Oliver's Home For Story Ideas

Ship in a Bottle - Part 1

Darren O Malley exhaled a breath, like a man might do after taking a drag from a cigarette. He stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, staring up at the night sky, admiring the stars scattered across it. As far as he was considered, it was a fortunate thing to be able to see such fine specimens.  Most people in the cities farther away didn't get the chance to witness them. He ran a hand through his hair and lowered his gaze to the sea down below.

There was something special about those shining blue waters, Darren always thought. Something that captured his interest. He loved everything about it. How it looked in the day time, sparkling in the sun, fishing in it, looking out at the calming scape, swimming in it, feeling the coolness against his skin. Darren could see himself spending every moment out there for the rest of his life, if he could. It was a longing he felt, like missing a lover who was far away. He could never get enough of the salty sea.

"Your Highness?"

Darren swore under his breath and turned his body. Hayden, his trusted friend and bodyguard, sat up in the bed, his bare chest slipping out from underneath the covers. The prince's expression softened as he took in the man's blonde locks that he loved to tug, his neck that he loved to bite...

Darren's voice was soft. "I'm alright, Den. You can go back to sleep."

Against his wishes though, Hayden rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it, sir?"

The prince huffed a breath in reply. His bodyguard was never really good at listening. Usually, that was something that he liked. It was endearing. But now, his chance to be alone with his thoughts had slipped away entirely.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Darren when we're alone?" He asked sweetly. "We have quite a while until dawn still."

"You're wishing for the sea again, aren't you?" Hayden asked. His voice was breaking out of the tired tone it had before and he sounded more awake. He propped his head on his hand, pulling the sheets up over his body. "Come back to bed with me, won't you?" The guard's tone was almost sad, as if he knew for certain he'd lost the prince's attention.

Prince Darren smirked and sauntered back to the bed, crawling in next to his eager partner. "In the mood for another tumble? Or shall we rest and leave our imaginations to it instead?"

A flicker of darkened emotion passed across Hayden's features. "Ren..."

The prince was at immediate alert. Hayden James called him many things. "Your Highness" and "Your Majesty" and all the other formalities when he was on duty, "Dare" for when he was cross, "Darren" for when he was happiest, but Ren... His guard only ever used Ren when he was about to say something tragic.

"What is it, Den?" A million scenarios ran through his head. He just couldn't pinpoint which one he wanted to hear the least. Darren shifted closer to Hayden, pressing into his warmth, suddenly afraid.

His guard pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head. "They're transferring me North. To Port Wallis."

"What?! Why?"

"They need more people deployed over there. There's a possibility that a war could break out on the Rainworth Front. Apparently, I'm the best foot to put forward."

Darren drew in a breath. It was true there was talk in his father's war room of such an occurrence, but there hadn't been a war in nearly four decades, when his father had been crowned. The prince had turned a blind eye and tuned a deaf ear. His life would continue as blissful and carefree as it always had been. But if things were getting this serious, to the point where even his bodyguard was called into attendance..