Fayan and Gage stopped their horses at the small familiar inn, both alert and eyeing their surroundings, not bothering that they looked odd in their black cloaks under the hot sun. At least Fayan didn't mind, Gage did, and he cussed Fayan inwardly for making him walk around "like a thief" he remembered saying to Fayan once.
Fayan watched people go about their day, throwing side glances at him and Gage over their shoulders, not because they knew it was him, but because normal people hardly went about their days wearing heavy cloaks under the sun.
Fayan sighed as he descended from his horse. He leaned on the horse and crossed his arms and legs as he eyed the inn. The innkeeper was wasting their time. They had arrived early because they had things to do, but the innkeeper, Carlos, was setting them back without even realizing it. He huffed.
"Ah, Let me go get that short bastard!" Gage jumped down from his horse and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, already getting irritated about Carlos' lateness. Fayan shook his head at the same time a gust of wind swayed in his direction, pulling his hood from his head, revealing his long red locs.
Gage watched in amusement as passersby widened their eyes in shock while staring at Fayan whose lips were pursed in a pout, eyes dark and forehead wrinkled in annoyance at the wind and the people who could not just mind their businesses.
"The red prince,"
"That's the red prince,"
"What's he doing here?"
The people spoke in hushed voices, but their voices weren't hushed enough because Fayan could hear them. Clearly. Fayan's breathing became ragged and loud, his red eyes glowing as the people kept talking and pointing at him. He was getting angry, uncontrollably so. This was the exact reason he walked around with his hair covered, because people always made a big deal whenever they saw it. it didn't matter the kingdome he was in, the reactions were always the same.
"She's a lovely princess," Gage announced. He had noticed that the prince was getting worked up by the voices of the people, and he knew if he didn't step in, The Prince would end up doing something outrageous, like killing one or all of them. It had happened one too many times and Gage didn't feel like disposing bodies he didn't bargain for.
At Gage's announcement, Fayan shot him a murderous glare enough to send anyone to their graves, but not Gage. Gage was immune to the Prince's strange charms, sometimes.
"She is not as evil as you whine about, or at least she doesn't look it," Gage added, smiling as Fayan ignored the passers-by, turning all his attention to him. Fayan let out controlled breaths while looking at Gage, reminding himself that Gage was only trying to get a reaction out of him.
"Do not look at me like that. Okay tell me, why did you kiss her hand like that?" Gage folded his arms, his right eyebrow raised, he was amused as he waited for an answer.
"I was testing out a theory," Fayan's voice came out thick and heavy as he rolled his eyes. He could still feel the Princess's soft skin on his lips, which wasn't a good thing.
"Mmm, theory. And you must get intimate to test out your theory?" Gage was laughing. Hard.
The Princess was one person the Prince hated talking about, that's taking the queen out of the list. The Princess had a unique character that had always bothered Fayan, and anytime he talked about her, he'd either end up amused or annoyed. There were only a handful of people that could make him feel that way, the queen wasn't even on the list. This time though, Gage couldn't predict what the outcome would be. The Prince was talking about the Princess, but he was calm, he wasn't acting out of character like he usually did.
"Shut up. Something is up with her. She has changed, and it is either her change is real, or she is a shameless liar and a damn pretender." Fayan let out a little more strongly than he had wanted to, giving Gage an edge. Gage smiled.
"Now concentrate. We do not have the time to talk about dumb things," Fayan condemned before Gage would think of a comeback and make them linger more on the matter. Fayan pulled his hood over his head to further prove to Gage that he was done talking about his princess and also telling the passers-by that the show was over.
On cue, a short chubby man walked out of the inn towards them, his fingers trembling as he approached the two tall and menacing looking men.
"You took your damn time," Fayan's lips curved into a smirk, but he was far from being amused. The chubby innkeeper, Carlos, gulped hard. Everyone knew not to tempt the Red Prince, especially if you wanted to see the next day as a healthy human, but he had been caught up with some customers that were fighting. He didn't care about their fight until they took his most prized possession, a painting the red prince gifted him.
"I apologize, my Prince," the chubby man bowed, wiping the beads of sweat that formed on his face from the weight of the Prince's gaze on him.
"I will take your horses right now," the innkeeper bowed and moved towards the horses, taking their reins in his hands, and leading them to the small stable beside the inn.
"Here," Gage threw a bag of coins at him.
"You know what to feed them. We'll be back soon," Gage smirked. The man bowed until the men disappeared.
"Henley is back," Gage announced, annoyance laced in his every word.
"When did he arrive?" Fayan stopped to ask. Henley was the Queen's brother and right-hand man. They barely disagreed on things, and they made sure the whole kingdom knew them as the power siblings. The power that they didn't have, Fayan thought.
"There's no doubt he planned his arrival at the time we were leaving. He went to the palace with his family under the Queen's name," Gage explained.
Of course, he did. The man barely did anything without his sister. He was a cunning man, but he always hid behind his sister so he would not take any fall if ever there was. The prince couldn't stand Henley or his sister, the Queen.
"I see" Fayan cocked his head to the side. Henley chose to go to the palace at the time the prince was leaving because he knew that without the prince there, he could do whatever he wanted to the princess in the Queen's name, and the princess would accept it. In the palace, the only person that didn't care what the Queen thought, was Fayan, which was why Henley never did anything extreme to the princess when he was around.
Fayan shook the worry out of his mind. He was on a mission, and he wasn't going to let himself get sidetracked because of the princess. He didn't care about her or about what Henley would do to her, he didn't care if they turned her into a slave; she would deserve it for all the pretense and the horrible way she's lived.
But…
Fayan was suspecting something was wrong with the princess and he wanted to be the one to find out what it was, and if Henley notices it first, the princess would not have anyone to back her up, except that maid she always walked around with, and the maid was just that, a maid.
"What are you thinking about, My Prince?" Gage asked. He had noticed the prince's mood had changed, and it wasn't the mood he had when he was concentrating, it was a type that was confused and distracted.
"Are you thinking about a certain princess? You want to get back to her?" Gage put his hands up in surrender as he spoke, he knew what the prince would do to him if he didn't beg for his life early.
"Say that one more time," Fayan threatened, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to pull the blade out at any convenience.
"I wouldn't dare," Gage shook his head, a smile lingering on his lips. The prince hated it when Gage pulled his buttons, but he didn't entirely hate it, because, in a way, it was one of the things that kept him sane, that stopped him from being an animal.
The two started walking again, between people, both wishing the street would be empty for better access to the person they were looking for. Gage stopped abruptly, looking straight ahead. The men turned to each other, Gage's eyes saying the one thing Fayan had longed to hear since they started the trip;
"I've seen him, I've seen the Raven,"
"Go, make sure you don't lose him," it was a command that had trust and a promise in it.
"Yes, my prince,"