He Walks Alone in the Moonlight [COMPLETED]

RIVER FISH HAVE A BETTER CHANCE THAN YOU

The Crown Prince was tired, and hungry, and his ass hurt from sitting in the saddle all day, but no one could tell because, as always, the prince's face remained totally unreadable. After meeting the Captain and walking by the rows of kneeling servants, the Crown Prince stalked off to his room and stripped himself of his stiff riding garments. Finally alone in his dim, lantern lit room, the prince retrieved a map from his bag. The map showed the path towards the witch's cave, at most a days trip there and back, and the prince was eager to set out in no less than two days, just enough time to let the men and horses rest and restock, or so he thought. Before his father's only condition be that he stay there at least two weeks, the standard training period for a camp hopping noble. Grinding his teeth at the lost time, the prince stood abruptly, returning the map to his bag and heading out the door into the small hallway of the house, where he nearly crashed into a male servant carrying a tray laden with snacks.

"I'm so sorry your highness! I was not expecting you to open the door so suddenly! I was told to bring-"

"So it is my fault? Are you implying that it was somehow my incompetence that nearly lead to a very expensive accident?" The servant collapsed to the ground at the prince's words, laying the tray in front of him so hard that tea sloshed out the spout of the kettle.

"No, your highness, not at all. I would never assume to make such-" the servants sentence was cut short with a yelp as the crown prince crouched over the servant's cowering frame and and yanked his head back by the thick, silky ponytail that ran down his spine.

"But you just did, didn't you? What is your name?" The Crown Prince pulled at the hair harder, eliciting a line of tears to gather on the lash line of the male servants unusually large eyes.

"I-I, my name-"

"Hey now, your most esteemed excellency, what are you doing, terrorizing the locals when we just got here!" A lighthearted but steady voice interrupted the  male servant, who gasped as the Crown Prince released him to greet Chang.

"What are you doing here, these are my private quarters." The Prince frowned at his overly jovial companion.

"The captain said that we'd get snacks if we came over here, the others are on their way," the heavily muscled man peered at the cowering servant on the floor. "Ah, and this must be those lovely snacks he mentioned. Mhmmm, is that oolong? It has been toooooo long since I've had some oolong!"

"Shut up," was the Crown Prince's only reply before he reentered his room and slammed the door shut. As soon as the Crown Prince was out of sight Chang bent down and picked the servant off the ground. "I've got these, you should head out. You've got a better chance on the front lines than catching the Crown Prince's interest." The servant bowed deeply, passed the tray to Chang, and fled from the Crown Prince's residence.