The Knight

Chapter Eight

Phil had finished unpacking his belongings fairly quickly. He thought of exploring Auberon's grounds while he waited for the royal family to unpack, but he was unsure if that would be considered invasive. He was a guest, of course, but he hadn't been given any further instructions besides to make himself comfortable in his room, so he decided to wait it out in fear of being impolite.

One might think that sitting alone in a room you're unfamiliar with for nearly an hour would be boring, but Phil found it was quite the opposite. Maybe it would be boring to him in an ordinary situation, but he could clearly hear Daniel's soft movements through their shared wall, and the thoughts of him kept him entertained.

Phil was finding it quite difficult to keep Prince Daniel from his thoughts recently. His original plan of ignoring his feelings for the boy was failing. Miserably. Phil wasn't sure where his fondness for Daniel had sprouted from, but he had found so much comfort in dreaming about him that he found his infatuation impossible to ignore.

Everything from the way his mousey curls fell around his freckled face to the way his pixie-like smile illuminated his eyes made Phil absolutely and completely fawn with adoration.

Everything around him redirected his thoughts to the boy he was in charge of protecting. A lilting song of a blue bird, the soft sugar in his coffee, even now, as he sat on the window sill of his room, the golden beams of sunlight hitting the window reminded him of the beauty that was Prince Daniel Howell. He was falling. Fast.

What made it even worse was that now he felt like he was in competition against this Eliot guy. Of course, it was still too early to tell if the other man had feelings for Daniel, but The Prince seemed to take a liking too fast for Phil's comfort. And sure, he seemed friendly enough, but Daniel's love-struck expression made him an enemy. A very charming enemy, but still an enemy.

Luckily for Phil, he didn't have too much time to dwell on his thoughts before he heard a knock on his door. He quickly got up from his spot on the window sill and opened the door, hoping to see Daniel awaiting on the other side. But to his disappointment, it was only a maid. The woman straightened her apron and nodded rigidly towards Phil in greeting.

"The Royal family has announced that dinner will begin in ten minutes sharp. They have requested that you and Prince Daniel will be in attendance. I have already alerted The Prince; he said that he will be ready as soon as he is finished freshening up. Please be prepared to escort him."

The maid brushed a strand of her blonde hair back into place under her cap before nodding politely at Phil again, and turned to finish making her rounds. Phil walked back to the floor length mirror in his room to check his appearance once more before going out to his and Daniel's shared hallway. He picked at his nails restlessly, anxious to see The Prince again.

While waiting, Phil noticed that the atmosphere of Auberon Castle was very different from his own kingdom's. Instead of the pristine marble floors and colorful decor on the walls that he was used to, he was surrounded with tan plaster floors and solid brick walls. Every few feet hung an elaborate chandelier or a skillfully woven tapestry, but the castle otherwise remained understated. It was nice though; very simple, but it still kept an aura of respectability and warmth.

Phil felt his heart jump when the heavy door opened across from him, and it certainly took him a moment to recompose himself. In the doorway of his room stood Prince Daniel. He was wearing a simple blush suit with silver embellishments, which looked beautiful on him, but Phil was more focused on something else.

Daniel smiled, bringing attention to the shiny gloss on his pink lips. His beautiful chocolate eyes were lined with a light brown shadow, and his eyelashes seemed longer and more intense than usual. He was wearing makeup, and fuck did he pull it off well.