The moment Crown Prince Aurelian stepped into the room, Cael could see it—etched in every line of his face, in the tension of his jaw, in the way his golden eyes clung to him like they'd feared he'd vanish again.
"Cael..." Aurelian breathed, and all the royal formality he wore like a second skin fell away. "Gods, you're really here."
Before Cael could even speak, Aurelian crossed the distance and pulled him into a tight, grounding embrace. It wasn't princely. It wasn't restrained. It was raw. Desperate. The hold of someone who had been worried sick.
"I thought something happened to you," he whispered, his voice thick. "I knew something was wrong the moment Rowan disappeared. Then the twins went mad—and you... You were gone, Cael. No word. No letter. Do you have any idea how terrified I was?"
Aurelian didn't let go. "I wanted to look for you, Cael—I should have—but Princess Isabella arrived that same week from Arvencia. I couldn't leave the capital. I had no choice but to host her and the Arvencian envoys for the peace talks."
His voice cracked as he continued, guilt dripping between each word. "While I was stuck at banquets and meetings, you were missing. Rowan disappeared. The twins were in chaos. And I couldn't even do anything. I thought something terrible had happened to you."
Cael softened. "I'm sorry. Truly. I didn't mean to disappear like that. Everything just... happened so fast
Aurelian finally pulled back, scanning Cael's face like he still didn't believe he was real. "I was terrified, Cael. I couldn't sleep. And the twins—those two little devils were about to burn the palace down looking for you."
Cael gave a tired, warm laugh. "They always go a bit overboard."
"I should've gone after you anyway.But I..I"
Cael shook his head. "No, you did what you had to. She's your fiancée now. You can't abandon your duty every time I go off and get myself into trouble."
Aurelian looked like he wanted to argue, but Cael continued gently. "Rowan was hurt because of me.And now... I've made a decision."
"after... everything, I couldn't leave him like that. I promise him to stay by his side and he is not my...."
The prince was sharp enough to understand what Cael want to say.He understand what's happening.
Aurelian's eyes searched his. "And then what? You'll stay with him? Let him chain you to his side like before?"
"I cannot leave him,I really can't.....I told Rowan what I wanted. And he... let me go.I'll be returning to my post as the twins' knight and caretaker. Just until they're more stable. I still care about them, Aurelian. They need someone."
The prince looked like he wanted to argue, but the quiet resolve in Cael's voice stopped him.
"And it's not just for them," Cael added. "It's what I want too. I can't abandon them.Same goes for Rowan"
Aurelian stared at him for a long moment. "So, you gonna abandon your dream?"
Cael say nothing.
Aurelian exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair. "You really love taking care of people who want to break you," he muttered. "But that's who you are, isn't it?"
Cael smiled, just a little. "Don't worry about me. I'm okay now."
The warmth in his voice softened the tension in the room. Cael even reached out to poke fun at the prince, teasing him about the stoic Princess Isabella and asking whether she was more intimidating than the rumours and as Aurelian chuckled reluctantly, grateful for the return of Cael's brightness—however brief.
But just as the mood lightened, Aurelian's smile faltered.
His eyes had fallen to a small exposed patch beneath Cael's collar—faint bruising, a deep flush along his neck. His smile didn't move, but something in his gaze shifted.
Cael noticed too late. He adjusted his tunic with a nervous laugh, brushing it off. "It's... nothing."
But they both knew better.
Aurelian didn't ask. He didn't scold. He simply stepped back, straightened his posture, and offered a small, knowing smile. "Then I suppose I should return. Isabella has a schedule to keep, and I have a kingdom waiting."
Cael nodded, grateful and slightly heavy-hearted. "Thank you for coming."
Aurelian paused at the doorway, one hand on the frame.
"Don't disappear again, Cael. I can handle a hundred political crises—but not losing you."
Cael smiled gently. "I won't. I promise."
They parted with that silent, unshakable bond—two boys who had grown into men, bound by loyalty and sorrow, each carrying burdens the other couldn't lift.
Cael stood for a while after Aurelian left, fingers brushing the mark at his throat.
He hadn't said it, but he knew.
And Cael was quietly thankful that even in silence—Aurelian stayed.
________
Ten Years Ago — The Royal Garden, Aurelian's Birthday
Cael was already bored.
He didn't understand why nobles loved gatherings like this—too many people, too much perfume, and way too much fake smiling. As soon as Rowan got distracted chatting with other lords, Cael slipped away like a shadow and darted into the palace garden.
He found peace there—flowers, birds, no noise, no staring nobles.
But his moment of calm was interrupted by a soft thud.
A bird's nest had fallen from a high branch, landing on the grass. Cael rushed over and gasped. Three eggs—two cracked beyond saving, but one... miraculously, still whole.
"Oh no," he whispered. "Your siblings didn't make it, little guy..."
He looked up at the tree. The branch it had come from still swayed. Without hesitation, Cael picked up the tiny nest and began climbing like a wild squirrel—barefoot, no hesitation, twigs in his hair, grass stains on his trousers.
He secured the nest gently into a crook of the branch and smiled proudly. "There.Please survive.Your mother will heartbroken if she lose you too.Just survive?"
As he adjusted his footing to climb down, he heard something.
Sobs. Soft, choked, heartbroken.
Cael froze, peeking between the leaves.
Below stood a boy—blond hair gleaming in the sun, clad in fine silk and gold embroidery. He looked exactly like a storybook prince... except his tiny shoulders were shaking, and his small hands wiped at teary eyes. His face was scrunched in pain, his lip trembling. Whoever he was, he was crying like the world was ending.
Cael's heart sank. He didn't know what was going on, but something about seeing another kid cry like that made him feel bad.
"Is he okay?"
He considered calling out... but then he paused.
If someone saw himself crying like that, he'd embarrassed too. So he stayed still, hanging in the tree like a leaf, silently waiting for the blond boy to calm down and leave.
But fate had other plans.
Crack.
"...Eh?"
The branch under Cael's foot snapped—and before he could react, gravity yanked him straight down.
"Move! Move move move!!" he screamed, flailing midair.
The crying prince looked up too late—just in time for Cael to splat directly on top of him, knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs and startled yelps.
"Ugh—ow—!"
Cael blinked, face smushed against silk. He slowly raised his head, finding wide blue eyes staring up at him in shock.
He doesnt know what to do So he gave the prince his brightest, toothiest grin.
"Hi!" he chirped. "Isn't it a beautiful day to fall out of a tree?"
The crying boy was stunned by brightest smile of fallen boy.
And that's how Cael and Crown Prince Aurelian met.
It was so chaotic and unexpected moment.
From the moment Cael crash-landed into Aurelian's life—quite literally from a tree—they became inseparable.
They grew up together like wildflowers between the cracks of royal stone: mismatched, unsupervised, and utterly chaotic. Wherever Cael went, Aurelian followed—whether it was sneaking out to the kitchens for stolen pastries or slipping past guards to hide in the palace stables just to "talk to horses" and pretend they were warriors on a grand campaign. They laughed until their stomachs hurt. They argued over whose sword stance was better (neither had proper training at the time). They swore blood oaths with pricked fingers and promised they'd never leave each other behind.
No one could separate them.
But time did.
As they grew older, Aurelian's duties began to eclipse their days together. The once carefree boy who played pretend in flower fields now wore velvet cloaks, discussed treaties, and bore the weight of a crown not yet placed on his head. Cael—ever stubborn and proud—never blamed him, though. They still met from time to time, sharing drinks in private chambers, laughing over old stories, Cael teasing Aurelian for growing too "princely" while Aurelian called him a feral mutt in return. There was always warmth. Always comfort.
Then, three years ago, Aurelian told him he was getting engaged.
"To a princess from Arvencia," he said with a smile—one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Isabella. It's for the alliance. You know how these things go."
Cael had laughed. Had clapped his friend on the back, lifted a glass in congratulations, and said all the right things.
"You'll be a great king," he told him. "And she's lucky to have you."
And he meant it. Truly, he did.He was happy for him.
That was the last real conversation they ever had—before Cael vanished from the capital, before everything changed.
Now, standing by the window and watching Aurelian's carriage roll away, Cael smiled.
A genuine smile.
He was happy for him. Really, he was.
But still... it stung. Just a little.
He had buried those feelings three years ago—locked them away beneath years of friendship and duty.
Because Aurelian never knew.
And Cael would never tell.
And that night, for the first time in his life, he cried alone.
He never told Aurelian.
He never will.
After all, crushes are meant to be outgrown, right?
Or at least... buried deep enough no one ever finds them.
"I hope you're happy, Aurelian," he whispered to the empty air.
Then he turned away from the window, carrying the silence with him like an old scar. It was nothing more than a childish emotion left behind long ago.