Part 4

Back in the palace, after Luhan parted ways with his friends to go back to their own duties, he immediately went straight into the Prince's chambers. As he opened the door, a deep voice resonated across the room, a different, unfamiliar one. Luhan slowed his steps as he proceeded into the antechamber and then towards the bedroom. He recognized another voice, this one he knew well. He was surprised that Sehun was back early, and was worried that he was now looking for Luhan. So when he stood in the doorway, he didn't know where to look other than the carpeted floor, bowing lower than usual. He was scared that Sehun might reprimand him, especially now that they were not alone and they have to act not as friends but as master and servant.

It was Prince Chanyeol who was with them at the moment, and with him was the brunette Luhan had first seen at Sehun's ball. He was later introduced to Luhan by Sehun, the morning after the ball when Sehun had breakfast with the Prince and his companion. He was Baekhyun of Ios, a childhood friend of the Crown Prince of Akielos. But when Sehun said that, he was flicked by Prince Chanyeol. He amended what Sehun stated and he proudly said that Baekhyun was his lover and would-be Prince Consort once he ascended the throne, to which the brunette flushed, taking a sip of his juice. Where Prince Chanyeol was boisterous and cheerful, Baekhyun was gentle and quiet.

Luhan was pulled back to present when he heard someone sigh loudly. It was Sehun.

“Where were you?” The Prince asked, his voice low, neutral.

“Apologies, Your Highness. I was down in the kitchens with Kyungsoo.”

“My meal?” Sehun asked, a delicate eyebrow raised. He was definitely not in the mood.

“I will immediately get it, Your Highness.”

“Haven't you been just there?”

Luhan gulped. A slip. “Y-yes. But I was not sure that you would be back early, and I only want to serve you a warm meal. So I went up here to wait for you. Apologies once again if you got here before me...” He made himself stop. He knew he was blabbering excuses, and Sehun might be able to read through his lies and it would only cause him more trouble if he was caught. He bit his lower lip.

“Luhan, I cannot believe...” The Prince seemed to stop himself, too. He sighed again before glaring at Luhan. “Go.”

It was a command, and Luhan scrambled out of the bedroom and half-ran in the antechamber. He heard Prince Chanyeol say, “You're so harsh with him,” and Sehun's quiet reply, “I am not.”

He thanked his lucky stars that someone had already prepared the meal, steaming hot and already placed in a trolley so he could push it as he went back to where the Prince and his company was. As he pushed the trolley in front of Sehun, stopping just before the table, he noticed the charms of his bracelet as they dangled with every move of his hand, a sudden relief warmth through him. But it faded quickly when he noticed Sehun staring at it as well, a scowl etched on his forehead. He tugged at his sleeve, effectively hiding the bracelet under. He didn't know why he felt guilty but he did.

“Please enjoy your meal,” Luhan bowed after silently placing all the plates and goblets and utensils on the table. He turned to leave, but Sehun stopped him.

“See me after an hour, Luhan.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Luhan waited for an hour, fidgeting on his bed. He didn't know where else to go so he decided to stay in their quarters. Kyungsoo and the other servants in the kitchen were having a briefing with Hestas for the upcoming farewell ball for the Akielons. Jongin was busy tending to the horses, so Luhan entertained himself by playing with his charm bracelet or tracing the threads of his dream catcher, letting his thoughts wander off.

He's fifteen now, but he didn't feel any different. The only thing that changed was how he viewed Sehun. At first, he thought it was only pure admiration for the Prince. He was kind, giving, and humble despite what others perceived him to be. Once you got to know him, even for a bit, you'd know that the cold demeanor was only a mask. Sehun was warm-hearted and a child at heart. Luhan didn't know it at first but his admiration for him turned into something more, something deeper. He was aware of it all, of the fact that he shouldn't be feeling this way towards Sehun, shouldn't harbor any deeper emotion towards the future King of Vere. To Sehun, he was only a servant, an occasional company. Nothing could and would ever change that. Their status in this society differed a lot, so he knew it would be fruitless to feel this way. And yet he couldn't help himself. He was spending a lot of time with Sehun and it was too late for Luhan to stop himself. Sehun's kind and caring nature was the cause of it, but when Luhan thought about his charming smile and his beautiful eyes, his heart sped up more than ever. And when he talked to Luhan with his honey-coated voice...

Luhan closed his eyes and shook his head, erasing the images he conjured in his mind. He stood up and took a couple of breaths to calm and collect himself, before standing up and dusting off his clothes. He then headed back to the chambers, and when he got there, it was quiet. Luhan assumed that the Prince was now alone, and he was right.

“Your Highness,” he murmured once he was standing inside the bedroom. Sehun sat elegantly on the recaimer, his one foot up on the sit and his arm on top of his knee. Gray eyes gazed at Luhan, cold, judging. Luhan almost shivered. And then the look softened, and there was an even softer smile on the Prince's lips.

“It's Sehun, Luhan,” Sehun reminded the younger.

“Sehun.”

Sehun nodded, and then with another glare, he asked, “why did you lie to me?”

Luhan was taken aback. “I did not—”

“Luhan.” Sehun's voice was hard, laced with something Luhan couldn't identify. “When are you going to tell me?”

“I don't know what—”

Sehun sat properly, putting his foot on the floor, his fingers massaging his forehead as he closed his eyes. Sighing heavily, he said, “It's your birthday today.”

Luhan's mouth fell open, wanting to say something but nothing would come out. He closed it, and opened it once more. “I... I'm not... It's not...”

“Luhan.” Sehun stood, closing the gap between them. When they were only a foot apart, Sehun's voice was softer, and as if in a whisper, he said, “I knew. I knew today. I knew yesterday. I knew back then, when you turned fourteen and celebrated the day in the lake with your friends.”

Luhan swallowed, hard. He was not sure what to say, but his breathing was fast, a little nervous, a little thrilled. Sehun knew. All this time, he knew Luhan's special day, and Luhan had no idea. A flood of shame ran through him, and he hung his head. He lied to the Prince but the Prince knew the truth all along.

“I am deeply sorry, Your Highness. I really am. I shouldn't have – I'm so sorry.”

“I didn't say it so you'd apologize, Luhan.”

The smaller boy gasped when he felt Sehun touching his chin with his knuckle, lifting his face up to meet gray eyes. “I said it so we could celebrate it together.”

Luhan blinked, making Sehun chuckle. “You really are adorable,” the Prince said. Luhan flushed red.

“I mean it. I want to celebrate your day with you.” Sehun's eyes were sincere, so deep that Luhan could drown in them and he wouldn't even regret it. He was speechless.

“Is there anything in particular you want to do?” Sehun asked before letting go of Luhan, smiling tenderly at the younger. “I knew you went to town with your friends this morning and it must have been fun. But if there's anything else you want to do, tell me and I will make it happen.”

He couldn't believe Sehun knew about the trip earlier. He felt even more ashamed. “I – I am sorry. Again. For lying.”

Sehun ruffled his dark hair, laughing once more. “I don't want you to feel guilty, Luhan. I want to know what you want to do today. Anything at all.”

He blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Swim?”

The Prince didn't seem surprised by his suggestion. “I knew you'd say that. Shall we go now?”

“Now?” Luhan exclaimed before clamping his mouth shut and smiling sheepishly at Sehun.

“Yes, now.” Sehun walked towards one of his wardrobe and pulled out a saddlebag. “I'm actually quite prepared for this,” he said as he shouldered the bag. “If I were you, I'd run back to my quarters and prepare a change of clothes so I can bring you to the lake as quickly as possible.”

“Oh,” Luhan gasped. “Really? Oh, all right. I'm sorry – I mean, thank you! I will be back as soon as I can.”

The Prince smirked, and Luhan's heart missed a beat. “Hurry. The Prince doesn't like waiting.”

“I will!” He ran towards the antechamber and out to the hall for the second time that day. Before he closed the door, he heard Sehun calling out to him.

“Meet me in the courtyard instead. Don't trip!”

Luhan frantically packed a set of clothes and a towel in his own saddlebag before running outside, tripping once despite Sehun's reminder. When he reached the courtyard, Sehun was mounting the horse, and he extended his hand to Luhan.

“Just one horse. I hope you don't mind riding pillion.”

He shook his head, grinning as he took Sehun's warm hand. He immediately settled on the back of the horse, body flushed against Sehun's. “Not at all.”

“I assumed so. Wrap your arms around me.”

Luhan did as instructed, encircling his lean arms around the taller's torso until his hands met in the middle.

“Tightly, now.” Sehun told him, and Luhan could hear a smile in his voice.

He gladly wrapped his arms tighter. “All right?”

“Very. Hold on tight. We're going to ride hard.”

No sooner than Sehun said it, they were riding fast, passing the gate and heading towards the forest. Luhan had the urge to laugh out loud and maybe scream, but he held it in. He had the excuse of being this close to Sehun, and he enjoyed it by pressing his cheek on the Prince's back and inhaling his heady scent. It was heavenly, and Luhan might have gotten addicted if he didn't stop. Before he knew it, the horse stopped, and then they were in the meadow, the grass greener than the last time they were here, the flowers in full bloom and the air fresh. The lake was prettier than Luhan last saw, crystal-clear yet sparkling blue.

As they dismounted, Luhan spread his arms and took a deep breath. “I love spring,” he declared.

“I do, too,” Sehun said before grabbing Luhan's hand and making him drop his bag beside the Prince's. Luhan was pulled by Sehun as he ran, and then they were diving into the lake, with Luhan shrieking and Sehun laughing. As it took Luhan by surprise, he swallowed a fair amount of water before resurfacing, trying to glare at the Prince but failing the moment he saw Sehun resurface. Sehun was drenched, his hair flat on his forehead and he was laughing. Luhan had never seen something so beautiful until now. He ended up pouting instead.

Sehun cooed as he swam closer to where he was. “Happy birthday, Luhan.”

“Thank you,” Luhan said, cringing lightly as he noticed something. “My shoes are wet.”

“So are mine,” Sehun said before diving in and swimming away, daring Luhan to follow.

They swam and splashed water against each other until their limbs gave up. They heaved their bodies onto the lakeside and lay on the grass. They were laughing at a joke Sehun cracked, not because it was funny, but because it sounded so wrong that they found it hilarious.

“It was from Chanyeol and when he recited it, everyone laughed,” Sehun said as if defending himself, and Luhan giggled some more.

The mood turned serene as their laughter quieted down. Luhan studied the clouds, trying to make out shapes and images. He then murmured, “This is the best birthday I've ever had.”

“Really?”

“Hm,” he hummed, turning his face to the side to face the Prince, only to meet gray eyes already staring at him. He forgot what he was about to say.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yes. So much fun. Thank you, Sehun.”

Sehun smiled. “You're welcome. Next year, it will be a better celebration than this.”

“I'm fine with this,” Luhan said honestly.

“But you deserve more.”

Luhan looked away, eyes going back to the clouds to study them. “This is more. I prefer this, too.”

There was a moment of silence. Luhan's thoughts were calm, but his heart was throbbing fast just being near Sehun, and he was afraid the other might hear. He felt a soft touch against his wrist, and he glanced down to see Sehun's fingertips running through his charm bracelet.

“A gift?” Sehun asked.

“From Kyungsoo and Jongin.”

“It's lovely.”

“It is. It's a good luck charm.”

Sehun nodded, and then he grabbed his saddlebag, fetching something inside as he said, “I also got you one.”

Luhan perked up, “A good luck charm?” He was grinning, not even hiding his excitement as he waited.

The Prince wrinkled his nose before smiling sheepishly. “It’s not exactly a charm. But it’s still a gift.” He handed a slightly large parcel to Luhan, who took it with jittery hands. Luhan could tell it was soft from under the wrappers and he quickly untied the golden string holding the package together, a lot similar from the present Sehun gave him when he came back from Ios.

“This is…” Luhan shoved the wrapper beside him to get both of his hands on the soft material, running his palm all over it. “A quilt?”

“Do you like it?” Sehun asked, eyes steady on Luhan, and the younger nodded his head several times. Before Luhan could help himself, he brought the quilt close to his face and inhaled its scent, closing his eyes as he took in the smell of fresh laundry and a hint of musk, a lot like Sehun’s scent. He then looked up at the Prince, thanking him with his eyes as he covered half of his face to hide his ridiculous grin. Sehun laughed at his gesture, grabbing the quilt from him, urging Luhan to giggle.

“Let me show you something,” Sehun said as he shook off the quilt. He seemed to be finding one corner in particular and when he did, he showed it to Luhan, who involuntarily screeched as he saw his name embroidered on the quilt. It was in an elegant script, or it was supposed to be, but the letters were wobbly and inconsistent when it came to sizes. Luhan could tell whoever did it was not professional, but it brought out to it a certain charm. The threads used were golden ones and it glowed in the royal blueness of the quilt itself. Luhan loved everything about it.

“You got someone to customize it for me? Thank you, Sehun!” Luhan exclaimed, touching the letters of his name with his fingertip.

Coughing, the Prince looked at the quilt, rubbing his nape with one hand. There was a slight flush on his cheeks and Luhan couldn’t tell if it was because of the sun or something else.

“I made it,” Sehun whispered, and if Luhan was not so attuned to him, he would have missed it. He was stunned, eyes unblinking and wide as he stared at the Prince.

“Mother was working on a handkerchief one afternoon, embroidering a flower and some other shapes. It’s a hobby of hers, and when I saw her that time, I was amazed at how fast she was doing it so I watched for a while not knowing that an hour had already passed. Mother asked me if I wanted to learn, and since I didn’t want to go back to the council room to listen to Councilor Junmyeon differentiate the trade routes of Vask from Marlas, I agreed. That’s when I decided that I’m giving one to you on this day. I’m glad you like it. It’s not perfect and I know it’s not something you’d expect from someone like me—”

“Sehun,” Luhan touched the other’s arm lightly before dropping his hand quickly, as if he was electrocuted. He continued, “Thank you. I really do love it and I appreciate it. I promise to take care of it. I can’t even believe you even did this, I just… You probably spent so much time doing this.”

Sehun just shook his head, looking relieved for once. “Will you use it at night?”

“Every night,” he said, his fingers clutching the soft fabric.  “Thank you again.”

“Anything for you,” Sehun smiled that bright smile that always blinded Luhan for a second. He could only bob his head in return.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the water, enjoying the cool temperature of the lake and the relaxing breeze. Luhan couldn’t think of any words to describe how he felt at that moment, but all he knew for sure was that this day was special to him not only because it was his birthday but also because of the things he experienced and received. He was already looking forward to the next one.

**

On the Prince's eighteenth birthday, everyone in Vere was encouraged to celebrate their beloved Crown Prince's coming of age. People hung colorful streamers in the streets, there was music everywhere, people shared their food with their neighbors and friends. The mood all around Vere, from the capital to all the provinces, was festive. But nothing was more festive than the palace itself. Everyone was busy, there were servants scurrying down the rooms and hallways wherever you looked, the soldiers more alert than usual. Not even one servant was idle. Almost all the usually vacant rooms were occupied by noblemen and women from all over the continent, especially the courtiers from the three nearby countries; Vask, Patras and Akielos. They all came to join Arles in celebration with the Veretians and to witness the Crown Prince once more in this big event, because this would be the last ball the palace would be holding for him as a Prince. The next one would be his wedding and coronation. Even though the Prince wouldn't be ascending to the throne until he was twenty-one, he wished that the next birthdays be the same as his seventeenth one, with only the closest and most intimate people invited. Because of this, the King and Queen took the liberty of inviting as many royalties from neighboring kingdoms as they could this time, hence the palace being full and bustling.

The situation in the palace halls was a great contrast to the Prince's chambers, however. Luhan sat on a couch near the window as he read a piece of paper in his hands while Sehun, the birthday celebrant, was calmly sipping his late afternoon tea on the table. The Prince was wearing nothing but a robe, finishing his tea, before he headed to the bathroom to pamper himself. Luhan was reviewing the program for tonight's celebration, the third time since that morning.

“You are to dance with the Empress of Vask after the first course of dinner,” Luhan quietly said, his forehead wrinkling as he read on and saw that Princess Miyo