Alex opened his eyes, grimaced, and shielded his face with a hand. A stubborn ray of light was ruining his morning after a night he'd thoroughly enjoyed.
"How long did I sleep?"
He turned toward the other side of the bed, where the gentle curve of the man's body peeked out from the sheets. The prostitute was sleeping peacefully, dark lashes brushing his cheeks and a soft breath escaping his lips.
Alex glanced back at the window. Beyond the glass, the sky was clear.
"Looks like late morning… Wait a minute!" He shot upright. "Shit! I'm terribly late!"
He jumped to his feet. Still naked, he scrambled around the room, pulling his clothes as fast as he could. "Father's going to kill me!"
Or maybe the entire Royal Council would, too.
The prostitute let out a faint groan and rolled over.
Alex shook his shoulder. "Hey, you awake?" He would've called him by name, if only he could remember it.
The young man blinked, confused, then focused and sat up with a start. "Alex! Leaving already?"
Alex gave a crooked smile. "Afraid so. My father is… let's just say he needs my help."
The prostitute nodded as if he truly understand, then gave him a teasing look. "Coming back tonight to keep me company?"
"Don't think so. I'll be busy."
"Too bad. You're really handsome and one of the few who enjoys being on the receiving end."
Alex smiled faintly. "I make far too many decisions in my life. At least in bed, I prefer to let someone else take control."
The young man tilted his head, a brown lock falling across his face. "Mm, if that's the case, maybe next time we could try something a little more… extreme."
"As long as it's not dangerous."
He laughed. "I'd be an idiot to kill my future favorite client."
"Favorite client? You've already decided I'll come back?"
"We had fun — you especially — so yes, you'll come back."
Alex smiled faintly. He would much rather have stayed in that stranger's arms than return to the royal palace and once again wear the disappointing title of Crown Prince Alexander.
But he couldn't stay. He was running hopelessly late.
He leaned down for a final kiss, but the prostitute grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back into the bed. He slid his tongue between Alex's lips, fingers threading through the blond strands, and suddenly the prince regretted getting dressed.
By the spirits, that young man really knew what he was doing! And he was quite… well-equipped, too. He was worth every coin the prince had spent the night before, and then some.
He returned the kiss and lingered a little longer in that warmth before finally pulling away.
"I left your tip on the dresser. See you around!"
The young man blew him a kiss, and Alex walked out of the room.
He went downstairs, pulled a hat low over his head, and stepped into the street, sprinting toward the royal palace.
He had no idea what time it was, but the sun was far too high for early morning, which meant that the Council and the Court were already assembled. His father was probably drumming his fingers on the throne's armrest.
Perhaps the new Court Mage was already there waiting for him, too. And Alex was hungry!
The prince threaded his way between market stalls and grabbed a piece of fruit. He tossed a couple of coins to the vendor and bit the apple. The sweet juice eased his hunger a little.
"Fuck!" He turned into an alley and pressed himself against the wall.
A few seconds later, a patrol rushed past, so close he could feel the air shift as they passed. The insignia revealed they were city guards.
He waited for them to pass, then slipped back out. "Maybe they're not looking for me."
Usually his father sent Sven, but Alex didn't feel like being recognized and escorted back to the royal palace. The nobles would want to know where he'd been, and it would be awkward to admit that the Crown Prince was spending his nights in brothels — and in a passive role, no less.
No, better to keep all that under wraps.
He resumed running toward the royal palace, perfectly aware that he'd never make it in time.
------------------------------------------------
Alex opened the door and slipped through one of the servants' entrances. He looked around, but no one was there. Finally, luck seemed to be on his side.
He crossed the kitchens and storerooms, then ascended a narrow service staircase to the upper floors. The royal palace was deserted, which was a troubling sign.
"Shit, the meeting's already started," he muttered.
"Of course it has. And it started quite a while ago."
Alex spun around. "Sven! What a surprise!"
The captain of the prince guards frowned and jabbed a finger at him. "Care to explain where you've been? I've been searching the whole palace for you."
"I was, uh… out."
"In the city?" Sven's frown deepened.
"I wanted to get some flatbreads."
"You're a terrible liar."
Sven grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him toward the royal family's quarters.
"The throne room's the other way," Alex protested.
"You can't go in like this."
"I'm not naked!"
Sven shot him a glare. "You smell like sex, Your Highness. I absolutely refuse to let you make such a foolish mistake."
The prince wrinkled his nose. "I do not smell like sex."
"You reek of cheap incense, the kind they use in brothels. I'm older than you and I've been to those places myself."
A sly smile tugged at Alex's lips. "Does my sister know?"
Sven shoved him into his room and shut the door behind them. "Get changed. Quickly."
"Come on, my presence isn't even that important."
"Of course it is! He'll be your Court Mage once you're crowned."
Alex grimaced and pulled off his shirt. "I don't want him. I don't even know him."
"You didn't choose him yourself?"
"No, my father did. As always." He finished undressing and dabbed his face and shoulders with a damp cloth. "I feel like a man going to the gallows."
Sven sighed and handed him a clean shirt. "You're exaggerating. It's just the appointment of a new advisor, isn't it?"
Alex stared at the embroidery on the fabric. "No, it's different. This isn't just a first meeting; my father wants me to perform the ritual — the Crown Pact."
"I'm afraid I've never heard of it."
"Neither had I, until my father explained it last night. It's not exactly a secret, but it's not something people usually talk about."
He slipped on the clean shirt. "It's a magical ritual that binds the sovereign to his Court Mage. My father told me it's a bond that lasts a lifetime and cannot be broken."
"And you can't postpone it until you get to know him better?"
"Do you want to see my father furious?"
"Not at all."
"Neither do I. I'll obey, because I have no choice."
Sven sighed. "Is that why you're late?"
"No, actually, I'm late because I didn't get much sleep last night."
"I knew it! You really were in a brothel!"
Alex grimaced. "I didn't tell anyone who I am. Don't worry. That young man only knows my name."
"Your Highness…"
"It's the only freedom I have left. At least until I have to marry some noblewoman. I don't want to give up my secret outings."
His friend pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, fine, I won't tell anyone and I won't stop you from going out — but on one condition." He looked him straight in the eye. "Next time, you'll bring someone with you."
"I doubt my sister would appreciate hearing you went to a brothel."
"My brother can go with you without raising any eyebrows."
Alex grimaced, but in the end, he had to agree. He would do anything to hold on to that sliver of freedom he'd carved from a life of duties and rigid rules.
He finished straightening his clothes and looked at his reflection in the mirror. The image staring back was that of a handsome young man with golden hair, blue eyes, and skin kissed by the sun.
He was a smiling young man, though that smile was merely a mask. Inside, Alex loathed the role and the palace that imprisoned him day by day.
After today, he'd hate it even more.
He slipped on his ceremonial jacket and the gloves that hid the scars on his hands and the missing joint of his middle finger. He was the Crown Prince, yet no one at court seemed willing to take him seriously.
"Let's go, Sven."
-------------------------------------------
The High Hall was crowded with nobles.
The arrival of the new Court Mage had drawn attention, even attracting people from the provinces. Who knew how many of them realized it hadn't been his choice?
Alex stepped through the entrance, and a heavy silence fell over the hall. "Not off to a good start," he murmured.
He wore a wide smile as he crossed the hall with measured steps. As he passed, the nobles bowed, their silk rustling.
When he reached the platform where the throne stood, he noticed a slender man kneeling there. It must be the mage.
The prince gave him a brief glance and bowed to the king.
"Father, I wish you a long and peaceful life."
His father frowned even more and raised a hand. "You're late. Where have you been?"
"I had trouble tying the sleeves. The laces make it overly complicated."
"We'll talk about that later." He gestured. "Stand and come here."
Alex obeyed and moved beside him. From that position, he could see the entire hall spread before him. Every single courtier was gathered among the frescoed walls and golden columns.
A brief thrill ran through him, but it faded when his gaze met the mage's.
He was young, with sharp, exotic features. Long black hair fell like curtains around his pale face, and poison-green eyes seemed to pierce him. A tiny beauty mark beneath his eye drew the gaze.
Alex might have called him handsome if not for the unsettling aura that clung to him.
The herald cleared his throat and unfurled a scroll. "By the powers granted to Us by Our Majesty King Klaus, we present to the Court gathered here today the future Court Mage. Mr. William Traver."
A low murmur ran through the crowd.
Alex frowned. "He's not a noble?"
"He's competent," his father said. "That should be enough for you."
"It's not enough," he whispered. "You're not the one who has to bind yourself to a stranger the court would never approve of. Are you trying to make me the kingdom's laughingstock?"
His father gave him a sharp look, then rose from the throne and turned to the mage. "I welcome you to the court, Mr. Traver. I am sure you will render good service to the crown."
The mage bowed his head, and his black hair slipped over his face.
"I am honored by the trust you have placed in me, Your Majesty." He spoke in a flat tone, as if reciting memorized lines. "I will do my best not to disappoint you."
"Raise your head. The position you will hold beside my son is the highest within this court. There are few people you will have to bow to."
The prince glanced at the advisors standing near the platform, their grimaces, furrowed brows, and pressed lips showing disapproval. No one there would like that mage.
What was his father thinking?
"Your Highness?" A page extended a satin cushion with a ceremonial sword resting on it.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What do I have to do with this?"
His father sighed and gave a small nod toward the weapon. "He must swear to you, not to me."
"Can't we wait?"
"No. Hurry up, we've already lost too much time because of you."
The prince lifted the sword and hesitated for a moment.
It didn't make any sense. They were just formal words anyone could break. The true vow, the one that would bind him to that mage for life, would take place behind closed doors.
He descended the steps until he stood in front of the mage and laid the blade across his shoulder.
What was he supposed to say?
The mage — William Traver — lifted his head and met his gaze. Only one emotion stirred in his poison-green irises: disgust.
The same damned emotion he always saw in his father's eyes.