It took a while before the three men made it back to the castle. Three people on one horse made things a lot more difficult, but they had been lucky to escape. The villagers hadn't really chased after them, they had prioritized Harold's safety, and had neglected Simon and his escorts.
Simon remained silent the majority of the ride home, while Mark didn't stop yelling at Lucian. He had seen this coming and had warned the prince, but he wouldn't listen. At that moment, he had been genuinely mad, and had completely forgotten his position.
"I've heard enough, Mark. Just get us home." Lucian had said in a mild voice, and that had been enough to keep Mark quiet for a majority of the ride home. He was still angry, and while he mumbled a lot of words, none of them were to Lucian's hearing.
The prince on the other hand, though burdened with regret, was more concerned about Simon who hadn't said a single word since they left the village. Although he had no idea how Simon felt, he knew that it would be difficult for him to return to his people with a smile on his face after everything that had just happened, and Lucian couldn't help but feel guilty for everything. If he hadn't tagged along, perhaps none of this would have happened.
"Are you okay, Simon?" He whispered only to the squire's hearing as they walked the halls of the castle.
"I..I'm fine.." Simon replied, unsure if the pain on his bleeding lip hurt more than the one he felt inside. He clearly wasn't fine, but it was none of the prince's concern. He was angry at himself, disappointed too. He had chosen a prince he met a few days ago over the people he had spent all of his life with. Harold might have been a thorn in the skin, but he still meant more to Simon than the prince. Yet, he had rushed into Lucian's defense, and had possibly killed his own family for someone who probably didn't care about him.
He hated himself for that, and he was unsure if he would be able to forgive himself if anything happened to Harold.
"I'll inform the king about the situation, and I'll send the doctors to your chambers as soon as possible. You might be hurt—"
"You'll do neither of those things!" Lucian rebuked before Mark could take a step away. "I'm not hurt, and I won't have my father asking questions about anything that happened today."
"But—"
"No buts, Mark. Don't speak a word of today to anybody." Lucian clarified, his tone cold and full of intimidation, forcing Mark to yield without further arguments.
"Understood."
"You're free for the rest of the day, I'll be okay on my own." Lucian dismissed before turning towards Simon who had already begun to walk towards his chambers. "You weren't dismissed, Simon."
Simon turned around to face the prince, anger and hate boiling within his depths. How could someone still be so selfish? He had just risked his life for this man, yet he wouldn't even let him rest and heal his injuries? Now he was even more disgusted by himself, he had clearly chosen the wrong side, and now he had to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.
"Do you need anything, your grace?" Simon inquired in an even colder tone. Lucian could tell the boy was upset, but he didn't mean any harm.
"Come with me." He instructed before leading the way to his room. Eyes were already on them, but Lucian had his ways of communicating without using words. He wanted to handle everything in secrecy, but it was impossible to not attract attention when Simon was covered in blood and injuries.
Finally inside the prince's room, Lucian closed the door before heading straight to grab his first aid kid. He was good at treating wounds, he was used to it already.
Simon reached out to grab the kit, but was stopped before he could even touch it.
"I'll treat you, don't worry I'm good at it." Lucian assured with a smile, one that Simon was unsure of what to do with. It was a mocking smile right? The prince couldn't possibly be the one treating him, it didn't feel right.
"You shouldn't do that—"
"I'm the one who gives orders around here, remember?" Lucian interjected, shutting Simon down before he had the chance to argue. "You've done enough for the day, so just sit still and let me handle this one."
Lucian carefully opened the first aid kit, his movement professional as he pulled out a clean cloth and a small vial of antiseptic. The room was quiet, and with every passing second, the tension in it grew louder and louder.
"Sit," Lucian instructed softly, guiding Simon to a chair by the fireplace. Simon wanted to refuse, but Lucian was a lot more persuasive than he had anticipated. Reluctantly, he finally settled on the stool, his face turned away from the man who was about to become his doctor.
Lucian knelt before his squire, his presence calm and steady. He reached out, gently cupping Simon's chin to lift his face, forcing the squire to meet his gaze. There was no trace of mockery in Lucian's expression—only concern, laced with something softer, something that made Simon's heart skip a beat.
"You don't have to do this," Simon murmured, his voice barely audible. But Lucian simply shook his head, a small, reassuring smile playing on his lips.
"I want to," the prince replied, his tone as gentle as the touch of his fingers on Simon's skin."It's nothing compared to what you did. Thank you."
Simon was aware that this didn't compare to what he had done, and that was exactly why he didn't want it. It felt wrong for some reason, yet a part of him still wanted to sit still and let the prince treat him. Could it be his ego? Or was this feeling something he hadn't experienced before?
Simon's breath hitched. The antiseptic stung, but Lucian was even gentler. He wanted to be mad at the prince for being the reason why everything went down the way it did, but this intimacy, the gentleness in his touch, made his anger simmer away.
"Does it hurt?" Lucian asked, his grip firm yet soft.
"A little," Simon admitted, his voice strained. He wanted to pull away, to hide the vulnerability that Lucian's touch had unearthed, but he couldn't. The prince's gaze held him in place, his eyes filled with an emotion Simon couldn't quite name.
Scared and confused, Simon pulled away a lot more dramatically than he wanted to. He didn't want to be caught in an awkward position with the prince, and there was this growing feeling inside of him, one that he didn't want to act on.
"I...I'm fine now. Thank you!" He squeezed out before racing towards the door. Without waiting for Lucian to say a word, he opened the door and raced out before slamming it shut. It wasn't right, none of this was right. The prince shouldn't be treating a squire, and a squire shouldn't be fantasizing about the prince's naked body!