24.

Elai expected going to sleep would be as easy ever; the bed he has here is amazing, and so is the night breeze that catches the curtains. His mind will not give in, though, and it is easy for Chay to notice. The alchemist turns himself onto his side, eyes immediately catching Elai’s.
“Your aura is deadly right now.” Chay jokes.
Elai lets out a quiet chuckle. “Is it that obvious?” He’s glad his friend is awake, too. Now he can at least talk until his eyes can’t hold it any longer.
“Do you think they know? I saw the way Arlon looked at me.”
“Arlon’s gazes are always very.. frightening. I do not think you have to worry.” Chay tries to calm the boy, even though he was the one to tell Connie who Elai truly is. A small ounce of guilt is still stuck in the pit of his stomach, but he did what was best for both of them. He had to protect himself and his position. He didn’t want to lose his shop, and neither did he want to get locked up in the dungeons for hiding an enemy. Arlon would easily do it, friends or not.
“No.. no it was much different from the ones I’ve seen. It was wary. Until he got black out drunk, that is.” The prince cannot help but giggle, Chay joining him.
“King Arlon is a big lightweight.” Chay is obvious in his change of subject, but not for the reason Elai thinks. He does not want to calm his friend; he just doesn’t want to be reminded of the choice he had made.
“Yeah, and he’s smart too.” Elai is not up for small talk, though. He is too worried to make fun of the king. To talk and be.. at peace. He needs to know if something has changed, if they know and will kill him once he sleeps.
“Or you’re just not very good at lying..” Chay tries it again, a grin appearing on his face. He will not talk of this matter; he is even worse at lying than Elai.
“Does he read people well?” Elai frowns as he turns onto his back, eyes now staring up at the ceiling and hands resting against his stomach.
“He was taught very well.”
“Taught?” Elai moves his head to look back at Chay.
Chay looks away, though. “It is- difficult. I am not supposed to talk of those matters.”
The alchemist had said this before; there was something that went down here. Something no one is allowed to talk about. Elai hasn’t read anything that stood out, that was overwhelming and gasp worthy, yet something still lingers in these halls. Something that is not to be named in books.
“Was he the same guy that trained him? The water wielder?” It was too obvious; when Arlon spoke of him, his mouth twitched and his eyes looked anywhere but to him.
“Yes.” Chay stays quiet. He has already betrayed one friend, he does not want to betray another one. Elai lets out a big sigh; he needs to talk to someone who knows Arlon and is willing to open their mouth. He does not care if it is someone he doesn’t like, like Connie. He just needs to know. Being inside of constant pressure and secrets is exhausting.
“I’m going to go for a short walk.” He does not say more than that, and neither does Chay. Elai leaves the room with his robe tightly wrapped around his waist. The halls are quiet and the guards do not look up even once. They stand perfectly still, almost as sharp as the pillars. It is a weird sight; as if they’re statues. The marble floor is cold against his naked feet. He does not know where he wants to go, and so he walks without purpose. His heart is in his throat when he looks up at the guards that stand in front of the main doors. His gaze is sharp and squinted, and for some reasons, the guards step aside. Elai is glad, a small smile appearing on his face as they pull open the two doors. It is warm outside, if not hot. The night felt cold from his room yet now he has to pull his hair back into a ponytail to let the soft breeze brush across his face.
Walking outside without shoes puts a smile on his face; it feels nice to be able to do what he wants. There is no Connie to keep an eye out, probably too drunk to get out of bed. He smiles at the people that busy across the alleys, looking for anything good to buy. The sellers are loud and determined, and Elai can’t help but look around as well. He tries his best not to find anything he likes. He does not carry any Klyrching; looking around is the only thing he can do. His eyes are mesmerized by the colors the necklaces hold, and the interesting shapes of rings. “Would you like to try it on?” His cheeks get red when he hears the question, and his head quickly looks up. It is not the merchant who is asking, though. He is standing too far away to be talking to him. Elai’s cheeks burn even more when he turns around as a response to a tap on the shoulder. It was the same man he had once met outside of a brothel. The man he still does not know the name of. “I was hoping I’d find you.”
Without a second thought, he allows the man to guide him through the lines of people. Elai doesn’t look up and only focuses on his feet. His chest feels tighter, quick breaths leaving his mouth. It does not take long to arrive back where he had met the man. The brothel hadn’t changed a bit, besides from the soft candles that had burned out. They do not exchange a single word, but it does not matter. Elai feels excited; maybe this will get him tired enough to sleep. Before he know it, the man’s lips are attacking his neck, and soft gasps leave the prince’s mouth as he feels a large hand wrap around his length.
He tries to keep his focus on the motions of the man’s hand, but it is much more difficult than he had thought. His mind keeps coming back to a simple, single image; king Arlon. His breath hitches as he tries to keep his eyes open, but even then, he can see the king in front of him. It is supposed to turn him off, it is supposed to make him whine. Why would he want to think about Arlon while someone is touching him?
Still, the image does not leave, and it only intensifies the touch he feels against his skin. The kiss is deeper and the grip firmer. All because of the image of him. The mere fucking image. The boy lets out a soft, disappointed chuckle. How dare you think of him like this?
But he does not stop. He does not want to stop.