Kaisan led Rhae to the second row in front of the stage. The crown prince led the commencement ceremony, a handsome man with long silver hair neatly tied to the side and eyes like tanzanite. There were a few times when the crown prince would curiously glance over at the pair, and at the end of his speech, he flashed a smirk their way with a small cocky wave before dismounting the stage. Rhae frowned at the action and leaned to whisper into Kaisan's ear.

"Is there a reason that the crown prince would wave at us?"

"He's a proud asshole who likes to scheme and play games," Kaisan replied, spite heavily laced in his tone as he clicked his tongue. The bells announced the start of the hunting festival, and Kai took hold of Rhea's arm and led him to the horses.

"I thought you said your father expected you to place well. I wasn't expecting you to want to hunt with me," Rhae commented, happy at the unexpected change of events.

"Why do I need to place high just because the geezer says so? I don't need to be marketed as cattle for sale - didn't you already say you're taking me away?" Kai looked back at Rhae, a full-blown, toothy smile overtaking his face. Rhae felt his entire body flush with a warmth he had never experienced.

"Of course, I have already planned how I will steal you away to my fife after the festival," Rhae chuckled, sliding his hand down Kai's arm to clasp their hands together. 

"I expect no less," Kai laughed as they approached the horses' stables. Servants came forward to help with mounting and handed them their weapons for the hunt. Together, they directed their horses toward the small beast-filled starting forest. 

The surrounding crowd dispersed as some hunters headed towards their set goals, while others wandered over to the tea and mini-games as spectators. The hunting grounds were vast and divided into sections depending on skill level. With the increase of skill for each area came larger beasts for hunting. Kaisan led his and Rhae's steads to a starting location that consisted of smaller creatures such as rabbits, foxes, pheasants and slimes.

While the horses strolled on the main path, Kaisan adjusted his bow into position and checked to make sure his hunting knife was ready. Rhae checked his bow, Imperial Schrade knife, and standard sword in case of unexpected events. A knight Kai had brought along carried a spear for herding, a horn, and the tags for the captures.

As they ventured further into the designated hunting grounds, the cheers and festive sounds faded behind them, and the atmosphere darkened as the forest canopy thickened. The area was alive with birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the occasional twig snapping under some creature that had yet to be spotted. The small group remained on high alert for any prey that came within the vicinity. 

As they entered a clearing, a group of bunnies playing thumped past the horses. Kaisan pulled his stead to a stop, raising his hand to signal spotted prey. The guard trotted off to the side to steer the rabbits towards the pair while Kai readied his bow, and Rhae dismounted before pulling his bow ready. 

The forest seemed to grow to a hushed, almost muted volume as everyone held their breaths. Kaisan quickly scanned the area to pick his first target, his eyes sharp as he surveyed the surroundings for any obstacles. 

"To my left, before noon," he whispered down to Rhae, where he spotted a crowded group. He nodded to the guard, who closed in on the fluffle. 

"They'll dash for the thickets. Let's spread out," Rhae replied, moving slowly around Kaisan's horse to avoid spooking it while he made his way to their right. Kai nodded in response, moving his horse in a full pass to his left. 

The tension in the air was so thick that a knife could cut it. It may have been just a few rabbits, but armed men were competing with other unknown armed hunters in the forest, just out of sight. It was a feeling Rhae had not experienced for a long time, that overwhelming feeling before he went to war or when it came down to monster subjugations. Adjusting the grip on his bow, his fingers notched the arrow as he prepared to fire. 

Kaisan moved like one with his horse, his steps light as he ventured along the outskirts of the clearing. Pulling his bowstring to his chin, he nodded to the guard to throw his spear at the rabbits. With one swift movement, the guard threw the spear, causing the rabbits to scatter towards the center of the clearing. 

The pair released their arrows with a soft twang, watching as they flew through the air, itching, striking a rabbit cleanly. Both rabbits fell with barely any sound. The guard swooped in, tagging each with a ribbon representing each of them, and scooped them into a sack. With a quick group consensus, they all remounted and continued to the next prey. 

As they continued along the forest path, something caught Kaisan's eye, and he slipped off his horse. Rhae followed suit behind him, crouching low to the ground as he noticed Kai's focus on something in the distance. Following his gaze, Rhae spotted the fur of a fox in the underbrush. Keeping silent, Kai moved forward with the grace of a predator, going unnoticed by the fox.

Kaisan notched his arrow, taking careful aim. He released it with practiced precision and speed. The arrow struck the fox, causing the creature to release a short yelp before collapsing. He quickly approached the animal to tag it with his ribbon before the guard stepped forward to add it to the sack.

Rhae admired how swift Kai was. His aim was always accurate and clean. The way he moved confidently and quickly showed the talent and effort that had gone into his practice. Though Kaisan had previously told him about his daily training with no practical skills involving actual events, hunting seemed to be second nature to him to the point it looked effortless. 

Do nobles usually have that much time to put into a hobby like hunting? A tinge of concern welled inside of Rhae, once again bringing up the question of his lover's identity. With a slight frown and a shake of his head, he walked up behind Kaisan, who was cleaning the arrow he retrieved. 

"We're making good progress, at a decent speed," he commented, patting Kaisan's shoulder with a soft smile. Kai nodded as he placed the arrow back into his quiver and flashed a quick grin over his shoulder.

"Hope you can keep up with me," Kai threw back at him, enjoying the twitch of Rhae's eyebrows at the challenge. "It's two-to-one right now. Better pick up the speed."

The knight guard following behind them coughed as he attempted to hide his laugh. Rhae shot his eyes towards the guard and clicked his tongue in response.

"I apologize for being so enchanted by my lover that I was too distracted from the hunt," Rhae replied loudly, silencing the guard and causing Kaisan's entire face to turn red. Kai stomped over in a huff, keeping his back to Rhae, who chuckled at the sight. 

As they managed to continue their hunt, the remainder of their time in the small beasts' forest was divided between pheasants and slimes—the rabbits and foxes were either already hunted by others or had managed to hide from their group well enough. 

As they started making their way back, Rhae's mind wandered back to the crown prince who had watched them during the speech. Something about it felt unsettling to Rhae, and the passing remark from Kaisan that made it seem like it wasn't a big deal only brought up concerns. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside. Being distracted during a hunt wasn't the most brilliant move, and he needed to redirect his focus. 

A sudden rustle nearby brought Rhae back into focus. The group froze, and the guarding knight signalled no one to move. Everyone quietly held the reins of their horses, looking in the direction of the sound.  

A wild bore trodded slowly through a bush, the ray of sunlight gleaming off its tusks. It was a massive creature covered in bristly fur and many noticeable scars. It snorted, its tiny eyes scanning the area warily. The group looked at each other in confirmation. Other hunters must have chased the boar to this area because it was too high a level of prey to hunt for the skill of this area. 

As the group watched the boar, they exchanged one more glance and smiled. They all decided they were up for a challenge and to find who among them would be the victor who finished it off. As the boar looked their way, they took off in sync towards it.

***

"That was a good hunt," Kaisan said as he stretched, his body sore and tired from the chase with the boar. He looked towards Rhae and the guard as they hoisted the boar onto the back of the guard's horse. 

"Well done," the guard smiled at the group.

"I did do well, didn't I, Lord Kaisan?" Rhae smugly commented, destroying any sense of camaraderie they had built up during the hunt. Kai's mouth gaped open in shock.

"Shameless," he mumbled after a moment.

"I'm starting to think that's your favourite word," Rhae retorted, the sun illuminating his face through the canopy. Kaisan groaned and mounted his horse. 

"We need to head back. Before everyone can move to the Ridotto tonight, they must assess the prey for the awarding ceremony."

"We're gambling night? Is there strip poker?" Rhae teased, mounting his horse as well. Kaisan fired a look filled with daggers, refusing to reply to such a vulgar comment in the company of others. 

"Legal gambling hosted by the imperial family. There will be nothing done to tarnish their name," Kaisan finally replied, biting his tongue. 

The festival sounds greeted them in full swing as they emerged from the forest. The remaining hunters worked their way to the stage to count the hunted prey. The air was infused with the aroma of freshly cooked meat and the sound of music where the tea tables were originally set up earlier in the day. 

The group made their way to the tallying judges to count their catches for the record, and by their choice of hunting grounds, neither of them made it within the top ten. With a laugh, Kaisan and Rhae thanked the guard and made their way to the tables arranged for an open-air night of gambling.

FOOTNOTES:

1. Ridotto: A public house of entertainment consisting of music, dancing, and gambling - often in masquerade. The first referred to ‘casino’ was in post-medieval Europe built in the 1630’s in italy. Gambling would insist of mainly dice games, with some card games introduced later on as an import from Asia.