyelashes he had. He felt the aqua droplet jingle in his pocket but ignored it for now.

The prince swallowed nothing, staring back at Whizzer with large eyes from how close they were, but he quickly narrowed them while smirking, “Weren’t you the one who pouted while dancing with everyone else but me?”

“You were watching me that whole time?”
 
The two boys stared at each other with semi-flustered looks for a couple of seconds. But once they let the silence linger and felt their breaths against each other’s lips, the two quickly pulled away and regained their posture. Whizzer fixing his hair and the prince adjusting his mask.

“.... were you the one who requested all of those rules? The ones about your mask, and.. Not knowing your name?” Whizzer asked after a long while of just sitting straight and staring forward.

“Do you like roses, Whizzer?” The prince asked immediately after Whizzer’s question. For a second, he heard a crack in the prince’s voice, before he cleared his throat.

Whizzer looked over at the prince, his cheeks still a bit rosy. But whether he looked at him because of how he dodged his question, or because of what he dodged the question with, the prince didn’t know. “I do,” Whizzer said, much softer than before, feeling his heart bloom in his chest.

After Whizzer confirmed his thoughts, the prince brought a hand up and just like he did for all the girls inside, he made a rose. This rose was different though. It was made with a much darker flame. The roses for the girls were yellow and nearly blinding. This rose was made with much richer reds and oranges in it, like there was more thought and meaning put into it. Whizzer stared down at the rose, his eyes wide. There was so much admiration on his face. “Here…” The prince whispered and brought his hand up to Whizzer’s head. Carefully, he threaded the rose behind Whizzer’s ear.

Whizzer had known that the roses somehow didn’t burn, because how else would those girls hold their fire roses? Either way, Whizzer flinched slightly, squinting and moving a bit away from his hand. But once the rose was touching him, it didn’t hurt at all. The flames were warm, yes, and they licked against his ear and tickled him a bit. But they did not burn.

“These flames won’t burn, I made them with a healing flame,” the prince reassured, his voice soft as a dove. “Some people don’t know this, but fire has a healing component when used properly. It’s not nearly as strong as plant or water magic, but it’s better than nothing. It’s the best for surface wounds, like bruises or cuts,” he explained, his hand still close to Whizzer’s face.

“Wait, can you make an actual flame of this healing magic?” Whizzer asked, and the prince nodded. He pulled back his hand that was by Whizzer’s ear, and held it out in front of them, palm up. Then, like lighting up a campfire, a flame flickered and grew in his hand. Without doubting him this time, Whizzer took off his right-hand glove and held his hand inside of the flames. The flames tickled him again, so he tried to not giggle like a child. Instead, he smiled foolishly as he watched the flames embrace his hand.

Whizzer’s hands weren’t the softest, no matter how much time he put into moisturizing them and giving himself small manicures. Mostly his right hand was covered in blisters from using his sword, and the cuticles on both hands were chewed up from everytime he grew anxious. Whizzer had been training hard the day before Marvin had shown up at his house and distracted him…

Oh my god, he had totally forgotten about Marvin! He got caught up too much in all of the prince’s moves and flirtatious actions- “Here, the healing works better when it’s my hand against the wounds,” The prince smiled and held Whizzer’s hand. As they both sat there while holding hands, Whizzer stared at the prince with big eyes.

“What is your name?..”

“You know I can’t answer that…” The prince frowned and looked away from Whizzer, the flames indulging their hands flickering in a wild way.

“But you could... I promise I won’t tell anyone…” Whizzer urged, leaning in closer so he could see his face, but the prince kept turning his head away from him.

“That wouldn’t matter,” the prince said in an almost defeated tone, now letting go of Whizzer’s hand and putting out the healing flames from his hand.
 
Whizzer looked at the prince, before down at his hand, which was now incredibly soft and not blistered up, and his cuticles weren’t busted up anymore either. A part of him regretted this because now that he didn’t have his blisters protecting his hands, it would be much harder to wield his sword.
 
“I also enjoy those books,” The prince heard Whizzer say now. For a moment he was confused and looked over his shoulder, back to the knight beside him. But quickly he realized what he had meant. “..You do?”

“Yeah, I don’t read often because I never have the time, but when I do, I usually go for those romance books,” Whizzer refused to look at the prince, holding his healed palm and smiling down at it.

“What, do you also pretend to be the princess?”

“Shut up before I kick you off this bench.”

Giggles came from both of them.
 
*****
 
From inside the castle, the king was walking around looking for his son. He had met a handful of beautiful young ladies who wished to talk to him. They were all duchesses or ladies from wealthy families. He had found women who would be perfect to keep the royal family wealthy, and young enough that they wouldn't leave their prime fertility stages for not at least another 10 years. That had to be plenty of time for his son to suck it up and give their family an heir.

As Henry searched the castle, people told him that the prince had left with some boy and that they were supposedly in the garden. So that was where he immediately went to look. He had already checked his room, the library, and the kitchen. Growing increasingly frustrated with his noncompliant son.

All rooms were empty. So, being sure not to get noticed, he waved his advisor and one of the guards away from him. He then entered one of the offices, which had a perfect view out into the garden.

The king walked up to the window, the slight glow from his crown infused with magic reflecting off the glass. As he looked outside, he saw his son, sitting with some boy. Henry furrowed his brows in disapprovement. But before he went outside to yank him away and back inside, he grabbed a microscope to look closely at who this guy even was.

After searching around the office, he found one in a drawer and pulled it out, before holding it up to his eye and searching for the two again. Once he got a good look, he saw that the boy talking to his son was none other than Sir Whizzer Brown.

Henry pulled the microscope down and stared at them through the window, both too caught up in their conversion to even see him.
 
No, he wouldn’t separate them just yet.
 
He could wait.
 
*****

“Then we took a bottle of wine from my parents' cabinet and went off to this lake that we often visit, and drank the entire thing together, straight from the bottle!” Whizzer laughed as he shared stories with the prince.

The prince had asked Whizzer if he had any friends, claiming that he wanted to hear how ‘normal’ teenagers spent their days. So that question resulted in Whizzer rambling on about this new friend he made. “Sounds like you really enjoy hanging out with this friend of yours,” the prince teased, smirking and nudging Whizzer’s arm.

“Oh I wish you could meet him, but he told me that he was busy with something tonight, so he couldn't make it,” Whizzer frowned. Even if he was enjoying the night with the prince, he did wish Marvin was here with him.

As Whizzer twisted the rose between his fingers, he looked down at the embers of the flames. As he thought of Marvin and the prince, he was conflicted. As much as he hated to realize this, he knew that he was falling for Marvin. He hadn’t met someone that had brought him so much joy before. Being with him was as natural as breathing.

But Whizzer had so much fun with the prince as well. He really enjoyed his company, but Whizzer didn’t really know him. He still felt like there was a lot of information that he had to know about him. Whizzer could take the time to carefully meet up with the prince outside of duties, but that felt impossible when the royal family was so protective over him. Plus, if he was discovered to be having a secret relationship with the prince, there would be a lot of punishments for him…

He looked back up at the prince, looking into his eyes under the pale glow of the moons. Who are you? What is your story? Whizzer had so many questions in mind, but was too nervous to ask because of how he reacted to any question directed to him.
The prince looked right back into Whizzer’s eyes, both silent as mice as they sat there. Whizzer wondered what he was thinking about, and the prince thought the exact same thing. They were sitting so close together that Whizzer could feel the warmth of his magic radiating off of him, and he could kind of smell him. Not surprisingly, he smelt like a campfire. One you would light on a winter's day to keep you warm from the snow outside. The prince gently took the flower from Whizzer to put it back behind his ear. Against his skin like this, the flames returned to gently caressing him. 
“What?.. Whizzer whispered. He had only stared back at the prince this long because he had caught him staring first, and now found he could not look away until the prince did so before him.

The prince let out the softest of hums, anyone would miss it. But not Whizzer. 
 
“...Can I kiss you?” The prince whispered, something changing in his voice.
 
Whizzer felt his breath come to a halt. 
 
It wasn’t till now until he realized that the prince was indeed staring at his lips, and not his eyes. It was so dark out, and his mask brought a shade over the prince’s eyes.

The prince… was asking him… if he could kiss him… 
 
Whizzer swore he could melt under the prince's gaze, and his lips would have formed into a dorkish smile if he wasn’t slowly piecing something together.

A part of him was thrilled, ecstatic even. This entire night was just out of a fairy tale and he never wanted it to end. However, there was another emotion inside of him right now. One that was clashing with the giddiness he felt right now. However-
 
“Yes..” Whizzer whispered back, his eyes not leaving the prince’s face. He was now looking between his eyes and lips. Whizzer felt a strong pull towards the prince, even if he felt like his heart belonged to another.

The two leaned in a little more, now able to feel each other's breaths against their lips. It was clear they both wanted this, but it felt like there was a forcefield holding them apart. Neither of them were able to lean in and make the first move. Whizzer’s droplet was going crazy in its pouch, but Whizzer just placed a hand over it to try and silence it, so the prince wouldn’t be distracted by it.

Just as Whizzer prepared mentally to lean in and close the space between them, a familiar voice spoke up, the prince somewhat jerking his head away from him. “I could be anyone, y’know..” The prince whispered while Whizzer’s brain short-circuited. 
 
“Even someone you thought you knew….”

It all clicked now.

Oh my god…

Whizzer stared at him, pulling back now with his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted in shock.

It all made sense…

“..What if I.. knew who you were..” Whizzer whispered, a hand reaching up to gently stroke his fingers against the gold and red coloured mask. He was so warm to the touch, he could probably slow cook a stew with just his body heat right now.

His horse’s gear…

“Everything would change, you- you can’t know-” He said frantically, pulling away from Whizzer as well, standing up and taking two steps away from him. Lifting his mask off while his back was turned to his friend to wipe off his face, which was now likely sweating.

His mother’s healed tremors in her hands…

“Nothing has to change! I- I- can keep your secret!” Whizzer promised, standing up with him as well, to try and console him. He himself was starting to panic as well, he couldn’t scare him away, not now.

The expensive watercolours…

“No! It will change, you don’t get it. I- I knew this was a bad idea, I can’t-” He put his mask back on and covered his face with his hands. “I shouldn’t have left, my father was right!” he cried out.

His extensive knowledge in magic and the royal families.

“Marvin- wait!” Whizzer shouted, walking up to Marvin to grab his shoulder and turn him around. Well shit, there it went. Just out in the blue. At least no one was around to hear him. All the guards and party guests were inside.

Whizzer had winced when he accidentally said Marvin’s name,  hoping that he could still pretend that he didn’t know it was Marvin. If it would bring him comfort, Whizzer would lie to him.

“It can’t change! I know it will, you have to leave, now,” Marvin held onto his head, trying to get it to stop spinning. Fire bloomed around him now, protecting him like a fence surrounding him. Bursts of flames floated around Marvin like a carousel, hot and turning the grass beneath him yellow from the heat it emitted.

Whizzer gasped and stepped back from Marvin, not wanting to get burned from the fire. As he looked between the flames and Marvin, he felt the rose in his hair grow hotter, until it was burning against his skin. Whizzer let out a hiss and staggered back, immediately flicking the fire rose off of him. Once it had hit the grass though, it started to burn and make smoke. “Shit-” Whizzer gasped, holding onto the side of his face as he tried to stomp out the fire.
 
Marvin had turned around to look at Whizzer when he heard him hiss in pain and swear. That's when he realized the rose he had given him had burned him. Oh god- Marvin would just hurt Whizzer, what was he thinking? They could never do this, Whizzer didn’t deserve that burden. The flames around him grew more and more as he spiraled. Hugging himself, he turned away from Whizzer once more.

“I’m sorry! Please leave, I don’t want to hurt you,” Marvin cried, chest heaving in as fat tears escaped his eyes and dampened the silk underside of the mask.
 
Whizzer looked back up at Marvin after he put out the fire, breathing heavily with his hands balled into fists.

No,

Whizzer wouldn’t leave Marvin.

He could never.

As Marvin muttered to himself, shaking his head and visibly trembling, Whizzer knew he had to do something, say something, anything! But his words caught in his throat as his mind blanked. The only thing he knew was that he would not let Marvin go.
 
In two quick motions, Whizzer slapped some of the flames out of the way with his own cape and pushed his way through the fire. It was hot, but only for a brief second. Then he immediately grasped onto Marvin. His breathing was heavy and his heart was fast in his chest. He had ran purely off of adrenaline, usually he never would have done something so reckless.

His strong arms wrapped completely around Marvin’s frame, and pulled him in close. Marvin had been standing with his arms folding up against his chest when Whizzer hugged him. He also pulled him in from the side, so now his shoulder was digging into Whizzer’s chest, and his face was somewhat hidden against Whizzers neck.

For a moment, Marvin stopped crying, feeling his crown slip off his head from Whizzer’s impact and heard it hit the ground. The moment Marvin realized Whizzer had literally walked through his fire for him, his shoulders caved in more, before he turned to hug him back, the flames around them sizzling out.

“You could never hurt me..” Whizzer’s voice was fragile, but his grip around Marvin was firm. The tightness of the hug relaxed Marvin and grounded him. He closed his eyes and sniffled as he held onto his friend, still trying to hold back his waves of tears, but it was no use, Whizzer’s words had rung deep in him.

Marvin had his face buried into Whizzer’s shoulder and only thought about how wrong Whizzer was. He would hurt him, not that he wanted to, but it will happen, sooner or later. Maybe not because of him directly. But if his father found out— Marvn wanted nothing more than to give Whizzer the entire world, but he knew that was impossible because of his status. It was horrible, because if Whizzer had just happened to be a woman, his status wouldn’t be holding him back in the slightest.
 
As the two hugged, Whizzer thought about how it had taken him so long to realize this when he was literally a royal knight? Whizzer thought of all of the pieces that made sense in his mind now. That was why he could never visit Marvin at his house, or why he wore such fancy clothes the first couple of times he visited. It all made sense, he just still couldn’t believe it. The prince he had been dancing and flirting with all night was actually his new best friend? He felt like every time he had met up with Marvin, his eyes were closed and his ears were covered, because how the hell did he miss this? People told Whizzer he was extremely observant, but now he couldn’t help but think they all lied to him.

How would this work…

How could they do this?

Whizzer just wanted to be with Marvin, and nothing else. Whether that be as friends or more, Whizzer would be thrilled either way (one way slightly more than the other though…).  But how could that be? Marvin was a prince, and he was just a knight. Let alone, a knight from a family which the royal family seemed to have a vendetta against.

He supposed they could continue seeing each other as they were now, but what if they were discovered? Surely this was against the rules for Marvin, or else he wouldn’t have been so secretive about this, right?
 
“Marv.. What did you mean by ‘things would change’?” Whizzer questioned in a quiet voice. Nervous to speak any louder so he wouldn’t scare his friend away. Did he mean that they wouldn’t be able to see each other after this? He hoped not. Whizzer would be heartbroken if their time together was over.

Marvin was silent, trying to regain himself so he could answer Whizzer. He felt an unbearable guilt for lying to him for so long... Each night, before he went to sleep, the guilt chipped away at him. Friends didn’t lie to each other, right? “...You would change...” Marvin whispered, opening his eyes a bit to look down at the grass.

Before Marvin could say anything else, Whizzer peeled away from Marvin. He looked down at him, trying to read his face. “What?” Whizzer asked, still not getting it.

“You would treat me differently. You would treat me like... Well, a prince. It’s literally your job to treat me with ‘dignity and respect’,” Marvin frowned, letting his arms return to himself. They wrapped around his chest as he didn’t dare to look up at the man in front of him. “You wouldn’t treat me as a friend anymore, it’s been drilled into you to treat people of a higher status than you differently. Don’t say that you won’t, because I’ve seen how training goes for newly hired soldiers. I’ve seen the manners that you guys are forced to act with,” Marvin rambled on, looking down at the grass. Thanks to those stupid required greetings and mannerisms, every single interaction he had with someone, outside of a very select few people, felt fake and unreal. Like it was always just some empty statement given to him out of ‘respect’. Marvin wanted to be treated like a real person. He wanted jokes to be made about him, he wanted people to tease him and have playful banter with him. He wanted people to actually get to know the real him. But after using this fake persona for his entire life, he didn’t know who the real him was anymore. All he knew was that his life felt a bit more real whenever he was with Whizzer. It had more in it colour when he was around him. When he was far from the cold hallowed halls he was used to. He was so much more than what his parents needed him to be.
 
Whizzer stared at Marvin with a solemn expression, not believing what he was saying. Still holding onto his arms, he sucked in his breath. “Marvin..’ He said softly, reaching up a hand to gently slip off the mask Marvin was still wearing. Finally, he was able to see that freckled face of his. “I promise I won’t change, you’re still my friend, who just happens to also be the prince of the kingdom. So what if you have this fancy house, and a singular accessory that costs more than my house?” Whizzer chuckled softly, pulling the mask off of Marvin's head and just hooking it around his own arm for now. “I’ll still treat you the same as before, nothing will change that- unless we are in a public setting and you’re actually presenting as the prince. Then I should treat you as a prince, or else I could lose my job,” Whizzer laughed softly, wiping off Marvin’s damp cheeks with his cape now.
 
Marvin sniffled, believing Whizzer, but there was still doubt in his mind. However, he did smile a bit at Whizzer’s attempts to calm his worries. “You’re… not mad at me for lying to you all this time, are you?” Marvin asked, his blue eyes examining Whizzer’s deep brown eyes.

Whizzer immediately shook his head, running his hands down Marvin’s arms to hold his hands now. “Of course not, I was a little confused at first. But I get why you would do so now. I would probably do the same if I were you,” Whizzer confessed, gently rubbing his thumb against the back of Marvin's hand.

Marvin simply smiled a bit, returning to looking down again as he returned to his thoughts. Tonight, Whizzer had been so into the prince. He showed more affection and attraction towards him tonight than all the affection he had shown him while they knew each other so far. He couldn’t help but feel that Whizzer enjoyed his prince persona more than his real self. Which Marvin wouldn’t really blame Whizzer for, but it still hurt a part of him. Was it all the fancy jewels? His richness? His prim and regal self? Marvin wanted to ask Whizzer so badly, but he knew that it wouldn’t be fair to question Whizzer on his feelings like that.
 
Once more, Whizzer brought up his hand to hold Marvin’s cheek after a moment of the two just standing there in silence. Marvin looked back up at Whizzer, feeling a blush spread through his cheeks.

“Marvin, I-..” Whizzer leaned in closer and squinted his eyes a bit, “wait, do you glow???” Whizzer got distracted, noticing that Marvin emitted the faintest of lights. Like he was a damn firefly.

Marvin choked back a laugh, looking at Whizzer’s hand, which was now being held just a mere centimeter away from his cheek as Whizzer tried to figure out if Marvin was glowing, or if it was just a mere trick from the lighting. Wiping away the rest of his tears, he nodded, “I hate it, it’s so embarrassing..” Marvin laughed softly. “It only happens sometimes though, when I’m using a bit of my magic,” he explained further.

Whizzer leaned back a little, scoffing out a breathy laugh of surprise while smiling. “Uh- oh wow-” He chuckled a bit more, trying to get back onto his previous train of thought.

He shook his head a bit, “Uh- like I was saying. I.. I really like you, Marvin.. Like... I

like

like you..” Whizzer said softly, looking back up at Marvin’s eyes now, which had just grown a bit bigger and dilated just a bit more. God Whizzer was horrible at this…

The two of them both had their breaths caught in their throats, both unsure of what to say next as Whizzer’s words hung in the air like northern lights. Whizzer’s words didn’t scare either of them, but they did worry about saying the wrong things. When Marvin just stared at Whizzer in shock and bewilderment, Whizzer laughed awkwardly, letting go of one of Marvin’s hands to slip his masquerade mask off of his head, letting it rest around his neck like a necklace.

“It’s just.. Spending time with you for these last couple of months has been the most fun I have ever had before. I’ve never felt more.. Alive,” Whizzer spoke softly, removing the walls he had built up over the years to finally let Marvin through.

“Whizzer- I-”

“Please, let me finish..”

“I.. I have told myself for years that I would not let myself to have a partner, or any close friends. Because I know that one day I could go out to a battlefield and never return. Already, the thought of hurting my parents like that was too much for me to bear. I didn’t want to do that to them, not after…” Whizzer briefly paused, his eyes flickering slightly, before he shook his head to keep on track.

“My point is.. I think I’ve been wrong- well, not wrong about my job being dangerous. But I don’t think I should let that hand hold me back anymore..” Whizzer finally looked back up at Marvin, his eyes big and vulnerable. He had never done this before, he had always shut people out so he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

But now?

He felt like Marvin was actually someone who completely understood his worries.

Someone he could relate to and get over this fear with.
 
Marvin never looked away from Whizzer, drinking in his words and holding them dear to his heart. Whizzer would really break down his ‘rule’ for him? Marvin had to blink a few times so he wouldn’t cry in front of Whizzer again,

“Good, I don’t think you should let that hold you back either,” Marvin whispered, smiling up at Whizzer, feeling his heart fluttering rapidly in his chest- probably due to how his heart was literally always on fire because of his magic.

“Because I really like you too, and if I spent all night flirting with you just for you to say you weren't interested in dating, I would be.. ‘Mildly’ upset,” Marvin laughed softly, reaching up to wrap his arms around his friend’s shoulders.. Could he call him that? What were they??
 
Whizzer giggled and held Marvin’s waist, pulling him in closer to him. He seemed to be thinking something over as his eyes scanned Marvin’s face.

“What are-” Marvin started to ask, before being cut off by suddenly Whizzer leaning in, closing the space between their lips. Finally kissing him. All night Whizzer kept on sneaking glances at his lips,

Waiting..

Praying..

But as soon as Whizzer realized Marvin wasn’t going to take the first step, he decided to just finally leap into it.

Marvin’s eyes widened, and as soon as he closed his mouth and felt Whizzer against his lips, a wave of fire burst through him. Starting at his feet, and flowing up through the ends of his hair, a ripple of flames cascaded up Marvin’s body. This was totally unintentional, but he physically couldn’t stop himself, feeling his heart burst in his chest.

The flames didn’t hurt Whizzer, he only felt them flicker at his own body. Giggling against Marvin’s lips, he opened his eyes a bit to look at Marvin.

Pulling away now, grinning widely at how stunned Marvin was, he laughed more. “Sorry- what were you about to s-” Whizzer asked, before it was his own turn to be cut off by a certain someone’s lips crashing against his own, making him stagger back and almost trip.

Marvin had lunged into Whizzer to return the kiss. Because before he had been too caught off guard to register what really happened, let alone to be able to enjoy it. This time, Whizzer kissed him back. Both of the boys had wide smiles on their faces, and were giggling and laughing against each other. 
 
Once they finally pulled away, cheeks flushed and eyes glittering, both of them finally realized that harmless flames sprouted around them. They were nearly identical to the ones that appeared on the dancefloor, however these flames seemed more ecstatic and uncontrollable. Whizzer, still holding Marvin’s cheeks, looked at the flames.
 
“No but seriously, what are we?” Marvin asked, playing with the lapel of Whizzer’s outfit, unable to look up at him now. Finally growing shy again. This side of Marvin being more recognizable to Whizzer than his prince persona.

“Um.. Let's just take it slow,” Whizzer suggested, smiling gently at Marvin. “We don’t have to slap a label on it right now. Take me out on a date, then I will consider being your boyfriend,” Whizzer smirked, nudging Marvin a bit.

This suggestion made Marvin’s eyes widen.

He

had to take Whizzer out on a date? Not that he found any problems with that, he would love to. However, Marvin still barely knew his way around the city, let alone places that he could take Whizzer to. Maybe they could just hang out somewheres in the woods like they usually did. Who said a date had to absolutely be an outing out on the town anyways??

“Sure,” Marvin chuckled a bit nervously. Who was he kidding, he didn’t need to be nervous. This was Whizzer, his best friend. Surely anything romantic they could do together could be a date…

But oh…

Marvin wanted to impress and make Whizzer swoon just as much as he did tonight.
 
Whizzer stepped back from Marvin’s grasp, before leaning down to grab Marvin’s crown for him. He had been the one to knock it off of his head anyways. “Wait-” Marvin said quickly, immediately grabbing Whizzer’s hand to stop him, before picking up his crown himself.

“Sorry- the royal crowns are all laced with fire magic. So if anyone touches them, they will get burned,” Marvin warned Whizzer, dusting his crown off, but simply held it for now, not wanting to place it back on top of his head just yet. “It’s to protect from thieves, my ancestors did that though, so I have no control over it,” Marvin laughed softly.

“Oh- okay then,” Whizzer chuckled softly, before walking back to the bench they both strayed away from, picking up both of their sets of gloves. “We should probably head back inside, everyone must be wondering where

their Highness

went,” Whizzer teased, passing Marvin his gloves as he put on a very snobby voice.

“Oh spirits, if you keep on using this against me, I’m just going to lock myself back up into my tower and never come back out,” Marvin said dramatically, grinning as he groaned and tilted his head back.

“Whattt? I could never,” Whizzer snickered as he fixed his hair back up, before shoving his gloves into his pocket for now, so he could also fix up Marvin’s curls. Marvin simply rolled his eyes playfully, letting Whizzer fix his appearance for him.
 
*****
 
The two boys fixed themselves up outside so they wouldn’t look like such messes. Marvin resumed wearing his mask and gloves, and so did Whizzer. Just as Whizzer had warned, he of course treated Marvin like he was just the prince to him, and not his best friend/boyfriend now. But of course, Whizzer just had to add a little extra flair to their ‘farewell’, going the extra mile to kneel down and kiss Marvin’s hand as they departed for now.
 
The night was ending, and Henry never got to introduce Marvin to the young girls he gathered up. Simply because Marvin managed to always avoid Henry, steering clear from his view and sneaking past many people. It was late, nearly midnight once the party finished up and the king slowly started to bid his guests farewell.

The king never wore a mask tonight, but he didn’t need one to perfectly hide how badly he was fuming right now. In the presence of his people, the majority of the time he was able to keep a cool cover. However, once he turned around to greet someone else, he was met face to face with the two boys who had been missing basically the entire night. The air above Henry’s crown seemed to waver with heat, but immediately it died down.

Whizzer paused when he nearly ran into the king. He had been saying goodbye to Marvin in a more private hall, and even gave him another kiss. Both being giddy, the two were grinning and laughing as they speed walked to the exit of the castle. Marvin had insisted on walking Whizzer to the exit where his parents were waiting for him, even if Whizzer knew the way well enough. Marvin really just wanted an excuse to be with Whizzer, even if it was just for a few more minutes.

Marvin bumped into Whizzer’s back, because he had just been looking behind himself to try and see if his father was nearby. “Wh- oh- Father,” Marvin greeted, the smile on his face immediately leaving, and his hand quickly slipped out of Whizzer’s.

Whizzer was staring at Henry, for a moment he was frozen in fear. Quickly, he remembered his status and bowed his head. Whizzer wasn’t at a high enough rank to be able to talk to the king, unless the king granted him to speak.

Henry narrowed his dark grey eyes at Whizzer, holding his head up high, just as usual. “Brown, your parents are waiting for you,” Henry said slowly, before stepping aside so Whizzer could dismiss himself. Quickly, Whizzer did. He stole a glance at Marvin once he was behind Henry and out of his field of vision. He could see how Marvin’s expression was unreadable. Not even the sharpest of swords could penetrate that mask he wore in front of his father.

However, it could be cracked.

Marvin looked back at Whizzer, but his expression didn’t budge. Only those shaded blue eyes slipped in his direction, and nothing else.
 
Henry was right, because as Whizzer deflated and walked out to the guests' stable, he found his parents, talking to an old friend of David’s. Whizzer stopped as guests gradually walked past him to exit the castle. Thinking about what could be happening to Marvin right now, he was too preoccupied to hear how a lot of them seemed greatly disappointed, upset that they couldn’t talk to the prince themselves. 
 
How one single man had stolen him for the entire night, keeping him all to himself.
 
How selfish of him.