Kings [A Medieval AU]

Chapter Nine - Fresh Air

Dan paces back and forth across his room, lost in thought as he chews the nail of his thumb. He feels like he's going crazy from being in his room for so long, and no amount of letter writing can fix that. At some point someone will come in and give him more books, but that will only satisfy him for so long. He finds himself craving the freedom that lies outside his window, and his inability to get to it is more frustrating than anything else.

A knock at the door makes him freeze in place. As he slowly lowers his hand to his side, the person on the other side speaks. "It's Philip."

"Come in," Dan replies.

The door creaks open and the king of Divum steps inside. His bright blue eyes and cloak seem to fill the entire space with a light it had been lacking, and Dan honestly finds it refreshing. He's been alone for so long that at this point, he'll take anyone's company. The apprehension still lingers, however, so Dan just stays in place and watches him.

"Grab your cloak and come with me," Phil orders.

A stab of panic travels through Dan's chest in an instant. This is it. This is the execution he's been anticipating for all this time. Tension seeps into his whole body and he tries to remain strong despite the wavering in his voice.

"This is it, huh? I expected guards to bring me down."

Phil frowns, and a moment later his eyes go wide. "Oh, no, no, this isn't your execution! I'm just taking you outside for some fresh air!"

Dan stares at him for a few seconds before covering his face with his hands, fingers trembling.  "Please never do that to me again."

"I am so sorry," Phil says, his guilt so obvious that Dan looks over at him. "You're fine. We're just going on a walk."

The king of Tenebris nods and grabs his cloak from the back of the chair. With one swift movement, he ties it around his throat and covers the casual clothing he had been wearing. He adjusts his crown on his head slightly and looks to Phil, who watches him from the door. The king motions for him to follow, and together the two of them walk from Dan's room to the main floor of the castle.

Dan can't stop looking around. It's his first time out of his room since he got here, and he would be a fool to not take this opportunity. The halls are warm and filled with light. Gentle snowflakes drift to the ground outside, and they look so different out here than they do from Dan's window. Phil moves down the corridor with ease, and Dan finds himself following him without thought. The blind trust scares him, but he really doesn't have any other choice.

Phil pushes open a small door and the two of them step through, the cool air hitting Dan in the face and taking his breath away. Phil carries on down an outdoor passageway and Dan stays put, breathing in the fresh air like he'll die if he doesn't. He closes his eyes, letting the wind ruffle his hair.

"Daniel?"

Dan opens his eyes and looks at Phil, who watches him from a ways away. The king of Tenebris nearly smiles, but holds it back. "Sorry. Just... enjoying the fresh air."

Phil grins. "I understand."

Dan catches up with him and they head down a flight of stairs that have been built into the side of the hill Phil's castle sits upon. Below, the stable bustles with life, and Dan finds himself wanting very badly to ride a horse again.

"While the primary intention of this walk is to get you some fresh air, I also wanted to talk," Phil says, stealing Dan's attention from the horses in an instant.

"About what?"

"You."

Dan scoffs incredulously. "What is there to talk about?"

Phil folds his hands behind his back and looks to the king beside him for a moment before looking away again. "There's a lot to talk about, Daniel."

Dan grimaces. "Look, I understand formalities, but can you call me Dan if we're by ourselves? I want you to be real with me."

"Okay. In return, can you call me Phil?"

"Okay."

Phil smiles and Dan can't help but grin back. There's just something about his smile that's utterly contagious. The king of Divum looks towards the horizon and Dan glances down at the ground, biting his bottom lip.

"So, what's your kingdom like?" Phil asks, breaking the silence that had been growing between them.

"It's beautiful. We grow all of our own food, so harvest time is one of the best and busiest times of the year. There's a forest to the east and a river to the south, so the scenery is pretty no matter where you go," Dan replies. He smiles a bit. "The people are completely lovely as well. There's one elderly woman named Rose who runs a small café, and she's like a grandmother to me."

The edges of Phil's lips quirk upwards. "That sounds really nice."

"It is."

They reach the bottom of the stairs and head into the stable. A few of the stable workers jump when the kings enter, their posture correcting and their eyes going wide. With a wave of his hand, they scurry outside and leave them alone. Dan watches the door swing shut before turning towards the inside, petting the nose of a nearby white stallion.

"One of the reasons everyone here was so suspicious of you and your family is that your magic is black," Phil says after a few moments.

Dan scoffs and glances at him. "Of course."

"A lot of people called you an oppressive monarch because of that and the fact that you have no allies."

"I guess I can understand that one. However, there's absolutely no solid evidence to back it up."

Phil leans against the wall beside Dan, blue eyes burning into the side of his skull. "So, are you an oppressive monarch?"

"Of course not, Phil," Dan replies. His gaze gets more intense as he glances to the king beside him. "Did you believe I was evil?"

"I was suspicious of you."

"Do you still think that?"

Phil is silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm having trouble believing it."

Dan smiles faintly and strokes the neck of the horse in front of him. "That's a good start."

The two leave the stable and head down a snowy pathway behind the stable. Snow drifts to the ground in lazy patterns and dusts Dan's cloak, but he doesn't mind. It's a beautiful day to finally get to go outside, and he's going to enjoy it no matter what.