"This is the worst," Lucas grumbled to himself, crossing his ankle over his knee as he leaned his elbow on the ledge of the carriage window despite the cold metal making the hairs on his arm prickle. The young prince glanced at the empty seat across from him which had been empty for quite a few hours now, with Keir deciding that the atmosphere in the carriage was too much to handle and hopped out to ride the remainder of the laborious journey to the northern countryside on horseback. Lucas was glad, as the tension between the two princes, heavy with unsaid words and awkward small talk, was giving him a headache.

The two princes were accompanied by a small handful of armed guards, a steward each and the coachman, a fat man whose stomach was a sneeze away from popping the buttons off his bloated waistcoat. The well-sized party had almost arrived at Guinevere's family estate, and Keir's mansion of exile. The trip had turned into some kind of twisted stag night, Rose pushing the two princes to go on a short journey together to relax before the big wedding. If only she knew, though.

A knock on the carriage door made Lucas pull the frosted curtain blocking the window back, revealing Keir's snow-white face, which had a tight smile painted over his cherry red mouth. 

"We're almost here, Lucas," Keir informed, Persephone whining in relief as a large stone mansion pulled into view. Though much smaller than Lucas's, and even Keir's, home palace, it was by no means any less beautiful. A luscious garden full of winter flowers bloomed in waves across the front of the castle, a frozen fountain situated in the centre, the once flowing water locked into a majestic arc of ice that glistened in the sunlight. Soft snow coated the tall trees leading up to the front of the mansion,  Lucas peering out of the window curiously. 

Lucas had rarely ventured into northern country, and even then he had only visited the larger cities in the area. Guinevere's family estate was a decent carriage ride from the city centre in a more mountainous region, the estate's tall metal fencing melting into the mountains that lay at its back. As they approached the mansion, Lucas could see a single speck of colour amongst the shades of grey and white standing at the entrance of the mansion.

Lucas's view was suddenly obscured by Persephone's behind, as Keir kicked her back gently, nudging her to quicken her pace, galloping ahead of the carriage. Lucas could only watch from the confines of his carriage as Keir swiftly dismounted his horse, who had barely stopped before the prince's lithe body had hit the ground, his long arms immediately wrapping around the little dot of colour in the distance. Lucas narrowed his eyes, rubbing them slightly, as the dot of colour focused into an image of a woman in a vibrant emerald green gown, her face hidden from view as it pressed into Keir's neck in a bundle of bright auburn hair. Lucas felt vile jealousy churn inside him, and slammed his fist on his chest to quieten it. It did not listen.

Guinevere's servants rushed forward as the carriage pulled up to the front, taking over the reigns of the horses as they began to unload the luggage that had been tethered to the top of the carriage. Lucas was already out of the coach and striding towards Keir before the servants even opened his door, their bodies faltering in surprise as he walked past them. 

"Oh, how I've missed you so!" Guinevere cried, pressing her hands against Keir's cheeks, her smile dropped as her fingers felt his sharp cheekbones and hollow cheeks. "You have become a little gaunt, Keir. Are you unwell?" 

Keir's eyes softened as he gazed at his closest friend, placing his larger hands on top of hers as she cradled his cheeks, before taking one and placing a soft kiss on her palm. 

"I'm alright," Keir assured her, her eyes still full with worry. "Just things with father, and my exile, Rose's wedding. It's one thing reading about it in a letter, but it's so much more overwhelming when you're living it." Guin nodded, understanding, her eyes flitting away from his to peer over his shoulder, rising her shorter frame onto her toes.

"You must be Prince Lucas!" Guin called, curtseying as she let her hands drop from Keir's face, only to rest her left hand on his back. Lucas tried not to glare as he bowed politely, fist tightening as he resisted the urge to pull the woman's hand off his prince. Guin looked at the prince curiously, her observant eyes not missing the way his jaw tightened as he looked between her and her friend. Glancing up at Keir, only to find that he was looking at the ground with a tight expression on his face, Guin felt her senses being tugged. 

'Something is going on here,' Guin thought to herself, putting the feeling aside for now as she tugged on Keir's sleeve.

"Are you going to introduce me, Keir?" Guin asked, huffing slightly as Keir rolled his eyes, before finally turning to the other prince, though Guin noticed that her friend did not meet the other royal's eyes. Interesting.

"Guin, this is Prince Lucas, Rose's betrothed," Keir said, wincing at the way he spit out the last word, hoping that neither of them could detect the bitterness there, but he had no such luck. Lucas paled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as his eyes darkened, whilst Guin raised a brow at him, her eyes questioning. He had never been able to get anything by her, not even when they were children. Clearing his throat, Keir smoothed over his voice and continued. "And Lucas, this is Lady Guinevere, though I still do not think the title suits her."

Guin gasped, slapping Keir on the arm as she scrunched up her face, Keir chuckling slightly.

"See? Totally not lady-like," Keir said, shrugging his shoulders as Lucas cracked a smile. 

"You better treat me right, dear sir, or as the Lady of this house I will send you to sleep with the horses," Guin said, trying to hide the smile that played at her lips as she wiggled her finger at him, Lucas laughing a little. 

"I'm not sure Keir would consider that a punishment," Lucas chimed, Guin turning to him as she nodded in agreement. "He's already seduced all of the horses in my stables, so I assume he has a few lovers in the stables here as well."

"Finally, someone with eyes!" Guin exclaimed, moving away from Keir's side to loop an arm around Lucas's, the prince looking down at her with surprise. Keir frowned a little, the facial expression not escaping Guin's eyes. 

'There are two options here. One, is that Keir is still uncomfortable with the fact that his darling twin sister is in an intimate relationship with this man, hence the awkward atmosphere between the two,' Guin thought to herself, as she pulled on the blonde prince's arm gently to give him a tour of the mansion, Keir trudging along behind them. 'And the second... is that there is something going on between these two princes. Something... something...' As Guin pointed out the location of the dining hall, the thought popped into her mind.

'Oh dear,' Guin thought, glancing between the two princes, before making eye contact with Keir. Looking into his eyes, her unasked question was clear as day.

"Do you love him?" Guin mouthed at her friend, her head turned away from the other prince. Guin's mouth was set into a hard line as she waited for her friend's answer, though his hesitance said enough. Guin felt her stomach turn as unfiltered concern flew through her, Keir's sad, lost gaze searing itself into her mind. 

Guin knew her friend well, better than most people. Better than his father, and even better than Rose. She wondered if she knew him better than the prince standing beside her now, and realised that the Keir that looked at him was not the Keir that she knew. She had never seen that look in his eyes before. It was a look of such clear, unbridled passion that burned too hot for her to look at too long. Keir loved this man, and he was being consumed by it. His gaze had always been warm, and Guin had loved how he would fondly look at her with that dazzling smile on his face, making her feel safe beside her closest friend. Her mother had often joked that the two of them were sweethearts whenever they would look at each other with that warmth in their eyes, but they both knew that the feelings they had for each other were not romantic in the slightest. They were the closest friends, considering each other siblings. And Guin worried for him, as a sister would.

"You must be exhausted after your long journey," Guin spoke after finishing the tour of the mansion's interior, not venturing into the cold of the gardens. "Would you like to rest in your chambers before dinner? Or maybe a bath would be more suitable?"

"A bath would be most appreciated," Lucas said, smiling gratefully as Guin smiled, softly asking a servant to prepare a hot bath for their guest. 

"Lily here will escort you to your chambers and bath," Guin said kindly to the prince, who bowed before leaving the room. Before he rounded the corner, Guin noticed him turn back, brow creased. Following his line of sight, Guin was surprised to find that it fell onto Keir, who was leaning against the wall with a dark expression on his face as he met her eyes. When she turned back to Lucas, he was already gone.

~~~

"Your chambers have remained untouched," Guin said, as the two of them walked into his old room. Everything looked the same, with Keir's books still strewn across the table and chairs that were clustered in the corner, his clothes still neatly hanging in his wardrobe. Keir nodded, placing the tray carrying tea and biscuits on top of a stack of books, pouring the two of them fresh cups of fragrantly scented brew.

"I suspect you have... questions," Keir sighed, handing his friend a cup, her fingers gingerly wrapping around the porcelain with dainty fingers, light pink lips blowing on the surface of the amber water softly.

"Your suspicions are correct, as are mine, I assume?" Guin replied, taking a sip before sucking in a breath, the hot liquid still far too hot for her sensitive tongue. Placing her cup down to let it cool, Guin leaned forward to look at her friend, who sighed heavily, taking a heavy sip of his, the heat not bothering him as it did her. "What are you thinking, Keir?! This is so unlike you, you've never been one to be so... reckless. Lucas is the last person on this earth that you should have feelings for. This is dangerous." With every word, Guin grew more concerned. 

"I know," Keir replied, giving her a sad, drained smile. "God, I know better than anyone, Guin. I tried to stop it, I tried to ignore it, but I can't. I just..."

"Love him," Guin finished, Keir gulping as his heart sank. 

"And I hate that I do," Keir whispered, running his fingers through his dark hair as Guin sighed heavily, moving to sit on the sofa next to him, resting her hand on his thigh as she lay her head on his shoulder. Keir placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it tightly, as he kissed her on the forehead like he used to when they were younger. 

"You have no reason to, Keir. Never say that to yourself. Ever," Guin said firmly, Keir loosing a choked grunt as he swallowed his tears. She had always wished for Keir to find someone to love, and that loved him back. The Heavens knew how much he deserved that. She didn't know all the particulars about his past, though over the years he had confided small snippets of what had happened. There were many blank spots, but Guin knew that his life in his father's castle had been damning. She had spent a good many years trying to wring out the muck that had sullied her precious friend, to make him feel like he was someone worthwhile. She had succeeded, though the way he was now, so full of bitterness and disappointment for himself because of feelings that he couldn't help made her want to weep.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Keir said quietly, Guin humming, the vibration of her body against Keir's arm comforting him. "He's Rose's betrothed. He looks at her so warmly, and she clearly loves him too. I am terrified that I will ruin that, that I have ruined that."

With Keir's words, Guin remembered the look that Lucas had given her friend earlier. Burning.

"He looks at her warmly?" Guin asked, looking up at her friend, who nodded glumly. "Just warmly?"

"Just?" Keir asked, puzzled. "Rose, he looks at her like a man looking at the woman he is going to marry."

"My mother said that I look at you like you're the man I'm going to marry," Guin replied, snorting slightly. Keir laughed at that, Guin glad that his beautiful smile was not lost. "And we both know that is not true. A look can be deceiving, Keir, especially when one is already lost in their own feelings." Keir gave his friend a confused look, as she only gave him a knowing smile in return.

"Your smile is making me a little worried, Guin," Keir admitted, the girl laughing as she playfully shoved his shoulder.

"You have enough to worry about already, dear friend," Guin said, pulling him onto his feet as the clock chimed six. "Hopefully a full belly will alleviate one of your concerns?"

"Just being here is already making me feel a little better," Keir grinned, taking his friend's hand as they walked to the dining hall. Guin looked at him happily, glad that her friend was once again by her side, smiling like he used to. 

She wanted him to be happy, and she would do anything in her power to make that happen.