Bound

II: Erasmus (My Birthright, Your Destiny)

"Erasmus, please pace yourself."

The young prince on horseback rolled his eyes at the damp trail in front of him, not responding back to his concerned bodyguard, but slowing to a steady trot nonetheless. He was all too familiar with those words and all too familiar with the consequences of not listening to them, so instead of tearing through the path to feel the damp wind on his skin, he closed his eyes and took in the sounds of the forest that had become more of a home to him than the castle he grew up in.

"We have to turn back soon," Eamon called out again, picking up the pace to ride beside his charge.

Erasmus voiced his disdain with a heavy exhale. "Just a few more minutes," he promised. "It's been awhile since I was well enough to ride."

"If you didn't push yourself to your limit every time the doctor permitted you to leave the castle you could do this more often."

He waved Eamon off, knowing he was right, but not wanting to ruin this perfect day with arguments and thought of bedridden days. They could fight about his priorities later. For now all that mattered was the warm sun filtering through emerald leaves and the soft breeze cooling his flushed skin.

They trotted along until they reached a fork in the path before Erasmus finally relented in turning around. Eamon kept his guard up for any sudden shifts in the young prince's behavior, allowing them to pick up speed if only it meant getting him back to the castle grounds swiftly. Once they arrived, the prince's guard half dragged him all the way to the healer's tower, where they fussed over his fever for an hour before letting him go with a tonic and his promise of rest. It was an empty promise, but they didn't have to know that.

His brother met him outside of his chambers.

Confusion scuttled through him at the sight of his raven haired younger brother. "Ridwan? What are you doing here? I thought you were away on negotiations with Bryrdan."

The crowned prince pulled himself up from his slouched position against the door and flashed him a tired, lazy smile. "Not happy to see me, big brother?" He teased. Erasmus smiled back, but worry kindled his confusion as he took in the tired circles beneath his younger brother's eyes and how tense his shoulders were. Ridwan caught his look and sighed, "Bryrdan agreed to withhold the dissolution of our treaty, as long as we uphold our end of the deal. The oil we could get from that damn savage country could transform our transportation. Tar roads are smoother than cobblestone and dirt. Maybe so many of our outer villages wouldn't starve if our roads didn't turn to mud every wet season."

Politics. It was always politics, which was one of the many reasons he didn't hate his brother for surpassing him. As tired as Ridwan always was from his duties, Erasmus' weak heart would have given out on him before his thirtieth birthday. He reached out to draw the younger man into an embrace, allowing himself to be the source of stability for once, but it didn't last long. After a moment, Ridwan stiffened and grabbed his shoulders, panic staining his golden gaze.

"You're burning up, Erasmus! Why didn't you say something? What are you doing out of bed?"

Erasmus tried to wave him off, "I'm always running a fever. Stop worrying about it and just lean on me for once in your life, would you? I'm not entirely incompetent."

He drew the shorter man back into his chest, sighing in relief when Ridwan wrapped his arms around him in return. "Is it selfish of me to wish you had been born healthy? It's your birthright to be king, not mine." The crowned prince drew in a shaky breath, "I sometimes wonder if I'm even fit to inherit the throne."

Erasmus clutched him tighter, "Say no more, little brother. For while it is my birthright, Fate has made it your destiny. Do not deny her the satisfaction of seeing the future unfold." 

Thank you! =)

Edited by CalliL13