Chapter Nine

Michel was just as surprised as Evan when he found the redhead standing at the other side of the door.

"Evan, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be upstairs having dinner with the rest of the guests?" He asked with concern in his voice.

Evan gulped, his lips trembling in panic. He didn't dare utter a word. Prince Michel was the one playing the piece he heard in his dream; did that mean he was meant to be with him…? He was his childhood love, but Evan wasn't one to believe the first love lasts forever and will always be your one true love.

Prince Michel frowned, clearly worried as he reached Evan's chin.

"What happened to your lip? Are you okay?" He inquired.

Evan shivered at his touch. His thumb was warm and soft, it felt like a fluffy brush tickling his chin, leaving tingles on the area.

"I-I…" Evan stuttered, thinking about a good excuse. "I didn't see a step in the dark and fell to the floor without noticing." He made up as he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

Michel reached his bleeding lower lip, and Evan's heart throbbed. His pupils widened as he stared at his childhood love's teal eyes examining his lips: he looked deeply worried. Evan couldn't help staring at his mouth: curvy and well-defined, yet puckering due to the concern.

"Does it hurt?" He asked once more, looking at him in the eyes this time.

"Not really… Just stings a little." Evan replied, still bashful.

Michel opened his jacket slightly and looked for something in his inner pockets. Then, he brought out an embroidered handkerchief.

"Here, take this." He offered him the cloth item. "I'm sorry I don't have any disinfectant on me, but your lips don't really look good when they bleed. Maybe you can use it more than me." He said, with a bright, charming smile that melted Evan's small and confused heart.

"Thank you…" Evan examined the handkerchief: it was completely white, even the edges of it featured white wool embroidery, but he noticed a small detail on one of the corners: a design of a canary sitting on a tree branch.

"Do you like it?" Prince Michel asked, sounding rather cheerful.

"Yes, it's really well done… It's really detailed and the colors are lovely." Evan replied, smiling shyly as he raised his glance to stare at Michel.

"I made it myself," Michel confessed, chuckling and blushing a bit due to the compliment. "I'll give it to you."

Evan's jaw nearly dropped as he opened his eyes widely.

"N-No! I can't accept this gift!" He exclaimed, scandalized. "It must have taken you hours to get it done. And it's really pretty. I can't… sorry." He attempted to reject the present, although if Michel was still the same as he was sixteen years ago, he wasn't going to give in that easily for sure.

"I insist, Evan." He said, grabbing the redhead's hands and tucking the handkerchief up tightly in them, gaining a panicked look from him and a pair of bright red cheeks barely discernible in the dark. "I always ate your baked goods and thought they were delicious. And do you remember the drawings you made? I still keep them with me, as corny as it can sound. Believe it or not, you were my first real friend and I'll treasure our moments forever. Please, accept this gift from me, it might not be much, but for now it's everything I can give you." He said, smiling so kindly that it was just impossible for Evan to simply say no to him.

Evan blushed at a point he'd never thought he could reach. Did Michel really keep those awful drawings he made when he was six?

He remembered he also used to write him letters where he'd describe how handsome he was and how much he liked him. Obviously, he never gave any of them to him, but he still kept them hidden somewhere in his room back in Derbyshire —somewhere secret and cautious as he didn't want anyone to learn about his orientation, especially his parents.

"I… don't know what to say, really," Evan muttered, averting his gaze and trying to conceal a smile unsuccessfully. "It's really pretty, thank you very much, Michel. I promise I'll give you something in return as soon as I can."

Michel let out a gracious nasal laugh, looking at how his old friend stared at the handkerchief with sheer adoration.

"I know you should be upstairs having dinner with the Martís right now but… Would you like to come in? I'd like to show you something." He made a gesture with his head to signal the interior of the playroom.

Evan raised his glance again, giving him a puzzled look.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked, folding the handkerchief carefully and tucking it up in the pocket of his trousers.

"Just come in, you'll see now." Michel chuckled lightly, enthused.

Both of them got in the playroom, and Michel looked around surreptitiously to make sure no one noticed them before closing the door behind them.

Evan took a look at the playroom. It was indeed luxurious. The bar and the pool table were there as he had just seen. At the left, there was an enormous round table made of polished oak wood, Evan counted eight chairs around it. He deduced it was there for card and gambling games purposes. At the right, a magnificent grand piano whose color matched the round table, it had golden details every-which-way and a music sheet sat on top of the now covered keys. The room itself featured two medium-sized windows at the ends of the bar; and although a huge chandelier loomed over it, it was turned off, leaving thus the room illuminated merely by the dim moonlight.

"Come over here." Michel commanded.

He sat down on the stool in front of the grand piano. It had room for two, so he patted down the remaining space, inviting Evan to sit down next to him with a smile.

Evan heeded his friend, taking a seat next to him.

"Did you know eavesdropping is bad? You wouldn't make a good spy at all in my opinion." Said Michel in a joking, carefree voice tone.

Evan stood still. Staring at the covered keys, he tried to find a good response.

"Well, if I were a spy, I'd most probably get caught and sent to prison. Or worse, get killed. So, no, I wouldn't ever think of being a spy." He replied, and immediately they were both laughing. "But, yes… I'm sorry, I must have knocked on the door. The melody you were playing, though… It was…" Evan lingered on the possible phrase, not daring to confess how he actually felt about it or how he had heard it in that dream just the night before.

"It was…?" Michel questioned, curiosity could be perceived in his voice as he raised an eyebrow and leafed through the music sheet to the beginning.

"Something in it, it was spellbinding, honestly." Evan said, not entirely lying. He truly felt captivated by that heavenly piece.

"Why, thank you very much," Michel replied, opening the wooden cover. "It's not finished, though." He informed, hitting some keys.

A delightful sound resounded through the dimly illuminated room. Michel stared at Evan, who returned the glance with a slightly smiley mouth. He was looking at the prince with a glimpse of anticipation in his lime green eyes, like waiting for his upcoming command.

"Do you remember how to play? I recall you were a quite talented pianist when we were kids." Michel asked.

"Um, more or less. I took a liking for the cello when I was a teenager, though. So I left the piano a bit behind." Evan replied, scratching his nape.

"It's okay, don't worry. Would you like to take a look at the music sheet?" Michel suggested, grabbing the bundle of leaves full of modified and deleted notes on it.

Evan accepted the music sheet, took them in his hands carefully, and inspected each note on the staff with excitement. He was not mistaken, the first three notes were Sol, Do, and Re. The rest varied, making it a bit messy but still something that could work wonderfully, even if so many of them were corrected and the sheet ended up looking a bit chaotic to read. He took a look at the composition's name.

"Ode To Patroclus?" Evan inquired.

"Yes. Have you ever read The Iliad and The Odyssey?" Michel replied with another question.

"I had to read some of its books for school, yes, but never completed it." He confessed. "I'm not that much of an avid reader…"

Michel let out a laugh.

"It seems I will have to culture you, then." He added, gaining a glare from Evan. "Don't look at me like that. I know you'll marry Lady Gabrielle soon, but I can teach you one thing or two about Avevia, and it doesn't have to end just there… I mean, we're still friends, right?" He said with an insecure voice.

Something was off. Prince Michel was constantly full of charm and charisma. But that last phrase somehow denoted a glimpse of insecurity, fear, and maybe, just maybe, some disguised jealousy?

"What are you talking about, Michel? Of course we are friends." Evan tried to soothe with a warm smile and a hand on his shoulder.

Michel looked up at him again with his rare teal eyes, smiling shyly at him.

"The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus was complex, you know. Some say they were the greatest of friends, some say they were more than that."

The ambiance suddenly became tense.

The hand placed on Michel's shoulder slowly reached his chest, and Evan hurried to drag it off him. Why did he mention that…? Did Michel know about his secret by any chance? What were his intentions towards him? Could Evan trust him as he did before, back in the camp?

"W-Why—

"Evan…" Michel interrupted him, using a husky voice that managed to make Evan slightly uncomfortable. "Have you learned how to dance the Avevian waltz yet?"

For some reason, Evan's body managed to relax. He was fearing getting another kiss from another stranger. Even worse: maybe people were starting to learn about his secret. He trusted Michel, though. But he didn't trust him enough yet to confide what he had been hiding.

Evan cleared his throat, feeling slightly nervous. Was Michel going to teach him the Avevian waltz? He thought it was meant to be danced by a man and a woman…

"Gabrielle said she'd teach me. But we haven't found the moment and place to do it." Evan replied with a certain nonchalance in his voice.

"Would you like me to teach you?" Michel asked again.

"Right now…? I… thought it was a man-on-woman kind of dance, though…" Evan feigned confusion.

Michel simply chuckled, sitting up.

"It is meant to be a man-on-woman dance, yes. But no one will notice the difference if a man teaches you correctly." He smiled playfully.

Michel offered Evan his hand.

"Can I have this dance?"

Evan giggled, mimicking his friend. Taking his hand as he stood up. Michel was probably over ten centimeters taller than him, with a regal demeanor totally worthy of a prince. His hands were warm and soft to touch, like cotton.

"Sure thing, Your Highness Michel." Evan giggled again, trying to tease him in a jokingly, flirtatious way. He knew Michel didn't like Evan to call him by his royal title.

Michel grasped Evan's hand and kissed it, making Evan squeal. He simply laughed at him.

"The two of us can play this game. What do you say? Let's bring the old times back." Michel teased.

Evan felt a rush of adrenaline invading him, making him feel bold enough to respond.

"So you want to play a game, huh? Fine, I'll give you a fun time." He answered, smiling at the prince with will and determination.

Michel sketched a goofy grin.

"It's nice to have you again, Evan." He replied, his voice sounding playful and flirty.

He grasped Evan's hand tighter. Then, he wrapped his free arm around his skinny waist. Evan involuntarily placed his free hand on Michel's right shoulder.

"Why am I the woman?" Evan inquired, frowning in displeasure.

"I'll be the man the first time, so I can teach you how Gabrielle will move. Then, I can be the woman if you want." Michel informed, carefully enough to not upset his childhood friend.

"Okay…" Evan blurted out, feeling slightly disappointed as he rolled his eyes in fleeting annoyance.

"Alright, I'll start moving now, just mimic my steps, okay?" Michel asked, beginning to move.

The space surrounding them was narrow and there were too many furnishings around. It was technically impossible to move. But somehow Michel managed to lead them through those small free spaces with swift, nimble moves.

"You're doing great so far. Now I'm going to spin you and pull you back to my chest, but you'll be facing the other direction, okay?" Michel commanded with a gentle voice that made Evan's arm hair stand on edge.

Michel stepped away from Evan and the latter spun graciously. The redhead let out some goofy giggles, enjoying the pleasant moment with his childhood friend. Then, he got pulled back by him, his free hand reached involuntarily for the one that was pulling him gently. He felt his back against Michel's strong torso, it felt warm and soft, and, for a couple of moments, he could feel his tranquil breathing…

"That was a great move. Now I'll spin you back so you can face me, and then I'll pull you back really close to me, so please don't be afraid, it's just a dance, alright?" The prince said, almost muttering into his ear, causing Evan to blush into the dark as he melted at such a sweet and alluring sound.

"Mhm." Evan simply nodded, anxious.

Evan felt Michel's arm gently pushing him forth and he spun back to the previous place. He was now facing the prince, still, a fair amount of centimeters separated them, which sort of made him feel safe but disappointed him simultaneously. Michel's face was a jigsaw impossible to solve: he looked focused, but you could still see a glimpse of joy in his eyes, nervousness, and some other feeling which was unrecognizable to Evan. And his mouth corners were sketching a slight, content smile only for him.

Michel swiftly pulled Evan back to his torso, wrapping his free arm around his waist as fast as he could. Evan placed his hand on the prince's shoulder once more. Their eyes met. Teal against evergreen. It was almost poetic, how they could recognize the color of their eyes as vividly even when everything around them was dim. They were holding each other like lovers would do, yet they didn't seem to notice it. To them, they were merely childhood friends who got reunited by a great choice of fortune and fate, creating new good memories together. Just the two of them, like long-lost brothers, nothing else mattered anymore…

They smiled lovingly at each other and gently pushed away.

"It was nice to teach you, Evan, you certainly are a good dancer." Michel mocked him, grinning in sheer joy.

"My mother works for the Royal Ballet, remember?" Evan reminded him, following the game that Michel had just begun.

"Oh, that might be why!" He let out some muffled guffaws.

"Yeah, please don't be like her and ask me to be a dancer… That would totally make me lose the little respect I had for you." Evan rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry? Do I have to remind you that I'm the prince here?" He joked, gently punching his friend's arm.

"OH… I'm so sorry, Your Highness! It wasn't my intention to disrespect you! I beg your pardon!" Evan feigned regret, gaining laughter from the prince.

"Jokes aside, you don't have to call me 'Your Highness', you know. You didn't when we were kids, you don't have to start doing it now. Plus it's embarrassing when a good friend treats you with more respect than others just because…" He wasn't able to finish that last sentence.

Michel pursed his lips, his smile was now gone. Evan frowned in worry, believing he had understood.

"Just because you were born in a family you didn't ask to be born in?" The redhead tried finishing his friend's sentence with a question.

"Yes… pretty much that…" Was Michel's simple yet bitter response.

"Can I… Ask why you weren't upstairs? Having dinner with your family and listening to your father and brother's speeches?" Evan asked, fearing to be acting in a nosy way.

"It's something I might explain to you later on. Just in case you're wondering, yes, I have a good relationship with my family, it's just..." He sighed, looking crestfallen, "I guess I'm the black sheep."

Evan smiled in commotion, trying to cheer his friend up.

"Hey, it's okay. I know it's not much, but I'm here now. I'll never judge you or treat you differently, you're my friend." He muttered, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder and looking at him with a tender expression.

"Thank you, Evan." Michel chuckled, and Evan spread his arms open for a warm embrace. "You really took your time on reappearing in my life." Michel said before wrapping his arm tightly around Evan's petite body frame, hugging him friendly.

"You didn't make it easy on me either, Your Highness." Evan mocked him again, and both laughed in unknown comfort.

They pushed away sighing, having a reencounter like that was surely an emotional roller coaster.

"Can you show me the way to the dining hall? I'm starving and Gabrielle and my in-laws must be really worried about me." Evan asked.

"Sure thing, it's not that far away, just follow me."