"Was I gone too long or is your husband possessed?" Zeke asked, his gaze locked on Aki for a moment.

"Nah, just a change in wardrobe, he looked like a ghost you know,"

Yeran replied, knowing that if Zeke were to find out of the assassination attempt he would not be thinking a second before attacking Aki then and there, which was a catastrophe he would not need to be on witness.

"I don't think so, his face....there is something different," Zeke took a step closer, locking his eyes onto Yeran's.

Yeran laughed, his heart racing.

"Supppse the guy is coming to his skin," he said, noting how an arrow is spinning in a dizzying arc in Aki's hand.

Not knowing the victor if a battle were to occur could be considered the worst issue Yeran would be having to face, despite the other threat of the looming war.

Zeke opened his mouth to say something, which got cut off by the queen forcing herself in the middle of the conversation.

Face as black as he is feeling inside his soul, Yeran dragged Aki away from both his mother and Zeke, him offering no resistance.

Yeran threw a glance over his shoulder, meeting Zeke's eyes for a moment, having a silent conversation. Zeke forced a smile on, understanding.

¤¤¤

"Zeke!" Yeran gasped, pulling the knight inside the tent hastily.

"Hello," Zeke greeted.

"I'm fine Yeran, you do not need to worry. But first, tell me what happened to writing every day? I thought you wee dead" Zeke reached up to snap a finger against Yeran's forehead.

"Ow!" He cried. "Why attack me? It was my mother," Yeran replied, scowling.

"The queen? I noticed her favoring your Prince Consort,"

'What is it with people saying titles as if curses?' Yeran silently wondered.

"Not just her, everyone favors him," Yeran frowned.

"Servants, maids, guards, everyone,"

"And the king?" Zeke asked, his brows drawn together.

"I do not think father has interacted with Aki so far, in fact, he had not even spoken with me out of official reasons after the marriage." Yeran clarified.

"I do not trust him," Zeke said.

"Aki? Me either, he is not the same person I thought he was."

"Not a doll, I assume?"

"If he is, then a woodoo doll most likely." Yeran said, startling a laugh out of Zeke.

"That bad?"

"Sort of creepy, his moods change so rapidly, smiling one second and going blank the next, and most of all, he is so annoying!" Yeran complained.

"Annoying?"

"Yes...I can't make a sense out of him, he is never doing what is expected, he's a variable we had not accounted for, Zeke, we need to be careful around him." It was all Yeran could say without revealing Aki is an assassin bluntly.

"I told you from the beginning he cannot be trusted, no one is that good, nor polite or courteous."

Yeran nodded, agreeing.

"Her majesty makes you spend time with him? I heard from the knights, they have such wild stories," Zeke asked.

Yeran groaned.

"Can we not talk about that?"

Zeke laughed,

"Why my love, he is a handsome partner, it is only natural people talk,"

"Trust me Zeke, getting onto bed with him, that would be last thing I would ever be wanting to do,"

"You have changes your toot suddenly, Does he snore?" Zeke whispered, comspiratively.

"Wish he did actually, he doesn't even move when he fall asleep Zeke, I'm so tempted to check his breathing just to see if he is still alive sometimes, it's almost as if sleeping with a corpse!" Yeran whined.

Zeke laughed.

"So you were just freaked out," he leaned close.

"Ahem!" Someone cleared his throat. Both Yeran and Zeke sprung apart, hands reaching for weapons, always on alert.

It was Aki, standing just inside the tent flap, hands crossed over his chest, which he loosened to hold up with palms out at the two swords ended up aimed at his neck.

"You might want to wait, your highness, I would like to enjoy a silent night after the busy day." He said, almost sarcastic.

"What, Are you doing here?" Zeke asked, voice low.

"Queen's orders, apparently, we," Aki said, gesturing between himself and Yeran, "have to share the tent."

He did not looked any happier than how the other two felt, looking down his nose at them.

"By the God!" Zeke cursed, glaring at Aki.

"You can go to my tent."

Aki's brow jumped, something Yeran has recognized as a tell of him being annoyed.

"Why don't you two do that, hmm...? I, am not going to directly violate her majesty's orders. And she is expecting you at her tent, Prince Yeran," He replied, not at all affected by Zeke's murderous aura.

Yeran could practically hear Zeke's teeth grinding together, unable to find a way of refuting Aki's claim.

"What does my mother want?" Yeran asked.

"I don't have a habit of prying into other people's business if you haven't noticed, husband,"

'Another title, sounding as a curse,'

Aki let his eyes sweep over them, top to bottom, just once, before dismissing them outright to disappear around the changing screen where a bath must already be prepared.

Yeran closed his eyes, reigning in his anger, and yanked on Zeke's arm who looked ready to skin both Aki and his mother alive.

"Why does her majesty wants us separated?" He asked, sufficiently out of earshot of the camp.

"I...do not know," Yeran sighed.

"You do not leave right after the hunt, do you?" He asked, staring at the central pire.

"No, I won't be,"

"Good, I need to speak with you," Yeran nodded.

"Not unless your mother stopped us, again, I do not think Aki arriving just then was a coincidence."

"No, probably not, I shall speak with her," Yeran said.

"Will she listen?"

"Worth a try, weather she likes it or not, she has no choice but to accept, I cannot let her control my life this much," Yeran said.

"Do not create a rift between you and her Yeran, we have been patient so far, we can be in future as well, it is all till we see things through." Zeke advised.

"Who knows how long that will take, so far we have had no chance at all."

"Be patient," Zeke said after a moment of thought, retreating into the shadows.

Yeran stared after him for another minute, turning around to reach the tent his mother and father shall be sharing, already having a hint of what advice his mother will give. His only hope being his father still not having retired, instead enjoying the rare time away from duty with friends.

¤¤¤

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Hey,

I'm on a roll, hyped up. You know, I hate love triangles, I do not know what devil possessed me to insert one here. Who should Yeran end up with? Aki? Zeke? Or both 🤣🤣🤣🤣

But I assure you all, there will be no cheating,"

See ya,

Arkhane.

Aki