Kanata/ Ashton's POV
Still in the body of Ashton, I then travelled with Asher to the Imperial Palace, and I can say than I am starting to get used to live like a guy who is in love with another guy.
Despite of telling him, about the boundaries I wished to follow, here we are, still glued to one another and I don't know if he's knights are just being silent about this or he told them not to say anything.
In my story, Asher did bring Ashton to the Imperial Palace, but it was a little later, since Asher had to win him back first, but now that I'm in my character's body, I just messed it up, making them together as soon as the story started.
"Why the long face?" Asher asked, brushing my cheeks.
"N-nothing, just thinking about something." I replied.
His brows furrowing he grabbed my chin up, making me look at him. "You've changed." He said.
Laughing nervously, I said. "W-what changed?"
Looking at me intently, he leaned in and said. "You look harder to read now. Back then, you just wear your heart in your sleeves, but now, I just don't know what were you thinking."
Biting my lips, I looked away. "Guess it was called, maturity. I mean, we're typically young when we started off, but now we're both adult guys so of course, there has been a change."
"But you still feel the same for me, isn't it?" He asked with hopeful look on his face.
Sucker to his handsome face, I just nod at him, saying. "That's the only constant."
Saying that, I just knew that I am doomed, and there's no way I would be able to get back to the story I written.
Arriving the Imperial Palace, of course the first thing we did is to greet the Emperor and the Empress.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness." Asher addressed them as the both of us kneeled and bowed on front of them, paying our respects.
"Carry on." The Emperor then said, so the both of us stood up and raised our heads.
"Oh my, if it isn't Prince Ashton! How have you been?" The Empress quickly stood up, walking towards me.
"I'm very well, your highness. I must thank you for welcoming me here." I replied with a smile.
Giggling politely, the Empress then asked me for a hug so I did. "I'm glad to see you again! but how come did my son get you?" She asked.
Asher then sighed and just told them what happened they found me, so of course, the Emperor and the Empress worriedly sympathized with me, and I am guessing that it was his plan all along so I stood there, saying nothing.
"Given all that circumstances, I would like to propose something." Asher suddenly said.
Caught of guard, the Emperor and the Empress looked at him with curiousity, waiting for him to continue.
Taking a deep breath, he said. "I would like to propose an engagement to Prince Ashton!"
Hearing that, I almost had a heart attack! But in the other hand, the Emperor and the Empress looked at him with a questioning look.
"Do you have to go that far, Asher?" The Emperor asked.
Nodding and full of confidence, Asher then replied. "A desperate problem has to be resolved with a desperate solution, Father."
"But you're both Princes!" The Empress quickly refuted.
"I'm well aware of that, Mother. But I just can't let my childhood friend go astray." Asher quickly rebutted.
Rubbing his temples, the Emperor then looked at me and said. "What's your take in this, Ashton?"
"W-well, I would like to decline, your Majesty." I said, glaring at Asher.
Nodding, the Empress then held my hand and said. "Is there anyway we can help you with? Anything, just not that."
Smiling at her, I replied. "Nothing, your highness. I know I can deal with it, and it's not a problem for the Imperial Palace to begin with."
Looking back at him, the Empress said. "There you have it, Asher. No more talking about this."
"But Mother! He's really in a bad situation now. Before we left Everbloom, he was already in beef with almost everyone else. I'm afraid that he will not be able to come back there. Not until he got some serious back up." Asher then insisted.
"Is that true, Ashton?" The Emperor asked me again.
Closing my eyes, I nodded. I admitted the defeat in the argument since I didn't know Asher knew so much.
"Alright, let me rethink about it. I will let someone investigate in this matter, and I'll tell you two what I think of it after. For now, you guys must rest." The Emperor said before dismissing us.
Walking out, I quickly dragged Asher away and talked to him in private. "What was that? Why do you have to say that?" I asked him in a loud voice.
His brows furrowed, he looked at me all confused. "Is that so wrong to deal with this all at once? I just wanted to be with you! and be able to protect you!" He said, his voice cracking.
Rubbing my temples, I looked away and said "I just don't think it's the right thing to do."
"Then what is the right thing? Letting you go again? Marrying another person? Or is it letting you come back to Everbloom and act like nothing at all?" He bombarded me with questions, obviously frustrated.
"I don't know! But maybe, j-just maybe we can try something else." I replied, biting my lips.
"No! I won't try anything else, Ashton! If this plan don't work, then I'm done! I won't be having any other options." He said, trudging off.
Left alone with my thoughts, I tried to visualize the possible outcomes for this situation.
If the Emperor happened to know about the truth that I was sleeping around back in Everbloom, and it cause me to be in this situation, then he will not approve the engagement, and with it, I will be told to stay away from Asher, so he can continue being the crown prince.
But if the Emperor happend to say, yes, Asher, which is impossible so I didn't think of it further.
Tired, I was then lead to a room where guests stays and while in it, I just quickly dozed off and dreamt of something.
"If you would be given a chance to live as the main character of that story, will you also do what he did?" A person asked me.
"No, if I will be the one in that story, it will only be a mess." I replied, laughing.
"But I'm just asking. Just what will you do if you happened to know your ex is still longing for you?" The person asked again.
"Then I'll go find him and work things out." I replied to him once more.
Laughing, the man then snapped and it black out.
Waking up, it was then I realized, that person is the one who brought me in this world, and if my answer is the reason why am I here, then it means, that he really intended me change the story.
"Maybe he really thought the ending was tragic." I muttered to myself.
Pondering about it, I just decided to give in and just see how it will end, hoping it will be a good one, I just closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
The next day, I was called to join the Imperial Family's breakfast, I knew it will be rude to turn it down so I went through it, only to be openly ignored by Asher, who was probably still mad because of the argument we had yesterday.
I knew what I did was wrong, since he's just trying to help me out, but he's also in the wrong so I figured to give him some space, and reflect on things.
But as I was wandering in the garden, I then heard some servants talking about him going on a date with someone. Trying to hear more, I walked closer and end up tripping into a scattered branch, making me lose my balance and scraped my knees.
"Ouch!" I groaned as I sit up.
It was then a guy suddenly showed up from nowhere. "Are you okay?" He asked.
Nodding, I looked at him. "K-Kaizer?" I muttered his name.
Smiling, he said. "Thought you wouldn't recognized me. Auntie, I mean the Empress, told me you're back in the Palace so I came to say hi."
Chuckling, I replied. "How can I not recognize you, you're still the same as ever, showing up out of nowhere."
"Here, let me help. I hope you don't mind." He said, lifting and carrying me back to the Palace.
"H-hey! This isn't proper, you could have just assisted me not carrying me like this!" I complained, embarrassed by the fact he's carrying me in a bridal way.
Chucking, he said. "It's faster this way, besides you're still light as a feather! You could easily pass as a Princess not a Prince!"
Pouting, I hit his chest but just let him carry me.
Kaizer is also a Prince, but just like Ashton, he's born to King and Queen under the Kingdoms of the Empire. He was a son of the Empress Brother, so he's a first-cousin to Asher.
In my story, Asher is not friendly with him. Since the three of us often played as kids, there are a lot of time that Asher will get jealous when I played with him more, and they would always end up fighting over something, but now the story changed, I wonder if there's a change with them.
Now back to the Palace, Kaizer just asked some servant to pick up the first aid kit, then done the cleaning of my wound himself. Done with dressing my wounds, he then sat beside me, and as we are catching up, Asher suddenly showed up, breathing heavily and drenched with sweat.
"W-what happened?" He asked, still catching his breath.
"Did you run all the way here?!" I asked in disbelief.
Laughing, Kaizer then said. "Guess you two is as close as ever!"
Smiling, Asher then nod at him saying. "Yeah. I immediately ran when a servant told me he got hurt."
Still mad by the fact that he ditched his date just to ran over to me, I said. "Aren't you in a date? Why did you come back here!"
"Are you really scolding me because of it, Ashton? Do you really think I can stay acting all friendly after hearing you got hurt!" He replied.
"Yes! because you're not making any sense, Asher! You could have just stayed in there!" I told him off.
"Okay, enough! I heard this kind of argument a lot before, but you two just look like even more intimate before. Are you two finally, dating again?" Kaizer suddenly asked.
"No/ Yes!" The both of us answered in the same time.
"What is it really? yes or no?" Kaizer asked again but our answers were the same. Sighing, he looked at us, shaking his head. "Look, I don't know what's going on but you two should talk it out. Can't you two just be happy together instead of quarreling?" He added.
"Exactly, but he doesn't want it. I even asked my parents to let me be engaged with him." Asher then said.
"E-engaged?! really? when?" Kaizer asked in curiousity.
Nodding, Asher looked at me, then back at Kaizer. "Yesterday, but Father said he needs to rethink about it."
Sighing, all I can do is to listen to their talk. But somehow it made me happy to know that they're in good terms now, not like in the original story where they are literally butting their heads off.
At dinner time, I was invited to join the Emperial Family again, but this time, Kaizer is with us so I am quite relieved that it is not awkward unlike the breakfast earlier.
As we are eating, the Emperor then said. "Ashton, I got something to discuss with you after dinner. Come to my room so we can have a talk."
"As you wish, your Majesty." I replied, as I continued eating.