Kazi was surrounded by cool night air as she entered the Althean forests. Earlier, Concubine Coriel's frantic calls for Azrael echoed through the castle, sending Kazi on a search for the prince. She had expected to find him brooding in his chambers, but instead she found him sitting on a rock, staring up at the stars.
His legs dangled in the warm water, and a half-empty bottle of wine rested on the rock beside him. He held a glass up to the starlight, admiring the way the gems winked and glimmered as they reflected the liquid. "Your Highness," she said, her voice startling him.
He turned, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before settling into a tired smile. "K?" He said. " What brings you out here at this ungodly hour?"
"Your mother," Kazi said bluntly. "She is worried about you. You have been missing from dinner for two nights now. She is afraid something is wrong."
Azrael chuckled, a dry humorless sound. "Just enjoying my own company for a change." He gestured towards the empty space beside him. "Care to join me?"
Kazi hesitated for a moment, the social implications of a woman sharing wine with a man in the middle of the night weighing heavily on her mind. But then again, she was disguised as a man, and Azrael was a prince, and perhaps the rules did not quite apply to them in the same way. She sat down on the rock beside him, careful not to get too close.
Azrael poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her. The first sip brought a welcome warmth to her chilled body. As they sat in companionable silence for a while, Kazi decided to break the ice.
"So," she began, her voice light, "I hear you are quite the party lover." It was a feeble attempt at conversation, but it was better than nothing.
Azrael threw his head back and laughed, a deep, genuine sound that made Kazi wonder if she had made a mistake in her assumption. "Ah, yes," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "That reputation precedes me, does it not?" He took a long drink of wine before continuing. "While I do attend my fair share of social gatherings, would not say I love them. They are more of an escape, a way to get some breathing room from the suffocating atmosphere of the castle."
Kazi raised an eyebrow. "So, a self-proclaimed introvert who seeks solace in the bottom of a wine glass?" she teased, taking another sip of her wine.
"I suppose you could put it that way," Azrael said with a wry smile. "It is not that I do not enjoy the company of others, but there is something about being in nature that grounds me. Makes me feel more... honest." He took a long drink of wine before continuing. "I have always been this way, you know? Even as a child, I would rather wander the gardens alone than attend court functions. My father did not understand it and perhaps that is why I do not get along with him."
Kazi nodded in understanding. "It is hard to be true to yourself when everyone else has expectations for you," she said, her voice soft. "But I think your mother sees that in you. That is why she worries."
Azrael sighed, looking out over the water. "You are right, of course. And I do love her dearly. She has been my only source of solace in this place. But sometimes..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Sometimes I feel like I am drowning, and the only way to breathe is to get away."
Kazi nodded understandingly. "I think most people can relate to that feeling," she said softly. "We all need a little time to ourselves sometimes, to figure out who we are and what we want."
"Yes," Azrael agreed, his gaze still fixed on the water. "I suppose you are right. It is just that... being a prince, it is not always easy to get that time." He paused, taking another sip of wine before continuing. "You must feel the weight of expectations as well, being a part of the Guard. Leading your men into battle, making life or death decisions."
"I guess..." Kazi began, her voice soft. "So, the rumors about you being a drunk are true then?"
Azrael chuckled. "Tell me, are you one for gossip?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not particularly," Kazi replied, taking another sip of wine. "But considering you are due to marry my aunt, General Kazi, it seems prudent to find out what kind of man we will be allied with."
"Ah, yes," Azrael said, "The rumor about me being a drunkard is... highly exaggerated. There was this one incident a few years ago," he continued, a sheepish grin spreading across his face, "where I may have overindulged at a party and ended up taking an involuntary swim in the ocean."
Kazi stared at him, momentarily speechless. Then, she burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking with mirth. "Oh, Prince Azrael, you really are something else!" she exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I cannot believe you did that! What must your father have thought?"
Azrael's grin widened. "Let us just say it was not my finest moment. Father was not exactly thrilled."
"Oh, dear," Kazi chuckled. "That must have been quite the scene. But it also shows that you are not afraid to have a little fun. And is that not what life is about? Making memories, even if some of them are a bit... colorful?"
Azrael smiled. "Indeed."
"And the rumors of you being a gambler and a notorious womanizer?" Kazi asked with a playful grin.
"The gambling? Absolutely," Azrael scoffed. "Tried it once, lost miserably. Never again. As for the...womanizer label," he trailed off, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Let us just say, I have had my fair share of...conquests."
A strange heat flooded Kazi's cheeks, a sensation she could not quite explain. The idea of Azrael with other women sent a jolt of... something... through her. But why should she care?
So, rumors can be quite misleading," Kazi finally managed, forcing a neutral tone.
Azrael nodded, his gaze fixed on the moonlit surface of the pool. They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Kazi found herself drawn to the vulnerability Azrael had unknowingly displayed. He was not the arrogant prince she had initially perceived.
The spell was broken by a memory jolting Kazi back to reality. "Right," she said abruptly, "your mother was looking for you."
Azrael looked up, a flicker of disappointment crossing his features. "Must I return already? I was rather enjoying our conversation, K."
Kazi smiled, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through her chest. "As was I," Kazi admitted, surprised by the truth of her words.
Azrael rose to his feet, extending a hand to help Kazi up. Their fingers brushed as she took it, sending a spark that shot up her arm. She stood awkwardly, the moonlight casting a warm glow on their faces.
"Thank you for keeping me company, K," Azrael said, his voice warm. "It is... refreshing to talk to someone outside the usual courtly circles."
Kazi stammered, momentarily lost for words. "Y-yes, Your Highness. I... I should really get back as well."
"Of course," he said gently. "We should repeat this sometime, perhaps under less... formal circumstances."
Kazi's heart hammered in her chest. The idea of spending more time with Azrael, of peeling back the layers she had only begun to glimpse, was both thrilling and terrifying. "Perhaps," she mumbled, unsure of what else to say.
Azrael smiled, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Good. Until then, K." He turned to leave, then paused, glancing back at her. "And K?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Try not to believe everything you hear about me." He winked, a hint of mischief in his gaze. Then, with a final wave, he disappeared back into the trees. Kazi watched him go, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.