oh, are we playing with knight Shane and prince Ilya today? great okay awesome I have something:
“Oh, look at this,” Ilya grinned as he stepped into the corridor, the noise of the party already dimming for him. “They put the mighty Sir Hollander on hallway duty.”
Shane’s eyes slid to Ilya as the prince joined him, collapsing against the wall next to where Shane was standing at attention, his posture perfect and his hands tucked behind his back.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” he said. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”
“I always enjoy myself,” Ilya said. “I’m very good at enjoying myself.”
His body felt loose, warmed all the way through even in the cold hall. It was spring, even if it didn’t feel like it inside, and spring meant parties and dancing, good food and better drink. Tonight’s party would have been perfect, if his father hadn’t stuck the one person Ilya wanted to spend his evening gazing upon out here in the drafty hall.
Ilya smiled, taking in Shane’s face in the dim light. He had such a soft, pretty face, but it always looked hardened with intense focus. Ilya couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen him smile in public.
Shane had been this way since they were children. Always so strict, so focused, the one to enforce the rules in their childhood games. It had gotten worse since he’d returned from his military service, like that strictness was baked into his bones.
Well, not all the way baked. Ilya knew that too well.
“Shane,” Ilya smiled, leaning against the stone wall. “You would do anything for me.”
“It is my sworn duty to serve you in any way I can, Your Highness.”
“So will you help me get ready for bed tonight?”
Shane’s brow twitched. Not enough to lift, but Ilya still reveled in the small movement.
“You have a full retinue at your disposal for that,” Shane said. “Unless they’ve all grown tired of you already? You do go through foot servants rather quickly.”
“No, they’re all still around. I prefer you.”
Again, the small movement of Shane’s face. The twitch of his lips, a rise of color to his cheeks.
“You are engaged, Your Highness.”
“Svetlana doesn’t care, as long as I don’t get anyone pregnant,” he said. “So. Unless that is a new concern for you, we should be fine.”
Shane snapped his gaze away, returning to scanning the rest of the hallway.
“So…” Ilya said, dragging out the single syllable. “Will you…”
“I already told you,” Shane said. He was still looking dead ahead, but Ilya could see the redness pooled along the edges of his ears. “I will serve you in any way I can, tonight and every other night you have need of me.”
