Luhan started tying the saddle bag containing their things to his own horse, but Sehun insisted he carried it instead, because he didn’t want Luhan to take care of all things today, as it’s still part of Luhan’s prize. Luhan was about to mount his own horse when they were stopped by the royal guards.

“I apologise, Your Highness. But I couldn’t let you into the forest alone,” the guard told Sehun, his head bowed down yet his face looked determined.

The Prince stood there with a cold demeanor, his gray eyes unkind – a stark contrast to the warmth Luhan had seen back in his chambers.

“I am not going alone, Festus,” he said, gesturing towards Luhan.

“The servant boy does not count, my prince. You need to take a guard with you. Let me go with you, Your Highness.”

“The servant boy is my friend,” Sehun said through gritted teeth, eyes turning even colder, making the guard flinch. It was amazing and terrifying to watch, how Sehun stared the guard down, as if he was not aware that this guard was all muscles and grumpy face and he himself was only a little boy still. “And no, I won’t take a guard with me. We will be back before sun sets.”

“The King would have my head if I let you go –”

“The King gave me permission and you can take it up to him, if you want to interrupt his lunch time with the Queen,” Sehun smirked. Luhan could see the guard was getting worked up, beads of sweat on his forehead. Everyone in the palace knew the King and Queen were not to be interrupted during their meals.

The guard, Festus, bowed his head. “I will go to the King in a while. I will let you go, Your Highness, but please be careful. The King will really have my head if something bad ever happened to you.”

“Rest assured, Festus. I will be safe. You do not have to worry,” Sehun said, mounting his black horse.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good. We’ll head out now.” Sehun nodded at Luhan and the both of them heeled their horses. Luhan sneaked a glance at Festus, who was still eyeing them warily, before looking ahead.

In just a few minutes, they were out of the palace walls, with the soldiers positioned at the back gates saluting as they rode past. The cemented flooring changed into a moist pebbled path, with tall wild grass and flowers surrounding each side of the road. The two rode in silence, with only the chirping of the birds and rustling of tiny rodents in grass accompanying them. When tall grasses were replaced by old, abundant trees and shrubs, the Prince let out a loud laugh that startled Luhan. He worriedly looked at his brown horse, checking if it was spooked. Only when he was sure his horse was fine that he looked at Sehun who was riding beside him. The other looked back with a wide grin.

“It’s been a while since I got out of the palace to play. I’m thrilled,” he explained.

Luhan smiled. “You’ll love the lake.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will. Do you know how to swim, Luhan?”

The younger nodded eagerly. “Yes. I love swimming more than riding, too.”

“Do you, now? You could have told me before that you’d like to go swimming. We could have gone here earlier then,” Sehun said. Luhan led him to the left side of the forked road before answering.

“I didn’t know I could.”

“Of course you can. You can tell me anything,” Sehun assured him. In a serious voice, he added, “You’re my friend, Luhan. Don’t forget that.”

“All right. We’re almost there.” Luhan turned left once more, with Sehun following right along. He could hear the sound of water against rocks and more birds. It’s been a while since he visited this place, and like the Prince, he was also excited.

After pushing a huge leaf out of the way, they reached the lakeside, which could be considered a meadow with how huge it was. Luhan heard a soft gasp behind him, and he knew Sehun was in awe of the beauty of this untouched place, just as he was when he first came here.

The soft grass was sprinkled with little wild flowers, some yellow and white, others blue and violet. There were a few smooth rocks scattered among the lake side. The breeze was fresh and Luhan took a relaxing breath in before letting it out with a quiet giggle. The lake was not like his beloved sea but it was almost as beautiful. It was not too big, and he could still see the other side of it, but it was crystal clear, the blues almost turning white when the sunlight hit the light waves the wind made. On one side of the lake, there was a massive tree on a huge rock, and it gave shade on a quarter of the water. He remembered swimming to that side the first time he went there when the sun was at its highest to avoid getting burned.

Luhan’s body ached and he wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and swim to his heart’s content. The water was calling him. He dismounted his horse.

“It’s beautiful,” Sehun’s voice broke his thoughts once more and with a huge smile, he turned to his Prince, who was also standing on the ground now, his horse’s rein in his hand.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. I love it. I couldn’t believe there’s a place like this in Arles, Luhan. It’s stunning.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Sehun’s shoulder slumped all of a sudden, unconsciously pouting. “This feels wrong. It’s supposed to be your prize. But now I feel like I’m the winner because of this.”

Luhan laughed. Once again, Sehun unknowingly reminded him that he was just a child like him. “We should eat before swimming.”

“Ah, yes,” Sehun’s smile was back, and he turned to the saddlebag tied on his horse’s side. He pulled the blanket out before dropping it to the ground and taking the rest of the contents out of the bag.

“I should take care of the horses,” Luhan said, heading to the nearest tree to tie his horse to it.

“No!” Luhan startled when Sehun exclaimed, turning to his Prince quickly.

“What is it?”

“No,” the Prince said, his hand at the back of his neck. “I should do it. I should take care of the horses. I should take care of everything today. It’s your prize.”

Luhan chuckled, “It is fine. You don’t have to make a big deal out of it.”

“I insist!” And then, leaving the containers of their lunch on top of the blanket he had neatly spread out on the grass, he pulled his horse towards Luhan and grabbed Luhan’s horse with his other hand. Luhan watched as the Prince walked to the tree he was about to head to, and looped the reins of the horses around its huge bark before walking back to where he was.

“There. Now we can start eating.”

They sampled each food Luhan prepared, or if Luhan was asked, he’d say they devoured it. The ride was quite short, but because they had breakfast just after dawn, and it was way after noon now, they were famished. When they were done, Luhan packed the utensils they used while Sehun grabbed one towel and walked towards the edge of the lakeside, admiring the view.

“Should we swim now?” He asked, not looking back to where Luhan was sitting on the blanket.

Luhan studied the calm, blue water of the lake. It was not quite like the ocean he so loved, but it still made him long for his home back in Marches. The water was calling him; it’s been a while since he last stepped into this lake. Some may think that because of the accident, he’d be afraid of going back to the water, but Luhan never got scared of it.

He jolted back to reality when he saw the Prince taking off his jacket, followed by his shirt. He then pulled his trousers down, leaving him in only undergarments, a thin white sleeveless shirt and underpants that covered his lower body only up to half of his upper thighs.

The Prince toed the water, testing its temperature and when he knew he could handle the slight cold, dove in, arms and head first, and Luhan was surprised. He waited for Sehun to resurface, and when he did, there was a huge grin plastered on his face, his wet fringe flattened on his forehead. The water made his blonde hair shine even more, second only to the brightness of his gray eyes. He waved at Luhan.

“Come on! The water is very refreshing!” He didn’t wait for a reply and swam, aiming for the shadowed spot at the far edge of the lake, near the huge tree. Luhan followed suit after he undressed.

They swam for almost an hour, with Luhan making several laps in the lake, and Sehun staying under the tree’s shadow.

“My skin would be burnt,” he had said when Luhan asked as he was floating on his back. He shrugged it off. Maybe royalty needed to always stay perfect in the eyes of their subjects, though Luhan didn’t understand why a Prince’s burnt skin would bother the courtiers. He was always covered in perfect clothes from neck to toe anyway.

When they got tired, they rested on the lakeside once again, Sehun lying on his back and Luhan sitting upright. They had the towels wrapped around them. He closed his eyes and tilted his face up, absorbing the warmth of the sun as much as he could. Summer was almost over, and in a few weeks, the leaves would change colors. Autumn up north had always been harsh, that’s what they said, with less sunlight and harsher, colder wind, as if the season was preparing everyone for the terrible winter. Luhan scrunched his nose in disgust. He hated the cold; it made swimming harder.

“This is a really nice place,” Sehun said after a while, and Luhan turned his head to smile at him.

“It is, isn’t it? I’m glad Jongin introduced me to this place. I would visit as often as I can.”

“We can do that.”

“Eh?”

“Come here as often as you’d like,” Sehun grinned.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I like it here. It’s relaxing.”

Luhan nodded. “Thank you, Sehun.”

“Of course.”

They lapsed into silence after that, and Luhan felt lighter than he had ever felt since coming to Arles. Deep inside, he still worried about his sisters, not a day had gone by without him thinking about them. But for now, he could just enjoy the moment.

“It’s freeing, don’t you think?” Sehun said. “I always felt cooped up inside the palace, like I’m trapped. Coming here feels like freedom.”

“Do they forbid you from visiting places?”

The Prince shook his head. “You saw how Festus was earlier. They worry for my safety. After the alliance between my great grandfather and King Damianos of Akielos, there’s still unrest in some parts of Vere and Akielos. There are rebels, unhappy Veretians whose hatred for Akielons go way deep. It can’t be helped. And because of this, it’s not safe for us to wonder around without proper security measures. It’s a rare day today that I got past Festus. I always have to stay inside the palace walls. It’s stifling.”

Luhan nodded at this, he understood what Sehun was saying – except maybe the word ‘stifling’. Sehun liked to use words Luhan had never encountered before; it inspired him to read more books, though he was never the bookish type. Even back when he was studying in Marches, he would only open one when he absolutely needed to. If not, he was often snoozing right after the first page no matter how hard he tried.

“Ah, but enough about me,” Sehun said. “What about you? You never told me how you ended up working in the palace.”

Luhan hesitated. He had never talked about the accident since he got to the palace. But here Sehun was, curious and eager to listen to whatever he’d say.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s not an order,” Sehun assured him, reading the expression on his face.

“No,” Luhan said. “It’s – it’s fine. It’s just… I came here in spring, because I had to earn income for my younger sisters. My uncle brought me here.”

“But you’re so young. What about your parents?”

 “They’re dead.”

“Oh.” Sehun pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Luhan. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s alright, really.”

“I assume it only happened recently?”

Luhan bobbed his head twice. “A few weeks after my thirteenth birthday, there was an accident. See, my parents fish for a living. We live near the sea, and our little house faces the beach. It happened so suddenly. They went to fish just before dawn broke. The people in our area assumed that there was a whirlpool, causing their boat to capsize, and drowning them in the process. Nobody can tell for sure; nobody saw what exactly happened. It was strange. Because that day, there was not a drop of rain, or a strong wind that could have been the cause of it all. But still, the ocean took my parents. I didn’t know what to do then, and just cried with my sisters. We were so young. I wasn’t even a teen. But then, my uncle told me that there’s a way to provide for them, and the next day, I was riding a donkey with him on our way to the capital. My sisters were crying, and it was so hard to leave them. But my uncle promised that he would take care of them and his wife was there to watch over them while I was away. Still… I worry about them. What if they are not doing well? What if the sols I send them every other week isn’t enough to –” Luhan choked, the tears threatening to fall and he grasped his neck as he tried to stop himself from talking and thinking –

“Luhan. Luhan! It’s all right, Luhan.”

Warm arms wrapped around his trembling shoulders as he continued to bite his lower lip to hold back his sobs. Sehun rubbed his back soothingly, and Luhan tried to focus on its rhythm. Up, down, up, down.

It took a few minutes for him to calm down, Sehun never stopping his soothing touches. He didn’t know it would affect him like this, that talking about his family could bring sadness like this.

“I’m sorry, Luhan. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry,” Sehun said, his expression down and apologetic.

“It’s not your fault. It’s my first time talking about it. I didn’t know I’d be like this. I should be apologizing to you instead.”

“No, you don’t have to. What do you say we go back to the palace now?”

Luhan stared longingly at the lake. He fidgeted at the soaking hem of his undershirt. “Is it okay if we stay a bit longer?”

“Absolutely,” Sehun smiled. “We can stay for as long as you want, winner.”

This made Luhan laugh softly. Sehun still hadn’t forgotten their little game.

“You promised Festus we’ll be back by sunset.”

Sehun grunted and kicked the grass in front of him. “You should have not reminded me. We could have said we forgot.”

“It’s scary in the forest when it gets dark.”

“Ah, then I just have to protect you.”

“You sleep with the lamp lit, Highness.”

Sehun snorted. “That doesn’t mean I’m scared. I simply couldn’t sleep in the dark.”

“If you say so.”

“Thank you for today, Luhan.” Sehun’s voice was so sincere that something tugged in Luhan’s heart, for the second time in a day. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know about this place. Thank you, truly.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

“Maybe next time, we can visit Marches. I want to see the ocean too. It has been a while.”

“I would love to accompany you then,” Luhan said, his mood lightening up with the idea.

“You’d definitely accompany me. As my personal servant, you’re stuck with me for as long as you live.”

“Ah, that’s awful.”

The Prince of Vere playfully stuck his tongue out at him, bumping his shoulder lightly.

“But remember: you’re not just my servant. You’re my friend, Luhan. Don’t forget,” he said, his face serious.

Luhan nodded. “I won’t.”

“With that said, I want you to let me know whatever you need, and I will do my best to provide it.”

“I will.”

“Speaking of which, I will talk to my father about your wage. You are my personal servant and this should mean higher salary. You will be able to send more sols to your sisters, and save some for yourself.”

“You don’t have to. And I don’t need the money for myself.”

“I insist, Luhan. And if you refuse again, I will make it an order,” Sehun smirked, arching his eyebrow as if waiting for Luhan to protest.

“Abuse of power,” Luhan muttered and the older laughed out loud.

They stayed in their spot for a couple more hours, standing up only once to change back to their dry courtier clothes. At one point, there was a white rabbit that jumped out of a bush, making Sehun yell out loud. Luhan rolled on the grass, overcome with laughter. Several times, Sehun told Luhan of the silly antics of Prince Chanyeol of Akielos whenever he visited Arles. Sehun told him he’d like Chanyeol and would find him hilarious when he met him. They filled the remaining hours with random stories, never stopping once, talking to each other until the sky started to turn orange. Luhan had to force the Prince to go back to the palace, with the latter pouting and pleading to stay there until Festus and the royal guards started searching for them.

“We’ll come back here, right? Please, let’s go home,” Luhan said.

“Tomorrow. We’ll come here again tomorrow,” Sehun said firmly as they mounted their horses.

“You have sword fight lessons tomorrow, and you need to polish your speech. The King wants it by evening,” Luhan reminded him.

Sehun huffed. “The next day, then?”

“The Patran delegates will be here.”

“I am not looking forward to their arrival.”

“Why is that?”

“They are bringing Princess Miyoung to Arles for the first time,” Sehun said, scowling.

“What is with Princess Miyoung?”

“She’s this ten year old brat with huge ribbons on her hair and brightly colored Patran dresses that hurt my eyes. She’s the most annoying person you’ll ever meet.”

“You’ve met her when you visited Patras?”

“Yes, it was the King’s birthday then, about a year ago.”

They were nearing the palace walls, and the sky was now purplish and the moon was shining down on them.

“It’s been a year. I’m sure the Princess has changed since then.”

“I doubt that.”

“Don’t be such a brat,” Luhan said, immediately realizing his mistake. He watched as Sehun stilled.

“I’m sorry!” Luhan exclaimed, bowing his head as much as he could while still riding his horse.

Silence.

It was only for a couple of seconds but it felt like longer. And then Sehun was laughing, hard and loud.

“I’m sorry,” Luhan repeated.

“No, no, no!” Sehun managed to say in between laughter. “I admit I was surprised but that was funny!”

“It won’t happen again.”

“It’s fine. Chanyeol always says that to me. I find it hilarious.”

“I shouldn’t have, still. I’m sorry.”

“Luhan, it’s fine. Remember, we’re friends, yes? Friends say that to each other.”

Luhan grinned. Never could he forget.

**

Princess Miyoung was, in contrast to Sehun’s words, not a brat at all – nor was she even annoying. Luhan didn’t know why the Crown Prince of Vere thought that way, but when the servant bumped into the Princess who was admiring the east garden of the palace, she was anything but a brat.

The Patran delegates had arrived the evening before, with a grand dinner held to welcome them. Today, however, the palace was busier because the King and Queen of Vere wanted to have an even larger feast to celebrate the arrival of their friends from the southeast.

Luhan, after tending to Sehun’s needs, was asked to help with the decorations for the dining hall. He was in the garden picking up several kinds of flowers when he saw the young Princess.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” Luhan bowed, never looking up as he clutched at the freshly cut bouquet of carnations in his hands.

“Good morning,” the Princess answered, her voice soft, akin to the chimes of little bells. She barely even had a Patran accent. She didn’t say anymore and continued walking, and Luhan snuck a peek at her retreating back. She was not wearing a bright dress at all, like what Sehun had said. Her dress was of pastel pink, as light as the flowers Luhan was holding, and her hair was not decorated with huge ribbons either. Instead, a white gold circlet adorned her head, little amethysts making it shine and sparkle with her every movement. Even with her back to Luhan, she was everything a Princess should be, with her grace and her gentleness that was obvious in the way she carried herself. She was so young, and her skin was creamy white, unlike the other Patran courtiers who came with her who were mostly tan and burnt by the harsh southern sun.

Maybe Sehun was wrong. Maybe the Princess had changed.

As Luhan found out quickly, he was wrong. The Princess had not changed at all.

During dinner, while the musicians play their kitharas perfectly, the Princess stood from her seat across Sehun. Luhan watched as she dumped the contents of the goblet she was carrying onto the head of one of the councilors. This act earned gasps and yells from the spectators, and Luhan, who was