The sun hadn't even risen when Fennel began to make his way down the long, red-carpeted hall. He was nervous about visiting the slums, but his desire to spend more time with the bard far outweighed the uneasiness he felt.
Once he stood in front of Oliver's door, he took a deep breath. It seemed like hours before he worked up the courage to give the door a knock.
The prince shifted his position and stood up straight with his hands folded together behind him.
His heart yearned to see the handsome bard again. He enjoyed spending time with him. It was one of the few things that truly made him feel happy instead of feeling like an obligation to Charoux.
When the door opened, a blush spread across his cheeks. The prince's green eyes gazed up into the yellow eyes of the taller man. He smiled softly and nodded his head. "Good morning."
Oliver was surprised to see Fennel at his door at such an early hour. "Good morning, my prince."
"Fennel," the prince frowned. He flicked his tail with dissatisfaction.
Oliver grinned in response. He watched the fluffy, copper tail move in annoyance at addressing the feline inappropriately. He couldn't help but to feel happy with his friend's reaction.
"Fennel," Oliver corrected himself. "Are you wanting to leave already?"
"Yes," Fennel replied as a smile replaced his frown. "Is that okay?"
"Certainly," Oliver nodded, but gestured toward his room. "I need a minute to dress. I just crawled out of bed. Plus, I need to give you something to wear. That fancy robe won't do."
Fennel looked down at his clothing. He didn't think it was fancy. It was just a blue robe with embroidery near the seams, but he would trust the other man.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Fennel said, doing a poor job to control a pout.
Oliver was tickled that Fennel seemed to be pouting in reaction. He felt the face the prince made in the doorway was the cutest one yet. He wondered if the feline had ever allowed anyone else to see him make such an expression. If he had to guess, Queen Anise probably hadn't even seen that adorable face, at least not since he was a child.
"You can come in," Oliver offered.
"Yes, thank you!" Fennel smiled, then walked into the room.
As Fennel took a seat at the edge of the bed, Oliver dug through his large leather sachel. He fished out a pair of clothes, then handed them to the prince.
Fennel tilted his head and looked at the clothing. They were much more plain than the garments he was used to wearing.
Meanwhile, Oliver had begun unbuttoning his sleeprobe. He pulled it off of his body and tossed it onto the bed, not giving a second thought to the prince who was in his room.
When Fennel looked up, he blushed a deep shade of red. The first sight his eyes took in were Oliver's toned chest muscles covered in pale skin.
Oliver caught Fennel's gaze on his chest.
"S-Sorry," Fennel stammered, looking away.
The copper-earred feline felt utterly embarrassed that he had seen the man's chest. It was a chest. He shouldn't feel shy. They were both men. It was common for men to dress in front of each other.
Fennel didn't see Oliver as just any man, though. The bard was the person he had a thing for. Seeing his bare skin made the prince's body react in a way he had never experienced around anyone else.
He couldn't think. He wanted to look back at the bard again, but he hesitated. He couldn't just stare. He didn't want to seem weird or ruin a friendship by gawking at him like a piece of meat.
Fennel was going to lose his composure if he remained in the room any longer. There was no way he was going to casually change his clothing in front of him.
Nothing about how he felt was casual!
He needed to act unphased.
"I will wait outside!" the prince announced, then rushed to the door.
Oliver was a bit surprised, but decided it was best not to stop the feline.
Once the prince had left the room, Oliver chuckled and shook his head. The prince probably had never dressed around anyone before, so the bard thought, so it made sense he would feel uncomfortable in the situation.
Fennel didn't return until after Oliver had dressed and was waiting in the hallway.
"Did you need help?" Oliver asked, noting Fennel was not wearing the clothing he had given him.
"No, I was fine," Fennel said, shaking his head. "I changed my clothes, but the pants were too big, so I wore my own. I hope that is okay."
"That's fine," Oliver said. "I should have thought that through."
"You don't think they'll recognize me, right?" Fennel asked, his tone worried.
"No, I don't," Oliver reassured. "It's too early for the streets to be crowded, so we shouldn't have any problems."
"Let's get going," Fennel grinned.
"Right," the bard nodded.
Fennel was relieved to be free of the palace, even if only for a short time. It had been years since the last time he had spent any time away from the walls surrounding the palace grounds. Too much of his time had been focused on completing his studies, so he didn't often get to go any further than the high hill where they had met.
Fennel had forgotten how beautiful the city was. It was even prettier with the bard beside him. He was so happy to be able to spend a day outside of the palace.
Fennel smiled as he enjoyed the scenery around him. His ears twitched as the wind blew across his fur. The breeze was refreshing. The air even smelled nice. The scent was a mix of many different foods, which made him begin to feel his stomach growl.
He stopped when he felt a warm hand touch his. His ears folded back, and a blush spread across his cheeks. Even though he had held Oliver's hand twice before, it still felt like a rush.
"Stay close," Oliver told the prince. "I don't want you to get lost."
"Okay," Fennel agreed, feeling his heart race.
Oliver was pleased that the prince had agreed to the arrangement. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen if the prince wasn't kept safe. Holding hands was the easiest way to keep track of the royal, plus, he would use any excuse to do so.
Once the pair reached the Market District, Fennel was fascinated. His tail swished excitedly as he gazed at the various vendors who had set up shop with tons of different wares.
Oliver was a bit surprised at the prince's reaction. He hadn't expected Fennel to be so interested in the stalls. He had expected the feline to want to rush through the market, so they could reach the brothel.
"Ah," Fennel gasped as he saw a stand full of pastries. "I-I-hold on!"
The feline ran off to check one of the stalls.
"Hey, don't wander off," Oliver called.
Fennel ignored the other man and stopped at the stand. He gazed down at the various baked goods. Every single one looked delicious.
"Good morning," the stall owner said.
"Hello," Fennel grinned, then pointed at a tray. "May I have that one?"
"Of course," the stall owner smiled, then picked up a chocolate crossaint and placed it in a bag.
"How much?" Fennel asked.
"50 yan," the stall owner replied.
"50 yan ," Fennel nodded, then fished the amount from a pouch. "Here."
"Thank you," the stall owner smiled.
Fennel walked back to the bard. He held the bag toward him.
"This is for you," Fennel said.
"Me?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, I want you to have it," Fennel grinned.
"Why?" Oliver asked.
"I want to show you my gratitude for allowing me to come," Fennel replied.
"Thank you," Oliver smiled, then took the bag.
"You're welcome," Fennel grinned.
Oliver was glad the feline didn't offer something untangible. He felt he could easily kiss him if the feline insisted on paying him back. He did want a kiss, however. He was satisfied with the pastry. He would be happy with anything the prince could give him.
Oliver shook off the thought. He shouldn't be having thoughts about kissing the man who would be king in just a day.
Fennel pointed toward a bench, then ran over to it. He took a seat and waved the bard toward him.
Oliver joined the smaller man on the bench. He took the pastry out of the bag and took a big bite. "It's so good."
"I'm glad," Fennel said softly.
Oliver nodded and placed the pastry on Fennel's lips. "Try it."
Fennel blushed. He had never eaten after anyone before, let alone after someone he liked so much. He glanced up at Oliver nervously, wondering if all regular citizens shared food in the same manner.
Trying not to give it too much thought, the prince took a small bite out of the pastry.
"It is good," Fennel said shyly.
Fennel sighed contently. He gazed up at Oliver, looking at his lips as he ate the pastry. He really wanted to touch the lips, which were able to produce such melodic tones. It would never manifest into reality, but he was sure the bard's lips would be much sweeter than those of a wife he would be forced to take.
Oliver noticed the gaze. "Did you want more?"
"No," Fennel laughed nervously. "Thank you."
Oliver shrugged his shoulders.
After finishing the pastry, Fennel grabbed the bard's hand. He smiled and excitedly pointed toward the market with his free hand. "One more stall, please."
"Sure," Oliver agreed.
The two of them were already having fun together. Hopefully, the day would never end.