homebound. (earinor & akira)

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    • "I just think I'm a better knight than I am a friend.", Edward answered almost a little bit too honest. He could tell that the prince got upset with him, because Edward didn't have much of an opinion and was content with whatever the prince suggested. Sometimes he simply had the same opinion too, so there was no need to argue about it, yet it felt like the prince wanted to do just that - argue about something, or at least disagree. Edward had never been exceptionally good at saying no to anyone and with the prince he had even less reason to disagree. Sure he was reckless and didn't think about his health or safety a whole lot, but other than that he was very mindful of Edward himself most of the time and besides wanting to reach Thria, first and foremost he just wanted to have a good time. Though why choose Edward as his friend to begin with? When he thought about the time in the castle there have never been many people the prince would have considered as friends and Edward wondered why. His condition didn't stop him from attending a banquet or a ball and they did attend from time to time, but apparently no one peaked the young princes interest long enough.

      "Well you don't have to thank me. I am glad if I can help you learn something, or just having fun otherwise. You smile a whole lot more since we left the castle, that is thanks enough.", Edward answered with an almost invisible smile. "You give me too much praise. You already know how to read a map and now you know how to light a fire.", Edward tried to cheer the young prince up. Sure he did a lot for him, but maybe if Edward would let him, he could do most of it alone. Well they had to practise with the money at least, but all came with due time. "I'd probably be helpless on my own too.", he then admitted. He wouldn't know where to go or how to ask others for something. The courage to get a room or buy some horses was only present when Edward did it for the prince. It wasn't hard in the end, but it was hard to do it if he wasn't forced to. "More trips? So you do intend to turn back at some point?", Edward asked and the princes fingers stopped fiddling with Edwards hair for now. Edward remained seated but turned around a little bit to smile at the young prince, almost having sparks in his eyes. "Thank you.", he voiced then tilted his head, this didn't take too long. "Do you want me to comb your hair too?"

    • “You are the best knight I ever had, but I’m sure you’ll do just as well as my friend”, Cecil answered. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t - whatever the case, he didn’t care much for all of the little details, though, what he cared about were a few things. One of them was Edward, the other one was figuring it all out on his own, somehow. Why? There was nothing to it, really, and the happiness he felt whenever he found Edward agreeing with the silliest of his ideas was nice, too. What else was there, if not the smile of a friend he should cherish? Nothing much, that was for certain, though, the real answer wasn’t even something he could grasp all that easily - it felt somewhat cursed to even think that there’d be something, at some point, that he wouldn't be able to understand anymore or see with his own eyes. Edward was there for him, but Cecil also knew that he'd gain nothing from having a scenery explained to him, much like he gained nothing from being told, time and time again, that he was to keep out of the sun and not bask in it, as if it was the only thing his body needed to become like that of his siblings. Wasn't it stupid to assume that? But not only just that, it was probably very idiotic as well.

      "Do you think that? I want to thank you, but I feel a lot more at home out here than in that crummy, dusty castle!" It was neither of these things, it actually was way too big for its own good and his father kept having it expanded, just in cause - Cecil doubted that anyone was going to use all of those rooms, yet, nobody dared to question a king. Likewise, none of ones servants dared to question oneself, but the young prince wouldn't mind. In fact, he'd probably prefer it if Edward was more inquisitive, more like him and more into understanding what drove both of them, yet, that aside, it only didn't do much for either of them. "That's not much! And besides, I wouldn't even be able to saddle my own horse, have you seen me? Unfortunately, I'm not built like you!" That was true, yet, he wasn't all that weak either - a bit more training could fix that little ailment of his, he was sure, but that also meant he'd have to train and there weren't many people at his fathers court that wanted to entertain his silly thoughts in the first place and definitely not in the dead of the night. "So we need each other?" Somehow they did and they always had done, even if Eddie didn't really need him and just probably thought of him as something that had to stick around for not exactly specified reason. A shame, wasn't it? "We'll see, maybe if I get bored of Thria!" Or the trip, which he doubted. "Uhm, do you want to put up with it? I'm not stopping you!" That was a battle that Eddie had already lost.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "You exaggerate. I am almost the only knight you saw during the time you are awake for the past years.", Edward replied with a smile. The prince had other knights taking care of him and when Edward was younger he always had been accompanied by at least one. Edward stood by the princes side whenever he was awake, as soon as he went to bed, Edward switched places with someone else. In the morning he did his training and then went back to the young nobles chambers to take care of him for the rest of the day. He did have days off, but he rarely took them and it was the only occasion someone else watched over the prince. None of them would have taken him outside however, that was probably why the prince liked Edward best, but he also didn't take care of the noble in the best possible way. He already had a sunburn. It didn't look too bad, but it would be if they kept running around without caring about the princes condition. Ignoring it didn't make it go away. "What do you expect from a friend?", Edward eventually asked and he meant it. He didn't even strife for instructions, he just wasn't sure what he'd expect from a friend himself.

      "We're not on the run for very long yet. Don't you think you'll get homesick eventually? I was when I traveled with my father.", Edward asked. Homesickness sometimes didn't even make sense, it was just a feeling that something was wrong or missing, that something wasn't as it should be, even if traveling was what one wanted, or ones father was right there all the time. Edward had cried maybe once or twice, in his bed alone when his father already slept but he told himself that it was stupid too. There was nothing he could have done to avoid it either though. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.", Edward apologized. He was sure he could saddle his own horse if he tried, but Edward didn't want him to try, so he rather remained silent. He wanted to do that for the prince. "It seems that way.", Edward nodded with a smile, he very much needed the prince, even though the young noble probably disagreed. "Apparently it is very cold.", Edward added, not sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Then however he stood up and took the comb out of the princes hands, only to set back down behind him. "I'm not a maid that is skilled with that, but I want to try.", Edward explained while he already diligently and very carefully tried to seperate any knots in the princes hair.

    • "And you're the best regardless!" His father and grandfather and whoever was beyond that apparently had kept the Dryden family close for generations, something that Cecil couldn't quite blame them for - he liked Edward, a lot, and he hadn't heard a word from his brothers about being dissatisfied about Francis or William either, not even his sister complained about Robin. And yet, the king still treated Edwards father more like a friend than a servant - maybe because he was just that at this point - but it didn't seem quite fair to him, was it now? Not only did Cecil also want a friend, he wanted someone that stood by his side, much like Edward did, and offered unwavering loyalty regardless of the situation. Was it a shame that he though of this situation like that? Maybe, but no matter what it was, it also only followed that he had things to fix sooner or later and boundaries to set, before things spiraled out of control again and he wasn't sure how to fix any of it for either him or Edward. "Hm, I'd say I'd want him to call me by my name. And not do everything for me, because he thinks he has to. Other than that, I'd pretty much not mind it if we could just have careless banter about the silliest of things, but we already do ... so that means you're already my friend anyway!"

      "Homesick? Don't be silly, why would I get homesick?", he chuckled. There was no real need to get homesick, as much as there was no apparent need to even think about going home just yet. Edward had said it himself, they weren't in for the long run yet and he already talked about something so silly, it made Cecil laugh to begin with. Why, though? Eddie wasn't exactly the most hilarious person, he also wasn't really somebody that was prone to joking around, but to the young prince, this just felt comedic. "You haven't upset me, I was just saying facts. Also, what did I say about saying sorry?", the prince reprimanded his friend eventually. There it was again, the absolutely apologetic nature of someone that probably had so much lying underneath, that just didn't know how to express himself properly and Cecil wouldn't be the one to break the news to him that he, maybe, just maybe, could lay low for now. "Better than sunshine and heat all year around, maybe my skin won't kill me for once." Surely, it got cold in his homeland too, but nothing major and it also only served as a reminder just how far they were going to get away from home - too far, for anyones liking except Cecils own, yet, he didn't want to remain stuck at home forever either. "Then try, I don't mind!" He really didn't and the tugging on his hair didn't feel too foreign - just like the maids would do, either way, but Edward was just trying things out. "Come to think of it, even if my hair doesn't match my siblings in color, it seems about as annoying as theirs."
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I hope so.", Edward replied with a slight smile. He truly did hope so. Up until now there had been nothing to protect the young prince from. Edward would describe himself as a good fighter, but he knew that he lacked experience. All he did was train, training fights were not the same, he wasn't majorly hurt in those and he also couldn't die. Neither was the prince in any danger that didn't even attend those trainings. Out here anything could happen and Edward could only hope that he'd be good enough to deal with any situation that might arise. He was very sure that he wasn't the best knight, His father and his oldest brother alone were definitely a lot better than him. This also kind of made him scared the crown prince would send Francis to bring back his little brother. "What if that friend wants to do everything for you?", Edward asked with another smile. He did, he hated to just sit around and do nothing anyway, because he didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to be the one washing their clothes, saddling their horses and packing their bags. He didn't only do it because he felt like he had to, because he was the princes knight and only servant right now.

      "Well sometimes that just happens. You've never been away, aren't you missing anything?", Edward replied. No cake, no tea, no pillow fort, nothing of that. They left a lot behind, the prince had always been able to ask for a lot of things and now he was on his own with only Edward by his side. Edward couldn't give him all he wanted either, if the prince wanted tea at noon he'd have to wait until they found a town. If he wanted cake, they'd have to search for a baker who actually had some. "Well, but... if I feel like I did something wrong, shouldn't I apologize?", Edward asked. He couldn't just sop that overall. Sometimes he made mistakes and those needed at least an apology. "Maybe. But if there is a lot of snow it might be even worse.", Edward pointed out. The sun would reflect off of the white surface and shine into the princes face not only from above, but also from below too. Edward continued combing through the princes white hair and tried not to hurt him while combing out some knots. "Because it is so curly you mean?", Edward asked. It wasn't that bad, but it was true that it was very different from Edwards hair, or his families too. All of the Dryden family had rather straight hair, it was easier to comb through, even when it was as long as Edwards or his brother Williams.

    • "Don't worry, you don't really need hope in that regard!", Cecil boasted. He'd already told Eddie what he thought of him and if he was honest, thinking of him any differently - or actually making it sound like he wasn't the best thing that ever happened to him - would just be wrong in all and any ways. Why? Well, not only did Eddie a good job at keeping them both safe, all the time until now, and also it felt as if they both weren't going to let anything stop them from being as silly as always - even if that was mostly Cecils thing either way. They had known each other for twelve years, which - in hindsight - seemed like quite a long time, but it would turn out to be even more in a few years, right? Edward wouldn't just needlessly disappear from his side one day, havind had enough of his prince and said princes shenanigans - in fact, he doubted it and no matter what he wanted to think of it, it wasn't right. "Then that friend has to learn that his friend wants to help him as well and that he isn't supposed to hoard all those arduous tasks for himself, as much as it might sadden him." Either way, they both were good to go and if he actually asked Edward to help him, maybe they could make for a nice duo, instead of one helpless, sad, little sap of a prince and his knight that knew all too well that he was nothing without him.

      "Hmm, I mean, I can live without the fancy, pillow-filled beds and the nagging servants. Sure, I'm sad about the cake, but I have you with me and that's all I need!" Maybe the thought that he couldn't readily annoy his siblings tugged at his heartstrings for a little while, but it was nothing that majorly impacted him in the first place - in fact, he was happy that none of them were there. Both Garrett and Maeve nagged at him from time to time, telling and dictating what he couldn't and could do and dragging him out of the sun. Xander, on the other hand, just usually dozed off and it was fair game - but he wasn't necessarily someone exciting. "Yes, but it feels like every second or third word you say is something that has to do with apologizing for something that warrants none of it or something you didn't even do. Please, Eddie, you don't have to apologize for every single thing you've ever done. I promise.", Cecil reassured him instead. Not only that, it also was fairly silly to think that someone like him could stay mad for too long, especially at someone that was only trying to help him with everything he was doing, as much as he hated not being able to help himself in the first place. The tugging on his hair wasn't too bad and didn't hurt like hell, which was nice, but it also showed that Edward was being careful with him - something he didn't necessarily have to be. "Kind of? I mean, I know I could probably brush them out if I did it while they're still wet, but who even has time for that? And besides, this isn't even the worst - have you seen Xander after getting up? If he's elusive enough, nobody will notice and he'll just run around looking lost in all that hair."
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "Well I only trained with my instructors and my brothers. I never really had a real fight, nor was I as interested in any tournaments like my brother Francis.", Edward explained carefully and as carefully tried to handle the princes hair. "I am believing in my abilities with the sword, but I lack the experience." He was just being honest and maybe the prince shouldn't put too much hope into his knight that maybe wasn't prepared for what was to come. What if there were giant eagles in the mountains of Thria, could he fend something like that off? And what about a bunch of bandits. If it were too many not even Edward could do anything against it probably. "I see.", Edward answered eventually. He couldn't stop the prince from taking on more tasks, or could he now? He didn't want him to wash their clothes, that was nothing he should do as a prince. He also didn't want him to do much else but it seemed like he had to come up with some tasks to keep him happy and at bay.

      "That's good to hear then.", Edward answered, happy that the prince was for now himself happy. Maybe it would change, maybe he wanted to turn back at some point and Edward wondered what it needed. What if the crown prince and Edwards brother caught up to them? Would the young noble have Edward fight his and Edwards own brother just to keep going? Edward wasn't sure, but he knew that he would if the prince wanted him to. He would try not to hurt anyone though. If he hurt the crown prince he probably lost all chances of returning back home anyway and he didn't want to hurt Francis. "Mhm. Fine. I'll try...", he eventually mumbled. As much as he would try and not use any titles anymore, yet he couldn't say the princes name. Bein out here was very different from bein in the castle where Edward knew exactly what to do every single day. "Being out of the castle doesn't mean you can stop caring about your looks though. A prince shouldn't look like a scarecrow.", Edward somewhat scolded the young noble, which was a rare occurrence. At the same time he seemed to be done though. He removed all knots and maybe even brought the hair in order. He put the comb away and smiled. "I think I am done. Would you like to go to bed now? Or would you like to do something else?"

    • "But that's still something you can learn. Somehow." Not that Cecil knew any better himself, he'd been babied from a young age, not being expected to do anything great, not only because of his standing in his own family but also because of his condition, that - thankfully - didn't render him completely useless just yet. His father, who didn't believe in hiding him away from the world, just accepted who he was and while there were enough nobles and peasants alike that looked at him with scorn in their eyes, it was nothing of utmost importance and definitely something Cecil was able to ignore - he got whatever he wanted either way, after all, there was no need to beg for anything when one was a prince. Lessons came right his way on a silver platter, much like a servant - Eddie in this case - and he couldn't be happier about it. "Hm, we could train, then? If you'd like, at least." That was the first and only thing Cecil could come up with, but unlike Garrett, he wasn't much of a worthy opponent - he had trained, not often and not for long, and barely could carry most of the blades he was handed, something that was not only due to his size but also his coherent physical strength. It seemed odd, but he had never been able to lift anything above a certain weight - then again, he was somewhat frail, wasn't he?

      "Trying is good enough!", he reassured Edward. Once the tugging at his hair stopped, however, he wondered if he'd said something wrong in the first place, something that was finally going to get Eddie to crawl out of his omnipresent shell, but then again, he probably was wrong, like he usually and almost always was. Why was he even entertained? Even those silly little requests he almost always had were nothing more than a pain in the ass for most people, yet, not once had Eddie outright complained either. "And what if I want to be the best scarecrow there ever was?" That would be a though one, but Cecil loved making people second guess themselves and unfortunately, his very own servant was no apparent exception from that rule either. Was there anything he could do about that? No, probably not, as much as he hated to admit it. "No, no. Going to bed is absolutely fine, I'm tried anyway.", Cecil expressed, yawning slightly and covering his mouth with his hand, before scuttling onto his feet - out of Edwards bed and over to his own - swiftly pulling the blanket over him. It definitely lacked a distinguished softness from his own, but it was good enough. "Sleep well, Eddie. And thanks for taking care of me and my hair." After that, he closed his eyes - he was tired and Edward was, most likely, as well.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • When Logan had first picked up one of those missing persons posters two weeks ago he had been sure the young prince would have been found out immediately. How hard could it be to find a prince on the run? Well very hard apparently because even a few weeks of travel away from the capital city there popped up new posters every day. Logan wasn't very interested in it, because for him fining the prince was like finding a needle in a stack of hay and he didn't need money that desperately. There was always work to be found because there were some bandits on certain roads or a merchant who wanted to rather be save than sorry and that was exactly the kinds of people he was in this one tavern for. Once he had sat down and ordered some beer however, two hooded figures had entered the tavern as well and they sat down in the booth directly behind Logan. First he didn't think too much of it. There was some whispering from one side and some snarky answers about not being all that cautious all the time from the other. There were many people running from something or someone, all the time actually, so this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Logan still leaned to the side and looked at the window that so handily reflected what was going on behind him a little bit and it wasn't even the wait hair he could see, because he couldn't, it was the blueish hair and the distinct facial features of a family of knights. Logan could spot the Dryden family from a mile away, probably because his own family was always eyeing the princes sides to get a foot into the royal door, but failed because there already was another family. Yet they still remained somewhat close to them, friends that would help out if there was a need of a knight. Logan almost spit out his beer, but he didn't and instead kept sitting on his butt to listen to those two. He couldn't exactly believe his luck, how much money was on their heads by now? And besides, he would have never thought that a Dryden knight would kidnap a prince! Though... from what he heard it sounded more like it happened the other way around.

      Edward was tired. Very much so actually and it probably showed. He didn't sleep very well lately. He always had the feeling that all of this went way too good. So far there had been no one stopping them, no one attacking them and the worst thing that happened was the prince getting another sunburn. There wasn't even a scratch on that pale skin, even though the prince wanted to help and do more and more. Edward had the nagging feeling that they'd run out of luck soon. He eyed the outside of their window in every inn for a while, not being able to fall asleep once he though he saw a shadow and when he did fall asleep it felt like it was morning only five minutes later. Right now he had given up arguing about where they'd eat and the prince was right when he said he was free, but at the same time locked into the different inns rooms instead. So now they sat here in this inn and once someone came to take their order Edward let the prince speak first before telling the girl he just wanted a glass of water and some broth. Then he reached out his hand to tug on the princes hood and pull it further into his face. "We need to be careful...", he mumbled with an apologetic smile. He felt like a prison warden though and tried to relax at least a little bit. "But we almost reached the sea now. Are you excited? Should we add in some more swimming lessons beforehand?"

    • They'd went on and on about the same, silly things and they'd went further than before, left behind more than before and Cecil was sure that Azenad-Othidor wasn't even a speck of dust at the back of the horizon - it was too far gone to be seen, at least with his eyes. The thought that his eyesight would gradually worsen overtime drove him up a wall, his eyesight used to be fine for a few years during his childhood and eventually he'd started realizing that the individuals leaves on a tree had become one big blob of something, as well as the sudden understanding of the fact that whatever seemed so clear before just wasn't - it was shaky at best, like some sort of blur, clinging onto himself and his field of vision and making it painfully clear that yes, there had been something before and no, Cecil wasn't allowed to see it unless he got closer. What was this kind of existence even worth? It seemed silly and it probably was, for no real or apparent reason. "Ah, stop it!", he complained, once Eddie tugged onto his hood and most of his vision was obscured by a piece of fabric that he just slightly lifted up instead. They were still on the run, but Cecil wanted to feel normal for one second and not look like he had fivethousand secrets to keep. Eddie, on the other hand, was also about as easily spotable as he was, yet he didn't even wear his hood properly - what a bummer!

      "You should pull your hood down too, not just me!", he groanded, not in defeat but disagreement and he was happy they were finally getting something to eat anyway. Why was that, though? Cecil wasn't starving and he wasn't doing something incredibly hard either - and yet his body demanded to be fed like it belonged to a guy that spend most of his days exercising by chopping countless blocks of wood or holding off an entire army by himself. Naturally, he wasn't going to eat as much, he actually didn't order anything too fancy either, yet, Eddies order paled in comparison to that. "Are you alright? Please don't tell me you're sick, I'll get us some medicine if you need any!" They still had more than enough money to spare, enough to splurge on uneccessary things but also a filling meal for Edward, not just for a prince that probably could eat his own weight in food daily and not gain a single pound - that was embarrassing, he wanted to look like Garrett or Francis, or at least Edward! Something like that! "Hm, some swimming lessons beforehand sound better than letting me dip face first into the ocean, but that's just my personal opinion ... but seriously, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost and it's not just been today, either! Do you even sleep at night?" By the looks of it, not so much, but Cecil couldn't exactly offer a remedy for that. Did something feel off? He had no idea.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Sometimes Edward treated the prince like a child, although he wasn't anymore. He was just two years younger than Edward himself and had a lot of years on his back already. Enough to stand on his own two feet. He understood that the prince didn't leave the castle to hide somewhere else, or to be locked into room after room, even though they were at least slightly different. He understood he wanted to eat out in a tavern which he never could have done in the capital, but Edward was still worried. He still agreed to sit down with him, but for that they needed to hide those white hair of the prince and also Edwards blue ones. "Of course, of course. I'm sorry.", Edward replied and in this case the situation warranted an apology, right? He did try to incorporate what the prince wanted of him whenever he spoke, but sometimes he just wasn't sure. Edward pulled on his own hood and tried to stuff that hair in the back of it, so it wouldn't fall out whenever he looked down. Maybe having that long hair wasn't a good idea after all, it also could get in the way while fighting.

      The girl that took their order left them alone and Edward looked at the prince kind of caught off guard by his question. "Sick? No, I'm not sick, please don't worry about me.", Edward replied. He was tired and that was all, otherwise he felt fine. Maybe he felt a little bit lightheaded, but that too would dissipate once he slept tonight. As for eating, he just didn't feel like too much and he also didn't know how a small person like the prince could eat that much more than himself and still remain so slim. Edward wasn't the biggest, most strong looking person either, but he had the strength the prince lacked. "The salt makes it easier to swim in the sea, but I guess it depends n the waves. Maybe we come across another lake before we reach the shore however.", Edward smiled only to shake his head and lift up a hand as well. "I'm just... on high alert. That's all. Only because we were lucky thus far doesn't mean it will stay that way. I'm sleeping though. Every night.", he answered, trying to get the prince off his case. They couldn't make a break only because Edward was tired and staying in one place for two nights only stressed him out even more. "You know, when I traveled with my father and we were at the shore, I always tried to replicate our home with some sand.", he eventually started another topic to derail the princes attention a little bit.

    • Was he a prince or a child? Sometimes he didn’t know himself, but certain reactions told him more than they should and the painful awareness of the fact that not everyone viewed him as someone that could hold his own weighted heavily on him and the decisions he couldn’t make on his own because of that. Edward was just trying to protect him, Cecil knew that, but it was nothing that he’d asked for - he had been given a knight, as a present of sorts - because he needed one to keep him out if harms way. And what did Cecil do? Drag him right back into hell with himself, just because he wanted to see everything in his life and understand that none of these things were important in the first place when it was memories that eventually would count. “You better be, you act like you are my mother of all people!”, he chuckled. Actually, he barely had an idea what his mother was like in the first place, but he’d always thought she was more of the protective type, much like Edward was right now, for all that Cecil cared, though, that wasn’t exactly the right approach - at least he doubted it was. Why was he so hellbent on keeping him save, anyway? Because it was his job? That sounded ridiculous and dangerous at the same time, to an insanely unsafe degree.

      “I can’t not worry about you, you are my friend and you look ghastly. We really should go and rest up after our meal, or at least you should.” If it went the way Cecil wanted it, he’d look through every nook and cranny of the town, trying to see if he could find anything he deemed fun or worth engaging with, but that wouldn’t happen unless Edward felt up to the task. “The salt? Sounds plausible, but I’m not sure if I’d trust myself with just staying afloat like that in something like the sea, you know? And even if we don’t get into the water, a trip there would be nice.” His eyes rarely lay on the glistening ocean, at least not up close, but even from the castles highest tower it wasn’t close enough to not completely and blurily melt into the rest of the scenery. Cecil would rather trade with a peasant at this point, someone that had usable eyes and a not-too-shabby body, but that kind of witchcraft probably wasn’t his field of expertise. Their food arrived between the little banter they had - having taken longer than expected, but this wasn’t the castle and all of the people here didn’t just cater to them, either. “Then we should get you a good nights rest after you’ve eaten up. You look like you could use it.” Maybe it was easier for Eddie when it still was light outside and no watchful eye could be laid upon them? Who knew. “Wait, your father has an estate, right? How come we never visited it? Also, that sounds fun, but I doubt that we’d be able to replicate something like THAT in the sand.”
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "The qu-.... Your mother?", Edward asked, reminding himself that he probably shouldn't say out loud that the princes mother was the queen. Not that anyone that heard it would take that too seriously probably, but Edward was the one always preaching that they had to be careful. He wasn't sure if it was right to be compared to the queen either, but he knew how the young noble meant it. He was worrying a lot and he was picking dangerous items out of the princes hands from time to time, or he tugged on his clothes to save him from the sun, or from nosy eyes. He tried to let the prince have some freedom, but even here the missing person posters were hanging on every corner and the money that was promised for every tips got more too. At least they still wanted Edward unharmed too, but maybe even that would change. The royal family probably knew that the prince and Edward had to see those posters too and it should tel them to go back home, because everyone was worried. At least they should try and get the story straight, right? Though if it helped the prince, Edward would take the blame.

      "At least I should? I don't want you to go out alone though... please. I couldn't rest anyway.", Edward answered. If he tried to sleep in some room when he knew the prince was traversing the streets on his own, he knew that he would not even be able to close one eye. Neither of them never truly had been alone since they started this journey, but letting the young noble go out alone went too far. If he wanted to get rid of Edward for a while, the knight could simply shut up, he truly could. "I'm sorry if I'm spoiling the mood. I don't mean to... I might be a little bit tired, but that doesn't mean we have to go to bed early." If he couldn't fall asleep anyway, what did it even matter? "I'm of course staying by your side when we try the waters. I'll take care of you, I promise. You don't need to worry too much.", he smiled. Taking the detour and then just staring at the sea seemed like a waste even to Edward. The prince looked forward to it, no need to get cold feet. Edward wouldn't let him drown! Edward only slightly looked up when their food arrived and started eating once the prince took his first bite. He still wasn't able to forget about his manners, but he at least hoped the prince didn't notice it every time. "If... that's what you want?", Edward answered, feeling bad about ruining the nobles night just because he looked a little bit tired. "Well it isn't as big as... your home. I guess there is nothing much to see there and our standing is too low too.", Edward explained and tilted his head as if that question was very odd to begin with. "Well maybe we could at least try. If you don't mind getting sandy hands."

    • "Yes, you act just like a motherhen!" There it was again, Eddie almost slipping up. Surely, the queen probably hadn't told him to call her by her first name, much like her youngest son did, but Cecil had already told him that too many formalities would give both of their identities away out here - even when Edward was equally right about their looks speaking more than a thousand words. What was it, if not a dilemma that they found themselves in and why was it, without much of a question, nothing but a pain in the ass to even think about all that ailed them either way? Had they just asked, they would have went nowhere, since his father would have been aware of what he'd wanted to do, but that also would have meant that nobody would frantically looked for them and hoped to earn themselves a bit of prize money by bringing back a lost prince, that wasn't even as lost as everyone seemingly assumed. He'd wanted this, so he was getting it - in one way or the other. "I never said about going out alone, I'm fine with sitting around and looking at the map while you take a nap!", Cecil boasted. That he was, he was used to being forced to sit still and spend his days being idle, half a day out here wouldn't hurt and Edward truly looked like he needed any extra sleep that could come his way.

      "You're not spoiling anything, don't worry. And you look tired as one can be, please get some rest.", he urged. Whatever those droopy, blue eyes wanted to tell him, Cecil didn't know if he understood. What he understood, among other things, was that Eddie was stressed out right now, like he'd been the past few days and no matter what, it wouldn't stop anytime soon, not as long as the two of them were still on the run from people that seemingly got closer and closer, once they had spotted a bit too much of them. "Then I won't, but it's still kind of ... I don't know, not exactly scary? Uncanny maybe. It's definitely something that I haven't thought about before, but I can't really swim, no matter what I try either way." Well, why hadn't he tried before? Because the sun was out there and whenever he wanted to brave the waters, the nights were uncharacteristically cold, as well as the fact that none of those who attended him in Edwards absence were swayed by any word he said. What a bummer. Eventually, Cecil started to eat his food and mused about whatever he would do at the ocean - building a castle of sand seemed like a childish activity, but maybe he'd like it, yet, if he thought about it for too long, maybe he'd grow to hate it in a matter of seconds, much like a child. Whatever the case, it didn't matter much. "It's fine, really!", he chuckled. Why wouldn't he want to indulge a friends requests for once? He'd gain nothing from dragging around someone that would rather hide away in his bed! "Trying is a good first step, and ... hm, maybe I don't mind getting sandy hands. It sounds fun, all things considered ... but hey, I'd still want to see your home when we go back home!" The Dryden estate couldn't look that bad!
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm just worried about you. Besides the fact that I'd be killed if something happened to you, I also don't want that.", Edward replied. It actually had nothing to do with his oath or duty, Edward realized that e didn't want the prince to be hurt on a personal level too. Thus far nothing had happened, but that could change quickly and if it did, the princes condition made everything worse. "Do you really? I... I guess you could simply wake me if something happens... but I don't want you to stay up for too long either, alright?", he answered after some thought. It felt kind of like it was a good plan and he would have lied if he said he didn't need some sleep. It was still bright outside however, the sun was still up, it felt weird going to bed this early when he actually could have used the time t pick up his training which he had little to no time for since they left the castle. Edward had some workout by helping the prince off and on his horse, but that was hardly enough.

      "I guess there is no point in arguing with you then.", Edward nodded and looked at his food which he ate slowly. A tired knight was of no use anyway. "You will learn it, don't worry. When the sea is calm there will be no problem trying it there either", Edward smiled. Their first try didn't go that well, but that didn't mean that he'd never learn it and Edward intended to keep him afloat anyway. Maybe last time scared the prince off a little bit. "I feel like you're taking more care of me than I take care of you... which is the wrong way round.", Edward smiled apologetic, before he put another spoon of broth in is mouth. It tasted a little dull, but that too might have come from the fact that he was tired. Edward looked up once more and was a little surprised that the prince was talking about going back home at some point. He shook it off however and smiled again. "If you're not grounded until the end of your days, I am sure my father allows it."

    • "I don't want you to die either, that would be extremely boring!", he complained. Not only that, it would pain him, but the prospect of having no more Eddie to keep him company was not a fun one in the first place. Was he really depending on him that much or was there nothing he could do in the first place when it came to his questionable feelings towards someone that he should probably regard as something akin to dust or dirt? Who knew, nobody had complained about the prince making the knight his friend, as much as nobody had told either of them that it wasn't right to do what they did - they just tried whatever felt right to them and once they figured that it wasn't anymore, who could blame them? "This journey isn't just about me, I want both of us to feel well, so of course! Besides, you look like you're in the desperate need of some rest and I'm not going to deny you that." Edward was also kind of useless if he wasn't completely in tune with his senses. It would only take a ridiculous amount of time if he overexerted himself now, they should keep to themselves, not the other way around, and do what would be best for them in the first place. "Please, I'll keep watch over you this time. So just, take a nap, alright?"

      They couldn't take one here, but it was fair game upstairs once they secured a room, or anywhere else, really, which was why Cecil ate up eventually - not exactly in an elegant manner in the first place - and waited for Eddie to do the same. How long had they been out here? Wouldn't it be a month sometime soon? Or maybe he had lost track of time way too long ago to even make sense of that anymore. Whatever the case, it didn't matter much - but what mattered, in fact, was the slow realization that the dark robes didn't suit his pale complexion in the least. "You're right. After all, why wouldn't I at least learn something from something like that?" There were many reasons as to why one wouldn't learn something, whatever that was, but a trauma or phobia was enough to keep them away from things that seemed so easy in the first place. Cecil couldn't relate and he rather watched Eddie eat up, slowly but surely, and after he was done, he couldn't wait to actually go fetch a room for the two of them. "Shh, there's no wrong way around when it's among friends, you're overthinking again!" He also didn't mind taking care of the person that always took care of him in the first place. "Grounded until the end of my days? If I am, I'll just leave again! Also ... let's get a room now, alright?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "B-boring?", Edward asked surprised, that wasn't exactly a word he would have used in this context. Well maybe that was all the prince saw in Edward, which was fine. Someone to entertain him, wasn't that what a servant should do? Not necessarily a knight, but that didn't matter much out here anyway. Somehow it felt almost a little odd to hear these words, by now Edward probably had expected some more, but in the end he could be grateful for what he had already. "I... that's not what you should have to do, but for tonight it might be okay.", Edward answered and looked at his broth that he had to get rid of somehow. He continued eating and the prince did the same, faster than usual maybe even. Did he want Edward to go to bed that desperately? "I'm sorry, you're right.", Edward answered. Maybe it was time to let the prince do something for Edward for a change, even if it felt incredibly weird and wrong. "You're right. Being grounded didn't stop you the first time either, huh?" Edward smiled, then he finally finished his broth and nodded.

      Together both of them got up. Edward took their bags and followed the prince towards the bar to pay for the food and ask for a room. They got one and paid up before traveling up the stairs and finding the door with the number two engraved into it. Once they opened up the door and got in, they immediately closed it again and locked up. Edward put their stuff in one corner of the room and closed the curtain by the window. Then he took off his hood and got some clothes to change into for both of them. He placed the princes clothes on one of the beds, then he excused himself for a moment to step behind a curtain. He got out of his armor and clothes and into something he could sleep in. His sword had lost its place on Edwards belt and he placed it next to his bed once he got out from behind the curtain again. He felt odd beig so quick about this, but the prince wouldn't let him not sleep anyway. After washing his face real quick Edward looked at the prince once more, till standing in the middle of the room. "Do you need anything? Should I prepare something for you?"

    • "A life without you would be certainly boring!", he explained - was that the wrong word, was he too insensitive when it came to all of what could potentially happen, or was this as it all would go and was going? "It is okay." Why wouldn't it be? His father was never going to hear of this or find out about it, there most certainly was no problem and besides, just because he was being nice to a friend of his didn't mean he had an ulterior motive either. Wasn't all of this really, really silly in the first place? Cecil couldn't help it, he was the one trailing after Edward like a lost puppy, not knowing anything about the vast world that he could only marble at from afar, even if he couldn't quite make much of it out, either. Was this how it was supposed to be, or was that just the punishment he received for being a tad bit too curious about it all? Whatever the case, he was asking too much of both Edward and himself already and one of them was in the dire need of rest, terribly so. "It has never stopped me and if I'm honest, it has never stopped us from getting into trouble either!" Wow, now he felt bad for dragging Eddie along all the time - he was supposed to stop him, not enable him, actually!

      Once they'd arrived at their room, Cecil felt relieved enough to rip the hood right off and place the cloak that came with it on a coathanger - he wasn't tired himself, but he was tired of having to hide himself! Was he really the only one that looked like a ghastly pale ghost that was haunting the manor of his deceased family, or was that just his luck in general that came back to bite him in the ass, like it always had and always will? His eyes trailed after Edward, who seemed as busy as a bee, trying to get everything right just for them, before he opened his mouth again - without the hood, he looked even worse for wear. "I don't need anything, you're dismissed for the rest of today. Now that that's aside, do you need something? Or do you want me to do something for you? To help you sleep or something like that.", he proposed, beaming a smile at Eddie - he would love to help him, even if he didn't know how to most of the time. If he bent down to help him get his boots off, or wanted to give him a hand with clothing so he could wear something else, Eddie was bound to get embarrassed or kind of mad, or both, chastising him that this wasn't a princes thing to do, and he was right. "Friends are supposed to take care of one another, so let me know if you do!"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm glad you feel that way.", Edward eventually answered, even though he wasn't very sure about that. Was he disappointed? Maybe, but he shouldn't be. He scolded himself for it and yet he hated this nagging feeling suddenly emerging from his stomach. He was the one not accepting that the prince wanted to be his friend though, right? Edward shook his head, his feelings didn't matter and he simply smiled at the prince that already wanted to help him and cared for him by sending him to bed. "Us...? That sounds like I was... well I was helping you. I'm not sure if I should be sorry or not...", Edward sighed, but in the end he wanted the prince to be happy. If he had been locked away all those years, without prospect of going outside ever, who knew if he'd even be willing to live anymore. Wasn't this better? Seeing the prince happy and smile and marble at what the world had in store? It certainly was. If it took Edward to worry all day to make the prince smile, so be it and turning back now wasn't an option either.

      Edward stopped himself from bowing after he got dismissed and instead just awkwardly stood there for a bit. There actually was something coming to mind, but at the same time he didn't dare to ask. He didn't know how while he phrased the question in ten different ways in his head without saying a thing. He also didn't want to lie down while the prince was still up, it was odd. Eventually however Edward walked over to his bed and sat down, his back leaned against the wall behind as he always did. He didn't want to lie down. He still wondered how he could ask the prince for a favor or if he should even do it. He wasn't a child, he was an adult and he should simply sleep and not be annoying. The prince however still smiled and Edward gave himself a little push, the prince always wanted to help anyway, right? "I... well... There is something...", Edward mumbled not daring to look up from his hands and hiding behind the long blue-ish hair that always hung in his face as long as the prince didn't braid it. "You brought this one book, right...? If it is not too much to ask... would you read something to... to me...?" This sounded stupid! Edward was too ld for goodnight stories. "I mean... maybe if you'd pass your time with it... anyway and it's not too much of a hassle..."

    • "You are always helping me as soon as I get you to accept that there's no other way out because unfortunately, you're stuck with the worst person there is.", Cecil laughed. That was the truth, as outspoken as he was sometimes, he couldn't help but tease Edward about the fact that he was, still, kind of bad at spotting things that were supposed to be easier to figure out than others and that he was the one that led himself be led around by the prince, almost as if he were a goddamn dog on a leash that wouldn't come off and he was too afraid of snapping back at his, obviously kind of insane, owner that was only trying to give them both a good day. Cecil observed as much as he could, wasn't sure what Eddie was suddenly so unsure for, but once he saw him sink on his bed, trying to figure something out as he sat there, Cecil was already curious about what it could and would be, why it was what it was and how and why none of the things he was trying to make amends for worked for either of them in the first place. Was this where he'd realize he was just living an elaborate dream and waking up any second? It most certainly felt that way.

      "There is?", he asked, almost confused, trying to figure out what it was that Edward could want of him, but nothing came to mind. Was it because he didn't think his knight would be asking for something so silly, or was it because no matter how many times he thought about it, none of that made sense in the first place? "I'm happy to hear that, so what will it be?", he chuckled. Finally, Eddie was coming out of his shell, right? Or not, because the next sentence he heard sounded ... well, it wasn't childish, but it made Cecil giggle either way - from excitement, nothing else. "Yes, sure did! And you want me to read something to you? We haven't done that in quite some time, I thought you'd never ask me!" It felt as if it had been forever ago and maybe it was, but nobody cared about the fine details in the first place. He strutted over to their belongings, carefully took some of them apart and the procured a book - the leathercase a deep green with some golden text on it - looking quite worn, but it was old, about as old as the two of them anyway. Once he had it, he packed up the rest of their stuff again and went back over to Eddies bed, which he let himself sit down on - and then, he just patted his lap, as if to signal for Edward that he could put his head there - there was ample of room on either side from him anyway. "Hm, I could try and figure out where we left off last time, ooor I just start from the beginning? Or do you have any favorite parts you want me to read?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.