Vellen couldn’t tell if he was desperately looking forward to spending three days with Tennet, or if he was dreading it. His fingers gripped his halberd a little too tightly as he waited for the prince next to the city’s gates. Sunrise was just starting to color the horizon. They would be lucky if they could avoid the rain. 

“I must say, I thought I would be the one waiting for you,” Vellen blinked at the sound of Tennet’s voice, but didn’t move. 

“I didn’t sleep much,” the knight admitted, standing a little more straight in his armor. “Got bored of trying, so I made my way here.” 

“So I wasn’t the only one the stars forgot to send to sleep.” 

“Clearly - were you not meant to bring horses? A carriage?” 

The prince stood next to his knight and shrugged. “Let’s just say I forgot.” 

Vellen snorted. “You didn’t forget, you don’t forget things. You never planned to travel by horse at all.” 

“Now you understand why I requested three days rather than one.”

“To further torture ourselves?” 

The prince had the nerve to shrug again. “We’ll see.” He started walking ahead on the path, taking his thin crown out of his too-effortlessly perfect brown hair. The sunlight dappled onto his warm skin through the leaves, shining off his few silver accents. By all accounts, he was quite a standard representation of Liwean citizens, only far more poised, and as calm as the hour before a storm. 

Aside from in sleep, Vellen wasn’t sure he had ever seen Tennet remove his crown. He exhaled deeply and followed his easy lead, adjusting the bag at his back. It didn’t take long for him to catch up with the prince - jogging to catch up with his quick pace - and for them to be out of view from the city. 

The further they strayed from the city, the closer together they walked, until the backs of their hands brushed together. Eventually, certain that nobody could see them, Vellen took Tennet’s hand in his. The prince wasted no time, lacing their fingers together, suppressing a grin. The knight glanced up at his friend, then back to the path in front of them, heart racing too quickly to figure out which words to start with. A comment about the weather? Asking about the engagement? A joke he’d probably heard a million times? 

“I missed this.” 

Vellen didn’t expect for Tennet to be the one to cut the silence. He couldn’t help but let a smile slip. “Me too. This is nice.” 

“Are you alright, Vel?” 

The knight let out a short sigh. “On what account?” 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you if you were for… some time now. When the rumors of the betrothal began, I kept wanting just a minute with you, but rumors meant that everyone was around me, asking my thoughts, constantly.”

“I must say, I thought you were ignoring me.” 

“A part of me wishes I could have. So, Vel, are you alright?” 

Vellen took a moment to think. “I’ve been better. Honestly, I shut out most of the others’ mutterings about who it may be, about how you would do your duty, no matter what, how hopefully it would bring you a true smile. So, I simply did my job, as I am now, as are you.” 

“That’s why I didn’t get the horses.” 

Vellen blinked. “I don’t follow.” 

“I wanted to take the three days before the engagement to travel, rather than to get there in a day and keep up my role immediately. I want three days, where we don’t have to do our jobs. I want three days, where I can just… take off my crown, hold your hand, be imperfect. Three days of being who I am, rather than what.”

“Are you saying I should do the same and let down my guard?” 

“Maybe a little, at least.” 

“So it won’t be my fault if you’re brutally mauled by bears?” 

The prince laughed and stepped sideways, playfully shoving his knight, making him chuckle. They fell back into their easy rhythm, still hand in hand. 

“I might let go a little, I suppose,” Vellen said. “Though, just a little. If I can keep up the protective side of my role, but let go of the uptightness-” 

“Gods, yes please.” 

“I am not that uptight!” 

“I know, but you act like it the moment we are in the same room. And for good reason, but we never stopped being friends, and it pains me to see you wear such an immoveable mask, all to hide everything we are to each other.” 

“And what are we to each other? More than friends, but not quite lovers? For there is no word for people who cannot afford to be together, but who seek solace in each other’s smile.” 

“Most would call such people ‘fools’.”

“And how unfair that is.” 

The prince smiled, facing the rising sun. “It is good we have three days for us to be the most foolish of lovers, then, don’t you agree?” 

Vellen let the words sink in, and looked away as he felt his cheeks redden. 

“I- yes. Thank goodness. Finally.”