"Stop that," Harlow mumbled, her blond hair falling down ringlets from her head, a red gown swept the ground around her feet, the dark red lined with blue threads, a corset thinning her, another dressed was coming from under her top layer, a lighter green colour. A golden rope was spun around her waist twice and hung loosely.

An amazing amount of time went into dressing a woman who was not due to leave the walls of the castle. My feet halted mid-step. I had been pacing the long hallway that breaks away from another hallway that my father was now sitting in and having a meeting with his knights.

Normally I wouldn't be worried when my father called a meeting. But things had been on edge as of late. Our kingdom was not a big one, but at that, we were also not small. And being in the middle meant we became an easy target for other kingdoms that laid bigger in troop size.

That kingdom at the moment was of King John. A tiny man who had a big ego to overcompensate for it. He had taken a smaller kingdom known as Blaire just two fortnights ago. Blaire was a harmless kingdom that had sat on the shores of Delara. It was mostly of poor fishermen, the ruler was no king. Well, of course, it was ruled by a king. But he was hardly one. He was not the child of a king, a nephew from what I had heard. He was very relaxed in his rulings.

Was, because King John had him beheaded after his knights overcome the kingdom.

It was up in the air on how Blaire was doing at the moment.

Father wanted to be ready for when King John turned sights on us. Which was something that was bound to happen. And I was not ready for that. For Edward to go to battle.

He trained his whole life for this, He had dreams of the days when he would fight in a warlike his father before him, and his father before he. But I had nightmares of it.

The thought of losing Edward shook me like nothing before. Not even my mother speaking to me of marriage scares me as much as losing Edward.

"I apologize," I mumbled to my younger cousin.

Harlow was not younger by much. Not even a year had passed since my birth before Harlow came into the world. Her father had died months before she was born due to sickness. And her mother had passed the night after she had brought Harlow into the world.

My mother was the older sister to Harlow's mother, so of course, she had taken the baby as soon as word spread to her about her sister's death. Mother looked at Harlow no different then she looked at me. Sometimes I wondered if she favoured Harlow more so then I, she had a habit of taking everywhere she had went. She may not have the family hair, but I did often wonder if they had rather her take the throne over I.

The pressure was starting to become almost to much a deal when it came to being the heir. Mother wanted me to wed, she was looking for a suitor for me to court for years. She was starting to gray in her hair over I'm sure. Naturally, I did not take to any of the women mothers threw my way. I would meet them, sometimes we would dine. But after one meal together I found them distasteful.

I never took to women. I had, of course, many friends who were female. But as a lover? Absolutely not. Women were very sweet, I had nothing opposed to them. But no lady would ever hold a light to Edward.

Speaking of. I turned my head just as the latch to the meeting room echoed down the hallway. Harlow and I both stepped to the side to let the men orf arms thorough. Ser Talbot the third, was speaking to my father as Edward walked behind them chatting with another knight known as Samual.

"Ah, just the lad I was looking for," Father said, greeting me with a shoulder pat.

The years had been doing father wonders. For a man his age, his hair still had most of the red that it held in his younger years, his face graced with orange hair, little gray poking through.

Lord Talbot greeted me with a smile, while Edward stopped beside them, Samual bidding us goodbye as he walked down the hallway, but not before bowing his head to Harlow. I watched him go before turning back to my father and bowing my head. "What can I help you with father?"

Father grinned at me, grabbing me by the shoulder as he turned my body to walk down the corridor with him. "No help boy, we do just wish to take you hunting at dawn tomorrow. Get you out from beyond these walls."

"But father I would really rather-"

"Nonsense! There is no negotiating this. Now, Benedict. We have much more to speak of. Come to my den. Harlow. Tell Jane to get a cuppa ready yes."

I watched as father and Ser Talbot walked off, chatting more about the battle that was coming, Harlow following not far behind, she didn't leave without giving me a quick eye-roll and smirk before departing. I smirked back, turning towards my lover with a pit in my chest. dreading the news that he would tell me about the news from behind the stone walls.

"It's nothing bad," Edward said as we sat in my bedroom, in our normal chairs as Tsar poured hot water into our mugs, lifting a brow to Edward.

"Nothing bad,may I interject ser and say we are going to war. Blaire is all but smoke and ash now."

"Ai, but it's nothing we cannot handle. Besides," He brought his cup to his lips, blowing at the smoke that rose out. "I am staying just beyond the castle walls. I will be home every night. There is a cavalry going out tomorrow at dusk. We will get word from them. The word is that King John has no interest in us. The kingdom is much too big."

"Cowardly man." Tsar tisked, filling his tray with his teapot.

"So, you are not leaving?"

"No my love. I just won't be as available as I have been. It will be as if I am at training again."

I was ok with that. As long as he was in his home by nightfall, I would be ok.

His hand fell atop of mine, his fingers caressing the outside of my thumb. I could feel my heart race with every stroke.

Finally, Tsar left the room, the door echoing with a thud as his footfall could be heard going down the corridor. As he left I felt myself deflate my back slouching into my chair so much so that I'm sure my grandmother was in the heavens with a frown. I let out a sigh as I looked up towards Edward with a frown. He smiled down at me, a laugh playing on his lips as his hand slipped from mine.

"I do not wish to go hunting," I complained, rubbing two of my hands down my face.

"Oi, you'll have a fabulous time. You have my word."

"I refuse to harm an animal."

"Don't be so foolish. You eat animals do you not? Your father is just trying to make a man of you. When was the last time you had dirt below your nails my sweet?" I scowled at him, sitting myself back upright.

"I can eat all the meat I would like. It does not mean I want to make my own meat. That's what I have you for, is it not?"

Edward chuckled, shaking his head at my words, "You'll enjoy it. And we can be back in time for a midday nap and perhaps we can take the price to Paddy's for a pint or two?" I was taken aback by his suggestion, when have I ever gone to a pub. I'm a prince. And a prince does not go to the pub.

"Are you mad?"

"Of course not," he said, getting from his spot to stand in front of me, he leaned down, inches from my face as he grabbed onto the arms of the chair. "I just want to take you out, show you off."

"Nobody will know we're together," I whispered as he got closer, his words getting softer.

"That's the excitement of it all." I could feel the heat of his breath fanning my face, our eyes locked together as he lowered his head so his lips could meet with mine.

And it was then there was a rapping at the door, "My lord." A nassled voice came from the other side of the door, one that I quickly recognized as one of my mother's bed maidens, Juanita.

Edward took a step back from me just as the door started to open, he fixed his waistcoat as he turned towards the door, giving Juanita a small smile. "Of course my lord, I will get on it right now, I will check back once the field is cleared. See you at dusk." Edward said before stepping from the room, being quick with his words as always. We had never been caught together in arms. The only one who knew about us was Tsar, only because he was my closest and most trusted friend. I had told him about my crush years before I had known what it truly was. And he did not judge me. He only told me to keep it between him and I. Not to tell another soul.

Then, I had no idea why he would want to keep it to myself. I, of course, had to desire to tell anybody else. I was not close to my parents, Harlow and I barely saw one another and my bed maiden at the time spoke little English. The only companion I had was Tsar.

"He has a nice face," I said as Tsar and I sat in the front of the castle garden, I had just returned from the event with my father, and Taz wanted to hear all about Ser Talbot.

"Ser Talbot?" he said, bring a small bit of cheese to his lips.

"Oh, no not at all. His son."

"Edward?" Taz was taken aback by my comment, lowering his hand to his lap. "Why do you say that?"

I shrugged, taking a grab and putting it in my mouth. "I fancy him, perhaps I should ask father to have young Talbot come over. We can play the piano."

Taz looked at me for a moment, before a frown started on his face. "You fancy him?"

"Yes, I enjoy the look of his face."

"Ia- my young lord I don't think I am quite understanding what you're telling me." And that left me confused, did I have something to tell me? Should I be hiding something?

"Promise me you will not tell another that you fancy him, yea?"

"But, why?"

"Just, promise."

And I did, it only took a few more months for me to realize why. It was a hard realization to come to. I was young, I did not notice that liking men was a sin in the eyes of God. That my own father would cast hate upon me if I had told him, my mother.

"My lord?" I blinked, looking towards Juanita, giving her a shy smile as I realized that I had drifted into my own head. "Dinner is served, my lord." She said before bowing her head and hurrying off.

I sighed, shrugging my shoulders a few times before making my way from my room, feeling just an ounce of annoyance at the fact that Edward left solely because it was a mealtime.