At Your Service- A Royalty Solangelo AU

Chapter 5

Night had finally fallen across the camp when Will decided to sneak out. When they had returned from the meeting on the border, he had noticed a small roll of parchment on his bed, nearly invisible had he not rustled the sheets upon his arrival. All that was written on the parchment in sharp letters was a short message. 

Meet me on the border tonight. Bring no one, leave quietly. 

L.C.

So he had waited. Waited through dinner with anxiety creeping across his skin, threatening him to slip up just once and screw up everything they had been working for. But he never did.

The Prince had fallen asleep just moments before, and Will waited in the silence before getting up. The form of the Prince was curled up in the cot across from him, back turned so he could not see his face. As quietly as possibly, he slipped from bed and out the flap of the tent. 

His feet crunched softly on the grass underneath him, startling a couple lightning bugs which flew up like flares. He waited for someone to catch him, to see him sneaking out, but they never did. Casting one look back at the tent where the small lamp illuminated the sleeping figure of the Prince, he made sure that he was safe. Then, he took off running. 

It was a strange feeling, bolting through a camp of sleeping soldiers in Aruman territory, but he didn't let than stop him. He was quickly out of the camp and down at the border where a familiar figure leaned against the arch. 

The light overhead shined softly, casting harsh shadows across the man's face, the golden fire giving him a strange coloration to the eyes which were trained on him as he padded quietly over to the border. 

"Well?" Luke Castellan tapped his foot impatiently as Will arrived. "What have you learned about the royal family?"

Will scoffed annoyedly. "I'm great, Luke, how are you?" 

"Oh you became the true comedian in the Aruman palace didn't you? I'm sure they love that," He snapped annoyedly. Luke was losing patience with him already, Will could tell. Something had bothered him before at the border, and that clearly had not left him since, the stress still holding his body straight up, eyes darting around the clearing as though searching for men hidden around them. "Now, I will ask again. What did you learn?"

"Nothing truly, other than the fact that the prince is a royal pain in the ass." 

"Nothing?"

"If it was anything else, I promise I would tell you."

Firm hands gripped his shoulders, pressing almost painfully into his skin. He was drawn unnecessarily close to the General's face, the one caught in the malicious shadows as he sneered at him. "I did not send you to the Aruman kingdom just for you to fail this mission. I expect results, Solace, and so help me gods you will get over whatever this vendetta is and help me get them." 

"It's not so easy."

"Oh its not? Tell me William, is it harder than forgiving a Prince for leaving his best friend to die on the battle field?" 

"Luke, I had to leave, you told me to leave."

"Yeah and if I told you to jump off a bridge, would you?" 

"I'm sorry, what does this have to do with anything?"

Castellan took a deep breath in and out, the air rustling his face. "Results, William. You have 8 weeks or else I will bust into that palace and kill everyone myself." 

Will didn't respond, watching Luke's retreating figure down the road to Hele. He was incredibly annoyed at himself, but also at Luke. It had been only a few days since the mission began, and Will had just signed a death warrant for the entire Aruman royal family. 

Deep down, he knew that Castellan wasn't kidding. He had 3 weeks to get the results he needed or else everything he had worked for would be at stake. Although the family was cruel, and would like meet their demise when the invasion began, the idea of their lives being in his hands was all too much for him. Somehow, he had to spare their lives while making sure the mission succeeded. He couldn't risk failure just yet.

With one final glance back at the glowing city on the horizon, he too made his way back to the camp. The path was eerily quiet, more so than earlier, and he felt like each step he took shook the earth. The weight of Castellan's words hung heavy on his shoulders, dragging against him as he tried to return to the Aruman camp. Slipping between tents, he retraced his steps through the camp to his tent, pausing to listen for any noise inside. There was none. The figure illuminated by the lamp inside still lay still in slumber. He breathed a sigh of relief as he peeled back the tent flap and gently slipped inside. 

"Where have you been?" The cold voice greeted him, freezing him in place. Well, so much for going unnoticed. 

"Hello, your highness, I apologize-"

"Cut the shit, William. Tell me where you have been or else I'll kill you for suspected treason."

"Stars," he blurted out, trying not to let the surprise of what he had said show on his face. 

The prince raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I uh, was watching the stars. They're noticeable here without all the lights of the cities."

Nico didn't look fully convinced, but he also didn't seem up for an argument. "Uh huh, sure." 

"I swear on the styx"

He got a lazy hand waving him off in response as the Prince rubbed at his temple with the other. "That's not necessary, I don't really have reason not to believe you. Still, I think you're incredibly strange for that."

"Thank you?"

"Wasn't a compliment," The prince responded as he climbed back into bed, rolling over so his back was once more to Will. 

Shaking his head, he too slipped under the blanked on his cot, rolling onto his side. He saw the gentle rise and fall of the Prince's breathing, the calmness of sleep making him seem less scary than he usually was. It humanized him. Will soon too fell asleep wondering how such a horrible person could seem so gentle when his guard was down. He didn't know, but he was going to find out.