Declan was silent the next day. Neither boy said anything about the night before. Crow thought about telling him about the stag but somehow he thought that Declan already knew.
They came upon a town that day. It was buried deep in the forest so Crow didn't trust it. They hadn't had any problems thus far but finding a hidden town made Crow uneasy.
The town was filled with smiling people that looked perfectly content to be living in the middle of the woods, cut off from the woods. A man offered to water their horses as the two dismounted in front of a tavern. Declan happily allowed him as Crow leaped to stop the prince but was too late. He scowled after the man that lead their horses away as Declan tugged Crow into the tavern.
It was loud inside and cloaked in a thick cloud of smoke. As soon as the heavy oak door closed behind he and Crow, Declan's eyes widened to the size of full moons and took a step closer to Crow. Crow looked down at the prince by his side and rolled his eyes on the outside but felt his chest swell at his closeness.
"Have you ever been to the place like this?" Crow murmured as they moved through the crowd.
"Just when I met you," Declan murmured back.
Crow settled them down at an empty table and then left the prince to order drinks. As he waited at the bar, he enjoyed the look on Declan's face as he waited for the bar tender to serve him. Through the pulse of bodies, Declan looked like this little star in the darkness. He fidgeted with his hands, wringing his fingers. His eyes darted around the tavern until they landed on Crow. Crow watched him jump in surprise and then slowly curl his bow lips into a grin. The grin faltered the longer Crow stared at the prince until it disappeared completely and he went back to fidgeting.
Drinks in hand, Crow returned to the table to find a painted whore with her hands all over Declan's shoulders. Once Crow got over the initial burn of jealously, it was comical how stiff and uncomfortable the prince looked.
"Good evening," the girl purred. Crow snarled at her and waved her away with a flick of her hand. That was all it took for her to scatter. Crow landed heavily down on the chair at the table and took a long sip of the beer. Then he let his gaze slide over to the prince, still sitting rigidly.
"Don't tell me you're too squeaky clean to like enjoy the touch of a woman?" Crow scoffed. Declan jumped.
"Oh no. I don't- well um. Yes, no I um feel bad," the prince spat out. Crow raised an eyebrow.
"All that?"
"Um yeah," Declan sighed and then quickly grabbed the other beer and began to chug it. Even Crow had to be impressed as the princeling finished off the pint.
"You've never been with a woman have you?" Crow laughed.
Declan visibly gulped. "Um no."
Crow clapped the prince on the back, making him jump again. "Saving yourself for the perfect princess?"
Declan visibly shuddered. "Something like that."
They devoured their meals rapidly and in silence, letting the crude laughter and shouts of the tavern fill in the spaces conversation would otherwise occupy. Crow kept his head down and focused on the food in front of him, not noticing the second empty pint that joined Declan's first until he finished.
"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Crow asked. Declan lifted his hazy gaze up from the table.
"Never better," he slurred. Crow slapped his hands down on the table.
"Yeah. I think it's time to go Your Majesty," Crow said darkly. The prince giggled. Actually giggled. Crow rolled his eyes. He left a small pile of coins on the table and walked behind Declan, hooking his arms under the prince's to hoist him off of his stool. Declan stumbled into Crow's arms, still laughing. Dragging Declan along, Crow wove through the crowded tavern and out into the darkened streets of this strange town. A few clumps of people strolled down the street, eyeing Declan and Crow with mixed stares. Declan let out a particularly high laugh and reached out for Crow's crotch. Instinctively, Crow grabbed the prince's wrists to stop him, flexing away from his outstretched hands.
"Hey," Declan slurred too close to Crow's face. He tugged at Crow's grip on his wrists, only succeeding in pulling himself closer to Crow.
"No Declan," Crow growled. He let go of Declan's left wrist and dragged him along by his right. Declan twisted his hand in Crow's grip until he worked his hand into Crow's. The prince threaded his fingers with the sell-sword's. At the new contact, Crow jumped but narrowed his eyes as he searched for their horses.
They were tied at a stable a street over. The man who had taken them away greeted them with a smile, a smile which wavered when he saw the prince's intoxicate state and their entwined hands.
"They've been fed and watered, as well as groomed," the stable hand said. Crow glowered at him as he hoisted the prince onto the gypsy vanner mare and tossed the boy pouch of coins from the prince's bag. It had been his idea to give the horses to this moron. Make him pay for it.
Crow mounted the gypsy vanner behind the prince, taking care not to touch him. Which was proving to be quite difficult as the prince kept leaning back into Crow. The reins of Declan's horse were tied to a silver loop on Crow's saddle. He dug his heels into the sides of the gypsy and rode out of the town and back into the dark of the woods. He rode until he came upon a small clearing with a clear pond
Declan fell into Crow's arms once Crow dismounted, he straightened the prince up and began to let go when Declan threw his arms around Crow's neck. The princeling had a mad, devilish grin and his eyes. He stroked his hand along Crow's jaw, leaning ever so closely.
"You have pretty eyes Erik," Declan murmured. "They're like little gemstones that you'd fine buried deep underground. Because that's where the beautiful ones are."
Declan's eyes were closed even before he finished talking. Crow saw it coming the moment be heard the prince's eyes close but he wanted it so badly that he did nothing but let Declan rock forward and touch his lips to Crow's.
Despite him being drunk, Declan wasn't a bad kisser. Crow kept his hands resting lightly on Declan's waist. He wanted nothing more than to crush the prince against him and kiss every part of his body but he held back. He let Declan take control, let him know touch Crow, let him pull away. When he did, Declan leaned back and ran his hands all down Crow's chest, coming to the hem of his shirt. Crow flinched as his cold fingers brushed his abdomen and, with a groan, grabbed onto his hands to keep his wandering, mischievous fingers at bay.
"Declan," Crow began and instantly the lust in the princes eyes fizzed out and he ripped himself out of Crow's grasp.
"You hate me. You think I'm weak. You think I'm nothing. Just like everyone else," the prince cried hysterically. "You're big and strong and stone faced and you fuck girls and sneer at me because I'm not good with a sword. You're an absolute brute but you know what? I love you. I'm in love with you. I don't know when it happened but I love you so much and I don't care that you hate me and think I am a worm. I don't care any more."
"Declan you are drunk," Crow interjected, trying to keep his calm.
"Really? That't your excuse? That I'm drunk. Tell it to my face, aces," Declan screamed. Then he covered his face with his hands and collapsed to the ground. He began to sob uncontrollably, his whole body shaking. Crow stood flustered before the prince, hesitant to touch him.
"Declan," he finally called out again. The prince didn't respond. His sobs had subsided, which worried Crow. He made up his mind to kneel beside him to get his attention, only to find that he was asleep.
Silvery wet streaks of tears glistened under his closed lids and Crow couldn't help but laugh. Gently, he lifted the prince and settled him at the base of a tree, then covered him with blankets. Immediately, the princeling curled into the fabric and sighed with content.
"Damn you, you fool," Crow whispered to the sleeping prince. He sighed and turned his head upward. What had he gotten himself into.
