Rodion was mounted on his horse, his destination wasn't the farm.
The gathering lasted for hours, and they were so engrossed in their activities that time slipped away unnoticed. Rodion learned that at every gathering, they share their stories and arts. The leader kept their writings and arts, looking forward to the time when they could publish them to the public, but that'd still be a little while, he said but promised to make it so. This filled the members with courage and motivation, inspiring them to write, draw, and hone their artistic talents even further.
Rodion found this inspiring.
After the gathering, he ate his dinner early at the tavern he saw across the café. He enjoyed the delicious broiled fish, steak, and homemade soup served to him. After the meal, he spent half an hour walking with his horse in the meadows as they trailed back the path he had been on the other day and let his horse graze on the grass.
Instead of going home, he decided to visit Prince Nikolai.
He wouldn't mind a visitor, right? I just feel bad that he's been alone for a very, very long time. I am going to be in charge of him soon, so it'd be normal to visit him from time to time to check on him.
Nightfall once again arrived, the gibbous moon in the sky shining bright. He could already picture the image of the prince gazing at it, saying how beautiful the moon is. The anticipation to see him swelled up more within his heart. Pulling the rein of his horse, it ran faster to their destination.
It wasn't long before he arrived at the familiar, eerie manor. He halted his horse in front of the towering metal gate, gazing inside. When his eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting by the water fountain, his heart thumped with pure delight. Dismounting, he kept a firm grip on the reins as he walked toward the gate. He once again gazed at Prince Nikolai from outside the gate, drinking at the sight of him, unaware of his arrival.
Taking in a deep breath, he pushed the gate open. It creaked, creating a noise in the silent night. When he stepped in and cast another glance at the prince, he saw that he was finally looking in his direction. He paused on his feet, unable to find excuses for his sudden visit.
Under the moonlight, the two of them stared at each other at a distance for a moment. Rodion felt a pang of concern when he noticed that Prince Nikolai was only wearing a mere night robe. He let his horse in and closed the gate.
He strode in the prince's direction, removing his cloak while on his way. The horse completely vanished in his mind.
"Good evening, Young Master."
Rodion watched Prince Nikolai stand up, smiling softly at his approaching figure. He arrived in front of the prince, his cloak in his hand.
"You remember me, Your Highness." He said in a gentle voice, offering a smile back as he sized up the prince opposite him. "The night's cold, here, you can wear my cloak."
Prince Nikolai looked down at the cloak on his hand before he pulled the nightgown robe he was wearing tighter to his body, suddenly feeling the coldness of the night. This simple gesture tugged on Rodion's protective instinct, and without any hesitation, Without hesitation, he stepped closer to the prince and draped the cloak over him, carefully securing it around his collar to avoid touching the prince.
"There you go, Your Highness. Are you comfortable now?"
Rodion's sudden action caught the prince off guard, but he quickly regained his composure. The cloak instantly made him feel much warmer. Looking up at Rodion, he tilted his head slightly to meet his gaze, their proximity adding an unexpected tension to the moment.
"Hmm. I am." He said, smiling once again.
Rodion's gaze flicked to the prince's smiling lips. He knew he should pull away, but a powerful emotion kept him rooted in place, standing tall before the prince. His eyes absorbed the sight of Nikolai's lush, pinkish lips, which appeared even paler in the chill of the night.
Sh*t. What the heck is happening to my body? I'm being disrespectful towards the prince right now!
Prince Nikolai noticed his eyes darted down to his lips. "Hm? Is something on my lips, young master?" The prince hurriedly brought his fingers to his lips and softly brushed his bottom lip.
Rodion blinked. Before he could do the most hideous act to the actual prince of their kingdom, he fought hard to win back his own will and successfully looked away and stepped back from their proximity.
"No…No, Your Highness. You're fine. Please forgive me." His voice was almost ragged from his inner battle.
F**k. That was dangerous!
"No, it's alright. Thank you for the cloak, Young Master."
"Don't mention it, I don't want you to feel cold."
Prince Nikolai trailed his eyes at his long sleeves before he darted his eyes back to him, but Rodion smiled to assure him he was alright when he noticed the worry in his eyes.
"Would you like to join me in watching the moon? Tomorrow's the full moon, so it's big tonight. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yes, it is."
Rodion followed the prince and settled on the flat edge of the fountain beside him. They gazed at the moon in silence, the sound of water rushing from the fountain behind them breaking the stillness. Enraptured by the moon, the prince completely forgot to ask why Rodion had come, leaving Rodion feeling a wave of relief.
The silence between them was never awkward, their presence offered a reassuring security to each other. Rodion was glad he made his visit.
"Young Master, do you have someone you miss so much?"
Rodion turned to look at the prince, once again witnessing the agony on his face. He looked away and turned back to gaze at the moon. A twinge of pain suddenly throbbed in his chest.
The prince has been alive for a very long time, and he has no idea how much pain he has. He stayed silent, but he was all ears to listen.
"I have been waiting for someone important to me. He promised to search for me and to be with me, even if it took all of him. But what if...what if he failed before he could make it?"
Prince Nikolai bit his bottom lip, holding back his tears, which were blurring his sight.
He has been living for hundreds of years, and no one was there to listen to his pain. Everyone decided to isolate him without consulting him, and he had no power to go against it. Shut out of the entire world, the prince's life was decided by others to be kept and not seen by the world. But there was more than that. There was more to his pain that he couldn't disclose.
However, that night, the pain of longing he was holding back couldn't be kept under control anymore.
"…I'm dying, Young Master."