The Idea of You (Bdoc Royal AU)

Chapter Six: Rising Concerns

[Day Four]

Once a month, Bdubs, Beef, Stress, and Keralis all go into the magical woods to search for new plants or creatures and just do a thorough check of the woods. Beef and Stress would carry a small birch basket for collecting new plants and at the bottom of Stress' was a leather-bound book for writing down information.

This time, Beef suggested Bdubs invite Doc, as a way for him to familiarize himself with the woods. But after the prince just stared at him, he laughed and understood he meant 'no'.

-

"So, how are things between you and the Oropolion Prince?" Stress carefully asked as she stood at the bottom of a large tree. The prince was sitting on a branch, the book in hand as he sketched and took notes of a small blossom in the trunk.

"Well, it definitely could be better, but it could also be worse I suppose," he shrugged. "We're trying to get along, but it's proven to be far more difficult than I assumed." Shutting the book and tucking it into the pocket of his brown vest, he climbed down the tree. The brunette lady held out a hand and helped him off the large roots.

"You've only known each other for a couple days, it's going to take some time for you two to be comfortable around each other," she gently pointed out.

Beef and Keralis, who were standing on the trail, stepped forward as the freckled royal showed them what he jotted down in the notebook. He explained he found a bright orange lily flower with white tips with minuscule bulbs tucked around it.

"It could be a fortune or luck spell, considering the magic inside was a golden color," he said before closing the book.

"At least you two are spending time together, right? Have you found any common interests?" Beef asked as they veered off the path and carefully stepped around the plants.

"So far? Nothing." Stopping in front of a bush of dark red and pink flowers, he waited. The flowers began to flutter, revealing themselves as butterfly wings. Although, unlike regular butterflies, these creatures had two sets of wings - one on top of the other - and they floated around the prince's head.

As being in direct lineage from the strongest sorcerer in the kingdom, he was like a magnet, attracting more magic than others. "What if we can't make this work?" he worried, letting one of the butterflies perch on his finger. "I mean, everyone is expecting us to, but it's so much pressure."

"He probably feels the same way," Keralis pointed out. The butterfly on Bdubs' finger coughed, sending out a puff of glitter that faded in the air.

"I just wish it was easy to talk to him," he muttered. Crouching, he let the butterfly cling back to the bush and the others followed suit. "But it's hard when every time we have a conversation, he ends up insulting me somehow."

Stress beckoned an orb of magic out of a large rose almost as tall as her and guided it into her basket. "Insults you? What do you mean?"

Sighing, Bdubs sits down on the mossy root of a large tree. "He probably doesn't mean to, but it feels like anytime I mention something I have an interest in, he points out what he sees wrong with it. And he makes it sound like he's painted me to be this stupid, selfish person."

"Personally, I think something we all need to understand is he spent most of his life buried in his work and studies," Beef gently pointed out, sitting beside him. "Not everyone is as great at socializing like you."

Scoffing at the playful grin on Beef's face, Bdubs just shook his head. "There's no need to feed my ego," he joked. "Besides, it's not like I'm much better. I've yelled at him multiple times." He leaned his head on his shoulder as they watched Keralis observe a large, partially translucent yellow lily.