Chapter 12
Diamban had never looked more beautiful than she did that evening. Will and Kell came riding out of the last expanse of forest and saw the city stretched out over the large hill of Diam and its surrounding sisters. The noble families' manors lay perched around the top of Diam herself where the towers to the old keep and the church could be seen above the roofs, while lesser families' houses were scattered in a sort of chaotically ordered manner down the hillsides.
The sun had begun to set and warm, welcoming fires and street lanterns were blinking into life like fireflies in the city's arms. Another half hour and the dark would be complete and the city gates closed for the night.
"Come," Will urged his horse into a trot and steered down the road towards home. He wanted to see his family now and couldn't stand the thought of having to wait until tomorrow in case they should be too late to be let inside the gates.
"What's that?" the prince wondered and Will cast him an impatient glance. Kell was pointing off the road to the left and well beyond the city. Will turned his head to see what had caught the prince's attention.
Northwest of the city lay the gathering of ponds that was named the Moon Pearls. They lay in a circle around a small hill that more often than not played an essential part in many of Diamban's children's conception since the hill was thought to have magical powers, especially in the light of the full moon. It was those ponds that the prince had seen, their mirror-clear surfaces reflecting the setting sun in a range of colors between fire orange and vivid purple.
"That's the Moon Pearls," Will explained shortly and turned his attention back to the road.
"Looks pretty."
Will shrugged. He'd spent days on end there as a child, fishing and swimming with his sister and friends, before master Sharican came into his life. The water was most of the time cold enough to drive the children out of it after just a few minutes of splashing and running around, and the fishing wasn't that great, perhaps because there mostly weren't any fish.
"Promise me you'll take me there, Will?"
"Why? They're ponds. I'm sure you have the likes in the capital, not to mention the sea."
"Sure we do, though they are manmade ponds and nothing like these. I've heard of these Moon Pearls, they're said to be magical, right?"
"Perhaps. I haven't really thought about it." Will had never had the time to go back out to the ponds with his friends once master Sharican had claimed his time. He didn't really regret his lost childhood as much as miss the opportunities for mischief that his sister had had.
"So you haven't gone out there to explore it, then? To feel for it?" the prince was asking.
"Feel for it?" Will was wondering where this was going.
"Yes. I thought you sorcerers had this basic, irresistible need to know everything about anything magical."
"Well… we like to know if it's…" Will began a bit confused and not in the right frame of mind for magical discussions right now.
"So, I thought you had gone out there to feel for it, or whatever it is you do." Kell came up on Will's left side, giving him a curious look and an excited smile. Will blinked at him.
"Well, no. I haven't. But I believe…"
"Then you should," the prince interrupted him again. "You never know what magic might lie hidden there."
Will sighed. "I don't think there's anything particularly magical about it, it's a hill and ponds, and you are trying to make me do something again, aren't you, my prince?" He narrowed his eyes and gave his companion a close look.
Kell just shrugged and made a noncommittal sound, but his smile didn't quite go away.
Will rolled his eyes and shook his head – noble minds were not easy to understand. "If we don't hurry up now we'll be too late and we'll have to sleep outside the gates tonight and miss my mother's cooking."
"Why didn't you say so?" the prince grinned at him, his white teeth flashing in the dusk. "I haven't had proper home cooking in ages."
Will rolled his eyes again and kicked the gelding forward to follow the mare in her quick trot.
The gatekeepers let them in when Will introduced himself as Ion De'Noa's son and sorcerer Sharican's apprentice. The prince muttered something about Will not being anybodies apprentice anymore, but Will was too excited to listen.
The familiar city streets were lit up by street lanterns and the lights seeping out through blurry windowpanes. There were few people out now, the falling dark drove everyone inside to supper and hearth and the company of family and friends. The horses' hooves clattered against the cobble stones and scared a ragged cat away from her half eaten meal.
They stopped at a stable at the foot of the hill to stable the horses and for once Will was glad the prince was generous with his coins. The grumpy, badly shaved man that manned the stable became very agreeable with the weight of coins in his hand and he assured that the animals would get the best of care.
Will led the way up the hill to his father's house. He could smell the woodworks and the freshly cut timbre in his father's carpentry. It brought back so many memories he had to stop at the gate to the small yard and just breathe. It wasn't that long since he had been home, but with all that had happened it seemed like a lifetime. He feared too much would have changed. He needed his family to be his constant.
"Are you okay, Will?" the prince asked tentatively with his golden head slightly tilted to one side.
"Yes. It's good to be home." He managed a small smile.
Kell smiled back encouragingly. "Lead the way, sorcerer. I can already taste your mother's cooking."
Father De'Noa opened the door when Will knocked and his broad face stared blankly at them for a moment before recognition set in on the heels of surprise. "Will!" he breathed and then a large hand grabbed almost painfully at Will's shoulder to pull him into a strong embrace.
Will hugged back with all his might, glad beyond belief to be with familiar faces.
Five sets of eyes turned to see who it was at the door at this hour, and then a shrill scream broke the shocked silence. Will had barely been released from Ion's large arms before his sister flung herself around his neck with such force he stumbled backwards into the prince, who'd been completely forgotten at the moment. Nila covered Will's face in kisses as she bubbled in her usual cheerful way how glad she was to see him and how much she had missed him and how much she had to tell him about everything. Will laughed and squirmed free of her attentions and then the rest of the family was crowding in around him.
His mother gave him one of those hugs that had calmed and soothed and comforted so many times when he was a child, and he kissed her respectfully at the corners of her mouth. She discretely wiped away a tear when she stepped back and tried to hide the small spots of color on her cheeks. Always so conscious of what was correct and proper, his mother, that for him to show her this simple gesture of respect when it was in fact she who was supposed to kiss his cheeks since he was superior in status to her now, sorcerer and all. Will wouldn't let her do that; she was his mother and would always be the greater one in his eyes.
Aunt Elyn was shyer than her sister and she only gave Will a brief hug and a gentle welcome before her daughter managed to catch Will's attention. Cousin Ina reached up on tiptoe and kissed at the corners of his mouth with just a bit too much pressure, lingering just a bit too long as one of her slim hands skimmed his hip. He let it pass, she had always done that, being the passionate creature that she was.
Old grandfather Oter actually smiled at Will from his tall-backed armchair in the corner by the hearth and Will walked over to him. The old man had long since lost the full use of his left leg and only left his chair if it was absolutely necessary.
"Good to see you again, lad," Oter grumbled and gave Will's shoulder a surprisingly strong pat.
"Good to be back, grandfather."
Nila laughed then. "Will!" she chided and he turned, ready for the friendly bickering they always engaged in when they saw each other. "Where's your manners? You've forgotten to introduce us to your friend."
Will's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten the prince and he scolded himself for the blunder. His family would never know the shame in that error – forgetting the prince! – but Will knew, which was bad enough, and the prince knew and that was even worse.
But Kell only smiled one of those wide, charismatic smiles that charmed everyone ever subjected to them. The blue eyes turned expectantly to Will and he had to clear his throat.
"I'm sorry. This is Kell… um, he's one of the… soldiers in the prince's army," Will stammered haltingly, not quite sure what to call the prince that wouldn't raise suspicion, and urged the prince into the room to introduce his family.
Kell smiled and bowed and shook hands and repeated his name to everyone as they told him theirs, as if he wasn't of noble blood and their liege. He kept his face calm and composed, smiling pleasantly, and even dared to wink at Nila, which caused her to giggle and color to blossom on her cheeks.
The two youngest girls in the house seemed interested enough by the sudden appearance of a handsome face, while mother Vina and aunt Elyn were more cautious and suspicious of this strange young man that would undoubtedly break their daughters' hearts if they let him. But father Ion De'Noa would have no such breakings of young girls' hearts in his house, and he made that abundantly clear in the firm handshake and stern look he gave the prince, who bowed just slightly deeper than he should have to.
Will's mother caught him and showed him to his usual seat by the table, as if he had never been gone. The family had just sat down to eat when Will and Kell arrived, and two more plates were easily produced.
The soft, gentle chattering of familiar voices around the table made Will wish he never had to leave again. But when the familiarity on occasion was broken by the prince's warm voice, quickly followed by Nila's replies or bright laughs, he admitted reluctantly that he would have to leave all too soon.
Supper was followed by a long row of questions, mostly from Nila and Ina, but once or twice even mother and father managed one or another. Grandfather Oter grumbled mostly to this or that and sometimes he even exclaimed a loud HA! at the machinations of the officers in the army. Kell and Will exchanged brief looks from time to time and Kell often smiled at him.
The questions revolved around the life in the prince's army and the battles and the food and the weather and the other sorcerers, and Will was almost dizzy before they all seemed satisfied. But the questions erupted again when Nila and Ina found out Will and his "soldier friend" had gotten here by horseback, and somehow the girls managed to make Will and Kell promise to take them riding during their visit.
Will sat back in his chair and listened to Nila giggling at a story the prince was telling, Ina hid her quiet giggle behind her hand and looked shyly at the prince where he had somehow ended up between the girls. The story was about a soldier and a barmaid, and him ending up in the pigsty when the barmaid figured out his true intentions. Even mother and aunt smiled a little. Will wondered idly where the prince had learned that story, but he supposed one picked such things up during the time in a war camp.
Ion's large hand squeezed gently around Will's shoulder and he looked up at his father. His hair was as dark as Will's but his eyes were grey, grey eyes like Will's mother and sister had. For some reason Will was the only one in their family to have brown eyes, and that had been one of the reasons master Sharican had taken interest in him all those years ago. A lifetime ago. Suddenly Will felt very old.
"A word, my son," Ion said quietly and Will rose from his chair and followed his father into the small room that lay between the kitchen and his parents' bedroom. It served both as his father's study and his mother's private little weaving mill, and smelled of oiled wood and leather as much as of colored cloths and thread and dust.
Ion sat down in his chair by the desk he had made himself years ago and plucked out a pipe and the small pouch with smoking leafs from his belt. Will waited while his father stuffed and lighted it, knowing the man would speak soon enough.
"So, I suppose life in the army isn't too bad, then?" Ion murmured and let out a cloud of blue-grey smoke.
"It's good enough. Food and shelter is proper and the prince cares a great deal for the welfare of his men." Will could say all this knowing it was perfectly true; he had experienced it first hand as it was.
Ion nodded. "That is the prince out there, isn't it?"
The sudden, unforeseen and very direct question shocked and baffled Will to the extent that he couldn't even find anything to say. He blinked at his father and wondered confused when and how he had revealed the prince's identity.
Ion nodded again. "I suspected as much," he said quietly.
"But, when… how?" Will looked stunned at his father.
"I'm not a fool, son, even though your mother might tell you otherwise sometimes. I saw the king in my youth when I was a carpenter's apprentice in the capital, and he had a face like that. And the hair and eyes, Will. No common man has features like those."
Will looked at the floor by his feet. "I suppose not. Do any of the others know?" A frightening thought, the women would sooner or later let the secret slip and then the De'Noa house would be overrun by hopeful, single women. That made Will cringe inside.
"Gods of mercy, Will. No, they don't know and I'm not likely to tell them or my daughter's heart will be broken for sure."
Will sighed, a small relief.
"Why is he here, Will?"
He met his father's eyes. "We have a week's leave and he asked to come with me when I went to see you."
"Nice of him," Ion murmured. "But that's not the real reason." Blunt statement, that. "He's taken a liking for you, hasn't he?"
Will wetted his dry lips, how could he deny that when it was the plain truth? "Yes, father."
There was a long silence when Ion sucked on his pipe and Will endured the studying gaze, daring to meet it once only to look away again.
Ion sighed eventually. "I can't say I'm much surprised."
"What? How come?" Will was surprised, both of the fact that the prince was interested in him and the fact that his father took it with such ease.
"Sorcerer Sharican warned me the day he came to look at you on your third birthday that this might happen. And it is common knowledge that sorcerers take lovers of both genders."
"But I haven't…" Will began, not actually knowing how to say to his father that they weren't lovers – well, not in that sense anyway – and may never be. His father silenced him with a raised hand.
"No details, son. Please. I'm not saying I like it, I had hoped for you to find a nice, young girl to give you children and I suppose there's still time, you being a sorcerer and all."
Will stared at his father. "What are you trying to say, father?"
"That if he makes you happy, you should be with him. But I'm asking you to be careful. He is the prince and I'm sure the king and queen won't be as calm about this as I am."
Will's shoulders slumped a little; it was strange, what his father was saying, almost like he was giving them his blessing. Will had to swallow. "I don't know if he even considered telling them."
"You should ask him about it. After all, he has a duty towards the kingdom to produce an heir when the day comes. He will be the king and wear the crown, Will. You can't hope to be at his side for all his life."
"I know, father." Barely a whisper, barely making it past the lump that had formed in his throat. Perhaps finding a reason to be chaste with the prince might not be so hard after all.
Ion sighed again and got up to give his son a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your visit with such a serious and heavy burden, my son. I am truly glad to see you home."
Will smiled gently at his father. "I'm glad to be home."
None the less, he didn't feel like having to sit at the table and listen to the prince tell one indecent story after another, making the women giggle like he really was a soldier. So Will went quietly through the house, willing his family not to take notice of him, and slipped out the door into the night.
* * * * * * * *
The two young girls laughed again as the poor sailor made a swan dive into the sea after the fish that had swallowed his gift for the noble lady, and Kell realized just how much he had missed the fair and pleasant company of women. Will's pretty, younger sister Nila had eyes as bright and genuine as her brother's, and a cheerfulness that brought a smile to Kell's lips just by looking at her. She bubbled of life and joy, and she would definitely break many young men's hearts in the future.
Her cousin Ina was a bit different. She was almost shy and withdrawn in comparison when Kell spoke to her. But there was a passion burning in her grey eyes, Kell noticed, almost like the passion her mother Elyn showed that one moment when Kell met her gaze across the table. Will's mother Vina had it too, but it had been tempered by motherhood and marriage, and Kell guessed father Ion was the only one who actually ever saw the fire erupt nowadays.
Kell stuck to telling harmless stories about lovesick soldiers and sailors and peddlers, since he suspected Will wasn't a man bent on bragging about his feats in battle. Even though he if anyone had a good reason to brag, Kell wasn't about to do it for him. He had a notion the words "as good as dead" and the name Will De'Noa in the same sentence would erupt mother Vina's fires plenty.
Kell mused that the topic of his stories must be a subconscious choice, for he was very much in the same position as the poor men of his tales. Though he hesitated to use the term lovesick about himself. It was more like a yearning or craving, a need for intimacy gnawing at him that only the young sorcerer could quench.
Perhaps it was because his mind was already dwelling on Will that he became aware of the fact that the sorcerer was no longer among them. He looked up in time to se the back of Will's tunic disappear out the door. Kell wondered where he was going this late and why he hadn't said anything to him, or to his family for that matter. But no one else seemed concerned by the fact that Will had just marched past them all without as much as a glance.
Father Ion joined them minutes later, sucking on a pipe, and Kell gave the man of the house a respectful nod; he deserved no less. Kell wanted in no way to be at odds with this broad-shouldered and bulky man, not with that handshake.
When Kell had finished the most recent story and emptied his glass of quite fine ale, he looked around to see if Will had returned and was a little saddened to discover he hadn't.
"You might not know where your brother went off to?" he asked Nila, who sat next to him now when dinner had been cleared off the table in favor of sweet cakes and jam.
Nila looked around the table and shrugged. "I suppose he went to the hill if he's not here."
"The hill?" Kell had no idea where that might be. "I don't suppose you can show me?" he smiled at her.
"Of course I can. I need a bit of fresh air anyway." She smiled at him and untangled her long legs from the bench they shared. Another feature she had in common with her brother; a tall, lean build, although hers was definitely rounder in all the right places.
"I'll go with you too," Ina said quietly. She made her way to the door before them, her eyes intent on it and the street beyond.
"Be careful out there, it's dark now," the father of the house cautioned and Kell found himself nodding.
"Yes, sir." Gods, like he was my own father. Kell mentally shook his head at himself.
Ina and Nila took their cloaks off the hooks by the door and went out ahead of Kell. The two pairs of swaying hips in front of him was attractive, but Kell realized he had a need for a different pair of hips, a much more slender pair and the body that was attached to them. Though he doubted tonight would be the night with Will, which made him sigh deeply, because it was really a rather nice night with the stars and the crescent moon.
Gods! Stop! Or you will have to ask mother De'Noa for a cold bath when you return to the house. He smiled crookedly to himself, now that would make a sight.
The girls led the way up the hill to where there was a steep wall cut out of the rock in the hillside, a natural barrier between the simpler houses like the De'Noa's, and the area where the nobles resided. The wall seemed insurmountable, but Nila showed him just the right places to put his feet and then he was up on the grassy slope above.
"He usually sits by the old oak," Nila told him and almost absently caught hold of Ina's cloak when the girl made to climb up as well.
"I'll find him," Kell assured them and waved a hand. He was surprised then to see Ina glare venomously up at him, although she turned down her face and they left before he could really make sure.
Kell's eyebrows drew. The girl had acted a bit strange, he thought, asking questions about Will that went a bit beyond caring and bordered on obsession. She had wanted to hear about Will and no one or nothing else, and Kell had been hard pressed to avoid things about war and battle that young girls shouldn't hear. Or the details concerning the relationship that was growing between the young sorcerer and his liege, for that matter.
And that welcome kiss and the discrete caress Ina had given Will, as if she was welcoming a long lost lover. Kell froze. No, they were cousins, Will wouldn't do that. Besides, she was too young and seemed not at all the type of girl Will would like.
Kell continued up the hillside, mindful of where he put his feet in the dark and unfamiliar terrain. He could discern the wide reaching branches of the old oak, but there was no sign of the sorcerer. Kell stopped almost at the foot of the tree and frustrated pulled a hand through his loose hair. He had freed it on the way here just incase Will could be persuaded to at least a bit of cuddling, but it seemed he wasn't even here. Perhaps there was another old oak?
"I can see you coming from miles away with that hair of yours, my prince."
The voice startled Kell to no ends and he spun around, reaching for the sword he had left at the house. He pulled a calming breath when he saw Will sitting with his back to the trunk, suddenly visible even in the deep shadows.
"Well, is that such a bad thing?" He eyed the sorcerer, wanting to tell him just what he thought about being scared out of his breeches, but Will seemed pensive and quiet even without Kell's reprimanding. He went over to sit next to Will and his heart fell just a bit when the sorcerer pulled back his hand from a gentle touch.
"What's wrong, Will?" he needed to know, for he couldn't stand the pain of being rejected for no obvious reason.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, my prince." An abrupt, curt answer.
Kell frowned. "Fine."
It was strange what he was willing to endure for this man. He had never before felt such need to be close to someone other than for a single night, or been made to work to have it. But perhaps that was the reason why Kell felt he could trust Will, to share closeness and emotions with him. Because of that, he knew Will wasn't just after one thing and that in a way was calming and reassuring and soothed his fears. So unlike the men and women at court who always threw themselves at the first chance of an advantage over each other. And private time with the prince was most certainly that, a chance to spill silvered words in his ears. Will never did that, his words were as solid and dependable as the earth under his feet.
They sat for a while in silence as the night's sounds began to wash over them from around the city; crickets in the tall grass, a night hunting bird singing fair tones for a mate in a distant tree, the sound of laughs when a door opened to one of the nearby taverns.
Kell felt the need to say something, he needed to find out what was gnawing at Will and he wouldn't know if Will didn't start speaking. "You have a wonderful family," he said and hoped the subject would get the sorcerer to at least respond.
"Yes, I have." Will pulled up a knee and wrapped his arms around it, a distancing posture that closed Kell out, but he wouldn't let himself be deterred.
"Nila's so much like you, although I'd say she is a bit more talkative." He cast a meaningful look at the sorcerer. "Your mother and aunt are very sweet also. However, I think they'd prefer me to be as far away from their daughters as possible." He chuckled softly, that bit of information had been made clear enough over the evening. Kell knew he often caught a fair bit of attention, but he would never take advantage of a girl just because she looked longingly at him. The mothers could rest easy.
"I haven't really spoken to your grandfather. He doesn't leave his chair very often, does he?"
"He has a bad leg. Has for as long as I can remember," Will answered quietly but without meeting Kell's eyes.
"Your father is a different matter, though. I do not think he approves of me."
Will looked up then. "What makes you say that?" he asked warily.
"Oh, I don't know. But what father can rest easy with a handsome, young man like me in the same house as his daughter?" Kell straightened his back and gave Will a smug smile, intending to ease the mood and hoping his effort would be met with the friendly banter Will was capable of.
Will's eyebrows drew and he looked away instead, his shoulders tensing up even more.
"Gods of mercy! Will, if you don't tell me what's wrong I'll slap you silly and confine you to your tent as soon as we get back to camp. I am the prince and I have a right to at least get a decent answer from you!" Kell's patience was wearing thin with the stubborn wizard.
Angry, smoldering eyes turned on him then, dark as deep pits. "You want to know what's wrong, my prince?" Will growled and Kell caught himself actually edging back not to be so close to the angry sorcerer. "I'll tell you." He leaned closer to Kell's face. "My father doesn't approve of you because he knows who you are, my prince. He doesn't approve of you because he hoped I'd marry a proper woman and father a child. He doesn't approve of you because he believes you will break my heart one day when you're crowned and have a queen by your side that will give you an heir, my prince!"
Kell stared at Will, stunned into silence. Break his heart? Kell had been so concerned about his own he hadn't even begun to consider just how much Will had to lose in this. Kell felt ashamed, he couldn't bear to meet Will's eyes and turned away. He sensed Will rising to his feet and felt a chill pass over him.
"I'm sorry, Will. I… Gods! I never meant for this to be so complicated," he said exasperated.
"You just hoped for some easy bedding and when you got bored you'd move on," Will growled, his hands clenching into fists at his sides when he spoke. His face was lined with pain and hurt.
"Damn it! No!" Kell got to his feet to meet those dark eyes. "How can you say that after all that's happened? This is nothing like that, Will. This is everything but easy. I'd never do that to you, because breaking your heart would mean I'd have to break my own!"
Will gave him a suspicious look from under his dark bangs. He was still hesitating, something still holding him back.
Kell dared to step closer. "Don't you see? Would I have come here to sit at a commoner's table and entertain two common girls and their mothers, just so I could break your heart when it suited me? What prince – or any nobleman for that matter – would leave his escort and precious steed and comforts behind to follow you home?" He didn't expect an answer. "No one!" he snapped at Will when he didn't receive one.
Kell stared at Will when he still failed to get a response. "Gods of earth and air, Will! I'd even defy my own father to be with you!" he cried out desperately and nearly reached out for the sorcerer.
Kell had no idea what he had said, other than almost uttering high treason against the king and crown, but in the next moment Will smiled. It was a faint smile but it was there and it made his heart flutter with dawning hope in his chest.
"All I need to know is that you won't break my heart, my price," Will said softly, carefully.
"I won't. Not ever." Kell was prepared to promise anything as long as Will remained by him. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you by my side, Will. Because that is where you belong."
Will met his eyes, not smiling, not frowning, just looking and Kell wondered desperately if he had said one word too many.
But Will sat back down against the tree with a small sigh and Kell joined him slowly, looking out for any signs that could tell him of Will's mood. He dared to reach out and this time he was allowed to touch Will's hand and the sorcerer touched him back. That was a relief and Kell looked down at the fingers that twined with his.
"What's it like to be you, Will?" he asked, seeking to break the anxiousness he felt still.
Will gave him an arched eyebrow and a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
Kell brought their hands up, his thumb brushing across the back of Will's hand. "You have immense power at your fingertips. You can pull the very earth up by its roots and shape it to your liking. You can heal injuries, like you did mine, and take away nature's errors with a caress of your hand, like you did for that boy."
"That wasn't just me, my prince," Will shrugged. "Piotry did all the real work. He's much more skilled at healing than I am."
"But you have a gentler touch," Kell said, his voice dropping low. "I've been healed by Piotry; he's much more direct and forthright in his ministrations. You are more tentative, almost as if you're asking the body for permission to heal it."
Will ducked his head so that his eyes were hidden behind the fall of his bangs, clearly uncomfortable with these compliments. "Well, it is the body that does the real healing; I just help it on the way."
"Still, I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to be able to do the things you do."
Will met his eyes. "Perhaps I can show you," he said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Kell was a bit curious, expectation trickling into him now that he had gotten the sorcerer to speak to him again.
"I can lend you a piece of my magic. You won't be able to use it, but you'll feel what it's like to have it 'at your fingertips', as you put it." He smiled briefly.
"Will it hurt?" Kell asked, cautious now.
"No. Tingle a little perhaps." Will shifted slightly to kneel next to Kell in the grass. "Do you want to?"
There was only the briefest hesitation. "Yes," he whispered.
Will gently took both of Kell's hands, pressing his palms against each other with Will's warm hands enveloping Kell's. "Just remember to breathe," he murmured.
Kell swallowed and automatically pulled a deep breath. Then he felt a warmth beginning to spread from Will's hands into his own, from the center of his palms to the tips of his fingers. And it did tingle a little, a sensation that made Kell want to giggle.
Will removed his hands. "Open your hands," he said quietly.
Kell did, slowly splaying his fingers wide, and there was a sparkling silver-blue orb of light dancing between his palms. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling. He could sense the power in this tiny sphere even though he couldn't tap into it or command it. Still, it gave him a sense of what it must be like to have the skill to use it.
"What is it?" he asked breathlessly, lifting his eyes from the magic between his hands to Will's dark eyes glinting with the reflection of the light.
"It is airkin and firekin spells." His voice was low and soft, deep with the magic he had just wielded.
"Fire?" Kell felt a pang of apprehension.
Will smiled. "There is only enough firekin to create the light and airkin to keep the fire alive. Both those spells are controlled with a spiritkin spell. It won't harm you, my prince."
Kell stared at it when the orb tickled his palm, magic spreading across his skin and filling him with a sense of fierce energy. "I had no idea how raw the magic is," he whispered as the light slowly faded. "The focus and restraint you must use to control it." He looked up at Will. "I never imagined you had to be so strong when you make it look so easy."
Will shrugged. "Well, now you have an idea at least." His eyes were fixed on Kell's face and Kell felt his heartbeat quicken.
"I have powers too, you know," he murmured, eyelashes lowering as he slowly leaned closer.
"You do?" Will asked confused and an adorable wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows.
"Yes. Do you want to feel it?" Closer still and Kell saw the change in Will's eyes as he realized what the prince was up to.
"Yes," the sorcerer whispered with a smile.
Kell gave him a brushing kiss, careful at first not to scare Will away again. But he needn't worry; Will answered his kiss willingly and Kell couldn't help but cover Will's lips with his own. He snaked a hand still tingling slightly of the lent powers around Will's neck, who gasped at the sensation of his own magic against his skin. Will tasted of spices and ale from the supper, and he smelled faintly of his father's pipe smoke and the scent of fresh wood that permeated the house. And amidst all that there was the scent and taste of that which was only Will.
Kell let his tongue slip past Will's lips, twining with the slick muscle of his tongue there before he retreated to make it chase after him. He wasn't disappointed and couldn't help a groan of encouragement. His other hand moved up one of Will's thighs and the muscles tensed under his touch.
"I won't hurt you, Will. Please, let me touch you," he breathed against Will's lips. Gods, his throat was so tight he almost couldn't speak.
"I can't, Kell. Not here, someone might come." Will had a hand tangled in Kell's hair, caressing his neck with gentle fingertips. The sensation was nearly too much, Kell couldn't help but moan.
"Gods! But then we must stop now or I won't be able to restrain myself." The ache between his legs said he already had problems with that. Kell cursed under his breath and sat back. It was odd though, how quickly and easily he could fall for Will, trust him. He had thought past experiences would have taught him not to trust so easily. But this was Will.
Will watched him from behind lowered lashes, the rapid beat of the pulse in his neck suggested that Will too had certain control issues. "We should get back. I don't want to worry my mother already on the first night home." He got to his feet and reached out a hand for Kell.
"Your mother should be the least of your worries when you have the prince aching and wanting you under your hands," Kell muttered.
Will only laughed softly and helped him to his feet.
* * * * * * * *
Will's family was getting ready for bed when the two of them stepped through the door, and Kell suddenly and shockingly remembered that Will had told him his father knew who he was. He looked over at the man stirring the embers in the hearth, but Ion De'Noa behaved no differently than before and gave no hints of what he was thinking when he turned to meet Kell's eyes briefly.
Will must have noticed Kell's unease; he stepped into his sight and smiled reassuringly while he explained the sleeping arrangements. The house had a small loft above the kitchen where Nila and Ina shared one side now when Will was back, which left the other side for Will and his guest. The loft was small enough to make it just a little bit cramped when having to accommodate four beds, but that didn't bother Kell, though. What was worse was the ladder leading up to the loft and the fact that he had to climb it.
"Good thing you are a healer," Kell muttered and gave Will an insecure glance. "I don't like ladders." Ever since he as a child had fallen off one when he was climbing the large apple trees in the castle orchard, Kell had had an aversion to high heights.
"I'm right behind you," Will assured him, but he failed to hide the grin on his face.
Kell scowled and charged the ladder like it was an enemy to be defeated and before he knew it he was up at the loft. He crawled someway inside and looked around. It was a really cozy little den, nestled close under the slanting ceiling where the warmth from the hearth lingered and the smell of timbre tickled his nose.
Kell couldn't stand straight without bumping his head against the heavy beams supporting the ceiling, and remained kneeling at the foot of two hay and wool mattresses with woolen blankets laid out for them up against the far wall. Kell's and Will's packs were there too and Kell noticed his sword had been placed on his bed.
A sturdy panel of plaited birch wood separated their side from the girls', but Kell could hear them whispering and giggling to each other. Well, Nila giggled more than Ina did, but both of them were deeply involved in a hushed conversation. Kell wondered idly what they were speaking of but then his attention was redirected when Will climbed up the ladder behind him.
"You should be asleep," Will mock chided the girls as he gestured for Kell to move further in.
"Yes, Wiiiill!" two clear voices answered and then they burst into a new fit of giggles.
Will shook his head but smiled broadly. This was obviously some kind of ritual between them that was as common as it was familiar, and Kell envied Will for his close relationship with his family. Not that Kell had ever been without love or care from his parents or his siblings, it was just a different kind than what the De'Noas had.
Kell pushed the unfair thoughts out of his mind with a sigh and pulled off his boots. He rummaged around in his pack aimlessly, pulling out a new shirt for tomorrow, putting one of his daggers into his knapsack since he probably wouldn't have need for both of them while in the city, not with Will by his side. That thought put a small smile on his lips.
He saw a motion in the corner of his eye and realized Will was getting undressed and ready for bed. The sorcerer had pulled off his tunic and shirt, and was now pulling off his boots and untying the lacings of his breeches. Kell stared, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Will had the most gorgeous expanse of neck and back, covered with lean, wiry muscles. Kell reached out and touched him.
Will twitched and turned to glare at him, though it wasn't a very hostile glare. "Don't scare me like that."
"You are taking off your clothes," Kell whispered, glancing meaningfully at the partition and the girls behind it.
"Not everything," Will answered just as quietly. "And we're sleeping close to the ceiling; before morning it'll be quite hot up here, and clothes and a blanket is not to recommend." He wriggled out of his breeches and dressed only in his smallclothes he slid swiftly in under his blanket.
Kell cast a glance towards the edge of the loft but no one could really see up here unless they stood on the kitchen table or climbed the ladder. So Kell began to undress as well and noticed to his delight – and just a bit of frustration – that Will was watching him out of the corner of his eye. He decided to make the most of it. If he couldn't touch Will to his heart's content, then he'd at least show the sorcerer how he liked it.
He pulled off the tunic first, letting his hair fall slowly back down over his shoulders. The lacings of his shirt came undone almost teasingly to show hints of skin before he pulled it back, letting his fingers brush over chest and nipples that tingled at the touch.
Will's lips parted to let out a quiet breath, his eyes following the movements of Kell's hands more avidly now as they discarded the shirt and slid over a flat belly to skim the top of the breeches. One finger dipped suggestively in between flesh and cloth, disappearing down to the last knuckle to move visibly over the lower part of Kell's belly. Gods, that made him gasp himself, but he couldn't stop now.
The finger emerged again, taking a detour past the shallow indent of Kell's bellybutton and then down to the lacings of his breeches to untie them. He rose to his knees to slide the breeches down over his hips, past the apparent bulge in his smallclothes and down his thighs. Then he sat back down to kick them the rest of the way off to join his shirt.
Only then did he look at Will, locking brown eyes with his blue. Will was staring at him, his lips slightly parted and the pupils of his eyes dilated. The blanket barely concealed the desire he too felt and Kell lowered his eyes to look at it approvingly.
So the sorcerer liked to watch. He'd make use of that.
Kell looked back up at Will's face and let one of his hands slide lazily, almost teasingly, down his belly to his hip, down the length of his thigh to move onto Will's blanket. He found a foot through the wool and trailed his hand up along the leg to the knee and thigh, as he crawled on hands and knees up the bed. He leaned over Will for a moment, almost as if he was going to kiss him, seeing the welcome in the sorcerer's eyes.
But instead he just smiled and slipped in under his own blanket. He folded his hands behind his head and promptly shut his eyes with a short sigh. Kell could almost hear as Will blinked, confused. He stifled a chuckle. Then his mattress sagged a little and he sensed Will lean over him.
"That was not very nice of you," he hissed.
"Neither is your constant 'no'," Kell replied just as quietly. Then something tickled the tip of his nose and he had to look up.
Will was leaning in so close his nose was touching Kell's, his deep brown eyes only inches away. Kell blinked, almost startled back into his pillow by the very near and very overwhelmingly warm presence.
"Well, someone has to be the honorable one of us, especially considering where we are. But if you behave I might just say yes next time," Will husked, his eyelids lowering suggestively.
"Yes?" Gods, yes! Kell would behave!
"No," Will whispered and grinned, the inviting look changing into a teasing one easily.
Kell's eyes narrowed and there was a pout to his lips. "You don't even know up from down," he complained.
"Sure I do." Then suddenly a hand was under the blanket and on Kell's thigh just below his most private parts. It moved slowly to Will's words. "This is up," he whispered and moved his hand to the inside of Kell's thigh, brushing up close to his penis through his smallclothes. Breath hitched in Kell's throat and blood rushed down to his groin. "And this is down." Will eased his hand back down the other leg and Kell couldn't help but shiver when the tip of a finger tickled the small, soft hairs on the inside of his thigh.
Kell stared at Will, keeping his eyes open only with an effort. "How come you always have to get the last word?" he ground out.
Will shrugged and to Kell's disappointment he removed his hand to lie back down on his mattress, watching as the prince struggled to get his body and breathing back under control.
Gods, but Will was full of surprises. He hadn't seen that one coming and had had no time to brace himself for the close, intimate and very arousing touch. His whole body was flushed with heat and his erection throbbed from lack of attention.
And Will was watching him now, a tiny, rather smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eyelashes half lowered and dark bangs spilling across his forehead. That look made it difficult for Kell to relax and almost impossible to go to sleep. All he wanted to do was drown himself in the sorcerer's attention, cover his body in kisses and licks and caresses until he too was panting for release, and make good use of Will's deft, soft hands to ease the ache between his legs. But he couldn't, not here with two young girls sleeping on the other side of a very thin barrier. Will would kick him out, no doubt.
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