Five minutes passed on the balcony.
Maybe more.
Noel lost track of it as his eyes were stuck on the gardens below. He could still hear the distant orchestra and Rowan's face was still pressed against his hand.
Then he gently pulled back away from Rowan, making Rowan look up with confusion.
"Huh? Is there a problem?"
"I have to go," Noel said. "We can't stay like this forever,"
"Where are you going?" Rowan said. "I can have a room arranged here in the palace. I mean, it's huge and there's a lot of space, the palace has—"
Noel held up one hand, signalling him to stop and Rowan stopped.
"You're a crown prince," Noel said.
"I know what I am."
"You're going to be king someday," Noel said. "You need a queen. Not a man standing beside you."
Rowan looked at him.
"You should know very much that I don't care about that," he said.
"If you don't care, I care," Noel said. "I very much care."
He reached into his coat pocket and checked his watch.
"Time is ticking."
