{ Ehann }
Chapter 31
Every step he took he felt his feet sink into the ground, slowly walking slower and slower.
He had his cape on and his face was well covered. But his shoes were well expensive, the kind you don't want to be seen walking around with.
So he walked in the middle of the crowd, he told the butler to wait in a discreet area, a place it wouldn't be found in so that the kingdom wouldn't be aware that he's left the castle.
But that's not what bothered him.
How would he even begin explaining to him? What would he start with? 'Hey we need to end this, i can't be with you because i need to get married?' wouldn't that be easy, but Aelius would understand right?
He has to get married. For the kingdom.
And having an affair with him, wouldn't do any good.
So it's understandable right?
Yeah.
He thought of buying something, but then again. It isn't a date where everything would be fine. So he decided not to.
The bugs and the wind seemed to warn him about what he was about to do, like if he should rethink and go back to the castle. Like if he would regret this.
...Would he regret this?
He could see him standing from afar, looking out into the scene of mountains and rivers. Fireflies surrounding him, making him look like royalty without even trying.
He tried walking as slow as he could, but looking at him made him want to run up to him and kiss him for the last time, just forget about the marriage for once.
So he almost started running. But he catched himself before he could even try, and just walked at a semi fast pace.
"Hey" he faintly called.
Aelius turned around and smiled at him so genuinely, it made his heart flutter a million miles-per hour. That-
"Hey"
He couldn't bring himself to tell him about it.
It wasn't fair, his crazy beautiful face didn't let him speak, he liked him better when he wasn't facing him. That way he could say what he would say and leave.
But no, he had to turn around and show his beautiful stupid face. He tried walking away, but his body wouldn't move. So he just stood there, puzzled.
"It's.. been so long." Aelius laughed.
"I- ..i forgot what i was going to ask you." He said, Smiling and looking down.
"Me too." Was all the prince could mutter out.
"Sorry i didn't.. send you a letter."
"Oh it's fine, i understand." Aelius smiled.
"Yeah.."
They both just stared at eatchother in shock and curiosity, then the prince looked at his hands.
And saw him holding a bouquet, he felt like crying. The poor guy is just trying to break up with him while he's bringing him flowers? The prince looked away and sighed a long sigh.
"Sit down with me?" Aelius asked, gesturing to sit with him in the grass.
Ehann looked at him, up and down, then smiled sadly. "Sure."
.....
"So" Aelius mumbled.
The prince didn't answer back.
He kept a straight vision towards the mountains up ahead, he tried thinking of anything other than the problem next to him. He feared that if he did stare at Aelius, he would start endlessly crying.
So he took in a long breath, and sighed a miserable sigh.
"Please talk to me, i know that.. our situation has been.. changing." Aelius's breath hitched.
Still, he kept quiet.
"Look at me." Aelius cried.
This caught Ehann's attention, his heart stopped beating, and his eyes immediately looked down at the grass. He tried so hard not to look at the close to crying figure next to him, oh how he wanted to get this over with.
But his thoughts were stopped at a sudden hand grab at his face, making him look directly at him.
Ehann stared at Aelius for a good moment, his eyes were watery, his brows were furrowed, his jaw was clenched.
He avoided his gaze once again, he just couldn't bear it. No matter how much he wanted to explain everything, he couldn't. He couldn't find the right words to do so.
"..Did i do something?" Aelius's voice cracked.
"...You didn't do anything, Aelius." He finally spoke.
"Then what is it?"
"What happened betwe-"
"I'M GETTING MARRIED, AELIUS." He shouted.
"...Don't you get it?" He huffed out.
He looked directly at him in the eye, he felt cold streak's of water roll down his cheeks, his heartbeat quickened rapidly, unconsciously grabbing Aelius's hand.
"No matter, how much i want to still be with you, no matter how much you want to be with me." He cried.
"We can't date."
And Aelius didn't utter a word, not a single one. But he did cry, oh how he cried. He cried so much even the prince started to bawl.
"We can't... Date." He repeated again, but it wasn't for Aelius. It was so that he himself could understand what he had just said.
The two of them stayed quiet, just staring at the crazy beautiful scene Infront of them. The sun was starting to set, but none of them cared, the wind was chilly, but neither of them cared.
They were holding hands, and they didn't want to let go.
How could they have fallen so hard ?
It was a question they both wanted an answer to. But the answer won't ever come.
"I'd tell the Moon about you. But i guess that would be just confessing to you again, right?." Aelius spoke.
"Why don't you give it a try, and see how the Moon responds?" The prince finally broke.
"I still want to be with you, is that selfish?" Aelius asked.
"No, it isn't." The prince smiled.
"Not at all."
Ehann zoned out.
-
His mind was blank.
Never I'm his life, would he have guessed. That he, would fall in love with someone so hard, to the point where he couldn't let them go.
He wanted to run away from him and never look at him again, he wanted to forget about him and live life like how it was a year ago, but how could he do that when he couldn't even let go of his hand?
He was about to stand up and leave, that is until Aelius asked-
"Can i kiss you?"
The prince froze in his spot.
He couldn't believe what words came out of his mouth, the prince just stared at him blankly with parted lips.
"You want to kiss me?" The prince repeated.
Even though he knew it was a horrible idea, even though he knew this wasn't going to help him forget about him. He wanted to kiss him too. Even if it would only last a breath.
The prince didn't waste a moment more. He grabbed ahold of Aelius's neck, pulling him towards him and slammed their lips together.
Aelius, just like a reflex, held him by his hips and squeezed him tightly.
He slightly yanked his hair back, making Ehann tilt his head back giving him enough space to slide his tongue inside his mouth.
Ehann cupped Aelius's face hard, leaving a line of red all across his face. Both their bodies pressing against eatchother, breathing heavily as their lips pressed together even more than possible.
Leaving Ehann breathless, he couldn't help but moan into the heated kiss. Truly, it felt like the last kiss he would have with him. And he couldn't help but cry into the kiss, he didn't want to let him go, not yet.
But he had to.
So he pushed Aelius away, shocked, Aelius opened his eyes and stared at him, releasing his grasp on the price's hips.
Ehann stood up from Aelius's lap, wiped his tears, and walked away.
His feet were heavy, and his heart felt like exploding, and his tears wouldn't stop.
But he had to keep it in, at least until he was out of Aelius's view.
"Ehann." Aelius shouted.
And the prince stopped walking, he wanted to turn around and face him. But he couldn't, so he just stopped.
"I love you."