You can ask me anything

Perry quickly discovered that magic and math weren't all that different. In the sense that he couldn't even begin to understand either of them. 

He'd barely made a dent in the first book and was almost going cross-eyed with all the unknown symbols and words that, in theory he knew, but made zero sense put side by side. 

Terms like 'errant energy issues', 'source deviation', and - his personal favorite so far - 'embrionic willowing' made absolutely no sense to him. 

On the bright side, his initial concern that he might not be able to read the books because they were written in a language he didn't know were unfounded. He could read what was written in the books, he just had no idea what any of it meant. 

Not for the first time, he considered ringing the bell and asking for some kind of magical dictionary. And then maybe a regular dictionary to understand the terms in the magical dictionary. 

With a frustrated sigh, Perry pressed his forehead against the pages of the book. The scent of ink and paper filled his lungs as he inhaled deeply. 

"You seem frustrated," a smooth voice called from across the room. 

Annoyance made Perry grit his teeth. "What gave it away?"

"I would say your attempt to physically push the information into your brain is one of the clues."

Perry snorted. "Just one of the clues? Not the first, huh?"

"No. The first was you mumbling 'this is impossible' and 'what the hell?' under your breath," the other man said. 

Perry sighed again and lifted his head, unsticking the page from his forehead. He blinked slowly at the other man standing a few paces from him. He seemed to blur around the edges for a moment as Perry blinked. Maybe it was just his overtired brain that had been trying to make sense of things he had no hope of ever understanding. 

"If you're not going to help, then you might as well-"

"Would you like my help, Your Highness?" The other man cut him off.

Even though Perry was tired, the annoyance in his chest grew at that. Perry knew he wasn't doing it on purpose, it was what everyone in this place called him now. But knowing and not letting it affect him were two different things. 

"Can you understand any of this?" Perry pointed at what looked like three concentric circles, each line broken by shapes and symbols that made no sense to him. 

The other man crossed the distance between them and came to a stop next to Perry, tilting his head to one side and studying the symbol on the page. 

"This seems to be some form of localization array," he said.

"Location…" 

"Localization," he corrected Perry, not unkindly. "If you wish to find something, this could be useful."

Perry forced his brain to work. "Something like a ring? Or…" He glanced around, looking for another example. But they were in a library. "A book?"

"That depends on the ring and on the book. If they are garded against this particular array, or any array, then this one will not be so useful. This is a relatively simple and low-level array, used to find misplaced items such as fabric and grains."

Perry frowned. "How is that useful?"

The other man smirked. "I believe it would be most useful if you were a merchant trying to find lost cargo. But if your cargo was stollen to begin with, whomever took it could easily conceal it from this."

"So what you're saying is this array is basically useless?" If there were so many ways to get around such a thing, why bother to put it in a book in the first place?

The other man shrugged one shoulder. "All arrays have their uses and limitation, you simply need to know where to look. For example, this one would be useful if a merchant's cargo was lost at sea or due to a natural disaster."

"Like a flood? Or if a ship sank?" Perry asked, hoping he was at least following the basics of all of… that.

"A flood, yes. A ship sinking would depend on if it was an accident or purposefully done." His bodyguard flipped the page and studied the symbol drawn there. 

To Perry, it looked like two triangles slightly misaligned with chicken scrawl on the inside and outside of every line. He also had no idea what it was for.

He opened his mouth to ask if the other man knew what it was, but what came was a different question. "Do you have a nickname?"

The other man paused and glanced at Perry. "Nickname?"

Perry scratched the back of his head and smiled weakly at him. "Yeah, like me. Perry is my nickname."

"What is your name?" 

The question caught Perry off guard. Shouldn't he already know it? Seeing as he was Perry's bodyguard and everything. 

For some reason, Perry felt like lying to him wasn't a good idea. Maybe it was because those eyes seemed to read him so well. 

So, just like he'd done with Galana, Perry skirted the truth. "As First Prince, my name is well-known. But… Perry is what people who are close to me call me."

He knew he'd not chosen his words well enough when the other man's smirk turned into a grin. "Are we close, then?"

Perry huffed out an exasperated breath, his annoyance briefly flaring into anger. He pulled the book back and muttered, "Never mind."

"Is it important, knowing my nickname?" The other man pressed the tip of his index finger in the center of the book, keeping Perry from rescuing it. 

How to answer? Perry couldn't very well tell him thinking his name, much less saying it out loud made his heart ache in a strange way. He would either think Perry no longer had his sanity, or he would think Perry had developed feelings for him. 

Honestly, the best option might be the second one. 

"I'd feel more comfortable knowing it," Perry eventually answered it. Then he quickly added, "If you don't mind me asking."

"You can ask me anything."

"But will you answer?" Perry blurted out. 

The other man's smile widened. "I do not have a nickname," he said. "At least, none that I am aware of."

Perry chose to ignore the way he had evaded his previous question and went with the safer topic. "Do you mind if I give you a nickname?"

The other man turned to face Perry and crossed his arms in front of his chest, resting one hip against the desk. "That depends on what it would be."

Perry considered the other man's name, mentally analyzing the syllables. "How about… Mal?"

Mal was okay. Better than okay, Mal was great. Perry could say and think it without feeling like there was a sharp needle poking his heart. 

"Mal," the other man said slowly, as if testing the sound of it. He said it a few more times before finally shrugging. "I suppose it is acceptable."

"Okay. Good. That's great. Mal it is." Perry didn't exactly have a name for the feeling that made him sit back in his chair and relax his shoulders. Was it relief? Over a name? Why? 

He couldn't make sense of it and he was too tired to try right then and there. 

"So, Mal," Perry said, trying to sound as casual as possible. He probably failed. "Can you help me with this?"

Mal turned his attention back to the book. "What is it exactly that you wish to know about the Puppet Technique?"

"How to stop it. I mean, how to not let anyone use it on me. Well, on anyone would be ideal, but… yeah. Mostly me." Perry picked up a random book and opened it when Mal's sharp gaze cut to him. 

"It has already been used on you? How many times? By whom?" 

Perry wondered again how honest he should be. He figured that now that he was the 'prince', Master Rennin was no longer a threat. But who knew how much freedom the Clan Leader would give him if Perry refused to cooperate with whatever he wanted him to do. 

Besides, Mal was supposed to be his bodyguard. Knowing about potential threats to Perry's safety was kind of his job. 

"To answer your questions: yes, twice, and Master Rennin and Clan Leader What's-his-face, the one whose beard you chopped." Perry raised two fingers to his own chin and mimed cutting an invisible beard. 

"What did they have you do?" There was an edge to his question, but it wasn't anger. Not exactly. It wasn't worry for Perry either. Or, at least, he didn't think so. 

"Similar things, actually. Just basically follow them and not say a single word. They also used the Blood Concealment thing on my face so no one would notice I was me." Perry left out the part that the reason for the concealment was because he looked like the prince, not because he was the prince. "I just want to know if there's something I can use to fight against it or keep it from happening again even if I don't have magic."

"There is. However, you do have magic."

Of course the prince had magic. Perry was another issue. Aside from weird dreams and, if the Queen was to be believed, being offered to some mysterious entity for mysterious purposes, Perry knew he was very much ordinary. 

"What if I'm cut off from… my magic? What if something happens and I…" He searched his brain for a reason why a magic wielder might be cut off from their magic. From what he'd seen, most seemed to use their hands. "What if I break my hands or all my fingers."

He tried not to wince at the gruesome mental image. 

"Then I have failed spectacularly." Mal frowned, looking very upset. "And the consequences would be dire."

"Not to question your abilities, but it could happen," Perry pointed out as gently as he could. 

He didn't doubt Mal was a very skilled fighter and competent magic wielder, but Perry seemed prone to attracting trouble from the moment he stepped through the strange portal in the bathroom at Lucky Fries. 

"You're not going to be with me every hour of every day, so there will be times when I need to protect myself." And that wasn't scary at all. Nope, not one bit. 

"Of course I will be with you every moment of every day. How else am I to guard your body?" Mal asked. 

It was Perry's turn to frown. "What about when I go to the bathroom."

Mal seemed to consider his question for way too long before answering. "I will analyze each situation as it presents itself."

Perry scoffed, the annoyance that had subsided flaring up in his chest again. "No, you will not. My bathroom breaks are my private time. That's not up for discussion."

Mal shifted to face Perry, one hand still holding the book. "What about when you are in public and at the risk of being cornered by Clan Leader Venaric?"

It irritated Perry that he had a point. "Okay, in those cases, you're free to join me. But only then. Any other time I go to the bathroom, I'm going alone."

"As I said, I shall analyze each situation as it presents itself," Mal said, his tone even and final.

Perry narrowed his eyes and got to his feet, facing Mal. He didn't like the fact that he kept feeling small next to the other man. "When I'm in my room, I go by myself."

"Acceptable," Mal said after a short pause. 

Perry gritted his teeth and tried very hard not to lash out. 

He's just doing his job. Just doing his job. 

The other man's eyes flashed with something that Perry couldn't identify. It was there and gone too fast for him to name it. "Any other demands?"

Perry scoffed before he could stop himself. "These are not demands, this is me setting the boundaries for our relationship moving forward."

Mal smirked "Relationship?"

Perry ignored the way his cheeks burned and pointed an accusing finger at Mal. "You know what I mean."

"Of course. Any other boundaries you wish to set?" Mal asked evenly.

"Yes." Perry inhaled deeply and tried to calm himself. "Since we're on this topic, I'd like to make it clear that my room is also a private space. Meaning you are not allowed inside unless I say so." 

Only after saying that did Perry remember the secret passageway that led from the dungeon to his room - and who knew where else in the Palace. That was something he should definitely mention to his bodyguard.

Before he could, Mal said, "Unnaceptable." Anger flared inside of Perry as he stared at the other man. But, he wasn't finished. "I do not require much sleep, but have no doubt, Your Highness, that I will not risk your safety and that we shall, in fact, spend every night together in your rooms."

Perry was stunned speechless.