Ilya follows along with him as the prince picked out his cloaks. He was kind of used to being the pack mule so he just accepted them as they were handed over. He however didn't expect the thanks. He stared at him and was delayed in his response, "You're welcome. I wasn't aware that you had such pretty manners." He quirks his lips up. If this was how well he could behave then perhaps he should find other ways the bribe the prince. Though to be fair he'd never really had anything the prince had wanted before. As a royal Damion could afford anything else he wanted. Price was never an issue. ![]()
The Prince made a face and quickly recovered. "Mm. You were never one to ask for manners, Ilya. I am just being nice for today anyways."
While he truly did have everything he wanted and was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, Damion never felt fulfilled. Oh, to grow up on a farm and wake ip at the ass crack of dawn to cut wheat and fresh corn from the stalks he wanted nothing more than to be domestic and normal.
He found a merchant selling carrots and was immediately holding a bunch from the basket. "I'll take this." The Prince purchased that, then went down further and further until he was tired from walking and saw that Ilya was carrying too many things.
He frowned and stuck beside him. "Can we stay at your place? If I go back, they're going to be all overprotective because of the threat... You miss your mom, dont you?"![]()
Ilya noticed the carrots and knew someone was going to be happy. He continued following him and carrying all of his purchases. It was a lot but it wasn't heavy enough to bother him. "My place?" He repeats in surprise with a small frown before admitting, "I mean yeah... i do. I haven't seen her in a year." He admits which was just about ad close as he'd ever come to being vulnerable around him he debates it but really did want to see his family, "Okay, yeah let's go." He leads them back to Nix and packs up his purchases in the saddle bags. Since Damion didnt have anything to step up on and he didn't want to waste time he grabs him by the waist and swings him up into the saddle beforr climbing on as well and directing him to his mother's house. She originally lived at the castle as well so that she could stay with his father. But after his father died a few years back she decided that being away might be a good thing so she moved into a nice house nearby with his three younger siblings. ![]()
"Good. I wanna go too. Though, I was there two days ago." He smirked and enjoyed his stroll back, even if he found that people were staring at him too much, as if they knew what was going on and who he was.
He was about to attempt climbing on the saddle by himself, but almost knocked the shit out of Ilya for lifted him instead.
Because of his promise, he only smiled. "Thank you for the help. I appreciate it very much."
He wrapped his arms around Ilya's waist and chuckled evilly to himself. He hated Ilya with a firey passion, but the thought of him sucking his dick brought a sense of fulfillment.
"I'm sure your mom would like to see me more than you." He smiled gleefully, in his words still meaning that he would try to score her.![]()
"Mmm, no prob." Ilya said. He didn't put too much stock into the compliment since he was sure it was part of Damion playing nice. He felt his arms go around him and he coaxed Nix into a quicker speed. She prances along and when they got nearer she seemed to recognize where they were going as she picked up speed. He shoots a glare back at Damion, "Careful, your Highness. You're awfully close to being kicked off the horse." When they got to the house the door burst open before he even had time to get off Nix as his youngest sister came running out. "Ilya!" She cried with delight. He leaps off the horse in time for her to leap into his arms. Quinn was fourteen years old and and he'd spoiled her rotten since she was a baby. He swings her around causing her to giggle as the rest of his family came spilling out. The second eldest was Cassandra who was eighteen and then Aiden who was fifteen. They piled on him along with their mother into a huge group hug. The family resemblance was practically uncanny with the same sun bronzed skin and auburn hair that turned to flame in the sunlight. "Its so good to see you!" His mother exclaims once they let go and then swatted his shoulder, "How dare you wait this long to show up."
Ilya gives a sheepish smile, "Sorry I got busy." He obviously took a lot after his mom look wise. She was lovely for an older woman with fine lines on her face and streaks of gray in her hair. The main difference was she had dark eyes and was tiny and petite while Ilya had taken after his fathers build with his broad shoulders. ![]()
Damiononly held on tighter to Ilya when he was subtly threatened. He tended to ignore and overlook Ilya's threats, just because he knew Ilya's mother would probably beat his ass if she found out he kicked him off a horse.
Once they stopped, he waved to the ladies and hopped down to reward Nix with the carrots he purchased, giving her fond little cuddles to her neck as he fed her, deciding to let Ilya have some time with his family for a bit, so he walked her over to the stables as he fed her and let her rest there before walking back.
He wouldve shot a comment like, "he grew boobs too!" But that would go against his word, so he instead greeted them with kisses on the cheek and made sure they all noticed that he was being nice to Ilya by letting him enter the house first.
"I'm hungry." He let out, walking haughtily to the kitchen.![]()
Ilya would of course not actually throw him off the horse. He couldn't risk him getting him hurt. Nix was delighted by the carrots the prince offered her and ate them happily before leaning over bump him affectionately with her nose. Her love was easily bribable with treats. Ilya greetshis family happily but was also struck by their differences. His mother had more gray in her hair than she had when he left and his siblings had grown taller. It hurt slightly to see the evidence of the time he'd missed with them. His family greets Damion as well before his mother ushers them both inside, "Are you boys hungry?" She asks, fully prepared to dote on them both. ![]()
The Prince sat down at a table to rest his legs, rubbing his sore calves a little.
"Ma, we almost died yesterday!" He spoke dramatically to Ilya's mother. Damion liked to call her Mama too, just because he missed out on that with his sickly mother. "Ilya took like five seconds to kill them, but still, it was really fun though." He chuckled, and because he still wanted to be a dumbass, he turned to Ilya's mother when Ilya wasn't looking and quickly pointed to his chest and pretended to look at the table after that so he wouldnt be caught.![]()
Given that his mother had lived at the castle for years and the boys had pretty much been raised together she knew the prince quite well and didny mind at all that he called her 'Ma' and was just as prepared to spoil him. "What happened?" She asked immediately concerned and scanned them over for any obvious signs of maimings.
"We did not almost die." Ilya scoffs. "Those men were barely an inconvenience." He sprawls out in his own chair. He then quickly got distracted by his siblings asking him questions about the past year. He told them stories about the battles but ended up more glorifying it to make it sound cooler than it was. He didnt talk about the deaths of people he knew and so much blood that he didnt think he'd ever be clean again.
His mother noticed Damion pointing and coughed to try and hide a laugh. Ilya jerked his head up and gave them a suspicious look. His mother just gives him an innocent look and brings over plates of lunch for them. She could have afforded to hire servants but having been a maid herself once she was uncomfortable with allowing others to do the housework. "So, Ilya, I'm certain Miss Lucy will be happy to see you're home. She's become quite the lovely young lady."
Ilya lets out a low groan, "Mum stop trying to sell me to every young woman you meet." She was constantly trying to hook him up with someone."
"I don't!" She scoffs, "And she really likes you. And now that you're finished with your training you'll have more time for dating." He'd used the excuse that he was too busy training to date for years. "I'm not going to live forever Ilya and I'd like to see you married and happy and I want grandkids." She huffs.
"Mother." He groans out in frustraston and hits his forehead against the table. ![]()
Damion grinned and watched Ilya's siblings ooh and aah over his experiences and doubted that they were all that kickass and cool. He himself never lifted a sword, much less engaged in battle, but he could assume that it was pretty tiresome.
His face immediately dropped at the mention of Lucy and he looked down and continued eating his lunch. Something about Ilya getting married (to anyone other than Damion) just didnt sit nicely with the Prince. He ate from the lunch and tried to imagine Lucy being kicked over a cliff or something.
Eventually, he tried to change the direction of the subject.
"Oh, Ma, he doesnt need kids. No one can handle him, let alone little clones of him. They'll all be like jumping beans." He smirked and realized that that was considered bothersome so he cleared his throat. "He can just adopt a baby and feed it himself with those things." He pointed to Ilya's chest again and moved to sit beside Ilya's mother so he wouldnt be punched. He only made fun of them because he was jealous. And attracted. But not to his dumbness.![]()
"I think grandkids would be wonderful in any way. I miss when you all were still small." His mother proclaims, including Damion in that statement.
Ilya shoots the prince a fierce glare, "Stop talking about my chest!" He snaps at him and points at him accusingly, "You're supposed to be behaving, remember?"
Cassandra gives him a consideringly look, "They have gotten pretty big. Do they bounce when you run?" She leans over to poke his pec but he swats her hand away and glared as Damion again with the clear intention of saying this is your fault. ![]()
"I dont." Damion chuckled. When they were kids, they were always found plotting something against each other. Damion was a rather grumpy little fuck, and he always clashed with Ilya for being so liked with the grown ups.
He flinched when Ilya hissed at him and made a motion of zipping up his lips. "Forgot. Forgot." Damion chuckled and gave him a satisfied smile when Cassandra followed through with the tease, giving her a salute.
He nudged Ilya gently enough so it wouldnt be bothersome and laughed to the eldest daughter. "Milk jugs- I mean... Uh- I purchased these really cool pocket knives. I was wondering if you wanted one." He changed the subject and stood up to leave to where his items were. He would let Ilya have time with his Mother.![]()
Ilya just gives him an annoyed look and crosses his arms over his chest which... Only worked to emphasize his pecs and biceps more. He then shakes his head, "Nah nah nah. Sit your ass back down. You're not allowed out of my sight when there are death threats against you." While he didnt think there were assassins hiding in his mothers hydrangea bushes he wasn't going to risk it.
His mother gives them both a deep groan, "Death threats? Should you two be out here alone then?" She asks with concern. She was well aware of thr fact that when there was a threat the castle pretty much went under lock down and the royals weren't allowed to leave. ![]()
Damion only sat down at the table because of his promise, otherwise he would've ran away out of spite.
Damion huffed at Ilya to let him know that this was all not as enjoyable for Damion as it was for Ilya.
He gaped at Ilya's chest when his arms were folded and that really awakened something in him. Damion had a fetish!
The Prince looked at Ilya's Mother. "Oh, don't worry. Ilya will protect us." While he did hate him, he never doubted his abilities. "He's kept me alive so far, Ma, there's no worries. By the way... Can we stay here for the night? I'm not trying to go back."![]()
Ilya was a little surprised by Damion's confidence that he could protect them. It was perhaps the closest he'd ever gotten to a compliment from him. He didn't even throw an insult at the end there. Though he supposed that was because of his promise.
His mother hesitates and frowns slightly, "You know you boys are welcome here whenever, but don't you think your sister will be worried about your absence?" If anyone realized the prince had gone missing then there would certainly be a panic along with a search for him.
