Nikkol wasn't the first to wake this time.

He woke up to the slow hand that was slowly moving against forbidden places.

Whether it was the sleep still clouding his mind or what happened the night before, Nikkol found no filters in him. That must've been why he reacted so well to the single hand.

His back arched up, soft noises made their way out of his parted mouth, and hands clutched the fabric of his bedsheets.

"Ah, yes, see this was what I wanted." A gentle voice said to his side. Even with his currently foggy brain, Nikkol easily identified it as belonging to the prince. "Why couldn't you do this last night?"

Nikkol let out a shuddering breath, barely paying attention to Setial's words as his hand moved faster.

"Oh, you're reacting so well. And still with so much self control, it's beautiful." Nikkol arched his back further, trying to get closer to the feeling building up in him.

He paid no mind to the soft moans and barely uttered words that passed his lips, caught up in what was happening. "Ah, Setial, please..." his voice softly said, trying to get him to move faster.

It had the opposite effect, his hand slowing down until it was barely moving at all. "What did you say?"

More aware than he'd been since he woke up, fear started to build up in his chest. Why did he have to ruin such a moment like that? He felt like such a fool, saying the prince's name like that. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

The prince's eyes were intense, looking into the guard's. "I asked, what did you just say?"

"I, um, I asked you to, no, I meant that I... requested? I don't really know what I was saying, it just slipped ou-" His rambling was cut off with a gasp as the prince squeezed his hand to the point where it was almost painful. "Setial." He finally answered, his eyes wide and frantically trying to analyze whatever thoughts were going on in the prince's mind.

"Say that again."

"Setial." Nikkol repeated, his mood shifting from scared back to turned on in a second.

The prince seemed incredibly turned on by that too and made Nikkol repeat his name all throughout the morning.

When they were finished, Nikkol felt like he had no energy left.

At least until he could process the light of the room. "I'm late!" He quickly sat up and started almost limping around the room, collecting the articles of his clothing and slipping them on.

"You rush so much." Nikkol risked a glance back to see Setial looking at him with a small smile, head just barely tilted up from his position on the bed.

"I'm late." Nikkol repeated again, struggling to get his boot on.

"I can see that."

Nikkol sighed. "I'm supposed to be on time and I-" He froze in his words when he looked over again. The light hitting Setial made him look positively regal, reminding the guard that he was. He was the prince. And he was speaking to him like a friend after just one night of letting himself a little loose. He had to remember his place. He had to be cautious. His head turned away from the prince and back to trying to get his shoe on.

"Oh, don't do this again!" Nikkol kept his head down, shame filling him. "After I just got you to open up too! You're almost more trouble than you're worth." Nikkol's fingers shook, trying to hurry up but strangely affected by Set-The Prince- the prince's words. "Almost."

Nikkol didn't let himself think about his words. He didn't let himself think about how the prince said nothing after that, how he felt his gaze on him the whole time. He definitely wasn't letting himself think of it when he was getting scolded by Herval or when he was back on his post.

And his eyes definitely didn't follow the prince when he walked by to the throne room.

And definitely wasn't disappointed when he didn't look his way.

And definitely didn't want to be somewhere else when he went to the tavern with Edgal that night.

"Again? So is going to become a regular thing?" Nikkol just shrugged, not really as into the conversation as he should be. With all the excitement, doing what he did every day was becoming even more mundane than normal. He still enjoyed training and going out with his friend, it just didn't light that certain spark in him. "Do you want it to be?"

Nikkol thought about it, although there really was no need to. Even with the looming threat of death, he wanted it, the death only set to make everything more exciting anyways. "I do."

Edgal nodded, looking back to his drink deep in thought. "So did you not like the women?"

The guard thought about this. Was that what it was? No. He looked back to all the times he took a woman to his bed. He enjoyed it, he only really stopped because it was very nearly the same each time. A young woman he didn't know gets brought up to a room, she either acts very shy or bold and once all the clothes came off it was all the same surface pleasure. Perhaps if he tried to form a deeper bond it would be different, but he never could get it right. "I prefer women, it feels better with them. But there's something about the prince that just... makes everything more exciting."

"Okay... so why does he keep coming to you? Why not get somebody else?"

Nikkol didn't like all the questions that actually required him to think, not after the disappointing day. "Maybe he just found someone willing to go along with him and didn't want to push his luck."

"But then-"

"Enough!" Nikkol snapped at him. "Can we just talk about something else?"

Edgal looked taken aback by his usually passive friend's loss of control. "Wow, just a few days into getting in with the prince and you're turning into him."

Nikkol glared at him, imagining running him through. All the things suddenly going on in his life and Edgal couldn't even offer a little support? He couldn't be a little understanding that this was difficult for him? One tiny slip in his usual act that he had grown to hate and Edgal's already turning on him! He was not like the prince. Maybe it wouldn't be that horrible if Nikkol was, but he knew he wasn't. Instead of escalating what could've very easily turned violent and probably have relieved Nikkol of the energy and negativity he'd been building throughout the day, he just tilted his head back and downing his drink. "I'm going to go find some better company." His voice was low, conveying his anger. Without even looking at Edgal, Nikkol stood up, taking his now empty cup with him, and walked off, eyes scanning for someone better to spend his time with.

A few tables down, he saw Tythal and Maryal, two castle guards who were Nikkol's friends. He realized he didn't want to go to them though, he didn't want any talk and gossip, just wanted release. He craved the energy and tingles he felt whenever he was with the prince, but another alternative could work for him too.

He saw a table with a woman looking to be just younger than him quite a ways down. He'd seen her before, and she was with another woman, who Nikkol was pretty sure Edgal spent a night with. She was pretty enough and, by the way she was glancing over at him, interested, so Nikkol made a decision.

"Hi." He said smoothly as he walked up to the table they were at, a smile on his face.

The woman in question giggled at the attention, turning to her friend for a second in embarrassment before looking back at him, face red. "Hi." She replied, her voice soft and sweet.

Nikkol smirked to himself. He still had it. From there, he knew it would be easy to persuade her into his bed.

And easy it was. Unlike some, she wasn't shy about sharing his bed.

It wasn't the best he'd ever had, but Nikkol physically enjoyed himself that night.

It was familiar and physically nice but his mind wasn't stimulated. His heart didn't flutter in his chest in nervousness or excitement the way it did with the prince. It was just the same procedure, even after those months, it hadn't changed. Not the getting her there or the things done to her once she was there. It was all the same.

He was bored.

Unfortunately, this realization fell upon him before he had finished with her, and caused his motivation to decline.

"Oh, what's the matter? Why'd you stop?" The girl asked, her face flushed and top completely opened, exposing herself, which would have stimulated Nikkol more than enough when he was several years younger.

Not wanting to embarrass himself by revealing anything or being unable to finish, he forced a mischievous smile onto his face. "Just keeping you on your toes." He knew he had no choice but to push through the new discomfort.

She gave a small smile back at him. "Well, if you want to keep yours, I suggest you pick up the pace."

Oh, the response was so perfect. It fit the prince perfectly, and Nikkol couldn't help but hear his voice taunting him in his ear, which actually motivated him further, allowing him to finish his task.

"Oh," the woman said as he collapsed beside her on the old bed, "that was amazing."

Nikkol hummed in agreement, not wanting to put effort into voicing the lie. It was nice, as these activities always turned out to be, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as they should be.

Nikkol just couldn't help but to crave Setial.