Chapter Text
The tournament lasts days at least, and in truth, Dele is certain that if he has to spend the next two days hearing the jeers of the crowd and the sick crack of fighting and the sharp song of swords scraping, he will bleed from his ears.
He’s considering going to see the Court Physician as he storms through the castle to the prince's quarters. The physician, Aethelu, has a soft spot for him after all when Dele had come to him about his nightmares as a young kid, not even ten yet, he had fixed him up with the right mix to drink each night to ensure a restful sleep. Dele’s sleep had improved over the past months and the small vile that usually held his sleeping mix had emptied a couple of months ago, not missed by Dele till now.
It was certain that the celebrations would continue throughout the night, drinking and eating in the dining hall, until they rested briefly before the festivities were to start again in the later morning of the second day. Dele knew that it would be impossible to sleep, sick to his stomach at the idea of laughter and songs belting out through the walls when men were injured today, died today. Peoples brothers, friends, husbands, men with lives and a future who fell today in the quest for entertainment.
Dele’s hands curled to fists by his sides and he steadied himself with a heaving breath. He exhaled the anger tight in his chest as he rounded the corner to the hall of the prince’s quarters, two of the knights stood proudly guarding the door.
As Dele approached the doors, he dipped his head slightly to greet them and the two men turned to pull open the doors, allowing Dele to enter before the doors closed solidly behind him, the sound of the lock clicking over loudly.
“Ah Bamidele, there you are, we sent for you a good while ago now” The King’s voice wasn’t harsh but honest and Dele acknowledged he was late to the King’s request for him with a bow of his head.
“My apologies Sir, my apologies Prince Eric I was attending to the kitchen as they requested my help while the prince was absent from the castle. It won’t happen again” he spoke, eyes to the floor as he walked over to the corner of the room to lift the two buckets waiting there for him, already filled with warm water, no doubt by his own mother just moments earlier.
Dele made a silent note to thank her profusely, saving him a large amount of time that no doubt would have frustrated the King further.
“No worry now Bamidele, you are here, and Eric needs tending to” the King spoke with a wave of his hand, Dele looked up momentarily at the King, watching as he pulled his leather gloves from his hands, a sign that he would remain in the room a while longer.
Dele bit into his bottom lip as he collected fresh cloths laid at the end of the bed, again another thing to thank his mother for. The room was still full of people, the King, two of his servants and one of the younger maids who was busy fussing with Eric’s bed, placing some heated stones under the covers at the end of the bed to prevent the chill of the dead of winter from disturbing the prince’s sleep.
Dele grit his teeth thought of the small cot tucked away in the tiny room he called his own in the servant quarters, his toes already numb and a chill deep in his skin that would last the night. Thank god the prince’s feet would be warm though he thought bitterly as he drew up a small stool beside the chair the prince was sat in.
“You’ll no longer be competing over the next two days Eric” The king spoke, voice firm and authoritative, Dele’s head ducked and pretended to not be in the room as he took a thick white cloth and sunk it into the water, the heat of it prickling his cold fingers sharply.
“Father- the wound is small I do not think it would fair of me to pull out at this stage, the people-”
“Eric” The king’s words cut off Eric’s sharply, ad Dele wrung the cloth over the bucket with a twist. He watched the droplets fall back into the bucket, breaking over the surface of the water before he finally drew his eyes up to the prince.
The wound, or wounds rather, were three long slices, messy and jagged along his right shoulder, narrow at the tip of his shoulder by his collarbone, deep were two of them dragged along the bulk of muscle and across his chest. The third wasn’t as deep as the others but drew long down the line of his bicep. They were caked in blood, dry layers under fresh blood spilling out over the skin, trailing down to his wrists and fingers, stained in the linen of his underclothes, smeared along his own skin, a proper mess.
Dele’s ears went hot as his hand gripped tight to the warm damp cloth, the king and Eric’s conversation sounding as though it had plunged into the bucket by his feet, words obscure and meaningless as heat filled his chest. Dele swallowed thickly and pressed his left hand feather-light by one of the wounds to steady his hold as he pressed the cloth to the top of the deepest wound, gently dragged the cloth down the broken skin.
The water drenched the wounds, flushed down over the skin and stained red where it picked up the dry blood. Dele reached the end of the wound and folded the cloth neatly to a new clean side, began at the top of the wound once more and dragged the cloth slowly in the same motion. Dele dropped the cloth to the empty bucket before he picked up another clean one, dunking it into the hot water and wringing it as he had the first cloth.
Dele focus on the hot water on his hands and the cotton filling his mind ebbed away for a moment, able to hear the anger in Eric’s voice as he contested his father. Saying there was an expectation for him to fight that he’d look like a coward to be out from a scratch.
Scratch, Dele thought distantly, as he picked up his sixth wet cloth to wipe down over the wound, watched the edges of the wound push open with the water, the jagged line of broken still oozing blood. The dried blood was clear from his skin at the least, and the shape of the cuts were clearer than ever.
Thankfully they hadn’t gone deep enough for him require sutures, Dele should have known from when he entered the room and the physician wasn’t there. Had the prince required more urgent medical care it would not be Dele tending to him now. He was unsure if that was a blessing or curse in disguise.
Eric’s skin was hot, radiating warmth over Dele as he was pressed near to him, the smell of blood and tinge of sweat thick in the air. Dele’s eyes remained on the wound, steadfast and unmoving, gut-twisting at the flash of Eric’s torso just out of the line of vision.
As Dele dropped the last wet cloth to into the bucket, the conversation in the room picked up in his ears once more, and he listened as the King informed Eric in a tight, firm tone, that there would be no conversation, no deliberation, that it was his decision that Eric would attend the rest of the tournament as an honoured guest injured in the heat of battle. He was to watch and that was the extent of it.
Dele’s hands shook as he picked up a dry cloth this time, began to press over the wound in light touches to minimise the current bleeding and dry the surrounding skin so that it could be dressed. Dele had tended to many wounds in the past including his own, had watched heads and limbs rolls and held back even so little as a shiver in reaction.
Nausea rolled thick in his stomach as he watched another white cloth become stained heavily with bright red blood, the tremble of muscle in pain and trauma.
“Bamidele” Dele’s head picked up at his name as he reached to the end of the bedside where the maid had placed the items sent from the physician, gathering a small jar of a thick dark yellow coloured cream.
“Yes sir” Dele answered softly, surprised the words were without tremble, bit hard into his cheek as he gathered the cream with the small wooden tool sticking out from the jar.
“Ensure that the prince’s wound is correctly tended to, Aethelu assessed him after the Melee and has informed me that as long as the wound is washed every two days and the cream is applied and it is covered he will heal well” the King spoke.
“He will come and tend to Eric when he is able, but otherwise he has assured me that you are capable to care for the wound more consistently”. Dele looked up from the jar to the king, watched as he slid his gloves back over his hands.
“However, this does not relieve you from your other duties, should the prince need you otherwise you must accommodate your daily tasks on top of this responsibility” he nodded and let out a long sigh.
“Yes sir” Dele nodded, words carefully as the king fixed his eyes to Eric and Dele’s dropped back to the jar of cream in his trembling hand.
Dele’s gut twisted sharply as he looked at the wound once more, thankful in the least that the bleeding had quelled.
The cream was easy to apply, the hiss of discomfort between Eric’s words easy to blink away, easy to ignore like the shake of his hands, the nausea thick in his gut, the way his heart was stuttering so heavy in his chest words felt foreign to form, hearing muffled by the thundering of his own pulse.
Dele blinked at the sudden rush of activity, the King ordering the maid and both his servants to leave before he crossed the room to his son and placed a hand on his unharmed shoulder. Dele spread the final thick layer of cream over the wounds as the king exchanged softer words with his son, ones not privy to the ears of the maid and servants. Dele attempted to block the words from his ears, give a semblance of privacy between father and son as he placed the empty jar back on the trunk at the end of the bed.
The cream would have to dry before it was able to be dressed and Dele finally drew his attention to the rest of Eric’s body, looking for any small wounds that would need care. A shallow cut along the back of his arm caught Dele’s eye and he quickly wet a cloth before he began to clean the gash with careful movements, forcing himself to focus on the task and not the sound of the King leaving the room, of the chambers finally becoming empty.
The door closed with a solid thud as Dele folded the cloth to a fresh side and began the gentle wiping process once more, the silence somehow worse than the stiflingly full room. The occasional splash of water and the crackle of fire coming from the fireplace the only sound in the room.
A fresh wave of heat thundered across Dele’s chest, the shake in his hands filling his chest, anger simmering behind his eyelids as he felt tears bite at the corners of his eyes, his bottom lip tucked under his teeth as he sucked in a sharp breath.
The shake is his hands was uncontrollable now and the water splashed against his knuckles noisily as his shaking hand dipped into the water with a new cloth. His vision blurred with the tears as he pressed the cloth over the wound and held it steady, watched as bright red filled the cloth slowly, webbed out and ate away at the white, listened to Eric’s unsteady breathing.
“Dele” Eric’s voice was a half-whisper, uncertain and it made Dele hate him, made him want to press his fingers into the wound he was cleaning. It made his stomach ache and he shook his head, threw the wet cloth into the bucket and reached for a dry one, began to pat dry the skin shakily.
He felt the muscle of his jaw jump as he grit his teeth, the sound of Eric saying his name was ringing in his head like he could just- he could just, speak to Dele, like it was any other night like his hands weren’t covered in Eric’s blood. Like Dele hadn’t been on his knees asking Eric not to do this again.
“Dele” Eric said again, his voice louder now, as though Dele just may have not heard him, as though Dele couldn’t feel the rumble of his words as he spoke from where his fingers were pressed over broken skin.
Without thinking, Dele shook his head and pulled the dry cloth away from Eric’s skin, thankful to see the gash no longer filling with blood, ready to be covered with the cream and dressed. Dele turned to reach for the jar but knocked it over with a shaking hand and let out a soft curse, gathered it in his grip in his second attempt and turned to face Eric once more, the tears in his eyes finally having spilled down over his cheeks.
“Dele, please” Eric’s voice was low and firm, and Dele’s heart pulsed in his chest, fingers shook as he tightened his grip on the jaw. “Do- do not” Dele managed to words were weak, broken before they ever even left his throat, a whimper muffled on the back of his tongue.
Eric did not reply and Dele hastened to get this stupid cream on Eric’s skin and retire to his own quarters and his stupid freezing cold bed. The jar was pulled from his hands before he could reach for the handle of the wooden tool, Eric’s hands easily pulling it away and placing it on the floor.
Dele squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled heavily through his nose as he wondered if the king would find out of Dele left now. He humoured the thought for half a second before he pictured the king’s reaction to his son’s wounds going untreated. To lose his job would be to lose his home, lose his income his livelihood. He had no other skills to offer, he had only ever been a servant, the only life he’d known.
“Give it back to me” Dele spoke, hating the shake of every word, the sound of tears thick in the back of his throat. Was it not enough to have Dele clean the wounds he begged him to avoid, he had to taunt him.
In a split second, a tight grip around Dele’s waist and a firm tug landed him in the warmth of the prince’s lap. Dele jolted, scrambled to be sat over Eric's lap and look at the injured shoulder.
“Are you completely dense? Did they land a blow to your head in the battle too? I'm sure you marched out there with so much as a stitch of armour on, the people’s brave prince” Dele spat, in a cruel tone his stomach turning as he saw the deepest parts of the wound reopened from the fragile very first stages of healing has begun.
Fresh blood ran from the wound and Dele wound a fist to land a blow to Eric’s uninjured shoulder, “you truly are a selfish, arrogant piece of work aren’t you?’ Dele ranted, words half hysterical.
“Did not even need to fight did you? But no, of course, the noble prince Eric must take part in the slaughter party weekend, so the adoring people can see is ruthless and manly” Dele sucked in a sharp breath, still unable to look at Eric, his eyes on his chest.
“Noble prince Eric will keep fighting till a sword lands in his skin and cuts him deep, Noble prince Eric who will have his servant to clean the wounds and then tear them back open because he is selfish” Dele’s words were quiet, mindful of the guards outside the door, but thick and furious and shaking with intensity.
“Look at me, love- please”
“Don’t you dare” Dele grunted out, poked his finger form into Eric’s chest and finally looked up to catch his eye, breath stuttered as he noted the dark bruising high on erics cheek, the cut just below his lip.
“Don’t you dare say that to me I-” Dele had to pause to draw in a ragged breath. “I begged you Eric, I pleaded with you not to fight, you know I hate these revolting tournaments, the days of disgusting pointless violence. I begged you to just let your brothers fight for once and for you to just not- for me, It is the one time I’ve asked you to go against your duties and you still fought, you decided the people were more-”
Dele’s breath stuttered and he pressed a palm to his forehead. “Damn you, Eric, damn you for picking them every time it will always be like this- I told you it will always be more important than-” Dele shook his head.
“Do you know how awful it feels to wait- to have no idea, waiting by the castle for you to return, to not be deemed entry to the tournament where you are trying to die for some unknown reason-” Dele drew in a ragged breath.
“For me to stand there and to see people be dragged out, barely alive, to hear to the sick cheering as I pray to god that you aren’t dying out there, that I will see you again’ Dele broke over a small sob, but pressed his hand over his mouth as if he could catch the sound.
“To hear- to hear ‘prince Eric has fallen’ and have no idea- no idea how hurt you are? If you’re still alive, To have to try and sneak in closer through the massive crowds to see if you are alive only to be requested by the king moments later, and be late to tend to you” Dele shook his head.
Eric stayed quiet, and Dele sent a silent thank you to the universe, as he willed his trembling to stop. He knew Eric could feel it now, with how Dele was splayed over his lap, thighs pressed to either side of Eric’s, with his hand on Dele’s lower back, the shaking of his body was unavoidable.
Dele’s hand came to lay on Eric’s uninjured shoulder, fingers trembling over the strong jut of his collarbone. The skin was hot under his palm, clammy with cooled sweat, and the throb of his heart was solid steady under the strong muscle and flesh. Without thought, Dele pushed his palm harder into the other man’s chest, curled his fingers hard around his collarbone and blinks heavily as he drew in a shaking breath.
Nausea rolled thick through him as he tried to clean the wound over again, harder now that Eric’s blood had mixed with the cream. God, Eric could not let anything be easy, could he? Dele finally had him clean, had the wounds ready to heal, hopefully without infection, He despised him, he was infuriating and selfish and stubborn, too prideful and strong-headed. A brute like all the other knights in the revolting tournament.
The low candlelight flickering heavily made his body look fake, was it not for the cuts over him marring his gorgeous skin, he would look like he stepped out of one of canvas’s hanging on one of the many castle walls. His body looked like a panting almost always, careful strokes of thick skin toned pain layered and shaded to capture each edge and line of muscle. In that moment, however, his body reminded Dele more of the paintings of wars and shipwrecks, breaking apart and scenes of rivalry and angry, red and yellow of flames and dismembered limbs, bodies gone to sea.
Dele shivered, fingers precarious as he felt Eric shift underneath him, felt the warmth of his breath cast out over his ear, lingering by Dele, eyes heavy on the side of his face. Dele was only able to ignore the weight of his gazed for a moment before his chin turned toward Eric without permission, a nervous breath shimmering out from his nose. Dele’s eyes fluttered closed when he felt Eric’s fingers shift on his back just so, press the tips of his finger more firmly into the line of Dele’s spine. A touch that was barely there, a way to say “I’m not talking”, “I’m cooperating” as he leant in closer to Dele.
Dele finally surrendered and opened his eyes, drew them to the soft pink of Eric’s mouth and press his own lips together. The small cut under his mouth was just shy of his bottom lip, something that would heal within a handful of days, but Dele’s brows gathered none the less.
His fingers fluttered where they were resting on Eric’s chest, a hesitation to reach out and press his thumb over the scratch as if he could hold the skin together long enough to heal it in one touch. Dele drew his eyes up slowly, over the dirty blond of Eric’s stubble, no doubt Dele would be expected to shave him tomorrow before he attended the tournament as a distinguished guest and not a competing knight. His gaze drew up his nose, followed the line of it till it went crooked from when he broke it at a young age.
Dele remembered that summer afternoon clearly, stood outside with his mother to help her hang out sheets to dry in the warm sun, He and Harry having to work to pick up one sheet between the pair of them to hand to their mother, due to the weight of the wet fabric. A strong afternoon wind had rolled across the sky and blown out the already hung sheets, pushing them out lazily like a tissue being used, lifted to see Prince Eric, hunched over to cradle his face, blood cascading down his hands and wrists, collecting on the top of his polished black shoes.
Another boy, that he and Harry only knew as one of Eric’s brothers came running after him, spewing apologies with a collection of small stones still held tight in his fist. Dele had turned to his mum and reached out to wrap his hand in the white fabric of her apron, tugged and pointed to Eric with a trembling hand.
It was the first time Dele had ever seen the prince outside of the castle, not by his fathers or mothers side. It was the first time he realised the prince was only a few years older than him, out in the sun to play with his brother as Dele would.
His mother had pushed through the sheets and tugged her apron away from her waist, gathered the material to press it over the prince’s nose as she crouched in front of him. She had called to Dele and Harry, asking them to wait for her to return. Eric had turned his head as she spoke, caught eyes with Dele for just a brief moment, a flash of blue before it was cut short. Dele watched as his mother ushered the boys inside, no doubt to the physician and to find the poor aid or servant that was mean to minding the eight-year-old prince.
Growing up at the same time as the prince was odd, like living in parallel lines, the prince had always been far away from Dele, passing halls, a distant look as Dele assisted his mother and the maids in their work. It wasn’t until Dele had gotten older, turned sixteen and started to work as a servant, did he see more of Eric. He had started as a servant for one of the other knights and thus found himself in the same space as Eric more often, sharing occasional words and eye contact. He had gotten to know more of the prince, who he was, that he had a sense of humour, a kindness to him.
Of course then, being appointed as Eric’s servant had pushed down all barriers between the men. Where they were now had felt almost inevitable from the first moment Dele had watched Eric take council with his father, the way he spoke with passion and pride about the people, all people in every walk of life, every stage of wealth. It had also felt inevitable, from the first night Dele had to draw Eric’s bath and layout fresh clothing for him.
Dele swallowed at the memory and blinked back to focus as he finally reached Eric’s eyes, soft and blue and still home even when Dele wanted to slap him across the face. Dele felt his brow collapse, his bottom lip tremble before he caught himself, the muscles of his stomach straining as he attempted to trap the whimper threatening to spill over.
Dele drew in a breath as he watched Eric’s eyes drop to his lips, Dele’s nails digging into Eric’s shoulder before he forcefully cast his eyes away with a bitter exhale.
No, he thought sharply, you don’t get to do that, you don’t get to make it easy.
Dele licked over his bottom lip and turned his gaze back to the wound, somewhat uselessly pressing the cloth down over and over to the skin, as Eric’s nose pressed into his cheek and his breath fanned onto his skin.
“Please” Eric murmured, his words a barely-there secret, as though he hadn’t given the words permission to leave his mouth but had fallen from his lips of his own accord. Dele shook his head but the movement was weak and lacking conviction, he snuffled closer in the small chair to feel the rise and fall of Eric’s breaths press against his own chest, reassurance of their existence.
After two breaths, Dele shook his head, remembered himself, remembered pressing himself last night to Eric’s chest and kissing him over and over, mumbling for him to stay. Remembered how Eric had defied him and gotten hurt, come under someone else’s sharp blade and had his skin ripped into over and over to leave jagged lines that would never leave. Heal and fade but long puckered skin, scars would remain.
Dele pushed back suddenly, pressed his toes to the floor and dragged himself back in a jolt, a scramble as his breath caught and he felt a rush of panic choke his chest, a need to be gone that had his fingers shaking.
“Hey, hey petal, no, no- come here, stop, stop, Dele I-” Dele pushed harder in his hold at the name, Eric’s hands caught him around his waist and gripped tight, dragging Dele closer as he pulled back.
“Ah, ah- god sake” Eric’s voice burst out sharp and in pain, a cry from deep in his stomach as his nails dug in painfully deep to Dele's sides and Dele stopped dead still, looking to Eric’s face crumpled in pain, a fresh bead of sweat falling from his temple.
“Please, just” Eric stuttered on his words and dropped his head forward, his hands slid to the top of Dele’s thighs and his grip loosened, giving him the choice to climb free from his lap if he needed, wanted.
“I need you petal” he mumbled and dragged his nails lazily over Dele’s pants, where the small petal-shaped birthmark that had coined the pet name was marked on the skin. A spot of discolouration, lighter than the rest of Dele’s skin tone, ‘rose petal’ Eric had mumbled the first time he saw it, tongue tracing the line of it.
Eric leant forward once more, pressed his forehead to Dele’s cheek and pressed his lips to the line of Dele’s jaw. “And I made a mistake, I did wrong by you and I am sorry Dele I am sorry and I need you right now and it is selfish- but please” Eric mumbled, trailed kisses up over Dele’s cheek and nose and forehead, soft presses, warm grazes against his skin.
“Please” Eric asked, voice hitched and Dele turned his head to face Dele, made their noses bump together. “I’m sorry, Dele I am sorry” Eric breathed into Dele’s mouth, lips catching against his own.
“I’m sorry” he muttered again, one hand caught Dele’s cheek and tugged him in as their lips finally fit together, Eric’s mouth warm and his lips chapped. It was a simple press of lips, reserved and soft and pushed down all the hardness in Dele’s chest.
He slumped into Eric’s body and let the cloth flutter from his grip to the ground, and placed both hands flat to Eric’s torso, scared to have them anywhere near the wounds.
Dele sighed as Eric licked into his mouth, his hands slid up Dele’s sides and wrapped around his ribcage, hands spread out over it easily, cradling Dele in his hold, safe and warm, he had him. Dele’s breath stuttered and he let out a needing whine into Eric’s mouth, one hand reached up to tangle in the length of Eric’s hair, long blond strands wrapped around his fingers, nails scratching lazily at his scalp.
Eric’s breath caught and Dele hummed into the kiss, drew his thumb down to Eric’s ear and traced the shell of it as he slid his hand through the length of Eric’s hair, massaging gently at the back of his scalp.
Dele pulled away and finally let the tears fall properly, sounds soft as he cried, gathered Eric in his arms to his chest, held him there as he shook silently, eyes shut as he cradled Eric tightly to him. Eric’s hands smoothed up his back, rubbed over his shoulder blades and gathered him in, let out a small grunt of pain at the movement but wouldn’t let Dele out of his grip.
“I thought-” Dele’s voice pitched and he shook his head, “I thought for a moment there, that you died, I thought you were gone, Eric my heart left my body and all I could picture was the guards carrying out in broken armour and I wouldn’t be allowed to so much as look at you- I” Dele sighed, gripped his fist tighter in Eric’s hair.
“I would have to act as nothing happened Eric, I would not even get to say goodbye I- the last I would see of you was if I could glimpse you through the crowd and then I would just be reassigned to another knight- to someone else, I’d be alone Eric”
Dele’s chest was tight to the point that breathing felt like a labour, heart pounding as he scrambled to find a deep breath. “Hey, Hey petal I am here, it is okay, I am not leaving you Dele, I’ve got you, I’ve got you” he breathed, his hands holding Dele’s face in his hands.
Dele leant in to meet Eric’s lips, a few small drags of lips to settle his breathing as he let Eric’s words wash over him. Eric was here, he was safe, Dele had him and he had Dele, he was here and he would heal.
After a few moments, Dele’s breathing settled to a normal pace, his tears slowed and his head pounded as the exhaustion of the day settled in the back of his head.
“Are you alright?” Dele asked softly, pulled back to look at Eric’s shoulder again after he’d fussed in his lap, to make sure he hadn’t hurt him further. Thankfully, there was no fresh blood and Eric leant in to press a kiss to Eric’s collarbone just to the left of one of the wounds, ignored the sharp thick smell of the cream to linger there for a moment.
Eric sighed and his hand came to rest on the back of Dele’s head, “yes, I am alright, It is aching, but you did such a good job taking care of me, cleaning me up- you take care of me so well” Eric praised and Dele sighed at the roughness and truth in Eric’s voice, pulled back to catch his eye.
“It is my job” he mumbled, a small smile tucking into the corner of Dele’s mouth as he looked at Eric, the man rolling his eyes, mouth set in a hard line. Dele knew Eric hated it when he bought that up the whole I’m your servant issue. He was more than that, Eric meant more than that, but it didn't mean Dele wasn;t able to poke at him.
Someone had to keep the prince’s ego in check after all, and Dele had taken that on board as his second unofficial job almost the second after their first kiss. Maybe a bit earlier than that, if he was being honest. He had always found joy in contesting Eric who was surrounded by yes men.
“And I will always take care of you” Dele added in a whisper, “you know that” he sighed. “But if you go through this mayhem again Eric I, I can not do this over and over Eric, I know you have obligations to your father, your people, but sometimes I wish I could come first” He said truthfully.
Eric shook his head, leant up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, “You are, Dele you are first second third fourth and fifth” Eric whispered.
“If it was from my heart that I made the choice then I wouldn’t let you leave this room, I’d do something stupid like announce to court that I will never take a wife because I am in love with a man called Bamidele” Dele’s stomach jumped. The words, while not new, never failed to turn his stomach inside out in the best way possible.
“I have my people to consider, the lineage, my father’s wishes, Dele if all of this was simple I would never hurt you, but it is not, it is hard and sometimes feel impossible, but every second I have with you are the best moments, the ones I need most.” Eric’s hand slipped to the back of Dele’s neck and held firmly.
“You are. You are the best things Dele and I know I made a mistake and I may make mistakes over again because I am trying to balance this all, always. I am Dele, no matter how badly I do it, I am trying, as soon as that blade struck me my first thought was you, when it struck the third and second time all I wanted was you. I hate the idea I have disappointed you, I hate myself when I see you look away, when you can’t touch me or speak to me and act like you are my servant and nothing more. I hate myself when I do that to you’ Eric confessed, eyes filled thick with tears as strands of his hair fell into his eyes.
Dele swallowed hard and nodded, Eric’s hair was the longest it had ever been, thick and a deeper blond due to the lack of sunlight during the winter. He looked beautiful Dele thought, hair sweeping lashes that framed bright blue eyes. The handsome prince that every maid and every servant gossiped about, his ridiculous good looks.
Dele often smirked when he heard the younger maids fuss over “did you see the Prince during riding practice? His arms, his arse, his shoulders”. He would grin to himself as he would remember the times that he had been pinned under that body, on top of him, wrapped in his arms, allowed to taste and touch and have, have all of him and let Eric take what he needed of him.
“I love you” Dele breathed back to him, unwilling to let those words go without reply, ever.
“My handsome prince” Dele mumbled, his words and exhale as he combed Eric’s hair back out of his eyes, rubbed his thumb against his hairline and cupped his face. “Stupid, stupid handsome prince” he muttered, leant in to press a kiss to his temple.
“What will I do with you hmm?” he asked, ran Eric’s words over in his mind, over and over, tangled them across his brain. Eric was trying, for him, he knew that he knew Eric was in a hard place and all of this made it nothing short of impossible. Dele was the impossible thing that Eric managed to make part of his life. He could allow him some patience tonight.
Eric looked at Dele with a smirk, shrugged his unharmed shoulder and raised his brow in a silent suggestion. “I have an idea” Dele mumbled, dipped his head closer to Eric and nuzzled their noses together, lingered long enough to have Eric tilting his chin up.
“I think, I’ll bandage you up” he breathed before he sat back and smirked, turned away from Eric to grab one of the bandage strips, Eric huffed and leant back into the chair, laughed softly as Dele began to dress the wound.
Half an hour later, Eric’s large wound was completely wrapped, all over smaller wounds cleaned and covered in cream, layered with a bandage if needed. The cuts on his face he just cleaned carefully and left to heal on their own, small enough to not need any more care.
They spoke softly as Dele cared for him until Eric was too tired to speak, his head resting back against the chair as he watched Dele with careful eyes. Finally, the prince was ready for bed and Dele pulled the covers down before he walked back over to Eric, combed through his hair and told him it was time to sleep.
Eric agreed with a heavy grunt and nodded his head, reached for Dele’s offered hand and tangled their fingers together before he braced himself to stand. Eric braced his other hand on the arm of the chair, steadied with a white knuckle grip as he slowly stood. He let out a groan of pain, low and rumbling and Dele’s stomach twisted with nausea.
Dele tucked himself under Eric’s good shoulder and mumbled a soft “careful Eric, careful” under his breath as they walked slowly towards Eric’s bed. Eric’s body was always warm and it was worrisome to feel the cool clamminess of Eric’s skin, reminded him of Eric’s body working desperately to heal itself, to cope with the trauma.
Finally, they reached the bed and Dele gently assisted Eric as he sat down on the plush mattress, letting out a low shaking grunt as he finally came to a rest. “Oh merlin” He wheezed, leant forward to rest his head against Dele’s torso, hand still gripped tight to one of his.
“Shh love, you did well” Dele breathed, stroked his hand down the back of Eric’s head as he let him rest for a moment. “Alright, come on, let’s get you laying down, it will be so much better I promise, just need to rest and sleep” Dele cooed to him, and he felt Eric nod reluctantly, taking a deep, steadying breath as he sat up.
Dele got a hand on Eric’s upper back and helped him lay back slowly into the bed, Eric whining and wheezing breaths until he was laid on his back finally, head resting on the pillow.
“There we go, there we go my love” he breathed, reaching up to comb Eric’s hair back out of his eyes once more, and then bought his hand down his cheek.
“Hard work is done now” Dele smiled, brushed his thumb over Eric’s lips before he reached down to the end of the bed and ensured the hot stones were right at the base of the bed, far enough away from Eric’s feet.
“You can rest now love, stay nice and warm” Dele spoke as he gathered the soft covers in his hands bought them up over Eric’s body, laying them to rest over his chest. He smoothed his hands flat over Eric’s chest, careful to avoid all bandages.
He looked up to catch Eric’s eyes, that were already heavily on him, low lids and soft blue eyes watching Dele. Dele swallowed thickly and watched at Eric untangled his arms from the covers and reached out to Dele, who gave him his hands.
Dele would see the words forming in Eric’s mind before he heard them fall from his mouth.
“Stay” Eric breathed, the words sounding strained as he looked up at Dele, his hands gripping to his desperately, Dele’s feet feeling like led as he looked down at the prince, his prince, his boy, his sweet idiot that didn’t want to sleep alone after today.
“You know you can’t ask that Dele breathed, had to hold his breath and dig curl his toes to stop himself from climbing into bed beside Eric without a second thought. Even in the warmth of Eric’s chambers due to the large fireplace, there was a slight bite to the air, a chill prickling at the back of Dele’s neck. It made the temptation of Eric’s warm bed, and well Eric, all that headier, pushing at the base of his neck and low of his gut.
Eric sighed and shook his head, bought Dele’s hands to his mouth and kissed at his knuckles softly. “I need you here, after today, I- I want you right here please” Eric pleaded. And there he went again, pleading Dele for things that were impossible, making Dele say no to the things he wanted and needed too.
“Eric, the guards will notice me not leaving your room, and god knows that news travels to your father and then what?” Dele asked as Eric gathered one of his hands and unfolded it, pressed it to his cheek, over the stubble of his cheek.
“I’ll tell my father that the wounds were bleeding frequently, that they needed hourly changes and he told you to make sure I was tended to, we can make the cot look like you slept in it, even request more bandages later in the night” Eric spoke rapidly despite the fatigue in his voice.
“Your mother will back us up no? She can tell the King she checked in too over the night He trusts her opinion more than anyone in the staff” Eric added and Dele closed his eyes, exhaled through his nose and tried to focus, tried to remind himself to be careful, that if they were found out ever it was all over, that these risks couldn’t be afforded to them because risks meant mistakes and mistakes meant losing Eric.
Dele’s mother had known about them the day it happened, she knew her son and more importantly, had seen both boys grow up in this castle, had known for a long time, maybe before they did, that they would need each other. The stupid smile on Dele’s face when he had returned to the servants quarters later than usual in the evening had told her everything. Even if she had somehow missed that, the way he practically was tripping over his own feet and blanking out staring at walls would have been an obvious giveaway.
It had only taken two questions and a long firm look from his mother before Dele had spilt every word of it. In the end, the support had been overwhelmingly good and helped in keeping Eric and Dele under the radar, providing excuses and opportunity for the two to be together.
“Please petal I promise, I will ensure there is no chance we will be found out, if anything the King will be so thankful for your attention and care to his son” Eric’s words were soft and low, and he was so warm under Dele’s hands.
Dele’s stomach ached as he pulled away, Eric made a hurt noise in the back of his throat but Dele didn’t look back, made it to the doors of Eric’s chambers as he heard a soft “Dele”. He reached for the large metal latch deadbolt and drew it across the doors, locking them in the room securely.
Dele sighed and pressed his hands against the lock for a breath, shook his head in dismay at his own behaviour before he turned to cross the room one more. He made quick work to open the cot that was stored in the cupboard, laid it out far from Eric’s bed, used a spare blanket from the closet and laid it messily over it.
Only when that was sorted, did Dele turn to face the bed, seeing Eric half propped up on his good arm, looking at Dele with a crestfallen expression. Dele frowned as he walked around the room to blow out the candles, wondering why Eric was sat up when he had been in pain laid on his back.
“Thought you were leaving” Eric explained, watched with dark eyes as Dele’s breath extinguished the last flame, the room in low light cast only from the crackling fire. Eric let out a grunt as he lay back onto the bed, went silent once more but Dele could feel the weight of his eyes on him as he came to stand on the opposite side of the bed.
Dele sighed and make quick work of stripping out of his thin longsleeved linen shirt, it did little to ward off the cold, Eric and his luxurious bed would do far more to fight the chill in his bones anyway.
Eric’s breath was heavy in the room, and Dele scrubbed a hand over his eyes before he climbed up into the four-poster bed, heart in his throat.
Being in bed with Eric was rare, they stole the moments they were able to, but often Eric’s chambers were not always the safest place to be alone together. It was easy for them to get carried away, lost in each other and if that happened on Eric’s bed it would be impossible to stop themselves.
They only allowed themselves the luxury of having the bed together when they knew for certain that no one would come asking after the prince. Most often they would try and escape the castle and the grounds altogether, an excuse of a horse ride or training, of Eric, visiting neighbouring kingdoms. Whatever excuses possible that worked they had figured them out.
“Petal” Eric breathed as Dele slid into bed beside him, the boy let out a groan at the warmth radiating through the whole bed, pushed his toes as far down as possible to chase the unfamiliar heat.
Dele had a pair of Eric’s socks that he had gifted to Dele at the start of winter, tucked it into the pocket of his coat one night before he left his room. Eric knew how freezing Dele got and he hated the idea of him sleeping in the freezing servants quarters alone. It wasn’t like Eric was able to give Dele too much, or it would start to become obvious, but one pair of thick winter socks, a knitted blanket and one jumper were Dele’s saviours, all gifted to him by Eric. Those socks, he thought distantly, had nothing on the glorious heat radiating from the stones at the base of the bed.
Dele sighed and curled himself toward Eric, the smell of him warm and comforting, even when sharpened with sweat. His hands met Eric’s unharmed side, the side closest to him, and he slotted easily into the length of his body. Dele curled a hand around the low of Eric’s waist, squeezed his body under his grip before he drew his thumb down the taut skin, drew a long breath in.
It had been a long time since He had been able to touch Eric like this, in preparation for the tournament Eric had been busy, and thus Dele had too. The only moments they had been able to steal away from prying eyes was when Dele would draw the prince his bath each night. Only Dele would be in Eric’s chambers when he was bathing, and it was the time of day Dele most looked forward to. He could look at and speak freely to Eric, smile with him and not push back the instinct to brush his hair from his eyes, reach for his hand or press a kiss to his temple.
However, there hadn’t been a chance to indulge in anything more than that in a few weeks now. With the castle working overtime to prepare for the tournament, and Eric having longer days than ever with extra combat training morning and night on top of his other responsibilities, the man was half asleep by the time he slipped into his bath each night. Not to mention Dele was exhausted himself, assisting Eric in and out of armour two times a day, cleaning and preparing Eric’s room, assisting in setting up for the tournament between helping Eric with everything he needed.
As much as they wanted each other, they didn’t get much past sleepily making out as Dele washed over Eric’s back for him, and a few more goodnight kisses before Dele slipped back to his own room to sleep the second his head hit the pillow. Besides, being sleepy was dangerous, they were more likely to let things slip, forget to lock the door or not hear someone approaching in the hall, so to steal any more moments than usual was extra dangerous.
So, to be laying beside Eric in his bed with him felt nothing short of a dream, if only the circumstance was different, Dele thought sadly when Eric let out a low grunt of pain as he reached a hand down to tangle with the one Dele had on his hip.
“Might have to start getting in more battles if I can bribe you with my wounds to stay in bed with me my love” Eric whispered and Dele let out a low sigh, rolled his eyes before he turned in closer to Eric, his head pillowed on the man’s chest.
“I think if you value getting to kiss me at all prince, then you will not do something so stupid again” he muttered, closed his eyes and let out a low, heavy breath as he felt Eric’s lips press to the top of his head in a soft kiss.
“Mm, that is a compelling point” Eric breathed, squeezed Dele’s fingers gently and he sighed. “Do you think you would be able to spare me another kiss tonight?” Eric asked, his voice low in the dark room.
Dele pulled away from Eric’s chest, wriggled one foot against his calf and allowed himself to draw lazy patterns over the coarse hair covering Eric’s legs, a simple pleasure that warmed his stomach inside out, made his chest ache a little bit, in the best way.
He drew back and laid his arm to the left of Eric’s head on his pillow, fist half curled as he looked down at Eric. The light in the room was low, but enough to make out the features of Eric’s face, the slope of his nose and length of his lashes, his pouted lips as he looked up at Dele with love in his eyes so heavy Dele felt it in his chest.
What I’d do without you, what I’d be without loving you, without you to love me, I have no idea Dele thought as he dipped low enough to press their foreheads together. He paused, felt a breath pass between them, revelled in Eric’s lips dropping further open and the way his tongue licked over his bottom lip, how he tilted his chin up, inviting Dele to him.
Dele smiled, let his eyes fall closed as he dipped his head down completely to catch Eric’s bottom lip between his own, sucked gently to coax his mouth open and lick into it, Eric quick to meet his tongue with his own. Dele’s mind melted into peace, a silence that wrapped up from his ribs and gripped him by his neck, allowed everything else to fall away but this, this boy under his hands, this was everything.
With a twist of his hips, Dele slid himself to fit his left knee between Eric’s half leant over his body as they kissed slowly, the fingers of his arm resting by Eric’s head now tangled in the soft blond strands of his hair, gently pulling.
Eric let out a small groan and Dele was quick to pull away, lips wet and parted as his eyes dragged over Eric frantically. “Are you ok? If your shoulder alright I am-’ Dele was cut off by Eric leaning up to join them in another kiss, a silent shake of his head as their mouths moved together.
Oh, the groan was from Dele’s fingers in his air, one of pleasure no longer pain. Dele allowed his fingers to sink deeper into Eric’s hair, his nails to reach for his scalp, scratching gently in lazy circles like he knew Eric loved. It got the response he wanted, Eric melted under him into the mattress, a happy sigh fell between kisses as a hand reached up to rest on the curve of Dele’s neck, his thumb working up and down the skin.
Goosebumps pricked across Dele’s skin as his stomach fired hot, a need clawing up his chest that he did his best to ignore, sunk himself into the kiss instead, ignored the ache for more. He ached to sling a leg over Eric, to settle in his lap and feel the heat of Eric under him, kiss him breathless and then continue down his chest, down his torso, to the soft skin just above his waistband. He wanted to follow the hair that trailed from his belly button down, down, down until he could take- Dele panted out a hard breath as he broke the kiss, heart erratic and hands shaking as he tried to collect himself.
Eric made a soft sound of disappointment and arched his body up into Dele’s, tried to get closer again and Eric let out another moan, that time one of pain, brows pitched together in discomfort.
“Hey, hey hey, gently” He muttered, his hand moved to Eric’s chest and gently pressed to lay him back down, shook his head and leant in to kiss his forehead. “Don’t be, don’t do that I’m not breakable” Eric whispered, shook his head and reached up to try and pull Dele closer, his face frustrated, closed off.
Dele sighed and press a kiss to Eric’s brow, lowered himself to press his body over Eric’s. “Not breakable, but you need to be careful” Dele breathed, ignored the grit of Eric’s teeth at the words, the way he shifted with annoyance, a small inhale like he wanted to say something but Dele leant down to catch his mouth instead, whispered “no” against his lips.
“Remember it’s me that has to clean the sheets if you get blood all over them prince Eric” Dele whispered, trailed kisses over Eric’s face, his cheeks, let the stubble scrape his lips, breathing in the familiar smell of him. His fingers found Eric’s jaw easily, dragged them slowly across the sharp line it was until he felt him release some of the tension, warm in Dele’s grip.
“I want you, it’s been-” Eric’s words were short, frustrated and Dele felt the buzz of his words under his fingertips, drew his fingers down to his good shoulder and pressed his thumb into the bulk of muscle, massaged a soft circle and felt some of the tension in his body release.
“So long” Dele finished the sentence for him, nodded his head and trailed his mouth from Eric’s cheek down his face and to meet his hand on his jaw, kissing down the line of his neck till he could lick over his collarbone.
“I miss you, I always think about you, wish I could have you here like this every night- I love you” Eric breathed, and Dele nodded, his hand moved to Eric’s injured shoulder and laid his fingers very gently by the edge of the wound, a pressure that was a warning more than anything.
Dele hummed and trailed his mouth across, to the hollow of Eric’s throat, tongue and teeth dragged over the warm skin in a dirty kiss, the skin red as he pulled away, he dipped to press a final kiss, vowing to let them rest after this, but couldn’t help himself but suck the skin of Eric’s neck back into his mouth.
He dragged his teeth over the skin twice more, his stomach going tight as he heard Eric let out a moan, a good moan, a gasping breath and a sigh of “petal”.
Dele’s fingers fluttered where they were laying on Eric’s chest, pinky finger brushing the edge of the bandage as his other hand slipped down to Eric’s waist, fingers drew across the v-shaped muscles that lead down to Eric’s groin. He exhaled heavily over the skin of Eric’s neck, tilted his head up to kiss at the underside of Eric’s chin, mouthing his way down and over his Adam’s apple. He tasted sharp, a bit like sweat, familiar, and he couldn’t help but taste more of his skin, kissed over his throat and shoulders as his hand slipped down to take Eric in his hand through the thin linen fabric of his undergarments, squeezed the thickness of his half-hard cock.
Eric whined and Dele felt Eric’s muscles tremble, push up against his hand and Dele shushed him softly, worked Eric in his hand slowly as he continued to kiss over the warm skin of Eric’s neck, breathing out shakily when he felt Eric stifle a moan in his throat.
“Del, you do not have- this is not why-” Dele shook his chest and drew his thumb over the head of Eric’s cock, felt his wetness dampen the thin fabric separating skin from skin. He knew what Eric was saying, his ever noble man, wanting to make sure that Dele knew he had not asked him into his bed just for this. Dele knew, When Eric asked him to stay, he wanted him in his bed to be close, wanted them together and sharing space, wanted to feel safe after today.
Eric carried the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, of his people, the worry of his father, expectations of himself, Dele knew he was one of the only people that took that away. He knew that he could be home for Eric in a way nowhere else was. With Dele he could be unsure, vulnerable, he could laugh and speak his mind even if it was wrong. Dele loved that he could be that for him, he was glad he could be there for Eric, be the person Eric needed.
Maybe more than he could ever say, Eric was his safety too, a part of life he had never expected, never anticipated. There weren’t many things he could sink into in his life, that he could let go and enjoy. Eric was the last thing he expected, but now, the idea of not having him, it felt like tearing his heart out. He had gotten too close to that reality tonight and the thought of it made him sink his teeth down over Eric’s pulse point, bit the skin into his mouth and drag his tongue over it, felt the steading thud. Safe, here, okay. He released the skin after a second, wary of not leaving any marks.
Dele let out a shaky breath and tugged his hand away from Eric, who let out a muffled grunt, a noise that held more behind it, one that would have been louder, more wanting, if it were not for the guards outside the door. Dele shushed Eric, the noise muffled against his throat and slipped his hand under the thin layer of fabric that had been separating them, took Eric in his hand properly and slowly worked him with a tight fist, Eric shivering with it.
“Love you” Dele breathed, and he felt Eric’s stumble brush against the side of his face as he drew his head down, seeking out Dele. Dele shuffled up slightly, tilted his head back to meet Eric’s searing kiss in time, the way he licked into Dele’s mouth filthily, an I love you too without having to say it.
Eric’s breath stuttered between hot drags of lips, hard and thick in Dele’s hand, just wet enough to make the glide of his hand right, fist slick enough for Eric to push into easily. The movements of his hips were small, aware of Dele’s hand resting carefully on his shoulder, a warning that too much movement from Eric meant Dele pulling his hand away.
“Please” Eric’s voice broke over the word, more of a moment of his lips than the actual sound of the word, breathed into Dele’s mouth. Dele nodded as Eric’s lips trailed along his jaw, kisses sweet, in stark contrast to the dirty pants of his breath.
Dele drew his thumb up to the head of Eric’s cock, salivia flooded his mouth, tongue wet as it darted out over his bottom lip. For a half-second, he thought about slipping down the length of Eric’s body. He thought about pushing under the warm covers to take him in his mouth, let Eric fuck up into the heat of it and have his throat too, to feel Eric’s hands tight in his hair, to be breathless and there for Eric to take. Dele focused on getting Eric off like this instead, he knew it would go too far if he got Eric in his mouth, it would be too much for both of them, they’d get lost in each other. Eric would either hurt himself again or they wouldn’t be able to keep quiet, give themselves away to the ears not far from the door.
Dele sighed as Eric kissed over his chest and neck, focused on keeping the wet pull of his hand tight, of dragging his thumb over the head of his cock, where he was most sensitive, on the edge of too much. It was just on the side of too good, where Eric would seem caught between pushing up into the touch and pulling away from it.
When they had time, Dele would work Eric up like this until he was almost sobbing, till he’d threaten Dele with something ridiculous or just straight up beg until his voice was shaking with it. In Dele’s defence, Eric was just as skilled at winding Dele up when he wanted, making him insane for him, for more.
“Petal” Eric warned, his voice just above a whisper, a warning and Dele nodded. Eric pulled back from Dele’s neck to seal their lips together again, shaking through kisses as his cock throbbed heavily in his grip. He made a broken noise in the back of his throat, and his hips pushed up in small frantic thrusts. “I am-” Eric muttered and Dele nodded again, speeding up the tug of his hand and bit into Eric’s bottom lip.
It only took a few moments for Eric to come, a heavy gasp into Dele’s mouth and a kick of his foot down the bed, his fingers squeezing tight at the back of Dele’s neck. Dele smiled against Eric’s lips and smudged his kisses away from his mouth, over his skin and jaw, lazy small kisses against the skin as kept his hand working lazily over Eric until the man was soft in his grip,
“Let me” Eric asked as Dele tugged back the covers and wiped a hand off on Eric’s torso, a temporary fix before he got a cloth to wipe them off.
Dele shook his head, half hard in the thin material of his undergarments, but he wanted Eric to rest, to sleep and let his body begin to heal. “I am good, my prince, and you need sleep” Dele smiled, slid out of bed and grabbed a spare cloth from the end of the bed.
He walked around to Eric’s side of the bed and wiped the come away from his stomach, couldn’t help himself and ducked down over Eric and fell into another lazy kiss with him, Eric’s hand petting down his back sleepily. Eric pulled back and let out a small sigh, a warm smile on his lips, eyes low and sleepy as he looked up at Dele.
“You sure you’re good?” Eric asked through a small yawn, and Dele nodded, pressed a kiss to Eric’s brow before he moved to pull back, but Eric’s hand stopped him. “You are staying right?” he asked with soft wide eyes, worried that Dele was leaving the room once more like he could with the way Eric was looking at him. Dele couldn’t imagine going to lie in his small cot, too worried out of his mind about Eric rolling onto his bad shoulder during the night, to fall asleep.
“Yes my love, I am just going to ask my mother to come by early morning, to ensure no suspicions and gather some more dressing supplies” Dele explained, knowing he would only be able to rest once he had their cover story in place.
Eric nodded, but looked hesitant as if he was biting back something he wanted to say and Dele placed a hand in Eric’s hair, scratched gently over his scalp. “Promise my love, give me a quarter of an hour I’ll be back in your arms ready to sleep” Dele spoke, voice soft and low as he drew a thumb along his hairline.
“Okay, yes- sorry, I know this isn’t a small thing to ask, I just do not want us apart tonight, I put you through a lot today and I-” Eric trailed off, words almost shy. Dele nodded, leant down to give him one last little peck, a small brush of mouths, a comfort.
“I do not want to be apart either, I will hurry back here alright? Stay awake for me if you can” Dele grinned before he slipped easily from Eric’s light grip, and dressed once more before he left the room.
When they fall asleep that night, it’s tangled as close as possible, Eric’s good arm wrapped around Dele’s wait to bundle him to his chest, fingers petting over skin in lazy movements. Dele’s head was pillowed by Eric’s chest, one arm bundled to his own body and the other wrapped loosely around Eric’s hip. With Dele’s leg slung over Eric’s they were pressed as close as possible with Eric’s injury and Dele still wished he could be closer still. He thankful to be breathing in the warmth of Eric, the familiar snell of him and his sheets, feeling the rise and fall of his breaths, steady and strong and there. Dele fell asleep seeking out the steady thud of Eric’s heart under his ear, counting the beats and savouring each one, thanking the universe silently for keeping his man safe.
While the people and the kingdom may be able to function without their prince, Dele knew he would not.